Unless you’ve been blissfully ignorant about my sports addictions you know I’m a big ice hockey fan. Blame my husband. I was neutral about the whole sport until he took me to a game waaay back before we were even officially dating.

And being a hockey fan, this time of year is extra special. Now, I won’t go into lamentations about the Flyers/Penguins series, but I’ll sayThe Stanley Cup playoffs mean a different brand of hockey because any game might be the last for a particular team.

Playoff hockey is often full of impossible achievements, tremendous heart, short tempers, and non-stop effort. Not to mention the occasional dose of good luck.

This year, the LA Kings – the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoffs – are making a run for the Stanley Cup finals. No one had any expectations, other than writing them off. They weren’t much more than a place holder.

Good thing no one told the Kings.In round one against Vancouver, they shocked fans and analysts alike, dispatching the number one seed in five games. Surely round two against St. Louis would be tougher. Nope. They swept the Blues in four games. And they’ve owned Phoenix in the conference finals.

Why is the write-off team succeeding? They seem unstoppable – something everyone expected from the number one seed – not from number 8.

In my experience, sometimes expectations get so heavy you can’t do the job because of the burden. That’s been my experience in many facets of my life, from athletics in my youth to my current dual careers of managing my family and my writing. Sometimes the expectations are just too much, and the performance can’t live up to it.

There are also times when the team, person, book, or movie no one expects to succeed uses that lack of attention to race forward to new heights. I think it’s a matter of doing the task (whatever it may be) and staying focused on improving the previous best effort all the way to the worthy goal.

The LA Kings success is inspiring. The team goes out and does the job on the ice with expertise and enthusiasm and they sure look like they can go all the way.

Live the adventure!

Long ago I said world building for paranormal romance novels is the best solution for… Control Freaks! I can say that with absolute confidence because I am a control freak. To try and convince you I’m reformed or in the process of reforming would be a work of fiction beyond any of my currently published novels.

While I may be better about actually going with the flow, wanting to be in control remains a fact of my life and personality. I’ve stopped fighting it.

Writing novels is one way to exercise that control – at least when the characters are cooperative.

In fact, Maeve, the heroine of the next Matchmaker book, The Matchmaker’s Curse, is a control freak too.She has good reason (a far better reason than me) for wanting to maintain control. She’s never been taught to control the latent magic inside her and letting her power ‘off the chain’ doesn’t always end in a good way. Maintaining order, precision, and routine is a calming influence for her and calm equals no awful surprises.

For me, I just wanted to control the story, from the world building to the plot to the release date. Instead, these past couple months I’ve struggled to keep the characters on task, to keep my marketing on point, and to keep moving forward so I can get to the next book.

Not only have these characters (Maeve and Grant) run me ragged in several tangential directions (a few of which CANNOT be in the book no matter what they want), but my family is going through some intense transitions these days too.

As a mom who works at home, managing the details of all those transitions falls on me.It’s funny, no matter how organized I am, keeping my brain zeroed in on one task has been a tremendous challenge in recent weeks (and primarily why Maeve and Grant are running amok with their story).

I will add, it doesn’t help when schedules change from day to day. And of course, being May, as all parents know, there is much end of school year stuff that gets added in at the last minute.

Still, I get up every morning with clear goals (I refuse to call them pipe dreams): control of this story and control of at least a fraction of my life. And I’ve learned to celebrate even on days when the only thing I control is the next cup of coffee.

Live the adventure!

For those of you unfamiliar with my urban fantasy novels set in 2096, those titles ‘star’ some seriously alpha female characters. What can I say? These days I let my dreams of being wild and adventurous play out on the pages by women who won’t fall apart if they take a kick-boxing class, race into (or out of) a burning building, or rappel from a helicopter (something that looks like great fun!)

Book one in the Shadows of Justice series

On Tuesday, I blogged about the excellent portrayal of men and friendships in the new Avengers movie. And I promised you I hadn’t forgotten the alpha female stars of the show, so here’s my awe and appreciation for the fabulous development and portrayal of the characters known as Pepper Potts, Agent Hill,and Agent Romanoff (the Black Widow).

Going beyond the kick butt costuming and the hours obviously spent in the gym, all three of these females own the screen and add excellent value to the movie on several levels.

Pepper Potts is the savvy business woman alpha female as well as the perfect foil for Tony Stark. Her part in this movie shows wonderful character growth since she’s first introduced in Ironman. She meets Tony quip for quip and anchors him as no other woman on the planet would have the patience to do. I loved the way her brain power is celebrated and respected and her compassion is showcased in her interaction with Colson.

Agent Hill is the right hand woman for Nick Fury, leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. It would be a mistake to think her role as his assistant means she’s not an alpha female character, because she knows how to take charge and take action. From a fantastic car chase to protecting the bridge, it’s clear she’s not just a pretty face in a snug uniform.

Which brings us to Agent Romanoff. The Black Widow is phenomenal in this film, and she ROCKS every scene, doing waaay more than holding her own among a cast of super-powered men. It’s not just her lethal and creative hand to hand combat skills. I think what makes her an alpha female character worth emulating is her astounding self awareness, and her ability to show men what they expect to see, while staying on target to reach her end goal.

