Reading Romance: Making the Right Selections by Jacqueline Seewald

Although I’m a writer, I’m also a reader. In fact, I was a reader long before I became a writer. Reading inspired me to write. I would rather read fiction than nonfiction, although I do read both. I also enjoy reading and writing poetry. I love theatre and read and write plays and screenplays. My tastes are eclectic. But this blog isn’t about me, it’s about you the reader. So let’s get to it!

I’m discussing romance fiction. I admit it’s my secret love as a reader. I’m assuming you too like to read romance. Today more romance novels are being published than ever before. It’s a virtual deluge! At one time, if you were a fan of romance fiction, you borrowed hardcover or paperback books from the library. But libraries are feeling the pinch due to a poor economy and not buying as many titles as before. One solution is to go to a bookstore and buy paperbacks. But brick and mortar bookstores are going out of business. Part of this is due to online bookstores such as Amazon, now a giant in the industry. Digital books sold there and on other sites offer free and sale books constantly.

The big six of publishing have publicized and provided us with some outstanding romance writers such as Jane Ann Krentz, Nora Roberts, Mary Balogh, Robin Carr, Carla Neggers etc. Truthfully, it’s a long, long list including branded, certified writers that almost always provide good reads.

Currently, I am finding good reads among independent publishers. These are small presses that are particular about the books they accept. They provide professional editing and cover art. Their prices for digital and paperbacks are kept low in order to attract readers. The big problem is that the writers get virtually no promotion or publicity so that you the reader don’t get to know who they are or if their novels are a good fit for you. Self-published authors are in a similar predicament. Many of them write quality fiction, but finding a readership proves difficult.

With this in mind, I’m inviting writers to post in the comments to this blog. Tell readers a little about your current romance novel. Give us a brief blurb and a buy or site reference.

Readers, please discuss the type of romances you like to read.

I’ll get this started by mentioning two of my own romances.

DARK MOON RISING, adult Gothic paranormal romance from Luminosity, is available in All e-book formats and now in print. Check out the Five Star reviews on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z7824A4/

YA romance STACY’S SONG has been released in a new rewritten re-edited digital edition by Clean Reads Press which published THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER. Both novels are selling at bargain prices.  

Excellent editorial reviews on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177E67CQ

Okay, now it’s your turn to communicate!

STACY’S SONG: Now Published in E-Book Formats!

 It’s my great pleasure to announce that STACY’S SONG has been released in a brand new digital edition by Clean Reads Press which previously published THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER, a novel popular with readers.

A young adult romance, STACY’S SONG, is special in many ways. Stacy’s attraction to a musician forces her to make some hard choices. The implied message is a good one--be true to who you are.

                       Check out some of the reviews posted on Amazon:

                          http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177E67CQ

Editorial Reviews:

"Young readers will embrace Stacy...STACY'S SONG is a well written story about those awkward teen years, when the ugly duckling turns into a swan, and the rocky roads that teenagers traverse. This is an enjoyable, fun read, and I recommend it for young adults."
Deborah C Jackson, Romance Reviews Today
***** 

"This is a fun and speedy read, with a lead character you can't help liking...You don't have to be a teen to get a hoot out of this. Recommended." 

Snapdragon, Long and Short Reviews
 *****

"This is a wonderful young adult novel! Full of honest emotion, problems, conflict and a cast of fascinating characters, STACY'S SONG is a heartwarming story of a girl growing up and learning how to make thoughtful decisions that will affect her life today and in the future."
Alice Duncan, multiple award-winning author
*****

"This is an entertaining young adult tale starring a likable high school age girl who goes from being the outside freak to the in-crowd. Stacy is stupendous as she struggles with two boys; one is charming while the other is demanding. Who will she choose particularly since her dad has already selected who he wants kicked to the curb." 
Harriet Klausner, The Merry Genre Go Round Reviews
*****

“Jacqueline Seewald expertly portrays the mindset of teenagers struggling for their place in the world and ultimate independence. Stacy is an endearing character, a young woman who loves her parents but wants the right to choose what to do with her life. Readers are drawn into Stacy's world as she struggles to make the right choices which will affect her future. This well-written coming-of-age novel is heartwarming and engaging and sure to be a popular addition to the young-adult genre.”   

Christy Tillery French, Midwest Book Review

Besides Amazon, STACY'S SONG IS available from:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stacys-song-jacqueline-seewald/1100389252?ean=2940150872493

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/stacy-s-song

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588465

I believe it’s the kind of novel that mothers will want to share with their daughters. Here is a brief excerpt from the beginning of the book:

Chapter One

When I was in junior high school, the boys used to call me “Giraffe.” I hated it, but they were right. I towered over them. On top of that, I had this skinny, long neck. Things got better when I became a sophomore in high school. It seemed as though most of the boys in my class finally caught up with me and I didn’t feel so gawky anymore. But I’m still taller and skinnier than any of my friends.

