Mia Fox's Blog, page 11

Snow in July

Kim Iverson Headlee guests on my blog today to provide details about her upcoming, “Snow in July” as well as her top ten favorite TV shows of all time. Read on…

 

BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – Snow in July

AUTHOR – Kim Iverson Headlee

GENRE – Young Adult Paranormal Historical Romance

PUBLICATION DATE – July 2014

LENTH (Pages/# Words) – 386 pages/94K words

PUBLISHER – Pendragon Cove Press

COVER DESIGNER – Natasha Brown

 

 

BOOK SYNOPSIS
Sir Robert Alain de Bellencombre has been granted what every man wants: a rich English estate in exchange for his valiant service at the Battle of Hastings. To claim this reward, the Norman knight must wed the estate’s Saxon heiress. Most men would leap at such an opportunity, but for Alain, who broke his vow to his dying mother by failing to protect his youngest brother in battle, it means facing more easily broken vows. But when rumors of rampant thievery, dangerous beasts, and sorcery plaguing a neighboring estate reach his ears, nothing will make him shirk duty to king and country when people’s lives stand at risk. He assumes the guise of a squire to scout the land, its problems, and its lady.
Lady Kendra of Edgarburh has been granted what no woman wants: a forced marriage to an enemy who may be kith or kin to the man who murdered her beloved brother. Compounding her anguish is her failure to awaken the miraculous healing gift bequeathed by their late mother in time to save his life. Although with his dying breath, he made her promise to seek happiness above all, Kendra vows that she shall find neither comfort nor love in the arms of a Norman…unless it snows in July.
Alain is smitten by Lady Kendra from the first moment of their meeting; Kendra feels the forbidden allure of the handsome and courtly Norman “squire.” But a growing evil overshadows everyone, invoking dark forces and ensnaring Kendra in a plot to overthrow the king Alain is oath-bound to serve. Kendra and Alain face a battle unlike any other as their honor, their love, their lives, and even their very souls lie in the balance.

 

BUY & TBR LINKS
AMAZON KINDLE US – AMAZON KINDLE CA – AMAZON KINDLE UK

AMAZON PAPERBACK – BARNES & NOBLES NOOK – BARNES & NOBLES PAPERBACK

SMASHWORDS – ITUNES – GOODREADS

SHELFARI

 

 

EXCERPT

FIFTEEN THOUSAND MEN and horses writhed across the valley below, appearing as toys in a children’s game.
Many might consider war a game, but Sir Robert Alain de Bellencombre, knight of Normandy bound to the service of Duke William and commander of a unit in the cavalry reserves, did not number among their ranks.
Edward the Confessor, King of England via his Saxon father but Norman by his mother, was dead. This battle, raging near the coastal hamlet called Hastings, would decide the right of one man to wear the English crown: William the Norman, acknowledged by Pope Alexander to be Edward’s lawful successor; or Harold the Saxon, brother of Edward’s wife, the man alleged to be Edward’s deathbed choice.
Stroking his war horse’s glossy charcoal neck to calm her, Alain pondered Harold’s claim. It had to be true. This many men would not sacrifice their lives for a lie. Yet the vast majority of Harold’s supporters were Saxons harboring no wish to bear the Norman yoke. Perhaps such men might be desperate enough to fight for a lie that promised to restore Saxon rule.
A trumpet blared. He signaled his men forward, couched his lance, and spurred Chou to send her careening into the melee.
Harold’s shield wall, which had seemed impregnable, began to crumble under the onslaught of Alain’s unit, hastened by the desertion of men who no doubt decided they weren’t quite so willing to die. Their lord stood exposed just long enough for a Norman archer to sight his mark. Harold fell, screaming and clutching an arrow that protruded from one eye.
Harold’s supporters closed ranks around him, blocking Alain’s view and giving him more than enough to do as the Saxons redoubled their efforts to guard their lord’s body.
A familiar whirl of colors caught Alain’s attention. The saffron leopard prowling on a green field—Étienne! A Saxon knight, with a blue arm and fist blazing defiance across his gray shield, bore down upon Étienne with leveled lance. Étienne tumbled from his horse. He scrambled to his feet and retrieved his sword, putting it to good use on the Saxons surrounding him, although the knight who’d unhorsed him had already ridden in search of other targets.
Lance long since discarded and sword now rising and falling with fatal precision, Alain surged to reach his brother’s side. Protection of her youngest son had been their dying mother’s wish, and he had sworn on his own life to keep Étienne safe.
Before he could close the distance, another Saxon knight fought past Étienne’s guard to thrust a war-knife into his throat. Through the visor the knight’s eyes gleamed with startling, fathomless malice. Alain could only watch in stunned disbelief as he laid his hand upon Étienne’s chest for a few moments. Uttering a soul-freezing howl, the Saxon yanked out his seax and disappeared into the press with Étienne’s shield, denying Alain vengeance.
Shame and grief rent his heart asunder.
He had failed the two he loved most; failed them so utterly that he could never beg their forgiveness in this lifetime.
Pain slammed into his shoulder, toppling him from the saddle. Étienne’s body broke his fall. He tried to roll clear, but a spear through his chest pinned him to Étienne. His gut convulsed, and bile burned his throat. Blinding agony killed his struggle to free himself. Death’s stench invaded his nostrils.
He closed his eyes and waited for his final journey to begin.