All three characters are brave and skilled in unique and personal ways. All three are focused on their personal goals as well as the bigger picture. All three are fine examples of how and why alpha female characters are so vital and fascinating in movies and novels.

Live the adventure!

Fair warning, I’m on another Avengers kick. For Mother’s Day, I asked to go back and see it again and my son eagerly agreed. Last year I made him watch Disney’s Enchanted with me. He’s a great kid and a good sport, but I guarantee he was happier with this year’s movie selection.

This was my second time viewing the movie and I walked out as happy and energized – and in awe – as I did the first time.The characterization in this movie – through the writing, directing, and acting, is simply out standing. OUTSTANDING!

When my daughter called last night to chat, we got caught up in all the amazing elements of this film. And it’s been on my mind all day. Both of my kids are talented writers, and they were blessed to have English teachers who taught them how to analyze and assess a story from all angles (including their own bias).

They also have incredible retention skills, so as you might imagine, the zippy dialogue from the movie is permeating our general conversations.

But within the superb writing and story structure, Avengers is an excellent example of characterization. If you’ve ever wondered how to make a hero come alive on the page, this movie is a tutorial for how men interact with each other. From mutual respect (or lack thereof) to a bid for power within a family or a team, to assumptions, to the not-quite-so simple friendship, this film shows how to do it right.

It wouldn’t have been plausible to bring together all that super-power talent (and overabundance of testosterone) and expect them to be a team as soon as the introductions were made. But watching them learn to work together, to trust themselves and each other as a team, was a fascinating study from my perspective as both a fan and an author.

There is no such thing as a word wasted in this script and my heart ached for each person on the team as vulnerabilities and strengths were exposed, reassessed, and turned to the greater good of the mission – and each other. I wanted to cheer when inaccurate first impressions were corrected and bonds of friendship and respect were forged.

And don’t think for a minute I’m overlooking the alpha female(s) of the film, who contributed more than their fair share as well… but I’ll save that for another post.

Live the adventure!

To paraphrase the oh-so-clever Dos Equis advertising team: I don’t always post on a Friday, but when I do, it’s worth the visit.

It’s a pleasure today to bring authors someone special, someone who loves books and authors so much she’s assembled a team and developed a program to help authors write more. NO, that doesn’t mean she has chains to keep your butt in the chair and your hands on the keyboard. It means she’s using her special skills and expertise in marketing to help get your book noticed!

This is a rare – and LIMITED time offer – just for authors!

Kimberly Hope, my dear friend who pens sexy, sassy contemporary romances, and I were fortunate enough to sit down with Terry Kate of Paco Media Group and talk with her about the amazing things she’s doing for writers these days. Over pound cake as only Kimberly’s character Jessica (The Heiress and Her FakeFiance) can make it and with coffee smuggler Slick Micky’s finest brew (Tracking Shadows) we were eager to learn more about this great opportunity.

Kimberly Hope: Thanks for chatting with us today, Terry. For those new to publishing, what is NetGalley and what are the pros/cons of using it?

Terry Kate: Netgalley is a service that offers authors and publishers a way to get in contact on a larger scale with reviewers, bloggers, librarians, and book sellers. The decisions on how the titles are treated, the format they go out in, whether they have Digital Rights Management, and other options are offered and then the account holder sets their terms.

With a membership of 56,000 Netgalley is the place to be in order to build your brand and name recognition.The downside is that you are giving away a lot of copies of your book. True they are electronic, but it still stings. Emotionally, the downside is that not all reviews are going to be positive. On a large scale that can be a knock, but it is also part of the game and you joined the team the minute you put that first book out to be purchased.

Regan Black: Can you tell us a bit about Paco Media Group, your mission and what you provide to authors?

Terry: PMG is areflection of all the crazy, mad, and sometimes downright loony things that I have done. I wanted to learn to format for a pub that hired me, so now we can offer services in that area. I found out that writers needed help with this or that and I learned how along the way. HTML, SEO, branding, newsletters, social media, cover design, writing, editing, public speaking… there are more that have slipped my mind, but that starts the list.

I get asked often why all of our services are not listed on the Paco Media Group site and the only answer I have is – What DON’T we do?

Every bit of it is to help authors. I get it. I am a reader first, so I want you off and working on the next book too. Every thing we do is important andbeneficial, but most of all it’s time consuming and there is a learning curve. So we make it possible for creators to be creative.Since we are so varied I usually open with a consultation so we can match services to your needs and budget. Custom PR and Marketing.

Kimberly: That sounds fantastic, but can authors who haven’t been noticed yet afford the services?

Terry: We have options for every budget, I do not want anyone to be discouraged. There are always ways to get noticed, some free, some paid, but they often require time. Your book may not have hit its stride yet, but balance that with the desire to write, spend family time, and just live. Then decide what is right for you and take away pressure from your day to day. Writing should be fun and that does not need to be sucked dry by the marketing and promo.

Regan: What is included in your NetGalley program?

