Marriage of Minds: Collaborative Writing


Book Description

Artistic collaboration is the most dangerous game around, except maybe for love. The McGoldricks have mastered both. I thought from the first time that I met them that they had something special going on. Now I understand the basis of their magical marriage. It’s called collaboration. – Evan Maxwell, NY Times bestselling novelist, collaborator, and writing columnist Part how-to book, part relationship book, Marriage of Minds offers strategies and techniques for creating successful collaborations and successful fiction. Drawing on their own personal and professional relationship, and on the relationships of other well-known collaborative teams, the McGoldricks walk you through the essentials of successful collaboration: – finding the “write” partner – developing skills in communication and the art of compromise – establishing guidelines – providing constructive feedback – working through “for better or worse” All you and your partner need are the ideas and the talent. Marriage of Minds will supply you with the rest. Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick are award-winning, USA Today bestselling authors of over four dozen novels and two works of nonfiction. They write under the pseudonyms May McGoldrick, Jan Coffey, and Nik James. They make their home in California. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you were inspired by On Writing by Stephen King or The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron or by Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody, and you want to write a novel, check out this helpful book. Keywords – how to write fiction, how to write with a partner, how to write a book an sell lots of copies, how to write young adult fiction, how to write romantic comedy, how to write romance novels, how to write characters, how to write a book, write collaborate, writing with a partner, writing fiction, writing fiction plots, writing bestsellers, writing fiction with a partner, writing romance with a partner.




Jane Austen Cannot Marry!


Book Description

A FISH-OUT-OF-WATER TIME TRAVEL NOVEL SET IN REGENCY ENGLAND AND THE 21ST CENTURY COLORADO ROCKIES. Nadine Finley is a Scribe Guardian from the future who must play ‘un-matchmaker’ to Jane Austen, a British naval officer, and the romance that jeopardizes literary history. Nadine has made the quantum commute to 1811 to stop Jane Austen from meeting and marrying Captain Charles Gordon. The two of them share a romantic past, and if Nadine fails in her mission, Jane will never get to London. The fledgling author will never get her first book ready for publication. And if the novel is never readied for the presses, Jane will never go back home and revise the manuscript that will eventually become Pride and Prejudice. In short, disaster. The mission instructions were plain and simple: Jane Austen cannot marry. Except...matters become extremely complicated when the Scribe Guardian’s own romantic interest unintentionally follows her across the centuries to 1811. Xander Nouri is a tech millionaire who is cheerfully unfamiliar with both history and literature. He has also forged a life where he is insulated from the non-quantifiable uncertainties of feelings and romance. In fact, the only time he let his guard down was for three wildly unexpected days in Las Vegas when he allowed his heart to be fondled and then stomped on by an elusive woman named Nadine. Xander lives in a world of reason, facts, and data…none of which explain her appearance, dressed in period clothing, in a coffin a mile from his secluded mountain home. And her claim of time traveling doesn’t exactly compute. It’s not long before sparks once again begin to fly between the former lovers. But Nadine needs to get back to her mission before literary history is permanently damaged. By the time she’s able to make the quantum leap back in time, Jane Austen and the captain have already met again...and romance is brewing. To complicate matters, Xander has made the trip, as well. And Xander is the unlikeliest ‘nerd-out-of-water’ ever to land on Regency shores. But that’s where the fun begins... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Keywords - Jane Austen Society, Jane Austen Cannot Marry, Jane Austen variations, Jane Austen variations and sequels, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Persuasion, Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen Project, Jane Austen's England, Jane Austen time travel, time travel pride and prejudice, time travel romance historical, time travel regency romance, time travel romance, time travel series books, time travel stories, time travel romance, time travel, time travel books, time travel books fiction, time travel fiction, time travel novels, time travel romance books, time travelers wife, time travelers wife book




Marriage of Minds


Book Description

Part how-to book, part relationship book, "Marriage of Minds" presents the strategies and techniques you need for creating successful collaborations and successful fiction.




