Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 165
September 18, 2013
Cover Reveal: Bad Idea, by Damon Suede
Bad Idea
By
Damon Suede
Blurb:
Some mistakes are worth making.
Reclusive comic book artist Trip Spector spends his life doodling super-square, straitlaced superheroes, hiding from his fans, and crushing on his unattainable boss until he meets the dork of his dreams. Silas Goolsby is a rowdy FX makeup creator with a loveless love life and a secret streak of geek who yearns for unlikely rescues and a truly creative partnership.
Against their better judgment, they fall victim to chemistry, and what starts as infatuation quickly grows tender and terrifying. With Silas’s help, Trip gambles his heart and his art on a rotten plan: sketching out Scratch, a “very graphic novel” that will either make his name or wreck his career. But even a smash can’t save their world if Trip retreats into his mild-mannered rut, leaving Silas to grapple with betrayal and emotions he can’t escape.
What will it take for this dynamic duo to discover that heroes never play it safe?
Release Date
October 21, 2013
About the Author
Damon Suede grew up out-n-proud deep in the anus of right-wing America, and escaped as soon as it was legal. Though new to romance fiction, Damon has been writing for print, stage, and screen for two decades. He’s won some awards, but counts his blessings more often: his amazing friends, his demented family, his beautiful husband, his loyal fans, and his silly, stern, seductive Muse who keeps whispering in his ear, year after year. Get in touch with him at DamonSuede.com.
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September 17, 2013
S.D. Grimm, Author of Breathless
First of all, I want to thank Margo for being gracious enough to let me post on her blog today. I am so excited about the release of my novella, BREATHLESS.
What if one touch could unlock a thousand memories?
Eighteen year old Claire Summers has a rare gift she must keep secret, she’s a Breather—someone who can see other people’s memories by touching an object they’ve touched. When she stumbles across a memory of her friend in danger, she’ll do anything to help rescue him. The problem is, her secret will be revealed. If the wrong people find out about her ability, they’ll hunt her because Breathers are powerful weapons.
I started writing when I was … well I actually can’t remember not writing. It’s kinda my thing. I love fantasy—epic, urban, sword and sorcery, all of it—so that’s what I write. You can learn more about me and what I’m writing on my website.
Breathless is an urban fantasy. For those of you unfamiliar with whatever that is, it’s fantasy set in a city, sometimes it’s in the future, sometimes present.
The story takes place in a few cities—Podunk towns actually. Yup, there’s a road trip involved, and it’s in this awesome, awesome ride.
Yeah, I know.
And for your reading pleasure, here’s an excerpt:
My shoes crushed the thick grass. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Damp, summer air swirled around me unable to cut through the heavy fog. Headstones, cracked and crooked, spread across the grassy hill. I’d been here before. My dreams often brought me to this cemetery. The full moon lit my way down a familiar path. Even though I was dreaming, I was chilly in my tank top and shorts.
I headed toward the tallest headstone on the hill’s crest. No flowers or American flags decorated this soul’s final resting place. I reached out, like I had the other times I’d dreamed this, and I knew what to expect. Before I could touch the stone, my subconscious would pull me back and I’d wake on my bouncing bed feeling like I’d fallen from somewhere high.
The rough stone was cool beneath my fingers.
Three translucent figures walked away from me, passing through the untouched fog. Two men, one held a young boy’s hand, the other followed them. The boy looked so familiar. They walked through the headstones littering the hillside as if they were insubstantial, and then flickered out.
My hand jerked back. A chill skittered across my chest and spread over my whole body leaving me with goose bumps. Heart racing, I willed myself to wake.
I didn’t.
My chest tightened. Was I dreaming or not? Thunder rolled closer. I backed away from the creepy headstone and stepped on something slippery. Arms flailing, I lost my balance. I landed in the moist grass. Pain shot up my elbow as it connected with rock.
“Back here. Quick.” The whisper turned my blood to ice.
