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Sherry Ewing

~ Historical & Time Travel Romance Author

Sherry Ewing

Category Archives: 2014

My First Snippet Sunday

27 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by SherryEwing in 2014

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Historical, Historical Romance, If My Heart Could See You, Medieval Romance, Sherry Ewing

Today on my blog is my first time participating on Snippet Sunday on Facebook. This is an opportunity to post the first eight to ten sentences of your novel or work in progress. So here for your reading enjoyment is the first few sentences of my debut novel, If My Heart Could See You. Enjoy!

If My Heart Could See You by Sherry Ewing

The Year of Our Lord’s Grace 1174, Scotland’s Border

Young knight MacLaren stood with steady feet upon the narrow parapet and looked down into the inner bailey, surveying the destruction and devastation below. Ian, the guardsman ever by the youth’s side, had the same grim expression as his charge.

The constant thunder of a battering ram slamming upon the solid oak door echoed harshly throughout the keep. Afore long, the wooden portal would give way, and with its demolition, all hope would surely depart from the occupants who had fled inside to find safe haven. Too soon, the enemy would be within, causing more lives to be lost in the castle’s defense. The siege had been bloody, lasting more than two fortnights, and, in truth, ’twas surprising the battle endured as long as it had, given the small number of knights available to defend the castle walls.

For nigh unto sixty years, Berwyck Castle had known peace over its land while governed by the last remaining descendants of the Scottish clan MacLaren. The castle and its people, however, had grown accustomed to constant upheaval, being between two kings struggling for power and control over the region. Situated on a cliff high above the raging sea, the castle towered over a prime port for transporting goods into the interior of the country, both north and south. Its location, bordering Scotland and England, had been the cause of many a battle over the centuries, and the fortress had changed liege lords more often than most could remember.

 

It’s All About that First Touch!

13 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by SherryEwing in 2014

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First Book, Historical Romance, If My Heart Could See You, Medieval Romance, New Release, Novel, Published Author, Scottish Romance, Sherry Ewing, Writer

If My Heart Could See You by Sherry Ewing

There are many things a person looks forward to in life. As a child, we want to be all grown up and living our own lives usually out from under your parent’s roof. As an adult, we look to college, a successful career, getting married, or holding your newborn child in your arms.

Each choice and decision I have made has shaped the life I now lead. I would hope that along the way I’ve learned a lesson or two. As a teenager, I wanted to write and weave stories I had floating around in my head. That was my dream. It was crushed when a teacher in high school told me my writing wouldn’t amount to anything. A now faceless person from my past that, in truth, changed the direction I had planned to take.

I married, lost my first husband, and divorced my second. If I had to go through it all over again, I’d make the same choices in a heartbeat if it meant I’d have my three beautiful children. My dream of becoming an author was willingly set aside while I molded my kids to be the young adults they are today. They are my pride and joy and I’m thankful to be their mother.

Last week was another one of those altering moments. It was something I had looked forward to my entire adult life. It was a time to rejoice, a time to cry seeing a dream fulfilled, and a time to feel proud of myself for what I was able to achieve. Such an opportunity will only happen but once. It may have taken a lifetime for it to occur, but I can tell myself I did it, even though at times I may have wanted to rip my hair out in frustration.

The anticipation, along with my daughter’s comments of this being a crowning jewel moment, had me crying as I drove to my mother’s. I was in such a rush to get there, that in my excitement I forgot the key to her house and wondered if I missed a text when she didn’t rush to open the door. But there it was, sitting on the table by the front door, just waiting for me like a long lost friend.

I will only hold that particular envelope once. With bated breath, I tore open the cardboard to peek inside to see all my hard work and dreams become a reality. I could actually touch it and smell the fresh ink. I skimmed my fingertips across the title, my name shown in bold letters, and the picture of what I saw for my cover the entire time I wrote my story. I can finally turn physical pages to see my words made into a book that someone will read and enjoy. What an accomplishment.

Yes, my baby is in print. My very first novel. There’s nothing like that very first touch or the sudden adrenaline rush that raced through me.

I laugh, I cry, I hug my mother and daughter who are with me at such a momentous moment and give a silent prayer knowing my youngest daughter watches me from heaven. I can feel her spirit and know she is sharing my joy.

Later that night, I break down in tears again as I open the book and read One. Yes, I began crying like a baby reading the chapter title of One. Good grief. I’m such a pansy. My daughter teases me that I’ll never make it to the second chapter at this rate, let alone read my entire proof. She may be right. I was already busy seeing what needed to be changed with the cover among other things. But that is the life of a self-published author. I’ll never stop fussing with it until I hit submit and know my work is available, and I can begin the whole process all over again with the next manuscript. Maybe I should get busy.

There were a lot of emotions rushing through me the other night when I somehow mistakenly published my eBook on Amazon. I’ll chalk it up to newbie mistake . . . I don’t know . . . like one hundred, give or take a few. It certainly didn’t fit in with my plan to have all my ducks in a row on all the platforms (including my paperback) to come out at the same time. But there it was, “live.”

