I Am So Bad At This...

I was chatting with my little sister this morning and realized I hadn't blogged in a long time. Over a month to be exact! I am so sorry!!

I wish I could say I have been busy writing your favorite characters and creating new stories for you, but school is kicking my backside this semester. Algebra is my nemesis and I have no idea how to conquer it. It doesn't help that my mind is on other things 99% of the time either. I just can't seem to wrap my brain around all the stuff Algebra entails.

As for my books, well, I can tell you that I'm working on a series about a coven of witches set in the U.P. The first book is going to be dark and there are days it scares me how dark I can go. My mind is a twisted place, let me tell  you. Slate is one of those guys who makes a woman sit up and drool, then she gets to know him. That's when her heart falls head over heels in love with him because at the core of Slate is this passionate man who is scared of being hurt. Abby has been hurt and abused. She's a mama with a beautiful little girl who was hurt by her father. Both of these wounded souls are under Slate's protection and in his heart. This is one of the hardest stories for me to write simply because I've seen where it goes and it's going to be a long hard road for Abby, Slate, and Trinity. I can only promise the reader that it will tear your heart out, rebuild it, and make you believe in love again.

I'm also writing the fourth Cedar River series book. This one is going to take the readers away from the Goldens (slightly) and show you some of the other residents of our beautiful town. I know everyone loves the dragons, but there are people who live on the rougher side of town. You'll get to know the Black boys and their mother as well as Gideon (who is introduced in The Golden Dragon's Treasure). They are as different as night and day when compared to the Golden boys and I love them. Avery, Oliver, and Beckett are troublemakers and walk a fine line between good and bad. They drink and fight, but they fight for the women they love. That is something that matters to me. Each of these otter shifters has picked their women already. They've surprised me with their choices, but I am game if they are. They didn't choose skinny women. They didn't choose women who are weak. They chose women with curves and backbones of tungsten. 

So, this is what I've been up to lately. I'm trying to keep up with all of you, trust me. My life is in chaos as I try to move into the next phase of my life which is going to be HUGE, but like Slate and Abby's, it will be worth the climb to get there.

Music Soothes the Writer's Soul

Music has been a huge part of my life. From singing along with the radio to dancing with my dad in our kitchen, music feeds me in a way other things can not.

I have a pretty eclectic choice of music going on most days. From Southern Rock to Latin and Celtic music to rock and classic rock, it depends on the day and my mood. My Youtube playlist would scare most people with the odd and random music you can find there. 

As most of you know, there are changes coming this year. Some are very hard and personal. Others are professional. I'm trying my hand at writing all sorts of new things. One of the things I just started is a horror. Let me tell you, I had to find the darkest depths of my soul to go there. It required me turning to music I probably wouldn't normally listen to and reaching for the darkness. The story is draining me, but it is something that needs to be written so it doesn't continue to haunt me as it has for the last 10 years.

When I was finished writing for the day, I had to curl up with Michael Buble, Christ Botti, and Celtic Thunder in the hopes of bringing myself back from the edge. (A silly message from a dear friend helped pull my spirit out of the darkness, too.) 

So, let me tell you about my current playlists for the books I'm working on. With the new Cedar River series, I've got a lot of Lynyrd Skynrd, Eric Clapton, Santana, John Mayer, and Bob Segar playing when I work on that. With my two new series, I've got one character who loves Frank Sinatra and the whole Rat Pack era. The other series is all 80s romance. (Don't ask because I have no idea. This heroine doesn't necessarily believe in romance so why this is the playlist is just as much my guess as yours.) The horror I'm working on has some Motorhead, Danzig, Rammstein, etc. playing. (I know I'm weird.)

Tell me about your favorite bands. Who do you love to listen to and why? I'm curious. Who knows? One of your favorite songs may end up in one of my books :)

Livin' La Vida Loca

For some reason Livin' La Vida Loca is stuck in my head. I'm well aware I'm dating myself when I share that, but I'll even go one step further...I remember when Ricky Martin was in Menudo. 

Anyway back La Vida Loca...my life is very crazy at the moment. With the edits for The Golden Dragon's Treasure, heading back to college, thinking about what I really want to focus on education/career wise (because face it, I need a day job), plus my chaotic life in general...well, you can see why this song suits me :)

I read an article the other day how I should pick a subject and keep my blog simply about that. Like I should only blog about my books and being an author. *frowns* I'm so much more than just an author. I'm a canine mom. I'm an editor. I'm a student. I'm a friend. I'm an author. I'm a woman. I wear so many different hats in a 24 hour period so why should I choose one subject for my blog? 

