Riley Murphy's Blog, page 7

We have a winner and a problem…

Here’s the problem first:

As you know we did our big build-a-giveaway drawing on the 12th. This was for all my subscribers and those that left comments on the giveaway threads. I pulled a name, but I still haven’t heard back from the winner of that drawing. I’m going to give it until the 28th of Dec. to receive a response – I know life happens. People go away or don’t check their emails, but over two weeks should be enough time, right? If I’m contacted I will share the good news, but if I don’t hear back by then I’ll be drawing another name on the 28th. So stay tuned! I really want to get the giveaway stuff mailed! *drums fingers*

NOW this…

Details about my exclusive drawing for readers/reviewers. I decided to do something a little different this year as a thank you to those who reviewed. I pulled the names of Reviewers off vendor sites  when my books were reviewed within certain dates. Anyways, we have a lucky winner!

Congrats Mary T Lee!

Yay. Could you email me at write2rileymurphy@gmail.com with your address so I can send you the goods? And thanks so much for reading and reviewing my books!

Going forward I will still have my subscribers/readers/reviewers drawings as usual, but starting in 2016 I’m going to add one exclusively for reviewers only. I really do appreciate the readers who take the time out of their busy days to say a few words. Those words keep me writing.

I certainly hope all you guys have a wonderful holiday and if I don’t post a Honey story (I have a pocket full to unload btw) before the 28th – you’ll hear from me then about the build-a-giveaway status.

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Riley

 

 

 

 

Amazon 25.00 Gift Card Up For Grabs!

Hey guys! I’m over at author Rebecca Zanetti’s place doing a guest post. Click on the picture if you want to enter for a chance to win. It’s easy-peasy. Fun too. You’ll see.

Up for grabs? An Amazon 25.00 Gift card and the complete eBook version of my Make Me series.

(If you win and you already have this series, no worries. I’ll gift you three eBooks of your choosing from my back list)

*WARNING*

I’m sharing a secret over there. A secret about someone and I hope she doesn’t read about it…

As always thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you over at Rebecca’s. Talk to me. You never know what I’ll say if you do. >.<

And don’t forget I’ve done one drawing, but I’m drawing for the other one today. If you’ve read any books in the Make Me series be sure to check out the particulars to get your name entered into my reader exclusive drawing. Click on the picture below for details.

Riley

It Came Upon A Midnight Unclear…

 

So this is what Honey looks like this time of year. Poor Honey.

In between driving him crazy with all the purchases—Have I mentioned that I’m not a shopper normally? This means that Honey lives pretty much stress free of going broke 90% of the year, but during the holidays? *Side eyes you* I make up for the drought. Just sayin’…

And with our current remodel in full swing? Well, it’s good I made those crib notes on my wedding day about why I fell in love with him. Also just sayin’… *Shakes head*

But then, there are those times I don’t need the notes. Lately there’s been more than a few occasions and I thought I’d share them with you.

The first instance came when I was doing the last load of laundry before Honey moved our washer and dryer out to the garage so he could do the floor in there. If you’ve been following my blog for a while you know I hate doing laundry. (hate is such a mild word for how I feel about the topic. Loathe. Detest. *Looks right at you* I’d rather slam both hands in a car door than be chained to those machines for the day, but I digress.

Imagine me in the purgatory room emptying his pockets. I found the standard items, a screw, a nut, a bolt, a couple of tile spacers, and…? Five purchase slips for a needy family’s holiday dinner. *Sigh* It wasn’t so much that he’d bought them. Honey frequently does stuff like this. It was that we’d just gone grocery shopping and he reminded me to add a couple to our purchase. He never mentioned that he’d already bought some. Is it wrong of me to find that extremely sexy? Probably, but don’t judge me. I do worse things than that. *Thinks* Like eats peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon *gasp* several times in succession and I wear slipper socks *leans in to whisper* the ones that have the toes. So worse, right?

PERSUADED HIT THE Top 100 BESTSELLER Lists ON AMAZON FOR AUDIO! And we have a winner!

This seals the deal! Not only did all three of my MAKE ME stories hit the Top 100 Bestsellers lists on Amazon for erotic romance! But they have now all hit the Bestsellers list for erotic romance in Audio as well!!!! So excited about this!!!

Special thanks to Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross for all their hard work! So talented! I love hearing my words come to life.They really are the best to work with! I love their fans too! I’ve made several new friends because of them.

