ŷ������

*
I went off to do more research on themes and much to my surprise, many others seem to be as perplexed by this term as myself. Or is it just that I don’t want to feel left out?
I found there were thousands of theme articles on Google (no surprise) and looked for some of the least intimidating.
I liked this one - A theme should be a statement that expresses a universal message. But once I read this list: Birth, Death, Heroism, Escape, Love, Journey, Coming of Age, and Patriotism��. taking these terms literally, they really didn’t describe how the theme of birth for instance would be woven into a fictional story.
Wait…how about the birth of new life-style taking over a pathetic existence lived bya person in the beginning.
Okay, I’m feeling maybe I’m on to something here. Take Death…it could be the death of self-pity or bad behaviour to be replaced with t new attitude because of overwhelming conflicts in the plot.


As I went through each word, I could come up with examples that would work until I tried…Love.
It was the most difficult. Because there are so many themes around love, it’s hard to pin one down. Until I thought of my latest release where my hero, who is suffering with post traumatic stress disorder, hates himself for the things he was forced to do while in combat. He also has an ongoing situation with his mother and father. Issues that he has to deal with are tearing him apart and only love will heal. And our heroine’s biggest lesson is to learn to love the person she is and not the way she looks. ��
Okay…I think I’m getting into it now. If I took every one of the seven topics, I could twist them to fit into my book in some way. In other words, I really don’t believe there is just one theme to a person’s life and therefore there can’t be one theme to a character in a book, or in fact, to the story.
Granted, there might be a main theme, I can accept that. But I honestly believe that a truly well-written piece should have many themes interwoven for complexity and interest. And that for each person who reads the tale, it might mean something different because everyone who is reading it is searching for their own answers.

What do you think? Am I on to something here?




��
*

~~~~
What does the theme mean to a well-written story? I never really understood the concept and so I hoped I’d managed to incorporate it naturally and didn’t let it faze me. I guess I figured my editor would pick up on it if I’d missed it somehow. Yeah - I know - duhhh!!

I knew that each character had to��experience growth��from the beginning to when they reach the final pages.��That the conflicts in the plot should force this. ��And to me, that made sense.

Recently, I read a report about theme being one of the four pillars of a story: setting, characters, plot and you guessed it…theme. This threw me into a total spinout. I mean, have I missed out an important element in my work?

So I began to research what a theme is. Claudia Welch put it into words I could understand when she wrote a piece for the June Romance Writer’s Report. She wrote:

Theme:

* Is a universal truth

* Is defined by a single word or an extremely short phrase
* Is not manacled to plot, character or setting
* Inhabits the plot, not vice versa
* Is what powers a book, it’s the fuel
And that back in the olden days, basic themes would be:

* Man versus man
* Man versus nature
* Man versus self
Nope - I still didn’t get it. So I checked the thesaurus and it says subject, topic, idea, subject matter, argument, premise and thesis. Well that was a big help - not!

So I’m off to do more research.

Any of you want to try explaining it to me in a thousand words or less?
���������� *** Indie Book Blowout - Featuring


ALL BOOKS 99¢ for two days only June 15-16th
Come back tomorrow for DAY 2!EVERY DAY MORE FEATURED TITLES! MORE PRIZES MORE CHANCES TO WIN
The Indie Book Blowout: Feed your book addiction!
And check out an amazing new program Novel Seniors! Win ebooks monthly through Amazon. Win a Kindle!!




~~~~

***

Here I am again in another Free Par-tay with the Indie Book Collective. The more times I’m involved in these par-tay’s the more I realize just how difficult it is nowadays for an author to get her book in front of the people who love to read. I mean if I went and paid for all these ads myself that IBC uses to advertise these free days, I couldn’t possibly afford it.


Because of the organization, our books show up on all the major free sites. They are tweeted and facebooked by close to forty authors who are involved. And I have no doubt�� as I have done here—the others are blogging about the Summer Sizzle to their followers.


Let’s face it!�� Everyone I know is happy to get something for free. Right? And getting books from many Indie best-selling authors is a real treat. Plus it helps the authors by having those book-lovers read their stories, and hopefully, write a review.

So it’s a win-win situation.



Announcing
Summer Sizzler Free Par-Tay
June 13th �� 14th!


Let’s celebrate summer: time to kick back, relax, and read!!!
There’s no better way to ease into it
than with Dozens of Great books that are FREE!
TWO DAYS ONLY
Find romances from sweet to suspenseful to humorous and hot,
Thrillers, Mysteries, Sci-Fi, Historical, Contemporary, YA, Children’s and more!
All FREE!!
Fantastic eBooks, many by award-winning and best-selling authors.


