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The Milford-Haven Novels, Novellas & Novelettes have now won more than 60 book awards!
Prequel Novella
Novelette
#1 Artist AdventureNovella
#2 Artist AdventureNovella
#3 Artist AdventureNovel One of the Pentalogy
Novel Two of the Pentalogy
Novel Three of the Pentalogy
Novel Four of the Pentalogy
Holiday Novelette
Holiday Novelette
Holiday Novelette
PEARLS OF WISDOM
Category Archives: plot and structure
Whose Mystery: Our Characters’ or Ours?
“Who done it?” Why do we get so caught up in solving mysteries? I have several readers—whose names I shall not divulge—who regularly e-mail me demanding to know who killed Chris, and whether she’s really dead, and when the crime will be solved! And I thought I was the only one who couldn’t sleep at night wondering about the characters of Milford-Haven!
My accomplished friend Margaret Coel has equally marvelous stories about the obsessive nature of readers and how involved they become with her characters. At our event last weekend, she recounted some of the “helpful suggestions” she receives regarding her two protagonists, and how their life-dilemmas might be solved.… Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Artists, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, authors and entertainment world, Authors and Publishers Services, Authors on Talk Shows, Baby Boomers, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Blog tour of author Mara Purl, Blog Tours, Book Marketing, book marketing using websites enewsletters and blogs, Books for Baby Boomers, Business, careers, Collaboration with other writers, Community, Connecting through blogs, Connecting through books, Creativity, Current Event, Domestic Violence, E-Books, Editors, energy, Escapism through romance novels, family history and genealogy, Family values, Finding treasures of the heart in books, flow of life, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, forgiveness, Gifts, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, heart of an artist, history, ideas for books, Innovative marketing, inspiring through fiction novels, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Intuition, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, Lady Killers, life's purpose, Love, Love of Books, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Mara Purl using new marketing methods for Books, Marketing, Metaphors, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, mission and core purpose in life, Motivation and inspiration for Baby Boomer careers, musician-singer-songwriter, Mystery Writers, Mystery Writers, Novel series, Novels for Romance Junkies, Nurturing the soul, Of Baby Boomer Women, of lives through books, Personal Essays, physical and emotional process of creating art, plot and structure, Political history, Power of the universe, power of the universe, power of the universe, Power of Universe, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance novel readers, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels for romance junkies, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, Science, self-growth, Skill sets, Small Presses, Small Town Fiction, Soap Opera Fiction, sychronicity of life, synchronicity, synchronicity, Syncronicity between bloggers, Transformation, Uncategorized, Virtual Book Tours, What the Heart Knows, What the Heart Knows by Mara Purl, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
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Tagged adventures to Milford Haven novels, art unlocking deep mysteries, audience at Mara Purl and Margaret Coel book event, author Mara Purl, characters in Mara Purls novels, characters in Milford Haven novels, characters in novels, crime in Mara Purls fiction novels, delayed ambitions, Father John O'Malley character in Margaret Coel books, fictional characters, giving selves to art, gold character, instinct and intuition, Key elements to a mystery novel, keys to art, Lady Killers, Life dilemnas in novels, listening to head, listening to heart, manuscripts from the heart, Mara Purl and Margaret Coel specialize in mystery writing, Mara Purl shares spotlight with Margaret Coel, Mara Purls fiction novels, Mara Purls womens fiction, Margaret Coel, Margaret Coels character Arapahoe lawyer Vicki Holden, Margaret Coels Wind River Mysteries, metaphors of mystery, mystery as literary device, obsessive nature of readers, Prologue of What the Heart Knows, readers involved with characters in books, refining novels and editorial, research into history place and human nature for novels, rough drafts of novels, scars of childhood in characters, The Milford-Haven Books, twarted dreams in novels, two protagonists in novels, What the Heart Knows, When Smart Characters do stupid things, Who Done it in Mara Purl's novels, women who specialize in mystery, women writers who specialize in mystery writing, women's fiction, womens fiction, working through issues in characters, writer Margaret Coel, writers that author Mara Purl admires, writing, www.marapurl.com
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Fiction: Tricks or Treats?
Perhaps cracking the cover on an unknown book is something like opening the door to strange children on Halloween. “Trick or Treat” they cry. We consider it mostly an idle threat, because we know if we’ve opened the door at all, we’re going to deliver a treat, and therefore not expect to be tricked. And perhaps this is analogous to shelling out our twenty-five dollars for a hardcover book: we expect to receive a treat and we don’t expect to be tricked.
