Declan's Theme

I like to write in the peace and quiet of silence's wings. Therefore putting together a music list comes after I'm done with the WIP. There have been exceptions to this rule, especially if a song actually prompts me to write a scene.

A few weeks ago I was watching The Tourist, and as the credits started to roll Starlight by Muse began playing. I must admit that I've stayed away from Muse because I associate it with Twilight since it was on Stephenie Meyer's list of bands. Ok, I admit it, I stay away from most things Twilight related because it's my péché mignon. One that I don't like to admit to, but since we are amongst friends...

Anyway, this song is just perfect for Declan Ashdown the MC's love interest in Interred. So without further ado, here is the song :) Enjoy!

190th post

Wow, this is my 190th post *throws confetti around*

I'm deep in revisions. Stressing out about the minimal things in the story, and hoping that when I send it to betas, they won't think it totally sucks. I mean ROYALLY sucks.

One thinks this is horrible

Fortunately the Queen won't be reading the Manuscript and making such faces. Though I wouldn't mind another royal reading the manuscript.

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden

Ok, I'm totally taking the mickey right now. Hey, I'm entitled to doing so after crying angry tears over the first eight chapters of #Interred. You might wonder why that is and I could tell you it's because I'm such a perfectionist, that I want it to be great for my betas. I want them to fall in love with Declan. Who coincidentally looks like Ben Barnes in my mind.

Right, so as I was saying before drooling over losing my trail of thought over Ben Barnes picture, the tears aren't over being anal and wanting this manuscript to shine. The tears are over how I hate editing. It's tedious. I hate checking for all those words I over use, because I want to shoot myself in the foot when I find them. I hate revising the text for pacing and readability. I know it's important to do so, otherwise, you the reader will think it's BADLY written and will not fall in love with Declan. Have I mentioned how awesome Declan is? No? Well trust me, it's not only that he looks awesome, but he's awesome.

Sorry Barney, Declan is more awesome than you are :)

So here we are, I've rambled on about #Interred during this 190th post. You probably are none the wiser about this WIP. In order to help you find out a bit more about Baxter who looks something like this:

Monika Jagaciak

I'm going to share with you the initial pitch for it. It hasn't change that much, so here it is:

When Baxter Jacobs inherits a musical box with an onyx inside of it, she is in for more than your average sweet sixteen party. Moving to England, a mysterious protector trapped in a glimmer only she can see and the knowledge that in order to learn to use her powers, she must be interred are doing her head in. 

AND by the way to celebrate 100 followers, I organized an impromptu giveaway of Chelsea Fine's Anew and Raine Thomas Becoming, the winner was G Donald Cribbs. Happy Reading!

A blast from the past

Yesterday we decided to do something fun as a family, since it's the first time the Frenchman has a weekend off since he started this job back in May 2011. Be ware, we think it's fun to go into Museums and to watch re-enactments and stuff that other people consider boring. BUT, I shall not make this boring.

We ended up at Thonotosassa, at the Hillsborough River State Park. I'd been wanting to go here since back in 1998 when I moved to Tampa. Of course, no one wanted to come out this way with me. You see my mom and aunt hate roughing it up and camping. The Frencman is no better. Every time I propose going camping somewhere, he complains. In England, it was too cold. In Normandy, it was too wet. In Florida? Too many ants, spiders, and ALLIGATORS!

Nothing like a friendly warning right?

The day was sunny and not too warm which was great. We arrived sometime around noon, after having stopped at another little park called John B Sargeant Park.  It was there that we saw this amazing go in a canoe on the river, BUT AT YOUR OWN PERIL as the gators can eat you, warning.

Once we arrived at our destination, we were greeted by friendly folks. We stepped into the concession area to feed ourselves after haven't forgotten to pack a picnic. (Epic Fail) Then we proceeded to take in our surroundings. The state park is clean and airy. you have so many things to do. Nature trails, bird watching, play ground activities, a pool (though it was closed because apparently it's not good to go in the water when it's below 70 degrees. *clears throat* Someone should say something to all the English folks who use their beaches when it's 68 degrees during the summer :) ) There's also a Rapids and a Suspension Bridge. But to me the pièce de résistance was Fort Foster.

Fort Foster

We were taken to the site on a van with a wagon ;) This brought memories of when me and my cousins would ride on the back of our Uncle Bob's pick up truck, listening to either country music or music from the 50's. You know, back in the day when that wasn't going to get us killed.

After the Ranger drove us the seven miles it takes to get there, we discovered a fort that was built and burned by the Seminoles a few times. Obviously when the first Americans settled here, the Seminoles didn't agree. The current Fort was rebuild in the 80's after it got vandalized and burned. The Ranger pointed out that the first Fort was possibly built in 10 days, because of how necessary it was to the soldiers that settled in the area. In the 80's it took almost two years. Back them it was called Fort Alabama and then renamed Fort Foster sometime during the Second Seminole War, when it was  reused and the soldiers had to guard the bridge over the Hillsborough River. This Bridge was important because it connected the Fort King Military Road with the road that led them to Fort Brook in Tampa Bay.

Seeing the way soldiers lived in the 1830's, under crammed spaces, in a very inhospitable weather, where most of them died either at the hands of the Seminoles and/or Malaria made me think how easy we have it nowadays.

