Shelby Nichols is Your Average American House Wife but After a Run In With A Gunman and Carrots, Her Life Will Never Be the Same! 'Carrots!' by Colleen Helme

Scribal Love Welcomes Colleen Helme

Colleen Helme is an author of romantic fantasy.  Her newest work Carrots is available from CreateSpace. 

Hi tell us a little about yourself.  How long have you been writing?  Do you write full time?

I have been writing for about ten years and try to write at least four hours a day. 

So what is the name of your new book?  And what genre is it in?

Carrots is a contemporary paranormal fantasy. It is a change from my other books because it takes place in our world, but with the twist that the main character can read minds.

Tell us about your new book.  What is it about?

Shelby Nichols is an average woman who is married to the only guy she ever fell for. Her life is organized and predictable, revolving around her husband and children. All that changes the day she stops at the grocery store for some carrots. As the cashier rings up her purchases, a gunman is busy robbing the bank inside the store. When a customer grabs the robber's mask, he is shot and everyone runs for cover. Everyone except Shelby, who finds herself face to face with the killer. The next thing she knows, she's lying on the floor with a bullet wound to her head. 

Luckily, the bullet only grazes her scalp, and she doesn't suspect any lasting effects until later, when she suddenly 'hears' what people are thinking. With this uncanny ability, her life takes on a whole new dimension. Her kids think she's bossy and too old to understand them, but that's nothing compared to her husband. He says he loves her, but what is it about the beautiful redhead at work that he doesn't want her to know? 

As if that isn't enough, the gunman knows she can identify him, and he's out to silence her forever. In her fight to stay alive, she is saved from certain death by a handsome hit-man with ties to organized crime. This pulls Shelby even deeper into danger, where knowing someone's thoughts can not only hurt your feelings, but get you killed.

Can you give us an excerpt? 

My life changed that day because I didn’t have any carrots. 

In the late afternoon hours of a beautiful spring day, I was driving home when the dark, threatening clouds finally let loose, and it began to pour. It was April, so rain wasn’t unexpected, but it couldn’t have come at a worse time. All I wanted was to go home and relax, but first I had to make a pit stop at the grocery store to pick up some carrots. I was planning on making chicken soup for dinner, but of course, I didn’t have any carrots, and everyone knows you can’t make chicken soup without carrots.

Luckily, the grocery store was on my way home, but when I pulled into the parking lot, all the good spots were taken. I ended up parking the van so far away that I knew I’d get soaked. I turned off the engine and without the wipers going; I could barely see out the windshield. Did I really need those carrots? I waited a few minutes, but the rain wasn’t letting up, and time was wasting. I’d just have to run for it.

Gathering my courage, I took a deep breath and jumped out of the car, then made a mad dash for the doors. I was nearly there when I came across a massive puddle. With my momentum I couldn’t stop, so I jumped. That was a huge mistake, and the resulting splash sent dirty water halfway up my pants and soaked my shoes. I caught my breath at the sudden wetness and cursed out loud. Not only were my shoes completely drenched, but the splash made it look like I’d wet my pants. 

I grabbed a shopping cart and marched into the store. Now that I’d made it this far, there was no turning back. It didn’t matter that my shoes were squeaking, and water was trickling down my neck. Or that my hair was now plastered to my skull, and water was dripping from my nose. Come hell or high water, I was going to get those blasted carrots.

I got to the produce isle and triumphantly placed the carrots into my cart and stood there, feeling ridiculous. I’d risked life and limb for this? After all I’d been through it was anti-climatic. I wiped the rain from my face and pushed the hair back from my forehead. There had to be something else I needed. 

I suddenly had a hankering for some hostess cupcakes, yummy chocolate goodness with creamy whipped filling inside. Now was my chance to grab a box. I could probably hide them easily enough in the back of the kitchen cupboard with the pots and pans. No one but me would know where they were. While I was at it, why not pick up some more diet cherry coke? I hated to run out, and it never hurt to have extra on hand.

When I reached the check-out, I was feeling lots better. This hadn’t been a wasted trip after all. Sometimes the checker knows what I’m making for dinner from what’s in my cart, but not tonight. She rang up my items; carrots, celery, diet coke, cupcakes, potato chips. Then she gave me one of those knowing looks while she scanned the twizzlers, twinkies, cheetos, and candy bars. With a guilty flush, I quickly explained that most of it was for my kids and their friends. It was the truth, but from her smile, I wasn’t sure she believed me. Maybe I had gone a little overboard in the unhealthy foods department.

