Saturday, March 31, 2012

Cover in the spotlight--Escape To The Country by Patsy Collins

I'd like to share with you the lovely cover of Patsy Collins' recently published novel. It sounds like an interesting read and as soon as I finish posting, I'm going to add it to my to-read list on Goodreads. I'll add the Amazon purchase link at the bottom for those of you who want to buy the book. Here's the refreshing cover (that's how I feel when I look at it...refreshed) Enjoy:


Leah is accused of a crime she didn't commit. Dumped by Adam, the man she planned to marry, she escapes to Aunt Jayne's smallholding in the Kent village of Winkleigh Marsh. Heartbroken and homeless, she strives to clear her name and deal with her emotions.

Jayne treats Leah's unhappiness with herbal remedies, cowslip wine and common sense in equal measure. In return Leah works hard for the delicious home-cooked meals they share. She wrestles with sheep, breaks nails and gets stuck in the mud - learning as much about herself as she does about farming. Soon Leah is happy milking cows, mucking out pigs and falling halfway in love with Duncan, a dishy tractor driver.

Back in London, steps are being taken to investigate what's happened to the missing money. It looks as though the real embezzler must soon be unmasked and Leah will have to chose between resuming her old life or starting a new one.

That's when her problems really start.
 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Lucky 7 Meme

One of my lovely blogger friends, Teresa Ashby, tagged me with this exciting lucky 7 meme.
The rules are as follows:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post as they're written
4. Tag 7 other authors

I think this is a great opportunity to give you a peek into my upcoming novel, Chocolate Aftertaste, which will be officially released on the 6th of April. Remember to come and join the party. And bring your friends along.

Chocolate Aftertaste Blurb
At her pre-wedding dinner, Nora Darkin, the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur, discovers her fiancé is not the man she thought he was. As her father hoists his glass to toast them, she makes an announcement: there will be no wedding to her father's right-hand man.

Due to the fresh rift driven between her and her father, Nora escapes to the quaint town of Dreara. Determined to live her life her own way, she makes new friends and pursues her lifelong desire of becoming a chef. Ethan Danes, a neighbour with his own broken heart, helps soothe hers. 

Just as Nora discovers what it means to be happy, and she begins to fall in love with Ethan, a woman from his past re-enters his life…
Okay, back to the Meme. Enjoy the 7 sentences!
Taking a deep breath, she swung her legs out of bed and walked into the bathroom.
An old footed tub leaned against one wall, facing a basin with a heart-shaped mirror above it.
There was nothing beautiful about the bathroom. The basin was stained in some places, and the mirror was cracked on one side of the heart. The cottage, like her, had a past that had tainted it in different ways. If no one else understood how she felt, maybe it would. It too had gone through a lot and had scars to prove it—scratched floors, cracked walls, and creaky stairs. But it was still standing; still charming.

Now it's time to announce the lucky 7. They are: Debbie, Larissa, Julia, Ashley, Tela, Cecilia, Diana.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Release Day Party! Truly.Madly.Deeply.You by Cecilia Robert

Dear friends,

Today I would like to ask you to celebrate the release of my dear friend, Cecilia Robert's new romance novel, Truly.Madly.Deeply.You. I'm just so in love with the cover and can't wait to read the novel. Enjoy the party.

Four days before Valentine’s Day, Liese Hansfeld is determined to shut the door to her house, as well as her heart, for her annual four days of mourning her one true love. Little does she know her best friend Freytag Meier is just as determined to keep her from her ritual. He’s ready to pick the lock to her apartment door and camp in her living room if that’s what it takes.
What Freytag isn’t prepared for is the surge of deep-rooted emotions he feels for Liese, but two things stand in his way: the grief and guilt she still clutches close to her heart, and a man who threatens to snatch Liese from under Frey’s watchful eye. Frey is determined to distract her into forgetting her pain. But is that enough to ease her grief, or help her see he can be more than her best friend?


Monday, March 19, 2012

Cover in the spotlight--Faerie Wishes by Valerie Bowen

This week I'd like to share a really cute cover from Valerie Bowen's YA romance fantasy novel, Faerie Wishes.

Faerie Wishes brief synopsis
Talia Saturnfrost has grown very tired of her forest home; she has spent many suns dreaming of leaving the fae realm and living amongst the humans. Her decision is made when she falls deeply in love with Cayden a human male. She only has to utter the wish to make her dream come true. 

