Christi Snow's Blog, page 41

Upcoming Releases….

I thought it may be a good time to update where we stand for upcoming releases. This is all current as of December, 2013.

Releasing January 4, 2013:

Colton Robertson left his career in the Air Force…

… to come home and help his family heal. Unfortunately, his reception was not quite what he’d hoped for and he ended up as roommate to hippy dippy yoga instructor Penelope Pruitt.

Penelope has spent her life under the restrictive thumb of her parents and she doesn’t want to do the same with the straight-laced, serious Colton. But when it becomes apparent that Penelope’s life is in danger, Colton won’t settle for anyone else protecting Penelope besides him.

Opposites attract and that’s definitely the case with Colton and Penelope. On the surface, they don’t have anything in common, but as the sparks fly and the danger ramps up, their passion is inevitable

Releasing Valentine’s Day, 2013:

Before the Mission Begins (a novella prequel)

by Christi Snow

Coming Valentine’s Day, 2013

Before his mission began, he went home. 24 hours to say goodbye to his twin sister.

Instead he found her. A girl that was nothing like the one he thought he knew.

They have 24 hours. 24 hours before he deploys on an extremely dangerous mission. 24 hours together in a freak West Texas snowstorm. 24 hours that will have to get them both through the awful next year.

When the resident good-girl decides to take on the visiting bad-boy, 24 hours is all it takes to change their lives forever.

This is the story of the 24 hours that no one knew ever occurred…until now.

The timeline of this novella is set before the When the Mission Ends trilogy occurs, but this book is actually meant to be read between Book #2, Operation: Endeavor, and Book #3, Operation: Endurance.

Releasing Late April, 2013:

They shared a single night of passion.

18 hours on a mission-gone-wrong was all it took to shatter everything they barely hoped to dream.

He survived 6 months of captivity and torture, kept alive by dreams of her.

She thought he was dead and moved on, only to have her world fall apart all over again.

Two people who have been hurt more than any two people ever should have to suffer. Can they find redemption and healing with each other or will another threat shatter what’s left?

A tortured and scarred hero.

A grieving heroine.

A serial rapist who won’t give up.

Releasing Late Summer, 2013:

58 years ago a gorge opened up from Mobile, AL to Quebec City, Canada to split the United States into the Western States (WS) and the Eastern States (ES).

40 years later a fog rolled in on the WS that they called the Veil. Within twelve hours it formed an impenetrable wall between the two sides.

It’s been 18 years since anyone has known what’s happening on the other side of the Veil.

Now, Lori, an Other, in a desperate attempt at escape from the ES’s torture and experimentation, has crossed the Veil and found a world beyond belief.

Marcus is a Warrior, but when Lori collapses at his feet wounded and exhausted, he knows he has to protect her. But seeing that she’s the first person he’s seen in 18 years without wings, he’s worried about what her appearance means for his people and the world they’ve created since the Veil fell.

Two new societies: one built on a respect for the natural order of nature and the world, the other built on mistrust and corruption. Can they learn to co-exist once again?

I have a new cover!!

Okay, I admit it.

My characters are real people and two of them have been keeping a secret from me.

They’ve been keeping a secret from everyone.

I was shocked when I found out…

Before the Mission Begins  (a novella prequel)


by Christi Snow


Coming Valentine’s Day, 2013







Before his mission began, he went home. 24 hours to say goodbye to his twin sister.



Instead he found her. A girl that was nothing like the one he thought he knew.



They have 24 hours. 24 hours before he deploys on an extremely dangerous mission. 24 hours together in a freak West Texas snowstorm. 24 hours that will have to get them both through the awful next year.



When the resident good-girl decides to take on the visiting bad-boy, 24 hours is all it takes to change their lives forever.



This is the story of the 24 hours that no one knew ever occurred…until now.



The timeline of this novella is set before the When the Mission Ends trilogy occurs, but this book is actually meant to be read between Book #2, Operation: Endeavor, and Book #3, Operation: Endurance.


