Books, Books, the Magical Fruit

Freebie Friday - The Client by John Grisham (2/3/12)

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is the story of eleven-year-old Mary Sway, who, as the novel opens, witnesses the bizarre suicide of a New Orleans attorney. Just before he dies, the lawyer tells Mark a deadly secret concerning the recent murder of a Louisiana Senator, whose accused killer, Mafia thug Barry Muldanna, is about to go to trail. The police, the federal prosecutor, and the FBI pressure Mark to tell them the attorney’s last words, but he knows that with the mob watching his every move, revealing his secret will almost surely get him killed. So Mark, streetwise and old beyond his years, hires a lawyer: Reggie Love, a fifty-two-year-old divorcee who’s been through more than anyone could imagine and survived, basically, because she’s tough. And fiesty. And loves helping kids overlooked or abused by the system. But when Mark’s life is threatened, and Reggie discovers her office has bee bugged, and even the Juvenile court judge says Mark has no choice but to talk, she realizes that this time she’s in way over her head. But then Mark comes up with a plan… a crazy plan, in Reggie’s opinion but it’s their only hope. And it just might work.

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Blog Tour: Demon's Slave by Danielle D Smith (Dark Mind Book Tours)

2012-01-25T00:03:00.000-08:00

Why a BAD BOY Makes a GOOD HERO

“I bear the most charming of names...”
--Skriker, Black Dog and Rebel Rose

Ladies, we all know them: THOSE guys. You know, the ones that have the great hair, the hard-muscled prison bodies (sometimes acquired in prison), and the tat ink that we want to examine up close. The ones who can make our hearts skip a beat with a single glance, a cocky eyebrow raised in acknowledgement.

And all that before they get us into bed.

What I’m talking about is the Bad Boy. We all know the type…hell, I married one. And to this day, I tell my naughty, pain-in-the-ass beefcake alpha that he’s just bad for me. Even though I know he’s bad for me in many ways, he’s like crack. I just can’t get enough…or so the song goes.

But can a bad boy make a good hero? Wouldn’t that mean that the guy would have to stop being a bad boy?

I had to ask myself this question when I sat down to write my second book, the notorious cult-followed Black Dog and Rebel Rose. The hero of this sordid, blood-splattered tale is about as bad as they come. Not only is he a hard-sculpted, heavily-tattooed, Harley-riding, Camel-smoking supernatural hunter who blows vamps to bits and lays as many fine ladies between his sheets as he can when he’s not hunting. He’s also half-demon. Which *technically* should make him…well, just bad. Right? Right???

Not so. Sure, when we first meet Skriker, he’s a bad boy in the truest sense of the word. He bangs-‘em-and-leaves-‘em, one after the other, and thinks nothing of ripping a woman’s heart out and dashing it across the wall before blasting off into the night, full-throttle, never to be seen again. Selfish is Skrike’s way…that is, until he meets Rose.

Rose is the woman that won’t jump into his arms the moment she exchanges a word with him. In fact, she’s the black-haired bitch on wheels who has a gun in his face when he first meets her. The fact that she is the most beautiful and alluring woman he has ever seen matters little to her—his banter and his charm does little to crack her tough exterior. And yet, as they hunt together, Skriker begins to feel something very genuine for his aloof new companion: affection. Love. He begins to fear for her safety, even though Rose has no problem taking care of herself. And when he finally does crack through that wall and she falls into his arms, it isn’t, as they say, just a fuck.

After sex, he doesn’t turn tail and run. In fact, it is Rose who makes this attempt. And what does our bad boy do? Chase after her, crying for her to stay with him, just stay. And when his new lady love falls into the hands of those who would do her harm, Skriker suddenly finds himself willing to sacrifice anything, anything, to save her and have her running at his side once again.

This is how the notorious bad boy is redeemed and made the hero, at least in my story. He discards his selfishness and, for the first time, finds himself really, truly, falling in love and willing to give himself wholly to another. Does this mean that he has discarded all of the deliciously naughty bits of his style that make him “bad”? Hell, no! There’s still the Harley, and the ciggies, and the tattoos. There’s still the cocky glance, the smirk that could melt butter. The ten-inch kielbasa that lives in his pants…

So, what’s your point, Dani? That’s what you ask, right? Well, in simple terms, the bad boy makes a good hero because he’s redeemable. Because the heroine can take him and help him become a better man. Not change him or sculpt him, mind you…I have never prescribed to the concept of a woman taking a man and making him what she wants him to be. I’m talking about a woman helping her bad boy to better himself, to gain new depth, to become bigger, badder, than he ever could be without her.

And isn’t that what real romance is all about?

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What Are You Reading Monday? #04

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Books I completed in the last week are:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Caterpillars Don’t Check Email by Calee M Lee, illustration: Jacob Lee (ebook)

Bookmarks are still living in the middle of:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro #1) by Nora Roberts (p261)
Happy Birthday by Danielle Steel (audio) (CD5)
The Game From Where I Stand by Doug Glanville (p35)

Up Next:

Christmas Eve At Friday Harbor by (audio)
New Year’s Eve Murder by Leslie Meier
Mole Music by David McPhail
A Sweetheart for Valentine by Lorna Balian
Sergio Saves the Game by Edel Rodriguez
Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr
Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea by Vera B Williams

Reviews posted this week:

Gobble, Gobble by Cathryn Falwell
Busy Machines by Peter Lawson

Author Guest Posts/Interviews:

Blog Tour: Author Guest Post/Giveaway – Danielle D Smith (Demon's Slave) (Dark Mind Book Tours) (January 25)
Blog Tour: Author Guest Post/Giveaway - Pesi Dinerstein (A Cluttered Life: Searching for God, Serenity, and My Missing Keys) (Dark Mind Book Tours)(February 3)
Blog Tour: Author Guest Post/Giveaway – Krista Holle (The Lure of Shapinsay) (Dark Mind Book Tours)
(February 8)

Special Blog Hop Giveaways

Dreaming of Books Hop (January 13 – 18, 2012)
YA Book Giveaway Hop (January 27 – 31, 2012)
Follower Love Hop (February 7 – 13, 2012)

Books still needing to have reviews written (as opposed to the ones that are simply awaiting posting):

January Brings the Snow by Sara Coldridge
Jo MacDonald Saw A Pond by Mary Quattlebaum
Hercubear vs. The Cyclops Rabbit by Lesley Williams (ebook)
Caterpillars Don’t Check Email by Calee M Lee, illustration: Jacob Lee (ebook)

Giveaways on the blog this week and in coming weeks:

Freebie Friday - To Catch An Heiress by Julia Quinn (January 20 - 27) Winner –
Freebie Friday - The Client by John Grisham (January 27 – Feb 3) Winner –

Giveaways Winners

Six Weeks to Yehidah by Melissa Studdard (Dec 22 - 29, 2011) Winner – Courtney Wyant
Seeds of Discovery by Breeana Puttroff (Jan 8 – 15, 2012 ) – Winner – La Tanya Thornhill
Freebie Friday - The Gift by Danielle Steel (January 6- 13) Winner – Victoria Zumbrum
Freebie Friday - Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich (January 13- 20) Winner –

Freebie Friday - To Catch An Heiress by Julia Quinn (ends 1/27/12)

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

GoodReads Review:

Caroline Trent is fed up with her greedy guardian, Oliver Prewitt, and his nitwit son, Percy. With only six weeks to go until she can claim her inheritance and rid herself of them, Percy attempts to forcibly seduce her. Fortunately, Caroline has a pistol at hand and she uses it--wounding the annoying man just enough to allow her to escape. Fuming, she flees the dark manor house determined to find employment and hide from her guardian for six weeks. But a bad night turns worse when a tall, dark stranger accosts her. Blake Ravenscroft thinks Caroline is a female spy, part of Oliver Prewitt's smuggling activities that include spying for Napoleon. He kidnaps Caroline, ties her to a bed at his nearby home, and grills her unsuccessfully before a friend arrives and tells Blake that he's captured the wrong woman. Caroline explains her predicament and, given what he knows of the larcenous Oliver Prewitt, Blake has no option but to offer her shelter. Caroline isn't a woman accustomed to sitting in the parlor sipping tea, especially while Blake's investigation has him involved in far more exciting, life-threatening activities. Blake isn't a man accustomed to having a woman ignore his commands. Sparks fly and passion sizzles between these two characters while a cast of endearing characters provide well-meaning assistance. To Catch an Heiress is both warm and wonderful, with witty dialogue and endearing characters.

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What Are You Reading Monday? #03

2012-01-16T01:33:00.000-08:00

Books I completed in the last week are:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Busy Machines by Peter Lawson (ebook)
Caterpillars Don’t Check Email by Calee M Lee, illustration: Jacob Lee (ebook)

Bookmarks are still living in the middle of:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro #1) by Nora Roberts (p261)
Happy Birthday by Danielle Steel (audio) (CD3)
The Game From Where I Stand by Doug Glanville (p35)

Up Next:

Christmas Eve At Friday Harbor by (audio)
New Year’s Eve Murder by Leslie Meier

Reviews posted this week:

Gobble, Gobble by Cathryn Falwell
Busy Machines by Peter Lawson

Author Guest Posts/Interviews:

Blog Tour: Author Guest Post/Giveaway - Pesi Dinerstein (A Cluttered Life: Searching for God, Serenity, and My Missing Keys) (Dark Mind Book Tours)(February 3)
Blog Tour: Author Guest Post/Giveaway – Krista Holle (The Lure of Shapinsay) (Dark Mind Book Tours)
(February 8)

Special Blog Hop Giveaways

Dreaming of Books Hop (January 13 – 18, 2012)
YA Book Giveaway Hop (January 27 – 31, 2012)
Follower Love Hop (February 7 – 13, 2012)

Books still needing to have reviews written (as opposed to the ones that are simply awaiting posting):

January Brings the Snow by Sara Coldridge
Jo MacDonald Saw A Pond by Mary Quattlebaum
Hercubear vs. The Cyclops Rabbit by Lesley Williams (ebook)
Caterpillars Don’t Check Email by Calee M Lee, illustration: Jacob Lee (ebook)

Giveaways on the blog this week and in coming weeks:

Freebie Friday - Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich (January 13- 20) Winner –
Freebie Friday - To Catch An Heiress by Julia Quinn (January 20 - 27) Winner –
Freebie Friday - The Client by John Grisham (January 27 – Feb 3) Winner –

Giveaways Winners

Six Weeks to Yehidah by Melissa Studdard (Dec 22 - 29, 2011) Winner – Courtney Wyant
Midwinters Eve (December 21 – 27, 2011) Winners – Mary Ann Brady & Cindy Gates
Texas Statehood Giveaway - Texasville by Larry McMurtry (Dec 29 – Jan 5) Winner – Debbie Penny
Seeds of Discovery by Breeana Puttroff (Jan 8 – 15, 2012 ) – Winner – La Tanya Thornhill
Freebie Friday - The Gift by Danielle Steel (January 6- 13) Winner – Victoria Zumbrum

Freebie Friday - Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich (end 1/20/12)

2012-01-13T02:33:00.000-08:00

In a previous life, before the time of Plum, I wrote twelve short romance novels. Red-hot screwball comedies, each and every one of them. Nine of these stories were originally published by the Loveswept line between the years 1988 and 1992. All immediately went out of print and could be found only at used bookstores and yard sales.

Back to the Bedroom is presented here in almost original form. I've done only minor editing to correct some embarrassing bloopers missed the first time around.

I lived in northern Virginia when I wrote Back to the Bedroom. My children were young, and we spent a lot of time visiting the Washington, D.C. museums and wandering through the historic neighborhoods. One day while strolling Capitol Hill I came upon two townhouses that captured my imagination. The houses were totally different -- a birthday cake of a house and a bran muffin of a house, and yet they shared a common wall. I wondered about the people who lived inside the houses. And eventually the houses inspired Back to the Bedroom.

Back to the Bedroom is the story of a young woman with the soul of a birthday cake living in a bran muffin house -- and a nice-looking guy with the substance of a bran muffin living in a birthday cake. They share some misadventures, some romantic moments, some misunderstandings, and ultimately they turn into wedding cake.
And for Plum fans, you'll be interested to find that this was the first of the four romances to feature Elsie Hawkins, the prototype for Grandma Mazur.

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Book Review: Busy Machines by Peter Lawson

2012-01-12T02:13:00.000-08:00

Title: Busy Machines
Author: Peter Lawson
Publisher: Big Beak Books (www.bigbeakbooks.com)
ASIN: B0064YS9DG
Release Date: November 8, 2011
Pages: 20
Genre: Childrens
Format: ebook
Source: Amazon.com (freebie when I got it – now 2.99)

Amazon.com
Busy Machines have lots of work to do, on the building site, at the farm and around the town. This book teaches toddlers and young children all about the Busy Machines and their drivers using bright colorful illustrations and simple clear text. At the end of the book there's a mix and match quiz for the reader to test what they've learnt.

Mine:
This is definitely a “First Learners” book, but is wonderfully illustrated by author himself. It is English since one of the “machines” is a Lorry. This is a great book showing what big machines can do. It’s nice to see a woman driving the digger and bulldozer. The matching quiz at the end is fun.

For Challenges:
101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge
2012 E-Book Reading Challenge
Pages Read Challenge
An Illustrated Year: 2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge
Why Buy The Cow? Reading Challenge 2012
2012 100+ Books in A Year Reading Challenge
Free Reads 2012 Reading Challenge
2012 100+ Books Reading Challenge

Book Review: Gobble, Gobble by Cathryn Falwell

2012-01-11T01:58:00.000-08:00

Title: Gobble, Gobble
Author: Cathryn Falwell
Publisher: Dawn Publishers
ISBN: 584691492
Release Date: September 1st 2011
Pages: 32
Genre: Children’s
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher for Review

GoodReads:
Arrow-shaped footprints lead a young backyard naturalist to a flock of funny-looking birds with big strong feet: Wild Turkeys! Once nearly extinct, these comical critters now gobble their way across North America. Follow Jenny through a year of enchantment as she shares her discovery of these wonderful birds. Gobble, gobble! Jenny wrote a journal, too, with lots of fascinating stuff about a distinctly American bird. Although it once numbered in the millions, wild turkeys nearly disappeared with overhunting and habitat destruction, but are now making a comeback. The illustrations are block prints over collages. The collages are made from cut and torn paper plus all sorts of things from nature bark, leaves, feathers, even wasp nests! The author also offers tips for children to make their own cut-paper pictures and how to keep a nature journal.(

Mine:
Very cute story as Jenny follows the turkeys through the seasons doing different things. It’s fun to watch how Jenny connects to the turkeys It also offers a few tips on how to keep a nature journal. You can use the suggestions for just about any type of journaling project.

Read for the following Challenges:

An Illustrated Year: 2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge
2012 100+ Books in A Year Reading Challenge
101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge
Pages Read Challenge
12x12 in 2012 (GOODREADS)

What Are You Reading Monday? #02 (Jan 9, 2012)

2012-01-09T01:27:00.000-08:00

Books I completed in the last week are:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

I had a mini read-a-thon of children’s books in the house and on ipad to get the year started. The printed ones will be donated to my nephews school the ebooks will be deleted to clear space for more.
Hercubear vs. The Cyclops Rabbit by Lesley Williams (ebook)
Clyde The Cat Loves to Count by Casey Crayne (ebook)

Bookmarks are still living in the middle of:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

The Game From Where I Stand by Doug Glanville
The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro #1) by Nora Roberts
Happy Birthday by Danielle Steel (audio)

Up Next:

Christmas Eve At Friday Harbor by (audio)
New Year’s Eve Murder by Leslie Meier

Reviews posted this week:

Chuff and the Race Cars by Peter Dempster (ebook)
The Tale of Bernie the Fruit Bat by Chirs Carlisle (ebook)
Clyde The Cat Loves to Count by Casey Crayne (ebook)

Author Guest Posts/Interviews:

Guest Blog/Giveaway – Breeana Puttroff (Seeds of Discovery) (January 8)
Blog Tour: Author Guest Post/Giveaway - Pesi Dinerstein (A Cluttered Life: Searching for God, Serenity, and My Missing Keys) (Dark Mind Book Tours)(February 3)
Blog Tour: Author Guest Post/Giveaway – Krista Holle (The Lure of Shapinsay) (Dark Mind Book Tours) ( February 8)

Special Blog Hop Giveaways

Dreaming of Books Hop (January 13 – 18, 2012)
YA Book Giveaway Hop (January 27 – 31, 2012)
Follower Love Hop (February 7 – 13, 2012)

Books still needing to have reviews written (as opposed to the ones that are simply awaiting posting):

2011 Review - Flowerbed of State ( A White House Gardener Mystery #1) by Dorothy St. James
January Brings the Snow by Sara Coldridge
Gobble, Gobble by Cathryn Falwell
Jo MacDonald Saw A Pond by Mary Quattlebaum
Hercubear vs. The Cyclops Rabbit by Lesley Williams (ebook)

Giveaways on the blog this week and in coming weeks:

Freebie Friday - The Gift by Danielle Steel (January 6- 13) Winner –
Freebie Friday - Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich (January 13- 20) Winner –
Freebie Friday - To Catch An Heiress by Julia Quinn (January 20 - 27) Winner –
Freebie Friday - The Client by John Grisham (January 27 – Feb 3) Winner –

Giveaways Winners

Midwinters Eve (December 21 – 27, 2011) Winners – Mary Ann Brady & Cindy Gates
Texas Statehood Giveaway - Texasville by Larry McMurtry (Dec 29 – Jan 5) Winner – Debbie Penny

In My Mailbox (1)

2012-01-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly event that gives book bloggers a chance share with each other what books got added to their to-be-read pile for the week. It was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie and hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.

I won a contest on Goodreads (that I didn’t rembember entering) but what a great haul it’s a total of 16 books and I’ve already gotten 9 of them.

The Haunting At Cliff House by Karleen Bradford (ebook)
Bedtime Stories For Cats by Amy Nefizger (ebook)
The DIY Guide to Social Media Marketing and E-Book Publishing by Carol Russell (ebook)
Buff Tea by Edward M Erdelac (ebook)
Sue's FingerPrint by Andrew D Carlson (ebook)
The Crimson Pact by Paul Genesse (ebook)
Death Drop by Sean Allen (Autographed)
Beckoning Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy (ebook)
Scattershot by Richard Goodwin (ebook)

I guess I requested a review copy though I don’t remember. I got bad toward the end of the year in keeping track.
Highway Odyssey by Alexander Flint

BLOG Tour: Guest Post/Giveaway - Seeds of Discovery by Breeana Puttroff

2012-01-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a interview with our main character William Rose.

What's the first time you traveled between the gate?

The very first time I traveled through the gate was when I was six cycles old. I was always very close to my Uncle Nathaniel, maybe because we're both healers, or maybe it was just a connection that was always there between us. For as long as I can remember, I was fascinated with Nathaniel's work, and whenever he was home in Eirentheos, I would follow him around to the clinics and help him with his work. As I grew a little older, we realized that there were so many things we could learn from Earth, that it would work better to have two people who had studied there. At the time of my first visit, Nathaniel was deep in a project of trying to learn how to bring hydroelectricity and wind energy to the Capitol city of Eirentheos. My father brought me through the gate to visit Nathaniel here while they were working on that project.

What do you think of this world?

I think there are many great things about Earth, and also many things I don't understand, or am glad don't happen in Eirentheos. The capabilities of technology are amazing -- the ability to use technology for healing, electricity, refrigeration. But then there seem to be a lot of people who use it to play video games on their cell phones, and they miss out on the kinds of relationships with family and friends that are common in my world.

How do you deal with traveling between two worlds?

It can be very challenging, but I'm kind of used to it now, and I don't plan on doing it forever, or even for as long as Nathaniel has.

Do you miss your family?

Every moment I am away from them.

What do you think of Quinn?

I actually like Quinn, now that I've gotten to know her a little. She's smart and she's caring, and I know she would do anything for someone she cared about. She's so stubborn, though.

Was it weird having someone interested in you?

No. That's happened several times on Earth, and in Eirentheos people are always interested in what the royal family is doing. I just thought Quinn would give up if I ignored her long enough, like everyone else always did.

Do you want Quinn back in your world?

I can't say I don't want her back in my world -- as I said before, I do like her. But I think it's a bad idea, and she has no idea how deep she might get herself in, and how challenging it can be to divide yourself between two worlds. At least for my part, the only people I'm hiding and keeping secrets from are strangers. If Quinn were to come back to my world, she would have to lie and hide from her family and friends, and I think she'll get hurt.

About Seeds of Discovery:

Quinn Robbins' life was everything she thought a teenager's should be. She has good friends, a family that she loves, good grades, and an after-school job she enjoys. And, she's just been asked out by Zander Cunningham, a popular football player and great guy. But one day when driving home after picking up her little sister from the baby-sitter's, she nearly hits a boy who, after running blindly into the street, mysteriously disappears.

The mystery only deepens as she figures out who the boy is; William Rose, a reclusive, awkward boy from school who always has his nose in a pile of books.
As she becomes more aware of his behavior it becomes more obvious how out of the ordinary William is and how hard he deliberately tries to blend into the background. This only intrigues her more and she finds herself working to find out more about him, and exactly where he keeps disappearing to.

On a whim one night she follows him and suddenly finds herself in a new world. One where William is a prince, literally, and she is treated like a princess. She also discovers that she is stuck; the gate back to her own world isn't always open.

Quinn finds herself smack in the middle of a modern-day fairy tale, on a course that will change her life forever.

About the Author:

After eleven years of teaching in a classroom, she has decided to reinvent myself (whatever that means). A published author, and operating her own small preschool. She is also putting her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees to work, and offering freelance editing and proofreading services.

