Monday, November 19, 2012

Many of you may have read awhile ago about when Avalon Books was bought up by Amazon, along with Dorchester Publishing and a few others as well.  Well, now the impact of that change has struck close to home.  As a former Avalon author, I now have one of possible two books that will be re-released in new, more affordable formats.  Starting tomorrow, November 20, Star Light, Star Bright will be available in paperback and electronic downloads. I'm really excited to see one of my favorite books spring to life again, especially with the excellent potential of an increased readership! There are so many romance readers, I'm sure, who would love to share Chyenna and Blair's heart-throbbing story...So if you enjoy the open prairie skies, cattle ranching, cowboy poetry, stargazing, and a feisty heroine who is "on a mission," I know you'll love this story. 
Book Overview:
When Chyenna Dupres and her young daughter move from Portland, Oregon, to the small town of Prairie Valley, Chyenna leases a historic inn there. She plans to turn the inn into an upscale eatery, despite strong resistance from some of the locals. Her most vocal objector is cattle rancher Blair Westerman, who has relocated from L.A. to protect his own daughter from the "evils" of city life. Moreover, he is determined to guard Prairie Valley from outside influences, especially tourists who might decide to stay.

From the moment they first meet, Chyenna and Blair can't seem to leave each other alone. They get under each other's skin, and race through each other's thoughts. Their opposing goals for Prairie Valley and their push-pull feelings for each other keep tensions high--especially when their match-making daughters become close friends and decide to run away together.

Chyenna and Blair may have acted like children, but now it's time to come together for the good of their own children, and realize just how far apart they've let their differences push them.

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Light-Bright-ebook/dp/B00A2NHFQC/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Light-Bright-Sydell-Voeller/dp/1477814507/ref=la_B001JRZ0DU_1_11_title_0_main?ie=UTF8&qid=1353476649&sr=1-11

Monday, November 5, 2012

Check out this great contest at Books We Love!
Sweet Treats Scavenger Hunt
source: BWLPP

Daisies Are Forever

I'm thrilled to announce that my latest e-book rerelease is up and running at Amazon!  Please take a moment to check out this contemporary romance published by BWL Publishing, Inc. http://bwlpublishing.ca/authors/voeller-sydell-romance-usa/

Daisies Are Forever

April Heatherton, history teacher and volunteer firefighter, is determined to protect the land she holds dear, particularly the grave of an unknown pioneer woman who once trekked the Oregon Trail. Proposed logging operations are encroaching, and April soon finds herself organizing a local task force to try to stop them. Yet when April meets handsome Matt Spencer, son of the owner of Johnson Brothers Logging Company, she much reckon with her escalating attraction to him. Matt, one of a growing breed of displaced loggers, is also determined to fight for his beliefs - the right to make an honest living harvesting the timber. Can April and Matt overcome their differences? Or will their convictions forever keep them apart?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Readers Favorite

April is a high school history teacher. She lives in the country by a forest and enjoys walking in the forest for relaxation. There is a pioneer woman's grave in the forest that April calls her special spot. She goes there to think, read poetry and just commune with nature. One day she is visiting the grave when she hears Matt and his father talking about trying to win a contract to cut down the timber in the forest. April tries to make Matt see that the grave should be preserved no matter what. But, Matt only sees that their workers have been without work and need the job to take care of their families. Both April and Matt work to stop a forest fire, April as a firefighter and Matt driving a Cat to make breaks. Just when they realize they are falling in love each feels there is too much conflict between them for them to have a lasting relationship.

Matt and April are both interested in preservation in their own way. Matt's solution shows the love he has for April and what is important to her. A tender love story about two very different people who seem so right for each other.

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Daisies-Forever-environmental-contemporary-ebook/dp/B009NT3K8S

Monday, October 8, 2012

Book Trailer for The Fisherman's Daughter

I'm so happy this morning, I'm practically dancing off the ceiling!  Not only have I received two great reviews over the weekend, but my first book trailer has gone live.  It portrays The Fisherman's Daughter, a romantic suspense story, which can be found at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Fishermans-Daughter-ebook/dp/B00727LIBY

To see the trailer on You Tube, please follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWYTA4gu9Ac 

The video was created by Cindy Bauer at Booksinsync/Cold Coffee, and I thank her for her time and talent.  I also thank my publisher Books We Love Ltd. for all their fine support in republishing The Fisherman's Daughter.

