Toni Sweeney was born in Georgia. Her writing career began during an extended convalescence following an automobile accident. Since her recovery, she has survived hurricanes in the South, tornados and snow-covered winters in the Midwestern United States and currently lives amid the sunshine, earthquakes, and forest fires of Orange County, California.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Toni: I write mostly in space opera and fantasy with romance thrown in. My excuse for focusing on these genres is that in either, you can make up worlds, characters and customs, and if it’s in another dimension or on another planet, no one can really claim you’re incorrect in what’s you’ve said.

Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?

Toni: I had some very good teachers both in elementary school and in college. My seventh grade teacher, Lucille Comer, encouraged all her students to write and we’d have sessions where we’d read aloud stories we’d written. 

In college, I had two professors, Wilson Snipes and Mae McMillian, who were equally influential. I’ve dedicated books to all three.

Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?

Toni: It can be anything…a word, a scene from a movie, a line in a book.

Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?

Toni: I’ve always been a fan of Bugs Bunny.  The character has toned down quite a bit from the original in which he was truly “buggy.” Nowadays he’s more laid-back and smart.

His line, “I must’ve taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque,” has gotten him into all sorts of adventures but he always manages to come out on top. I’m terrible at driving to new places and I’ve used that line a lot myself.

Beverley: Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?

Toni: I’ve thought this over many times and can’t come up with anyone. I think it’s because I’m inherently shy and if I did meet someone who was well-known, I’d probably clam up and they’d think I was stupid or I’d stutter all over the place and they’d still think I was stupid!

Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?

Toni: I’m retired, so I have plenty of “free days” as it is.

Beverley: What are you working on now?

Toni: I’m currently working on a fantasy called The Childless King . It’s a kind of fairy tale and I’m writing it in casual form, with a “Once upon a Time” narration.

Blurb for The King’s Swordswoman (Book 2 of the Lovers of Leonesse ):

The King is dead; How Long will the New King Live?

Sickly Crispin of Leonesse isn’t expected to long survive his coronation…and then swordswoman Janel Redhu becomes his bodyguard.

Smothered by the Queen Mother and his physician, Crispin is an odd combination of feeble body, rebellious spirit, and frightened child. In spite of that, king and guard become close friends.  When Janel overhears what she thinks is a conspiracy by Crispin’s brothers to seize the Throne, she does the only thing she can.

She carries her sovereign to safety in the neutral country of Sudelain.

When the two runaways come across an  enemy scouting party, Janel believes Crispin is killed, and lets herself be captured as punishment for failing to protect him. 

What follows is a tale of suffering and love as a boy transforms into manhood and a young woman helps him meet his planned destiny. 

EXCERPT for The King’s Swordswoman ( Book 2 of the Lovers of Leonesse ):

“So you’ve finally arrived,” Carel greeted his brother brusquely. He flicked a glance at me. “And is this the Lady Comaunder’s choice?” He sounded as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Linus, who is this person?” Lady Mathilde didn’t give her next-to-youngest a chance to answer his brother.

“This is the soldier Comaunder Mariah sent to guard Crispin,” Carel answered for Linus.

“He seems young.” Standing, she bustled over to me, peering into my face. Abruptly, she recoiled. “Carel, this is a girl!”

“Astute of you to notice, Mother.” Carel didn’t attempt to keep his answer respectful. “Comaunder Mariah’s daughter, as a matter of fact,” he went on.

Lady Mathilde stared at her eldest, plainly upset, more than a little angry. “She can’t guard His Majesty,” she stated, in a don’t argue-with-me tone.

“Why not?” Linus spoke up, doing just that.

“She’s a female—” Lady Mathilde began, giving him a glare saying much about a son daring to question his mother’s opinions.

“So?” Carel interrupted. Not letting his mother finish a sentence earned him a scowl.

“Crispin’s guard has to be with him every minute of the day and night. This girl can’t possibly sleep in the same room with His Majesty. It wouldn’t be proper.”