It’s a brave, new adventure for sure, and she is happier than she had been in a long time.

Her blog
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads

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Book Review: Clyde The Cat Loves to Count by Casey Crayne

2012-01-07T23:30:00.000-08:00

Title: Clyde the Cat Loves to Count
Author: Casey Crayne
Publisher:
ASIN: B005HAMXQ2

Release Date: August 13, 2011
Pages: 26
Genre: Children’s
Format: ebook
Source: Amazon.com

Amazon.com Description:
Learn to count with Clyde the Cat. Clyde’s friends have all come over to play. Can you help Clyde count them all? Silly monkeys and a big giraffe are just some of Clyde’s friends. How many ice cream cones do you need to feed his friends?

Mine:
Very cute book that teaches you to count along with Clyde the Cat. The illustrations are wonderful and the thought of so many mice and silly monkeys is fun. The animals friends are all that are recognized by children and can be fun to draw.

Library Loot #1 (Jan 7, 2012)

2012-01-07T02:25:00.000-08:00

Only picked up a few books, since I got several from SIL on loan and am reading more on my iPad and my "old" Kindle. (My brother got a Fire for Christmas)

Here's what I got - Happy Birthday (audio), Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor (audio), New Year's Eve Murder (Hardback)

Freebie Friday - The Gift by Danielle Steel

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

On a June day, a young woman in a summer dress steps off a Chicago-bound bus into a small midwestern town. She doesn't intend to stay. She is just passing through. Yet her stopping here has a reason and it is part of a story that you will never forget.

The time is the 1950s, when life was simpler, people still believed in dreams, and family was, very nearly, everything. The place is a small midwestern town with a high school and a downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. And on a tree-lined street in the heartland of America, an extraordinary set of events begins to unfold. And gradually what seems serendipitous is tinged with purpose. A happy home is shattered by a child's senseless death. A loving marriage starts to unravel. And a stranger arrives—a young woman who will touch many lives before she moves on. She and a young man will meet and fall in love. Their love, so innocent and full of hope, helps to restore a family's dreams. And all of their lives will be changed forever by the precious gift she leaves them.

The Gift, Danielle Steel's thirty-third best-selling work, is a magical story told with stunning simplicity and power. It reveals a relationship so moving it will take your breath away. And it tells a haunting and beautiful truth about the unpredictability—and the wonder—of life

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Book Review: The Tale of Bernie the Fruit Bat by Chris Carlisle

2012-01-04T02:52:00.001-08:00

Title: The Tale of Bernie the Fruit Bat
Author: Chris Carlisle
Publisher: Author Way Limited
ISBN:
Release Date: Nov. 14, 2011
Pages: 8
Genre: Children’s
Format: ebook
Source: SmashWords

SmashWords
Bernie solves a problem that has plagued fruit bats for generations ! This short illustrated rhyming story is offered as a free 'taster' download.

Mine:
It was a cut quick story will wonderful illustrations that are really rudimentary, but make the story great. Who would have thought what a bats wings could be used for?

Book Review: Chuff and the Race Cars by Peter Dempster

2012-01-04T02:42:00.001-08:00

Title: Chuff and the Race Cars
Author: Peter Dempster
Publisher: NA
ISBN: NA
Release Date: Aug. 17, 2011
Pages: 13
Genre: Children’s
Format: ebook
Source: SmashWords

SmashWords:
A car race comes to town and CHUFF helps out , but what happens when it gets dark?

Mine:
Very cute colorful illustrated story about CHUFF the steam engine and the race cars he must carry up the hill after the race. As it gets dark he must ask the race cars to help him find his way.

It's My Birthday

2012-01-03T01:18:00.000-08:00

It's my birthday today (Jan 3 - I'm not telling what year) and I've decided to treat myself to a trip to the library to pick up some new audio books for 2012.

I also plan a trip to the local B&N to see what new cozy I can find.

Tuesday Teasers #1(Jan 3, 2012)

2012-01-03T00:59:00.001-08:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine comes from The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn p. 61

"Scooping up the dress ad the dall, ran down the attic steps, midless now of how much noise I made. Be hind me, the door to the attic slammed shut."

"Nellie stared at the dress on the bed and the doll in my arms. "Oh, miss," she whispered, entering the room, "they be ever so pretty. Di your uncle give you them?" As she spoke, she touched the silk gently.

Musing Monday #1 (Jan 2, 2012)

2012-01-02T00:54:00.000-08:00

What is/are the first book(s) you’re reading for the new year?

I had a mini read-a-thon of children’s books in the house and on ipad to get the year started. The printed ones will be donated to my nephews school the ebooks will be deleted to clear space for more.
A Christmas Wish by Jessi Hammond (Ebook)
The Story of Miss Moppet by Beatrix Potter (ebook)
Froggy Boots Go With Everything by Jill Martin
January Brings the Snow by Sara Coldridge
Gobble, Gobble by Cathryn Falwell
Jo MacDonald Saw A Pond by Mary Quattlebaum
The Tale of Bernie the Fruit Bat by Chirst Carlisle (ebook)
Chuff and the Race Cars by Peter Dempster (ebook)

I'm also reading:

The Game From Where I Stand by Doug Glanville
The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro #1) by Nora Roberts
The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn

What Are You Reading Monday? #1

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Books I completed in the last week are:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

I had a mini read-a-thon of children’s books in the house and on ipad to get the year started. The printed ones will be donated to my nephews school the ebooks will be deleted to clear space for more.
A Christmas Wish by Jessi Hammond (Ebook)
The Story of Miss Moppet by Beatrix Potter (ebook)
Froggy Boots Go With Everything by Jill Martin
January Brings the Snow by Sara Coldridge
Gobble, Gobble by Cathryn Falwell
Jo MacDonald Saw A Pond by Mary Quattlebaum
The Tale of Bernie the Fruit Bat by Chirst Carlisle (ebook)
Chuff and the Race Cars by Peter Dempster (ebook)

Bookmarks are still living in the middle of:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

The Game From Where I Stand by Doug Glanville
The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro #1) by Nora Roberts

Up Next:

Mary & Penny’s Christmas Wish (ebook)
A Camp Edison Christmas by Cynthia Davis (ebook)
Snowed Under: A Christmas Short Story by Jude Ryan (ebook)
The North Pole Challenge by Kevin George (ebook)
The Path to Christmas by Ruth Ann Nordin (ebook)
The Santa Diaries: A New Fangles Christmas Book One by Betsy Haynes (ebook)

Reviews posted this week:

A Christmas Wish by Jessi Hammond (Ebook)
The Story of Miss Moppet by Beatrix Potter (ebook)
Froggy Boots Go With Everything by Jill Martin

Author Guest Posts/Interviews:

Guest Blog/Giveaway – Breeana Puttroff (Seeds of Discovery) (Jan 8)

Special Blog Hop Giveaways

Dreaming of Books Hop (January 13 – 18, 2012)
YA Book Giveaway Hop (January 27 – 31, 2012)
Follower Love Hop (February 7 – 13, 2012)

Books still needing to have reviews written (as opposed to the ones that are simply awaiting posting):

2011 Review - Flowerbed of State ( A White House Gardener Mystery #1) by Dorothy St. James
January Brings the Snow by Sara Coldridge
Gobble, Gobble by Cathryn Falwell
Jo MacDonald Saw A Pond by Mary Quattlebaum
The Tale of Bernie the Fruit Bat by Chirst Carlisle (ebook)
Chuff and the Race Cars by Peter Dempster (ebook)

Giveaways on the blog this week and in coming weeks:

Texas Statehood Giveaway - Texasville by Larry McMurtry (Dec 29) Winner –
Freebie Friday - The Gift by Danielle Steel (January 6) Winner –
Freebie Friday - Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich (January 13) Winner –
Freebie Friday - To Catch An Heiress by Julia Quinn (January 20) Winner –
Freebie Friday - The Client by John Grisham (January 27) Winner –

Giveaways Winners

Midwinters Eve (December 21 – 27, 2011) Winners – Mary Ann Brady & Cindy Gates

Book Review: A Christmas Wish by Jessi Hammond

2012-01-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

Title: A Christmas Wish
Author: Jessi Hammond
Publisher:
ISBN:
Release Date: December 08, 2011
Pages: 10
Genre: Fiction, Holiday
Format: ebook
Source: Smashwords

Smashwords Description:
Mr Anderson had been working as Santa at the shopping centre for years. But this Christmas he’s been asked to fulfill a young boy’s very special wish, something much more important than the latest toy……

Mine:
What a wonderful short story/book about the gift of giving of oneself. Mr. Anderson as Santa meets a boy that all he wants for Christmas is to see his ailing grandfather. Mr. Anderson talks to the boys parents to see if he can make is only wish come true

Book Review: The Story of Miss Moppet by Beatrix Potter

2012-01-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

Title: The Story of Miss Moppet
Author: Beatrix Potter
Publisher: HappyReads.net
ISBN: (original 9780723247906)
Release Date: November 2011 (originally: 1906)
Pages: 18
Genre: Childrens
Format: ebook
Source: iTunes (free)

Mine:
As precious as every other Potter book. This is the story of Miss Moppet a kitten who tries to cat the mouse that is teasing her. She catches the mouse in her scarf, but when she looks he’s gone. What happened?

Book Review: Froggy Boots Go With Everything by Jill Zabkar Martin

2012-01-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Froggy Boots Go With Everything

Author: Jill Zabkar Martin (Illistrator: Kristen Gaee Van Mourick)
Publisher: JZM Media (www.jzmmedia.com)
ISBN: 978-0-9843946-0-9

Release Date: 2010
Pages: 19
Genre: Childrens
Format: Board Book
Source: The Cadence Group for Review

Amazon:
Froggy Boots Go With Everything is a sturdy board book that celebrates a boy’s inseparable love for his froggy boots. Simple phrases and colorful illustrations follow the boy through many activities in which his froggy boots become the prop that drives his imaginative play. The boy is accompanied throughout the book by a little frog friend who always finds his way into the scene.

Mine:
Well I like any book that has a frog in it. This is a wonderfully illustrated book that matches the cute story about a pair of froggy rain boots. It’s amazing all the places they can go - the moon, the sandbox and even in the rain.

Challenges I'm Starting & Continuing for 2012

2012-01-01T00:41:00.000-08:00

Challenges signed up for: 45
Challenges Completed: 0 (0%)

2012 Challenges (All Blog Challenges)
2012 E-Book Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/100
Pages Read Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/15,000
50 States Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/50
Audiobook Challenge 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/25
An Illustrated Year: 2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/24
Just For Fun Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/12
Unread Book Challenge of 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/6
Merely Mystery Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/12
2nds Challenge 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/6
Why Buy The Cow? Reading Challenge 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/30+
First in a Series Challenge 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/3
2012 Cozy Mystery Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/12
2012 100+ Books in A Year Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/100+
2012 Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/12
Southern Literature Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/1
Off The Shelf (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/5
Free Reads 2012 Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/5
Go Indie 2012 Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/5
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/6
What's in a Name 5 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/6
Narnia Reading Project 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/7
Crusin Thru The Cozies Reading Challenge 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/12
Reading Romances Challenge 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/12
2012 Self-Published Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/50
Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/12
2012 100+ Books Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/100+
2012 Read Your Own Books Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/21+
2012 Men in Uniform Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/5
2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/5 (94)
Getting Lost in a Comfortable Book Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/5
2012 Reading Challeng Addict (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/16+
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/12
2012 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/37+
Read Your Own Name 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/7 (SueFitz)
The 2012 Memorable Memoirs Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/6
Excellence In Reading 2012 Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/60
Global Reading Challenge 2012 (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/7
2012 Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge (January 1 – December 31, 2012) 0/11

Perpetual
Book Around the States Challenge (October 22, 2008 - ????) 25/50
US Presidents Reading Project (November 5, 2008 - ???) 5/44
1001 Childrens book Before I Grow Up (June 1, 2010 - ???) 43/1001
101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge (September 28, 2010 – June 23, 2013) 97/101
The Naming Convention Challenge (October 20, 2008 - ???) 5/9
Stephanie Plum Challenge (January 1, 2012 - ???) 0/18

GoodReads
50 States Challenge
12x12 in 2012
1 First In A Series 0/12
2 Cozy Mysteries 0/12
3 Biography/Memoir 0/12
4 Library/Borrowed Books 0/12
5 Freebies (ebooks, gifts) 0/12
6 Romance 0/12
7 Children’s 0/12
8 Young Adult (YA) 0/12
9 Chick Lit 0/12
10 Mt. TBR from before 2010 0/12
11 Giveaway Wins 0/12
12 Harlequin/Silhouette 0/12

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Year-End 2011 Reading Challenges Update

2011-12-31T23:58:00.000-08:00

Challenges signed up for: 53
Challenges Completed: 13 (25%)
Will be cutting back for next year. I came close on some but just couldn’t finish the books. I’m hoping now that I’ve discovered ebooks that I can read on my iPad that it will help for next year.
2011 Challenges
100+ Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 94/100
2011 Audiobook Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 21/12 – COMPLETED

2011 Chick Lit Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 1/12
2011 E-Book Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 15/12 – COMPLETED
2011 Foodies Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 1/3
2011 Read-n-Review (Jan – Dec 2011) 53/100
2011 Romance Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 6/12
2011 Romantic Suspense Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 0/12
2011 Sexy Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 12/12
2011 Show Me The Free Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 8/12
2011 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 46/50
2011 War Through the Generations Challenge: U.S. Civil War (Jan – Dec 2011) 2/5
2011 YA Romance Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 0/12
50 States Challenge in 2011 (Jan – Dec 2011) 12/50
A to Z challenge (Jan-Dec 2011) 21/26
A-Z Mystery Author Challenge (A-I) (Jan – Dec 2011) 3/12
Books Won Challenge 2011 (Jan-Dec 2011) 0/??
Buy One Book and Read It Challenge 2011 (Jan-Dec 2011) 3/1

Celebrate the Author (Jan-Dec 2011) 0/12
Comicbook Challenge (Jan-Dec 2011) 2/15
Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2011 (Jan – Dec 2011) 13/12 COMPLETED
Cruisin' thru the Cozies (Jan – Dec 2011) 5/12
Harlequin/Silhouette 2011 Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 0/12
Just For Fun Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 7/12
Memorable Memoirs Reading Challenge, 2011 Edition (Jan – Dec 2011) 2/1 COMPLETED
Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge (Jan-Dec 2011) 1/4
Off Your Shelf Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 0/5
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011 (Jan-Dec 2011) 13/6 (more than 81)
Pages Read Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 10,657/20,000
Reading from My Shelves Project 2011 (Jan – Dec 2011) 6/12
Romance Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 3/5
Series Challenge Season 5 (Jan – Dec 2011) 2/3
The Page to Screen Reading Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 3/5
Whats In a Name Challenge 4 (Jan – Dec 2011) 0/6
Whisper In My Ears Audio Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 30/12 COMPLETED
Young Readers Challenge (Jan – Dec 2011) 13/12

2010 – 2011 Cross Over Challenges
What An Animal III Challenge (March 1, 2010 to February 28, 2011) 13/12 - COMPLETED
Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens Challenge - EXPIRED

Read, Remember, Recommend Fiction Challenge – EXPIRED

Perpetual
To Be Continued…Challenge (October 20, 2008 – April 10, 2011) 66/52 COMPLETED
Book Around the States Challenge (October 22, 2008 - ????) 25/50
US Presidents Reading Project (November 5, 2008 - ???) 5/44
1001 Childrens book Before I Grow Up (June 1, 2010 - ???) 43/1001
101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge (September 28, 2010 – June 23, 2013) 97/101
The Naming Convention Challenge (October 20, 2008 - ???) 5/9

OnThePorchSwing (Yahoo Group)
1. Read a book with a one word title (if it has The or A in it), leave that out and just count the one word after it.... Wrecked by Carol Higgins Clark
2. Read a book with a number in the title.
3. Read a young adult book FROM the science fiction genre.
4. Read a mystery by an author whose last name starts with a "K"
5. Read a book with orange or pink in the title
For a fun extra - pick a book on a subject in history you are interested in, or a travel book on a place you have always wanted to visit, or an artist you are interested in, and share your experience with us.
MysteryReaderCafe (YahooGroup)
1. Read a mystery set in your state (one you live in now or one where you are originally from)
2. Read a mystery where the amateur sleuth has a craft or a hobby or a specific type of job (like working in a shop of some sort) – The Chocolate Snowman Murder by JoAnna Carl(Chocolate Shop)
3. Read a mystery with the word dark or black in the title
4. Read a mystery from the young adult section of your library
5. Read a mystery by an author whose last name starts with "M"
For a fun extra, read a mystery whose title has the first letter of your first and last name in it - like for me - I would have to have read one that had an L and an H in it (in either order) - like the Last Hollow of the Dark, or Hateful Crimes of the Lowlands (I made these titles up..

Excellence In Reading 2012 Challenge

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

January 1,2012 – December 31,2012

Woohoo! We are quickly approaching a new year...2012! That means we are starting out fresh with a brand new children's reading challenge. I am so excited! This year our challenge is called Excellence In Reading.

To join our club, please Grab Our Button. The html code is located on the top right hand side of this page. Let's spread the word and see how many will join us.

This is the reading list we will be following. Keep in mind, this is recommended for children in grades K-3. If you have older children you can find a more age appropriate list at National Endowment for the Humanities. We encourage children of all ages and their parents to join us in reading. Note to parents: You may read aloud to your children, it will still count towards the goal.
1. Aardema, Verna. Who's in Rabbit's House?.
2. Aesop. Fables.
3. Atwater, Richard and Florence. Mr. Popper’s Penguins.
4. Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline.
5. Benchley, Nathaniel. Sam the Minuteman.
6. Blume, Judy. Freckle Juice.
7. Brown, Marcia. Stone Soup.
8. Brown, Margaret Wise. Goodnight Moon.
9. Brunhoff, Jean de. The Story of Babar.
10. Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.
11. Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
12. Cleary, Beverly. The Mouse and the Motorcycle.
13. Collodi, Carlo. Adventures of Pinocchio.
14. Crews, Donald. Freight Train.
15. Daugherty, James. Andy and the Lion.
16. dePaola, Tomie. Strega Nona.
17. Flack, Marjorie. The Angus series.
18. Freeman, Don. Corduroy.
19. Fritz, Jean. The Cabin Faced West.
20. Gag, Wanda. Millions of Cats.
21. Galdone, Paul. The Three Little Pigs.
22. Goble, Paul. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses.
23. Grahame, Kenneth. The Reluctant Dragon.
24. Gramatky, Hardie. Little Toot.
25. Hoban, Russell. Bedtime for Frances.
26. Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple Crayon.
27. Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day
28. Kraus, Robert. Leo the Late Bloomer.
29. Krauss, Ruth. The Carrot Seed.
30. Leaf, Munro. The Story of Ferdinand.
31. Lear, Edward. A Book of Nonsense.
32. Levison, Riki. Watch the Stars Come Out.
33. Lionni, Leo. Frederick.
34. Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Are Friends.
35. Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Paul Revere's Ride.
36. Lopshire, Robert. Put Me in the Zoo.
37. Marshall, James. George and Martha.
38. McCloskey, Robert. Make Way for Ducklings.
39. McDermott, Gerald. Anansi the Spider.
40. Milne, A.A. Winnie-the-Pooh.
41. Parish, Peggy. Amelia Bedelia.
42. Piper, Watty. The Little Engine That Could.
43. Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
44. Rey, H.A. Curious George.
45. Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square.
46. Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are.
47. Seuss, Dr. The Cat in the Hat.
48. Slobodkina, Esphyr. Caps for Sale.
49. Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.
50. Stevenson, Robert Louis. A Child’s Garden of Verses
51. Taylor, Sydney. All-of-a-Kind Family.
52. Thurber, James. Many Moons.
53. Udry, Janice May. A Tree is Nice.
54. Van Allsburg, Chris. The Garden of Abdul Gasazi.
55. Viorst, Judith. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
56. Ward, Lynd. The Biggest Bear.
57. White, E.B. Charlotte’s Web.
58. Yashima, Taro. Crow Boy.
59. Zion, Gene. Harry the Dirty Dog.
60. Zolotow, Charlotte. William’s Doll.

After the new year begins, I will place a linky each week so all you excellent readers can share which books you have finished. This should be great fun!

December 2011 Monthly Recap

2011-12-30T16:44:00.001-08:00

Books Read: 10
YTD: 94

Posted in December
Reviews: What Do Penguins Want for Christmas? By Casey Crayne (ebook),
Carrot Cake's Chistmas Book by MK Bashlor (ebook),
Summer Island by Kristin Hannah (Audio),
Six Weeks to Yehidah by Melissa Studdard
Discussion Posts:
Author Interviews: Six Weeks to Yehidah by Melissa Studdard,
Night Series #2 by Lisa Kessler, Touch by Jus Accardo, Busted in Bollywood by Nicola Marsh , Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro , The Last Beginning by Rachel Firasek , Under the Moon by Natalie Damschroder
Author Guest Posts: Use Journaling to Get Motivated by Mari McCarthy (Dark Chockolate for the Journaler’s Soul), Do Clothes Make the Man (or Woman)? By Inara Scott (Radiant Desire)
What’s coming in January?

Dreaming of Books Hop (January 13 – 18, 2012)

Young Adult Giveaway Hop (January 27 – 31, 2012)

Most Recent Winners

2011-12-29T02:26:00.000-08:00

Midwnter Eve Blog Hop

The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs - Mary Ann Brady
Snowbird by Stef Ann Holm - Cindy Gates

Gift Card Giveaway Hop

$10 B&N Gift Card - Anna Sindt

The Last Beginning by Rachel Firasek(ebook) - Pamela Rosensteel

Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro (ebook) - Linda Sorstokke

Touch by Jus Accardo (ebook) - Alison Fees

Books and Gift Cards have been sent out.

