Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 105
May 12, 2012
More Updates
1. Still working on Her Heart’s Desire before I go back to The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife.
Since I’m doubling up on books I’m getting ready for publication, it’s taking me longer to get back to writing. I’ve done no new writing in almost a month because I have been focusing strictly on rewriting and editing. Yes, it does drain me of my energy, even though I have an editor and proofreaders to help me out. I can’t rush this stage because I want the books to be as polished up as they can be.
I might put aside the editing for tonight when I take my kids to the park so I can do some actual writing. Writing helps to relax my mind, if that makes sense. I’m feeling restless from not doing any writing. So if I take a break from all the editing, maybe I can come back to everything tomorrow feeling refreshed. We’ll see. 
2. Got the idea for the next giveaway!
Thanks to Kesia Sanez who mentioned that I could have you guys vote on whether Dave and Mary are guilty when I take them to court for pain and suffering. 
I think I’ll go through a “trial” which will be presided by Rick Johnson since he’s a judge (and how fitting since I’m about to release Her Heart’s Desire where he’s the hero). So over the next couple weeks, I’ll be running through a court hearing with witnesses (other characters) as I sue Dave and Mary for needless pain and suffering (and for tarnishing my good name since I did not kidnap Dave). 
It should be a lot of fun.
After everyone gives their sides, it’ll be up to you to decide if Dave and Mary are guilty or innocent of the charges being brought against them. When you cast your vote, I’ll put you into the giveaway.
3. I’ve been getting complaints about the story blog.
I don’t know how many of you know about the 500 words a day blog I set up where people can read one of my copyright protected stories. Due to having my stories stolen twice in under a year, I can’t do any first drafts. All first drafts have to be written offline to protect those stories.
Based on feedback I’ve gotten, I now realize that the idea I had for the story blog was a bad idea. I will make an announcement on that blog that I will get rid of it. There’s no sense in spending time doing something that isn’t working.
4. Speaking of stuff that isn’t working, at the end of this month, Bargain Books for Your Nook will have to go as well unless someone wants to take it over.
Rose Gordon and I plan to make an announcement on the blog either at the end of this month or early next month. Since it launched in late December, we’ve been getting less and less hits on it. Now we’re lucky to get 25 people taking a look at it. That’s a far jump from the 200 we used to get. So obviously, the blog isn’t working. I don’t know if someone else can take it over and make it work or what, but I have a hard time finding books to put up on that blog due to authors pulling out of B&N to join Amazon Select’s program. Also, some authors complain it’s not doing them any good to be on the blog because they aren’t getting the boost in sales they were hoping for from being featured. So yeah, it’s not working. If someone would be interested in taking it over, Rose and I can hand over the blog to them. Maybe someone can make it work, but obviously, we can’t.
5. This probably should have been higher on the list, but I just remembered it. I just read a site update on Smashwords that notified me (and everyone else) that they are having problems with uploading to B&N and Kobo.
I have a lot of B&N readers. I have more B&N readers than Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Sony, Diesel, etc readers. It sounds like there has been a two-month delay in getting books to B&N, if I understand the site update right. I can’t imagine asking my B&N readers to wait two months after I publish a book to be able to read it. That’s why I won’t join Amazon’s KDP Select (because Amazon would require me to wait three months before putting my books elsewhere).
So I will try my hand once again at uploading directly to B&N. I was wondering if there is anyone with a Nook who would be willing to read my book to notify me of any formatting issues in it. I would gift the book to you so you don’t have to buy it. I do have a Nook and will go through the book myself, but I won’t be reading the book so I might miss something. Last time, I ran into a crazy page break issue in the middle of a chapter. I really want my formatting to be clean for you guys so the book is easy to read. I’m going to pay someone to format the book for me as a precautionary measure, but I still worry an error will slip by, you know?
So I will take the first offer I get on someone who’s willing to read my next book on their Nook to check out the formatting.
May 8, 2012
Updates on What I’m Doing
1. I’ll be doing another giveaway soon.
I’m thinking of suing Dave and Mary for pain and suffering. Rick Johnson would be the judge who hears the case with witnesses to testify for and against my side. If I go this route, I’m trying to think of a fun angle to go with the giveaway. If anyone has any ideas on how to make this fun, feel free to tell me.
2. The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife is back from the editor!
I still need to work on it, but it’s pretty much done.
