Dee J. Adams's Blog, page 7

You Heard It Here: Happiness Is

This month’s happiness is a no brainer.

Release month for Imminent Danger has had my happy meter off the charts.

Today also marks the last stop in my blog tour! This last day encompasses not just one but TWO stops! That’s right, you heard me… TWO blog stops to finish this tour with a giant flourish! The best thing about today is that I get to be – not only here at home – but at one of my favorite blogs ever…

Just Romantic Suspense!

So head over to JRS and comment for a chance to win a digital copy of Living Dangerously! See Abbey and Blake’s first meet for yourself.

Speaking of Just Romantic Suspense, check out the surprise I have for you! Don’t wipe your eyes… this is for real! September 16, 2014 is the release date and that also makes me very happy!!

Danger and Desire: Ten Full-Length Steamy Romantic Suspense Novels

Hold on tight for ten full-length books of intrigue and passion from New York Times Bestselling and award-winning authors. Men in uniform, sexy spies and pulse-pounding action fill over 850,000 words of this limited edition boxed set.

New York Times Bestseller Katie Reus – Sensual Surrender

RITA Award Winning Author Carolyn Crane – Against the Dark

USA Today Bestseller Pamela Clare – Skin Deep

New York Times Bestseller Dianna Love

Dee J. Adams – Against the Wall

USA Today Bestseller Norah Wilson

USA Today Bestseller VK Sykes – Lethal Confessions

Amber Lin

USA Today Bestseller Misty Evans

New York Times Bestseller Kaylea Cross

The individual novels cost over $35 in total and have more than 2,000 5-star reviews on Goodreads. This set is only available for one month, so grab your copy now!

Amazon

So that’s my happiness. Tell me yours! And remember, you’re in the running for a digital copy of Living Dangerously!

You Heard It Here: Blog Tour Kick Off & Twinage!

I couldn’t be happier that Imminent Danger is out in the world! This week is the blog tour kick off and I hope you’ll join me at one or two stops. Pop in and say hi… I’d love to see some friendly faces! There are a few Living Dangerously giveaways happening as well so you can read all about Blake and Abbey’s first meet in that crazy elevator from hell.

Before I give you the blog tour schedule, I wanted you to meet a pair of twins I’ve worked with. Now… keep in mind that my father was a twin and his mother was a twin, so the twin gene is big in our family. That may be the reason I have two (very separate) instances of twins in the Adrenaline Highs series. I never even thought about it when I wrote a set of twins into the High Stakes series and since Blake is a cross over character, he gave the Adrenaline Highs a second set of twinage. (Yes. I said it… twinage. The first set were introduced in Dangerous Race with Trace Bradshaw and her long lost sister Chelsea Harding.) Now that I’ve set that up, I want you to know that I wrote the twins before I met these twins. But OMG, when I met these young men it was fiction becomes reality. They are Blake St. John and his brother Brendan. Since a picture is worth… well you know. I’ll just give you the picture:

I’ve actually posted a picture of the twins before when I worked with them years ago. Truly, they ARE the St. John twins. I couldn’t help but picture them when I wrote Imminent Danger. (I’d already written Against The Wall when I met them so I only had a picture in my head at that time.) You’ll never meet a nicer set of talented young men. Musicians (they have a band called Nevruary), actors, models, they do it all. I look forward to the day I run into them again.

So with these faces in mind, you now have a very clear picture of Blake and his brother Brendan.

And now..

Here are the blog tour stops in order of appearance:

8/11 – Joyfully Reviewed
8/11 – Not Your Usual Suspects
8/12 – Night Owl
8/12 – Under the Covers
8/13 – You Gotta Read
8/14 – Cocktails and Books
8/15 – RomCon
8/18 – The Book Vixen
8/19 – Fallen Angel Reviews
8/20 – Just Romantic Suspense
8/20 – Dee J. Adams Blog

As far as this precursor to the tour, tell me, have you ever met a pair of twins that had you thinking indecent thoughts? Or, if you’re like my mom, maybe you married a twin and had to deal with two for the price of one. Let me know!

 

Release Day!

It’s release day for Imminent Danger! I’m so glad the wait is finally over!

