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Visiting Lilly by Toni AllenI’m thrilled to receive a 5 star review for Visiting Lilly from fellow mystery writer Robert J. Ray, author of the Matt Murdock Mysteries.

Robert J. Ray says of Visiting Lilly:

Professional Tarot guru Toni Allen joins the ranks of mystery writers with a debut novel that whisks the reader on a journey in quest of the Astral Plane, where two lovers—a lovely elderly lady in a care home, and an isolated young man who remembers their past—do their utmost best to keep their love alive. Allen’s work is fascinating because she conceals this unlikely search for love beneath the bones of a police procedural. The setting is not hurried, touristy London, but the idyllic outskirts of Surrey. Welcome to the genre!

Robert J. Ray is author of the Murdock Mysteries and The Weekend Novelist Series

Robert J. Ray books on Amazon

The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel

The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery

Bob and Jack’s Writing Blog

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Today I have the privilege of introducing you to C Desert Rose whose new novel ‘If Death Should Love Me’ will shortly be released by All Authors Publishing House. This will be the first novel in C Desert Rose’s Youth/YA Paranormal Collection called the “Fate’s Endeavour Series”

A love story. A fantasy. An adventure. If Death Should Love Me tells a tale of “fate” far beyond the normal meaning of that little four letter word. How else would you explain why Sophia wonders what would happen If Death Should Love Me?

C Desert Rose

Plotline

A dull roar, that’s all I could hear. Souls, that’s all I could see… So many people. Some good. Some bad. Some breathing. Some barely breathing. All souls. It was funny what you could see when you stood in the middle of the Emergency Room. Who survived. Who didn’t. All of them, every one, a soul. A soul for the taking.

So begins your introduction to the floating, clustered world of souls that will have such influence on Sophia, the young Puerto Rican-American girl who has just lost her closest ally, her grandmother, “Abuela”. It is just after the funeral, at the cemetery, where Sophia meets the tall, almost angelic man who will play the most unexpected role in her life.

You can keep in touch with C Desert Rose via Facebook or on her blog

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I’m abosuletly delighted to be this month’s featured author in All Authors Magazine, created and run by Y Correa.

All Authors Magazine

All Authors Magazine is a great read, with articles, interviews and news about up and coming titles. If you love to read, you’ll love All Authors Magazine.

 

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I have now signed my contract with Booktrope to publish my novel Visiting Lilly.

The next phase in publishing via Booktrope is to build my team, which will include a Book Manager, editor, copy-editor and cover designer.

Being new to the Booktrope publishing process I stared at theVisiting Lilly Cover Image inner sanctum of their website and felt completely overwhelmed. I was advised to make friends and build contacts, which I promptly did. Then to my absolute delight I was approached by someone offering to become my Book Manager and help pull my team together.

I am thrilled to let you all know that I shall be working alongside the very dynamic and professional Mindy Halleck. Out of several books Mindy Halleck was sent to review she opted for Visiting Lilly and is truly passionate about my work.

Rather than daunting the process has now become exciting.

 

 

 

 

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I have a contract to publish my novel Visiting Lilly!

I am so thrilled to share the exciting news that Booktrope have offered me a contract to publish my novel Visiting Lilly.

Booktrope is an online publisher that has formulated a collaborative process to bring their books to market. Once I have signed my contract I will be invited to build a team, which will include, amongst others, an editor, a cover artist and a marketing manager. Each individual is paid a percentage of sales revenue after costs.

Visiting Lilly Cover ImageThis is a mock up cover I generated for Visiting Lilly. With my Booktrope team I will get a cover designer, so I doubt this is the image we’ll run with. If you love this cover and think it has to stay, let me know.

I first pitched Visiting Lilly to Booktrope about 18 months ago. Yes, these things take a long time! As I recall I saw an article about them in a writing newsletter and followed through to their website. At the time they were actively seeking submissions, but all they wanted was a brief synopsis. I posted my 386 word synopsis in the appropriate box on their website…and… the site timed out, so I rewrote the synopsis…not having drafted it to start with, of course…and then pressed send. The irony of this is that I usually stress about writing a synopsis, but the space they gave me to write into was so limited I was forced to cut the story down to its bare bones. The fact that after an hour their website got fed up with me loitering, and the fact that I hadn’t saved what I’d typed, made me cut it down even more. There’s a lesson to be learnt here.

I often wondered what happened to my synopsis and whether anyone had read it, but shortly before Christmas 2013 Booktrope emailed and asked if I’d still be interested in submitting Visiting Lilly to their review panel for consideration. Having pitched Visiting Lilly to several agents and received rejections I said yes to their offer. I never expected them to give any feedback, but what did go through my mind is, ‘Here is someone, or more than one person, who will read my entire manuscript, not just the first three chapters. They will judge the story as a whole.’ On that basis it had to be worth a go.

Booktrope’s review panel were impressed enough to offer me a contract to publish with them, so now the process of preparing my novel for publication begins.

Visiting Lilly is a mystery thriller and love story…with a twist.

Twenty Seven year old Frankie wants to visit an old woman, Lilly, who lives in an old people’s home. No crime in that, now is there? Only Lilly’s relatives are more than a little against the idea, so D.I. Jake Talbot decides to poke his nose in and investigate what their problem is. A nice easy case leading up to Christmas…which ends up threatening his job, his integrity and his sanity.

A couple of years ago I entered the first chapter of Visiting Lilly into the Winchester Writers’ Conference competition for the beginning of murder mystery novel. I received Highly Commended and this is what the judge had to say. (In case you’re wondering all entrants  had to use a pseudonym)

Lilly WinchesterNow everyone will be able to read the entire story of Visiting Lilly; but meanwhile follow a different story as I keep you posted on how the process goes from acceptance to publication.

