Friday, January 21, 2011

Best Opening Line Contest!

Hey, everyone has at least one great story in them, and if not a whole story, we can all come up with a good opening line, right?
So . . . because we all have creative moments when the brain conjures up some seriously amazing thoughts and just throws them out there to be either nurtured liked a garden or flicked away like an ant at a picnic, on a sandwich, peeking its mayo-covered head out between the lettuce and tomato right when you're ready to take a bite, I've decided to have a best opening line contest!

The rules are simple. Just come up with an original opening line for a novel, one that will immediately pull the reader into the story and not let go. Now you may ask, "How can I write an opening line when I don't know what the story is about?" My answer to that is it doesn't matter. I would like to see what you can come up with. It can be serious, funny, or totally off the wall crazy, but it needs to be yours, not snagged from the work of anyone else, and it has to garner a G or PG rating.
I will read through all the entries, and on February 28th I will pick a winner. Now, to tell you about the prize!

The winning entry will be used as the first line of my next book and the writer's name will be used for one of the lead characters in the story. The winner will also receive an autographed copy of the book.
The contest begins Saturday, January 22nd and ends February 22nd. You've got a whole month to get those creative juices flowing, and then I'll be spending the torturous months ahead writing a story fit for the opening masterpiece your amazingly genius imagination produces. I'm so excited to see what you guys come up with!
Email your entry to me at jewela40@gmail.com
Good luck!

Monday, January 17, 2011

What Are Your Dreams?

I have said this frequently, but I never would have guessed or could have even fathomed when I was eighteen that I would one day be married to the amazing man I have been privileged to marry, the mother of eight, writing books, and speaking to groups. I had dreams and aspirations, just not those. But as I have come to know, dreams can change, and when we are open to God's will for us, we are blessed beyond all imagining. Now, if I can reach the dream of hitting the NY Times best seller list, that would definitely put a cap on my writing dreams:-)

So, what are your dreams? Leave a comment sharing your dreams along with your email address and receive a copy of The Wishing Hour or Against the Odds ebook free!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

"It's All About The Kissing!"

I love a good clean romance. I love reading it and I love writing it. Once of my favorite authors and one that I have dubbed "The Queen of Clean Romance" is Marcia Lynn McClure. Now only is she an amazing lady and a wonderful friend, when it comes to romance novels, she is the best. All of her books are emotion-driven and full of passion, and the stories completely draw you in and don't let go. Plus, they are just plain fun to read. Marcia's motto is "It's all about the kissing," and boy does she have a way with writing a kissing scene!
Here are a few of my favorite books by Marcia.

The Visions of Ransome Lake

Youthful beauty, naïve innocence, a romantic imagination thirsting for adventure-an apt description of Vaden Valmont, who would soon find the adventure and mystery she had always longed to experience-in the form of a man. A somber recluse, Ransom Lake descended from his solitary concealment in the mountains, wholly disinterested in people and their trivial affairs. And somehow, young Vaden managed to be ever in his way-either by accident or because of her own unique ability to stumble into a quandary. Yet the enigmatic Ransom Lake would involuntarily become Vaden's unwitting tutor. Through him, she would experience joy and passion the like even Vaden had never imagined. Yes, Vaden Valmont stepped innocently, yet irrevocably, into love with the secretive, seemingly callous man-Ransom Lake. But there were other life's lessons Ransom Lake would inadvertently convey to her as well. The darker side of life-despair, guilt, heartache. Would Ransom Lake be the means of Vaden's dreams come true? Or the cause of her complete desolation?

Shackles of Honor

Cassidy Shea's life was nothing if not serene. Loving parents and a doting brother provided happiness and innocent hope as life's experience. Yes-life was blissful at Cassidy's beloved home-Terrill. Still, for all Terrill's beauty and tranquility, ever there was something intangible and evasive lurking in the shadows. And though Cassidy wasted little worry on it, still she sensed its existence-looming as a menacing fate bent on ruin. And when a dark stranger appeared, Cassidy could no longer ignore the ominous whispers of the secrets surrounding her. Mason Carlisle, an angry, unpredictable man, materialized-with Cassidy's black fate at his heels. Thus, thrust into a world completely unknown to her, Cassidy found herself trapped-wandering in a labyrinth of mystery and concealments. Serenity was vanquished-and with it her dreams. Yet, were the secrets so cautiously kept from Cassidy-were they indeed the cloth, the very flax from which her dreams were spun-from which eternal bliss would be woven?

