The End is in Sight! - Wrapping up a Trilogy

I never knew that when I sat down to write A Hundred Kisses seven years ago (in 2013), that it would grow into a trilogy. At the time, it was my fourth manuscript on my writing journey. I changed my century from the first three “practice” novels to the 13th century, spiced it up with paranormal elements, and threw my heart into it. Lo and behold, this time period happened to be the spark of the Scottish Wars of Independence, too. Go figure. I really did just pick a random year. 1296 sounded good to me.

That story snagged me a publisher!

Here I am four years later. The final book in the trilogy will be out this summer! A trilogy that had never been intended. Hey, you gotta follow the muse, right? After Alasdair and Deirdre’s story was published in A Hundred Kisses, inspiration struck—what about Simon and Gwyn’s (Deirdre’s parents) story? I was drawn to the mystique of the Norse/Vikings in Scotland. I dug deeper into the mystical Ancient culture of Deirdre’s kin. Henceforth came A Hundred Breaths, the prequel. By this point, I knew I needed to complete the story of the Ancients of the isles and the Scottish Clan MacCoinneach in a trilogy.

And now we have A Hundred Lies!

Cover and blurb time!

Do you need to read them all in order?

No.

Do you need to read them all?

No.

But can you?

Sure.

The trilogy spans three generations from 1263 to 1322 and weaves through the history of the time: Norse conquering (and the end of a powerful realm), Robert the Bruce and Scottish Wars of Independence, and lastly the aftermath and English revolts. I take you on a journey of three protagonists with powerful mystical abilities to heal wounds, feel life energies, and portend futures. Readers travel from the Highlands to the Western isles, to southern abbeys, and to the English border.

Each book is a STANDALONE. Yes, you can read them out of order. Heck, I published the middle book first! However, threads run through all three books, joining them into a trilogy. Likewise, characters from the books overlap. My hope is that readers will enjoy each for its own story but when you read all three, you’ll be rewarded with a solid trilogy. That’s any author’s hope, right?

Do I have a favorite?

Maybe. I’ll never tell.

Will you?

…

Water…Fire…and Wind.

The mystical Ancients rely on the elements of the earth, but will their abilities be their downfall?

Stay tuned. Pre-order links and release date will be coming soon.

Celebrating my birthday month with a 99c sale!

What better way to celebrate February—the month of love & my birthday? A book sale! (oh yes, and cake…that will come). Will Rise from Ashes, a mother and son’s story of heartache, healing, and hope is on sale for $0.99 [ebook]. Grab a copy now!

Find the sale on AMAZON, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble NOOK.

What is this book about?

Young widow AJ Sinclair has persevered through much heartache. Has she met her match when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, leaving her separated from her youngest son and her brother? Tens of thousands are dead or missing in a swath of massive destruction. She and her nine-year-old autistic son, Will, embark on a risky road trip from Maine to the epicenter to find her family. She can't lose another loved one.

Along the way, they meet Reid Gregory, who travels his own road to perdition looking for his sister. Drawn together by AJ's fear of driving and Reid's military and local expertise, their journey to Colorado is fraught with the chaotic aftermath of the eruption. AJ's anxiety and faith in humanity are put to the test as she heals her past, accepts her family's present, and embraces uncertainty as Will and Reid show her a world she had almost forgotten.

Excerpt:

AMAZON, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble NOOK.

He slid closer and placed a hand on mine and squeezed. “I see a strong woman who has been hurt deeply. I see a resilient mother who would journey through hell for her children. I see somebody who has become jaded and has trouble trusting, unable to sort through friend and enemy. I see a woman with hope.” He held my gaze. “And I’d like to be your friend, Audrey Jane.”

My jaw may have dropped. I wasn’t sure. I recovered quickly. Or at least I tried. “You’ve been talking with my therapist, haven’t you?” God, I was teasing him. I was joking. I was like Will. Will always got goofy with his peers in social situations when he didn’t know the expectations, or how to behave.

Either way, Reid didn’t laugh. Thin lips pressed into a frown that I couldn’t decipher.

I didn’t prod any further. I broke the gaze and released my hand from his, then stoked the fire for the tenth time, sleep luring me with sweet abandon. I tossed the stick into the fire. “I should turn in.”

“I’ll stay awake,” he offered. “Until the fire goes.” “Okay.” I nodded, though the fire could have been quickly snuffed.