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I have the best graphic designer (Amanda from AMDesignStudios)…
My one directive when I send my cover needs to her is that the cover needs to fit the Top Off Tuesday meme. She follows direction so well!!


(cover photo by Jenn LeBlanc at Illustrated Romance)

I hope you all are as excited about this as I am ….

We have WINNERS!!!

Grand Prize winner (the fleur de lis basket and print ARC of Operation: Endeavor):

Cherie says:
November 21, 2012 at 7:31 pm  (Edit)

I have to say I just finished Operation:Endgame and really enjoyed it. It was a lovely balance of romance and suspense, I found my self trying to figure out what was going to happen next all the way to the end. I can only imagine whats in store for Chris and Colton. I’m really looking forward to reading Endeavor. Great Job! 

P.S. I live in the U.S.

Winners of the other two print ARC’s of Operation: Endeavor:
Emily Duininck says:
November 20, 2012 at 11:34 pm  (Edit)

I am reading your first book and I am living it!!  can’t wait for the second!

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Cathi says:
November 24, 2012 at 4:12 pm  (Edit)

Loved the first book and can not wait for the second!! Hurry up please!!! Usa

 

Winners, email me your mailing address (snowchris_01@yahoo.com) and I will get your prizes out to you. Congratulations, girls!!!

GIVEAWAY: Thankful To My Amazing Readers!!!

I admit it, I have been overwhelmed with your support for Operation: Endgame. It’s been an amazing whirlwind since it officially released in September, exceeding even my wildest dreams for sales, and I have you all to thank for that!!

THANK YOU!!!

(above is the screen capture from my highest ranking on Amazon that I caught.)

With this week being Thanksgiving and the fact that I am gearing up for the release of book #2, Operation: Endeavor, I thought it was time to give you a little back. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but since I self-publish, I actually have a publisher’s mark on my book…

a fleur de lis.

As a result, I began a search for fleur de lis items to giveaway without a whole lot of luck. I mentioned it to my mom, and she went to town…. She found all the items below and I am giving it all away to you!

Included is:

insulated lunch bag
metal hook
coin purse
serving spoon
notepad set
wine stopper
magnets
printed ARC of Operation: Endeavor

All you have to do to qualify is comment. The giveaway for the fleur de lis items is restricted to US only…just because all of this weighs too much to ship internationally. Included in the fleur de lis prize will be a PRINT ADVANCE COPY of Operation: Endeavor…yes, that’s a month earlier than everyone else will see it!

I am also giving away TWO OTHER PRINT ADVANCE COPIES of

Operation: Endeavor!!!

These books can go to either a US or INT’L winner. Just comment for your chance to win and please let me know in the comments if you are US or INT’L. Whoever wins the books, will receive it a full month before it becomes available for sale! These are Advanced Reader Copies (ARC) of this book, so they aren’t perfect, but if you win, you get it earlier than everyone else so that makes up for it, right?

All winners will be drawn on Wednesday Nov. 28th. Please leave your email in the comments so I have a way to contact you. And PLEASE be sure to specify if you are US or INTL.

LOOKING FOR REVIEWERS!

I’m about to send out e-copies to reviewers. If you are a reviewer with a blog who would like to review Operation: Endeavor, please email me at snowchris_01@yahoo.com with your blog name and preferred format.

AND WHILE I HAVE YOU HERE.…

Did you know I have an Author Facebook page?? Come over and “like” me! Please…. Tell you what, if I hit 500 likes on that page, I will give away 2 MORE PRINT ARCS of Operation: Endeavor to my fans over there. This part of the contest ends December 15th.

Please spread the word!!!

Winner from the Men of the Military hop!!

Congratulations! I’ve sent you an email!

krsz says:
November 9, 2012 at 9:35 pm  (Edit)

I haven’t read yet any military related book. Thanks for the chance.

