M.J. Pullen's Blog, page 3

My Kind of Relaxing

This is a version of a post from the Distracted Readers’ Facebook group . We’d love for you to join us there. 

We picked up our 10 year-old from camp on Thursday, and with the littler guy at Grandma’s, Hubs and I took the opportunity for a little adult time in Asheville, NC. It wasn’t anything complicated: no wellness retreat, no all-inclusive vacation or spa time. Just a few unstructured days in a cool city with adults and great food and art and beer.

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❤️ Asheville!

A post shared by Manda Pullen (@mjpullenauthor) on Jul 30, 2019 at 1:49pm PDT

And while I know I would benefit from a healthy vacation where I come back 7 pounds lighter and at one with my chakras and the universe (that sounds pretty damn good, actually), I think there’s something to be said for relaxing on your own terms, don’t you?

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Deliciousness tour continues…

A post shared by Manda Pullen (@mjpullenauthor) on Jul 31, 2019 at 12:03pm PDT

I’m a restless heart, and an experience junkie from way back. From the time I got my driver’s license (and *maybe* a little before) I’ve always been one to find happiness on the open road. New cities to explore, people to meet, food to try – OMG the poutine fries! more on that later – bookstores to browse, beverages to drink, trains to ride, pictures to take (and forget to take because you’re having so much fun). That’s my bliss. If I magically had unlimited funds and free time, I think I’d spend most of it on the move, checking experiences off my list and taking in the sights. After the three-story library fully stocked with books and an enormous slide, naturally.

And even though these days I’m more likely to be in a mid-range hotel four hours from my house than in a sketchy $6/night hostel in Istanbul or Barcelona (Best. Year. Ever.)… I still feel as re-energized and happy after this week touristing than I would after the same amount of time at a spa. I mean, I love falling asleep on the massage table as much as the next girl, but I can do about three hours at a spa before I’m ready to strangle someone with Yanni’s mustache. Get me to a brewery and sit me across from someone with a fascinating life story, STAT.

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Perfect weather for a flight. Happy Monday!

A post shared by Manda Pullen (@mjpullenauthor) on Jul 30, 2019 at 1:48pm PDT

What about you? What’s your relaxation happy place?

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Don’t Hold Your Breath! (The Evil Sentence)

Have you heard of “the evil sentence”? Have you ever caught yourself using it in your writing??

A friend of mine shared this thread on A Reader of Fictions with me a few years ago, and the evil sentence–in which a character releases a breath he/she did not realize they’d been holding–has been stuck with me ever since.

I’ve come across it in almost every book I’ve read or listened to since then, even from mega-bestselling authors I consider absolute masters of writing. I’ve also found a version of it in my earlier books. And if you visit the link to Christina’s blog above, you’ll see loads of other examples readers have added to her post.

Mole, mole, mole…

The evil sentence is one of those things you don’t notice until you notice it, and then you can’t stop noticing it. Like crumbs in someone’s mustache or how often I use the word “awesome” when I’m excited. [I mean, come on. I’m a writer, for goodness’ sake. The least I can do is be creative in my word choices!]

And like all cliches, the evil sentence is something we should pay attention to, and perhaps challenge ourselves to more original, creative and/or precise descriptions. Cliches make our writing sound boring and unoriginal, and when we lean on them instead of pushing ourselves to dig deeper, it makes for lazy writing. Lazy, boring writing pulls the reader away from the story–just like the “evil sentence” does whenever I come across it.

That said, I’m also a believer in the idea that cliches have their place in writing now and then. Occasionally, when used intentionally and sparingly a quick cliched phrase can act as a shorthand for readers when a longer or more detailed description would be a distraction in itself.

For example, in a fast-paced action scene, a character might need to say, “That asshole swept my mother off her feet. And now we need to hunt him down before he takes all her money.” Sweeping someone off her feet is definitely a cliche, one used so frequently as to be idiomatic.

Still, that’s probably easier on the reader than “that asshole wooed my mother aggressively in a very short time period and while she went willingly, there seems to be an element of manipulation involved, as though he had a broom and she was nothing more to him than a vulnerable, moneyed dust bunny.” I mean, more descriptive and original? Yes. Better? Um. Not so much.

I mean, we’ve all worn this shirt at some point, right?

So when I notice the evil sentence in a book, it does pull me out of the story for a minute, and how long I’m out depends on how enthralling the book is. But I don’t fault writers for cliches like these. To me, they’re a reminder that we’re all part of one big family of storytellers and flawed human beings. We’re doing our best be be original and interesting, with the understanding that our basic shared humanity is the most important thing we can add to any story.

