Your Halloween Moment of Zen

While you're out trick o' treating please beware of the current outbreak of zombie pumpkins...

Cheers to those who celebrate Halloween!

The Black Hawk Book Review *Joanna Bourne*

The Black Hawk is one of my most anticipated reads this year because the hero, Hawker, aka Adrian Hawkhurst, former thief, master pickpocket from the rookies of St. Giles, Head of the British Intelligence Service in 1818 Post-Napoleonic War England, has made a lasting impression based on the past three books from Joanna Bourne. The one before this, The Forbidden Rose, was a prequel set during the French Revolution, which featured Hawker as a thirteen year old grubby street boy, but one who becomes a spy for England during the French Revolution and then during the Napoleonic Wars. In The Forbidden Rose, Adrian meets his ultimate adversary. She is Justine DeCabrillac, a thirteen year old orphan girl who works for a Madame of a French brothel, but no longer as a whore. At eleven, Justine was forced into prostitution by a man her parents’ trusted (Justine’s parents were killed). Justine escaped and did what she had to do survive in order to protect her four year old sister, Severine. Justine then meets up with Adrian and his mentor, Doyle (This is all explained in The Forbidden Rose, which you must read before The Black Hawk so you can understand who Justine and Adrian are). Justine eventually becomes a French Spy who goes by the Owl.

The Black Hawk begins twenty-five years after Adrian and Justine first meet. France and England are no longer enemies, all through there’s still mistrust on both sides. Justine has come to London and opened her own shop. She’s attacked and stabbed with a poisoned knife. The only one she can trust is Hawker. She passes out in a bloody heap on Adrian’s front steps and he takes her in and cares for her. Justine may be dying and that’s where Adrian thinks back through the decades about his relationship with this daunting and incredible woman he loves.

The story goes back and forth over the years from 1794 France leading up to 1818 London. The moment Adrian meets Justine, he’s smitten. Even though they’re adversaries who eventually become enemies because of their countries, these two help each other out when they’re undercover. Sometimes they don’t see each other for months and even years. Their relationship is a difficult one because they never know if they'll be betrayed or killed. Adrian is so loyal to Justine, it will make your chest clench. Justine is a bit more standoffish because of the cards dealt to her in life. She trusts no one, but allows Adrian into her heart. It’s a very momentous occasion for both of them when Justine asks Adrian to make love to her. Justine is afraid of intimacy because of how she was raped and abused at such a young age. Adrian realizes this and gives Justine back her innocence through his loving touch. From that moment on they become lovers that spans almost three decades. The moment these two are intimate, they don’t stray from one another. They never take another lover, even when they’re separated from one another for long periods of time.

Adrian is so easy to like. He’s adorable, yet intelligent and sneaky. His devotion for Justine is relentless and unbreakable. He’s not afraid to tell Justine how he feels about her. When he and Justine are alone, he wears his heart on his sleeve. His love is enough for the both of them and he never asks her for anything in return. Justine is so stubborn and won’t give an inch because she’s constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for someone to take her down. Adrian is the only one who can help her get past the horrors she has endured.

The Black Hawk revolves about two mature people both in the mid to late thirties. Adrian and Justine are old before their time. By the time they’re barely in their teens, they’ve seen so many disturbing acts, including those placed on innocent children. Watching these two drift away from one another and then come together again is incredibly emotional.

Joanna’s writing is atmospheric in regards to the setting. You can practically hear Justine’s French accent every time she speaks, especially when she calls Adrian ‘Awker, not Hakwer. There are a few twists and turns, and how Joanna unveils things, including the person trying to kill Justine makes for a great suspenseful thriller. Joanna’s writing is crisp and rich, full of poetically written dialogue and descriptions that has me aching for more.

When a hero like Adrian admits, “there is no one else for me. Never has been,” about his Justine, you’ll become a pile of swoonage in your seat.

I’m in total awe of Joanna Bourne. It doesn’t get any better than this. Adrian and Justine’s journey toward their HEA is one that almost brought me to tears. This is a book I want to have babies with. The Black Hawk is of the best books I read this year by one of the best authors of historical romance of this century (Available November 1st, Berkley Sensation).

Final Grade: A

October Northeastern Leads to Massive WTFckery

Yesterday, a Northeastern hit the NYC/NJ Tri-State area. I'm hit or miss with my internet connection and have no cable television or phone.

