Friday Finds: 3 Romances: 1 Contemporary YA, 1 Paranormal/Gothic YA, 1 LGBT; 2 Writing Craft (11/16/2012)

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted by Should Be Reading and showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

Some weeks I add several books to my list. I’ll be limiting my Friday Finds posts to 5 books each week. Those that don’t make this week’s list will be on next week’s. So many books, so little time!

Shrapnel by Stephanie Lawton

Goodreads

Summary:

It’s been six years since Dylanie and her family visited a Civil War site and the place came alive with cannon fire. Problem was, no one could hear it but her.

Now she’s sixteen, her dad’s moved out, her mom’s come out of the closet and Dylan’s got a spot on Paranormal Teen, a reality TV show filming at historic Oakleigh Mansion. She’ll spend a weekend with two other psychic teens—Jake and Ashley—learning how to control her abilities.

None of them realized how much their emotional baggage would put them at the mercy of Oakleigh’s resident spirits, or that they’d find themselves pawns in the 150-year-old battle for the South’s legendary Confederate gold. Each must conquer their personal ghosts to face down Jackson, a seductive spirit who will do anything to protect the gold’s current location and avenge a heinous attack that destroyed his family.

Dangerous Ground by Josh Lanyon

Amazon.com | Goodreads

Summary:

Special Agents for the Department of Diplomatic Security, Taylor MacAllister and Will Brandt have been partners and best friends for three years, but everything changed the night Taylor admitted the truth about his feelings for Will. And when Taylor was shot a few hours later, Will felt his reluctance to get involved was vindicated. For Will, the team and the friendship have to come first–despite the fact that he hasn’t failed to notice just how…hot Taylor is.

Taylor has been in love with his partner and best friend since they were first partnered. There isn’t much he wouldn’t do for Will–but he doesn’t know how much longer they can stay teamed feeling the way he does. Still, he agreed to a camping trip in the High Sierras–despite the fact that he hates camping–because Will wanted a chance to save their partnership.

But the trip is a disaster from the first, and things rapidly go from bad to worse when they find a crashed plane and a couple of million dollars in stolen money. With a trio of murderous robbers trailing them, Will and Taylor are on dangerous ground, fighting for their partnership, their passion…and their lives.

Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias

Amazon | Goodreads

Summary:

Karl Iglesias breaks new ground by focusing on the psychology of the reader. Based on his acclaimed classes at UCLA Extension, Writing for Emotional Impact goes beyond the basics and argues that Hollywood is in the emotion-delivery business, selling emotional experiences packaged in movies and TV shows. Iglesias not only encourages you to deliver emtional impact on as many pages as possible, he shows you how, offering hundreds of dramatic techniques to take your writing to the professional level.

Mugging the Muse by Holly Lisle

Amazon | Goodreads

Summary:

Want to Get PAID for Writing What You LOVE?

In this collection of thirty-one essays, workshops, quizzes, Q&As, and how-to-do-it articles, novelist Holly Lisle — who went pro with her award-winning first novel, Fire in the Mist, in 1992 and who’s been writing full-time ever since (more than thirty novels published by major publishers, and still writing) offers help, comfort, and wry practical advice to the beginning fiction writer looking for answers.

In the second edition of this book, Holly walks writers through Preparation, Practice, Writing & Selling, and Frequently Asked Questions, offering end-of-chapter exercises, workshops, and free downloadable worksheets designed to get the individual writer or members of writers’ groups working productively with publication as the goal.

In this newly updated writing course, you will discover:

Why you want to write…
What you want to write…
Who you want to write for…
How to write only what you love and what matters to YOU…
How to make your work good…
And how to get paid for doing it.

Writing is a learnable skill, not a magical process only those touched by the Book Fairy, or the Muse, can ever reach.

If you want to write fiction, you can.

Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot

Amazon | Goodreads

Summary:

After a car accident–an event he considers a prank gone bad–pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.

Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a ‘nice’ guy.

Funny thing is…Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover.

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s transformation.

When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist…

And that’s when things get out of control…

Waiting on Wednesday: Twin Sense by Lydia Sharp! (November 14, 2012)

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Twin Sense by Lydia Sharp

Publication Date: November 23, 2012

 

Okay, so I don’t have to wait that long for Twin Sense, but I have been waiting for it since I first heard about it. The cover was just revealed this week. Isn’t it gorgeous? While I do read a lot of LGBT fiction, it’s all been boy/boy (or men/men *ahem*).  Time to shake it up a little bit with girls.

I’ve followed Lydia’s blog for several months now. She’s got some great writing advice on her blog.

Here’s the summary. How fun does it sound??

two boys + two girls = one big mess 

As girlfriends of the Taylor twins, Layna and Sherri have only been friends by association. But when Sherri breaks up with Keith (for real this time), and Kevin gives Layna a promise ring (whoa, what?), Layna’s whole world spins off balance. She avoids Kevin’s unwelcome pressure to commit by spending more time with Sherri.

Without the twins around, Layna and Sherri are tempted to go beyond friendship status. Then Keith tries to win Sherri back, and Kevin apologizes for rushing Layna. Now she’s stuck inside a double-trouble love quadrangle that has her reaching for the consolation cheesecake. The only way to sort out this mess is to make an impossible choice—between the one she wants and the other one she wants—or she might end up with no one.

Six-Sentence Sunday: NaNo Week 1

It’s been a full week since my last post.  Oops.  Well, what can I say? It’s November; NaNoWriMo has begun!

