Tag: blog

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Fun Friday – A Guest Visit and Freebies!

This Fun Friday we’ve got two things going on! The first is another Tax Day Freebie, but this one runs all the way to May! If you’re near Charlie Brown’s check out their three course special deal via this link.

I had the special dinner last night after getting home an hour late thanks to NJ Transit. Another of their ungodly messes. When they announced a 25% fair hike yesterday, I guess they decided to add to the pain we were all feeling by having no service out of Penn Station. But the updside to the debacle was the Charlie Brown’s dinner courtesy of the coupon. Totally worth it!

The next Fun Friday thing is a guest blog with Lisa Pietsch. Drop by there today and leave a comment at Lisa’s blog for a chance to win a STRONGER THAN SIN T-shirt and a copy of FURY CALLS! The contest ends at midnight EST today, April 16th!

I hope you all have a marvelous weekend!

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Wicked Wednesday – SINS Prequel

Today I’m sharing with you a prequel for SINS OF THE FLESH, my November 2009 release from Grand Central Publishing. This snippet shows you a little bit more about the hero, Mick Carrera, who is quite a complex individual. It also introduces you to one of his sisters, Roberta – or Bobbie as she is known to friends and family. Bobbie is a Marine heading off to Iraq and here’s a secret for you – if all goes as planned, Bobbie will be the heroine in Book 3 of the SINS series.

If you can’t see the book widget below, you can also read the SINS OF THE FLESH Prequel by clicking here or cutting and pasting the link below into your browser:

http://www.scribd.com/full/22847234?access_key=key-1hbb9vav8r9uyiztkl8f
SINS OF THE FLESH Prequel

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Thoughts of Spring and a Contest!

There is only one thing that says Spring to me more than the crocuses popping their heads through the soil in Bryant Park. What is that one thing? The Philadelphia Flower Show!!

Yep, it’s that time of year again. My sis, niece and I are headed to the show tomorrow, so you won’t see a Fun Friday blog for me. But . . .

Sunday is my b’day so look for a day long celebration and contest! Leave a comment on Sunday’s March 7th blog before midnight EST for a chance to win a $25 Godiva Gift Card, copy of FURY CALLS and a SINS OF THE FLESH lunch bag!

Last Year's Philadelphia Flower Show

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Fun Friday – Aly & AJ

If I’m a little hard of hearing at times, blame all those Jonas Brothers concerts I went to with my darling daughter! Not that I didn’t like them, because I did. I’m just convinced that if the military could somehow package the screams of teenaged girls, they would have the most effective weapons known to mankind.

But besides enjoying the Jonas Brothers, I had the good fortune that we saw them when they were the backup band to Aly & AJ. I liked their music so much, my daughter got one of their albums for my Ipod. It’s perfect music for my workouts and I thought I’d share one of my favorites (video with all those cute surfer dudes makes it possibly better!).

In case you can’t see the video below, you can also check it out at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW2rJore_Ew

Hope you all have a fun and safe weekend!

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Her name was Lola . . .

She was a show girl . . . LOL!

Our Lola today is anything but a show girl. She’s a smart and sexy sleuth in Misa Ramirez’s Lola Cruz Mystery series! I hope you’ll enjoy today’s guest blog with my friend and fellow author as Misa tells us a little more about the creation of her character and series.

*****

You don’t know me, but I’m a mystery writer. I’m the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery Series. Living the Vida Lola came out last January, and Hasta la Vista, Lola!, comes out on February 2nd. I’m gearing up for the release, in full celebratory mode, and thrilled to be here dishing with Caridad!

When you aren’t a regular on a blog, it can be hard to know what to write, and how to present it to a brand new audience. Should I be funny, like in my books? Serious, because murder is serious business? Or some combination of the two, perhaps? The truth is, I’m no stand up comedian (not by a long shot), but I am funny–in my books. Like any fleshed out character, I’m a combination of things. I love a good mystery (cutting my teeth on Nancy Drew, graduating to Agatha Christie, and branching out from there), read the occasional romance (Julia Quinn makes me laugh), but stick mostly with women’s and/or literary fiction (The Help is my new favorite book).

How, then, did I come to write mysteries, and why aren’t my mysteries serious instead of sexy and sassy?

The short answer is, I like the mystery device. What better way to propel a plot forward than to have a crime to solve?

The little-bit-longer answer is that crafting a puzzle that the sleuth and readers need to piece together is challenging–and fun; watching characters you love to spend time with grow and discover themselves–and each other–is rewarding. Having humor and wit in a book is icing on the cake.

For me, then, the mystery is only half the story. Lola Cruz came about long before the framework of Living the Vida Lola. She came to me as a character who was at once sassy, smart, sexy, determined, strong, feminine, Latina, black belt in kung fu, idealistic, American, sister, daughter, friend, and so much more. When it was time to figure out how I was going to tell her story, it made perfect sense to put her into an investigative role. Elements of the mystery, I knew, could pit Lola against external conflicts, as well as internal conflicts, of which she has many. It would force her to evaluate her life, her choices, her dreams, her desires, and her future (all in a funny, light way). Balancing her drive to be a detective, her traditional Mexican family, cultural expectations, her American sensibilities, and her love life is no easy task. Add in a mystery, and it’s a wild ride!

