Saturday, March 17, 2012
Excerpt #1 for No Place to Run by Regina Paul
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Newsletter!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Just Checking In...
I've been out of the loop for a while now, even my newsletter has gone fallow for several few months. I'm sure many of my fans have wondered about that. I've been quiet as to all the reasons for these things for the most part. Some of it is I'm trying to do more writing so I have more to offer in 2012, but there have been a whole host of other reasons as well. In 2010 I had to go back to working a day job because my husband lost his job and the unemployment finally ran out. It was just not enough to support two people, couple that with several of my freelance writing clients going under in the bad economy, getting booted from e-how when they decided to start booting writers, and you get the picture pretty quickly. Couple all that with two deaths recently, and my getting another cold, and it seems like sometimes it rains when it pours, and that's the way I've been feeling lately. Going back to a day job was a bit of a shock to my system as well, and while I've adjusted I don't have as much time as I'd like to write and promote. Hopefully, this trend of mine will change in 2012 with more new books, and getting back to having my newsletter be monthly again. I'd even like to have a few free stories for fans! That's the goal anyway.
So, that's what's been up with me and my life. Because I've been feeling overwhelmed with trying to have time to write and still manage my life and my day job I'm working on fitting in small blocks of writing time. Hopefully that will help me to get Doomed to Be Charmed done and available sometime in early 2012. Then I can start tackling the other WIP's in the same fashion. That's the plan anyway.
I still love hearing from readers and if you've read Alien Deceptions, Homecoming, A Gift From Home or any of my other stories, I'd love to hear what you thought. E-mail me anytime at tiwatz@yahoo.com or feel free to post a comment.
Monday, August 29, 2011
5 Stars from Joyfully Reviewed for Alien Deceptions!
Anyway, thought I would share since I felt like this reviewer totally got the story line and everything I was trying to convey with this story. As an author I really strive to make sure my story lines are clear, and easy to understand, so when someone obviously gets it, that really makes me happy!
Here's the review for Alien Deceptions from Joyfully Reviewed Thanks Miranda!:
Angel Whitedove had been abducted by aliens. She has been a victim continually since she was three years old. Angel differs from other abductees' because she can remember every little thing the alien's subjected her to. As a teenager, she was abducted with her family, but that time they kept her parents and returned her alone. Now, she runs across the country never staying in one place too long, fearing they are going to find her again. Along the way she helps other abduction victims any way she can.
Darek is from the planet Larindon. He has traveled to Earth to find Laren, a criminal from his planet. In his search, Darek finds more than anticipated. It seems Laren created a family on Earth, breaking their non-interference laws, an unforgivable transgression. All half-breeds are to be put to death immediately by Larindon laws. There's only one problem, Darek can't seem to bring himself to kill the stunning Angel Whitedove.
Darek decides to use Angel to find her father but in doing so finds himself drawn to Angel. Angel provokes every protective instinct in his body, and when he discovers she has been a victim of the evil aliens that terrorized his planet for years, he is determined to protect her. Angel may not be so eager to accept his help when she discovers he is also an alien. However, she may not have a choice when they are attacked. These two will go on an interplanetary journey, incite a civil war, and race to save what they hold dear.
Alien Deceptions is an exciting thrill a minute adventure. Everything is very intense; you can feel the tension in the characters. It brings the seriousness to the forefront immediately. Angel and Darek have plenty of sexual chemistry, but they also have depth. Their two worlds are so very different and everything is life and death, yet these two wade through the complications to discover something beautiful between them. Angel is such a strong character; this is one of the many things I love about her, she is determined to kick butt even though horrific things keep happening. Angel is a fighter who never gives up. Darek's struggle with the societal laws that have been bred into him since birth is palpable.
Alien Deceptions features tons of cool gadgets for the geek inside us all. Regina Paul has created an impressive world in Alien Deceptions. I loved how the story started on Earth and then shifted to Larindon. The characters were all unique and exciting. Angel and Darek's love may be the center of Alien Deceptions but the societies are mesmerizing. I hope that Ms. Paul has a sequel planned because I would love to hear more about Angel, Darek and friends.
Miranda
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The Amazing Difference Between Two Reviewers...
