Blog

#BlogTour “Greener” by Erin Lee #greenerblogtour @Crazylikeme2015 @starange13

Greener
Escape From Reality #3′
By: Erin Lee
Publication Date: July 15, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Cover Designer: Crazy Ink
#greenerblogtour

We all do it.

It’s part of what makes us human. There are names for it – jealousy, envy, and sometimes even greed. We daydream about what someone else has. We convince ourselves that things would be better if we were someone else altogether…The grass is always greener, we believe. Or is it?
For Caroline, being left alone would be everything. She’s had enough of doctors and nurses telling her how to live because of a mistake she made as a kid. The idea of another shrink makes her cringe. Yet, she doesn’t have a choice. Not if she wants to keep living on the outside.
For Nora, being seen would mean the world. It’s been years since she’s had a hot shower without sneaking around but no one notices. No one cares to ask. It’s her job to smile, pretend everything is great and ask them about their days instead.
And for Dennis, the ability not to care at all would solve his difficulties. If only he could stop worrying about what people thought of him. To live authentically would make things so much easier. He could finally close the door to his past.
Three people with entirely different problems and one thing in common: They are trapped with a need to escape. Ironic, when Escape, Colorado is exactly the place tourists expect to find their own escapes. But then, the tourists are human too…

The grass is always greener.

AMAZON UK – https://goo.gl/2KV6LN
AMAZON CA – https://goo.gl/DzTuJU
Caroline
My alarm goes off at 10:21 every day – long after Lori has come and gone. Way past after I know she could be back to bother me. Basically, by the time she’s found other people to bother. I have no idea why I set it this way. I probably figured, close enough. I feel guilty sleeping in past 11 a.m. But, what do I really have to wake up for? Some days, I feel like my mother after James. I don’t have that kind of excuse though. I can’t say that it’s grief. I really don’t know what is wrong with me.
I know I’m depressed. I’ve been through more diagnoses than anyone I know. And I know a lot of crazy people after living at ECH for so long. By the time my alarm goes off, I’ve already been up and back to bed. Every morning, that annoying Lori-witch with her high-pitched laugh comes to wake me to give me my meds. She’s got to be pushing 400 pounds and only wears printed leggings that look like they are going to break at the seams. Still, she has the energy of a ten-year-old – always dancing around and talking about her dogs. “Clean up your house, Caroline. This place is a mess,” she says. “Gotta keep up with your treatment goals! Don’t want anyone thinking you can’t take care of yourself.” Or, “Does Nora know about this? Have you talked to her about your living conditions?” No, but I’m sure you will. And I’m sure she’ll be happy to lecture me. Thanks for asking.
I finally gave her a key to my house so she would cut it out with the doorbell. Before that, she would literally ring it to the tune of “Mary Had A Little Lamb” until I finally answered.
Lovely, huh? I have a stranger in my house—called a Direct Support Provider—who probably steals from me. I try not to think about it because it bothers me. At least she takes me to the grocery store. Most days, I think she actually cares about me. Still, she, and the people she works for, are annoying. They made a back room in my home into a “med” room and it stays locked. I’m not allowed to go in there. Sometimes, Lori disappears for hours “doing paperwork.” (Normally, she sits back there setting up Go-Fund-Me accounts for puppies that didn’t die and don’t need “life-saving” surgeries. Anything for a free ride, but who am I to judge)?
I have no privacy. None. At any time, and for sure twice a day, I have Lori or one of her co-workers here to make sure I take my pills. It has to be this way until I get through the one-year mark and can prove that I’m capable of taking my own medications. These are the things, the frustrations, Nora doesn’t understand. No one tells her how to arrange her house and what to do.
I don’t have to see her today. I’m glad for this. I’m sick of hearing about what I’m not ready for. Maybe that’s because there’s truth to it. Even if Dennis saw me in a romantic way, it’s not like I could bring him home. I can’t see Lori looking fondly on that and, let’s face it, she’d tell Nora.
I drag myself out of bed, stopping to pee and brush my teeth in the bathroom before hitting my final destination – the couch. It sags beneath me, not because I’m heavy, but because I’ve got that couch trained. I sit in the same place all day, every day, until it’s time for appointments. I reach to the edge of the coffee table for my datebook.
People would think I don’t need calendars or a datebook because I really don’t have a life. People would be wrong. Because I’m being watched, I have a list of things I need to do. If I don’t do these things—meet my treatment goals—I’ll be right back where I started on the fourth floor at ECH. Sometimes, the idea of that seems better than journaling about my future goals and plans. Today, on a Tuesday, my datebook reminds me that I have shit to do. Oh my God. Three o’clock!How did I forget? I remind myself to tell Lori the meds are making my brain foggy.
I jump from the couch. Today is Tuesday! Dennis is coming to fix the leak under my sink. I need to clean, shower and get dressed. I toss my datebook to the side. I can write my plan for getting a driver’s license another day. It isn’t due until Friday. Priorities.

