Cynthia Eden's Blog, page 72
December 12, 2012
DALE MAYER is taking over… (With a GARDEN OF SORROW giveaway)
Happy Tuesday, everyone!! I am currently lost in the land of copy-edits (for AVENGING ANGEL) and page proofs (DIE FOR ME), so the talented and kind DALE MAYER agreed to take over my blog for me. Thanks, Dale! Dale has a great post in store for you, and I sure hope you enjoy it!
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How do you like your suspense?With a little romance, a lot of nail biting, a touch of the paranormal or all of the above?
I love mine with romance, edge of the seat tension and either with or without the paranormal. Why because as long as the reader makes it believable, as long as I’m sucked into the story, I don’t care where the writer takes me.
Sometimes I’ve woken up in complete new worlds and loved it!
When I started writing Tuesdays’ Child many years ago, I had no idea of the yellow brick road I’d set out on. Now with the release of Garden of Sorrow, book 4 of the Psychic Vision series, I have to admit to feeling a bit like Dorothy!
I’m not in Kansas anymore.
It’s a whole new world out there. I don’t recognize my surroundings, and can barely remember the many stops I took to get here. Not only has the publishing landscape changed, but so has my professional landscape. But like Dorothy the journey has been incredible. And rewarding.
And suspenseful.
There are very few days where I can relax and know that everything is taken care of. Most of my days are page turners themselves so it’s no wonder that’s what I write. When I do have down days, I tend to create funny stories like It’s a Dog’s Life. Although I had to add in some suspense to that one too. 
Some things are just ingrained into my style.
In my 17 month journey from Tuesday’s Child to Garden of Sorrow (Hide’n Go Seek, Maddy’s Floor are in the middle). I’ve published a dozen books along the way. It’s okay that I’m not in Kansas anymore. I’m excited to see where my journey takes m and what characters (fictional and real) I’ll get to meet along the way.
I hope you enjoy reading about Alexis and Kevin as much as I had fun writing their stories.
Her world is in chaos. His world is in order. She wants to help the innocent. He wants to catch the guilty. But someone is trying to make sure that neither get what they want.
Alexis Gordon has spent the last year trying to get over the loss of her sister. Then she goes to work on a normal day…and reality as she knows it…disappears.
Detective Kevin Sutherland, armed with his own psychic abilities, recognizes her gift and calls in his friend Stefan Kronos, a psychic artist and law enforcement consultant, to help her develop her skills. But Kevin has never seen anything like this case – a killer with a personal vendetta to stop Alexis from finding out more about him…and his long dead victims.
The killer can be stopped. He must be stopped. But he’s planning on surviving…even after death.
So– how do you like your suspense? With a little romance, a lot of nail biting, a touch of the paranormal or all of the above? Or maybe you like your suspense straight! I’m giving away a free digital copy of Garden of Sorrow to one commenter.
***
And here’s a sneak peek at GARDEN OF SORROW for you:
It was late when Alexis headed to bed that night. She dropped into dream sleep immediately.
In her dream state, she walked through a beautiful wildflower meadow with sunshine and yellow finches. Lissa walked beside her. It felt wonderful. The two of them were full of bubbling girl talk. Alexis couldn’t tell her dream from her memories. They seemed the same.
She loved it.
Alexis ignored the subtle changes going on around her. The joy at spending time with her sister overrode any other worries. Then Lissa froze, staring into the growing blackness moving over them.
Where had that dark wall come from? The sun had been shining only seconds ago. Lissa? What’s wrong?
Alexis spun around looking for answers. She could find nothing. Literally nothing. There was only a smoky black fog surrounding the two of them. Lissa never answered. Alexis swiveled, searching Lissa’s starkly pale face. Alexis placed her hands on her sister’s shoulders and shook gently. Talk to me. What’s going on.
Go! Get back. That’s why I’m here. To warn you if it became dangerous. Lissa pushed Alexis’s hands away and tried to turn Alexis around, shoving her forward. You have to go back.’
Go back where? What are you talking about?
The sun went out as if on a switch, leaving the two of them in total darkness. A terrible sense of foreboding washed through Alexis. Lissa, what’s going on?
He’s here. Alexis, wake up. You’re not safe. Wake up. Wake up!
Alexis woke up.
Her heart raced, trying to escape her rib cage. Her lungs gasped for air while her mind pleaded to know what had just happened.
Only her nightmare wasn’t over.
Someone was in her room.
Fear and sweat poured off her skin. Huddled under her covers, she shivered. Excruciatingly quiet, terrified of moving and attracting attention, Alexis desperately tried to calm her ragged breathing.
