Bus Stop

The winner who gets to choose their prize is:

Today, just for kicks, Shawna Williams gets to share about embarrassing moments. I'm hoping that you guys will put us at ease and post about yours too.

Let me start by saying that I'm a bit of a klutz and embarrassment seems to be a daily occurrence. By my age I've sort of built up a tolerance to it so that I brush if off with a shrug and an "Oh well." In my teenage years though, that wasn't so much the case. Hence, I'm going to draw on those impressionable years for an experience to share.

When I was sixteen I was in my high school's drill team. Every week during football season we preformed halftime routines. Usually the away games were close enough that we just took a school bus over, but one year we ended up in the playoffs, and one of the teams we played against was three hours away. Because of the long drive, the school decided to pony up and charter buses to take us over.

I had never ridden in a charter bus before so needless to say, the bathroom experience was something totally foreign to me. But... after holding my bladder for the trip there, throughout the game, and for the first hour of the trip home, I could no longer stand it. So I braved my way to the back of the bus to relieve myself.

Upon opening the door to the bathroom, an awful smell assaulted my senses. How could anyone stand to breathe long enough o use the bathroom? I really had to go though, so I turned away, inhaled a deep breath, stepped inside and shut the door.

It was pitch black. I didn't dare attempt to use this bathroom in the dark.

I opened the door and called out, "How do you turn on the light?"

The girls closest to the bathroom answered back, "Shut the door and lock it."

Yes... I understood that the bathroom smelled horrible and with the door open that smell was escaping into the cab of the bus, but I needed to know how to turn on the light. So again I asked, "I know, but how do you turn on the light?"

"Shut the door and lock it!"

This was no help. I desperately had to pee and could barely stand to breathe. I was sorry that the smell was bad for them too, but I really needed an answer. And fast. "But, how do you turn on the light?"

"SHUT THE DOOR AND LOCK IT!"

Fine. I'd just have to figure this out by myself. So, I shut the door and fiddled with the handle. How was a person supposed to figure out how to lock the door in the dark? There had to be a light switch somewhere. I began to feel around on the walls, beginning nearest to the door and extending outwards.

And there it was, a button protruding from the wall. Had to be it! So I punched it.

Nothing happened.

I punched it again.

Still dark.

I punched it several times in quick succession.

Nope!

Okay, either the lights were burnt out or that wasn't the light switch. I thought again about what the girls had yelled at me. Shut the door and lock it!

Maybe they weren't just offended by the bathroom smell. I found the door handle again and began to fiddle. There was a lever, what if I pushed it... Whala! On came the lights. Thank goodness. I was turning blue from oxygen deprivation.

Uhgt - Oh! You don't read what you write...

When I think about my journey to becoming a published author I always feel a tad overwhelmed with astonishment. Sometimes I'm not even sure if it's something I chose or stumbled into. I'm not complaining though, because now that I'm here I can't imagine it any other way.


So here's why my story is a little strange. First of all, I never intended to become a writer. My journey began with an obsession over making sense of a dream I had over the Thanksgiving holidays in 2002. I woke up feeling like I had experienced pieces of someone else's life, and for the next six months I pondered continuously over how it all fit together. Eventually it became too big to keep straight in my head, so I began to write in secret -- because, really... who tries to work out a story from a dream merely because it fascinates them? As I wrote though something transformed within me. I fell in love with these characters in my head, I fell in love with their plight to be together, and I felt this strange sense of honor at being the one to convey their story through the written word. I fell in love with the ability to create.

I toyed for several years more, putting the book away, pulling it out, considering the idea of trying to get published and then convincing myself that I'd written the story solely for my own satisfaction.

Around 2007 I began to feel a gentle nudge in the direction of publication. That's when I faced a couple of new challenges. I knew nothing about the industry, and even less about the genres of the book I had written. You see, I read a fair amount. Tom Clancy and Tess Gerritson were and still are two of my favorite authors, but neither of them write romance. So here I was, a non-romance reader who had written a romance. To add to that conundrum, my romance had strong elements of faith in it. It was Christian fiction romance. Guess what? Not only did I not read romance, I didn't read Christian fiction, and certainly had never so much as picked up a Christian fiction romance. Was there even such a thing?

So that's when I began to study. To my horror, one of the first things I learned was that a.) authors are supposed to read what they write, and b.) the kind of things I wanted to include in my book/s were the sort of things that most publishers of Christian fiction ask authors to edit out. The author of one book I read about getting published in the Christian fiction market flat out stated that if you were a new author, and your book contained a,b or c (you know, the "big sins") then you should put it away and write something else. If you were lucky and made it big, then maybe one day you could publish the story you really wanted to tell.

At that point, I remember closing that book and thinking the advice seemed a tad disingenuous. Wouldn't readers feel duped if they'd come to expect one thing from a beloved author only to find out that was never who the author really was. Wouldn't that be a little like learning Tom Clancy really was a communist, and the true reason for getting his character Jack Ryan into the White House was to make that known. I had to ask myself: Did I want to write for the purpose of being published, or did I want to write for the purpose of telling a story from my heart? For me, it was never really a question.

