Stacey Joy Netzel's Blog, page 7
February 2, 2013
Sunday Share: Biting Oz, by Mary Hughes + giveaway
It's been awhile since I've had a Sunday Share, so today I'm very happy to welcome Mary Hughes with an excerpt from her spicy paranormal romance,
Biting Oz
.
Read on and have fun, my friends!
Biting Oz, by Mary Hughes
(Biting Love Book 5)
Paranormal romance
Spicy
Real vampires do musicals.
Gunter Marie “Junior” Stieg is stuck selling sausage for her folks in small-town Meiers Corners. Until one day she’s offered a way out—the chance to play pit orchestra for a musical headed for Broadway: Oz, Wonderful Oz.
But someone is threatening the show’s young star. To save the production, Junior must join forces with the star’s dark, secretive bodyguard, whose sapphire eyes and lyrical Welsh accent thrill her. And whose hard, muscular body sets fire to her passions.
Fierce as a warrior, enigmatic as a druid, Glynn Rhys-Jenkins has searched eight hundred years for a home. Junior’s get-out-of-Dodge attitude burns him, but everything else about her inflames him, from her petite body and sharp mind to what she can do with her hip-length braid.
Then a sensuous, insidious evil threatens not only the show, but the very foundations of Meiers Corners. To fight it, Junior and Glynn must face the truth about themselves—and the true meaning of love and home.
Warning: Cue the music, click your heels together, make a wish and get ready for one steamy vampire romance. Contains biting, multiple climaxes, embarrassing innuendos, ka-click/ka-ching violence, sausage wars and—shudder—pistachio fluff.
First Meet EXCERPT: (In the theater. Junior is late and rushing to get to the pit, but is blocked by a sea of Munchkins.)
A stampede of girls playing horse galloped into me, knocking me off my feet again. I fell, trampled under their small hooves. Terrific. My obituary would now read, “Gunter Marie ‘Junior’ Stieg, pit musician and sausage queen, pounded flat by a herd of size-three Mary Janes.” I braced myself for death, or at least a bad bruising.
Big, warm hands slid under my arms, drew me to my feet.
“Here now,” said a musical baritone. “I’ll take care of this, babi. You sit here, out of the way.”
The hands assisted me to a plush seat. I sank in. Mmm, comfy. The city sure had gone all out remodeling the theater…babi?
I blinked. A pair of shoulders wider than a freeway waded out into the sea of kids. The leather-jacketed shoulders belonged to a man, black-haired, tall and strong-looking—but even Gulliver fell to a raging river of Lilliputians. I called out a warning too late. Kids grabbed the man’s hands, his jacket, and climbed him like a tree. He was swarmed, overwhelmed, swallowed up by the horde of prepubescent terrors. I covered my eyes.
“Sit now, younglings. All in a row, that’s it. Sit quietly until it’s your turn to have makeup.”
He had a lovely accent. I uncovered my eyes. Somehow he’d freed himself from the swarm of kids and was calmly shepherding them into the first two rows of seats, adjusting a tie here or hat there as they filed neatly by.
Holy Dr. Spock. There was a handy man to have if I ever wanted kids.
I smacked myself discreetly between the eyes. No children, at least not right now. First, make a good impression on the director of this show, turn the show into a smash hit, and go to New York.
Which meant getting into that pit before the overture started. Maybe I still could. I jumped to my feet, snatched up my Manhasset stand and corpse sax, shouldered my instrument bag and trotted down the rapidly clearing aisle.
And nearly slammed into a six-kid pileup.
The adults doing Munchkin makeup had stopped the kids from filing into the third row of seats in order to fix one Munchkin’s smears. I screeched to a stop on my toes, off-balance. My bag slipped, dropped off my shoulder, jerked me into stumbling. I nearly dropped the sax, did drop my stand, tangled feet with it and had to wrench myself backward to keep from falling.
Except the sax didn’t hear about the change in plans. Momentum carried it in my original direction, popping it from of my grip.
To my horror, the tenor case pitched straight at the kids.
The man turned instantly, as if preternaturally aware of the danger. But he was behind the kids. He’d have to hurdle like Jesse Owens to get between the deadly sax and those small bodies.
Palming the wall, he levered against it to kick up and over Munchkin heads, clearing them with incredible grace and ease, landing on my side.
On the way he snatched my tenor. Midair.
I set down my instrument bag and blew out my tension. “Wow. Thanks. I…”
Straightening to his full height of six-OMG, he faced me, emanating strength and energy. Powerful chest muscles pushed into the jacket’s gap right in front of my nose.
I gaped, realized I was starting to drool and looked up.
Sondheim shoot me. His face was all dark, dangerous planes. His eyes were twin sapphire flames that hit me in the gut. My breath punched out and none came to replace it. Bad news for a wind player.
He turned to set the sax down. I started breathing again.
A tapping caught my ear, the conductor ready to start. I needed to get into that pit now.
Half a dozen kids and two makeup adults were still in my way.
I’d have crawled over the seats myself but my joints weren’t as limber as the kids’…unless I used my black Lara Croft braid as a rope. I was desperate enough to consider it.
The man, turning back, saw my predicament. He lifted my instrument bag and music stand over kids with the same strength and grace as when he’d snatched the tenor. Then he turned to me.
And swept me up into his arms.
An instant of shock, of male heat and rock-hard muscle. A carved face right next to mine, masculine lips beautifully defined—abruptly I was set on my feet beside the pit. The sax landed next to me with a thump.
“There.” His accent was jagged, as if he were as rattled as me. “There’s your instrument.” He bounded to the back of the theater and was gone.
~*~
Wow. *grin*
Thank you for being here to share with us, Mary. I really enjoyed the excerpt and hope everyone else does, too!
Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win an ebook copy of Biting Oz...
**Comment through Wednesday to enter, leave your email if you'd like Mary to contact you directly if you win. Adults only, please. Winner chosen by random number.
...but if you can't wait to find out more about this hunk, then go grab your copy of Biting Oz now!
Biting Oz at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Samhain, ARe, Kobo, Fictionwise, Sony, iTunes
And did you notice this is Book 5? I'm thinking you're going to want to check out the rest of the series as well!
Mary Hughes is an author, computer consultant, and professional musician. At various points in her life she has taught Taekwondo, worked in the insurance industry, and studied religion. She is intensely interested in the origins of the universe. She has a wonderful husband (though happily-ever-after takes a lot of hard work) and two great kids. But she thinks that with all the advances in modern medicine, childbirth should be a lot less messy.
To learn more please visit www.maryhughesbooks.com or email mary@maryhughesbooks.com . Mary's also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MaryHughesAuthor and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/MaryHughesBooks
Happy reading everyone!Stacey
Read on and have fun, my friends!
Biting Oz, by Mary Hughes (Biting Love Book 5)
Paranormal romance
Spicy
Real vampires do musicals.
Gunter Marie “Junior” Stieg is stuck selling sausage for her folks in small-town Meiers Corners. Until one day she’s offered a way out—the chance to play pit orchestra for a musical headed for Broadway: Oz, Wonderful Oz.
But someone is threatening the show’s young star. To save the production, Junior must join forces with the star’s dark, secretive bodyguard, whose sapphire eyes and lyrical Welsh accent thrill her. And whose hard, muscular body sets fire to her passions.
Fierce as a warrior, enigmatic as a druid, Glynn Rhys-Jenkins has searched eight hundred years for a home. Junior’s get-out-of-Dodge attitude burns him, but everything else about her inflames him, from her petite body and sharp mind to what she can do with her hip-length braid.
Then a sensuous, insidious evil threatens not only the show, but the very foundations of Meiers Corners. To fight it, Junior and Glynn must face the truth about themselves—and the true meaning of love and home.
Warning: Cue the music, click your heels together, make a wish and get ready for one steamy vampire romance. Contains biting, multiple climaxes, embarrassing innuendos, ka-click/ka-ching violence, sausage wars and—shudder—pistachio fluff.
First Meet EXCERPT: (In the theater. Junior is late and rushing to get to the pit, but is blocked by a sea of Munchkins.)
A stampede of girls playing horse galloped into me, knocking me off my feet again. I fell, trampled under their small hooves. Terrific. My obituary would now read, “Gunter Marie ‘Junior’ Stieg, pit musician and sausage queen, pounded flat by a herd of size-three Mary Janes.” I braced myself for death, or at least a bad bruising.
Big, warm hands slid under my arms, drew me to my feet.
“Here now,” said a musical baritone. “I’ll take care of this, babi. You sit here, out of the way.”
The hands assisted me to a plush seat. I sank in. Mmm, comfy. The city sure had gone all out remodeling the theater…babi?
I blinked. A pair of shoulders wider than a freeway waded out into the sea of kids. The leather-jacketed shoulders belonged to a man, black-haired, tall and strong-looking—but even Gulliver fell to a raging river of Lilliputians. I called out a warning too late. Kids grabbed the man’s hands, his jacket, and climbed him like a tree. He was swarmed, overwhelmed, swallowed up by the horde of prepubescent terrors. I covered my eyes.
