Susan Hanniford Crowley's Blog: From Nights of Passion Blog, page 224

MY FIRST BOOK-SIGNING EXPERIENCE ��� PART 1 by Stacy Hoff

On March 14th I had my first book signing event ever. I was scared stiff to read four small pages of my first book, DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES. Me, facing a large audience? Ack!

Between my anxiety over this event, and the stress of having a new release out only three days before (LAWFULLY YOURS), sleep was no more obtainable than a pipe dream. Instead, I stared at my clock with its ugly red numbers staring right back at me – 4:30 AM. Only a two-by-four dropped over my head would have knocked me out.

Without any construction materials around to assist me, my mind raced all night, faster than a sprinter on steroids. Would I stumble over my words? Look back to see blank stares? Mumble so softly people would scream ���What did you say?��� Or worse, actually hear what I said, and still yell out the same thing.

Worse still, the fog and rain in Connecticut that night belonged to a scary movie. London, England would have been proud. I wondered who would be determined enough to come out on a night like that.

With the exception of the ominous weather, it was crazy for me to be nervous. After all, I am a lawyer. Though I handle only contracts now, I do have several jury trials under my belt. During these trials I never stammered once, nor did I feel my knees knock. So why was I so worried I couldn���t read four little pages of fiction? Because for once, the words would be personal to me.

This time my book was on trial. How would I be judged? Like a defendant, I found out that waiting for verdict is very daunting.

Signing the books at my event was stressful for me, too. I am not used to having anyone line up to speak with me – I���m not a sports star. I���m also not used to anyone asking for my autograph – I���m not a Hollywood celebrity. There is a large part of me that wanted to ask, ���Umm, you really want me to sign this? Are you sure?���

I remember when I was around ten years old. Judy Blume was having a book signing in New York City. I waited on line for hours to see her. When it was finally my turn, I held up my copy of ���Superfudge��� and said: ���I���ll never be as great a writer as you. But I want to be.��� Judy Blume, bless her heart for dealing with an intimidated, star-struck kid assured me I could become an author if I wanted to be. (One day I hope to see her so I can tell her ���thanks.���)

It was surreal for me to now be the one on line people were waiting to talk to. To sign my name with an authority I don���t yet feel. To read as if I was trying a case in court, my voice confident and strong.

What events have intimidated you? How did you get through it?

PART II of My First Book Signing Experience Friday (4/10/15)

Thank you, Chameleon Haircolor Cafe and Spa, North Haven, CT, for hosting me!

AMAZON LINK FOR LAWFULLY YOURS: http://www.amazon.com/Lawfully-Yours-Stacy-Hoff-ebook/dp/B00U7U2WCC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425508177&sr=8-2&keywords=book+-+lawfully+yours

AMAZON LINK FOR DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES: http://www.amazon.com/Desire-Everglades-Stacy-Hoff-ebook/dp/B00NFSMCYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410289138&sr=8-1&keywords=desire+in+the+everglades.

Find Stacy on Social Media: http://www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff Twitter: twitter.com/authorStacyHoff Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com

��

Filed under: A writer's life, Marketing, Marketing, New Release, Promotion, Promotion, romance, romance novels, Stacy Hoff

What I’ve Learned: Secret 12 – The Passing of Pete

Yesterday (March 25, 2015) at 3:16 p.m., my dog Pete passed away.�� My heart is broken.

Pete was a funny little guy.�� We got Pete at a pet store. We don’t normally get our pets that way, preferring rescue groups.�� But after looking and looking at dogs, we were ready to give up.�� Then one night at supper my husband said, “I found a dog and his name is Pete.” So after supper we went off to the mall to see this dog.

He looked like he had escaped the Muppet Show, a black and white ball of curly fluff with a black nose, chocolate brown eyes, and a white fluffy curled tail.�� Pete was a Cantel, a breed in development by Shiloh Kennels in Iowa.�� He was also registered with the Cantel Club of America as Crowley’s Pierre.�� He was half miniature poodle and half Bichon Fris��.�� He was the most cuddly, fun and gentle dog I’ve ever known.

Pete had special food made for him by my husband ever since he ate something off the ground several years back and had to be rushed to the vet.�� Pete was playful and funny and serene.�� He raised our two sister kittens into the fine cats they are today. He slept in the big bed, was hugged and played with a lot and always had family around him even at the end.

One of the funniest things I ever saw Pete do happened when we were walking together. He came upon a chipmunk and barked at it. The chipmunk stood up and squeaked up a storm at Pete for several minutes. Pete backed up and in his wisdom pulled me on my leash. He felt it better to pass this by and I agreed with him.�� Smiles!