“Janel’s a devotee of the goddess, Madame.” Carel’s reply was clipped as if attempting to control his anger. A faint rose fragrance hovered in the air. “DeOsse requires chastity of her followers. You needn’t worry about her climbing into bed with him.”

Linus stifled a chuckle.

“Nevertheless…”

“Nevertheless, nothing! I asked the Comaunder for her best soldier and Janel’s her choice. She stays.”

There was a sigh and a creaking of the leather straps supporting the mattress. A sleepy murmur, sudden movement from the bed, a body straightening and rolling over.

“M-Mother?” The voice was so shaky and hollow it sounded like an old man rather than a seventeen-year-old boy.

“Yes, my angel.” Mathilde was distracted from further argument as she rushed bck to the bedside.

“W-we have a v-visitor?” It was asked breathlessly.

Crispin sounded as if he’d run a race and couldn’t get his wind. Oh, goddess, and he stutters , too. I felt my heart dip with pity.

He leaned forward slightly. “Who are you, soldier?”

“The guard sent from Sword Squad,” Carel began.

I started to supply my name.

  “—A female,” Mathilde didn’t let either of us finish. “I’ve told him she isn’t acceptable.”

Oh no. She’s going to talk him out of it. For some reason, the Queen Mother didn’t want her son to have a guard. I imagined she had enough influence with him to have me sent away. Well, that’d be no reflection on me or my abilities, but it would be an insult. To myself as well as to the Lady Comaunder, my mother, for her choice.

“Why not?” It was the whining query of a child being told he couldn’t do something.

“See? Even His Majesty sees there’s no problem,” Carel pointed out, not trying to hide how this pleased him.

Mathilde ignored him, turning back to the bed. “Because your guard must be here at all times. Think about that. You don’t want a female here while you’re being bathed, do you? Seeing you naked? Or watching you relieve yourself into a chamber?”

Crispin cringed. There was no other way to describe the sudden movement the figure behind the draperies made.

“She wouldn’t look…” His voice went up so quickly it became a squeak. There was a loud gulp as he attempted to return it to a more kingly timbre. The shadowy head turned in his elder brother’s direction. “Carel, s-surely she wouldn’t…”

“Of course not. Whenever you’re being bathed, Janel will turn her back. And she’ll never be in your company when you perform your other functions. Will you, Prive?” He directed this last question at me so suddenly I nearly jumped.

“C-certainly not, sire.” I grimaced at that brief tremble in my voice. I hoped no one thought I was mocking my king’s stammer. “I swear His Majesty’ll have privacy.”

  “Come closer, Prive.” A hand wavered through the draperies. It was waxen-pale, large but bony, almost as white as the lawn sleeve covering it. “What are your orders concerning us?”

I stepped forward and seized Crispin’s hand. It was as chill as a piece of alabaster, not like a living thing at all. Dropping to one knee, I pressed the cold fingers to my forehead. “I’m to protect you, Your Majesty, and keep your enemies at bay.”

The hand withdrew, pulling me to my feet as it disappeared back inside the sanctuary of the bed. “Then it’s all right. She can s-stay, Mother.”

Buy Links for The King’s Swordswoman ( Book 2 of the Lovers of Leonesse ):

Paperback from the publisher’s website: http://classactbooks.com/cat- romance/cat-fantasy/the-king-s-swordswoman-57-detail

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Swordswoman-Lovers -Leonesse- Book-ebook/dp/B01J2SBPUY/

Learn more about Toni at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvsweeney

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLQBB8

Twitter:  @ToniVSweeney

I’m back from Denver. Met up with friends attended workshops and had fun. The first workshop was with the ATF, which is the Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco firearms and Explosives.   They come under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.   It was an all day workshop and we had seven different members of the ATF speak to us and answer questions during the day. It was a very educational day.

The agents who presented during the day were with the Denver office.  The Denver Field Division covers large area which includes Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. According to the speakers, Wyoming has the lowest crime rate after Rhode Island. Utah has the highest crime rate, especially in the Salt Lake City area.

