Sunday, May 27, 2012

Author, Author

....read all about it!

Today we have a great author here to tell us all about herself and to promote her newest release.  Please help me welcome...


S.J. McMillan


Hi S.J., so glad you could visit with us today.  Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I live in Southwest Missouri with my super supportive husband and my three fun loving kids. I love to laugh and have a good time. I used to be shy, but thanks to my husband, I’m quite a chatterbox now. Being with someone for fourteen years tends to make your personalities rub off on each other. As much as I like to kick back and enjoy things, I also know there are times when I need to kick my butt into gear and get things done.



What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?

The urge to write started in high school. I started writing poetry. I loved doing it. Once my creative juices got to flowing there was no stopping me. Reading spawned the urge to try writing a book. An idea came to me and the rest just fell into place.



What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?

 I would love to get really extensive with my research, especially for The Descendant. I want to visit the city it’s based on. It would be so awesome to see it up close and personal, instead of the pictures I’ve gawked at for years. For now though, I have to limit my research to what I can find on the Internet or in books.



Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?

It would be nice to have a little home office where I could sit down in front of the computer, turn on my music, and block out the other noises in order to devote my full attention to my writing. It’s a wonderful dream. Maybe one day it will come true, but for now I write wherever I can. I write at my full time job, with the boss’ permission, of course. I have also spent my writing time at the dining room table, my couch, my bed, my floor, and my car.



As a reader, what types of works do you like to read and do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?

I love romances. Historical, contemporary, paranormal, you name it, I read it. I also like to read YA horror novels, like the Fear Street series by R.L. Stine. Adult horror is too scary for me. I end up with nightmares, which is not cool. These genres do influence my writing to a certain extent. I write urban fantasy so I try to blend the genres together. I can put a bit of romance into the story without have to write a full on steamy love scene. I can also put in just enough gore to make you cringe, but not puke.



What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, Ipad or the old fashioned pencil and paper??  And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?

When I first started writing, a little over ten years ago, I used a typewriter. Unfortunately for me, it broke, and with no extra money lying around to buy a computer, I used the good ole paper and pen method. My how the times have changed though, I can proudly announce that not only do I own one computer, but two. I also have two computers at my day job as well. Now if only there were two of me…the possibilities would be endless. To plot out my story I go back to the paper and pen, but once I get to typing the muse takes over. I usually have to go back and revise my outline.



When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?

There is quite an array of things I would like to do when I need a break from writing. Such as play with my kids, talk to my hubby, watch TV or a movie, listen to music, or read. What I actually end up doing is cleaning. I make it fun though. I put on my MP3 player, jam to my music that no one else in my family likes, sing along with it, and show off my terrible dance moves in the process. Yes, I am a nerd, and am proud to say as much.



Is there anything about yourself nobody knows that you would like to share with our readers??

I actually wanted to be an FBI agent when I was a junior in high school. I can’t remember what changed my mind, but I’m glad I didn’t follow through with it.



For fun, I have a few personal questions,  

Your Favorite 5
1) Favorite color – Purple, simply because my daughter thinks I look really pretty in the color.
2) Favorite dessert – Midnight Truffle Blizzard from Dairy Queen
3) Favorite Season – Autumn, because temperatures start to cool and the colors of the leaves are just down right gorgeous.
4) Favorite sad song- Falling by The Civil Wars
5) Favorite Romantic movie – Phantom of the Opera, it is the perfect combination of romance and music.
 

And a bonus, what is your ideal romantic vacation??

This is going to sound really sappy, but as long as my husband is with me, anywhere would be fine with me. We can have a good time together no matter if we are in Aruba (which we have been to), or sitting at home on the couch.


Where can our readers find you??

I’m everywhere, no seriously…readers can find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcmillansj, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mcmillansj. I also have a website they can check out at www.mcmillansj.com. And I have a blog where I write about the misadventures of my family at www.clankids.wordpress.com.



Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

I would absolutely love to share my debut novel, City of the Gods: The Descendant with you.

It can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com, and the Ruby Lioness Press website.

700A.D. Teotihuacán, Mexico – The High Priest believed himself to be as powerful as the gods. He set a plague on the city as a demonstration of his power. The Gods took pity on the remaining loyal congregation. They granted each survivor immortality and an extraordinary ability. Three loyal survivors were given a mission of great importance: train the lone human descendant of their civilization to stop the evil priest from damning the rest of humanity.

