Ally Shields's Blog, page 77

Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers' Choice Awards

Wow!  I'm honored to say that I've been doubly blessed.  Fire Within (Book 2) and Blood and Fire (Book 4) were both selected as nominees for this wonderful award in the category of Urban Fantasy.  Of course, this means that they're not only competing with other books but with each other! :)

If you're interested in seeing all the nominees in every category or voting, the polls are open for public voting until 5 p.m. EST, Jan 12.  (BTW, I had to scroll waaay down to find the submit button.)

PRG Reviewers Choice

Writing, Editing, Rewriting

     BRRR!  This is even cold for Iowa! The high temperature forecast for Sunday is 4 degrees F and for Monday minus 4 degrees F, with a windchill factors ranging from minus 25 to minus 45.

     Luckily, I'm warm and toasty inside and keeping busy, busy, busy.

     I'm in the revision stage of the elven urban fantasy I started during NaNoWriMo, I'm expecting edits for Guardian Witch book 5 any day now, and book 6 is beginning to take form in my head. I have a couple of other writing projects simmering on a back burner. Promo and blogging have unfortunately taken a back seat while I try to get this writing done, so I have nothing new to share today except this progress report.

     The one piece of real news is a tentative release date for book 5:
March 7, 2014.
     While I'm not ready to tell you much about the plot, I think you'll find that love and friendship exact some very high prices. The storyline definitely takes some wild and hazardous turns.

     Well, I'm ready to pour another cup of coffee and get back to writing. Check back on Wednesday, when the Coffee Chat will be right on schedule.
                Have a great week ahead. And if you live in the upper US, try to stay warm!! :)

By Force: NA Release by Sara Hubbard

ISBN: 978-1-940223-78-0 We're starting the new year off with a bang with a new #NA release by fellow Etopian author Sara Hubbard. Through the rafflecopter you can help celebrate her release party ~ and maybe win a nice prize too! :)

Blurb:  

Kidnapping Isame would set them free…

  Isame wanted freedom: the freedom to travel, the freedom to explore, but most of all, the freedom to choose the life she wanted over the life—and the husband—her parents had chosen for her. But when Isame leaves home to accept another man’s proposal, she happens across five fierce, handsome warriors. She wonders why they’ve travelled so far from home, but she never imagines their purpose might have something to do with her. Not even after they kidnap her.

  Remmie is a man of honor and fierce loyalty. So when his king commands him to find a specific young woman on the island of Copaxa, he’s prepared to obey. But he’s not prepared for the woman to change everything. Isame is special. He can see it from the start. But how can one puny woman make him question everything he’s always known, including the rightness of doing what he’s promised?



Snippet:

We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, though it was probably mere seconds. His ice-cold stare made me forget to breathe. I swallowed hard as his face inched closer to mine, and his stale breath on my skin made the hairs on my head prick up. Strands of his hair fell from his braids and lightly tickled my neck and face. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for what he would do next.

Where to find By Force:

Amazon  |  Kobo  | All Romance  | B&N

About the Author:

Sara Hubbard is the author of romantic novels for both young adults and adults. Her debut novel BLOOD, SHE READ released fall 2012 and was a NEORWA Cleveland Rocks winner and a RCRW Duel on the Delta finalist. Sara lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her two children (four if you count her husband and her needy labradoodle) and works as a registered nurse with the military.

Find out more about Sara and her books here:

 http://www.sara-hubbard.com

http://twitter.com/SaraLouHubbard

http://pinterest.com/saralouhubbard

http://www.facebook.com/sarahubbardauthor


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome 2014!

Thanks to all of you for being part of my blog this past year.
I hope to see you often in 2014.
Happy Holidays!

Top 10 Most Popular Posts on My Blog in 2013

                 Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2013

Since this blog is only 16 months old, this is my first opportunity to look back at a full year of posts. I'm happy to say there were almost 8,000 visitors last year, a relatively small number as established blogs go, but I'm sure it was a highly select group of readers and bloggers! :)

I was curious to know what brought them here, so I did a little checking and calculating ~ and this is what I found were the top 10 most visited blog posts of 2013.


