Ack! August!
Can you believe it is August already?? I have to say this is one of my least favorite months of the year. By this time the joy of warm weather has worn off, and I’m dying for some cool air. It’s too hot to work on my knitting or crocheting or spinning (there’s something so repulsive about having a pound of wool yarn or fleece spread over my lap when it’s so freaking hot outside), and sewing a renaissance costume is out too. The yards of fabric, the heat of the iron and sewing machine… Yuck. Of course, this August will be a little nicer for me because Wolf’s Princess comes out tomorrow. One of the best things to do when the weather is hot is read. I’m going through my kindle but can’t seem to find anything I really want to read. 41 book unread on my kindle, and not a one appeals to me!! This might be because I’m DYING to read some that aren’t out yet. For instance…
The Veil by Chloe Neill
Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews
Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh
That’s only three books, which won’t keep me reading for an entire 30 days. I’m always looking for good reading material, but my budget tells me I can’t afford to buy every book that catches my eye. I like to rely on friends to recommend stories they enjoyed. I like historical, fantasy, science fiction, inspirational, and some Young Adult, as long as it’s a good story and there is at least an element of romance. I love Anne Bishop, Elizabeth Hunter, Grace Draven, Wen Spencer, and Sharon Lee/Steve Miller among others. Help me out. What stories or series do you recommend?
And the Winners Are …
Cassandra S. and Ellen F.!!
Congrats, ladies!
Thank you, everyone, for your kind and encouraging comments. There is nothing like a little praise to rev up the creative juices. I’m off to work on Kit and Olivia’s story for next week’s Tuesday Teaser 🙂
Tuesday Teaser 6/30/15: Daughter of the Wolf Clan
It’s almost July!! That means it’s only a little over a month until the release of Wolf’s Princess. I expect to see it up for Pre-Order in about a week at the publisher and Amazon in about two weeks. That’s just a guess. As soon as I know anything I’ll be sure to let you know too. Also, don’t forget about the newsletter giveaway!
And now, here’s the next bit of Kit and Olivia. The end of chapter 5 isn’t quite working for me. I’ll go in later and add some more emotion and tension and hopefully make it flow better. But Chapter 6 is up next, and then we get some real tension. 😉
Her moan stabbed him like a knife. Her face was so beautiful. He couldn’t help himself. He lowered his head and put his lips on hers. For one wonderful moment she accepted his kiss, but all too soon she jerked her face away. He hid his hurt and turned her questions back on her.
“How many brothers in your pride? Your family?” he corrected himself.
“I have two brothers.” Her chin lifted as she stared in something close to a challenge. “The Clan has over two hundred men.”
He understood her meaning well enough. She came from a large pride and they would search for their stolen queen. The knowledge sank like a stone in the pit of his belly. “They won’t find you, Olivia.”
“Yes, they will, Kit.”
It was the utter assurance in her voice that shook him. “No, no one can find us here.”
His mate rose to her knees and fixed him with an urgent stare. “My father is called He Tracks the Wind in Lakota. He’ll find me. I told you that. And if he has to, he’ll bring the entire Clan to rescue me. How many men are in your Pride, Kit? Two dozen? The clan has twenty dozen. They’ll destroy your Pride.”
“No!” It was a visceral denial. “No one will ever destroy the Pride again. Never again.”
The urgency in his mate’s face faded to confusion. “What you mean, again?”
He had never spoken of that time. He didn’t remember it. He only knew the stories, but they were bad enough. “The day I was born, the pride was discovered by humans. They slaughtered almost all of us. Only the young survived. The queen who bore me had been badly wounded and I was born two months early. She died.” He closed his eyes against the unfamiliar sting of tears.
When he opened his eyes he saw Olivia’s eyes were wet. “That’s terrible. Years ago some men stole some of the women of the clan and murdered them. That’s one of the reasons why they protect women so fiercely.”
“Your pride understands what it’s like then. Did you notice there are no elders in the Pride?”
“No,” she whispered. “I didn’t see any old people in the other cave.”
“That is why we hate humans.”
The warmth of her hand on his arm eased the old hurt and rage. “Not all humans are like that.”
“But your family will destroy the pride to get you back. You said that.”
She withdrew her hand. “Yes, they would fight to get me back, but they wouldn’t murder people who hadn’t done anything to them. Kit, let me go.”
