Two New Releases -- TRUCK STOP PARADISE and RODEO MAN by Celia Yeary @prairierosepublications #firestarpress

TRUCK STOP PARADISE

Leigh Anne McClintock has spent her adult life shielding her addictive sister Crissy. But when Crissy abandons a horse, Leigh Anne borrows a pick-up and trailer and takes the horse from North Texas to the Panhandle ranch owned by a childhood friend, Chad Rogers. 

Chad has wondered for years why his best friend Leigh Anne betrayed him and her sister Crissy on the night of their ten-year high school reunion. When Leigh Anne arrives, he willingly takes in the animal, and he cautiously tries to make peace with Leigh Anne. They feel the old attraction, but neither can let go of the past.

When Crissy makes a disturbing appearance, will Chad and Leigh Anne finally learn to put themselves first ... and find the love that had been there all along?

RODEO MAN

Marla Ellington inherits an abandoned town on ranchland near Arrowhead, Texas. When she arrives to claim her property, and finds Cody Matheson sitting on the porch of the dilapidated honky-tonk, her temper flares hotter than her pistol. Anger blazing, she settles in for a showdown.

Cody's only goal for the week is to win the bull-riding event at the Saturday night rodeo. But when Marla receives an anonymous threat that forces her to leave town, Cody finds himself smack-dab in the middle of a mystery. 'Course, catching a criminal and lasting eight seconds on a bull are easy compared to winning the love of the feisty, strawberry-blonde beauty who wants nothing to do with him. Now it's his turn for a showdown.

     

New Release -- The Case of the Lost Trophy Wife (A P.I. Berger Mystery Book 3) by Harol Marshall @prairierosepubs #mystery

 When prosperity gospel preacher Harvey Kow’s beautiful wife, Holly, goes missing in Tinseltown, P.I. Polly Berger’s investigative firm is hired to find her—and prove the Right Reverend Kow is innocent of any wrongdoing. 

But the wealthy preacher’s wife has some secrets of her own that come to light when one of Polly’s former clients, Cinda Mae Bradbury, divulges the past occupation of the missing woman. Did Holly Kow run away? Has she been kidnapped? Or, has something worse happened in Hollywood Hills?

With a killer on the loose, Polly is nearly murdered in a drive-by shooting, and the tarot card reader in Polly’s building mysteriously disappears after making a dire prediction for Polly’s ex-husband, Johnny’s future.

Can Polly, her assistant Bunny, and Johnny find Holly Kow before it’s too late? Their time is up, and their very survival depends on solving THE CASE OF THE LOST TROPHY WIFE…  

EXCERPT

     A minute or two after I’d informed Bunny of my decision to take the Kow case, I remembered the invoice I forgot to give him. I headed out to his desk with a copy of a statement from the L.A. Department of Power and Water.

     “One more bill to pay,” I said. “The best reason of all to work with a shyster like Bugsy.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth when all hell broke loose.

     “Holy sh—! Get down, Polly,” Bunny yelled, tackling me and dragging me behind his desk as a flurry of gunshots rang out.

     “What the—” I’d barely hit the floor when our building exploded in a fusillade of flying bullets and shattering glass and metal. The cannonade rivaled the Fourth of July at Dodger Stadium. I hoped our building’s earthquake fortifications were up to code, because there was a whole lot of shakin’ going on and not of the Jerry Lee Lewis variety. I listened for screams, wondering if anyone downstairs had been hit, but the only sounds reaching my ears were of the non-human variety.

     

Shakespeare, Led Zeppelin, and Misquotes by Kaye Spencer #shakespeare #firestarpress #prairierosepubs

(1) William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare—poet, playwright, and actor with the Lord Chamberlain's Men—a man whose legacy of words has survived four centuries.

Today, April 23rd, marks the day of both his birth and his death—1564 to 1616.

However, there is more to this coincidence. The dates recorded at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon regarding Shakespeare's birth and death are:

Internment – April 25, 1616

Baptism – April 26, 1564

Shakespeare scholars generally agree since it was common to have an infant baptized on the first Sunday after his/her birth (infant mortality influenced this immediacy), Shakespeare was likely born on April 23rd. This was a Thursday, and it is reasonable that his mother would have been able to attend church for his baptism two days later. Shakespeare scholars also, mostly, agree that he died on the anniversary of his birth, since burials generally happened two days after a death and the 25th is his burial recorded date.

