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EXCERPT – The Crazy Girl’s Handbook by DelSheree Gladden – VALENTINE PETS & KISSES BOXED SET

Thank you for sharing the excerpt from THE CRAZY GIRL’S HANDBOOK, Rachelle!

rachelleayala's avatarRachelle Ayala

The Crazy Girl’s Handbook by DelSheree Gladden
Spending the weekend babysitting her two nephews and a puppy was supposed to be fun. Sweating to death at a baseball game while getting gum in her hair, soda down her shirt, and an ice cream pedicure wasn’t part of the deal. Neither was finding out the best guy she’d ever missed a blind date with had witnessed it all. Longest. Weekend. Ever.
Excerpt
EXCERPT: The Crazy Girl’s Handbook – DelSheree GladdenWe looked both ways before crossing the street. Both boys held my hand and Thor stayed right at my heel with the leash wrapped around my wrist. The second we set foot on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street, the boys took off and Thor made a valiant attempt at following them. Problem was, his leash was still looped around my wrist so I could hold the boys’ hands…

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Start 2016 off with some #SweetRomance

Available for Pre-order now!

Release date February 2nd.

FOURTEEN ALL-NEW, SWEET VALENTINE ROMANCES

Candy and canines. Flowers and felines. Celebrate this Valentine’s Day with your sweethearts of the human and fuzzy varieties!

Nothing is more heart-warming than kisses from the pet who adores you and the man who loves you, so snuggle up with VALENTINE PETS & KISSES — an anthology of fourteen sweet romances from USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors — and strike the perfect mood for moonlit walks and candlelight dinners with your pet and sweetheart.

Here’s a little bit about my part of the set, “The Crazy Girl’s Handbook!”

Valentine Hound Dog — Rachelle Ayala

A fashion designer and her basset hound puppy convince a burned ex-firefighter
that beauty is never skin deep and neither is love.

The Crazy Girl’s Handbook — DelSheree Gladden

Watching her nephews was supposed to be a fun and relaxing weekend for Greenly,
not a never ending disaster all witnessed by the best blind date she ever stood
up.

The Vet’s Valentine Gift — J.L. Campbell

A veterinarian is caught between his job, an ex, a menagerie and love. Can a
little Cupid fix things by Valentine’s Day?

Her Perfect Catch — K.L. Brady

Years of faithful dog-sitting pays sweet dividends when a struggling sports
writer scores tickets to the Super Bowl and encounters her favorite football
player.

Inflamed — Jade Kerrion

A firefighter running from his past convinces a hard-luck single mother to
believe in happy endings.

Remember When — Hope Welsh

Laura and Brent really tried to make their marriage work, but in the end, it
just wasn’t meant to be—or was it?

Your Biggest Fan? — Sydney Aaliyah
Michelle

Snowed in with the man of her dreams, a football fan and her dog find love.

The Feline Fix — Caroline Bell Foster

A scientist questions her cat’s loyalty when it comes to love and a hunky
policeman.

Trembling Hearts — Suzette Riddick

A daring young woman crashes into the life of a disfigured recluse and his
pooch. Can love be far behind?

Valentino, Be Mine — Tina D.C. Hayes

Sparks fly when two people who can’t stand each other wind up dog-sitting a
rambunctious little Yorkie that needs a new home.

Lost and Found — Jeanne Bannon

Stuck with her ex’s puppy, a high school English teacher meets a new man but
will a series of unfortunate events keep them apart?

Surviving San Francisco — Susan
Oloier

A small town girl survives San Francisco after she hits a cat and falls for a
handsome veterinarian.

19 Ivy Lane — Aubrey Wynne

A mysterious woman and her cat befriend a postman and set tongues wagging on
Ivy Lane. But when he delivers a long-awaited letter, will his heart be
“returned to sender?”

Three Plus Three — Cindy Flores Martinez

A grieving widow and her beloved doggie meet a handsome widower the day before
Valentine’s Day.

