Category Archives: Blogging
Phenomenal Touch new release
Posted by Marie Lavender
Hey, readers! Just wanted to pop in here and let you know about my new boxed set. Phenomenal Touch, a supernatural romance series starter collection, is now available… đ
Blurb:
In this never-seen-before union of tales, youâll discover three full mystical stories by Marie Lavender. Finally, a collection that fans can sink their teeth into! From light contemporary fantasy romance to space opera, to all out fangs and sensual moments, this starter set has everything a paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi romance book lover could wantâŠ
MAGICK & MOONLIGHT
Jessie hides her magickal secret to protect herself from Ethan, the townâs new resident. But she never imagined casting a simple spell could turn out so wrong, and oh, so right.
BLUE VISION
Brooke isnât sure what to make of Colin, the mysterious stranger with those striking eyes in the cold Montana wilderness. But she gets way more than she bargained for when a vacation fling turns into danger for the whole planet.
SECOND NATURE
Vampires are real! Not only must Desiree come to grips with that fact â plus the perils involved in such a discovery â but also, she must contend with her odd attraction to a strange creature named Alec. Plus, there’s the notion that her origins might be far different than she once thought.
Get your copy of a sexy, supernatural, specialty boxed set today!
Universal reader link:Â https://books2read.com/PhenomenalTouch
Goodreads:Â https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57051985-phenomenal-touch
Yes, this is in ebook and print format! đ
Happy reading!
Posted in Authors, Blogging, Books, Event, Fantasy, Fiction, new release, News, Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy, Readers, Romance, Sci-Fi Romance, science fiction, Updates, Writing
Tags: author news, boxed set, fantasy romance, Marie Lavender, new book release, new release, news, paranormal romance, Phenomenal Touch, Sci-Fi Romance, starter collection
About the Characters — Magick & Moonlight
Posted by Marie Lavender
Hi, readers! This Q&A was originally exclusive to Mary E Thompson’s newsletter subscribers, but now I’m spreading the word…
TITLE: Magick & Moonlight (book one of the Magick Series)
AUTHOR: Marie Lavender
GENRE: Contemporary Romantic Fantasy
PITCH: Jessie hides her magickal secret to protect herself from Ethan, the townâs new resident. But she never imagined casting a simple spell could turn out so wrong, and oh, so right.
TAGLINE
Love spells are dangerous, even more so for those who cast themâŠ
BLURB
[**Second edition, complete with a new scene!]
Love spells are dangerous, even more so for those who cast themâŠ
Ethan Hamilton moves to a lazy little town in Oregon, hoping to escape his demons. Instead, he discovers a woman dancing nude in the moonlight. This woman who claims she is a witch dazzles him with her sensual presence. He thinks sheâs crazy, but what if sheâs not?
Jessie Anderson has been taught that her kind hides who they really are. And she has a problem on her hands. Someone knows her secret and she must do all she can to protect herself. What other choice does she have? Jessie casts a spell on a good man, a man with whom she canât fight her attraction. The spell doesnât work quite as planned.
Messing with free will is always a bad idea.
To top it off, Ethanâs treatment of her is so addictive. Deep down, she knows the effects will wear off, and yet his feelings seem genuine. Itâs just a spellâŠright?
AUTHOR Q&A – About the Characters
Character Name: Ethan Hamilton
- What is your characterâs profession? And your character’s greatest strengths?
Ethan used to be a police officer back in Seattle, but he is settling into a new home in Yachats, Oregon. Heâs generous, honorable, and cares about other people.
- What are his/her greatest weaknesses?
Heâs very hard on himself, and sees his flaws first rather than noticing any accomplishments. Itâs also a challenge for him to trust others, or accept help when he needs it.
- What are some of his/her favorite foods?
Ethan is a real foodie, and in another life, he couldâve been a famous chef. He learned how to cook from his grandmother, and has made a point to expand on his talents in the kitchen. This tends to impress the women he dates.
- What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he or she has?
He is more forgiving than he gives himself credit for.
- Will readers like or dislike this character, and why?
Yes, I think theyâll see heâs a good man, that despite his plight, he is deserving of a decent life.
Character Name: Jessie Anderson
- What is your characterâs profession? And your character’s greatest strengths?
