Just Imagine

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Welcome to my blog! Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee and read what's on my mind. I've a vicious sense of humor, an apprecation for romance and a mad addiction to writing.

Friday, January 31, 2014

"Love Can Begin With Reverie..." Interview with Alexander of In Her Dreams.



Welcome to day two of A Writer’s Mind’s, End of Week Character Blowout! Yesterday, I interviewed Evangeline, the heroine from Katherine Givens', In Her Dreams. Today, I’ll be chatting with her hero, Alexander. So sit back, relax and read on. But before we begin, let's learn a bit more about this novella...

Her heart belongs to an alluring, golden-haired gentleman, perfect in every way...except one: he doesn’t exist.

Angela Vernon is everything a proper, well-brought-up woman should be. She knows her place and understands society’s expectations — which include not being jealous of her sister and not coveting her sister’s suitor. But how can she bear the heartache of watching the only man she loves marry not only her sister, but a woman who doesn’t see past his exterior to the man he is beneath?

On to the Interview!


SKY:  Alexander, tell us a little bit about you.

ALEXANDER: What is there to tell? I am guarded. Sometimes prone to bouts of loneliness, but I am a man like any other. 

SKY:   Remembering the moment you first laid eyes on Evangeline, what thoughts come to mind?

ALEXANDER: Evangeline, the first person to breech my solitude for years. I was utterly enchanted by her, for I had never seen a woman with such fire. Such zeal. Her chin was stubbornly set. Her eyes wide with amazement. She was beautiful.

SKY:   She has one trait you adored from the start. What is it? Hands down, she appreciates one of your traits…what do you think that is?

ALEXANDER: Knowing Evangeline, she is proud of the fact she is the remedy to my one vulnerability. My loneliness. Despite her stubbornness and hotheadedness, Evangeline has one of the kindest hearts. She is willing to do anything for the ones she loves, which I absolutely respect and admire. 

SKY:  She has one trait you’d change if you could. What is it? You figure there’s probably a trait she might want to change about you… care to share?

ALEXANDER: Her lack of faith in my assurances that one day we will be together in every respect. I swear it will happen if it is the last thing I do, for I know she loathes the one thing keeping us apart. My dream-like state. Our dream-like state. 

SKY:  Ah, love is in the air. What is the single most romantic thing you’ve done for her? 

ALEXANDER: Promising to be with her forever and always. 

SKY:  She has a feature that draws your eye every time. Care to share? She can’t stare at you enough… but where is she staring? Now’s the time to gloat about your thick head of hair. *Sky sniggers* Truth! Do you think it’s your eyes? Chest? Etc.

ALEXANDER: Her lips. Her lips thin whenever she dwells on her worries. My first reaction is to try and kiss away her concern, her pain. As for me, I’d say it is my golden hair. She often compares my hair to the mane of a lion, the king of the pride. I am not certain if I should be flattered or offended by the comparison…

SKY:   How do you think (heroine’s name) would answer the following…  Our favorite thing to do together is…?

ALEXANDER: Exploring my library. I have a cache of books we poured over at the beginning of our relationship, but as of late we’ve abandoned the dusty tomes for talk of where our lives are heading… What did Evangeline say?

SKY:  You and Evangeline don’t see eye to eye on what issue?

ALEXANDER: One day being together beyond our dreams, the doubtful minx. 

SKY:   She said one thing to you that you’ll never forget. What was it? 

ALEXANDER:  “I think I love you.” Ha! Evangeline has a knack for poetry, does she not? I am absolutely certain of my love for her, yet she is now coming to terms with her own sentiments for me… Pardon me, Sky, but I must be off. This chat was delightful, but I am in need of rest.

SKY: Wonderful interview! Thanks for joining me today.

Learn more about author Katherine Givens in A Writer's Mind's, Midweek Meet and Greet.

Visit Katherine Givens


Thursday, January 30, 2014

"He Came to Her in a Dream..." Interview with Angela Vernon of In Her Dreams.




Welcome! You’ve arrived just in time to enjoy an End of the Week Character Blowout. Today and tomorrow, I’ll be interviewing the hero and heroine from Katherine Givens, In Your Dreams. It’s always interesting to see how well the couples from some of your favorite books really know one another. Today, we’ll chat with Evangeline Vernon, then tomorrow, the object of her affections, Alexander. Before we get started, let's learn a bit more about this Regency Romance Novella...

Her heart belongs to an alluring, golden-haired gentleman, perfect in every way...except one: he doesn’t exist.

Angela Vernon is everything a proper, well-brought-up woman should be. She knows her place and understands society’s expectations — which include not being jealous of her sister and not coveting her sister’s suitor. But how can she bear the heartache of watching the only man she loves marry not only her sister, but a woman who doesn’t see past his exterior to the man he is beneath?

