Jennifer Apodaca's Blog, page 188

Happy Friday!

All I want for Easter is Bailey to come visit!

And here he is sleeping on me last time he visited:

Wizard and I both miss him.

All right fine, we miss out three boys too.   They are all coming home and I am so looking forward to a family day.   I’m going to make Tri Tip, stuffed backed potatoes, corn, rolls and chocolate cake. Easy and fun!

I think I’m making some good progress on POSSESSION. I love Kat and Sloane so much, just hope I’m doing them justice. And thinking about the next Once A Marine book.  Meanwhile, THE BABY BARGAIN is really hanging in there (thank you, thank you!!)

Do you have plans for Easter? Weekend plans?

Wednesday Worthy

First me good news! I have signed on for two more books in the Once A Marine series with Entangled. I’m thrilled about that. Next up is Logan’s story, then Hunter’s.

Juggling the deadlines will be interesting.  I’m doing everything in my power to still hit my release dates for The Plus One Chronicles too.

Now the remodel, I think we’re set for the bathrooms. We have the granite guy, the plumber, electrician and the mirror people. We’re just waiting for the guy to check on the granite availability to make our final color selection. Then we’ll get a start date and the fun begins! I’ll try to snap pics to share then.

And while the granite guy was here, we went ahead and  had him quote the kitchen too. A really good price too…so we’re debating that.

And all this will be while I’m on crazy deadlines and doing blog tours.

Now for our Wednesday hunk. I’m inviting back an old friend:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you think? Is he worthy?

Weekend Roundup

It’s official, Wizard and I are crazy.  So crazy, Sunday morning I got up early just so I could read in peace for a few minutes, but quickly found some email I had to deal with ASAP.  So I poured out some coffee, turned around and realized–

I’d already poured a cup of coffee. 2 cups of coffee sat on my counter. All for me.  Totally crazy. And when I told Wizard this when he got up–he laughed at me. Hard and so loud he probably woke the neighbors. Is that even nice?

Okay  let’s take care of a little business before I go on. Today is the first day of The Baby Bargain Book Tour:

The first stop is B00ks-n-Kisses one of my fave blogs because Kelly is a friend of mine.  Kelly is a huge supporter of authors and readers. If you get a minute, be sure to stop over. I’ll be posting the full schedule on my home page as soon as I have a free minute.

Today Wizard and I have a granite counter guy coming–and we are hopeful that this is finally the guy who will be doing the bathroom counters and sinks.  We’ve invested hours and hours of time into researching, getting estimates, etc and if the estimate comes in as expected, we’re good to go there.  We have the mirror place and we’ve chosen lighting (I think) too. That’ s pretty much it except for changing out some hardware in the bathrooms.

What I would love, but flat out can’t afford, is to do the shower and bath surrounds in the master bath. Bummer because I found the travertine  (however that’s spelled) I Love, Love, Love, but it’s not going to happen right now. Even Wizard agreed it’s gorgeous.  But it’s just not in the budget.

And we have a budget. Wizard is, after all, an accountant. And he’s damn good at what he does. But sometimes, he can be a tad…unrealistic. Sometimes numbers guys miss the variables, the things we really can’t control.  So we’re walking through another big box store, and he’s doing the numbers in his head.

It’s freaky-scary to live with this, but not only can do it, but does it all the time. And he’s rarely wrong. So he tells me the number.

I nod. I know he did math right except I tell him the bad news, “There will be miscellaneous stuff and problems.”

“Nope I ran the numbers. ” In his head. Sigh.

“Yep, now add on $500.00 to $750.00.”  I may not be able to run the column of numbers in my head, but I can estimate the stuff we forgot or that will come up.

Fast forward a day later as Wizard figured out the stuff we missed and put together a spreadsheet (he’s an accountant, what can I say?) “Well damn it,”  he muttered.

“Just say it. Come one, you can do it.”

“You were right,”  he growled. “It’s $7oo.oo more than I thought.”

Laughing, I said, “Did that hurt to admit? Cause it sounded like it hurt.”

“Yes.”