The first speaker was Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Debbie Livingston. The training academy is is S. Georgia. Training takes seven months and includes 100 hours of firearms training, including low-light shooting. They also train in arson, explosives, understanding fire dynamics, breaching doors, etc. The physical training includes push-ups, sit-ups, pool swimming and rope climbing as well as documentation in law, like writing subpoenas. They don’t hire people over 37 years of age except for some exceptions, such as persons with military or law enforcement backgrounds. Physical fitness testing isn’t required after hiring and training. It’s voluntary but comes with a one hundred dollar incentive. (But most of the speakers look in very good condition) Everyone must score 80% in all areas to pass.

That’s a quick introduction to the ATF. There’s more to come. Check back for more info, including accelerant and explosive sniffing dogs.  

Off to Denver

I’m heading off to Denver.  I probably won’t be blogging next week. If I get a chance I’ll try and update you on how the conference is going.

When I get back I hope to have a few pictures to share and lots of information on what’s going on in publishing and especially indie publishing.

This week is a little hectic. I’m getting ready to head to Denver for the RWA National Conference.

It will be a busy week, but I get to meet up with old friends and make some new ones, plus, hopefully, I will learn something to improve my writing or my marketing. If I do, I’ll share with you when I get home.

Tuesday my online chapter, Kiss of Death is presenting a workshop. The Denver Field Office of the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) will be sending Special Agents knowledgeable in many of their areas to the workshop. We’ll be able to ask lots of questions, especially related to our WIP’s. Just some of the areas they will cover are criminal profiling, firearms and ammunition technology, explosives, firearms trafficking, financial investigative services and the K-9 program.

Wednesday we have a board meeting and our awards ceremony, Death by Chocolate. And yes we have so much chocolate. We also have many pubbed authors, editors and agents attend.

Thursday the RWA workshops begin. About two years ago they finally recognized Indie authors and started to provide some workshops for them. They have some interesting ones this year, besides the building characters and basic writing tips here are a few that I’m looking at, from where I am in my career. I’ve done very little advertising or promoting so that’s one of my aims to learn more about that. Make Your Ads More Effective, A Walkthrough of How to Set Up a Facebook Ad, a BookBub Ad and an AMS Ad Speaker: Mark Dawson, Grow Your Global Sales with Kobo,   and Making Good Money in Self-Publishing. There are a few others that interest me, Conflict Is Key, Because You Said So! Creating Your World for Series Success and since I write westerns, There’s Something about a Cowboy.

If anyone has any particular topic they have a question about, let me know and I’ll see what I can find out.

Sherry Derr-Wille lives in a mid-sized Southern Wisconsin with her husband of 46 years, Bob, whom she deems a saint for putting up with a crazy writer.

With three children, seven grandchildren, more book signings than she can sometimes handle, she puts out four to five books a year and loves writing in her hot pink office.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write?

Sherry: WOW! That’s a loaded question. I love writing Time Travel, Historical, Native American, Futuristic, Murder Mysteries, Crime, Older Heroines, in other words, everything I write.

And why?

I love what I write when I’m writing it. I don’t write what people tell me to write I write what I want to write.

Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?

Sherry: M y Sophomore English teacher in high school, Earl Brockman. On the first day of class, he gave us a test. If you got an ‘A’ you could sit in the back of the room and write for a year. I wanted that ‘A’ and got it. 45 years later I learned I was the only one who liked the assignment and since no one ever told me to stop the assignment, the rest is history.

Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?

Sherry:  I used to try to write 1,000 words a day, but I’m getting older and I have to be in the mood. Unfortunately, last year my muse went on vacation to the South Pacific for over a year and didn’t even send me a post card. Guess she didn’t want to have to deal with the cancer I was going through. Just recently she came back and I’ve been averaging about 6K a week.

Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character?

Sherry: I’m old school. I love Buggs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

Why?

They are the cartoons I grew up with. Back in those days they were the cartoons they showed in the theatres. They weren’t on TV until much later. Add to that is the fact we didn’t get TV until I was already in grade school and they didn’t show many cartoons at that time.

Beverley: Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?

