Wenches of Words Wednesday: Marci Clark…a.k.a. Marci Boudreaux

Today, I’m featuring a fellow Wench of Words and fabulous romance author, who likes push the boundaries and change up her writing styles from time to time. Whether she writes as Marci Clark or Marci Boudreaux or Emilia Mancini, this Wench knows who she is, and what she wants! And I’m excited and honored to share her enthusiasm. Take it away, Marci...


Me, Myself and I
By Marci Clark

One question I am asked quite frequently is why I use various names instead of just sticking with one. I think my reasoning reflects that of many author’s so I thought I’d share.

When my first book, The Rebound, was purchased, it was completely unexpected; it was awesome, but unexpected. I was a non-traditional student (that’s nice speak for old person in college) and working as a journalist/editor, yet I’d just sold an erotic novella. Did I really want my fellow students, most of whom were a dozen or more years my junior, reading a sex book with my name on it?  If someone liked my article in the magazine I write for and decided to look me up to see my other work, did I really want them to immediately find The Rebound and forever associate my journalistic work with sex?

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t in the least bit embarrassed. In fact, I was and am very proud of my first release. The problem was what others would think about it and how it would impact my career, volunteer work, and the work my husband does.

So I thought long and hard as I stared at the pseudonym line on my contract. Before the papers were signed Emilia Mancini, my erotic writing sidekick, was born. 

When Musa contracted Unforgettable You, a sweet romance, I again had to decide if the name I was making as a journalist was going to be tied to my fiction writing or if I was going to give Emilia credit for this one as well. I considered several pros and cons, including the fact that I’d already started building an identity for Emilia and that my lifelong dream was to see my name on the cover of the book. While Emilia was me, it just isn’t the same as seeing my name on there.

In the end I decided to use my maiden name, Marci Boudreaux, for romance.

This would serve several purposes; fulfilling that dream of seeing my name on a cover, letting people know it was not an erotic work like what Emilia would write, and keeping my day job separate from it all. 

I put everything in its own little box on the professional shelf; erotica, romance, and day job. I have three names, three genres, three personas that have completely different reasons for existing.

I also have three work e-mails, Facebooks (plus two author pages), Twitters, websites, and three different sets of people I network with. It is confusing, insane, and sometimes overwhelming, but it helps me keep my head on what I’m doing without worrying who is going to see it.

My alter egos and I can all be tied together because, in the end, we are all public figures in different areas. We’re all proud of the other’s work and more than happy to tell anyone who will listen. We all help each other out when we can.

I cross promote my authors so if you see Marci you will probably find Emilia not far behind and vice versa, but you will know what you are getting into depending on the primary persona.  The real me, however, is a bit more hidden in the shadows, never completely in the dark and always happy to take credit for the hard work of the other two.

To read an excerpt from Marci Boudreaux’s latest release Unforgettable You, please click HERE.

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Author Morale...

If you look up the word morale in any dictionary chances are it reads: the degree of mental or moral confidence of a person or group. For me, as an author, morale means much more than that. It is that needed punch in the arm authors give each other, that woo-hoo for a great review, that tweet or share or shout out to help authors with their sales, and that blog post comment to help them get on the cyber map.

So how do you go about bolstering author morale? Follow the Golden rule. Treat other authors precisely as you wish them to treat you. If they don’t respond at once, keep at it, again and again and again. If there’s no response, no Esprit de Corps among them, then it may be time to move on and find another group of authors willing to help build your author brand and platform with you. Then, once you’ve establish an Esprit de Corps, you go the extra mile.

Going the extra mile is the state of mind you must develop in order to build morale and keep the momentum going in any endeavor. And going the extra mile makes you indispensable to others. You do for them what no one else does. And if they ask what they can do for you, tell them. So next time you find yourself perusing your favorite social network — go the extra mile and give an author a boost. Share their post. Tweet their stuff. Comment, friend, follow. Trust me — you’ll get it back in aces.

Photo Image: 123rf Stock #7022275

Wenches of Words Wednesday: Dusty Crabtree

I’m excited to feature fellow Wench of Words, Dusty Crabtree on my blog today. In celebration of Dusty’s one-year publication anniversary of Shadow Eyes, I thought it appropriate to host this YA urban fantasy author again. Dusty is hosting a month long blog tour, featuring paperbacks, ebooks, and a KINDLE FIRE as prizes. Go HERE to find out more about her awesome blog tour. If you’d like to read an earlier interview with Dusty, please click HERE. Take it away, Dusty…

It's Awesome When Inspiration Strikes by Dusty Crabtree

The idea for Shadow Eyes actually first came to me as a screenplay for a Christian horror movie, if there ever was such a genre. The movie would have been about a cast of intertwined characters going about their lives and making mistakes with dark, creepy shadows (demons) hovering around them, whispering to them, and influencing them to do evil things. Only the audience would see the shadows. The characters would be completely oblivious.

