Lucy Felthouse's Blog, page 304

I'm Away from My Desk

As you read this, I'll probably be somewhere quite similar to the photo with my nose stuck in a book, or more realistically, my Kindle (come on, how else am I gonna take 600+ books on holiday?). Yup – I'm abroad for Christmas, with no laptop, no internet access, no nothing.

And I couldn't be happier It's much warmer in the Canary Islands at this time of year and we all need a break, right? I shall be back on the 28th to wade through my inbox.

So I shall wish you all a very happy holiday, whichever one it is that you're celebrating, and direct you to my post on the Dirty Birdies blog, here. And yes, it has a nude guy. Enjoy, and leave me lots of lovely comments to come home to!

eBook Review: The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin

The Next Thing I Knew is a young adult book by John Corwin. It tells the story of a young girl called Lucy Morgan, and what  happens when suddenly the entire human race drops dead. Lucy and her friends quickly realise they're living some kind of 'between' life – they're dead, but their spirits, or souls, have not yet passed on. They decide to use this fact to their advantage, and try to find out what happened, and see if they can fix it.

What follows is a pretty crazy adventure. It includes ghosts, corpses, love, loss, mystery, outer space and much more. It's a well-written story, with lots of humour and entertainment value. It's not the usual sort of book I'd choose to read, but nevertheless I found it engaging and certainly different from anything else I've read. So if you enjoy fantastical YA novels, then you should give The Next Thing I Knew a try.

Available from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

Guest Blog: John Corwin

The Four Elements of Inspiration by John Corwin

From the day my mom dropped me on my head she knew I was going to be special.  One morning while I was flossing my teeth in the shower, I decided to prove her right.  What could possibly be more special than writing a novel?  Easier said than done, though, right?

A question many of us ask ourselves at some point is:  How does one write a novel?  What could possibly inspire someone to fill three-hundred pages of high-quality cotton-bonded paper with words about make-believe stuff like on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood?

People often ask me, "How in the world do you think this stuff up?  Are you even human?"

The answer is:  Yes.  I am mostly human.  But what inspires me?  What dark well of traumatic childhood experiences dwells so deeply in my soul that it causes me to write about the end of the world and a cat named Nibbles as I did in The Next Thing I Knew?

I decided to barbeque some spaghetti and think about that for a while because I'm not really sure where my inspiration comes from.  Are any of us?  And then I stumbled upon an amazing discovery.  No matter what novel you're talking about, all inspiration comes from one of four basic ingredients.  I give you THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF INSPIRATION! (In your mind you should imagine a deep booming male voice saying this with an echo sound effect.  Don't read further until you get it right!)

The elements are:

Ninjas
Pirates
Dinosaurs
Aliens

You might scratch your head and stare quizzically at this list for hours wondering when you've ever read a book inspired by any of these.

"What about Twilight?" you ask.

Answer:  Vampires are ninjas who suck blood.  Werewolves are ninjas who can turn into animals to stalk their prey.  So Stephenie Meyer wrote an entire series about ninjas.  Cool, huh?

"Okay, yeah right," you might say.  Explain Harry Potter then."

Aliens!  You see, aliens can make all sorts of weird things happen with their minds and they use laser guns.  Harry Potter and all the wizards and witches were basically aliens with wand-shaped laser guns.

Red-faced and cursing loudly, you might next ask, "And Eragon?!"

Duh.  Dinosaurs.  Seriously, do you even have to ask why?

"Aha!  Ah, ha, ha, ha!" you exclaim.  "You'll never get this one.  Hunger Games."

At this point I would polish my fingernails on my shirt and scoff at you.  Pirates, of course.  Only pirates would capture everyone and make them fight gladiator style battles.  Their ships were the hovercraft.

So the next time you're reading a good novel and wondering how the author came up with their crazy ideas, all you need to do is reference this article.  See if you can figure out which of the Four Elements of Inspiration gave birth to my novel, The Next Thing I Knew and maybe I'll share some of my barbequed spaghetti with you!

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today!

*****

Humanity is extinct

When Lucy Morgan drops dead along with everyone else on Earth she refuses to take death lying down even if, technically, her corpse is.

She drags her ghostly social life back from the grave and enlists her friends to figure out the rules of the afterlife. More importantly, they want to discover who or what killed everyone and why the heck anyone would do such a mean thing.