Terry: The Basic Package with Netgalley is a two month posting of one title. Then the organization of a press pack. These materials will lead Netgalley members to you. Not only for reviews because we want to offer as wide spread promotion as possible. If the interested blogger can’t find a place in their schedule to review your book maybe instead they will offer an interview. They might be willing to take a press release from you and post that information for their readers.

This can be overwhelming. Dealing with so many blogs, so many requests. So we created a program I am calling the Library. PMG will help you organize materials from posts you have already written, materials that we have found online, and direct you to fast and effective means of advertising yourself and your book with out coming off as a used car salesman.

We are your support and allow you to maximize every particle of exposure Netgalley offers.

Kimberly: Where can authors go to get more information or to sign up for the program?

Terry: Details are at PacoMediaGroup.com and we have a special going on the cost of the promotion until Sunday so hurry to book your spot!

Kimberly: Terry, thanks for stopping by and giving us some ideas of how we can get into great promo tools like Netgalley!

So live the adventure, authors and go sign up now!

One of my favorite shows this year has been Person of Interest on CBS. If you like thrillers, intrigue, and a bit of suspense, you’d probably enjoy this show as much as I do.

In last week’s episode the writers ventured into Mr. Reese’s backstory. They’ve shown some snippets and enough proof via his actions about Reese’s moral code (he’s a good guy) and his expertise (via Special Forces, CIA). But this episode really exposed what Reese is all about emotionally.

Ongoing education is part of an author’s life. We learn more about our craft with each draft of our books, through conference workshops, online classes, and feedback from editors and other authors.

But craft, education, and experience can only carry the story so far.

At some point, the heart of the author has to enter into it. We infuse our characters and our plots with a part of ourselves, a facet of our world view, or a peek at our priorities or fantasies.At some point in the process, our personal backstory comes in to play.

No person has the same history or life experience as another. What life throws at us and, more importantly, how we deal with those events makes us unique as individuals. Within a family, even a close family, the same event will affect each person a little differently.

That unique perspective is personal backstory and it influences the way authors tell their stories, no matter what genre they write.

My work is primarily fiction, often set in the future, often with paranormal elements. It’s true people die in my books. Usually the bad guys meet a bad end. That doesn’t mean I have latent lethal tendencies, but like many other authors, I admit I’ve killed off a few frustrations symbolically in my stories.

I have five novels (so far) and several short stories in a series known as the Shadows of Justice series. You’d be right to think I have a thing for seeing wrongs avenged and justice achieved.My stories also explore a strong, abiding love and show characters who venture forward, conquering obstacles (and bad guys).

While my personal backstory has its dark spots just like everyone else’s, my imagination is my most valuable tool in my storytelling. But being raised with love, surrounded by people of integrity willing to step up and confront injustice obviously had a lasting impact.

Live the adventure!

Okay, call me a geek, a fan, or even a fan-geek, but ever since I saw the Avengers movie on Saturday in IMAX 3D I’ve been hard pressed to think of much beyond else but how soon I can go back. This may be the first Mother’s Day when my son won’t groan over what I want to do most.

Don’t worry you won’t find spoilers here – just the shock and awe over the story, the characterization, the world building, and the eye-candy. (hey, I’m human!)

This film was clearly a huge undertaking and the ground work for story and characters has been built brick by brick in the previous movies. But the way it was pulled together for this event, creating a world in which super powered individuals unify as a team was a work of sheer genius.

I wasn’t sure about the villain for this one, but the writers offer up a villain big enough to challenge this talented crew, forcing them to get creative and call on personal as well as team efforts to save (or avenge) humanity.

Personally, I loved the way the characters were portrayed: skills and flaws. Giving each character the screen time to be likeable (or hate-worthy in the case of villains) was a delicate balancing act and I was beyond impressed with the way this super team dealt with one another. From trust issues to clever quips and odd partnerships, the Avengers were amazing.

Fans of alpha female characters will have to look long and hard to find someone to top Black Widow. Not just the physical skills but the mental toughness that keeps her going against impossible odds.

And what a nod to world building! Sure you can set a lot of stories in New York City, but this one is my new favorite. It’s not too dark, thought the threat is deadly. It’s not sappy. There are some campy moments, but they add rather than detract from the whole adventure.

I loved the technology advancements via Tony Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. and the cube previously used by Captain America’s nemesis.

As for the eye candy, well there’s someone delightful to enjoy in every scene – no matter who you are. I think it’s one of the best ploys of the developers of this film. If women weren’t Marvel comic fans before, they’ll be converted by this.

And the guys have plenty of to cheer about with the seriously sexy (and often lethal) female characters.

Fans of action movies, chick flicks, comic heroes, and bulging biceps will all enjoy this film!

Live the adventure!

It’s May! When did that happen? I know, it follows April, but it seems like the days are just flying by lately! So I met the April Reading Romances Challenge and I went over to Reading Romances for the May challenge. There are lots of books out this month by some of my fave authors. Here’s hoping one of them will fit one of the challenge categories below.

TOPICS:1)Read a futuristic or sci-fi romance.

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