Regan Black

I just got word about a new review on Pixie Chicks, the first in my young adult  Hobbitville Saga published by Quake! I’ve got to admit, comments like these make my day - and likely will keep me floating the entire month of May!

Alyssa says, “Black’s use of characterization is phenomenal!” and she adds, “Black also mixes fantasy with romance with such ease that it appears seamless. The fantasy aspect provides the story with a magical and light air that wonderfully works hand-in-hand with the romance angle, creating a light-heartedness that perfectly encompasses the story.”

Click here for the full review

It’s even better when you know Alyssa is a talented, teenage author - she’s a peer and my target audience all rolled into one!

Thanks Alyssa!

Regan

Get your copy of The Pixie Chicks at Quake! or on

You know I never mean to let this site go so long between posts, but it seems like life is boring and there’s not much news.

Except life -and death - is keeping me hopping. I picked up an editing gig which is great, but is taking some time adjustment.  Then my daughter had a major surgery and my grandmother died the next day, leaving me as the only next of kin.

Having never done that before, I had no idea of the legal implications and the legwork involved. To say it’s been an adventure in grieving would be an understatement.

So are things well with me? Actually, yes. I’m still writing (something that completely deserted me when my dad passed away). And I’m blessed with amazing support from my friends and immediate family.

In the meantime, there’s nothing new to report for full length releases, but two more short stories are on the horizon at Quake, a division of Echelon Press.

More news soon, I promise! Until then, happy reading. You can keep up with me anytime through twitter or at my interactive blog: Regan’s Realm.

Regan

(Boo with her still-squeaky Christmas toy)

News in the zoo this week revolves around the youngest grey of the group.  Boo caught her first squirrel after weeks of stalking and studying her intended target.

I wish I’d seen how she got it - but I missed the actual event, coming on scene just a moment too late.  She was carrying the recently departed, presumably wondering why the squeaker gave out so quick.

While she was very proud - and very protective of the kill (big Brother Brody was NOT allowed to sniff too long - she was equally baffled by my seizing of the prize.  Apparently, she never intended to make it a gift for me.  Mother’s Day isn’t even close!  I daresay she might’ve been happier if I’d had it bronzed and mounted and hung over her dog bed.

The yard was quiet for the rest of the afternoon - and as a friend said, “you can almost hear tiny bugles playing ‘Taps’.”

Good dog, Boo!

I’m pleased to have been invited to teach another online class for the LowcountryRWA chapter in April.

Class dates are April 6-30 and registration is open!

The class will focus on creating the perfect ending, by using examples from popular films like Indiana Jones, Practical Magic, Van Helsing, and more!

Yes, you’ll get to watch movies and learn the secrets and how to apply them to your own manuscript.  I’ve learned (the hard way) how to mess up an ending!  This class and discussion might save you a little pain of the process.

How do you lay the groundwork?  Is a surprise really a surprise?  What action goes where?  Address these concerns and more in A Perfect Ending, hosted by the Lowcountry RWA chapter.

See you in class!

Regan

Just a quick minute to bring you up to speed on recent events. I have to make it quick because I just discovered a 60 page tangent in my current work-in-progress (chop, chop) and I’ve gotta get the novel back on track.

My interactive blog, Regan’s Realm, was busy this week:

It was (still is) Read an Ebook Week, so I’ve been posting and twittering about my recent experiences and total delight with reading on my palm pilot.

Thursday had me dancing around the house celebrating some great new reviews for the Pixie Chicks!

Friday I was busting buttons over my daughter - she was honored as sophomore of the month at her high school!  Such a great kid, such a great day!

Saturday finds news about Maureen G Mulvaney’s 3/17 release of The Women’s Millionaire Club.

Plus, I took on a new role with Quake and Echelon Press.  It involves editing and acquisition as well as motiviation while working with some of the best talent in the YA industry!  Talk about broadening horizons!

And last, but not least, that same sophomore daughter sold her first ebook to Quake (no, I wasn’t the editor who bought it - but I do think it’s fabulous).  You can read all about it, in her words at Sam’s Space.

Happy Reading!

Regan

‘Normal is over!’ is Jenny Turner’s smart tag line for her newest release, DFF: Dead Friends Forever, published by Quake.

This horror novel geared toward teens is one of the best stories I’ve ever encountered for the age group. I admit I don’t read the horror genre, have always shied away from it, but I’ll read everything Jenny puts out in her Extreme Haunting series from this point on. She’s made a fan out of me!

Turner’s vivid heroine, Kaylee, is an athletic girl who takes a dare from the guys to negotiate boarding time at the local skate park. The dare leads to a ghostly encounter that awakens her true strength and carries the reader through a twisting and satisfying plot. Turner clearly put in the research, captured the skater terms and slang, and painted a full setting for her chilling story. I was impressed and surprised by the hard choices Kaylee made and her determination to do what’s right in the face of extreme opposition.

Grab your own copy of this gripping story on Kindle or in paperback
today!

This was my fourth year at the event and I’m happy to report I enjoy it more every time.  It’s always great to reconnect with the repeat visitors to the Echelon booth as well as authors I adore like Jackie Sylvan and Sam Morton.

It’s also great to meet new readers and chat again with faithful fans.  For authors, it’s amazing to hear what the reader got out of our books.  Stories often have unexpected impacts and we love the terrific feedback.

What a joy to speak directly with authors I’ve previously only known through email, twitter and blogs.  Diana Black and Mary Cunningham are wonderful, talented women who know how to maintain and share an upbeat, positive attitude.  Need a lift?  Go on and check out their blogs and you’ll feel better immediately.

Austin Camacho is the standout discovery of my weekend in Columbia, SC.  You can read all the details at Regan’s Realm, but his blog and especially his book, Successfully Marketing Your Novel in the 21st Century, will help any author striving for success in publishing.

A HUGE thank you to J.R. Turner for a wonderful day of questions and answers with her readers.  She posted a terrific interview on her myspace page and then followed it up with the q&a at her blog.  You can go and page through the comments - we had such a good time.

It was a fun day.  Authors, if you’re ever so fortunate to be approached by Jenny - don’t hesitate - it’s a great experience.

Regan

Meet me over at J.R. Turner’s myspace blog today for a great interview of…me!  I was honored to receive and answer her questions - she does a fabulous job as both interviewer and also as a talented author in her own right.

In addition to the interview you can participate in some additional Q&A at her blog, Thrills, Chills and Romance.  Hope to see you there!

Don’t miss J.R. latest release, Dead Friends Forever, available now from Quake.

It’s career day at the high school today.  This means for a few hours I get to do some of my favorite things, talk to aspiring writers, motivate and encourage teens, promote my books, and network with other community professionals.

Bonus: this high school has one of the best culinary arts departments -ever!  They always provide us with a wide variety of wonderful foods!

It’s going to be a yummy day!

Regan

P.S.  Had a great time, today!  Thank you Stratford High School.  Food was fabulous, loved the pasta salad.  Enjoyed talking with all of the students and other professionals too.