A great snow!

Well, I think the snow has finally calmed down outside.  It's a great day to stay inside and do some writing.  Perhaps, the snow covered trees will inspire some scenes.

Hope everyone gets home safe!

When you're there, feel free to get cozy and read a book.

Hosting Mother/Daughter Authors: Leslie and Terri Talley

Mother/Daughter Writing, From Mother’s Point of View

My daughter Terri’s interest in writing was sparked by a writers’ conference we attended in Melbourne, Florida, when she was in high school. Years elapsed during which time she mulled over an idea for a series which became Elements of Mystery.

Meanwhile, I had published travel pieces and a few short stories, but the publication of my mystery novel, Make Old Bones, eluded me. It had won first place in the mystery/suspense category at the Space Coast Writer’s Guild in 2000. Finally in 2008 Terri and I attended a conference sponsored by the North Florida Writers’ Association at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Make Old Bones once again won first place in the Lighthouse Book Awards for mystery/suspense. Terri was so proud, she cried! That spurred me on; that spurred her on. She finished writing her mystery novel, Carbon Copy. She hoped to ride in on my coattails. The opposite happened.

She submitted to Wild Child Publishing, an electronic publisher; I had never thought of doing that. When her book was accepted, I submitted also and was accepted. Since then we have critiqued each other’s work. She is my biggest fan! We feed off each other. My main characters, Otis and Clarice Campion, became her main character, Lilly Allen’s, Uncle Otis and Aunt Clarice. When we are together and we hear an interesting turn of phrase, we both screech, “I call it!”

One way I may have unconsciously influenced her is by setting, or a sense of place. According to my professor, Dr. Richard Adicks from Literature of the South at the University of Central Florida, there are six prominent features in Southern writing: a sense of history or of the past; a sense of religion or original sin; a sense of the grotesque; a sense of place; a sense of family or genealogy; and agrarian, or rural.

I write from a sense of place. Set your novel in a unique setting, and all manner of ideas pop up. Terri imbibed this from somewhere. Her first novel is set in New York and the Florida Keys, the sequel in Charleston. Her upcoming takes place in Scotland. My first takes place in Daytona Beach, the second in St. Augustine, the third in Ireland, and my work-in-progress in Scotland. We both have hurricanes and castles figuring prominently.

Even though we are much alike we have differences. My degrees are in English with some nursing thrown in. Hers are in Accounting and Taxation. She comes up with better plots. And while my mysteries are Cozies, hers are more modern.

But the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree, to be trite! Great minds, and all that!

Leslie Talley

Author of Make Old Bones and Bred In The Bone

Leslie Talley received her B.S. in Nursing from the University of Kentucky and a B.A. and M.A. in English from the University of Central Florida, Orlando, where she subsequently taught, as an adjunct, Technical Writing and Business Writing for ten years.

Leslie and her husband Luke have two children: Terri Talley Venters, Wild Child author of Carbon Copy, Tin Roof, and Copper Cauldron; and Damon Talley, video conference lead at Harris Corporation. Leslie and Luke have lived in Titusville, Florida, for forty-five years.

Make Old Bones and Bred In The Bone are both available from Wild Child Publishing, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Purchase links can be found on her website. http://www.makeoldbones.com/

Bred in the Bone

By Leslie S. Talley

 

In this sequel to Make Old Bones Otis, Clarice, and Miss Letty act as exchange innkeepers at Castle Keep in St. Augustine, Florida.

Castle Keep, built of timbers from a shipwreck, has a disturbing history which carries over to the present. Recently a series of break-ins by a homeless man and the sound of chains dragging in the attic complicate matters.

Miss Letty and Clarice visit the original plantation site where Clarice discovers a skeleton in the icehouse. In addition, they find the burned body of the homeless man in a dragon sculpture, causing them to make connections among disparate events separated by over a century.

Add to the mix a psychic, an African-American journalism student, the Donner wedding party, Florida Gators, two snobbish Southerners, father and son mural painters, an obstreperous Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Charles Dickens, and an obnoxious, but, unwittingly, helpful twelve-year-old named Beddington.