“Never.” It was a flat statement. “You are my mate. I can’t let you go.”
“You have to. I’m not rejecting you. You can come to my house and court me properly. We can take our time to get to know one another.”
Why did she have to insist on leaving him? “No.”
“But you have to!”
“I said no.” When she opened her mouth again he gripped her chin and his fingers and stared deeply into her eyes. “Sleep, my mate.”
He’d never seen anyone come so close to shaking off his compulsion. “Sleep,” he commanded.
Gradually she lost her fight against sleep and slumped against him a warm, precious weight that he swore he would never give up.
Chapter Six
Her head hurt. That was all Olivia could think of at first. And her hip was sore from the hard ground. Then she became aware it was dark and a heave weight was draped over her chest. An arm. Kit’s arm! She peered through the dark, trying to figure out where she was. Kit’s cave, she decided. They were lying together a few yards from the banked fire. The barest hint of a glow lit the outline of his long hair where it spilled over his broad shoulder and onto hers.
She sighed when she remembered his refusal to let her go. The story he’d told her –yesterday?— explained her reluctance to bring harm to his family. They had suffered enough, and though the Clan wouldn’t murder the women or children, they would probably kill anyone who tried to keep them from retrieving her. She had to escape. Could there be a better opportunity than this?
Slowly, carefully, she moved away from him, easing her leg from between his, and untangling his hair from hers. Her heart thundered while she stepped over him. It jerked into agonized stillness when he caught her hand.
Wolf’s Princess News!
I am on the road with limited internet access, but I’m sitting in my hotel room pecking away at this tiny keyboard to bring you good news!
SEE THE GORGEOUS COVER ART????
AND GUESS WHAT? WOLF’S PRINCESS RELEASES AUGUST 3!!
I am soooo excited. Wolf’s Princess is my longest and most intense book yet. I honestly think (I hope I don’t sound big-headed here) it’s the best book I’ve ever written. There are a few giggles here and there –wait until you read the bit where Sky realizes he is wearing his necktie and nothing else. Not only do Rose and Sky find their happily-ever after, but Stone and Sara learn to love one another, and a couple other wolves find their ladies in Omaha. Are you anzio0us to read it? Can’t wait for August 3? Well, read on.
I will be having a contest in mid-July through my newsletter for some great prizes including a $50 Amazon gift card, a pair of sterling silver earrings, and five ARCs of Wolf’s Princess. If you haven’t signed up yet for my newsletter, there is a link on the right. More details to come soon!
Tuesday Truth 5/26/15: Updates!
Wow, only 8 days before I leave for the Annual Reader & Author Get Together in Cincinnati OH! Actually, it’s at the Marriott in West Chester. Even if you’re not going to the event, the book signings are free and open to the public. One is on Friday at 3:00pm, and the other is on Saturday at 3:00 to 5:00. I’ll be signing on Saturday. You can find out all about it by clicking the link above. Please come see me!
I’ll also be showing off some of my historical costumes at RAGT. Most I made years ago, but I’m making one from the skin out, a walking dress from 1885. I have completed the chemise, the drawers, the bustle petticoat, the underskirt, the overskirt and was 2/3 done with the bodice when my sewing machine died. That’s right, died. Last night it gave up the ghost. I called to make a service appointment, but they can’t get to it until next week, and I need it NOW. So my sister, bless her, is bringing her machine over to me tonight. Here is what I have so far.
And here what is happening with Wolf’s Princess: I have completed the final round of content edits with my editor Tami Lund (she’s also an author) She was easy to work with and the book is tons better now. I’m still waiting to hear a release date, but it could be as early as mid July. I’ll be having an ARC giveaway through my newsletter in a few weeks. And then I’ll be having another giveaway on Facebook a week or so later. More about that coming up. AS soon as I get cover art and a release date I’ll post right away. I’m very excited about Wolf’s Princess. I believe it is the best book I’ve written. I can’t wait for all of yo uto read it!
