All posts by Avery Flynn

About Avery Flynn

Writer. Smart Ass. Lover of Chocolate. Bringing steamy romance with a twist of mystery to the masses, one hot book at a time.

Kerri’s Debut Book!

Hello Waterworld Mermaid Lagoon!!!

I may or may not have shivved a couple of crabs to elbow my way back in here for the release of Kerri Carpenter’s Flirting with the Competition, but there’s not a court in the world that would convict me. After all, you know I’m not missing any of this awesomeness. How could I? Flirting with the Competition is a fab quick read involving hot lawyers, stuck elevators and Jordan. Oh, you don’t know Jordan? Hold on, here’s Jordan:

Flirting with the Competition

Flirting with the Competition

Roll your tongues back up, ladies (and gents). 🙂

I cornered Mermaid Kerri so I could ask her about Flirting with the Competition (out today – go get it!).

OK, I totally teared up and had a few sniffles when I saw the dedication for Flirting With the Competition. You have to share who Nunnie was and why she was right (and she totally was).

Nunnie is my maternal grandmother. When I was about seven or so, I sat at her kitchen counter and wrote a poem. From what I remember, it rhymed and was generally cute. But Nunnie took one look at it and declared that I was a writer. She told everyone in my family that I was a writer and she never stopped believing it – up until the day she passed away at 97 years old. Because she believed with unwavering conviction, so did I.

Now that we’re all reaching for the Kleenex, let’s bring this back to happy land. I want to hear about where the idea for this story started.

*sniffle sniffle* Okay, moving on. In spring of 2013, I was listening to a webinar given by former lovely and talented Mermaid, Robin Covington, who was talking about writing sexy time in novels. (I don’t think that was the actual title.) She said something about utilizing objects in the environment and I thought, what if you don’t have any objects? What if you’re stuck in an elevator? Then I wanted to know who was stuck in an elevator and where they were trying to go. I started writing Flirting with the Competition the next morning. So thanks, Robin!

You realize you are going to be the reason why a lot of readers start fantasying about getting stuck in an elevator. Have you ever been stuck in an elevator?

No, and that’s probably a really good thing because I suffer from a touch of claustrophobia. Although…if I was stuck in an elevator with someone like my hero, Jordan, I’d probably be just fine. Of course, with my luck I’d get trapped with the person who hadn’t bathed in 16 days and started whistling. (I HATE whistling!)

You live in the Washington DC area, is that why you decided to set Flirting with the Competition there? What about the story is true to life when it comes to living in DC?

Secret about Kerri – I set almost every story I write in either DC, Virginia, or Pennsylvania. I’m from PA, went to college in DC, and currently live in VA. Makes research a breeze. 😉

Setting Flirting with the Competition in DC was a no-brainer. People in DC like to work and love to talk about it. In fact, the first question you usually get when you meet someone new is, “where do you work?”

Did you know the ending before you wrote the first word or did you find your way to it?

I knew from that first night that I wanted two enemies trapped together. By the next day I had decided they would be competing for the same job. But who would get the job in the end? No clue. I’m a total pantser (For non-writers: this means I don’t plot out my stories before I start writing) so I came to the ending rather organically. And the ending you’re reading today is actually different from my original version. But I love this one so much more!

What inspired you to write Flirting with the Competition?

I’m a huge fan of reading novellas and I wanted to try my hand at writing one. At the time, I had just finished the 713th revision on a long contemporary romance I was writing and I wanted to do something fun, flirty, and SHORT!

Casting couch time. Who would you cast for Whitney and Jordan?

A lot of writers use actors as inspiration for their characters. I don’t really do that. But if I had to pick…I would go with either Molly Quinn (she plays Richard Castle’s daughter on Castle) or Rachelle Lefevre (who was in the Twilight movies) for Whitney. Jordan kind of looks like Mike Fisher (who plays hockey for the Nashville Predators and is married to Carrie Underwood). But really, any super-hot, super-alpha guy with a heart of gold underneath will do. 😉

Avery and Kerri hanging out in San Antonio this past July.

Avery and Kerri hanging out in San Antonio this past July.

Don’t leave us hanging, what’s next for you?

I have a full-length contemporary romance called, The Best Kind of Love, coming out with Soul Mate Publishing in December. (See above – those 713 revisions totally paid off.) I’m also writing another novella where two people get stuck in a confining space. Any guesses where I’m putting them this time?

