MARIA ELENA WRITES: MEET RICHARD "DICKEY" WINTERS FROM DESTINY'S PLAN

MARIA ELENA WRITES: MEET RICHARD "DICKEY" WINTERS FROM DESTINY'S PLAN: Today, in Meet a Character Friday, I'm extremely pleased to present Richard Winters, affectionately known as Dickey, from author (and my...

Awesome Romance Novels: Destiny's Plan by Victoria Saccenti @VictoriaSAuth...

Awesome Romance Novels: Destiny's Plan by Victoria Saccenti @VictoriaSAuth...: Destiny's Series, Book 1 When Raquelita Muro and Matthew Buchanan meet by chance on a Greyhound bus between Texas and Tallahassee, ...

Savannah's Thought Garden: Author Spotlight with Victoria Saccenti, conclusio...

Part Two





Savannah's Thought Garden: Author Spotlight with Victoria Saccenti, conclusio...: Welcome and thank you for stopping by Savannah’s Thought Garden’s Daisy Chain - Author Spotlights. I’m so happy you could join me and l...

Savannah's Thought Garden: Author Spotlight with Victoria Saccenti

Savannah's Thought Garden: Author Spotlight with Victoria Saccenti: Author Highlight Savannah’s Thought Garden Welcome and thank you for stopping by Savannah’s Thought Garden’s Daisy Chain - Author...

REVIEW -- DESTINY'S PLAN

Reviews are the lifeblood of authors.  When a reader engages and lives in the story there is no better compliment. 

Itsy Bitsy Book Bits

Rating four stars
"Destiny’s Plan by Victoria Saccenti was a phenomenal book and I absolutely loved it. I love historical fiction and I thought that was one of the best elements of this story. It's interlaced with history that adds to the drama and poignancy that I always gravitate toward when finding a good book to read. I felt like I was inside of the book the entire time I was reading it. I was emotionally invested in the story while I was reading. I felt everything. Being severely visually impaired, everything in life for me is sensory, including reading. I experienced everything the characters experience and I loved this book. I felt like the author had a great connection to the era she wrote about even in her own world that is this book. The characters are relatable and loveable. I have always been a lover of romance and a believer in fate and destiny. Destiny's Plan is a must read for everyone, this book will make believers out of people who weren’t before."

Follow the link Goodreads  

Thank you to Itsy Bitsy Book Bits for the outstanding comments. 

New Trailer -- Karina Kantas Author.

KARINA KANTAS AUTHOR

KARINA'S AMAZON PAGE: Amazon Karina Kantas

Awesome New Book Trailer.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Author spotlight -- Jaffa Reads Too interviews Victoria Saccenti.  JAFFA READS TOO

End of Summer Event

END OF SUMMER BLAST

Mark your calendars, Sept 25 - Sept 27 and join the three-day party on Facebook. 

Welcome to Author-4-Author's very first event. We are a group of authors and PAs who have come together to Support, Encourage and Promote one another. In this event, you will get a chance to meet some of the wonderfully talented authors who are members Author-4-Author. Many of our authors doing takeovers will introduce you to introduce you to a brand new author member who will soon be published. Thank you for joining us and we hope you enjoy the show.   End of Summer Blast

BTSeMagzine September-October issue.

Destiny's Plan Featured - Author-4-Author spread.  BTSemag link: http://issuu.com/btsemag/docs/issue29/59?e=5491198/15142663

Red Hot Romance

DESTINY'S PLAN'S RELEASE FEATURED ON RED HOT ROMANCE

ISSUE #7 IS NOW AVAILABLE AT,  REDHOTROMANCE.

Book Trailer

Destiny's Plan Book Trailer.

Destiny's Plan Release Party

Save the date:  Sept 15

Where: Facebook.   

Time: 5:00 to 8:00 PM -- EDT

Here is the official invitation to Destiny's Plan's release party.  Don't miss out, join the celebration. We hope to see you there. 

