Keeping up...with me

Photo Hannah Olinger on Unsplash

How hard can it be to be an adult? Apparently harder than I sometimes tell myself. Read about that life lesson here.

Writing, studying, working, exercising, and a change of diet all together tends to keep me pretty busy. I took a leaf out of my current writing project, Take Your Journal to the Next Level, and restarted using a Bullet Journal. I have used it before, but I made a simple mistake which I now fixed: I am using a separate notebook.

In the past I used my normal journal to add the bujo activities, but it wasn't effective. Two weeks ago I dug out a blank journal out of my cupboard and have been using it with much greater success. I changed the format slightly to suit me, but that is just one of the benefits of the simple planner style-it is adaptable.

All the things I need to do are now in one place, and I can better see what I will have time for - yes, priorities. It helps to prioritise my study hours for the week, and when to work on my assignments so I can hand in early, leaving me more time to work on the book mentioned above. With better planning, I can make better progress, while studying. As it stands the first draft is now 75% complete, and I am back on schedule.
Go bujo!

If you are a journal writer stuck in a rut, or want to start a keeping journal, or just want to experiment with different styles of journal writing, then I want your input.

If you live in Pretoria, South Africa, and would like to learn more about journal writing, contact me to get your name on a mailing list for a course that will start in October.
If you are not living in my home city and still want to learn more about journal writing, you too can pop me an email to be a beta reader for Take Your Journal to the Next Level.

And since I have now committed myself to finishing the book by October, I better get back to it.

Wishing you a terrific week!
💜 Linzé

Interview with... Dan Weatherer

Linzé: This week I am privileged to have a playwright on the Broomstick and he is telling us about his upcoming book.

The Dead Stage – the period of time between completing the working draft of a stage play and placing it with an interested party.”- Dan Weatherer

Dan Weatherer, an author turned playwright, learned quickly that there are practices playwrights can implement to dramatically increase the appeal of their work.
Inside, you’ll find advice that will enable you to better tailor your work to the needs of the theatre industry, without having to compromise on style, content or subject matter. Dan discusses his early mistakes, and presents the advice of notable theatre professionals including the award-winning playwright, Deborah McAndrew, noted actor Matthew Spence, and London Horror Festival producer, Kate Danbury (along with many, many more!).

You’ll also be able to read several of Dan’s completed stage plays, which are presented in a preferred industry format, and often contain side-notes detailing the success (and failures) of said pieces.
From budgets to set design, run-time to cast size, if you ever felt the desire to write for the stage, following the advice presented in this book will help improve your chances of pairing your script with an interested party, hopefully making The Dead Stage pass almost unnoticed.

Brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from The Darkest Depths.

---

Dan Weatherer

Interview with the author:

What makes this non-fiction book so special?
“Placing a stage play with a theatre company is (in my experience) more difficult than placing a book with a publisher. Open theatre calls are highly competitive, seeing hundreds of entries for a call that can possibly stage only three or four pieces. Quality of work is no longer enough to guarantee consideration for performance.

The tips and advice contained in The Dead Stage allowed me to build an impressive portfolio of theatre work in a relatively short space of time. I believe it is important to share experiences if they may be able to help others achieve success.”

Tell us more about why you wanted to write this guide.

“Throughout my career, I have worked to create opportunities for others, believing it is better to be a small fish in a thriving ocean, rather than a big fish in a stagnant pond.

This book is about sharing my experiences and mistakes, in the hope that I can help others avoid the pitfalls that I fell into.

Theatre, more than any other medium, is a tough industry to break into. Every piece a playwright will write will always be in competition with work from the greatest playwrights of all time. Theatre is a business: seats need to be sold in order to keep theatres running, and so often established pieces are booked instead of the work of what many might term the ‘New Writing’. This is because they are considered safe bookings, and the theatre will, in most instances, not lose money. New writing is considered a risk. Usually, theatres set aside a budget for new writing, but this is often small and tightly contested.

But theatre needs new voices and there are theatre companies willing to give new writing a chance. This book is my way of saying that yes, it is possible to see your work performed on stage, no matter your previous experience in the theatre industry.”

If you have a passing interest in the theatre industry, either as a playwright, director, producer, actor or working behind the scenes, then this book is for you. It includes insights and advice from an array of professionals working at all levels of the industry today. Their advice helped me see my work performed on stage, now it’s their turn to help you.”