“Sit now, younglings. All in a row, that’s it. Sit quietly until it’s your turn to have makeup.”
He had a lovely accent. I uncovered my eyes. Somehow he’d freed himself from the swarm of kids and was calmly shepherding them into the first two rows of seats, adjusting a tie here or hat there as they filed neatly by.
Holy Dr. Spock. There was a handy man to have if I ever wanted kids.
I smacked myself discreetly between the eyes. No children, at least not right now. First, make a good impression on the director of this show, turn the show into a smash hit, and go to New York.
Which meant getting into that pit before the overture started. Maybe I still could. I jumped to my feet, snatched up my Manhasset stand and corpse sax, shouldered my instrument bag and trotted down the rapidly clearing aisle.
And nearly slammed into a six-kid pileup.
The adults doing Munchkin makeup had stopped the kids from filing into the third row of seats in order to fix one Munchkin’s smears. I screeched to a stop on my toes, off-balance. My bag slipped, dropped off my shoulder, jerked me into stumbling. I nearly dropped the sax, did drop my stand, tangled feet with it and had to wrench myself backward to keep from falling.
Except the sax didn’t hear about the change in plans. Momentum carried it in my original direction, popping it from of my grip.
To my horror, the tenor case pitched straight at the kids.
The man turned instantly, as if preternaturally aware of the danger. But he was behind the kids. He’d have to hurdle like Jesse Owens to get between the deadly sax and those small bodies.
Palming the wall, he levered against it to kick up and over Munchkin heads, clearing them with incredible grace and ease, landing on my side.
On the way he snatched my tenor. Midair.
I set down my instrument bag and blew out my tension. “Wow. Thanks. I…”
Straightening to his full height of six-OMG, he faced me, emanating strength and energy. Powerful chest muscles pushed into the jacket’s gap right in front of my nose.
I gaped, realized I was starting to drool and looked up.
Sondheim shoot me. His face was all dark, dangerous planes. His eyes were twin sapphire flames that hit me in the gut. My breath punched out and none came to replace it. Bad news for a wind player.
He turned to set the sax down. I started breathing again.
A tapping caught my ear, the conductor ready to start. I needed to get into that pit now.
Half a dozen kids and two makeup adults were still in my way.
I’d have crawled over the seats myself but my joints weren’t as limber as the kids’…unless I used my black Lara Croft braid as a rope. I was desperate enough to consider it.
The man, turning back, saw my predicament. He lifted my instrument bag and music stand over kids with the same strength and grace as when he’d snatched the tenor. Then he turned to me.
And swept me up into his arms.
An instant of shock, of male heat and rock-hard muscle. A carved face right next to mine, masculine lips beautifully defined—abruptly I was set on my feet beside the pit. The sax landed next to me with a thump.
“There.” His accent was jagged, as if he were as rattled as me. “There’s your instrument.” He bounded to the back of the theater and was gone.
~*~
Wow. *grin*
Thank you for being here to share with us, Mary. I really enjoyed the excerpt and hope everyone else does, too!
Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win an ebook copy of Biting Oz...
**Comment through Wednesday to enter, leave your email if you'd like Mary to contact you directly if you win. Adults only, please. Winner chosen by random number.
...but if you can't wait to find out more about this hunk, then go grab your copy of Biting Oz now!
Biting Oz at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Samhain, ARe, Kobo, Fictionwise, Sony, iTunes
And did you notice this is Book 5? I'm thinking you're going to want to check out the rest of the series as well!
Mary Hughes is an author, computer consultant, and professional musician. At various points in her life she has taught Taekwondo, worked in the insurance industry, and studied religion. She is intensely interested in the origins of the universe. She has a wonderful husband (though happily-ever-after takes a lot of hard work) and two great kids. But she thinks that with all the advances in modern medicine, childbirth should be a lot less messy.
To learn more please visit www.maryhughesbooks.com or email mary@maryhughesbooks.com . Mary's also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MaryHughesAuthor and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/MaryHughesBooks
Happy reading everyone!Stacey
January 29, 2013
Meet the Book Blogger: Jana
Good morning everyone! Today I'm happy to have Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl answering some questions. Please help me in welcoming her to the blog!
What can readers expect from your reviews?I have a pretty unique review style. Rather than writing out a big novel of a review, I break my reviews down into numbered points and then bold the main ideas of those points. This way if my readers would rather skim through, yet still get the best bits of my review, I’ve made it easy for them. I’ve been known to fan girl over books with lots of caps, OH man!’s, and exclamation marks, but also smack my head into the keyboard over my frustration with a book. Books bring out a lot of strong emotions in me, and I make those known to my readers. And I WILL point out grammatical errors. Don’t you worry. Basically, I’m really honest and it can be funny sometimes.I love your review style! Very easy to read and fun when you're excited about a book. :)
What was your most exciting ‘fan-girl’ moment with an author?I was part of a blog tour for the self-published novel, On the Island, by Tracey Garvis Graves. I loved her novel, and she even sent me a signed paperback after the tour to thank me for reviewing it. And THEN when Penguin bought the rights to her book and MGM bought the movie rights, I went ballistic. I was SO happy for her, and so happy that I got to help get the word out about such an amazing book. She sent me a signed copy of the professional publication of On the Island months later, with a thank you note, and I seriously almost cried in excitement. Very cool! Kudos to Tracey for making you (and I'm sure other readers) feel so special!
What does it take in a book to absolutely annoy you to the point where you quit reading or throw the book at the wall?I recently read a book that was just wrong all over the place. It was about a group of boys who were in a band. They talked about iPods and CDs, but spoke like they were from the 70’s, talking about “chicks” and “eats” and “jams”. And there was this obsession with Teflon (a nickname), which I know was a major thing in the 80’s when it was first used to describe Ronald Reagan. I was so annoyed that the language did not match the present-day story. Plus, the grammar was terrible and I did not like any of the characters. Those are the three things that bother me the most: poor editing, plot inconsistencies, and characters I hate. I can usually stick it out otherwise. What makes you a fan for life?I love beautiful, lyrical writing with flawless, gorgeous descriptions. It has to be done right, though, and not just for the sake of making a book longer. Purple prose is not my thing. But if you give me a well-written description with eloquent word choice, I’m yours forever.Do you have a pet who loves to snuggle with you when you read?
Yes! My cat Misty loves to snuggle up to me no matter where I read. Sometimes she even looks at the book, as if she is reading it too. J
Jana and MistyMisty is beautiful! You two are cute together.
Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon?I’ve fallen victim to this curse so many times throughout my life that I can’t even think of one particular time this happened. I did it with Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Frost by Kate Avery Ellison, Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker, Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, etc. I’m one of those people who loves to be an insomniac whenever they have the chance to do so.So my question should've been "Do you remember the last time you got a full night of sleep?" *grin*
What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding?When an author sends me a book and swag, and is SO excited to have me review their book… and then I dislike it so much that I can’t even finish it, I feel just as heartbroken as the author does. I hate having to eject someone’s pride and joy, and I hate feeling like I’ve wasted an author’s money by accepting a book and then not finishing it. The most rewarding thing is all the friendships and opportunities I’ve made and received as a blogger. I’ve got so many blogger, author, and publisher friends. The book community is the best ever. Plus, I’ve read amazing books I never would have known about if the author had not come to me. Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog?I love it, as long as they are nice and respectful. I recently received a thank you note from an author whose book I rated very low. She thanked me for reviewing it, and told me she plans to hook me with another book in the future. I loved hearing from her! I wrote a 1-star review on a book once, and the author attacked me on my blog, and on Twitter. How unprofessional is that? I was so upset that I was being ripped apart for not liking her book. I even bought it myself, so she got her money out of me. On the flip side, authors like Tracey Garvis Graves and Kate Avery Ellison (who wrote and thanked me, and even offered me more of their books) are wonderful to hear from. Authors are like celebrities to me, so when I hear from one of them I go a little nuts. So glad the unprofessional authors are way outranked by the wonderful authors.
Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?Anna Banks/ScarlettLynn KurlandStephanie PerkinsLauren OliverSyrie James.
Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?I just checked my list on Goodreads, and I have over 1,200 books on my to-read list. Holy moly. I don’t think I have enough time to get through those, especially since I’m adding to it faster than I’m checking books off of it!
Thank you for being here today, Jana! I hope you continue blogging for a long time to come and have many more memorable fan-girl moments!
Readers, it's your turn: Is there anything you'd like to ask Jana?