For those of you that won ebooks they will be coming from the publisher

Texas Statehood Giveaway - Texasville by Larry McMurtry(ends 1/5/2012)

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

In honor of the Statehood of Texas I will be giving away a copy of Texasville by arry McMurtry.

With Texasville, Larry McMurtry returns to the unforgettable Texas town and characters of one of his best-loved books, The Last Picture Show. This is a Texas-sized story brimming with home truths of the heart, and men and women we recognize, believe in, and care about deeply. Set in the post-oil-boom 1980s, Texasville brings us up to date with Duane, who's got an adoring dog, a sassy wife, a twelve-million-dollar debt, and a hot tub by the pool; Jacy, who's finished playing "Jungla" in Italian movies and who's returned to Thalia; and Sonny -- Duane's teenage rival for Jacy's affections -- who owns the car wash, the Kwik-Sackstore, and the video arcade.

One of Larry McMurtry's funniest and most touching contemporary novels.

I'm trying using Rafflecopter for the first time so hope this works. Thanks for playing and good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2012 Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge

2011-12-27T01:48:00.000-08:00

January 1 - December 31, 2012

Challenge details:

1. This challenge will run from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.

2. You can join the challenge at any time, whether you haven't yet started the series or are already halfway through. All books read in 2012 count for the challenge, regardless of when you sign up.

3. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.

4. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up here.

5. All formats of books are acceptable: Bound copies, e-books, and audiobooks (as long as they are unabridged).

6. There are four levels for the challenge:

a. Level 1: Read 1-3 books in the series.
b. Level 2: Read 4-6 books in the series.
c. Level 3: Read 7-9 books in the series.
d. Level 4: Read 10-11 books in the series.

7. When you write your sign-up post, you must choose your level. You can go up, but you cannot go down!

8. There will be link-ups for your reviews on a quarterly basis, which will be posted on THIS page.

9. There will be a link for your wrap-up post at the end of the year.

10. Create a sign-up post and link back to this post. Sign up with Mister Linky below! Be sure to use the direct url to your sign-up post and not the url to your blog.

9. Grab the challenge button and post it in your sidebar. Copy and paste this HTML code into an HTML gadget for your sidebar:

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Global Reading Challenge 2012

2011-12-27T01:32:00.000-08:00

January 1,2012 – December 31,2012

As in the past, the Global Reading Challenge (GRC) challenges you to expand your reading boundaries, go where you haven't been before, move a little outside your comfort zone.
You may read any genre so long as the books are fiction.
Decide which level you will attempt, although you can change that later if you wish.
Use the Mr Linky to sign up with your name, the level you intend to attempt, and your blog URL.
Feel free to include the logo in your blog posts or on your blog (with a link to this page)
Your reading will take place in the calendar year 2012.
Return to this page to add the books you have read into the relevant Mr Linky - see the sections below
You may like to consult Global Reading Challenges for 2011 and 2010 for suggestions of books.
If you need to make a comment please do so here
The Easy Challenge
Read one novel from each of these continents in the course of 2012:
Africa
Asia
Australasia/Oceania
Europe
North America
South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent (here you can either choose Antarctica or your own ´seventh´ setting, eg the sea, the space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it).
From your own continent: try to find a country, state or author that is new to you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Medium Challenge
Read two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2012:
Africa
Asia
Australasia
Europe
North America
South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent
Try to find novels from fourteen different countries or states.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Expert Challenge
Read three novels from each of these continents in the course of 2012:
Africa
Asia
Australasia
Europe
North America
South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent

For more information go here

What Are You Reading Monday? #34

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Books I completed in the last week are:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Bookmarks are still living in the middle of:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Flowerbed of State ( A White House Gardener Mystery #1) by Dorothy St. James
Froggy Boots Go With Everything by Jill Martin

Up Next:

Mary & Penny’s Christmas Wish (ebook)
A Camp Edison Christmas by Cynthia Davis (ebook)
Snowed Under: A Christmas Short Story by Jude Ryan (ebook)
The North Pole Challenge by Kevin George (ebook)
The Path to Christmas by Ruth Ann Nordin (ebook)
The Santa Diaries: A New Fangles Christmas Book One by Betsy Haynes (ebook)

Reviews posted this week:

Author Guest Posts/Interviews:

Guest Blog/Giveaway – Breeana Puttroff (Seeds of Discovery) (Jan 8)

Special Blog Hop Giveaways

Gift Card Giveaway Hop (December 9 – 13, 2011) Winner –
Midwinters Eve (December 21 – 27, 2011)
Dreaming of Books Hop (January 13 – 18, 2012)
Follower Love Hop (February 7 – 13, 2012)

Books still needing to have reviews written (as opposed to the ones that are simply awaiting posting):

Giveaways on the blog this week and in coming weeks:

Texas Statehood Giveaway - Texasville by Larry McMurtry (Dec 29)

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Read Your Name Challenge 2012

2011-12-22T03:04:00.000-08:00

January 1 - December 31, 2012

Hi, I am Victoria and this is the first challenge & only challenge I have ever hosted/probably will host. (It's a lot of work!) I have hosted this challenge in the past (2010), but in 2011, I chose not to host it. But here it is again for 2012!

Anyhoo, the challenge is to read your name in book title first letters, ultimately spelling out your name. That means:

Using your first name, or blogger name, or your pets name, or even your favorite literary character's name; whichever you like, choose books with first title letters that spell out your name. Such as my name: Victoria. the first book's title would start with the letter V, then the next book title begins with I, etc. Make sense? (I hope so!)

Rules/Guidelines:
Whenever you have finished a book for this challenge: If you have a blog, come back here and leave your review link in the Mr. Linky that will be up; for the book you've read & reviewed. If you do not have a blog, please just leave your progress in a comment. :)

The challenge runs from Jan. 1st 2012, to Dec. 31st 2012. You may join at any time between Jan 1st and Nov 30th.
Last but not least, be sure to sign up using Mister Linky Below! & If you want to, leave a comment with what name you're going to use and where it came from. :) Oh, and don't forget to link back (with the above button, top of this post) to the challenge from your blog to show you're participating! (If Mr. Linky does not appear to be working, then please just leave a comment with your info!)

Other (minor) Details:
NAMES ONLY PLEASE! You DO NOT have to use your whole name; just your first name if you want, & initials are okay. No words like: water, book, blue, etc. please, just regular old official NAMES.

Books read before 1/1/12 do not count. Audio books and eBooks are okay. & Crossovers with other challenges are also okay.

You could read the books in any order you wish, I certainly can't show up at your door threatening to banish you from the challenge if you don't! But then what is the point of READING YOUR NAME out in book title first-letters if you're not going to do it in order? You're basically just re-arranging a bunch of letters to spell out your name, and that's not really the point of this challenge, lol. :)

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

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Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge (Perpetual)

2011-12-22T02:56:00.000-08:00

Perpetual Reading Challenge

Rules:

1. This is a perpetual challenge, which means there is no end date. You will finish the challenge whenever you finish the series! Take as much time as you need.

2. The challenge will begin on January 1, 2012. You can join the challenge at any time, whether you haven't yet started the series or are already halfway through.

3. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.

4. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up here.

5. All formats of books are acceptable: Bound copies, e-books, and audiobooks (as long as they are unabridged).

6. There will be link-ups for your reviews on a quarterly basis, which will be posted on THIS page.

7. There will be a link for your wrap-up post at the end of the year.

8. Create a sign-up post and link back to this post. Sign up with Mister Linky below! Be sure to use the direct url to your sign-up post and not the url to your blog.

9. Grab the challenge button and post it in your sidebar.

Sign up here

Virtural Book Tour/Review/Author Intervew/Giveawa - Six Weeks to Yehidah by Melissa Studdard

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Six Weeks to Yehidah
Author: Melissa Studdard
Publisher: All Things That Matter Press
ISBN: 9780984651702
Release Date: August 2nd 2011
Pages: 170
Genre: Young Adult
Format: ebook
Source: Tourz de Codex for review

GoodReads:
Move over, C.S. Lewis; Melissa Studdard is here! Annalise of the Verdant Hills is one of the most delightful protagonists to skip through the pages of literature since Dorothy landed in Oz. Join Annalise and her two walking, talking wondersheep as they travel to ever more outlandish places and meet outrageous and enlightening folk on their journey to discover interconnectedness in a seemingly disconnected world. Discover with them how just one person can be the start of the change we all strive for. A book for all ages, for all time: wonderful, wacky, and bursting with truth!

Mine:
It is a can’t put down book and I did finish quite quickly.

Six Weeks to Yehidah is the story of Annalise, a young girl who enters a wondrous dreamscape. What a magical trip for all to take, it’s a true journey of life that will make you think about your own. It makes you think about what goes on around you. It should be must read for the young and young at heart. It's amazing to see how a child sees the world without judgement.

Author Interview

Describe your book in five words or less.
Magical, Mythical, Mystical

How did the ideas for your books come to you?
I get ideas so many different ways – from talking to people, observing the world, and reading other books. My favorite and most frequent way is through dreams . For a long time, I’ve been fascinated by the mechanisms of the unconscious mind, and in the years preceding the composition of Six Weeks to Yehidah I’d done an intensive study of dreams, meditation, visualization, and so forth. I kept a dream journal and meditated regularly. I listened to guided meditations, which are rich with imagery. In the end, it was a combination of dreaming and waking imagination that birthed the scenes in this book

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Six Weeks to Yehidah is about love, tolerance, acceptance of ourselves and others, and finding purpose in life. I want readers to understand that to a large extent we create our own realities and circumstances and that we can all live magical, meaningful lives if we approach them with mindfulness, authenticity, and love.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?
I wear a lot of hats. I’m a single mom, an editor, a radio show host, a professor. Finding time has to be the hardest part. If I could, I would write several hours a day, at least five days a week. Right now, my life doesn’t allow for that. That kills me because I feel ideas slip by, and I fear sometimes I’ll never get them back.
The easiest part is making things up. I love making things up. Thank goodness I’m a writer. Otherwise I might be a pathological liar. Haha.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?
I’m currently putting together a book based on the radio interview program, Tiferet Talk, which I host for the literary journal Tiferet. The publisher, Donna Baier Stein, has started a press associated with the journal, and the first book will be a compilation of the first year of Tiferet Talk interviews. It’s filled with insight and wisdom about spirituality and writing. I was fortunate enough to interview people such as Julia Cameron, Robert Pinsky, Marc Allen, and Jeffrey Davis. They had so much to share. I can’t wait to see it all collected together as one book!

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?
I write in many genres, but I think the genre for this particular book chose me. I was in a wonderful critique and writing group in which we took turns assigning prompts each month. One woman asked us to read The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales and write our own short tale. It turned out that I was so compelled by the voice and characters I’d created that I kept writing and writing until I realized I was actually writing a novel.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?
Lovely. The positive response to Six Weeks to Yehidah has been overwhelming, and I wake up filled with gratitude every single day.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
What a wonderful question. Earlier, you asked me if there was a message I wanted readers to grasp (another wonderful question), and I’d like to elaborate on that a bit and discuss what the book can do for the reader. Sure I wrote it to be fun, exciting, entertaining, and so forth, but I also had a deeper purpose beyond entertainment and beyond even the message. That purpose was to inspire people—especially children—to create lives of meaning, connection, purpose, love, and joy. Six Weeks to Yehidah models the potential for this kind of life through the adventures and choices of the main character, Annalise. The companion book, My Yehidah, directly engages readers’ own experiences, feelings, thoughts, and dreams by asking them to journal about the themes most prevalent in the novel and in their own lives.

What was your road to publications like?
Surprisingly, it wasn’t that difficult. Rather than flooding the industry with submissions of my book, I chose a few presses that I admired, and which I knew were publishing books like the one I had written. The research – finding the right places to send it – was the hardest part. Once I targeted a specific small group and got my book to the right people, the acceptance came rather quickly.

Author Bio:
I'm a professor, a book reviewer at-large for The National Poetry Review, a contributing editor for both Tiferet Journal and The Criterion, and the host of the radio interview program Tiferet Talk. As well, I am a member of many literary organizations, including the National Book Critics Circle and the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators. I am the author of the bestselling novel Six Weeks to Yehidah, which also won the Forward National Literature Award for Middle Grade Chapter Books, and the newly released My Yehidah.

I love anything related to writing and reading, whether it's sitting alone with a book and a cup of hot tea, or attending a large poetry reading or literary festival. I also love travelling, meditating, going for walks, bicycling, practicing yoga, and spending time with family.

I currently reside in Texas with my wonderful daughter and our four sweet but mischievous cats.

Author Website

Please leave a comment or questions on this post in appreciation of the author

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Midwinters Eve Hop (December 21 - 27)

2011-12-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

It's time for the second annual Mid-winter's Eve Giveaway Hop.

Dates for this year's hop are Dec. 21st to 27th.

Thanks to Jessie Harrell from Oasis For YA & The Daily Harrell for co-hosting.

I will be giving away 2 different book. Please choose one of them. The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs or Snowbird by Stef Ann Holm

Barnes & Noble Review
Susan Wiggs follows up her first book in the Lakeshore Chronicles (Summer at Willow Lake) with another satisfying installment set in the small town of Avalon, New York. The main story belongs to two 30-something locals, Jenny Majesky and Rourke McKnight. She runs the Sky River Bakery, founded by her grandparents, and writes a weekly newspaper column; he is the town's chief of police. They are longtime friends with a complicated history and a passion set on simmer. When Jenny's house burns down, Rourke insists on her bunking with him, even though he's a notorious bachelor. The new proximity entices the two to confront old hurts and dreams deferred, before their romance can blossom. There's a wonderful secondary plot involving teenage Daisy Bellamy, her friends, and a mystery that's solved in the snow. Thoughtfully, Wiggs includes Jenny's favorite recipes from the bakery. Ginger Curwen(less)

A stunning Western romance about a lone woman living a man's life--and the one man who could set her passion free. "A thrill-a-minute Western romance that is a delight to read!"--Jill Marie Landis, bestselling author of Past Promises.

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Please check out the others bloggers offerings:

Author Guest Post/Giveaway - Dark Chocolate for the Journaler's Soul by Mari McCarthy (WOW)

2011-12-20T00:07:00.000-08:00

Use Journaling to Get Motivated

Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/denverjeffrey/4094607471/

Winning a football game takes more than brute strength, brilliant strategy, and iron resolve; it also requires fans.

The cheers and adoration of fans provide an essential ingredient of success: motivation.

You know, the old get up and go. The force that's irrefutable. Without it we wouldn't get anything accomplished.

No matter what your plans and dreams, it can be brutally difficult to whip up the motivation to actually start something. We tend to wallow in inertia, procrastinating, unwilling to make any kind of change.

There's a definite breakdown between the thought of something and the doing of it. Once you do manage to get started, momentum keeps you going. It's the moment of actually beginning that is so hard. We so often come to the brink of action, and then find some excuse to put it off.

Much of the time, there may be deep-seated reasons why you're avoiding the project or behavior. But a small percent of your dreams persist, returning to tug at your heart. How can you finally get on board with aspirations that haunt you?

The answer is simple: come at your target tangentially.

• Instead of wanting to start an exercise routine and never doing it, create a journal in which you talk about your interest in exercising and all aspects of your perceptions around being physically fit.

• Instead of fantasizing about being a writer, use a journal to mosey around in your writer's soul.

• Instead of complaining about your job and sending out a million applications that are for the most part ignored, try journaling about who you are, what you are grateful for, and how you can best serve yourself and others.

Journaling about and around any topic that's sensitive for you opens up that area in your life and paves the way for change and growth.

Cheerleaders work hard to get us in the mood, so that the requisite level of fan enthusiasm can be achieved, so that the players can win the game. Similarly, journal writing focuses your mind and energies so that actual doing becomes far more possible. It's almost as though you trick yourself into getting started.

Maybe you want to write a YA novel, for instance, but never seem to find the time to get started. Then one day you find a cool notebook. You already have a clutch of your favorite kind of pen. At the top of the first page you write, "I don't know why I want to write a novel for young people." Then you keep writing.

A few weeks later, after you've written just about every day, relentlessly exploring the topic, you feel the urge to go back over some of your writings. Your progress/change readily becomes apparent. You thought you were spinning wheels, but you see that's untrue. You grow, evolve, and constantly change.

Change is not difficult; it is natural. It happens moment by moment.

Are you serious about that new habit, that new course of study or way of handling your responses in certain situations? Instead of browbeating yourself for procrastinating, try journaling.

And then, please tell me how you're progressing. I'm collecting success stories!
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Mari L. McCarthy, journaling therapy specialist and author, owns Create Write Now, a website dedicated to all things journaling. The site includes hundreds of journaling prompts, personal journaling stories, interviews, a blog, and many other resources. Mari has published nine books to date. For more on ways that journaling brings self-knowledge, see Who Are You? How to Use Journaling Therapy to Know and Grow Your Life.

Please leave a comment or questions on this post in appreciation of the author

What Are You Reading Monday? #33

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Books I completed in the last week are:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

What Do Penguins Want for Christmas? By Casey Crayne (ebook)
Carrot Cake's Chistmas Book by MK Bashlor (ebook)
Summer Island by Kristin Hannah (Audio)

Bookmarks are still living in the middle of:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Flowerbed of State ( A White House Gardener Mystery #1) by Dorothy St. James

Up Next:

Mary & Penny’s Christmas Wish (ebook)
A Camp Edison Christmas by Cynthia Davis (ebook)
Snowed Under: A Christmas Short Story by Jude Ryan (ebook)
The North Pole Challenge by Kevin George (ebook)
The Path to Christmas by Ruth Ann Nordin (ebook)
The Santa Diaries: A New Fangles Christmas Book One by Betsy Haynes (ebook)

Reviews posted this week:

What Do Penguins Want for Christmas? By Casey Crayne (ebook)
Carrot Cake's Chistmas Book by MK Bashlor (ebook)
Summer Island by Kristin Hannah (Audio)

Author Guest Posts/Interviews:

December is Author Month – Interview/Guest Blog A Day

Author Guest Blog/Giveaway – Dark Chocolate for the Journaler’s Soul by Mari McCarthy (December 20)

Special Blog Hop Giveaways

Gift Card Giveaway Hop (December 9 – 13, 2011) Winner -
Midwinters Eve (December 21 – 29, 2011)
Dreaming of Books Hop (January 13 – 18, 2012)
Follower Love Hop (February 7 – 13, 2012)

Books still needing to have reviews written (as opposed to the ones that are simply awaiting posting):

Giveaways on the blog this week and in coming weeks:

Texas Statehood Giveaway - Texasville by Larry McMurtry (Dec 29)

Book Review - Summer Island by Kristin Hannah

2011-12-17T23:58:00.000-08:00

Title: Summer Island
Author: Kristin Hannah (Goodreads Author), Joyce Bean (Reader)
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
ISBN: 1441841865
Release Date: February 28th 2010
Pages: 416
Genre: Romance
Format: CD (9)
Source: Library

GoodReads:
Thirty-four year old Ruby Bridge is a not-too-successful comedienne who uses her mother, a nationally-syndicated "moral and spiritual counselor" as the main fodder for her cynical, rather bitter humor. Her mother Nora, long divorced from Ruby's father, is a woman whose past is just about to catch up with her - in the form of blackmail by a former lover.

After an accident (an attempted suicide?) Ruby returns to care for her stricken mother - bitterly resenting the fact that once again her mother's life has colonized hers. When she is approached by a publisher to write a biography of her mother, Ruby is desperate for the princely sum offered. Yet her research into her mother's past reveals a woman very different from the one Ruby expected. And what began as "mommy dearest" ends as a love story - not only between mother and daughter, but involving two very different men who play a key role in linking the past to the present.

Mine:
I really enjoyed this book had not read anything from this author before ( I will definitely being checking on other books now). I like the strong characters – Ruby (the youngest daughter) and Nora (the mother). Ruby must finally learn how to forgive her mother for leaving when she was younger. She learns some hard facts about her parents and realizes that maybe her mother wasn’t all that bad.

Ruby also learns to love again – her childhood sweetheart. The past intertwines with the present and it’s not all bad. I would have to say the ending was a little disappointing, since it seem that there is still a little of the story left to tell. But any good writer will leave you wanting more.

Author Guest Blog/Giveaway - Radiant Desire By Inara Scott (Entangled Publishing)

2011-12-14T01:16:00.000-08:00

About the Book

The object of every man’s fantasy just lost her wings…
Kaia Verde is one of the four Faerie Handmaids of Zafira, Queen of the Fey. To redress an
ancient wrong done to Zafira by a human king, the Handmaids make sport of mortal men,
seducing and humiliating them. When Kaia sets out to seduce Garrett Jameson, but ends up
being the one surrendering to pleasure, Zafira is furious. Kaia’s punishment is simple: make
Garrett fall in love with her by the summer solstice, then break his heart, or face eternity without
her wings—or her soul. To make the task harder, Zafira tells Kaia she cannot use her faerie
magic or charm to lure Garrett into her bed.

…and now she’s losing her heart…
Kaia thinks her task will be relatively easy—as a faerie, she understands lust, and can love be
much different? But once she is living among the humans, Kaia discovers the race she once
disparaged is far more complex and beautiful than she imagined. She learns before she can
break Garrett’s heart, she must find a way to heal it. And eventually, discovers that losing her
wings may be a far easier price to pay than losing her heart.

Do Clothes Make the Man (or Woman?

by Inara Scott

I recently got a dramatic new look: I cut my hair from shoulder-length to a pixie, and let me tell you, it’s short. And totally different. The strangest thing about my transformation is that I now feel obliged to wear earrings, necklaces, and hip outfits. I’m not kidding. I feel like I have to live up to my hair!

