C.J. Burright's Blog, page 27
April 23, 2014
April 21, 2014
Baton Blog Hop
Happy Monday…oh, wait. That’s an oxymoron. How about Yawn. Is it Friday yet?
Courtesy of Tumblr/pancakesaresosexy
I was tagged by the marvelous Tricia Skinner to join the Baton Blog Hop wagon, wherein authors are asked the same four questions and go on to tag three more authors to post the following Monday. And in case you’ve been missing out on the awesomeness that is Tricia, I’m here to help you out (you can thank me with chocolate, books and/or wine). She writes action-packed urban fantasy starring hot, weapon-wielding Nephilim. Vroom-vroom. Her latest, Angel Kin, is available for preorder and will be out in the world April 28, so be sure to get it!
And now, to the author-in-action questions…
What am I working on? Wonderfully Wicked, my debut novel and the first book in The Wicked Series, is out on May 13 (less than a month – woo-hoo!), and I’m almost finished roughing the first draft of the sequel, Beautifully Burned. The series is urban fantasy with a paranormal romance edge, focusing on brooding, damaged heroes and the women who they can’t live without.
How does my work differ from others of its genre? Instead of going with the typical supernatural creatures, I made up my own. There are the V’alkara – men who invade dreams and feed on nightmares. Their counterparts are the dreamcasters – women whose nightmares leak and come to life. The V’alkara hunt dreamcasters, which becomes a bit of a problem when the V’alkara falls for his target.
Photo courtesy of Victor Habbick/Free Digital Photos.net
Why do I write what I do? I love the paranormal, and I’ve always inhaled fantastical stories with action, fun characters, and a hit of romance. Plus, dreams have always fascinated me, so the combo was a no-brainer. Not that I don’t have a pure romantic fantasy or two in the works too…
How does my writing process work? Idea hits brain and bam! Write like a fiend…a fiend riding a sloth. The images are there in my head, but writing them down the way I see them takes a long time. There’s eventually some plotting involved, but typically my characters take me on their journey and I jot it down. Not that I don’t push them around some to hit turning points and torture them more than they’d like, but hey—it’s my world. They can just suck it up. I’m a slow, meticulous writer and tend to edit a lot as I go, but I polish, polish, polish after the rough draft is burned onto the screen.
My tagging victims for the Baton Blog Hop next week are:
Juliette Cross – I love her tagline: “Urban fantasy with a modern Gothic flair—a blend of old world sensuality with shadowed heroes and sharp-edged villains.” All the things I love best in a story!
Lisa T. Creswell – Lisa writes fanciful, magical YA stories, including The Storyteller Series and Hush Puppy. I ADORE Hush Puppy!
Rhenna Morgan – She’s the fantasy sexytimes queen, and I can’t wait for her stories to hit the world (soon, but not soon enough)!
April 16, 2014
April 11, 2014
I Demand My HEA
Image courtesy of samuiblue/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I recently read a popular trilogy (no names, I don’t want to spoil anyone’s enjoyment) and was reminded why I love to read romance: I’m guaranteed a happy ending. In this particular trilogy, after traipsing through disappointments and pain, triumphs and joy, the protagonist…
DIED
…as in snuffed out, never coming back, no chance of reincarnation or mistaken demise.
Courtesy of Tumblr/lawschool-adventures
What. The. Hell. I spent hours of my precious free time only to have my heart ripped into tiny pieces. I read to escape, to close the book and walk off with a happy sigh and warm and fuzzies dancing around in my veins. Life has enough heartache, thank you very much. I took three terms of Shakespeare in college (it’s the nerd in me) and I always leaned toward the comedies over the tragedies because the tragedies in the comedies always get resolved with a HEA. They don’t leave you feeling hollowed out, wondering why you came to know a character only to watch them be destroyed. I realize everyone dies, and sometimes minor characters die to move the story along, but come on! The main character? Leaving the love interest all alone, broken and empty? And should George R.R. Martin happen to be reading this…kill off Jon Snow and I might have to get violent.
photo courtesy of fierceandfabulousfuture.com
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are some tragedies I love, even if they’re painful. Like Phantom of the Opera. The English Patient. Dead Poets Society. Where the Red Fern Grows. Once in a great while, I drag those movies out, cry a little, and then make up happy endings for them. HAPPY ENDINGS. THEY’RE WHAT I WANT.