How’s it going?

It’s … going.  I’m a little behind. You can see my word count on the right. As of last night, I should have been up to 16,667.  But it’s all good. I could have a few really good days and catch up, right?

Right.

Anyway, I thought during November, I’d participate in Six-Sentence Sunday and share some of my NaNo story.  I had been planning to write a young adult novel involving a robotics competition.  Then 12:01 AM November 1st, after the magic of Halloween had come to an end, I suddenly decided I didn’t want to work on that story after all.

Instead, I decided to pick up on an old short story I had wanted to write a couple years ago and expand it into a short novel.  It’s an adult romance, not young adult.

(And remember, it’s NaNo — that means it’s fast-drafted and unedited!)

Jeremy knew what could have happened. He could still feel his hands being held behind his back, the sharp edge of the table cutting into his waist with every thrust. The skin burns. The pain. The grunts behind him.

And it could have all happened again, right here in his own home.

The cheesy, working title is Shots on Goal,  and the tentative summary is:

Brett has just weeks left on his contract with his minor league team to prove he deserves a spot in the NHL when a wrong move aggravates an old injury. When he learns the figure skater he’s admired from afar is also a skilled massage therapist, he sees a chance to save his dream.

Jeremy loves dancing on the ice, but his dream to be a professional figure skater died before it began.  To keep his massage therapy business alive, he’ll need to take on more clients, which leaves less time for preparing for the upcoming skating competition.  So when Brett offers to pay Jeremy double for his treatment, saying no is difficult even though Jeremy usually refuses to treat male athletes. Especially huge hockey players who sneer at gay figure skaters.

As Jeremy’s hands work their magic over Brett’s muscles, Brett must break through Jeremy’s walls and convince him  he’s not the homophobic jerk he appears to be…while also hiding his injury from his coach and his sexuality from everyone but Jeremy.

 

Hope you enjoyed the little snippet. Be sure to check out the other Six-Sentence Sunday participants!

 

Friday Finds: Humor, Romance, and Sci-Fi… (October 26, 2012)

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted by Should Be Reading and showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

Some weeks I add several books to my list. I’ll be limiting my Friday Finds posts to 5 books each week. Those that don’t make this week’s list will be on next week’s. So many books, so little time!

Northanger Alibi by Jenni James

Amazon | GoodReads

Why I Added It: The summary made me laugh out loud. I am a Twilight fan, and will be going to see Breaking Dawn Part 2 in Seattle with a couple friends, complete with a trip to Forks.

Summary:

The Russo family and Seattle, Washington, are no match for Claire Hart and her savvy knowledge of all things vampire-related. Thanks to her obsession with the Twilight series, if there is anyone who would know a vampire when she saw one, it’s Claire. And she’s positive totally hot Tony Russo is a vampire – she just has to prove it!

In this modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, follow Claire’s hilarious journey on her first summer adventure away from home, where she learns everything isn’t what it seems, and that in some instances, reality is way better than anything she’d ever find in a book.

 

An Unconventional Courtship by Scotty Cade

Amazon | Goodreads

Why I Added It: Forbidden office romance…need I say more?

Summary:

Tristan Moreau loves his job as chief administrative officer and personal assistant to Webber Kincaid, President, Chairman, and CEO of Kincaid International. It would be the perfect job… if only he hadn’t fallen in love with his boss as well as the work. After two years, he’s still doing everything in his power to keep his feelings hidden—mostly because he wants to protect the reputation of his famous boss but also because he wants to keep his job.

Webber Kincaid has stayed in the closet, using his best friend and confidante as his beard. Everything in his life was working out just fine until he met Tristan Moreau. Within months, Tristan stole his heart and became his lifeline. But Webber knows the rules of the workplace better than anyone, so he’s kept his distance.

But two years is too long to wonder “what if?”—especially when business takes them to a private Caribbean island. When Tristan and Webber succumb to the tropical heat, their professionalism starts to backslide. It’s a seemingly impossible relationship, making a go at it under the paparazzi’s microscope. It may be the best—or the worst—business decision they ever made.

 


A Lie I Can Live With by Eden Winters

Amazon | Goodreads

Why I Added It: Geekiness and opposites attraction.

Summary:

With a few extra pounds and a geek reputation, Otis Tucker despairs of ever finding someone to share his life with. When the GLBT dating service GetaDate.com matches him with handsome hunk Garret, he thinks it’s some kind of joke. But the more he learns of Garret, the more he realizes that even gorgeous people can be taken at face value and that Mr. Perfects come in many different sizes.

 

Witchy, Witchy by Penelope King

Amazon | Goodreads

Why I Added It:

Summary: Boy-Next-Door romance with a touch of paranormal.

When Calista McCoy moves from the slums of the Louisiana Bayou to an illustrious beach community in California, she knows her life is going to take a drastic turn. But once she arrives at the beautiful mansion by the sea, dark secrets are revealed…secrets that become even more complicated when she meets the gorgeous neighbor boy, Nicholas, and she feels an unexplainable–and undeniable–attraction. He’s everything she’s ever dreamed of. Literally.

Her new life seems almost too good to be true. But as everyone knows, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

…And in Calista’s case, it could be deadly.

 

Perception by Lee Strauss

Amazon | Goodreads

Why I Added It: This is a little more sci-fi-sounding than I usually tend to read, but it was free on Amazon last week so I figured I’d give it a try.

Summary:

Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along-side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans.

Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.