MUSE IT UP AUTHORS AND STAFF ARE CHATTING TODAY!!

The staff and authors from MuseItUp Publishing are chatting today on BOTH loops! Come on by and have fun (and tell a friend or twenty). It's going to be a blast, guaranteed. :-)

LASR: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LongAndShortRomanceReviews/

WC: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whippedcream2/

The Taking by Dean Koontz




So far, I'm enjoying this Koontz book. He has wonderful word choice that evokes exciting imagery. It's inspiring to read a great author. I don't find it discouraging at all instead it fills me with the desire to do better and create beautiful imagery for my readers.



View all my reviews

Jenna Storm Paranormal Romance Author: Six Sentence Sunday

Jenna Storm Paranormal Romance Author: Six Sentence Sunday: "HAPPY SUNDAY! I'm happy to share another (unedited) excerpt from my March 2012 release, The Burning Seal, to be published by Muse It Up P..."

Six Sentence Sunday

HAPPY SUNDAY! 

I'm happy to share another (unedited) excerpt from my March 2012 release, The Burning Seal, to be published by Muse It Up Publishing. A paranormal romance that blends demons, reincarnation, psychic abilities and magic. Whew! I truly enjoyed writing this book and creating my hero and heroine, two homicide detectives who are fated to engage in a terrifying battle with a demonic force.       

 Thrum. Thrum. 

Her ears must have plugged because now she heard the blood racing through terrified veins to fuel an equally petrified heart. She squeezed the bottle, the high-pitched noise of the plastic shattered the car’s quiet. During the car ride, Chase’s sarcasm kept her from dwelling on her nervousness. Now, her skin stretched taut as if an invisible force pulled it across her bones. Swallowing became an impossible feat as she was sure her throat wasn’t working any longer. 

Six Sentence Sunday

The six sentences I chose are from my March 2012 release with Muse It Up Publishing. The Burning Seal is the first book in a paranormal series that has a psychic, demon, witch and elements of reincarnation. Let me provide you with a little background for the sentences below. A masked man has broken into Detective Danni Keegan's home and with his invasion he has unlocked her psychic abilities and spurred her to take her place in a battle she never imagined... 

unedited

An eerie silence pervaded her house. Even the walls breathed a warning. The concerned operator continued to ask questions while a second round of adrenaline coursed through her and sent her body on a roller coaster ride. The room shrunk as her vision narrowed and the only noise she heard now was the blood careening through her body. Her already tense muscles ached as they pulled even tighter.

He's coming back.  

Are you a plotter or a panster? Do you plot your stories ahead of writing? Or do you write and see what happens? (Writing “by the seat of your pants”.) Why do you work that way? What are the benefits ...and drawbacks?

That's an easy question...I'm a plotter! I love creating character worksheets and detailed outlines with notes on the expected character moods and conflict in a scene. This level of detail is an anomaly in my very unorganized life. I think because I am distracted so easily and flit around like a butterfly from subject to subject (yes, I realize I'm describing an attention deficit issue!) that I need this organization to keep the story moving and assure an ending.

After I've created my outline I continue to work through the sequence of events to be sure my timeline makes sense and that I haven't left holes in the plot. Of course, all that plotting doesn't mean I won't have those issues but it does help me to minimize them.

With that said...I also allow my muse her freedom. I don't use whips and chains on myself (ouch!) to ensure I stick to the outline. If I have a new idea midway through the story (and it's a good one) I work it into the story and make the needed changes in the outline.

The idea of not working off an outline terrifies me! I look at a panster with envy and think how wonderful it would be to just let the story weave its own intricate web. If I did that...well, I can already see the mess I would create...victims screaming from the pages for justice, lead characters walking around blank pages wondering what happened to their character arc and why can't they find their true love or heal past hurts and finally, those secondary characters left floating in limbo. <writer screams loudly and runs from the computer>

Yes. I am a plotter. And I think that's what I'll stick with.

Have a good day everyone.

Her Last Kiss cyber party!

Hi there!

Her Last Kiss launched into cyberspace with a--you guessed it--a CyberLaunch Party on Feb 5th! It was very exciting to answer potential readers questions and explain the book a little more. I am posting a new excerpt of the story that I hope you enjoy.

I also have a website now. www.wix.com/jwrit02/jenna-storm 

Please stop by and leave a comment or just visit. I plan to add fun and interesting bits of information to "Jenna's Diary" that will center on the paranormal world.

Her Last Kiss (excerpt)

“You’re telling me there are daemons, vampires, and mythical beings?”

“It’s a complex world, Geneva.”  

Not complex. Terrifying. She curled into a tight ball on the recliner. Sleep was out of the question. 

“I could die up here, my body fed on by Sarko. Dammit, Alek, vampires and daemons are supposed to be a myth. Feeding on someone’s body and stealing their soul belongs in a horror movie.” She was angry with Alek for bringing this terror to her door. She rubbed her neck imagining the feel of Sarko’s teeth tearing into her skin, draining her blood. Any minute she expected him to burst through the door, a leering grin on his pasty face. 

“Lay with me,” Alek offered. He turned onto his side, and shifted, so there were a few empty inches of cushion. 

She started to move and then stopped. “I’m not having sex with you.”

He held up the blanket inviting her into the small space. “No conditions.”

She jumped off the recliner and hurried to the sofa. There was no doubt she felt attracted to Alek, but there was more to it. A bond born from the fact he was her only protection against Sarko. She lay down and rested her head on his bicep. He draped his free arm over her waist. She welcomed the pressure. It made her feel safe.