Talia soon discovers the grass is not exactly greener on the other side of the realm; as a matter of fact she discovers innocent wishes can kill you. Will Talia find the love she craves in Cayden? Join her on her quest to find the love she desires and the realization that sometimes wishes do come true just not necessarily the way you had planned. 
Links:
 Author Valerie Bowen: http://www.valeriebowen.com

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

GUEST POST: My Goodreads giveaway experience by Ashley Mackler-Paternostro

Hi everyone,

I have a guest post for you today. I'm glad to introduce you to Ashley Mackler-Paternostro, the  author of the newly released The Milestone Tapes. She would like to talk about her Goodreads giveaway which netted her in the top 40 requested novels. 

Ashley the floor is yours.

Tonight, in my house, it’s crazy ... not that it’s not always shades of crazy around here ... but tonight, we’re frantically tracking my Goodreads giveaway.  It’s becoming a high stakes stalk and I feel like the jilted ex-girlfriend, constantly clicking refresh and groaning about “Cupcake” (you’ll understand what I mean in a minute, stay with me).

Tomorrow, my novel, The Milestone Tapes goes live.  I’ve worked on this book for a year, which isn’t that long, I know ... but if you would have told me in the beginning that I’d be an Indie Author, I would have laughed.  Not because I think there is anything wrong with the “going it alone” path ... it’s just, for me, the task felt almost insurmountable.  Like if someone put a pair of hiking boots on the neighborhood stroller and told them to go climb Mount Everest ... it’s just really, really a lofty expectation of someone with no experience.  I was a new writer and for me, in my mind, I saw things going a particular way -- the legacy way.  I thought I’d have an agent, a contract, a publisher, and my novel would eventually hit store shelves.  I was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

Agents told me my novel “wasn’t right for them” (bet you’ve heard that too!) or “it would be a hard sell” (as if it’s ever really easy) or “the market wouldn’t understand this book” (like sparkly vampires were ‘understood’).  And I almost (almost!) listened ... because when you hear something enough, it becomes almost a rhetoric, and it starts to plant little seeds of doubt.  I started wondering if maybe those in the know actually know what they’re talking about.

I was faced the same choice many of us are: I could either let my book die (or wallow) on the hard-drive of my computer, or I could go put on my hiking boots.  I decided to hike. 

So now, here we are ... a mere amount of hours before “launch” ... and I’m compulsively monitoring my giveaway. 

I know what you’re probably thinking: girl, everyone likes free stuff.  And you’re right ... I mean, who doesn’t?  But that’s not the point. 
 
At the beginning of this whole thing I set goals for myself:

Goal One: If I reached 500 (the average requested novels on a first round giveaway) I’d be thrilled. 

Then I reached it. 

Goal Two: I figured 800 wasn’t that much more (the average requested novels on the second round if the author does a second giveaway of the same title) so if I accomplished that I’d be over-the-moon. 

Then I reached it. 

Goal Three: I told myself if I hit 1,000 requests I’d be ecstatic because I really had no right to hope for something that big. 

Then ... I reached it ... and that was wild beyond words.  I didn’t need more than that, but I wondered ... could I maybe, just maybe, hit 1,500.

Now, as it stands, I have 1,540 entries.  I’m the 26th most requested book on Goodreads ... two behind Nicholas Sparks and his movie-tie-in edition of THE LUCKY ONE, and one behind HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE by debut Harper Collins author Meg Donohue (ahhh “Cupcake” we’ve been climbing together me/her her/me all day).

You see ... these entries mean more to me than just “wow, someone actually clicked on my book!” ... that’s certainly part of the heady, elated feeling ... but it also means I wasn’t wrong and I wasn’t crazy.  I was right to run after this ... I was right for wanting it. 

Being an Indie Author is a lot of small, quiet accomplishments.  More often than not it’s defined by the things you wanted and never got.  I wanted an agent to believe in this book like I believed in it and that never happened.  I wanted a publisher -- and not even the Big Six -- to feel something about this book they couldn’t walk away from and that never happened.  I hiked to this moment all on my own ... and it feels better this way.  I have no regrets about lacing up my boots and going it alone ... if anything, right now, I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

I am beyond grateful to people who signed up for a copy ... if I had 1,500+ laying around (which I absolutely don’t!) I’d get one into each of their hands.  And the company I’m in right now is amazing, I can’t say enough about that (and I’m guessing this is the only time Nicolas Sparks and I will be screen roommates).  I actually just finished THE LUCKY ONE, which was good, and I’ll read HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE when it’s released because I’m kind of a sugar/chick-lit addict.  All and all, as this winds down and frenzy lightens up, this has been amazing and so much more than I ever anticipated.

