Mia Kerick's Blog, page 7

Spend Six Minutes with Author Mia Kerick on Lit Pick!! :)

Here is my Lit Pick Interview “Six Minutes With an Author.”

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—most named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her YA stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people, their relationships, and relevant issues in the lives of teens. When Mia was a teen, she filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, CoolDudes and YoungDudes Publishing, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.

  

Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

SIX MINUTES WITH MIA KERICK:

Today Mia Kerick joins LitPick for Six Minutes with an Author! Mia is the author of both Young Adult and Adult fiction books. Some of her YA books are Intervention, Not Broken, Just Bent, Us Three, Come to My Window, and the just released Love Spell. Mia’s four children are named after saints, her five cats are named after Boston Red Sox players, and she has been married over twenty-two years. Mia’s major regret in life is that she never took typing or computer class in school, and is therefore a two-fingered typist. The American Library Association (ALA) has designated June 2015 as GLBT Book Month™, which makes this the perfect time for Mia’s interview.

How did you get started writing?

I have always been a dreamer, easily absorbed by all things make pretend. As a grade school kid, I could express my creativity and whimsy through play-acting. For example, my sister, her best friend, and I were members of an indigenous society when we played outside by the stream in our woodsy backyard. We made tiny pots out of the claylike sand we found on the banks of the stream, and we created complex shelters out of sticks that would put contestants on Naked and Afraid to shame. I also frequently played with dolls—large (baby dolls) and small (Barbie Dolls). Sometimes I was a young mother on the run (can’t remember what exactly I was running from) living in a dingy motel room (my bedroom) with a cranky newborn baby (Mattel’s Baby Tender Love) to care for. Other times my Barbie and Skipper were Olympic gymnasts who specialized in floor exercises (my summer Olympics obsession). If worse came to worse and no dolls were available, I could create a soap opera saga for a leaf family—the Maples adopt an Oak baby when a harsh and hazardous autumn breeze blows away Oak baby’s parents. I even played with rocks—and I’m not talking about those cute painted ones with little faces that look like frogs. I’m referring to your basic sidewalk stone, dirt-covered and lacking all traces of glamour. Inducing some of my less imaginative neighbors to play rock family was, at times, tricky.

The amount of time I spent making pretend with the neighborhood kids diminished as we entered the teen years, and although I will confess to breaking out my Barbie dolls sporadically until the age of seventeen, I shifted my expressive outlet mainly to writing. An interesting fact: at about age fifteen I wrote the basis of the story that at age forty-five became my first published novel, Beggars and Choosers. All of my characters resembled 1980’s rock and roll singers (think REALLY BIG hair), and I was one of the romantic leads.

So, in short, which this answer was not, I have a powerful imagination, which maturing did nothing to lessen. And so my play-acting shifted from acting things out with my body, to acting them out with toys and dolls and yes, sometimes leaves, to acting them out in my head through my writing.

Who influenced you?

My primary influence has long been my older sister, the one I’d been trying to keep up with ever since we belonged to the same indigenous family in my backyard as children. After experiencing a mutual admiration—no, not obsession, we just liked him a lot—for the Edward Cullen character from Twilight, my sister was moved to write. And yes, her little sister was hot on her heels. Part of our relationship is now “book talk”, where we discuss what we are working on, ask questions of each other, and offer honest opinions.

Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?

I will again own up to my strong appreciation of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. And in particular, I adore the character of Edward Cullen. I will also admit that I when I first read Twilight, I wasn’t quite certain why Edward affected me so much. I asked myself, “Why on earth do you spend so much time wondering ‘what would Edward do’ in this situation?” Could it be that I was merely influenced by the multitudes of beautiful images in the media of the actor, Robert Pattinson, who played Edward? Was I so shallow that a near-perfect physical representative of a character in a book could influence me to such a degree?

With relief, though, I realized that I had some real reasons for buying into this character. First, you must know that I am a romance reader and writer.

I believe in love…

I believe that love is love…

I believe that love can save…

To sum it up, love is, in my opinion, a many splendid thing.

And what I love about Edward is the way he loves Bella. Not only is his love for her all-consuming, and completely self-sacrificial, in nature, but it is also dangerous. He is dangerous. He is the very bad good guy, or maybe the very good bad guy, that so many of us can’t get enough of in our romance reading.

Prior to reading Twilight, I almost strictly read historical romance. So, for setting and time period, it had never been contemporary backdrops for me. In fact, another character I favor (all-consuming and self-sacrificial and dangerous love: check, check, and check) is Mr. Rochester of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. I enjoy reading about the propriety of life in historical fiction.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?