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It’s my pleasure to introduce you to the author Y. Correa and her latest novel MarcoAntonio & Amaryllis.

Cover Image

The year 1585. The Anglo-Spanish War. England’s greed for Spain’s crops, land, and supplies gives birth to the inertia of intolerance on both sides. Yet, even then, Love surges forth.
MarcoAntonio, a Spanish gentleman and knight, defied all boundaries of color and culture, when setting eyes on the English lady Amaryllis. Although to others, he may be a bit reserved, he dares to lower his defenses solely for her.
Amaryllis is an English lady. One with an open heart, gentle spirit, and shining eloquence. She knew that she should not desire MarcoAntonio. Still, a love feeling so right couldn’t be so horribly wrong!
Travel with MarcoAntonio and Amaryllis as they duel with internal and external forces threatening to tear their powerful love apart. In the midst of troubles the likes of which have no compare, MarcoAntonio and Amaryllis find themselves having to fight the most unexpected of adversaries, just for the right to love each other.
Discover why their LOVE is the result of ALL things conquered!

Here’s an excerpt from the novel.

Excerpt:

Her need for sleep was conquered by the potency of her thoughts, and the ceaseless fear that she always lugged around like a plague.
She heard some movement in the bushes. A stirring.
That was odd. What would be lingering about at this time of night? “Ah,” she thought aloud with a small curl of the lips. “Tis a hare or something of the sort. I’m sure.” She stepped out of her seat and walked over to the edge of the balcony to peer over expecting to see the lovely little animal that would most likely pop out from behind the bushes at any second.
She leaned on the ledge and placed her elbows over it, and then instinctively placed her chin upon her hands. She looked out at the greenery, which was lit only by the moonlight and stars, and watched with hopefulness. “Finally, something to take my mind off the troubles!” she thought with a wishful sigh.
She was startled by the sound of his voice. “I was unable to sleep well, Ma’ Lady.” Her breath ceased for the briefest of moments.
“MarcoAntonio! What are you doing here? If they catch you….” She couldn’t bear to finish her thought.
“Forgive me, Ma’ Lady,” he apologized quietly, and then quickly and humbly lowered his eye sight for a moment. “I had to see you again.” He raised his eyes to her once more. “Our time together earlier tonight was not enough to fulfill my need of seeing you. At second thought, no time available to man is enough to fulfill my need to see you.” He halfway smiled, gently.
“Please, my love. You have to go. I don’t know what I would do if they catch you here. Please? For me?” she pleaded.
“Ma’ Lady, I will leave. Very soon. I just had to see you once more, if only for a moment.” He turned his head behind him for a split second. “I’ve tied Altivo back there, so that they would not hear him. I’m being safe,” he promised. “Now I plead with you, just allow me a few more moments of your time before I leave.”
With worry obvious in her voice, yet the everlasting love that perforated her soul apparent as well, she responded, “Very well.”
For the first time ever, MarcoAntonio gathered the courage necessary and approached the building closer than he’d ever done before. “Ma’ Lady Amaryllis, you should know by now that your soul existence is what gives my own existence purpose. I love you more than words can express. You do know this, do you not?”
“Yes brave sir, I am well aware. Just as you should be aware that I feel the same way,” she said attempting to sound calm, yet her body language spoke volumes as to how fearful she was by the fact that he’d approached the building so closely.
“Then Ma’ Lady, I only ask one thing….” he said as he walked closer.
“Marco, please? Stay back!”
“Just one thing….” he repeated.
This time making her fear the most predominant emotion displayed, she blurted out, “Yes. Yes! Very well then. Ask!”

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Meet the author Y Correa
Y Author ImageY. Correa is a proud Hispanic-American mother of four, daughter, teacher, mentor, author and advocate, among other things. Early on in life Y knew how to multitask and juggle a million and one things. To this day he still doesn’t know how she does it.
About 3 years ago, Y embarked on the adventure of her life: she opted to write a book. Though a late bloomer, the task came to her naturally, as if it were something that was hidden in her all of that time. Today, Y has published several short stories and a hand full of full length novels and still has many works in progress.
Apart from writing, Y realized that there was a need for a strong support group that would unite all authors, of all walks of life. Quickly she realized that life in this industry was difficult and that there was lots of segregation within the literary ranks.
Just as quickly she decided that she’d make it her mission to change that. Thus the Self-Published/Indie Authors Support Group was born. Through time Y realized that the fight she’d embarked on was rather one sided: traditionally published authors needed advocating and support too. With that, the All Authors Support Group was born. Like bees to honey, authors from all walks of life came.
From the All Authors Support Group, the All Authors Blog Blitz was born, and like an avalanche, in a series of unexpected events the All Authors Magazine was born.
Today however, Y would like to present to you the launch of her newest full length novel “MarcoAntonio and Amaryllis”

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Quill imageOut of the blue I’ve just heard from a new online publisher I pitched my novel Visiting Lilly to many months ago. They’ve requested the entire manuscript which will go before a review board, and hopefully on to full submission.

I’m absolutely chuffed.

Visiting Lilly crosses several genres and that has been one of the biggest issues in securing an agent or publisher. I believe it’s a romance, but it also has a police detective/mystery and elements of weird science. See my problem? It doesn’t fit into a nice neat category box.

Hence I’m thrilled that someone has invited me to send the entire manuscript and is willing to read it through.

I’m sure I won’t hear any news for a while, I know these things take time. So wish me luck! I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

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