Favorite Quotes #LongandShortRomance #BlogChallenge

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: Favorite Book or Movie Quotes (and why)

I just had to add this. It's too funny!

There are many book and movie quotes that I enjoy. I've been known to throw quotes into my conversations with people. Some fit so easily. Unfortunately, only a few of my close friends understand me. It's nice though when I find someone who understands my quote without my explaining it.

When my brother and I were younger, we used to play a game where we would have a whole conversation using only movie quotes. It was silly fun!


"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train."
- Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

"To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."
- Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
- Marcus Tullius Cicero

"When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes."
- Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."
- Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
- Walt Disney

"I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."
- Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

Supernatural

"A wise man once told me, 'family don't end in blood.'"
- Dean Winchester, Supernatural (Inside Men, Season 10)

"My 'people skills' are 'rusty.'"
- Castiel, Supernatural

"I gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."
- Castiel, Supernatural (Lazarus Rising, Season 4)

"Hello, boys."
- Crowley, Supernatural

"Megatron? What are you saying, a Transformer wrote that?"
- Sam Winchester, Supernatural

"You want weapons? We're in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!"
- The Doctor (10), Doctor Who (from Tooth and Claw in Season 2)

"We're all stories, in the end."
- The Doctor (11), Doctor Who

"Bow ties are cool."
- The Doctor (11), Doctor Who

"I am and always will be the optimist. The hope of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams."
- The Doctor (11), Doctor Who

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wime-y... stuff."
- The Doctor (10), Doctor Who

This one makes me cry. Every. Time!

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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Happy Reading!

~Tricia

AMAZON

Wanton Witches & Wild Weres #BookFair #Steamy #PNR

Looking for wanton witches and wild weres?

There's a steamy paranormal romance here for you!

Go to Book Fair!

What I Wanted to Be When I Was a Kid #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: What I wanted to do when I grew up vs. what I do

When I was 5, I wanted to be Wonder Woman. She was my favorite superhero, aside from Superman. I had a Wonder Woman t-shirt and every time I wore it, I pretended to be her.

Reva and my mom.

When I was about 8, my uncle brought home a puppy that he bought from a friend of his. My mom fell in love with this part Doberman/part German Shepherd/part something else (we don't know for sure! lol). My uncle named his puppy Jagger, after his favorite singer from the Rolling Stones. My mom asked him to get one for her, too. A day later, he went back to the farm and brought home the first puppy who greeted him. My mom named her Reva, after her favorite character from her favorite soap opera, The Guiding Light, Reva Shayne Lewis.

I fell totally in love with our dog! Reva was my very first pet and I helped my mom train her and play with her. She was adorable! But, then Reva got sick. I can't remember now exactly what happened, but she started losing her fur in spots. We took her to the veterinarian and I was amazed by this animal hospital and the doctors working there. The vet looked her over and prescribed medicated dog food. Whatever the problem was, it cleared up.

At that moment, I decided when I grew up, I'd be a veterinarian so I could help keep pets healthy for other families as well as my own.

And that's what I wanted to do for years and years. I read books on dogs and cats, as well as other animals, learning all I could about how to take care of them. When I was a teenager, I volunteered for an animal rehabilitation center where I helped feed and care for the animals there and educate people about them at fairs and events.

When I was about 12, I developed a huge crush on Indiana Jones. It was maybe around the time that Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade released on VHS (this was my first VHS tape as a birthday present!). I'd always been a fan, but something about this movie pulled me into the world of history. Now I know Indiana isn't the ideal archaeologist, but when I was a kid, this idea thrilled me. I wanted to be an archaeologist. I wanted to discover ancient cultures and solve long-forgotten mysteries.

I began reading history books and books about other cultures. Every week, I'd pick a new book from the library about another part of history that I wanted to learn. I discovered a great love of history that I continue with today. I've always had a difficult time picking a favorite time period. They're all so interesting!

It wasn't until I was 18, taking a creative writing class for my senior year in high school that the thought of becoming an author began to take root in my mind. I've talked about my experience with Mr. McCormick's class on my blog before, so I won't go into it here, but it was that moment in my life that I decided I wanted to become a published author.

I had several jobs during my teenage years from babysitter to painting tables for the local farmer's market to working at Burger King. After high school, I worked in a few sewing factories before I found a job as a temporary seasonal sales clerk for Waldenbooks. A few months later, I was hired as a part-time bookseller. Shortly after that, I quit my factory job sewing women's lingerie and became Assistant Manager at Waldenbooks where I worked for the next 12 years, writing at night and on lunch breaks and submitting to magazines and book publishers. This was the best job I'd ever had and I'm so grateful for the time I spent there and the people and lifelong friends I met. My bookstore family!


The rest, as they say, is history. Now, I'm working full-time as a published author while raising my four kids on my own. I'm living my dream and loving every minute! (Although, I do miss my bookstore!!)

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

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Happy Reading!

~Tricia

AMAZON

The Vampire Mistress by Samantha Calcott Cover Reveal

PRE-ORDER NOW FOR 2.99!

Give in to the hunger within...

Beck Renfield runs a sanatorium with her best friend, when a mysterious woman named Victoria Draconis begins working there.
An immediate connection is formed between the women as Victoria helps Bec release her inner submissive during a hot, sexy night together inside the hospital.

