Heather Thurmeier's Blog, page 26

And the Winners Are…

Thank you so much to everyone who came and celebrated Canada Day and Independence Day with me this year!! I hope you’ll stop by again sometime soon! And now, the winners!!!

Winner of the $20 gift card to either B&N or AMAZON is — Pam Brewer!

Winner of an ebook from my backlist is — Carin W!!

Winners will be contacted ASAP! Thanks!!

Independence Blog Hop!

If you’re new to my blog, welcome. If you’ve been here before, welcome back!!

I’m participating in the Celebrate Independence blog hop!! I’m Canadian and celebrate Canada Day on July 1st, but I also live in the US and celebrate July 4th. I get twice the fun each year!! To mark the occasions, I’m giving away not one prize, but two!

1 lucky commenter will win an ebook from my back list! Winner’s choice of course!!

1 lucky commenter will win a $20 GC for either B&N or Amazon! Woot!!

Want a chance or two to win?? I’ll tell you how in just a minute. But first, a little snippet from LOVE ON LANDING available from:

SILVER PUBLISHING            AMAZON               BARNES & NOBLE

“Stay,” he said simply.

She laughed at his forwardness. She liked he wanted to take control, but this seemed like he was getting a little carried away. “I’m not your dog.”

“No, you aren’t, but you really should listen.” He tugged open his pants and slipped out of them and his boxers at the same time. He held them long enough to retrieve a condom from his wallet before dropping his pants to the floor to join his shirt. She giggled as he casually tossed the condom onto the bedside table as if it were his car keys.

He answered her laugh with a devilish smile. “I promise I’ll make your obedience worth your while—if you’re a good girl.”

“What if I’m bad?” she teased.

“I’ll make your deviance worth my while.”

And now, how you can enter my contest for a chance to win… Each thing on the list earns you another chance to win! Do all or only one, whatever YOU are comfortable with!!

1. Leave a comment and tell me how you’ll be celebrating this year!

2. Enter you email address over there >>>> to subscribe to my blog!

3. Add any or all of my books to your Goodreads list by clicking here:  GOODREADS

4. Like my Facebook Page! I promise I’ll post something interesting once in a while. Click here:  FACEBOOK

5. Follow me on twitter by clicking here: TWITTER

Have you already done some/all of these in another blog hop?? No problem! Just let me know in your comment (twitter handle, Facebook name, goodreads name) and when I confirm you’re already there, I’ll count that as an entry!

**Please note, by leaving a comment you are agreeing to be included on my “Only If I Have Big News!” newsletter. I will never share your information or spam you and you will be able to opt out with any mailing!

Interview at Kate Austin’s Blog!

Hi everyone,

I’m at Kate Austin’s blog today for an interview. Have you ever wondered how authors write about locations they’ve never been to before? Find out how I do it!! Just click the link below!

Kate’s Blog!!

Chick Lit Chat on Twitter!

I’m hosting tonight’s (6/28) Chick Lit Chat on twitter. We’ll be chatting about advertising, what works and what doesn’t. If you’re a writer, I want to hear what you’ve tried in the past. If you’re a reader, how do you find out about books?? Stop by twitter tonight at 8pm EST and use/follow #chicklitchat to participate!

Still not sure what to do? Follow me on twitter — @hthurmeier — and I’ll get you started!!

Guest Author — Kristina Knight

Hi, Heather! Thanks for having me on your blog today – it’s been a CRAZY two weeks. My debut book released on June 4 – and that still has me happy dancing around my house! – and my daughter turned 4 – an interesting age to say the least. So far! What has kept me sane? Well, I have a lot of work on my plate, so I have to stay focused.

But more than that, my favorite comfort reads allow me to escape the cray-cray moments and enter a kind of zen that only comes from a good book! What can I say? Books aren’t just what I write, they’re also what keeps me sane. When I’m looking for a zen read, I look for characters first – character driven stories are so fun to fall into, whether they’re contemporary, historical, romantic suspense or paranormal.

