Thursday, December 31, 2015

My Favorite Reads of 2015

Did you do a lot of reading in 2015? I feel like I ingested hundreds of books and there are just a few that have made my list of Favorite Reads of 2015. Are you curious as to what they are?

Well, wait no longer! Here they are (in no particular order):

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover


From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance.

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter's cheating on her--and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one...
Original music created for Maybe Someday by musician Griffin Peterson can be accessed through the website listed in the ebook and paperback.

From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Slammed, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, This Girl, and Losing Hope, Maybe Someday is destined to be another bestseller and long-lasting fan favorite.
********
I just have to say Colleen threw me for a loop in like chapter 2 or 3 in this novel of hers...it just...I just...sigh. Just read it, you'll thank me!

November 9 by Colleen Hoover


Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?

********

I finished November 9 on November 11th and then started reading it again 3 hours later. The first time is was great, the second time it was even better, even though I knew the twists and the ending.

The Consequence of Loving Colton by Rachel Van Dyken


It’s all fun and games…until someone’s heart is broken.

They’re not kids anymore, but Milo Caro is certain that Colton Mathews will only see her as his best friend’s little sister for the rest of their lives. After all, he made that clear the night before she left for college. But four years later, her brother is getting married and Colt’s the best man—and guess who is the best man’s last-minute date?

Milo vows to use the wedding to either claim the smoldering firefighter’s heart or douse this torch for good. When Max—her best friend from college, who may be carrying a torch of his own—crashes the party, they devise a plan to make Colt see what he’s missing. But after Colt catches on, he decides to cook up his own revenge.

Now it’s personal. Colt and Milo are at war, and between Max’s questionable acting methods, an unfortunate trip to jail, and a maniacal fiancĂ©e, what could possibly go right?

********

Oh my, the banter and the tension. So, so good!

Pretend You're Mind by Lucy Score


I only wanted to protect you...

Luke Garrison is a hometown hero, a member of the National Guard ready to deploy again. Strong, sweet, and sexy, he doesn't have a girlfriend and doesn't want one. When the wildly beautiful Harper stumbles into his life, though, he realizes that she's the perfect decoy. A fake girlfriend to keep his family off his back until he's out on another mission.

So what if a single bite of her lip sends his mind to wicked places? He can control himself. Can't he?

Harper was on her way to starting a new life... again. But something about Luke makes her want to settle down in this small town and make Luke's house a home. When his arms wrap around her like steel, she finally knows what it's like to feel safe. Protected.

One night of sleeping in the same bed turns into something much, much more... and soon Luke can't keep his mind off Harper's wide gray eyes, or his hands off of her luscious curves. He never thought he'd feel this way about a woman again. But he knows that he can't tell her the truth about his dark past, and she can't reveal to him what she's running from.

Anyway, this isn't a real relationship. It's only for a month. Only pretend. Until it isn't...
********
I can't think of another book this year that made me FEEL so much. I just can't tell you all the feels I had throughout this book - it was amazing! 

The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry


I was warned about Tristan Cole.

“Stay away from him,” people said.
“He’s cruel.”
“He’s cold.”
“He’s damaged.”

It’s easy to judge a man because of his past. To look at Tristan and see a monster.

But I couldn’t do that. I had to accept the wreckage that lived inside of him because it also lived inside of me.

We were both empty.

We were both looking for something else. Something more.

We both wanted to put together the shattered pieces of our yesterdays.

Then perhaps we could finally remember how to breathe.

********

This. Was. Just. That. Book. This book made me want to be a better writer. It made me want to pull the emotions from my readers. I fell in love with the characters, the story and the heart.

********

So...what were your favorite reads of 2015? I'd love to know!!

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

CATCHING FOX Release Day Blitz!



CATCHING FOX Is Now Available!

A new adult, contemporary romance
By Aimee McNeil
Limitless Publishing http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/
Cover Designed by TOJ Publishing Services

"You remind me of a fox because you are quick, quiet, and...beautiful."

Find It On Amazon>> 
AMAZON CAN http://amzn.to/1Yhm8RN

FREE on Kindle Unlimited!


GOODREADS http://bit.ly/1NQfErs

A chance meeting between two young souls is all it took...

When Adalynne Fairweather was just a child, her entire life had already been planned. From Ivy League schools to a career in law, adventure was the one thing out of her reach. That was until a boy with bright green eyes and a monster truck t-shirt wandered into her back yard, giving the adventure she longed for.

Refuge can be found in the most unlikely places…
Damon Knight’s abusive home life left him longing for a childhood he never had—until he wandered into Adalynne’s yard. She took his hand, smiled at him, and even gave him a nickname. Fox. The woods became their escape—a place to flee from reality. He discovered music through Adalynne’s piano, and not long after that, she gave him a guitar. Little did he know that gift would change his life forever.

Years later, their age is not the only thing that’s changed...

Adalynne’s love for Fox took on a life of its own. As they begin to build their lives, her heart aches for him in ways she can’t understand. As they slowly begin to drift apart, Adalynne becomes more desperate to cling to their secret romance.

But Fox is no longer the bright-eyed child from the woods. Her shy, beautiful Fox has grown into a dark, troubled man with a guitar. And when her last attempt to salvage their relationship breaks Adalynne’s heart, catching Fox a second time seems just out of her reach.




Tuesday, December 15, 2015

A note from my editor


This morning bright and early at 6:20am, sitting in my email inbox was THE email. You know the big one...the editing email.

Dun
Dun
Duunnnn!

Let me say, I was pretty worried that she would come back and say something along the lines of:
  1. You need to add 10,000 words, or
  2. You need to delete these X amount of chapters

She didn't say either of those, so I wiped the sweat from my brow! But here is a little of what she did say:
Hi BK!

