Brenda Maxfield's Blog, page 4
February 27, 2014
Leap into Books Giveaway Hop!
Greetings, Friends! For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this has been quite a winter. So, although Mother Nature isn’t quite ready to leap into spring, we are ready to leap into books. (Always!) The weather doesn’t matter, right? In fact, books can help us escape any type of weather to all sorts of magical worlds.
If you’re in the mood to escape to the Washington Coast, you’ll enjoy my young adult Ocean Mist Series. In fact, the prize book bundle I’m giving away during this hop includes PDF copies of Player, Buried Truth, and Cornered. You can follow Courtney, Tiffany, Andrew, and Keegan as they struggle to overcome confusion, angst, and love gone wrong. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is leave a comment below!
Do you know any teen girls who are frustrated or struggling with the whole dating scene? I have a book for that! Grab a copy of Dating Advice for Girls from the Guys and give it as a gift. This book climbs inside a teen guy’s head and let’s you see what he’s thinking. A great group of guys freely shared their wants, needs, and even annoyances regarding the girls with me. And I’ve put it all in this book for you. No worries! It’s PG rated. So grab a copy for someone today!
If you’d like to get in on contests for FREE Amazon gift cards and news of hot new releases, click here! That click gives you access to my free Newsletter Gang!
Here’s hoping for a warmer March! For a chance to win the book bundle, remember to leave a comment below!
And as always, thanks for stopping by.
Brenda
Click here to Visit other Participating Blogs
Tagged: Brenda Maxfield, dating, Dating advice, free prize, Giveaway, good clean teen reads, Leap into Spring Blog Hop, Ocean Mist series, teen relationships
February 17, 2014
Warm Welcome to M.J. Stewart!
Hello, Dear Friends! Today, I’m welcoming M.J. Stewart to my blog! We’re celebrating the release of her book, Two Degrees from Zero! Be sure to leave a comment as Stewart will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Also, I’d love to have you join my FREE Newsletter Gang! Be the first to get the news about my releases, contests, and opportunities for prizes. Get Access Here!
And now, some info about M.J. Stewart’s new book!
Two Degrees from Zero is about friends who face danger in the cold Colorado mountains.
M.J. Stewart has written an entertaining adventure story featuring two young teens who are easy to like. Derek is struggling with very serious issues and his best friend Janae is right there with him the whole way. Even with terrible blizzards, abandonment, dangerous tough guys after Derek, and an almost-step-dad that he doesn’t like or trust, Derek, along with Janae, takes on the tough job of doing what needs to be done.
Here’s an excerpt for you!
“You know we’re missing an ultimate powder rush, because we have to ride in this goofy sleigh,” Derek said to Janae.
“Here you go,” Janae said. “Ruining this amazing experience because of your grumpiness.”
“Not grumpy on the slopes today,” Derek said. “Thomas spent lots of bucks on this trip, but I wish he’d stop acting like my dad, or really my Fake Dad.”
“Be nicer to your mom’s friend.”
“Easy for you to say,” Derek retorted. “Want to do the rails with me tomorrow?”
“Maybe. You were so full of yourself ripping through the pow,” Janae teased. “You’re a hucker, and you’ll try whatever trick you see another guy doing. You charge fast, fly through the air, and sometimes you even land upright.”
“I’m not a hucker. Wish I could lay down some cool tricks like the pros do,” Derek said.
“I saw you rolling down the windows a couple of times,” Janae said. “I’ll stick to the jumps.”
“Guess you’ll do anything to catch your balance. I like my cool Burton board I got at the rental shop. Except the left strap gave me trouble,” Derek complained.
“So that’s your excuse for not landing tricks,” Janae said.
A bit about M.J. and her Links:
M.J. Stewart is a Colorado author and lives in Colorado Springs. Her love for the outdoors has provided many exciting adventures and include downhill skiing, biking, hiking, camping, and nature photography.
Don’t forget to leave a comment and your email below to be entered in the drawing!
Have any of you had any great snow adventures lately! I’d love to hear about them.
And as always, thanks for stopping by.
Brenda
Tagged: Adventure, Amazon gift card, Brenda Maxfield, Good clean teen read, M.J. Stewart, prize, Two Degrees from Zero, YA
February 10, 2014
Valentine Scavenger Hunt (Blog Hop)
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Greetings Friends! Okay, get ready for fun prizes! I’ve joined with some great fellow Astraea Press writers in bringing you a brand new Valentine’s Day anthology, Love and Diamonds!