A Gift From Home is my first f/f romance, and I'm coming to realize something else. There are some in mainstream society that seem to consider f/f romance and sexual practices as pornography. I'm relatively certain that if this story had been about a man and a woman or maybe even two men that the review would have come out completely differently. There seems to something in the mainstream psyche that says, "Oh, two girls getting it on=porn!" Never mind that said two girls are in love, never mind that there are bad guys and a mystery to be solved, there are 4 love scenes and those make the book just dirty porn according to the reviewer on Amazon, with no plot to speak of. I suspect that some of the problem stems from some men's fascination with watching two women together. Obviously something tripped in this reviewer's mind, and I hit a nerve, which makes me wonder why she purchased the book, if f/f gay sex was offensive to her.
Here's what two different reviewers say about A Gift From Home:
Kathryn Walters (Rev. K)said:
Girl gets on bus, picked up by old school friend she doesn't recognize. Friend takes her home, declares her love, asks to have "her cherry popped" and suddenly becomes a sex machine. Meanwhile mother is arranging a forced marriage of her lesbian daughter to her employers son in exchange for a half share in his business... seriously??? Poorly written, no story line, nothing more than crude sex romp with no finese - no I'm not a prude and love a good sex scene when written well and has some context - this has none of that. Don't waste your money.
Now here's what Cherokee said at Coffee Time Romance:
Melanie never felt wanted or loved growing up. Her mother used verbal abuse every chance to make Melanie feel she was inadequate in every way, until Melanie could take no more.
Loraleigh is a PI hired to locate Melanie. She had no idea the sinister plans that lay ahead for Melanie, nor the deep emotion the two women would grow to care for each other.
It has been two years since Melanie’s mother, Magnolia, practically sent her packing, never wanting her back home again. Melanie is surprised to receive a bus ticket with a note saying, I’m sorry,’ just before Thanksgiving. Reluctantly, she returns home, hoping that her mother is ready to make amends and accept her for her lifestyle. Melanie never expected to meet Loraleigh, a girl from her past. The girls immediately hit it off, but Magnolia is still determined to change Melanie and make her find love with a man instead of a woman. When Magnolia puts her plan into action, will Melanie be able to stand up to her mother this time, or has her mother finally gotten her wish?
A Gift From Home is a page-turner. Magnolia’s actions were intense and definitely portrayed her character to the hilt. I found Melanie to have a secret strength inside that was dying to come out. With Loraleigh’s help, I believe she was able to conquer the challenges set before her. Ms. Paul instills a dynamite story about finding the right love, while forging through all the obstacles that life throws in our way. With incredible compelling characters, and canvassing Melanie, with a depth of emotions, and expressions to shower every page, this story power punches. There is a tenderness to the storyline that could really reach out and grab the heart.
Cherokee
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
See the difference? One reviewer got the point of the story, and the actual story line, and the other didn't. Like I mentioned before, it's merely a matter of personal opinion. Incidentally, I've actually bought books that have gotten bad reviews, they always make me wonder if they're as bad as the reviewer said, about 90% of the time they're not.
My main reason for posting this was that I read on another writer's blog about how upset she was that she got a bad review and I think as someone who has 14 books published it helps for another author to kind of show that it's not all bad. I wish I could remember the author, but hopefully she'll see this post.
And all you authors out there, feel free to post comments about your own experiences with reviewers.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Have You Ever Been Accused of Writing Porn?
Now that being said, I occasionally run into people, co-workers, beta-readers, and others who have accused me of just writing "porn" or "smut." Sometimes trying to explain that there is a difference between writing erotic romance which has a plot, and dialogue, as well as, relationships, and porn which usually has none of the above is difficult.
I had a difficult experience not long ago where I had sent one of my beta-readers a copy of A Gift From Home, which was my first F/F romance, so I was already nervous about how it would be received. I don't believe this person read more than a chapter or two before they wrote me saying they couldn't finish it because it was porn and just nothing but sex. Since there are only four sex scenes in an almost 100 page story, you can imagine my surprise at having it labeled, "porn." To say I was upset, and even a bit angry would be the truth. I now have a clause in my beta-reader's contract saying they must read the entire book before giving any feedback. There is also a clause saying that the reader accepts that there will be different kinds of books including ones with m/m, f/f and menage scenes, or scenarios. This is so potential beta-readers know what they are getting themselves into and so I don't have this happen again.
Have you ever been accused of writing porn? What did you do? I ended up simply responding kindly to the beta-reader but deciding that I needed to re-write my beta-reader contract. Honestly, I'm reluctant to send this person any other books, because quite frankly it stung having something I worked so hard on described this way.
I'd love to hear from other authors about how they've handled it when someone called what they write pornography.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Website Update
That being said, I have moved my author's website and combined it with my blog. Please bear with me as I move all the information from there to here. I promise it will be worth the wait!