So don’t be discouraged if you find the evil sentence in your own writing. Keeping a sharp eye out for cliches will help you to avoid them (mostly) and use them well (occasionally).

Keep It Up!

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The Plot-Character-Emotion Cycle

When you’re writing a story, which comes first: the plot or the characters? This is a classic chicken-and-egg conundrum many new writers (and veterans) face as they’re crafting a story. Should the character’s personality, background and decision-making drive the plot? Or does the action of the story make the character who she is?

The short answer, of course, is both.

The long answer is… Well. It’s explored below. I’ll let you decide.

Sometimes this question is partly answered by genre. There are no hard and fast rules, and every writer’s process is different. But I have noticed some trends in the writers I know…

Generally, the more important the plot is to the story, the more likely a writer will be to start there and flesh out characters later. Think about thrillers, suspense, some romances, sci-fi, fantasy (though there’s an argument to be made that fantasy begins with neither plot nor character but setting and world-building). These and other high-concept stories are more likely to start with the action of the plot, and build the necessary characters as the writer goes along.

More character-focused novels such as psychological thrillers, dramas, family sagas, women’s fiction, character studies, and fictional biographies might begin with characters and their histories, with the writer building the intricacies of the story’s plot based on who the characters are, what drives them, and how they make decisions. Authors of these stories may start with a general story concept or a basic beginning and ending, but rely more heavily on character development in the beginning of the process.

Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.

Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

No matter where you start, the important thing is to allow the plot and character to influence one another as you write, so by the time you’re finished with the final draft, they’ll be so seamlessly entwined that the reader will have no idea which came first.

There is also a third, less-talked-about element that binds them together: Emotion.

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — a widely regarded approach to psychology founded by psychiatrist and professor, Dr. Aaron Beck — mental health professionals talk about the cognitive behavioral cycle: in which thoughts create feelings, feelings create behaviors, and behaviors reinforce thoughts. While not applicable to every mental health situation, it’s a useful paradigm for seeing how human beings think, act and change.

And, when you consider that most of our characters are human (or at least creatures with humanlike psychological qualities), and presumably all our readers are human–this paradigm is also useful for looking at storytelling.

Graphic credit: Skyland Trail

In storytelling (as in life), characters are driven largely by their emotions, habits and instincts. Some of these are deep-seated, created in the character’s earliest memories and history. Others are reactions to more recent relationships and experiences. They may be conscious or unconscious, positive or negative. Either way, they impact how a character presents himself to the world, and how he acts within the story.

The protagonist’s (or main characters’)* choices drive the progression of the plot, and those choices must proceed authentically from who the character is, or readers will feel disconnected from the story and the character.

The plot of a story is made up of action and events. Plot provides the book’s pacing and keeps readers turning the pages to find out what happens next. The action of the story creates change in the characters, allowing them to grow and evolve over the course of the story. This includes internal and external events, along with the characters’ reactions and decisions in response.

Characters respond to external events: circuses arriving, financial market collapses, plane crashes, sharknadoes, spouses forgetting to take out the trash after they’ve been asked repeatedly. They respond to internal events: depressive episodes, mounting frustration, generalized ennui, boredom, lust, hallucinations, mistaken beliefs, happy thoughts, hunger, wanderlust, etc. They also respond to the actions and behaviors of other characters, which are driven by their own set of traits, memories, beliefs and habits. (One character’s internal event can quickly become external to another).

Since characters are inherently flawed, their responses to events are flawed, too. This is how we start with an inciting incident that is often beyond a character’s control and THEN THINGS GET WORSE FOREVER. Once it’s started, the plot grows and the tension increases, bouncing off the characters like a hairy pinball until it all comes to a head at the climax of the story.

And the climax, my friend, is where all the emotion generated by the plot and characters comes to a delicious, terrible head.

Character drives plot, which evokes emotion, which impacts character.

Emotion is the element often overlooked in the planning stages of writing. Perhaps because it’s more nebulous and challenging to write than concrete character traits and plot events. [Emotion is easy to overdo if you’re too deliberate with it; but if it’s lacking, your story will often fall flat for reasons that readers can’t quite put their finger on.] Or perhaps we don’t talk about it in the planning process because skilled writers naturally infuse their work with emotion on an intuitive level, hardly realizing that they’re doing it.

