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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Catching Up with Jenny Brigalow

Morning, folks! Are y'all ready for a HOT rodeo rider?

The talented Jenny Brigalow stopped by to catch up and tell us about her debut romance, A Man for All Seasons. Gosh, don't you just love her cover? She's also giving away a copy of her ebook, so please leave a comment!


The Blurb:

When successful rodeo rider and racehorse trainer Chad Cherub steps off the plane at Heathrow, love is the last thing on his mind. He’s travelled from Australia to do a business deal with the wealthy entrepreneur and racehorse fanatic, Walter Driscoll. However, he soon finds himself distracted by Wally’s gorgeous daughter, Seraphim.

Sweet, spoiled Seraphim, a gifted dressage rider, is also distracted. Engaged to the eminently suitable Barry Wellington-Worth, the arrival of cool, confident Chad forces her to re-examine her life. When she discovers the devastating truth that she does not love Barry, and learns that Chad’s cook has been injured, Seraphim jumps at the chance to take up the position on his remote property and scape the confines of her English life.

In the great dust bowl of the Australian Outback the couple find they have more in common than horses. Their love blooms as they work hard to start a new life together. But Seraphim’s family, and the past, threatens to tear them apart. It is only when the truth is laid bare that the barriers are broken own

What inspired you to write A Man For All Seasons?

A visit to the Outback. It's just so vast and the people that live there are  so tough and resilient. Such a contrast to England's gentle, green terrain. It was wonderful to be able to bring the two contrasting landscapes together between the covers of a book.

Describe A Man For All Seasons in 140 characters.

Love overcoming all the odds in the Outback

What actor or actress would play Chad and Seraphim in a movie?

I'd love to see two fresh faces! There are so many talented young people out there just waiting for a chance.

What advice would you give someone experiencing writers block?

Firstly,  I'd say don't worry too much . I think that a writing block is just part of the process. It will go away! I've got a few ways of dealing with it. Sometimes a break helps. (A cuppa and bit of chocolate helps most things.)  Also, going out for a walk seems to oil the cogs. Cheers my dogs up too. When it's a major hurdle I get out the pen and paper and start scribbling. I use flow charts to try and create a new path. And always I try to remember that this is my story. My place. And my people. I can do anything. So, when in doubt, go nuts. You can always come back and change it.

 


What's next for you?

I'm busy polishing another romance, set in north Queensland based around the rodeo scene. And also I'm researching for a YA fantasy series that I'm developing. And finally I'm writing the third and final novel for my Overlander trilogy. Lots to keep me out of mischief.

BUY LINKS: Steam eReads

Amazon

Amazon UK

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Confessions from the Past from Your Mom in the Future


 

Dear Falcone Baby,

 

I realize there are women out there making me feel awful as they’re writing pregnancy journals and registering everything that happens. So. Since only nerdy brain surgeons and archeologists
specializing in Egyptian hieroglyphics can understand my handwriting, I decided it’d be way easier to post this blog.

Seventeen years from now, I’ll say, “Hey kid, want to know what it was like to be in your mother’s tummy?” and you’ll say, “Eww. No.” I’ll say, “Go to blogger.com.” You’ll say,“What’s blogger.com? Dad, Mom has been drinking again.” There.

Still. Just so I won’t forget.

I’m 23 weeks pregnant and just yesterday, someone said, “Oh, but you don’t look pregnant.” I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted. Does that mean that person just normally thought the bump I’ve been carrying has always been there? Or worse, has it really been there and I just lived in denial, buying tops from Lane Bryant and avoiding mirrors? If this seems silly to you, well, I gave this conundrum a good 17 minutes of reflection. Then, a pretzel stand at the mall got my attention and I figured I had other things to worry about.

I’ve also been having very realistic dreams – sometimes three different ones each night. Last one I remember, I was being interviewed by three different people for a job as a GM in this paradisiac resort in Aruba. Then your sister poked me because she’d had a bad dream of her own…and I still have no idea if I got the job or not. I suppose it was better this way; I don’t really want to get caught up in the corporate culture again, right?

And now, well, you do your thing, which at 15 must include several suspicious minutes alone in the bathroom and going out with your friends from school – none of whom I will approve.

Okay. Let’s go back to when you were a cute baby inside my womb. I’m sure I’ll resort to that image several times in the future – especially when we don’t see eye to eye and your teen years bring me to my knees.

Gosh. Now I know why I kept away from very personal blogs when I was pregnant. I get too emotional and carried away – of course, this never really happens, as I’m sure your dad can attest. Anyway… Before you go to college, why don’t we all go on a family trip together? How about Aruba?

 

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Author Reviews: Yay or Nay?





I spent my weekend catching up with writing reviews for books I’ve read – some of them I’d read a while ago but hadn’t really had the time to review.

Along the way, this process brought to my mind a conversation I had with a writer friend a couple of weeks ago. She stated that, being a writer, she was biased to leave reviews for other writers. I respect her opinion, but I believe in...