Some of my favorite authors blog about their crazy lives. From their kids to their writing to their spouses, I love reading about how absolutely normal they are. I hope you feel the same way.

My journey is changing. My writing is growing into something new every day. I love seeing these changes taking place. I'm evolving into the woman I was always meant to be.

For those who have been asking, Silver and Brady's story is almost ready. I'm working with my editor to make it as perfect as possible before I put it out in the world. I've got Book 4 that I'm working on plus a few more surprises for you. I'm busy. I promise you that. I do take a little downtime for myself, but not this weekend! This weekend is all about edits :)

I hope everyone has a happy Labor Day weekend! Please be safe! I like drinking as much as anyone, but please don't drink and drive or drink and boat. I'd miss you too much if you weren't here!

Heather Geoffries and South Sea Siren

I am a very lucky woman and I will tell you that all day long. I have the pleasure of meeting some incredible authors and I get to call so many of them my friends. Heather Geoffries is one of those people. They are a talented duo and I can't get enough of their stories!

Thank you for having me on your blog today Gemma!

Logline: ~Don’t try to figure love out. Love just is. There is no explanation. It doesn’t make sense and it wouldn’t matter if it did. Just let it happen and the rest will work itself out.~

Today I wanted talk about our(me and my husband’s—we are Heather Geoffries) new book out through Champagne Books Aphrodite Island series.

“South Sea Siren” is an F/FM BDSM erotic romance that follows Amanda Mills on her fantasy tropical vacation where she runs into some things that she might not know how to deal with.

This book is sort of an unofficial sequel to our first book “Nordic Prince”, which is about Steven Mills and his erotic cruise. It is also where Amanda first debuted. After I wrote that book, I was really curious about Steven’s brash and sassy sister. I thought You know, I bet there is more to her than meets the eye. She seems like this fun, flirty, party-girl but she is also, clever and a good sister.

So, me and hubby put our heads together and Amanda and Kierna came sauntering onto the pages and they brought a friend, Michael. (Shhh---I’ll tell you a secret…there is a story about Michael in the works also.)

I’ll give you a little blurb and excerpt.

Blurb: 

Amanda Mills knows how to have a good time and when she goes to Aphrodite Island she plans to embrace her naughty side but when her current squeeze turns out to be a creep she winds up alone on her romantic getaway. Then she sees Kyrna walk out of the ocean like Venus and is blown away. All of her charm and charisma fly out the door when flirting with the lithe redhead. As they delve into a steamy romance, Amanda realizes that she is in way over her head. Now she must decide whether to take a chance at love and trust or keep playing the game.

Excerpt:

Sucking in her breath, her gaze flew to the water, which bubbled and turned. Every Jaws movie she’d ever seen came to mind and she waited anxiously to see if she’d be eaten by a shark. Can they come up on the beach? She began to back up, but when the water parted and a woman, surely Venus, rose from the tide.

Breathless, she pushed back her thick ebony hair, which blocked her view. She could not tear her gaze away from the naked and beautiful Goddess who walked toward her.

Pale skin shimmered and glowed in the dim light, as if her flesh was made of ethereal moon luminosity. Pert breasts, small round globes, would fit in Amanda’s hand perfectly. Hard nipples, pebbled from the cool wind licking them, made Amanda wish she could lick them, too. Tall and nubile, the woman’s rich auburn hair fell in a cascade down to the small of her back. Her nether curls, trimmed into a cute heart shape, matched the vibrant color. Long legs carried her out of the surf and her green cat eyes never wavered from her face. Her pale lips quirked up in the corners with a secret little smile. The overall effect was stunning.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting with my readers, Heather! You are such a tease :) I can't wait to see what Michael is up to now. 

Heather is giving away 2 e-copies of South Sea Siren to 2 people who leave a comment :)

Ella's Turning What? Blog Hop

Ella Jade is celebrating her birthday by giving away presents to YOU! The grand prize is a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner's choice) gift card, but all of the 107 bloggers participating in this lovely blog hop are offering prizes. 

When I signed up for this blog, Ella asked that we blog about a special birthday memory, a special gift, or something along that line. I didn't have to think too hard about my special birthday memory. It was the year I turned 4.

  

I should probably start off by telling you I was the only granddaughter. My family had high hopes that I would be the girly girl they all wanted. Hahaha, the joke was on them. I'm a tomboy princess.
Birthdays were a big deal in my family. My uncle and his family would gather with my grandparents and my parents for a big meal for each birthday. My grandma used to make us these beautiful cakes. (This one was chocolate with peanut butter chocolate frosting with ballerinas on top. Yes, I still remember the flavor of that frosting...years later.)

