Join the Fun! Round Robin Christmas Chance to Win BIG Prizes!

Merry Christmas! 

Welcome to my website, and thank you for stopping by and participating in this Christmas Round Robin! At each author’s blog post, you will find a question that can be answered by checking out the free Amazon preview of their book. Provide the answer here:  Google Form


Note: You must answer the questions for every author in the Round-Robin to be considered to win the $350 first place, $250 second place or $150 third place Amazon gift cards.

[Note: these prizes are USD values. If you are not a U.S. resident, you will get a gift card from the Amazon store for your country; however, it will be valued at these USD amounts.)

At the end of my post is a link to the next blog, who will provide a link to the next blog, etc., to the very end.


Here's how it works:

• At each author’s blog post, you will find a question that can be answered by checking out the free Amazon preview of their book.
• Provide the answer Google Form

Note: You must correctly answer the questions for every author in the Round-Robin to be considered to win the $350 first place, $250 second place or $150 third place Amazon gift cards.

[Note: these prizes are USD values. If you are not a U.S. resident, you will get a gift card from the Amazon store for your country; however, it will be valued at these USD amounts.)

• At the end of my post is a link to the next blog, who will provide a link to the next blog, etc., to the very end.

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Toni DeLuca, the Italian owner of DeLuca Construction, finds herself confronted with doubts about her father and his possible deceptions—all because of the mysterious pink notes she's been receiving.

Relations with Perrin Douglas who has a troubling history—but the first man in years who's interested her—is building to a peak. Yet Perrin's own personal problems and his doubts about women and God, keep getting in the way.

Gossip, a Spanish proposal, an inheritance, and a sabotaged construction business may ruin Christmas for Toni's employees as well as her own happiness.

Will a mysterious person succeed in pulling off the biggest scam Appleton, West Virginia has ever seen? And will this culprit destroy Toni's last chance at happiness with the man of her dreams?

I wanted to show in this book a man hurting from a faithless, selfish wife, a man who couldn't trust women because of her. Along came Toni DeLucca. Strong, yet gentle, understanding, and patient. 

But when Toni's mysterious problems begin, Perrin is pulled into helping her find out who wants to destroy her business, whether he wants to or not. Only a series of events help Perrin Douglas begin healing from the past. And with Perrin's help, Toni's able to find the culprit who's out to destroy her. Love ties everything together. 

Let’s begin this scavenger hunt!

• Go to the book on Amazon
• Find the answer to this question:

What is the name of Toni DeLuca's business? 

• When you have the answer, fill out your answer here under the correct book:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xKGM_SNUbkt0g4B9GiW5iy13ZuVsnY2rvB56wQoKC1A/viewform?edit_requested=true

Thank you so much for visiting!

The next author on the tour is https://amandatru.com/round-robin-once-upon-a-christmas, who is telling us all about her book: Once Upon a Christmas.

Remember that the round-robin will end on December 16th at 11:59 PM EST!

BEST WISHES!

Oh, No. Not a Book Blurb!

A book blurb is one of the most important items of a marketing plan. Without it, you will find it harder to "sell" your book to agents, editors, and readers. Here are a few thoughts on how to create an excellent one:


Introduce your main character(s). Use the names they'll go by in your book. Keep it simple. Unless it's absolutely necessary, you don't need to go into detail about their personality.

Reveal the genre. Again keep it brief. Set the tone or mood of the book. Mystery? Romance? Sci-fi? Thriller?

Reveal the main conflict. Most books have subplots but they won't need (usually) to be mentioned here. In one sentence show the problem. Will the detective be able to find the thief? Can the hero save the heroine's life (or vise versa :) ) etc. Many times this will begin with one of these words:  Until. But. However.

Hook the reader’s curiosity.  Is all lost when another man shows up and does what the hero should have done? Is the detective a failure because his main suspect turns out to be innocent?

Give the reader a hopeful possible. This "longshot" will give your reader hope that all is not lost and keep them reading.

Book blurbs should not be too long nor too short. Fifty words at most; Twenty-five to thirty words is a perfect sized blurb. Keep to these main facts, edit and you should have a winner. 


Happy Writing!

