I've moved!

I love you all for hanging out with me here, but I've recently acquired my very own website and through WordPress, it has its own blog. So I hope you all will join me there!

http://www.erindanzer.com/blog/

Thank you and have a lovely day! :)

Writerly Wednesday

Hello all! Welcome to another week of Writerly Wednesday. :) I do want to apologize for my lack of ambition on my blog lately.  Today's meme is all about writing, whether I'm telling you some exciting news about my road to publishing my debut novel, Into the Spiral, or I'm sharing sites and articles I've found interesting or useful or I'm introducing you to someone/something new. Today, I'd like to introduce you to my writing twin, Beth Ann Masarik.

Beth doesn't know that I'm doing this. :) We met almost a year and a half ago through Richelle Mead (as we like to tell the story). We'd both answered a post of hers on Facebook, started messaging and the rest they say is history. We now talk constantly, including text messages (which drive my hubby crazy because he thinks my phone says "why am I on a diet" every time she texts LOL). We have so many things in common and think alike so much that we've dubbed each other our "twin".

I met Beth shortly after she signed with Otherworld Publications so through her, I got to see what publishing with them was like. I was so impressed (and am still so impressed) that when I queried my own book, I went to them. :) Beth now has 2 short stories and one full-length novel out: Murderous Regrets (short), Moon Spirit (short) and The World Among Us: Prince of Darkness (novel).

Beth also created and runs Literary Lunes Magazine, a now bi-monthly online publication that she edits and formats herself (as well as writing articles for). She also is currently working on book 2 of the TWAU trilogy, Daughter of Light, as well as putting together an anthology of TWAU short stories and very tentatively starting up her own publishing company, currently named Literary Lunes Publications. She is also just finishing edits and polishing up an anthology, Writings From the Heart, which all proceeds will go to the pediatric cardiology department at the Stephen and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York. The anthology is set to release June 6!

On top of everything else Beth has going on, she's also getting married on October 14! 

Beth has always inspired me with her many projects, getting herself out there into the writing community and meeting people. She recently even interviewed Kristin Cast (half of the amazing duo that brought us the House of Night series) for Literary Lunes magazine. She works hard and has become an amazing friend in the short time I've known her. So I just wanted to take a few minutes today to say THANK YOU to Beth for becoming my friend.

You can find Beth everywhere on the web:
Her website
Literary Lunes magazine
Twitter
Goodreads
Facebook
TWAU on Facebook

Buy Beth's books!
Murderous Regrets:  Amazon  Smashwords
Moon Spirit:  Amazon
TWAU: Prince of Darkness:  Amazon  B&N  Smashwords  Otherworld

That's all for today, folks! I hope you've enjoyed meeting Beth as much as I have! :)

Happy Wednesday!
EM

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Welcome to another week of Tell Me Something Tuesday, the weekly meme where Cambria Hebert asks a question and bloggers get to answer and link up. :) This week's question is:

Tell me one book character you would like to spend the day with. What would you do with that person?

Surprisingly, this question turned out to by a lot easier than I thought it would be - it took me hardly any time at all to figure out who I would pick. Of course, all I had to do is look to a new favorite author and the answer was clear.

I want to spend the day with... Lola Nolan.

Lola is an awesome character! I loved her from the moment we met! LOL She doesn't believe in fashion... she believes in costumes. And boy does she come up with some good ones! My favorite is the Marie Antionette gown she makes (yes, she sews!) to wear to the Winter Formal. Of course, the dress wouldn't have been completed without the help from the boy next door. ;-) (but that's for you to read and find out why)

Here's my initial thoughts on Lola after reading this fantastic book: I love Lola! I love her costumes, her tenacity, her indecisiveness even when she knows what the right thing is to do. I love everything about her. And I loved going on her journey with her. She's a strong, well rounded character, one I would love to sit and chat with (while possibly helping her to design awesome outfits).

Besides chatting and designing, I would love to hang out with Lola at the movie theatre where she works (if only to run into Anna and her hot boyfriend!). Plus, I know we would hang out with Lola's boyfriend at some point, which would definitely be fun, too. It would be an amazing day, and give me the chance to see some of San Francisco. :-) Oh what fun we would have!

What's that? You haven't read this book yet? What are you waiting for?? LOL

So now it's your turn... what book character would you hang out with for a day and why?

Happy Tuesday!
EM

Charade Blog Tour - Book Boyfriends with Cambria Hebert

Hello, everyone! Welcome to my stop on the Charade Blog Tour, running May 14-June 14. Charade is the second book in Cambria Hebert's Heven and Hell series... And this book is highly anticipated by yours truly. Let me tell you a little more about it:

Dying at the hands of a psycho was a shock. Having my life returned to me by an angel was incredible. Being named a Supernatural Treasure and being given Sam as my guard was pretty darn awesome. Acquiring a debt for it all—well, I should have seen it coming.

