Nancy Gideon's Blog, page 61

In the Name of Love Character Quiz

Love is in the air on today’s blog with the help of one of my new favorite authors, Jennifer Lowery, and her hero and heroine from Murphy’s Law . I’ve sooo been looking forward to this book, but having surgery has put me behind on the climb up my Kindle list (and after reading the excerpt, it just jumped more than a few notches!). I can guarantee you’ll find just what I’ve come to anticipate: a tough as nails hero protector and vulnerable but not helpless heroine both he and I can respect. Welcome back, Jen!!

Hi Nancy and all you fabulous readers out there *waves*! Thanks so much for having me today! I’m so excited for you all to meet Murphy and Sara! Murphy’s Law released on March 4th and I’m so happy to bring it to you! I hope you enjoy this interview with my characters as much as they enjoyed answering the questions. Well, Sara had more fun than Murphy, lol.
© What word best describes true love?
Sara: Commitment. Murphy: Loyalty. © Finish this sentence: Then I think of love, I think of _______
Sara: A man who will stand by me. Murphy: Men don’t think of love. © What’s your ideal romantic evening? 
Sara: A picnic lunch on the ranch with Murphy. Just the two of us. Murphy: *nods* © What’s the perfect Valentine’s Day gift? 
Sara: I’ve already gotten it. *smiles at Murphy* Murphy: She deserves more. © Did you ever think you’d found that perfect love? What happened? 
Sara: *scoffs* I did once. But that knight in shining armor turned out to be the dragon. I learned to look beneath the surface. *touches the scar on Murphy’s face* Murphy: I’m the lucky one. © What are the ideal traits you’re looking for in a forever love? 
Sara: Commitment. I need someone who won’t cheat on me. Or use me. Murphy: I’d die before hurting you. © What song title best describes your relationship track record: “Nothing but a Good Time,” “Turn Me Loose,” “Shot Through the Heart (You Give Love a Bad Name)”, “Money Talks/Material Girl”, “Looking for Love in All The Wrong Places”? 
Sara: Looking For Love in All The Wrong Places. Definitely. © What do you find the most appealing about a committed relationship? 
Sara: Never having to worry. That burden is gone and I don’t miss it. Murphy: Having Sara in my bed every night. © What was your first opinion of each other? 
Sara: Murphy scared the breath out of me with his gruff attitude and intimidating scowl, but I knew he would help me. I knew he was a good man. Murphy: *scowls* She’s too damn trusting. © What first attracted you to each other? 
Murphy: Her smile. Sara: *smiles softly at Murphy* © What kept you from acting on that attraction? 
Sara: Murphy was determined to put duty before pleasure. He’s a stubborn man. Murphy: You were in danger, Sara. Protecting you was first priority. © Who made the first move? 
Sara: *blushes* I did, for the first time in my life. And I’m so glad I did. © What’s the best thing about the two of you together? 
Sara: *smiles* Can I say our love life? Murphy: I’ll say it. © What are you most looking forward to as a couple? 
Sara and Murphy in unison: More children. © What could stand in your way? 
Sara: *looks at Murphy with tears in her eyes* Nothing. Thank you for having me today, Nancy!! I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to all my readers out there! Without you I wouldn’t be here. My wish is to one day meet each and every one of you so I can personally thank you for your generosity and support! 
All my best,
Jennifer
Murphy's Law by Jennifer Lowery

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Lyrical Press
Nowhere to go. No place to hide.

Home is the last place Jon Murphy can go. After being held captive in Tazbekistan, he returns to the States only to find he can’t face his mom and sisters with what he did while he was a prisoner, so he retreats to the mountains.

Widow Sara Sheldon has made a lifetime of mistakes and is now running scared from her husband’s powerful family, who are determined to take her daughter away from her. When her little girl goes missing in the Rockies, Sara enlists the only help she can find: a gruff recluse with tracking skills to admire and a body to covet.

A storm strands Sara and her daughter at Murphy’s cabin, leaving her no choice but to hope her in-laws don’t catch up while she plans where to run next. Murphy resents the invasion of his privacy, but can’t seem to keep his mind–or his hands–off Sara. How can she stand to look at him, with all his scars? He’s not nearly as honorable as she might think…only enough to make sure she’s safe, and then he’ll go back to being alone, the way he should be.

