Lori Brighton's Blog, page 2
August 23, 2012
Info on The Mind Games
Okay, you all keep asking for information on Mind Readers book 3, so I'll tell you what I can about The Mind Games:- It will be out (hopefully) around Mid Sept.
-It will be around the same length as the other two books, maybe a little bit longer.
-It will be $2.99
-You'll be able to download it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Itunes.
-The beginning will be about Cameron and her newfound family; focusing on Cameron, her mother and Nora.
-Someone will die!!!!!
-It is the last book in the series, but there will be a short story in Nors'a POV; I have no idea when it will be released.
August 8, 2012
The Mind Games Cover!
I'm still hard at work on The Mind Games and still planning on releasing the book in September. But until then, I'm going to share the cover with you... done by the wonderful Harris Channing!
July 20, 2012
Trading Cards... maybe
So, the place where I ordered my trading cards sent them via UPS. UPS left them on our front stoop in rainy weather. In other words they were destroyed. I'm trying to work with the trading card company to get UPS to refund, but everyone is being very confusing and unhelpful at the trading card company. In other words, I now have no idea when I will get new cards. I may have to find a new card company. Will let you all know when I get some new ones!
July 11, 2012
Trading Cards!
I've gotten a few emails from readers asking for a bookmark, poster, something to go along with The Mind Readers Series.
I finally have something.... trading cards! It's a big thing right now in the romance community and readers have been collecting them for awhile. As of now I have two cards; one representing Cameron and one for Nora.
Here's the thing... I can't mail them to everyone. I'd go bankrupt by postage alone!
How can you get them?
Check my Facebook and Blog. Periodically I'll be doing contests and giving away the cards. All you'll have to do is leave your name in the comments section.
As for contests... we'll start it off now! Leave your name if you'd like to be entered to win a trading card of Cameron and Nora (that's two cards). I'll pick three winners!
-Want an extra bonus entry? Join my facebook page and let me know you did in the comments section, along with your name!
-Want another extra entry? Leave a review for The Mind Readers (book 1) where ever you downloaded the book, and send me the link (and to be fair, no, it doesn't have to be positive).
If you friend me on facebook, make sure you let me know you're entering the contest, otherwise I'll just think you're friending me :)
P.S. These cards are small, 2.5 x 3.5
Here's the front of both cards:
And these are the backs:
I finally have something.... trading cards! It's a big thing right now in the romance community and readers have been collecting them for awhile. As of now I have two cards; one representing Cameron and one for Nora.
Here's the thing... I can't mail them to everyone. I'd go bankrupt by postage alone!
How can you get them?
Check my Facebook and Blog. Periodically I'll be doing contests and giving away the cards. All you'll have to do is leave your name in the comments section.
As for contests... we'll start it off now! Leave your name if you'd like to be entered to win a trading card of Cameron and Nora (that's two cards). I'll pick three winners!
-Want an extra bonus entry? Join my facebook page and let me know you did in the comments section, along with your name!
-Want another extra entry? Leave a review for The Mind Readers (book 1) where ever you downloaded the book, and send me the link (and to be fair, no, it doesn't have to be positive).
If you friend me on facebook, make sure you let me know you're entering the contest, otherwise I'll just think you're friending me :)
P.S. These cards are small, 2.5 x 3.5
Here's the front of both cards:
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And these are the backs:
July 8, 2012
Unedited Excerpt: The Mind Games!
“You sure you don’t want me to go through that gate with you?” Nora asked, her fingers tight around the steering wheel. I wasn’t the only one nervous.
The car bounced along the road, making my already upset stomach clench. “Yeah, I think it will be better if I go alone. Fewer people to worry about.”
She nodded. “When I drop you off, head through the woods. When they come after you, run. Make it look like you’re trying to evade capture.”
She slowed the car and my pulse kicked up a notch. “Got it.”
“You can trick them for a while…until they break into your mind.” She sighed. “Once that happens…”
“My secrets will be out.”
“All our secrets.”
I wondered if she was having second thoughts. “I’ll escape before it gets that far.”
“Make sure you do.”
She turned off the car, the headlights going dark. We sat in silence for one long moment. The evening felt heavy, oppressing. The sun had set, sending the forest into ghostly shadows so a person couldn’t tell tree from man.
“You’ll head three miles in,” Nora whispered, as if afraid of being overheard. “Keep northwest.”
I nodded and slipped my hand into my pocket, the metal compass reassuring against my fingertips.
“You’ll hit a stream about half a mile before you’ll reach the fence.”
I took in a deep shaky breath. “Got it.”
She turned toward me, her face barely visible in the dark. “You remember our meeting place?”
I nodded. Nothing else to say, no reason to wait. With trembling hands, shoved my door wide.
