Nancy Gideon's Blog, page 69

Short and sweet today: We have a WINNER! Congratulation...

Short and sweet today:

We have a WINNER!

Congratulations to Jenny Solis! You've won a Kindle!

Thanks to all who participated in my scavenger hunt. I hope everyone had fun between the pages.

Putting the "ME" in All About Me Monday

While we wait for the announcement of the Kindle winner which will be posted tomorrow, I'd like to share something profound that I discovered this weekend: Sometimes we get so busy making a living, we forget to just LIVE!

After a whirlwind Release Week for BOUND BY MOONLIGHT filled with blog tours, contests, Face Book posts and general angsting, after a frustration filled month of updating our computer operation system at the day job, trying to wrap up revisions on one book when the page proofs for the next arrive, my brain was like that little release valve on the top of a pressure cooker, jiggling and spouting steam frantically. Sometimes you just have to get off the fire so things can cool down before they blow.

My pressure release came in the guise of an escape to the lake, Michigan that is, in an unplanned day in the small artsy town of Saugatuck. No schedule to keep, no phone to answer or keyboard to attend. With my d-i-l playing Thelma to my Louise, we hit the road and didn't stop until we hit water. Not even the parking issue (surprise, the Venetian Festival was going on with a huge art fair!) could dampen out enthusiasm. It was a day of no stress, no problems. Warm sun, clear skies, sparkling water, pleasantly crowded sidewalks, and all those great little stores just calling to me: Buy Bling Here! Highlights: Bling and kinetic art at Fancy Nancy's (gotta love the name! Mary, you should have bought that pig!) at our first stop in Douglas, Sweet potato fries at The Butler, inhaling in the Spice Merchant, tasting at the Olive Mill, the cooling mist sprayers in one of the outdoor art alleyways, Ooooh shiny in Bright World, more bling (I can't help myself!) at Cindy's, a lemon lime sherbet cone on the sidewalk, and surprise, it's almost 6:00!
Packages on the back seat, bottled water in hand, smiling with weary enjoyment, it's time to head back to a real world that doesn't seem quite so overwhelming any more.

Sometimes you've got to stop and try on silly glasses!

Remember to take time for ME time.

The winner for Friday's daily drawing is Jenny Solis!

It's your last chance for a daily giveaway. BOUND BY MOO...

It's your last chance for a daily giveaway. BOUND BY MOONLIGHT is the featured book for today's contest questions. Have fun! All four day's questions will be up through the weekend for anyone who wants to take a final shot at a Kindle. Contest data will be compiled on Monday and the grand prize winner will be announced on Tuesday, August 2.

Yesterday's winner is Holly Collins!

I'm taking a blog-free weekend, shopping over on Lake Michigan in the fabulous artsy conclave at Saugatuck. Then it's the last few revision pages of Book 6 before the copy edits for HUNTER OF SHADOWS get here.

I'll have some new posts, maybe some good news, and a lot more sleep next week. See you then!

Today I'm Pocket's last blogger on Border's fabulous True...

Today I'm Pocket's last blogger on Border's fabulous True Romance site. How sad to see it go. Stop over and visit and show the site a little fond farewell love at:

http://bordersblog.com/trueromance
It's been so sad over the years watching the decline and disappearance of book stores, first from the malls and now from our cities. I can't imagine a new generation not experiencing the initmate relationship of readers to paper books, the thrill of scanning shelf after shelf, the tactile joy of those glossy covers and the tease of the first page. I love my Kindle app on my IPad, but it will never replace the experience of holding a book. Borders will leave a huge hole in the reading world.

For those who've asked, I'm re-posting the Contest 'rules' on that page, so give them a read. Then play to win (and for fun) with today's questions regarding CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT for a daily giveaway AND a chance to win a Kindle by answering the questions for all four books.

Yesterday's daily winner is Na S.!!!

And...We're Off! My contest is up and running. Remember,...

And...We're Off!
My contest is up and running. Remember, there are no wrong answers, a miss is as good as a hit. It's all about having fun. Questions today focus on CHASED BY MOONLIGHT, so stop in and take your pick! A new daily winner will be announced tomorrow. Three days closer to that Kindle… If you're stopping by for the first time, your answers for yesterday's "hunt" still count toward the grand prize so pick A-B-C-D so I have the chance to pick YOU!