“I’m dreaming,” I said aloud since this was too freaky to be real.
“Dream? No, sweetheart, you’re in a trance. Snap out of it or whatever it is you Breathers do.” The stranger’s voice rasped.
I froze, watching him inch closer. Breather? What was he talking about? My head cleared like a fan turned on and blew the fog from my brain, and I realized my situation. I so wasn’t dreaming. This was real. This was real?
I faced the stranger hiding behind a headstone and caught a glimpse of his rifle. Oh holy night.
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For more information, check out http://www.sdgrimm.com
September 16, 2013
Guest Blogger: KC Sprayberry, Author of Taking Chances
Good Morning! My name is KC Sprayberry. Margo Bond Collins of Words, Words, Words has let me hijack her blog today. The purpose is to tease all of her very dedicated readers with information about my soon-to-be-released YA coming of age novel, Take Chances.
Military Brats – Teens Who Only Want to Fit In
One life experience I will never regret is the eleven years I spent in the Air Force. Moving around the country, even around Europe, gave me experiences I’ll never forget.
My children also had those experiences, many of which I planned so they could learn something about the country we were in, but there were drawbacks I had no idea how handle as I settled into a new base.
How would my child fit in with other children who had been friends since long before kindergarten? No teen wants to stand out in their new hometown. They want to be part of the in-crowd, to blend in rather than stick out. Their deepest desire is to be the moth drawn to the flame.
Reality, however is very different.
A teenage military brat is often the flame, with all those other teens fluttering around their brightness, only to fly away without ever getting close to the new kid.
In Take Chances, Julie Bond is close to graduating from high school. She has never started and finished the same school in her life, until she and her mom moved to her parents hometown. Now she has that chance, and she wants it so badly that she’ll do anything to make everything perfect.
My children were never in high school during our many moves in the military, but they did experience what Julie did in that they moved during elementary school a couple of times. Their experiences mirror hers in most ways, as they tried to find their place in those worlds, often times coming up short and always being the “new kid.”
I discovered that I couldn’t help with this important issue after our last move to where my husband grew up. My children had just landed in the South – the area of sweet tea, fried chicken, Krystal burgers, and friendships forged long before a child entered school. They were on their own, and they made sure I understood from the first day we moved into our new home that they would adjust in their own way.
Like Julie, my kids got involved in school. Two of my sons went into the band during middle school, one playing the trombone and the other the saxophone. A daughter dove into the chorus, realizing her dream of singing with her classmates. Those were halcyon days after they found their place, but still not without some bumps in the road.
Some of the kids they befriended backed off after hearing of my children touring Dachau in Germany, or seeing the original Disneyland castle – Neu Schwanstein. The idea that we as a family often packed everyone into our Toyota minivan and traveled to Volksmarches – organized walks of anywhere from 10 to 40 kilometers long – was so strange as to make my children different.
Slowly, my kids stopped talking about their formative years in Europe, the better to fit in with their peers. They never forgot that time, though. My wonderful children now live through those memories and talk of returning to Germany or Spain or Italy to see the countries as adults, to experience what they did as children from a different perspective. They’re comfortable now with their nomadic childhood.
Julie learns late in Take Chances that she’s happy with her permanent home in a small Southern town, but she also loves wandering and making new discoveries. Talking to other military parents, I’ve found out this isn’t unusual. Our children are determined to explore the universe, to make their place one that isn’t permanent, but is also full of wonder.
About the Author
KC Sprayberry started writing young, with a diary followed by an interest in English. Her first experience with publication came when she placed third in a Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge contest while in the Air Force, but her dedication to writing came after she had her youngest child, now a in his senior year of high school.
Her family lives in Northwest Georgia where she spends her days creating stories about life in the south, and far beyond. More than a dozen of her short stories have appeared in several magazines. Five anthologies feature other short stories, and her young adult novel Softly Say Goodbye, released in 2012. During 2013, more young adult stories have been released: The Ghost Catcher, Who Am I?, Family Curse … Times Two, and Amazon Best Seller, Canoples Investigations Tackles Space Pirates.