Time to Interview!


SKY:  Evangeline, Tell us a little bit about you.

EVANGELINE: Oh, where do I begin? My family is pressing me to encourage the Duke of Manchester, the most boring gentleman to ever grace the ton, in what I consider to be a mockery of a courtship. I am nearing spinsterhood, you see. Snagging myself a duke would be impressive for a woman of my status, but I suspect my dearest sister is in love with Manchester! I haven’t a clue how to act. And, besides… my own heart belongs to another.

SKY:   Remembering the moment you first laid eyes on Alexander, what thoughts come to mind?

EVANGELINE: Alexander? He was the most tempting creature I’d ever beheld. His eyes were the most remarkable shade of green, his gaze searing my skin. As striking as he was, I sensed an aura of loneliness about him. He was…melancholy, and a part of me wanted to discover why. But, I told myself, I was only dreaming.

SKY:   He has one trait you adored from the start. What is it? You know without doubt he appreciates one of your traits. Share what you think that is.

EVANGELINE: I adore his rigid composure isn’t so fallible. A part of him is vulnerable…to me. And I think he adores I am aware of this vulnerability.

SKY:  He has one trait you’d change if you could. What is it? Oh yeah, there’s a trait you know he’d change about you…fess up!

EVANGELINE: Alexander would prefer I wasn’t so elusive. The trait I’d change is his nonexistence! Lord, sometimes I wish my dreams were not more enticing than reality. *Sigh* Sorry for my little outburst there. It is only… Never mind. I do not wish to burden you with my life’s complications… You were saying?

SKY:  Ah, love is in the air. What is the single most romantic thing he’s done for you?

EVANGELINE: Alexander once swooped me into his arms and promised to find me. He would never quit trying to carry our love outside the realm of dreams and into reality. The greatest gift he could ever give me is himself. I only hope he comes through, even if I am skeptical.  

SKY:  He has a feature that draws your eye every time. Care to share? His eye constantly roams to a particular part of your person. Tell, tell!

EVANGELINE: Ooh. I do love this question. His feature I adore is, as I said previously, his lonely, green eyes. Alexander’s gaze is always attracted to my lips, for I think he cannot last too long without a kiss!

SKY:   How do you think Alexander would answer the following…  Our favorite thing to do together is…?

EVANGELINE: Lord, I am blushing. I think our favorite pastime is typical of any blossoming couple. How do I put this delicately? Exploring one another’s…persons?

SKY:  You and Alexander just don’t see eye to eye on what issue?

EVANGELINE: Ever being united with one another. He has a knack for hope. I, on the other hand, might only maintain hope if I have a plan to enact, and I am currently unaware of his.

SKY:   He said one thing to you that you’ll never forget. What was it?

EVANGELINE:  Simple. He once said to me, “You have been vital to my life, my dreams, for these past few months. Without you I fear I would not know how to live.” Goodness. (Evangeline fans herself.) I think I need to lie down and take a nap. Thank you for the wonderful chat, but I need to become lost in my dreams.

SKY: Great interview! It’s been a pleasure having you over.

Learn more about author Katherine Givens in her Midweek Meet and Greet.

Be sure to swing back in tomorrow to check out Alexander’s interview!

Visit Katherine Givens


Monday, January 13, 2014

Cover Reveal! Blood Reunited by Amber Belldene.



Just revealed! Today I’m pleased to be among the first to show off the never-before-seen cover for Blood Reunited, Book Three in Amber Belldene’s, Blood Vine Series.

Genre: paranormal romance

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Date of Publication: January 28, 2014

ISBN:9781623420956

Book Description


Book Three in the Blood Vine Series.

Brooding vampire halfling and biologist Bel Maras is determined to create a cure for the wasting disease that plagues his vampire family. His work becomes essential as the Hunters intensify their global and bloody campaign. When Bel's cure fails, only his ancient and estranged godmother Uta Ilirije can help. But seeing the ice-cold Uta reveals something shocking--she is his bonded mate.

She may be a dangerous warrior, but Uta feels her failures acutely. She has been unable to protect her kind from Hunters, and vampires are dying out. Worse, she tied Bel to her long ago in an accident of blood, then abandoned him for his own good--a choice he has never forgiven. Many days, she is convinced Bel and the vampires would be better off if she just walked into the sun.

Biology has fated them to be mates. Now these old enemies must overcome their past to save the vampires and come to peace with the bond they never chose.

Blood Entangled 
Blood Vine Series
Book Two



Genre: paranormal romance

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

ISBN: 9781623420437
ASIN:B00E3ER9KI

Number of pages: 318


Book Description


KOS MARAS’s orderly life is in shambles—he must distribute Blood Vine to a population of ailing vampires, but Hunters block him at every turn. To make matters worse, each night he watches over a temptingly beautiful woman sleeping in his bed. He is convinced love cannot last a vampire-long lifetime and an entanglement will only cause them grief, but he doesn’t have the heart to send her away.

