Showing posts with label Nicole Deese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nicole Deese. Show all posts

Friday, December 2, 2016

News, Reviews, and Giveaways, Oh My! Plus a Fun Friday Five with Nicole Deese!

First up! Awesome Alley Cat NEWS!!!

Image result for the thorn healerOur fearless leader Pepper Basham has a FABULOUS book releasing next week. In fact, it’s so fabulous it got 4 ½ STARS and was awarded a Top Pick for Romantic Times! Woo hoo!!! Get ready to be wowed! I mean, do you see this cover? And that's only the cover! The best part is inside!

Next order of buisness, we have WINNERS from our Coffee Talks:

Heather Gilbert’s Indie Publishing Handbook: Polaris Northstar
Heather Gilbert’s Reader’s Choice: Amber Schamel
Casey Herringshaw’s Surprise Book: Kelly Blackwell
And Mary Vee’s copy of The Ringmaster’s Wife goes to… Cara Grandle
Congrats! Please email your contact info to Angie at agdicken(@)gmail(.)com.


Today we also have a drop in with one of my favorite authors (and people) Nicole Deese. And since I can’t gush enough about her latest release, The Promise of Rayne, one commenter will win an e-copy of said masterpiece. (Check back in the comments on Sunday night. I’ll announce the winner and how you can claim your bounty) :)

So Nicole, dish….
1. What’s the most random thing in your bag right now?

Nicole: Slippers. Yep, I have a pair of black Isotoner slippers (the same style my grandmother wore) hibernating in my purse right now. They have bailed me out of numerous “ouchy shoe situations” (think super loooong wedding receptions and/or formal Christmas parties when your feet won’t take another step in your way-cute-but-so-not-practical high heels). Basically, these slippers are yoga pants for the feet. Not even kidding. I never leave home without them. (Get these babies on your Christmas list, ladies. You’ll thank me!) 

Amy: Haha! I knew I liked you. I have the same pair in white. Although I do tend to keep them at home. But that's thinking! Emerency slippers is genius!

2. Favorite holiday movie?

Nicole: “Can I refill your eggnog? Get you something to eat, drive you into the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?” — Clark Griswold, Christmas Vacation (1989).

Amy: Well, at least you didn't say A Christmas Story. ;)

3. What are you currently reading?

Nicole: I just finished a great book and I’m about to start my Christmas reads for the season: One Enchanted Eve by Melissa Tagg and Starring Christmas by Rachel McMillan and Allison Pittman. These novellas look adorably sweet and festive! 

4. Any nervous habits or vices?

Nicole: I’d like to say I have no vices, but the mini fridge in my writing office crammed full of every flavor of La Croix Sparking Water would say otherwise. I always sometimes throw a few in my purse if I know I’m going to be out a while … which I guess could be an alternative answer for question #1. 

Amy: You did rather eagerly share your precious La Croix with me at conference this summer. (I think she was hoping to convert me.) It was a... ah... a little strange since it's not sweet, but not horrible. It could grow on me if I gave it a solid chance. And whenever I see them in the store I think of you and your crazy obsession and smile. One of these days I'll pick up a case. :) ANYone else like La Croix?

And most importantly, the world at large needs to know your thoughts on this very critical matter…
5. Chocolate or vanilla?

Nicole: Is this a real question? I feel insulted on the behalf of chocolate lovers everywhere. 

Amy: Poor vanilla. It's just too vanilla. 



About Nicole:

Nicole Deese is a full time lover of humorous, heartfelt, and hope-filled fiction. When she's not writing a sweet romance, she can usually be found reading one near a window while drinking La Croix. She lives in small-town, Idaho with her handsome hubby and two sons. 

Thanks for dropping in to chat with us, Nicole!

Alley Pals... be sure you pre-order Pepper’s beautiful book, The Thorn Healer, enter to win Nicole’s The Promise of Rayne (or just go get yourself a copy), and have a wonderful weekend curled up with an adventure!


Happy Friday!