My most successful YA novels have been the ones in which I totally cut loose and broke the rules, writing what was in my heart, such as The Red Sheet. There are a lot of rules, you know, for a piece of fiction to be acceptable to publishers. Don’t be too wordy, never use a passive voice, avoid clichés like the plague, don’t refer to popular culture too specifically or it will date your book, by all means don’t be cute as readers might feel left out of an inside joke, and always avoid alliteration (hehehe). And there are plenty more rules where these came from. But my advice cannot be found in a list. My words of wisdom for new authors: Be true to yourself. Readers can spot a fake a mile away.

  

Where is your favorite place to write?

I have four (wonderful, in case they read this) children who, over the past years, I have carted around to all kinds of extracurricular activities. So, I have often written in my black Volvo wagon, parked outside a dance studio, or a gymnasium, or an SAT class. I can get the job done, pretty much anywhere. But my favorite place to write is in THE RED SOX ROOM, on my big comfy couch, surrounded by my baseball heroes.

What else would you like to tell us?

*I am a connoisseur of fine cats. Right now we have five.

 

*I adore a mocha latte with extra espresso. But I’ve lately been getting into a nice hot cup of tea. (Not literally getting into the cup of tea… I just like to drink it.)

*Sometimes chocolate is an absolute necessity to maintaining my sanity. My preference is for Lindt hollow chocolate Easter bunnies, which unfortunately become scarce in online shops by late summer.

*I have a standard go-to outfit, which I know I will feel confident in: white oxford shirt (worn untucked), button-down collar mandatory, ripped button fly light blue jeans, brown Frye harness boots, and pearl earrings. This is my go-to outfit—I reach for it when I have to run out to my daughter’s tennis match, the grocery store, an AAU basketball game, college tours… well, you name it. You will find me dressed like a slightly preppy ranch hand.

I guess I told you enough about me.

I’d like to introduce my assistant Kari Higa’s who created the promo images. As a mother of three wonderful children, Kari splits her time between taxiing her kids around town and doing what she loves. Music and art are her passion and reading is her escape. She loves to listen to Chopin but wants to play Bach. From art journals to visual note taking, Kari loves to try different art media that express her thoughts and emotions. As a former educator, she loves spending time with kids, whether she is volunteering for a youth program or at her kids’ schools.

 

Mia, thank you so much for spending six minutes with LitPick! This has been a very fun interview!

  

http://www.litpick.com/author/mia-kerick

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AM I WRONG… to want top three? Gold, Silver, or Bronze

At the end of release day, Love Spell is at #4 on Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Gay & Lesbian Fiction. I’m excited… but is it wrong that I want to move higher on this list? It isn’t about sales and money… it is about something else entirely. Maybe it is about proving to myself that I can do this, and do it well. So, I set a goal for #1, #2, or #3!! Fingers crossed.

I set another goal for a different list. In Kindle, Teen and Young Adult Romance is in a category that is not isolated by orientation, and I am glad. All of the teen romance should be together. At bedtime, Love Spell is at #33.

My goal is to hit the top 20 in this category. This might be hard to do. Very. But goals keep me on my toes… they keep me promoting and writing and thinking of what is going on NOW as well as what is coming NEXT.

So, I will have my goals and my hopes… maybe they are really nothing more than dreams. But they move me forward.

Thanks for reading Love Spell!! Thanks for helping to make my dreams come true.

Mia

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RISKY BUSINESS: ONLINE LOVE ADVICE… A CELEBRATION of LOVE SPELL’s June 1 Release

Online magazines and blogs offer us LOTS of advice.

In Love Spell, which releases June 1st– YES, TOMORROW–the main character, Chance César, learns that we shouldn’t accept all of the advice so freely handed out online as if it was the Biblical truth.

So, I was surfing the net, shopping for online relationship advice—not for myself personally, it was all in the name of research, I promise—and I came across an article that I was compelled to bookmark. You know how you do this every now and then—find something life-changingly amazing online and tuck it safely aside in favorites to study at a later date? Which you may or may not return to… well, ever. And I found a good one. (I mean, this how-to-make-him-love-you article is a sparkling little gem.) And I thought, since Chance César plans his strategy of how to win the heart of the boy he is crushing on around the wisdom he learns from a ficticious online article, I would share parts of this REAL online article with you today.

Brace yourselves.

The article is called “Twelve romantic things to do for your sweetie online” (http://makesweet.com/advice/online/) and I will share with you the highpoints.

Hehehe…

I’m okay with tip number one “make an online comic strip” starring you and your partner, but “customize a LOL-cat” with the suggestion below seemed a tad creepy.

Can you say stalker?

Tip number three “show some signs of love” suggests that you shout your feelings about the one you love so loudly that the entire world can hear. Or, in this case, see. As in, read. Because the article suggests you somehow program electronic highway signs with a message of your devotion. That can’t be safe. Or legal.

The next little tip isn’t innocent in any way, shape, or form. In fact, it made all of those little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It says, “send a ransom note” and, conveniently, there is an online ransom note generator that makes this possibility quite achievable. Wisely, the writer of the online blog suggests you do not actually kidnap the one you desire or any of his most treasured possessions.

