#Sharing

#GuestDayTuesday – Tinsel and Tea Cakes by Jill Piscitello

/ Marcia Meara / 52 Comments

Today, I have the pleasure of introducing Jill Piscitello for her first (but hopefully not her last) visit to The Write Stuff. Please help me welcome Jill as she shares her latest book with you. Your turn now,  Jill–take it away!

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Hello everyone!  Many thanks to Marcia for hosting me as a guest author today.  I now have a new favorite place to visit for Monday memes!

My new release, Tinsel and Tea Cakes, is a sweet, holiday novella.  The story offers a second chance romance, a mini mystery, and a touch of the past with an unforgettable Victorian themed Christmas wedding.  I had so much fun getting to know my characters that saying good-bye was harder than expected.  Cue visions of a sequel swirling through my mind.  Imagine my delight when my editor encouraged a follow up.

But there’s a problem.  Most romances wrap up the endings of main characters in pretty packages tied with a bow.  I struggled with deciding whether to find a new story arc for Scarlett or to focus on a supporting character.  I’ve seen authors go in both directions.  Which is the path best taken?

After much consideration, I’ve decided to write a full-length novel centered around a staff member from The Timeless Manor.  This will allow my reigning heroine and hero to pop in now and again with bite sized updates.  I’m excited to see where this new book takes me but would love to hear perspectives on sequels from other authors and readers.

BLURB:

Hair stylist Scarlett Kerrigan lost her job and her apartment. To alleviate a touch of self-pity, she succumbs to her stepmom’s pressure to attend a wedding in the New Hampshire White Mountains. Unfortunately, she runs into the vacation fling who promised the moon but disappeared without an explanation. Months have passed, but she is not ready to forgive and forget.

After a chaotic year, executive Wes Harley settles into his family’s event venue, The Timeless Manor. His carefully structured world is shaken to its core when Scarlett arrives for the Victorian Christmas wedding weekend. The feelings he never quite erased flood to the surface.

When secrets are revealed, will a magical chateau and a sprinkle of tinsel be enough to charm Scarlett?

Buy Tinsel and Tea Cakes HERE:
Amazon           Nook

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Author Jill Piscitello

Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.

A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.

Visit Jill on Social Media here:
Website ~ Twitter  ~ Facebook ~  Instagram

Visit Jill’s Amazon Author Page here.

 

#ReblogAlert! #Twofer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & Sally Cronin’s #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia Meara / 18 Comments

Time for a look at another great week on #StoryEmpire. Here are the posts featured this time around:

MONDAY: Gwen Plano shares a very thought-provoking post you’ll not want to miss. Check out 1984? HERE

WEDNESDAY: Mae Clair’s post entitled Staying Power #NaNoWriMo is another you don’t want to miss. Check out Mae’s excellent cheerleading prowess HERE.

FRIDAY: Jan Sikes is back to talk about more great opportunities for writers in #MKTG — In-Person Events #BookFestivals.  To see her great tips, check out her post HERE.
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Wow, what a jam-packed week on Smorgasbord! Trust me, you do not want to miss this roundup post today. Head on over to see what I mean.

Check out Sally’s Weekly RoundUp PostHERE
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And there you have it, Folks!

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About Joan Hall

/ Marcia Meara / 107 Comments

So happy it’s Wednesday again, because you know what that means?  Yep! It’s time for another Ten Things list. This week, our guest is my good friend, author Joan Hall, and I know you’ll enjoy reading this one! Take it away, Joan!

