Laina Turner's Blog, page 117

Monday Motivation

Because laughing and enjoying simple things such as fun quotes and sayings gets my motivation pumping I think starting off the week with a giggle is just the thing to do!

How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being. 

Oscar Wilde 

Have a great week!

Laina

Download Stilettos & Scoundrels FREE

Follow me at @lturnermolaski

Find me on my Facebook Fan Page Laina Turner

Visit my website www.lainaturner.com

Download my iPhone app

Contest to name the 2013 Holiday Novella

[image error]It’s that time of year again where I am putting the finishing touches on the 2013 holiday novella (short story). I am really excited about this book as it has new characters, Athena & Tristan, and I am writing in the 3rd person instead of the 1st.

This will be the launch of a new series so I need your help to make this title spectacular!

We will be taking name submisisons on the form of comments to this post through Monday November 12th at 5pm EST. We will then compile our fave 3-5 and set up a poll so names can be voted on. We will reveal the name and cover Monday November 18th!

Here is  the blurb…..

Athena Parks has finally met her Mr. Right and is ready to take him home for the holidays until she is unexpectedly dumped by the man of her dreams. But even bad things can have a silver lining and when she literally runs into Tristan West on campus of the law school she teaches at, and upon finding out he is alone for Christmas, on a whim invites him to spend the holidays with her family. She didn’t expect to fall in love again so soon so was it rebound or the real thing? And what was Tristan hiding?

 

Thank you for your help!

Laina

Recipes are a guideline

I will be the first to admit I am not a great cook. I enjoy baking and am pretty good at that but when it comes to regular every day meals, not so much. My kids are used to it and keep their expectations low. My son often says after a botched meal attempt, “that’s ok mom you tried your best” and eating out is always a good back up plan.

However, a friend of mine blames a large portion of my poor cooking skills on my lack of following the directions. Recipes in this case. He noticed me one day making macaroni and cheese, yes out of a box, and when I didn’t actually measure the milk he gasped and the following dialogue ensued:

HIM “What are you doing not measuring that?”

ME “I’m eye balling it?”

HIM “Why would you do that?”

ME “Um, because its mac & cheese. From a box.”

HIM “But how do you know you’ve put in the required 1/4 cup?”

ME “I know it’s close. Who cares its mac & cheese.”

HIM “That’s why your food doesn’t turn out. You don’t measure.”

ME “Whatever. Recipes are just guidelines.”

I won’t bore you with the rest of the details but as you might imagine he was even more upset by that statement.

What about you? Do you follow the recipe exactly?

Laina

I’m Sharing Because I Can

[image error]If it’s good than it’s worth the hard work. Remember sometimes it takes hard work to make it good.

Stilettos & Scoundrels – the book that started it all

No matter how much time goes by or how many books I write, the one that will always be nearest and dearest to my heart is the book that started it all, Stilettos & Scoundrels.

Since the day I decided to follow my childhood dream of being an author this book has been through everything you can imagine. Many title changes, character names, plot changes, 3 different book covers, 4 different editors, and many meltdowns by me to get it to this point which is hundreds of ebook downloads a day and with the audio version just being released on Audible, iTunes, and Amazon a few audio book downloads a day.

It thrills me each time someone downloads my book (and not because of money as the ebook is FREE) to know I have the chance to entertain them and if they like what they read, the chance to keep entertaining them through my subsequent novels. The supportive fans are what have kept me writing even though at times it can be tough. Comments I have received such as this one:

Just wondering when Tiaras & Texans will be released? I’m in need of a Cooper fix haha

Keep me going even when negative comments make me want to stop.

So thank you fans, supporters, and friends with special thanks to my fictional characters for making my life a fun place to be!

If you haven’t yet read Stilettos & Scoundrels it’s available FREE in ebook format on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Kobo, and Smashwords or if you prefer the audio book purchase for $19.99 on Audible or $17.95 on iTunes.

Sign up for my newsletter (sign up box is to the right of this post) to receive notice of what’s coming up along with special deals and freebies!

Stilettos & Scoundrels now on Audible and iTunes

It’s here!! It’s finally here! Stilettos & Scoundrels now available in audio format on Audible and iTunes.