Erin Lee is a freelance writer and therapist chasing a crazy dream one crazy story at a time. She is the author of Crazy Like Me, a novel published in 2015 by Savant Books and Publications, Wave to Papa, 2015, by Limitless Publishing, LLC and Nine Lives (2016). She’s also author of Alters, Host, and Merge of the “Lola, Party of Eight Series,” When I’m Dead, Take Me as I Am, and 99 Bottles. She also penned Her Name Was Sam, an LGBTQ awareness novella and Losing Faith, a novella with Black Rose Writing. Lee holds a master’s degree in psychology and works with at-risk families and as a court-appointed special advocate. Lately, she’s been dipping her ink in the horror genre. She looks forward to upcoming releases Once Upon a Vow, Just Things, Jimmie’s Ice Cream and Thing Fifteen. She is a co founder of the Escape From Reality Series with authors Sara Schoen and Taylor Henderson.

Erin Lee’s work can be found at: www.authorerinlee.com, on Goodreads under Author Erin Lee, on Facebook  and on Twitter .

***

Support this author’s work and win prizes and free books by joining The Outsiders’ Street Team, a group she shares with authors and fellow Escape From Reality Series founders Sara Schoen and Taylor Henderson at https://www.facebook.com/groups/596733930532264/ *** Greener is Book Three of the Escape From Reality Series. For future books in the series, visit the series page at: https://www.facebook.com/EscapeColorado15/

Share This:

#MFRWHooks for *MORE BEGINNINGS* 19/07/2017 #romance #mustread

♠♠ OUT NOW ♠♠

 

It all started with New Beginnings and continues on in More Beginnings. These are stories of the Levesque sisters and More Beginnings delves into the story of Mia.
Again, Ms. Blobel shares her talent of writing a suspenseful, romantic, emotional and terrific book. I was captured at the first page and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.
This book also brings us the story of Zach, Mia’s friend, and his emotional decisions he must make for happiness.
Bravo to Ms. Blobel on another book that will rest up with my favorites!

 

Today’s Hook:

She shook her head. “I’d better not ask for any more details.” She pointed towards the north side of the oval. “Sophie’s told me about Mia spending the weekend with her babysitter, but honestly I had no idea—” She paused and looked towards the other side of the sports ground. “Anyway, I’m about to head over to shot-put.”
He quickly followed step. “As in you had no idea a babysitter could be a man?”
She smiled. Fair dinkum, and he liked her smile.
But halfway to shot-put she was stopped by a student and apologised as she directed him to a group of young girls.
He waved his hands in a gesture of thanks.
As he strolled over to the group, his mouth curled into a grin. Shot-put wasn’t what he’d call one of Mia’s best events. She did well, but it was obvious she enjoyed the company of her friends and the constant chatter a lot more. Zach couldn’t help but let his eyes wander around the big sports oval to spot the dragon, or better known to him now as the beautiful Natasha. But no such luck. It seemed as if she’d disappeared, and disappointment settled over him.

BLURB:
Zach Taylor, an escort in Sydney, living in Hobart, enlists the help of Natasha Peterson when his teenage friend, Mia, runs away. He soon finds out that the ‘dragon’ is really more of a kitten. And although Natasha, Mia’s teacher, is attracted to him as well, she has her own problems to deal with, not to mention her initial reaction to Zach’s occupation.

Will Zach’s job keep him from a chance to be with Natasha?

Life is good for teenager Mia Levesque. But when Darren Schuster shows up in Hobart, she knows something is up once Sophie and Mark cut their weekend away short and rush home in the middle of the night. When Sophie won’t answer Mia’s questions, emotions run high, and Zach confirms Darren’s identity to Mia. Disappointed, angry, and feeling alone, Mia runs away.