1. The easy winner of 1st place was ~
Getting Beyond that First "No" (Feb 10). It was also part of a blog hop, which would have affected the participation.  http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2013/02/getting-beyond-that-first-no.html

2. Two very different coffee chats tied for second place ~
Coffee Chat with Author Milly Taiden (Mar 10): http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2013/03/coffee-chat-with-author-milly-taiden.html. Milly writes smexy romances!
and
Sunday Coffee Chat with Author Edith Maxwell (Nov 24): http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2013/11/sunday-coffee-chat-with-author-edith-maxwell.html. Edith writes cozy mysteries!
I always knew I had multi-genre blog readers. I think this proves it! :)

4. The fourth spot really pleased me. It was the Coffee Chat with Writer Kath Boyd Marsh (Apr 3), my critique partner. Apparently you found her as amazing and helpful as I do. http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2013/04/coffee-chat-with-writer-kath-boyd-marsh.html

5.  Sneak Peek Sunday Feb 24 (which was a snippet for the not yet released second book in my series, Fire Within): http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2013/02/sneak-peek-sunday-feb-24.html

6. Witches, Witchcraft and the Calin Family Book of Shadows (Mar 10): http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2013/03/witches-witchcraft-the-calin-family-book-of-shadows.html

7. Another tie for seventh place: the first was a Coffee Chat with Author Dani-Lyn Alexander (Jan 20):  http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2013/01/coffee-chat-with-author-dani-lyn-alexander.html
and
the second was a link to Murder Most Otherworldly (Oct 28), an article I wrote for a murder/mystery blog: http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2012/10/murder-most-otherworldly.html

9. The Sunshine Award (Mar 22): http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2013/03/ive-been-honored-with-a-sunshine-award.html

10. Irish Magic - Three Wishes in conjunction with the Irish Gold Blog Hop: http://www.allyshields.com/1/post/2013/03/irish-gold-blog-hop.html Thank you to all of you who stopped by the blog in 2013. Whether it was regularly or now and then, your visits were appreciated. I hope to see you back in 2014! Have a wonderful holiday!

Coffee Chat with Author Crystal Donahue

Good morning!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and/or is enjoying whatever holiday you celebrate.

NA author Crystal Donahue is with us this morning. Welcome, Crystal! How do you take your coffee?

CRYSTAL: Don’t hate me, but I’m not a huge coffee fan. I’m a flavored tea kind of gal, especially strawberry tea. YUM! When I do drink it, the mixture usually consists of ninety-nine percent cream and sugar with just a splash of actual java. I get a lot of strange looks when I do this.

Ally: Not to worry. My magic pot can make anything, and this won't be the first time for tea. While I pour your strawberry tea, perhaps you can show us your bio. And add something unique you wouldn't normally include. Author Bio:

Crystal Donahue has been fortunate to live all over the US, including Arizona, Hawaii, and Georgia but she currently resides near the Iowa/Illinois border with her tornado obsessed son and their mischievous cat, Brownie. She is a procrastinator of epic proportions, finds humor in almost everything, loves sarcasm and loathes washing dishes.

A 2004 graduate of Western Illinois University, Crystal has held several unique jobs including driving a Zamboni and being a relay operator for the hearing and speech impaired. While working as a claims adjuster she realized life is too short not to do something that makes you happy, so she quit her job to become a nurse. Between work and raising her son she somehow manages to find time to write too, usually to the detriment of her social life. Fortunately her friends and family are amazing so it isn’t much of an issue…yet.

Hmm. Something unique...When I was little I wanted to grow up to be an Egyptologist. Hieroglyphics and ancient cultures fascinate me. In junior high I wrote a short story about a female Egyptologist that gets trapped inside a pyramid and fights for survival. I hope to someday find the time to turn it into a full length novel. And of course, going to visit the Egyptian pyramids is on my bucket list!

