Romily Bernard's Blog, page 5
September 18, 2013
FIND ME Blog Tour with the The Fantastic Flying Book Club + GIVEAWAYS
Want to know who Romily’s dream cast for a FIND ME movie would be?
Want to know about the second book, REMEMBER ME, in the Trilogy?
Want to enter to win a signed hardcover of FIND ME and a slap band?
To find out and enter the giveaway… CLICK HERE
The #FINDME blog tour schedule & twitter party information below:
SEPTEMBER 18th
The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club & A Reading Nurse | Welcome to the Fantastic Flying Book Club
SEPTEMBER 19th
Coffee, Books and Me | Review, Favorite Quote, Playlist
Literary Meanderings | Review
Reader Rising | Review, Interview
Oops! I Read A Book Again | Review
SEPTEMBER 20th
The Bookish Daydreamer | Review, Favorite Quote
Peace, Love And Fangirl | Review, Excerpt
Bookcase to Heaven™ | Review, Guest Post
A Dream Within A Dream | Review
SEPTEMBER 21st
Musings of a Blogder | Review
Imaginary Reads | Review
Sarah Elizabeth’s Bookshelf | Review, Dream Cast
Curling Up With A Good Book | Review
SEPTEMBER 22nd
Paperback Princess | Review, Guest Post
The Book Cellar | Review
Working for the Mandroid | Review, Dream Cast
Tressa’s Wishful Endings | Review, Excerpt
SEPTEMBER 23rd
Read. Sleep. Repeat | Review, Excerpt
Enticed by Books | Review, Dream Cast
Forever 17 Books | Review
Paranormal Book Club | Review
SEPTEMBER 24th
Read Books And Live Green | Review, Interview, Playlist
Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile | Review, Favorite Quote
Book Cover Justice | Review
Istyria Book Blog | Review
TWITTER PARTY – SEPTEMBER 24 – 7pm EST
Book Addicts, there’s more #FINDME surprises! September 24th at 7 PM ET/ 6 PM CST/ 5 PM MST/ 4 PM PST, there will be a Twitter Party hosted by Musings of a Blodger and Ensconced in YA for Romily’s debut novel. It will be Release Day twitter party! And who’s going to miss such an awesome party where there would be a lot of FIND ME fans and lots of prizes!?
See the details/rules/tips/info here: #FINDME Twitter Party
September 17, 2013
The One Where I Get Interviewed by Samantha Fountain
Info
This interview is posted on Samantha Fountain’s blog, please stop by and check out her great website!
Romily Bernard
Author of: FIND ME-YA Suspense
Release date: September 24th, 2013
I could talk to Romily Bernard for hours and stay entertained. Her quick wit and slightly brash charm is infectious and addicting. Romily graduated from Georgia State University with a Literature degree. Since then, she’s worked as a riding instructor, cell phone salesgirl, personal assistant, groom, exercise rider, accounting assistant, and, during a very dark time, customer service rep. What did this prove to her? “Don’t let anyone tell you a BA degree will keep you unemployed.”
Samantha: I love your playlist for FIND ME. How do you go about choosing the songs that help you feel what you’re writing? http://www.romilybernard.com/2013/06/pitch-dark-reading-playlist-for-find-me/
Romily: I’m so glad you liked the playlist! But I have a confession….I actually never write to music. I have friends who do and swear by it. Unfortunately, I do quite a bit of writing on the sly at work so I have to keep my ears open in case I need to flip back to the spreadsheet I should be working on. I know. I know. I should be ashamed, but all’s fair in love and word count. The playlist songs came to me later. I was listening to the radio and going “That is so Wick and Griff.” Basically, I’m the writer-equivalent of the girl who thinks every Top 40 song is about her break-up, but, in my case, I think all these songs were totally meant for FIND ME.
Samantha: You’re a horse lady. Do you own any and how often do you ride?
Romily: Yep, I have a Georgian Grande named Tempi. Or Wonder Pony when she’s being super good. Or Brat when she’s being ornery. I love her to pieces and try to ride at least 4 times a week even if I have to do it in the dark. It’s exhausting, but it’s a sanity check for me too. You can’t think about work when you’re trying to adjust tempo, realign your weight, watch for a jump’s distance, etc. I need that break or I become obsessive…well, more obsessive.
Samantha: With the vast array of jobs that you have experienced what skills did you learn that you have been able to apply to your writing?