Regardless, emotion is the heart and soul of your book, and the reader experience with it. It’s also the glue that connects plot back to character in the “PCE Cycle.” Emotion is the reason your characters are impacted by the events of the story. It’s the agent of change for both characters and the reader. Without emotion, all characters would be automatons or cardboard cutouts, we’d have no one to root for, and we’d give up and watch Reality TV instead.

No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.

Robert Frost

For example, say our adult heroine’s mother was killed in a car crash when the heroine was a child. That’s an external event that influences who she is, before the story even begins. If the character was in the backseat at the time and survived, that adds a new layer of trauma, significance and internal experience to the event. If she has refused to ride in or drive a car ever since, that is a character trait developed in response to her history (but also based on who she is naturally). If, in the first chapter of our story, she refuses to take a cab despite being late to her brother’s wedding, the decision based on her character trait impacts the plot. If she meets our hero on the subway and they discover a mutual attraction, that is the first emotional turning point. If he agrees to go to the wedding with her to deflect her brother’s anger, the stakes are officially higher, and we’ve got a story on our hands.

Meeting the hero on the train (aka the inciting incident) both reinforces the heroine’s decision not to drive, and complicates her life. Especially if our hero lives outside the city and drives everywhere. Or… [*writer wheels spinning*] if he’s a long-haul trucker or… oh! A race car driver. (A career choice that’s a reaction to his family’s constant pressure to stay put in their tiny town and help his dad run the family business — so he will never give it up).

See what I did there? Both characters have history that informs their behavior, which creates conflict, and the conflict will govern the plot. The plot will give us moments that produce emotion for the characters and the reader: love, fear, grief, anger, happiness, infatuation, attraction, horror, anxiety, frustration, confusion… Those emotions help mold who the characters are, and who they will become as the events of the story run up against their initial way of being in the world.

Good plot challenges our characters to change something about themselves: to face their fears, overcome prejudice, accept vulnerability, allow difficult emotions, set aside previous habits. When a character is forced to change and grow, creating new actions and conflict, that is when a plot becomes a story.

When we read, we start at the beginning and continue until we reach the end. When we write, we start in the middle and fight our way out.

Vickie Karp

When I’m coaching a writer on planning a story, we often find that the ubiquitous “saggy middle” turns up in Act II, when the author can’t figure out how to build the plot from point A to B. He often knows where the story starts, and where it should end, but keeping the tension high and the pacing strong in between can be tough. How to decide what choices, events and crisis points should occur between the inciting incident and the midpoint, and the midpoint and the climax?

Coming up with plot events is easy enough. You’re the author, and you can make anything happen. Car chases, explosions, rainy days, awkward phone calls, uncovered secrets, twists of fate, family fights… You can bring the lovers together or separate them. You can give the detective the clue that leads her to Amsterdam, or misdirect her to Istanbul. It’s your fictional world, and we’re all just living in it.

But for those plot points to truly raise the tension and sustain the story, they must have a deep and fundamental relationship with who your character is. What drives him to pursue the girl, or the thief, or the mystical object at the end of the quest? What demons from the past, real or imagined, drive him? What obstacles can you put in his way that are uniquely difficult for your character, and how will they test and push him?

Two hours spent stuck in rush hour traffic with a talkative coworker would try anyone’s nerves. But for a reserved, regimented loner with claustrophobia (or a fear of riding in cars as mentioned in the previous example), it would be her worst nightmare. It would force her into feelings and behaviors most people wouldn’t consider. And that is where your story must go, to the place that is not just tense and uncomfortable or challenging, but specifically tortuous for that character (or those characters, when you have more than one protagonist/main character).

So if you’re feeling stuck in your story, or you find your plot’s middle is a bit saggy, stop and consider your character: her goals, motivations, drives, and fears. Let her guide the story in ways that test her mettle. Allow her to struggle and emerge victorious, changed in a way that will leave your readers cheering, sobbing, laughing and/or begging for the next adventure.

Happy Writing!

*The main character and protagonist are not always exactly the same thing, but that’s another blog post. They’re used interchangeably here, with the understanding that an antagonist can also be a main character and can influence the story as much or even more than a protagonist.

Keep It Up!

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20+ Beach Reads to Take Your Mind Off Your Thighs

Happy Summer! Welcome to the season of mosquitos, rampant body insecurity, hot asphalt, sunscreen in your eyes, and sand in… places we don’t want to talk about. Oh, summer… I still love you!

I’m celebrating this joyous season by helping you stuff your Kindle or other favorite eReader with so many books, your family and friends will think you’ve become one with your favorite beach chair.

