How Authors Write~Meg Gray

Today I'm super excited that Meg Gray is here to talk about her writing process. Meg and I have become good friends (who have never met yet!) in the last few months as we've been exchanging e-mails about our writing processes, triumphs, failures, and life in general. I've had the pleasure of reading all of Meg's books (more on those in Thursday's post) and am thrilled to be beta reading a new novella. 

Welcome Meg! For those who aren't familiar with your books, please tell us what your write.

I write contemporary romance stories.

Do you use 1st person, 3rd person, multiple POVs?

I always use third person—I feel it gives the reader a broader view of the characters, and depending on the story, I sometimes write in multiple points of view.

How do you get started with a book- is it an idea, a character, vary from story to story?

I usually start with a “what if…” and see what happens from there. I find that as I start to get the characters and story down on paper the story molds itself. I also have been known to wake up from dream and jot down the characters and their dialog that visited me in the night.

Do you draft quickly?

I try to. I was able to get a rough draft—very rough—done for my last two novels in about two weeks. From there, it takes many redrafts to get to a final product.

Do you do research before your first draft, during?

If there is something specific I know I’ll need to look up, like information on a scenario or an occupation, I will try to get that done before drafting, but I often don’t know what I need to know until I’m in the middle of writing and something pops up. When that happens I leave myself a note in brackets, research it later, and keep the story going.

Do you outline?

Yes, some. I find outlines very helpful when I’m trying to keep a flood of ideas straight or if I hit a rough patch, stepping back and looking at the big picture helps me get going again.

Do you work with CP's or Beta's? If so, how soon into your draft do you let them see your work?
I try to hand over as complete of a draft as possible to my betas. The first thing that I usually am looking for is reader reaction and whether or not the story works, from there I can go back, tweak, and edit portions of the story. But if it’s just not going to work, I need to know that up front.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started writing?

That it is a lot of hard work. I think that’s true of anything you dream about doing, though. Building a house, starting a business, or training for a marathon all take a lot of work. You go in knowing it will take work, but it’s not until you’re knee-deep that you realize just how much work it takes. But I enjoy the work; even if the editing and redrafting can become tedious at times I love what I do.

Do you write in a series?

Not exactly, but all of my storylines intertwine and some characters have cameos in other books, so it makes it fun for readers. My books are all under the same subtitle: City Streets, Country Roads Novels. Readers who join Meg’s Insider Club get to read bonus content that helps show the link between stories a little more clearly.

What do you have out now, or coming out? Any upcoming events? A website we can find you and your books at? An author photo? A booktrailer? Anything else you want to share?

All of my books and what’s new with me can be found over at www.meggraybooks.com.

Check out this booktrailer to see which one of my novels you’d like to start with.


In life, there are no certainties. Emma Hewitt finds herself facing a number of uncertain challenges as she tries to find her footing in the big city of Portland, Oregon. The safety and simplicity of the small town she once knew is a distant memory as she embarks on her toughest year of teaching in her young career. Her greatest struggle lies in the perplexing father-son combination of Marcus and Brayden Lewis.

Marcus Lewis knows where he stands in the corporate world, but as a father, he is struggling. Raising his son alone is proving to be a challenge beyond his capabilities. Marcus’s past has left him mistrusting and unwilling to ask for the help he desperately needs.

Can Emma break through Marcus’s stone exterior to get Brayden the help he needs or will Marcus stay buried in the shadows of his past?

The Teacher

Kate Michaels is a down-on-her-luck bridesmaid waiting for her life to finally take a turn in the right direction. This country girl trying to make it in the city of Portland, Oregon covers up her shambled life with a web of lies. Her raging credit card debt, unemployed status, and deadbeat ex-boyfriend/tenant become minor league problems when she is cast in her friend Mary’s wedding.

In the days leading up to the nuptials, Kate ends up running interference to protect the bride-to-be from the pretentious maid-of-honor”"a.k.a. the sister of the groom”"and picking up the slack of the other self-absorbed bridesmaids. She almost forgets about the too-hot-to-handle groomsman fated to escort her at the wedding, except he keeps popping up when she least expects it.

In walks AJ, the dashing manager of Portland's newest dining hot spot. As the wedding craziness unfolds, Kate finds herself confiding in and slowly falling for the down to earth, hardworking manager. Life is looking good for once until the night before the wedding.

