Tami Winbush's Blog

On May 8, 2024, an anthology that I'm in will be live. Please come share your love with the other authors that are represented there as well.

Flowers For You: Mother's Day Drabbles Microfiction Collection

“I’d like to write about writing,” I wrote in the email. As soon as I sent it, I half winced to myself and sucked in a quick breath. Is this a thing? Will readers and writers alike be interested in my inner monologue as I sort through the writing challenges? Do you want to know the self-doubt that reflects off the sunny window onto my blank screen? Well, here goes! 

Writing about writing is beyond difficult. There’s a fine line between metacognitive thinking and a stream of consciousness, and I fear the latter. I picture the words as they tumble out of my brain and bounce onto the paper, not really sticking to anything, but merely lying on the surface, waiting to sink in. What if they don’t sink in? I imagine the letters joining together and scattering off the page when I’m not looking, acutely aware that they may never make any profound impact. Or will they? The words ebb and flow, and so I keep trying. Is writing just blissful ignorance? If so, may I never stop. 

We’ve all been there, and these thoughts dissipate over time with practice, patience, and an overall love for the written word. Yes, I am more confident these days, but writing challenges take many forms. They are shape shifters, adapting to your progress and burrowing into your 

sentences. But the challenge of revealing them and creating something beautiful and meaningful keeps us going. 

When writing is most difficult, I open up a new document or a fresh page and write about how I can’t write anything. And my mind opens and begins to flow. I’ve learned the art of letting go, releasing my expectations, and not overthinking them. When feeling extra creative, I even close my eyes as I type. May the force be with me! A few backspaces later, and a sheepish grin, my sleeves are up, and I’m ready to write. 

Writing about writing has been therapeutic for me. Naturally, I crave a cathartic response, and artistically, it’s equivalent to the description of a psychedelic effect; the door opens, and on the other side, I’m standing on the edge of the precipice. There’s no horizon or ocean in the distance, only a blank vastness that only I can fill. It can either scare me or take my breath away. It takes my breath away. And I will jump every time. 

So, my advice to you is to write about writing. Try quick writes, new words to explore, character descriptions, physical descriptions, goals, or reflections. Whatever opens that door and makes you jump.

Music has always been intertwined with the concept of romance. The art of music is a powerful tool used to set the mood for love, express emotions, and evoke feelings that can be difficult to put into words. From classical compositions to contemporary pop hits, music has captured the essence of love and used it to create timeless masterpieces.

Historically, music has been used to express love and romance. The earliest examples of this are in ancient Greece, where poets and musicians sang about love and passion. Romantic themes in music continued to develop throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, with composers such as Bach and Mozart using music to express the joys and sorrows of love.

Music has also played a significant role in popular culture, especially in movies and television. Romantic ballads such as “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard - now I want to watch it again - just loved this movie - HBOMax here I come) and “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion (Titanic - I remember watching this in the theater with a friend. Long movie, but so romantic) have become iconic songs associated with love and romance. Music has been used to set the mood for romantic scenes in movies, creating unforgettable moments that leave audiences swooning.

In addition to expressing love and passion, music has been used to facilitate romantic relationships. Couples often have a particular song (R. picked this song for us, it's perfect) that reminds them of important moments in their relationship, such as their first dance or a special date. Music can also be used to set the mood for a romantic evening, creating an atmosphere that is conducive to intimacy.

Throughout my writing career, I’ve read and been given the advice that says, “Make sure you write what you know.” If you take this suggestion at face value and run with it, your writing will be quite interesting and realistic. This is something that all readers want, no... demand. It’s something that helps them escape from reality and enter into another world for a while. They want to be the hero or the heroine swept off her feet by a man who truly knows what love is.

I’m not sure how this piece of advice works. When I first started writing in junior high school I wrote love poems. I knew NOTHING of love, hell, I hadn’t even been kissed (but thank you N.M. for the distracted make-out scene under the bush). So how in the world was I able to write such ‘moving’ pieces? In all honesty, they were only moving to me, but they seem to make sense now that I’m grown up. 

