Vivian Arend's Blog, page 59
December 13, 2012
12 Days of Giving #1
Day one, and the challenge is: Give yourself a break.
Some of these challenges will be familiar if you participated last year, and there’s a reason for that. No, I’m not too lazy to come up with new ones, 
It’s that these are the things I remind myself of every year, and when I start talking with people, this list is made of all the things that others need to be reminded of as well.
This challenge doesn’t require any money. As the holiday approaches we all have lists of things to do. Family dinners, shopping for presents, annual Christmas family update letters, children’s concerts, staff parties, white elephant gifts…
Is your blood pressure higher now than when you started reading? Sorry. The idea behind behind today’s challenge is for you think for just a moment about that to-do list. Are you doing some of these things simply out of habit? Are there things you used to do before you had babies/ toddlers/ teenagers eating you out of house and home? Are you doing them because you’re “supposed to”?
There are seasons for everything, even the fun things like Christmas cards. Give yourself permission to do the REALLY important things, and let one of the less important ones slide.
If there is one thing you could stop, what would it be? If there’s one important thing you need to start this year, what should it be?
Leave a comment about that if you’d like. I have three different calendars for 2013 to gift, so three winners. One wolves, one horses and one mountains, for my three main settings/series themes.
Make sure you’ve added your name to the first post for a chance to have me Gift your choice of Charity. Tomorrow I’ll have another challenge.
December 12, 2012
12 Days of Giving: 2012 Version–Add your name here
Three years running now I hosted this event, and I love being able to do it again. If some of the posts sounds familiar, they are. Why fix something that wasn’t broken.
In the spirit of the holidays, I want to give something back. To you, my readers, but also to others.
Here’s the deal. Every day for the next 12 days, I’m going to challenge you to ‘give’. Not necessarily financially, because, yeah, I know that’s tough at times. But we really are fortunate to enjoy many things. 2012 has been an amazing year for me, with challenges but also rewards. I want to finish it off right, and I encourage you to join me.
There will be a few gifts up for grabs along the way but the BIG gift is this: $100 donated to the charity of your choice. At the end of the 12 days time I’ll randomly pick 5 commenters from this thread and their suggested organization will get $100. If you want to add a link to your organization in the comments, please feel free to do that.
In order to qualify for the $100 donation, you don’t have to meet the challenges for the 12 coming days– those are strictly for fun and encouragement, although I hope you do join in and share some love. To be entered, simply add your name to this comment list along with the name of the organization you would like the money to go to if you are one of the five selected. Basically consider this me asking you for suggestions for great places to support.
This is an international opportunity- I don’t care where you live (if it’s legal for you to participate yada yada yada…) as long as I can somehow support the organization you suggest.
I hope you will join me in this celebration of giving.
And come back tomorrow for the first challenge.
December 1, 2012
Silver Mine nominated!
It was announced a little while ago, but November was crazy beyond normal, so I’m finally able to post.
Silver Mine has been nominated by RT Magazine for best of 2012 in the Indie Press/Self-Published Paranormal/Fantasy category. (Yes, that’s a mouthful!) I’m very pleased to have this book chosen for the honour–I think Chase and Shelley’s story is one of the best I’ve ever written, and I love that the Takhini Wolves are getting some special attention.
Diamond Dust, the third in the series, is now with my editor.
Winners will be announced during the RT convention in May 2013 in Kansas City. I’ll be there to celebrate and enjoy visiting with readers and fellow writers.
November 30, 2012
New things on the horizon
This post should come with a cute alert. 
There are a couple things I’ve got brewing. More details to come, but I thought I’d mention them briefly.
I got some pretty cover flats! I’m going to be visiting a few blogs and sharing some early snippets from High Risk and giving a chance to win a signed cover flat. I’ll tell you where when I have details.
Heheh. Notice the cat AND the wolfie? Yes, these are for WOLF NIP in February. I’m getting things organized for a ‘Read Along with the Wolfies’. Again, no more details yet. I have to find the blogs that want to host read alongs, but since Mark and Tessa’s story will be out early February, I thought the month of January would be nice for a re-read.
And I’ll be hosting the 12 Days of Giving come mid December again. I hope you’ll plan on returning then.
In the meantime, any questions? What burning issues can I help solve? Lol.
November 23, 2012
Hot & Cool WINNERS
Thank you to everyone who joined us on the tour, and to the lovely blogs that hosted us. Some of the blog posts are still open for a chance to win one of Elle or my backlist ebooks, but the main prizes have been drawn and…..drum roll, please!
