For Today’s Freebie Friday, I thought it would be fun to showcase a few of my own designs.
Freebie Friday: 9/13
3
Category Archives: Paranormal Romance
Freebie Friday #8
Enchanted (Channie, Book 1) – Charlotte Abel
Taken (Channie, Book 2) – Charlotte Abel
Hot Under the Collar ( Lords of Lancashire, Book 2) – Jackie Barbosa
Whiskey Dreams (Sleepy Hollow, Book 0.5) – Ranae Rose
Welcome Melynda Price!
Hello, Hallie,
Thank you for hosting me on your blog today. I’m looking forward to this interview and would like to mention that I’m having a giveaway for a copy of Until Darkness Comes. Details to win will be included at the end of the interview.
1. What’s the first book you remember reading and why did it stick with you?
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.
This book was about a young adolescent girl entering puberty and trying to find her way. It was a great story that stuck with me because the main character was easy to identify with.
2. What’s your writing process and what do you find to be the most difficult part?
I’m a pantser. With the exception of the book I’m currently writing, I didn’t know how they were going to end until the ending. LOL. I try to let my stories write themselves rather than following a structure or an outline for them to fit into. For me, I think it flows better
that way. Because I’m a pantser, I have to go back through the story a couple of times to layer and connect the dots. Sometimes that can be tedious.
3. Which writers inspire you and which aspect of their writing do you find most impressive?
I really like Lara Adrian‘s Midnight Breed Series. What appeals to me about her writing style is that she has great characterization. Each of her characters have strong personalities that come through in each story. It pulls me in and I can bond with her characters. I think that’s one of the greatest challenges for a writer, to diversify your characters and create them in a way that the reader can bond to them.
4. What is the most challenging aspect of writing for you (ex. plot, characterization, pacing, grammar, etc.) and how do you overcome this?
By far, writing the ending is the toughest for me. I find it difficult to end a story in a way that doesn’t feel cut off, rushed, or leave trailing loose ends. I try to be very cautious not to do this, but it takes a conscious effort and it doesn’t come easy for me.
5. Everyone has that one BIG lesson they learned the hard way, do you mind sharing yours? How has it influenced your writing?
Learning to write a query letter that doesn’t scream “I don’t knowwhat I’m doing!” There are a lot of newbie errors to be made in drafting a query letter, and at one time or another, I’ve probably made them all.
I could probably paper my walls with the rejection letters.
I studied a lot of query letters and the art ofwriting them. I knew I’d finally gotten it right when I started getting manuscript requests. One of the things I’m working on is
developing a page on my website called “writing tips.” I’m including examples of synopsis and query letters as well as links to some good websites I found to be very helpful. Hopefully, other writers will find this useful.
6. If you could nominate two characters for best Hero and heroine, who would you choose?
Hmm…that’s hard to say, but Midnight Rising was one of my favorite books. I’d have say Tegan and Elise would be good nominees for best hero/heroine. They’re two dynamic characters with great chemistry that really hooked me.
7. Now, to get on to your novel, Until Darkness Comes. Choose three words that you believe best represent it.
Deception, Temptation, Romance.
8. I know all authors hate this question, but I think it’s really important for readers who are unfamiliar with an author–Which two previously published books do you feel Until Darkness Comes is most like. And include which aspects are similar (pacing, tone, atmosphere, romance, character types).
Wow, this is a very hard question. I’ve been told Until Darkness Comes has a certain Twilight appeal. Like Twilight, it’s a series that follows that same two main characters, and it’s a book that appeals to a YA and adult audience. I guess the other book would be Hush, Hush. Although the story lines have nothing in common, they’re both a romance about an angel and a mortal woman. This, too, is a series that follows the same two characters. I think people who enjoyed reading those books will like Until Darkness Comes.
9. For readers interested in keeping up with you and your work, can you list all places you can be found?
Anyone who’s interested in following me can do so through my blog, www.melyndaprice.com. My email and contact links for facebook and twitter are listed on my website. I post excerpts from my WIP’s every week, and am currently doing a Bonded in Exile excerpt.
Thank you so much, Hallie, for hosting me on your blog, and to everyone who stopped by today. I’m giving away a copy of Until Darkness Comes. Enter to win by going to my website, www.melyndaprice.com, “follow me” and leave a message that you’d like to be entered to win in a comment. Good luck!
I would like to thank Melynda Price for stopping by, and encourage you all to swing by a grab a copy of Until Darkness Comes, or enter to a copy at her blog.
Freebie Friday #7
A Wanton’s Thief (Thieves and Lovers, Book One) – Titania Ladley
Taking Instruction – Cheyenne McCray
Sojourner (Sojourner, Book One) – Maria Rachel Hooley
Samson’s Lovely Mortal (Scanguards Vampires, Book One) – Tina Folsom
Shattered (Dream’s Realm Trilogy, Book One) – Sophia Sharp
In Heat (In Heat, Book One) – Felicity Heaton
In Heat: Mating Call (In Heat, Book Two) – Felicity Heaton
Promise (Soulsavers, Book One) – Kristie Cook
Zola’s Pride ( Southern Arcana, Book 2.5) – Moira Rogers
Bewitching the Werewolf – Caroline Hanson
The Mystic Wolves (The Mystic Wolves Series, Book One) – Belinda Boring
Six Sentence Sunday #7
Another Six Sentences from Deception.