A few years after I’d had that idea, my friend suggested I write a novel like the paranormal angel books we’d been reading and loving. I’d always loved the concept of angels and demons in stories and immediately thought back to that screenplay idea. I just continued tweaking it until I had the basic concept of Shadow Eyes – a 17-year-old girl who had this special ability to see the shadows and light figures when nobody else could.

Iris thought she could ignore the shadows...until they went after everyone she loved.

BLURB:

Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil. But she is the only one who can see them. She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier.

Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters. First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend.

As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

To read an excerpt from Shadow Eye's, please click HERE.

Watch Shadow Eyes book trailer on YouTube.

Shadow Eyes is available at all major online bookstores.

Learn more about Dusty Crabtree on her blog.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Who Let the Dogs Out…

If you’re a dog lover like me you probably can’t get enough of books or movies with dogs as one of the central characters. Scooby Doo was a mainstay on Saturday mornings for me. And when I was a girl, I used to take out armfuls of books from my elementary school’s library about dogs. Books like, Lad a Dog, Big Red, The Incredible Journey, and of course the biggest dog star of all: Lassie. A box of tissue would always be by my side when I watched a movie about dogs. There was a guarantee, an unwritten code that movie producers made sure you would cry. Don’t believe me? Watch Marley and Me, and prove me wrong. I dare you. No. I double dog dare you!

In my book, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, a smelly deerhound named Tuck—Friar Tuck’s namesake—makes a few cameo appearances. So I thought I gather together a group of fine young adult authors who have made it a point to have dogs in their books. Let the barking commence:

Linda Benson: Walking the Dog

Jared feels like he's the only one who looks past Sophie's scars to see her for who she is. But can he be a true friend when she desperately needs one?

Jared is smitten when his teacher seats the new girl, Sophie, right next to him. Even with the scar running up the side of her face, Jared thinks she’s the most beautiful girl in the entire fifth grade. But why did she transfer here so late in the year? Rumors say something bad happened to her.

Jared and Sophie become friends while walking the guidance counselor’s new puppy, but when his parents object to this arrangement, Jared fabricates a series of elaborate lies to meet Sophie on the sly. But little brothers can be pests. First Petey lets the orange cat loose at the animal shelter where Jared and Sophie have been secretly walking the dogs. Then Petey turns up missing.

And Sophie's past finally catches up with her.



Cordelia Dinsmore: Michaela’s Gift
Twelve-year-old Michaela Cochran still believes in enchanted mountains and fairytale castles, but her happily-ever-after will never happen if she can’t convince her mother to accept the magical gift Michaela has inherited.

Michaela Cochran and her family make the trip to her father’s ancestral home every year, but this year is special. Michaela is now twelve, the age when every girl in the family receives a special gift. When Aunt Sharon explains that Michaela’s gift is a magical ability to bring one of her drawings to life, Michaela begins making plans. What she wants most is a castle high on the mountain, where her family can live together. But if she can’t figure out how to resolve the growing hostility between herself and her mother, her gift is meaningless.

Rita Monette: The Legend of Ghost Dog Island

Behind every legend lies the truth.
Moving is nothing new for ten-year-old Nikki Landry. Her fisherman father relocates their raggedy old houseboat several times a year in search of better crabbing spots. However, their latest move has brought her to a mysterious bayou where she feels something is watching her from a nearby island.

Nikki learns of a local legend about something sinister inhabiting those swamps, stealing the souls of dogs…which would explain the strange howling sounds. Papa reassures her there’s nothing on the island but gators and snakes. He would know. He’s spent his whole life trapping and fishing those bayous and swamps. But Nikki and her new friends uncover strange happenings from years ago that may have started the old legend, and town folks aren’t talking. Then her beloved beagle goes missing.

Join Nikki as she seeks to discover the real truth behind the legend of Ghost Dog Island…before it’s too late.

To finish off this post, I thought I’d pull you back in time (a specialty of mine) to enjoy a musical romp with the Baha Men. Enjoy!
 

Wenches of Words Wednesday: Samantha Combs

Today I am excited to have a remarkable, multi published author and Wench Samantha Combs on my blog to chat about books, genres, and what keeps her surging forward. Take it away, Samantha...

Tell us about yourself.
I’m a Southern California author, with 8 published books, 4 paranormals and 4 horrors. I’m a wife, a mom, a Risk Manager, a sister and a daughter. I’m a life-juggler. My blog is a hodge-podge of it all and a great place to get “aspiring writer” tips. I also have a muse; a cocky, arrogant, diva-like entity named Musina. Her greatest delight is making me stay up writing till 3am without giving me a clue where the story is headed. She’s an evil bitch, but I kind of love her.

