Samhain Publishing Ltd. Weblog

Sacrifice

The talk around school this week has been, “What are you giving up for Lent?” I live in a predominantly Catholic city, but even non-Catholics get in on the Lenten sacrifice. So far my principal has given up Facebook (!), another teacher has given up breakfast tacos (she said she’ll fall off the wagon by Friday), another has given up her Red Bull and another sodas.

Every year my grandmother would give up candy, which was torture, because her very favorite candy was Easter candy—the Cadbury eggs, the Peeps, all of it. Heck, when it wasn’t Lent, she’d eat candy for lunch (and weight 90 pounds and lived to 92!). My brother gives up soda, which I tried one year but didn’t last a week.

One year I gave up hamburgers (my favorite thing next to sodas) and I was a terrible person to be around by Easter.

I’ve given up buying books (but I own like 400, so what’s the sacrifice there?) and plants. That CAN be a sacrifice, because Spring Break is always during Lent and I’m itching to get outside already.

But I figure the whole point is to improve yourself, right, so I’m giving up swearing. I’m BAD. And I’ve already slipped once. But maybe I can start a new habit.

Do you give up something for Lent?

Breaking Daylight Releases--Interview with Hero Alex Shepard

My third book from Samhain releases today. Breaking Daylight is the story of an Army Ranger who has to overcome his own past to help a woman find what is most precious to her.

I thought I’d let Alex tell you a little about it. (For the other side of the story—Isabella’s side—check out the Samhellion blog!)

1) What did you think when you learned MJ was going to write your story?

Well, my story, hell, I liked that idea. But when I found out it was a romance, and that she planned to share my deepest darkest secrets, well, I’m trained to kill and I made sure she knew that. Didn’t stop her, though, so I made her life HELL for over a year. Would not cooperate. Damn, that woman’s stubborn.

2) What led you to a military career?

My foster dad. Well, he was my foster dad, and then he adopted me when I was fourteen. More power to him, because if you think I’m an ass now, you should have known me then. He was a Ranger and I thought becoming a Ranger would make him proud of me. Turns out he was proud of me already. Can I say hi? Hi, Dad.

3) What was your first impression of Isabella?

Where Do You Find the Time?

The other day at school I mentioned that I found some old friends on Facebook and another teacher asked me when I found the time. Another teacher asked me recently how I have time to watch so much TV. I’m not sure if I’m insulted or just curious—what do THESE people do with their time that they don’t have any?

Beneath the Surface by MJ Fredrick Releases Today!!!

I’m so excited to announce the release of my second Samhain novel, Beneath the Surface! I had so much fun writing this reunion story of two archaeologists who need a crisis before they remember what’s important.

Beneath the Surface
Release date: September 1
Buy link: www.samhainpublishing.com

BLURB In retrospect, perhaps archaeologist Mallory Reeves shouldn’t have delivered the divorce papers to her estranged husband mere weeks before her marriage to another man. She knew seeing Adrian again would stir up memories, but she didn’t expect so many of them to be good, not after the mess they both made three years ago. She also didn’t expect to want to stay at the dig site on the Yucatan Peninsula. But the lure of the ancient ship and, yes, her sexy ex provide more of a draw than the white picket fence she thought she wanted. Marine archaeologist Adrian Reeves has good reason to trust no one. His former partner—and former best friend—made off with his last archaeological find. And his wife left him, frustrated by his obsession for professional revenge. Now both Mallory and his nemesis have returned, and it can’t be an accident that they’ve turned up in the middle of the most important excavation of his career. Seeing her again unearths old pain—and rekindles never-forgotten desire. Now he has to decide if he can trust Mallory again. More importantly, if he can trust himself with her.

Summer Time and the Reading is Easy

My summer actually began yesterday, after a crazy week of getting my son graduated. My final line edits are turned in, I’m 2/3 of the way through a paranormal story I’m writing for an anthology, and I’m itching to read.

My summer list is pretty full already. I’m reading Nora Roberts’ Vision in White, which is a good book that I just haven’t been able to get into because of distractions.

Next up is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (yes, you heard me.) I checked it out of the library because I just have to know.

Also coming from the library is a YA, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libby Bray. A friend recommended it.

I don’t know what I’m doing visiting the library so much with over 200 paperbacks (not counting the new Pamela Morsi and the new Jill Shalvis I ordered this week), as well as dozens of ebooks on my laptop (including Venus in Blue Jeans by Meg Benjamin, Under Fire by Beth Cornelison and Romancing the Stones by Catherine Berlin.)

On top of that, I have 4 or 5 Martha Stewart magazines to look through (not sure who got me those, but there are some good recipes) and 4 or 5 Supernatural magazines to read. Oh, and In the Hunt, the book on Supernatural to which I contributed but have not yet read.

Looks like my summer needs to be about a year long. What are you reading this summer?

Age Differences

In a recent copy of Entertainment Weekly, I noticed a number of the blurbs in the marriages/divorces/births section showed a significant age difference between the man and woman, in both directions. This is fascinating to me, because I’ve long wanted to write an older woman/younger man story, but can never make myself write them more than 8 years apart. Still, the conflicts that can arise stir my writer’s juices.

Hot Shot in Print!!!!

Hot Shot is in print!!!!! This has been such a long road. Holding that book in my hands has been incredible.

This book is so special to me because I started writing it for myself. I had tried writing the regular series books to no avail (turns out my books sucked back then) but when I started Hot Shot, I let everything loose, and I think it paid off. Hot Shot is a 2009 Eppie finalist and has gotten some terrific reviews.

Fairy Tales Can Come True

My students get irritated with me because I get songs stuck in my head and then sing them at random times during the day, thus getting the songs stuck in THEIR heads. Last week it was the Bumblebee Tuna song, interspersed with some Mamma Mia.

This week it’s the song “Young at Heart,” particularly the part of the lyrics that say, “Fairy Tales can come true, it can happen to you.” Because, see, this week I got my author copies of Hot Shot.

Compliments

Recently I got a review for Hot Shot in which the reviewer said she’d planned to read my book for a bit and ended up staying up until 4 in the morning to finish it! Now there’s a compliment every writer dreams about. I value sleep above all, and to cost someone theirs is a real ego boost!

Monday I was walking down the hall at school and the custodian said, “You’re losing weight!” Now,
it was inservice day and I was wearing the closest things to pajamas I dare wear in public, exercise pants (which did fit a little looser now that I think about it) and a t-shirt. I don’t think she’s right, but it was good to hear.

The other day I was talking to a writer friend and she said I was her inspiration. I never gave up over the long long long road to publication (or with Hot Shot, which has been down the most tortuous path a book can take.) She won’t give up her quest for publication because I didn’t. That’s pretty humbling.

What’s the best compliment you’ve received lately?

The Last Things I Learned Before I Published

I’ve been writing a long long long time and submitting a long long long time. A few summers ago, I was invited to join a critique group with 3 multi-published members of my chapter. I was honored and terrified. Though I’d known these women for years, well, showing them my work terrified me. I’d never been part of a face to face critique group and this was immersion, you know? But I went and it was a good decision. I learned a lot. A lot. Two of the authors moved away and another joined, also multi-published and a great editor to boot, and I’m still learning.