I may have laughed. Once in a while, I”m right, and it totally rocks!   Now shhh, we all know there’s going to be even more surprise expenses, but Wizard doesn’t need to know that yet.  After all, he’s living with a crazed woman on an impossible deadline and on a blog tour at the very same time.  So if he wants to believe all will go according to his spreadsheet, what’s the harm?

Now I want to hear all about your weekend!

Happy Friday!

I’m dreaming of a tropical islands, hunks and appletinis.  Really, really dreaming of having nothing to do but sip a cool drink and read!

But I’m buried in work. And stuff like B&N having a major glitch in gifting e-books is making it really hard for me to deliver prizes. But…maybe when I get up Friday, it’ll be fixed. I feel terrible making the winners wait! I even had Carla (my assistant) try it, but she got the same error message. So I called B&N and they said they are aware of it but couldn’t tell me when it will be fixed.

So if I owe you a Nook version of THE BABY BARGAIN I will get it to you as soon as the problem is fixed!

Enough of all that Saturday, Wizard and I are going to run around looking at stuff for this remodel that we somehow think we’re going to manage to do. Call us crazy–because someone needs to!  And I’ll be working. That’s about it. I’m slammed on getting POSSESSION done by April 15th, but determined to do it! Plus I have all the blog tour interviews and blogs to do.

What are you doing this weekend?

 

Wednesday Worthiness!

We’ve gotten two estimates on the two bathrooms.  Yeah…it’s going to be a process.

Then I got up yesterday to find out THE BABY BARGAIN is a B&N bestseller and my publisher, Entangled is doing a special promo. So cool! They are having a contest for a chance to win 5 free Indulgence books! Here is the link, go enter here! It’s really easy.

It’s all so much fun, but a really wild ride.  I’m pretty sure I haven’t processed it all yet except to be very grateful–so many people have helped me. And frankly, a lot of this is pure luck. And I’m also absolutely thrilled.

So onto our candidate! I couldn’t find any really good candidates at Bigstock. I think I’ve drained them So this is the guy for today:

So what do you think?

Weekend Roundup

It’s been a completely wild ride the first week out with THE BABY BARGAIN.  Color me stunned and all kinds of happy with how well it’s doing.  I owe a huge thanks to my Street Team from the the Lyon’s den, all the awesome reviewers and the publicity team at Entangled!

I also had an inquiry about audio rights on THE PROPOSITION which is super amazing. That book is getting attention.  That is due, again, to the hard work of my street team and to Carla and Book Monster Promotions for getting the word out!

Now with all this going on, three plus more books due this year and one early next year…is this the time to be…

REMODELING?

Of course not.

So what are Wizard and I doing?

Yeah, we’re interviewing contractors for some work in the house.  It won’t be extensive, just getting started on a few things. New counter tops, sinks, medicine cabinets and mirrors in the two upstairs bathrooms to start with. Then later updating some lighting in the family room and kitchen. Eventually granite…but one step at a time, and as much as our budget can handle.

So this weekend was mostly a blur.  I’ve started reading THE STILLNESS OF YOU by Julie Bale, but haven’t had much time to read.

How about you? How was your weekend?

Happy Friday

Do you know the month of March is half over? I looked at a calendar today and choked on my coffee.

I’ve been swimming around in this set of scenes with Kat and Sloane for-freaking-ever and I finally figured out the problem.

It’s all Sloane’s fault.

I think of POSSESSION as more Sloan’es book, and every time I probe around in his emotions and back-story a little bit, he shuts down. The next thing I know, I’m online doing promo work instead of pushing through the scenes.

Sloane is sneaky like that. Or, and this is more likely the truth, Sloane’s issues are a little too close to home for me.  But since I don’t want to take responsibility I’m going to blame Sloane.

But look what I found online:

This could be the elusive, never before seen, Cooper from THE BABY BARGAIN (except Cooper has scars).  Poor Cooper gets his story last though, if things go the way I think they will.

Not that I’ve been procrastinating or anything.

My weekend plans are mostly to clean the stupid bathrooms. So what are your plans this weekend?