The book is due for release in October 2018. We will update you closer to the date for a pre-order link.

Thank you, Dan. We are looking forward to another excellent book from the Crystal Lake stable.
~Linzé

Coursework, writing, blogging and life

Photo by Emily Rudolph on Unsplash

I was a bit quiet this week, and not entirely of my own doing. I am doing an online course in Training and Development Management and the homework this past week was a bit more challenging and required more of my time. It is one of those things that you cannot just email the lecturer and tell him: "Sorry, I need more time because my blogs required my attention."

But I have a sneak preview of a new book for you on Tuesday, an interview with author and playwright Dan Weatherer where he reveals the story behind his upcoming book, The Dead Stage.

If you are an author or working on your first book, make sure you bookmark the post, because I will give you a pre-order link very soon.

Speaking of books, I have not only been studying, and the first draft of my next book, Take Your Journal to the Next Level is now at 69% complete. If you are a journal writer, and you live in Pretoria keep a lookout for the Facebook invitation to take part in a special project involving this book. But I am not going to reveal all the details yet.

Another exciting thing that is in the making is the republication of Negotiating the Maze - from self-published writer to successful authorpreneur. The ebook was withdrawn after Pronoun went under, but I have found a new publisher and hope to tell you the good news on where to find the ebook again very soon.

The paperback book is still available for South Africans if you want a signed copy.

The library indie book fair will take place again in November, and my place is secured. But more on that closer to the date.

Enough of all the exciting things going on right now. I have a book to write and more coursework coming in the week ahead.

Until next time!

Linzé

PS: I have another blog about life, wellness and life coaching. Take a look here.

Books, and all things life...of sorts

I had a run in with my garage door opener on Friday. It wasn't pretty. When I was ready to go to work, the door didn't open. Stuck, I decided to take leave for the day and do other stuff. Several hours later, I got that incredibly jittery feeling of being trapped. Not literally, but not being able to just get in the car and go somewhere, makes me feel that way.

So there I was trying to figure out how to do this. Of course, I knew what to do, but the problem was getting it done. Disengaging the motor drive was a challenge (because I refuse to get on a ladder) but I finally managed to stretch at just the right angle to reach it.

Here comes the not so pretty part. I had to lift the wooden door by hand. Given the angle and space, I had to work with, I was glad I was alone in that garage. I managed to lift it just enough so I could go outside (via Francois' garage door), stick my fingers underneath and then haul that load up.

The door is still damn heavy, but I was sure grateful for all those weights my personal trainer had me lifting these past eight months.

Door open I had now to try and get it closed again; otherwise I couldn't leave. Back to the same problem, the car was now outside, but the door now had to be closed again. But luckily the empty space was sufficient to get the door in the right position. I tried again to engage the motor drive, and thank goodness it locked the gear and closed by itself.

If any of my neighbours saw my efforts, they would probably have been laughing their butts off or popped over in a second to come and help. Since I managed, I went off to refuel the car and get a few things for home.

And the new book, Take Your Journal to the Next Level, is making good progress too. According to my project plan, the first draft is now 64% complete.

Something that makes me motivated to keep going, that's for sure.

Until next time!

💜  Linzé

PS: There are more book features coming soon!

Follow Me: A long weekend - Part 2

Friday, 10 August 2018

The fog was the consistency of milk soup this morning. I would say denser than yesterday's even.

Driving in the fog

We went to the Wheelbarrow for breakfast this morning. Amazingly enough, I remembered this place from way before. It has a lovely nursery, and the gardens give you a tropical forest feel when you walk through the gardens. They have all these nooks and crannies which are lovely, and secretive(?), to explore.

Do you know what these blue flowers are called? Please leave your answer in the comments, since I have never seen anything like it before and am curious to know.

At least the waiter knew what an Americano was. If memory serves, we still had to explain that style of coffee the last time we were here. But the breakfast was nice, and the coffee good too.

Now we are off to our next adventure, and I am grateful that the sun came out to burn away the fog. We saw too many drivers being irresponsible in the almost zero visibility conditions on the road.

It is 12h27, and we are having lunch at the Eatery in Haenertsburg.

After breakfast, we went into the forest looking for old trees. As in more 100 years old, but we didn't find them. Somewhat tricky to spot very tall trees amongst a lot of other tall trees. Maybe next time.

