Archives for 2012

First Loves Blogfest

First Loves Blogfest hosted by awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh – on May 14, post your first loves – first movie, first song/band, first book, and first person. Four loves, one blogfest!

First movie: Labyrinth – it scared the hell out of me, but I couldn’t get enough of it.

Then, as a teenager, it was Titanic …

First song/band: When I was a teenager, it was Backstreet Boys. I was crazy about them. Had many of their shows in VHS lol

But, when I was a kid, around 6 or 8, I think, I was crazy about Jordy!

First book: No Greater Love by Danielle Steel. It was the first romance I read (I was 8 or 9). I got it from my mother, who had (and still has) many books by Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts and Sidney Sheldon. Of course, I read many children books before, but after reading this one, my book obsession started …

First person: I remember having a “boyfriend” when I was around 8. We used to hold hands and walk home from school (3 blocks away, and we were neighbors). I encountered him again years later on another city and we talked and laughed a lot. Then, there was another guy when I was 15. Bah, did he treat me badly! He was a professional womanizer LOL But I always thought that he could change. I don’t think that was love either, I think that was some kind of teenager obsession. Then, I met my husband at 17. He was 22 and said I love you first (2 months dating). I said it 4 months later, when I was sure that what I was feeling was love. He was the first (and only) guy/man to whom I said I love you. I hope I’ll be able to say the previous sentence when I’m 60 or 70 or 80 ;)

It’s your turn. Share your first loves with us!

Cheers,

PS: I’m not sure I’ll have time to visit everyone’s blog today, but I’ll try. If I don’t visit yours today, I’ll tomorrow! Thanks!

Categories: #ROW80, NTS

#ROW80 and NTS check-in 05/13

Hello friends! HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the moms out there!

If you’re here and don’t know what ROW80 is, check it out here. This is also my update for Noveling Through Summer.

Also, check out the cover reveal of the Cynthia Cooke’s new book posted earlier this morning.

Here are my goals (and how I’m doing):

Organize my new home and my new schedule. Done. We bought two new bookcases Saturday, one for me and one for my daughter. So far, she loves books!
Once my life is normal again (or almost), find a gym and exercise 3 times per week. Twice only. I totally forgot about my daughter’s mother’s day concert on Thursday and almost went to the gym instead lol
Participate on Crafting the Sensual Novella Workshop from April 9th to May 6th. Done.
Finish revising my novel, DESTINY GIFT. Done.
Start a new novel or novella and get as far as I can with it. I wrote a few chapters in or 6,500 words. If you know me, you know this is a low word count for me. As someone who has the entire afternoon to write, I should get at lest 3,500 per day … but it’s been so hard to focus lately. I have been so bleh … no reason, though, life is going well, family is great, health is okay, so why have I been feeling down? And the more I try to push writing, the more I feel like my writing sucks LOL Anyway, I know it’s a temporary feeling and hopefully I’ll feel much better this week and write more and more ;)
In June, participate of the JuNoWriMo. I’m thinking about rewriting Gypsy Heart (curious? See the projects tab on top).
Read 5 books each month (year total = 60). On track.
Social network: blog at least once a week (not counting #ROW80 checkins), comment on blogs every other day, and tweet a little everyday. Done.

And that’s it for now.

You can click here and check the other ROWers and how they are doing.

Cheers,

Categories: Covers, Entangled Pub

Cover Love: DEADLY SECRETS, LOVING LIES

Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies, by Cynthia Cooke, the phenomenal teaser book that previews what’s in store for readers in Entangled Publishing new Dead Sexy Romantic Suspense line.

Family secrets must be kept, and painful wounds must be ignored.

After an all-out assault by a vicious terrorist bent on destroying her entire family, a former government agent must break the strict rules she has always lived by when she emerges from hiding to reluctantly accept the help of her all-too-sexy ex-lover. Running a deadly race against time, they rush to rescue her kidnapped sister, find her missing father, and bring the notorious villain to justice. But nothing ever goes as planned. Bullets fly, danger abounds, and their passion reignites even faster than the lies are flowing. But their stubbornly held secrets just might spell the end of their rekindled love and hopes for the future…as well as their very lives.