You can find Jana, That Artsy Reader Girl, right HERE:
http://thatartsyreadergirl.blogspot.com/https://twitter.com/SweetestJanahttp://www.goodreads.com/user/show/983479-janahttps://www.facebook.com/pages/That-Artsy-Reader-Girl/303130236394805http://pinterest.com/chocostrawberry/
The Broke & The Bookish
What can readers expect from your reviews?I have a pretty unique review style. Rather than writing out a big novel of a review, I break my reviews down into numbered points and then bold the main ideas of those points. This way if my readers would rather skim through, yet still get the best bits of my review, I’ve made it easy for them. I’ve been known to fan girl over books with lots of caps, OH man!’s, and exclamation marks, but also smack my head into the keyboard over my frustration with a book. Books bring out a lot of strong emotions in me, and I make those known to my readers. And I WILL point out grammatical errors. Don’t you worry. Basically, I’m really honest and it can be funny sometimes.I love your review style! Very easy to read and fun when you're excited about a book. :)
What was your most exciting ‘fan-girl’ moment with an author?I was part of a blog tour for the self-published novel, On the Island, by Tracey Garvis Graves. I loved her novel, and she even sent me a signed paperback after the tour to thank me for reviewing it. And THEN when Penguin bought the rights to her book and MGM bought the movie rights, I went ballistic. I was SO happy for her, and so happy that I got to help get the word out about such an amazing book. She sent me a signed copy of the professional publication of On the Island months later, with a thank you note, and I seriously almost cried in excitement. Very cool! Kudos to Tracey for making you (and I'm sure other readers) feel so special!
What does it take in a book to absolutely annoy you to the point where you quit reading or throw the book at the wall?I recently read a book that was just wrong all over the place. It was about a group of boys who were in a band. They talked about iPods and CDs, but spoke like they were from the 70’s, talking about “chicks” and “eats” and “jams”. And there was this obsession with Teflon (a nickname), which I know was a major thing in the 80’s when it was first used to describe Ronald Reagan. I was so annoyed that the language did not match the present-day story. Plus, the grammar was terrible and I did not like any of the characters. Those are the three things that bother me the most: poor editing, plot inconsistencies, and characters I hate. I can usually stick it out otherwise. What makes you a fan for life?I love beautiful, lyrical writing with flawless, gorgeous descriptions. It has to be done right, though, and not just for the sake of making a book longer. Purple prose is not my thing. But if you give me a well-written description with eloquent word choice, I’m yours forever.Do you have a pet who loves to snuggle with you when you read?
Yes! My cat Misty loves to snuggle up to me no matter where I read. Sometimes she even looks at the book, as if she is reading it too. J
Jana and MistyMisty is beautiful! You two are cute together. Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon?I’ve fallen victim to this curse so many times throughout my life that I can’t even think of one particular time this happened. I did it with Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Frost by Kate Avery Ellison, Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker, Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, etc. I’m one of those people who loves to be an insomniac whenever they have the chance to do so.So my question should've been "Do you remember the last time you got a full night of sleep?" *grin*
What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding?When an author sends me a book and swag, and is SO excited to have me review their book… and then I dislike it so much that I can’t even finish it, I feel just as heartbroken as the author does. I hate having to eject someone’s pride and joy, and I hate feeling like I’ve wasted an author’s money by accepting a book and then not finishing it. The most rewarding thing is all the friendships and opportunities I’ve made and received as a blogger. I’ve got so many blogger, author, and publisher friends. The book community is the best ever. Plus, I’ve read amazing books I never would have known about if the author had not come to me. Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog?I love it, as long as they are nice and respectful. I recently received a thank you note from an author whose book I rated very low. She thanked me for reviewing it, and told me she plans to hook me with another book in the future. I loved hearing from her! I wrote a 1-star review on a book once, and the author attacked me on my blog, and on Twitter. How unprofessional is that? I was so upset that I was being ripped apart for not liking her book. I even bought it myself, so she got her money out of me. On the flip side, authors like Tracey Garvis Graves and Kate Avery Ellison (who wrote and thanked me, and even offered me more of their books) are wonderful to hear from. Authors are like celebrities to me, so when I hear from one of them I go a little nuts. So glad the unprofessional authors are way outranked by the wonderful authors.
Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?Anna Banks/ScarlettLynn KurlandStephanie PerkinsLauren OliverSyrie James.
Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?I just checked my list on Goodreads, and I have over 1,200 books on my to-read list. Holy moly. I don’t think I have enough time to get through those, especially since I’m adding to it faster than I’m checking books off of it!
Thank you for being here today, Jana! I hope you continue blogging for a long time to come and have many more memorable fan-girl moments!
Readers, it's your turn: Is there anything you'd like to ask Jana?
You can find Jana, That Artsy Reader Girl, right HERE:
http://thatartsyreadergirl.blogspot.com/https://twitter.com/SweetestJanahttp://www.goodreads.com/user/show/983479-janahttps://www.facebook.com/pages/That-Artsy-Reader-Girl/303130236394805http://pinterest.com/chocostrawberry/
The Broke & The Bookish
January 15, 2013
Meet the Book Blogger: Brianna Lee
Please help me give a warm welcome to Brianna Lee, from Brianna Lee Book Reviews. She's a little newer to the book blogging world, but she's doing a great job, so let's sit down and chat with her for awhile.
Hello Brianna Lee! When and how did you get started with book blogging? I have been reading for my whole life and always loved to talk about the book when I was finished. I finally decided to begin my own Book Blog in June of 2012. I was very interested in writing real reviews for authors and I learned a Book Blog was a good starting point. So, I gave it a shot, and here I am today having a blast with it! My Blog is still really new but I love it so much =D
That's awesome that you're having so much fun with it. And a key factor in attracting readers!
I see on your website you offer a host of services to include beta-reading, proof-reading, and promo. What can readers expect from your reviews? Readers can always expect HONESTY from my reviews. I will always tell you what I liked and what I thought needed improvements. I try to make my reviews personable, unless specifically advised against. I like to give everyone my honest opinion as a real reader!
Where is your favorite place to read? I love to read anywhere and everywhere. I enjoy reading in my over-sized living room chair and in my bed though. It is just so comfortable! I also really love to read outside - in the shade in the daytime or by the fire at night. I don't nearly get to read outside as much as I would like though =(
Paper books or ebooks— and why? I love them both because it is the story that matters. However, there is just something so special to me about holding a print book in my hands! I love print books, they are more intimate. I love my kindle too though, because I discovered a lot of wonderful authors and titles because of e-books.
What is your favorite genre and is there anything you won’t review? I love all fiction, but my favorite genres are Paranormal/Urban Fantasy and Contemporary Romance. I review pretty much everything as long as it is fiction. If somebody had something they wanted me to review that wasn't fiction, they could e-mail me so we could discuss it.
Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon? Oh my Gosh! I have done this too many times! The most recent book I stayed up with all night was "Beautiful Disaster" by Jamie McGuire.I was so tired the next day but it was so worth it. It was such an AMAZING book! It was impossible to put down. I was definitely very tired the next day when my 2 year old daughter was up nice and early ready to play though!
I've heard a lot about Jamie McGuire's book...and love the cover. I'll definitely have to check it out. And boy, do I remember those days of being so tired from reading, but no choice but to pay the price.
What is your favorite kind of M&M’s? My favorite kind of M&M's are Peanut! I have never tried the Pretzel kind but I really want to because I think I would like them a lot! Love this question! LOL so random but great! =D
Yeah, I had to throw it in there. :)
What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding? I think the most challenging part of book blogging is starting it up! It takes a long time to get a lot of followers. I have about 73 followers right now and have had my Blog for almost four months. I think it will be easier when I have more followers and they leave more feedback. Feedback will allow for better posts because I will know what they want. Also, it is a little hard coming up with Blogging Posts sometimes. I would love to post something great every day but I don't have great things to post about that often! I need to work on that some more =)
I think we're all in that boat--coming up with ideas to blog about. At least I know I am.
Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog? I actually enjoy hearing from authors after a review. As long as the author is not complaining about the review or anything negative though! But, I love hearing from authors when they like my reviews. It means a lot to me that my reviews mean a lot to them. I also don't mind authors following, reading, and posting on my blog. I actually have quite a few author followers!
Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you? I have a lot of authors that are auto-buy for me. But, five of them are:
J.R. WardRichelle MeadCharlaine HarrisSherrilyn KenyonLara AdrianWOW! That was tough to only pick five HaHa! I love sooo many authors that I feel like I am cheating them by only writing five names!
Those are some great choices. And sorry, but knowing how I myself have been known to say, "Oh, and then there's 'this one' and 'that one', and oh, wait, one more..." I had to limit it. LOL
Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list? I actually need to update my To Be Read list! But I have over 700 titles on my TBR list right now. But I find new books everyday that I want to add to my reading list! It is honestly probably closer to 1000!!
Find Brianna Lee online: Brianna Lee Book Reviews , Facebook , Twitter , Goodreads
Wow, that's quite the number! If only we all had more time for reading...
Anyway, thank you so much for visiting today! I enjoyed learning about you and hope my readers did, too.