The entrance to the
"secret nook"
@ The Wheelbarrow

We did see lots of pine trees, masses of them. Okay, they were planted for their wood, so the truck filled with huge logs that drove past should have been my cue. And we also saw blue gum trees. They were huge. When I stood next to one looking up and up towards its crown, I felt slightly sick when I did. Motion sickness kicking in perhaps?

All the off-road driving brought some beautiful scenery too, and real motion sickness for me. That was rather yuck. I told Francois to stop so I could get out and interact with the ground on my own feet. While I sipped a little water, he turned the car around, and by then I felt marginally better.

Spotting the time, we went food hunting in some other parts of the forest area. A wedding venue looked promising, but they only provided the venue for day visitors for picnics and such, so no food in sight.

The "secret nook" @ The Wheelbarrow

Then we went back to the access road to the organic cheese farm we saw on the way in. Missing the turn-off, we went down the access road for busses. Which was funny. To accommodate a bus the road didn't have sharp turns and was a bit longer, but we reasoned that it was going to get us there. It did, right behind the butt of a big bus. My first thought, how on earth? Francois' reply: he is going to get out using the same struggle to get in.

The funny part? The bus access road ran past the homes of the staff working on the farm. There were these small steel rods planted across the road (Francois almost didn't see them in time) with string spun between them. It was a holding pin, if you want, to keep the pigs and a shed full of piglets from running all over I suppose. One of the men saw us, removed a pin for us to cross, and then he chased the pigs. The adults walked off by themselves, but the babies probably thought it was a game and came running towards the car. The man chased them again and boy can they run! If was funny to see those short legs move those round little bodies out of our way.

Amazing blue flowers
@ The Wheelbarrow

Then we got to the parking space and the bus mentioned above. Off to the bathroom it was for me while Francois walked around to spot a picture or two.

Side note: I have been to facilities on this trip that will give most people nightmares. And that is all I am going to say on that subject.

The cheese farm was a short visit. Their food offering looked uninteresting, and their set up not really geared for casual visitors. So we decided to go back to Haenertsburg. And here we are at the Eatery.

The food was delicious, and I liked the interior of the place too. The staff was lovely and knowledgeable about the food on the menu (dairy allergies can make for an exciting test of the waitress' knowledge).

We are now back at the cottage taking stock of the morning's excursions and thinking about what we are going to do after we finish our coffee.

17h19 settled in to wait for our dinner (pizza on both counts) to be served.

After we finished our coffee, we went damming. First off the Ebenezer Dam. To get there, we had to drive on what is known as Blue Gum Lane. It is not the official name of the road (gravel again, but not as bad as this morning's) because of the giant blue gum trees that line it on both sides. I collected a few blue gum leaves from the ground and took a few more pictures. I don't know if you have ever been close to such big trees, not only tall mind you, but they do give one a sense of timelessness. I also felt in awe that such living entities exist and are not cut down when the pine forest is harvested. The people of this country are not known for their environmental awareness, so seeing these beautiful big trees, almost made me cry.

Yes, we have all those national parks, but their existence is no longer because people feel the need for preservation of our fauna and flora, it is money that ensures their survival. These trees, however, have no monetary value, and yet there they stand. Doesn't say a lot about the new South Africa, does it?

Francois taking a photograph of Magoebaskloof Dam

Our next stop, down the mountain, was the Magoebaskloof Dam. Neither of us had been there, and it is a sight for sure. Especially with all those trees on the opposite shore. The water was mirror calm, and I am sure Francois' photographs (I will steal one with his permission) will tell the story. The angle of the sun made mobile phone pictures challenging, that is why I want one of is.

Back up the mountain, the sun is about to leave us for the day, and we are awaiting our pizzas with hungry anticipation.

Tomorrow morning we take the road back home to Pretoria. One the one hand the break was nice, but I like being home too. Since it is a long weekend, there is still a weekend ahead for doing things like drawing and shopping for supplies for next week. I have laundry to do, and the rest of the house to clean. Long weekends also go by faster than we want them to, don't they?

So this has been a short Follow Me, but I trust that you enjoyed my stories and our pictures documenting yet another beautiful part of my country, South Africa.

Until next time!

💜 Linzé

Follow Me: A long weekend - Part 1

Women's Day - 9 August 2018

Francois holding the gate for
me at the cemetery

We are in Haenertsburg in the Limpopo province today. Since it is a public holiday here (Women's Day) we both took leave for Friday and turned it into a long weekend. So here we are in one of the most beautiful parts of my country. It is high above sea level, so fog and rain are common occurrences, even at this time of year.