Now here we are, fighting demons from Hell, caring for a boy that I just don’t trust, and traveling to faraway places to return a treasure to its rightful place. Nothing is as it seems. Everyone wears a mask; everyone puts on a charade. It’s up to us to separate the truth from the lies and reality from fiction. A hard task when my new reality involves fallen angels, witches and dragons… and did I mention Hell?

Anchoring me down through it all is Sam. Sam, who must face tragedies of his own and is put to the test again and again.

If we fail in our task, life as we know it—life as you know it—will end. Forever.

Sounds exciting, doesn't it?? Today, Cambria is here to talk about HOTNESS... and by HOTNESS, she means Book Boyfriends, those male characters that make us all swoon. Take it away, Cambria!

Today I am here to talk about Hottness. That’s right, hotness. What exactly is hotness, you ask? I will tell you. Hottness is when someone has the ability to make your heart race, your palms feel sweaty and your stomach feel like it has a million butterflies fluttering inside it. It makes you sigh, smile and giggle. Sometimes when you are reading a particularly good hotness you glance around guiltily to see if anyone knows what you are doing…

I am sure we have all experienced this at one time or another.

First loves, current loves… donuts. What? Like you don’t lust after those delicately fried concoctions that are dripping with sinfully, likable icing. Yeah, you know what I mean.

I myself experience the “hotness effect” every time I watch the Vampire Diaries on Thursday nights or every time I read a book with a good male character.

So I guess by definition Hottness = Book boyfriends

It’s a hot topic – DUH – because its full of hotness. But mainly because we all have a list of book boyfriends, movie boyfriends, real life boyfriends (lol) and food boyfriends (don’t even pretend you don’t).

So what makes a character into a book boyfriend? (note: yes, there must be book girlfriends… but I am a girl who likes guys so I’m talking about boyfriends)

As the author of a completely swoon worthy male character (say it isn’t so!) I think I can answer this question. Well, you be the judge of that.

Here to help me with my Book Boyfriend must have list is Sam himself. 

Let’s ask Sam himself why he makes a good book boyfriend. Sam?

Sam: You think I make a good boyfriend? Did you read Masquerade. I do some very bad things. I don’t think that makes me a good boyfriend.

Cambria: That’s exactly why you make a good boyfriend! Look at the naughty things you do all because you were trying to help the girl you love.

Sam: Naughty? That’s one way to put it.

Cambria: Okay, then. How about the gift you give Heven in Masquerade. Don’t you think that qualifies you as a book boyfriend?

Sam: Which gift? The whistle? I gave that to her for protection.

Cambria: Because you love her. How about the keys?

Sam: Those keys turn out to be a lot more than we thought.

Cambria: You are making this interview very difficult.

Sam: *Grins* That’s why I’m a good book boyfriend. I’m not agreeable.

Cambria: Yes, well. How about that first kiss with Heven?

Sam: A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.

Cambria: Awww. So you admit to being a gentleman?

Sam: *Laughs* Sure.

Cambria: Okay, then. Tell us what makes a great Book Girlfriend.

Sam: Be Heven.

Cambria: Be Heven? That’s your answer?

Sam: It’s the truth.

Cambria: *Sighs very loudly* There’s a Bubble Tea place across the street . You can go now. Your work is done.

Sam: *Grins* Want me to get you one?

Cambria: Sure. You choose the flavor.

Sam exits.

Frankly I am relieved he is gone, as cute and charming as he is. LOL. Do you see what I had to deal with while I was writing? Sam is most certainly the most difficult character I have ever written. He is very mysterious. I will let you all in on a little secret. When I first wrote Masquerade there was no Sam POV. I know it’s awful isn’t it?! Can you imagine a book without hearing his thoughts and feelings? But here’s the thing, when I decided to add him into the draft I realized I didn’t know him at all. I wrote an entire book about him and he still managed to keep himself a secret.

So I had to get to know him. And during that process I learned some qualities that make Sam a book boyfriend. Here are top picks of what makes a male character into a book boyfriend:

1.     Inner conflict. No one likes a guy who has it all. No one. Even if it appears a guy has it all there has to be something that they are conflicted over, something they have to overcome.

2.     Protective –ness. We all sign over a guy who will stand in the way of a killer or threat to the one they love. It’s romantic. A guy who will harm themselves so his love isn’t harmed.

3.     Stubborness. A book boyfriend doesn’t give up. Even when the cards are stacked against him.

4.     An empty stomach. Come on you know it’s true. No one wants to read about a guy who eats only salad and takes danty bites. We want a guy who can shove half a sandwich in his mouth and chew like no bodies business. It’s manly.

5.     Romantic. This embodies a lot of qualities and usually the best romantic moments are when the guy isn’t trying to be romantic. They are just trying to show someone how they feel and it makes us all sigh.

