My first snow in three years

Today is October 29. Imagine that it snowed in VA.

Maybe for you who live in the North it's a bit unusual, but for me who flew last night to VA,  from Florida, from an 80 degree weather in Fort Lauderdale, it's...it's simply unbearable. I've been freezing for the last twenty-four hours. My daughter has heating in her house, but the sight of the beautiful flakes flying outside somehow makes me shiver. Beautiful, but chilling.

Inside the house, there are gorgeous Halloween decorations everywhere. Black bats on the windows, Scarecrows on the deck. Skeletons and pumpkins in the front yard.

Today I helped two little girls, seven and five, carve a huge pumpkin. I think we did a good job. I cleaned the inside of the fruit, separated the seeds from the pulp. I washed the seeds and roasted them in the oven. I have been munching on these seeds all day, and teaching the girls how to crack the pumpkin seeds and eat the inside of the seed only. I've tried to make a pie with the pulp but failed miserably. No one liked my concoction, even with cinnamon and sugar.

After lunch, my oldest granddaughter wanted to go out and buy white cobweb to spread over the bushes. No way was I going to drive under the snow. I stopped ten years ago when I moved to FL. but my son-in-law, good daddy that he is, drove us. The girls bought all what they wanted. We celebrated his birthday with an ice cream cake, and now he and my daughter are out for dinner.

Tonight I'm babysitting. While I'm finally checking emails and blogs, the girls went through the Halloween candies to be distributed to the neighborhood kids. Tomorrow I'll replace them.

It was a lovely pre-Halloween day.

Special at amazon.com for $0.99

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A lie that brings a smile... or the truth that draws tears?

Dr. Olivia Crane lives a quiet life. No one questions why she doesn’t socialize or where she spends her weekends. When the visiting physician from France strolls into her office, with open arms and a confident smile, her perfect control is about to crumble. He’s Luc George, the man she loved ten years ago. Should she return his scorching kisses, or should she lock her door before he digs into her many secrets?

Secret daughter, secret friend, secret enemy. Had Luc really known his sweet Olivia back then? He wants her back, but he wants the truth too. Now, Olivia has to face her past before she can grab her second chance.

My Preferences

I can read anywhere if I can manage to create reading time but as it happens, most of my reading takes place in a plane or at the airport when I travel, or just before going to bed at home.

Because I write contemporary romances, romantic suspense and medical romances, I read these genres to study the market, but I read historicals to relax. Recently I developed a liking for paranormals, and particularly for werewolves, after reading Stephanie Burkhart’s The Wolf’s Torment, The Hungarian, and the Count’s Lair.

If I have to choose between short length, full-length and novella, I prefer full-length novels— if well written. Lowering my head in embarrassment, because if the book isn’t well written, I can’t continue reading after three or four chapters. I rarely read novellas. They finish too early for my taste. Category books are perfect for character-driven stories.

Most of the books I read are in third point-of-view, but I read a few that were fantastic in first point-of-view, Courting Danger, a short romantic suspense, by Carol Stephenson, that I read in one sitting, and the hilarious comedy, Replacing Barnie by Patrice Wilton.

My greatest fear after becoming a published author has been, and still is, the need to promote until death. Particularly participating in live chats. Strange, since giving presentations at conferences or meetings was part of my job description as a director of analytical chemistry. But chat... I was literally in panic mode at my first author’s chat, hoping no one would show up so that I could run away and hide. But many friends were there, holding my hand. I relaxed and enjoyed the chat immensely.

My hope is to share wonderful stories with my readers and take them around the world through my stories. In contemporary romances, readers can relate to the characters, their conflicts and emotions. My stories tackle problems that are real and often emotional. But I always lighten the drama with humor.

I was told by reviewers that I create unforgettable characters in unique settings.
The Romance Studio chose TO LOVE A HERO as Sweetheart of the Week. ~ Ms. Risk is one of those authors who puts together a tale that captivates from first page to last.

Night Owl Romance chose FRENCH PERIL as Recommended Read. ~Mona Risk will pull you in with her amazing characters and in-depth twisting suspense... Travel has never been this suspenseful nor this cheap!

The Long and The Short Reviews chose BABIES IN THE BARGAIN as Best Book of The Week. Ms. Risk has done an outstanding job with Babies in the Bargain and is a very talented writer who gives the reader what they are after.

Happy Ever After gave a MUST BUY to NO  MORE LIES: “A wonderfully written book about true love and the rarity of second chances.”

