Lisa Sanchez's Blog, page 14

Anniversary blog hop with Hannah Downing

Thanks somuch, Lisa, for having me as a guest on your blog today. For those of you whoaren't aware, today is the 1 year anniversary of the release of my novel,Pieces of Us. So, I'm having a HUGE birthday blog hop to celebrate!! Hop onover to my website for all the details – www.hannahdowning.com

Pieces of Us – The music behind thebook
While Iwas writing this story, there were a lot of songs that I would listen to whichhelped me get into a romantic mood, or a heartbroken mood, or that helped me tocreate the types of emotions that characters were feeling so I could write themmore effectively. Here are the songs that inspired my characters and theemotional feel of the story -
All Cried Out byAllure featuring 112 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eSXnB2J_q4I haveloved this song ever since I was a teenager and I think it really fits thesituation between Charlotte and Cameron!

Already Gone by KellyClarkson - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0T3WAbU6tg&ob=av2nWhen Ilisten to this song, it makes me think of how Charlotte feels when she seesCameron and Lucy at the supermarket and then again when she bumps into Cameron,five years later. I think its Charlotte trying to convince herself that she'sfine without him.

Halo by Beyonce – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnVUHWCynig&ob=av2eHalo is asong that is all about Owen. He brought Charlotte back to life after herdivorce and taught her how to love in a mature relationship. Owen isCharlotte's angel.




Wasn't It Good byTina Arena – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uLFclZRx3I
I have always loved the words to this song. The acknowledgement that therelationship is over and neither party wants to get back together, but thatwhen they were together, they were good and there was love. This is how I seethe conversation in Chapter 12 (if you've read the book, you'll know which oneI mean.)


Now I Can Dance byTina Arena – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jstzqSiqOPwI like tothink that words of this song are How Charlotte is feeling at the end of thebook.


I Still by theBackstreet Boys – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yLG-lW_r_g&ob=av2nThis songis all about Cameron. As much as he wants Charlotte to move on and be happy, hecan't let her go.

The Hardest Thing by98 Degrees – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzTNsFcbdmI
Even though this song is sung by male singers, I always think of Charlotte andher confusion between the two men who love her when I hear this. I alwaysimagine her having this conflict in her heart when she goes to meet Cameron inhis office to talk.

White Flag by Dido – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-fWDrZSiZs&ob=av3eWhiteFlag is all Cameron! He tells Charlotte that he's not going to stop loving herever… which is exactly what this song is about.


Thinking of You byKaty Perry – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdGZBRAwW74&ob=av2eThis songcould be either for Cameron or Charlotte. If we look at it from Charlotte'spoint of view, when she is with Owen she is still thinking about Cameron. If welook at it from Cameron's point of view, when he is with Lucy he is thinkingabout Charlotte. Whichever character it sits better with for you, it fits thestory perfectly.

Brown Eyes by LadyGaga – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzTsch6Z1og
This song feels very final and sad to me. I associate it with how Charlottefeels in chapter two when she leaves Cameron.

Who Knew by Pink –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av8NUrwtmw8This isabout Charlotte's disbelief that her marriage is over. Thinking back to whenshe got married and how she never would have believe that two years later theywould be in this situation.



I'd love to hear any comments on the songs and how you feel they fit into thestory (if you've read it) and if you haven't read it, does the music make you curiousabout the story?
Thanksfor stopping by and don't forget to collect your letter to help make up thewinning word.

Cover reveal- Astarte's Wrath by Trisha Wolfe

Astarte's Wrath by Trisha Wolfe

e-book

Expected publication: July 2012

A Kythan Guardians Novella

Prequel to Destiny's Fire



Two thousand years before Dez Harkly developed her secret powers, Kythan Astarte vowed to free the Kythans from the binds that enslaved them to the Egyptian pharaohs and sorcerers. Discover the prophecy that originated from a very different time, and spans generations to link two very different girls...This is the beginning. 



Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Actium, in the city of Alexandria, Star struggles with her guardian duties as her feelings for the newly named pharaoh of Egypt grow deeper. Not only is Caesarian her duty, he's the son of Cleopatra, and he's…human. All of which makes their love forbidden. 



