Authors Tammy J. Palmer and Mercer Addison, Oregon Originals

Hi, I'm Sarah Raplee, author of BLINDSIGHT, Book 1 in the Psychic Agents Series. This month we Genre-istas are sharing some of our favorite “local” Romance Authors. Since I live in Oregon, I’m talking up two awesome Oregon Authors. Both are immensely talented.

Tammy J. Palmer is one of those rare authors who debuted with a wonderful, unique voice and quirky characters. Her novella, Cousin Q, is a gem of a story!

Cassie Anders is struggling to make rent and keep her antique store afloat when her cousin shows up looking for work and a place to lay down his sleeping bag. With his history of depression and suicide attempts Quinton isn't likely to be any more reliable than her last employee-- her lying cheating ex---but Cassie has always had a soft spot for her younger cousin and is willing to give him a chance. She soon finds herself fighting an attraction that, for the sake of family harmony, must be resisted.

Ms. Pamer followed her Cousin Q tour de force with a novel, Playing House, which promises to be equally entertaining.

Pierce Vaughn, poker –playing, motorcycle-riding, business owner is done with women who want him for the wrong reasons. He doesn't want to be used, even for sex. But this is no ordinary situation. Ginny is asking for one night with the sole purpose of losing her virginity. He's too nice of a guy to turn her down. Besides, she's cute, and it's been awhile.

TAMMY J. PALMER

Ginny Cotton, bike- riding, chess- playing, loan processor must overcome anxiety and risk a panic attack in order to achieve her goal: have sex with the hot guy she met on a dating site. She's convinced that this is the way to finally get over her best friend, the guy she's been saving her virginity for---the guy who is currently dating her sister.

When things don’t go as planned, Pierce invents a game to help Ginny overcome her fear and achieve her goal. It’s a simple game until emotions get involved, the rules become harder to follow, and neither is sure anymore that winning will be enough.

Tammy J. Palmer lives in Oregon’s rainy Willamette Valley. Visit her website for occasional posts on Life in the Express Lane, free flash fiction, and other random ramblings. 

www.tammyjpalmer.com

Mercer Addison’s historical romances feature unforgettable characters that walk right off the page and stories that bring history to life. My 5-Star Review of Even Nectar is Poison follows:

This sweeping story of love, betrayal, tragedy and happy endings takes you on an emotional roller coaster from the Irish slums to the homes of New York City's rich upper class. Ms. Addison's characters will walk off the page and into your heart - and they'll never leave.

Stalwart Irish family man Donald seeks to raise his family from poverty by emigrating to the United States. But when he is able to send for them, his wife and children go down with the Titanic. Mired in grief, Donald travels to Nova Scotia to identify his wife's body, but discovers another woman was carrying her travel papers - a woman who was strangled before the ship sank.

What became of his wife, his children?

Meanwhile, rich suffragette and Titanic survivor Olivia becomes guardian of a mute little girl who was thrown from the sinking ship. When Donald rescues Olivia from a riot, their lives become entangled as they each try to get to the bottom of seemingly unrelated mysteries - mysteries that center around one ruthless and elusive killer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Ms. Addison's characters stole my heart! She writes children exceptionally well. Her meticulous research made her settings come alive and shone a bright light on the injustices that prevailed in society during this time period. On top of all this, she has written a love story that will remain in your heart forever.

MERCER ADDISON

Five O’Clock Whistle takes place in the 1930s during the Great Depression.

This love story is set in a rural southern community decimated by poverty, dealing with racial issues, but determined to hold onto their dignity and their souls.

When Mae Jameison's husband is killed, she is left to keep their cotton farm producing, raise their small child and fight to survive the Great Depression hammering the country. Two men enter her life and vie for her love, the local cotton mill owner, and a stranger, a hobo riding the rails (whom she shoots when she catches him raiding her henhouse.) Mae must come to terms with the loss of her husband and build a future with the right man. One offers comfort and security, the other integrity and determined grit—and a second chance at true love.

Mercer Addison has authored fiction stories set in time periods from the medieval era to the Great Depression, as well as contemporary romantic comedies. She and her husband live near Portland, Oregon. Their little Shih Tzu, Gracie, manages their home with a firm bark.

Visit her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mercer.addison.9

Website: http://www.merceraddison.com/about.html

I hope you will give these two amazing authors a try. Don't forget to check for more recommendations from the Genre-istas throughout June! ~Sarah Raplee

Partnerships With A Personal Touch

By Judith Ashley

Jacobsen’s Books and More is a family-owned and operated independent book store located on Main Street in downtown Hillsboro, OR. I had the opportunity to talk to the owner, Tina Jacobsen, about the importance of independent books stores and their relationships with authors and customers.

Tina sees part of her mission is connecting authors to readers and readers to authors. Getting to know local authors and her customers is important. She’s found that many of her customers are community members who want to support local authors and businesses.