​CONTENT WARNING: Sexual content
Jennifer Lowery
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Jennifer Lowery grew up reading romance novels in the back of her math book and on the bus to school, and never wanted to be anything but a writer. Her summers were spent sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters spinning tales of romance and intrigue and always with a tall glass of ice tea at their side.

Today, Jennifer is living that dream and she couldn’t be happier to share her passion with her readers. She loves everything there is about romance. Her stories feature alpha heroes who meet their match with strong, independent heroines. She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance. As her characters find out when they face danger, overcome fears, and are forced to look deep within themselves to discover love.

Jennifer lives in Michigan with her husband and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

In The Name of Love Character Quiz

While trying to come up with a slant for today’s Blog Tour character interview at Authors' Cafe, I started thinking about Valentine’s Day, love, and that chemistry between my hero and heroine. While I was coming up with questions for them to answer, I realized what I was really doing was forcing myself to look more deeply into their character motivations and backstories. What a fun way to explore the romantic side of your fictitious couple. Put your hero and heroine on the 20 Questions hot seat and see how much you can learn about them that you didn't really know. What causes the sparks to fly? What potential conflicts can arise? Find out when you discover how they would they respond to the following questions . . .

© What word best describes true love?
© Finish this sentence: Then I think of love, I think of _______
© What’s your ideal romantic evening?
© What’s the perfect Valentine’s Day gift?
© Did you ever think you’d found that perfect love? What happened?
© What are the ideal traits you’re looking for in a forever love?
© What song title best describes your relationship track record: “Nothing but a Good Time,” “Turn Me Loose,” “Shot Through the Heart (You Give Love a Bad Name)”, “Money Talks/Material Girl”, “Looking for Love in All The Wrong Places”?
© What do you find the most appealing about a committed relationship?
© Why are you still single?
© What type of man/woman are you instinctively drawn to?
© What’s an absolute deal breaker in a relationship?
© What was your first opinion of each other?
© What first attracted you to each other?
© What kept you from acting on that attraction?
© Who made the first move and what was it?
© What would he/she have to change to make this relationship work?
© What would you be willing to change to make this relationship succeed?
© What’s the best thing about the two of you together?
© What are you most looking forward to as a couple?
© What could stand in your way?

Did you find out anything that surprised you about your own happily-ever-after couple? For Giles’ and Brigit’s answers visit Authors' Cafe.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

20 Questions: Getting to Know Your Favorite (or soon to be Favorite!) Writer

The best part about being a critique partner is getting to watch the creative process that goes into building a really good book. I’ve been peeking over Vicki’s shoulder for years, watching her grow as a writer, watching her characters and plotlines mature, and now I finally get to share what I’ve known all along . . . she knows how to tell a story! She’s debuting here as Victoria Craven with Immortal Love , which has a bit of everything I adore as a reader: a strong heroine determined to help her people survive and prosper, a dark, hot hero who can slay his enemies but can’t seem to control the female he’s forced to marry or the emotions she stirs within him, a medieval backdrop (squee!), intrigue and a shiver of a ghost story. I’m thrilled to introduce you to a brand new author!! I’ll let Vicki tell you a bit about herself . . . then rush over and buy her book!

20 Questions: Getting to Know Your Favorite (or soon to be Favorite!) Writer 



Getting to know you: 

1. Party dress or blue jeans? I’m a party dress kind of person. Like a child dressing up in mother’s clothes. I love my 4 inch heels. No matter how old I get I’m not giving them up.

2. TV at home or movie theater? I love snuggling with my husband and watching TV at home. Sometimes I’m just too lazy to put on a bra, and I don’t have to wear make-up.

3. Five words your friends use to describe you: This is a hard one but I think they would say “loyal, sister, happy, thoughtful, nice” Maybe I should have picked a different question.

4. Other creative outlets? Crochet. I know what you’re thinking. You would rather watch paint dry, but it’s my way of kicking back and relaxing while creating something for my friends and family.

5. If I had a free afternoon, I’d ______ I would hunker down and read a book. The only problem with that is once I start a book I want to finish it. I get real bitchy when I can’t. I want to go to bed early just so I can finish it. My grandson has different ideas. He thinks grandma should stay up and play with him. Duty calls.

6. Three favorite movies? Fifth Element, Expendables, and Avengers. I love action movies. No sappy girl stuff for me.

7. What’s on your Bucket List? To go to Europe. Money and a passport would be helpful. I would love to see Rome.

8. Gourmet cook or take out? My husband and I share a love for cooking. We love having people over and cook for them. We know we’ve done a good job when we get the “Wow! Best dish ever.”

