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​“Something besides being shot is tormenting her,” Adrian said. “Her every muscle is vibrating with pain.”

“It’s the steel,” Simon said after a brief moment’s consideration. “Elves can’t tolerate iron and the bullets are probably steel clad.”

“That must be it,” Adrian agreed. “The steel is poisoning her.”

“Look at the edges of the exit wound,” Simon observed, pointing at the back of her shoulder with the finger of his free hand. “The edges are cauterized. The iron burned her.”

Adrian cast an ironic look at his partner and added, “Like silver burns you.” He pondered that a moment and then said, “Since silver burns you and her blood burns you, it’s a good bet that she has silver in her blood.”

A knock on the door captured their attention.

“That must be Elena,” Adrian said. “I’ve got my arms full. Would you mind answering your own door?”

Simon was loath to leave his partner alone with the unconscious and bleeding elf, but saw no other good option since he could not hold her while she still bled. At least the bleeding had become sluggish and thick. He rose and dried his hands and left the bathroom to answer the door.

It's no secret that 2020 was a horrible year for just about everyone, despite its promising start. The world's overreaction to the novel coronavirus continues as federal, state, and municipal governments impose or re-impose lockdowns, curtail civil liberties, and watch their economies crash.

Year 2021 is now getting off to a decent start. My pipeline's full for the next few weeks. I've picked up a new client and hope to be writing for that company for a good long while. I've made small progress in my latest works-in-progress: a few chapters drafted, but that's better than nothing. I still plan on producing two or three books this year, so don't count me out yet.

As always, I have not made any New Year's resolutions. The cold, dreary days of winter do not inspire me to make promises to myself. If anything, winter provides just the opposite motivation: I want to hibernate. (If only hibernation paid the bills.)

Those who follow my blog will notice some differences coming up shortly. My social media presence will dwindle. I'm still here, there just won't be nearly as many posts in Facebook or Twitter. A weekly article is scheduled for publication on  Mondays in Twitter, the Hen House Publishing page on Facebook, and on LinkedIn. I'll endeavor to maintain a weekly blog posting on this website on Tuesdays. These will be shared on Facebook and Twitter, too. Wednesday posts will continue through January, then the Book of the Month promotions will cease.

Last year, readers have had opportunities to download my e-books for free. This marketing tactic is no different than what most authors do. There's a motive behind the madness: lure readers in with free books (called "loss leaders") in an attempt to hook interest, build a loyal fan base, and persuade readers to purchase more books. It's a viable practice that has introduced me to some authors whose work I love: for example, Shannon Hill and Susan Stoker. I've also discovered authors, via those free books, whose work I now know to avoid--not necessarily because they're poor writers. Some glorify themes that I dislike or rely on cliffhangers.

Many authors build on this marketing tactic by ending those loss leaders with cliffhangers, forcing readers who want to finish those stories to purchase sequels or even whole series. I don't do that. For one thing, I despise cliffhangers. For another, I think it's dishonest.

As for the glorification and romanticizing of themes I dislike, let's just say there's only so far I'll go when it comes to "dark" romances. Abuse, degradation, and humiliation aren't romantic. But I'll hop off that soapbox and stop the tirade before it begins.

I greatly appreciate all who have supported me by reading my blog posts (and commenting) and my books. The severe downturn in business requires that I spend time regrouping and rebuilding to secure sufficient cash flow to restart normal marketing efforts. Assuming the pandemic nonsense will ease, I'll be participating in regional events canceled and rescheduled for this year.

​Best wishes and good fortune to you all for a prosperous, peaceful, and healthy 2021.

By Holly Bargo

I’ve long asserted that ideas are cheap and plentiful and have a folder full of partial manuscripts to prove it. Each of the files within that folder began as an idea that just wouldn’t leave my mind until I wrote it down. Each began with good intentions--and we know what paves the road to hell. However, somewhere along the way--sometimes not more than a few pages in--those ideas faltered. I couldn’t sustain them. 

I published Rowan in 2014. I was employed full-time in a soul-sucking job I loathed. After work, I did the wife-and-mother thing. Let’s just say that my life didn’t leave me a whole lot of time for idle amusement like writing. Rowan took me two years to write. I don’t remember where the story premise came from. I do recall sending it to a friend of a friend who was kind enough to serve as an informed beta reader and taking encouragement and direction from her feedback. It was probably my first genuine experience as an indie author. 

I remember as I wrote Rowan that other characters inserted themselves into the story. Those characters, Cassia and Willow, demanded I write their stories. And so a trilogy, the Tree of Lifeseries, was born. 

Rowan isn’t perfect by any means, either as a manuscript or as a character. Among all the heroines appearing in my books (over 20 titles published since 2014), she’s the one most like me in personality. Perhaps for that reason, her story remains my favorite. 

Ideas for other books spring from diverse sources: some begin with a question of “What if?” Others arise from idle daydreaming. The Falcon of Imenotash was sparked by a movie: I disliked the movie’s ending and my imagination immediately went to work on a new story that touched upon some of the themes in the movie. I challenge you to identify the movie that generated that spark. Russian Gold, Russian Dawn, and Russian Pride all came into being because some enthusiastic fans asked for stories featuring the protagonists who appeared as secondary characters in Russian Lullaby. 
​
Inspiration comes from many sources. Ideas are cheap and plentiful, we pluck them from the air. Whether we can carry an idea to its natural fruition is another matter entirely.