You can find her on the web here:
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Solstice Publishing
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Taking Chances
Julie Bond grew up in Europe as a military brat. She found her very first permanent home in Landry, GA as a teen going into high school. Almost four years later, she’s having pre-graduation jitters and flashing back to an incident of school violence she experienced in Europe. She attempts to convince herself that it can never happen again, but continually finds herself flashing back to that day no matter how hard she tries.
The people around her present any number of problems for Julie, and she’s hard put to keep from drowning under all the issues. Then Michael–a cool guy she’s had a crush on for the last three years—returns from traveling the US as a photographer, and Julie now has one more thing to distract her as she prepares to leave high school. One thing she firmly believes in: no one will ever invade her classroom with violence again.
Once again, the impossible happens. Once again, she’s in a classroom with a madman holding a gun. Once again, she must survive.
Trailer
Excerpt
The thud of something hitting the floor brings me back to the present. A stick-thin woman with a nose resembling a buzzard’s beak fluffs her jet-black hair. She tugs at her flower print dress and stares right at me.
“Si content pour avoir votre attention, Juliette.”
Grrrr! Doesn’t she get how much I hate that name!
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Stick around for the full tour. Why? On September 26 through September 29, 2013, you can pick up my other YA coming of age books, Softly Say Goodbye and Who Am I? free on Amazon:
Thank you Margo Bond Collins of Words, Words, Words for hosting me today. Tomorrow you find the next Teaser Tour on Penny Estelle’s Penny’s Tales!
Cover Reveal~ Waking Up Dead, by Margo Bond Collins
Thanks to everyone for your overwhelmingly positive response to my cover reveal contest–you helped me meet a week’s worth of social media goals in under 24 hours; you’re the best! So as promised, the cover is below. Don’t forget, though, that there’s still a drawing for a free copy of the book for one of the first five hundred people to “like” my Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
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When Dallas resident Callie Taylor died young, she expected to go to Heaven, or maybe Hell. Instead, she met her fate early thanks to a creep with a knife and a mommy complex. Now she’s witnessed another murder, and she’s not about to let this one go. She’s determined to help solve it before an innocent man goes to prison. And to answer the biggest question of all: why the hell did she wake up in Alabama?
A new paranormal mystery, coming soon from Solstice Publishing
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There’s more exciting news about Waking Up Dead coming soon–watch this spot!
In the meantime, don’t forget to come check out my Facebook Author page and hit “like” while you’re there: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
You can also find me on these other social media sites:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MargoBondCollin
Tumblr: http://vampirarchybooks.tumblr.com/
Cheers~
Margo Bond Collins
(And in case you missed it earlier, check out the trailer, below!)
Waking Up Dead by Margo Bond Collins
Book Trailer #1
September 15, 2013
Spotlight On: Wolf Creek Enforcer by Jo Ellen
Wolf Creek Enforcer – Mega PROMO Blitz
By Jo Ellen
Paranormal Romance
Date Published: 6/27/2013
Add to Goodreads
Ian is the head enforcer for his pack. Something is pulling at him until he hits the road, looking for his mate. He finds Melanie, a free spirit hitchhiking in New Mexico. Once he gets her to his home in East Texas, he has to protect her from a wizard who wants her for her magical abilities. Melanie couldn’t wait to explore this feeling that led her to take to the highway. Finding Ian was more than she could have hoped for. The difficult part would be telling him of her family’s legacy and the job she was entrusted with.
EXCERPT
“Baby? Come on, wake up. I’ve got you.”
Ian maneuvered his body to where he could sit on the shelf. He didn’t notice the cold mud against his backside. Holding her in his lap, he ran a finger down her jaw. She was burning up, her face flushed. While her body was pale, her face was not.
Ian stiffened when he saw the bruising on her cheek. He was going to kill that fucking wizard.