Lola Cruz Mysteries are character driven more than anything, but the mysteries really interest me. They’re ‘ripped from the headlines’, twisted, redefined, and Lola-fied. The mysteries shape, form, and/or enlighten Lola in her personal life or with her decision-making. They are equal, then, to Lola’s own story, which spans the arc of the series (we’re only on book 2, so have a ways to go yet).

I’m always curious to find out i readers like their mysteries straight up, or with the zany, romantic elements which are in many series. How do you like yours?

Visit Misa and learn more about Lola Cruz Mysteries at http://misaramirez.com, at Chasing Heroes, http://chasingheroes.com, and at The Stiletto Gang, http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com.

Want to find out more about Misa and Lola! Then take a moment to stop at one of these other blog tour stops:

Mon Jan 18 BronzeWord Latino Authors
Tues Jan 19 Book-Lover Carol
Wed Jan 20 Latino Book Examiner
Thur Jan 21 Julia Amante
Mon Jan 25 Murder By 4
Tues Jan 26 Book Journey
Wed Jan 27 Mama Latina Tips
Fri Jan 29 Literary Feline

Thanks Misa for dropping by and thanks to all of you for leaving comments and questions for Misa!

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The Power of Wishes by Autumn Jordon

I am so happy to have with me today a very dear friend and fellow author, Autumn Jordon! We’ve known each other for years and in addition to being my friend, Autumn is a RWA Golden Heart Finalist and debut author. Which just goes to show how hard work and determination are the keys to success in life.

Without further ado, here’s Autumn!

*****

“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.” Richard Bach

A friend gave me a plague with the above quote inscribed on it some twenty-five years ago. The plague still hangs on my office wall. That quote has inspired me to take steps in my life that I might not have taken otherwise.

One path I started on was to strive to write for publication and years later, I’m finally seeing my dreams come true. My first release, OBSSESED BY WILDFIRE, hits the cyber-shelf today! I’m so excited. My stomach clenches as I wonder if anyone will dish out cash for the story. If they decided to, I don’t think they’ll be disappointed.

OBSESSED BY WILDFIRE is not my first completed novel, it’s not even my second or third. It’s my fifth. Does its ranking, among my completed works, diminish the excitement which tingles my entire soul today? HE** NO.

OBSESSED BY WILDFIRE is rated HOT! I didn’t know I could write HOT. My editor thinks I could erotica. My answer to her is a topic for another blog.

The story, set in the Texas town of Wayback, is about a woman who meets a man who could stop her from her accomplishing her dreams. I love the banter Isabelle’s emotional conflict causes between her and the sexy fire marshal, Warner. The couple made me chuckle. By the end of the book, Isobel learns love can make dreams a whole lot sweeter.

Excerpt:

“Warner Keyson. You?” He folded his arms across his chest. His muscles bulged from beneath the rolled back sleeves of his white dress shirt. She’d seen bigger forearms—on a few NFL players.

“Isobel Trinidad.”

“Well, Ms. Trinidad, you could’ve caused some damage or killed someone the way you barreled in here.”

“The last time I heard, Raleigh was Wayback’s chief and you’re not one of his officers. Besides everyone’s inside.”

“There could be a couple or two in the backseat of those cars. You know, enjoying the night.”

Warner Keyson’s warm caramel gaze drifted over her and Isobel’s legs buckled a degree before she roped off her reaction. Refusing to look away, she wrestled the urge to step closer and touch the cute dark lock that curled behind Mr. Keyson’s right ear. “Were you peeking in windows?”

“Nah, not peeking.” His full lips pulled up the tiniest bit.

Looking pass him, she scanned the cars. Had he been in the backseat of one of them? Had one of the local girls already run him down and claimed him?

“So what do you have in mind with that whip?”

*****

If you’d like to read the entire story, and I hope you will, here is the link to The Wild Rose Press home page.
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

You can visit Autumn at http://www.autumnjordon.com, but first, take a moment to check out her cool video for Obsessed by Wildfire! If you’re not seeing the video player, you can also visit this link for the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkq_Um-WyzI&feature=player_embedded

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Donna Grant Dishes on Fears

DangerousHighlander_200x300First, thank you, Caridad, for inviting me to guest blog!

We all have something we fear whether it’s a monster we saw in a movie or something we face every day like…oh, I don’t know…spiders. (yes, I’m deathly afraid of the little buggers).

Having those fears is partly what makes us humans. When creating characters, authors want readers to connect to those characters, to laugh with them, to cry with them, to love with them, and even to fear with them.

So, I like to give my characters fears. Little Man (my 7 year old son) thinks I’m being mean by doing this, but I like to think of it as doing what comes naturally.  After all, if I’ve got to deal with my fears daily, so do my characters.

In DANGEROUS HIGHLANDER the heroine, Cara, has a fear of the dark that borders on the extreme. When you’re poor in Medieval Scotland, you don’t waste candles when sleeping. But Cara does.

It stems from when she witnessed her parents murdered by monsters. Of course, as she grew older, she thought what she had seen was changed by her young mind. (Our minds do have a way of shifting things without us even realizing it sometimes.)

That is until she meets up with those monsters again.

How each of us face our fears is what, ultimately, shapes us into the person we are. Some run from their fears. Others face them head on. Which type are you?

I’ll be giving away a signed copy of either MUTUAL DESIRE or THE PLEASURE OF HIS BED to a commenter that tells me what their fear is.

Hugs,
D
www.donnagrant.com

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