Romily: Um, yeah…I learned that I should’ve gone to law school like my parents wanted?
Kidding! Sort of. It exposed me to a ton of people. There was the multi-millionaire who showed up to meetings filthy, reeking of gasoline and oil. My manic boss who would lock himself in his office and refuse to come out. The coworker who liked to use the copier to copy…well his unmentionables. And every single one of these people thought they were behaving normally. If that isn’t a testament to character motivation, I don’t know what is. I try to remember that stuff when I’m writing. Characters must behave in a way that doesn’t have to make sense to us, but we have to see how it would make sense to them.
Samantha: Wick, your MC in FIND ME, has computer-hacking skills. What kind of research did you have to do to get savvy with this?
Romily: Thankfully, I’m married to someone who’s pretty savvy, but I also did a lot of Googling–so much Googling that I’m actually a touch scared I’m going to score myself a visit from the FBI. No one normal looks up “how many gallons of gas to burn a body beyond recognition.” Except I did and, for the record, it takes six gallons and an empty dumpster.
Samantha: Can you describe Wick to us?
Romily: Wick’s a smart-mouthed hacker who doesn’t believe in love, families, or belonging and has no idea she actually wants all three.
Samantha: I read you are working on number 2 right now? How is that going?
Romily: It’s…going. I actually wrote FIND ME as a standalone so when HarperTeen asked me for a trilogy I was thrilled and stumped. I had to think about what life would be like after FIND ME finishes, what kind of consequences the characters would be grappling with, and, how everyone would be trying to move on. REMEMBER ME is a different animal than FIND ME so I hope–really hope–it works for readers.
Samantha: Oh my gosh I loved this interview. I’m smiling as I type. As writers we sometimes have to research details into things that only psychopaths would do…and I can honestly say I have wondered if a SWAT team would come busting through my windows clinging to ropes that are dangling from helicopters when I was looking up things about human disection.
…that being said, I CAN”T WAIT to read FIND ME. Add it to your Goodreads shelf. NOW. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13645069-find-me
Info
This interview is posted on Samantha Fountain’s blog, please stop by and check out her great website!
September 16, 2013
The One Where I Get A Media Kit
Happy Monday, everyone!! Boy Genius and I have been arguing. I know. I know. But this time, it’s not about whether I accidentally on purpose electrocuted him while we were installing that kitchen light.
(For the record, I have only electrocuted BG twice, but, really, who’s counting?… Well, other than BG.)
This time, we were arguing about whether I needed a media kit on the website. I didn’t think it was necessary. He disagreed. I reminded him I dislike talking about myself. He reminded me that sometimes I have to. I said that for someone who’d been shot across the kitchen by 120 volts, he has a lot of opinions. He asked me how that was relevant. I told him exactly. There was a long silence and then BG asked me if I’ve been using his Vicodin recreationally because that made zero sense.
Bottom line, I have been overruled and now we have a media kit. So if you’ve ever wanted a jpeg of the different covers, a bio on me, headshot, or some examples of the interviews I’ve done, ta-dah!! Here you go.
Except for the bio because I still have to write that and probably won’t until BG threatens to write it for me.
September 9, 2013
FIND ME official book trailer
Um, peoples? We have a book trailer!
Learn more about FIND ME here: http://www.epicreads.com/books/find-m…
July 25, 2013
A Few Things About Camping
Boy Genius is making noises about wanting to go camping again. I don’t know if it’s the pollen clogging his brain or that last time I electrocuted him, but he’s under the impression it would be fun.
Like a bonding experience or…something.
Honestly, it’s not a total surprise. Every few years he gets the need to urinate on bushes or whatever and he decides we should go. Personally, I’d rather dig my eyes out with spoons, but because I’m lucky enough to be married to a guy who not only goes to horse shows with me, he also helps, I make sympathetic noises.
Then I change the subject.
Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I said I was lucky. I didn’t say I was a saint.
Thing is, BG’s from Maine so I don’t think he can actually help the urge to go camping. It’s, like, a biological imperative. I get it. I’m from South, which often gives me the urge to put my washer and dryer on the front porch.
Point is, I refrain.
Interesting side note: whenever I bring up how BG’s working out his Maine DNA, he likes to remind me that Meg Kassel is also from Maine and I think her ideas are made of awesome. This is true. They’re awesome because Meg is made of awesome. She also comes to Maine by way of Jersey so she’s exempt from this camping stuff.