Tell us about your book.
More than any other book or story I have written, Waterdancer is the most autobiographical. While there are parts of “me” in all my works, this book takes the biggest pieces from my teenhood. And I am more like Bailey that I would care to admit. New to the area, the school, and in a new marriage of her mother’s, Bailey is just trying to find her place in the world. It doesn’t help that as she approaches her 16th birthday, a super secret family trait begins to show itself. The story is about how she deals with that, and rebuilds relationships in her life she felt long past resurrection.

Here's the blurb for your reading pleasure.:)

For Bailey Wasserman, being Bailey has recently become an incredible challenge. It's not enough that she must come to terms with her mother's new husband, their new life, and a new surfer boyfriend. When she meets her real father for the first time, she discovers a secret family trait that will alter the course of her own life and those she loves…maybe forever.

Bailey and her mom have always met life’s challenges as a team of two, more like best friends than mother and daughter. But her mom’s recent marriage has changed all of that, and having her little brother Landry is the only good Bailey can find in that union. The move to wealthy Del Mar from their humble beginnings has turned Bailey sour, until a chance meeting with surf hottie Jack West. Then Bailey's father, with his annoying Zen-surfer lingo and a talking turtle he claims is no less than her spirit guardian, reenters her life and threatens the only relationship Bailey thinks is working in her world. She soon finds out that’s not all his arrival will do. His presence and their shared family trait could ultimately force Bailey to make a decision that will alter the course of her own life and those she loves…forever.

To read an excerpt from WATERDANCER, please click HERE.

If you could only have one vice what would it be?
Gluttony. I would like to be able to eat anything I want and not have any repercussions.

Who is your favorite character from one of your books and why?
I am partial to a cocky, confident chick in my 2nd book. Sixx is the main character’s best friend, but she has a reckless passion for life and not caring what anyone else thinks of her. Her confidence is intoxicating. She reminds me of a friend from my teens.

What are you working on now?
My 9th book, The Deadlies, is with a publisher, hopefully to be accepted. My 10th book, Wingspan, is a departure from what I normally write. Dystopic in a way, of course paranormal, with lots of action, I am writing my first car chase, my first government conspiracy and *gasp* my first sex scene. It is a challenge. It was a NaNoWriMo project but I abandoned it when my father-in-law fell ill. Back at it, I am more than 2/3 through and shocked daily by the plot twists and turns my Musina is taking me on.

What’s your favorite quote?
An old Persian proverb: Now that the barn has burned down, I can see the moon. It’s a take on the “silver lining” thing and has sailed me through more of my own Bermuda Triangles than I can name.

Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration as soon as I open my eyes in the morning. I am a marinater. This means I roll things around in my head until they gel. Like jello. Liquid at first, but given time and patience, super tasty jello. And diamonds, hiding inside the rock. Get it?

What are the titles of your books and links so we can read excerpts?
Thank you for asking.:) Here they are:

SPELLBOUND
EVERSPELL
GHOSTLY
THE DETENTION DEMON
TEETH AND TALONS
WAY PAST MIDNIGHT
WATERDANCER
HELLOWEEN

Samantha Combs is a Southern California author with eight published books that include a Global Ebook Award-winner. Her genres include YA paranormal, middle grade horror, and adult horror, and YA fantasy.

She loves writing and is in awe of the technological advances of our lives. Ereaders and similar gadgets are bringing the written word to a generation that might never have discovered books otherwise and every time she sees a kid pick one up to read something it fills her with joy to be a small part of that process. If a child can connect with literature because he or she did so electronically, a connection still was made. She is excited to see what our world has in store for literature and thrilled to be along for that ride.

When Samantha isn't writing, she works full time and enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. Her guilty pleasures include reality television, the Food Network channel and shoes. She truly believes she can accomplish anything if she has the right pair of shoes.

Connect with Samantha Combs on her Fan Page, blog and Twitter. You're always welcome to email Samantha.

It’s Official…

Welcome to Fairy Falls.
Expect the unexpected.

Well, it’s a done deal. I’ve officially signed on with literary agency Walden House (Books & Stuff) on February 14^th. The ‘i’s were dotted, ‘t’s were crossed, and the signatures were witnessed. I had technically signed the contract at the end of December, but held off on this post announcement until our partnership became signed, sealed, and complete.

Walden House will be representing my young adult series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls. The setting of the small, rural/cottage community of Fairy Falls is the glue that holds this series together. Each book is a stand alone project with a different cast of characters, and with one main character possessing a unique psychic, supernatural, or prophetic ability.

Here’s the premise for the series: Imagine a teenager possessing a psychic ability and struggling to cope with this freakish power while trying to have a normal life. Now, imagine being uprooted and forced to live in a small tourist town where nothing much ever happens. It’s bores-ville from the get-go. Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.