But when a conspiracy linked to Caesar, Caesarian's own father, creeps its ways into Alexandria, Star must choose between helping her fellow Kythans free themselves of their servitude, or protecting her charge—the last pharaoh—while Egypt burns around her.




                                          Authors website  Goodreads  Twitter  Facebook


Excerpt:

Whenever the sky bleeds, covering the once-blue pallet with crimson, and the bright ball of fire burns through billowy puffs of white, staining them and the earth in hues of red-orange and amber…and ash floats on a non-existent breeze, I know the Narcolym Guardians are waging a battle.

Shuttering my window, I unloose the hemp thread, and a sheer curtain veils the sand-covered horizon from my vision. My fingers trail the cream fabric, the tips tracing the darkening clouds against the light material as my other hand curls into a fist by my thigh, dousing the swirling vortex rising up at the charge in the air.

"Star…?"



Astarte, I correct inwardly, but pinch my lips closed. "Yes, Habi?"

Habi's footsteps echo throughout the mud-brick room as he approaches. "It's time…"

Author Interview- S. Evan Townsend

Hey, peeps! Please join me in welcoming author S. Evan Townsend to my blog!

Let's go ahead and get started with the interview!



1.     Congratulationson the release of your latest work, RockKiller. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
It's a science fiction novel setin the not-too-distant future when asteroids are being mined for their valuablemetals without degrading Earth. But some are even opposed to that and they resort to violence to reachtheir political ends.  That is,they are terrorists.  AlexanderChun, literally a million miles from help, and without armaments, must stopthem before they kill him and his multi-national crew.
2.     Whatprompted you to write this particular story? Was there a special event,occurrence, song etc. that sparked an idea?
In the early 2000s there was aspat of eco-terrorist attacks in the Pacific Northwest where I live.  And I got to wondering what motivatedthese people because some of their targets were actually helping theenvironment.  And I wondered whatwould happen if in the future, such people decided to make terrorist attacks onpeople who are mining asteroids because they aren't against mining asteroids,they're against anything that advances human progress.
3.     Whichof your characters do you relate to the most, and why?
Alexander Chun is aKorean-American who used his brains and ambition to get to where he is.  And he's a little unsure he's ready forit.  And I can completely relate tohis insecurity.  I think we allhave insecurities about being ready to handle what life throws at us.  And Chun gets more than he bargainedfor when he and his crew are the targets of a terrorist attack.   Back when I was working for aliving, I'd often feel inadequate to the tasks at hand and have to find a wayto get through them.  And sometimesI'd get more than I bargained for, usually in the form of a customer with asudden new demand.
4.     Didyou have a character or scene that you struggled with? How were you able topush through?
I hated writing the scene whereone of my female characters, Charlie Jones, gets raped.  So like my character, I didn't dwell onit.  I just got through it.
5.     Ifyou were able to spend an evening with one of your characters, who would youchoose, and why?
Charlene "Charlie"Jones.  She's a beautifulAfrican-American woman who is strong, intelligent, and resilient.  I put her through hell in this noveland she came out a better person in the end.  And yes, I'm just a wee bit in love with her.
6.     Doyou have any writing quirks?
Well, when writing Rock Killer I sort of wrote it from theinside out.  I wrote the terroristattack in the middle of the book, then went back and filled in the backgroundof how everyone got to that point, then I finished the rest of the book.  And then I added Charlie Jones as amajor character and her story arc.
7.     Favoriteauthor?
Hands down: Robert Heinlein.
8.     Favoritebook?
It's been too long since I'vere-read it: The Moon is a Harsh Mistressby Robert Heinlein.
9.     Whatare three things your readers don't know about you?
I have a very bad habit of drivingfast.  I've done it on a race trackwhich is most fun I've had with my clothes on.  I love politics almost as much aswriting.  I'd love to be aCongressional staffer or a White House aide.I love spinach, raw, cooked,canned, it doesn't matter.  Ingrade school you couldn't go back for seconds in the cafeteria unless you'deaten all your food.  ON days theyserved spinach I'd eat other kids' spinach so they could go back for secondsand I'd charge them their dessert. Which was a win-win for me 'cause I got both the spinach and thedessert.
10. What isthe strangest thing you've ever eaten?
Snails, probably.  Although geoduck sushi has to be highon the list (geoduck is a type of Northwest clam with a rather phallicappendage).
11. What isthe craziest thing you've ever done?
I once jumped out of a perfectlygood airplane.  Once was enough.
12. If Rock Killer were made into a movie, whowould you like to see cast?
Daniel Dae Kim as Alexander ChunKate Hudson as his wife KirstenHanna-ChunGabrielle Union as Charlie Jones
Thank you so much for joining us today!
  Author info:
Website  Goodreads 
Find this book at:
Amazon

