Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 53
December 30, 2016
Happy New Year! Almost.... By S.C. Wynne
Hello all!Wow, 2016 raced by. I feel as if I just celebrated the new year and here we are about to break open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate 2017.
I'm not sure why years fly by now when they seemed so slow as a kid. I remember wanting to hurry up and get older just so I didn't have to have shots all the time. It seemed like I was always getting shots as a child. I did have a lot of ear infections as a kid, so maybe that's why.
A lot of people said 2016 was a hard year. It didn't seem any harder than others to me, maybe because for me the last thirteen have seemed quite challenging. Maybe it's just that life is challenging and we would like it to stop being that way? I certainly don't have it figured out.
But I'm hopeful 2017 will be a good year. It will be a huge year for me as far as change. I'm hopeful things will go well and my life will be less stressful and more free time. We shall see. But I truly am a believer in sending positive thoughts out into the universe so that they can come back to me.
Happy New Year to you all! And I'm raising my virtual glass of champagne to you!
S.C.
www.sc-wynne.com
December 29, 2016
Looking Forward by Felice Stevens
We didn't have much luck with 2016, did we?
I know this is the time of year where people write posts on "What I accomplished this past year." Personally, I never liked those posts; I prefer to look ahead to a fresh and new year. This past week sent many of us in the writing world reeling with the unexpected and sudden closure of a once trusted sales outlet and ersatz publisher. But I have no desire to dwell on that either.
So this will be what I hope for in the coming year, 2017 for myself. I want to write the book I've been putting off because of fear. I want to learn more about the business side of this wild and wacky industry that changes on the breath of the wind. If we don't stay two steps ahead, we'll irrevocably fall behind. I want to keep learning about the craft of writing; I never want to stop trying to be better. My favorite quote is from one of my favorite authors, Grace Burrowes: "Writing is easy. Good writing is hard."
I want to be more conscientious about being organized and journaling. I know I joke but I've been caught short and I don't like that feeling.
What I don't want to do is get caught up in the Twitter fires and daily storms that take time away from writing. I've learned that someone is always going to be upset about something.
I want to take the time to thank the people who have made me happiest. First has to be my friend and fellow author Sandra Owens. If not for Sandy, I never would have written. We met on-line, critiqued each other's works and there's no one I trust more. Thanks to my buddies S.c. Wynne and Carroll (C.s.) Poe for always being around to lend a shoulder and an ear. To Josh Lanyon and my Fanyon family of Marilyn, David, Steve, Dianne, Carli and the rest of the gang, you guys make my day, every day. To Riley Hart, thanks for being my friend. And to Cardeno C, I owe more than words can say.
But most of all, I have to thank the readers. Without you there is no journey. I owe you everything. So thanks for sticking with me, buying my books and writing those reviews. You have no idea how much your support, emails and messages mean to me.
So lets usher out 2016 with a kick in the butt, and welcome in a bright and shiny 2017.
DON'T SCREW WITH US PLEASE !
I know this is the time of year where people write posts on "What I accomplished this past year." Personally, I never liked those posts; I prefer to look ahead to a fresh and new year. This past week sent many of us in the writing world reeling with the unexpected and sudden closure of a once trusted sales outlet and ersatz publisher. But I have no desire to dwell on that either.
So this will be what I hope for in the coming year, 2017 for myself. I want to write the book I've been putting off because of fear. I want to learn more about the business side of this wild and wacky industry that changes on the breath of the wind. If we don't stay two steps ahead, we'll irrevocably fall behind. I want to keep learning about the craft of writing; I never want to stop trying to be better. My favorite quote is from one of my favorite authors, Grace Burrowes: "Writing is easy. Good writing is hard."
I want to be more conscientious about being organized and journaling. I know I joke but I've been caught short and I don't like that feeling.
What I don't want to do is get caught up in the Twitter fires and daily storms that take time away from writing. I've learned that someone is always going to be upset about something.
I want to take the time to thank the people who have made me happiest. First has to be my friend and fellow author Sandra Owens. If not for Sandy, I never would have written. We met on-line, critiqued each other's works and there's no one I trust more. Thanks to my buddies S.c. Wynne and Carroll (C.s.) Poe for always being around to lend a shoulder and an ear. To Josh Lanyon and my Fanyon family of Marilyn, David, Steve, Dianne, Carli and the rest of the gang, you guys make my day, every day. To Riley Hart, thanks for being my friend. And to Cardeno C, I owe more than words can say.