Step Write Up


Book Description

Step Write Up provides hands-on exercises for parents, teachers and for any workshop leader endeavoring to bring 21st century collaboration and writing skills into the classroom or homeschool environment. To accomplish this, the authors have assembled lessons that can be modified for your own specific personalities, uses, and grade levels. Some are icebreakers that are aimed at promoting communication and collaborative teamwork. Some are lessons that provide for individual creativity and then lead into opportunities for group sharing and critiquing. And the authors go even further, showing how the products of these creative efforts can even carry us into areas of initiative and entrepreneurialism. “Learning and innovation skills increasingly are being recognized as those that separate students who are prepared for a more and more complex life and work environments in the 21st century, and those who are not. A focus on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration is essential to prepare students for the future.” —Partnership for 21st Century Skills CONTENTS ICEBREAKERS & EXERCISES COMMUNICATION & EXERCISES CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION COLLABORATION COLLABORATION EXERCISES CREATIVITY GUIDED OR FREE WRITING PROMPTS CREATIVITY - POETRY Using Imagery Using Metaphors Poetry - Writing Closed Couplets Poetry - Writing Open Couplets Poetry - Writing Ghazals CREATIVITY - FICTION Fiction - Senses and Imagination Fiction - Senses Fiction - Settings Fiction - Characters Fiction - Character Development Fiction - Plot Fiction - Plot: Three-Act Structure Fiction - Plot: Hero’s Journey Fiction - Character & Plot Fiction - Point of View Critiquing CREATIVE NONFICTION Creative Nonfiction - Writing Narrative Publishing Student Work ARTICLES FOR CREATIVE WRITERS Writing a Nonfiction Book Proposal Assessing Our Needs as Writers Writing a Synopsis Inventing and Reinventing Ourselves as Writers Ah, the Writer’s Life! Writing Suspense vs. Historical Stories The A-Z of Writing RESOURCES & AUTHOR’S NOTES Nikoo and James McGoldrick (Ph.D.) are popular speakers and conduct various interactive workshops stemming from their successful book Step Write Up and collaborating on fifty books over two decades with traditional publishers. Nikoo was author-in-residence in Northwest Connecticut for a decade, conducting creative writing workshops and making many school visits. Jim has years of experience teaching creative writing and English literature in the high school and college classroom. The two of them continue to develop a variety of programs for all ages on the craft and business of writing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Keywords – creative writing lessons, fun home school lessons, creative writing lessons middle school, creative writing lessons elementary, New York standards-based, fun creative writing lessons, fun creative writing workbook, fun creative writing work book. creative writing work book high school, fun creative writing work book high school, home schools, fiction writing.




A Midsummer Wedding


Book Description

You are formally invited to the Highland wedding event of the year. (Regrets Only!) Their marriage was two decades in the making. Elizabeth Hay is young, educated, and has her own ideas about her life. Alexander Macpherson is a Highlander and a pirate and not about to be tied down to some delicate court flower. But honor dictates they go through with the betrothal arranged when they were still children. Now the wedding ceremony is only a week away. Each wants to put an end to the nuptials, but fate has a way of bollixing the best-made plans. As the biggest storm in memory sweeps through Scotland and the floods leave them swimming for their lives, Elizabeth and Alexander must face up to the one thing they never expected. The love affair that started it all! FIND OUT WHERE THOSE MACPHERSON MEN GOT THEIR (AHEM...) CHARM! ~~~~~ Keywords: Historical romance, alpha male, Earl hero, strong heroine, Medieval romance, Highland Romance, happily ever after, HEA, Enemies to lovers, Scottish / English alpha male hero, Highlander, romance, historical fiction, past, action adventure, action, adventure, mystery, series, female protagonist, protector, secret identity, secret love child, novel, secrets, suspense, strong heroine, no cliffhangers, British Isles, clans, earl nobility romance, mystery, danger, survivor, HEA, family saga, POC characters, happily ever after, romantic novels, romantic books, enemies to lovers. ~~~~~ If you enjoyed Belle or Bridgerton you’ll want to try this USA Today bestselling, series-starting romance novel. Great for fans of Grace Burrowes, Julia Quinn, Julie Garwood, Mary Balogh, Christi Caldwell, Julie Johnstone, Scarlett Scott, Amalie Howard, Sarah MacLean, Lisa Kleypas, Sabrina Jeffries, Eloisa James, Sophie Jordan, Grace Callaway, Tessa Dare, Erica Ridley, Mary Jo Putney, Kelly Bowen, Glynnis Campbell, Amanda Scott, Lynsay Sands, Elisa Braden, Tanya Anne Crosby, Kerrigan Byrne, Maeve Greyson, Tessa Candle, Chloe Flowers, Lucy Langton, Alexa Aston, Suzanne Enoch, Susan King, Claire Delacroix, Amy Jarecki, Maddison Michaels, Vanessa Kelly, Darcy Burke, Jess Michaels, Madeline Hunter, Philippa Gregory, or Kate Bateman.