Two of my favorite authors for character-driven novels are Emily March and Lisa Wingate. Both have a way of painting characters with such depth that they jump off the page. They turn into the kind of characters you’d want to have an actual conversation with…they kind of characters whose stories you just don’t want to end. I like falling into characters like that, and so I’ve done a lot of reading – and re-reading over the last few weeks, trying to keep my mind calm and focused. And I’ve tried to create the same types of characters in my own books. Here’s the blurb for What a Texas Girl Wants:




BLURB:

Kathleen Witte is a down-to-earth girl. She has to be, with the family ranch on the verge of success. After seven months of keeping it all together by swearing off men, however, Kathleen needs a bit of fun in the sun. Waking up with a husband she can’t remember isn’t how she planned to blow off steam.

The last thing Jackson Taylor wants in his life is a down-to-earth girl. He has four weeks of freedom in which to find his birth mother. He’s done well avoiding commitment until now, so when he wakes up on a Mexican beach with Kathleen his first reaction is curiosity. When he spies the matching wedding rings on their left hands curiosity turns to concern.

Neither Jackson nor Kathleen want to stay married, but when her family shows up, they have no choice. Once back in Texas, however, can they keep this all-business marriage from turning into an all-consuming love?

 AMAZON                           BARNES AND NOBLE 



Thank you so much for stopping by Kristina!! I already have your book waiting on my kindle. I can’t wait to dive into it soon!!

RWA Conference Tips

Hi Everyone,

Every week brings you one step closer to this year’s RWA National Conference!! Are you excited? Are you nervous? Are you ready?

Last year I went to the conference and it was my first. I had no idea what it would be like or what I needed or…basically, I knew nothing. I still don’t know a heck of a lot, but I definitely know more now than I did then. Maybe something I learned will be helpful to someone else. So here goes!

1. Bring a sweater or dress in layers. I found that every conference room was a different temperature than the last. Some were just a shade above frigid.

2. Bring extra pens. You never know when you’ll need another one. I took pens with my name and website on them to use. When someone needed a pen because theirs stopped working or got lost, I was able to offer them one of mine to use and keep. Bonus, they took my name and website with them!

3. Some kind of compact notebook is good enough. I read a tip last year that said it was a good idea to print off the handouts for the workshops you want to attend in advance so you can write your notes on them. Well, I did that and it didn’t work for me. It was just cumbersome to deal with all that paper. I even bought a business folder thing that had a pad of paper for notes and a folder for the handouts. It was too much. It was too big to fit in my bag, so I ended up carrying it all the time. Just get a nice little coil notebook or whatever else fits in your bag easily and is comfortable to write in.

4. Take business cards and actually hand them out. It feels weird to offer them to people, but do it. You’re there to network. Also, when someone gives you their business card, take a second to write something on the back of it that will remind you about your meeting with them. Maybe something you spoke about, or where they were from, or even other writer friends you have in common. When you get to home after the conference, you’ll have a bunch of business cards and it can be tough to remember who is who. Notes help!

**My name badge holder thingy (it’s a technical term *ahem*) had a place where you could slip in a few business cards. I carried a few of my own in there and then anytime I needed on to give out, it was quick and easy to grab one!

5. Wear your name badge everywhere! You want people to know that you are with the conference so you instantly have something to talk about. Wear your badge when you go grab a coffee or a late night drink. Unless of course you don’t want to be seen…Where you planning on sneaking off to anyway??

6. Take a little time to sit and relax! Just because you’re at this awesome conference doesn’t mean that you don’t need a little down time too. Go for a drink with friends or go to the bar and make new friends! Room service is tempting, but force yourself out of your room and into the restaurants in the hotel to mingle and mix with other writerly folks.

7. If you’ve got a pitch appointment, don’t chicken out! Just focus on your goals, suck up your nerves and do it. You can read my Pitching Tips here!

 

Guest Author — Denyse Cohen

Today I have a special guest author visiting my blog. Denyse Cohen is a fellow Crimson Romance author. Without further babble from me, here’s Denyse!

A Writer’s Lookbook

Now that my first novel, One Hit Wonder, is out and I can shout to the world that I’m a published author I feel my work has just started. No, I’m not talking about studying the English grammar manuals and reading endless books about the craft of writing (which I still do.)

I’m talking about my “published author” wardrobe. I mean, a girl have to be prepared to present herself professionally should the occasion demand, right? Imagine how dreadful it’ll be if when asked what I do and I answer “I’m a writer,” people look me head to toe to see a shameful outfit that speaks more of college drop-out (which I’m certainly not) than “published author.”

Have I said “published author” enough? I’m still in shock. Please, bear with me.

