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Favorite Lines

5/25/2015

It's strange that in novels that are 50,000 words or more in length, certain lines could stand out to me as favorites. Today, I wanted to share some of my favorite lines from the books I've written. They're favorites for a variety of reasons. One line started the entire book for me. Another seemed poignant and yet another just felt right. I've become attached to these lines, much as I am the characters or the books themselves. I hope you enjoy the teasers and find something in the lines as I have!

This summary means a lot to the theme of the book. I don't want to say too much and give anything away. It's also an ambiguous line that has led some readers to wonder whether or not the character survived and thrived or passed away.

This is the line that the whole novel stemmed from when I first wrote it. It was originally the beginning of the book. The scene moved back a bit into the book upon editing, but this line is where the book began and how it all came about.

This line is close to the beginning of the book as well and the whole book revolves around this ridiculous notion. Dandelions aren't flowers, right? They're weeds. But the man in the book is passing them out like they're roses...

I usually don't start writing a book until I have what I feel is a good first line. This is the first line of the upcoming "Mamarazzi," due out in September. The book stems from the main character's inner struggle with what she does for a living.

I don't have any graphics for you on this one, but here's a line from Beyond the Bars...

"They won't be able to believe what I do next. Just wait'll they see what's next."

This line comes from the very end of the book and could be a cliffhanger or a continuance to the story. I may have to revisit that one sometime. I don't promote that book often since it's a thriller and I specialize in romantic comedy at the moment.

I hope you've enjoyed these sneaks peaks into my personal favorite lines within some of my books. There are many that I read looking back and am like, huh, I wonder where that came from! I know someday I'll forget the plots of all of the books and read them like they're brand new. Until then, I do my best to enjoy them alongside new readers every time!

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Last Princess Blog Tour

5/21/2015

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An Inspirational Medieval Romance

**About the Book**

A captivating tale of love and duty as the last princess of Meigen searches for her true purpose amidst conflict and betrayal.

It is 626AD, and the ancient Kingdom of Meigen is left vulnerable to neighboring Saxons. To unite the kingdoms and bring peace, Princess Alena must enter into a royal marital alliance. But when the handsome physician, Sherwin, befalls her, matters become complicated. Torn between obligations to her young son and country, she faces a difficult decision. Will Alena obey the king’s orders, or choose to follow her heart?

**Book Teaser**

**Excerpt**

**About the Author**

Born and raised in England, Rachel writes inspirational historical romance, she is also married to a pastor, and has three beautiful little princesses. She minored in creative writing at university and strives to entertain, inspire and encourage others through her writing. Rachel absolutely loves romantic tales… combine it with a little history and a hot cup of tea, and she’s smitten!

**Giveaway**

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Connect with Rachel

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Wedding Mishaps

5/19/2015

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When you get married, you want everything to be just right. Enter the writer to ruin all the plans! :) Ha!

I've seen plenty of funny home videos where people faint or misspeak or kids do something weird as they go down the aisle. And since I write romantic comedy, it only makes sense that people get married at some point, right?

Luckily, nothing went too awry at my own wedding. The best man was slightly late to the rehearsal and called and said he had a flat tire. But he was joking and arrived moments later. At the reception, a bridesmaid was caught on camera saying "lemon pecker" chicken instead of lemon pepper. A minor misstep that we have yet to let her live down. But other than that, all was well.

I'm sorry to say the same is not true for others. When I was preparing to write "After the Final Dandelion" (which I have completed, but have not read through to see if it makes sense!) I asked for wedding stories from people in order to inspire the book. And I got plenty!

One gal said a groomsmen passed out and since she was sitting in the front row, his head landed in her lap. He was probably lucky she was there! He could have been seriously injured!

Another detailed a story in which the minister got close to the piano and got his microphone caught up in a doily that laid there. That was bad enough, but he didn't notice and went through the ceremony with everyone agape and staring.

And a lady said that she attended a wedding once with two different shoes on...of two different heights and colors!

