Kimberly Kinrade's Blog, page 10
June 10, 2013
Hayle Coven Novella Blog Tour & Kindle Fire Giveaway!
[image error]Welcome to the Hayle Coven Novella Blog Tour for award-winning author Patti Larsen. Join us each day for a new chapter in the Hayle Coven prequel novella, Dreams and Echoes and enter to win a Kindle Fire! (Or equivalent gift card.) Be amongst the first to read this brand new edition to the 20 (now 21!) book series that will conclude with The Last Call this July, and find out why fans are raving about the Hayle Coven series.
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Chapter 1
I loved the smell of the ocean, the crashing sound of the waves as they hit the pier with frothing, white enthusiasm. It had been years since we’d moved to a town with water for a back yard, so when Mom told me we’d be staying a while in Sable, New Jersey, I crossed my fingers, toes and every other body part, begging the elements to just make it so.
Our last town hadn’t been anything to write about in my diary, mostly dull, quiet and all kinds of hum blah drum. That was, until a long-forgotten artifact came to life and tried to kill my little sister.
Mom was a bit temperamental when it came to Meira. Especially when the eight-year-old half-demon girl’s life was in danger. Come to think of it, I felt the same way. The fact it had been my fault the little box I’d bought at the neighbor’s yard sale turned out to be possessed by the spirit of a dark witch really didn’t help matters.
The resulting brouhaha left our house in shambles, the neighborhood on high alert and our coven running for the hills in the middle of the night.
Again.
I winced as I leaned over the wooden rail and looked down at the white-capped water. Mom did her best to put out the fires that cropped up from the battle, but the local fire department had been busy.
What was it about our family we couldn’t just be freaking normal already? My stomach crawled with tension, ruining my happy seaside moment. My sneakers thudded hollowly on the boards, finally turning to the crunch of gravel as I crossed onto the asphalt path at landfall. Everything always had to be such a drama-soaked collapse into complete disaster.
According to the sullen whispers of the rest of the family, life hadn’t always been like this. In fact, from what I could find out, it seemed we’d managed, at one point, to stay put for decades at a time all hunky dory, nothing to see here, life was a rainbow of light and pure happiness.
Until I came along.
I knew they blamed me for every move. My toe impacted a chunk of loose pavement and sent it scurrying as my mood dropped into familiar darkness. No matter what the cause, our moves always seemed to come back to me somehow.
And, to be honest, though I felt like their accusations were unfair, I also had a horrible feeling they were right. That I was some kind of trouble magnet.
Me, who only ever wanted to be ordinary in a family of insanity and magic.
Bummed out by my train of thought, no longer enraptured by the scent of salt, the warmth of the early summer sun on the Jersey shoreline, or the sight of the quaint little ocean town, I just wanted to go home and curl up under the covers. Forget everything and hide so the family could stay put a while.
The image of me, old and gray, living in the basement, smelling of mold and withered from neglect made me shudder. Maybe the coven would prefer such a scenario, but I couldn’t change who I was.
Or pretend I was someone else.
Sydlynn. Mom’s mental voice touched my mind along with the soft caress of her power, the family’s magic whispering happily to me.
My stomach churned. Yeah? I hated using my power, even if it was only to talk to her in my head. I’d tried to convince Mom to use a cell phone, but she was as hopelessly inept with technology as I was with magic.
Dinner will be ready soon, she sent with a hint of irritation at my pert reply.
Yeah. Really, Syd? You had to prod her when she was already pissed, didn’t you?
Idiot.
Now, Syd. Mom’s magic cut off abruptly, leaving me with goosebumps and a queasy stomach. I didn’t know why, but any use of power made me feel physically sick. Naturally, Mom and the others thought it was all in my head, that I was just being stubborn, but I knew better.
I wasn’t supposed to be a witch.
I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans and, head drooping, plodded for home. A pair of giggling girls passed me, carrying ice cream cones, the smell of the waffle mix drifting out from the open door of a little shop. I glanced up and froze in my tracks.
The “help wanted” sign wasn’t much to look at, but it gave me a happy quiver to replace my melancholy mood. Perfect, right? What could be more normal—and keep me away from the coven—than a summer job?
I didn’t need to work. Mom gave me more than a generous allowance and, thanks to years of wealth management, the coven had access to the income of a small country. But it wasn’t the cash which interested me.
If I had a job, a real job with normal people, I’d have co-workers. Who could possibly—maybe, hopefully, please that would be awesome—become friends.
Real friends. Sigh. My magic seemed to act like relationship repellent, driving normals away from me most times, leaving me alone and increasingly bitter about my situation. Without any witches close to my age in the coven, I’d spent most of my life with just my little sister for companionship.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved Meira. But there were lots of kids her age growing up in our family. And with our eight-year age gap, it was hard to talk to her about things bothering me without feeling like I was punking on her childhood.
A job. My mind sang with the happy possibilities.
Now, to convince Mom.
I found her in our new kitchen, dishing up casserole onto plates while Meira set the table with magic. No way had Mom cooked. Had to be an offering from one of the more domesticated coven members. The smell of chicken and spices made my mouth water as I helped my sister finish the job.