Yes, this is rather disturbing.

Skip down a few items and you will come to a little tip that I think might scream, “I’m desperate!” (but that’s just one lady’s opinion.) It suggests that you make a power-point dedicated to the awesomeness of the one you love.

I just don’t feel good about the message this sends. I mean, are there really enough hours in the day to set aside time to develop a project like this for a frivolous reason like making somebody near and dear to your heart say, “Awwwwwe”? Are there? Maybe… maybe not. I will respect your opinion, but puh-lease…..

This next one I like. In fact, I like it a lot. “Do some photo manipulation.”

Self-explanatory.

This next little tip is over the top and could get you arrested. “Send unusual email, and lots of it” to the one who owns your heart. I just don’t know about this.

Doesn’t compulsively emailing someone, especially anonymously, constitute some type of harassment? If it doesn’t, it should.

And the last one I will mention is just plain confusing. Combined with seriously annoying. Emily, Chance’s BFF in Love Spell, would call it conoying. And she’d be right. “Rename your mate.” Huh? My simple paraphrasing can’t do this explanation justice so here it is:

“Every day for a week, change the nickname you use for your beloved. The lists online seem rather boring, so here is our own effort: Chuckle-cheeks. Goose-bumps. Pookie-snooks. Poptart. Jiggles McJiggypants. Twinkle-toes. Nuzzle-nose. Snugglepuss. Dumble-dear. Fishbreath…”

You can get some excellent suggestions from online articles with regard to how to conduct yourself in the romance department. But Chance and I would strongly suggest that you consider very carefully the source and the advice, itself, before acting on it.

You can take that to the bank, Fishbreath.

Do you have any examples of BAD ONLINE or IN-A-MAGAZINE LOVE ADVICE?? I’d love to hear them!!

Mia

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DEMI MADE ME A SHADOW BOX to celebrate the release of LOVE SPELL on June 1st!!

HI FRIENDS and RANDOM VISITORS!!!!

My nineteen-year-old daughter Demi is a dancer who cannot dance as she just had surgery on her ankle. So she has jumped into the art world to express her creativity. Demi made me this AWESOME SHADOW BOX celebrating the book that she read and loved, LOVE SPELL, that will release June 1st from CoolDudes/YoungDudes Publishing.

THIS IS AWESOME!! TOTES FAB!!!

Here’s a more distant view of THE AWESOMESAUCE LOVE SPELL SHADOW BOX from above!!

Let’s look at the tiny details!!! Notice the label from the Cheez-It box… cracker tranquilizers, yeah.

And the candle… a must-have for any respectable love spell.

Didn’t Chance get called an ugly orange-haired troll in Love Spell? (I think the troll-as well as Chance-is totes adorbs!)

I see black eyeliner– can you say Captain Jack Sparrow? Hehehe. Where’s the Cherry Chapstick, huh?

Is that a joker card? Are you calling Chance a joker, Demi?

And is that the key to Jazz’s heart?

Let’s look a little bit closer, shall we?

There are some pumpkins… quite significant.

And the setting… I see corn from the Beans and Greens cornfield….a vast one (by New England Standards)

And is that a bottle of “signature scent”?

And do you see a little bit of sparkly love potion in a tiny bottle?

Of course there is a high-heeled shoe!! (Reminiscent of scene one- think smexy strutting.)

And the dice (die in singular, right?) is representative of “Take a Chance”

Are those brilliantly colored male peacock feathers I spy? Bottom left and right!! Maybe Chance will knock you over with one!

I bet if you look even more closely you will see more details that are pertinent to the story Love Spell.

Thank you to my daughter for creating a LOVE SPELL SHADOW BOX that is to die for!!! Woot!!

Love Spell by Mia Kerick

CoolDudes Publishing– releasing June 1

Available for pre-order on Amazon!!

Mia

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Very happy with my Kirkus Review for Love Spell!!

A Kirkus Review is….

In Slate Magazine (online) Kirkus is labeled as one of four book reviews that matter.

“Kirkuk is all reviews, no gossip.”

On the Kirkus review site itself, it says…

“Since 1933, Kirkus has been one of the most trusted and authoritative voices in book discovery. When Kirkus was started by Virginia Kirkus (1893-1980), it was an innovation in the publishing field. Virginia arranged to receive advance galley proofs of books from publishers — only 20 or so at first, but eventually nearly every firm of any size in the industry. She read the galleys and wrote brief, critical evaluations of their literary merit and probable popular appeal. Initially, the reviews were sent only to subscribing bookshops in the form of a bimonthly bulletin. Bookstore managers were thus given an informed and unbiased opinion on which to base their orders and promotions. Two years later, the service was also made available to libraries. Now, 80 years later, Kirkus Reviews is distributed to more than 5,000 industry influencers, including bookstore buyers, librarians, publishers, agents, film executives and foreign publishers.” from the Kirkus Review website

On Blurb Stories, it says…

“Many authors turn to professional reviewing services like Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus is a big player in the book world—they’ve been in business since 1933. In exchange for a fee, Kirkus has a professional reviewer read the book and supply an unbiased review of 250–350 words. Reviews can be kept private or published to the Kirkus website and distributed to licensees including Google, Barnes & Noble, and Ingram. Over the years, Kirkus has established a reputation for independence and frankness. Earning a Kirkus star is a coup for any author, but the service isn’t cheap, and there’s no guarantee a review will be positive. Seeking a professional review, such as a Kirkus Indie book review, is a significant investment and your book needs to be ready to face the challenge.”