Blog readers, here's your chance--is there anything you'd like to ask Brianna Lee? Or share some of your favorite authors with her--I'm sure she won't mind adding to that TBR list. Who needs to sleep? *grin*
Stacey Joy Netzel
Hello Brianna Lee! When and how did you get started with book blogging? I have been reading for my whole life and always loved to talk about the book when I was finished. I finally decided to begin my own Book Blog in June of 2012. I was very interested in writing real reviews for authors and I learned a Book Blog was a good starting point. So, I gave it a shot, and here I am today having a blast with it! My Blog is still really new but I love it so much =D
That's awesome that you're having so much fun with it. And a key factor in attracting readers!
I see on your website you offer a host of services to include beta-reading, proof-reading, and promo. What can readers expect from your reviews? Readers can always expect HONESTY from my reviews. I will always tell you what I liked and what I thought needed improvements. I try to make my reviews personable, unless specifically advised against. I like to give everyone my honest opinion as a real reader!
Where is your favorite place to read? I love to read anywhere and everywhere. I enjoy reading in my over-sized living room chair and in my bed though. It is just so comfortable! I also really love to read outside - in the shade in the daytime or by the fire at night. I don't nearly get to read outside as much as I would like though =(
Paper books or ebooks— and why? I love them both because it is the story that matters. However, there is just something so special to me about holding a print book in my hands! I love print books, they are more intimate. I love my kindle too though, because I discovered a lot of wonderful authors and titles because of e-books.
What is your favorite genre and is there anything you won’t review? I love all fiction, but my favorite genres are Paranormal/Urban Fantasy and Contemporary Romance. I review pretty much everything as long as it is fiction. If somebody had something they wanted me to review that wasn't fiction, they could e-mail me so we could discuss it.
Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon? Oh my Gosh! I have done this too many times! The most recent book I stayed up with all night was "Beautiful Disaster" by Jamie McGuire.I was so tired the next day but it was so worth it. It was such an AMAZING book! It was impossible to put down. I was definitely very tired the next day when my 2 year old daughter was up nice and early ready to play though!
I've heard a lot about Jamie McGuire's book...and love the cover. I'll definitely have to check it out. And boy, do I remember those days of being so tired from reading, but no choice but to pay the price.
What is your favorite kind of M&M’s? My favorite kind of M&M's are Peanut! I have never tried the Pretzel kind but I really want to because I think I would like them a lot! Love this question! LOL so random but great! =D
Yeah, I had to throw it in there. :)
What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding? I think the most challenging part of book blogging is starting it up! It takes a long time to get a lot of followers. I have about 73 followers right now and have had my Blog for almost four months. I think it will be easier when I have more followers and they leave more feedback. Feedback will allow for better posts because I will know what they want. Also, it is a little hard coming up with Blogging Posts sometimes. I would love to post something great every day but I don't have great things to post about that often! I need to work on that some more =)
I think we're all in that boat--coming up with ideas to blog about. At least I know I am.
Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog? I actually enjoy hearing from authors after a review. As long as the author is not complaining about the review or anything negative though! But, I love hearing from authors when they like my reviews. It means a lot to me that my reviews mean a lot to them. I also don't mind authors following, reading, and posting on my blog. I actually have quite a few author followers!
Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you? I have a lot of authors that are auto-buy for me. But, five of them are:
J.R. WardRichelle MeadCharlaine HarrisSherrilyn KenyonLara AdrianWOW! That was tough to only pick five HaHa! I love sooo many authors that I feel like I am cheating them by only writing five names!
Those are some great choices. And sorry, but knowing how I myself have been known to say, "Oh, and then there's 'this one' and 'that one', and oh, wait, one more..." I had to limit it. LOL
Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list? I actually need to update my To Be Read list! But I have over 700 titles on my TBR list right now. But I find new books everyday that I want to add to my reading list! It is honestly probably closer to 1000!!
Find Brianna Lee online: Brianna Lee Book Reviews , Facebook , Twitter , Goodreads
Wow, that's quite the number! If only we all had more time for reading...
Anyway, thank you so much for visiting today! I enjoyed learning about you and hope my readers did, too.
Blog readers, here's your chance--is there anything you'd like to ask Brianna Lee? Or share some of your favorite authors with her--I'm sure she won't mind adding to that TBR list. Who needs to sleep? *grin*
Stacey Joy Netzel
January 11, 2013
Warm Winter Reads: Prizes and Books-what could be better?
I know, it
could
be better if you were sitting on that beach with the sandman, your prizes, and books...
...but since that's not going to happen, lets enjoy what we DO have.
So first the grand prizes:1 $50 Gift Card to Best Buy, plus $25 ebook gift card (Winners choice Amazon, BN, iTunes, ect.)1 $25 Amazon gift card My individual blog prize:
2 Marcus Movie Passes
Now for the books! The awesome authors of the Beach Book Blast have a whole bunch of new releases to share with you. My book is one of the two--that's right, TWO --brand new releases in the Welcome to Redemption series.
The second, is HOLD ON TO ME , Book 8, by moi! We release them together because each set of two (1&2, 3&4, and so on) share a scene, told from our own characters' point of view. They are all stand alone stories with their own beginning, middle, and end, but of course the friends we fell in love with from earlier books continue to appear as the series expands.
Amazon , Apple iTunes , BN , ARe , Kobo , SW
After escaping an abusive ex-husband, Jenny Clark focuses on making ends meet from one day to the next. Then she meets her new apartment building manager, and the passion in his kisses dare her to believe she could have a second chance at love.
At a crossroads in his life, Grant Walker returns from New York to manage his apartment building in Redemption. He didn’t expect to meet the woman of his dreams and find everything he never knew he wanted in small town Wisconsin.
But someone doesn’t want either of them to be happy, and even as menacing acts of vandalism pull Jenny and Grant closer together, a harbored secret could destroy all hope of their happily ever after.
EXCERPT:
Grant motioned Jenny back toward the door with a little jerk of his head. “Can I talk to you for a quick sec?”
She followed him outside, and once out of sight of the other girls, he turned to face her.
“What’s up?” she asked.
He cast a cautious glance around the barnyard before crooking his finger for her to come closer. His secretive demeanor made her wonder what the heck was going on, and she snuck her own furtive glance as she moved forward. There was no one around. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.
“What is it?”
She turned back to face him as Grant leaned in, and she caught her automatic reflexive jerk backward. His lips curved into a grin seconds before settling on hers. Closing her eyes, she relished the warmth of his mouth, and a moment later, willingly parting her lips with the first sweep of his tongue. He slid one hand into her hair at the nape of her neck while the other settled at her curve of her waist.
As the kiss deepened, she lifted her arms around his neck, raising on her tiptoes to press full against him. A low moan rumbled in his chest, and his arms closed around her. His lips and tongue caressed hers, coaxing a response and sparking desire like she hadn’t experienced in so very long. The press of her sensitive breasts against his unyielding chest started that throb of arousal deep inside.
Wrapped in a world of wonderful sensation, she clung to him even as he brought the kiss to an end.
“Well, hell,” he murmured in a husky tone. “That backfired.”
“How so?” Jenny braced her hand against his chest to support her weak knees.
He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face before resting his forearm on her shoulder. “That was supposed to give you something to think about while I’m gone, but all it did was get me worked up.”
Palm still pressed to his chest, she noted his rapid heartbeat, felt the synchronized beat in her own body, and admitted with a suddenly shy smile, “That’s not all it did.”
His brown eyes darkened even more as they took in her flushed cheeks. He rubbed his thumb over the racing pulse point near her collar bone, and a smile curved his mouth. “Good. Because I’ve been wanting to do that since Tuesday.”
Feeling a bit bolder after the kiss, she suggested, “Next time don’t wait so long.”
The smile became a grin. He drew her forward for a brief, firm press of his lips, and then abruptly broke contact and departed with a brisk, “I’ll be back by five-thirty.”
After he’d driven away, she turned for the barn and found the other two women at the doorway watching her. Her face heated, but wiping the foolish grin off her face proved impossible.
“Someone’s got it bad,” Joy said, grinning with her.
“I’m that obvious?”
“Well, yeah, but I was talking about him.”
~~~
Grab your copy of HOLD ON TO ME :
Amazon , Apple iTunes , BN , ARe , Kobo , SW
Then, hop on over to the Beach Book Blast to check out more great books and enter to win the grand prizes.
To enter for my individual blog prize, simply use the rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And please don't forget to say "Hello" in the comment section.
Thanks for reading and Good luck!!!
Stacey Joy Netzel
...but since that's not going to happen, lets enjoy what we DO have.
So first the grand prizes:1 $50 Gift Card to Best Buy, plus $25 ebook gift card (Winners choice Amazon, BN, iTunes, ect.)1 $25 Amazon gift card My individual blog prize:
2 Marcus Movie PassesNow for the books! The awesome authors of the Beach Book Blast have a whole bunch of new releases to share with you. My book is one of the two--that's right, TWO --brand new releases in the Welcome to Redemption series.