He had to get her out of there and to a doctor, fast. Something wasn’t right. She could not get this sick from a virus so quickly. Then again, what the hell did he know? He was not a doctor. His mind was swimming. Kill the bastard later, he had to get Melanie to a hospital.
Ian howled for Devlin. “Tear this den apart so I can get her out of here.” No way would he take her down into the water.
While Devlin worked, Ian spoke softly to her. “You have to wake up, Babe. I cannot live without you. Come on, babe, I love you.” He gently kissed her lips.
“I’m not sleeping beauty,” Melanie growled. Her voice was rough with fatigue. “That’s two, Fluffy.”
Hearing his pack, he shouted, “Help Devlin tear this den apart, we’re sitting on a shelf above the waterline.”
The guys made quick work of removing the sticks and debris the beavers had used to build their home.
Melanie had trouble keeping her eyes open, she felt horrible. Something was wrong, she could feel it throughout her body. This was not the common cold virus or flu. The best description she could come up with was that she felt contaminated. She was so weak she could barely keep her eyes open.
Feeling the sun on her face, she squinted and saw seven naked men standing in the water. As weak as she was, she could not leave well enough alone.
“I must be dead, cause I see seven naked men surrounding me. Cool,” with that, she passed out.
About the Author
Jo Ellen
Jo Ellen is the mother of three, two in college and one in high school. Before becoming a stay at home mom, she worked for a publishing company dealing with trademarks. She has always loved books in almost any genre. Her favorite being romance, but a couple of books she enjoyed were “With Malice Toward None” and “The Right Stuff.” She stays busy with her writing and taking care of her family, which, besides her husband and children, includes a dog, two cats, a bearded dragon, and one koi in the backyard pond. Jo Ellen loves baseball, professional and amateur, and of course watching her son play in high school. Breast cancer slowed her down somewhat, but now that her chemo and radiation are finished, she is looking forward to getting her writing back on track. Her Wolf Creek series are contemporary romance, supernatural/fantasy books about werewolves, witches, shifters, mates, druids and wizards.
Author Links
Facebook | Blog | Goodreads
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo
This Promo is brought to you by Reading Addiction Book Tours
September 14, 2013
Spotlight On: Sisters in Love by Melissa Foster
Danica Snow has always been the smart, practical, and appropriate sister. As a therapist, she prides herself on making reasonable, conservative choices, even if a bit boring, and as part of the Big Sister Program, she has little time for anything more in her life.
Blake Carter is a player. He never gets bored of conquering women, and with his sexy good looks and successful lifestyle, he has no trouble finding willing participants. When his friend and business partner dies in a tragic accident, he suddenly, desperately, wants to change his ways. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to stop doing what he does best.
When Blake walks into Danica’s office, the attraction between them is white hot, but Danica isn’t the type to give into the heat and risk her career. Danica’s desire sets her on a path of self-discovery, where she begins to question every decision she’s ever made. Just this once, Danica wants to indulge in the pleasures of life she’s been so willingly ignoring, but with her Little Sister in turmoil and her biological sister’s promiscuousness weighing heavily on her heart, she isn’t sure it’s the right time to set her desires free.
SISTERS IN LOVE is a light, uplifting work of women’s fiction and will resonate with readers who enjoy emotional journeys of the heart with strong heroines and sexy, lovable heroes. Readers of books by Jane Porter and Beth Kendrick will enjoy Danica and Blake’s story.
About the Author
Melissa Foster is the award-winning author of four International bestselling novels. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.
Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.
Visit Melissa on The Women’s Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Join Melissa and the YaYa Writer Girls at their annual in-person event. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.
Melissa Foster Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melissa_Foster
Website: http://www.melissafoster.com/
Cover Reveal Contest!
Hi, everyone! I am running a cover reveal contest for my new novel, Waking Up Dead, forthcoming from Solstice Publishing. I’m going to reveal the (fabulous!) cover as soon as I hit 100 additional “likes” on my Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins.