Yesterday's daily winner was Jenny Solis!

Today, I'm cruising with the ladies at Riding With the Top Down http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com, talking about being an '80s Girl in a Techie World. Big thanks to Literal Addiction for the fabulous chat last night. You kept me up tooooo late but we sure had fun…if only my new acrylic nails weren't so dyslexic when it comes to small talk.

RELEASE DAY! It's an all day party! Win a Kindle, follow ...

RELEASE DAY!
It's an all day party! Win a Kindle, follow a blog tour, join a chat…All sorts of things are going on to celebrate the release day for BOUND BY MOONLIGHT!

Join my party to win daily prizes over the next four days with a chance to win a Kindle (or Amazon gift certificate)! Details are on the Contest page. Have you read the series? Are you a good guesser? Jump in for fun!

I'm also partying on several blog sites today:  Interview & Contest for Nancy Gideon Release Party web event are now Live on BOOK MONSTER REVIEWS and LITERAL ADDICTION. Go, read, enter & set a reminder for 8:00pm EST to return to LITERAL ADDICTION for the 2hr Live Chat!Interview and giveaway at SOUTHERN FRIED GOTHIC.And (!) I'll be featured on a Blog Tour c/o Pocket/Gallery Books at the following sites: REX ROBOT REVIEWSLOVE TO READ FOR FUNBROKEN TEEPEE BOOKS GARDENS & DOGSBOOKS LIKE BREATHINGURBAN GIRL READERSNARKY MAMMAJESSICA RABBIT'S CORNERSOS ALOHASTARTING FRESHTARMY BLOGSPOTLIVE TO READ Have a great day, and I hope to see you on one or all of the above sites! 

RELEASE DAY!

It's an all day party! Win a Kindle, follow a blog tour, join a chat…All sorts of things are going on to celebrate the release day for BOUND BY MOONLIGHT!

Join my party to win daily prizes over the next four days with a chance to win a Kindle (or Amazon gift certificate)! Details are on the Contest page. Have you read the series? Are you a good guesser? Jump in for fun!

I'm also partying on several blog sites today:  Interview & Contest for Nancy Gideon Release Party web event are now Live on BOOK MONSTER REVIEWS and LITERAL ADDICTION. Go, read, enter & set a reminder for 8:00pm EST to return to LITERAL ADDICTION for the 2hr Live Chat!Interview and giveaway at SOUTHERN FRIED GOTHIC.And (!) I'll be featured on a Blog Tour c/o Pocket/Gallery Books at the following sites: REX ROBOT REVIEWSLOVE TO READ FOR FUNBROKEN TEEPEE BOOKS GARDENS & DOGSBOOKS LIKE BREATHINGURBAN GIRL READERSNARKY MAMMAJESSICA RABBIT'S CORNERSOS ALOHASTARTING FRESHTARMY BLOGSPOTLIVE TO READ Have a great day, and I hope to see you on one or all of the above sites! 

Pre-Release Day Panic . . . It's like waiting to hear the...

Pre-Release Day Panic . . .
It's like waiting to hear the results from a series of job interviews.
You've done your best. You've put yourself out there. You've flashed your resume credentials, given your references, talked a good talk with your professional face on. Your support system is behind you cheering, bolstering your confidence. But it boils down to one final point that you have absolutely no control over, no way to second guess:
Will they like me? Will they really, really like me?
It's like showing your new baby to a room full of strangers.
You think your baby is the most beautiful child ever created. You've pampered it throughout the gestation stages: through morning sickness (Do I really have to get up at 5:00 a.m…), through swollen ankles (where to cut that bloated prose?), basked in the joy of watching it grow from tiny seed to able to survive on its own, through the agony of childbirth (waiting to hear from agent/editor…) And finally it arrives . . . and the public has its first look.
Please don't let them say my baby is ugly!
Not everyone is going to have a place for what you have to offer no matter how good your skill set is. Not everyone sees beauty through the same eyes.
So you wait and try not to worry, try not to dwell on worse case scenarios. You philosophically tell yourself it is what it is, it's too late to change anything.
While I wait, I've decided to think like a political candidate…win or lose, I'm having a party.
Tomorrow, BOUND BY MOONLIGHT, the fourth book in my dark paranormal By Moonlight series arrives in stores and ready for electronic download. To take my mind off reviews, I'm celebrating not only my new book, but the entire series to date. I'm sending you on a four-day, book-by-book scavenger hunt starting tomorrow with MASKED BY MOONLIGHT. How well do you remember what you've read? How fast can you thumb to find a reference? How good a guesser are you? Each day, I'll post four multiple choice questions on the Contest page from the categories "He said/She said," "Accessories make the Man/Woman," "You Look Marvelous," "Always the Bridesmaid-secondary characters," "Places, Everyone," or "Scene of the Crime" that relate to the book of the day. A participant will be chosen at random each day to win a BOUND BY MOONLIGHT book thong: And on August 2, a grand prize winner will be picked from those who have played each day . . . to win a Kindle (or Amazon gift card).
To tease you, I've got a book excerpt posted on http://paranormalityuniverse.blogspot.com/.
Also, exciting news: 788 Goodreads members signed up for a chance to win a copy of BOUND BY MOONLIGHT. Ten winners were chosen and are posted on Goodreads.
Check back tomorrow for all sorts of fun ways to help me celebrate Release Day…and to keep my mind off the wait.