First of all let me say that you made me cry and that's not nice! But honestly, I really enjoyed your book and I could really connect with Jemma (especially the grandma story line) and that was cool. You also did the love triangle in a really cool way. A lot of times triangles seem overdone but this was interesting because it was a rock star and who hasn't fancied themselves in love with a rock star who's spoken to their soul? So glad I'm the one getting to work with you!!
Did you catch what she said?!?! She CRIED!!! Seriously, as a writer, having your readers cry is one of the biggest compliments and one you strive for...okay, well, not every writer strives for that. But as a contemporary writer, yes, I do strive for pulling the emotional strings.

So, one of my author goals has already been achieved even before RAINING DOWN RULES has been released, and I am so very flattered!

I'm still waiting on my final cover, and hopefully I can reveal it soon.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Book Review: Eerie

From author C.M. McCoy, comes a story about love, loss and creepy things all rolled up into one amazing package that you'll have a really hard time putting down.

EERIE is the debut novel for C.M. McCoy who is an Irish dancer and former Air Force officer living in the Great White North. Though B.S.'d in Chemical Engineering and German, she’s far happier writing stories involving Alaska and a body bag (with an awkward kiss in the mix.) While working emergency dispatch for Alaska State Troopers, she learned to speak in 10-codes, which she still does...but only to annoy her family.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Blurb:

Being a ParaScience freshman is a nightmare come true...

Hailey’s dreams have always been, well...vivid. As in monsters from her nightmares follow her into her waking life vivid. When her big sister goes missing, eighteen-year-old Hailey finds the only thing keeping her safe from a murderous 3,000-year old beast is an equally terrifying creature who’s fallen “madly” in love with her. Competing to win her affection, the Dream Creature, Asher, lures her to the one place that offers safety—a ParaScience university in Alaska he calls home. There, she studies the science of the supernatural and must learn to live with a roommate from Hell, survive a tunneling earworm, extract a carnivorous splinter, evade the campus poltergeists, and hope the only creature who can save her from an evil immortal doesn’t decide to kill her himself.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Review:
5 / 5 stars


Sex: Nope.  There's is some steamy lip-locking, though.

Language: Is fairly mild, however there are a few sh*t's and only one f-bomb.

Violence: There is the mention of dismemberment a couple times, along with a few good punches thrown in. There is also the tying of souls which is quite painful to the one it's inflicted upon.

Drugs/Alcohol: The main character takes a few drinks of whiskey or wine.

Nudity: Yes, there is nudity but only because of poltergeists and the pranks they play.

What I Loved:  First and foremost, I loved the world building at Beartown University in Middle of Nowhere, Alaska. I mean there are yetis, bookworms who drink tea and blow up like balloons, and not to mention the carnivorous splinters and the 30 types of misquitos! The world is so well built, you'll want to journey up north and tour this strange, magical place. The next best thing is Hailey's roommate from Hell, Giselle. She is the complete and total opposite of Hailey: grumpy, dark, brooding, creepy and oh, NOT human. I love that I LOL'd literally a dozen times and that I had that tingly neck pulling feeling at other times (you know the one where you're reading something heartbreaking but you don't cry, you just FEEL the pain? Yeah, that one). I just plain LOVED this book!

Why 5 Stars?  This was an easy 5 stars for me because I just simply loved this book! I don't easily give out 5 stars because I do tend to pick out little things like language or cliche endings, but with Eerie, I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the story and the world!

What I want more of: The rest of the story, obviously! Without giving the ending away, I want to know what happens between Hailey and Fin and even Asher, I have so many things I want to know...like when will book 2 be released?!?!

Who Would Like This? Fans of Harry Potter will remember why they fell in love with Harry Potter because of EERIE. C.M. McCoy has created a fantastical world within EERIE at Beartown University and Middle of Nowhere, Alaska. You'll love the carnivorous splinters and Giselle, Hailey's roommate from Hell. You'll love Hailey's draw to Asher and the sneaky feelings she feels towards Fin. Seriously, what won't you like?

Where Can I Buy EERIE?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0176M19RM
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eerie-C-M-McCoy-ebook/dp/B0176M6MA6
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Eerie-C-M-McCoy-ebook/dp/B0176M19RM
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781623422332
Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/eerie/id1052918810
BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/search?query=9781623422332
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/eerie-17
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/C_M_McCoy_Eerie?id=yfDPCgAAQBAJ







>>>>SPOILER ZONE—DO NOT read past this if you don't want to know what happens in the book!<<<<





Seriously...stop reading if you haven't read the book!!







So here is where we discuss more of "the book". And I don't just mean more summary or equivilant, I mean we're going to go into the nitty gritty (does anyone really still say that?) Alright, lets begin with the creatures called Envoys. So, Asher, he's one of the Envoys who is longing to go back home to the Aether, one of the three worlds/dimensions in EERIE (you have earth, Heaven and the Aether, a kind of in-between where energy is the Envoys) Being an Envoy, you can take any shape you want, and of course, Asher chooses to look somewhat like James Dean, because...James Dean. And Hailey met him in her dreams when she was young and kinda developed a crush on him, because...JAMES DEAN!

But then we're introduced to Fin who is a little older than Hailey and has girls dripping off of him because he's Hottie McFly. Hailey had a little crush on him for a short while too, but decided he was more like a big brother the way he looked out for her.

So then Holly, Hailey's sister up and gets her foot chopped off in the alley and...wait for it...DIES! She dies and we're like...wait! She and Hailey were going to go to this obscure college in Middle of Nowhere, Alaska and study Parascience. While she's grieving Holly, Fin, who's been there helping her through the funeral, just up and leaves and she doesn't see him again for almost six months! Way to be dependable, Fin...

