Monica Corwin's Blog, page 6

April 4, 2016

Monthly $100 Amazon Giveaway

Here's the deal folks! I want to give back to you for supporting me. Every month I will give away a $100 Amazon gift card. For this month it runs from July 23rd at 12pm EST to August 25th EST.

Here's how to enter:

1. Post a review for one of my books = 1 entry per review post (must provide link to review) and email in comment. This ABSOLUTELY counts for the free book in the newsletter sign up!

2. Buy one of my books = 1 entry per book (must provide platform (kindle or however) and the invoice number of purchase) along with email in comment.

My books can be found here. Click the pictures to be taken to buy links!

For each task leave a comment with your email and your proof of task (if newsletter make sure to include the email you subscribed with). You also MUST be subscribed to my newsletter as that is where I will announce the winner.

Specific for book sales and review. For every 100 sales or 100 reviews I will increase the amount of the gift card by $10 per task. 200 sales and 100 reviews = $120 GC and so on. There is no max on this cost nor a max on entries.

I'll do this monthly with special incentives in my newsletter and to my social media subscribers.
You can follow my updates about the giveaway here or by following me on Twitter or Facebook.

*As always I want your honest opinions. You will not be disqualified nor penalized in anyway for negative reviews.*

Feel free to share this with your friend. The more entries the more money the winner receives. Then next month we will start again.

Thank you so much for your patronage and support! CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY NEWSLETTER AND GET A FREE BOOK.


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Published on April 04, 2016 15:53

April 1, 2016

Woah Two Posts in Two Weeks

Hello Lovelies,

I know you have to be thinking...wow...two posts in two weeks. I know...I told you I'm trying to make some consistency here. As promised this week I'm going to talk to you about the typewriter it took me years to find. In reality I didn't find this one...a friend found it and and then sent it to me because he knew I wanted one and i'd been hunting it.

To those who collect and search for typewriters we call it hunting...when we are searching for a specific machine or just wandering a crowded antique mall trying to spot the shiny keys stuffed under tables or above book cases. That's the secret you see...people either put them on the floor or way up high on a solid piece of furniture.

Anyway...the holy grail of typewriters here. A ROYAL (that's the brand for those who aren't up on their typewriter game) model P. This particular model was made in the early 30's. Mine is read with some wear around the edges that looks a little black from the paint peeling away.

She types perfectly but the cherry on the cake is her Art Deco typeface. Now this is a more rare typeface known as VOGUE.


This old girl just needed a bit of a clean and now she works perfectly. I love that typeface so much! This model comes in a plethora of colors and even many shades of two-tone variety as evidence by this screen grab of Google Images search:

I discovered typewriters some time ago when I was living in Harrisburg and fighting the worst case of writer's block I could ever experience. Someone told me to try something new...and so I found an old beat up Underwood on Craigslist, cleaned her up, and I sat down and wrote 15,000 words in a few days straight.
Like pencils typewriters allow you a physical connection to your work. My friend made the hashtag #writingisacontactsport for when he got his typewriter and that is SO accurate. There is life in the pages you type away. You can tell when you were feeling particularly emotional or when you hit your flow by how heavy or light the indentations on the page is.
I love my typewriters and if you need a little whimsy in your life I highly suggest you find one. There are probably many at your local antique mall but you can also find them at local thrift stores, eBay, and Craigslist (but be safe if you go this route).
Sorry so short this week...headed on a long road trip back to Harrisburg tomorrow. Do you have a typewriter? If so...share it!
XOXOM
P.S. Preorder links are up for On a White Horse...grab them while I still have limited edition swag to go with them.
_____________________________________________________________________
Want to stalk me elsewhere? 
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Published on April 01, 2016 01:42

On a White Horse Pre-Order


Hello Lovelies,

Today is the day! You can now pre-order your very own PRINT copy of On a White Horse! All orders shipping the week of April 16th.



Victor Brandt has a secret. As a new resident to New York, he goes out in search of diversion, and he finds it behind a red door. The Underworld embraces him, and soon he realizes he's going back night after night just to see Mistress Lethe: a Dominatrix so demanding she will satisfy her submissive into forgetting their own name before stealing her pleasure. But soon Mistress Lethe draws Victor into her world, and he realizes it's a lot larger than he thought.