Plus, whenever Meg and I decide to bond it usually involves air-conditioning, carbs, and talking for so long that my iPhone overheats. So, yeah, I may get brain cancer, but that’s better than some protozoa crawling up my urethra because I bathed in a lake.
I think.
Anyway, it’s not like I’m not outdoorsy. Wonder Pony lives outside and I go see her all the time. Plus, BG and I get drunk on our back porch, which is basically the same thing as camping so I understand the appeal.
No, really, I do.
It’s about peace and quiet and eating beans straight from the can. Which, if you get rid of the peace and quiet, is how BG and I spent most of our twenties. But, bottom line, if the outdoors are so great, why are the bugs always trying to come inside?
Exactly.
Plus, camping’s expensive! You have the tent, the sleeping bags, the backpacks…you get the point. Sure Tempi has more costume changes than Cher’s Farewell Tour, but, you know, she needs that stuff. What would the other horses say if her blankets didn’t coordinate with her saddle pads?
Yeah, Boy Genius didn’t buy that line either, but he’s a good sport about it. To compensate, I offered to go to a computer convention with him next weekend. I probably should have picked the camping. There’s nothing quite like being the only girl in a ginormous hotel conference room full of computer geeks. It’s not that they haven’t seen women before. It’s just that it’s rare they’re close to one that isn’t pixilated. Last time, a bunch followed me and we wove up and down the aisles together. Looked like we were marching against eczema…or baths. Like, for reals, those guys stank.
It’s still better than risking the protozoa though.
Info
This article was originally posted on the DoomsDaisies blog.
June 3, 2013
Pitch Dark | Reading Playlist for FIND ME
Discover the music that Romily Bernard listened to while writing her upcoming debut thriller FIND ME.
Blogging at Pitch Dark today! FIND ME (yes, I still think that’s funny) here: http://www.pitchdark.com/blog/reading-playlist-find-me/
May 20, 2013
More Stuff about the Ponies
Boy Genius is riding high on I-told-you-so at the moment. We’ve been arguing for months about whether or not anyone is interested in my riding and, apparently, he was right. People are interested in following along.
If only out of morbid curiosity.
They think I’m kidding when I talk about Wonder Pony’s allergic reaction to regular metal bits. They think it’s funny that she has to have imported German silver. I can assure you I’m not kidding. And BG doesn’t think it’s funny when we have to eat with my parents because I spent grocery money on Tempi’s massage therapist.
Again.
But because some of you were really fascinated by the idea of becoming a HOE, I thought I’d pass along some of the things my friends are buying…and, if I can get BG to go out of town again, I might be buying too.
The Equilibrium Therapy Massage Pad: Oh, yes, you read that right. It’s a massage pad for your pony. I can actually understand this one. With all the riders banging around in the saddle, this would be a great investment for your horse’s spinal health. And I do mean investment. At $450, the Equilibrium Therapy Massage Pad costs more than my car payment.
But it might be cheaper than an actual massage therapist, which Tempi has…or possibly had. There was a bit of a misunderstanding, you see. Greg wanted to say hello and Tempi wanted her butt worked on. So she, ah, tried to sit on him.
Yeah. Exactly.
Moving on.
Calf skin/Nubuck/Deer skin too old school for you? No problem. Bliss of London – Saddle Makers deal in ostrich, stingray, and crocodile and will dye the hides any color you want. For price range…well, if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it, but I’m guessing it’s somewhere in the Kidney to Testicle Range. As in, your new saddle will most likely cost more than a kidney, but less than a testicle.
What else do we have?
Oh! If you’re looking for something a little cheaper, I can help with that too. How about a jar of Twinkle Toes – Hoof Polish? You can pick any color you like. All of them piss off George Morris. For a non-horsey reference, imagine Joan Rivers. With a toothache.
If all of this is a bit much for you, I totally understand. A lot of people like the equestrian look. They just don’t want the horse, the barn, and the labor that goes along with it. The workaround? Just nail a few helmets to your wall, put some whips by the fireplace, and hang a bridle by your door.
It’ll look totally Ralph Lauren…or like a really dirty S&M den.
May 13, 2013
No offense taken. I’ve never heard of you, either.
Hi everyone, I’m blogging at Epic Reads today! Find me (haha) here:
No offense taken. I’ve never heard of you, either.
May 6, 2013
Holy Order of Equestrians…Or How To Be a HOE
So a coworker of mine wants to enroll her kid in riding lessons and came to me for advice. Not the “where should I take little Kingston Yale,” but the “so tell me what having horses is really like!”
