Waterworld Mermaids Celebrate October with FREE READS!

Denny S. Bryce's Waterworld Mermaid Icon - Isn't it sexy:)

Okay, I'm declaring today promotion Friday... well, not exactly, but I just had to share some news about an upcoming online extravaganza  I did not want you to miss.

The Waterworld Mermaids (one day this name will ring from the rafters of romance fiction's how-could-you-not-know-about-these-women archives:), is a group of authors from WRWDC who have united to blog, write and generally celebrate the joys of writing, blogging, or whatever whenever and wherever they damn well please (okay, I'm going a tad overboard, but...so...) - well, we're launching a FREE READ beginning next week, and here's the video promo to PROVE it!

The entire month of October beginning on Monday, October 3 - is all about Gardens and Mermaids knowing exactly what to do when romance blossoms with the beauty, intrigue, love or lust that can be found in a garden (oh yeah). So get ready for romance and FREE READS! A gift to you from us. 

Six Sentence Sunday and Denny's Eye Candy: Week 9

Shemar Moore snagged from tumblr by Denny S. Bryce (haven't paid homage to him in a while:)

Wow. Sunday rolls around so fast! But here's my six (Six Sentence Sunday) from the same WIP about the FBI special agent, a vampire, who is having a hard time keeping a promise to a witch.

Gideon rushed up the snow-covered walkway, pushed open the double doors of the Tilden Community Bank and sidestepped the uniform clad body lying face down in the small foyer. A quick glance at the dead man, Gideon’s eyes moved from the teller stations on the north wall to the waiting area on the south wall, and then to the center of the lobby and a series of desks and chairs, tossed into a pile in the middle of the floor. A hard, dark wood floor, stained nearly black with blood, stretched out before him surrounded by banisters with carvings of misshapen gargoyles. It was an old building, a hundred years old, with high domed ceilings, deep and echoing, also smeared with blood.

As he stepped into the main lobby it struck him, a stench so disgusting; he stumbled into the wall and grabbed his stomach. Damn, he thought, this case was going to be a problem.

Wow. Just got this posted in time. Now, I'm off to add the photo so if you see this at 9 a.m. Eastern - it is sans the pretty...

Today's Thursday Treat: Aspiring Author Taryn Light

Books covers by author Vince Flynn, a favorite of writer Taryn Light, and snagged from the Internet by Denny S. Bryce

It’s a pleasure to have a ‘new’ author joining me today on Thursday’s Treat. Taryn Light (Find her on Twitter and Facebook) is a member of the Peternaturals, a group of paranormal authors who joined a forum on the Savvy Authors website, and banded together as a support group, critiquing, advise sharing, challenges, you name it. 


Taryn is a newbie, not so much to writing, but to the world of online marketing, social media, and the like, but she has some great information to share about her experiences and what motivates her as a writer. 

Q)  Let's get to the facts right up front. What's your full name, website, your latest release, the WIP that is keeping you up at night, your agent, your editor, how long have you been writing…your successes? Yes, I want the mini bio right here, right now!

Taryn said:  Denny thanks so much for having me. This is a real boost for my writer’s ego and we all need  that, especially if you haven’t had the joy of being published. I don’t have a website but just set up my twitter and Facebook account. This is all so new to me, I’m behind a little behind on the other aspects of being a writer.

My name is Taryn Light but everyone calls me T. My husband gave me the nickname when we first met and I tease him about not being able to remember my name or how to pronounce it. By the way, you pronounce it like Karen but instead of the K you use a T.

I have been writing since I was 16, but when my boys came along my writing went by the wayside. Now I’m retired and have nothing to stand in the way but me and my finicky muse. I love romance and the supernatural/paranormal. I also like a good thriller. Right now, I’m working on a romance with some magic thrown in.

Q) What's the best kept secret about your writing process?

Taryn said: I couldn’t do it without my outline. I keep it flexible, but it keeps me going in the right  direction. I also love my music. It helps me experience what my characters need to feel.

Q) What character/theme have you written or are writing about that keeps you up at night - just one, please:)?

Taryn said: The heroine in my current WIP, Kate keeps me awake because she is so multilayered. She is 50, divorced and her kids are grown up with their own families. She’s trying to figure out just where she is in life, no longer a young woman but not ready for the nursing home. Her personality and attitude need an adjustment. She’s also the victim of the family curse.

Q) What recording artist/television or pop culture fictional character has had the greatest influence on your writing style and why?

Taryn said: I really had to think long and hard about this one. Wonder Woman is the first tough lead female I remember. She was smart and tough, just the way I like my heroines. My son also told me recently she kicked Superman’s backside and he’s the toughest superhero around. How can you not love this gal?

Q) What book/author is the current "hot read" on your bookshelf?

Taryn said:  I read everything, so in my romance category it’s Nora Roberts. In the thriller category I love Vince Flynn and his hero Mitch Rapp.

Q) What's your favorite drink on a cool September evening - and who (fictional or not, friend or family, celebrity or historic figure) would be sitting at your side enjoying that drink with you?