 

Thanks Mermaid Kerri! So everyone go out and grab your copy of Flirting With the Competition! Short blurb and buy links below.

*** Giveaway Alert***

Kerri would love to give one lucky person a $10 Amazon gift card. Lots of fun stuff to buy over at Amazon – like a debut novella perhaps. 😉 To enter, all you have to do is answer the following question in the comments by midnight tonight. Winner will be announced in the comments tomorrow morning.

Question: Who would you love to be stuck with in an elevator?

Flirting With the Competition

The sexiest things happen in confined spaces…

Lawyers Whitney March and Jordan Campbell are interviewing at a prestigious law firm. For the same job. And Jordan is determined to win, despite his sexy, capable, and fiery rival. But when the elevator they’re sharing comes to an abrupt stop, they’re stuck—together.The only thing they have in common is determination to get the job…and an unexpected and escalating attraction. And it’s only a matter of time before these competitors indulge in a very sexy little connection between floors.

You can buy Flirting with the Competition here.

Visit Kerri’s website here.

Or Tweet her here.

Or “like” her on Facebook here.

 

Zombies and Mermaids and Goodbyes

*Grabs a towel from the hot cabana boy who stands guard at the edge of the Waterworld Mermaid lagoon.*

So it seems this was my last dip into the Waterworld Mermaid lagoon and before we get to the good stuff (hello awesome contest!), I wanted to take a moment to say a huge thank you to all my fishy sisters on the site. Y’all are a wonderful bunch of mermaids and I’m so glad to have gotten to hang out with you in the lagoon and in real life. Even though I’m hanging up my fins, I’m happy to buy the next round when we’re all together again. 🙂

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But enough of that, let’s get on to the good stuff!!!

It’s almost Halloween and that means a good zombie read, am I right? Well here’s a fantabulous contest sponsored by one of my favorites, Emma Shortt. Her debut novel, Waking up Dead, and it’s all about the zombies… Of course where the undead roam a zombie slaying kit is so needed, and does she have a fab one for you!

Axe: check

Flashlight: check

Super hunky guy to fight the zombies with: not quite…

You can, however, find that super hunky guy in-between the pages of Waking up Dead, and if you’d like the get-your-slay-on kit too, or a signed copy of Waking up Dead, or even a $25 Amazon gift card enter the competition below. You get extra points for tweeting and extra again for heading over to Facebook and liking Emma Shortt’s author page.

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Here’s a sneak peek of Waking up Dead…

WD posterYou know your life has hit rock bottom when you’re living off cooked rats and showering once every few months—if you’re lucky. But for Jackson Hart things are about to get a whole lot worse. When her best friend, Tye, disappears hunting for food, kick-ass Jackson’s ‘head south to safety’ plan looks like it’s dead before it’s even begun. But then she meets ex-mechanic Luke Granger, who takes her to his bunker, feeds her with non-rat based food, and offers her protection against the zombie hordes—not that she needs it. She knows how to use a machete and isn’t afraid to. 

Jackson was tempted to stay in the city with her rescuer. Food, shampoo and the possibility of finally getting laid, what more could she ask for? But the flesh eaters are getting smarter and the bunker is compromised, so Jackson and Luke have no choice but to make the journey south. 

Luke and Jackson team up to find other humans in a road-trip romance for the ages. They travel for thousands of miles with zombies shadowing their every move. They must utilize every resource at their disposal…and then some. On the way, they discover that even if flesh eating zombies are knocking down their door, there’s always time for sex and even love.

Good luck in the contest everyone and a special shout out to all the Waterworld Mermaids. Fishy kisses, ladies. Fishy kisses.

Understanding the Budding Male Mind

As romance authors, we do a lot of research to better understand the male mind. We read papers and books. We talk to dudes and ask uncomfortable questions. We flip through guy magazines – although you couldn’t pay me enough money to ever read a Maxim again. I weep for twenty-something women. Weep.

However, as the mother of two boys I’m getting a whole new perspective on the male mind. A year ago Flynn Kid No. 2 was all about Ninjagos and Legos. Then somehow, somewhere a switch was flipped. And he turned into this guy.

FAT-NAKED-ARKANSAS-FANOK, not exactly that guy, but that kind of sports fanatic. This was my reaction to this development.

confusedI mean really. The change happened overnight. All the sudden he was all about sports. He went from Ninjagos to Sports Center and from Star Wars to Rudy. When his teams are doing great it’s all

BOSHTONGUE.gif.pagespeed.ce.FgHrqBXhxyDisturbing? Yes. But it’s so much better than when they lose.