HOT & COOL PRIZE WINNERS!
GRAND PRIZE: Nook (wifi)
Michelle K who posted at The Book Pushers
SECOND PRIZES:
#1- Cowboy Gift Pack (No, no real cowboys-sorry) 100th anniversary Calgary Stampede bag and cowbell. Paul Brandt CD, Print copy of ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT
Ashley Virt who posted at Ramblings from this Chick
#2- A Navy Seal gift pack. (No, still no real Seals included– but keep dreaming!) Print copy of HOT & BOTHERED (OOU #1-3), and a bunch of fun stuff you really want to win.
Brenda Hyde posting at Smexy Books
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Winners, please contact me at vivarend at gmail dot com, and Elle and I will get the prizes out to you ASAP. In the meantime, I hope you’re enjoying our new books. We’re busy working on what’s coming next!
November 20, 2012
Pick up an Angel for Christmas
Rocky Mountain Angel
Six Pack Ranch, Book 4
Sometimes even Angels must learn to fly…
———
Click on the cover to link to excerpt, buy links, etc. Right here, I’ll just say thank you. To the readers who fell in love with the Colemans. To my friends in the writing community who supported me as I wrote it. To my family who understand when I hide in my office, or when I go on and on about books and edits and…
This is an amazing place–to be able to be a storyteller. Thank you for making it possible. All of you.
November 19, 2012
Cover and cover copy for Rocky Mountain Rebel
Well, I promised I’d tell people who book 5 in the Six Pack Ranch series is about, and now that ROCKY MOUNTAIN ANGEL is one day away, I hope you’re ready for this.
Rocky Mountain Rebel
Six Pack Ranch, Book 5
The best type of growing up involves getting down and dirty
Vicki Hansol made different choices than her less-than-reputable mom and sister, yet her fiery temper has left her branded with the same town-bad-girl label. When she desperately needs a change of scenery, her get-out-of-town-free ticket arrives—and requires she face down one of her deepest fears.
Easygoing Joel Coleman has nothing to complain about, but he’s never really done anything to brag about either. The youngest member of the Six Pack Ranch is looking to make some changes in his life that include stepping out from under his twin brother’s shadow.
So when the bold beauty with the smart mouth approaches him with a proposition, Joel is intrigued. Her request for him to teach her to ride soon takes on a whole new meaning. All that passion in his arms, his bed, in the barn…hell, anywhere he can get it? Bring it on.
But tangling the sheets leads to unanticipated complications, and by the time the dust settles, everything family means is going to be challenged.
Caution: Saddle up for some youthful vigor applied with great enthusiasm. Ropes, rails and raunchy sex—there’s more places to get dirty around the ranch than first meets the eye.
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What do you think? Excited? I am! Both to share Gabe and Allison’s story with you tomorrow, and Joel and Vicki’s down the road. MAY 21, 2013. That’s the date!
By the time you’ve read Rocky Mountain Angel you’ll have a lot more insights into the Six Pack clan, including Joel, and yes, Travis…
The HOT & COOL Blog Tour continues. Make sure you stop by Fiction Vixen today!
November 13, 2012
Hot & Cool Tour Locations
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HOT & COOL TOUR!
Nov 13- The Book Pushers
Nov 14- Smexy Books
Nov 15- Hanging with Bells
Nov 16- Heroes & Heartbreakers
Nov 19- Fiction Vixen
Nov 20- Novel Thoughts
Nov 21- Ramblings From This Chick
Nov 22- Book Binge
~~>
HOT & COOL Rules:
1. International winners are welcome. Prizes are as listed, no substitutes.
2. Chances of winning depends on the number of entries at each blog. Winners for the 3 main prizes will be chosen using Random.com.
3. No complaining about how hot the excerpts are.
~~>
The COOL CANUCKS, HOT CONTEMPORARIES TOUR is brought to you by two writers who are good friends in spite of their extreme opposite lives: big city/small town, west coast/ east coast, married/single.
GETTING HOTTER, book #8 in the Out of Uniform series by Elle Kennedy is available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Samhain Publishing
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Vivian Arend‘s ROCKY MOUNTAIN ANGEL (Six Pack Ranch #4) is available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Samhain Publishing
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(Don’t worry, all the people who entered day one are still around on day one. Only the joys of computers means I need one more post to get the links right!)