What about you? Do you prefer happy endings, or are you okay with a character kicking off at the end of the journey?
April 9, 2014
War Wednesday
Hey, everyone! Today is my first post at Geeks in High School, a brand spankin’ new multi-author blog celebrating nerdiness in all its many-faceted glory. Drop in and say “hey” – tell me who you’d choose between Bash and Francis from CW’s show Reign. Hit it here.
April 4, 2014
One Lucky Night
If you’re looking for the Spring Fling Blog Hop…hit here.
I’m so happy today to share the cover and official blurb of One Lucky Night with you!
One night can change everything…
The crew at Boston’s Brazen Head Pub hasn’t been very lucky in love. Can a mysterious visitor inspire them to look past old hurts and misconceptions and give romance a chance? One Lucky Night is a collection of five sexy interwoven novelettes by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips, and Melinda Dozier.
Lucky Break by Aria Kane
Four years ago, chef Derek Chase walked out of Andrea Rivera’s life after a tragedy neither of them were prepared to deal with. When she’s called to the Brazen Head to repair a dishwasher, old sparks ignite buried feelings.
Lucky Star by Grace Teague
When her life is threatened by a mugger, Charlotte Price realizes she’s in love with her best friend, Tommy Leung. The Brazen Head seems like the perfect neutral place to confess her feelings, but nothing goes according to plan.
A New Tune by Ana Blaze
When it comes to dating, Holly Hall has one unbreakable rule: no musicians. Not even gorgeous ones. Especially not gorgeous ones. Dating them only leads to heartbreak. So why did she let singer-songwriter Cian O’Neill kiss her? And why is she thinking about doing it again?
Lexi’s Chance by Constance Phillips
As a bartender, Sean Whalen meets all kinds of women every night, but none turn his head the way that Lexi has. She’s been playing cat and mouse with him for weeks. Tonight, Sean’s determined to get Lexi to quit teasing and take a real chance on him.
Drink or Dare by Melinda Dozier
A bachelorette party Drink or Dare game pairs paramedic students, Rachel Robertson and Killian Whelan, in a flirting match. Soon, the dares threaten to turn their academic rivalry into something much more.
One Lucky Night will be available in print and at all major ebook retailers on May 7th. For now, you can add it to Goodreads!
GIVEAWAY!!!!
The authors are giving away four print copies of One Lucky Night before you can buy it!
About the Authors
Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. As a military brat, she grew up all over the country, but now lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he’s a chihuahua.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads
Grace Teague lives in Pittsburgh with her spouse, children and a cat named Mr. Sushi.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Ana Blaze lives near Washington DC with her charming husband and three cats who firmly believe they are royalty. Ana is a member of Romance Writers of America.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Tumblr
Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two
ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect
fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her
daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Tumblr
Melinda Dozier teaches English to middle schoolers by day and writes at night. She lives in Guatemala, Central America with her college sweetheart and three sons.
April 3, 2014
Spring Fling Blog Hop
Welcome to the Spring Fling Blog Hop!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had Spring Fever for about two months. Give me sunshine with a spattering of rain showers, the smell of freshly mowed grass and a rainbow of flowers. And romance, of course. I asked Kalila and Lydon, the main characters of Wonderfully Wicked, their thoughts on Spring.
CJ: Kalila, if you could go anywhere with your true love in Spring, where would you go?
