Jade Lee's Blog, page 11

New Rule: No Holidays Allowed until I Finish Dying my Easter Eggs

             I used to love holidays. Easter eggs, Halloween costumes, even flag day was fun. But since my kids have left home (Yippee, empty nesting!), I can’t be bothered to notice the passing of days. Well, that’s not exactly true. I count days by words written and deadlines missed or (fingers crossed) made. So now that we’ve finished Thanksgiving and are heading toward Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanza (not to mention Omisoka, St. Lucy’s day, and New Years) guess what my holiday plans look like.

Plans? Who plans? I’m going to sit by a fire and read while my cat tries to drink my wine
Husband is doing the tree and outdoor lights. I’m shopping to feed 1000 (aka my teenaged nieces and nephews). And amazon is delivering the rest.
What holiday? Talk to me after I finish my next grizzly bear shifter romance. 
Pass the egg nog. My manscripts are written, the presents are bought, and… bwahahahaha! I couldn’t even finish typing this because it’s too ridiculous for words.
I’m turning off the news, my smart phone, and my computer. That will take care of the peace on Earth part, at least in my neck of the woods. Then I’m going to share love with my family, indulge in crass commercialism with presents all around, and stuff myself until I’m bursting through my clothes. And when that’s all done, I’m going to thank you, my reader, for giving me your attention in this hectic time of year. Ahem…THANK YOU!

 

Answer: 5.. — It’s easy for me to forget that so many of my favorite moments have been between the pages of some book. The people inside those fictional worlds live with me forever. So thank you authors for giving me such joy and starting me on this lifelong journey of storytelling. (HA! You thought I was talking about my own books.) And as for my readers, even those who just are checking out this blog. You make me feel special and heard in a world of so much noise. If I can give you a fraction of the love that I feel for you, then I will count myself forever blessed. So THANK YOU!

               Now, for the other possible answers. I do intend to sit and read this holiday. Just as soon as the manuscript is done. (Which may be just in time to dye Easter eggs). And I got evil and sneaky this year. We’re spending the holiday at my sister’s house, so I don’t have to do any decorating at all! WOO HOO! Well, maybe a small tree. And some outdoor lights. Don’t want to be the only house on the block that’s dark. And it’s always fun to try and stuff my cat into a little Santa suit…

So now it’s your turn. What is something you’re looking forward to this holiday season? Leave a comment and one lucky reader will win a Kathy Lyons/Jade Lee holiday gift box of signed books! Not just mine, but a few others too! So hurry up! Tell me what you’re looking forward to!

               

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Eight (8!) FREE Fantasy Reads!

My fantasy novel,  A MAGIC KING, is one of the eight books available for free through Sept. 12, 2017.

Check out this great opportunity here!

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The WINNERS from My Contest

Thanks so much for visiting my March contest on Rachel Van Dyken’s Facebook page! Even if you didn’t answer the questions on the quiz correctly, you were still eligible for my great prizes.

And now…. Drum roll, please.

The winners are:

Grand Prize: Anita Hui

First runner up: Denise Luscan

Second runner up: June Fortune Skapik

Third runner up: Michele Hayes

The runners up each will receive an e-copy of ROCK HARD/MADE FLESH. The Grand Prize winner will receive an e-copy of ROCK HARD/MADE FLESH plus a $50 gift card to the book retailer of her choice.

Please email barbara.kathy.jade@gmail.com for details on how to claim your prize!

 

The post The WINNERS from My Contest appeared first on Jade Lee / Kathy Lyons.

The WINNERS from My Contest

Thanks so much for visiting my March contest on Rachel Van Dyken’s Facebook page! Even if you didn’t answer the questions on the quiz correctly, you were still eligible for my great prizes.

And now…. Drum roll, please.

The winners are:

Grand Prize: Anita Hui

First runner up: Denise Luscan

Second runner up: June Fortune Skapik

Third runner up: Michele Hayes

The runners up each will receive an e-copy of ROCK HARD/MADE FLESH. The Grand Prize winner will receive an e-copy of ROCK HARD/MADE FLESH plus a $50 gift card to the book retailer of her choice.

Please email barbara.kathy.jade@gmail.com for details on how to claim your prize!

 

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Aren’t I Done With This? #HoldOntoTheLight by Jade Lee / Kathy Lyons

The #HoldOntoTheLight campaign has asked authors to share openly about depression and since I’ve struggled with it all my life, I was asked to participate. The good news is that I’m so much better than I was before. In fact, every day is a joyous smile of yes, yes, yes!  And yes, I’m lying.  The truth is that every day is NOT a glorious wave of internal joy, but on the whole,  it’s way better than it was before.

Depression is hard and thoughts of suicide are real. I know,  I’ve been there. Guess what was the most important thing I learned about my depressions.

Johnny Depp did not cheer me up. Even his 21 Jump Street. 
Depression is a cycle. Sure I’ll get depressed again. Maybe even linger on (obsess about) suicide. But I climbed out the last dozen times, and I’ll climb out this time, too. That’s a certainty. I just have to hold on until it happens.
The only one putting pressure on myself is me. That means I can remind myself—a thousand times if necessary—that it’s okay to miss a book deadline, soccer game, or PTA meeting. (In fact, I’ve only attended one PTA meeting ever. Oops!)
SRIs (medications) let me sleep. Finally, blissfully, wonderfully sleep. Let me tell you, insomnia always made my depression worse and it was always the first sign. Ugh!

