L.J. Holmes

L.J. Holmes
In her many Guises.

Monday, November 28, 2011

THREE STORIES...ONE READER'S REVIEW



She won

CHAMPAGNE AFTERNOON...one of my shortest but hottest stories. I added two more of my short stories for fairness of length...which of my nine others to date did I send her?

BEYOND YESTERDAY and

FOREVER WITH YOU.

Her name is Carole Sutton and she is a mystery, suspense writer from across the pond, now living Down Under.

Yesterday she sent me her reaction to my work APOLOGIZING for taking so long...a
heartbeat smiley, animated smiley, animation smiley, heartbeat smiley
heartbeat of time is a LONG time? You ARE a treasure Carole.

Life has this way of getting in the middle of all our intentions and our

To Do Lists. Such happened with Carole.

She read my three little tales though and graciously reviewed each one...

Let me preface this by saying the reviews of READERS fill me with pride...so let me proudly share Carole's words.

Of the three stories I really enjoyed Beyond Yesterday most. I found the back story of the grandmother really interesting and absorbing. I write crime fiction, murder mysteries and found the plotting of this one touched the spot.

I enjoyed Champagne Afternoon -- I have no idea how to write erotica, so it was interesting to see how you do it. I remember many many years ago stripping off for the nudist beach and could relate to your characters early misgivings. Though it didn't take long to become used to the idea -- but in those days it was all rather sexless!

Forever With You -- I loved the ending. All warm and fuzzy. The story reminded me of the Lady Chatterly's Lover -- which was banned in the UK at the time.


Well, best of luck with your future stories,
all the best,


Carole

Oh My Goodness! Being compared to D.H. Lawrence and

LADY CHATTERLY'S LOVER? A CLASSIC...WOW!

Thank you Carole...and for those interested in learning more about Carole and her works of creative ingenuity, please follow this LINK to her website.

Again, THANK YOU CAROLE. I am so glad you won my books.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

WHEN...TWILIGHT COMES by L.J. Holmes


Dysfunction in family...what does it lead to?

A family of six children,

a social climbing mother and a father whose lines are embedded in

Plymouth Rock.

Moldering lines? Infiltrated with increasingly slimy algae?

TWILIGHT COMES...how can one day so totally splinter an up and coming Wall Street genuis's world?

Can dysfunction lead to Happily Ever After?

TWILIGHT COMES available NOW from Muse It Up Publishing, Inc.

:
It's a typical day in Mick's life. A successful stockbroker, he battles the morning traffic, the zip of numbers across the exchange banner while making fortunes grow for his clients, and the number pounding after-images continue to haunt his brain as he drives home. This is his well ordered life.



Home. His work life is numbers, routine, and rational. His home life? Secrets percolate behind closed doors...dangerous secrets...secrets that are about to tip over.


Will Mick survive the explosion about to blow the lid off his private, seemingly perfect world? Will any of them outlast the approaching turmoil and the world finally looking in and seeing the truth behind their closed doors? Or will death and destruction be the ultimate penalty for their secrets revealed?



:
And lastly is the oops member of the family.  Diana is only six.  She was not supposed to be. Mother had religiously taken her birth control, but Diana happened—Mother only marginally adheres to the preaching of the Church—A first grader, she is truly the apple in all of our eyes.  In some ways, Diana represented my Mother’s greatest accomplishment.  None of her friends had managed to conceive a child that close to menopause, and while taking The Pill.  Diana raised Mother to the status of one upon whom a miracle was created. That’s heady stuff, dontcha know?

This book is one that haunted
 
me to write, haunted me to submit, has haunted me every day since, and from those who have read it, I have been told, they are haunted too.

In the REAL world, not everything is sunny, glowing, and beaming with joy. I wasn't certain when I wrote this, if I would have the

courage to submit it for publication...and the truth is I didn't.

I sent it to my publisher to read because I was CERTAIN I had it right...this book did NOT belong in the published world...

Imagine my shock then when via return e-mail a full contract arrived?

Is it worthy of being out here?
 
I don't know.

It demanded I write it, and obviously my publisher felt it belonged.

What do you think?
 
Here's the link to TWILIGHT COMES bookstore page. I need you to tell me...Is this haunting story worthy of being here? I hope so...I truly do.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

PENS DOWN...SUCCESS ACHIEVED

The FIRST

Muse Publishing, Inc. Retreat in Montreal, Quebec is winding down...

but how do you wind down a Supernova?

The Book Signing yesterday at Zellers, Pointe Claire must have been incredible...ohhh that's right...thanks to one of our fantastic authors, far less technically challenged than me, I can show you.

Let's begin with the two founders of what is rapidly becoming the

standard bearer for all publishers in this computer age.

Prior to the Retreat, this is the Lea we all imagined...well this is Lea and all her many sides. We Love You, Lea. Thank you so much for all that you are;




Can she and Litsa shimmy?

And here she is as our Super Hero leader Lea Marvel...Who needs Buffy...we have LEA!

To make certain you see her MARVELOUS SIDE in SPADES...here she is with Litsa Kamateroes at an Autism Awareness event with their collaborative book,

Autism Epidemic: Shaking the System.