 

AUTHOR BIO
Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, and assorted wildlife. People & creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins — the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-20th century — seem to be sticking around for a while yet.
Kim is a Seattle native (when she used to live in the Metro DC area, she loved telling people she was from “the other Washington”) and a direct descendent of 20th-century Russian nobility. Her grandmother was a childhood friend of the doomed Grand Duchess Anastasia, and the romantic yet tragic story of how Lydia escaped Communist Russia with the aid of her American husband will most certainly one day fuel one of Kim’s novels. Another novel in the queue will involve her husband’s ancestor, the 7th-century proto-Viking king of the Swedish colony in Russia.
For the time being, however, Kim has plenty of work to do in creating her projected 8-book Arthurian series, The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles, and other novels under her new imprint, Pendragon Cove Press. She also writes romantic historical fiction under the pseudonym “Kimberly Iverson.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV5iK...]

 

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE / BLOG – FACEBOOK

TWITTER – GOOGLE+ – PINTEREST

GOODREADS – SHELFARI – LINKEDIN – YOUTUBE CHANNEL

 
GIVEAWAY PRIZES
• 10 eBook Copies of Snow in July

• 10 Snow in July Notecards from the Author

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY
• 10 Autographed copies (US residents only) of the print edition

via Goodreads (scheduled to run October 1-October 30)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GOODREADS GIVEAWAY

 

Tour Hosted & Organized By

Author Kim Iverson Headlee Provides her Top Ten List



I don’t have much variance in my snacking—it’s either popcorn, chips (with or without regular or cheese salsa), or just about anything chocolate—so when given a choice between listing that “top ten” or my top ten favorite TV shows, I leaped upon the latter!

This list is given in the order in which they came to me. As a writer in general and a budding screenwriter in particular, I tend to favor shows that feature great writing and characters.

• Remington Steele (NBC, 10/1/82 – 4/17/87). It’s unfortunate that the premise of this show—a woman trying to make a name for herself in a male-dominated profession, so she invents a fictional boss—won’t “play” to today’s audiences. But as a woman who was recruited in 1977 to attend the previously all-male Air Force Academy, this show resonated with me from its very first episode. And oh, my goodness, Pierce Brosnan was so very easy on the eyes!

• Eureka (SyFy, 7/18/06 – 7/16/12). The classic “fish out of water” story with a brilliant, geeky spin, it featured a sheriff of above-average IQ but great street smarts being thrust into a think-tank town populated by adorable geniuses who excelled at getting themselves and their world into all sorts of fascinating trouble. Lordy, I wish such a town existed; I’d move there in a heartbeat. The fact that it was situated in my beloved Pacific Northwest was pure gravy.