WELCOME TO REDEMPTION
...a small town in Northeast Wisconsin where second chances don’t always come easy, but if you’re willing to try, anything is possible.
“With their easy, breezy style and skilled characterizations, Rogers and Netzel have created a town that readers won't want to leave.” ~ Romantic Times Book Reviews, 4.5 StarsThe first of the two is NEVER LET ME GO , Book 7, by my talented series co-author, Donna Marie Rogers. Read all about her book here .
The second, is HOLD ON TO ME , Book 8, by moi! We release them together because each set of two (1&2, 3&4, and so on) share a scene, told from our own characters' point of view. They are all stand alone stories with their own beginning, middle, and end, but of course the friends we fell in love with from earlier books continue to appear as the series expands.
Amazon , Apple iTunes , BN , ARe , Kobo , SW
After escaping an abusive ex-husband, Jenny Clark focuses on making ends meet from one day to the next. Then she meets her new apartment building manager, and the passion in his kisses dare her to believe she could have a second chance at love.
At a crossroads in his life, Grant Walker returns from New York to manage his apartment building in Redemption. He didn’t expect to meet the woman of his dreams and find everything he never knew he wanted in small town Wisconsin.
But someone doesn’t want either of them to be happy, and even as menacing acts of vandalism pull Jenny and Grant closer together, a harbored secret could destroy all hope of their happily ever after.
EXCERPT:
Grant motioned Jenny back toward the door with a little jerk of his head. “Can I talk to you for a quick sec?”
She followed him outside, and once out of sight of the other girls, he turned to face her.
“What’s up?” she asked.
He cast a cautious glance around the barnyard before crooking his finger for her to come closer. His secretive demeanor made her wonder what the heck was going on, and she snuck her own furtive glance as she moved forward. There was no one around. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.
“What is it?”
She turned back to face him as Grant leaned in, and she caught her automatic reflexive jerk backward. His lips curved into a grin seconds before settling on hers. Closing her eyes, she relished the warmth of his mouth, and a moment later, willingly parting her lips with the first sweep of his tongue. He slid one hand into her hair at the nape of her neck while the other settled at her curve of her waist.
As the kiss deepened, she lifted her arms around his neck, raising on her tiptoes to press full against him. A low moan rumbled in his chest, and his arms closed around her. His lips and tongue caressed hers, coaxing a response and sparking desire like she hadn’t experienced in so very long. The press of her sensitive breasts against his unyielding chest started that throb of arousal deep inside.
Wrapped in a world of wonderful sensation, she clung to him even as he brought the kiss to an end.
“Well, hell,” he murmured in a husky tone. “That backfired.”
“How so?” Jenny braced her hand against his chest to support her weak knees.
He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face before resting his forearm on her shoulder. “That was supposed to give you something to think about while I’m gone, but all it did was get me worked up.”
Palm still pressed to his chest, she noted his rapid heartbeat, felt the synchronized beat in her own body, and admitted with a suddenly shy smile, “That’s not all it did.”
His brown eyes darkened even more as they took in her flushed cheeks. He rubbed his thumb over the racing pulse point near her collar bone, and a smile curved his mouth. “Good. Because I’ve been wanting to do that since Tuesday.”
Feeling a bit bolder after the kiss, she suggested, “Next time don’t wait so long.”
The smile became a grin. He drew her forward for a brief, firm press of his lips, and then abruptly broke contact and departed with a brisk, “I’ll be back by five-thirty.”
After he’d driven away, she turned for the barn and found the other two women at the doorway watching her. Her face heated, but wiping the foolish grin off her face proved impossible.
“Someone’s got it bad,” Joy said, grinning with her.
“I’m that obvious?”
“Well, yeah, but I was talking about him.”
~~~
Grab your copy of HOLD ON TO ME :
Amazon , Apple iTunes , BN , ARe , Kobo , SW
Then, hop on over to the Beach Book Blast to check out more great books and enter to win the grand prizes.
To enter for my individual blog prize, simply use the rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And please don't forget to say "Hello" in the comment section.
Thanks for reading and Good luck!!!
Stacey Joy Netzel
January 10, 2013
Hold On To Me, Welcome to Redemption, Book 8
WELCOME TO REDEMPTION
...a small town in Northeast Wisconsin where second chances don’t always come easy, but if you’re willing to try, anything is possible.
January 2013
Amazon
,
Apple iTunes
,
BN
,
ARe
,
Kobo
,
SW
After escaping an abusive ex-husband, Jenny Clark focuses on making ends meet from one day to the next. Then she meets her new apartment building manager, and the passion in his kisses dare her to believe she could have a second chance at love.
At a crossroads in his life, Grant Walker returns from New York to manage his apartment building in Redemption. He didn’t expect to meet the woman of his dreams and find everything he never knew he wanted in small town Wisconsin.
But someone doesn’t want either of them to be happy, and even as menacing acts of vandalism pull Jenny and Grant closer together, a harbored secret could destroy all hope of their happily ever after.
EXCERPT:
After unloading her dishwasher, sweeping and running the vacuum, and a quick scrub of the bathroom, she tossed her work T-shirt into the laundry and put on a fresh one. A sweatshirt joined her purse and camera in her canvas tote bag, and then she skipped down the stairs to find Grant waiting by the door.
Moisture darkened his hair to almost black, suggesting he’d showered before changing into a clean T-shirt and jeans. The warm, spicy scent that enveloped her senses when she passed him on the way outside confirmed it.
“Look at you bright-eyed and smiley.” He tugged on her bouncy ponytail. “No danger of you falling asleep today, is there?”
Thinking about how she’d slept through more than half the movie at the theater the other day, she rolled her eyes as he drew even with her on the sidewalk. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“You used me as a pillow on our second date.”
Second date? Were they dating? “Did we have a first?”
“Did we have a first?” he repeated, giving her an offended look as he held his hand over his chest as if she’d wounded him. “I bought dinner and we watched Tim Allen.”
And you kissed me.
“You bought yourself dinner and then felt sorry for me,” she argued.
His expression turned serious. “I’ve never felt sorry for you, Jenny.”
“Good.” The statement made her feel better, but she wanted to keep the mood light, so she reached up to rub the solid shoulder she’d fallen asleep on Tuesday afternoon. “And I got news for you—you’re a little firm to be considered a pillow.”
He held open his passenger side door for her. “You complaining?”
“Not at all.” She gave him a sassy grin as she got in the car. “I like you hard.”
He caught the door mid-swing. “Excuse me?”
Yeah, excuse me? Jenny pulled the handle from his grasp and slammed the door shut. When he grinned at her through the window, she covered her hot face with one hand and waved him away with the other. Had she really just said that? And oh, God, he was going to get in on the other side now.
The driver’s door opened, and the car dipped with Grant’s weight. The moment she heard him clear his throat, she held up her hand.
“Don’t you say one word,” she warned.
“Oh, come on,” he protested, laughter in his voice.
“Not one word.”
“Do you have any idea how hard it’s going to be?”
“Now, or later?” Her own humor surfaced and a giggle erupted before she could stop it.
“All day.” He started the car and shook his head with a rueful grin. “All damn day.”
~~~
Read the rest of the story...
Amazon , Apple iTunes , BN , ARe , Kobo , SW
January 9, 2013
Find that Character Contest
Which Character in the WTR series has snuck into my RW series?
However briefly he appears, he's in there.
Series books seem to be a favorite among readers (and writers—I know I LOVE revisiting ‘old’ friends from previous books), so I got to thinking, if an author has two well-liked series, what could be more fun than having a character from one series pop up to interact with a character from the other series? Or even multiple characters.
Amazon, BN, Kobo, AppleAs I mention at the top of the post, I've already laid the ground work in my two series, Welcome to Redemption and Romancing Wisconsin, because one of my WTR characters is briefly mentioned in the RW series.
Amazon, BN, Kobo, AppleSo, between now and January 31st, I'm taking email entries as to which character it is. From those who submit the correct answer, I will draw a winner for their choice of one of my print books, signed, sealed...and delivered from the USPS*.
“Wait, how do I win a print book??” you ask.
Read both the Welcome to Redemption series and the Romancing Wisconsin series.Find the character from the WTR series who is mentioned in the RW seriesemail me at StaceyJoyNetzel (at) gmail . com with Find that character contest in the subject line, and the character nameon Jan 31st, one randomly drawn winner will get their choice of one of my signed print books.
I've even given you a hint up above to make it easier, so get reading and send in your guess!
Thank you, happy reading, and good luck!
Stacey Joy Netzel
*Ebook will be substituted in the event the winner lives outside the USA or Canada.
However briefly he appears, he's in there.