Collaborators in Literary America, 1870-1920


Book Description

Much has been written recently about the important changes in understandings of authorship and literary labour in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries. Collaborators in Literary America, 1870-1920 argues that the collaborative novels of this period were instrumental to that reconstruction. More than just a gimmick, these novels (there were dozens published between The Gilded Age (1873) by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner and The Sturdy Oak (1917) by Mary Austin, Kathleen Norris, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Henry Kitchell Webster, et. al. ) were a serious attempt to work through the anxieties authors faced in an ever more competitive and business-like market. By examining the issues surrounding collaborative production of writers such as Henry James, Mark Twain, and William Dean Howells, Ashton demonstrates that in union there was strength.




Suspense Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Collection


Book Description

Silent Waters Cross Wired The Janus Effect Puppet Master Blind Eye Five Complete Novels That Will Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat! Silent Waters A nuclear submarine cuts silently through the waters of the North Atlantic, commandeered by two-dozen armed terrorists. The target: New York City Fighting for their lives aboard the hijacked submarine, Commander Darius McCann and Ship Superintendent Amy Russell have only one hope for survival. With the lives of millions at stake, they must play a dangerous game of cat and mouse where capture would mean certain death. On shore, two NCIS investigators are working feverishly to learn the details of the hijacking in time to stop the attack. As mass hysteria paralyzes New York City, they uncover a trail of secrets as dangerous as the silent weapon aimed at the heart of America. Can Darius and Amy stop these ruthless, undersea killers from wreaking havoc on the nation, or will they find themselves in a watery grave? Drawing on fifteen years of submarine-building experience, Jan Coffey crafts a military thriller that will keep any reader turning the pages… Cross Wired WINNER - GOLD LEAF AWARD FOR BEST FICTION Teenagers...or Time Bombs? The nation is gripped by a series of shocking crimes, "good kids" who are suddenly, inexplicably lethal. When Connecticut doctor Lexi Bradley gets the call that her son has become one of those shooters, her life is turned upside down. Ten years ago, Secret Service Agent Bryan Atwood became an expert on adolescent violence. Now, the nightmare is back. Just as he is assigned to this new rash of killings, an MRI of Juan Bradley’s brain reveals what must be pure science fiction. With Lexi's help, Bryan is determined to unearth the truth before more children die, but investigating a cross-country trail of buried horrors casts them both into a dangerous world where greed can lead to sudden death. And can they stop the killings before powerful corporate forces take them both down? The Janus Effect Peace and war, friend and foe, life and death… A perilous journey... WINNER – CONNECTICUT PRESS CLUB AWARD FOR BEST FICTION Unexplained deaths, marked by rapid decomposition, are cropping up in the US, and Homeland Security is willing to bend any rule to find the source of the deadly infection. And that includes resurrecting a ‘dead’ Iraqi biochemist, wrongly held in a CIA ‘black site’ for over five years. Now, the flesh-eating super-microbe is about to devastate the nation. Homeland Security Agent Austyn Newman was sent to gain the cooperation of the scientist who could hold the key to stopping the imminent catastrophe. Arriving in Afghanistan, he recognizes that the CIA has been holding the wrong person for all these years. They need her now to lead them to the antidote, but how will he gain her trust? With time running out in America, Austyn must help Fahimah find her way through war-ravaged Iraq and Kurdistan. The answer lies at the end of the dangerous journey home, and sudden death lurks around every corner. Puppet Master Four seemingly disparate lives are beginning to unravel... and one person is holding the strings. The Rocket Scientist On the eve of a new satellite launch, the fiancé of NASA project manager Alanna Mendes is apparently killed in a fishing accident...only to be spotted six months later in Silicon Valley. The Computer Genius Four years after being caught by Homeland Security hacking into NASA's mainframe computer, Jay Alexei is still blacklisted from the top colleges and computer companies. Now a changed man, he is desperate for a second chance. The Financial Wizard Once a successful international banking CFO, today David Collier is a broken man who can't afford the expensive treatment for his daughter's rare kidney disorder. The American Dream When a terrorist group abducts the son of rags-to-riches tech mogul Steven Galvin, the billionaire is trapped in a nightmare where no amount of money can help him. Brought together to complete an international mission of justice, they are dancing at the end of the puppet master’s strings. But as the clock ticks down, a former IRA assassin is lurking in the shadows, and no one is safe. Blind Eye Trapped in the darkness, she’s running out of time... Counting down to a Chernobyl-scale disaster, the clock starts now... Tick... Scientist Marion Kagan is the sole survivor after gunmen attacked the facility where her team was working on a top-secret project. Wounded and trapped in a collapsed building, Marion must stop radioactive testing samples from leaking out and killing millions. Tick... In a Connecticut psychiatric hospital, Marion's twin sister, who has been in a coma-like state for years, begins to thrash violently in her bed. When an experimental program is used on her to read the images of her brain, researchers are shocked at what they find. Tick... A former American soldier is searching for direction in his life. As he watches the news about the research facility explosion, he is unaware that fate has just chosen a direction for him—sending him straight into a deadly game of international corporate intrigue. Tick... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you enjoyed The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy, the Jack Ryan novels, or The Devil’s Sea by Clive Cussler, you’ll want to try this exciting suspense novel. This heart stopping, action-packed thriller will provide frayed nerves for fans of Todd Tucker, Rick Campbell, John Wingate, Michael DiMercurio, Barbara Freethy, Karen Rose, D.V. Berkom, Kristi Belcamino, Janey Crouch, Willow Rose, JD Robb, Karen Robards, Michael Connelly, Susan Stoker, Ann Rule, Jason Kasper, Marc Cameron, and George Wallace, Brad Thor, Michael Shea. Keywords – smart sophisticated, fast-moving romantic suspense, pulse-pounding romantic thrillers, off-the-charts chemistry, believable love story, satisfying and complex mystery, well-researched fast-paced gripping white-knuckle read, emotional exciting page-turner, twisty action, romance and terror, strong female heroines and intense male leads, mind blowing thought provoking suspense, great summer read, wounded hero, female leads, heart-pounding fast-paced action, desperation, acts of revenge, redemption and revenge, murder mystery, forced proximity, dangerous games series, bestselling whodunit, suspense books to read, political thrillers bestsellers, political thriller, books to keep you up all night, ticking clock suspense, domestic terrorism thriller, common threat, shared enemy, chilling villains, award winning whodunit, mental health issues, sexual intrigue, kidnapping, action, adventure, domestic terrorism books, NCIS suspense romance, techno thriller books, techno thriller fiction, techno-thriller suspense, military thrillers, military thriller books, Clancy books, navy submarine action, submarine fiction novels, conspiracy fiction.