So here I am, an unintentional writer of Christian fiction/romance for readers who don't read either. And something rather amazing has come of it. I've discovered that there's a whole audience out there.

Blessings,

Shawna K. Williamshttp://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/

Thirsting for more

No Other by Shawna K. Williams
http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/

In the aftermath of WWII all Jakob Wilheimer wants is to get over his pain, get on with life, and if at all possible, forgive those who've wronged his family -- including himself. But it's hard to do when there are constant reminders. One of them being his former schoolmate, now teacher, Meri Parker -- Miss Port Delamar Pearl, Mayor's daughter, Belle of the town -- Meri Parker.

After enduring the stigma and isolation associated with the internment camp, the awkwardness of going back to school should've been a cake walk. But Jakob didn't expect to find himself inexplicably drawn to Meri. Or to discover that the pain and loneliness of her life surpassed his own. She needed to be rescued from the wretched people seeking to control her life. And more than anything, he needed to be the one to save her.

Author Bio:

Having never considered becoming a writer, Shawna K. Williams' path changed in a single night all because of a dream. Her early writings were a mere attempt to fill in gaps within the dream and satisfy her curiosity, but later became the inspiration for her first two novels. She is an editor for Desert Breeze Publishing and Solstice Publishing, speaker and teacher on writing techniques, homeschooling mom and multi-published author of historical fiction. Shawna enjoys books in almost any genre as long as they contain strong characters tackling real-life grit -- even if the book is sci-fi/fantasy. She also has a thing for dogs and pygmy goats, and believes the world would be a better place if people aspired to be the person their pet believes them to be.

First Kiss Romantic Scene by Shawna Williams

The engine idled smoothly and Jakob could feel the vibration through the seat. He reached for the keys and the rumbling motor suddenly went silent.

"What's wrong," said Meri.

Jakob looked over at her. Moonlight poured in through the window, haloing her hair, and her widened eyes sparkled in the darkness. She was so beautiful.

"There's something I need to tell you, but I don't know how." He sighed heavily and then whispered. "Crud, I don't even know if I should."

Meri turned her body toward him and scooted against the car door. "It sounds important."

Jakob pressed his lips together. "It's just, if I don't say something, I'm afraid I'll regret it. And things might... change between us."

She shook her head. "Change how?"

"You'll find someone else."

Meri covered her mouth and turned away, hiding her face from him.

Her reaction startled Jakob. It wasn't what he'd expected -- not that he knew what to expect. He had no idea what she was thinking, but he'd started this and he had to finish it -- even if it ended up breaking his heart. With Meri cowering in the seat beside him, that seemed likely.

Get it over with.

Jakob stared straight ahead and forced himself to continue. "I know this is crazy, and we can't do anything about it -- not that you'd even want to." He bit his lip, and then let out a sigh, puffing his cheeks.

Say it.

"I'm in love with you, Meri. I'm a hundred percent in love with you." He looked over to see if his words made any difference. Meri stayed hunkered down, covering her face with her hands.

His heart toppled from a cliff -- falling... falling. What have I done?

"Meri, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

She didn't move.

"I'm an idiot, okay. A complete fool!" He swallowed away his humiliation, and reached for the keys in the ignition. "I'll take you home, and I won't bother you again."

Her hand covered his as he started to turn the keys. Jakob looked at her and was shocked to see tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, Meri." The pain in her eyes tore at him. "I didn't mean to make you cry." He touched her cheek and gently wiped her tears. They fell faster. Jakob reached with his other hand, cupping her face and tried to catch them as they spilled over the rims of her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled, drawing his gaze as she mouthed the words, 'I love you'.

His heart stilled. She loved him.

Jakob drew her to him and found himself overcome by the feel of her lips beneath his, tasting the saltiness of her tears, inhaling the sweetness of her skin. There was so much that he wanted to tell her, show her...give her. He had no words to express, so he used his kisses to convey all that he dreamed.

She responded with equal passion, telling him what she felt but couldn't say.

When their need for breath overcame their need for each other, they rested their heads together. Meri's tears still flowed, and Jakob stroked her hair.

"What are we going to do, Jakob? I can't be without you."

Jakob kissed her forehead. "It's okay," he said, running his fingers through her hair. "It's gonna be okay. We'll find a way to make this work." He tipped her chin to look into her eyes. "I can't be without you, either."

The night became deafeningly quiet, as if all life had abandoned -- except his and Meri's. In his heart Jakob understood that the price of being together was to be cut off from everyone else. To keep this secret he must erect a wall. He'd been there before. He could do it again.



Which do you think is more romantic, today's scene or the one posted yesterday?

Intimate Rain Storm Scene by Shawna Williams

Jakob headed for the living room, holding the chandelier by its chain. "Hey Meri," he called to her over the rain. "Come in here."
Meri walked toward the living room, but paused at its entrance as a gust of wind hit her. "The window is broken," she said.

"I know. The wind is blowing south though and the porch is keeping most of the rain out."