What secret did I learn from Pete?�� Some battles aren’t worth fighting.�� From the chipmunk, I learned not to be intimidated. Even though honestly, with Pete, the chipmunk didn’t have anything to worry about. It’s the walk through life that mattered and the fun we had along the way.

We have wonderful, fun memories of Pete.

Buffy, Bella, and Pete

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!

Vampire King of New York available at Amazon Kindle and print, Barnes and Noble Nook and print and in Kobo

A Vampire for Christmas in Kindle

Filed under: A Lesson in Love, Arnhem Knights of New York, dog, Max Vander Meer, Norse, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, Secret 12: The Passing of Pete, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Vampire King of New York, Viking, Writer's Life, Yule

You Don’t Need to Know Everything

I’ve known my share of know-it-alls and have quite a few of them in my family (who will remain nameless in case for some reason they just happen to stumble on this blog). Still, the older I get and the more I do learn, the more I realize that is okay not to know everything, that sometimes that is part of the life experience.

I’m down in Nicaragua again– an annual trip at this point. I marvel at how so much is unknown here and yet life goes on. I’m such a planner (with everything except writing) that sometimes I wonder if I miss out because I’m so busy looking forward and planning for the future. Why do I plan so much? I’m really not sure. Perhaps it is some way of knowing what some part of our future will hold. Silly, really as we don’t have as much control as we believe sometimes and others, we have more control than we want.

Despite my penchant for knowing my future and doing what I can to orchestrate it, I found myself telling a young boy the other day that it was okay that he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do with his life or how and what he wanted to achieve. I admitted that I’m thirty-three years old and still trying to decide how I’d like my future to play and and quite frankly, a lot of the thoughts I had previously have changed with time and with kids. I think the only thing I’ve had to concede at this point is that maybe I might get to my “destination” in more of a roundabout way. But I’m okay with that.

So the moral of this week? It’s okay not to know everything or even a lot. Think about what you want out of life and what you like to do. Let that propel you forward and let yourself find your own way. It won’t always be easy but you’ll discover a lot along the way.

Happy writing this week!

Filed under: A writer's life, Toni Kelly, What inspires you?

Swag and Books by Mandy Rosko

I can’t remember if I showed these off or not, but I wanted to share them just in case. I mentioned before the floating lockets that I purchased as swag for Romancing The Capitol which is happening next year, and I have to say, the next time I sign up for a book signing, I’m doing it with a *budget* in mind because holy God, my credit cards are starting to scream for mercy :S

Anyway! Here they are! (I still have to put together the chains, and maybe find some more charms)

The whole point is that I’m going to be getting charms to go inside of them as well :3 I commissioned some tiny book charms with the new cover of a book I plan on releasing next year. Something about billionaires and arrangements and getting the girl you kind of like to agree to sleep with you in exchange for the family business back, yadda, yadda, yadda.

The charms aren’t in yet, but they should be in the mail soon. I can’t wait to get them. I’m itching to see what they look like in my hands. I’ll be getting fifty or so of them, but if they don’t come in on time, then I’ve got sweet, sweet plans for other giveaways. Maybe O.o I just really want to hand out these necklaces :3

I also ordered 25 copies of A Shock To Your System for signing, along with 60 copies of Sold To The Enemy. I think I’ll be giving those ones away for free. I still haven’t determined how I’m doing this. Winging it is an awesome backup plan. I think I’m done with getting books for the signing, though. It’s gotten a tad too pricey for me to be ordering that many, even with a sweet discount.

On top of all of the cool stuff I keep bringing home, plans are in motion to read as much as I can from some of the other authors that are also attending. I’ve picked up three physical copies of Eve Langlais’ books, one of which is a three in one, so I guess that technically makes it five, but the cyborg one is the book I’m really looking forward to :3 Cyborgs are really starting to interest me lately.

I’ve also got some other books by Opal Carew that have been on my TBR pile for the last little bit. There’s no way I’ll be able to read all the stuff I want in time. I’m not that fast a reader. Last year I didn’t even make my Goodreads challenge, even with adding in all the books I read that I was too embarrassed, or forgot, to count. The point is that I’ll be doing my best to get as many of those books read as possible :) And I’ll be bringing these ones to the signing for my super sweet autograph ;)

Cheers!

Mandy Rosko

————————–

Burns Like Fire (Dangerous Creatures Book One) is��Available Now!

The Princess’ Dragon Lord is Now Available at��Amazon��and��B&N

Connect with me online:

Facebook

www.goodreads.com/Mandyrosko

Twitter: @rizzorosko

Mandyrosko.com

Want the latest on hot guys, erotic romance, and sizzling action? Add your super cool name to my Newsletter list and I’ll make sure you’re the first to hear about new releases the day they come out:��http://rizzorosko.com/contact.html
Filed under: romance

Spring Weekly Paranormal-Scope

The recent solar eclipse was seen in the British Isles, Europe and as far away as Italy and Russia.