Bianca's coffee business is booming, but her love life is lacking. With each step her friends—the other three Horsemen of the Apocalypse—take toward happiness, she holds herself back. As visions of the future threaten everything the horsemen have built, Bianca finds a man who sees all of her: the light and the dark, and for a little while she becomes Mistress Lethe, a simple woman and the embodiment of Conquest. But fate plays cruel jokes, and after only a short time with Victor she is confronted with a decision that can save the world but cost her the first man that’s ever made her want to be human.

When a mysterious stranger arrives bearing ill omens Bianca wonders if she can keep together her motley crew in order to save the world. Or will the threesome’s tangled emotions usher in the apocalypse? Come and see.
CLICK HERE!

You can also get a combo pack if you need to pick up On a Red Horse as well! You can buy BOTH print books at a special discounted rate! CLICK BELOW.


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Published on April 01, 2016 01:42

March 25, 2016

Fly Me To the Moon...

Hello Loves,

It's time I get my blogging life in order. For those who have been long time followers you'll probably cheer...or maybe groan...at all the new content headed your way.



Readers and writers are very similar creatures. When a writer is tired of writing they need to go back to their basic functioning which is to write. It sounds simple on paper but in reality a burnt out writer is going to be hard pressed to type anything longer than a paragraph without the heavy application of caffeine. When a reader gets burnt out they go back to their favorite books. The safe ones they already know they adore. Writers can accomplish that same feat by making a connection to their tools and constructs.

Ask any writer alive about their writing rituals and every person with have at least one…most will have more than one and a few will have a long litany of ritual they need to accomplish their tasks. This can range from lighting a candle with a specific scent, turning on music or a specific playlist, all the way to utilizing specific programs, tools, or brands of products.

Creators entangle themselves with their tools and form connections. Some have a fierce loyalty to them. When a writer needs to get that spark back they usually have a go to method, and as I mentioned above mine is getting back to the basics.

There are many ways to write: a computer, pen, pencil, paper, typewriters, mud, chalk, paint, ink, word processors. Every writer uses some combination of these. For myself it goes down to specific brands.

This week I am going to talk about something many of you may not be intimately familiar with: pencils. A lot of people walk around their lives perfectly content in their lack of luxury pencil knowledge or anything outside the standard Ticonderoga they used in grade school or high school standardized testing.

There is a world you know not of...and I am here to set you straight. (I apologize in advance to your wallet). May I present...THE PALOMINO BLACKWING...*queue music*




You may be looking at that picture saying to yourself..."come on lady it's just a pencil"...to which I shall reply...let me tell you about it...rather let me share what someone more articulate says about it:

THE STORY OF THE $40 PENCIL 
Legendary Grammy, Emmy, Pulitzer and Academy Award winners have created with the Blackwing 602 pencil. The list of known users includes John Steinbeck, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein and Chuck Jones who proudly used Blackwings to create Bugs Bunny and many other Looney Tunes characters.

Blackwing’s roots go back to the 1930’s when the 602 model was first introduced by Eberhard Faber. In 1998, after several corporate acquisitions, it was discontinued, but not forgotten. In fact, fans began paying as much as $40 on eBay for a single Blackwing pencil

Artists soon noticed that Palomino’s range of premium pencils compared favorably to the Blackwing 602. They began asking Palomino to consider reviving the Blackwing brand and unique ferrule design. Palomino founder Charles Berolzheimer, whose family’s roots in the pencil industry date back to the mid 19th century, used the company’s unique supply relationships to re-introduce Blackwing pencils in 2010 featuring California genuine incense-cedar and premium Japanese graphite. The pencils has drawn rave reviews from users and national media attention

In the last few years, Blackwing has grown from a single pencil into a culture. It’s a culture that encourages and empowers creativity in all forms, especially in our nation’s schools. In fact, a percentage of every Blackwing product sold benefits music and arts education at the K-12 level.