Having no internet connection has made me twitchy. A sad state of affairs. So for this Sunday's WTFckery I give you pictures outside my house of the winter wonderland that has caused power outages, fallen trees and branches blocking trees and other problems for hundreds of thousands of people.

If for some reason I'm MIA in bloglandia and everywhere else I usually pop up on-line, it's because of lack of connection. I hope you and your family and friends who have been hit by this storm are safe!

National November Writing Month is Almost Here!

It's that time of year again where all types of writers try to write 50,000 words in 30 days...

"National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000 word, (approximately 175 page) novel by 11:59:59, November 30."

I first did Nanowrimo in 2008. My first year I wrote a supernatural horror story about a demon. In 2009 I wrote a Contemporary Murder Mystery Young Adult. Last year I didn't officially take part in Nanowrimo but was able to write 50k in 3 weeks. I have no clue how I did that! And my Nanowrimo story from last year turned out to be Xavier's Loving Arms that I sold to Decadent Publishing.

A few writers who have done Nanowromo have sold their stories they wrote for it. It's a great way to get your butt in the chair and write. Because I've done Nanowrimo, I've surprised myself by how much I can write. In order to make the 50k words in 30 days, you must write 1,600 words a day. I end up writing more, where some days (usually on the weekends) I end up writing anywhere between 4-5k words.

This month is going to be tough because I have 3 books to edit and am very busy at the day job. But I'm dedicated and plan on typing away on my computer and release the story in my head on paper. I already have planned ahead by writing up an outline/synopsis for this year's Nanowrimo, which is tentatively titled:

If You Only Knew 

Synopsis: Manhattan museum gallery owner Stella Jennings love life is DOA. She yearns for fun and excitement like when she was younger, but now as a mature business woman with too many responsibilities, she doesn't know how to make that happen. When she meets tattoo artist, Kristi Welch, their first introduction is full of lust and a crazy physical attraction that confuses them both. Kristi is just getting out of a bad relationship with her fiance who cheated on her, and she thinks Stella is too much of a goody goody to give her what she wants. Stella is more than willing to prove her wrong.

This will end up being the third book in my Lovestruck series about the youngest Jennings sister. My two books Lovestruck and Burning for You are about Stella's older sister and brother.

Click here to view my Nanowrimo profile, and while you're there, why not create your own profile and join in on all the Nanowrimo madness?

I'll update each week on my progress and hope I can make that 50k word count and not become too batty while doing it.

My Third World Girlfriend Book Review *RJ SIlver*

My Third-World Girlfriend is the second short I’ve read by RJ Silver. I really think RJ is a rising star when it comes to adorable, quirky and funny stories. His much praised, The Princess and the Penis isn’t a fluke. My Third-World Girlfriend is well written with an excellent moral to it. Plus, it has a bit of suspense because you don’t know until the very end what will happen to the protagonist, Gary Lankin.

Poor Gary can’t get a break when it comes to love. He wants to settle down and find that special woman who won’t hit him in the head with canned yams or find other ways to give him lumps on his head. Gary doesn’t know what he’s doing wrong and it really upsets him because he’s going to end up all alone if he doesn’t get his act together. Gary’s life changes forever when he overhears a group of men talking in the airline lounge at Heathrow airport. Fritz, Hank and Aiden have a sure fire plan to find a woman who won’t control them or clobber them with blunt objects when they misbehave. They’ll find a woman who has low expectations. But before they do that, they’ll head off to Thailand for a little R&R- drinking and sowing their oats.

Gary joins his new friends and ends up carousing day and night. One morning after another rough night of oat sowing and binge drinking, a local woman named Kinlaya comes to his aid. She cooks him breakfast and offers him advice. Soon Gary and Kinlaya are spending all their time together and then they move in together. Gary is now “nesting” with Kinlaya and his friends are upset. They think Gary has been whipped by Kinlaya. But Gary loves Kinlaya and she hasn’t tried to bop him over the head or thrown anything at him. But then the Fazis, known as the feminist rights activists, arrive on the scene and Gary and his fellow cohorts are caught in a gender war where they may become casualties.

My Third-World Girlfriend is only 30 pages, but well worth the read. I chuckled a few times over the advice and antics Gary is given and finds himself in. Gary is a very sweet, but at times naïve, who just wants to be loved. Unlike his three flavorful friends, Gary has a kind heart. You want to give Gary a hug.

The last few pages have an almost on the edge of your seat feel to it because you don’t know what Gary’s fate will be.