As part of our release announcement, we’re having a scavenger hunt! Woo Hoo!! It’s easy! From each participating blog, you capture a key word. (Hint: Look at the visual above to grab mine!) Then take these key words to this entry form, post them there, and you could be the winner of great Astraea Press books! There are six bundles of five books each, and they will be listed at the Astraea Press Blog.
Remember that the more blogs you visit, the more chances of winning you have! AND here’s the beautiful cover of the new Valentine’s Day anthology! Read stories from fifteen different authors in a variety of genres, all PG rated. (No worries about embarrassment!)
Grab your copy! Here’s the blurb for my contribution to the Anthology, Meet Me in the Copy Room:
Dumping her long-time boyfriend gives Leanne a welcomed new lease on life. Until that same boyfriend promptly proposes to her best friend. A gloating best friend, a propositioning ex, a meddling mother, and a handsome newcomer all conspire to give Leanne a day she won’t soon forget…
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In the spirit of my Valentine scavenger hunt word, here’s my favorite kiss scene from The Return. (Soon to be released!)
“Tiffany.” Something in his voice stopped me, and I turned to look at him.
“Come here.”
The bubble of panic burst into nothingness and I went. Just like that. I walked into his arms and lost myself in his embrace. His kissed me, at first soft and tender and then with more force. I kissed him back, exploring his taste, his scent. I wanted more of him. I wanted to disappear into him. We clung to each other, swaying slightly to the barely heard rhythm of the waves. His heartbeat pounded against my ear, and he tightened his embrace.
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I hope you enjoyed that little sample! Don’t forget to grab your copy of Love and Diamonds here!
Click here to find the other participating blogs! (I hope you win!)
Do you have any special plans for Valentine’s Day? If so, tell me about them. I’d love to hear!
I’d also love to keep in touch with you through my Newsletter Gang! You’ll get all the news about the latest releases, contests, Amazon gift card giveaways, and fun tidbits! Click Here to Join for Free!
And as always, thanks for stopping by.
Brenda
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Tagged: Anthology, Astraea Press, Blog Hop, Brenda Maxfield, Free Giveaway, Good clean teen read, holiday, love, Love and Diamonds, Prizes, Romance, Valentine's Day
February 7, 2014
Romance in the Air Blog Hop!
Hello Friends! I simply couldn’t resist! This blog hop is focusing on Young Adult and New Adult novels, and since that’s what I write, here I am!
Three winners will be chosen during this hop! Winners may have the choice of one PDF copy of any of the my books which are shown to the side of this post. So, happy choosing! :-D
In the spirit of romance, I’m including an excerpt below from Someday You’ll Laugh (My almost true love story!):
I looked down at my clasped hands. Greg put his fingers under my chin and lifted my face to his. He leaned forward and kissed me. “I’ve missed you. More than I ever thought I would.” His voice was gentle and the tenderness flowing from him engulfed me and made it difficult to breathe.
I knew he was waiting for me to respond, but whirling confusion had grabbed my words, and I didn’t know what to say. As the silence grew, Greg’s brow creased and the muscles around his mouth tensed.
“Brenda?”
My eyes were wide and I knew tears hovered on my lashes. “Yes?”
“What’s going on?”
“You said you wanted to see other people.”
“Oh that,” he said, and he sighed with obvious relief. “Is that what’s bothering you?”
He grabbed my arm and looked at me, his eyes moist but full of joy. “I was worried there for a minute. Don’t give another thought to what I said. It was stupid. I was stupid. We don’t have to see anyone else. I don’t want to, not even a little.”
He tried to pull me into his arms, but I remained stiff. His hands dropped from me, and he moved back a few inches. His eyes searched my face.
“Oh no,” he whispered. “You’ve met someone.”
The tears that had been balancing on my lashes began to fall. I stared into Greg’s stricken face. “No. No, I haven’t. Well maybe. Kind of. Yes.”
I hope you enjoyed that little taste! (If you’d like to order the book, click on the cover above.)
Click Here to ENTER the Rafflecopter And Good Luck!!
I hope all of you have a warm and wonderful Valentine’s Day with the people you love. I wish you many happy memories.
Feel free to share your thoughts with a comment below. I love hearing from my readers. :-)
And as always, thanks for stopping by.
Brenda
Tagged: Blog Hop, Brenda Maxfield, Giveaway, good clean teen reads, love, Romance, Someday you'll laugh, Valentine's Day
January 28, 2014
Do You Know a Teen Guy?
