Author Archives: Michelle Garren-Flye

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About Michelle Garren-Flye

I am an author of romance, poetry, children's books and graphic novels. I also own a bookstore. My love of the written word runs deep.

BREATHE honored by Versatile Blogger Award

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A couple weeks ago, I got a nice surprise when my friend and fellow writer A.J. Brown gave me my very first Versatile Blogger Award. I’m not totally certain I deserve this award, especially recently. I haven’t really kept on my posts like I should. However, I’m going to accept it, because I’ve learned that honors and awards offered by friends quite often mean much more than those given by strangers. Thank you, A.J. It means a lot to me that you think so much of me as to offer this.

For those who don’t know about the Versatile Blogger Award, there are a few rules. First of all, thank the person who passed the award along to you. I’ve done that. Link back to his/her blog. Well, that’s no problem. I think A.J.’s already on my O2 Links of Interest, but in case you’ve missed him, here’s another link: Type AJ Negative.

Next, I’m supposed to link back to the original site: The Versatile Blogger Award. Check.

Now comes the hard part. Nominating fifteen blogs for the VBA. Okay, here goes:

1. I’d nominate A.J., but somebody’s already beat me to it. But seriously, if you’re into writing, horror, funny family stories, author interviews, reviews, etc., you should check out his aforementioned blog. If ever there was a versatile blogger, he’s it.

2. Jennifer Reno of Jenn Reno Photography. Why a photography website? Oh my, so many reasons. First of all, I won’t deny it. She’s a friend of mine. She’s read my books and mentioned them on her blog. But really, it’s about her work. Remember the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words?” Well, Jenn has millions of words on her blog, then. Every picture she takes tells a story. One of my favorites is of a little boy in a Batman cape hugging his mother. And it’s not just Jenn’s pictures either. She links to multiple other talented photographer’s sites. It’s fantastic exploring those sites and finding inspiration in the real people depicted on them.

3. John Peter’s Dark Scribblings. John recently revived his Dark Scribblings, and I’m thrilled. He’s posted interviews, articles and just some pretty interesting thoughts. John’s one of those writers who’s really interested in working with other writers, and I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to do just that on occasion.

4. Steve Lowe’s Assorted Shitzengiggles. If you’re not easily offended, check out Steve’s website. It’s good for a laugh, a giggle, and sometimes a snort. I think A.J. may have nominated Steve, too, but since Steve was one of my original HONEOWPs I feel I need to follow suit.

5. Amanda Von Hoffmann’s Gossamer and Lichen. Another of my original HONEOWPs and a very talented writer. Amanda blogs about writing, books, art and whatever strikes her fancy at the time.

6. Ash Joie Lee. Although Ash doesn’t currently keep up her blog, she’s got a lot of interesting stuff on it, including her ongoing Facebook Status Story.

7. Year of Giving. In 2009 Reed Sandridge was unemployed. He decided to spend his year giving $10 a day to total strangers who would then allow him to tell their story on his blog. Such an amazing blog! Go back to the first day and start reading. It’s 365 days of human interaction and some really beautiful stuff that will restore your faith in humanity.

Okay, that’s all I can come up with at the moment. I know there are more, so I may come back and add some. At any rate, my last obligation as a nominee for the VBA is to tell seven things about myself. Here goes.

1. I’m a Pisces. Even in the “new” astrology I’m a Pisces.
2. I’m taking piano lessons this year. I’ve never played a musical instrument other than a recorder in my life, but I’m taking piano lessons and I’m really horrible, but it’s fun having a new challenge.
3. I don’t go to church, but I do consider myself a Christian.
4. I’m a registered Democrat, but the right Republican could turn me.
5. I consider supercars a form of art. And muscle cars. And I love NASCAR. I’m having a hard time reconciling my love of cars with my desire for clean energy.
6. I stopped writing horror because I wanted to stop thinking about the horrible things that could happen to people.
7. I believe in happily ever after.

Just got my next round of edits on Where the Heart Lies…

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…so this is going to be brief. This is my last chance to make any changes before it goes to copy editing, though, so the need to be thorough is pressing. I must put away all my distractions for the time being and get to it. The good news is, it probably won’t take any more than a week to make the editing changes, so here’s hoping I’ll be back soon!

WINTER SOLSTICE gets five stars from Booked Up Reviews!

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You know those moments that affirm you’re doing okay, right? I hope everybody gets them, no matter what they do for a living. I’ve talked about validation on here before. I’ve gotten validation in several small ways since I started publishing. When I wrote horror, believe it or not, my validation often came in the odd looks people gave me when they’d read something of mine. “How did you write that?” That was a fun validation.

