Lisa Sanchez's Blog, page 18

Martha's battling it out today!

Happy Thursday, peeps!



So, I need your help today. Or rather, Martha, the kickass heroine from Pleasures Untold (Book 2 in the Hanaford Park series) needs your help.

She's battling it out against some stiff competition in the Supernatural Smackdown at Parajunkee's View. She'd love it, though she probably wouldn't admit to it, and I'd love it, if you'd head over there and toss her a vote.  And while you're there, make sure to enter to win a free ecopy of Pleasures Untold. Woot! Let's help Martha do what she does best: kick ass!!!

Here's the link: Supernatural Smackdown

Romance Girls Gone Goblin Halloween Blog Hop

Woohoo! It's almost that time of year again. Time to pull out your scary, shmexy costume, don some wicked makeup and PAARTAAY Halloween style!


Yeah, baby!

In the spirit of all things sultry, sexy and spooky, I'm hosting a spooktacular Halloween blog hop from October 28th through October 31st.


Here's the skinny:

Authors/Bloggers: Sign in on the link list below to participate, and make sure you add whether or not your giveaway will be US or International. The link list will be open until 11:59pm on October 27th. The hop will go live at 12:01 am on October 28th and run through Midnight on Halloween.

Feel free to post promo for any upcoming or recent releases along with your giveaway. The only requirement is that along with promo, you include a Halloween related post. Maybe a favorite memory, a tradition, favorite Halloween treat, or a fun post from one of your characters. You get the idea! Please create a separate post for the hop, and don't just link to your blog. Those who don't follow the rules will be removed from the Linky List. Authors are responsible for drawing their individual winners once the hop is over.

Have fun with your posts. Be creative, and maybe even a little naughty. It's Halloween, people. Time to have some fun!

Oh! And spread the word! The more, the merrier! 

Special thanks to author Killian McRae for creating the awesome button. Please feel free to nab it, or the button below for your own blogs/websites.

Meet an author Monday

Happy Monday, peeps!
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We enjoyed some cooler weather in my neck of the woods, and were able to venture outdoors without fear of breaking into an immediate sweat! Soooo ready for some consistent Fall weather. 
A little update for you regarding the Fast Draft I participated in. No, I'm not done with my WIP, lol, but...I did manage 10k this week. For me, that's pretty good. I'm hovering at 15k on this novella right now. The last one I wrote topped out just over 20k. I'll hit that in the next day or two. However, this particular piece will end up being longer than the first. More world building. More action. More sexin'. Woohooo!
Okay, enough about me. On to the hop!
Authors!  Have a book out?  Are you under contract for publication?  Make sure you join in the hop. This is a great way to network your blog and let readers know who you are!






Here's how it works:
READERS:
Follow as many authors as you like. Just follow the Linky list and hop from author to author. The idea is to find as many "new to you" authors as you can, and hopefully some great new reading material as well.  Leave a comment as you hop from blog to blog!  We'd love to chat with you!


AUTHORS:


Follow the Meet an author Monday host (Cali Cheer Mom) along with any of the wonderfully talented authors on the list.You will need to enter your name and blog url into the Linky tool.Grab our super cute button and place it in a post. (THIS IS IMPORTANT!) If you don't create a post for the hop, your readers won't have a place to comment, and the hop will stop with you. So create a post, paste in the Linky code and start hopping!The purpose of the hop is to meet "new to you" authors and discover great new reads. Follow as many authors as you can. Leave a comment and introduce yourself!If you'd like to share the Linky list in a post on your blog ( Please do!) just follow the link and grab the code.Authors! The more you promote this hop, the more successful it will be. Tweet about it. Post a link on Facebook. Talk about it on your blogs. Let's get the word out!
.

What I've been reading

Hey, peeps! Happy Friday!

It's been a while since I've written a post about what I've been reading. Truthfully, up until a few weeks ago, I simply haven't had the time to sit down and read. But, thankfully the girls are back in school, and now that I've got my current WIP plotted and underway, I've had the extreme pleasure of diving into my favorite pastime.