Will life settle back into a routine for Mia once she finds out about the stranger in her life?

 

AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F7FPQ9/
AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071F7FPQ9/
AMAZON AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B071F7FPQ9/


4 starsThe Romance Review – NEW BEGINNINGS is a very emotional read, one that is heartwarming as well as heart wrenching. It gives you hope in the act of human kindness and that good things do happen to good people. I highly recommend this book.

#SnippetSunday – DEFYING RULES – 16/07/2017 #romance #love #freebie

Tweet: MORE BEGINNINGS @ an introductory price #99cents https://ctt.ec/9Jov4+ #free 3 chs here: https://irisblobel.com/freebooks/OUT NOW @ an introductory price of only 99 cents
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F7FPQ9/
or get the first three chapter here: More Beginnings

DEFYING RULES

After some whale watching and serious relaxation in South Australia, I’m back with more snippets ☺ A little reminder in the last post, Addy returned home from work to find her house broken in.

DEFYING RULES is set along the Australian Great Ocean Road and tells the story of Ethan Tomlin, single dad, and manager of a hotel chain.

This is still a WIP, so critique away.

Thanks … and enjoy 🙂

accent-clipart-13309573511112670181decorative-lines-2_large

Experiencing chills down her spine, she blew out a long sigh of relief when she finally heard the police siren approaching only a few minutes later.
What came next was like a blur for Addy. Over the next hour or so, the police inspected the house and asked lots of questions. At some stage, she followed them inside the house. Tentatively, though, as if she was intruding on someone else’s privacy. She shuddered at the thought that someone had gone through her belongings, touched her things. She felt violated and exposed. Room by room, she checked whether anything was missing, a police officer always close by, making notes.
But there wasn’t anything unaccounted for as far as Addy was able to see. She signed a statement before the police was packing up, about to leave.
Exhausted and drained, she stood at the front of the door with Officer Clark, hoping for him to leave soon as well. All she wanted was to crawl into a corner and cry.
“William should be around within the next twenty minutes to fix the front door.”
“Thank you.” She was still overwhelmed by what happened, so it sounded more like a whisper than her normal voice.
“Will you be okay?” he asked.
She nodded, thinking she was going to call her parents to ask them to come earlier than planned.
Officer Clark handed her his card. They shook hands when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a car pulling up in front of her house. It was an old beaten up pick-up truck, and although it looked familiar, her brain gave her a complete blank as to whom it might belong to. Not that she was good with cars at the best of times. They were one or the other colour and that was as far as her knowledge went. Officer Clark obviously noticed the car as well and gave her a questioning look.
“Do you know Ethan?”

 

Thanks for all your comments,
I do appreciate each single one of them!
And check out Snippet Sunday  Facebook site for other writers.

accent-clipart-13309573511112670181decorative-lines-2_large

4 starsThe Romance Review – NEW BEGINNINGS is a very emotional read, one that is heartwarming as well as heart wrenching. It gives you hope in the act of human kindness and that good things do happen to good people. I highly recommend this book.

On Sale: Lily and the Gambler by @LyndiLamont #AuthorLove #Romance #Giveaway

Linda is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the blog post to subscribe to her email list for five chances to win!
Thanks so much for hosting me today!
My most recent release is a Western romance set in the California Gold Country, specifically Grass Valley, 1868. My husband and I visited the area some years ago and I fell in love with it. Grass Valley was especially interesting to me because of the large Cornish population in the 19th century. This area had deep gold veins that couldn’t be panned. Cornish miners were encouraged to come because of their experience in the tin mines of Cornwall, which were petering out. To this day, the Cornish pasty is a local treat, and the city still celebrates a Cornish Christmas. A shorter, sexier version of this story was previously published by Amber Quill Press. When I got the rights back, I realized I now had the opportunity to tell the tale as I’d originally intended, as a sensual romance. It was fun to revisit Lily and King’s world and spend time with them again. They are two of my favorite characters. I hope readers will agree.
Lily and the Gambler is on sale for the summer for 99 cents!
Linda

 

Lily & the Gambler
By Linda McLaughlin
Sensual Western Historical Romance

 