I paused in my opening of the tent flap, turned around, and peered at him. My arms dropped to my side, my hands still. “I’m sorry about the hotel. I was sick and wasn’t thinking straight. Thank you for your help today.” A part of me couldn’t disclose the unvarnished truth. Part of it had been crazy withdrawal symptoms AJ. The other part—I’d been paranoid he’d been drinking. Harrison’s death remained a ghostly echo in my mind, perhaps clouding my judgment. The scent had been on his clothes though. I was sure of it. The more I pondered, I believed his story. Perhaps I had been triggered. Perhaps I really did have trauma or PTSD. I shook my head. I didn’t know.

Firelight glistened off the growing beard hairs on Reid’s chin and spots of amber danced in his dark, round eyes. Speaking of soulful eyes… “You were looking out for Will. I understand. I had been gone far too long.”

“You had a legitimate reason. Shit happens,” I countered.

His lips curved into a resigned smile. “Yeah. Rest, Audrey Jane.”

“You, too, Reid,” I whispered. I added in a deep exhalation, “And yes, yes, I’d like to be your friend.”

As I stepped into my tent, I observed Reid’s normally straight shoulders slouch a hair. Perhaps he, like all of us, was on his own road of atonement. Searching for meaning, searching for answers…searching for absolution.

I had treated him poorly. I didn’t know what the hell had just happened between us, but I tucked it away into a corner of my brain to contemplate upon another time when I was lucid. My remorse had lifted somewhat.

Ignoring my exhaustion for at least a few minutes, I clicked on my headlamp and pulled out my journal. It was time to unburden my heart.

Inspiration for the book. Yellowstone National Park.

Psst…if you’ve made it this far in reading the blog post, I have exciting news. Will Rise from Ashes will be released on AUDIBLE this spring. I am astounded by the performance of the book producers and narrators. Stay tuned on release date. Want a FREE AUDIBLE CODE? Drop me a message via my contact form. Happy listening!

A crooked bow or neat bow? Wrapping up the year.

A dozen or so snapshots from 2018.

Through life we have high years and low years, quiet years and boisterous years. Exhausting years. Amazing years. For me, most fall across that spectrum…each year is a hodgepodge of exhilarating, fun, draining, and emotion-filled. Does our year end like a holiday present wrapped with a crisp, clean bow? Or is that bow slapped on and frayed by the cat that chewed it?

Hmm…a bit of both? Here’s my 2018 wrap-up.

Professionally:

Wow. That is one word to describe this year for me as Writer Jean. My audio book for A Hundred Kisses released (on the heels of its print counterpart in 2017). I also signed three new contracts with The Wild Rose Press ((insert squeals of joy)):

A Hundred Kisses - now as an audio book from Audible and iTunes.

1. The prequel to A Hundred Kisses (release date coming OH SO SOON in early 2019, along with cover art)!

2. My first women’s fiction novel will release also in early 2019. Again, blurb and cover art to come soon…

3. Lastly, my novella with the Deerbourne Inn series will release in early 2019 (see a pattern here? Oh how funny things can all happen at once!). Stop the presses! I have the cover art and blurb below. So exciting! Check back in March/April for a date. :)

An upcoming story in the Deerbourne Inn Series with The Wild Rose Press. Release date TBD - early spring 2019! Check out the others already out. I’ve read them all!

I also was happy to publish two more travel stories with Outdoor Families Magazine this summer. Be on the lookout for another article in the new year.

What else am I up to? Well, I’ve been ping-ponging back and forth with my editor on the endless edits for the above three manuscripts. I am not lying when I say I read through each manuscript in full at least 5-10 times before it’s sent to my editor, and another 6-10 after. That is many, many words. And very tired eyes. Because I like math, I did the numbers. For a 350 page book, that is 7,000 pages and over 2 million words. So I kinda fell into the trench of words during the past 4-6 months while doing the edit shuffle with my amazing editor! I thank my friends and family for all their patience!

I’m also working on the third manuscript in the “Hundred” trilogy. It’s been a fun ride in 13th century Scotland and it will be fulfilling to wrap up my journey there next year. Of course, my creative muse won’t leave me alone, and I have more book ideas percolating…

Personally:

The fun stuff first:

• A family trip to the Grand Southwest (Utah and Colorado) in the spring.

• Annual visit to the lupine of Sugar Hill, NH and a trip up Mount Washington and in our favorite region in New England: Franconia Notch.

• Our first camping trip with our sons in Baxter State Park, Maine. We love Maine, our second home it seems.