Heart of Gold


Book Description

From USA Today Bestselling Author May McGoldrick comes a blazing Highland tale... HEART OF GOLD From the wild shores of the Scotland's Western Isles to the bloody fields of France to the glittering courts of Europe, the Macpherson Trilogy follows a family's fight for Scottish independence against the Tudor king, Henry VIII. RITE OF PASSION At the tournament of two kings, Elizabeth Boleyn has attracted not only the eyes of Henry Tudor, but those of the Scottish warrior, Ambrose Macpherson, whose bold offer might be her only salvation... QUEST OF LOVE Ambrose Macpherson feels attraction for the daughter of the English diplomat. That the hated English king is pursuing her makes Elizabeth an even greater prize. But after witnessing an act of treachery that could topple the crown, Elizabeth has vanished. Ambrose knows that fate will allow him no rest until he finds her… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you enjoyed Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl, you’ll want to try this exciting medieval Highlander novel. Great for fans of Julie Garwood, Glynnis Campbell, Heather McCollum, Amanda Scott, Eliza Knight, Lynsay Sands, Hildie McQueen, Suzan Tisdale, Tanya Anne Crosby, Kerrigan Byrne, Suzanne Enoch, Tessa Dare, Keira Montclair, Julie Johnstone, Jayne Castel, Alisa Adams, Kathryn Le Veque, Maeve Greyson, Rebecca Ruger, Emma Prince, Caroline Lee, Margaret Mallory, Lily Blackwood, Elina Emerald, Allison B. Hanson, Susan King, Mary Wine, Angie Morgan, Hannah Howell, Claire Delacroix, Cecelia Mecca, Amy Jarecki, Vanessa Kelly, Janna MacGregor, Philippa Gregory or Alyson McLayne. Keywords - Scottish alpha male, hero, romance, historical, past, military, action adventure, action, adventure, comedy, humor, series, funny, female protagonist, novel, secrets, suspense, strong heroine, Scotland, royalty, no cliffhangers, British Isles, clans, Macpherson, Italy, France, Stewarts, Hebrides, fairies, mystery, supernatural, artist, Renaissance, legend, legends, myth, myths, Highlands, secret identity, Michelangelo, Vatican, Field of Cloth of Gold, King Francis I, knights, Duke, Earl, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Mary Boleyn, Tudors, road story, HEA, happily ever after, romantic novels, romantic books, family saga. enemies to lovers.