 

smiles, Christi Snow

 

Men of the Military Giveaway Blog Hop!!

Welcome to my Author Blog! If you’re new here, my name is Christi Snow and I write romantic suspense featuring former military guys.

I was so excited when I heard that The Jeep Diva was hostessing this hop featuring military men.

I ADORE military romance and because of that, I am giving away some of my favorite romances featuring former military men.

 My husband retired from the Air Force a couple of years ago, so I love guys that have that military experience in their background. As a result, all my books I’m giving away feature former military operators.

I’m giving away three books (just leave a comment to be eligible to win…this is an international and US giveaway):

 

1. The Edge of Courage by Elaine Levine

Haunted by memories he cannot reach, stalked by an enemy bent on revenge . . .

Rocco Silas has come home to Wyoming after long years as a Red Team operative in Afghanistan. It isn’t easy returning to civilian life, especially burdened as he is with a staggering case of PTSD or hunted as he is by an enemy determined to seek an eye-for-eye–neither of which can he battle until he confronts the truth of what happened one fateful day in the high mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush.

. . . She alone holds the key to his sanity.

Mandy Fielding’s dream of opening a therapeutic riding center on her family’s ranch is almost within her grasp–until she hires Rocco Silas, a dangerous ex-Spec Ops friend of her brother’s. His haunted eyes and passionate touch promise a love she never dared believe possible. Can they confront the truth of his past and build a future together or will the enemy stalking him destroy them both?

2. Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker

Black Knights Inc.—Behind the facade of their tricked–out motorcycle shop is an elite special ops team assigned the jobs too hot for anyone else to handle.

Hold On Tight…

Ex–Marine Nate “Ghost” Weller is an expert at keeping his cool—and his distance—which makes him one hell of a sniper. It’s also how he keeps his feelings for Ali Morgan in check. Sweet, sexy Ali has always revved his engine, but she’s his best friend’s baby sister…and totally off limits.

Rough Road Ahead

Ali’s never seen anything sexier than Nate Weller straddling his custom Harley—or the flash of danger in his eyes when she tells him she’s in trouble. First something happened to her brother, and now she’s become the target of a nasty international organization. With Nate, her life is in the most capable hands possible—but her heart is another story altogether.

 

3. Operation: Endgame by Christi Snow (signed)

It’s been six months.

Six months since Jake Madsen let Chris Robertson die.

Six months since the passion between Jake and Cassie, Chris’ sister, stepped over the line.

But now Cassie’s being stalked and it’s time for Jake to swallow his guilt, grief, and lust so he can save her life, even if it’s a life without him. He owes it to his dead friend and he owes it to Cassie. He’s fallen in love with her, but she doesn’t have to know that for him to keep her safe.

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Be sure to hit all the stops on this amazing blog hop!!

Your next three stops after me are:

Reading on the Wild Side

My Secret Romance

Romance to Make Your Heart Race

 

Christmas Books…LOVE them!!!

I admit it, I’m a sucker for a good Christmastime story. LOVE them!! So, when I sat down to write my first book….yep, you guessed it…or maybe you didn’t.

Hehe! Operation: Endgame is a Christmas book. No really. In between the psycho stalker scenes there are some really sweet, romantic Christmas scenes…nothing does better romantic ambiance than a Christmas  tree and a roaring fire in the fireplace. ;o)

Texas Tech Carol of Lights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are so many fun Christmas books out there, I thought it would be fun to highlight a few of the ones that I’ve bought this year (I warned you…this is my weak spot!)

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The Trouble with Cowboys by Melissa Cutler is one I bet you didn’t expect to see on here, but like my book, it’s a Christmastime story too.