Insert college now and the trip to Alaska is crazy! Fin AND Asher are both there and she's like..."Wait, what are you two doing here? You go to Beartown?" And Fin's all..."Yeah, something like that." And Asher's all...."I'm ignoring you..."

And then there's all this crazy stuff about don't get hurt because if you go the hospital on campus you might die because sometimes that happens...but hey! You won't be dead long. Oh, and don't forget your Yeti spray, because...YETI'S.

Let's not forget Giselle and her crazy sleeping cocoon on the ceiling or how she hates Hailey, but secretly doesn't. I just love her and her transformation and how Hailey is always trying to befriend her. It's such a great part of EERIE and makes it real.

So we're back to Asher and Fin and how they grapple over Hailey and I have to say, I am Team Fin, all the way. I kinda love that he tries to tell Hailey how he feels about her by being obscure. Sure, pushing her away as his did gave me the whole tingly neck pulling thing (remember from above??), but it added so much to her realization later on how he felt.

And then that rotten Cobon and his nasty trick at the end...I really didn't see that coming, oh, Cobon is an Envoy who has kind of gone insane and isn't too nice. Like at all (remember Holly from above? He orchestrated that whole deal - see...not nice!) I did, however, think that what happened in the very end, was going to happen...but I'm not really going to discuss that...if you really want to know how EERIE ends, you're just going to have to buy yourself a copy, because...EERIE.


>>>>EERIE and C.M. McCoy will soon be a household name, I am sure!!<<<<

Monday, December 7, 2015

Upcoming new YA release: EERIE by CM McCoy

Eerie by C.M. McCoy

Release Date: 15 Dec 2015
Omnific Publishing with distribution through Simon & Schuster

Summary: Being a ParaScience freshman is a nightmare come true Hailey’s dreams have always been, well...vivid. As in monsters from her nightmares follow her into her waking life vivid. When her big sister goes missing, eighteen- year-old Hailey finds the only thing keeping her safe from a murderous 3,000-year old beast is an equally terrifying creature who’s fallen “madly” in love with her. Competing to win her affection, the Dream Creature, Asher, lures her to the one place that offers safety—a ParaScience university in Alaska he calls home. There, she studies the science of the supernatural and must learn to live with a roommate from Hell, survive a tunneling earworm, extract a carnivorous splinter, evade the campus poltergeists, and hope the only creature who can save her from an evil immortal doesn’t decide to kill her himself.

Watch the awesome book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPx4FELVxH4

Early praise for EERIE:

“EERIE, full of voice and romance, is a thrilling and beautifully crafted story that had me up late, racing through the pages to get to the end.” - Author Brenda Drake

“5 stars! I felt there was a mash-up between Hogwarts, Xavier Institute for Exceptional Youngsters, and Beauty and the Beast, AND I LOVED IT! The creatures, the classes, the college, the Middle of Nowhere! How awesome!”  - Truth About Books by A. Fae on EERIE

“I would definitely buy this series. I really loved these characters. It read very quickly, and the Alaska jokes really got me giggling.  - Confessions of a Book Whore, Jamie S. on EERIE

“EERIE is Harry Potter meets Twilight meets the Bible with a little bit of the abusive/controlling 50 Shades male mixed in. This is a really fast-paced, exciting novel. There is plenty of drama, romance, mystical beings and mystery to keep you flipping the pages and promising yourself "just one more chapter" before bed. And then before you know it, ten o'clock turns into two in the morning...again.”  - Amanda's Own Little Corner Book Reviews

About C.M. McCoy:

C.M. McCoy is an Irish dancer and former Air Force officer living in the Great White North. Though B.S.'d in Chemical Engineering and German, she’s far happier writing stories involving Alaska and a body bag (with an awkward kiss in the mix.) While working emergency dispatch for Alaska State Troopers, she learned to speak in 10- codes, which she still does...but only to annoy her family.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.cmmccoy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eeriesaga
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eerie_o
★ Add to GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27274308-eerie

✔ PRE-ORDER EERIE for $2.99:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0176M19RM
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eerie-C-M-McCoy-ebook/dp/B0176M6MA6
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Eerie-C-M-McCoy-ebook/dp/B0176M19RM
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781623422332
Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/eerie/id1052918810
BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/search?query=9781623422332
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/eerie-17
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/C_M_McCoy_Eerie?id=yfDPCgAAQBAJ

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

NaNoWriMo 2015


Yes. Yes I did!

Okay, so I kinda worked on three different novels during Nano...but most of the 50k went into On Darkened Wing. Only about 1500 went into The Phoenix, and the rest went into Raining Down Redemption. which I'll be focusing on over the next month or so.

Raining Down Redemption is the companion novel to RAINING DOWN RULES (coming out Feb. 9, 2016 from Limitless Publishing). This companion novel is all about the rock star and what happens when he runs into his high school girlfriend while the band is back home in Phoenix working on a new album. He has a lot to deal with, relationships to repair, secrets to learn all while keeping himself on the right path. I'm excited to write and finish Jordan's story and then move onto the edits on RAINING DOWN RULES from my publisher.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Please excuse me for the month of November...

I'll be writing away on my NaNoWriMo story called On Darkened Wing.  But here is a quick run-down on what's been happening in the past couple weeks.

 - I received my book blurb to edit and approve.  I only made a couple corrections and let me tell you I'm excited to see it on the book jacket!

 - I'm ready to begin querying The Phoenix again now that my rewrites are complete.  Click here to read more about this YA novel.

