Asking for a friend...

I saw this article on Mashable ::

'Beer yoga' is a thing, now, and it's going international because, well, 'Beer Yoga' 

So, now I'm wondering...
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Caribbean Crush Release Day!

I'm thrilled to bring you the third interlude in the Under the Caribbean Sun series, Caribbean Crush.

If you can’t stand the heat, stay away from old flames.

The second Antonnis Prinsen sees his old flame, he knows she’s the lifeline to keep him from drowning in his brother’s matrimonial mayhem. It’s been years since they’ve talked, but surely by now she understands that a clean break was best. Instead of making a smooth re-introduction into her life, he finds his path blocked by a giant iguana. And Kristin looking at him as if he’s lower than the reptile.

Kristin Taylor spent her youth tangled up in Antonnis, but then he cut ties and disappeared. Now she leads a full and orderly life—until she finds herself walking down the aisle beside him. Thank goodness, it’s only to see his brother and her friend tie the knot.

Except Antonnis seems intent on picking up where they left off, and she has to admit she still has a weakness for him. Especially when he tempts her with an irresistible offer—one hot night, and this time she gets the chance to leave him cold.

Warning: Beware of signature cocktails and old flames rekindled. Either one will weaken your resolve—and your knees—before you know what’s hit you.

"This is a hot, sexy novella." Harlequin Junkie 

Antonnis tossed a half-smile at Kristin, wishing he hadn’t been caught like a peeping Tom. But the giant lizard at his feet had to have cousins in the Paleolithic. He’s seen dogs smaller than this  behemoth. If the row of green spikes running along the back of the beast weren’t enough, he had a grotesque turkey waddle under his block head and whipped his tail against the ground like a… well, a whip.

“Don’t move.” Kristin made her way to him, her gingham blouse undone and making her look like a very naughty Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Goodness knew she always sent him over the rainbow.

“He’s planning on making my foot his supper.” The thing puffed up its red waddle like a balloon and started bobbing its head.

“More likely he’s thinking of mating with you.” She knelt down at his feet and peered at the creature, then let out a low whistle. The iguana froze, and then turned tail and ran beneath a scrubby bush.

Kristin sighed and straightened, buttoning her blouse with rapid precision. She was his favorite memory of the island, and he’d hoped to find her there. Though he figured by now she would have moved on, married and had a handful of babies. Her bare fingers and slender, willowy figure had him wondering just when her plans for her future had changed.

Everyone has a Caribbean Crush, whether it's rum punch, the weather, or the book boyfriend you've always dreamed of.

:: Kindle :: Nook :: Kobo ::

Want more? Check out the Pinterest board of the photos that inspired Caribbean Crush.

In Review...Caribbean Christmas

I just realized I never did a rount-up post of the fun reveiws I found for Caribbean Christmas. Since the reviews for the second interlude in the Under The Caribbean Sun series, Caribbean Casanova, will star to pop up soon I figured I better get to it!

"There’s no doubt this book will put you in the holiday mood and leave you wishing for your own holiday magic!" Guilty Pleasures Reviews, 4.5 stars

Thursday 13 :: Kimberly Lang

 

I'm back with another edition of Thursday 13 with lightning interviews of my authorly peeps. Enjoy yourself :)

1.Latest release?

In February I help launch the new KISS line with The Downfall of a Good Girl and follow it immediately in March with a second book, The Taming of a Wild Child. My LaBlanc Sisters duet is set in New Orleans and was so much fun to write. These books even have an original soundtrack provided by singer/songwriter Cristina Lynn. (Details on that collaboration and the music are on my website, www.BooksByKimberly.com)

2.In the hottest scene...kisses or condoms?
I don’t always specifically include condoms, especially if doing so would break the rhythm and flow of the scene. I rather assume my readers are all adults who understand the importance of safe sex and birth control, and since my characters are also adults with good sense, readers can just assume they are taking all the necessary precautions.

But kisses… I love a good kiss scene. ~sigh~ They’re so difficult for me to write because I want them to be perfect. These characters only get one First Kiss and I want it to be memorable!

