Books and Reading Thursday: Enjoying your own creations

Bit of strange post for this week’s Books and Reading Thursday!

I saw a quote on Pinterest the other day which pretty much summed up part of the reason I started writing:

‘If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.’ – Toni Morrison

I write because I have stories that I want to read all bundled up in my brain and I just have to expel them 😀

So, I write these tales that I am so desperate to read and then what happens?

I have to re-write and edit them so much that the thought of reading them again makes me want to start rocking in a corner somewhere mumbling to myself!

But in April, I plan to re-edit and refresh the books I published last year in time for their one year anniversary. I learnt tons last year, not just about writing itself, but about the whole publishing process.

A while back, Sierra from Permashift, updated her book, The Soul (a book I highly recommend checking out), and I realised how much I also wanted to go over my older books and give them an update.

But, at the same time, I am also kind of excited to go back and read them.

I know I will be doing some editing and re-writing, but there won’t be too much (I hope 😀 ), so I’m hoping I will be able to read the books mainly for the stories I was so desperate to write in the first place.

The main books I will be refreshing are Stolen Bloodline, Heart of the Arena, and The Queen’s Jester, my first batch of books I ever published. I will also be going over Prophecy of Stones and The Magic Spark, but probably later in the year.

It’s getting on for a year since I published those first three books, and though some of the writing might make me cringe, I am hoping that the long time away will allow me to once again enjoy these stories and characters that I spent so long creating.

So, April is going to be a busy month getting all the books updated whilst writing a new one, but a fun month nonetheless 🙂

I highly recommend going back and reading the stories you spent so long creating, especially if you haven’t looked at them in a while. It might be difficult to read them without completely turning off the nagging voice inside that tells you bits you could have improved and things, but you worked hard on those characters and stories, why not go back and enjoy them after you’ve had some time apart? 😀

Do you enjoy going back and reading your own books? Do you ever miss the stories you wrote years before?

Character Sketch: Cosmas

Thought I’d do something a little different for today’s post. I recently got a graphics tablet and have been having great fun playing around with it.

I was inspired to draw a younger, care free version of Cosmas, who is a character from Prophecy of Stones.

Cosmas was one of my favourite characters to write, along with her bond mate Otto. There’s something really gentle but at the same time strong about her.

Excerpt:

“Will you not join us in celebration?” the man asked, spreading an arm behind him to gesture at the joyful crowd. “Will you dance?”

“Does she look like a woman who dances? Really?” Sindrin scoffed, leaning close to the man and jerking a thumb in Milana’s direction. She shot him a glare and put a hand on her hip. He took an instant step back, raising his hands before him in mock innocence.

“We will join you.” Cosmas’ soft voice flowed from Milana’s side, and she flicked her glance to her.

“Cosmas, we can’t-”

“Oh, come Milana, just for a moment,” Cosmas interrupted. She tugged Otto towards the crowd, the two of them spinning around, their laughter merging with the music that drifted over the area. Otto jigged on the spot whilst Cosmas’ agile, fluid moves made her the envy of the other dancers as she swirled and dipped with graceful ease around her bond mate.

—

If you’d like to find out more about Cosmas, why not check out Prophecy of Stones?

Prophecy of Stones

The bond of love can conquer all, but only if it is accepted.

Prophecy states that three champions imbued with the best virtues of the mortal race: heart, strength and soul, will be the ones to save them all from an enemy which threatens to steal the life from their world and those who live upon it.

These three, along with their scribe, his bond mate, and an overly sarcastic oracle, must set off on a journey which will take them through forest, city, swamp and mountain. On this quest they activate the magical stones which charge the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Tildar and his cult of Dwell.

Yet the closer they draw to journey’s end, the more it seems that it is not the evil which will be their downfall, but the fear of a champion unwilling to accept the bond of their destiny.

Prophecy of Stones is a tale of adventure, love and magic.

Links:

Goodreads
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes and Noble

*This is a scheduled post, I will be back on Monday to reply to comments and emails. Hope everyone has a brilliant weekend!* 🙂

Yay for Friday!

Hey everyone, this week has felt like it has dragged really badly, so I’m thankful we finally reached Friday! 😀

Just a quick post today.