He hadn’t moved. Why? What was he doing? Who was he? Fear shut down her ability to think.
Macabre laughter filled the tiny room – or was that in her mind?
You can’t fool me. I know you’re awake. I can smell your fear. That’s very smart of you. Be afraid. But you’re not so wise to talk with my Daisy. She’s mine and don’t you dare forget it.
The disembodied voice faded, taking with it the horrific sense of an intimate brush with evil.
Alexis waited several long minutes. When she was sure he wasn’t coming back, she tried to sit up and turn on her light.
Only to find out she couldn’t.
She wrestled uselessly inside her body, trying to force it to shift. Alarms sounded, until she relaxed back, gasping at the nasty twist. She could breathe and blink, but she couldn’t move her arms or legs. Panic ripped through her.
Dear God. She was paralyzed.
***
Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She’s best known for her Psychic Visions series. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in several different genres. To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series . All her books are available in print format as well.
To find out more about Dale and her books, visit her at http://www.dalemayer.com. Or connect with her online with Twitter at www.twitter.com/dalemayer and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author
December 11, 2012
Harlequin Holiday Open House
Ready for some holiday fun? Then come over to the HARLEQUIN HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE–authors are chatting all week and there are lots of fun giveaways!
December 7, 2012
Laura Hunsaker is in the house–with a HIGHLANDER giveaway…
Guest author time!! Have I mentioned how much I love when guests come to visit? Today’s guest is uber nice author LAURA HUNSAKER. Laura, welcome to the blog!! One lucky commenter to today’s post will win a digital copy of Laura’s new release, HIGHLANDER REBORN.
Hi everyone! I’d like to thank Cynthia for letting me take over swing by her blog. Since I’m here today, I thought we could talk about something fun. Yep, you guessed it, Highlanders.
Why are they so dang popular? Is it the covers with half-naked men in kilts, with all those rippling muscles? Well, yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I do love those covers. But what is it that keeps us glued to the pages?
I’ve always loved Highlanders more than contemporary heroes, like the Italian businessman, or the Greek tycoon, just because the Highlander heroes are the underdog. Bear with me here, I’m not saying they aren’t powerful warriors. What I’m saying is that the clans had to fight to keep what was theirs, and these heroes were outmanned and outgunned by the English.
These warriors had everything taken from them. Their lands, their sovereignty plaids, their music, and in some cases even their names. For them to still rise up, to still want to fight for what’s theirs, amazes me. I wanted to write heroes like that.
In my short story Highlander Reborn, the hero Nevin MacLachlan is a blacksmith who has literally everything taken from him. But his enemy isn’t the English—it’s the Nightkind. Vampires killed his wife, and they’re attacking his village when they take his life too.
Amalia, a vampire queen, sees this and knows she can’t let him die. So she changes him. But what does he do when he wakes up to a life he never wanted?
So I’d love to turn this over to you guys. What type of heroes do you like to read? An alpha male? A hero who is tough when he needs to be but still sensitive enough to cry? A tough man who wields a sword with deadly precision but gentles his touch for his lady? Let me know!
Website:
twitter:
Facebook:
Guest author time!! Have I mentioned how much I love when...
Guest author time!! Have I mentioned how much I love when guests come to visit? Today’s guest is uber nice author LAURA HUNSAKER. Laura, welcome to the blog!! One lucky commenter to today’s post will win a digital copy of Laura’s new release, HIGHLANDER REBORN.
Hi everyone! I’d like to thank Cynthia for letting me take over swing by her blog. Since I’m here today, I thought we could talk about something fun. Yep, you guessed it, Highlanders.
Why are they so dang popular? Is it the covers with half-naked men in kilts, with all those rippling muscles? Well, yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I do love those covers. But what is it that keeps us glued to the pages?
I’ve always loved Highlanders more than contemporary heroes, like the Italian businessman, or the Greek tycoon, just because the Highlander heroes are the underdog. Bear with me here, I’m not saying they aren’t powerful warriors. What I’m saying is that the clans had to fight to keep what was theirs, and these heroes were outmanned and outgunned by the English.
These warriors had everything taken from them. Their lands, their sovereignty plaids, their music, and in some cases even their names. For them to still rise up, to still want to fight for what’s theirs, amazes me. I wanted to write heroes like that.
In my short story Highlander Reborn, the hero Nevin MacLachlan is a blacksmith who has literally everything taken from him. But his enemy isn’t the English—it’s the Nightkind. Vampires killed his wife, and they’re attacking his village when they take his life too.
