Wicked Wednesday – Deleted Bit from STRONGER THAN SIN

STRONGER THAN SIN Paranormal RomanceThere’s an interesting discussion by Keri Stevens over at the Carina Press blog. Keri is talking about her latest release, STONE KISSED, and what she does with those scenes that need to get cut.

It’s just part of the revision process that sometimes you, or more often an editor, chops scenes from a book. In STRONGER THAN SIN I dropped a number of scenes which showed Liliana interacting with the Carrera family even though I hated to do that. I loved Mick and Cat from SINS OF THE FLESH and thought you might like to see what was happening with them as well as the other Carrera family members. Unfortunately, as much as you love those scenes you need to understand that you have to focus on the main characters and not distract readers with old characters.

But I do know that many of you asked about the other Carreras and I appreciate that you grew that attached to them that you didn’t want to see them go. Believe me, I didn’t either and that’s why I’m going to be offering up a number of deleted bits featuring the Carrera family from the various SINS books

So here goes! This scene was originally in STRONGER THAN SIN, but it really didn’t portray Liliana as a woman capable of making her own decisions although it reinforced the importance of family to Liliana. To add action, I replaced it with a scene where Liliana and Mick are jogging and Liliana realizes she is being followed. In the new scene, although Mick offers his help, Liliana decides to go it alone to avoid bringing any more trouble into her brother’s already complicated life.

If you can’t see the excerpt below, you can click here to read it!

Stronger Than Sin Deleted Bits

Wicked Wednesday – THE LOST and some good news!

Today is a very exciting day! I’ve got some good news for all of you who like my Nocturne novels. Nocturne has just acquired three novellas from me for their BITES collections. Even more exciting, one of the stories will feature Diana Reyes and Ryder Latimer, two of my favorites. For those of you who have read FATE CALLS in HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE and FURY CALLS, you may have a clue on what might be happening in this story.

Other good news in case you’ve missed it is that the SINS series will be expanding with the addition of the Hunters, a unique race locked in a life and death battle to survive. The first book in the SIN HUNTER series, THE LOST, will be available in August 2011 and will have some exciting new characters for you with wickedly interesting powers. (You’ll get to see just one of them in this little teaser I’m posting for you today!). You will see some familiar names, including another member of the Carrera family – Bobbie – a Marine who has been wounded in Iraq and has come home to heal both her physical and emotional wounds.

So without further ado, here’s a little wickedness from THE LOST.

The LOST Paranormal Suspense by Caridad Pineiro

Fun Friday – Jersey Shore, Baseball and The Hills are Alive!

Still celebrating the release of STRONGER THAN SIN which means you can visit with me over at my friend Lois Winston’s wonderful blog where I’ll be talking about how to select locations for your novels and why I chose the Jersey Shore. Anyone who leaves a comment will have a chance to win an autographed copy of SINS OF THE FLESH. If you win and already have that one, just let me know and I can substitute another release for you!

Another fun thing for you! With the World Series underway (and me struggling to watch it on MLB.TV which is so much harder to follow than a Fox feed!), we’re going to have some baseball fun here next Friday. My friend and fellow author Ronnie Norpel will be here to talk about her latest release, BASEBALL KARMA AND THE CONSTITUTION BLUES from Three Rooms Press.

Finally, one of my all time favorite movies is THE SOUND OF MUSIC for so many reasons. My family and I went to see it when I was a kid. We did a special trip to New York City in our Easter finery, hats and all for the Easter parade. Then we went to Radio City Music Hall. I cried at the end (and still do) because I could connect with those children who were forced to leave their homes because of a crazy man.

But on a brighter note, the cast reunited recently and here’s a clip for you to enjoy on this Fun Friday!

Thursday 13 – Things to do Down the Shore!

There is nothing more that I like to do than to go Down the Shore as the Jersey folk say. (The real Jersey folk and not Gym/Tan/Laundry crowd from that show that will remain nameless). Being down the shore is so relaxing and stimulates my creative juices. I get a mess of writing done whenever I am there.

So today I am sharing with you those things that I love to do Down the Shore. The real Jersey Shore.

1. Walk along the boardwalk from Avon-by-the-Sea up to Asbury Park. Each town along the way – Avon, Bradley Beach, Ocean Grove and Asbury – has a unique flavor and peaceful surroundings.

2. Grab a lobster dinner at the Columns in Avon. The views of the ocean are great and the food is good.

3. Grab a book and a beach chair and relax in Bradley Beach. Much less crowded than at other beaches and totally family friendly.

4. Go for a bike ride along Ocean Avenue. We’ve gone as far as Long Branch and it’s a fun ride with views of the ocean and some really amazing homes.

5. Lunch at Windmill Hot Dogs. Yum.

6. Browse the many interesting shops along Ocean Grove’s Main Avenue.

7. Explore Ocean Grove’s amazing Victorians and the totally unique tent city.

8. Hit Asbury Park’s Convention Center, Paramount Theatre, WunderBar or Stone Pony for some music or the Jersey Shore Roller Girls.

9. Get some tomato pie from Vic’s or Pete and Elda’s.

10. Get a cannoli from Del Ponte’s in Bradley Beach.

11. Take in a movie at the Palace Theatre Beach Cinema, an eighty year old landmark in Bradley Beach.

12. Visit the library for one of their books, art shows, workshops or community events.

13. Stop and listen to the Pavilion Praise on the Ocean Grove boardwalk on Sunday mornings. No matter what your religious bent, you will feel the positive vibes with the melding of faith and nature on a glorious summer morning.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Thursday Thirteen. I welcome you to add any of your suggestions for what you like to do Down the Shore in the comments section.