My furry, silver Persian, Sassafras, leaped onto the table at his place setting, amber eyes watching me as I set a dish of fresh tuna in front of him, a bowl of cold water beside it.
“You smell like the ocean,” he said.
I grinned at the demon boy stuffed into the body of a cat and stroked his fur, eliciting a heavy purr. “I really like it here.” I turned to Mom and found her smiling, too.
“I’m happy to hear it,” she said, her long, black curls bouncing as she bent to kiss the top of my cat’s head. Sass purred at her before diving into his tuna.
“There’s a great park about three blocks from here,” Meira said around a mouthful of noodles, her red-tinted skin glowing with excitement. Tiny black horns peeked from hair matching my mother’s, though my sister’s eyes were the same shining amber as Sassafras’s. “Maybe you can teach me to play soccer.”
Thinking about my favorite sport, the only thing I was ever good at, crushed my mood all over again. I’d already checked to see if the summer league would accept new players, but no one was interested in having me on their team.
Just another reason to hate who I was.
“Sure, Meems,” I said, toying with my food while Mom sighed.
Meira gobbled her dinner before running off to play with her friends, a quick kiss for first Sass, then me and finally our mother as she dashed away. Mom rose a short time later, walking to the counter to dish up another serving.
She’d be disappearing shortly, off to take food to my grandmother, and I’d lose the chance I had to ask her what I really wanted to ask. But the words stuck in my throat so long Mom had already walked past me, a glass of milk and more steaming casserole on a plate, before I managed to speak.
“I want to get a job.” Blurting was one of my fortes. Mom stopped, turned to stare at me, a frown creasing her gorgeous face. She was the picture of traditional beauty, could easily have been a model or actress, skin smooth and creamy. But the line between her brows had become more noticeable over the years, and I knew I was to blame for it.
Sassafras snorted, swiping one paw over his nose several times before his tongue wet it again. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “What do you need a job for? The family provides anything you could ever need or want.”
Mom didn’t say anything, just stood there and waited for my answer while I mentally grumbled.
Not everything.
“I can’t just sit around the house all summer,” I said. “No soccer, no friends. For once, I’d like to actually have fun for a change.”
My whiny attitude rarely got me anywhere and, though I kicked myself for being such a bratski, I watched Mom’s hesitation with growing hope.
“Sweetheart,” she said, “you’d be interacting with normals.”
“I know,” I said, doing my best to compress my excitement into something she wouldn’t see as a source of anxiety. She hated the fact I wanted out of the coven. Just as much as I hated having to stay.
Just until I was eighteen. She promised. At least a job would give me some real life experience with normals, in prep for my future.
“Perhaps it is a good idea.” Sassafras fixed me with his piercing cat gaze. He never told me—or any other Hayle witch, as far as I knew—exactly why he’d been banished to our plane and trapped in the body of a fat Persian. I could only imagine his past was way worse than mine, so he really didn’t get to judge me. Though that didn’t stop him, did it?
Mom’s brilliant blue eyes fixed on him, cheeks bright with two points of pink. “It is?” She sounded breathless, a little sad.
Why did wanting my freedom have to hurt my mom?
“It will be an opportunity for Sydlynn to see what the real world is like.” His chuckle rang evil. “How difficult life is without magic.” He leaned toward me, fluffy tail thrashing once before wrapping around his paws in a cloud of silver fur. “Finally shake some sense into her.”
Mom’s full lips pursed as she considered. I had no doubt Sassafras had every intention for me to suffer. But I had a feeling I was going to love it despite him.
Couldn’t wait to find out.
Mom finally sighed and nodded once. “Very well,” she said. Poked me with magic when I squealed and leaped from my seat to hug her. “But you must listen to me, Sydlynn Thaddea Hayle.” I hated it when she used all three of my names, knowing it meant trouble, but not really caring this time since I was getting my way. “You will keep your magic under very tight wraps. I do not want to have to move this family because you refuse to learn to control your power.”
Way to blame me like the rest of the coven, Mom. But I nodded anyway, hugged her quickly, then turned and dashed out the door before she could change her mind.
I was getting a job.
How normal was that?
***
Get the first book in the Hayle Coven Series, Family Magic, on sale now for just 99cents on Amazon!
About Patti Larsen
[image error]Sign up at http://bit.ly/pattilarsenemail to be the first to know when a new book comes out! No spam, just new releases 
My official bio reads like this: Patti Larsen is an award-winning middle grade and young adult author with a passion for the paranormal. But that sounds so freaking formal, doesn’t it? I’m a storyteller who hears teenager’s voices so loud I have to write them down. I love sports even though they don’t love me. I’ve dabbled in everything from improv theater to film making and writing TV shows, singing in an all girl band to running my own hair salon.
But always, always, writing books calls me home.
I’ve had my sights set on world literary domination for a while now. Which means getting my books out there, to you, my darling readers. It’s the coolest thing ever, this job of mine, being able to tell stories I love, only to see them all shiny and happy in your hands… thank you for reading.
As for the rest of it, I’m short (permanent), slightly round (changeable) and blonde (for ever and ever). I love to talk one on one about the deepest topics and can’t seem to stop seeing the big picture. I happily live on Prince Edward Island, Canada, home to Anne of Green Gables and the most beautiful red beaches in the world, with my very patient husband and four massive cats.