Sherry: Sandra Hill – I love her Vikings and time travel books.

Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?

Sherry: I have a lot of free days because I’m retired. I love spending my time with an author I mentor, friends from high school and grade school, or just meeting new authors and talking about writing.

Beverley: What are you working on now?

Sherry: The working title is The Return of the Ancients . It’s based on the ancient alien theory. In this book, people come from outer space to 3 planets where they helped civilizations to begin. 1/3 of the population went to Seros, 1/3 to Earth, and 1/3 to Nalo. Ragnar goes to Seros, leaving the woman he loves as she, Nina, goes to Earth. The book follows Nina and Ragnar as they build new lives, but since all communication with the contingency to Nalo is nonexistent, both parties assume they have become lost and never made it to Nalo.

I can see that the end is in sight on this one, but last year when my muse went on her little trip, I left my poor little aliens in the Santa Fe airport from March of 2017 until just recently. I love my characters and can hardly wait to see where they take me next.

 

Blurb for Mistaken Identity:

Katelyn Devereaux needs a vacation. More than a vacation, she needs to put Denver behind her as well as the man who wants her as his wife and the birth family who is insisting on finding her.

Seth Miller knows the reason that he mistook Katelyn for Genean is his knowledge that his best friend’s wife was adopted by strangers at birth. Of course he can’t change the facts that Genean and Katelyn are sisters, especially after he learns that the company she wants to visit in Wisconsin is owned by Genean’s brother, Randy, and her husband, Brad.

Excerpt for Mistaken Identity :

Sunlight shimmered across the lake and it glistened as though it had been scattered with diamonds. As she stood there in awe, taking in the beauty from the cottage, the dock invited her into the picture of beauty. Taking her sketch pad and pencil with her, Katelyn Devereaux walked across the lawn and sandy beach until she reached the pier. Settling into the deck chair, she gazed out across the water.

It was such a beautiful morning. She was so glad she’d taken the advice of her friends and accompanied Suzie Branch to this secluded Wisconsin lake. She certainly needed a vacation and could think of no place more relaxing than this quaint cottage hidden away in a different world.

In the distance a loon called to its mate, waited for a few moments for a reply and called again. This was the kind of peaceful exchange she had not taken the time to listen for in months. She knew nature was all around her back home, but there never seemed to be time to sit and listen for it. In Denver she was nothing more than a machine pumping out sketches for her clients, and on occasion, playing the gracious hostess for Martin.

No, I don’t want to think of the daily grind of running the Devereaux Agency, nor Martin Collier’s marriage proposal. I need this time to figure out just who Katelyn Devereaux really is.

Katelyn turned away from the peaceful scene before her. Why can’t my life be this peaceful?

You know why, Katie. The sound of her father’s voice within her head caused a tear to escape from the corner of her eyes. She’d lost both of her parents at Thanksgiving and never really gotten over their deaths. The only thing that kept her from going completely over the edge was work, work and more work.

I don’t think I can do this, Daddy. I don’t love Martin. I haven’t even given him an answer concerning his proposal. Maybe I’m not cut out for the wife thing. Even if I did marry Martin, I wouldn’t be a wife, not in the conventional way. With him gone so much, life as his wife would be no different than life by myself.

    Katelyn’s thoughts came as a shock. Never before had she admitted her true feeling for Martin. More than anything else in the world, she wanted to be a little girl again without all the problems of being a responsible adult. Back home in Denver, her life had become too complicated to allow her to rest. For the past eight months she’d been running the Devereaux Advertising Agency, and then there was Martin Collier’s marriage proposal. The fact she had just learned of the fact she was adopted, only added to the crazy quilt her life had become over the past few months. Perhaps if her parents had told her the truth the shock wouldn’t have been so profound but they hadn’t. She’d learned of her adoption only days after their funeral.