Visit for all the titles, Kindle & gift card
raffle entries, and links!

Join in the Par-Tay! Let’s sizzle!

Today my book "He's Her" will be free so please grab your copy!

~~~~

Coming soon! Summer Sizzle Free Partay featuring "He's Her" - June 13th and 14th!!
Free books for anyone who loves to read!! ~~~~
My apologies for not blogging for a while...see explanation below!!
~~~~

I’m writing this blog to the many people who work from their homes and cannot unplug the computer no matter what. As a busy author, I know the trials of trying to carry on an ordinary life and still complete the hundreds or so little tasks that are always tapping on my back for attention.


I’ve just returned from a trip to face hundreds of e-mails (many of which I’ll just delete but others that need attention), a huge amount of work that I put off before I left, and a guilt that’s ridden my backside since I tried to shut off the valve to my conscience.


I began to wonder if everyone feels this way about leaving their workload to visit family and friends. I mean, when I went to Hawaii a while back, I stayed in a hotel that had WIFI and my precious laptop of course accompanied me to be used during the late hours and early mornings. Therefore, not only did I have a blast, I kept up with the important stuff and didn’t feel as if I’d let myself down.


But the last trip to see my folks was different. They have no computer. Don’t have a clue what WIFI stands for and really didn’t understand why I had to go to the library most days to check my mail. In fact, I believe they rather frowned on my compulsion and I heard them whispering the words hooked and obsessive.


Not true!!


Nowadays, a working author has to have so many balls in the air at one time, that when one drops the others end up who knows where. Then it’s a pain to have to scurry around to gather them back up, flip them in the air and get the rhythm flowing again.


But…having whinged and whined in the previous paragraphs I must add the most important fact. Letting go for a while gives one a healthy dose of reality. So what if the book drops in ranking a bit and does it really matter if the daily word count gets missed for a couple of weeks? Will the world fall apart if the cover editor has to wait a few days or the many e-mails don’t get deleted the day they come in? As hard as it may seem to take a well-deserved break, it is important. Not only to you but to the family who loves you.


Then once you’re back home and working day and night to catch up, well��.then you can bitch!!


Okay - I feel so much better now. Back to work!!
~~~~

Kick Ass Books Present...��
Two Days Only! May 30-31, 2012!!
Celebrate our inaugural event with FREE Books!!!!
Killer titles by Best-Selling and Award-Winning Authors Don't miss out! CONGRATULATIONS!
��WIN PRIZES! AMAZON GIFT CARDS! WIN A KINDLE!!!!!!! No purchase necessary. By clicking on one of the covers to the left OR on one of links below you are entered to win a $15 Amazon Gift Card!!!
Check out TODAY'S Fantastic FEATURED free books: Featured Romance
Featured Mystery/Thriller/Horror
Featured Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy
More Featured Mystery/Thriller/Horror
Check out more freebies at

Introducing Novel Seniors!
We are gifting ebooks monthly through Amazon for anyone 55+ that are signed up for the Novel Seniors Newsletter. And the giving doesn't stop there! Open your free book for chances to win the grand prize kindle!! So if you or someone you know is fab 55+ head over to and sign up for our newsletter. Don't be surprised if you're randomly chosen to receive free bonus ebooks! ��

Was Spring Fling Free ParTay and Indie Book Blowout Broke a Success?

~~~~~

You Bet!
Across the board we broke all records.


This was our strongest “across the board�� Free ParTay to date


By the end of the SECOND DAY fully 75 % of our 32 titles were UNDER 100 on Amazon’s Free List
AND every one of our titles was UNDER 200 on
Amazon’s Free List


SEVEN Rock Stars
Tasted the sweet air in the
TOP TEN FREE
And stayed there throughout the promotion.
AND a total of 19 titles were under 30 on the Free List for all of Free ParTay!


We had a number of genuine rock stars!


Helen Thomas, our first British writer in Free ParTay, rocketed up to #1 on Amazon’s Free list with �� Unbreak My Heart “and stayed in the top three spots throughout Free ParTay. Helen was wonderfully surprised and modest at hitting the top spot. Like all of the authors, she credits IBC for her success.


“What a fantastic experience it's been to take part in the Free Par-Tay run by IBC. Everything I learned in Carolyn McCray's informative workshops helped me maximize my promotional efforts. I ended up making #1 in the Kindle store—amazing! But I wouldn't have done it without the tireless support and expertise of IBC. Indie collaboration at its best!"


