Christa Simpson's Blog, page 21

The Pull by Sara V. Zook is live!

 

Release Blitz

Title: The Pull

Author: Sara V. Zook

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Having two women wanting you at the same time … isn’t that every man’s fantasy? Wrong. It’s a nightmare, at least for Darin Thorne. The doctors had assured him his wife was going to die, sooner or later, so he’d moved on with someone else. Then he’d gotten the last call he’d expected to ever get—his wife was back from the dead. She’s coming home from the hospital and needs a place to stay. Darin is forced to invite her to come home with him. Two women living under the same roof, one his wife, the other his fiancé. Could this ever work? Darin feels a storm brewing in his life. He can’t possibly live like this much longer. The question still stands … which woman will he choose?

 

“Your phone’s ringing.”

It was one of those mornings. I was late for work and no matter what I did, everything else just made me even later. I reached for my coffee cup that was sitting on the kitchen counter.

“Darin…”

I looked up at Violet, her hair slicked back and wet from her shower, her dark eyes lit with amusement by the fact that I was running around trying to remember everything I needed to bring for my work trip.

“Your phone’s ringing,” she repeated.

Grumbling with annoyance, I picked up my cell and looked at the caller ID. An 830 number? Who the heck would that be? “Hello?” I huffed into the phone, shoving it under my chin as I pulled my bag up over my shoulder. I was to be at the airport in a half hour to go to a business meeting in California.

“Is this Mr. Darin Thorne?” a female voice on the other end asked.

I lowered my eyebrows. If it was a telemarketer, I didn’t have time for this right now. “Yeah,” I mumbled, ready to hang up.

“Mr. Thorne, I’m calling from Cauldswell University Hospital.”

I glanced back at Vi, her arms crossing as she watched me in curiosity. “Okay.”

There was hesitation on the other end. “Mr. Thorne, I’m calling you because a patient was transferred here today from Rhinesdale Community Home. Sir, I don’t know how to say this to you exactly.”

I turned around so my back was facing Vi. I let the bag slip from my shoulder and fall to the hardwood floor of the kitchen. “Tell me what?”

I heard the woman sigh into the phone. “That patient is your wife, Livvy Thorne.”

She had my full attention now.

“Mr. Thorne, your wife’s come out of her coma.”

The coffee cup fell from my hand, ceramic pieces and black liquid colliding with the floor. I felt a sudden buzzing in my head like I couldn’t hear or think straight. “Wait. What did you say? I don’t think I heard you…”

“Livvy’s awake. Her eyes are open and she’s talking. There doesn’t seem to be any signs of brain damage. I was asked to call you and let you know,” the girl from the hospital explained.

I tried to swallow but a lump had mysteriously grown large and fierce in my throat. I could barely even breathe. “Oh. Thank you for letting me know.” I pulled the phone away from my body and stared at it for a few seconds.

“Darin?” Violet asked, already on her hands and knees soaking up the spilled coffee with a towel as she collected the pieces of broken glass. “What on earth was that all about? Is everything all right?”

I looked down at my girlfriend, my Vi, the ring on her left hand sparkling as rays of sun hit it as they poured in from the window. That ring had been a promise to her. I’d marry her right away as soon as Livvy—my wife—passed away. The doctors assured me it may be a long time before it happened, but it would happen eventually. Now they call me and tell me she’s back from the dead. The piercing ringing in my ears continued. All I could hear was my own heart thumping away inside my chest. Livvy was awake. Her eyes were open and she was talking. I took a few steps away from Violet, the phone still clamped in my hand. What would this mean for Liv? What would this mean for us all?

 

 

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Book Blitz: Granted Wishes is on SALE!!!

Granted Wishes, a contemporary romance by Tanya Vought, is only $0.99 from May 29 to May 31, 2015! Get the book while you can!

About the Book

Title: Granted Wishes

Author: Tanya Vought

Genre: Contemporary Romance

A decision that will change her life forever.

After the loss of her husband, Gracelynn Calhoun has struggled with her life and career. Forced to take a four week vacation or be fired from her job, she surprises everyone including herself and agrees to the vacation.