Mother/Daughter authors, From daughter’s point of view

Wow! Where do I start? 18 years ago, my mother and I only dreamed of writing a novel, let alone getting it published. Our dreams of becoming mother/daughter published authors was just something we fantasized about. Now we’ve both published not only our debut novels, but their sequels as well.

Reflecting back over the last 18 years, I realize how much hard work went into our first books: Make Old Bones for my mother and Carbon Copy for me. The hardest part for me was starting. I thought about it for 8 years before I finally started writing. The next hardest part for me was finishing. I spent 5 years writing Carbon Copy. My mother was the reason I started and finished it. I always tried to have a chapter for her to read whenever we planned a visit. Then the next hardest part about the writing process was the waiting. Although I was blessed to find a publisher within six months of finishing Carbon Copy, it was another 2 and half years in editing before it was finally released in June 2012.

Now that we both have the same awesome publisher, Wild Child Publishing, the writing and editing are much easier for the both of us. I’ve recently finished writing my fifth book, Silver Lining, the epic conclusion to the Carbon Copy trilogy, while my mother is almost finished writing the fourth book in her bone series - The Bonnie, Bonnie Bone. My mother and I are case in point that hard work, patience, and determination, can make your dreams come true. We couldn’t have done it without each other’s constant encouragement all of these years.

So now that we’ve had our dream of being mother/ daughter published authors come true, what’s our next dream? I still dream big. I’m looking forward to having both of our books out in print so that we can do book signings together. And although I loathe public speaking, I can’t wait to do a mother/daughter presentation at a writer’s conference. Thank goodness my mother is an award winning Toastmaster. I’ll just smile, nod, and show cleavage. We’re brainstorming a co-authored book which is a prequel to Carbon Copy and Make Old Bones. The characters in our books are related. My heroine, Lilly, is the niece of my mother’s heroine, Clarice. The title will contain both a “bone” and an “element”.

My biggest dream of all is to have one of my books get made into a movie. My mother and I promised to be each other’s “plus one” if either of our book movies get nominated for an academy award for best adapted screenplay. And yes, I’ve mentally started writing my acceptance speech. Who knows what the future holds for our books, but the best part of all is that I’m enjoying this wonderful journey with my mother. I love you, Mom!

Terri Talley Venters,

Author of Carbon Copy, Tin Roof, Body Of Gold, Copper Cauldron, and Silver Lining

 

Terri received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Master’s degree in Taxation from the University of Florida. She is a licensed CPA and a Second Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. She lives in St. Augustine, Florida, with her husband, Garrison, and their two sons.

Terri has two other published works available from Wild Child Publishing. Carbon Copy and its sequel, Tin Roof, plus her unrelated novella, Copper Cauldron. She recently finished writing Silver Lining, the epic conclusion to the Carbon Copy trilogy, coming soon from Wild Child Publishing. Her romantic/suspense novel, Body Of Gold, is coming soon from Freya’s Bower. Terri also posts free short stories on her website each month. www.ElementsOfMystery.com. Follow her as she weaves her way through the Periodic Table of Elements.

Terri is the daughter of Leslie S. Talley, author of Make Old Bones and Bred In The Bone which are also available from Wild Child Publishing.

For the purchase links and more info about Terri’s books, visit her website.

Elements Of Mystery 

Like Facebook Fan Page

Follow Terri on Twitter

 

Tin Roof

the sequel to Carbon Copy

 In the sequel to Carbon Copy, Lilly Allen returns to her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, to be closer to her mother, help with her injured brother, and heal from the disappearance of her fiancé Grier Garrison. While she awaits Grier's return, she busies herself with her mansion renovations, her best friend's wedding, and her job as a news reporter.

But even her busy schedule cannot stem the worry over her brother's persistent amnesia and changes in personality. Is he her real twin? Or did they rescue a clone?

On top of this, the months of pining without a word from Grier begin to take their toll. She finds herself growing closer to her favorite cameraman, Joe. His confession of undying love, followed by a passionate kiss, has her questioning how much longer she can wait, and whether she wants to.

To further complicate matters, two unrelated news stories drag her into the seamy underbelly of the Charleston Police Department where murder and drugs are common occurrences.

In the chaos of a hurricane, another body washes ashore, and Lilly comes face-to-face with the murderer.