But most of all, I have to thank the readers. Without you there is no journey. I owe you everything. So thanks for sticking with me, buying my books and writing those reviews. You have no idea how much your support, emails and messages mean to me.
So lets usher out 2016 with a kick in the butt, and welcome in a bright and shiny 2017.
DON'T SCREW WITH US PLEASE !
December 28, 2016
DARE YOU TO, cover and blurb!
Hello! I have a new cover! Book covers are one of my favorite parts of the process. DARE YOU TO, is the novella that was previously in the anthology, IT WAS ALWAYS YOU. It's being re-relased on it's own on January 5th, for only 99 cents!
I had a blast with Austin and Dare. Also, DARE YOU TO, is a prequel of sorts to the Wild Side series. Book one, GONE FOR YOU, is coming soon!
But...for today...here is Dare!
Austin Thompson spends most of his spare time reading or logging in extra hours at the LGBTQ youth center where he works. His only standing “night out,” if you can call it that, is his weekly movie night with his best friend, Dare Nichols. Between work and Dare, it’s hard to find time for much else, so when he does actually try to date, it ends in disaster.
Dare thrives on living life on the wild side—surfing, mountain biking, sky diving. If it’s extreme, he’s game. Between sports and spending his evenings at his West Hollywood bar, Dare never sees a dull moment. Still, with all that excitement, most of his favorite times are when he’s tucked away in Austin’s apartment. Probably because he’s the only best friend Dare’s ever had.
Then the kiss happens and the men realize they don’t want to stop there. As they explore this new adventure in their relationship, Austin realizes the excitement he’s been looking for has been right there all along, and Dare has to decide if he can conquer his only fear by risking his heart.
Preorder coming soon.
Cover by X-Potion Designs.
I had a blast with Austin and Dare. Also, DARE YOU TO, is a prequel of sorts to the Wild Side series. Book one, GONE FOR YOU, is coming soon!
But...for today...here is Dare!
Austin Thompson spends most of his spare time reading or logging in extra hours at the LGBTQ youth center where he works. His only standing “night out,” if you can call it that, is his weekly movie night with his best friend, Dare Nichols. Between work and Dare, it’s hard to find time for much else, so when he does actually try to date, it ends in disaster.
Dare thrives on living life on the wild side—surfing, mountain biking, sky diving. If it’s extreme, he’s game. Between sports and spending his evenings at his West Hollywood bar, Dare never sees a dull moment. Still, with all that excitement, most of his favorite times are when he’s tucked away in Austin’s apartment. Probably because he’s the only best friend Dare’s ever had.
Then the kiss happens and the men realize they don’t want to stop there. As they explore this new adventure in their relationship, Austin realizes the excitement he’s been looking for has been right there all along, and Dare has to decide if he can conquer his only fear by risking his heart.
Preorder coming soon.
Cover by X-Potion Designs.
December 27, 2016
New Year's Resolutions from BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean
Hey y'all
How can it be the end of the year already? Lord have mercy. Not that I'm sad to see 2016 go, right?
Today we're talking resolutions, and with the way 2016 went firmly in mind, I think we all changed slightly from what we would normally do.
BA Tortuga: I resolve to write about the love that I believe in and resist normalization of the hate and fear-mongering that we all face
Kiernan Kelly: I resolve to continue to write what I want to write and ignore people who tell me I shouldn't because of my plumbing. Also, I resolve to breed miniature unicorns and call them "pocketcorns."
Sean Michael: I don't usually do typical resolutions. But this year I resolve to find as much joy as I can in everything in my life.
Julia Talbot: I resolve to write all the words and love my wife and dogs and fight with every bit of me to keep us all safe and free.
Hope your New Year shines and that we all have a better 2017 despite the obvious challenges.
XXOO
Julia
Sean’s website is http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
Julia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.com BA’s is http://www.batortuga.com
Kiernan's is www.KiernanKelly.com
Facebook:
Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelW...
Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbota...
BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga
Kiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly
December 25, 2016
Merry Christmas! by Christa Tomlinson
It's Christmas! The holiday this year is a lot different for me. To tell you the truth, I don't even know what I did for Christmas last year. I do know I was in a major funk, which means I probably avoided the holiday altogether.You see, I know 2016 has been a heck of a year. But for me personally, 2015 was worse. I had surgery on my knee to repair a torn ACL. I was glad to have it done, but I didn't realize how much it would effect me having two major surgeries in three years (I broke my ankle in 2012). I was bummed that I'd have to take time off from playing roller derby, but also frustrated that I had to go through the whole physical therapy rigmarole again to be able to walk normally.