My Third-World Girlfriend is a sweet story that kept me smiling the entire time I read. RJ Silver may be one of the best self-published authors out there. If he can make such an impression with a story like this and The Princess and the Penis, I can’t wait to see what he can do with a full length story. A publisher really needs to give RJ a writing contract, ASAP.

At 99 cent, My Third-World Girlfriend is well worth the price and one story that gave me the warm fuzzies. This really hits home for those who enjoy reading a humorous take on a man’s expectation when it comes to women and love.

Available at Smashwords, Amazon and Apple.

Final Grade: B+

Other My Third-World Girlfriend reviews:
Penelope's Romance Reviews
Writings of a Wicked Book Addict

Report from NJRWA's Put Your Heart in a Book Conference: Editors and Agents Panels and My First Book Signing

Two of the final panels I went to were the Editor and Agents panels where they talked about what types of books they are acquiring, pet peeves with submissions and yet again how branding and using social medias like Facebook and Twitter are important.

Click here to see the full list of editors and agents.

Editor Panel:

Latoya Smith from Grand Central
Aubrey Poole from Sourcebooks
Tara Parson from HQN, specifically LUNA
Margaret Marbury and Stacy Boyd from Harlequin
Kelli Collins from Ellora's Cave *I was disheartened to see only one epublisher on this panel*

What these editors are interested in acquiring:

Aubrey Poole would like more Dark Contemporary YA as well as Paranormal YA.

In 2013 HQN/LUNA will publisher more Sci-Fi, so if you have a Sci-Fi romance or fiction, send it to them.

HQN is looking for more Contemporary Women's Fiction and Paranormal Romance

Harlequin's imprint MIRA is General Fiction and they are looking for controversial stories. The are ramping up their Trade so expect more Trade books from them.

Grand Central is looking for everything from Contemporary to Paranormal Romance to Cowboys. Latoya stressed cowboys!

Ellora's Cave is best known for their Romantica, which is erotic romance. They wants Lesbian Romance and Erotic Horror. Kelli talked about EC's new lines that doesn't have to to have a HEA. They are their Fetish Line and EC for Men. I had wanted to ask how their EC line for Men is different from their M/M but didn't get the chance.

Some interesting facts:

Romance is thriving, even in the recession.

Harlequin's mass-market has grown and they have a strong distribution. A Harlequin author's backlist is a "winner" in digital.

Ebook readers are much like a romance reader.

Once you're published, don't get too involved with your title of hate your cover.

Pet Peeves with Submissions:

Don't follow up too much.

Don't overshadow details about personal life. If you're submitting a BDSM book, don't go into detail about your own experience with BDSM. And no pictures!

Don't be too generic when sending a query letter. Editors know when you do mass email querying because it's not personally written to suit the needs of the editor you're sending it to.

Agent's Panel:

The majority of the agents are looking for Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal Young Adult and Romance. When submitting, most agents like to read the first 30 pages but ALWAYS check the submission guidelines on their websites and they all want emailed submissions.

Some interesting facts:

BRANDING is important (can we see a trend here?). Even if you're unpublished you should have a Facebook or Twitter page.

Agents will google an author's real name and their author name.

Don't bad mouth Publishers on your blog or on a public forum. Because of some bad on-line behavior, offers from publishers have been rescinded. ALWAYS REMAIN PROFESSIONAL.

And most importantly- writing comes first.

Pet Peeves when submitting:

Again, professionalism is important. Learn how the industry works. Have realistic expectations.

Don't threaten an agent with self-publishing if they reject you.

Don't self-published the same work that you have submitted to an agent. If the agent tries to sell that work, you will eliminate offers from big publishers.

Don't query unfinished manuscripts. Your manuscript must be polished.

About Publishing Contracts:

Publishers want to hold onto authors' rights, including their erights. It's all about the erights for the Big 6 Publishers. Publishers even want audio rights.

Short Fiction has opened up because of ebooks. Publishers are realizing that money can be made in short stories.

One big surprise now with clauses is the non-compete clause. Publishers don't want you to compete with yourself. If you have a book coming out with a Publishers, don't compete with yourself by self-publishing or epublishing another book at that same time.

Definitions keep changing with contracts and the agents are quick to say that Publishers aren't evil. They want to make things clear as possible.


After these two panels, it was my time to shine (haha) and I went to my very first book signing!

Tables with authors signing

My table

Mho guarding my books. At one point he went missing. I think he was flirting with all the female authors.

Posing as an author

In the past I would go around and take pictures, but this time I couldn't. The 90 minutes went by so fast but I talked to some great people. Many that I talked to were more interested in my GBLT books, mainly my Lesbian ones. And I even sold some books.