3.What are you working on?
*Looks at inbox* Hmm, seems I have two sets of revisions waiting patiently for me to get to them. The first is for my contribution to KISS’s first continuity series, a fun project I’m working on with Aimee Carson, Amy Andrews and Heidi Rice. It will be out later this year. The other is for the novella I wrote as part of the When Honey Got Married… anthology with Anna Cleary, Kelly Hunter and Ally Blake for Entangled Publishing. That’s due out later this spring. And I’m writing up proposals for new books for 2014 and beyond. Hmmm… I guess I should really get to work!

4.What have you Googled for research?
The last book-related Google search was to find out how good/bad cell phone reception was in the state park near Montauk, NY. Turns out, it’s pretty darn good and I had to change a plot point because of it!

5.What do you drink when writing?
Hot tea and Diet Coke. I usually have both on the desk at the same time and alternate between the two. (And I drink lots of both. My teapot holds over a quart at a time and I should really own stock in Diet Coke.)

6.Do you have a writing uniform?
Whatever is comfortable and clean (and in the winter, warm). I do have to wear a bra, though. I think better wearing one. (I don’t know why. It’s not like I’m particularly endowed or anything.)

7.Where do you write?
Either in my office, which is at the front of the house and gets lots of sunshine, or in the recliner in the living room on my laptop. There’s no pattern or reason, though, just wherever I feel like it that day.

8.What was the last thing you read?
Instant Gratification by Jill Shalvis. Very fun.

9.Paper, audio, or ebook?
E or paper. I don’t have a preference. Books I buy are usually e, but books I’m given are usually paper.

10.Favorite book in the last few months?
Mira Lyn Kelly’s Waking Up Married. Such a fun way to launch the KISS line! [Jenna here - Mira's book is FREE right now. Download it and enjoy ;)]

11.Favorite social network?
Facebook. I am on Twitter and try to keep up, but I feel like I’m lost in the middle of seven conversations. I find it hard to jump between them. Facebook, though, is fun and I can keep up with it.

12.Secret super power?
The ability to consume ridiculous amounts of caffeine and still sleep like a log.

13.Guilty pleasure?
I don’t believe in feeling guilty over things that bring me pleasure. Chocolate, pedicures, whatever. I refuse to feel guilty about enjoying them!

www.BooksByKimberly.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kimberly.lang.520
Twitter: @booksbykimberly

After The Final Chapters Interview

Who is Jenna Bayley-Burke?  An alarm clock, referee, short-order cook, stylist, chauffer, coffee enthusiast, writer, math tutor, amateur photographer, housekeeper, dog walker, gourmet chef, barber, and competitive Words with Friends player. You know, the typical mom/wife/friend combo.

Check out the answer to a dozen more questions, plus a review of For Kicks on After The Final Chapters.

Thursday 13 :: Teri Brown

I'm back with another edition of Thursday 13 with lightning interviews of my authorly peeps. Enjoy yourself :)

 

1. Latest release? Summerset Abbey
2. In the hottest scene...kisses or condoms? Kisses! (I wonder what condoms were like pre WW1?)
3. What are you working on? Summerset three: Spring Awakening
4. What have you Googled for research? Edwardian underwear
5. What do you drink when writing? Coffee or water with the occasional glass of wine in the evenings.
6. Do you have a writing uniform? In the mornings: t-shirt, sweats and fuzzy blue robe. In the afternoons I take off the fuzzy blue robe.
7. Where do you write? In the dining room. Which is now my office.

8. What was the last thing you read? Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone
9. Paper, audio, or ebook? Smoke and Bone was paper, but I read a lot of ebooks, too.
10. Favorite book in the last few months? Daughter of Smoke and Bone
11. Favorite social network? Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Facebook.
12. Secret super power? A kick ass, never to be questioned, sense of direction.
13. Guilty pleasure? The Bachelor. But don't tell anyone.

Summerset Abbey

1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society and the distant rumblings of war. . . .