I'm not sure who thought it was a good idea to hand a 4 year old a knife that size, but here I am. LOL (That's my daddy sitting beside me. Don't you love those mutton chop side burns?)

My dad was a volunteer fireman. He served with some amazing men. If they weren't family, they were very dear friends. One of my dad's friends loved to tease me mercilessly and I adored him. When Bill found out it was my birthday, he decided to crash my birthday party. As we were finishing up our dinner, Bill drove by in one of the big firetrucks and got on the loudspeaker of the truck. "HAAAAAAAPPPPPPYYYY BBBBIIRRRRRTTHHHHDDDAAAAAYYYY!" rang through the soft summer air...scaring the bejesus out of one little girl who immediately burst into tears.





This is the reason I look so somber in this picture. 

Okay, I may have been a little angry as well. I mean, my whole family laughed because they thought it was funny. I was not amused.

Bill made sure to apologize to me when he saw me next. "Sweetie, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I didn't mean to scare you." It took a big man to apologize to a 4 year old little girl.

Looking back, I don't remember the gifts I received or what food was eaten (though it looks like burgers and picnic foods), but I remember the cake and the unusual birthday wish from a very special man.

How many other little girls have gotten a birthday wish like that? Is it any wonder I love firemen like I do? *grin*

Now it's your turn:
Tell me about the most unusual birthday wish you ever received.

The winner will receive an e-copy of both Keeper of the Golden Dragon's Heart and Natural Born Enemies.

Happy Birthday, Ella!!! I hope it is the best birthday ever! I appreciate being able to be a part of your celebration :)

A Small Town Girl Comes Home...

Would you like to hear something funny? Most of you know I grew up as a farmer's daughter, but did you know how desperately I wished to get out of that little town?

I lived 15 minutes away from the downtown area of our small town. I had cousins who lived next door and my grandparents weren't 5 miles away. Our neighbors knew us (and didn't hesitate to tattle to my parents if I did something wrong). I always felt like Country Mouse when we went into town. It was an event. My mother would take time to curl her hair and make sure her make-up and clothes were just right.

As I got older, small town was a little bit more fun. Cruising main street was the thing to do. People from even smaller towns would come in and I met some of the greatest people. We had fun, went muddin', laughed, and got in trouble. After all, what else is there to do in a small town? But I dreamed of getting out of this small town and moving onto bigger and better things.

I left just after high school and moved to Long Island, New York to be a nanny. Life got in the way and I had to go back home. I stayed in the same area, moving to a smaller town after I got married. In 2004, we moved to a town that was, well, let's just say it wasn't ideal :) Drug dealers were my neighbors and more than once the cops had to be called. We moved to a little tiny town into a house that I loved so much. It was a perfect setting. 

We got bored and moved onto a town just outside of Tulsa, OK. It was a small housing community, but a big enough town. But it wasn't enough. There was something missing. We moved back to Michigan and stayed with my dad in a small town. It threw me off for the longest time. For 6 years, I had lived in anonymity. Now, neighbors would stop by and say hello or have a beer with Dad. I liked it, yet I still felt out of my element.

We left Dad's and moved to the U.P. (Yeah, I know! Quit laughing!) But guess what? I love my small town. Do you want to know why? Because when I go to the store, I run into people I know. I go to get groceries and the cashiers know who I am. People sitting on their front porches wave as you drive by. I step onto my college campus and I have friends there. Just yesterday, I was leaving what they call a mall here and ran into a friend from school. We stood outside chatting about summer and upcoming classes. It felt good! At the beginning of summer, I stopped by the beach to dip my toes in the water. A woman was walking her dog on the beach. Her little girl came up and took a hold of my hand before she, too, dipped her toes in the water. I saw this little girl in the store the other day and she remembered me. She kept waving at me from her mother's shopping cart. I smiled and said "Hello" to her. My heart was a little lighter. Only in a small town can a complete stranger become a new friend.

Come visit Cedar River and experience small town living at its best! Have week filled with blessings and joy! 

The Bad Boy of Romance: Sascha Illyvich

Five years ago, I joined a review group and met a man. A few of his posts had me looking up the most interesting (and at times, a bit disgusting) things online. He took my black and white world and added so much color to it that I was afraid I'd never recover. He doesn't know this (until now), but he changed my world. So, let me introduce you to Sascha Illyvich: The Bad Boy of Romance.

