#FabulousFridayGuestBlogger #Carmen Stefanescu Cover Reveal: Till Life Do Us Part

/ Marcia Meara / 11 Comments

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In lieu of our normal guest blogger style post, Carmen Stefanescu would like to share the cover reveal for her newest book: Till Life Do Us Part. Let’s all support her by sharing as far and wide as we can, and please remember, you are invited to do the same with your new books, as well. Sharing is what we do!

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Marcia, thank you so much for having me as your guest today. You know my interest in anything odd –  paranormal, myths,  legends  – all that is out of the normal boundaries.  Reincarnation and chat with ghosts can be included, too.

I’m thrilled to be here, and excited to share the cover for my upcoming release.                          

Till Life Do Us Part

Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Magic, Reincarnation, Mystery, Suspense
Release date: 9th June 2016

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Barbara Heyer can hear voices of dead people. They whisper of their deaths, seek comfort for those left behind, and occasionally even warn her about future events. But when Barbara’s brother, Colin, is accused of murder, it will take more than her gift to prove his innocence.

Becoming smitten with the handsome investigator, Detective Patrick Fischer, is a serious complication given his assignment to her brother’s case. Barbara senses there is something far deeper—and perhaps much older—than the surface attraction between them. Could that be why she’s visited by a mysterious woman named Emma in her dreams? Could past life regression tie all the seemingly unconnected events together?

Barbara and Patrick must overcome heartache to find the truth to save Colin, and perhaps themselves.

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Carmen Stefanescu resides in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble – the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.

Teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world that of the books.

She has dreamed all her life to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989 and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Several of her poems were successfully published in a collection of Contemporary English Poems, Muse Whispers vol.1 and Muse Whispers vol.2 by Midnight Edition Publication, in 2001 and 2002.

 Her first novel, Shadows of the Past, was released in 2012 by Wild Child Publishing, USA.

                   Carmen joined the volunteer staff at Marketing For Romance Writers Author blog and is the coordinator of #Thursday13 posts.

You can stalk the author here:

http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/

https://twitter.com/Carmen_Books

http://www.pinterest.com/carmens007/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carmen-Stefanescu-Books/499245716760283

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624397.Carmen_Stefanescu

https://plus.google.com/117216040843648957646/posts

http://www.amazon.com/Carmen-Stefanescu/e/B00APVDGAA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

#WednesdayPOV What’s In a Name? #wwwblogs

/ Marcia Meara / 13 Comments

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Fitzchivalry Farseer
A name and a character I can love!

Having come to epic fantasy reading very late in life (like in the past two years), I probably have no right to issue complaints or requests, however, that’s never stopped me before. And I am issuing both. I’ll start with the request. You fantasy writers out there, please . . . I beseech you in the name of every god and goddess on your wonderfully creative worlds . . . have mercy on your readers. Please stop using names for your characters that can’t be pronounced by the human tongue.

I think it’s James Scott Bell who warns writers against filling their books with “speed bumps” that slow readers down, and I promise you that giving your hero a name that starts with three consequetive consonants is a speed bump of major proportions. Every single time I come to a line featuring something that Sir Hrvetrkzll is involved in, I will slam on the brakes and try to pronounce his name in my head. It pulls me right out of the story, without fail. And like a Sunday driver out for a ride in the country, enough speed bumps in a row will send me home again, too frustrated to continue the effort.

I do realize that your dragon-slaying knight of the realm would sound silly with a normal, guy next door name like Fred. And his damsel in distress probably needs something jazzier than the equally girl next door name of Sally. Sir Fred and Lady Sally just don’t cut it. But imaginative names don’t have to be unpronouncable, do they? Perhaps they could be combinations of words, like Trollslayer or Flamingaxe, or even a series of words like He Who Whistles Dixie. I can read those without slamming on brakes.

Or they could be variations of names we’re already familiar with. Peeta and Katniss come to mind. This type would be more the way Robin Hobb went in her Farseer and Liveship Traders books. Names like Wintrop, Chade, Fitzchivalry, Brashen, and Malta are easy to pronounce, yet memorable in that they aren’t likely to be the names of anyone you’ve ever met. The habit of Hobb’s royal family in Bucktown naming their children after traits they admire is fun, too, resulting in characters named Chivalry, Regal, Shrewd, and Verity, for example. You get my drift, here, I’m sure.

And now my complaint. A name that sounds more like a sneeze than a word is no fun, and I wish fantasy writers, as much as I love them all,  wouldn’t hurt my brain with such.  Kvothe the raven, “Nevermore.”

 

Mystery Mondays: Interview with Anna Celeste Burke

/ Marcia Meara / 4 Comments

One of the first writers I “met” when I was working on WRR. So good to see how busy she’s been!

Christoph Fischer's avatarwriterchristophfischer

10021301Today I have the pleasure to introduce one of my favourite mystery writers and a very good friend, Anna Celeste Burke. Welcome back to my blog. Please tell my readers, what type of crime fiction do you write and why?

I write mystery fiction that most regard, these days, as “cosy mystery.”   Adult themes, of course, but no graphic violence or explicit sex, and little or no profanity. The stories I have authored vary a great deal in terms of story length, how light-hearted they are, and in their level of suspense. All include a dash of humour and romance. I prefer to write mysteries that drift toward the lighter side of the continuum because I find that I have more fun writing them. I do enjoy reading thrillers, too, though, and may yet take my writing in that direction.

Did anyone influence or encourage you to become a writer?

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#InspirationBoardSunday #SundayBlogShare @_mcalister

/ Marcia Meara / 16 Comments

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Do you write stories with a darker feel? Something spooky, that makes you shiver? Then these photos by Christopher McKenney just might give you some ideas for your next tale. (For more of Christopher’s work, check out his website.)

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Cover Reveal!

/ Marcia Meara / 22 Comments

Wooohoooo. Spent yesterday with my good friend and Graphics Goddess, Nicki Forde, and this is what we came up with for Harbinger, Book 3 in the Wake-Robin Ridge series. What do you think? (We have time for changes, should there be any issues, but hopefully, this is a winner.)

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