But what’s the point of fiction? Is it to trick the reader into thinking that the characters they’re reading about and the circumstances in which they find themselves are real?… Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, authors and entertainment world, Bellekeep Books, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Books, Business, careers, Connecting through books, Creativity, Domestic Violence, Escapism through romance novels, Finding treasures of the heart in books, Gifts, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, history, ideas for books, inspiring through fiction novels, Intuition, Logical Thinking, Love, Love of Books, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Novels for Romance Junkies, Nurturing the soul, of lives through books, Opening up to New Worlds, physical and emotional process of creating art, plot and structure, Power of the universe, power of the universe, Power of Universe, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels for romance junkies, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, self-growth, Small Town Fiction, Soap Opera Fiction, Transformation, Travel, Uncategorized, What the Heart Knows, What the Heart Knows by Mara Purl, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
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Tagged author Mara Purl, books offering sugar coated versions of reality, changes of The Milford Haven Books, cracking covers on books. treats found in fiction, entertaining readers through fiction, Fiction, fiction that shows readers how novel life can be, fiction tricks readers into thnking characters are real, hardcover book by Mara Purl, intersecting plot lines in fiction stories, mara purl newsletter, novels that feed the soul, plot lines running across the universe, sense of possibility in novels, smart readers and stories, transformative fiction, tricks found in fiction stories, women's fiction, writing, writing tricks that keep readers coming back for more, writing tricks that pique readers interest, www.marapurl.com
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Synergy, Schedules, and Supporting Others
It was a spectacular California early October Autumn day on the Central Coast: blue sky painted with whisps of cloud, sparkling water tracing the carved coastline, and just enough of a bite in the air to break out a jacket. Actually, this was a dress-up day, so the jacket was a pale silk leopard print, the skirt was leather and the shoes were high heels. Why the fancy duds? Today was High Tea in Santa Barbara, something I’d been looking forward to, something we’d planned for months.
There was an interesting twist in this plotline, however. The charity we’d been working with supports families to prevent homelessness and welfare dependency, especially in a tough economy.… Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Audio Drama, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, authors and entertainment world, Authors on Talk Shows, Bellekeep Books, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Book Clubs, Books, Business, California, Coastal regions, Community, community and transformation, Connecting through blogs, Connecting through books, Creativity, Current Event, current events, Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence Solutions Tea, economic recovery, Escapism through romance novels, familial history, Family values, forgiveness, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, history, inspiring through fiction novels, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Intuition, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, Journalism, Love, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, mission and core purpose in life, Newsletters, Novels for Romance Junkies, Nurturing the soul, of lives through books, Opening up to New Worlds, Personal Essays, plot and structure, Power of Universe, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romantic fiction, Science, self-growth, Small Town Fiction, sychronicity of life, synchronicity, synchronicity, Transformation, Uncategorized, What the Heart Knows, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing
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Tagged anger leading to death in domestic violence, assaults and suicides due to domestic violence, autumn on the central coast of California, breaking away from domestic violence, charities working in communities, charity supporting families to prevent homelessness and welfare dependency, desparate for jobs leads to abuse, domestic violence solutions, Domestic Violence Solutions Tea in February and Mara Purl, Erin Gray on board of National Coaition Against Domestic Violence, families drowning in debt, freedom and fresh starts in life, Haven House in Los Angeles, healing domestic violence, High Tea in Santa Barbara, insolvency due to economy, leading and following with your heart, light transform dark, Mara Purl and domestic violence charity teas, mara purl newsletter, Mara Purl on National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, negatives and prints from cameras, negatives in collective consciousness, non-profits for domestic violence, oldest shelter for battered women in the United States, opening cameras and exposing film, perpetrators producing scarey movies, public service awards for domestic violence awareness, Santa Barbara District Attorney as keynote speaker on abuse and violence, scope of infinite love, shame and fear of victims of domestic violence, shift in public awareness of domestic violence issues, shifting blame from victim to healing anger in domestic violence cases, speeches written by Erin Gray and Mara Purl to Congress on domestic violence, storylines in Mara Purls novels about domestic violence issues, supporting others and following heart, synergy and transformation of lives, tough financial times leading to abusive behavior, transforming a human heart through love, twist in plotline, Unity Shoppe, using heart as a guide, victims and perpetrators in domestic violence, what the heart knows by mara purl, Wisdom of what the heart knows
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Blog Tour Visit #19: Blood Red Pencil
Writers have a quasi glamorous reputation in the world. We’re seen by some as being eccentric but disciplined; reclusive but willing to take center stage when necessary. The comment I hear most often is how “creative” I am. It’s as though some sort of magic is involved by which we writers make prose and poetry flow through our fingertips onto keyboards or pads of paper.