Taken directly from the Blackwing website you can see how this pencil might have a cult following...maybe not as large of Firefly but that's a conversation for another day. Now let me share with you my own observations.


There are a number of Blackwing models available at the moment. The standard line consists of The Blackwing Pearl (the white pictured above), the Blackwing 602 (the gray pictured above), and the Blackwing MMX (the black and gold pictured above). Blackwing also offers a quarterly limited release called Volumes that are only on sale for a limited time. The Black on black shown above is the Volume 24...an homage to John Steinbeck a user of the Palomino Blackwings in their original form. The bottom pencil shown is the 1138 dubbed the sci-fi pencil. There were two more releases: the 211 and the 725 which are not seen above.

Each pencil has a different feel. Some graphite is more firm or more dark. And the finish on the pencil impacts the way it feels in your hand. I am so in love with these pencil I use them to hold up my hair for quick and easy carrying while protecting the point.


I'm not an expert but I can tell you writing with a pencil takes you somewhere new. Somewhere a little softer, a little slower, that allows you to take the time to articulate your thoughts and set them to paper at a more reasonable rate than out fast-paced digital world sometimes allows. Writing with pencil has helped me form a more deeper tactile connection with my writing and I've only delved the surface of the pencil market.



If you'd like to give these a try you can find the original line on Amazon or your can purchase them at retailers like Jet Pens or Pencil.com. The volumes can be purchased at those locations as well or you can buy a subscription for a quarterly shipment and never miss a set!



Next week I shall enumerate on the typewriter it took me years to find!

Until next time!
XOXO
M

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Want to stalk me elsewhere? 
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Published on March 25, 2016 12:04

February 19, 2016

The Ghost is Live

Hello Lovelies,

A short story I had in an anthology came back to me recently and now I am passing it on to you. This is a little holiday short about a girl and a ghost.



You can find it now on Goodreads.

If Reece knew dying would improve Christmas he might have tried it sooner.

If Bridget knew her holiday would be interrupted by one overbearing ghost she would have stayed at work.

Can the pair get over their animosity, or attraction, long enough to ensure Reece is laid to rest?

Purchase: AMAZON | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY |
APPLE IBOOKS | BARNES AND NOBLE (Coming Soon)

Only .99 where ever your favorite books are sold!


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Published on February 19, 2016 00:00

February 18, 2016

Add On a White Horse to your Goodreads

It's official.

I've gotten edits back for Bianca's story and I am hard at work. You can add her to your Goodreads in anticipation RIGHT NOW!


CLICK HERE.
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Published on February 18, 2016 12:22

Book Trailer Debut and Giveaway!

Hello My Lovelies,

I really need to start scheduling posts regularly here. Anyway...I am pleased to present my new book trailer for my Revelations series...


In honor of this awesome occasion I thought I'd have a little giveaway! I'm giving away two signed print copies of On a Red Horse! All you have to do is comment below with what you thought of the video.

If you want to purchase a digital copy you can do so HERE.

I will also draw a random winner or two for a $5 Amazon GC. Winner's announced on
28th of February!

XOXO
Monica
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Published on February 18, 2016 09:45

October 29, 2015

Halloween Blog Hop!

Hi Beautiful People!

Today is my day for a blog hop and I thought I'd share a fun snippet of a piece I am working on. 

Ten years ago vampires came out of the shadows and revealed themselves to the world. But humans did not embrace them and soon they were hunted, segregated, and treated like the scum of the Earth. Ben Howard hates vampires, and he works hard on the legislation that will send them back the hole they crawled out of. 

Rachel Hawking has a plan...vampires need a champion and she has the perfect man in mind. They only had to deal with his pesky mortality first.

I hope you enjoy this little snippet of the first chapter. A new blog post goes up tomorrow! Check out Zoe's blog for the 30th!