Story Sparks from Six Authors: Featuring Terri Wangard Today!

Creating a Family to Be Proud Of

Welcome to the Story Sparks multi-Author Blog Tour. Between May 21-26, 2018, readers get a chance to enter and win ebooks from six different authors. Today, Terri Wangard is the featured author. A lucky winner will win her Friends & Enemies. Terri will be talking about “Creating a Family to be Proud Of.” Read on to discover what sparks Terri’s creativity and to enter the rafflecopter to win her heartwarming book.

A batch of forgotten letters was found in my grandmother’s house. Written in 1947 and 1948, they came from distant cousins in Germany. My grandparents and other relatives had been sending them care packages. My great-great-grandfather immigrated to Wisconsin in the 1870s, as did two brothers. A fourth brother remained in Germany, and these letters came from his grandchildren.

The family in the letters would be the perfect subject around which to craft a story. Research revealed life in Nazi Germany as increasingly grim before the war even started. The letters provide a fascinating glimpse of life in war torn Germany, but nothing about the war years. How had the family coped? I turned to the internet and searched on the family’s factory name. I found it all right, in a list of German companies that used slave labor. I wanted my family to be the good guys, but that hope grew shaky.

Contact had ceased in 1948 after the German currency reform, and with their silence in the letters, many questions couldn’t be answered. Why had they refrained from any mention of their thoughts and activities during Hitler’s regime? Desire to forget? Shame of the vanquished? Concern the American family wouldn’t help if they knew the truth?

The family consisted of a brother, his wife, and three young children, and a sister and her husband, and their “old gray mother,” who turned 66 in 1947. Another brother languished as a prisoner of war in Russia, not returning home until 1949, I learned from the German department for the notification of next of kin. The sister and her bridegroom had lived in Canada for five years, returning to Germany in 1937 because she was homesick. They were bombed out of their homes and lived in their former offices, temporarily fixed up as a residence. Before the war, they employed about one hundred men, but in 1947, had fewer than forty-five, with no coal, electricity, or raw materials to work with.

My imagination took over. The family, not the newlyweds, came to Wisconsin. Because a critiquer scorned someone returning to Hitler’s Germany due to homesickness, I gave them a more compelling reason when I rewrote the story. The grandfather had died and the father had to return to take over the factory, much to the daughters’ dismay, who loved their new life in America.

Of course, they did not support Hitler. Because their factory had to produce armaments and meet quotas imposed on them, they had no choice in accepting Eastern European forced laborers, Russian POWs, and Italian military internees.

The older daughter (my main character) took pride in committing acts of passive resistance. Now a war widow, she hid a downed American airman, an act punishable by execution. When they were betrayed, a dangerous escape from Germany ensued.

Maybe the family did support Hitler. Many did before realizing his true colors. My version probably doesn’t come close to the truth, especially concerning the daughter. The real daughter was twelve years old in 1947. No matter. This is fiction, and this is a family I can be proud of.

Friends & Enemies

Aiding downed enemy airmen is punishable by death in Nazi Germany,

but he’s an old friend. How much will she risk to help him?

A World War II novel. http://amzn.to/2eGJeoR

ABOUT TERRI:

Terri Wangard’s first Girl Scout badge was the Writer. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library science, she lives in Wisconsin. Her research included going for a ride in a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. Classic Boating Magazine, a family business since 1984, keeps her busy as an associate editor.

ENTER to WIN BOOKS!!
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/831a42731/?

On Passionate Writing and April's Contest Question #3

On Passionate Writing

To be a writer,

you must sentence yourself

to a life of solitary confinement.

--Paul Martin

What is being a writer?

Do words make you a writer?

Does sitting at a desk typing make you a writer?

Does writing a book make you a writer?

Realize...

that writing is not always easy.

Sometimes it's hard,

discouraging,

and 

feels useless.

And solitary.

Sometimes that means lonely.

Other times

it means quiet or soft background music

it can mean sitting and dreaming

or plotting and outlining.

You can also pound the words out.

Or let them drizzle from your mind and fingers.

It's a comforting feeling being alone 

in your fictional (?) world

and

knowing soon

you'll be sharing a new book 

with readers.

