Christa Simpson's Blog, page 3
December 6, 2017
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
December 5, 2017
Crime, Mystery & Thriller Book Fair
In November, I was focusing pretty hard core on a romance. The tides have changed! Are you ready for a little excitement to spice up your life? Do you want to feel your heart pounding and kick-start your brain?
The Indie Academy has just what you need with 30 crime, mystery, and thriller stories for you to sink your teeth into. Solve the riddles and save the day without ever having to step out into the cold! My contribution: Playing House, A Black Widow Novel.
Read on for more info about this and the special giveaway, but don’t delay. It’s a limited time offer!
[image error]
If I can’t be happy, no one can.
My name is Clarisse Blackwell. With nothing left to lose, I’m a dangerous woman. There’s a reason they call me the Black Widow. My boyfriend died trying to kill me, and my husband died trying to save my life.
Lying. Cheating. Stealing. It’s what I do. You think you know me? You don’t, and neither does the man whose life mustn’t be worth living anymore. Our relationship is like an explosion set to detonate on my command. He thinks he knows me. His mistake. He thinks he’s different. He doesn’t believe I’m cursed. I’ll make him believe. READ MORE.
…
Our book fair is sure to be just what you need. Find great books and enter for your chance to win paperbacks by Bestselling Authors James Patterson and Christer Tholin or a $40.00 Amazon Gift Card!
Join us from December 5-14 and fill your winter with mysteries and thrills.
VISIT THE BOOK FAIR & GIVEAWAY HERE:
https://theindieacademy.com.au/for-readers-books-giveaways/
___________________________________________________________________________________________
If you prefer your mysteries with a side of romance, check out Twisted Desire. It’s a romantic mystery that will get your engines revving. Harley doesn’t disappoint. When he takes a job, he finishes it. READ MORE on that.
[image error]
November 24, 2017
My Not-so-secret NaNoWriMo Project
For those of you who don’t know #NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The entire point of the program is for writers to start a new novel on November 1, track their progress, and write a 50,000 word novel in a month!
I didn’t sign up on the formal website, because I wanted to spend my time writing rather than worrying about how to track it on their site. Instead, I secretly opened a new OneNote Notebook electronically, in preparation I outlined the entire story from start to finish with bullet points of what has to happen when, so on November 1st I could get down to business.
Oh, wow, did my plan ever work!
Guess who won NaNoWriMo at 1:04 a.m. this morning?
Novembers are always hectic for me, but this year I decided to take the plunge and join hundreds of thousands of writers who do this every year. You won’t believe which story I’ve written!
Perfectly Ruined!
Book 3 in the Destiny Series is well on its way to completion. All three stories stand alone, although the backstory builds with each book, so you’re smart to read them in order.
As of 1:04 a.m. my manuscript reached 50,167 words. That’s not including the bullet points for the remaining chapters, and sections that I skipped ahead to write! For example, I already wrote the ending, and oh boy will it knock your socks off. This one’s a true romance. Carter Knight is going to pull out all the stops in this one.
If you’ve read Beautifully Broken, then maybe you remember the fun wedding scene wherein Carter was showing you his dirty dancing skills with a garter in his teeth. Yeah, well, he’s back with a vengeance! This firefighter is surely going to heat up your nights. You’re going to need him to hose you down when I’m done with this story!
If you know me, you know most of my stories are significantly longer than 50,000 words. This book is no exception. I’m still plugging away at it, but I’m hopeful that this streak can continue and on November 30 I can actually say, I DID IT! First draft complete!
I’ll keep you all posted, but what about you. Would you ever consider doing something like this… writing a novel in a month?
If you’re a writer, are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Post your status in the comments!
November 21, 2017
November Free Reads
Welcome to the November FREE Reads & Giveaway!
I’ve joined up with some of your favorite authors to offer you twenty books collectively for FREE! Download one or all. Maybe you’ll find your next favorite author.
Scroll to the bottom to see which book I’m offering for free!
Three lucky readers will win a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card. Wouldn’t that be perfect for online shopping this holiday season?!
ENTER HERE!
http://lovekissedbookbargains.com/2017/11/17/10610/
**Please note: these books may not be free on all Amazon sites and many of these books are free for a limited time only. Get them while they’re hot!**
Twisted is a new adult contemporary romance with a paranormal twist. Edwin Santora, as shown on the cover, is a crowd pleaser. If you’re looking for an entertaining read to keep you busy for a few hours, give this one a try. What have you got to lose? It’s free!!!! But only for a limited time. So get your copy today!