Rowena Buxton :: Sir Philip Buxton raised three girls into beautiful and capable young women in a bohemian household that defied Edwardian tradition. Eldest sister Rowena was taught to value people, not wealth or status. But everything she believes will be tested when Sir Philip dies, and the girls must live under their uncle’s guardianship at the vast family estate, Summerset Abbey. Standing up for a beloved family member sequestered to the “under class” in this privileged new world, and drawn into the Cunning Coterie, an exclusive social circle of aristocratic “rebels,” Rowena must decide where her true passions—and loyalties—lie.

Victoria Buxton :: Frail in body but filled with an audacious spirit, Victoria secretly dreams of attending university to become a botanist like her father. But this most unladylike wish is not her only secret. Now, Victoria has stumbled upon a family scandal that, if revealed, has the potential to change lives forever…

Prudence Tate :: Prudence was lovingly brought up alongside Victoria and Rowena, and their bond is as strong as blood. But by birth she is a governess’s daughter, and to the lord of Summerset Abbey, that makes her a commoner who must take her true place in society—as ladies maid to her beloved “sisters.” But Pru doesn’t belong in the downstairs world of the household staff any more than she belongs upstairs with the Buxton girls. And when a young lord catches her eye, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever truly carve out a place for herself at Summerset Abbey…

Other books in the series:

A BLOOM IN WINTER (Summerset Abbey #2) March 5, 2013
SPRING AWAKENING (Summerset Abbey #3) August 6, 2013

Amazon: IndieBound: B&N: BAM: S&S:

 

BIO :: TJ Brown is passionate about books, writing, history, dachshunds and mojitos. If she could go back in time, she would have traveled back to England, 1910, Paris, 1927 or Haight-Ashbury, 1967. She resides in the burbs of Portlandia, where she appreciates the weirdness, the microbreweries, hoodies, Voodoo Donuts and the rain.

Find her: Website  Twitter  Facebook

Emerald City Writer's Conference : Building a Career with a Digital-first Publisher with Tera Klienfelter & Shelli Stevens

Anyone can have healthy mid-list sales. Build your audience with regular releases, work to promote yourself.

What builds your career is a backlist. Each new release boosts the sales of previous books

How much marketing does Samhain put behind their authors? RT, Smart Bitches, Dear Author, sponsor conferences, etc. Promoting an author is also promoting ourselves, so most promotion for Samhain is intertwined with promoting our authors.

At what point do you start to pay for ads? Shelli Stevens shared that she did it for her NY books and did not see a pay off. "I don’t think I’ve done it for digital first. Social networking seems to work better for me."

Tera shared "the majority of the books that I accept are more story and less sex. As it becomes more mainstream to have a ereader, the sales are shifting toward more mainstream novels."

Editing tips from Tera

• Felt, knew, saw, heard, remembered, wondered can be removed.
• Write with all 5 of your senses. The most overlooked sense is scent.
• He could see the sun -> he saw the sun -> the sun shone

Tips from Shelli

• Write 1K a day, 5 pages a day. It is a single title book every 3 months.
• Readers would rather have a conversation with an author rather than seeing a website ad.
• Don’t hit and run on social networds – e.g. send the link to your book twice a week and only show up when you get a review. Readers get annoyed by that.

Emerald City Writer's Conference : Author Branding with Angela James

Branding Magic with Angela James

Author brand – it’s not the cartoon avatar on Twitter, Facebook, websites, it’s not your tagline. Those are components of it, but brand is how you become known for your voice, quality, genre. A brand is a promise for what you deliver to readers every time they pick up your book. An expectation.