Don’t mind me. I’ll just be here until… September.

First, I’m offering deals on the newly re-released The Marriage Pact trilogy. You can get the original Marriage Pact romantic comedy on all digital platforms (Kindle, Nook, iBooks) for 99 cents, all month long.

I hope you’ll enjoy this trilogy, and if you do, that you’ll (pretty please with SPF 4000 on top) take a moment to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. It’s tougher than ever to get noticed in a seemingly endless sea of fantastic romantic comedies & women’s fiction — a wonderful time to be a reader, and a HUGE challenge for authors. Thanks for your support!

BONUS: There is also a flash freebie on the entire trilogy box set – Kindle Only – from June 4 to June 8! Grab it quick!

Second, to even more fully load your Kindle with poolside / plane ride / low tide goodies, I’ve compiled a list my other favorite beach reads. Some of these are current or recent reads, others are older books I find myself recommending over and over for a relaxing, entertaining read. I’ve put in some mini-reviews to explain briefly why I love each one.

Or… you can Skip to the Buy Links!

Enjoy, and please share the love by leaving your current favorites in the comments!

Book Club at the Beach

For discussable women’s fiction that enthralls and provokes, without weighing you down (or sending you sobbing into the hotel bathroom), my current favorites are as follows:

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

I can’t say enough about how much I loved this novel by Atlanta native Tayari Jones: not just for its nuanced and lyrical approach to the backdrop of institutional racism, but for the beautiful, devastating, heart-wrenching love story(ies) at the center. An American Marriage is the perfect balance of thought-provoking, literary, and emotionally poignant. You won’t be sorry.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant reminded me a bit of The Rosie Project in its skillful, funny and delightful portrayal of a main character struggling to understand and navigate the social conventions of the world around her. This book is at once optimistic and heartbreaking, funny and warm. And if Reese Witherspoon didn’t already convince you to read it, I don’t know what else I can say!

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Set in affluent Seattle within the micro-society of parents with children at a local private school, Where’d You Go, Bernadette? is funny, insightful and with just enough snark. It’s one of those books I devoured so quickly I immediately wanted more, and honestly… I’m glad I read it after I wrote Sugar Street, because otherwise I might have been intimidated into thinking I had nothing to add to the conversation about suburban mama drama.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

An older selection, this book seems pretty polarizing among the Moriarty fans I know. Some absolutely loved it, and some just… didn’t. I come down in the former camp. This novel — about a woman who sustains a head injury and loses her last 10 years of memory — is definitely tied to the anchor of its artificially elevated premise. And while it’s more internally/psychologically focused (and FUNNIER) than Big Little Lies or The Husband’s Secret, What Alice Forgot still explores with realism and humor the themes of marriage, maturity, family and community, the way Moriarty always does so well. You might give your better half the side-eye while you’re reading this one, but you probably won’t be afraid to sleep next to him!

Beach Thrill: Until the Day I Die by Emily Carpenter

So y’all probably know that Emily is a friend and critique partner of mine, and you also know that if she weren’t, I’d still be ADDICTED to her clever style of Southern Gothic Suspense. All her books are amazing (and at time of publication, were also on sale on Amazon), but the fast-paced Until the Day I Die is one of my favorites, especially for reading on a summer retreat.

I mean, what if you were sent on a tropical retreat, only to find out (a) health food was mandatory and (b) someone was trying to kill you? Y’all. James Bond never had to deal with this crap. Grab Until the Day I Die (and Emily’s other books) and spend your vacation looking over your shoulder!

Psychological Thrill: The Good Liar by Catherine MacKenzie

This sharp, thought-provoking book weaves together the stories of three families impacted by a September 11th-type disaster in Chicago. It’s an engrossing read with well-developed character and beautifully woven plotlines, which brim both with unsettling suspense and relatable, realistic human emotions. Catherine MacKenzie deals with dark topics in a way that doesn’t leave you in the fetal position in the bathtub. Bonus points: I actually read The Good Liar at the beach, so I can vouch for its suitability personally.

Romantic Comedy – The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

If you’d told me at the outset how charmed I could be by this tale of two twenty-something professional rivals falling for one another at a publishing house… well, I would’ve told you margaritas are a bad idea for breakfast. Not that there’s anything wrong with twenty-somethings having a slow-burn office romance. I just didn’t think 43-year-old me would be too enraptured by it. Sort of a been there, done that thing, you know? But I have to admit, this somewhat conventional trope is covered in almost excruciatingly clever (and hot) detail by Sally Thorne. I found myself not only sucked in to the slow and steady pace of The Hating Game, but ultimately reminded why I fell in love with romantic comedies to begin with. If that’s not beach-worthy, I don’t know what is.