Connect with Patti:
Facebook, Twitter, Website, Newsletter
Follow the tour and get a chapter a day!
Hayle Coven Novella Blog Tour List
Dreams and Echoes by Patti Larsen
June 10: Chapter 1- Kimberly Kinrade, Author
June 11: Chapter 2- Reviews by Crystal
June 12: Chapter 3- Le’ Book Squirrel
June 13: Chapter 4- Author Ellie Potts
June 14: Chapter 5- Herding Cats & Burning Soup
June 17: Chapter 6- Room With Books
June 18: Chapter 7- My Life With Books and Boys
June 19: Chapter 8- Mama’s Reading Break
June 20: Chapter 9- Paws and Print
June 21: Chapter 10- Patti Larsen, Author
Enter the giveaway to win a Kindle Fire or equivalent Amazon GC!
June 3, 2013
W*N a signed hardback copy of The Forbidden Trilogy by @KimberlyKinrade
And we have a lot to celebrate. Seduced by Innocence, book 1 in Rose’s Trilogy, is now FREE everywhere ebooks are sold. So if you haven’t had a chance to meet Rose and her sexy martial arts expert/shifter/Druid, now’s your chance! Seduced by Innocence became an Amazon #1 bestseller in its category within a month of launching, as did the sequels Seduced by Pain and Seduced by Power. For awhile there, they were all competing for that #1 spot! Now, Seduced: Rose’s Trilogy is available on Amazon. Not only do you get all three books together, but you save money on the set! Pick up your copy here, and watch for it on all other ebook retails sites this month.
For those who don’t know, the Seduced Saga is a spin-off series from The Forbidden Trilogy, so in Seduced by Pain you’ll meet some familiar characters! (Or, if you found me through the Seduced Saga, then The Forbidden Trilogy is your chance to read the backstory of what happened with Sam, Drake and the Rent-A-Kids.)
Next week, we’ll be launching Kiss Me in Paris, so stay tuned for more giveaways and join us on Facebook for a party!
Okay, with all the announcements out of the way, let’s get to the giveaway, shall we?
Scroll down and enter to win a signed hardback of The Forbidden Trilogy, my award-winning paranormal sci-fi romantic adventure that fans are raving about.
“A thrilling, dark and deeply romantic read.” ~ Refracted Light Young Adult Book Reviews
“THE best trilogy I have read EVER since The Hunger Games!” ~ Sharon Hughes
“The plot is very ALIAS and DARK ANGEL-like with X-MEN as its backdrop (awesome combo!).” ~ Sour Skittles Book Blog
“Kinrade’s talent lies in weaving stories together, telling multiple points of view with clarity and precision while making you love her characters through their humanity and unwillingness to quit no matter what.” ~Patti Larsen, Author
Those inside are special, gifted with unique abilities, abilities that make them dangerous to the outside world. Since childhood, they’re trained to control their powers, to show restraint, and to defend themselves. For years they practice, honing their gifts for one purpose: to be rented out to the highest bidder as a spy, to be used as a weapon against others.
Sam never questions her role at the secret organization dubbed Rent-A-Kid.
Until she meets Drake.
She reads minds. He controls minds. Together, they might get out alive.
THIS SPECIAL EDITION INCLUDES:
*Award-Winning Book #1 – Forbidden Mind
*Book #2 – Forbidden Fire
*Book #3 – Forbidden Life
*In-Depth Q&A with Author Kimberly Kinrade
*Extensive Bonus Content
Enter today for your chance to win! And don’t forget to comment here for an extra entry. If you could have any paranormal ability, what would it be and why?
April 15, 2013
We live in a world of bombs and blessings
[image error]We live in a world of bombs and blessings. Of pain and pleasure. Of terror and joy.
We live in a world where people can cut each other’s hearts out, and we live in a world where people can give everything they have to save a stranger.
Sometimes I don’t know how to hold both versions of this world in my hands.
Sometimes I don’t know how to live in a world where both the worst of humanity and the best of humanity can coexist.
Two weeks ago, our family suffered a painful experience at the hands of someone we thought was safe. The next day, we took our children to see the movie The Croods, about a cave family whose patriarch kept them in darkness and fear for their own safety.
When the teenage daughter meets a boy who follows the light to ‘ride the sun to Tomorrow’, the whole family begins to question their lifestyle. Sure, it’s kept them safe, but at what cost?
It was a lesson I needed then, and one I need again today, in light of the recent tragic bombings in Boston.
It’s tempting to hide in the cave in the dark, cowering in fear of a world full of danger.
It’s tempting to want to lock our children in their rooms and never let them leave, because when they leave our arms they are at risk.
People can hurt them.
Bombs explode.
People make bad, horrible, unforgivable choices.
And yet, that is just the shadow side of humanity. The dark side.
And when it’s darkest, that is when the light shines brightest.
I’ve read accounts of what happened in Boston today, and while I don’t know a lot about what happened or why, I know this:
People rallied to help, running TOWARD danger.
People gave away coats to the runners, money to those who needed it, their cell phones to those trying to reach family and friends.
Strangers held hands.