Jessie owns a small giftshop, selling homemade candles and other New Age wares. Also as a Wiccan, she is a strong, independent soul, and finds joy in her craft.
- What are his/her greatest weaknesses?
She doesnât easily trust others. She fears no one will understand her and her gifts, doesnât even open up to her neighbors in town.
- What are some of his/her favorite foods?
Jessie fondly remembers the homemade foods her grandma used to make, but nowadays she doesnât have a lot of time or energy to spend on a good meal.
- What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he or she has?
She sees beauty in the world, in the gifts Nature has provided.
- Will readers like or dislike this character, and why?
I think they will empathize with Jessieâs fear of someone discovering her secrets, and root for the coupleâs relationship to succeed.
Book Purchase Links:
Universal reader link: https://books2read.com/magickmoonlight
Author Bio and Links:
Multi-genre author of Victorian maritime romance/family saga, Heiresses in Love, and 18 other books. Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and two cats. She has been writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 21 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, romantic comedy, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. An avid blogger on the side, she writes adult fiction, as well as occasional stories for children, and has recently started some young adult fiction. She also contributed to several anthologies. Though Marie has standalone titles on the market, her current published series are The Eternal Hearts Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar Series, The Misfits Series and The Blood at First Sight Series, but she has many others planned. Her Victorian maritime romance series is coming back soon, and the second editions of the trilogy will be released under her new publisher, Foundations Books. Discover more about her and her work at the following links.
Official Website: https://marielavender.com/
Blogs: http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
https://www.instagram.com/marielavender1/
Amazon author page: http://bit.ly/MarieLavender
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
Follow her on BookBub for new release updates: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marie-lavender
Universal Reading List link: https://books2read.com/rl/marielavendersbooks
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
http://marielavender1.allauthor.com/
https://www.booksradar.com/lavender-marie/lavender.html
http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
Sign up for Marieâs Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1g3wO13
Fan mail email: writeme.marielavender@gmail.com
Posted in Authors, Blogging, Books, Character Interview, Contemporary Romance, ebook, Event, Fantasy, Fiction, Interview, News, Readers, Romance, Updates, Writing
Tags: author interview, book spotlight, characters, Contemporary, contemporary romance, fantasy, fantasy romance, interview, Magick & Moonlight, Magick Series, Marie Lavender, questionnaire, Romance, romantic fantasy, sneak peek, spotlight, story, Writing
Author Interview – Marie Lavender
Posted by Marie Lavender
Here’s a new interview about my children’s fantasy book!
Iâm really pleased to announce that todayâs author interview is the fabulous Marie Lavender!

Marie is a multi-genre author, with 21 books, spanning romance to fantasy to childrenâs books. Marie is well known amongst writing circles for running a fantastically supportive blog, showcasing many of her fellow authors.
I hope you enjoy her interview where you can find out what Marie likes to read, why she writes and which of the many genres she writes in is her favourite!
Hi Marie, so what was your favorite childrenâs book growing up, and why?
HmmâŠthatâs hard to narrow down. Iâve always loved reading books. I guess it couldâve been a cross between The Bobbysey Twins series and The Boxcar Children book series.

What is your favorite childrenâs book to read to children, and why?
I donât have children, per se, just fur babies! đ But I took a childrenâs literature class inâŠ
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Posted in Blogging, Books, Children's Books, ebook, Event, Fantasy, Fiction, Interview, News, Readers, short stories, Updates, Writing
Tags: A Little Magick, author interview, blogs, book interview, children's books, children's fiction, childrens, fantasy, interview, Johnny Oddsocks blog, kid lit, Magick Series
‘Never Have I Ever’ Writer Tag – My Take on It
Posted by Marie Lavender
Hi, readers! I spotted this writer tag on C.G. Drews’ blog, and I thought I’d jump in too! đ This also helps readers see if any of us are guilty of falling into these stereotypes.

Photo by Hannah Grace on Unsplash
Let’s get started, shall we?
Started a novel that I didnât finish…
Who, me? đł Does having over 100 works in progress count? Dude, there’s not enough time in the world to get them all done, but I’ll do my best.
Written a story completely by hand…
Yep! Probably several. I used to be pretty old school, writing everything on paper. I still like to write some scenes that way, but I’m just as comfortable composing on the keyboard.