Buy Links for Mistaken Identity :

Publisher’s website: http://www.classactbooks.com/component/virtuemart/cat-murder-mystery-suspense/mistaken-identity-252013-04-29-03-34-26-detail?Itemid=0

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mistaken-Identity-Sherry-Derr-Wille-ebook/dp/B019DHOIXA/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mistaken-identity-sherry-derr-wille/1007570905?ean=2940152524833

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/600615

I finished the damn book.   And it’s off to the editor.

I thought I’d finished weeks ago, but kept going back and making changes and reading it over and over. Every time I’d find something new. Here are some of the self-editing I did in no particular order.

I had a couple of names that were very similar. It could be confusing to the reader so I went back and changed them. Thank heavens for find and replace.

I also used find and replace for those lovely words like – as – just and – the ings.

I cut and moved sections so the book flowed better and it fit the timeline.

I checked for spelling, both with spell check but also by reading it through.

I checked for grammar and punctuation. My grammar is good (I think) but my punctuation is my weak point. And I find Word and I sometimes disagreed on what I thought it should be.   We’ll see what the editor says.

I made notes and went back to check eye color stayed the same for each character, if one man drank scotch and the other whisky, I made notes and made sure it stayed the same through the book.

I went back and read each person’s journey to make sure it made sense and I made sure the conflicts between the characters was resolved by the end.

And I’m listening to the reading of the book. People have suggested three different methods of doing this. I’m going to try all three and see which works best for me.   The ones recommend were Autocrit, WordPress and Office 365.

I’d love to hear what other people check for when they self-edit.

The child of a painter and a psychic dreamer, Saloni Quinby feels spirituality and storytelling go hand-in-hand. She loves the scent of gardenia, the sound of wind chimes and the taste of honey. By listening to what isn’t said, she creates works based on unspoken desires. Saloni prefers blurred gender lines and many varieties of romance. In a world where passion must at times be restrained, she believes erotica is a pleasure to be shared. With her stories she would like to make her fantasies yours and hopes you enjoy the ride. She also writes under the name Kate Hill.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Saloni: I enjoy writing paranormal romance because that is the type of story I love to read.

Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?   Saloni: Anyone who has ever written a book influenced me. When I was a kid I loved reading more than anything and I always wanted to have a story published.

Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?

Saloni: Just about anything can inspire me. Sometimes it’s people or places. A different source of inspiration can hit me at any given moment.

Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?

Saloni: That’s a hard question because I like a lot of cartoon characters. I’ll go with Scooby Doo because the mysteries are so much fun.

Beverley: Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?

Saloni: Do you mean a fictional character? I’d go with Scorpius from Farscape, but only if he couldn’t hurt me!

Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?

Saloni: I would probably do yard work.

Beverley: What are you working on now?

Saloni: I have the rights back to several novels and I’m preparing them for re-release.

Weapons of Redemption:

Five men, enslaved by a vampire pirate and forced to do his bidding, rebelled against their master and earned the wrath of a monster. Now, while plotting to destroy the man who, centuries later, still thinks he owns them, they use their powers to protect other victims.

Whips and Chains: In a seedy underworld of sex and violence, a serial killer is stalking men and Guy is called upon to find the murderer. Ryan, a professional Dom known as the Beast Tamer, specializes in meting out pleasure and pain to oversized men. Is the sexy young man with a mysterious past the next victim — or the killer?

Sword and Shield: Rule coped with his abduction by the vampire pirate Tarun by cutting off his emotions. After centuries of self-control through punishment, he found a man who finally reached his heart. Now it’s up to Rule to save his former lover, but once he sees Joel again, will Rule be able to resist him?

Cloak and Dagger: When police detective Bryce Tarunson arrests a man who looks just like his lover from two thousand years ago, he’s pulled closer to the vampiric master he hates. The bond between Bryce and Shane forces them into a battle that might end in the destruction of the Weapons of Redemption.

Marksmen: Ansley and Brayden were stolen as boys by the hated vampire pirate, Tarun, to work aboard his ship. As men, their friendship blossomed into a deep, undeniable love. In the final battle between the vampire pirate and the Weapons of Redemption, Ansley and Brayden’s love for each other will either save or destroy them.