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Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by Joan Hall

  1.  I bleed burnt orange. Just kidding, but I’m a diehard Texas Longhorn fan. Burnt orange (and white) are the school colors.
  2.  My all-time favorite movie is Casablanca.
  3.  My maiden name is James and much to my husband’s dismay, I’m not related to the outlaw Jesse. (Hubs thinks that would be so cool!)
  4.  I wrote my first novel on notebook paper when I was seventeen years old, but I threw it away.
  5.  I once killed a four-foot coiled rattlesnake with a garden hoe.
  6.  My earliest memory was when I was eighteen months old. It happened during a visit with friends and relatives near Christmas.
  7.  As much as I love cats, I used to be more of a dog person. We once owned five dogs at the same time—two Dachshunds, a German Shepherd, a Lab-mix, and a Chow-mix. Feeding two cats is much less expensive.
  8.  Speaking of pets, we have a family tradition of naming our dogs after songs or singers. This came about by accident when I decided to name my German Shepherd puppy after George Harrison’s first wife, Pattie Boyd. Since then, we’ve had names such as Dylan, (Bob) Maggie (Maggie May), and Penny (Penny Lane). We don’t follow the same naming convention for our cats, but we once named one after a baseball player.
  9.  One of my pet peeves (of which I have many) is people who can’t park straight or park too close to the line.
  10.  In the early 1970s, my brother and I buried a piece of his pottery on our family property with the hope that some future generation would discover it and wonder about life in twentieth century America.

Joan and Hubby

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Author Joan Hall

Joan Hall has always enjoyed reading or listening to stories about inexplicable events, so it’s not surprising she writes mystery and romantic suspense. A lover of classic rock music, songs often serve as the inspiration for her books.

When she’s not writing, Joan likes to observe the night skies, explore old cemeteries, and learn about legends and folklore. She and her husband live in Texas with their two cats. Learn more about Joan at her website, http://JoanHall.net.

Buy All of Joan’s Books HERE

Reach Joan on Social Media Here:

Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |   Bookbub  |  Goodreads  |  Instagram

#ReblogAlert! #Twofer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & Sally Cronin’s #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia Meara / 17 Comments

This post is going to be what we call a “Twofer,” or two posts for the price of one! Since I’ve made Sunday my regular #ReblogAlert day for both Story Empire and Smorgasbord, I realized I could do them in the same post, rather than one in the morning and one in the afternoon, thus giving each of them all-day long exposure. Great idea, huh? (Yeah, I know. Sometimes I’m slow, but I usually get there eventually! 😀 ) So, here you go!

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Another great series of posts from the gang at Story Empire. You’ll definitely want to take a look, if you haven’t already done so.

MONDAY: John W. Howell’s post Indicators During a Writing Session That It Is Not the Best Work is a simple, yet very helpful way to help authors  understand why their work might not be as good as it should be. Check out John’s post HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Joan Hall wraps up her terrific series on developing different types of characters with Character Types: The Helper. You can read Joan’s post HERE.

FRIDAY: Staci Troilo’s post, Do’s and Don’ts of Story Beginnings, is another one you won’t want to miss! Learn more on this from Staci HERE.

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And for those who may have missed some of this week’s fabulous posts on Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord, be sure to check out this link. Loaded with good stuff, including at least one video sure to bring tears to your eyes, and another to make you smile all over, you’ll definitely be glad you did!

Check out Sally’s Weekly RoundUp Post HERE
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And there you have our first Reblog Twofer everybody!
Hope you enjoy checking out both sites!

 

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia Meara / 21 Comments

Time to share this week’s always-fantastic posts from Story Empire. If you haven’t checked these out, be sure you do. It’s always worth a trip to see what they’re sharing this time around.

MONDAY:  Just published a new book and want to know more abourt blog tours and the like? Check out D. L. Finn’s post entitled New Releases and Blog Tours HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Craig Boyack shares a super post on story structure, entitled The Three Acts: Act 2, Part 1. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY: And Harmony Kent wraps up the week with a great post entitled How to Write Point of View, Part 6, Common Pitfalls.  Check it out HERE.

And there you have it! Some great reading here!
Enjoy!

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About Deborah Jay

/ Marcia Meara / 74 Comments

Once again, another Wednesday has rolled around, and it’s time for a new Ten Things list. This one is from author Deborah Jay, a friend who lives in Scotland (ooooh … men in kilts!) and I think you’re going to enjoy it a lot. With that in mind, I’m turning the floor over to her without further delay. Take it away, Debby!