<3 Amy

Friday, July 31, 2015

Let's Collaborate! *GIVEAWAY* guest Post with Amy Matayo


Last November I attended a writing retreat with a few friends—some I knew well, and some I had just met. The lake home where we stayed was sprawling and beautiful and on lots and lots of land, but the bedroom situation required roommates. I had three: one who lived near me in the great state of Arkansas (Jenny B. Jones—a good friend whom I had known long time), and two who lived in Dallas (Nicole Deese—my “writer wife” who encourages me through every book I write, and Tammy L. Gray—whom I had just had the pleasure of meeting).

            So one afternoon the four of us were all sitting on beds and working quietly when Nicole said this: “We all seem to get along well and like the same kinds of books. What if we all write one together?” We all looked up from our computers, sat there quietly for a second, collectively shrugged and grabbed notebooks, and then headed to the local Starbucks.

            Thirty minutes later we sat around a table with lattes and pens.

            Two hours after that, we had a plot.

            The next morning, we shot a bunch of author photos together by the lake.

            The next week, we talked book covers.

            And a few weeks after that, we traded finished stories, read through them, and then sent them all off to two very gifted editors.

            Six months.

The whole process took six months from the first idea to the publication date. To say it was a busy time is like saying Mt. Everest is kinda hard to climb. But it was worth it. The stressing and the writing and the crying and the wanting to jump off a building (or maybe that was just me?). It was worth all of it, because I love our stories. I love knowing it’s possible to work with other authors, navigate through different ideas and writing styles, and come out challenged and better for it in the end.

But why am I telling you this?

Because a big part of being a writer is learning how to wait. Waiting on story ideas. Waiting on writer’s block to pass. Waiting for the story to come together. Waiting on editors to tell you how good or bad your manuscript actually is. Waiting on query letters to be read and answered. Waiting on offers from agents...from publishers. And when you’re lucky enough to finally get a contract, waiting on publication dates that seem forever on the horizon.

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. It’s what we all do because it’s what we’re all used to.

But maybe you shouldn’t always wait. Maybe you should shake things up and jump in with both feet and try something you’ve never done before. Don’t have a story idea? Write anyway and see if brilliance will strike while you’re typing. Have writer’s block? Scratch out some sentences—even if they’re awful—and push your way through it.  Not sure where to go next? Grab a friend or three and talk it out together. Who knows? If you try those things, maybe you’ll have a book ready to go in just a few short months. The only thing I know for sure is that nothing much happens if you’re just sitting there waiting for inspiration to strike. Inspiration happens at the weirdest times.

At a writer’s retreat. At a coffee shop. Who knows?

Just get to writing. It’s a pretty good way to pass the time.
-Amy Matayo
****TRIPLE GIVEAWAY****
STEP 1: Share this post on Facebook to help spread the word about Nicole, Tammy, Amy, and Jenny's fabulous new collaboration! 
STEP 2:  Leave your email address in the comments section here AND if you can think of one, name one of your favorite authors you'd LOVE to collaborate with!
STEP 3: I (Amy Leigh Simpson-your AlleyCat Hostess) will draw three names out of a hat and gift the winners an e-copy of JUST ONE SUMMER! The perfect summer read! If we can get a bunch of traffic here I'll bump it up to FIVE WINNERS. Go forth, spread the word! And please, if you read, make an author's day by leaving a quick review. <3
 
--Four Best Friends. Four Love Stories. Just One Summer. Four college girls, best friends since childhood, have found one constant in their ever-changing lives--summer. Every June the girls choose a destination to reconnect, only this summer is different. This year, each one must face life's challenges on her own, overcome fear and failure, and learn the beauty of falling in love for the first time. --
*************************************************************************************
Amy Matayo is an award winning author of The Wedding Game, Love Gone Wild, Sway, In Tune With Love, and A Painted Summer. She graduated with barely passing grades from John Brown University with a degree in Journalism. But don't feel sorry for her--she's super proud of that degree and all the ways she hasn't put it to good use.

She laughs often, cries easily, feels deeply, and loves hard. She lives in Arkansas with her husband and four kids and is working on her next novel.
www.amymatayo.
                                       Twitter: @amymatayo            Facebook: www.facebook.com/amymatayo
 
Award-winning, best-selling author Jenny B. Jones writes romance with sass and Southern charm. Woefully indecisive, she writes YA, New Adult, and women’s romance. Since she has very little free time, Jenny believes in spending her spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits, such as watching bad TV, Tweeting deep thoughts to the world, and writing her name in the dust on her furniture. She can be found at www.jennybjones.com.
 