Author Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6952844.Crystal_Donahue
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crystal-Donahue/585060708171196
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CDonahue_Writes
Website: http://www.crystaldonahue.com/
Ally:  Now that we know you a little better, let's talk about writing. Your books are listed as romantic comedy. How would you define the genre, and what are the necessary elements?

CRYSTAL:   Romantic comedies need to have two things: romance first and humor second. Although I love a good laugh out loud moment in a book, to me, it’s more about those feel good, subtle occasions that sneak up on you and make you chuckle. There definitely has to be witty dialogue and of course a happily ever after. Who would want to read a humorous book only to have it end tragically? Not this girl!

Ally:  You're also categorized as NA - new adult. Are the requirements for new adult merely age of heroine, i.e. early 20s or college age? Does the hero also have to be in that age group?

CRYSTAL:  This is a difficult question to answer because there really is no set standard in the book industry. Ask ten different publishers what their New Adult requirements are and you’ll get ten different answers. If they can’t define it, how are authors supposed to?

To me NA has less to do with age and more to do with the transition into adulthood. It’s a unique phase in your life that will only happen once. You’re no longer a child in the legal sense, but you’re still learning to navigate in a grown up world that doesn’t take you seriously.

There are new freedoms, new responsibilities, and new loves waiting to be discovered. It is both exciting and scary. There are bound to be bumps along the way. That’s part of why I love writing in this yet-to-be-defined genre because there are so many possibilities and directions to take the characters!

Ally:  Good insights into the genre. Now, about your new release, Above Par...tell us about your main character. What makes her vulnerable to the hero?

CRYSTAL:  Drew Forester is a college senior, a loving daughter and friend, and a bit of a book worm. Everyone sees her as the dependable one and now that her grandpa is sick, her parents rely on her to care for her little sister and to run their family mini-golf course. It’s through these new responsibilities that she meets Weston, her sister’s geometry teacher. He’s smart, funny, and sincere. Drew is used to being the one to fix things, so when Weston takes charge and makes her the main focus for a change, she can’t help falling for his charms even when she knows he’s hiding something.

Ally:  How do you choose these characters? Are they based on someone or pure fiction?

CRYSTASL:  My main characters just sort of come to me, they define themselves as the story progresses. But my supporting cast members, on the other hand, tend to share personality traits with friends, family, and co-workers that I know in real life. I will pick and choose qualities, mashing them together, to get what I need in order to give my hero and heroine the help and insights they require to get from point A to point B.

Ally:  We'll finish with a few quick answer questions:
best holiday memory:  When I lived in Arizona we would turn on the heater in the pool and go swimming on Christmas day. Our friends and family back in the Midwest would get jealous. So naturally we had to send pictures!pantser or plotter:  Pantser all the way! Most of the twists that readers love were completely unplanned, so I learned just to wing it and make sure things tie back together at the end.favorite flavor of ice cream:  Mint chocolate chiplast person you talked to on the phone:  It was a co-worker about work related stuff. Yeah, I know, I think that’s lame too.an item on your bucket list:  At some point I vow to jump out of a plane…with a chute, of course!Ally:  Above Par was just released December 20, but I've had a chance to read it. You'll find my recommendation below the blurb and buy links. Meanwhile, I hope Crystal will get busy writing more! :)

Back Cover Blurb:

There are no mulligans in love.

Drew's life just got a whole lot harder. Her relationships are falling apart, her little sister is failing math, and her parents are leaving for Florida to take care of Grandpa. Now not only does she have to play surrogate parent, study to graduate from her last semester of college, and deal with the looming threat of full-on adulthood, she has to do it all while running the family's mini-golf course by herself. Even the upbeat Drew is starting to feel like she just drove her ball down the unfairway.

Her luck takes a turn when she meets Weston, the snarky geometry teacher. He's smart, capable, dependable, and handsome—a real hole in one. But even Weston has a few hazards of his own. Now Drew will have to decide whether his secret is the wedge that drives them apart, or pushes them together.

