Guest Post by Carmen DeSousa author of She Belongs to Me along with a giveaway

 

A romantic-suspense writer, Carmen writes novels that overflow with romance, mystery, suspense, a hint of paranormal sometimes, and of course--tragedy. After all, what would a great story be without a heartrending event setting the stage? Her sensual and gripping stories have earned bestseller status on three continents because of her ability to make readers love, laugh, cry, gasp, and hope.

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Thank you Carmen for guest posting for me today! :-)

How do I keep myself and family from going insane during my up-and-down emotions, especially over holiday weekends?

How do I use my own personal strengths and weakness to my advantage?

I write during and about them. I keep a running notepad in my iPhone of my thoughts and feelings throughout normal events, such as eating out, grocery shopping, vacations, holidays with family, and children’s events. Anything that will make my characters more believable. But I also go one-step further.

After all, how do you write about a loved-one's death when you just spent a great day celebrating your child's graduation. Sometimes I can. Occasionally, when all is perfect, the writing flows effortlessly, but other times it doesn't. So, if I am experiencing a particularly strong emotion, I'll seek out a scene that requires that sentiment, reread, and almost always edit accordingly.

When I am feeling down, I seek out a troublesome period in my protagonist’s life, be it past or present. My depression works toward my advantage because the words on the page reflect my inner turmoil. The reader will feel the character’s pain and be able to empathize. And a plus, after pouring out my frustrations--as though I've spoken to a good friend, who only listens--I usually feel better when the section is finished.

When I am happy, my joy spreads like wildfire, and so the reader will sense my excitement and therefore feel the happiness my characters are experiencing.

Romantic...

Well, you get the idea. The reader should feel as though they are a part of the scene, as if they are either the main character or at minimum, a close friend.

Isn’t that what a great novel should accomplish? The reader should feel chills spread down their arms and butterflies in their stomach at the idea of a first kiss, their pulse should race as if they are prey in a game of cat and mouse, and when appropriate, they should even shed a tear. 

So if you're like me and fret when all the family is around, don't get upset. Sneak away and jot down what your mother did to upset you. Use it! :)

And if you need an escape, download my sensual and gripping romantic-suspense bestseller, She Belongs to Me, while it's FREE. That way you can sneak away into another world.

For full description or to download, visit:

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Amazon Worldwide Link

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If it isn’t available free in your area, use… Smashwords

BLURB:

A passionate romantic-suspense of love, betrayal, and obsession, She Belongs to Me will have you falling in love and wondering if you can trust anyone right up to the last page.

Charlotte police officer Jordan Monroe is used to being in control. Ever since his father died, he has provided for his mother and sisters and even hired his two brothers-in-law to help run his successful construction company. On a chance business trip, however, he meets the one person who throws his life into a whirlwind--Jaynee.

Jaynee has lived a tragic life and has sworn off all men. That is until a rugged southern gentleman lands in her seating area, refusing to take no for an answer. From the moment they meet, Jordan sweeps her off her feet, assuring her that happiness exists. But can she really escape her past?

Five years later, Jordan finds Jaynee on their back porch with a gunshot wound to the head. While Jaynee lies in a coma, Jordan has to go back to their beginning and figure out what went wrong. Did he push his wife to the edge, or has her past come back to haunt them?

She Belongs to Me is book one of The Southern Suspense Series. From there, all the stories have a slight connection to each other, so you can continue the journey and meet different protagonists with different issues and tragedies to overcome. Every story has a mystery, there's always a gentle message, and above all, there's always romance and suspense.

Excerpt:


Could she really trust him?

As Jaynee slipped the key into the lock of her front door, she glanced over her shoulder at Jordan. Her eyes then shifted to the empty street beyond. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except that she was about to let the first man into her home in over a year.

She was fragile and therefore needed to be careful. She’d made too many mistakes with men. However, she didn’t want to be so cautious that she missed something great. Her refusing-to-date stance wasn’t making sense. Jordan represented everything she’d ever wanted in a man. How or why he was attracted to her she couldn’t comprehend, but for some reason he seemed interested.

Although she wanted to, she couldn’t deny the strong emotions she felt for Jordan. It scared her. She’d been hurt in the past. But hadn’t she prayed incessantly for God to send her a man like him? Still, she needed to be sure that what she felt was real. Her heart couldn’t handle another pummeling.

Once inside, Jordan locked the deadbolt behind them. The latch clicked loudly into place, making her jump. What had she done? Could she really trust him?

Jordan took her hand and led her to the sofa, pulling her down beside him. Her heart started beating out an uncontrollable rhythm. Dear God, she prayed silently, please don’t let him hurt me. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her physically; it was the mental agony she couldn’t handle.

Carmen will be awarding a $25 GC to the winner's choice of an online bookstore to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Sound intriguing to me. 

What do you think?

Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. It is a great chance to win a book you'd like to have! The link can be found at the top of the page.