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Purchase Links:

Reviews:

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Release Day: Shark in Troubled Waters #kindleunlimited

The 4th installment of the Date Shark Series is finally here! So if you got a new Kindle for the holidays and need some books to fill it…SHARK IN TROUBLED WATERS is now live, and you can read the entire Date Shark Series FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

shark in tourbled water amazon promo

Shark In Troubled Waters

Sabine Saint Laurent is known as the Princess of Paris. Polite, beautiful, charming, polished…perfect.

Everything is always under control, and when it isn’t, she handles it. It’s been an eventful few years, but she’s made it through each upheaval with poise. Just as she’s looking forward to things calming down, her entire life is upended by a startling piece of news.

Aside from her agent managing her day-to-day affairs, Sabine does not ask for help. Not even from her close knit group of friends and family. So when she finds herself struggling to cope with major changes in her life, she’s determined to power through on her own. It should be easy enough. Everything is always easy for Sabine: modeling, men, money, languages, art, cooking. Finding out she’s pregnant shouldn’t be any different, right?

Except it’s not easy.

Nothing about navigating pregnancy, custody, complications, and a man she despises trying to seduce her is simple. Michael Moniteau’s intentions are questionable, but she desperately needs help and he’s the only one who understands enough to give it.

It could be the beginning or something wonderful, or it could break the heart she’s kept carefully shielded for so long.

Buy Shark in Troubled Waters or read for FREE on KU

f192b-amazon2bbutton2bdark2bpink

Don’t forget to grab copies of the rest of the series as well!

#1 Date Shark (FREE TODAY ON KINDLE)

#2 Shark Out Of Water

#3 The Only Shark In The Sea

Happy reading and Happy New Year!

Romance, Ghosts, Laughs and Sharks for Christmas!

I’ve got some fun projects coming up now and in the next few months. So if you need a last minute gift idea, or want to stock up of great deals now for your new Kindle, here’s your chance!

BARGAINBARGAIN: is a themed anthology put together by the Creative Writing Institute, a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides writing classes to cancer patients.

I was so pleased to be invited to contribute a short story to the anthology. This is the first look readers will get at the first book in my new project, The Eliza Carlisle Mystery Series. So look for “Grandma Crazy Town” in the anthology!

BUY ON AMAZON

97b84-the2bghost2bhost2bnewThe Ghost Host is ON SALE!

Pick up your favorite medium this week for ONLY $0.99

The sale only lasts until Dec 26th, 2015, so grab your copy now and meet Echo and Ghost Host crew before things get too spooky!

BUY ON SALE 0.99

 

 

SharkinTroubledWatersfront

 Shark in Troubled Waters (Date Shark #4) is up for pre-order!

Date Shark fans already know Sabine, but Michael is a bit more of a mystery, for readers and Sabine. Come join them on their adventure full of laughs, heartache, and surprises.

PreOrder ON AMAZON

 

 

VPK Final 14

Valentine, Pets & Kisses is up for pre-order as well!

Check out these 14 All-New sweet romances. This is where readers will get their first look at “The Crazy Girl’s Handbook” in the novella version included in the set. The full novel will be coming Feb 2016!

PreOrder ON AMAZON

Pre-Order: Valentine, Pets & Kisses Box Set

VPK PreOrder 99 3DAvailable for Pre-order now! Release date February 2nd. FOURTEEN ALL-NEW, SWEET VALENTINE ROMANCES

Candy and canines. Flowers and felines. Celebrate this Valentine’s Day with your sweethearts of the human and fuzzy varieties!

Nothing is more heart-warming than kisses from the pet who adores you and the man who loves you, so snuggle up with VALENTINE PETS & KISSES — an anthology of fourteen sweet romances from USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors — and strike the perfect mood for moonlit walks and candlelight dinners with your pet and sweetheart.