SAD-FANIt’s never good to see your eight year old cry over a game, but there’s part of me that can’t help but react like this

152c9hgbecause come on … it’s a game. Not that I say that. No. I know way better than that. Plus there are the unintended amusements of raising a budding sports fanatic. There’s the bright orange cowboy hats he wears for Syracuse games. Then he has the New Jersey Devils Mr. Potato Head that has to sit by the TV during games. And the Notre Dame mini helmet, the New York Giants helmet and the New York Red Bulls scarf that are all deployed when necessary. Pretty soon, Flynn Kid No. 2, the fab Mr. Flynn and Flynn Kid No. 3 will be doing weird things like this.

Brian-WilsonGive it time. It will happen.

I may not totally understand the male mind, but this I know: beware dragons and foul balls be there. So I just giggle and say

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Who You Calling Crazy?

My love for Mary Jo Putney grew exponentially this month when I heard her speak at RWA Nationals. She received the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award and gave one of the best speeches about the writing life that I’ve ever heard. My favorite line? This one:

You don’t have to be crazy to be a writer, but it sure helps.

*Cue lots of knowing laughter.*

Ah, the writing life. It makes us all a bit batty even if we weren’t before. Why? Well for us planners it’s because we work things out in our heads (or our forrest-killing line of Post-It notes) and then this happens:

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If you’re a freak like me that makes you do this:

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But that never gets the job done, so I suck it up and make a new plan. This is what I tell my characters:

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Thank God, they say yes. (Yes, I know the characters aren’t real, but the muse is and sometimes she’s a real diva.) Then the words start flowing and this is how cool I feel:

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And it all works out in the end with even the author getting a happily ever after. And if I have to be crazy to make that happen? So be it.

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Because the crazy amongst us are in good company. I say go forth and wave your crazy author flag.

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She’s With the Band: Carlene Love Flores Chats About Her Latest Rock Star Book

Carlene MermaidMy mer-sister Carlene Love Flores and I have two HUGE things in common: 1. A deep and abiding love of real Mexican food and 2. A special place in our hearts for Depeche Mode. So of course when the latest in her rocker series, Sin’s Flower, came out I had, had, had to corner her in the lagoon to chat Jaxon, great music and the top five falling in love tunes and break-up songs.

Y’all are going to love this interview. How could you not, it’s Carlene?

But before I turn it over you have to check out the Sin’s Flower blurb.

sins-flower3When Jaxon James, a sexy rock star and struggling single-father, is invited to ditch California and spend Christmas in Tennessee with his estranged family, he hesitantly accepts for his young daughter’s sake.  But his attraction to his best friend’s baby sister, Lily Elstone, threatens to unravel the bonds he’s made for his daughter.  The honorable thing to do would be to give up Lily.  But his instincts are telling him she’s exactly the one who could bring light to his life and the missing fire to his bed.  Unfortunately, Lily’s too sweet for his world.  He fears his rock and roll life style will taint her.   How far are Jaxon and Lily willing to go to find what’s missing at home?

Take it away Carlene!

I love these questions and I want to thank you, Avery Flynn, for coming up with them! I’m beyond smitten.

(Right back at you mer-sister! *fist bump*)

What is it about rock stars that sucks you in?

Their ability to captivate masses of people in just one moment. I could never be that interesting and so I like discovering what their special spark is, where it comes from, how it makes them both super intoxicating yet incredibly vulnerable. And then how the bulk of their lives are spent as relatively normal human beings when they’re not on stage. In Sin’s Flower, Jaxon has to deal with everyday things like being a single father and paying his daughter’s ballet lessons on time or going home for Christmas and not pissing off his relatives at the family dinner.

What are the three best things that come with writing about rock stars?

Attending live shows is my research, meeting and talking with totally awesome and talented musicians is my research, and being obsessed with music is my research!

What five songs should be on every person’s playlist when they are in the midst of a new romance?

1. Private Emotion by Ricky Martin

2. Take Care by Drake & Rihanna

3. Summer Wine by The Corrs & Bono

4. The Sweetest Condition by Depeche Mode

5. That’s Where It’s At by Sam Cooke

What five songs should be on their playlist for right after a breakup?