As she placed the bags into my shopping cart, somebody screamed. My heart skipped a beat and I flinched when an earsplitting crack came from the area near the bank. I stared in astonished disbelief as a man fell heavily to the floor, blood oozing from his chest. As he fell, he grabbed the rubber mask from the face of the man beside him. The man with the gun. 

Another shot went off, and everyone scattered for cover. Everyone except me. My brain seemed to be moving in slow motion, and I stood there with my mouth open like a dummy. How could something like this be happening in my grocery store? The man with the gun pivoted and saw me staring at him. His eyes blazed with demented zeal and he fired.

Next thing I knew, someone was holding a cloth to my head and murmuring something I couldn’t make out. His face was white, and when he spoke, his voice shook. I tried to ask him what was wrong, but the words just wouldn’t come out of my mouth. What was I doing on the floor? What was that awful noise?

With a surge of recognition, the wailing sirens got louder and louder. That seemed to jolt my senses awake, and I reached for my head. It suddenly hurt. I started to sit up and smashed the potato chip bag with my elbow. The bag exploded and sent chips flying everywhere. 

The man helping me was horrified. I tried to tell him that I hadn’t meant to make such a mess, but he wouldn’t listen. Instead, he kept trying to push me down, but there was no way I wanted to lay my hurting head on those greasy chips. His face turned a bright shade of red before he finally quit trying and left to get help. 

End Excerpt

Are there more books we should look out for?  Say a series or other books you have written?

Yes! This book Carrots is the first in a series. I am currently writing the next Shelby Nichols Adventure titled Fast Money!

I also have two romantic fantasy novels available titled Songbird and Flame of Destiny with a sequel to Flame of Destiny called The Relic coming out September 2011 from Mundania Press.

Who is the publisher and where can we find you on the web?

The publisher is Createspace and Carrots is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and as a KINDLE!

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Carrots-Colleen-Helme/dp/1456414143/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305842052&sr=1-4

Visit my website: http://www.colleenhelme.com for more information and reviews on all my titles.

Email: colleen@colleenhelme.com

I would love to hear from you!

Thanks Clare!

Discover The Romantic Epic- "Westmore" by Carol Cassada!

Carol Cassada is an author of Romance. Her newest work "Westmore" is available from Createspace.

Carol Cassada is an author of Romance.  Her newest work "Westmore" is available from Createspace. 




What is the name of your latest book?  And how did you come up with the title?


The name of the book is Westmore, the name comes from the fictional New England town it’s set in. I was playing around with names, mixing different words and Westmore just came to me.


What is this book about?  And what genre is this book in?


It’s mostly a romance book with a soap opera appeal and the first in the series. The book revolves around three families; The Greens, The Braxtons, and The Reynolds. They experience love, heartache, and drama in their everyday lives. Towards the end of the book an accident happens which affects all the families.




Who is/are the main characters?  And why did you choose them?


There are many characters in the book, but a few of them are more frontrunners than others. Charlotte is the matriarch of the Green family who vowed never to date again after the death of her husband, but changes her mind when Detective Jim Bryant comes to her rescue.


Scott Green and his sister Alicia front the rock band The Dark Souls. It’s always been Scott’s dream to became a big time musician and just as it looks like his ambitions are about to come true, tragedy strikes.


Andrew Braxton is a ruthless and powerful publishing tycoon who controls his family with an iron fist. Wife Elizabeth is fed up with his behavior and contemplates divorce. Son Wayne is looking to break away from the family business, yet Andrew’s plan to keep his son could end up spelling consequences for others.


Laura Reynolds and her daughter move home after a messy divorce. Once Laura’s happy in her new life, her ex unexpectedly shows up threatening to expose her secret.




What is the coolest or best part about your book?  (Any Favorite scenes, the world-building etc..)


One of the things I love about the book is the diversity of the characters. You have the upper class Braxtons all prim and proper, enjoying the luxuries of life.  Marie the spunky and down to earth sister-in-law of Andrew. Then there’s Scott and Alicia, a pair of tattooed rocker siblings, with a secret sensitive side. Melissa a young conservative girl, who happens to be Scott’s girlfriend. And Charlotte the caring mother.


Each character has a different personality which readers can relate to and enjoy.


Do you have a favorite character in the book?  If so, why?


Two of my favorite characters are Charlotte and her daughter Alicia. Charlotte’s a caring mother who loves her children and tries to do what’s best for them, while looking for love a second time around. I modeled the character after my own mom because all she wants is for her children to be happy and follow their dreams, much like Charlotte. 