Even better, if I hit a total of 500 “likes” by the end of a week, I will reserve a free copy of the book for one of those first 500 fans—the first of several giveaways to come.
I’ll be on a plane home from London tomorrow (September 15); I’d love to come home and discover that I needed to do the cover reveal immediately!
There’s more exciting news about Waking Up Dead coming soon–watch this spot!
In the meantime, don’t forget to come check out my Facebook Author page and hit “like” while you’re there: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Cheers~
Margo Bond Collins
(And in case you missed it earlier, check out the trailer, below!)
Waking Up Dead by Margo Bond Collins
Book Trailer #1
September 13, 2013
Guest Post: Stephanie Fleshman, Author of Render
Please enjoy this guest post by Stephanie Fleshman, author of the enticing Paranormal YA, Render. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
The 5 Guys You’ll Meet in YA Fiction:
A Guest Post by Stephanie Fleshman
According to GalleyCat, YA eBook revenues increased 120.9% last year. The great news is whatever YA male character types keep you reading, it’s unlikely you’ll run out of books anytime soon. After a while contemplating my favorite YA reads, I noticed a pattern when it came to the male heroes in these stories. Without further ado, here’s a run-down of the 5 guys you’re likely to meet when reading a Young Adult novel…
Guy #1: The Broken and Vulnerable
When I think of broken, I think of Josh from Barry Lyga’s Boy Toy. The sad thing about Josh is that he knows he’s broken but blames himself instead of the person at fault.
When I think of vulnerable, two characters come to mind: Sam from Maggie Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls series and Cabel from Lisa McMann’s Wake series. Cabel is doused with gasoline, then set on fire by his alcoholic father. He wants to be loved, yet is scared. What makes him strong in a not-in-your-face kind of way is that he wants to love. His lack of resentment and hate is what makes him attractive.
Guy #2: The Abusive
In Jennifer Brown’s Bitter End, Cole is the product of “like father, like son.” In Swati Avasthi’s YA novel Split, however, Jace is the product of being victimized by his own abuser. Unlike Cole, Jace is capable of remorse and guilt. He not only owns up to his actions, but he wants to pay for them. By comparison, Jace makes Cole look like a sociopath.
Guy #3: The Obsessive
It’s no secret that Edward from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga is borderline stalker when it comes to Bella. She is his world entirely. In his mind, though, he is only being protective. So, is Edward protective, overprotective, or obsessive? You decide:
Protective: Capable of or intended to protect someone or something.
Overprotective: Having a tendency to protect someone, esp. a child, excessively.
Obsessive: Of, relating to, characteristic of, or causing an obsession; Excessive in degree or nature.
Guy #4: The Dominant
A good example of this type of YA male lead character is Patch from Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush series. Patch is 100% boy. He’s self-confident, strong, and stands his ground against Nora. Though he is dominating, I don’t believe it’s in a harmful or abusive manner.
In the second book, you get to see more into his heart as he begins to really care for Nora’s well-being.
By the third book, he’s thinking of Nora’s safety and how he can stay with her. He sacrifices what he wants in order to protect her and their relationship, which seems non-existent to Nora by this stage. Not everything is what it seems, though.
Other good examples are Alex from Simone Elkeles’s Perfect Chemistry and Avi from the same author’s How to Ruin series.
Guy #5: The Lovable
I’m going to start with Koldan from my own YA novel, Render. Koldan is firm but not so dominating that he feels the need to control. He’s confident and strong, but recognizes his weaknesses. He’s romantic in the sense that he will do whatever it takes to keep Raya safe, even if it means risking his own life. And he’s not afraid to show his feelings for Raya.
Now, I cannot move forward without mentioning Holder from Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. Thirteen years! Thirteen!!! That’s all I’m going to say. Those of you who have read Hopeless know exactly what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t, there’s nothing about this guy not to love.
Now I’ve got a question for you: What’s your favorite YA male character type?