Kalila: First off, true love? Don’t think so. Romance really isn’t my thing, which is for the best, believe me. As far as places go, I freakin’ love those green fields with herds of pure-as-the-driven-snow lambs. Make me hungry for Gyros. And hillsides of daffodils are awesome. Did you know daffodil bulbs are toxic? Good fact to remember in case of emergencies. If I actually had some dude I’d want to go someplace with–purely fantasy here, got it?–I’d head off to the Maldives Islands. Maybe an ocean of starlight would keep my nightmares at bay for a while. Hey, a girl can dream.
Photo by Will Ho
CJ: Okay then. On to Lydon. What’s your favorite thing about Spring?
Lydon: I prefer winter. Darker days, darker dreams. Spring brings out the feel-good bubblies in humans. Happy people don’t have many nightmares, and when you need nightmares to survive…yeah. This Spring might be different, though. I found this feisty dreamcaster who isn’t afraid to play, and her nightmares might be just what I need. Maybe she’ll become my favorite thing about Spring.
What’s your favorite thing about Spring?
Blog hop commands (in case you hadn’t heard): To win the grand prize, a $70 gift card to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon, comment (be sure to leave your email addy!) and enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway.
But don’t limit yourself to one prize! Every hop stop has goodies, so go for them all, people! My giveaway is this super-awesome Edgar Allan Poe journal (Kalila has a fondness for Poe) – use it to document your dreams, your thoughts, keep track of people on your black list…it’s totally your call.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
SHARE THE LOVE AND KEEP ON HOPPING!!
1.
Bitten by Romance
19.
Sherri @ Urban Girl Reader
37.
Elise Hepner
2.
Lisa Jung
20.
Mina Khan
38.
Rayna Noire
3.
A.L. Kessler
21.
Catharina Shields
39.
Morgan K Wyatt
4.
Lusty Penguin Reviews
22.
Joleene Naylor
40.
Dawn Marie Hamilton Writes
5.
Mia Bishop
23.
Matthew Alan Thyer
41.
Taking Time for Mommy
6.
Lisa Chalmers
24.
Allison Merritt (US)
42.
Jeanine McAdam
7.
I Smell Sheep
25.
Krystal Shannan
43.
Tawdra Kandle
8.
Karen Cino
26.
Carolyn Gibbs
44.
Mama Knows Books
9.
Liana Brooks
27.
Rage, Sex and Teddy Bears
45.
Holley Trent
10.
Booked & Loaded
28.
Catherine Stine
46.
Renee Luke
11.
Dianne Hartsock
29.
Susan Arden~ Bad Boys
47.
Ambrielle Kirk
12.
Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust (US)
30.
Reading Between the Wines
48.
MYTHICAL BOOKS(INT)
13.
Madison Sevier
31.
Rhi Reading
49.
Tista Ray
14.
Donna Augustine
32.
Christina Irelan
50.
Natasha Blackthorne
15.
CJ Burright
33.
Lacey Leigh
51.
Between The Pages
16.
Harper A. Brooks
34.
E. S. P.
52.
Natalie- Nicole Bates
17.
Just Jeannie’s Books & Bling
35.
Sedona Venez
18.
Dani Harper, Paranormal Author
36.
Gretchen Roberts
March 28, 2014
My Take on Divergent
I read Divergent because my enthusiastic friend (you know who you are) couldn’t stop talking about it and was counting down the days until the movie. I wanted to read the book before the movie, so…I smoked through it in one weekend. I liked it. I thought it had all the makings for a great movie: action, political unrest, apocalyptic world, a smidge of romance.
But, lemme tell ya…this is the first movie-EVER-I liked better than the book (not that I wasn’t slightly annoyed when the movie diverged–get it? Diverge?–from the book). I’ll count down a few reasons why:
Kick-ass, yet imperfect and sometimes vulnerable, heroine
Pretty cool dystopian world and a population split into five unique factions
Awesome fighting–not only hand-to-hand, but with guns and daggers–and you know how I like my sharp, pointy weapons. Sigh…it’s like all my violent dreams in one movie.
Freakin’ amazing tattoos
Oh, yeah…did I mention this guy, Four? He’s like a walking weapon. I want to be on his team.