Amalia, a vampire queen, sees this and knows she can’t let him die. So she changes him. But what does he do when he wakes up to a life he never wanted?
So I’d love to turn this over to you guys. What type of heroes do you like to read? An alpha male? A hero who is tough when he needs to be but still sensitive enough to cry? A tough man who wields a sword with deadly precision but gentles his touch for his lady? Let me know!
Website:
twitter:
Facebook:
December 5, 2012
The Next Big Thing
Last week, the lovely Vanessa Kelly (author of HIS MISTLETOE BRIDE) tagged me in THE NEXT BIG THING. In THE NEXT BIG THING, tagged authors chat about their current projects. So…here we go. 
What is your working title of your book? GLITTER AND GUNFIRE
Where did the idea come from for the book? This book is part of my “Shadow Agents” series for Harlequin Intrigue–I love writing about the dark, dangerous heroes who spend so much of their lives hidden in the shadows.
What genre does your book fall under? Romantic suspense
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Tough call!!! Hmmm…I’d pick Jensen Ackles (from Supernatural) as the hero and Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy) as my heroine.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? When Cassidy Sherridan is targeted for death, the one man who can save her life is also the one man she can’t live without…
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? This book will be published by Harlequin Intrigue.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? It usually takes about a month for me to write a draft.
Who or what inspired you to write this book? I’ve always been interested in the “protector” hero idea–and that type of hero is getting center-stage in this novel. But, of course, that doesn’t mean that my heroine is weak (far from it!). She’s a very tricky woman, with plenty of secrets.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? Secrets, death, a hero willing to risk his life for the heroine…lies, betrayal, and a love that can’t be stopped–all are within the pages of this book.
Now, according to the rules of THE NEXT BIG THING, I am supposed to tag five more authors to participate. Only, I’ve been snowed under by the madness of the holidays and writing deadlines, so I didn’t get to contact 5 other writers! Doh! So, if you’re a writer and you’re reading this post, please consider yourself tagged. Next Wednesday, you get to answer the same questions on your blog. If you want me to email the questions to you, I’ll be glad to do so! Just shoot me a note at cynthia@cynthiaeden.com.
Have a great day!
November 28, 2012
THANK YOU!!!!
Thank you all for coming to my DECK THE HALLS party! All of the giveaways are now closed. I will go back through all the comments (and make sure none were caught in moderation or accidentally marked as spam by the system). I’ll start announcing winners (and sending direct emails to those winners) tonight.
But, just because the party is over, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still win other things.
Here are a few other events that are going on now:
Over at the Brava Blog, I’m giving away a $10 Amazon.com gift card.
At Book Lovin’ Mamas, you can enter to win a digital copy of ANGEL IN CHAINS and $15 gift card.
And at the Under The Covers Book Blog, three Fallen books are being given away.
Thank you, again, for helping me to celebrate. And please stay tuned for the list of winners!!!
November 27, 2012
Caridad Pineiro, A few of her favorite things…and Shutterfly (gift card!)
I can’t believe it–our last party post!!! Where did the day (and night) go?! Please remember, though, that all giveaways will stay open until noon (Central time) tomorrow. So if you haven’t entered all of the giveaways yet, there’s still time!!
And, since this is the last post, well, the perfect party person is wrapping things up for us–my friend (and amazingly talented author) Caridad Pineiro. Caridad, thank you so much for coming by! It’s always a pleasure when you visit!
***
There are so many special things about the upcoming Christmas holidays and I want to thank Cynthia for having me here to share them with you! So in no particular order, here goes:
The one movie I always try to watch is HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. I love the ending where the Grinch realizes what is the true gift of the holiday season.
My favorite dessert, other than my sister’s wonderful flan, is fruit cake. I’m the only one in my family that likes it, so I always have to buy myself a little loaf to enjoy.
The song that always makes me cry is “I’ll be home for Christmas.” I guess I cry because I know there are many people, like our military and their families, that can’t be home and I’m very thankful for them and the sacrifices they make for us.
I love walking in the woods with my hubby and daughter to pick out a tree and chop it down.
My favorite food is roast pork on Christmas Eve. This is a family tradition since we’re of Cuban descent, but I also make my hubby’s favorite – stuffed squid – since he’s of Italian descent.
I love spending time with my family and friends on Christmas Eve! It’s great to get together, share what’s happening in our lives, and enjoy the wonderful spirit of the holidays.
I do like getting gifts on Christmas Eve and when Santa comes on Christmas Day, but I also love giving to others. I try to do that in a variety of ways and this year this hits especially close to home in light of all the damage that Hurricane Sandy has done to my beloved Jersey Shore.