November 19, 2017
Liebster Award
Rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you. Boom, done.
2. Answer the 11 questions they gave you.
3. Nominate 11 blogs.
4. Give them 11 questions to answer.
J.W.’s Questions:
If you could have lunch with any author, who would you pick?
Stephen King. He fascinates me. I’ve read his book On Writing and I know he credits a lot of his success to persistence and life experience and pure dumb luck, but just to sit in his presence would be an honour.
What made you start blogging in the first place?
I wrote a book–a trilogy actually. Can you believe that was my first step?! When I started to consider my publishing options, I read a few blogs that caught my interest. I was in the process of absorbing knowledge on WordPress and I thought, hey, wouldn’t it be cool to document my progess? That’s how I got started with blogging back in 2012.
What’s the best post you’ve ever written? (in your humble opinion)
Oh jeez. I don’t know. I know which posts get the most traffic on my blog. I’d say the best posts I’ve written have not been published. Is that a fair answer? I have hundreds of posts I’ve written about the writing process, publishing and marketing, that I never get around to editing or posting.
Favorite stand-up comedian.
I can’t say I really have one. It’s not the type of thing I frequently watch, although I really enjoy comedy. I always get nervous going to comedy shows in person though, because I hate having the spotlight shining on me and I’m afraid the comedian is going to ask me a dumb question and I’ll have the perfect comeback come to me about five minutes after the opportunity has arisen. So, yeah. Comedy, I love. Stand-up comedy, not a super fan.
Name a hyped author you’ve never read and don’t plan on reading.
Hmm. When there’s a hyped author, I like to give them a chance and see what it is that’s got everyone’s panties in a twist. Having said that, sometimes I have to put books down. That’s a new skill I picked up a year or two ago, and I’ve been a much happier reader since.
So, to answer the question…
I guess there’s no author I would blackball in that way. I have read Fifty Shades of Grey and, while the writing was sub par, E.L. James’ storytelling skills blew me out of the water. I also read The Hunger Games for the same reason. It was written in present tense and that intrigued me. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Most recently I read The Air He Breathes by Brittany C. Cherry. Click the title if you’re interested in reading my review. The first few chapters had me seriously doubting all the reviews I had read, but a little farther in and the characters hooked me in a bad way. Character-driven novels are my favourite and I’m glad I gave that story a second chance. I might have cried–and I don’t even like crying–but it was that good.
Best movie you saw in 2017
I haven’t really went to the movies much this year–except for kids shows, haha–but I have watched A LOT of Netflix. To be honest, I don’t play favourites much… just ask my kids. I prefer to watch episodes rather than full-on movies. They fit my life better.
Best book you read in 2017
This is a crazy answer, because the book I’m going to give the honour to had started out as a book I was going to have to put down, as I pointed out above, but it turned into an emotional rollercoaster that I couldn’t get off. I’d have to say, The Air He Breathes by Brittany C. Cherry has been my favourite this year.
Shoes or sandals?
Sandals. If I could live on the beach and survive the tropical climate, I would. Unfortunately, my pale skin would never allow it. I struggle through my southern holiday burns as it is, but I do it because I love to absorb the sun and spend time in the heat, the pool, at the ocean. It’s true; I yearn to be there. Lol.
How much introvert and how much extrovert are you?
80% introvert. 20% extrovert. No kidding! In my adulthood I’ve trained myself to be an extrovert from time to time, and it can be fun, but I still prefer to keep to myself, worry about my immediate family, and mind my own business. Drama is a thing I like to read about in books or watch on tv. I don’t want it in my real life.
Do you have any strange addictions?
Strange, no, I don’t think so. My addictions are purely ordinary. Dr. Pepper. Binge watching Netflix.
A 2018 book you’re really looking forward to.
Not applicable. Haha. I play it by ear. I work full time. One of my daughters dances competitively. I devote my time to that and distracting the other kid from the computer long enough to shove some food in her mouth. The leftover time gets divided between riding my motorcycle, writing/publishing, reading and Netflix. So yeah, I don’t cling to new releases the way some others might.
However, I can’t read a certain book in the Merry Gentry Series until this next one comes out–because my sister gave me a spoiler saying that I’ll be disappointed for a year until the next one comes out if I read book 9–and so I guess you could say I’m looking forward to catching up on that series. For the record, Frost was my favourite.
