My New Year’s Resolutions for 2015

calvin-hobbes-new-years-resolutionsIt’s that time again to focus on our goals and resolutions for the upcoming year. I reread mine from last year and many will be the same for this year. I almost hit all my writing goals (different stories than I imagined), which is good and bad. I still haven’t found a good balance between writing, social media and relaxing. I definitely worked too much this year as well. So here goes: Continue reading

The Art of Conversation

converseOne of the more important factors for me, in writing a novel, is the dialogue between the characters. It must flow in a natural way and my readers should actually feel the different cadence between different people in the story.

Why is this on my mind? Well I’ll tell you…

My husband and I were out for our walk the other day and we ran into some female friends. When my girlfriends and I get together and are excited about a topic, we tend to share the conversation. Sometimes our comments even overlap. Maybe it’s a girl thing? Continue reading

Blakely’s Friday Interview with George A. Kos

Please give a warm welcome to George A. Kos, author of Wizards’ Secret Service: The Key of Radmarand & The Brotherhood of Darkness.

me (1)Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
Since I was a kid I always loved fantasy stories and as some of my classmates always told me, I kind of lived in my own world. After getting older this passion for everything unusual grew stronger and I began to try writing short stories. Now I’m promoting my debut novel Wizards’ Secret Service and The Brotherhood of Darkness.

Do you have an agent and/or publisher or are you self-published? If self-published, do you use a professional editor? If traditionally published, who is your publisher?
I don’t have an agent. Frankly, more than 130 agents rejected me, but I was lucky to receive a contract offer from traditional publisher Silver Knight Publishing and I’m glad I signed it. Continue reading

How Important is the Past?

8755118738_aafef7e34a_zA close friend of ours lost her husband several months ago and because of having family in town, we were unable to attend the memorial. She put together this amazing tribute that we just watched at her house this past week.

We were friends with her husband too and found out we knew very little about his past. He lived the life of ten men. I have never known any one person to accomplish and achieve so much in such a variety of ways. Continue reading

Blakely’s Friday Interview with J.S. Snow

Please give a warm welcome to J.S. Snow, author of Redemption and Resurrection.

IMG_1989Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
First of all, thank you for doing this, it’s a pleasure to be here. I currently work for a major HVAC company (the largest in the world in fact) as their invoicing coordinator; however I have been in the secretarial field now for twenty-eight years. I am originally from the Pacific Northwest (Go Seahwawks!) with a stopover in Utah for twenty-four years where my daughter was born and have lived here in Orlando, FL for the last ten years.

I have always wanted to write, but had put the dream on hold in order to raise my daughter as a single mother. She’s grown now, therefore it’s time for me to chase my dream. Continue reading

Blakely’s Friday Interview with Sydney Jamesson

I have great affection for Sydney Jamesson. Please give her a warm welcome. She is the fabulous author of TouchStone for play!

unnamedTell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
At the moment I have a worldwide Blog Tour underway for TouchStone for play with an exclusive bonus chapter. I have been asked time and time again by readers for the story from Ayden Stone’s point of view. Well, this is it. An insight into what makes this sexy-as-hell, media magnate tick and what it is that draws him to the beguiling Miss Parker. For those readers who have already read TouchStone for play, I’m gifting the bonus chapter via my monthly Newsletter, ‘Romancing The Stone.’ They can sign up for it HEREContinue reading

Sneak Preview of Chapter One for Blue Persuasion

Below is the first chapter in BLUE PERSUASION, book three of the Bound by Your Love Series, Copyright © 2015 by Blakely Bennett. (EROTIC CONTENT – please be at least 18 years of age) This is the first draft so it’s still a work in progress. I would love to know whether or not you feel compelled to read more. Please comment. Thanks! Links to STUCK IN BETWEEN & BITTERSWEET DECEIT (all books can be read as stand alone). Continue reading

Blakely’s Friday Interview with Carrie Anne O’Driscoll

Please give a warm welcome to Carrie Anne O’Driscoll, author of Last KissThe Worm Fiasco.

download (1)Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
I’m a police officer/volunteer crisis advocate in my “real” life. I’ve published two non-fiction books The Worm Fiasco– A True Portrayal of Domestic Violence and Last Kiss– The Life and Death of Ka’Tara Gallagher. I speak nationally on both subjects. I’m about to publish my first novel- a historical fiction titled In the Shadow of the Heron. Continue reading

Sorrow’s Edge Blog Tour

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Writing Characters that will Stand Out by Danielle DeVor

DeVorauthorpicsmallSometimes, getting to know your characters and making them seem realistic is a very hard thing. Every book you write in a series, the characters have to be consistent along with the story. But, once in a blue moon, you will stumble across a character who will just flow. For me, that’s Jimmy Holiday.

I think the reason why is that I’ve been told that Jimmy is a big combination of my personality and my dad’s. I didn’t plan him that way, and I certainly didn’t set out to be quasi-autobiographical, but that’s how it turned out. Continue reading