Join us for some Blarney and bits and pieces of the Emerald Isle.

Sign up now through March 17, 2014

Welcome to the Bit O’ Irish mini blog hop.

Rules: bloggers must post something Irish, even if it is vacation pics taken while on the Isle. Participants may join in any day before St. Patrick’s Day. Please make sure to visit fellow hoppers. If you would like to add something to the  main giveaway, please notify me with a comment. All participants are welcome to add their own giveaways on their site. Erin Go Bragh!

 

We will be spotlighting Jill Bisker’s inspirational story Within Reach and giving away a variety ebooks and two $5 Amazon gift card.

Within Reach is the story of Emma, a woman coming to terms with her mother’s increasing dementia and the everyday challenges associated with it.  Inexplicably, she finds herself ‘re-living’ specific events from her past.  She soon wonders if her own sanity is slipping, and only her mother can help find the key.

About The Author

 

 Jill Bisker lives in Stillwater, MN with her husband and a calico cat named Senora, and a grown son who is in college. She believes in empowering women to be strong enough to protect themselves, while still soft enough to be loving and compassionate. Her work includes paranormal mystery, traditional high fantasy, as well as contemporary and humorous fantasy and an everyday living blog. Once a dedicated stay at home Mom, Jill now writes full-time.

Connect with Jill:

Facebook Page:     https://www.facebook.com/authorjillbisker

Pinterest Page:  http://www.pinterest.com/jillbisker/

Website/Blog: www.jillbisker.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillBisker

Google +:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/102225571446174386202

Email: jkatbisker@gmail.com

 Join in the Blarney. Click on the Pot of Gold below for a chance to win cash prizes great reads.

 Choose from the following ebooks:

      Within Reach

      By Jill Bisker

      

 Merry Christmas, Henry

By Aubrey Wynne

Contemporary Romance

   

 Craving Vengeance and Covert Exposure

By Valerie Clarizio

Romantic Suspense

  

Morna

By Mary Kate Brogan 
(Romance set in 1950′s Ireland)

Click below to add your link. Remember to stop by these blogs for more luck o’ the Irish:

    http://new.inlinkz.com//luwpview.php?id=381178

1. Aubrey Wynne: Historical Romance

2. Valerie J. Clarizio: Romance Author:

3. Jill Bisker | Author

4. Coffee Talk | Great women. Great books.

5. Melange Books, LLC

6. Shelley R. Pickens | Author –

7. Author Elisabeth Hamill

 

Note: When you add your link, you can copy and paste the thumbnails to your page and the links will be all done for you. Less work and more time for green beer and corned beef with cabbage.

20 Random Facts About the Sword of Lumina: Mira’s View

Today I decided that I would share some random facts about my first book being released in June/July of this year.  And here they are.

1. I first thought of the main theme of my book while taking my daughter for a walk three years ago.
2. When I first developed the story in my mind, I originally planned to use fairies instead of elves but then switched because I like elves better.
3. I always knew that Galena would travel with one other elf, but then switched to two after the first attack.
4. I was going to give Elenio the nickname Nio, but decided there were too many Nios in the world
5. I put a ferret in the story because I had one as a pet and loved it
6. I always knew that I wanted The Sword of Lumina to be a trilogy.
7. I made up names according to which letter in the alphabet I hadn’t used a lot.
8. When I wanted to think of what would happen next in my book I would do laps in my house after everyone went to bed.
9. I talked the idea over with my boys to make sure someone else besides myself thought my book idea was worth writing
10. I told very few people about my book beforehand
11. It took me a month before I decided on the name Rau for my evil creation
12. My favorite line from that story is “Neither man nor shadow, but a combination of both, Rau rose from the pool of magic.”
12. I rewrote the first half of the book three times before I was finally happy with it.
13. When I decided on a traveling trio I had planned to have Galena travel with Elenio and Melan, but switched to Tark because I like the way his name sounds better
14. I was going to have a language that goes along with using magic but decided on using thoughts instead when I tried to figure out a rhyme or reason to what type of words I could make for magic.
15. I knew I wanted to use the name Galena in a story even before I had thought of what my story would be.
16. I knew what the end of my story would be like long before I worked out the beginning and middle.
17. I originally was only going to have Galena trained in the art of sword fighting until my oldest pointed out that elves are good at everything.
18. I love how I end my first book!
19. I really struggled with creating a time frame for their travels having never walked that far myself
20. I thought of tattoos as the way to control the elves because I really like tattoos and was at the time thinking about getting another one. It wasn’t until later that I decided to have mauks use Rau’s blood to seal the elves to him.