2012 A.D. San Diego, California – The time has come to finally make Katalina Deckard aware of her destiny. Her life has been a constant struggle since the loss of her parents when she was young. But has it prepared her to save the world? Can her friends, who have survived so long, convince her she has what it takes to accept the mantle of Redeemer?


S.J. thank you so much for being with us today.  Great to hear more about you and I can't wait to read your newest book.  Please stop by anytime and see us again!

Readers, make sure you get your copy of City of the Gods The Decendant, you won't regret it!!

Happy reading!!

~Krista


Saturday, May 26, 2012

Sweet Saturday....

I proclaim today Sweet Saturday, which really means I found an amazing recipe while searching the internet.  I humbly thank www.thesweetslife.com who may have got this recipe from www.nutmegnanny.com.


Cheesecake Strawberries





Doesn't that picture just make you want to dive right into summer.  This is seriously a perfect picnic treat.  I'm thinking Memorial Day, which means I'll be making them today!  Also a great idea for the 4th of July and I wonder how that would taste with a blueberry on top.  You know, to stand for red white and blue? 

What I'm really thinking is that with 4 kids, I'm going to need alot of strawberries!

Ok, here we go....


Ingredients:-1 lb large strawberries
-8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat)
-3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some may already be hollow inside). Prep all strawberries and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.



Could that be any easier?  I don't think so which means you have NO excuse to make this great treat for the holidays!!

So, go...be one with your strawberries:)


Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!!!


Krista


Friday, May 25, 2012

Finally Friday May 25th

Could somebody please tell me how in the world we are on the last  Friday of May???  In less than a week it will be June.  That just doesn't seem real to me.  What does seem real is this great Honey Creek Sweet Romance just newly out by Turquoise Morning Press. 


Nursing Second Chances

(a Honey Creek Sweet Romance)



 by

 Maggie Greene


 
Kiersten Hart left Honey Creek the minute she graduated high school and never looked back. When her sister Jeanine is widowed and left to raise two children alone, Kiersten moves back on a temporary basis. When Charles steps in and sweeps her off her feet, she has to decide if the wounds from her childhood can be mended.

After his wife died, Charles Webber swore he’d never love anyone again. He buried himself in his work and didn’t look up until he found out his son was sick. Moving to Honey Creek was supposed to make things easier. Kiersten does little to help keep things simple. Though he is taken with her, he soon realizes the casual relationship they agreed on is turning serious. As their expiration date approaches, Charles must decide if Kiersten is worth the risk.

Release: May 14, 2012
Category: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
Heat Level: Sweet
Length: 32,000 words, Long Novella
Price: $2.99

About our Author: 
Maggie Greene has often been described as having an overactive imagination. She’s not convinced this is true, but does seem to spend a lot of her time daydreaming up ways to make her characters fall in love. When she’s not buried in a pile of books or typing away on her computer, she’s living out her very own happily-ever-after with a very patient husband and a demanding cat.
Maggie loves to hear from readers. You can contact her at authormaggiegreene@gmail.comor through her website www.authormaggiegreene.com.

Don't forget to get your copy today here!


Have a great day and happy reading!

Krista


Friday, May 18, 2012

Finally Friday May 18th

     Here we are at another Friday.  I always look forward to this day.  Come meet another great author with her back list title being featured this week from Turquoise Morning Press.  Please meet....



Jennifer Anderson

with her
Honey Creek Book

Ice Princess



Honey Creek Royalty Series, Book One
Mya Newman never minded the routine or quiet that came with living in a small country town like Honey Creek, Ohio. For her senior year, she craved something exciting to happen instead of it melting into a cookie cutter routine like the previous years.
 
When a new girl, Audrey Moore, moves to Honey Creek, Mya finds herself caught in a triangle. She discovers hidden feelings for her best friend, Michael Graves, but he seems to have eyes for the new girl.
 
After Mya’s father becomes ill and eventually passes, she turns to her best friend, Michael. Never leaving her side, she can’t help but wonder if he’d rather be elsewhere. With fear of rejection and loss of friendship, Mya decides she can’t confess her recently discovered feelings.

When Michael and Mya share a dance at the Winter Formal, does she confess her true feelings for him? Or does she shy away, forever longing to be the princess who finds her prince?


