Heather Thurmeier's Blog, page 14

Guest Author — Melinda Dozier

Today I’m thrilled to welcome fellow Crimson Romance author Melinda Dozier to my blog. Her new book, Breaking the Rules, is out and I’m in love with the cover. Oh and the story sounds fantastic too! Check it out!

Blurb:

A forbidden love affair in the past has led Hope Robinson, a middle school principal, to Harbor Bay, Florida, where she commits herself to play by the rules. This can be difficult for a perpetual klutz, who—even strapped in a cast—has to uphold a competent attitude at all times.

Luckily, she has Dr. Colin Calaway on her side, a widower and father of a student, who is ready to give love another try. When Colin convinces Hope they should explore the connection between them, a steamy romance develops, though it could destroy them both. They must decide if their jobs—and their hearts—are worth the risk.

Please give Melinda a warm welcome!

 

Hi Heather, thanks for having me today! It’s a pleasure to be at your blog!

Writing Questions:

How do you come up with your novel ideas? Most of my ideas have come to me in dreams. I’ve even been known to pop up in bed in the middle of the night, grab my iPad and type away (and it’s such a pain to use that keyboard). If I don’t get the ideas down, I’ll forget them!

What is your favorite part about writing romance? I’ve been reading romance for decades (Yes! Decades!) and I love the fact that now I’m writing and publishing works that I would read.

What qualities do you love most in heroes? I’m fond of Alpha males, but have been known to enjoy Beta males, too. In fact, I’m writing a Beta right now.  Also, I love a family man, like Colin in Breaking the Rules. There’s just something so sexy about a man who’d do anything for his family.

What qualities do you love most in heroines? I really like heroines to be sassy and confident. Oh, and sarcasm is a hoot!

How much research do you do before you write your novels? It all depends on the story. For Breaking the Rules, I had to research about broken bones because I’ve never broken any (knock on wood) and Hope suffers from a “klutzy” gene. For my latest novella, I had a lot of fun researching the Olympics and snowboarders. Today I had to look up swear words in Swiss-German. Gopfertami!

Fun Questions:

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why? Ha! I’d probably say back to the US. I’m an ex-pat living in Central America, but I go through US withdrawals often. I’d love to move back to Florida or New Mexico and retire there.

If a book is also a movie, do you read the book and watch the movie? Which comes first if you do both? I’m a middle school teacher and I always tell my students that the book is better than the movie. I truly believe it. The book MUST come first! This coming year/next year I’m looking forward to more of The Hobbit, Divergent and Catching Fire!

What is one item you would want if you were stuck on an uninhabited island?   I couldn’t live without reading, so I’d say my Kindle with solar power? Does that even exist? Let’s pretend it does. I’ve got to read!

Favorite guilty pleasure? I’ve been known as a Twitter addict. I also LOVE The Bachelor (and yes, Heather, I read your books because of it). I’ve even gotten my hubby attached to watching the reality series, but he would never admit it. He’ll come home and ask, “So, what’s happened with Desiree and Drew?” LOL!

Thanks so much for the fun interview! It’s been a blast! I’d love to know what guilty pleasures our readers have. Leave a comment below!

 

Melinda

Links:

Crimson Website: http://www.crimsonromance.com/upcoming-releases-romance-ebook/breaking-the-rules/

Blog: http://melindadozier.blogspot.com

Website: www.melindadozier.com

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A_ow8MRw1M

 

Bio:

Melinda Dozier lives in Guatemala, Central America, with her husband, three boys and German Shepherd.  She enjoys being the queen of her household and dreams of being pampered fully by her boys once they’re grown. Learn more about her at www.melindadozier.com.

You can also find Melinda on twitter at www.twitter.com/melindadozier or Facebook at www.facebook.com/melindadoz

 

Love vs Romance with Julie Sturgeon

During a conversation on Facebook with a group of Crimson Romance authors and editors, Julie Sturgeon (Imprint Manager) spoke up on her thoughts about Love versus Romance in writing. I totally loved what she had to say and I invited her here to share her thoughts with you! Please give Julie a warm welcome!!

