Tag: thursday 13

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Events, Coupons and More!

As much as I was planning to do a Thursday 13 today, I am without a thought this a.m. I could not even name 13 things sitting on my desk right now. Well, maybe I could but I don’t think you’d be too interested in knowing. LOL!

I want to thank everyone who dropped by the live video event last night. I had a blast talking with all of you and the marvelous Donna Grant. Donna is so much fun and it was so interesting to hear about her books and her wonderful Dark Sword series. Also got to see her wonderful trailer for UNTAMED HIGHLANDER. Can I say AWESOME?

I’ll be picking winners from the event later this a.m. and posting them tomorrow, so please drop by on Friday to see if you’ve won.

Well, maybe I can after a double dose of coffee since I was both tired and excited after our event last night. Went to bed early as I usually do because I’m normally up at 5 a.m. to head to work. So not fun.

But as I lay there I turned on the television and zapped between PAWN QUEENS and AUCTION WARS. I love seeing what they find, maybe because I’ve recently discovered that there is an adventurous treasure hunter buried deep inside of me. (Duh, I guess I should have realized that way before writing AZTEC GOLD and THE FIFTH KINGDOM, but I didn’t!)

Then I caught my first episode of EXTREME COUPONING. Whoa! A young couple got thousands of dollars of items for FREE. The nice thing was they gave everything away to local area charities.

Next was a single mom who relied on couponing to support her family. More power to her. Why not take advantage of savings, especially in these difficult times.

I used to coupon more. Once saved 75% of my grocery bill with coupons. Now I have little time for that, but I still try to predominantly buy what’s on sale and what I need. I don’t want to end up throwing away items that have reached their expiration date.

I also make sure to check the sizes and prices. 5.98 a pound chicken breasts at 50% off is no bargain. I hate when stores do that to make themselves look good, but are not really giving their customers a break.

So do you coupon? Extremely or just average?

Oh wait. I guess I did have some thoughts this morning. LOL! I hope they made sense.

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13 Places to Visit in New York City

With the Romance Writers Conference arriving in my hometown on June 28th, look for me to start offering up some tips on Eats, To dos and To Sees! Look for Countdown 2 #RWA11 starting on June 1 on Twitter and my Facebook Fan Page.

But today I’m sharing some other favorite places to visit in New York City. I work there every day and for the longest time really didn’t get to see this amazing city. Once I decided to become a “tourist”, I discovered lots of different little neighborhoods, restaurants and sights to see. It’s one of the reasons I set THE CALLING in Manhattan – to offer up views of all the unique neighborhoods.

So here goes!

When you think of New York you probably imagine there is a lot of hustle and bustle in the city that never sleeps. You’d be right, but tucked amongst all those skyscrapers are oases of green and calm. Here are some of my favorites.

    1. Tudor Greens
    2. Union Square Park
    3. Central Park
    4. Bryant Park

I’d list Gramercy Park in there, but unfortunately this park is open only to those who pay an annual fee and possess a key to enter. Ugh.

Next up – America’s story locations. Unless you’re a Native American, your ancestors came here from somewhere else and New York City is a vibrant part of that immigration story. So be sure to visit these locations to learn more about America’s famed melting pot and experience some of the flavor imparted on New York by its immigrant populations:

    5. Statue of Liberty
    6. Ellis Island
    7. Tenement Museum
    8. Museum at Eldridge Street
    9. Chinatown
    10. Little Italy

To experience the hustle and bustle, from both on the ground and above, these locations can’t be beat:

    11. Empire State Building
    12. Top of the Rock
    13. Times Square

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Thursday 13. If you’ve been to New York City, take a moment to share some of your favorite places to visit.

Tomorrow, look for the winners of the prizes from last week’s live video event, news on the next live video event and a chance to win an autographed copy of Margaret Mallory‘s THE GUARDIAN!

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13 Things I Love About Being a Writer

There are lots of good and bad things about being a writer, but I like being a positive person and so this morning I’m going to focus on 13 things I love about being a writer.

    1. Sharing my stories with people
    2. Creating new worlds and characters
    3. Meeting new people
    4. Sharing what I know with other writers.
    5. Talking about favorite books with other writers and readers.
    6. Visiting new places for conferences and research
    7. Research. I so love learning new things.
    8. My editors who help me improve my writing.
    9. Attending workshops.
    10. Having complete control over my characters (I am such a control freak!)
    11. Making new friends with readers and other writers
    12. Spending time alone writing.
    13. Long walks spent creating new ideas or working through problems.

As you might have noticed, meeting new people and making friends was up there on that list. Sometimes it’s not possible to meet you all in person, but thanks to technology, it is possible to see each other face-to-face!

In the coming weeks I’ll be having some live video interaction with fans and friends and also sharing some of my favorite authors and friends with you. Come join the fun at our very first live video meet and greet TODAY!

