Allie Boniface's Blog, page 12
December 12, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: Covers Galore!
Have you "liked" the Passionate Kisses Facebook page? If not, you're missing out on new cover reveals that have been happening all this week -- sneak peeks at the 10 new stories coming your way as part of our Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set in February. I'm swooning already at what my fellow authors have in store...can't wait to read them all!
Just in case you haven't found us yet on Facebook, here's the link.
Enjoy all the beautiful covers!
December 10, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: Join Me For a Release Party!
Hey all, just a quick note: I'll be helping host Wendy S. Marcus's Facebook release party for her new book, Loving You Is Easy, TODAY from 4:00 - 4:30 pm EST. I'll be chatting, posting some yummy pictures to drive away those winter blues, and giving away both books and gift cards!
Please pop in so I'm not too lonely over there, OK? Here's the link: FACEBOOK RELEASE PARTY!
Hope to see you there!
Please pop in so I'm not too lonely over there, OK? Here's the link: FACEBOOK RELEASE PARTY!
Hope to see you there!
December 8, 2014
Monday Mentionables: It's Time for a Cover Reveal!
Woo hoo! Happy Monday, everyone! I'm THRILLED to share the news that the ten Passionate Kisses authors have teamed up to bring you another boxed set filled with sweet-to-sizzling contemporary romances, this one releasing just after Valentine's Day in 2015! Of the ten stories, FIVE are brand new releases, never before seen anywhere else! Want to know more? Follow the link below to read the full blurb. Now without further adieu, here is our gorgeous cover. I love it!!
Don't want to wait to order it? You don't have to! You can preorder at Amazon today! (more retailer links coming soon -- stay tuned!)
Don't want to wait to order it? You don't have to! You can preorder at Amazon today! (more retailer links coming soon -- stay tuned!)
December 5, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: You're Invited to an Author Event!
Happy Friday, everyone! If' you're local to the Mid-Hudson Valley, NY, tomorrow (Saturday) there's an author/illustrator event you won't want to miss at Thrall Library in Middletown, NY! The morning session will feature children's and Young Adult authors, and the afternoon will feature adult fiction writers.
And yes! Yours Truly will be there in the afternoon, from 1-4 pm, on the second floor in the Community Room. I will have a limited number of copies of Cocktail Cruises: The Collection for sale, so if you're looking for a great, signed holiday gift, stop on by and pick up a couple!
Hope to see you there :)
And yes! Yours Truly will be there in the afternoon, from 1-4 pm, on the second floor in the Community Room. I will have a limited number of copies of Cocktail Cruises: The Collection for sale, so if you're looking for a great, signed holiday gift, stop on by and pick up a couple!
Hope to see you there :)
December 3, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: Congrats to All Contest Winners!
Thanks to all who entered the Rafflecopter giveaway celebrating the release of the
Cocktail Cruises Collection
!
Here are the winners:
$20 Amazon Gift Card - Linda B.
E-copy of The Opposite of Wild by Kylie Gilmore - Jody F.
Audio Book of Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba - Linda L.
E-Copy of Hard as Ice by Victoria Barbour - BrandyDM
E-Copy of Tequila Sunrise by Allie Boniface - Catherine L.
Here are the winners:
$20 Amazon Gift Card - Linda B.
E-copy of The Opposite of Wild by Kylie Gilmore - Jody F.
Audio Book of Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba - Linda L.
E-Copy of Hard as Ice by Victoria Barbour - BrandyDM
E-Copy of Tequila Sunrise by Allie Boniface - Catherine L.
December 1, 2014
Monday Mentionables: It's Release Day!
Woo hoo!! Helllloooo readers! Not only is it Cyber Monday, it's the official release day for Cocktail Cruises: The Collection! For only $1.99 you can own almost 500 pages of steamy summer stories (perfect now that the weather has turned colder) PLUS a collection of fun holiday recipes that span the year -- from some of my favorite fellow romance authors! Below are all the purchase links -- please help make my release day a super one!
P.S. If you reviewed an advance copy of this bundle, I'd love for you to leave your review today/this week. Thanks so much!!
