Anna Hackett's Blog, page 22

Inspirational Friends Giveaway Winner

I am very excited to announce the winner of the Inspirational Friends Giveaway!

Angelia A. is the winner of the book bag (she gets to pick 3 of my books) AND pass the book bag onto a friend at the end of the month. She said her best friend inspires her because her BFF stands up for herself and encourages Angelia to do the same. That’s pretty inspirational!

There were also 2 runners up who both get a copy of WINTER FUSION and they are:

Pansy P. and Carol!

Congrats to the winners and to everyone who entered to celebrate the release of AT STAR’S END.

There are also more prizes to win on the AT STAR’S END Book Blast including a $50 Amazon gift card! The Blast will cover a bunch of different blogs over the next month, so make sure you stop by beginning with Mythical Books.

Add More Adventure and Romance to Your Life

Perfection is evil. It’s something so many of us have fallen into the trap of trying to attain. We often think of it as a strength, but perfection is so very bad because it’s unattainable and it stops us from doing the really amazing things we should be doing.

I’ve waged a life long battle with the need for perfection…but I’ve been making great strides to ditch it. To just get in, do what I want, fail sometimes, learn from those failures and keep going. I think having children has changed me. I want my sons to see that it’s okay to fail, that failure is just a step along the way to success.

Today is release day for my space opera romance, AT STAR’S END. This is one of those books I’d always wanted to write, but kept telling myself I shouldn’t. It is romance but it is also jam-packed with action, adventure, danger and lots of fun. It’s a big galactic treasure hunt for the last remaining fragment of the Mona Lisa.

The heroine of the story, Dr. Eos Rai, is also a women shedding her lifelong view of being perfect and doing what’s expected to live her dream. She wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps and find Star’s End – the supposed resting place of the Mona Lisa. In the story, she has to step outside her comfort zone, reevaluate her beliefs and realize (with a little help from a rogue treasure hunter) that she needs a little more adventure in her life.

I think we all need more action and adventure in our lives.

Whether it’s the little things like shaking up your routine, singing to music at the top of your lungs or grabbing an action adventure packed book. Or the bigger things, like planning that dream overseas trip or finally deciding to take action on you one big bold dream. We could all do with forgetting about that unobtainable dream of perfection and dive into our own amazing adventure!

For more on Eos’s adventure, here’s a sample of AT STAR’S END or grab your own copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Carina Press | Kobo | iTunes | ARe

CONTEST: Or, if you’d like the chance to win a virtual book bag containing 3 of my books that you can pass onto a friend at the end of the month, visit one of these blogs to enter the INSPIRATIONAL FRIENDS CONTEST:

.hexff5721.dkoatedbuttonnormal,.hexff5721.dkoatedbuttonnormal:visited{background-color:#ff5721!important}.hexff5721.dkoatedbuttonnormal:hover{background-color:#ff5721!important}The Galaxy Express
.hexff5721.dkoatedbuttonnormal,.hexff5721.dkoatedbuttonnormal:visited{background-color:#ff5721!important}.hexff5721.dkoatedbuttonnormal:hover{background-color:#ff5721!important}Smart Girls Love Sci-Fi
.hexff5721.dkoatedbuttonnormal,.hexff5721.dkoatedbuttonnormal:visited{background-color:#ff5721!important}.hexff5721.dkoatedbuttonnormal:hover{background-color:#ff5721!important}Contact: Infinite Futures

 

Want to know when my next book will be out? Join my new release newsletter and I’ll email you on release day (plus there’s the chance to win my new book each release day!!) .hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal,.hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal:visited{background-color:#27b4b2!important}.hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal:hover{background-color:#27b4b2!important}JOIN THE ADVENTURE!

SFR Brigade Presents: AT STAR’S END

Action, adventure, romance and a wild treasure hunt in space!

Welcome to my contribution to this week’s SFR Brigade Presents. Below is an exclusive excerpt from AT STAR’S END, releasing Monday 31st of March 2014 from Carina Press!

Eos held up the medscope. “Shirt off.”

“Always knew you’d eventually be getting me out of my clothes.” He shot her a lopsided grin.

The man had serious charm when he deigned to use it. She reminded herself he’d been flirting with the trollop of a fortune-teller.

As his skin turned from purple back to his normal tan, she realized she was standing in the V of his strong legs, her face inches from his bare chest and abdomen. Damn, but he was put together nicely. Toned but lean. Sinewy muscles earned from hard work, not paid for in a shaping salon.