We didn't come with a plan: do this or go there, it was purely a matter of getting away and taking a break. But even without an itinerary, we did quite a bit today. Most of it involved food, but we had to eat after all.

After the semi-breakfast disaster - the first place we stopped was so crowded, and the queues so long, we decided to drive on and go somewhere else. I had a protein bar, and Francois got himself a small pie from the shop, to tie us over. Fifty kilometres later we had to wait a long time for our food to be delivered, and had to ask four times for cutlery (twice asked the same waitress) but we eventually got real food into our starving bodies. The coffee wasn't too bad though.

When we finally reached the region of Magoebaskloof, the fog hit us. In places it was so dense it was difficult to see the trees right next to the road. When we arrived in Haenertsburg, we set off to the cemetery. Trust me, I was just as surprised since neither of us has any relatives buried there.

Fog in the Haenertsburg cemetery
(photograph by Linzé)

But, Francois had been there before (with a few photography friends), so he knew what we were going to find - you guessed it - breathtaking scenery. The gravestones are overgrown with mosses, and some of them are quite old. Add the trees, shrubs, and green grass, and incredible photographs happened. Add to that the skills of a great photographer (nope, I wasn't referring to myself) and you have a few winners on your camera.

A signalling device? (photograph by Linzé)

When we got back into the village, we parked on the main street and explored a few of the quaint little shops we found there. I also spent some time in the local museum where local volunteers documented and maintain the local history of the village. The museum is open to the public but unmanned, so there wasn't anyone around that I could ask about the curious object. 

The unknown device's label (photograph by Linzé)

The label is so worn that I could only speculate that it is something used for navigation or signalling perhaps. If you know more, please let me know since I find old technology intriguing.

After the obligatory browse through the books and antiques shop, we sat down to enjoy coffee and cake for lunch. Something we can only get away with (from our consciences that is) during holidays.

The books and antiques shop
(photograph by Linzé)

We then went to book into our cottage, unpacked and relaxed for a bit, before heading out to explore the surrounding pine forest on foot. I collected a leaf, some pine needles and took pictures of the wild azaleas growing in abundance around here. They were extraordinarily beautiful with all the raindrops decorating their petals. With nature playing her part, there was no way that even pictures taken with my iPhone weren't going to turn out nice.

Later we drove around and took some photographs at the Ebenezer Dam. The fog was still as dense, if not more, than what we saw when we arrived. On our way back we stopped for a lovely dinner and coffee at Lekwar and decided that we will go back there for breakfast too before we go home.

Now I am typing this post in front of a cosy fire in our cottage. Internet access is limited, so I might only post this once we are back at home. Note to self: check the spelling of Haenertsburg, there is something odd going on in the way different signs and the internet spells the name of the village.

Off to get some coffee to enjoy with my cosy fire. Then I will read my book for a bit, then go snuggle in bed with Francois who has been asleep already for the past half an hour.

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

Book Feature: IRRESISTIBLE by Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku

AVAILABLE NOW!

“I crave her...” - Jayden

“I can’t get him out of my head…” - Tiana

In between looking after his son during the day and living a double life at night, Jayden Donovan shuts out everything else. He does not welcome strays or strangers into his mansion in Buckhead, Uptown Atlanta. So, when he sneaks home and finds a woman with full curves, sun-kissed lips and long dark hair asleep on his sofa, all hell breaks loose. Who is she and what does she want?

Doctor Tiana Seegars ends up where she is not wanted–in an affluent neighbourhood far from home. Waking up to find the intense gaze of a sexy, rough-around-the-edges, tattooed man roaming over her body sends her pulse racing. Though Jayden gets her body hot, he wants her out of his home fast.

Yet his search for answers leads to a growing irresistible passion. Will Jayden and Tiana find what they both need?

~ From the author of “Shocking Affair”: A Sweet & Steamy Romance ~

Purchase Links (includes Paperbacks)

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2O5Hvs3

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FQ7TZ43/

Okada Books: http://okadabooks.com/book/about/irresistible_passion/19507

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/880384

Paperback: https://amzn.to/2JNmhfl

EXCERPT

Inhaling fast, Jayden’s nostrils flared and he swallowed. The tiny knots from earlier strengthened into larger bumps in his stomach.