Blurb:
Respectability is in the eye of the beholder. Or so Lily Penhallow hopes when she assumes the guise of the widow Albright. She has learned the price of flaunting convention and is determined to obey society’s rules from now on. After her lover, Nigel Albright, was 
killed in a duel over a card game, Lily dons widow’s weeds and travels to Grass Valley, California where she plans to marry the man her uncle works for, a respectable mine owner named Hugh Ogilvie. Then, on the riverboat from San Francisco, she meets Creighton ‘King’ Callaway, a professional gambler, just the kind of man she should avoid. King believes that since life is a gamble, there’s no point in planning for the future. You have to trust Lady Luck. After meeting Lily, King knows he has found his Queen of Hearts. But can he convince her to pass up a sober businessman for a foot-loose card sharp? Only Lady Luck knows for sure…
(Previously published in a shortened version by Amber Quill Press)

 

On sale for 99 cents at:
Coming Soon to Other Retailers

 

Excerpt:

Lily smiled at him. “That was quite a trick. Do you tell fortunes, too?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. Is the lady interested?”
“Perhaps,” she said, aware he was flirting with her again and annoyed with herself because she was enjoying it. “There should be a deck of cards here somewhere.”
“No cards required. Just let me see your palm.”
Unable to stop herself, Lily stripped off her gloves and let him take her hand. He held it in his left hand, and with his right index finger, traced the lines on her palm. Shivers ran up her arm at each caressing touch. His scent, a mixture of bay rum, male musk, and a faint hint of tobacco, overwhelmed her.
“What do you see?” she asked, her voice suddenly breathless.
“Health and long life.”
“What, no handsome stranger?” she joked.
He raised his head and stared into her eyes. “Oh, yes, I see romance ahead for you. With a dark haired fellow. But he isn’t a stranger.”
For what seemed an age, she stared into his green-gold eyes while her pulse quickened and warmth stole through her veins. It would be so easy to surrender to the feelings he evoked.
“I also see a fork in the road ahead,” he added softly. “You have a decision to make. A very important decision.”
She snatched her hand away, knowing she couldn’t afford to be distracted by him. It wasn’t as if he had made her any promises. “I think you need to practice your fortune-telling skills, Mr. Callaway.”
He chuckled. “There’s something else I’d like to practice.” Cupping her chin, he stared at her, his eyes full of half promises. “Oh, hell, I may get my face slapped for this, but…” His hand moved to the back of her neck as he lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss that stole her breath away.
For a moment, she closed her eyes and gave herself up to the kiss. Then a door slammed somewhere in the house, reminding her of where they were. She pushed him away. “How dare you?” she hissed.
He gave her a lazy grin. “What’s that old saying? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?”
“I think you’d best be going.”
He paused at front door, turned and held her gaze for a moment, then left.
She sighed and leaned against the doorjamb. What had she been thinking to let him kiss her, however briefly?

 

Author bio:
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of books and history, so it’s only 
natural she prefers writing historical romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward. Linda also writes steamy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont, and is one half of the writing team of Lyn O’Farrell. A native of Pittsburgh, PA. she now lives in Southern California.

 

How to show Linda some #AuthorLove:
Follow her Blog (sign up in the footer area): https://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/
Follow her at Twitter: @Lyndi Lamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont

 

Linda’s Rafflecopter Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#MFRWHooks for *MORE BEGINNINGS* 12/07/2017 #romance #mustread

♠♠ OUT NOW ♠♠

 

It all started with New Beginnings and continues on in More Beginnings. These are stories of the Levesque sisters and More Beginnings delves into the story of Mia.
Again, Ms. Blobel shares her talent of writing a suspenseful, romantic, emotional and terrific book. I was captured at the first page and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.
This book also brings us the story of Zach, Mia’s friend, and his emotional decisions he must make for happiness.
Bravo to Ms. Blobel on another book that will rest up with my favorites!

