Last Day Amazon Awakening Release Party #Giveaway #Ereader

Today is the last day in the AMAZON AWAKENING release party although we’ll still be celebrating this release for the rest of the month of December.

As you might know from the last few days, AMAZON AWAKENING is my first foray into writing erotic paranormal romance.

Why go sexier? Well, there are some stories that just lend themselves to a sexier story line and I have to admit, I like edgy stories. But I also like romance and seeing the developing relationship so I’ve made it a point in all of the stories that I’ll be doing for Nocturne Cravings to provide that romantic arc.

But I also know that some people don’t like the sexiness. They’d rather close the door on what happens with the couple. I guess that’s one of the reasons why Inspirationals and Young Adult books are so popular. Many readers have told me they look to these for stories that are sweeter.

Today’s question for you is: Do you like sexy or sweet or both? What do you like or not like about stories that are erotic (especially since I have another 3 to write for Nocturne Cravings!)?

Leave you answer below to earn some points on this final day of the release party!

Now for more on 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.

2 Second chance prizes: THE LOST T-shirt and copy of A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS

So how do you get a chance to win the above prizes? Collect 10 points between now and midnight PST on December 7 (today!) 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

5 points: Send me a link to your review of AMAZON AWAKENING.

1 point: Stumble, Digg, Delicious or Reddit this website or this blog post.

1 point: Follow me on Twitter or at my Facebook Fan Page (one point for each)

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!

WARNING

This excerpt contains mature subject matter so do not open unless you are at least 18.

If you can’t see the widget below, you can cut and paste this link:
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/72902685?access_key=key-7hf866rrigwutty0jsg

Erotic Paranormal Romance Amazon Awakening Excerpt

Sharing My Weekend Writing Retreat

I wish that Google+ photos actually allowed you to do a slideshow. For the life of me, the little create slideshow link just isn’t showing up! So, you can go to visit the album here, but in the meantime…

I headed out on Saturday with my friends Melinda Leigh and Rayna Vause for a writing retreat weekend! Our destination: The Inn at Boonesboro and the Turn the Page Bookstore where we got to meet Nora Roberts as well as a number of authors.

I got up at 5, was on the road by six and picked up my friends shortly after 7. We hit the road and got to Boonesboro just before 11. It was the open house day at the Inn so we got to visit all the rooms, but first we met my friend Lora and then headed to the book store to pick up our books and get ready for the signing. Here’s a picture of my buds in front of the Inn.

Rayna Vause and Melinda Leigh

At the bookstore, we got our purchases and since Vesta’s pizza was packed, headed to Crawford’s Guns, Ammo and Restaurant for a bite before the signing. Where else can you pick up ammo, check out the rifles and get some delicious sweet potato fries?

Crawford's Guns, Ammo & Restaurant

Then it was time for the signing!! I had my books for research (nothing better than Eve and Roarke to get me inspired!). I also had a J.D. Robb “book lamp” that I had made and Nora was so nice and signed it as well. Here’s me and Nora!

Nora Roberts & Caridad Pineiro

Then we were back to the Inn for the open house. Such gorgeous rooms and bathrooms. I loved the Galahad pillow on the chair in the Eve and Roarke room! The rooms were totally romantic and did any of you guess which room I would choose for Rey and Paola from AMAZON AWAKENING?

If you guess that it was the Westley and Buttercup room you were right. I could so imagine a big bed like this made of a sustainable rainforest wood like Ipe.

Westley & Buttercup Room

After that we headed for a walk through Boonesboro and then to dinner. We returned to the site of the Inn with all its lovely Christmas trimmings.

Inn at Boonesboro

Ducking inside the inn to take off the chill, we had some wine and cheese and also celebrated my friend Melinda’s debut book (more on that on Thursday!).