I was also struggling in my writing. I'd hit that place where I was scared of success and scared of failure. And I was working a day job that made it difficult to write. All of that added together had me withdrawing into the tiniest of hermit crab shells.
This year is different. Although I am stressed about a few things, I'm not letting that stop me from connecting with friends and family. It took me a while, but I realized that withdrawing and trying to struggle through on my own isn't healthy. Family and friends are there to help, even if they don't realize they're doing so. Just being in their presence, talking to them and sharing bits of my life helps my mind and my heart. So this year, I'm home in St. Louis to celebrate Christmas.
The holidays can be hard! I understand that all too well. If you're having a rough time this year, my wish is that you find love and peace, whether it's with friends, family or snuggled up on your own with a good book. And speaking of reading, I have a free Christmas short on my site. It's titled O' Christmas Tree, and I hope you enjoy it.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads
View my titles on Amazon
December 23, 2016
Holiday Recipe Traditions By S.C. Wynne
Hello, all!
Do you have specific foods and decorations you use every year? Or are you one of those people who like to try new things each year?
In my family we tend to always do the same recipes for holidays and I've decided that's how I like it. If you think about it, you really only get to eat those favorite foods maybe two times a year. We usually have the same Turkey, stuffing and mash potatoes meal at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Who doesn't want to eat their favorite foods two times a year? If it isn't broke, right? :)
One of my sisters likes to mix it up and try different recipes and I fear she tends to get a lot of "I wish it was like always." kind of comments. lol. But I have to give her credit for being adventurous. Her and her husband will eat stinky cheese and fancy foods that me and my other sister will turn up our noses at. Nachos is one of me and my other sister's favorite foods. And I don't mean fancy nachos with meat and stuff, oh no, I mean cheapo nachos with nacho cheese sauce!
Do you have any favorite recipes? Do you like stuffing with the giblets in it or not? I'm firmly in the not category. Big surprise, right?
S.C.
www.sc-wynne.com
Do you have specific foods and decorations you use every year? Or are you one of those people who like to try new things each year?
In my family we tend to always do the same recipes for holidays and I've decided that's how I like it. If you think about it, you really only get to eat those favorite foods maybe two times a year. We usually have the same Turkey, stuffing and mash potatoes meal at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Who doesn't want to eat their favorite foods two times a year? If it isn't broke, right? :)
One of my sisters likes to mix it up and try different recipes and I fear she tends to get a lot of "I wish it was like always." kind of comments. lol. But I have to give her credit for being adventurous. Her and her husband will eat stinky cheese and fancy foods that me and my other sister will turn up our noses at. Nachos is one of me and my other sister's favorite foods. And I don't mean fancy nachos with meat and stuff, oh no, I mean cheapo nachos with nacho cheese sauce!
Do you have any favorite recipes? Do you like stuffing with the giblets in it or not? I'm firmly in the not category. Big surprise, right?
S.C.
www.sc-wynne.com
December 21, 2016
Holiday Traditions by Riley Hart
Can you believe it's almost the end of December 2016? I swear I don't know where the time goes. It feels like I was just saying, can you believe it's January 2016?? LOL.
This has been a tough year for a lot of us. This is usually my favorite time of the year. I go all out with decorating and love shopping and want to listen to Christmas music. This year I've felt very "bah Humbug" and it's made me sad. I just can't get into it the way I usually do. I'm working hard to get myself out of my funk. I'd love it if you would share some of your holiday traditions with me. What do you look forward to the most this time of year? Do you have a favorite holiday memory from the past?
I hope you all have a happy holiday!
Riley
This has been a tough year for a lot of us. This is usually my favorite time of the year. I go all out with decorating and love shopping and want to listen to Christmas music. This year I've felt very "bah Humbug" and it's made me sad. I just can't get into it the way I usually do. I'm working hard to get myself out of my funk. I'd love it if you would share some of your holiday traditions with me. What do you look forward to the most this time of year? Do you have a favorite holiday memory from the past?
I hope you all have a happy holiday!
Riley
December 20, 2016
Holiday Wishes from BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean
Happy Holiday Season from BA, Julia, Kiernan, and Sean.
Look for more hijinks next week along with all our links and such.