6.     HOTTNESS. Yup, he has to be hot. He has to look good. Muscles help. Nice eyes are a plus. I personally like wide shoulders and messy hair. LOL.  Feel free to look up at the Sam picture to refresh your memory of HOTTNESS.

7.     Mysterious. We want a puzzle to figure out. It’s a challenge.

So those are my top characteristics that make characters need to have to embody a good Book Boyfriend. Did I forget one? What is on your list?

Besides Sam let me tell you a few of MY favorite book boyfriends:

Riley from the Intertwined Series

Nick from the Need series

Asher from A Beautiful Dark

Jacob from Twilight

Damon from Vampire Diaries (I base this off TV because I haven’t read the books but he is at the TOP of my list)

Who are yours??

A big thanks to Erin for having me here today!!! Now if you will excuse me Sam just walked in with my Bubble Tea. He got me chocolate. Any guy who brings me chocolate definitely is worthy of a book boyfriend award. J

Thank you, Cambria (and Sam) for joining me today! I hope everyone has enjoyed this stop as much as I have. I also have to say that my Book Boyfriends include Jace Wayland, Dimitri Belikov, Fang, Ren LaRoche, and Damon Salvatore (book and show). ;-) Today you can also stop by Maria at http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com/.

Happy Sunday!
EM

Writerly Wednesday - Writing.com

Hello, all! Welcome to another week of Writerly Wednesday, a weekly meme I created to talk about everything writerly, whether it's what's happening in my own journey to published stardom, to introduce you to something or someone fascinating, or to share my (limited) wisdom on writing. This week, I want to introduce you to a website I found when I first decided to get serious about being a writer...

Here's what they have to say for themselves: Writing.Com, the premier online community for writers of all interests and skill levels, has been going strong since 2000. We provide an extremely creative environment for authors, offering hundreds of unique writing tools and opportunities for creation and inspiration.

Whether you are a writer looking for the perfect place to store and display your masterpieces or a reader willing to offer feedback for our writers and their work, this is the website for you. No other website services the writing world better than we do!

I first joined Writing.com in January of 2008. I joined because I wanted to feel a part of a writing community, and that's exactly what I found there. I tried my hand at a few contests and even won a couple, one short story Romance Valentine's Day contest and another one, from Bard's Hall, where the theme was St. Patrick's Day. I also participated in a 1000 word daily flash fiction contest for quite a few months. Entering those contests helped me hone my craft in that I had to be more economical with my word choices. The highest word count limit was just 4000 words. That's quite a difference from the 50k+ word novels I'd been writing. :-)

In October of 2008, I stumbled upon The Witch's Circle Halloween contest. One of the prompts was to write a short story that included werewolves, vampires, ghosts, goblins, and a couple other creatures (pretty much, any creature popular at the time). That prompt sparked my first YA paranormal novel, Losing Control, which included werewolves, vampires and a ghost haunting an ancestral home. :-)

If you don't feel like writing and sharing anything, hang out on the site and read a bit. There are interactive stories where you get to pick which way the story goes next. There's poetry, word searches, madlibs and polls to take. There's a lot to do and it's a great way to practice your craft and meet a few fun people along the way!

Happy Writing (or Reading)!
EM

**While you can search for Losing Control and it shows available to order on Amazon and probably other places, this title has been taken out of production for re-editing. I will let everyone know as soon as it is available once again.**

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Hello! And Welcome to another week of Tell Me Something Tuesday, a weekly meme created by Cambria Hebert where she asks bloggers a question and we all get to answer. This week's question:

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

My answer was actually pretty easy this week. I knew I wanted it to be in the cat family. Having thought that, my first thought was TIGER. But tigers are solitary creatures by nature and I wanted something that is strong and whose family is important, so I chose...

A lioness

Lions may be the King of the Jungle, but the lioness is the one who really wears the pants in the family. She's the one who hunts for the food and takes care of her young (oh wait, that sounds like my everyday life already! LOL). She's ferocious and loving. She's majestic.

So now it's your turn. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

Happy Tuesday!
EM

Review - INHALE by Kendall Grey

Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

*This book contains graphic language, sex, and some violence. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

**The author will donate all profits from the sale of the JUST BREATHE trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face.


A little fangirling first...
There are so many reasons I love this book. I love that all profits from this trilogy goes towards Whale education and survival, something I know Kendall Grey believes in with her entire being. The rest of the things I love will come later in the actual review. ;-)

I've known Kendall for a little more than a year now. We met through a mutual friend a few months after I came out of my writer's closet and declared my intentions to be published and be taken seriously. Kendall was the first person to interview me and whom I talked about my upcoming novel with. We even had a Gavin-off. LOL I'll admit I was a little scared off from Kendall when I checked out her blog and saw all of the April's Fool Jackassery things on there - boy was it graphic for my virgin eyes! But I went back a few days later and am I glad I did. I found out that's only part of who Kendall is. Yes, she's loud and graphic, but she also has a heart of gold and I'm so glad to count her among my friends. :)

Onto the review...

