Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A World Apart Book Tour

LinkCamelia Miron Skiba is on a virtual book tour to tell readers about her new book A World Apart. She's also giving away a download to one randomly drawn commenter. Today she's posting on Chasing Dreams.
Her tour link:
http://cblspromotions.blogspot.com/2012/01/vbt-world-apart-by-camelia-miron-skiba.html.

I'm often asked when do I have time to write. I have a career outside of writing, a family to raise, relatives to visit, birthday parties to attend, laundry, cooking ... the everyday routine.

It's easy to get swamped and not work out / write / finish that book on your nightstand you began three months ago. It's easy to give up on dreams because to fulfill them you have to exert effort and energy chasing after them, and most of all you have to invest time—time we never seem to have.

Giving up is easy. But not fulfilling. Before you know it, time passes by so fast, your children are out of the house, and you look back with regret for not doing what you loved mostwrite, crochet, paint, read, hike the Himalayas ... and before you know it, you wish time was some magical wand you wave to get back what you've lostyour dreams, your passions.

I don't have a formula for how to find time for your hobbies, but I hope you'll look inside yourself and see that little girl (boy) you once were, with dreams to become a famous painter, an acclaimed writer or just an amazing conductor, and find within yourself the will to follow that dream.

You will be sidetracked by the load of laundry or the batch of cookies your child needs for the fundraiser. You will feel guilty for not spending time with your husband watching his favorite show. You will be discouraged by the amount of time and energy it requires to follow that dream. All I can tell you is: Don't. Give. Up. On. Your. Dream.

What you can give up is an hour-long TV show / movie that you can later watch online, and commercial free (about 20 minutes of foods you don't want to try, or cars you'll never buy anyway).

You can give up tweeting and following everyone's daily life on Facebookyour life is by far more interesting than that of those you follow, I promise you. You can give up reading magazines about Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Anistonthey don't even know you exist. Why not make them read about you and your accomplishments?

Ask for help with cooking, laundry, cleaningwe all know you are superwoman, no need to prove to anyone what you are capable of doing. Ask your husband to read a goodnight story to the kids while you close the door to your office and immerse yourself in that passion of yours you’ve had since your childhood.

Have you started yet?

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Camelia.M.Skiba

GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4864495.Camelia_Miron_Skiba

BLURB:

In a war that’s not hers, she loses everything.

Everything she loses is because of him.

Forgiveness is not an option.

Or maybe...

Lieutenant Cassandra Toma, trauma surgeon in the Romanian National Army starts her deployment at a joint-unit air base on a wrong foot, clashing on her first day with her new commander, Major David Hunt. Her rebellious nature and sassiness rival her excellent performance in the operating room—the only reason why she's not reprimanded, or maybe not the only reason.

They meet. They clash. A forbidden passion consumes them with the intensity of an erupting volcano, leaving her heartbroken and him with tarnished honor and pride as an officer. The only way out for David is disappearing into the dangerous warzone in Iraq. Their flame was supposed to be over when destiny brings them back under the same roof, this time with a common goal—to find Cassandra's brother, Maj. Robert Toma, kidnapped by insurgents while on patrol.

To rescue Robert, Cassandra and David put aside their resentments, uniting forces against a common enemy. Trying to forget the painful past, Cassandra opens up to give David—and their love—another chance. What she doesn’t realize is that her anguish is the result of David’s impetuous action—one reckless choice he made for which she may never forgive him.

His mistake, his secret, could cost them both the love they've finally found.

EXCERPT #1:

“You need to calm down,” David inched closer to Cassandra, fixing her with such intensity her face caught fire.

“Calm down? You want me to calm down?” she snorted, jutting her chin up, hands on her hips.

“Yes. You need to calm down. What was that all about? Why are you so furious?”

“You want to know why I am so furious?” Cassandra grounded her feet apart and pushed her chin forward. “You really want to know? I’ll tell you why. I’m so sick of your bigheaded attitude, of your ‘I’m an American—I do whatever I want’ arrogance!” She shoved a finger at David’s chest, poking it and leaning forward. Her gaze locked on his, their faces close. “You act like some god on our grounds, like you’re doing us a big favor, honoring us with your royal presence as if we are a bunch of idiots you cannot stand. Anything that comes your way that is Romanian, you dismiss with such vehemence one might think it’s poisonous. Nothing we do or have is good enough for your nose.

“But let me tell you something, my friend. My people might not have everything so technical and so advanced, but they are good and hard-working people. They have good hearts and above all, they have dignity. When you live for generations under communism and are treated the way we were, maybe only then you can understand what it means to be so ‘primitive’. To be given nothing and be expected to work wonders. Your standards and ours obviously don’t match, but who are you to judge us? What do you know about us that gives you the right to treat us this way? Huh?