3. Her Heart’s Desire is also back from the editor.
Actually, I got it back first. In fact, I am only on chapter two in working through what the editor found. I put this book on hold for the past two weeks because I got caught up in finishing the rewrite of The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife and then tweaking on Suddenly a Bride. I decided to get a new cover for Suddenly a Bride to (hopefully) reflect the fact that it involves a hero who came from another planet. So….
4. Here’s the new cover for Suddenly a Bride:
5. I’m going to start posting Isaac’s Decision on my story blog.
I’ll start this tomorrow. I’m going to get the blog ready for it tonight.
May 7, 2012
Congratulations to bpratt818 on Winning the Giveaway!
If you guessed Mary or Dave as being responsible for the kidnapping, I put you into the random.org list generator. Bpratt818 came out in the first slot so she wins.
This is the way it happened:
Mary didn’t like Kyala writing Dave the letter and Mary was tired of Dave causing trouble, so Mary had two motives. She talked Dave into hiding in the barn loft (Ruth got so close to catching him!). She convinced Dave that if he went missing, then people would talk about it and he’d finally be taken seriously. Now, Mary didn’t believe for a minute that anyone would take Dave seriously, but Dave believed it so he went along with it.
Did the ploy work? Well, for Mary it did. Kyala has grown bored of Dave and has moved on to another man. Dave has also given up on the Characters for Better Treatment Union because Mary’s about to give birth to Jacob. (Jacob is born in 1885.) Dave is going to be too busy with the newest Larson member to worry about the union, just as Mary planned.
Did the ploy work for Dave? Nah. No one takes him seriously. LOL I know, poor Dave.
If you didn’t win this time, I’ll be having another giveaway soon. I’m still working on the idea for it. The books that will be up for it are my paperback books Loving Eliza, Bid for a Bride, Bride of Second Chances, and maybe a couple more. The other paperback books are from Rose Gordon, and they are Her Sudden Groom, Her Reluctant Groom, Her Secondhand Groom, and Her Imperfect Groom.
Below is a snapshot of the list of people who guessed either Mary or Dave and the winner picked by random.org. If you did guess Mary or Dave and I didn’t see your entry, please let me know. I think I got everyone, but there’s always the chance I made a mistake somewhere.
May 6, 2012
Reminder to Enter the Giveaway
I got a couple of emails today asking when people should enter the giveaway I’m doing, so I thought I’d put off the drawing until tomorrow evening. This way anyone who hasn’t entered yet but wants to can.
Here’s the link to the post where you can leave your entry: http://ruthannnordinauthorblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/who-kidnapped-dave-larson-guess-who-did-it/
May 3, 2012
Who Kidnapped Dave Larson? Guess Who Did It!
It’s time to decide who kidnapped Dave Larson! I’ll link to each interview so you can read through them if you want. I’ll also give you a hint: the person who kidnapped him had help so you have two chances to get the right person.
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When the Winner Will Be Chosen
On Sunday, I will do a post announcing the kidnapper and the person who helped. I will have my husband draw the winner out of a hat. I’ll try to get him to do it on video, but I don’t know if he’ll do it or not. If not, I’ll go to random.org and get the winner that way. If I do random.org, I’ll post the picture of the winner.
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The Winner Gets These Paperbacks:
Books from me (all of these are the Nebraska books I have out right now, and those are historical westerns):
A Bride for Tom and A Husband for Margaret (which I combined into one paperback book) – *A Bride for Tom is rated G.
Eye of the Beholder
The Wrong Husband
Shotgun Groom
To Have and To Hold
His Redeeming Bride
Isaac’s Decision
A link to more information about these books: http://www.ruthannnordin.com/nebraska_historical_romances and http://www.ruthannnordin.com/nebraska_historical_romances_second_page.
From Rose Gordon:
Intentions of the Earl – regency
Liberty for Paul – regency
To Win His Wayward Wife – regency
Link to more information about Rose Gordon’s books: http://www.rosegordon.net/Site/Scandalous_Sisters.html
From Stephannie Beman
My Lord Hades – a romance loosely based off the Hades and Persephone Greek myth
More information about this book: http://stephanniebeman.com/books/children-of-khaos-series/my-lord-hades/
From Janet Syas Nitsick
Lockets and Lanterns – an inspirational historical romance (rated G)
Link to more information about this book: http://janetsyasnitsick.tateauthor.com/
*All books are rated R for sexual content except for A Bride for Tom by me and Lockets and Lanterns by Janet Syas Nitsick.