Meri took slow steps toward him, crossing her arms and rubbing them as the chill from the storm hit her. Jakob stood in the center of the room with his hair blowing wildly.

"What are you doing?"

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly. "It feels nice. Kinda like standing in the rain without getting wet."

He laid the chandelier on the floor and marched over to the wall. Meri watched as he used his foot to clear pine needles and dirt from an area of the floor. He stood over the spot, inspecting it, and then unbuttoned his plaid shirt and took it off, revealing the white tee shirt he wore underneath.

Her heart jumped into her throat.

Jakob laid the shirt on the ground, then turned and sat next to it with his back leaning against the wall. "Come on," he said. "I saved ya a seat."

She furrowed her brow. Her teeth clattered with a sudden chill but she did as he asked. "This is crazy," she said, taking a seat on his shirt.

"Nah." He stretched out his legs, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"Jakob, what are you doing?"

"Just takin' it all in." He let out a relaxed sigh. "You should give it a try."

Meri folded her arms. Then unfolded them. She hated feeling self-conscious. "I don't know how."

He cracked one eye at her. "Be still."

"What?"

"Copy me," he said. "Lean back, close your eyes."

She did as he said. "Now what?" This was nuts.

"Quiet your mind, and just listen and feel."

Meri took a deep breath and tried to relax. It wasn't working. She sneaked a glance at Jakob. His face seemed beautifully serene amidst the swirling bits of debris flying through the room. It was so... him. Somehow, realizing that made her want to give herself over to the experience. She took another deep breath and let it out slowly.

The first thing she noticed was the musty scent had been cleansed from the air. The smell of rain, clean and fresh, took its place. Droplets rhythmically pattered against the roof. And the sound changed with the wind -- becoming soft, like a whisper -- then building into a crescendo with the howling gale. At its peak, rumbling thunder. It was music.

Her body relaxed fully and her shivers subsided. She surrendered to the moment, allowing the wild breeze and cool mist to touch her, tickle her. Tiny goose-bumps rose all over her skin. With her eyes closed it felt as if she were elsewhere -- suspended and floating. Free.

"It's beautiful," escaped her lips.

"Glad you could join me," Jakob whispered.

She felt the warmth of his hand slip around hers, his touch joining them in the experience. Their own private symphony.



Compare this scene with the one from tomorrow and tell me which is more romantic.

Contest with Shawna Williams

This weeks contest is a bit different, but there is a book to be won!
In order to win a chance to choose which book you win the rules are: Read Shawna's posts this week and vote for which excerpt you think is more romantic by leaving a comment on either one or both. --We (Shawna and I) are romance writers after all. But...Shawna is looking for your input so don't let her down. (Look at that face...How can anyone turn her down?)  If you have entered before, this is a new contest and you could win again or for the first time here on this blog!
You don't have to be a follower, but you better leave us an email addy so we can notify you and get you your book!

Website - http://shawnakwilliams.com/

Blog - http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shawna-K-Williams/236629884245

Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/shawnakwilliams

Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/shawnakwilliams/

Most of my author activity is through facebook and twitter and I'm very active on Pinterest as well.

Purchase Links

Desert Breeze

Ebook - http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-86/No-Other/Detail.bok

Print - https://www.createspace.com/3762193

Amazon -

Kindle edition - http://www.amazon.com/No-Other-ebook/dp/B003K15MY0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1336172788&sr=1-1

Print - http://www.amazon.com/No-Other-Shawna-K-Williams/dp/1468164937/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1336172788&sr=1-1

Barnes&Noble

Nookbook - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-other-shawna-k-williams/1022584299?ean=9781936000531

Print - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-other-shawna-k-williams/1022584299?ean=9781468164930&format=paperback

Sunday Sizzle

In Plain Sight
Excerpt published by permission of the author, Michelle Sutton. http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/


"Good." Randy rested his large hands on her waist and said, "I'm proud of you."

Her heart swelled and she blinked back tears. When was the last time a man had told her he was proud of her? She couldn't recall, but if anyone had, it was most likely her brother.

Randy stepped back and peered down at her. The tender expression he wore as he brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs made her heart throb. She didn't know it was possible for a heart to do that until she felt it for the first time. Was this what love was supposed to feel like? Was it even possible to know real love after all that had happened in her short life?

She hoped so, but couldn't help being skeptical. "When you look at me like this, my heart makes funny feelings. I like them."

He grinned. "That's good to know. Have you ever felt that way before?"

Biting the inside of her cheek, she searched her memory. This throbbing was definitely a new thing. "I do not believe so. This feels like strange throb, but I do like this feeling."

"Good."

He studied her for a moment, then slowly bent down to bakni, kiss her. The sensation of his lips on hers was so soft and gentle that it took her breath away. No man had ever kissed her before with such tenderness that she felt cherished. And while this gentleness scared her because it was so unfamiliar, she decided she wanted to feel it again and again.



You can buy In Plain Sight HERE (sequel to Danger at the Door - above) http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-71/In-Plain-Sight/Detail.bok