Coincidentally, or not, since April 23rd is also St. George's Day (Feast of St. George), it was (is) a  convenient English celebration to associate with William Shakespeare.

And, why not?

Regardless of the actual dates, Shakespeare's birth and death dates are, for the sake of tradition, the same.

So, to commemorate the Bard on this day, here are eight commonly misquoted lines from his works compared to the actual text. Please note for ease of reading, in some instances, I have deliberately disregarded the exact format in which Shakespeare wrote the words.

1- Hamlet – V, i, 69-171
Misquote: “Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well.”
Actual Quote:
Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.

(4) Hamlet & Horatio

2-  Hamlet – I, iv, 16-18
Misquote: “To the manor born”
Actual Quote:
But to my mind, though I am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honour’d in the breach than the observance.

Manor and manner are homophones, which means they sound alike, but they have different meanings. According to dictionary definitions,

Manor is a 'large country house with lands; the principal house of a landed estate'.
Manner is a way in which things are done or happen; a person's outward bearing or way of behaving toward others

Hamlet speaks this line and his meaning of manner is to be so good at what you're doing that you appear to have been born with the skill, talent, or attribute. In this case, wild drunken carousing. :-)

3- Hamlet – III, ii, 239
Misquote: "Methinks the lady doth protest too much."
Actual quote:
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

(2) The Play within a Play

4- The First Part of King Henry the Fourth – V, iv, 123-124
Misquote: "Discretion is the better part of valour."
Actual Quote:
The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life.

5- The Life and Death of King John – IV, ii, 10-16
Misquote: "Don't gild the lily."
(Meaning: You're already wearing designer clothing, there's no need to gild the lily and add the emerald-studded accessories.)
Actual Quote:
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily...is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

6- Macbeth – V, vii, 74-76
Misquote: "Lead on, Macduff."
(The line is misquoted as meaning “Full steam ahead!" "Here we go!" when it is really about the start of a fight.
Actual Quote:
Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff, and damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold enough!'

(3) Macbeth & the Witches

7- Macbeth – IV, i, 10-11
Misquote: "Bubble, bubble, you're in trouble. Leave this island on the double." (Thank Disney for this cringe-worthy misquote in 'Much Ado about Scrooge' in "Duck Tales")
Actual Quote:
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

8- The Merchant of Venice – II, vii, 66-74
Misquote: "All that glitters is not gold" and "All that glitters is gold"
(these words predate Shakespeare to the 12th century.)
Actual Quote:
The lines from The Merchant of Venice: Morochus, a prince, and a suitor to Portia, reads these lines from a scroll—

All that glisters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms infold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgement old,
Your answer had not been inscroll'd:
Fare you well; your suit is cold.

SO... what does Led Zeppelin have to do with misquoting William Shakespeare?

Stairway to Heaven

Interestingly enough, the message in the song and Death's warning in The Merchant of Venice are  quite similar. Both warn of the dangers in pursuing the superficial and elusive material possessions in life at the expense of seeking enduring and meaningful soul-feeding life pursuits. In other words, leading a self-centered and self-serving life is not fulfilling at the end of the day.

Now, have a listen to Led Zeppelin's tale of a lady who's sure...

Coming Fall 2018 from Prairie Rose Publications and Fire Star Press
Vampire/Cowboy Contemporary Romance

Until next time,

Kaye Spencer

Writing through history one romance upon a time

Website/Blog- https://www.kayespencer.com
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YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/kayespencer0203

References:
*Shakespeare, William, et al. The Yale Shakespeare. Barnes & Noble Books, 1993.
*Garrett, Anna. “5 Top Misquoted Shakespeare References.” OKWU Eagle, 30 Apr. 2015, eagle.okwu.edu/2015/04/30/top-misquoted-shakespeare-quotes/.
*“The 5 Most Misquoted Lines from Shakespeare.” Candis, www.candis.co.uk/all-Extra-Features/shakespeare/.
*“William Shakespeare.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 5 Aug. 2017, www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323.
*“Birth and Death of William Shakespeare Celebrated.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/birth-and-death-of-william-shakespeare-celebrated.