2011 EPPIE Award Finalist and Readers Favorite 2010 Best Contemporary Romance.

Special at amazon.com for $0.99

http://tinyurl.com/3lenmfd

A lie that brings a smile... or the truth that draws tears?
Dr. Olivia Crane lives a quiet life. No one questions why she doesn’t socialize or where she spends her weekends. When the visiting physician from France strolls into her office, with open arms and a confident smile, her perfect control is about to crumble. He’s Luc George, the man she loved ten years ago. Should she return his scorching kisses, or should she lock her door before he digs into her many secrets?

Secret daughter, secret friend, secret enemy. Had Luc really known his sweet Olivia back then? He wants her back, but he wants the truth too. Now, Olivia has to face her past before she can grab her second chance.

What are your preferences about reading and writing?

Reach More Readers

Mark Cocker, Founder of Smashwords teaches serious writers how to reach more readers in his coming ebook, The Seven Secrets To Ebook Publishing Success.

Secret #1-- Write a great book.

Ninety percent of your book’s success is determined by its quality . The other ten percent is marketing and luck. If your book is poorly edited or poorly conceived, readers will reject it. If you write a great book that satisfies readers, they will reward you with their word-of-mouth. Don’t rush your book before it’s ready to be read. A good cover image adds to the reader’s enjoyment of the book.

Secret #2-- Write another great book. each new book gives the author an opportunity to reach new readers and earn their trust. At the end of each book, add a section titled, “other books by this author”. Think of each book as a fish hook in the ocean. Each book is an advertisement for the others.

Series writers are among the most successful. Once a reader becomes emotionally invested in a series, they’ll want to read the complete series. Don’t cut corners. Don’t divide a single full-length book into multiple shorter ebooks. Readers hate this and they will review your book poorly.

Secret #3-- Maximize distribution. If your book is not broadly distributed, it’s not discoverable and purchasable. With ebooks, never choose one retailer over another. Choose them all.

Secret #4-- Give some of your books for free. Free books receive 20-30 times more hits than paid books. If you have a series, offer the first title of the series for free. Hook the reader.

Secret #5-- Patience is a virtue. Ebooks never go out of print. Sometimes a book starts poorly for months, and then suddenly takes off. Give your book time to develop a solid base of reviews.

Give readers the option to shop where they like, and offer direct link to each retailer.

Secret # 6-- Trust your partners and readers. Writers often worry about things that don’t exist. Control the urge. Don’t be afraid of piracy. Let you readers share your ebooks with their friends. Trust your readers. Some bestselling authors consider piracy as a form of marketing.

Secret #7-- Marketing starts yesterday. If you wait until your book launch to start marketing your book, you’re too late. The moment you start writing a book, you should start marketing yourself, the author.

Cultivate your social network. The idea is not to attract thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook so you can spam them with with solicitations for your book. Instead, contribute to the success of fellow authors. They are your partners, not your competitors. Enlist them as members of your volunteer work force.

Books are a word of mouth business, and always will be.

Special at amazon.com for $0.99

http://tinyurl.com/3lenmfd

A lie that brings a smile... or the truth that draws tears?

Dr. Olivia Crane lives a quiet life. No one questions why she doesn’t socialize or where she spends her weekends. When the visiting physician from France strolls into her office, with open arms and a confident smile, her perfect control is about to crumble. He’s Dr. Luc George, the man she loved ten years ago. Should she return his scorching kisses, or should she lock her door before he digs into her many secrets?

Secret daughter, secret friend, secret enemy. Had Luc really known his sweet Olivia back then? He wants her back, but he wants the truth too. Now, Olivia has to face her past before she can grab her second chance.

About Blog Posts

Are blog guest posts worth your time? according to Tracee Gleichner, Founder and CEO, Literal Exposure.


Are guest posts necessary to make a virtual book tour successful? Are they necessary to get your name out there or to help market your book?

No, but that doesn't mean that they are not beneficial on many levels.

What can you do to ensure your post is up to par?

It's your opportunity to shine and show the audience your style. Have fun and try to be original. Being creative is the key to making the audience sit back and get to know you.

There are some guidelines when writing a post:
Length of post: Between 250-500 words. People who follow blogs have limited time. Keeping the post short won't encourage them to skip to the next post on their list.

Links: Always plug yourself and your book. It is important to include pictures and links to any site you want to highlight. At a minimum have a link to your website and to your purchasing site.

Key words: Choose carefully. If you use generic words such as fiction, paranormal, fantasy...it will be hard to get your name to the top of the search engine.

Title: Try to make it something that will catch the eye of the reader.

Show a different side: You probably want to talk about your book. But Tracee
suggests writing about something totally different. You can incorporate our book, but show a different side. Maybe a favorite hobby? A bad experience? Things like that make you engage with the readers.