Changed tenses midway through a story…
Definitely! For my older stories, a lot were told from 1st person POV. Needless to say, it is so difficult to switch from saying ‘I’ to ‘He/She’. More in the sentence will be changed than you can even imagine, just for the whole thing to sound right. That’s why these days, I rarely ever do anything that’s not third person perspective.
Not researched anything before starting a story…
I’ve done both! Mostly, I am guilty of launching into a story full blast, and then getting caught up in the details somewhere. Then I must force myself to slow down so I can look something up and it makes more sense afterward.
Changed my protagonist’s name halfway through a draft…
Oops! That happens sometimes with the use of common names. My memory isn’t what it used to be either, so sometimes I have to really battle through the brain fog and check to see if I am reusing a name. Minor characters I don’t worry so much about, unless there’s some obvious confusion. But I don’t necessarily want to repeat a main character’s name.
Written a project in a month or less…
Actually, I did, with A Little Magick, a kid’s fantasy story and book two of The Magick Series. Since the tale is shorter anyway, it wasn’t too difficult for me to keep focused on it and finish it in two or three weeks. The editing went fast too.
Fallen asleep while writing…
đ Guilty! My stamina isn’t what it once was, plus you add in the side effects of medication, and you’re completely screwed. I just need to learn to start writing a new story idea a bit earlier in the evening, and not wait so late.
Corrected someone else’s grammar IRL/online…
Oh, I have, with both. Though it still drives me nuts to see mistakes anywhere, I’ve learned to curb the urge to say anything. Not everyone is a grammar freak like me. Now, when it comes to a manuscript? That better be as polished as humanly possible! đ
Yelled in all caps at myself in the middle of a novel…
I think I did, maybe a couple times. I don’t remember all the details clearly, but I recall writing this:
WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING HERE? CHANGE THIS!!!
đ
Used âIâm writingâ as an excuseâŠ
An excuse for what? Is there any other excuse? Since most of my peeps at home don’t take my writing all that seriously, I consider it a good excuse, but they probably don’t. LOL. Though, there have been times I meant to do editing or write a chapter on new project, and then I got too tired or sick to put much effort into it. A writer’s life can get exhausting! đ
Killed a character that was based off someone I know in real lifeâŠ
Hmm…do I have to admit it? Okay, I may have put some of my horrible ex in the villain, Lamonte, in book two of my historical romance trilogy. And a bit in the first book’s villain too! (Shrugs.) He was a major influence in how I developed as a person. Why wouldn’t that bleed into my stories?
Used pop culture references in a storyâŠ
Definitely! Sometimes I also do that to ground a contemporary work further in reality. The problem is that, as time passes, some references become outdated. For example, a newer generation may not recognize all of my comments.
Written between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.mâŠ
I’m a night owl, so I usually won’t let anything except absolute exhaustion slow me down if I’m on the trail of a good story.
Drank an entire pot of coffee while writingâŠ
Nope, not coffee. But I’ve been guilty of water and soda, maybe even large amounts of tea.
Written down dreams to use in potential novelsâŠ
Now and then, a dream will inspire a story. Not often, though, because I don’t always remember my dreams.
Published an unedited story on the internet/blog/WattpadâŠ
đź Unfortunately, yes. I do my best to edit my work as well as possible now. In the earlier days of this career, however, I just had no concept of editing my own work in various ways, besides doing one read-through. Now I cringe to think of the old stuff out there somewhere. This is another reason why I’m revamping my backlist (books released under former pen names) and re-releasing them in collections via this brand.
Procrastinated homework because I wanted to writeâŠ
Maybe now and then this happened while I was in school. But I had a pretty good work ethic, and I would push myself to the point of obsession to get assignments done. Only then would I stop to work on my writing. It was easier to do both when I had writing classes. I had so many that weren’t related to that. Even though learning about those studies made me a more well-rounded student and person in general, that’s why it took so long for me to finish writing the first book of my historical series.
Typed so long that my wrists hurtâŠ
YES! Actually, if I’m immersed in a story for long enough, my entire hands hurt. Bad. Of course, it probably doesn’t help that I have fibromyalgia (and arthritis is hereditary).