“It’s important to create a personal relationship with my customers and local authors,” Tina said after helping a customer look for a specific book. Ordering books she doesn't have on hand, recommending books in a genre or on a topic a customer is checking out are all part of the personal touch Jacobsen’s prides itself on.

Another way Jacobsen’s Books and More creates that personal touch is by promoting authors at the Hillsboro Farmer’s Market held Saturdays from May through October. She’s found that two authors work best. She sets up the tent and puts out a table and chairs. It is up to the author to engage passersby, talk about their books, and hopefully sell them.

While independent authors would love to sell at the Farmer’s Market, only those authors who work through Tina are able to take advantage of this opportunity. Jacobsen’s has partnered with the Hillsboro Farmer’s Market to offer this opportunity.

May 23, Don Reichardt will be at the Farmer’s Market. His book Camp Free in the Mt. Hood National Forest is an excellent resource.

May 30, Anna Brentwood, author of The Songbird With Sapphire Eyes and The Mermaid's Treasure; Mercer Addison, author of Even Nectar is Poison,  Five O’Clock Whistle and A Deceitful Bait. Both authors have short stories in the Windtree Press Anthology Gifts From The Heart.

Partnerships are two-way streets. Tina is active in the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations that support the businesses on Main Street, Hillsboro, OR. 

If you are in the area, stop by, especially on a Saturday between May and the end of October so you can meet local authors as well as check out the racks of books Jacobsen’s has available.

And, if you live outside the area, check out a local independent book store, see who your local authors are and show your support for a small business and your local economy. 

Judith Ashley is the author of The Sacred Women's Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual traditions that nourish the soul. She is also a co-founder of Romancing The Genres.

GIFTS FROM THE HEART

Romancing the Genres is well-represented in the new Windtree Press anthology, Gifts from the Heart. Three of the nine stories were written by Genre-istas!

Welcome! I'm Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women's Circle novels, romantic fiction that honors spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the path from relationships to romance.

Sarah Raplee writes scary, funny paranormal and steampunk romances. She writes because she can't help it, and it's more fun than most of the alternatives. Her first novel, BLINDSIGHT, will be available in January 2015.

Paranormal Romance Author Diana McCollum weaves time travel, historical and/or fantasy elements into her stories. Her first novella, THE WITCH WITH THE TRIDENT TATTOO, will be available in January 2015.

The three of us are excited to be a part of the latest Windtree Press Anthology!

Rediscover the magic and romance of Valentine’s Day. Heartfelt stories of best friends, lost chances, first love, love renewed, and new love will bring a tear to your eye and a little skip in the beat of your heart.


Empathize with two different widows as they strive to overcome their past and open their hearts to trust again. 

Follow a survivor of the Titanic as she boards another ship and her past and future collide. 

Shiver with the cautionary tale of the prison of love in the legend of Ann’er from the dark world of Thorn. Laugh at the humorous escapades of a young woman led to find love through the questionable assistance of her cat. 

Then finish this volume by relaxing in the fairy-tale world of a little dog who helps a sad and lonely princess learn to accept the unconditional love of pets.“

The Telltale Heart” by Sarah Raplee
How can there be a win-win situation when two young men love the same woman? This story of best friends, lost chances, and found love will bring a tear to your eye and a little skip in the beat of your heart.

Is He the One?” by Judith Ashley
When her best friend and long-time lover proposes, Sophia hesitates to say “yes.” Unable to trust her heart, Sophia analyzes their relationship using Dr. William Glasser’s concept of basic psychological needs. By morning she has her answer.

Saved by the Ring” by Diana McCollum
A soldier leaves for Afghanistan. The love of his life has refused to wait for him. Through war and injury he remains faithful and motivates his recovery with the thought of seeing her one more time.

“Be My Valentine” by Susan Lute 
“Dancing on the Water” by Mercer Addison 
“Heart of a Highlander” by Collette Cameron
“The Flaming Heart of Winter” by Pamela Cowan 
“Matchmaker Cat” by Jane Killick 
“Metro Goes to London” by Susie Slanina

Gifts from the Heart is available in early January 2015! In the meantime, add Gifts from the Heart to your Valentine gift-giving list. We guarantee there is a story to warm the heart of the recipient and maybe garner a kiss or two for the giver!

Don't Go It Alone

By Mercer Addison

Author, Heather Graham actually started me writing.  Not that she sat beside me and encouraged me or even knew that she did.  She didn’t.  My writer’s journey started over 16 years ago, on a treadmill, reading one of Graham’s medieval paperbacks I had picked up in a used book store.  While reading Graham’s worn and creased book, I thought that writing was an easy thing to do.  I figured I could write just as well or better than HG.  I visualized my hero scaling a wall to save the damsel.  I thought I was going to write a best seller, retire before I turned fifty-five, and say hello to Florida!  Thus, I let my gym fees expire, and started writing my own medieval and doing it alone.