Generally, though, this is a good thing. I’ve been living a little too long in my stay-at-home-mom-bob, yoga pants, and sweatshirts. I don’t mean to criticize this look (that would be like criticizing my second skin!). But sometimes you get too comfortable. The routine becomes a way of checking out. And while I don’t want to obsess about my appearance, I do want to continue to feel like a sexy, beautiful woman.

The haircut is helping me do this.

Clothes, hair, accessories…they have an incredible power to change our mood, our thoughts, even our personality. When I put on my lawyer suits, I take myself more seriously. When I wear big dangly earrings, I feel younger. More artistic. More, well, interesting.

As a writer, I am constantly learning about my characters through the lens of my own experiences. And this experience has renewed my fascination with makeovers. New hair, clothes, jewelery—it’s incredible how this can affect our characters.

Take Kaia, the heroine in my faerie romance, Radiant Desire. When she is forced to change from faerie to human, she goes from wearing six-hundred dollar evening gowns and staying in boutique five-star hotels, to picking her clothes out of a bin at a homeless shelter. This changes her. It must. She becomes less sure of herself, but also more aware of other people. She learns more about who she really is, while gaining an appreciation for her flawed, imperfect exterior.

The wonderful thing is, by become flawed, Kaia becomes even more attractive to Garrett, the object of her desire. (Though, of course, she doesn’t know that!) Here’s Garrett’s reaction to seeing her for the first time after her transformation:

He couldn’t say that she’d somehow become plain, or even that she looked entirely comfortable in Rachel’s house. She was too tall, too striking, her eyes too exotic, her features too captivating. Looking at her was like finding a single rose in a garden filled with daisies.

Yet this was not the same woman he had known.

As he continued to stare, her chin jutted nervously forward, and he realized the true difference between the Kaia he’d known and this new Kaia: her air of vulnerability. The woman he met just two weeks ago had been supremely self-assured, wearing an air of confidence in everything she did and every move she made. This woman was vulnerable. This woman did not know how she would be received.

This woman, amazingly enough, did not know how beautiful she was.

Yet somehow, now that she’d lost that air of otherworldly perfection and confidence and her flaws had been revealed, she had become even more attractive.

Have you ever had a makeover, or even just a dramatic hair cut? How did you feel afterward? Did you change?

Tell me your favorite makeover stories – there’s a free copy of Radiant Desire in it for one comment.

Book Review: Book Review: Carrot Cake's Chistmas Book by MK Bashlor (ebook)

2011-12-14T00:44:00.000-08:00

Title: Carrot Cake’s Christmas Book
Author: M K Bashlor
Publisher: Smashwords
ISBN:
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Pages: 13
Genre: Children’s pictorial
Format: ebook
Source: Smashwords

Description: Carrot Cake is trying to say “Merry Christmas” in a special way. Find out how he finally does it. Short and sweet, a quick bedtime story for Children ages 1 and up.

Review: This is a short mostly pictorial book of how Carrot Cake a guinea pig wishes all a Merry Christmas. Very cute to see how this cutie poses.

Book Review: What Do Penguins Want for Christmas? By Casey Crayne (ebook)

2011-12-14T00:36:00.000-08:00

Title: What Do Penguins Want for Christmas?
Author: Casey Cray
Publisher: Smashwords
ISBN:
Release Date: November 26, 2011
Pages: 20
Genre: Children’s Illistrated
Format: ebook
Source: Smashwords

Description:
Santa had to expand his operation to the south pole. It doesn’t take long before a little penguin starts to become curious about what this strange old man is doing in his home. Find out what penguins really want for Christmas.

Review:
What a cute story about how Santa decided to set up a small shop in the South Pole so that he can pick up toys at both the North Pole and South Pole to make it easier. The penguin isn’t happy in the beginning, but after hearing Santa (the strange old man) out he decides maybe it won’t be so bad.

Author Interview/Giveaway - Night Series #2 by Lisa Kessler (Entangled Publishing)

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Describe your book in five words or less.
Dark, Passionate, Eternal Love & Redemption.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?
For my Night Series, I started with wanting to write a vampire series that originated in the Americas. After researching the oldest building in San Diego (The Mission de Alcala) and the oldest cultures in the Americas (The Mayans) my Night Walkers started to take shape.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Night Walker really questions whether or not true love can transcend time. Could love at first sight be your heart remembering someone you've known in a previous lifetime? It was a really interesting concept to explore when I wrote the book.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?
The hardest part about writing for me is the editing... And the easiest is the actual writing! I love starting a new book. It feels like anything could happen and it's a thrill for me to get to know the new cast of characters.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future
projects?
I just finished the first round of edit for Night Demon. (Book 2 in the Night Series) I'm really excited to share this book with everyone. The Night Walker world gets much larger and the stakes have been raised to a global level, but in the end only love can save the Night Walker race.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?
I've always written paranormal fiction. I started out selling horror short stories, and my heart is really with the "monsters". :)

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?
So. Amazingly. Cool. Really! It's the best! And it makes me hungry to finish the next book. I never want to let anyone down... Hearing from readers really does help me keep moving forward and stay focused.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
Wow! That's a tough one... Let's see... I don't think anyone has ever asked me why the Evil Queen from Disney's Snow White is the best villain ever. If they did ask, my answer would be... She's a villain who is not afraid to get her own hands dirty to get the job done. She always had a plan B. Love her! She really kept the story moving...

What was your road to publications like?
My road to publication sounds like it came out of a paranormal novel, but I swear it's true! LOL

My publcation road started with a palm reader... About 10 years ago I took my first trip to New Orleans. I’d never had a palm reading before and I thought it would be cool, so I went inside. She gave me a spot on reading, and shared a few thoughts on the future ahead which puzzled me and then walked me out.

When we got to the door she said, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

She asked, “Are you a writer?”

I shrugged and said, “I write every night, but just for fun.”

She smiled and her eyes sparkled. “You’re going to be a famous writer one day.”

I left in a daze and within a few months I had published my first short story, Immortal Beloved, and it went on to be a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

Now years later, my first novel has been published and the second book in the series will be out next year. I keep pinching myself to be sure it's real! LOL I’m not famous yet, but I think she nudged me toward my calling. I’d love to be a full-time novelist…

Author Bio

Lisa Kessler is an avid reader and writer of dark fiction. Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.
Lisa recently signed a 4 book deal with Entangled Publishing to release her Night Series. The first book, Night Walker, is scheduled to be released August 5th.
When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego. You can learn more at http://Lisa-Kessler.com

Lisa lives in southern California with her incredibly fun husband and two amazing kids.
http://lisaslair.com/
http://lisakessler.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/LdyDisney
http://facebook.com/LisaKesslerWriter

Please leave a comment or questions on this post in appreciation of the author

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Author Interview/Giveaway - Touch by Jus Accardo (Entangled Publishing)

2011-12-12T01:40:00.000-08:00

Describe your book in five words or less.
Action-packed, surprising, sweet, and sexy.
How did the ideas for your books come to you?
I get my ideas from anywhere and everywhere. Watching paint dry to walking my dogs. If you pay attention, inspiration really is everywhere. The idea for TOUCH came to me while sitting on line waiting for coffee!
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Stand up for what you believe is right. Sure, Kale is hot and Dez is drawn to him, but really, she starts out helping him because it's the right thing to do.
What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?
There aren't many parts of writing that I'd really consider hard. If I had to pick one though, I'd say writing the blurbs. I've always sucked at summarizing an entire book in several short paragraphs. As for the easiest? Probably coming up with the actual ideas. Like I said, inspiration is everywhere if you pay attention--and my brain is like a random idea generator. I've got files of ideas just waiting for attention.
What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?
I'm about to start work on the third book in the Denazen series. I also signed a contract with Entangled for a new YA series set for 2013. It's very exciting!
Why did you choose to write for specific genre?
I think it's mostly because I love it. Give me dark creepy crawlies and strong characters with jaded pasts and major issues set in a paranormal world, and I'm a happy puppy.
What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?
it's actually pretty surreal--and totally a dream come true. The response to TOUCH (and people awaiting TOXIC) gives me warm fuzzies!
What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
Hmm... Not sure. Something quirky, though. Different. I'm a huge Warcraft junkie, so maybe something like, if you were stuck in Azaroth for 24 hours, what would you do? The answer? I'd wanna smack Jaina Proudmoore around. For some reason, she's always irritated me!

What was your road to publication like?
When I really stop to think about it, I'd have to say, quick. I hear about people who work for years, querying book after book, trying to get someone's attention. Really, for me, it only took a little over a year. That's insane when you think about it.
Before TOUCH, I queried another book and got no where. No bites, no interest. Only form reject after form reject. I decided to try again, wrote TOUCH, and snagged an agent two months after starting to send it out. It was only seven months after that, that I signed a contract with Entangled. It was luck. I just happened to get it in front of the right people at the right time.

Author Bio

Jus  Accardo  is  the  author  of  YA  paranormal  romance  and  urban  fantasy  ﬁction.  A  native  New  Yorker, she  lives  in  the  middle of  nowhere  with  her  husband, three  dogs, and  sometimes  guard  bear, Oswald. Her  ﬁrst  book, Touch, is  due  out  in  November  2011 from  Entangled  Publishing. 

She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Here are Purchase links for Touch:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Touch-A-Denazen-Novel-ebook/dp/B005U6ZC3Y
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/touch-jus-accardo/1105812249
Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Touch-Jus-Accardo/9781937044459

Please leave a comment or questions on this post in appreciation of the author

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What Are You Reading Monday? #32

2011-12-12T00:30:00.000-08:00

Books I completed in the last week are:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Bookmarks are still living in the middle of:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Summer Island by Kristin Hannah (Audio)
Flowerbed of State ( A White House Gardener Mystery #1) by Dorothy St. James

Up Next:

Mary & Penny’s Christmas Wish (ebook)
A Camp Edison Christmas by Cynthia Davis (ebook)
Snowed Under: A Christmas Short Story by Jude Ryan (ebook)
The North Pole Challenge by Kevin George (ebook)
The Path to Christmas by Ruth Ann Nordin (ebook)
The Santa Diaries: A New Fangles Christmas Book One by Betsy Haynes (ebook)
What Do Penguins Want for Christmas? By Casey Crayne (ebook)

Reviews posted this week:

Author Guest Posts/Interviews:

December is Author Month – Interview/Guest Blog A Day

Author Interview/Giveaway - Under the Moon by Natalie Damschroder (Entangled Publishing) (December 4)

Author Interview/Giveaway - The Last Beginning by Rachel Firasek (Entangled Publishing) (December 7)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro (Entangled Publishing) (December 10)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Busted in Bollywood by Nichola March (Entangled Publishing) (December 11)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Touch by Jus Accardo (Entangled Publishing) (December 12)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Night Series #2 by Lisa Kessler (Entangled Publishing) (December 13)

Author Interview/Giveaway – Radiant Desire by Inara Scott (Entangled Publishing) (December 14)

Author Guest Blog/Giveaway – Dark Chocolate for the Journaler’s Soul by Mari McCarthy (December 20)

Special Blog Hop Giveaways

Gift Card Giveaway Hop (December 9 – 13, 2011)
Midwinters Eve (December 21 – 29, 2011)
Dreaming of Books Hop (January 13 – 18, 2012)
Follower Love Hop (February 7 – 13, 2012)

Books still needing to have reviews written (as opposed to the ones that are simply awaiting posting):

Giveaways on the blog this week and in coming weeks:

Texas Statehood Giveaway - Texasville by Larry McMurtry (Dec 29)

An Illustrated Year: 2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge

2011-12-11T00:51:00.001-08:00

January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012

A few of us participated in my picture book reading challenge during 2011. I had a fun time with it and wanted to give it another try. I love picture books, and was collecting them long before I became an elementary librarian. Sometimes it's the story, sometimes the illustrations, and a lot of the time it's the fun of reading them out loud to kids that makes picture books so enjoyable. I thought it would be fun to create a reading challenge for this shorter, though just as entertaining, genre. Picture books are a great way to share stories and the experience of reading with children. If you're reading the books with kids, I encourage you to add their opinion of the books as well! I love the way the family at Bookie Woogie reviews books. That being said, not all picture books are for children. Picture books for older audiences are also welcome.

I will be using the thumbnail inLinkz form for participants to link their monthly reviews to. This way we can see the books you've reviewed!

To Sign Up

IF YOU BLOG: Please make a post on your blog about participating in the challenge. Then use the URL for your CHALLENGE POST when signing up using the inLinkz below. IF YOU DO NOT BLOG: Please link to your GoodReads, Library Thing, or similar profile.
You must add the button to your sidebar - make sure that it links back to this post so others can join the challenge if they wish. Just copy and past the code displayed below!

The Details

Timeline: January 1, 2012- December 31, 2012
Select your level:
Level 1 - Read 12 picture books
Level 2 - Read 16 picture books
Level 3 - Read 24 picture books

You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. If you do list your books in the beginning, you can always change them later on.

Crossovers with other challenges count.

Digital books count

Re-reads count as long as you read them in 2012 and you post a new review for the book.
You can join anytime

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

I'm going to try for Level 3 and here is a list of my books. I am hoping to use my iPad for reading this year.

1. Chuff and the Race Cars by Peter Dempster (ebook)
2. All I Got For Christmas by Rebecca Shelley (ebook)
3. Attach of the Sugar Plum Faries by John H Carron (ebook)
4. Shannon and Ally Visit Lake Ontario by Kate Everson (ebook)
5. The Deables (A Merryweather Mystery) by R A Jones (ebook)
6. The North Pole Challenge by Kevin George (ebook)
7. The Santa Diaries: A New Fangles Christmas Book One by Betsy Haynes (ebook)
8. Blinky, The Great Halloween Fish by Melissa L Webb (ebook)
9. Jumpers by E. G. Fabricant (ebook)
10. Quack-A-Doodle-Baaa by Michelle de Villiers (ebook)
11. The Adventures of Marvin Theodore Harvey by Michael Blagiotti (ebook)
12. The Tale of Bernie the Fruit Bat by Chris Carlisle (ebook)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Busted in Bollywood by Nicola Marsh (Entangled Publishing)

2011-12-11T00:14:00.001-08:00

Describe your book in five words or less.
Spicy, sassy, sexy, sweet, savvy.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?
Most of my story ideas come to me in that hazy, pre-sleep phase…either a title or first line or character or situation will pop into my head and I brainstorm from there.

The idea for BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD was inspired by the magic, mayhem and colour of Bollywood movies. My dad got me hooked on them one summer and I thought…’wouldn’t it be great to write a book with a Bollywood theme?’ So I did!

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Must admit, I write fiction for entertainment value so I don’t expect my readers to take away messages. I guess if I channeled the heroine Shari in BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD, the message would be ‘we all make mistakes but secrets can be our ultimate undoing. Trust your gut instincts. They’re usually right.’ Oh, and ‘Indian food rocks!’

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?
The hardest part is the waiting: waiting to hear if a proposal has been approved, waiting to hear if the book has been accepted, waiting for the first sale, the first review, the first royalty cheque. And after 31 books, it never gets any easier.

The easiest would have to be hearing from delighted readers. Fan mail is the best!

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?
I have a Harlequin Romance scheduled for release December 2012. It’s a Christmas story featuring a hot Aussie surfer hero and a passionate Italian online marketing whiz heroine. They had a shared past in Capri so sparks are guaranteed to fly.

I have a Harlequin Romance releasing in January, WHO WANTS TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE? (The book kicks off with the heroine chained to the hero’s precious housing development display!)

Then in February my next Harlequin Presents Extra, INTERVIEW WITH THE DAREDEVIL is released, with a George Clooney look-a-like hero. Enough said. 

I’m also currently working on a YA novel, from a male POV. I like a challenge!

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?
I’m a not-so-secret romantic and I love my happily-ever-afters. Love reading them, love writing them. There’s something truly sigh-worthy when the guy gets the girl (see, told you I was a romantic!) so writing guaranteed HEA is satisfying.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?
Writing is such a solitary occupation and writers are usually plagued by insecurities, so hearing from readers eagerly awaiting my next book (or talking up my last) is truly inspirational. Most readers don’t realise how uplifting a few simple words of appreciation, either in a review or email, can be to a writer struggling with deadlines and kids and life in general!

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
Who are you walking the red carpet with at the movie premier of Busted in Bollywood?

I’ll have to check with Hugh Jackman, George Clooney, Alex O’Loughlin, Henry Cavill, Simon Baker, Jude Law, Rob Lowe, Gerard Butler, and get back to you.

What was your road to publications like?
I’ve always wanted to write but got sidetracked into the medical field. I worked as a physiotherapist for 13 years before finally putting pen to paper. Once I started writing, I couldn’t stop!

I started writing in 2001, sold my first Harlequin novel in 2003. My first book, featuring a speed-dating theme, hit shelves in 2004. I’ve published 30 novels with Harlequin Romance and Presents series, and BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD is my first mainstream contemporary romance/romantic comedy/chicklit/women’s fiction novel.

The blurb best sums it up:

Shari Jones needs to get a life. Preferably someone else’s.

Single, homeless and jobless, Indo-American Shari agrees to her best friend’s whacky scheme: travel to Mumbai, pose as Amrita, and ditch the fiancé her traditional Indian parents have chosen. Simple. Until she’s mistaken for a famous Bollywood actress, stalked by a Lone Ranger wannabe, courted by an English lord, and busted by the blackmailing fiancé.
Life is less complicated in New York.

Or so she thinks, until the entourage of crazies follows her to the Big Apple and that’s when the fun really begins. Shari deals with a blossoming romance, an addiction to Indian food and her first movie role, while secretly craving another trip to the mystical land responsible for sparking her new lease on life. Returning to her Indian birthplace, she has an epiphany. Maybe the happily-ever-after of her dreams isn’t so far away?

About the Author

Nicola Marsh loves the hip, vibrant, cosmopolitan vibe of her home city, Melbourne, where
she's set the bulk of her novels, highligh@ng fabulous cultural and food havens like Acland
Street (St. Kilda), Brunswick Street (Fitzroy) and Lygon Street (Carlton).

She's a Bookscan, USA Today and Waldenbooks bestseller, has finalled in several awards
including the pres@gious HOLT (Honoring Outstanding Literary Talent), Roman@c Times
Reviewers' Choice Award, Booksellers' Best, Golden Quill, Laurel Wreath, and More than Magic.
She has won several CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Awards. Nicola has published 30 books
and sold over 3 million copies worldwide.

When she's not wri@ng she's busy raising her two liale heroes, sharing fine food with family and
friends, cheering on her beloved North Melbourne Kangaroos footy team and her favourite,
curling up with a good book!

Nicola loves interacting with readers. You can find her at:

Website: http://www.nicolamarsh.com
Blog: http://nicolamarsh.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/NicolaMarshAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NicolaMarsh

To be in the running to win an E-book of BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD, leave a comment answering this question:

If you had to choose a fantasy red carpet date, who would it be?

2012 Reading Challenges

2011-12-10T13:24:00.001-08:00

I'm looking for reading challenges for next year. I'm having problems finding them this year.. I got so used to using "A novel challenge" list to find most of my challenges for the past years and now it's not continuing.

Any suggestions or pointing in the right direction is greatly appreciated

Here is what I've signed up for so far:

2012 E-Book Reading Challenge
50 States Challenge (Book Obsessed)
Audiobook Challenge 2012 (Teresa's Reading Corner)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro (Entangled Publishing)

2011-12-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Describe your book in five words or less.

Nephilim vs Fallen angels

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

I love theology and the stories about angels and fallen angels both in the bible and in the Book of Enoch have always captivated me. I wanted to know what a nephilim (the offspring of an angel and human) would be like today. What would her life be like? How would her angelic father impact her life? How would Heaven and Hell treat her? So I wrote the story.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Only that there’s no crisp line between good and evil, and that one person’s good intentions can be another person’s evil doings. And sometimes knowing others will see something as wrong, bad, or even evil isn’t always enough to make a person want it any less.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?
The hardest part of writing is writing. Ideas come to me all the time. Even plotting out a story is usually quick and painless. But actually sitting my butt in the chair and keeping my fingers on the keyboard can be a real struggle. The easiest part is coming up with story ideas. I’ve got at least two or three full blown story ideas bouncing around in my head at any given time.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future
projects?

Right now I’m working on book 2 in the HELLSBANE series, called HEAVEN AND HELLSBANE. The second it’s done I start on book 3. I’d like to squeeze some short stories in there, but we’ll have to see.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

Because I love it! I love all things paranormal. I love the limitless possibilities of paranormal fiction, angels, vampires, werewolves, the supernatural powers and the problems that come with them. It stirs my imagination and transports me in a way that other genres can’t. It’s what I read. It’s what I watch on TV and at the movies. Writing what you love makes writing fun.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

It’s fantastic. Every writer hopes someone will be out there willing to read their book. But when you hear a reader say they can’t wait to read your book, it makes you want to write all the faster.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Where do you write? It’s not really a question I “want” to be asked, but I’m surprised that no one is curious. Maybe it’s just me but I’m always wondering what surrounds a writer when they write. I even started a collection of photos on my website of author’s writing areas—where ever they might be. I call it “The Writer’s Cave” since so many of us refer to long stints of writing as crawling into/ or out of our caves. You can check it out here: http://www.paigecuccaro.com/html/the_cave.html Unfortunately, I haven’t added to the collection in a while, but I’m hoping to have my site redone shortly and add lots more authors then.

