Linda McLaughlin Featured Author #HistoricalRomance Backlist @LyndiLamont
January 16, 2018 by Linda McLaughlin in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as backlists, Featured Author of the Month, Linda McLaughlin, Lyndi Lamont
I’m thrilled to be the Featured Author this month, and thought I’d use my regular monthly post to share some of my Historical Romance backlist. Warning: Blatant self-promotion.
My first published historical romance, Rogue’s Hostage, starts in Western Pennsylvania where I grew up, and ends in old Quebec, a favorite destination I traveled to with my DH. It’s also my first historical romance novel, the one that wouldn’t leave me until I’d finally sold it. It took me three years to research and write the book, and nine years to sell it. But Jacques and Mara just would not let me rest until their book saw the light of day! Fortunately, I sold it to Amber Quill Press in 2002. It garnered 4 1/2 Stars plus a Top Pick in Romantic Times and was nominated for a Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Small Press Romance, 2003, as well as taking second place in the Historical Category of the 2002 Lories Contest. I reissued it in 2013.
His hostage…
In 1758 the Pennsylvania frontier is wild, primitive and dangerous, where safety often lies at the end of a gun. Mara Dupré’s life crumbles when a French and Indian war party attacks her cabin, kills her husband, and takes her captive. Marching through the wilderness strengthens her resolve to flee, but she doesn’t count on her captor teaching her the meaning of courage and the tempting call of desire.
Her destiny…
French lieutenant Jacques Corbeau’s desire for his captive threatens what little honor he has left. But when Mara desperately offers herself to him in exchange for her freedom, he finds the strength to refuse and reclaims his lost self-respect. As the shadows of his past catch up to him, Jacques realizes that Mara, despite the odds, is the one true key to reclaiming his soul and banishing his past misdeeds forever.
Rogue’s Hostage is availabe from
Lady Elinor Ashworth always longed for adventure, but when she runs away from her abusive aunt, she finds more than she bargained for. Elinor fears her aunt who is irrational and dangerous, threatening Elinor and anyone she associates with. When she encounters an inquisitive gentleman, she accepts his help, but fearing for his safety, hides her identity by pretending to be a seamstress. She resists his every attempt to draw her out, all the while fighting her attraction to him.
There are too many women in barrister Stephen Chaplin’s life, but he has never been able to turn his back on a damsel in distress. The younger son of a baronet is a ‘rescuer’ of troubled females, an unusual vocation fueled guilt over his failure to save the woman he loved from her brutal husband. He cannot help falling in love with his secretive seamstress, but to his dismay, the truth of her background reveals Stephen as the ineligible party.
I love the Regency subgenre, but for the longest time thought I couldn’t summon the voice. When I discovered that I could do so, I happily wrote a reverse Cinderella story set in one of my favorite cities in the whole world: London. In 2003, and again in 2015, I had the opportunity to visit London and see some of the places where Lady Elinor and her hero Stephen Chaplin lived and loved. I’m hoping to add some sequels to Elinor and Stephen’s story, though when I’ll find the time, I do not know!
Lady Elinor’s Escape is available from
And writing as Lyndi Lamont:
How To Woo… A Reluctant Bride, Steamy Victorian Romance.
A marriage contract, nothing more…until darkly handsome Evan Channing and demure Lydia Blatchford meet. Yet the rules are simple for an arrangement such as theirs. There should be no misunderstanding, no illusions of anything more. But the rules are about to change…
Lydia wants the kind of love and romance she reads about in books. Fortunately, she hasn’t specified which book, and Evan has a copy of Richard Burton’s new translation of the Kama Sutra, with its ancient wisdom on love and courtship. He sets out to win his high-born bride, blending seductive promises with exotic lessons in love-making.
Lydia is prepared to tolerate this man she’s been sold to, but his scorching kisses send her pulses racing. Can an arranged marriage lead to love?
Disclaimer: This is a short 30 page romantic short story with bonus material** It is not a full-length novel. Contains scenes of Victorians breaking society’s rules, marital sex and ancient wisdom from the Kama Sutra.
Available from
How To Woo… A Reluctant Bride, is part of the USA Today Bestselling Romance Super Bundle II: Second Chances bundle, which allows me to make the claim of being a USAT bestselling author. (I said there would be blatant self-promotion.) Available from
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You can find me online at http://lindalyndi.com
Blog: http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LindaMcLaughlinAuthorInsert Shortcode
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lindamclaughlin
Twitter: @LyndiLamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
DEVILISHLY GOOD DETAILS
January 15, 2018 by Rebecca Forster in category The Write Life by Rebecca Forster tagged as Craft, creativity, inspiration, movies, process, Storytelling
Yesterday my husband and I decided to inaugurate the MoviePass cards our son gave us for Christmas. With one swipe (and $10 a month) we can see as many movies as we like at any theater.
