Catherine Astolfo's Blog, page 12

Win Prizes! Read a great book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway ENTER the RAFFLECOPTER Contest TODAY! In order to celebrate SWEET KAROLINE's birth, we're not only offering a ridiculously low introductory price (99¢ US) but we're holding a contest, having a party, and generally having a great time. It's CRAZY! But who cares, you get to be the big winners? Click on the book for the purchase link. Let me know how you like it! Authors LOVE reviews. You just might get another prize if you write one.

UNDER THE COVER!

Well, not really under the cover, but here IS the cover you've all been waiting for. Jefferson Airplane serenades Karoline into the world....When the truth is found to be lies, and all the joy within you dies, don't you want somebody to love, don't you need somebody to love...?

And here's a snippet of my wonderful Kirkus Review:

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New Roman"; panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Times-Roman; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-alt:Times; mso-font-charset:77; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Times;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style>  <span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">"In her latest novel, Astolfo (<i>Legacy</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, 2012, etc.) takes what at first glance appears to be a straightforward story of murder and guilt to an unexpected place ... where love is discovered. </span> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New Roman"; panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Times-Roman; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-alt:Times; mso-font-charset:77; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Times;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style>--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman;">A deliciously vibrant portrait that realistically muddles good and evil."—Kirkus Reviews</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jKk37VFOuPg..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jKk37VFOuPg..." width="416" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman;"><br /></span></div>

What A Difference A Day Makes!

Today, I can reveal my back cover text for my new book, Sweet Karoline.
                                    
                                  One more day and my real cover can be viewed!

And a day after that, Sweet Karoline can be purchased!

What a difference a day makes - twenty four little hours. (Sung of course.)

On Sunday, check back here for the party details. There will be a Rafflecopter contest with lots of books and a $50 Amazon gift certificate. A cyber party the next day and one after that...What a difference a day makes - twenty four little hours.

Resting up here at home while I get ready for a huge book tour (a virtual one, but still...)

Come back tomorrow! By now, you know the lyrics...

Should the cover be pink and sexy because it has romance in it? What city is depicted in this "cover"? Guess and you could win a prize.

In Vancouver Today!

Today I am in Vancouver with my friend and fellow author in Crime Writers of Canada, Robin Spano. Join us!  Robin's Blog


Another preview for Sweet Karoline. Here's her tag line and part of the book cover - just the text LOL! That picture could be the cover...but it's NOT! You have to wait 2 more sleeps.
 
If I knew what I know now, would I have searched so hard for the truth?
Anne Williams says she killed her best friend, Karoline. But did she? Or is there more to Karoline's mysterious death than meets the eye? 

 

Should the Cover be All About Me?

Home on the Range

...where the rain hasn't shown any sign of abating. Just a little south and east of us, Toronto is drowning. In Brampton, we are soggy, a little leaky, but none of our cars are floating.

Last night, we were celebrating our 24th anniversary with two other couples who got married the same weekend (just not the same year). My hubby and I were just getting ready to load up the car and get on the road when the deluge began. In those two hours, more rain fell than pounded the earth during Hurricane Hazel in 1954. Of course, we didn't know that when we started out.

An hour and a half later, past numerous floating cars, rivers that used to be roads, and stoplights that were blank and useless, we arrived at our friends' place.

Typically, they were prepared. A BBQ and a gas stove and a huge collection of candles were all we needed. Not to mention each other.

Writers are always ready for a story. Last night provided a few, but I'm not going to share them. Yet.


I am so excited about Sweet Karoline 's birth this Sunday. A whole bunch of my favorite people are gathering for her christening. You are all invited! Virtually or in person. TTYL - details right here.

Judge a Book by Its Cover! And - off to Guelp today.

Come over to see me at Alison Bruce's blog, Summer Shorts, since I am in Guelph with her today!

Also thinking about Sweet Karoline's cover. If Mel Bradshaw is right about the explosive nature of this book - maybe there should be a bomb on the cover?? What do you think??

Here's a trivia question for you: what singer do I see every time he comes to Toronto and what does he have to do with Sweet Karoline?

I Am Touring Today!

Go see me at http://funnygirlmelodie@blogspot.com today!


What do you think the cover of Sweet Karoline will look like? Will it have red wine, as advised by Robin Spano? What's my favorite kind of red wine? Take a guess and you could win a prize.

Where Am I?

This past March, I went to Los Angeles to refresh my memory (hadn't been here in a couple of years) and to scout out a certain location for book five. Quite a lot of the action of Sweet Karoline takes place in L.A., but the first scene rolls out in a certain apartment complex.

I'm not going to tell you where the building is located - but LA County is a HUGE hint. If you can guess where I am, you could win a free ebook copy of one of my books - your choice of 5!!

Anyway, a friend of ours chose an Italian restaurant in which to meet in the very town in which I'd placed my main protagonists.