To wind things up…
I made an open call for eleven bloggers who might want to be included in this post, since I’m not an active blogger anymore and I know time is money, and then I went and left a broken link. So yeah. Instead of waiting for responses, I’m posting this now and asking you (if you’re a writer or book blogger) to answer my questions and leave a link to your post in the comments. I hereby nominate you!
If I don’t do this now, I’ll never get this post published! I’ll add writers/bloggers as I go.
Violet Haze – https://authorviolethaze.com/blog/liebster-award-2017
Author R.D. Coast – https://rdcoast.wordpress.com
More tba soon!
My questions for you:
(Yeah, I stole some of J.W.’s questions. It’s allowed.)
1. If you could have lunch with any author, who would you pick?
2. What made you start blogging in the first place?
3. What’s the best post you’ve ever written? (in your humble opinion)
4. Name an author you admire because of his or her social skill or amazing marketing habits.
5. The best book I read in 2017 was…
6. If you could choose one food or drink to have no calories, what would it be?
7. Sand or snow and why?
8. What does your typical Saturday involve? Share what a day in your shoes would be like!
9. How much introvert and how much extrovert are you?
10. What is your favourite inspirational quote?
11. What are you working on now, or what/when are you planning to release next?
Thanks in advance for participating!!!
I love this journal I found at the bookstore today and wanted to share it with you. [image error]
Hah! I love how “stay weird” snuck in the photo. I’m just noticing that now!
I hope to see your link in the comments. If you have any others questions for me, ask away.
Thanks again for the nomination, J.W. Martin.
Liebster Award
Rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you. Boom, done.
2. Answer the 11 questions they gave you.
3. Nominate 11 blogs.
4. Give them 11 questions to answer.
J.W.’s Questions:
If you could have lunch with any author, who would you pick?
Stephen King. He fascinates me. I’ve read his book On Writing and I know he credits a lot of his success to persistence and life experience and pure dumb luck, but just to sit in his presence would be an honour.
What made you start blogging in the first place?
I wrote a book–a trilogy actually. Can you believe that was my first step?! When I started to consider my publishing options, I read a few blogs that caught my interest. I was in the process of absorbing knowledge on WordPress and I thought, hey, wouldn’t it be cool to document my progess? That’s how I got started with blogging back in 2012.
What’s the best post you’ve ever written? (in your humble opinion)
Oh jeez. I don’t know. I know which posts get the most traffic on my blog. I’d say the best posts I’ve written have not been published. Is that a fair answer? I have hundreds of posts I’ve written about the writing process, publishing and marketing, that I never get around to editing or posting.
Favorite stand-up comedian.
I can’t say I really have one. It’s not the type of thing I frequently watch, although I really enjoy comedy. I always get nervous going to comedy shows in person though, because I hate having the spotlight shining on me and I’m afraid the comedian is going to ask me a dumb question and I’ll have the perfect comeback come to me about five minutes after the opportunity has arisen. So, yeah. Comedy, I love. Stand-up comedy, not a super fan.
Name a hyped author you’ve never read and don’t plan on reading.
Hmm. When there’s a hyped author, I like to give them a chance and see what it is that’s got everyone’s panties in a twist. Having said that, sometimes I have to put books down. That’s a new skill I picked up a year or two ago, and I’ve been a much happier reader since.
So, to answer the question…
I guess there’s no author I would blackball in that way. I have read Fifty Shades of Grey and, while the writing was sub par, E.L. James’ storytelling skills blew me out of the water. I also read The Hunger Games for the same reason. It was written in present tense and that intrigued me. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Most recently I read The Air He Breathes by Brittany C. Cherry. Click the title if you’re interested in reading my review. The first few chapters had me seriously doubting all the reviews I had read, but a little farther in and the characters hooked me in a bad way. Character-driven novels are my favourite and I’m glad I gave that story a second chance. I might have cried–and I don’t even like crying–but it was that good.
Best movie you saw in 2017
I haven’t really went to the movies much this year–except for kids shows, haha–but I have watched A LOT of Netflix. To be honest, I don’t play favourites much… just ask my kids. I prefer to watch episodes rather than full-on movies. They fit my life better.
Best book you read in 2017
This is a crazy answer, because the book I’m going to give the honour to had started out as a book I was going to have to put down, as I pointed out above, but it turned into an emotional rollercoaster that I couldn’t get off. I’d have to say, The Air He Breathes by Brittany C. Cherry has been my favourite this year.
Shoes or sandals?
