I was very moved yesterday with news about baby Avery and her parents’ very inspiring Bucket List. Avery was born with SMA – Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Avery passed away a few days ago. She was only 5 months old, but in that time, her parents made sure she lived, something that we fail to do at times.
For more on Avery’s story and to contribute to finding a cure for SMA, you can click here.
So today’s Thursday 13 is a list of things I’d love to do before it’s time to move on and here they are:
1. See that my daughter has her happily-ever-after in love, business and life in general.
2. Visit Macchu Picchu.
3. Take a cross-country road trip through the U.S.
4. Visit Chichen Itza.
5. Go to a shooting range and fire a gun.
6. Drive really fast on a race track.
7. Own an incredible inn on the shore and teach writing to guests.
8. Swim with dolphins.
9. See the Mets win another World Series.
10. Make the NY Times list again.
11. Visit every ball park in the U.S.
12. Regain my optimism.
13. Help others in need.
It’s a doable list I think and I’m hoping there are some on there that may happen soon, like #1. In fact, my daughter gets her MBA in just a few weeks, so I’m really happy about that. Which I guess means I’m on my way to #12.
But there is one that I am totally doing right now – #13 – and you can help me with that! You see, I am donating a portion of the royalties from THE CLAIMED to HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS. Please take a moment to visit the SOS ALOHA Blog and share this information with others!
Another way you can help is to tweet/share the following:
Help our #military with THE CLAIMED & @CaridadPineiro PLZ RT http://awe.sm/5nMDK
I had to make a choice of location for the final battle scenes in THE CLAIMED. As I thought about it, it occurred to me I needed a place that spoke to the past that the Light and Shadow Hunters had to embrace, but also had to speak to the future that was possible for them. I also needed a place that was in the public eye, but could be made “private” with the use of Hunter power. Add to that the fact that it had to be somewhere that would be a logical place for one of the characters – Samantha aka Sammie – to be as she would be pivotal in that scene.
As all those needs came together, I realized there was only one place where that very important scene could be located – the Casino in Asbury Park.
There is no doubt in mind that the Casino is a link to the past glory that was Asbury Park, much like the past of the Hunters. But the Casino also stands poised at the edge of the future for Asbury Park. A future that can be seen in the wonderfully renovated Paramount Theater, the Convention Center (where the early roller derby scenes in and THE CLAIMED take place), and the boardwalk that is once again brimming with life!
The Casino is a very public place for sure. It’s the gateway between Ocean Grove and Asbury Park and people pass through the shell on a daily basis. Surely Sammie would on her way to her shop on the Asbury Park boardwalk. Here’s a picture of what it looked like in its heydey!
Photo Credit: National Park Service
Here’s another photo of the Casino from afar. The Casino was built in 1929 and designed by the same architects that designed Grand Central Terminal.
In this shot you can see more of the buildings. In the past, those to the left as well as the middle section hosted a series of amusement park games and a carousel. At one time there was another piece to the building that jutted out to the right on stilts onto the beach. This section had a skating rink inside. Sadly that part of the building suffered major damage and was torn down in 2006, but the rest of the Casino remains, now used for a variety of things like flea markets and a theater company.
The Casino was therefore the perfect place for my Hunters to have a final battle and also be the kickoff to the next book in the series, THE SHATTERED, but I won’t spill about that right now.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little peek into Asbury Park and the Casino. It’s one of my favorite sites along the boardwalk. As I mentioned before, there used to be a carousel in one section of the building and here’s a video clip shot on October 28, 1990, the last day the carousel was open for business. Thanks to cflynn1979 for this clip.
Help SOS Aloha and me help our heroes in their time of need! I will be be donating a portion of my royalties from THE CLAIMED to HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS. Please take a moment to visit the SOS ALOHA Blog and share this information with others! Here is a little bit more about this project.
In THE LOST, I remembered them by having the heroine, Bobbie Carrera, be a wounded Marine veteran. I also dedicated the book to our military women, men and families.
For THE CLAIMED, I knew I had to do something more. Because of that desire to do more, a portion of my royalties for sales of my paranormal romance THE CLAIMED will be donated to HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS, an organization that seeks to enhance the quality of life for U.S. service members and their families who have been adversely affected by injuries or death in the line of duty. Also, if you’re one of the first fifty (50) to e-mail me with a proof of purchase of THE CLAIMED or proof of a donation to HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS, I’ll send you either a HOPE FOR THE WARRIORS pin or tote bag along with other swag.