1. Who Have You Been Loving by Bobby Long

2. Tears Dry on Their Own by Amy Winehouse

3. She’s Just a Girl That I Knew by Adam Ezra Group

4. Mama’s Broken Heart by Miranda Lambert

5. Four Kicks by Kings of Leon.

Jaxon is so hot. What is your favorite thing about him?

Thank you Avery, I’ll tell him you said so. (wink) I love that he’s a single parent and thinking about trying to be a good dad every single day but doesn’t deny his true nature when he’s with Lily. Also he has cool hair (think punk-goth blond Elvis) and a rockin’ hot neck tattoo that is a work in progress throughout Sin’s Flower. Jaxon’s hotness in a song? Check out Man Made Machine by Motor.

Why is Lily the perfect one for him?

Hopefully Jaxon won’t mind me saying this, but I’m obsessed with Joel Schumacher’s Phantom of the Opera movie and Jaxon has always reminded me a lot of the Phantom. I’m broken hearted that Phantom (played by Gerard Butler) bares his true self and isn’t rewarded with love in the end. In Sin’s Flower, Lily seems too sweet to handle Jaxon but I think she proves grit can be made of sugar too. Lily’s secret to Jaxon’s heart? Check out A Woman’s Touch by Casey James.

When you hear Jaxon singing in your head, what real life rock star does he sound like?

So Jaxon is the leader of the band and the chief songwriter, but aside from harmonies, he leaves the singing up to Stefan. I can hear Jaxon loud and clear in his speaking voice or when he’s humming the beginnings of a song, but he just doesn’t put himself out there when it comes to full on singing. Not sure why because he’s got an incredibly sexy voice. But if you want to “hear” Jaxon singing, check out this video of Jeremy Renner from SNL on You Tube. He sounds very close to that first Avenger song.

Can I just end by saying what a lucky girl Lily is? Thank you for having me and my musical friends today! Love stories rock! Big fishy kisses to all our fishy friends. xoxoxo

***

Be sure to check out Sin’s Flower and the first book in the series, Sidewalk Flower. Both are awesome.

Fly Your Romance Flag and Win Design Services

Avery-mermaidIt’s Flag Day (at least for those of us in the U.S.)! And that means it’s time to fly your romance genre flag.

What you didn’t know Romancelandia had its own flag? It doesn’t, it has five. OK, Romancelandia has more than five genres, but come one it’s a lagoon not the ocean. Jeesh.

The uber-talented graphic designer (and one of my favorite people in the world), Elizabeth Babski with Babski Creative Studios, created these flags for several of the genres in romance. We’re flying these flags with pride in our lagoon today and want you to do the same. Pick your genre flag and fly it on Facebook, Twitter and Pintrest (be sure to mention you found the flags at www.waterworldmermaids.com), then enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Read or write in more than one genre? Pick your favorite one.

The winner will receive either one banner ad or a Facebook header from Babski Creative Studios. The design would use your existing cover art and copy you provide, and she will provide background graphics and supporting text effects. You have until midnight EST June  16 to enter.

Pick Your Romance Flag!

Suspense3 Contemporary3 

Paranormal3 Historical3 Erotic3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Elizabeth Babski co-owns Babski Creative Studios, a full-service graphic design studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Need a custom book cover, web/social media graphics or author swag?  Contact her at [email protected].

Party Time in the Lagoon! Loni Lynne #Book Release and #Giveaway!

Wanted-1600Y’all I am super excited to have cornered our own Loni Lynne in the lagoon. She’s getting tipsy on the One Fin Cosmopolitan, so you know she’s going to spill the goods. Why is she in such a party-down mood? Because her debut novel Wanted: One Ghost was released this week and it’s time to celebrate.

Since it’s always 5 p.m. in the Waterworld Mermaid lagoon, grab yourself an adult beverage and join the conversation with Loni. And be sure to play along in the comments for a chance to win Loni’s debut novel, Wanted: One Ghost.

OK, I have to ask about your writing space. Where does the magic happen?

My daughter’s former bedroom which now has my L- shaped writing desk, an aerobics ball I use for a chair and three book shelves loaded with romance books and research books.

I’m going to totally out you because you’re one of the more quiet mermaids in the lagoon. I promise not to share it with the world *wink*, but what are three things about you that would surprise other people?

Loni Lynne 5 p12756ta105474_251.) One of my first jobs was as a radio DJ for a country music station out in western Oklahoma.

2.) I joined the Navy right after high school and tried out for Navy Diver when they started to accept women in the program…I didn’t make it.

3.) Was stationed for four years in Hawaii.