I was nervous to get a Kirkus Review of Love Spell as I had only seen them on Amazon.com in association with rather famous books. How could one of my books get a decent review, like John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars did? Plus they are far from free. But I felt very confident that Love Spell was a book with a creative and quirky presentation and a solid message. So I went for it.

And so, here is my very first Kirkus Review…

TITLE INFORMATION

LOVE SPELL

Kerick, Mia CoolDudes Publishing June 1, 2015

BOOK REVIEW

A teenage boy has a crush on a fellow student in Kerick’s (The Red Sheet, 2014, etc.) first-person YA charmer.

High schooler Chance César is no shrinking violet—not with his “hair dyed the flamboyant shade of a Cheez Doodle” and most certainly not while wearing “a scandalously snug-in-all-the-wrong (right)-places orange tuxedo and four-inch black pumps” while strutting down a fall-festival catwalk for the title of Miss Harvest Moon. He’s come to terms with being gay, but he’s still confused by some gender-related issues. Instead of owning up to having a feminine side, for example, he acknowledges to his best friend, Emily, that he has a “soft side.” He’s also told her about his romantic interest in Jasper Donahue, another student, whom he nicknames “Jazz.” The two boys eventually become friends, but Chance can’t figure out if Jazz is gay as well. As he tries to get Jazz interested in him, he first relies on an online list (“Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love With You”) and later follows a website’s instructions on how to cast a love spell on “The Target.” Kerick devotes most of the book to sassy fun and first-love desire, but her depiction of the loneliness caused by apathetic parents, the insecurity of extra pounds, the stress of college applications, the meanness of bullies, the importance of forgiveness, and especially the uneasiness of being “stuck in the gray area between girl and boy” make this novel thoroughly enjoyable. The book not only hits upon all manner of teenage angst, but also on the significance of true family values and on the joys of such simple pleasures as high–thread-count sheets, sharing homemade pizza, and playing card games instead of “head games” on a Friday night. The characters are memorable and the dialogue is consistently bright and believable, featuring authentic-sounding teenspeak. The author even defines Chance’s invented vocabulary words (such as “Randatorbs” and “Dooza-palooza”) in a back-of-the-book glossary for readers who can’t keep up.

A comical, thought-provoking YA novel for those who believe in the magic of love without all the hocus-pocus.

I am happy I decided to get this review. I will post it on Amazon and Goodreads and here! I’m not sure if I will do it again with another book, but it was validating for me with Love Spell.

Thanks for checking it out!!

Mia

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TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!!! COVER REVEAL FOR LOVE SPELL!!! WOOT!!!

Tomorrow you will see the gorgeous cover design by Louis C Harris of YoungDudes Publishing!!

I am very excited!!! Thank you to Kari Higa for all of these amazing images of Chance César! They truly bring him to life!!

Please let me know what you think of the cover!!

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INTRODUCING Kari Higa… my exquisitely talented new assistant and artist!!! And LOVE SPELL… can’t forget that.

Today is May 1st.

*KARI HIGA’s Birthday!!!

*Introduction of said BIRTHDAY GIRL as my new assistant!!

*Announcement of my new YA LGBTQ Contemporary Romantic Comedy LOVE SPELL that will release on June 1st!!

Here memes are so artistic I plan to post them here, as a chronicle to the evolution of the release of LOVE SPELL.

Here is the first image in the series… enjoy.

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I HAVE SUKI FLEET IN MY KITCHEN!!!! Join us for a cup of TOMATO-MINT TEA!!! (I’d offer you cookies, but Suki seems to have gobbled them all down.)

Please, friends, come join us–my guest today is the one and only SUKI FLEET–and she is introducing her newest release, The Glass House. You certainly are a bit of a writing machine, my dear, aren’t you?

Pours tea for Suki and guests.

I know. OMG. What a freaking amazing cover… and, no no…. I’m not green with envy. It’s just that when I swallowed my last sip of Tomato Mint Tea and it went down the wrong pipe!! That’s all, really….. (cough, cough)

Please join us at my cozy kitchen table for tea and cookies, while we discuss Suki’s latest achievement.

My guest room is a complete disaster after Cody Kennedy swung around on the Christmas light I’d hung, so Suki agreed to spend the afternoon with Momma Mia in the kitchen…. Thank you for understanding, Suki.