Amanda of Wolf’s Lady
Over the past few years I’ve had some people ask me about how I come up with my characters. Well, the men are completely made up (but if anyone happens to run into a Taye or Shadow or Tracker or… Oh, heck, any of my heroes, let me know, okay?), but several of the heroines are based on friends and co-workers. A couple of people have emailed to ask specifically about Amanda, the heroine from Wolf’s Lady. How did I find a picture of a woman who looked so much like my heroine? One reviewer on Amazon even says she’s glad to see a real size woman on the cover. She’s a real size woman who looks amazingly like my heroine because she is that woman. Yes, make believe Amanda is based on real life Amanda! And that cover was a labor of love thanks to several people: Gary Lura of Gary Lura Photography, Lyn Taylor cover artist extraordinaire, and of course, a woman named Amanda.
I’ve wanted to write Rose and Sky’s story since I first wrote about them in Wolf’s Glory, but for a long time they were too young, and way too immature. I sent Sky off to Omaha to grow up. What does that have to do with Amanda? Well, hang on, I’ll get to that. LOL I needed to show readers how Sky became what he is. What on earth could keep him from returning to the den the minute Rose turned eighteen to claim her as his mate? In Omaha he found a world where women are only taxable goods the city politicians use to make themselves rich. No wolf warrior would accept that. He stayed in Omaha because he had a goal. It just took longer than he expected.
I decided to write a short story to introduce you to what life in Omaha is like and hopefully make you believe in the reason Sky stayed in Omaha. I had to build Omaha in my mind and create a new life for Sky there, one filled with places and people and rules. A woman who worked in the same place as I did was named Amanda. We didn’t hang out or go to lunch, but we chatted from time to time. I would see her walk past my desk in one of her peasant skirts, and I admired the gorgeous tattoo on her shoulder. It came to me that she would be a perfect basis for the heroine in the short story. Now of course, I didn’t want to put her (even fictionally) in the world’s oldest profession without her okay. I was a little worried about asking, but she was a good sport. She laughed and said, “Sure, you can use my name and appearance in your book. I don’t care if you make me a hooker. Anyone who knows me will know it’s as far from the truth as you can get.” Or something like that.
This was the image Amanda liked best. It is really nice too!
And so Wolf’s Lady was born. It was only supposed to be four or five chapters long, just a little doodle to post on my blog to get you and me into the alien world of Omaha. But it kept growing and growing until finally I decided to self publish it just for fun. That meant I needed cover art. I didn’t need to spend hours searching for the right image for my heroine; she was right there.
I contacted the artist who did the art for the rest of the series and asked if she was willing to work with an image I would send her. Lyn Taylor was willing, bless her. I asked a friend’s husband if he would take pictures for cheap. He was willing, provided we found an outdoor space. That way he wouldn’t charge us studio fees. We set up a day and met in the park, and the result is the cover you see here.
I love this cover. Amanda does, of course, really look like the Amanda in the story. The colors are lovely, and they fit the rest of the series. If you haven’t read it yet, you can only buy it from Amazon at the moment. But if you don’t want to buy from Amazon because you don’t have a kindle, go ahead and buy it anyway. Then email me at maddybarone@gmail.com and attach a copy of your Amazon receipt before Feb 28, 2015. I will email you a .pdf, an .epub or a .docx file of Wolf’s lady for whichever device you use.
Thank you for reading! I’m still working on Wolf’s Princess and I can’t wait for you to read it! Another Rose/Sky snip is coming for Tuesday, so check back in in a couple of days.
Tuesday Teaser 1/27/15: Daughter of the Wolf Clan
Before we get to today’s snip, I want to give you an update of Rose and Sky’s story. It’s moving along. I finally got the write The Scene I’ve Been Looking Forward To For The Past Two Years. Yes, Rose has finally accepted Sky’s mate claim and they have lost their virginity! It’s a looooong scene (about 10 pages) with hot passionate kisses, a few giggling fumbles, tender possessiveness, heartfelt confessions… OK. I really like it. I may do a little trimming, but in general, I think it’s one of the best love scenes I’ve ever written. I shared a few snips of it on my Facebook Page and I’ll post a few here next week. I know a lot of you are anxious to get to read Rose and Sky’s story, and I’m anxious to get it out to you! I have four major scenes left to write, and several smaller scenes, so four chapters plus an epilogue. Should be about 100,000 words. For comparison, Wolf’s Glory, Wolf Tracker and Ellie’s Wolf were all around 75,000 words.
And now, back to Olivia and Kit:
The first woman, the taller one, took a menacing step. “Dev, you’re coming pretty close to insubordination, aren’t you?”
