Happy Birthday!

Today is my birthday, but I'm giving you the presents. I want to give away digital copies of my books to my readers.

Here are the rules: 

1. One book per person (and only one format)

2. This will run only until midnight CT on May 25, 2016

3. Any emails received after midnight will be tossed out.

4. You must send me an email (gemmakmurray@gmail.com) with the following:

       a. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEMMA in the subject line

       b. Your name

       c. The title of the book (Keeper of the Golden Dragon's Heart, Natural Born Enemies, or The Golden Dragon's Treasure)

       d. Which format you would like

       e. The email you would like the book sent to.

5. If any of the above pieces of information are missing, the email will be deleted.

All I ask is that you are patient and give me time to respond to everyone. Please respect my work and DO NOT pirate my books. If you feel like leaving a review, I would appreciate it, but it isn't necessary.

Have a great day!

With Love, 

Gemma

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.

I'm Going Through Changes...

Now, re-read that title. I'm NOT going through THE "change." I'm not quite there yet:)

I live with an Ozzy Osbourne fanatic. The Black Sabbath song "Changes" has been running through my mind on a constant circuit.

Last week was one helluva a week, let me tell you. I began making some pretty big decisions about my professional life and where I want to be. I had let things slide for too long and it seems as if I made some HUGE decisions in a very short period of time.

Have you ever had someone tell you that you couldn't do something? Or wouldn't be able to accomplish something? What was your reaction? Mine was to explode and cry, then I picked up my sword and said, "Yeah, well, let me show you!" NEVER tell me what I can or cannot do because I will prove you wrong. I don't like to be pigeonholed and to quote one of my favorite movies, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." 

I don't appreciate it when someone belittles me or my talent. I may sound a bit arrogant, but it has taken me a long time to believe in myself and won't let anyone take that away from me. I can hear my dad's voice in my ear saying, "That's my girl" so I know I'm making the right choice as I move in the direction I am heading. 

My husband would love to slay this particular dragon for me, but he's respecting me enough to let me fight the battle I am waging. He's got my back and I wouldn't have it any other way.

There are only a few friends I have confided in and I feel blessed to know they have my back as well. With my little army at my back, I'm battling forward with this journey. I may have to hack through the thorns and brambles as I try to find my own path, but like I said, I have people who are willing to help me. I am truly blessed.

Be patient with me and give me some time to adjust. I read somewhere that if something isn't working for you, then make a change. So for now, I'm going through changes and I can only hope that they propel me forward.

On a side note: Be sure to check out my website for the contest I have going on. http://gemmakmurray.com

Happily Ever After

The other day I was asked about the relationships in my stories. "Why are they complicated?" the reader asked. It made me pause for a moment and think about the relationships I write.

See, my characters live in my head. With a series like Cedar River, you can imagine the noise going on there. Some days I must look like the psychic medium, John Edwards. (The other day, I was explaining a new series to my husband and had one of those, "Hold on" moments while the character told me exactly what I needed to say.) My characters tell me their story and I simply write it down as they tell it to me. I make it as simple or as complicated as they want it to be. (I'm not crazy, I'm a writer :D)

When I wrote Ana's character, I hated her. She was the biggest bitch I had ever met (myself not included). She was so hard on Bowie and I felt she was being unfair to him, but you know what? It all worked out. *shrugs*

Then, along came Adam and Luna. I wanted their story to be simple since they had overcome so much to be where they were, but it wasn't going to happen that way. Instead, they had to work at it and make decisions. They even hurt one another, but, again, it all worked out.

Now, I'm working with two very difficult characters, Brady and Silver. I've stopped and started with them more than any other characters. They are complicated and at different ends of the spectrum. He's quiet, confident, and steadfast. She is brassy, bold, and very insecure. I had to laugh when Brady told me who he had chosen to be his lady. I had an ongoing conversation with him for three days. "Seriously? She's a hot mess, you know that, right?" He'd smile that sexy smile of his and say, "Yep." Now, I am at 71,000 words and I'm still not done. (For a quiet guy, he certainly had a lot to say. LOL)

But it hit me the other day, why do I love this set of characters so much? Because they remind me of my husband and myself. The reflection I see when I look at them simply brings me joy.

So, dear reader, let me answer your question for you:
My characters have complicated relationships because love is messy and complicated. Love is never cut and dried. It's an organic, evolving thing which needs to be nurtured, pruned, and fertilized. My characters want the REAL love. Happily ever after happens in fairy tales. I've been married for almost 20 years and as much as I love my Knight in Tarnished Armor, he's not perfect and neither am I. Our love isn't perfect either. We hurt one another whether we realize it or not, but we don't walk away. We fight and fuss, but we make-up because we're crazy that way.

As Valentine's Day rapidly approaches, this is my Valentine's Day wish for you:

May you find your hot mess and see them for what they really are...someone worth believing in and fighting for. May you find the one who will walk through fire for and with you. May your love be a messy, complicated puddle of passion. XOXO