While I wish I could wear Audrey’s (my kick-ass heroine from One Hit Wonder) preferred outfit all the time: Levi’s and biker boots, I know—as she does—that sometimes you have to let go of jeans and bring out the dresses and heels. She didn’t exactly wear heels when she asked John out (yes, she’s the one who did the asking) but a sexy halter dress.

While bringing out the sexy is not really a problem, right, girls? We all have it and we know how to use it.

Bringing out the professional without settling for tweed suits is more challenging, unless, of course, you have the few thousands of dollars to spend on a Gucci tailored suit, such as the one Frieda Pinto wore to Tribeca festival.

So, what is a “published author” —with a very limited budget— to do?

Only one answer: be creative! And bargain shopping—all right two answers.

What I sometimes do is go to www.lookbook.nu to find inspiration, then go to my local discount stores in search of marked down treasures to mix and match until I have the perfect ensemble. I never rely on women’s magazines, for I think they’re very trendy oriented, which I think makes us look all the same.

What could be worse than looking like a college drop-out? Looking exactly like the other “published author” right beside me.

Denyse Cohen is a Brazilian visual artist and writer living in South Carolina. Her debut novel, One Hit Wonder, was published in June by Crimson Romance.

Check out her blog www.denysecohen.com

Here’s a link for the first chapter excerpt: http://www.denysecohen.com/p/writings.html

To order it on Barnes&Nobles: http://bit.ly/M1DvQN

To order it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/J3f2vb

To order it on Itunes: http://bit.ly/L6h0Lh

Denyse Cohen
www.denysecohen.com
twitter: @denysecohen
My novel “One Hit Wonder” is available for pre-order through Amazon

 

Thank you so much, Denyse, for being a part of my blog!

RWA National Conference Pitching Tips!

I know there’s probably a few of you out there right now, already thinking (sweating, panicking, nail biting) about pitching at RWA National Conference this summer. I know at this time last year, I was so panicked when I thought about my upcoming pitches, that I would force it from my mind and work on perfecting my manuscript instead. But guess what? Time goes by and before you know it, you’re at the conference and waiting for your turn to pitch!

If you want to read about my pitch experience last year, you can find it HERE.

This year, I thought I’d offer a couple of tips that will hopefully be helpful to someone. I’m by far no expert. But I have pitched at nationals and I do feel I was successful with it. So here goes!

1. Practice your pitch. That’s pretty obvious right? I didn’t want to practice my pitch. I felt really silly saying it to my kids and my husband. But I should have. I should have pitched it as many times as I could before I went. Luckily, I pitched it to my colleagues at my local RWA group. We had a little ‘pretend pitch’ session hosted by a couple of our more seasoned members who’d been through it before. It was so helpful!! And I’ll just go ahead and admit it now before one of my chapter mates pops on here with a comment about it…I pitched to my RWA girls at our meeting and…I SUCKED!!! No, seriously. I really, really sucked. LOL. I rambled. I looked at my notes then lost my place. I had to start over. I spoke not just fast, but super fast. I didn’t look at my pretend agent and I completely forgot to smile. OMG, I could not have done worse!!

Thank God I got that out of the way at the RWA meeting instead of in the pitch room at the conference. Whew. Dodged a bullet on that one.

2. Be prepared to answer questions. During your study period before hand, ask yourself a few questions: What is your character’s motivation? What is their goal? How do they grow and change over the course of the book? Who are your secondary characters? Is there any potential for a series? And any other questions you can think of in advance. You don’t need to make a ton of notes or memorize a bunch of facts. Just be aware that an editor/agent may had questions and you’ll need to think on your feet.

3. Do your research in advance. Hopefully you didn’t just pick people to pitch to at random. Either way, you should research the editor/agent to see what they’re looking for, who their current authors are and how you think your book can fit in with their business.

4. Once you get to RWA National Conference, talk to as many strangers as you can. Not only is this a great place to socialize and network, it’s a great way to practice getting comfortable speaking to people about your book. I was so nervous the first day of the conference that I could barely leave the side of the few writer friends I knew there. But I forced myself to sit with people I didn’t know. I forced myself to say hello to people I rode the elevators with. And any time someone asked me about what I had written, I got to practice my pitch! That was awesome. It was less stressful if I screwed up and it helped me figure out what people responded to in my pitch. So by the time my actual pitch appointments came around, I felt more like I was just talking to another person at the conference and less like I was talking to someone who could make or break my career.