Whatever.

Happy writing.

***

Moody April has arrived. 

One day, sunshine and warmth, 

the next, rain or snow and dreary clouds. 

REMEMBER, Two things:

• YOU MUST ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH to be considered for the monthly prize. And...
• You MUST check back here on the last Wednesday of the month to see if you've won. I will usually share the blog link on my Facebook author page but it's YOUR obligation to contact me here on the blog with your mailing information (or you can let me know you'll share it with email or private message on FB. 

April's First Question:  

What is your favorite SPRING flower and does it have a significant meaning to you?


April's second Question:

Do you ever read the last page of a book FIRST?




April's Third (and last) Question:
Has there ever been a character from any book
 that has remained in your memory 
or impacted you in some way?
(and the answer "No" is also acceptable)

Don't forget to share this site!

Prizes?

A kindle copy of any of my books: your choice
(  Amazon  )

 and 

Your choice of either of these beautiful scarves

OR

Don't forget to share!

Have Fun!

I Really Do Love Spring...and a Contest Winner Announcement!

I really DO love Spring. Do you?

• I love the resilient trees, though budding, endure the continued harsh weather that struggles to remain in control even when Spring is pushing back and subtlely demanding its time of focus
  

• I love the sight of the first shoots of daffodils, hyacinths thrusting their stems through the warming ground.
  

• I love the fun of St. Patrick's Day, the green, and those who take the day seriously and enjoy that patron's special day.
  

• And what about the planning and searching for new plants to use this season in your flower or vegetable gardens? I dream through the catalogs or online of my gardens aspiring to look like those showcasing the professionals.
  

• Adore the warmer weather.
  

• Love the greening fields
  

• and the spring rains, umbrellas and boots...
  

***

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

It's my pleasure to announce March's Winner! 

Congratulations to...

Kim Hanson

You have one week to contact me with your addy.

Happy Reading, folks,
join in

and don't forget to spread the word

for April's contest.

(beginning next Wednesday, April 4th)

Happy Reading!

Tidbits of My Life: Facts, Playing the Game of "Dogs," and March Contest Question

Facts:

I've been accused of being "Stuck-Up," abrupt, and unclear...

but actually, though my actions may point to these as truth...

I'm a person who loves to be with others--within limits. 

I do so enjoy my alone times too.

In a hurry, too excited or worried, I tend to be abrupt, 

but that's not my intention to ever hurt. 

Unclear? surely not! But sometimes in my explaining or telling of an event, story, and/or experience, I try to keep it simple and tell it in my words and end up not including enough details. 

But...

one of my greatest traits is my caring. 

I truly do love to show others I care. 

**

I spent the day with Grandson Jonathan recently.

Of course that meant imaginative games and other fun things. 

One of his suggestions was to play "dogs."

He gave me clear instructions:

"Gwandma, pretend I'm a dog and I get up on the sofa. Tell me I shouldn't do that and to get down."

One thing about him, he's a perfectionist 

when it comes to getting it right. 

Don't deviate. Don't change the wording. Don't mess up.

I'll just say this: one thing we always do:

Have fun and enjoy the time. 

Isn't that what it's all about?

***

Writing Life Tidbits:

I'm working on Book Four of the Appleton WV Romantic Mysteries.

I've titled it:  Toby's Troubles

The main protagonist is a brother to Caroline Gibson 

(from book Three: Undiscovered Treasures). 

He's smart and ambitious but also a flirt and tease. 

He's definitely not ready to settle down 

even when the cutest and sweetest girl he's ever dated 

has that look in her eyes.

What's a man to do with a "ghost" to find 

and a girl who's determined to be noticed...and loved?

***

March is such a moody, lively, fun month! 
Spring is coming.
The earth is stirring.
Easter is approaching.
St. Patrick's day is this month.

So, my question this week is:

What is one thing you'd like to 
change about your life--if you could--this spring?

Too hard?
Let me give you my answer:
I'd like to be just a bit younger--not that I want to relive some experiences!--
but just to give me time to do all I want to do!
Silly?
Maybe.
Now share what you'd like to change, if you could.
And don't forget to share this site!