Thank you for everything. Taking part in the Free Partay has been exciting and an eye-opener. I shall be signing up for the next one with my new book for sure��.


Helen Scott Taylor “Unbreak My Heart


Regina Griffin, author of �������� has a remarkable story to tell. Landing in the top 5 from an inauspicious beginning confirms that conclusion.


“The 2012 Spring Fling Free Partay and IBB events were the thrill rides of my lifetime. I cannot find adequate words to account for Carolyn McCray's brilliance and knowledge of what it takes for indie authors to tread the deep, ominous waters of successful book promoting Two weeks before my participation in the Spring Fling event, my book "ISH" was ranked at 690,760. As of Sunday, May 13, 2012 "ISH" had achieved its greatest success since being published in February 2011. My event highlights were hitting #1 on US Amazon's Humor list , Best of all, I got to smell the crisp air in the Top 100 clouds, when my book sprang to its #4 spot ---in less than 48 hours!
�� It was a momentous occasion in every aspect! In the end though, the true attribute must be paid to Carolyn McCray, the wizard and brainchild behind an event that cannot be described as anything less than LIFE ALTERING. Hail to the queen��


Regina Griffin, ��������


In addition to the top spot on the overall list, many of our authors raced to the top of their genre specific lists.�� Katherine�� Owen’s �� When I See You�� ��that was in the top ten for most of the promotion, scored #1 on U.S, Drama. Signe Pike’s �� Native Water�� hit #1 on the Poetry the first day.


Many authors noted with pleasure that their other titles were also getting a boost. Stephanie Bond’s sequel XXX sold 615 copies at $3.99 during the promotion. One of Rita Heron’s other titles, �� Here Comes the Bride �� sold a whopping 903 books during Free ParTay.


A true success story was Pat Mason, who along with S.J. Byrne are the key volunteers on Free ParTay and IBB. Pat’s new release, “In Deep Shitake�� took a number of prizes. In addition to getting into the top five on the Free List and staying there throughout, Pat scored #1 Hot New Release in Mystery Thriller �� Women Sleuths and #10 Mystery Thriller How New Release. At one time she was #1 onMovers and Shakers and is still on the list along with Helen Brandon’s ��Dunaway’s Crossing�� Rita Heron’s “Husband Hunting 101�� and Stephanie Bond’s “In Deep Voodoo.��


Pat sums up her feelings about IBC”S Spring ParTay in words we heard echoed again and again.
“Participating in several Free Par-Tays has been transformative. Carolyn McCray's insights and mentoring, and the work of the IBC's amazing staff, allowed me to take my writing career to not just another level, but another dimension. I credit Carolyn McCray with giving me the tools and techniques I needed to put my novels on several kindle genre bestseller lists, thus reaching readers with my work. I'm so grateful to have found this extraordinary group of caring professionals who are so devoted to advancing indie authors��.
Pat Mason “In Deep Shitake��
WHAT’S NEXT?


Are we resting on our laurels? Never! Already we are hard at work planning our next Free Par-Tay and Indie Book Blowout, Summer Sizzle Free ParTay, June 13 -14 followed by Summer Sizzle IBB June 15-16.




As always there is an intrinsic, less “measureable�� aspect of our Free ParTay /IBB events. That is the camaraderie, support and commitment we all had to each other’s success. When the great numbers came in, we roared with approval.�� When someone started to slip, the gang went into high gear with extra tweets and pats on the back. Not only that, but as a group we “liked�� and “tagged�� every book in the promotion and many of our authors are hard at work exchanging reviews!


Gerri Russell, author of The Warrior Trainerand one of our valued Team Captains, summed up what she valued most like this:
We all have much better traction than we ever could have alone.We raised our profile and our rankings on Amazon both Free and Paid.We sold books!We made friends! And we bettered our careers for the long haul!


Free Books for Seniors June 1st - Sign on!

~~~~
It is my great pleasure to introduce you to a new friend of mine, and a wonderful writer, Nancy Brandon. Her debut book Dunaway's Crossing has been one of my favourite books to read lately and I highly recommend it. Out of 34 reviews it has 32 - 5stars! Phenomenal!

~~~~

Someday Is Always Now!