SIN HUNTER SHORE SPECIAL CONTEST
From May 1 to May 31, I’ll be running the SIN HUNTER HUNTER SHORE SPECIAL CONTEST to celebrate the release of THE CLAIMED. Winners will have a shot at a handmade memory box, autographed copies of SINS OF THE FLESH, STRONGER THAN SIN and THE LOST, a LOST T-shirt, tote bag, $25 gift certificate and other fun swag!
Due to technical difficulties with the contest site, we’re going to do the Sin Hunter’s contest the old fashioned way!
To be entered, either:
Tweet or share this on Facebook! Each tweet/share will get you another entry. Only one tweet/share per day.
Help our #military with THE CLAIMED & @CaridadPineiro PLZ RT http://awe.sm/5nMDK
Leave a comment on any blog post this month! One entry per day.
Share this blog post any way you want. If on your own blog, please send me a link. One entry per blog, website, etc.
So we’re lucky to have some Man Candy on the cover for THE CLAIMED and a lot of you have been asking who is the inspiration for the dark and very sexy Shadow Hunter hero Christopher Sombrosa.
I have to say the inspiration was a mix of two actors, Eddie Cibrian and D.J. Cotrona. This is a picture of Eddie looking rather dark and dangerous, just as I picture Christopher when he’s angry and ready to blast someone with one of his Hunter power orbs.
But Christopher also has a lighter side and for that boyish part of him, D.J. Cotrona was the inspiration. D.J. played a detective on the now cancelled Detroit 1-8-7. Shame since it was a fine show! But fans of D.J. will soon see him in GI JOE: RETALIATION with two other pieces of Man Candy, namely The Rock and Bruce Willis! Can’t wait.
So here’s a picture of DJ playing FLINT in the movie. Sexy! Hope you enjoyed today’s Man Candy Monday and another behind the scenes look at THE CLAIMED.
Last night was wonderful! I had a lovely book signing with my friends Nisha Sharma and Tina Gabrielle at the TO BE CONTINUED bookstore in Metuchen, NJ. Central Jersey readers this is an awesome place for you to go, hang out and pick up some books! Plus they are sooo romance friendly!
We had an absolutely lovely time there and I’m looking forward to doing another event there soon.
Of course, the night got better when I got home because there was a package waiting for me and guess what it contained? SQUEEEE! My RITA® nomination pin and an invite to the RITA® and GOLDEN HEART® reception. Here is a photo of it (yes, I put the frame on it in the photo! Will have to think how to preserve the invite for posterity’s sake).
First of all, don’t forget that you have until Friday to leave a comment on Dorothy’s Virtual Blog Tour Blog to possibly win a free Blog Tour!
But now, how about some Behind the Scenes Secrets about THE CLAIMED!
This is a snippet from the book at a restaurant in Avon-by-Sea. The restaurant is a real place and you can visit it here: http://www.columnsnj.net/
The Columns was a perfect choice, Victoria thought as she sat across the intimate width of the table opposite Christopher. The summer sun had begun to set, creating rosy pink and blue cotton candy clouds along the beachfront. The golden hues cast by the lights along the edges of the veranda and the votive candle in the middle of the table bathed Christopher’s face. Thanks to the dimness of the light, she could detect the thin aura surrounding him. Too weak to be full Hunter power, which relieved her somewhat, but not entirely, since Shadows could hide their energy fields also.
Here’s a picture of The Columns. Can’t you just picture Victoria and Christopher sitting there, dusk settling in, the two of them cozy at a small table? Sigh. Can’t wait to go eat there again!
Here’s another little teaser for you down below! This scene takes place in the Shark River and yes, in part it is named for the sharks in the area. Fresh water sharks you may be wondering? Actually, there are fresh water sharks in some parts of the world, but the Shark River is filled with salt water for the most part. In fact, some consider that this area is actually a tidal basin since it’s fed by four small streams that provide little fresh water and the Shark River Inlet provides large amounts of salt water into the bay area. This is a picture of the Shark River Inlet and the Shark River Bridge which is a drawbridge that allows larger boats to come and go.