Love v Romance: How to Pick Your Side of the Fight

As a development editor who works with Crimson Romance as well as self-published writers, one of the most common remarks I jot in manuscripts is “no, not yet. It’s too early.”

Yes, I’m a romance editor whose mission is to delete the I love yous.

Many authors write beautiful love stories. Stories of instant attraction, soulmates willing to die for the other. They forgive, they support, they last. They make readers laugh and cry simultaneously.

Isn’t that the happily ever after we all want to read?

Nope.

You see, I’m living that happily ever after. I’ve been married for 30 years to my first serious boyfriend from college. He’s my best friend. I know what it’s like to wake up in the morning on a beach vacation, ready to hit the sand while he opts to hide out in the hotel room because “it’s too hot out there.” I know I can turn to him at 3 a.m. in hysterics because I’ve crashed my WordPress site and he’ll roll out of bed to call tech support. He calls the shots on the television most nights, but during the Olympics or NCAA March Madness, that remote is mine. A few years ago I forced him to sell his sci fi collection at Half Price Books for a stupidly small sum of money. He forgave me.

When I’m driving cross country, there is no one else I want by my side in the passenger’s seat. Or the driver’s seat. We share the load like that and it’s the greatest blessing of my life.

What I’ll never experience again is that delicious sense of falling in love. When we went to the movies last week on our date night, I wasn’t on the edge of excitement, wondering if he’d put his arm around me or steal a kiss and if that would lead to more. My big curiosity was whether he’d remember to tell them to butter the popcorn.

So I, like so many readers, must turn to books to relive the uncertainty, the thrills, the tingles of romance. When the hero and heroine say, “I love you,” it’s time to move on. Oh, yes, I will read another chapter or two to find out what happened to the dog they rescued or who shot her sister. But I’ve squeezed my emotional fix from the story and am ready for the next romance book regardless of the page count. If I’m only halfway through the current story … well I know how that ends.

He’s coming through the door at 7 pm and we’re going to On the Border to use our free queso coupon.

Readers who aren’t in a solid relationship—in love, if you will—struggle to wrap their minds around living this happily ever after stage yet. The romance phase stands between them and that horizon, and they haven’t had success just yet bridging the gap. They need romance novels to assure them it is possible to work through the emotions, the drama, the bumps that accompany the excitement.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with writing love stories, of course. But if your goal is to set your published book on the romance shelves, make sure your characters aren’t Cupid’s victims dining in Mexican chain restaurants on a random Wednesday.

 

Thanks so much for being here, Julie!!

Lost Without You is Here!

Lost Without You, the 3rd and final book in my reality TV romance, is finally here! I’m so thrilled with how the series has turned out. When I set out to write the first book, Falling for You, I never imaged that Zoe Oliver, of all people, would be the one character who is in each book! I just thought she was the antagonist of the first book and nothing more. Boy was I wrong! Zoe Oliver is really the star of the whole series! And I”m thrilled that I was able to give her the spotlight in book 3, Lost Without You.

Here’s the blurb!

Zoe Oliver never wanted to be on another reality TV show . . . until Chip Cormack made an offer too good to refuse. He’s guaranteed her a payday this time and a chance to redeem herself in America’s eyes. But Zoe worries she won’t be able to focus as her desire for Chip grows and her strength to resist him weakens. When she learns she’ll be roughing it in the woods with Chip and without luxuries like indoor plumbing and electricity, she’s instantly on edge, feeling naked and terrified that her scars will be exposed and her secrets revealed. When Zoe’s past turns up on the show, she fears she’ll lose not only the life she’s sacrificed everything else to have, but also the affections of the only man she’s ever trusted with her heart.

Grab your copy today at:

AMAZON              B&N

Haven’t read the rest of the series yet? No problem! Grab your copies today and get caught up!