Prizes?
A $5.00 gift card from AMAZON
and 
a kindle copy of any of my books: your choice
and a lovely bookmark with an inspiring quote on it. 



***

Are you ready for March? 

Blessings!

February Contest Weekly Questions

February Contest Question

Since this is the "love" month, 

my last question for the month is:

Share a scripture or a quote about love

or

Anything pertaining to CLEAN LOVE:

advice, an old saying from your ancestors,

or a memory of a precious act of love.  

This is the last question for February.

Next week, February 28,

I will announce a winner! 

Prizes for February:

and a kindle copy of 

Best Wishes! 

Of Mice and Men and February Contest Info...

Mice: Could you consider one for a pet? The reason I'm asking: in one of my suspense novels, yet to be published, Tara--the detective--has one for a pet. Her twin brother gave it to her for a joke, and she ended up loving the little fellow. He's also sensitive to what is right and/or wrong in the cases she's trying to solve and he's able to give her animal hints (if she's smart enough to figure them out!)

So, would you have a mouse for a pet? Is it too icky? (By the way, I'm considering changing Tara's pet to an exotic cat) Are you afraid of mice? And are they more trouble than men?

That's what I'm getting at. Mice mess (uh hem) where you don't want them to. They get into the food you don't want them in and cause more work. But what else do they do? They scamper, but then who wouldn't when a monster-ish human form towers over you? I'd run for my life, too!

Men:
Not to be too indelicate (have you ever cleaned a toilet bowl?), but yeah, same difference. Then, ever try to hide the cookies? (homemade bread, pie, cake, etc. etc.) You'd think they were going through a worse persecution than some foreign third world country. They're much worse than children when they get sick. (I carry the phone around afraid any minute I'll have to call emergency.) And just let them prepare some document, manuscript, article, etc. You must, must, must listen to this. 

So why is it when I have a tiny bit of my novel I need proofread, "I'm too busy right now" is what I hear? Fair turnabout is what I thought it was all about.

Men!

They insist on heading to the most boring sections in Wal-Mart. They chat endlessly about sports and cars and jobs, but let us mention a baby! Oh, my, their eyes turn glassy and droop with a sudden syndrome called sleepiness.

Tell me this: is that fair?

But, hey, I gotta remember, I get warm cuddlings from one certain handsome man (hubby!), and I can't complain about him not taking me places.

He helps me in the house, strives to give me what I need--and want (most of the time--don't want to get too generous here!) He's good at keeping the fireplace stoked because he knows I love it. He puts up with my pets, when he'd just as soon not have any. He listens-- sometimes, or, at least, pretends to--to my eternal chatting about my writing. He buys me flowers. And I think he loves me.

Hmmm . . . I think I'll keep him around for awhile yet. 

CONTEST QUESTION TIME

(You must comment on every contest question I have this month--

February, 2018,

 and I will label them as such. 

One per week for the whole month.)

Contest Question:

So what is it to be:  Mice?  or  Men?  

VOTING TIME...

Oh, yeah, you want to know what you get?

This:

and a kindle copy of 

Knight in Shining Apron

Book 2

of the Appleton, WV Romantic Mystery series

How's that for a beautiful, romantic gift?

Happy Reading!

Welcome, Trish Jenkins

 

Treasures of Darkness: A Prison Journey


Book Trailer :

http://youtu.be/7XDNj4KhH9g

 
BIO:FAITH TO OVERCOME
Living with murderers, drug dealers, frauds and broken humanity, her prayers for deliverance were not answered the way she expected. Instead the Lord delivered her "through the fire..." Prison was not part of Trish Jenkins’ ministry plans but it happened. Conned by a fraud and a breach of the Corporations Act meant losing her multi-million dollar portfolio, including her family home. It also meant this Australian mother served 8 months in prison, isolated from her husband and 3 little girls.

TREASURE IS FOUND IN DARK PLACES
Instead of succumbing to despair and self-pity, Trish chose to believe the Word of God and in doing so, she introduced many other prisoners to Christ. In the darkness, Trish found keys to freedom and courage and a deeper walk with the Holy Spirit.