“And for your information, in case nobody had the courage to tell you, this is not our war.” She made a large circle with her arms. “We haven’t asked for it and we are doing you a favor allowing all of you to be on our soil. And not vice versa.” Cassandra straightened her back, pushed away a curl that fell on her face and held her arms up. “Here you have it, I said it.”

She walked around David, opened the door and before leaving, said without looking back, “And don’t forget to write me up.”

BUY LINKS:

Amazon (Kindle Edition): http://www.amazon.com/A-WORLD-APART-ebook/dp/B006NZWHF2

Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/World-Apart-Camelia-Miron-Skiba/dp/1466226676

Barnes & Noble (Nook Book): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-world-apart-camelia-miron-skiba/1108016741

Smashwords (All Formats): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/115952


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I WRITE. I LOVE. I DREAM. I WRITE.

I’m Chris’ wife, Patrick’s mom and Bella’s owner. During the day, I’m the assistant to the Director at SESE at Arizona State University, and romance’s slave at night.

I moved to the U.S eight years ago, following my heart and the man who stole it. I love comedies, historical dramas and happily-ever-after stories. English is not my native, not my second, but my third language.

Some fun facts about me:

Each year I participate in one big event that requires me to physically train. My biggest sportive accomplishment was the 3-day 60-mile Susan G. Komen Walk.

Annually I pick a color I decree my favorite (this year it’s salmon).

I refused to text until 2010, always preferring to hear voices rather than sending emotionless messages. Politic bores me to death and I have no tolerance for arrogance.

“A World Apart” is my second book. My debut novel “Hidden Heart” came out March 2011.

Email: cami.skiba@gmail.com

Blog: http://cameliamironskiba.wordpress.com

Monday, January 30, 2012

Confusion


CONFUSION:Mother nature is as confused as I normally am. Its still January and the daffodils are trying to bloom.

FRIGHT: We watched the Ides of March last night. Even though its fiction if half the machinations represented in the movie are to be believed, the political beast is pretty darn scary.

~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Jennifer Shirk
Julia Barrett

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Valentine's Contest Coming Soon


Can you believe it's almost the end of January? February is right around the corner which means its almost Valentine's Day. Here's an upcoming contest.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Sweet Blog Award


Susanne Knight nominated me for the Irresistibly Sweet Blogger Award. Doesn't that picture kick start your sweet tooth? Thanks, Susanne. Susanne writes romance with a twist. She has published thirty books to date. She's an Eppie winner, seven-time Eppie finalist and two time Dream Realm finalist. Susanne writes in a variety of genres. Want to know more? You can finder her at http://romancewritingwithatwist.blogspot.com.

Now....I'm to nominate ten bloggers and Linktell you seven unknown things about myself. Hmm, what haven't I already told you?
Anyway, here's my nominees:
Sherry Silver: http://sherryink.blogspot.com//
Mona Risk: http://monarisk.blogspot.com/
Sherry Gloag: http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/
Hywela Lyn: http://www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com/
Robin Lee Courtright: http://rhobinlee.wordpress.com/
Hippie Chicks http://hippiechicks68.blogspot.com/
Beth Trissel: http://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/
Jennifer Shirk: http://jennifershirk.blogspot.com
Jeanette Marie: http://www.jmariebooks.com/blog?




* * *

1. My son got me the first three seasons of Remington Steele for my birthday
2. I have an eighteen year old cat
3. My favorite ice cream is Chocolate Turtle
4. I've been taking kickboxing lessons for a year
5. My favorite group is Celtic Thunder
6. My favorite pizza is pineapple, green pepper and onion
7. My favorite brand of chocolate is Fannie May

Friday, January 27, 2012

On The Rim of Love Book Tour


With us today is Marie Astor. She’s going to give ski tips to beginner.

Welcome, Marie.

HI Sandra, thank you for inviting me to your blog to talk about my contemporary romance novel, On the Rim of Love.

So, what are my beginning ski tips? I could go on for pages talking about how to learn to make the perfect turn, but I would rather start with the most important part, which is confidence. When it comes to skiing learning is never finished – there will always be tougher terrain that you have not yet tried or unexpected snow conditions that you have not yet experienced. But if you have confidence in yourself as a skier, you will be able to face any of the curveballs that the mountain will throw at you.