Let’s take a look at my first poem:

Lazily we walk along the beach

You and I hand in hand

Nature has its things to teach

We listen and learn

But never turn 

To see what we left behind

I‘ve been told that the poem is pretty deep for a 7th-grade-know-nothing kid. That advice seems to hold no bearing for me. What enabled me to accomplish meaningful words about love?

I’ve thought about authors who write science fiction and fantasy. How are you able to KNOW that genre? I’m pretty certain that we don’t know aliens or fly spaceships that are able to land on the planets of far-away galaxies. What talent would help them accomplish that feat? Were they abducted by aliens? No matter how much I try, vampires don’t accost me at night wanting to sweep me away to their lairs -- I’m totally up for grabs if you happen to know one. (Sorry sweetie!)

Ooo, think about horror books, or murder mysteries. I’m not sure that I’d want to go through the possibility of having a poltergeist, a killer car, or a rabid dog attack me. I’d be in a mental hospital in a padded room when the end of the ordeal finally arrived, not a good thought. Murder mysteries are pretty much just scary. I would hate to think that someone who did all of those crimes would be out writing books. So how do authors get into their killer’s head?

I am able to say in my case that my understanding came, not from experience but, from a great love of books. Since the time I was able to run around town on my own, I would go to the library. During the summer months, my stepmom didn’t have to worry about me. I walked to the library in the morning and didn’t go home until four o’clock. I sat in the children’s section of the library and read non-stop. The summer reading program was never a problem for me, I surpassed the requirements tenfold. 

Every author I’ve ever talked to, and most authors I’ve read about, have an avid love of reading and they’ve had that passion for years. Don’t think for a second that I’m dismissing the advice that was so kindly given to me, but there has to be more to the story. There are life experiences that make you a better author, and they should be taken and used. But never underestimate the power of a good book.

The Widow's Guide to Second Chances by Valerie Pepper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I need a paramedic! A hot sexy one named Aaron. I really don't care that Devon is the heroine of this story - I'll step in in a heartbeat!

When guilt and pain hit you after the devastating news that your husband has been killed, what do you do? If you're Devon you hightail it out of there and try to run from all the pain. But when Gigi dies she's forced to return to the place she's been running from for 5 years.

A couple of nosey community members, a scraggly dog, a hot paramedic, and Gigi's will are all working against Devon's goal of getting out of dodge as soon as the will's terms have been fulfilled.

If you like a mixture of sweet, spicy, and downright HOT this is the book for you.

I want to thank Ms. Pepper for her character portrayal of the mindset of a widow. It wasn't glossed over, made to seem trivial, and wasn't meant to be annoying and full of angst. Her accuracy lent such credibility to this book.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review - and here ya have it! <3

View all my reviews

Today I thought I’d share with you, dear readers, an interview with one of my dearest friends and author Tamara Monteau. Tamara and I met when we both had books under the now defunct Secret Cravings Publishing umbrella. We became fast friends and have remained such for many years. I felt that it was selfish to hoard her all to myself so, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Tamara take it away. 

Tamara: Thanks so much for the invite, Tami! I’m always happy to talk about my favorite vampires.

I have a few questions for you that I think my readers wouldn’t love answers to, so here we go:

Tell me a little bit about Haven’s Realm. Where did you get the idea for this wonderful world?

Tamara: It was something that evolved as my stories grew. I began with an obscure–at the time–vampire clan led by a Council and living in a place I called Haven. The culture didn’t completely evolve until I wrote the fifth book in the series, and it was my husband’s suggestion to incorporate the seven Heavenly Virtues that transformed the entire premise on which the Community was built. I was thrown into research, exploring the individual histories of my Council Elders and assigning them the appropriate Virtue. I added the Bargain, an agreement between Community vampires and Higher Powers, making my clan unique, at least as far as I know

How many books do you currently have published?

