January 29, 2016

In This Moment : Inspiration and Reflection

Happy Friday.

Welcome to my Friday inspiration board post. I'll be taking a quote from my inspiration board and sharing it with all of you. I hope it inspires you to make 2016 an awesome year. 


My goal for 2016 is to be in the moment. I struggle with this. I tend to be a planner and worker. In both capacities, I'm usually thinking about what needs to get done. But so much of life is about the moments.

I used to pride myself on multi-tasking and my ability to run around and get things done. But I've found that I don't do things well when I'm that scattered. Sometimes I need to breathe and be in the moment. 

To do this, I often have to go somewhere outside of my home (where I am mom, wife, and do all my work). How do you stay in the moment?

January 27, 2016

7 Months by Bethany Lopez Cover Reveal & Giveaway

7months_cover

Today we are celebrating the cover reveal of 7 MONTHS by Bethany Lopez. This book is a contemporary romance title in the Time for Love series. It will be released on March 24th! Check out the cover, blurb, and giveaway below. This book is currently up for pre-order now so go grab your copy!

monthsecover

7 Months (Time for Love, book 7) By Bethany Lopez Contemporary Romance Release Date: Mar 24, 2016

Add 7 MONTHS to Goodreads

Read the 1st Chapter Now

7 MONTHS Synopsis

Tough, dry-witted, and intelligent, Ming has worked her whole life to be a successful lawyer, great friend, and dutiful daughter. Her focus has been on her career, but now she's thirty-five, and the last of her friends to be single. Ming knows what she needs... A man who communicates, who won't be intimidated by her position, a partner. She knows this, but all she wants is him...

After working side by side with his brother, Brock for years, Brady has followed his dream and become a police officer. Protecting and serving comes naturally to him, it's what he was born to do, which is why he doesn't know what to do with a woman who doesn't need his strength and protection.

For 7 Months, Ming has accepted what Brady had to offer, secret nights of passion with no hope of a relationship,. But feelings have developed, and now she wants more. When Brady doesn't want things to change, Ming has to decide if being with the man she loves is worth sacrificing everything she wants.

monthsfull

    7 Months Teaser

Exclusive iBooks Pre-order

(Will be available on other sites in time for release)

$0.99 PRE-ORDER PRICE!

iBooks Pre-Order Link

7 Months Teaser 2

EXCERPT (Brady)

Victoria narrowed her eyes and asked, “Are you keeping something from us?” 

“No,” I practically shouted, then decided to get her to back off by giving her what she wanted. 

“You know what, go ahead… the living room is all yours. Decorate away. Just let me know what the damage is when you’re done. 

“Yay!” she replied, her face brightening with excitement. 

“Now, me and the little man are going to watch some football in the other room. Don’t go too crazy.” 

“I won’t,” she said, moving to set the chandelier back down. 

Before we could disappear into the sanctuary of my room, Victoria stopped me in my tracks when she called after me in a singsong voice, “Don’t think I’m distracted by you giving me what I want, Brady. I’m going to find out what secret you’re keeping.” 

Rather than give myself away by responding, I shook my head in response and kept on my path to safety. “Your mom scares me a little,” I told Dec as I shut my bedroom door behind us.

Time for Love Series      
a Rafflecopter giveaway
   

AUTHOR INFORMATION

A1nt0F1SfnL._UX250_ Sign up for my Newsletter for more information about my writing: http://eepurl.com/Rcmrn Award-Winning Author Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. She's a lover of all things romance: books, movies, music, and life, and she incorporates that into the books she writes. When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible. Some of her favorite things are: Kristen Ashley Books, coffee in the morning, and In N Out burgers. Bethany Lopez is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

AUTHOR LINKS
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January 26, 2016

Always Room for Cupcakes by Bethany Lopez Teaser Revewal

CUP_TEASER

Today we are revealing some teasers for ALWAYS ROOM FOR CUPCAKES by Bethany Lopez. This book is a romantic comedy/suspense title that will be released on February 2nd. This book is currently up for pre-order now so go grab your copy!

  cupcake (4)  

ALWAYS ROOM FOR CUPCAKES Synopsis

One day I was be-bopping along jamming to the music in my head while wondering if my thighs could handle grabbing a cupcake on the way home. The next thing I knew, my entire world crashed and burned. I used to wake up at night in a sweat, crying because I’d dreamt that my husband was cheating on me, or that he hated me, and resented my kids. He’d always hold me close and tell me it was all just a dream, that he loved me and our family and that he’d never let me go. He was a f*cking liar. Now I spend my days taking photos of scum just like him, trying to be a champion for other's being taken advantage of by the losers in our town, and my nights being a single mom to my beautiful twins. I've got great friends who have my back, and a sexy, mysterious motorcycle man who keeps showing up when I need him. Maybe things are starting to look up, and one thing's for sure... There's always room for cupcakes.