To help others, I’m going to donate my share of the proceeds from sales of my newest release, THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE, from now until March 1, 2013 to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE is available for download at Amazon via this link: http://amzn.to/UFCKRO or buy it at B&N with this link: http://bit.ly/WxipEv.
Thank you, Cynthia for having me with you today. I want to wish you and everyone else a very happy holiday season and share this picture of me and my little sister with you! The tree reminds me of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, another holiday favorite of mine.
Caridad, I love that picture!! And thank you for sharing your favorite holiday things with us…And now it’s time for readers to share. What are “a few of your favorite things” about the holidays? Since Caridad shared a photo, she inspired this post’s prize–a $25 gift certificate to Shutterfly.com. With the gift certificate, you can print holiday greeting cards–or even print up the photos that capture your new holiday memories.
Thank you all so much for coming to my party. I hope you enjoyed the posts! Happy Holidays! –Cynthia
Janet Breakfield, A Sweet Treat, and a Godiva Prize
Ready for another great holiday recipe? This time, author Janet Breakfield is here to offer up a dish for readers–and one lucky commenter will win
So…are you in the mood for something sweet? (Heck, when am I not in the mood for that?) On to Janet’s post!!
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Here’s a little something sweet for your holiday season!
A southern tradition around this time of year is “White Pecan Fudge”
Recipe:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla or rum extract
1/4 cup candied cherries
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Combine sugar, sour cream, corn syrup, butter and salt in saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil, without stirring, to 236 degrees on candy thermometer, or until a little mixture dropped in cold water forms a ball. Remove from heat and let stand about 15 minutes; don not stir. Add flavoring and beat until mixture starts to lose its gloss, 8 or 9 minutes. Quickly stir in cherries and pecans; then pour into greased 8 x 8 inch utility dish. Cool; cut into squares. Makes about 1 1/2 pounds of candy.
Enjoy!
***
Oh, Janet, I will!!! And since you offered a sweet recipe, I will go with a sweet theme–for this giveaway, one commenter will win a box of Godiva chocolate (that counts as sweet, right?) To enter the giveaway, tell Janet your favorite decadent treat…or you can leave her a question, too. All comments work!
And now, for a peek at Janet’s latest work…
Bayou Guardian was released on Halloween Day 2012 and is the third book in the Bayou Series following Bayou Legend and then Sacred Bayou. It and all my books are available at amazon.com, smashwords.com, booksamillion.com.
Or visit my webiste at janetbreakfield.com.
About the story:
Wildlife photographer Olyvia Rayne has just learned of her Father’s death and must return to Pier Part, Louisiana to take care of his affairs. She hasn’t seen her father in over eleven years, having left the bayou with her Mother to live in Baton Rouge when she was fifteen. Now at twenty six, she hasn’t seen her high school friend Gunner Robichaux since she left. And he’s certainly changed. He’s now a tall, hot, mouth watering morsel. And he’s interested in her. Really interested to the point of obsession. But Oly is afraid to trust anyone. Especially a man she’s so attracted to. But Gunner has loved her all his life and will do anything to make her his.
Holiday Wishes
This post is short and sweet–and it’s simply for wishes. What do you wish for this holiday season? Big or small, just share it. We should all take the time to make a wish, so please, make yours.
For the prize on this post? One random commenter will be selected to receive a $50 Amazon.com gift card—to help make her/his wish come true.
And I do hope that *all* of your holiday wishes come true. I hope the coming season brings magic to you!
I suspect they wish not to be eaten...what are you wishing for?
Holiday Songs (and a Victoria’s Secret Gift Card!)
We’ve talked movies, shared some great recipes, even gone down under for the holiday…but what about the songs? You know, those holiday tunes that just get stuck in your head? We’ve already got a radio station down here playing 24/7 holiday music. Even when I sleep, I feel like I hear that music. Going on and on…
There are some holiday songs that I love. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Classic!
And Jingle Bells? Of course! Love it! Even though my six-year-old requests that we always sing this version:
Jingle bells, Batman smells
Robin laid an egg
The batmobile lost its wheel
And the Joker got away. Hey!
There are some songs—and I confess this with shame—that I always mess up when I sing. I can’t remember the exact lyrics, so I kind of mutter my way through the song. Yeah, I’m thinking 12 Days of Christmas. By day 4, I’m lost.
What about you? What songs do you love? What songs do you—ahem—mumble along to b/c you’re like me and you just can’t remember the words?
The prize up for grabs this time is a $25 Victoria’s Secret gift card. Good luck!