9. Your first kiss . . . My first kiss was when I was 13. It was awkward and messy, but I still managed to get a lot of practice in.

The Written word:

10. Favorite type of hero (Type A bad boy or Type B good guy) Which would you rather live with? Of course I love the good guy. I’m married to the best.

11. What type of fiction heroine would you be? Jane Eyre or Lara Croft? I love a good fight scene where women are strong and can kick ass. I would have to say my favorite fictional character would be Jennifer Garner in Alias. She can kick the hell of the bad guy.

12. Favorite genre to read? Paranormal. I love an author’s creativity. I wish I had secret powers.

13. What would you love to write that you haven’t? A mystery. The intrigue is so exciting. It’s a genre I would like to try and not suck at it.

14. What are you reading right now? J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. “The Goblet of Fire” It is amazing that she can write an entire book that is in Harry Potter’s point of view.

15. Favorite books you can read over and over: Harry Potter series. I never get tired of it. I’m just a kid at heart, even though the mirror says otherwise.

A Writer’s Life:

16. OCD plotter or free range pantser? Pantser. I fly by the seat of my pants. I like the story to unfold. The most amazing things happen.

17. Which is easier, the synopsis or the book? The book is by far the easiest thing to write. It is really hard to condense an entire book in just a few pages. Editors are sadists to make you do that.

18. First person you call when you get a sale: My sister gets the first call. We are very close and we celebrate every success.

19. Solo muse or critique partner(s)? I need my critique partners. When I’m stumped they help me out of the ditch.

20. When can we get your next book and what’s it all about?

Nancy: Since Vicki is in a rush – getting ready to move will do that to you! – I’ll answer this one for her. If you love Immortal Love (and you will!), get ready for more! She’s got two additional books in the series almost ready to go featuring Erik and Randolf. And a kick butt serial killer suspense with the best villain ever that I’m DYING to get my hands on. 


Immortal Love
by Victoria Craven

AmazonBarnes & NoblePublished by Tell-Tale Publishing
Though he's fought in hundreds of battles in a dozen countries, Dominick the Immortal has never known defeat. Now the King has given him his greatest challenge, to become the Lord of Godwin, and marry its lady, Eleanor.

Upon meeting her, he is instantly attracted to the green-eyed beauty, but angered by the King’s order she vows she will never love him.

Dominick could see spirits of the dead his entire life, but after his capture during the Crusades he closed his mind to the tortured souls that were left to wander in eternal darkness. The door remained closed until the strong spirit of a woman broke through his barrier and warned him that Eleanor was in danger. Dominick had one more battle to wage, winning the lady’s heart.

Nearly succumbing to her greatest enemy after long months of
bloody siege, Eleanor sends a messenger to beg for the King’s help. He is her last hope of saving her beloved Godwin and its people. Eleanor gets more than she bargained for. Decreed by the King, her savior is to become her husband.

Raised by an abusive father whose vile behavior led to her mother’s death, Eleanor vows that she will love no man. Yet Dominick is like no other man she has ever met. Unexpectedly, she finds that the legendary warrior has both honor and compassion. Losing her resolve, she must face her greatest fear, losing her heart.

Bio
Victoria Craven discovered her love for story-telling in her sophomore year of high school.
Those teenage adventures always had a romantic happy ending, and they still do today, whether she’s writing thrilling contemporary suspense or paranormal historical romance.

Having lived most of her life in Western Michigan, Victoria relocated to the suburbs of Chicago where she lives with her husband, who is the love of her life. She has three beautiful daughters, and two toddler grandsons who keep her busy.

Supported by her friends and family, she left a career as a media account executive to pursue a career doing what she’s passionate about, writing happy endings that she can share with others. Her first paranormal historical romance was recently purchased by Tell-Tale Publishing and will be released in 2012.

When Victoria isn’t writing or revising, she is playing with her grandsons or curled up with a good book and a vat of hot chocolate.

* Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads *

20 Questions: Getting to Know Your Favorite (or soon to be Favorite!) Writer Diane Burton

Don’t sweat the small stuff . . . It’s all small stuff! Remember those rides to our Mid-Michigan RWA meetings, Diane? Diane Burton is the first person I’d ever met who could trump me in the OCD department (but I have ADD as my wildcard!). We immediately hit it off. For a time, when her writing surrendered to the gravitational pull of creating a steady income, and I didn’t see her at our meetings, it was like an absence in the creative Force. I’m thrilled to say Diane is back in a big way . . . you might even say an Intergalactic way! First with the sequel to Switched, and now with the first book in a new series, The Pilot, her love of science fiction and space cowboys rules. 

