Helen C. Johannes's Blog, page 14

I have the good fortune (or misfortune, depending on how you view winter weather) to live where Christmas most often looks the way it’s depicted on Christmas cards. There is snow, of course, sometimes heaps of it, sometimes just enough to turn the world a lovely white. The trees are frosted. Colored lights glow under snow-draped bushes, giving nighttime an ethereal quality. Around almost every corner are decorations, from the traditional Santa to the latest holiday cartoon character (Olaf is...

Monday, Nov. 7, from noon to 8 p.m. join me at Coffee Time Romance's Book Brew Blog: http://coffeetimeromance.com/CoffeeThoughts/ We'll be celebrating fantasy romance and conducting giveaways. I'm giving away a Kindle copy of BLOODSTONE and a Kindle copy of THE PRINCE OF VAL-FEYRIDGE. I'm posting about the concepts that inspired my books.

This was always a back-to-school assignment. It ought to be easy--after all, we should have lots of experience memories stored up over three months--but most of us hated the assignment. Mostly because we had so many memories to choose from, the task seemed overwhelming. Those who did best followed this advice: List the most memorable experiences. Choose one. Focus on the critical details. That works no matter what kind of writing one might do.
What did I do on my late summer vacation? I visite...

Okay, so I'm a book addict. I admit it.

I can't pass a book store, used or new, or a rummage sale without checking out the books. And then I buy something. I have my favorite authors and series, and I try to fill in gaps. Sometimes, if I've heard good things about an author or a book, and I find it available, I'll give it a try. I'm pretty selective, so most of my 'tries' turn out to please me, and I add another series or author to my list. That means I have over a hundred paperbacks and hardb...

For one week only! Now through midnight May 26, I'm holding a Goodreads Giveaway of BLOODSTONE. Up for grabs is one autographed print copy. For a chance to win, enter at https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/187034-bloodstone or click on the Goodreads Giveaway widget to the right.

You know how certain movies remain with you long after you watched them for the first time? How you keep going back to watch them again and again? How, like the child who wants Goldilocks and the Three Bears read to her for the thousandth time, there’s something about that film that strikes a chord, provides comfort, maybe even confirms your world view.
I’ve recently had to purchase THE RISE OF THE GUARDIANS for at least one of those reasons. I’m a big fan of animated movies, having been raise...

Happy Spring! Today's the official day to welcome the new season. Out with the snow and cold; in with the warm breezes, gentle rains, and fresh greening of the earth and trees. Ignore the last blasts of winter and think SPRING!

Today I'm thinking GREEN and posting excerpts of BLOODSTONE over at Coffee Time Romance Blog. The Kindle version is on sale for 99 cents for the next two weeks. Click here to check it out: http://amzn.com/B0145P8JC6.


March is also the best time to be Irish. Did...

I have recently had the privilege of attending a screening of the documentary film Love Between the Covers, a film three years in the making. I'm not a big fan of documentaries, but I simply had to see this film and I highly recommend the film to anyone who writes fiction.

The film lovingly depicts the journeys of several romance fiction writers at various stages of their careers. It covers their challenges and rewards, their support systems and their loneliness. It covers the many facets of t...

The WisRWA Fab Five Contest deadline is a week away (March 1). If you've ever considered entering your work in progress in a contest, this is an excellent one to try. The Fab Five requires just the opening 2,500 words of your novel, and is open to aspiring writers who are not yet published as well as those who are solely self-published. Plus, entrants do not have to be members of Romance Writers of America or WisRWA to enter.

I am living proof of the value of entering contests. THE PRINCE OF V...

On Sunday, February 7, Super Bowl Sunday, I'll be giving away a Kindle copy of THE PRINCE OF VAL-FEYRIDGE as part of The Romance Reviews Mega Anniversary and Valentine's Day Party.

To enter the contest, you'll have to log into the TRR site and correctly answer a trivia question about the book. (Hint: the answer is found on my PRINCE page for this blog. Look to the right column for the link.) To get to the TRR site from this blog, look to my left column and click on the Mega Anniversary and Val...