Series books seem to be a favorite among readers (and writers—I know I LOVE revisiting ‘old’ friends from previous books), so I got to thinking, if an author has two well-liked series, what could be more fun than having a character from one series pop up to interact with a character from the other series? Or even multiple characters.
Amazon, BN, Kobo, AppleAs I mention at the top of the post, I've already laid the ground work in my two series, Welcome to Redemption and Romancing Wisconsin, because one of my WTR characters is briefly mentioned in the RW series.
Amazon, BN, Kobo, AppleSo, between now and January 31st, I'm taking email entries as to which character it is. From those who submit the correct answer, I will draw a winner for their choice of one of my print books, signed, sealed...and delivered from the USPS*.“Wait, how do I win a print book??” you ask.
Read both the Welcome to Redemption series and the Romancing Wisconsin series.Find the character from the WTR series who is mentioned in the RW seriesemail me at StaceyJoyNetzel (at) gmail . com with Find that character contest in the subject line, and the character nameon Jan 31st, one randomly drawn winner will get their choice of one of my signed print books.
I've even given you a hint up above to make it easier, so get reading and send in your guess!
Thank you, happy reading, and good luck!
Stacey Joy Netzel
*Ebook will be substituted in the event the winner lives outside the USA or Canada.
January 1, 2013
Meet the Book Blogger: Ashley
Let's give a warm welcome to Ashley from
WHOLLY BOOKS
. She lives in small town Alabama, and is the creator of the blog, where she shares her love of books with readers equally passionate about the written word. I'm going to get right to the interview so you can get to know her.
When and how did you get started with book blogging?
I first started blogging about a year ago but I didn’t get serious about it until about May of 2012.
What can readers expect from your reviews?
I like to focus my reviews on how the books made me feel because in the end that’s what determines how much I enjoyed a book. If your book didn’t make me feel anything, most likely I didn’t love it. I also try to tell what I thought about the characters and plot and give reasons why. I don’t give summaries in my reviews because I always have the summary above. I try very hard not to give spoilers but I’m sure sometimes it happens accidentally. I try to write reviews the way I like to read them. Readers (hopefully) get well written reviews that state how I felt about a book backed up with evidence why. Hopefully, that adds up to an entertaining review.
I'm so impressed with all the interviews so far, how much you all put into your reviews, and all you offer to readers. Thank you!
What is your favorite genre and is there anything you won’t review?
I love YA. When I was younger (early teens) I read a lot of crime suspense novels. Two of my favorite authors were John Grisham and Alex Kava. Once I got into my later teens reading was put on the back burner. Now, I read almost exclusively YA. I do read some Urban Fantasy.
I have also been enjoying more YA these days. Especially the dystopian worlds.
Where is your favorite place to read?
Somewhere quiet. If it’s cool I like to read outside. The other place I like read is in my bedroom.
Paper books or ebooks— and why?
It depends. I really like reading ebooks especially if I’m laying out at the beach. However, I like having physical copies of books too. I like being able to look at them and have them around. When it comes to physical books I prefer hardcover if it’s available.
Many book bloggers are also writers—are you?
I am an aspiring writer. Nothing published yet but I do have something I’m working on so maybe one day you’ll get a chance to see it on the shelf!
Ashley, that'd be great! If you love the writing, keep at it and someday you will have it on the shelf next to all the books you've reviewed.
What is your favorite kind of M&M’s?
Plain
I'm with you on that choice. :) Plus the new seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms.
What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding?
Having time to get everything done! I feel like I’m constantly behind. The most rewarding part is knowing that there are other people reading my blog and my reviews. I love reading comments/emails saying that they enjoy reading what I think. It’s mind-blowing to me that other people listen to what I say!
Time-we'd all love more. I saw on the blog you've added a couple part-time reviewers, Kristen and Kaci. Hopefully that frees you up some for more reading and your own writing.
Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?
I don’t have too many authors that are auto-buy. The only one I can really think of is Julie Kagawa . I have loved every single book she has written!
How much is too much for an ebook?
I’ll admit I don’t like paying a lot for an ebook. I typically only buy ebooks of books that go on sale for .99, $1.99, or $2.99. I have bought a couple of ebooks at regular price but if I wanted the next book in a series but didn’t want to go to the store and buy it.
My thing is if the ebook and print book are about the same price why not go ahead and buy the one that can sit pretty on my shelf, ya know?
Also, I’ve always thought it would be a good idea to have a print/ebook combo pack priced a few dollars more than the print. Kind of like they do with DVDs/Digital.
Good idea. As an author, I certainly wouldn't be adverse to that.
Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?
Last time I checked it was around 50 or so, plus whatever I haven’t read on my Kindle.
You can find Ashley at:
Blog: www.wholly-books.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/whollybooksFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/WhollyBooks Thanks so much for spending time with me and my readers, Ashley! I wish you continued enjoyment on the blog and with your own writing.Readers...your turn. Anything you'd like to ask Ashley?
When and how did you get started with book blogging?
I first started blogging about a year ago but I didn’t get serious about it until about May of 2012.
What can readers expect from your reviews?
I like to focus my reviews on how the books made me feel because in the end that’s what determines how much I enjoyed a book. If your book didn’t make me feel anything, most likely I didn’t love it. I also try to tell what I thought about the characters and plot and give reasons why. I don’t give summaries in my reviews because I always have the summary above. I try very hard not to give spoilers but I’m sure sometimes it happens accidentally. I try to write reviews the way I like to read them. Readers (hopefully) get well written reviews that state how I felt about a book backed up with evidence why. Hopefully, that adds up to an entertaining review.
I'm so impressed with all the interviews so far, how much you all put into your reviews, and all you offer to readers. Thank you!
What is your favorite genre and is there anything you won’t review?
I love YA. When I was younger (early teens) I read a lot of crime suspense novels. Two of my favorite authors were John Grisham and Alex Kava. Once I got into my later teens reading was put on the back burner. Now, I read almost exclusively YA. I do read some Urban Fantasy.
I have also been enjoying more YA these days. Especially the dystopian worlds.
Where is your favorite place to read?
Somewhere quiet. If it’s cool I like to read outside. The other place I like read is in my bedroom.
Paper books or ebooks— and why?
It depends. I really like reading ebooks especially if I’m laying out at the beach. However, I like having physical copies of books too. I like being able to look at them and have them around. When it comes to physical books I prefer hardcover if it’s available.
Many book bloggers are also writers—are you?
I am an aspiring writer. Nothing published yet but I do have something I’m working on so maybe one day you’ll get a chance to see it on the shelf!
Ashley, that'd be great! If you love the writing, keep at it and someday you will have it on the shelf next to all the books you've reviewed.
What is your favorite kind of M&M’s?
Plain
I'm with you on that choice. :) Plus the new seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms.
What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding?
Having time to get everything done! I feel like I’m constantly behind. The most rewarding part is knowing that there are other people reading my blog and my reviews. I love reading comments/emails saying that they enjoy reading what I think. It’s mind-blowing to me that other people listen to what I say!
Time-we'd all love more. I saw on the blog you've added a couple part-time reviewers, Kristen and Kaci. Hopefully that frees you up some for more reading and your own writing.
Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?
I don’t have too many authors that are auto-buy. The only one I can really think of is Julie Kagawa . I have loved every single book she has written!
How much is too much for an ebook?
I’ll admit I don’t like paying a lot for an ebook. I typically only buy ebooks of books that go on sale for .99, $1.99, or $2.99. I have bought a couple of ebooks at regular price but if I wanted the next book in a series but didn’t want to go to the store and buy it.
My thing is if the ebook and print book are about the same price why not go ahead and buy the one that can sit pretty on my shelf, ya know?
Also, I’ve always thought it would be a good idea to have a print/ebook combo pack priced a few dollars more than the print. Kind of like they do with DVDs/Digital.
Good idea. As an author, I certainly wouldn't be adverse to that.
Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?
Last time I checked it was around 50 or so, plus whatever I haven’t read on my Kindle.
You can find Ashley at:
Blog: www.wholly-books.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/whollybooksFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/WhollyBooks Thanks so much for spending time with me and my readers, Ashley! I wish you continued enjoyment on the blog and with your own writing.Readers...your turn. Anything you'd like to ask Ashley?
December 30, 2012
NovelFriends Blog
Around September, or October (darn it, my memory is going), I started a group blog with three wonderful friends of mine; Donna, Dulcie and Jamie.
Hop on over and follow the blog to meet my NovelFriends, and join us in all the fun. It's going to be a great 2013!
Stacey Joy Netzel
The NovelFriends are four writers who met through Wisconsin Romance Writers and initially became bonded by our love of books. That connection has expanded, grown, and deepened to true friendship over the years. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you, so follow the blog and join in the discussions - we're always happy to have more NovelFriends.We're hoping to grow our readership in 2013, so in addition to our regular scheduled Tuesday posts about Writing, life, and everything in between, we'll be participating in some blog hops with tons of prizes to be given away, we'll post book reviews, and even a recipe every now and again.