 

Today’s Hook:

Zach was still annoyed about the whole Josh-coming-over request, but even the cheap coffee from the sportsground canteen did its best to awaken his sleepy brain cells.
He knew he’d be in trouble with Soph, if he said yes. He cursed, threw the disposable cup into the trash bin, and pulled out the information sheet about the day’s events. With long steps, he strode towards the oval and tried to find Mia amongst the hundreds of students. He shook his head. How was he supposed to find her when she wore the same outfit as everyone else? He glanced around and found a non-uniformed, good-looking woman. A smile tugged at his lips.
“Excuse me,” he said as he came closer. “Year eight girls’ shot-put. Any idea where that could be?”
“Who’re you after?” she asked, and for a moment all he did was stare.
At her.
Close up, she looked even better. Nicer. Sexier.
Medium height. Her black hair cut short, and those eyes! The dark blue colour mesmerised him. And her graceful and warm smile made him like her instantly.
She studied him considerately, obviously expecting some sort of response.
“Right.” He scratched the back of his head. “Mia. Mia Levesque.”
Zach drew in his lips as he watched her studying him. And she did. Carefully, from top to as low as she could without being obvious. Bad attempt though, and he looked down to disguise his smile.
Then he saw her hand appear in front of him. “Hi, I’m Natasha Peterson. Mia’s English teacher.”
Well, if that didn’t make his eyebrow twitch in surprise.
“You don’t look like a dragon at all.”
She laughed. “I hope not.”
Shaking her hand he said, “Zach Taylor, Mia’s babysitter.”
With a clear frown and her chin tilted slightly higher, she studied him again. But then her gaze moved into the distance before turning back to him. “Babysitter, eh?”

 

 

BLURB:
Zach Taylor, an escort in Sydney, living in Hobart, enlists the help of Natasha Peterson when his teenage friend, Mia, runs away. He soon finds out that the ‘dragon’ is really more of a kitten. And although Natasha, Mia’s teacher, is attracted to him as well, she has her own problems to deal with, not to mention her initial reaction to Zach’s occupation.

Will Zach’s job keep him from a chance to be with Natasha?

Life is good for teenager Mia Levesque. But when Darren Schuster shows up in Hobart, she knows something is up once Sophie and Mark cut their weekend away short and rush home in the middle of the night. When Sophie won’t answer Mia’s questions, emotions run high, and Zach confirms Darren’s identity to Mia. Disappointed, angry, and feeling alone, Mia runs away.

Will life settle back into a routine for Mia once she finds out about the stranger in her life?

 

AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F7FPQ9/
AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071F7FPQ9/
AMAZON AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B071F7FPQ9/


4 starsThe Romance Review – NEW BEGINNINGS is a very emotional read, one that is heartwarming as well as heart wrenching. It gives you hope in the act of human kindness and that good things do happen to good people. I highly recommend this book.

256 Days later ~ my #breastcancer journey is coming to an end … #mcgrathfoundation @OtisRetreats

“Life is like a rainbow:
You need both the sun and
the rain to make its colours appear.”

 

This post is not about the cancer journey I’ve been travelling the last eight months, but the generosity that was shown to me, the generosity that often overwhelmed me.

Of course, there’s the generosity by family, friends, neighbours, and the community, but I’d like to thank those I cannot thank in person.

I don’t think more than two minutes had passed after I’d been told about my cancer diagnosis that a McGrath Breast Care Nurse was in the room, holding my hand. Kath was amazing, especially after the doctor had left. She not only gave me a mountain of information, but also a shoulder to cry on. During the first few months, she checked in on me, especially during my chemo weeks, she was straight forward when my decisions were made during times when on shouldn’t have made decisions, she was a fountain of knowledge.
If you have a spare dollar or two, please do consider donating to the McGrath Foundation to raise money to place specialist McGrath Breast Care Nurses wherever they’re needed, and make breast health understanding a priority.

Another great Foundation who I am grateful to is the OTIS Foundation for providing retreat accommodation at no cost to people dealing with breast cancer. We’ve just spent a week in South Australia thanks to this amazing Foundation – an appropriate finish of this journey before heading back to work and I suppose with that back to ‘life’ next week. It was a week full of laughs, cuddles, reminiscing, catching up with relatives … and did I say laughs ♥♥
Please do keep this wonderful Foundation in mind, too, next time you want to donate to a good cause.

All I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ♥♥♥

Subscribe to my newsletter for a free copy of NEW BEGINNINGS
All my proceeds from the sale of INNOCENT TEARS will go to the above charities

#CoverReveal ~Can she find hope when all else fails?~ “Love’s Hope” by @janesedixon

Give some #AuthorLove to @AuthorTinaGayle and #vote for “Tainted Rose” on #KindleScout

Vote for Tainted Rose on Kindle Scout and receive free ebook when it is published.

