Is Love Ever What we Think it is?

SHADOW LOVE 
is a novella that might have you ask, 

 "Could this happen to me?"

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Amazon-UK

Genre–Bound?

     When I started reading early on in my life, I read pretty much everything I could get my little hands on, mostly with my parents’ acquiescence. Although, there were those times when I hid some frowned upon sci-fi pulp—handed to me under the table by no other than my grandmother!—under my mattress, only to find the cheap pamphlets in my school-book drawer. So much for trying to deceive a mother.

     It didn’t seem there was such a thing as strict “genre” then; one was more likely to follow an author rather than a set subject matter. Well, except perhaps the book club offerings my mother had subscribed to about the pampered mistresses of Europe’s kings. Madame de Pompadour, Madame du Barry, Lola Montez, Désirée. Yes, even Cleopatra got a bad rap as a courtesan. It was mild 1950s ‘heaving-bosom eroticism’ foisted upon a romance-hungry readership needing an escape from their trying post-war struggles or--as in my case--a girl's awakening curiosity.

     These days, it seems writers need to package themselves neatly into specific genres in order to aspire to some measure of loyal followers. Anything else they might produce is apt to fall by the wayside. And – heaven forbid – if several genres are combined under one hat, writers are apt to be chided or – worse – abandoned; although, the imaginative and curious reader might laud them for not producing cookie-cutter sequels, one after the other, siphoning off from a first success.

     

     My Legends of the Winged Scarab series, for instance, spins Historical Fiction into a modern-day thriller, to continue with post-apocalyptic adventure, ending with international intrigue - only to loop back to the mysticism of Ancient Egypt.

Then, under the same author name, up pops the sweetest-ever cat together with his animal shelter buddies.

To confound things even more, a book of poems and short stories gets thrown into the fray.

And let's not forget about Edward, Con Extraordinaire, a small "teaser" of things to come for the versatile Brit who keeps popping up in the Legends.

The marketing pundits might say "not smart."

But what’s a writer to do who writes from the heart and not necessarily the head?

     I would love to hear how readers feel about it all.

     Then, I lastly must admit, there is a novella of perhaps literary pretense. In order to make it more visible (or palatable) the poor thing has endured several title and cover changes. 

And just for reading all of the above:

It is On Sale for 99c just for you - February 25 - 29, 2016

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Amazon-UK

"SHADOW LOVE" Needs Some Love

It is just a novella but, boy, is it giving me headaches – and I do so like my Monika Lenz as she struggles to find herself (and that hunky pilot she’s fantasizing about).

It's an interesting story (if I say so myself) but somehow, readers are not giving it the love it deserves.

I've tried several titles, several covers. So, once again, here is the latest:

     The idea for this novella has rattled around my head for so many years, that my now long-departed mother once cried aloud: "Oh, child. This is you!" It was an assumption I fervently denied. Granted, the protagonist is Austrian (like me), she is attractive and successful (no problem there). However, she does drink a little—and that's where I drew the line. But in order for the story to work, I had to burden the lady with a grip on the nip.

     There is also a connection to my other novels—the charming Edward, Con Extraordinaire-although in Shadow Love, he appears only in Monika Lenz's regretting memory.

     (As an aside, Edward turns out not quite so charming anymore in the modern-day adventure/thriller sequels to Khamsin, The Devil Wind of the Nile. We meet him first in Sirocco, Storm over Land and Sea, where he turns slightly murderous. Then, in After the Cataclysm, things seem to go from bad to worse for our protagonists. And you'll just have to read what goes on in The Crystal Curse.)

* * *

     What did I learn while writing this novella? Well, for one thing, you can't drink and write. The only road to success (whenever that may come, if at all) is a little bit of talent, an excellent grasp of a language, good research, an even better imagination and, above all, tenacity. Keeping at it until your fingers bleed, your brain goes foggy, and your eyes cross, is a given. And then: EDIT, EDIT, EDIT.

     And if you must, don't be too lazy to republish; even one detected typo after the book has been foisted onto your readers is worth the effort.

     What else did I learn from all my books? That this writing-thing has turned into an all-consuming passion.

