A to Z II - N is for Niche

Yet another day is upon us, my friends! Which means that we are another day deeper into my personal A to Z challenge. Today's letter is n, which is for niche.

In this case, we are talking about a niche - a special talent for something. Joe's niche for being a sniper.

Joe was destined for his job. His father was a sniper. He was in the Army. Joe inherited his father's patience and keen eye.

In the Marines, Joe proved his skills as a marksman.

In the Detroit PD, he honed and perfected those skills.

It may seem odd or even horrible to call sniping a niche, but it is. It's Joe's  niche. It's his talent. He has patience that very few people have. How many people do you know can lay motionless for days on end, watching people, and not sleep? It's a skill. How many people can shoot with pin-point accuracy? Indeed, sniping is Joe's niche.

Everyone has a niche in this world. Joe's is being a sniper. Claudette's is painting. Mine is writing. What's yours?

Resolutions for 2016

We are into the second week of 2016. This week, I want to share my resolutions for the new year.

This year, I resolve to be a better writer. I will push and challenge myself. I will study, take classes, and improve my craft.

This year, I resolve to expand my horizons. I refuse to limit myself to just one genre. Instead, I want to grow and see what new stories I can create. My books will now encompass a broader range.

This year, I resolve to create stories that will impact my readers. My books will touch your heart and change your mind. I write to entertain, but I also write with a greater purpose. That will be even more palpable this year.

This year, I resolve to reach a bigger audience. By creating new stories, and promoting my current titles, more people will be aware of my work, and will read them. By doing so, my previous resolution will be reinforced,

This year, I resolve to be the best person and writer I can be for one sole purpose: you!

Happy new year and happy reading!

Next July The Peace Officer WeWriWa!

It's WeWriWa time!

Click www.wewriwa.com for more information and to see other 8 Sentence Sunday posts.
This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post eight sentences from a published work or even a WIP (work in progress). Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! It's a great way to meet readers, writers, and your next favorite book!  :)


Happy #8SentenceSunday! This month, our WeWriWas will be from The Peace Officer, Brynn's story in the Loving Her series.

Brynn Racanelli is a daughter, a sister, a friend, a partner, a police officer, and so much more. Devoted to serving others through her police work, and to helping her sister who battles chronic Lyme Disease, she is the the poster child of selflessness. But she does have wants, needs, hopes, and dreams. After the sad ending of a long term relationship, she wonders if she will ever be able to get what she wants. Will fate finally bring her the life and love she’s always dreamed of?



Background on the snippet: Brynn was just called for a domestic disturbance. A male officer is speaking to the husband. Brynn just met the wife to get her version of the story. This snippet has been edited to fit 8 sentences.

They sat opposite each other at the table.
“So what’s going on? Can I have your name?”
“Helen,” she peeped.
“Hi, Helen. What’s going on? What happened?”
Helen looked away, her eyes staring at the linoleum floor; “N... n... nothing,” she mumbled.



I hope you liked it!
Happy reading!

2015 A to Z Challenge: Pianissimo - Day 6 (F)

 For the third consecutive year, I am participating in the A to Z blog challenge.
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

This year, we're going to go through my latest full-length novel, Pianissimo.

Today is F-day! F is for frankness.

I'm pretty bold in Pianissimo. I wanted to be honest and unabashed. There was a reason for me to write this story, and I share that openly in the book.

I wanted to be frank because I thought that was the best way to get my point across.

You see, for as much as Pianissimo is here to entertain you, it also serves a greater purpose. I wrote it with the hopes of reaching people. I wanted to show the struggles of our LGBT predecessors. I wanted to show the similarities between the hetero and homosexual communities. I wanted to remind us all of our humanity. I wanted to show the stupidity of labels and bigotry.

I'm not sorry that I wrote the book with that much frankness. I consider my writing a gift, but what gift is of use if it's not being used genuinely and with a greater purpose in mind? So yes, I am bold, frank, honest, open, and very clear cut. For me personally, a book with a message behind it is the best the kind.

I hope you'd agree. Check out Pianissimo, and see for yourself!

http://www.amazon.com/Pianissimo-Lauren-Shiro-ebook/dp/B00OEOTZMC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420832795&sr=8-2&keywords=lauren+shiro