The truth is probably as unglamorous as it can be. Why? Because half or two-thirds or three-quarters of what we do is edit and re-write. Believe me, it’s a ruthless process for most of us, one that leads to expressions like “kill your darlings” (your most perfectly wrought sentences).… Read more
Posted in Art and Entertainment, Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, authors and entertainment world, Authors and Publishers Services, Baby Boomer women, Bellekeep Books, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Blog tour of author Mara Purl, Blog Tours, Blood Red Pencil, Book Editing, Book Marketing, book marketing using websites enewsletters and blogs, Books, Business, careers, Collaboration with other writers, Connecting through blogs, Connecting through books, Creativity, Current Event, e-books by Mara Purl, Editing manuscripts for good writing, Editors, Heart and head connection in books, history, Innovative marketing, Innovative marketing, inspiring through fiction novels, Love of Books, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Mara Purl using new marketing methods for Books, Marketing, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Mystery Writers, Mystery Writers, new methods of marketing books, Novels for Romance Junkies, plot and structure, Publishing, Romance novel readers, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romantic fiction, self-growth, Skill sets, Transformation, Uncategorized, Virtual Book Tours, Virtual Book Tours, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
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Tagged aspects of writing, author Mara Purl, blood red pencil, changes of The Milford Haven Books, core group of bloggers, Dani Greer, different kinds of media, edit and rewriting, editors with red pencils, Fiction, google rankings, HeidI Thomas, kindred souls in writing, power of the red pencil, radio dramas adapted into novels by Mara Purl, sharp and pointed observations about good writing, The Milford-Haven Books, thoughts about dialogue, When Hummers Dream e-book by Mara Purl, women's fiction, writers as eccentrics and reclusives, writers creating poetry and prose, writers reputations, writing, writing a novel from a radio show, writing-editing-marketing all kinds of books, www.marapurl.com
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Blog Tour Visit #6: Lady Killers
What’s a nice lady like me doing on a blog visit to the site called The Lady Killers? Especially since the sub-title of the blog is “An unsuitable blog for women”? Well, the answer is I just couldn’t resist an invitation from the Top Mystery Blog 2010 Award Winner.
With 200 hits a day, 1,400 a week, 4,800 a month, 57, 600 per year, it’s obvious how they got their high Google ranking. How did they achieve such success? Well, maybe because their blog is a sophisticated blend of posts offered by fourteen mystery writers who take turns either creating their own offerings, or inviting guests to do so.… Read more
Posted in Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, Bellekeep Books, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Blog tour of author Mara Purl, Blog Tours, Books, Business, careers, Collaboration with other writers, Colorado, Creativity, Current Event, current events, E-Books, e-books by Mara Purl, Fictitious town of Milford-Haven, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, history, inspiring through fiction novels, Lady Killers, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Mara Purl using new marketing methods for Books, Marketing, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Mystery Writers, Mystery Writers, plot and structure, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance novel readers, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, self-growth, Small Presses, Transformation, Travel, Uncategorized, Virtual Book Tours, What the Heart Knows, When Hummers Dream by Mara Purl, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
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Tagged Ann Parker award winning author, Ann Parker on WILLA and Colorado Book Awards, author Mara Purl, books set in Leadville Colorado, changes of The Milford Haven Books, Fiction, heart, LadyKillers, Mara Purl on an Unsuitable Blog for Women, Mara Purl on LadyKillers, Mara Purl on What the Heart Knows, Mara Purl on When Smart Women Do Something Stupid, mystery books and blogs, mystery writer Rhys Bowen, Narrative writing, relationships, Silver Rush Mystery, The LadyKillers, The LadyKillers blog, The Milford-Haven Books, Top Mystery Blog 2010 Award Winner, transforming lives through books, women's fiction, women's fiction novels, writing, www.marapurl.com
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Blog Tour Visit #5: Works in Progress
Perhaps invention and reinvention is a perpetual state of affairs for authors, We’re always working on something: outlining or polishing, restructuring or fine tuning. And not only do we do this with our projects. We tend to do with ourselves too.