Mercer Addison

I wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote (on my first book).  Ending up with over 180,000 words, (possibly more), I titled it, Twice the Pleasure, and later thought of it as Twice the Length it Should Be.  What was wrong here is that I didn’t bother to learn how to write, or even craft a story that an editor wanted.  I knew nothing about formatting a manuscript, plot, GMC, word count (limiting it), characterization, and the dreaded synopsis.  

I’m not sure how I found Romance Writers of America, stumbled onto it somehow.  Get it? Romance?  And this was another mistake of mine, not knowing diddly about writing a romance, of which none of my stories were at the time. 

I can’t even remember how Rose City Romance Writers (with emphasis on the third word) came into my life; think it was through RWA’s list of chapters.  So I joined RCRW.  A fellow chapter member, and my very first critique partner, pointed out to me that I had over 50 different POV’s in my story’s first chapter alone.  I even switched POV between sentences and paragraphs.  Yikes!  I just wanted every one of my characters to voice their own opinion.  What in the heck was POV anyway?  Another blaring mistake exposing that little old me didn’t know the craft of writing. Thus, in the year 2000, I went to my first RWA conference in Washington, DC.  There, I learned about POV by taking a workshop on POV.  Novel idea!  Just want to say that in the ensuing years I’ve been writing, I did learn my craft, I entered so many contests I was known as a contest slut, I won many first places, and I also have an agent. 

I have witnessed many changes within the publishing community and self-publishing is one of the biggest.  Along with my despair of ever being published with the big four, or even with an e-publisher taking me on, I decided to do it myself.  My age is also one big catalyst, as I wanted to see my name in print before I croak or lose my mind, whichever comes first.  With the help of fellow chapter-mates, forums on RWA, and workshops, I’ve been able to learn how to self-publish my work, Even Nectar is Poison, of which is not a romance, but a good old-fashioned love story. 

My journey is a good example of why we need to dispel the notion of the lonely writer plugging away and all by their lonesome.  Because if you’re going to go it alone, you’re going to make many mistakes, you’re going to miss out on working with your peers.  You’re going to miss out on a great many opportunities that each and all of us need to be successful.

And this is where I say, it takes a village folks, it takes a village.

 

Learn more about Mercer Addison at www.MercerAddison.com

It Takes a Village

By Judith Ashley

Judith Ashley

The story is that writing is a lonely business. Writers are isolated and cut off from others. While an element of that is true - only one person at a time at the computer even if there is a collaboration for example - there are aspects of writing that are anything but lonely.

I took an on-line class in May on "Book Blurbs", the copy on the back of a book or what you read when searching on-line that has picking up the book or clicking through to make that purchase. The class was taught by Laurie Schnebley Campbell, one of the founders of Writers University. There were 25 - 30 or so people in that class. Every day I read their assignments and they read mine.

One of our first assignments was to name who we'd list in Acknowledgements. Every list had more than one name and some lists were quite long.

Nancy Lytle writing as Mercer Addison, a chapter mate of mine, just published her book, Even Nectar is Poison. She posted an announcement to our chapter loop that included a Long List of people who'd helped and encouraged her specifically as well as a general acknowledgement of the benefit of attending meetings and speakers over the years.

Last week Matt Buchman's post was about "Paying It Forward". He also mentioned people who'd mentored and helped him along the way.

That it takes a village is not a new concept. I was introduced in a hands-on way to the idea of global economy at a personal growth training I attended while in my early thirties. One of the exercises had us taking a look at how 'independent' we really were. We were asked to pick an item in the room (it didn't have to be ours) and in our small group discuss what it took to bring that item into the room. I remember clearly the discussions about a blouse and a newspaper. The blouse needed someone to plant, grow, harvest, and process the cotton into thread. Someone needed to take the thread and make material. Material had to be cut and sewn into the blouse. Then there was getting it to a store, on the rack, my getting to the store and to the rack, and the clerk to ring up my purchase. And don't forget the machinery that needed to be made, transported, set up, etc. for each step of this process. The newspaper was even more mindboggling when we stopped and thought about each story in addition to the act of printing the paper.

If thinking of yourself as being in a 'lonely business' is useful or helpful, then keep on doing it. In no way do I want to suggest that people make changes that will not move them forward.

What I am suggesting is when you're thinking "writing is hard" "writing is lonely" "writing takes me away from (fill in the blank)" you stop and ask yourself how this thought serves you. How does it make your writing better? How does it help you persevere?

If you find those thoughts aren't helpful, perhaps these self-reflective questions will be.

What does serve me in my writing? What does support me on 'those days'? Who do I have in my writing life that 'gets' why I'm doing what, when, why, where, and how I'm are doing it?

Would love to have you share what does work for you...who knows, I might find something else that will also work for me.

© 2013 Judith Ashley