���������������������� Two months after releasing my debut novel, the heady feeling of being an author has not abated. Readers email me with compliments or write positive reviews on my Amazon page, and I must remind myself that I'm not dreaming. People out there really like my book!
���������������������� And it only took me forty-five years.
���������������������� So why did it take so long to release the story I'd always wanted to write? Part of the reason had to do with craft. Although I'd published academic articles and textbooks before, I had to hone my fiction writing skills. For a couple of years I worked on another novel just to change my writing habits and narrative voice. Then for three years and through numerous writing group conversations, I revised--even rewrote a couple of times--Dunaway's Crossing until it was a work I felt ready to be shared with a wider audience.
���������������������� But another reason was a naive, hidden procrastination with which many people can identify at some time or another. I call it the someday factor. Someday I'll run a marathon. Someday I'll get my college degree. Someday I'll get married and have children.
���������������������� Someday I'll write a novel.
���������������������� Fortunately, a conversation with renowned writer Richard Selzer cured me of the someday factor. Six years ago, Selzer, author of , , and , came to my city, Savannah, as the guest author of that year's common read. As part of the organizing committee, I had the pleasure of conversing with Selzer a number of times. During our conversations, Selzer told me that he'd started writing at the age of forty, during the later stage of his successful career as a surgeon and med school professor. He advised me to keep up with my writing, that it was never too late to get started.
���������������������� That's when it hit me: I was thirty-nine years old. I'd be forty in a couple of months. When did I expect someday to arrive?��
���������������������� That night I sat down at my computer and started typing. I joined a writing group. I attended workshops. I read books about the art of writing fiction. I attended more workshops. And I wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote some more.
���������������������� Much of the feedback I received on my drafts helped me to sharpen my details, develop my characters, organize my scenes, and create chapter endings to keep readers turning pages. And finally, this past winter, I was finished. But believe it or not, I suffered a relapse of the someday factor.
���������������������� Someday I'll publish my novel.
���������������������� One side of my brain knew I had to make that publication happen, but still, I did nothing. I behaved as if somehow the novel would get released all by itself. Perhaps the other side of my brain was afraid of rejection or bad reviews. Perhaps it was afraid of the unknown. Perhaps I was too busy teaching college classes and raising two sons. Whatever the reason, I finished my novel, hit the "save" button and went on about my life.
���������������������� And then I had the pleasure of interviewing another notable author, Jonathan Rabb, author of , , and Rabb described to me a certain confidence writers must possess in order to succeed with this kind of art form. Not only do they have to believe their stories are worth telling, but they must also believe their stories are good enough for others to pay for the pleasure of reading them. And that's when I realized nobody would read my story if I didn't make it available to be read.
���������������������� I realized that someday is now.
���������������������� So here I am, with a novel on Kindle's best seller list and another story in the making, still a little amazed that Dunaway's Crossing has progressed all the way through the writing and publication process. I guess now I'm experiencing the pinch me factor. Still, I know I'm not cured of the someday factor. The only way I can avoid a relapse is consistent writing and consistent feedback from my writing group. And for that reason, I set daily goals for my writing and dedicate a specific block of time each day toward meeting those goals. Someday is always now.



Nancy Brandon was raised in middle Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia. For the past twenty years, she has taught college English in Savannah, where she lives with her husband and two children. Dunaway's Crossing is her first novel. Find more information about Nancy Brandon at .

���������������������� ��



***Please leave your e-mail address��for a chance to win an e-book copy of Dunaway's Crossing. I'm sure you've all had the "Someday" factor rear it's cheeky head in your own lives. I know I have, multiple times.��Like "Someday" I'm going to re-write the first book I ever wrote....!!

~~~~

~~~~
Fill your e-readers with...
Wonderful books from different genres!



Welcome to Indie Book Collective's amazing new program: We are excited to offer free ebooks to you, our most cherished readers.

At least once a month we will donate free, yes we said FREE ebooks through Amazon.com to seniors that are signed up for our newsletter.


And not just one book!! Heck no! If you claim your book within the first hour we may send you another... and another, and another .

Every book you claim within the first hour of the giveaway will also give you 5 more chances to win a $25 gift card AND 5 chances to win our grand prize a KINDLE!