Royal Romance (Modern) – A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

Okay, I have to say that I haven’t finished this one yet–I started reading on my Kindle right before my surgery, and reading is still one of my physical challenges. But I ADORE Alyssa Cole’s smart, funny style and the science nerd element of this book has me itching to get back to it in a couple of weeks. A Princess in Theory is part of Alyssa’s Reluctant Royals series, which I’ll certainly be reading if it holds up to what I’ve read so far. It’s funny, cheeky and delicious. Check it out and let’s compare notes!

Beach Bodice Rippers – Regency Reads

A couple of years ago, I went on a Regency bender, covering about 20 Regency-era romances in a few months. (It was shameful! I woke up with my bodice loosened and realizing that I’d spoken to a man without a formal introduction!) Ahem.

I loved every minute, and I learned what so many others had the wisdom to see before me — there’s so much variety, humor and steaminess in Regency romance. Here are some of my favorites–most of these are the first in series or can be read standalone, and any are a fun introduction to the genre if you haven’t read much beyond Jane Austen.

Bonus: Lifesize NEVER TRUST A PIRATE with the author Valerie Bowman herself at the helm! (And yours truly hamming it up on the cover…)

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah Maclean
The Duchess War (and the Brothers Sinister Collection) by Courtney Milan
Never Trust a Pirate by Valerie Bowman (I mean, PIRATES. At the beach!)
Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen (This book is smarter than its title. Think of the Scandal TV show in 1819 London)

But What About Jane Austen?

Don’t worry. I have you COVERED. I’m reading (listening to) and loving Sonali Dev’s modern retelling of Jane Austen’s masterwork: Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors. I am a huge Austen fan and love modern takes on her work (Bridget Jones, anyone?). While the period manners and restrictions are timebound, I find the themes are timeless and can be endlessly mined for both romance and social commentary. I’m also keenly aware of how often modern takes on Austen’s work can go sideways: getting the characters but missing the point, or vice versa.

Sonali’s latest novel is rich in not just sensory details (the food descriptions–Y’ALL), but in understanding of the salient themes of this book that go beyond Lizzie and Darcy’s (or in this case, D.J. and Trisha’s) will-they-won’t-they romance. Treat yourself to Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors; and if you love it, also check out Sonali’s Bollywood Bride or The Bollywood Affair for a light, culturally infused modern rom-com.

Oh, you mean ACTUAL Jane Austen?

Well. In my humble opinion the best of Jane Austen’s six novels to read at the beach is Persuasion. This oft-underrated novel has a beautiful love-long-denied romantic arc, a relatable (if perhaps too easily influenced) heroine, social comedy out the wazoo, Bath, and… Frederick Bloody Wentworth. Captain Wentworth doesn’t get the same swoony credit in our culture as Fitzwilliam Darcy, but his tormented brooding over Anne Elliott makes my heart fluttery all the same. (Or it could be the almond lattes).

Plus, Persuasion has what every beach read needs: a group road trip to the sea shore! Close your eyes to the ocean breeze on the Florida panhandle or the Jersey Shore, and pretend for a minute that you’re Louisa Musgrove, about to jump off a wall in Lyme Regis to get the attention of your desired man. (How did Jane predict reality television so accurately?)

YA Romance – What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

What If It’s Us is proof that two best friends can write a novel together and not only NOT kill each other in the process, but also produce a squee-worthy romance that you’ll zip through in a single day by the pool. Ben and Arthur meet at a post office in New York City (well, almost), and then get separated. It’s up to fate to see them through from there.

Admittedly, I don’t read widely in YA Romance, but What If It’s Us is too charming to pass up, especially if you’re a fan of John Green’s (The Fault in Our Stars or Will Grayson, Will Grayson), or Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park. OR if you loved Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (Becky Albertalli’s first novel and the inspiration for the film Love, Simon). OR any of Adam Silvera’s previous books, like They Both Die at the End.

Covers & Amazon Buy Links

Hope you enjoy at least a few of these fabulous reads! And please share this post and add your own favorite beach books in the comments.

Happy Summer!

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Just for June – The Marriage Pact for 99¢

It’s here! Time to load up the bags, the car and your e-reader for the hot summer days. As always, I’m here to help!