This year's NJRWA conference was an incredible experience. I learned a great deal and met some new faces along with some old familiar ones.

I hope you enjoyed my posts about this year's NJRWA conference. I'm already excited for next year's conference.

Speakers Announced for the 2012 Put Your Heart in a Book Conference:

Pre-Conference Speaker: Susan Wiggs
Lunch Speaker: Heather Graham
Keynote Speaker: Sabrina Jefferies

Report from NJRWA's Put Your Heart in a Book Conference: Agents, Self Publishing & Rachel Gibson Q&A

After listening to Eloisa James speak, I ended up going to the agent and self-publishing roundtable discussions that were part of the published author retreat.

Agent roundtable discussion:

Most of the authors in the room have an agent. Some are on their third or fourth agent.

Many agree that agents know the market and can open doors. Agents and publishers have a trust factor. Agents are advocates for their author clients, as well as being their business partner. They should take your side over the publisher and watches out for you career.

If you're interested in marketing yourself, it's better to have a publicist and not an agent.

There was also discussions about agencies and agents starting their own publishing service to help authors with self-publishing. The majority doesn't recommend you use these services the agent is offering. If you publish a book with your agent, they may have it forever or a certain number of years where they're still making money off your profits. It's better to do it on your own because you will put out one lump sum and have all the earnings.

Everyone agrees that the days of just writing are gone. Branding and marketing yourself are very important.

Publishers are doing everything an anything they can to keep an author's erights. An agent can help you keep your erights.

Questions raised when search for an agent: Are they your competition? Are they thinking of your best interest of theirs?

Self Publishing Roundtable:

The self-publishing roundtable discussion was incredible. Out of the authors who attended, two self-published and shared their experience, answering any questions we asked.

Self-publishing is great for an author's backlist.

One author (wishes to remain anonymous) who publishes with Harlequin, has self-published three 20,000 word novellas on Amazon, prices at $2.99. She made $7,000 last month. I've never read her work or heard of her and yet, she's making a lot of money.

Self-published authors make more of a profit when they price their work at $2.99 than at .99 cents. Some self-publishers authors are making a nice amount even when they price their work at $4.99. A $2.99 priced self-published book seems to be key, but then again an author should price accordingly based on the word count of their book. When you price a book at $2.99 at Amazon, you will get 70% of that sale.

For professional and wonderful looking covers, Kim Killion is very recommended.

You can use the free Smashwords guide to format your book even for uploading on other sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The worst thing with formatting a book yourself is that it's very time consuming, but you can pay a service to do it, which is affordable.

Novelist Inc was a much recommended site for multi-pulished authors to network and ask questions about self-publishing. It was suggested you stay away from the Kindleboards because it can get very nasty over there.

Suzanne Brockmann sat in the self-publishing discussion. I'm embarrassed to say I had no idea who she was at first because I don't read her books *blush*, but WOW, she's so awesome! She talked about publishing When Tony Met Adam and her experience in epublishing it. A few readers had no idea it was a M/M romance even with the title. I asked her if she would write and published more M/M romance like When Tony Met Adam and she said yes. It seems she had a great success with this book. She also printed off brochures with the entire story in it, which is around 33 pages. I was able to grab one for myself. From my point of view, I wouldn't be surprised if in the future Suzanne ends up self-publishing some of her work.

The one author Q&A I went to was Rachel Gibson's. She answered any questions that were asked.

Highlights from Rachel's Q&A:

Write what you like but pay attention to the market.

She doesn't have a specific book she's written that's her favorite. Usually the one she just finished writing is her favorite.

She doesn't plot and it one the seat of her pants writer. Doesn't know how her books will turn out while writing.

Rachel doesn't have a critique partner and no one reads her work before she sends it to her editor.

She admits she undisciplined and procrastinates.

She doesn't create character sketches.

She wrote 6 complete manuscripts before she was published.

Conflict in contemporaries are important. If you have real conflict, you have a real plot. Secret baby books are great conflict. Rachel struggles with conflict and she revises constantly.

She doesn't read contemporaries and enjoys reading Historicals, Sci-Fi and Zombies


Next up- All about the Editor and Agents panels and what they're looking or and their biggest pet peeves.

