Posts Tagged ‘Exquisite Quills Holiday Anthology 2014’
My Guest Post about Writing Romance for Teens and Adults Is Up at Author Dee Ann Palmer’s Blog
All apologies for the very lengthy title today, folks, but I wanted to make sure you all knew it — my guest post at author Dee Ann Palmer’s blog about writing romance for teens and adults is up!
In fact, she posted it at two sites — here, and here.
Here’s a brief taste of that:
The main difference I’ve found in writing romance in my novels AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE and A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE, which features a teenage couple in Bruno the Elfy and Sarah, his mostly human teenage girlfriend, and the stories “Marja’s Victory” and “To Hunt the Hunter” in Exquisite Christmas, is that teen characters don’t exactly know what it is that they want. Everything is ahead of them. They are experiencing love for the very first time, and aren’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing – or when they’re supposed to be doing it. Whereas adult characters know exactly what they are doing and why they’re doing it, but don’t always know if their wishes are going to be reciprocated.
Then I discussed my characters Bruno and Sarah from the Elfy duology (book 1 is AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, book 2 is A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE) as my teen representatives (Bruno assuredly would be considered a teenager in his culture), and my characters Marja and Tomas from the two stories “Marja’s Victory” and “To Hunt the Hunter” that are included in the Exquisite Christmas anthology.
So, if you are interested in reading the rest of my guest blog, please hop on over to either of Dee Ann Palmer’s sites and take a look. Then be sure to check out the Exquisite Christmas anthology, as there are quite a few heartwarming stories and recipes there to keep you amused well into the New Year!
And check this space…because in the New Year, Dee Ann will be stopping by and contributing a guest post of her own here at the Elfyverse. (And I, for one, can’t wait!)
A Wednesday Roundup
Folks, today is Marketing for Romance Writers’ Retweet Day (#MFRWAuthor for short, on Twitter). And I usually have a post up long before this, to try to take advantage of that…as I need all the help I can get in order to spread the word about my writing.
That said, I also wanted to remind everyone that the Exquisite Quills Holiday Anthology is out. I have two stories in this anthology, both featuring shapeshifter (and woman of size) Marja, and her lover, Tomas — a telepathic mountain Troll. The anthology actually features twenty-one authors, and we all added holiday recipes to make the anthology just a little more festive…it’s only $2.99 as an e-book, and I’m sure that if you enjoy romance, you’ll enjoy this anthology.
As I said last week, we need hope and optimism. We need those things now more than ever, because so many of the things we see in the media are awful.
Romantic stories may not seem like much, when you put them against the problems in Chicago, or Baltimore, or in San Bernadino, or in Paris. They can’t take the pain away of innocent people getting killed for no reason, no. But they can remind us of what is good and right about life: Love. Family. Optimism. Hope. Faith. And much, much more.
I know that’s an awful lot to ask of a bunch of stories from twenty-one authors. But if you give us a chance, we might divert you from the problems in this world, and maybe even put a smile on your face in the process.
Sometimes, that’s all anyone can do.
Now, back to editing! (And maybe a wee bit of writing, too.)
The Exquisite Quills Holiday Anthology Is Out!
Folks, just a short and sweet blog-let today, to remind you that the Exquisite Quills Holiday Anthology is now available for purchase (link is here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018F4ACSC) .
Why should you care? Well, I have two stories in this anthology, both about Marja (an older woman of size, and a shapeshifter) and her lover and partner, Tomas — a telepathic mountain Troll. They are short, humorous paranormal romance fantasies (say that five times fast; I dare you), and I enjoyed writing them immensely.
The other authors in this anthology are all members of the Exquisite Quills writing community, which contains award-winning authors who’ve hit multiple bestseller lists. (I can hear the wags now — “So, Barb, why are you there, hm?” — as thus far, I’ve not hit any bestseller lists, nor have I won any awards as far as I know. Fortunately, the Exquisite Quills community welcomes all different sorts of authors, including relatively new ones like me.) So you should enjoy the anthology quite a bit, if you give it a chance…plus, we all included a holiday recipe as an added bonus.
(Mine, of course, was my late husband Michael’s famous shortbreads. I thought it appropriate.)
So, please, go check out the new anthology today — it’s available in both a dead-tree edition and as an e-book (the latter being priced at $2.99).
Sneak Peek Sunday: Exquisite Quills 2014 Holiday Anthology Awaits!
Folks, my fellow authors included in the Exquisite Quills Holiday Anthology 2014 have whipped up a special treat for something they’re calling “Sneak-peek Sunday.”
Take a look! (Then please, go and download the anthology right now. It’s absolutely free!)
