I told you there would be another giveaway. aha!
This giveaway starts on Monday May 14, 12:00am
and ENDS on Monday May 21, 12:00am
What am I giving away you ask? Well.....
Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Speak Your Heart Giveaway!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
A special little message...
Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there!
(from one of my favorite movies!)
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| Photo by Karyn Lewis |
To My Mom: I love you! You truly are the best mother I could have ever wanted or hoped for. I hope you have an outstanding day and I wish I could be there to share it with you. *hug through computer*
Have a wonderful day everyone, and tell your Mother, best friend or someone who is a mother how much they mean to you!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Knee Deep Blog Tour!
Welcome to the Knee Deep Blog Tour!!! Jolene Perry is back with her latest book, Knee Deep. Follow the rest of the Knee Deep blog tour here.
Jolene grew up in Wasilla, Alaska. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in political science and French, which she used to teach math to middle schoolers.
After living in Washington, Utah and Las Vegas, she now resides in Alaska with her husband, and two children. Aside from writing, Jolene sews, plays the guitar, sings when forced, and spends as much time outside as possible.
She is also the author of Night Sky and The Next Door Boys.
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| Isn't this a gorgeous book cover?! |
Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long.
Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does.
Shawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both. (end)
Excerpt:
My front door opens. “Hello?” Shawn calls.
“In here!” I say back. Suddenly this feels weird. Why would this feel weird? This is just what happens when one of us is stuck at home. Why would today be any different? But my heart’s beating against the inside of my ribs, trying to tell me this is different.
Luke scoots away from the couch. Does he feel it too? That maybe him and me hanging out alone for the day might not have been the best idea?
Shawn steps through the hallway and scowls when his eyes meet mine and then pass to Luke. This shouldn’t be a big deal. Except...I’m so stupid. I was just thinking how I needed to make Shawn’s life outside of his house less stressful, and part of me
knew it was weird that Luke was here without Shawn. I thought it, and did nothing. But again, it is just Luke.
“What’re you doing here?” Shawn asks. His dark eyes fix on Luke.
“I figured you’d be here, man.” Luke stands up. “It’s like we always ditch together, right?”
Romeo and Juliet kissing in the pool on the TV screen probably isn’t helping anything. Maybe Shawn won’t notice, or maybe it’s just sending my heart into crazy flutters because this tension between Shawn and Luke and, I guess, me, is happening during the most romantic scene of the movie.
“Uh, I don’t know.” Shawn’s still scowling, his brows pulled low and his jaw tight.
“You would’ve hated it,” I say. My eyes catch his, but his are as black as his mood seems to be. I’m so stupid. Why did I have to let Luke stay?
“Yeah, maybe.” Shawn’s narrowed eyes go from Luke to me, back and forth, as if judging the situation. Really? What did he think could possibly happen between Luke and I? Even if this is suddenly on my top three ‘most awkward moments’ ever. I can’t even think about what the other two might be. Maybe I’ve just found number one.
“Romeo and Juliet all day.” Luke laughs, but I know him well enough to see he’s trying really hard to be relaxed. His shoulders are too stiff, and his normal stance is too rigid. I wonder if Shawn sees it too. “Guess I’ll leave you two alone.” Luke’s trying hard to keep his voice light.
“Yeah.” Shawn has yet to return Luke’s smile. “I almost never see my girl anymore.”
It’s like I’m on the edge of my seat, tension pinpricking every part of me. I’ve never seen Shawn like this.
“Well, I should get my ass to rehearsal anyway.” Luke gives Shawn a friendly pat on the shoulder before heading outside.
I don’t watch him go. My eyes are on Shawn, trying to figure out what to expect next.
“What the hell was that?” His sharp gaze is now pointed directly at me.
I stand up and lean to the side, trying to be relaxed. “It didn’t seem like a big deal this morning.” Maybe if I play it off as nothing Shawn won’t be so mad. He knows Luke and I are friends. No big deal, I tell myself again. But I don’t know if I’m trying to convince myself or Shawn.
“Was he here when we were texting?” he asks. His voice may be low, but not in a good way. It’s low in a way that makes him sound like he’s past the edge of reasonable anger.
My body’s screaming for me to take a step back, which makes no sense. This is Shawn. My Shawn. “No.” But I’m weakening by the second, almost shaking inside. His jaw tightens again.