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As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, Render, the debut YA Paranormal novel by Stephanie Fleshman, is on sale for just 99 cents! What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.
The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
Get Render at its discounted price of 99 cents
Enter the Rafflecopter contest below
Visit the featured social media events
Leave a comment on my blog for a chance at a $100 prize.
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About Render: A betrayal born of blood. A curse for a gift. A love worth saving… Seventeen-year-old Raya Whitney thought she knew Koldan–until a sudden turn of events threatens both their lives. Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.
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About the Author
Stephanie Fleshman graduated with a degree in psychology and has family throughout the United States as well as in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece. Visit Stephanie on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
Guest: Josie Montano, Author of My Family Sized Pizza
My Family Sized Pizza
Purchase the eBook at Amazon or Solstice Publishing
(print copies available later this year)
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Excerpt
I got home from school one afternoon and there were heaps of cars parked outside Nonno and Nonna’s place. Something was wrong. Nonno hadn’t been feeling so good that morning.
I could hear moaning. Did I really want to go inside? I walked down the side to the backyard and found Nonno asleep on the garden chair. He was under his olive tree with a big bottle of vino on his lap. Phew! He was OK.
The moaning from inside sounded like chanting. Had Nonna joined a cult or something? I went in and found the house full of Italian women. They were on their knees praying to a huge statue of Mary! Mumbling and fiddling with their rosary beads, but at the same time checking me out. Multi-talented women!
Oh no! It was Nonna’s monthly rosary meeting. But this time it was at our place. If I’d known I’d have gone to the library with Sarina.
“Angelina! Mamma Mia how you have grown!” Signora Romanelli was looking straight at my boobs.
“Oh, you look just like Elena, you mudder,” Signora Vesta did the sign of the cross and looked at me sadly. It’s not me that’s dead, you idiot.
“Madonna, is dis little Angelina? She’s a big gal!” Signora Della Something was looking at my bum. I needed a quick escape, but the statue blocked the way to my bedroom. There it was – halfway up the stairs.
“Angelina, vieni qua,” Nonna called. “Come on”. She had her arm around one of her friends.
“Dis is Signora Bertolini.” This lady I’d never met before grabs me by the cheeks with her fingers and thumbs.
“Quanda si bella!” She was shaking my face but half of my face was still in her hands. Yes. I’m beautiful, but I’m going to need plastic surgery if you don’t cut it out!
“You know who dis is?” Nonna asked. “Signora Bertolini. The Nonna of dat boy I tell you about.” She winked.
Ohhhh! Dat boy! The one you want me to marry.
Nonna and Mrs. Bertolini knelt at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at the statue. I looked at the statue of Mary, I looked down at Nonna and Signora Bertolini – two interfering grandmothers. What if the statue lost balance? The very heavy statue would topple down and … that would be the end of the matchmaking!
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Why I Wrote My Family Sized Pizza
The original version of My Family Sized Pizza was titled Wogaluccis and published 2002 in Australia only. This version has been rewritten to today’s audience and has been made more international. My parents migrated from Italy in the early 60′s therefore I grew up with not only coal dust and drizzly days but with a strong Italian community who had settled together in Australia.
Although famous for my salami, melenzane and stinky cheese sandwiches at primary school, they didn’t particularly make me a social hit! This upbringing brought fodder to the story of Angela and her family.
My Family Sized Pizza is semi-autobiographical–a lot of the school, wedding and restaurant scenes actually happened. The characters are a mix of my mother, sister, neice, and myself as a teen and are sprinkled with elements of my Italian former mother-in-law. The angst and dramas suffered by main character, Angela, were real and there was many a day when writing the book that Angela and I commiserated together!
I like to tell a story but with humour, thus the true, gritty, racial, and emotional moments told through comedic moments.
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About the Author
Josie is an award-winning author of over 40 books. She has been internationally published and writes fiction under the name of Josie Montano and non-fiction resources on Asperger Syndrome under the pseudonym of Josie Santomauro.
