We are so lucky to have here today Melinda Leigh and Robin Perini who are going to share with us some Thursday 13 facts about their new Amazon Bestselling releases! Plus …. drum roll…
Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win a Kindle and some free books!
Also, I’ll be picking the winners of the AMAZON AWAKENING release party later today and will announce the winners tomorrow!
Without further ado, here are Melinda Leigh and Robin Perini.
MELINDA LEIGH
In my debut novel from Montlake Romance, SHE CAN RUN (released November 28), Beth Baker is on the run from her violent and powerful husband when she takes refuge at a secluded mansion. There she finds herself under the watchful eye of former cop Jack O’Malley. Her secrets, his suspicions, and their desire clash when a killer strikes nearby.
Here are Thirteen random facts about me and SHE CAN RUN.
1. SHE CAN RUN is the first book I ever wrote.
2. It took two years to learn the craft and business of writing well enough to turn that crappy first draft into a marketable book.
3. I wear pajama bottoms whenever possible. Everyone in my neighborhood has seen me in them, including the UPS guy, the mailman, and once, when my then eight-year-old suddenly remembered at 9 pm she needed 30 cupcakes for school the next day, the night shift at the local supermarket.
4. After 20+ years on the police force, Jack is injured in a car accident.
5. Five is the number of complete rewrites SHE CAN RUN went through before I was signed by an agent.
6. I require, at minimum, half a pot of coffee in the morning before my brain is fully functional.
7. I often have a hard time picking titles for my books. Some go through a dozen before I settle on one. Most spend months on my computer entitled, “Current POS.”
8. Henry, the police dog reject in SHE CAN RUN, is named after Henry Tudor, who defeated Richard III in 1485 and won the crown.
9. Beth’s first husband was a fire-fighter.
10. I work best in organized clutter. Color coded note cards are strewn across my workspace. White cards are for character descriptions. Colored cards are for plot notes. I haven’t seen the surface of my desk since June.
11. I watch The Dog Whisperer. A dog will likely appear in everything I write, and you can be assured the pup will alive at the end of the book. The human characters have so such guarantee. Just sayin’.
12. In SHE CAN RUN, Beth is hiding from her violent husband. It’s estimated that 1.3 million women are abused by their husbands or boyfriends in the US each year.
13. 50% of protection orders granted to domestic violence victims are violated, and one-third of female homicide victims are killed by their intimate partners.
In my debut novel from Amazon’s Montlake Romance, In Her Sights, (released on November 29, 2011), Colorado’s lone female SWAT sniper finds herself in the crosshairs when her past is exposed and an old enemy returns with a vengeance seeking to destroy her—and everyone she loves.
So, thirteen unusual facts related to In Her Sights and author Robin Perini.
1. There is actually a town named Truth or Consequences (aka T or C), New Mexico. The town’s name was changed from Hot Springs during a national contest to celebrate the 10th anniversary of a television show of the same name.
2. Robin is training in small-bore silhouette shooting and has discovered holding a rifle as steady as Jazz is not as easy as it looks.
3. Jazz’s favorite candy is Butter Rum Life Savers.
4. Luke Montgomery, the hero, has five brothers: Seth, Zach, Gabe, Caleb and Nick.
5. Robin’s ‘how-to-write’ workshops have been included on the Top 24 Workshops CD from the Romance Writers of America’s® National Conference CD five times (Bill Stephens Productions).
6. Jazz played basketball at Metro State in Colorado.
7. There were between 1000 and 2000 Russian female snipers in World War II. Approximately 500 survived the war.
8. The windage knob on a rifle controls the movement of the scope setting, usually in minutes of angle or actual inches, to move the bullet’s point of impact to the right or left.
9. The New Mexico state question is “Red or Green?” and refers to what type of chile sauce should be included with a meal. If you want both, simply ask for ‘Christmas’.
10. Jazz moved from New Mexico to Colorado just after she turned sixteen.
11. In Her Sights was a Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award finalist in 2011.
12. Luke Montgomery was an Army Ranger before he became an investigative reporter.
13. In Her Sights is Robin’s first published novel
So we’re having a party from now until midnight PST on December 7 when we are going to choose some winners for the release party giveaway.
But first, I’d thought I’d share with you 13 fun facts about the Amazon rainforest where AMAZON AWAKENING is set!