 
Nicole Deese is a lover of fiction. When she isn’t writing, she can be
found fantasizing about “reading escapes,” which look a lot like kid-free,
laundry-free, and cooking-free vacations. Nicole is a Kindle best-selling author of The Letting Go series and A Cliché Christmas, book one in her new Love In Lenox series. She writes clean contemporary romance with an inspirational twist, and
lives in beautiful north Idaho with her swoony husband and rambunctious sons.
 
Tammy L. Gray is the kindle best selling author of the Winsor Series and Mercy’s Fight. She writes modern Christian romance and clean YA/NA romance. She believes hope and healing can be found through high quality fiction that inspires and provokes change.
 
Her books are about flawed characters who struggle in today’s world. She loves writing stories that offer hope to the broken, with the intention of taking the readers on a journey where they both cheer for and want to shake the hero/heroine. She aims to depict culturally relevant settings while presenting an uplifting message that will stay with readers long after the book is closed.
 
When not chasing after her three amazing kids, Tammy L. Gray can be spotted with her head in a book. Writing has given her a platform to combine her passion with her ministry. 





Friday, April 10, 2015

Freebie Friday!

Check out these freebies by some amazing authors!


Welcome to Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong
 

She's learned you can't count on anyone--but she didn't count on landing in Last Chance.

The red warning light on her car dashboard may have driven Lainie Davis to seek help in the tiny town of Last Chance, New Mexico, but as she meets the people who make this one-horse town their home, it's her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life--especially since she's on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.

Yet in spite of herself, Lainie is increasingly drawn into the small-town dramas and to a handsome local guy with a secret of his own. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?
Click to link to freebie download


 
Shattered Rose by Tammy L. Gray

“For any girl who has struggled to love herself.” –Tammy L. Gray

Avery Nichols knows how to wear the mask. Perfect student, perfect daughter and perfect friend. Nobody would ever guess that inside Avery is a prisoner to her own self loathing.

Then she meets him…and everything changes.

Handsome, charming and self assured, Jake Matthews sweeps Avery off her feet in an effortless fashion. Avery knows that Jake is everything she needs and all she has ever wanted.

She would destroy herself to be loved by him…until he walks away.

Broken and lost, Avery meets Parker. His genuine, caring nature reaches past the mask and the shattered pieces of her heart slowly begin to heal. But just when Avery starts to feel whole again, she faces the impossible truth.

Jake never really left.
 
 
With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin


They know everything about each other--except their real names.

Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

Combining a flair for romance with excellent research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing--and true love.
Link to freebie download



Three Little Words by Melissa Tagg

Ava Kingsley and Seth Walker might be the most unlikely friends ever. The only thing these two polar opposites have in common is a knack for wordsmithing. Back in college, they were known for their written sparring in the campus newspaper's popular "He Says/She Says" column.

At their ten-year college reunion, they pick up right where they left off. Except this time their squabbling leads to a surprising turn: friendship and a year-long exchange of emails. So when Ava approaches a crossroads in her athletics department career in Minnesota, Seth is quick to offer the open apartment above the restaurant he's been remodeling in Maple Valley, Iowa.

Ava doesn't know where her career will lead her next, but she's starting to suspect she might see Seth as more than a pen pal. Which would be exciting...except for the fact that he only sees her as a friend.

As Maple Valley grows on her, Ava wonders if there might be something here for her even though Seth is unavailable. And maybe, just maybe, after all the words the two of them have exchanged over the years, they'll finally be able to say the three that matter most.

Link to freebie download



 All for Anna by Nicole Deese 
 
 

If guilt is a prison; Victoria Sales has given herself a life sentence.
Held captive by regret, 23 year-old trauma RN, Tori Sales, has seen the reality of many nightmares. But there is one nightmare she will never wake from—her last memory of Anna.