My eyes close as I remember, and dread fills my chest. “He got here as I sent my last one.” Is that bad? Good?
“And you didn’t think to tell me? What the hell is that?”
I jump at the sharpness of his voice. Shawn doesn’t need this stress. I know this. I reach forward to put my arms around him. We just need to hold one another for a minute, then it’ll all be fine.
He stops me, grabbing my arm—hard—just above my wrist.
“This is not okay.” His jaw is set.
“Hey.” My voice shakes. My body shakes. I’m actually scared of Shawn for the first time ever. I jerk my hand once, but he tightens his grip...impossibly tight. My lungs can’t pull in a breath; there’s just not enough air in the room anymore. “Shawn, you’re hurting me.” He can’t mean to hurt me. He can’t.
His face is stuck in a sharp scowl.
“He’s your friend.” My voice is crying. I want to try and pull my shaky arm out of his grasp again, but I’m afraid to; he’s squeezing so hard. Tears are hot against the back of my eyes, threatening to spill over.
“How would you feel if I spent all day with some chick?” The words come out as angry spit from between his teeth.
I open my mouth to answer but can’t, the lump in my throat has taken over. All I can think about is that I need to find something to say so he’ll let me go. Some way to get the air through my throat to form words. “It’s just Luke,” I plead, sucking in a breath.
“Whatever.” He throws my arm back at me, turns, and walks out the door, slamming it hard behind him. My body jumps at the sound.
I stumble backward onto the couch. I’m like a leaf battered about in the wind. Nothing’s working right. I need to sit. Normally I’d run after him, but I have no idea what to expect. And I’m afraid. Of Shawn.
He’s never been that way before. Ever. He’s moody and particular, but this seems...extreme. I’m cradling my wrist with my other hand, afraid to look at any possible damage. It hurts to move it. What just happened here? How did it happen?
It’s like there suddenly must be something fundamentally wrong with the universe. But the TV’s still on. My house looks normal and quiet. I’m still breathing, but Shawn, my Shawn, just hurt me. Lying down seems so anti-climactic, but I can’t bring myself to do anything else.
When Juliet realizes Romeo’s dying the sobs take over, and I pull my knees to my chest as if making myself smaller will somehow dull the pain.
It doesn’t. (end)
“In here!” I say back. Suddenly this feels weird. Why would this feel weird? This is just what happens when one of us is stuck at home. Why would today be any different? But my heart’s beating against the inside of my ribs, trying to tell me this is different.
Luke scoots away from the couch. Does he feel it too? That maybe him and me hanging out alone for the day might not have been the best idea?
Shawn steps through the hallway and scowls when his eyes meet mine and then pass to Luke. This shouldn’t be a big deal. Except...I’m so stupid. I was just thinking how I needed to make Shawn’s life outside of his house less stressful, and part of me
knew it was weird that Luke was here without Shawn. I thought it, and did nothing. But again, it is just Luke.
“What’re you doing here?” Shawn asks. His dark eyes fix on Luke.
“I figured you’d be here, man.” Luke stands up. “It’s like we always ditch together, right?”
Romeo and Juliet kissing in the pool on the TV screen probably isn’t helping anything. Maybe Shawn won’t notice, or maybe it’s just sending my heart into crazy flutters because this tension between Shawn and Luke and, I guess, me, is happening during the most romantic scene of the movie.
“Uh, I don’t know.” Shawn’s still scowling, his brows pulled low and his jaw tight.
“You would’ve hated it,” I say. My eyes catch his, but his are as black as his mood seems to be. I’m so stupid. Why did I have to let Luke stay?
“Yeah, maybe.” Shawn’s narrowed eyes go from Luke to me, back and forth, as if judging the situation. Really? What did he think could possibly happen between Luke and I? Even if this is suddenly on my top three ‘most awkward moments’ ever. I can’t even think about what the other two might be. Maybe I’ve just found number one.
“Romeo and Juliet all day.” Luke laughs, but I know him well enough to see he’s trying really hard to be relaxed. His shoulders are too stiff, and his normal stance is too rigid. I wonder if Shawn sees it too. “Guess I’ll leave you two alone.” Luke’s trying hard to keep his voice light.
“Yeah.” Shawn has yet to return Luke’s smile. “I almost never see my girl anymore.”