• Big Bang Theory (CBS, 9/24/07 – present). My sister-in-law, of all people, pointed me to this show during its third season, amazed that I wasn’t already watching it, given my preference for geeky shows. My husband (who also enjoys geeky shows) & I were deep in the throes of his football coaching at the time—I was statistician for the varsity, JV, and middle school teams while he coached and scouted—but boy, are we both glad she brought it to our attention. There are times when it’s so funny, I almost forget to breathe!

• Elementary (CBS, 9/27/12 – present). Ever since I read my first book at the age of 3, I’ve been fascinated with tales that present new spins on old stories—and this fascination translates into every novel I write—so it was almost guaranteed that I would love this show. I say “almost” because they could have blown it with poor writing and characters. I am so very glad that they didn’t.

• Hawaii 5-0 (CBS reboot, 9/20/10 – present). Although the original show was cutting-edge for its day, and its episode runtime was 10 minutes longer than today’s version, probably eight of those 10 minutes each week featured scenes of McGarrett running to his car. Seriously. Look it up on Netflix, and tell me I’m wrong about that! For the record, some of the episodes in the new series are damn hard for me to watch—foster parents from hell, and that sort of thing—but the main-character interactions are a treat to watch, and the scenery is always gorgeous. The islands look great too.

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Paramount, 1/3/93 – 6/2/99). This is my favorite of all the Star Trek series incarnations, including the original series, which I remember watching with my parents when I was a kid. The reason DS9 doesn’t sit well with most fans is a large reason why I love the show: it is not a collection of instantly forgettable “Planet/Species du Jour” episodes. On Deep Space 9, the villains weren’t always villainous, and the heroes weren’t always heroic—in short, it was a very realistic portrayal of what life might be like in the crucible of the most cross-cultural situation imaginable.

• Babylon 5, seasons 2-4 (PTEN/TNT 2/22/93 – 11/25/98). I exclude season 1 because this show took most of that time to find its footing, though it contained enough brilliance in terms of the characters and their situations to keep me watching. The writing of season 5 suffered from having received a very late go-ahead by TNT, so the primary arc had to be wrapped up in season 4. It’s too bad that creator J. Michael Straczynski doesn’t have George Lucas’s proclivity (or ability) to rework previously released material; I would have loved to see JMS’s original vision for the main story arc.

• Monk (USA, 7/12/02 – 12/4/09). My husband and son cannot stand this show; my daughter and I love it. I cannot speak for her reasons, but for me, I enjoyed watching someone who is so very dysfunctional summon the courage to overcome his foibles and fears to get the job done. It is a process we struggle with every day, if we take the time to be honest with ourselves.

• Numb3rs (CBS, 1/23/05 – 3/12/10). Frankly, I’m amazed that this show lasted as long as it did. Intelligent shows (unless they’re outrageously funny too) tend to get lost in all the other blather with which the viewing public is bombarded 24-7. Numb3rs is another show, like Hawaii 5-0, that has a few episodes I will not rewatch, but it’s on my Top Ten because of its great wit and poignant heart.

• Home Improvement (ABC, 9/17/91 – 5/25/99). I came to this series midway through its run, for reasons I cannot recall other than the fact that I was a young mother at the time, in addition to being a career woman and writer, and was probably too busy to remember to turn it on every week. Once I started, though, I felt as if I had indeed come home, and it remains one of my go-to shows when I need comedy to take my mind off the day’s troubles. They just don’t make them like that anymore.

Thank you for this opportunity to share these classic broadcast favorites with your blog readers today!

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Authors: How do You Measure Success?

Authors: how do you measure success? If you believe that your success is directly correlated to the size of your social media following or your monthly sales and downloads, I challenge you to change your perspective and when you do, I believe you will achieve true life success.