Answer:  2 – The struggle against depression played out in agonizing battles in my brain. A gray fog of awfulness seemed to pervade everything and it constantly told me I was a failure. Worse, a single battle would often take months. And that’s not even counting the eons that passed every night I couldn’t sleep.

Once I climbed out of my depression and moved on, I remembered thinking—often—thank God that’s over. Which meant that when I hit the battle again, I was triply depressed because I thought I’d finished with that part of my life. Apparently not.

Once I realized that my depression cycled, life changed immeasurably for the better. Sure, I’ll probably get depressed again. Deeply so. But on the upside, that means I’ll climb out of it, too. I have before, I can do it again. And—bonus—I know better how to handle it. Medication so I can sleep. (I HATE INSOMNIA!) I completely stop all deadlines and let myself binge watch whatever I want even if it’s 20 Jump Street reruns. I do love Johnny Depp. I just don’t think he’ll magically bring me out of my funk. I also take long walks, get a massage, and absolutely find a way to lay out in the sun. (Vitamin D deficiency is a big thing for me.)

Hopefully, you have no idea what I’m talking about. But if you do, know that there is help. There are counselors, medications, and therapies to get you through. And big hugs from me.

And now it’s your turn to leave a comment. You can give love to those in the battle or talk about the struggle. One lucky winner will get an e-copy of The Bear Who Loved Me by Kathy Lyons. Just be sure to add your comment before the giveaway ends on October 14, at 5 p.m. Central.

About the campaign:

#HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness around treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment.

Please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Home for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

To find out more about #HoldOnToTheLight, find a list of participating authors, or reach a media contact, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/276745236033627/.

 

 

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The Bear Who Did What?

 

I’m just back from DragonCon in Atlanta.  Lots of pictures of the fun below. Guess what that has to with bears?

 

   Grizzly bears attacked Atlanta, wiped out all cos players and ate all the sushi.
   THE BEAR WHO LOVED ME released. Everyone read it and nominated me for     President. Next newsletter from the White House!
    Absolutely nothing.  LOL
   THE BEAR WHO LOVED ME launched the day after DragonCon. And my God, what a great reaction to this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USfEi...

 

Answer 4 – I had a great DragonCon but now I’m all about the grizzly bears. Get it now while it’s cheap here: http://jadeleeauthor.com/project/the-bear-who-loved-me/ Are you curious about the story? See the back cover copy below.

Want to win your own e-copy? One lucky winner can get one by commenting and telling me what you did over Labor Day weekend. The contest will end a week from today,  September 20, 2016 at 5 p.m. Central.

Aren’t these pix from DragonCon hilarious?

In the audience at my talk

my table neighbor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meow!

My friend and colleague, Cindy Dees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHEN AN ALPHA MEETS HIS MATCH . . .



Between singlehandedly running her bakery and raising her teenaged nephew, Becca Weitz thought she had a decent grip on “normal.”  Then her nephew vanishes, and life as she’s known it changes forever. Local legends are true: bear shifters exist . . . and her nephew is part of their clan. As is Carl Carman, the sexy, larger-than-life man who has sworn to find her nephew-and the other young shifters who’ve gone missing.

As the leader of his clan, Carl is surrounded by enemies. He’s learned the hard way that keeping a firm leash on his inner beast is key to survival, though his feelings for Becca test his legendary control. Then danger stalks too close, and Carl realizes he must unleash the raging, primal force within to protect everything he holds dear. But can Becca trust his grizzly side with her life-and her heart?

Praise for THE BEAR WHO LOVED ME by Kathy Lyons

Scandalisious says, “I enjoyed the hell out of this book!”

Addicted to Romance says, “The Bear Who Loved Me is a thrilling PNR romance that is engaging and tugs at your emotions!! EXHILARATING!”

Diary of a Book Addict says, “The story is exciting and well written – I was unable to put the book down and read it in one sitting.  I look forward to reading the next books in the series. I would definitely recommend this book.

 

 

 

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TOP 6 WAYS I AVOID DOING PROMOTION

The world has lots of exciting and scary things going on right now. I’ve been watching the news and trying to balance normal life sanity with keeping up with what’s going on outside my door. And in the middle of that, I realized I’ve got four books coming out this fall. Yes, FOUR!   The first is out now! AS RICH AS A ROGUE, the third installment in my Rakes and Rogues series launched last week!  Woo hoo!

 

Here’s the problem. There’s a ton of work to do before a new book’s release and I’ve been avoiding all of it. So here are my Top 6 Ways I’ve been avoiding promotion work:

 

WENT ON A DIET – There’s really no time to do promotion when I’m sneaking chocolate and then yelling at myself for sneaking chocolate.

