Whales and More by Linda O. Johnston
March 6, 2020 by marianne h donley in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Linda O Johnston, Rest, whales, writing breaks
Travel has been on my mind a lot lately. Among other trips, last year I took an Alaskan cruise with friends and family, and went on some really great small tours from the ship. I hope for more cruises in the near future.
But this year—at the end of last month—I took a wonderful whale watching bus tour down Baja.
During the days, we mostly got to observe the Baja landscape, which was largely desert and mostly uninhabited. We saw it from the bus, and we also took brief hikes to look more closely at the plant life. We spent nights at different, but similar, hotels.
One day we also drove through an amazing, large bird sanctuary—osprey nesting on tops of poles, cormorants, herons, egrets and more. Loved that.
But the expedition was all about the whales!
Hey—can you guess that I love animals? Dogs especially, but I really enjoy wildlife, too.
No writing on this tour. Most times when I travel I bring a laptop along, but there was no time or location where I could work. But the break was worth it
We had three inlet tours of approximately two hours each, plus time on the water getting into those inlets, on small pangas in the water—open boats that seat about ten people. Of course we all wore life vests. Two tours were out of San Ignacio, and one off Guerrera Negro. We saw whales most near San Ignacio. They were gray whales who’d migrated to that area for the winter; summers they spend off northern areas like Alaska—though I don’t think I saw any during our Alaskan cruise. And in the winter, these whales mate and have babies, which we sometimes saw—although baby whales are huge, too.
And guess what! The whales were also people watching. They came over to the pangas to meet us—and let us pet them. Some people also kissed them. Gray whales have barnacles all over their back—and lice within them, too. But feeling the soft, rubbery skin of these huge and friendly animals? Amazing!
So now I’m back home and working on some Harlequin Romantic Suspense books that were on temporary hold before. Of course I enjoy writing them. But my mind is also working on determining a way to use what I saw on the whale tour in a story or two or more.
0 0 Read moreOnline Workshop with Kathryn Jane October 2019 Online Class from MCRW
September 29, 2019 by marianne h donley in category Online Classes, Writing tagged as back cover copy, Blurbs, Online Classes, Pitches
Music City Romance Writers Presents: One month of information and hands-on support while you learn fantastic techniques that will serve you for years to come.
Take the pain out of writing three simple paragraphs. Arm yourself with the weapons of creativity needed to grab a reader’s attention and drag them between the covers of your book.
Get the inside scoop on what a reader wants/expects/needs from about a hundred and fifty words on the back of your book. Not self-publishing? No worries, use your great story description in a query letter instead! Show off your writing chops in a very special way. Give the agent you’re querying concrete evidence that you know how to sell your book.
Bio: Presenter Kathryn Jane writes the popular Intrepid Women Series. Novels filled with mystery, suspense, adventure, psychic abilities, and romance. Think MacGyver, Criminal Minds, and James Bond . . . with a dash of I Love Lucy. Kickass women and the men who dare to love them.
REGISTRATION INFO
Cost:
MCRW Members: $15
RWA Members: $25
Non-RWA Members: $35
To register: https://mcrw.com/october-online-workshop
Workshop runs from October 1 to October 31
0 0 Read moreThe Kissing Index by Diane Sismour
August 13, 2019 by marianne h donley in category Guest Posts, Writing tagged as all five senses, kisses, Writing romance
Do your kisses reveal the relationship between your characters to the reader—those delicious tastes of nectar shared between two people? Whether you are writing an innocent first kiss in Young Adult or a smoking-hot Romance, compel the reader to finish with believable splashes of magic.
You can keep the PG-13 rating and still turn up the heat by using all five senses to capture a first kiss. If she licks her lips nervously and draws his gaze to her mouth, the anticipation mounts. Are his fingers smooth or rough against her cheek as he brushes her hair back? Body temperatures rise and the simple scent of a shampoo is intoxicating in close proximity, triggering more reactions than just his pants becoming too tight. A shortness of breath and racing hearts all lead to the moment their lips meet for the first time.
A couple with time to explore each other engages in the slow lingering dance of tongues. Heighten sexual intrigue by adding tactile sensations to capture a scene and raise the hot factor. His lips are soft, tasting musky and very male. She bites hard into his neck, eliciting a deep moan from her lover that vibrates through her. She unzips his worn jeans and her body slides slowly down his legs with the denim. How can the rough plaster against her back feel so cold, while his hands are searing her skin? The story pace builds and the intensity between your characters drives the reader to a cover-to-cover read.
Passionate kisses exchanged between lovers should leave the reader squirming in their seat hoping no one interrupts them while reading the scene. The slow exploration is over—this is full body contact and clothes are flying around the room like a clearance sale at Feline’s Basement. While lip-locked, hands arouse responses hastening along all their partner’s sexual triggers. The hard tweak of a nipple evokes gut wrenching desire, fingernails raking across his hip and lower to mark claim has him pulling her closer, and the heavy musk of sex adds vivid tension to the scenes. She kicks a drink off the side-table, the glass shatters and neither notice. They are beyond caring about anything, but what’s happening between them and your reader is too.
So, how hot are your kisses? If they need work, remember to use your senses, take time to feel through the scene and it doesn’t hurt to practice. Whether the kisses are innocent nibbles or a toe-curling lip-lock there is always another level to compel the reader into your story.