Devlin held her eyes for a moment before looking down. “Not intentionally, Maria. But I was with Kit when he found his mate yesterday, and I believe the mate bond exists. For him to service another female would be wrong.”
“Fine.” Maria’s smile made Olivia touch the knife on her belt. “If they’re mates, let’s see it. Service your mate, Kit, and we’ll all be witnesses to your bond.”
“I’m nah human,” Kit growled.
“Human enough to give the little girl sex. Do it, Kit. Prove she’s your mate and she lives.”
Tricia jumped up from the blankets, wearing only her shirt and a leer. “Your choice, Kit. Either give your mate sex or watch her die.”
Kit’s roar was cut off by a third woman, walking from the back of the cave with two mountain lion kits in her arms. She was smaller than either of the other two women and her mouth was curved in a smile that didn’t have even a hint of a leer.
“Maria. Tricia.” The third woman shook her head. “Why taunt poor Kit like this? Leave him and his mate alone.”
“You always had a soft spot for him, Juanita,” spat Maria. “He’s brought a human to the pride.”
The curvy woman called Juanita shrugged and rubbed her cheek against the fur of one of the babies in her arms. “She’s his mate.”
“Human,” insisted Maria.
“She probably wasn’t even born when the pride was slaughtered. She’s not responsible.” Juanita turned to Olivia with a smile. “Here, hold my sons.” She plopped the kittens into Olivia’s arms and ignored both Olivia’s stuttering protests and the hisses from the other people in the cave to fasten a cold stare on first Maria and then Tricia.
“This stops now. Kit deserves to find some happiness. His mate is off limits. I mean it.” She lifted black eyes to glare at everyone else in the cave. “No one bothers Kit or his mate or they answer to me.”
All eyes dropped, even Maria’s and Tricia’s. Juanita gave a satisfied grunt and turned back to Olivia and Kit. She smoothed hand over Kit’s feline face with a loving smile. “I’ll miss you as a lover, sweetie, but I hope you’ll be happy with your mate.” She picked up his paw and kissed it before turning to Olivia. “What’s your name?”
“Olivia Stensrud.” Holding the kittens squirming to get loose was hard. They each weighed at least twenty pounds, and their claws were already sharp. Juanita took pity on her and removed them. She leaned close to say, “Be good to Kit, Olivia Stensrud. He’s special. Let him service you as soon as possible. Until you’re fully mated, the pride won’t accept you.”
“Uh.” Olivia blinked. She didn’t want the pride to accept her. She wanted to go home, where her family would surround her with love, and where no man could get within fifty yards of her without her brothers bristling like the wolves they were. “Thanks.”
Juanita leaned in to press a quick peck on Olivia’s cheek. “You two get out of here now. Take your mate back to your lair, Kit, and get to know her better.”
Kit didn’t say a word. He picked Olivia up, tossed her over his shoulder and ran out of the cave back to his own.
2015 is Here!
A new year gives us an excellent time to assess where we are, where we’ve been, and where we want to go. Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? I used to, but they always turn into depressing failures, so instead I make goals. Some goals are concrete, others are sort of vague. Here are mine:
Goal #1: Waste Less Time. Facebook is a Time Suck. Truth, right? I want to make better use of my time, so I bought
a planner on Amazon. I think it will work out nicely. Maybe I won’t actually keep to a schedule like this, but I’m going to try. After a few weeks I should have an idea of where I’m wasting my time, right? (If you look closely you might get an idea of where I am in Wolf’s Princess.)
I ordered mine here.
Goal #2: Finish Writing Wolf’s Princess!!! I love this story. I adore Sky. Rose is a nice mix of vulnerable and tough. I like the secondary characters. There are lots of threads that get wrapped up in this story. This is officially the last book in the series, but I will be writing a few more short stories, like a Christmas story series epilogue and …
Goal #3: Write the Tuesday Teaser for Kit and Olivia. I’m not sure where I’m going with this one yet. My publisher recently put out a call for 20,000 word novellas that go with established series. This one might fit that.
Goal #4: Sew more costumes! I used to make two or three historical costumes every year. I haven’t made one in quite a while. I miss doing that. If I do another costume fashion show at RAGT I’d like to have newer costumes for that. Maybe a regency day dress and a Victorian bustle skirt and jacket?
Goal #5: Laugh more!
Goal #6: Spend More Time with Friends.