Her efforts to save the little girl were not enough; she was not enough.
After a year of living alone, Tori is forced to return home—a place where heartache, loss, and broken relationships lurk around every corner. Isolation is her only solace; running is her only escape. But she cannot outrun the truth forever.


When a handsome, compassionate stranger enters her world, Tori is inspired to deal with her past and focus on the future—one she never believed possible. But before her quest for closure is complete, a new revelation surfaces, tainting her world yet again.

 
 
 
The Unveiling by Tamara Leigh
 
12th century England: Two men vie for the throne: King Stephen the usurper and young Duke Henry the rightful heir. Amid civil and private wars, alliances are forged, loyalties are betrayed, families are divided, and marriages are made.

For four years, Lady Annyn Bretanne has trained at arms with one end in mind—to avenge her brother’s murder as God has not deemed it worthy to do. Disguised as a squire, she sets off to exact revenge on a man known only by his surname, Wulfrith. But when she holds his fate in her hands, her will wavers and her heart whispers that her enemy may not be an enemy after all.

Baron Wulfrith, renowned trainer of knights, allows no women within his walls for the distraction they breed. What he never expects is that the impetuous young man sent to train under him is a woman who seeks his death—nor that her unveiling will test his faith and distract the warrior from his purpose.


 
 

Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker

Who am I? 

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen and I'm about to die. 

I'm buried in a coffin under tons of concrete. No one knows where I am. My heart sounds like a monster with clobber feet, running straight toward me. I'm lying on my back, soaked with sweat from the hair on my head to the soles of my feet. My hands and feet won't stop shaking.

Some will say that I m not really here. Some will say I'm delusional. Some will say that I don t even exist. But who are they? I'm the one buried in a grave. 

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen. I'm about to die. 

So who are you? 

In a return to the kind of storytelling that made Black, Showdown and Three unforgettable, Ted Dekker drags that question into the light with this modern day parable about how we see ourselves. 

Humming with intensity and blindsided twists, Eyes Wide Open is raw adrenaline from the first page to the last pure escapism packed with inescapable truth. Not all is as it seems. Or is it? Strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Literally. (Young Adult)




Jenna's Cowboy by Sharon Gillenwater
 
Can you ever get a second chance at your first love?

Jenna Callahan Colby thought she was content. A partner on her father's successful ranch, she is surrounded by family and friends. But she never expected to see Nate Langley back in town--the first guy she ever noticed, the one her father sent away all those years ago.

And she never thought the attraction they felt would be as strong as ever.

Jenna's cowboy has some healing of his own to do, though, after two tours of duty in the armed forces. With the help of good friends, strong faith, and a loving family, he hopes to put the horrors of the past behind him--and become the man Jenna deserves.




Necessary Proof by Camy Tang
 

After opening his heart to Jesus in prison, Alex Villa has left his criminal past behind him. However, his efforts to take down a gang producing meth in Sonoma have made him a target. Set up to look like he's being bribed by the gang, the police blame him for the death of a cop. Only the evidence on an encrypted laptop can prove he's innocent.

Software engineer Jane Lawton has been betrayed by the men closest to her, including a God she thought would protect her. She won't let Alex down, because she knows what it feels like to be disbelieved and abandoned.


However, the men after them have orders to repossess the evidence and make sure Jane and Alex take their knowledge to the grave. Can they prove Alex's innocence before time runs out for them both?
 
 
Happy Friday! Feel free to share any freebies that I've missed! Read on.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Tips for Revisiting a Shelved Manuscript



This week, I'm working on getting my manuscript back to my agent with edits. It was a lot harder to dust it off when I hadn't really looked at it in months. And since then, I've been working on a project with a completely different tone, POV, and tense, so it took a little adjustment!

I'm sure you've read about this topic before, but here's some advice I've collected about returning to a project after an absence, whether you're revisiting edits, restarting a project that had been shelved for another, or reviving something you once believed was dead. The process is different for everyone, but hopefully you'll find something that works for you. It's worth a try. I promise!

Step 1 (for me): Reread what I've already written like I'm reading a book by a different author. To get back into the "voice" of my story and be able to successfully pick up where I've left off, I reread what I've written as removed as possible for a few purposes. I see if there are any major elements like choppy flow or inconsistencies that need to be fixed later (not yet!), but I mainly do this to see if it provides inspiration for how to continue the story.