My answer to that never asked question would be in the kitchen. We moved very recently and my home office isn’t quite ready for me yet. So for the time being I’m doing all my writing at a folding table in the corner of the kitchen. It’s handy at meal time, but the table wobbles and everyone in the free world passes through our kitchen during the day.

What was your road to publications like?
I started writing seriously around 1992. I wrote a kid’s story and then an adult romance and then a paranormal book about angels, (172 thousand words—still herding dust bunnies under my bed.) Then around 1998 I joined RWA and my local chapter in Columbus and began actually learning about the publishing industry. I entered contests and went to workshops and worked hard to improve my writing. Then in 1999 I wrote a paranormal book called The Shaman’s Daughter, based on a story I’d heard at summer camp when I was a kid. I sold it in 2000 to a small e-publisher. After that I was considered “published” and I couldn’t enter contests anymore which meant I didn’t have the great opportunities of getting my work in front of editors and agents that contests offer. I had to cold query.

It took a year or more but I finally sold another story to a larger e-publisher under a penname. I published several books with that publisher until in 2007 I sold my first story to Harliequin. I’ve contracted books and/or novellas with several small publishers and two New York houses.

But last summer I heard all kinds of buzz about this great new publisher that was starting up. Several big names in the industry were jumping on board with them or helping out in some way. Everyone was saying how they were going to set the publishing world on fire. So I submitted this paranormal story I’d been working on about a girl who discovers she’s half angel and her dear old dad wants her dead. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when Heather and Liz at Entangled Publishing called me and told me they loved HELLSBANE. I think they may have lost some of their hearing when I squealed over the phone. But they’ve been amazing and I’m so thankful to have been given this opportunity.

Please leave a comment or questions on this post in appreciation of the author

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Gift Card Giveaway Hop (December 9 - 13)

2011-12-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

The Gift Card Giveaway Hop will run from Dec. 9th to 13th.
Thanks to Peep from Attack of the Book for co-hosting.

The Gift Card Giveaway Hop is just in time to help with with last minute holiday shopping!!

I will be giving away a $10 Barnes and Noble Giftcard and a mini book - The Night Before Christmas in California

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Please check out the other participants sites

Author Interview/Giveaway - The Last Beginning by Rachel Firasek (Entangled Publishing)

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Describe your book in five words or less.
Heartache healed by magical love.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?
I normally will see someone, somthing, someplace, etc... and the stories will just break out in my head. It can be very distracting sometimes. Ari is a character very similar to an old friend of mine, with a little less attitude. :) Grey reminds me of all the stories I hear from my brother and other military families. The two combined bring together a romance that I've always wanted to create. I hope everyone will love it.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
It's okay to make mistakes. Everyone does. The important thing is that we learn from them.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?
Hardest: Revisions. LOL! It takes a lot of discipline to go back and layer in all the great elements that bring a story together.

Easiest: Writing. I can throw down 30K words in less than a month, but I wouldn't want anyone to read them.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I'm actually going to go back in Jan. and finish up another series. Then I have at least one new UF series in the making for next year involving spirit transfers. It'll be fun. And hopefully a top secret YA series too. (I've never written in that genre, so it should be a challenge.)

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?
I don't. A story will tell me whether it wants to be a Contemporary, paranormal or YA. Sometimes, I'll begin writing in one genre and figure out that the book isn't working with the elements needed. I'll go back and rewrite, either removing the paranormal or adding. Most of the time it's removing. Not all stories need a vampire, ghost or ghoul. But, they sure do make things fun.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?
It's the best high ever---not that I'd know what it's like to be high. I'm pretty straight, lol. It's very flattering to hear that they want to read more, but the best thing is when they will interact with me after reading the story. I love to talk about my books *no conceit here* and find out what really touched the reader. It's the best way to learn. I've been very blessed with meeting readers that aren't too shy to step forward and say, "Hey, Rachel, why did you do this?" or "When is this going to happen?" or my fave comment lately regarding TLA, "How could you kill them?"
It's so much fun to interact and I'm more than happy to share.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?
If you could do anything without fear of failing what would it be?

I'd go skydiving. Failing at that has fatal results.

What was your road to publications like?
I began looking for an agent in May of 2010. After a bucket full of rejections, I decided to wet my feet with epubbing. Through a pitch session I met the fab Heather Howland who was with my debut publisher at the time. She snatched my book up and it's been a roller coaster ride since then. :) When she moved to Entangled Publishing, I knew that I wanted to go to. Libby Murphy is my current editor and every book I work on with her, reminds me that the move was well worth it!

Author Bio:
Rachel Firasek grew up in the south and despite the gentle pace, she harassed life at full steam.
Her curiosity about mythology, human nature, and the chemical imbalance we call love led her
to writing. Her stories began with macabre war poems and shifted to enchanted fairytales,
before she settled on a blending of the two.

Today you’ll find her tucked on a small parcel of land, surrounded by bleating sheep and
barking dogs, with her husband and children. She entertains them all with her wacky sense of
humor or animated reenactments of bad 80’s dance moves.

She’s intrigued by anything unexplained and seeks the answers to this crazy thing we call
life. You can find her where the heart twists the soul and lights the shadows… or at Rachel Firasek

Please leave a comment or questions on this post in appreciation of the author

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Author Interview/Giveaway - Under the Moon by Natalie Damschroder

2011-12-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Describe your book in five words or less.

Paranormal romantic adventure with goddesses.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

For the first book in the trilogy, Under the Moon, I wanted to write about goddesses in modern society, and I wanted to write about guys similar to a couple of characters on a TV show I love. I also wanted to write a book in a month via National Novel Writing Month. Everything kind of squished together in my head enough to get me to start writing. The ideas for the next two books arose as I wrote the first one, with a lot of "what if" questions about the characters and the villains they face.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Nope, the only thing I hope my readers get from my books is entertainment. Anything else is gravy. :)

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The hardest part is both finding time to write, and making myself use that time wisely. There are always 150 other things that call for my attention and pull me away from my books. The easiest part is hard to describe. It's being "in the zone," when, for some reason, everything just works and the words fly through my brain.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

Heavy Metal, the second book in the Goddesses Rising trilogy, is completed and with my editor, awaiting her brilliant comments for all the ways I have to change it. LOL Heavy Metal's heroine is a goddess who never knew it. I'm currently working on Sunroper, the third book in the trilogy. I have a non-paranormal romantic adventure, Acceptable Risks, coming out in April. When I can manage it, I hope to finish a paranormal young adult that I've been working on for a while.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I love writing paranormal because it allows for such imagination-stretching. And I don't have to do a lot of research. LOL I love writing romantic adventure because the stakes are so high, and yet so personal. Adventure stories are exciting because the pacing is fast, and the romance makes saving the world (or some part of it) even more important.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

That is the most gratifying thing I could ever hear. I get giddy knowing someone out there really likes my books. It's the whole reason I write them! :)

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

It's funny, I was driving home from a meeting yesterday and thought, "I hope no one in an interview asks me what no one ever asks but should, because I won't have an answer!" LOL This is why I don't give interviews from your side of things, and why I'm so bad at small-talk.

Oh, wait, I know! The question would be, "What are your editors like, and what's it like to work with them?" I have fantastic editors at both Entangled Publishing and Carina Press. One of the most difficult things an author can face is an editor who doesn't match well with them. I am so grateful every day that I've been matched perfectly with dream editors. At Entangled, KL Grady and Liz Pelletier have been fantastic at forcing the best book possible out of me, and at the same time supporting my delicate author ego. At Carina, Elizabeth Bass is a steady, brilliant professional who sees all my flaws and suggests fantastic cures for them.

What was your road to publication like?

I started writing seriously in 1992/93 and finished my first book in 1996, getting the second book I finished published in 2000. I've just celebrated the publication of my 10th novel, with more contracted for next year. So it's been slow and steady growth over the last decade, punctuated with lots of highs and lows and struggles and joys. I'm incredibly lucky to be actively publishing with two dynamic, high-quality publishers right now, and am excited for the future.

Again, thank you so much for this wonderful interview!

~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author:

Natalie J. Damschroder came to writing the hard way—by avoiding it. Though she wrote her first book at age six (My Very Own Reading Book) and received accolades for her academic writing (Ruth Davies Award for Excellence in Writing for a paper on deforestation her senior year in college), she hated doing it. Colonial food and the habits of the European Starling just weren’t her thing.

She found her niche—romantic fiction—shortly after college graduation. After an internship with the National Geographic Society, customer service for a phone company just wasn’t that exciting. So she began learning how to write the books she’d loved to read all her life. Now she struggles to balance her frenetic writing life with her family, the most supportive husband in the world and two beautiful, intelligent, stubborn, independent daughters (the oldest of whom has become a writer). She somehow also fits in a day job and various volunteer positions in and out of the writing industry.
Learn more about her at her website, www.nataliedamschroder.com, follow her on Twitter @NJDamschroder, or friend her on Facebook

Please leave a comment or questions on this post in appreciation of the author

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The Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop (December 2 - 6)

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop will run from Dec. 2nd to 6th.
Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for co-hosting.

The winter holidays are just around the corner. Celebrate by participating in this holiday giveaway hop with prizes just for book lovers.

I giving away a $10 Barnes & Noble Gift Card

2012 Ebook Challenge

2011-11-18T03:26:00.001-08:00

I'm joining this Challenge for next year I've just discovered Smashwords an have already gotten quite a few books douwnload to the good old iPad

Check it ot at Workaday Reads

The 2011 E-book Challenge was hosted by The Ladybug Reads. She has decided not to host it for 2012, and I was the lucky lottery winner who gets to host it. That's right, there was so much interest from people wanting to host it that she had to hold a lottery.

Challenge Guidelines:
1.This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
2.Anyone can join, you don't need to be a blogger. If you don't have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).
3.Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.
4.You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5.When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.
6.You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7.Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

Levels:
1.Floppy disk - 5 ebooks
2.CD - 10 ebooks
3.DVD - 25 ebooks
4.Memory stick - 50 ebooks
5.Hard drive - 75 ebooks
6.Server - 100 ebooks
7.Human brain - 150 ebooks

At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews for that month. If you forget, feel free to add your reviews in the following month. Any reviews submitted will be entered into the draw for that month.

Yes, there will be draws every month for participants. As long as you are signed up below, every review you add to the monthly roundups will get one entry into the giveaway for that month.

There will also be a grand giveaway at the end of the year for eveyone who achieves their goal level (or higher). There may be different prizes for different levels, but that is not decided yet. If you are an author and want to contribute to the monthly or grand prizes, please contact me.

Newly Discovered – Smashwords

2011-11-17T00:30:00.001-08:00

I just recently discovered Smashwords when I was participating in the Blog Tour de Troops sponsored by the Indie Book Collective.

They were offering free books for the Veteran’s Day Weekend and for each comment you got a copy of a new book, but a copy of the ebook was sent to the troops also. It was a great way to support the troops and get some new and possibly good books also.

I want to thank the 10-13 authors a day for participating and helping to support the troops. I got several new books from new authors now a I a good reason to use my new iPad. I’ve been sending books to the troops for several years myself, but now everything is electronic.

Here is a list of the books I was able to catch:

A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case
Without Mercy by Belinda Boring
Blood Oath by Belinda Boring (out 11/20)
Cinderella’s Secret Diary by Ron Vitale
The Keya Quests: Three Souls Destiny Bound by Glenn Skinner
The Keya Quests: The Battle for Shivenridge by Glenn Skinner
Dance of the Winnebagos by Ann Charles
Thrown Out: Stories from Exeter by Jennie Coughlin
Murder At The Rocks by Jill Paterson
Epsilon: Broken Stars by Erin Klitzke
Office Politics (Harper & Lyttle Book 1) by Sharon Gerlach
The Secret Dreams of Sarah-Jane Quinn (Harper & Lyttle Book 2) by Sharon Gerlach
Getting Well for The First Time by Paul Rice

Guest Blog - The Christmas Village by Melissa Goodwin

2011-11-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Finding Your Inner 10-Year-Old
Melissa Ann Goodwin

I have a black and white picture of my fifth grade class hanging in my office. We’re sitting straight-backed and bright-eyed at our desks. We look smart and well-behaved, except for Robert, who has a smirk on his face and his very own row - for good reasons - close to Miss Cronin’s desk. We are 10 years old, full of possibilities and promise.

This photograph reminds me of something very important. It reminds me of who I really am. When I was 10, I knew exactly what I liked and didn’t like; what I dreamed of, what I loved, what excited me, what scared me.

I loved to read. I loved school. I liked those little troll dolls with the crazy orange hair. I liked my best friend Priscilla, cats, gathering chestnuts, Rex Trailer, hot dogs, going to the beach and playing dodge ball. I hated liver, eggplant, scary movies, and mean people. I loved walking home from school and writing stories in my head. By the age of 10, I already knew that I wanted to write the kind of books that I loved to read.

As I got older, I veered away from what I knew when I was 10. What other people said and thought began to carry more weight. There were norms about the path that life should take. I’m not alone – this happens to almost everyone. We get new ideas and we try new things. There’s nothing wrong with that. But later, many of us find we’ve wandered rather far from what we think of as our “true selves.” We feel empty, burned out and lost. We say that we “need to find ourselves again.” That expression implies that we once knew who we were, but have forgotten! When we feel this way, what we really need to do is rediscover our inner 10-year-olds.

But how do we do that? Well, here are a few ideas that may help:
• Close your eyes and picture yourself at age 10. Who was your best friend? Your mortal enemy? What did you do after school? What games did you play? What did you want with all your heart to get for Christmas that year? What subjects did you love – and hate?
• Write it all down.
• Spend five minutes every day remembering the details of your 10th year. When you remember something new, write that down too.
• Find a picture of yourself at that age and put it on the fridge. Every day, ask the person in the picture what he’d want to do today if he was in charge of your life. Consider doing it!
• Re-read a book or watch a movie that you loved as a kid, and remind yourself why you loved it.

If you think there is something you should be doing with your life, but you’re not sure what it is, remembering what you loved at age 10 can help you find your way. No matter what kind of work you do, it can only be enhanced by asking your inner 10-year-old to help. She knows your true essence and can help you tap into the deep well of expression that is uniquely you. Invite your 10-year-old self back in, and see if you don’t find a renewed sense of wonder and playfulness in everything you do.

Here is the trailer for her book

Author Bio

Melissa Ann Goodwin is a native New Englander, now living in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her husband, artist J. Richard Secor. She has written extensively for Fun for Kidz, Boys’ Quest and Hopscotch for Girls. She was a regular feature article contributor to the Caregiver's Home Companion for more than five years. Her work has appeared in Guideposts’ Angels on Earth, Caregivers’ Home Companion, Caring Today, The Lutheran Digest, The Peak Magazine, The Andover Townsman, and the Martha’s Vineyard Gazette. Her poetry took 10th prize in The Writer’s Digest 2010 annual competition. The Christmas Village is her first novel.

Author's Websites:

Melissa Ann Goodwin

The Christmas Village

FaceBook:

Twitter: @GoodwinMelissa

Note:

here is the link to Amazon

Link to Smashwords

What Are You Reading Monday? #30

2011-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Books I completed in the last week are:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Bookmarks are still living in the middle of:
*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Legacy by Danielle Steel (audio)

Up Next:

Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke (Audio)

Between Sister by Kristin Hannah(audio)

Reviews posted this week:

I am still way behind in posting my reviews.

Author Guest Posts/Interviews:

Blog Tour/Giveaway -The Christmas Village by Melissa Goodwin (WOW) (November 17)

December is Author Month – Interview/Guest Blog A Day

Author Interview/Giveaway - Shadowlander by Theresa Meyer (Entangled Publishing) (December 1)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Hushed by Kelly York (Entangled Publishing) (December 2)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lucianne River (Entangled Publishing) (December 3)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Shadow On The Wall by Pavarti Devi (December 3)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Under the Moon by Natalie Damschroder (Entangled Publishing) (December 4)

Author Interview/Giveaway - North of Need by Laura Kaye (Entangled Publishing) (December 5)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Girl Three by Tracy March (Entangled Publishing) (December 6)

Author Interview/Giveaway - The Last Beginning by Rachel Firasek (Entangled Publishing) (December 7)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Touch by Jus Accardo (Entangled Publishing) (December 8)

Author Interview/Giveaway - The Fallen Queen by Jane Kindred (Entangled Publishing) (December 9)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro (Entangled Publishing) (December 10)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Busted in Bollywood by Nichola March (Entangled Publishing) (December 11)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Bittersweet Blood by Nina Croft (Entangled Publishing) (December 12)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Night Series #2 by Lisa Kessler (Entangled Publishing) (December 13)

Author Interview/Giveaway – Radiant Desire by Inara Scott (Entangled Publishing) (December 14)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Jacob T Marley by R. William Bennet (Shadow Mountain Publishing) (TBD)

Special Blog Hop Giveaways

Spooktacular Hop (October 24 – 31)

Gratitude Giveaways (November 17 – 27)

Midwinters Eve (December 21 – 22)

Books still needing to have reviews written (as opposed to the ones that are simply awaiting posting):

Too many to list right now trying to catch up so I can start the new year right

Giveaways on the blog this week and in coming weeks:

Primary Colors by Anonymous (ends 10/28)

Freebie Friday - Primary Colors by Anonymous (ends 10/28)

2011-10-21T00:12:00.000-07:00

Goodreads Review:

A brilliant and penetrating look behind the scenes of modern American politics, Primary Colors is a funny, wise, and dramatic story with characters and events that resemble some familiar, real-life figures. When a former congressional aide becomes part of the staff of the governor of a small Southern state, he watches in horror, admiration, and amazement, as the governor mixes calculation and sincerity in his not-so-above-board campaign for the presidency.

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What Are You Reading Monday? #29

2011-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Books I completed in the last week are:

*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

What You Wish For by Fern Michaels (audio)

Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham

Bookmarks are still living in the middle of:*Reading a lot of children’s book – I’m going to make a challenge of the titles found in 1001 Children’s Books to Read before I Grow Up (just need help with a button)

Legacy by Danielle Steel (audio)

Up Next:

Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke (Audio)

Between Sister by Kristin Hannah(audio)

Reviews posted this week:

I am still way behind in posting my reviews.

Author Guest Posts/Interviews:

Blog Tour/Giveaway -The Christmas Village by Melissa Goodwin (WOW) (November 17)

December is Author Month – Interview/Guest Blog A Day

Author Interview/Giveaway - Shadowlander by Theresa Meyer (Entangled Publishing) (December 1)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Hushed by Kelly York (Entangled Publishing) (December 2)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lucianne River (Entangled Publishing) (December 3)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Shadow On The Wall by Pavarti Devi (December 3)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Under the Moon by Natalie Damschroder (Entangled Publishing) (December 4)

Author Interview/Giveaway - North of Need by Laura Kaye (Entangled Publishing) (December 5)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Girl Three by Tracy March (Entangled Publishing) (December 6)

Author Interview/Giveaway - The Last Beginning by Rachel Firasek (Entangled Publishing) (December 7)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Touch by Jus Accardo (Entangled Publishing) (December 8)

Author Interview/Giveaway - The Fallen Queen by Jane Kindred (Entangled Publishing) (December 9)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro (Entangled Publishing) (December 10)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Busted in Bollywood by Nichola March (Entangled Publishing) (December 11)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Bittersweet Blood by Nina Croft (Entangled Publishing) (December 12)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Night Series #2 by Lisa Kessler (Entangled Publishing) (December 13)

Author Interview/Giveaway – Radiant Desire by Inara Scott (Entangled Publishing) (December 14)

Author Interview/Giveaway - Jacob T Marley by R. William Bennet (Shadow Mountain Publishing) (TBD)

Special Blog Hop Giveaways

Spooktacular Hop (October 24 – 31)

Gratitude Giveaways (November 17 – 27)

Midwinters Eve (December 21 – 22)

Books still needing to have reviews written (as opposed to the ones that are simply awaiting posting):

Too many to list right now trying to catch up so I can start the new year right

Giveaways on the blog this week and in coming weeks:

Primary Colors by Anonymous (ends 10/28)

September 2011 Winners

2011-10-15T00:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!!

All winners have been notfied.

9/1 - Author Interview/Giveaway - Pleating for Mercy by Melissa Bourbon (Entanled Publishing) Marjorie

9/7 - Author Interview/Giveaway - Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin - Taylor

9/8 - Guest Interview/Giveaway - One Wish for Winifred Witch by Cheri Hallwood – Anna Sindt

9/13 - Author Guest Post/Giveaway - Dead Man's Switch by Tammy Kaeher – Sharon Smith

9/17 - Author Interview/Giveaway - Lucky Girl by Cate Lord (Entangled Publishing) – Julie Witt

9/19 - Author Interview/Giveaway - The Last Rising by Rachel Firasek (Entangled Publishing) – Meredith Miller

9/20 - Author Interview/Giveaway - Out in Blue by Sarah Gilman (Entangled Publishing) – Valerie Long

9/21 - Author Interview/Giveaway - Thrill Me by Lucianne River (Entangled Publishing) Laura H

9/23 - Author Interview/Giveaway - Break Out by Nina Croft (Entangled Publishing) Na

9/24 - Author Interview/Giveaway - Ward Against Death by Melanie Card (Entangled Publishing) C D Meetens

9/25 - Author Interview/Giveaway - The Marked Son by Shea Berkley (Entangled Publishing) JHS

9/28 - Author Interview/Giveaway - The "What If" Guy by Brooke Moss (Entangled Publishing) – Julie Barrett

9/29 - Author Interview/Giveaway - Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne (Entangled Publishing) – Maria

Guest Post/Giveaway by Rayka Mennen

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Compulsions by Rayka Mennen

Thanks so much for hosting me at BBTMF. As I ran through ideas for this post, I thought about my books, my characters, my ideas, why I write and then, Wham! It hit me so hard, I had to blink away stars. Why do I write? Because it’s a bloody compulsion, that’s why.