Link https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/SUFRUEVLX1R9

 Blurb for Tainted Rose

Maybelline Beasley enjoys her life in the Silver Leaf 55+ community until her neighbor is murdered. With all eyes point at her as the prime suspect, she struggles with her fear of cops and her attraction to Detective Billy Bob Cooter. Can he save her from the real murderer who’s looking for an escape goat? Or will her second change at love come to an end by a killer’s gun?

Excerpt:

Misery warred with anger inside Maybelline’s chest. Attempting to work out some of her frustration, she swept her hand against her car door, slamming it shut. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

Luckily, someone higher up must have known she was ready to scream because a blue mini-van turned into her driveway. Recognizing her friend, Charlene behind the wheel, Maybelline waited by the rear of the car for her friend.

“I thought you’d be inside putting your breakfast casseroles in the oven.” Charlene exited her vehicle and walked between the two parked cars. “What’s up?”

Unwilling to repeat the same conversation she’d had with the 911 operator, Maybelline pointed at Rose.

“Holy shit!” Charlene slapped a hand over her mouth.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with her, but she’s not responding no matter how much noise I make.”

“Doris and her precognitive abilities. Damn it. We should have known when she started in this morning about Rose.” Charlene wrapped a comforting arm around Maybelline’s waist. “Do you think she’s dead?”

Read 1st Chapter of all of Tina’s books at www.tinagayle.com

Tina Gayle’s Bio

Her first romantic novel published in 2008, Tina Gayle has written over thirty romantic books under two different pseudonyms. Her novels span several different genres from contemporary to fantasy and sweet to erotic. She enjoys the challenge of drawing a reader into a story and having them travel down the same road as her hero and heroine. Married thirty years, she enjoys spending time with her husband on the golf course. Find out more about Tina on her website – www.tinagayle.net

Blog – www.authortinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter – https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Goodread – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle

 

Want to Make a Read-Worthy Hero? Some #Authorlove from @MiaJoCeleste with “Other Than”

Want to Make a Read-Worthy Hero?
Writing Experts Weigh In. Plus, Other Than, a Book Spotlight

 

As writers and readers, we all know our heroes have to be more than stick figures, but how do we flesh them out?
Once we’ve invented a character’s past, charted his or her motivations and aspirations, and perhaps jotted down a physical appearance, what should we think about?
Jack Bickham in “Writing Novels That Sell,” says: “Good characters are not real people. They are exaggerated — they’re bigger than life — broadly exaggerated in many respect so that the reader, viewing the character as through a smoked glass, can easily detect the most salient characteristics.”
So, we go back and add to their habits, appearance and personality quirks.
Bickham also says, heroes “are more goal-oriented.” They desire something fervently and they take action to get it.
Many writing experts echo this admonition. In “The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing,” Evan Marshall advises, “Define your lead’s goal.” After you do, your hero should be ready to go. Right?
But what if you’re writing more of a mythic adventure story? How do you construct a hero that draws a reader into your adventurous tale?
James N. Frey, in “The Key: How to Write Damn Good Fiction Using the Power of Myth,” says that “the hero of a myth-based fiction has certain qualities that attract a reader and will not have other qualities that readers find repellant. These [positive] qualities are time-tested …. and heroic qualities have been proven over several millennia of testing to attract readers like honey attracts bear.”
So, what are some of those heroic qualities? Glad you asked. Frey devotes a whole chapter to these Mythic Hero Must-Haves.

Thirteen Things about Frey’s Suggestions in Constructing a Hero

Here are 13 of Frey’s Suggestions in Constructing a Hero.

1) Courage. Readers can’t identify with a coward.

2) The hero is clever and resourceful. (As a reader, I know I want my heroes to be competent and skillful.)

3) The hero lives by his own rules and may not quite fit into society. He may be a James Dean, or a Holden Caulfield type or he might be a Fox Mulder, who is different because of his belief in the supernatural. Or a Ray Kinsella, the Iowa farmer who decides to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield. (If you build it, they will come!) He doesn’t conform and he’s not reluctant to carve out his own path.

4) The hero has a special talent. James N. Frey says this quality helps interest the reader in the main character. This talent makes the character special. For example, in “Willow,” Willow Ufgood does sleight of hand tricks. Later, he’s able to save the princess, Elora Danan, using one of his tricks.

