Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Guest post with T.M. Franklin


About T.M. Franklin

T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. After writing and unsuccessfully querying a novel that she now admits, “is not that great,” she decided to follow the advice of one of the agents who turned her down—write some more and get better at it. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, is mom to two boys, Justin and Ryan, and has an enormous black dog named Rocky who’s always lying nearby while she’s writing. Whether he’s soothed by the clicking of the computer keys or just waiting for someone to rub his belly is up for debate.

In addition to MORE, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short story, Window, as well as another short story, A Piece of Cake, which appears in the Romantic Interludes anthology. The sequel to MORE, The Guardians, will be released in the fall of 2013.

Connect with T.M. Franklin

Website | Facebook | Twitter  | Goodreads    


About MORE

Ava Michaels used to think she was special.

As a child, she fantasized about having magical powers . . . making things happen. But Ava grew up and eventually accepted the fact that her childish dreams were just that, and maybe a normal life wasn't so bad after all.

Now a young college student, Ava meets Caleb Foster, a brilliant and mysterious man who’s supposed to help her pass physics, but in reality has another mission in mind. What he shows Ava challenges her view of the world, shaking it to its very core.

Because Caleb isn't quite what he seems. In fact, he's not entirely human, and he's not the only one.

Together, the duo faces a threat from an ancient race bound to protect humans, but only after protecting their own secrets—secrets they fear Ava may expose. Fighting to survive, Ava soon learns she's not actually normal . . . she's not even just special.

She's a little bit more. 




About The Guardians: Book Two in the MORE Trilogy
(Coming Fall 2013)

Ava’s life is . . . complicated.
After all, it’s not every day a girl learns she’s not entirely human, or unlocks hidden powers strong enough to make even the First Race sit up and take notice. After surviving an attempted kidnapping and standing up to the Race’s Ruling Council, Ava Michaels returns to college and what she hopes is a normal life. But Ava quickly realizes that for her, normal may not even exist anymore.
In fact, the Council wants her under their control, and they’re not the only ones. The mysterious Rogues have a plan of their own, and it turns out Ava’s a big part of it, whether she wants to be or not.
On top of that, her new relationship is tested in ways she never expected. Her boyfriend, Caleb Foster, has disappeared—accused of betraying the Race—and Ava herself stands implicated in a crime she didn’t commit.
Clearing their names will mean uncovering a web of deceit and intrigue with Ava woven right in the center. To unravel the strands, she joins forces with some unlikely allies; a Protector who once haunted her nightmares, a young girl with secrets as unexpected as Ava’s, and a group of rebel Guardians who have their own fight against the Council.
Together they stand in a battle to find the truth, bring Caleb home, and secure Ava’s freedom—not to mention save her life.




About Romantic Interludes

The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House gives its readers seven spicy, sweet, and sassy stories guaranteed to satisfy.

What happens when the God of love is smitten by a mortal woman? Or when a marine comes home from overseas and wants a second chance with the one he let get away?

From a greeting card writer who hates Valentine’s Day, to a matchmaker who doesn’t believe in love, to a young couple who has to face fears from the past before then can accept their future – Romantic Interludes includes seven tales of love from these authors:

Lissa Bryan
Suzy Duffy
T.M. Franklin
Allie Jean
Sandi Layne
Sydney Logan
Jennifer Schmidt

Whether in an emergency room or flower shop, love is in the air. From first glances to second chances, this bundle of romantic stories will get your heart racing!




About Window

Chloe Blake has a unique gift, an odd connection to her house that results in glimpses of the past, present, and future via the picture window in her living room. Unfortunately, it’s a gift that sometimes proves to be more of a curse. Especially when she tries to help out Ethan Reynolds, the gorgeous boy who lives across the street – an endeavor that, for some reason, always seems to backfire. Or leave her covered in mud.

But the house is convinced Ethan’s life is in danger and Chloe’s the only one who can save him. The problem is, he thinks she’s more than a little crazy.






How Do You Find the Time?

Like many writers, I spend a lot of time on social media—Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Pinterest. You name it and I have an account, although I use each of them to varying degrees. I came across a post in a daily update from one of them (I can’t remember which at the moment) entitled, “How Do You Find Time to Write?” It made me stop for a moment, mid keystroke, because it’s something I’m often asked, and something I’ve been particularly contemplating lately.

It’s easy to get caught up in the marketing machine of pushing a book—promotional campaigns, giveaways, discount days, review requests—and let the actual writing fall to the wayside, something to do tomorrow when the To Do list has dwindled to a manageable level.

But the fact of the matter is, when it comes to writing, I’m most successful not when I find time to write, but when I make time to write. Back when I started my first novel, MORE, I almost didn’t. I had signed up for National Novel Writing Month in November of 2011. NaNoWriMo, if you’re not familiar with it, is a commitment to write a novel of 50,000 words in one month. That’s 1,667 words a day. And you’re supposed to write each and every day.

Well, October 31st rolled around and my outline still wasn’t complete, but I decided to forge ahead and start writing anyway. Long story short, I made the 50,000 words (actually closer to 65,000) by making myself write at least 1,667 words each and every day. I never missed a day. I finished MORE early in 2012, and it was published that October, less than a year since I started it. None of that would have happened if I hadn’t jumped in with both feet and just made myself write.

Now, I know that it’s easier said than done. Like many indie-published writers I have a husband. I have kids. I have another job. I have a life that demands I pay attention to it and doesn’t always appreciate me retreating to my world of imaginary people.

But if you love doing something—whether it’s writing, drawing, music, or model train building—don’t wait for real life to calm down enough so you have time to do it. Take a little time on a regular basis—maybe not every day, but an hour a week? Twice a week? And let yourself do what you love. Make yourself do what you love. Make it a priority.

Because let’s face it, unless you’re Cinderella, dreams don’t come true unless you make them.


How do you find the time to do the things you love? Share your suggestions in the comments! 






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