I don’t know what happens next for The Milestone Tapes ... I guess, like with everything else about this whole experience, I’ll wait to be surprised.  But this one moment is definitely the peak of publishing-thus-far for yours truly. 

Update: I closed the giveaway with a total of 1,622 entries.  I did surpass Nicolas Sparks by the skin of my teeth just before the giveaway closed ... but I never did catch “Cupcake.”

Thanks Ashley.

The Milestone Tapes is available for purchase here: http://amzn.to/AjMWBy

Book promotion opportunity: The Book Promo Group

Dear authors,

I just want to let you know that I co-founded a group called the Book Promo Group, which is a platform for authors to help other authors promote their books. You can view the website HERE and the Facebook page HERE. If you're tired of doing it alone, new members are always welcome.

Liz

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Blog Tour announcement: Amethyst Eyes by Debbie Brown

Hi everyone,

Today I'd like to share with you a YA adventure novel, Amethyst Eyes by Debbie Brown.

The biggest thing on 15-year-old Tommy's mind is convincing Mom to let him go to the drive-in, but when an accident claims his mother's life and puts him in the hospital, the arrival of his estranged, alien father brings more changes than he had bargained for. It doesn't take his father long to figure out that Tommy knows nothing about who or what he is. Without any explanation, Tommy finds himself on board his father's spaceship where he is forced to trust a man he does not know in a world he knows even less about. Adapting to his new life seems overwhelming, and his father's solution may prove to be Tommy's finest challenge yet...Jayden. A few months younger than Tommy, high strung and always in a mood, the doctor's daughter definitely didn't like being 'told' to help Tommy fit in. Jayden is not the most welcoming or patient of tutors, let alone a friend. As fate would have it, Tommy quickly learns that none of these things compare to the peril that comes from being born with amethyst eyes.

 

The novel is supposed to be very good. There are great review on Amazon and Goodreads that praise it. I'm also in the process of reading it. If you're interested in finding out more about the book and the author, I'm happy to announce that it's on tour and you'll find all the sites below. Enjoy.

Don't forget to visit the sites and get in on the giveaways.
 

March 5 - BookSpark - http://book-spark.blogspot.com/ (interview & giveaway)
March 6 - H.A. http://cainebooks.wordpress.com/ (interview/giveaway) 
March 7 - Making Connections Blog - http://makingconnectionsgroup.blogspot.c...
March 8 - Tess - My Pathway to Books http://www.tessmw.blogspot.com/ (interview)
March 9 - Pragya Sharma Reviewing Shelf http://reviewingshelf.wordpress.com (review & giveaway) 
March 10 - Stephenie - Stephie Reads Books http://stephiereadsbooks.blogspot.com/ (review & giveaway) 
March 11 - Suzanne - Off the Page http://suzannevanrooyen.com/blog/ (interview, author bio) 
March 12 - Cecilia Robert's written word URL: http://cecereadandwrite.blogspot.com (review) 
March 13 - Faye - A Daydreamers Thought's http://xxdaydreamer21xx.blogspot.com/ (interview & giveaway) 
March 14 - Blogging with Kristine Cayne Blog URL: http://blog.kristinecayne.com (author bio, blurb and giveaway.
March 15 - J.A. Unnecessary Musings' at riftwatcher.blogspot.com - (Interview)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Gorgeous cover of the week: Zirconya by Diana Ilinca

Hi guys,

A while ago I stumbled upon this cover for Zirconya: The Sage of Aluh'Nehn by Diana Ilinca, and I have to say, I really love it. It's absolutely breathtaking. I love everything about it; the colors, the stunning model, and the mirror image at the bottom. This is simply one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in a long time. I can't stop admiring it. The book is definitely going on my to-read-list. What do you think?

Links:
Diana Ilinca website: http://dianailinca.com/Zirconya.aspx
The book website (enter a whole new world): http://www.zirconya.com/zirconyan-tales.html