But Victoria isn't a doctor: she's a monster.

Will Bec give up her humanity in exchange for an eternity of pleasure and pain? And if she does, what horrors await her in her new life at Dracula's Castle in Transylvania.

Samantha Calcott is a secret lover of romance when it's done right, and after years of writing under another pen name in the horror and paranormal genres, she decided to dip her toe into a brand new genre.
She's a Midwestern girl who spent nearly a decade in the gritty heart of Los Angeles, where sex, drugs, and rock n' roll reign. When not writing, she's reading, at a concert, or cooking.

She currently lives in Illinois. She also writes horror and paranormal books as USA Today bestselling author Lily Luchesi.

New Release! The Mermaid #pnr #mermaids #paranormalromance

Oscar

I traveled to the deserted island because of the rumors surrounding the haunted mansion abandoned there. What I got was a glimpse of a mermaid sunning herself on a rock. The footage I caught with my camera could make or break my social media career. Will the world believe it was real or click-bait?

Cassandra

I only wanted time to relax, a day spent away from my college studies. Instead, two guys with cameras recorded my cousin, Penelope, in her mermaid form. I must get those cameras before they release the footage for the world to see. If I don't, Penelope and I are sure to be cast back to sea. Forever.

AMAZON

**Previously published in Mermaidia: A Limited Edition Anthology

Midsummer Night Shifts Excerpt by Kat Parrish @eyeofthekat #shifterromance #pnr

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Favorite Romance Tropes #BookLovers #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: My Favorite Tropes of the Romance Genre

My favorite subgenres for Romance are Paranormal and Historical, but these tropes can be applied to any subgenre in my opinion. I have too many favorites to list here, but I'll pick some of my top faves along with the best recommendations I have for these types of reads.

• Amnesia - The H/H doesn't remember how s/he got where s/he is because of a blow to the head, a medical condition such drugs or some other creative reason. Now, s/he has to function in their life, learning about the person they are/were, sometimes there is a mystery involved (to spice things up!)

          

• Friends to Lovers - Falling in love with Best Friend/Best Friend's Brother/Brother's Best Friend - My favorite is when the heroine is the younger sister of the hero's best friend, but there are other combinations that are fun to read, too! The best friend is taboo, but love disrupts the balance of friendship and if they declare their love, then there's no going back to the way things were between them.

     

• Employee/Employer - Falling in love with the Boss Romance - The H/H are put in close working conditions (office, manor house, etc.) where their attraction for each other grows.

          

• Alien Abduction - The H/H is an alien from another planet and abducts the H/H. This abduction might be planned or accidental. The purposes of the abduction are for repopulating an alien planet, experimentation, servants/sex slaves, fulfilling alien prophecies, mail-order alien brides, etc. 

          

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

BookBub | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Happy Reading!

~Tricia

AMAZON

Write the Story Until It's Done! #writingadvice #wordcount #IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe have for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: Quote: "Although I have written a short story collection, the form found me and not the other way around. Don't write short stories, novels or poems. Just write your truth and your stories will mold into the shapes they need to be." 

Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn't planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?

 

This is an excellent question and one I struggle to find the answer to years ago.

When I first began writing, I wrote stories to fit the guidelines of the New York Big Book Publishers. Most of the guidelines for romances were around 70k - 80k words (if I remember correctly). There were some exceptions, but definitely none below 50k words.  

At that time, 50k - 80k felt like huge tomes for me to write. I'd been writing short stories just for fun and stretching a story to fit those kinds of word counts felt intimidating. Not to mention, with my busy life and work schedule, it would take me years to finish a full-length novel. 

I did it. And it did take years!

But then something strange happened. E-books became a thing. And with them came more variety with lengths and heat levels.

Suddenly, I wasn't grappling with how to stretch a story to fit such lengthy categories, now I was writing the story that felt right to me.

Some stories don't need to be told in epic lengths. Sometimes, 10k is enough. There's flash fiction that can be told in a hundred words! 

To me, the word counts don't matter and your story shouldn't be shoved to fit inside a box that it wasn't meant for. Write your stories until they're done.

That's it.

When your characters are finished telling their stories, then you know your job as a writer is done. Word counts, page lengths... None of that matters. 

The story matters.

Don't worry about not finding an audience for your work. Some readers like longer novels. Some readers just want a short story. I'm a former Waldenbooks bookseller, trust me, I know there is a reader for everything out there!

Strangely enough, 20 years later, the short story and novella-sized stories that I wrote so easily when I was starting out are now lengthening. My stories are growing with complexity and depth which make them longer to write. 

I joined an alien abduction romance boxed set, Stolen and Seduced, with a 5k - 20k word count limit. My personal goal was 10k, but the story took off and settled into a little over 20k. Thankfully, the co-ordinator is flexible with word counts.

I hadn't planned on writing a longer short story (I even outlined... a bit.). But at 10k, the characters weren't finished telling their story, so I simply followed along. 

As it stands, these characters touched me so much with their story, that I have a series planned now because of them. Those stories will probably be longer than 20k, but that's okay. It needs to be done.

As I said, my advice to writers is to write until the story is done. Don't worry about the word count. There's a reader out there for everything.

Be safe! Stay healthy! And keep writing!

~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

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