Book Cover Reveal -- Karina Kantas

Karina Kantas, author of the thrilling Motorcycle Series, In Times of Violence, Huntress, Lawless Justice, and Road Rage, is now stunning us with her brand new book covers. Australian graphic artist Steven Blundell at ArtworksByStephenBlundell is the creative force behind the handsome new design.    

With her love for rock music and S.E. Hinton's YA novels, it's no surprise her first novel was in the rebel teen fiction genre.  Her next novels are MC thrillers, but those that have read her short story collections Heads and Tales and Undressed, know Karina is not a "one genre" author. 

Born in the midlands UK, she grew up in a poor, rough area of town and used her writing to escape an unsettling reality. Delving deep into her character's minds and hearts, she gives her readers thought provoking and sometimes dark and violent storylines. 

Karina has over thirty publications including book reviews, film reviews, poetry, and articles.  She's been nominated top ten of female authors of biker fiction and her horror story Crossed, also won the first prize in an International Short Story Contest.

With an International fan base, you can find her on popular network sites such as Twitter and Facebook, where she's always happy to interact with her readers. 

No matter which genre of fiction she writes, you'll always hear loud rock music playing while she works, as it allows her to fade away and become one with her characters.  Don't expect happy endings in her novels as she writes about real life.  Instead, the readers will get exciting storylines that will glue them to the pages, asking for more.  

Home to Karina is in the beautiful Island of Corfu, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Covers:

"It's about love, respect and the feeling of belonging" Jades' infatuation with Marcus, head of the Tyrants, leads to a deadly situation.

Sofi thinks she can walk into an outlaw MC and kill the president. But once she enters the wolve's den there is no escape. Love and revenge entwine in this raw emotional thriller.

Time for the boys to ride bitch. These Kittnz have claws!  Six empowering women that own the night.

Gem learns too late that the sponsored racing club, RAGE are no different to the outlaw MC she'd escaped from.

Find Karina here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karina-Kantas/31754864225

https://twitter.com/KarinaKantas

Amazon International:   author.to/KarinaKantas 

New Review - Destiny's Plan

TEXT:

Can you say swoon? Because having just finished reading Destiny's Plan, I'm definitely swooning. Much swoon. Very heart-flutter. I absolutely adored this book! Historical novels aren't usually my thing, but Raquelita (never going to be able to spell that right on one try!) and Matthew's story sucked me in right away. I was rooting for them from beginning to end, which is really the mark of a great love story.

The chemistry between these two characters is what drives the entire story, and the writing brings it to life perfectly, right from when they first meet (on a train! cute!).  The odds are stacked against them, but they're drawn to each other despite everything that's going on in both of their lives.

I can't wait to see more from the wonderful author.  I'm not sure what Saccenti has planned next, or if there will be more in this series, but whatever it is, I'll read it.

By Haley Smith 

The Books She Loves too Much

Karina Kantas Interview

If we are to endeavor in this difficult business of writing, it behooves us all to promote other authors and pass the word about their excellent work. The world is full of people, with all sorts of tastes, likes, and dislikes.  The need I cannot satisfy with my stories, a diferent author will rock that world. This week, A Muse's Retreat showcases Karina Kantas's interview at Would You Like a Book With Your Wine Blogspot.    You may follow the link for the full interview here: Interview

Author Name:  KARINA KANTAS
Fiction or Non-Fiction:  fiction and non fiction 
Genre(s):  specialises in thrillers but I also write in the genres of fantasy, comedy, horror, sci-fi, romance, poetry, prose, non fiction
Number of books published:  Seven and around 30 non fiction pieces
Links to published work (Amazon, Smashwords, etc):
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/karinakantas
http://www.amazon.com/Karina-Kantas/e/B0034P98EW/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1





Karina has several best-selling books covering all sorts of themes, I find her MC stories particularly intriguing.  Learn more about her on Karina Kantas Amazon Page.

Have fun reading.

Primani Series Giveaway!