So what do you think about the video?  If you have specific comments, please leave a thought or two.  As for me, I think the music and photos so wonderfully portray the typical marine settings in the Pacific Northwest, plus the romantic thrust of the story.  To create this story, I drew upon vacations I took in the beautiful San Juan Islands, plus a rustic fishing lodge on an island near western Canada. One morning, while I was standing near the dock at the lodge, enjoying the peacefulness of the glittering sunlight against the water, a good-looking guy emerged from his sailboat and strode down the dock.  Because he was carrying a large towel, I assumed he was headed up to the lodge to use the showers that were provided for the guests staying in RVs.  And that also meant, I guessed, that he was living on his sailboat, at least temporarily.  At any rate, that one glimpse of him, plus the beauty and intrigue of the islands, were all it took to spark an idea for The Fisherman's Daughter.  And now I'm so pleased to share some of that wonderful ambiance with you! 

Friday, September 21, 2012


Hello, happy Friday!  Our weather has cooled down from the 90s to a mere 62 degrees and there are gray skies overhead.  So much more typical of fall weather in western Oregon!  I took advantage of the cooler temps to can applesauce yesterday.  I ended up with enough for a cannerful--after I'd cut out all the wormy parts, of course!  Anyway, now I'm running a day late to share exciting news!  (If you knew me well, however, you'd indeed know that I'm often "a day late" in more ways than one.  LOL.)

So here's the news:  I've had the privilege of being a guest on Janet Lane Walter's website, and we've discussed "how I do it" when it comes to writing.  Check out the link below.  You'll find my interview listed for September 20.  Also on Saturday, the 22nd, Janet will showcase a sample chapter from one of my books.  Please join us on both days!

http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 10, 2012

Halloween Contest at Books We Love

Check out all the exciting details about Books We Love's upcoming Halloween Contest.  You won't want to miss out!  And by the way, folks, BWL is the very best e-pub I've ever worked with.

http://bwlpp.blogspot.com/2012/09/howling-halloween-contest_8.html

Sunday, September 9, 2012

The Three Most Common Mistakes Beginning Fiction Writers Make



 
            As a writing instructor for the past 13 years, one of the areas I teach is how to write short fiction.   Many of my students are brimming with story ideas, and their enthusiasm motivates me to be the best instructor I can be.  Yet sometimes--in the beginning at least--these eager students have difficulty transferring their ideas to paper to create an engaging story and memorable characters.   And I understand—I’ve been “there” myself a time or two...
            On the overall, I see three common problems I regards to writing short fiction.  Let’s take a look at them now, point-by-point.
·       Conflict/problem/quest
            A fictional story must first start with an engaging character that struggles with a conflict or a problem, or has a quest to pursue.  In order to assign your character this essential conflict, you need to first dig deeply into the character’s inner life to understand what makes them tick, what motivates them.  For example, can you list their hopes and dreams?  What are their likes and dislikes? Their fears and vulnerabilities?  What do they want more than anything else in life?   For example, if the story is a romance, the viewpoint character (usually the heroine) wants to make a lasting commitment with the hero—although she might not realize it at the beginning of the story.  Yet there are simply too many walls that stand between them (the conflict) and threaten to keep driving them apart.  The couple must solve their difference before they can declare their lasting love for each other.  If your story is a fantasy, say, maybe the POV character’s conflict or quest is to find the buried treasure that will reveal who their real mother was, or in the case of a time-travel, to discover the secret portal that will transport them back to the present, thus fulfilling their destiny. 
            Next, once you know your viewpoint character on a deeper level, it’s time to determine how their conflict will challenge their efforts to reach their goal.  (Remember, without a strong underlying conflict to drive the story, there simply isn’t a story.)  Let’s say, for instance, we’ve learned our heroine’s greatest vulnerability stems from her fear of failure.  Perhaps she lived with an abusive father who told her she’d never amount to anything in life.  Maybe later she was moved into the foster care system and unjustifiably blamed herself for her frequent moves from family-to-family.  (I failed again.  I must’ve have done something wrong; that’s the real reason why this family can’t keep me any longer.)  Maybe, too, she suffers from a phobia for test-taking, and every employment exam she’s ever attempted resulted in failure.   
            Okay, that’s her back-story, her personal history.  But now when the story opens, she’s a young single mother with a toddler to support.  Because a friend put in a good word for her, she’s been offered a position in a high-paying company—a unique opportunity she might never encounter again.  She realizes this dream job could be the answer to her financial problems.  It would undoubtedly help her escape from pending foreclosure on her modest home and put food on the table for her child and her.  But first she must take a placement test—and the old demons from her past rear their ugly heads.  Can she conquer her fears and risk the possibility of failure?  Is she willing to bear the consequences for the sake of her child and her home? 
·       Show Don’t Tell
            Sometimes I read manuscripts that are written in all narrative—in other words, most everything is told and nothing is shown.  Granted, there are times when narrative passages are necessary, for instance to portray interludes between fast-paced scenes, to function as a transition from one point in time to another, and so forth.  But when a story is entirely “told,” the readers are kept at an arm’s length from the POV character.  They are robbed of the opportunity to get inside the viewpoint character’s head and experience the story through the character’s thoughts and emotions.   
            Consider the following example of telling:

            On a snowy late November morning in Oregon, Darla awoke.  It had been snowing all night.  She climbed out of bed, and after peeking outside at the still accumulating snowdrifts, she showered and dressed.  At the kitchen table, she sipped her coffee and she scanned through the posts on Craig’s List and read the morning paper.  Darla knew she needed to find a job in order to begin supporting herself again, plus earn enough cash for Christmas gifts.  Two months ago, she’d lost her job at the drug store where she worked as a pharmacy aide.  Now she lived with her folks until she could get back on her feet.
            Her mom walked into the kitchen and told Darla she was late for work.  Darla, in turn, informed her mother that she was going to drive into town to start looking for a job of her own—even if most of the job applications were on-line.  Darla’s mother tells her to be careful driving in the ice and snow, and Darla inwardly wishes Mom didn’t baby her so.      
            Okay, now let’s take a look at a similar passage that “shows” instead. 
            Darla shivered as she pulled the covers up more snugly around her neck.  I bet it snowed all night, she thought, sitting up and remembering the snow drifts that had accumulated by the time she’d gone to bed.  She sat up, stretched, and climbed out of bed, then peeked through the slatted blinds covering her bedroom window.  Snow blanketed her backyard like a white, puffy quilt.  Smiling, she sang, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas...”  Yet her muscles tensed at the thought of the approaching holidays.  How will I ever get enough money to buy gifts, not to mention to begin supporting myself again?  I need to find work soon.  Carla had lost her job at the local drug store where she’d worked as a pharmacy aide, and she was living with her folks until she could get back on her feet.
            After showering and dressing, she seated herself at the kitchen table with the morning edition of The Oregonian, her laptop, and a cup of coffee.  The rich scent filled her nostrils as she stirred in a spoonful of sugar. The computer hummed as she booted it up and logged onto Craig’s List.  The newspaper and the computer—two good places to start, she decided. 
            “Good morning, honey,” her mother said as she waltzed into the kitchen.  She grabbed her car keys off the kitchen counter and headed for the hall closet.  “Sorry I can’t chat for a while, but I’m late for work. There’re fresh bagels and cream cheese in the fridge for breakfast.”             
            “Thanks, Mom.” Darla met her mother’s gaze.  “I’m not hungry this morning, so coffee will be fine.”  Her laptop pinged, indicating an email had just arrived.
            “Be careful if you plan to go out today,” Mom said as she shrugged into her wool coat.  “I’m sure the snow plows and road sanders have been through by now, but you never know.”
            “I will.  I’m gonna drive into town today to start job hunting, even though it appears as if most of the applications are on-line. ” She lifted her coffee mug to her lips, hoping her mom wouldn’t say any more about the road conditions.
            “Well, good luck, honey—but remember to watch out for black ice.”
            Darla sighed.  Why does Mom have to baby me so?  All the more reason to get back out on my own. 
            In the first example, I told the reader what was happening in the story—but that was all, just narrative telling.  In the second example, I incorporated dialogue, thoughts, body language, and action—and that helps take the reader inside Darla’s head, to experience the story from her own unique filter.  Big difference, right?  To quote Hemingway:  “Show the readers everything.  Tell them nothing.” 
·       Lack of Proactive Resolution
            Finally, I see many potentially good stories, but they are actually more “slice-of-life” pieces that lack a beginning, middle, and ending.  And a strong ending is ultimately what determines the POV character’s success in having solved the story’s underlying conflict.  By the resolution, our character should have been tested in challenging ways, met with tough complications that made him sweat and struggle.  If the author has been too easy on the POV character in the middle of the story, then the resolution will probably be too easy as well.  For instance, perhaps the character wakes up and discovers that all the bad happenings were nothing but a dream.  That’s the cheater’s way out, and your readers will feel cheated as well.  Or perhaps Providence or another character or a stroke of good luck has solved the problem—not your POV character.  In other words, his “answer” just falls in his lap.  How convenient!  Our protagonist hasn’t struggled at all.  There’s not one drop of sweat on his brow.  
            So in closing, remember to give the readers a character they can root for.  Give them a character that will grow and change as a person—all due to his or her own strong, proactive efforts.  And when the readers finish reading the last sentence of your story, they’ll smile and say, “I knew she could do it!  I knew she could slay her dragons and claim the victory!” 
            

Monday, September 3, 2012

Sydell Voeller Special Edition

Dear Friends,

I'm thrilled to announce that my excellent e-book publisher, Books We Love, has released my anthology of three books on Amazon Kindle.  The title is Sydell Voeller Special Edition, and it contains three of my recent novels with Books We Love Publishers: Her Sister's Keeper, Summer Magic, and The Fisherman's Daughter.  Many thanks, folks at BWL Publishing, Inc. for all your support and assistance! http://bwlpublishing.ca/authors/voeller-sydell-romance-usa/

Please check out my anthology at  http://www.amazon.com/Sydell-Voeller-Special-Edition-ebook/dp/B00942J1BY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346600087&sr=1-1&keywords=Sydell+Voeller+special+edition



Sunday, July 29, 2012

Good morning, everyone!  I'm happy to announce that my re-release of A House Divided, an inspirational romance, has gone live today on Amazon Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/A-House-Divided-ebook/dp/B008PN9ONI. The link to the publisher, BWL Publishing, Inc. is:  http://bwlpublishing.ca/

Book Blurb:
Rebecca Lorenzo, the young widow of a Hollywood actor who was killed by a crazed fan, is struggling to raise their young daughter, Wendy. Rebecca is embittered that God allowed her precious husband to die. She has turned her back on Him. Rebecca and Wendy move from L.A. to Rebecca's hometown on the Oregon coast. Due to a miscommunication, Rebecca mistakenly believes she can buy a Victorian house there. She hopes to cocoon herself in the security of her "safe" hometown. Rebecca meets the handsome, enigmatic homeowner, Mark Simons, and learns of his plans to tear down the house. Mark, a psychiatrist, is attempting to raise money to build a halfway house on the property, and he is admittedly a workaholic. He believes this project is God's will for him. Mark refuses to budge when Rebecca approaches him about selling the house. As Rebecca and Mark struggle to battle their individual demons from the past, they also struggle to resist their growing love for each other.

"Though he is a decade older than her, August and Rebecca met when he was filming in Freemont, Oregon, Winter Rose. They marry, move to Los Angeles, and have a daughter Wendy. However, their Hollywood love story ends tragically when a crazed fan kills August.

Rebecca returns to her hometown where her sister still lives. She wants to move into the Winter Rose where her memories with August are perfect; besides she can make some money leasing the place to Galaxy Productions that want to do a sequel there. However, owner Dr. Mark Simons plans to tear down the place and replace it with a halfway house for his patients. The psychiatrist believes this is God's command as a penance for him not being there for his mom when she committed suicide. While he seeks God's approval, she rejects God for allowing a bad thing to happen to a good person. Though they argue over the house and differ over God, they fall in love, but that seems not strong enough to form a relationship when their individual pasts haunt them." ~ Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME AMAZON REVIEWER
  
Rebecca Lorenzo, the young widow of a Hollywood actor who was killed by a crazed fan, is struggling to raise their young daughter, Wendy. Rebecca is embittered that God allowed her precious husband to die. She has turned her back on Him. Rebecca and Wendy move from L.A. to Rebecca's hometown on the Oregon coast. Due to a miscommunication, Rebecca mistakenly believes she can buy a Victorian house there. She hopes to cocoon herself in the security of her "safe" hometown. Rebecca meets the handsome, enigmatic homeowner, Mark Simons, and learns of his plans to tear down the house. Mark, a psychiatrist, is attempting to raise money to build a halfway house on the property, and he is admittedly a workaholic. He believes this project is God's will for him. Mark refuses to budge when Rebecca approaches him about selling the house. As Rebecca and Mark struggle to battle their individual demons from the past, they also struggle to resist their growing love for each other.

