Self-published equates to self-promoted too. What this means if you have a book to peddle, you need to know where to send it. I am going to share some of the sites you should consider. Before you fall into dreams of what life would be like if you signed with some of the major publishers, remember the tables of books in the groceries, the kiosks in front of the bookstore and the ads in popular magazines are only for a few selected popular authors. Ironically, only authors who have made it get promoted heavily. The irony of this is not wasted on me. James Patterson fans or even E.L. James groupies know when the next book is coming out.

I know when my favorite authors have a new book out because I am on their fan page and newsletter.



·         Every author should have a Facebook Fan Page. This isn’t your personal page. It is difficult to move people from your personal page to your fan page. People really don’t want to be exposed to your bickering cousins. Get a fan page and post on it every day. Put things that will catch people’s interest, but never go political. My biggest share comment was when I quoted Gandalf. Who knew I am so LOTR fans.

·          A fan page is not the same as a website. You will want both. You can do a bit more with a webpage. Run a blog. Have contests. Have guest bloggers. Sell your books on your website with one click buttons. Keep your site current. It is distressing to click onto someone’s dated website.

Your website is your brand. Don’t make it too busy with falling leaves and sidebar ads that crowd the content.

·         Join Facebook groups that are pertinent to writing and your genre. Don’t do this just to post ads to buy your book. You can discover great info about submission calls, publishers, and even cover art.

·         Join blog hops. There are FB groups for this too. Be prepared to have prizes.

·         Giveaways and contests attract interest. Do they attract potential readers? Jayne Ann Krentz commented that giving away big items like a Kindle brings in people who do not read your genre. They only visited for the Kindle. Give away your books and small prizes to attract real readers.

·         Goodreads. Have a presence there so you can at least put up your own titles.

·         Amazon. Develop your own author a page. Then go put one up at the UK Amazon. Remember the 63 million readers in the UK.

·         People are visual. Use photos whenever possible. In a review and interview, a photo of the author is important. Joan Stewart, the genius behind The Publicity Hound, points out no one want to converse with a Twitter photo of your dog, cartoon avatar or your two year old. Some people won’t even bother to follow you because you chose not to use an actual photo. This is the place for your book cover either.

·         Pinterest is a good bet, especially if you are writing a genre that has a female following. You can post book covers with links to buy site.  Characters get more pins because how many people type in book covers? Not many, but many will type in Hot Guy, Sexy Italian Man, Alien Attack, Couple Embracing. You get the idea. Make sure to put keywords in the box for your cover. Often you’ll find fans by researching subjects for your book too.

·         Reviews. How do you get them? Book tours are one way. Many book tours ask potential reviewers simply not to post a review if they can’t post a good one. It’s good business since no one want to pay for bad reviews. Numerous sites review your book free including Novelspot and Writer Wonderland. Be aware it never happens, as fast you would like. Still, any interview is good because it keeps your book in public view.

·         The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages is a great place to find reviewers for your genre. Read the entries carefully because it tells you how to approach each reviewer. Never pay more than $25 for this book. I’ve seen people offer it for sale for as much as $350 as if it were the Holy Grail to becoming a bestselling novelist.

·          Fellow author Charles O’Donnell has generously put together a list of place you could go to promote. Many are genre specific.

·          Puretextuality www.puretextuality.com

·          acqweb www.acqweb.org

·          BookBrowse www.bookbrowse.com

·          BookPage www.bookpage.com

·          Danny Yee's Book Reviews www.dannyreviews.com

·          The Good Book Guide www.thegoodbookguide.com

·          electronic book review www.electronicbookreview.com

·          The Mystery Reader www.themysteryreader.comAllreaders.com www.allreaders.com

·          Reviews of Books www.reviewsofbooks.com

·          Book Reporter www.bookreporter.com

·          Predatory Ethics www.mad-gods.com/blog

·          bookmatchers www.bookmatchers.com

·          Ask David http://askdavid.com/free-book-promotionCreatespace https://www.createspace.comPebblefoot

·          Park http://www.pebblefootpark.comArc.

·          Indie. Reviews. http://www.arcindie.com/Succotash

·          Reviews http://succotashreviews.blogspot.com/Silver's

·          Reviews http://silversolara.blogspot.com/The

·          Indie View http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/eBook

·          Daily Deals http://ebookdailydeals.com/Author

·          Marketing Club http://authormarketingclub.com/Kindle

·          Boards http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,114408.0.htmlAddicted

·          to eBooks http://addictedtoebooks.com/Author

·          Marketing Club http://authormarketingclub.com/members/submit-your-book/eReader

·          News Today http://ereadernewstoday.com/Free

·          Booksy http://freebooksy.comKindle

·          Nation Daily http://kindlenationdaily.com/The

·          Frugal Reader http://thefrugalereader.wufoo.com/forms/frugal-freebie-submissions/Super

·          e-books http://super-e-books.com/submit-your-book/Centsible

·          eReads http://www.centsibleereads.com/p/for-authors.htmleReader

·          iQ http://www.ereaderiq.com/free/Free

·          Kindle Books and Tips http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/Free

·          eBooks Daily http://www.freeebooksdaily.com/p/contact.htmlIndie

·          Books List http://www.indiebookslist.com/Pixel

·          of Ink http://www.pixelofink.com/Kindle

·          Spice http://kindlespice.com/submissionsShaina

·          Richmond http://www.shainarichmond.com/myblogs/spicy-romance-submission-form/Unknown https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFNrbUVhS3JUQW5EREtaOTB6UUwtUnc6MQSquidoo http://www.squidoo.com/going-free-kindle-ebook-promotional-campaigns-for-authorsScienceThrillers.com

·          http://www.sciencethrillers.com/Yvonne's

·          Thoughts http://centralcaligrrrl.blogspot.com/Traditional

·          Mysteries http://traditionalmysteries.blogspot.com/Tammy http://reviewsbythedragonsden.com/Srivalli