“If I’m not there, I’ve been captured,” she warned. “Head straight to Savannah.”
I stepped from the car, my knees practically buckling as my feet hit the dirt. “Understood.” I slung my backpack over my shoulders and started toward the side of the road.
“Cameron,” Nora called out.
I paused at the bumper. “Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
I nodded and started for the trees. The car roared to life, the flash of headlights bouncing down the road as Nora took off. For a long moment, I watched her go. Watched until the headlights disappeared and the silence of night settled around me.
The car bounced along the road, making my already upset stomach clench. “Yeah, I think it will be better if I go alone. Fewer people to worry about.”
She nodded. “When I drop you off, head through the woods. When they come after you, run. Make it look like you’re trying to evade capture.”
She slowed the car and my pulse kicked up a notch. “Got it.”
“You can trick them for a while…until they break into your mind.” She sighed. “Once that happens…”
“My secrets will be out.”
“All our secrets.”
I wondered if she was having second thoughts. “I’ll escape before it gets that far.”
“Make sure you do.”
She turned off the car, the headlights going dark. We sat in silence for one long moment. The evening felt heavy, oppressing. The sun had set, sending the forest into ghostly shadows so a person couldn’t tell tree from man.
“You’ll head three miles in,” Nora whispered, as if afraid of being overheard. “Keep northwest.”
I nodded and slipped my hand into my pocket, the metal compass reassuring against my fingertips.
“You’ll hit a stream about half a mile before you’ll reach the fence.”
I took in a deep shaky breath. “Got it.”
She turned toward me, her face barely visible in the dark. “You remember our meeting place?”
I nodded. Nothing else to say, no reason to wait. With trembling hands, shoved my door wide.
“If I’m not there, I’ve been captured,” she warned. “Head straight to Savannah.”
I stepped from the car, my knees practically buckling as my feet hit the dirt. “Understood.” I slung my backpack over my shoulders and started toward the side of the road.
“Cameron,” Nora called out.
I paused at the bumper. “Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
I nodded and started for the trees. The car roared to life, the flash of headlights bouncing down the road as Nora took off. For a long moment, I watched her go. Watched until the headlights disappeared and the silence of night settled around me.
July 1, 2012
Giveaway!
I'm doing a giveaway! Haven't had one in awhile and never for a YA audience. Of course anyone can enter, male or female, YA or Adult!
At the beginning of summer we went to Disney World. Yeah, fairy tales and happily ever after... I'm a romance writer, it's not surprising I love Disney World! This giveaway is all about Disney and princesses!
So what am I giving away?
-A small vinyl/plastic Mickey Mouse bag. (see top left)
-A small button pin (see top right)
-A Cinderella Keychain (see bottom left)
-Gummi Mickeys (see bottom right)
-A hardback copy of The Selection by Kiera Cass (a book about princesses; haven't read it, but it sounds good!)
-And a small tiara which you can wear while eating your candy and reading your book (see bottom right).
Just leave your name in the comment section and your email addy so I can get ahold of you! I'll pick 1 winner in a week or so. Countries outside the U.S. are welcome!
.jpg)
At the beginning of summer we went to Disney World. Yeah, fairy tales and happily ever after... I'm a romance writer, it's not surprising I love Disney World! This giveaway is all about Disney and princesses! So what am I giving away?
-A small vinyl/plastic Mickey Mouse bag. (see top left)
-A small button pin (see top right)
-A Cinderella Keychain (see bottom left)
-Gummi Mickeys (see bottom right)-A hardback copy of The Selection by Kiera Cass (a book about princesses; haven't read it, but it sounds good!)
-And a small tiara which you can wear while eating your candy and reading your book (see bottom right).
Just leave your name in the comment section and your email addy so I can get ahold of you! I'll pick 1 winner in a week or so. Countries outside the U.S. are welcome!
June 28, 2012
Why Do I Curse in my YAs?
Recently a reader emailed me asking why I cursed in my YA books when she didn't think it was needed. I have had about 3 emails asking me the same thing. Keep in mind, this is 3 out of about 2000 emails I've gotten about The Mind Readers books. As I replied to the readers email, I realized I should just go ahead and post it, that way you can all understand, in case you've been wondering. So if you're interested, its below :)
I'm glad you've enjoyed the series, but sorry you didn't appreciate the cursing. There are a variety of reasons my characters curse. I'll warn you, this is going to be long, but you asked for it :)
-As an author I think its my responsibility to add realism to books; readers have to relate in some way. Your niece and her friends might not, but most teens curse. Keep in mind my characters are 17-21 in age. My characters are, at times, running for their lives and as a reader I'd find it ridiculous and unrealistic if they said something like "darn" while in a life or death situation.