  ARFC_1WEEK  

Special Pre-order/Release Week Price is $2.99

Pre-order Links

Amazon | iBooks | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Cupcakes Teaser

AUTHOR INFORMATION

A1nt0F1SfnL._UX250_ Sign up for my Newsletter for more information about my writing: http://eepurl.com/Rcmrn Award-Winning Author Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. She's a lover of all things romance: books, movies, music, and life, and she incorporates that into the books she writes. When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible. Some of her favorite things are: Kristen Ashley Books, coffee in the morning, and In N Out burgers. Bethany Lopez is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

AUTHOR LINKS:
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January 25, 2016

Ta-Da, You are Beautiful

Happy Monday morning. 

A lovely friend on Facebook inspired me today (thanks, Nadege). She posted that when she's feeling down she'll give herself a pep talk, tell herself she's amazing and beautiful. It's something we should all do more often.

Years ago, my mom gave me a sticker to put on my mirror. It says... Ta-da! It came with this sheet...


Take a few seconds today for Ta-da! Start the last week of January off right!

January 22, 2016

Inspiration and Reflection

On Fridays going forward, unless there's a special event or exciting news to post about, I will be sharing inspirational quotes from my Inspiration board.

I actually made this board last summer, but the year started speeding up and my board started gathering dust in a corner. I dusted it off and resurrected it for 2016.


Please join me on Fridays for some inspiration. If you have an inspirational quote that speaks to you, please share it in the comments.

Have an amazing weekend!

January 20, 2016

Roanoke Author Invasion -- I'll be There!

Roanoke Author Invasion is right around the corner! I am so excited to be attending this year. I even have a pre-order form for anyone coming who'd like a deal. Check it out here. Oh, and I'll be at the after-party. Come hang out with me!


poster.jpg

A little about the event:

With this many authors, we are so excited to keep this a free event for readers as they meet their favorite writers and discover new ones! Join sixty bestselling authors of contemporary and paranormal fiction and more at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood in Roanoke, Virginia on April 2, 2016 from 11pm-4pm. Signings will be split from 11-1 and 2-4p to allow a lunch break. 

Attendees will enjoy an afternoon of books, giveaways, and more as they get the latest releases from their favorite authors and discover new voices! Authors include several bestsellers like #1 New York Times and International Bestselling authors such as Casey Bond (writer of the award-winning Harvest Saga); Cambria Hebert (of the popular YA Hashtag Series); Rysa Walker (2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards winner for her CHRONOS Files series); and Heather Hildenbrand, whose book Imitation has been optioned for television by NBC to be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. 

This free event is in its second year. With over 100 guests for the first year, attendance is expected to double as they travel from all over the country to visit Roanoke, VA. They will be able to meet their favorite authors and be introduced to new writers, win prizes, and take home swag. Free RAI tote bags will be given as first come, first serve, while RAI t-shirts will be available for purchase. 

In addition, all attendees are invited back to the Holiday Inn for an afterparty from 7-10PM. Hosted by Forget the Housework, I’m Reading, City and Book and Brains, Beauty, BOOKS!

Tickets will be $20 sent to bookclubafterdark@gmail.com via Paypal. Price includes light appetizers, goodie bag and dancing. Proceeds benefit United Through Reading

For more information, including how to get your free ticket, a full list of exhibitors, and the chance to volunteer for the event, visit http://roanokeauthorinvasion.com.

January 18, 2016

Heartless by Kelly Martin Guest Post and Release Day

I am so excited to host Kelly Martin today to celebrate the release of Heartless. I worked with Kelly on this book as Editor (through Indie Books Gone Wild), and I'm so proud of her tenacity and passion for this project. It comes through on the page (or screen). 

You can see my review of Heartless here.


Without further ado, some cool insight into Heartless...



"Jessup Hart Blackwell ate my brain every night."

I'm not going to lie, that is one of the strangest opening lines I've ever read--much less written. I've had the basic storyline of Heartless in my head for about 4 years. In fact, it was the first story I ever thought about writing. I remember being on the boat while my husband fished and writing the first 2-3 chapters. Now, NONE of that ever made it into the final draft. The only thing that came from the first draft, the first thing ever, was the name Hart.Hart has been Hart since this story was an idea bubble four years ago.Originally, the book was supposed to start during a dark and stormy night while a man, Victor Blue, drove home from work. It was his daughter, Violet's, birthday and he was going to surprise her. Unbeknownst to him, on the hood of his car, two supernatural creatures were fighting it out--Alexander, the angel, and Hart, the demon.