First of all, I have to say... if you love Urban Fantasy and don't mind very "adult" novels, this is the book for you! There is a warning label on this book for a reason. But, all of it works together. The prose is amazing. The way Kendall writes grabs you by the throat and drags you in. I feel she did a great job at explaining the world she created in the Dreaming, Realis and the Elementals. There's even a glossary at the end for those who can't quite keep it straight. :) I fell into this novel from the beginning and got irritated every time I had to leave it.

Zoe Morgan is a great protagonist. Despite her extra Y-chromosone, which accounts for her awkwardness is social situations and dyslexia, she is a strong woman who's had a hard life recently. She knows what she wants and strives to get it. She loves the whales and has a preternatural connection to them, something she does whatever she has to to fight for their safety and protection. She has a great crew and friends in Adriene, Dani and Elizabeth.

Gavin Cassidy is a swoon-worthy hero. Though flawed by his years of debauchery and drinking, he steps up and becomes a man when needed. As the story goes on, we find out he's more than just a broken Sentinel and rock star. And Zoe is the one who can piece him back together.

I love the diversity of characters in this novel. Kendall did a great job on researching the various people (Aussies, Aboriginals, etc) and each character that is introduced stands alone as a strong individual. My faves other than the MCs are Scarlet and Sinnder. Scarlet is such a bitch, she's the perfect villain and Sinnder... well, really what more can I say? He's smoking hot! I can't wait to read the rest of this trilogy to see what happens with these characters next!

Overall, I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could. I've been waiting to read this book since meeting Kendall and it exceeded my expectations in every way! Like I said up top, if you love Urban Fantasy and don't mind graphic language and situations, this is most definitely the book for you!

You can buy INHALE here: Amazon and B&N. Add it to your Goodreads list here. Remember, all profits from this book goes towards a great cause! I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have! :)

Happy Reading!
EM

In Memory of my Mom

Debbie Kelley

July 14, 1951 - December 16, 2003

R.I.P.

This Mother's Day, I would like to share some memories of my mom. I miss her terribly every day, feeling like the hole that was created by her death will never be filled. Thankfully, the pain of her loss has lessened over the years, but it is never forgotten. This December will be 9 years and yet some days, it feels like I got the phone call yesterday. So instead of talking about her death, I want to talk about her life.

My mom gave me my love of books. From an early age, I remember watching her read and so I would read. I would read by the light of the shopping center behind our house when I was supposed to be in bed. My mom and I could sit in the living room and enjoy each other's company as we both read. Of course, she was reading Danielle Steel or Nora Roberts and I was reading Nancy Drew. ;-) My mom loved romance novels and I know that's where my love for them came from.

When I got a bit older, around 12 or a teenager, my mom and I would go shopping on some Saturday afternoons. Well, actually we would start about 9 in the morning. I remember going to JCPenney's with her and teasing her about the "suitcase" purses she would want to buy. I remember going fabric shopping with her and picking out the most hideous fabric possible for whatever project she was working on. My mom and I always had a lot of fun. And when it was time for lunch, we always went to Olive Garden. We would order the soup and salad lunch with raspberry lemonade. These shopping trips were our way to connect, to be close, and kept our relationship wonderfully happy.

Christmas was my mom's favorite holiday. She loved opening presents and watching us open ours. She and my dad liked to be pranksters, too, wrapping cans of soda individually, giving a key chain as a hint for the big present (the year I got my first leather jacket, I opened a leather jacket key chain first), or simply wrapping one box inside another inside another. We always laughed and had a good time. And after all the presents were opened, we would have meat pies for breakfast. Curious what those are? Check out my guest post here where I talked about them and gave the recipe. Christmas was always a lot of fun in my house and I cherish all the memories I have.

My mom also loved Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. Oh did she love Tigger! She actually had her picture taken with him the last time she and my dad went to Disney World the September before she passed away. Every Christmas and birthday was not complete without at least one Tigger gift. And to this day, I cannot walk passed anything Tigger related without thinking of her.

I love my mom and miss her dearly every day. I wish she was physically here to know my boys. I wish she was here to tell me congratulations on seeing my dreams come true this December when my debut novel will be published with Otherworld Publications. But though she is not physically here, I know she is with me still. I feel her spirit with me even now as I write this, telling me how proud she is of everything I've accomplished. I know she will never truly be gone.

Sorceress Debbie

My mom and her mom

Writerly Wednesday - Cover and Trailer Reveal!