The Holiday Season is Here...

I received my first holiday gift on Thanksgiving Day - the final edit iteration of my upcoming release "Billiard Buddies."  I am so excited.  Stay tuned for the release date for your gift giving plans.

Don't forget about "A Beautiful Girl" and "Love's Intensity" which will also make great electronic stocking stuffers.  Go here for online stores.

So, I will be turning my attention to all those stories I've placed on the back burner for the last few months - more like "ignored."  I miss those characters and can't wait to type up what I've written for the past year.

To everyone, I wish you a happy holiday season with Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa to come.  Stay safe and read many books.

Have you reviewed a book lately?

In my attempt to encourage readers to review my novels online, I've learned just how hard it is to get those reviews even if they totally loved the story.  I've also learned that the number of reviews received affects ratings which in turn affects how many see the book when they perform searches.

So, I've made a decision to review books I've read, especially those written by up-and-coming or indie authors.  Some authors have even contacted me to thank me.

I hope that everyone reading this blog will review, not only my novels, but also those by other authors.

You may leave reviews for A Beautiful Girl on my website store, Amazon, Barnes&Nobel, and Goodreads or any other site where you purchased a copy.

You may leave reviews for Love's Intensity on Wild Child Publishing, Amazon, Barnes&Nobel, and Goodreads or any other site where you purchased a copy.

Oh, and consider these teen novels for holiday gifts.

Featuring "Danny R.O.S.S." - my expression of thanks to Veterans.

(Yes, the acronym stands for something, but I'll keep that under wraps a bit longer.) :) - Story in submission.

This story was inspired by the lives and sacrifices of our military here at home and overseas as they fight to maintain the rights and freedoms of people all over the world.  The main character is a Navy SEAL to honor those SEALs who have lost their lives in combat, including those who died in the helicopter crash two years ago.  SEALs have infiltrated movies and TV shows (one of my favorite is one filmed in Hawaii with one of the coolest teams assembled).  I do hope this fictional account makes them proud.  For more, visit the page for Danny R.O.S.S.

Featuring "If It Kills Me"

I've decided to give readers a peak into a story that is currently going through the submissions process.  Recently, I resubmitted my manuscripts in the hopes of landing a contract.  It's an arduous process that involves fixing up the story to read its best, reading the submission rules, submitting, waiting, getting the rejection response or no response at all, getting input from other writers, fixing it up some more, and resubmitting again.  So, now I wait...again.

If It Kills Me is a story about an average American guy who has a problem.  He found out too late that he'd fallen for his roommate's girlfriend.  If only this story was so simple.  I'll share more as time progresses.

Wish me luck.

Featuring "Billiard Buddies"

A few days ago, I returned round one edits to my editor.  As I wait for round two, I  thought I would say a little about it here.

Gina, a female pool shark, has yet to find her match around any pool table in a local NYC bar.  That is, until Sean shows up to represent his friend, Pete, and the other guys in a show of how men can take back the game.  Gina would not be so easily overcome.  Her prowess at the table pushes his limits.  How will he thwart her game?  Will she allow his friendly disposition to throw her off guard?

Stay tuned for more as the editing process comes to a close.  Go to my website for a peek at the cover.

In the meantime, check out my publisher, Keith Publications.  Also, go to “KeithPublications llc” at Amazon to see all the 99 cent books on sale up till Oct.31^st midnight and some free on the Oct. 31^st midnight.

Featuring "Love's Intensity"

This novel, published over two months ago, has already made waves among readers and reviewers alike.  If you haven't read it, check out my website and this blog for excerpts.  If you have, please leave a review at any of the sites listed on this page.  Thanks for your support.

What happened during editing.

It's really disheartening when I read a chapter for one of my manuscripts and am left with the gnawing feeling that it's missing something.  That it needs more punch...more passion...just more.  If I don't like it, how do I expect my readers to love it?

So I muster up my muse and step into my characters heads, except that it's more like them taking over mine, and observe what I may have misinterpreted the first time I travelled in their shoes.

The amazing part is when their world rushes at me with vivid scenes and previously missed dialogue/non-verbal communication, leaving me with a story I could fall for.

Editing can be enjoyable.