"Though he is a decade older than her, August and Rebecca met when he was filming in Freemont, Oregon, Winter Rose. They marry, move to Los Angeles, and have a daughter Wendy. However, their Hollywood love story ends tragically when a crazed fan kills August.

Rebecca returns to her hometown where her sister still lives. She wants to move into the Winter Rose where her memories with August are perfect; besides she can make some money leasing the place to Galaxy Productions that want to do a sequel there. However, owner Dr. Mark Simons plans to tear down the place and replace it with a halfway house for his patients. The psychiatrist believes this is God's command as a penance for him not being there for his mom when she committed suicide. While he seeks God's approval, she rejects God for allowing a bad thing to happen to a good person. Though they argue over the house and differ over God, they fall in love, but that seems not strong enough to form a relationship when their individual pasts haunt them." ~ Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME AMAZON REVIEWER

Friday, July 20, 2012

Books In Sync Romance Author Sydell L. Voeller Publishes Free To Love among her many other well known titles.


Note From Author:
Welcome to my Author’s Page on Books In Sync. Please come in and kick back for a while. We’re in for a fun visit.
Many of my fans ask me how I got started writing. Like so many authors, my interest in writing dates back to my childhood. I grew up an only child, so I had my share of solitude to spin stories in my head. At the tender age of ten, I mailed a short story to a contest for kids, and later received my first rejection letter. Enter my new reality as a would-be writer!
Years later, after launching forth on a nursing career, getting married, and becoming a mom to our two sons, the writing bug bit me again! And now 20-some years after that, I’m happy to say I’ve published several romance novels for teens and adults. My short stories and articles have also been printed in national magazines.
On my “Books” page, you’ll find a list of my titles, along with their covers and a sampling of book reviews that have appeared on the Net. Dive in! My “Bio” page is filled with more information about me. Check out the snapshots of my husband, our granddaughter, our two handsome sons and their lovely wives, and our pampered cat, a “rescue” kitty we adopted about 12 years ago. Finally, please stop by my guestbook and drop me a line. I always love to hear from my readers!
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About Author Sydell L. Voeller:
Sydell Voeller grew up in Washington State, but has lived in Oregon for over thirty years. Throughout her twenty-year writing career, her published novels for teens and adults have reflected her love for the Pacific Northwest’s ocean beaches, inlets and waterways, evergreen forests, and mountains. Sydell resides in Oregon with her husband. They married in 1971 and have two sons.
Pet lovers, the Voellers have provided a home for several cats, a dog, gerbils, hamsters, and a turtle--but not all at the same time! A small rodent cemetery still occupies one corner of their backyard. She and her husband enjoy camping, reading, playing Scrabble, day trips to the Oregon coast, and spending time with their granddaughter and pampered feline.
When Sydell isn't writing, she enjoys camping, walking, amateur astronomy, reading, and surfing the web. In 1987 after the publication of her first novel, she was named by the Washington County Mushaw Center, Woman of the Year in Communications.
Formerly a registered nurse, Sydell now teaches writing correspondence courses, sponsored by the Long Ridge Writer’s Institute (a home study course in writing short stories and articles) in West Redding, Connecticut.
Author Sydell L. Voeller Current Books:
Careless Whispers (Sweet Dreams Series #216) – by Sydell Voeller
Daisies Are Forever – by Sydell L. Voeller
Free To Love – by Sydell Voeller
Her Sister's Keeper - Sydell L. Voeller
Sandcastles of Love - Sydell L. Voeller
Skateboard Blues/A Star for Courage - Sydell L. Voeller
Star Light, Star Bright (Avalon Romance) - Sydell L. Voeller
Summer Magic - Sydell L. Voeller
The Fisherman's Daughter - Sydell L. Voeller
Unlikely Dad (Avalon Romance) - Sydell L. Voeller
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Books Published by BWL Publishing, Inc.  http://bwlpublishing.ca/authors/voeller-sydell-romance-usa/

Author’s Page At Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Sydell-Voeller/e/B001JRZ0DU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1/175-3856498-0810814
Read Sydell’s author interview on the Avalon Books website:
http://avalonbooks.com/aa_archives/c0606_s_voeller.html
Please feel free to review my books at http://askdavid.com/search/sydell-voeller
Author Sydell Voeller’s Blog
http://apps.sydellvoeller.com/Blog/
Author Sydell Voeller’s Website
http://www.sydellvoeller.com

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