 - Nano is in full swing - today is day 3 and I'm 3886 words into the 50k to win Nano again this year.  Which I plan to do despite my poor husbands puppy dog eyes he gives me when I sit down to write after our kidlets are in bed.  Sorry hun.

 - I planned my nano story with a basic idea and then day 2 I scrubbed it and went with a completely new story I'm more inspired to write.  Here is what it's about:

ON DARKENED WING

When the Kingdom of Fae Rae'al is threatened by the Unseelie Court, the king and queen send their infant son to the human world to be raised by exiled faeries who are not aware of their adopted son's identity.  They live in peace for seventeen years and the prince grows up believing he's, Redd, the dorky, clumsy son of Greg and Marion Hill.

When the threat returns to Fae Rae'el, the king and queen send Zuzana, their most promising seeker, to the human world to watch over their son and keep him safe.  She joins the ranks of Culvert High in an attempt to blend in and keep her eye on Prince Oren—or Redd as he's called.  But when the threat crosses into the human domain, Zuzana must reveal to Redd his true nature and bring him back to Fae Rae'el to rule by his father's side to protect the realm of faeries.

If Zuzana fails in her mission, the Unseelie Court will break through the barrier protecting Fae Rae'el and expose them to the humans, ultimately raining down destruction to all in the Seelie Court.

So in the meantime, please be patient with me for the month of November.  I will try to post updates and other fun tidbits, but I'll be typing until my fingers bleed and my eyes fall out.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Where I'm at in the publishing process, pt. 3


I thought it might be fun to do some documenting of my publishing experience.  Now that it has been three weeks since I signed my contract with Limitless Publishing some fun things are in the works!

Let's recap:
Sept. 10 - received a partial request from Limitless
Sept. 14 - received a full manuscript request from Limitless
Sept. 20 - received an offer of a contract to publish Chasing Forever
Sept. 24 - received contract
Sept. 28 - signed contract and became part of the Limitless Publishing Team
Oct. 1 - received a cover questionnaire, book blurb sample request and synopsis request
Oct. 6 - a new title has been given—Raining Down Rules
Oct. 9 - pre-edits come in and I've been assigned an editor
Oct. 12 -sent back my pre-edits
Oct. 14 received my book release date!!!
Every publishing house has their standards for formatting a novel, and for the most part, I'm sure they are all fairly similar.  That being said, since I've never published a book before I was a little nervous about the pre-edits.  But they came in and, even though I did have a few things to change, it wasn't terribly scary—PHEW!  So here is some stuff I learned:

Double spaces after . ? ! are OUT.  Seriously?  Like when did this happen?  My thumbs are constantly tapping twice on the space bar and I CANNOT STOP IT!  In case you haven't noticed, even my blog posts are riddled with double spaces.  It is ingrained in my brain and my fingers type on autopilot.  I. Must. Resist.

Em Dashes—now I know how to make them!  I kind of felt stupid when I learned the keystrokes to do them, but now I know and will never forget.  On a Mac (which is what I'm currently using) it's SHIFT+OPTION+- and you magically get —.  For the PC you type the word--and then type the next word.

Alright does not equal all right.  So, apparently alright isn't grammatically correct, it's all right.  Check!

There are more than one type of "quotes".  As in smart (curly) quotes vs. straight quotes.  See example below.  What I want to know is how in the heck my novel had both types in it?!?!   Anyhow, they've all been corrected.

"That's a 'magic' sock." wrong (straight quotes)
That’s a ‘magic’ sock.” right (smart quotes)

Get rid of filler words or over used phrases.  Writing is different than just plain talking.  When we talk we use filler words to help us make our point to to emphasize something.  In writing, we really don't need to do that.  So here are a few words and phrases to search for in your novels or to avoid altogether unless they are absolutely necessary (in dialogue sometimes it's okay):
that
get
just
really
feel
very
actually
make their way
began to / started to
for the most part
just then

There are others out there and check out these links for more, here, here & here.  Search through your novel to find these words/phrases and see if the sentence can work without it and if so, DELETE it.  Or, find another more appropriate word to use in its place.  (Did you notice how my words above sorta look like the bottle from I Dream of Jeannie?)

I was also assigned an editor for my novel which is really exciting.  She's scheduled my book to begin edits on December 9th and have them back to me by December 15th.  So in other words, I have to wait almost 2 months until I begin my real edits.

Patience grasshopper.

Now, one last thing.  Get ready for this...

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Raining Down Rules will be released to the world and I couldn't be happier!!

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

It's that time of year again...


What time is that, you ask?  Well...NaNoWriMo of course! What is Nano again?

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. 

On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.

You win NaNoWriMo by writing 50,000 words of your novel between November 1 and November 30. (Or during Camp NaNoWriMo, just reaching your personal word-count goal.) There’s no limit on how many people can win! Just be sure that you’ve defined a novel on our site, and that you validate your novel’s word count at the end of the month.

Every year, we have several generous sponsors that offer participant and winner goodies. Check out the NaNoWriMo prizes here, and Camp NaNoWriMo prizes here!

All programs for National Novel Writing Month, Camp NaNoWriMo, and the Young Writers Program are free. However, we run on donations, and we do ask ably-financed participants to contribute something towards hosting and administrative costs. Because we’re a nonprofit, the donation is tax-deductible!


So - will you be joining all the thousands of Nanowrimo's in writing a 50,000 word novel this November?  If so, add me as a writing buddy: kristielee. 

Monday, October 12, 2015

Book Review: My Strongest Weakness


From author Brighton Walsh comes another fast-paced, sexy new adult romance novella set in the '90s where two people can't be so wrong for each other.  Nothing says opposites attract like an All-American college football star and a grunge-loving film student.