Trish felt compelled to record everything she experienced. She wrote letters to her family and friends by writing letters to her husband, who then copied the letter to an email that went out to a list that grew rapidly. Those emails went viral and Trish’s readers shared her journey with her. What she couldn’t put in letters due to their sensitive nature, she wrote in a private journal.

From stories of winning over bullies, to the despair of persecution for her faith, Trish shares her journey with warmth and candour.

Today Trish shares her hard-won “Treasures” as an entertaining, insightful speaker and author, inspiring audiences to be courageous in all circumstances. Ministering effectively to both Christian and secular audiences, she is warm, compassionate and funny! Today, as a well-respected international speaker and author, Trish’s heart-felt and inspirational story filled with practical advice is re-igniting fire and faith in the hearts of her audiences.

Trish and her family were reunited and today are all active members of Citipointe Church, Australia.

Rear Cover Blurb:

FREEDOM ON THE INSIDE

Prison was not on the “Goal Chart” of entrepreneur Trish Jenkins. A breach of the Corporations Act meant losing her multi-million dollar portfolio, including her family home.

It also meant Trish served 8 months in prison.

Isolated from her husband and 3 little girls, living among Queensland’s most dangerous criminals, Trish could have succumbed to despair.

BUT TREASURE IS FOUND IN DARK PLACES

Refusing to give in to self-pity, Trish answered a new calling to make a difference in the lives around her. In doing so she found a different kind of freedom and healing.

Real and raw, these pages are better than a memoir; made up of letters, personal journaling and hindsight.

“I assumed I would be a model prisoner because I was a Christian. So how did I get into so much trouble, so often, yet with the best of intentions?”

Like when she was reported escaped…

Or setting the alarm off in the officers’ quarters…

Or having to explain why the woman she prayed for fell to the floor…

BE INSPIRED

You’ll laugh, cry and shake your head at hilarious stories, tragic circumstances, discouragement, hope and ever present faith.

“You may have no razor wire around you, but you may feel more like a prisoner than me! Let me share my keys to freedom with you.”




Connect with Trish here:

www.trishjenkinsfaith.com

www.youtube.com/trishjenkinsfaith

Google +: Trish Jenkins Faith https://plus.google.com/116470844329044003859/posts

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trishjenkinsauthor

www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=20063432&trk=tab_pro

Twitter: @Trishjenkins www.twitter.com/Trishjenkins

 

 

WIN A KINDLE AND OTHER PRIZES here: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings!

 

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman Contest!

Celebrating the release of . . .

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman!

(September, 2013)

May is Mothers month. Caralynne in The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, is a loving and caring mother. She feels like a nobody in lots of ways, but she adores her two remaining daughters.

So, tell me, in your own words:

What makes a good mother?

Who's been an influence in your life and why?

Doesn't have to be fancy or elaborate,

doesn't have to be a birth mother,

but it needs to catch my attention.

Bring tears to my eyes,

or laughter to my lips!

Touch my heart with your comments!

You might be the winner of this:

4-piece tumbled stone butterfly magnets
1 diecut three-layer notepad and pen
1 pack of sticky note folio
a set of six butterfly garden stone coasters
1 large gourmet bamboo cutting board

End date: May 31, 2013.

Blessings!

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman Contest

Celebrating the release of . . .

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman!

(September, 2013)

May is Mothers month. Caralynne in The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, is a loving and caring mother. She feels like a nobody in lots of ways, but she adores her two remaining daughters.

So, tell me, in your own words:

What makes a good mother?

Who's been an influence in your life and why?

Doesn't have to be fancy or elaborate,

doesn't have to be a birth mother,

but it needs to catch my attention.

Bring tears to my eyes,

or laughter to my lips!

Touch my heart with your comments!

You might be the winner of this:

4-piece tumbled stone butterfly magnets
1 diecut three-layer notepad and pen
1 pack of sticky note folio
a set of six butterfly garden stone coasters
1 large gourmet bamboo cutting board

End date: May 31, 2013.

Blessings!

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman Contest!

Celebrating the release of . . .

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman!