What will this truck-driving, boot-stomping, hammer-swinging country girl do when she finds out she’s not the only one leading a life of deception?

The Bridesmaid

When Blake Anderson decides to sneak away from the limelight of his father's political career, he sets out to find an answer that has haunted him his whole life. He heads to the small town of River's Edge in the heart of Oregon's wine country along the Columbia River. In the small town, he gets his first taste of anonymity and it feels good. His trail quickly runs cold and instead of racing back to his family's mansion he decides to stay for a while, and makes a place for himself as Reg Wheeler's hired hand.

Maria Sandoval is recovering from a devastating loss and has sought refuge on her grandparents' prosperous estate, Ramirez Vines. Doing her best to outrun haunting memories from her college days, she takes great solitude in riding her horse along the edge of the vineyard property. One night she runs across a stranger who claims to work for her grandparents' old neighbor Reg Wheeler. Her mistrust and anxiety push her emotions to a new level as she tries to determine the stranger's real purpose for helping the cranky crippled old man.

Secrets, trust, and love all combine as Blake and Maria journey together toward finding answers and healing old wounds. But in one emotionally charged night it all starts to come undone. As one life hangs in the balance, questions are answered, but will it be too late…

The Road Home

Thank you Mary, for having me on your blog!

You're welcome, Meg! Thanks for dropping by. And check out these books. I've read them all and LOVED them!!!

Exciting News!!

This week is a mixed up week. Seeing I did book recommendations on Monday, I thought I'd share some new and exciting news today.

First up, The Boyfriend Novella series has a new page on my website. This page will be updated every couple of weeks (or so) with fun and interesting facts about the characters from the series and news on upcoming books. You can find the page HERE.


The other exciting news is that I'm forming a street team-Waibel's Legionaires. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in helping spread the word about my books (with some freebies and exciting things for members only) take a few minutes click HERE .

Thank you for signing up and for sharing the news!!!

Sneak Peek

Last Monday I shared with you the cover and book blurb for The Boyfriend Project. Today I thought I'd share an excerpt from the book. Here's a scene with Sam (Samantha) and her BFF Emery. We pick it up in the middle of the chapter where Emery is trying to convince Sam to ask Jordan out.

“Look, you’ve been friends forever, but sweetie, you like him like him. And it kills me to watch you moon over him. You need to make the first move here, ‘cause it’s clear Mr. All-Skate won’t.”

I rolled my eyes at her mashed-up nickname for Jordan.  “Then it won’t happen.”

“Why won’t you ask him?”

Easing my hand from under hers, I saved the document and turned off the computer, muttering, “The guy’s supposed to make the first move.”

Emery laughed. “Come on, it’s not like it’s the twelfth century.”

I gave her a withering stare. “Duh.”

“So….” She drew the word out, and I turned toward her. I wouldn’t get any more work done until she spoke her peace. “Why don’t you show us what a modern woman would do?”

“I guess I don’t know what one would do.” My face burned with my admission. Soon she’d be asking me to turn in my girl card. Seriously. What sixteen year old girl couldn’t ask a guy out?

“Come on, Sam. You asked Keith out, you can ask Jordan out.”

I jumped up and paced the room unable to contain the nervous energy zipping through my body. “Keith was different. It didn’t matter if he turned me down. But if Jordan says no it’ll ruin our friendship. Then what do I do?” I stopped and faced her, twisting my hands as I thought about how awful that would be. “Besides, there’s no guarantee that he likes me that way.”

“Then why don’t we find out?” Emery got up and walked over to my bookshelves, her finger gliding over the spines of my favorite books.

“How? It’s not like I can send him a note that says if you like me circle yes, if not, circle no.”

Emery snorted. “Wow. A note? What is this, elementary school?”

I shrugged. “It worked before.”

“Yes, but you were in first grade. A note was perfect then.”

“Except he couldn’t read it and took it to Mrs. Greene for her to read to him.” My lips twitched with the memory.

Emery burst out laughing. “Oh, I’d forgotten that.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “So, let’s move to the high school version of note passing.”

“We should just leave it alone.”

“No. We need a foolproof plan. Like the ones the heroines use in these.” She pointed to my collection of romance novels.

“Yeah because their plans worked so well.” Not. Their plans always ended up backfiring and leading to more angst before reaching a happy-ever-after. While the stories were entertaining to read, and I loved them, it didn’t mean I wanted my life to imitate fiction.