The Thistle and the Rose


Book Description

Winner of two Golden Leaf Awards On the Top Ten List of Best Romances Desperate Deception Celia Muir must escape from a burning castle into the Scottish Highlands before English soldiers capture her. With her are loyal friends and servants, all united to protect the infant Kit from unknown enemies. For her clandestine mission to succeed she has to make Colin Campbell, the warrior lord whose help she seeks, believe she is the seductive Lady Caithness. Irresistible Desire Colin Campbell's head tells him this Caithness woman is trouble, yet his heart is telling him she is magnificent. Whatever Celia is hiding he needs to know, but he also wants to hold her and kiss her. And as war with England scorches the heathered hills, Colin and Celia find reasons to bare their secrets, surrender to their desires, and head toward a destiny where Scotland's future--and their own--build on the strength of their passion and love... "The brilliant debut of May McGoldrick brings readers a fast-paced, action-packed historical romance." Affaire de Coeur ~~~~~ Keywords: Historical romance, alpha male, Earl hero, strong heroine, Medieval romance, Highland Romance, happily ever after, HEA, Enemies to lovers, Scottish / English alpha male hero, Highlander, romance, historical fiction, past, action adventure, action, adventure, mystery, series, female protagonist, protector, secret identity, secret love child, novel, secrets, suspense, strong heroine, no cliffhangers, British Isles, clans, earl nobility romance, mystery, danger, survivor, HEA, family saga, POC characters, happily ever after, romantic novels, romantic books, enemies to lovers. ~~~~~ If you enjoyed Belle or Bridgerton you’ll want to try this USA Today bestselling, series-starting romance novel. Great for fans of Grace Burrowes, Julia Quinn, Julie Garwood, Mary Balogh, Christi Caldwell, Julie Johnstone, Scarlett Scott, Amalie Howard, Sarah MacLean, Lisa Kleypas, Sabrina Jeffries, Eloisa James, Sophie Jordan, Grace Callaway, Tessa Dare, Erica Ridley, Mary Jo Putney, Kelly Bowen, Glynnis Campbell, Amanda Scott, Lynsay Sands, Elisa Braden, Tanya Anne Crosby, Kerrigan Byrne, Maeve Greyson, Tessa Candle, Chloe Flowers, Lucy Langton, Alexa Aston, Suzanne Enoch, Susan King, Claire Delacroix, Amy Jarecki, Maddison Michaels, Vanessa Kelly, Darcy Burke, Jess Michaels, Madeline Hunter, Philippa Gregory, or Kate Bateman.




Flame


Book Description

From USA Today Bestselling Author May McGoldrick...a tale of dark forces and the redemptive power of love... FLAME TO BE CONSUMED BY LOVE... Ironcross Castle was called cursed by the Highlanders. Its most recent lairds had perished in accidents, falls, or fires. The newest owner, Gavin Kerr, did not fear death. It was feeling that he dreaded--the pain of betrayal and loss. Now he arrived at the castle to hear of hauntings and cults and to be drawn to the portrait of beautiful Joanna MacInnes, who died here amid a furnace of flame. And looking at her, Gavin desired her, feeling an impossible longing to take her in his arms. OR TO BURN... The real Joanna MacInnes had escaped the fire that claimed her kin. For months she has walked Ironcross by night, hiding in its secret passageways, searching for the truth behind the castle's curse. Now she feared it would claim Gavin Kerr. Yet warning him, touching him in the darkness, soon ignited another kind of burning. And even as her lips opened beneath his, she knew time was running out before they faced a heartless villain...a terrifying secret...and a struggle between eternal darkness and the power of undying love. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you enjoyed Jane Eyre, you’ll want to try this exciting medieval Highlander novel. Great for fans of Julie Garwood, Glynnis Campbell, Heather McCollum, Amanda Scott, Eliza Knight, Lynsay Sands, Hildie McQueen, Suzan Tisdale, Tanya Anne Crosby, Kerrigan Byrnes, Michelle M. Pillow, suzanne Enoch, Tessa Dare, Keira Montclair, Julie Johnstone, Jayne Castel, Alisa Adams, Kathryn Le Veque, Maeve Greyson, Rebecca Ruger, Emma Prince, Caroline Lee, Margaret Mallory, Lily Blackwood, Elina Emerald, Allison B. Hanson, Susan King, Mary Wine, Angie Morgan, Hannah Howell, Claire Delacroix, Cecelia Mecca, Amy Jarecki, Vanessa Kelly, Janna MacGregor, Philippa Gregory or Alyson McLayne. Keywords - Scottish alpha male, hero, Highlander, romance, historical fiction, past, military, action adventure, action, adventure, mystery, comedy, humor, series, funny, female protagonist, novel, secrets, suspense, strong heroine, Scotland, royalty, no cliffhangers, British Isles, clans, Macpherson, fire, secret passages, Gothic, mystery, legend, legends, myths, magic, cult, Highlands, hidden passageways, castle ruins, hidden damsels in distress, ancient rituals, danger, survivor, earl, HEA, happily ever after, romantic novels, romantic books, family saga, enemies to lovers, opposites attract.