Summer Checklist



Beach ball for the kids (popped on hot asphalt of the parking lot)Cheap sunglasses (buried in the sand)Super-bright nail polish (spilled onto center console – now forever striped neon green)Pop-up beach shelter (left behind in garage – wouldn’t fit in car)SPF 4000 Sunscreen (missed a spot – now you have a red smear on your shoulder in the shape of Winston Churchill)Handheld vacuum (nice try – you’ll have sand in your car until Christmas)Summer reading (load up with The Marriage Pact for just 99 cents – and don’t forget your charger!)







Buy Links

Amazon (Kindle)

Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Apple iBooks – Coming soon!

The Marriage Pact: An InStyle Book Club Pick (November 2015)

“Entertaining…with
a few laugh-out-loud moments, M.J. Pullen’s novel is a very enjoyable read.
Fans of Jane Green or Emily Giffin are sure to enjoy The Marriage Pact.”
―Shelf Awareness

“A charming cross between romance and chick lit…Pullen’s characters are realistic, and the dialogue is funny, making this an excellent choice for fans of early Jane Green, Jennifer Weiner, and Emily Giffin.” ―Booklist

“This novel is chick lit to its core and makes for a light and easy read.” ―Library Journal 

The post Just for June – The Marriage Pact for 99¢ appeared first on MJ Pullen, Author.

Sugar Street: Game of Thrones, Suburban Style

What if Sugar Mills were in Westeros?

Are you obsessed with Game of Thrones? It’s hard to avoid these days, as we’re over halfway through the final season of HBO’s adaptation. It seems like everyone is talking about GOT. Even me!

That’s right, I made a meme! I’m pretty sure that’s next-level nerdiness. (Click for the Facebook post if you want to share).

Personally, I came to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire several years ago. I read the first few books, right up to the Red Wedding, when I…

Okay, I’ll be honest: I got squeamish and bailed out. Blame it on the young mother hormones and heightened anxieties, but I just couldn’t hang. Don’t tell anyone, okay? Based on that, my husband gently suggested that if the books were too violent for my blood, the TV series would be even worse. So he watched it without me, all the way through Season 7.

When I had my neck surgery a couple of weeks ago, I finally decided I was ready to try again, and that the great swaths of medicated down time would make the perfect opportunity. So I’ve been binge-watching as the Starks, Baratheons, Lannisters and Targaryen played out their bloody and fascinating drama at warp speed. I finally caught up these weekend, and got to watch Episode 4 of Season 8 with the rest of the world.

And of course, all this GOT immersion has me thinking about my own fictional world, and how the ladies of Sugar Street would be represented in Westerosi style.

I’m no George Martin, that’s for sure. But I had fun with this. Hope it brings you a smile!

Jess

Full Name: Jessica Ann Gardner Rodriguez
AKA: Work-Life Balance Sorceress
Sigil: Suitcase and Teddy Bear on Yellow Field
Motto: Anyone Seen My Keys?
Special Skills: Multitasking, Management Consulting, The 5-Second Rule
About: To be honest, sometimes Jess has challenges with Having It All. She adores her two kids and sportswriter husband, Tom, despite his busy travel schedule and all the work she does from her home office. And if she’s not exactly Betty Crocker, that’s fine. But would it be too much to ask for a little romance? Or at least, that Tom stay awake long enough for them to reconnect beyond friendly co-parenting? When it comes to scandal in the suburbs, Jess could be worth watching.

Quote:
“There is only one thing we say to volunteering at school. Not today.”

Delia

Full Name: Delia Rae Rutledge Cargill
AKA: Lifestyle Consultant, Glamorous Soccer Mom
Sigil: MLM Pyramid with strappy pink heel on a magenta field
Motto: Conquer with Charm
Special Skills: Diplomacy, Fashion, French braids
About: Multi-level Marketing is dark and full of secrets… And Delia Cargill knows them all. With her blank-page past and a quiet open marriage to her husband Gage, Delia is no stranger to scandal. But far from hiding in the shadows, she is determined to make her way to the top of the Sugar Mills social strata with her high heels and dignity intact. Look for her at the center of every sales party–home products, candles, skin care, and even adult toys–not to mention every risky scheme involving a tennis pro.

Quote:
“She who hosts the party must serve the wine.”