• Whirlwind weekend in the lovely Green Mountains and Mad River Valley of Vermont (for research of course for the Deerbourne Inn novella!).

• Our family enjoyed the great outdoors with kayaking, bicycling, hiking, and sailing.

• Memories with friends and family and my new Twitter/writer groups.

• Oh, and I turned 40!

The not-so-fun stuff that encourages me to grow and build resilience:

• Loss of loved ones.

• Parenting woes (who needs sleep, right?).

• A bit of burnout.

• And just some good ol’ personal struggles (I’m sure we all have one or two or ten we can plug in here).

And a bit of the random:

• I saw a coyote cross my path on the my favorite farm road after dropping the children at school. And a buck (male deer) decided to also flank, then run in front of my car (thankfully with space so he was not harmed). I love where I live: where country meets suburbia.

• My kids ditched the training wheels on their bikes!

• My raspberry bush was a BEHEMOTH this year! So happy. Lots of jam-making this winter!

• I discovered Skinnytaste and wow, her garlic knots are to die for.

• I conquered my fear of NYC at the annual Writer’s Digest Conference (and had a great time).

• Managed my first time as a Professor of Potions and Co-head of House at a Harry Potter-themed summer camp! (Exhausting & hot!)

• Spent an unexpected 7 hours in the Dallas-FW airport and rode the high-speed tram around-and-around with my son.

• Our cat was lost, then found!

• Tried my hand at curling with the family. It’s way harder than it looks.

• Snow, so much snow. But we shouldn’t expect otherwise in New England!

• I was elected to the Library Board of Trustees for our town library.

So with gratitude, fulfillment, and a bit of the bitter-sweet, I tie my bow on a the present that was 2018. I welcome 2019. Bring on more highs and lows and life lessons!

Best to all and see you in the New Year.

Jean

A Touch of Vermont, a Touch of Romance: Deerbourne Inn Series Releases!

I’m excited to announce that the first book released in the new Deerbourne Inn series by The Wild Rose Press just came out this month (October 2018). With one book under my belt, and two more full-length novels releasing in early 2019, I also jumped on board with this series of shorter stories/novellas that take place in the quaint fictional town of Willow Springs, Vermont. It’s hypothetical location is near the town of Warren, VT, so after doing some research in the Mad River Valley, I jumped in! What a fun one this was to write!

Stay tuned as I share each book in the series as they release.

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First up: By Reservation Only by Barbara Edwards.

From Barbara:

By Reservation Only is Book One in the Deerbourne Inn Series, an ongoing saga about the people who visit or live at the Inn. The stories vary from contemporary romance to historical romance, a ghost story and a mystery. And that’s only the start…

I wrote this story because the chief editors asked me to contribute the first and last books for the series. My editors recommended me and I'm so proud and grateful! The basic idea was theirs but they gave me full rein to create the town and my characters.

I love Vermont. The area is wonderful to visit and the residents are friendly.

What did I learn? My son has been to the lake I referenced to fish. He recommends the trout fishing there.

And something you may not know about me: I'm married to a retired police sergeant. He reads anything I include about law-enforcement and corrects errors. Nice. :) I look forward to reading all the books in the series.

——— Don’t forget to enter the contest! ———

You can find Barbara on: Website, My Blog, Amazon Author Page, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest

Swept Away by Words: A Hundred Kisses on Audio Book!

It's here! I am ecstatic (yeah, okay that's a bit over the top, but hey I'm excited!) to announce that A Hundred Kisses is now released in audio book format through Amazon Audible and iTunes! Interested in a wee listen? Well, I have that for you: here.

It is my pleasure today to introduce Rosalind Ashford, Voice Actor and narrator of A Hundred Kisses audio book. It's been a surreal experience to have gone from listening to audio books in my car (while writing my own novels) to having my OWN audio book to listen to! It was a joy to delve into this process with Ms. Ashford, and admittedly, I squealed with glee each week when I received the latest chapter to review.

I enjoyed the process and the final product to the production of A Hundred Kisses, so I knew I wanted to invite Ms. Ashford to my blog. She is a Voice Actor and an Audible-Approved narrator and producer, member of both Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and SAG-AFTRA, the unions for professional performers. Having been my first experience with narration, I picked her brain a bit...

What drew you to this career choice?

I was born and raised in Worcestershire, England and trained in Dramatic Arts—dance, drama and film—in conservatory programs at Madeley College and Keele University, UK. I moved to NY in part to pursue a career in theater, in part to satisfy a strong wanderlust. Whilst I have, since then, performed onstage from Off-Broadway to regional theater and on film and TV, I also detoured into other fields over the years. 