Streamline by Jennifer Lane

Happy release day to one of my favorite authors, Jennifer Lane!

I've had the extreme pleasure of reading the first two books in Ms. Lane's Conduct series, and I can't wait to dig into this new YA!

Check it out!



Amazing cover, yes? Love it!

Here's the blurb:

Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He's captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother's crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father's abuse, battered and alone.

Leo's girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida's top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there's an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number-one supporter--her father--is in prison for murder.

Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything's on the line . . . streamline.

You can find out more about the author at:

Author website 
Facebook 
Twitter
Goodreads


You can purchase Streamline at:
Amazon
Omnific Publishing

Cover Reveal- Tallis by author M.C. Rae

Blurb:

 The Empire of Andresium is threatened by the corruption of the immortals, ancient beings given the gift of eternal life after the death of the last reigning empress. A prophecy speaks of their eventual downfall at the hands of one of their own, however. Tallis is known by most simply as "The Loren," and seeks to avoid her destiny while trying herself to remain untainted by the decaying morals and indifference to the fates of men that plague her kind. As the events of the prophecy begin to unfold, Tallis finds herself conflicted between upholding her dedication to justice, and falling victim to the ramifications of following the desires of her own heart.

Author M.C Rae has published two novels to date under the pen name Killian McRae.


Title: TallisSeries: Books of AndresiumOfficial Release date: Amazon exclusive- April 17, General Release- July 17Genre: YA/FantasyLength: 56 Pages print/18,500 wordsPrint ISBN: 978-06515610047Publisher: Tulipe Noire Press
Author website
Publisher website

Series details:  Two additional releases in the Books of Andresium series will be release in 2013/2014. Goodreads review page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13489559-tallis
Excerpts:

Tallis's history at the Covedid not resemble simplicity. She had always done her best to foster thedispersion of the ways of sorcery to those who possessed both the gift andsufficient determination. It was a valuable tool; it helped ensure prosperityand equality through all reaches of the empire. Still, the same sorcery taughtwith beneficial intent had become, much to her disappointment, an equalinstrument of corruption. Often, the pupils selected to be trained werecherry-picked from the most well connected families of all the islands. Aftertheir lessons were fulfilled and upon returning home, they floated unopposedinto positions of undue influence in their island's local governments. Absolutepower corrupts absolutely, and magical power corrupts abhorrently.

"Lorens don't typically showemotion, Tarameen, but we do feel,"Tallis muttered, her voice unusually quiet. "Emotions, though… I don't know what to do with them other than to burythem. I am not practiced in the art of actingon my emotions. Yet, some of the moments when I am with you, I find myselfdizzy with feeling. There are things you inspire in me that undo centuries ofdiscipline. Your effect on me is consuming. Moments like this one now, when Iam here with you and everything outside this cave and this time and this place doesn't exist in the same realm as do we, I am hijacked. My eyes refuse todrift from yours. My hand tells me touch,and I can scarcely recall my control before it has drifted away from myside. My feet carry me to you, longing to pass time which I have not, and knowinghow it should be spent in meditation of what's to come. Even now, listen to howmy tongue prattles. It lays bare all these weaknesses of my resolve. My purposehas been subverted. I don't know what to make of it. I don't understand the useof it all. At this point in my existence, to allow myself to feel… What is thepoint in that? My fate is not my own. My destiny is not to seek out thelongings of my own heart. I am the Loren. How can I allow myself to love?" 

