Family Members Who Supported and Influenced Me as a Writer #IWSG #Writers

  

 

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 haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: Is there someone who supported or influenced you that perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?

My mother was an avid reader. She always carried a book with her everywhere she went. She greatly influenced my love of reading. 

My mom, Patty, and me.

When I was little, about 8 or 9, I told her about a re-occurring dream I had at night. It was a strange dream involving zombies. Yes, even as a little girl, I was apparently obsessed with the supernatural! lol I gave her such vivid detail of the dream that she said I should write about my dream in a journal. She suggested that maybe, one day, I could turn the dream into a story and write it.

Her suggestion inspired me to create a dream journal where each morning, I'd write as much detail as I could remember from my dreams during the night. I still do this. From several of these dream journals, I've come up with many of my stories.

My mom passed away from leukemia when I was 11 years old, so she never got to see how her suggestion that day had impacted my life. Later, during my late teens when I already knew I wanted to become a published author one day, I stumbled across some of my mother's notebooks. Flipping through them, I found several pages of short stories and story ideas she had written. Apparently, she'd been interested in writing stories, too.

Finding those notebooks and discovering that my mom had dabbled in writing romance fiction made me feel closer to her. It was a bond we shared. Our shared love for writing and reading romance.

Apparently, I am my mother's daughter! 

I miss her, more than anything, and I hope she'd be proud to know that I've pursued my dreams of becoming published and succeeded, as well as becoming a USA Today Bestselling author.

My grandmother, Pat, with me and my daughter.

And while my mother was the one who inspired me to write, my grandmother was the one who supported and encouraged me to continue making my dreams a reality. My grandmother believed I would succeed. She believed in my talent, strength and imagination. There was no doubt in her mind that I would get where I wanted to go with my career one day. Thankfully, she saw my first few books published, but passed away before I became a bestselling author.

I hope she and my mom are watching. I still have many plans. I have further to go in my career, more books to write, more goals to accomplish. Even though they're gone, I still feel like they're supporting me from the other side, and I hope I'm making them proud.

Happy writing!

~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal, sci-fi 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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Looking for a little escape? Check out these books!

 Alpha Shifters Furever               Shifting Hearts

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Sassa Daniels

Gemma Brocato

River Frost

Ava Campbell

Colbie Dunbar

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Be My Valentine #BookShelf #RomanceBooks #SteamyRomance #ValentinesDay

 

Looking for romance on Valentine's Day?

Check out these delicious books to find your next book boyfriend/girlfriend!

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Dangerous Heroes #MustRead #AlphaHero #PNR #ScifiRomance #ContemporaryRomance #HistoricalRomance

 

Let's start the year with some hot heroes and heroines!

Dark, Dangerous and Seductive!

Oh, My!

Check them out!

HERE!

The Mansion Holds Secrets ~ Into the Dark Episode 1 #Excerpt #KindleVella #PNR #DystopianRomance

 

I'm thrilled to share an excerpt of the first episode of my paranormal dystopian romance, Into the Dark. I've been working on the idea of this story for a long time. It's one that is close to my heart.

Each week, I'll post a short excerpt and some details about the story, characters or writing that you might find interesting. I hope travel with me on this journey!

If you like suspenseful romances filled with the supernatural,

then I think you'll love Into the Dark!

You can read the first 3 episodes for FREE!

If you enjoy what you read, please "like" the episode and "follow" the story!

Trapped in a dimension where magic feeds from the living, Allison must trust a stranger to help her survive in this terrifying reality. Brian has lost all hope of escape. Finding Allison has given him new purpose to keep going, but for how long? As they search for a way out of this nightmarish world, will they sacrifice their newfound feelings for each other for a chance to return home? Or will they remain trapped in a world where the dead walk among the living?

Excerpt Episode #1

"I have information," Allison Reed whispered into the cell phone as she pushed aside the heavy drapes covering the tall, arched gothic-style windows. Beyond the rain splattered beveled glass, Allison had a clear view of the empty driveway and a portion of the road lit by a streetlight beyond the iron gate surrounding the property.

"What are you doing, Ally?" Noah growled. Of course, he wouldn't be pleased if she informed him of her whereabouts, so Allison kept silent about that part.

"Meet me at the Hidden River Diner in twenty minutes." She also wouldn't explain that she broke into the old Victorian mansion after the Adler family left their home nearly an hour ago. Nor would she mention over the phone what she discovered after searching the house.

That she needed to show him face to face.

"I told you to leave Mr. Adler alone. He's part of a wealthy and respectable family. They are not kidnappers."

Allison grimaced. Leave it to her detective brother to suspect what she was up to. There was a reason he excelled at his job. But as an investigative journalist, she was pretty darn good at her job, too. And she didn't have a pesky moral code with the law to keep her from digging into places without proper authority.