Such is the intriguing mix of information on Works In Progress, a blog posted by Betty & Friends. Actually, the blog host is Betty Carlton, and it’s her generosity that caused her to create her world of Betty and Friends.
Betty spent a full career in the insurance business, then at the eleventh was laid off. But, rather than retire, she reinvented herself as an author.… Read more
Posted in Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, Baby Boomers and Empty Nest Women, Bellekeep Books, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Blog tour of author Mara Purl, Blog Tours, Books, Books for Baby Boomers, Business, careers, Collaboration with other writers, Connecting through books, Creativity, Current Event, E-Books, energy, Family values, flow of life, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, history, Innovative marketing, inspiring through fiction novels, Intuition, joy, Life in Baby Boomer years for Women, life's purpose, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Mara Purl using new marketing methods for Books, Marketing, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, mission and core purpose in life, new methods of marketing books, Novels for Romance Junkies, Of Baby Boomer Women, of lives through books, plot and structure, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance novel readers, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, self-growth, Skill sets, Small Presses, Small Town Fiction, Transformation, Uncategorized, Virtual Book Tours, Virtual Book Tours, What the Heart Knows, When Hummers Dream by Mara Purl, When Hummers Dream e-book, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women authors, Women's Fiction, womens literature, Writing, writing romance novels
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Tagged author Mara Purl, Betty Carlton and friends, blog careers, books in progress, books in progress, changes of The Milford Haven Books, Days of Our Lives, energy, insurance to author careers, inventing and reinventing ourselves, Joy, Lisa Day, mara purl newsletter, Milford Haven Novels, non-traditional vs traditional romance publishers, novelist Mara Purl, outlining stories, Rebel Ink Press, restructuring and fine tuning writing projects, The Milford-Haven Books, The Stepbrothers, transformative fiction, What the Heart Knows, When Hummers Dream e-book by Mara Purl, women's fiction novels, works in progress, www.marapurl.com
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Blog Tour Visit #3: Romance Junkies
What fun to be featured today as a guest of Www.RomanceJunkies.com. Though they chose a tongue-in-cheek name, their elegant site reveals a multitude of cross-connected authors and readers actively engaged in every aspect of Romance Fiction.
Founded in 2003 by Kat Brown, the site now has 60 reviewers, scores of author links, ten categories, and 2,500 loyal followers who communicate with one another on a regular basis through forums, and 1 million hits per month.
A key part of the site is the Romance Junkies Blog, where I’m the featured guest today, www.RomanceJunkies.com/RJBlog/?p=1150, as are my new books When Hummers Dream (free e-book this month) and What the Heart Knows (hardcover next month).… Read more
Posted in Author Mara Purl on Blog Tour, Bellekeep Books by Mara Purl, Blog tour of author Mara Purl, Blog Tours, Books, Business, Creativity, Current Event, current events, e-books by Mara Purl, Escapism through romance novels, flow of life, head and heart connection, Heart, history, Innovative marketing, inspiring through fiction novels, Love, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, Mara Purl Romance novels, Mara Purl using new marketing methods for Books, Marketing, Milford Haven, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, new methods of marketing books, Novels for Romance Junkies, Nurturing the soul, of lives through books, plot and structure, Publishing, Re-Build your Life, relationships, Romance novel readers, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels by Mara Purl, Romance Novels for romance junkies, Romantic fiction, romantic novel storylines, self-growth, Small Presses, Small Town Fiction, Transformation, transformation through AHA moments, Uncategorized, Virtual Book Tours, Virtual Book Tours, women and romance novels, Women and Romance Novels, Women's Fiction, Writing, writing romance novels
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Tagged adventure in fiction writing, author Mara Purl, Avid romance readers, changes of The Milford Haven Books, escapism through romance fiction, Fiction, Kat Brown Romance Junkies, Kim Athehue Eusella, meter reader by Mara Purl, plot and structure of romance fiction, romance fiction, romance junkies, romance novels, The Milford-Haven Books, transformative fiction, value inspiration and education through fiction, When Hummers Dream e-book by Mara Purl, women's fiction, women's fiction novels, writing, www.marapurl.com
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