The good, beautiful, courageous side of humanity shone bright through the hazy smoke-filled streets.
And two weeks ago I learned something else important. I’ve raised my kids to be strong, to stand up for themselves and protect themselves. I’ve raised them to come to me when something bad happens.
And because of that, I haven’t raised victims. I’ve raised strong girls who aren’t afraid to live in the light and follow the sun to Tomorrow.
I don’t know if Tomorrow will be better than Today, but I know that living in the light is better than living in the darkness.
I know that the brightest parts of humanity cannot be killed off by the shadows lurking in the corners of life.
I know that the people of Boston are strong, that the people in this country are strong, and that worldwide, humans have something rare and precious and worth fighting for.
We have love.
We have light.
We have hope.
May we never lose that.
My heart goes out to those injured today, and the friends and family of those who lost their lives.
April 1, 2013
How to Choose a Book When You Have Anxiety
Today I’d like to welcome Ryan Rivera to my blog to talk about books and how to choose a book when you suffer from anxiety.
How to Choose a Book When You Have Anxiety
by Ryan Rivera
[image error]If you’re an avid reader – and you should be since reading is both FUN and demental – then you likely look for books that match what you believe your ideal book is. Whether it’s a Booker Prize winner, and erotic sci-fi novel, or a true story of a talking purple flamingo, you base your decisions on the books you’ve read in the past, your ideal “great book,” and recommendations from others.
For better or worse, when you have anxiety, you may need to veer away from the books you’ve traditionally enjoyed. At the very least, you may need to pay more attention to how you choose your novels in order to ensure that you’re not fueling your anxiety.
Healthy and Unhealthy Distractions
Mental distractions play an important role in dealing with stress and anxiety. When you have these conditions, your brain is your enemy. As much as you may feel you want to be alone with your own thoughts, there are rarely any thoughts you’d have with anxiety that will help you cure it. Experts and talking parrots that live in the homes of experts know that finding emotionally healthy ways to distract your mind can actually help you cope, because it allows you to overcome stress without “overthinking.”
Reading represents a healthy distraction. But it’s only a healthy distraction if you read the right types of books. Unfortunately, just because it’s a mental exercise does not immediately mean that it is going to provide you with what you need to assist in your stress reduction. Ideally, consider the following guidelines for choosing a book when you live with anxiety:
Happy Endings – This is priority number one. Many, many books these days have unhappy endings. Tragedies are a part of not only Japanese literature and Shakespeare, but also the average novel that you read on a daily basis. You need a happy ending though, because to combat anxiety you need to feel upbeat and uplifting when you finish the book. These emotions are important for finding happiness in yourself.
Anxiety/Thriller/Horror/Violence – You should also pay attention to what emotions you feel when you read. Anxiety is a cumulative condition, with fear and anxiety sharing the same emotional reaction. Those that experience more stress in any area of their life are more likely to experience stress and anxiety in another. Even with a happy ending, if some part of the story causes you significant stress or anxiety (since remember, you’re not going to finish it all in one day), you’re potentially setting yourself up for an increase in anxiety symptoms.
Optional Humor/Excitement – That said, excitement is still to your advantage. If your “anxiety” from reading is more excitement over the hero or heroine’s journey, that’s excellent. That’s a healthy type of energy, much like hiking up a tough mountain or skydiving. Humor is also extremely powerful, so if there is humor in your book that is even better.
Mental Use – The book should also be challenging to your mind in some way. That doesn’t mean it needs to be a difficult book to read and understand or be filled with imagery. It just means that you need to be thinking – whether it’s vividly imagining the amazing journey of the hero or pondering some incredibly interesting questions the book brings up in your mind, mental considerations are very important.
Ideally, you need to read books whose emotions you’ll feel both while you read and after it’s over represent the way you want to feel. Books that cause you to feel sad, scared, disappointed, or discouraged are going to frustrate your anxiety further, and possibly make it harder for you to find that stress coping tool you need. Upbeat books with great endings that are exciting but not frightening, on the other hand, are a great tool for finding some mental anxiety relief.
About the Author: Ryan Rivera is an avid reader and terrible writer that contributes to a website with tips to overcome anxiety at www.calmclinic.com.
March 30, 2013
A green drink to celebrate Easter?
My family and I are committed to improving our health with different eating habits than we’ve had. We’ve eliminated all sugar, using only honey for sweetener, all gluten (preferring instead almond flour and sometimes coconut flour), and all processed foods. It’s been a challenge, especially during the holidays when it seems we celebrate every important day with copious amounts of junk food. Of all of us, our 7 year old genius has been most faithful to our new eating habits, but then she has a lot of food allergies and is used to being different.
So, this year, we’re all doing things differently. In search for a new way to incorporate fruits and veggies (particularly greens) into our diets, I found this recipe for the Glowing Green Smoothie created by Kimberly Snyder.
What do you think? A new way to celebrate spring? What better way to honor the renewing of life then with something that will revitalize our own life and bodies?
I know my writing and life would happen more smoothly if I incorporated something like this into my diet. I’d have more energy, get more done and of better quality, all the while having more time with my kids and husband. I’d love that! But it’s hard to make even the simplest of changes to our diets, sometimes, isn’t it? It takes a lot of determination to change the way we relate to food.