 


I’m thiiiiiis close to being finished with The Pilot (darn flu had me off my Kindle feed for a while). What a geekgasm! As a fellow devotee of Firefly and anything Trek, I find her voice a delightful homage to those wonderful voyages of the imagination. Aliens, space cruisers, and out-of-this-orbit adventures – Oh, my! Her world is fantastic and fun to get lost in. I’m torn between wanting to swat and laugh out loud with the plucky Celera. And Trevaar . . . MmmMmm. The man can rock the Rim with the best of them! I smell sequels with her deliciously quixotic brother Quin and Trev’s hot best friend, Laning, and will be looking forward to those trips to a galaxy far, far away.

Holy horse pucky! Get ready for a ride!

But first, heeeeeere’s Diane:



Getting to know you:

1. Party dress or blue jeans? Blue jeans

2. TV at home or movie theatre? Movie theatre (big screen, surround sound & popcorn)

3. Broadway or museum? Definitely Broadway. When I was young & single, my girlfriends & I went to NYC and saw 7 shows in 5 days. Prices were cheaper then, but so were teacher salaries. LOL

4. Five words your friends use to describe you: Loyal, helpful, nitpicky, too busy, a little bit crazy (okay, a lot crazy)

5. Five words you use to describe yourself: Loving Nana, caring, intense, too busy, forgetful

6. Favorite books from childhood: Anne of Green Gables & Nancy Drew

7. Three favorite movies: 3? Only 3? Star Wars, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Serenity (Firefly cast). I’m going to cheat and name 2 more: It Happened One Night, Casablanca. And then there’s . . . (I think Nancy cut me off!)

8. What’s on your Bucket List? Alaskan Cruise, train trip thru the Canadian Rockies, San Francisco

9. Something quirky about you that no one knows (we won’t tell anyone!) I organize books and DVDs by subject matter. I thought alphabetizing was a little too OCD

The Written word:

10. Favorite type of hero (Type A bad boy or Type B good guy) Examples. (Which would you rather live with?) Type As are kinda scary but exciting, thrilling. I married a Type B and don’t regret it.

11. What type of fiction heroine would you be? Jane Eyre or Lara Croft? Wish I could be Lara Croft, but I’m more like Jane Eyre

12. Favorite genre to read? (Is it what you write?) Romantic suspense and sci-fi romance. Yes, I write both, though I’m only pubbed in SFR

13. What would you love to write that you haven’t? A (or is it An) historical set right after WWII when the men come home from war and expected the women who’ve worked in the factories, etc. to go back to being housewives.

14. Fiction hero you would run off with: Hands down, Han Solo. Does that negate Question #10? Hey, he’s got a spaceship. LOL

15. What are you reading right now? Mara Jacob’s Against the Odds, second time around. Such a great writer.

A Writer’s Life:

16. OCD plotter or free range pantser? A combination but I’m more a pantser. I know, I know, I’m OCD about other things.

17. Do you have a set writing schedule? Sort of. LOL Usually up by 6 – 6:30, get a cup of coffee (love my Keurig), write while Hubs sleeps; write while Hubs is awake; write, write, write. All of this is trumped by a visit from grandkiddies.

18. First publishing rejection: It came on my birthday and my daughter hid the package until the next day. That was back in the “olden” days when you sent your manuscript via the post office and enclosed a SASE for the manuscript’s return.

19. What’s on your desk? Too much stuff! Pictures of grandkiddies; books, bills (hope I find the unpaid ones before they’re due), receipts, papers and, somewhere, the keyboard & mouse. Good thing I use my laptop.

20. When can we get your next book and what’s it all about? Next book up is Switched, the Aftermath, the conclusion of the Switched series where twins exchanged places on Earth and on a starship and now have to face the consequences. Look for it around Easter.

Latest book out is The Pilot , which kicks off a series about strong women on the frontier of space.
 

The Pilot is available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

There’s no place like home and he just stole hers. Cargo hauler, risk taker Celera d’Enfaden must work with rule-bound Administrator Trevarr Jovano to save her brother from a galactic gangster.

 

Excerpt:

Celara pushed her chair away from the table and climbed up on it. “Quiet down, you Rimmer scum.”