A Holiday Anthology (Volume Two)
A Collection of Winter Holiday Tales
Please join us in reading this fantastically diverse FREE collection of stories to warm
your heart while you wait for the kids, the oven to buzz, on a
15-minute break from work, or when you just need to hide for ten minutes
from everyone! Every story is PG,but a few have a hint of zing.
The calendar on the wall says 2014 but the holidays are a magical time where anything is possible when it comes to romance. Prepare to travel through snow or to a tropical setting with a little dash of fantasy sprinkled in to make your holiday reading enjoyable. This heart-warming collection of all new, very short stories is our way of saying happy holidays to you.
Frankie’s Wish by Jennifer Garcia
“Every night, as my daddy taught me, I kneeled by my bed and said my prayers. But tonight, I wanted to ask for something.
“Now I lay me down to sleep… I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Oh, please bring me a mommy. Amen”
&
THE GIFT OF TIME by Rose Anderson
“Rose is a multi-published, award-winning author and dilettante who loves great conversation and discovering interesting things to weave into stories. She lives with her family and small menagerie amid oak groves and prairie in the rolling glacial hills of the upper Midwest.
Possessing an active imagination, she writes everything from children’s stories to historical non-fiction.”
FRANKIE’S WISH by Jennifer Garcia
Jennifer believes in writing love stories that connect families and touch hearts. Her first novel, My Mr. Manny, was released August 2013 and her first novella, In My Mother’s Footsteps, was released July 2013.
A KISS AT MIDNIGHT by Lily Bishop
Lily Bishop lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense, and has published two books in the City Lights series, No Strings Attached and Under His Protection. She is working on the third book now.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER by Dee Ann Palmer
In every age the heart loves, and Dee Ann Palmer’s romances reflect those eras in fantasy, historic, contemporary and futuristic tales. The award winning Palmer is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and belongs to the Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime.
MARJA’S VICTORY By Barb Caffrey
Barb Caffrey is a writer, editor, book reviewer and musician from the Midwest. She is the author of the humorous urban fantasy/romance AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, and is the co-author of the Adventures of Joey Maverick series (with late husband Michael B. Caffrey).
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS by Beverley Bateman
Beverley Bateman is a Canadian author of several books who loves traveling, good wine and a mystery. She lives with her husband and two Shiba Inu dogs among vineyards and orchards set in lake country and surrounded by mountains – beaches, swimming and skiing.
GINGERBREAD DREAMS by Victoria Adams
Victoria Adams is a romance writer, dividing her writing between contemporary romance and New Adult contemporary romance. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and kitten, Licorice. She likes to study Raqs Sharqi (Egyptian belly dance), garden, and bake.
CHE GELIDA MANINA by M. S. Spencer
Although she has lived or traveled in every continent except Antarctica and Australia (bucket list), M. S. Spencer has spent the last thirty years mostly in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional staff assistant, speechwriter, editor, birdwatcher, kayaker, policy wonk, non-profit director and parent. She has two fabulous grown children, and currently divides her time between the Gulf coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine. Ms. Spencer has published nine romantic suspense novels.
ROMANCE VALLEY by Kaye Spencer
Native Coloradoan Kaye Spencer writes romances from her basement hovel in a small, rural town in the far southeastern corner of Colorado—no mountains in sight—just prairie dogs, buffalo grass, and glorious prairie sunsets. While drawn to cowboys and the Old West, all genres are within her story-crafting realm. Retired from a long career in public education that included teaching through a community college outreach program, Kaye is enjoying being a full-time writer and spoiler of grandchildren. Kaye is also afflicted with ACD—Accumulative Cat Disorder—with no cure in sight.
THE CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT by Janis Susan May
Janis Susan May is a seventh-generation Texan and a third-generation wordsmith who writes mysteries as Janis Patterson, romances and other things as Janis Susan May, children’s books as Janis Susan Patterson and scholarly works and non-fiction as J.S.M. Patterson.
Janis and her husband live in Texas with an assortment of rescued furbabies.
TROPICAL CHRISTMAS by Gemma Juliana
GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity.
A KISS AND A PROMISE by Lyndi Lamont
Lyndi Lamont is the racy alter ego of author Linda McLaughlin, who writes historical and Regency Romance. Since becoming Lyndi Lamont, she has discovered that writing sexy romance is a license to be naughty, at least between the pages of a book.
A COWBOY’S HOLIDAY by E. Ayers
E. Ayers is a multi-published and best-selling author of western and contemporary romances. Her books are never too sweet or too hot. She writes down the middle.
It is available for FREE at 
and will be available at Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Kobo.
Last year’s anthology is also available at
and
Barb Caffrey's Blog 