Valentine Hound Dog — Rachelle Ayala
A fashion designer and her basset hound puppy convince a burned ex-firefighter that beauty is never skin deep and neither is love.VPK PreOrder 7

The Crazy Girl’s Handbook — DelSheree Gladden
Watching her nephews was supposed to be a fun and relaxing weekend for Greenly, not a never ending disaster all witnessed by the best blind date she ever stood up.

The Vet’s Valentine Gift — J.L. Campbell
A veterinarian is caught between his job, an ex, a menagerie and love. Can a little Cupid fix things by Valentine’s Day?

Her Perfect Catch — K.L. Brady
Years of faithful dog-sitting pays sweet dividends when a struggling sports writer scores tickets to the Super Bowl and encounters her favorite football player.

Inflamed — Jade Kerrion
A firefighter running from his past convinces a hard-luck single mother to believe in happy endings.VPK PreOrder 6

Remember When — Hope Welsh
Laura and Brent really tried to make their marriage work, but in the end, it just wasn’t meant to be—or was it?

Your Biggest Fan? — Sydney Aaliyah Michelle
Snowed in with the man of her dreams, a football fan and her dog find love.

The Feline Fix — Caroline Bell Foster
A scientist questions her cat’s loyalty when it comes to love and a hunky policeman.

Trembling Hearts — Suzette Riddick
A daring young woman crashes into the life of a disfigured recluse and his pooch. Can love be far behind?

Valentino, Be Mine — Tina D.C. Hayes
Sparks fly when two people who can’t stand each other wind up dog-sitting a rambunctious little Yorkie that needs a new home. VPK PreOrder 4

Lost and Found — Jeanne Bannon
Stuck with her ex’s puppy, a high school English teacher meets a new man but will a series of unfortunate events keep them apart?

Surviving San Francisco — Susan Oloier
A small town girl survives San Francisco after she hits a cat and falls for a handsome veterinarian.

19 Ivy Lane — Aubrey Wynne
A mysterious woman and her cat befriend a postman and set tongues wagging on Ivy Lane. But when he delivers a long-awaited letter, will his heart be “returned to sender?”

Three Plus Three — Cindy Flores Martinez
A grieving widow and her beloved doggie meet a handsome widower the day before Valentine’s Day.
Purchase Links: Kindle US Kindle UK Kobo Google Play
Reviews: Goodreads VPK Box Set 3D NAMES trimmed

 

Holiday SALE time! Get the Aerling Series for less than $2!

I have a couple of fun sales to shout out about this weekend ONLY!

Amanda Strong has her sci-fi thriller HIDDEN MONSTER on sale and I have the full Aerling Series set on sale for less than $2!

HM AmandaHidden Monster: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NWIMO6A/

Black Friday Aerling SeriesInvisible (FREE): http://amzn.to/1uOK4im
Intangible (0.99): http://amzn.to/1q9i62Z
Invincible (0.99): http://amzn.to/1Gvw7Ke

Stereotypes in Character Devlopment

What are Stereotypes and why should you be careful when using them?

StripedShirtWomanStereotypes

A character that is so ordinary or unoriginal that they seem like an oversimplified version of a person, class, gender, etc.

Why should you avoid this?

Stereotypes are rarely accurate. Not only can they be offensive, they make for poor characters because readers can guess exactly what they will think, do, say, or respond. That’s boring.

Straight stereotypes lack depth and are predictable. Readers immediately think they already know how their story will go because they feel like they have already met this character and read their story in a dozen other similar stories. Your goal as a writer is to surprise your readers with new and unique characters and stories.

Should you NEVER use a stereotype?

OSC quote stereotypesStereotypes develop for a reason

High school for example: there are jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, emos, skanks, etc.

  • At this age, being defined and having a “label” provides safety and confidence (“self” on some level)

Now think about the adult workplace: there are brown-nosers, slackers, workaholics, gossips, etc.

  • You have a wider variety of personalities, but there are always those few in nearly every workplace that fit “the mold”

How do you use this the right way?