Spilled a drink on my laptop while writingâŠ
Definitely! And food several times. I am already a clumsy person, but I have to be careful having anything around my computer that isn’t, um…technology-friendly.
Forgotten to save my work/draftâŠ
OMG, yes. đ„ I’ve kicked myself several times for that bad habit. Now (after almost losing two full novel-length manuscripts), I try to make sure I save everything as often as possible, and have my drafts stored in a safe place.
Finished a novelâŠ
I have finished many, thank you very much. No one could ever call me a lazy writer, and it still boggles the mind why people assume every Libra is guilty of being lazy. That’s a silly stereotype.
Cried while writing a sceneâŠ
For sure! I haven’t done my job well until I’ve connected with a character on that level.
Created maps of my fictional worldsâŠ
I guess I draw the line at that. I have a vivid image in my head of how everything looks, but I can’t call myself an ‘artist’. Not only would it take forever (the Libra in me doesn’t have the patience for that crap! LOL), I just prefer to paint a picture with words instead.
Researched something shady for a novelâŠ
|
đż |
Two research topics which I did for a couple projects that you might find disturbing:
What is the chemical makeup of said drug so I can use it to add a bio-weapon in my story?
How long does it take for a dead body to decompose in the water?
Not to mention I think I scared myself when I wrote from a killer’s point of view a few times…
Feel free to use the questions for your own blog! So, what about you? Ever researched anything questionable for the purpose of creativity? Ever written a story or novel so fast that you amazed yourself? Let’s find out everyone else’s angle on this…I look forward to reading your comments! đ
Posted in Authors, blog hop, Blogging, Event, Fiction, News, Readers, Updates, Writing
Tags: a writer's journey, author news, Authors, blog hop, blog post, bloggers, life of a writer, Marie Lavender, tag, writer's life, writers, Writing, writing process
Big Giveaway
Posted by Marie Lavender
Don’t miss our massive giveaway, filled with books of different formats, and various swag, over on my alternate blog, Writing in the Modern Age. All genres covered! đ
Check out the festivities here. Hurry, and enter the Rafflecopter contests before it’s too late! â„
Posted in Authors, Blogging, Books, Children's Books, Contemporary Romance, Event, Fantasy, Fiction, free offer, giveaway, Historical Romance, mystery, new adult, News, non-fiction, non-romance books, Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy, Poetry, Readers, Romance, Romance Novels, Romantic Suspense, Sci-Fi Romance, science fiction, thriller, Updates
Tags: action, adult, adventure, audiobooks, available now, big giveaway, blog post, book giveaway, Book Giveaways, booksâŹ, chick lit, childrens, contests, crime fiction, darkness, dystopian, ebook, erotic romance, fantasy, free books, freebies, genres, giveaway, giveways, Historical, horror, humor, inspirational, lgbt, literary fiction, memoir, military, multicultural, multiple genres, mystery, new adult romance, noir, nonfiction, paperbacks, paranormal, poetry, psychology, Romance, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, sci-fi, Sci-Fi Romance, science fiction, self-help, sports, swag, thriller, western romance, Writing in the Modern Age, young adult
Writing in the Modern Age blog New Year’s Eve Post
Posted by Marie Lavender
The publish button wasn’t working on my other blog, so I had to move the post here… đ„
Writing in the Modern Age 2019 Year in Review:
Big Reflections – Past and Present
Hi, everyone! A year I imagined would crawl right by, in fact, did
not. Instead it flew so fast, I suffered vertigo several times. đ
Â
Tomorrow weâll adjust our calendars to reflect that life has
changed in a blink, welcoming 2020. For this yearâs annual review
post, Iâd like to commemorate the evolution of Writing in the
Modern Age. Six years ago, I opened the blog to guest authors and
itâs been a wild ride ever since. WritModAge grew from the initial
seed of a place to help other writers at any stage of their careers, all
the way to not just that, but also a site where readers can
comfortably discover their new, favorite authors! Through author and
character interviews, book and writing service interviews, guest
articles, book spotlights and mega giveaways, it has become a unique
resource for writers and readers alike.
Â
SoâŠgive a warm round of applause to all 350 content writers and
authors who visited us via various events from 2013 to 2019.