Tamara: I have two currently on the shelf–Treacherous Destiny, Haven’s Realm 1, and The Darker Path, Haven’s Realm 2. Book three, Dragon Lord, is ready to publish, I just need to finish the cover art and push the button.

Oh, I’m so excited to hear that, it’s been a while since I’ve read that one. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Tamara: Originally, I had six published titles. They all went bye-bye with SCP. Books five and six have been split during the rewrite process, both to separate storylines and expand on them. In total, I have nine completed stories, two currently “in print”. After that, there are at least a dozen folders on my hard drive with story ideas, most with sketches I’ve thrown down, and two that are half-completed works. Haven’s Realm isn’t going to end  for a while.

Oh, I’m so happy to hear about that, I’m certainly not ready for it to end! <3

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Tamara: I rarely do research ahead of a project, but look for answers to the questions that pop up while I’m writing. Research is conducted primarily online, though sometimes I do still refer to the old and very heavy Encyclopedia Britannica occupying two of my library shelves. Wikipedia is where I usually begin, but I look for more, especially when it comes to myth and legend. I research the history of the vampire involved in order to better develop his or her character. Two of my more notable characters are Jason, famed in Greek culture as the leader of the Argonauts, and Carloman I, former king of the Franks. I’ve delved deep into Greek mythology to pull book four, Haven’s King, together. I’d say book five, Secrets & Promises, took the most time to research, because not only did I have to define the Council, I also had to explore the past of a woman who has been reincarnated dozens of times. I had to build a timeline to match historical events with character lifetimes, just to keep it all square in my head.

That sounds like a dizzying prospect right there. I’m glad you were able to keep everything straight. 

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

Tamara: I don’t know any authors personally, only by their writings. Maggie Shayne and Linda Lael Miller were two in the vampire genre who influenced me to write through their interesting works, and On Writing by Stephen King was the most helpful of all the books I’ve read on the craft. Of course, the editing staff at SCP helped me to better understand the mistakes I was making, though I suppose I have to admit I didn’t really get it until much later. In the rewrites, I’m catching things that should have been caught long ago.

Ok, I can’t handle it anymore… I need an excerpt to share with my readers. They need to be as invested as I am. What will you share with us?

Tamara: All right, here’s a small snippet from The Darker Path. In this scene, Ki’ara has just returned to Colton from an unexpected visit to Haven…

Ki’ara gaped when she saw the beast tethered to the rear of the shop, its presence a sudden reminder of the vision that led her to Earth. She held her breath while Colton vaulted onto the saddle, wondering how those slender legs could possibly bear him. He held a hand for her to join him, and frowned at her reluctance.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of horses.”

“Are you sure that animal can carry both of us?”

“I assure you he can.” He leaned down and slipped an arm around her waist, then lifted her across his lap. She thought they’d both be thrown when the horse reared, but he gripped the animal’s midsection with his legs and mastered him with incredible ease. He held her close with one arm while pulling at the reins, turning the horse away from the alley. They rode at a graceful canter along the higher road while the townspeople gaped, and when they reached the north end of town, he gave a shrill whistle, and the horse stretched his legs with a whinny of delight.

He managed the animal using his legs, muscles flexing while he controlled their course, but even while marveling at his expert techniques, she was painfully aware of the way his body moved around her. She tried not to squirm against the tension building in her belly, and endured the ride she might’ve otherwise enjoyed, though the horse’s speed was no match for a ghealo’s.

When he altered course and drove hard through the forest, nervous fright replaced the longing. She tensed and grabbed the pommel, leery of the branches threatening to unseat them both. He pulled to an abrupt halt in a clearing by a cliff, and the horse reared again before settling, voicing the same protest she’d heard once before. Colton lowered her to the ground before dismounting.

The cliff resembled the overlook she’d found at home. Breathless, she stepped to the edge, taking uncomfortable note of the boulder that appeared to have been placed there for sitting. The moon shone on the ocean below, casting a greenish shimmer to the crests and illuminating the foam. The horse whinnied and stamped his hooves before silence interrupted only by the crashing waves settled around her. Confused and disoriented, she backed away from the cliff, and when her heel struck a jutting root, she fell backward into Colton’s arms.