But what they discover changes everything. And if they can't figure out how to put their newfound ghostly powers to work, humanity will be extinct for good.

Purchase links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Next-Thing-Knew-Heavenly-ebook/dp/B005CK4X5Q

Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79200

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-next-thing-i-knew-john-corwin/1104808377

*****

John Corwin has been making stuff up all his life. As a child he would tell his sisters he was an alien clone of himself and would eat tree bark to prove it.

In middle school, John started writing for realz. He wrote short stories about Fargo McGronsky, a young boy with anger management issues whose dog, Noodles, had been hit by a car. The violent stories were met with loud acclaim from classmates and a great gnashing of teeth by his English teacher.

Years later, after college and successful stints as a plastic food wrap repairman and a toe model for GQ, John once again decided to put his overactive imagination to paper for the world to share and became an author.

John Corwin Social Networking Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/johnhcorwinauthor

Blog: http://johncorwin.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/John_Corwin

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/johncorwin

Seducing the Myth Gets a Price Reduction

As it's the season of goodwill, etc… I've knocked a whopping 15% off Seducing the Myth on All Romance eBooks, just for you! For the next two weeks, you can grab it for just $6.79, a total bargain for 24 luscious stories.

Just the thing to load up onto your eReader! Not got one? Let's hope Santa pops one into your stocking this year! Alternatively, bag yourself a paperback copy. Buy links are here.

Grab your copy from All Romance eBooks now!

And, most importantly, have a wonderful holiday season!

A Menu with a Difference Gets Fab Reviews!

My hot f/f/m threesome tale from Noble Romance received a couple of fab reviews over the weekend, so there's some serious happy dancing going on over here!

Here are a couple of quotes, with links to the full reviews, should you want to check them out:

"Wow, Just wow! It may have only contained 13 pages but it is by far one of my favourite stories ever! It will definitely be on my menu now! A Menu with a Difference was my first lesbian and threesome read and I have to say Lucy has made me want to dive in for more with her well detailed and described characters and plot you won't be able to help wanting more!" A Redheads Guilty Reads

*****

"This was a sexy short story that is great as a bedtime read to share with your significant other." Heather's Musings

Want to read A Menu with a Difference yourself? More info and buy links are here.

***
Click here to sign up for my newsletter! Receive all my latest news, information on my new releases and exclusive subscriber-only competitions and special offers! Don't miss it!




Sponsored Advertisements:

Six Sentence Sunday – 18/12/11

Here are six sentences from my newly released fairy tale retelling Susie White and the Right Hand Man, from House of Erotica.

We'd never seen eye to eye, my stepmother and I. However, it wasn't the usual 'child resents someone trying to replace their parent' syndrome, it was her that resented me.



My mom had died of cancer when I was fifteen. My father and I were devastated, as you'd expect, but I'd always urged him to get on with his life. After all, it's what mom would have wanted, and I certainly didn't want my dad to be lonely when I got married and left home.



So, a couple of years later, when dad met Louise and they started dating, I was thrilled.

Want to know more about Six Sentence Sunday and see all the other delicious entries? Click the logo below:

Stuff Your Stockings Christmas Blog Hop

In case you hadn't noticed, Christmas is approaching rapidly In the spirit of giving, I'm taking part in the Stuff Your Stockings Blog Hop, organised by Drea Becraft. Here's the info:

Each participating author is going to hold a contest on their blog with so many treats up for grabs it's enough to make every reader's Christmas just that much happier! In each contest post the author will link the others participating in the blog hop to help you find each and every stop to increase your chances to win.

The contest will start Friday, December 16, 2011 and go till midnight Sunday, December 18, 2011.

So, what are you waiting for? Use the below Rafflecopter to make your entry/ies, then click here to visit the event page and see all the other bloggers taking part. Happy Hopping!

<a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&am... need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

***
Click here to sign up for my newsletter! Receive all my latest news, information on my new releases and exclusive subscriber-only competitions and special offers! Don't miss it!




Sponsored Advertisements:

Guest Blog: Jane Wakely

Hi Everyone!

Christmas is only one week away, and while I am excited about the holiday, I am even more excited for the New Year…but not in the way that you think!

This New Year's Eve will be spent in a hotel with hubby, kiddo and puppy—yep, the whole family!  You see, we are moving!  After the New Year Weekend, we will make the four hour drive to our new home!

We are a military family and this will be the third time we have started out the year in some place new!