5) The hero is good at his job.

6) The hero is a protagonist. At some point in the story, he takes charge after making plans to affect the story’s outcome.

7) The hero is wounded, hurt in some way. Frey says that this wound, whether physical, spiritual or psychological, makes the hero human so that we as readers can relate to him.

8) The hero is motivated by idealism or altruism. It’s hard to respect, or to get involved, with a selfish hero.

9) The hero is attractive. My friends who advocate that the hero be a hunk are right, according to Frey,

10) The hero is loyal.

11) The hero may be able to deal with pain and hardship stoically.

12) The hero may think a lot of himself — after all, he’s a hero.

13) The hero may be a wise guy. He may crack jokes like Spiderman.

Frey has other hero considerations and a wealth of other helpful advice in his book, “The Key,” but, I’m going to stop and ask you what other qualities you think a hero should have? And for those who enjoy playing the devil’s advocate, can you name heroes who don’t share at least some of these qualities?

I’ll be happy to hear from you.

When I wrote Other Than, a Gaslamp Fantasy, which reads like an uber Gothic Romance, I tried to give my heroine many of Frey’s qualities. She’s loyal, good at her job, and has just lost her father. In addition, she’s brave, clever and resourceful, but she’s in way over her head.

Here’s the blurb that explains her situation and an excerpt to boot.
It only takes one drink from the Water of Immortality to kill Evie Woods—halfway. Trapped in undead flesh, the world’s last skin-slider wakens on an island purgatory where a cursed spring bubbles with immortality, and zombie cannibals crave living flesh.
Her only hope of escape rests in the hands of the one man who would see her fail. Bound to her by cords stronger than death, Lord Victor Lowell is both the man of her dreams, and her darkest nightmares. Contrary and intractable, Victor preys on others to maintain his angelic charisma and preternatural prowess. Drawn to the compellingly gallant and vulnerable soul behind his mercurial humors, Evie can only watch as protecting her forces Victor to sacrifice yet more of himself to the ancient evil long tethered to his soul.
Trapped in an ever-escalating war they can’t stop, Victor and Evie fight time for a cure, but as the long days pass blackness tears at Evie, ripping her thoughts from her one memory at a time. Victor will to do whatever it takes to prevent her from deteriorating into a rotting husk, even if it means dooming himself, but Evie won’t surrender his soul without a fight. Battle lines drawn, the soul mates resolve to find redemption or die trying.

Excerpt:

He materialized in the inky shadow.
Or rather his apparition did. His ghostly frame hovered before her, sinuous and lithe. Against his shadowed form, the string glimmered like liquid silver. Slowly he unwrapped her, tossing the spectral bands to the floor until a coil lay between him and her.
Something inside her chest fluttered. “You followed me.”
An accusation.
He nodded. With a slight shrug, he spread his hands. “You shouldn’t be alone.”
She wanted to turn, giving him her back, but her betraying gaze remained fixated upon him. When he paced around her, she waved him away. “Don’t.”
He caught her hand and placed an insubstantial kiss in her palm. “Let me help you…please.”
A gallant gesture, perhaps, but her skin-slider sensitivity noted the rigidity of his stance, the twitch along his jaw, and the slight narrowing of his eyes. How could he think of helping her when he was in so much pain?
Ordinarily, she might be grateful. Might…if loss hadn’t hollowed her.
She ripped her cooling flesh from his spectral arms. “I don’t deserve kindness.”
“Good.” He gave her a rakish smirk. “Because I’m not kind.”
She shook her head, biting back the emerging smile that had no place on her countenance. She couldn’t be civil, couldn’t risk the involvement. “I can’t go on like this—stuck betwixt life and death.”
“You must. Don’t you see, sweet dove? You’re beyond both. You’re immortal. Like me.”

If you’d like to check out Other Than, you can find it at these links.

http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4817-other-than.html

https://www.amazon.com/Other-Than-Mia-Jo-Celeste-ebook/dp/B01N7ANXUQ/

http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4817-other-than.html

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/other-than

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/other-than/id1180447475?mt=11

If you’d like to connect with Mia Jo Celeste, you can find her at these links.

Amazon author page amazon.com/author/miaceleste
Facebook  fb.me/ Mia.Jo.Celeste
Website http://www.miaceleste.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/MiajoCeleste
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62257812-mia-jo-celeste