Falling for You:        AMAZON             B&N

Stuck on You:           AMAZON              B&N

 

Guest Author — Liv Rancourt

Today I’d like to welcome Live Rancourt! She’s one of many fantastic authors I’ve met online through my publishers and on Twitter. She’s got a great new book out! It sounds awesome!

Take it away Liv!

How teenagers are like VAMPIRES…

Thanks, Heather, for having me as a guest on your blog. I appreciate the chance to connect with your readers.

Now, since it’s summertime, I want to talk about vampires. What? Summer doesn’t automatically remind you of our undead kin? Weird. I don’t know if it’s the start of True Blood or knowing that our long sunny days mean they have to look for fast food options at night, but warm weather makes me want to reconnect with Ann Rice, Anita Blake, Buffy, and all their friends. And to give things an interesting twist, this summer I’m sharing my living space with a couple of beings who have come to resemble a pair of vamps.

They’re teenagers.

The other day, someone I know complained that her teens would sleep all day if she let them, which started me thinking, and it didn’t take much consideration for me to find startling parallels between my children and the spawn of Dracula…

They keep the same hours.

Now that school’s out, my teenagers would like nothing better than to play computer games all night, then sleep in. Till two or three in the afternoon.  So they have plenty of energy for another night of roaming virtual back roads and alleys, looking for victims.

They listen to music from another time and place.

You figure your average vampire established their musical tastes when they were young, which could mean they prefer anything from Renaissance polyphony to Benny Goodman and his Orchestra. My kids listen to dubstep, a form of electronic music that sounds like it came from another galaxy, let alone another time. Neither group remembers the ‘80s the way I do.

They’re undeniably cool.

Most teenagers walk around feeling like the biggest dweebs on the planet. And most older people would trade places with them in a second. Their music, their clothing, and their (perceived) stress-free existence make for an enticing combination, almost as tempting as the eternal youth and assorted superpowers that come along with being a vampire.

Which would you choose?

They think they’ll live forever.

Teenagers thing they’re indestructible.  Vampires pretty much are.  Which leads straight into my next point…

They both make me nervous.

I don’t think I could ever really relax around a vampire.  The whole “threat to life and limb” factor that travels with them would prevent us from being more than casual friends. Oddly, I worry more about my teenagers. Growing up is never easy, and the challenges they face – stress and broken hearts and drugs and the internet and finding their place in the world – are enough to give any mother grey hair.

Hmm…maybe hanging with a vampire wouldn’t be that bad.

So have I missed anything? If you can think of any other parallels, please leave them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! Also, if you’ve got a minute, hop on over to the main page of the Summer Book Crush. A whole bunch of authors are offering books for $0.99, including my novella, A Vampire’s Deadly Delight. You’ll find books from all different genres, and all of them are the same low price. Jump HERE to check it out.

And thanks again, Heather. It’s so nice to be here.

She’s a quiet, unassuming bookstore owner by day, but by  night…

Kristen has a deadly secret—when she smells a vampire, she turns into Jai, a beauti-licious babe who makes vamps permanently dead. To a vamp, Jai is like ambrosia. They can’t resist her. She uses this attraction, plus her super strength and her trusty blade, Mr. Sticky, to end their undead lives. The thrill of wearing miniskirts without worrying about cellulite stifles any qualms Kristen might have about killing the undead. Being Jai is the most fun she has ever had—until they come up against the one vampire Jai can’t kill. If he and Jai have a history, as he claims, Jai can’t remember it…or him.

But when her work catches the attention of some old enemies—who won’t hesitate to destroy Kristen if it also means the end of Jai—this vampire may be their only hope. Can Kristen and Jai learn to tell the difference between good and evil in time to defeat Jai’s ancient nemesis? Or will being Jai’s hostess cost Kristen more than just her beauty sleep?