Report from NJRWA's Put Your Heart in a Book Conference: The State of the Publishing Industry

This past weekend I attended the NJRWA’s Put Your Heart in a Book Conference. In the past I usually would just go the book signing on Saturday, but this time, because I decided to attend the entire conference. NJRWA is like a mini RWA national conference where you can meet great people and network, especially if you’re an aspiring author or are a published author.

Friday kicked things off with published author retreat with Eloisa James as the Keynote Speaker. Eloisa talked about the state of the publishing industry, how promotion is key and why publishers are so scared of Amazon. Many things she said made sense, but also raised some eyebrows and questions.

As an author, you are everything. “BRANDIFICATION”. You must brand yourself. This is one of the most important things you can do as an author for promotion. This is as important as writing and publishing a book.

Facebook is key in driving sales!

Eloisa stresses how important Facebook as become. She also mentioned Twitter, but Facebook is important with promotion and branding. I’m not a big fan of Facebook myself and prefer to use Twitter (I have under 1,000 FB followers, and over 3,000 Twitter followers). Publishers are looking at an author’s Facebook page to see how many followers they have. Eloisa used Julia Quinn as an example. Julia has 60,000 Facebook followers. If Julia mentions she has a new book coming out on her Facebook page, her 60,000 fans will see that and buy her new book.

This may sound strange, but mid-list authors on Facebook who have under 5,000 followers may mean they don’t have good enough sales, or so the publisher thinks. Again, Publishers may look at your Facebook page, and in some instances the amount of followers you have on Twitter. If it’s too low, publishers may think you’re not doing enough to promote yourself. I have no idea how they came to this conclusion because there are some authors who are selling many books and barely do promotion.

Now not only do you have to spend time writing, but put aside time to do all types of social media. Sleep and showering are optional.

It’s important to “share” posts on Facebook with others. The more you share a post, the more people will find you and become a follower of yours.

Did you know mass market sales help support hardcover books? If mass market sales are down, that means hardcovers are down as well.

Social media numbers have become very important.

Publishers are nervous of Amazon. Or should I say they’re trembling in their boots? Publishers have a big overhead while Amazon doesn’t. These publishers are spending millions of dollars in rent on month on their offices in places like NYC. Amazon doesn’t have to pay such a large amount in rent. They pay freelancers for their work.

Amazon is counting on Connie Brockway, (under their Montlake Romance line) to hit the NY Times bestselling list with The Other Guy’s Bride (release date, November 22nd). Talk about the pressure on Connie’s shoulders! If she hits the NY Times with this book through Amazon’s new publishing line, there will be major waves in the publishing industry. Amazon will end up doing the Snoopy Dance.

Also, the more comments left on an Amazon review helps the author and that book. Amazon will push that book more if there are 50 or more comments left, which boggles my mind. can see an author rounding up their friends and opening Amazon accounts to do this, and leave comments regardless if the comments are rude, degrading a mean.

Eloisa has a column at the Barnes and Noble website and B&N is in the belief that intimacy sells books. She is sent so many books each month to promote at her column because the publishers know she can help drive sales.

Publishers are excited about debut authors and people are always looking for good books. There are a lot of bad books being published, but also good books, so don’t despair that only crap is being published.

Things learned from this talk:
- Author branding is very important
- Social media is also very important and Facebook and Twitter are key in driving author sales
- Publishers are running scared over Amazon becoming a publisher. Amazon realizes that an author and their book are a platform and not only a product. That’s where they think differently from publishers.
- There will always be good books published even though there may seem to be a lot of bad books being published also.

Next up the agent and self-publishing roundtable discussion where one author told us she made $7,000 last month self-publishing.

Guest Author Post: Amy O'Neill on Why She Self Published Her New Release- Finding Home

Amy O'Neill is one of many writers who has decided to self publish. She got in touch with me about her first published release, Finding Home. I asked her if she could tell me why she decided to self publish and her experience in doing so..

Amy: Just over 5 weeks ago, at 2am on a Friday morning, I self-published my first contemporary romance called Finding Home. That night was just like any other, I had 120 pages left of edit changes and for some reason I was procrastinating as usual. I told myself I would fix 20 pages and call it a night. Now I don’t know if either my writing got that good toward the end of the story or my editor gave up, but the next thing I knew everything was done.

I figured since it was still fairly early in the night, if you want to call midnight early, I would see what the formatting requirements were to submit my book to Smashwords for their eBook distribution. Miraculously that went smoothly as well. Maybe it was a fluke or all the planets were lining up for me. I can’t really say for sure, all I know is that within a few more hours I hit the submit button on the Smashwords site and got back a notice that my book was live online. What was even more amazing was that in less than 5 minutes I had a few people download the sample. Now normally I would say “Thanks Mom/Dad/Sis/lady at work”, but nobody knew what I was doing at that point. Literally overnight I went from aspiring to published through choosing self-publishing.

