Hailey Edwards's Blog, page 89

Six Sentence Sunday

We're past the halfway point in NaNo. My word count is something like 26k. I think 15K of it might even be halfway decent.

For the first time since his return home, connection flared between us. I found it easier to separate my Harper, the one I once thought hung both Askaran moons, from the male before me, because he wore the veil of humanity. My chest pulled tight and my mouth ran dry as he stared.

"I wondered where that shirt went." He picked at the hem. "Looks better on you," he said gruffly.

For more Six Sunday fun, check out the official website–right here.

Kindle Covers and Cases

I made a comment about the Amazon cover for Kindles on a forum, which resulted in several questions I thought I had answered in a previous blog post. Either I lost it (likely) or thought I wrote it and never did (likelier).

For my sanity, we'll start fresh and pretend neither happened, k? Good. Here we go.

There are several designer cases made for the various versions of Kindle. Some make my fingers curl with want, but the elastic strap meant to hold my eReader secure…keeps me from coughing up$70 or more for a designer name when the cases suffer such a basic design flaw.

Granted, times are a changin'. There are other methods to secure your Kindle. In addition to elastic straps, there are a few more options. Such as a hard plastic shell secured to the case back, allowing your Kindle to snap into place and he held secure. This Speck case was popular for K2, and I liked it so much I sent one to Marisa. It has the hard plastic shell-snap, and a built-in stand.

I will admit, when I got my b'day surprise of the K3, I went a little nuts in the comparison shopping department. I have loved Kindle from day one, stolen Dad's repeatedly, but this was my first mine, all mine, reader.

I wanted the very light and very thin K3 as secure as I could get it without the awkwardness of elastic or fabric cupped corners. Amazon, amazingly enough, created the perfect solution. For once, a manufacturer listened to their customers and took their requests to heart. (Granted it took three versions of Kindle before it happened…but that's neither here nor there )

This is the case in question. It's leather, made by Amazon, and has hooks in the bend. The K3 is manufactured to fit this case. It's such a simple thing to hook it in, then you're golden. That Kindle isn't going anywhere. I like the case itself, too. It's a nice pebbled leather exterior with a very soft gray interior to minimize damage to your screen. The version I liked above is without a light.

Yes, I know. It's hard to believe it gets better, but it does! This is the same case, just the lighted version. I wanted that case in a bad way. Since Kindle isn't back lit, which reduces eyestrain, I knew a light was a must. I love the way the light is built into this case. It's so handy, and really just perfect. The hooks on this model are metal instead of plastic. The metal is conductive, and uses your Kindle to power its light, so you never have to worry about batteries. You do, however, have to worry about draining your Kindle's battery in the process. BUT–and you knew there had to be one–the coolness of the light is offset by the fact it super illuminates the upper right hand corner while leaving the lower left hand corner in darksville. This can't be changed, since the plastic light arm has some flexibility, but nowhere near enough to fix this issue.

Although my OCD nature rebelled, it's still rebelling actually, I bought the standard case. This decision was due largely to the staff at Best Buy. They not only encouraged me to pick the case that was right for me, they took the box to the service desk and opened it so my Kindle could try on her new coat (don't judge me) before I shelled out any money.

They also carry M-Edge products, which are pretty fantastic. I would have gone with their covers if not for the whole hook=safety thing. Anyway, the customer service lady picked up their most popular M-Edge light and asked if I was interested in it. I was still pouting, considering how important the whole "light" thing was, when she opened that box and turned the light on. All I could say was "whoa." It was brilliant. Plus, the flexible neck meant I could bend it any way I wanted to. It has a flat piece of plastic on the back, which I slip behind the Kindle and it's held there as securely as if I were using it in a regular paperback.

There are two cool things about that light. One, it uses AAA batteries instead of some funky watch battery you would kill yourself looking for a replacement for. And two, I can angle it so that my entire Kindle is bathed in the exact same level of light. I love that. I am so compulsive, I require that kind of perfection to function. So while I wish I had the built-in light, it only takes one night spent reading  to appreciate the beauty of my M-Edge.

The plain Kindle case is $34 or so. The lighted is $54 more or less. The M-Edge light is around $20. If you mix and match, you're still out the same amount of money, but I believe the M-Edge is a much better investment for my money. I've been very pleased with it.

Since I like people to judge for themselves, here is a video of someone reading with their built-in Kindle light.

And here is the M-Edge case with the M-Edge light.

I will say, that video shows a bright pinpoint of light, but I adjust so there is the same level of lighting with no issues. I guess it's about your preference and how much work you're willing to put into perfection.

Kathleen Scott's Bad Religion

Kree Janus is a sexual mystic.

As the head of the Order of Sopha, it is her sworn duty to ensure her religion continues under the threat of genocide. Trapped in a warehouse by one of the theocrats' enforcers, a Druma warrior who hunts by pheromones, Kree is captured and taken to a secret hideout away from the long arm of the guards. Kree's survival depends on the plans of her sworn enemy, a man who brings all her sensual desires and pleasures raging to the surface, even in the face of peril.

Eavan desMort is a Druma warrior.

Contracted as an enforcer for the theocratic council, he has taken an assignment to bring in the Sophite premier, Kree Janus, for execution. Eavan has plans of his own. Charged by his people to bring Kree to their settlement, he has taken vows to die for her if necessary. Nothing, however, prepares him for the overwhelming call of her flesh. It is a temptation that could mean the very loss of his honor if he gives in.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: anal play/intercourse, menage.

Click here to read an excerpt. Click here to purchase.

Visit Kathleen's website for more information on the author and her other works.

Six Sentence Sunday

It's the first Sunday in November, which means this is the first time I can share an official excerpt from my NaNo project.

"The problem is, you're in denial. You think this thing between us is over." The look he turned on me melted my bones to the seat. "But this will never be over. You're mine. You can fight it, fight me, all you want. I'm not going anywhere."

Check out more 6 Sunday fun on the official blog, right here.

Beautiful Tradition

I'm doing some spring cleaning and yard selling today. While I was sorting through boxes of baby clothes and crib sheets, I found a box full of family photos and newspaper clippings my grandmother had collected over her life. The first article I saw was on my great grandmother and her husband. This is what it said:

Mr. and Mrs. —- observed their 64th wedding anniversary last Wednesday with an open invitation to all their friends and to join them sometime during the day for a piece of Mrs. —-'s homemade carrot cake. The couple happily reminisced about their wedding day, which they described as bitterly cold, and other incidents throughout their married lives. Mr. —- said that when they had their 50th anniversary, the renewal of marriage vows was part of the ceremony, and a few years later during a service at their church, Wesley Chapel, minister asked all couples of the church to renew marriage vows. "So I've been married to this woman three times," he chuckled.

I wish I could scan the picture and share it with you all. My great grandfather has his arm around my great grandmother's shoulders and her head is thrown back while she laughs at something he said. It's a beautiful photo, and really struck a chord with me. My great grandparents were married for sixty-nine years, my grandparents were married for fifty-four years, my parents have been married for thirty-four years, and I've been married for eleven years.

Reading that clipping gave me a "this is why I write romance" moment. It proves that it is possible for two people to meet fresh out of high school, fall madly in love, and maintain that love throughout their lives. I'm just feeling humbled right now, and blessed that my husband and I are carrying on the family tradition.

Keeping Claire by K.B. Alan

Keeping Claire

KB Alan

Claire's been fantasizing about the owner of her company since she first saw him. Ryan is gorgeous, confident and sexy as hell. In other words, so not her type. With the crazy life she leads, it's best to stick to men who are happy to do what she tells them to, then disappear. Since Ryan would never abide by those terms, it's best to keep him right where she's got him—in her dreams.

Ryan gets up close and personal with Claire while investigating a threat to his company. Once he's convinced she's not out to hurt what he's helped build, he refocuses his more-than-human energies on his intriguing employee. When she quits, insisting it's best if she leaves town, he's determined to convince her otherwise. At least long enough to get a taste of her. And the more he tastes, the more he touches, the more he wants. Now he just has to convince Claire that what they have is worth fighting for, and he's more than up to the task.

Available now at Ellora's Cave!

You Don't Know Jack

Jack O' Lantern that is. Or maybe you do know Jack. I didn't receive a formal introduction until my daughter turned four and decided she wanted to grow her own pumpkins for Halloween. To which I replied, "Let Mommy get back to you on that."

———————————————————————————–

See, I grew up on a horse farm way out in the country. We had no neighbors for miles, and the ones we did have were more likely to shoot at a trio of Power Rangers than consider the date and the fact most burglars don't show up in red, pink, and green spandex holding loot bags.