I can’t tell you how many times people have asked why I could possibly want to have two careers, or stay up Friday nights writing. I’ve asked myself that a few times, these past few months too. But I find I really cannot stop writing. My love of romance novels began, when as a teen in my native India, I discovered Georgette Heyer. From there, it was a quick journey to Mills & Boon. And later, Loveswepts, on old imprint that the publisher is bringing back. The happily ever after hooked me, reeled me in, and kept me enthralled.

Enter college and other detours like marriage and grad school and a career as a research scientist. My love for reading romance never died. And one day, about ten years ago, I turned on my laptop and started writing. A cowboy romance. LOL. Thank goodness for critique groups—that one widely went into the box in the dusty guest room closet. My next attempt was a romantic suspense, followed by a paranormal romance, and it became a compulsion.

That’s what my current release, Enchanted Destiny, is about. Destined soul mates and finding an HEA when you’re thrust into each other’s lives by fate.

So you do have a calling? A certain something you just have to do? I’d love to hear from you.
Rayka Mennen raykamennen@gmail.com

Enchanted Destiny - Book One - by Rayka Mennen

Destiny’s never looked so good…

Kat never believed she’d fall victim to her family’s stories about destined soul mates—she makes her own fate, thank you very much. When she walks by a construction site and admires the same sexy architect for the zillionth time in a week, the last thing she expects is to be slammed by a vision of his death.

Which activates the spell that will change their lives forever.

Jake is a single dad with a singular focus—create a stable life for him and his son. His ex-wife cured him of any desire to fall in love, but when an intriguing woman saves him from what should’ve been a deadly accident, he can’t shake his fascination. Too bad she’s crazy, claiming she’s a witch and that they’re soul mates—not exactly the “stable life” he had in mind.

Kat’s destiny comes with a deadline. If they don’t fall in love by her twenty-fifth birthday—a mere three weeks away—Jake will never find the peace he seeks and Kat will lose her magic forever.

Please leave a comment/question on this post in appreciation of the author

Author Interview/Giveaway - Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne (Entangled Publishing)

2011-09-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Describe your book in five words or less.

1. Adventurous 2. Romantic 3. Piratical (of/or including pirates-Did I make that word up? Maybe.) 4. Otherworldly 5. Thought provoking (Or at least I hope it is)

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

The ideas come at the strangest times: When I’m driving, doing laundry, or in the shower. If I try to force myself to come up with ideas, nothing happens, but if I let my mind wander, there they are!

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

You control your own destiny. You can make things happen in your life if you put your mind up to it. Also,We need to work together to save this planet and balance our population with our resources.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The hardest part is when I hit a road block, or have trouble tying things together. Sometimes the story is crystal clear to me, and other times I feel like I’m looking through a smoky glass, trying to uncover a real gem.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I just finished the sequel, Tundra 37, about the Matchmaker on another colony ship. Now I’m writing a novella tie-in told from the perspective of the space pirates as the colony ships leave them behind on a crumbling Earth. This one has zombies of a sort in it, and has been a roller coaster ride to write!

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I love anything about science fiction. I grew up watching Star Wars and Star Trek TNG, and I wanted to create my won space opera, because you can never have enough of them can you? 

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

Exciting and scary at the same time. I hope they’ll like it, but you can’t please everyone all of the time. I can only write what I would enjoy reading myself.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Who has helped me along the way to publication?

Definitely my family’s support, my writing critique partners, my agent, and Entangled Publishing for believing in my book!

What was your road to publications like?

A lot of typing. I kept writing books until one of them caught fire. Paradise 21 is my fourth book, and I’ve already written two others and half a novella since then. I’ve also written about twenty short stories, and several hundred blogs.

You have to keep writing. I thought I’d write one book and be famous, but it took several books to hone my craft and create a good recipe of well-developed characters, action, plot, and setting.

Thank you for having me here today!

About the Author:

Aubrie is an author and flutist in New England. Her stories have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, A Fly in Amber, and several print anthologies including Skulls and Crossbones by Minddancer Press, Rise of the Necromancers, by Pill Hill Press, Nightbird Singing in the Dead of Night by Nightbird Publishing, Dragontales and Mertales by Wyvern Publications, A Yuletide Wish by Nightwolf Publications, and Aurora Rising by Aurora Wolf Publications. Her epic fantasy is published with Wyvern Publications, and several of her ebooks are published with Lyrical Press and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. When she’s not writing, she plays in orchestras and teaches flute at Plymouth State University and a community music school.

http://www.authoraubrie.com http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

Please levea a comment/question on this post in appreciation of the author

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Author Interview/Giveaway - The "What If" Guy by Brooke Moss (Entangled Publishing)

2011-09-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hi, and thanks for having me here today. What a fun blog to be a part of!

Describe your book in five words or less.

Um, let’s see….funny, romantic, relatable, emotional, and poignant.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

I get ideas everywhere! Every time I meet a new couple, and I learn about how they met and fell in love, I feel inspired to tell a new story. Inspiration for contemporary romance and women’s fiction is all around me! It’s just a matter of picking one story to tell at a time.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Actually, there are a few. First, don’t let too much time pass, and too much hurt happen, between you and a loved one before you take the first step towards reuniting and working things out. You never know when you might run out of time. And second, if your heart longs for someone, don’t force yourself to be with another. Your heart loves whom it loves. Go out and get them.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

For me the hardest part is definitely doing the promotion. I am happiest when sitting in my sweats writing a new story. Trying to “sell myself” takes me out of my comfort zone. But I am learning with time, that when you publish a book, connecting with readers is key. And I’m starting to appreciate it, too. My readers are amazing!

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I am currently working on a really cool WIP that I hope to pitch at the Emerald City Writer’s Conference all about…wait for it…carnies. Ha! That should be interesting. Plus, I am working on the edits for a really special trilogy that will come out next summer from Entangled Publishing. Think “My Best Friend’s Wedding” meets “Pretty In Pink”, with a dark twist a’la Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I’ve dabbled in other genres, but I seem to keep coming back to the contemporary romance and women’s fiction genres. They say to write what you read, and since I tend to lean towards those two genres first, that’s what I write. Plus, I really enjoy books that are relatable. With storylines that could potentially happen to me, or someone I know.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

Incredible. Sometimes I feel like I am having an “out of body” experience. All I’ve ever wanted with my books is to have people read and enjoy them. Nothing pleases me more than hearing that someone enjoyed a story I wrote. It’s better than any reward or contest win I could get. Fan feedback and praise is priceless.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

When I was writing The What If Guy, it played out in my mind like a movie the whole time. I would love to be asked who would play the roles of the main and secondary characters. And what songs would be on the soundtrack.

For the role of Autumn Cole, I always pictured Isla Fischer; for Henry Tobler, I pictured Gerard Butler; and for Billy Cole, I pictured Ed Harris. On the soundtrack, I would have “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere” by Dwight Yokum, and plenty of Willie Nelson songs.

What was your road to publications like?

It was sometimes painful, but completely worth it. I’ve been rejected a lot. And I have friends who live in fear of rejection, and who get completely depressed by rejection. I have been down a time or two, but never once did I contemplate giving up and going into a completely new field of work. I’ve contemplated self publishing before, but since I am not very good with self-promotion, I think it’s best to just stay the course I am on with Entangled, who makes it impossible for authors not to succeed.

My name is Brooke Moss, and my debut novel, The What If Guy, is available now from Entangled Publishing. It is the story of single mom, Autumn Cole, who is returning to her miniscule hometown to reluctantly reclaim her role as daughter of the town drunk. Things become even more complicated when she realizes that her son’s history teacher is none other than Henry Tobler, the college sweetheart she never stopped loving.

The What If Guy is available at Barnes & Noble.com, Amazon, Diesel Books, Books on Board, and your local bookseller. Grab a copy today, and let me know what you think!

Find me elsewhere on the web, at my website, blog, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

Fondly,

- Brooke Moss Please leave a comment/question on this post in appreciation of the author. Loading...

Author Interview/Giveaway - The Marked Son by Shea Berkley (Entangled Publishing)

2011-09-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

I’d like to thank Sue for inviting me to her blog today. Honestly, when you let a Young Adult writer on a blog, you never know what’s going to happen. We’re pretty pubescent. So I apologize beforehand for my behavior.

The Marked Son quick overview:

Seventeen-year-old Dylan Kennedy always knew something was different about him, but until his mother abandoned him in the middle of Oregon with grandparents he’s never met, he had no idea what.

When Dylan sees a girl in white in the woods behind his grandparents’ farm, he knows he’s seen her before…in his dreams. He’s felt her fear. Heard her insistence that only he can save her world from an evil lord who uses magic and fear to feed his greed for power.

Unable to shake the unearthly pull to Kera, Dylan takes her hand. Either he’s completely insane or he’s about to have the adventure of his life, because where they’re going is full of creatures he’s only read about in horror stories. Worse, the human blood in his veins has Dylan marked for death…

Describe your book in five words or less.

Dangerous. Demented. Dynamic. Totally Cool.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

I woke from a dream and the hand of God touched my temple and inserted the story right then and there.

I wish, but nope.

Honestly, I’m not sure where the actual storyline came from, but my fallen angels (aka my children) realized I was doing a lot of writing on the computer and figured out I was writing stories and they harassed me until I promised I’d write one for them. I, in turn, grilled them about what kind of book they wanted and fantasy won the rock, paper, scissors contest and The Marked Son was born… or something very close to that. No, really.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Whatever message is in my books, it’s completely up to the reader to uncover. In other words, I didn’t write it with a social message in there. I write for the entertainment factor.

That sounds so shallow, huh? Here’s the mind twist, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a message in my stories. It’s just that any message is secondary to the story. I find that stories that tout a message as its main goal are often dull and didactic. (bleck!) I’m not here to preach; my job is to tell the story as I see it unfold and whatever comes out of that telling is a product of the character I created, good or bad.

All authors are actors. We just relate the story through the written word. So message? If you find one, awesome! If you just breeze through it and have a good time, that’s great, too!

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The hardest part of writing? Everything.

The easiest part of writing? Something about writing is easy? Seriously? Nobody told me that. What is it?

I kid you not, writing is mentally and physically exhausting for me. I love the feeling of creating and perfecting what I’ve created, but it’s just as often bone-scrapingly painful. Writing is not for sissies. Or lazy people. Or anyone who wants to make a lot of money. (grin)

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I’ll tell you if you don’t tell anyone else. I’m working on the second and third books in the Keeper of Life series. Yep. And that’s all I’m telling you. Sorry. I can’t talk about books I’m working on. I find when I do, all the magic of that story slowly ebbs away, and then I don’t want to write about it anymore. So nope. Not talking.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

Different stories lean toward different genres. Dylan’s story leaned toward fantasy, so I had little choice in what kind of story it was. I’ve written middle grade books, picture books, adult books and books for young adults and within those categories the stories have run the gamut from straight fiction to fantasy to paranormal. All I want is to write an engaging story. Pretty simple goal for me.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

Surreal. (yeah, like that’s an original answer)

From my vantage point, my writing is fun for me, and hopefully entertaining for others, but nothing special. So, when people get all fangirl/boy on me it makes me smile. Shoot, I can’t wait for the next book to hit. I want to know what’s next for these characters and what they’re going to do, but honestly, I figured I’d be the only one. I’m just glad I’m not.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Boxers or briefs?

Dude, I’m a girl. Really. I just write in the guy’s POV. So, cute, lacy thongs, duh!

What was your road to publications like?

Long.

Umm, not really that long, but longer than I wanted it to be. I’ve been writing fiction a long time, but not with the focus of ever getting published. I wrote non-fiction for publication. Then, when I finally finished my first book, I had to do something with it. So I sent it out to a publisher and it went nowhere fast. I’m okay with that. I love that book. It taught me a lot about writing and I learned about my voice and rhythm and all sorts of crazy tricks we use in fiction.

Over the years I’ve almost been published more times that I’d like to remember, but each time I was grateful the deals fell through. So when Variance came knocking (even though my books with Entangled came out first, I sold to Variance first), I was thrilled and then Entangled scooped up another series, and I was doubly thrilled. So I have two books coming out in one year from two different publishers and it’s freaky, but fantastic.

Torrein: Age of Fear is an Epic Fantasy coming out November 1st 2011 from Variance Publishing. Here’s a quick overview:

What if the only hope of saving a magical world depended on an ordinary boy?

Peace is not easily found in the divided kingdom of Taelyon; its mortals distrust anything magical; its wizards are indifferent to the suffering of others, and hate infects everyone. The battle for dominance is never ending. Yet, there is hope in a boy named Torrein. When magic is denied him, he's chased from his own village by those he once called friends. Torrein doesn't understand that his destiny is far greater than any he could have achieved if magic had been granted him. Who wants a destiny soaked in blood? All Torrein wants is what he can't have - to be with his family and friends.

To claim his rightful power, Torrein must calm his fears and reveal the real evil working to destroy Taelyon. It will be a fight till the end of the age to reclaim the freedom they’ve all been denied, and though it's hard for him to accept, it’s up to Torrein to protect those who have been deceived, and to make sure the evil in their midst doesn't kill them all.

Author Bio

Shea Berkley started out writing nonfiction (not so fun) and quickly moved into fiction (totally fun), and knew she’d found her calling. (Her family was thrilled she’d found friends to play with even if they weren’t technically real.) She’s still pleasantly surprised people are willing to pay to read her stories.

Besides writing, her many diversions include kickboxing, reading awesome books and hanging out with her loud and rambunctious family. With five kids (all girls), her biggest job is to make sure the little darlings don’t harass the neighbors and then play dumb when the cops come knocking on her door.

Please leave a comment/question on this post in appreciation of the author.

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Author Interview/Giveaway - Ward Against Death by Melanie Card (Entangled Publishing)

2011-09-24T00:01:00.000-07:00
Describe your book in five words or less.

Murder + Necromancer + Undead Assassin = love

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

My ideas come in many different ways. Usually it starts with a character. At the time I was inspired to write Ward Against Death two things happened. The first, I was pondering the question: in what situation could a necromancer be good instead of evil?—because sometimes I like to play around with expectations. I liked the idea of an unexpected hero, but I wasn’t sure what form he’d take. And the second thing was watching Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hallow late one night on TV. Johnny Depp's portrayal of Ichabod Crane was quirky and endearing and determined… and he got the girl! And out of that my hero, Ward, was born.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I don’t intentionally write with a message but usually my stories are about finding one’s self. About discovering strengths and weaknesses, truly seeing one ’s self and truly being seen by someone else. And by that “being seen” realizing that you are worthy of love.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

For me the first draft is usually the hardest part. Once I have a foundation I can add, replace, and rearrange with relative ease. I don’t necessarily enjoy edits (I don’t get the same satisfaction that I get from writing a scene and realizing it’s gone in a different direction that I thought it would go and amazing new possibilities have opened up), but editing usually is a smoother process for me.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

Next for publication is the second book in the Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer series. The adventures of Ward and Celia continue with more undead creatures and evil necromancers. Future projects include books three and four in the Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer series.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I’m not sure why I always seem to choose to write fantasy, be it historical fantasy like Ward Against Death, urban fantasy, or paranormal romance, but I do. I grew up in a home where my father and brother read science fiction and my mother read mysteries. And save for the collection of Grimm’s fairy tales and a copy of Alice in Wonderland, there wasn’t a lot of fantasy in the house—at least until I starting buying my own books. The adventure in fantasy, the time periods and the magic that can do or become anything appeals to me. There’s a feeling of romance with fantasy, and I get to live that romance by being able to read and write about people who can do wondrous things. I think that drew me in as a child and has held me captive ever since.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

It’s very exciting to hear people are eagerly awaiting Ward & Celia’s next adventure. You never really know what kind of a response you’re going to get when you set your book free and let people read it. The response from everyone has been overwhelming and I’m so flattered that people are enjoying it.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

I’ve been asked a whole variety of wonderful questions since I started doing interviews for Ward Against Death. I wouldn’t say that there’s any one question I’ve been wanting someone to ask. I will give you a strange fact though. The surgery Ward performs in the book is based on a procedure described in the writings by Guy de Chauliac (a 12th century French surgeon).

What was your road to publications like?

From first “serious” submission to acceptance it took me almost seven years to make my first sale (I say “serious submission” because when I was in high school I sent out a short story to a literary magazine, was rejected, and didn’t send anything out again until the “serious” submission).

After the first serious submission I queried my books to agents and editors, entered them in contests, received requests for more, and received rejections. While I did that, I wrote the next book, and the next book and… you get the point.

Ward Against Death was the second book I wrote during this process, but it wasn’t until I’d written seven novels that I made my first sale to Entangled Publishing. Will we see those novel s in the future? For some, I hope so. For others… well, let’s just say they’re hiding under my bed and will probably stay there. I learned a lot writing all those books. I suspect I will continue to learn as I write more books.

Author Bio

Melanie has always been drawn to story telling and can't remember a time when she wasn’t creating a story in her head. Her early stories were adventures with fairies and dragons and sword swinging princesses.

Today she continues to spin tales of magic in lands near and far, while her cat sits on the edge of her desk and supervises. When she’s not writing, you can find her pretending to be other people with her local community theatre groups.

Please leave a comment/question on this post in appreciation of the author.

Book Description CHRONICLES OF A RELUCTANT NECROMANCER - Book One

Twenty‐year‐old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good‐bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.

But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.

However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a noble‐ man’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…

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Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop (Sep 24 - Oct 1)

2011-09-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone's idea is different. My take is that is up to the individual or parent to decide what is appropriate. I can't imagine not reading Harry Potter along with my nephews or missing at The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men ( I live in California you read a lot of the native son in high school or a least you used to), The Call of the Wild (another one that at one time lived in California) I've actually been to his historic house.

On that note I will be giving away BN giftcards (2 different winners)

- There will be two winners of $10 BN gift card to buy you own Banned book or one that you are dying to read.

- You must be a follower to win.

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Author Interview/Giveaway - Break Out by Nina Croft (Entangled Publishing)

2011-09-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Describe your book in five words or less.

Sizzling hot vampires in space.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

I really wanted to write a space opera—I've always loved them ever since watching Star Wars a long time ago, and falling in love with Han Solo, and more recently, Jos Whedon's, Firefly, and falling in love all over again. But I usually write paranormal romance, as I have a fondness for vampires and other creatures of the night. So, I was sitting watching Firefly for the fifth time trying to decide which project to work on next. I couldn't decide between the space opera or the paranormal, so I decided why not combine the two. After all, if vampires exist now, why shouldn't they exist in the future?

The more I thought about the idea, the more I like it, and so, Ricardo Sanchez, space pilot and vampire came into being.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Break Out, book one in the Blood Hunter series, looks at the issue of immortality—do we really want to live forever, and how much are we willing to pay to get it? Break Out is set in a future where man has discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. But Meridian is rare and expensive and only available to the select few who can pay the price. Everyone wants the chance to live forever, and many others have turned back to religion and another type of immortality. Then of course, there's my hero, Rico, who doesn't need either Meridian or the church, because he's already immortal.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

I'm a planner, and probably the planning is the hardest part for me—it's when I need to make all the important decisions. I have to work on my outline, right down to the scene level, then I'll dig about into my characters heads, working out what they want and why, until finally, I get to that magical moment where they start talking in my head. Once that happens, the writing comes easy.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

Blood Hunter book two, Deadly Pursuit, comes out soon. And I'm currently working on book three in the series.

I also have a paranormal romance, Bittersweet Blood, out in December with Entangled. And my next project will be a follow up to that.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I'm a big believer in writing the sort of stories you love to read. That doesn't actually narrow things down much for me as I read lots of different things, but right now, mainly paranormal. But I also love science fiction, and adventure stories and time travel and...

Break Out is a combination of space opera and paranormal romance. I love writing in both genres because there is no limit to what you can do and where you can go.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

Wonderful. Good reviews are great, but there's nothing like getting an email from a reader who genuinely likes your stuff. It makes all the work worthwhile.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

I find writing about myself incredibly difficult so I guess a good question for me would be—what animals do you have? Then I could write about them instead of me.

And the answer would be: Well, there's Gencianna, the horse, Lola, Grunt and Pinky the dogs...

What was your road to publications like?

Relatively painless—I had my share of rejections, but I've learned to see them as a learning process and use any feedback I get. I started writing contemporary romance—that's where most of the rejections came from. I was told they like my writing, but I had too much external conflict. So I moved on to paranormal romance, where external conflict is expected, and I loved writing it from the start.

The second paranormal novella I wrote, The Prophecy, was accepted by Harlequin Nocturne Bites and published in 2010. Since then I've had seven other novellas released by various publishers. And I have my first full length novels coming out later this year.

I'm very lucky, in that a few years ago, I moved with my husband to a remote farm in the mountains of Southern Spain. It's a wonderful place to write, very inspiring and very few distractions, so now I write pretty much full-time.

About the Author:
Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.

Nina’s writing mixes romance with elements of the paranormal and science fiction. Nina Croft

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Book Description:

Irreverent. Irresponsible. Insatiable. Who says immortals can't have any fun?

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous–or so fun!

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Author Interview/Giveaway - Thrill Me by Lucianne River (Entangled Puslishing) (End 9/28)

2011-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Describe your book in five words or less.

Steamy. Steamy. Steamy.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

HOLD ME is based on my own journey to Guatemala a couple of years ago.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

That it's okay to let loose.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

Currently, finding time to write is difficult due to changes in my personal life and workload. Dialogue is easiest for me. I have fun when my characters have fun.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

The sequels to HOLD ME--THRILL ME and ENTICE ME--come out in the next two months, so I'm busy editing those.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I have always read romantic suspense. When I began to write, I naturally gravitated to that genre.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

Are they? LOL. Cool.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Q) What's your phone number? (This is only if I'm being interviewed by Bruce Willis).