Our first movie would be The Post at our local theater. It took both of us, and the manager, to figure out how to make the card work (which in hindsight should not have been necessary if we understood our phone settings). Finally, we swiped our cards only to find that The Post was sold out. That pushed us to our default selection: any movie that was not sold out. We ended up in a nearly empty theater watching Jumanji, the 20-year-later sequel to Robin William’s wonderful movie by the same name.
Jumanji is a fanciful action-adventure movie about a game that sucks people into an alternate universe and in order to get home, the player must win the game. In William’s version, he was the only one who disappeared. This version has an ensemble cast that includes The Rock, Jack Black and two other actors we weren’t familiar with but who were perfectly cast.
The movie began, the music was ominous, the set up delightful, the locations beautiful and the direction energetic. The kids in the theater reacted with oohs, aahs, and other exclamations of delight.
Oh, wait! That was me oohing and aahing!
Yep, I loved every bit of that movie and when I got home I realized the reason I loved it was because I lost myself in the storytelling. Everyone from the screenwriter to the lighting guy and cast was on board with the creative vision. The premise was quickly and clearly established. Casting was based on character and not on what looks that the producers deemed ‘sexy and salable’. The computer-generated stunts did not overpower the story nor did they last so long that the viewer could literally leave, have dinner and come back and they would still be crashing about on screen. If something fantastic happened – like characters dying and getting shot into space and suddenly falling back to earth again without injury – the viewer accepted it because it quickly became apparent that each piece of this story had a purpose. There was always a payoff that made sense. Threads were wrapped up at the end. The story built to a conclusion and didn’t present it. But better than anything, the actors never broke character. The adult actors were asked to channel their teenage counterparts in the real world that had been left behind. I have seen this transference in movies before but too often the adult actor simply remains an adult. The last time I saw this plot point beautifully executed was in Tom Hanks’s Big.
So, here’s what I want you to do. Before you write another word, before you start editing, go see Jumanji. It is one of the best lessons in pitch-perfect storytelling I’ve had in a very long time. As for me, I’m going back to work and give my manuscript the Jumanji treatment because the devilish details are what make for a heavenly story.
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Linda McLaughlin: January Featured Author
January 14, 2018 by marianne h donley in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as historical fiction, January Featured Author, Linda McLaughlin, westerns
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of history fostered by her paternal grandmother and an incurable case of wanderlust inherited from her father. She has traveled extensively within the United States and has visited Mexico, Canada, & Australia. A lifelong dream came true with a trip to England where she was able to combine sightseeing with research for her novels. A native of Pittsburgh, she now lives in Southern California. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward.
She also writes steamy romance under the name Lyndi Lamont.
website: http://lindalyndi.com
blog: http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
Podcasts: Free Information on Every Subject by Kitty Bucholtz
January 13, 2018 by Kitty Bucholtz in category It's Worth It by Kitty Bucholtz, Online Classes, Writing Classes tagged as Kitty Bucholtz, podcasts, video podcasts, Write Now Workshop, WRITE NOW!
Last month, I spoke to you a little about podcasting. If you don’t know what it is, it’s sort of like a radio program with daily or weekly or some other number of episodes each month. It’s pre-recorded, not live, and although mostly the hosts know what they’re going to say, podcasts can have lots of unscripted parts – which can make listening more interesting and entertaining, or really boring, depending on the hosts and how the episodes are edited.
Topics can range from religious to business to crime to celebrity and more, but there is a ton of how-to and self-help. That’s where most of the writing and publishing podcasts come in.
My favorites are Joanna Penn’s The Creative Penn and Mark Dawson’s Self Publishing Formula. And of course, my own new WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast. Haha! 😉 People can listen on the website, or use their favorite podcast app on their phone. Most podcasts can be found on iTunes and Stitcher as well as other places. Listeners can hit the subscribe button and new episodes will be downloaded automatically.
Most of the ones I listen to have a short to medium-length introduction that might include publishing news, writing updates, and maybe some fun banter before introducing the episode’s guest. Then there’s usually an interview segment, and often a short wrap-up at the end.
Others have several people chatting about writing in general, often punctuated by banter and rabbit trails. Sometimes it’s just a single host (like me) with or without interviewed guests. (I do a teaching episode by myself on Tuesdays, interview a writer or other industry pro on Thursdays, and I do an Encouraging Words episode every Sunday.)
Podcasts are, by definition, audio shows. But many people, myself included, have also recorded some or all of their show on video and uploaded the episodes to their YouTube channel. People can search for a subject and find these shows, listen, and hit the subscribe button if they like it. Then they’ll be notified when a new episode is published.
By definition, these are two mostly different audiences – those who prefer to listen only (maybe while exercising or driving) and those who love YouTube and watching the interaction. It’s a good marketing plan to have a show in both formats, but it’s a lot of work!