March 20, 2015 Solar Eclipse as viewed in Dublin, Ireland. Courtesy of Wikipedia

While I am not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets, I am intimately linked to the paranormal in the world in many ways. So are you.

The paranormal-scope is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to guide your life by.

The week for:

Aries:

Moonlight becomes you. The sweet air of spring will bring a visitor. Prepare tea for your guest. Contrary to opinion, werewolves don’t have fleas.

Taurus:

Gnomes know that to be at your best, a good night’s sleep is necessary. Build in more sleep time into your schedule.

Gemini:

Elves favor a lot of green when decorating. Seriously consider updating your home’s look.

Cancer:

Dragon blows warm winds on you. Eat hot food and beverages. Stay warm and improve your health by getting enough rest.�� Watch funny shows or movies, which can also improve your health.

Leo:

Hobbits are visiting the flower show at the Elizabeth Park Greenhouse in Hartford to refresh the spirit and lift the heart. Buy more flowers for the home.

Virgo:

Goblins are cleaning out the clutter and preparing for a new hobby. Something fun that they haven’t tried before.

Libra:

Shapeshifters are putting a lot of energy into the workplace. This is a great time to collaborate with others on a project and move ahead. Improve your skill at giving presentations.

Scorpio:

Orcs are running down your street. Stay out of the way of other people’s problems.

Sagittarius:

Hobbits are throwing a party.�� Bring a dish and meet new people. Expand your horizons.

Capricorn:

Faeries invite you to join them.�� Be light of heart and rejoice in all your gifts. Strengthen yourself and prepare for great things to come.

Aquarius:

An old vampire you know is back.�� Time to remember the old days and share a few laughs.

Pisces:

Pixies love adventures. Start planning day trips to places you’ve never been.

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!

Vampire King of New York available at Amazon Kindle and print, Barnes and Noble Nook and print and in Kobo

A Vampire for Christmas in Kindle

Filed under: Max Vander Meer, Norse, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Susan Hanniford Crowley, vampire books, Vampire King of New York, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, vampires, Viking, Weekly Paranormal-Scope, Yule

J is for Jealousy

Shakespeare���s ���green-eyed monster��� is often a key component in romance novels. Jealousy as a character trait or as a major conflict or motivation has been used in the romance field with great success for decades. Because jealousy is an emotion all humans are forced to deal with at some time (jealousy has been observed in babies as young as five months old according to Dr. Sybil Hart), it is familiar to us and therefore is a condition that we can relate to and sympathize with in either the hero or heroine.

Jealousy and envy have come to be used interchangeably, however, they are actually two different concepts. The emotion of jealousy arises when you are feeling insecure, fearful, and anxious over an anticipated loss of something you value very much. Envy is when we covet something that someone else has. In other words, jealousy is when you fear losing something you value, and envy is when you want to attain something of perceived value you do not already possess. The confusion may lie in the fact that we can experience both jealousy and envy simultaneously.

One love story in which jealousy and envy both play a huge part is Shakespeare���s Othello.

The Jealous Husband by Cornelius Krieghoff

Othello suspects his wife Desdemona is having an affair and he is jealous of her: feels suspicion and anger at her perceived betrayal, fears losing her, and distrusts her, all symptoms of jealousy. Iago, his nemesis, on the other hand, is envious of Othello: he resents his circumstances, he feels ill will toward Othello, the person whose success and position he envies, and he desires to obtain the positive attributes of Othello, whom he envies these traits.

Jealousy tends to be a more male dominated emotion, although women have their jealous moments as well. I have used jealousy as a dominant trait in two of my books, Sir Geoffrey Longford was extremely jealous of Lady Alyse in my Time Enough to Love series, and Lady Juliet Ferrars is quite jealous of the man she loves when he shows an interest in a former flame in Only Marriage Will Do, to be released in June. I hope you enjoy their struggles with the ���green-eyed monster!���

Filed under: Alphabet Posts

Welcome to the Land of Little Glaciers or How a New Book is Born!

 

On the news today, one of the weather forecasters referred to the non-melting piles of snow in our yards as little glaciers. Due to the below freezing temperatures and an episode of freezing rain, they have solidified, so it’s going to take longer to melt. ��Of course, to top it off like icing on a cake, it snowed again yesterday. ��I was all set for spring. ��I even had flower planting plans, which have changed to shoveling plans.

When I stood outside shoveling, it smelled wonderful. The air was so clean and brisk. Somewhere a neighbor was burning wood in a fireplace or stove. ��The pine trees in my yard added their own fragrance. It was in that moment that I got an idea for a Yuletide tale.�� The story unfolded before my eyes and is still going strong in my brain as I type like a demon to get it down.