Seeking to rescue her lover's child from the biggest criminal organization in San Francisco, Livía finds not only a solution, but redemption in a man known as Joséf Staganov.  Yet he holds a deadly secret and an intense death wish unless she can convince him a vampire's compelling love can heal his heart. 

Excerpt- 

Numbness. Ice cold numbness set in as he tried to move his body.  Joséf knew there was another being around, could sense the magick that was whatever animated the undead.  Where was he?  How’d he get here?  Oh, right.  The fight with his brother.  His fur was a mess, smelled of copper, body fluids and bile.

The scent of roses hung thickly around his muzzle. “My head hurts so much.”  I can’t feel my body. Where am I?  The wolf opened his eyes and saw his body cradled in Livía’s warm arms.  Her sweet smell alerted him of his life’s value to her.  Too bad he didn’t see the same thing in himself that she did. 

Her eyes closed, she hummed, breaking the silence around him with her sweet voice.  She glowed, but settled safety around his tired body.  Mentally worn out, he tried to find the strength to lift his head but couldn't. 

“My poor Farkas.  Come back to me.” A tear fell from her eye to his fur.

No one had ever shed a tear for him.  He’d just killed his only living family member.  The taste of bitterness was still fresh in his mouth.  He opened his eyes just a little, the lights in the office were dim.

“Come back to me, my sweet Farkas.  Please, don’t leave me alone.  Come back to me.”  Her hand covered his heart.

“Please help me rescue Miles, and come back to me.  I don’t want to remain this way without you.”  More tears fell on his fur.

If he wasn't careful, he'd lose too much blood.  I’m not dead, Livía.

She blinked. 

Joséf opened his eyes wider and lifted his tired head to see her face.  For a vampire, her face wasn’t nearly as pale as it usually was.  In fact, apparently knowing he was alive brought a kind of joy to her heart.

“Change!”

He transformed automatically.  He lay there on the ground, bullet wounds still fresh.  Her attempts at cleaning them had been just that, attempts.  At least the bleeding stopped.

“How can you call my power?  Why did you come after me?  I thought you only wanted the one thing.”

“Silly Farkas.  I wanted both.  Miles returned to his mother and you back with us, safe and in one piece.”

“But I am not yours.”  He turned his head away, thinking about the vile things he’d done recently to those people.  Thugs yes, but they were still human.  At least that was the lie he told himself. 

Livía carefully took his chin in her hands and forced him to face her.  “The necklace marks you as mine and lets me control your changes in times like this.  If we had time for paramedics to attend to you, I’d have to change you into a human in order to get you the best treatment.”

“But still, I am not yours.”

“You’ve been mine since you were born, farkas. That is how I called your human form back from the beast.”

Joséf looked away.  He must look like shit, his face was a mess, and he had dried blood on his clothes. Obviously, Livía didn’t care.  She hugged him closer to her and he snuggled against her warmth.

Odd that a vampire was warm.

“Why are you warm?”  He blinked. 

“Because my heart aches for you,  aches for the pain you refuse to let go of.  Blood pumps through my veins, warming my body to respond to yours when you let me heal you.  That will be soon.”  Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. 

He frowned.  “And how will you do that when I’ve done my job and left?”

A twinkle danced in her eyes. “I will call you to me, and we will mate as our line of vampires does.”

He let out an exasperated breath. “The same way I helped to heal you?”

She nodded.  “That is correct, Farkas.”

Bruised and bloodied, and sure that he had a broken rib or two, plus the fact that his leg was pulled from the socket, the thought of being inside of her still stirred his arousal.  He burst out laughing, tossing his head back into her lap. 

“What’s so funny?”  She smirked. 

“You are.  This situation is.  I just…ouch!”  His ribcage hurt when he laughed harder.

“Farkas, I do not understand.”  Her facial expression changed, one eyebrow lifting along with half her mouth. 

He groaned and put a hand to hers.  “Trust me, when it’s all over, you will.”

She interlaced their fingers. “We will lie like this in our bed soon.”

Our bed?  The thought held merit.  It certainly was more comforting than laying on the cold carpet of his father’s former office. 

“I mean it, I love you.”  She nuzzled his neck, warm breath spilling out over his skin. 

“I know.”  He shrugged, groaned from the pain, and let out a long breath. 

Silence occupied the room and spilled into the hallway.  Amalie was in the building, Her presence his skin itch. 

Yeah, she waited for him. 

Peace spread between them, tranquility and a quiet place where Joséf could exist, because he didn't have the energy to run. 