The New way to market according to David Wilk, Creative Management Partners:
It’s all about relationship building. It’s all center around the author, not around the book.
Important marketing tools: Author blog; Author newsletter; Facebook presence; Twitter; Goodreads; Amazon Author Central; Book video or trailer; YouTube;Email marketing; Amazon / B&BN placement; Reading groups’ E-samplers.

Special at amazon.com for $0.99
http://tinyurl.com/3lenmfd

A lie that brings a smile... or the truth that draws tears?


Dr. Olivia Crane lives a quiet life. No one questions why she doesn’t socialize or where she spends her weekends. When the visiting physician from France strolls into her office, with open arms and a confident smile, her perfect control is about to crumble. He’s Dr. Luc George, the man she loved ten years ago. Should she return his scorching kisses, or should she lock her door before he digs into her many secrets?

Secret daughter, secret friend, secret enemy. Had Luc really known his sweet Olivia back then? He wants her back, but he wants the truth too. Now, Olivia has to face her past before she can grab her second chance.

NOVELISTS, Inc Conference

NEW TOOLS,  NEW RULES

Ninc, 22nd Annual Conference, at the TradeWinds Island Resort, St. Pete Beach, FL

The Ninc is an organization for published authors and industrial professionals.

The title of this conference was:
The New Publishing: Welcome To Tomorrow

Hundred and sixty-eight people attended, mostly published authors and some publishers and marketing specialists.

On this panel from left to right:

Mark Coker: Founder and CEO, Smashwords.

Liz Scheier: Editorial Director, Digital Content, Barnes & Noble. com

Linda Quinton: VP of marketing , Tor-Forge

Don Weisberg: President, Penguin Young Readers

David wilk, Creative Management Partners.

The speakers on the first panel explained what traditional publishers still offer.What alternative publishers do? How sustainable is self-publishing?

Don Weisberg-- Opportunities for writers are greater but also more difficult. Penguin works with authors as a partnership. They don't look for a book but for an author to develop.

Linda Quinton--she loves to spend time working with the community, talking and listening to what they love.

Lou Aronica, publisher of The Story Plant-- small press focuses on one area. They know where the readers are and they don't mind working all the hours of day and night. Digital opened more sales. according to him, authors should focus on one genre to develop readership. Readers are more interested in things than we give them credit for.

Caolyn Pittis, senior VP at Harper Collins--They have seen a lot of changes. There are two markets: Value Market that gives bestsellers and seller markets.
Editors and readers alike want to be touched by what you write. Books with vampires or such characters are more likely to be pirated.

Mark Coker: Founder of Smashwords: He and his wife wrote a novel that was rejected by publishers. He ended up publishing it on his own, then he published two books for friends, the year after he published 100 books, and the year after 80,000 ebooks! It's a great time to publish ebooks. Publishers and editors acquire what they think will sell, but they release it after 10-16 months. By then the readers look for something else. Also self-published authors set more realistic prices than publishers. Consumers are looking for less expensive. Blog about subjects related to your book.

Liz Scheier: Barnes &Noble sells150,00 ebooks a day.

From Left to right: Thubten Comerford, CEO WePost Media
Tracee Gleichner: Founder and CEO, Literal Exposure
Joan Schulhafer: Publishing; Media Consulting

Whether you're working with a publishing house or on your own, you have to find your readers. This is easier and harder than ever. You either need money or time to do it.You can use a publicist to help you. The people above are expert in the field.

They do the advertising for you, while you keep writing. Price: $250 per module--they will specify what the module includes, or $249 for two months to promote one book with a virtual blog tour the publicist arranges in blogs that have over 1000 hits a day. Of course you write the blogs on subjects she suggests. Price also includes sending newsletters, notes on Facebook,  Tweets and Re-Tweets. and others...

Doing your own marketing is considerably cheaper, as long as you have a huge amount of time to do it. Build a useful social media presence, email list, and web presence.

The quality and distinctiveness of what you write has never been more important for writers. If you manage to bring readers to your book, you want them to find a long list of good reviews.



 Special at amazon.com for $0.99

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Are you too busy?

We live in a speed-driven culture, always on the run, having too much to do and feeling overwhelmed. How often have you decided you couldn't handle anymore responsibility, and yet accepted another task only a few minutes later in order not to disappoint a friend or a relative?

"I've got to run."

"I'm too busy right now."
"I don't have time for myself."
These are complaints we repeat several times a day. We have reached the point where we feel guilty if we stop our daily activities to take care of ourselves. But if we neglect our  physical and mental health, how can we take care of our children, spouses, or older parents?