Fangs and Floggers: To lure his rebellious blood children back into the fold, ancient vampire Tarun abducted the hunter Adrian. He hadn’t bargained on his human prisoner being a match for him in every way — including his darkest desires. Though Tarun warns Adrian he won’t like what he hears, the hunter is determined to uncover the secrets of the vampire’s twisted past.

Publisher’s Note: Weapons of Redemption includes the previously published novellas Whips and Chains, Sword and Shield, Cloak and Dagger, Marksmen, and Fangs and Floggers.

Excerpt from Weapons of Redemption:

Guy released a breath as he let his whip fly. It struck his old friend, Ruliff, or Rule, as he preferred to be called. Rule stood, his hands suspended from manacles dangling from chains overhead.

Even if Rule screamed, no one would hear him, deep in the cellar of this mansion owned by their vampiric kin, Ansley and Brayden. Rule wouldn’t scream, though. It wasn’t in his nature to show what he believed to be weakness. To drag more than a groan from Rule, Guy would be forced to practically kill him and his sessions weren’t meant to cause permanent damage. They had already been at it for longer than usual, even for someone with a supernatural constitution.

Five more times Guy struck him with strategically placed blows before he paused and approached Rule. Using the handle of his whip, he traced an especially fierce-looking welt on Rule’s sweat-slicked back. Rule had a tremendous capacity for pain. Always had.

Guy recalled the days when they, along with Brayden, Ansley and the fifth member of their “family,” Bryce, had sailed with Tarun, a genuine monster. The five men had shared a strange and violent past, one that could have destroyed them, but together they had overcome it. Still their days at sea with the vampire pirate — the master who had tried to mold them in his image — had left scars on their souls as well as their bodies. These sessions with Rule reminded Guy of how strong yet vulnerable they all were, even if they refused to admit it.

Rule could be stubborn to the point of stupid.

Guy tightened his hand around the whip and struck Rule again with a blow that would have had most men screaming. A strangled groan escaped the tall, dark-haired man and Guy curled his lip in disgust.

He loved the whip and was an expert with it. Like his vampire kin, he had taken what he’d learned about pain and battle from their hated master and made it a form of expression. They had ultimately used their skills to fight back, not only for themselves but for victims who crossed their path. Each of the five men had mastered certain weapons. Guy’s obsession was the lash. From bullwhips to floggers, all were slaves to him, bringing pleasure or pain as he saw fit. His love of leather had melded into every part of his life, including sex. He used his floggers to pleasure and punish, sometimes separately, sometimes both at once.

Long ago, Guy had honed his skills on his willing brothers, except for Bryce, who refused to submit to anyone, even for fun. Only Rule to this day came to Guy for regular sessions. Guy decided this one had gone on long enough. He knew Rule would push himself past his limits. He needed a strong but sensitive Dominant who knew when to stop.

Glancing at Rule, Guy noted that he seemed to be in a trance. His blue eyes were narrowed to slits, his lips parted and his breathing shallow. Wet black curls clung to his perspiring forehead and neck. Blood trickled from his lower lip where he’d pierced it with his fangs.

“Our session is over for today,” Guy said without room for argument.

Rule ignored his authoritative tone and said in a deep, hoarse voice, “More.”

“Your name might be Rule, but you don’t rule here,” Guy said.

“Fine. Release me then.”

“Not until you calm down.”

“I am calm.”

“You forget how well I know you.”

Rule’s cool facade snapped. Bellowing, he yanked at his bonds.

Now he screams, Guy thought, but he knew it was probably a good thing. Rule wouldn’t allow Guy to comfort him like some clients enjoyed after a session. Guy worked mainly with supernatural beings — vampires, wizards, and even an occasional werewolf paid well for him to tease and torment them with his leather and chains. But even those creatures had a tender side. Rule’s was buried deep and Guy hoped that eventually someone would reach it.

Despite Rule’s impressive strength, he couldn’t break the chains. Guy’s survival often depended on knowing how to properly bind supernatural beings.

Guy placed his whip next to a heavy purple flogger on a table covered in red plastic. He’d clean his tools later. He was about to clean Rule’s back when his cell phone rang.