I had an awesome interview over Lit World Interviews, by RonovanWrites, why not go check it out? 🙂

http://litworldinterviews.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/mishka-jenkins-interview-prophecy-of-stones/

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I will try to be around more next week! 😀

Romance Weekly Blog Hop #lovewritechat

If you’ve joined me from the lovely Kim Handysides, then welcome!

So this week Sarah Hegger asked us to tell her our three favourite book boyfriends from any books we’ve read and why.

At first I thought, ‘pfft! Easy peasy!’, and then when I thought about it I found it quite difficult to choose just 3! 😀

Anyway, here are the ones that stood out the most to me:

1. Diesel from Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich

Ah, Diesel… What’s not to love about him? 😀

The man makes me swoon every time I read this book and although he doesn’t get together with Stephanie Plum, there is enough tension there to make the pages burn!

He is brash but kind, charming but understanding; definitely the type of guy I want in my life. Add to that the air of mystery about him and I’m sold!

2. Jonathan Harker from Bram Stoker’s, Dracula.

Ok, I watched the famous movie with Gary Oldman before I ever read this book and just assumed (bad, I know!) that the movie was a faithful retelling of the book. How wrong I was!

In the movie Jonathan Harker is a bit of a nothing, he doesn’t really do anything and certainly doesn’t inspire much romantic feeling.

Yet, in the book, he’s a COMPLETELY different character. Definitely one to swoon over. His dedication to Mina and his willingness to do whatever it takes to protect her makes my heart flutter, whilst at the same time he is a gentleman of his time with all the manners!

3. Otto from my book, Prophecy of Stones.

This is cheating a bit, seeing as it’s my own book 😀 But still, Otto is definitely a character that stands out to me as a man I would be happy to have around.

He’s calm, understanding, but strong; a man capable of leading his own life without relying on others. Although a secondary character, he stands out in his own right, and the intensity and depth that he shares with his bond mate is exactly what I’d want in my life.

–

And there we have it 😀 Those are the guys I’d pick straight away, if you know, they were real…

Anyways! Go find out who Veronica Forand has chosen for her three.

The Romance Weekly’s November Contest is up and ready if you want to enter! Some great prizes this month 🙂

Who would you choose as your book boyfriend/girlfriend?

Normal Service Will Resume Shortly!

Thank you to everyone who commented on my posts over the weekend 🙂

I am trying to add a change to my routine which started today, and has left me completely out of whack! So, I haven’t had time to write a blog post and I haven’t been able to manage commenting on many blogs yet!

So instead, enjoy this awesome vlog review of Prophecy of Stones by Sierra of Permashift!

I always love her vlogs, she’s hilarious and always makes me smile 🙂

The Queen’s Jester also got an awesome review from Teri Lloyd! 🙂

Sorry for the all about my stuff post! Will hopefully get a hang of this new routine soon.

Tomorrow won’t be a Romance Weekly post as (again) still shuffling my work around. I will have a normal post instead tomorrow though! 😀

–

Progress Report:

Status of sixth manuscript: Writing first draft.
Word count: 2830 (Total word count: 20,710).

Books read: 2/4.

Mid-October Book Review: Yeah, not going so well!

Something Different

These are some photosets I made for my books to go on Tumblr, but I’d thought I’d post them here too!

“Stay,” she whispered.

Mal’s lips curled into a smile that made her request even more urgent and she gripped his shirt to yank him forwards. But he steadied his hands on the bed to remain unmoving. Alex frowned.

“I wish I could,” he replied, moving one hand to her face, his thumb running over her bottom lip. “Honestly, you have no idea how much I wish I could.”

The Magic Spark

What do a successful London businesswoman and a Scottish castle owner have in common?

A rom-com obsessed fairy godmother who won’t stop meddling in their love life!

The Magic Spark is a light, enjoyable read, full of romance, fun, and a dash of magic.

Buy Links:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Barnes and Noble

—

“I would not let you lose yourself, Milana,” Riff said, grabbing her arms so as she was forced to face him, yet still she kept her gaze averted. “You see the bond, our love, as a weakness. Why can you not see that it is power? It is what gives me strength. My love for you is what gives me the strength to keep going!” His emotion-filled words echoed around them, heavy enough that they seemed to land on her skin and make her shiver.