Available from Black Opal Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

 

 

 

Liv Rancourt writes paranormal and romance, often at the same time. She lives with her husband, two teenagers, two cats and one wayward puppy. She likes to create stories that have happy endings, and finds it is a good way to balance her other job in the neonatal intensive care unit. Liv can be found on-line at her website & blog (www.livrancourt.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/liv.rancourt), or on Twitter (www.twitter.com/LivRancourt).

Lost Without You — Sneak Peek!

Lost Without You is almost here! But you can pre-order now and have it automatically delivered to your kindle on the day of release! How cool is that? So here’s a sneak peek for my faithful blog followers!

“I’m gonna cook you up something real nice, baby. It’ll be like our first date, out here, in the wild… It might even make you want to get a little wild yourself.” He walked off with a wink and she burst out laughing, climbing down from the tree stump she’d been perched on while hosting. He was too much.

“Do girls actually fall for lines like that where you come from?” she asked him.

He turned back toward her. “Their panties certainly do.”

Zoe felt her cheeks burn at his words as he walked off into the woods after the rest of

his team. Her panties weren’t dropping for him because of one meal…or for any other reason actually. Maybe Rick was more of a player than she’d realized when she’d started her “harmless” flirting with him.

She glanced over to where Chip stood, well within hearing range of that little conversation. He looked as if he was studying a production clipboard, but if the expression on his face was any indication, he was rather pissed at a production note.

More likely, he’d just heard Rick’s comments too. And if she wasn’t mistaken, he seemed more turned off by them than even she was.

“Everything okay, Chip?” she asked, hoping she sounded casual.

“Fine. Why?” he asked, not meeting her gaze.

“You seem a little annoyed at your clipboard.”

“I’m fine, Zoe. Nothing to worry about, just a little hiccup in the production schedule to work out on the fly.” He scribbled a few notes in the margin then handed it back to one of the assistants. He pushed his hands into his pockets as if they were hanging out, waiting for a movie to start instead of standing in the middle of the woods waiting for teams to return.

Maybe he hadn’t overheard Rick’s comments. Or maybe he had and he didn’t care if she flirted with a contestant. Hell, he would probably encourage it. He’d probably say it was good for ratings for Zoe to hook up with Rick, what with the drama and spectacle it would certainly cause.

“While we have a second, I should point out that I do think it would be best not to fraternize with the contestants so much,” he said, turning to face her straight on and finally meeting her gaze. “You do remember how that all worked out for Cassidy on The One, don’t you?”

Was that a threat?

“Of course I do. I was there for your big scandalous reveal at the finale.”

“Then you should already know that a crewmember getting involved with a cast member usually isn’t the best idea.”

“Well that’s good, because I have no intentions of shacking up with Rick. It’s a little harmless flirting.”

Chip crossed his arms. If she wasn’t mistaken, he almost looked a little jealous. Maybe there was more behind his warning than he let on.

“So talking about your panties is nothing to you then? Just casual, everyday flirting to you? Good to know.”

“I wasn’t talking about my panties, he was.”

“Well that makes all the difference, now doesn’t it?”

Zoe felt her pulse race as she took a step closer to Chip. “Listen, I don’t know what’s gotten your panties all in a bunch, but mine are fine—” Her voice strained as the heat passing between them spiked at the mention of her panties.

Her chest heaved as she struggled to talk around her hitched breathing.

Focus!

She swallowed, her throat feeling dry. “And I don’t plan on dropping them for anyone any time soon. Got it?” she finished, her voice stronger than it had been but still rather pathetic and unconvincing.

He smiled, letting his gaze flicker down to the area in danger of “droppage” for a moment before meeting her eyes again. “Now that sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one,” he said quietly.

She suddenly felt the panties in question moisten under his gaze.

To pre-order your copy today, click the link!  BUY FROM AMAZON

Summer Fun

Summer holidays are almost here! I have mixed feelings on this.