Start with a level of stereotype to instantly familiarize readers with the character’s traits…then delve deeper, expand on what is on the surface. You still have to be careful with starting out an introduction with a stereotypical portrayal because it can turn readers off if they think all they are going to get is a stereotyped “blah” character, i.e. the handsome and charming billionaire out to sweep Miss Innocent off her feet.

Make it clear from the beginning that even if this character exhibits stereotypical behaviors, the reasons behind them are deep and layer, and there are consequences for the way the act or live. Hint at complexity so your readers are left wanting more and searching for the truth rather than sighing and thinking, “I’ve already read this a hundred times before.”

SURPRISE YOUR READERS

If you want to hear the full discussion now, listen to “Episode 5: Creating a Character with Depth” on #WritePublishRepeat Podcast.

WPR Header Image

Writing a Character With Depth: Where to Start

Characters can make or break even the best of ideas, but where do you start when building great characters?

It might depend on what type of writer you are. Here are a few options for getting started.

Character Profiling

Invisible Cast

Start with the basics: Who is your character?

  • Create a character profile sheet and be as detailed as possible
  • Physical characteristics
  • Eye/hair color, weight, height, etc.
  • Personality traits
  • Happy, gloomy, morose, optimistic, etc.
  • Likes/Dislikes
  • Fears/Dreams
  • Talents/Goals
  • Secret or otherwise
  • Flaws (We’ll talk about this on in more depth later)

Start with a picture

Car Man Head in HandsInstead of starting from scratch, find a picture you think is interesting and describe what you see. Go deeper than how they look.

  • What motivates these characters?
  • What are there goals?
  • What are they afraid of?
  • How did they end up in this situation?
  • What emotions are they dealing with?
  • Where will they go from here?

Start making a list of character traits that will help bring them to life.

The key with the beginning stages of character development is to get to know your characters, find out what problems they are facing (there MUST be a problem), and what the first stage of their journey looks like.

If you want to hear the full discussion now, listen to “Episode 5: Creating a Character with Depth” on #WritePublishRepeat Podcast.

And so it begins…#NaNoWriMo, to be specific

nanowrimoI’ll preface this by saying, there’s a very good chance I won’t complete my 50k words for NaNo this year. I can’t seem to focus on writing Wicked Revenge and we’re taking a real live vacation that doesn’t not involve work this month as well.

Having said that, I’m going to to my best. Here’s what I’ve got to far 🙂

Sneak Peek of WICKED REVENGE, book 4 (the final book) in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes series!

***SPOILER ALERT***

There are some spoilers in this short first chapter, so if you haven’t read the first three books, you may want to skip this post!

Also, I haven’t edited this much, so please excuse any typos 😉

Wicked Revenge

Someone Wicked This Way Comes

Book 4

iStock_000016323229Large1: True Purpose

(Oscar)

“This place sucks,” I mutter under my breath. The dust is irritating, aggravating. Grime, everywhere. Dirt. Trash scattered around like my thoughts often are. It’s not like the hospital. I don’t want to be at the hospital, refuse to go back to that place, but it was clean, orderly, pristine. It smelled of chemicals, though. I don’t hate the smell of chemicals, but I don’t like it either. I can’t decide if it’s better than the mildewed, dusty smell of this place. Maybe it’s worse.

It’s not a good place for a baby, either way.

Thoughts snap like twigs, warning me not to think about him. Not yet. It’s too…frightening. Yes, too scary to think about him…my son. He’s safe for now. Because I’m not with him. Because he doesn’t know me. What I am. What I’ve done. He is still pure. I want him to remain that way as long as possible. Not be infected by the hunger, the power it promises so falsely, the addiction it breeds. No, he must stay safe from all of this.

“Oscar,” Zander says.