Featuring "A Beautiful Girl"

This novel, published over two years ago, has touched the lives of many people.  If you haven't read it, check out my website and this blog for excerpts.  If you have, please leave a review at any of the sites listed on this page.  Thanks for your support.

Hot day at the 11th Annual Collingswood Book Festival.

As always, I enjoyed meeting new people.  In particular, it's always neat meeting up-and-coming authors who are working toward being published. I hope many of the folks I met today will go online tonight to purchase the electronic copies of both my novels and leave reviews online when they are done.

Thanks so much to those who purchased copies today.  I appreciate your patronage.

Have a great weekend!

And the work continues....

Now that the Blog Review Tour and the Blog Hop Tour are both over, it's time for me to turn my attention back to writing. September brought great news and not so great news with regards to my manuscripts.

For the great news, I finally have an editor for Billiard Buddies, and we will start addressing updates this week.  For the not so great news, I received a rejection for a manuscript I submitted a couple months ago.  However, the submissions editor has given me the chance to fix it up and resend.  I really appreciate second chances.  That doesn't happen often in the writing industry.

I also met with a local artist about creating book covers for my poetry books.  Yes, I write poetry too.

I'm looking forward to the 11th Annual Collingswood Book Festival on October 5th. Hope to see you there at Booth #99.

Take the Train Autumn Blog Hop

Do you have a favorite fall memory linked to a train? What do you imagine you would see if you were riding a train in the fall? Join the authors of Wild Child publishing and Freya’s Bower as we Take an Autumn Train Ride through our blogs.

Prizes will include

 

• Four $50 gift certificates (two for Wild Child and two for Freya's Bower)
• An awesome swag package that includes:
• Bookmarks
• Books
• Wild Child T-shirt and mug
• Wild Child and Freya's Bower bags
• Four handmade, crochet coasters by Kit Wylde
• An autographed copy of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
• A rare DVD copy of the Matheson/Furst classic "Up The Creek" (lovingly used)
• One ebook copy of Nita Wick’s short story, The Dream (previously published as part of a Freya’s Bower anthology.)
• Book trading cards
• Signed Dangerous Waters poster
• copy of "Battle for Blood: The Blood Feud"
• the winner’s name as a character in Kissa Starling’s next sweet romance story.
• A Yankee Candle
• and more...

 

Surprise Train Ride

Cassandra Ulrich

Pulling out of the station to leave the bland colored building behind, my dad and I embarked on an unknown adventure to an undisclosed location. When we’d first arrived in a taxi, Dad bought the tickets and convinced me not to glance at the schedule board. Since I sat on the bench with Mozart blasting in my ears, I didn’t even hear the announcer blurt out the destination. Dad stood, and with back straight and head held high, he always seemed to stand taller than his 5’7” stature. Following Dad’s lead, I descended the stairs to the tracks and slipped into the train, backpack in hand. I always felt safe whenever he led the way, keeping a careful eye on the passengers. No one dared mess with his baby girl. We plopped into the first spare seats we found. I stared out the window and waited for the train to start on its way.

In minutes, combinations of reds, greens, oranges, yellows, and plums caught my attention with their vibrancy. I couldn’t pull away, not even when my dad tapped me on the shoulder. Still glued to the landscape flitting by, I removed my ear buds to listen to whatever he thought so important that he dared interrupt my euphoric experience. He chuckled softly. He understood what I saw, what I felt as I gazed on the beauty outside our window. He’d spent years during my childhood teaching me about leaves and ants and bees. I hoped he knew how special those times were to me.

Chestnut horses frolicked in the distance across browning tufts of grass. One of them stopped near the fence to exchange friendly greetings with a black sheep who’d strayed from his flock. Neither paid attention to the hawk that glided over some evergreens, but my eyes followed that magnificent bird.

“Want some libation?” asked my father. Only a bartender from the 70s would dare use the word “libation.”

“Sure.” I didn’t look away from the window, not wanting to miss anything at this fast speed. “Dad, where are we going?” I couldn’t imagine any place more beautiful than what I witnessed before me.

He grinned. “Does it matter?”