The patrons laughed then quieted. Someone paused the Seinfeld vid.

She lifted her drink again. “A toast, Rimmers. Let’s hear it for the wonderful, fantabulous, yada, yada, yada, Administrator Jovano. May he live long enough to enjoy good health.”

To her surprise, silence met her toast. No one raised their glasses or mugs, even in jest. Everyone was looking at her, standing on the chair.

No, they were looking past her. Only thing behind her was the door. Kleema groaned and buried her head on her folded arms on the table. Booted footsteps rapped on the rough-hewn plank floor then stopped behind her.

“Thank you for the compliments and the good wishes for my longevity.” The baritone-and-chokiris voice sounded just over her shoulder.

If she ever needed a personal cloaking device, it was now. Or a magic ring with which to disappear. Sec Admin Trevarr Jovano stood behind her. Waiting. She swore she could feel him breathing.

Undaunted, she turned around. As the room tipped, she reached for the back of the chair. “Whoa, those mudslides sneak up on you.”

Missing the chair, she grabbed the closest thing—Trevarr Jovano’s black-clad shoulders. Beneath her fingers, the strong muscles contracted. “Hey there, Admin Man. Heard my toast, did you?” She grinned down at him.

He wasn’t smiling. “You should sit down before you fall down. Or better yet, go home and sleep it off.”

A dark fury swept away the sweet tranquility of two tall Kruferian mudslides. “I can’t go home, you snake. You stole my home.”

She swung a round-house punch at him, missed her objective and would have fallen ignominiously off the chair had he not caught her. For several long secs, he held her tightly against his chest, her feet dangling off the floor a good twenty-five centimeters. His green eyes caught hers and darkened.

The heat in the room rose ten degrees. Her heart tripped, the air leached out of her lungs. His eyes. She could drown in those green depths.

Bio:

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction, and romance into writing romantic fiction. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America as well as the Mid-Michigan, Young Adult and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal RWA chapters. She is the author of the Switched series, about twins exchanging places—from Earth to a starship and the reverse. With The Pilot, she begins a new series about strong women on the frontier of space. She is also a contributor to the anthology How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband live in Michigan. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Diane can be found around the Internet at:

* Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Pinterest *

Follow @DMBurton72

Follow Me on a BETRAYED BY SHADOWS Blog Tour . . .

Book your passage, fasten your lap belts, and get ready for an exhilarating ride when Buy The Book Blog Tours and I leave the station January 4, 2013 on a two month Blog Tour! We’re visiting exotic sites filled with danger and excitement so keep your hands, feet and belongings inside the vehicle at all times. There will be frequent stops . . . 25 to be exact, so have your comments ready for chances to win. Sit back and enjoy breathtaking reviews, learn more about the author in the wild. See the characters in their natural habitat. Experience unique posts from your hostess that will make this trip a once in a lifetime excursion!

Okay, I’m not really going anywhere except to work, but YOU can follow BTBTs as they make the rounds of 25 author- and reader- friendly blogs helping me tease and tempt you with my new dark paranormal e-release, BETRAYED BY SHADOWS. Each stop offers the opportunity to win a copy of this 7th book in my “By Moonlight” Shape-shifter series from Pocket Star, and a grand prize of a $15 Amazon gift certificate. The interviews are fun and informative. The blog posts have something for readers and writers. And who doesn’t like free stuff!?

Check out the itinerary below and follow it from stop to stop (I never leave my car port without Map Quest directions!). I’ll be popping in to make sure the accommodations are comfortable and that everyone has a complimentary beverage of their choice (good thing there are frequent stops!)

Enjoy your trip!

January 4, 2013 - RomanceWriter Sara Walter Ellwood (GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

January 5, 2013 - MJSchiller (GIVEAWAY / REVIEW / Author Interview)

January 6, 2013 - HBSAuthor’s Spotlight (GIVEAWAY / Author Interview)

January 8, 2013 - SimplyAli (GIVEAWAY / Author Interview)

January 9, 2013 - ReadingRomances (GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

January 11, 2013 - SciFiChick.com(GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

January 13, 2013 - JannaShay’s Fair Play (GIVEAWAY / Author Interview)   

January 15, 2013 - Christine’sWords (GIVEAWAY / Author Interview)  

January 19, 2013 - The Brook Sayers Blog (Author Interview)

January 20, 2013 - Amberkatze’s Book Blog (GIVEAWAY/  Guest Blog)

January 23, 2013 - Mama Knows Books (GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