About our Author:

I’m a mommy, wife and now author. Even though I've spent many years on either coast, I've spent a majority of my life in the Midwest. Here is where my heart grows with the love and support of my family and friends, and here is where I find inspiration for my stories.


I didn’t grow up wanting to be an author but knew I needed to do something creative. After many years of moving from one job to the next and not finding happiness, I set pen to paper and began work on a Young Adult novel that will never see the light of day. And that’s okay.


Prince Charming, Book Two in my Honey Creek Royalty Series, is set to release September 2012. You can find me on Twitter @JenniA8677, on my blog musingsfromthepeanutgallery.blogspot.com or check out my website jenandersonauthor.com.


Don't miss your chance to get this great title, Ice Princess available now at Amazon.


Make sure to stop back next Friday for another great back list book !!

Happy reading,

Krista



Friday, May 11, 2012

Finally Friday May 11th

Friday is always a great day for multiple reasons.  It's the end of a work week, the start of the well needed and deserved weekend and the one day every week when i get to gush over another back list book from Turquoise Morning Press :)

Please help me welcome......


Amie Denman

with her debut novel

Blue Bottle Beach
(A Barefoot Book)



There’s no better place for a bachelorette party than Key West, Florida. Jackie and her accountant friends call in sick and escape wintry Chicago to celebrate in the sunshine, but an unexpected twist breaks up the party. On her own for a weekend in America’s least inhibited city, Jackie meets a man who makes her heart do a tropical dance. Mitchell is handsome, charming, and knows just where to touch her. If he looks a little familiar, the thought is quickly lost on the hot sands.
Mitchell finds Jackie equally irresistible as he romances her on Blue Bottle Beach, but he has no idea she should be in her cubicle in Chicago balancing the sheets for one of his many companies. What will happen when Mitchell and Jackie eventually look past their attraction to discover he’s her boss? Will a hot weekend in Key West still sizzle in wintry Chicago at the corporate Christmas party?

Reader Reviews:

     ~  Blue Bottle Beach will be appreciated by anyone who's been stuck in a northern winter! Jackie and Mitchell find that a little 'Island time' can do wonders for you when you least expect it. Hot beach scenes and the great descriptions of Key West antics keep this moving and the warm feeling lingers even after the scenes return to Chicago. Made me want to book a trip to Key West.

     ~  Who doesn't love a hot romance during the cold season. Great depth of character, nice sizzle, and a romantic finish. Plus, it takes place in two of my favorite places...Key West and Chicago. I think we should all run away to Key West and find a hot man like Mitch!

     ~  I loved this novel's transition from the hot beaches of Key West, Florida, to wintry Chicago for a magical Christmas finish. Jackie, the main character, is a woman we can all relate to and Mitch is the man we all hope to run into someday. When the two get together, they make some steamy scenes that will warm up anyone's frosty winter. Get a copy, snuggle under a blanket, and enjoy the warmth of this romance novel.
 
 
About our Author:  Amie Denman lives in a small town in her native Ohio with her husband and two young sons. Her two cats and 90-pound yellow lab are kind enough to share a sunny office where she lets her imagination run wild. Reading books was her favorite escape as a child, and she remains a romantic at heart.  She can be found at www.amiedenman.com so stop by and see what she's been up to.


In the meantime, you can find this great title here.  Don't miss out on a great romance!



Happy reading,

Krista










Friday, May 4, 2012

Author, Author

...read all about it!!


Thanks for joining us and please welcome a wonderful author and a great new friend,



Darlene Henderson




Hi Darlene and welcome, can we start off by hearing a little about you? 

This question always throws me.  A little about me.  Hmmm.  I live on Florida's Gulf Coast where we enjoy the world's whitest beaches.  I'm a single mom which has been a blessing.  I have an awesome kid and I get all the credit =).  I'm a Nascar fan.  I'm very involved at my Church, with Boy Scouts and I volunteer with the American Cancer Society.  And just for something completely random I have a phobia of dropping something into mail boxes that  I didn't mean to drop.  It was on an episode of the Lucy Show (the one after I Love Lucy).


What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?

I guess it's from years and years of reading. I wrote some as a kid, into high school even and let it go.  I made up stories all the time but never put pen to paper or fingers to keys.  But then my fellow Still Moments author Jillian Chantal challenged me to write a story and I had the bug and have been writing ever since.