1. The Amazon rainforest is made up of almost 2.5 million square miles (1.2 billion acres) of land .
2. That represents nearly 54% of all of the rainforests in the world.
3. That much unspoiled land is the reason why over 50% of the world’s species of plants, animals and insects reside in the Amazon rainforest.
4. There are possibly dozens of tribes of natives in the Amazon that have never met anyone from the outside world.
5. One in five of all of the world’s bird species live in the rainforest.
6. The Amazon River and the surrounding rainforest are part of 9 South American countries: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guyana and Surinam.
7. 20% of the world’s oxygen is derived from the rainforest.
8. Nearly 25% of all drugs come from rainforest ingredients.
9. 70% of drugs found to have anti-cancer properties come from the rainforest.
10. The Amazon runs over 4000 miles from its start in the Peruvian Andes to when it empties into the Atlantic.
11. Over half of the rainforest is located in Brazil.
12. The Amazon is the second longest river in the world. The longest river is the Nile.
13. There are 1800 species of butterflies in the rainforest.
The above is just the tip of the rainforest! LOL! I hope you can now understand why I would set AMAZON AWAKENING in such an unusual and exceptional place. Especially since the role of Rey and Paola is to be Guardians to a very sacred space – possibly even the Garden of Eden – deep in the heart of the Amazon.
So let’s get to the giveaway! Here are the prizes:
Grand Prize: A SONY E-reader (or a $25 GC for those of you who already have e-readers) loaded with copies of AZTEC GOLD, THE FIFTH KINGDOM and ROOKIE OF THE YEAR.
So how do you get a chance to win the above prizes? Collect 10 points between now and midnight PST on December 7 by doing the following:
1 point: Tweet or share on Facebook, Tumbler, Google+ the following (only one per day- 5 points maximum):
AMAZON AWAKENING #Erotic #Paranormal Romance Caridad Pineiro http://awe.sm/5apFk
1 point: Leave a comment on this blog post or any other blog post up until the end of the contest (one point for each- 5 points maximum).
1 point: Share the excerpt below on your website, Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, Google+, etc. and send me a link to where it is on your site!
For now, here is a little teaser and excerpt for AMAZON AWAKENING.
Rey Peralta has been sent to persuade Paola Lopes to return to Brazil and take up her place as Priestess of the Guardians, protectors of the sacred realm hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest. He knows Paola is the one they need to ensure their survival—but he doesn’ t expect the instant blast of desire that sparks between them. Her beauty and power call to him, enticing him to merge with her physically and spiritually; a desire that only increases when they give in to their passion and make love. Can he convince Paola to accept her destiny and stay with her people—and by his side?
WARNING
This excerpt contains mature subject matter so do not open unless you are at least 18.
With Thanksgiving a week away, I wanted to share with you all the things for which I am thankful since I know that next Thursday I will be busy cooking and prepping for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Things for which I am thankful in no particular order:
1. My brother and sister and their families.
2. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law and all their kids!
3. My hubby who although massively annoying at times has always been a font of support, friendship and love.
4. My wonderful hard-working, respectful and funny daughter.
5. The roof over my head.
6. The food on my plate.
7. Our military men, women and families for the sacrifices they make.
8. The law enforcement officers and firefighters who risk their lives every day for us.
9. My friends, including all of you who come here to visit and take the time to write to me.
10. Being relatively healthy.
11. Being able to pursue my lifelong dream of writing a book.
12. Having a job.
13. The United States of America and the life, liberty and happiness that it provides. Without you, none of the above 12 would be likely be possible. God Bless America.
If you want to visit our Thursday-13 participants, please click here!
‘Tis the season for vampires, but not in the way that you think!
For me, the start of the fall season always gets me into vampire mode and today I’m going to try to share 13 reasons why, although I may digress with some news…
1. It’s dark when I head to the office.
2. It’s dark when I leave the office.
3. There’s a chill in the air, kind of like the temperature of a vampire’s undead skin.
4. Graveyard dampness in the mornings.
5. Fog. Today in particular, big, fat patches of it hugging the ground. Swallowing you up.
6. The leaves are getting wet and stuff is growing, giving the air that faint hint of death and decay.
7. Halloween. What better time for a vamp to go out and party?
8. Harvest moons. I don’t know about you, but whenever I see one of these, I get a chill up and down my spine.
9. The skitter and rustle of animals in the brush. Maybe it’s just a squirrel getting ready for the winter, but heck, I’m such a scaredy cat.