On the one hand, I’m looking forward to time at the town pool with the kids, not having to make lunches and get everyone out the door by 8:15, and letting the kids stay up late to roast marshmallows and catch fireflies. I’m also looking forward to my husband’s vacation time so we can head back home to visit the aunties, uncles, cousin and grandparents we haven’t seen in a year. Summertime visits in Canada are super fun!

On the other hand, my writing productivity will come to a screeching halt over the summertime months. My office hours for writing are while the kids are at school. So having them home means a lot less quiet time around the house to focus on work. Not that I won’t get any done, but given the choice, I’d rather take my kids to the pool and sit in the sunshine instead of staying inside and writing on my laptop.

I’ve been counting down the days until school is out, not because I’m dreading them, but because I want to have as many of my big work tasks completed as possible. I’ve just finished editing my novel that Entangled Publishing bought so once I’m assigned my editor, I’ll be able to send it in. That was a huge task to get done before school’s out for summer. I feel a big weight off my shoulders with that done. Now I have to figure out what goals I can reasonable set for July and August. I’m not thinking it will be too much. So here are my summertime goals, which are much lighter than my usual writing goals during the school year.

Plot out one or two NEW book ideas so they are ready to go come September and I can jump right into writing.
Plot the SEQUELS to Catching Stardust. There are 6 of them. Yikes.
Prep the Meadow Ridge romance series for re-release. That means 3 times the reformatting, 3 new covers, and 3 new uploads to prep. A lot of work, but I hope it will be worth it!
Learn Scrivener. I know a lot of writers who love this program, but I’ve always been a Word girl. Hubs bought me Scrivener for my birthday this year so I’m hoping to go through all the tutorials over the summer to learn the program while my schedule is more relaxed.
Possible write a novella. But about what, I haven’t figured out yet. LOL. This probably won’t happen, but a writer can dream!

So what are your summertime fun plans? Are you hanging by the pool all summer? Taking trips? Visiting with friends and family? What about your work: do you have a different schedule in mind for summer or is it business as usual? Tell me about it in the comments!

…Oh, and did I mention I’m moving this summer too?…

 

Unavailable but Coming Soon!

Some of you may have noticed that my Meadow Ridge Romance series is no longer available. That’s because I asked for my rights back from the publisher and they gave them to me as of last Friday. I personally had a good experience with that publisher as far as editing and covers go. They gave my writing career its start with Love and Lattes and for that I will always hold a special place for Silver Publishing in my heart. But recently, they’ve had a few issues, which I won’t go into here, that have made me question whether or not it was in my best interest to stay with the company. In the end, I’ve decided it’s best to part ways. So as of now, all digital copies of LOVE AND LATTES, LOVE ON LANDING, and LOVE OR LUXURY are currently unavailable. There are still a few print copies left at Amazon if you are interested. I think they’re something of a collector’s item now. Out of print editions maybe? Anyway, you can find them here if you’re interested.

I’m hoping to have the Meadow Ridge series available again soon. And with all new beautiful covers!

Trilogy Celebration and Giveaway!

LOST WITHOUT YOU the 3rd installment in my reality TV romance trilogy is almost here!

It officially releases July 1, 2013! However, you can PRE-ORDER your copy now if you want. And you should! Here’s why…

I’m giving away 5 signed PRINT copies of the first book in the series, Falling for You, to readers who are just so excited to get their hands on LOST WITHOUT YOU that they run over to Amazon and pre-order their copy before it’s big release on July 1st! How cool is that?!

But that’s not all. If you haven’t read the second book in the series yet, Stuck on You, then you can purchase that book instead and still be entered in to win a personalized, signed copy of Falling for You!

Here’s what you have to do:

1. Pre-order LOST WITHOUT YOU from Amazon and after purchase, “share this item” with your friends. Share it on Twitter by clicking the twitter tab and add my twitter handle (@hthurmeier) to the message already in the box. Then just click send! It’s simple. 

CLICK HERE TO ORDER LOST WITHOUT YOU!