The calm before the storm, it had to be that,  it couldn’t be anything else.  Amalie’s energy had risen and Joséf’s levels dropped.  She wasn’t milking him, he was just tired and weak.  Rest would do him good, food would be better.

And all Livía could offer any normal man in that instant included great sex.  Healing through sex, a magic he’d heard about from his mother, and experienced firsthand through Livía, frightened him.  Sex was always a bond with women, and even worse, because his mother raised him to love others with his entire heart, a bond with him too.  So coitus equated to love until the Syndicate took his parents from him.  That was what had happened, no matter what Draiman said before his death.  Their father had to do what he did to provide for them, otherwise he was just an empty shell without his mate. 

Mom.

His brother was still wrong.

His mother loved them both and Livía’s heart seemed to be on par with his mother.  What should I do?

“Love me, Joséf. It’s all I’m asking.”

Straining his neck to see her better, he smirked.  “You read my mind.”

She patted his chest lightly.  “I almost always do.  How do you think I know when you’re in trouble?”

She couldn't see the pain he clung to, didn't need to know of his inner demons.  The betrayal, the drugs, the people he'd killed in the name of self-defense.  Livía, vampire Queen, had the heart of a savior, even though her mask said sinner.  “Stay out of my head, Goddamnit—ouch!”  Sharp pain in his ribs jolted him in her arms. 

Livía’s fingers ran through his hair, relaxing him.  He could stay like this if he had to, if he didn’t have other things to attend to. 

A part of him wanted to give in to her ministrations, not the voices in his head. 

Hopefully, being a shifter meant that his body healed faster than normal humans.  Though he figured the mental anguish would double.

Her smile reached her eyes now.  “I’m not in your head,  I’m in your heart.”

Her words struck him, hard.  She wouldn’t stop expressing how much she cared for him no matter what, he knew that now.  His only choices were to either love her back and scar her, or to run away and wound her.

“You don’t need to bother with all this, Livía.  I…I don’t want it.”

“Everyone wants comfort and security, Farkas.  Most of all, those of us who have never had it.  And I want to give you what you have not had in a very long time.”

Joséf sighed.  He lifted his head, looking into her beautiful blue eyes.  Her tender smile showed her every emotion. 

She set a palm down over his chest and he knew what she was doing.  Her hand began to glow, producing a circle the same color as her aura.  She pressed her hand to his skin, it was warm against his chest.  His rapid heartbeat tried to keep pace with how much blood he was still losing from his open wounds, but within a few seconds, his pulse had slowed. 

Sweat dripped down his brow.  He would go through shock next if he didn’t get medical help immediately.  “Don’t I heal faster as a shifter?”

“Yes, but you haven’t experienced a full moon yet.  I brought your wolf out early by accident.”

Her lips hovered above his head.  He could smell her fear of losing him and it made him cuddle closer against her.  Pain shot through his hips.  He sniffled and gritted his teeth.  The two wounds in his hip began bleeding again.

Livía put her hand over the wound, he ached even more with the pressure she applied until he looked into her eyes. 

“Let yourself fall prey, Farkas.”

His stomach clenched, causing him more pain as he chuckled.  “I can’t, it hurts too much.”

“Then let me heal you.”  Her soft voice barely registered in his ears. 

1.       How did you get the name: Bad Boy of Romance?

You can blame author Cynnara Tregarth for this.  We'd talked many years ago about outing me as a male romance writer.  I have a horrible tendency to uh…flirt a little more than your average author.  I tend to have a way with the ladies.  I enjoy and make public my fanaticism for whiskey and cigars.  A few years back someone called me that and I said "I'll take it!"  At least I didn't make it up like some other lame authors…

2.       Why did you choose to write the genre you write?

I like the emotional aspect of romance that you don't get from other genres.  I missed out connecting with folks when I was younger, feared a lot of things and realized when I could write, that I could give the world what it was missing through this genre.  Angst, passion, romance, and a satisfying ending when the world outside of a book or story doesn't go your way.  My books make your fantasies come true. 

3.       What does your family, friends, acquaintances think of your writing?

Close friends expected it, family I'm not concerned with, but the mother of my soul does condone my writing since I started out writing Female Dominant erotica. In general I have support though.

4.       What do you do when you’re not writing?

Edit, read, hang out.  Usually I'm found at either Occidental Cigar Club or Ohlone Cigar lounge. 

5.       Do you control the story as you write or do your characters run the show?

"I run the military!"