Dusty Britches

…Dusty's heart panged a twinge when she saw the bullwhip strapped to the saddle of one of the horses tied to the corral fence. “Why today?” she wondered. Why was her memory tarrying on that young cowhand from five years ago? …"Well…now," a deep, masculine voice said from behind her, "if it ain't Miss Dusty Britches!" Dusty felt the color drain from her face…felt the blood seem to drain from the rest of her body and puddle in her feet. She felt dizzy and nauseated all at once. …There was only one person on the whole of the earth who ever called her Dusty Britches, and that was the cowboy who gave her the nickname in the first place. ...Dusty slowly turned around to see standing before her a man whose eyes were those belonging to a boy she'd once known--a boy who had grown into a man. Angelina Hunter was seriously minded...and it was a good thing. Her father’s ranch needed a woman who could endure the strenuous work of ranch life. Since her mother’s death, Angelina had been that woman. She had no time for frivolity; no time for a less severe side of life. Not when there was so much to be done--hired hands to feed, a widower father to care for and an often ridiculously light-hearted younger sister to worry about. No. Angelina Hunter had no time for the things most young women her age enjoyed. And yet, Angelina had not always been so hardened. There had been a time when she boasted a fun, flirtatious nature even more delightful than her sister Becca’s--a time when her imagination soared with adventurous, romantic dreams. But that all ended years before at the hand of one man. Her heart turned to stone…safely becoming void of any emotion save impatience and indifference. Until the day her dreams returned, the day that the very maker of her broken heart rode back into her life. As the dust settled from the cattle drive that brought him back, would Angelina’s heart be softened? Would she learn to hope again? Would her long-lost dreams become a blessed reality?

The Highwayman of Tanglewood

Faris gasped as a gloved hand of a sudden covered her mouth from behind "Be still. The Highwayman of Tanglewood owns ya now." Faris' smiled...as he whispered, "Do not struggle. I'll not harm ya, lass Come away with me, sweet Faris," the highwayman whispered. "What say ye?" "I say, who are you, highwayman?" Faris breathed...All romantic thoughts of knights riding to win the fair lady were driven from her mind. A rogue's manner was vastly more delightful! "Aye! But that ye should know, sweet Faris," the highwayman whispered. "I know you not, sir," Faris said in a whisper. "Surely I would remember such a shape of a man." "Indeed, would ya, lass?" he asked. "I would, sir," she answered "'Tis well ya know who I am, fair Faris," he whispered, kissing her neck again. "I am the Highwayman of Tanglewood" A chambermaid in the house of Tremeshton, Faris Shayhan well knew torment, despair and trepidation. To Faris it seemed the future stretched long and desolate before her-bleak and as dark as a lonesome midnight path. Still, the moon oft casts hopeful luminosity to light one's way. So it was that Lady Maranda Rockrimmon cast hope upon Faris-set Faris upon a different path-a path of happiness, serenity and love. Faris abandoned the tainted air of Tremeshton in favor of the amethyst sunsets of Loch Loland Castle and her new mistress Lady Rockrimmon. Further, it was on the very night of her emancipation that Faris first met the man of her dreams-the man of every woman's dreams-the rogue Highwayman of Tanglewood. Dressed in black and astride his mighty steed, the brave, heroic and dashing rogue Highwayman of Tanglewood stole Faris' heart as easily as he stole her kiss. Yet, the Highwayman of Tanglewood was encircled in mystery-mystery as thick and as secretive as time itself. Could Faris truly own the heart of a man so entirely enveloped in twilight shadows and dangerous secrets?

Kissing Cousins

“It won’t change your life ...” he said, his voice low and rich like a warm drink laced with molasses. “And it sure won’t be the best kiss you’ll ever have,” he added. Her body erupted into goose bumps as his thumb traveled slowly over her lower lip. “But I’ll try to make it worth your time ...

To learn more about Marcia and view her whole collection of books, log on to marcialynnmcclure.com
Buy her books. I promise you, you'll be glad you did:-)