She spun around, sure shock was plain on her face. “What is this place?”

His eyes were dark and unreadable. “Justin and I played here as boys while Mother watched for ships returning to the harbor. I come here sometimes to…reflect.” He turned and paced to the edge of the clearing. “I can understand why you left. You should’ve stayed away.”

“I didn’t run from you in fear, and you should’ve known I’d have to come back. I needed time to…I thought if I stepped back, cleared my head…”

“So you waltzed right into the arms of the Community. You put yourself at great risk, and placed me in a very difficult position.”

“I didn’t realize…I mean I should’ve suspected… You never mentioned other vampires, so I was unprepared. Vincent noticed me because I didn’t know to keep my thoughts guarded.”

He turned, deep sorrow in his eyes. “Leave now, Ki’ara. Take Demon and ride back to town. He knows the way home. Get as far away from me as you can and don’t look back.”

“I can’t.”

“You’ve been with my kind. Surely you know what I’m required to do.”

She drew a breath that hitched. “I know.”

“And still you prefer to stay? Don’t you understand yet that I cannot control what I am? I haven’t been able to…enjoy a woman’s comforts since the night of my transformation. I could kill you without knowing until the deed is done.”

“I’m not defenseless.” She returned attention to Demon, unwilling to face him with her own uncertainties. Stroking the soft nose, she said, “I’ve run out of choices, Colton. Maybe you have the willpower to refuse a love hunt, but I’m not that strong.”

“You’re willing to turn your back on your people for the sake of a man you barely know? What of your responsibilities? What of the heirs you’re supposed to give your world? Can you so easily forget who you are?”

Tears pooled in her eyes. “This isn’t easy for me.”

“Then just…tell me why.”

His pleading tone thickened her throat. “I saw this clearing and your horse the night before the coronation. Reminders glimmered inside the storm that brought me here. For my people, such powerful visions are considered guidance from the Creator.”

“They might also be lies cast by whatever evil your people recognize as His enemy,” he pointed out, his voice tight.

She shook her head. “We believe in no such entity.”

“Then you are deceiving yourselves.”

“The angel who opposed your God fell to this world. Bricians follow a different path, and we adhere to the Creator’s will in all things.” Desperation gave her the courage to turn and face him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t know how this will affect Bricia or what the future holds, but I’m sure we belong together.” She slipped her arms around his waist. “I’m staying willingly. I won’t leave that way.”

That was AWESOME 🤩! Now, so everyone can go out and buy your awesome books, and fall madly in love, where can we buy them?

Tamara: 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tamara-Monteau/author/B002BMKGL8?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Tamara%20Monteau

I’m also on Smashwords and several library chains.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers? Now’s the time, don’t be shy. 

Tamara: I’m the retired mother of four beautiful children and, now, four adorable grandchildren, one I have the privilege of babysitting on a regular basis. Marshall James is our miracle baby, born after thirteen years of painful trial and failure. Watching him being born was a religious experience, and now that he’s six months old, he learns something new almost every day. We have two small poodles, Champaign and Abigail, who keep me company when I’m home alone and provide a most excellent alarm system. In addition to writing, I enjoy playing the piano and engaging in craft activities. My love affair with paper models has evolved into an obsession with 3D printing. I can edit videos, design computer graphics, sew, paint, work ceramics, arrange flowers…there isn’t a craft yet I haven’t loved, but none more profoundly than crafting Haven’s Realm.

Thank you so much Tamara for visiting the blog today, It was such a pleasure getting to know you a little better today. I hope you’ll be back soon.

As an insomniac, I have tons of time to think about writing (when one should be writing) and what they have learned, and how. I honestly think that my cats have taught me most of what I need to know.