It’s like I’m on the edge of my seat, tension pinpricking every part of me. I’ve never seen Shawn like this.
“Well, I should get my ass to rehearsal anyway.” Luke gives Shawn a friendly pat on the shoulder before heading outside.
I don’t watch him go. My eyes are on Shawn, trying to figure out what to expect next.
“What the hell was that?” His sharp gaze is now pointed directly at me.
I stand up and lean to the side, trying to be relaxed. “It didn’t seem like a big deal this morning.” Maybe if I play it off as nothing Shawn won’t be so mad. He knows Luke and I are friends. No big deal, I tell myself again. But I don’t know if I’m trying to convince myself or Shawn.
“Was he here when we were texting?” he asks. His voice may be low, but not in a good way. It’s low in a way that makes him sound like he’s past the edge of reasonable anger.
My body’s screaming for me to take a step back, which makes no sense. This is Shawn. My Shawn. “No.” But I’m weakening by the second, almost shaking inside. His jaw tightens again.
My eyes close as I remember, and dread fills my chest. “He got here as I sent my last one.” Is that bad? Good?
“And you didn’t think to tell me? What the hell is that?”
I jump at the sharpness of his voice. Shawn doesn’t need this stress. I know this. I reach forward to put my arms around him. We just need to hold one another for a minute, then it’ll all be fine.
He stops me, grabbing my arm—hard—just above my wrist.
“This is not okay.” His jaw is set.
“Hey.” My voice shakes. My body shakes. I’m actually scared of Shawn for the first time ever. I jerk my hand once, but he tightens his grip...impossibly tight. My lungs can’t pull in a breath; there’s just not enough air in the room anymore. “Shawn, you’re hurting me.” He can’t mean to hurt me. He can’t.
His face is stuck in a sharp scowl.
“He’s your friend.” My voice is crying. I want to try and pull my shaky arm out of his grasp again, but I’m afraid to; he’s squeezing so hard. Tears are hot against the back of my eyes, threatening to spill over.
“How would you feel if I spent all day with some chick?” The words come out as angry spit from between his teeth.
I open my mouth to answer but can’t, the lump in my throat has taken over. All I can think about is that I need to find something to say so he’ll let me go. Some way to get the air through my throat to form words. “It’s just Luke,” I plead, sucking in a breath.
“Whatever.” He throws my arm back at me, turns, and walks out the door, slamming it hard behind him. My body jumps at the sound.
I stumble backward onto the couch. I’m like a leaf battered about in the wind. Nothing’s working right. I need to sit. Normally I’d run after him, but I have no idea what to expect. And I’m afraid. Of Shawn.
He’s never been that way before. Ever. He’s moody and particular, but this seems...extreme. I’m cradling my wrist with my other hand, afraid to look at any possible damage. It hurts to move it. What just happened here? How did it happen?
It’s like there suddenly must be something fundamentally wrong with the universe. But the TV’s still on. My house looks normal and quiet. I’m still breathing, but Shawn, my Shawn, just hurt me. Lying down seems so anti-climactic, but I can’t bring myself to do anything else.
When Juliet realizes Romeo’s dying the sobs take over, and I pull my knees to my chest as if making myself smaller will somehow dull the pain.
It doesn’t. (end)
Knee Deep can be purchased on Kindle, Nook, Google, Smashwords, and .PDF. Follow Knee Deep and Jolene Perry on the Knee Deep website, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Jolene's website, and Jolene's blog. Happy Blog Tour Day!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Authors Not-So-Anonymous Week #18
Welcome everyone to the eighteenth Authors Not-So-Anonymous weekly meeting!! This weekly series is about authors from Twitter and Facebook! This week, I would like to introduce Stephen Winterflood into Authors Not-So-Anonymous!
Stephen Winterflood is an Indie author who loves to take his readers on a wild adventure - "I
would say the type of author I consider myself is one who tries to
present tales of vivid imagination, that will take the reader on a
wonderful journey regardless of age." He began seriously writing about ten years ago. "I
was experimenting with an idea for a comic book and it suddenly
occurred to me that in the time it would take me to do a single issue of
the comic I could probably have written the whole series as a novel. So
from that point on I abandoned the comic idea and began to develop
various novels." I wonder how many other novels were originally comics? (something to ponder)
When Stephen's not writing, he's dreaming up ideas for new video games or toying with digital painting. "I believe you shouldn’t limit what you do, you should always try and push your imagination to new levels and never settle for a second rate finish. The world of our imagination has no budget so why limit what it produces."