For Abbey Washington, dancing is more than a dream, it’s a way to forget her past. But being at the wrong place at the wrong time makes her the sole witness to a stabbing and brings back horrible memories. Since the killers saw her just as clearly as she saw them, Abbey is now a loose end that needs to be tied up.

Blake St. John is working toward his PI license and hopes to find the man who hurt his brother in a kidnapping. He quit chasing his quiet co-worker, Abbey, months ago. But now that she needs protection, he takes on the role of bodyguard and all the feelings he tried to bury for her come back with a vengeance.

Abbey’s past makes it hard to trust and an attempt on her life forces her to realize that time is running out as the killers get closer. Now, she must risk it all or face a life without the one man who showed her how to love.

 

Celebrating with giveaways! Sign up for my brand new newsletter and be in the running for a digital copy of Against The Wall. (Or if you’re in the US, a signed copy!) The same giveaway on my FB page! Comment for a chance to win! (Just click on that link!) I’ll pick winners at the end of the day! That’s 2 chances to win! Newsletter sign up and my FB page!

Tell me what format you like best. Digital or Paperback. Go!

You Heard It Here: Did I Really Just Do That?

How did it get to be August 1st? This year is zipping by! The best thing about August is the release of Imminent Danger in just a few days! (Who knows… if you keep your eyes open it might even come up a little early!) Oh, but wait… I’m stalling!

This month’s story is one of my most embarrassing. I was reminded of it when a pal of mine commented on my FB page that he saw a certain guest star on Roseanne (uhm, yes, he meant me) about a week ago. (In the 4 years I worked on the show I appeared in 3 episodes. A restaurant customer, a nurse and a bar flousy – that last might have been my favorite!) Anyway… I remember being so nervous that I totally jumped my line. Actually, I guess you could say I jumped John Goodman’s line. He and Roseanne had a scene at the bar and I – as the customer – raise my hand and interrupt their conversation since I haven’t been served yet.

I was so nervous and scared to get it right, that I totally started my line before John finished his. The director called cut and we had to start over again. Yes, I was mortified. It wasn’t like it was that big of a deal, but you never want to screw up the leading actors of a hit sitcom. Anyway… We started the scene again and this time I made sure that John finished his line before I said mine. The scene went a little something like this:

Roseanne and Dan Connor are talking at the counter of the diner.

Customer is at table in the middle of the room: “Excuse me, miss… when you get a minute?”

Roseanne: “Yeah, you’ll be the first to know.”

Classic Roseanne. I think we only shot 2 takes. Maybe 3. I don’t really remember. I do remember that it was over pretty quickly. And I remember being worried that John was mad at me for jumping his line. But honestly… shit happens and I think he knew I was nervous. I chalked it up to a learning experience. Actors need to listen to react. After all…acting is REacting.

So that’s it. What about you? What’s your “Did I really just do that” story?

 

 

You Heard It Here: Happiness Is…

This month’s happiness is two-fold! First it’s going to San Antonio for the Romance Writers of America National Convention. I can’t wait to see pals Suzanne Brockmann and Holly Jacobs and tons of other writing buddies I haven’t seen in over a year!

And of course (you had to know this was coming), Imminent Danger is only 15 days away! I can’t wait for it to be out! And you may be sick of this cover, but I never will be so I’m posting it. Yes. Again.

The giveaway at Goodreads is still happening so you have time to enter!

I also want to give a shout out to my critique partner, Kate Willoughby on the release of Across the Line, the second book in her In The Zone series. You don’t have to be a hockey fan to love this series, but if you are, then even better! Check her out! I think you’ll be glad you did!

(I mean seriously… This cover is drool-worthy!)

Not done yet… In one more week, I have another surprise coming! Happiness abounds! So tell me…what’s your happiness this month?

You Heard It Here: Gearing Up!

I can’t speak for anyone but myself when I say I just can’t wait until Imminent Danger is out! Man, I could stare at this cover for days. (In fact, it’s possible I’ve done that already!)

I admit it’s been way too long since I’ve released a book. Working in television is an absolute time suck. Don’t get me wrong… I love my work. Actually, I love both my jobs! They just both take up a ton of time.