MY STRONGEST WEAKNESS is the first novella in this '90s PLAYLIST anthology and trust me, you won't be disappointed.  A great opener for the remaining five novellas, you'll be pulled into Tia and Mason's story from the start.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Blurb:

She's the last thing he needs, but she's the only thing he wants...as long as it's behind closed doors.

It was supposed to be a one-time thing. No one would find out; no one would have to know. And then once turned into twice, and twice turned into several times a week, and now pierced, punk-loving, rebellious Tia Lanning is banging Mason Brooks, the big man on campus and Mr. All American.

But banging him isn't the problem. Falling for him is. Especially when he's content to let her remain his dirty little secret.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Review:
4 / 5 stars


Sex: Yep.  Scenes are steamy with full description.

Language: MY STRONGEST WEAKNESS loses a quarter star for me because of the use of the *F* word more than 3-4 times.  Personally, I'm just not a fan of it and feel it's overused.

Violence: Nope.

Drugs/Alcohol: Yep, frat parties=alcohol.

Nudity: Surprisingly there really isn't any even with all the sex.

What I Loved:  I love underdog stories, and I really felt like Tia was the underdog here.  Even though she is strong in her own right, when she is with Mason it makes her question everything she's ever thought she knew about love. 

Why Only 4 Stars?  As I mentioned above, MY STRONGEST WEAKNESS lost a quarter star due to language. Another quarter star was lost due the abrupt ending.  I realize this was a novella, a short story really, and it has to end somewhere, but I really wanted more.  The remaining half star was lost because Mason and Tia's story was hard to relate to even though I went to college in the late 90s.  I am just not sure a guy like Mason and a girl like Tia would ever wind up together as they do in this story.  But then again, their story works because when they're together, their chemistry is hot.

What I want more of: I wanted a real HEA (happily ever after), not just a ending sex scene.

Who Would Like This? I think MY STRONGEST WEAKNESS is appropriate for anyone 17 and older who likes to read romance or stories about college life.  But be forewarned, the sex scenes are pretty explicit and detailed (not to mention steamy).

I am a child of the '80s and '90s, I even went to college in the '90s (albeit the late '90s), but I went nonetheless.  I remember frat parties, heck I was even in a sorority.  So to say that I was feeling a bit nostalgic is an understatement.  I felt as though I was right there with Tia as she went to her first frat party, however the frats at the college I went to weren't nearly as clean as Zeta Alpha Tau.

Mason's world of cheerleaders and sorority girls doesn't mesh with Tia's film lovers and grunge aficionados, but when they get together their chemistry is explosive.  Pushed together through their joint Econ class, they find each other unable to resist the other.

When their feelings begin to take over their primal urges, both are confused and afraid what it might mean for their reputations with their friends and family.  Mason's in line to become the next president of his fraternity and a girl who looks like Tia isn't someone who mixes with with Zeta Alpha Tau, not to mention his wealthy parents.

Brighton's prior New Adult novels are pretty amazing and you can be sure to have tons of stomach drops and twinges behind your ears with all the emotions you'll feel.  MY STRONGEST WEAKNESS follows suit with all those feels and make you want to break out your old Discman if you still have one.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Where I'm at in the publishing process, pt. 2


 I thought it might be fun to do some documenting of my publishing experience.  Now that it has been two weeks since I signed my contract with Limitless Publishing some fun things are in the works!

Let's recap:

Sept. 10 - received a partial request from Limitless
Sept. 14 - received a full manuscript request from Limitless
Sept. 20 - received an offer of a contract to publish Chasing Forever
Sept. 24 - received contract
Sept. 28 - signed contract and became part of the Limitless Publishing Team
Oct. 1 - received a cover questionnaire, book blurb sample request and synopsis request
Oct. 6 - a new title has been given!
So here we are, Oct. 9th and folks, a change in your novel's title during publishing is inevitable and mine is no exception.  Remember the list from last week?
  1. Seeking Forever
  2. Finding Forever
  3. Grasping Eternity
  4. Chasing Eternity
  5. Rules of the Heart
  6. Searching for Forever
  7. Beautiful Forever
  8. Raining Down Rules
  9. A Chance At Forever
  10. The Beat of My Heart
Well, which one did you like?  The publisher and I both agreed and have decided upon one of the ten listed above ^^^.  Here is where I'd love to insert a drum roll, with sound effects of course.
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I think it's a perfect title as the novel takes place in the Spring—hence the rain—and Jemma has her set of rules she's created to protect herself, yet she finds them crumbling around her—so the rain is bringing down the rules.  I'm super excited to see my cover when it's ready and even more excited to reveal it to all of you.

Let the game of patience begin...well, at least let it continue!

PS - use #RDRNovel on Twitter for sneak peaks and updates of Raining Down Rules.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Some ramblings on writing


When I first started writing about six years ago, I'm not going to lie—my writing was pretty atrocious.  I head-jumped, wasn't really aware of the proper format regarding speaking patterns and dialogue tags.  Let's not even talk about constantly switching between past or present tense.  Yeesh!  But you know what?  Every project I wrote—whether I finished it or not—got better.  So, my friends, I want to tell you a few things I've learned along the way.

