NEW RELEASE and GUEST POST
Beyond Your Touch
(Dark Heart Book 2)
(Dark Heart Book 2)
by Pat Esden
Beyond Your Touch, the second book in the Dark Heart series by Pat Esden, will be released on 30 August but is currently available for pre-order. Also available: A Hold on Me (read my blog post).
This book tour is brought to you by Bewitching Book Tours. The tour stops here today for a guest post by the author. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
She wants more than he can promise.
His desires could lead to betrayal.
But without each other, neither can survive the dangers ahead.
His desires could lead to betrayal.
But without each other, neither can survive the dangers ahead.
Annie Freemont knows this isn’t the right time to get involved with a man like Chase. After years of distrust, she’s finally drawing close to her estranged family, and he’s an employee on their estate in Maine. Though she never intended to stay on the estate for long, her father’s illness and the mysteries surrounding her family made leaving impossible. And now with the newfound hope of rescuing her long-missing mother, Annie’s determined to be involved with the family’s plans one way or another.
If only she could keep her mind off Chase and focus on the impending rescue. But there’s something about the enigmatic Chase that she can’t resist. And she’s not the only woman. Annie fears a seductive stranger who is key to safely freeing her mother is also obsessed with him. As plans transform into action and time for a treacherous journey into a strange world draws near, every move Annie makes will test the one bond she’s trusted with her secrets, her desires - and her heart.
Praise for the Book
"Mystery meets sizzling romance in the second book of the Dark Heart series. For those who enjoyed the first book, this one is a definite must-read." ~ Rebecca
"Esden's writing is strong. Annie is a relatable young woman contending with love, jealousy, and an inherent drive to save her mother. The tension really picks up as the book continues. This is a book to blaze through in a day or two. I found the mystery and adventure aspects to be stronger than the romance, but all of the elements blend well for a solid, fast read." ~ Beth Cato
"I found Beyond Your Touch to be a wonderfully satisfying sequel to A Hold on You, which I also read and enjoyed. I very much enjoyed the main character, Annie. She is strong, intelligently written, and relatable - with a realistic amount of insecurity regarding her all-encompassing first love." ~ Debbie Causevic
"The creativity the author weaves is quite magical. The djinn realm, the carpets, secret passageways with mixed messages, fun stuff and vividly drawn." ~ K.L. Hallam
"I thoroughly enjoyed each paragraph of this book. After reading the first book I could hardly wait until I got my hands on this one and I was not disappointed. In fact, I enjoyed it even more than the first one because it took me to other realms with the ease necessary to make me a believer." ~ Ruby Rice
Guest Post by the Author
Using Your Senses to Get into the Writing Zone
Hi, my name is Pat Esden. I’m delighted to have been invited to chat about using your sense to get into the writing zone. I’m the author of The Dark Heart series from Kensington Books. A Hold on Me, book one in the series, is currently available. Book two, Beyond Your Touch, is going to be released on 30 August.
It’s so much easier to write when you’re in the creative zone. But it can take time to tune out real life and get lost in the flow of ideas and words. This is particularly true when returning to a project you haven’t worked on recently or when switching from one manuscript to another.
One way to get into the zone more quickly is by stimulating your senses. A lot of writers use music to tune out the real world and get back to their story. Creating separate playlists for each novel is a great way to get your brain not only stimulated, but also focused on the right project. Here’s the Spotify playlist I created for Beyond Your Touch (Dark Heart Book 2).
Some people prefer to write in silence and actually find auditory stimulation distracting. I’m somewhat this way. I love music when drafting, but not when revising. My brain responds much better to scents. In fact, I pick candles and incense with different fragrances for each of my manuscripts. Burning them quickly puts me into the flow. Designated scents make it easy for me to shifts from one project to another. I also use fresh flowers. Their smell not only puts me in a creative mood, but their colors appeal to my visual sense.
If you tend to respond to visual stimulation, then you might want to try creating Pinterest boards for your manuscripts or even for specific types of moods you write about: one for romance, another for battle scenes, anger ... When I’m having a hard time getting into the zone, I often spend a few minutes cruising through the Pinterest boards that I created for the project I want to work on. It works even better if you listen to a project’s playlist while looking at the corresponding boards. Here’s a link to my Beyond Your Touch Pinterest board that matches the Spotify playlist.
Another trick for using visual stimulation to get you into the flow is to change the font you’re using. This quick technique combined with changing the font size often can get the creative juices flowing.
Taste is perhaps the easiest way to get into a creative mood. But don’t drink the same beverage or consume the same snack all the time. Consciously choose one or two foods or drinks to represent each project and don’t consume them when writing other things. Perhaps one novel is iced mint tea and for another you choose dried apricots or licorice. Find things with a distinctive flavor that occurs in the project or reminds you of it in some way. Not only will this help when you sit down at your desk, but your brain will begin the shift while you’re pouring the tea into a special cup or laying out the snack on a specific plate.
Some people respond well to tactile stimulation. I know, you’re wondering how the heck can that be done while typing or holding a pen? Our sense of touch occurs all over our bodies. For some people the act of wearing a hat, mitts, or a costume that "feels" like the story can stimulate creativity. Some writers might find slipping on a silk robe to write a romantic scene uncomfortable, but for others it would be the perfect way to get in the zone.
Most writers get the best result from a combination of sensory stimulation. Experiment. Discover what works for you. You might just be surprised how much writing time you gain and how much frustration you avoid by consciously adding sensory stimulation to your writing routine.
Now it’s your turn. Which of these techniques to you use? Have you tried tailoring them for specific projects?
About the Author
Pat Esden is an antique-dealing florist by trade. She’s also a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and the League of Vermont Writers. Her short stories have appeared in a number of publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, the Mythopoeic Society’s Mythic Circle literary magazine, and George H. Scither’s anthology Cat Tales.
Her new adult paranormal novel, A Hold on Me (Dark Heart Book 1) is available from Kensington Books. Beyond Your Touch (Dark Heart Book 2) will be released 30 August.
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