All About Me Monday

Pre-Release Day Panic . . .
It's like waiting to hear the results from a series of job interviews.
You've done your best. You've put yourself out there. You've flashed your resume credentials, given your references, talked a good talk with your professional face on. Your support system is behind you cheering, bolstering your confidence. But it boils down to one final point that you have absolutely no control over, no way to second guess:
Will they like me? Will they really, really like me?
It's like showing your new baby to a room full of strangers.
You think your baby is the most beautiful child ever created. You've pampered it throughout the gestation stages: through morning sickness (Do I really have to get up at 5:00 a.m…), through swollen ankles (where to cut that bloated prose?), basked in the joy of watching it grow from tiny seed to able to survive on its own, through the agony of childbirth (waiting to hear from agent/editor…) And finally it arrives . . . and the public has its first look.
Please don't let them say my baby is ugly!
Not everyone is going to have a place for what you have to offer no matter how good your skill set is. Not everyone sees beauty through the same eyes.
So you wait and try not to worry, try not to dwell on worse case scenarios. You philosophically tell yourself it is what it is, it's too late to change anything.
While I wait, I've decided to think like a political candidate…win or lose, I'm having a party.
Tomorrow, BOUND BY MOONLIGHT, the fourth book in my dark paranormal By Moonlight series arrives in stores and ready for electronic download. To take my mind off reviews, I'm celebrating not only my new book, but the entire series to date. I'm sending you on a four-day, book-by-book scavenger hunt starting tomorrow with MASKED BY MOONLIGHT. How well do you remember what you've read? How fast can you thumb to find a reference? How good a guesser are you? Each day, I'll post four multiple choice questions on the Contest page from the categories "He said/She said," "Accessories make the Man/Woman," "You Look Marvelous," "Always the Bridesmaid-secondary characters," "Places, Everyone," or "Scene of the Crime" that relate to the book of the day. A participant will be chosen at random each day to win a BOUND BY MOONLIGHT book thong: And on August 2, a grand prize winner will be picked from those who have played each day . . . to win a Kindle (or Amazon gift card).
To tease you, I've got a book excerpt posted on http://paranormalityuniverse.blogspot.com/.
Also, exciting news: 788 Goodreads members signed up for a chance to win a copy of BOUND BY MOONLIGHT. Ten winners were chosen and are posted on Goodreads.
Check back tomorrow for all sorts of fun ways to help me celebrate Release Day…and to keep my mind off the wait.

WIP WEDNESDAY: WHAT'S IN A NAME? Somehow the name BOOK 6...

WIP WEDNESDAY: WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Somehow the name BOOK 6-UNTITLED doesn't inspire me, but the story waiting in the manuscript pages on the footstool behind me is one I can't wait to get back into. Revisions to make the book tighter and stronger are on my To Do List for this weekend. Even though there's an entire year between my weekend rendezvous with Jacques LaRoche (sigh!) and his appearance on the shelves next July, I'll try to whet your anticipation . . .

Start helping me think of titles that go with OF SHADOWS. BORN OF SHADOWS was a perfect fit because the book involves a woman from Jacques's past who stole his memories, but Sherrilyn Kenyon must have snuck into my psyche to borrow it for her latest book. Oh, well, July 2012 is a long ways away.