Now I will be the first to admit that publishing on my own, or even considering eBooks, was nowhere in my sights a few months ago. I had zero interest in e-readers or downloading anything. In my mind it was a passing fad, but one day soon people would miss the feel of a real book. So I did what any aspiring author does; I researched what traditional publishing house was right for me and I submitted a query letter. The query letter is your introduction to the publisher, a ‘hey, look what I got for you’ kind of promotional letter or email that lets them consider looking at more of your work. The publisher I picked generally takes 6-8 weeks for a response. So I waited.

When week 9 hit I figured I should give a nudge and resubmitted. That is when I got an auto-reply email saying even they were going electronic. And now it wasn’t just a quick email they wanted, they wanted best line, scene, and so much more. And the oh-so appealing advance they paid was gone too since you would get a bigger royalty with the eBook version of your work.

Again, the thought of eBooks made me turn up my nose. I was frustrated, discouraged, and wondering what I was going to do next. It is at that moment that divine intervention stepped in for me. I met a friend for lunch and told her my saga. She is an Aquarian like me, an out-of-the-box thinker. So when I was finished with my tale, it is no surprise she sat staring at me dumbfounded. As only a good friend can do, she told me what an idiot I was and to get my head out of my rear and open my eyes to how things are really moving.

So I researched and then I researched for some more. The first major decision was hiring my own freelance editor to give Finding Home a once over. See, when you self-publish, you do EVERYTHING on your own.

I’m my own agent, marketing department, mailroom, promoter, graphic artist. You name it, I gotta be it. But I like all of that extra work and it gives me a greater piece of the royalties’ pie. It makes this release of Finding Home all the sweeter to me.

After the edits were back to me, I then had to decide what advice I took and what I ignored. In the end I was in control, which isn’t always the case going the traditional route. Every word got accepted or vetoed only by me, same with the cover, the price. Succeed or fail, this is all on my shoulders.

I decided to follow the helpful tips of some really knowledgeable writers and use Smashwords to get my eBook out there. It is a free service and as long as they deem your work is up to par, they distribute it electronically to a variety of eBook stores (Barnes and Nobles, Apple, Sony, etc.). Then I chose Createspace to print the book for me. Essentially I sent a PDF of my work, created a cover using their design tool, and hit submit. Since I saved my document according to their specifications I was approved within a matter of days. The only cost to me was purchasing my proof. I did have to make a few changes to the text, but once I gave the thumbs up it was available in paperback on Amazon within 24 hours.

My friends and family have been deluged with postings about the book launch and signings. Facebook is my friend! I also created my own blog leading up to the release to let people know what was going on. There was a time when I felt like Chicken Little, that no one would believe I would ever get published.

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of promoting and selling Finding Home, literally from the trunk of my car. I’m hitting up coffee shops, libraries, craft shows, even an expo at the mall for women entrepreneurs. My generous co-workers purchased copies and we held a book signing in the lobby at the office. From the signing I used a portion of the proceeds to go toward a breast cancer walk. We raised $125! They all got their copies signed and I got a taste of what being a published author really felt like. People wanted to read something I wrote, not just because they were being nice, but because they knew they could get lost in my story. I am still in awe.

Just this weekend I found out the local newspaper put my press release in their latest edition. I didn’t know it was happening so when family began to call with the news, I rushed off to the local grocery to grab a few copies. The entire time I walked around the store, I held the papers close to me. It was validation that I really was turning my dream of writing into a reality. It was proof that people recognized a lot of hard work and were giving me the kudos to go along with it.

Looking back, I am so glad things took the twists and turns they did for me to get here. Had I stuck out the traditional route, I may still be waiting for a publisher to accept my book. And even then it would be another year before people were reading it. Self-publishing is like traditional publishing on caffeine overload!

Finding Home, the first of my California Dreaming series, will introduce you to two other couples who get together when Midwestern ladies move west to San Diego. Those two releases will come out next summer and spring 2013. In the meantime my next release, Taking Chances, will be released near the end of the year and is the first book of my next (yet to be named) series. I can self-publish 4 books within the next year alone!

If you would like to learn more about my journey as I venture this self-publishing path, please check me out on Facebook or my blog, amyoneillonline.blogspot.com. I truly appreciate KB for allowing me to guest blog and give some insight to self-publication. It’s a new frontier, but one that is truly worth it for those who give it their all.