  1. You're writing will never get better unless you keep practicing.  Seriously.  The more you write, the more you learn the craft.  You can't expect to go to the Olympics and perform a triple lutz in an ice skating routine of you've never stepped on the ice and fallen on your bum at least once, right?  The same is true in writing.  Whether you're writing your first novel or your tenth, just the practice of writing alone will help you grow as a writer.
  2. Just like practicing writing, reading in your preferred genre will help you grow in leaps and bounds.  Truly.  Let's say you've chosen to write an epic fantasy novel that includes dragons, faeries, water nymphs and an army of lightening riders who battle to save the kingdom of Valetross before it can be conquered by the evil army of the un-dead King of Scorchio—but all you read is contemporary romance.  Okay, so romance can be in almost every YA+ book, but it has it's time and place.  The more you read fantasy similar to what you are righting, the more your story will follow certain expected patterns.  You'll also learn what is acceptable in terms of novel length, character arcs, etc.
  3. Get involved on Twitter and other social media outlets.  For Reals.  About six months ago I started actually using Twitter.  I'd been a member since September 2010, but never used it because I didn't understand how it worked.  Since becoming active on Twitter, I've not only secured a publishing contract for my first novel, but I've made some great online friends, learned even more about writing, found links on the internet to help build my craft and learned about so many FREE contests run by writers, agents and/or publishers.
  4. Writing doesn't have to happen every single day.  Many people will tell you that in order to complete a novel, you must write every day.  I have found that nearly impossible.  If you're a writer who can push out a novel every 30-60 days, I applaud you—you have a gift!  I say write when inspiration hits.  Find a time you feel most productive and write then, you're writing will be better for it.  If you force yourself to sit and write when you're not feeling inspired, the writing will most likely show it.  It will feel flat and can lean toward the boring and not essential side of writing.  That's okay for word count, but when it comes down to it, word count isn't all that matters.
So now, I am off to read through an ARC for a review and then, maybe if inspiration hits, I'll do some writing of my own.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Book Review: A Shot of Reckless


From author duo, Maddie Paige, comes a story about learning to trust in love when you have every reason to doubt it.  A new adult novel with friends you'll want to have and a steamy romance you won't forget, Roxy and Lake will win you over.

A SHOT OF RECKLESS is the debut novel for writing duo Maddie Paige who bonded over books, shirtless boys and Step Up movies. One lives for her coffee while the other prefers hot chocolate. Both lovers of romance, they tag teamed a manuscript over late nights at Steak 'n Shake. They live in Atlanta, GA.

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Book Blurb:

Art major, Roxy Thompson, is a ball of fun—but she's also careful to keep her walls intact when it comes to men. She likes relationships just like her coffee: light and sweet. After having her heart shattered once before, she’s determined not to ever feel that broken again.

College senior, Lake Foster, is just tempting enough to make Roxy rethink her rules of engagement. Suddenly, high-dollar shots and a no-strings night out aren't enough anymore. But Lake isn't looking for long-term. His future is set, and in four months, he intends to graduate and leave Georgia—and everything in it—behind. Luckily, short-term fun is Roxy’s specialty, and Lake can’t resist what he promises will be a fleeting taste.

Will Roxy and Lake really walk away when their time is up? They only have one shot to find out.

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Review:
4.5 / 5 stars


Sex: Yep.  Scenes range from fade to black to steamy with full description.

Language: A SHOT OF RECKLESS loses a quarter star for me because of the use of the *F* word more than 3-4 times.  Personally, I'm just not a fan of it and feel it's overused.

Violence: There isn't any violence that we the reader actually gets to read, but it's implied through Roxy's BFF's boyfriend.

Drugs/Alcohol: Yep, though no drugs, only legal age drinking.

Nudity: Umm, the main characters have sex numerous times, so yes.  There is nudity.

What I Loved:  I felt like I was part of the gang in Roxy and Lake's story.  The characters were real, likeable and gave you the sense that you could be hanging out with them.  I loved that the secondary characters, Taylor & Dylan both had their own sets of problems making them more than one dimensional.  I loved how Lake and Roxy's romance was intended to be a one-time thing, but their connection was deep and neither one wanted to admit what they were feeling for each other.   I felt Roxy's character showed a lot of growth in the novel especially when dealing with her parents and her BFF.  I love that Lake was a very caring individual who wants to help others including his BFF.

Why Only 4.5 Stars?  As I mentioned above, A SHOT OF RECKLESS lost a quarter star due to language.  The other quarter was lost because even though I truly loved this novel, I did find parts of the story slightly predictable.

What I want more of: I want to read Dylan's love story and Taylor's falling in love stories, and let's not forget about ever-cheerful Abigail - they all have to get their Happily Ever Afters, right?

Who Would Like This? I think A SHOT OF RECKLESS is appropriate for anyone 17 and older who likes to read romance or stories about college life.  But be forewarned, the sex scenes are pretty explicit and detailed (not to mention steamy) - so if you're not up for that, skip over those parts and read anyway!





>>>>SPOILER ZONE—DO NOT read past this if you don't want to know what happens in the book!<<<<




Alright, so let's get one thing straight—HOLY HOT Roxy and Lake painting sex scene...I'm not gonna lie, I was like, WHAAA??  There was something totally UMMM, and yet so very beautiful about the scene.  It showcased Roxy's vurnerability and Lake's care and concern for her.  It was magical.

Roxy's gallery showing - I knew, just KNEW Lake wasn't going to make it.  I mean you've got to have dips and valley's in a novel and this one I saw coming from a mile away.  What I didn't see what Roxy's car accident and how her friends treated her after it happened.  I mean come on!  Let the girl talk!

Let's not forget about Taylor and her schmuck of a boyfriend.  How can we not be proud of her for finally standing up for herself and breaking it off with him?  Her character goes from meek to even more meek as the story progresses so good for her for deciding to live for herself for a change.

And Dylan...props to her for going to Lake for help when she knew she needed it.  I want to know how she gets along in California without her best friend, Lake.  They've been BFFs for so long, how will she learn to cope without him?

Now, as far as Lake turning down Stanford...well, let's just say you can't get much of a happily ever after if he were to go, now could you?