All of these things add up to hilarity and make weddings all that much more memorable. As a romantic comedy author, I always love to hear these stories. If you have one from your wedding or one you have attended, leave a comment or send me a message! I never know where inspiration will spark and while I completed this particular wedding novel, I haven't yet revised it so who knows... :)

In "Wrong Place, Right Time," my December 2014 release, the whole ordeal starts with a wedding when a woman interrupts her best friend's wedding only to find strangers at the altar and not her friend. Oops. That would be embarrassing! This book is up for .99 on amazon. Grab it anytime!

I usually deal with events leading up to a wedding so writing "After the Final Dandelion," which included wedding planning and then an actual wedding, was a new treat, one I highly enjoyed. In order to find out what characters make it to the altar, read "Accept this Dandelion" and then do some wondering. You'll know soon enough... Ah the mysterious writer!

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Guest Post by Linda Weaver Clarke

5/15/2015

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The Mystery Of A Long Lost Love

Most mysteries are a “who-done-it,” but this cozy mystery series specializes in missing persons. Amelia Moore, founder of the Moore Detective Agency, and Rick Bonito always solve their case. Her Lost Love is the fifth mystery in the Amelia Moore Detective Series. There is a nice blend of mystery, romance, and humor. The little sparks of romance between the two detectives simply add to the mystery of this story.

“I've read this series from the beginning and come to know and love Amelia and Rick more with each book. These are some of my favorite cozy mysteries and I know exactly what I'm getting with them--a fun, unique mystery that isn't too intense, mingled with a sweet, clean romance. I think Amelia and Rick compliment each other perfectly, both professionally and personally. Of course, since I'm a romantic at heart, I love the romantic moments in the story.” --Katie Watkins, Katies Clean Book Collection

Julie Anderson feels a need to find the man she fell deeply in love with during her youth. When Julie went off to college to become a lawyer, she lost contact with her high school sweetheart. She now wants to know what became of Joey and why he stopped writing to her? This is an assignment that intrigues Amelia. The thought of finding a long-lost love seems quite romantic.

“I love long-lost love stories,” wrote Melanie Valderrama of Mel’s Shelves. “So this one grabbed my interest right from the beginning. What I enjoy about this series is that there's always more to each case than they originally think. This case was no different. I love how their personal relationship is progressing and am excited to see what happens next. Rick is so irresistible and romantic and he steps up big time in this book. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more!”

Each novel in this mystery series has enough twists to keep the reader guessing. “Her Lost Love” not only has a case for Amelia and Rick to solve, but the romance is intriguing. Library of Clean Reads wrote: “This is a fast-paced, creative mystery that has at its heart crime, archaeological digs, romance, ‘good guys and bad’ that combine to make an interesting, quick read.”

The books in the Amelia Moore Detective Series are The Bali Mystery, The Shamrock Case, The Missing Heir, and The Mysterious Doll. For more information or to read sample chapters, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.

http://youtu.be/MihZEVT12oE

About the Author

Linda Weaver Clarke travels throughout the United States, teaching people to write their family history and autobiography. She is the author of several historical sweet romances, a mystery/adventure series, a children’s book, and a cozy mystery series.

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Mamarazzi is coming!

5/12/2015

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I feel like I have so many projects going that sometimes I lose sight of the one that is closest up in the cue! So today I wanted to remind you, and myself, that Mamarazzi is coming!!!

Mamarazzi is due out early to mid September. Right now, the release date is September 11. I am starting to plan a release day event for early the following week as I did not feel September 11 was a good day to plan such an event.

This book follows the story of a female paparazzo who stumbles onto a TV set and ends up on the show. The cameras then turn their lens on her and she finds out what it's like on the other side of the fence. And, as you have all heard, the grass isn't always greener!

The novel is light-hearted and Hollywood-centered and I think you will enjoy seeing what happens when secrets are revealed one by one.