Images:
(1) Taylor, John. William Shakespeare. Print. Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. Distributed under a CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. 1719. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Shakespeare_MET_DP858189.jpg. 21 Apr 2018
(2) Delacroix, Eugène Ferdinand Victor. The Play-Within-A-Play. Print. Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. Distributed under a {{PD-1923}} license. 1839. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Play-Within-A-Play_MET_DP852127.jpg. 21 Apr 2018.
(3) Zuccarelli, Francesco. Macbeth and the Witches (Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 1).Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. 1770. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Macbeth_and_the_Witches_(Shakespeare,_Macbeth,_Act_1,_Scene_1)_MET_DP859553.jpg. 21 April 2018.
(4) Delacroix, Eugène Ferdinand Victor. Hamlet und Horatio auf dem Friedhof. Painting. Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. Distributed under a {{PD-1923}} license.1839. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eugène_Ferdinand_Victor_Delacroix_018.jpg. 21 Apr 2018.

New Release - Charlotte's Resurrection by Linda Swift - @prairierosepubs #suspense #firestarpress

Newspaper reporter Charlotte Timberlake plans to write a book comparing past and present treatment for mental illness. She persuades a doctor to admit her to a state hospital as a patient.

When unforeseen events make it impossible for her to leave, she finds herself unable to convince anyone – those in charge, her children, or ex-husband – she doesn't belong there.

Charlotte soon realizes it is up to her to find a means of escaping the nightmare of her self-condemned prison.

EXCERPT

     When Charlotte awoke, her room was dark except for the faint light from the lobby desk. Her throat felt parched and sore. She was thirsty. She sat up slowly, feeling groggy and stiff. She walked to the screen door and turned the handle but it didn't move. She tried again. Then she realized she was locked in. She shook the door. "Miss Hill," she called softly, so as not to wake the others. "Miss Hill."

     Josephine Hill stood up from the desk. "What you want, Timberlake?"

     "I want out. I want to get a drink of water."

     "I'll bring you one." She shuffled toward the water fountain, snapped a paper cup from the holder.

     "I want to use the bathroom, too," Charlotte said, thinking quickly. She had to get out of this room.

     "Okay, okay. One thing at a time. Here's your water."

     Charlotte took the tiny cup and drained it.

     "Okay, let's go to the john now." Josephine took her arm.

Charlotte jerked away. "I'll go by myself, thanks."

     "No, you won't, Timberlake. I got orders to keep close by you." Josephine reached for her arm again, and together they made their way in semi-darkness past the various sounds of sleeping patients.

     "What time is it?" Charlotte asked as she sat down on the commode.

     "You going somewhere?" Josephine chuckled at her joke, then added, "Nearly two-thirty."

Sixteen hours. They had really knocked her out.

AN INTROVERT TAKES ON THE WORLD, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

  “Writing is something you do alone. It’s a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.” John Green

Writers are notoriously known to be introverts. It makes sense. Who else would choose to hole themselves up alone in a room for hours on end immersed in one’s own thoughts and imaginings? When the other kids are yelling for you to come out and play, you shut the blinds and pretend you’re not there. When given a choice between going to a party and staying home, home wins out every time. When you do go to the party, you wind up talking to the cat. Sound familiar? This is me, for sure.

Some people think introverts make better writers, because they are more aware of their surroundings, more at home in their heads. But writing is only half of a writers’ job. The other half is shameless self-promotion in the form of readings, presentations, and author events, all of which require taking your introverted little self out in public. What could be more alien or abhorrent to a true introvert than talking in front of the masses? Public speaking scares most people, but for an introvert, it’s a version of absolute hell.

There are solutions though, and no, it’s not imagining the audience naked. For me, it’s slipping on an alter ego, one that can withstand the rigors of crowds and confusion; one that is not the least bit bashful or shy.

Let me introduce you to ~Mollie Hunt Cat Writer~ (or MHCW for short). MHCW is part Wonder Woman, part Audrey Hepburn, part Hillary Clinton, and part my mother. She is talkative, friendly, self-assured, assertive, and a little bit loud. She is thick-skinned and cannot be offended or hurt. She is part cat. These are her super-powers.

The template for this alter-me was first invented when I did antique and collectible sales, so I guess she’s part hawker* as well. I needed her because, on my own, no one would notice me let alone buy my wares. I’d had some acting experience which I used to develop  a persona that worked for the situation. Now I carry that into my writer’s life, not to sell stuff but to sell myself.

The world is a scary place. People may not like me. I may mess up and forget words. Things may screw up that are out of my control. I may spill coffee down the front of my dress. But whatever happens, MHCW can deal with it.  I have to believe in her, because otherwise I would never leave my house.