“They do. Come on, Sam, you know the girl always gets her guy in the end.”

“Yeah. The very long-away-from-the-failed-attempt-that-made-things-worse end.” I shoved a hand into my curls. “This is the most ridiculous idea you’ve ever had. No. I am not doing this.”

“Sure you are.” She hummed as she studied the books on the shelf. After a minute, she pulled out one and handed it to me. “This one would be perfect.”

My eyebrows rose as I stared at the cover. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m completely serious.” She looked at me, her eyes glittering, silently daring me to say no.

I flipped the book over and read the back cover, remembering what the story was about. Before I read the second paragraph, I jerked my head up and gaped at Emery. “The girl streaks in this one to get the guy’s attention. I am not streaking for Jordan!”

“Alright. I admit it’s more something that I would do than you, but…it would be fun.” She flashed a grin, her eyes lighting up. “What if we get him to streak for you?”

My cheeks heated at the thought. True, the idea of a naked Jordan was quite appealing, but I’d never tell Emery that. She’d march over to Jordan’s and convince him he had to strip for me. “No. No streaking.”

“Such a shame. I wouldn’t mind catching a glimpse of that mighty fine boy.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s not a boy.”

“No,” her grin widened, “he’s a prime example of manhood. One that makes me drool. Not that I’d poach on your man or anything.”

“Seriously?” I shook my head. It was bad enough being in love with Jordan without hearing my BFF lusted after him too.

“I’d never think of crossing that line. Cross my heart and hope to die. Stick a needle in my eye.” Emery drew an ‘x’ over her heart as she swore our sacred oath. “But if he happened to rescue me from a tumble on the ice…” Emery’s lips curled up so slowly that I shivered in apprehension. “I’ve got the perfect plan.”

“No.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at my BFF.

“Come on, Sam. Trust me. It’s foolproof, especially for you. Just be your normal damsel in distress self.”

Book Blurb:


Samantha Jones’ world revolves around her neighbor, Jordan Kingsley. In fact, her boyfriend broke up with her because of the time she spends with Jordan. Sam longs to move their relationship to boyfriend/girlfriend level but there’s a problem. She’s afraid to ask him out because he’s one of her closest friends.

When her BFF, Emery, suggests using advice from her favorite romance novels, Sam reluctantly agrees. But will she find herself worse off than the heroines of her beloved stories?

Now available on:

The Boyfriend Novella series

Yes, I really did forget that yesterday was Monday. Don't ask...I can't explain. It just happened.

Like this new series I'm working on, The Boyfriend novella series. This is a series of YA Romantic Comedies, with the first releasing at the end of this month/beginning of July. I wanted to write some quick, fun reads that are all set in the same world (High School) but each book focuses on a different character and her search for love. Here's more about Sam and Jordan's story, The Boyfriend Project.







Book Blurb:


Samantha Jones’ world revolves around her neighbor, Jordan Kingsley. In fact, her boyfriend broke up with her because of the time she spends with Jordan. Sam longs to move their relationship to boyfriend/girlfriend level but there’s a problem. She’s afraid to ask him out because he’s one of her closest friends.

When her BFF, Emery, suggests using advice from her favorite romance novels, Sam reluctantly agrees. But will she find herself worse off than the heroines of her beloved stories?

If this sounds like your kind of read, add it to your Goodreads list by clicking below. Or, share it with a friend you know will enjoy! Thanks so much for helping me spread the word!!

How Authors Write~Elizabeth Varadan

Today I'm pleased to have Elizabeth Varadan here as part of my How Author's Write series. As a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, I'm super excited for Elizabeth's book birthday today for Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls. Congrats and Happy Book Birthday!!!

Welcome, Elizabeth. Please tell us a little about what you write? 

Thank you so much for having me here today, Mary. I write for both children and adults. For children, I’m drawn to the middle grades, and I write both fantasy and mysteries. For adults, I write mostly short stories and flash fiction.

Do you use 1st person, 3rd person, multiple POVs?
Most of my fiction is in 3rd person, close, although I’m rewriting a historical novel/ghost story that is in 1st person. It just seemed to call for that point of view.