It sounds great, doesn’t it?

Buy it on Amazon!

Be sure to connect with Cynthia: Website, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

Cheers,

Categories: NTS

Noveling Through Summer

So, my NA sister Bailey mentioned Noveling Through Summer on her blog a few times. Once, the challenge crazy me mentioned I would love to join. See, I was half-kidding, but Bailey liked the idea and invited me for it.

What is Noveling Through Summer, you ask? We are “embarking on a summer-long dedication to writing that ends with each of us meeting our individual, insane writing goals” (Bailey’s words).

Kenzie is writing a 200-page manuscript of her novel, a story of murder and familial ties. She will be writing May through August.

L. is writing two novels this summer — she plans to write the sequel to Oath Heir and the first draft of a new WIP idea. She will be writing in June and July.

Matt is writing the sequel to a YA historical fantasy he is currently submitting to agents; his word goal for summer is 50,000 – 55,000. He will be writing in June and July.

Bailey is writing a complete draft of #thatghoststory, the first in my Ghost Society series. I will be writing May through August.

And I will be finishing my spy/assassin novella (just started) and then another novel/novella … I didn’t make up my mind which one yet though. But like I told Kenzie when she designed my banner (on top of this post) and button (on bottom of this post), all my manuscripts have lots of action and romance, even if their genres are different.

We’re supposed to blog weekly about our progress, so I guess I’ll add NTS to my #ROW80 check-ins on Sundays.

Here are the buttons of the other participants. Mine is in the sidebar.

Don’t forget to stop by and see how I’m doing ;)

Cheers,

Categories: Authors, Blog Tour

Chatting with Jess Faraday

Today, I have the honor of hosting Jess Faraday and her book, THE AFFAIR OF THE PORCELAIN DOG.

London 1889.

For Ira Adler, former rent-boy and present plaything of crime lord Cain Goddard, stealing back the statue from Goddard’s blackmailer should have been a doddle. But inside the statue is evidence that could put Goddard away for a long time under the sodomy laws, and everyone’s after it, including Ira’s bitter ex, Dr. Timothy Lazarus. No sooner does Ira have the porcelain dog in his hot little hands, than he loses it to a nimble-fingered prostitute.

As Ira’s search for the dog drags him back to the mean East End streets where he grew up, he discovers secrets about his own past, and about Goddard’s present business dealings, which make him question everything he thought he knew. An old friend turns up dead, and an old enemy proves himself a friend. Goddard is pressing Ira for a commitment, but every new discovery casts doubt on whether Ira can, in good conscience, remain with him.

In the end, Ira must choose between his hard-won life of luxury and standing against a grievous wrong.

The Affair of the Porcelain Dog has been short-listed for a Lambda Award in the category of “Gay Mystery.”

Q: Welcome Jess. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about your book?

Jess: The Affair of the Porcelain Dog is a tale of suspense set in late Victorian England. Someone has stolen a statue belonging to crime lord Cain Goddard. Goddard tasks his assistant, Ira Adler, to find it. But everyone and his brother is after that statue–including Ira’s bitter ex, Tim Lazarus. Ira’s search will turn up secrets spanning several decades and two continents, connecting the meanest London streets with the loftiest corridors of power. And when he finds the statue, it will reveal secrets about his own past and Goddard’s, and his life will never be the same.

Q: When did you first realized you wanted to be a writer?

Jess: After I sold my first book. I’m dense like that, sometimes. I’ve always enjoyed scribbling, but it was only after I started doing it “for real” that it occurred to me that I’d chosen many of my previous jobs because they’d be easy enough that I could finish the work ahead of time and be paid to sit somewhere quiet and write stories.

Q: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Jess: A little of both. I outline because it’s easier to work the plot kinks out of twenty pages of outline than out of four hundred pages of text. But even though I know the beginning and end when I start, the middle still goes through changes while I’m writing.

Q: What are you working on now?