XXOO
Julia
December 18, 2016
Nominations and a Dilemma by Christa Tomlinson
I’ve been nominated for two awards in the M/M RomanceGoodreads Members Choice awards! I’m so happy. The Detective’s Pleasure was nominated for best BDSM, and Showing Him the Ropes was nominated for Best Athletes/Coaches. Yes! I don’t expect to win at all, but knowing that readers enjoyed those stories enough to nominate them in a Best category makes me all scrunchy-faced happy. Thank you, Readers!
But. Oh, but. Knowing that there are readers who enjoyed Showing Him the Ropes so much puts me in quite the pickle. You see, as much as I loved that story, I have to admit that it didn’t do very well. In fact, it did so poorly in sales that I was big, tearful anime eyes sad. Which leaves me with a dilemma.
I’d originally planned for Chance and Devin’s story to be the first in a series set in the world of professional wrestling. But with the reception so poor, I’d hate to spend the time and money taking it any further. But (so many buts) I’d also hate to disappoint readers who were actually happy to read a story in a setting that they enjoy. If I wrote for a publisher, the series would be killed dead. But I don’t. That means I have to make the decision on my own. Waaaah!
I want to fight for the series. Make some improvements to Ropes and the subsequent novels and give it another go. But I also have to make smart business decisions. Sigh… We’ll see. I’ll at least do one more story to wrap up the mini cliff hanger. Partly because I loved the Showing Him the Ropes, but mostly as a thank you to all the readers who loved it and nominated it. I love you guys!
Whatever happens with the series, I'm super duper happy that I took the risk and wrote about professional wrestling, which I love. And I fell so in love with Ryan and Sam, Ryan in particular, that them receiving a nomination is the cherry on an already awesome sundae. So thank you again for the nominations!
P.S. To celebrate, I’ve put both The Detective's Pleasure and Showing Him the Ropes on sale for .99 on Amazon, B&N, ARe, and Kobo. If you haven’t read them, now’s your chance. And if you enjoy them and are a member of the M/M Romance group, I’d love to have your vote.
Thanks for reading!
Christa www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads
View my titles on Amazon
December 15, 2016
Cover Reveal-Please Don't Go by Felice Stevens
Up next for me is the release of my story from the It Was Always You Anthology. It has been expanded a bit to almost 24,000 words and I'll be putting it on sale for 99 cents. I love Danny and Paul's story and hope you'll enjoy the little bit more I added to their Happily Ever After.
In case you haven't read it, this is the blurb:
Danny Friedman knows all about loss. His father left to start a new family and now that his mother passed away, he's even more certain love is only temporary. People always disappoint him in the end, a lesson he learned years ago when his summer camp best friend and secret crush disappeared without a trace, never to be heard from again. Until now.
Fifteen years ago, Paul Merola left everything behind when he ran away with his mother to escape his abusive father. He lived life on the run for years, but never forgot his best friend Danny. When his job transfers him to the New York City office, the past collides with the present, as Paul finds himself face to face with Danny, who works there as well. To Paul's dismay, a reluctant Danny makes it clear he has little desire to rekindle their friendship.
Despite Danny's desire to learn what happened all hose years ago, he refuses to fall victim to Paul's charm, fearing he's being used to get ahead. Paul, finally secure enough to stay and put down roots, must convince Danny that there is more to them than a broken promise. Not only does he want to be friends again, he wants love. He wants forever. And he wants it all with Danny.
The cover is by Reese Dante:
Happy Shopping and I'll see you next week!
In case you haven't read it, this is the blurb:
Danny Friedman knows all about loss. His father left to start a new family and now that his mother passed away, he's even more certain love is only temporary. People always disappoint him in the end, a lesson he learned years ago when his summer camp best friend and secret crush disappeared without a trace, never to be heard from again. Until now.
Fifteen years ago, Paul Merola left everything behind when he ran away with his mother to escape his abusive father. He lived life on the run for years, but never forgot his best friend Danny. When his job transfers him to the New York City office, the past collides with the present, as Paul finds himself face to face with Danny, who works there as well. To Paul's dismay, a reluctant Danny makes it clear he has little desire to rekindle their friendship.
Despite Danny's desire to learn what happened all hose years ago, he refuses to fall victim to Paul's charm, fearing he's being used to get ahead. Paul, finally secure enough to stay and put down roots, must convince Danny that there is more to them than a broken promise. Not only does he want to be friends again, he wants love. He wants forever. And he wants it all with Danny.
The cover is by Reese Dante:
Happy Shopping and I'll see you next week!