Let’s talk about sales and downloads. Whether you use Amazon or Smashwords or any others, your personal dashboard is like a beacon, beckoning you to check it. I see that dashboard in a similar light to a bathroom scale. I always seem to have five stubborn pounds that I’d like to lose, but even if I diet and increase my exercise, stepping onto that bathroom scale every day is counter productive. Pounds go up; pounds go down. It’s much better to check once a week and reevaluate your course.

The same is true for book sales. If you go onto your dashboard every day, chances are the results aren’t as phenomenal as you had hoped for a 24-hour period. You don’t want that knowledge to affect your desire to write because that’s the only thing that will ever increase your sales. More books means readers have more choices. You’re more likely to find a new audience and then, the sales will follow.

The same is true for social media. Do you feel happy or sad with every follower gained or lost? Just like those pounds, people come and people go. What you have to focus on is developing your core message so that when you blog or post, you will connect with like-minded people. Once you do that, you’re more likely to increase your following. There’s truly no point in getting upset when looking at a fellow author’s page who has triple the following. It could mean that they’ve been pursuing this effort longer, in which case, you’ll one day catch up.

As authors, we have a tendency to segment our writing life into followers and sales. But that is not our entire life and it shouldn’t be a measure of our success. Authors are also parents. We are friends. We are even the children to our own parents. So when you go to evaluate your life. Look at the people around you. That is the measure of your success.

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Blueberry Banana Ice Cream

I’m sharing this recipe now because it’s cool, delicious, refreshing and it tastes like summer, but you can get all of the ingredients at any time of the year. In a word…yum! And it’s healthy too!

Ingredients:

4 ripe bananas

1/4 c. light agave nectar

1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk

1 c. frozen blueberries

1. Place sliced bananas in ziplock bag and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. In a food processor, puree frozen bananas with 2 T. agave and 1/4 c. almond milk until smooth. Place into a freezer safe container and freeze.

3. Place blueberries into processor and add remaining 2 T. agave and 1/4 c. almond milk. Process until smooth.

4. Remove banana mixture from freezer and dollop with blueberry mixture. Swirl together, then return to freezer.

Lasts for three days in freezer…unless you live at my house.

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“Encore” by Jamie Salisbury Deserves a Hand

 

Encore! – Blurb

Mary Stuart and Daniel Kennedy have not seen each other since attending a prestigious performing arts school.

Now a world renowned violinist, and married to his career, Daniel stumbles across Mary through her images at a London gallery. He is in need of a photographer with vision – she is a photographer in need of clients.

Mary has all but given up the stage – or has she? Her photographs pay the bills far more than her fancy musical education. But Mary has secrets. . .secrets she dare not share with even the roguish Mr. Kennedy.

A roving paparazzi lens changes all that for them. . .

Can Daniel forgive Mary for hiding her past – and her present? Will their relationship break like a violin string – or will their love endure the chaos?

***A Contemporary Erotica book from the Tudor Sage series.

Buy Links

Amazon – B&N – IBooks – Smashwords

 

Encore! – Excerpt

#1 It was there one night when I was up on stage in my latex cat suit…my gimmick, my platform a mask, a Venetian masque. Always in one of three colors, purple, hot pink or green. I was an entirely different person as I sang my gut out and played my violin. Yeah you heard me right – violin. That night he stood at the edge of the stage, looking up at me, with a mischievous grin on his face. Mr. Violin Virtuoso himself, Daniel Kennedy. I had noticed him at the club a time or two before.

We had studied together in New York years ago. Only now, I could tell he was second guessing who I really was. Who is this woman who can make a violin weep, though not nearly as well as I can. She can, none the less, make the angels shed tears.

About half way through my set, I happened to glance down at this dangerously striking man and noticed he was still smiling. He raised his drink. Was it in a mock salute, or was it more? I was too into what I was doing to tell, much less care.

