SARAH VANCE-TOMPKINS—Contemporary Romance Author at its finest!!
September 2, 2022 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as contemporary romance, Sarah Vance-tompkins
Sarah Vance-Tompkins was born in a small town in northern Michigan. She earned an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California before working in feature film development for ten years. Prior to film school, she began her career in media as an on-air radio personality. She has worked as a staff reporter for a weekly entertainment trade publication, a fashion copy writer, and for a brief time was the social media maven for a personal lubricant manufacturer.
She has published two YA books with Inkspell Publishing. Her first adult romance with Tule Publishing, ON CHRISTMAS TREE COVE, was released in October 2021. The second book in the small town series, WISHING FOR MR. RIGHT will be published on September 29, 2022. She and her husband live in Southern California with a glaring of unruly cats.
I’m so excited to be doing this Q&A with Sarah Vance-Tompkins. She a wonderful woman and fantastic author. Let’s see what she has to say!!
Jann: Tell us about your path to publication.
Sarah: I went to USC for film school, so my background is in screenwriting. I made all the rookie mistakes in my first romance manuscript. Filter words. Telling, not showing. Head hopping. Dialogue tags for days. I did it all. Gah! I had so much to learn. I’d come back from conferences after taking every craft class offered, eager to apply my new-found knowledge. After several false starts I finished a manuscript I loved. Even better I sent out queries and got full requests. Finally, it attracted an agent’s attention. I got the call! I was joyful. I’d made it. I was on my way – next stop a five publishing house bidding war! Then the agent ghosted me. I was devastated and unable to write for a long time. But like the Energizer Bunny, I kept submitting stuff. I published a couple of short stories with Inkspell, then sent my manuscript off to Tule Publishing. They gave me the nicest rejection ever. They said it wasn’t for them but asked if I had any interest in writing a Christmas romance. I love Christmas! And romance. I came up with several different ideas. One of their editors gave me helpful feedback on my synopsis and first chapter. I was thrilled when I found a contract in my email box one morning. But I can’t emphasize it enough my success is a direct result of rejection.
Jann: Setting, Theme, Plot—these are questions authors are faced with every day. How important are they to you for your stories?
Sarah: I started out writing as an unabashed and deeply committed Pantser, but with each manuscript I became more and more of a Plotser. Now, I’m really leaning into being a full-on Plotter. It really seems to be best, especially when you’re trying to communicate with an editor. But it’s been long evolution. Not gonna lie, after I turned in my last project, I made color-coded Excel spread sheets to plot my current WIP. We’ll see how it goes…
As far as setting, theme and plot are concerned, it’s always setting and theme, then plot. They’re all equally important in my mind, but the setting and theme always need to be settled first. It’s the plot I wrestle with every day from beginning to end.
Jann: What inspires or excites you to write?
Sarah: I became a K-drama addict during the pandemic. One of my favorite authors (Kate Clayborn) mentioned something on Twitter about her undying love and devotion to a series called “Crash Landing On You.” I watched one episode and was completely hooked. The stories are always filled with my favorite romance tropes: Fake Dating. Forbidden Love. Celebrity Dating. Enemies to Lovers. Soul Mates. And the actors are gorgeous and dressed in the most beautiful designer clothes.
Jann: September 29th, Dacey Adair and Luke La Fontaine, make their debut in Wishing for Mr. Right. What would you like the readers to know about them. What major conflicts do they have to work through on their way to HEA?
Sarah: Dacey is a perfectionist working her way up the corporate ladder to world domination. When she’s knocked down a rung or two, she falls far and hard. has to always be right. Even if she’s wrong. Luke is local heartthrob who is so far from perfect, he’s developed a bit of bad boy reputation. He totally owns it. They are complete opposites, but secretly they’ve both been craving love with a special someone. But neither one would admit it. Until they fall for hard for each other.
Jann: Which character did you develop first, Dacey or Luke?
Sarah: Dacey was the no-nonsense sister of Morgan Adair in On Christmas Tree Cove. I totally identified with her. She was a workaholic who didn’t take any time for herself until time off was forced on her when she was fired with cause. She always tried to be perfect, so I knew she’d have to have an imperfect hero. And I think Luke LaFontaine is the perfect imperfect man for her. He a total hottie with a reputation for being the “town tomcat.” You can read the blurb on the Tule Publishing website:
https://tulepublishing.com/books/wishing-for-mr-right/
Jann: What preparations have you made for the launch for Wishing for Mr. Right?
Sarah: It’s funny how much promotion changes in a year. I find myself doing things very differently than I did for On Christmas Tree Cove. I’m sending out packages of books and swag to bookstagrammers and book bloggers. I’m hired someone to help with a social media push. And then I need to get a push on to get reviews and do some giveaways. Next week I’ll probably book a small plane to do skywriting. I’m kidding but I’m open to suggestion and it seems like my to-do list is never-ending.
Jann: How do you come up with name for your characters? On Christmas Tree Cove, you have main characters, Morgan Adair and Jesse Taylor, I put a Spell on You, a romantic comedy, Aviana Willowbrook and Nash Nolan, Kisses on a Paper Airplane, Hannah Evans and Theo Callahan and What’s Better Than A Book Boyfriend, Charlie Bishop and Hank Carter. Do character names have importance to you?
Sarah: I carry a teeny tiny notebook around in my purse. When I hear a name I love, I jot it down on what is has now become a very long list filling almost all of the pages. When I’m working on a new story I go back and forth over it. I’m not really able to see and hear my characters until I settle on the name that brings them to life. I’ll write a few at the top of the manuscript, but I can’t usually decide on my characters’ names until I’ve been working on the synopsis and the first few chapters.
Jann: What are you working on now? Can you tell us about your next project?
Sarah: I joined a writing collective called SMUT U in 2020. The group includes writers of all genres from around the world. Every day at 7am PT we gather on a Zoom call and use the Pomodoro Method to get words down on the page. One morning I decided I wanted to write a story about a woman who falls in love in her forties – since I was a first-time 48 year-old bride. She makes a lot of mistakes. It truly is my passion project. It’s been an absolute blast to write.
Jann: What’s your all-time favorite book?
Sarah: Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff
Jann: What‘s on your To-Be-Read pile?
Sarah: To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins
Nora Goes Off Script by Anabel Monaghan
Circling Back To You by Julie Tieu
Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean
Jann: What’s your favorite song?
Sarah: A Song For You by Leon Russell
Jann: What’s your favorite movie?
Sarah: Now, Voyager
You can find out more about her latest release by following on BookBub. https://tulepublishing.com/books/wishing-for-mr-right/
She also hangs out on Twitter. A lot. Follow @sarahvtompkins
Sarah, thank you, thank you for sharing with us today. Can’t wait for the debut of Wishing for Mr. Right. Best of luck!!
Jina Bacarr September Featured Author
September 1, 2022 by Jina Bacarr in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Boldwood Books, Featured Author of the Month, historical romance, Jina Bacarr, The Resistance Girl
About Jina Bacarr
I discovered early on that I inherited the gift of the gab from my large Irish family when I penned a story about a princess who ran away to Paris with her pet turtle Lulu. I was twelve.
I grew up listening to their wild, outlandish tales and it was those early years of storytelling that led to my love of history and traveling.
I enjoy writing to classical music with a hot cup of java by my side. I adore dark chocolate truffles, vintage anything, the smell of bread baking and rainy days in museums. I’ve always loved walking through history—from Pompeii to Verdun to Old Paris. The voices of the past speak to me through carriages with cracked leather seats, stiff ivory-colored crinolines, and worn satin slippers. I’ve always wondered what it was like to walk in those slippers when they were new.
You can follow Jina on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Goodreads
Bookbub
Jina also has a column here on the 11th of every month: Jina’s Book Chat.
Jina’s newest novel, The Orphans of Berlin, is available for preorder and will be published November 10, 2022.
A Few of Jina’s Other Books
The Messenger
August 30, 2022 by Dianna Sinovic in category Quill and Moss by Dianna Sinovic tagged as intrigue, restaurant, secrets
The folded paper extended no more than two millimeters from beneath the ornate cup and saucer, just enough that Lev noted it as he passed through the main dining room at Bellini’s. The table for two was not occupied, nor would it be for the rest of the evening. He’d made sure of that. Lev paused briefly on his way back from taking the Nelsons’ order to remove the paper, slipping it into a pants pocket.
In the supply closet, he shut the door and turned his back to it. Keeping the paper out of the shadow his head cast from the overhead light, he quickly unfolded the slip. Lev had only moments before someone barged in for fresh linens.
The penciled note was underlined twice: 2xM=cube.
Crumpling the paper tightly in his fist, Lev put it in his mouth and swallowed it. Eluding the feds was crucial for this to work. No evidence, he’d been told. Leave nothing behind.