Now, by confidence I do not mean cockiness – in fact, being confident means being able to assess your skills and being able to say: ‘no, I’m not skilled enough to ski this slope yet, but I’m going to learn’, or ‘I’m happy at the level where I’m – that’s just too much of a snow pie for me.’ I have been skiing for seven years – the first day I stood on skies and stared down a bunny slope was one of the scariest days of my life, but it was also one of the most exciting ones. Today I ski blues and an occasional black, and while there is some terrain that I will never dare to try – it is simply too difficult for me, I have to say that gaining the confidence to ski has given me greater confidence in myself as a person.

In On the Rim of Love Maggie starts to question her relationship with her fiancé, Jeffrey, when she meets a charismatic big-mountain skier, Taylor. Maggie is a fairly good skier, but she has never tried off-piste skiing and is both excited and scared to experience it. While Jeffrey thinks that open mountain terrain is no place for a girl, Taylor believes otherwise and offers Maggie to guide her through the intimidating off-piste territory. As Maggie learns to navigate what she thought was impossible terrain, she gains confidence in other aspects of her life and finds the courage to follow her heart. I hope that you’ll join Maggie and Taylor on their journey.

Blurb:

Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking, successful Jeffrey Preston for two years. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage a week after Maggie’s college graduation, she is no longer sure if she wants to marry a workaholic TV producer.
Her do
ubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia, Maggie meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier who is the complete opposite of Jeffrey. It does not take Maggie long to realize that she has fallen in love with Taylor and she decides to break off her engagement with Jeffrey. But just when she thinks she has found the love of her life, an ill-fated misunderstanding tears Maggie and Taylor apart.
A week later,
Maggie is told that Taylor has died in a tragic ski accident; yet, her heart refuses to believe in Taylor’s death. When Maggie returns to Taylor’s native town, she learns that Taylor is indeed alive, but has been seriously injured. Resolved to bring her lover back to life Maggie stands by Taylor’s side, convincing him to embrace life again.

Excerpt:
The bulletin board was filled with countless notices and announcements, but the one that drew Maggie’s attention was a picture of a skier flying down an endless expanse of snow.
Taylor Denton having another great day on the mountain, said the caption next to the picture. Maggie stared at the photo, as though she were frozen still. The skier in the photo was wearing helmet and goggles, but the same confident grin shone on his face, the same golden ponytail flew down his shoulders, and the same neon jacket covered his back.
Now, she h
ad a name to connect with the face, and, suddenly, Maggie realized the true reason why she had been so nervous about coming to the Owl Lodge.
“I’m Taylor, Taylor Denton.” The younger man stepped forward without waiting for Jeffrey’s introduction.
I already know that, Maggie thought. For a moment, she was rendered speechless as her gaze remained glued to the dazzling green of Taylor’s eyes: there was something in his open, fearless gaze that unnerved her. “Very nice to meet you, Taylor,” Maggie struggled to keep her voice leveled as she shook Taylor’s hand – his hand was warm, and his grip had just the right amount of pressure. He held her hand in his for a moment longer than necessary, or it might have been just her imagination, but the electrifying sensation she felt at the touch of Taylor’s hand filled her with guilt anyway: her fiancé was standing right there, and she had no business having these kinds of thoughts about some daredevil skier she had just met.

About the author:
Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre.
Marie is th
e author of contemporary romance novels, On the Rim of Love, Lucky Charm, and a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.
In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player. Currently, Marie is working on her next novel - stay tuned for details!
If you would like to receive updates about book releases and events, please visit Marie’s website at: www.marieastor.com or visit Marie at her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorwrites.
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Rim-Love-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005TOWI7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320616758&sr=8-1
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-the-rim-of-love-marie-astor/1107065056?ean=2940013215627&itm=1&usri=on2bthe2brim2bof2blove

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/marieastor

Giveaway:
Marie will be awarding a custom made jewelry set (necklace and earrings) to one randomly chosen commenter

Tour dates:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/11/virtual-book-tour-on-rim-of-love-by.html



Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Raspy, Blues Singing Burmese

Its Cats' Day at Night Writers. I'm posting on The Raspy, Blues Singing Burmese. If you're owned by a cat or you're an animal person, please stop by and say 'hey'. I'd love to visit with you.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Gel Nails