“You did a great job out there. Didn’t once lose your cool,” he said.

“Thanks.”

“Aren’t you going to thank me for rescuing you?”

She snorted. “I was doing a fine job of rescuing myself. But consider me patching you up as thanks.”

“I could get used to you fixing me up.” His voice was raspy.

She looked up and he glanced away. “Before Darc showed up—”

“Let’s just leave it.”

“No.” She waited until those aquamarine eyes met hers. “You just jump into life. Take risks I would never even dream about. I like to measure things, mull them over. I don’t leap.”

He was silent, his eyes considering. “I think I’m all better, Doc.”

She straightened. “Right.”

“But feel free to keep looking. I like it when you look at me.”

Her gaze snapped to his face. “Women look at you all the time. Like Ms. I’ll-tell-you-your-destiny.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never really cared that much if they did or not.”

They stared at each other and Eos felt every hard thud of her heart.

Dr. Eos Rai has spent a lifetime dedicated to her mother’s dream of finding th e lon g lost M o n a Lisa. W hen Eos uncovers tantalizing evidence of Star’s End—the last known location of the masterpiece—she’s shocked when her employer, the Galactic Institute of Historic Preservation, turn its back on her. Left with no choice, Eos must trust the most notorious treasure hunter in the galaxy; a man she finds infuriating, annoying and far too tempting.

Dathan Phoenix can sniff out relics at a stellar mile. With his brothers by his side, he takes the adventures that suit him and refuses to become a lazy, bitter failure like his father. When the gorgeous Eos Rai comes looking to hire him, he knows she’s trouble, but he’s lured into a hunt that turns into a wild and dangerous adventure. As Eos and Dathan are pushed to their limits, they discover treasure isn’t the only thing they’re drawn to…but how will their desire survive when Dathan demands the Mona Lisa as his payment?

Read a sample

And don’t forget to check out the other great snippets from SFR Brigade members!

1.
Sue Ann Bowling
3.
Melisse Aires
5.
Veronica Scott



2.
ML Skye
4.
Heidi Ruby Miller
6.
Anna Hackett



Want to know when my next book will be out? Join my new release newsletter and I’ll email you on release day (plus there’s the chance to win my new book each release day!!) .hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal,.hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal:visited{background-color:#27b4b2!important}.hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal:hover{background-color:#27b4b2!important}JOIN THE ADVENTURE!

Top 10 Best Action Romance Books

Some people love to snuggle up with a long, slow read. Others with the latest tearjerker memoir. The rest of us love our books bursting with action, adventure and romance!

When I sit down to read, I want fast, furious, action-packed…and for the boy to win the girl in the end. Slow? No thanks. Tears? Well, only if they come with some action.

Last month I shared my Top 10 Best Action Romance Movies and today I’m sharing my Top 10 Best Action Romance Reads. Some are romantic suspense, some paranormal, others steampunk or futuristic but they all mix action with the romance:

Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling Series - My two favorite installments in this series are Slave to Sensation and Caressed by Ice.
Meljean Brook’s Iron Seas – Not sure I can pick a favorite book, but definitely start with The Iron Duke.
Sydney Croft’s ACRO Series – These books are hot, hot, hot and don’t skimp on the action.
Pamela Clare’s I-Team Series – Romantic suspense set in my old stomping ground of Denver.
J.D. Robb’s In Death Series – Set in futuristic New York, Eve and Roarke are two of my all-time favorite characters.
Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark – Wisecracking paranormal action romance.
Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter Series – Kickass vampire hunters, sexy vampires and uber sexy angels.
Larissa Ione’s Demonica Series (and the linked Lords of Deliverance books) – More wisecracking, action-packed paranormal romance.
Linda Howard’s Mackenzies – Oldies but goodies. These contemporary stories of action and romance are keepers for me.
Merline Lovelace’s Code Name: Danger Series – More oldies but goodies. These category stories are great action romance reads. I especially love the very first four books in the series.

I also have a bonus action romance read…it isn’t classed a romance but it’s a thriller with some great romance mixed in: Wilbur Smith’s A Time to Die.

That’s just a list of my favs but if you still want more action romance reads, then check out:

Amazon Bestsellers in Action and Adventure Romance

Goodreads list: Popular Action Romance Books

Goodreads list: Popular Action Adventure Romance Books

Recommended Romantic Suspense at Dear Author

Recommended Adventure Romance at Smart B*tches, Trashy Books

Now, get reading! And if anyone has any more I should add to the list, let me know.

