Feng Shui by Coreene Callahan

First of all, thanks so much, Hannah, for having me on today. I’m thrilled to be a guest on your blog and have the chance to chat about Fury of Fire, the first novel in my Dragonfury series.

This year heralds the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar. Which is serendipitous for me, considering Fury of Fire, showcases a new species of half-dragon, half-human warriors battling to protect humankind.

While writing the book, I discovered some interesting things about dragon-shifters as a whole. Chief among them? They are incredibly picky about where they live. So while designing Black Diamond (their lair), I had a few concepts in mind to keep them happy as I built their home.

How did I do it? Feng shui, the Chinese practice of space, orientation, and the flow of positive energy (or ch’i). Interesting stuff, so I decided I’d share a few feng shui principles you might like to use in your own homes.

1.  No T.V.s in the bedrooms. A television draws the positive ch’i out of the room and interrupts a good night’s sleep.

 

2.  No mirrors opposite or beside your bed. Mirrors can attract a third party into a relationship, thereby causing tension between you and your significant other.

 

3.  Place an indoor fountain in your home. Ensure it has a favorable position, and it will attract the things you most want in life.

4.  Install a fish tank. If well positioned, it will tap into the “Divine Water Dragon’s Den” and bring you greater fortune.

     

5.  Always have a solid wall behind your bed. The wall will allow you to sink into a deeper sleep and you will wake up feeling refreshed.

So, enjoy, go forth, and feng shui! It’s a heck of a lot of fun, and who knows? You may end up achieving all you’ve been dreaming of this year with a little help of the ch’i you draw into your home. And if you like, pick up a copy of Fury of Fire to see how feng shui empowers the dragon-shifters and keeps them in positive energy.

Coreene will be giving one lucky commentator an ARC of Fury of Fire. Please leave you email address below in the comment section. The winner will be chosen at random, and Coreene will be in touch in order to arrange sending the winner a copy of the book.

Introducing Kallie Lane

Thanks so much, Hannah, for inviting me to guest blog and share a glimpse of Dark Abandon with your friends.


The creation of my heroine, Melena Salera, evolved from this writer’s golden rule—Write What You Know. It’s my favorite recipe; start with a grain of truth and whip it into romantic suspense fantasy.

First, the grain of truth: I was an adopted child and knew about it from a very young age. As embarrassing as this is to admit, as a young teenager I would sometimes blame my adopted parents for grounding me (which I richly deserved), and would hole up in my room feeling unfairly treated. I refer to this as my princess phase. I would launch myself into consoling daydreams where I believed my real parents would never have treated me in such a way. And they would never have expected me to keep my room clean, wash the dishes, or bring boys home for my dad to evil-eye. But, what if I was wrong about them? What if they weren’t the wonderful family I imagined them to be?

Enter the fantasy: What happens to a woman who is adopted, yet has no idea about her adoption or her true lineage? How does she cope when accusers believe she has murdered her biological grandmother for a multi-million-dollar inheritance she knows nothing about? Who does she turn to when killers are hot on her trail, and she has no idea who wants her dead?

There is only one man she can trust. Her grandmother’s lawyer, the Special Ops-reserve unit-warrior, Theo Sauvage, who lives for the day he can drop kick her to prison for killing her grandmother.

Welcome to Melena’s nightmare—and let the games begin.

Happy reading everyone! Kallie

A Shadow Soldier novel

I will be awarding one lucky commentator a PDF version of DARK ABANDON. Please leave your email addy in the comment section. The winner will be chosen and receive their copy of the book on Sunday, February 19th.

DARK ABANDON is now available for purchase at The Wild Rose Press . It is also available at Amazon.
It will soon be available on Nook, ARe, Bookstrand, Fictionwise, and Barnes & Noble as well.

Writing about a heroine that rivals the adventures of Stephanie Plumm by J M Griffin

Thanks for having me stop by today, Hannah. I’m really pleased to be here. By the way, I just read your novel, If He’s Dangerous, and loved it.

Writing a series is often easier than writing a single title. You become comfortable with the characters and their personalities, know what they will and won’t do, what makes them mad, how they will handle the surprises that we, as writers, throw their way. Heck, they are like family members you have come to know, like, hate, dread….you get the idea.

It took me some time to find my voice when I began writing the Esposito series about ten years ago, but once I found it, there was no stopping Lavinia “Vinnie” Esposito from making her presence known.

It wasn’t until I read Janet’s first Stephanie Plum novel, One for the Money, that I realized our characters were so similar. I’m amazed at the way my main character in the Vinnie Esposito series runs fairly neck-in-neck with that of Stephanie Plum. While she isn’t an out of work woman who takes on a job she has difficulty doing like Stephanie has, Vinnie Esposito can’t seem to get from point A to point B without some horrendous misfortune sending her off course, which usually leaves her treading dangerous waters.

Not long ago, you had me asked me how hard it is to write humor. Well, Hannah, what’s a story without a chuckle or two and maybe a real belly laugh thrown in for good measure? I enjoy a lighthearted novel that transports me away from the daily stresses of life, if it’s only for a little while.

To write humor isn’t all that hard if you look at life that way. Try finding something funny at least once a day and incorporate it into a story. For instance…my daughter and I went to the Providence Art Club for a gallery show about a year ago. There were so many different people there, dressed up, dressed down, and barely dressed, that I stood in a corner and jotted notes about them while pretending to admire the artwork. When I stepped into the second viewing room, I found this short man with thin greasy hair slicked over his head and draping over the tops of his ears. His suit was old, his shirt crisp and white. He stuffed his mouth with crackers loaded with as much food as he could pile onto each one. When I had the chance to ask my daughter about him, she told me he goes to all the gallery openings and eats, but never stays long and he’s very well off. As we left, another man entered the building. My daughter smiled, acknowledged him and whispered to me “He only comes to drink the wine. When it’s gone, so is he.” I found this fascinating and decided I’d add it to a story.

No matter where I go, I watch people, imagine them in a variety of scenes and develop my characters and story line from there. I don’t know how Janet Evanovich comes up with her charcters, but maybe we’re more alike than I think we are.

Thanks for asking me to visit, Hannah.

Pick up a free copy of FOR LOVE OF LIVVY today at BN and ARe and pick up copies of DIRTY TROUBLE and DEAD WRONG at BN, ARe  and Kindle for just $2.99

http://www.lachesispublishing.com/

http://www.jmgriffin.net/