"I wouldn't be too sure."

Allison's fingers tightened on the pocket watch in her palm. It was an ornate silver case with a thin chain attached. She found it in one of the bedrooms upstairs.

"Ally..."

"Just meet me at the diner, Noah. I gotta go."

She tapped the red button with her thumb and turned her phone off to keep it silent as a car turned onto the street. The headlights shone through the drizzling rain as it slowly drove by the house.

Allison released a breath. She thought she'd heard a noise indicating the sisters had returned home, but it must have been the wind.

The Adler Mansion was built in 1862 and furnished with a mixture of antiques and modern-day conveniences. The place abounded with dark corners and eerie old-house noises. Since picking the lock to gain entrance, Allison had constantly looked over her shoulder. The hair still stood on the back of her neck with the feeling of being watched.

Read this episode and two more for FREE!

New Year, New Reads! #ScifiRomance #FantasyRomance #PNR

 

It's a New Year!

Time to add new and new-to-you books to your bookshelf!

HERE!

Writing Regrets #IWSG #writinglife

 

 

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 haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: What's the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it?

Hindsight is 20/20, they say. And that's true for my writing career, too. I've been writing since I was a young teenager, actively pursuing publishing by the time I was 18. I had no mentors. I didn't go to college or university for a writing degree. Other than my English teachers and a Creative Writing teacher I had in high school, my writing and marketing knowledge is basically self-taught. In my 20s, I did take a few writing workshops from which I benefited greatly, but looking back, I wish I would have done more.

My greatest regret: My lack of self-confidence.

I had (and let's face it, continue to struggle) with low self-esteem. I know I'm not the only one. There are many of us out there. Although I believed in my talent and pushed myself, I had great doubt that I'd ever amount to anything in the publishing world. My writing was good, but maybe it wasn't good enough.

The world was different back then. This was before self-publishing. Internet was only just new to households and I didn't even have a computer other than the one I used at my aunt's house. I didn't have much support other than the encouragement of my family. And I believed then (and still do), that they only told me that my writing was wonderful because they loved me. My grandmother actively read my work, which pleased me to no end, and she was probably my greatest supporter before she passed away. (I wish she had been alive to see me get on the USA Today Bestseller list! Oh, she would have been shouting the news to everyone! I can just imagine! lol)

Now, with the help of Facebook and Twitter (oh, and let's not forget MySpace where I got my social media start!), I've connected online with many other authors and writers, including those in the Insecure Writer's Suppor Group. I continue to learn a great deal from them. Knowledge, support, craft and techniques, even a shoulder to cry on when the occasion warrants. I've learned I'm not the only one with this self-esteem issue.

My greatest regret stemming from this issue is not writing more because of my self-doubt. I wish I would have believed in myself more, wrote more stories, sent more submissions out to agents and publishers, not obsessed over every single scene wondering how I could make it better. I wish I wouldn't have hesitated so much about writing a certain series or a book because I might not be able to do it justice as a writer. I wish I would have not worried so much.

Have I overcome this?

To a degree. I have much more confidence in myself these days, but I think that also comes with age and wisdom. I know more now at 43 than I did at 23. In the past 4 years, I've written and published more stories and books than I have in my entire career.

I've learned and experienced a great deal in my life and I'm so grateful I had those opportunities, both the good and the bad. It all amounts to life experience and I can see how its helped shape my writing. It's made me stronger, more confident, wiser, and more fearless of the many possibilities.

So, I guess, yeah. I'm doing okay. I try not to think of the would've's and could've's too much. Regret can foster bitterness, and I don't want that. We're all on a journey. Traveling at our own pace. Learning as we go. Looking back at the past is useful only if we can apply that wisdom to the now and the future. In that respect, yes, I've definitely overcome this. And I hope to continue.

Happy writing!

~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal, sci-fi 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 ...

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

Looking for a little escape? Check out these books!

 Alpha Shifters Furever               Shifting Hearts

Happy New Year 2022! #goals #NewYearsResolutions #writinggoals

 

2022! Can you believe it!?

I'm still blinking my eyes that 2021 is gone already. Where did that year go!?

Now, that the new year has arrived, it's time for me to think yet again about my goals and resolutions. Of which, I have many. Let's face it, I'm an overachiever, but also a procrastinator. Yeah. Not an ideal combination! Somehow I manage to squeak by, so here's hoping I manage it for 2022, too!

I've learned in the last few years that I don't like to make announcements of the books I'm writing until I'm actually finished writing them. I've had more than enough trouble with some books. I start them, and then something happens that it's not working, or life gets in the way, or insert-problem-here, and the book is delayed. Sometimes weeks, sometimes months. That's why I don't like to set up preorders unless the book is finished, edited and has a cover. Otherwise, there are just no guarantees!