Use your napkin, young lady. Although you do wear those cookie crumbs quite well…. like rainbow-shortbread lipgloss!!

In any case, let’s start with the blurb for The Glass House, shall we, hun? I’ll read, since you are still chewing.

Paws through papers on table.

Here it is!

The Glass House Blurb

At seventeen, Sasha is a little lost and a lot lonely. He craves friendship and love, but although he’s outwardly confident, his self-destructive tendencies cause problems, and he pushes people away. Making sculptures out of the broken glass he collects is the only thing that brings him any peace, but it’s not enough, and every day he feels himself dying a little more inside. Until he meets Thomas. 

Thomas is shy but sure of himself in a way Sasha can’t understand. He makes it his mission to prove to Sasha that he is worthy of love and doesn’t give up even when Sasha hurts him. Little by little Sasha begins to trust Thomas. And when Sasha is forced to confront his past, he realizes accepting the love Thomas gives him is the only way to push back the darkness.

My, this sounds like it might bring tears to our eyes…. you are quite good at that, aren’t you?

Now, put your cookie down, and tell us a little bit about you, Suki… yes, I’m talking about NOW. I know the cookies are good, but the tea is getting cold–we don’t have all day.

Removes tray of cookies from where they are placed in front of Suki.

Now, please, tell us about you.

Author bio

Suki Fleet grew up on a boat and as a small child spent a lot of time travelling at sea with her family. She has always wanted to be a writer. As a kid she told ghost stories to scare people, but stories about romance were the ones that inspired her to sit down and write. She doesn’t think she’ll ever stop writing them.

Her novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards.

THE KITCHEN INTERVIEW- MIA’s KITCHEN

I think the time is right for our interview, don’t you?. Ladies and gentlemen, sip quietly on your tea–no slurping please– and listen up as I ask Suki Fleet… well, whatever I want!!! Clears throat and angles chair toward her guest

Mia: I will start with the ordinary. (But I also really want to know the answers.) Tell us about your new release –what’s the title, the main characters, adult or YA?

Suki: Thank you so much for having me today, Mia.  My new release is called The Glass House. It’s a YA published with Harmony Ink. My main character, Sasha, is left feeling very lost after a few traumatic experiences and needs someone to show him he’s worthy of love. Thomas wants to be the one to do that. Obviously it’s not that simple though ;)

Mia: Obviously, not…. I am also very interested in your inspiration—why this book?

Suki: I have absolutely no idea where this one came from. But it was very cathartic to write. Helping Sasha finding hope and love was fulfilling for me.

I had the title for ages and I wanted to write something for it. I don’t remember when I wrote the first chapter but I left it alone for months and months, and when I found it again the story just flowed.

Mia: Interesting… Now, on to the strange questions. Do you have any odd writing habits? Tell us! (giggles with anticipation)

Suki: It’s not really odd, but sometimes I have to walk to think. It’s as though movement is the only way to straighten out the tangled thoughts in my brain.

Mia: That reminds me, I need to walk more–I read on the treadmill to keep my mind busy. Moving on, how important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way they sound or the meanings?

Suzi: Sometimes I have a name in mind immediately, other times it takes ages for me to find one that suits. It’s pretty random.

Mia: What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Suzi: This is Not a Love Story being a Lambda Finalist. Being a finalist in the Lambda Awards is all I’ve ever wanted.

Mia: That is an enormous accomplishment and I am so very happy for you!! Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

Suzi: Sometimes I read them. Most of the time I wish I hadn’t :P

The best way to deal with bad reviews is to forget them, brush them off, don’t dwell.

The only time I respond is when someone tells me they’ve written a review and then I’ll thank them for taking the time to do that.

Mia: It is important to fight the urge to defend your characters. But I also try to stifle myself in this department. What are you working on now? What is your next project?

Suki: I have three in my mind.

One is called Foxes about a boy who lives in an abandoned swimming pool and is hunting for his best friend’s killer.

The second is called All Cats Are Grey is about autism, synesthesia and falling in love.

The third hit me a week or so ago. It’s got a working title of The Witness of the Sun. And it’s about two boys, one German one Jewish, at the beginning of World War Two. It might break my heart.

Mia: It sounds like we have a lot more to look forward to from Suki Fleet… Thank you, dear. Anything else you would like to share about your new book would be great!! Oh, yes, by all means, share your links!

Links

https://www.facebook.com/suki.fleet.3

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7919609.Suki_Fleet

http://sukifleet.tumblr.com/

http://sukifleet.wordpress.com/

The Glass House Buy Links

 

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Glass-House-Suki-Fleet-ebook/dp/B00VOG9GLI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1428254900&sr=8-6&keywords=suki+fleet

Amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glass-House-Suki-Fleet-ebook/dp/B00VOG9GLI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1428255048&sr=8-6&keywords=suki+fleet

Are

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theglasshouse-1765751-149.html

Dreamspinner Press

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6270

 Thank you Suki, for sharing your book and yourself with us today. What was that? Yes, of course, you can have the tray of cookies back. And of course we can go for a walk after tea time!! And thank you, friends, for joining us for tea.