Prophecy of Stones

The bond of love can conquer all, but only if it is accepted.
–
Prophecy states that three champions imbued with the best virtues of the mortal race: heart, strength and soul, will be the ones to save them all from an enemy which threatens to steal the life from their world and those who live upon it.

Buy Links:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Barnes and Noble

Prophecy of Stones- A fantasy, romance, adventure!

Prophecy of Stones
Fantasy, adventure romance.

To Buy:

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes and Noble

Blurb:
The bond of love can conquer all, but only if it is accepted.

–

Prophecy states that three champions imbued with the best virtues of the mortal race: heart, strength and soul, will be the ones to save them all from an enemy which threatens to steal the life from their world and those who live upon it.

These three, along with their scribe, his bond mate, and an overly sarcastic oracle, must set off on a journey which will take them through forest, city, swamp and mountain. On this quest they activate the magical stones which charge the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Tildar and his cult of Dwell.

Yet the closer they draw to journey’s end, the more it seems that it is not the evil which will be their downfall, but the fear of a champion unwilling to accept the bond of their destiny.

Prophecy of Stones is a tale of adventure, love and magic.

Trailer:

August 2014 Round-Up and September 2014 Plan

Books and Reading Wednesday postponed until Friday, because I am currently writing it! 😀

So, September already!

Actually this month felt rather normal compared to the others which have whipped by! It was still a busy month, but a bit more manageable at least.

Now a round up of August:

– Kept to schedule even though I completely skipped a week of writing.
– Posted every scheduled day.
– Started posting scheduled posts on a weekend.
– Got some great reviews for my books, including my newest, Prophecy of Stones.
– Connected regularly with other bloggers, who I have to say are some amazing, talented, and very supportive people!
– Found the ‘Home’ button on Facebook! 😀 Meaning I can share other authors links more effectively.
– Read 5 books (1 over target, oh yeah!)- Scandal of the Season by Sophie Gee, In Search of a Love Story by Rachel Schurig, Sins of the Father by Melissa Barker-Simpson, The Unraveling of Lady Fury by Shehanne Moore, The Camelot Code by Sam Christer
– Started my Books and Reading Wednesday posts!
– Managed to write a couple of short pieces.
– Had an amazing interview done with DKC
– Didn’t do well on marketing 😦

I really am going to have to market better and in an imaginative way!

I have hardly done any marketing and seeing as I am trying to make this my career I am just going to have suck it up and get to it 😀

I’m still tempted by trying my hand at drawing, which I took back up this month after having a break. I did a couple of fan art pieces (sorry about quality, my scanner hates me so I took pics with camera):

Daniel and Teal’c from Stargate SG-1

Anders and Hawke from DA2 (Far too obsessed with this game!)

Maybe a teensy bit obsessed with this Stargate SG-1 too!

Would illustrations of scenes from a book be the type of thing that might get you interested in it? Any idea for other forms of imaginative marketing?

Anyway, moving onto September.

Plan:

1st-5th- Self edits of manuscript/ Hopefully come up with a title!
6th-14th- Vacation! Woohoo! 😀
6-21st- Off to the readers/Work on cover/ Work on blurb/ Create interest in my other books (aka. The dreaded marketing!).
17th- Mid-September Book Review.
22nd-29th- Final edits and read out/ Finish formatting/Drum up interest!
24th- End of September Indie Book Review.
30th- Release day!

Wow, that was a bit confusing 😀

Goals:

– Read 4 books (which I should hit as I plan to read A LOT on my vacation).
– Do some actual marketing instead of grumbling about doing it 😀
– Continue to actively support others and find new inventive ways of doing so.
– Write short and prompted pieces on regular basis.

Some other stuff that went on this month:

Elaine Jeremiah released her latest book, Reunion of the Heart!

The Amazing Winter (which should be her title with the amount she manages to accomplish!) got signed twice!

I won a copy of A Gift of Wings by Stephanie Stamm on the blog of L.Marie!

Blimey, that was a lot longer post than I meant it to be! Should be an exciting month 😀

How was your August? Have you got much going on in September?

–

Progress Report:

Status of fifth manuscript: Editing first draft.

Books read: 1/4

Mid-September Book Review: Read, need to write review.