What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?

I heard a long time ago to write what you know.  So I try to stick with that, but there are those times when I want to make sure I got something right and it's easy to get caught up in the minutiae.  My final edits included limiting the list of ingredients in a drink.  I mostly get distracted doing research.  Darn Internet, it's always there., speaking to me, tempting me to play.  Confession I went to IMDB to check out Lucille Ball and make sure I got the right name for that TV show.  So yes I research and sometimes too much. 
 

Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?

The couch is probably my favorite.  But I can write anywhere.  Don't have to have a specific place or anything.  From McDonald's at lunch to the table in the kitchen at the office to my bed.  (See advantage of being single no one to complain when you bring the laptop to bed).  This weekend I wrote outside sitting at a picnic table gazing out over the bay.  So I guess what I am saying is any place I can find enough time to write is a special place. 


As a reader, what types of works do you like to read and do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?

I love mysteries and cop stories.  Looking at my bookshelf, I see a giant section of John Sandford's Prey Books.  I have a ton of Stephen King and Dean Koontz too, but I've read Victoria Holt since I was a kid.  Even though I write romantic things, they are nothing like what I read. 


What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, Ipad or the old fashioned pencil and paper?? And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?

I Love love love my laptop.  It goes with me most everywhere, just in case there's time to write.  It's funny I'm not usually a purse-carrying kind of girl but I lug a laptop bag around everywhere.



When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?

Playing word games.  Watching movies or Trivia type game shows.  Or deeper involved in one of my other activities.  


Is there anything about yourself nobody knows that you would like to share with our readers??

Wow.  Tough question Okay my son knows this, but I do this weird thing touching my key before I put it into the car ignition. It's my crazy little OCD thing.  


For fun, I have a few personal questions,
Your Favorite 5

1) Favorite color - Pink
2) Favorite dessert - Strawberry shortcake
3) Favorite Season - Spring
4) Favorite sad song- At This Moment by Billy Vera and the Beaters
5) Favorite Romantic movie - The Lake House. 

And a bonus, what is your ideal romantic vacation??

The Mountains, the lake, the race track, a Stay-cation.  Where doesn't matter as long as there's lots of down time and lots of romance.
 

Where can our readers find you??
www.dandwh.wordpress.com

I'm DandWH on Twitter
 

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

I've just had my first "romance" release.  My story, Dog Day Afternoons is one of the stories featured in Still Moments Publishing's Love  Unleashed  anthology which was released this month.  It's available at :





One last thing before we let you go today Darlene.  Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.

For recipes, I like easy.  Here's one of my favorites from when my son was a kid.

1 can of biscuits
1 lb of hamburger meat
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
mozzarella cheese - shredded

  Brown your hamburger meat, drain and pour in the spaghetti sauce.  Mash the biscuits down into a greased muffin tin creating cups.  Fill the cups with your meat/sauce.  Bake according the instructions on the biscuit can.  About five minutes before taking them out of the oven sprinkle the cheese over the meat filled cups return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted. 
 It makes a quick and easy meal.  Kids can pick them up and eat them  Serve them with a salad and you've got all the basics covered.  For a variation use brown gravy and cheddar cheese. 


Thanks so much for the chance to come and visit.  ~  Darlene

 Darlene it was an absolute pleasure and might I add that I tried your  recipe and my kids LOVED it!!!!! I’m so glad you shared that and my kids thank you J
Readers, make sure you get this great anthology at:



Thanks so much for stopping by and Happy Reading J

 Krista










Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Author, Author Wednesday May 2nd.

...read all about it!!


Thanks for joining us and please welcome a wonderful author and a great new friend,



Liv Rancourt


Hi Liv, thanks so much for visiting with us today.   Let’s get right down to what we're here for,  your writing J
What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve always liked telling stories and could create whole soap operas in my head. Now I put them down on paper (or e-paper, as the case may be).