-I don't think cursing is a big deal. There are incredibly horrific things that happen in this world and I think that a teen saying a few minor curse words is the least of our worries. The other day I asked my cousin if the movie The Avengers was okay to take my son to. I said, "fighting is okay, but not kissing." As soon as I said the words I realized how ridiculous they were. It's okay if my son watches people hurt each other, but a kiss isn't to be seen? I think in this world we need to get our priorities straight and as I said, a few minor curse words, imo, are not a big deal. Of course I don't expect teens to curse in public places, such as while I'm eating in a restaurant, but that has more to do with respecting other patrons than religion or beliefs.
-Cursing is a cultural thing. Some of the curse words we use weren't even used in the biblical era. They are words that some man or woman in modern times decided was wrong and banned. For instance before the Medieval era the word Bitch literally meant a female dog and still does in some places. So who in the world decided it was wrong? I'm not saying I use the word, but what I'm saying is that you can't use the Bible to argue about curse words because some of them just didn't exist at that time and some of them don't exist in other cultures even today.
To be completely blunt what it boils down to is, as I said, it's not something that concerns me nor does it concern the majority of my readers. There are things like child molesters, sex trafficking, starvation, drug abuse that concern me much much more than whether someone is cursing.
If I changed my book for every person and every religion out there, the book would be a ridiculous combination of plots and conversations that wouldn't be my own. I just read a book by another YA author and her characters drank beer. That's something at this point I'd never do in a YA book. It has nothing to do with my religious beliefs but with my childhood. I grew up with an alcoholic father. In other words, its because of my own ideals and my own background and I certainly don't judge her; I don't think its my right to judge her. She did what was right for her and her book and her beliefs.
I started out as a writer for adults. My adult books are romance. They're not erotic, but they are R rated, so for me the YA series is certainly toned down.
I'll tell you something I haven't told anyone else, all of my books have messages. Sometimes readers get them, sometimes they don't. I wrote an adult historical romance called To Seduce an Earl. Some people might read that books, see the cursing and the sex and think its a horrible book that should be banned. And that would be too bad because the book is actually about finding redemption and forgiving yourself, even people who have done horrible things. In other words instead of looking at minor things like cursing, it might be better to look at the overall message of the books.
Fortunately The Mind Readers is free so if readers read it and don't like the cursing they don't have to spend money on the second book.
I will not change my book to accommodate a person or religion. Even if I wanted to there's no way we can accommodate everyone and we shouldn't have to try. But I can and will put in the blurb that there is minor cursing, that way people know ahead of time.
Hope you understand, and I do thank you for your email and your concern.
I'm glad you've enjoyed the series, but sorry you didn't appreciate the cursing. There are a variety of reasons my characters curse. I'll warn you, this is going to be long, but you asked for it :)
-As an author I think its my responsibility to add realism to books; readers have to relate in some way. Your niece and her friends might not, but most teens curse. Keep in mind my characters are 17-21 in age. My characters are, at times, running for their lives and as a reader I'd find it ridiculous and unrealistic if they said something like "darn" while in a life or death situation.
-I don't think cursing is a big deal. There are incredibly horrific things that happen in this world and I think that a teen saying a few minor curse words is the least of our worries. The other day I asked my cousin if the movie The Avengers was okay to take my son to. I said, "fighting is okay, but not kissing." As soon as I said the words I realized how ridiculous they were. It's okay if my son watches people hurt each other, but a kiss isn't to be seen? I think in this world we need to get our priorities straight and as I said, a few minor curse words, imo, are not a big deal. Of course I don't expect teens to curse in public places, such as while I'm eating in a restaurant, but that has more to do with respecting other patrons than religion or beliefs.
-Cursing is a cultural thing. Some of the curse words we use weren't even used in the biblical era. They are words that some man or woman in modern times decided was wrong and banned. For instance before the Medieval era the word Bitch literally meant a female dog and still does in some places. So who in the world decided it was wrong? I'm not saying I use the word, but what I'm saying is that you can't use the Bible to argue about curse words because some of them just didn't exist at that time and some of them don't exist in other cultures even today.
To be completely blunt what it boils down to is, as I said, it's not something that concerns me nor does it concern the majority of my readers. There are things like child molesters, sex trafficking, starvation, drug abuse that concern me much much more than whether someone is cursing.
If I changed my book for every person and every religion out there, the book would be a ridiculous combination of plots and conversations that wouldn't be my own. I just read a book by another YA author and her characters drank beer. That's something at this point I'd never do in a YA book. It has nothing to do with my religious beliefs but with my childhood. I grew up with an alcoholic father. In other words, its because of my own ideals and my own background and I certainly don't judge her; I don't think its my right to judge her. She did what was right for her and her book and her beliefs.