First Kiss – Prophecy of Stones

I thought I might try something a little different this week for my marketing post! 😀

So here is a short piece I wrote about Milana and Riff’s first kiss.

Milana and Riff are characters from my newest book, Prophecy of Stones.

It’s not an excerpt, but a kind of backstory piece I wrote in under fifteen minutes for a writing exercise. I hope you enjoy it!

–

“Are we there yet?” Milana asked, waving her hands about before her, unable to see through the thick material of the blindfold tied around her eyes.

“Almost,” Riff replied. She relaxed when his fingers curled around hers, helping to lead her onwards over the rough, rocky terrain that pressed even through the soles of her heavy boots.

“We’ve climbed a mountain-”

“It was little more than a hill,” Riff interrupted.

“It felt like a mountain.” Milana steadied herself as the path became smoother. “And now you have to blindfold me?”

“It’s a surprise.” Riff continued to lead her forwards and, even through the blindfold, she could tell that wherever they’d just entered was bright.

The light pierced through the dark material and she frowned at the sudden change. The howling wind had stopped, only silence and the echo of dripping water surrounding them like the chimes of a musical instrument.

When Riff’s fingers fell from hers, she tensed, but then the knot of the blindfold was untied, the smooth material falling against her cheeks as it was pulled away. Milana blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the intense brightness that battered against her. When her vision cleared, she let out a long breath, unable to form her amazement in words.

“Do you like your surprise?” Riff asked, his arm wrapping around her waist.

Milana nodded, staring around the cavern, her eyes wide and her breath stolen by the magnificence. Though she’d heard of the glow stones caves, she’d never actually seen one, they were far too protected to get anywhere near without guards shoving a weapon of some kind towards her and sending her back the way she came.

“This is…” Milana stepped further in the cave, the clear sparkling light bathing her in a white glow. “Incredible.”

“I thought you would like it.”

Milana shivered when Riff brushed a strand of hair away from her face, her attention no longer captured by the glow stones, but the man beside her. “You know me well.”

“I hope so,” he said with a gentle smile forming on his lips.

Milana raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. “And you thought bringing me here might just help you to get to know me even better?”

Riff stuttered on his reply, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.

“Don’t worry, Riff,” Milana said with a soft laugh, saving him from the blush that was rising to his cheeks. “It worked.” She gripped the collar of his shirt and yanked him close to her. Curling her fingers around his neck she had to tip toe to press her lips against his. His lips were soft and warm as they moved against hers in a rhythm that seemed designed only for them, his arm curling around her to press her closer and deepen the kiss.

For years she’d wished to kiss him and the experience did not disappoint.

–

Prophecy of Stones
The bond of love can conquer all, but only if it is accepted.

–

Prophecy states that three champions imbued with the best virtues of the mortal race: heart, strength and soul, will be the ones to save them all from an enemy which threatens to steal the life from their world and those who live upon it.

These three, along with their scribe, his bond mate, and an overly sarcastic oracle, must set off on a journey which will take them through forest, city, swamp and mountain. On this quest they activate the magical stones which charge the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Tildar and his cult of Dwell.

Yet the closer they draw to journey’s end, the more it seems that it is not the evil which will be their downfall, but the fear of a champion unwilling to accept the bond of their destiny.

Prophecy of Stones is a tale of adventure, love and magic.

To Buy:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Barnes and Noble

This is a scheduled post as I am away on the weekends and won’t be able to reply to comments or emails until Monday. Have a great weekend! 🙂

The Ancient’s Prophecy

Prophecy of Stones

The bond of love can conquer all, but only if it is accepted.

–

Prophecy states that three champions imbued with the best virtues of the mortal race: heart, strength and soul, will be the ones to save them all from an enemy which threatens to steal the life from their world and those who live upon it.

These three, along with their scribe, his bond mate, and an overly sarcastic oracle, must set off on a journey which will take them through forest, city, swamp and mountain. On this quest they activate the magical stones which charge the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Tildar and his cult of Dwell.

Yet the closer they draw to journey’s end, the more it seems that it is not the evil which will be their downfall, but the fear of a champion unwilling to accept the bond of their destiny.

Prophecy of Stones is a tale of adventure, love and magic.

To Buy:

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes and Noble