What was your road to publications like?

I started writing romance books last July. In February of this year, I received offers for four of my novellas. Savvyauthors.com was a fantastic source of knowledge.

Buy buttons HOLD ME:

AMAZON

B&N

Buy buttons THRILL ME:

AMAZON

B&N

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Please leave a comment on this post in appreciation of the author

Author Interview/Giveaway - Out in Blue by Sarah Gilman (Entangled Publishing) (ends 9/27)

2011-09-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Describe your book in five words or less.

Fast paced paranormal romance.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

I had recently read an article about endangered tigers and the ongoing problem of poachers killing them for their skin. I had also been to a small store where the owner had put on display a collection of feathers from large birds, and I thought to myself that a real angel feather would be quite the collector’s item, one people would pay money to own, like tiger fur. After that, the idea of poachers going after my archangel characters for their feathers hit me on the head like Newton’s apple.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The story is primarily for entertainment, but there are some underlying ideas I meant to draw attention to. Poaching is alive and well in the world, a horror that is often overlooked with everything else that is going on in the media. Also, the idea that love can happen fast and hard, when the right two people come together. I am a believer in true love and love at nearly first sight, and these particular characters are the embodiment of that.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

I write slowly, so keeping to a schedule with a goal of having a manuscript done by a particular date is a challenge for me. The ideas are the easiest…I seem to have too many of them, actually!

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I’m working on Deep in Crimson, the next book after Out in Blue in the Return to Sanctuary series. I have a side project that may or may not see the light of day, it’s too early to tell. That’s a ghost story romance. I’m also outlining an all new angel series that features both fallen angels and angels who have not fallen.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

Paranormal romance is my favorite genre to read, so I naturally chose to write it. I need out-of-this-world elements to keep my interest.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

Surreal. Even now, none of it feels real!

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

You were the first to ask it! Above, the underlying messages. Thanks! ;)

What was your road to publication like?

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About the Author

Sarah Gilman started her first novel in third grade. She never finished that story, but never gave up the dream. Her fascination with wings also began at that age, when images of the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis captured her imagination and never let go. Now a paranormal romance writer, she employs her love of writing to bring the allure of winged creatures to the pages of her novels. Sarah lives in Vermont with her supportive husband and two spoiled cats.

Surprisingly short. Out in Blue took a year to write, thought I’d been writing for a long time prior. Once I decided to pitch Blue, I had a contract offer in less than a month. Right place, right time.

Thanks so much for the interview today!

Author Interview/Giveaway - The Last Rising by Rachel Firasek (Entangled Puslishing)

2011-09-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you for having me on the blog today!!!

Describe your book in five words or less.
A phoenixes' redemption unlocks love.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

I was sitting in the airport after the RWA National Convention in the summer of 2010. A storm system had blown in and beat the airport up pretty good. All the flights were delayed until the storm passed. I started thinking about the flights that had taken off before us and how rough their trip was going to be. This inspired the opening scene in the book. A tarot reading brought me the phoenix and thus a book was born.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

This series is about self forgiveness. I think as women, especially, we hold our guilt to us and can sometimes shift it into our own undoing. This story is about getting past the pain of our own mistakes and forgiving ourselves in order to move on.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The hardest part of writing is staying focused on one story. Creativity is a living creature and once I'm back into that mode, stories will literally haunt me.The easiest is the other side of this, creativity breeds more stories and my mind is an endless plot, or love scene, or moody character just waiting for me to save them.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?
I'm currently working on the rest of the books in this series, but after that I hope to launch my top secret YA creation that is fairly begging to play with me.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I don't choose the genre, the story does. I like the paranormal world and all the possibilities it allows. But, if a story wants to be a straight contemporary, I let it. I'm not going to break my stories to make them fit into a mold. I just don't work that way.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's
release date?

It's pretty amazing. Everytime I see someone add The Last Rising to their TBR list on Goodreads, I shout in glee. My husband and kids think I'm quite looney. :)

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an
interview? How would you answer that question?

Is it worth it? I know that sounds lame, but sometimes we'll write for hours, hours, and more hours and watch a book we love that just doesn't create the hype we thought it would. But, to me it's all worth it. My story is out there and even if only a handful of people read it, I've spread my message and love to someone else. But that doesn't mean I don't want people to buy the book, lol, please rush out now. :)

What was your road to publications like?

This is my third novel to be published, but each road is different. The staff at Entangled has been incredible. Roxanne had been great setting up all of these amazing blog hops. My editor, Libby, is awesome to work with. Heather Howland is creating strong covers that we can all adore, and the publishers are always keeping us in the know. It's a truly unique experience and I'm glad I'm on their team.

Author Bio:

Rachel Firasek grew up in the south and despite
the gentle pace, she harassed life at full steam.
Her curiosity about mythology, human nature,
and the chemical imbalance we call love led her
to writing. Her stories began with macabre war
poems and shifted to enchanted fairytales,
before she settled on a blending of the two.

Today you’ll find her tucked on a small parcel
of land, surrounded by bleating sheep and
barking dogs, with her husband and children.
She entertains them all with her wacky sense of
humor or animated reenactments of bad 80’s
dance moves.

She’s intrigued by anything unexplained and
seeks the answers to this crazy thing we call
life. You can find her where the heart twists the
soul and lights the shadows… or at Rachel Firasek

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Please leave a comment on this post in appreciation of the author.

Author Interview/Giveaway - Stone Cold Seduction by Jess McAllen (Entangled Publishing)

2011-09-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Describe your book in five words or less.

Surprising, witty and somewhat dark.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

It’s a random process. I’m usually struck by inspiration right before I fall asleep, or when I’m doing dishes. A scene or character will pop into my head, and I’ll flesh out the story from there. My creativity flows best when I keep the process organic.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Regardless of your perceived fate, you still have a choice about how your life will unfold.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The hardest part is keeping a regular writing schedule. With 3 young children, it’s almost impossible. I have to stay flexible with my time. The easiest part is coming up with ideas. I have more ideas than I can write in my lifetime. The creative well is always full, though choosing what to work on next can be a fun challenge.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I’m working on the third book in the Set in Stone series, and then I’ll switch direction for a bit and work on a middle grade. Then I’ll move back to an urban fantasy/paranormal book. Switching genres keeps my muse engaged and my writing fun.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I’m very much a genre jumper because my reading and writing tastes are so eclectic. But the urban fantasy/paranormal genre is one of the first I fell in love with. As a writer, I have a blast creating a paranormal world. The possibilities are unlimited. I also love researching the magical, paranormal and mythological aspects. I’ve always been intrigued by anything beyond the norm.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

I’m never quite sure how to respond. It’s an awesome feeling, but it also makes me a little nervous. I worry about whether or not my story will entertain them. I have to work hard to silence that inner critic and simply say, “Thank you. I hope you love it.”

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

I love off the wall questions that make me really think, but I’ve always wanted someone to ask me which of my characters I’d be friends with in real life. I have a soft spot for Elle’s best friend, Teryl. He’s the kind of guy you can’t help but like—smart, funny and charming.

What was your road to publications like?

I hit a lot of speed bumps and dead ends. With each rejection, I fine-tuned my submission. I had to believe in my writing. Fortunately, it only takes on person to see the potential in a story and make an offer. I received a great opportunity with Entangled Publishing, and I’ll always be thankful this series found a home with them. I continue to learn something new with each book. I seem to learn best by trial and error (emphasis on the “error”), but I’m able to grow because of it. My goal is to constantly evolve as a writer.

Thanks so much for having me on Books, Books the Magical Fruit! I love connecting with readers. You can find me at www.JessMacallan.com | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Author Bio

Jess lives in the Inland Northwest with her husband and three children. She thrives on creative chaos. Curiosity drives her to try new things as often as possible.

When not writing or chasing trouble, she teaches yoga, reads, runs a mini farm, watches MMA and gardens. The only things she takes seriously are chocolate, tea and world domination. But mostly chocolate.

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Author Interview/Giveaway - Lucky Girl by Cate Lord (Entangled Publishing) (Ends 9/24)

2011-09-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Describe your book in five words or less:

A fun, flirty romantic comedy.

How did the ideas for your book come to you?

Many elements of Lucky Girl were drawn from my own experiences as a single gal recovering from heartbreak, starting to date again, and hoping to find “Mr. Right.” The story is loosely based on a year I lived and studied in England—an amazing time I’ll never forget. I stayed with my aunt and uncle in Hertfordshire and on weekdays, traveled by train down to London to attend classes. On weekends, I partied with a great group of friends I’d met through my cousins. It was a year of many adventures, including meeting the tall, dark-haired, witty Brit who later became my husband. He and I recently celebrated our nineteenth wedding anniversary and have a teenage daughter.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes, that people aren’t always what they appear to be on first impression. Early in the book, Jess considers the gorgeous hero, Nick Mondinello, a marketing exec for a prestigious London firm, to be a playboy like her deadbeat dad and a guy who’d break her heart if she ever got involved with him. As the author, I had the fun of proving to Jess that Nick’s more of a hero than she ever imagined. The book is really the story of how she grows as a character from being afraid of trusting her heart to Nick to falling head-over-heels in love with him, and how that affects her perspective on life. Of course, in the process I had to embarrass her, torture her emotionally, and poke fun at her insecurities and eccentricities, but I did so with the best of intentions. 

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What’s the easiest?

The hardest part is finding time, some days, just to sit and write. Our family schedule stays pretty busy, and it’s tough for me to focus when I have a lot of commitments. However, I pack a lined notebook and mechanical pencil in my purse, and when I’m waiting for my daughter at the orthodontist or at other appointments, I write. It’s not perfect material, but later, when I type it into my manuscript file, I edit it and flesh it out where needed. It’s a process that might not work for all authors, but it works well for me.

The easiest part of writing is crafting a scene that really “speaks” to me—in other words, when my creative muse is inspired. Usually it’s a scene filled with conflict, and I visualize it like a section of a movie. When the characters, dialogue, and action are so clear, the words fly from my fingers. I get so engrossed in what I’m writing, I’m hardly aware of the time passing, until, finally, I take a deep breath, push back from computer, and treat myself to a cup of Earl Grey tea (my favorite).

What’s next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I have several projects in the works right now. I’ve considered a sequel to Lucky Girl, although I haven’t decided on that for sure. I’m also working on a couple of paranormal romances. More details on my future projects will be revealed soon.

Why did you choose to write for a specific genre?

I wrote Lucky Girl as a personal challenge. Before I contracted with Entangled Publishing, I’d written six medieval romances that were released in mass market paperback. While writing my historicals, I was eager to try penning a funny, quirky, sassy contemporary romantic comedy, and that meant writing in a style and tone very different from my medievals. I love how Lucky Girl turned out, and would like to write more contemporaries. In fact, I have so many stories in mind—paranormals, historicals, contemporaries, and fantasy-set series—I hope to be writing for years to come.

What’s it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book’s release date?

It’s extremely exciting! It makes those many, many hours at my computer writing, revising, and editing all worthwhile. I love my readers and greatly appreciate their interest in my books.

What is one question that you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Hmm. Let’s see . . . How about: “If you could have any career you wanted, what would it be?” My answer: A jeweler. I’d love to design my own jewelry using gemstones, pearls, and precious metals.

What was your road to publication like?

It was full of potholes.  LOL! I didn’t sell the first manuscript I wrote (thank goodness; it’s pretty awful!). It took years and five completed books before I finally clinched my first sale, but I persevered, by entering contests with editors and agents as final-round judges, attending conferences to learn the craft of writing, and actively participating in my critique group, which is still going strong to this day. I’m so glad I didn’t give up; I’m truly honored to be able to share my stories with others.

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Guest Interview/Blog - One Wish for Winifred Witch by Cheri Hallwood

2011-09-16T01:40:00.000-07:00

Describe your book in five words or less. “One Wish for Winifred Witch”

Wow, that’s really hard to do! Solution for a witch’s fear.

How did the ideas for your book come to you?

I’ve always had a vivid imagination. I think I feel a lot like “Peter Pan.” I don’t want to forget what it’s like to be a child . . . to imagine, ask what if, and always ask why.

The idea for One Wish for Winifred Witch, comes from remembering my own fear of the dark and then watching my children and grandchildren find ways to overcome this same fear. I decided my character would be a little witch after accompanying two of my granddaughters while they went Trick or Treating a few years ago. You see, while we were going door to door, these three adorable little girls dressed up as “little witches” came running from one of the homes crying and saying how they now wanted to go home because it was getting dark. I thought, “What better way to talk about this fear.” After all, who would ever think a Witch would be afraid of the dark!.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I don’t really think about having a message when I write. However, Winifred is a tale about being afraid of the dark . . . an emotion most of us have felt at some time in our life. I feel it is important to take the time to listen to a child, for whatever reason. After all, they chose you to share their thoughts with. Remember, no wish is too big, no fear is too small.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The hardest part part of writing for me is knowing when to stop. I tend to ramble on and on and on. That’s when editing comes in! For me, the easiest part of writing is rhyming. I love it . . . to bring a story to life through rhyme is, for me, spiritual.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

Two of my grandchildren have asked me to try my hand at writing my first chapter book. And I am up to the challenge. Tentatively entitled, Frogwilla, (one granddaughter’s e-mail address) this enchanting tale is about a little frog’s road to self-discovery. Along the way, she learns the true meaning of friendship, courage, and acceptance. To be released Holiday 2012.

　 Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

Literacy is very important to me. Young children are so eager to learn. How much fun it is to listen to a young child as they browse through picture books and make up their own stories. Once a child learns to read, the world awaits them. “Children who are introduced to books at an early age and read to on a regular basis do better in school.” S. Herb--Building Blocks for Literacy

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

Unbelievable! Since my readers are so young, it’s mainly the grownups I hear from. I will never forget the time I was at a book signing and a little girl, about 6 years old, jumped up onto my lap and gave me the biggest hug. She told me how much she loved my book, Winter’s First Snowflake, and how she had waited several days to come to the book store and meet me! She then asked me if I would read my story just for her. Needless to say, it was very hard to hold back the tears.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

I can’t think of a question I haven’t already been ask, but I can tell you that some of the most interesting questions have come from children. What was your road to publications like?

Since I self-publish, my road to publication is somewhat different than the traditional route. I won’t lie, it is a lot of hard work. But I have discovered that the rewards of working hard at something you are passionate about far outweigh the challenges. Never give up on your dream!!!

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Meet Author, Cheri L. Hallwood

Cheri L. Hallwood is an award-winning children’s author and founder of Forever Young Publishers. But first and foremost, she will tell you she is the proud mother of three talented daughters and six very imaginative granddaughters.

Throughout her adult life, Cheri has had many occupations, but has always devoted her spare time to being involved with children . . . from room-mother and teacher’s helper, to Brownie Leader. As a young mother, Cheri had dreamed of someday writing children’s stories. However, life has a way of putting our dreams on hold. It would be her grandchildren that would inspire her to fulfill that dream and rekindle her passion for writing.

In 2005, with the encouragement of family and friends, a lot of research, and a small loan, Cheri would embark upon one of the most amazing journeys in her life . . . the journey into the world of writing and self-publishing. Her first children‘s book, Winter’s First Snowflake, was released in 2006. After Snowflake, took off, she continued to write, and a year later published The Curious Polka~Dot Present. Cheri’s latest book, One Wish for Winifred Witch, is considered by some to be her best work yet. All three books have been awarded the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award and the distinguished Dove Foundation Seal. Cheri’s goal remains the same, to encourage children to get excited about reading by creating books that stimulate their imagination and sense of curiosity about the world around them. Everyone should take a moment and enter the world of a child. Once again, Cheri’s grandchildren inspire her writing by asking her to try something new . . . write her first chapter book. Tentatively entitled, Frogwilla, this enchanting tale is about a little frog‘s road to self-discovery. Follow along, as she learns the true meaning of friendship, courage, and acceptance.

When not writing or publishing, Cheri enjoys baking, sewing and decorating. But her greatest pleasure is spending time with her grandchildren. A long-time resident of Niles, Michigan, Cheri and her husband, Ray, take great pleasure in being involved in their community.

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Author Guest Post/Giveaway - The Best Birthday Gift Ever - Tammy Kaehler

2011-09-13T00:01:00.000-07:00
Birthday Blog Post

The Best Birthday Gift Ever

Because today is my birthday, I thought I’d invite you all to join me in reminiscing about birthday gifts past, dreaming of birthday gifts future, and gorging on virtual cakes (calorie-free!!). Even better, I’m giving a gift: one commenter will win an audio book version of Dead Man’s Switch!

I’ve had some good birthdays in my life. Setting off on my honeymoon one year was especially good. The antique watch I received from a family friend is still a treasured possession. And a surprise party when I thought my friends had forgotten was a lovely moment. But this year is taking the cake (pun intended). I’ve already received two spectacular birthday gifts—both of them arrived early, but the celebration and the glow are still with me.

First, my debut mystery about a female racecar driver was published by Poisoned Pen Press a month ago. Yippee! People often ask if having a book published was a lifelong dream, and I almost don’t know how to respond. I didn’t think—scratch that, I KNEW I couldn’t write fiction, so I never even considered dreaming of it. But I have loved words and stories my whole life. I need them, every day, like air and water, but I knew I couldn’t write one. Until I did. So it’s actually beyond my wildest dreams now to be a published author (and I still get chills making the statement).

The second gift I received isn’t anything as tangible as the book—mere words, and words in cyberspace, at that. It’s a simple message a Twitter friend sent me last week. He wrote, “I finished your book this weekend and I'm looking forward to the next one. I was inspired to get a new library card today. :)”

Did you fall over, too? Can you imagine?! It’s hands down the best compliment I’ve ever received. I realized, reading that message, that book sales and critical reviews are well and good (and all things being equal, I’ll take them, thank you), but knowing I moved someone to go to the library for more books? That’s touched me the most deeply of anything in this whole crazy process of “being an author.” If I hadn’t yet felt I’d accomplished anything in this life, I for sure feel it nr>
I’ve told my husband not to bother with flowers or chocolates. I’m good for this year and probably the next as well. So tell me, what’s the best birthday gift or experience you’ve ever had? Was it kind words out of the blue, like mine? Was it something fabulous in your hands? The gift of a gesture or generous act? One commenter will win an audio book!

Dead Man's Switch by Tammy Kaehler (NEW Ends 9/23)

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Guest Post - Of Narratives and 9/11 by John Jackson

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000-07:00
About ten years ago, shortly after 9/11 a series of writers pontificated on the event for a New York publication. Robert Stone, ex-beatnik and author of Dog Soldiers, a novel about Vietnam and heroin running was one of them. In a work entitled “9/11: When Narratives Collide” he noted that narratives rule us—or, conversely— we allow ourselves to be ruled by narratives spawned by our culture. A novelist, Stone understood the impact of what happened through the lens of language, and language, as he noted can never separate itself from moral perspective because the imperatives of language are necessarily moral. Even something like humor is moral. To be sure this is generational, but it’s also cultural. And if individuals raised in the same household can have diverging tastes in matters of low importance like humor, imagine the disparity that moves across classes, cultures and generations when it comes to matters of religion and politics. The miracle really is that we don’t have more frequent events like 9/11—catastrophic as they are—not fewer. One reason we have been lucky in this regard is a simple technical fact—the world is closer. Because of advances in technology we are more easily able to communicate, to bridge the gulf in narratives and cultures. I know now the phrase Allahu Ahkbar means ‘God is Great’….I also know, thanks to friends who practice Islamic praying that there are recitative prayers like the Al-Wird portions of which are repeated over and over (100 times, for example). Just as Catholics might say a Holy Mary or Our Father on their rosary beads, so, too, those who practice the Al-Wird count their utterances and repeat them by a set standard. Thanks to modern technology (and friends) I know the sound of these prayers and find them haunting and refreshing in the same way Handel’s Messiah can bring a tear to my eye at Catholic midnight mass. They are meant as offerings to cleanse the heart so that one might come closer to God (Allah) and I suspect that for believers, they probably do.

**

Narratives haunt us, too. Sometimes, literarily. In Vietnam, the ghosts of ancestors who die violently continue to haunt the living until they are put to rest. Although treated with deep skepticism by many Westerners, there are clinical cases where young daughters or grandsons of lost relatives have been tormented by ghosts whose lives had been cut short by the decades long Vietnam war. The object of the ghost entreaties is to be re-united and properly buried by their family. Heonik Kwon, who has spent decades studying the war ghosts of Vietnam, tells this story:

“A man saw his late wife and children in the early morning on his way to the paddy. This was in the spring of 1993, and by this time some villagers had begun to remove the remains of their relatives from improper shallow wartime graves to newly prepared family graveyards. The apparition was at the site of the man’s old house. The house was burned down during the tragic incident of a village massacre in early 1968, which destroyed his family. His wife, seated on a stone, greeted him somewhat scornfully. The three children were hidden behind her back, afraid that their parents might start quarreling.

The meaning of the apparition was immediately clear to the man: he must rebury the remains of his lost family without delay. If he had no means to do so, according to the local interpretation of the apparition, the spirits would help him find a way. The man decided to spend the small sum of money that he had saved in the past years from selling coconuts and negotiated to obtain a loan from a neighbor. At that moment, a wealthy businesswoman and a relative of his wife arrived from a distant city and offered to share the cost of reburial. On the day of the reburial, the woman told the visitors how the family of spirits had appeared to her in a dream and urged her to pay a visit to their home.”