I love a party, and it's a pleasure to help a fellow author celebrate her anniversary.  The Primani Series are a fantastic read.  I highly recommend them. 

Hey, everybody, it's my friend Laurie Olerich's anniversary! To celebrate two amazing years, she's giving away Primani (Book 1) for free! Download and escape today.



AMAZON KINDLE http://amzn.to/1nT2gCV
iBOOKS http://bit.ly/1oo3TOs
SMASHWORDS http://bit.ly/1x9mz5m
BARNES&NOBLE NOOK http://bit.ly/10Yw24w

Pay it Forward Interview: Mistral Dawn Author

Follow this link to Mistral Dawn's Interview at Bethany Turner's Rave Reviews Book Club blog.  

                                                 Pay it Forward Mistral Dawn's Interview

Please be aware the book is suitable for adults only and contains elements of BDSM.  

Weekend Quotes

With the upcoming release of Destiny's Plan, promotion for the book on Social Media, and ensuring the manuscript has been formatted, approved and is ready for release, the comment:  life has been hectic, it's an understatement. Despite all that craziness, I've found some quotes I hope you will find interesting.



By the age of six, the average child will have completed the basic American education. ... From television, the child will have learned how to pick a lock, commit a fairly elaborate bank holdup, prevent wetness all day long, get the laundry twice as white, and kill people with a variety of sophisticated armaments.
~ Russell Banker

The Supreme Ethical Rule: Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself.
~Felix Adler.

I hate with a murderous hatred those men who, having lived their youth, would send into war other youth, not lived, unfulfilled, to fight and die for them; the pride and cowardice of those old men, making wars that boys must die.
~Mary Roberts Rinehart

Every government has as much of a duty to avoid war as a ship's captain has to avoid a shipwreck.
~Guy de Maupassant

In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds.
~Robert Green Ingersoll

I like the pluralism of modernity; it doesn't threaten me or my faith.  And if one's faith is dependent on being reinforced in every aspect of other people's lives, then it is a rather insecure faith, don't you thing?
~Andrew Sullivan

It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars.
~Garrison Keillor

There are none so sour as those who are sweet to order.
~Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues

Ah! what a divine religion might be found out if charity were really made the principle of it instead of faith.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley

And with Shelley's admirable thought, I close the weekend quotes.  Have a blessed weekend.

And now self promotion

It's been four years since those fateful early morning hours when Matthew appeared on the road and I began the process of giving life to an idea.  Err...Matthew Buchanan's idea, thank you very much. Much has happened since, I have skinned my knees and elbows a few times, but most of all I have gained immeasurable respect for the men and women who are invested in this half-insane craft.

So, what's the big deal, you ask?

I didn't have a writer friendly job.  My desk was not on terra firma, and I did not keep the usual nine-to-five hours.

Of course not.

I flew for an international carrier, with assignments that would take me, literally, around the world. Add to the days away from husband and home, the dreaded time change, plus the residual physical effects of constant swing shifts without rhyme or reason, and I'm getting awfully close to describing the schedule from hell.

In order to accomplish my goal, I had to steal moments to compose my very first, ultra-wordy draft. I had researched high and low, read several books on the era, taken unending notes, and wanted to be so accurate, that unknowingly, I had begun my version of the Bible, circa 1960's.  No one explained I wasn't supposed to torture my readers with endless research minutiae. All that information was my protective barrier against using embarrassing, incorrect details. Period.

Ah, but my mind was a beehive of activity, the inspired thoughts would pop in the middle of a flight, sometimes during lengthy sit times—airline lingo for connecting times in-between flights—or during a full service.  Without wasting a second, I would eagerly jot down the thought in a napkin, the back of my printed schedule, or even a leftover menu so I wouldn't forget.  The minute I dragged my exhausted body through the door, I'd toss the bags aside, kissed my sleeping husband, and rushed to the computer to type my brilliant, Pulitzer prize-winning idea.

Right.