Here's today's recommendation :)



Wicked Games by Jill Myles
Blurb taken from Goodreads:

Abby Lewis never pictured herself on the survival game show, Endurance Island. She's just not the survival type. But when her boss offers her a spot on the show and the opportunity of a lifetime, she packs her bags and heads to the tropics to be a contestant. Once in the game, though, it's clear that Abby's in over her head. No one's more competitive than sexy, delicious and arrogant Dean Woodall. Sure, he's clever, strong, good at challenges, and has a body that makes her mouth water. He also hates Abby just as much as she hates him. That's fine with her; she'll just ignore the jerk. But the rules of Endurance Island are working against them. Abby and Dean are teamed up & alone on the beach. It's either work together, or go home. Stuck with no one's company but their own, they learn they might just make a good team after all. And Abby learns that with just a little bit of kindling, the flames of hate can quickly turn to flames of passion. This book features enemies, lovers, enemies who become lovers, and lots and lots of tropical heat. Length: 59,000 words
My thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact, I read it in one sitting much to my husbands utter dismay. It centers around a journalist who's been roped by her boss into going on a famous survival reality TV show (think Survivor.) The characters were fabulous, the pacing great, and I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. If you're looking for a quick, sexy read with lots of humor and a sassy female lead, then look no further. This is the book for you.
Fun Quote:

"I have no idea why I licked the peanut butter off of her finger. One moment she's just standing there, taunting me, and the next, I've got her finger in my mouth and I'm licking her with my tongue and I'm getting turned on. And now I can't stop looking at the way her butt looks in those bikinis. –– Dean Woodall, Day 4"

I rated this baby 5 stars and am now eager to read more of Ms. Myles work!

Meet an author Monday

Happy Monday, peeps!
It's Monday! That means it's time to grab a cup of coffee and a snack, sit back and do a little hopping on the author bog hop. 
Before you journey to another blog, I thought I'd give you an update on what I've been up to as of late.
I've currently got two manuscripts on submission (Love In The Time Of Witches, and Cursing Athena), and am nervously, and might I add, impatiently awaiting news. Doesn't matter whether you're pubbed with a Big Six, or an E-press like me, waiting sucks regardless. I'm proud of both projects, but that doesn't mean I'm not scared to death. I want the editors to love my work as much as I do. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will ya?
A good friend and crit partner of mine just attended a workshop with Candace Havens and learned how to write a "fast draft." Basically, it's a Nano style of writing your first draft in about two weeks. Eeck! As I'm only a few chapters into the second novella in my new series, I totally jumped on board when she asked me if I wanted to give the fast draft thing a go. 
I didn't manage the twenty pages I was required today, but I did meet the minimum of five. Not bad for my first time out. Hopefully I can breeze through some more today. I'm determined to get through this project in a timely manner. I have a new YA I want to focus all of my attention on during November.

Alrighty then! Enough about me. On to the hop!

Authors!  Have a book out?  Are you under contract for publication?  Make sure you join in the hop. This is a great way to network your blog and let readers know who you are!






Here's how it works:
READERS:
Follow as many authors as you like. Just follow the Linky list and hop from author to author. The idea is to find as many "new to you" authors as you can, and hopefully some great new reading material as well.  Leave a comment as you hop from blog to blog!  We'd love to chat with you!


AUTHORS:


Follow the Meet an author Monday host (Cali Cheer Mom) along with any of the wonderfully talented authors on the list.You will need to enter your name and blog url into the Linky tool.Grab our super cute button and place it in a post. (THIS IS IMPORTANT!) If you don't create a post for the hop, your readers won't have a place to comment, and the hop will stop with you. So create a post, paste in the Linky code and start hopping!The purpose of the hop is to meet "new to you" authors and discover great new reads. Follow as many authors as you can. Leave a comment and introduce yourself!If you'd like to share the Linky list in a post on your blog ( Please do!) just follow the link and grab the code.Authors! The more you promote this hop, the more successful it will be. Tweet about it. Post a link on Facebook. Talk about it on your blogs. Let's get the word out!
.

The Gladiator Prince with Minnette Meador

Please join me in welcoming author Minnette Meador to my blog! Minnette is giving away a $25 Amazon GC to one random commenter along her tour, so make sure to leave a comment at the end of the post! 