Hop on over and follow the blog to meet my NovelFriends, and join us in all the fun. It's going to be a great 2013!
Stacey Joy Netzel
December 18, 2012
Meet the Book Blogger: SM Boyce
Today I'm happy to have book blogger and author, SM Boyce visiting with us. She was kind enough to answer some questions and share her blogging experiences. Please make her feel welcome by leaving a comment at the end, or ask her a question yourself.
What can readers expect from your reviews?
Honesty, a thorough critique, and a video review if I like it a lot (4+ stars). I’m not rude or overly snarky with my reviews, but I put my Creative Writing degree and freelance editing experience to work. I’ll mention both strong and weak moments when I see them (as I expect others to do with my novels, no worries). So I can keep things positive, I only review books I can rate at least 3 stars. I focus on key areas of a novel and address everything from the characters to the pacing to the logic and narrative voice.
I also do video reviews for highly-rated novels because they come in handy as marketing tools for writers. I like to help, and these are fun to do…but they’re also time consuming, and thus I only do these reviews for the best books I come across. Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’d like to see more as I add them.
Very cool about the video reviews; thank you for putting that time in for the books you love!
What does it take in a book to absolutely annoy you to the point where you quit reading or throw the book at the wall?
Characters that are too stupid to live. You laugh, but you know what I’m talking about, right?
It’s like in a scary movie, when the MC hears someone rifling around in the dark when they’re home alone and calls out “hello?” The killer isn’t going to respond with “Hey, I’m in the kitchen. You want a sandwich?” so why would she say anything in the first place? Run, girl! RUN.
It’s those moments that break the story’s logic and kick me out of the narrative, and I usually have to put the book away if it happens more than once.
I know exactly what you mean with scary movies when the character goes to explore in the dark. I usually yell at the TV.
What makes you a fan for life?
Characters with whom I can connect. If I think about a character afterward as if they’re a real person, I’m pretty much hooked on that author forever.
Many book bloggers are also writers—are you? If so, SHARE with us what you write and some of your book titles.
Yes, actually. I’m a fantasy and paranormal author working on my debut, the Grimoire Trilogy. It’s a YA epic fantasy series, and it’s been seven years in the making. A lot of sweat went into it. The first, LICHGATES was just re-released with a new publisher (Immortal Ink Publishing) and the sequel, TREASON will be available on October 27. You can click those links to read the blurb and learn more about them.
Both books sound really good. I had to get a copy of each, now I just need the time to read them!
Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon?Yeah, I’ve definitely been there. Hasn’t every book nerd, though? I tore through Entangled and Duplicity by Nikki Jefford that way. I couldn’t help it. Those books are so addictive and just so fun! Vaempires: Revolution by Thomas Winship and Five by Christie Rich were two other books that kept me up. (All titles and authors linked to Goodreads.)
What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding?Rewarding: The reward is connecting with talented authors and learning about stellar new series. I’ve made some of the best connections and closest friends through reviewing strangers’ books.
Challenging: The challenge is getting queries from authors who obviously didn’t read my requirements. I know it takes longer, guys, but let’s not waste our time here. It’s so important that an author read the bloggers’ requirements before they submit a query.
Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog?I love it! Like I said, connecting with authors is part of the fun. I love to hear if an author really enjoyed a comment or a review, and it means a lot when they can still reach out and say hello even if it wasn’t a glowing review. My fans also don’t seem to mind. I actually think they enjoy seeing the author engage like that.
Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?YES. All right. It’s actually kind of hard to choose just five, but…Nikki Jefford, Rebecca Hamilton, Thomas Winship, Jessica Fortunato, and Christi Goddard. (Again, authors linked to Goodreads.)
I get the "it's hard to choose just five" with just about every interview. :) But thank you for sharing!
How much is too much for an eBook?This is an awesome question! I wish more people asked it.For me, more than $5 is too much unless it’s in a series and I got the first one for free. Even then, I’d really rather not pay more than $5. When I see eBooks for $10 or more, it’s just a turn off. There’s an argument that publishers price eBooks high so they don’t detract from print sales, but I don’t care how much the print edition is…there’s no reason to price an eBook at $10. After all, it’s just a copied digital file.
Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?Oh goodness. Too many. As of this moment, I’m at 250. I know. But it changes often, so you can check it out if you’d like . Suffice to say, I had to close inquiries for a while. I doubt I’ll actually go through the list before I reopen, though. There are just too many good books out there!
I agree, so many good books and never enough time. :) I'd say 250 is a lot, but I fear my list is catching up way too fast.
Well, that's all I've got. Thank you very much for answering my questions and letting us peek into your world, Boyce!
Boyce is a YA, fantasy, and paranormal fiction author/book blogger. You can find her books on Amazon or check out her reviews on her blog .
Connect with BoyceBlog | Website| Store | EventsGoogle+| Facebook| Twitter | Pinterest | YoutubeAmazon Author Page | Goodreads Page
Readers, it's your turn; something you want to ask Boyce about her blogging or her books? Now's your chance!
What can readers expect from your reviews?
Honesty, a thorough critique, and a video review if I like it a lot (4+ stars). I’m not rude or overly snarky with my reviews, but I put my Creative Writing degree and freelance editing experience to work. I’ll mention both strong and weak moments when I see them (as I expect others to do with my novels, no worries). So I can keep things positive, I only review books I can rate at least 3 stars. I focus on key areas of a novel and address everything from the characters to the pacing to the logic and narrative voice.
I also do video reviews for highly-rated novels because they come in handy as marketing tools for writers. I like to help, and these are fun to do…but they’re also time consuming, and thus I only do these reviews for the best books I come across. Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’d like to see more as I add them.
Very cool about the video reviews; thank you for putting that time in for the books you love!
What does it take in a book to absolutely annoy you to the point where you quit reading or throw the book at the wall?
Characters that are too stupid to live. You laugh, but you know what I’m talking about, right?
It’s like in a scary movie, when the MC hears someone rifling around in the dark when they’re home alone and calls out “hello?” The killer isn’t going to respond with “Hey, I’m in the kitchen. You want a sandwich?” so why would she say anything in the first place? Run, girl! RUN.
It’s those moments that break the story’s logic and kick me out of the narrative, and I usually have to put the book away if it happens more than once.
I know exactly what you mean with scary movies when the character goes to explore in the dark. I usually yell at the TV.
What makes you a fan for life?
Characters with whom I can connect. If I think about a character afterward as if they’re a real person, I’m pretty much hooked on that author forever.
Many book bloggers are also writers—are you? If so, SHARE with us what you write and some of your book titles.
Yes, actually. I’m a fantasy and paranormal author working on my debut, the Grimoire Trilogy. It’s a YA epic fantasy series, and it’s been seven years in the making. A lot of sweat went into it. The first, LICHGATES was just re-released with a new publisher (Immortal Ink Publishing) and the sequel, TREASON will be available on October 27. You can click those links to read the blurb and learn more about them.
Both books sound really good. I had to get a copy of each, now I just need the time to read them!
Have you ever stayed up reading all night even when you had to work the next day, and what was the book you cursed while fighting to stay awake all afternoon?Yeah, I’ve definitely been there. Hasn’t every book nerd, though? I tore through Entangled and Duplicity by Nikki Jefford that way. I couldn’t help it. Those books are so addictive and just so fun! Vaempires: Revolution by Thomas Winship and Five by Christie Rich were two other books that kept me up. (All titles and authors linked to Goodreads.)
What is the most challenging part of book blogging? Rewarding?Rewarding: The reward is connecting with talented authors and learning about stellar new series. I’ve made some of the best connections and closest friends through reviewing strangers’ books.
Challenging: The challenge is getting queries from authors who obviously didn’t read my requirements. I know it takes longer, guys, but let’s not waste our time here. It’s so important that an author read the bloggers’ requirements before they submit a query.
Do you like to hear from an author after a review? How do you and your fans feel about authors following, reading and posting on your blog?I love it! Like I said, connecting with authors is part of the fun. I love to hear if an author really enjoyed a comment or a review, and it means a lot when they can still reach out and say hello even if it wasn’t a glowing review. My fans also don’t seem to mind. I actually think they enjoy seeing the author engage like that.
Can you share with us up to 5 authors who are auto-buy for you?YES. All right. It’s actually kind of hard to choose just five, but…Nikki Jefford, Rebecca Hamilton, Thomas Winship, Jessica Fortunato, and Christi Goddard. (Again, authors linked to Goodreads.)
I get the "it's hard to choose just five" with just about every interview. :) But thank you for sharing!
How much is too much for an eBook?This is an awesome question! I wish more people asked it.For me, more than $5 is too much unless it’s in a series and I got the first one for free. Even then, I’d really rather not pay more than $5. When I see eBooks for $10 or more, it’s just a turn off. There’s an argument that publishers price eBooks high so they don’t detract from print sales, but I don’t care how much the print edition is…there’s no reason to price an eBook at $10. After all, it’s just a copied digital file.