November 12, 2012
Hot & Cool Blog Tour
November 12-23, 2012, join Elle Kennedy and Vivian Arend as we share information about our upcoming Samhain releases- Viv’s ROCKY MOUNTAIN ANGEL (Six Pack Ranch #4) and GETTING HOTTER (Out Of Uniform #8)
What’s it about?
Well, how about we BOTH tell you?
Elle: Can we PLEASE talk about how we “met”?
Viv: lmao. Way to start off topic. You really want people to know? You stalker
Elle: lol. Not the details! Just that I emailed you because you were Canadian and I thought we would hit it off. And we did.
Viv: I’m looking at my Samhain bookshelf…
Elle: Is that code for something?
Viv: You were one of the first Samhain authors I read. Out of Uniform…
Elle: Wow! Really? That’s pretty awesome. You can thank being Canadian as why I read Rocky Mountain Heat.I was browsing for books with Canadian settings because my friend commented about how hardly any novels use them
Viv: too funny. And almost all my books are Canadian set
Elle: Your name came up a lot 
Viv: Well…there’s so much Canada to USE as a setting
Elle: I know. The series I’m plotting out now is set in Canada. FINALLY!
Viv: Yeah!!!! *digresses into Barenaked Ladies songs* We’ve got…rocks and trees and trees and rocks and…
Elle: and snow and lakes!
Viv: okay, so for the next couple weeks we’re going to share snippets from Getting Hotter and Rocky Mountain Angel, and tease people
Elle: and showcase our awesomely Canadian sense of humour
Viv: right. we get to ramble…like that’s hard…
Elle: Notice I used the “u” in humour?
Viv: lol. very colourful addition. Do you think we need to explain the use of Duct Tape?
Elle: OK, I’m dumb. Do Americans not use duct tape? (this is a serious question)
Viv: They seem to call it DUCK tape
Elle: DUCK?
Viv: and I doubt they know of its utter importance in our lives
Elle: Honestly? If I had to pick three items like desert island style or whatever, duct tape would be one of them
Viv: that’s because you’re a kinky girl. OFF TO THE PRIZE LIST!
HOT & COOL PRIZES!
GRAND PRIZE:? Nook (wifi)
SECOND PRIZES:
#1- Cowboy Gift Pack (No, no real cowboys-sorry) 100th anniversary Calgary Stampede bag and cowbell. Paul Brandt CD, Print copy of ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT
#2- A Navy Seal gift pack. (No, still no real Seals included– but keep dreaming!) Print copy of HOT & BOTHERED (OOU #1-3), and a bunch of fun stuff you really want to win.
Winners for these drawn from comments at all the tour stops, and announced at our blogs November 23.
~~>
DAILY PRIZES: One commenter at each blog will win their choice of one of Elle or Viv’s backlist Samhain ebooks.
~~>
HOT & COOL TOUR!
Nov 13- The Book Pushers
Nov 14- Smexy Books
Nov 15- Hanging with Bells
Nov 16- Heroes & Heartbreakers
Nov 19- Fiction Vixen
Nov 20- Novel Thoughts
Nov 21- Ramblings From This Chick
Nov 22- Book Binge
~~>
HOT & COOL Rules:
1. International winners are welcome. Prizes are as listed, no substitutes.
2. Chances of winning depends on the number of entries at each blog. Winners for the 3 main prizes will be chosen using Random.com.
3. No complaining about how hot the excerpts are.
~~>
The COOL CANUCKS, HOT CONTEMPORARIES TOUR is brought to you by two writers who are good friends in spite of their extreme opposite lives: big city/small town, west coast/ east coast, married/single.
GETTING HOTTER, book #8 in the Out of Uniform series by Elle Kennedy is available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Samhain Publishing
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Vivian Arend‘s ROCKY MOUNTAIN ANGEL (Six Pack Ranch #4) is available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Samhain Publishing
~~>
Leave a comment for your chance to win!!! Do you call it DUCK tape or DUCT tape, and can you give us one unusual thing to do with it? (And join us tomorrow at The Book Pushers!)
November 6, 2012
Books, books, books!
I have a plethora of books up for pre-order right now. It’s an exciting time for me as an author, because it usually means all, or most, of the work is already done!
What’s coming?
Contemporary
Digital release in two weeks! Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Print In December: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Booksamillion | Powells
Print in February: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository |
Mass market/ digital in March
Digital: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Mass Market Paperback:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Booksamillion | Powells
Paranormal
Digital in February : Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Print in August: Amazon
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There are more books on the coming soon pages, but these are the ones available for purchase. And the print especially, if you like Trade sized print on the cowboys? Sales right now… Just saying!