Don’t have twitter? Send me the “share this item” news via email by clicking the email tab and sending it to my address at– heatherthurmeier@gmail.com –and while you’re at it, send it to a few of your other book lovin’, romance reading friends!

Haven’t read the second in the series yet? You can still play!

2. Buy STUCK ON YOU from Amazon and “Share this item” as described above.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE STUCK ON YOU!

3. Purchase both STUCK ON YOU and LOST WITHOUT YOU and I’ll put your name in the draw 1 extra time because 3 chances are even better!!!

 

 

***Contest runs today June 4th,2013 thru June 25th, 2013!***

BookBuzz2013 was a Blast!

Whichever wonderful lady created this cool poster rocks! How awesome is this??

Last night, I joined 7 other authors for Book Buzz 2013 at Stone Creek Bar and Lounge. It was such a blast! I enjoyed meeting all of these authors in person for the first time after having tweeted and emailed with them for the last couple of years. And I have to say, I was blown away by how amazingly awesome each and every one of them were. I don’t think I could have asked for a better group of authors to hang out with for an evening.

The line up of amazing women included:

Francine LaSala
Meredith Schorr
Samantha Stroh Bailey
Cari Kamm
Lucie Simone
Jen Tucker
Eileen Goudge

Enjoying a Pink Stiletto. YUM!

Our signature drink, the Pink Stiletto was delish! Thanks to our drink sponsor Shpilka Vodka for providing us with such yummy refreshments!

The crowd mingling and a few of our delicious snacks on the bar!

Me and Francine LaSala enjoying the food!

And the food looked so good! I saw many happy readers enjoying the fare! Diversion Books was generous and kept the yumminess coming from the kitchen all evening. Thank you!

I swear I had minor fangirl moments with each author. “Excuse me, Ms. Schorr, um, could I, um, get a picture with you?”

Meredith Schorr and me chillin’.

Myself and Eileen Goudge.

Our books!

Our table full of books, swag and goodies was beyond awesome. How could you not want to walk away with a bag full of books with this kind of selection in front of you. I was honored and humbled to be included in this mix of talented writers! And I have to give a huge shout out and thank you to Julie Valerie for helping us out at the table all evening. We couldn’t have mixed and mingled without you! (Somehow, she’s the only one I didn’t get a photo of!)

I spent the evening chatting with my fellow authors, meeting new people, and generally just enjoying the experience!

Myself and Samantha Stroh Bailey.

Myself and Jen Tucker!

Lucie Simone and me.

OMG, I couldn’t love the look of these cookies more!

As the evening wrapped up, it was great to see new friends—and hopefully fans!—walk out with books and our giveaway cookies. The gorgeous cookies were made by Virginia Patterson! I cannot tell you how thrilled my girls were to see these cookies in my kitchen this morning! LOL. They said, and I quote exactly, “Look mom! Margaritas!” Yes, they are my children. And yes, I do, on occasion, make margaritas. However, to be truthful, these look much more like cosmos than margaritas, but I won’t hold that against the cookies. LOL.

Cari Kamm and myself.

Jen Tucker photo-bombing Cari and me! LOL.

By the end of the night, we were all a smiling through the pain of sore feet from those damn sexy stilettos! And a few of us, not naming names… Jen Tucker… started getting a little silly…

I had a fantastic time meeting all of these wonderful, talented authors, their friends, husbands, publishers, and every other guest who stopped by to visit with us! And as I limped across the street to the parking garage, I was so thankful I’d remembered to grab my Uggs before leaving the house! Ouch…

Party stilettos and post-party Uggs.

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Memories — Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Making memories on the weekends, captured in pictures…

… And yes, I just now realized it’s Tuesday…

Greens and blues. Beautiful!

Visited our local farm to see the baby animals. Not as many as I’d expected to see, but still always a good time. Feeding the goats.

Stopped by a sanctuary/park we’ve driven by a million times but never wandered through. Lots of beautiful green space! And busy bees buried in flower pollen.