"I am a creature of fate, ofprophecy," Tallis continued, perhaps sensing that he didn't understand. "We allare to some degree. A tree may yell at the wind and want to make its way to thesea, but if it should take itself from the ground, it will die. This issomething bigger than I. Maybe you have no way of understanding, as do I, justhow fleeting mortal wants and ways are."Tarameen's steely gaze stripped away logic. It fell like leaves to the ground in autumn, gathering at her feet, and if she were to advance his direction she would be obliged to trip over over her own rationalizations.
"Fleeting or not," he declared, "they arestill real."

A fast and FREE way to help out your favorite author

Happy Hump Day, peeps!

I hope you are doing well and staying dry. We've had nothing but drizzle and wind in my parts all morning long. Blegh!

Anywhoo... On to the topic at hand, which is helping your favorite authors become more visible.

Yeah, baby. What author doesn't want that? I can't think of any. Lol!

Believe it or not, it's really quite easy to help your favorite struggling (or successful) author friend out, and that's by "liking" and "tagging" their book's Amazon page.

What exactly does this mean, you ask? Well, I'm gonna tell you :)

When you visit a book's page on Amazon you will find a "Like" button directly below the book's title and to the right of the "reviews" link. Clicking this button makes the book more visible when others go searching for similar books.

Likewise, if you scroll down the page to just below the review section, you will see a series of boxes beneath the title "Tags Customers Associate With This Product." Again, by clicking these tags you make the book more visible and essentially "bump it up" in the Amazon search engine.

The cool thing about this is that you can do both things for FREE. That's right. If you've already read the book (Thanks, btw!) then this action only takes a few extra seconds and it's a huge help. But, if you haven't had a chance to read it yet, and you still want to help your author friend out, this is a fabu way to do so and will make him/her very happy. And thankful. And a bunch of other warm and squishy type things. Lol!

Because I'm feeling shameless today, I'm going to go ahead and include the link to my newest release, Cursing Athena . Mad love to anyone who takes a few extra moments out of their busy day to help a girl out. Mwah!!!!!!

Us Against Them- One Small Author's Take On A Growing Problem

I normally start my posts with a chipper "Hey, peeps! Hope everyone is doing well!" As you can see, that didn't happen today. That's not to say I don't wish any of you well. I do. I'm just not very chipper.

I debated for a better part of the night as to whether or not I should post anything. I haven't been blogging much as of late (been focusing on my WIP's) and the situation that has my heart heavy doesn't involve me in any way. Thing is...the issue that has me upset appears to be a growing problem, one that doesn't seem to be going away, and has offenders on both sides of the fence. The problem I'm referring to is the growing "us against them" war between authors and review bloggers.

I took an extended leave of absence from both writing and social media sites over the holiday months this past year. I felt I needed to focus on my family more and am so thankful I did so. The break was very refreshing and I quickly found I didn't miss the daily snark from both authors and reviewers that is becoming more and more prevalent. Twitter, for me, has been an invaluable tool, both for my writing endeavors and for alerting me to what's going on in the world. I've made some great friendships and have met some truly wonderful people.  I've also seen some hurtful behavior that makes me question people's motivation.

As an author, I realize that once I've placed my work out into the world, there's not a thing I can do about the type of response and reviews I may or may not receive. I've seen the warnings, and know the folly of responding to reviews (especially critical reviews.) We are emphatically NOT supposed to engage readers or respond in ANY way, EVER, when it comes to reviews. This particular rule has been hammered into my consciousness from day one. I get it, and I've obediently followed the rule.

Let me just say: I'm no stranger to critical reviews, lol. My writing style is such that people either love it, or they really, really hate it. That's okay. I'm an acquired taste and not for everyone. I totally understand this and am perfectly okay with it. I write because it's my passion, and am happy there are even a few people out in our big world who derive some type of enjoyment from it.