6.       How did you come to choose the setting for your story?

With Endangered, since we haven't touched on that yet, I had just moved to California and decided to set the story in a large enough city where a criminal organization could take serious root.  The mansion most of the action takes place in was based on the training facility from Resident Evil Zero. 

7.       Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Definite plotter.  The more structured the story, the easier it is to write it with limited time.  Because I'm not allowed to work more than a few hours at a time, I have to use the time wisely.  Plotting out in pithy sentences makes all the difference so I can hit word count for the day and if I go over, great.  If I just hit the goal for the day, then next day I can pick up with no problems.

8.       Do you listen to music as you write? If so, can you tell us a few of your must-haves?

Seriously I'm a music addict.  Few of my must haves include the album One by TesseracT, Pray for Villains and the S/T albums by Devildriver, Vildjharta's first full length release Måstaden.  Lately I've been on a kick jamming the last two albums by the band Textures.  Usually I crank the songs so loud to immerse myself in the world and lyrics created by the musician since they're often similar to the level of emotional depth I'm trying to put in. 

9.       When you’re writing do you have to have certain items? A particular pen, a certain drink, snacks, etc.

It used to be that I needed to drink to start stories after not having written for a few months but health reasons forced me to write organically (and incidentally, allow myself to go back to ENJOYING alcohol) but now I have water or tea nearby. 

1   Is there a certain time of the day when you write more? Morning, afternoon, late night?

Like a boss, I write all day, every day, every which way. 

1   If you weren’t an author, what would you be?

Batman.  The Cristian Bale one. 

1   What books/authors do you read to entertain yourself?

JR Ward, Christina Dodd, Kresley Cole.  I just found a new thing for Gena Showalter.  Of course Laurel. K. Hamilton and Christine Feehan will always have special spots on my shelves. 

1  What are you working on now/next? Anything new we can expect from you?

New material includes my first romantic suspense for agent Saritza Hernandez, a contemporary romance for same said agent.  There's also a 1NS in the submission queue Decadent is going to accept once they read it.  That story has a special place because the inspiration for both the fantasy and the heroine are very dear to my heart. 

1   Any advice you would pass on to future authors?

Strunk and White 4 lyfe.

Now for some fun:

Which Goddess best defines you? –According to a quiz I took just for this interview (things we do for fans!) Athena. 

Favorite Dessert? – do I have to choose? 

Chocolate or Vanilla? –rocky road.

Favorite scent? –The scent of her, freshly showered, naked and in my bed first thing in the morning. 

Coffee, tea, soda, or water?  - Scotch, bourbon and whiskey. 

Do you have a favorite character? Your own or others and why? – of mine:  I'm sticking with Joséf from my upcoming Red Sage release ENDANGERED.  Of some other author:  Wrath.  Hands down, true. 

Links where people can find you on the Internet:

Review list at NOR:  http://romance.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Authors/Sascha-Illyvich.aspx

Website:  Http://saschaillyvichauthor.com

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/author/saschaillyvich

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/saschaillyvich

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SaschaIllyvich

GoodReads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2928546.Sascha_Illyvich

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/SaschaIllyvich?feature=mhee

The Universe Is Speaking, So Shut Up and Listen

Yeah, I'm having one of those weeks. You know the week...where nothing seems to go right? Where nothing makes sense and you feel like you're drowning? Yep, that's the week I'm having.

After a conversation with my little "sister," I realized that I needed to shut up and listen to what the universe was saying. I knew changes were coming and I knew they would change my life for the better, but at some point, I simply stopped listening.

Our conversation revolved around a lot of things, but the biggest thing was re-creating ourselves. It's a hard process and not to be taken lightly. It's scary and well, I'm not the most brave woman in the world. I need to let the old ideas of who or what I'm supposed to be fall away so I can emerge from the cocoon I've been in.

I started by pulling out some old notebooks. When my grandmother died in 2000, my world was thrown off its axis. She and I had spent a lot of time together. I considered her more of my mother than the woman who gave birth to me. I started keeping notes of my dreams and thoughts that popped into my head on any given day.

At some point, I had put the notebooks away and stopped journaling. Last year, I lost my dad. After Grandma died, my father and his PTSD became a HUGE focus. There were days where keeping him going was all I could do. Without my father to worry about or focus on, the universe decided to say, "Okay, now you're ready to listen to me, right?" My re-creating has been happening all along, but now I've got to take the next leap and it scares me to death. I can do it! I know I can. I'm just a big old scaredy cat! LOL

I'm still writing and I'm still moving forward with my writing career. The edits for The Golden Dragon's Treasure are in my inbox as I write this. I have several projects I'm working on so you'll be hearing a lot from me in the future :) Hopefully, the changes will reflect in my writing as I grow, stretch my wings, and learn to fly. Hell, Dad used to tell me to shoot for the moon. The worst that could happen is I will land among the stars.