The following morning, the outstanding paragraph read like gibberish.  First lesson learned, never write anything while your brain is in Teflon mode, which is its normal state after long hours of flying.  I know renowned authors in the past have written masterpieces while under the effects of drugs and other mind-altering substances. Coleridge, Kerouac, and Kesey to name a few, but I'm not one of them.  To my dismay, I had to backtrack, try to understand the previous night's hieroglyphics and fix them so they made a bit more sense.

Second lesson learned, The End translates to = you're just getting started.

By the way, the RWA's local chapters are a wealth of information.  No kidding.  Whenever possible, they bring to their meetings special speakers who can enlighten the members with the latest craft trends.  This is how I found my first editor.  I had struck gold.  She was affordable and excited to work with my project.  Alas, is was not to be (insert frown here).  An unexpected illness forced her to back out and I was left with a new search.  Once again, the RWA came to the rescue — I don't want to give the impression the RWA is as powerful as Mighty Mouse — but they have resources.  Through one of their on-line seminars, I found a wonderful new editor.  However, the poor woman was appointed with the unenviable task of explaining I had entered re-writing territory.

Ouch!

There is a world of difference between writing cute essays and stories that will never see the light of day, versus writing a manuscript with dreams of publication.  Here I lost my writing innocence, part one. We worked on and off over three months, slashing, editing out the excess, verifying dates and historical events, polishing dialog tags, and superfluous commentary.  Finally, we crafted a svelte manuscript of 125,000 words.  In my less than expert opinion, this size 8 beauty, would be easier to sell.  My editor liked it, I liked it, my beta readers liked it, even my pickiest beta reader was happy...then everything came to a screeching halt.

Third lesson learned, the "ideal" manuscript size for a newbie is 85,000 words. That is the magic number, people.

What happened to that writers' axiom: tell your story, forget the market?

I had visions of The Devil Wears Prada, when is thin, thin enough?  The rejections piled, one after another, the language had changed from, no thank you, to encouraging letters, nevertheless, no is still no.  Once your agents' spread sheet fills with red ink, you begin to lose hope, and you have no remaining knee and elbow skin untouched.

End of the road.

Wait! There's one avenue still available: go indie.  Sounds easy?  Not so fast.  This is where I am. Here I've lost my writing innocence part two while gaining illumination. Yes folks, the light is upon me, in fact, it's so bright I'm half blind, but now I understand. I finally comprehend why so many outstanding writers sit in the dark, linger in the world of unknown oblivion, while they wait for that elusive and fickle opportunity.  The heavenly call from the literary agent who will open the golden doors to a contract and publication.

I used to think it was fear of the indie stigma that stopped them. "Ugh, you're a self-published author."  Nope, they fear something greater, a bigger evil, far more difficult than writing a book, two books, three books back to back. A monster that requires all the energy you can muster to defeat it, because if you don't you'll never write another word again.  I guarantee it.

I give you: self-promotion.

Wish me good luck.

Weekend Quotes

The trip to the RWA convention in New York was rewarding, unforgettable, and worth every exhausting minute despite the nonstop activity.  The hectic pace began as soon as the featured morning speaker uttered her last word.  In the typical behavior of the Big Apple, and quite similar to anxious thoroughbreds waiting for the gates to lift we took off toward the escalators, hoping to maintain a graceful and dignified exterior as we took two steps at a time.

Through it all we moved at high speed, busy little bees, from one floor to the next, crowding the stairs and elevators, hoping to catch an empty chair at a popular, super-crowded workshop and losing our adult poise when forced to sit on the floor like a ten-year-old. Then, at the end of the day the rush resumed as we fought the throngs in Times Square to reach the haven of our hotel rooms.

For the visually stimulated folks, I will post a couple of photos of TS in the peaceful early morning hours. No one in their right mind would try to take photos in the midst of hundreds of tourists.

Despite the exhilaration, chapter festivities, and information overload —and believe me we did receive tons of valuable information — I missed posting the weekend entry of thought provoking quotes.