Finally those of us who have not been blessed to meet with Lea beyond the realm of e-mail and listening to her glorious, NON-SHRIEKY voice (thank you for that, Lea) on the phone,

here is our Lea at the book signing with TWO of her soon-to-be classics, Autism Epidemic: Shakling the System  AND The Halloween Dino Trip. Isn't she stunning?

Okay, okay, okay...Bonella is taking exception to my not including her in a tribute to Lea since Bonella thinks she is responsible for the playful side of our leader. I don't agree with her, but let's humor her for a moment or two.

Meet Bonella as she appears to us every October so far...Hey...wait a minute...this is November, what are you doing still rattling your bones above ground?

Oh I guess you really ARE rattling but JUST your bones now. Did your hat turn to dust till next year, Boney? What a glory-seeker you are, forcing Lea to cart you to the Retreat. It's a good thing for you she didn't have to fly in and pay for extra luggage to get your sorry carcass through customs.

Lea you really ARE the best, and we love you.

Litsa Kamateros is Lea's co-founder and the offical Muse Marketing Directing. She is also co-author of AUTISM EPIDEMIC: SHAKING THE SYSTEM with our Lea.

Litsa is the epoxy that keeps all our bricks aimed upward. She's also

Lea's friend, sounding board, encouragement and one

HOT Mama.

It's an honor to present a photo of Litsa holding the book she and Lea worked very hard to get published to help the rest of us learn the truth about Autism and Autism treatment round-the-world.

Nancy Bell

is one of our glorious editors AND an author. But she's also got a personality or two hiding away inside her that slip out making life with Nancy a joy of discovery. Nancy give Emily our love too. 

Nancy attended the book signing and is holding up her YA book, Laurel's Miracle. Isn't she beautiful?

Tell me Nancy, did Emily Pikkasso pop up and share THE OAK KING'S DAUGHTER too? I hope so. You both are such an integral part of what makes our Muse House so much fun.

She's an author, an entire cheering section, and she's an absolute delight. I am of course speaking of our very own Karen  Coté.

We get to hear her bubbly voice on her website at http://www.karencote.tv/ where she brings us all to animated life through her amazing avatar creativity.

Her first book EROTIC DECEPTION came out just last month and has already claimed a position in the

Top Ten Sellers but also the number ONE seller for the entire month of October. As debuts go, she nailed it with as much power as Muse Publishing nailed ITS debut last October 1st, 2010. Hmmm

October 2010 Muse went Supernova and

October 2011, Karen Coté repeated Muse's dynamics.

Coincidence? Since I don't believe in them, I doubt it. Congratulations Karen...

you look beautiful holding your book and beaming.

She is not our OFFICAL Muse Town Crier, but

Christine London is the absolute best at documenting important details.

As usual, like all her trips,

she has not let us down on this most important of all weekends. You came to share

SHADOWS STEAL THE LIGHT but lit up the world for those there and those of us back here wishing we could be there too. Thank you

Christine for your big heart and eagle eye.

You, here with Lisa Forget, Muse author of DEATHLY QUIET, made it possible for those of us unable to attend to,

for a moment, pretend.

Lea Schizas, our indominable leader, is not the only member of the Shizas family determined to share her creativity with the world.

Christina Schizas,

Lea's beautiful daughter, attended with her brilliantly scary book AHTABAT and showed us the acorn and tree are both powerfully prolific together.

Heather Haven

author of TWO Muse mysteries, Murder is a Family Business, and A Wedding to Die For was there with her cousin

Grace DeLuca author of the YA story of change and growth, Betwixt and Between.

Have you ever been blinded by a smile?

Madelaine McLaughlin, one of the most generous authors at Muse was also there to share her first book, The Mountain City Bronzes.

I'm a fan of our authors and their talent, but Madelaine, your smile lit up my heart. Well done Sister.

Barbara Ehrentreu glowed as she lifted her first YA book, If I could Be Like Jennifer Taylor,

Sandra, S.J. Clarke twinkled merrily as she entertained with her book Mind Over Matter.

Joanne Elder was almost as explosively gorgeous as her cover for Spectra.

Arlene Webb was as effervescent as her Ashes book cover, and

Charles Mossop...words fail me in how to express how wonderful it was to see you there at the table with your book The Devil At My Heels before you. I an honored to share the

Muse family banner with one such as you.

I know I am forgetting many, but the old brain just can't pull up all of you from memory...but

Karen McGrath...seeing your tribute broke my heart. You are so deeply missed. Gone, but never forgotten.

Now we

wind down...trips made to the airport. Expressways giving egress to those heading out of Canada for places south, as in the U.S, east, west and all points in between.

The Retreat is over, the sun has set, but Muse has just thrown down the

gauntlet, announcing to the rest of the world WE ARE HERE TO STAY and our

N OVA is expanding.

This is the beginning...in one LITTLE year look at all we've done. You can bet we'll make this second year seem like the first one was little more than a

drop in the bucket before the Tsunami of Publishing excellence to come.