Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Linda Nightingale and her writing life


 Linda Nightingale is a first time guest on my blog. I'll be turning everything over to her. Be sure to read through to the end for the link to my review of Sinners' Opera.




From The Wild Rose Press
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor
Editor: Callie Lynn Wolfe
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2019
Digital Price: $5.99
Rating: Spicy



Sandra asked me what it meant to me to be a writer. It’s something that just comes naturally. I couldn’t stop if I wanted to, and, believe me sometimes I want to quit. My stories do, and always have, played like movies across my mind. I hear my characters speaking and acting out the ‘play’ on the movie stage. Sometimes, like with the story I’m working on, the film must break. I’m now having a hard time getting back to The Piano Man, which is a companion story to Sinners’ Opera. Morgan is usually very talkative.

Being an author hasn’t changed me when it comes to setting a work schedule. I’m a panster though I do write best before dawn when the rest of the world is asleep. Then, my computer, my characters and I have the solitude I need for writing. It has changed my lifestyle in that I spend more time alone at the keyboard, as all writers must. I don’t mind. I’m an introvert/extravert hybrid (if that exists). My attitude has changed very little except when my fans write and love my books, I feel validated and tickled pink. Or a great review helps to make it seem like the time at the computer is well-spent. Having books in print is a sense of achievement and of reaching a goal, but, on the other hand, a bad review can spoil my outlook for several days and bring on writers’ block. So, my ‘author’ outlook swings from top of the moon to the bottom rung of the barrel. I recover and am writing again within days I admit, but I don’t like being so sensitive. I am a sensitive person, so… Talking with other authors, I find that they experience the same outlook swings.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the excerpt from Sinners’ Opera and the Book Video. Sinners’ is the first book I wrote and is the book of my heart.


Imbed:

Tagline:
Vampire Morgan D’Arcy has everything except what he most desires…a woman he has loved since the day she was born…Isabeau.


Blurb:
Morgan D'Arcy is an English lord, a classical pianist, and a vampire. He has everything except what he desires most—Isabeau. As the Angel Gabriel he’s steered her life and career choice, preparing her to become Lady D'Arcy. Many forces oppose Morgan's daring plan—not the least of which is Vampyre law.

Isabeau Gervase is a brilliant geneticist Though she no longer believes in angels, she sees a ticket to a Nobel Prize in Gabriel's secrets—secrets that have led her to a startling conclusion. Gabriel isn't human, and she fully intends to identify the species she named the Angel Genome. Morgan is ready to come back into Isabeau's life, but this time as a man not an angel. Will he outsmart his enemies, protect his beloved and escape death himself? For the first time in eternity, the clock is ticking.

Excerpt:
Isabeau halted inches from Morgan, and a wonderful sense of release flooded her. Against a backdrop of stone and fragrant flower, he stood alone. People moved but they were outside the sphere of power he radiated.

“Isabeau.”  His voice still enchanted, but his expression twisted her heart.
A band tightened around her chest.  Why was he frowning?

Morgan didn’t touch her with his hands.  His gaze touched her like a physical caress.  “You needn’t go home with him.”

She shook her head.  “I can’t just leave him.”

His voice dropped an octave, eyes dark, stormy.  “Will you sleep with him?”

The question was too personal for strangers.  Yet she wasn’t offended.  He took her hands, and he took her breath away.  She longed to counter with, “Will you sleep with the brunette tonight?” but, gazing into his eyes, she couldn’t speak.

“You hesitate.  Is it such a difficult question?  Are you going to bed with him?”  He trapped his lower lip between sharp-looking incisors.

She glanced at his hands—cool, strong, elegant—and his grip tightened.  “No, not tonight.  Nor ever again I think.”

How could total strangers speak vows, ignore polite banter to dive to the heart?  But they weren’t strangers, were they?  She didn’t know when, but her belief that Morgan was Gabriel had solidified.  Too many similarities teased her; coincidence not a word in her vocabulary.

The anger faded from his eyes, again luminescent blue.  “Good.”

People scattered to a staccato of rain.  A hand at her waist, he guided her into the shadow of an eave, shielding her from the storm.  Sheet lightning flashed across the sky.  Thunder crashed as the storm gathered momentum.  Even in darkness, she could see his eyes.  He seemed to have stopped breathing, seemed on the verge of a confession.  She waited, trembling inside.

“I don’t quite know what to say.”  His gaze drifted to her deep-cut bodice.  His eyebrows flickered mischievously.  “I like your dress.”

The boyish compliment surprised a laugh from her.  “Thanks. You look pretty good in a tux.”

His expression sobered.  He stared at her lips.  “I want to kiss you.”

Isabeau’s limbs felt heavy.  She yearned to lie down.  In his arms. Her hand found his smooth cheek.  “Not a very good idea.  People are gawking at us already.”

“Let’s give them something to talk about.”



About Linda:

Born in South Carolina, Linda has lived in England, Canada, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta and Houston.  She’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer, having bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for many years.

Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award and the SARA Merritt. She is the mother of two wonderful sons, one in England, one in Houston. She retired from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as a legal assistant. She loves horses, sports cars, piano, theater and the symphony. She enjoys dressing up and hosting formal dinner parties.

Web Site:  http://www.lindanightingale.com – Visit and look around. There’s a free continuing vampire story.
Blog:  https://lindanightingale.wordpress.com/ - Lots of interesting guests & prizes


Wonderful post, beautiful cover, and so much more. Follow this link to read my five-star review:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2471RI9DEDPPV/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07X3RSRXQ

12 comments:

  1. Thank you for hosting me today, Sandra, while I celebrate the release of Sinners' Opera on Monday. And thank you more for your beautiful review.

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    1. You'll be getting many more reviews on this one. It's fabulous. Thanks for allowing me to feature you.

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  2. I admire the fact you can write so early in the day, Linda. :) But I, too, like silence when I write. Best of luck with Sinner's Opera. It sounds exciting!

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    1. Thanks Barbara. I try to write before the phone rings or life starts to intrude. The only way for me is early in the morning. When I worked a 9-to-5-er, I wrote late at night.

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  3. Enjoyed your interview - particularly how you characterized your writing: "played like movies across my mind." Best of luck with Sinners' Opera!

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    1. Thank you for dropping by today, and the luck is appreciated. We all need luck in this business.

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  4. Sounds like a terrific read! Love the cover.

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  5. I can hardly wait to start reading this story, Linda! Wishing you all the best with Sinners' Opera!

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  6. I admire the fact you can write so early in the day, Linda. :) But I, too, like silence when I write. Best of luck with Sinner's Opera. It sounds exciting!custom photo blanket

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