Sandals. If I could live on the beach and survive the tropical climate, I would. Unfortunately, my pale skin would never allow it. I struggle through my southern holiday burns as it is, but I do it because I love to absorb the sun and spend time in the heat, the pool, at the ocean. It’s true; I yearn to be there. Lol.
How much introvert and how much extrovert are you?
80% introvert. 20% extrovert. No kidding! In my adulthood I’ve trained myself to be an extrovert from time to time, and it can be fun, but I still prefer to keep to myself, worry about my immediate family, and mind my own business. Drama is a thing I like to read about in books or watch on tv. I don’t want it in my real life.
Do you have any strange addictions?
Strange, no, I don’t think so. My addictions are purely ordinary. Dr. Pepper. Binge watching Netflix.
A 2018 book you’re really looking forward to.
Not applicable. Haha. I play it by ear. I work full time. One of my daughters dances competitively. I devote my time to that and distracting the other kid from the computer long enough to shove some food in her mouth. The leftover time gets divided between riding my motorcycle, writing/publishing, reading and Netflix. So yeah, I don’t cling to new releases the way some others might.
However, I can’t read a certain book in the Merry Gentry Series until this next one comes out–because my sister gave me a spoiler saying that I’ll be disappointed for a year until the next one comes out if I read book 9–and so I guess you could say I’m looking forward to catching up on that series. For the record, Frost was my favourite.
To wind things up…
I made an open call for eleven bloggers who might want to be included in this post, since I’m not an active blogger anymore and I know time is money, and then I went and left a broken link. So yeah. Instead of waiting for responses, I’m posting this now and asking you (if you’re a writer or book blogger) to answer my questions and leave a link to your post in the comments. I hereby nominate you!
If I don’t do this now, I’ll never get this post published! I’ll add writers/bloggers as I go.
Violet Haze – https://authorviolethaze.com/blog/liebster-award-2017
Author R.D. Coast – https://rdcoast.wordpress.com
More tba soon!
My questions for you:
(Yeah, I stole some of J.W.’s questions. It’s allowed.)
1. If you could have lunch with any author, who would you pick?
2. What made you start blogging in the first place?
3. What’s the best post you’ve ever written? (in your humble opinion)
4. Name an author you admire because of his or her social skill or amazing marketing habits.
5. The best book I read in 2017 was…
6. If you could choose one food or drink to have no calories, what would it be?
7. Sand or snow and why?
8. What does your typical Saturday involve? Share what a day in your shoes would be like!
9. How much introvert and how much extrovert are you?
10. What is your favourite inspirational quote?
11. What are you working on now, or what/when are you planning to release next?
Thanks in advance for participating!!!
I love this journal I found at the bookstore today and wanted to share it with you. [image error]
Hah! I love how “stay weird” snuck in the photo. I’m just noticing that now!
I hope to see your link in the comments. If you have any others questions for me, ask away.
Thanks again for the nomination, J.W. Martin.
Liebster Award
Rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you. Boom, done.
2. Answer the 11 questions they gave you.
3. Nominate 11 blogs.
4. Give them 11 questions to answer.
J.W.’s Questions:
If you could have lunch with any author, who would you pick?
Stephen King. He fascinates me. I’ve read his book On Writing and I know he credits a lot of his success to persistence and life experience and pure dumb luck, but just to sit in his presence would be an honour.
What made you start blogging in the first place?
I wrote a book–a trilogy actually. Can you believe that was my first step?! When I started to consider my publishing options, I read a few blogs that caught my interest. I was in the process of absorbing knowledge on WordPress and I thought, hey, wouldn’t it be cool to document my progess? That’s how I got started with blogging back in 2012.
What’s the best post you’ve ever written? (in your humble opinion)
Oh jeez. I don’t know. I know which posts get the most traffic on my blog. I’d say the best posts I’ve written have not been published. Is that a fair answer? I have hundreds of posts I’ve written about the writing process, publishing and marketing, that I never get around to editing or posting.
Favorite stand-up comedian.
I can’t say I really have one. It’s not the type of thing I frequently watch, although I really enjoy comedy. I always get nervous going to comedy shows in person though, because I hate having the spotlight shining on me and I’m afraid the comedian is going to ask me a dumb question and I’ll have the perfect comeback come to me about five minutes after the opportunity has arisen. So, yeah. Comedy, I love. Stand-up comedy, not a super fan.
Name a hyped author you’ve never read and don’t plan on reading.
Hmm. When there’s a hyped author, I like to give them a chance and see what it is that’s got everyone’s panties in a twist. Having said that, sometimes I have to put books down. That’s a new skill I picked up a year or two ago, and I’ve been a much happier reader since.