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Wicked Wednesday – STRONGER THAN SIN

STRONGER THAN SIN by Caridad PineiroToday is a busy day! The release of STRONGER THAN SIN is just a little over a month away, so I have a slightly wicked excerpt from STRONGER for you today. For Mature Audiences only.

But for those of you who are aspiring writers, you can also drop by for some tips from me about writing dialogue at the Backspace Writers Blog. Just click here for Part 1 of the Dialogue discussion. Part 2 will be out on Friday.

For those of you who may be new here, STRONGER THAN SIN is the second book in the SIN HUNTER series. Two more will be out in August 2011 and Spring 2012. Books 3 (THE LOST) and 4 (THE CLAIMED) introduce an exciting new race of people capable of all kinds of extraordinary powers who descend on the Jersey Shore for an epic battle.

But back to STRONGER THAN SIN which features Jesse Bradford, an ex-football player who can no longer play due to a degenerative bone disease. The heroine, Dr. Liliana Carrera, was a fan favorite from SINS OF THE FLESH. I loved the way this story came out! There is something about the power of love and the redemption of Jesse in this story that made it wonderful for me and I hope you’ll like it also.

For now, here’s a little excerpt for you and again, Mature Audiences only. This scene occurs later in the book when Jesse and Liliana are finally acknowledging the feelings they have for one another.

If you cannot see the excerpt below, you can click here for the excerpt or cut and paste this link into your browser:

http://www.scribd.com/full/37478269?access_key=key-2d72v8iyvhtff1m3mr0q

Stronger Than Sin Excerpt

Kiss Me, Kill Me – It’s All About Location!

When working with a location in your novel, it’s important to keep in mind a number of things:

1. The tone of the book: Where you set your novel can have an obvious impact on the overall atmosphere of the work. A centuries-old inn on a rocky and foggy New England coast may be better for establishing a gothic feel than the glittering streets of Miami. On the other hand, setting a novel in an unexpected locale, like Miami for a vampire story, may be provide novel ways for you to expand a mythology or create an alternate world.

2. Roadways and the native lingo: My husband just finished a book and said to me that it was obvious the writer was not a New Yorker, although apparently the main character in the book was supposed to be a New Yorker. How did hubby know that? The writer made references to roadways in a manner in which natives would not. For example, a reference to 95 when coming off the George Washington Bridge (aka the “GW” to a native). While it may be 95 on the map, most natives would equate that road with heading to the Turnpike (aka the New Jersey Turnpike). Another one to watch out for if you’re writing about New York City (aka Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas is the official name for 6th Avenue, but it’s rare for a New Yorker to call it Avenue of the Americas.

3. Foods: Food can add a great deal of color to your novel. For example, a reference to “tomato pie” would be appropriate for certain settings in New Jersey. What’s “tomato pie” you wonder? It’s a type of pizza and common in many areas (but not in New York City where it’s not common to refer to “pizza” as “tomato pie”). The reference is more common along the Jersey Shore and in Trenton, which is famous for its “tomatoe pie”. In the shore and Trenton areas, “tomato pie” is usually a thin crust pizza where the cheese goes on first and then the sauce.

4. Media attention: It sounds sanguine, but deciding where to set your story may help with getting media attention for your work. A local author setting a novel in a hometown location: Perfect for getting the attention of the local newspaper, community groups, etc. and setting up signings.

5. Local Customs and Superstitions: When choosing a location (or creating your own), are there any local customs or superstitions that you can include? A haunted house or site of buried treasure? A tale about the town’s founding or history? For example, while researching the area of the Jersey Shore where I’ve set SINS OF THE FLESH and STRONGER THAN SIN, I discovered that Captain Kidd anchored off what is now known as Sylvan Lake in Bradley Beach and buried part of his treasure between two trees near what is now known as Brinley Avenue. You can bet that will make it’s way into a book someday!

I hope these things help you with choosing and working with the location in your novel.

Friday Five – Things to Do Down the Jersey Shore

I think you all know by now based on the locations for SINS OF THE FLESH and STRONGER THAN SIN that I love being down the Jersey Shore. There is something about being close to the water that just does my Piscean soul a world of wonder, plus there’s the laid back pace. So different from my everyday hustle and bustle when I go to work in Manhattan.

That’s why I’m looking forward to a long weekend at the shore and I thought I would share five things to do down the shore on this Friday Five!

1. Ride a wave, whether with a surf board, boogie board or a teeth-rattling body surf (conditions permitting of course).

2. Spread your blanket beneath the stars and just lay back and enjoy the peace and quiet. Do it on the 4th of July and experience the excitement and wonder of some amazing fireworks.

3. Stroll along the boardwalk and catch the sights. My favorite strip is from the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park down to the Shark River in Belmar, just a few miles of a nice mix of different towns.

4. Satisfy your hunger with a Windmill hot dog loaded with the works.

5. Work off that hot dog with a walk through Ocean Grove and stop for an ice cream at either Days or Nagles, or head to Bradley Beach for ice cream at Beach Plum or an amazing freshly-filled cannoli at Del Ponte’s Bakery.

Hope you all have a marvelous and blessed Labor Day Weekend.