He knew who it was by the ringtone.

He picked up the phone and said, “What’s up?”

“It’s Bryce. I need your help. It’s business.”

Although the five men had different careers in the human world, their true purpose was to protect those in need. The weapons they had once used as criminals were now their means of redemption.

Bryce worked as a police officer in the city. Sometimes he called upon his brothers to help him resolve crimes in which the human world could offer no justice.

“What does he want?” Rule asked, having ceased his rampage when the phone rang. “Is there a case for us? Let me go!”

“Do you have Rule strung up in the dungeon again?” Bryce asked.

“Yes. I’m putting you on speakerphone.”

“You don’t have to. I can hear him quite well,” Rule said, straining to look at Guy over his shoulder.

Though keen senses were an advantage of vampirism, the speakerphone would make a three-way conversation easier.

“I’ve been working on what we believe are serial killings,” Bryce said. “You’ve probably heard about them. The media calls them the Bodybuilder Murders. We’ve found a common denominator and, Guy, I believe you can get the evidence I need. Will you help?”

“You have to ask?” Guy said.

“Can you use me?” Rule asked.

“Right now this is a one-man job,” Bryce said. “But thanks.”

Rule looked a bit disappointed, but with all the trouble in the world, he was sure to have another case to work on soon.

“Guy, can you meet me in an hour?” Bryce asked.

“Absolutely. Where?”

“Stay put. I’ll come to you.”

Buy Links for Weapons of Redemption:

Ebook: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Changeling Press / kobo / itunes

Paperback: Amazon

Find out more about Saloni at:

●     kate-hill.com

●     twitter.com/katehillromance

●     twitter.com/compbeastsblog

●     facebook.com/compellingbeasts/

●     facebook.com/katehillsaloniquinby/

Saloni is offering a $15 Amazon GC to one lucky winner during the tour. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember you may enter every day for a chance to win so be sure to follow along with the blog tour. You may find the locations for the rest of the tour here . http://reviewsbycacb.blogspot. com/p/blog-page_75.html

Rafflecopter:   http://www. rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/801c221b58/  

On the weekend I took a trip to the Calgary zoo to see the four Pandas. They’re there on an exchange program with China. The two adults will be there for five years. The two sibling cubs will stay in Calgary for two years, before moving to China in 2019.

The first time I saw Pandas was about thirty years ago, when the Pandas were also at the Calgary zoo, I fell in love with them and I’ve been collecting pandas ever since.

I’ve seen pandas in San Diego, Atlanta and Washington when they were there and I was in the cities.

The y are in the Panda Passage which is very panda friendly. A dult pandas eat upwards of 38 kilograms of bamboo per day. The zoo has readied itself. Nine varieties of bamboo will be on the menu to fit each bear’s tastes, as two flights a week from China will deliver their meals.

Er Shun is an adult female whose name means “Double Smoothness.” She was born in 2007. She is finer boned and has a smaller head than her adult male counterpart, and weighs roughly 97 kilograms. She gave birth to Jia Panpan (male) and Jia Yueyue (female) in 2015 in Toronto and is known for being a nurturing mother who often still participates in playtime with her two offspring, letting them wrestle her and steal her food.

Male giant panda Da Mao Da Mao is known for his playful nature. Compared with Er Shun, he is a picky eater who is quite selective of the bamboo he snacks on. Jia Panpan, the male cub, weighs 55 kilograms. Jia Yueyue, the female cub 50.5 kilograms, is considered the smart and curious one and enjoys various games and challenges.

It was a wonderful day.   

Are you interested in workshops?

Here’s a couple for next month you might be interested in.