And stay tuned for AT STAR’S END (action, adventure and romance in space) out in less than one week!

Want to know when my next book will be out? Join my new release newsletter and I’ll email you on release day (plus there’s the chance to win my new book each release day!!) .hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal,.hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal:visited{background-color:#27b4b2!important}.hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal:hover{background-color:#27b4b2!important}JOIN THE ADVENTURE!

Getting things done like an Action Romance Hero

You know those days when you are crazy busy but you don’t seem to accomplish anything? When you’ve been rushed off your feet, running here and there, and nothing productive has been achieved? Or how about those awful days when everything you seem to do feels like really hard work and things keep getting in your way?

Today I’m talking about taking action versus taking inspired action. It’s all about how to get things done like an action romance hero (or heroine. I’m going to use hero to mean both because it’s shorter.)

Intention

A good action romance hero and heroine takes action aligned with their main intention or driving need. Maybe they need to rescue the child, beat the bad guy or storm the castle, whatever it is, everything they do is done with that goal in mind.

If you are taking action without thought or for no particular reason, you’re spinning your wheels. At the end of the day, you’ll feel like you’ve achieved nothing.

For any of the writers out there, if you spend your writing time doing “research” on the internet or commenting on Facebook instead of getting the words down, then your action doesn’t match your intention to finish that next book.

Trust your instincts

Sometimes we just put so much effort in or try so hard to reach our goals that we’re working against ourselves. Trusting your instincts or going with the flow is also important. Take the time to listen to those little hunches or flashes of inspiration. They can really help get you on the right path to taking inspired action.

If you force your actions, you’ll often end up feeling tired and worn out. It feels like work and you won’t enjoy the process.

We’ve all seen the action hero who’s trying to win the day the way he thinks he should and finds he achieves nothing. He hits roadblock after roadblock. Once he lets go, trusts his instincts and does things his way, he starts to see success (I’m having visions of Luke Skywalker in the swamp on Dagobah learning to be a Jedi).

How do you know when it’s inspired action?

When you feel excited and energized by what you’re doing, you’re taking inspired action. Time flies by and you achieve things with little effort. You’re enjoying the process.

That’s not to say that there won’t be hard work involved or that sometimes even inspired action doesn’t leave you tired. And yes, there will still be obstacles along the way to challenge you. But with each inspired action you’ll be getting closer to where you want to go, just like our intrepid action hero storming the bad guy’s castle.

The last three stories in my WindKeepers Series will be coming in the not so distant future. It’s about four brothers (sexy, Italian brothers) who each control one of the cardinal winds. Each one is fighting their instincts and spinning their wheels in their battle against the bad guys…until they each meet a woman who teaches them to let go and try some inspired action.

What inspired action are you going to take today? Me, I’m off to finish edits to the next book in The Phoenix Adventures.

Want to know when my next book will be out? Join my new release newsletter and I’ll email you on release day (plus there’s the chance to win my new book each release day!!) .hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal,.hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal:visited{background-color:#27b4b2!important}.hex27b4b2.dkoatedbuttonnormal:hover{background-color:#27b4b2!important}JOIN THE ADVENTURE!

Image by Celestine Chua

Top 10 Best Action Romance Movies

The lights dim. The screen flickers to life. We curse the one emergency light shining right our way. But before long, we’re immersed in the sounds and visuals of a night at the movies.

My husband is a lucky man. We never fight over what movie to go and see because he has a wife who loves action movies. I like to feel exhilarated, excited and left a little breathless. That said, I like my action movies to have more than just fights and explosions. I also want a great story, characters I care about and if I can find it…a satisfying romance.

Today I’m sharing my personal list of the 10 very best Action Romance movies. Here they are:

Speed
Iron Man 3
The Fifth Element
The Princess Bride
The Empire Strikes Back
Star Trek into Darkness
The Thomas Crown Affair
Underworld
Romancing the Stone
Raiders of the Lost Ark

Want some more…these didn’t make my Top 10 but these action romances are absolutely still worth a watch:

This Means War
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Man of Steel
Mask of Zorro
Casino Royale
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
King Solomon’s Mines
Sahara
Avatar
Terminator

And just in case you stumble across people telling you this movie has action and romance, please steer well clear of the worst action romance movie of all time:

Knight and Day

If anyone has any others to add to the list, let me know! Now, if you need a good date night movie to keep you and your other half happy, then pick one off the list.

And stay tuned for AT STAR’S END (one day I’d love to see this book made into a movie! A girl can dream) which is action, adventure and romance in space (a little Star Wars meets a lot of Indiana Jones!)