We are so used to being a busy bee all day, twenty-four seven, that we can't accept any different concept without feeling guilty. If something in our to-do list goes undone, the world would fall apart. As a result we trudge through rush, worry and stress.

Stress may slowly disappear if we learn to prioritize and say no to things that can wait. Give ourselves personal time to relax, to read for fun, chat with friends or play with the kids,...

Are you too busy? How can you make time for yourself?

My heroine Olivia never had time for herself, until Luc taught her that life had to be enjoyed.

NO MORE LIES  $0.99
http://www.amazon.com/No-More-Lies-ebook/dp/B005UJ2YKK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1318816259&sr=1-1

Blurb: A lie that brings a smile or a truth that draws a tear?


Successful physician and loving mother, Olivia Crane fiercely believes youthful mistakes should be kept buried. Dr. Luc George, the French psychiatrist, she loved ten years ago, detests secrets. When Luc strolls back into her life, Olivia welcomes her second chance. But on her own terms. The past forgotten, no questions asked. As Luc tries to unravel her many secrets, he also threatens to shatter her carefully constructed world.

Can Luc help her conquer her inner fears or will he get burned by the past?

An Inspirational True Story

Recently there have been troubles in many countries around the world.

In one of these countries I will not name—a beautiful country where tourists gravitated to, in better days—the troubles turned vicious against the Christian minority.

The Christian young men walked out peacefully, carrying crosses to protest the burning of their churches. But the government released army tanks to stop them. The tanks rolled on the sidewalks, smashing and killing without mercy.

One of the soldier after killing seven with his tank hit a priest, hurting him in the shoulders and arms. As the religious man tried to stand, he noticed that the tank has overturned and burst into flames, trapping the screaming soldier.

The priest crawled to the soldier and dragged him out of the flames, keeping him against him to protect him from the furious and panicking crowd of Christian protesters.

The soldier was scared when seeing himself held in the arms of a man that he’d been taught to consider an enemy. He tried to disengage himself. The priest calmed him down. “Stay here, my son. Don’t be afraid. No one will hurt you.”

“How come you’re saving me? I killed seven of your Christians just now.”

The priest said: “It’s Jesus-Christ who is saving you. I’m only his instrument.”

The soldier remained quiet. No one attacked him.

Someone sent me the video. I was so impressed I had to share it.

A true Christian, this priest lived his faith and didn’t practice revenge.

NO MORE LIES

My first self-published book offered at $0.99

    at           amazon.com

and at      Smashwords     in PDF, Kindle, and other formats

Reviews:


2011 EPPIE Award Finalist
2010 Best Contemporary Romance ~ Readers Favorite

"A fantastic read. The plot was very well thought out and the pacing on target. ~Night Owl Romance

"A charming story. Keeping the reader entertained with the twists and turns in the plot." ~Got Romance!

"Full of emotion, suspense, intrigue, good intentions and determination." ~The Long And The Short Reviews

"A wonderfully written book about true love and the rarity of second chances." ~Happy Ever After

Product Description

A lie that brings a smile or a truth that draws a tear?

Successful physician and loving mother, Olivia Crane fiercely believes youthful mistakes should be kept secret and skeletons are better left in closets. Unfortunately, Dr. Luc George, the French psychiatrist, she loved ten years ago, detests secrets and has a professional tendency to dig into people’s minds.

Determined to rekindle their former relationship, Luc strolls back into her hospital and her life, tries to unravel her many secrets and threatens to shatter her carefully constructed world. Against her better judgment, Olivia succumbs to his charm and welcomes her second chance, but on her own terms. The past forgotten, no questions asked.

Can Luc help her conquer her inner fears or will he get burned by the past too? Will Olivia grab her second chance and finally find happiness with the love of her life?

Iron Gate Dam along the Danube River

If you remember a month ago I started posting about my river cruise along the Danube. With pictures and notes, I shared my visit to Bucharest, Romania, Varda, Bulgaria, and the Black Sea. 

Next we crossed the Iron Gate Dam and encountered three sets of locks along the Danube. The River ship crawled into the locks. The water level was raised to allow the ship to cross to the high level of the river, and then the lock closed behind us and the water level lowered. A fascinating procedure we experienced three times during the same day. The longest locking procedure lasted and hour and a half. We were all on deck watching with amazement. I have seen the same type of locks while crossing the Panama Canal. 

Along the way, we discovered remarkable stone statues from the Neolitihic era of Lepenski Vit, indicating that the area has been inhabitated for at least 8000 years. One of the oldest settlement in Europe.

