5 Years, 4 Books, 3 Novellas, and some Shorts later...

Well, I couldn't let the year progress any further without some mention of where I am right now. Where? It's like the title to this post says and then some: 5 years writing, 2 publishers, 4 books, 3 novellas and some short stories later...and, wait for it...lots more to come since the ideas keep a-coming!

My journey began early 2008, with a promise to myself and a new year's resolution on the beach among friends. One insisted we write down a list of the 200 things we most wanted to do. Well, I couldn't think of 200 things - just the one thing, and that was to write. Write something, anything. That thought stayed with me like a kick in the ass for a few weeks. I waffled a bit, thinking how best to tackle this whole writing thing. So I wrote down notes on plots, ideas, tooled around with characters, and then I just pushed it aside and instead, ruminated with a few scenes that kept reoccurring in my head.

My mid-January, the very shaky beginnings of The Lancaster Rule formed, and by March, I was hacking out the beginning. By April, I was just about done. But I was far from done, and The Master Key, spewed out of me before I could even finish Lancaster. And shortly after, the seeds of The Eternal Knot germinated in my head. Within 2 years, The Lancaster Trilogy was complete and I was a published writer!

Then I discovered, I simply could not stop writing. Like breaking through a blockage and forging a new tributary to empty out into the vast river of creativeness, it seemed I'd found another outlet to 'vent' my thoughts out. It felt right.

Last year, out came my fourth novel, To Catch A Marlin, and I gained a new publisher game enough to take a chance on me. Shortly after, 3 novellas in the Marlin series. Rounding things off, I also completed a couple of short stories, still seeking their way to publication.

I've also got a collection of unfinished stories (well, one is done) that need to see their own 'the ends' in good time.

Then, after The Lancaster Rule was published, it received a Novel of the Year nomination from my publisher, Champagne Book Group. And then, The Eternal Knot was voted Best Book of the Month by Long and Short Reviews. (Check out the link and my interview with them). Soon after, it was up for nomination as Best Book of 2012. How cool was THAT?

So, not too shabby. These past five years have been busy and productive, filled with fantastic plot bubbles and adventures that have taken me 300 years into the futures as well as traipsing about the depths of space. Heh, and I didn't even have to leave the comfort of my home. Isn't writing fun!

Cheers!

SFFSat - Feb 09

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.

I'm still celebrating the nomination of The Eternal Knot for Best Book of 2012, so here's another snippet from it. By the way, voting is still ON for it! (Closes February 14th).

So click the button to cast your vote (for The Eternal Knot, of course!) If that doesn't work, click HERE.

The Eternal Knot is the final book in The Lancaster Trilogy, available from Burst Books (Champagne Book Group), or on Amazon.

In this scene, we have another of my favourite characters, Adam, Josie's brother-in-law who just happens to be a prisoner within the Citadel walls, but they like to call it exiled. He's also quite dangerous. Josie likes to visit him since he has a canny way of sorting things out and allowing her to see the bigger picture. Here we have Josie discussing a woman who has returned to the Citadel, who just happens to be an old flame of her husband.

            "More or less," she replied sullenly. "And stupid dinner parties with stupid dinner guests who irk every last bone in your body."

          "Growing weary of being the President's wife already?" Adam grinned with mischief. "Who is it this time?"

          "Elena Greco," Josie muttered with distaste.

          Shocked, Adam leaned forward with interest. "She's allowed back in—what is she doing back?"

"Irking every last bone in my body," Josie glared at him. "Haven't you been listening?"

If you are interested in participating in next weeks SFFSat, just click HERE, and follow the rules. Sign up is open every Wednesday - and if you're on Twitter, use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Cheers!

SFFSat - Feb 2

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.

Today, to celebrate the nomination of The Eternal Knot for Best Book of 2012, I thought I'd share a snippet from it. By the way, voting is ON for it!

So click the button to cast your vote (for The Eternal Knot, of course!)

The Eternal Knot is the final book in The Lancaster Trilogy, available from Burst Books (Champagne Book Group), or on Amazon.

In this, we have one of my favourite characters, Loeb, with our girl Josie. They have 'crash-landed' in Brazil, in a small country village not far from Natal city on the very east coast of the country.
Unfortunately, they find themselves in a spot of trouble. 

            So much for waiting...

          The moment I hung up from John, we were ambushed.

          They came out of nowhere and surrounded us looking like the very shrubs and tall grasses that grew around the area. For all I knew, they could've been there the whole time.

On impulse, I lashed out, whirling around to backhand one, kicking out to another for a gut kick. Loeb was right; the jacket tied around my waist hindered my movements like a full-length skirt complete with old-fashioned hoops. The only effective thing I managed to do, was kick up a lot of dust.