I know I’m not the only one out there with a busy schedule, but some days it doesn’t matter. (Like on those thirteen and fourteen hour days on set that seem never-ending.) I always take my computer to the set in hopes of getting a few minutes of work done, but I’ve discovered it’s almost impossible. The need to get outside and breathe fresh air for a few minutes (and get off the dark sound stage) pretty much trumps my desire to stay in the dark sound stage and work on my computer. Maybe that makes me a lazy writer, but honestly, I’ve given up berating myself for not fitting in work on those crazy long days. I figure if my soul needs sunlight and a chai latte then by God, my soul will get it. LOL.

Regardless of all that… I am gearing up for book #5  in the Adrenaline Highs and I hope you’ll bear with my excitement for the next month or so because it’s probably all I’ll be talking/blogging about!

And speaking of blogs, I have quite the blog tour scheduled so I hope you’ll stop in at one or two just to say hi and get a sneak at an excerpt or two!

I WOULD like to know that I’m not the only one who’s crazed and crazy with multiple jobs that take up massive amounts of hours. Anyone else out there working a couple 14 hour days during the week or am I the only one?

You Heard It Here: Hollywood: Kiss and Tell

This month’s Hollywood story is one of my favorites. (Frankly, wracking my brain for fresh stories is getting harder every month! Haha.)

So this month’s story goes way, way back to the very first show I ever worked on as a stand-in (and I’ve mentioned the show before). It was called Second Chance starring a very young Matthew Perry and Billy Gallo. (The show was revamped and came back as Boys Will Be Boys.)

Keep in mind that not every guest actor on a show is brought in for each day of rehearsal. Many guest stars have only one, two or three day contracts depending on how much material they have to shoot. For that reason (and others), stand-ins are brought in. They rehearse with the main cast, and show the guest actor the blocking when they come to work. (And can I tell you… MANY times, the stand-in is actually BETTER than the actor cast to play the part. Not always, but depending on your stand-in, they can be.)

My husband worked as the first assistant director when they needed a stand-in for Second Chance. I’d already done some extra work and he knew I could do the job, so he put in a good word and I got the call. Back in those days, we rehearsed in a rehearsal hall and not on stage, so we only had a few props or big furniture pieces to work with. In fact, in those days, the cast didn’t get to the actual set until shooting day. Today, sitcoms rehearse and shoot on the set all week long. (We’ve come a long way, baby. But I digress…)

I remember being really nervous my first day mainly because it was kind of like my first day of school and I didn’t know that many people. After the first week, they ended up using me more and more often and I became part of the family. (Which was a good thing and you’re about to find out why…)

(Here’s a pic from those days. Matthew with his co-star Kiel Martin…you might remember Kiel from Hill St. Blues. Matthew looks about 12, but I think he was 17.)

And here’s a youtube video of the show. Man, does it take me back!

So, one day I came to work in the rehearsal hall and picked up the script to see what part I was playing. Usually I stood in for Damian Slade, but I also played the “girl du jour” for Matthew or Billy’s characters. I usually skimmed the stage directions and went straight to the dialogue so I could be a little familiar with it so I knew what attitude I had to play. But as I read one scene in particular, I had to go back to make sure I had it right. Yep. I did. I had to kiss Matthew. My first thought was, “Nooooo. The director isn’t going to make us kiss. I’m the stand-in. It’s not like I had a problem with it, but I didn’t see Matthew wanting to kiss a stand-in if you hear what I’m saying. (Oh, and did I mention my future husband was in the room? Can you say, “AWKWARD.”)

But we got to that point in the scene and Matthew and I kind of looked at each other, like… is this going to happen? And we both slid a glance at the director who said something to the effect of, “You’re professionals. This is rehearsal. We need to time the scene and I need to see the scene.”

Well alrighty then. Enough said. So we kissed. It wasn’t major. Not a big deal. Except that I think we were both so worried about my boyfriend/future husband feeling weird that it made things awkward. I think we did the scene twice and moved on. I was happy when the actress playing the role came to work because it took me out of the hot seat.

BTW, if you’re wondering what my husband thought of that kiss. He “happened” to be out of the room at the exact time putting out a fire somewhere else. I think Matthew and I were both happy about that. LOL. But we were friends first with no thought of anything else for a lot of good reasons. The three of us were actually pretty close in those days, but working on so many different shows and juggling different schedules sometimes makes it hard to keep in touch with people. I do have a blog about meeting up with Matthew a few years ago during Roseanne’s new pilot. If you scroll through my blogs, you might find it.

