Moonlight Romance Authors: My WIP: The Light of Valmora

Monday, July 21, 2008

My WIP: The Light of Valmora

Falcon McKnight
(He just looks like Hugh Jackman. LOL)

I've been a little stuck lately. Obligations have kept me away from my writing and I've really over-extended myself giving my writing a back seat. Well all that has changed. I was looking in on the classroom of the Carolina Romance Writers Spells of Unsticking Workshop taught by Emily Alward and her words hit me like a cement wall. I've been keeping myself from my work--work that I love. So I took some of her suggestions and, the next thing ya know, I'm back in the saddle.

By the way, Carolina Romance Writers offer a monthly array of workshops that are absolutely fabulous.

Any hoo, here is just a tiny bit of what I wrote today on my WIP The Light of Valmora. I'll add the blurb first.

THE LIGHT OF VALMORA BLURB

To free his father from the Queen of the Dark Isle, Falcon must find the legendary Light of Valmora which lies hidden in the darkest place on earth. To complicate things further, he is falling in love with Izabelle, his brother’s woman.

Once rejected by Peregrine, Izabelle wants revenge. But when she tries to use Falcon to initiate her plan, everything gets out of control along with her heart.

THE LIGHT OF VALMORA (My WIP) Excerpt:

He turned his back to her, leaned over and gathered up the blanket and saddle. Throwing the blanket over his left shoulder, he held the saddle balanced between his right hand and shoulder. As he made his way to his horse, he gave her a backward glance. “There’s nothing I can do to help you in your endeavors to capture my brother’s heart. That little matter is between you and Peregrine. I won’t be dragged into your silly little games. Got that?”
Izabelle watched him secure the saddle to the black horse that was peacefully nibbling grass near the clear water dashing over stones in the creek. Anger ran its hot fingers up her spine. Was there a more arrogant bull-headed man on the planet? Most likely not. But she was not about to give up. “I just need you to make Peregrine jealous,” she pleaded following behind him as he walked the horse up the hill to where the others were resting.
“No.”
“Wait up,” she called to him and hurried her steps to catch up. As soon as she met his step, she took him by the arm trying to make him stop. “Please Falcon, help me. Haven’t you ever been in love with someone and they just couldn’t really see you?” His back stiffened when she spoke. She felt she had hit a raw nerve. Perhaps she could convince him yet to go along with her plan.
Stepping in front of him to face him and taking hold of the horse’s reigns, Izabelle pleaded. “Won’t you please reconsider? I just want Peregrine to notice me. What is a violin compared to a warm, breathing woman?” Reaching out, she clasped his arm in her hand. The feel of his skin and muscle beneath her palm felt warm and solid.
His muscles bunched under her touch as if the touch of her hand made him tense. He pulled back his arm from her and stepped back. Glaring at her, his mouth set in a thin line and his eyes blazed with warning. “Leave me alone. Go play your childish games with someone else.”
Her throat tightened and her cheeks tingled as if he had slapped her. Childish? “You pig-headed, arrogant bastard. I am a woman fully grown. I’m not playing any childish games as you refer to it. I am trying to win the heart of the man I love. Can’t you see that? Are you so cold to love that you can’t understand what it’s like to want someone body and soul?”
A dangerous look swept across his face. As if it were possible, his eyes grew darker until they were black and searing her with a look she had never seen before. She wanted to back away from him yet felt nailed to the spot awaiting her fate.
With sudden animation, he stepped toward her and gathered her into her hard muscled arms. His mouth came down on hers and his tongue ran along the seam of her lips until, almost against her will, she opened to him.
Izabelle didn’t mean to respond to him like some cat in heat but she found herself reaching up and sliding her hands into the silky thickness of his hair. It felt so good slipping her fingers through the soft mass of his locks. His kiss seemed to brand her and take possession of her until she became a mad woman.
All good things to your corner of the universe.

Sarah McNeal

http://www.sarahmcneal.com/

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Regina Paul

Natalie-Nicole Bates

Natalie-Nicole Bates may be new to the world of publishing, but she’s always been a fan of books and is an active book reviewer. Now she gets to see what’s it’s like on the other side of the book fence when her paranormal romance, Antique Charming, is released through Books To Go Now Publishing this fall and her contemporary romance, Change of Address, will be published in January 2012 by Secret Cravings Publishing.

In addition to her love of books, Natalie also has an uncharacteristic love of hockey which can be attributed to the fact she was born in Russia. Natalie now resides in the UK with a collection of Victorian and Edwardian era photography, her favorites being the post-mortem photographs. Visit Natalie-Nicole online at Natalie-Nicole Bates.com

Tara Fox Hall

I'm an OSHA-certified safety and health inspector at a metal fabrication shop in upstate New York. I have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a double minor in chemistry and biology from Binghamton University. My writing credits include nonfiction, horror, suspense, erotica, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. I am the author of the paranormal action-adventure Lash series and the vampire romantic suspense Promise Me series. I also coauthored (with Eric Dietrich) the nonfiction book Forbidden Conversations. I divide my free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, sewing cat and dog beds for donation to animal shelters, and target practice. Visit me at Tara Fox Hall.com

Lindsay Townsend

Lindsay lives in Yorkshire, England, where she was born, and started writing stories at an early age. Always a voracious reader, she took a degree in medieval history and worked in a library for a while, then began to write full-time after marriage.