I started out as a writer for adults. My adult books are romance. They're not erotic, but they are R rated, so for me the YA series is certainly toned down.
I'll tell you something I haven't told anyone else, all of my books have messages. Sometimes readers get them, sometimes they don't. I wrote an adult historical romance called To Seduce an Earl. Some people might read that books, see the cursing and the sex and think its a horrible book that should be banned. And that would be too bad because the book is actually about finding redemption and forgiving yourself, even people who have done horrible things. In other words instead of looking at minor things like cursing, it might be better to look at the overall message of the books.
Fortunately The Mind Readers is free so if readers read it and don't like the cursing they don't have to spend money on the second book.
I will not change my book to accommodate a person or religion. Even if I wanted to there's no way we can accommodate everyone and we shouldn't have to try. But I can and will put in the blurb that there is minor cursing, that way people know ahead of time.
Hope you understand, and I do thank you for your email and your concern.
June 12, 2012
Maddox: Second Round
Okay, so I've narrowed it down. Although I loved bachelor number 1, he was just a little too old, imo. And although bachelor number 2 was certainly good looking, he just didn't seem right for Maddox, who is supposed to have dark hair/dark looks. So I've narrowed it down to 3 and 4.
Thoughts?
3)
4)
Would it help to see Nora??? :)
Thoughts?
3)
4)
Would it help to see Nora??? :)
Who Is Maddox?
So I'm working on a little project that will go along with my Mind Readers series. More on that later. Right now I need your help. I need a photo that represents Maddox. So, if you've read the series, check out the photos below and please vote on your favorite to represent Maddox!
1) Very good looking, but is he too old? Maddox is about 21-22
2) Maybe with darker hair?
3) In his Agent suit!
Which do you think best represents Maddox? Thanks so much!
1) Very good looking, but is he too old? Maddox is about 21-22
2) Maybe with darker hair?
3) In his Agent suit!
Which do you think best represents Maddox? Thanks so much!
May 26, 2012
An Exhausting Month
I've gotten a lot of emails lately. So many that I seriously need an assistant to keep up! Most are for The Mind Readers series. I'm trying desperately to respond to them all, but please forgive me if I miss one. This month has been ridiculously busy.
Not only am I trying to write (of course), but my son has been sick almost nonstop. First it was a vomiting illness that I was lucky enough to get as well. Then he got a spider bite and had a reaction (had to be put on meds). And now he's getting over a cough and pneumonia. Seriously, this has all happened in one month.
If you read my blog you know our dog Jack died a little over a month ago. Well, this morning our cat died too :( Hasn't been a good year for pets in our household. Our cat's name was Nealy. We'd gotten her from my husband's coworker who could no longer care for her because her daughter was allergic to cats. She was such a sweet cat. The first two years she lived with us she refused to come down the stairs because she was terrified of our dog.
Funny enough one day we returned home and Nealy was sleeping next to Jack. It was the only time I'd ever seen her next to him, but it made me wonder if her disgust with the dog was all an act. We were fortunate enough to get a picture. In the last year she transferred her disgust to her our new cat, Cookie. Cookie came here a year ago acquiring two instant friends. Well, one friend (Jack) and one frenemy (Nealy). Now its only him.
Anyway, I wanted to apologize in case I've been mia, and wanted to explain why I might not have replied to your emails. I promise I'll try to get to them and if I don't and you have any questions, please feel free to contact me again! And just to let you know, sometimes when I do respond the emails bounce back, so make sure you type the addy correctly.
Not only am I trying to write (of course), but my son has been sick almost nonstop. First it was a vomiting illness that I was lucky enough to get as well. Then he got a spider bite and had a reaction (had to be put on meds). And now he's getting over a cough and pneumonia. Seriously, this has all happened in one month.
If you read my blog you know our dog Jack died a little over a month ago. Well, this morning our cat died too :( Hasn't been a good year for pets in our household. Our cat's name was Nealy. We'd gotten her from my husband's coworker who could no longer care for her because her daughter was allergic to cats. She was such a sweet cat. The first two years she lived with us she refused to come down the stairs because she was terrified of our dog.
Funny enough one day we returned home and Nealy was sleeping next to Jack. It was the only time I'd ever seen her next to him, but it made me wonder if her disgust with the dog was all an act. We were fortunate enough to get a picture. In the last year she transferred her disgust to her our new cat, Cookie. Cookie came here a year ago acquiring two instant friends. Well, one friend (Jack) and one frenemy (Nealy). Now its only him.
Anyway, I wanted to apologize in case I've been mia, and wanted to explain why I might not have replied to your emails. I promise I'll try to get to them and if I don't and you have any questions, please feel free to contact me again! And just to let you know, sometimes when I do respond the emails bounce back, so make sure you type the addy correctly.
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