Loni, you have led an interesting life, which is great for a writer. 🙂 How did you get your idea for Wanted: One Ghost?

After a few ghost tours I wondered what the ghosts would think or do so I created my own version of ideas.

 If you could divine history by touching objects, like your heroine April, what event or person would you like to know more about?

I’ve always had a thing for Revolutionary War era. I would have loved to sit in on the signing of the Declaration of Independence or sat and talked with Ben Franklin.

James, your hero, is a ghost/ladies man. That’s quite a combination. What inspired you?

I consider that era so full of charming gentlemen. He was a combination of some of the historical romance heroes I read in the 1980’s and 90’s.

Are you a history buff? If so, what’s your favorite era and why?

To read about and study, I love Colonial American and Westward Expansion. I grew up in the Midwest and was fascinated when my family moved and traveled frequently around the country. First thing we did was check out local museums.

For music/decor I love vintage/1920’s-1950’s. Big Band and the old crooners.

OK, now for the most important question ever. Historical hotties (i.e. who’d you rather): A dashing Duke or a brawny Viking?

A dashing Duke. Dark hair, charming and elegant.

***

Who’s ready to get their hands on a copy of Wanted: One Ghost? Yay! I want to giveaway a digital copy to one lucky commenter (open internationally) who answers this question: If you could divine history by touching objects, like April- the heroine in Wanted: One Ghost, what event or person would you like to know more about?

Put your answer in the comments and I’ll pick a winner at random on Monday.

Wanted: One Ghost 

Wanted-1600Stuck in ghostly limbo for 238 years, James Addison can’t move on to an afterlife.  After being falsely accused of treason and executed, fate’s cursed him to remain an earth-bound specter until he meets a historian sent to research his past.

Distrustful of fate, Dr. April Branford wants to be taken seriously, but her unique ability to divine history by touching objects seriously compromises her credibility. Her latest assignment?  James Addison, a legendary colonial ladies’ man with a shadowy past.  Without much to go on, she doesn’t hold out much hope to discover the man behind the legend until the day she accidentally touches him and brings him back to life.

 With the help of family and ghosts from James’s past, they unravel the truth. But after falling in love and with time running out, it’s hard for April to believe in fate and a future where forever is now.

 

Poll Results: How Much You Make and the Books You Write

So it all started out with me being my normal nosy self and wondering how much money everybody else was making. We put out a little poll in the lagoon.

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42% of respondents made $1,000 or less in the past year. Click the picture to see in more detail. 

That led to a bunch of questions from our fabulous commenters. So, we threw out those questions to everyone who dips their toes into the Waterworld Mermaid Lagoon. Here are the results. Click on any of the images to enlarge them.

Please not this is not a comprehensive survey of romance writers. I’d love to see RWA or a chapter do that kind of survey.

j l k i h g f e d c b Click the picture to see in more detail.

Money Matters: Experience, Digital First and Indie Writers

Coin Dropping Into Piggy BankA few weeks ago, the Waterworld Mermaids ran a poll asking authors how much money they made from writing romance novels. What we found is that 42 percent of the respondents had made $1,000 or less in the past 12 months.

However, the response in our comments section was so great that we wanted to ask a few follow up questions suggested by the Waterworld Mermaids’ amazing readers. Here they are.

If the polls – or vote buttons – don’t show up for you on this page (some internet browsers don’t like mermaid polls), click on the link under the poll to take it. Please only take the polls that apply to your romance writing income bracket.

And don’t forget to share these polls with your romance writing friends and tell us your thoughts about the results in the comments below.

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Mermaid Blogoversary: Getting Our Freak On AKA Paranormal Day

mermaid logoBy Avery, Denny, Loni and Masha

Hey all! Thanks so much for hanging out with us during our blogoversary blowout week. There are 13 mermaids in the lagoon, so we broke the week’s posts into groups via genre – just like the tables were grouped by genre at the very first Washington Romance Writers retreat we all attended together. Cool, eh?

This year for our blogoversary, we’re telling tales (not pulling mermaid fishy tails) about some of our favorite memories from that first retreat. Be sure to check them all out and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom of each day’s post to win a fantabulous prize pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card, books, reader goodies, a mermaid nightie, a Waterworld Mermaids water bottle and fun stuff galore!