Image by Kennymatic

Action Romance in a Cover

I am thrilled to be sharing my new cover for AT STAR’S END!

The cover artist took all my requests on board and the result is a cover showing action, adventure, romance and sci-fi. AT STAR’S END is a non-stop action-adventure hunt for the last remaining fragment of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. And of course we have a rogue treasure hunter hero and a rule-loving astro-archeologist heroine!

AT STAR’S END (Book 1 of The Phoenix Adventures) is out from Carina Press 31 March.

Dr. Eos Rai has spent a lifetime dedicated to her mother’s dream of finding the long-lost Mona Lisa. When Eos uncovers tantalizing evidence of Star’s End—the last known location of the masterpiece—she’s shocked when her employer, the Galactic Institute of Historic Preservation, refuses to back her expedition. Left with no choice, Eos must trust the most notorious treasure hunter in the galaxy, a man she finds infuriating, annoying and far too tempting.

Dathan Phoenix can sniff out relics at a stellar mile. With his brothers by his side, he takes the adventures that suit him and refuses to become a lazy, bitter failure like their father. When the gorgeous Eos Rai comes looking to hire him, he knows she’s trouble, but he’s lured into a hunt that turns into a wild and dangerous adventure. As Eos and Dathan are pushed to their limits, they discover treasure isn’t the only thing they’re drawn to…but how will their desire survive when Dathan demands the Mona Lisa as his payment?

 

New Year’s Resolutions Action Hero Style

Resolutions don’t work. I think we all know that.

Resolutions have a reputation for being wishy-washy daydreams that we never really commit to. We already know, as we’re setting them, that we’ll never achieve them.

I think we need to toss out the resolutions.

It’s time to try something else.

Something else to help us achieve those things we really, reall y want in our lives.

What’s that something? Well, I’m going to borrow an idea from the action movies and books I love to read. One thing I find in all good action stories is a driving goal. The one thing that spurs the characters on, through all the obstacles, through all the tough times, and keeps them getting up no matter how battered they get. It might be to save someone (Mara in Mind Raider, anybody?), revenge (that’s what drives Bay in Time Thief), to escape (John in Salvation knows all about this!), to beat the bad guy…exactly what it is doesn’t matter.

So, we need to pick just one driving goal, one burning desire or one ultimate dream. This is a downside of resolutions…we have far too many of them and they divide our focus. Next, we need to commit to it. Think about what it will mean to achieve that goal. List how it will make you feel. Do the reverse as well, list how you’ll feel if you don’t achieve it. Motivate yourself.

Next up, believe you can do it…action heroes don’t keep fighting through the bad guys if they think they are going to lose. They focus on the end result, picture it in their head’s and think about it every day. You need to do the same! As soon as you open your eyes in the morning, you should be thinking about your goal and imagining the end result. Give that picture color, life and feeling. Tape a picture on your mirror or fridge (you looking fab in a bikini, a mockup of the million dollar check, a SOLD sticker on the For Sale sign…whatever symbolizes the realization of your goal.)

The final step to achieving your driving goal. ACTION!

You need an action plan, just like the action heroes do. There’s always the scene with the team crowded around the table planning their assault, raid or rescue. Don’t make it over complicated, just write a few bullets points of things you need to do to see your driving goal to fruition. The great thing about taking action in smaller steps is that it helps us feel like we’re getting closer to our goal. These smaller actions are milestones on the journey. Celebrate every time you achieve one of your actions.

Here’s the summary:

1)      Driving goal — pick just one driving goal

2)      Commit to it – what will you gain by achieving it, how will you feel if you don’t?

3)      Believe – picture the end result in great detail and think about it every day

4)      Action – create a simple action plan of the things you need to do to achieve your goal

5)      Celebrate – celebrate your successes along the way

One last thing we can take from the action heroes…don’t give up! Our heroes get knocked down along the way but they keep getting back up. Failure is NOT an option. We have to do the same to achieve our driving goal. When things don’t go to plan, do not (I repeat DO NOT) beat yourself up. Recalibrate, dust off, and keep on going.

Heroes and heroines who know how to achieve their drivings goals — The Anomaly Trilogy Boxed Set

Image by Sofia Salom

Ditch the New Year’s Resolutions

Resolutions don’t work. I think we all know that.

Resolutions have a reputation for being wishy-washy daydreams that we never really commit to. We already know, as we’re setting them, that we’ll never achieve them.