Alicia is a tough rocker chick, yet readers will see she has a softer side. She’s someone whose afraid to take a chance of love because she’s been hurt in the past. In a lot of ways I consider myself like Alicia because she seems tough, yet she very sensitive and her feelings can easily be hurt, there’s one scene where her brother makes a comment which hurts her feelings and she excuses herself because she doesn’t want them to see her cry.


Is this book part of a series?  If so? What can we expect in future books?  


This is the first in the series, as I stated earlier an accident happens at the end of the novel and in the sequel all three families are affected and one of the characters faces repercussion for their role in causing the catastrophe. 


Plus you can expect more drama and fighting in the Braxton household and the company. More characters coming to town and secrets being revealed. Also lots of romance between various characters.


If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?


Before I published the book I was thinking about changing the ending. On the one hand I wanted to rewrite it and on the other my gut told me not to. So I left the ending just the way it was and I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out.


Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?


One interesting thing I learned is how much of yourself is revealed in the characters. For instance I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be a rock star and I can have the experience through Scott and Alicia, as I was writing their scenes I could picture myself in their place performing for a live audience. 


Another important scene is when Wayne confronts his father about his wrongdoings, Wayne lets him have it. I’m the type of person who stays quiet and doesn’t say anything and I’ve wanted to tell someone off and by writing that scene it helped me unleash anger I’ve had towards people who’ve treated me badly.


Do you have a publisher?  And if so, why did you choose them?  


This time I chose to go with self-publishing. I wasn’t having any luck with publishers, I kept getting rejected, plus I hated waiting three months to hear a response. I’ve heard about self-publishing before, but didn’t know if it was something I’d be comfortable with. So I did research and made a pros and cons list, after much contemplation I decided to go with Createspace.


If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?


I really can’t think of an author whose a mentor, because my writing’s so different.


What books are you reading now?  


I like to read paranormal and supernatural books, mostly real life incidents, currently I’m reading Ghostly Lighthouses by Sheryl Monks.


What are the current writing projects that you are working on?


I’m currently working on the sequel to Westmore which I hope to have out by the end of the year. Then after that I’ll start on volume 3. In my spare time I do freelance work.


Do you write full time?  If not, do you hope to do so one day?


I do write full time, this is my passion what I want to do my whole life. I can’t picture myself doing anything else.


Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?


During my teen years, I was going through a rough time and writing helped relax me. By writing I escaped to my own fantasy world. I loved writing so much that by the time I graduated high school I realized I wanted to be a writer. After graduating from Old Dominion University I started writing my first book Going Home Again which was released in February 2010.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?


The writing business is hard. This time around it was especially tough since I went with self-publishing and had to do everything myself. You have to edit the manuscript, create a cover, set the sales channels, plus you have to do all the promotion yourself. Sure it’s hard, but if you’re really committed to writing, then you have to deal with the business aspects.


Do you have any advice for other writers seeking to get published for the first time?


The most important advice is don’t give up. Eventually you’re going to find the right publisher for your book and when it happens there’s no greater feeling in the world.




Thank You Carol for Dropping By!


You can find Carol on the Web at:

www.carolcassada.net

Twitter @dramacjc

"Links To the Past," a Fascinating New Read from Fantasy Author, G. A. Teske

Scribal Love Welcomes G.A. (Jerry) Teske

G.A. (Jerry) Teske is an author of Fantasy.  His newest work "Links To the Past"  is available from Create Space and Amazon.com

What is the name of your latest book?  And how did you come up with the title?

Links to the Past. It is the third of four titles in the Soul Sword Chronicles. It refers to the links of the most powerful magical relic in the world, the Chain of Anyullyn.

What is this book about?  And what genre is this book in?

This is an epic fantasy story. The series is about Captain Persephelon Millan who was killed on a battlefield by an evil wizard, but awoke to find his soul trapped within his own sword. He was forced to use his skills in the service of his enemies until he discovered how to exert his own will over whoever held his blade. The sword eventually comes into the possession of a group of young people whose mission is to rescue the world from destruction by an errant moon.

In Links to the Past, Persephelon, with a few friends, must overcome betrayal by a trusted companion, the murder of family members, and the schemes of both an evil wizard king and a vile demon to successfully locate and reconstruct the legendary artifact, the Chain of Anyullyn, the only magical relic with enough power to prevent the world’s destruction.

Who is/are the main characters?  And why did you choose them?