Goal #7: Downsize. I am planning to move to a different apartment at the end of March and the thought of packing all the books, yarn, and other things makes me cringe. That blender on the counter? Haven’t used it in years. Do I really need to keep it? I hate the idea of getting rid of books, but really, will I ever read it again? Is it available through the library or on Kindle?
Goal #8: Do more in the SCA. I hardly ever go to events anymore and I miss it.
Goal #9: Exercise more. I ordered one of those foldable bikes. It arrived yesterday at my brother’s place and he’s supposed to bring it over and help me get it set up next week.
Goal #10: Play with my cats more. The poor girls are mighty neglected, and that’s not fair.
There, 10 goals for this coming year. Do you have goals or resolutions? Wishing you a wonderful, happy and prosperous 2015 with all your goals met!
2014: A Recap
Have you ever gotten to the end of the year and felt defeated, like you hadn’t accomplished anything? It’s how I was feeling. The biggest thing on my 2014 To Do list is a fail. This summer I had no question that by this time Wolf’s Princess would be submitted to Liquid Silver Books and on its way to being published. But it’s not. I don’t even have a good excuse. I’ll talk a little more about that in my next post. I am at this moment at 72,800 words, or about the length of Wolf’s Glory and Wolf Tracker, and I estimate I have another 20,000 words to write. And they’re the best words. Love scenes. Battle scenes. Hate, love, revenge, and … Well, all the plot threads are coming together and the writing is moving along now. Back to the recap.
A wise person told me recently that when I feel discouraged I must remember the things I accomplished in the previous year. So here goes:
Template to be used to assemble cover art for Liquid Silver Books. It was created in PhotoShop CS6.
Wolf’s Vengeance was published! I’ve always had a soft spot for Snake, and I wanted him to have a happy ever after. This is his story.
I wrote a Tuesday Teaser about events that took place in Omaha after Quill left, and before Wolf’s Princess takes place. Omaha was very different from Kearney and the Clan. I wanted to introduce you to that world, sort of break it to you gently. LOL It became a novella, Wolf’s Lady.
Every year I go to the Reader & Author Get Together in Cincinnati Ohio. RAGT is a fun time. They have literally hundreds of raffle baskets, and me and my friend Jessica always contribute. This year I crocheted an afghan. I think it turned out really well. I was proud of it, and pleased that the woman who won seemed so 
genuinely happy about it!
Also, I helped sponsor a boardroom, and my big thing was to hold a fantasy/historical fashion show. I’m into historical costume and I love showing off the things I’ve made. Here are my vict– uh, volunteers wearing some of the costumes you might see in a fantasy or historical novel:
Left to right: Author Tatum Throne in Viking, Author Ty Langston in 16th Century Florentine, Paul Tyler in Early 20th Century Indian coat, Author Paige Tyler in an early 20th Century Indian Sari, Reader Marilyn Mandalis in 16th Century Japanese.
I had my very first Facebook Party. I did not know what to expect but everyone who came was friendly easy to chat with, and I had a lot of fun. I might do another one when Wolf’s Princess is finally released.
I also finished knitting a Dr. Who scarf I began in 2012! This young man won a bunch of yarn in a raffle but had no use for it. He gave it to me and I brashly promised to make him a Dr. Who scarf. He was patient, and in November I finished it and gave it to him.
There. Those are some of my accomplishments from 2014. Now I can set my face forward to 2015! I hope you can look back on 2014 and pick out a few things that you are especially proud of. Happy New Year!
Help! Which Author Head Shot Contest!
Good morning, and Happy Labor Day! I am having a fantastic mini-vacation here at home. It’s been wonderful to sleep late, and read, and knit, and write. Really fantastic. I need to do this more often!!
Anyway, I’ve received the headshots done by Gary Lura Photography. I hate even looking at pix of myself. In my mind I’m tall and willowy and young, but when I look at a picture of myself I discover I’m short and plump and middle aged. Can you imagine my disappointment?
So I’d like some help choosing which pic should be my new author head shot. Look over the pix below and leave a comment saying which one you like best and why. To sweeten the pot, I’m going to offer an Amazon $10.00 gift card to one person who leaves a comment. I will draw tomorrow evening, September 2 (Oh my gosh, it’s September already?!!) at 7pm central time.
Headshot 5
Headshot 4
Headshot 3
Headshot 2
Headshot 1