Her first unpublished historical found her an agent and the second got a publisher in London interested. They wanted her to write with a modern setting, which she did – several romantic thrillers set in Greece, Italy or on Dartmoor in the English West Country - and enjoyed it, but historicals are really her first love. Lindsay is currently writing medieval romance for Kensington, who published ‘A Knight’s Vow’in 2008 and are following it with ‘A Knight’s Captive’ in spring, 2009.

She is also fascinated by the ancient world, especially Rome, Egypt and the Bronze Age. ‘Flavia’s Secret’, set in Roman Britain, came out from Bookstrand in 2008, and two more historicals, ‘Blue Gold’, set in ancient Egypt, and ‘Bronze Lightning’, set in Bronze Age Greece and the Britain of Stonehenge, have also just been released early in 2009.

Please visit Lindsay's blog.

Linda Sole

Linda writes as herself and under several other names. As Linda Sole she iscurrently published by Severn House of UK and USA. She also writes as Anne Herries for Harlequin Mills & Boon. She is happily married and lives in England with her husband. Linda enjoys visiting Spain where she loves to walk, swim and lie in the sun. Writing is her passion and she manages a few words every day, but she also loves animals and especially squirrels. She is known as the squirrel lady at her local supermarket because of all the nuts she buys for them!

Visit her website for more information.

Sarah J. McNeal

I became interested in writing at a young age. My parents didn’t allow us to have a television so my sisters and I became avid readers. We read everything from Shakespeare to my mother’s True Detective Stories that, by the way, scared the hell out of me. I submitted my first story and received my first rejection when I was thirteen years old.

I am particularly drawn to writing fantasy and time travel and have created a magical place called Valmora where winged people with various magical abilities are in constant struggle against the evil forces of the Dark Isle. Two of the books in this series are presently available at New Concepts Publishing: THE DARK ISLE and LAKE OF SORROWS. I am writing the third now: THE LIGHT OF VALMORA. I have written a time travel novel in which a woman goes back to the 1920’s to save a man from dying in THE VIOLIN that has been submitted to New Concepts Publishing. I intend to write a series of musical instrument stories including THE PIANO and one that I intend to start in the near future titled, HARMONICA JOE’S RELUCTANT BRIDE.

Until recent years, I wrote short stories, two of which were the early inspiration for the Valmora series and three other stories that were sci-fi and paranormal.

I have also written nonfiction including an article in The Charlotte Observer and a monthly newsletter from the emergency department of CMC Mercy Hospital that, unfortunately, I no longer have time to write.

Writing brings me a joy and fulfillment that nothing else can. I love creating magical worlds and people who want to make a difference. I hope that anyone who reads them will love them, too.

Please visit her website for more information.

Patricia Richardson

My desire to write began at a young age; my mind was always filled with great stories. However, my dreams, and aspirations were put on the back burner and even at times forgotten after I became married with children. Later the divorce came, which meant I had to become both mother and father to my children. I worked overtime and weekends just to support my family. The struggle to survive and give my children a healthy, loving home lasted until they were grown. Late author, Gracie Cornish, Ph.D. inspired me to follow my destiny. I met her at a place of employment, "just sit down and start writing," she told me and I did just that. I wrote every chance I got; at work, on the subway, and in my spare time at home. This all started in the latter part of 1998. That very same year God impressed upon my heart to relocate from New York to Maryland. I was obedient and moved.

The move meant that once again I had to put my writing on hold to become familiar with my new environment and learn to cope with the conditions of a highly stressful job. Most evenings when I arrived home the only thing I wanted to do was turn the ringer off the telephone and sleep. I seldom picked up my manuscript, which was kept under my bed just waiting for me not to be too tired and stressed to write. The time for writing again did not come until late in 2001 when I finally came to the realization I would always be stressed and tired from working and if I did not use the gift God gave me I would never achieve the independent financial freedom I wanted. After this epiphany I set a goal for myself; to have the manuscript completed and sent to my editor in March of 2002. Finally, in March of 2003 the book cover for my first novel, "A Place for Ida," was approved and I was published! This of course came with a price. I lost work, I cried, and I virtually had no social life. I was on a personal lockdown. I was on a mission. Most of my spare time was spent researching publishers, cover letters, and anything else I felt was pertinent to my success. Since then I established Leap of Faith Publishing and republished "A Place for Ida" and soon after published the sequel, "A Time for Jonathan."

Visit her website for more information.

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Monday, July 21, 2008

My WIP: The Light of Valmora

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