The first book in the series is entitled Lost and Found. Here’s a brief sneak-peek:

Meet Meagan Walsh. She can communicate with animals. She reads their thoughts, speaks their language. It is her secret until she meets up with a cantankerous old shelter cat by the name of Whiskey. Sentenced to work off her community hours at the Fairy Falls Animal Shelter, Meagan encounters all kinds of problems—the biggest being that the shelter is having money troubles and may have to shut down forever. There’s also another problem—someone is killing off the animals, one by one. With the help of two friends, Meagan finds the strength and courage to dig deep to get to the truth before it’s too late for the shelter animals, her friends, and herself. 

I hope that was enough to pique your interest! I’ll keep you posted on the progress of this wonderful new YA series, as well as my personal journey working along side a literary agency. This is a whole new experience for me, and one that I would love to share with you! Cheers!

Wenches of Words Wednesday: Susan Lodge

 I’m excited to feature fellow Wench of Words, Susan Lodge, a gutsy regency romance author on my blog today! In my opinion, this Wench is a hero in her own right for never giving up on her publishing dreams. Take it away, Susan…

ONLY A HERO WILL DO The latest release by Susan Lodge.

Hetty’s desperate gamble to avoid an odious match lands her all at sea. Can an overbearing ship’s physician really be the hero she needs to escape her treacherous family?

BLURB:

Marriage to a cruel dandy is not how Hetty Avebury envisions spending the rest of her life. Determined to raise funds to escape the match she earns money the only way she knows how—gambling. Her plans go astray and she finds herself onboard a man-of-war under the care of its stern physician. But Hetty soon realizes that the disapproving Doctor Withington is not at all the man she had first imagined.

If it wasn’t bad enough declaring one of the pressed men as a woman, Robert has been tasked with the tiresome job of returning her safely back to her dysfunctional family. It was ten years ago when his father gambled away his inheritance, home, and any chance of marrying the woman he loved. So when Robert discovers Hetty gambling he takes drastic action to cure her of the habit.

EXCERPT:

“Annie, will you please walk beside me? Try to remember, I am supposed to be your brother not your employer. You must keep your arm on mine.”

Annie pursed her lips but did as she was told. At five foot four, Hetty was tall enough to masquerade as a male. Her disguise was not of fine quality this time, as she had no desire to stand out in the crowd. It was serviceable and clean, if a little ill-fitting.

She resembled a rather youthful clerk.

They had left in the early hours after Hetty had written her aunt a short note to tell her not to worry. She couldn’t risk anything else, as she knew Stark and her father would ask too many questions. If she knew nothing, Aunt Amelia wouldn’t have to lie—something she didn’t like to do.

After a moment, Hetty and Annie searched for a respectable inn, both having missed breakfast. It was only after they had seated themselves in the Boar's Head and ordered a modest meal that Hetty realized it was a bad choice. The tables were occupied by groups of unsavoury looking males, half of whom were staring at Annie in a very vulgar way. Hetty looked around with a feeling of foreboding while picking at a cold rabbit pie. The room started to empty as a strange murmur of discontent rippled through the establishment.

Annie fidgeted beside her. “I don’t like it, Miss Hetty! It ain’t right.” Hetty groaned.

“Harry—not Miss Hetty! For heaven’s sake, Annie!”

“Beg pardon…Harry,” she said, as though the name was blasphemous, “but I think we should go now.”

Hetty agreed and prepared to rise when the door shot open and the remaining customers scattered in all directions. A small party of hefty men, armed with wooden batons, sauntered in and stopped in the center of the room, assessing the occupants.

Annie grabbed Hetty’s arm. “It’s the press-gang!”

It took a moment for Annie’s words to register then Hetty swallowed violently. If only her skirts were back on. One of them noticed her and narrowed his eyes with a terrifying gleam like a predator. He pointed his finger her way. “Now, lad, I reckon you look ripe for adventure. Eager to serve your king, I wager.”

Hetty shook her head and grasped Annie. “No, sir, I have my sister here to look after.”

The man wandered closer, his fleshy face beamed and his voice cajoled. “What’s your name, lad, and how old are you?”

“Harry Blake. I am fourteen." Surely that is too young.

The man considered her for a moment, and Hetty didn’t dare to breathe.

“Bring him.”

Logic ceased. Hetty ducked under the table and tried to crawl toward the door, but one of them crunched a foul-smelling boot down on the small of her back, and her breath escaped in one whoosh of pain. A large hand hoisted her up by the neckcloth and placed her on her feet.

BUY LINK

Susan Lodge is a life long writer, but has marketed her work just these last few years. When she is not writing, Susan tinkers on her piano, enjoys the company of her children, or takes long walks along the coastline with her real life hero.

Once asked the most important piece of advice she had been given in pursuit of publication, Susan answered - The only difference between the unpublished writer and the published writer is the fact that the published writer didn't give up.

Catch up with Susan on her website and blog.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.