Sommer Marsden's Blog, page 54

"Big Bad is just another example of why my Kindle will be burning up during these cold winter months..."

I'm so thrilled that my beloved Big Bad has gotten such a stellar review more than a year after its release. This book is stuffed full of characters I absolutely adore. Leanna at Two Lips Reviews had a lot of nice things to say about my book but I must admit my fave was:

She has the ability to take characters that at first glance might be the sort you’ll roll your eyes over, and using those same flaws, command your love and sometimes grudging respect.  

You knew I'd have one right? ;) I always do that. And that is definitely a thing to appreciate someone saying about your writing! I'll heat up her Kindle any time.

I have to cop to a deep abiding love for Ellis Bach. Some folks wrote to me of their love for Tyler. Tyler gets more story in book two Long Lost . And a lot of folks seem to love Peabody. So...if I ever dip my toe back into the story of Ruby and Ellis, I might have to give that big Scotsman a shot at lady love.

XOXO
Sommer 

All is quiet on New Year's Day...

And it was. This is a shot of Harford Road. It is one of the main veins of transport in Baltimore. From sun up to sun down it's usually packed, mobbed and damn near insane. This shot was taken on my walk yesterday at 11.47 a.m. That's almost lunchtime. Usually, its a zoo.

It's just surreal, if you happen to live here, to see that. But to me it's a glimpse at the coming year. A big empty expanse to be filled. A route for good and amazing things to travel to us. It's potential!

That being said, I also get to yay that 2013 starts with a nice review of Alison Tyler's upcoming The Big Book of Bondage and a nod to my story "Butter the Bird". I had great fun writing that story and the kind words from Katheel Bradean of Erotica Revealed warmed my heart. I know...gushy right!? But true.

It's a very good way to start the year full of potential.

Read the review here. You can grab your own copy of The Big Book of Bondage on Kindle now or if you're patient, you can get the print in the next few weeks. Huzzah!

XOXO
Sommer

Blow me a kiss while you're at it...

I don't do 'resolutions'. To me resolution are pressure. Pressure equals feeling constricted. Constriction causes rebellion and then ya know, I'm eating a pound of French Fries drinking straight out of the spigot of a box of wine while doing a 12 hour stint on Twitter before the fourth of January.

Instead, I enjoy the goal. I set and attain goals all the time. The 1k/1hr sprints I do almost every morning are goals. I set earning goals for my writing (so far have reached them every time, knock wood, throw salt to quote Alison Tyler). I set goals to get into certain books. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes not, but I set them and I give it my best.

My goal from 2012 of writing in that leather book every day...yeah, not so much. But did I write in it? Yes, I did. Do I find I am not a journal every day kind of girl? Yes, I did! I find my blog and my Twitter stream are often my 'journal'. The leather book I keep is for the big guns, the important stuff, so if it takes me a few years to fill it up...so be it.

Some goals I've started early because my heart wanted to. I'm still including them below because the goal will be to to continue my momentum. Here goes.

13 Goals for '13:

1. Do the big scary thing. I'll explain this if I ever do it. Heh ;)
2. Yoga (Have already started and about 2.5 weeks in I am doing stuff I couldn't do when I first found my way back to it.)
3. Eat better (Have already started this one too and if you have a similar goal, I'm doing http://www.myfitnesspal.com )
4. More time like the holiday time I just spent. Which means: more down time, more off line time, more sanity.
5. Help the fat wiener be less fat. We love him and we want him around a looooooong time. Need to fix the fact that he's resembling a hamburger more than a hot dog.
6. Breathe (I forget to do it all the damn time).
7. More YA writing challenges with girl child. We've done two so far and have one cooking. They are a great way to share a challenge with my minion and write outside my comfort zone.
8. Clean house (get rid of stuff we don't need)
9. Paint my bedroom (finally!!!)
10. Meet more writers. In person. If I can manage.
11. More time with the family. Not just the four of us here. I mean the extended family. I'm a lone wolf and sometimes I forget there's a whole bunch of people who love me that I love in return.
12. Stop worrying so much. About everything I say, who likes me, who doesn't, what so and so thinks of what I said/wore/ate/wrote etc. About bullshit on Twitter and Facebook and who's doing what or has managed something I have not. Funny how certain things do not matter a lick to me until someone does them and I realize I have not. It's stupid. I am too fucking old to worry about it. I've earned the right to be who I am. Time to embrace it.
13. Watch the dough, Joe. I got a bit trigger happy with it this year (because it feels good to earn money, you know?) but I need to be more mature...Hmph. :/

That's it! I'm going to do my level best to do all that stuff up there. If you notice, I did not put writing goals because those always remain the same. Write, write, write. Every day if possible. Unless you go nuts, then take a break. But not too long! 

