Tag Archives: Soul Mate Publishing

Hot and Humid

In 2011, I went to the RWA® National Conference in New York City and pitched a manuscript. I remember the pitching room was filled with like 427,000 agents and editors. The waiting area outside was commandeered by a mean woman who yelled at us like cattle. Really naughty cattle who had used her toothbrush. She detested us! Kerri Carpenter

I walked up to a very well-known editor wearing my specially chosen flouncy polka-dot skirt and coordinating hair accessories, which she did comment on. Yay! I knew we would be best friends. I pitched my manuscript, she liked it, and asked me to send the whole thing. Then she said the words that rocked my world.

HAVE YOU WRITTEN ANYTHING ELSE?

At the time, I was quite nervous and somewhat flustered from above mean lady yelling at me like cattle. I didn’t take the time to process her question. If I had, I would have realized she meant, do you have anything else that is finished that you can pitch to me today because you are slotted to talk to me for ten minutes and we are only a minute and half into your session. Instead, I took her question to mean, Have you written anything else…EVER?

With a big smile and imaginary glitter, I shouted a resounding, “Yes!”

Editor stared at me. Shit! The reality came crashing down. She wanted me to pitch another story.

So with an adorable smile, I made up a story off the top of my head. It involved four sisters who had been adopted by two people who died at the opening of the first book. They lived in a quaint Virginia town called Blue Lake. The love story was about reunited high school loves.

The editor’s eyes lit up. “Send it to me immediately.”

Double-shit. I hadn’t written it yet. Hell, I’d just thought it up.

When the conference ended, I visited my brother out on Long Island. I sat on the sand of a beach in East Hampton and started writing this mythical story by hand in a legal pad.

That story is called The Best Kind of Love.

It is going to be published tomorrow.

It’s taken many names and many shapes over the last three years. The editor I pitched it to in NYC did not acquire it. I almost gave up on it multiple times. But it was that crazy story I thought up on the spot that eventually won two contests and brought me together with my agent. It’s not just a story I made up off the top of my head. It’s been my story for the last three years. And I can’t wait to share it with all of you.

And if you’re wondering about the title of this post – Hot and Humid – well, that’s a story for another time….

TBKoL-medium

Mermaids & Friends: Larynn Ford

Can you believe it’s August already! We, Mermaids, are spending extra time splashing around the lagoon to cool off and enjoy this last month of summer. So we thought we would invite one of our friends to join us today. Let’s welcome, Larynn Ford!!!

Besides being one of my fellow Soul Mate authors, Larynn has a new release, Rescued, she’d like to talk about. Plus, she’s giving away one copy – details below. Take it away, Larynn….

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Mermaids & Friends: Samanthya Wyatt

Welcome to another edition of Mermaids & Friends. I’m so excited to have this author with us in the Mermaid Lagoon today because not only is her new book, SOMETHING MORE, amazing, but she is a fellow Soulie. That’s right, we’re both authors over at Soul Mate Publishing. Welcome, Samanthya Wyatt!

Hello Kerri. Thank you for inviting me to the lagoon. I’m so excited to be here on the very day my book, Something More, is to be released.

Tell us a little about your writing journey.

Ever since I can remember, I have loved curling up with a book. When I was young I wrote poems and short stories. I signed everything UNKNOWN AUTHOR. I guess even then I feared rejection. When I graduated, my life changed. I married a military man, traveled across the US and abroad, then settled in the Shenandoah Valley and had a family. My children were in high school before I started writing again.

About fifteen years ago, I wrote to Catherine Coulter and was amazed that she wrote back. I couldn’t believe it. She was very encouraging and told me to join RWA. She said to write everyday even if it was only one sentence. I am a RWA member, joined several chapters including Contemporary Romance Chapter, and I’m a member of Savvy Authors.

I started writing again. I entered a lot of contests, workshops, and made some good friends via e-mails. I finally finished my historical romance, the first of a trilogy, and I completed a contemporary romance “Something More”. I contacted more publishers, sent my MS to editors, and continued to hope. A pitch opportunity with Savvy Authors resulted in two books being published. An editor asked for my contemporary, and another asked for my historical. Both books will be released this month. I’m over the moon.

How exciting! Tell us a little about your current release: your inspiration, main characters, setting, etc.

Something More

Something More

On his way to an important meeting, a light flirtation turns into more than Matthew expects. The alluring beauty does not need his money, and makes it clear she does not need him.

Carrie trusts no man. Until a pair of mischievous eyes melts her defenses, and has her second guessing her convictions.

Infatuation and excitement spark a journey of passion and forbidden emotion where two people must overcome their earlier convictions to find an everlasting love.

Why did you choose to write in this genre? Have you ever written any other genre? Do you plan on doing so in the future?

Dashing Lords and pirates seemed so romantic, so my first book was written in the historical genre. One day I was playing around to get my mind off edits and I wrote a scene with two women bantering back and forth. I had so much fun and the words seemed to flow. So I ended up writing my first contemporary Something More. Modern day women have more freedom, and my wit seems to come out more with contemporary. I have started several stories including a hunky fireman series. Station Eight. Can’t wait to get those published.


Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
I love my hero, just because hunky men are sexy and dark hair has always been my favorite. However, I love a strong heroine and Carrie is strong. Her assistant may deserve a book of her own. And her friend is a no-nonsense, anything goes sort of girl. I guess I like all my characters. I’m so indecisive. About everything in my personal life, too. It takes me forever to pick out a pair of shoes.

What do you do in your spare time?

What spare time? LOL. I keep the road hot. I go to soccer ball games, baseball games, cheer competition, or just babysit the wee ones. Can’t wait till July when I retire.

Any final thoughts you’d like your readers to know about you or your books?

I enjoy penning a story with strong characters, a bit of humor, and active scenes.I invite you to lay the worries of the world off your shoulders and get lost in the pages of a romance, where you embark on a journey with the hero and heroine, become involved in a dream, plunge into a world of fantasy, live an adventure your heart can share.

 

Thank you so much for joining us today, Samanthya, and good luck with your book!

Bonus: The interview’s not over yet. If you would like to read more of Samanthya’s thoughts on the writing process and a special excerpt from Something More, hop on over to my website here.

If you would like to learn more about Samanthya or either of her new books, please visit her webpage. You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, and SMP Authors.