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Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by Deborah Jay

  1. Although I work professionally as a trainer of dressage horses, I have competed in a wide range of other horse sports, including long distance riding, horse trials (eventing), show jumping, showing classes, and side-saddle competitions.
  2. I am a total Lord of the Rings geek, and when I visited New Zealand, I took a 2-week tour visiting filming locations, some of which were only accessible by helicopter.
  3. I once modelled nude for a life class for the local art school.
  4. I can’t cook. I love to eat, but someone else has to produce it!
  5. I was an official at the London 2012 Olympics.
  6. A few days before the UK’s first Covid lockdown I achieved my dream house move, and now live full time in the Scottish Highlands, about 15 miles from Loch Ness.
  7. We adopt and foster rescue dogs with behavioural difficulties that mean they don’t fit into regular homes.
  8. I have been a passionate flower gardener for some years. Now I’m learning to grow vegetables as well.
  9. My hair really was ginger when I was young. Now it takes regular dying to keep it this way.
  10. My real name is Deborah Judith Lush. Hence I used my middle initial to come up with my pen name of Deborah Jay.

Debby Outside Sam & Rosie’s Hobbit Hole

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Author Deborah Jay

Deborah Jay writes fantasy and urban fantasy featuring complex, quirky characters and multi-layered plots – just what she likes to read.

Fortunate to live near Loch Ness in the majestic, mystery-filled Scottish Highlands with her partner and a pack of rescue dogs, she can often be found lurking in secluded glens and forests, researching locations for her books.

She has a dream day job riding, training and judging competition dressage horses and riders, and also writes books and magazine features on the subject under her professional name of Debby Lush.

A lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy, she started writing her first novel aged eight, and has never stopped. Her first published novel is epic fantasy, THE PRINCE’S MAN, first in the Five Kingdoms series, and winner of a UK Arts Council award. #2, THE PRINCE’S SON and #3, THE PRINCE’S PROTEGE are both available with the concluding book in the quartet, THE PRINCE’S HEIR, due out in 2021.

Her first urban fantasy, DESPRITE MEASURES, about a Scottish water sprite, is the opening novel of the CALEDONIAN SPRITE SERIES. The companion short story, SPRITE NIGHT is available FREE on most ebook retailers.

BUY DEBORAH JAY’S BOOKS HERE:
 Amazon author page: https://viewAuthor.at/DeborahJay

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REACH DEBORAH ON SOCIAL MEDIA HERE:

https://deborahjayauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DeborahJay

https://twitter.com/DeborahJay2

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/debbylush/boards/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7172608.Deborah_Jay

Newsletter sign up and FREE short story: http://eepurl.com/bPZcmT

Deborah Jay Author (list-manage.com)

 

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia Meara / 13 Comments

Another great week, as always, on Story Empire. If you missed any of the latest posts, head on over and check them out. You’ll be glad you did!

MONDAY: Jan Sikes continues with her marketing series with #MKTG – Part 6 – Pinterest. Lots of good stuff to learn here on a topic that baffles many of us. Check Jan’s post out HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Gwen Plano gives us a very thought-provoking post entitled The Before and After of Writers. This one certainly resonated with me, and I’m sure it will with you as well. Check out Gwen’s post HERE.

FRIDAY: Mae Clair’s post, Are You Ready? #NaNoWriMo, is an interesting  and fun perspective on all that comes along with taking part in this major writing challenge. You can check out Mae’s post HERE.

And there you have it once again, Folks: 
Another wonderful week on #Story Empire.
Enjoy!

#ReblogAlert – Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Weekly RoundUp Post

/ Marcia Meara / 2 Comments

Another week, another fabulous round up of equally fabulous posts on Sally’s Smorgasbord blog! Be sure to stop by to see what you might have missed!

Check out Sally’s Weekly RoundUp Post HERE
Enjoy!

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About Yvette Calleiro

/ Marcia Meara / 41 Comments

 

Happy Wodin’s Day, Folks! Time for another Ten Things post, and this one features a first time guest on The Write Stuff, author Yvette Calleiro.  I hope you’ve been enjoying this series as much as I have been, and I’m absolutely sure this will be another post you’ll love! Take it away, Yvette!

