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Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Free, free, free!

This week, Dracula's Secret is free at Amazon.com!

Good things about my book:

"With a talent for sinfully sexy romance, Linda Mercury will keep you up through the night and craving more after the last page is turned." --Tori St. Claire, author of Stripped and Lie To Me

"Non stop action, steamy sex, and tons of mythical creatures. This is my kind of Urban Fantasy. The character's are complex, the flashback's are relevant and help move the story along. The story never fails to keep me on my toe's. The idea that Vlad the Impaler was actually a woman is genius and makes Dracula's story that much more interesting.

If you like Urban Fantasy, strong female character's, strong male leads that are actually good men, and good writing you'll love this book. A must have for Kate Daniels fan's." Review by Jskinz.

 Hurry on over!

And don't forget Books Two and Three.
Dracula's Secret, Blood Wings #1
Dracula's Desires, Blood Wings #2
Dracula Unleashed, Blood Wings #3, to be released March 21, 2013

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Best of...Tips and Tricks

Continuing the four year anniversary of my blog with a post from November 10, 2009. :)


Tips and tricks.

Let's be honest. We all experience insecurity and fear about our writing. Everything from "It sucks", to "I suck" and everything in between.

It can paralyze an artist in a quagmire of self-loathing misery. Sometimes, though, it's possible to make a few steps out this nasty, leech-ridden, malaria-infested swamp

I call upon my 'tricks' to make it easier to find a shortcut. Here's few of my favorite tricks in no particular order, in a handy numbered list for quick reference. :)

My local library
Bribery. Yummy, yummy bribery.
  1. Change writing locations. I'll write in the library, different rooms in the house (I'm writing this now on my second floor landing), a coffee-shop (Starbucks is a cliche for a reason, folks!), or even just go outside. Something about a different visual geography can shake me out of a funk.
  2. Bribery is both functional and traditional. One of my critique partners says, "I don't need a lollipop every time I finish five pages." Well, I'm not nearly that mature. I love to bribe myself with hot baths, visits with my friends, a good movie - you name it. I try to avoid bribing myself with food, though. That way lies getting stuck in the different quagmire of body image issues.
  3. Ask for help. Somewhere out there, someone believes in you. Give them a call or an email. Say, "I'm going in. Cover me!" For some reason, this works really really well.
  4. Set a timer. When I'm exhausted and nearly falling out of my chair, I can fulfill my promises to myself by setting a timer for however long, and then letting myself rest.
  5. Read your work aloud. Something about hearing the story  gets me ready to rock and roll.
  6. Crank your tunes. Turn that knob to eleven. Let the music drown out all those nasty, self-defeating voices.
What are some of your favorite tricks?