January 29, 2013 - OMFG!Books(GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

January 31, 2013 - Krystal Shannan – Where Love& Destiny Collide (GIVEAWAY / Character Interview)

February 1, 2013 - Sarah Grimm, Author (GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

February 3, 2013 - Writerly Ramblings (GIVEAWAY / Author Interview)

February 6, 2013 - DforDarla’s Definite Reads(GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

February 12, 2013 - [InsertClever Quip Here] (GIVEAWAY / REVIEW / Author Interview)

February 14, 2013 - Author’sCafe (GIVEAWAY / Character Interview)

February 18, 2013 - Just One More Chapter (GIVEAWAY / REVIEW / Author Interview)

February 20, 2013 - Books and Needlepoint (GIVEAWAY / REVIEW / Author Interview)

February 22, 2013 - Romancing The Dark Side (GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

February 23, 2013 - Sallie’s Book Reviews & More(GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

February 25, 2013 - I Know That Book (GIVEAWAY / REVIEW / Guest Blog)

February 26, 2013 - Reginamayross’sBlog (GIVEAWAY / Guest Blog)

February 26, 2013 - TBQ’s Book Palace (GIVEAWAY / REVIEW / Character Interview)

February 28, 2013 - Romance Book Junkies (GIVEAWAY / REVIEW / Guest Blog)

March 1, 2013 - CherylYeko  – Where Love Always Wins (GIVEAWAY / REVIEW / Author Interview)

New Year's Blog Hop

This New Year's Blog Hop was organized by Carrie Ann's Blog Hops!

From January 1st thru January 6th, I'm participating in the New Year's Blog Hop hosted by Carrie Ann's Blog Hops! And to one lucky Follower, I'll be giving away a 
$10 Amazon Gift Card!
Details:
One (1) $10 Amazon Gift Card to the winner of the Hop!
Open to International Entries.
Drawing for the Giveaway will be held on
January 7, 2013, and the winner will be announced on
January 7, 2013.
To be eligible to enter the Giveaway, use the Rafflecopter Form below!a Rafflecopter giveaway
 But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yup, you can enter over 200 times!
Now for the GRAND Prize! Drum roll please...
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or B&N Gift Card3rd Grand Prize: A Large Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, bookmarks, cozies, and more!
Hop and enter the other giveaways!

Gifting Books - A Christmas Giveaway Hop!

You can't go wrong with the gift of reading! From the time my boys were babies, and now with my grandson, I always tucked a book in with their other presents . . . because there's nothing like getting lost in the pages of a romance or an adventure or a fantasy. And now, it's even easier with gift cards that bring the choice of that escape right to the recipient. Wrap yourself up in words this holiday as a gift from me!! The Gifting Books Giveaway Hop was organized by 
Nat at Reading Romances!

From December 20th thru December 27th, I'm participating in the Gifting Books Giveaway Hop hosted by Nat at Reading Romances! And to one lucky Follower, I'll be giving away a 
copy of Betrayed by Shadows and a $5 Amazon Gift Card!
 Available at:AmazonBarnes & Noble 

Details:
One (1) $5 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of Betrayed by Shadows to the winner of the Hop!
Open to International Entries.
Drawing for the Giveaway will be held on
December 28, 2012, and the winner will be announced on
December 28, 2012.
To be eligible to enter the Giveaway, use the Rafflecopter Form below!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day!!!

BETRAYED BY SHADOWS

Book 7 – “By Moonlight” series

A good man buried in bad deeds . . .

Balancing a criminal empire and a preternatural clan war, reluctant front man Giles St. Clair doesn’t need a problem like Brigit MacCreedy . . . How much trouble can the head-strong and manipulative Shifter beauty get into in two weeks? Plenty when her schemes range from kidnapping to fleeing the retribution of her dead lover’s clan.

A bad girl denying a good heart . . .

With her family’s lives on the line, Brigit is willing to do whatever it takes to save them. The only thing standing in her way is an immovable stone wall of a man she can’t bully or beguile . . . a human, no less, who has promised to protect her from the secrets and dangers she conceals. Risking her own safety gets complicated when an honorable and annoyingly desirable man puts himself between her and her powerful enemies in a battle he can’t win.

“I really liked Giles as a hero! He's exactly what I look for in my alpha males (even when they are human) - sexy, confident, strong, a bit cocky, different, and slightly damaged. The two of them together as a leading couple are frustrating, heartbreaking, sexy as sin, and ultimately perfect.