Calling all teen guys! (And if you’re not a teen guy, please forward this to the teen guys you know!)
Guys, what do you want in a girlfriend? Do you have good advice to share? In your opinion, what makes a good girlfriend?
Click here to let your voice be heard! (It won’t take more than a few minutes.)
This is your chance to tell the girls what you want!
All responses (we’ll keep you anonymous) will be crafted into a book that will be read by teen girls everywhere.
G uys, take this chance to be heard!
Thank you SO much for your help! I appreciate your time and willingness. Plus, I’m excited to read what you have to say. :-)
Again: Just click here! It’s as simple as that!
And as always, thanks for stopping by,
Brenda
Tagged: Brenda Maxfield, dating, girlfriend, survey, teen guys, teen survey, what guys want
January 14, 2014
No Strings Attached!
Hello Friends! Today, I’m having a ball participating in a no strings attached blog hop! This is fun news because all you have to do for a chance to win any of the prizes is leave a comment with your email! That’s it!
Those of us in the northern hemisphere are in the depths of winter right now. So, I decided to have my prize be a two eb00k combo (Player and Buried Truth) which takes place on the Washington Coast. (And NOT in deep snow! Ha!)
Here’s a little taste from one of the prizes (Player):
The next morning when I opened the shop door, Daniela was standing behind the counter with a warm smile. I did a double take; she wasn’t supposed to be there when I got in.
“Andrew, you’re here.”
“Morning, Daniela.”
Her teasing tone sent jingles of excitement through me. A hot ache grew in my throat, and I turned quickly and headed for the stock room.
I set my backpack on a table piled high with an assortment of shipping boxes. A mirror hung next to the bathroom door, and I gave it a quick glance, smoothed my hair, and ventured back out.
“Didn’t expect you so early,” I said, busying myself straightening the keychain rack.
“Sue said you’d teach me the cash register. That’s why I’m here first thing instead of this afternoon.” Daniela joined me at the rack and started picking through the key chains, catching the ones hanging on the wrong pegs. She brushed against my side, and a jolt of electricity zinged through me.
“I’m glad you’re my teacher today,” she said. “I’m good at math, so I’ll catch on right away.”
I gazed down at her face as she concentrated on the chains. Her eyebrows furrowed a bit, and her eyes crinkled like she was a little girl figuring out how to tie her shoe. The whole picture was so adorable it sent tremors through me.
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Remember to leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win! Good luck!
I heard a quote the other day that inspired my thinking, and I’d like to share it with you:
The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. Pablo Picasso
So have fun this week, friends, washing the dust off your souls. :-)
Click here to visit other participating blogs. Enjoy!
As always, thanks for stopping by.
Brenda
P.S. I’d love to stay in touch! Please join my newsletter gang by clicking here. Receive release news, fun tidbits, and occasional surprises just for you!
Tagged: Brenda Maxfield, Buried Truth, free ebooks, Giveaway, Good clean teen read, NO Strings Attached Blog Hop, Player, Prizes, Washington Coast
January 11, 2014
Welcome, Rebekah R. Ganiere!
Greetings, Friends! Today, I am welcoming Rebekah R. Ganiere to my blog. I’m thrilled to have her here. We’re celebrating the release of her new book, Dead Awakenings. Rebekah recently released her book, and it’s been on the Amazon top 100 in the Fantasy Superhero genre. Congratulations, Rebekah!
We thought it might be fun for Rebekah to share five silly things about herself with you. And…..here they are!
1) I am secretly obsessed with Monster High Dolls. I went to Comic Con just so I could get the special edition one only released there.
2) I would rather go to the mountains than the beach. I have no love of sand and I am so fair that I burn in less than 10 minutes, no matter the sunscreen!
3) I recently became addicted to Teavana Teas! My brother introduced them to me over Christmas and I am hooked. It’s my new addiction!
4) Comic Con San Diego is the best family vacation I have ever taken. I was in total geek heaven surrounded by Comic Books, Star Wars, Super Heroes, Dr. Who, and Role Playing games.
5) When I don’t have the TV on for writing, I am listening to Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Adele, Beyonce, Katy Perry and Christina Perri and a few other strong females to help influence my writing.
Here is the BLURB for Dead Awakenings:
Evaine, a struggling New York theater student, enters an unsanctioned drug trial in an effort to pay bills. She awakens in a derelict hospital, chained to a bed with no memory of who she is, or how she got there. A band of pale skinned men, led by the gorgeous Luca, burst in, whisking her away to safety.