I think we need to toss out the resolutions.

It’s time to try something else.

Something else to help us achieve those things we really, reall y want in our lives.

What’s that something? Well, I’m going to borrow an idea from the action movies and books I love to read. One thing I find in all good action stories is a driving goal. The one thing that spurs the characters on, through all the obstacles, through all the tough times, and keeps them getting up no matter how battered they get. It might be to save someone (Mara in Mind Raider, anybody?), revenge (that’s what drives Bay in Time Thief), to escape (John in Salvation knows all about this!), to beat the bad guy…exactly what it is doesn’t matter.

So, we need to pick just one driving goal, one burning desire or one ultimate dream. This is a downside of resolutions…we have far too many of them and they divide our focus. Next, we need to commit to it. Think about what it will mean to achieve that goal. List how it will make you feel. Do the reverse as well, list how you’ll feel if you don’t achieve it. Motivate yourself.

Next up, believe you can do it…action heroes don’t keep fighting through the bad guys if they think they are going to lose. They focus on the end result, picture it in their head’s and think about it every day. You need to do the same! As soon as you open your eyes in the morning, you should be thinking about your goal and imagining the end result. Give that picture color, life and feeling. Tape a picture on your mirror or fridge (you looking fab in a bikini, a mockup of the million dollar check, a SOLD sticker on the For Sale sign…whatever symbolizes the realization of your goal.)

The final step to achieving your driving goal. ACTION!

You need an action plan, just like the action heroes do. There’s always the scene with the team crowded around the table planning their assault, raid or rescue. Don’t make it over complicated, just write a few bullets points of things you need to do to see your driving goal to fruition. The great thing about taking action in smaller steps is that it helps us feel like we’re getting closer to our goal. These smaller actions are milestones on the journey. Celebrate every time you achieve one of your actions.

Here’s the summary:

1)      Driving goal — pick just one driving goal

2)      Commit to it – what will you gain by achieving it, how will you feel if you don’t?

3)      Believe – picture the end result in great detail and think about it every day

4)      Action – create a simple action plan of the things you need to do to achieve your goal

5)      Celebrate – celebrate your successes along the way

One last thing we can take from the action heroes…don’t give up! Our heroes get knocked down along the way but they keep getting back up. Failure is NOT an option. We have to do the same to achieve our driving goal. When things don’t go to plan, do not (I repeat DO NOT) beat yourself up. Recalibrate, dust off, and keep on going.

Heroes and heroines who know how to achieve their drivings goals — The Anomaly Trilogy Boxed Set

Image by Sofia Salom

The New Home of Action Romance

Welcome to my new digs! A bright shiny new website and blog to see in the New Year (a huge Happy New Year to everyone). Things aren’t quite finished around here yet but David at ClickWP has done a fab job setting up the site and soon Reese of Design by Reese will be finalizing the new design. What is finished is that my new website and blog are all dedicated to one thing: Action Romance.

We all know what action is. And we all know what romance is. What I love to read, write and watch is a mash up of the two.

I love watching two people find each other amongst the chaos of an action-packed adventure. Explosions, car chases, gunfights…they’re all fun to watch but the action isn’t really about the biggest bang or the fastest car. What I love is seeing people challenged, up against seemingly impossible odds. Yet, they keep going, keep getting up, keep fighting to do what’s right.

Good action romance is about seeing people stripped back to who they really are underneath. Seeing them band together to fight their demons and defeat the bad guy. Add in a guy and girl falling in love amongst all this and I’m a very happy reader. To me, falling in love is the biggest risk and the biggest adventure.

Lots of people have told me not to write action romance. Not to even put those two words together. But I’ve wanted to write action romance since I started writing! “They” told me not to do it but I believe (hope!) that if I want to read action romance (and have to wade through Romantic Suspense, Paranormal Romance and Science Fiction Romance to find stories that are action + romance) then there might be some others out there looking for the same thing.

Lots of people have dreams, goals, aims, desires, ambitions and lots of people tell them it can’t be done. You’ll fail. It’ll be a flat-out failure. But sometimes we have to have courage, we have to keep trying, keep getting back up and taking action…just like the action heroes and heroines.

My first stories have had other labels: paranormal romance or science fiction romance, but at their heart they are action mixed with romance. The Anomaly Trilogy (action and romance with a dash of X-Men) is my first real stab at pure action romance. And from now on, all my stories will be full-fledged, pull-no-punches action romance!

The Anomaly Trilogy Boxed Set – out now!

Image by Jimmy_Joe