10. This is where I may digress. I’m writing the next Diana and Ryder book.
11. Yes, you read that right. Diana and Ryder from THE CALLING vampire novels will be back in late 2012 because…
13. The revamped series (BIG pun intended) will be called the REBORN series and Diana and Ryder’s first book is BORN TO SERVE.
I’m soooo excited! You may be wondering, why Entangled Publishing? Well, I’ve been hearing lots of good things about them and the books will be released in both print and e-book at the same time. I know many of you love your print books, much like I do, so I wanted to be able to go with a publisher who would do that for you!
I want to thank you all for the many years of supporting THE CALLING vampire novel series and for asking about Diana and Ryder. They are characters of my heart and I am so happy to be writing about them again. It’s wonderful to explore where their relationship is now and where it’s going to go bit by bit as they face a number of momentous life choices. I don’t want to say too much now and spoil it though!
Thank you all for stopping by to share this Thursday 13 with me and the joy in my heart over Diana and Ryder. To visit more Thursday 13 participants, you can click here!
Today’s Thursday 13 is a mixed bag. First I’m going to share some news about the awesome Create Something Magical Conference being held by the Liberty States Fiction Writers. Second I’m going to share the 13 things I love about conferences!
If you’re looking for a place to attend interesting panels and social events, get editor and agent appointments, network with industry professionals and readers, take a moment to consider the Create Something Magical Conference on March 17, 2012. If you’re either an aspiring or published author, there are a number of excellent panels on craft and business, editor/agent appointments, lunch with keynote speak Larissa Ione, Lady Jane’s Salon readings, a networking reception and an after-conference party all for $120. Plus you can mingle with readers on the brand new readers’ track!
Readers can attend the Lady Jane’s Salon readings (complete with dessert and beverages), panels with some of your favorite authors, a book club with Larissa Ione and the after-conference party complete with hot finger foods, a DJ and Karaoke! Cost for readers: $40. Yep, you read that right – $40. That’s less than a night out with the girls.
Plus there will be a book fair, free books and other swag, basket raffles (tickets are included with conference registration) and an Sony E-reader giveaway for those who register by February 1.
But for now I’m going to list in no particular order the 13 things I love about going to conferences like the Create Something Magical Conference!
1. Meeting readers! It’s always so great to meet people face-to-face, but the other thing is that I’m a reader and love to talking about my favorite books.
2. Meeting other published writers. It’s great to be able to talk to other published writers and here what’s happening with them.
3. Meeting aspiring authors. I love being able to share the knowledge that I have and being able to pay it forward.
4. Going to workshops. No matter what, I always get something useful from the workshops.
5. Positive energy. Just like the Hunters in THE LOST, it’s always amazing to tap into the positive energy that abounds at conferences. I always feel like my creative power has been recharged.
6. Rubber chicken and limp pasta. LOL! NOT. But I do love the finger foods we have at the receptions.
7. Doing face time with the editors and agents. It’s always nice to chat with them socially and see how they are doing.
8. Editor and agent appointments and panels. Way different than the social thing, but also good for pitching new stories and seeing what’s happening.
9. Hanging out at the bar with friends. Not much of a drinker, but nursing a glass of wine (or a Mudslide) while dishing with friends is always fun.
10. Breakfast the morning after. I usually stay overnight and I love breakfast! I could eat breakfast for every meal I love it so much.
11. SWAG. I love checking out the SWAG and seeing what others are doing.
12. Setting up the night before the conference. It’s always great to work to get everything going and share time with all the wonderful volunteers helping out at the conference.
13. Okay – I ran out of steam. Not sure about #13 but maybe something will come to me.
Today’s Thursday 13 is a list of what turns me on or off and I’d love for you to share on the blog and also come out tonight to share your thoughts and find out more about human sexuality when I host the wonderful Dr. Charley Ferrer.
Dr. Charley is an award-winning Clinical Sexologist and Life Coach who helps individuals and couples reclaim their divine sexuality. Dr. Charley conducts workshops on sexual health, women’s empowerment, men, sex and relationships and I am honored to have her with me tonight at 10 PM EST for a discussion on sex, erotica, erotica romance and what turns you on or off!
