Tami Winbush - Writes

Once upon a time in a land far, far, away... Well, maybe not a land, but a time 11 years ago there was a book. And this book was entitled Forgiveness. The premise for it was good, but being a beginning author I just didn’t know what to do, and how to do it properly. This was when I was publishing under the name of A.J. Best. I’d like to think that I have grown as an author, but there are times when self-doubt gets in my way. Here’s what happened... In 2012, I was sitting in a Pizza Hut in a town near me when the email came in. I slid the phone over to my fiance and said, “Here, you open it. I can’t!” When his face didn’t fall or look like he was going to say, “Oh, maybe next time.” I said, “WHAT!” and grabbed the phone right out of his hands. When I read the email, I yelled out, “I’m an author, I sold a book!” The moment was filled with lots of cheers and applause from the neighboring tables (because that’s how small the community is) and I just couldn’t stop smiling. When our pizza ca...

I guess the old adage is true, no good deed goes unpunished. Quinn Chen wakes up still Quinn, but a Fairchild instead of who she thought she truly was. But upon her death and reincarnation becomes friendship, family, and a love that expands not only to the man she was forced to marry but to his land and his people.  Alexia Praks weaves a fantastical tale of new meets old, and old meets new so seamlessly that you can’t help but fall in love. The characters are created such that you can’t even help but to love the one-horned demon child. I can’t wait to see what she has to offer me next.  Once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down, so be prepared.  I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.  ***** What’s a girl to do when she finds herself in a medieval-like world of magic and monsters and is forced to wed an infamous earl? Marries the hunky warrior, of course! Plus saves his citizens, feeds them delectable food, and builds a g...

  Not only do I torment myself with my Paranormal Romance Writing class (who really wants to go to school *me raising my hand and waving it wildly*), but now I'm reading a book by Lewis Jorstad to see what his point of view is on writing a book. I will tell you that I am intrigued by the notion that a book can be written in 10 days. (Please keep in mind that this is the first draft!) Luckily he was smart enough to put a caveat in there giving those of us who are a little sticker shocked that there are multiple ways to work his system. I'm going for a "The Ten WEEK Draft!" method instead.  If he is as good as his website makes him out to be (crossing toes, fingers, and hair on this one) then I'll have a rough first draft before my trip to Puerto Rico in February. I'll even have a full month to work on edits before I have to slow down. I worry though, being a first-time author and all, is this the right way or am I going down the right path? Is his the one or i...

Getting closer to High Falls Gorge It's so nice to have friends come in from out of town to visit so you can get to spend time together scaling one of the tallest peaks (that you can drive to, it is me after all) in NY state - Whiteface Mountain OR sitting here in silence (except when you can't spell the word OR!) doing our own things. So much has been done and so much time has flown by that it's sad to say that W is leaving Monday. And when we weren't up on the mountain we were watching and listening to the water flowing through High Falls Gorge . I can't tell you how many times I said, "I could sit right here and finish my book. I could sit right there with my laptop and finish my book. Now if only I could make that happen, right? Where do you go to find your inner muse? That thing that recharges you? Is it your favorite place to go? We went thrift store hopping all the while hoping that the construction workers would not knock glass on our heads. I walked o...

Yesterday was a good day for writing. I worked through a scene where I really didn't want to be. I think it had a lot to do with not being able to picture how a man would scoop up a woman and feed from her. I asked some of my girlfriends and they all had different points of view on this one, so I went to the source, A MAN!!  It started with a text, "Hey, I need a favor."  Which usually means, "Hey can you do something for me?"  But when he called I threw him for a loop when I said, "When you stop by to pick up the box (another favor I needed him to do for me) could you be a vampire and show me how you'd turn me?" Instead of saying, "What you talklin' about Willis?!" He said, "OK." Talk about super sweet and supportive, that's it right there. How does someone support you when you need it? What's the oddest thing you've asked someone to do for you? (Remember folks, family-friendly blog!)  How do you tell people you...

I LOVE to learn. And in the process of writing my book Blue Rose Night  I started second-guessing myself and my ability to write something worth reading. So I did what I always do when I'm worried about something like that, I take a class. Luckily through my library, I have the ability to take free classes through Universal Class . I was beyond thrilled when I saw that they had a paranormal romance class (my genre). My friends have been telling me that I know how to write, I'm writing. But there is something in me that has really been wondering. One of my more recent lessons was on clichés and stereotypes. I read through the class and took the quiz with no problems. But... when it came down to the written part of the class I was like WTF am I doing? I try so hard to avoid them that the requirement of coming up with three whole paragraphs (as if I don't normally have an overabundance of words flowing all over the place) about undid me. How do I fill in enough cliché and ster...

Sometimes I get in my own way. Or should that have read 'more often than not I get in my own way'? Whichever it happens to be at the time I really need to work on that and so I turn to tools to help me through. Example 1 :         I start writing a book, a good solid one this time, and I put it aside because the little demons in my head come out and say, "You're not good enough. Your other book only sold 50 copies and the reviews were abysmal." Instead of squashing that little voice and telling him to shut the fuck up I give up. Fast forward six long years and I mention to my bestie (waves at Shelly Bean) that I write and I'm in the middle of something. She says, "Read some to me," and I do. She convinces me that it's good and I should keep going. I do some digging around later and I come to find a very useful tool/game/game changer called: 4thewords.com   With this site, you get to battle monsters (personal ones and the ones they provide you wit...