Hart won.

For years, I've had this basic story in my head and I wanted so badly to write it. I'd sit down every once in a while and try to make something happen. I loved Hart. I could see him with his red eyes and his snarky attitude. I could picture Alexander (who turned into Lucien) as an angel fighting his inner demons--who wanted to do good-- who was good-- but had to fight all the same.

And then there was the girl.

I couldn't quite figure out the girl.

Then one day, like magic, it all came together as I took a shower (as most good ideas do). When I got out, I quickly wrote down the basic outline for Heartless (I tweaked it with some help from my friends along the way) but the opening line since that day has always been "Jessup Hart Blackwell ate my brain every night."

That one line...

That one beat...

That one thing made this entire story possible.

I had no idea where to take the story in the early days-- that sentence set it up.

It goes with the story so well: part horror, part humor, all paranormal, all human, all feelings I think we all have inside.

Sometimes things just click.

To be honest, I was scared to keep that line in, but everybody who has commented on it, seems to love it.

So... Jessup Hart Blackwell ate my brain every night... I wonder what else happens... ;)  
 ~*~*~*~
Wanna read about Gracen’s nightmares? Grab your blankie and hold on...
BUY LINKS
Amazon

About Kelly Martin

Kelly Martin writes paranormal, contemporary, historical, and YA fiction. She has been married for over ten years and has three rowdy, angelic daughters. When she's not writing, she loves taking picture of abandoned houses, watching horror gamers on YouTube-- even though she's a huge wimp-- and drinking decaf white chocolate mochas. She's a total fangirl, loves the 80s and 90s, and has a sad addiction to paranormal TV shows. {Basically, she likes creepy stuff.} Her favorite characters are the very flawed 'good guys'--and 'bad guys' who don't know they are evil. She loves giving her readers books with unexpected twists and turns, but (here's a hint) most of her books have the ending spelled out in the first chapter. See if you can figure it out.

If you ever have a question or comment, feel free to email her at kellymartin215@yahoo.com ♥ You can follow her writing adventure at www.kellymartinbooks.com.

Other Links:

January 15, 2016

Exciting New Releases

January is proving to be an awesome month for new releases, and I'm proud to have worked on the following as an editor. There are some great reads here. Take my word for it (and each is linked to my review).

Hear the Crickets
by BJ Sheldon
Published 1/7/16

Synopsis: Skyy’s a freak. She’ll tell you so herself. Her past – a mystery. Her future – uncertain. Having spent most of her life avoiding humans in an effort to conceal her wings, she wants nothing more than to end it all, leaving behind the solitary life she’s been forced to live. But numerous attempts to die have proven immortality is both a curse and a nuisance. She now lives out her days in self-imposed seclusion to stay hidden from the world. But that quiet way of life is shattered when mysterious siblings arrive and reveal a destiny which sends her running for the hills. When an earth shattering discovery is made in the Badlands, history and science collide furthering the mystery behind Skyy’s past – and her future. Skyy will need to embrace her fate and confront an evil so ancient, only a miracle can keep the world from ceasing to be.


Flesh and Stone
by PM Hernandez
Publishes today!
Read my review here

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Ellie Whitewood dreams of being a doctor and giving back to the grandfather who raised her after the death of her parents. When she receives an inheritance from a reclusive aunt, she becomes the mistress of a sprawling manor.

Selling the property to pay for college seems like the answer to her prayers, but each day she grows more and more attached to the stone gargoyles adorning the manor rooftop. 

After finding the Whitewood journals, she learns she is the latest in a line of Caretakers who, with her Sentinels, defends the world from evil. While she is drawn to her Sentinel, Gabriel, and her new life, her future isn’t written in stone. 

Haunted by dark dreams and facing deadly enemies, is she willing to sacrifice her well-laid plans and accept her new calling...even if it comes with wings and sharp teeth?


Heartless
by Kelly Martin
Publishes 1/17/16
Read my review here

Some things can't be saved.

What would you do if your guardian angel wasn't sent to protect you from the world but to protect the world from you? 

For thirteen years, Gracen Sullivan dreamed about a red-eyed demon named Hart Blackwell who tortured her every night. Her mother freaked when she found out about her daughter's "hallucinations" and forced Gracen to go to the doctor, who prescribed some very powerful medication which kept Hart out of her head for five years.

A week ago, Hart came back and brought a friend.

But something has changed, and Gracen is seeing Hart when she's awake too. And the other "friends" in her dreams? They have been found dead.

The police want to talk to her.

Her boyfriend has become distant.

Her dreams are becoming more and more intense.

Hell wants her. Heaven has to stop her. 

When push comes shoving, can Gracen fight the evil eating away inside her or will she be forced to embrace it and destroy the world?