1.     TheGladiator Prince is the third installment in your Centurion series. Withoutgiving too much away, can you tell us a little bit about it?
Prince Thane of the Trinovantes tribe is the last survivingCeltic royal after the Romans wipe out his tribe. He surrenders to the Romansto save his two young daughters so they can escape. Thane is sentenced to fightin the arena until he dies. Years later, news reaches him that his daughtershave been taken in a slavers raid and shipped to Rome. Phaedra has been calledback to Britannia by her father after her husband dies. There she is guardianof a secret that could destroy her brother if her father finds out. Whendiscovery become inevitable, she forces the Gladiator Prince to take them toRome. That journey and its finale will change the face of Rome forever. 
2.     Howdid this series come about? What was the inspiration behind the story?
The Centurion & The Queen is about the Boudicca revolts,the only large uprising by the British Celts against the Roman led by theWarrior Queen Boudicca. It is an amazing story from both sides and a perfectbackdrop for a romance between a Centurion and a Celtic Queen.
3.     Itake my hat off to all authors who write historical romance, it's hard! What isyour research process like? How long do you research before you start writing?
I actually research while I'm writing and to the story. That is, I research what I need to keep the story moving forward. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of days, depending on how deep I need to go. I have many books on the time period and I've read all of them, so I have a pretty good background now, so research is easier since I know where to find the answers. It took me longer to research Rome for Gladiator Prince because I hadn't been there before in my books.


4.     Tellus about the characters. Who is your favorite/least favorite and why?


There are five main characters in this book; Thane, thehonorable Celtic warrior; Phaedra the spoiled Syrian daughter of theGladiatorial Lanista; her brother Bahar, a 15-year-old ball of fire who learnsquickly and is Thane's top student; Adrastos the old Greek medico who guidesthem through Britannia; and Hasani, the pirate, smart, witty, irreverent, and athorn in Thane's side. I developed an especially strong affinity for Hasani, somuch so, that he became a much larger part of this story and will be the starof my next book in the series (tentatively titled: Hasani the Ghost). Abella isthe antagonist in the story and is my least favorite character in the book.He's a real SOB! :o)
5.     Whatwas the most difficult part of the book for you to write? Likewise, what wasthe easiest?
 For some reason, the more difficult the writing, the better itusually turns out. Not sure why, but it is usually the case. I think that'sbecause you really have to think about how to resolve the issues. To be honest,if I tell you the hardest part, I'd spoil the story… so I'll pass. :o)
6.     Doyou picture a certain actor/actress when you see your hero/heroine in yourmind? Who would you want to play them if your book was made into a movie?
I haven't really had time to think that through yet, but it would be fun to see if anyone would have suggestions. I sometimes think of Sean Bean as Thane; he just has that amazing Celtic look to him. Plus, he's pretty sexy. For Phaedar, Milla Kunis comes to mind as far as a look, but not sure about her voice and Phaedra is only 20 so the actress would have to be pretty young. Hasani the pirate is Oded Fehr all the way… oh, baby! I'll let the readers come up with some others. :o)





7. If you were stranded on and island and forced to choose a character to keep you company, who would you choose, and why?
Can I have two? Thane and Hasani wouldbe my choices… Not sure which one in the end… :o)
8.     Doyou have any writing quirks?
 I have repeated phrases I use in all my books. Notsure why, but I like to use them at least once in each book. You'll have toread them to see which ones they are. I beat my editor knows… but she's nottelling.
9.     Favoritesnack?
 Fruit (used to be chocolate ~sigh~)
10. Favoritemovie?
 Constantine
11. Favoriteauthor? 
Too many to name, but probably a tie between Rex Stout, SpiderRobinson, Terry Pratchett, Mary Stewart, and JRR Tolkien… Now, that's what Icall variety! 
12. Favoritequote?

After all these years,I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to liveoutside the Garden with her than inside it without her.
Mark Twain - Adam's Diary 
13. If yourhouse was on fire, and you could only grab three things before running out,what would they be?
My husband, my dog, and my computer… not necessarily in that order…
14. Weirdestthing you've ever eaten? 
Chocolate covered ants.

 Blurb:
Prince Thane is the last surviving royalty of the Trinovantes Tribe in Roman Britannia, having surrendered to the Romans after the Boudicca Revolt to save his two daughters, whose identities he sacrifices his freedom to protect. He is condemned by Nero himself to become a gladiator, to fight until he dies in the arena. When his two daughters are taken in a slaver's raid, Thane escapes, forcing the daughter of his master to take him to Rome to save his children. Little does he know that the beautiful Syrian woman holds not only the key to his passion, but a secret that triggers a disaster that ignites the world. Will this spoiled willful girl betray him in the end or sacrifice herself to save them all? Book III of the Centurion Series.


About the author:


Somewhere between thirty and dust...red hair, blue eyes...six kids, one slightly used husband, and any number of pets from time to time... wanttabe hippy... wanttheirmoney yuppie...pro musician and actress for 20 Years... native Oregonian... lover of music, beauty, and all things green. Willing slave to the venerable muse. Minnette currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband, having replaced the children with one dog. The dog, Pierre, pretty much runs the show.