Story Overview: It was their parents’ ranch, through the good days and the bad. But if they want to hang on to their land, their pride, and their family, the three Sorentino sisters will have to reinvent it from the ground up—and one of them just may reinvent herself in the process…

Cowboys have never been good for Amy Sorentino. First her hard-riding father bankrupted the family farm. Then her all-hat-no-cattle boyfriend sold her out on national television, ending her promising career as a chef. Now she and her squabbling sisters have partnered up in a final attempt to save their land by starting an inn and local restaurant. So it figures that with everything on the line, Amy’s key supplier is just the kind of Stetson-tipping heartbreaking bad boy she’s sworn to avoid. But Kellan Reed has a few secrets of his own—and cowboy or not, Amy can’t resist this kind of wild ride…

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Together for Christmas  by Lisa Plumley
Story Overview: In a hilarious and heartwarming novel from USA Today bestselling author Lisa Plumley, a down-home diner owner meets a sexy Scrooge–but will it be a match made in holiday heaven?
Casey Jackson doesn’t do Christmas. Mistletoe, eggnog, pitchy carolers–it all leaves the L.A. based talent agent colder than a winter sleigh ride. Nonetheless, Casey’s been called to Kismet, Michigan, to help get a pop star’s holiday special back on track. But it’s the diva’s sister who’s proving the biggest obstacle. Kristen Miller is funny, sassy–and crazy about Christmas. And suddenly, Casey has all kinds of visions dancing in his head. . .Kristen can’t believe that Casey is anti-Christmas. To her, the season is as magical as the thrill she feels whenever they touch. Because even though Kristen set out to teach the charismatic hotshot a thing or two, she’s learning some lessons of her own. About letting herself stand in the spotlight for once, about holiday flings that can turn into much more–and about how all you really need for the perfect Christmas is the right person to share it with. . .

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  Hunk for the Holidays  by Katie Lane
Story Overview: Always putting business before pleasure, Cassie McPherson works hard for her family’s construction business. That might explain why she doesn’t have a date for the company Christmas party. But it doesn’t quite explain why she’s crazy enough to hire an escort for the event or – crazier still – why she’s dying to unwrap him like a present . . .

With whiskey-colored eyes and a killer smile, James is one gorgeous hunk who really knows how to fill out a tuxedo. He charms everyone, including Cassie. And when the night ends, the party doesn’t stop. As Cassie falls, literally, into his bed, James falls head over heels in love. Now he has to figure out a way to tell her the truth: he’s not an escort. He’s her family’s fiercest business rival. But all he wants for Christmas is her . . .

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Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Marina Adair
Story Overview: Regan Martin stopped believing in Christmas miracles six years ago when she lost everything — her house, her job, and her impeccable reputation in the wine industry — after she fell in love with a man she had no idea was married. Then Regan gets a chance for a fresh start in the Napa Valley. With her dream job, dream home, and her daughter enrolled in a wonderful new school, she starts wondering if holiday wishes really do come true.

But she soon tumbles back down to earth when she learns that her new boss is none other than Gabe DeLuca, the scorned wife’s brother. Gabe wants nothing more than home-wrecking Regan Martin out of his life, his sister’s world, and his family’s business. Mostly, he wants the lush beauty out of his head. Yet his attempts to run her out of town have him thinking twice, especially when he sees that Regan may hold the key to tracking down his sister’s stolen start-up capital. Even worse for Gabe, Regan might just be his Christmas wish and hold the key to his heart.

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My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr

Story Overview: The Riordan brothers may have a reputation for being rough-and-tumble, but Patrick has always been the gentle, sweet-natured one. These days, his easygoing manner is being tested by his high-octane career as a navy pilot. But for the Riordan brothers, when the going gets tough…the tough find the love of a good woman.

Except the woman who has caught Patrick’s attention is Jack Sheridan’s very attractive niece.

Angie LeCroix comes to Virgin River to spend Christmas relaxing, away from her well-intentioned but hovering mother. Yet instead of freedom, she gets Jack Sheridan. If her uncle had his way, she’d never go out again. And certainly not with rugged, handsome Patrick Riordan. But Angie has her own idea of the kind of Christmas she wants—and the kind of man!