Priced at 19.95 for Audible and 17.95 for iTunes you get 9 hours and 16 minutes of listening pleasure. Scroll down to listen to the first chapter free!

Join my mailing list by Saturday and be entered to win a free Stilettos & Scoundrels audiobook! (you can do this under subscribe to the right of this post)

Gently touching the handle of the front door was all it took to make it swing wide open. It was late, after midnight, and everyone in the house except Tom was asleep. As usual, Tom was in his study working late. Walking carefully and quietly through the foyer, the adrenaline began to kick in. The intruder confidently walked into Tom’s study. Tom was concentrating so hard on the papers in front of him that he was unaware of anything else. Raising his hand, the intruder hit a stack of books sitting on a side table, sending them crashing to the floor. Tom spun around with a look of shock on his face as he recognized the person swinging a sharp object toward him. Tom raised his hands to protect himself but he wasn’t quick enough. The spikey end of the stiletto heel punctured his neck instantly, sending a spray of blood over the papers on his desk. He tried to cry out, but all that sounded was a gurgling noise as his lungs filled with blood.

The intruder set the shoe down next to Tom and backed out of the room softly, closing the door to the study and hoping no one would come looking for Tom until morning.

Listen to a few minutes here.

stilettos and scoundrels chapter 1 – 128

Available FREE in ebook format on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Kobo, and Smashwords or if you prefer the audio book purchase for $19.99 on Audible or $17.95 on iTunes.

Monday Motivation

Because laughing and enjoying simple things such as fun quotes and sayings gets my motivation pumping I think starting off the week with a giggle is just the thing to do!

“If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle: “Take two aspirin” and “Keep away from children”.

Have a great week!

Laina

Download Stilettos & Scoundrels FREE

Follow me at @lturnermolaski

Find me on my Facebook Fan Page Laina Turner

Visit my website www.lainaturner.com

Download my iPhone app

Tattoos and Academics

I don’t talk about it a lot on my blog but my day job is in Higher Education. I always say I am the most unacademic-academic there is. The other day when I received my daily update from The Chronicle of Higher Education there was a great article called The Inked Academic Body. It talked about how 20% of the population has ink and that the traditional thoughts of academics with their tweed jackets and suede elbow patches were slowly losing out to having an academic with tattoos violates social expectations.

I got my first tattoo 20 years ago (yeah, I was like 5:) and now have 4 of them. If I was less of a conformist I would be fully covered but I have always been at odds with what I “should” do versus what I “want” to do. As I get older I care less and less what other people think and realize it’s how I feel about myself that’s important, not what others think of me. I have a MBA and a PhD and my tattoos don’t make those degrees any less worthy. I can be smart and edgy at the same time can’t I?

What would you do if you knew no one would judge?

Laina

 

 

Tatoos and Academics

I don’t talk about it a lot on my blog but my day job is in Higher Education. I always say I am the most unacademic-academic there is. The other day when I received my daily update from The Chronicle of Higher Education there was a great article called The Inked Academic Body. It talked about how 20% of the population has ink and that the traditional thoughts of academics with their tweed jackets and suede elbow patches were slowly losing out to having an academic with tattoos violates social expectations.

I got my first tattoo 20 years ago (yeah, I was like 5:) and now have 4 of them. If I was less of a conformist I would be fully covered but I have always been at odds with what I “should” do versus what I “want” to do. As I get older I care less and less what other people think and realize it’s how I feel about myself that’s important, not what others think of me. I have a MBA and a PhD and my tattoos don’t make those degrees any less worthy. I can be smart and edgy at the same time can’t I?

What would you do if you knew no one would judge?

Laina

 

 

Monday Motivation

Because laughing and enjoying simple things such as fun quotes and sayings gets my motivation pumping I think starting off the week with a giggle is just the thing to do!

 

“When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I’ve never tried before.” Mae West

Have a great week!

Laina

Download Stilettos & Scoundrels FREE

Follow me at @lturnermolaski

Find me on my Facebook Fan Page Laina Turner

Visit my website www.lainaturner.com

Download my iPhone app