10 tactics to creating a successful author brand

1. Consistently publish quality editorial – if there is nothing else you do, write good books. Excellent editorial is the only controllable factor in good sales. Learn your craft, listen to your editor, apply what you’ve learned. Deliver the best book you can write. Readers expect every book to be better than the last.
2. Write in a consistent style – Not about genre. Strong voice, good story, compelling characters. Helen Kay Dimon’s banter and dialogue, Susanna Fraser’s historical accuracy. Find your voice, not by rewriting the same book but learning from each project.
3. Focus on a genre or style – build yourself in one genre first, after you are well established you can branch out.
4. Write connected books – there is a reason Nora write trilogies. They are money. Easier to market a series. Have a plan for connected books from the beginning. Have a marketing hook and a series name
5. Publish connected books close together – deliver on time, do edits quickly and well, keep writing the next book and the next book so you have a steady stream of books coming in. do your part to make it easier for your editor and publisher. Don’t flood your market. Readers will be suspicious of an author putting out a book a month
6. Spend time marketing yourself every week – you don’t have to do everything. Do one thing and do it well. Spend 15 minutes on Twitter or Facebook every morning. Write a newsletter – they are a powerful tool.
7. Develop and maintain a good author website – your biggest supporter of your brand. You control your brand and the information getting out there
8. Create a career plan – where do you want to be in 5 years. How many books, what genre, which publishers.
9. Develop your brand statement – you don’t know what your brand is until you verbalize it. Think of it as a bio for your writing. You don’t have to publicize it, you do have to know it.
10. Consistently publish quality editorial. Do not publish an okay book. It betrays your brand. Readers don’t start reading your books because someone else is publishing something similar. They stop reading your books because it isn’t want they expected.

Write Away Weekend -- Day One!

We tossed together this weekend on the fly, but we couldn't have done better if we'd planned it!

Friday

Putting Emotion in Your Writing -- audio workshops from RWA 2011 conference while being chauffered to our coastal getaway. Spacious door-to-door service provided by Rose's Mom's Van (aka Melissa did the driving)


Lunch -- Andaman Thai Cuisine is worth the wait -- they even freshly brewed our unsweetened Thai iced tea.

Goody Bags -- a buy-your-own option @ the outlet mall. Melissa & I got matching purses (the deal at Coach was that good) and prizes to take home to the kids.

Setting The Scene -- arrived at Blessings By The Sea and staked out bedrooms -- Terri opted for the darkest room, Melissa took one for the team and slept in the skylight room, I have an ocean view!

Ready Set Write -- Write until your stomach demands food! Melissa won the round with over 1K.

Dinner -- Mo's of course. You may be thrown out of Lincoln City if you don't Mo's at least once. The garlic cabage and shrimp salad? Way better than it sounds.

Myofascial Techniques for Writers -- Terri showed us the tricks she learned to ease the aches caused by hours of writing using a tennis ball and a golf ball!

Writing Romantic Comedies - Screenplay Mastery by Michael Hauge -- We used the DVD to map out the internal arcs of our latest stories, pausing and discussing as we went.

And tomorrow? Play With Words, Ready Set Write, & an evening with Christopher Vogler.

I'm writing another romance novel and hoping for the best!

Pardon me, but I'm having an out of money moment, wondering if I should step off the gas on my romance writing and crank out some recipes and articles or pick up some merchandising work so we can buy a new TV (ours has the lovely habit of turning itself off. Constantly.)


It's hard to be a SAHM. You know your providing a valuable service to your family, but when you're paid in dirty diapers and laundry, it's hard to keep that in mind. Especially when paying those student loan bills each month. I'd read enough on the subject to know that by choosing to stay home I was turning my back on about a million dollars of earning potential. (Really!) So when I found these nifty calculators, I knew I had to share.


If you're thinking of taking on a second job, check the numbers with this calcualtor to see how much you'll actually bring home. Then, try this calculator (click on the Should my Spouse Work Too) to see if it's worth it. Mothers & More talks about some sacrifices (retirement savings, Social Security benefits, training) Mom's make without realizing it when then step out of the workforce.


It's kind of depressing, isn't it? Especially in light of all the advice we got in college to find your passion, do what you love and the money will follow. If you love raising your kids (dirty diapers on a 3 year old non-withstanding), how can you afford a new TV? I don't have the answer, but I do know I love reading and writing almost as much as I love watching my kids swim in a pillow ocean I'll have to clean up later. So, I'm writing another romance novel and hoping for the best!