Isn't It Romantic?

I'm excited today to be a guest on Christine Rains' blog. I'll be discussing how I walk that line between pure science fiction and pure romance in my novels. How I try to capture readers of science fiction and readers of romance without turning them off by leaning too far toward one genre of the other. I've had great cross-genre success with my last two series including the latest release, The Warrior and the Governor. Hope you'll stop and visit.

This is a great week to be a romance writer. Love is the name of the game for the next few days with lots of events going on both online and in stores. At my very first writers' conference, a very successful writer told our group that all good stories were actually love stories. He didn't mean romantic love alone, but all kinds of love. Love of family, country, ideals or religion. Not sure if that statement is totally true, but most books that I would rank as the best had love as one of its basic plot drivers.

On Saturday, February 14th, I'll be participating in a book signing event with numerous other authors at Ashcombe's Farm and Greenhouses. It is a terrific venue. We set up in the greenhouse among the houseplants and right beside the awesome gift shop. It was terrific fun last year and I'm thrilled to be part of it again.

Take a minute today to visit the IWSG blog where Alex J. Cavanaugh will be discussing pros and cons of small presses. Would love for you to share your opinion and maybe you'll learn something interesting too.

A to Z Blogging Challenge signups are chugging along. I really would like a few helpers to help me get through all my April responsibilities. And the theme reveal will be coming up soon so I hope you're all ready for that. And you don't have to wait until April to visit people on the list. You can make friends before then.

Do you think most stories have a 'love' theme driving the plot? Are you doing something special for Valentine's Day or are you saving your money? Are you doing some early visits on the A to Z list? Ever do a book signing in a venue other than a bookstore? Did you stop over at Christine's Blog?

Another Warrior Rises

Today the second book in my Warriors of Gaviron science fiction romance series is available on Amazon and all other major retailers. The Warrior and the Governor has been having pretty good pre-sales so I can't help but hope it takes off like the first book did.

Gaviron Warrior Liam lost the love of his life when his planet fell to the alien monsters twelve years ago. All he wants in life is a chance to take the murdering raynid creatures with him in death. Governor Siva Handel will make any bargain to save what's left of her desperate colony even take in a suicidal warrior. Liam's warrior skills give Siva hope as he throws his body between her people and the raynids. But can she keep him alive long enough for them to win and for him to find a reason to survive?

Every time I have a new book release, I think of how much I appreciate the readers who take the time to write a review. It's so helpful for us 'not so famous' writers to have those honest evaluations of our books out there.

I wanted to thank a new blogging friend, Dumcho Wangdi. Last week he honored me with The Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Since I received this award before, I won't be passing it on but I would like thank Dumcho for thinking of me. I hope you'll visit his blog and say hello.

Along the home front, Monday started out with a bit of snow. My oldest son is a teacher and coach. I've missed him since he's moved out to his own home but whenever we get together, we usually talk about our favorite books. We both needed our cars inspected this month so it was his idea that we meet at the car dealer and then wait for the service to be done at Starbucks and the nearby bookstore together. It was a lovely mom/son time and the best part was that it was his idea. Like me, he loves his alone time so it was precious that he elected to spend some with me.

After that comforting time, I had to remind my daughter living in Boston to charge her phone, get some food into her room and stay in touch for the next two days. The three blocks to the dining hall would be a tough trek in three feet of snow and a blizzard. Mom's work is never done.

I hope lots of you signed up for Blogging From A to Z Challenge. Last year I served as a minion to Alex J. Cavanaugh. This year as one of the leaders. I need my own helpers. Please let me know by email or in the comments if you'd like to be my helper. Jeremy is making me the most incredible minion badge, I promise you will want it for on your blog sidebar.

Did you get stuck in the blizzard? Do you write reviews after enjoying a book? Joining A to Z? Willing to help me out?

Freezing Friday

It's not even officially winter yet and I'm freezing. I'm really not a fan of winter. I'll try not to complain on my blog like I did all last winter. No promises though.

Finished up the edits on The Warrior and the Governor. After all the rewrites and zillions of times editing it, I still cried through the one chapter. I choked myself up so I hope that's a good thing for the readers. Really made me eager to get back to the next Warrior book that I have about one quarter of

the first draft completed.

Lots of bloggers taking a break for the holiday. I haven't decided yet whether I will or won't take a break. Unless I get so cold I can't type. Whoops. Complaining already.

Wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac for the week.

"A wise companion is half the journey." Russian Proverb

A ring carved from mistletoe protects the wearer against illness.

A cactus plant produce a million seeds, but only one or two survive to form a new cactus.

As we enter the holiday season, I thought a little wisdom from The Bard might fit the wonders of being with family and friends.
Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered. William Shakespeare

And this one.
Prosperity is full of friends. Euripides

I'll be finished up some Christmas shopping this weekend (still haven't found my new planner for 2015) and writing. Drinking lots of coffee and spending at least an hour a day on the treadmill. Would rather be jogging outside those darn temperatures ... you know where I was going with that.