·          http://srivallip.blogspot.com/Sammy Writes http://sammywrites.blogspot.com/Reading

·          is a Way of Life http://readingisawayoflife.blogspot.com/Puss

·          Reboots http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/Pretty

·          Sinister Books http://prettysinister.blogspot.com/Peace

·          & Love Reviews http://peaceloveandreviews.com/Passion

·          Reads http://passionreads.com/Partners

·          in Crime Tours http://bookbloggerdirectory.wordpress.com/fiction-blogs/action-adventure-mystery-horror-thrillers-espionage/

·          www.partnersincrimetours.netA

·          Novel Source http://www.anovelsource.com/Mystery

·          Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews http://mysterythrillerandromanticsusreviews.blogspot.com/Mary's

·          Cup of Tea http://www.mmbearcupoftea.com/Kindle

·          Mystery http://kindlemystery.blogspot.com/Kindle

·          Joy http://lostinebooks.blogspot.com/I'd

·          Rather Be Reading At the Beach http://ratb2.blogspot.com/Ginger

·          Nuts of Horror http://thegingernutcase.blogspot.com/Genre

·          Wench http://genrewench.blogspot.com/Fair

·          Dinkum Crime http://www.fairdinkumcrime.com/Existential

·          Ennui http://existentialennui.blogspot.com/Cyber

·          Bookworm http://cyberbookworm.wordpress.com/Criminal

·          Pages Book Review Blog http://criminalpages.blogspot.com/Cmash http://cmashlovestoread.blogspot.com/Castle

·          Macabre http://castlemacabre.blogspot.com/Books

·          Are Life - Vita Libri http://www.booksarelife-vitalibri.blogspot.com/Book

·          Reader's Heaven http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/

·          Book Den http://bookden.blogspot.com/Best

·          O'Books http://thebestobooks.blogspot.com/The

·          Audiobook Guy http://www.theaudiobookguy.com/Ashedit http://www.ashedit.wordpress.com/anachronist http://booksasportablepiecesofthought.blogspot.com/Alive

·          on the Shelves http://aliveontheshelves.com/Alchemy

·          of Scrawl http://alchemyofscrawl.blogspot.com/African

·          American Mystery/Authors Opinions On http://www.lawillis.blogspot.com/



 If you read this far, then you are interested in self-promotion. Write first, then promote. You have to have something to promote. Promotion will gobble up your time. Decide what works for you. I like Ask David because once I finished my ad I didn’t do anything else. I also found FB groups to be helpful too. The blogging helps keep my name out there. I am better known for my reviews and blogging, but it’s a start. What is your best self-promotion idea?

Today’s giveaway is a copy of Seeking Shelter, which is the tale of woman growing into a beautiful creation despite a humble start, rather like the sunflower. All you have to do is comment.














A Writing Lesson from a Sunflower and a Bee

It is sunflower season in my backyard. Sunflowers are amazing plants that take forever to grow. Their name while alluding to their sun-like appearance is more about their ability to follow the sun with their heavy heads. Sunflowers do grow towards the sun as do most plants, but they tend to be more extravagant in their solar devotion. Plant them near a wall or fence to protect their long stems from wind and storms. I planted them in May and then waited, and waited. A few green sprouts appear and that’s all for the first weeks. I walk out to the seedlings and stare at them willing them to grow faster. Two weeks of torrential rain reward me with plants that sprout almost a foot overnight. The long green stalks soon top my six-foot privacy fence by the end of July, but no hint of a bud.

Almost ninety days after I buried the seeds in the ground, a small green flower head begins to form. I know this because I am checking the plants every day. Sunflowers are a constant in my life. No matter where I live, I grow sunflowers. Actually, the sunflowers pretty much grow themselves. They aren’t like fussy roses who refuse to bloom without the proper nutrients. Give them water, sun and time and they’ll produce often plate-sized blossoms.

Time seems to be my sticking point with these bright yellow flowers. I plant Russian Gray Mammoth seeds every year. My seeds are from the previous year’s crop. This variety grows between ten and twelve foot high. It takes a while to get that big. Finally, in August when summer shows signs of ending with the cooler nights, they bloom erupting into a forest of suns atop waving green stalks.

Sunflowers are amazingly hardy not prone to the traditional pests as many flowers are. Along with the bright blossoms come the bees. Huge bumblebees and their cousins the honeybees crowd each flower gathering up nectar for the hive. Despite the fact, I stand mere inches from them watering the plant they keep on working. Out of courtesy to the bees, I only water the plants at their base.

Bees are becoming exceedingly rare and I don’t want to jinx our local population, which is currently residing in my backyard. The bees teach me a great deal about writing with their single-minded focus. They have a job, which is to gather nectar. There is an obvious shadow, my own, blocking the sun, still they continue to work. There is even a known menace in the spraying garden hose. Bees with wet wings are flightless. Even aware of this on an instinctual or experiential level, they persist.  How many of us have that type of laser tight focus on our writing?

Sigh. I do not. My daughter left early for work informing me how much work I'd accomplish without her interruptions. Somewhat true, but I become distracted by other things too. Bob Mayer, renowned author, at a workshop I attended, spoke about having the importance of having two computers. One had no Internet and was just for writing. That meant no checking sports scores, Facebook or a quick break at Pinterest. When is a break at Pinterest ever quick? Even though we are a nation of multi-taskers, numerous tests have proven no one does multi-tasking well. The result of doing several things at once is a mediocre product. It even takes longer to make this product too. Here we thought we were doing such a superior job.

If I can be like the bee, then I can focus on my project and complete it before checking on why my dog is madly barking. Usually his frantic alarm is due to the school bus driving by or a leaf falling. As for the burning smell, I might need to check on that since it’s probably dinner.