So… wow. A long one this month! Sorry about that. But what about you? Anyone you kissed and can tell us about?

You Heard It Here: Happiness Is…

Happiness is a gorgeous cover reveal!!  Here it is! Imminent Danger!

And here’s the blurb:

For Abbey Washington, dancing is more than a dream, it’s a way to forget her past. But being at the wrong place at the wrong time makes her the sole witness to a stabbing and brings back horrible memories. Since the killers saw her just as clearly as she saw them, Abbey is now a loose end that needs to be tied up.

Blake St. John is working toward his PI license and hopes to find the man who hurt his brother in a kidnapping. He quit chasing his quiet co-worker, Abbey, months ago. But now that she needs protection, he takes on the role of bodyguard and all the feelings he tried to bury for her come back with a vengeance.

Abbey’s past makes it hard to trust and an attempt on her life forces her to realize that time is running out as the killers get closer. Now, she must risk it all or face a life without the one man who showed her how to love.

I’m so excited to get Abbey and Blake’s book out! And in case you’re wondering, you can find out a little more about Blake in Against The Wall.

Let me know what you think? Do you love the cover as much as I do? Any other covers you’ve seen recently that grab your attention?

You Heard It Here: Release Date!

I’m thrilled to announce the release date for Imminent Danger!

August 4th, 2014 is the big day and it’s just around the corner. It also happens to be my dad’s birthday. He would’ve been 90 years old so it’s kind of special to me to be celebrating a book birthday on the day. I’d like to think that Dad is looking down with a smile and that makes me smile.

Now, this picture above… is a crystal ball and I’ll tell you a little secret. Just don’t let it get around.

I’m actually going to a psychic soon to see if I can connect with my dad. Sure, I get how you might be skeptical. I was too at one time. But the woman I saw many years ago told me a whole bunch of stuff. I took pages of notes. And I can tell you that more than 80% of what she told me has come to fruition. I kid you not. I went into the appointment very leery of what she might tell me and I was careful not to tell her anything about myself beforehand. She was amazing. I don’t do this sort of thing often because in general I don’t want any preconceived notions about what might or might not happen in my life. But connecting with my dad so soon after his death is important to me…especially since I know it’s possible. (Yes, I said it. It’s possible.) Call me crazy, but until you’ve gone to a good psychic or medium, then you probably won’t understand what I mean. I guess you could say this visit is for my piece of mind. It might very well be my last visit to this lady, but I try not to say “never” only because… well… never say never! Haha.

But back to Imminent Danger! The next blog post will be the cover reveal! (It is my Happiness Is post and this cover gives me immense happiness so it seems apropos.)

Until then, tell me if you’ve ever seen a psychic or medium and did you believe them or did you think they were full of it? Did you get news that made you feel better or did you find it nerve wracking? I’d love to know!

 

 

 

 

You Heard It Here: Hollywood Icon

Today I thought I’d tell a recent story and it involves one of my favorite people. The amazing, Betty White.

In 1995, I worked on a pilot called Maybe This Time with Betty White, Marie Osmond and some new guy, Craig Ferguson. (Haha)

I loved the people and worked my butt off that week, running lines with Marie and Betty until my throat was raw. (Those ladies work so hard in whatever they do!) Unfortunately, I didn’t go on to work the series and it ended up going for only one season.

Now… that’s not my story. This is my story:

A few months ago, I was asked if I could get a book to Betty by friend and awesome author, Kelsey Browning. Kelsey writes The Granny Series with her pal Nancy Naigle and they thought it would be really cool if Betty had a copy of their book.

Let me say right now, that I don’t have access to every actor in Hollywood, but I do know a few people in a few places and I was able to set up a little meeting with Betty. Keep in mind I hadn’t seen her in 19 years! But I walked into her dressing room and reintroduced myself. She gave me the biggest hug and we had a lovely chat. I handed over the goody box that contained Kelsey and Nancy’s book and she gratefully took possession. We only had a few minutes because she had to be on set, but Betty is as lovely as any human being can be. She will always be one of my favorite people in Hollywood. I got another good bye hug before we left her dressing room and I cherished every second. That woman is gold.

How about you? Anyone in your past that you’d love to see again? Anyone really special that you’d love to catch up with for a few minutes? I’d love to hear about it!