So, to answer the question…
I guess there’s no author I would blackball in that way. I have read Fifty Shades of Grey and, while the writing was sub par, E.L. James’ storytelling skills blew me out of the water. I also read The Hunger Games for the same reason. It was written in present tense and that intrigued me. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Most recently I read The Air He Breathes by Brittany C. Cherry. Click the title if you’re interested in reading my review. The first few chapters had me seriously doubting all the reviews I had read, but a little farther in and the characters hooked me in a bad way. Character-driven novels are my favourite and I’m glad I gave that story a second chance. I might have cried–and I don’t even like crying–but it was that good.
Best movie you saw in 2017
I haven’t really went to the movies much this year–except for kids shows, haha–but I have watched A LOT of Netflix. To be honest, I don’t play favourites much… just ask my kids. I prefer to watch episodes rather than full-on movies. They fit my life better.
Best book you read in 2017
This is a crazy answer, because the book I’m going to give the honour to had started out as a book I was going to have to put down, as I pointed out above, but it turned into an emotional rollercoaster that I couldn’t get off. I’d have to say, The Air He Breathes by Brittany C. Cherry has been my favourite this year.
Shoes or sandals?
Sandals. If I could live on the beach and survive the tropical climate, I would. Unfortunately, my pale skin would never allow it. I struggle through my southern holiday burns as it is, but I do it because I love to absorb the sun and spend time in the heat, the pool, at the ocean. It’s true; I yearn to be there. Lol.
How much introvert and how much extrovert are you?
80% introvert. 20% extrovert. No kidding! In my adulthood I’ve trained myself to be an extrovert from time to time, and it can be fun, but I still prefer to keep to myself, worry about my immediate family, and mind my own business. Drama is a thing I like to read about in books or watch on tv. I don’t want it in my real life.
Do you have any strange addictions?
Strange, no, I don’t think so. My addictions are purely ordinary. Dr. Pepper. Binge watching Netflix.
A 2018 book you’re really looking forward to.
Not applicable. Haha. I play it by ear. I work full time. One of my daughters dances competitively. I devote my time to that and distracting the other kid from the computer long enough to shove some food in her mouth. The leftover time gets divided between riding my motorcycle, writing/publishing, reading and Netflix. So yeah, I don’t cling to new releases the way some others might.
However, I can’t read a certain book in the Merry Gentry Series until this next one comes out–because my sister gave me a spoiler saying that I’ll be disappointed for a year until the next one comes out if I read book 9–and so I guess you could say I’m looking forward to catching up on that series. For the record, Frost was my favourite.
To wind things up…
I made an open call for eleven bloggers who might want to be included in this post, since I’m not an active blogger anymore and I know time is money, and then I went and left a broken link. So yeah. Instead of waiting for responses, I’m posting this now and asking you (if you’re a writer or book blogger) to answer my questions and leave a link to your post in the comments. I hereby nominate you!
If I don’t do this now, I’ll never get this post published! I’ll add writers/bloggers as I go.
Violet Haze – https://authorviolethaze.com/blog/liebster-award-2017
Author R.D. Coast – https://rdcoast.wordpress.com
More tba soon!
My questions for you:
(Yeah, I stole some of J.W.’s questions. It’s allowed.)
1. If you could have lunch with any author, who would you pick?
2. What made you start blogging in the first place?
3. What’s the best post you’ve ever written? (in your humble opinion)
4. Name an author you admire because of his or her social skill or amazing marketing habits.
5. The best book I read in 2017 was…
6. If you could choose one food or drink to have no calories, what would it be?
7. Sand or snow and why?
8. What does your typical Saturday involve? Share what a day in your shoes would be like!
9. How much introvert and how much extrovert are you?
10. What is your favourite inspirational quote?
11. What are you working on now, or what/when are you planning to release next?
Thanks in advance for participating!!!
I love this journal I found at the bookstore today and wanted to share it with you. [image error]
Hah! I love how “stay weird” snuck in the photo. I’m just noticing that now!
I hope to see your link in the comments. If you have any others questions for me, ask away.
Thanks again for the nomination, J.W. Martin.
![[image error]](https://christasimpson.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/nanowrimo-icon.png){kind=link}
![[image error]](https://christasimpson.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/liebster-award916492017.png){kind=link}
![[image error]](https://christasimpson.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/20171118_1037381849297986.jpg){kind=link}