The sunflower reminds me it takes time to become something great. A day spent making corrections after I changed a character’s motivation may seem like a wasted day, but it isn’t. Writing takes time to do it right. I imagine or at least hope the more I write the better I will get. That’s the plan. The sunflower also needs the silent support of a fence or its stalk will be broken in a random storm. We writers can be like that too, but are storms tend to be rejection letters and scathing reviews while our support is often other writers. This is my lesson I learned from a sunflower and a bee.  What does nature teach you?

Today’s giveaway is a copy of Seeking Shelter, which is the tale of woman growing into a beautiful creation despite a humble start, rather like the sunflower. All you have to do is comment.

Are you looking for something sweet to satisfy your craving for romance? Then you've come to the right place. This weekend 13 SCP authors will be sharing excerpts from their newest books. Think you know the difference between romance and sweet romance. Check out the movies below to be sure.

Make sure to comment to win  a copy of Seeking Shelter or my favorite sweet romance movie, LEAP YEAR.


Click on banner to visit other blog stops.http://secretcravingspublishing.blogspot.com/

When Anna’s (Amy Adams) four-year anniversary to her boyfriend passes without an engagement ring, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Inspired by an Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on Leap Day, Anna follows Jeremy (Adam Scott) to Dublin to propose to him. But after landing on the wrong side of Ireland, she must enlist the help of the handsome and carefree local Declan (Matthew Goode) to get her across the country. Along the way, they discover that the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.

Free to one commenter. DVD format. US Entries only ( sorry)
Two digital copies of Seeking Shelter to other commenters

This blog hop is about sweet romance. The most obvious difference is that the hero cherishes the heroine. He wants to protect her from everything bad as opposed to just jumping her bones. I noticed an online expert explained that any romance movie with a happy ending is a sweet romance. That’s part of it. Still some of you might have trouble distinguishing between sweet and not so sweet so I made movie list for you.

My Top Ten Sweet Romance Movies

1.       Leap Year

2.       Sense and Sensibility

3.       Pride and Prejudice

4.       The Wedding Singer

5.       Princess Bride

6.       Grease

7.       How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days

8.       50 First Dates

9.       While You Were Sleeping

10.   Made of Honor

I had to read endless lists to come up with these ten. I was surprised with what people thought were great romantic movies. What doesn’t cut it for me in books or movies?

1.       The hero or heroine dies. This makes it hard to have that happy ending.  A Walk to Remember

2.       The hero leaves. Gone With the Wind

3.       The hero is married…to someone else.

4.       The married heroine prefers her husband's brother. Legends of the Fall

5.       The heroine can’t make up her mind who she like, so she stays involved with both men, playing them against each other. Twilight

6.       The hero is a jerk.

7.       The romantic couple is in an illicit affair and the woman tries to kill him. Fatal Attraction (Yes, someone did think of this as a great romantic movie.)

Here’s your sweet romance movie primer.

1.       There’s only two people in the relationship

2.       Both unmarried

3.       Healthy people who will outlive the movie

4.       Humor and misunderstandings, along with zany friends, unusual incidents and adorable pets are a must.

5.       There will be long looks, whispered promises, kisses, handholding and possibly a proposal.

Saying all this, my novel Seeking Shelter doesn’t mean the requirements at first, but it does evolve into a sweet romance. Part of it is that our lives are changing. I remember watching The Love Boat episode where one of the cruisers was an obviously pregnant single woman and still an available man courted her, which was unheard of at the time. Currently, at least as Americans, we spend time transitioning from one relationship to another. Maybe that’s why we want to see people already in relationships or ending one entering into another, possibly better on

What is your favorite sweet love story or movie?

Blurb:
 Megan’s goal of being a loving wife ended the same time her husband, Jason, tried to choke the life out of her. She flees the scene with her young children with the help of the police and her neighbor. Heading back to her home state, she realizes Jason will follow and terrorize anyone who gets between them.

Megan becomes Elaine. She changes her appearance along with her name to escape her vengeful spouse. With the help of new friends at the women’s shelter, she pieces together the broken shards of her life. Megan finds the strength to trust and love again when she meets soft-spoken Kevin. He supports Megan’s transformation from abused wife to confident woman. Life is full of potential with her new place, love and career, but Jason looms like a dark cloud. Unfortunately, Jason is not a big fan of happy endings, especially hers.





Seeking Shelter Excerpt

(Denise and Megan are eating in a restaurant when Kevin and a friend enter.)

“Is something wrong?” Denise started to turn in her seat to survey the customers.

“Stop, don’t turn around.” Megan nodded her head in the direction of Kevin.

“Okay, whatever. I do expect details when we get in the car. I feel like I’m in seventh grade again. Maybe you like to pencil a note on your napkin, and I could kick it over to the next table.”

“Denise, could you please talk about something else.” The object of their conversation stood and walked toward them. Oh my, he heard us. Megan was ready to crawl under the table in embarrassment. He was right next to their table, and he kept walking. There was a swish of a door, but she didn’t dare look back.

“Is he still there?” she whispered.

“Relax, Megan. He went to the bathroom.” Denise dabbed at her mouth with the napkin to hide a smile.

“Good, let’s leave now.” She motioned to the waiter for the check.

“What a time for you to suddenly get assertive, just when I was ready to dig into my chips.” She eyed the remains of her club sandwich, which sat beside a generous pile of kettle potato chips.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Could you take them with you? Maybe wrap them up in a napkin or something?” Megan had already shoved her arms into her sweater sleeves and was picking up her purse.

“Absolutely not! That’s something my grandmother would do. I don’t need the fat or the salt, anyway. But I will finish my sandwich.” Denise took enormous bites and chewed vigorously. Wiping her hands, she reached inside the purse for her wallet to pay the bill.

“Hey, I’ll meet you outside.” Megan jumped up like a jack in the box, knocking into someone who was abreast of their table into the next one.

“Umpf,” he managed to utter as he hit the wood table. 