Links:
http://www.minnettemeador.com

http://minnettemeador.blogspot.com

Meet an Author Monday! It's back!!

Happy Monday, peeps!
The author blog hop has hopped around the past few weeks while I've been hosting different blog tours. I apologize for the inconsistency. Now that I'm done hosting month long tours, I'm ready to hop back on the train and get this baby rollin' again!

If this is your first time stopping by my blog, make sure to scroll over to the sidebar and review the post archive for the past two months. I've hosted a slew of extremely talented authors, and while the giveaways may be over, you'll want to check out their awesome posts!

Alrighty then! On to the hop!

Authors!  Have a book out?  Are you under contract for publication?  Make sure you join in the hop. This is a great way to network your blog and let readers know who you are!






Here's how it works:
READERS:
Follow as many authors as you like. Just follow the Linky list and hop from author to author. The idea is to find as many "new to you" authors as you can, and hopefully some great new reading material as well.  Leave a comment as you hop from blog to blog!  We'd love to chat with you!


AUTHORS:


Follow the Meet an author Monday host (Cali Cheer Mom) along with any of the wonderfully talented authors on the list.You will need to enter your name and blog url into the Linky tool.Grab our super cute button and place it in a post. (THIS IS IMPORTANT!) If you don't create a post for the hop, your readers won't have a place to comment, and the hop will stop with you. So create a post, paste in the Linky code and start hopping!The purpose of the hop is to meet "new to you" authors and discover great new reads. Follow as many authors as you can. Leave a comment and introduce yourself!If you'd like to share the Linky list in a post on your blog ( Please do!) just follow the link and grab the code.Authors! The more you promote this hop, the more successful it will be. Tweet about it. Post a link on Facebook. Talk about it on your blogs. Let's get the word out!
.

Scorcher Blog Tour-The Perfect Hero with Darlene Fredette

The Perfect Hero
Welcome to part five of my blog post on the Scorcher Blog Tour.
If you're just joining us, to catch up on the steam go here:
Part 1: http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com
Part 2: http://arialburnz.wordpress.com/
Part 3: http://www.authorsarahgrimm.blogspot.com/
Part 4: http://www.amielouellen.wordpress.com/


Thank you, Lisa, for hosting me on your site!


The room sure was getting hot in my last post! I thought I was going to sway the naughty scorcher ladies from their wicked ways, but no such luck. They're continuing their exploration. There goes my PG rating!


Our heroes were facing the wall as we checked out their butts, but those wicked scorcher ladies have turned them around, and there is some serious manhood facing us! AJ, Arial, Amie, Lisa, and Sarah are finally speechless. The only words to describe this scene are shaft, erect, hard, and massive! Need I say anything more?


It's going to get messy in here! AJ returned from the kitchen with cans of whipped topping spray. Arial eagerly accepted a can and has already popped off the lid. Lisa has a smile as she carries a bowl of chocolate sauce and Amie...wait, you're putting that caramel sauce on what!? Sarah is just shaking her head.


It's getting crazy in this room! Wicked, wicked scorcher gals! Things are happening in here that's shaking AJ's full body. Sarah is screaming 'multiple', Amie is in pure heaven, and Arial and Lisa are riding wave after wave of pure bliss. They're coming......


My apologies, it looks as though we've lost connection with the scorcher ladies. If you want to read my final instalment, go to AJ's blog (http://ajbooks.blogspot.com/). BUT before you go, answer my question below. AND don't forget to comment on all of my six instalments of The Perfect Hero for a chance to win a PDF copy of Keeping Secrets. You MUST answer all six questions from each instalment to have your name included in the draw. The winner will then move on to the grand prize drawing of a $30 Amazon Gift Card.


Question 5: Describer your hero's manhood. What is your favourite sauce/topping? What is your favourite word to describe an orgasm?




It's all about the secrets in...Keeping Secrets


Buy links:


Secret Cravings Publishing Store 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

All Romance Ebooks 


BookStrand

Operation get Up & Move

Hey, peeps! Happy Thursday!

Hope you all have been enjoying the Scorcher blog tour. AJ's Man Candy post has me all tied up in knots...woohoo!

So, I wanted to clarify a few things about Operation Get Up & Move. This is not some kind of ploy to get you to try P90X. I don't have any affiliation to Beach Body or any other exercise program/company. I'm a stay-at-home-mom and I write shmexy books for a living, I don't have time to work for anyone else, lol! My hope for the next three months is to get as many readers/authors/bloggers as I can to get up out of their chairs for an hour a day and move. Our passion/profession leads us to sit long hours in chairs, on the couch...you name it.