If you want to see how it works, just come watch me speak at the International Cat Writers Association Conference in Houston. (Yikes!)  I’m giving a presentation called “Changing the World Through Fiction: 7 (plus 1) techniques to effectively promote your point of view.”

*For more on hawking, check out my blogpost, Hawking Your Wares, from November 19th, 2017.

Check out more blogposts by Mollie Hunt at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more  

Happy reading!

Li'l Tom and the Case of the New Year Dragon Giveaway!

A priceless jewel.  An epic mission.  A cat detective.  Haven’t ordered a copy of Li’l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau:  The Case of the New Year Dragon yet?  Just leave a comment on this post to be entered into a drawing to win an autographed paperback copy!

Li’l Tom, cat detective at the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau of Telegraph Hill, is back—this time, to solve the case of the New Year Dragon! 

Small animal deaths, art and jewel thefts, and a sinister, perhaps even supernatural, being lurking in the fog and shadows have been plaguing San Francisco and making the city’s four-legged residents afraid to venture out alone.  Could these incidents be related?  It’s up to Li’l Tom to find out. 

With the help of his sidekick, the lovely Calico cat, Lola, and several other unlikely animal assistants, Li’l Tom plunges into San Francisco’s Chinatown, Union Square, Russian Hill, and even the famous annual New Year Parade to crack the case.  Along the way, improbable beasts and unhinged villains thwart his every move.  Can he succeed in solving the case before it’s too late—before the Year of the Dragon is upon him?  

EXCERPT

It would soon be the Year of the Dragon. His year. He had waited ten years for this—since he was only a fourth of the size he was now and a mere whippersnapper. He was now fully grown and could no longer resist the overwhelming draw of his master’s summons. He knew it was risky to leave the comfort of his temperature-controlled habitat, especially in this cold and clammy climate, but the allure of the call was too great. Remaining in his cozy den was no option. He was instinctually aware that he was destined for greater exploits and now was the time to make his move.

♦◊♦

The ancient cat sat stone-like in the spacious basement of his Chinatown lair, his satin robes draped about him. He was in a deep trance, his only movement the rising and falling of his chest with his heavy breaths, and the fluttering in and out of his long whiskers that draped down each side of his mouth along the length of his body and to the floor. This was the time his apprentice would finally join him, and they would unite to accomplish great things. He had created the perfect, sultry environment for his follower and the basement was scorching, to say the least. As he concentrated on summoning his servant, his breathing became more and more shallow, sweat springing from his brow and dripping down his whiskers as well as the long tendril of fur that descended from the patch on his chin. His body began to sway to and fro with the mental strain, until he finally passed out and oozed onto the dank pavement of the basement floor.

Angela Crider Neary is an attorney by day and writer by night. She is an avid mystery reader and especially enjoys reading novels set in interesting locales. She was inspired to write her first mystery novella, Li'l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos, by one of her favorite areas in San Francisco, Telegraph Hill.  Her second book, Li'l Tom and the Case of the New Year Dragon is now available.  To learn more, visit her on Facebook and Amazon.

Camp NaNoWriMo

For my very first post for Fire Star Press I wrote about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and why it works for me. This month I'm writing about NaNoWriMo's lesser known younger sibling - Camp NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo occurs every November while Camp NaNoWriMo takes place in April and July each year. Elder sibling NaNoWriMo is the extrovert in the family and arrives on the scene with fanfare and confetti, shouting "Here I am!" Camp NaNoWriMo is more introverted and enters the room quietly, not calling attention to itself but willing to chat with anyone who expresses an interest. Camp NaNoWriMo is so quiet I actually forgot about it until the day before it started!

So, how does Camp NaNoWriMo differ from regular NaNoWriMo? Camp is far more relaxed. Instead of everyone working toward the same 50,000 word goal during the month, each camper sets their own goal. Also, instead of connecting to others through "writing buddies" and forums, campers are divided into cabins. Each cabin has a message board allowing campers to communicate and cheer each other to the finish line.

If you've been following my posts you know that writing has been a struggle for me over the past couple of years as my husband and I lost all three of our remaining parents. While things have gotten better, I'm still not back to writing as regularly as I would like. So, I'm hoping Camp NaNoWriMo will help me get back on track. I have set my goal for the month at a modest 15,000 words. Fifteen thousand words added to Dances with Werewolves, the next story in my Kudzu Korners series, will get the length up to where I want it to be without being an over the top goal. Fifteen thousand words is only an average of one thousand words per night for fifteen nights. Easy peasy, right?