The owner of Antonetti Suites, Giovanni works hard and doesn’t have time for relationships or love. That is until he literally crashes into Gracelynn. She brings back all the feelings he thought he would never feel again.

With the odds stacked against them in every way possible, will they forge ahead together or will this be the end of the road for their newfound love? Will the whispers from above bring them together or will misunderstandings ruin what could be an amazing second chance at love?

Buy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iBooks!
Reviews

“Beautifully written story that has you feeling you are part of the story. Makes you feel every emotion the wonderful characters are experiencing and keeps you wanting more!! I too am a hopeless romantic and this book had me laughing, crying and feeling hopeful that true love does still exist!!! I can’t wait for the next release in the series!!!”

“Granted wishes is a magical story of love lost and new beginnings.”

“Gracelyn and Giovanni story was so beautifully written that it captured my heart. This story has everything fate, faith, love, loss, grief, letting go, finding yourself, second chances, miracles, and soul mates. Get your Kleenex box handy as there are some tear jerking moments.”

“Brew up a cuppa, curl up in soft armchair and prepare to be entertained.“

“The premise of this book was an incredible tale of immeasurably and everlasting love, despite the fact that many would scoff at the possibility.“

About the Author

Tanya Vought is a hopeless romantic (and my bestie). She loves reading, writing, singing and doing crafts with her children. What started as a lifelong dream became her reality. Trust me when I say she’s as inspiring in real life as she is in her first novel. Not only is she an amazing wife and mother of two adorable and imaginative children, but she’s an all-around nice person. It’s so refreshing. I’m pretty sure we’ve chatted every single day for nearly two years now. Every single day! I don’t know what I’d do without my buttercup!

Please visit her website or LIKE her on Facebook to show your support! As always, purchasing her books is much appreciated too. ;) Hope you all have a great weekend!

SEXY in the CITY – Did you win the grand prize???

Did you attend the SEXY in the CITY Facebook Event when I did my takeover? There were many prizes up for grabs!

Here are my winners:

E-copy of Twisted ~ Keri Monkman (Kindle.com address required)
E-copy of Twisted Desire & magnet – Charlene Maurice (Pick up at event.)
E-copy of Beautifully Broken ~ Karen Hrdlicka (Kindle.com address required)
GRAND PRIZE – Paperback of Twisted and swag pack – Crystal Bell (Pick up at event.)

* Please add csimp@live.ca to your list of approved senders a nd send me your kindle.com address to collect your e-book prize!

CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS!!
It’s not too late to pre-order an autographed paperback for pick up at the Toronto Author Event!
PRE-ORDER

Hope to see you there!

Jaded Little Lies by Christina Channelle

Check out the promo tour for the first full-length novel in Christina’s new adult contemporary series. 

Series: Four Letters #1

Release date: May 15th 2015

Purchase: Amazon

 

Synopsis via Goodreads:

What do you do when the love of your life is halfway across the world? 

 

If you’re Jade Reamer, you fill that void with writing depressing song lyrics, hanging out with asshole exes, and re-reading your dead best friend’s diary (morbid, anyone?).



But she’s got a lot to deal with—getting to know her biological family, for one. Not to mention getting through her first year of university without her best friend, Nina, by her side. 

Then there are the men in Jade’s life. Her ex, Connor, has baggage coming out of his ass since the car accident. Her brother, Bryn, thinks stifling who he really is while pretending everything’s okay … is okay. When that’s far from the truth. And Reed? Reed decides the best way for Jade to deal with his absence is to get her a dog. And when he finally comes back? 

Well, things aren’t exactly the same. 

Deciphering between love and hate is the least of Jade’s problems … those four letter words are getting more and more complicated. Especially when she and Reed are keeping secrets from each other. Because as she forms new relationships and rekindles old ones, an unexpected surprise has got Jade’s mouth spewing lies on top of the usual curse words. 

But little white lies won’t hurt anybody, right?

Note: This full-length novel follows the novella, Those Four Letter Words .

 

 

EXCERPT

Today was definitely not my day. 