Because of his visual background, the majority of Stephen's ideas begin with an image or painting. "I tend to imagine the story as a film in my head, I can see the images unfolding and then it is just a matter of trying to come up with the words to put that image in the readers mind." This backwards method has given Stephen's writing a unique touch that definitely stands out amongst the many Indie authors.
Stephen's favorite book is..."The Lies of Locke Lamora is one of my favorite novels and the only time I actually started to read a book and could see why they had got a publishing contract. It stands out with its great characters and a very dark, but entertaining story. It is a fun book that draws you into the world that is well crafted."
The Last Mask is a trilogy series that Stephen is currently working on. Book 1 has been released on Kindle in the US and UK. He hopes to have book 2 out in 2012, and the final book out shortly after.
Follow Stephen on Twitter. Have an author to nominate? Send me a message via Twitter or leave a comment with the author(s) name, Twitter name or contact information. I'd love to add new members! Happy Reading!
Stephen Winterflood is an Indie author who loves to take his readers on a wild adventure - "I
would say the type of author I consider myself is one who tries to
present tales of vivid imagination, that will take the reader on a
wonderful journey regardless of age." He began seriously writing about ten years ago. "I
was experimenting with an idea for a comic book and it suddenly
occurred to me that in the time it would take me to do a single issue of
the comic I could probably have written the whole series as a novel. So
from that point on I abandoned the comic idea and began to develop
various novels." I wonder how many other novels were originally comics? (something to ponder)When Stephen's not writing, he's dreaming up ideas for new video games or toying with digital painting. "I believe you shouldn’t limit what you do, you should always try and push your imagination to new levels and never settle for a second rate finish. The world of our imagination has no budget so why limit what it produces."
Because of his visual background, the majority of Stephen's ideas begin with an image or painting. "I tend to imagine the story as a film in my head, I can see the images unfolding and then it is just a matter of trying to come up with the words to put that image in the readers mind." This backwards method has given Stephen's writing a unique touch that definitely stands out amongst the many Indie authors.
Stephen's favorite book is..."The Lies of Locke Lamora is one of my favorite novels and the only time I actually started to read a book and could see why they had got a publishing contract. It stands out with its great characters and a very dark, but entertaining story. It is a fun book that draws you into the world that is well crafted."
Here is an excerpt from Stephen's novel The Last Mask - Tradition (book 1):
Dark
tendrils of mirth crept out of the shadows and wove their way across
the green fields towards the big top; the merriment of the show within
the circus drawing them towards it like a bright flame
.
He
was approaching. His black claws reaching out into this world like a
slithering death, exploring this fresh realm that was full of new
sensations, but also held many old memories for this ebony clown.
The
Harlequin moved with a grace that was not a part of this world, his
dance a thing of sardonic joy and his smile a sneer of pain. His every
step brought dead flowers to bloom for the briefest of moments,
restoring their life back to vivid colour, before withering them once
more to dried dead husks. Death passed in his shadows for he was the
master of their dark depths and none would escape his decaying gaze. No
mind would be left whole again on this day.
Beside
him crept silence, the pale shattered ghost of the twisted mime called
Sile. Her face a distorted work of art that bore no resemblance to the
beauty she once wore, a visage now twisted by the cruel humours of the
Joke. Wisdom and madness lurked within her mind as her baleful eyes
sought out their goal, broken pits of raven dark scanning the land with a
hunger for this soul.
And
before this grim pair trotted a dog wearing a big, frilly white collar,
a pug whose face also bore the marks of the Joke. A snout made red and
an eye circled in blue, highlighting the face of the one called Rex, a
compatriot of the dark who knew where the true power was.
Across
the fields they moved, this grotesque trio, leaving a wake of death in
their path. The Harlequin knew their goal was now near, as this was the
time and the place of which they had told, but the clown still remained
out of reach, his face unseen by Sile’s dark eyes.
The
music of the circus continued to draw the shadows near, but for others
the missing of the performance would cost them very dear. (end)
Follow Stephen on Twitter. Have an author to nominate? Send me a message via Twitter or leave a comment with the author(s) name, Twitter name or contact information. I'd love to add new members! Happy Reading!
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