We are going to preview THE LOST, the very first book in my new SIN HUNTER series.

I’ll be giving away a $10 gift card, a LOST T-shirt and a couple of cool reusable grocery bags so that you can help to protect the environment. I’ll also be picking some lucky winners to get copies of SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD and STRONGER THAN SIN!

You can either click here to join the chat today, Thursday, May 5 at 8:30 EST or click on the widget below. Feel free to share the widget with your friends and let them share in the fun and prizes. You can also tweet or share this link: http://t.wbx.me/eemp7

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13 Things I Love About the Jersey Shore

Jersey ShoreBeing a Pisces, you know I’m a water baby and so the Jersey Shore is such a lovely place for me to be. Being near the ocean spurs my creativity in so many positive ways as does soaking up the sun. So here are the 13 things I love about the Jersey Shore.

1. Long strolls along the Boardwalk.
2. DAYS ice cream. The short shot is the absolute best way to end the day.
3. Sitting beneath an umbrella and watching the ocean.
4. Seeing the little kids playing in the sand and water. Such unabashed joy.
5. Taking a nap beneath my umbrella (something I rarely do the rest of the year).
6. Reading lots and lots of books beneath that umbrella and on my little balcony.
7. The assorted fairs and craft events in all the nearby towns.
8. Fishing. Maybe this year I’ll actually do instead of just watching.
9. Watching the tents go up in Ocean Grove.

Tents down for the Season at Ocean Grove
Ocean Grove Tent City

10. Listening to music at the Ocean Grove Auditorium.
11. Listening to the music from the Stone Pony in Asbury Park.
12. Looking for shells along the beach. Found lots of sand dollars last year.
13. The Bradley Beach Lobster Festival. Yummy yummy I got lobster in my tummy.

What about you? Are you a Jersey Girl? If so, share your favorite shore things to do.

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Setting the Scene & Spring Happenings

On today’s Thursday 13, I want to invite you to take a visit to my fellow author India Drummond who is hosting me today as I blog about the powers of observation and setting a scene. Keeping in line with that, I thought I’d give you a list of the 13 things that I love about spring (not that it’s arrived here yet in the cold Northeast!)

1. Colorful crocuses peeking their heads out of the soil.
2. Golden daffodils.
3. Spring green bursting from leaf buds.
4. Soft pink of my Japanese weeping cherry tree.
5. The smell of freshly mowed spring grass.
6. The bite of wild onions mowed along with the grass.
7. First gurgle of the pond as I start up the pump.
8. Goldfish soaking up the sun.
9. Chatter of birds in the trees.
10. Sun, warm on my face.
11. Splashing through rain puddles.
12. Crisp breeze coming off the ocean.
13. The smack of the ball on the bat! It’s Opening Day!

Thanks for dropping by and don’t forget to visit me over at India’s blog. On this very last day of March and my month long birthday bash, I’m offering up a copy of AZTEC GOLD for one lucky person who leaves a comment on India’s blog by midnight EST.

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The Thirteen Lies I Use To Protect My Heart

We’re still celebrating with my month long birthday bash and today I’m lucky to have with me Rachel Firasek whose latest release is PIPER’S FURY. Rachel had a chance to chat with Piper and since it’s Thursday 13, Piper is sharing with us the 13 lies she uses to protect her heart.

But first, Rachel is being kind enough to offer a copy of an e-book if you leave a comment and follow her on Facebook, Twitter or her website.

And now for a short blurb about PIPER’S FURY and Piper’s list for Thursday 13.

Blurb

It’s an empath thing…

Using your “powers” to help the Dark Hills Police Department hunt down serial killers doesn’t leave much time for dating. Not that Piper Anast is complaining. The last thing she needs is some guy brushing up against her and pumping his pornographic thoughts into her head.

When she meets Bennett Slade, a sexy, tormented vampire, Piper stumbles headlong into a telepathic connection with his missing daughter. She can’t leave the kid to the evil surrounding her unwanted visions, nor can she resist her draw to Slade. He’s the first guy she’s been able to touch vision-free in, well, forever.

As she and Slade close in on the evil creature holding his daughter, Piper’s powers morph into a deadly fury. To save Slade’s daughter-and herself-Piper must face down demons she never knew she had and trust the one thing she keeps from everyone.

Her heart.

The Thirteen Lies I Use To Protect My Heart by Piper Anast

1. Slade is Ugly…no it’s a lie, it is. The man is gorgeous. His eyes reflect a storm above the mountain when he looks at me. Major hunk.

2. Slade’s mean. He’s mean to me. Nope, that’s a lie too. He’s really very nice. And polite. Too polite, it’s annoying!

3. He can’t cook. LIE! He cooks better than most women in America, he has years of practice. Hundreds of them.

4. Slade, is kind of cold-hearted. That’s not true either. He has a pure soul. He’s an open book until he tried to protect me from all the baddies in the world.

