Guest Blog and Cover Reveal

Let's give a warm welcome to

Guest Blogger—

Author Terri Talley Venters

 

Carbon Copy is the first book in the Carbon Copy trilogy. Tin Roof is the sequel.

 Silver Lining, the epic conclusion, was released on March 5, 2015

Carbon Copy

By: Terri Talley Venters

Lilly Allen has brains, beauty, and a trust fund. She's living in New York City and her career as a reporter is taking off. She's hoping the love of her life, Grier, will propose soon. She has it all, or so she thinks.

Grier Garrison, Create Life executive, is running the company while his father, Dr. Michael Garrison, is in the ICU awaiting a heart transplant. Grier knows the truth about Create Life and its shady side business. He fears Lilly and her twin brother, Luke, are in danger.

While working on two unrelated stories, stolen newborns and cloning, Lilly discovers a shocking connection. Horrific things are happening, but who is behind it all?

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Tin Roof

By: Terri Talley Venters

SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING BOOK BLURB UNTIL YOU'VE READ 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.

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Silver Lining

The epic conclusion to Carbon Copy trilogy

SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING BOOK BLURB UNTIL YOU'VE READ CARBON COPY AND TIN ROOF!

Silver Lining is the much anticipated conclusion to the Carbon Copy trilogy. Silver Lining picks up where Tin Roof, the sequel to Carbon Copy, leaves off. Lilly Allen and Grier Garrison are bound for Scotland and their new lives at Castle Garrison on the Isle of Skye. Lilly and Grier, now the new Marquess of Garrison, plan their lavish wedding which will make Lilly a marchioness! But first, Grier wants to rescue all the clones and bring them to the safety and freedom of his castle and tenant farms.

Silver Lining is full of surprises and new discoveries. Before they can even leave for Scotland, Grier’s father, Dr. Michael Garrison, drops a bomb which could keep Grier and Lilly apart. Before this is resolved, Lilly sneaks in a few passionate kisses with her beloved cameraman, Joe. Lilly is tormented with indecision between the two loves of her life—Grier and Joe. Who will she choose?

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Cover reveal for

Luke’s Lithium

Copy Trilogy from Luke’s point of view

Coming soon from Wild Child Publishing

 

What if someone cloned you? And then abducted you twenty five years later? In Luke’s Lithium, handsome Luke Allen, a witty, yet shy trust brat, volunteers at the FDNY with his firefighting comrades. Luke has it all, except for love. Abducted by Create Life Technologies, along with 5000 others, Luke learns the shocking truth behind their cloning research and their evil intentions. But the loss of his freedom comes with a silver lining, he falls for beautiful Gretchen, another abducted Create Life Clone. Luke’s Lithium is full of surprises, new romances, rescues and a switcheroo. But will Luke and Gretchen ever be free of Create Life?

Luke’s Lithium is the much anticipated companion book/spin off of my Carbon Copy Trilogy, written from Luke Allen’s point of view. Luke is the twin brother of Lilly Allen, the heroine in the Carbon Copy Trilogy. Luke’s story covers the time frame of all three books in the trilogy, Carbon Copy, Tin Roof, and Silver Lining. 

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Body Of Gold

By: Terri Talley Venters

Even in this post-Bernie Madoff era, it’s surprising how easily investors unknowingly hand over their money to con artists, also known as money managers. Chelsea Lynn Cobb earned the title of the youngest hedge-fund manager at Trans World Investments in Chicago. This charming southern beauty proved a financial genius, but her workaholic tendencies hinder her free time to meet men who match her impossibly high standards. When she’s not kicking ass at the office, she’s kicking ass at her Taekwondo class where she falls for her new instructor, Troy Camden. With the exciting distraction of a new and passionate relationship, she spends less time at the office until she discovers financial scams operating at Trans World. Someone is stealing millions from investors, but the evidence points towards her.

Body of Gold

Available from

Freya's Bower

www.freyasbower.com

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Copper Cauldron

Penelope Manchester, a good witch with one green and one blue eye, awaits her destiny: a warrior of God with the face of an angel, the heart of a saint, and eyes which match her own. St. Michael the Archangel flies into her life and sweeps her off her feet. Meanwhile, an evil sorcerer captures witches, steals their powers and most of their nine lives, and shrinks them to the size of a doll--a Nuremberg doll. But when he turns two of the Manchester witches into dolls, the Manchester clan fights back with St. Michael and divine intervention. Armed with the legendary copper cauldron, a fire breathing dragon, and an arsenal of spells, good battles evil. 