This also goes with boxed sets! I've recently had a few multi-author boxed sets fall apart because the coordinator(s) had something (again insert-problem-here moment) happen, and the sets just fell apart. And I understand! Life happens! But, I don't want to tell my readers about a project and get their hopes up unless I see that preorder up and ready to go!

That being said, I'm participating in plenty more boxed sets this year (as long as we're all good to go!), as well as quite a few of my own projects.

The first few months of the year are already filled up! Alpha Shifters Furever will be releasing February

1, 2022, followed by Shifting Hearts on February 28, 2022. There's also a paranormal romance freebie in the works, but I don't have a release date for that one, yet. 

 

After that, I have a schedule filled with more sets, but some of the release dates are uncertain. I'll announce them when I have a firm date. Altogether, (if things go well), I'm looking at possibly ten multi-author boxed set collections this year. I believe nearly all of them are paranormal romance or sci-fi romance with maybe a few historical paranormal romances thrown here or there.

Readers have been asking for the Cougar Shifters!

What happened? Why is there only one book? Does Cody get a story?

That series has caused me enough trouble that I'm using it as a great learning experience. I wrote the books out of order! Not intentionally, but when I realized it, I knew I couldn't release them until I had them in the proper order. Which meant a major delay. My many apologies! Now, I have them sorted. I have two more to go in the series, but I'm waiting for my cover designer to create her fantastic covers (I love her work!), and then I'll get them set up for preorder ASAP.

I'm also challenging myself with a rather new writing venture. I started writing for Kindle Vella late last year. I began releasing my dystopian paranormal romance, Into the Dark, in late November. There are currently 10 episodes available to read (the first 3 are FREE!), with more to come!

I hope you'll join me on this adventure! And if you do, please like the episodes and follow. It's the only way I'll know if you're enjoying it and want more!

Okay, well, that was a lot! And there will be more to come this year, maybe even an unexpected story or two. Who knows!? I never know where the muse will take me! :)

Thank you for reading! As always, I'm ever so grateful for your continued support!

Happy New Year!

Much love,
Tricia

2021 Year in Review #AuthorUpdate

 

Well, it's that time of year when people reflect on the year's progress and successes. 2021 has swept by in the blink of an eye! While I didn't get all of my goals met (I had a lot of them!), I did achieve quite a few successes that I'm grateful for, and I'd like to share them with you. After all, I wouldn't be anywhere without my readers. I can't even express my gratitude in words! That's how much you mean to me!

So, here's a list of my published books this year. Some of the boxed set collections were only limited edition and are no longer available, but I plan to re-publish the stories I contributed when the time is right (meaning when I get covers that I'm satisfied with!).

Her Haunted Valentine (Oops! I forgot to add this to the graphic!)

The Alien and the Elf

The Lunora Chronicles

The Ghost of Morley Manor

Tis the Season for Romance

Into the Dark

Of those books published, one of them made it onto the USA Today Besteller's List (a first for me!), as well as an Amazon and International bestseller!

This happened in August 2021, but I am still so excited that we achieved this! It's been a dream of mine to make this list and to see it finally happen was more than wonderful! Again, my many, many thanks to the readers who helped make this happen!

I also keep track of my word count, made easier since I began writing with 4thewords! This is an online game where you battle monsters by writing to hit word counts. It's very effective at increasing your word count as I like to earn tokens to buy my avatar new clothes. My kids help me dress my avatar so it's almost like a family game. And now we have a house to decorate, too! And outside land, too! It's really fun! :)

Here are a few looks for our avatars!

You can find more on Pinterest. I wanted a way to save some of the ones we really loved!

Well, I think that's it! Here's hoping for a fantastic year for 2022!

I wish you a happy, safe and healthy New Year!!

 

The Alien and the Elf #HolidayRomance #SciFiRomance #AlienAbduction #AlienRomance #99cents

The Alien and the Elf is my sci-fi holiday short story romance! It's a fun, sexy, light-hearted read when you need something quick to get you in the holiday mood.

It's currently only 99¢ and is available for Kindle Unlimited readers.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

My name is Noelle, and I'm an elf.

I was minding my own business, testing a newly installed engine on Santa's sleigh when it suffered a slight malfunction. I found myself spiraling out of control. Then a bright beam of light hits from above, and I'm taken on board a spaceship.

Jaxar is a sexy, to-die-for, green-skinned alien who thinks I'm stealing his salvage.

He's never met an elf.

Well, I've never met an alien.

With no way to get home, I need Jaxar's help. Can we work together to fix Santa's sleigh in time to save Christmas?

A short, steamy, happy-for-now romance between a quirky elf and a brooding alien.

Amazon