In this scene deep in the Shark River, Shadow Hunter Christopher is playing around with his energy and shapeshifting abilities. Moments later, Christopher will meet Light Huntress Victoria face-to-face for the first time!
He swam out until he was in about thirty feet of water, released the diving flag, and then sank below the surface. As luck would have it, a small school of brown-green weakfish were spawning along the estuary floor. With a gush of energy, he formed a vortex and directed it downward. It acted like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up a large fish and bringing it up to his grasp through the swirling tunnel of water.
Two feet of angry fish squirmed and flailed in his hands until he sucked in a bit of its life force and it weakened. Focusing his gathering, he took only a smidgen of the fish’s vitality within him. He needed the weakfish’s energy to partially shapeshift so he could stay below the surface long enough to do the exchange needed to rein in the demands of his Equinox.
He forced the fish’s life force through his body, and his power drained while he directed it toward his throat. He gritted his teeth and battled the pain as his skin tore open and the muscles beneath the surface reformed, developing gills. Blood vessels rerouted themselves to those new organs, creating an avenue for the oxygen to flow from the gills throughout his body. He grew lightheaded for a moment, but then the outpouring of oxygen flooded through his gills and revitalized him.
With the skill of a surgeon, he dissected a piece of the power he had absorbed and directed it to his eyes. He created a thin membrane with the life force to protect them against the salt water.
Satisfied with the adaptations to his eyes and lungs, Christopher stopped his shapeshifting. He released the fish and expelled as much air as he could from his lungs. With nothing to keep him buoyant, he easily drifted down to the sandy bottom, scattering the swarm of fish when he settled in the midst of their school. Crossing his legs, he assumed a traditional Lotus position and opened his eyes.
I hope you enjoyed these Behind the Scenes moments from THE CLAIMED
I want to thank Caridad for having me here today in celebration of Pump Up Your Book’s 5th Anniversary! To start off I’d like to introduce myself. For those who don’t know me, I’m CEO/Founder of Pump Up Your Book, an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book publicity for authors. Our specialty is virtual book tours. The reason why we focus on virtual book tours is because there is no other formula in the world that can get your more online exposure than an old fashioned blog tour. Online exposure is very important because you want to sell your book to the people using the search engines daily.
For my guest post today I thought I would focus on what you should consider before embarking on your own virtual book tour. So I give you my tips on what to do before you pack your cyber-bags. If you can answer yes to all these, you are ready.
• Do you know which audiences you want to target?
• Are you aware that the broader the scope of readers you want to target, the better the tour?
• Have you narrowed your key search words down to the most important and have figured out ways to use them in your interviews and guest posts?
• Have you compiled a list of potential blog stops for your tour along with email addresses if you are putting your tour together on your own?
• Are you making sure these particular blogs are updated frequently and have a full set of archives to make them search engine friendly?
• Can you provide author copies (unless the publisher takes care of it) to reviewers in time for them to receive the book, read the book and post the review by the given date both of you have agreed on?
• Do you have a professional author photo and can you provide your blog hosts with a jpg copy?
• Do you have a landing page (website or blog) where people can go to learn more about you and your book?
• Does your website or blog have clear enough directions on how to buy your book on the first page and are you providing a cover to entice them?
• Does your website/blog have contact information in case people want to get in touch with you?
• Are you keeping your blog updated with fresh content to keep it search engine friendly?
• Do you know how to craft a bio written in third person that includes your book’s title and website/blog url?
• Does your bio ramble or can you say most of what you have to say in one to three paragraphs?
• Are you prepared to learn more about you and your book than you did before the tour took place?
• Are you prepared for the workload that is involved when planning your tour – e.g. having to write several guest posts and fill out an umpteen amount of interviews keeping each interview fresh, different and non-boring?
• Do you have a few guest posts already written for when blog hosts ask for them?
• If not, can you come up with a few ideas beforehand so that when asked for a guest post at the last minute, you’re not pulling your hair out?
• Do you know what kind of guest posts bring in more reaction from the readers?
• Do you know what kind of guest posts bring in more sales?
• Do you know how to use the social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to promote your tour stops on a daily basis?
• Are you set up in Google Alerts to alert you on how well your publicity efforts are taking you?
• Do you know how to set up press releases to announce your tour or know of someone who can do it for you?
• Have you built up on your communication and organizational skills so you don’t become unglued?
• Have you built up your contact list (your followers)?