Once at Haven House, Evaine is introduced to The Family. Like them, she has become A Deader, a reanimated Undead.
Luca is hell-bent on stopping the experimentations, and killing those responsible. He has no time for a Newborn who is struggling to control her rages, hunger, and powers. Nor does he have the desire to deal with the feelings she’s awakening within him.
Despite their best efforts, Evaine and Luca find their connection intensifying when suddenly, she remembers not only who she is, but also her fiancé, Tristan; who is still looking for her.
Torn between her first love and her new heart’s desire, Evaine runs back to Tristan putting everyone in danger. When a rogue faction of Deaders, called Feeders, attempts to kidnap her, Luca suspects Evaine is the key to the experiments.
Can everyone band together to keep Evaine off the cutting table of those she escaped from? Or will second death tear her away from everyone, for good?
A little bit more about Rebekah:
Rebekah’s love for stories began as a child with Shel Silverstein poetry. She began writing her own poetry and short stories in junior high and high school and then went on to study theater in college. Ultimately she ended up going back to writing so she could stay at home with her kids. Rebekah is a member of Romance Writers of America as well as the Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal Chapter, her local Los Angeles, OrangeCounty, and Young Adult chapters. When she isn’t spending time telling the stories of the characters constantly chattering inside her head, you can find her hanging out with her husband, four children and menagerie of pets. A dog, a rabbit, 2 bearded dragons, 1 Russian Tortoise and 2 Leopard Tortoises. The escaped snake has yet to be located.
Here are Rebekah’s links for her “Books with a Bite”!
Twitter: @VampWereZombie
Again, congratulations to Rebekah and best wishes for many sales!
I’d love to hear from you. What Fantasy Superheroes are your favorites? Let me know with a comment below! I’m thinking about Cat Woman. Does she qualify? 
Won’t you join my newsletter gang? It’s free, and you get fun news and the possibility of winning prizes! Plus, I never ever share your email with anyone. Join us! Just click here! (I have the best readers in the world!)
And as always, thanks for stopping by!
Brenda
Tagged: Brenda Maxfield, Dead Awakenings, fantasy, Rebekah R. Ganiere, superhero, teen reads, YALit
January 7, 2014
Welcome, Barb Drozdowich!
Hello Friends! Before I welcome our guest today, I want to extend a warm invitation to all of you. I would love to have you join my free Newsletter Gang! Discover my new releases, get fun tidbits, and enjoy special bonuses. (Please forgive the bragging, but I have the greatest group of newsletter friends ever!) If you subscribe now, you’ll get in on a special surprise. Will you join us? Just click here: Brenda’s Newsletter Gang. Thank you! I look forward to getting to know you.
And now . . . our special guest! A friendly welcome to blogger Barb Drozdowich! I’m delighted to host her today. I wanted to share Barb’s new book, The Author’s Guide to Working with Book Bloggers, especially with my writer readers. (Ha! That has a definite ring to it!) And if you’re not a writer, but know one, please forward this blog to them!
Barb is giving away a $20 gift card to Amazon or B&N to one lucky commenter! See the rafflecopter at the end of this post!
Here’s the blurb to Barb’s Book:
Do you feel out of your comfort zone when dealing with book bloggers? They are the New Gatekeepers to book publishing success – but how can you tap into that source of free promotions by putting your best foot forward?
The Author’s Guide to Working with Book Bloggers combines the advice of 215 blogging professionals collected in a survey covering all aspects of communication between authors and Review Blogs. Whether you are a new author, or have many titles under your belt, let us demystify the promotion of your book on a book blog.
You’ll learn about whom and where book bloggers are, and the following:
The Query,
The Review,
The Giveaway,
The Author Interview,
The Guest Post,
The Book Blurb Excerpt and Cover Reveals and more!
To give you an idea of Barb’s easy-to-read style, here’s an excerpt:
Chapter 5 The Review
The much sought after review consumes a lot of an author’s energies. It is seen as the key to the kingdom by many. I will admit that reviews are a necessary thing on Amazon and other purchasing sites these days; people have the ability everywhere to state their view on a product, and many do. As the buying public, we can consult these reviews to determine if we want to buy a product. How much credence we give them is a personal choice. I’m sure you’ve noticed that reviews on Amazon as well as other places are hot topics lately. Who is allowed to leave a review, and even the validity of a review are all coming under fire. While this is an interesting angle to the topic of reviews, we’re going to discuss book blogger reviews.