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Leave a Comment Below OR Email Me
Please leave a comment below. I need to be able to get in touch with you, so please leave one of the following so I can contact you if you win: an email address, Facebook profile page link (so I can message you), OR your Twitter profile (so I can message you).
I will not collect email addresses or use your Facebook or Twitter pages to spam you. I hate spam, so I never do it. Once the winner is announced on Sunday, I will delete all comments so your email address, Facebook page, and/or Twitter profile link is removed. That way, I hope to protect your privacy.
Another option is for you to email me at ruth.nordin@aol.com. Put “Giveaway” or “Contest” in the subject line so I know it’s for this post.
Good luck! And if you don’t win this one, don’t worry. I’ll be doing another giveaway this summer with more paperbacks.
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Now for the List of Suspects
Ruth Ann Nordin: read the interview
Joel Larson: read the interview
Mary Larson: read the interview
Kyala: read the interview
Richard Larson: read the interview
Dave Larson: read the interview
April 20, 2012
Suddenly a Bride: Post 104
Here’s the conclusion of Suddenly a Bride. I’ll do my next post next week. (Hopefully, I’ll finish Her Heart’s Desire in that time.)
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As if she had to ask! He undid the seatbelt and got out of the car so he could get into the back. She joined him and shut the door so the air conditioner could continue to cool things off. They weren’t radiating heat from their bodies this time, but he learned that being stuck in a car that didn’t have the air conditioner running was a killer. He gave the car no more thought as she pulled off her panties and unbuttoned his pants.
“So we’re acting out the bonding ceremony?” he asked, his voice betraying his excitement as she unzipped his pants and slid her hand into them so she could rub him.
“Yes,” she whispered and slipped her fingers under his briefs.
A moan escaped his lips at the flesh on flesh contact. She had a way with touching him that drove him crazy. Her hand descended further and wrapped around his erection before squeezing it. His body tingled with pleasure.
She leaned forward and kissed him, her tongue brushing his as he reached up and cupped her breasts. Even with the sundress on and her bra preventing him from feeling her bare flesh, she was amazing. When she ended the kiss, her eyes met his and she gave him another smile. “I love you, Chris. I want to bond with you, to be your life mate. What do you say? Want to be my life mate?”
Excited, he nodded. “I wouldn’t have any other.”
He couldn’t help but recall the first time they’d been together this way, how new and wonderful it was to be intimate with her. This time, she was choosing to bond with him, and though it wasn’t the real bonding ceremony, he was enjoying this one much more.
She backed away from him and pulled his pants and underwear down to his ankles. Lifting her dress up to her waist, she straddled him and let the dress fall back down.
He slid his hands under her dress and cupped her butt. He guided her hips up and down, enjoying the friction as she rubbed against him. She gave a slight gasp and bit her lower lip as she followed his lead. Unlike last time, he was the one in control, and he watched her as she closed her eyes, her face revealing her concentration as she focused on riding him. As much as he longed to be inside her, he wanted to get her to climax.
When she had established a steady rhythm, he let his hands travel up her back and to her bra. He unhooked it, slid his hands under it so he could brush and tease her nipples, knowing it intensified her pleasure as her hips continued moving up and down.
With a groan, he threw her dress and bra off. His fingers brushed her hardened nipples, teasing and rubbing them until she cried out and stopped. Her body shuddered over him and he looked back at her face, satisfied to see her expression at a cross between pleasure and pain. Shifting his hips, the tip of his erection found her entrance and went into her, noting how she clenched around him.
“Yes, Chris,” she moaned.
He loved it when she said his name. It meant she was thinking of him.
She leaned forward and kissed his lips, his cheeks and his neck. He moaned and thrust deeper into her, his movements growing faster and more urgent. And when he reached the peak, he cried out while she held him close to her. He remained suspended in the moment, wishing he could stay there longer but knowing he couldn’t. His heart pounding loudly in his ears, he relaxed and settled back into the seat, his breathing heavy and his head light. He barely had enough energy to wrap her in his arms as she snuggled up to him.
“That was incredible,” she whispered.
“Yes,” he managed while he tried to focus on where he was.
She giggled and kissed him. “What do you say we spend all weekend at home, wear absolutely nothing, and continue to bond?”
