When you have school
age children, you know the month of May can be a busy time. This year my
youngest son is graduating high school so there is much to do (to make sure he
does..haha). So, because I’m such a terrible procrastinator and am crazy busy
right now, I decided to forego my usual blog babble and introduce you to a dear
friend, Marina Myles, who also
happens to be my critique partner. I’ve known Marina for a few years now and
have watched this lovely lady grow into a fabulous author. I’m thrilled and very
proud to say she’s set to release her first of four novels with
E-Kensington.
Please join me in welcoming Marina.
“You can write anything
you want.”
That kind of leeway may
sound like a writer’s dream, but for my first guest blog post EVER, the words of
my friend and fellow author, Terri Molina, left me a bit dazed.
Allow me to backtrack. To
promote the June 6th release of my historical/paranormal romance,
BEAUTY AND THE WOLF (sinister Gothic estate, prowling werewolf, incredibly hot
hero), Terri was generous enough to let me take her monthly slot on Romancing the Genres. She told me that
because it was the 2-year anniversary of the blog spot, there’d be no set
theme.
Hmmm…I thought. Anniversaries. Maybe I wasn’t at a loss for what to write
after all. Exactly five years ago in
the month of May, Terri and I had our first critique meeting at Souper Salad.
She’d read my initial draft of BEAUTY AND THE WOLF and, being very proud of it,
I expected her to fawn over my writing skills. But with her usual dead-pan
expression I’ve come to love, she said, “Ah, I’m confused. Whose story is this?
The hero’s or the heroine’s?”
She went on to teach me
what all writers need to know: the importance of POV, showing not telling, the
use of romance tag lines, and character motivation/conflict. I soon learned
that writing is a craft to be mastered and then refined—and that realization
sent me back to the drawing board. Thank
God.
Later, I met a writer
at a conference who never let anyone read her WIP before she submitted it. BIG
MISTAKE. Critique partners not only supply us with invaluable advice coming
from an unbiased vantage point, it gives us the chance to forge friendships in
an otherwise solitary career.
So I’m proud to say
that five years and a 2-book publishing contract with a major New York
publisher later, I couldn’t have done it without Terri Molina. While our
‘anniversary’ doesn’t celebrate a marriage or the milestone of an informative
and entertaining blogspot like Romancing
the Genres, it gives me a chance to acknowledge the unselfish help she gave
me through the years.
Hope to repay you
sometime, Terri!
Thank you, Marina, it's been my honor.
And, now for your reading
pleasure, an excerpt from Marina’s first book which releases June 6th!!!
She blinked against a bright light.
Shifting her gaze to the window, she saw that a full moon had emerged through a pair of
parted clouds. As the ivory cast spilled across Draven’s face, he pulled away
from her with eyes that flashed a profound fear.“I must inform you that I have no intention of
fathering any offspring,” he said.
The admission couldn’t have knocked her
more off balance. “I…I don’t understand.”
Draven bolted out of bed. His entire
body began to shake. “I have personal reasons for not wanting a child. But what you need
to know is that we will use a modern form of prevention.”
She pulled herself to a sitting
position. “You choose this moment, our wedding night to inform me of this? Didn’t you
think I should have a say in the matter?”
As the veins in his temples bulged and
pounded, she recoiled against the headboard.
“Something is happening to me,” he said,
spinning away from her. All at once, his shirt split up the middle of his back and fell
to the floor. Then, with his face hidden from view, he picked up a chair and
hurled it through the window.
Isabella whipped back the bed-sheet, her
hand pressed to her mouth in horror.
What
is happening?
Fearing for her safety, she rushed
inside the dressing room and locked the door. Through her sobs, she heard a loud cry then more
breaking glass. A minute later, all was quiet.
She grabbed Draven’s wool coat and
draped it over her negligee. Turning the doorknob with a quaking hand, she forced herself
to peer into the bedchamber. Wind whistled into the room through the shattered
window and the fire in the hearth had all but died out. But Draven was nowhere
to be found.
Seizing the chance to flee the room, she
escaped into the corridor and raced downstairs. She’d
known this loveless marriage was a bad idea, but now she was truly frightened.
Refusing to stay at Thorncliff Towers a
moment longer, she ran for the stables. And with every step she took, she vowed
never to return.
About
the author:
Although Marina Myles lives under the sunny skies of
Arizona, she would reside in a historic manor house in foggy England if she had
her way. Her love of books began as soon as she read her first fairy tale and
grew by leaps and bounds when she discovered Nancy Drew/Agatha Christie
mysteries and rich, historical romances.
Dreaming of becoming a published author, she went on
to study creative writing at Southern Methodist University—where she received
degrees in Communications and English Literature. During her time in Dallas,
she had the unique experience of being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
Now with her loyal Maltese close by, she relishes
the hours she gets to escape into worlds of fiery—but not easily attained—love
affairs. She’s busy being a wife (to her Italian-born husband) and a mother (to
her two beautiful daughters), but she is never too busy to hear from her
amazing readers.
For more information you can find her at:
Personally, I blame my elementary school. For several years
in row, they would gather us in the gymnasium 