Really.

 Every Friday, a strange phenomenon occurs.  As I search, select and type the quotes for the blog, it becomes a personal experience.  I dwell in the message and enjoy the motivation, the essence of what created the notion in the thinker, twice.

Today I feel  the Universe in motion, I have no way to quantify this statement or prove it in any way. But in order to stay true to my feelings I must open the blog a bit differently, not with a quote but two words of Hebrew origin that evoke— at least in me—visions of monumental, mythical creatures, and hellish events. Words I used in two critical times in Destiny's Plan.  

Leviathan:  Something large and powerful.  Via Latin from Hebrew liwyathan (whale).  Earliest documented use: 1382

Gehenna: Hell.  Any place of extreme torture or suffering.

*

Trust is the first step to love.  ~Munshi Premchand  

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.  ~Robert Quillen

I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste.
~Marcel Duchamp

Euphemism is a euphemism for lying.  ~Bobbie Gentry

Language is like money, without which specific relative values may well exist and be felt, but cannot be reduced to a common denominator.
 ~George Santayana

Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.  The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things.
~Amelia Earhart.

There are two kinds of truth: the truth that lights the way and the truth that warms the heart.  The first of these is science and the second is art. Neither is independent of the other or more important than the other.  Without art, science would be as useless as a pair of high forceps in the hands of a plumber. Without science, art would become a crude mess of folklore and emotional quackery.  The truth of art keeps science from becoming inhuman, and the truth of science keeps art from becoming ridiculous.
~Raymond Thornton Chandler

What is done to children, they will do to society.
~Karl A. Menninger.

From my humble point of view, we would all do well to remember the last quote.

*

A mostly peaceful Times Square in the early morning hours. 

  

Slow Down The Frenzy

I'm fully aware the post is short and the title is cryptic, however, it was done in hopes of gaining some attention or curiosity—I'll take either one.  I just returned from the 2015 RWA Convention in New York, and before I forget, I wish to pass on the general advice from several best-selling authors. It is an important message, and since it affects our craft and livelihood, I thought I'd share it with any writer who might meander his/her way around my blog.  Consider me your friendly, recorded thumb drive.

The "word" was communicated by the keynote speaker on Thursday, Barbara Freethy. For those who don't know, Barbara is an extremely successful, conventional and independently published author.  By her own admission, she's had to invent and re-invent herself and her trademark repeatedly, always in an effort to keep up with the fluctuations of an ever-changing industry.

  

Sorry about the long distance photo, but I promise that is Barbara. 

It appears authors are engaging in strange writing frenzies, where the habit is to connect and challenge each other in word sprints with a possible end-goal to crank out one book a month.  Barbara, along with other well-respected authors, believe the trend is worrisome.  They would like to encourage all of us to slow down and take a deep breath.  

This doesn't mean we should shut down our computers and ignore the keyboard for weeks at a time.  Not at all, we should be focused on creating and publishing several titles, close together if possible. This is the golden formula, the one we all want, where the real readership and success begin.  But we're not going to achieve our writing goals if we emulate the same pace of a Daytona 500 race.

Her message was clear:  Slow down and pay attention to every detail— story line, editing, proofing, book cover, the nuts and bolts of the craft, otherwise quality may suffer.  If the quality of our stories suffers, we know the sad end result.  We may end up disappointing our readers for the sake of speed, and once you betray your readers they may never return.  I am one of those, frustrated by a favorite author, I have turned away and refuse to look back.  

So now that you've read the scoop, please don't shoot the messenger.  Take it easy—don't rush as I did with this poorly written/edited post.  Pay attention to your characters and your story.  Put forth the best book you can, and your readers will follow wherever you take them.

Author-4-Author Blog Hop

Welcome to the first Author-4-Author Blog Hop! 