In the morning, we headed to the Antietam battlefield for a bit of history and research. Since Ryder from THE CALLING/REBORN Vampire Series was a physician during the Civil War, I’m toying with the idea of bringing back someone else from that era. You may remember that Samantha Turner from TEMPTATION CALLS knew Ryder back then (and was the one who turned him). Not sure whether this someone is a hero or villain, but walking/driving the fields of Antietam certainly gave some ideas for a new character.

I even managed to climb the Observation Tower! The trip up was quite a hike, but the trip down was interesting as my fear of heights kicked in. Luckily Rayna lent me her shoulder to hold so I could keep my face to the wall and not see the big open scary hole in the middle of the stairs!

Antietam Observation Tower

I hope you enjoyed this little travel journal!

Also, if you need some tips on writing short fiction, come and play with me today at my friend Catherine Bybee’s blog where I am talking about how to move from writing long fiction to short!

Heroes & Heroines & Amazon Awakening

AMAZON AWAKENING Paranormal Erotic RomanceThanks to all of you who have been participating in the AMAZON AWAKENING release party! Woo Hoo! It’s so nice to have you coming to visit.

It’s Guilty Pleasure Monday and I’ve got not one, but two Guilty Pleasures – Benjamin Bratt and Sofia Vergara.

Why these two you might wonder? Well, if I was going to cast Rey Peralta and Paola Lopes from AMAZON AWAKENING, these are the two actors I’d pick to play the leads.

I loved Benjamin in his role as Rey Curtis on LAW AND ORDER and as Sandra Bullock’s partner and romantic interest in MISS CONGENIALITY. He is sooo sexy! I can totally picture him as Rey, guiding Paola through the Amazon rainforest to the Sacred Space he is honor-bound to protect.

As for Sofia Vergara, so beautiful and so funny. I love her in MODERN FAMILY. She is such a hoot. It would be interesting to see if she could play the very serious and complex role of Paola, a woman who has family issues and is not sure if she should take up the mantle left empty by her father’s death and being passed to her by her grandmother’s illness.

Tomorrow I’ll have some pictures for you of what Rey’s luscious bedroom might look like in AMAZON AWAKENING. Take a moment to visit the photo album today. See if you can pick out which bedroom I would choose for Rey and Paola to share and let me know by posting your comment to earn some points.

On Wednesday I’ll be visiting the Romance Book Craze Blog where you can leave some more comments to earn points!

Finally, something very special is happening this Thursday 13. I will have my dear friend and fellow author Melinda Leigh here to talk about her debut bestselling romantic suspense novel, SHE CAN RUN. Melinda will also be offering up the chance to win a KINDLE!

Hope you all had a nice weekend.

Benjamin Bratt Photo Credit: Frank Kovalchek
Sofia Vergara Photo Credit: Keith Hinkle

Amazon Awakening Release Party #Giveaway #Thursday13

AMAZON AWAKENING Erotic Paranormal RomanceIt’s here! Today’s the day for the release of my very first erotic paranormal romance, AMAZON AWAKENING, from Harlequin Nocturne Cravings.

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.

To visit other Thursday-13 participants, please click here!

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.

2 Second chance prizes: THE LOST T-shirt and copy of A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS

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

5 points: Send me a link to your review of AMAZON AWAKENING.

1 point: Stumble, Digg, Delicious or Reddit this website or this blog post.

1 point: Follow me on Twitter or at my Facebook Fan Page (one point for each)

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.

If you can’t see the widget below, you can cut and paste this link:
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/72902685?access_key=key-7hf866rrigwutty0jsg

Erotic Paranormal Romance Amazon Awakening Excerpt

Tempus Fugit or in other words, How can it almost be December?

There are so many expressions about time, two of which come to mind immediately this morning.

Time flies when you’re having fun.
Time flies when you’re older.

Does getting older therefore mean you are going to have way more fun?

For me, time has been flying this year, and while it’s been fun, I hate the thought that it means I’m that much older. Of course, growing older beats the alternative.