***When I first��saw that the Indie Book Collective had organized this monthly event, I felt really proud to be associated with the group. Let's face it it - today money is tight, especially for our seniors. They need all the help��possible to be able to read books they love and get them free. I gladly signed up for the first promotion and know that many other authors will be��willing to do the same. I do realize there are always free books available on Amazon, but��by signing up for the newsletter the book choice��comes to them...no boring search is involved. Just a click of a button and��the books are delivered. So easy!
So if your mom or dad, grandmother or grandfather, old friend or neighbour is an avid reader and never seems to have enough to read, tell��them about the site and let him or her��sign up before June 1st.

~~~~

***
I have the pleasure to introduce you to a new friend of mine that I met at the recent Spring Fling Partay. Her name is Michelle Hughes and she writes books that will make you sit up and take notice. Her latest "" is a great read for anyone who likes book with vampires and great writing!



Thanks so much Mimi for letting me come over to your blog and talk a little about myself.


What made you decide to become a writer?
I'm not sure if I decided to become a writer or if all the dreams I had inside of myself decided for me.�� I have been writing short stories since I was young girl and after a twelve year career as a singer/songwriter had ended I needed some way to fulfill my need to entertainer while still keeping close to home.�� A Night at Tears of Crimson was my first real attempt at putting together a book that I could share with the public.
Being on a stage performing must be different than writing for an audience that you don't see.�� Tell us how these two entertainment venues have changed your style.
Surprising enough they aren't that different.�� In my singing days I would lose myself in the songs and forget the crowd.�� With writing, it's just about being able to lose yourself without the added distraction of people cheering while you do it.�� The instant gratification I found in applause is now found with a great book review.�� I have to say the negative reviews are a bit of a blow to my ego though.�� In the music world I wasn't subjected to the negatives.
Why Vampires? I've noticed you have another book out besides the two paranormal romances and are you leaning toward that direction now?
Tears of Crimson is actually from reoccurring dreams I've had since I was young teenager, so I just say I didn't have a choice when it came to Vampires or not.�� As far as my other book, Defying the Sheikh, well it was another dream I had and I felt it needed to be written.�� I don't consider myself just a paranormal romance writer.�� I love romance, no matter what format it is written in.�� Honestly I'm just going to keep writing what I dream about.�� I feel like if it fills my dreams then it must be something that other people have at least thought about.
I've noticed you do many book reviews and even created a site for new authors to debut their books, tell me about that?
I love to read, even though these days it's not as much as I would like.�� Writing takes up much of my time and I always worry when I'm working on a project that I'll be influenced by other books.�� Until I've cemented out an outline for a book I'm working on, I'll stay clear of other books in the same genre I'm writing in.�� Thankfully I have a strong love of most romances and there are plenty of books I can read that won't touch on my topics.
As far as , I started that site in the hopes that other new authors would have a platform to share their work.���� It's a very competitive market out there and getting people to share your new book is not easy.�� If you're a new author it's even tougher.�� I've had some incredible people jump on board to help with this group and have to say without their help it would just be a dream.��
Your Tears of Crimson Vampire Series recently became a bestseller on Kindle, how did that make you feel?
There is no comparison on how you feel when you finally see your book up there with authors that you've respected for years.�� I think the greatest feeling was seeing my book in the Vampire Bestseller rankings with Charlaine Harris.�� She's always been one of my favorite writers and I admit I actually took a screen shot to savor the moment.��
The first book in this series was actually published in 2009, so after three years it's been a dream come true seeing it finally get some recognition.
How did you come up with the world of Singe Tsigan?
The first dream I had of Rafe and Cara was actually on this other world.�� It was a dream I will never forget because it was so vivid.�� During this dream I could actually smell the scent of roses and felt my feet walking down the pebbled path toward his castle.�� I have to admit that this dream still haunts me today.�� Rafe was standing at the end of a portal and holding his hand out to me, inviting me into his world.�� Once I accepted his hand, the dreams grew in intensity and most of the time I feel like I'm just telling the story of what I saw there.
That must have been a very strong impression for you to still remember it after all these years?
I can't even explain how deeply that dream effected me, or still does today.�� Some nights it's so real that I find myself unhappy to wake up back in my real life.�� All the characters in my book are almost real to me since I've dreamed about them all these years.
So how long will you continue to write about the Tears of Crimson Vampire bar?
Honestly I can't say.�� I had thought to end this series with the last book coming out in late 2012, but have since began to rethink that.�� As long as the dreams continue, I guess I'll continue to write.�� I'm also focusing on a few other books that have been on my mind lately.�� So while I will continue to write about Tears of Crimson, you can expect other books that will venture away from the vampire romance as well.