The first time, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to fly to Hawaii.  We lived in Hawaii for five years.  Many good friends and memories were made there, and it is an experience I will never forget.

At the beginning of this year, we moved to Virginia.  Virginia is a beautiful state.  There are many trees, parks and lakes that we enjoyed exploring.  This is the first time in my life I have truly seen the beauty of all four seasons.  Unfortunately, the neighborhood we chose wasn't a perfect fit, and while there are small things we will miss, we are ready to move on to our next home.

In January we make the move to Pennsylvania.  We did our research, and focused on three cities we wanted to live in.  There were things I liked in every city, but our choice has things I love.

The first thing I love about this small town is "big town convenience."  The drive to Wal-Mart or the mall is 15-30 minutes away, depending on where I am going.  That means that I don't have to shop somewhere new if I don't want to, a huge plus when I know exactly what I want and where I want to get it.

Second, there is a Main Street.  I know many towns have a Main Street, but this Main Street has a hometown nostalgia that I have never felt outside of Disneyland.  There are many small "mom and pop" shops that have me wondering how they stay in business when competing with the big stores that are close enough to be contenders.

Main Street is only half a mile from my new home, which means that the library, post office and fancy chocolate store are all within walking distance.  Guess what?  That is not the best part!  The very best part of this small town was the Christmas tree right in the center!

The only place I could be happier, is in the small town I created for my winter short story, Christmas Hope.  Christmas Hope is set in the small town of Woodland Springs.  Every year at Christmas, they too, put up a huge Christmas tree in the center of town!

~~~

Christmas Hope is a sweet romance, and one of nine stories, you'll find in Winter Wonders (Winter Anthology 2011) from Whimsical Publications.  This is a multi-genre anthology, featuring nine authors' short stories, all with a winter theme.

Here's the blurb:

Karen loves Woodland Springs, the town she grew up in.  While her dream of owning a bakery in her home town came true, she doesn't know if she will ever reach her dream of having a family of her own to share it with.  After the humiliation of her ex-boyfriend, she doesn't think she will ever find someone to love.

Jason Matthews moved to Woodland Springs to fill a veterinarian vacancy.  After years of school and interning, he is ready to start a family.  When he meets Karen, he knows she is the one.

After a misunderstood Christmas present, will these two be able to have the family they both hope for?

Here's an excerpt:

Thankfully, the weekend was finally over.  Thanksgiving weekend was always packed, so she was extra tired.  Delightful was only open in the mornings from seven to noon and then again in the evenings from five to eight, but sometimes she had to bake during her off hours.  Usually she baked in the mornings when she had Janice out front helping, but over the busy holidays, they were always empty up front by noon.

She sat down with a cup of coffee, doing a mental inventory in her head and planning out her Monday.  She was happy Delightful was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; she could sleep in tomorrow.  She closed her eyes thinking about it and heard the bell on the front door ring.

She must have been really tired; she'd forgotten to lock the front door.

Karen opened her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat as she looked at the most handsome man she had ever seen.  He was tall, she could tell from her sitting position, and he had hair so black it reminded her of the wigs the children had worn on Halloween.  His eyes were a smoky grey, and when he smiled, she saw a dimple on his right cheek.  Though covered in a jacket, she could tell that he was lean and muscular.  She opened her mouth to say something and nothing came out.

He smiled. "Hi."

Somehow she found her voice, though she didn't take her eyes off of him. She had never seen him before, and she liked the view.  "I'm sorry, we're closed. I–I forgot to turn the lock."

"Oh.  Do you think I could get a quick cup of coffee?  I just got into town, and I don't have a coffee machine yet."  He smiled again, his expression hopeful.

"Okay.  Why don't you sit down, and I will pour you one to go."

"Thank you so much.  It's really cold out there.  I think I need a warmer coat." He laughed as he said it, and his dimple showed prominently.

She looked at his coat as she made her way back to the table.  It was thin, especially for this weather.  He hadn't been wrong when admitting he needed a thicker one. "It's going to get colder. You really do need to get a warmer coat, and fast.  Cream and sugar?"

"No, black is fine.  Thank you so much.  I'm Jason," he said as he stood and pulled out his wallet.

"Don't worry about it." She waved her hand. "This one is on the house.  I'm Karen." She sat down at the table as she said it, and he sat down too.  Delightful was closed, and she was tired, but she didn't want him to go just yet.

"Are you visiting family?" she asked as she sipped her coffee, curious about where he came from.

"No, I just moved here for work.  I don't know anyone in this town.  Well, except you."  He smiled again.