More red leaves and some yellow bushes sped by. “No, the journey is what matters now. Thanks for this.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied and fell quiet so I could enjoy the scene. He knew it wouldn’t be long before I’d be forced to continue this journey of life without him.

Yeah, it’s the journey that counts, with its adventurous beauty.

Now Presenting….

 

Will the determined and sometimes sassy Kressa let rich bad-boy Brad into her heart, or will their families manage to keep them apart?

 

Please visit the following sites to purchase Love’s Intensity:

Wild Child Publishing, Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo Books, and iBooks.

 

Please visit these sites for more chances to win, the more you visit the more chances you have to win. We have 46 participating authors. You can stop at as many or as little blogs as you wish. At each stop, you will find two chances to enter per blog to win some awesome prizes. If you visit all, that’s 92 chances to win! There will be five, lucky winners.

Take the Blog Train and Visit These Blogs for more chances to win
Marci Baun/Kit Wylde
Critters at the Keyboard
Teresa D'Amario
Judith Leger, Fantasy and Comtemporary Romance Author
Writing
The Fictional World of Jaime Samms
Follow Where the Path will Take You
The Wandering Mind of Lizzy P. Bellows
Where Love and Magic Meet
Kissa Starling
Marianna Heusler
Hell's Ambrosia
C.M. Michaels
The Shadow Portal
The Blog Zone
Blog By iMagine
Ardyth DeBruyn Author Blog
Shadows of the Past
Dear Reader
Cassie Exline -- Mystery and Romance
Sarcastic Rambling & Writing
That's What I Think
Sue's Random Ramblings
Make Old Bones
Elements of Mystery
Molly Dean's Blog
Kenzie's Place
The Forbidden Blog
David Huffstetler
Cassandra Ulrich
Carol Marvell
Andrew Richardson
Nick Lloyd
Fiddleeebod -- land of stories
Nita Wick's Blog
Ruth G. Zavitsanos
Too Poor for Texas
Jenn Nixon
City of Thieves
Musings and Doodles
Husein
The Western Writer
Bike Cop Blog
The Character Depot
Allen Currier
Tracy Holohan

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Autumn Train Ride Blog Hop begins Monday, 9/23

Wild Child Publishing, the publisher of Love's Intensity, has organized a blog hop featuring its many authors.  Please stop my blog for links to the other sites.

Blog Review Tours begin Monday, 9/23

A few blog sites will be reviewing my latest novel, Love's Intensity, starting Monday for 5 days.  Hope you visit the sites and leave comments.

 

To purchase a copy, go here for all available online stores.

Talking to people about my books.

I spent a couple hours at a storefront in Collingswood for 2nd Saturday with another author, a jewelry maker, and an artist.  I handed out postcards containing information about my two novels to anyone who agreed to take them.  It's always fun when some folks stop to hear more about what I've written. I hope they download both novels.

I'm looking forward to Collingswood Book Festival on October 5th. Go here for time and location. Hope you can stop by.

Something funny

From time to time, I’ll share a scene or two of a story running through my head with a few close friends.  After a while one of those friends says, “Are you working on my story? Is it done?”

Your story, I think. When did it become your story? <giggles>

It’s really neat when my friends connect with my characters as if they were real people.  It’s what being an author is all about.

Take the Train with me later this month...

I will be joining other authors in a Blog Hop later this month.  We look forward to see you here.

My newest cover has been revealed!

Although I'm still waiting for an editor, I got approval from Keith Publications to share the cover with you.  Go to my web site to take a look. It may be simple to look at, but a lot of time and effort goes into creating a cover that represents the story.  This was the third try at such a cover. Hope you like it enough to purchase a copy when it's published.

Have a great weekend!

It's been quite a month!

Since releasing my second novel, "Love's Intensity", I've been busy getting the word out about which online stores carry this story about teen love and their paranormal connection. Marketing is not easy, but the internet connects me to many opportunities I would not have merely selling copies out of my trunk.

I've also been busy learning lines for a friend's screenplay titled "Footies."  This new venture is stretching me considering acting is not something I have pursued.  The things one does for friends.

August also draws me closer to two book events where I will showcase "A Beautiful Girl" while interjecting references to "Love's Intensity."  The first on August 18th is listed on my "Come Meet Me" page.