I've always had stubby nails. The poor things have never understood the word grow.
On the rare occasions that I've gotten manicures they've chipped within a couple of days. Between the chips and the breakage, it just wasn't incentive to wear polish or frequent nail salons.
Then I was introduced to gels. I've tried it and I like it.
For those that aren't familiar with it, basically gel is a hard polish that lasts for two to three weeks and doesn't chip. My goal is to stretch the two to three weeks into four. To this end, I get clear polish instead of color. I just can't justify getting my nails done more than once a month. I'm currently at two weeks-four days and counting.
My nails have finally started to grow. Its weird to actually have them clicking against a keyboard.
The verdict is still out in many peoples' mind on how safe gel nails are. Why?
For one thing, gel requires drying under a UV lamp.
There can also be health concerns if salons use cheap gel products that aren't stringently controlled for quality and the manufacturer uses dangerous chemicals.
Or if the salon mixes gels and acrylics.
Some salons pass off fake gel manicures as the real thing. If you've had a gel manicure it will be clear and shiny not cloudy.
Your skin should never be cut or abraded during the process so chemicals can't seep into it.
The bottom line: If you are thinking of trying gel go to a reputable salon.
Have you gotten gel nails? If so has the experience been a positive or negative one? If not, would you get them?

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

My Favorite Movie Quotes

Periodically you'll hear a movie quote that 'catches'. Here are a few of my favorites:

'You don't have to wear a patch on your arm to have honor'~*~A Few Good Men

'Here's looking at you kid.'~*~ Casablanca

'We'll always have Paris' ~*~ Casablanca

'I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship' ~*~ Casablanca

'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.' ~*~ Gone With The Wind

'Go ahead, make my day'~*~ Sudden Impact

'You talkin to me'~*~ Taxi Driver

'Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore' ~*~ Wizard of Oz

'You're going to need a bigger boat' ~*~ Jaws

'Houston we've got a problem' ~*~ Apollo 13

'There's no crying in baseball' ~*~A League of Their Own

'I'm going to fight for you till your heart stops beating'~Eclipse

What about you? What are your favorites?

*Amarinda's: 'Conan does anything hurt you? '
'Only pain.' ~*~ Conan the Barbarian

Monday, January 23, 2012

Sky


Isn't the sky gorgeous? I was letting the dog out at daybreak the other day, saw the beautiful reds and blues and thought, "Oh, wow!" I ran upstairs, got my camera then went outside in my jammies and house slippers and started snapping before the colors disappeared.

The winners of the Do You Know Jeanette Marie post are:
Finkiegirl13
and
ame1184
Thanks for entering.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Who'd A Thought?

Of all the things I have to iron, I never expected it to be my wrist wraps (for kickboxing). Due to the sweat factor--oops in the writing world women don't sweat they perspire--anyway I digress. Due to the whatever factor, I wash my wrist wraps every week. I used to just throw them in the machine till they started getting caught in the agitator. Now I throw them in a travel pillowcase along with my ankle wraps. Yes my feet sweat, err perspire, too. Unfortunately, when I pull them out of the dryer the wraps are balled into an unholy mess. So I now have to iron them. To use an Amarandaism, its downright pukeable.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Upcoming Valentine's Event


Congrats to April. Thanks for entering.




Congrats to Amber, Vamped Chik, on winning Allison Brennan's LOVE ME TO DEATH.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Baby Boomer Quiz

I've posted this before, but its fun. If you have time give it ago.

BABY BOOMER GAME

MEMORY TEST!
(Have a paper and pencil handy to record your answers. Your mind isn't as sharp as it once was!)
(Who says???) (It's just gotten older, that's all.)

This is NOT a pushover test. It's a Baby Boomer era test!

There are
20 questions. Average score is 12.

This one will be difficult for the
younger set. (DUDE!)

Have fun, and no peeking!

Good luck,
youngsters,

1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?

A. Flintstones vitamins
B. The Buttmaster
C. Spaghetti
D. Wonder Bread
E. Orange Juice
F. Milk
G. Cod Liver Oil

2. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was...

A. Sugar Ray Robinson
B. Roy Orbison
C. Gene Autry
D. Rudolph Valentino
E. Fabian
F. Mickey Mantle
G. Cassius Clay

3. Pogo, the comic strip character said, 'We have met the enemy and...

A. It's you
B. He is us
C. It's the Grinch
D. He wasn't home
E. He's really me and you
F. We quit
G. He surrendered

4. Good night, David...

A. Good night, Chet
B. Sleep well
C. Good night, Irene
D. Good night, Gracie
E. See you later, alligator
F. Until tomorrow
G. Good night, Steve

5. You'll wonder where the yellow went...
A. When you use Tide
B. When you lose your crayons
C. When you clean your tub
D. If you paint the room blue
E. If you buy a soft water tank
F. When you use Lady Clairol
G. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent

6. Before he was the Skipper's Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie's friend...
A. Stuart Whitman
B Randolph Scott
C. Steve Reeves
D. Maynard G. Krebs
E. Corky B. Dork
F. Dave the Whale
G. Zippy Zo

7. Liar, liar...
A. You're a liar
B. Your nose is growing
C. Pants on fire
D. Join the choir
E. Jump up higher
F. On the wire
G. I'm telling Mom

8. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights never ending battle for truth, justice and...
A. Wheaties
B. Lois Lane
C. TV rating
D. World peace
E. Red tights
F. The American way
G. News headlines

9. Hey kids! What time is it?

A. It's time for Yogi Bear
B. It's time to do your homework
C. It's Howdy Doody Time
D. It's time for Romper Room
E. It's bedtime
F. The Mighty Mouse Hour
G. Scooby Doo Time

10. Lions and tigers and bears...
A. Yikes
B. Oh, no
C. Gee whiz
D. I'm scared
E. Oh my
F. Help! Help!

G. Let's run

11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone...
A. Over 40
B. Wearing a uniform
C. Carrying a briefcase
D. Over 30
E. You don't know
F. Who says, 'Trust me'
G. Who eats tofu

12. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women's stockings...
A. Troy Aikman
B. Kenny Stabler
C. Joe Namath
D. Roger Staubach
E. Joe Montana
F. Steve Young
G. John Elway

13. Brylcream...
A. Smear it on
B. You'll smell great
C. Tame that cowlick
D. Grease ball heaven
E. It's a dream
F. We're your team
G. A little dab'll do ya


14. I found my thrill...

A. In Blueberry muffins
B. With my man, Bill
C. Down at the mill
D. Over the window sill
E. With thyme and dill
F. Too late to enjoy
G. On Blueberry Hill

15. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by...

A. Clark Gable
B. Mary Martin
C. Doris Day
D. Errol Flynn
E. Sally Fields
F. Jim Carrey
G. Jay Leno

16. Name the Beatles...
A. John, Steve, George, Ringo
B. John, Paul, George, Roscoe
C. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo
D. Jay, Paul, George, Ringo
E. Lewis, Peter, George, Ringo
F. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel
G. John, Paul, George, Ringo

17. I wonder, wonder, who…
A. Who ate the leftovers?
B. Who did the laundry?
C. Was it you?
D. Who wrote the book of love?
E. Who I am?
F. Passed the test?
G. Knocked on the door?

18. I'm strong to the finish...
A. Cause I eats my broccoli
B. Cause I eats me spinach
C. Cause I lift weights
D. Cause I'm the hero
E. And don't you forget it
F. Cause Olive Oyl loves me
G. To outlast Bluto

19. When it's least expected, you're elected, you're the star today…

A. Smile, you're on Candid Camera
B. Smile, you're on Star Search
C. Smile, you won the lottery
D. Smile, we're watching you
E. Smile, the world sees you
F. Smile, you're a hit
G. Smile, you're on TV

20. What do M & M's do?
A. Make your tummy happy!
B. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket
C. Make you fat
D. Melt your heart
E. Make you popular
F. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand
G. Come in colors

Below are the right answers:
1. D - Wonder Bread
2. G - Cassius Clay
3. B - He Is us
4. A - Good night, Chet
5. G - When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6. D - Maynard G. Krebs
7. C - Pants on fire
8. F - The American Way
9. C - It's Howdy Doody Time
10. E - Oh my
11. D - Over 30
12. C - Joe Namath
13. G - A little dab'll do ya
14. G - On Blueberry Hill
15. B - Mary Martin
16. G - John, Paul, George, Ringo
17. D - Who wrote the book of Love
18. B - Cause I eats me spinach
19. A - Smile, you're on Candid Camera
20. F - Melt in your mouth not in your hand

I got 19. Okay I've taken it before so it doesn't really count.

Want to share your score?

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Do You Know Jeanette Marie?

With us today is Jeanette Marie. If you haven't heard of her yet I'm confident you soon will. Jeanette is an aspiring author who holds down a fascinating day job.
Here's Jeanette's post:
~*~
I’m currently an assistant for New York Times best-selling author Alyson NoÑ‘l, which means I get to help one of the nicest and coolest authors on the planet with administrative tasks and PR outreach, which can include everything from selecting SWAG items to scheduling interviews with reporters.

Over the past few years working with Alyson, I’ve learned a lot about the publishing industry. Perhaps the greatest thing I’ve learned from Alyson is perseverance. Her personal road to publication is truly amazing (she worked on her first book for more than 15 years before it got published).

