Starting Over ~ Meet the Authors of CELEBRATE!

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Linda Barrett

CELEBRATE! – A five story anthology plus a novella about holidays we celebrate throughout the year. All written by authors of On Fire Fiction.

I feel like I’m hosting a party, introducing people who I know will turn out to enjoy each other’s company. At least in the world of books. Wonderful authors matched with enthisastic readers. That’s what I call a party. Of course, it used to be called a book signing…but I think that’s evolved to its electronic versions–blogs and other social media. To me, it’s all good as long as writers and readers connect.

It’s time to connect with Dee Davis who’s favorite genre is romantic suspense. She’s written lots of them. Has won awards for them. Somehow, she figured out how to combine a thriller with holiday good times. With a little inspiration from one of her favorite movies, Die Hard, she managed to combine loss and hope…and a killer. Dee is the author of our stand-alone holiday novella, Still of the Night..

In another life, Dee would choose to be a rock singer, an actress or a winery owner. Hmm..is there a theme here. Maybe creativity? She loves anthologies because she usually gets to know authors who are new to her, stories she can read in an hour or so. “I’ve found amazing hew authors and worked to find copies of old anthologies with stories from authors I already loved.”

I agree with Dee. I view an anthology as a schmorgasbord of stories and authors. You can taste a little from everyone at the party. Dee Davis is part of the On Fire Fiction group of authors, but her holiday story stands on it’s own as a separate publication. Here’s a taste of Dee’s novella:

STORY TITLE: Still of the Night

FIRST LINE: “I’ll be home for Christmas…” Judy Garland crooned in surround-sound, and Jenny Fitzgerald resisted the urge to throw something.

Oh-oh. I think Jenny’s world is upside down. That’s a huge reaction to the words home and Christmas, the opposite emotions of what those words usually generate. Maybe she’s getting divorced. Maybe she lost her job. Maybe…maybe…maybe… Maybe she’d being blackmailed. I want to know more! A good first line.

We’re going to wind up this series next time with my own contribution to CELEBRATE!. As always, thank you so much for stopping by. I hope to see you for the next edition of Starting Over.

POST A COMMENT AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ENTERED INTO MY AUGUST CONTEST. THE PRIZES ARE A CHOICE OF ONE OF THE SELECTIONS BELOW AS WELL AS A $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE AT EITHER AMAZON OR BN. YOUR CHOICE!

Starting Over ~ CELEBRATE!

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Linda Barrett

CELEBRATE! — A five story anthology plus a novella of holiday stories from six award-winning authors, all members of On Fire Fiction.

The celebration continues with my friend and guest author for today: ROGENNA BREWER. I’ve known Rogenna for a long time. We go back to our early days in the business, writing Superromance for Harlequin Books. So I can tell you with assurance that Rogenna is a great author with a very interesting background.

How interesting, you ask?

In her own words: “From a Navy Vet to romance novelist. Not just a job, thirteen years of Navy SEAL research.”

Well, somebody had to research those SEALS! Rogenna served in the U.S. Navy for thirteen years before turning her hand to writing. Oops…I skipped a step or two. While in the Navy she served in the Chaplain’s office where her duties included operating the base library. Which once again proves that all writers start out as readers!

She also met and married her husband while serving her country. As she says, “The best part was that brief period of time when I outranked him.” (Hey, makes perfect sense to me 🙂

As for the holiday she’s chosen to celebrate in the anthology…? I bet you can guess, but here’s what she says:

4th of July seemed like the most natural backdrop for my military romance. Opposing forces, Navy Chaplain Lindsey Alexander and aircraft carrier Captain Doug Reese, deny the sparks of the May/December…er…September romance (nineteen years isn’t THAT big of an age difference) until the fireworks start to fly.”

STORY TITLE: One Star Spangled Night

FIRST LINES: Hat in hand, he stood in her office doorway. From spit shined shoes, up military creases, to the eagles pinned on khaki collar points, he commanded attention. The rank of captain gave him the authority to demand it.

First line discussion: I feel some conflict coming on. Who is this guy in her office? Why is he there? I have a feeling she wasn’t expecting him.

Rogenna’s book, ONE NIGHT IN RENO, (Navy SEAL, anyone?) is also available now. How about that adorable cover? I love it.

Check out Rogenna’s books and cover designs (yes, this woman has conquered a THIRD career) at: www.rogennabrewer.com.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by. You’ll meet the author of the stand-alone novella at the next edition of Starting Over. Hope to see you then.

POST A COMMENT AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ENTERED INTO MY AUGUST CONTEST. THE PRIZES ARE A CHOICE OF ONE OF THE SELECTIONS BELOW AS WELL AS A $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO AMAZON OR BN. YOUR CHOICE.

Starting Over ~ CELEBRATE!

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Linda Barrett

CELEBRATE! A five story anthology plus a novella about holidays we celebrate throughout the year. All written by the award-winning authors of ON FIRE FICTION.

We’re continuing the celebration with my long-time friend, BARBARA MCMAHON, who I met way back when we both wrote for Superromance. At last count, over sixteen million copies of her books have sold in fifty different countries in twenty-one different languages. I am so impressed! She wasn’t always a writer. No, indeed. She began her working life in a much for glamorous profession: a flight attendant for an international airline. Well, okay. Maybe it sounds more glamorous than it really is. She worked very hard at that job, but soaked up lots of background for her books. To Barbara, however, there’s no place like home, and her favorite story locale is the American West. She’s written numerous books with cowboys as heros and plans more for the future.

So which holiday did Barbara choose to highlight? THANKSGIVING! This is what she said:

“I chose Thanksgiving as it’s one of the most American of holidays celebrated in the United States. While the official holiday was set in the 1940’s, America has a long history of celebrating by giving thanks–from the days of Jamestown and Plymouth to soon after the Revolutionary War. It’s always been a favorite of mine. I love turkey, dressing, and lots of pies for dessert!

Thanksgiving is a time for families ot gather together to celebrate harvest, another year, give thanks for all their blessings, and enjoy each other’s company. In Love With All The Trimmings, however, the family reunion planned might not be as joyful as initially anticipated when two sisters vie for the affections of the same man.”

STORY TITLE: Love With All The Trimmings

FIRST LINES: “I’m coming home for Thanksgiving!” Juliana felt her heart drop. “You’re coming here?” she squeaked.

Uh-oh. I’m thinking there’s trouble in River City. The first sentence has an exclamation point, so speaker is excited and happy. Juliana…not so much. Don’t you just love a story when the conflict starts on Page One, Paragraph One?

Barbara’s book, I’LL TAKE FOREVER, is also available now. A contemporary romance involving a DEA agent looking for cover in a small town–and finds Jenny’s house. Jenny cannot believe that anyone in her town would be involved with drugs. To learn more about Barbara, link to her website: www.barbaramcmahon.com

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Next time at Starting Over, you’ll meet an author who’s also a cover designer. Hope to see you then.

POST A COMMENT AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ENTERED INTO THE AUGUST CONTEST. THE PRIZES ARE A CHOICE OF ONE OF THE SELECTIONS BELOW AS WELL AS A $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO AMAZON OR BN. YOUR CHOICE.