Blurb: 
After a horrible day at work, I came home to find my boyfriend...in a curious position. After determining why he was unhappy, I, Anne Watson, decided to try and fix our broken relationship. My four closest male friends, however, had another idea. Revenge.  
**Content Warning: This book contains a sexual assault scene and mature material. ** 









Excerpt Ben and Annie in the park after a night of drinking: 

             “Oh, look!” I shouted, pointing ahead.  Ben looked ahead at the large park in front of us. “Do you have any idea where we are?” I whispered. He shook his head. I laughed so hard that I snorted. “Come on; let’s go see what trouble we can get into over there.”

                We walked through the park for a while before I complained about my feet hurting from my high heels. In front of me, I saw a fountain, so I let go of Ben’s arm, running towards the monument.

I yanked off my heels, tossing them and my pocketbook onto the ground before climbing into the fountain.

                 “What are you doing?” he shouted in exasperation.

                “Cooling off,” I explained as I began running around in a circle. When I made my way around to him, I splashed him with water. “Come on in.”

He glanced down at his now wet clothes, then up at me.

                “That’s it. You’re going to get it now.” I shrieked as I began running in a circle, wading through the water, making sure that I didn’t slip on the coins littering the bottom of the fountain. I heard splashing behind me, so I knew he was gaining on me. I turned around, kicking water, spraying him from head to toe. He wiped the water off his face, before splashing me with water, his strong arms being able to spray me with more water that I could ever hit him with in one try.

                My hair and polka-dotted dress were soaked, and I wrung my hair out before shrieking and running away from him.

                “Watch out! I’m gonna getcha!” he shouted as we ran around the fountain. On one trip around, I was looking behind me and smashed right into his chest. When I looked up, I realized he had figured out to run in the opposite direction. He flashed me a cocky grin as his hands grabbed my arms to keep me from falling over as I laughed loudly. I placed my hands on his chest to steady myself more as the world began to spin, feeling the wet cotton beneath my fingertips, his chest heaving. I glanced up into his whiskey-colored eyes, who were staring down at me with an emotion I couldn’t place. They slowly made their way down my face, stopping on my lips before his brows pulled together.  He took a step backwards, and then hopped out of the fountain.

                The world was still spinning, though, so I stumbled backwards and held on to the statue in the middle of the fountain, throwing my arms around the marble. I wrapped my right leg around the base, while my head rested against cool tile as the water sprayed down onto my body. I licked a drop of water hanging from my upper lip and when I opened my eyes I found Ben looking at me with that same expression I had never seen on his face before.

                “Why did you get out?” I asked.

                “Someone needs to watch out for the cops while you frolic around like a faerie.”

                With my head still against the cool stone, I said, “What can I say? Every once in a while, a girl needs to frolic.”

                I could feel rather than see his smile. “In that case, keep on frolicking, Princess, just be ready to run when I tell you to.”

              I yawned while enjoying the feeling of the water pouring down on my overheated, alcohol flushed face.             “God broke the mold when he made you, Ben.” I rolled my stiff neck to listen to it crack. “He really outdid himself that day.”

             Chuckling, he pulled his cigarettes out of his back pocket. He opened them, and groaned in annoyance before sliding them back into his jeans.

                “Too wet to smoke? What a shame.” Part of me thought that I was being a brat for mocking him.

                He threw me a half-dirty glare, though he smirked. “Just get your dancing out now. I still need to get some food in you.”

                “Yes, food does sound good,” I admitted.

                “Let me guess. You skipped dinner.” I heard the tone of disapproval in his voice.

                “Maybe.”

                 He made a tsking noise, and I didn’t bother to defend myself. He was right; I had been stupid.

                “Come on. Let’s get you some food.” I released the marble statue, walking towards him. I stumbled to get out of the fountain, and he caught me before I fell. He shook his head. “You’re such a mess.”

               I glanced down at my shoes and grimaced. My feet were still killing me.

                “Do I have to wear them?”

                He rolled his eyes. “You can hop on my back while I hail a cab.”

                I smiled widely at the idea and he turned around while I picked up my shoes and pocketbook. I wrapped my arms around his neck and jumped up. He grabbed the back of my knees as he starting jogging out of the park. 

Top Ten Book Boyfriends 

1. Travis Maddox 
   
2.  Kellan  Kyle 
   
3. Edward Cullen 
   
4. Gavin Blake 
   
5. Bennett Ryan 
   
6. Max Stella 
   
7. Gideon Cross 
   
8. Lucas 
   
9. Shades 
   
10. Rule

Five Fun Facts: 

1. I am a chocoholic. I have reserve stashes strewn about my house. 
   
2. I grew up horse-back riding and competed seriously. Instead of turning pro, I went to college instead. 
   
3. My favorite color is purple. 
   
4. I have thirteen piercings on my body-9 in my ears, 1 in my nose, 1 in my labret, 2 in my belly button. 
   
5. Large crowds make me nervous. 
   
   

About the Author: 

She loves going to NJ diners on the weekend or inspiration, drinks a pot of coffee a day, and loves finding new music to add to her playlist.  Author to Just Good Friends and Winning Back Ryan. 

 Getting Back Annie, Office Perks, and Sirens and Sweethearts are soon to be released.

If you ever watch the movie Julie and Julia, you’ll remember it wasn’t easy for Julia Child to get into cooking school or get her cookbook published. What you didn’t see her do in the movie is write while cooking. I think this would stretch credibility too much for at least the writers who cook.


I want to preface this article with a humble aside. I can cook. I have cooked for large numbers in the institutional setting and for smaller groups too. I watch cooking shows while on the treadmill with the same avidity most men display while girl watching on a crowded beach. I enjoy trying out new recipes and growing my own produce. My family legacy is a long line of superior cooks, but it all goes to pieces when writing enters the mix.