As for our build-a-giveaway? We have a winner! I emailed her and as soon as she gets back to me I will post the details. In the meantime we still have the second giveaway going until the 18th. So far a couple of readers had made that list. If you want to check it out click here for the details on how to be entered.

These are the items still up for grabs:

My complete “Make Me” series signed, and a mystery gift in the little red package.

Also:

Chocolate covered strawberries and double dipped Oreos from one of my favorite places – delivered to your door over the holidays! Again, if you live in a part of the world that this company won’t deliver to I will send you an Amazon gift card, via email – of equal value.

Good luck!!!!

Oh, and I can’t sign off without a big shout of congrats to my other two guys for making the lists!

I love Jude Wilde…

And Master Neil? What can I say about him? I love him too!!!

I really hope all you guys have entered my drawings! I have a few going on right now. So be sure to check.

There’s this one. As I mentioned it’s open until Dec. 18th!

And there are some goodreads (signed print book) giveaways happening right now as well.

Here.

Here.

And here.

What a great year! Thanks so much for being a big part of it! But have no fear. Next year is going to be even better. I feel it in my bones.

WOW! TWO DIFFERENT GIVEAWAYS!

First a “Honey” story I title this one:

DID I DO THAT????

I’m pretty sure I did. If only…I mean I would have…could have…maybe. *Thinks not so long or deeply about this and then concludes* Yeah, never mind. In the immortal words of the burning bush, “I am who I am.”

That said Honey wishes I was someone else this week. *Shrugs* This rarely happens, so I’m guessing it’s a full moon or something. Here’s the deal. We’ve reached the hallowed ground within our home remodel.

My office.

Hands up if you remember me saying this was going to be a small *cough, cough* remodel.

PERSUADED Made the Top 100 bestselling list in both US & Canada! Let’s celebrate!

But first a Honey story…Trust me. It’s relevant. >.

So…Honey stands in front of me last night and says, “What do you think?”

Naturally I reply, “I think it needs more salt.” *Leans in to whisper to you* I was cooking and the vegetables did need more and being that he was right in the way, what else was I going to say, right?

He shakes his head. “No, I meant about me.”

Hm, okay. I stopped what I was doing and gave him the once over. “I don’t see anything different. Did you get a new haircut?”

“No, I’m taking protein supplements.”

Me, blink, blink. “You are? Right now?” *insert me looking around here* Then, “I don’t see them.”

“I make a shake every morning. I’m going to be ripped in no time.”

Okay, seriously? *Imagine me wandering right to where you are here, but I’m staggering a little because I’m stunned with disbelief over his arrogance.* Every morning? I was only gone two mornings and now he’s a health nut swilling back the magic Elixir that’s going to turn him into Joe Manganiello? *Imagine me sobering up enough to march back to him*

“So, that’s how it’s going to be, eh?”

He nods. “Afraid so. It will only be a matter of days I’ll be God-like.”

Days? “You don’t say.”

He looks right at me. “I do say. Three days tops and I’ll be walking on water.”

I wanted to laugh so badly. He’s can be such an ass when he wants to be. But I kept it together until he asked, “That won’t bother you, will it?”

At that point I had to laugh because I got this really great visual of him walking on water with a flowing white robe on and a basket in his hand. “Not. At. All. Listen, JC – can I call you that? Whilst you’re walking the liquid rim, could you catch a salmon and do the multiplying trick with it? It would save me time and whole bunch of money when we have our company over for dinner on Friday. Oh, and if you could scrounge up some wine,” I eyed him from head to toe and back again, “from some sacred place, that would be appreciated too. Now, could you please move your God-like self out of my way so I can get the salt.”

“Sure.” He didn’t miss a beat. “I’ll get what you need for Friday. What kind of wine? Red or white? And what kind of salmon? Alaskan?”

“I’ll leave that up to you divine one. Surprise me.”

When he agreed too quickly I got that bad feeling I usually got when he was going to do something man-like. I finished with the salt and spun around. “But hey, no buying whatever’s on sale. Swear to me you won’t do that again.” *Looks right at you* Some surprises in our house are literally hard to swallow. I send him to the store for fillets and he comes home with mystery meat that has so many adjectives I fall asleep reading the list of them on the label! Bone-in, rib cap off, center, butt, tender, blah, garbage, blah, rip off, blah, meat.