If you all don’t mind, please put your dirty teacups in the sink on your way out. Much obliged.

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Cody Kennedy visits Mia’s guest room; if he behaves I will feed him bacon and Diet Coke

Standing in hall outside the guest bedroom door holding heavy tray.

“I hope Cody likes what I did with my guest room. Can you say rainbow-glitter-cute animals?”

Shrugs and then pushes tray against door.

“I’m going to wake him up. Ask me if I care that he “needs his beauty sleep, so PLEASE, sweet Mia, for the love of glitter, let me sleep in.” Cody Kennedy is my guest and will do as I please!”

Knocks on door delicately. Shrugs, and then bangs on door enthusiastically.

“Morning has broken, sweetheart! And Momma Mia don’t wait for nobody!!”

Pushes through door, tray of food and drinks in hand.

“Rise and shine, lovely Cody! Wake up and smell the Diet Coke!!! I certainly hope the glittery-reindeer in the corner didn’t scare you last night! He looks rather intimidating when the lights are off, I will admit. But you must admit, the Christmas lights added a certain decadent mood last night.”

 

(A photo from last night before Cody went to sleep.)

Glances at rainbow reindeer and shakes head.

“Now, before you try to protest, which I warn you will be futile, I will point out that I stuck by our little agreement. You requested Diet Coke for breakfast, and I have honored that request.”

 

 

Places tray on bedside table.

“Feast your eyes on my super-special Diet Coke Cupcake and wash it down with a Dirty Diet Coke. Hope you like coconut…”

Lump on bed moves a bit exposing Cody’s puffy sleep-deprived eyes and a HUMONGOUS wild tangle of blond hair.

“Um…you’ll sit up and eat the cupcake if you know what’s good for you. And if you behave, sweet Cody, I’ll let you indulge in my created-especially-for-you recipe, a Bacon A La Diet Coke Do-nut.”

“Don’t look at me that way, Mr. Kennedy!”

Cody tries to escape by climbing the Christmas lights. 

“Come back here! No bacon for you!!! Now calm down and eat your cupcakes!!!”

Clears throat.

“So Cody, who is bird-sitting for your precious Kiz, Cleo, and Schnapps?”

Cody scribbles on notepad with glossy black glitter pen.

“Aunty Mel!! Of course!! I call her Saint Mel behind her back. Don’t tell her, okay?”

“And yes, I’d simply LOVE to see their pictures.”

“Yes, yes… they are darling! Schnapps has lovely eyes.”

Cody puts the pictures on the bedside table.

“You like the Diet Coke cupcakes—I can tell by your expression. You go ahead and eat and I will introduce your book. Now don’t be shy—dive right into those chocolate delights!!”

“What a gorgeous cover to this Wednesday’s release Slaying Isidore’s Dragons. Reese Dante is incredibly talented.”

  Cody scribbles on the pad.

“NO! I’m not jealous. Well…. maybe I’m just a tad envious.”

“Now I’ll read the blurb to our wonderful audience. And, Cody, please try not to burp again. I know Diet Coke makes you gassy, but it is rude and will disturb the flow of my reading.”

Cody blushes a flamingo pink.

“And FYI Cody’s phenomenal book that is already on Amazon hot new releases lists.”

Cody takes a long sip of the Dirty Diet Coke and makes a peculiar face.

“Your hair, dear…. I’m sorry but it is distracting me! It is certainly distracting the audience, as well. Does it always look this…. um, disobedient… in the morning?”

“Talk about MAJOR BEDHEAD!! The poor reindeer was probably scared of YOU! Well, let Momma Mia slide beside you on the bed….”

  Uses hip to push Cody to other side of the bed.

“Now face that glittery wall and don’t move a muscle until I tell you to.”

  Grabs brush and goes to work.

“You all saw the BEFORE pictures. Here is the AFTER. I do have a way with hair.”

“Well, you must admit this is quite an improvement.”

Cody scribbles on note pad.

“You feel pretty? Well, you look amazing, too! You can thank moi later… signed copy of SID-hint hint.”

Passes Cody a hot pink napkin.

“Here, take this napkin. You got a little bit of chocolate on your face. Wipe it off, please!!”

(Sighs mumbling something about Diet Coke cupcake crumbs.)

“They’re in your teeth too. Just saying. Since you are going to be occupied with cleaning your face, how about I get started on reading your guest post aloud?”

Cody nods, scrubbing face with pink napkin. 

Takes seat on reindeer’s back.

“HERE’s CODY’S GUEST POST!!!!!! And we need to settle down, as it is of a serious and important nature.”