But maybe instead of focusing on what we can’t have, we should focus on giving our bodies what they need to be strong, energetic and healthy. Once our body knows its needs are met, we’ll have fewer cravings for junk ‘filler’ food.
If you try it, let me know what you think!
Courtesy of: Kimberly Snyder
March 19, 2013
Rose’s Trilogy is complete! Seduced by Power is NOW AVAILABLE.
I know a lot of you are as excited about Rose and Derek’s love story as I am, and that makes me so happy. I love getting emails and messages about how the Seduced Saga is impacting you.
I’m excited to announce that the final book in Rose’s Trilogy is NOW AVAILABLE.
“Sexy, sweet, suspenseful! The story line is great, the sexy scenes are honest, and the characters are wonderfully conflicted. Kimberly Kinrade knows how to tell a story and weave it together flawlessly.” ~Jennifer Novotny “Irelynkiss”
“An intriguing paranormal twist of a Romeo and Juliette story. I was hooked within the first few pages.” ~ Josette Schaber “Josette Evanlea”
“True love at its finest.” ~Stephanie Mayfield
SEDUCED BY POWER (Book 3 of Rose’s Trilogy)
[image error]Forbidden passions.
Deadly secrets.
A love that will stand against it all.
In Seduced by Power, the final book in Rose’s Trilogy, Rose and Derek face the greatest threat to their love, and lives, as they are forced to make painful choices to save those they love the most.
They give everything they have to end the battle against Rose’s mother and retrieve that which was stolen from them. But will it be enough to save them?
Get it on Amazon today!
Need to get caught up in the series? Seduced by Innocence and Seduced by Pain are each only 99cents on Amazon through Thursday to celebrate the launch. Go grab your copies while they’re on sale!
Get caught up and read SEDUCED BY INNOCENCE (Book 1) today: http://amzn.to/VFrtrA
Get caught up and read SEDUCED BY PAIN (Book 2) now: http://bit.ly/sbypback
Get your copy of SEDUCED BY POWER (Book 3) now: http://amzn.to/XnIm5P
What’s NEXT?
Big stuff, I tell you! Look for the first in an exciting new series, the Kiss Me Series. Follow[image error] the Deveaux sisters as they travel the world finding love–and trouble–in all the right places. I’m co-authing this series with my sexy Russian Prince, Dmytry Karpov, so you’re in for even more romantic adventures in this new adult contemporary romance series.
The first book, KISS ME IN PARIS, will be available late this month or next month (TBA). Want a free copy? We’re looking for people willing to give an honest review on Amazon and B&N in exchange for a free ebook copy. Sign up here>> FREE ARC of Kiss Me in Paris
And watch for WANDERLUST, a spin off series to the Kiss Me series.
[image error]Daring Deveaux is a world-travelling writer who lost her roots when her parents died 10 years ago. She doesn’t believe in much that she can’t see with her own two eyes, so when she has the chance to not only make her career, but discredit a British ghost hunting quack in the process, she jumps on it.
She didn’t anticipate falling for the guy… and she certainly didn’t expect to start believing in his work.
Will Daring destroy her career to save the man she’s grown to love, or will she let her wanderlust and career pull her from the first real thing in her life?
Find out this Spring!
Now for giveaways! Enter here to win a signed copy of Seduced by Innocence and a custom made rose pendant inspired by the book!
March 13, 2013
Tell us your epic love story and enter to w*n a signed copy of Kiss Me in Paris!
[image error]I’m a big believer in happily ever afters and true love. If you’re a fan of mine, you likely already know that!
When I moved from writing young adult novels with romance on the side, to new adult novels with romance as the main course, I had no idea how much fun it would be and how much my fans would love it. These last few months have been amazing with the Seduced Saga, and I cannot wait to launch Kiss Me in Paris, co-authored with my sexy husband Dmytry Karpov, by early April.
With all this love in the air, it was a natural extension of my work to write a short story for my parents’ wedding anniversary about how they met and fell in love. I’d heard stories about it, and secretly interviewed my dad, then presented Only Forever to them. Not wanting to waste a good love story, I also published it.
Holy cow! I’ve been blown away by the response to this short story. In less than a month it’s had almost 13,000 free downloads and over 1,100 sales, plus hundreds of borrows on KDP Select. People really dig the romance.
Inspired by this, my husband and I have come up with something we think is going to be a lot of fun. We’re on a quest to find more true life love stories. Once we find at least 10 solid stories, we’ll start publishing them as individual short stories–first releasing them to our subscribers over at A Gathering of Tales, then making them available for sale to the public. Once all the stories are written, we’ll put them in a collection that will be published in ebook and print.
Here’s where you come in. We want real stories from real people. We want your stories. So this is what we’re doing: leave a comment with your version of your epic love story. All comments will be entered to win a signed copy of our new adult romance novel, Kiss Me in Paris, when it launches.
We’ll pick the top 10-15 ideas and contact those people with a Q&A for more details, then we’ll write a fictionalized version of that story for publication. The person who inspires the story will get a free ecopy of both the short story and the collection, as well as a signed print copy of the collection when it’s published. They’ll also get their love story immortalized for all of eternity.