 

Kiss of Death July Workshops: The Magic Sales Tools, 1-Line, 1-Paragraph, 1-Page, Query Letter, & Pitching in Person & Writing Believable Fight Scenes

  *Please share with your writer friends and other loops*

The Magic Sales Tools, 1-Line, 1-Paragraph, 1-Page, Query Letter, & Pitching in Person

Starts:  July 3 , 2018

Instructor:   Karen Albright Lin

Class Description:   Learn how to create captivating log lines, engaging 1-paragraph summaries, and dynamic 1-page synopses. We’ll study examples from well-known books and movies. Then we’ll discuss how these tools are used for in-person pitches and query letters. Honing these all-important sales tools helps you better understand early drafts of your book and can make the difference between gaining representation and not.  

Bio:    Karen is a freelance editor for award-winning and best-selling authors. She’s a pitch coach, speaker, cruise ships, conferences, retreats), a produced screenwriter and multi-published author of shorts, essays and articles. She’s worked with top NY agents on projects ranging from novels and literary cookbooks to celebrity ghost projects. Her award-winning screenplays have been considered by Barry Sonnenfeld, James Cameron, and several cable channels.  www.karenalbrightlin .com

Writing Believable Fight Scenes

Starts: July 1, 2018

Instructor:    J .T. Evans

Class D escription :   Knowing how to write a true-to-life fight scene requires getting into fights. Yes, multiple fights. Many of them. That’s painful because your opponents tend to strike back. There is an alternate approach, though. Find someone who has been in their fair share of fights, also knows how to write, and can impart their decades of battle-earned wisdom to the eager student.

This class will cover a wide range of topics including the purpose of a fight in fiction, gender differences, martial arts styles, weapon types (melee and ranged), writing mass combat, how to visualize a fight scene, and what happens to people when they are wounded. There are many nuances to each of these topics (and more!) that you won’t want to miss out on.

Bio: Roughly three decades ago, J.T. Evans was the target of the bullies (yes, all of them) of his school. Between seventh and eighth grade, he enrolled in his first martial arts class to learn how to defend himself. This allowed him to not only drive the bullies away the next school year, but put him on a path of passionately learning as many different forms of martial arts as he could get his hands on. Through the years, he’s learned “soft forms,” “hard forms,” armed combat, mass combat techniques, and even has a little mixed martial arts experience. As a result of bouncing between the different arts in the world, he has never earned a black belt in a single one, but his broad spectrum approach has allowed him to get out of many a tight situation over the years. When not thinking about what martial art to tackle next, J.T. writes fantasy novels.  

To see all of KOD’s awesome workshops, go to: http://www. rwakissofdeath.org/coffin-classes . To register, go to:  https://www. rwa.org/2018coffin .   Workshops are $15 for members, $30 for non-members. Are you a Murderously Inclined Romance Writer ? Join KOD ! https://www.rwa.org/joinkod2018

Check back next month for August workshops.

I love these group topics. They always make me think. This one is –

Why do you write or feel compelled to write even through the difficult parts?

And that’s where I am right now in my latest book.

It’s an interesting topic and can be taken a few ways. Why do I write or feel compelled to write? It’s something I’ve done all my life. When I wasn’t writing novels I wrote descriptions, plotted out stories, wrote whatever. It’s fun, it’s a challenge, and it’s what I do. Why do I feel compelled to write through the difficult parts?

I don’t give up. The options are to write through the difficult part or don’t finish the story. Can you imagine how many partially written books I’d have if I stopped whenever it got difficult? That’s one reason. The other reason to write through the difficult part is for the reader. If I don’t write through the difficult part it’s not going to be the best story I can write and the reader might feel cheated.

As I said at the beginning, that’s where I am now. I have finished my WIP but those difficult parts? I highlighted the sections in red when I was writing and skipped over them. Now I have to go back through the story and write in those red sections; describing a sharp shooter taking a shot from about two blocks away through a window; dropping in characteristics and common traits of a serial killer and fleshing out the paranormal aspects of the story. I have no choice. I have to write in all those difficult parts or the story won’t be that good.

I’m not sure if I answered the question, but I’m off to see what everyone else had to say and then back to writing through the difficult parts.

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1gQ

Marie Laval http://marielaval.blogspot.co.uk/

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Aimee) A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Margaret Fieland http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com

Victoria Chatham http:// www.victoriachatham.com