———————————————————————————-

So when my little girl gave me her patented "Momma-I-want" look, I knew things were about to change. I learned how to grow and when to harvest pumpkins, even though we lived in an apartment at the time. And I learned that the sight of pumpkins growing in a planter was so mystical that kids from next door were compelled by forces beyond their control to pluck the unripened fruits from the vine and smash them on the pavement.

——————————————————————————-

I was not amused, but I persevered. After all, I had a four-year-old hanging her Halloween hopes on me. (I also had a baby girl armed with good aim and a water pistol guarding our pumpkin-filled planter through a crack in the window above it.)

———————————————————————————-

Once we finally had a good candidate for carving, I hit my next road bump. Now, even a country bumpkin like me had seen her share of jack-o-lanterns and paper luminaries. Though I'd never made either, I felt confident I could make nose and face-like holes. I had tealight candles and a carving knife. I had craft books and matches. I had a drop cloth and a recipe for baked pumpkin seeds. I was ready. It was go time. After all the hard work and study, Jack was getting O'Lanterned that night.

———————————————————————————-

I called my daughter into the kitchen and she took a seat across the table from me. I lifted the knife and lined the blade up on the outline I'd carefully drawn earlier. I gave her a triumphant smile and sank the blade into the meat of the pumpkin…and she started screaming bloody murder.

———————————————————————————-

It had never occurred to her how those holes got into jack-o-lanterns. She had assumed we would plant pumpkins and they would ripen into the gap-tooth grinning Jacks she saw on other people's porches. When our only usable pumpkin turned out to be plain, she assumed all the Jacks had been smashed. So when I started to carve the little guy, she was horrified.

———————————————————————————-

To make a long and painful story about how you try to do for your kids what wasn't done for you a little shorter, I'll close with saying our Jack that first year was a very unique gentleman. He had two My Little Pony band aids on his noggin and his eyes and smile were drawn with Crayola's best.

Happy Halloween!

(This is cross-posted from the Paranormal Romantics Blog-a-Thon.)

Congrats to the Winners!

Congrats to all of the Halloween Blog Hop Winners!

Maureen Lipsett

Wolf's Magic by Rebecca Royce

Choice of back list by Gem Sivad

$5 MBaM gift card from Hailey Edwards

Jean Patton

Shifting Passions by Xakara

Choice of backlist by Trina M Lee

Preja Vu by Alanna Coca

Dawn Brower

A Sight to Dream Of by P.G. Forte

Choice of backlist by Monette Michaels or Rae Morgan

Choice of backlist by Juniper Bell

Kristi Patterson

Choice of backlist by Sara Brookes

Choice of backlist by Jolie Cain

Winner's choice of $10.00 Amazon gift card or $10.00 Starbucks giftcard from Sandra Sookoo

Jennifer

Choice of back list by Christa Paige

Choice of backlist by Dee Carney

Choice of backlist by Lauren Frasier

Carol Byles

A character in her next book named after you from CJ Black

Print copy of "Healer's Garden" (shipping to US or Canadian resident an international winner would receive a $15 Amazon certificate) from Nina Pierce

Choice of backlist from Tina Holland

Yadira Alonzo

Choice of backlist from Olivia Brynn

$5.00 Amazon gift card from Maddy Barone

Terran Realm: Measure of a Man by Bonnie Dee

Ivelisse Roberts

Secrets of Night by Virginia Cavanaugh

Choice of Backlist by Stacey Kennedy

A character in her next book named after you from Rhonda Print

Abhishek Duggal

$5 MBaM gift card from A. Catherine Noon

$10 gift card to preferred e-book seller (i.e. Amazon, Sony, B&N, All Romance) from Annemarie Hartnett

Sleepy Hollow Dreams by Taryn Kincaid

Derek Deulus

Choice of Backlist from Keta Diablo

Personal Research by Cari Quinn

Erotic Exposure by Paige Tyler

The winner of a copy of Everlong, chosen by Random.Org, is Carol L.

Congrats to all the winners!

Six Sentence Sunday

TBA

[image error]

Happy Halloween Blog Tour!

Welcome Blog Hoppers!

You should have arrived here via the Book Nibbles Blog Tour Bus. Click the bar at the top of the page, making sure to visit every blog, and you'll be entered in one of several prize drawings at the end!

If you get lost, or are a late arrival and want to join in the fun, just click here.

So…which is your favorite? Trick?

Or Treat?

[image error]

Have a safe and Happy Halloween! If you'd like a chance to win a copy of my fantasy romance novel, Everlong, comment and your name will be placed in the drawing.

[image error]