Before long, Loeb was in an immovable chokehold. He had the good sense to go limp and placid. Unfortunately, I continued to do the opposite.

If you are interested in participating in next weeks SFFSat, just click HERE, and follow the rules. Sign up is open every Wednesday - and if you're on Twitter, use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Cheers!

VOTE FOR ME!

The link for voting has gone LIVE! So click on over to Long and Short Reviews, scroll down to THE ETERNAL KNOT, and click the button, then click the VOTE tab.

Thanks in advance for your vote. It is much appreciated!

Cheers!

Nominated for Best Book of 2012

Getting good news on Monday mornings is a great way to start the week! Mine came in the form of a nomination from Long and Short Reviews for my book THE ETERNAL KNOT which is up for Best Book for 2012. Wow! How cool is that?

You might remember that last year, The Eternal Knot was rated as Best Book by Long and Short's reviewers in their Science Fiction & Fantasy catagory, and then voted Book of the Month (May 2012) in the polls. (Click HERE to see). As if all of that wasn't enough, now it's up for Best Book for 2012. Sweet!

Voting begins February 1st until midnight EST February 14. Once the link goes live, don't worry, I'll be sure to remind you again.

In case you didn't know, The Eternal Knot, is the the final book in the Lancaster Trilogy, published by Champagne Book Group under their SF/F arm, Burst Books.

THE ETERNAL KNOT is BOOK OF THE MONTH

Great news! THE ETERNAL KNOT has been voted BOOK of the MONTH over at Long and Short Reviews.

I just wanted to share my thanks and appreciation to all those who voted, and thought the book deserved to be book of the month.
My ETERNAL thanks!!

Cheers!

SFFSat - June 09

Welcome to another SFFSat, where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and shoot the breeze.  Thanks also to everyone who stops by and leaves awesome comments.  Much appreciated.

Today, I'm still keeping with The Eternal Knot (final in the Lancaster Trilogy) which was rated Best Book by Long and Short Reviews. (Voting for Book of the Month is over and I'm waiting for the results -- to those who voted for me, I so appreciate it. Thank you!!)

In this scene, Josie and her husband are in a huge medical shuttle, heading home after some 'adventures.'  Josie is pretty banged up (of course, what's new with that) and they are having a little conversation about their future.

"Well, I'm luckier to have you." Josie smiled smugly. "And I can't wait to get home and start behaving like a proper wife."
        "Fern hit you really hard on the head, didn't she? I'm sorry, did you just say you're going to behave like a proper wife?" John blinked, feigning incomprehension.
        "No, she didn't. And yes, I am." Josie grinned despite the crippling pain that shot up her leg. "Besides, I have to."
        "You do?"
        "I do. What do you think all that shouting from Simon was about?"
        "He was concerned for your well-being. Staying in bed to rest is not an unreasonable request, considering you've just been battered to bits and then some." John shook his head wearily.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules and use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

Vote for The Eternal Knot (Book of the Month)

So, after a minor bungle -- it happens in the tech world -- the voting guidelines for Book of the Month didn't go live over the weekend at Long and Short Reviews website.

Don't worry, I've been assured that it is live today!  So, click HERE if you'd like to vote for The Eternal Knot.  And if you do, let me just express my gratitude and appreciation!  Thanks in advance!!

Cheers!

PS: If you'd like to read the review before you vote, HERE it is.

SFFSat - June 02

Welcome to another SFFSat, where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and shoot the breeze.  Thanks also to everyone who stops by and leaves awesome comments.  Much appreciated.

Since The Eternal Knot (final in the Lancaster Trilogy) received a very cool review and was rated Best Book by Long and Short Reviews, today I'm going back to a snippet from it.

In this scene, Josie has just discovered that maybe she is not as alone as she originally thought. Informing her of this alarming news is my favourite character, Loeb, the trusty assistant, while her husband, John tries to comfort.

Loeb squirmed. "Quite. She makes mention of a man she met, a random dude, she calls him."
"But how? She must've been like close to seventy when she went to sleep again. She had Brandon in her forties or something. But her seventies...won't her bits have...you know...menopaused?"
"Josie, with modern science, you can continue to function normally well into your eighties." John's sobering voiced calmed her somewhat. He noted her near emotional reaction; it disturbed him. "Go on, Loeb."
"She'd conceived about five years prior to her sleeping. She had the child, a girl, and placed her in a home. She then tracked the girl for nearly twenty years, while she slept. There are some gaps in the tracking, but she resumed again after another twenty years. Her latest search ended when the girl would have been roughly sixty years of age."
Josie sat listening, biting her bottom lip in concentration. "Who is this girl then?"