A groan shipped out of his mouth.
“Please Lord, tell me the woman isn’t cooking in my kitchen.”
Christian had a separate apartment, so his housekeeper knew better than to cook inside his home.
Hastening down the stairs, Jayden charged into his kitchen, stopping short when he saw Tiana bending over in her short dark-blue skirt. She was reaching over to grab the roll of paper napkins on the floor.
The skirt stretched over her round backside and curvy hips like second-skin. His eyes trekked the long length of her legs up to her thighs. Curvy and attention-grabbing were two words that stuck in his mind.
Jayden swallowed at high speed.
Many women had attractive legs, so what? He had never dated a woman with full curves and he had no intention to change his preference. Sharpening his tongue to scare her out of his life, he cut her with his get-lost glower.
“Hello, what are you doing in my kitchen?”
The woman gasped, placing her fingers devoid of nail polish on her cleavage. Her eyes, wide and a dark-brown hue shot arrows at him as if he had intruded on her space.
“Lord, you scared me. Don’t you make any sound when you walk?”
Licking his lips, he averted his gaze from her boobs flashing at him. The pair looked like funbags. Her full lips, free of lipstick fell apart giving him a peek at her white teeth and pink gums.
Rendered almost speechless by her accusation and lovely voice, Jayden sputtered.
“I beg your pardon! You scared the hell out of me when I found you asleep on my sofa. This is my house and I can move around the way I want, don’t you think?”

About Stella

I'm Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku, author of several toe-curling & heart-fluttering Flirty & Feisty Romance Novels.
I love and enjoy writing Interracial/Multicultural/BWWM & African American Romance as well as Historical & Paranormal Romance Stories. My heroes are super-sexy men with big hearts and the heroines are strong, flirty and feisty. All my stories are page turners, a breath of fresh air, dotted with unexpected twists and are set in fascinating Africa, enticing Europe and enchanting America. You will laugh, cry, get a thrill and a message when you read my books and each novel makes the perfect gift for your family, friends and colleagues. There are now 23 published books so far.
On a personal level, I'm a romantic freak, mother of two vivacious teenagers, married to my gorgeous husband, my hero and best friend and we live in London, UK. Swimming on my back like a star-fish is one of my skills.
Please write or connect with me on social media. I love hearing from you.

Don’t Miss Updates on New Releases and Book Deals. Sign up for Stella’s Newsletter here

Connect with Stella on Social Media

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All Flirty & Feisty Romance Novels are available on:  Amazon

On Camp, my next book, the business, and a book that scared me...

July is Camp NaNoWriMo month, and instead of writing fiction, I decided to tackle my next non-fiction book, Take your Journal to the Next Level. It is the working title for now, but I am already partial to keeping it as the final title of the book. But writing non-fiction is not an easy thing to do for a writing challenge focused on word count, so I needed a backup story for the days where the book wasn't progressing according to schedule.

My word count target per month

It was hard since I didn't have a story I was working on, only editing. Until I got a writing prompt from a writing website I subscribe to and bam! my problem was solved. A murder mystery with a serial killer on the lose. Not sure I am ready for this story, but we will see how it develops after I finish the book and the editing of my fifth novel.

My business as a life coach for creatives will launch soon. Although the company has been going since 2015, I needed to do a few things before it was ready for full-scale activities. Watch this space! Oh, yeah, this blog is not for business, so if you are an indie author or artist, the website for the company is listed under my About page. No need to clutter this blog with that.

While July was primarily spent writing, I also finished a book that I started about a month earlier. Reading relaxes me, but it also provides insight and knowledge, both of which I constantly feel the need to attain. The book is Selfie by Will Storr. I bought the book on impulse thinking it was about our modern predilection for taking pictures of ourselves. Aside from the cover that blinded me each time I picked it up (it is intentional I think, since it is highly reflective, almost a mirror), the book is an investigative piece about of self-obsession. The author did a tremendous job to find out where it all began, where we are now and how this almost narcissistic trend is affecting us, our society and culture and how this vicious circle is feeding on itself. Scary stuff, but a book well worth the time.

One criticism I do have is the layout of the book. It is not easy to read since it was written in six parts, with no chapters. A book of this nature and well over 300 pages, is not a one-sitting kind of read, so it was a challenge to me.

So life is back on the regular daily writing target, with the other things that I have to do. I will post more updates about my current non-fiction project on Medium and the website. If you keep a journal or plan to start, or just want to see what exciting things I dug up in my research, those are the places where I bare all.

Until next time!

💜 Linzé

Book Feature: A SEASON IN HELL by Kenneth W. Cain

Synopsis:

Just one season can change everything.

When Dillon Peterson is honored for his baseball career, he must face a ghost that has long haunted him. He is transported back through his memories to a single season in the nineties that broke his heart. That was the season he met Keisha Green, the first and only woman to play baseball in the minor leagues. He sees what she goes through, what she must endure just to play the game both of them love, and this struggle leads to their friendship. As matters escalate, Dillon finds himself regretting his role in it all, as well as his career in baseball.

PRE-ORDER @ http://mybook.to/ASiH

Blurbs:

“Kenneth W. Cain takes timely social topics and explores them against the backdrop of America’s pastime. What begins as a baseball story quickly delves into something rich, deep, and dark.” – Mercedes M. Yardley, author of Pretty Little Dead Girls

“A Season in Hell is a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking story. You won’t soon forget Dillon or Keisha. Her struggle is as timely today as ever. A Season in Hell is also a love letter to baseball and how, despite everything, the game can still heal and bring people together who seemed impossibly far apart, and can do so through intimidating odds. A timeless story of true humanity.” —John Palisano, Vice President of the Horror Writers Association and Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author of Night of 1,000 Beasts

“Kenneth W. Cain hits a grand slam with this tragic tale of baseball. As a fan of the game and also such a heart-breaking story I can’t wait to see what’s next from the author!” – Armand Rosamilia, author of A View From My Seat: My Baseball Season With the Jumbo Shrimp

“Cain’s ‘Season’ is a powerful microcosm of what’s wrong with our world. And a reminder of how the courage of one can change things.” — Tom Deady, Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author of Haven

About the Author

Kenneth W. Cain is the author of four novels (The Saga of I trilogy and United States of the Dead), four short story collections (These Old Tales, Fresh Cut Tales, Embers, and Darker Days) and the novella, A Season in Hell. He is also the editor for Crystal Lake Publishing’s anthology, Tales From The Lake Volume 5. Early on, shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and One Step Beyond created a sense of wonder for the unknown that continues to fuel his writing today.  Cain resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.

Behind the story: One of my first years playing baseball, we had a girl on our team. It was a different world back then; you didn’t have requirements on how many innings a kid had to be played or that you had to get them an at-bat, and girls didn’t play baseball. And what that teammate went through just to play a game she loved always kind of stuck with me. So, while A Season in Hell isn’t her story, it’s very much about what I saw and felt, in those days and now.

Follow Kenneth online @ Website l Facebook l Author Page l Twitter l Instagram l Amazon

On fund-raisers, letting go, and Camp NaNoWriMo

Hi there,

Recent weeks have been hectic and tonight is the first time that I have a chance to gather my thoughts so to speak. Between Camp NaNoWriMo, preparing for an indie author event yesterday (it doubled as a fund-raiser for a library) and doing a course to become an executive coach, some things had to give. The course was the victim. As soon as the second module's study material landed in my inbox, and I read through the first article, I knew this style of coaching was not for me. I withdrew from the course, only to have the fund-raiser take up a lot of my time.

After the author event yesterday I am now solely focused on my writing for the rest of the month.

For once it felt like freedom to sit down and write, even if I had to catch up on my word count target in which I fell behind because of the other commitments.

But July is also a month of promotions at Smashwords. I enrolled my 3rd Gender Series - all five books - so you can get them for FREE.

And now it is back into my writing cave to continue spouting the words on my Camp NaNo target. Is that a spider? I clearly need some more coffee to get my head back in the game.

Until next time!

💜 Linzé

PS: You can read more about the author event here

Book Feature: DANGEROUS PASSIONS by Elise Whyles

About the Book:

Can bitter enemies find love?
Haunted by visions, Calypso sets out to find the man who stalks her dreams. Calypso, an ageless fae, is convinced this man will enslave and torment her just like the one who held her long ago. Determined to track him down and kill him, she's prepared for anything, except for what she finds. The mortal male she encounters stirs embers she thought long dead, making her yearn for his touch.
Lucien has always believed himself to be a mortal slave. The truth, however, is more than he's ever imagined. Born to a fae mother and a warlock father, he is a falock, a being of mixed blood hated by both races. And he's destined for greatness…if he can survive the Roman gladiators' games long enough to grow into his immortality.
When the slim beauty rescues him from the depths of his prison, Lucien comes face to face with the truth of who and what he is. Determined to protect the woman who rescued him, he'll risk everything, including his chance at immortality.
Can a weary, distrustful fae and the falock she's claimed overcome the obstacles in their path?

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon

Read an Excerpt:
He leaned forward, her soft whisper echoing in his heart. It seemed she was a slave just as he had been. Heat swirled around him, stirring the embers of want, of need as he traced over her face with the backs of his fingers. Delicately made, she appeared so fragile, yet he knew her strength and her skill. His fingers burned where they touched her skin as he trailed them down her neck to curl around in a loose hold. “I shall protect you.”
The vow fell between them like a stone. He caught the flare of something in her eyes. Fear? Nay, something deeper, something richer.
Leaning forward, he stared into her eyes, her face turned up, lips parted. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his skin, the softness of her hands on his chest as he pulled her into his body. Lucien brushed his lips over Calypso’s, the barest of touches. Soft, moist, her lips yielded beneath his. Again and again, he pressed gentle kisses along her mouth, her nose, her cheeks. The soft whimpers escaping her added fuel to the fire in his blood. Her hands slid around his shoulders, her nails digging in as his fingers tangled in her hair. Tilting her head back, Lucien offered a hint of a smile before he captured her lips in a deep kiss. He licked along the seam, tasting the sweet traces of the fruit she’d eaten. He nipped at her bottom lip, drawing a startled gasp. With a low groan his tongue darted inside, tasting her. Lucien devoured her, claiming her lips repeatedly. Desire licked at him, pushing him closer and closer to the brink.
“We mustn’t.” Calypso’s whisper crept over him even as he felt her move against him. The faint note of fear in her voice like a bucket of water. He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers.
“Aye, we must keep moving. Come, my lady. We’ve a long journey ahead.” He wrapped his fingers around her hand and shot her a quick smile before stepping back. Lucien turned her slightly and fastened her bodice in place. “I will keep you safe.”
“But who will protect me from you?” Her words, spoken so low he knew he wasn’t supposed to hear them, added to the confusion within his mind. What kind of female was the one who even now held his hand as they moved through the growing darkness?

About the Author:

Born in Northern British Columbia, Elise is a small-town girl. She writes in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary suspense, m/m in various lengths. Currently, she lives in British Columbia with her husband and son, one dog, one cat, and a gecko. Elise enjoys reading as much as she does writing, with some of her favorite books being read until they fall apart. 

She is currently working on the next book in the Forsaken Series, Burning Rain. As well she has a new contemporary she’s working on. For more information on Elise, or to check out her books you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and her website.

Contact the Author:

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Everything back to...normal?

Francois and I in front of the
Hard Rock Café in Glasgow

It is a month since we returned from Scotland. While my travel journal is almost completed - one or two pages still to go - we have already planned and invited friends and family to come and view the photographs of our trip. The majority of those photographs will be Francois', but he kindly decided to include one or two of my mobile phone pictures to fill in the gaps of our story. He even added Scottish music to the slideshow, thanks to a CD I bought a few years ago.

The point to my story tonight was surprising to me: we are already looking at the destination for our next trip. I did not think that was going to happen so soon. I was reading an email newsletter from an art website I subscribed to when they mentioned an art retreat taking place later this year. I had a look - only out of curiosity since another trip would not be possible - when I browsed around the area where the retreat is planned. I sent a message to Francois, and he happened to mention that it was a destination on his bucket list. And here we are, shopping again. Since we have not decided to go yet, I will keep the destination a secret until we do. What I can say though: it will be a place with awesome photographic opportunities. Where else would a photographer and writer/closet artist/blogger go on holiday anyway?

Back home, I have to apologise for the Scotland competition that didn't happen. MailChimp deleted my account, because I do not spam people!, and I lost all my subscribers as a result. It is a pain, but future events will then only be on the open blog. Again my apologies if you tried to subscribe and the website would not let you.

On a side note: I will be taking part in a library event in Pretoria in July. More news on that later, so keep your eyes open to come and support other authors and libraries.

Until next time!

💜 Linzé