With a chuckle, he said, “I’d like nothing more.”
“Good because I got tomorrow off too.”
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Caitlyn,” he whispered, opening his eyes and smiling at her.
“You’re the best thing that’s happened to me too.” She gave him another kiss, this one longer than the one before.
He reached up and cupped her breasts. “You know, I can go again.”
“So soon?”
“Well, I do feel loved.” His erection was beginning to grow inside of her. “I guess I didn’t tell you that part. If a woman opts for the bonding, it has a very pleasant effect on a certain part of the male anatomy. I know I can come again.”
She kissed him again, this time letting her tongue brush his.
“We just might never make it home.”
She moaned as he kissed her neck. “Oh, I’m sure we will…eventually.” Then she was renewing their bond, once again.
Suddenly a Bride: Post 103
“Kind of.”
“Really? What is it?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
Slipping his hand back under the table, he caressed her knee. “Not even a hint.”
She took another bite of her hot dog before she put his hand back on the table. “No. It won’t be fun if I spoil it.” She stood up. “I’m going to get relish to put on this hot dog.”
He didn’t usually cringe when she blended foods, but thinking of a hot dog with chocolate and relish made him shudder. And not only did she come back with relish, but she had two more hot dogs, cottage cheese and a slice of pizza. She added chocolate a little at a time, always checking the other people before she did.
When she was done eating, she whispered, “I’ve had enough of everyone. Let’s slip out of here.”
Since the only person he was comfortable talking to was Mark, who happened to be busy talking to Lexie, he figured there was no need to stick around anymore, so when Caitlyn took his hand to sneak out of the room, he didn’t protest. Once they were out of the restaurant, he said, “Your mom did a good job of staying away from us. Maybe she won’t try to bother you about doing things you don’t want.”
“One can only hope,” she replied as she unlocked the doors with the remote on her keychain.
He opened his door and slipped into the passenger seat. After she got behind the wheel, he said, “I think it’ll be fine. Your mom got the message.”
“Like I said, ‘One can only hope’,” she mused. “I don’t think she’s done intervening into people’s lives.”
“She did well today.”
“Yeah, but we’re dealing with a lifetime of behavior for her.” She started the car and smiled. “But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re on my side.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “As long as it’s you and me, we can handle anything she throws at us.”
He squeezed her hand in return. “I’ll always be on your side.”
While she drove out of the parking lot, he turned his attention to the scenery and sighed in contentment. In a week, they would be moving into their new home. He was looking forward to it. They would not only be closer to the base, but they’d be closer to the beach, and he liked the beach a lot.
To his surprise, she didn’t take him back to the apartment. Instead, she pulled over to a deserted place with trees sheltering them from view of anyone else. He frowned and looked at her. “Why did you stop here?”
“I figured since we’re renewing our vows today, it might be fun to renew our bond.” With a wink, she jumped out of the car and went to his side. Opening his door, she placed a hand on her hip and offered him a seductive smile. “Care to join me in the backseat?”
Suddenly a Bride: Post 102
Squeezing her hands, he leaned forward and kissed her. Caitlyn’s brother picked up the violin and ran the bow over the strings in a sweet melody while Caitlyn and Chris stepped down from the gazebo to greet the guests.
“That was a beautiful wedding,” Sandy said as she hugged Caitlyn.
“Thank you, Sandy. I’m glad you could be here,” Caitlyn replied.
“Yeah, I just love how you threatened to eat all the chocolate in the diner if Jack didn’t let me off for a few hours today.”
“I could eat all the chocolate he has, Sandy.” Patting her stomach, she added, “This little girl is a child after my own heart. She knows that few things are better than chocolate.”
“Chocolate is good for energy,” Chris said. “It helps the baby develop.”
Sandy laughed. “As long as the mother doesn’t gain weight, but I admit, Caitlyn, you are keeping the weight off remarkably well for all you eat.”
“Speaking of which, I’m hungry.” Caitlyn looked at Chris. “Are you ready for the reception?”
He nodded so they joined everyone and went to the restaurant further down the boardwalk where they had reserved a room for their party. While they ate, he noticed that Mark sat by Lexie.
“Caitlyn,” he whispered as she poured more chocolate syrup onto her brownie sundae until he couldn’t see the vanilla ice cream anymore, “didn’t you fix Mark up with Sandy?”