I hadn't much time in between tours, meetings and dressing for dinner, so I was a little flustered. This had nothing to do with the wine consumed at lunch, I am sure, but I forgot the address of the location in my suitcase at the hotel.

Luckily, one of the waiters lived in town. He immediately recognized said spot from my description. As serendipity would have it, the place was about two minutes down the same street as the restaurant! Now that's when you believe there's a guiding hand above.


As soon as I saw the park that spreads out next to the building, I recognized it. Why? Because my hubby and I had been there on Google Earth!

However, there was nothing like actually standing in front of the place that I'd imagined, manipulated and dreamed about for months. My characters had lived here. Despite the fact that I'd changed a few things to suit my purposes, the apartment complex was alive and spooky and perfect in the California dusk.
 Surrounded by wrought iron, gothic, its lights mesmerizing in the darkness, it looked just right for filming a psychological suspense.

Here's how I describe it in the book: <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New Roman"; panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Times;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style><br />  <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Our apartment is part of a Moorish-Spanish designed collection of buildings that boast a beautiful stone façade, light brown stucco walls and rounded bay windows. Every balcony is bounded by gorgeous wrought iron, except for ours, which has rather high stone walls instead. The only drawback is that we have to stand up to see any view.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .3in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">"I used to shiver with delight and pride every time I entered the stone archway that graces the front entrance. Now I shiver for a wholly different reason." </span></span></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8pBEqyyFr0..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8pBEqyyFr0..." width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />That night, I was beside myself with excitement. Turns out this building has been the site of films before; most recently, an episode of True Blood, Season 5. I couldn't believe I had randomly picked this building to be Karoline and Anne's apartment! Again, there was serendipity at work.<br /><br />Once my amazing producer/casting director Rep gets a certain Hollywood actress to read the book, we can start filming right away.<br /><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tjvUnxH8g2I..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tjvUnxH8g2I..." width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where Am I?</td></tr></tbody></table> This is what they say on the location's website:<span style="background: #ffffff; float: left; margin-right: 23px; margin-top: 20px; padding-left: 10px; width: 667px;"> </span><span style="background: #ffffff; float: left; margin-right: 23px; margin-top: 20px; padding-left: 10px; width: 667px;">  </span><br />"It has been used as a site for many motion pictures, music videos, reality shows, TV shows, and commercials for the past 40-odd years."<br /><br />Holy coincidence, Bat Girl!<br /><br />Have you figured out where I am? What town I'm standing in? What the building's called?<br /><br />Leave me a message at <a href="mailto:cathy@catherinastolfo.com">cathy@catherinastolfo.com</a> with your guess and you just might be chosen to receive a free book.<br /><br /><b><i>But you only have until July 14 to guess</i></b>.<br /><br />That's when<b><i> Sweet Karoline</i></b> comes to a book site near you!<br /><span style="background: #ffffff; float: left; margin-right: 23px; margin-top: 20px; padding-left: 10px; width: 667px;"></span><span style="background: #ffffff; float: left; margin-right: 23px; margin-top: 20px; padding-left: 10px; width: 667px;"><br /></span>

Virtual Book and Blog Tour - WTH is That?

Since I can't afford (yet) to get on a plane, train or automobile and go traipsing around the world promoting my book, I let my fingers do the walking.

I have a whole list of wonderful bloggers and authors who are willing to host me on their blogs. From all around the world! They're wonderful people and great writers as well, so while you're reading my guest post, check them out, too.

You can come with me. Simply get on the circuit and follow me around. I'll send you all the links in advance and off we go. Don't even need to pack your toothbrush.



You can, however, drink beverages of a social nature, since there is no driving to be done.

 Sit back, read, laugh. You can even eat or watch TV at the same time if you are multitask minded.






Here are the dates and links for the Pre-Launch Blog Tour. Remember, we'll be there twenty-four hours a day! (You can click on the names to go directly there, or copy and paste the url.)

Saturday, July 6: Right here! Win a prize if you can guess, "Where Am I?" Katy's Words
www.katywords.blogspot.com

Sunday, July 7: Off to Oakville with my friend, Funny Girl Melodie http://funnygirlmelodie.blogspot.ca

Monday, July 8: Go to Guelph and see my friend, Alison Bruce
http://alisonebruce.blogspot.ca

Tuesday, July 9: I'll be coming back home for a change of clothes. Stop right here at Katy's Words, because you could be a winner! www.katywords.blogspot.com

Wednesday, July 10: A quick visit to Toronto to see my friend, Liz Bugg.
http://tinyurl.com/mrzn4f3

Thursday, July 11: All the way out to Vancouver to see my friend, Robin Spano
http://www.robinspano.com/blog-2

Friday, July 12: Coming home once again to refuel and prepare for the launch on July 14. Be here at Katy's Words, cuz more prizes are on the horizon. You'll also hear about all the upcoming fun as Sweet Karoline gets unleashed!
www.katywords.blogspot.com