Since eschewing horror for my more romantic side, my validation has come in the form of reviews. Some are face-to-face. Friends tell me “I loved your last book!” I even had one reader chase me down to ask me when I had another one coming out. That was really nice validation. I also enjoy the comments on Goodreads and my blog and Amazon (I really love finding a new review of one of my books on Amazon!).

But let’s face it, when a review site gives you a good review, it’s kind of awesome. These are people who read a ton of work in my genre. To have them give me a good review is a thrill. To have them give me a great review–well, it sort of makes my day. Booked Up Reviews did that for me today. Five stars and reviewer Dolce Amore had this to say about WINTER SOLSTICE:

I think I said before that paranormal is my favorite genre, but I always take the chance of finding good writers… no matter the genre. And Ms. Michelle Garren Flye is a good one, a very good one; my favorite writers’ list keeps growing…

Now, I will put into words what I think about the book: we have outstanding characters, wonderful storyline, great dialog, and delicious humor that just adds flavor to the story. And the way she adds the medical terms with the story just fills me with wonder.

Wow. Thank you, Booked Up Reviews for the validation! To read the whole review, click here: Booked Up Reviews: Winter Solstice by Michelle Garren Flye.

Second edition of Weeds and Flowers: The perfect valentine?

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Yay! I just checked Amazon and my “second edition”, including the beautiful new cover you see to your left, is now up and ready to be downloaded to your Kindle (or smartphone or computer with the Kindle app). Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s free!

If you like Weeds and Flowers, you might even like my two romances, and today’s all about romance, right? And hey, today really is your lucky day! Lyrical Press is having a sale. Everything in their store is 50% off! Here’s a good place to start: My Books.

I’m also scheduled to be interviewed on author John Peters’ blog today. Until that’s up, check out his other informative posts: Dark Scribblings. He’s written some great articles and you might even spot my name in there once or twice. 🙂

Book News!

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If you look to the left, you’ll notice a lovely new cover for Weeds and Flowers. I’m kind of proud of this one. You see, I made it myself. The flower is one in my front yard. Anybody know what it is? I am not a flower expert, but I have lots of those that I inherited from the former owner of the house, who evidently was a flower expert. I also figured out how to convert a file from .doc to .pdf format, then realized, I would have to convert it again to a .jpg in order to share it on here. I found a lovely site online that does that kind of thing for you (Zamzar) and wa-laa!

If you can’t tell, I’m getting excited about the re-release of Weeds and Flowers on Tuesday, February 14. I’ve cleaned it up, and I think I’ve gotten all the typos out and fixed a couple of minor editorial mistakes. I’m also working on a preface for it. Is it worth re-reading if you’ve already read it? Maybe, if you really loved it, but the changes are very minor. Is it worth downloading a new copy if you already have one but haven’t read it? Definitely. Please do, and remember it’s totally free on February 14. Of course, if you love it, I’d love to have some more five star reviews on Amazon.

Now for the Carina Press news. I finally found out what the new title for The Sixth Fold will be. It has been re-christened WHERE THE HEART LIES. Isn’t that beautiful? It’s actually much, much better than either of my original titles, and much more expressive of the heroine’s journey in the novel. So, gotta go, but please check back on Tuesday for my re-release party for WEEDS AND FLOWERS!

Want my books?

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If you do, February 14 is the day to get them. Not only will you be able to get your mitts on my re-release of WEEDS AND FLOWERS for FREE, Lyrical Press is offering a storewide 50% off sale. So you can get every book I currently have out there at a great deal. Be sure to check it out.

Lyrical Press, Inc.

Weeds and Flowers for Kindle

Breathing Moment: I miss the snow.

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I grew up in the mountains where winter meant school would be punctuated by snow vacations. We went to bed on some nights when snow was predicted almost as excited as on Christmas Eve. And when dawn broke on a frozen white world, we couldn’t wait to get outside, sledding and snowball fighting and snowman-building. One of my favorite things to do actually came a few days after when the snow had formed a thick crust on top. Since we usually got several inches at a time, it was fun to try to walk on top of the snow. We’d compete to see who could take the most steps before falling through. As I was quite light back in those days, I was pretty good at this game. That probably wouldn’t be the case now.

Of course, now I don’t actually live in a place where you’d expect a lot of snow. For snow to fall in Eastern North Carolina, the humidity must be just right, the temperature must fall to freezing during a front, the heat miser must make a deal with the cold miser and everyone in town must leave their freezer doors open at the same time. Well, it seems that way, anyway. If we’re lucky, we see half an inch of snow maybe once a year.