If you're so inclined, feel free to post your goals in my comment section. Happy New Year! I'm off to get ready to watch some movies, eat a ton of food and drink a bit of wine. Have a blessed and safe night. Kiss someone you love at midnight. And blow me a kiss while you're at it ;)

XOXO
Sommer

And my winner is...

Miz Angell! Of course she is! She followed along for almost the entire Lion Hearted tour. She'll be winning the $10 ARe gift card and the tentacle gifties!

Thank you Miz Angell for always being so wonderful and supportive. You are supah!

XOXO
Sommer

And here they are...

The two brave folks who completed my FIRST WRITING CHALLENGE EVAH! There's one more, I believe, but due to holiday insanity it's coming a bit late. So when I have them all I shall repost a brand new list. In the meantime, go visit to read these two festive stories.

"Christmas Cat Toy" by Giselle Renarde:
http://donutsdesires.blogspot.ca/2012...

"Flesh on Fire" by Cassidy Kingston :
http://cassidykingston.wordpress.com/...

Thanks for participating, ladies. I hope you'll come back if we do it again :)

Also, here's hoping everyone had a very merry Christmas.

XOXO
Sommer

Wishing you...

A very merry Christmas. I'll be a bit missing-ish for a few days. Just like I've already been! I haven't even been writing [*gasp!*], but I sure have been having a good time. I hope you are too. Here's hoping you have a wonderful holiday and that Santa brings you whatever it is your heart desires. Whether it will fit in a stocking or not!

When I get back I'll be posting live links to the participants for my first writing challenge here. On that note, enjoy some of the incomparable Otis Redding with the sounds of the season.


*sigh* Love me some Otis.

Merry, merry!
Sommer

Oh...Ho, ho, ho! (more free!)

Another reason I am glad the world has not ended (so far)...I am the Filthy Friday free read over at Sh! My holiday tale of getting some tail...Accosting Santa! It's free up there to read as we speak. So, please do enjoy. I mean, what better way to celebrate still being alive than some nice juicy erotica?

Also, I'm still free over at All Romance Ebooks today. Grab your copy of Restless Spirit if you haven't already . And check it out. Isn't that nice?~


Oh, and as for my writing challenge, once all my writer elves have included their links I'll post a list of live links on the front page for your reading ease. Happy Friday! I'm almost ready for Christmas but I am definitely ready for the weekend!

XOXO
Sommer

Free-free-free-free-free Free-free-free-FREE!

For today and tomorrow (if the world does not end) on All Romance ebooks is...Restless Spirit. One of my fave books from this past year. So, grab it while you can. Try to get it today so if the world does end you can go out with a bang!...Heh.

Happy Ho, ho, ho!

XOXO
Sommer

Just for fun: FIRST UNAPOLOGETIC FICTION WRITING CHALLENGE EVAH!

I've been talking on Facebook and Twitter about the writing challenges I've been doing with girl child (she of the 60,000 words in 18 days this year for NaNoWriMo).

First challenge was a YA appropriate Christmas story. I challenged her to a Christmas tale (which she did not want to do). She counter challenged that I join her but I (the dirty word writer) had to write a story YA appropriate (because she's evil). Hmph.

But we had do much fun!

Then we asked boy child to come up with a challenge for us both. He's diabolical so his was: Paranormal Christmas story told from the 1st person POV of Santa.

Gasp!

But we did it. I finished this morning. A lot of folks have remarked on my tweets/updates about how fun it sounds so...HERE'S WHERE YOU COME IN!

The FIRST UNAPOLOGETIC FICTION WRITING CHALLENGE EVAH!

Here's what you do. Use the six words below in a story. The story can be as long or as short as you like. From flash fiction to...the great American novel if you're crazy enough. Post your work on your blog (or somewhere visible online) with a link to this blog. Then come and leave a link to your work in this here comment section below. You have four days!

Words: tinsel, balls, carpet, fuzzy, wind, firetruck

I was going to offer a prize, but a prize is pressure. I want this to be for fun. Like a writing exercise. So I'm still debating if there should be a prize. (Feel free to weigh in, lol)

I know it's an insane time of year to start this, but I find that stressful times like the holidays are when I need some inspiration and a quick burst of writing and creativity the most.

I hope to see a wee little link from you in my comments section before by 12/21 (ya know, if the world doesn't end).

Good luck!

XOXO
Sommer

Last stop...

on the Lion Hearted blog tour is at RomFam Reviews. You can see my guest blog HERE. At the end of the month, I'll travel the tour (you can find previous stops by scrolling through my blog) and add a chance for each comment. Then I'll draw a winner for the $10 gift certificate to ARe and the Cthulhu gifties.

Also, while your there, check out the super 5 star review from RomFan for Lion Hearted.

And don't forget to scroll down and say howdy to my guest blogger from this morning Lucy Felthouse.

XOXO
Sommer