Taryn said:  I love good vodka kept in the freezer until you’re ready to drink it. Pour it over ice straight with ice and lots of olives. It may cool you down some…but after two you really don’t care if you’re hot. I’d love to share one with one of my favorite singers, Kenny Chesney.

Q)  Who's your favorite author, poet, lyricist and what would you ask them if you had the chance (or when you had the chance)?

Taryn said: Kenny Chesney of course. I identify with his songs. It’s like he see’s what’s going on in my life. Other times he just touches my heart and brings out feelings I need to help me write. I would love to know how he does it.

Q) Last question…what question have you been dying to answer but no one has ever asked?

Taryn said:  Working with the public for twenty years and being a mom and nana, I think I’ve been asked about everything under the sun. There is one question that no one has asked me since childhood. Who is your hero? They change as you go through life.  I would say my two sons are my heroes. They are both ex military and in their 30s going back to school for degrees while dealing with family life and work. They are awesome.

Thanks again for having me Denny. I look forward to my next visit with you to talk about my new book just published!!!!

Thank you Taryn. It was great having you.

Now visitors, share some of your lessons about your early days writing and marketing yourself as an author. What was the biggest change in your approach to writing after you sold your first story? And please when you drop by say hi to Taryn!

Six Sentence Sunday and Denny's Eye Candy: Week 8

Photo of Theo Theodoridis snagged from the Internet by Denny S. Bryce

It's Six Sentence Sunday (SSS), and I'm still posting sentences from my paranormal romance about a vampire struggling to keep a promise to a witch. It's a WIP called 'Gideon' and this is Gideon's POV from somewhere in the middle of the book...

Magic had helped him control his urges for fifty years. But the hinges of the box were loosening. At the crime scene the night before, a female officer guarding the tapeline outside a dead woman’s house had smelled like food. As he walked by, his fangs inched out of their prison. He wanted to bury his teeth in her breast and feel her warm blood thick in the back of his throat. He barely made it out of the house without ripping her apart.

Thanks for stopping by and reading. Please comment if you have a moment, it's very much appreciated. But also - click here and check out the other SSS participants. It's a great way to meet new authors and read some great SSS.  

Six Sentence Sunday and Denny's Eye Candy: Week 7

Photo of Gillis Martini snagged from the Internet by Denny S. Bryce.

Six Sentence Sunday comes around so fast. But that's okay. I've got my sentences all ready and waiting to share. I'm keeping with the WIP I've been using for the past four weeks. The working title is "Gideon" and it's about a vampire FBI agent who makes a promise to a witch he struggles to keep. This is a bit from the heroine, her name is Georgia.

It happened fast, like they say it does. She and Darla walked the few feet from the cab to the bank’s front door and the security guard, an elderly man with gray skin reeking of his last cigarette, greeted them and unlocked the gate. As he opened the door something shoved her into the hallway and she dropped to her knees. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Darla, in pretty much the same condition, sprawled and scrambling across the floor. Then she heard the guard's screams, a shrill, high-pitched yelp that hurt her ears. When the noise suddenly stopped, Georgia realized the guard had been screaming since he opened the door.

Six Sentence Sunday & Eye Candy (Keep em coming!)

Joe Manganiello from True Blood, snagged from the Internet by Denny S. Bryce

Sunday rolls around so fast these days, I've barely got it together for my Six Sentence Sunday! But this is from the urban fantasy about the vampire who makes a promise to a witch he finds tough to keep. Here our hero is haunted by memories:

Standing, his legs unsteady, he gripped the bedpost and peered up at the painting of Rachel on the wall opposite his bed. He remembered the artist Matisse and the drink they'd shared in a small café near the Tower in Paris in 1890. The man was ill and hadn’t committed to painting yet, but he and Gideon discussed color, brushes and the effect of light on Rachel’s hair. He found her beautiful, too. Especially her brown, shiny hair that turned blood red when candlelight flickered nearby. That’s when Matisse told him, “Women with that color hair fuel life’s miseries more potently than most." Gideon never understood what he’d meant until now.

Well, that's it until next Sunday. Hope you enjoy! 

Today's Thursday Treat: Singer/Songwriter Sierra Hurtt

Photo of Sierra Hurtt

Today's treat is one of the reasons Thursday Treat was created -- so I could reach out to various artists not only writers but musicians, singers and visual artists and gain (and share) insights to their creative process. As a former professional dancer (and, yeah, it's been a number of years since I pulled on leotards and tights), I also was a choreographer back in the day, and like novelists, romance writers, lyricists and songwriters - it's all about the story that centers on emotion. To me the singer has the wonderful opportunity to 'show' their story by the way they interpret the melody, and if they also write their own lyrics, the opportunity to deliver their story is multiplied wonderfully (same as was the case when as a dancer  who choreographs and performs the dance - most often dancers get to tell a story without words - just movement and music).

So Today's Thursday Treat is Sierra Hurtt - a talented artist and good friend who I met when we were both fan fiction writers in the Buffyverse, and we also were both fascinated by the character of Spike and the actor who played him, James Marsters.