1. Steady and cunning get you what you want.

If you don’t have a cat and have never seen them stalk a fly/ladybug/moth you’ve missed out on a lifetime of lessons. They will sit as still as can be and stalk that thing till it’s just in reach. And eight times out of ten, they get what they are going after.

Just like writing! You have to be steady in your course and you will achieve your goals. You have to make sure that you keep the eye on the prize. If you don’t get it the first time keep on keeping on, it WILL happen.

2. Know who you can lean on.

Cats are particularly finicky over who they will ‘sit’ with. My cat Earl can walk up to me, nudge the laptop from my lap, curl up, and fall asleep. He only stays there long enough for a cat nap, but he knows that he can do it and won’t be chastised for it. Our cat Opal only lays on you when you were laying down and near sleep, that’s when she felt safest.

In writing, you need to know who you can go to for critiques, ideas, and a good pick-me-up. There are some out there that you can’t trust, and those that would be hurtful to your ‘mojo’. You don’t want to ask someone to critique your work if they are going to say, “Seriously? Do you think you can write? That scene where they are in the cafe SUCKS!” After something like that, you may never write again. If you can find a friend who will look at it and say, “You did a good job, but I think some work could be done on the cafe scene. I was a little confused when she walked out. Can you tell me more?” You’d be more likely to get on with writing and make that cafe scene great.

3. When life gets hectic go to another room and vegetate.

When the kids are running around, I’m cooking, and my fiance happens to be working on computers or filling up the wood stove, it can get hectic in the house. The cats then know it’s time to head upstairs into the bedrooms or hide in the living room when everyone is in the den.

When I write, I can’t do it around the family with the kids screeching, the dog barking, and the dishwasher and washer going (man that last spin cycle is LOUD). I have to take myself out of the hectic atmosphere and go somewhere where the romance can flow. I hide in my room where my office is, some like to go to the library or a coffee shop. You need to figure out what is right for you and go there, do that.

Realize that you can get inspiration for writing from anywhere, so keep your eyes open and keep writing.

Once upon a time in a land far, far, away...

Well, maybe not a land, but a time 11 years ago there was a book. And this book was entitled Forgiveness. The premise for it was good, but being a beginning author I just didn’t know what to do, and how to do it properly. This was when I was publishing under the name of A.J. Best.

I’d like to think that I have grown as an author, but there are times when self-doubt gets in my way. Here’s what happened...

In 2012, I was sitting in a Pizza Hut in a town near me when the email came in. I slid the phone over to my fiance and said, “Here, you open it. I can’t!”

When his face didn’t fall or look like he was going to say, “Oh, maybe next time.” I said, “WHAT!” and grabbed the phone right out of his hands. When I read the email, I yelled out, “I’m an author, I sold a book!” The moment was filled with lots of cheers and applause from the neighboring tables (because that’s how small the community is) and I just couldn’t stop smiling. When our pizza came, I ignored it because I was calling EVERY person I knew so I could tell them that I sold my book!

After we left Pizza Hut, we went over to Big Lots (or I think it was Big Lots - it was some store like that) and continued to call everyone. I kept apologizing to my fiance for ignoring him while we were shopping and he just smiled and waved me away. What a good man.

Next came edits. And luckily there were so few edits left when I sent them to the editor (I had sent it to every eagle eye I knew to help me get it as tight as could be) that it took me only minutes to fix. Lucky me, I hear it’s not always that easy.

Long story short, they showed me the cover. I asked for a tweak or two and it was finalized and the release date they gave me, was July 7, 2012 - two days after my birthday!

Little did I know that I knew NOTHING about marketing, and I was only able to sell 50 copies of my book. And of those 50 copies sold, only 7 ratings were given with 3 reviews. I was mortified!

Then the publisher went out of business and I figured, “Why not send it over to another publisher I know?” But when I finally got it over to her, she told me that it wasn’t good enough and I needed to flesh out the story more and have more sex scenes in it for me to put the label of ‘erotica’ on it (which is where the other publishing house had it). All I heard from that was, “It’s not good enough.”