First of all, I woke up late. Waking up late was not the best thing to do when I went to a school that I actually paid for. Because now it just ruined my entire mood, starting the day in the whole mindset of being behind. I had to rush for everything. 

I had to rush out of bed when the snooze alarm finally woke me up. I had to rush into the bathroom to brush my teeth, and take the fastest shower known to mankind. I had to rush to change into something that wouldn’t make me sweat in the car, yet wouldn’t make me freeze while sitting in class because the heater broke down. I had to rush to eat a bowl of cereal. I had to rush to drink my coffee, and that was just not right. I had to rush as I drove to school while trying not to break any laws. I had to rush down the hall and quietly take my seat when I finally reached my classroom. 

Without my backpack. 

“Shit,” I sighed to myself, slapping my palm against my forehead.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A Canuck with a strong love addiction to caffeine, Christina Channelle enjoys writing about angsty girls and her favorite color green. While a drama whore when it comes to her TV shows and books, she stays clear from it all in the real world, preferring solitude instead. Christina was born and raised in the Greater Toronto Area.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sexy in the City – Toronto Author Event

Have you heard? There’s a long list of authors coming to Toronto, Canada, for an amazing book event on June 13, 2015. What started out as part of the Angels in Sinners Tour, later changed to Live the Hype, is now being dubbed SEXY IN THE CITY.  

Don’t miss out! 45+ bestselling authors in one room! You must come to see all this beautiful swag and find some new authors to fan-girl over!

Eh, this is Canada!

It’s no secret, I’m from Canada. But did you know that I sell my books primarily in USD? Pre-order today for fabulous savings.

PREORDER FORM

Join the Facebook group for more information and/or or to learn about the other fabulous attending authors.

https://www.facebook.com/events/933642903330017/

Come and get it!

Here’s my new banner. It turned out amazing. I’m pretty excited about this event. I’ve got books on order, just in case, since my supply was getting a little low, and after meeting many of the lovely attending authors, I’ve had some amazingly awesome swag ideas. Magnets of my book boyfriends will definitely be my next swag purchase. Hopefully I can get some in before this event!

If you’re in the US and you plan to attend the event, you too can pre-order the books at the special price of $12.00 USD, but that special price is for advance purchases only! PRE-ORDER today!

Swag me!

I have some special swag done up for the pretty ladies who pre-order, so if you’re sitting on the fence, get off it, woman!

The lovely, Chelsea Barnes, from Two Chicks and a Dude Book Reviews will be joining me and she’s done up some special swag for the first readers to my table. Limited quantities, but an amazing grab!

It’s party time!

I’ll be doing some giveaways on the Facebook event page on Monday, May 25, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. Join me for your chance to win special prizes!

Buy your tickets for the event today or at the door, your choice, but the VIP tickets are your best bet. You’ll be guaranteed early entry to the signing, the meet and greet, and it’ll be your pass to the after party. Amazing deal. Guaranteed to be a good time. I’d love to meet you. Send the kids off to Grandma’s and make a night of it!

ORDER TICKETS HERE!

Here, again, is the form for those interested in pre-ordering my books! ;)

PREORDER FORM

I hope some of you are from this end of the world and plan to attend! Have a look at that author list! Have you read any of these authors before?

What happened to Amazon?!

This post is my refection on how the e-book market has been changing, based on my own experiences and those of my fellow authors—both new and established.

Warning: I’m going to be straight with you.

IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!

It’s no surprise that the book market has become saturated with new titles within the last few years. It seems like writing has become a contagious disease and the act of self-publishing is the antidote. Now, not only do I have to compete with the big guys—by big guys, I mean traditionally published authors with a full support staff: editors, designers, public relations, advertising, extended distribution, street teams, Goodreads groups, dedicated bloggers and other authors in the company, who all show a preference to sharing each other within their imprint, but I have to stand up against a throng of my fellow indies just to maintain my fan base.

