#MyPOV - 0006 Fireworks

Wordless Wednesday


Today my POV is a threefer. These three shots were taken at the Magic Kingdom at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. What heroine doesn't want fireworks for that big first kiss scene?

Wordless Wednesday

Conversations With #MyMuse - 0003

Image in Public Domain as a faithful reproduction
of a work of art in the Public Domain.

So my muse has been coy lately. Teasing me with tidbits of ideas, but never quite whispering a full premise in my ear.

Muse: "Oh, look at that. Wouldn't it be fun to write about that?"

Me: "Yeah, muse. What a great idea! What if it was late one night and there was a--?"

Muse: "Wait! Forget about that. Look at that woman. Don't you think her story is interesting? Bet you could write a whole book on that."

*Writer has an ooh-shiny moment.*

Me: "Oh, this is good. This is great. The heroine could say, 'But I have to leave you, Bob.' And Bob could say--"

Muse: "You need to write a Christmas story...soon. Time's running out. What with submitting and editing and whatnot. You gotta get 'er done, girl."

Me: "A Christmas story! Yeah. Yeah. I could write about this woman who has uptight friends and they want her to get this guy to do this thing...and candlelight."

Muse: "Hold up! Writer, where do you get those ideas from? I know it ain't from me, girl. You been hanging out with another muse? Are you cheating on me?"

Me: "What? No! I swear I've been faithful to only you, Muse."

*Writer narrows eyes at manipulative muse.*

Me: "Is that why your ideas have been lame lately? Are you holding back because you think I'm cheating? That's...that's...that's just mean. I oughta--"

Muse: "Whoa, writer. Would ya look at that?"

*Writer turns attention toward ooh shiny object while Muse slips away.*


MyMuse Update 5/9/12

My muse and I had a come to Jesus meeting this morning on the way to work. Muse whispered three premises complete with plotline in my ear. I shall be busy this week.

All About Heroes - Author Interview With Jan Romes

I am so happy to have Jan Romes with me today. One night on Twitter, Jan Romes and Sandy Owens were busy drooling, twitting, and tweeting over the men of NCIS. That was something I could easily relate to, so I tweeted my way into their droolfest, and that’s how I met Jan. So on with the interview...

First, tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks for having me on your blog today, Denise!

Let’s see, a little about myself…

I’m a shy person by nature, but life keeps pulling me out of my shell in one way or another (and that’s a good thing). I enjoy writing humorous contemporary romance, but I love to read all genres. When I’m not creating stories, I can be found working as a part-time fitness instructor or gardening. But enough about me, let’s talk heroes!

As writers, we often become emotionally attached to our characters. Who is your favorite hero you’ve ever written?

Each hero has a special place in my heart, but if I had to pick the one that stands out from the rest it would be ‘Kiptyn Thomas’ from my book One Small Fib. Kiptyn grew/changed the most. He was a billionaire who got a rush from making money; it was his world…until he met Allie Blue. (I still get excited about this love story!)  

Have you ever fallen in love with or had a crush on one of your heroes? Tell us about him.

I think we fall in love with each hero we write. They represent bits and pieces of the men in our lives. I think I had a crush on Jared Kelly from Kiss Me. He’s a handsome cop who understood Lacy Goodlow better than she understood herself. For a guy to  understand you, to really ‘get’ you, is incredible! 

How do you develop your heroes? Do you imagine their personality or their physical appearance first? Do they grow as personalities as you write or do you do a character sketch before you type the first word?

Once I figure out my story line and my heroine, the hero is easy to develop. I have to know her before I can know him. (Does that make sense?) I can easily picture him from that point, and I have a pretty good idea where I want his character to go.

I like to give my heroes a personality quirk, just so they aren’t too perfect. Have you ever written a quirk for one of your heroes and what was it?

I love heroes with quirks; gives them depth, makes them real. For Kiptyn Thomas in One Small Fib he had to deal with a touch of OCD. In Lucky Ducks, Kasen Isaak had a mild case of dyslexia.

How do you name your hero?

To name my hero, I consider who he is (i.e. billionaire bachelor) and his personality --- Kiptyn Thomas, III, says wealth/old money. Tough, but loveable – Jared Kelly. 

Who is your favorite hero in books, movies, or television?

My favorite hero at the moment is from television: Leroy Jethro Gibbs from NCIS!! Sexy, in-charge, but flexible! (Tony Dinozzo runs a close second – great sense of humor)

Who is your hero in real life?

My husband! He’s loving, supportive, and laughs at my jokes! (He ‘gets’ me!)

Tell us about your most recent release and where we can find it. Who is the hero and what do you like about him the most?