#theevilinside

NOTE: Tune in Monday to find out more about Kelly's latest, including a look into some of Kelly's thoughts.


I hope you'll add one or more of these to your list of must-reads.

Have a great weekend... find some time to read and relax. And if you know of a great new read, please share it in the comments below.

January 13, 2016

Readers Speak: 7

Happy Hump Day!

Reviews have started coming in for 7, and I'm so excited to share a couple of them today.

First up, the amazing Ethan Gregory of One Guy's Guides to Good Reads. Not only did he review, he contacted us about the book, wanting to talk about it. From that conversation, we decided to do a BlogTalk radio show with him as emcee. You can hear that here.

An excerpt from his review:

“With gripping plots, detailed settings, heart-wrenching emotions, and a finale you won't want to miss, this amazing collaboration will leave you begging for more from this extremely talented group! It should come as absolutely no surprise that I am granting 7 a near-perfect 5-star review.”

For more, see the entire review here.

Then, there was a beautiful review done by the awesome Christina Marie of LuLo Fangirl. She did this gorgeous graphic, so I have to share it.


For more, see the entire review here

These two reviews almost made me cry. I so respect both of these bloggers! 

There are some other great ones, and I've been sharing them on my Facebook page. If you'd like to see more, check out the Goodreads page here.

Thank you to everyone for your kind words and for taking the time to leave a review. It means so much! 

January 11, 2016

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate 7's release last week. Thanks to all of you, this happened...


I'm so excited to hear what more readers have to say. Check back in on Wednesday. I'll highlight some of the reviews so far. And if you haven't picked up a copy of 7 yet, you can do so here.

Happy Monday. Hope your week is full of happy surprises and special moments.

January 7, 2016

7 Release Day

From the authors who brought you the award-winning novel Fractured Glass, comes a new kind of anthology.




7
Seven marks upon a wall.
Tom may rise, but he may fall.
Through five lives, no one dares mention,
of the sin for which he seeks redemption.
Fates will meet, and you will see,
what will thus become of he.

7 is unlike anything you've ever read. That's why the blurb is so different. It's not a good read; it's an experience. Is there such a thing as redemption? Find out today.


Now available on Amazon.
Price: $2.99 for Kindle
Get yours here.
Kindle Unlimited subscribers read FREE.




Here's what reviewers are already saying:

"I didn’t expect to enjoy each individual story to the same degree, but they were all SO good, and I hated to see each one end." ~ KJ Farnham - Goodreads - 5 Stars

"I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone who enjoys seeing bits and pieces of real life painted with the colors of imagination, faith, and love." ~ Stalking Shelves - Goodreads - 5 Stars

If you'd rather hold a smelly good paperback in your hands, here's the link you want!



Get one on Amazon.
Price: $14.99
Click here.

Teaser!!




Follow the authors:


Casey L. Bond
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Goodreads


Jo Michaels

Tia Silverthorne Bach
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Goodreads


Kelly Risser

N. L. Greene
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Goodreads


Seriously, how excited are you right now?

What are you waiting for? Go get it!

January 6, 2016

7: The Seven Deadly Sins Authors on Blog Talk Radio

Happy Hump day!

I'm so excited to join my fellow 7 authors tonight on a special Blog Talk Radio show hosted by the awesome Ethan Gregory of One Guy's Guide to Good Reads. If you haven't checked out his blog, please do. It's awesome!

Please join Jo Michaels, Casey L Bond, NL Greene, Kelly Risser, and me tonight (1/6/16) at 6:30pm EST (3:30pm PST) as we discuss 7, which will release tomorrow.


I promise you'll have tons of fun!

It's part of the awesome Blog Talk radio series, A Daily Cup of Jo. If you love finding new authors or great reads, or just hearing from your favorites, definitely add this show to your must-listen list.

January 4, 2016

7 is almost here!

2016 is starting off with a bang.

Coming this Thursday...


7: The Seven Deadly Sins
by Casey L Bond, Jo Michaels, Tia Silverthorne Bach, Kelly Risser & NL Greene

I am SO excited for release day! Writing this book was an amazing experience. Not only was it a joy to work with the Fractured Glass ladies again, but I had several firsts with this book:

* Male Point of View
* Historical Fiction
* Love Scene

Don't worry, the love scene is sweet and PG-13, but definitely more in depth than my YA books. I really loved writing Thomas, and who knew... but I really enjoyed researching the Civil War era.

In this novel we cover everything from Ancient Rome to Elizabethan London to the American Civil War to the Roaring 20s and finally the 90s.

Be on the lookout for a post on Thursday/Release Day with the buy link and more information.

Happy first Monday of 2016! May this year be epic for you.