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Terri Talley Venters

Author of Carbon Copy, Tin Roof, Silver Lining, Body Of Gold, Copper Cauldron, Cobalt  Cauldron, Luke’s Lithium, Sulfur Springs—The Fountain of Youth & Europium Gem Mine

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 on the water in Florida, with her husband, Garrison, and their two sons.

Carbon Copy is the 1st thrilling novel in the Elements of Mystery Series. The title of each novel will contain an element from the Periodic Table of Elements.  Carbon Copy, Tin Roof, Silver Lining, and Copper Cauldron are available from Wild Child Publishing. And Terri’s romantic/suspense novel, Body of Gold, is available from Freya’s Bower. Luke’s Lithium & Sulfur Springs—The Fountain of Youth are coming soon from Wild Child Publishing. Terri recently finished writing Cobalt Cauldron and Europium Gem Mine and is currently writing Calcium Cauldron. 

For more about Terri’s upcoming releases, including purchase links and social media links, please visit her website http://www.elementsofmystery.com/ 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.

Terri also posts free short stories on her blog website and blog. Follow her at http://www.territalleyventers.blogspot.com/as she weaves her way through the Periodic Table of Elements.

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And the Mouse (um, Panster) stands alone.

I know that’s not how it goes, but hopefully you’ll understand in a minute.

I recently had an interesting conversation with a fellow member of my writers group when he asked me whether I wrote an outline for the story he’s critiquing. I told him I didn’t, and he said he could tell because of an issue he noted. Funny thing is I’ve also noticed the same issue in his outline-driven-writing, so it seems his reasoning is flawed, but I digress. He added that he used to write without an outline, but changed his ways after taking a creative class. To add to this, the other member present shared she always uses outlines too.

Suddenly, I felt like a little mouse. Although, I too had taken a creative class many years ago, it seems my brain has its own agenda when it comes to writing stories.

How can a group full of plotters understand or even grasp this phenomenon that I’m just taking dictation when scenes fly through my mind, unless I can’t get back to a story right away and I don’t want to forget? So, I stay quiet and keep writing.

Isn’t that harder to go back and fix things, some may ask?

Perhaps, but my brain won’t write creatively any other way. There are times I’ve reread scenes and said, “Wow, girl, you wrote this? Cool.” But, there’re other times I’ll say, “Wow, girl, what were you thinking?” I’ve even cross-pollinated characters or characteristics from one story to another. Whether a scene is a keeper or not, I laugh, then tap into the muse to continue or improve upon the story. It’s like an adventure, or like putting a puzzle together to appease my brain’s left side. I’ve given my mind permission to run wild with reckless abandon, until, that is, I have to work at my day job.

Even when my thoughts are caged, the wheel keeps spinning (thus, the reference to the mouse in the title). The characters live their lives, and I struggle to keep up. It becomes even more interesting when two or three stories are nibbling at my right brain space. When I have other work to do, I find I’m yelling at the characters to quiet down for a few hours. Sometimes, they listen, but I can still feel them lurking.

I’m not against plotting. Like I said in a previous post, I plot my technical writing. I would appreciate respect for the direction my creative writing has taken.

Even now, while writing this, I’m doing so without an outline, but I’ll have fixed it up a bit before it hits the blog. All I ask is just a little understanding and less judgment. In the end, though, I’ll need to connect with others like me.

All Pansters…Unite!!!

Guest Post by Matt Campbell: Computer vs. Paper

Digital Paper

The year is 1993, and I’m on my way home from school. A hundred ideas are flowing through my brain, setting my synapses on fire. I have to get them out. I have to get them written down. As soon as I get home, I go down to the basement and turn on our family computer, a Macintosh LC II (if I remember correctly). It clunks and grunts as it starts up, its hard drive operating at a much higher decibel than anything I know of today. The screen flickers on, I open up a document in some long forgotten word processor, and I begin writing, my fingers ticking away at the keys. My thoughts transfer to the white-gray screen. This is my writing life.