Patrick and Angie thought they wanted to be left alone this Christmas—until they meet each other. Then they want to be left alone together. But the Sheridan and Riordan families have different plans for Patrick and Angie—and for Christmas, Virgin River-style!

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 So that’s my Christmas reading plans for this year.

Do you  have any special books on your TBR with a Christmas theme??

 

Updates for Monday…

Hello All!! I had such good intentions for blogging last week. It made my to-do list every single day. *sigh*  Yeah, I didn’t do so well on my to-do lists last week.

Part of that is because I am deep into rewrites of Operation: Endeavor….and I will admit, that terrifies me.

A week and a half ago, I had a complete cohesive book. Now I have cut and spliced and inserted and deleted and I have no idea if it will ever recover. The only thing keeping me from hyperventilating every time I think about that is the fact that I have the old version still saved and safe on my hard drive…just in case what I’m doing to it is horrendous.

I’m really crossing my fingers that it’s not horrendous. I’m also hoping to have it completely redone and finished (again) by Wednesday evening. Then the debate will be to hand it directly over to my editor? Or try to find a new beta reader who can look at it fresh (that didn’t see the other version) to tell me, completely honestly, if the suspense line works? The pub date for this is still January, but I’m worried that I’m starting to push that, especially with the holidays coming which will affect all those cogs in the wheel (i.e. my publishing team…editor, proofreader, formatter, etc.) Every little step in the process has a person, who has a real life, involved and each of those little steps take anywhere from 2 days to 2-4 weeks to perform. *eeks* Today is all about not hyperventilating, right??

 

So, let’s talk about what is going well…

Y’all really like Cassie and Jake. Yippee!!! Amazon sales are going really well. I am absolutely THRILLED and so THANKFUL to all of you that have helped me get the work out about my first book. I never even dreamed that it would do this well and that is completely thanks to all of you that have helped to spread the word.

BUT… and this is huge because it’s so frustrating and I have no control over it. The book is still not up at B&N or Kobo. It is getting there….VERY….SLOWLY. I can follow the upload process and it is making progress…it’s just taking 2-3 times the amount of time that it’s supposed to. I have no idea why. It was uploaded by me (and met final approval by Smashwords who sends it out to everyone else)  August 30th. So, I don’t know what to tell you except it is coming…sometime….

But in the meantime I do have some other links to give you about where the book and insider info about it has been shared over the last week:

Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks- Review and Interview (it’s always fun with friends to see what questions they come up with! Julie featured me two different days…thanks, Julie!!)
A Writer’s Mind - excerpt
Roxanne’s Realm - talking about friends to lovers
Arianne Cruz - Another really fun Interview
Never Judge a Book By It’s Cover - fabulous review and a fun interview

Have a great week everyone!!!

Delusional Ramblings of a Procrastinating Author…

I keep thinking that if I make it through just another week, then I will have more time and start to get caught up. Yep, I’m delusional. I’m never going to get caught up on life again…LOL! So let me catch you up on what all is happening with my writing.

Operation: Endgame is officially released…well, kind of. *sigh* Yesterday was my official release day (at least in my head.) I uploaded it everywhere way early (on August 30th) so that it would be available on all the sites by yesterday. Hmm, not so much. It’s still pretty much only available on Amazon and Smashwords, BUT I was able to see that it’s started the process at B&N and Sony…so maybe in just a few more days, it will be available everywhere. Maybe.

BUT, I did start my huge Virtual Book Tour yesterday and have posts and review popping up all over the place now. I hope you will go check them out:

Fang-Tastic Books - has the kick-off of my tour with all the stop links for the month.
The Jeep Diva - has a review up with an excerpt and a post about the characters from the series.
The Book Vixen - has a review up of the book.
Sarah Nego’s blog - I’m over at Sarah’s blog talking about why I chose to self-pub. There’s also an excerpt and a chance to win a copy of the book and editing by Sarah (she’s my wonderful editor!)
S.J. Clarke’s blog - S.J. has a post up about using Texas Tech University as the setting for the book.