WORD OF MOUTH IS BEST

I’ll admit, word of mouth seems to be by far the strongest way to have your book spread like wild fire. Need I remind you of the Twilight and Fifty Shades phenomenon? I have much love for the peeps who share my books with their friends, family and fans. It’s like a big pat on the back that reminds you, when you’re feeling less than inspired by the changes in the book world, that some people really do enjoy your writing and find it worthy of sharing with the rest of the world. Because, let’s air this truth now, it’s clear the market is changing.

As of February 2015, there were over 3.2 million e-books on Amazon. What’s this mean to me, you might be wondering? The size of the market has easily tripled since I entered the publishing world, which—let’s face it—on the grand scheme of things wasn’t very long ago! This also means that I may potentially have to divide my profits by three, if all of those books are being competitively marketed. And trust me, I’ve felt the cut on Amazon where I used to focus my efforts and drive the majority of my sales. My only saving grace seems to be that many of these new authors in my genre got into the game much too late to make any real market impact. Other than that reality, all I can really do is keep writing and publishing with my fingers crossed.

WHY REVIEWS ARE IMPORTANT

This brings me to the matter of reviews. “Oh boy,” you’re thinking. “Here we go again.” But this needs said. Not only is this next bit important to me, but to every fan out there who has a hope of reading their favourite authors in the future.

When a reader looks at a book on Amazon, that person makes his or her decision based on the cover, blurb, rating and reviews available within a matter of minutes, and sometimes seconds, thanks to the one-click option. When they’re deciding between two books that appear to be of equal quality and content, do you think they’re going to pick up the book with a couple hundred reviews or the one with twenty? What would you do in that situation? Come on now, be honest. You’d pick up the book with more reviews. I know, it’s bad, I used to do that too. It doesn’t mean we’re picking up the better story, just that we’re allowing other readers to decide for us. It’s a crying shame, is what it is.

Here’s the truth, people. I’ve enjoyed books with less than fantastic ratings and I’ve enjoyed books with fewer than twenty reviews. You might be taking a leap of faith by purchasing those stories, but isn’t that kind of what you’re doing every time you take a chance on any book written by any author? Quite frankly, I’d rather leap into a pool of unexpected awesomesauce than leave the party with a sour taste in my mouth because a story wasn’t to me what hundreds or even thousands were saying it would be.

Fact: People purchase books based upon others’ recommendations.

Fact: Reviews equal book sales.

Fact: My new releases are selling, but those readers aren’t leaving feedback.

How frustrating for me!

I know many of you, my friends and fans, have read my books. The truth is, though, I have very few reviews posted on Amazon/Barnes and Noble. On Goodreads, where ratings are a simple click of the button, I have better standing, but even those numbers have seemed to hit a standstill lately. That leaves me wondering. What do I have to do to get a reader to leave a review?! Seriously, please tell me! You have no idea what reviews mean to an indie author. How’s about I tell you.

MY TAKE ON REVIEWS

People who absolutely love a book so much they might die if they don’t share the news, have to leave a review. Love those people. Every time I get a review like that, I have a good, smiley day. At the other end of the spectrum are those readers who absolutely detest your story, your message and your delivery. Those people always manage to get their say as well, and they don’t leave their personal triggers out of the mix. That’s always going to be all you—the author’s fault—for hitting that point without warning the reader in the synopsis, in the front matter, on the front cover for God’s sake.

If your reader is having a bad day, that often becomes your problem when they leave their one star—DNF—wish there was a no star option, because that’s what this book really deserves, even though I haven’t read past the free preview I downloaded on Amazon. Really? You feel that strongly about a piece of romantic fiction? Unfortunately, I see this on Goodreads all too often. Even when it’s another author taking the hit, I feel it in the gut. This, my friends, is why every author needs a whole whack of supportive guys and gals who read, review and share the love of his or her work. There are actually readers out there who seem to thrive on writing the most horrific reviews that stab at an author’s pride, joy and voice, tearing them from their already rocky existence in the author world. Okay, I think I’ve already driven home the point about nasty reviews. Lol.

Back to the numbers’ game. For authors with fewer than one hundred reviews on a book, we are basically allowing these nice and nasty readers to set the stage for all future purchases. We’re allowing them to voice their individual opinions and basically decide for all future readers whether a book is worthy of purchase or not. What I’m saying is, the more the merrier. Especially with Amazon’s latest sales tactics (paid advertising) of thrusting their select bestsellers on you, who’s deciding what we read next?!