I felt like a piece of my heart and soul was on that Amazon page as I stared at it with a smile on my face and tears again in my eyes. Perhaps that isn’t too far from the truth. But it’s official, whether I was ready or not. I AM a published author!

Now on to book two . . .

The Writing Process Blog Hop!

28 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by SherryEwing in 2014

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Blog Hop, If My Heart Could See You, Medieval Romance, Sherry Ewing, Time Travel, Writing

Thanks for stopping by my blog and the world of an aspiring author.

I’d like to first thank Regina Kammer for tagging me in the Writing Process Blog Hop. She’s a fellow Romance Writer of America author who writes erotica. I recently read her novel, The General’s Wife: An America Revolutionary Tale. All I can say about Ms. Kammer’s writing is that it sizzles! You can find her books on Amazon, so pick up a copy today. If you’d care to see her writing process from last week, you can find her blog at: http://kammerotica.com/writing-process-blog-hop/

Now it’s my turn. Ever wonder what’s inside an author’s head or how they came up with their ideas? Then read on and let me take you into the world I’ve been building along with how my thought process works.

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What am I working on?

I have a lot on my plate right now since I am furiously working on getting my debut novel, If My Heart Could See You, published this summer. It’s an historical romance set in twelfth century England. My heroine, Amiria of Berwyck Castle, has her home invaded by Dristan, the Devil’s Dragon of Blackmore and champion knight of King Henry II. Lies, deceit, and treachery attempt to tear apart the fragile truce they have, but only love will hold them together.

When I started writing this manuscript, I had no idea that I would continue the next four novels with secondary characters. I guess I just fell in love with them so much that I felt they deserved a story of their very own. I certainly didn’t expect the second novel, For All of Ever, to turn into a time travel. I’ve just finished the next round of edits on it. When I started writing this story, I came to the conclusion that one book wasn’t going to cover everything I saw for my characters. Unless, of course, I wanted some huge tome that no one could hold without a fork lift. I hate cliff hangers but it had to be done. Riorden and Katherine’s story will continue in Only For You.

My current work in progress is entitled A Knight to Call My Own. Originally this was going to be the second book in the series. My heroine, Lynet, is the youngest daughter from If My Heart Could See You. It’s coming along although it may be a little slower than I would like especially with everything else I have going on. When I was looking around for cover designs, I came across Estrella Cover Art. I loved this cover so much that I had to purchase it before I had even managed to get a few chapters done. I just knew “she” was my Lynet!

If you’re not an author trying to break into the whole Indie Author craze of self-publishing, I’ll tell you that it’s an insane process from start to finish and I’m only in the beginning phases. Sometimes I think that writing the manuscript in the first place was easier than trying to figure out all the do’s and don’ts of attempting to do everything on my own. Or maybe I’m just a stubborn mule and control freak who has a hint of OCD in her. Still…there’s a lot to do. Editing, editing and editing some more until you can barely look at the storyline anymore; formatting for different platforms; copyrights and licensing; business cards and updating your website; and then there’s social media. Yes…it’s like a four letter word because you can get lost in a time suck from hell trying to get yourself visible. And it never ends. It’s all part of the whole marketing process and something you have to commit yourself to. There are days when all I want to do is write and forget the rest.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I didn’t set out to write an historical romance novel filled with pages and pages of descriptions of scenery, clothing, or actual history. Let’s face it…as a reader, I tend to skim over those pages to get back to the plot and those characters that keep me turning the pages in the first place. I think my stories are more for historical setting. Does that break the rules of writing in the historical genre? Maybe and yet maybe that’s why I plan to self-publish.

Nor do I fill my scenes with a lot of explicit sex scenes and language. That’s just not me as a writer and not what I want to bring to my readers. Yes I know…but sex sells you might say, and I’d have to agree with you. So I try to bring some heat into my love scenes but also leave some of it to the reader’s imagination. Sometimes less is more.

I suppose trying to brand myself as an author would be difficult if I were to try and find an agent or editor given that I’m writing time travels interwoven into my historical series’. At least that’s the story of what I was getting from the rejection letters for traditional publishing. But my stories are all connected, and I like bringing in glimpses of the other characters from my other books. Not all my manuscripts are time travels although I sure have a lot of fun writing them. Maybe that will be my niche. I write because I love to write. I weave a tale that I myself enjoy reading and hopefully you will too and post a nice review when the time comes.

Why do I write what I do?

This question is easy. I read my first romance novel when I was just a teenager. The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss started my journey into historical romances. I’ve been hooked ever since. She was one of my favorite authors for many years until one day I came across A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. These two authors, along with many others, blazed the path ahead of me as I fell into their worlds along with falling in love with their characters.

For the most part, I’m pretty particular about what I read. When it came time for me to finally make an attempt at writing, there really was only one thing I could write about that was near and dear to my heart: an historical. They say you should write about what you know. Personally, I’ve never set even one foot on English soil, but I love the whole time period from medieval all the way through the Regency era. It took two and a half years to write my first manuscript, One Moment in Time. It will probably take just as long to re-write the dear thing since I’ve learned so much in the past several years on the craft of writing. Yes, dear readers, writing is a craft. When you really think you’ve honed in on it and finally got it down, you end up learning something new that only makes your writing stronger. And then you edit your manuscript again, and again, and again…

How does my writing process work?