So what's the why in all of this?

Simple. Exercise makes you feel better. As a self proclaimed couch potato and lazy butt, I can tell you I have way more energy now that I've been exercising. And no, you don't have to enroll is some crazy boot camp class or spend a ton of money on a gym membership/workout program. Op Get Up & Move is about moving. Walk. Run. Ride your bicycle. Dance. Hell, I don't care. Just pick something and stick with it for the next 90  days. The sense of accomplishment you'll feel at having stuck with whatever you're doing at the end of three months will be incredible. I know this because tomorrow marks my final day of P90X. Woohoo!

I've posted a link to my workout blog above. Join me! Commit to 90 days of some type of movement other than pounding at the keys or clicking your e-reader tab and share your experience.

Feel free to snag the Op Get Up & Move button on the right and spread the word. I'll be posting my results and possibly some pics tomorrow to help motivate me to keep going, and possibly to spur others on.

*I feel like I should post a disclaimer here and say that you should of course make sure your health care provider has given you the all clear to work out. Be smart, peeps!

Hope to see some of you on the 6th!! The more the merrier!

Scorcher Blog Tour Week 5- AJ's Top Man Candy Pick!

SCORCHER BLOG TOUR – WEEK FIVEAJ's TOP MAN CANDY PICK!
Rats. We're almost done. This is the last in the series of Man Candyposts, and in case you need the lowdown here's where we've been so far. OR, youcan just copy these locations and keep them on your desktop. I won't tell, Iswear.Post #1 is here:  http://ajbooks.blogspot.comPost #2 is here:  http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.comPost #3 is here:  http://www.authorsarahgrimm.blogspot.comPost #4 is here:  http://arialburnz.wordpress.comPost #5 is here:  http://www.amielouellen.wordpress.com
Out of all the pictures I found –and let's be real, even though I found a LOT I'm sure I didn't find them ALL –only one guy in particular met every single one of my hero criteria. We allknow him best from his portrayal as a tortured, love struck vampire on Moonlight (where I fell in love with him– along with the rest of the women in America). Now he stars as Steve McGarrett on the newly revamped HawaiiFive-O (dah, dah, dah, dah, dahhh, dahhhhhh….).
Without further ado, and to makeup for humming that annoying theme song all day…I give you…Alex O'Loughlin.
Alex squinting…it's all good.Long hair…soulful sea-green eyes, kiss, kiss those luscious lips…and thatlittle dimple in his chin. YUM-MY!
Alex short hair, bespeckled.Okay…still hot…
Alex frowning…still hot…not tomention the rockin tat (bonus points)
Downright p.o.'ed…still hot…infact, you could say SCORCHING HOT…
Alex, bald with anearring…wait…not a lot of guys can pull that off…
Wet. And please, take all thetime you need to peruse those arms… I've got all day.
Dry.
Shirtless and squinting…(doublebonus points)
Shirtless and brooding…
BrooMore shirtless, just because I'mfeeling cheeky…and my fingers are itchin to pull that string.
Bearded with a smile. He'scompletely scrumptious, don't you think?
Wait…for God's sake bleeding and he still looks hot? Doesthe man HAVE a bad side?
If you've found a bad picture ofAlex (and trust me, I looked at a LOT of Alex pictures), send it my way, will you?Because I haven't found one. He's without a doubt at the top of my romance herolist.
Well, that's it for my Man CandyBlog Post. I hope you've had as much fun perusing the photos as I had findingthem! And before you all go back for another look at David Gandy, or anotherpeek at Josh's cute hiney, remember to leave me a comment, and then stay tunedfor Darlene Fredette as we finish up with week six of our Scorcher Blog Tour!
These folks need to be thanked:photoimagesgallery.blogspot.com, omgalex.tumblr.com, squidoo.com, theberry.com,igossip.com, buzzvee.com, tengossip.com, blog.zap2it.com, wikio.com, justjared.buzznet.com,wetmen.provocateuse.com, ouchpress.com
AJ Nuest lives in northwest Indiana with herloving husband and two beautiful children. She is the author of twocontemporary romance novels.
Visit her on the web at:
http://ajbooks.blogspot.comhttp://www.twitter.com/ajnuestEmail:  ajnuest@yahoo.comFacebook: Tattered Pages http://tinyurl.com/3qvxyn6

Jezebel'sWish Buy Links:The Wild Rose Press:  http://tinyurl.com/446f7r3Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/3b89ogb