Buy Links:

All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-abovepar-1380962-149.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Above-Par-Crystal-Donahue-ebook/dp/B00HF95IIS/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/above-par-crystal-donahue/1117760321?ean=2940148925248
My Review:

Drew has been looking forward to college graduation, then graduate school in psychology. She hadn't anticipated her grandfather's illness would call her parents away, or that she'd be babysitting her spoiled teenage sister and running the family miniature golf business. And she definitely hadn't expected to meet Weston, her sister's drool-worthy math teacher.
Between romantic angst and some very adult thoughts about the hunky teacher, Drew finds herself in danger of falling in love. Not that there aren't red flags. He seems to be hiding something, and he draws back even from a first kiss. What's the deal?
A sweet romance that reads quickly and will leave you feeling good. Recommended. 5 stars!
Ally:  Crystal, I so enjoyed your visit. I hope you will come back soon!

                                  Happy Holidays, everyone! Thanks for spending time with us!

The Night Before Christmas in Olde Town

Just a little fun for the holidays! Very loosely based on a much-beloved Christmas poem.


       The Night Before Christmas in Olde Town

Twas the Night Before Christmas, and all through Olde Town,
Not a creature was stirring nor making a sound.
The werewolves were running all night through the woods,
The demons were hiding their faces in hoods.



The elves all were dancing; the dwarves were so merry,
The nymphs were excited and so very cheery.
With Andreas at the Club, and Ari on patrol,
The town was all settled, snug in the cold.

When out of the sky with a light pure and bright
Came a dragon so bold glowing gold and pure white.
Ari dashed through the park, stopped on a dime,
If the dragon was hostile, she wouldn't be there in time.

The children were gathered in the town square
Singing and dancing, their thoughts without care.
When what did their wondering eyes behold
But the dragon that stories had once foretold.
With scales of pure gold, and eyes oh so green
They knew in a moment it was the Dragon Queen.
She'd come to bring presents, to those old and young,
To recapture the stories that once had been sung.

Of a beautiful princess who had fallen in love
With a handsome dragon from the clouds far above
And every Christmas she brought back her joy
By sharing her gifts with each girl and boy.

When Ari arrived and Andreas stopped by
The Queen pulled out a bag and undid the tie.
She dropped all the toys at Ari's feet
So they could present every child with a treat.

Then blowing snowflakes out of her nose,
The dragon winked boldly, or so the story goes,
And spreading her wings, she rose to the sky
"Merry Christmas to all, and I bid you Good-Bye!"

                                               Ally Shields (2013)

Brinda Berry's New YA Release: Watcher of Worlds

Author friend Brinda Berry has a new release in her YA series, Whispering Woods. If you've enjoyed the first two, The Waiting Booth and Whispering Memory, you won't want to miss this third installment. If you haven't tried her books yet, there's no better time to start!

Blurb:

Senior year should bring fun, friends and happiness. Not portals, treachery, and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Mia Taylor, gatekeeper to an interdimensional portal, wants nothing more than to heal from her romance gone wrong. Illegally falling for her co-worker Regulus had been a huge mistake. But when Regulus goes rogue to hunt down a murderer, Mia must forget her broken heart and use her unique abilities to save him. Traveling across dimensions, she enters a strange and hostile world where a rebel faction holds the key to their escape. Her gift of synesthesia is in high demand, and a secret organization of the otherworldly kind has her in their sights. But sabotage and murder may be the least of her worries. Her ex-boyfriend wants a relationship. Her dad wants her to act normal. Her friends want her to stop moping. Who knew faking happy would be the easiest part of senior year?

**********************

Watcher of Worlds EXCERPT:
 

Jingle Bells

I detested planned surprises. 

I could read the expectation in the air from the shimmery orange vibe that glowed like a Cheetos binge gone bad.

A few months ago, my friends had discovered my secret. The secret I’d hidden so teachers and doctors wouldn’t treat me like an amped up sensory perception freak. So friends wouldn’t ask.

Synesthesia. The condition sounded like the name of an electronic punk band. I’d made the full round of emotions about my sensory perception and being able to find portals. First, I’d hid it like you hide an ugly rash. Later, I’d learned to trust my friends with my secret. I’d even embraced it. 