In my opinion (and that's all this is really, just my thoughts on the matter) there are two types of negative reviews: the critical review that is unbiased and focuses solely on the book itself with carefully thought out reasons as to why specific instances, characters, or plot lines didn't work for him/her. Then, there's the biased review which, IMO, is meant to elicit hurt feelings. These reviews often contain swear words when describing characters, call the author's thought process into question, contain a series of all cap sentences that mimic shouting, and a lot of times will contain demeaning animated gifs that are mocking and extremely hurtful. In case you were wondering, you can find all of the above in reviews for my books. I felt it best, when talking about this heated topic to use myself as an example.

I've received 2 star reviews from well known bloggers, and of course, the reviews sting (let's be real, they do) but I fully respect the manner in which they thoughtfully and carefully reviewed my work and am appreciative they took the time to do so, and in such a professional manner. On the flip side, I've also cried my eyes out to my husband, best friends and critique partners after seeing reviews where people want to destroy my books and throw the balled up pages in my face!

Words hurt, people. Yes. As an author, I've chosen to place my work in the public light, and in doing so I need to be prepared for all types of responses to said work. That being said, I don't think there is ever cause to purposefully set out to hurt an author and hide behind  so-called "snark" while doing so. I also think it's purposely hurtful and extremely bad form to openly engage in public bashing on Twitter, Facebook and various other social media sites. I understand when situations arise and feelings are hurt, people tend to rally with one another in support. What I think we all forget, is that this type of support often times escalates into what I consider online bullying. Just  because we are adults doesn't mean we don't experience the same pitfalls our children do (ganging up on individuals in the name of justice or support.) The best course of action in these types of situations are to go privately to the source of the hurt/conflict. Private conversations can almost always be dealt with in a respectful manner and serve to avoid the explosion of ugliness we've seen online as of late.

ALL of the above can also be said about authors. In the past three months I've seen appalling behavior by authors that make me cringe and whisper to myself "what in God's name was he/she thinking?" It's NEVER okay for an author to call a reviewer or reader stupid––or any other name for that matter. It's not okay to berate a reviewer or blogger for stating their honest and well thought out opinion about their book. Especially if the author has solicited the review in the first place. This is common sense, people. If you ask someone to post their public opinion about your work, be prepared for the possibility they may not like it, and don't make a public stink about it when they do. If you've received an honest, unbiased, critical review that was written in a professional manner, take it and be thankful. I've received plenty of these and let me tell you, they haven't made a dent in my monthly sales. A well written review, critical or otherwise helps readers to determine whether or not they want to read a book. My tastes and likes are my own, and if a reviewer has done a good job in stating why they didn't like a book, I may go out and purchase said book because I enjoy the very thing they didn't.

Winding down here, I promise.

While I haven't ever, and am fairly certain I would/will never respond to a hurtful review, I do understand that everyone has a breaking point. If one of my works came under heavy, consistent, and hurtful attack, I'd like to think I could continue on as I have been doing and remain silent, but who knows? I'm definitely not perfect, and I would hope that if I were to open my mouth in a respectful manner to defend myself or my work, that I wouldn't be crucified.

I think this entire issue boils down to respect. If we, as people on a basic level, treat each other with respect from the get go, and make ourselves aware of others feelings before we speak or type, a good deal of this drama would cease to exist.

Stepping down off my soapbox now. Discuss amongst yourselves, lol!

Cursing Athena now available!

Happy Tuesday, peeps!

So excited to announce Cursing Athena is officially available. Woot!


Blurb:

For Danika, the only thing worse than going commando while wearing a fugly, silver bodysuit, was dealing with her deadbeat, ex-husband James. Catcalls, unwanted groping and lecherous stares weren't really her cup of tea either, but she'd endure all of it and more if her new job serving cocktails at Masquerade meant ridding herself of his mountain of debt. It was just a job, after all, and what choice did she have with James' creditors breathing down her neck? What she didn't bargain for, however, was falling heels-over-head in lust with a two-hundred-plus pound, shape-shifting immortal from Ancient Greece.

On a mission to take down a parasitic demon, Ty doesn't have time for distraction. Not even when that distraction could prove to be his possible lifemate in the form of sweet, innocent, yet sexy-as-hell Danika. But when the leech he's hunting goes after the cocktail waitress, all bets are off. Unable to resist her siren call any longer, Ty surrenders himself to Danika, body and soul, treating them both to a night they'll never forget. Today also marks the beginning of a thirty stop blog tour hosted by Sizzling PR. Inga over at Me And Reading is kicking off the tour with a 5 star review of Cursing Athena. Yeah, baby!
Cursing Athena is available at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble for .99. Go get you some!