I had the idea for Mamarazzi way back in college. I took a screenwriting class and had to write a small portion of a screenplay. I called it Paparazzi and it was about a male photographer who gets on a TV show and finds himself on the other side of the camera. For my purposes in the romantic comedy world, I changed the main character to a female and came up with Mamarazzi as the title.

The idea has filtered through my mind for many years and I was thrilled to finally get a chance to hash it out on the computer. I was even more thrilled when Prism Book Group wanted to publish it! I look forward to seeing reader's reactions to it.

There is no cover to reveal as of yet, but I put in my requests and ideas to my publisher and can't WAIT to see what they come up with. If it's anything like the vision in my mind, it's going to be amazing!

I'll be in touch with details on the release party and blog tour and other must have information! Until then, just know...it's coming!!!

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Shhh...Don't Tell My Daughter

5/5/2015

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If you follow my posts and/or facebook page, you might already know that I have a contract with Wee Creek Press to put out a children's book in June 2016. That book is called "Baby Sheep Gets a Haircut" and I am anxious to see what becomes of it. I have yet to be assigned an illustrator and I do not draw at all myself so I have nothing but utmost respect for those with that talent.

But in the meantime, as I await that book with excitement, my oldest inspired another. I wrote "Shower in the Rain" based on a bedtime story I told her...and told her and told her because of repeated requests. When I visited her kindergarten class, I shared it with them and they giggled and enjoyed it. They even drew pictures for me on what they thought in their mind when they heard the story.

Getting a children's book through to a publisher is very hard. But this one is special because of the story. It fits my daughter to a T and she inspired it and I wanted desperately for her to have it in book form.

So what to do...what to do... I don't have enough projects, right?! So I decided to make it myself! :) I've never created a children's book before so I have no idea how it's going to turn out. I am making it for my daughter first and foremost. If it turns out decent enough, I might sell it as well. We shall see.

Once I had the story, and decided to move forward with this venture, I knew I needed an illustrator. I looked up some websites and found professionals who charge $300 and up...PER PAGE!!! That was way WAY out of my price range and my heart sank.

Then, I remembered a website where I have a writing profile up called ODesk.com. This website allows freelancers to find clients and clients to find freelancers. Honestly, I don't do much work through this website because most of the clients are looking to find people who work dirt cheap. I have done a few jobs for people who have sought me out and have decent offers. But as far as trolling for jobs, it doesn't usually add up to enough to make it worth my small amount of time. But since I know people accept jobs through the website all the time, I was hopeful that perhaps I could find an illustrator to work with my teeny budget.

I put up a posting and then sat there and stared at it as if people would respond IMMEDIATELY. It was immediate, but within a day, I had all sort of applications. I began to weed through them and was surprised by how much quality came along with them. There were some that I knew right away weren't right for the job. But there were several that had portfolios I adored.

I found a woman in Canada who seemed more than willing to work with my under my budget constraints and her portfolio was outstanding. She has many children's books to her credit and wanted me to give her detailed descriptions of what I wanted.

Long story short, I hired her and she got to work. Just recently, she sent me sketches of how things were coming along. Nothing is complete yet, but I wanted to share a small part of what she's working on. And so now I give you one scene from what will hopefully become "Shower in the Rain"

This is just a sketch and will be in full color upon completion. I just wanted to share my excitement with you and warn you to watch for more details. I hope to get the completed pictures and put the book together over the summer. I'll let you know how it all comes together. Until then, enjoy this adorable little girl and wonder just what she does on that rainy day! :)

And, also in the meantime, I am looking forward to the September release of my next light-hearted romance, "mamarazzi"...Details to come on that as well!!

Don't forget...don't tell my daughter about this venture. It'll be a big surprise for her when I get it all finished!!

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Favorite Lines

Last Princess Blog Tour

Wedding Mishaps

Guest Post by Linda Weaver Clarke

Mamarazzi is coming!

Shhh...Don't Tell My Daughter

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