Thanks for having me on your blog, Mia! It’s great to be here! I’m here with a light post about romance. Honest!

Romance and PTS—The Chaos in Isidore’s Mind v. The Warm Dark

I write young adult romance! I do! My new book, Slaying Isidore’s Dragons, is about hope, triumph, and the healing power of love.

Isidore has suffered incredibly at the hands of his abusive family and one of the many things victims suffer is post-traumatic stress. I leave the word “disorder” off the end of the stress because it isn’t a disorder. It’s a condition engendered by an inciting event or events.See the The Mayo Clinic’s definition of post-traumatic stress and see general information below in fine print.

Anyone can suffer post-traumatic stress anytime and, contrary to popular belief, it is not related to the “level” or “depth” of seriousness or horror of the inciting incident. Something that would traumatize me terribly may not affect you at all, and vice versa, and it’s important not to try to compare inciting events or behavior when traumatized. Matty and Brad over at 2BoysinLove write wonderful posts about post-traumatic stress and I encourage you to read them. In the upcoming months, I’ll write more about post-traumatic stress and will link to specific articles written by Matty and Brad.

So what does romance have to do with post-traumatic stress? A lot. In fact, above all things, love is the single most important element in working through post-traumatic stress and the healing power of love is immeasurable. In Slaying Isidore’s Dragons, we meet Isidore during a time of trauma. As part of his symptoms of traumatic stress, he has built a defense mechanism in his mind to escape to when things become too difficult for him. This place is warm, dark, and quiet. It’s a place that he can escape not only the events he endures, but also the resultant chaos in his own mind when he faces triggering issues and events. From the beginning of the book, Isidore escapes to his “warm dark” and it’s only by the healing power of Declan’s love, that he begins to make the conscious choice to go to Declan when he’s beginning to fall apart rather than the “warm dark.”

In the excerpt below, Declan and Isidore are at an art fair and Isidore gets lost in the crowd.

“I would like a baguette with cheese.”

“Did you see a place where we could get that?” Declan asked.

“Back there.”

“Okay, come on.” Declan did an about-face in the crowd and shouldered his way down the boardwalk. When he turned to make sure Isidore was behind him, he was nowhere to be seen. He pushed back through the crowd and couldn’t find him. This was exactly the kind of crowd that frightened Isidore. Damn it! His anxiety rising, Declan tried to remember what Isidore was wearing. It was the green T-shirt that matched his eyes. Looking for the green as he went, he began calling Isidore’s name as he made his way through the crowd. Isidore was so small he was afraid he’d never find him. Outright alarm filled him, and he began to shout Isidore’s name.

ISIDORE STOOD stock-still in the crowd. Declan had moved too fast, and he hadn’t kept up. He never should have let go of Declan’s hand. Now he was lost and had no idea how to find Declan. People bumped and pushed him, stepped on his toes, and smells assaulted him, causing nausea to rise in his gut. Sauerkraut, sweet cotton candy, sickly aftershave, bitter ketchup, syrupy cinnamon buns, tangy mustard, cloying perfume, and body odor—body odor as he had smelled in hospital. Images spun in his mind’s eye and colors blurred as the noise of the crowd thundered in his ears.

Find Declan!

Colliding with bodies as if he were riding in a bumper car, he fought to make his way out of the crowd before he vomited. He made it to a nearby trash can and gripped the rim with both hands as he fought to steady his mind. He was lost, and he had no idea how to find Declan.

Declan will find me. He will not leave me here.

Would Declan find him? Declan wouldn’t leave him here, would he? Doubt filled him, and his mind started to slide. He was lost and alone, and Declan might never find him again. Tears began to fall as he squatted and tried to make himself small as he sought the warm dark of his mind.

RETURNING TO where they had been separated, Declan saw Isidore crouched by a trashcan, his head in his hands. Declan ran, pushing others out of the way, rude remarks painting the air in his wake.

“Isidore, oh God, come here, come here.” He lifted Isidore to his feet and hugged him.

“Declan,” Isidore sobbed against his chest.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Declan cupped Isidore’s face with both hands and covered him in kisses as Isidore clung to him. “I’m sorry. I should never have let go of your hand. Oh God, I’m sorry. Are you all right?”

Isidore nodded in Declan’s hands. “I am okay. I was afraid you would not find me.”

“Oh no, mo chroí. I will always find you.”

That’s what romance has to do with post-traumatic stress. Love is one of the few genuine healing aids for anyone who has suffered trauma. I hope you enjoy Isidore’s healing journey in Slaying Isidore’s Dragons.

 ~*~

“What an amazing post. I never thought much of the merging of romance and post traumatic stress, and I can see it is important that we all are aware of this. And the excerpt is touching. I can’t wait to get my hands on this book!”

Stands up and moves to center of the room.

“Now friends, it is time to take care of a bit of important business. Please do not space out. I need your undivided attention.”