How do you get started with a book? 
For me, it does vary. For Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, it was the idea: What if a young girl became friends with Sherlock Holmes? What if she even helped him solve a case? [I can't wait to read this!!] For the historical novel with the ghost that I’m rewriting now, it was character. I actually dreamed the ending to the story and in my dream heard the voice of one of the characters and built the other characters around her.

Do you draft quickly, or are you more detailed in your draft?
I’m the epitome of the term “panster”, although I’m trying to be better about plotting things out in advance. I always have a general idea, and then I poke along from the start. I also revise a lot as I go, so that first draft can take a few weeks. The good news is that in my rewrites a lot has already been fleshed out. I still have to rewrite several times to get the story just right. [Your process sounds a lot like mine. I'm still trying to learn to do more plotting up front, in addition to the mental plotting I do. Maybe someday.]

Do you do research before your first draft, during?
I research both before and during, and sometimes even after, to go back and check certain details. [Sometimes it seems research is never done. Not that I mind. I actually like research :-)]

Do you outline?

I tried once to outline a story before sitting down to write it, and the story lost its zip for me. What works best for me is if I write out the general idea –main characters, problem or story kernel, ending I’m working toward – and then get that first draft out. And then I go through and outline what happened in each chapter, marking what I think are weak spots to be addressed before the re-write -- questions that need to be answered, conflicts in information, that sort of thing.

Do you name everything up front when you are drafting or do you leave comments for yourself to go back and fill in later so you don't lose the flow of what you are working on?
I have to have the characters’ names from the start. And then much of it is naming as I go. For me the “flow” doesn’t really work if I have blank spaces waiting to be filled. I have to fill them before I can go on.

Do you work with CP's or Beta's? If so, how soon into your draft do you let them see your work?
I belong to two really great writing groups. One group meets faithfully once a month, and we bring short work at any stage – no more than twelve pages -- to these meetings, both early drafts and rewrites. (It’s nice to see the progress in rewrites.) The second group meets more flexibly, around every six weeks or two months, and we bring more finished work to the meetings; often the whole book in a later draft, which is helpful in a different way. [These sound like great groups!]

What books/websites have you found most helpful to helping you write your best?
A really wonderful book is David Corbett’s The Art of Character. He has some exercises that are so evocative that just reading them makes characters come to life in my head, whether I actually do the exercise or not. Another book that I like to dip into for a mystery I’m writing, is Carolyn Wheat’s How to Write Killer Fiction. And one of my all time favorites is Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity. Online, I’ve enjoyed Chris Eboch’s blog, Write Like a Pro. She publishes all kinds of writing tips and has book suggestions, depending on what you like to read or write. And Nancy Hardy’s site, Fiction University, has great articles on aspects of writing that I find very helpful.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started writing?
How many times you’ll have to rewrite a manuscript to get it just right, and how many rejections you might have to deal with. (It’s also good to know that you might be happy those early drafts didn’t get published.)

What do you have out now, or coming out?
My middle grade mystery, set in Victorian London, Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, released today from MX Publishing.

In Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, a day after Imogene's obnoxious step-cousins pay a visit, her mother's pearls go missing. When Sherlock Holmes is called in, Imogene, harboring a secret desire to become a detective, sees her chance to learn from the great Mr. Holmes.








You can order your copy at Amazon or Book Depository 

Any upcoming events?
I will have two book signings in July:

-Hein Book Company, 204 Main Street, in Jackson, on Tuesday, July 7th at 6:00 p.m.,
-Swan’s Fine Books, 1381 Locust St. in San Francisco, on Saturday, July 11th, at 3:00 p.m.

A website we can find you and your books at?
You can find me at either of my blogs:
http://elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.com
or
http://victorianscribbles.blogspot.com

Additional links:
Twitter: @4thWishVaradan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethVaradanAuthor
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Varadan/e/B003VOTCFG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1308264854&sr=1-1


Thanks so much for visiting, Elizabeth!!!

Dreams and Ghosts: a Guest Post by LA Dragoni

Today I'm excited to host LA Dragoni as she shares the inspiration behind her debut release Ghost Touch. I was super privileged to read through a draft of this story while LA was getting it ready for publication, and while I know LA's heart belongs to Cal, I have to say I lost mine to Dex.

So, it's time to turn the blog over to LA for her to share where this story came from. Take it away, LA!

Thanks for having me, Mary. My name is LA Dragoni. I write paranormal romance.