I have voices inside my head.

No really…any writer will tell you the same thing. We breathe life into our characters that become so real they take over the story. Literally…as a writer, you only think you know where your plot will take you until your characters start jabbering away at you at all hours of the day and night. They’ll tell you in no uncertain terms that you will conform to their ways and the direction they want to go. Lead on, I tell them! Lead on…

Generally I have an idea of where I’m going with my story lines but I write by the seat of my pants. I don’t plot nor do I spend a lot of time writing outlines of chapters. I can get my inspiration from a song on the radio to an overheard bit of conversation while I’m walking down the street. I can be driving in my car and realize I’ve “spaced off” while I listen to my characters dialog continue from wherever I left off writing. Crazy, I know, but it’s so true. My poor family has all but given up trying to have conversations with me. Usually I’m nodding my head to whatever conversation they’re attempting to have with me, yet I haven’t any clue what they said I’m so wrapped up in writing.

Pandora’s Box has been opened. I’ve got so many idea’s swimming around inside my head I sometimes wonder when I’ll have the time to get it all written down. Perhaps this is the price I must pay for waiting so long to begin a writing career but I’ll gladly pay it. Some people are born to write. I’m one of those people. If you are too, then my advice is to just sit down and start writing and then write some more. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. It won’t be. First drafts never are. But take some classes and learn the craft. Then write some more. I promise it will be worth it!

Thanks for stopping by my blog but this is only the beginning. The Writing Process Blog Hop continues on. Please check out the next author to find out about how their process works. She’ll be putting up her post on Monday, May 5th:

Angela Myron was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1973. She grew up in the piney forests of southern British Columbia, studying tiny blue bells, dodging hidden cacti, and creating fantasy worlds in her back yard. She loved to imagine lands of fairies and goblins, then invite friends over to introduce them. Angela studied biology and professional writing at university, starting her degree at the University of Victoria in Canada and finishing it at San Francisco State University. She wrote grant proposals for nonprofits, technical manuals for software, and freelance journalism before writing fiction. http:/www.angelamyron.com/blog.html

A walk in the park

30 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by SherryEwing in 2014

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Tags

Find my muse, Inspiration, Parks, Sherry Ewing, Time to relax

Today was one of those days where I just had to take some time for myself. It’s not often that I get out in the field at work. My day job is extremely busy in the IT field especially when we’re down a couple of people. But today, I had the opportunity to head out to one of the greatest areas in the Bay Area.

Muir Woods is a hidden gem just minutes from the hustle and bustle of city living. A short drive from the Golden Gate Bridge and you’re soon leaving all the noise behind. A two lane windy road takes you up the mountain until you can see the ocean off in the distance before dropping down into the trees.

It seems the minute you pass under the archway of the park, a peacefulness reaches out to your soul. Only the sound of your footsteps on the boardwalk breaks the silence of the forest. Today, there weren’t many people on the trail. The feeling of being alone with nature only enhanced the experience that I was undergoing. A sigh of contentment left my lips. It had been far too long since I was able to fulfill a side of me that had been missing since I left rural Nevada. I may live in the city, but I swear I’m a country girl at heart.

You can’t help but feel impressed with the quiet giant redwoods that are towering overhead. Taking a moment, I closed my eyes. Since it had rained just this morning, all my senses seemed alive. The tinkling sound of the stream flowing over the rock bed, the rich smell of the earth, the trees and ferns were a vibrant green, and even the occasional bird chirping above in the treetops surrounded me. I breathed in the sheer magic of Muir Woods and was thankful I had been able to take the opportunity to enjoy my national park.

I continued my walk until I reached Cathedral Grove. I stopped knowing I didn’t have much time left before I needed to head back. Looking all around me, I thought about how much my younger daughter would have loved to be standing here with me enjoying being out in Mother Nature. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised when I felt her near me as tears rushed to my eyes. I swear it was on of those experiences that felt religious.

Realizing break time was about over, I picked up my pace to get back.

I think I reached the half-way point when I had one of those *bangs palm against forehead* moments and pulled out my phone to take a few pictures. If you need to make a call here, you can forget cell phone coverage people. There’s no service which only adds to the appeal of the place. But I met a few people who were just as happy as I was to be taking a stroll as we exchanged a knowing smile and said hello.

Getting back to the office only reaffirmed that I need to get out more as I realized what I’ve been missing for the last few years. Granted things have been pretty crazy for me especially when I’m getting ready to publish my first novel. But still…I think it’s important that we sometimes put things into perspective of what is really important in life. Sometimes it’s the simplest thing like taking a walk in a park that can bring you so much pleasure. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy wherever you may live. If you’re like me, you’ll come back feeling ready to take on the world and anything life will throw you!

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