I’ve used a computer to write for as long as I’ve been writing, but not exclusively. I have entire notebooks of handwritten writing that can confirm that. But why? When computers were present, a tool that can be superior to pencil and paper, why would a tech-savvy kid like me choose to cramp my hand?

In order to keep writing when I was away from home, or to break up the monotony of my family’s basement, I needed a way to be mobile. Back in the 90’s, laptops were clunky and expensive. Notebooks allowed a release for my writing. It wasn’t faster than writing on a computer, in fact, writing on paper oftentimes created more work because I’d have to transcribe everything back into the word processor. That never once stopped me though. Better that I get my thoughts down on paper than let my brain explode.

I continued to use a combination of notebooks and computers for my writing well into my college years. Eventually, with the purchase of my first laptop, I gave up the notebooks. It grew too tiresome to transcribe my oftentimes-illegible handwriting, especially since I could take my laptop anywhere I went. But I didn’t throw away the notebooks. Even today, I still write on paper, mainly for brainstorming and ideas, and occasionally to jumpstart my brain after it’s been at rest for too long.

However, the greatest reason I still write on paper, I discovered while writing this post. It’s an obvious reason, but it outshines every single benefit writing on the computer has to offer:

Writing on paper is slow.

As your idea leaves your brain, shoots down your arm, and flows from your fingers onto the paper, you get to savor your thought during the transfer. This is probably why when I really need to remember something, I write it down on paper rather than on the computer. I get a millisecond longer to think about what I’m writing.

Tapping away at the keyboard gets the ideas out just fine. You can manipulate your words and check your spelling and grammar as you go. Computers are great for editing, and they make life so much easier when you’re on the go, but putting ideas on paper holds a special kind of magic. When your ideas are in the computer, they’re flickers of light turning on and off switches in the heart of a machine. When your ideas are on paper, they’re real.

BLOG: http://www.blogbyimagine.com/

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REBEL: https://www.rebelmouse.com/Matt_Campbell/

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GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7372108.Matt_Campbell

WILD CHILD PUBLISHING: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=77&products_id=440

Panster Revealed

It’s so funny how humans never cease to come up with new terms to describe things. Recently, I learned that I am in fact a panster, at least when writing creatively. You see, I spend most of every day planning: planning what to eat, planning where to drive, what to teach the kids, what to do at work, etc. Even my main job involves planning to ensure everything is done on time. I also write technical documents about how to follow process, which, of course, involves more planning.

So after spending so much time planning or plotting, if you prefer, my brain must have been crying out for some release. Well, a lot, considering how much I’ve written on the fly over the past seven years. Once I pushed the kind of stress that choked out creativity away, the characters took up residence and haven’t stopped talking, except when I feebly attempt to turn off the muse source. That’s tough because I have many.

What makes things more adventurous is when I reread what I’ve written to discover the revision involves additional opportunity to let the fingers write what the characters dictate. Even if I don’t like what they did, I am unable to change the course of their bounded lives. I am only allowed to correct details that don’t match reality, and even then, I only do so with stories that don’t contain a fantastical element. Yes, the characters seem to rule sometimes. Sounds funny, right? Strange even, but that’s pretty much what happens. Who can relate to this? I know I’m not the only one, since I’ve already skimmed half-a-dozen articles about it.

So, there it is. My admission that I am a technical plotter turned creative panster. Let the fun begin.

Happy 2015!

Wow, where did the last year go? Time truly goes by too quickly. It's amazing what I accomplished considering my super busy life. I landed two literary contracts, released one novel, and published two poetry books. And today? Today, I spent three hours editing a chapter for a YA novel about a young South African mulatto who has moved to America with her interracial parents. I'm excited to see how it progresses, but it'll definitely take a lot of work before it's ready for submission.

Here's a quick look at my releases from 2014.

Be sure to leave reviews. Thanks.

So Excited About My Upcoming Book Signing

After making plans to sit in a coffee shop for two hours with the three books I have in print, I am hoping that I will not be alone staring at the regular customers buy their coffee to go with delicious treats. Then I remember that no matter what happens, I still have three books in print and that's pretty cool. It's amazing to see how much I've grown as a writer and poet over the past six years. Thanks to everyone who've encouraged me to keep writing the stories and poetry in my head. I'm looking forward to spending the time talking with anyone who stops by The Treehouse Coffee Shop from 1pm - 3pm on November 15, 2014.