There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.

- Victor Hugo

Tuesday Special: Race for the Sun

Minette Lauren

http://minettelauren.com/

Soledad, an old soul, confronts the failures of her last life, having committed suicide when things became too difficult. As she moves forward into the soul-watcher’s phase of the afterworld, she picks from a list of struggling souls to guide and guard. Ally, a popular artist and her niece from her former life, is among Soledad’s choices. Trapped in a soul-watching state, Soledad follows Ally, throughout parts of her daily routine, trying to surmise her embodied ward’s purpose. Once she can master the meaning of Ally’s reality, Soledad hopes to be granted another life with her own soulmate. Journey with these very real characters to find what lessons are learned in the passing of time and the rewards their love brings. Race for the Sun is a lesson on life and loving for all.

Alley was starting to feel like she was on a reality television show with all the skeletons in her closet, falling at her feet…

Ally internally sighed with relief. Travis hadn’t seen the portrait yet, which meant he also hadn’t encountered Marcel. Now how would she distract him and get him out of there before Louis answered? It was too late. She saw people gathering at the outskirts of their small circle gawking at Travis’s likeness to the painting.

Marcel could be heard from a mile away as he spotted Ally. She cringed. Here goes nothing.

“Darling! You didn’t tell me David was coming! You little devil, trying to hoard them all for yourself.” He snapped his fingers in the air, appearing not to know which man to devour first. His eyes glinted playfully. “Call dibs quick, before I dib them both.”

Ally tried to ignore the rush of heat climbing from her shoulders to her cheeks. Both men looked confused and wary of Marcel’s proclamation.

“Marcel, this is Travis, and you remember Louis from the airport?” Ally tried to cover her discomfort by taking a long sip of her champagne.

“Travis, hmm, well I like David better. Mind if I call you David?” Marcel batted his eyes and linked arms with Travis playfully.

Ally almost sprayed her champagne onto the floor when she saw Travis’s blank look. She could tell he was uncomfortable but trying to be polite. He didn’t know the dynamics of the group at hand, and his eyes pleaded with Ally to save him. She let Marcel whisk him off to the room where David was displayed. If she was uncomfortable at his sudden appearance, then he could be uncomfortable with Marcel. She hated that the gig was up, and now Travis would know exactly how he had plagued her sleep.

Louis cleared his throat then let out a small laugh. “I fear your Travis is in for two surprises,” He tipped his glass toward the departing duo.

       Ally giggled a little too hysterically. Maybe she should cut herself off. Yes, it was definitely one too many, and it wasn’t the champagne she was referring to.

 

Release date: December 8, 2018 

Pre-order now at  Amazon

About Minette:  Inspired by the movie, Gone with the Wind, I picked up a pencil as soon as I was old enough to write. I composed a play in one act about the love of Seth and Beth. Not deterred by the play’s questionable success, I have been in love with writing ever since. Growing up in a small town outside of New Orleans, Louisiana has fueled a lot of my creative endeavors. I travel often and take advantage of anyplace with a view that inspires me  to write. I now resides in Texas, where I co-write with good friend Zoe Tasia under the pen name, Zari Reede. I love to write outdoors by my pool, with my five furry writing muses. Besides my menagerie of tail-wagging pooches, I also have a loving husband, three turtles, two Macaws, and a Quaker parrot to keep me company. Together, they make all of my dreams come true.

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Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you.

- Zadie Smith

Ten Gift Suggestions for Your Favorite Writer

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve reviewed Christmas lists from family members on an almost daily basis. Shop, and double-check the list. Shop again, and double-check the list. What can I cross off? What do I still need to find? 

It’s a stressful time for me. You see, I have a Murphy’s law kind of relationship with Christmas shopping. Family members provide their lists to make it easier, but can I find what’s on the lists? Of course not – that would be too easy! The stores either don’t carry the items or they are sold out. Hubby doesn’t understand why it takes me so long to shop. When he goes shopping, I swear the things he’s looking for just magically appear. If I wasn’t also shopping for him, I might drag him along to do all my shopping!

In case you have a Murphy’s law relationship with shopping, too, here are ten suggestions that shouldn’t be difficult to find for YOUR favorite writer! 

1. Amazon gift cards – Who can’t find something they want on Amazon?

2. Moleskin notebooks or blank journal notebooks – I was just a young girl when I received my first “nothing” book. The lure of blank pages was strong, and I filled them with poems and stories. Now I use them to jot down ideas for characters, settings, and plots.

3. Pens – Even though many people have smart phones, laptops, or iPads, I don’t know a writer who doesn’t love a good pen. Sometimes the ideas flow easier with a pen than they do to a keyboard, at least for me.

4. Post-it notes – I love post-it notes! There’s a huge assortment available: small, medium, large; yellow, pastel, or bright colors; lined or unlined. www.knockknockstuff.com has a variety of options with fun sayings. 

5. Tote bag – I never leave home without a book, and at least a small spiral notepad and pen. Instead of cramming them in my purse, I carry a tote bag. There’s plenty of room for a larger notepad, printed manuscript pages for editing, and even my Kindle Fire. 

6. Portable hard drive and/or USB drive – We all need to back up our work. A USB drive is great for taking files between computers, but a portable hard drive is a better way to back up our manuscripts in case we have computer problems.

7. Office supplies – A calendar-style planner, file folders, pocket folders, binder clips, 3-ring notebook or binders, colored index cards, a whiteboard and dry erase markers are some of the office supplies that come in handy for writers working on their projects. 

8. Manicure – Writers’ hands get a workout, whether they type or write by hand.  A hand massage is often part of a manicure.  I never dreamed my hands could feel so relaxed, but after I used a gift certificate from a co-worker to get a manicure, I decided it was something I should try to do more often!

9. Chocolate or favorite beverages – What better way to bribe the muse when she’s not cooperating?

10. Time – Every writer wishes for more time to work on their projects. In lieu of buying a gift, what can you offer your favorite writer to give her more time? Does she have kids? Offer to watch them for a couple of hours so she can write uninterrupted. No kids? Offer to run errands for her while you're our running your own. 

These suggestions are all a few of my favorite things. What would you add to the list?

We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.

- Tom Robbins

Life is a game board. Time is your opponent. If you procrastinate, you will lose the game.  You must make a move to be victorious. 

– Napoleon Hill