In Giles and Brigit's action packed quest to make the world safe again for themselves and those they love, lots of secrets are revealed, unlikely alliances are forged, some new friends and relationships are discovered and solidified and things majorly change in the whole outfit of the clans. I absolutely LOVE the St. Clair dysfunctional family.

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Betrayed by Shadows 4 1/2 Skulls and most definitely recommends it to all fans of Nancy's MOONLIGHT series as well as Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Shifter fans.”

Literal Addiction

"From the very first chapter this book caught and held my attention. Giles turned out to be so different from the person I’m used to seeing. How have I never noticed what a hottie he is? He and Brigit are more alike than they think. These two have to fight tooth and nail to finally have a happy ending. Betrayals, misunderstandings, and secrets, but they do get there.

It seems that Nancy Gideon has woven a more in depth world than I realized. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed these two characters and by how much I still enjoy this series. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I am anticipating the next book, Prince of Shadows."

Fiction Vixen
For the next four weeks, BETRAYED BY SHADOWS is specially priced at $1.99! One click and you’ll be reading!


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2 Days to New Release Day: Let the Music Play

I love all kinds of music: metal, opera, bluegrass, rock, oldies, movie themes, pop - anything with a tune. For me, music equates with emotion, mood, time and place. Ever hear a certain song and immediately think of that high school breakup or your first ride in a convertible? It’s a vital part of the creation process for each of my books to have a soundtrack. What kind of music my hero or heroine listens to tells me a lot about their personality. What type of music I listen to puts me in the mood for my story – a sultry blues beat to conjure the feel of New Orleans, the restless, yearning rhythms of a love song, aggressive guitar licks to stimulate the adrenaline of a good fight scene. I remember my oldest son groaning, “Why can’t you write a horror novel,” because of the wailing country ballads I was playing as a backdrop for my Western historical series.

For BETRAYED BY SHADOWS it was a step away from the more eclectic mix of SEEKER OF SHADOWS to the Cajun heart of Giles St. Clair (with a couple of blasts from the rock ‘n roll past to tie him to his memories). Brigit’s playlist was more glitzy and contemporary but at the same time held a hint of lonely sadness. The musical themes toy with loss, with trust, with hope, and I can picture some of them, like “Our Last Time”, as a summary of the scenes. When you read the book, see if you can guess which one. Plug in, close your eyes, and get a feel for BETRAYED BY SHADOWS.



As a sidebar, my son was thrilled while I was writing my next book in the series, PRINCE OF SHADOWS and came to him to ask what kind of metal music he’d recommend for my rowdy, tattooed rock ‘n roll prince Cale Terriot. I certainly got some funny looks driving downtown to work with the windows open, head bobbing, radio blasting Eisbrecher, Megaherz, Chrome Division and Five Finger Death Punch along with my favorite AC/DC. Mama’s rocking on.
Tomorrow is Day One – RELEASE DAY!

3 Days to New Release Day: Behind the Scenes with Florence Price

I’ll be the first to admit, I’d rather say it in words than try to create it in pictures. I’m not an artist, but I know what I like. I have a very strong sense of what I want (okay, I’m fanatical about it!) I can picture it clearly in my mind and know it the minute I see it. Having ideas isn’t my problem. I have tons of ideas for promotion. I love to think outside the box. But building it from the ground up . . . I don’t know where to begin.

Sometimes, you can learn the skills. Sometimes, especially those times when you HAVE no time, you need to trust in the talents of others. And you need to learn how to express what you want and understand what is . . . and what isn’t possible. A lesson learned from graphic and cover artist pal Patricia Lazarus who would just smile serenely when I was being difficult as she designed the banners and do-dads for my website.

Social media isn’t for sissies. It requires time . . . lots of it . . . and ability. I’d just reached the point where my “want to” was clashing with my “can’t do” when I met an author’s dream come true. Someone who could take those random ideas and bring them to life in an organized fashion when I say ‘Make it so’ . . . and smile serenely when I ask if I’m being difficult.

It’s my pleasure to introduce Florence Price . . .



Hi everyone and thanks for such a wonderful welcome today, Nancy!!!


What motivated you to become a virtual assistant?