Big news!

Zomg!

I've got big news! News I've wanted to share with you for so long.

Drumroll please...
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Faythe Reclaimed, book three in my Hanaford Park series will be releasing this Spring with Tulipe Noire Press!

Woot! Woot! Woot!

2012 has been a big year for me so far. A year of transition, of stepping out of my comfort zone and challenging myself with new ventures. I'd already mentioned in a previous post that I parted ways with my agent and am venturing into the world of self-publishing. What I didn't mention, and am excited to share with you now is that Taylor and Gabriel's book will be released with a new publisher, Tulipe Noire Press.

I will always be forever grateful to Omnific Publishing for taking a chance on me and giving me my start in the publishing world, but I am equally excited about what lies ahead. So many new opportunities!

How about a teaser to celebrate the big news? Yeah, baby!


TheTravelerDark, viscous liquid pooled onto therotting floorboards below her body, the blackened puddle oddly reminiscent of aRorschach inkblot.Suppressed memories and emotions I'dbelieved long dead amassed from deep within, slamming me with a powerfulcrescendo of…Madre de Dios…feeling.Something I hadn't experienced since the moment I'd lost my other half.Nausea and desperation mimicked acid,burning a hole through my gut and my chest as I allowed my gaze to wandernorth. I knew what I'd find, and…fuck itall to hell…it scared me to death.Taylor. The exotic beauty who'd breezedinto my life just days before. The angel who'd awoken me from the state ofnumbness I'd resided in for three centuries. The woman who was an exact matchin every way to my long deceased Faythe, hanged upside down and unconscious infront of me.Thud…
Thud…
Thud…
My heartbeat… It echoed in my ears like amuted drumbeat. The rapid tympani so synonymous with anger and rage oddlydiminished and muffled as though I were listening to it from deep within thebowels of the ocean.How? How had I allowed my enemy tocapture the beautiful creature who'd breathed life into my pathetic existence?I thrashed against the magical bondsholding me captive, every fiber of my being filled with panic, desperation—andrage. Supernatural throwdowns were a normal part of my everyday life. Awarlock, an exiled member of one of Europe's most powerful covens, I'd beenbred to do battle, to fight the dregs of the underworld—with magic.Magic.It had been my savinggrace, time and again. It was also the bane of my fucking existence…much liketime. I hated my magic, almost as much as I hated myself. Witchcraft, limitlesspower…both proved worthless when they didn't allow you to save the one youloved. My magic hadn't kept Faythe's neck out of the hangman's noose.My stomach seized as I took in the largegash at the back of Taylor's head. My magic hadn't kept her safe either.
Stay tuned for more excerpts and a cover reveal! Woot!

Let the countdown begin!

Happy Monday, peeps!

I'm so excited for the upcoming release of my novella, Cursing Athena.

With the release coming in just a few short weeks, I'm going to start posting some short  teasers and snippets to tempt you with. Woot!

Today's teaser features Athena: goddess of wisdom, warfare, and justice, and the creator of The Order Of Seven. She and Ty (the hero) are investigating the scene of a demon massacre that took out a large group of women.

Enjoy!

"Not so fast, Tydeus."

Fuck! What now? Ty skidded to a halt, just inches from the front door. Twisting his upper body, he glanced over his shoulder. "Boss?"

Covered in buttery, black leather from head to foot, the goddess looked regal, beautiful, and above all, lethal. Piercing blue eyes captivated his attention, drowning out the monstrous scene surrounding them. Power and might rippled off her lithe body in waves. "This is no ordinary demon we're dealing with." Disgust hardened her already fierce expression. She stepped forward, her thigh-high stiletto boots clicking on the pale wood flooring. "We've got ourselves a Hirudo—a leech."

I'm over at My Bookish Fairy Tale today, talking about "love at first sight." Come by and say hello!