I’m an aspiring author myself and, as I’m sure most writers can attest, the publication process can feel a lot like playing the lottery--

Step 1 - Write awesome book.
Step 2 - Query awesome agents.
Step 3 - Cross your fingers and hope you have the winning ticket.

Your email is then crashed by a flurry of requests for your book and you skyrocket to #1 on the NYT bestseller list.

Okay, so it only happens like that in the Hollywood movie version.

There’s no doubt that the publishing industry is challenging, and building a career as a successful author takes a lot more than winning a golden ticket. When I was a teenager, my dad always told me no one was going to knock on my door and offer me a job. If you want a job, go out and get it. If it doesn’t exist, create it.

So if “author” is the career you want, go for it. And don’t let anybody stop you.

Read. Write. Revise. Repeat.

Don’t stop revising that book and sending out query letters until someone says yes to you.

If aspiring authors gave up and took “no” for an answer, we wouldn’t have…





Life without Harry Potter would be pretty boring, wouldn’t it?

If every writer who received a rejection gave up, the shelves at your local bookstore would look a little plain and empty right now. That’s what’s so great about this business—it’s a marketplace of ideas. And there’s always room on the shelf for another great idea.

Alyson Noel has been kind enough to offer one of her books as a giveaway. For a chance to win one of her books just leave a comment and your email addie.


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Kiss of Death Romantic Suspense Rocks Book Tour

Romantic Suspense: When You’re Looking for More

The tension, suspense and passion in romantic suspense all wrapped up in one book keeps me reading and writing. Give me a dark, sexy story with alpha males and kick-ass women who weave their way through death and fear only to emerge stronger because of, and on occasion in spite of, their love for each other. These novels are fast paced, rollercoaster rides that can leave the reader breathless and looking for more.

Jerrie Alexander is one of the many talented authors who belong to the Romance Writers of America’s Kiss of Death chapter. At Kiss of Death we believe that every great romance should include suspense. Whether a spy thriller in Regency times, a paranormal romance with a revenge-seeking zombie, or a traditional serial killer after the heroine, romance relies on suspense, leading the reader through the trials of the heroine and hero to see if they will get their happily ever after ending. If you can call your writing suspenseful, then the Kiss of Death has something for you! Find out more and join at http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org and follow us on Twitter at @RWAKissofDeath. Also, check out the Kiss of Death’s Recipes To Die For cookbook featuring recipes from our members.

Jerrie writes alpha males and kick-ass women with a hint of humor. They weave their way through death and fear to emerge stronger because of, and on occasion in spite of, their love for each other. Find out more about Jerrie and her upcoming release, The Green Eyed Doll, at http://jerriealexander.com and follow her on Twitter at @JerrieAlexander.

Love Me To Death

By Allison Brennan

“Grabbing the reader by the throat from almost the first page, this pulse-ratcheting romantic suspense from Brennan (Original Sin) delivers intense action, multifaceted characters, and a truly creepy bad guy. FBI hopeful Lucy Kincaid is trying to heal from a brutal attack six years earlier. She volunteers at a program dedicated to luring and rearresting repeat sex offenders via the Internet, but then discovers a horrifying connection between her work and the execution-style murders of the parolees. PI Sean Rogan, a friend of Lucy's brothers, becomes focused on protecting her at any cost, and their mutual passion flares. As Lucy draws closer to the truth, effective red herrings litter the way and throw her deeper into confusion. Also confusing are a too large cast and intricate backstory from the previous related titles, the only things marring this fast-paced, engrossing read.” - Publisher’s Weekly

For an opportunity to win a copy of Love Me To Death, leave a comment and mention one of your favorite things about romantic suspense and your email addie. The winner will be randomly drawn. (Sorry, U.S. residents only)

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Birthday

www.birthday-clip-art.com

Today is my birthday or as the hh says Orbit Day as the sun has orbited around the earth 365 days since the last bday. And since the earth's orbit around the sun is slightly elliptical no two birthdays are necessarily the same:)
So to celebrate my Orbit Day I'm giving away some downloads. If you would like a download of either Akasha, Makita or Power Stones just send an email to sandracox1@gmail.com, put birthday in the header and the name of the download you'd like.
Enjoy the day.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Faith


Faith is the bird that feels the light when the world is still dark.~*~Rabindranath Tagore



Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be giveaway days.
Tues: Either Akasha, Makita or Power Stones

Wed: The Kiss of Death Chapter will be giving away a copy of Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan
Thur: Jeanette Harvey will be giving away an Alyson Noel book

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sherry Gloag

With us today is fellow Night Writer and friend, Sherry Gloag. Welcome Sherry, tell us about your current project.