You can click on this widget or cut and paste this link to join the video chat tonight: http://t.wbx.me/f8qgs
Also, drop by Sonya Clark today for an interview with yours truly and a giveaway!
So here goes for my 13 turn on/offs:
1. ON: Shoulder Length hair
2. OFF: Frizzy long hair
3. ON: Young men (think Chris Evans)
4. ON: Older elegant men (think Christopher Plummer)
5. OFF: Violence toward women
6. ON: Playful/Intense Sparring a la Diana and Ryder in DARKNESS CALLS
7. ON: Lean muscles and those little V things on guy’s hips
8. OFF: Too much muscle
9. ON: Some bald men (think Patrick Stewart)
10. OFF: Vampires that glitter
11. ON: Spike
12. ON: Playful bondage
13. OFF: Submission
Share your turn on/off now and tonight during our stimulating chat with Dr. Charley!
Girl Crush. Urban Dictionary defines it in various ways. I’ll simplify by saying that it’s fondness and/or affection and/or attraction and/or admiration for another woman, whether sexual or not sexual. I’ve heard many a woman mention girl crushes of one kind or another so today, I’m sharing some of those (and they also include girl crushes on some fictional characters!).
I may not get to 13 on this, so please jump in and leave a comment with any girl crushes you can think of!
1. Eve Dallas from the IN DEATH Series
2. Kate Beckinsale
3. Evangeline Lilly
4. Jennifer Garner
5. Emma Watson
6. Natalie Portman
7. Selene from Underworld (And Yeah, there will be a #4 and Kate Beckinsale will be back!)
8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
9. Sarah Michelle Gellar
10. Wonder Woman
11. Stephanie Plum
12. Anne Hathaway
13. Sandra Bullock
I have been on a major J.D. Robb-fest, trying to catch up on all the books I haven’t read so that I can get to my — SQUEEE — autographed copy of FROM NEW YORK TO DALLAS!! I’ve only got about 6 books to go and to be honest, I’m not sure I can wait that long. As it is, I’ve been reading them out of order due to time constraints and so I may just do the same with FROM NEW YORK TO DALLAS. Of course, I’m also tempted that once I do that, I’ll start reading the series all over again in order from book one which when reread rather recently was just as good as I remembered.
Anyway, that’s why today’s Thursday 13 is an In-Death Fest where I’m sharing the 13 characters and/or things that I love about the series in no particular order.
1. Eve Dallas. Was there ever a more perfect heroine.
2. Roarke. OMG. Can’t say much more. He melts my bones.
3. Peabody. Love her as a sidekick. Just too awesome.
4. McNab. His outfits are burned into my retinas.
5. Feeney. Great father figure.
6. Mira. As a substitute mom, she’s the best.
7. The candy thief. I’m convinced it’s Roarke. There is a scene in CONSPIRACY IN DEATH where the candy bar disappears with only Roarke nearby and he chides her about eating better. In TREACHERY IN DEATH, Eve discovers her stash missing and Roarke admits just seconds later that he had broken into her office. Hmm. Too much coincidence for me.
8. The love scenes. Soooo soooo hot and romantic.
9. The murder cases. After an overload of crime-type stories on TV, it’s amazing that these are still interesting.
10. The world of the NYPSD and Eve’s men and women. Little by little you’ve gotten to know each one and have seen them grow.
11. NYC in the future with its glide carts and soy dogs. So can related to my favoritest city.
12. Mavis. What an interesting and outrageous best friend.
13. Eve’s fear of anything feminine. I can so relate.
Hope you enjoyed today’s Thursday 13. If you’re familiar with the IN DEATH series, please add your own favorite moments.
As for the blog tours, I’ve got two – count them two – coming up in October.
Join me at various sites (list will be up tomorrow!) for the ENTIRE month of October as we chat about THE LOST and share lots of fun things about the book and about me! Leave a comment on any of the blogs for a chance to win a $10 Gift card, a LOST T-shirt and a copy of STRONGER THAN SIN. The more comments you leave, the greater the likelihood of winning.
Starting October 17, all four authors in the anthology A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS are going on a mini blog tour! At each stop on the #VampXmas tour, Michele Hauf, Laurie London, Alexis Morgan and I will be answering questions about our novellas and giving away cool swag, including a signed copy of A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS, one of our other books and an ornament. Please join us.