From age nine Josie annoyed her librarian by shelving her self-published books for borrowing and being the most diligent library monitor there was! She then went on to receive her first rejection letter from Golden Books at age thirteen. But that didn’t stop her, and decades later finally she has ‘real’ published books on those shelves!
Josie draws on her varied life experiences to help her with her writing, interesting experiences such as being involved in a bank robbery, working within the primary school environment, surviving cancer, growing up within an Italian community, winning the major prize on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and as a volunteer member of the State Emergency Services.
She loves coffee, chocolate, amateur theatre, going to the movies, and being silly, witty and humorous.
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Connect with Josie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Josie-Montano/88023619410
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosieMontano
Website: http://www.booksbyjosie.com.au
September 12, 2013
Spotlight On: Stolen Chances, by Elisabeth Naughton
Stolen Chances, by Elisabeth Naughton
Nine years ago, Archaeologist Maren Hudson lost everything when a member of her team was killed during a routine dive. Now she’s been drawn back to Mexico and the career she walked away from in order to protect the most precious thing in the world: her daughter.
One desperate phone call brings salvage expert Thad Leighton back to Mexico. For his murdered brother, he’s ready to settle the score, but one look at Maren and everything changes. Years may have passed, but she’s still as mesmerizing as she once was, and a few days on site together have him questioning his priorities and why the hell he walked away from her so long ago.
Sparks between them reignite, but Thad knows Maren is holding something back. Thrust together in the middle of the sweltering Yucatan, Thad is more than willing to strip away her layers. But while the truth might offer the second chance he’s been searching for, forgiveness may be as elusive as the relic they’re both hunting. Because when Thad unearths Maren’s biggest secret and discovers who she’s really working for, suddenly it’s not just about a life that was stolen from both of them, it’s about staying alive and outwitting a madman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
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About the Author
I was never one of those people who knew they wanted to be an author at the age of six. I didn’t have imaginary friends. I didn’t write stories in my journal or entertain my relatives by firelight after Thanksgiving dinner. For the most part, I was just a normal, everyday kid. I liked to read, but I wasn’t exceptional at it. And when my teachers complimented me on my writing abilities, I brushed them off. I did, however, always have a penchant for the unique and absurd. And as my mother told me all throughout my childhood, I should have been an actress—I was a drama queen before my time.
Years ago, my husband bought me Scarlett: The Sequel to Gone With The Wind. If you ever saw the book, you know it’s a long one. I sat and read that thing from cover to cover, and dreamed of one day being a writer. But I didn’t actually try my hand at writing until years later when I quit my teaching job to stay home with my kids. And my husband? After that week of reading where I neglected him and everything else until I finished Scarlett, he vowed never to buy me another book again. Little did he know I’d one day end up sitting at a keyboard all day drafting my own stories.
My writing journey has not been easy. I didn’t just sit down one day, decide I was going to write a book and voila! sell my very first attempt. As most authors will probably agree, the path to publication is filled with hours of work, pulling all-nighters I thought I’d given up in college, sacrifices, rejections, but a love I discovered along the way I just can’t live without. Instead of a big, thick book to read by lamplight (I do read much smaller ones when I get the chance), I’ve traded in my reading obsession for a laptop. And I’ve never been happier.
I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a wonderful family and fabulous husband who put up with my writing—and obsessive personality—even when life is chaotic. More than once my kids have been late to swimming or baseball because I needed just five more minutes to finish a scene. Their support and encouragement mean the world to me. I also have amazing friends and a support network I couldn’t survive without. So to all of you out there who have encouraged me along the way, sent me emails and fan letters, phone calls and congratulations, I just want to say, thank you. You make this whole writing gig that much more enjoyable. I truly wouldn’t be here without you.
Author Links:
Website/Blog: http://www.elisabethnaughton.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElisNaughton
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.naughton1
Eternal Guardians FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/EternalGuardians
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2002988.Elisabeth_Naughton