That threw me for a loop for many years, and I didn’t pick up the proverbial pen for many years. When I finally did pick it up, I was very worried about it being ‘good enough’ that I edited, and re-edited the first two chapters to death and never got any farther. But, for the past 157 days, I have really given myself the permission to be ‘not good enough - until I finish, then I’ll edit’. 

So fast forward and I’m only two chapters away from finishing my discovery draft (rough draft/draft zero depending on who you talk to) and then I can take on editing my first draft. I am going to take some time to do some deep character building before I work on that, but I think that I’ll be well on my way through edits by March 2023.

Have you ever felt ‘not good enough’ for something? Here’s my advice... stop! You are good enough. And even if you aren’t, who cares? If it brings you joy and a sense of purpose, it’s good enough.

I guess the old adage is true, no good deed goes unpunished. Quinn Chen wakes up still Quinn, but a Fairchild instead of who she thought she truly was. But upon her death and reincarnation becomes friendship, family, and a love that expands not only to the man she was forced to marry but to his land and his people. 

Alexia Praks weaves a fantastical tale of new meets old, and old meets new so seamlessly that you can’t help but fall in love. The characters are created such that you can’t even help but to love the one-horned demon child. I can’t wait to see what she has to offer me next. 

Once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down, so be prepared. 

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 
*****

What’s a girl to do when she finds herself in a medieval-like world of magic and monsters and is forced to wed an infamous earl? Marries the hunky warrior, of course! Plus saves his citizens, feeds them delectable food, and builds a grand kingdom in the process.

Quinn Chen has her life planned out after university graduation—working in one of the biggest medical research companies and then maybe dating again after a bad breakup. The only problem is on the day of her graduation, she is hit by a truck and wakes up to find herself as eighteen-year-old Quinn Fairchild in a war-torn medieval-like fantastical world full of magic and monsters and is forced to become a bride to an infamous, ruthless, cold-blooded warrior of an earl.

Swept not only into the isolated, strangely beautiful, lush land of Norsewood, but the powerful arms of the piercing blue-eyed Lord Aldric Templeton, Quinn—armed with blessings—must navigate her way through poverty-stricken, dangerous medieval life with a modern mindset and maybe even teach her gorgeous golden-haired husband, who is both kind and gentle and nothing like the merciless character that rumors imply, that having a girl from another world as a bride isn’t so bad after all.


Apparently, I’m the Infamous Earl’s Legendary Bride is a romantic fantasy series featuring a vivacious heroine with a determination to change and improve the lives of civilians in a medieval-like, war-torn world with the use of her modern knowledge and her magic and a hunky hero hell-bent on protecting his land and people and claiming his bride’s love.

This series contains romance, magic, kingdom building, and food and cooking. Oh, and enough steam to fog up the other world’s medieval-era glass window in later books as the story progresses.

Note: A kingdom-building fantasy series involves the protagonist/s working on building and managing their own village, town, city, nation, or even empire and gathering citizens and subordinates.

 

Not only do I torment myself with my Paranormal Romance Writing class (who really wants to go to school *me raising my hand and waving it wildly*), but now I'm reading a book by Lewis Jorstad to see what his point of view is on writing a book.

I will tell you that I am intrigued by the notion that a book can be written in 10 days. (Please keep in mind that this is the first draft!) Luckily he was smart enough to put a caveat in there giving those of us who are a little sticker shocked that there are multiple ways to work his system. I'm going for a "The Ten WEEK Draft!" method instead.  If he is as good as his website makes him out to be (crossing toes, fingers, and hair on this one) then I'll have a rough first draft before my trip to Puerto Rico in February. I'll even have a full month to work on edits before I have to slow down.

I worry though, being a first-time author and all, is this the right way or am I going down the right path? Is his the one or is there another? But so far, I think that I like the 'cut of his jib' (as my grandpa - or maybe his grandpa - would have said). The course I've been taking through Universal Class has been showing me all kinds of people on the net that I never would have run across without them, "THANK YOU, CLASS!"