Amazon - KindleAmazon - Print
Barnes & NobleAppleKobo
November 26, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: A Very Happy Pre-Thanksgiving!
To all my readers, there's a great sale on Romance Bundles, all $4.99 or under, over at iTunes this month. Check it out!
And to all my U.S. friends, fans, and family, I wish you a very safe, warm, and happy Thanksgiving holiday. However you spend it, I hope you find laughter and warmth in sharing time with those that mean the most to you!
And to all my U.S. friends, fans, and family, I wish you a very safe, warm, and happy Thanksgiving holiday. However you spend it, I hope you find laughter and warmth in sharing time with those that mean the most to you!
November 24, 2014
Monday Mentionables: Ten Cocktails Coming Next Week!
Happy Monday, everyone! It's the last Monday of the month, which means the last Monday before the official release of Cocktail Cruises: The Collection, so as usual, I have a sneak peek for you. Below are the 10 yummy recipes that will be featured in the Bonus Section of this book. Want to know more, including who contributed them, how to make them, and how they match up with the authors' books? You know what to do.....preorder your copy right here! (or keep reading for an even better deal)
HurricaneThe Hot Flash
Amish Wedding PunchSimple Summer Mojito
Rainbow Celebration PunchThe Blue HydrangeaThe Sling Forward Tailgate MartiniBEAR-tiniShane's Spiked Hot CocoaChristmas Spirit EggnogLouisiana Snowball
Did you keep reading? OK, here it is: for all you readers interested in the print version of this collection, it's available NOW ! Yes, that's right. One week early for all my traditional book readers. Click right here to purchase it from Amazon!
November 21, 2014
Friday Fun Facts: Time for a Trailer!
TGIF, readers! For your viewing pleasure today, the trailer for Cocktail Cruises: The Collection. (Authors, check out Animoto to make free 30-second videos like this one. I love it!)
Cocktail Cruises: The Collection
Cocktail Cruises: The Collection
November 19, 2014
Writers' Wednesday: Spotlight on Featured Author Marianne Sciucco
Welcome Wednesday readers! It's time to feature another of the contributing authors from Cocktail Cruises: The Collection. This week's spotlight is on Marianne Sciucco, whose first novel Blue Hydrangeas has garnered almost 100 4+ stars on Amazon and is the story of a couple facing the challenge of Alzheimer's. Marianne's cocktail recipe in the Cocktail Cruises Collection is, fittingly, the Blue Hydrangea, a twist on the traditional Cape Codder. Tempting, right?
For more about Marianne and her work, read on:
Hi Allie. Thanks so much for sharing some space with me on your blog and letting me speak to your readers. I'm so excited about my latest book project, a YA novel called Swim Season , the story of high school swimmer Aerin Keane, the new girl on the team who challenges a longstanding school record.
I’ve been writing forever and indie-published my first novel, Blue Hydrangeas , last year. Like so many writers, I wear many hats, one of which is called “Swim Mom.” I’ve shuttled my daughter to swim meets and swim practice for years, and now follow her across state lines during her college swimming career. All those hours sitting on cold, metal bleachers waiting to watch her swim for a minute or two gave me more than a sore you-know-what: It inspired me to write this book.
My goal was to write a story about the whole high school swimming experience, to show others who may not be as familiar with the sport how much fun it is and how hard these kids work. I started it four years ago and will soon have a completed manuscript. The plan is to publish in spring 2015.
In Swim Season , Aerin is determined to leave her troubles behind as she starts her senior year in her third high school. Senior year is supposed to be fun, right? Friends. Parties. Dating. She wants to be like every other girl at Two Rivers. Except Aerin has two secrets: Her mom is not a nurse serving in Afghanistan (a twist on the truth) and she is not an average varsity swimmer (an untruth of epic proportions.) Ready to give up her dreams of a college swimming scholarship and a shot at the Olympics, Aerin decides she doesn't want to win anymore, she wants to swim for fun, it's her "therapy." But when her desire to be just "one of the girls on the team" collides with her desire to be the best this school has ever seen, Aerin sacrifices her new friendships to challenge a longstanding school record attached to a $50,000 scholarship.