It seems that in the blink of an eye, the year is gone and December is almost here. I don’t know about you, but I’ve already started my Christmas shopping, scoping out sales so I can watch my pennies. Since it’s a day of old adages, take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves, right?

For me that means using coupons, scouring the circulars for my regular haunts, cashing in any rewards points that I have and trying to see if with all that combined, I can keep expenses to a minimum.

How about you? Do you feel as if the year has flown by? Have you started your holiday shopping and if so, do you have any hints on how to save a little cash during this season?

Wife by Wednesday Free Read & #giveaway

Please welcome today my friend and fellow author, Catherine Bybee! I am so excited to have her here today to chat about her latest release. If you’re like me and your guilty pleasure is plunking down with a stack of Silhouette Desire novels, then Catherine’s book is one you are sure to love and since it’s an Amazon bestseller, I think others also agree.

Without further ado, here’s Catherine!

jersey shore shell

Thanks so much Caridad for having me here today.
It’s stupid, crazy time of year… the holidays are here. It’s time to start baking, cooking turkeys and drinking wine. Not necessarily in that order. LOL

In the giving spirit, I’m going to offer a copy of Wife by Wednesday to a random person who leaves a comment on your blog today. All they half to do is answer one question. What do you think about authors self publishing their work?

My very first Indie published book, Wife by Wednesday has been out less than two months and already I’ve reached so many new readers. I think people need a light contemporary read this time of year. Something to help them escape for a few hours. Wife is #2 in Contemporary Romance one Amazon Kindle this week. I couldn’t be happier with my reviews.

Here is an exclusive excerpt of Wife by Wednesday:

Blurb:

A Contemporary Romance with a dash of humor and a whole lotta sexy…

Blake Harrison:

Rich, titled, and charming… And in need of a wife by Wednesday so he turns to Sam Elliot who isn’t the business man he expected. Instead, Blake is faced with Samantha Elliot, engaging and spunky with a voice men call 900 numbers to hear.

Samantha Elliot:

Owner of Alliance, her matchmaking firm, and not on the marital menu… That is until Blake offers her ten million dollars for a one-year contract. All she needs to do is keep her attraction to her husband to herself and avoid his bed. But Blake’s toe-curling kisses and charm prove too difficult to combat. Now she needs to protect her heart so she can walk away when their mercenary life together is over.

Excerpt:

Contemporary RomanceAfter several minutes of packing, Samantha forgot all about the cameras and found her head deep inside her dresser. She grabbed a simple band and tied her hair back out of the way.

“Should I be worried about all these shoes in here?” Blake asked from her closet.

She laughed. “You’re the one who told me to go shopping,” she teased.
“Looks like I’ll be hiring a handyman to build another walk-in just for you.” There was laughter in his voice.

“Women love clothes.”

“And shoes, apparently. God, I didn’t think anyone needed this many.”

Samantha tucked her panties into a box and reached for more. “I’m short, in case you haven’t noticed. I need heels to see how the rest of you live.”

Blake’s voice moved closer. “You’re not short,” he said.

She turned to see him holding a pair of four-inch pumps.

“Vertically challenged, then.” She stood to prove her point. “See?” Beside him, the top of her head met his chin. “Short!”

His eyes seemed to drag her into his frame. “I wouldn’t change anything about you,” he told her. Blake reached out and tugged the band from her hair. His fingers brushed over the ends and Samantha forgot to breathe. The closer he moved into her personal space, the less air was available for her lungs. She tilted her head as he moved in and allowed his mouth to move over hers.

jersey shore shell

To order WIFE BY WEDNESDAY, just follow any of these links:

Amazon Download:
http://amzn.to/pus1jM

Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94015

Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wife-by-wednesday-catherine-bybee/1106329395?ean=2940013652019&itm=6&usri=catherine%2bbybee

For more information on Catherine and her novels (did I mention she also does time travel stories?), check out Catherine at www.catherinebybee.com.