Many years ago—maybe fourteen—I woke in the morning after an intense dream the night before. Our barn had been inhabited by hundreds or thousands of spirits. I spent the night trying to figure out each ghost’s personal story to help them cross over (and to get them out of my barn!) I even recruited a bunch of help from town. Just picture several dozen people scattered across a large expanse of lawn, listening to ghosts apologize for what they did wrong when they were alive. Suddenly what might have been a scary dream looks kind of like speed dating, huh?

I dream every night, so the dream has to be pretty special to stand out. This dream wouldn’t leave me. It was so real, but not in a spooky way. It’s not like I shied away from the barn after that. It was the act of helping the ghosts cross that stuck with me afterward. I sat down and tried to turn it into a novel, but I wasn’t a writer and lacked the skills to convert.

Fast forward to the end of last year. I’d been writing for more than eleven years and publishing books for kids & teens under a different name. Cal, the main ghost in Ghost Touch, tapped me on the shoulder again. “Ready for me now?” he asked.

My lip might have curled in a pleased smirk as I replied. “Oh yeah!”

Tamara never expected to be the center of a love triangle, especially one involving a ghost. As she grows increasingly attracted to long-dead Cal, her co-worker, Dex, pays closer attention to her.

For fifteen minutes each night a portal opens in her barn and a horde of ghosts spills into her yard. She and Dex work together to find a way to help Cal and the thousands of spirits stuck in the void to cross over. When she learns she has the ghost touch—the ability to touch the ghosts as if they were corporeal—and she accidentally helps a little boy cross, she believes it might be possible. But not all the spirits play nice and when they learn they can sip energy from her ghost touch, they become greedy putting her life at risk.

Each time Cal has to pull her from the mass of ghosts, her touch restores him more and more until he is at danger of being stuck on earth—forever, which is very enticing to Tamara the better she knows him. Will she and Dex figure out how to help the spirits cross and if they do, will she be able to let Cal go?

About the author:

LA Dragoni isn’t too particular about who falls in love or where they fall in love. She just considers it her job to capture the story about their love. So, whether it’s paranormal, mythical, or time travel, LA’s there divining their story for you.

LA lives in Central Oregon with her husband and children. She’s been writing for kids and teens for almost a dozen years under another pseudonym. She decided it was about time she try her hand at entertaining her contemporaries. You can reach LA through her website, www.ladragoni.com.

How I Became a Writer: A Guest Post by Katie L. Carroll

I'm sitting here, writing and formatting this post in my half-cleaned office. I spent most of yesterday cleaning my office enough so my hubby could move his old desktop computer into this room. And, yes, I'm using said computer to work on this post. *happy dance* Don't get me wrong, I love my laptop and my tablet and the portability they offer me, but there are times it's just easier to do things on a desktop (like when designing images like the one above).

Today I have a special guest. Not only is she a fellow MuseItUp sister, but she's an amazing author, wonderful mom, and I'm thrilled to call her friend (even if we haven't met in person yet!). Please help me welcome Katie Carroll as she shares her writing journey with us.

How I Became a Writer
By Katie L. Carroll

I thought my life as a writer began when I was 19 on particularly hot day in early spring 2002, a black-letter day, the blackest of black-letter days in fact. I was in college on track to becoming a physical therapist with an early acceptance into the graduate program. But I didn’t become a physical therapist; I became a writer.

I’ve since come to realize, with the help of my mom, that it was much earlier than that that I began my writing life. On my blog post on the release day of the ebook version of Elixir Bound, she wrote, “Although you would have done fine as a physical therapist, I always knew it was not your calling. You were a writer ever since you could pick up a pencil and I think I always knew that, after all the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree (of course I’m talking about your dad).”

Well, my mom was mostly right. Even before I could pick up a pencil, my mom would read stories to us: the Little Golden Books, the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, all kinds of fiction. I think that’s when I became a writer.

When I stop to think about it, I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out I was a writer. The signs were all there. My family and I used to write and illustrate our own picture books about the adventures of Sam the Billy Goat. At the climax of the story it would always read, “Voop Whoosh! Up went the Billy Goat.” And he would fly up to save the day.

I wrote (and sometimes illustrated) stories my whole childhood. In middle school, high school, and college I worked on the school newspapers. Yeah, I think I had been in a state of denial for 19 years…which brings us back to that black-letter day…April 16, 2002. The day my sister Kylene died.