My recent release is Kiss Me. It was published by Champagne Books on 4/2/12. My hero is Jared Kelly; handsome cop and all-around good guy, who has to deal with a dysfunctional family just like my heroine, Lacy Goodlow.  The way he handles his situation and Lacy’s, makes you like him straight away.

Blurb:

Falling for the cop who wrote her a speeding ticket and dated her spoiled stepsister throws Lacy Goodlow’s world into chaos, but ignoring her heart to keep the peace is not an option.

Excerpt:

“Sir, seriously,” she whimpered. “I haven’t been drinking. And I need to get going.” She held her wrist up so he could see her watch. “My sister’s bachelorette party has already started, and if I don’t get there soon, she’s going to blow a gasket.”

Deputy J. Kelly’s eyes widened perceptibly.

Crap. He was picturing the same thing she was—drunken women and lots of alcohol.

Regardless, she was late. Lacy blew out a weighty breath of frustration, and contemplated making a move for his gun or handcuffing herself to his cruiser; anything so she wouldn’t have to face the wrath of Angela.

Deputy Kelly’s first command was for her to walk a straight line. Ha! Her sandal teetered on a stone and she swayed sideways. Next, touch the end of her nose. The earth must’ve shifted, because she missed and almost jabbed herself in the eye. And because of the diet cola she’d downed on the way there, she was fidgeting all over the place. “Are we done?”

Without answering the question, he leaned forward and took a big whiff.

An involuntary prickle of pleasure pulsed through her.

“I’m not going to administer the breathalyzer because your eyes aren’t glassy or red, your speech is not impaired, and I don’t smell alcohol on your breath.”

Duh. He’d been sniffing for alcohol, not enjoying her perfume.

She mumbled a feeble thank-you, but it was drowned out by a car filled with teenagers who buzzed past and hollered “Strip-search her.”

You can buy Kiss Me at the following link: Champagne Books

Website - www.janromes.com

Blog – www.jantheromancewriter.blogspot.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/JanRomes

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/people/Jan-Romes/1418424489

Kiss me sounds like a fun read, Jan. I'll have to get me a copy. Thanks for being here today.

Some More #FridayStuff About Me #8

Each week, Hilary at Feeling Beachie plan on lists four statements with a blank for you to fill in on your own blogs. If you want to join the fun and come up with four fill in’s of your own, please email them to her at feelingbeachie@gmail.com. If she uses them, she will add you as co-host to the hop! This week’s co-host is Megan from Monday Morning Musings.  She came up with the last two statements.  Hilary can really use co-hosts, so please email her some statements!

She would LOVE it if you could please help me spread the word about this hop…. So, please tweet, FaceBook share, and add the linky to your post…

This week’s statements:

1.       I can’t stand when people say _I'll call you tomorrow and don't___

2.       If you are going to __tailgate me_ please_know that I'm going to slow down__

3.       Call me a _catering service____ because __I don't want to cook tonight!____

4.       If I had a dollar for every time I heard _my kids say "Mom" in that voice that means they can't find something that's really only hidden beneath that pile of clothes on their bedroom floor_____, I swear I’d be a millionaire by now.

Guest Blogging on Jan Romes' Site Today

I'm blogging over on Jan Romes' site today at http://jantheromancewriter.blogspot.com/2012/05/welcome-denise-moncrief.html

Please come show me some blog love!

#MyPOV - 0005 Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Review of Bahdria by @IngridMichaels

Bahdria: A Love Story by Ingrid Michaels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ingrid Michaels has a crisp, clean writing style that engaged me from the very first word. Bahdria is subtitled A Love Story, and truly this is one of the sweetest love stories I’ve read in a long time. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ingrid’s work.

Jean-Marc is a true hero, practicing medicine for Doctors Without Borders in a refugee camp in the Sub-Saharan desert. The camp suffers from limited supplies and a broken water well. When a preteen boy attempts to fix the ruptured mechanism and falls in, Jean-Marc doesn’t hesitate to descend into the depths of the well to save the youngster. Such is his dedication to saving lives.

The high point of the story centers on the selfless love of Jean-Marc for his wife Sharon, whom he affectionately calls Bahdria. He succeeds in rescuing the boy, but slips and hangs on the side of the well, struggling to gain purchase. Sharon grips the rope surrounding his waist desperately trying to keep her husband from plunging to his death, and in so doing endangers her own life. A light of selflessness shines around this couple. Bahdria is a tale of courage, commitment, and unconditional love. I won’t reveal the beautiful end of this story, but I will tell you this closing scene brought tears to my eyes—something that doesn’t happen very often.


View all my reviews