Love does Spring eternal, even if Spring isn’t on time. Smiles!

Do you have still have snow?�� Or has Spring sprung in all its glory?�� Please, share your spring story with me. I am getting a new story out of it. Have the writers out there been inspired by similar events?

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!

Vampire King of New York available at Amazon Kindle and print, Barnes and Noble Nook and print and in Kobo

A Vampire for Christmas in Kindle

Filed under: A Vampire for Christmas, Max Vander Meer, Norse, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Settings, Susan Hanniford Crowley, vampire books, Vampire King of New York, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, vampires, Viking, What inspires you?, Writing Topics, Yule

Happy Spring by Stacy Hoff

According to my calendar, today is the first day of Spring. We’re on to a new season, whether the weather is ready, or not!

The same can be said for writers. Spring is our “manuscript growing” season. In this period, we let our stale work get fresh air. Let it thaw out. Cut off last year’s dead weight. Throw some sunlight on it. And then till it often. Until our work starts to flower. And take on new life.

The sun is a metaphor���letting us know happy, productive times are ahead. The fruits of our labor will be coming. All we need to do is the hard work it takes to flourish.

I’ve got my gardening gloves on. And I’m hoping to yield so much more than fresh flowers.

Happy Spring, everyone! What do you want to accomplish this season?

AMAZON LINK FOR LAWFULLY YOURS: http://www.amazon.com/Lawfully-Yours-Stacy-Hoff-ebook/dp/B00U7U2WCC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425508177&sr=8-2&keywords=book+-+lawfully+yours

DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES: http://www.amazon.com/Desire-Everglades-Stacy-Hoff-ebook/dp/B00NFSMCYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410289138&sr=8-1&keywords=desire+in+the+everglades.

Find Stacy on Social Media: http://www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff Twitter: twitter.com/authorStacyHoff Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com

 

 

 

 

Filed under: A writer's life, romance, Stacy Hoff

What I’ve Learned: Sharing Secret 11 – Expect the Unexpected

Things are changing faster than I can keep up.�� Instead of trying to understanding everything, I’ve switched to let the flow take me wherever. Life happens that way a lot. First my computer was acting badly the other night. I fixed that and now the blog is presenting itself in an odd way. You may see our side menu but I don’t.�� I will have to compare later with my desktop.

If you can see the blog perfectly with it’s sidebar on the right hand side, please, comment and tell me.�� Then I will know it’s my computer and not the blog.

I have massive Spring cleaning to do to.�� I’m in need of reclaiming my office downstairs which has been overwhelmed by books and stuff from my parents.

At my day job, one boss left, and another came on board. Another one will join us in the summer. All in all, a dizzying time and I’m just keeping my head down and focusing on work as usual.

I’ve been very ill and struggling to persevere and finish my next book which is fun and I love it.�� No matter how much you love something, being ill just gets in the way.

What’s the secret? Expect the unexpected because it will happen.�� What do you do?�� Keep going no matter what. This is your life and you deserve some fun. Things go wrong around us everyday, but you know what? It’s okay. Life is can be a fun place, once you let the weirdness do it’s thing and pass you by. Focus on what you love.

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!

Vampire King of New York available at Amazon Kindle and print, Barnes and Noble Nook and print and in Kobo

A Vampire for Christmas in Kindle

Filed under: A Vampire for Christmas, Emotions, Max Vander Meer, Norse, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Secret #11 Expect the Unexpected, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Vampire King of New York, Viking, Writer's Life, Yule

Where Does Luck Come In?

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, which I know was yesterday, I wanted to write about luck this week and its role in our lives. Everyone always talks about hard work and how with hardwork and dedication we can go places. I’m not here to disagree, but I also believe there is a bit of luck infused in many situations.

to me, luck is about the uncontrollable variables. Many times, we can control our input, or actions in a situation, but not those of the world around us. As a teen, I remember hydro planing on a highway outside of Washington DC during rush hour. The vehicle felt like it was a ping pong ball between guard rails, and by some miracle, luck guardian angel or mix of all three, none of the five teens in the car were hurt nor did we hit anyone. Now that certainly wasn’t due to my hardwork. If anything, my slamming on the brakes was what contributed to us losing complete control.

Still, luck comes in many forms. I think most of us recognize it in the casinos, but it plays a big part in our lives from keeping us alive in precarious situations to having our boss notice something at work just due to timing, or a matter of finding a twenty dollar bill on the floor. Some of this is pure luck, and some of this is a mix of skill (hard work and performing well) and luck. Either way, it is something I believe contributes to our lives everyday.

Happy writing this week and as the saying goes (I think), may the luck of the Irish be with you!

Filed under: A writer's life, Toni Kelly