What’s interesting about this from a Western perspective is the ease with which the story of the ghosts are accepted. For us to really understand what this means in the context of contemporary Vietnam, we have to understand that the ghosts in a Vietnamese village are supposed to be attentive to the social affairs among their living neighbors, just as the villagers are interested in the existence of the ghosts—they are distinct and alien to each other just enough so that explanations are, in fact, necessary. In short—the ghosts want to explain themselves to the living as much as the living want and need to explain themselves to their dead ancestors.

One instance which surprised me was the story of an American soldier who had lost a leg in the same area where a North Vietnamese man had lost his life. He became haunted by the ghost of this dead Vietnamese soldier to the point of being possessed, at least nocturnally. He woke in the night, speaking in a high falsetto tongue. He was actually speaking a North Vietnamese dialect which he had never learned. His wife (a young Vietnamese woman) could barely cope with the strange possession and they sought the advice of a Shaman or spirit medium. The medium advised them to return to the place where the young soldier was wounded. Once there, they met with relatives of the man who had been killed in the area and his bones were finally re-interred near his family’s ancestral spot. The American soldier’s nightmare stopped almost immediately.

I say all this by way of emphasizing Stone's point: we live and die by our narratives, and the stories we tell ourselves as a culture are some of the most powerful forces on Earth.

Considering this, maybe the most important thing that happened ten years ago wasn’t the disastrous attacks on the World Trade Center, the downed flight in Pennsylvania or the attack on the Pentagon, but the new narrative that was unleashed after the attack. There were at least two possible stories we could have told ourselves.

The first: we have been attacked and must unite to rescue the people we can and prosecute the individuals responsible. If possible we must find the reason for the attack and make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

The second: we have been attacked and now we must attack in turn, not just the individuals directly responsible, but an entire country. And, if that should prove insufficient, we should attack more than one country, perhaps an entire culture needs to feel our pain. Ultimately, we must seek to remake and dominate any narrative but our own.

Today, ten long years later, maybe we should spend a little time thinking about the stories we told ourselves back then. And ask ourselves…did we choose the right one?

Guest Post - Where Are You, Anne Bonny? by Daniel Lance Wright

2011-09-10T00:07:00.000-07:00

I want to thank Sue for the opportunity to be a guest on her blog and commend her for the appearance and information offered on the site. I can only aspire to such detail and organization in my own blog site. Of course, my office and my bedroom aren’t such neat places either; so . . .

To give you a quick heads-up on who I am and a little on what makes me tick; I write novels and short stories, mostly novels, and do not favor one genre over another, not yet anyhow. When an idea for a novel comes to me, whizzing out of the cosmos and slamming into my forehead, it has not done so in the same genre twice in a row. To clarify, I’ve written nine novels, three published, two in contract and one other under consideration by a publisher and, genre-wise, it breaks down like this: 2 soft science fiction, 3 young adult (although one might be too edgy for the classification), 1 suspense thriller, 1 paranormal, 1 historical drama and 1 mainstream/period. To confuse the stew a bit further, I’m currently working on the first draft of a Nicholas Sparks-esque love story. Whew! It’s exhausting. Each time I switch, I must learn a different style, so the story’s ebb and flow fits the genre, not an easy thing to do. And, sometimes, the genre chooses me, not the other way around. By the way, I do have a couple of short stories published as well; a science fiction and an inspirational mainstream.

I love to create a universe and characters then go on a journey with them in their world. If a writer cannot live in that world and only sees it, as he would through a camera lens, then it will be one-dimensional, flat. The reader will pick up on that and likely set the book aside. It must go far beyond seeing a mind’s-eye movie and describing it; one must actually travel with created characters in their world, not just view them from somewhere outside it. This is the only way it will come to life for the reader; the characters must live within the writer and not just appear as names on a page. I have begun countless manuscripts that were abandoned in the end because I was blocked from getting inside the mind of a protagonist. Therefore, the character quickly fell flat, nothing memorable whatsoever. This is my grandest struggle; and, a challenge I willingly embrace. This could, possibly, be considered my creed as a fiction writer.

I often hear authors tell of dreams kick-starting the conceptualization process on a novel. It’s not unusual since sleep is the only true time the mind is set free to roam. My novel “Where Are You, Anne Bonny?” (Rogue Phoenix Press/2010) came about that way. But, it wasn’t my dream. It was one that my eighty-seven-year-old father had. While visiting him one day, he said that he had a dream about a lady pirate that was a master of disguise. He thought it’d make a great novel. I won’t bore you with all the details. Suffice it to say, it was not the simple product of his imagination but a resurrected memory of something he’d read in the nineteen-fifties in Saturday Evening Post (I think) called “The Pirate Had Breasts”. I was only eight years old, but I remember the article and it had nothing to do with the story and everything to do with an artist’s rendering of a woman, naked from the waist up, holding a long knife in one hand and a rapier in the other. Okay, I know what you’re thinking; and you’re right. What eight-year-old boy would not remember such a picture? Now, get your mind out of the gutter and let’s move on.

Anne Bonny was an Irish lass, the love child of father, William Cormac, and the maid. She was born into wealth and knew that world well but was disowned at nineteen when she decided to marry a n’er-do-well by the name of James Bonny. She quickly learned the seedier side of life as a pirate. She was a fascinating person—ruthless, confused sexually, and equally comfortable among the rich as she was in a pirate’s lair. She was supposed to have hanged in St. Jago de la Vega, Jamaica in 1720. There are reasonable records that her partners in crime, Calico Jack Rackham and Mary Read, did die there but nothing on Anne Bonny. Did she hang? It is only assumed that she did. There are numerous theories as to what may have happened to her, but no one knows definitively. This opened the door very wide for a novel and I gladly walked right on through it, beginning the story in that sweaty Jamaican prison. “Where Are You, Anne Bonny?” is available at Amazon.com and RoguePhoenixPress.com. If you’re in the mood for a historical drama, I certainly recommend this one. After you’ve read it, let me know what you think of it (wrightthing@hotmail.com). I’d love to hear from you. Also, I’d be honored if you followed me on my blog

Bio

A lifelong Texan, Daniel (Danny) Lance Wright is a freelance fiction writer and novelist born in Lubbock, Texas now residing near Waco. He lives with Rickie, wife of 39 years and has two children and three grandchildren.

Having spent the first nineteen years of his life on a cotton farm on the South Plains and the next thirty-two in the television industry, he has seen the world from two distinctly different angles.

Daniel has received recognition for writing skills from The Oklahoma Writers Federation in 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2011; from Art Affair in 2008; from Frontiers in Writing in 2004 and 2010; from Writer’s Digest in 2008, and the Abilene Writer’s Guild in 2004; Canis Latran of Weatherford College in 2011.
br> Also Author of: "Paradise Flawed"/Dream Books LLC/2009/print & ebook "Six Years' Worth"/Father's Press/2007/print & ebook "Where Are You, Anne Bonny?"/Rogue Phoenix Press 2010/ ebook only “Trouble”, short story/CrossTIME Science Fiction Anthology, Vol. IX/print only “Dancing Away”/short story/Untreed Reads/ebook only COMING SOON “Phobia”/Booktrope/late 2011/print & ebook “Defining Family”/Whiskey Creek Press/2012/print & ebook “Annie’s World: Jake’s Legacy”/under consideration “The Last Radiant Heart” (re-release) “Hackberry Corners, Texas 1934” “Helping Hand For Ethan” “The Lost Decades”

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Author Interview/Giveaway - Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin

2011-09-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

Describe your book in five words or less.

Love and courage overcoming peril.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

The idea for A Distant Melody, the first book in the Wings of Glory series, came out of a “what if” question—what if a man and woman met at an event, truly clicked, and parted before exchanging contact info? Wouldn’t it be romantic if he went through great effort to track her down? It wouldn’t work in a contemporary setting—he’d “Google” her—but it made a sweet premise for a historical. My husband and I watched a History Channel special on the US Eighth Air Force based in England which flew over Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, and I was hooked.

While doing research, I became enamored with the Eighth Air Force and wanted to tell the full story to V-E Day. Since my hero had two pilot brothers, I decided to write a series, with each book focusing on one brother. Those books are A Memory Between Us and Blue Skies Tomorrow.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I never write a novel with a message in mind, but I do hope my readers will learn from my characters’ experiences. Fear can cripple you and keep you from the life God intends for you. I hope readers will see how they can find courage in the Lord and the strength to face whatever life throws at them.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The hardest part for me is the plotting. Sometimes it feels like a wrestling match for me, although I do enjoy it. The easiest parts for me are character development and dialogue.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I signed another contract with Revell for a series tentatively titled Wings of the Nightingale. It follows three World War II flight nurses who discover love, friendship, and peril in the skies and on the shores of the Mediterranean. I just finished the first novel in the series, which will release Fall 2012. It features a You’ve Got Mail-like anonymous pen pal relationship between a loner nurse and an Army engineer burdened by the legacy of his infamous father.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I started writing historical fiction because my story idea demanded a historical setting. World War II has always fascinated me, and there are so many dramatic stories and settings—a novelist’s dream. This was a time when ordinary men had to do extraordinary things, and when women first explored non-traditional roles—while remaining ladies. I’ve always been fond of that generation, my grandparents’ generation. As a pharmacy resident at a VA hospital, I had the honor of caring for many of these men. As a rule, they were cheerful, kind, and chivalrous, with the solid strength of someone who has been tested—and passed. What more could you want in a hero?

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

It’s surreal. I’m still surprised anyone not related to me by blood or marriage wants to read my books—much less that they come back for more! But of course, it’s thrilling. I had no idea writing books would help me make friends! Maybe I should have started in junior high 

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

I don’t think anything is left. How about a math question? I always liked math. That would be a refreshing change.

What was your road to publications like?

Long and rocky, but everybody probably says that. I started submitted my first novel in 2003. I received good feedback from published authors, editors, and agents—and began accumulating a stack of “good” rejection letters. They liked my writing, my story, and my characters—however, historicals weren’t selling. This continued for five years. I often felt discouraged, but the Lord made it obvious in many ways that He wanted me to finish the trilogy so I plugged away. Then in 2008, the market opened up for historicals, and there I was with my trilogy close to complete. I submitted to Vicki Crumpton at Revell, and I was offered a three-book contract.

Describe your book in five words or less.

Love and courage overcoming peril.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

The idea for A Distant Melody, the first book in the Wings of Glory series, came out of a “what if” question—what if a man and woman met at an event, truly clicked, and parted before exchanging contact info? Wouldn’t it be romantic if he went through great effort to track her down? It wouldn’t work in a contemporary setting—he’d “Google” her—but it made a sweet premise for a historical. My husband and I watched a History Channel special on the US Eighth Air Force based in England which flew over Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, and I was hooked.

While doing research, I became enamored with the Eighth Air Force and wanted to tell the full story to V-E Day. Since my hero had two pilot brothers, I decided to write a series, with each book focusing on one brother. Those books are A Memory Between Us and Blue Skies Tomorrow.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I never write a novel with a message in mind, but I do hope my readers will learn from my characters’ experiences. Fear can cripple you and keep you from the life God intends for you. I hope readers will see how they can find courage in the Lord and the strength to face whatever life throws at them.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The hardest part for me is the plotting. Sometimes it feels like a wrestling match for me, although I do enjoy it. The easiest parts for me are character development and dialogue.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I signed another contract with Revell for a series tentatively titled Wings of the Nightingale. It follows three World War II flight nurses who discover love, friendship, and peril in the skies and on the shores of the Mediterranean. I just finished the first novel in the series, which will release Fall 2012. It features a You’ve Got Mail-like anonymous pen pal relationship between a loner nurse and an Army engineer burdened by the legacy of his infamous father.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

I started writing historical fiction because my story idea demanded a historical setting. World War II has always fascinated me, and there are so many dramatic stories and settings—a novelist’s dream. This was a time when ordinary men had to do extraordinary things, and when women first explored non-traditional roles—while remaining ladies. I’ve always been fond of that generation, my grandparents’ generation. As a pharmacy resident at a VA hospital, I had the honor of caring for many of these men. As a rule, they were cheerful, kind, and chivalrous, with the solid strength of someone who has been tested—and passed. What more could you want in a hero?

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

It’s surreal. I’m still surprised anyone not related to me by blood or marriage wants to read my books—much less that they come back for more! But of course, it’s thrilling. I had no idea writing books would help me make friends! Maybe I should have started in junior high 

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

I don’t think anything is left. How about a math question? I always liked math. That would be a refreshing change.

What was your road to publications like?

Long and rocky, but everybody probably says that. I started submitted my first novel in 2003. I received good feedback from published authors, editors, and agents—and began accumulating a stack of “good” rejection letters. They liked my writing, my story, and my characters—however, historicals weren’t selling. This continued for five years. I often felt discouraged, but the Lord made it obvious in many ways that He wanted me to finish the trilogy so I plugged away. Then in 2008, the market opened up for historicals, and there I was with my trilogy close to complete. I submitted to Vicki Crumpton at Revell, and I was offered a three-book contract.

Loading... Author Bio

Bio: Sarah Sundin lives in northern California with her husband and three children. When she isn’t ferrying kids to soccer and tennis, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies. She is the author of the Wings of Glory series—A Distant Melody (Revell, 2010), A Memory Between Us (2010), and Blue Skies Tomorrow (August 2011). In 2011, A Memory Between Us was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards and Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference.

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Author Interview - Splunkunio Splunkey Detective and Peacemaker by Dr. Elana Ashley

2011-09-06T00:01:00.000-07:00
Describe your book in five words or less

English/Spanish children’s mystery adventure

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

This marks the 25th/almost 26th anniversary of one of my companies – Great Imaginings, Inc. – a tax, exempt, not-for-profit educational corporation – through which I have offered programs dealing with everyday issues and challenges – such as child abuse prevention, confronting drug problems, solving problems of loss, conflict resolution, building character and values/self-esteem… One day I decided to confront some of these problem areas in the form of a book – in a form that children could enjoy, from which they could learn and grow. To the book I added an audio CD and a teaching guide for educators and parents. My storybook characters are puppets, and I am a puppeteer/ventriloquist

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

The ideas for Splunkunio Splunkey: Detective and Peacemaker Case One: The Missing Friendship Bracelet [children ages 4 to 8] came easily; they are part of my experience and imagination; the writing itself is easy.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I am in the middle of the second book in the mystery series - Case Two: Big Bully Holly Howler - which targets friendship and bullying – written in English and English/Spanish.

I am also working on a very different book for younger children – ages 1 to 4 - whose illustrations I am painting. I have approximately half of the illustrations done.

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

Today’s children are our future leaders. They need to learn strategies for coping with everyday challenges while young so that planet earth will one day be a world of friendship and peace.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

Very exciting … Makes me want to finish the writing of Case Three and jump into the fourth of what I hope will be a series of 14 books.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Right now I do not have an answer for this one… I will tell you at a later time…

Very honestly, my mind is on my husband who is in the hospital with pneumonia, and I hope I can take him home tomorrow so that he can continue healing under my loving care rather than in a hospital which is loaded with germs, infection…

What was your road to publication like? Difficult and expensive…

Author Bio

President of Dream Image Press, LLC, Dr. Elana Ashley has been publishing and selling a mystery series in English and Spanish for children ages 4 to 8 entitled Splunkunio Splunkey, Detective and Peacemaker. The first book in the series - Case One: The Missing Friendship Bracelet - confronts such issues as friendship, teamwork, solving problems of loss and conflict resolution. Case One comes with an Audio CD and Teaching Guide for Parents and Educators. The second book in the series - Case Two: Big Bully Holly Howler - should be coming out in 2012.

Dr. Ashley is also Founder and Executive Director of Great Imaginings, Inc., an Illinois not-for-profit corporation which promotes literacy and the arts. A storyteller, singer and puppeteer, Ashley presents educational and entertaining performances and workshops for children, parents, teachers and families in schools, libraries, community organizations, and on television. Great Imaginings, Inc. provides children and adults with the tools, strategies and inspiration which enable them to imagine, pursue their dreams, and achieve their goals. Great Imaginings is celebrating its 26th anniversay. For more information about Great Imaginings

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Guest Blog - Jack the Theorist by Jon Hartless

2011-09-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

On August 31st, 1888, Mary Ann Nichols was killed in Whitechapel. The murder didn’t excite too much attention at the time, but this changed as a further four women were killed and a myth was born; the myth of Jack the Ripper.

I say he’s a myth because, in a sense, Jack the Ripper never existed. He’s a fabrication of society, a midnight ghoul created by rumour, the public, and the press. Obviously someone killed the five women, but there is even some debate about whether they were all murdered by the same hand. What has evolved over time is the legend we know today. Think of the Ripper and most likely you have an image of a foggy street and the silhouette of a man in evening wear, with a top hat and a cape, prowling the streets with a knife in one hand and a Gladstone bag in the other.

I was introduced to the world of the Ripper by picking up The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper, edited by Maxim Jakubowski and Nathan Braund, which presents a series of essays by different ‘ripperologists’ who examine the case, draw conclusions, argue with each other, and insist that their suspect has to be the killer.

This is the biggest criticism that can be levelled at ripperology; it is little more than a game in which the objective is to disregard the facts, condemn any rival theories, and finally identify and promote a suspect as the definitive killer. The ‘winner’ of the game makes money, or gains some notoriety, (or maybe even self-validation), and reality can take a running jump. The truth is almost entirely incidental.

Consider the ‘case’ against the Duke of Clarence. In 1888, Whitechapel was a pit of criminality, desperation, poverty, and neglect – the tinderbox beloved of purple prose, ready to explode. As the murders continued the mood in Whitechapel turned ever uglier, especially against outsiders, Jews and ‘toffs’. Is it at all believable that a member of the royal family could visit Whitechapel and not be noticed by someone? And that doesn’t even take into account the court circulars showing he wasn’t in the area at the time...

It was this which encouraged my novella, Jack the Theorist. It is a work inspired by the theories of the ripperologists rather than the actual crimes. In it, an enthusiastic ripperologist investigates the murders as they happen and deduces ever more elaborate and ridiculous theories as to who is responsible. Many of the ideas were taken from the genuine theories presented in The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper, no matter how delusional (or occasionally sensible) they appear. It was fun writing the story, laughing at the incredulity (or opportunism) of ripperology, and exploring the way in which random events can be stitched together to form a sort of (in)credible tapestry of conjecture, fabrication, and paranoia.

As such, Jack the Ripper truly stands on the threshold of the modern day, with the press lying to the population to whip up sales, cranks crawling out the woodwork to offer up their theories, and the population absorbing the juiciest ideas as fact. The wisest thing we can do, I suppose, is laugh at them...

Jack the Theorist is out now at Vagabondage Press.

Author Bio

Jon Hartless was born in the 1970s and has spent much of his life in the Midlands and Worcestershire. He is the author of three bleakly humorous science fiction books under his own name, and two even bleaker works under the pen name Barnabas Corbin.

Rise of the Steampunk Empire will be published under the Barnabas Corbin name early in 2012.

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Author Interview/Giveaway - Pleating for Mercy by Misa Ramirez (Entanled Puslishing)

2011-09-01T00:49:00.000-07:00

Describe your book in five words or less.

Charming. Intriguing. Cozy. Magical. Mystery.

How did the ideas for your books come to you?

Pleating for Mercy, book one in A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series, came to me in bits and pieces. I knew I wanted to have the heart of the book be in a dressmaking shop. Buttons & Bows was born of that desire. I love throwing in little bits of history, and since the story takes place in Texas, and there’s something intriguing about the old western outlaws, having Harlow Jane Cassidy be a descendent of Butch Cassidy was a natural for me.

The rest evolved as I wrote!

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The themes which always emerge in my books are family, independent women, and friendship. There’s not a message, per say, but these themes are strong in Pleating for Mercy.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?

Time management! I’m a mother, wife, and PTA vice president, I work for a publisher (Entangled Publishing: http://entangledpublishing.com ), I teach writing both online and at Southern Methodist University, and I write. Often the writing gets pushed aside as other deadlines and priorities rise to the top.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

I’m nearly finished with the 3rd book in my Lola Cruz mystery series, Bare Naked Lola (written as Misa Ramirez). It’ll be published in early spring. I’m working on the third book in A Magical Dressmaking mystery series (written as Melissa Bourbon). Book 2, A Fitting End, comes out in February.

I have 2 romantic suspense novels coming out in 2012, as well as a nonfiction book on marketing and promotion, co-authored with Tonya Kappes

I’m always busy!

Why did you choose to write for specific genre?

Several things speak to me:

1. The Mexican culture. My husband is Mexican and we’ve tried hard to infuse our lives and our kids’ lives and experiences with parts of his culture. Lola Cruz is an embodiment of that, as are the themes, plot, and characters in my romantic suspenses.

2. Family. Every book I write is centered with family.

3. Strong women.

Looking at these elements, coupled with my love of mysteries, it was natural for me to gravitate toward the mystery genre. The new series, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery, is cozy, which I love. It’s a bit lighter than the suspenses, but still incorporates all of the same elements I love.

What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's release date?

So exciting! The response, reviews, and praise for Pleating for Mercy have been amazing, and it’s a thrill.

What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Ha! I can’t think of any.

What was your road to publications like?

My road to publication has been like anyone else’s... filled with ups and downs. I’ve had 3 agents: the first retired, the second was great, but when I shifted toward mystery, she didn’t have those connections. The third is amazing and I’m still with her.

I’ve been published with SMP and NAL. I’ll be published with a smaller press, Entangled Publishing. I’ve tried my had at self-publishing (which I discovered is not for me!). I’ve been fortunate to be able to do what I love and make some semblance of a living while doing it. It’s a blessing to have people love my books and I don’t take that for granted. Writing is hard work, but I love it!

Thanks for having me here today!

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