I never, ever mingled with the crowd after a show. Not that I wouldn’t love to every now and then. No, I was afraid some young drunk jerk would pull off my mask, exposing my identity to the world. Then Archangel would be no more.

My requirements for playing in the clubs was a cab ride home and for the owner to escort me to the waiting cab, just in case. Other than that, I played for free. Self promotion at its best.

I was putting my violin away when I heard someone behind me. I immediately turned to see who it was. And Daniel Kennedy stood not three feet from me. In my personal space, again.

“Where did you learn to play?” he asked.

“Around,” I replied smugly.

“Hmmm, mysterious. I like that. Could I interest you in a drink Ms. Archangel?”

“Thank you, but no. I make it a rule to never go out for drinks with clubbers.”

“Ah, is that what I am?”

“Aren’t you?”

The club owner appeared out of the hallway. “Cab’s here. You ready, babe?”

I noted Daniel’s grimace at the familiarity Jake had used with me. “Yeah, almost,” I replied.

“Well, Mr. Kennedy, I look forward to seeing you brighten up my audience again soon.” I smiled and turned toward the hall.

“Who are you?”

“Archangel, kind sir.” Oh, he was fun.

“No, really, who are you? I feel we’ve met before.”

“Oh, I bet you say that to all the girl’s you try to pick up.” I teased, but he wasn’t deterred.

“What sort of name is Archangel, sweet?”

“What sort of name is Kennedy?” I shot back. “I thought you were French. Kennedy is anything but French.”

“My mother’s maiden name, if you must know. My father’s name is much too hard for English speaking fans.”

“Scottish or Irish Kennedy’s?” I taunted walking down the hall and towards the back door, my cab, and freedom from this inquisitive and delicious man.

“Scottish, why?”

“Just curious, that’s all.”

As I reached the door Jake was holding open, I turned and looked down the hall. Daniel had stopped, his arms folded over his chest, his legs wide apart. He was quite a handsome thing with all his bling, tight jeans, T-shirt, and jacket. His face was rough with scruff. And that hair! My God what woman wouldn’t die for a head of luscious hair like that?

Rather than continue drooling, I blew a crimson-stained kiss in his direction. “This is for you, Mr. Daniel Kennedy.”

He played along, pretending to catch my kiss in his hand. He closed his hand and placed it over his heart. His smile made my body tingle in places-well in places that it hadn’t tingled in quite a long time.

Raising my arm as high as it would go, I waved then pivoted on the ball of my foot. “Until next time, Mr. Daniel Kennedy. Good night.”

 

Author Bio

Since Jamie Salisbury began publishing her Romance stories, she has seen her books soar to #1 on Amazon. Her novella Tudor Rubato was a finalist in the 2012 RONE (Reward of Novel Excellence) award, and the cover won for Best Contemporary Cover. Now in 2014, her novel Life and Lies was been nominated for a RONE in the Erotica category. She has expanded her audience to include several now published by Secret Cravings Publishing.

Her previous career in public relations in and around the entertainment field has afforded her with a treasure trove of endless story ideas.

Contact Links

Blog – Website – Facebook – Romance Novel Center – Twitter

 

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Magical Morphing Words

What I love most about being a writer is that ideas can come from anywhere. Innocent phrases or even titles of magazine articles can bloom into story ideas and what was once one idea suddenly is another — magical morphing words are discovered.

Recently, I caught a magazine title, “Chasing Sleep,” and it was like being a racehorse and hearing that bell…I was off! The title created such a visual impression that I imagined a story far from what the article intended.

Because I love young adult and paranormal romance I thought of scenarios in which a damsel in distress is locked away in her dreams, running either to or from some unseen hero…chasing sleep and the beauty of the dream that she sought. In reality, the article was about a wellness retreat called Kamalaya on the Thai island of Koh Samui.