As luck will have it, there are people like me who always read critical reviews with caution and knock four or five-ish FIVE STAR reviews off the top of every book on account of close friends or family. I know I’m being unfair to some, because there will be writers out there—like me—where no immediate family has left reviews on their work. And while my local friends all support me by buying and reading my books and sharing important news, as you can imagine, the nostalgic sense of knowing a published author fades rather quickly, no matter how much fun it was the first time around. Now that I have six books out, I couldn’t possibly expect EVERYONE to buy and read them ALL. But I will take this opportunity to give a special thanks to those who have hung around for the long haul.

Please, if you’ve read my book, review it!

I’m saying this not only for myself but for all authors. We’re not asking for your last born child. We’re not asking you to write an elaborate blog post about what you love and hate about us and our books. All we’re asking is that you, the reader, form as little as one sentence to describe what the book made you feel. Does that sound difficult? I hope not!

READERS SAVE AUTHORS!

Did you know “Loved it.” is now an acceptable review on Amazon? You don’t even have to leave any text on your Barnes and Noble review, and you can even remain anonymous! All you have to do is log in to your Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Goodreads account, locate the book by author name, click a star rating and tap a few keys on your keyboard in the review box. It’s as simple as writing a status update on Facebook.

 

Random Acts of Kindness

Please, if you’ve enjoyed any one of my stories, take two minutes of your time to leave a review. Go on, I’ll wait here. No, really, it’s that easy. You can be jointly responsible for my success, and help me reach my goals, or you can close this window and act like you never read these words. No matter what you decide today, I thank you for taking the time to read my post.

If you’re new to my blog and have become curious to read a piece of my work, I have a steamy little book for free on all distribution channels. –>> Just click that book right over there and pick up your free copy today!

If you’ve already enjoyed one of my books in the past and simply cannot afford to purchase another one, I’d be happy to provide a kindle copy to you in exchange for an honest review of the book you’ve already read.

As always, feel free to contact me on any of my social media sites about anything! I’ve been known to be a good listener from time to time and I’m happy to help you any way that I can. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this beautiful, spring weather we’re having. Until next time!

Two Chicks Blogiversary Takeover

https://www.facebook.com/events/868045866591120/

I’ll be taking over this blogiversary party put on by Two Chicks and a Dude Book Reviews tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST. Don’t miss out on your chance to win copies of my books! The party’s going on all day, so join up and check in. :-) Hope to see you later!

Exciting news, before I go back to work!! Chelsea from the Two Chicks book blog will actually be joining me at my table at the Live the Hype author event in Toronto on June 13, 2015!! Please pay us a visit if you’re going! Here’s where you’ll find all the details:

www.facebook.com/events/933642903330017/

http://christasimpson.com/events

Are any of you already planning to make the trip to the Toronto event? If anyone is interested in pre-ordering copies of my books, please email me at csimp@live.ca or message me on one of my author pages! Thanks so much and have a great day, everyone!

Beautifully Broken Giveaway Winners!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
HERE ARE THE WINNERS FROM THE BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN GIVEAWAYS! (Drum roll please!!!)

Beautifully Broken Rafflecopter:

Paperback winners: Glenda Hefty (Finding Destiny) ~ Sheryl Pike (Beautifully Broken)
E-book winners: Syle Takajian ~ Tammy Daugherty VanScoy ~ Amy Bowens ~ Jolanda LovestoRead ~ Sierra McBride ~ Vera Machado

Beautifully Broken Bloggers:

Paperback winners: Jennifer Trevino ~ Mignon Mykel ~ Moniqua Sexton (Finding Destiny)

Congrats on your win, ladies!
If you’ve won an e-book, please add blackwidowpub@gmail.com to your list of approved senders and email them your Kindle.com address to collect your prize!
If you’ve won a paperback, please email your complete mailing address to me at csimp@live.ca and I will send you your prize.
Thanks for participating!

Romantic or perverted?