I will continue to update here with links of the tour posts. Also, I will definitely let you know when it becomes available on some of those other sites. Also, I’m going to be doing a giveaway here. I just need to get all my ducks in a row so stay tuned.

Operation: Endeavor is back from my beta readers and overall the reviews of it were pretty good. Regardless of that, it’s sitting now waiting for rewrites. I don’t think the suspense story line is strong enough. I felt like that was the case and the feedback from the betas just reinforced that. I have pinpointed where I want to change things. I just need to dig into the manuscript and do it. The goal is to have that done by the 1st of October…in the middle of writing Operation: Endurance. *eeks*

Operation: Endurance still sits at around 5000 words and until today was stalled. I have spent the last two weeks seriously drafting and workbooking this book to figure out where to take it. I have made so much progress on figuring it out and am *almost* ready to sit down and write. Which is good because TODAY IS THE DAY!

graphic by the talented David Beam

Today is the start of the official San Angelo Writer’s Fast Draft. Three of us have pledged to do this for the next two weeks…5000/words a day. Yes, I am Fast-drafting Endurance and rewriting Endeavor at the same time. It’s craziness, but if I want to keep up with my publishing schedule (and I really do want to do that) then this is what’s required. BTW, Sarah is helping us keep track of our progress on her blog if there’s anyone out there who wants to join us.

 So that’s what’s going on in my world. It’s going to be crazy busy for the foreseeable future. I’ll try to pop in and update you pretty regularly….AND that giveaway will be coming. As soon as I have time to get it organized…hehe!

Have a great weekend everyone!

So what exactly is a PJ??

One of the first things that I’m asked when people start reading Operation: Endgame is “What exactly is a PJ?” (The hero, Jake, is an Air Force PJ.)

PJ is short for Pararescue Jumpers. They are a spec ops branch of the Air Force. These guys are seriously BAD-ASS. Their main job is to jump behind enemy lines and rescue downed pilots, but they do so much more than that. Their training takes two years from start to finish and has the highest drop-out rate of any of the special forces….90% quit before then end.

But just listen to the list of training that they go through and you will understand that:

*Pararescue/Combat Rescue Officer Indoctrination Course, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas (9 weeks)

*Army Airborne School, Fort Benning, Georgia (3 weeks)

*Air Force Combat Diver School, Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center, Naval Support Activity Panama City, Florida (5.5 weeks)

*Navy Underwater Egress Training, Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida (1 day)

*Air Force Basic Survival School, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington (2.5 weeks)

*Army Military Free Fall Parachutist School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona (5 weeks)

*Pararescue EMT-Paramedic Training, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico (22 weeks)

*Pararescue Recovery Specialist Course, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico (24 weeks)

(training information from Wikipedia)

 

***Here is a link to a great video that just shows these guys in action…

it seriously gives me chills…  What is a PJ?***

So, that is what a PJ is and does….don’t you want one for yourself?? ;o)

BTW, a little PJ trivia for you: PJ’s all have tattoos of green footprints on their bodies somewhere. hmmm, I wonder where Jake’s are??

 

And on to Operation: Endgame news:

*It’s FINALLY out on Kindle!!! Only $2.99. It is DEFINITELY coming in the other e-book formats, but it takes time. I’ve done everything I can do on my end…am now just waiting on all the sites to get it uploaded. I’m told this part of the process can take up to 2 weeks. *sigh*

*I’ve been so lucky to have some great reviews posted. Here are some links for you:

The Geeky Blogger
Creative Deeds
The BookGoonie
Book Travels
The Jeep Diva

*There are lots more appearances to come. My “official” release date is September 14th, so a lot of my PR is centralized around that date. Stay tuned…