My brain has been busy "think writing" although I've not had a chance to physically write any notes yet besides that three separate stories are involved.  I don't know how I keep them all organized in my head. lol

In other news, I have one story waiting for the results of a submission, another close to completion before submission, and still a third under contract with a cover in hand I have yet to reveal.  You'll see it first on my website, so stay tuned. 

Lastly, I've created my first ever hashtag, #lovesintensitynovel.  I'm not sure how it all works, but if you wish to make a comment about this story, please use it so fans can find it easily.

Oh, and don't forget to join my fan page on Facebook.

Looking for Love's Intensity?

It's been a week since my second novel arrived on the internet.  Love's Intensity is now available on Wild Child Publishing (http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/young-adultchildrens-c-72/loves-intensity-p-430.html?zenid=9e5962e84e85304df822c971a9fc7085), Barnes & Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loves-intensity-cassandra-ulrich/1115996040?ean=2940148331735) , Kobo books (http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Loves-Intensity/book-tUNKcBm8Qk6kMS8_7c88qw/page1.html?s=a067GKqQTkaAfmsw6lDJ1A&r=1), Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Intensity-ebook/dp/B00DVNVPLQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374193159&sr=8-2&keywords=cassandra+Ulrich), All Romance (https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-love039sintensity-1230758-168.html), and iBooks.  Some readers have already begun the journey with Kressa, Brad, and their parents.  Don't forget to leave a review when you've when the last word.

Thanks so much for your support.

"Live Life.  Love Intensely."

Just finished a weekend writer's camp with Marketing for Romance Writers.

Prior to a couple weeks ago, I never knew writer's camps existed online.  I had a blast!  I'm amazed my brain didn't explode with all the great information I received from so many great writers who are willing to share their knowledge with newbies like me.  I am grateful for these people because not all writers are that way.  Even after only one weekend, I can tell MFRW is a well oiled organization that cares about helping others produce quality stories. It will take me the rest of the year to digest half of what I learned.

Don't forget to purchase my newest novel, Love's Intensity, at the following locations: Wild Child Publishing, All Romance eBooks, and Amazon.

What a feeling!

Remember the tension-mingled-with-excitement feeling you get when the roller coaster just pulled out of its station?  The way your gut clenches for the expected initial fall and twists? Well, I've had that feeling since the release of Love's Intensity on Thursday, July 11th.  I am still giddy, my inner child is screaming, and the fun hasn't even begun yet.  Yeah, that about sums it up about now.  Check out my new humongous teen romance novel at Wild Child Publishing.

A great day for a book release!

So, although the day started with drizzling rain, the excitement of having my second novel made available for the world to read trumped the clouds.  In fact, I walked on clouds all day. It's a super accomplishment, and I'm grateful for all the supportive people in my life.  It was really cool to spend lunch break with four of my friends.  The waitress even gave me a red velvet cupcake.  To top it off, at least 2 purchases were made.

Thanks, God, for a cool story.

Website...updated.

I just gave my website a facelift.  Go take a look: Cassandra Ulrich, Author.  It's a work in progress, but I'll be sure to let you know when the next book is added.

So much to do...

So, it took me a little over a week to proofread Love's Intensity which has refueled my excitement of its impending release.  It's a good thing I had a break from recording A Beautiful Girl.  If everything sounds great, I may not have to return to the studio.

What's next?

Well, I will be adding Love's Intensity to my blog and web sites.  So stay tuned.  Also, keep checking out my author page on Facebook.  Brad and Kressa are talking up a storm with guest appearances from their parents.  Check it out.

As if that's not enough, Keith Publications just sent me my book cover for Billiard Buddies. Revelation of the cover is planned soon after the release of Love's Intensity.  Editing should begin shortly.

I will be looking into reviewers too.

What a holiday weekend this is going to be!

A Release Date has been set for "Love's Intensity"...July 11th

After a long day at work and during a troublesome headache, I checked my wall on Facebook to find an announcement about my upcoming novel's release date.  What joy to see my book on Wild Child Publishing's website!  I also have an author's page on the site.  I have been waiting for this the past four years and now my novel's birthday is less than 3 weeks away. I'm so excited! :D

Spending time at a block party

So, I had the opportunity to sell A Beautiful Girl at the The Treehouse's 10th Anniversary block party.  It was pretty neat handing out bookmarks and talking to many people about this incredible story.  If I met you today, don't forget to check out Amazon and Smashwords for the electronic version.  If you'd like the paperback, go to my website's store.