I’d worked as a daycare provider for eight years at the time I started MGF, wanting to stay home with my kids when they were little. But as my kids got older, I started thinking I wanted to get out of daycare and into something else. It was actually one of my fellow Mid-Michigan RWA members and very good friend, Margo Hoornstra, who said she’d read an article about virtual assistants in the Romance Writers Report. We were at a meeting, and she said, “You could do that!” I’d done some things for our chapter that were sort of on the techy side, and as soon as I got home from the meeting, I pulled out the copy of the RWR, read the article, and said, “Yeah, I could definitely do that!”

What prior experience did you have?

Before working as a daycare provider, I worked as a paralegal, so I felt I had the organizational, research and clerical skills needed to be a virtual assistant, but I had no real social media or computer programming skills that I would need for websites design, graphic design, book trailers, promotion, etc., just an aptitude and a high learning curve. Over the last two years, all the skills I've acquired have been self-taught through a lot of trial and error. I found that I like, no love, working with computers and figuring out how something works.

How did you learn about the romance industry and the ins and outs of graphic design?

I’ve been a member of the MMRWA since 2008, and that was my foot-in-the-door to the romance industry. It’s a fantastic group, full of wonderful, generous people, and I feel extremely fortunate to be a part of the chapter.

My big introduction to graphic design was when I was hired by you to design your Romance Trading Cards for your By Moonlight Series, using the book graphics designed by the mega-talented Patrish Lazarus. This was something I learned how to do as I went along…They’re still one of my favorite designs!!! 



How did you find clients?

I started working with the authors in the MMRWA group, then it snowballed. Word-of-Mouth is a great promotional tool. Most of my fabulous clients will refer their friends to me.

What’s the most challenging thing you’ve been asked to do for a client?

Ha! Nancy I have to say it was your Haunted Open Houses, both the 2011 and the 2012 versions, but mostly the 2012 House. There’s a lot of work that goes into decorating the rooms to the house, and for some reason this year Blogger (the site is hosted on blogspot.com) was having a rather severe nervous breakdown. But I’ve been told I’m somewhat stubborn, and I wasn’t going to admit defeat just because blogspot was twitchy. I tweaked and worked around the problems until I got it finished.

What’s the most fun?

Again, your Haunted Open Houses! I don’t know how many people said, “How fun!!!” When they visited. You really know how throw an awesome party!

Where are your go-to places for the ‘tools of the trade’? i.e., music, stock photos, apps, etc.

My favorite site for images is BigStockPhoto. They have a huge selection and the prices are very reasonable. For music I like to use NEO Sounds, again good selection and great prices. The design app I use is Gimp, which is free and very similar to Adobe Photoshop. My preference for blog hosting is still blogspot.com, even with the occasional twitch. I’ve found that, as opposed to WordPress.com (another free platform), blogspot.com is much more fluid when it comes to unique designs and the ability to work with the HTML of the site. WordPress.com is somewhat rigid, and is more difficult to work with design-wise. There’s absolutely pro’s and con’s to both platforms, but if I have the choice, I’ll work with blogspot.com.

You’ve branched off into a new venture with Buy the Book Tours. What prompted this expansion?

One of my very best friends, Christine Warner, and I were talking one day about the tour she was currently participating in with her most recent book, and it just took off from there. Christine and I are very similar in the way we think about things…We have a lot of those, “I was just going to say that!” moments, so it’s been a lot of laughs and a real pleasure working with her. She’s got super mad promo skills, so she handles a lot of those tasks, and I’ve got the techy know-how, so I design the banners, maintenance our website, post the media pages that go with the tours, etc., then we split some of the other tasks that we can both perform.

How do you find a good fit between client’s with new books and blog stops?

The way our BTB system works is we send out a tour invitation to the over 240 sites we have participating in the tours via a MailChimp mailing, which includes the tour banner, a link to the author’s website, information about the schedule of the tour, the blurb, an excerpt of the book and the link to the sign up page. Then the hosts decide, based on that information, whether they would like to promote and/or review the book. As soon as we receive the required number of “host sign-ups” for the tour, we then close it. And that's how we handled your tour that begins January 4, 2013, which, by-the-way, filled up in a matter of hours - It was an awesome thing to watch!

Click Image for Schedule
What's the average day like for a VA?

Oh, my goodness I don’t have average days! Every day is something different, which is another reason why I love working as a virtual assistant…It’s never boring, especially with you as a client!

Where can authors find out more about your services?

I have a My Girl Friday website, where information about my services and links to my work can be found, and Christine and I have a website for Buy the Book Tours, where all of our information on tours packages and what we’ve currently got going on can be found. 

Thank you so much for having me visit today, Nancy!