Usually, this elicits an awkward silence and expression that can only be described as a hemorrhoid grimace on my part. But, because my workspace is next to the office’s only bathroom and one of our project managers has either epic diarrhea or an alien crawling out of his ass, I welcomed the diversion.
Riding, I said, is like a religious calling. By signing up precious Aurora Jade, you’re enrolling her in the Holy Order of Equestrians.
Vow of Poverty. Self-explanatory to any horseperson, but civilians must be convinced that when four-legged income drain, Fahvenpoughkeepsie (pronounced Christopher) steps on your foot with those four-hundred dollar aluminum shoes it’s just his way of saying he loves you.
Life of Prayer. Riders are big into this and very open-minded. They’ll plead with any deity who may be listening to get Fahvenpoughkeepsie (pronounced Christopher) over the baby ditch, onto the trailer, or off of their foot.
Chastity. You cannot be one of those couples inventing new uses for the washing machine if you’re a rider.
Unless you event of course.
But you still have to be up at 4AM to feed Fahvenpoughkeepsie (pronounced Christopher) so he has the strength to stomp you again.
You should so do it, I encouraged her. Fresh air is really good for kids. Oh, your daughter’s skin is the same color as Elmer’s Glue? Uh, well, she’ll learn a new set of skills!
After all who hasn’t seen a kid shove two fingers up one nostril while waiting for her pony to do something…anything. And she’ll certainly learn to wash her hands, which is something none of my coworkers have yet to grasp.
So here’s to the new order!
April 29, 2013
Some Stuff About the Second Book
http://carrotcakebandit.deviantart.com/
If I die and go to hell (which is a given if you ask my in-laws), I will probably end up spending eternity working on my dreadful second word child. Of course, “working” is a bit of a stretch when it comes to the damn thing. Shredding my fingernails while glaring at my computer screen is a better description. Word Child and I loathe each other right now.
And what’s with that anyway? How did an idea that started out all “Oh wow! I totally, totally want to write that!!” turn into “Book, I will set you ablaze. Don’t think I won’t. BG has already started the fire in the backyard.”
Heh. And people said there were no advantages to being married to an amateur arsonist.
Anyway. People also said I needed to try a different place to write. Mix it up, they said. Some of them were referring to cocktails, but I ignored that.
For a while.
Mostly, they were referring to coffee shops. The idea was every day I would get up, get dressed, and go somewhere in public to work. This might have been because by the time I reached the 150-page mark I was starting to look a bit, um, feral. I won’t go as far as to say I smelled like I’d been sprayed with liquid homeless person, but I will say that when an OCD person is left to her own devices…well…sometimes said OCD person shows up at her husband’s work still in her riding clothes…which were soaked down the back from sweat, which made her look like she’d peed herself.
I’ll give you a moment with that visual.
Done? Great. So where was I?
Oh, everyone has their personal fav coffee shop. I’m slightly jealous of this because I hate coffee almost as much as I hate Word Child 2: The Suck-ening so I don’t have a coffee shop I can lean on in my hour of need. There is no public home away from home. In addition to everyone being in favor of coffee shops, they also insisted I couldn’t just go to Starbucks or Barnes and Noble. Oh, no. It had to be a Special Coffee Shop. Somewhere people would get to know me.
For someone who spends a great amount of her life happily flying under the radar, this sounded as appealing as nailing carpet tacks to my gums. I enjoy being a number and not a face. I like the unpersonal. I do not believe that the Chick-fil-a employee truly wants me to have a “blessed day,” I think she wants me to get the hell out of there and not leave a mess behind. Similarly, I do not believe a retail employee wants to help me find the perfect outfit/makeup/shoes. She doesn’t actually care what I look like and, obviously, neither do I.
I’d be lost without the unpersonal. You need confidence to walk into places where people know you and, more importantly, know what you do.
Or, in Book 2’s case, what I’m trying to do.
To avoid this, I stick to chains that are unpersonal and soulless and promise never to greet me like they know me, and guess what? Eventually, you get recognized and the employees start to get interested. They’re curious about the sweaty, muttering writer dressed in riding clothes—except they don’t know they’re riding clothes so they think I’m just a dirt-encrusted dominatrix.
Which might be preferable to finishing Book 2.
Info
This article was originally posted on the DoomsDaisies blog.