I miss those snow days. The last snow day I really remember was in 2000 when I lived in Hillsborough and was six months pregnant with my first child. My husband and I were literally snowed in for several days by two storms. The snow was so deep we didn’t have a prayer of getting out of our driveway, and I would not be kept inside, although my husband worried about me falling on an icy patch. To this day I’m so glad I didn’t stay inside. I’m glad I got out and enjoyed that snow, even though we had to eat macaroni and cheese for several days because we couldn’t get to the store and the power went out and we had to burn a lot of firewood to keep warm.

If it snows near you, get out in it. Let the snow insulate you from the rest of the world for a day or two. Enjoy the sensation of not having to be somewhere, of having more time. Make a snowball. Build a snowman. Get wet and cold and then go inside and peel your soaked jeans off and put new ones on. That’s one of the most wonderful sensations ever! Then make yourself a cup of hot chocolate and sit by a fire, if you have a fireplace. If not, try sitting close to the heat register of your furnace. Breathe.

There’s something about being cold that makes us appreciate the heat more.

Where the heck have I been? (First breathing moment in two weeks!)

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Holy cow. I think it’s been two weeks since I updated my blog. Actually, a little more than two weeks. That is sort of inexcusable. In spite of that, I have a good excuse.

You see, I got my first round of line edits on The Sixth Fold (working title) back from my Carina Press editor. And may I say I love my new editor almost (well, maybe as much) as my old editor? She’s fantastic. The changes she suggested, while nothing drastic, smoothed the storyline out tremendously. I’m really excited about it.

I didn’t expect it to be as hard to edit The Sixth Fold as it was, however. You see, I’ve never edited a manuscript as long as this one. It’s nearly 90,000 words and believe it or not, when you get past about 50,000, you start to wonder if what you’ve written in the second half of the manuscript matches up with what you wrote in the first half. I’m not a writer who often makes a lot of notes, but if I’m going to write longer works, I may have to! At one point, I even started wondering if I had made my heroes eyes blue or green at the beginning of the book. It’s these little details that get you.

Suffice it to say that every time I sat down at the computer over the past two weeks, I edited. I simply didn’t have enough energy for anything else. Last night I sent off the last of those edits back to my editor, who will now try to figure out if what I did was actually fix my poor manuscript or simply apply bandaids. And if I did fix it, what else can we work on to make this the best book I’ve ever written?

So now I’m back and conversely, I have more energy than ever. I guess all that steady work over the past couple of weeks sharpened me up a bit. I plan to pull out WEEDS AND FLOWERS and get to work on the “second edition”. Once that’s up, I’ll put it up on Amazon for you to download and enjoy at your leisure. I also plan another giveaway on February 14, so stay tuned to get your free copy, hopefully typo free!

Where did I go wrong? The musings of a frustrated author…

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So I’ve been beating my head against a brick wall over my latest work-in-progress since November. I started it for NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month) got to the 42,000 word mark and realized I couldn’t make it any further. I kid you not, I could have written 8,000 more words of crap and finished the 50,000 word novel but I realized what I was writing would never be publishable. Ever.

So I started over.

It takes a lot to throw out almost 40,000 words of hard work, even if you know it’s crap. I did it. I started a rewrite. I made it almost to 50,000 words and hit the same roadblock. This time I threw out about half of it. Started again. A few days ago, I thought I’d figured out where it went wrong, cut out some of the scenes, rewrote some. It’s better now, and I think I can keep plugging along, but damn. It’s hard. I’m starting to wonder if I’m beating my head against a brick wall for no reason. My editor at Carina Press says I’ll have her line edits in a few days. Maybe I should just wait, get myself into editing mode. Maybe I should work on the second edition of WEEDS AND FLOWERS.

I decided to pull out a novel I finished a few months ago. I love this novel. I tentatively titled it DUCKS IN A ROW, and it’s about twin sisters, Cady and Cam, who are experiencing completely different problems in their lives but find the answers to them together. I read it. It’s got some problems and it needs a little TLC, but to be honest, I couldn’t actually believe that story came out of me after all the problems I’ve had with my current work-in-progress. It’s one of those stories where I’m pretty sure those characters actually came to life and told me their story.

Like my other novels, I feel like this one has magic in it.