Here's a sneak peek:
As soon as classes ended for the day, the team gathered on the pool deck dressed in our warm up suits, swimsuits underneath. The chatter was at a feverish pitch as the girls assembled into their tiny groups, the newbies huddling together at the end of the bench, watching as Coach and a few members of the boys’ team set up equipment for the meet. Some of the newbies looked terrified, including Charlie, who gave me a weak smile when I said hello. This was her first meet with the big girls, and she’d been talking about nothing else the last two days. She was petrified she’d make a mistake, be disqualified, or swim the wrong stroke. No matter how much Mel and I tried to convince her she had nothing to worry about she continued to bite her nails to the nubs and fear the worst. The seniors staked out their own spot on the other end of the bench, joking amongst themselves, much more relaxed than the newbies. All of them had been on the team for several years, some as many as five. I was the only one who had never competed in this pool. I didn’t think it would be any different from any other swim meet. I leaned against the wall with Mel and Erica, waiting for Coach to come over and give us our pre-meet pep talk and plan of action. Our opponent had not yet arrived.Coach walked over with his clipboard in hand. “Over here, girls,” he said, bringing us in close. “This is our first meet and we’re lucky it’s against the Hawks. We beat them most every time. This year they’re pretty thin. They lost their powerhouse senior, and haven’t replaced her with anyone as dynamic that we know of today. So, you can feel confident we’ll win again, but don’t feel too confident because I heard they’ve got a couple of foreign exchange students they’re keeping under wraps. We don’t know too much about them and they could surprise us. It’s happened before. They swim distance and butterfly, so Tatiana and Erica, you need to pay attention to what’s happening in the next lane, ok?” He turned toward the newbies. “I want every one of you to take a few breaths.” He demonstrated some relaxation breathing. “And relax,” he said, smiling. “You’re all going to do fine. You’ll each swim one event, and some of you will swim two and a relay.” He looked at Charlie. “Just get in the water and do what you know how to do.”They looked at him gratefully, an audible sigh of relief passing between them. “Now, here’s the lineup,” Coach said. “I had to mix it up a little bit to cover all our bases.” He went through the order of events, announcing who would compete in each one. There were a few moans and a couple of groans from swimmers unhappy with their events. No one liked to race out of her comfort zone and many preferred to do what she did best. Only a few girls excelled in more than one stroke. I was not one of them. Coach had me in the 200 and the 500 freestyles, plus on the “B” team for the 200 and 400 free relays. No surprises. I figured I’d pace myself to a third or fourth place finish, maybe fifth, which would still earn points for the team. No way would I come in last. That never happened.“Now, everybody in the pool for warm up,” Coach ordered.We jumped into our assigned lanes and started easy laps, warming up our muscles, preparing ourselves for the impending races. I moved through the water languidly, stretching my arms and legs as far as possible, taking easy breaths on the third stroke. I shared my lane with four other swimmers and we stayed out of each other’s way. I executed smooth flip turns, not losing any speed, and glided from wall to wall. After about twenty laps, I stopped in the shallow end to catch my breath. Mel was in the next lane.“Here they are,” she said, out of breath, her face red. I looked behind me and saw our opponents emerge from the visitors’ locker room in their red and white warm up suits. In minutes, they had stripped to their swimsuits.“Wow,” I said. “They’re pretty big.”“Not really,” said Mel. “The biggest ones are seniors and they didn’t do much last year, didn’t even make the finals in championships. That small one with the long, blonde hair is their best swimmer. She almost beat Tati in the 200 and 500 free last year. Other than that, no real threat.”“If you girls are done with your warm up you can get out and head to the locker room for final instructions,” Coach said from the sidelines. I hadn’t noticed him sneak up on us.Mel ducked under and headed for the ladder. “You’re looking good, Aerin,” Coach said. “I hope to see something special from you today.”I nodded. This was the first time he’d given me any praise or laid any expectations on me. I felt a tiny thrill and then a huge sense of foreboding. Part of me was proud to be recognized, but another part of me longed to remain anonymous. My intention to stay under the radar this season was still top priority. Gaining Coach’s attention threatened that, and made me a little uneasy.“I’ll do my best,” I said.
