SPECIAL GUEST Debut Author Tina De Salvo

TINA DE SALVO

GIVEAWAY!!!: Please read my post and leave a comment including your email address. I will be giving away two copies of ELLI, a Second Chance Novel along with two $10 Amazon gift cards to two lucky readers!

Congratulations Sarah and Judith on your Blog-O-Versary! I‘m a fan of Romancing the Genres and I’m thrilled to be a guest blogger. Thank you for the opportunity to share why I’m so passionate about the fundraising efforts of my book, ELLI, a Second Chance Novel. All of the proceeds from the sale of ELLI are being donated to help women in the fight against breast cancer with their unmet needs. As many of you know, the difficult treatment to save their lives often causes financial hardship because of interruptions in their wages or because their insurances don’t pay for certain services they need.

I have seen this first hand. I am a breast cancer survivor. While receiving chemo and radiation,  I heard stories of how some patients didn’t show up for treatment because they didn’t have money to put gas in their cars or pay for a cab ride! How awful! If they are to beat the beast, they need to show up to fight it. To learn about what other unmet needs the money raised will fund, visit www.tinadesalvo.com. There you will also discover how the AMAZING Cherry Adair, the TALENTED Stella Barcelona and I raised money for the same cause at #RT14 Convention with our campaign FRIENDS FIGHT TOGETHER. Both ladies helped to keep me writing when writing was very hard to do! Every writer needs a friend to push and encourage them through to "The End". 

CHERRY, TINA & STELLA

1 out of 8 women will get breast cancer. That’s a lot of sisters, mothers and wives. I think their stories of their fears, hopes and triumphs are important to understand. I wanted to tell it in a way that a person could understand the heart and soul of a survivor. I also didn't want to write a fiction book about cancer. Elli is a heroine who had breast cancer.  I deal with issues related to being a survivor (the same issues people with any life threatening or altering health problems face) but the bottom line is-IT’S A ROMANCE.

I tell Elli’s story with a light, humorous voice because that is how I see life.  Elli is tossed into a world of Cajuns, dogs and blogs that she had thought she could control. Her idea of how she wanted to live life post-cancer is quickly detoured when she arrives on Sugar Mill Plantation in south Louisiana and meets the gorgeous Ben Bienvenu, known as the Cajun Dog Whisperer.  

!’ve been honored to receive five star reviews for ELLI, (you can see some on Amazon.com and www.tinadesalvo.com ). As you fellow authors know, that feels pretty darn good. And, I’m thrilled to have NYT Best Selling Author Cherry Adair say this about ELLI…“DeSalvo writes with warmth and wit.  Her characters leap off the page and into your heart. It is a fun read where deals, dogs and disaster blend seamlessly in a fast paced story of second chances.” That feels good, too. 

And this by NYT Best Selling Author Heather Graham…“ It’s a delightful and uplifting read while it touches upon one of the most serious diseases facing us all today–cancer. The book never preaches — it entertains with wonderful humor. I recommend this book — it’s simply excellent in so many ways! A keeper — Bravo!” Okay, pinch me. I'm so ridiculously humbled by all of this. 

ELLI was inspired by my real emotion and those of the people who fought cancer alongside of me. I hope you enjoy reading Elli’s journey in that wonderful, difficult, joyful and fearful time after the cancer treatment ends and a renewed life begins. My next book, JEWEL, a Second Chance Novel, is set in the same delightful place with many of the same fun-loving characters from ELLI. It will be available at the end of 2014. Stay Tuned. For now, buy ELLI, and then, buy a second copy for your sister! Visit me on https://www.facebook.com/TinaDeSalvoAuthor https://twitter.com/tina_desalvo .

Special Guest Cherry Adair!

Cherry's next action adventure novel will be GIDEON coming this Fall.

Over the last decade-ish J I've carved a niche for myself with my sexy, sassy, fast-paced, action adventure novels which have appeared on numerous bestsellers lists, won dozens of awards and garnered praise from reviewers and fans alike. When people ask me- “What’s the book (any of my books. Lol) about?” My response is - “Running-chasing-attraction-shooting--wild-money-sex-running-shooting-more-wild-monkey-sex-running-chasing-shooting-happily-ever-after J

I loathe writing first drafts. To me it's like wading through wet cement, and it take me forever because there's always something I'd rather be doing . Which is why I no longer write by the seat of my pants, I plot and then plot some more, so that the map of my story is easy to follow and relatively painless. Once that first draft is done, it's another story. I can't be torn away from my computer. I go back and layer and texture, polish, tweak, and fluff!

Writing is not for sissies. It's hard, hard work. And solitary work at that. But through the years I've found two other passions to fuel me, and spark my creativity.

The first is teaching. I love, love love teaching everything I've learned about writing over the years to other authors. It give me such a kick to see the OMG! look in someone's eyes a second before their head goes down, and their fingers fly as they write or type at lightening speed. I know that whatever I just said resonated, and she's no longer even in the same room, but off applying it to her own story, oblivious to everyone around her. I know what that feels like, and I want the writers/students in my classes, to have that ah-ha moment every time a teach the craft of writing.

The second is my passion for mentoring other writers, particularly fledgling writers at every stage from rank beginners, to authors with several books under their belts. So many people say they want to write a book, but they never sit their butts in the chair and actually write. Or they write the same three chapters over and over again, tweaking and polishing and changing a word here and there (sure, lady - that's the EASY part! Lol) . Many of them enter every contest, get fabulous feedback on the same three chapters, year after year, after year…. but never finish the book. I gently, with great love, and very little sympathy (sure it's hard, cupcake. But if you want it badly enough you'll stop talking about it, and buckle down and put in the work) nudge them to sit their as- butts in the chair and write, and finish the book! Lol

I have an active  motivational group on Facebook called Butt In Chair Challenge ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/ButtInChair/) for anyone who needs a weekly nudge. Everyone has to report in once a week with their anticipated word or page count, then come back the following week to let me know if they met their goal.  (threats and bribes are involved J Sometimes all I need to do is show them a picture of a great high heel - I can motivate with graphics. J)

COMING THIS FALL!

I've kicked a LOT of butts over the years, and have dozens and dozens of published books filling the shelves in my office from people I've mentored. Proving that sitting one's butt down and finishing the damn book pays off!

I don't delude myself, I know I have very little if anything to do with their success. I think of myself as the magic feather Dumbo was given to help him to fly. J Everyone needs to be seen. We all want to be acknowledged. No one sits behind us as we type, saying "WOW! That sentence is amazing!" I don't read my mentees (is that a word??! Lol) work. But I am always right there beside them mentally, encouraging them to keep going, urging them to finish this book, and start the next, propping them up when they get that rejection letter, encouraging them to keep submitting, keep writing, keep learning. I want to see them publish. I want their success. There's plenty of room for all of us. I can't wait to buy their book the second they tell me it's available. Their success gives me enormous satisfaction and joy.

Two of my dear friends, Tina De Salvo*(Elli) and Stella Barcelona*(Deceived) published their debut novels this month. While I had nothing to do with their success, I'm so proud of their dedication, and their willingness to learn everything necessary to get their novels from first draft to completed book.  I did a little nudging, but not much. Neither needed that feather. But if they'd wanted or needed it - I would've handed over a bushel-full of feathers in a heartbeat. J

Cheers,

Cherry

*Tina De Salvo & Stella Barcelona are Guesting here at RTG on May 29th & 30th.