About two years ago for Thanksgiving, I treated myself to a new set of cookware. At this time, I have ruined every pan and destroyed a few in my husband’s collection too. How did I manage this in less than two years?  Writing. That’s it. I get caught up in a chapter or dialogue and I attempt to finish what I am doing. I don’t hear the timer going off.

My husband urged me to start setting the timer after I boiled the eggs dry. If you’ve done it, you know it is not a pleasant smell. Part of my mind noticed the timer and I think a couple more minutes is all I need. Then the burning scent drifts back to the office. I look at the computer suspiciously. Could it be overheating? Then I remember and sprint to the kitchen to retrieve a burnt offering from the stove or oven.

Often I can save the food, paring away the burnt part. The pans are another matter. I’ll scrub them, soak them, even use over cleaner with some limited success. My last fiasco was burned potatoes.  I read that if you heat up salt water it will loosen up the burnt residual food. I filled up the pot, threw in a hefty hand of salt and set it to boil.  I drifted back to the office to work on some edits when I noticed a peculiar aroma. Oh no, the salt water. I sprinted to the kitchen to remove the pot. Throwing it in the sink, I noticed the white salt residue left behind. Turning on the cold water, I filled the pot.

My daughter comes in, sniffing the air suspiciously, and asks me what I burned. She makes it sounds as if I do it all the time. I hesitate telling her, finally I mutter, “Salt water.”

“You burnt water. I thought that was an old joke.” She shakes her head and walks away.

I go to the now cool pan and scrub around on the bottom only to discover it is mysteriously clean. Salt water does clean away burnt food.

 Cooking and writing do not mix. If I cook, I must stay in the kitchen. I picture my stove as having a malevolent personality that turns up the heat when I walk away. Whatever cause the stove to misbehave in such a fashion, I decide it needs watching. I have come to the assumption that I cannot write and cook at the same time. How about you?  

The Last Victim by Karen Robards is one of her latest romantic suspense stories with a paranormal twist. Ms. Robards’ reputation is for writing edgy tales. This book is no different, or is it? The romantic hero is a dead serial killer. Yep, you’ve read that right.

Charlie, our obsessed conflicted heroine, witnessed a serial killing when just in her teens. That marked her so much that she decides to study serial killers for the rest of her life. Yep, you read that right too. It is similar to someone one who experienced a shark attack immersing themselves in a shark tank every day for eight to ten hours. Not likely.

Garland our romantic lead starts the tale out alive. It is very important to know he’s the bad boys of all bad boys. He is so good looking and charming that Charlie has to mentally prepare herself for their encounters.  Apparently, not everyone at the prison finds him equally hot because one of the prisoners kills him.

The FBI shows up when another killing spree erupts similar to the one Charlie witnessed. Since she is a serial killer expert and she saw the previous killer, then she’s the perfect person to help. Oh, Garland her new ghost friend gets to travel with her. It is his job to taunt her with sexual suggestions and show up while she’s undressed.

This story offends me on so many levels. Let me say first, Robards is generally an excellent writer. I enjoyed her book, Maggie's Child where the woman actually escapes from an abusive husband. I have enjoyed several other of her tales, but not this one. There are logic holes big enough to drive a semi through.  At one point, Charlie remarks she has friends and activities outside the prison, but there is no evidence of any. Charlie is lonely, pathetic and difficult character similar to the serial killer groupies who write killers and send them gifts. Garland the ghost can become visible and physical when needed. I never heard that detail bout ghosts mentioned before. Charlie tries to justify her action by hooking up with a serial killer ghost by saying he doesn’t seem like he’d do such bad things. Okay, she’s an expert on serial killers, please. Can anyone say Ted Bundy here? 

BLURB
Military grade weaponry is disappearing from bases all over the world, only to end up in the hands of terrorists and dictators.

Governments are helpless as the threats of being overthrown mount. As a last resort the world leaders turn to The Consortium to bring the biggest arms dealer to justice. They set Special Operative Jessica Sale on the trail of Justin Grey.

Portraying herself as the go to person when a buyer is looking for quantity and quality Jessica easily instills herself into his organization.

Buried deep within the mountains of Wyoming she finds her target and something she didn’t expect-a traitor in the guise of her boyfriend.

With personal feelings aside she charges ahead with the mission. Flying to New York Jessica arranges for monies to be transferred and weapons shipped. Pleased with her work he invites Jessica back to Wyoming except he never makes it home.

REVIEW

The Ice Queen by Lindsay Downs is part of the Jessica Sales series. This suspenseful romance employs a kick butt heroine. I can picture Angelina Jolie playing her in her earlier Tomb Raider days. Jessica works for a top-secret organization who ferrets out evil doers by often pretending to be fellow players in the game of dirty tricks.

Jessica’s reputation is being ice-cold beauty with her ever-present knife The long legged beauty does not hesitate to use what God gave her to make the baddies into slobbering morons. When that doesn’t work, she uses her excellent ability with her knife and her equally talented brain.  This book features a troubled Jessica Sales as she seeks to infiltrate an arms selling ring.

Normally the job would be dangerous, but not anything, she couldn’t handle assisted by her able crew.  Only this time, there are some unexpected problems in the mix. Turns out her boyfriend is two-timing her and possibly betraying the agency. Once she penetrates the arms stronghold, one of the key players informs her that she’s on her side. It is hard to know whom to trust. Trusting the wrong person will not only lead to her demise, but possibly her crew's deaths too.

Mr. Downs draws the setting with a fine hand to detail. I almost felt like I was out in the sunbaked West. The interaction between primary and secondary character was realistic and enjoyable. Jessica Sales demonstrates a complexity and aloof manner, which only adds to her reputation as The Ice Queen.

The Ice Queen is a fierce, fast read that pulls no punches, and occasionally sucker punches you, not unlike Ms. Sales. Read Ice Queen and be prepared to have your appetite whetted for more adventures. This book is appropriate for ages eighteen and over.