Write off-script. If something inspires a non-canonical scene between my characters that has nothing to do with the intended timeline of the story or events in the envisioned plot, I write it anyway. If it helps me get reacquainted with my characters, it's worth it. And most of the time, I discover fun new layers to them, which gives them more depth in the actual story. Rewriting a meaningful scene from a different character's POV can also have this effect.

Don't be afraid to start from scratch. Even though it can be agonizing to cut precious word count and can feel like the most dejecting, derailing thing you can do to lose steam on a project (is this only me?), I'd venture to say that it's almost always more advantageous and timely to start an ailing scene over from scratch than to try to fix an existing mess.

Remember that you've grown as a writer since you started this project. Honoring that in all of your decisions ensures you produce the best story you're capable of producing! This technically was supposed to go with the last point, but I think it's important enough to deserve its own section!

---

Since I'm a self-professed "recovering know-it-all", I thought I'd open the floor to advice from some of my experienced author friends on returning to a manuscript, including the benefits some distance can provide. It's rehabilitating for me and educational for you :) Here's what they had to say:

Brandy Vallance, award-winning author of The Covered Deep (Releasing TODAY!!):
I came back to The Covered Deep after a lot of time had passed, and I actually rewrote about 60% of it (I think that was draft six?). Try to get tension on every page. Always heighten your scenes--make them bigger, bolder, and raise the stakes. Bring in the five senses. Layer your plot. And always portray real emotions. 
Carla Laureano, RITA® Award-winning author of Five Days in Skye and Oath of the Brotherhood:
Stepping away from a manuscript allows me to approach the story from the outside, as a reader and not a writer. I deliberately build some ' shelf time' into my writing process because I find it makes me a clearer and more efficient editor. 
Nicole Deese, inspirational contemporary romance author of the Letting Go series and A Cliche Christmas:
When you're rereading, don't look at all the things you know you need to fix like all the improved craft techniques and flaws of early writing. Read at least three excerpts from each of your characters. Read high and low moments. Emotional moments. The black moment if you have one written. Fall back in love with your characters.
Jessica Keller, multi-published author of Searching for Home, the Goose Harbor Series, the TimeShifters series, and more. 
Time away from a manuscript that isn't working helps me because, when I come back, I can see the characters in a fresh way and spot plot issues right away. Weird thing here - I make music mixes for every manuscript. I'll walk away from writing and when I decide to come back to it (or am forced to for deadline), I listen to the music mix for a day or two before I start writing. It helps me get in the characters' mind frames and understand their emotions. For some reason I can always finish the book after that. 

Jaime Wright, historical romantic suspense author represented by Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary:
Returning to a stalled or shelved manuscript can be like returning to an old friend. If you can see the potential of a continued relationship and growing along with each other, the renewed friendship doesn't seem nearly as daunting. (And a good cup of coffee always helps to bind you together.)
Amanda G. Stevens, author of Seek and Hide, Book 1 of the Haven Seekers series:
The key for me is to get back into the character's head. What is he thinking/feeling at the point I left off, what is his goal, and how far will he go to get it? Sometimes I'll get past the stall by hand-writing that next scene in first person, present tense in a notebook (my books are third person, past tense). That gives me an instant POV link. I let the character ramble as much as they want. Pretty much I just free-write until I'm no longer stuck. Then I'll go back, of course, and rewrite it to third/past. As an extension of the "character interview" process, I have asked a character, "What is wrong with you, _________? Why won't you do what I want?" And I write out the character's reasons for not cooperating with me. That often shows me what they DO want or what they WILL do after I check off numerous things they won't do. So from there, I just started writing the scene itself in first person and I got results way faster.
What are some of YOUR best tips for reviving an older project? Is there one in your life that keeps coming back to you?

---


Laurie Tomlinson is a wife and mom from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who enjoys stories of grace in the beautiful mess. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and received the Genesis Award in 2013 (Contemporary) and 2014 (Romance). Her work is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary.

You can connect with Laurie here:

Twitter - @LaurieTomlinson