Jess: A paranormal mystery set in 1820s Paris. The protagonist, a woman, is one of Vidocq’s original Surete agents, and the last remaining agent of an elite paranormal investigation squad recently dismantled by Vidocq’s (fictionalized) successor.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?

Jess: Write the best manuscript you can, and research your market well. Sending your manuscript to everyone and anyone wastes everyone’s time. Don’t write for a specific market–find the publishers who publish what *you’re* writing, and send them the best you’ve got.

Q: What book or series can you read over and over again without getting bored?

Jess: Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, and anything by Cherie Priest.

Q: If you decided not to be a writer, what would your other dream job be?

Jess: Something else with words, books, and information. A librarian, maybe?

Q: What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done in your life?

Jess: Pressed the “send” button to send a manuscript.

Q: Who is the one person that has singlehandedly inspired you the most in your life?

Jess: That’s tough. No one achieves anything alone. Overall? My parents. Am I too old to say that? My parents never pushed my brothers or I in any specific direction, but were a constant source of acceptance and encouragement no matter what weird or off-the-beaten-path thing we decided to pursue. They still are.

Q: If you could take a trip to any foreign country RIGHT NOW, which one would you choose?

Jess: Iceland.

Q: What is one talent that you’re hopeless at, but you wish you had?

Jess: Drawing.

Q: What TV show are you most addicted to?

Jess: I don’t watch much TV. When I do, it’s with one eye on something else, so…. I do like Doc Marten. And I’m waiting for the next series of Downton Abbey.

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island, name three objects and three people you would want with you.

Jess: Three objects: a good, sharp knife; a container for storing water, and a very thick book. Maybe Great Expectations. Three people: Roy, because he can build or fix *anything* and is excellent company. Jane and Charlie because life would never be boring.

Q: What is one trait or physical characteristic that you are proud of/love about yourself?

Jess: I’m pretty good at figuring out systems, methods, and procedures. It sounds boring, but it makes it really easy to swallow new bodies of knowledge quickly and efficiently. Which makes for interesting stories.

About the Author:

Jess Faraday is the author of one novel, three book translations, a handful of short stories, and numerous nonfiction articles.
She is a graduate of the University of Arizona (B.A.) and UCLA (M.A.). Since then, she has earned her daily bread in a number of questionable ways, including translation, lexicography, copyediting, teaching high school Russian, and hawking shoes to the overprivileged offspring of Los Angeles-area B-listers.
She enjoys martial arts, the outdoors, strong coffee and a robust Pinot Noir.

Website – Twitter – Facebook – BSB Author Page

Thank you, Jess!

Cheers,

Categories: Authors, Blog Tour, Young Adult

Chatting with Julie Prestsater

Today, I have the honor of hosting Julie Prestaser and her new YA book, SO I’M A DOUBLE THREAT.

Megan Miller, a freshman at Carver High and a Double Threat, the perfect combination of smart and popular.

She’s got the grades, she’s got the friends, and she’s got the connections. Freshman year should be a breeze, but it’s not. How can it be when you have boys, boys and boys on the brain.

And really only one in particular. Alex Aguilar…the boy of Meg’s dreams.

They met at a party and Meg’s whole world shifted. The spark was there, there was no denying it. But could that spark lead to more? Can a Senior and Freshman really make a go of it no matter what kind of connection they share? Or will outside circumstances ruin not only Meg’s Freshman year, but her chance at hooking the guy of her dreams.

Being a Double Threat is supposed to make you special, but is it worth it if you don’t get your crush?

Buy the book on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles or Smashwords.

Q: Welcome Julie. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about your book?

Julie: The Double Threat series is about the high school life of Megan Miller. She’s a smart girl who loves to dance and chill with her friends. She’s a little (okay, a lot) boy crazy. She’s surrounded by a cast of friends who are funny, sassy, and entertaining. The first book in the series, So I’m a Double Threat, tells the story of Meg’s freshmen year. It’s filled with high school parties, heartache, and backstabbing friends. And let’s not forget the cute boys.

Q: When did you first realized you wanted to be a writer?