From a long line of blood servants, LENA ISAAKSON is destined to serve a vampire, but a string of humiliating rejections thwarts her pleasure. When Kos shows her kindness, she hopes he will claim her. Instead he proves himself a coward in the face of love and sends her to serve another.

Will the dark seduction of a rakish new vampire finally bring Lena the pleasure she desires or deliver her into the hands of Hunters who want to destroy everything the Maras family has worked for?

Book Trailer




Blood Vine
Blood Vine Series
Book One


Genre: paranormal romance

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Date of Publication: January 6, 2013

ISBN:9781623420048
ASIN: B00AXREPM4

Number of pages: 206


Book Description


In Blood Vine, bites are an inconvenient bliss, exiled vampires are wasting away, and the fate of their kind depends on the perfect PR campaign.

When public relations pro Zoey Porter arrives at an enchanting California winery, she discovers her sexy new client is the almost one-night stand she can't forget. After her husband's suicide, Zoey has vowed never to risk her heart again. But can she walk away from the intriguing winemaker a second time?

Driven from Croatia by his ancient foes, vampire Andre Maras has finally made a blood-like wine to cure his fellow refugees. Now he needs Zoey's PR expertise to reach them. After his wife's death, Andre has a vow of his own—never to risk another painful blood bond. And one taste of the tempting Zoey would bind him to her eternally.

His secrets stall her PR plans. Her jealousy is stoked by the blissed-out beauties leaving his bedroom. At every turn, he utterly fails to resist her. When she discovers he is a vampire, will she be lost to the golden-eyed Hunters, or lose herself to the emptiness in her heart, before she can help him save his kind?

Book Trailer




About the Author


Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book.  As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons—an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days. 

Amber is an Episcopal Priest and student of religion.  She believes stories are the best way to explore human truths.  Some people think it is strange for a minister to write romance, but it is perfectly natural to her, because the human desire for love is at the heart of every romance novel and God made people with that desire. She lives with her husband and two children in San Francisco. 

Visit Amber's Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Twitter: @amberbelldene

Friday, January 10, 2014

Writing: A Discipline or an Art. Begotten by Giovanna Lagana.



Today it’s my pleasure to welcome over author Giovanna Lagana, author of Begotten, Book One in The Forsaken Prophecies. So grab your favorite cuppa, relax and not only learn more about this fascinating book but read about Giovanna's thoughts on writing.

Genre: Paranormal romantic suspense
Mystery/Thriller

ASIN: B00H0M7PLI 

Number of pages: 324
Word Count: 78280

Cover Artist: Ghislain Mallet




GIVEAWAY! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter after this post for a chance to win. Prizes include a $40 Amazon Gift Card and five eCopies of Begotten.

Book Description


In the blink of an eye Megan Johnson’s perfect life turns into a nightmare. Her beloved husband mysteriously dies in a car crash and her fourteen-year-old son, Tristan, runs away with a diabolical cult leader named Vincent Hellion. Her world is spiraling to destruction. She leans on her husband’s best friend, Rhett Foster, for support and help. But when feelings she thought she never had for Rhett begin to surface and unknown psychic powers possess her, she becomes more confused than ever. She tries to push her feelings for Rhett aside and focus on her visions to save her son before it’s too late.

Rhett Foster has loved Megan for so long. But he never confessed his feelings to her because his best friend was her husband. Now that her husband is dead, he struggles with his conscience. Should he tell Megan how he really feels or should he honor his best friend's memory?

Megan's desperate quest to find and free her son sets them both on a path of love, danger, and renewal. If they return, their lives will be changed forever.

Writing: A Discipline or an Art


Do you see writing as an art or a discipline? I’d say it’s both. But for each author one aspect is more dominant than the other. Once you’ve determined which it is, then you can focus on that and move forward. For me when I was starting out, I saw writing only as an art, not a discipline. It was a means of release for my thoughts and emotions; an escape from all the stress. My stories or poems were my canvases. My mediums weren’t pastels or oil paints, but my imagination and my mind’s eye.

But as I grew as an author, my writing turned into a discipline. I no longer wrote for the sole purpose of creative release. I wanted to make a career out of it. Unfortunately when you as a writer come to a crossroad in your life and take the route of making writing a discipline that means you need to devote most of your day to it. Which also means that you need to write prolifically and can’t afford to get writer’s block.

Getting writer’s block is an author’s nightmare. I suffer from it often, especially with new stories I’m working on. I’ve tried almost anything to get rid of it, but end up just putting the story aside and starting a new one and if it takes off, I’m ecstatic. If it doesn’t, I get cranky. I put it aside and start another hoping this time it’ll get written.