(September, 2013)

May is Mothers month. Caralynne in The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, is a loving and caring mother. She feels like a nobody in lots of ways, but she adores her two remaining daughters.

 

So, tell me, in your own words:

What makes a good mother?

Who's been an influence in your life and why?

Doesn't have to be fancy or elaborate,

 

doesn't have to be a birth mother,

but it needs to catch my attention.

Bring tears to my eyes,

or laughter to my lips!

Touch my heart with your comments!

You might be the winner of this:

 

4-piece tumbled stone butterfly magnets
1 diecut three-layer notepad and pen
1 pack of sticky note folio
a set of six butterfly garden stone coasters
1 large gourmet bamboo cutting board

End date: May 31, 2013.

Blessings!

Giveaway!  Giveaway!  BIG Giveaway!
Reminder . . .
This Christmas I want to say thank you to all my followers. So, I'm holding this contest for you, dear followers, and I will choose not one, but at least 18 (Eighteen) of my followers to win one of these gifts!

Comment on any post during contest period and remind me you're a follower, leave an email address, and in goes your name for a chance to win one of these fantastic gifts!


And the more you comment, the more times I'll drop your name into the "bag."

Beginning December 11th through December 24th.

After that I'll announce the winners on this blog, and send an email to each winner for your address/and to let you know what you've won.

In my giveaway for my followers I'm giving away:

TEN Books!

1. Books by Teresa Slack: A Tender Reed (women's fiction), Streams of Mercy (suspense), The Ultimate Guide to Darcy Carter (romance), Redemption's Song (mystery), Evidence of Grace (suspense)
2. Brandilyn Collins' Dead of Night (suspense)
3. Judith Miller's Somewhere to belong (historical)
4. Susan M Warren & Susan K Downs' The Sovereign's Daughter (historical Mennonite)
5. And more . . .

Amazon gift certificates! (four $5 gift certificates)



Four downloadable Stories!

• Homespun (inspirational romance) by Michele Levigne
• Secrets (a romantic suspense) by Linore Rose Burkard
• A Family Visit (contemporary) by Michael Emmer
• A Face in the Shadow (A full length romanic suspense novel) by Tiffany Colter

*********************

Below is information about the wonderful people offering their stories for you to read. Please look over the brief bios.
Those offering the free downloadable stories:

Linore Rose Burkard creates Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen Soul. Her characters take you back in time to experience life and love during the Regency England era (circa 1800 - 1830). Ms. Burkard's novels include Before the Seasons Ends, The House in Grosvenor Square and, The Country House Courtship. Her stories blend Christian faith and romance with well-researched details from the Regency. Readers experience a romantic age, where England from the past comes alive and happy endings are possible for everyone!

You can purchase her books from:

• the author (autographed copy) http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/Books.html
• ChristianBook.com http://www.christianbook.com/country-house-courtship-london-regency/linore-burkard/9780736927994/pd/692799?item_code=WW&netp_id=633234&event=ESRCN&view=details
• Amazon     http://www.amazon.com/Country-Courtship-Regency-Inspirational-Romance/dp/0736927999/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261453878&sr=8-12&s=books&qid=1261453878&sr=8-2

• BarnesandNoble.com    http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=the+country+house+courtship&box=the%20country%20house%20courtship&pos=-1
• Her website:    http://www.linoreburkard.com/index.html

Tiffany Colter is a passionate freelance writer whose credits include Charisma Magazine, Toledo Business Journal and regular columns for Afictionado E-zine and the Suspense Magazine where she writes the “Ask your Writing Career Coach” column.
She is tenacious in her approach to not only create a great story, but to mentor other writers, Tiffany can always be found in the presence of a book or laptop. She has twice been nominated for the ACFW Mentor of the Year award.

Tiffany won the 2007 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense in the inspirational unpublished division for her manuscript A Face in the Shadow and was a semi-finalist in Operation First Novel in 2004.
She earned her BA from the University of Toledo’s Honor’s College in 1998 with a Summa cum Laude distinction. She is the coordinator for The Master Seminars and runs Command Performance Speakers Bureau, as well as a blog for writers called The Writing Career Coach. On that site she mentors writers in matters of business management, marketing, and time management principles. Tiffany also travels and speaks on these topics to writers and small business owners at conferences and via online webinars.