Here's my grand prize in honor of promoting my book, Heading West.
The Ultimate in Western Collections Available now from Mill Creek Entertainment, a collection of classic Westerns featuring some of your favorite stars including Lee Van Cleef, Richard Harrison, Jack Palance, Joseph Cotten, Klaus Kinski and many more!You'll be thrilled at the action, suspense and drama involved with this 32 hour collection of cinema features that cover tales of the Old West!

Click on the photo to see all the movies included.

Here's my  poem, which is almost twenty-two years old. It deals with my personal obsession with the historical romance genre, which includes westerns too. If you ever wondered, why women prefer reading about romance in historical settings this should answer those questions. Keep in mind, this poem was for fun only. LOL

The Midnight Confessions of an Addict

Normal, that’s what I look like.
Evan Picone business suit paired with classic 2” pumps
Disguise me as one of the administrative set.
Power lunches and Y membership define me as a new woman.
California wines, Sierra Club card, and a Honda Hybrid give
the appearance of political correctness,
but secretly I am an addict.

I twist restlessly in my chair while checking the clock.
Two more hours to go before the weekend starts,
I only indulge on Fridays, my form of discretion and reward.
Cheryl, my boss, asks about my weekend plans.
I mumble laundry, housework and a new foreign flick.
She shakes her head despairingly.
Dare I say, “I’m an addict and tonight I get my fix.”

I lay the blame on Margaret Mitchell and the school librarian.
My mother suspected, but did nothing.
I see fellow junkies in the mall clutching small sacks reverently to their bosoms.
Whispering of delights hidden inside the bookstore,
With their eyes widened in anticipation.
That’s right, I’m a romance addict!

I’ll admit I buy books where I cover the cover.
The heroes are too handsome, too sexy and too witty to be real.
The heroines are exotically beautiful, clever and slip out of their clothes amazingly well.
Mean girls in period costumes create conflict
While the heroine keeps faith in her man.
In the end, they live happily ever after.

How can thinking women consume it?
No only like it, but crave it.
It’s heady stuff.
Where else can a girl with brains, beauty and a smart comeback line hook the man, the title and the estate?
She has no bad hair days, no flat tires or dead cell phones.
Never doubts the sexual orientation of her hero.
Historical romance is the preferred drug of this romance addict.

Blurb
Kitty Hamilton is unsure how her life got so out of control. The unexpected deaths of her parents earned her a berth at her embittered aunt’s home. Her latest beau abandoned her, which made the prospect of leaving town appealing.

Her version of leaving didn’t include fleeing town dressed like a man, but circumstances dictate otherwise. Kitty becomes Kit to throw the law off her trail. As the pretend brother to her best friend Harriet, she accompanies her friend out west to her contracted bridegroom.

They encounter Nick Kennedy, flamboyant gambler, who takes an interest in the odd couple. Kitty enjoys the freedom her disguise allows, but she abandons any hope of attracting the handsome Nick Kennedy. Revealing her gender, might snag her a chance at the elusive gambler, but could also land her in prison. She keeps telling herself he isn’t worth it, but she’s not entirely convinced.

Excerpt Setup: Kitty takes off in the night with Nick's saddle bags when a suspicious man enters the bar and threatens Nick. In her impulsive flight, she falls into deep hole. The scene opens with Nick attempting to rescue Kitty.


Why did she do such an impulsive, stupid thing? She knew why even if she didn't want to admit it was something in his kisses. Then there was his voice, low, intimate calling her name.

“Kit, where are you?”

She could even hear it as if he was nearby. Amazing, Kitty shook her head bemused until she heard the voice again.

"Kit."

Her imagination must be working overtime. Duke nickered loud and hard. She started to tell him to hush when she heard boot steps on the gravel. Freezing in place, Kitty strained to hear the approaching footsteps.

"Kitty, it's me, Nick. Where are you?"

Letting go of the breath she'd been holding, Kitty took another breath before calling out. "I'm over here in the hole. Be careful."

"I'm coming, sweetheart." He called back, his boot heels scrambling for purchase over the rocks.

He'd called her sweetheart. She sighed then she accidentally put her weight on the wrong foot. "Ouch!"

"What, honey?” Nick called out in a voice that sounded a little closer.

"Hurry," Kitty managed through clenched teeth. He was there before she knew it. Deftly jumping into the hole and wrapping her in his arms, accidentally battering her already savaged ankle.

"Ouch, watch it," she complained.

"I didn't expect undying gratitude, but something like my hero might not be out of line," Nick commented laughingly.

"Thank you, Nick. I am grateful. I hurt my ankle when I fell into the hole." Kitty snuggled into Nick's shoulder appreciative of his warmth and inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of worn leather and clean male.

Nick paced around the small hole with Kitty in his arms. He dragged his boot toe around the edge trying to find a way up or out.

"Well, darling, looks like I am going to have to toss you up," Nick acknowledged.

"What," Kitty squeaked. "Toss me where?"

"I looked, and there seems to be no easy way out of here. It’s up to you. Once you're up, I need you to tie the rope to the saddle horn on Duke's saddle and back him up. Once I get a hold of the rope, pull me up. Can you manage?"

Kitty had her doubts as she felt Nick's voice vibrate through the clothing separating the two of them. In the end, tossing seemed to be her only hope of getting out, and she imagined Nick was a good tosser. Naturally, he would be good at everything.

"Okay, are you ready?" Nick's voice rumbled against her ear.

"I guess. What do I need to do?" Kitty hoped she sounded braver than foolish, scared and half-frozen, except for the part of her touching Nick. He moved closer to the rock face.”

"I’m going to push you up the rock face. Grab on the ledge and I will boost you over. Can you do that?"

"I guess I'll have to if I don't want to freeze to death," Kitty agreed grudgingly, willing herself to do so.

"Good girl," Nick replied a hint of laughter in his voice.