Carras

Full Name: Carras Evangeline Lightbourne Prather
Title: Celebrity Athlete, Hopeful Future Mom
Sigil: Crossed tennis rackets centered on a deep pink heart and a green field
Motto: Family Over Glory
Special Skills: Badass Backhand, Encyclopedic Walking Dead Knowledge, World of Warcraft Progress Raider
About: Born on a beautiful island in Turks and Caicos, Carras seems to have led a charmed life. Rising to superstardom as an American tennis star. A chance meeting with the love of her life, Stuart, at Comic-Con… which led to a happy, delightfully nerdy marriage. But Carras longs to give Stuart the child he wants so desperately, and she’d give up all her trophies to save her beloved father from debilitating illness. Carras is the last person anyone would place at the center of a suburban scandal, but you never know what this quiet, motivated woman will do for her family.

Quote:
“Chaos isn’t a Ladder. It’s a Tennis Court.”

Maizy

Full Name: Maizy Callahan Henriksson
Title: Sugar Mills Elementary PTA President, Neighborhood Busybody
Special Skills: Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gossip
Sigil: Flaming Cupcake
Motto: Baked Goods Fix All
About: Maizy lives for her girls, her baking, and her health-conscious hubby Anders. Maybe fitting in with his perfectionist family has been a bit of an uphill bike ride, but with her cheerful optimism, Maizy’s up to the challenge. After all, she managed to find her place at the Sugar Mills Elementary School by volunteering her butt off. Surely she can win over her husband’s family and get back the affection from her early days with Anders? And if it takes some unseemly behavior on her part, well… you know what they say about breaking a few eggs!

Quote:
“I bake and I know things.”

Visit Sugar Mills for Yourself

Check out all the Sugar Street ladies (and their fraught and funny adventures with Parker, of House Yung). Get Sugar Street at your favorite bookstore or library (just request ISBN 978-1-7323822-0-6) or, use the links below:

Amazon–Kindle ($3.99 or FREE on Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon–Paperback ($14.95)

Barnes & Noble–Paperback ($14.95)

If you enjoyed this post, please share!

The post Sugar Street: Game of Thrones, Suburban Style appeared first on MJ Pullen, Author.

Video: World Book Day 2019 + Giveaway!

Check out the video with my World Book Day giveaway, and your healing thoughts are appreciated as I undergo surgery today.

I’m so excited to be giving away a signed paperback copy of all three Marriage Pact trilogy books! (U.S. only for paperback — international entrants can win a digital version)

Three easy ways to enter:



Comment on this blog post below (Ex: What are you reading today? What are your other favorite random holidays?)Share this post on Facebook (be sure to share publicly so we can track your entry).And/OR: Post a review of The Marriage Pact, Regrets Only, Baggage Check or the ALL NEW Trilogy Kindle Box Set on Amazon or Goodreads. Just link to your review in the comments (or you can PM me via my Facebook page).

Don’t want to wait for the drawing? If you’re a Kindle reader, the entire Marriage Pact trilogy is available (with a bonus holiday story!) as a box set through Kindle Unlimited (KU) — that’s like getting three books by borrowing one! If you’re not in the KU program, the box set is just $5.99 for all three books plus short story.

Contest closes May 3, 2019. Thanks for your support and healing thoughts!

The post Video: World Book Day 2019 + Giveaway! appeared first on MJ Pullen, Author.

The Phantom Oscar Party Menu

Sadly, our annual Oscar party tradition just wasn’t in the cards for this year. Lots of other things happening, and we only managed to see three of the Best Picture Noms: Black Panther, BlacKKKlansman, and The Favourite; which is sort of pathetic when you consider Roma is on Netflix. (We did better on the Animated Films this year — Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse FTW!)

It wasn’t lack of desire to see the other films, or lack of enthusiasm (even though the Oscar organizers themselves are having sort of an off year–with all the procedural controversies, missing host, etc.) It’s just the year we’ve had.

BUT whether there are two of us or twenty, our tradition is to create a spread of foods that play on the best picture nominations (and sometimes the actors and actresses, too). Hubs usually creates an accompanying cocktail, like last year’s Molotov Cocktails for 3 Billboards… and my all-time favorite, Hell or High Watermelon.

So I thought we’d go ahead and throw some ideas around for Oscar night tonight.