Welcome back to another week of Writerly Wednesday, a weekly meme I created to share writerly things with all of you, whether it's to talk about my own writing/publishing adventure, to share something fun or interesting I stumbled upon, or to introduce you to new and amazing authors and books. Today I'm showcasing the charity anthology Writings from the Heart: Stories and Poetry from Around the World. Here's the AMAZING cover:

Isn't it gorgeous? I absolutely love this cover! This cover was created by the editor of the anthology, Beth Ann Masarik. Beth decided to put together this anthology to help the Cohen Children's Medical Center of NY's Pediatric Cardiology Department. Why? Because 28 years ago, Beth was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease called Tetralogy of Fellot. This is her way of giving back to a hospital that's helped her all of these years. And who doesn't like to help kids in need? The anthology features 30 authors from around the world who have written either short stories or poems all based around the idea of hope. I've read quite a few of both already and will say it's a great anthology!


The anthology will be released June 6, 2012. Beth chose this date to honor a friend who died of congenital heart disease on that day several years ago. Then, from June 13 to July 4, Beth is putting together a blog tour the anthology. Dates are still available! If you would like to be a part of it, leave a comment with your email address below or email Beth at bethannmasarik@gmail.com for more information and to tell her you want in!


Still not convinced this is a good cause? Check out the trailer Beth made for the anthology!

I hope you will purchase this anthology when it is released. I am one of the contributors and I know I will be purchasing a copy to help this great cause!


Happy Wednesday!
EM

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Welcome to another week of Tell Me Something Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Cambria Hebert where she asks a questions and we get to answer. This week's question is:

What is your favorite thing to eat? How about to make?

Feel free to share a recipe!

My favorite thing to eat would be anything that has peanut butter and chocolate. Reese's PB cups, Reese's Pieces, chocolate and peanut butter covered pancakes... yeah, any combination will do. The pancakes are a new favorite and vary with adding chocolate morsels to pancakes and cover them in peanut butter. ;-)

To make... I actually love to bake. Brownies, cakes, cookies, pies... you name it, I love to bake it. I can't really say I have a favorite and the faves I can think of are all made from the back of a box (or bag). Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies have been a favorite since I was a child and would sneak finger-fulls of dough from my mom's big red bowl (she always made a double batch). Lately, I've been making brownies (and adding peanut butter chips). ;-) Ah, here's one you might enjoy... let's see if I can get this right.

My mother in law makes a cake she calls "Better than Sex Cake". It's a devil's food cake topped with caramel and Hershey's chocolate and whipped cream. Let me tell you more!

What you need:

One Devil's food or German Chocolate cake mix (and the ingredients that go into it)

One 12oz can condensed milk

Caramel Ice Cream topping

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

A round-handled wooden spoon (or something similar)

One 8oz Cool Whip, thawed

How to make it:

Prepare and bake the Devil's Food or German Chocolate Cake as directed on the box, preferably in the 13x9 pan

Let Cake cool until it is cool to the touch (or overnight)

Poke holes into the cake with the round-handled wooden spoon (with the handle)

Pour can of Condensed Milk over cake

Drizzle chocolate syrup and Caramel toppings over cake generously

Top with a thick layer of Cool Whip

Serve immediately. Leftovers must be chilled.

This is what it should look like :-)

There are variations you can do: add chocolate bits on top, crumbled cookies (Oreos work great), or drizzling with more caramel and chocolate syrup. Personally, I LOVE it just the way I've described above.

Enjoy!!

EM

Writerly Wednesday - Random Silliness

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another week of Writerly Wednesday, where I share random tidbits of my writerly life, showcase a new author or publisher, or try to give sound advice I've found on various websites. This week, I'm doing something a little different. Not knowing what else to do, I asked on Facebook for 3 random words from people: a noun, a verb, and an adjective. Including my kids and babysitter, I ended up with 10 responses to my question. Here are all the words I received:

dinosaur, sad, play, fedora, skip, spectacular, mailbox, run, pouring (rain), friend, walk, quickly, bridge, flow, relaxing, bird, jog, leafy, train wreck, jump, happy, socks, fly, gigantic, cupcake, skate, frosty, rainbow, spew, ludicrous, Miller Park, eat, grainy

I'm sure you can guess which words came from my kids. ;-) I especially like 'leafy' because then Kody (my oldest) looked at the tree we were passing and said "It looks like it has green hair!" Love that!

So what did I do with all of these words? As you may have guessed, I wrote a short story . I highlighted all the words. Here is what I came up with. It's a little silly and geared more towards younger kids, but it was tons of fun to write! Enjoy! **some of the words had to change their ending to fit properly**

Tommy and Fenton Have an Adventure

On a Saturday morning in May, Tommy the T-Rex woke up to find it was a very disappointing day. It was pouring rain outside his bedroom window! The rain made Tommy sad. So he tromped out of his bedroom and headed to the kitchen, where his mom was baking cupcakes.

“Why are you sad today, Tommy T?” she asked as he sat down at the table.