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by Yvette Calleiro

  1. I am an Army brat. I was born in Germany and have lived in five U.S. states and two other countries. I’ve settled in Miami, Florida, but I do my best to escape during the summer months to explore our great country.
  2. I am an empath with a strong sixth sense and a loud inner voice.
  3. I have a goal to see all 50 states in the USA before my son graduates from high school. After this summer’s road trip, we will only have three states to go!
  4. I was named after the actress, Yvette Mimieux. Although my parents are both Cuban Americans, my mother chose the French spelling of Yvette. I’ve spent most of my life having to spell out my name because the majority of people around me want to spell it with an I (Ivette).
  5. I am an intensive reading teacher at a middle school. My first twenty years were spent teaching reading at a high school. I’ve been teaching the middle grades for five years now, and I love it.
  6. I love being surrounded by nature. My sanctuary is the beach, with the forest being a close second. I enjoy camping, kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, and bike riding, so long as I’m out in Mother Earth’s element.
  7. I am highly allergic to mosquito bites, and I’m a mega-magnet for them. Of course, this does not mesh well with my love for nature. My favorite bite repellants are coconut oil and a lemon-eucalyptus blend that I found.
  8. I am a firm believer in holistic wellness. I use homeopathy and kinesiology to keep my body healthy and balanced. I do my best to eat organic (or at least, non-GMO). I also enjoy EFT (emotional frequency tapping) to calm my nervous system.
  9. Music tends to be background noise for me. As a child, I could sing along to everything on the radio and would collect records and tapes and listen to them all day long. As an adult, I only listen to music in the car. I prefer silence over sound.
  10. The two books that got me hooked forever on reading were The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien and My Sweet Audrina by VC Andrews. The Hobbit opened up the world of fantasy for me, and I’ve never left. My Sweet Audrina fascinated me with the depth of character development, and I continue to crave more about the human psyche.

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Author Yvette Calleiro

Yvette M. Calleiro is a heavily addicted reader of both young adult and adult novels.  She spends most of her time pseudo-living in paranormal worlds with her fictional friends (and boyfriends). She’s also been known to ride the stationary bike at her gym for hours while reading anything from paranormal to fantasy to suspenseful thrillers.

When she’s living amongst real people, Yvette M. Calleiro is a middle school Reading and Language Arts teacher. She’s been sharing her love of literature with her students for over twenty years. Besides writing about the various characters that whisper (and sometimes scream) in her head, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, spending quality time with family and friends, and enjoying the beauty of the ocean.

Yvette lives in Miami, Florida, with her beautiful son who allows enjoys paranormal and adventurous stories. She also shares her space with an assortment of crazy saltwater animals in her 300-gallon tank.

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Buy Yvette’s Chronicles of the Diasodz (5 Book Series) HERE

Buy Yvette’s Short Story, Breathless, HERE

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Reach Yvette on Social Media Here:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/yvettemcalleiro

Twitter – https://twitter.com/YvetteMCalleiro

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7800735.Yvette_M_Calleiro

Website – http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com/

 

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia Meara / 18 Comments

I’m still in the process of getting back to all my regularly featured series, and today, I’m happy to say I’m picking up with sharing the week’s posts from one of my favorite blogs, Story Empire. And it’s been a good week, believe me. So for those of you who’ve never checked out this blog, or those of you who might have missed one of the posts this week, here are the links. 

MONDAY: How to Write Point of View, Part 5, Third Person Distant by Harmony Kent. Check out this very informative post HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Writing and  Fun! by D. L. Finn. This post is a great reminder that we really should enjoy the entire process of writing. You’ll definitely want to check it out HERE.

FRIDAY:  Three Act Structure: Act 1 by C. S. Boyack. As someone who’s never taken a writing class, I especially enjoyed Craig’s very informative and entertaining post on this topic.  Be sure to check it out HERE.

And there you have it! Another week of wonderful posts on Story Empire. I highly recommend stopping by to see for yourself just how informative and helpful these posts are. You’ll be glad you did!