~~~

Thank you, Lucy, for hosting me today!

You can find me:

On my blog: www.janewakely.blogspot.com

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/janewakely

On Twitter: @JaneWakely

You can find Winter Wonders (featuring Christmas Hope):

At Whimsical Publications: http://www.whimsicalpublications.com/Winter_Wonder_2011.html

At Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114132

 

A Super Review for Weekend at Wilderhope Manor

I'm delighted to have received another awesome review for my f/f paranormal erotica piece, Weekend at Wilderhope Manor. Day Dreaming covered it, and commented:

"Lucy Felthouse does a great job keeping it interesting in this book; we get a little spanking, role playing, and just some good old fashion groping. I enjoyed this read while it's short it was fun, quick paced, and sexy."

I'm super happy with those comments! *happy dances*

Want to check it out for yourself? See more info and buy links here.

P.S. I'm chatting here all day today, so please drop by and say hi. I'll be answering questions, sharing blurbs and excerpts and running a giveaway or two!

Blissemas: Walking in a Winter Wonderland

As part of the Blissemas event, Victoria asked us all to write a Christmas/winter/festive/seasonal type blog post. I admit I scratched my head for a little while before getting my words down on the page. And if you read on, you'll see why…

I am not what you would call a fan of the winter season. I don't like being cold, I hate going out when it's snowy and icy and I would quite happily stay in the house for weeks on end until it's all buggered off. Having said that, I've had some of the most beautiful walks when snow has been on the ground.

Naturally, if the roads are not safe, I'm going nowhere. The OH and I live far enough apart that bad weather has prevented us from seeing each on more than one occasion, so we certainly wouldn't venture up into the Peak District (my favourite walking venue) if it was dangerous to do so. However, when the roads are good, going out is always on the cards. And once I'm wrapped up in so many layers I can barely move, and armed with a flask of a hot drink, I will grudgingly admit that it's quite fun and pretty to be outside.

I have some damn good examples, too. Last year, which was a pretty bad one for snow in the UK, the OH and I headed up into the Peak District (for a change ) and visited Chatsworth House, who were hosting their Christmas event, which, if I remember rightly was a Russian-themed one. The drive up there was very white and beautiful and as you can see, Chatsworth House looked very beautiful in the snow, despite the dullness of the sky.

After a mooch around the house, with its Christmas trees, decorations, light show and fairies (there was a Nutcracker theme), we headed out into the garden. As you would expect, it was extremely cold, but our trusty thermal clothes and many layers stopped us from freezing up. The same can't be said for this waterfall. Yes, it's absolutely frozen solid and incredibly beautiful, hence the photograph, which is one of several I took of it.

We saw many similarly beautiful and interesting things in the gardens that day. Icicles galore, bird and fox footprints, stunning views out across the whitened Peak District, and the coolest trees! As soon as I spotted the beauty in the photo, I decided it looked cold and needed a cuddle (yes, the cold was obviously addling my brain), so I did so. I ended up with green smudges on my coat, but it was totally worth it for the photo and the amusement value. Overall, it was an incredibly fun day, there were no slipping, skidding or falling over incidents (which is one of the main things that makes me hide inside), which means I can look back on the day with fond memories.

So, despite my aversion to cold, snow and ice, what I'm saying is that I *can* be coaxed out of hiding, if I can go and walk in a winter wonderland like this

And, just to prove I'm not a complete and utter bah humbug type, here's a competition for you, in ADDITION to the one being run as part of the whole event. So, without further ado, how would you like to win a paperback copy of Immoral Views, which contains my story Caught in the Act? If so, just check out the Rafflecopter below to see how you can enter.

REMEMBER: To enter the Blissemas competition for the grand prize of a KINDLE, make sure to leave a comment on this post with your email address in the BODY of the comment. Victoria will be collecting all entries at the end of the event and choosing the winner.

For MY competition, I'll be using the Rafflecopter, which includes comments and all the other entry options. So make sure to take advantage and increase your chances of winning!

GOOD LUCK – now don't forget to go here and check out the rest of the Blissemas posts!

<a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&gt... need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

***
Click here to sign up for my newsletter! Receive all my latest news, information on my new releases and exclusive subscriber-only competitions and special offers! Don't miss it!




Sponsored Advertisements: