Wishing you a holiday filled with magic #HappyHolidays

   With the holidays upon us, I’d like to take a moment to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season.

                 Best, Cherie

Background for image from freedigitalphotos.net

Dishing news on the Embrace series

Hi everyone!

Edit on Entwined, book three in my series, are coming along. They're due at the end of the month, so I'm going to keep this post short. But before I go, I wanted to let you know I'm over at Uncommon YA, chatting about how Embrace turned into a series. Click here to learn more.

Have a wonderful week!

Jumping from one project to next

Source

Writing news:

I finished the first draft of my young adult realistic fiction in time to take a couple days break from writing before receiving the editorial notes on book three in my series. I looked a lot like the pencil on the left. I'm way over my targeted word count on the WIP, but I'm not too worried about that. I can decide if I need to cut several thousand words in a month or so when I go back to it. For now, I'm focus on the first round of revisions for Entwined. The timing for this is perfect, because with my WIP done, I can place one hundred percent of my focus on Entwined. 

I went through the editorial notes. There are no major plot changes needed (Yay!), I already accepted small tweaks to sentence structure and word choice. Those are the easy changes. I'm now working on things that need to be clarified. I enjoy this part of the process, even though sometimes it can be daunting. There's one scene early in the book I want to revisit later. I reread it so many times, I'm now not sure I like it. That's usually my queue to step away from my laptop or move on. I guess, since I"m typing this post, you can say I did both. :)  But I am looking forward to getting back to Madison and her friends.

Before I do that, let's jump to other news.

Getting ready for the holidays?



If you're looking for some cool gift ideas for the geek in your life, check out Alex Cavanaugh's blog. I totally want the dancing Groot.

For writers, don't miss The Insecure Writer’s Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond. You can download it for free (almost) everywhere - Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords

Okay! I admit it! an #IWSG post

Hi everyone! 

Welcome to Insecure Writer's Support Group. We are a group writers who share our doubts and encouragements. I'd like to thank Alex Cavanaugh and this month's hosts. Learn more about the group here.

I'm deviating a little from insecurities for this post, but I have a feeling many of you will relate.

Being an author has reinforced a few things I sort of knew about myself that, well, I hadn't been willing to admit, until now.

Let’s start with the first and biggest. I hate waiting, and there is a lot of waiting that goes on in this business.

I also hate not being in control, because usually that means I'm waiting on others.

I like things done a certain way. See above for the problem with this.

When I’m excited about something, I want it done now. Tomorrow is just too late. But, since I'm not in control of when and how things get done, I’m waiting yet again.  

It’s a vicious circle that often drives me crazy. And I know the reward for patience is often worth it, but it's still hard to let go of the reins and let others drive, so to speak. Burying myself in other projects only helps for so long.

How about you? Any dark secrets about yourself that being a write has made you admit? What do you do to keep your mind off projects that are with beta readers, your agent or editors? Did you participated in NaNo... how'd you do? 

Book Blitz: CLAIMING EXCALIBUR (Legendary Saga #2) by L.H. Nicole

Congrats to L.H. Nicole on her upcoming release of Claiming Excalibur, book two in the Legendary Saga. Be sure to check out the teaser and enter the giveaway at the end of this post. 

Claiming Excalibur 
by L.H. Nicole
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Release Date: December 16, 2014

Synopsis:

Aliana Fagan has done what many thought impossible: she’s awakened King Arthur from his fifteen-hundred-year sleep, reunited the Knights of the Round Table, and even beaten Mordrid and Morgana LeFay in battle.

But the Destined One’s quest has only begun.

Before the knights can "unearth and reclaim their lost relics" they must survive the trip to Charleston, South Carolina and meet the newest member of the Round Table. If King Arthur’s men thought Aliana and Lacy were tenacious, they'll be even more surprised by Dawn, the third member of the fem-trio.

Deadly secrets, unexpected allies, and a traitor lurking in the shadows await Aliana and the new Round Table as they continue their search for Excalibur. Their only clue is a beyond confusing poem from a mysterious book that speaks of a terrifying creature guarding the legendary sword. Trying to build a somewhat normal relationship with Sir Galahad adds a whole new level of complexity to Aliana’s task, especially when several among them suspect the White Knight may not be wholly himself. Her friendship with King Arthur grows closer, and when circumstances become intense, he may finally get the chance with Aliana that he’s been pining for.

Mysteries, legendary quests, and haunting memories will either unite the members of the New Round Table or fracture their bonds. Aliana and her crew only have seven months before the planets align and Mordrid can seize the power he needs to conquer the seven realms. Can the Destined One keep her new family together and lead Arthur to his destiny of saving the realms? Or will a centuries-old plot for revenge finally spell the king’s end? 

ADD CLAIMING EXCALIBUR TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR LIST HERE

PRE-ORDER CLAIMING EXCALIBUR AMAZON or B&N or iBOOKS

TEASER

“Being back is hard for you.” Aliana nearly smacked into the doorframe when Galahad placed his large hands on her tense shoulders. 

“You scared me!” she said, placing her hand over her heart. 

“I though you would have heard me coming.” His warm hands massaged her tight shoulders. “But you seem lost in another world.” 

Leaning into his touch, she shook her head. “I was just thinking.” 

Galahad sighed deeply, his hands squeezing her shoulders before turning her to face him. “I understand how you’re feeling right now. My parents were murdered when I was young.” 

Aliana looked into his blue eyes, surprised. “You never told me that.” 

“Sir Belvoir and his men found us just after it happened. He raised me as his own, trained me to be a knight.” His hand rubbed light circles on her back.  

“I was just remembering how things used to be,” Aliana confessed, hoping that sharing some of her pain would help lessen it.  

“Why were you looking through your father’s things before you came to London?” 

Aliana turned in Galahad’s arms, leaning her back against his chest. She studied the office until she found her voice. “I was in New Orleans working on a photo commission several months ago. I was walking the French Quarter when I came to a fortuneteller’s stand. I took a few pictures, and she called me over. I thought she was going to be upset with me, but she sat me down at her table. ‘You feet mus’ be achin’ after running so hard, chère,’ she told me. ‘Folks thinkin’ the’ can run from de past and they ghosts never find peace’.” 

Aliana laid her hands over Galahad’s, remembering the feel of the woman’s cracked, dry hand on top of hers and the smell of sweet tea on the woman’s breath. “I tried to ignore her, but she kept insisting that I needed to stop running and face what was haunting me. She said I’d never again know what a real life ‘filled with love, happiness, and adventure’ felt like until I faced my past. It took me another two weeks before I came home.” 

Galahad hugged her tighter, his chin resting on her shoulder, silently supporting her. “When you returned home you discovered your adoption.” 

Aliana nodded, turning her face toward his. “I guess she was right. I never would have been in London if she hadn’t pushed me to come home. I never would have been in Avalon’s forest, and I never would’ve found you or Dagg or Arthur."

"Do you regret it?" Galahad asked, a worried kind of seriousness in his eyes. 

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