What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?
It depends on what the piece needs. For my short story that appears in Cutlass – Ten Tales of Pirates, I did a fair amount of Internet research, because it’s set in 1810 New Orleans. I looked at maps and read accounts of pirate life in that place and time. I studied historical fashion websites and read some Mark Twain & Dickens, to try to get a feel for the language.
For The Santa Drag and The Ring Toss I talked to my sister – probably more often than she really enjoyed, but she was very patient with me. Both of those stories involve a group of characters who are in the theater world, and I picked my sister’s brain to get the details right. The Santa Drag appeared in the Christmas Treats: Santa’s Nice List anthology, and The Ring Toss will be in Something Borrowed, Something Blue, which comes out in June (both from Still Moments Publishing).

Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?
I’m at the dining room table right now. It’s where I work, and it’s usually half-covered with the paper detritus of family life (you know, mail & newspapers & schoolwork & stuff). I don’t mind clutter – it seems to help me think – and I usually have music or some other source of noise (like teenagers) around. I can’t concentrate if it’s too quiet.

As a reader, what types of works do you like to read and do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?
I tend to stick to fantasy & paranormal, with some romance thrown in on occasion. What I DON’T read is anything too realistic. I figure if I want real-life drama, I’ll go to work. While I know my writing would improve if I read more literary fiction, I can’t bring myself to do it.

What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, Ipad or the old fashioned pencil and paper?? And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?
I’ll usually play with ideas on paper (working only with a pencil, because I make too many mistakes if I try to write with a pen), but the bulk of my work is done on my trusty Toshiba laptop.
  
When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?
I do a lot of church music and occasionally sing with a women’s choir that performs Renaissance music. I cheer for my kids’ soccer/swimming/basketball teams. The football team not so much – am too busy praying for my son’s survival. I also like to watch my husband’s band play.

Is there anything about yourself nobody knows that you would like to share with our readers??
Hmm…how ‘bout the fact that I graduated from WT Sampson High School in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba? Some people do know, like, my parents, sisters, and the rest of the graduating class of 1980 (!), but it doesn’t come up in general conversation these days.
For fun, I have a few personal questions.
Your Favorite 5
1) Favorite color - Burgundy
2) Favorite dessert – CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!
3) Favorite Season - Fall
4) Favorite sad song- HATE sad songs, and generally hit fast-forward when one comes on the CD player – or change the radio station. That said, the Dixie Chicks song Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) makes me cry every time I hear it, because they’re giving voice to the mix of emotions I feel as I watch my kids grow up.
5) Favorite Romantic movie – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Yeah. I’m not much for movies, but I liked this one and there IS a love story, so there.
 
And a bonus, what is your ideal romantic vacation??
A weekend with my husband at the Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island in Washington State. It’s an amazing place.

Where can our readers find you??
I usually hang out on my blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter (and I love to chat on Twitter, so look me up, okay?).

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?
Since last December I’ve been on a bit of a tear, and have had short stories published in four different anthologies. In addition, my novella A Vampire’s Deadly Delight was released in January by Black Opal Books.
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Kristen is a happily-single bookstore owner with a secret: when she smells vampire, she turns into Jai, a beauti-licious babe who makes vamps permanently dead. Vamps can’t keep their hands off her, and Jai uses super strength and her trusty blade, Mr. Sticky, to slice and dice them, ending their undead lives.  Kristen keeps her day job running a bookstore, but at night, Jai comes out to play. 
The thrill of wearing miniskirts without worrying about cellulite makes it worth any qualms Kristen has about killing.  Being Jai is the most fun she has ever had, at least until she runs into the one vampire Jai can’t kill.  He and Jai may have shared a past, but Jai can’t remember him.  Meanwhile, Jai’s work has caught the attention of some old enemies who wouldn’t hesitate to destroy Kristen if it meant the end of Jai.
Kristen struggles to hold onto normal life under the dawning realization that Jai is a more complicated person than she thought, and that the good guys and the bad guys might be tricky to tell apart.  Their survival depends on what each of them is willing to give, and to give up, for love.
A Vampire’s Deadly Delight is available from Black Opal Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.
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 Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to share and to try....

There’s a new picture on the sidebar of my blog that says, “behind every good blog is an unfed husband”. No recipes from me  ;)

Hahaha, poor husband. Liv that's quite alright.Thanks again so much for being with us and I personally can't wait to get your new novella, A Vampire's Deadly Delight. 

Readers, make sure you find all of these wonderful stories by Liv Rancourt, especially A Vampire's Deadly Delight, available here...   Black Opal Books, Amazon,Barnes& Noble, and Smashwords.

Happy reading!!!

Krista