Book reviews are going to happen whether you seek them out or not. The book reviews that you don’t seek out are, for the most part, out of your control. The book bloggers have obtained a copy of your book from somewhere and are sharing their thoughts with their readers. The reviews that we will talk about in this chapter are the ones you seek out. These are the reviews that result from you personally approaching book bloggers and asking them to review your book.
Why do book bloggers post reviews?
Many book bloggers start their blogs to express their thoughts and maybe make some like-minded friends, just like I did. It never occurred to me that someone would actually read what I had to write. The reality is that book bloggers WANT to share their thoughts with others. WE LOVE BOOKS. We want to discuss what we loved about a particular book. There may not be anyone in our immediate neighborhood that loves the authors we do, but online, there are lots of people. I talk regularly with romance fans from literally all over the world.
So you can get to know Barb a bit better, here’s her author info and her links:
Social Media and WordPress Consultant Barb Drozdowich has taught at University, trained technical personnel in the banking industry and, most recently, used her expertise to help dozens of authors develop the social media platform needed to succeed in today’s fast evolving publishing world. She owns Bakerview Consulting and manages the popular blog, Sugarbeat’s Books.
Bakerview Consulting (Business Site)
Facebook (Bakerview Consulting)
Buy link on Amazon
Here’s where you can enter to win the $20 gift card!
I’d love to hear from you today! If you’re a writer, have you had luck in getting bloggers to review your books? If you’re a reader, do you pay a lot of attention to reviews? Let me know below. :-)
And as always, thanks for stopping by!
Brenda
P.S. Remember to sign up for my Free Newsletter! See you there!
Tagged: Author's Guide, Barb Drozdowich, Bloggers, Book Blogger, Brenda Maxfield, Brenda's Newsletter Gang, gift card, Giveaway
January 1, 2014
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, Wonderful People! I wish you all the best in 2014. May you have lofty dreams, and may they all come true!
A big surprise is coming your way if you are one of my newsletter subscribers. January 8th is the day! It’s a BIG freebie! Eleven free book downloads — some from NYTimes best-selling authors! You won’t want to miss this! Click here to sign up for my newsletter. And tell your friends! Free books are always a good thing! :-)
Thank you for a wonderful 2013. You guys are the best! I look forward to another exciting year in 2014, full of new adventures and new friendships!
Bless you!
And as always, thanks for stopping by.
Brenda
Sign up for my newsletter gang here! I don’t want you to miss out!
Tagged: Brenda Maxfield, Free books, Free Newsletter, Giveaway, Good clean teen read, Happy New Year
December 17, 2013
14 Days of Christmas!
Greetings, Friends! I’m totally excited to be participating in the Fourteen Days of Christmas Giveaway Hop! There are some wonderful prizes available. I hope you’ll enter on everyone’s blog. (Including mine!) I’m giving away a$10 gift card from Amazon to a lucky winner!
A warm welcome to you first-time visitors! I’m so delighted you’ve stopped by. A big thank you to my regular readers, too!
We’re celebrating the season with all sorts of Christmas books during this blog! Each participating author is showcasing their book. I hope all of you discover some wonderful holiday reads. (Isn’t it fun to discover new authors and new books?) And I definitely hope you can carve out some precious time for yourselves during these busy December days to curl up and read!
This season, I have a new Christmas release. It is the short story, Seeking Christmas! Here’s the blurb for those of you who are new visitors:
The Christmas season has eighteen-year-old Courtney crossing the state line with her little brother Dennis to rendezvous with the man who deserted them years ago. Courtney remembers him only as the tall man who ran away. Dennis doesn’t remember him at all. Courtney is furious, but Denny is curious. Will their meeting result in a happy Christmas memory or another miserable disappointment?
I’m so grateful to wonderful readers who’ve given Seeking Christmas great reviews. Enthusiastic readers infuse everything an author does with joy and purpose. Thank you, readers! I am a mega grateful author. *smiley face*
I hope you will want to grab Seeking Christmas for yourselves or your teenagers. It’s on sale for 99 cents right now at major online retailers.
As I mentioned, I love blog hops because I get to make new friends. Folks I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. I’d sure like to get to know you better. Please take a minute to leave me a comment below.
And don’t forget to enter for the $10 gift card!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER for the GIFT CARD!
As always, thanks for stopping by.
Brenda
Visit the other blogs by clicking on the image below!
Tagged: $10 Gift Card, Amazon gift card, Brenda Maxfield, Christmas, Christmas Blog Hop, Giveaway, Holiday Read, RAfflecopter, Seeking Christmas