For an example of the kind of story we’re going to write, read Only Forever, available on Kindle. If you absolutely can’t afford 99cents for this story, or don’t read on kindle, email me through my contact page and let me know if you want the epub or mobi and I’ll send it to you.
All stories will be between 4-6,000 words, and none will contain any explicit sexual content. I know you probably have a lot of questions, so here are some answers:
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: I’m an author and want to write the story myself. Can I do that?
A: Of course you can write your own story, but that’s not what we’re looking for in this collection. Theses stories will be inspired by real stories, but written by myself and Dmytry Karpov. The person submitting the story will be given credit for the story, if they wish to be named, but all rights to this particular version of the story will belong to Daring Books, LLC.
Q: If you choose my story, will you own it forever? Will I ever be able to write my own version of my love story?
A: We will only own the copyright to the story we write. You will still own the essence of your story and can write it yourself whenever and however you’d like. But the version we write in our words will belong to us and may not be reproduced in any way without written permission from us.
Q: I have the most amazing story ever. Will you tell it exactly as it happened? And will I get to approve the story before it goes to print?
A: This will be a fictionalized version of your story, and facts and situations may be changed to add to the story. You will not get to approve the story before it is published. Part of the contract will stipulate that we have the right to take the idea of your romance and tell it as we see fit for the short story. We will always strive to stay true to the intention and heart of your love story. As my parents said of theirs: “90% of the facts are true, and 100% of the emotions are true.”
Q: I want you to tell my story, but I don’t/do want our real names used.
A: You will have the right to determine if we use your real names or not. However, we will change other names in the story unless we have written permission by those people to use their real names for this purpose. If you want us to use made up names for everyone, we can do that, too.
Q: I’m in a loving partnership, but we’re not married. AND/OR we’re gay.
A: We don’t care. Love is love and we want to tell stories of love. Homosexual, heterosexual, married or just in love, we want them all.
Please note: All stories will be in the collection. If you do not wish your love story to appear in a collection with other love stories from different backgrounds, please do not enter. Your story is yours, and inclusion in this collection is not an endorsement of anyone else’s lifestyle, but we reserve the right to have any and all types of relationships represented in this collection as long as it’s a legal and consenting relationship between adults. There will be no sexually explicit content.
Q: How will you pick the ones to use?
A: This is highly subjective. Ultimately, it comes down to the voices in our heads and what they tell us to do. But your story must have some conflict/resolution, otherwise there’s no real hook or story, so we will be looking for that. In my parents’ story, my mom was newly single with two young children (me and my brother) and my dad was engaged when they met and fell in love. Talk about conflict!
Q: What do I need to do to enter?
A: Leave a comment below telling us a brief version of your love story. If you’re chosen, we’ll email you with an in depth Q&A to answer.
Q: When will we know if we’ve been chosen?
A: This depends on how much of a response we get, and how easy it is for us to decide which stories to use. I’d love to have all of them picked by the end of the month. We’ll announce the story ideas as soon as we have them.
Q: Why are you doing this again? Don’t you have any of your own ideas?
A: We have more ideas than we’ll ever be able to write in this lifetime. We’re doing this because there’s something magical about true love stories, about real couples finding each other in real life and overcoming the odds to be together. We want to tell those stories. We think other people want to hear those stories. We’ll even be including a short story of our own epic romance in this collection!
Q: My grandparents/parents/aunt/cousin/dog has the most epic love story ever. Can I tell you theirs?
A: If the person whose love story is being told is still alive, then they need to give written permission for us to use their story. However, if they’ve passed on, you are welcome to share their story with us.
Q: I have the best idea ever for a love story, but it’s made up. Can I use that?
A: While we really can’t fact check these things, we’re looking for TRUE love stories, not fiction. We know everybody has their own interpretation of memories and history, but it has to be true, in so much as you can honestly recall. We’ll be fictionalizing dialogue and details, and changing things as needed, but the essence of the story must have happened in real life.
Q: I love you. Will you marry me and have my babies? (I actually get weird messages like this.)
A: No, I’m sorry. I’m happily married and already a mom of three, but thank you.
So leave your comment below with your epic love story. We’ll let you know when we’ve picked our 10-15. The winner of the signed copy of Kiss Me in Paris will be randomly drawn from ALL comments, not just the stories we pick to write.
March 11, 2013
A story for animal lovers: Forever Home
[image error]Fifteen years ago today, my baby sister, Cory Smith, was born. I was already in college at the time, but I was at the hospital for her birth. Cory is an amazing girl. She’s a dancer and works on movies and television shows. Her long blond curly hair gets her lots of parts. She also loves animals and works helping raise guide dog puppies for Guide Dogs for America, as well as helps share about rescue dogs that need saved.
Last Christmas, she lost her best friend, Triton, a dog she’d had for most of her life. The story of that loss, and the love she found to fill her life again, is told in my latest short story, Forever Home.
It’s a true story about a girl and her dog. A romance of the furry kind. For all of you pet lovers out there, you know there are many ways to fall in love.
Today that story is free on Amazon for her birthday, and I hope you’ll check it out. It’s a tear jerker and will touch your heart (I hope.)
Happy Birthday, Cory. I love you and am so proud of you.