He doesn’t touch me. Because he knows I’m still angry with him. He was supposed to protect our sister and he failed. That will take time to forgive. Maybe too much time. It’s difficult to gauge time sometimes. Like right now. How long has it been since I killed David? It happened soon after he tried and possibly succeeded in breaking Van. Almost immediately after foolish, stupid Zander tried to kill him in my place. He thought he knew the secrets I had discovered years ago. A baby bird with no feathers trying to fly. He was an idiot to think he held enough pain. No one holds as much pain as I do. Not after killing my own parents, after being locked up with the insane, after being forced to abandon the only woman I knew how to love…and with her, our son.

Days. It had only been days since I twisted the consumed pain I held and turned it into a weapon. So much pain and suffering swallowed over the years, all unleashed on the man who tried to use my little sister, snap her mind and heart, crush her into subservience so he could use her…use her power. David has been dead two days and the rest of the Godlings are floundering without a leader.

No. They have a leader. Stupid lemmings. Power doesn’t equal leadership skills. They are too blind to see, or maybe care. I should not be leading anyone. My mind is too broken to lead. But they chose me. Because I killed David. I saved them. Or so they think. David was not the real enemy. A small one, yes. But not who they should truly fear. That is reserved for the soul-sucking power-whore known as Isolde Zara.

“Oscar,” Zander says again. “What do you think? Will this work for now?”

Scraping my thoughts back under control, I scowl. “It stinks in here. It’s a filthy place.”

Zander sighs. “Yeah, I know. We’ll clean it up. Will it work, though?”

Why is he asking me? What do I know about real estate? It will work as well as any other run down, abandoned building. I suppose it helps that it was once a school. The Godling infants running around pretending to be adults and have knowledge on things need a school. What else are they supposed to do with the real children bumbling around now? They can’t stay at the compound.

All those loyal to David ran as soon as I burned away his life and ended his reign. Those not completely twisted into sadistic, amoral, power-hungry lunatics, are trying to pick up the pieces. Get the students to safety before David’s cronies return and kill them all. Or take the children. I’m not sure what they plan. The compound is unsafe, regardless of what idiot plan the sheep of now-dead David intend to execute.

“It is not sufficient,” I say, possibly in answer to Zander’s question, “but it will work.”

Zander closes his eyes and breathes out slowly, as if I’m the one to blame for all of this. Am I? It’s hard to tell sometimes. My lips press together as I force my thoughts into order and ponder the question. No. This isn’t my fault. I may have helped escalate the madness, but I did not begin it. The true beginning is too far back to comprehend. The more recent beginning, that is less complex. David and Isolde are responsible. They are more mad than I will ever be. Were, in David’s case. His mind is now ash and no danger to anyone.

Isolde, however…

She is more clever than most. More evil, as well. Intelligent and vile is a bad combination. One of the worst. She will never stop until she has what she wants. Eradication. Every Godling life snuffed out like a spent candle. Most of these imbeciles running around, I couldn’t care less about. Even Zander, with him I am on the fence, but leaning toward the idea that he will one day be the man he is capable of becoming. The rest could rot and I wouldn’t be troubled much.

Van is different. Emily is different, though she’s not Godling. Joshua…he is most different of all. He is Godling and perfectly pure. People like Isolde have not yet had the opportunity to corrupt my son, and she will die before she has the chance.

The other Godlings, they all think I am the One. The person meant to save them and restore the balance. They are wrong. Killing David doesn’t make me a savior. It makes me a weapon. The pain must be twisted and bent to become a tool of destruction. That was not its original purpose. A handy thing, but not natural. Not meant. I am not the leader they need. But I am who they want…for now. Until someone else discovers the true purpose of the power and ends the killing for good.

After I destroy Isolde, that is. It would not do for the truth to be discovered too soon.

If you want to make sure I finish this project, join me on the NaNoWriMo site and be my writing buddy so you can prod me along. My user name is Yomamamma (I couldn’t spell when I set this up apparently, because I meant to put Yogamamma, but oh well, lol!)