Swim Season means so much to me - and to many of the swimmers and swim parents I've talked to - that I decided to do something different to ensure its success. I recently launched a campaign on Pubslush, a marketing platform that offers me a way to test the waters, build an audience, and provide start-up funds necessary to publish, distribute, and promote Swim Season. Please take a moment to check out my page where you can read the first chapter and watch a short video where I explain my project. Then please join my team. There are lots of great incentives, including free books. You don’t even have to get wet!
About the Author
Marianne Sciucco is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, she dreamed of becoming an author when she grew up, but became a nurse to avoid poverty. She later brought her two passions together and writes about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. Her debut novel, Blue Hydrangeas , an Alzheimer’s love story, is a Kindle bestseller, IndieReader Approved, a BookWorks featured book, and winner of IndieReCon’s Best Indie Novel Award, 2014. A native Bostonian, she lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, and when not writing works as a campus nurse at a community college. She loves books, the beach, and craft beer, and especially enjoys the three of them together. Follow Marianne’s Adventures in Publishing on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+.
You may purchase Blue Hydrangeas at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and other online booksellers.
For more about Marianne and her work, read on:
Hi Allie. Thanks so much for sharing some space with me on your blog and letting me speak to your readers. I'm so excited about my latest book project, a YA novel called Swim Season , the story of high school swimmer Aerin Keane, the new girl on the team who challenges a longstanding school record.
I’ve been writing forever and indie-published my first novel, Blue Hydrangeas , last year. Like so many writers, I wear many hats, one of which is called “Swim Mom.” I’ve shuttled my daughter to swim meets and swim practice for years, and now follow her across state lines during her college swimming career. All those hours sitting on cold, metal bleachers waiting to watch her swim for a minute or two gave me more than a sore you-know-what: It inspired me to write this book.
My goal was to write a story about the whole high school swimming experience, to show others who may not be as familiar with the sport how much fun it is and how hard these kids work. I started it four years ago and will soon have a completed manuscript. The plan is to publish in spring 2015.
In Swim Season , Aerin is determined to leave her troubles behind as she starts her senior year in her third high school. Senior year is supposed to be fun, right? Friends. Parties. Dating. She wants to be like every other girl at Two Rivers. Except Aerin has two secrets: Her mom is not a nurse serving in Afghanistan (a twist on the truth) and she is not an average varsity swimmer (an untruth of epic proportions.) Ready to give up her dreams of a college swimming scholarship and a shot at the Olympics, Aerin decides she doesn't want to win anymore, she wants to swim for fun, it's her "therapy." But when her desire to be just "one of the girls on the team" collides with her desire to be the best this school has ever seen, Aerin sacrifices her new friendships to challenge a longstanding school record attached to a $50,000 scholarship.