P. S.  Bonnie Vanak (award winning author of TAKEN BY AN ALPHA WOLF, which is on my Kindle waiting to be read!) is doing a little feature on THE PROPOSITION tomorrow if you want to stop by here .

 

 

By the way, I’ve got a little guest spot on http://bonnievanak.blogspot.com/2013/...

Hunk Worthiness!

I got the nicest email yesterday from me editor telling me THE BABY BARGAIN  is doing well. Both that book and THE PROPOSITION are holding their own and I’m humbled by it because I’m not doing it by myself and I know it.  I want to thank all of you so much  for helping spread the word!

Now a quick bit of business (then I promise, onto Wednesday Worthiness!)

THE BABY BARGAIN REVIEW GIVEAWAY!

I’m giving away THREE $10.00 Gift Cards over at my Jennifer Apodaca Page for posting a review of THE BABY BARGAIN . Click the link below to see how to enter. Giveaway is open until midnight on March 22.

http://bit.ly/W7eNJk

Ok that’s done. Now onto the image I bought (paid too much, but this captured the troubled side of him and so, I ponied up the bucks) to represent Adam from THE BABY BARGAIN:

 

So what do you guys think? Worthy? No?

P.S. I have a routine doctor appt and probably won’t get to answer comments for awhile.

The Baby Bargain Released!

First THE BABY BARGAIN written Jennifer Apodaca is here! All pretty and released! More on that in a minute

I had a great time at the meeting on Saturday. Doing Ask An Author is always fun, I always love chatting about writing and reading Kate (Carlisle) and I went to lunch and tried to get all caught up. Why is it we just don’t see our friends enough?

And speaking of friends, a huge shout to Susan Mallery  for giving me the cover quote for THE BABY BARGAIN! We were all hanging out at RWA Conference this summer and she offered to do it. I was stunned and very grateful. Susan is like that though, very generous to everyone around her. She truly tires to help other writers succeed. Here is the cover with Susan’s quote:

These should be the buy links Amazon Kindles /  B&N NOOK 

And the blurb:

Seeing Adam Waters is the last thing veterinarian Megan Young expects. Ex-Marine. Ex-boyfriend. And still extremely dangerous territory. But Adam doesn’t know the secret Megan has been keeping from him. The secret that was created three years ago, after their last night together…

Adam returns to Raven’s Cove to sell his home in a final break with the town and memories that haunt him. The problem is that his attraction to Megan is as blazing hot as it ever was. But when a vicious smear campaign against Megan turns ugly, Adam learns the truth he never knew—he has a son. Now the only way Megan can protect her child is to strike a bargain with Adam.

And it’s a bargain that looks a lot like blackmail…

So how was your weekend?

Happy Friday!

You know, I often amaze myself at my incredible ability to screw up.  If only I would use that amazing talent for good…

Please note this is MY fault. No one else’s, but 100% mine.

So yesterday morning, I got up and checked the day’s blog tour stop at Under the Covers Book Blog.  I saw the blog was up and went on with my morning.

An hour or two later, I checked again, actually READING the first line this time and realized it was THE WRONG FREAKING BLOG.

Okay, but how bad could it be?

Sigh…it was the draft of a blog I wrote for B. E.’s blog–unfinished, unedited and (I thought) discarded because it sucked big fat hairy donkey…toes. Let’s just say toes. I mean it was bad. It gives me hot flashes of gut-churning humiliation to even think about it getting out into public.

First I panicked. I started emailing Carla — my awesome assistant who set it all up through her Book Monster Promotions. But Carla wasn’t answering me because sometimes she actually has a life. I mean at least five minutes went by which is a life time when you’re dying of panic.

Then I thought… Text her you freaking moron. 

Carla texted right back, then she contacted the Under the Cover Book Blog folks and they immediately fixed my massively embarrassing screw up.

So to be clear, Carla and Under the Cover Book Blog are the heroes and I am the too-stupid-too-live-author who is supremely grateful.

Sigh…if only I could use my ability to screw things up to foil terrorists or something.

Tomorrow I’m going to my local RWA meeting.  That should be fun as long as I manage not to humiliate myself.

What are your plans?