Finding Home is available at Smashwords and Amazon for $2.99.

Synopsis: Avery Scott is the quintessential Midwestern girl, her life revolves around making her family happy and being a good wife, daughter, and friend. After a nasty divorce, she knows now is the time to live for herself for once. Before she can change her mind, she relocates to San Diego. She knows there may be one nuisance in her new adventure, in the form of the mysterious Damien Focelli, but she’s done letting fear (or a man) lead her life. Little does she realize, Damien is the key to releasing the real Avery.

Damien Focelli has spent the last four years in a downward spiral after the loss of his daughter in a tragic car accident. A moment of divine intervention helps him put the bottle down and begin to live again. After years of not feeling, the feisty Avery Scott ignites something within him. While he tries to show her he is a man of his word, he also has to keep a secret - a secret that could put both their lives in danger.

When these two have a second chance encounter, Damien doesn’t want to blow it, even though he can see Avery’s walls from miles away. Avery’s been charmed before so her trust in men is nil, but there is something about Damien that makes her feel safe. Before these two can build anything lasting though a stalker will try to stop them from going any further. Their happiness depends on believing more in their love than the fears that could destroy everything.

Lynsay Sands/Jeaniene Frost Scavenger Hunt for The Bite Before Christmas Stop #4 Winnner

 The winner of Spot #4 is...

Laura Kubitz

Lynsay Sands/Jeaniene Frost Scavenger Hunt for The Bite Before Christmas Stop #4

To celebrate the release of The Bite Before Christmas with Lynsay Sands and Jeaniene Frost, Avon has put together a fun scavenger hunt that I was asked to be a part of.

You have an hour to answer the following question and to be entered to win a $25 gift card and a copy of First Drop if Crimson and Eternal Kiss of Darkness. (US and Canada only)

 This question is only open from 12pm-1pm EST.

Jeaniene hates to do this…what do you hate to do?

1. Laundry
2. Make the Bed
3. Vacuum
4. Cook

Go to Avon’s Facebook Page to submit your answer!

The grand prize winner will be announced at 5pm EST today.

Stop #7 beginning at 1pm will be at Vampire Book Club.

WTFckery or Not? You Decide

Awesome and disturbing WTFckery coming your way!

1. There's always some WTFckery book covers to make your jaw drop...

A tender love story with a barely legal looking man/woman with a Gumby type body with enough M/M/M/M/M/M/M/M to go around. O.o (Cover model does have great hair)

Nice title for this one

Tentacle Lurve!

2. Again the Gingers are denied! This comment left on the article gave me a good chuckle: "Brunettes everywhere need to occupy Starbucks until they get their own coffee too!" From the Chicago Tribune:

Starbucks to add blonde roast for milder palates

"The Seattle-based java giant estimates that 40 percent of the nation's 130 million coffee drinkers prefer milder-tasting coffee, an area where Starbucks hasn't had a significant presence. To cater to those tastes, Starbucks said Tuesday it will launch "blonde roast" coffees in January, made from milder-flavored beans and roasted for a shorter periods. In so doing, Starbucks hopes to attract new customers and get more business from its current ones.

Starbucks will support January's blonde roast launch with its biggest marketing push, including national TV advertising, a tactic the company historically eschewed. The company has also repackaged its coffee for grocery stores, based on the understanding that customers spend 60 seconds deciding which coffee to buy. The bags will be labeled either "bold," "medium" or "blonde," to help speed decision making."

 3. Would you eat this cake? From Cakewrecks:

4. Who knew cupcakes could be deadly weapon? From CBSNews:

"A Chicago domestic violence incident this past weekend featured insults, punches, and...baked goods.

In the dispute on the city's Southwest Side, a woman pelted her husband with cupcakes before police arrived to arrest her, authorities said, according to the Chicago Tribune. The crumb-covered spouse isn't talking.

The fight started with a verbal quarrel Saturday evening, according to a police report, but escalated until the woman started hitting her husband over the head.

After that, she reached for the box of desserts and aimed a barrage of snack cakes at his head and body, the husband told police. The man's head and shirt were smudged with icing when officers arrived, according to the police report. He told officers he feared for his safety, and she was verbally aggressive with officers, the report states."