I have so many stories I started and stopped stored in my junk Word folder, I’m too scared to count. It’ll only stress me, because I loved each and every one of those premises and the artist in me wants to see what started in my imagination and in my mind’s eye transported to my canvas and into a completed story. But I try not to harp on those canvases stuck in limbo or I’ll stress myself out. Are other authors like me? Are you?

I guess every author feels like I do. He/she wants to see every one of their premises turned into a completed story. Some writers have gone to great lengths to keep writer’s block at bay. For instance, Honoré de Balzac would wake up at 1:00 in the morning and work until 8:00 a.m., take a short nap and start writing again until 4:00 p.m. John Milton had the Bible read to him daily for inspiration. And Dan Brown works in hourly intervals doing push ups in-between to recharge.

I haven’t gone to these great lengths to avoid writer’s block. Maybe if I did, then perhaps more if not all of my past stories would have been written. My New Year’s resolution is to zap writer’s block once and for all. I know, it’s a harrowing feat, but maybe this time, I’ll get it right. My plan is to hide in a no Wi-Fi distraction zone, once I’m fully awake and caffeinated. I’m going to actually write my detailed outlines and each chapter on paper, like I used to do years ago before I turned writing into a discipline. Then once each chapter is completed on paper, I’ll type it out in the afternoon or early evening. I hope this will be the ultimate remedy for me. Please wish me luck. I’ll need it. :)

How about you? What writing habits have you or will you incorporate in your daily ritual as a disciplined writer in order to be inspired and more productive?

Excerpt


Megan closed the door and leaned on it. She began to cry. Fatigue and the doctor’s words took their toll on her.

Rhett hugged her and caressed her long hair. “You heard what the doctor said? Tristan is going to be all right.”

She sniffled. “But what if he gets worse? Mark and he were so close. He lost his whole world a few days ago.”

“He still has you,” Rhett said.

“Yeah, but what if he doesn’t let me in? What if he won’t let me help him and support him? He’s a teenager now, Rhett. At his age, who knows how he will react.”

Rhett stared into her eyes, which she knew were watery, red, and puffy. “Then I’m here. Granted, my relationship with Tristan isn’t anywhere as close as his relationship had been with his dad, but we are still close. If he won’t confide in you, then I’ll try. The kid is tough. You and Mark hit the jackpot with him. He’ll be okay.”

“I hope you’re right, Rhett.”

He pulled out a compact pouch of tissues from his suit pocket. “Here you go.”

She smiled, wiped her teary eyes, and jokingly said, “Thanks, do you have any mascara in there, too?”

He put his hand in his pocket to check. “No, just a small lint remover. Care to use it?”

They both laughed at his joke. Then Megan felt a twinge of guilt for experiencing a happy emotion when she buried her husband just a few hours before. She turned serious. “Why is it that you always know what to say or do? It’s like you can read my mind.”

He smiled as he raised his left eyebrow. “That’s because we’ve known each other almost all our lives.”

“That’s true. There’s nothing we don’t know about each other. We have no secrets. You’re like the big brother I always wanted.”

Looking up into the air, he nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I know. You always say that.”

“But it’s true. You’ve always been there for me, and for Mark.” A yawn escaped her lips. “What am I thinking right now?”

Rhett winked as he spoke. “Okay, okay, I get the hint. I’ll go now.” With genuine concern, he continued, “Are you going to be okay?”

“Yes, I think I’ll go to bed early.”

He opened the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow from work. Bye.” He kissed her cheek and left.

* * * *

As Rhett closed the door behind him, he rubbed his nose. Megan’s soft locks had tickled his cheek. He could still smell her strawberry scented shampoo. He thought about what she had just said as he stood on her porch. “We have no secrets,” she’d uttered. She was wrong.

He had a secret that he kept from her all of these years. He wondered if he should ever tell her the truth. Their friendship would be at great risk if he did.

Rhett got into his car, put on the radio, and tuned it to his favorite station. The Wind Beneath My Wings was playing. He had a flashback of when he and Megan had been seventeen. They were dancing to this song at their prom.

Since they didn’t have any dates, they decided to go with each other. A smile formed on his face as he remembered how they both had two left feet. A spectacle they had made of themselves on the dance floor. Ah, the fun times they had. Megan was certainly someone special. How boring his life would have been if she had never come into it.

He drove off, vowing to protect her and her son in these troubled times. He owed it to Mark and to himself.

About the Author



Giovanna Lagana is a freelance author. Some of her short stories and poems have been featured in magazines like Tales of the Talisman, Short-Story. Me, Static Movement, and Fear and Trembling Magazine, etc.

To learn more about Giovanna and her writing, please check her website at: www.giovannalagana.com