The Sleeping Giant

Have you ever stopped and just thought of a giant volcano?  I hadn’t either until recently.  The volcano is a giant rock formation, grand and majestic in its own way.  In several cases it lies quietly regarding the world around it, allowing plants of varying shades and sizes to grow all around it and even on it.  In some cases, the giant opening at the very tip top, shares its domain with the rain, creating lakes and other beauties to behold.  The volcano is truly a sight to see.  Containing some of the riches soil around, it often produces some of the most magnificent plants that can be found.  This sleeping giant is quite the wonder, until it awakens.  What was innocent and wonderful to behold can become a fierce and mighty beast.  Demolishing everything within miles in one giant eruption.  This giant can cause as much destruction and devastation as any of other act of God with no real warning or reason.  

The last couple of weeks has been extremely rough for me and like the volcano, I feel like I have had enough.  I’m now ready to take on the world and those that have been hateful and taken me for granted.  I feel my determination returning and my depression leaving.  I’m not sure if this is considered a bad thing, or a good, but come what may, I now feel I have the right mind set for it.  Has there every been a time when you have felt this way?  Let me know about it!

 

In the Middle of All the Chaos

The brain.  What a wonderful and fascinating part of our bodies.  Capable of doing such things as allowing us to breath, to regulate our hearts, and the thousands of other tasks that it accomplishes even without conscious effort.  It gives us thoughts, forms sentences, and helps us to process all that we encounter every day.  This week my mind was pushed to the very limit and still thoughts of a new story crept up on me.  It snuck in even when I found myself struggling with angry parents, irresponsible renters, and cabin fever that has run amok in my house.  Visions of story plots swirled around making me wonder what would happen next.  How would I end such a story like this?  Walking around my house to bring the pictures closer to me, I can see the whole thing clearly.  Snow and magic; adventures in the making.  I find myself amazed at the timing of this storyline when I had clearly believed that I would not be able to come up with another idea, especially so close to the completion of my first series, but yet there it is.  I truly believe my mind has created its own escape from reality by creating ones for me to write about.  This being said, how do you find yourself dealing with stressful situations?

And Still The Snow Comes

It is days like today when I’m trapped in the house once more, that I wonder what it would be like to live in a land of tropical beauty.  The weather depresses me so that, like the bear that hides away for the entire wintery months, I feel like I could crawl up under the blankets in my bed and sleep the weeks away.  I watch tiny snowflakes fall down onto the already white ground and envision the beautiful greens, soft pinks, and vibrant yellows of spring.  I dream of laying out in the sun soaking up every ray that the bright sun has to offer and forget of the cold winter winds that bite at my skin and sting my lungs.  It’s strange to me that even in my stupor new story ideas coming washing over me, giving me an escape from the torture of the cold and depression. 

How can a world be so white, but dreary?  My heart longs for warm water wrapped around me and giving me body the weightlessness that my heart feels.  I miss the long summer days and laying under the stars that twinkle down at me, telling me they missed me too.  Swinging on the porch while reading my favorite books, the sounds of the occasional humming bird in the background.  The smell of warm, freshly cut grass and few a blossoms too.  All these memories flood me, making me even more tired and anxious for the days when shoes are no longer required. 

And so I leave you with my thoughts and issues, hoping that your hearts are lighter than my own.  My question for everyone is what is your favorite season and why?  What memories do you have that it make it your favorite?

My first experience with the author world!

Well, I did it! I broke into the publishing world! Now I can sit back and enjoy the glory. WRONG! It was after my book had finally been picked up by a publishing company that I realized this is where the real work begins. Let me start back at the beginning.
It all starts with an idea and this my friends, is not as easy as it sounds. There are millions and billions of books out there! Trying to come up with an idea that hasn’t already been taken, is like trying to pick your nose without your finger! In other words, it’s a really daunting task. Let’s say you finally do come up with an idea, now you have to actually write a story to go along with that idea! Sound easy? Well, you should definitely give it a try. Not only do you have to have these convincing characters with descriptions good enough for someone else to see in their own mind, but you are also expected to remember those descriptions! I know the nerve right.
Now you have your story down and ready to submit! WAIT! Time to put on those brakes again. Ever heard of a thing called revising and editing? No? Well, it is something that you should definitely become very familiar with. The problem with editing your own story, the same story that you have been spending weeks staring at, is very tricky one, mainly because you have it memorized! Time to give yourself a short break and then pick it up again when you have forgotten parts of your story! Or hire a good editor to give it a once through before you hit it again. After all that hard work, it’s time to craft a query letter, synopsis, and anything else the thousands of literary agency and publishing companies want to see. This part isn’t as challenging, but it is definitely very time consuming. Plus, you can’t really just submit it to one and assume that they will definitely pick up your masterpiece. Chances are you are going to have to do some searching and submitting to several literary agent and editors. Once again, not really difficult just really time consuming.
Let’s say you are finally fortunate enough to be offered a contract, think it ends there? Wrong again and this is the point where I’m at. As I learn more, I hope to post more on my ever increasing knowledge. I hope you enjoy the ride!