About Slaying Isidore’s Dragons

5 Best friends

4 Vicious brothers

3 STD tests

2 Guys in love

1 Car bombing

&

Nowhere to run

Follow the burgeoning love of two teens during the worst year of their lives. Irish-born Declan David de Quirke II is the son of two ambassadors, one Irish and one American. He is ‘out’ to his parents but to no one else. French-born Jean Isidore de Sauveterre is also the son of two ambassadors, one Catalan and one Parisian. His four half brothers have been told to cure him of his homosexuality. Both teens have lost a parent in a London car bombing.

5 Weeks of hell

4 Attempts on their lives

3 Law enforcement agencies

2 Dead high school seniors

1 Jealous friend

&

A love that won’t be denied

Declan and Isidore meet at the beginning of their senior year at a private academy in the United States. Declan is immediately smitten with Isidore and becomes his knight in shining armor. Isidore wants to keep what is left of his sanity and needs Declan’s love to do it. One is beaten, one is drugged, one is nearly raped, one has been raped. They are harassed by professors and police, and have fights at school, but none of it compares to running for their lives. When the headmaster’s popular son attempts suicide and someone tries to assassinate Declan’s mother, they are thrown headlong into chaos, betrayal, conspiracy, allegations of sexual coercion, even murder. And one of them carries a secret that may get them killed.

5 New family members

4 BFF’s

3 Countries

2 Extraordinary Psychologists

1 Courageous Mother

&

A new beginning for two young men in love

Now available in print and ebook at Dreamspinner/Harmony Ink Press

Amazon   Barnes & Noble   OmniLit/ARe

Ingram Books for Libraries and Schools

About Cody Kennedy

Raised on the mean streets and back lots of Hollywood by a Yoda-look-alike grandfather, Cody doesn’t conform, doesn’t fit in, is epic awkward, and lives to perfect a deep-seated oppositional defiance disorder. In a constant state of fascination with the trivial, Cody contemplates such weighty questions as If time and space are curved, then where do all the straight people come from? When not writing, Cody can be found taming waves on western shores, pondering the nutritional value of sunsets, appreciating the much maligned dandelion, unhooking guide ropes from stanchions, and marveling at all things ordinary.

Stop by Cody’s Blog with questions or comments, or simply share what’s on your mind.  Find Cody on Facebook, Twitter @CodyKAuthor, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google+, Ello, Goodreads, & read Cody’s free serial story, Fairy

“I would like to thank all of my readers for sharing this wonderful morning with Cody and me. And, of course, I’d like to thank Cody for visiting.”

Cody again writes a message and holds it up for all to see.

 

“Now Cody, might I suggest you go brush some of that chocolate out of your teeth….”

Cody gets out of bed and heads for the bathroom.

“Psst….Psst… Dear audience, please leave comments for my guest here. He lives for your kind words and I am sure that he will respond. Maybe you shouldn’t mention the chocolate on his face… Cody can be very sensitive about things like that.”

__________________________

Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms include, but are not limited to:

Intrusive symptoms: (which were not present before the trauma):  (1) Persistent re-experiencing of the event(s) in images, thoughts, recollections, daydreams, nightmares, and/or night terrors; (2) Extreme psychological distress (which may be accompanied by physiological reactivity) in the presence of the perpetrator or symbolic reminders of the perpetrator (e.g., uncontrollable shaking).

Arousal symptoms: (which were not present before the trauma): (1) Hyper vigilance (which may be the result of not feeling safe in the world) (2) Sleep disturbances (insomnia) (3) Persistent feelings of rage at the perpetrator (4) Restlessness (5) Difficulty concentrating (6) Weight loss

Relational symptoms: (1) Not feeling safe in the world (2) Mistrust and fear of intimate relationships (or a particular type of intimate relationship) (3) Disruption in the victim’s social support network, isolation

Source: The Neurotypical Site

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: C. Kennedy, Cody Kennedy, Guest Post, Mia's Guestroom, PTSD, Slaying Isidore's Dragons

THE RED SHEET is an INDIEFAB AWARD FINALIST for FOREWORD REVIEWS!!

“Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention winners, as well as Editor’s Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction, will be announced at the American Library Association Annual Conference in San Francisco, Friday, June 26, 2015, at 6 pm on the Pop Top Stage in the exhibit hall.” Did you hear that? at American Library Association Annual Conference!!!! WOOOOT!

Hurry up, June 26th!!

While this event is widely attended by librarians, media, and exhibiting publishers, we’d like to extend complimentary exhibit hall passes for the evening to any finalists and their guests who wish to see the awards program. Simply reply to this e-mail with the number of passes you need. However, publishers do not need to be present to win: the announcements will be made simultaneously via email, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and the Foreword Reviews website.

I should tell Harmony Ink Press!!!

Very excited!!

Mia

Filed under: Uncategorized