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules and use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

THE ETERNAL KNOT - out in PAPERBACK

It's nice to wake up to an email from your publisher saying that your final book in the trilogy is out in paperback!

THE ETERNAL KNOT - hot off the presses!

Unable to resist the lure of finding her niece, Josie picks up the crumbs of clues left behind. With her old friend and savior, pod-hunter Quin Aguilar at her side, she seeks out Fern Bettencourt who is assumed to be sleeping for over a hundred years.
From an unlikely source, Fern’s location is discovered, and together with her husband, Josie seeks out her last link to her past. Will Fern want to be found? And will finding Fern be enough to bury the ghosts that haunt Josie? Can Josie bring herself to destroy her last remaining family in order to save herself?
The Eternal Knot, the final chapter in the Lancaster trilogy. Will Josie finally rest in peace in the new future she lives in?


Of course, they are still available in ebook format (for all e-readers) from most of the major ebook stores.

Cheers!

New Interview at Long and Short Reviews

Stop by Long and Short Reviews today for my latest interview.  Have a chuckle at my expense.

Cheers!

SFF Saturday - Jan 28

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday once more

This will be the last snippet from the recently released The Eternal Knot, the final in the Lancaster Rule trilogy, published by the Champagne Books Group. From next week, I'll be showing off some stuff from my works in progress

In this scene, Josie is witnessing the unveiling of a stasis pod, which is suspected to have held a very intriguing person...

    The pod was simple. Sleek, like a bullet, with a smooth, multi-toned tempered-glass casing over the black metal cocoon frame. It rested on a thick triangular base so that instead of lying horizontal, the main pod sat at a forty-five degree angle, allowing the sleeper to appear as though they reclined. In a word, it looked sexy as hell. Unlike my pod, which had been thick and chunky, rectangular and cumbersome, and out-dated like the prehistoric relic that it was. I was glad that Quin had destroyed it. 

   Apart from my own pod, I’d never actually seen these newer models in person. This pod before us looked impressive, even to my ignorant eyes. Quin and Aline’s near-orgasmic mutterings was merely the background soundtrack for this unveiling.

For the complete listing of the Lancaster Trilogy, check out my author page at Burst Books, or over at Amazon Kindle.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules and use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Cheers!

SFF Saturday - Jan 21

It's that time of Saturday again: Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday

Due to popular demand, I give you another snippet from the recently released The Eternal Knot, the final in the Lancaster Rule trilogy, published by the Champagne Books Group.

In this scene, Josie and her party are ambushed, to say the least.  She witnesses, from her POV, her mother-in-law in action.  Griet is, well, kind of scary...

    They materialized as if by magic. I couldn't say how many there were, only that they were dressed in black and moved like ominous shadows. Their phantom sight alone seared a shiver down my spine.
    Then everyone moved at once.
    The blur that was Griet Lancaster made it hard to focus on the pressing danger. But the destruction that was Griet Lancaster, left bodies dropping to stain the white floor like black-clad rips in the earth.
    I let out a startled yelp of horror. Then hands tugged me in every direction, dragging me into the hellish black. I slashed out with my krima to wrench free. Someone yelled out, sucking in their breath as my krima hit home.
    So, they were human after all.

For the complete listing of the Lancaster Trilogy, check out my author page at Burst Books, or over at Amazon Kindle.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules and use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Cheers!

SFF Saturday - Jan 14

Happy New Year everyone!
Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday is back!

Here's another snippet from the recently released The Eternal Knot, the final in the Lancaster Rule trilogy, published by the Champagne Books Group.

Today, Josie has just been injured, quite seriously, and is "having a conversation" with her worried husband, John.  Though, from his response, it's pretty hard to tell that he's concerned.

   "Hurts?"

   "Lots." She squeezed an eye shut for effect.

   "Hmm...good," he smiled. "You deserve it."

   "I know," Josie smiled back. "Are you going to kill me later, too?"

   He nodded with a grave expression. "Of course. I have to. You have to learn your lesson."

   "I know, I deserve it," she grinned. "And after you kill me, I'll never be allowed out of the house--ever."

   "You'd better believe it." He kissed her gently on her forehead. "But I know that will never happen. Your life is just too full of surprises."

   "John?"

   "Mmm?"

   "I really need med-cal."

   "I know."

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules.

Cheers!

SFF Saturday - Jan 07

Happy New Year everyone!
Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday is back!

On January 02, The Eternal Knot, the final in the The Lancaster Rule trilogy, was released by Champagne Books and its new SFF dedicated imprint, Burst Books.

Today, I share an encounter Josie has (from her POV) with a particular woman whom she has a keen dislike for.  For obvious reasons, of course...
         