• Have you prepared yourself for negative reviews in case they happen and are you willing to accept them as honest criticism and learn from them?
• Are you willing to participate in your virtual book tour by leaving a comment at your “stops”?
• Are you willing to thank your tour host after they so kindly posted your interview, guest post, review, etc.?
• Are you prepared to SELL BOOKS?
If you have answered no to any of these, reconsider fixing those problems before you embark on an international virtual book tour. It’s way better to be prepared and ready than winging it. ;o)
Thank you so much for hosting me, Caridad, and thank you for being part of our 5 year celebration of online book publicity! Visit us at www.pumpupyourbook and ask about our brand new Platinum Kindle Giveaway Tour!
~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~
Dorothy Thompson and Pump Up Your Book are giving away prizes at every stop throughout their month-long publicity tour and I am happy to let you know you can win a prize on this blog, too!
You can win a FREE 10 blog virtual book tour! Just leave a comment on this blog by midnight PST on Friday, April 27, for a chance to win!
As an author it seems as if you wait forever and ever for a release and then BAM – It’s release day!
Today is the release day for THE CLAIMED, the second book in the Sin Hunter Paranormal Romance series. This is the follow-up to my RITA® nominated book, THE LOST.
Victoria Johnson loves her life. She’s her own boss in a quaint beachside town, and has great friends who keep her grounded. If only they knew who she really is: an heiress to an ancient race who possesses astonishing superhuman powers. It’s Victoria’s duty to restore her clan of Light Hunters to their former glory by choosing the perfect mate. In Christopher Sombrosa, she just may have found him. Strong, smart, and successful, Christopher exudes a powerful energy. Their connection is sensual, irresistible-and forbidden.
A member of the Shadow Hunter clan, Christopher has defied his own father to lead his people away from affliction and violence. Yet he cannot ignore his duty to carry on his ancient bloodline. Stunningly beautiful and brimming with an erotic life force, Victoria is everything Christopher ever hoped for in a mate . . . but as a Light Hunter, she’s his mortal enemy. Together, they could unite their warring tribes. But murderous factions on both sides don’t want peace-and they’ll stop at nothing to keep light and darkness apart forever . . .
Also sharing some reviews and a little excerpt for you. If you can’t see the excerpt below, you can click here to read it.
Every time I see the ads for MAGIC CITY and Jeffrey Dean Morgan walks out in that cream-colored dinner jacket and shades, my heart goes pitter patter! LOL! He is ALL sexy beast in that 1950s attire.
Yes, I know many of you have loved him since SUPERNATURAL, but there is just something about him now. WOW!
If you’ve had a chance to watch MAGIC CITY, I’d love to hear what you think about it. If you haven’t you can click here to watch the first three episodes online!
I hope you enjoyed today’s Man Candy Monday and I also hope you’ll drop by and visit my guest blogs at Literal Addiction and Book Monster Reviews where I am chatting about THE CLAIMED which releases TOMORROW! OMG! I can’t believe the release day is finally here! There is also a little giveaway going on at the sites, so please drop by.
It’s FRIDAY! Doing the Happy Dance here! Today I have some fun for you at my friend’s blog so please come join Sia and me as we chat about the inspiration for THE CLAIMED!
I was very moved yesterday with news about baby Avery and her parents’ very inspiring Bucket List. Avery was born with SMA – Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Avery passed away a few days ago. She was only 5 months old, but in that time, her parents made sure she lived, something that we fail to do at times.
I have to say the inspiration was a mix of two actors, Eddie Cibrian and D.J. Cotrona. This is a picture of Eddie looking rather dark and dangerous, just as I picture Christopher when he’s angry and ready to blast someone with one of his Hunter power orbs.
Last night was wonderful! I had a lovely book signing with my friends 
I want to thank Caridad for having me here today in celebration of Pump Up Your Book’s 5th Anniversary! To start off I’d like to introduce myself. For those who don’t know me, I’m CEO/Founder of Pump Up Your Book, an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book publicity for authors. Our specialty is virtual book tours. The reason why we focus on virtual book tours is because there is no other formula in the world that can get your more online exposure than an old fashioned blog tour. Online exposure is very important because you want to sell your book to the people using the search engines daily. 
As an author it seems as if you wait forever and ever for a release and then BAM – It’s release day!
Every time I see the ads for 