Back in the dining room, he delivered the plates to the Nelson party and took several more orders. At the table in the corner, the two lanky men in business suits stood to leave. When Lev swept by three minutes later to pick up the payment book, a square wooden top lay on it. Small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. He turned the top to look at each of the four sides: q 7 n 3.
“Waiter!” Judge Samuel Nelson called out. When a Nelson summoned, you responded on the run.
“Sir,” Lev said, standing at the judge’s elbow.
“Another martini.” The older man raised an eyebrow at the top that Lev still held. “A teetotum,” he pronounced.
The chatter around the table hushed. The five other Nelsons waited for the judge to continue.
“A top for those who don’t know,” the judge said, his tone implying that very few aside from him would know. “And why are you carrying a top, Lev?”
No evidence. Lev swallowed, sweat popping out beneath his slicked-back hair. He felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. “Someone left their child’s toy behind,” he lied. He inched away from the table, eager to be gone.
The judge held out his hand. “My grandson Palmer will love it.”
Lev froze. His job was on the line if he didn’t relinquish the top to this patron. His life was on the line if he did.
Toy gave him the answer. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’ll need to place this in our lost and found,” he said, hoping his voice carried enough authority to override the entitled old man’s intention. “You know how children are; they can be very attached to a favorite plaything. Once the parents realize they’ve left it behind—”
The judge folded away his outstretched hand, nodding. “Astute argument, Lev. Well said.”
The other Nelsons nodded in agreement and turned back to their dinner conversations.
Lev exhaled in relief. “I’ll be back with your cocktail in just a moment.”
At the bar, he placed the drink order. Every stool was taken, the din almost deafening. Lev remained at the bar—the judge was too important a patron to keep his drink waiting once it was ready—and carefully studied the crowd. At the far end of the polished wooden expanse sat a woman in a simple burgundy dress, hair in an elegant twist.
He made his way purposefully through the throng, and when he was near her, bent to pick up a black silk scarf from the floor.
“So sorry to disturb you, miss.” He stood next to her. “You must have dropped this.”
She smiled. “Thank you so much.” With both hands, she took the scarf—and the small, four-sided top now wrapped within it, and turned back to the bar.
Done. Lev’s shoulders relaxed and his brow smoothed. Despite a close call, another message delivered. He maneuvered back through the thicket of bar guests and retrieved the judge’s martini.
Neetu Malik: August Featured Author
August 28, 2022 by Neetu Malik in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Featured Author of the Month, Neetu Malik, Poet's Day, poetry
Neetu Malik’s poetry is an expression of life’s rhythms and the beat of the human spirit. She draws upon diverse multicultural experiences and observations across three continents in which she has lived. She has contributed to The Australia Times Poetry Magazine, October Hill Magazine, Prachya Review, among others. Her poems have appeared in The Poetic Bond Anthology V and VI published by Willowdown Books, UK, NY Literary Magazine’s Tears Anthology and Poetic Imagination Anthology (Canada).
Her poem, “Soaring Flames”, was awarded First-Place by the NY Literary Magazine (2017). She has also been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, 2019 for her poem “Sacred Figs” published by Kallisto Gaia Press in their Ocotillo Review in May, 2018.
Neetu lives in Pennsylvania, USA.
You can find Neetu’s poetry in these volumes.
Hover on the cover for buy links. Click on the cover for more information.
Crumpled
August 26, 2022 by Neetu Malik in category Poet's Day by Neetu Malik tagged as Crumpled, Neetu, thoughts, tossed away, violins
Crumpled
it is just another day
with not much to say—
so I pick up my thoughts
make a crumpled ball
to simply toss away
from the early ticking of the clock
through the sliding of the day
tepid flows each striking hour
measuring listless, mundane minutes
it is just another day
someone ought to strum
the silent strings on this violin
so I pick it up
but it responds
with a doleful, grainy screech
instead of a soulful melody
I just hold it limply by the neck
run my fingers along its shape
and like my crumpled thoughts
I toss it on the bed
there is really nothing to say
the words have melted away
into the stump of last night’s candle
shapeless, obscure, worthless…
just another day
©Neetu Malik
Some of Neetu’s Books
Featured Books
THE CASE OF THE QUESTIONABLE QUADRUPLET
A patient shares a puzzling secret with Dr. Darcy—and then someone kills her.
More info →
PRIVILEGED WITNESS
The beautiful wife of a senate candidate is dead; his disturbed sister is accused.
More info →