Now, I was back to wishing for normal.

Working with Regulus and Arizona was like playing Pop Goes the Weasel—a surprise around every corner. And did I mention I hate surprises?

Give me predictable any day. Then I could be ready. It’s why I made sure I knew the contents of every box under the Christmas tree. 

*****************

BUY LINKS:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Watcher-Worlds-Whispering-Woods-Brinda-ebook/dp/B00HEVPRQ0/
Publisher Website: http://www.renegadeya.com/ Brinda Berry is the author of three young adult novels in the Whispering Woods series. She also contributed a short story to the anthology, Wild at Heart, Vol II.

Currently working in higher education administration, she spends her days thinking of ways to improve education for college students. Brinda spends her nights devising exciting tales that involve teens who might be saving the world.

Brinda has visited this blog twice before. Her prior posts can be viewed here: 11/5/2012 and 2/24/2013.

Connect with Brinda on the Web:

WEB     BLOG     FACEBOOK    TWITTER   GOODREADS    YOUTUBE

EE Carter: Coffee Chat & Author Interview

Good Morning!

It's Wednesday...and you know what that means. Time for coffee and book talk.
Today we welcome EE Carter, an author of historical romances.

How do you take your coffee?

EE: Long black - rich, flavoursome, caffeine-packed - just the way I like it :D


Ally: Coming right up! Let's take a peek at your bio while I pour.
Elizabeth Ellen Carter Bio:

Elizabeth Ellen Carter was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth - but it may have been a pen. Ever since then she has been writing... and writing... and writing.

From writing news and feature stories for newspapers to advertising copy (it's less glamorous than Mad Men) and web site content, she has most recently turned her hand to writing novels in her favourite genre - romance.

Elizabeth Ellen Carter is my way of honouring two special women who are no longer with us.

Elizabeth - my mother was a lady who inspired my lifelong love of books and encouraged my interest in writing. She was a woman who could not bypass *any* bookstore. There was no such thing as just a 'quick' look inside. It was no surprise that she spent 25 very happy years as librarian at King's Christian College on the Gold Coast, Queensland Australia.

Ellen - mother to my beloved husband. Ellen passed away many years before I met my husband but I'm very grateful that she brought him into the world.

Elizabeth Ellen Carter lives in Queensland, Australia with her husband and two cats Coco and Claude.

Social media links:

Facebook: facebook.com/ElizabethEllenCarter
Twitter: twitter.com/EECarterAuthor
Blog: eecarter.com Ally: How about revealing something that isn't in your official bio?

EE:  Hmmm, singer and British tabloid celebrity Peter Andre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Andre) and his brothers helped me break into my car. I was a young newspaper reporter doing a story on a hot new local singer when, after the interview, I found I had locked my keys in my car. Oops! Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), my car was relatively easy to break into. I have a photo with Peter taken 10 years later and he still remembered that day!

Ally: I've already told everyone that you write historical romance, but what time period did you choose and why?

EE:  I love history full stop - it doesn't matter what time period. Moonstone Obsession is classed as a Regency Romance but historically it is set in the Georgian period.
I've just finished a Medieval Romance set in the 11th century and that is being proofed now and I'm about to start work on a sequel to Moonstone Obsession called Moonstone Conspiracy.
If I have to choose a time period, I would say Regency because it was the perfect storm of the industrial revolution, the American Revolution, the French Revolution as well as significant social and political reforms.

Ally:  And a related question, how do you get the language and behaviors correct for your time period?

EE:  Regency is relatively easy, it is perhaps one of the earliest eras that we have a complete and through record of. We have a lot of documentation and an extensive array of paintings depicting costume of the time. The Regency period saw the expansion of newspapers, magazines and periodicals which offer a real slice of life from the time. In terms of language, I try to keep it plausible for the time with no anachronisms but the primary goal is to make the language accessible to today's reader, so dialogue is more structured in a way that makes sense to modern readers where as pre-Edwardian language was far more flowery than today's.

Ally:  Would you describe your writing day for us?  When, where, daily goal, etc.