     The reward is when readers do that they do best: Reading my stories. Second best is, when they leave reviews letting us writers know how our stories affected them. Of course, if they liked them, that's pure gravy.

Buy on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D3B9A5E

Excerpt

Men! She was glad that she had decided to be through with them. At least for a while. Monika stretched. It was going to be a long trip and already her back felt stiff.

Muori dannato! Tosca sobbed through the stereo speakers. After stabbing her powerful tormentor, she wills him to die. E morto. A wronged woman’s vendetta justly meted out. At least, according to Puccini.

Monika grimaced. “Damn,” she said through her teeth. “Fifty, and giving up on life. And sex. Bummer.” She glanced at the rock-jumbled hills, their wasted slopes echoing her impassive heart.

After doggedly pressing on for several more hours, Route 203 finally led her toward Mammoth Lakes.

“Almost there, Bandito.” She stuck her finger into the carrier again and scratched her cat’s velvety nose. He may be just a cat but Monika knew having him there with her could mean the difference between sanity and despair.

“Let’s just hope you don’t live up to your name,” she smiled.

* * *

Love's in the Air

    Will Valentine’s Day leave you out in the cold because you don’t have that someone special in your life right now? That certain heart-throb to shower you with champagne, chocolates and flowers and—if you have been a really good girl—diamonds?

    Do not despair. With a good book, you are never alone because now, you can vicariously step into someone else’s shoes and dream about a hunky admirer. But be careful what you wish for…

    Just for you, and for a limited time only, I've discounted my 150-page Romantic Suspense Novella, Shadow Love, to 99 cents (down from $2.99).

   After you read it, do tell me what you think of my foray into contemporary women’s fiction. Leave a review; we authors really appreciate feedback for our hard work.

Available in print from Amazon, and several e-book formats at these sites:

Amazon 

Smashwords 

Barnes-and-Noble 

Kobo 

iTunes-Apple 

Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/@AuthorBorg

And please tweet this to your Followers:

* * *

RT-Love’s in the air, but it casts a shadow in #ShadowLove by Inge H. Borg, #Romantic #Suspense, briefly only 99¢.

http://tinyurl.com/m93rp9t

Shadow Love is getting some Love

I am really stomped why this easy little novella isn't getting more reader love. So, I asked another reviewer to give me a woman's opinion. She really got the underlying reality - or is it - of it:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Read! June 28, 2014

By Stephanie Lasley

Format:Kindle Edition

Monika Lenz is an attractive fifty year old who is disillusioned with men and life in general. She decides it's time to get her life back on track. A change of scenery and lifestyle is just what she needs to heal her mind and soul. She leases a cabin deep in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for one year. As time passes, the peace and quiet she so desperately wanted starts to backfire. The loneliness sets in and her drinking increases. The more she tries to heal herself the worse she becomes. She starts slipping in and out of reality, but the intriguing part of this story is neither Monika nor the reader knows what the true reality actually is.

Author Inge H. Borg does an exceptional job of keeping everyone clueless to the end. The writing is excellent, the characters are fully developed and the storyline is terrific. Great Read!

Recommendation: Purchase and enjoy.

* * *

This little story was in my head for literally decades. I remember telling it to my mother on one of my visits back home. She clasped her face in her hands and cried: "Ach, mein Kind, this will be you."

I vehemently denied such silliness - especially about the drinking part. As I sit among the pines in my lonely cabin in the foothills of the Arkansas Ozarks, I still resent the woman and her predictions. She had such an annoying way of being right (not about the drinking part, of course. And if she had been, I surely wouldn't tell you!)

In The Spotlight

All of my seven books are included in The Indie Tribe's May Spotlight.

You can check here:

http://www.theindietribe.com/category/may-spotlight/

You count six?

Well, Pasha too managed to get his whiskers in.

http://www.amazon.com/Inge-H.-Borg/e/B006QYQKUS – Amazon

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/505050 -  Smashwords

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/inge-h.-borg - Barnes & Noble

http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomInge_H_Borg – Goodreads

For those of you who prefer to read a quality paperback, all my titles are available as such through Amazon.