[image error] Girl meets dog. Girl loses dog. Girl gets dog back.
It’s that kind of love story.
When 14-year-old Cory Smith loses her best furry friend to a stroke three days before Christmas, she doesn’t think she’ll ever recover.
Until she sets eyes on the sad rescue dog about to be put down.
Will fate be on their side as she works to save the dog who stole her heart? Or will her New Year fall to another broken heart?
Get it on Amazon, free today only.
March 8, 2013
A Day in the Life of a FIT Model
A guest post by Dale Noelle, Fit Model and Founder and CEO of TRUE Model.
[image error]When most people think of modeling, they think of high fashion magazines and runway shows. But there are many kinds of models.
I’ve done just about all of it, but I spent the bulk of my career as a fit model.
What is a fit model?
Here’s what Wikipedia says:
A fitting model (sometimes fit model) is a person who is used by a fashion designer or clothing manufacturer to check the fit, drape and visual appearance of a design on a ‘real’ human being, effectively acting as a live mannequin.
This is a technically accurate definition, but it fails to account for the myriad of fun and challenges that goes into the day in the life of a fit model.
I used to start my workdays at 5am in military fatigues driving my car downtown for boot camp with a group of type-A wall streeters to sweat and stay fit. With music blasting and singing at the top of my lungs, I’d be psyched to work out by the time I pulled into my parking spot outside the gym.
Everywhere I went, everyone was wearing clothes I had fit and I was always working… at the gym, at a charity event, everywhere people wore clothes!
Even when I wasn’t actually in a fitting, which was almost 24/7, I’d be asking women questions about the clothes they were wearing that I had fit. I would shop the brands I fit as well as the competition, measure all the clothes, take photos of myself and others wearing the garments and give clients digital and written reports of how to improve the garments we fit. All the women at boot camp wore Gap Body undergarments and they were major consumers with excellent feedback (which made a great start to the day.)
After class, I’d re-organize my backpack for the day.
The staples in my daily New York City fit model backpack were:
*PDA, headset, extra cell phone, notebook
*approximately 6 different types of bras
*5 different styles of underwear
*Shoes: ballet flats, flip-flops, kitten heels & stiletto heels
*Makeup, hairbrush, comb, clear nail polish, manicure kit, tampons, hair ties and clips
*tape measures
*voucher books (model time sheets)
*composite cards & business cards
*safety pins, double stick tape, baby wipes, tissues, disposable plastic bag
*paperwork, pen, pencil, small stapler, scissors
*wallet with multiple metro cards
*fitted tank tops and leggings
*water bottle, meals and snacks
*always a few surprise items
Once I left the house, I probably would not be back home again until midnight-ish, so I always had to have everything I could possibly need for any situation in my backpack. By 7or 8am I would be at my first fit modeling job of the day.
When modeling, everyone always asked me how I maintained my toned figure and my
[image error]response was always… I ran here and I’ll run to my next appointment & run to next and the next after that until that night, and I’d carry a very heavy bag.
I’d run by lots of interesting people every day, but never had time to chat or stop.
On one particular day, running in the garment center, I was moving quite fast but was abruptly forced to stop by several men on W36th Street as I approached a red light.
Each one was handing me a bra or a pair of underwear and yelling fire! Apparently the zipper of my backpack unzipped with the motion of the bouncy run and my undergarments were strewn all over 7th Avenue.
Luigi handed me a demi-bra as Joe was twirling my thong around his finger. I quickly gathered all I could before the light changed, but as if the personal contents weren’t embarrassing enough, I literally was on fire too!
I had a pack of matches from a restaurant in my bag that sparked from the friction of the movement and created smoke and fire in the pocket. Luckily, I had plenty of assistance and even rain overhead to douse the flames. (I made it to my appointment on time.)
During the course of the day I’d have all manner of clients and wardrobe mishaps. Once a client cut my bra off and sliced my underwear with scissors in the butt crack area when cutting jeans I was wearing.
Another time, I came home late from a fitting and noticed horrible, dark bruises all over my back. For hours, I thought I was injured or had blood clots until I finally figured out that I had worn a garment with a huge “SAMPLE” ink stamp inside the clothes that had rubbed off on me.
Once, while running to a client in the rain, I jumped into a taxi and completely split the back of my pants but I had to keep moving and get to the next job on time. With my backpack around my butt, I ran into a seamstress who could fix it and had another pair of pants to hand me. I changed behind a tree in the lobby. Clients said they set their watches by me so I could not be late.
Staying the same size wasn’t always easy. I took a colon cleanser to slim down one day and went to the bathroom so many times in a row, I got too skinny and had to pig out while running to my next fitting to get my waist back to spec in minutes. With fit modeling, it’s not about being skinny, it’s about being the same size all the time!
Life as a fit model always offered new and exciting adventures. So what does it take to be a fit model?
To be your most marketable self, being a renaissance woman definitely increases your chances of being selected by clients for fit modeling job. In addition to looking beautiful, a model needs to do her homework and bring knowledge and valuable comments to fittings. Prima donnas need not apply.
Natural optimists, multi-taskers with lots of endurance and resilient egos are best suited for fit modeling, provided she’s blessed with the proportional, standard figure and can maintain that body, ALWAYS.