Julie: When I got my master’s degree in reading. I became a reading specialist and discovered so many of my struggling readers were also reluctant to read because they weren’t exposed to any books beyond required readings. I became the “book pusher” and soon found out what types of books my students liked to read. I set out to write books my students were interested in: edgy, realistic teen fiction.

Q: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Julie: Oh, I’m definitely a pantser. Haha. I never know where Meggie and the crew are going to take me. Although with Double Time (Meg’s junior year), I did plot a little bit in the end.

Q: What are you working on now?

Julie: I’m finishing up revisions on Double Time, part three of the Double Threat series, I also have two adult novels in the works. One is actually about Meg’s teachers. ;-)

Q: Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?

Julie: Write, write, write. And read, read, read. Get connected. Follow publishers, editors, authors in your genre on Twitter. You can get some great info from social media.

Q: What book or series can you read over and over again without getting bored?

Julie: Simone Elkeles’s Perfect Chemistry series. I loved them all, but I have a major book crush on Carlos. He was the perfect combo of hot, sweet, and smart ass.

Q: If you decided not to be a writer, what would your other dream job be?

Julie: I’m not sure it’s a job, but I’d like to do it. I’d love to teach a class where I could read aloud all day to high school students. Read alouds aren’t just for elementary kids.

Q: What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done in your life?

Julie: Performed the dance from Michael Jackson’s Thriller in front of 3,500 teenagers, along with my teacher friends. It was fun, but bleeping scary too.

Q: Who is the one person that has singlehandedly inspired you the most in your life?

Julie: My dad.

Q: If you could take a trip to any foreign country RIGHT NOW, which one would you choose?

Julie: Italy. Bread, pasta, wine, and art. Can’t go wrong with that.

Q: What is one talent you’re hopeless at, but you wish you had?

Julie: Oh my gosh, I wish I could sing. I swear I was born to be a singer. Hip hop, pop, country. It doesn’t matter. I love to sing, but my daughters tell me I make their ears bleed. Haha. I know I’m horrible, but it doesn’t stop me.

Q: What TV show are you most addicted to?

Julie: TV show? As in singular. Just one. Ooo, that’s a tough one. Friday Night Lights. I know it’s over, but I’ll forever be addicted to it.

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island, name three objects and three people you would want with you.

Julie: Hair clip, chapstick, matches. My sister, my best friend, and Channing Tatum. Disclaimer: I would’ve totally said my husband and kids but I could only pick three, and there’s no way I could choose. ;-)

Q: What is one trait or physical characteristic that you are proud of/love about yourself?

Julie: I’m never bored. I can have a good time with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

About the Author: Julie is a high school reading intervention teacher who prides herself on matching her students with great books to encourage them to become life-long readers. She enjoys writing stories that even the most reluctant of readers will not want to put down.

Julie is a mom, a wife, a teacher, a reader, and a writer. She also a lunatic when it comes to the NFL and playing Fantasy Football, especially if she doesn’t get my first pick quarterback: Tony Romo. When she’s not at home or work, you can probably catch her on the 15 freeway singing her heart out and dancing away in her car.

Find Julie on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads .

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks, Julie!

Cheers,

Categories: Authors, Blog Tour, Young Adult

A SPY LIKE ME

In celebration of the official release of A Spy Like Me, Laura Pauling is hosting a three-week blog series: A Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon. Woot! Woot!

Authors galore, guest posts and book giveaways almost every day!

Gemma Halliday, Cindy M. Hogan, Elizabeth Spann Craig, Nova Ren Suma, Elisa Ludwig, and Anne R. Allen….Just to name a few!

And here’s why she’s celebrating!

Stripping your date down to his underwear has never been so dangerous.

After dodging bullets on a first date, Savvy must sneak, deceive and spy to save her family and friends and figure out if Malcolm is one of the bad guys before she completely falls for him.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords

Head on over to Laura’s blog for the start of the Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon. You won’t want to miss this sizzling series as we head into summer. Stock up on some great thrilling reads! If you dare…

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