So what to do? Put away my current w-i-p and all the blood, sweat and tears I’ve put in it? Start a new story? Get this old story ready to go and put it out there to be accepted or rejected as the publishing world sees fit? I think I’ve made up my mind. I’m happiest when I’m writing, but I’ve been through this before, too. Sometimes you just have to accept that the story you want to tell isn’t going to work no matter how much life you try to breathe into it. I’m hoping this one is just comatose and might wake up one day.

Excerpt from DUCKS IN A ROW:

“We’re not having an affair.” Cady glanced over her shoulder, keeping her voice low as her sister cleared the table.

“What would you call it?” When Cady didn’t answer, Cam set the plates she’d brought into the kitchen aside and faced her. “Did you kiss him?”

“It wasn’t like that.” Cady bit her lip. “I mean, yes, but—”

“But nothing.” Cam shook her head, turning on the water in the sink to rinse the dishes before handing them to Cady to put in the dishwasher. “Kissing’s more intimate than sex, if it’s done right. Did he do it right?”

Cady couldn’t help a little smile at the memory, and that was evidently all her sister needed. She shook her head. “See? You know what I mean then. Cady, you’re going to regret this.”

“I know.” Cady faced her sister and turned off the water Cam had absently left running. She glanced at the stairs her daughter had gone up a few moments before and the closed study door. She could hear Neil’s voice on the other side. Either he’d gotten the call he was waiting for or he’d grown too impatient to wait any longer. She sighed and looked back at Cam. “I already do. Not just for me or my family, either. For Will. He should have a family, somebody he could love.”

“So why the hell are you doing this?” Cam grabbed her sister’s arms and shook her. “Why are you taking this chance with your life and his?”

“I love him.” The words felt right in her mouth, even while she knew how wrong it was to say them.

Cam stared at her, then sank into a seat at the kitchen table. She stared at nothing while Cady finished the dishes and made two cups of coffee. When Cady sat across from her, Cam accepted the coffee automatically.

“Are you okay?” Cady peered at her sister anxiously. Cam looked so pale in the dim light.

“I just can’t believe this is happening.” Cam shook her head. “You’re really in love with him?”

Cady nodded. She took a sip of her coffee. “And you don’t have to tell me how wrong it is. We both know. We didn’t mean to—it just happened.” She reached over and touched the glittering diamond on her sister’s hand. “Like that, actually.”

Cam pulled her hand back, covering the ring as if it were too precious to be subjected to the current conversation. “That has nothing to do with it. What are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?” Cady raised her eyebrows, leaning back in her chair.

“You know damn well what I mean.” Cam made an impatient movement as if to push something out of her way. “Are you going to have sex with him?”

Cady winced. “Geez, Cam. Way to couch those words in gentle expressions.”

“It’s sex even if you call it making love. It’s giving something intimate to someone besides your husband.” Cam’s expression challenged her sister. “And you didn’t answer the question.”

Hit me when you see an opening…

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Did anybody else ever play that game when they were kids? My brothers and I played it all the time, pretending we were boxers and yelling at each other, “Hit me when you see an opening!” Of course, we all got hit a few times, and it usually degenerated into a serious scuffle that prompted my mother to send us all outside to play.

Can you tell I was sort of a tomboy?

Anyway, that’s the way my schedule has been recently. If you want something from me, hit me when you see an opening. Unfortunately, I’ve let my blog fall by the wayside, too, and that’s no good. Anyway, to keep you up-to-date, here are a list of my activities so far this year:

1. Received and sent back a contract to Harlequin Enterprises. That was kind of a thrill. I’m now officially a Carina Press author!

2. Am working hard on my currently untitled work-in-progress. I recently started over for a third time! Ouch. That hurt. Couldn’t be helped, though. Every time I got to the sex scene between the hero and heroine, I just couldn’t make them do the deed. They haven’t fallen deeply enough in love. They like each other, but they’re not there yet. I’m really hoping the third time is the charm. I’m now 25,000 words into it and by rearranging and rewriting some existing scenes, I’ve salvaged some of the 50,000 plus words I’d already written. I do hate throwing hard work away!

3. Have gotten a few typos from readers of WEEDS AND FLOWERS. I have to say I’ve been sort of blown away (in a good way) by the reception my little novel received. I happen to love that story, but it was a gamble whether any of you would feel the same. I plan to give it a careful going through with a fine-tooth comb for the last of the editing mistakes and issue a “second edition” sometime in February. Be on the lookout since I’ll have another “free day” once that’s done.

And now I need to go buy a new vacuum cleaner, make a doctor’s appointment, call the bank, and draft a “room mom” letter for my son’s class. And any other of the myriad things that I put off because they get in the way of my writing.

Maybe if there’s an opening, a breathing moment will hit me!