She is an active member of local and national writing groups where she has served as a judge in writing contests for published and unpublished writers.
Writing Career Coach was created to be a place where writers could learn about businesses and businesses could learn about writing.
Check out her site:

• Tiffany@WritingCareerCoach.com
• http://www.writingcareercoach.net/
• www.WritingCareerCoach.net/tiffany
• http://www.writingcareercoach.com/

Michele Levigne

Check out her sites at:

• http://www.mlevigne.com/
• http://www.michellelevigne.blogspot.com/

Michelle has been a story addict for as long as she can remember, starting with The Cat in the Hat and Weekly Reader Book Club. She discovered Narnia and Star Trek in elementary school, and was a familiar face in the school library, especially when she became addicted to Greek mythology.

She fell into fandom in college, and has 40+ short stories and poems in various universes; Star Trek, Starman, Highlander, Stargate SG-1, Stingray, Beauty & the Beast, and The Phoenix. She and a friend published a multi-universe ‘zine, Starwheel, for 4 issues. All this time, she worked up to sending out original stories to magazines and publishing houses, eventually receiving rejection letters that weren’t the standard photocopied photocopy of a form letter.
She has a BA in theater/English from Northwestern College and a MA in communication, focused on film and writing from Regent University. She has submitted scripts for various screenwriting competitions and wrote and submitted scripts for MacGuyver, Beauty & the Beast, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and The Pretender. She also wrote scripts for Matrix and Stargate SG-1, but never obtained permission to submit scripts. Their loss!

In 1990, her writing career finally broke into the public market when she won 1st place in the 4th quarter of the Writers of the Future contest, which earned a hefty prize, payment to have her story in that year’s anthology, and a week at a writing seminar in California before the awards ceremony. Unfortunately, it was a long-term launch, because it wasn’t until 2000 that Mountainview Publishing contracted for Heir of Faxinor. (Now at Hard Shell Word Factory). Since then, Michelle has published 40+ books and novellas with multiple e-publishers, in science fiction and fantasy, YA, and many sub-genres of romance. She has been a finalist in the EPPIE Awards competition (10 finalists and 2 wins, Lorien, in 2006, Inspirational category, and The Meruk Episodes, 1-5, in 2010, Anthology category) and has garnered 4s and 5s from many review sites.
Her training includes the aforementioned degrees; the Institute for Children’s Literature correspondence course; 8+ years proofreading at an advertising agency; and 10 years at a community newspaper, entering and editing freelancers’ articles and news releases. She has also freelance edited for small presses and a major business publisher.
In 2008, she launched her own freelance editing business, offering proofreading as well as light or in-depth editing services on an hourly basis. Check her Web site: http://www.mlevigne.com/ and click on the red pen to learn more.



Michael Emmert

To contact him:

• http://www.michaelemmert.com/
• Or send an email to Michael.Emmert@gmail.com
• On Michael's website is a page called FirstPage. He's offering free critiques of anyone's first page of their WIP. Contact him at the above emal address.

Michael says: "I would love to hear from any one.

As a boy I wrote a couple of short stories, westerns, as those were my interest. In Junior High, and in High School, I was a copious reader. I scoured the library, searching for fiction novels. Zane Gray was at the top of my list. I transferred to Sci-Fi, with Heinlein at the point. After depleting those genres, I moved to dogs, horses, then car racing, anything that would whet my interest.

When I married and we had children, I sometimes tucked the little ones into bed, and might spin a yarn, which would generate squeals for more. When they were ill, I read them the Chronicles of Narnia. For myself, I read Azimov, L’Amour, and Fisher. Writing letters, and newsletters kept my writing skills up. I never entertained the thought of being a novelist.

It wasn’t until about eight years ago that the interest of writing stories, inserted its head into my life.

Historical Romance is my chosen writing genre. I guess that I’m a romantic at heart. I don’t mean a gushy novel, where the two characters can’t stand to be apart. But rather where a relationship grows between the protagonists, where their hearts are drawn to the other."


Merry Christmas, followers.
Blessings!