We're a group of multi-genre, multi-level authors who support, counsel, and encourage each other. Our group is open to any writer who sincerely desires to become an author. Author-4-Author is where experienced and newbie authors gather to answer questions, assist each other with events and publishing, and receive that all-important encouragement to continue and carry on with the challenging aspects of a writer's life. If you're interested in becoming an Author-4-Author member, find us on Facebook!

Every month Author-4-Author members will come together in different projects. Join us in our Themed Blog Hop. July's theme is Opening Lines! 

#Author4Author #OpeningLInes #WritingRight #Author2Know

#Encourage #Support #Promote

Opening Line For Destiny's Plan: 

                On a moonless summer night, a Greyhound bus rushes along a lonely stretch of road, its headlights penetrating the blackness.

I chose my opening line from the prologue of my debut novel, Destiny's Plan, Book one of the Destiny's Series, as it sets up the story through Destiny's omniscient warning:  Mankind beware, don't be complacent, you're but a tiny game-piece in the hands of the Fates.  The course of your life could change unexpectedly.

Destiny's Plan is truly a work of love and will always remain my most treasured project.  It began many years ago, while I still worked in my flying career, before I had the confidence to write and Matthew Buchanan — who insisted I had the muse — forced me to pick up pen and paper.  I've known Matthew, my central character, for thirty years.  I saw him in every young, lonely soldier traveling on orders, ready and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his country.  Even though I wondered about his life, his loves, what he believed in, and what made him happy, I never fully explored it.  However, four years ago as I drove at two in the morning from the airport, he came to me, demanding I write his story, but most of all the story of his soul mate, Raquelita.  And so here we are four years later, excited beyond our wildest dreams, Destiny's Plan will come to life on September 15, thirteen lucky days after Matthew's birthday.

Blurb: 

When Raquelita Muro and Matthew Buchanan meet by chance on a Greyhound bus between Texas and Tallahassee, neither suspects Fate is about to take over.

Raquelita, a gentle girl under the heel of her abusive mother, finds this kind young man a miracle.  Matthew and idealistic young soldier, discovers this sweet-natured girl is an angel in need of a guardian.  However, the next stop on Matthew's journey is Fort Benning to report for deployment to Vietnam, while Raquelita's destination is set at her mother's whim.  Regardless of the forces tearing them apart, they discover a way to secretly span the distance, to end up closer than ever.  But Fate is rarely kind.  The vagaries of war —and the unstable tempers of Raquelita's mother—intervene, leaving both ill-fated lovers feeling there is no hope for their love.

Set in the turbulent era of the Vietnam War, Raquelita's and Matthew's story is one of love, loss, lost faith, shattered memoirs, deferred dreams and broken promises.  Will Fate tear apart these two damaged souls, leaving them desperately alone forever, or will they finally overcome Fate, their bond stronger than they ever thought possible?

Adult situations and content. Intended for eighteen and over audiences.

About Victoria 

I am a citizen of the World, truly.  Political strife obligated my family to leave our homeland, and, as a result, Destiny forced us to travel the globe in search of more favorable settling grounds. Notice the curious parallel?  What initially became a daunting challenge, it turned into an opportunity to expand my horizons.  I thank my parents at every turn for giving me the tools to survive.  The day my mother gave me my first translated copy of Emilio Salgari's The Tiger of Malaysia, and my father pointed to his hardbound Anthologies of Greek Myths, the journey into fantasy began, and my emotional refuge grew richer, bigger, and wider.  Eventually, the hunger to see and experience first hand all the marvels I had read about urged me to pursue a flying career.  By my estimate, I must have circled the planet at least three times, which reminds me of "Tears in Rain" one of my favorite quotes from 1982's Blade Runner.

"I have seen things you wouldn't believe... attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion..."  

Well, LOL, obviously I have not seen attack ships on fire, but I have seen miniscule fishing boats send flame signals to each other on Lake Victoria at sunset. And that, is an unforgettable image.