Of course, the knowledge of what the article was really about only sparked more ideas. It was written by an insomniac who traveled to this wellness facility to seek the advice of a naturopath. This article in the hands of a writer, sparked my imagination and now the insomniac was a heroine taking an exhaustive trek through wilderness and perils. She wasn’t trying to find answers for sleepless nights, she was there to seek out a prophet who would tell her that she is destined for greatness and along the way will be tempted by a sexy, but potentially dangerous man.

In reality, the article’s author was told his sleepless nights would be solved if he stopped eating and drinking late at night. Not nearly as intriguing as the scenario painted by my imagination, but then again, I would never have come up with the idea if it wasn’t for the original article.

Imagination is like the air we breathe. It’s always there, but we take it for granted. Inhale it regularly and fill yourself with it.

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What’s in a Name?

Many authors take on pen names for various reasons. It could be that their real name isn’t easily searchable, the spelling is difficult, their family wants privacy, or maybe they’re an erotica writer and their day job is something more conservative. So what’s in a name? It’s fine to create a pseudonym, but remember that for every pen name you create, that’s another set of social media you must promote.

I heard a funny story about author pen-names recently. The organizers of a writers’ conference were sorting through their registrations and came across a case of mistaken identity. Note that actual names have been changed to protect the identity…

They found that Amy Davis was really Susan Delaney, but she writes as Misty Rios for her romance series, and she writes thrillers as Dame Queensland, and she uses the name Rachel Robinson for her romantic suspense books. However, Amy/Misty/Dame/Rachel’s birth name is actually Steven Watson…a man!

It wouldn’t bother me in the least to discover that my favorite romance author was actually a man. After all, I’m a huge Nicholas Sparks fan and he writes romance better than any as noted by the number of books he has penned that have been adapted into movies.

I just feel that changing your name for every genre is a lot of work to go through. Imagine if you had to find and build a new audience for every one of your books? When Nora Roberts, romance writer, wanted to pen thrillers she was concerned that her romance readers would be surprised and perhaps even disappointed when they picked up her new titles. She created the pseudonym of J.D. Robb, but was quick to let her readers know that the new name was actually her own. That way, readers could decide if they wanted to try out the new style.

I write humorous erotica under the name Lola Bond, but those covers display, “Mia Fox writing as Lola Bond.” As writers, we’re creative folk and it’s natural to want to try different styles. But you can have your cake and eat it too. Sure, try out a new pen name, but let your readers know that it’s still wonderful you.

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All We Need is a Badass Unicorn!

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Betas Keep it Real

When I wrote my first book I didn’t know about beta readers…yes, I was young and stupid. Now, the idea of not having someone read my work before I present it to the world seems as ridiculous as buying a dress without first trying it on. Authors need beta readers to ensure they don’t arrive at the party in a dress that’s two sizes too small. Betas keep it real.

If you’re already using betas, do you simply send out your draft and wait for comments or do you provide questions that will help your betas help you?Here are some questions you can ask your beta readers that will not only get them thinking about your writing in detail, it will also help determine if any editing and rewriting would be beneficial.

* Did the story pull you in from the beginning?

* Did the story hold your interest until the end?

* At any point did you lose interest or stop caring?

Was the main character relatable?

* Were the supporting characters interesting and did they add to the story?

* Did any characters seem unnecessary?

* Was the setting as interesting as the characters? Were the descriptions realistic and detailed?

What part was your favorite?

Was this a book that would keep you up at night reading?

Were there any parts that seemed like they dragged on?

Were there any aspects that seemed repetitive?

Were there any parts that didn’t provide enough detail?

Were there any inconsistencies either in the story’s timeline or in the actions of the characters that didn’t match the story plot?

Were there too many characters to keep track of or were some too similar to each other?

Was the dialogue interesting and natural?

Was the ending satisfying?

* And of course, was the book grammatically sound?

Asking your betas to weigh in with such detailed questions is no doubt opening a can of worms. Chances are, they will find some areas to criticize. But isn’t that the point of having your work read pre-publication? To present your best writing to your readers, take the time to work with your betas. Your ultimate reader will thank you for it.