Just finished my online interview at the Author's Lounge with Dr. Lila Robinson.

So, I said a little prayer and dialed the number for my 9pm interview.  One would think nerves wouldn't be a factor when you can do an interview from the comfort of your home, but one would be wrong.  I soon relaxed though, as I waited for someone to answer.  Once the conversation started, I forgot all about the nerves and spoke about a story that has a place in my heart: "A Beautiful Girl."

It's amazing how quickly an hour flies by when talking about something I enjoy.  I introduced my characters and the things that drive them to be who they are.  If you missed it live, check out the Author's Lounge w/Cassandra Ulrich for the interview.  It's already there.

Where did the time go? So much has happened.

So, the last time I posted something, my teen romance, Love's Intensity, was in the middle of edits.  Well, the edits are now complete and the manuscript is with the proofreader.  The cover has also been approved.  If you'd like a sneak peek at it, "like" the event, Who wants to see the cover for "Love's Intensity"?  I'll reveal it when the count reaches 100.

While I'm waiting to hear about the release date, I've been busy recording A Beautiful Girl for those who'd prefer listening than reading.  With only two sessions done, it'll be a while, so stay tuned.

In addition, I'm still working on the Navy SEAL story.  It's coming together.  I'm grateful to the critiques from members of my writer's group.

I intend on using the knowledge gained my POV course to help me improve my writing.  The learning never ends.

Oh, one last thing.  If you've read A Beautiful Girl, be sure to go to the following sites to leave a review:  at Amazon, at Smashwords, at Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble.

Thanks in advance.

Spring is almost here!

Two weeks after finishing an online marketing class, I have already finished my first assignment in my class on POV (point of view).  The next two weeks are going to be busy.

The teen romance is back with the editor, four weeks of updates applied.  Looking forward to the next stage.  Of course, I'm also working on other manuscripts: 1) Navy SEAL, 2) a single mom's second chance at love, and 3) a post Civil War story.

I like how writing relaxes me.  It gives me a break form dealing with numbers and logic all day.

In addition, I now have a review of my book on my website's store: http://cassandraulrich.com/estore/.  Go have a look.

As if I weren't busy enough...

I've been editing two stories: one for a publisher and the other for a writer's group.  In addition to my day job, I participate in as many book events as possible.  I'm even in two choirs.  So, understand my surprise when a friend asked me if I'd be interested in narrating a play.  I politely declined this great opportunity.  Maybe next time.  There is just so much I can fit into my schedule when my brain keeps creating scenes to stories on a daily basis.  Yep, that's my life as a writer.

Remembering Heritage and Love.

It's been a busy year so far.  Yesterday, February 16th, I attended the Heritage Cultural Book Fair at Burlington County College in Pemberton, NJ and had the pleasure of seeing/hearing Fannie Lou Hamer as performed by Alma Day.  What an absolute pleasure to see history unfold before my eyes!

This followed a week of celebrating love.  Red was the color of choice for many in the form of cards, clothes, boxes of chocolates, and, of course, roses.  On February 14th, I took a break from editing my teen romance to enjoy time with family.  We can all use a break from the busyness of life sometimes.

So, now that the euphoric feelings has calmed a bit, I look toward to diving into that teen romance, intending to make it a novel no one wants to put down - kind of like the last novel I wrote.  Stay tuned for more about this story.

Check out my Come Meet Me tab for upcoming events.

Enjoy the rest of February and the diverse world around you.

Happy New Year! I'm on Twitter!

December has been a month filled with extreme happiness and extreme sadness.  I'm so grateful to God for helping me through no matter the situation.

So, now a new year has begun and I've finally created twitter [CassandraUlric1] and facebook celebrity [Cassandra Ulrich, Author] pages.

I'm still working consistently on the teen romance, with less than 100 pages of updating left before sending back to the editor.  I actually teared up during one of the highly emotional scenes.

That's all for now.  Have a great day.