He dropped a brief kiss on Kitty's hair before disengaging her arms from around his neck.

"Feel the wall," he ordered as he put his hands around her waist and lifted her up with a small grunt. Her face flushed as she realized Nick was struggling to lift her. It wasn't as if she was heavy, but she wasn't exactly petite either.

"Grab the lip."

The growled order had Kitty's hands skittering across the rock wall until she finally felt the edge. She put both hands on it and pulled herself up a little. "Got it," she huffed.

"Uhm," Nick managed while putting one hand on Kitty's posterior.

"Hey, watch where you are putting your hand!" Kitty squealed when his large hand covering her butt cheek.

"Honey, it's necessary to get you up," Nick huffed as pushed upward with both hands.

The sudden boost had Kitty up over the lip of the hole. She grabbed for the trailing reins of Duke's bridle. Another shove from below pushed her all the way up.

"Don't remember you kicking up such a fuss last time I touched you," Nick grumbled more to himself than Kitty.

"I can hear you," Kitty hissed back. Pulling herself upright by holding onto the stirrup and moving her hands up the side of the sturdy horse she was able to stand with a minimum of pain.

"Don't forget I'm down here."

Kitty winced as she set her foot gingerly on the ground. "Keep your pants on. I'm getting the rope."

"It's tied onto the pommel," Nick instructed.

"I know. It was practically under my leg the whole ride here," Kitty grumbled wondering why Nick had to ruin a perfectly good moment by being such a know-it-all. Surprisingly, being out in sub-zero weather, inappropriately dressed with a banged up ankle was a good moment. What was she thinking? Of course, Nick came to her rescue, only to kiss her on the hair like a wayward little sister and bark orders like a domineering big brother. Not a good picture, but he did call her sweetheart and honey.

Thanks for stopping by the blog hop. :) I hope you wins lots of books and other stuff. Because you have read this far and you deserve it.

Want you own copy of Escaping West? Hope you win, but you can always buy it on:

BLURB-

Military grade weaponry is disappearing from bases all over the world, only to end up in the hands of terrorists and dictators.

Governments are helpless as the threats of being overthrown mount. As a last resort the world leaders turn to The Consortium to bring the biggest arms dealer to justice. They set Special Operative Jessica Sale on the trail of Justin Grey.

Portraying herself as the go to person when a buyer is looking for quantity and quality Jessica easily instills herself into his organization.

Buried deep within the mountains of Wyoming she finds her target and something she didn’t expect-a traitor in the guise of her boyfriend.

With personal feelings aside she charges ahead with the mission. Flying to New York Jessica arranges for monies to be transferred and weapons shipped. Pleased with her work he invites Jessica back to Wyoming except he never makes it home.

Excerpt for Ice Queen-

With a mental brain shake, she lifted her head. As their gazes met she leaned back only to settle her elbows on the bar top. The effect was damn near instantaneous as it helped stretch the flimsy material over her breasts.

His heated smile of approval, she saw, confirmed the distraction was working. While part of her kept him occupied she positioned her booted right foot against the front of the bar. “You got it?” Her voice was soft with a touch of sensual huskiness.

“And more, if you want,” he replied, as he leaned forward to close the distance.

From the bottom of her vision she caught movement as he lifted a hand. She fought back a cringe when he brushed the tips of his fingers along the side of her breast.

“Nope, just what I ordered.” She paused to look him down and up. “Don’t see anything else that I could use,” her voice hardening ever so slightly.

“You sure?” he asked before his thumb drifted toward her peaked nipple.

“Yep, and if you don’t want to sing with the Vienna Boys Choir, I’d suggest you remove your hand. Oh,” she paused to let the words sink into his lecherous brain, “and look down if you don’t believe me.”

Never one to doubt or underestimate a dangerously beautiful woman he dropped his eyes. He could feel them open even wider when he saw a knife point glisten in the weak light of the room, a centimeter from his groin.

“You really are the Ice Queen everyone says you are.” He stepped back, taking his hand with him. “You have the money?”

“Sure am. That’s why I’m so good at what I do.” She saw he was about to say something but silenced him with a glare. “And don’t ask what I do—you might not like the answer.”

When he wouldn’t step back any farther she knew he was someone who liked to be control, not just people but situations. The problem was that wasn’t on her agenda. She had to make him know who was the boss. Without her connections he’d be just one of hundreds of weapons dealers. The only thing he had going for him was his inventory and ease of delivery.

With a menacing gleam in her eyes Jessica brushed the flat side of the tanto blade against the bulge in his pants. She watched as his eyes took on a panic-stricken glaze. Then, with a slow deliberate motion of her hand, more for her pleasure than his, she withdrew the instrument of torture.

She knew round one was hers when she heard a soft sigh of thankfulness that he was still intact slip from between his lips.

With victory hers, confirmed by the unconscious relaxing of his shoulders, in one fluid motion she sheathed the weapon. From the way his eyes still took her in she suspected Justin knew what would happen, especially if he made any sudden movement toward her, the blade would once again appear and cut off more than his manhood.

Bio

What does it take to be a bestselling author? Determination, skill, talent, luck or taking a risk with a venture into a totally new genre. For me it was a little of some and a lot of the others.

In 2008 when I got two books published I thought it was due to skill; little did I know it was more luck than anything. Over the next three years I wrote, submitted, got rejected. I then did what I tell everyone who asks; I wrote some more. I didn’t give up.

More on a dare than anything I tried my hand at a regency, one of the most difficult genres because of the rules, which I might add I broke almost every one. Within two days of its release the book was on a best seller list and stayed there for two months.

Turns out it is all of the aforementioned.

After two failed marriages, one from divorce while with the other died unexpectedly I decided upon retirement to move. That opportunity came in September 2012 when I migrated to Texas.

For me, as a multi-published author, it was one of the best things I’ve done to date. Now, every day I can write, creating stories to take my readers to places they can only dream about.