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Solutions for the Crazy

If I didn’t get writing accomplished during the summer I told myself it was because the kids were home. But school has started, the kids are out of the house, and I’m still a manic, disorganized mess. I broke it down and found solutions for the crazy. (Note: Crazy is a noun when referring to myself and an adjective when referring to my lifestyle.)

3 kids, 3 schools



Is it any wonder I feel overwhelmed? One in high school, one in middle school, and my youngest is in elementary school. Oh my! I might as well start chanting lines from the “Wizard of Oz.” Attempting to get everyone where they needed (preferably with breakfast in their stomach and shoes on their feet) was a daily challenge.

Meet my two new best friends: granola bars and the oven timer. We save time in the morning by planning for tomorrow. When the kids come home from school, they immediately pack up their snack for the next day. We also compile non-perishables for the next day’s sack lunch. It may sound minor, but every chore done ahead of time, saves time in the morning. We also set the oven timer as soon as we awake. It’s a constant reminder of time ticking down, but it doesn’t nag! Now we know when to get a move on and jump in the car.

Get on ‘lil doggy



I used to take one child to one school, come home, get the next, go to that school, come back for the last one and so on. Oh, and the dogs wanted a walk too. That was crazy.

The solution: The boys get in the car together. Even though my younger one has to ride along with his brother before being dropped at his own school, the time to chat helps him relax before his day. I come home only once to hustle my daughter to school and I bring the dogs along. She gets a kick out of it and they like the ride. After she jumps out, the dogs and I take our walk around the school neighborhood rather than our home. Two car trips instead of four…mission accomplished.

What’s cookin’ good lookin’?



Figuring out what to make for dinner would take as much time as making the darn thing. I turned to my Facebook friends and asked for 20 meal ideas — basically four weeks of weekday dinners. With a menu already compiled, now I take one weekend afternoon to plan the ingredients needed for that week’s meals. I’ve cut down weekday grocery shopping and discovered the added bonus of saving money since there’s less impulse buying.

But my surefire way to banish the crazy has been in keeping a schedule. After dropping off the kids, I either do yoga if I need to find a creative flow or jump into my writing. When the kids do their homework, that’s when I cook dinner. When the kids take their down time, that’s when I spend a few more minutes with my writing until it’s bed time, story time, and then husband and me time!

My day is filled with crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Do you have any time-saving solutions? I’d love to hear them.

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Elodie Parkes, Love at First Sigh

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Love at First Sigh

AUTHOR – Elodie Parkes

GENRE – Contemporary erotic romance

PUBLICATION DATE – August 16, 2014

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 45 pages, (two stories within)

PUBLISHER – Hot Ink Press

COVER ARTIST – Elodie Parkes

BOOK BLURB

Two sizzling contemporary romance stories

Handy Hubby Hire

Tired of the maintenance jobs mounting up in her house, Sara hires a handyman. She never dreams someone like Griffen Fox will show up to fix the faucets and back yard gate. Sparks fly, but will they lose their heart to each other?

Pina Colada

When Emma takes a long weekend vacation in a warm beach resort, she meets the very handsome Matt Tyler. They spend an idyllic few days together. Will this only be a holiday romance?

Get your copy today…

Amazon

Add it to your Goodreads TBR list…

Goodreads

AUTHOR BIO

Elodie Parkes is a British author writing romance, erotic, contemporary, and often with a twist of mystery, paranormal or suspense. Her books are always steamy — cool stories and hot love scenes.

Elodie lives in Canterbury with her two dogs. She works in an antique emporium by day and writes at night, loving the cloak of silent darkness that descends on the rural countryside around her home.

Elodie writes for, Hot Ink Press, Moon Rose Publishing, Eternal Press, Secret Cravings, Evernight, and Siren Publishing.

She has also released titles as an individual indie author.

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