Today’s Thursday 13 is all about my love/hate relationship with rainy days! Especially considering the last week or so we’ve had in the Northeast.
This morning the rain was so bad, the road to the train station was flooded! Hubby had to drop me off a block earlier so I could traipse through rushing waters in my trusty rain boots. I wish I could send just a little bit of the water to all my friends in Texas who need it so badly.
Anyway, here is my attempt at 13 things I love/hate about rainy days. Feel free to help me out with your comments.
1. Love staying home tucked under the covers.
2. Hate having to commute in this mess.
3. Love curling up with a good book and a cup of tea.
4. Hate wet feet. I must be part cat.
5. Love the thunder and lightning.
6. Hate the thunder and lightning when I am out of doors and know it’s more likely I’ll get hit by the lightning than win the Lottery.
7. Love how the rain makes all the plants perk up.
8. Hate how the rain rots out my tomatoes.
9. Love standing beneath a tree after the rain and having the wind shake loose those last little drops.
10. Hate seeing the big trees with too few roots come down in the rain.
11. Love splashing through the puddles in my rain boots.
12. Hate finding out my rain boots are not as waterproof as I thought.
13. Love snuggling with my hubby in the morning, holding hands and listening to the rain hit the roof.
Thank you for dropping by today! Please share your love/hate relationship with rain. Visit more Thursday 13 participants by clicking here.
It’s hard to believe that Labor Day is this weekend, marking the unofficial end of summer.
I LIVE for the summer. It’s my favorite time of year for lots of reasons. I love to be outdoors so I can walk on the boardwalk, garden, dip my toes in the ocean and hang out on the beach beneath the umbrella, catching up on my To-Be-Read pile.
I also love summer because of the different foods that are available and that I prepare for the hotter days!
So today’s Thursday 13 is a list of my favorite summer foods, in reverse because I’m going to share my top 3 today at the Forever Romance Summer Reading Club! Please drop by from 12 to 2 EST today to chat with me, ask some questions and maybe even get a recipe for one of my favorites! We’ll also have a giveaway today during the chat.
Here are today’s Thursday 13 of top favorite summer foods, in reverse! Click here to visit other Thursday 13 bloggers.
Please drop by from 12 to 2 EST today at the Forever Romance Summer Reading Club for the top 3 and some recipes. Also, share this tweet for a chance to win a cool LOST polo shirt.
Caridad chats 2day 12-2 EST #4EvrBookClub 2 discuss THE LOST RT 4 chance 2 win a cool LOST polo http://ht.ly/6hAaF
Also, it’s time for the Back to Books Blog hop! I’m offering up a LOST T-shirt, copy of STRONGER THAN SIN and some additional swag. Just leave a comment on any blog this week or at today’s Facebook chat and sign up for my newsletter for a chance to win!
Check out the other the blogs shown below for additional giveaways!
In my debut novel from Montlake Romance, SHE CAN RUN (released November 28), Beth Baker is on the run from her violent and powerful husband when she takes refuge at a secluded mansion. There she finds herself under the watchful eye of former cop Jack O’Malley. Her secrets, his suspicions, and their desire clash when a killer strikes nearby.
In my debut novel from Amazon’s Montlake Romance, In Her Sights, (released on November 29, 2011), Colorado’s lone female SWAT sniper finds herself in the crosshairs when her past is exposed and an old enemy returns with a vengeance seeking to destroy her—and everyone she loves. 
It’s here! Today’s the day for the release of my very first erotic paranormal romance, 
Grand Prize: A SONY E-reader (or a $25 GC for those of you who already have e-readers) loaded with copies of 
With Thanksgiving a week away, I wanted to share with you all the things for which I am thankful since I know that next Thursday I will be busy cooking and prepping for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Today’s Thursday 13 is a list of what turns me on or off and I’d love for you to share on the blog and also come out tonight to share your thoughts and find out more about human sexuality when I host the wonderful 
Girl Crush. 
Today’s Thursday 13 is all about my love/hate relationship with rainy days! Especially considering the last week or so we’ve had in the Northeast.
It’s hard to believe that Labor Day is this weekend, marking the unofficial end of summer.
Also, it’s time for the Back to Books Blog hop! I’m offering up a LOST T-shirt, copy of STRONGER THAN SIN and some additional swag. Just leave a comment on any blog this week or at today’s Facebook chat and sign up for my newsletter for a chance to win!