“It’s raining,” he told her.

“Yes it is. Why don’t you call Fenton and you two can play inside today? I bet Fenton is as sad as you about the rain today.”

“Yeah!” Tommy exclaimed and jumped up from the table. He went to the phone and called his best friend. Now it might seem silly that a dinosaur and a bird were best friends, but Tommy and Fenton had been friends since they were babies.

Fenton agreed to come over to play and flew through the rain as fast as his little blue wings would carry him. He loved flying, but not in the rain. Fenton shook out his feathers when he arrived inside Tommy’s house and put his little brown fedora on a peg by the door.

“Let’s have an adventure,” Tommy exclaimed and raced Fenton to his room. Fenton won—because birds are always faster than T-Rexes.

“What do you want to do today?” Fenton chirped from his perch on the top of Tommy’s dresser. Tommy hunkered down and thought really hard for a moment. What should they do? Then, he had an idea!

“There’s been a train wreck on the bridge,” he told Fenton. “We have to save the people!”

“We’re off to save the people!” Fenton squeaked. They jogged around the bedroom, pretending to run to the bridge.

“Watch out for the river!” Tommy suddenly yelled. He and Fenton skated to a stop. The river flowed rapidly under the bridge, spewing yucky brown water all around them. A gigantic, leafy tree towered over them next to the bridge.

“There! We have to save that family of salamanders!” Tommy declared, pointing to a bunch of socks in the middle of the room. “Come on!”

They quickly skipped across the bridge. Tommy bent down and scooped the salamander family into his arms as the giant tree swayed in the wind.

“This is ludicrous!” Tommy exclaimed. The salamanders were hot, burning his skin. “They’re burning up!”

“Put them in the frosty mailbox!” Fenton chirped. Tommy dashed across the room and threw the socks into his clothes hamper. Both bird and dinosaur collapsed onto the floor as the bedroom door opened. Tommy’s mom looked in on them.

“Sounds like that was a spectacular rescue,” she told the boys. “Are you boys hungry?”

“Yeah!” they cheered and jumped to their feet (or hopped, in Fenton’s case).

“Look, a rainbow!” Fenton cheeped, flying towards the window to look out at the sky. Tommy quickly followed. Sure enough, a beautiful rainbow stretched across the light gray sky.

Tommy and Fenton walked down the stairs and followed Tommy’s mom into the kitchen. They were finally able to relax. Tommy’s mom put a plate of warm cupcakes on the table and the boys began to eat. Tommy was glad they weren’t grainy like the last batch she had made. Grainy cupcakes were the worst!

“Next time we should go rescue something at Miller Park,” Fenton chirped as he pecked at his cupcake.

“That would be a lot of fun,” Tommy agreed, thinking of all the happy adventures they could have.

And there you have it, my fun little story. I might have a career in children's literature some day! LOL Hope you've enjoyed it. :) Have a great day everyone!

EM

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Hello, everyone! Welcome to another week of Tell Me Something Tuesday, a fun weekly meme where Cambria Hebert asks a question and we answer. This week's question is:

Where would you go on your dream vacation and what would you do?

I feel like I have a bit of an unfair advantage on this question... I've already been on my dream vacation. In August of 2004, my husband and I went with my dad, aunt and cousin to Ireland for a week. We had a family reunion over there and stayed a few extra days. Lee and I could only afford to stay a week but my dad and aunt stayed another week after we left. So I thought I would share a few pictures of the places we went and things we did. My dream is to go back there to stay for at least 2 weeks (a month would be ideal) or even buy a vacation home there to escape to (this of course would happen after I make millions being an author). ;-)

One of my favorite places to go on our trip was to Killarney. Yes, we went pub crawling there (an experience I would love to do again!), but also... Killarney was where I felt most at home while we were there. I felt like I belonged there. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any of my pics from when we stopped, so I have to borrow a couple from the internet.

The streets of Killarney, Ireland

Killarney Castle

I also made a slideshow of some of the pictures I do have, mostly of our time in Dungarvan (where my family is from) and the Ring of Kerry bus tour we took. You even get to see a couple pics of me and Lee. :)

When I go back to Ireland, not only do I want to revisit the old family homestead and return to Killarney, I want to see the Cliffs of Mohar and stand at Tara (where the High Kings used to be selected). I want to go into northern Ireland and return to the Waterford Crystal factory. And of course, I can't go without seeing a hurling match. (This is all why I will need at least 2-4 weeks on my next dream vacation!)

I hope you all have enjoyed going on my dream vacation with me!

Happy Tuesday!
EM

Release Day: INHALE by Kendall Grey

It's here! It's here! I'm so excited to be a part of this day for the awesome Kendall Grey! I've known Kendall for more than a year and in one of the first emails we shared, she told me about her book INHALE that was supposed to release in May 2012. I was excited about it then and now I'm super excited!