Looks very military. This is a guy who could kick my ass half asleep with both hands tied behind his back.
I can tell he’s giving me the same thorough assessment, although I can’t tell by his expression what he thinks. I hope it’s not, This chick looks like a vampire. That will majorly fuck up the rest of my life.
“What are you doing out so late at night kid?”
To Learn more about Six Sentence Sunday, click here.
Freebie Friday #6
Can’t Resist Covers: Soul Mate Publishing
Six Sentence Sunday #6
This week’s Six Sentence Sunday is from Deception, formerly titled Let Me Lie.
Her voice is real sweet. Not seductive, but completely feminine. There’s a small pang of jealousy at hearing the way he speaks so tenderly to her. This is his woman, his partner, and I want what they have. That trust and intimacy. That someone to call when I need to get rid of a body.
Freebie Friday #5
I usually only showcase 1 to 3 free novels on Friday, but today when I was searching I found so many that looked good that I decided to post them all. Below is a list of titles and their links.
Beauty Dominates the Beast – Hannah Hale
Once Bitten, Forever Burned – Eve Langlais, Stacey Kennedy
The Princess’ Dragon Lord – Mandy Rosko
She’s Gotta be Mine (Cottonmouth Series, Book 1) – Jennifer Skully
Once Bitten (Alexa O’Brien Huntress, Book 1) – Trina M. Lee
Sunrise at Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 1) – Jaz Primo
Wereslave (Were Legends, Book 1) – Lia Slater
Initiation (Xylon Warriors, Book 1) – Ruth D. Kerce
Vampire Cursed (Vampires Destined, Book 1) – Rachel Carrington
Ties That Bind is Now Available
Everyone please slide on over to T.A. Grey’s blog and congratulate her on the release of her third Bellum Sister’s novel, Ties That Bind. It’s available now at Amazon, and other retailers I’m sure.
Freebie Friday #4
Cover Love: Inkspell Publishing
Saturday Six: Six Reasons I Give Up On a Book
1. MIA Hero – this is the number one reason I will put down a book! When I pick up a romance, I’m expecting to see two characters for a majority of the time. If the hero is missing for a legitimate reason, then the other character must at least think about the hero enough to satisfy me.
2. TSTL (Too Stupid to Live) heroine – I cannot stand these characters. These brass pantied women jump into the action without rhyme or reason. I’m not talking about a woman who gets backed into a corner and has no choice. I’m talking about the woman who chases the hero/firefighter back into the fire, for no reason other than she thinks he’s being chauvinistic. Is this really necessary? She couldn’t just discuss this with him later, over dinner? NO! She has to follow him into a burning building, to prove she’s as tough as he is.
3. All-powerful heroine – almost as bad as the TSTL heroine, is the impossible to kill heroine. I absolutely hate when authors create these larger than life characters (this usually happens in urban fantasy) and then they put them in life or death situations.
Here is how the scenario usually plays out. The heroine has survived everything from fire to dismemberment. She is super strong, super fast, and usually a capital B. Then suddenly an unlucky chance encounter brings her face to face with the one and only being in the world that can kill her.
Which leads me to….
4. Coincidence – While small coincidences are okay (I need a bar of soap and my neighbor accidentally bought an extra), those big coincidences that bring the villain to a small town in Wyoming, where he finds the heroine, who just happened to meet the hero who can help her defeat the villain. 98% percent of the time, coincidence in writing is a bad thing.
5. Cliche physical descriptions – I know that not everyone is as picky as I am when it comes to physical descriptions, but this is truly a pet peeve of mine. If I read anything in the blurb about red hair, green eyes, or scarred heroes, I give the book a pass. I know that this has no real bearing on the quality of writing, but my instinctive thought is “if this author can’t even bother to try and come up with unique physical descriptions, will they really bother making their plot original?”
6. The BIG misunderstanding – Most of my favorite authors use this, and the only reason I forgive them because everything else they do is so great. I understand that there are certain times when misunderstandings are plausible, but 70% of the time they just aren’t believable. I will give examples of both….
Acceptable: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost ends on a BIG misunderstanding. While I still think that Cat underestimated Bones, I understood her reasoning behind making the decision she did. She really did have something to loose, which made her dumb move more believable.
Unacceptable: New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. I don’t hate the Twilight Saga like many people do. I believe that it is a very good series for the genre and age group for which it was written. However, Meyer should have worked a lot harder to make the lapse in Alice’s visions more believable.
Cover Love: Carina Press
Freebie Friday: Alexandra’s Legacy
Heavenly Designs & Photography 