Through these journeys, I've collected ancient anecdotes and precious memories.  Now that I've retired, hung up my galley shoes —airline lingo— and adopted a simple, steady life, I hope to live long enough to share each and every one of those cherished events.  There is no point in enjoying life's beautiful experiences if you can't share them.  Unlike the end of the quote, I don't want those  "moments to be lost like tears in rain." 


Connect with me here:

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If you liked what you read please leave a comment and then hop to the next blog. Have a fun day!

Surviving The Process (or a great new title for this blog)

The internet is full of advice for the newbie author.  Common grammar errors to avoid sits at the top.  It's a simple advice and yet, it's a modern tragedy, really.  These faux pas are so embedded in our daily life we don't grasp the mistakes anymore.   To boot, we go through the full realm of excuses to keep them:  it's allowed in casual conversation,  emails to friends are so forgiving, social media posts are quick expressions, etc, etc. etc.  But, honestly dear friends, even though most of us don't expect literary prose on a Facebook post, it would be nice if we all tried a little harder.  Put the old noodle to work and remember a difference exists between, their and there, and the reasons why...just saying.

Next in line is the "all important"  find a good editor.  No argument from me.  I'm a firm believer that authors cannot and should not edit their books.  The author is so close to the work, so emotionally tied to the piece that it's almost impossible to be objective, and know when a line, a paragraph, and even a full chapter has to go bye-bye.  This is closely tied to the strangest brain phenomenon ever—I challenge any writers out there to claim they're <g> exempt—the "unseen mistake, the phantom blunder".  Yes, I'm talking about the crazy typos, spelled correctly wrong words, repetitions, spelling errors (for those who forego spell check), the nasty traps the brain refuses to see.

A writer could read the same line, paragraph, whatever, again and again (I'm doing it right now) one hundred times, even, and just don't see them.  Then, along comes the editor's fresh pair of eyes and focuses on the damned thing as if I typed in blood-red ink.

I can't help but remember an old TV commercial for a stain remover product.  The poor guy at a very important interview is wearing a shirt with a food stain.  Every time he said a word, the stain spoke louder than him in an incomprehensible, annoying gibberish.  Obviously, that interview went south and the stain won.  Imagine now, submitting a manuscript without first running it through the editor's stain remover eyes.  I think we all get the picture.

Next on the priority list is the ever famous "writer platform".  This one gets really confusing, often I wish I had with me an old fashioned Cuban machete, just so I could slash through the jungle of well-intentioned suggestions easily and cleanly.  There's only one problem.  The last machete I wielded while trying to peel a long stalk of sugarcane at the tender age of eight years old, decorated my finger with such a deep gash,  I still wear the scar.  Thus, I've given up on those, and besides, I'm sure my local Walmart doesn't carry sharp machetes.

A presence on Social Media is a must, Facebook, Twitter, recently I learned about BingBing, write a blog and above all else: target your audience.  I would love to, and it is easier said than done. Unfortunately for me and my characters, I didn't write a novel that fits neatly into one genre.  When Matthew first appeared and commanded me to write, he didn't explain about genre.  He just said, "Here I am, this is our story, and you need to do this." So I did.

What was I thinking?!

 Yikes, double exclamation mark, I can almost hear my poor editor yelling at me.  I find myself in a quandary and the moment both marks fit.  You see the trouble I have is finding a bookstore shelf where Destiny's Plan would fit, a novel with a star-crossed romance that ends well, set in the 60's, during a half-forgotten war, with a few key characters who date back to yet another war, in Europe, before WWII.  Is it historical?  Absolutely.  Is it a romance?  It's a kick-butt, spicy love story, with the challenges of the era.

 To me, it seemed like a perfectly plausible storyline.  The literary agent at the receiving end thought I had lost my mind.  Yep, you see the picture here as well.  I belong to a very small, and disappearing group of writers who told a story without thinking about the market and dollar signs.

 My bad, and I'll have to live with the consequences.

I'll just go global, as big as I can, and target everyone, except those under eighteen <g> you're too young for this story and with a little luck, a few readers from every group will enjoy the saga.