I don’t like to talk about that day. How the forget-me-nots were in bloom. How there was recording-breaking high temps. How it was the worst day of my life.

So what do you do when your 19 and your sister’s just died? Well, once you’re in a place where you can think again, you reevaluate. Everything.

For me that meant rethinking what I wanted to do with my professional life. Kylene gave me the permission to pursue my passion. So I began writing. Eventually I decided not to continue studying to be a physical therapist. I kept writing, often not even sure who I was writing for. Kylene, an audience, myself?

I pursued publication. And got rejections, along with some encouragement. I revised, learned a lot more about the business of publishing. Wrote some more. Revised some more. Got a lot more rejections…You get the picture.

Ten years and four months after Kylene died, my book was finally born into the world. And what was that book about? A young woman, entrusted with the future of her family’s secret healing Elixir, goes on a quest to find the Elixir’s secret ingredient.

I don’t need a psychoanalyst to tell me I was fulfilling a wish with that book. It was supposed to be about Kylene, and it is in some ways, but it’s really about me. Because for those 10 years, it had been too hard to write Ky’s book. I tried. Elixir Bound started out from her point of view, but I just couldn’t write that book yet.

But I am writing it now. Elixir Saved, a follow-up to Elixir Bound, will be Kylene’s book.

You see, I believe each of us as an individual doesn’t truly realize the impact we have on people. Each person we touch—whether it be with a story, a hug, a smile as we pass a stranger on the street—leaves a ripple.

Kylene, in her short life, left lots of ripples. With the people she loved. With the people she cared about. The people she felt compassion for, which was pretty much everyone. The people she shared the Harry Potter books with. Even the nurses in the hospital from the short time she was sick felt her ripples.

I like to think that each ripple I make with Elixir Bound is really Ky’s ripple…because I’m not sure I would have discovered my life’s passion if it weren’t for Kylene. It makes my heart smile to think that Kylene is still making ripples on the world, and that I have my own little role to play in that.

Katora Kase is next in line to take over as guardian to a secret and powerful healing Elixir. Now she must journey into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the ingredient that gives the Elixir its potency. Even though she has her sister and brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker as companions, she feels alone. 

It is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir to serve and protect it until it chooses a new guardian. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings that will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.

Available at:

About the Author:

Katie L. Carroll is a mother, author, and editor. Her YA fantasy ELIXIR BOUND has been described as “The Lord of The Rings with a YA fiction twist.” She is also the author of a picture book app called THE BEDTIME KNIGHT. Her latest project is a collaborative, serialized middle grade mystery called THE GREAT CONNECTICUT CAPER, which is being released chapter-by-chapter starting in January 2015 and can be read at http://ctcaper.cthumanities.org/get-ready/. Katie worked as a puzzle magazine editor for Penny Publications for eight years before becoming a book editor for MuseItUp Publishing. For more about Katie, visit her website and blog at http://www.katielcarroll.com or follow her on Twitter @katielcarroll.

Character Diversity: A Guest Post by Kyla Phillips

Today I'm excited to be hosting fellow MuseItUp author Kyla Phillips. When Kyla and I first set up this post, I hadn't started my new format yet, so if you were looking for  this week's #TBR Thursday post, you can find it here.

Kyla's novel, Agent of Light, released Tuesday. Happy Book Birthday!!! This sounds like an intriguing read, with a variety of supernatural creatures (elementals, angels, and shape shifters to name a few) and bounty hunters. I know this will be making my #TBR pile! 

Vayne is a light elemental and bounty hunter for the supernatural world. Her partners—Giovanni, a capricious fallen angel; and Donovan, a shape shifter with anger control issues—work with her during their rehabilitation. During the coldest winter Cincinnati has ever seen, the threesome run into a case where temporary and violent insanity strikes powerful elementals seemingly at random. 

Vayne soon finds herself the victim instead of the hunter, and working on the wrong side of the conflict. How can Don and Gio pull her back from the brink? How will she reveal the perpetrator and bring him before the chopping block?






Available at:

With a cast of characters like that, I'm sure Kyla can teach us a thing or two about diversity. So, without further adieu, here's Kyla!