5. I guess this is a way to save on buying underwear? Sharing is caring!(Thanks to Penny Watson)

Magic Moments International Exposed for Couples Sweet Hearts Women's & Men's Red Thong One Size

Can be yours for $18.52!
Exposed for Couples Sweet Hearts Women's & Men's Red Thong O/S
Mirror mirror on the wall who is the sexiest of them all?
Add a hint of scandal to lingerie dreams. Our selection of intimate relationship aids is carefully designed and selected with your deepest and most intimate satisfaction in mind. Only the highest-quality materials go into these expressions of love.

6. Aww, USB animal cushions. From Gizmodo:

"The cushions come in three different colors with your choice of a dog or pig.One costs $53."

7. Would you pay $19,000 for 24 carat gold shoelaces? From Mr. Kennedy: 

Unfortunately, you can only buy 10 pairs at one time. "PURE, HAND WOVEN, LIMITED EDITION , SILVER AND GOLD SHOELACES."

9. This man's love for Julia Roberts is scary. From Best Week Ever: 

Man Has 82 Tattoos Of Julia Roberts’ Face

"Miljenko Parserisas Bukovic, a 56-year-old newspaper seller from Mexico, revealed his inked artwork in a photo shoot in Valparaiso city. He has so far spent a million Mexican pesos (just over £51,000) for the 82 tattoos. The newspaper vendor’s obsession with tattoos of Roberts started after he watched her in Erin Brockovich."

10. Human candle. I wonder what her skin felt like after she took the wax off?



11. And your Regretsy WTFckery speaks for itself:

Is There a WTFckery Factor to Prestigious Book Awards?

This week there was major controversy in regards to the the books that are finalists for the National Book Award. ("The National Book Awards continues to recognize the best of American literature, raising the cultural appreciation of great writing in the country while advancing the careers of both established and emerging writers.")

Young Adult author, Lauren Myracle was a finalist for her book, Shine, that came out last May from Amulet Books.

Synopsis: When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.

Then something very embarrassing on part of the NBA committee occurred. They dropped the ball big time.

From the New York Times Art section:

"Shortly afterward the National Book Foundation corrected itself, saying that Ms. Myracle’s book was not meant to be a finalist but that it would stay on the five-book shortlist anyway. The foundation then added a sixth book, “Chime,” by Franny Billingsley, originally intended to be a finalist."

From Lauren: "I was over the moon last week after receiving the call telling me that Shine was a finalist for the award," Myracle said in a statement. "I was later informed that Shine had been included in error, but would remain on the list based on its merits. However, on Friday I was asked to withdraw by the National Book Foundation to preserve the integrity of the award and the judges' work, and I have agreed to do so."

From Vanity Fair: 

"Lauren is the first author to be nominated for the prestigious National Book Award before having that nomination revoked."

Also this week, the Young Adult Library Services Association announced the "Teens' Top Ten, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year. Nominators are members of teen book groups in sixteen school and public libraries around the country."

The list:
1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster)
2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
3. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (Simon & Schuster)
4. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (HarperCollins)
5. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin)
6. Matched by Ally Condie (Penguin)
7. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson (Little, Brown & Company)
8. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (HarperCollins)
9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (HarperCollins)
10. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (Penguin)

Riddle me this...

Lauren Myracle's Shine, that has been praised, well reviewed and received, isn't up for a prestigious award like the National Books Awards because of some internal goof. But Cassandra Clare, who is the number one pick for the YALSA's is a well-known plagiarist of fan fiction (she plagiarized her own Harry Potter fan fiction before she became published). Pittacus Lore, who is an author duo, one of which is, James Frey, is a well known liar and fraud. (The way I Am Number Four was published is also full of WTCkery). And yet, both Clare and Lore/Frey have been honored. Keep in mind both authors make their publishers a lot of money and are New York Times Best-Sellers.

Does something seem wrong here? A plagiarist and a liar are honored, but another author, who is none of the above, and because of some sloppy internal error on the part of the NBA committee (they won't disclose the real reason to the public) is pushed to the side. Why would the YALSA even have Clare and Lore/Frey nominated knowing their shady pasts in regards to the way they were published and how they write?

Some would argue you look at the work, not the person writing it, regardless of the questionable moralistic actions of the authors. Should those rule apply when books are up for prestigious awards?

Full disclosure on my part but I haven't read Shine, Clockwork Angel or I am Number Four. For those who have read any of these books, do you feel they should be given awards?

What happened to Lauren is sheer WTFckery. As for Clare and Lore/Fray, is that one as well? This could be a case of comparing apples to oranges but it brought forth the KB ponder...