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Friday, April 12, 2013

YAY! Time for my cover reveal! Are you ready?

 
Heating Up Hawaii Cover Reveal

OMG, you guys! Thanks to the talented Victoria Miller, I got this awesome cover for my sexy contemporary novella releasing on May 3rd from Breathless Press. Do you like it? I love that the hero has mismatched eyes just like in the story!




There is just one person standing between Penny Ashbrook’s dream of opening her own PR business or being stuck at her job–the formidable Luc Leoni–her first lover, and the man who lets nothing and no-one get in his way. Seeing him after so long brings all the hidden emotions after a life altering break-up to surface. Pain, denial and…lust.

Luc has made many sacrifices for his career, including Penny Ashbrook, the woman who set his aspirations back a year, but now she has returned and is more alluring than ever. After all these years, he thought a self-made billionaire as himself could master everything, but to resist the strong pull toward the one woman he can't have is an impossible task.

When this unlikely pair is reunited they will have to face the many challenges set in their way, especially an attraction that has only heightened with time and a deadline quickly approaching. Can their new bond surpass old—and new—fears?


Let’s get to know each other better




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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Cover Reveal for Soldier in Chains!


It’s Cover Reveal Time!

Megan D. Martin is here revealing the cover for her upcoming erotica release Soldier in Chains. So, whatcha think?





Blurb:

Dorian North, a soldier in the United States Army, is only hours away from being finished with her final tour in Afghanistan. It's only when she’s ambushed by al Qaeda that Dorian is knocked unconscious and awakens to find herself bound and gagged in a stranger's bed. She desperately tries to escape, but quickly finds herself enamored with her captor's alarming handsomeness.

Rob Hutcherson is a former Sergeant of the United States Marine Corps, who stumbled upon an al Qaeda ambush. He rescues the surviving soldier: the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eyes on. Taking her back to his home he finds his attraction to the fierce young woman to be overwhelming. When she wakes for the first time her goal is clear: escape. In fear for her safety he chains the little hell cat to his bed. He can't bear the thought of losing her, so he plans to show the little spit fire all the reasons she should stay…

 

Release day has been moved up! Look for Soldier in Chains at your favorite book seller after Friday, April 12th!

Available as an ebook.

 

About the author:

Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, editor, student, and mother.
She enjoys decorating her home with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks.

To learn more about Megan check her out on these social networking sites. 

 

 
Blog: http://www.MeganDMartin.blogspot.com
Twitter: 
http://www.twitter.com/Megan_D_Martin
goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6656963.Megan_D_Martin
Google+: 
https://plus.google.com/115096823539939478098/posts
 
Soldier in Chains

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

My Author Friend Has an eBook Out. How Can I help?


 
Your friend just got published – electronically! Share her enthusiasm and spread the good news. Here’s how.

ü  First of all, read it! You won’t be able to rate it, review it or promote it unless you read it.

ü  Timing is key, so if you want to support your author friend, buy the eBook as soon as it comes out and start reading as soon as you can. It’s a very competitive market out there and the more books your friend sells, the better. Not only will she’ll feel encouraged, but a lot of sales at release can help the author gain momentum, which is especially important on big sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Sometimes, the position on the sales rank itself can be a marketing tool, as it’ll give the book more exposure and draw more readers. So, buy it now. Read it now. Review it – you guessed! – now. Don’t wait.

ü  If you enjoyed the book and wish to leave a review, tell readers WHY they should buy that book. “But I suck at that,” you say. Not to worry. I’ve got the down low.

§  For instance, don’t write something like, “I love it, you should buy it.” Were the characters compelling? Was the plot absorbing? Did you relate to the heroine or the hero? Were the descriptions so vivid you felt like you traveled through the book? Give as much detail as you can, and no, you don’t have to be a writer to write a review. It’s kind of like telling someone WHY you enjoyed a movie so much.

ü  Use social media as your ally. Share her cover reveals on Facebook, via Twitter retweets or Goodreads recommendations – anything helps. You don’t have to beat your friends over the head with tons of updates (which can have the opposite effect), but just enough to create some buzz.

ü  If you belong to a book club, suggest to your fellow members that they invite your friend for a lecture or a meet-and-greet with the author.

ü  If you can/want/like to party, throw your friend a release party where you invite some people you know – not just the people your author friend already knows – who might be potential readers.

ü  Don’t ever say something like, “When is the real (print) book coming out?” or “Too bad you don’t have a hard copy.” Times have changed, and e-readers and reading apps have gained popularity and made it possible for authors to reach a broader audience. Just because a book isn’t printed doesn’t mean it lacks quality or value. Don’t diminish the new technology. And if you really just prefer the old-fashioned way, that’s okay too – but don’t patronize your friend.
 Writing is a tough business that involves a lot of hard work, persistence, nerves of steel and a good amount of luck. Sometimes it feels like a lonely trip to the land of the unknown. But having the support of our family and friends make it all a lot less threatening.
If your friend has a book out, be a pal.