>>>>A SHOT OF RECKLESS will be a smashing success, thank you for letting me review your book baby!<<<<

Friday, October 2, 2015

Where I'm At in the Publishing Process


I thought it might be fun to do some documenting of my publishing experience.  Now that it has been one week since I signed my contract with Limitless Publishing some fun things are in the works!

Let's recap:
Sept. 10 - received a partial request from Limitless
Sept. 14 - received a full manuscript request from Limitless
Sept. 20 - received an offer of a contract to publish Chasing Forever
Sept. 24 - received contract
Sept. 28 - signed contract and became part of the Limitless Publishing Team
Oct. 1 - received a cover questionnaire, book blurb sample request and synopsis request
So here we are, Oct. 2nd and I have returned the cover questionnaire, blurb sample and synopsis all of which will either go into helping the designers create my cover and will help with creating the actual back of the book blurb.  I have also submitted ten different title ideas for the novel (since the title will be changing - as it does so much in this industry).  Here are the titles I sent over:
  1. Seeking Forever
  2. Finding Forever
  3. Grasping Eternity
  4. Chasing Eternity
  5. Rules of the Heart
  6. Searching for Forever
  7. Beautiful Forever
  8. Raining Down Rules
  9. A Chance At Forever
  10. The Beat of My Heart
Now, who really knows if any of these will make the final cut, but they were options I felt applied to Jemma, Jordan and Vic's story.

Next week just may bring some pre-edits for my novel, we'll just have to wait and see - but plan on getting weekly status updates as they come!!

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

The Infinity Dream Awards


Hello hello! Leah Bauer over at Heart Full of Ink has passed on the Infinity Dreams Award blog tag to me, and let me tell you all, this one makes you really think—like using all your thinking muscles.  So, thank you very much, Leah! Can you sense my sarcasm, or maybe it's apprehension?...So here's how it works:
  • Thank and follow the blog that nominated you.
  • Tell us eleven facts about yourself.
  • Answer the questions that were set for you to answer.
  • Nominate 11 bloggers and set questions for them.

 

11 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

  1. I stopped reading when I was in the 3rd grade.  Meaning not once did I read any of the required reading throughout high school, which included text books.
  2. On the opposite side of the coin, the first book I wrote was in 3rd grade called, Lanny the Lovely Elephant (I couldn't draw a Lion at the time so I went with an elephant that I could draw).
  3. I like alliteration still to this day.  In fact, the young reader book I'm writing is called Terry Tarantula and his partner is Fred Fly.  All the insects in the book are like that. 
  4. I entered the Jr. Miss competition when I was a Junior in high school.  I sang Don't Cry For Me Argentina by Madonna from the Evita soundtrack.  I didn't win, but not because of my singing.
  5. I am a certified Wedding Planner and have my Interior Design certificate, too.  I've held so many random jobs that my resume looks like a menu.
  6. I am a Jack...er Jill of all trades.  I can pretty much do/make anything I want as long as I see it first.
  7. Shannon Hale's THE GOOSE GIRL was the book that made me fall in love with reading...that was 7 years ago.  I've not been able to stop reading ever since.
  8. I only read 2 books in high school or junior high for pleasure reading.  Both were horror books.  DOLORES CLAIBORNE by Stephen King and THE AMITYVILLE HOUSE OF HORROR.  In Dolores Claiborne I LOVED how Mr. King described the old woman's skin, it made me really picture what she looked like.  That being said, when I watched the movie I was very bitter at the use of a thin actress.  In the Amity book, there was one point in the story that I threw the book across the room and ducked under my covers and went to sleep with my light on because it scared me so much.
  9. I met my husband on the internet - way back before there was such a thing as online dating.  We chatted on an instant messaging program and hit it off.
  10. I grew up riding horses and enjoyed my freedom to take off in the morning and ride all day with my cousin.  Cattle drives were amazing unless you had to stop to pee.  That's when you learn you're allergic to wild rose bushes...
  11. Without Twitter, I wouldn't have been able to get a publishing contract so quickly for Chasing Forever.  Twitter has been my source for writing contests and pitch parties over the last six months.  Through #PitMad (and Brenda Drake), I was able to receive an offer of publication from Limitless Publishing.  I can't wait to be able to physically hold my book in my hand!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

I would travel to Ireland to explore all the old castles, crumbling or standing it wouldn't matter. The only problem with visiting is I know I would fall in love and want to buy some small cottage in the middle of nowhere with the old rock fences and stay there the rest of my life.

Who is your favorite book character and why?

Jane Eyre because she overcomes so many struggles, pushes herself to love and when her heart is crushed she does what so many of us would do and runs away.  When she comes face to face with her love she reconciles with him, pushing away her fears and embraces love fully.

What do you do when you have writer’s block?

I find my motivation to move past writer's block through music and reading.  I find if I'm feeling stuck then I know I need to read.  I don't read just a few chapters, though, I read 1-2 books a day for about a week and then my block usually dissolves.  If I'm struggling with a particular scene then I just put in my earbuds, crank up the music and do some word wars or sprints with friends.

What was the last book you read that kept you up reading late into the night?

Hmmm...any book I've read, honestly.  Like I said above, I read 1-2 books in a day thus sometimes I stay up until midnight to finish.  But the most recent that really stuck with me was THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVING COLTON by Rachel Van Dyken - it was a little predictable but had me laughing and crying and I was unable to put it down.

There was great chemistry between the two main characters, and who doesn't love a story about the girl crushing on her brother's best friend?   This one has a happily ever after that makes fairy tales swoon.


 Describe your current WIP in 140 characters or less.

Recovering substance abusing rockstar returns home 2 reconcile w/parents, stumbles upon the love he left behind & is blown away by a secret.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose and why?