1) Persephelon: a former captain in his country’s army, 2) Vincent Whitehorse, a savant with magical powers of light, 3) Kandlas Wicke, an elf with the magical power to manipulate invisible forces, 4) Jade and 5) Aron Dorr, a sister and brother who are basically adopted by Vincent after the murder of most of their family, and 6) Khan, a rare & mysterious gnome from whom no one ever gets a straight answer.

Most of the characters above were created by my friends for a role playing game. I adjusted their personalities and abilities to mesh with the world that I created, so their interactions, dialog, and decisions were more lifelike.

What is the coolest or best part about your book?  (Any Favorite scenes, the world-building etc…)

The parts that were the most fun writing were the interactions and dialog among the characters, especially the ones who had some animus between them. I also enjoyed creating scenes, characters, and magical abilities that were entirely original.

Do you have a favorite character in the book?  If so, why?

I think that my favorite character is Khan, the gnome. There are no dwarves in my world so the gnomes are kind of a cross between the mischievous gnomes of children’s fantasy and the dwarves in most high fantasy stories. One day he can be intelligent, sarcastic, jovial, greedy, and at another time he can be brave, resourceful, practical, or prone to mistakes. He basically helps to tie many of the scenes together with the other characters with humor, wit, and sometimes scorn.

Is this book part of a series?  If so? What can we expect in future books?

This is the third of a four book series: The Soul Sword Chronicles. Book four, the Soul Sword, will reveal whether or not the young heroes can learn to fully control the magic needed to overcome the evil forces arrayed against them. Despite their inexperience and skepticism about the value of their abilities, they must find a way to defeat an evil wizard and his armies, save the world from a multitude of demons, prevent the destruction to be wreaked by a falling moon, and finally, find a way to help Persephelon escape from the soul sword.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I’m sure that there are a few scenes that I would like to tweak and make more succinct. I also might like to add another chapter about the dragons and their relationship to the elves in Links to the Past.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I think I relearned that the second and third (or more) rewrites take longer than the first draft. They are not as exciting but are just as important to a good story.

Do you have a publisher?  And if so, why did you choose them? 

I don’t have a traditional publisher yet, but am always looking for one. I have self-published my novels with three different publishers. I have changed companies because I have been looking for one that would give me a good package for my printed book at a price that is competitive with novels from traditional publishers. My paperbacks, 6x9 format, range in price from $18.95, $12.95, and my newest one is $10.95.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I have always been impressed with the world of middle earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien. I would probably say that R.A. Salvatore would be more of a mentor, though, because I was reading a lot of his work when I decided that I’d like to give writing a try, myself.

What books are you reading now? 

I’m reading a couple of different series now. One by Elizabeth Hayden, called Rhapsody. It’s followed by Prophecy and Destiny. The other series is by David Farland called the Runelords Trilogy. I’ve recently read the first four books by George R.R. Martin, A Song of Fire and Ice. I’ve been waiting quite a while for his fifth novel in the series to come out. (Along with a lot of other readers.)

What are the current writing projects that you are working on?

In addition to my fourth book in the Soul Sword Chronicles I have a start on a couple of young adult novels. One is set in St. Augustine, Florida and revolves around two friends and the discovery of an ancient letter relating to the creatures we know as Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, and their origins that go all the way back to Genesis in the Bible. The other is a series of short, humorous vignettes of life in a country school, set in the early 1960’s. And finally, I’m also working on a script for my church’s Easter celebration.

Do you write full time?  If not, do you hope to do so one day?

I pretty much can now, since I retired last January. I hope to write about one novel per year, so I guess that’s pretty much full time. I do write almost everyday although how much I do varies.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I started writing short stories when I was in high school. I wrote a sci-fi novel when I was in my twenties and a few other short stories. After I got married, work and raising a family pretty much stopped me from writing much at all until 2006. Tossing around some ideas with a few young friends in their twenties, led to their encouragement to get started again. Once I began in August of 2006 I haven’t been able to stop. I’ve finished and published three novels in four and one half years.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I have a tendency to over describe the scene and the characters. My friends in a local writers’ group help me a lot with paring my chapters down to the essential information.

Do you have any advice for other writers seeking to get published for the first time?

I would like to ask this question to a lot of published writers myself. Most of the ones who I’ve talked to or heard from say pretty much the same thing: Don’t get discouraged, don’t give up, and also that you have to find a publisher or an agent who likes your work. They don’t all like the same writing styles or genres.