Character Diversity

A Guest Post by Kyla Phillips

Mary has been kind enough to feature me on her blog with an article on character diversity. I thought it was a rather fitting subject since one of the most frequent comments I received on my new novel Agent of Light, from editors and beta readers a like, was how interesting and diverse my cast of characters is. For me having the right characters is the foundation to great writing. Put a crazy group of people together and you can make doing laundry and epic adventure.

In Agent of Light, there are four main characters who differ not only ethnically but also in supernatural abilities. There is an Arab jinni, a Brazilian shapeshifter, a biracial American light elemental, and an angel with red hair and freckles (sounds interesting right). With such a wide range of characters every scene becomes an opportunity to 1) surprise the reader by giving them a view into a culture they’ve never seen before and 2) connect to the reader who has never read about someone like them.

Maybe you’re a middleclass American and you have no idea what life is like for a poor Pakistani kid and don’t feel comfortable writing from that perspective. No problem. A change in skin color is not the only way to diversify your characters. Take the show NCIS for example. The cast is predominantly white American yet they have been celebrated for having a unique and exciting cast. Why is that? Their life stories are as diverse as they come.

The lead, Gibbs, is an older male from a small town, blue-collar family. He has a military background and his outlook on life was shaped by a tragedy that happened rather early in his adult life. In contrast, Tony comes from a very wealthy background and he chose the middleclass life. While he may have left some of the more extravagant things behind his taste in clothing and accessories shows you can’t completely remove the silver spoon from the boy’s mouth.

So adding diversity can be as simple as putting together two people from different socio-economic backgrounds together. Maybe add a character that struggles with addiction, grew up in a single parent household, grew up in a large family with limited resources. The possibilities are endless but the reward is great. By diversifying your characters you reach a wider audience, you make the story truer to the vibrancy of real life, and you stretch your perspective. What can be wrong with that.

Author Bio:

Kyla became a SciFi/Fantasy addict at age three watching Doctor Who on late nights up with her mom. She discovered her love of reading and writing in the third grade reading Robert A. Heinlein and Piers Anthony and trying to create stories like her heroes.

Currently she lives in Ohio with her grandmother and her dog, Mya – named after a SciFi character. She is inspired by the musing of her fellow writers in the Entropy writing group and hanging out at Barberton Public Library.

Mary's Musings

It was a beautiful weekend in our neck of the woods. So, did I spend it outside working on my flower beds? No. I spent it inside attacking the mess that was my bedroom.

It all started so innocently. Saturday I decided my dresser had become an eyesore and I clean it off. (You know- flat surface...everything in the world gets set on it :-) ) So, I cleaned it all off and dusted it. Then it was a trip to the store for something to hang my necklaces from as I was out of room in my jewelry box. By Saturday night, my dresser was clean, my winter clothes changed out for summer, and my bed newly made.

Seems I'd have Sunday to work on those flower beds, right? Wrong. As my husband and I lay in bed watching the NHL playoffs, I happened to look up at my curtains and see that they were covered with dust.

A full cleaning of the room had to be done.

Sunday, I pulled everything out from under the bed, vacuumed, and returned the winter clothes bins underneath the bed (I LOVE under-the-bed storage.) Then I vacuumed the curtains, and the entertainment center. I took all the ball caps outside where my hubby and I took turns cleaning the layers of dust off with the air hose. (It was more fun than it sounds.) Once everything was dusted, then I organized (leaving myself a huge project for next weekend as my office is filled so full of things you can barely walk in it!)

All in all, it was a successful weekend. And, I did manage to get some sunshine while eating on the back deck, taking a reading break, and going for a walk.

So, how did you spend your weekend?

Same blog, New Format

Since the end of last year and into this year, I've been trying to come up with a better way to theme my post days. Something that will encourage me to want to post more (yeah, I know I've been hit and miss!) and be interesting for you to read.

After months of thinking and looking at other blog themes, I've finally found my themes!!

Mondays will be Mary's Musings. On these days, I'll post whatever I feel like talking about. Hockey. Baseball. Lacrosse. Life. Writing. Share writing tips. Share excerpts from WIPs. Things like that. I may also host another author or do books promos. It all depends on what I feel like talking about!

Thursdays will be #TBR Thursday. In these post I'll recommend specific books/authors. Any book mentioned here will be one that I've read. Any author featured I will have read at least one book by. I'll give you my opinion of the book/author and tell you why I think you should add it to your #TBR pile.

So, I hope you'll come back this Thursday to see what book/author is my featured post for the day!!