 

GOT LOST IN THE NEWS – It’s a scary world out there and there’s a lot going on. I’ve been fascinated by Brexit, presidential campaigns, insane violence, and everything all those Late Night Comedians are saying about it. Who has time to write a blog when I haven’t seen John Oliver’s latest video?

 

GOT LOST IN SOME GOOD BOOKS – I started reading a few books, and then had to fly through the rest of the series right away. I’m currently on Rebecca Zanetti’s Sin Brothers series. Yum! Before that I ate up Piper J. Drake’s True Hero series (yippee about books with working dogs!).  Also Katie Ruggle’s Search and Rescue series plus Julie Ann Walker’s Deep Six series, both feature getting warm with a dive buddy!

 

WEEKEND TRIP TO NASHVILLE – Hubby and I went to Nashville to see Carrie Underwood and others at the Grand Ole Opry. Amazing! And, I admit it, we walked around downtown and made fun of some Confederate statues. I didn’t get a great picture of Carrie, but here’s one of Darius Rucker. He’s great, too!

FINISHED WRITING GRIZZLIES GONE WILD SERIES – Remember those other three books coming out this fall? They’re all part of Kathy Lyons’ new series about Grizzly Bear Shifters! I’ve been writing like a rabid bear making sure they’re fun and sexy! The first one is THE BEAR WHO LOVED ME by Kathy Lyons coming out in September.

 

SHIPPED MY ASSISTANT OFF TO ALASKA – Yup, that’s how awful I am. I shipped her off to Alaska where she has very unpredictable internet and can’t bug me to do all my blogs and stuff. And when she calls me, I pretend we have a bad connection. Yes, I’m that terrible!

 

Until next time!

-Jade

 

 

 

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The Inner Workings of a Writer’s Mind

Ever wondered how I think? Here’s a glimpse into the way my brain churns out stories.

I’ve always loved the smart hero over the alpha hero. Certainly alphas must be smart, but I’ll pick the witty scientist over that he-man Special Forces guy. If you’ve ever watched Stargate, I much preferred Daniel Jackson to Colonel Jack O’Neill. But even more than that, I love, love, love the self-aware hero. He’s the one who knows his faults and (often) hates himself for them. It’s up to the heroine to show him that his faults are part of what makes him the special man he is.

The times when we make mistakes are the times when we grow and learn. Can’t get wisdom from a vacuum, right? So the self-aware hero also has been through a lot and has learned from it. That’s a much more interesting hero to me, complete with an exciting backstory.

 

 

As far as the hero in ONE ROGUE AT A TIME is concerned, think about Justified. Have you ever watched it? I modeled my hero on Raylan Givens. On the fringe of society, angry at and disdainful of the peopIe who are in charge, and yet still trying to make a difference in a world gone crazy. Secondary characters are unique and a little bizarre. And the heroine who tames him? Well, she’s got to be as savvy as he is and yet pure enough to overcome his disillusioned soul. That’s what I was doing when I wrote ONE ROGUE AT A TIME. I was writing a heroine who can give Raylan Givens what he needs. 

Readers often ask why I write contemporary romance as Kathy Lyons. Here’s the truth: I have a not-so-secret love of paranormal romance. And there’s only so many vampire, werewolf, or witch stories to read before I absolutely needed to write something special of my own. So when Grand Central Publishing asked me to write a Grizzly Bear Shifter series, I said, YES YES YES! Look for THE BEAR WHO LOVED ME in September, 2017. Woo hoo!

 

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More from Barbara Vey’s Reader Appreciation Event

I had a fabulous time at Barbara Vey’s reader appreciation luncheon. First off, I did the welcome speech that included a # phrase.  Guess what I wrote!

#GiveMeBooks
#Cupcakes&Grizzlies
#IwasVeyed
#HistoricalRomanceIsTheNewBlack

Answer: 3.  #IwasVeyed   Barbara Vey loves readers. It is her mission in life to get great books into readers’ hands. And this event did just that. Lots of fabulous authors. Lots of wonderful readers. And great books all over the place! 

 

The luncheon actually spans a 3 day weekend now with Q&A on Friday night, the luncheon plus events all evening on Saturday, and a Sunday morning breakfast.  The Q&A was great even if Tonya Kappes killed me.

 

You gotta go some time!

MadLibs were amazingly fun Saturday night. And guess what I learned on Sunday?

 

Grizzly bears have detached, prehensile lips.
Zombie Joe taught me how to make personalized travel mugs
Barbara laughs really loud sometimes
It is possible to have a rip roaring good time even on very few hours of sleep!

 

Answer: All of the above!  And here’s a picture of the mug that Zombie Joe gave me. See my name at the bottom? Also the picture of my table making faces with our grizzly lips! And while we’re at it, here are a bunch more pictures including me in my cool cheese head hat. Though upon my death, Tonya laid claim to it.

Yes, I am part of the zombie apocalypse!

Gouda or Cheddar?

Prehensile lips from all!

 

 

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What a party!

Here are some pix that give you a taste of the fun we had at Barbara Vey’s Reader Appreciation Event.

 

Wasn’t my table cute?

I’d be nothing without my fans!

 

LOL!

I sure was! She puts on a great event every year.

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