After she took a bite of the ice cream, she shrugged. “I didn’t fix them up in the traditional sense. I introduced them and decided to let nature take its course.” She dug her spoon into another portion of her sundae. “I can’t believe how good this stuff tastes. I should try chocolate syrup on hot dogs. I bet that would taste good.”
She stood up to go to the all-you-can-eat buffet to get a hot dog while Chris glanced over at Mark who leaned forward and whispered something that made Lexie giggle. Granted, he wasn’t an expert on women or relationships, but it was obvious that they were more interested in each other than they should be. He certainly wouldn’t like it if someone was that friendly with Caitlyn.
Caitlyn returned to him with a hot dog and bun and glanced around the room to make sure no one was looking before she put syrup on it. He hid his smile. If she knew how normal it was to eat everything with chocolate for women on his world when they were pregnant, she wouldn’t feel so self-conscious about it. She took a bite of her hot dog and sighed with pleasure. Slipping his hand under the table, he rubbed her thigh.
She groaned. “Chris, I’m trying to eat.”
He laughed. Now that he knew how horny she was while pregnant, he couldn’t resist messing with her. “What?” He raised his eyebrows, hoping to look innocent while his fingers brushed the inside of her thigh.
She gave him a pointed look and shook her head. “You don’t play fair.”
Pulling up her dress until he felt her bare skin, he said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She took his hand and placed it on top of the table. “Be good, Chris, or I won’t give you the wedding present I picked out for you.”
Suddenly a Bride: Post 101
I'm sorry for the confusion this has caused.
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Lexie ran up to the gazebo with an excited smile on her face. “Caitlyn’s ready. Chris, thanks for letting her do the wedding her way. I can’t remember when I’ve seen her this happy.”
That made Chris feel good. He liked knowing he made her happier than she’d ever been, and Randy’s memory no longer bothered him. He and Caitlyn were making their own lives together and creating memories that didn’t have anything to do with Randy.
“Where’s your fiancé?” Mark asked her.
Lexie shrugged. “At work.”
“Again?”
“That’s the price he pays for being a surgeon. I better get back to Mother before she tries to talk Caitlyn into something. Lucky me, I get to babysit her until the wedding’s over.” She rolled her eyes before she headed back to the chairs.
“She doesn’t seem happy to be engaged, does she?” Mark commented.
Chris shrugged. “I don’t know how a woman’s supposed to look when she’s engaged.”
Caitlyn’s brother stood by the gazebo and began playing music on his violin. Chris turned his attention to the boardwalk where Sandy walked between the rows of chairs, smiling and holding a bouquet of yellow roses. Right behind her, Caitlyn strolled with her father toward him, and Chris couldn’t help but smile. She looked absolutely radiant, her skin glowing and a big grin on her face.
“That’s how an engaged woman should look,” Mark whispered.
Chris thought to answer, but he was too busy watching Caitlyn to care one way or the other about Lexie. His eyes drifted for a moment to her mother since he wondered if the woman would protest, but her mother simply took a look at the slight mound that was Caitlyn’s belly and rubbed her forehead. Lexie patted her mom on the arm but smiled in Caitlyn’s direction.
Chris sighed but refused to let her mother’s displeasure that her daughter was before family and friends in her white sundress while visibly pregnant deter him from enjoying the moment. They could deal with her mother some other time.
Sandy stepped onto the gazebo and Caitlyn and her father followed. After her father kissed her on the cheek and handed her over to him, Chris took her hands in his, unable to hide how excited he was to be taking part in the Earthly custom of getting married.
The minister began to speak and Chris listened to the vows, wondering why so many people on Earth opted to get divorced when the vows made it clear that the intention was for people to stay married for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as they both lived. It didn’t seem any different from the life-mate bond on his home world, except maybe there was no way physically out of the bond unless one of them died.
He repeated the vows, and she did the same. Before they slipped the rings on each other’s fingers, he took a moment to look, once again, at the engravings, liking how the symbol for unending love was sealed with the promise that they would be each other’s forever. He was hers and she was his, and together, they were one.
March 7, 2010
Passing on Two Free Ebooks on Self-Publishing and Book Promotion
Both are written by Steve Weber:
ePublish: Self-Publish Fast and Profitably for Kindle, iPhone, CreateSpace and Print on Demand
Plug Your Book! Online Book Marketing for Authors, Book Publicity through Social Networking (I've heard good things about this book.)