Where can we find out more about what your writing and buy the books you currently have on sale?
All the information about the Tears of Crimson Books are available on my site:���� for other books that I'm working on I'll be posting to my author page at ��I also spend a lot of time on twitter @MichelleHughes_ and facebook �� if you can't find me at one of those places then feel free to email me at [email protected] !

***

�� ����

***
I have the pleasure to introduce you to a new friend of mine that I met at the recent Spring Fling Partay. Her name is Michelle Hughes and she writes books that will make you sit up and take notice. Her latest "" is a great read for anyone who likes book with vampires and great writing!



Thanks so much Mimi for letting me come over to your blog and talk a little about myself.


What made you decide to become a writer?
I'm not sure if I decided to become a writer or if all the dreams I had inside of myself decided for me.�� I have been writing short stories since I was young girl and after a twelve year career as a singer/songwriter had ended I needed some way to fulfill my need to entertainer while still keeping close to home.�� A Night at Tears of Crimson was my first real attempt at putting together a book that I could share with the public.
Being on a stage performing must be different than writing for an audience that you don't see.�� Tell us how these two entertainment venues have changed your style.
Surprising enough they aren't that different.�� In my singing days I would lose myself in the songs and forget the crowd.�� With writing, it's just about being able to lose yourself without the added distraction of people cheering while you do it.�� The instant gratification I found in applause is now found with a great book review.�� I have to say the negative reviews are a bit of a blow to my ego though.�� In the music world I wasn't subjected to the negatives.
Why Vampires? I've noticed you have another book out besides the two paranormal romances and are you leaning toward that direction now?
Tears of Crimson is actually from reoccurring dreams I've had since I was young teenager, so I just say I didn't have a choice when it came to Vampires or not.�� As far as my other book, Defying the Sheikh, well it was another dream I had and I felt it needed to be written.�� I don't consider myself just a paranormal romance writer.�� I love romance, no matter what format it is written in.�� Honestly I'm just going to keep writing what I dream about.�� I feel like if it fills my dreams then it must be something that other people have at least thought about.
I've noticed you do many book reviews and even created a site for new authors to debut their books, tell me about that?
I love to read, even though these days it's not as much as I would like.�� Writing takes up much of my time and I always worry when I'm working on a project that I'll be influenced by other books.�� Until I've cemented out an outline for a book I'm working on, I'll stay clear of other books in the same genre I'm writing in.�� Thankfully I have a strong love of most romances and there are plenty of books I can read that won't touch on my topics.
As far as , I started that site in the hopes that other new authors would have a platform to share their work.���� It's a very competitive market out there and getting people to share your new book is not easy.�� If you're a new author it's even tougher.�� I've had some incredible people jump on board to help with this group and have to say without their help it would just be a dream.��
Your Tears of Crimson Vampire Series recently became a bestseller on Kindle, how did that make you feel?
There is no comparison on how you feel when you finally see your book up there with authors that you've respected for years.�� I think the greatest feeling was seeing my book in the Vampire Bestseller rankings with Charlaine Harris.�� She's always been one of my favorite writers and I admit I actually took a screen shot to savor the moment.��
The first book in this series was actually published in 2009, so after three years it's been a dream come true seeing it finally get some recognition.
How did you come up with the world of Singe Tsigan?
The first dream I had of Rafe and Cara was actually on this other world.�� It was a dream I will never forget because it was so vivid.�� During this dream I could actually smell the scent of roses and felt my feet walking down the pebbled path toward his castle.�� I have to admit that this dream still haunts me today.�� Rafe was standing at the end of a portal and holding his hand out to me, inviting me into his world.�� Once I accepted his hand, the dreams grew in intensity and most of the time I feel like I'm just telling the story of what I saw there.
That must have been a very strong impression for you to still remember it after all these years?
I can't even explain how deeply that dream effected me, or still does today.�� Some nights it's so real that I find myself unhappy to wake up back in my real life.�� All the characters in my book are almost real to me since I've dreamed about them all these years.
So how long will you continue to write about the Tears of Crimson Vampire bar?
Honestly I can't say.�� I had thought to end this series with the last book coming out in late 2012, but have since began to rethink that.�� As long as the dreams continue, I guess I'll continue to write.�� I'm also focusing on a few other books that have been on my mind lately.�� So while I will continue to write about Tears of Crimson, you can expect other books that will venture away from the vampire romance as well.
Where can we find out more about what your writing and buy the books you currently have on sale?
All the information about the Tears of Crimson Books are available on my site:���� for other books that I'm working on I'll be posting to my author page at ��I also spend a lot of time on twitter @MichelleHughes_ and facebook �� if you can't find me at one of those places then feel free to email me at [email protected] !

***

�� ����