Wish me luck! And, if you're interested in joining the fun you can sign up at campnanowrimo.org.

Until next month, happy reading (and writing)!

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An editor is an absolute necessity. By Michael E. Gonzales

Across a Sea of Stars by Michael E. Gonzales – April, 2018 #blogabookscene #Spaceopera #PrairieRosePub @PrairieRosePub #FireStarPress #sciencefiction

I realize that for the most part I’m speaking to the experienced (“preaching to the choir”). I hope that this blog may be seen by new authors, and that they may benefit from it.

Who among us has not prepared a story for publication and in doing so read it dozens upon dozens of times? Checking spelling, punctuation, making those endless little tweaks. Perhaps even rewriting a few pages, scenes, whole chapters?

Have you not come to a point where you almost had the entire manuscript memorized? Were you not absolutely convinced that your work was as polished as it could be. Perfect, in every aspect, and ready for the printed page!

Yet, your publisher, in her infinite wisdom, insists you employ the

talents of a professional editor!

"Outrageous!"  I, as a neophyte writer declared.

I decided to do that which I knew for certain was unnecessary, because I was willing to do anything to see my words in print, I succumbed and sent my precious manuscript off to the recommended editor.

I was surprised at how long the editor took to respond. I had assumed I would almost instantly receive an email praising me for fabulous work, expounding on my brilliant elucidation of complex scientific principles, raves on my unique story, my ability to develop a character, to build worlds in the reader's mind.

Impatient, I sent out an email casually inquiring how she was proceeding, to wit, “What the Hell’s take’n you so long? Don’t you recognize genius when you see it?”

Almost a month later I received my manuscript back. Though in ‘word’ I was amazed at all the virtual blood she bleed on my poor story. “This is not a murder mystery!” I shouted (awaking my poor wife who was not quite yet accustomed to the eccentricities I was to develop as a writer).

As I went through my perfect manuscript, now reduced to emergency room waste, I was shocked to discover misspellings, and punctuation errors. To compound my embarrassment, she’d gone as far as to suggest countless little tweaks and recommend the rewriting of entire pages, scenes, and whole chapters!

I was aghast.

I had to reread it twice, then submit myself to a cool down period. And a few days in the company of Lord Glenlivet.

Then epiphany befell me as does a ton of brick! She was right. Absolutely right on ninety-eight percent of her calls (no, not a hundred percent, I did a few things right).

I accepted the recommended corrections, this made the publisher happy. The book was published and so I am happy.

The moral to this tale is…listen to your publisher when she demands an editor and listen to your editor when she suggests changes.

My story is still my story and published. And we writers know how difficult that is in this day and age.

I submit all my manuscripts to my beloved editor now. Trust between a writer and his/her editor is essential. Once you have it, hang on to it.

###

Below is an excerpt from my novel, Across a Sea of Stars. This is a scene that on its face seems quite simple, but one I mused over for days. Still, there was something about the finished product that just didn’t work. I could not see the problem, but my editor saw it instantly and I could not have been more pleased with her suggestion.

You save me from the morka, and if you hadn't volunteered to

assist me, I feel sure I would have died in those woods."
"No Cris, I did not see that in your future."
"My future? You saw my future?"
"Not as you think, more like when you see clouds that you know will bring rain."
"So, what did you see?"
"Just possibilities. This event with your leg almost brought those possibilities to a harsh end. Nothing is carved upon the side of the mountain that cannot be eroded away, Cris."

Cris had trouble getting to sleep that night. The world around him was filled with strange sounds. The light of the dancing flames from the torches and fire pots created bizarre shadows against every surface he could see.

###

Order Across a Sea of Stars here:
https://www.amazon.com/Across-Sea-Stars-Unborn-Galaxy/dp/1984038060/ref=as_sl_pc_as_ss_li_til?tag=httpliviajwac-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=b14117cef21e9d34ec121910787c5d19&creativeASIN=1984038060

https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Moon-Rising-Unborn-Galaxy-ebook/dp/B01CBNSAEG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Broken-Moon-Unborn-Galaxy/dp/1540645681/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Web site:  http://www.mikegonzalesauthor.com/home.html
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