Here's a sneak peek:
As soon as classes ended for the day, the team gathered on the pool deck dressed in our warm up suits, swimsuits underneath. The chatter was at a feverish pitch as the girls assembled into their tiny groups, the newbies huddling together at the end of the bench, watching as Coach and a few members of the boys’ team set up equipment for the meet. Some of the newbies looked terrified, including Charlie, who gave me a weak smile when I said hello. This was her first meet with the big girls, and she’d been talking about nothing else the last two days. She was petrified she’d make a mistake, be disqualified, or swim the wrong stroke. No matter how much Mel and I tried to convince her she had nothing to worry about she continued to bite her nails to the nubs and fear the worst. The seniors staked out their own spot on the other end of the bench, joking amongst themselves, much more relaxed than the newbies. All of them had been on the team for several years, some as many as five. I was the only one who had never competed in this pool. I didn’t think it would be any different from any other swim meet. I leaned against the wall with Mel and Erica, waiting for Coach to come over and give us our pre-meet pep talk and plan of action. Our opponent had not yet arrived.Coach walked over with his clipboard in hand. “Over here, girls,” he said, bringing us in close. “This is our first meet and we’re lucky it’s against the Hawks. We beat them most every time. This year they’re pretty thin. They lost their powerhouse senior, and haven’t replaced her with anyone as dynamic that we know of today. So, you can feel confident we’ll win again, but don’t feel too confident because I heard they’ve got a couple of foreign exchange students they’re keeping under wraps. We don’t know too much about them and they could surprise us. It’s happened before. They swim distance and butterfly, so Tatiana and Erica, you need to pay attention to what’s happening in the next lane, ok?” He turned toward the newbies. “I want every one of you to take a few breaths.” He demonstrated some relaxation breathing. “And relax,” he said, smiling. “You’re all going to do fine. You’ll each swim one event, and some of you will swim two and a relay.” He looked at Charlie. “Just get in the water and do what you know how to do.”They looked at him gratefully, an audible sigh of relief passing between them. “Now, here’s the lineup,” Coach said. “I had to mix it up a little bit to cover all our bases.” He went through the order of events, announcing who would compete in each one. There were a few moans and a couple of groans from swimmers unhappy with their events. No one liked to race out of her comfort zone and many preferred to do what she did best. Only a few girls excelled in more than one stroke. I was not one of them. Coach had me in the 200 and the 500 freestyles, plus on the “B” team for the 200 and 400 free relays. No surprises. I figured I’d pace myself to a third or fourth place finish, maybe fifth, which would still earn points for the team. No way would I come in last. That never happened.“Now, everybody in the pool for warm up,” Coach ordered.We jumped into our assigned lanes and started easy laps, warming up our muscles, preparing ourselves for the impending races. I moved through the water languidly, stretching my arms and legs as far as possible, taking easy breaths on the third stroke. I shared my lane with four other swimmers and we stayed out of each other’s way. I executed smooth flip turns, not losing any speed, and glided from wall to wall. After about twenty laps, I stopped in the shallow end to catch my breath. Mel was in the next lane.“Here they are,” she said, out of breath, her face red. I looked behind me and saw our opponents emerge from the visitors’ locker room in their red and white warm up suits. In minutes, they had stripped to their swimsuits.“Wow,” I said. “They’re pretty big.”“Not really,” said Mel. “The biggest ones are seniors and they didn’t do much last year, didn’t even make the finals in championships. That small one with the long, blonde hair is their best swimmer. She almost beat Tati in the 200 and 500 free last year. Other than that, no real threat.”“If you girls are done with your warm up you can get out and head to the locker room for final instructions,” Coach said from the sidelines. I hadn’t noticed him sneak up on us.Mel ducked under and headed for the ladder. “You’re looking good, Aerin,” Coach said. “I hope to see something special from you today.”I nodded. This was the first time he’d given me any praise or laid any expectations on me. I felt a tiny thrill and then a huge sense of foreboding. Part of me was proud to be recognized, but another part of me longed to remain anonymous. My intention to stay under the radar this season was still top priority. Gaining Coach’s attention threatened that, and made me a little uneasy.“I’ll do my best,” I said.
Swim Season means so much to me - and to many of the swimmers and swim parents I've talked to - that I decided to do something different to ensure its success. I recently launched a campaign on Pubslush, a marketing platform that offers me a way to test the waters, build an audience, and provide start-up funds necessary to publish, distribute, and promote Swim Season. Please take a moment to check out my page where you can read the first chapter and watch a short video where I explain my project. Then please join my team. There are lots of great incentives, including free books. You don’t even have to get wet!
About the Author
Marianne Sciucco is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, she dreamed of becoming an author when she grew up, but became a nurse to avoid poverty. She later brought her two passions together and writes about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. Her debut novel, Blue Hydrangeas , an Alzheimer’s love story, is a Kindle bestseller, IndieReader Approved, a BookWorks featured book, and winner of IndieReCon’s Best Indie Novel Award, 2014. A native Bostonian, she lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, and when not writing works as a campus nurse at a community college. She loves books, the beach, and craft beer, and especially enjoys the three of them together. Follow Marianne’s Adventures in Publishing on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+.
You may purchase Blue Hydrangeas at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and other online booksellers.