[Here are the YouTube channels for me, Joanna, and Mark, if you want to take a look.]
If you’re an information junkie like me, or you don’t have the time to read a lot of articles and books on writing and writing-business topics, check out podcasts. Even businesses like Kobo and Smashwords have started their own podcasts. In addition to writing topics, I also subscribe to podcasts on business, leadership, healthy eating, neuroscience, Christian living, and one called Serial, which takes a seasonal approach and explores a crime and the people involved to try to find the truth. There is a lot of helpful, free – and entertaining! – information out there. It takes some time, but you may find it’s worth it.
Remember, my class, Going the Distance: Time and Project Management for Writers is open for registration now! Class starts Monday, January 15, 2018, but registration will be open a little longer (with lifetime access). We’ll have a big half-day live online event on Saturday, January 20, where we work on our goals and calendars together as I walk the class through the steps. This will be recorded, but it will be most helpful if you can be there in person.
Last month, I told you that I’d be a guest on Mark Dawson’s Self Publishing Formula Podcast. That episode came out on Friday, January 5, 2018, episode 100! In the PDF download for the episode, there’s a coupon code for $50 off my class, so be sure to use it!
I hope you find this article helpful. There is so much information out there, but not all of it is accurate, not all of it is up-to-date anymore, and some days it feels like searching for a needle in a haystack to find what’s important to you and your business. Podcasts will still have some of those problems, but when you find the ones created by people you’ve learned to trust, they can be an entertaining way to learn.
Kitty Bucholtz decided to combine her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher. She writes romantic comedy and superhero urban fantasy, often with an inspirational element woven in. She loves to teach and offer advice to writers through her WRITE NOW! Workshop courses and the new WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast.
New Year . . . New Word by Denise M. Colby
January 12, 2018 by Denise M. Colby in category The Writing Journey by Denise Colby tagged as Motivation, steadfast, writing
Happy New Year and Welcome 2018
I love choosing a new word to focus on each year. It’s amazing how one word can communicate so much. My word fits exactly where I am both in my personal and professional life and I love to explore the word in depth, as well as find verses and quotes to encourage me throughout the year.
This year will be my fourth time selecting a word as a theme of focus. Usually, I make a list, pray about it, mull it over and see which ones I’m drawn to continuously. But this year? It came up while I was reading the Story of With by Allen Arnold, and as much as I wanted to keep thinking of other words, it stuck to me like glue. Lodged itself inside my heart and left no room for discussing any other option, no matter how hard I tried.
What is the word?
STEADFAST
Isn’t that a great word?
Just to be sure, I looked up the definition and did a quick search for bible verses and sure enough it encompasses everything I feel going into 2018.
Sure. Dependable. Reliable. Constant. Unwavering. Steady.
See, I don’t want to look back. I want to focus on what’s ahead. In both my writing and my faith in God. It may be slow going at times, but it will be steady. What’s that phrase we’ve all heard before?
Slow and steady wins the race.
I’m not going to rush, hurry, stress myself out over the fact I’ve been working on my novel for over four years. It isn’t ready yet and only continuous steady work is what will make it better. I will do what I can and when it’s time, it will be time. That’s the idea, anyway. I have an entire year to keep reminding myself of this.
To help, I always select a few bible verses with my word in it. Last year’s word, strength, had an amazing amount of verses to give me encouragement throughout the year. Steadfast only has five in my NIV adaptation. And two really stood out to me:
Psalm 57:7 – My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music (and write words—my addition).
Psalm 112:7 – He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Encouraging, aren’t they?
I’m super excited for exploring my word further. Just now, I typed in the phrase slow and steady wins the race and a whole bunch of other quotes popped up. I’ll have to go through them at a later time, but one grabbed my attention and I wanted to share:
Slow, steady progress is better than fast, daily excuses.
I think I might print that one out for my entire family to see.
Oh, this year will be fun exploring #myword2018 #steadfast! You’ll see me post things to my social media related to my word, because I like to encourage others and it will help keep me on task. To be steadfast in my writing. Continuously and sure.
For no matter what happens, I’m moving forward. Learning. Growing.
Have you ever considered choosing a word for 2018? I would encourage you to think about it and try it out if you haven’t. And if you have, I would love to hear in the comments what your word is for 2018.
Blessings,
Denise M. Colby
Although new to the writing fiction world, Denise Colby has over 20+ years experience in marketing, creating different forms of content and copy for promotional materials. Taking the lessons learned from creating her own author brand Denise M. Colby, Denise enjoys sharing her combined knowledge with other authors.
If you are interested in a marketing evaluation and would like help in developing a strategy for your author brand you can find out more here http://denisemcolby.com/marketing-for-authors/
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