And the Menu Nominees Are…




BLACK PANTHER – I have a couple of ideas for this one… With Mardi Gras around the corner, I thought it would be fun to do a King of Wakanda cake with a toy panther hidden inside for the winner. But then I found this amazing video (see also below) by Nnedi Okorafor, the writer of the storyline Black Panther: Long Live the King, in which she gives her idea of what Wakandans might eat based on the various African cultures that inspired fictional Wakanda. Um, yeah. I’m going to be making some of these!White Chocolate-Dipped Oreos for BLACKKKLANSMAN (which, by the way, is an amazing film, and IMHO should be required viewing for high school history classes. I’m rooting for this film tonight and not just because Spike Lee is due. Which he is.). Obviously these are available for sale, but here’s a fun recipe anyway.BOHEMIAN Lettuce WRAPSODIES (Thanks to my friend Leslie for that suggestion!)Roasted Quail or Poached Quail Eggs in honor of the shooting scenes in THE FAVOURITE (you could also do blue and white cake, but ewwww…)Stuffed ROMA Tomatoes – Here’s a recipe that sounds yummy!A STAR-shaped cookie IS BORN – Okay, yes. This is just laziness on my part, but if we were actually throwing an Oscar party we’d have a couple of easy dishes like this one. I’m open to more creative ideas! Miami VICE Cocktail? Too much of a stretch?GREEN BOOK – Hmm… I haven’t seen this one, and while I love both lead actors, I have mixed feelings about it based on context alone. But maybe some soul food to honor a trip through the Jim Crow South using the book that was the inspiration for the movie’s title? Totally open to your suggestions! Hit me up in the comments, especially if you’re hosting an Oscar party tonight, making your own creative foods, or just dreaming of it like I am…

Whether you’re watching the Oscars tonight with friends, enjoying it alone in your PJ’s, or just going to bed early, I hope you enjoy!

The post The Phantom Oscar Party Menu appeared first on MJ Pullen, Author.

Whatever you call it, make it a good one…

Those of you who have been with me for a while know that my hubs is an anti-Valentine’s guy (it’s a conspiracy by Hallmark and the flower industry, yadda yadda…). While I see his point, the holiday doesn’t bother me much anymore.  

I mean, most of what I write are love stories in some form or fashion, the holiday that celebrates love is kind of low-hanging fruit for me. Plus it’s an excuse to pull out my heart-shaped pancake molds and try to trick my kids into believing that I have some semblance of the “Pinterest Mom” gene. Once a year, y’all. That’s it. 

Well, don’t tell my darling husband (because giving him a hard time about Valentine’s day is one of my great joys in life — ah, marriage…), but as a teenager I certainly shared his view of Valentine’s Day. An absurdly commercial holiday that put far too much emphasis on romantic love, and highlighted the lonely state of people in general, and me in particular.

I was so annoyed by all the focus on romance that my friends and I actually led a semi-serious campaign to change the name of the holiday to “Universal Love Day.” We wanted the holiday to celebrate all kinds of love – familial, friendship, romantic, and… let’s be honest, the unrequited-but-no-less-magical love between teenage girls in the 1990s and Keanu Reeves and Brad Pitt. We made our own cards and greeted one another in the hallways with “Happy Universal Love Day!”

Sadly, Universal Love Day did not catch on. But it’s a nice idea, right?

Whatever you call it, here’s how I’m celebrating today…

AMAZON GIVEAWAY: EVERY OTHER SATURDAY



Enter for a chance to win a Kindle edition of Every Other Saturday(Regular Price $4.99)

In honor of ULD (I think we’re beginning to see why this did not sweep the nation), I’m offering 25 Kindle copies of my second-chance romantic comedy, Every Other Saturday, as a celebratory giveaway. To enter, all you have to do is click this link and follow my author page on Amazon.com. 

If you’ve already read Every Other Saturday but don’t yet follow me on Amazon, I’d appreciate you taking a quick minute to do that as well!

Wishing you love in all its forms today!

Looking for more love? Join my Distracted Readers newsletter list and tune in to my novella-in-progress, Easy as Pie! You’ll get monthly installments before it’s available to the public!

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My Word for 2019

I love this idea of picking your Word for the Year. A talisman. A reminder. At the very least, a Facebook post.

And I’ve been so inspired by my friends who are picking things like “courage” and “kindness” and “confidence.” Those things have been on my list lately, too, and I could easily have chosen any of them.

You make my heart beat faster…

But I picked “Exhilaration.” Which is pretty funny because I had to look up how to spell it. And… honestly? it’s not the most New Yearsy word.

Exhilaration is a temporary feeling of joy or elation, a momentary thrill. Which is not what I’m supposed to be thinking about in January. I’m supposed to be thinking about PASSING UP the momentary thrill of eating carbs, end enjoying the deeper, long-term joys of lean protein. And, I am. Thinking about it.