However, there were 104 guest writers this year alone. Thatâs
awesome! đ
Posted in Authors, Blogging, Books, Character Interview, Children's Books, Contemporary Romance, Event, Fantasy, Fiction, Interview, literature, mystery, News, non-fiction, non-romance books, Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy, Readers, Romance Novels, Romantic Suspense, Sci-Fi Romance, science fiction, short stories, thriller, Updates, Writing
Tags: 2019, annual review, Authors, blog, Books, Fiction, genres, guest writers, Happy New Year, Marie Lavender, message, multi-author, New Year, nonfiction, novellas, novels, readers, recognition, Writing in the Modern Age, WritModAge, year at a glance
Heiresses in Love Trilogy by Marie Lavenderđ Spotlight & EXCLUSIVE eBook Bundle Giveaway đ (Historical Romance)
Posted by Marie Lavender
PLEASE check out this beautiful post for a chance to win a copy of my historical romance boxed set! â„
Posted in Blogging, Books, ebook, Event, Fiction, free offer, giveaway, Historical Romance, News, Readers, Romance, Romance Novels, Updates, Writing
Tags: author news, book giveaway, Book News, boxed set, ebook, excerpt, freebies, giveaway, Heiresses in Love Series, Historical Romance, i love romance, Marie Lavender, news, romance books, romance novelsâŹ, romance readers, trilogy, update
Second Chance Heart by Marie Lavender đ FREE eBook Spotlight đ (Contemporary Romance)
Posted by Marie Lavender
SCH is permafree! Grab your copy on various links today! Amazon isn’t on board yet – they are slow – but you can get it at ProlificWorks, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iTunes for FREE!
Source: Second Chance Heart by Marie Lavender đ FREE eBook Spotlight đ (Contemporary Romance)
Posted in Authors, Blogging, Books, Contemporary Romance, ebook, Event, Fiction, free offer, giveaway, News, Readers, Romance, short stories, Updates, Writing
Tags: book one, contemporary romance, Eternal Hearts Series, free, free book, free books, freebies, Marie Lavender, Romance, romance book, romance books, romance readers, Second Chance Heart, short stories, short story
Marie Lavender – Interview – A Little Magick
Posted by Marie Lavender
An interview on When Angels Fly! đ
Please welcome Marie Lavender to my blog. Hello Marie, have a seat and we shall chat for a short while.Â
Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.
Hello! Nice to visit your blog, Mary! I am an author of twenty-four books in various genres. Iâm from a small town in the Midwest. I am a thirty-something woman and I hope to marry my fiancĂ© sometime this year. I love shopping, reading and writing!
Has writing always been part of your life and when did you âknowâ that it was time to start writing your first book?Â
Yes, Iâve been writing fiction in some capacity since I was nine years old. I think I always knew I wanted to be an author.
In college, I had two stories published in a university anthology. By 2010, I started the indie publishing journey, and in 2011, I submitted my first historicalâŠ
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Posted in Blogging, Books, Children's Books, ebook, Event, Fantasy, Fiction, Interview, News, Readers, short stories, Updates, Writing
Tags: A Little Magick, author interview, author news, book interview, booksâŹ, children's books, children's fiction, fantasy, interview, Magick Series, Marie Lavender, message to readers, readers
How Shopping Correlates with Dating and Relationships: a romance blogger post by multi-genre author Marie Lavender
Posted by Marie Lavender
Not about books, but you can see how I funnel romance into my writing…
 How Shopping Correlates with Dating and Relationships
I love, love, love shoppingâŠwell, for almost anything! I can never be trusted with a credit card. đ Most of the time I resist temptation, but now and then, especially if I have some extra money on my hands, I indulge in one of my hobbies â shopping for clothes, or even books.
Created by benzoix â http://www.freepik.com
But whether youâre browsing online or in the store, shopping for clothing items is a whole other animal. At least with a book, you can be sure you will usually end up a satisfied reader. The only issue, for me at least, might be a bunch of glaring grammatical errors, or so much head-hopping that I get fictional whiplash.
Amanda Jones, Unsplash
Shopping for clothes, however, is a different story.
Created by freepik â http://www.freepik.com
If youâre looking at stores on the internet, you haveâŠ
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