I would have the blinky-scrunchy-nose trick that I Dream of Jeanne had - especially when it comes to laundry.  I blink and BOOM laundry is clean, dry, folded and put away. 


What’s one under-appreciated book you think everyone should read and why?

This one is tough.  One of my favorites is THE GOOSE GIRL by Shannon Hale.  It's a fairy tale retelling and I loved it and have read it probably 4 times in the last 5 years.  I'm not exactly sure if this would be considered under-appreciated, but it's one I recommend everyone read!

Are you a plotter or a pantster? What sort of planning, if any, do you do before writing your first draft of a novel?

I started out writing as a pantser, wrote one complete novel in 30 days and realized I had so many plot holes and inconsistencies that I wanted to try to do some basic outlining.  Now, I do quite a bit more planning for my novels.  I start out by learning about my characters and putting a famous actor/actresses face to my character.  I figure out what they want or what their motivation throughout the novel is.

After I do that for each of my main or secondary characters, I move on to a timeline and important dates for each character.  After that, I write a 1-2 sentence breakdown for each chapter in the novel.  Then, I start writing and see how closely my story follows my outlining!

What are three words that best describe your personality and why?

Honest - because I despise lies and lying.
Creative - I'm always writing something, baking something new, working on some household decorating project, sewing, crafting or sketching.
Supportive - I enjoy helping others feel uplifted and so supporting them and their choices is something I feel is important in a friendship or relationship.

If you were going on an adventure, what would you pack in your knapsack?

This is a tricky one...being married with 3 kids my hubby and I haven't been on a couple's vacay or retreat in 8 years (umm...it's time to get away).  I would for sure bring my good camera, mosquito repellent (because I'm like a magnet to those suckers), clean underwear, sunscreen and dry shampoo!

What is the most played song on your iPod (or whatever apparatus you use to listen to music)?

Do Disney movies in the car count?  No?  Shoot!  Okay, I don't have an iPod or anything like that to listen to music anymore.  I used to have a Discman (do they still make those?)  I listen to the radio or Pandora any time I can, and always when I'm writing.  My favorite Pandora station is the Gotye station I've created.  Favorite artists include: Gotye, Snow Patrol, Sia.

TAG! You're it:

Gypsy Rae Choszer | C.M. McCoy | Kaitlyn Johnson | Nicole Lynn Hoefs | Louisa Aricheta | Vanessa Peay | Laura E. Weymouth | Sydney Scrogham | Jennifer Farrar | Katerina Baker | Laura Brown |

Here's what I want to know about you:

  1. Is there a certain snack you like to eat while writing?
  2. What do you do to get in the mood to write?
  3. What is your favorite obscure word?  Use it in a short pitch for your current WIP.
  4. What is one food you can't live without?
  5. Name a celebrity you would love to spend a day with.  What would you do?
  6. If you could take a class in anything, what would it be and why?
  7. What is one book you can read over and over again, why?
  8. What inspired your current WIP?
  9. Who is your favorite book hero, why?
  10. If you could live in any time period, what would it be and why?
  11. Which would you rather be, a vampire or werewolf, why?

Thursday, September 24, 2015

SQUEE!!!

Can I just begin by saying what an amazing journey writing has been.  Seriously, I have learned so much over the past 4 years and even more in the last year then I ever thought I could learn about writing.  I've met some wonderful people in the writing community, taken part in awesome contests and Pitch Parties - and it has all been...simply amazing.

Which leads me to my SQUEE!!! post.

I have just signed a contract with Limitless Publishing to publish Chasing Forever and it's sequels if I should write any.

Ummm - so I've done quite a lot of girly squealing over the past two weeks, as it all happened rather quickly.  I participated in Brenda Drake's #PitMad (if you're a writer, you should check it out) on September 10th.  I received a couple requests for Chasing Forever that day and within 4 days, Limitless requested my full manuscript.  I was at an interior design client's house when the email came in and I may have squealed a bit.  Then, a short (though it did not feel like a short) 6 days later, I received an offer to publish.

<<INSERT GIRLY SQUEALS AND HAPPY CLAPPING HERE>>

I'm thrilled to be working with Limitless and can't wait to tell you all about the process and then be able to share with you Chasing Forever (which, like many books, the title will more than likely change).

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Cover Reveal: A SHOT OF RECKLESS


Who is Maddie Paige? Writing duo Maddie Paige bonded over books, shirtless boys and Step Up movies. One lives for her coffee while the other prefers hot chocolate. Both lovers of romance, they tag teamed a manuscript over late nights at Steak 'n Shake. They live in Atlanta, GA and A Shot of Reckless is their debut.

A Shot of Reckless comes out October 14th! Below you can learn a little about it and enter to win an ebook!

You can follow them on Facebook & Twitter


And now for the cover of A SHOT OF RECKLESS:

   

Doesn't this cover make you want to join them and hang out?  They look like they could be your best friends - I think you all should read this!

What's A SHOT OF RECKLESS about?

Art major, Roxy Thompson, is a ball of fun—but she's also careful to keep her walls intact when it comes to men. She likes relationships just like her coffee: light and sweet. After having her heart shattered once before, she’s determined not to ever feel that broken again.

College senior, Lake Foster, is just tempting enough to make Roxy rethink her rules of engagement. Suddenly, high-dollar shots and a no-strings night out aren't enough anymore. But Lake isn't looking for long-term. His future is set, and in four months, he intends to graduate and leave Georgia—and everything in it—behind. Luckily, short-term fun is Roxy’s specialty, and Lake can’t resist what he promises will be a fleeting taste.

Will Roxy and Lake really walk away when their time is up? They only have one shot to find out. 

Pre-Order it here:
Kobo
Kindle
B&N

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