Ever have a ring carved from mistletoe? Are you taking a break from blogging for the holidays. Why does blogger keep turning on word verification (number verification) when I have it turned off? Are you feeling prosperous for the holidays?

IWSG: December

It's that time of month again for the IWSG monthly blog hop. Our fearless and tireless leader, Alex J. Cavanaugh started this supportive group more than three years ago. The group is a safe place where writers can share concerns, offer advice and expertise while growing a group of online friends and support. Find the entire list on the IWSG website or join the IWSG Facebook page.

This month is special for IWSG group as it marks the release of the book on writing containing advice and expertise from more than 100 members of our awesome group. The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond is now available for free at most online book retailers. There really is something for everyone.

Hopefully, those of you doing NaNo have recovered. A few bloggers I follow rocked and made their 50,000 words goal with time to spare. Congrats to you all on your accomplishment and thank you for inspiring me.

I didn't participate in NaNo and probably never will but I did do tons of writing during the month of November. My romance publisher gave me a nudge to finish the next book in my Warriors of Gaviron Series so they could get it officially on the schedule. Frantic writing ensued but I learned that when I shut out all distractions like family, TV and even music, I could write thousands of words per day. After the terrific success of The Warrior and the Biologist, my romance publisher now has The Warrior and the Governor up for pre-order on their site and on Amazon. And they did a great job on the cover.

What has inspired you lately? Have you checked out the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond? Have you learned something from its pages? Did you win NaNo?

Books That Travel

I've been extremely busy finishing up The Warrior and the Governor, the second book in my Warriors of Gaviron series of science fiction romance. The past two weeks reminded me how fortunate I am in family. My husband has been super supportive as have my sons. My daughter in Morocco offered to help any way she can, such as guesting on my blog. I wasn't sure what to expect. As her habit, she far exceeded my expectations. The two of us share many things and one of our deepest connections is our love of books. She's been busy carrying that love to different parts of the world.

Books That Travel       

 Not too long ago, I found myself faced with a week-long vacation from my semester in Morocco, and I had nothing to read. I had not brought any physical books with me for my semester abroad because of space and weight constraints. I only brought my Kindle which I was obliged to leave with a friend so as not to deprive her of internet while I lived it up in Spain.

 Faced with such a depressing dilemma, I went to the small library of the cultural center I study at, and though this library is small, the biggest section is undoubtedly the fiction section for English language (there are also extensive French and Arabic-language literature sections). The first time I had seen this treasure trove I wondered how they had cultivated such a wide variety of books. But, of course the answer is simple: books travel. In fact, I think they even like it. It just might be one of their favorite past times.

 All of these books in the glorious and beautiful English language had been brought and left by students of the cultural center stretching back decades. Each one of these books set out on a journey and ended up in Morocco. I decided to check out two and let them tag along on my excursion to Spain.

 When I was in Spain, I adopted a book for my friend and decided to take it on a journey to Morocco and then on to the United States.

 I came back from my stint in Spain early to sojourn in a small Moroccan beach town called Essaouira. As I strolled the souk one day it suddenly appeared like a blessing from the Literary Gods. A sign that said “Livres/Books” with an arrow pointing down a friendly-looking alley. In the friendly-looking alley was a friendly-looking bookshop where books dominated floor to ceiling. I can only assume they were all merely taking a brief rest before continuing their travels.

 I communed with a few of them, and inquired silently about their stories. For example, how did a book about the Sand Creek Massacre end up in a small African beach town? Did all of the Tom Clancys travel to Morocco with the same person? The creations of Robert Jordan, William Faulkner, and Agatha Christie have all touched Morocco in some way, and I am sure many other places as well.

Kelley on a camel in the Sahara

 The explanation for this extraordinary phenomenon is actually quite simple, though it does not make it any less extraordinary. Books travel. All the time, always. With worn and tattered pages and with crisp new pages. Through the internet and via e-readers. They get stuffed in purses, packed in suitcases, and tucked under arms. The most important part of a book's ability to travel, however, is that they always travel in your heart and mind. After you read a book, even though that particular book may continue its travels to touch the life of another person in a totally different country, it has left its mark on you. Whether you are reading a book or writing one, just know that one day that book might end up being a light to someone in a small Moroccan town or its name might be spoken in the stillness of the Saharan Desert. All books are books that travel if you just give them a chance.

Kelley Gourley is a junior at Boston University studying Arabic and International Affairs. Currently she is studying a semester in Morocco where she also teaches English to unwilling college students. Her personal blog can be found at The Open Roof.

Do you visit bookstores when you travel? Have you ever visited a bookstore in a country other than your native land? Any surprising finds? Are you as lucky in familial support as I am? How cool would it be to find your own novel sitting on a shelf in non-English speaking country? Do you love books even half as much as Kelley?