Thank You For Allowing Me My Dream

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved to read. She would dive between the pages of a book and indulge herself in the adventures of characters who would become her friends. As she aged, books were her escape. Characters got to rebel, have adventures, and fall in love. She watched one soap opera and the characters there showed her romance, mystery, and intrigue.

One day, she thought "Why can't I create worlds where people have adventures and fall in love? Why can't I be an author?"

And people like you have made that little girl's dream come true.

I want to thank each and every one of you who have read my blog, purchased my books, entered my contests/giveaways, signed up for my newsletter, liked my Facebook pages, and follow me in my pursuit of my dream. The little girl in me never gives up even when I want to throw in the towel. She pushes me back to my blog views, royalty statements, FB likes to show me people believe in me.

Because of you, I get to share my stories with the world. I still have a ton of stories to tell, just not enough hands to type with :) I was joking the other day that I could do so much more if I was an octopus. Four computers, 8 tentacles, and a ton of ideas? Where could that idea go wrong? LOL 

My world is a little crazy and chaotic at the moment, but the little girl in me tells me to focus on my goal (NYT Bestsellers List). So I am taking a deep breath, pausing to thank the gods who have blessed me, and pushing forward. I just need to get out of my own way:)

Thank you for allowing me to keep dreaming!

My Inspirations

Inspiration for my stories come from a variety of things. It can be a song lyric, an image, a quote, or a dream. I do spend a lot of time looking through images I find on Facebook, Pinterest, and Google.

Now, I will not claim that I'm actually looking for images to inspire me, but every now and again, one will leap off the screen and send my mind whirling with a storyline.

In fact, that is how the YA book I'm working on came to be. I spotted a picture and the story simply came to me. There is so much to the story that I've put it on the back burner while I work on a different project, but it is still bubbling away. I'll share the picture once I'm ready to reveal the story to you.

Last night, a FB friend posted a pic. I sat and stared at the picture for the longest time. Usually, the stories begin from the female's point of view, but I have a feeling this one is going to be different. The picture caught my eye and there are about 5 different story possibilities running through my head. One will become more pronounced and that will be the man's story. My process is weird, but it is mine, so I trust it.

Natural Born Enemies began with the Celtic Thunder version of "Hallelujah!"

In fact, the entire story was written to the men from Celtic Thunder. There is absolutely no Celtic elements in the story itself, but the music made the characters come to life.

I've got four different stories I'm working on now. One had a Southern Rock soundtrack. Another has a Sinatra, Michael Buble, Chris Botti, and Harry Connick, Jr. soundtrack. Another one is all 80s Love Songs (don't ask because I have no idea where this came from) and my YA story is heavy on Celtic Woman, Celtic Thunder, and other Celtic artists.

My inspirations are just as vast as the stories I write. My Cedar River series may be all shifters, but each one is a person (in my mind) and has a uniqueness that is all their own. Each story comes from a different direction and that is what makes it special.

This Writer's Process

In my previous post, I told you how my writing has been sporadic at best due to some circumstances. However, I was able to sit down and type my little heart out last night. What came out amazed me and made me smile.

My process may be similar to others, I'm not sure since I've never compared notes. I dream my stories. I mean full on vivid colors, walking on solid ground, movie-type story. And this dream stays with me for days on end until I sit down and write out the scene. I'm lucky that way.

When I am able to take the time, I sit down and pop in my earbuds. Each book has a playlist of sorts, if not, then I turn on my Pandora radio and find the appropriate station. Between Frank Sinatra, Nickelback, 80s Romance, Jason Aldean, and Cher, I have songs for every mood and book. I turn the volume up and let the music carry me away. Then, the magick happens. The story pours out all over the keyboard. My fingers are just the instruments that carries the story to my computer. When I feel exhausted, I save the document, read over what I've written, and walk away. I'm usually limp as a wet dishrag when I'm finished, but I feel good. I don't try for a particular word count or chapter count. I write until I can write no more. Whether it's 100 or 2500 words, as long as I've written something, I'm good.

Now, yesterday I posted a status on my FB page. I let my readers know that I had hit the 7,000 word mark on my current story (which is not part of the Cedar River series). I also shared a picture to give people a  hint of the story.