And now, I’ve bumped Insurgent to the tippy-top of my must-read-now list (actually, I AM reading it now). Have you read the book, seen the movie? What do you think…book, movie, neither (ack), both?
March 26, 2014
Picture This…
Ready for some love and laughs, all wound together in one giggling ball of e-literary romantic fun? Of course you are, and I’m here to help you out. Picture This by Jayne Denker, book two in her Marsden Novel series (a small-town rom com series set in the fictional town of Marsden, NY), will be ready just in time for those lazy summer afternoons made for reading in the shade and drinking iced tea. July 17, people. Don’t risk forgetting! Preorder here.
And now, on to the goods…
PICTURE THIS (A Marsden Novel #2)
It’s where everyone knows your business—and remembers everything you’d rather forget. But somehow the little Catskills town of Marsden draws the most unlikely people back home, turns their lives every which way, and helps them finally figure out what—and who—they want most…
As a celebrity photographer’s assistant, Celia Marshall is used to seeing all kinds of weird antics. But subbing as the model in irrepressible movie star Niall Crenshaw’s latest endorsement ad—while wearing his silk boxers, no less—is definitely not in her job description. Neither is falling for him, especially since he’s dating his latest co-star. To complicate things further, Celia is returning to Marsden to keep an eye on her eccentric grandmother—and Niall is driving her there, then staying to judge a talent contest…
Soon Celia is pulled in a dozen different directions, trying to get her grandmother to act her age, placating her frantic former boss who’s organizing the contest—and attempting to stay away from funny, sexy Niall. Celia’s always been level headed, but suddenly she’s wishing she could get reckless right along with him. Has the time come for sensible Celia to cut loose?…
Links:
Amazon * B&N * Kobo * iTunes
Jayne Denker divides her time between working hard to bring the funny in her romantic comedies and raising a young son who’s way too clever for his own good. She lives in a small village in western New York that is in no way, shape, or form related to the small village in her Marsden novels
Down on Love
and Picture This. When she’s not hard at work on another novel, the social media addict can usually be found frittering away startling amounts of time on Facebook and Twitter. Visit her blog or at Goodreads.
March 21, 2014
The Writing Machine – Author Cassie Mae
The Real Thing
By Cassie Mae
Publication: August 19, 2014 by Random House Flirt
What it’s all about:
Eric Matua has one friend—his best friend and childhood sweetheart, who needs a place to stay for the summer. Mia Johnson has thousands of friends—who live in her computer. Along with her email chats and Facebook notifications, Mia also devours romance novels, spending countless hours with fictional characters, dreaming of her own Romeo to sweep her off her feet. When she starts receiving supersweet messages from a stranger who thinks she’s someone else, Mia begins to believe that real love is possible outside her virtual world.
When the two friends become roommates, Mia finds herself falling harder than she ever thought she could. But Eric keeps his desires locked away, unsure of himself and his ability to give his best friend what she deserves in a boyfriend. As her advances are continually spurned, Mia splits her time between Eric and her computer. But she soon realizes she’s about to lose the only real thing she’s ever had.
Add it to Goodreads and pre-order it now from Amazon!
Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. She’s the author of the Amazon Bestsellers REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND and HOW TO DATE A NERD, and is the debut author for the Random House FLIRT line with her New Adult novels FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI and SWITCHED. She spends time with her angel children and perfect husband who fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.
Cassie Contact Info:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Pinterest
So, this book… it’s about this girl.
And she loves her online time.
Her phone is her buddy.
And her favorite app is her Kindle, because she also LOVES to read.
Read a lot.
Then there’s this boy.
He’s best friends with this bookworm girl.
He sort of has a thing for her.
But, he’s also got major anxiety.
And isn’t sure how to make a move.
So when they end up rooming together for the summer, this guy tries to get this girl to put the screen away long enough for him to win her over.
But of course, it’s not easy to unplug. Especially for an internet junkie.
Hmm… that girl sounds pretty familiar
And here’s the hawt cover for it!