Here's what I'm supposed to say: INHALE, an urban fantasy romance by Kendall Grey, is now available in paperback and e-book for Kindle (MOBI) and Nook (EPUB). INHALE is the first book in the JUST BREATHE trilogy. Kendall is donating all profits from the sale of the trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face. Watch the video to find out why.

So what is this book about? Let me tell you!

Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

*This book contains graphic language, sex, and some violence. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

**The author will donate all profits from the sale of the JUST BREATHE trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face.


Also, Kendall encourages interested readers to consider purchasing an e-book instead of a paperback. E-books save trees, cost considerably less, and bring in much more money for the whales.

Thank you for supporting INHALE, and most importantly, the whales that need our help.

The book releases TODAY at Amazon and Barnes & Nobles! Isn't the cover gorgeous? Doesn't the book sound amazing? Then what are you waiting for? Get your copy today!


To learn more about Kendall and her books, you can stalk her at all these fine places:

Blog: http://www.kendallgrey.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KendallGreyAuthor

Despicable Tweets: http://www.twitter.com/kendallgrey1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5108885.Kendall_Grey

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hmcmg

Happy Release Day, Kendall!

Erin

Six Sentence Sunday - It's Free!

Welcome to another week of Six Sentence Sunday, where I share the first six sentences and buy links to some amazing books (books I want to read or have already). Today I've decided to share some FREE books I've recently purchased and am looking forward to reading. I will state whether these are free everywhere or just Amazon. Unfortunately, I can't tell you if there is a time limit on their FREE-ness. Enjoy!

In The House of Women, Grace is the eldest of seven sisters, and the pivot upon which the family revolves. She is the buffer between her violent father and her sisters, who look to her for guidance. As Grace tries to hold them together through times of hardship and humiliation, her own secret love, William Ross rejects her. Thankfully another man, Doyle gives Grace the calm support she has been missing. Only, their subtle attraction creates more disturbance. When shocking events occur, Grace makes decisions that will affect everyone’s future, which sets sister against sister, mother against daughter. As her life crashes into chaos with scandal, near bankruptcy and murder, a coalmine disaster brings Grace into contact with an introverted miner. His cool reserve makes Grace take notice. This man is dismissive of her station and evokes an image of a life much simpler.

Montgomery Woodruff scowled at the low, dirty clouds as though they had appeared just to torment him. He tugged at his lapels, jerking his greatcoat close as the wind tried its best to wrestle a way into his inner garments. The end of January had been unrelenting with blizzards, storms and freezing temperatures. Woodruff entered his carriage and yanked at the folded blanket on the seat, his impatience sending it sliding to the floor. With a muttered oath, he arranged the blanket to better suit his needs, ignoring his clerk who stood dithering in the elements waiting for last minute instructions. Woodruff sent him a withering glare before a curt command from his driver, Sykes, sent the showy black horses away from the three-storey Georgian building to merge with the traffic in the bustling streets of the great Yorkshire town.

~ Anne Brear (2011). The House of Women. Knox Robinson Publishing.  Kindle Edition  B&N Edition (paperback)

It's been five years since Lily and Travis fell in love in TAKE ME....now it's finally time for Janica and Luke to get their very own happy ending.

If there's one thing that Janica Ellis is absolutely certain of, it's that she and Luke Carson are totally wrong for each other. She's a wild, artistic and outspoken fashion designer. He's a type A, workaholic trauma surgeon (who just happens to be sizzling hot and her brother-in-law!). But Janica is about to be proven wrong when opposites attract...in the sexiest possible way.

After a life-changing night in the ER, Luke is desperate for escape - and relief from his personal demons. For five years he has fought his attraction to his sister-in-law, but when he's pushed too far, he can't fight it another second. He needs her. Desperately. He's spent his whole life doing the right thing. For one night, he's going to follow desire instead. Straight into Janica's arms.

Janica can't believe Luke is finally at her front door...and that he's kissing her like he's been waiting his whole life for her. But even as their sensual connection deepens with every touch of skin on skin - and the man she always thought was such a good boy turns out to be sinfully, toe-curlingly bad between the sheets - Janica soon realizes she wants more than Luke's body. She wants his heart too. But what will Luke do when one night of extreme passion turns into an all or nothing proposition?

“Car accident. Ten-year-old girl. Possible ruptured spleen.” 

Luke Carson dropped the x-ray he was groggily reviewing to run beside the frightened girl who was rapidly losing blood. Her cheeks were stained with tear tracks and her long blond hair blew off the side of the gurney as the nurses wheeled her into surgery. She looked up at Luke with big, barely conscious blue eyes. 

“I know you don’t feel so good right now, honey, but in a few seconds everything will be better. I’m going to take care of you.” 

“Promise?” she whispered. 

“I promise.” He would do everything in his power not to let her, or her family, down.