Back then if you caught Malaria you would die. If you had gangrene, even if they chopped off the arm, leg, foot, hand, you would possibly die. I can only imagine the suffering the parents felt when their kids as young as 13 ran away and lied to join the army. Most of them thought it would be a great adventure, many of them never had one.

As the ranger explained, 103 soldiers arriving at Fort Foster were ambushed by Seminoles. Out of those 103 only one crawled to the fort, only to die later of the injuries sustained.

If you are ever on the area, I urge you to visit, if only to step back in time for a while and admire the fort, and its history. The perseverance of the English and the bravery of the Seminoles*** who tried to defend their land from those that invaded it.



***Unfortunately we were not told an awful lot about the Seminoles. Yes, they had made a treaty to keep away from this area, but not many of them agreed, hence the constant attacks on the soldiers. But can you really blame them?

Our vehicle for the afternoon a Double Surrey

Watch this space

Just a heads up, if you still haven't signed up for the Guest Blog posts, please go here. A lot of topics are still available for you to offer your unique take on them.

Also, don't forget I'm hosting a Valentine's give away. Michelle Madow has kindly donated a SIGNED copy of her book Remembrance. To participate please go here.

I'm excited to announce that I shall be publishing Interred in May, if the editing goes well of course. I'm currently in the middle of all that fun *note the sarcasm* and shall be sending it out to betas possibly mid February if not earlier. So watch this space for the final date, sometime in March ;)

If you are interested to beta Interred please email me. (marilynjeulin(at)yahoo(dot)fr  The pitch for it can be found here

I want to send a special shout out to Raine Thomas, the author of the Daughters' of Saraqael trilogy, who's been extremely kind with her time answering a lot of questions about self publishing.

Today I shall be emailing Devan of Nimbi Designs with my ideas for the cover. I can't say it enough, I'm so freaking excited!!!! For the book cover I shall do a little blog  party, so stay tune.

New Beginings Birth Day

Today is the official publication date of New Beginnings by Rebecca Emin.

Join us over on Rebecca’s blog Ramblings of a Rusty Writer to find all of the details of how she is planning to celebrate today, or you can read some reviews of the book itself on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

You may like to visit some of the other blogs helping Rebecca to celebrate today too.



About New Beginnings
Sam Hendry is not looking forward to starting at her new school. Things go from bad to worse as the day of truth arrives and all of her fears come true... and then some.

When Sam meets a different group of people who immediately accept her as a friend, she begins to feel more positive.

With her new friends and interests, will Sam finally feel able to face the bully who taunts her, and to summon up the courage to perform on stage?

The Bravest woman I've ever known

Felipa Estrada June 15 1915 January 22 1990

My "abuela" Felipa is the bravest woman I've ever known. She didn't have a particular easy childhood but she was never hung up on that.

She was the youngest in a big family.  Her mom died, like many women did back then, of complications from the birth, a year later. So my grandmother was left to be raised by her eldest sisters and brothers and her dad. At age 9 she was pulled out of school, so she could help with running the household. You wouldn't know this if you ever spoke to her. She was a well read lady. Even though she didn't finish school my grandmother was a voracious reader. She self taught herself about many things including music, politics and literature.

After she married my grandfather who was a chemist with his own pharmacy, they had two children. Uncle Peter and Aunt Lillie. My grandmother couldn't have any more children, so she adopted my mom and later my aunt Joyce. She never treated any differently. Her love for her children and grandchildren was never understated. She was a lady who loved fully, laughed hard, and sung like the angels.

She survived my grandad by eleven years. In those eleven years, she has to see her eldest son fight for his life. After getting the great news that he was still alive, but the bad news that his brain wasn't functioning the same way as it was before, my grandmother did what she always did. She prayed. A woman of faith, she continued to go to mass, and believe that God had a plan. Never once I heard her rebel against what was happening. And when she was diagnosed with throat cancer, after having been a heavy smoker for all her life, my grandmother continued to pray and to be as loving and active as always. She could no longer sing Tangos nor rancheras after the radiotherapy. She couldn't produce saliva and was forever using special aids, but she never complained.

The day she went into hospital, I stayed behind, as she was wheeled to the lift. She stopped the nurse and asked me, Aren't you going to say bendicion? (This is what kids in my family do, you say Bless me, and aunts, uncles, grandparents and your parents reply, God bless you) I approached her, and smiled, asking her to bless me before kissing her cheek. She said good bye to me before going in the lift, and that was that.

The next day, I rushed home from High School to go and see her at the hospital. Unfortunately when I got home, everyone was there, because she'd passed away. Her passing has been one of the hardest things I've faced in my life. I miss her every day. But, at least I have the memory of us saying goodbye, and the example of how to have faith no matter what, and be strong.

Miss you abuela.

Book Giveaway!

Michelle Madow has very kindly offered me a copy of her amazing love story #Remembrance which was inspired by Taylor Swift's song Love Story.

New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy. 

Now for the fun part. :D If you would like to win this copy all you have to do is follow my blog and RT this contest on Twitter, or share it on facebook and/or on your blog and leave me a link of the post in the comment section. Contest is open to entrants from the US/Canada. The winner of the book to be announced on February 14th :D