She greeted me with a wide spread of her arms. Several gold bracelets jangled at her wrist and caught the afternoon light. She’d been lounging on a bench, posing, seemingly enjoying the gardens when I had walked in and stood aloofly motionless. A true stage diva, she played her part perfectly. Upon seeing us, she allowed her face to light up with pleasure and airily walked towards us, certain that we’d see her near-naked body through the sheer dress. Even Loeb, conservative and stoic as ever, proved he was still a man and not a robot, flicked his eyes to keep time with her jiggling boobs.

I would have rolled my eyes if I didn’t have to maintain a pleasant face.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules.

Cheers!

The Eternal Knot is Released!

What a great way to start the new year!

The final installment in my Lancaster Trilogy is out!!  THE ETERNAL KNOT released over the new year weekend, bringing to an end the tale of Josie Bettencourt and all the comings and goings in her life.  I suppose it's kind of bittersweet that the story comes to an end.  The Lancaster world dominated my life for a good part of three years, and to see it through to the end, is like seeing the last of your children fly the coop.

For those who have followed Josie's journey, I hope I did this last book justice by answering all the questions that lurked about.  It was, by far, the hardest book to complete out of the three.  Maybe because I knew that this was the end, maybe because I didn't want the story to finish.  But, who knows, another story with Josie might be born in the future...so I won't say never.  I promise to keep you posted.  For now, enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is the Lancaster Trilogy, finally complete at last!  Hang on to your knickers -- it's gonna be a wild ride!

Cheers.

SFF Saturday - Dec 17

Time for another Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday!

Staying with The Eternal Knot, the final in the The Lancaster Rule trilogy, due out January 2012 Champagne Books and its new SFF dedicated imprint, Burst Books.

Last week, we encountered Josie and Loeb after her crash. Today, I thought I'd share a little bit about the crash.
         

What she didn’t take into account were the hard tree trunks and branches that catapulted her from one tree to the next like a violent game of pinball. Cocooned and relatively safe in her cockpit after the first impact, and a finger near the eject button, she endured the last jarring crash and rolled end over end across the forest floor.

She really did need to learn how to land and made a conscious promise to herself to do so...if she ever survived.

When her world righted itself and she hacked away the surround-gel with her krima, Josie kicked the battered door away, crawled out, and promptly threw up.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules.

Cheers!

SFF Saturday - Dec 10

Time for another Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday!

Staying with The Eternal Knot, the final in the The Lancaster Rule trilogy, due out January 2012 Champagne Books and its new SFF dedicated imprint, Burst Books.

Today, Josie has crash-landed her "car" and her aide, Loeb, has intercepted her for retrieval...much to her chagrin.
         

“Madam,” Loeb nodded, calm and collected as if it were another normal day at the office. He looked immaculately clean despite the sticky heat. “Your Snare Gun is holstered and your krima is still disengaged. In any event, the jacket around your waist would have hampered your movements by at least one second--enough time for me to elude you. Are you all right? I saw the crash site, I wondered if…”

“I’m fine.” Josie propped on one leg and studied the aide. “How did you get here?”

“I followed the road,” he replied matter-of-factly and waved vaguely behind him. “Madam, we should head back. I was pursued by an unidentified vehicle--lost it just before you dropped out of sight and into those trees,” he pointed to his left. “It won’t take them long to pinpoint our location.”

Ignoring his suggestion, she gaped. “You took the road? There’s a road?”

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules.

Cheers!

Monday Madness...with me

Stop by Holly Hunt's site today at Rhythm Poets, where she hosts Monday Madness.  Today, I'm the lucky girl suffering from the madness.  Featuring my upcoming release, The Eternal Knot, it includes a short excerpt and little useless information about myself.  So stop by, leave a comment and show me some lurve.

SFF Saturday - Dec 3

Time for another Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday!

Staying with The Eternal Knot, the final in the The Lancaster Rule trilogy, due out January 2012 Champagne Books and its new SFF dedicated imprint, Burst Books.

Today, Josie, from her POV, reflects on her life so far...
         

Living in this future was very hard work, and to date, I hadn’t had much time to wind down and appreciate it. Having your life threatened--constantly--and living on the edge, really took a toll on you. And I still hadn’t seen all the new wonders that this future had to offer. There still was so much I wanted to do and see, but trying to stay alive took priority.

But I did manage to strike one major thing off my ‘to do’ list. I’d gone into outer space. 

And as if staying alive were not hard enough, I still had official duties to perform. Some days, I really wished I hadn’t helped my father out by stepping into that stasis machine. Being the president’s wife was a royal pain in the ass at times.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules.

Cheers!