This is not so straight forward to answer as it could be, LOL. In strict accordance with your question, my current WIP is a Regency story I began back in2008/9. This has been something of a ‘love/hate relationship. As with most of my stories, the heroine turned up first demanding her day of glory. All went well until chapter eleven when it stuck. I plodded on writing a load of rubbish, all of which was later dumped.

About a year later I took another look at the crits from the fabulous group I belong to and decided to have another go at it. It didn’t take much persuasion to change allegiance to another, new heroine, who wanted her story told so once more I ditched this Regency.

That story, Duty Calls, was published early in 2011 by Black Opal Books. Then I was asked to contribute to a Valentine’s anthology and The Wrong Target was published in late January 2011 by eTreasures.

Two published short stories later and I began again, only to be foiled by my computer going ‘awol’. Nine weeks later, after a great deal of hassle I was the proud possessor of a new PC.

In the meantime, while having access to a back-up laptop, and hugely influenced by the British royal wedding I began my current release, From Now Until Forever, published by Astraea Press in December 2011.

So now, unexpectedly I have just finished a follow-on story about the hero’s, Liam’s, brother, Henri, and am waiting to hear whether it will be accepted.

So, to return to your original question! I am back working on my Regency, and it is absolutely flowing, I can hardly keep up with the characters and their demands. J

A lesson, if ever there was one, never, and I do mean *never* throw away a WIP however lousy you think it is. Months, years later it may just come together like my Regency, which now has a working title of No Job For a Woman.

Whew. You've got a lot of irons in the fire. Tell us about your blogs.

I have a regular blog-spot at Nightwriters where I offer a bi-monthly blog about meditation.

I participate in three weekly blogs,

Sweet Saturday Samples ( http://sweetsatsample.wordpress.com/ )

Six Sentence Sunday ( http://www.sixsunday.com/ )

And Tuesday Tales ( http://tuesdaytales1.blogspot.com/ )

I also have my own blog, The Heart of Romance ( http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/ ) where I post the odd blog, but which, so far, has been used mainly to promote fellow writers.

Do you blog every day?

No. One of my goals this year is to expand my blog presence online and hope to do more guest blogs if I can.

What do you do to promote your books?

Panic, is the short answer!

Seriously, I have the theory, I have the will and have put much of the theory into action, but am still missing that all important ‘something’. I am fortunate, in as much my books receive generous reviews and I would love for those to transform into mega sales, LOL. I mean who wouldn’t!

Do you transform people you know into characters in your book?

Oh boy! Don’t let my characters hear this question!

If I do it is not intentional. My characters usually turn up, if not ‘fully formed’ certainly with a will of their own that ensures they develop and grow with the progress of the story. I have often gone back the following day and read over what I wrote previously and wonder just where did those words, phrases and comments come from, because to my knowledge they don’t come from friends, and they certainly don’t echo my speech and thought patterns. J

If you were marooned on an island, what would you prefer to have with you:

Your current wip, chocolate or your favorite pizza?

Without a doubt my current WIP. Chocolate wouldn’t last above a minute , the pizza is gone once you’ve eaten it, but I can read and re-read my wip as often as I want, and probably create spinoffs in my head, or on paper, (if I’m allowed to have pen and paper too.)

Where can someone go to buy your books?

1 - From Now Until Forever

http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=7105194

http://www.amazon.com/From-Now-Until-Forever-ebook/dp/B006GYAV44/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322854797&sr=1-1-spell

http://www.amazon.co.uk/From-Now-Until-Forever-ebook/dp/B006GYAV44/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322854884&sr=8-1-spell

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sherry-gloag-from-now-until-forever?keyword=sherry+gloag+from+now+until+forever&store=book

nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sherry-gloag-from-now-until-forever?keyword=sherry+gloag+from+now+until+forever&store=ebook


2 – Duty Calls

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dutycalls-513942-149.html

http://tinyurl.com/5vujr53

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?ean=2940012108609

http://tinyurl.com/6zts6hg

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004NBZL10

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NBZL10

3 – The Wrong Target

eTreasures

http://store-67a3d.mybigcommerce.com/categories/Cupid-Gone-Wild/ = http://tinyurl.com/6dyen5a

http://store-67a3d.mybigcommerce.com/products/The-Wrong-Target-by-Sherry-Gloag.html == http://tinyurl.com/6k489dk

Amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wrong-Target-Cupid-Gone-Wild/dp/B004LLIIPS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1296564250&sr=8-1-spell = http://tinyurl.com/6kkoscq