Avery:

Avery FlynnOne of my favorite memories of meeting a mermaid was meeting Kimberly MacCarron. There I was sitting quietly in a corner — OK, you know that’s a lie. So there I was chatting up a complete stranger before one of the workshops started. I stopped talking ever so briefly to suck in a breath when BAM! the woman next to me starts talking about the difficulties of making Persian rice. It was such a total non-sequiter and she talked with such passion, I knew we were destined to be friends. Either that or we’d have a who-can-talk-more battle to the death. That crazy woman with the waving hands and sarcastic tweak to her tone was none other than Kimberly MacCarron who to this day can talk me under a table without even breaking a sweat.

Denny:

Denny S. BryceMy memories of my first WRW Retreat are sketchy. It was of course the weekend when I entered into the land of Mermaids, but I actually wasn’t in the mood to attend. I’d never been to the Retreat. I had tried to attend one or two times, but it was always sold out by the time I’d mailed in my registration. So, my  critique partner Joy Daniels (Danielle:) said I had to go, so I signed up. I didn’t mingle much outside of the orientation for first-time members, but I do remember sitting near Mermaid Alethea. She was very chatty (and a little scary:)…she kept telling me I needed to write short stories. Every time I saw her she said ‘You should be writing short stories.” I didn’t ask her why. I just nodded and smiled.
The only other clear memory I have was sitting next to Sherrilyn Kenyon during lunch. I didn’t know who she was though. Sorry, but seriously, I didn’t. After a few minutes of chatting (we didn’t talk about writing either), I learned she was very nice, funny, and she talked a lot. I do recall saying to myself, “Self, if everyone at WRW is like her, this could be fun.”
Then someone stood up and said, now I’d like to introduce our keynote speaker, and the gal sitting next to me stood up, and I grinned, thinking, I bet everyone thinks I really know her.
Okay, that was a typical all about ‘me’ moment,  but I can’t lie during the weeklong celebration of the Waterworld Memaids blog-anniversary, right?
Loni:

Loni Ren Faire It was after the final session on Friday night, before everyone went their separate ways (some of us to the small bar at the hotel).  I was walking down the corridor in between the dining area and the break-out rooms when someone said, “I could sure use a drink!”

I replied, “Me too.  An Amaretto and Sprite would really hit the spot.”

The woman turned to me and said, “Really? I’ve never heard of that.”

“Well, let’s go see if they have some.”

The next thing I knew we were sitting at the bar with a drink and talking about our stories and our lives. Within minutes it was like we were old friends.  Susan asked me about my book I was pitching (which is now my debut novel, Wanted: One Ghost) in the morning.  I told her how nervous I was.  It was my first time to pitch—ever!!

Needless to say, she was there for me the rest of the weekend.  It was great!  We exchanged emails and when I got home, excited to have had two full ms. from my pitches, I went to work on preparing them to send.  Susan emailed me about the group forming of a bunch of virgin-WRW retreat ladies who were putting together a blog page—had never done one of those either.  The rest they say, “Is history!”

Masha:
Masha MermaidSo there was this table.  It was supposed to be inspirational.  Inspirational writing, that is. Turns out, everyone at the table wrote everything but inspirational.  A glitter infused chickie, who had more energy than two thousand fireflies in a small glass jar, decided to rename the table. It was no longer inspirational, but that’s what it turned into.
So there we were. A motly crew of writers. I listened as they told their stories, fascinated by the different journeys. I don’t usually feel comfortable crowds, even less so when forced to speak. But at this bouillonbase table, I felt comfortable, safe.
So there I was that night. At home. Because that’s what I do. Hellicopter around like a wordless specter. What I later found out were my soon-to-be sisters were hooting it up.  Mermaid style. At a game of Jeopardy (or such). As usual, I missed out, but that’s okay. It was by choice.
A few days later I got an invite to join them in the sisterhood of mermaids. Me. The one who never says much. Who doesn’t participate with gusto.  And is always more present in spirit than in person.
And for me, that’s how it began.  They’ve put up with my missing deadlines, complaining, tardiness and continued hellicoptering. And they’ve done this without question, without recriminations and always with support and a hearty “we’ll be here.” And so I thank them.. again, from behind the computer screen, because that’s where I feel safe. The writer journey is a tough one, but these women make the road less lonely.  Thank you.
Mermaid Anniversary Prize Pack
Now it’s time to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway to win a fantabulous prize pack that includes a $25 Amazon gift card, books, reader goodies, a mermaid nightie, a Waterworld Mermaids water bottle and  fun stuff galore!

a Rafflecopter giveaway