5. Wear something you feel good in. I don’t mean get all fancy or wear your favorite sweatpants that should have been thrown out ten years ago. I mean pick something you like from your wardrobe that makes you feel good about yourself. If you feel good, you’ll show it in your body language, in your facial expressions and in your attitude.

6. When you’re in the pitch room holding area…aka the most terrifying place on earth…sit by yourself or with strangers. Don’t sit by your BFF unless it’s going to help your relax and focus. Unless of course your BFF is there to distract you and therefore keep you calm. However, I still suggest sitting on your own if you can. Use the time to focus, go over your notes one more time or just concentrate on breathing. It’s very easy to forget you still need oxygen to flow to your brain while waiting to pitch. Deep breath in, slow breath out. Repeat. Find your pitching Zen.

7. Be yourself. I know it’s hard when you’re nervous and you’re trying to impress someone important and all, but really, they’re people too. Don’t forget that. I think the best pitch I did was the one where I connected with an editor (a dream editor!) about one of her other authors. I loved one of her author’s series and shared with the editor how I thought my series was the same and uniquely different. After that, I felt like I was chatting with a friend. I relaxed. I laughed. I acted like myself. And the editor responded well to that. I’m not saying all of them will, but the one I sat with did. She even made a huge request and a suggestion that set in motion a lot of great things for me!

Be yourself but you also need to be professional. Be polite and courteous. Be friendly and respectful. Smile and shake their hand when you arrive at the table. Have a business card handy to give them so they have something to remember you by. I also suggest having a pen handy so that when they hand you their business card and request materials, you can quickly jot down on the back of the card what was requested since you may not remember when you leave the room.

8. If you can help it, don’t read from notes. I made note cards so that I had them if I totally blanked, but honestly, I didn’t even bring them out of my bag. I probably didn’t say exactly what was on the cards—Who am I kidding? I know I didn’t!—but I didn’t need to say that stuff. It was the prep work. Imagine it like you’re studying for an exam. You can make the notes, write out cue cards or whatever else you want to do to memorize something, but in the end, it’s just you in that room. YOU know your book better than anyone else. Talk about the things you love about it and that make it special. Even if it’s not perfect, it will be okay.

9. Keep it short and sweet. Pitching is not the time to sit down and read your five-page synopsis to the editor/agent. Yes, you worked so hard on it and it tells everything anyone ever needed to know about your book, but it’s too much! This pitch is longer than your one or two sentence log line, but it’s not your synopsis. Think about the blurb you read on the back of a published book. You want something like that-ish. Not too long, not too short. Give enough details to paint the picture of what your book is about, but not so much that the editor or agent is going to need a nap after meeting with you. And make sure you leave time for the editor/agent to ask you any questions they might have. This appointment is a two-way conversation.

10. Snag an extra appointment. If you missed out on getting an appointment with one of your dream editors/agents, you may be able to snag an spot—if it’s the same this year as it was last. Last year, while I waited in between appointments (I think I had 30-40 minutes or so between) I was able to step in for an additional appointment with an editor when they had an open spot. The lady running the holding area yelled for a fill in and I jumped at the opportunity. But be warned, you need to make sure you have enough time to do that before your real appointment. If you’re not in the holding room when they call your name, they’ll offer it up to someone else who is waiting!

Anyone else have any other tips to offer up? Share them in the comments!!

My New Stilettos!

Thanks so much to everyone who voted for my new pair of stilettos during the Chick Lit blog hop. I went shopping and tried on many pairs of torture devices. Needless to say, they were not the ones for me!

Than I found these babies and fell in love! I love the straps, the neutral color, the covered toe and the heel height. I can’t wait to wear them with dark skinny jeans on date night with my hubs. And I also have a couple of parties coming up that these shoes will be perfect for with the dresses I have picked out.

So what do you think? Did I do good for my first pair of stilettos?

(Do these count as stilettos? How sad that I write about them all the time and don’t know if these count.)

Crimson Romance Author Blog–Ladies in Red

 

Hi everyone,

I’m over at Crimson Romance’s author blog — Ladies in Red – with a little introduction about myself and my upcoming books with Crimson! Stop by and check out the new blog, my introduction and the other fantastic CR authors!