Q.  Let's get to the facts right up front. What's your full name, website, your latest release, the WIP/new CD that is keeping you up at night, your agent, your distributor, how long have you been writing, recording…your successes? Yes, I want the mini bio right here, right now!


My name is Sierra Hurtt and I’m from Philadelphia. You can find me all over the web, (Sierrahurtt.com, facebook.com/sierrahurtt @sierrahurtt on Twitter). You can go to virtually any music-related site and search for me. I’m currently recording my first full-length CD. It’ll be called “Stranger” and I’m hoping to have it out by November. We’ll see how things progress.

I’ve been recording since I was 4 years old. I guess you could say it’s the family business, as my father is a successful songwriter/producer. Many of my siblings have also been involved in music at one point in their lives, and two still perform. I’m fortunate enough to have been able to tour in the UK and in Portugal over the last couple of years. I find my music much more suited to the European market, and they are very generous with their listening ears. As you know, I also write paranormal fiction, as well as poetry. I’ve had to put those things on hold for a while. I found that splitting my attention across several mediums caused each of them to suffer, but I hope to visit each again soon.

Q.  What's the best kept secret about your writing/recording process?


Sierra says:  When I get stuck, and I mean really stuck – to the point that I can’t even think of a subject about which to write – I go to my influences. If it is a song, I’ll listen to something that I absolutely adore and know by heart. If it is a story, I’ll read a book that I’ve read a thousand times before. Then, as I am listening or reading, I’ll think of ways I would have done it differently. I’ll re-write the song using a different melody and different lyrics. I’ll rewrite a chapter in my own voice. Quite often I won’t get through the whole song, or the whole chapter, before I discard the original. Suddenly, I find that I’ve gone off in a different direction entirely and something new is born.

Q.  What character/theme have you written or are writing about that keeps you up at night - just one, please:)?


Sierra says:  I have two songs on this new CD that have given me fits, one lyrically and the other musically. It’s a first for me, because I’m usually so prepared before I go into the studio. As for my writing, I have two characters that have lived inside me for more than 5 years, from different universes. I used to obsess over both of them, really. In the end, I decided to let them go for a while. I’m letting them live out their lives, somewhere in the back of my mind, until the time comes that I can revisit them and see what they’ve been up to. Hopefully, it’ll be something that I can write about; something that people will want to read. I guess I’ve done the same thing with those two songs. I’ve left them alone while I work on the other material. I’ll come back to them and hopefully they’ll be ready to be heard. And soon.

Q.  What recording artist/television or pop culture fictional character has had the greatest influence on your writing style and why?


Sierra says:  Honestly, I can’t point to one person in music. I have so many influences, and they sometimes clash with one another. They also change daily. If you ask me today, I will say The Police or Debussy. Tomorrow, I might say Ella Fitzgerald or XTC or MuteMath. Right now, I find myself influenced by an entire country! I’m in love with the music coming out of Portugal right now.

In writing, it is a completely different story. Like Alicia, Spike is the fictional character that has had the greatest influence on my writing. If you go back to what I was saying about my writing secrets, and getting stuck,  I suppose he is the character I go back to when I need a push or inspiration. I’ve grown so many, varied characters out of him, but it is easy when the soil is so rich.

Q.  What book/author is the current "hot read" on your bookshelf?


Sierra says:  “Ghost Story”, the latest in Jim Butcher’s Dresden series is next up on my list of must-reads. Currently, I’m reading “Love and Other Near-Death Experiences” by Mil Millington. I’ve been told that I write a very natural dialogue, which I never really understood until I read his work. I think it’s a matter of personal taste, though. Some people really don’t like this style of writing, and I have heard from a few of those people in my own feedback. Ha!

Q.  What's your favorite drink on a cool September evening - and who (fictional or not, friend or family, celebrity or historic figure) would be sitting at your side enjoying that drink with you?


Sierra says:  If I could, I’d throw a garden party, on a warm, Summer night, and invite Jeff Buckley, Oscar Wilde, George Sand, Paulo Coelho, Anne Rice, Maya Angelou, Mercer Ellington, Aaliyah and Pedro Almodovar. Imagine that conversation! Since I don’t drink beer, there would have to be plenty of Lambic and cider on tap, as well as a few bottles of Syrah and Gewürztraminer.

Q.  Who's your favorite author, poet, lyricist and what would you ask them if you had the chance (or when you had the chance)?


Sierra says:  Wow, that’s a big question. I would have to say Hafiz Shirazi, a 14^th century Persian poet. I think of his work as the closest that words have ever come to interpreting the soul, without music as accompaniment. So little is known about him, outside of the works he left behind, so I would have a ton of questions. Actually, let’s add him to my garden party guest list!

Q.  Last question…what question have you been dying to answer but no one has ever asked?

Sierra says:  “So, Sierra, if you weren’t you, would you be a fan of yourself?” I just thought of that, haha! It’s a good question, though. I’d like to think that I would be a member of the Purple Nation (the name I’ve given to my fan club). I’m fairly easy-going and what you see is what you get, etc.

Thank you Sierra. Now readers, let's do some blogging here. Sierra will be around today, and welcomes questions about her music, her writing and how the recording sessions are going for her new CD!