Art by Graphic Artist Cindy Grundsten

This is the picture that inspired the story I am working on. In my mind, this is Manannan Mac Lir, Irish sea diety. I've let the idea stew and bubble long enough. It had to come out and I am in love with it so far. The two stories I'm working on are about his children with a human woman. Calypso's story is the first one and Mac's will follow when he's ready :)

Anyway, I promised people a peek at what I'm working on so here's what I have for you. Remember: It's unedited and all rights belong to Gemma K. Murray (2013).

Tell me what you think so far. It's kind of sexy to write about a sea god!

NOTE FROM GEMMA: I had this blurb up for a week and have since removed it. I'll only leave the tease up for so long :)

The Last Two Weeks

While I know there are people out there who have had worse weeks than I have, the last two weeks have been very hard at my house.
We have had a sick puppy for about a month, but there was really nothing that could be done. She was simply getting old. 

Klondike ended up having to be carried outside to go potty in her last 3 days. And she really loved it because she has always believed she was a princess (which she was). Her last day on this earth, she and I laid in the sun out in the soft green grass. I told her all of the things I probably had told her over the years, but needed repeating. That night, she fell asleep and passed on to the Rainbow Bridge. Our hearts ache at losing our baby, but we know she's able to run and be with her brother and sisters.

Because she had to be carried out, the hubby would carry her out at night while I was sleeping. One of those nights, he re-injured his back. I mean, bad enough that he's lucky to get out of bed long enough to go potty and hobble back to bed. Everything falls on to me at this point. Because of the erratic schedule of his sleeping (because of the pain), I am cooking 3 different meals for the 2 of us, plus running and fetching for him, not to mention all of the other million things that need to be done during the day.

I'm worn out, run down, and on the verge of breaking. A friend told me that was the good part of being a human being: we fall apart and mend.

I've also been looking for a job which means my spare time is spent filling out applications online with very little writing getting done. That's the hard part of living in the U.P....not a lot of job prospects out there.

So, you know where I've been the last two weeks...on the verge of a breakdown. 

A Giveaway with Wickd Potions

I have some of the most amazingly creative friends in the world. If you have been following my blog, then you may remember my November 2012 blog where I interviewed my "fiend" Jfay, maker of Wickd Potions. (Here's the link to refresh your memory: http://gemmakmurray.blogspot.com/2012/11/getting-wicked-with-wickd-jfay-from.html)

My scents are exclusively from her brilliant mind. I have had several lovely (and sexy) comments about my scents and I often blush because I'm lucky enough to call this lady my friend.

She approached me about doing a giveaway a few weeks ago and I told her "YES!" without a second thought.

Click on the photo above to be taken to Studio 3B's website. You can see the awesome gifts Wickd Jfay is giving away. Here is the list of goodies from JFay and fiends ;) Be sure to stop by and enter to win!

Wick'd Giveaway Prize #1 -- From Paranormal Romance Author Gemma K. Murray, An E-Book Copy of the second book in her Cedar River Series, NATURAL BORN ENEMIES + A Bottle of Bitten By Chocolate from Studio 3B.  Bitten by Chocolate is a Super Sexy Unisex Fragrance with Rich Dark Chocolate, Alluring Amber, and Sultry Vanilla.  And is actually featured in Gemma's story!  So a Fun Set for You to Enjoy! 

Please be sure to visit Gemma K. Murray on Facebook. 

You Can Find NATURAL BORN ENEMIES on Amazon.com. And Visit Her Website!

Wick'd Giveaway Prize #2 -- From Artist Nicole Beziat, a LOVE YOUR WORLD Mousepad, which features her Original Artwork + A Potion Necklace filled with Silent Beauty Perfume from Studio 3B.  Silent Beauty Perfume is a very lovely Fragrance of Black Raspberries, Violet, Vanilla, Apple and Black Currant.  The Necklace is hand adorned with Blue and Clear Jewelry Beads and Features a Silver Star Charm.  The Necklace Length is 20".

Please be sure to Visit Nicole's Zazzle Store to See All of Her Beautiful Fantasy Artwork Items.

Wick'd Giveaway Prize #3 -- From Sexy Vampire Author Cinsearae S., an E-Book Copy of DIARY OF A VAMPIRE STRIPPER + A Bottle of her Signature Fragrance Designed for the Book, Strawberry Strip Tease, from Studio 3B.  Strawberry Strip Tease is a Fun and Flirty Aroma of Sensual Strawberry blended with the Playful Innocence of Bubblegum.....  

Please be sure to Visit Cinsearae's Website and You Can Find her on Facebook as well!