The Curious History of Halloween

The paranormal aura and mystique surrounding Halloween connects to a series of beliefs, traditions and superstitions. What is the actual origin of Halloween?  It appears to date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.  By Celts we refer to the people who lived approximately 2,000 years ago in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrating their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer harvest and the beginning of dark, cold winter, a time of year often associated with human death.

Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, believing that ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.  The Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During these celebrations, Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they put out earlier that evening. This symbolic lighting was done from the sacred bonfire to serve as a protection during the coming winter.

By 43 A.D., the Romans had conquered a majority of Celtic territory. During the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain. The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800’s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 as All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. The pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in 1000 A.D., the church designated November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils.

Tales of the supernatural are ever popular during the Halloween season. Right now, publisher Clean Reads 

is offering THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER, a paranormal novel, for just

99 cents through Halloween, October 31^st, on Amazon Kindle.

You can check it out here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JZYXW7K/

Also available, DARK MOON RISING, Gothic romantic suspense from Luminosity, available in All e-book formats and print.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z7824A4/

http://luminositypublishing.com/product/dark-moon-rising/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dark-moon-rising/id1020852100?mt=11

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-moon-rising-jacqueline-seewald/1122376394?ean=2940150766686

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darkmoonrising-1856071-340.html

Are there any books that you would like to recommend as good Halloween reading choices?

Why Speculative Literature Continues to Draw Readers

In honor of Halloween month, it seems only fitting to write on the subject of speculative lit. Why do readers consistently want to read fantasy, science fiction and horror and their various paranormal subdivisions? Why does speculative fiction remain popular with all ages of readers?

When people talk about horror fiction, they might let out an involuntary shudder. However, horror fiction isn’t just about the gruesome. It’s not just about the supernatural, ghosts, goblins, ghouls, gremlins, etc. No, it’s really about what we fear, what we dread most. These things may be ordinary, like a pit bull off the leash running toward us, or extraordinary, like meeting a vampire in a neighborhood bar at midnight. We have fears that are both usual and the unusual.

Horror fiction will not be going away any time soon because it is human nature to feel fear as an emotion. Horror fiction helps us handle these feelings, helps us confront our terrors, those within us and those in the environment around us. I have read Dean Koontz and Stephen King, Anna Rice and many writers of occult mystery and romance fiction with interest.

My latest adult novel DARK MOON RISING is a Gothic romance that features female ghosts from different centuries who haunt male members of an aristocratic Southern family. The novel combines romance, mystery, suspense and paranormal horror.

                                                   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z7824A4/

There has always been a fascination with magical worlds. Many of the readers and writers of fantasy escape the negativity of the real world through fantasy worlds which are often more satisfying. Reality is readjusted. Lev Grossman in his excellent Time Magazine essay observed: “Fantasy holds out the possibility that there’s another way to live.” Certainly there are many fans of C.S. Lewis, T.H. White, J.RR. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin—just to name a few of the popular fantasy writers.

Much fantasy world has a sense of times past. THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER, a fantasy romance published by Clean Reads is set in 1985 and has a Faustian theme.

               http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JZYXW7K/

THE BAD WIFE, 4^th and final mystery novel in the Kim Reynolds series, also has a paranormal edge. Kim, an academic librarian, is a reluctant clairvoyant who has visions which cause her to both solve and prevent crime.

                           http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J6PCKVW 

Fantasy as part of our poetry literature is not at all new. Remember ”Kubla Khan” a poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge? How about his “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner “?  

Science fiction continues to have a strong appeal. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines this type of literature as: “dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals or having a scientific factor as an essential orienting component.”

Fantasy deals with imagination, unreal worlds, and magical realms. Some of these bear similarities to past societies such as medieval times. Science fiction, on the other hand, looks to developments in science or imaginative notions of future worlds. However, all embrace aspects of the speculative or paranormal.

For one of my science fiction poems that can be read for free on the internet, you can go to Kansas University’s “Ad Astra” site: http://adastra.ku.edu/genome-jacqueline-seewald/

Are there any authors of  horror, fantasy or science fiction that you particularly admire or enjoy reading? Ray Bradbury remains one of my favorites. Are you a fan of the Harry Potter series?  Have you read Ursula K. Le Guin or Octavia E. Butler? What about fantasy/paranormal romances such as those written by Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle?  Are there new writers of horror, fantasy or sci-fi that excite your interest? Please share with us.

Announcement: Winner of Print Book Giveaway Plus New Giveaway

Last week, I announced the giveaway of a print copy of my novel

DARK MOON RISING, a Southern Gothic romance from Luminosity.

Each person who commented had their name written on a separate slip of paper and placed in a bowl. I had my husband draw out a name.

 The winner is:

Patricia Stoltey

She’s been informed and I will mail her a copy of the book this week.