Microphone training and a great deal of valuable voice experience was acquired as a radio presenter, and for a number of years I read Books for the Blind live on the air—great on-the-job training for audio book narration! I have also done many voice-overs and radio commercials for national and international markets.

Author note: How interesting that I live north of Worcester, MA...funny, these things. Also, that my editor at the Wild Rose Press is Scottish and from the Scottish isles and has the last name that was the descending clan name of my heroine, Deirdre. Small world indeed...I love life's little coincidences and overlaps.

Did you need special training to learn various accents?

I received a great grounding in elocution in high school and had training in college, but it really helps to have a good ear for accents and dialects. I listen to people’s speech all the time and file away interesting patterns and dialects in my mind for later use when I’m developing a written character’s “voice.” It’s a fascinating pastime.

What advice do you have for people interested in this type of career?

Audio book narration is so much more than just reading. Many of the best voice actors are also trained stage and/or film actors. It is acting with the voice and requires well-honed technical and performance skills and excellent cold-reading ability, as well as specialized equipment and the knowledge to use it.

I would recommend mastering the basics first: microphone technique, proper breathing, voice control (timbre, pacing, emotion, etc.), plus acting technique, character development and so forth. Narration is the long-distance marathon running of voiceover work so it also requires great breath control and voice stamina. Like an opera singer, a narrator’s voice is his/her instrument and it takes a lot of practice to play it well.

Then, to produce as well as narrate means also becoming proficient at the editing and mastering of computer sound files using proprietary software. In essence, becoming a sound engineer in addition to being a good voice actor! 

Finally, to record anywhere other than in a professional sound studio it is essential to invest in the best sound equipment you can afford. Being able to slowly upgrade to studio-quality equipment in order to record top-notch audio at home has been a game changer for my career.  A few years ago I had the amazing luck of finding an uber-expensive professional sound booth going for a song on Craig’s List (who knew?!) which improved the quality of my audio output a hundred-fold. And oh, what blissful working conditions compared to the hours I’d previously spent stuffed into a tiny, hot and airless foam-clad bedroom closet, affectionately known as my padded cell! 

Wow!

How many books have you narrated? 

I don’t know for sure but it must be scores! I started as an on-air reader and read many books live, so sadly they were not recorded for posterity.  I moved to digital recording in 2006 with a series of educational audio books. I was later hired by Disney to narrate an interactive version of “The Aristocats” and then a re-recording of the BBC classic, “Muzzy in Gondoland” which was heard by a NYC audio book producer who hired me as a studio narrator for online audio books. Now I narrate for Audible Studios, Harper Audio and Brilliance Audio as well as Indie publishers and authors such as you. I currently have 56 books available on Audible/Amazon/iTunes and a very full recording schedule. 

I feel grateful to be a busy, working actor in what is a VERY competitive and difficult business, and to have the ability to work from home—in my bedroom slippers, no less!

((as I also write this post from my desk while in pajamas and with coffee in hand...))

What are your hobbies and interests when you are not narrating?

I still perform onstage but when not learning lines I love to hunt for British antiques to buy and sell, and dabble in interior design. I enjoy gourmet cooking (and eating!) and entertain often. I play golf for exercise, although not very well, and rarely read for pleasure—a sad consequence of reading for a living!

Tell us something unique about you, an experience you've had, or a memorable place you've visited.

I’ve been fortunate in my life to have traveled all over the world, visiting every continent. I’ve listened to dozens of accents and dialects and wish I could master them all!

Speed Round!

Favorite book(s)? The one I’m recording on any given day. 

Coffee, tea, or wine? Wine. Definitely, wine!

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Right where I currently am, which is on top of a mountain in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of SC. 

Your work area, messy, tidy, or somewhere in between? Very messy, except inside my sound booth which is pristine.

You have a time travel machine, do you go to the past or future? And where? To a stately home like Downton Abbey (but upstairs not belowstairs) in early 19th century England. 

To learn more about Ms. Ashford, stop by her website or Amazon.

Where can you find A Hundred Kisses?

Amazon Audible

Also available on iTunes.

Amazon Paperback/e-book

Also available as e-book from The Wild Rose Press, Google Play, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

If you enjoyed A Hundred Kisses in audio, print, or e-book format, be on the lookout for its prequel, A Hundred Breaths, to be released in the upcoming months!