Happy Writing
~ Diane Sismour
Diane Sismour has written poetry and fiction for over 35 years in multiple genres. She lives with her husband in eastern Pennsylvania at the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Diane is a member of Romance Writers of America, Bethlehem Writer’s Group LLC, Horror Writers Association, and Liberty States Fiction Writers. She enjoys interviewing other authors and leading writer’s workshops.
Her website is www.dianesismour.com, and her blog is www.dianesismour.blogspot.com.
You can find her on Facebook and Twitter at: http://facebook.com/dianesismour, http://facebook.com/networkforthearts, and https://twitter.com/dianesismour.
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June Author: Denise M. Colby
June 21, 2019 by marianne h donley in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Christian Historical Fiction, Denise M Colby, Marketing, Social Media, writing
Denise M. Colby loves to write words that encourage, enrich, and engage whether it’s in her blog, social media, magazine articles, or devotions. With over 20+ years’ experience in marketing, she enjoys using her skills to help other authors. She treasures the written word and the messages that can be conveyed when certain words are strung together. An avid journal writer, she usually can be found with a pen and notepad whenever she’s reading God’s word. Denise is writing her first novel, a Christian Historical Romance and can be found at www.denisemcolby.com
She’s a member of RWA, OCC/RWA, Faith, Hope & Love Chapter of RWA, ACFW (where she is a semi-finalist in the Genesis contest Historical Romance Category), OC Chapter of ACFW, and SoCal Christian Writers’ Conference (where she will be teaching two workshops in June – Brand and SEO Marketing for Your Website).
In addition to Denise’s column The Writing Journey on A Slice of Orange, you can read some of her magazine article here.
Denise M. Colby’s Books
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Kiss Me, I’m Irish by Jaclyn Roche
April 25, 2019 by marianne h donley in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley tagged as #Charmed Writers, Flash Fiction 2019, Jaclyn Roche, Short Stories, The Charmed Connection
Last month in the Facebook Group, The Charmed Connection, members of Charmed Writers posted some flash fiction short stories in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Charmed Connection members voted for their favorite stories. The top four stories will be published this month on A Slice of Orange.
Our last story in this series is by Jaclyn Roche.
Jaclyn lives in the woods of Maine on a Mountain next to a lake and shares her version of utopia with her husband, two sons, two giant fur babies, two tiny feather babies and a few toads! Jaclyn’s short story, “Harvest of Memories” was published in Charmed Writers Presents: Flash Fiction 2019.
Follow her on social media:
Kiss Me, I’m Irish
Angela had never been to a Saint Patrick’s Day party and had no idea what to expect having been raised outside of the U.S. She supposed she expected a big grand event rather than the tame one she drove up to. Walking up the sidewalk lined with garden beds, screeching bagpipes drifted out of the opened windows. A squeal of the pipes nearly sent her hands to her ears. No professionals here. Laughter from inside kept tune with the squeaks and shrieks coming her way. Her knees trembled. Angela turned about to head back for her car. The front door to the cottage swung open and the screen door caught the Irish flag before it swung into the house.
“Angie! Welcome!” James’ smile was wide, wider than usual and mossy green eyes brighter than normal. His freckled cheeks tinged with a rosiness he got while drinking or exercising and Angie knew there wasn’t any exercising going on at the moment. He wrapped his long strong arms around her.
“Hey sweetie,” Angie’s feet dangled in the air from his burly bear hug. James smacked her lips with his leaving them wet and tasting of whiskey, “into the good stuff already, I see.” Her feet touched the tile and he grasped her hand dragging her through the one-story home.
“I can’t wait for you to meet my parents. They’re going to love you!” James
spoke fast and his pitch elevated. He skipped off to the kitchen with her in tow.
The pit-pat of her heart now revved up to a fast thudding against her chest. Her breath hitched in her throat as they crossed the threshold into the aromatic room causing Angie’s stomach to growl loudly and uncontrollably. Oh no. Angie bit her trembling lip. Her hand would have shaken if it weren’t still encased in James’. And now that his warm grasp left her it did shake.
“Well, hello there, Angela.” Mrs. O’Conner’s auburn hair was peppered with gray at the temples. Her slight hands reached out to clasp Angie’s darker bronzed one. “Welcome to the family.” She brought Angie in for a hug; her smile genuine. Her eyes kind and caring as she let go and turned towards the buffet stacked with goodies. “Now, let’s get you fed before Boomer here gets onto the table and eats everything.”
Boomer, their French Bulldog, danced around Angie’s feet. The poor thing decked out in a shamrock springy headband that said “Kiss Me” on one clover and “I’m Irish” on the other. Angie burst out with laughter and picked the dog up receiving wet sloppy kisses all over her face. How perfect. Her jitters left and she fell in love all over again with James’ family.
We hope you enjoyed Jaclyn’s story. You can read the other stories in the series here:
Fiona Malone’s Fesh by Veronica Jorge
The Last Serpent by Angela Pryce
Payment in Kind by Roxy Matthews
Read Jaclyn’s short story, “Harvest of Memories” in Charmed Writers Presents: Flash Fiction 2019
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