For those who didn’t win, there is yet another drawing for this trade paperback. I’ve set up a giveaway with Goodreads. If you want to put in for it, here’s the web address:

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/155691

DARK MOON RISING is also available in all e-book formats at a very reasonable price. It has received Five Star reviews on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z7824A4/

“This novel delves into the world of the paranormal with incredible suspense and romantic intrigue.” Patricia Gligor

“Dark Moon Rising is an intriguing story that combines supernatural mystery, suspense and romance in an exciting brew.” K.G. McCullough

“Seewald’s well-written novel keeps readers guessing to the very end.”

 Susan Coryell

“Dark Moon Rising is a gripping story that will have you turning pages until the surprising outcome.” Nancy J. Cohen

“…a suspenseful, bang-up denouement that will keep readers breathing hard even more than with the steamy sex scenes.”

Nancy Means Wright

It is also available through the publisher Luminosity:

http://luminositypublishing.com/product/dark-moon-rising/

B&N Online:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-moon-rising-jacqueline-seewald/1122376394?ean=2940150766686

and

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darkmoonrising-1856071-340.html

I want to thank everyone for their kind comments and the interest you've shown in my work. I very much appreciate it! 

Print Book Giveaway: DARK MOON RISING by Jacqueline Seewald

DARK MOON RISING is a Southern Gothic romance from Luminosity, available in all e-book formats and now in print as well. It has received Five Star reviews on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z7824A4/

“This novel delves into the world of the paranormal with incredible suspense and romantic intrigue.” Patricia Gligor

“Dark Moon Rising is an intriguing story that combines supernatural mystery, suspense and romance in an exciting brew.” K.G. McCullough

“Seewald’s well-written novel keeps readers guessing to the very end.”

 Susan Coryell

“Dark Moon Rising is a gripping story that will have you turning pages until the surprising outcome.” Nancy J. Cohen

“…a suspenseful, bang-up denouement that will keep readers breathing hard even more than with the steamy sex scenes.”

Nancy Means Wright

It is also available through the publisher Luminosity:

http://luminositypublishing.com/product/dark-moon-rising/

B&N Online:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-moon-rising-jacqueline-seewald/1122376394?ean=2940150766686

and

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darkmoonrising-1856071-340.html

The historical Southern plantation house in the book is loosely based on one my husband’s aunt and uncle actually owned. It has an interesting history, part of which I incorporated into the novel.

Cassandra Lowry has a sixth sense. She dreams about a handsome man making love to her. He appears to need and want her. However, danger and evil surround him. Her dreams and visions are disturbingly real. When Cass drives south, her sensitivity warns her that something is not right. She swerves to miss a deer and her car ends up in a ditch. Chased by two country boys, she gets lost in the forest and spends a night exposed to the elements, only to be found the next day by her dream man.

Set in the modern South, this novel reaches back into a troubled family heritage. Two female ghosts, women from different centuries, haunt male members of the Hunt family. The heroine of this sensual gothic romance is young, just graduated from college, and alone in the world. Although in danger herself, Cass seeks to solve the mystery and end the curse that enshrouds the family, while at the same time finding the passionate love of her life.

The novel offers mystery, romantic suspense and elements of the supernatural. If you would like to win the giveaway, just leave a comment that includes an e-mail address where you can be contacted. I’m limiting the print giveaway to U.S. readers at this time. Also, I’m requesting no one under eighteen enter as there are mature themes in the novel.

The winner will be announced on this blog next Monday--only the winner will be contacted. I won’t trouble readers with newsletters or put you on a mailing list.

In Memoriam 9/11: Hometown Heroes

A number of residents of my New Jersey hometown worked in Manhattan and died in the attack on the World Trade Towers on September 11, 2001. One man who worked with elevators near the Twin Towers hurried to the disaster hoping he could help bring people to safety. He lost his own life in making this heroic rescue effort.

A neighbor who lived a few houses away from us described another act of courage and human concern. At the time that the first tower was attacked, our neighbor was with his supervisor, a man who was born and raised in our hometown. The two men saw what was happening from the vantage of an office window on the 102^nd floor of the second tower. Our neighbor's boss immediately told him to get out of the building, that he would warn everyone else on the floor to leave immediately. My neighbor lived to tell the tale. His boss? Not so fortunate. He didn’t make it out.

The parents of these two courageous men who lost their lives trying to help others are also good, caring individuals. They continued to live in our town with heavy hearts. It is a terrible tragedy to suffer the loss of one’s child.

A memorial was erected at the civic center and a ceremony is held every year on September 11^th. Ours may have been just an ordinary American town like so many others, and yet in its own way it is special because of the people who live there.

As a nation, we should neither forgive nor forget the murder of thousands of ordinary, innocent people on that fateful day when terrorists wreaked havoc on our country.