He freaking shrugged. Shrugged! And then he says, “Even God likes a bargain occasionally.”

Translation? I’ll be cooking tilapia and serving bottled beer.

Hell no!

When I told him this, do you know what he said?

“Amen to that, sister.”

Tosses white flag and contemplates making reservations for all of us. #$@#@!

So…what does this have to do with PERSUADED making the Bestseller lists in two countries? Simple. The joy I’ve experienced over it has persuaded me not to bop him one with the crappy fish he’s sure to bring home to me on Friday. Can’t make the same promise about the beer unless I finally hit the top seller’s list in the UK.

PERSUADED

 

 

PERSUADED – HAS BEEN RELEASED!!! AND WHAT’S UP WITH OUR GIVEAWAY!

 

Will be released in 3 days!!!!  IT’S AVAILABLE NOW!!!

So we have a couple of things to discuss. First what do I have to add to the giveaway. Alrighty!

Click here to see what’s already in the giveaway…

Here the latest item added…

 

I know. A mystery box. How frustrating.

Tomorrow I’ll post a picture of what’s inside.

PERSUADED – ONLY THREE MORE DAYS!!! AND WHAT’S UP WITH OUR GIVEAWAY!

 

Will be released in 3 days!!!!

So we have a couple of things to discuss. First what do I have to add to the giveaway. Alrighty!

Click here to see what’s already in the giveaway…

Here the latest item added…

 

I know. A mystery box. How frustrating.

Tomorrow I’ll post a picture of what’s inside.

What??? Who’s Coming Over Tomorrow? And another item added to our giveaway

Before I get to the post, here is what I’m adding to our giveaway. A little (it’s very small and lacy) dragonfly book marker. I ordered these because there’s a scene in PERSUADED that Greyson…Well, I’m not going to spoil it, but he’s a very clever and inventive guy. That’s all I’m saying and I wanted to use the dragonfly motif a little. These bookmarks are smaller/more delicate than I would have liked, but they’re still adorable. For those of you who don’t know what’s already in our giveaway, read about here. Rules are simple. Leave a comment and each time you do your name goes into the hat. If you’re signed up for my mailing list you already have one entry. Good luck!!!

So let me set this one up for you. I took the afternoon to connect with a very talented author I’ve been dying to meet for quite some time now. Ms. Desiree Holt and I had a terrific lunch together. She was everything I imagined she would be. Smart, funny, and down-to-earth. We’ve already decided we’re going to be great friends. So excited about that. Did I mention that she writes steamy romances with strong alpha males and heroines to fall in love with? She does. Her stories are hot, hot, HOT. So yeah, we have a lot to talk to talk about when we get together. Heh. I’ll keep you guys posted.

But for now, back to me coming home. Where to start? Let me see…

I walked through the door and when my poochie greeted me she started making all kinds of noise that translated would go something like this: “Where have you been? I thought you left me? Where did you go? I’m so glad you’re home. Daddy fixed me dinner and it sucked. How could you leave an important job like that up to him? I missed you. How much did you miss me? How much? How much? HEY! Don’t pay attention to Daddy! I’m here. Pet me. Me! Me!”

*Looks right at you and hikes a brow* I think I need to get out more. The poor pooch almost had a heart attack. No word of a lie. So, where was I? Oh, yeah, back to the next catastrophe. I know what you’re thinking. What did Honey do now?

*Pulls up a chair and sits down to tell you*

Honey decided out of the clear blue to change over the laundry I had started before I left. Unfortunately, bleach is not his friend and now it’s my new enemy as he ruined another set of sheets. I was so bummed about that, and can I just say, I hate hearing the phrase, “Don’t freak out but…”

Why? Because you gotta know the second I hear those words I’m worried.

So there I am listening to the pooch crying so hysterically with joy that I’m home she’s almost passing out at my feet, and Honey bitching about bleach not having enough warning labels on the bottle.

I couldn’t do that though because it was time for dinner, and just as I’m asking Honey if he’s called my mom over, she arrives. I was going to wave a hello, when Honey puts a hand on my arm and says, “About your mom. We have to talk.”

That’s when I hear Mom call, “Did Honey tell you about tomorrow?”

I looked up at him and he’s scowling so I know whatever he has to share is not something I’ll be looking forward to. “What happened?”