*be kind this is unedited* 
I woke up to a foot in my face. In the foot’s it was well-formed, free of calluses or ugly moles, and sat gently against my cheek. The other problem was the smooth bare abdomen under my palm. I didn’t recall bringing anyone to bed last night and year someone’s stomach, decidedly not my stomach, lay stretched below my palm. She was thin and my hand almost spanned the entirety of the smooth skin. I felt her stir as I flexed my fingers around her and I jerked away. Didn’t do to feel up someone without permission...well in this case I couldn’t recall getting permission and that made me feel even more the tool.I reached up and pulled the foot away to sit on the pillow next to my head before gently climbing out of bed in an attempt not to wake her. Looking down at her now her face did seem familiar. I racked my brain, running a hand up over the back of my mussed hair, to my eyes.“You’re awake,” she said, sitting up inside a mass of down comforter and messy sheets.“Yes, sorry, wasn’t trying to wake you.”“No, I don’t sleep much,” she said, tilting her head to look at me. Like a puppy regarding his master. I was beginning to feel the creep of unease. “Um...so...forgive me but...how did we meet?”She smiled now, straightening her head and I caught the glint of sharp teeth. It was all I needed to see before I skittered back to the doorway behind.“You’re a vampire?”She smiled. “I never hid that fact.”“But..”  sputtered and clutched at my neck to find not a single mark there.She watched me with a curious smile and cast her glance down my naked body. Realization dawned and clutched my inner thigh. Two small circles sat freshly scabbed over right below my groin.“I didn’t give my permission for this. I would have never give my permission.”“But you did sweeting. I even have a witness.”If I had given consent, which I hadn’t, why couldn’t I remember anything? “You need to leave,” I said, anger surging up into my chest. I would have dragged her out by the hair if I didn’t fear losing that hand in doing so.She brought her knees up to her chest. “Can’t. Daylight.”
“Then call a dark ride. You’re not welcome here.”

Her lip turned down in a pout. I couldn’t tell if it was a real one or not. Never could tell with her kind. She climbed from the bed all grace and beauty and all I could wish for was something to cover myself with. I watched her gather her things and before she exited she placed a black card on the nightstand. "In case you feel like a chat."I frowned and waiting for her to go and she did but at her own pace. I didn’t leave the room until I heard the door open and close and a car speed off outside. How in the fuck had I gotten involved with a vampire? I always stuck to places that didn’t allow them admittance and yet...one came home with me last night. One thing was for sure I would have never consented. I exited the room and went to my computer. My bank might be able to tell me where I went last night. I logged in looked at the last few transactions only coming across my usual places. I sat back to consider the situation. Not once had I ventured into a vampire bar and neither did I frequent places that would let those bloodsuckers in. Menace to society...if they would only go back to the prison system no one would have to deal with their kind.I went to the bathroom to take shower -- feeling a little violated and dirty. She may not have had a scent but I couldn’t get the way she stared at me hungrily from my mind.
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Published on October 29, 2015 00:00

September 2, 2015

King Takes Queen Blog Tour

Hi Everyone!



Time for another blog tour!! A few more dates to follow!!

14th: Melissa Kendall's Blog
20th: Jennifer Lowery's Blog
21st: Melissa Keir's Blog
22nd: My Erotic Notions
23rd: Liza O'Connor's Blog


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Published on September 02, 2015 19:39

August 30, 2015

Pre-Order King Takes Queen!

The time has come...

Below are the signed print pre-orders for King Takes Queen! While they are available here they are $2 less than what they will be at Amazon on release day!! Get em now with exclusive LE swag!

You can also pre-order for Kindle on Amazon or Kobo! Oh and iBooks too.

Legend states when the King Arthur is needed most he will return. What if the legends are wrong?Maggie Sanders gave six years and two feet of her now scarred and twisted body to the United States Army. She received a thank you note and a discharge in return. Effectively booted to the curb Maggie tries to pick up the piece of her life until her revival is interrupted by one smoking hot immortal.Arthur Pendragon, legendary King and military leader, has been trapped on the mythical island of Avalon for 1500 years. When he is thrust from captivity to the modern world he has to fight to stay there. Too bad for him, she has more fight than he anticipates. With the help of Maggie and a teenage Merlin, Arthur set outs to end his torture and free the rest of his comrades from imprisonment.

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Published on August 30, 2015 15:38