So we get to the end of my speech, and the reason for today's post.  Before you create a Google+ presence think about it, long and hard, make sure you use the right email account for the process—the same goes for building a blog—because once it's done, it's absolute murder to get it undone.

Take it from me, in the past few days while I tried to fix the mess, I became unknown to my pages, my posts, and to my friends.  Hopefully, they will see me with kind eyes and reinstate me in their circles again.

Have a great weekend.  And if you are a friend, please be kind, forgive my moment of insanity, and add me back in.

AUTHOR - 4 - AUTHOR FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

This is the brand new video composed by Savannah Morgan the heart and soul of Facebook's Author-4-Author group. Although I am not in the video, yet, I am proud and honored to be in the company of such prestigious and talented writers. Hopefully something really wonderful will rub off.

AUTHOR 4 AUTHOR BLOG HOP

This is the very first blog hop hosted by Authors 4 Authors.  It goes live July 21, 2015, come join us.

In Memoriam

I could not begin the Thoughts For The Weekend post without saying a few words about Omar Sharif, the Franco-Egyptian actor who took his final bow on July 10th 2015, to join his colleagues in Thespian Heaven.   In fact, he may take up the entire post.  It's my personal tribute to an actor I've admired since my childhood days.

From the quintessential, drool worthy Arab, the charming Mr. Arnstein in Funny Girl, to the broody and conflicted Dr. Zhivago, Mr. Sharif broke the mold and left a wonderful acting legacy behind.  I say he broke the mold, because from the moment he appeared in Lawrence of Arabia, this dark, handsome, masculine pheromones-oozing actor made just about every female in the cinema room swoon -- yes, there are a lot of repeated o's but it's no accident, he deserves them all.  And the minute he spoke, with that soft, caressing accent of his, we were all goners.

I hope I don't sound like women from the silent cinema era who used to fawn over Valentino and his legendary role "The Sheik". But with all due respect to his fans and Mr. Valentino, Mr. Sharif shattered that image to tiny ribbons.  I'll challenge the ladies in the room who are too young to remember Lawrence of Arabia to rent the DVD, if you can find it, then check out YouTube for a snipet of The Sheik by Valentino.  Hmm...right.  Now you understand.  

Perhaps we can attribute the charm -- which he had in spades -- to his mixed heritage.  Does it really matter?  Not to this girl, when I saw him last in Hidalgo, I would have gladly shared his tent.  And that is a lot to say, especially when Viggo Mortensen had the leading role.

I don't have images of Omar Sharif to illustrate my point without breaking  any copyright rules.  In this link to The Telegraph, you will find some wonderful photographs.  However, I did find a few quotes indicative of the man.  Here he is, Omar Sharif:

On his prowess as a lover.
"See these hands?  They are old. But they are soft. Only good for caressing."

On Sex.
"Making Love? It's a communion with a woman.  The bed is our holy table.  There I find passion and purification."

On being cast by David Lean in Lawrence of Arabia.
"They chose me for Lawrence of Arabia because I spoke English, had black hair, black eyes, and a mustache.  It was all luck.
"I was taken in a plane to the desert to meet David, and as we came in to land we could see him sitting all by himself.  We landed right next to him, but he didn't move one step.  When I got off the place, he didn't say 'hello'.  He simply walked round me to see my profile.  Finally, he said 'That's very good, Omar. Let's go to the make-up tent.' I tried on a mustache, and it was decided I would grow one.  I've shaved it off for a couple of films, but otherwise I've had it ever since."

On women.
"I can't say I gave up totally my passion for women, but almost."

One more.
"I don't know what sex appeal is.  I don't think you can have sex appeal knowingly.  The people who seduce me personally are the people who seem not to know they're seductive, and not to know they have sex appeal."

It strikes me that the last quote could personify him to the hilt.  Did he truly understand his charisma? That is an interesting question and one I'll never have the opportunity to ask.

Adieu, Mr. Sharif.  Rest In Peace.