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+wrong+target+sherry+gloag =

http://tinyurl.com/49auwtm

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Cupid-Gone-Wild-Anthology-ebook/dp/B004LLIYO8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=books&qid=1296567237&sr=8-6 =

http://tinyurl.com/4jx7vrg

and other online outlets

4 – The Brat

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/sherry-gloag-m-862.html

http://www.amazon.com/Brat-Sherry-Gloag/dp/1601548257

http://www.amazon.com/The-Brat-ebook/dp/B0044XV850/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288260544&sr=1-1-catcorr

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+brat+sherry+gloag

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-brat-sherry-gloag?store=ebook

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebrat-471885-149.html

to mention a few!! LOL

You can also find links to my published and free short stories on my web site.

*****

Author Bio:

Multi-published author, Sherry Gloag is a transplanted Scot now living in the beautiful coastal countryside of Norfolk, England. She considers the surrounding countryside as an extension of her own garden, to which she escapes when she needs "thinking time" and solitude to work out the plots for her next novel. While out walking she enjoys talking to her characters, as long as no other walkers are close by.

Apart from writing, Sherry enjoys gardening, walking, reading and cheerfully admits her books tend to take over most of the shelf and floor space in her workroom-cum-office. She also finds crystal craft work therapeutic.

Author Web: http://sherrygloag.com

Author Blog: http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/

Nightwriters: http://www.sevennightwriters.blogspot.com/

Blurb: for From Now Until Forever:

For Prince Liam, families meant bad news, unwanted commitments, and the loss of his personal freedom. Love spawned white picket fences, slippers at the hearth with a wife and kids making demands, so why did those images disappear when he met Melanie Babcot?

Melanie Babcot fought hard to escape the horrors of her youth and vowed to remain single and free, so when paid to protect Prince Liam from insurgents why did her personal pledge fly out the window?

EXCERPT:
Liam Fitzwilliam Gasquet stared in amazement at the blooming patch of red milliseconds before the pain exploded in his arm. Some trigger-happy idiot had fired in his direction. Indignation didn’t have time to take root before another bullet kicked the dust at his feet.
Not ‘trigger-happy’.
Intentional.
The rebels had found the fourth and youngest son of Jean-Phillipe Gasquet, ruler of
the tiny kingdom adjacent to the Swiss border. When had they discovered his whereabouts?
With a reluctant sigh, he faced the truth of it. They hadn’t ‘found’ him at all. They’d followed him.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Maturity


Myfreewallpapers.net

A mature person is one who does not think in absolutes, who is able to be objective when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and all things, who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life.~*~ Eleanor Roosevelt


I blush to admit that at times it's tough for me to be objective when my passions are involved. And if I'm upset with someone it's also hard to think in terms of their good side. What about you? Do you remain objective when you are involved emotionally? And when you're angry, do you still see what's on that individual's plus side of the ledger?

Friday, January 13, 2012

Pitch

Robin Weaver, Muse It Up bud, invited me to pitch at the Carolina Romance Writer's group last weekend where they were hosting Quinlan Lee from Adams Literary, a boutique literary agency for children and YA's books.
Even though, I've been published awhile now, I've never pitched. I decided to give it a go.
Before the pitches, Ms. Lee spoke about the business. She was dynamic ,informative and had a professional, easy-going manner. Her one request: that no one stick manuscripts under the bathroom install when she's inside:) Apparently this has happened before:)
She gave us a look at what goes on inside the higher echelons in the publishing world. One of the things she pointed out which surprised me was, the agency (at least the one she works for) doesn't always look at the highest offered contract but considers long term. Considering, those contracts are their bread and butter I was impressed. Though I came away feeling like it's easier to get in a size O dress than get a contract from a New York publishing company.
After the program we had lunch and then it was time for the dreaded pitches. Robin decided to do her pitch publicly to give the other members that had never pitched an idea what to expect. Better her than me. I'd rather eat meat, and I've been a vegetarian for nearly fifteen years, than give a public pitch.
After that it was my turn. Being the great orator that I am, I read mine. Even though, I'd chatted with Quinlan over lunch and found her to be an easy to talk to, fun individual, my heart was thumping like a drum while I read it. She didn't care that much for my pitch but liked the concept of my manuscript. And here's the thing. She did everything she could to point out, in a positive manner, what she felt I could do to improve my pitches.
Overall it was a positive experience. I liked Quinlan Lee and I have no doubts she's a wonderful agent for her authors.
The only fault I found with her...she hadn't read one of my favorite books:)
~*~
Blogs of interest:
Amarinda Jones
Anny Cook
Julia Barrett