I wanted to drop in to let you know I’ve been working on something totally new, crazy and amazing. I’m not ready to spill the beans just yet, until the entire story is outlined, but I believe it already sits at 12,000 words and I’ve only just begun!

I’ll give you a hint: I’m world building right now!!

Let’s just say, what started out as a Young Adult idea has quickly turned into a unique book for adults only! I’ve already apologized to my daughter for cancelling her out of the readership. :-D

I have the rough draft of the book cover in my hands and I think I’m in love. My working title is LOST IN YOU. My husband thinks that sounds perverted. Hah! I thought it was romantic!  Your thoughts?

Please weigh in!!

A Belated Birthday Story (mine)

So I’m in Cuba trotting through a resort after dark. No, the resort is not mine. In fact, I haven’t a clue where I am, but we don’t pass a single sole and it looks REALLY nice.

After taking a leisurely stroll up from the beach and past their condo-style bungalows, my hubby decides to detour to their lovely washroom, so I take a seat on one of the benches that lines the walking trail, with my two girls seating themselves on either side of me. Keep in mind, there is NO ONE around. Not a single sole. We’re simply walking down this path surrounded by landscape and flanked by a two-storey building of rooms and a dream-like shanty with linen-coloured curtains tacked to each of the four posts.

Out of no-where, a golf cart comes flying toward us, like a bat out of hell. A handsome Spanish security man leaps from his post, approaches me menacingly and promptly asks:

“How old are you?”

I’m like: What the hell? I’m clearly old enough to be drinking, which I hadn’t been, much. But I had my two children with me, both obviously close to their double digits, and I probably had a couple of years on him to boot.

“My age?” I ask, wondering if I didn’t understand his English properly. Seriously, I was stunned.

“Yes. How old are you?” he repeats, with a rather attractive accent that tells me English is barely his second language.

“Um. 34?” I answer, posing it more like a question than anything.

My oldest daughter whispers to me, horrified by my response. “No, Mom! You’re 33!”

Haha. Oops. “I’m 33,” I correct, snickering to myself and a little happy to hear it.

He doesn’t look amused in the slightest. Nor does he understand my English. “33?” he repeats.

“Yep. My birthday’s next week,” I explain, hoping he’ll understand the confusion. He doesn’t, but at least he looks good doing it.

While he doesn’t get my language, I don’t get that it’s a rather luxurious ADULT ONLY resort. Bahaha. Yay for possibly being mistaken as a teenager?!

Next he states, with a rather forceful undertone:

“Come with me if you want to live.”

Okay, fine, maybe he didn’t say, “if you want to live”, but he was very sexy about it.

I stall and admit that I have to wait for my husband who is graciously using his immaculate facilities. Darn, I pout, I really want to go with him! Smirk.

Eventually the handsome man escorts me, my girls, and my equally as stunned hubby, in a much more friendly manner once my man arrives, to the edge of their property and kindly instructs us to refrain from entering their property again.

 

The moral of the story is: DO NOT walk twenty minutes up the beach and at random enter through a beach path, even if you can see the lit tower to which you are headed. My bad! Or is it? I’d do it again in a heartbeat. :-P

Another valid point is that once you hit 30 you start to lose your mind. Apparently I can’t even remember my own age! I calculated it on a whim and was a week off. Lol. Oops. My daughter’s young mind had no problem remembering how old I am. See? Losing it! That’s why I write everything down.

This is just one of many fun, exciting and hilarious experiences I had while on my vacation in Cuba last week. I’m here to tell you I had a complete blast. My whole family did. I’m hoping to share more with you in the future.

*** Note to the multiple parties from Windsor, Ontario, who recorded me on stage with my Latin Lover at the Memories Theatre in Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba. Yes, I saw the red lights flashing while you video recorded me and my black panties. Please send me a copy of the video and remove it from your devices immediately!!!

Now you know where I get my ideas from. Hahaha. Want to read more about my escapades with a little fiction tacked on for good measure? Twisted is only $0.99!

Have you ever travelled to Cuba or been mistaken for a MUCH younger age than you were? Tell me about your experience!