A smile is a must with designer wardrobes. Clients enjoy interesting, honest, organized people and there should be a solid person with a good heart underneath the fashionable garb. Excellent communication skills, the ability to read and uplift people’s spirits, flexibility and patience are key!
ABOUT DALE NOELLE
[image error]Dale was one of the fashion industry’s most successful and sought after fitting models for nearly two decades before she founded TRUE Model Management. During her career as a professional fit model, she worked for almost every mass retailer and major fashion company, as well as designers: Ralph Rucci for Chado, the late Oleg Cassini, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren and many more.
Her love of the industry began in childhood while spending time at her father’s clothing factories. There she learned to create and tailor her own designs as well as run a business. After obtaining degrees in business and marketing, she worked as a clothing production manager, sales representative, designer and owner of one of the Generra licenses before finding her calling as a fitting model.
Dale originally created TRUE to manage her own career as a fit model, but clients repeatedly requested her referrals for additional models. She now manages the entire team at TRUE while overseeing the many details that go into making TRUE the success it is for talent and clients.
Dale brings her commitment to community support and a healthy lifestyle into the running of her company, making TRUE a unique and fun place to work. Her passion for philanthropy is combined with sports and exercise through many company athletic opportunities led by TRUE models. With a degree in Health Counseling, Dale helps TRUE models to meet their nutritional goals and stay fit.
Her extensive knowledge, as well as her network of professionals allows her to foster important introductions to further the careers of models, patternmakers, technicians and designers. These elements make TRUE one of the most sought after management companies for fit models in the world.
Find out more about her and FIT modeling at TRUEmodel.com
What is a Fit Model?
[image error]Dale Noelle has a skill many women envy.
For her entire professional career, she has maintained the same toned body weight and measurements–a feat most women would give up internal organs to accomplish. This made her a perfect fit model.
Have you ever asked yourself how the fashion industry sets the sizes and measurements for clothes purchased online and in stores? They use fit models: women and men whose job it is to model the prototypes before they are produced for the masses.
This job isn’t just about being toned and beautiful, it takes knowledge of the fashion industry, a determined and optimistic personality and the ability to give detailed feedback about clothing cut and comfort, make and function.
Dale was a natural.
She began her career as a fit model at 23-years-old, but was immersed in the fashion industry from an early age. Her father owned factories that manufactured women’s and children’s clothing and, since she had always had the measurements for a perfect fit model, subbed as one for his companies.
The love of fashion blossomed in her and grew into a diverse career where she worked as a designer, technical designer, production manager, business owner and sales person in the fashion industry.
Numerous people in the industry attempted to lure her into fit modeling. Despite all this, it took her quite awhile to contact anyone to inquire about a full-time career.
“One designer I worked with handed me a large package that included the contact information for all the major model agencies, top fit models, clients, rates, measurements, etc. and tried to convince me to pursue a fit modeling career.” Dale said. “I held the package for a year, left the fashion industry for a potential career in the real estate industry and then finally called three top agencies at the time. On my first day of interviews, I landed the fit modeling accounts for all four companies I met… Calvin Klein, The Gap, Pepe Jeans and Et Vous.”
Dale worked with Calvin Klein and The Gap until her fit modeling career ended due to injury in 2010 and now runs TRUE Model Management, where she uses her acquired skills to lead others into the rewarding career of fit modeling.
Today more than ever, skilled fit models are in high demand. While the career opportunity is no longer a closely guarded secret, and everyone from fitness instructors, actors, print models, dancers and people from all walks of life are looking to break in, there is still a need for those who can bring the right magic mix of ingredients to the workforce.
As Dale explained, “there appears to be fewer patternmakers who work directly with fit models. Much manufacturing now takes place oversees, so the industry relies more on skilled technicians and knowledgeable fit models to give detailed feedback to resolve fit issues. There are fewer tailors and patternmakers in the industry, so the art, craft and science of hand drawn patterns is increasingly replaced by computer generated patterns.”
While the fit industry is still relatively low tech, computers are playing a bigger role. While some companies do not require feedback from their fit models, others depend on fit models to help create the final product with their notes and ideas.
Models in this industry are often well compensated with a highly competitive hourly rate for their work. It can be a lucrative field for the right person. But besides a perfect figure, what else does it take to be a fit model?
Dale described the perfect fit model: “Being a renaissance woman, definitely increases your chances. In addition to looking beautiful, a model needs to do her homework and bring knowledge and valuable comments to fittings. Prima donnas need not apply.”
She went on to say that natural optimists, multi-taskers with lots of endurance and resilient egos are best suited for fit modeling, provided she’s blessed with the proportional, standard figure and can maintain that body, always.
“A smile is a must with designer wardrobes. Clients enjoy interesting, honest, organized people and there should be a solid person with a good heart underneath the fashionable garb. Excellent communication skills, the ability to read and uplift people’s spirits, flexibility and patience are key!” Dale said.
That should be easy, right?
For those who fit the bill, Dale finds them work. For those looking for the perfect fit model, Dale matches them with the right person to meet their needs.
To learn more about her company and fit modeling, visit: www.TRUEmodel.net