I’m also a member of the Published Authors Network (PAN) by the Romance Writers of America (RWA).


 

Ice Queen Buy links

Secret Craving Publishing-http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=175

Amazon-

http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Jessica-Sales-Novel-ebook/dp/B00DGDZK58/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372269752&sr=1-5

AllRomance-

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-icequeen-1222948-149.html

B&N-

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ice-queen-lindsay-downs/1115703341?ean=2940016596419

Hi, Morgan. Thank you so much for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to introduce your readers to Magic Moment.

1.      What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write romance since that’s mostly what I read. If someone recommends a mystery or suspense, I’ll read their recommended book. Which is probably why some suspense found its way into Magic Moment. I knew I needed a secondary story and the suspense end seemed to work out really well.  Plus, I watch a lot of crime dramas on television.

2.     How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I do have two other books that I’ve written – which I can barely remember. They were written so long ago, typed on my Smith Corona typewriter. 

I do have a favorite short story, though, “Cracks in My Heart.” It appeared a few years ago in The Long and Short of It (now the Long and Short Reviews) when they were doing their “Thrifty Thursday” short story.  The heroine is sitting in a park, remembering the hero.  Before going off to war, he had told her not to wait for him to return, but to move on with her life.  Although she tried to do just that, she can’t forget him, the love of her life. I purposely wrote the story with an ambiguous setting so that the time frame could be any war in our history, World War II, Vietnam, and not just the war in which our country was currently involved.

Many readers told me they weren’t expecting the ending – which was exactly what I had intended.

3.     What inspired your latest book?

For Magic Moment, I had the idea for a hero, Chase, who seemed egotistical and shallow on the outside, but was anything but once you got a look into his soul. My idea for Laura came when a colleague of mine mentioned how sad she was over having missed milestones in her daughters’ lives because she had to work. She said she wished she could just stay home and be a Lunch/PTA mom. Some of our colleagues frowned at her. I thought, “well, what’s wrong with just wanting to be with your girls and be a stay-at-home Mom?”

I knew I needed something suspenseful as a secondary story. At one time I did clerical work at a produce warehouse. Although it was many years ago, I still remembering saying to myself as I maneuvered through the banana crates, “Are there really bananas in here?”

4.     Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

A man and a woman who think they don’t like each, really do.

5.     Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?

I have a corner in the basement with a television, my stereo…bookcase and desk with computer. A bulletin board with lots of sentimental stuff – a picture of my 2008 World Series Phillies…my dog who passed away many years ago, a couple of “Peanuts” and “Family Circus” cartoons that bring a smile to my face.

My radio is always on while I’m working. If I’m not listening to the Phillies, or someone talking about the Phillies, I’m listening to an Oldies station.

6.     What did you want to be when you were a child? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

I always wanted to be, but always thought of it as more of a hobby over a career choice. My grandmother was a big influence in my reading, my writing, and my love of the Phillies. When I was little, I would write stories in a copybook and my grandmother would read them – and critique them. She was the best.

7.     Do you have any rejection stories to share?

I was never one to dwell on my rejections – unless the editor offered suggestions, and I never got many of those. I generally got the form rejection.

With rejections, I’ll always make a note in my file and either delete the email, toss the letter, and then (and this is the most important) submit to the next person on my list.

 

8.    Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?

I can only note what I’ve found helpful. First, joining RWA and the chapters, From the Heart Romance Writers and Elements of RWA has been very helpful.  From the networking, to the support from other authors, I can’t say enough about my chapter mates.

Also, enter as many writing contests as you can, and not so much for the aspect of winning. But, for the feedback, and you never know what will catch the eye of an agent or publisher who is judging the final round.

9.     Where can readers find you?

 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorangela

Blog: http://www.authorangela.blogspot.com

10.Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

 

Crimson Romance

http://www.crimsonromanc.com

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Moment-Angela-Adams/dp/1440554943/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355275815&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=magic+moment+by+angela+adams

Books-A-Million

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Magic-Moment/Angela-Adams/9781440554940?id=5387281849566

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/magic-moment-angela-adams/113004656?ean=9781440554940

Powell’s Books

http://www.powells.com/biblio/9781440554940?p_isbn&PID=35396

iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/magic-moment/id559862434?mt=11

All Romance ebooks

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-magicmoment-995887-237.html

 

Bio:

Angela Adams writes and reviews contemporary romances. Her work has appeared in Romance at Heart, Oysters and Chocolate, Whipped Cream Reviews and The Long and Short Reviews. Her short story, “Burgers and Hot Chocolate” appeared in the Whimsical Publications’ anthology, Winter Wonders. Her first novel Magic Moment, was published by Crimson Romance in October 2012. Angela is a member of Romance Writers of America, and its chapters From the Heart Romance Writers and Elements of RWA.

Excerpt:

Chase Donovan, who was anticipating a few relaxing days on his boat, stumbles upon his father’s bookkeeper, Laura Roberts, being assaulted. He decides to let the perpetrators believe he is part of the plan and runs them off the boat in order to save her life.

Chase stayed in the shadows while the two men stood on Madre’s deck in the dim light.  He kept the gun in front of him, but out of sight. 

            “What’s your name again?” Chase asked, as if the man was insignificant and the name had escaped him.

            “Lou Kent.”  He shivered in the late evening chill, his crooked knees knocking together.

            Chase kept his eyes fixed on him.  “Well, Lou Kent, don’t ever expect to do a job for us again.  And pull up your pants,” he added with a snicker.

            Kent yanked up his pants and zipped.

            "Now get lost."  Chase waved the gun.  "Both of you."

            He watched as they climbed over the boat’s side and ran up the dock.  Returning the gun to the back of his pants, Chase took a long, deep breath.  His eyes remained on the Towne car until it disappeared.  Okay, he had gotten them off the boat.  Laura, thank God, was safe. 

            Now what?