Ute Carbone's Blog, page 40

Blueberries and Toadstools

I'll be at the Toadstool Bookstore in Milford New Hampshire tomorrow signing copies of Blueberry Truth.If you're in my little corner of the world, I'd love it if you'd stop by.



For event info, please visit the Toadstool Website
 

At Dawn's Reading Nook

You can find me at Dawn's Reading Nook today with a recipe for soup and an excerpt from Afterglow

http://dawnsreadingnook.blogspot.com/...

Shoe Planters

Have you wondered why there's a high heel with flowers on the cover of  my new romantic comedy, Afterglow? It's because the main character, India has the brilliant idea of turning old shoes into shoe planters to sell for charity. For lots of reasons which I won't give away here, the shoe planter project turns out to be more than India bargained for.

Shoe planters aren't a new idea. The folks at Fun Flower Facts  say that you can make planters out of just about anything.
There is, of course, the high heel planter:
Planter photo from Fun Flower Facts






But they've also made planters of old cars, old guitars, old bicycles, and even an old piano.
Planter Photo from Fun Flower Facts
If you want to know how to make your very own shoe planter, check them out here:

http://funflowerfacts.com/2012/08/28/...

And if you'd like to see what happens in India's great shoe caper, check out Afterglow, available  now at:
Champagne Books
and Amazon

Very Aspiring Blogger Award

I've been nominated for a very inspiring blogger award by Ally Shields. Ally is a very talented writer of urban fantasy. The first book of her Guardian Witch series,  Awakening the Fire, is available from Etopia Press.
Find out more about Ally here: http://allyshields.com/index.html

Thanks for the award Ally!





According to the award rules, I need to tell you seven things about me:

1. I love the theater. My husband and I save our pennies and go to see Broadway productions whenever possible. In December, we saw Once, which was a terrific and tender love story
2. I like to walk in the woods. There's a park near my house where I walk nearly every day.
3. I love my i-pod. I lost it a few weeks back and found it again yesterday. Highlight of my week!
4. I have a quirky sense of humor. I love weird stories. I use them whenever I can in my writing
5. I have a thing for raw cookie dough.
6. Hallmark commercials make me cry
7 I wanted to be a zookeeper when I was a kid

Next, I need to nominate 15 more bloggers. Here's my list

Evelie Acosta
Nikki Andrews
Annabel Aiden
January Bain
Catherine Cavendish
Elin Gregory
Jude Johnson
Cassiel Knight
Linda Rettstatt
Susan Roebuck
Karen Stivali
Patricia Bates
Angelica Hart and Zi
Sharon Kleve
Honor James

I'm visiting with Sharon Kleve

I'm visiting with fellow romance author Sharon Kleve today. Stop by and say hello!

http://authorsharonkleve.blogspot.com...

I'm Center Stage

I'm center stage with Honor James today. She's interviewed me about writing, life, and my underwear. Hope you'll stop by and say hello!
http://honors-center-stage.blogspot.c...

#SixSentenceSunday: Afterglow is here

My brand new romantic comedy, Afterglow, was released this week. Isn't it pretty?

In celebration, I'm doing six sentences from the the book. Enjoy!

“A related issue,” I said.
“I’ve got a bank card,” he said.
“They don’t take plastic. Cash only.”
“Who are they and why do they want three hundred dollars
in cash?” It sounded as though Mitch were fully awake now.


India Othmar isn’t having a great year. Her husband of thirty-one years has left her for their son’s ex-girlfriend. Her grown children have moved home. Her best friend Eva seems determined to set her up with every oddball in their small Massachusetts town. And her most significant relationship these days is with Cherry Garcia.

But India is more resilient than she thinks. And though it will take a broken arm, a lawn littered with engine parts, some creative uses for shoes, and a scandalous love affair of her own, she learns, much to her surprise, that her life hasn’t ended with her marriage. 

For more fabulous six sentences, please visit Six Sentence Sunday

Purchase Afterglow here:
Champagne Books:


Amazon

ARE

#SweetSaturday: At the Darrow

Hi Saturday Samplers!
It's been an exciting week for me because my new romantic comedy, Afterglow, released on Monday. India's best friend Eva is forever getting them both into awkward situations, one of which results in the them doing community service:

It was, for Eva and me, the first night of our community service. She came over to get me after school. “Ready to do penance?” she asked. She had dressed for penance, a black t-shirt
and black jeans, the Eva-version of sack cloth.
The Darrow Street Mission’s dining room had cinder block walls that were painted an alarming shade of tennis ball yellow. The room smelled of burnt coffee and something I would have identified, if pressed, as canned peas.
“Charming,” said Eva, taking survey. “They certainly know how to enhance the whole dining experience.”
We were met in the industrial strength kitchen by an industrial sized woman named Elba. “You the convicts?” Elba asked, her dark eyes dancing over us with something like amusement.
“No,” Eva said and I said “Yes.”
“Uh huh,” Elba folded her ebony arms. “What do you know about rice?”
“Rice?” I asked. “You mean, how to cook rice?”
“What do you think I mean?” Elba asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
“She’s the one who cooks.” Eva cocked a finger at me.
“I know how. To cook rice,” I offered.
“Okay. You do the rice.” Elba turned her stare on Eva. “And you clean out the storage room.”

Click here for more Sweets to satisfy your Saturday!

Afterglow Blurb:


India Othmar isn’t having a great year. Her husband of thirty-one years has left her for their son’s ex-girlfriend. Her grown children have moved home. Her best friend Eva seems determined to set her up with every oddball in their small Massachusetts town. And her most significant relationship these days is with Cherry Garcia.

But India is more resilient than she thinks. And though it will take a broken arm, a lawn littered with engine parts, some creative uses for shoes, and a scandalous love affair of her own, she learns, much to her surprise, that her life hasn’t ended with her marriage.
Buy LinksChampagneBooks:http://champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=628Amazon: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/books/book-detail-page?ie=UTF8&bookASIN=B00AXUUG74&index=defaultARE: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-afterglow-1039661-149.html

Afterglow is here!

It's here! It's here!
Afterglow has arrived, with a new cast of characters to love and laugh with. 

India Othmar isn’t having a great year. Her husband of thirty-one years has left her for their son’s ex-girlfriend. Her grown children have moved home. Her best friend Eva seems determined to set her up with every oddball in their small Massachusetts town. And her most significant relationship these days is with Cherry Garcia.

But India is more resilient than she thinks. And though it will take a broken arm, a lawn littered with engine parts, some creative uses for shoes, and a scandalous love affair of her own, she learns, much to her surprise, that her life hasn’t ended with her marriage. 



I hope you'll have a read!!
Purchase Afterglow here:
Champagne Books




 

Shared Whispers has arrived!

Click on image for more informationLast summer, several authors who blog over at The Writer's Vineyard decided to put together an anthology of short stories. After lots of sweat, a few torn out hairs, and many chocolate binges (okay, I'm projecting here), the book has become a reality.
The stories are as diverse as the authors who wrote them. All of them, though, center on love in some way.
Extra special thanks go to Mike Davis and Helen Henderson, who did the bulk of the editing and production work.
Hope you'll read and enjoy what we've come up with!