Here is a huge cliff carving of the Dacian king Decabalus who fought the romans and preferred death to submission.

One can still see the the remains of the Trajan Bridge, the first Roman bridge built over the Lower Danube. Above is a picture of the Tabula Trajana or Trajan's Tablet, the only part that remains of a fortress that was covered by the Danube waters.

Years ago someone sculpted a huge egg. For some reasons --I don't remember the story--it ended here along the River and remained for centuries.

The 84-mile Iron Gate is one of Europe's most impressive gorges. One of the narrowest stretches we had to crossed to go from Romania on the right and Bulgaria on the left, to Serbia.  The river carved this narrow passeway between the Carpathian Mountains and the Balkan Mountains.

The Miracula Church

Stay tune for a visit to Novisad and Belgrade in Serbia, followed by Budapest and Vienne.

And here is my first self-published, contemporary romance

NO MORE LIES that will soon be available at amazon.com as Kindle for only $0.99!!!!!!!!!!

A lie that brings a smile, or a truth that draws a tear.

Night Owl Romance ~ Top Pick

[Prescription for Trust] [NO MORE LIES] was a fantastic read. read.
Got Romance! ~ 4.5 Diamonds
Mona Risk writes a charming story. Keeping the reader entertained with the twists and turns in the plot.
The Long And The Short Reviews~.4.5 Books. Nominated for Best Book of The Week.
[Prescription for Trust] [NO MORE LIES], is full of emotion, suspense, intrigue, good intentions and determination. , depending on which character POV you are looking from. Mona Risk’s
Readers Favorite~ 5 Hearts 2010 Best Contemporary Romance.
If the rest of the books in this string is of this caliber, Ms Risk will find herself with a very successful series on her hands.
Happy Ever After~ 5cups- It is a wonderfully written book about true love and the rarity of second chances. I would prescribe that anyone wanting a lighthearted fast-paced love story should read this book.

Temples and Characters

OSIRIS’ MISSING PART

Sensual romance but not erotic.

According to the legend, the evil Egyptian god, Seth, killed his brother Osiris, chopped him into fourteen pieces and flung them all over Egypt. Isis, goddess of family, reassembled thirteen of his body parts. Since she couldn’t find his supernatural male member, where his godly power was stored, she reattached a human one.

Isis has always loved Osiris, the charming god of labor, and helps him fight Seth. Together they search for his missing organ so he can recover his godly attributes, but can Isis forgive the sins of his past and their unexpected consequences?

For sale at Jasmine Jade for $5.24

At Amazon    for $5.20

Temple of Isis in Philae

Philea is an island in the Nile River and the previous site of an Ancient Egyptian temple complex in southern Egypt. The complex was dismantled and relocated to a nearby island by UNESCO. The project started because of the construction of the Aswan Dam, after the temple was partly flooded by the earlier Aswan Low Dam for half a century.

Beyond the entrance into the principal court are small temples, one of which, dedicated to Isis and a wide range of deities related to midwifery. The site is covered with sculptures representing the birth of Isis ' son, the god Horus.

Part of my story is set in the Temple of Philae.

The story of Osiris is represented on the walls of this temple. Two of the inner chambers are particularly rich in symbolic imagery.

Roman Temple of Isis in Pompei

This Temple of Isis is a Roman temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess, Isis. The small and almost completely intact temple was among one of the first discoveries during the excavation of Pompeii in 1764. In the aftermath of the temple's discovery many well known artists and illustraters swarmed to the site. The preserved Pompeian temple is actually the second structure; the original building built under Augustan was damaged in an earlier earthquake of 62 CE.

The famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is known to have visited the Temple of Isis in Pompeii in 1769, at the age of 13, just a few years after the temple was unearthed. His visit and the memories of the site are considered to have inspired him 20 years later in his composition of The Magic Flute

Temple of Osiris in Abydos

The town and district of Abydos is located west of the Nile, on the border between the valley and the desert some 145 km from Luxor. It was here that the ancient kings of Egypt were buried and from predynastic times the area grew to become an important religious centre. This temple is associated with Osiris, one of the great gods of Ancient Egypt, known as the "Lord of Abydos." His mysteries were celebrated there annually during the Festival of Abydos. The ritual re-enactment of Osiris' death and resurrection brought pilgrims from all over Egypt.  Two chapters of my story depict the Festival of Osiris in Abydos.


Temple of Seth in Kom Ombo

Seth, god of storms, is the villain in Osiris' Missing Part. I visited his impressive temple located on a hill right on the Nile River, in the industrial city of Kom Ombo where the air pollution is one the highest in the world.