Do you know how many books currently reside on your To Be Read list?Oh goodness. Too many. As of this moment, I’m at 250. I know. But it changes often, so you can check it out if you’d like . Suffice to say, I had to close inquiries for a while. I doubt I’ll actually go through the list before I reopen, though. There are just too many good books out there!
I agree, so many good books and never enough time. :) I'd say 250 is a lot, but I fear my list is catching up way too fast.
Well, that's all I've got. Thank you very much for answering my questions and letting us peek into your world, Boyce!
Boyce is a YA, fantasy, and paranormal fiction author/book blogger. You can find her books on Amazon or check out her reviews on her blog .
Connect with BoyceBlog | Website| Store | EventsGoogle+| Facebook| Twitter | Pinterest | YoutubeAmazon Author Page | Goodreads Page
Readers, it's your turn; something you want to ask Boyce about her blogging or her books? Now's your chance!
December 17, 2012
Mistletoe Rules in my Holiday Boxed Set
Romancing Wisconsin Volume IHoliday Boxed Set
Save on the set and get a bonus story!
Amazon , BN , Kobo , Apple
The Romancing Wisconsin Volume I (Holiday Boxed Set) includes the 2010 Write Touch Award-winning stories Mistletoe Mischief , Mistletoe Magic , Mistletoe Match-Up , and the brand-new exclusive bonus short story, Mistletoe Rules .
Christmas recipe for love—combine a matchmaking Santa, lots of mistletoe, one iron-clad rule, fated hearts; mix and stir. The Riley siblings don't stand a chance.
MISTLETOE MISCHIEF: Christmas in July at the zoo is the last place single parents Eric Riley and Marissa Wilder expect to find love. Thanks to some mistletoe mischief in the form of their two young daughters and Santa, they discover mistletoe rules were not made to be broken.
MISTLETOE MAGIC: Major Mark Riley plays Court Jester to Janelle Walsh's Snow Queen at the Christmas Parade and is instantly captivated by the cute redhead whose grandpa just happens to be Santa. When Mark learns she's the tenant he evicted from his newly purchased property, it's going to take a little bit of Santa's mistletoe magic to save their romance.
MISTLETOE MATCH-UP: When Lisa Riley comes home for her brother Mark's Christmas Eve wedding, her high school rivalry with his wife Janelle's cousin, Derek Walsh, picks up right where it left off, only this time Derek has the upper hand. Santa bides his time as they battle it out because he's waited a whole year for this mistletoe match-up.
Exclusive holiday bonus story, MISTLETOE RULES: When Benedict Riley first meets Susan Whitcomb at a college holiday dance, she’s engaged to be married to another man. In this story where mistletoe rules, you’ll learn how the Riley Family Mistletoe Rules all began one fateful Christmas, not too long ago…
Excerpt from bonus story, Mistletoe Rules:
“Why is a beautiful girl like you sitting all alone under the mistletoe?”
Sue startled at the deep voice from directly in front of her. She jerked her attention up—way up—to meet the smiling face of a guy maybe a couple years older than her.
“I’m not.”
“Alone?” he clarified, his eyebrows drawing together in a slight frown.
No, beautiful. Pretty maybe, but beautiful is pushing it.
Out loud she replied, “Sitting under mistletoe.”
His gaze rose to a point above her head, and in the dim light, she tried to decipher if his eyes were light blue or gray.
“I beg to differ.”
Sue twisted in her seat to look. Nothing—oh, wait, painted on the paper banner taped to the wall was a bundle of leaves that might pass for mistletoe. Her heart lurched for a moment, but she ignored the sensation and faced the guy again.
“All in the eye of the beholder.”
Tall, dark, and handsome immediately came to her mind’s eye looking at him. Unlike most of the other guys in their corduroy pants and wide-collared shirts, his black boots, faded jeans, and gray turtleneck sweater completed the attractive package before her.
He studied her for a moment. “So true.”
“Well, I don’t believe it is mistletoe.”
Feeling at a distinct disadvantage with him towering over her, Sue twisted her fingers in her gauzy, flower-print skirt. Standing seemed the obvious solution, but if she stood, they’d be much too close, and his self-assured stance warned her he wouldn’t back down.
“You know what they say about mistletoe, don’t you?” he asked.
“No, what do they say?”
He grinned, revealing white teeth and a very cute set of dimples. “It’s bad luck to refuse a kiss.”
“Good thing it’s not mistletoe, then.”
“You really want to take that chance?”
The note of humor in his voice drew her like a magnet, and against her better judgment, she teased, “Exactly how bad would this luck be?”
He bent forward to place his hands on the arms of her chair, clearly taking her question as invitation. She pressed back, her pulse racing. Her gaze flicked to his mouth when he spoke.
“Black cat cross your path on Halloween bad. Break a mirror bad. Seven long, lonely years bad.”
~~~
Amazon , BN , Kobo , Apple
Happy Reading!
Stacey Joy Netzel
Save on the set and get a bonus story!
Amazon , BN , Kobo , Apple
The Romancing Wisconsin Volume I (Holiday Boxed Set) includes the 2010 Write Touch Award-winning stories Mistletoe Mischief , Mistletoe Magic , Mistletoe Match-Up , and the brand-new exclusive bonus short story, Mistletoe Rules .
Christmas recipe for love—combine a matchmaking Santa, lots of mistletoe, one iron-clad rule, fated hearts; mix and stir. The Riley siblings don't stand a chance.
MISTLETOE MISCHIEF: Christmas in July at the zoo is the last place single parents Eric Riley and Marissa Wilder expect to find love. Thanks to some mistletoe mischief in the form of their two young daughters and Santa, they discover mistletoe rules were not made to be broken.
MISTLETOE MAGIC: Major Mark Riley plays Court Jester to Janelle Walsh's Snow Queen at the Christmas Parade and is instantly captivated by the cute redhead whose grandpa just happens to be Santa. When Mark learns she's the tenant he evicted from his newly purchased property, it's going to take a little bit of Santa's mistletoe magic to save their romance.
MISTLETOE MATCH-UP: When Lisa Riley comes home for her brother Mark's Christmas Eve wedding, her high school rivalry with his wife Janelle's cousin, Derek Walsh, picks up right where it left off, only this time Derek has the upper hand. Santa bides his time as they battle it out because he's waited a whole year for this mistletoe match-up.
Exclusive holiday bonus story, MISTLETOE RULES: When Benedict Riley first meets Susan Whitcomb at a college holiday dance, she’s engaged to be married to another man. In this story where mistletoe rules, you’ll learn how the Riley Family Mistletoe Rules all began one fateful Christmas, not too long ago…
Excerpt from bonus story, Mistletoe Rules:
“Why is a beautiful girl like you sitting all alone under the mistletoe?”
Sue startled at the deep voice from directly in front of her. She jerked her attention up—way up—to meet the smiling face of a guy maybe a couple years older than her.
“I’m not.”
“Alone?” he clarified, his eyebrows drawing together in a slight frown.
No, beautiful. Pretty maybe, but beautiful is pushing it.
Out loud she replied, “Sitting under mistletoe.”
His gaze rose to a point above her head, and in the dim light, she tried to decipher if his eyes were light blue or gray.
“I beg to differ.”
Sue twisted in her seat to look. Nothing—oh, wait, painted on the paper banner taped to the wall was a bundle of leaves that might pass for mistletoe. Her heart lurched for a moment, but she ignored the sensation and faced the guy again.
“All in the eye of the beholder.”
Tall, dark, and handsome immediately came to her mind’s eye looking at him. Unlike most of the other guys in their corduroy pants and wide-collared shirts, his black boots, faded jeans, and gray turtleneck sweater completed the attractive package before her.
He studied her for a moment. “So true.”
“Well, I don’t believe it is mistletoe.”
Feeling at a distinct disadvantage with him towering over her, Sue twisted her fingers in her gauzy, flower-print skirt. Standing seemed the obvious solution, but if she stood, they’d be much too close, and his self-assured stance warned her he wouldn’t back down.
“You know what they say about mistletoe, don’t you?” he asked.
“No, what do they say?”
He grinned, revealing white teeth and a very cute set of dimples. “It’s bad luck to refuse a kiss.”
“Good thing it’s not mistletoe, then.”
“You really want to take that chance?”
The note of humor in his voice drew her like a magnet, and against her better judgment, she teased, “Exactly how bad would this luck be?”
He bent forward to place his hands on the arms of her chair, clearly taking her question as invitation. She pressed back, her pulse racing. Her gaze flicked to his mouth when he spoke.
“Black cat cross your path on Halloween bad. Break a mirror bad. Seven long, lonely years bad.”
~~~
Amazon , BN , Kobo , Apple
Happy Reading!
Stacey Joy Netzel