“Your mother answered the landline today.”

And there I am bracing myself and wondering why she did it. She has her own cell phone for emergencies and I’ve told her a thousand times. Do not pick up the house phone when I’m out. If my car breaks down or I’m ever in an accident or something I WOULD NOT call her – I’d call everyone, and I mean everyone before I ever thought to call her. She just doesn’t understand her limitations. Even if I did call her for…I don’t know, some reason, say my cell auto dialed the number and all I could do was shout out my location because I was pinned under the wheel of my vehicle, she wouldn’t know how to hang up so she could dial 911. Scratch that. It would take her twenty minutes to find a pen to write down my location because she can’t remember so well. I’d be a non-breathing pancake squashed under that rubber, and she’d still be heavily breathing into the phone bitching about why there’s never a pen around when you need one

*Lets out a deep sigh and then shakes head* The God’s honest truth? She’s a little optimistic about her current physical abilities. That’s all I can say. The other day when Honey was on the ladder cleaning out the gutters, she opened her sliding door and yelled up at him. “You shouldn’t be on the ladder with no one spotting you. You want me to come out and hold it for you?”

And there’s me thinking, great idea if you can let go of you walker long enough.

Seriously?

So yeah, I may have to rethink this one. We thought we had the phone problem licked when we shut off the ringer, but the line is connected through our cable and being that she watches the news all day – she sees the incoming calls pop up on her TV screen. It makes absolutely no sense that she’d want to pick up a call from Carlsbad CA. She doesn’t know anyone in California. But then, that’s me trying to make sense out of this. I asked her once and she basically told me that her second cousin – twice removed – mentioned once 60 years ago that he wanted to go to California and it could have been him calling.

*Insert me sagely nodding over that one here* Why? For starts that was the last time she’d talked to the guy and when I did the math on that cousin she was talking about? He’d be 102 years old today.

Marvelous.

So yeah, I may have to rethink this one. But back to me bracing myself…

“What about tomorrow?”

Honey points in Madge’s direction and shrugs. “You may want to ask your mom. From what I figure we have an insulation contractor coming to sell us on a job tomorrow afternoon.”

“Insulation? We don’t need insulation.”

Honey made a face that said, “You’re trying to find the logic? Silly woman.”

So I walk into the family room prepared to get to the bottom of this latest dilemma in my life.

“Mom? Did you answer the phone and schedule an appointment with an insulation contractor to come here tomorrow?”

My mom parks her walker and sits down. “Insulation? I thought he was a window guy?”

I look back at Honey who by now is scowling. This is not good people. We don’t need new windows either.

“Did you get their contact information?” I’m thinking I’ll just call in the morning and cancel.

“Yes. His name is Eric. He’ll be here at two o’clock sharp.”

“Did you write down his number?”

“No. I couldn’t find a pen.”

Which meant she didn’t get his company name either. Perfect.

Even more perfect? By the time dinner was over with and we got the full story from her, I now knew we could be expecting an insulation guy, a window guy, or a man selling life insurance.

*Le sigh*

So, um, if any of you happen to know an Eric who either installs insulation or windows and may have a sideline business selling insurance in the Tampa Bay area could you please tell him his appointment at two sharp has been cancelled?

I told Madge last night that I was going to turn him away when he showed up and she wasn’t happy about it. Why? Go figure. Seems Eric is the salt of the earth and a very nice man.

Hm…And there’s me wondering. Exactly how long did my mom chat with the guy?

Anyways, all is right with the world today. This morning when I went over to check on her she asked me to do her hair. Why? We have company coming at noon. >.<

Alrighty then. She can’t even remember the right time for the wrong guy who’s showing up to sell us a mystery product. Fantastic!

And as always, thanks for stopping by!

Riley

P.S. PERSUADED is getting the final polishes. I will post as soon as it’s live on Amazon. I can’t wait for this one to release. Early readers have given me the best feedback. A couple of my favorite comments? (I put this one in the book video) “It’s Basic Instinct meets Romancing the Stone!” What I didn’t put in there was the second part to her comment which was “I am in #$@!%$# LUST with Greyson!” Heh. I loved reading that. The second email I adored from another reader was: “Riley I can’t…I can’t even. This book. THIS BOOK!!! And I’m only on chapter seven! So yeah, I’m super excited about you guys meeting my guys.