~ Bella Andre (2010). Love Me (Contemporary Romance).  Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords (FREE for Kindle and Smashwords)

Alexis Ames decides to learn who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their secrets closely. After meeting Tristan Knight and discovering that he's not normal either, the secrets begin to unravel. Their union brings promise to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy. Because they are a match made in Heaven and in Hell.

The sensation of being watched clung to me like a spider web, invisible threads bristling the back of my neck and down my spine. I brushed my fingers across my shoulders, as if I could drag the feeling off and flick it away. It was ridiculous, of course. Not just ridiculous to think I could pull it off so easily, as if it really was strands of a web, but it was even more absurd to feel it in the first place. Nobody ever held that much interest in me. Occasionally, people stared with curiosity when they picked me up on their “weird radars,” but usually they just ignored me. No one ever watched so intensely.

~ Kristie Cook (2011). Promise (Soul Savers Series). Ang'dora Productions, LLC.  Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords (FREE for Kindle; 99cents everywhere else)

When you love someone, there's nothing you wouldn't forgive.

But what about murder?

Ara-Rose will learn that life is fashioned from one tragedy after the next, and that sometimes, the truth people hide from you is nothing you could have imagined.

But Ara has secrets of her own, and she's willing to take them to her grave--a place David Knight will fight to keep her from.

When I was born there was no life in me, no light, only stillness. My mother, who knew the loss of a child too well, held me tight and kissed my tiny fingers. She traced lines over my lips and face as I lay breathless and eternally sleeping in her arms. “Her skin is so white, so soft—like the petals of a rose,” she told my father as he knelt beside her. “She was beautiful, like her mother,” he cried. “Goodbye, little one.” My mother kissed my cheek, and at the very moment my father took me in his arms, life suddenly reached into my heart. A breath passed before they could move, before they could dare to believe I was alive.


~ A.M Hudson (2011). Tears of the Broken (Dark Secrets).  Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords 

Before that fateful summer night, Willow had balanced the insight of emotion, and the vivid images. That night, the figure in her nightmare marked her wrist with a star, giving her father no choice but to tell Willow a family secret that would abruptly change life, as she knew it, forever. Before Willow had time to absorb the shock of her father's secret, her soul mate that had shared every stunning dream with her, found her, and darkness captured her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. In the end, Willow discovers that at the moment of our birth we are all given a divine gift.



Some people wonder what their purpose is – they question their dreams and the passion in their heart, but not me – no… I’ve always known – I’ve known since my first breath, since the first time I saw those mesmerizing emerald green eyes – since the first time I saw my love, my Willow in my dreams. As I lay here staring at this dark gray sky all I can think about is her…those eyes, flawless olive skin…I know when my fingertips touch her for the first time in this life she will feel the energy of my love, the passion I have for her…my touch…my warm hypnotizing touch. My fingertips ache for the moment they will trace the mark on her wrist… that captivating tattoo of an Ankh – the mark that tells me that she understands that life is eternal…our love is eternal.


~ Jamie Magee (2011). Insight (A Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (The Insight Series).   Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords 

When her dad is transferred, Rachel Wood is uprooted from her home in Pennsylvania and forced to enter a new high school, in 10th grade, in an affluent suburb in Westchester, New York. She finds herself in way over her head, as she struggles to come to grips with meeting new friends, finding a boyfriend, avoiding the cliques of mean girls, and figuring out how to survive in such a hostile new world. She has trouble navigating this new world, where drinking and drugs seem the norm, and where social pressures build on her from every direction.

Everything seems to go wrong for Rachel, until salvation comes in the form of Rob, a football player who takes a liking to her. But just as there romance is about to blossom, she finds herself confused by his actions.

As things reach a low point, Rachel meets a mysterious boy from her school, Benji, a loner who keeps apart from the other kids, and who takes her on a ride on his motorcycle. They have an unforgettable night together in an amusement park—until something goes horribly wrong, and Benji shocks her by saving her life.

Rachel knows that Benji is different from everyone else, and she knows that he is the love of her life. And as their romance deepens, she has to decide if she is willing to give up everything to find out his secret…



Rachel Wood sat in the back of her family’s 1997 station wagon, hating her life. To her right sat her annoying younger brother, Mark, and to her left was her older sister Sarah, who sat there loudly humming the pop song streaming through her iPod headphones. As Rachel’s dad put on the turn signal and made the final turn off the highway, Rachel took a deep breath, held it, and let out a loud sigh. She couldn’t believe her family was making her move now, of all times. Tenth grade. Rachel couldn’t help but let her mind drift to places that scared her.


~ Emma Knight (2011). Sworn (Book #1 of the Vampire Legends).  Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords (FREE on Kindle; 99cents everywhere else) 


And there you have it! Yes, I included 6 books this week! Hope you find something you'll enjoy!


Happy Reading!
EM