5. He’s a chauvinist. Well, other than keeping me away from death–dang, that’s not true either. He let’s me be a complete feminist.

6. He’s not sexy. If you like perfect muscles, tall and mysterious, I guess he would be considered sexy, but I don’t. *averts eyes from the crowd*

7. He doesn’t show any interest. Maybe he’s not into me as I’m into him. That’s not true. When he looks at me, when he kisses me, I know he more than just wants me.

8. He doesn’t take care of his kid. It’s true. She gets kidnapped when she’s a year old. I mean, who lets that happen? That’s mean, even for me. He adores this kid. It’s breaking his heart.

9. I tell myself that we wouldn’t be good for each other. Why would a gal with a temper need somebody kind and calm? It’s just not a good fit.

10. I’m not ready for a relationship. I mean, I’m only 24. I’ve never even dated. But, that’s because men are pigs. Well, except for Slade. He’s the first man I’ve ever met that hasn’t dirtied my mind with torrid visions.

11. I can’t move in with him. He lives in the mountains. Oh, who am I trying to kid. It’s the perfect place for an introvert like me.

12. If I were to get with Slade, I’d have to leave Mabel. She needs me. I mean who would drag her home from her many meetings, outings, and socializing?

13. I lie to myself. I lie to my friends. I lie to everyone because I don‘t have any feelings. Biggest lie yet. I love them all, but I can’t let them know that. You see, when you admit it, when you voice it and lose it, it hurts worse. I’ll just keep it locked inside and when they pass or leave, I’ll be able to keep a piece of them with me.

Thank you all for letting me share my chronic lying problem with you. Piper Anast, signing off!

Thank you Rachel and Piper for visiting with us today!

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Blog Exchange and a Thursday 13!

We’ve got a fun Thursday for you today! We’ve got a Blog Exchange and Thursday 13 going on. Drop by drop by Mila’s blog where I’ll be talking about my road to publication. Spend some time here to read about Mila and her Thursday 13!

* * * * *

Depending on where you are, good morning, good afternoon and good evening!

My name is Mila Ramos, and today I’m bringing your Thursday 13!

To give you a little introduction to your day’s host, I’m dedicating today’s Thirteen to all things Mila.

Since I love the paranormal genre, the celebration this weekend with a group of friends will be an ode to the greatness out there! And so here are my Thursday 13 all things Mila done in other worldly ways.

All things Mila Thursday 13

1.    I love Supernatural. Let us stare at the reason for my deep fascination (Jared Padalecki) with the show. Yes it’s great and wonderfully well written. But I think it goes much, much deeper than that. Really deep…..nice, beautifully muscled deep.

Sam from Supernatural

2.    Music stirs my soul. As they say in home island of Puerto Rico, “con la musica por dentro” (with the music inside you).   Jazz, blues, alternative, salsa  classical, world music, Celtic, Italian, dance. I will easily listen to anything and am always searching for new forms of music.

3.    I am a bellydancer. Have been doing it for some time now, and I completely recommend it to any woman out there. Not only does it work you out, but its low intensity!

4.    I am currently working on my doctorate in Organic Chemistry.  I have about 2 years left and can’t wait to be done.

5.    I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and the rest of my extended family still lives there.

6.    I have a passionate love affair with chocolate.  I mean a disgusting love affair. If it’s chocolate I love it, now if you bribe me with chocolate…well I’m all yours…until I finish it.

7.    I am the mediator in my family; and the pizza caller.  I do not know how I got the pizza-calling job but I want to resign.

8.    I love antiques. Furniture, collectibles, pretty much anything.  Oh yes….love old antique wood furniture, oak…pretty much those really classy stylish types. They’re gorgeous.

9.    I’ve been a writer for about six years and have to balance that pretty carefully around school.

10.  Pasta is my weakness; I worship the pasta gods.

11.  I’m a wuss when it comes to horror/scary movies.  HUGE wuss.  Yet I like the paranormal….go figure.

12.  I have lived with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis for several years and that it has made me very vigilant about eating right and working out.

13.  I love to cook, maybe it’s the chemist in me, maybe it’s the relaxation of cooking but I am an enthusiastic cooker. I also love trading recipes.

Thanks to Caridad and everyone for dropping by!

For more information on my books, writing and me drop by my blog or my Twitter for more updates, hilarity and adventures with my lasso of truth.

Take care and have a great Thursday!

~Mila

Out Now!

The Seventh Legend –a part of the Dark Pleasures Anthology

The Watchers – a part of the Strange Desires Anthology

Collection of 4 of my favorite stories in Echoes  & Illusions Anthology

Smoldering Ember & Touch of Fire – Contemporary Romance with Whiskey Creek Press

** Keep an eye out for Prophecy of the Boar. The story of Ailsa & Duncan, out soon in a duo anthology with second book Divination.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

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