EE:  I work full time, so my writing is done in the evenings and on weekends. I try to get in 15- 20 hours a week - fortunately I have a very understanding husband! He's also my proofreader and one of my editors. He and I share a study and I have my desk facing the wall. I find I can get more words down if I'm not distracted by a view. My novels are quite long at 90K words +, so if I can get 2500 words down in a single session, I can usually have a first draft complete in three months. With the wind in my sails I could probably get two full length books out a year.

Ally:  It's that time of year to think about the year ahead of us. What are your writing goals for 2014?

EE:  In 2014 I hope to have my Medieval Romance, Warrior's Surrender picked up and published, to have Moonstone Conspiracy complete and published as well as getting started on another historical. I have about six 2 page treatments covering Ancient Rome, the British Raj in India, slavers of the Barbary Coast, an intrigue in the court of the Tudors, a mystery during the reign of Charles II, and a late Medieval/Crusaders story, so which one of those is next all depends on what next appeals.

Ally:  Before we get to your book, let's play with a few quick answer questions:
favorite holiday dish - entree or dessert - Hmmm, because it's summer here I would say freshly cooked prawns as an entree      most memorable vacation - when and where - a cruise my husband and I took about 10 years ago. There was a 60s dress up night and hubby went as Austen Powers and I was dressed as a go-go dancer. I put together the costume from odds and ends and it looked great. We owned the ship that night - complete strangers wanted their photos taken with us, we were called on to be party starters in the nightclub (and they gave us a free bottle of champagne for our trouble) and when we were leaving the DJ chased us out of the night club and offered us $250 for the costume (Bargain! I put it together for $35).an item on your bucket list - actually visit the places I write about.favorite tv show - I have plenty :D 1960s - The Avengers; 1970s The Professionals; 1980s Remington Steel; 1990s - The X-Files; 2000s - NCIS; 2010s - Mad Menlast movie you saw in a theater - Skyfall - the most recent James Bond film. Loved it!  Ally: It was a pleasure to chat with you today, but now it's time for the unveiling. Show us the book you brought...

Moonstone Blurb
Secrets, scandal, and passion…

Selina Rosewall had given up on love, but while helping her brother further his merchant fleet business, she meets Sir James Mitchell, Lord of Penventen. Their attraction is mutual, but what James wants from the relationship goes further—much further—than Selina could have expected. And she learns that in the world of the Ton, scandal and deceit are commonplace.

For Sir James Mitchell, Lord of Penventen, it’s hard to say which is more dangerous: being a spy or being considered husband material by the Ladies of the Ton. With political machinations threatening to draw England into the violent wake of the French Revolution, the last thing James expected was to fall in love with Selina Rosewall, daughter of an untitled seafaring family. But when James’ investigation stirs up a hornet’s nest, can he protect Selena from danger that threatens her very  life?

Youtube Trailer: http://youtu.be/1Sso8hl5qFw
Buy Links:  
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
All Romance Ebooks
Kobo


      Thanks to everyone for taking time in your busy holiday to visit with us. Come back soon!

A Witch's Wish List for the Twelve Days of Christmas

                             Happy Holidays!

It's about time we were getting into the Christmas spirit around here, so today while I was baking breads and cookies I was talking with some of my characters about the Twelve Days of Christmas. I asked Ari what a witch would have listed for the twelve gifts. She laughed at the idea of milking maids or lords a leaping, so I challenged her to come up with her own list.

And here it is...       
 A Witch's Wish List for the Twelve Days of Christmas:

 
One Book of Shadows

Two scrying bowls

Three magic crystals

Four blessed cloths

Five conjured potions

Six amulets of power

Seven rhyming spells

Eight jars of herbals

Nine vials of holy water

Ten purified candles

Eleven kinds of incense

Twelve sister witches


     What? No partridges or pear trees? :) Thanks for stopping to read our Witch's Wish List!

Of course this isn't Ari's real list.
She says the only thing she wants under her tree is a certain tall, dark and sexy supper club owner. :)

What--or who--is on your Santa List?