Sunday, March 30, 2014

Sunday Sneak Peek: Jeanne McDonald


Jeanne McDonald is revealing an excerpt of her upcoming release The Certainty of Deception book 2 of The Truth in Lies Saga coming June 2014.
The Certainty of Deception cover will be revealed on April 25, 2014.

“Now,” he continued as though I’d not spoken, “regarding Miss Hamilton.”
Every bit of my winner’s high was gone.  I already knew what was coming.  
“What about her?”
“Has she consented to the paternity test yet?”
“Morgan informed her that it’s safe for the baby now, but she’s not yet consented.”
“Hmm. I see.”
I bit my tongue.  It took everything inside me to maintain my control.  My father was baiting me.  This was a tactic I knew all too well.
“I assure you.  She will have the test done.  You have my word.”
“You word is worthless, Andrew.  Actions are more valuable.”  He paused.  My pulse quickened.  The man was hundreds of miles away, yet I felt as though I were sitting in front of him getting in trouble for stealing the Bentley when I was sixteen.  “Have you consider what you will do if the test confirms the child is yours.  Do you plan to do the right thing by this family and marry Miss Hamilton?”
I slapped my hand over my face.  There was no way in hell I would marry Olivia.  McKenzie was the only woman for me.  “I’m not marrying her.  I’ll draw up a custody agreement, but I refuse to be tied to Olivia by anything more than the child.”
My father huffed in aggravation.  “How is it possible that you’re my son?  This type of behavior is unacceptable.  Where is your sense of propriety, of duty?  Have you not learned anything, Andrew?  You have a responsibility as a Wise to maintain the image this family upholds.  Traditional family values.  You failed me ten years ago.  Do not fail me again.”
*This excerpt is subject to change for final publication The Certainty of Deception (The Truth in Lies Saga, #2)

Begin McKenzie and Drew's journey with The Truth in Lies.  Now available on Amazon.

Jeanne McDonald began telling stories at the ripe young age of five, when her mother considered the truth to be a lie due to her extensive embellishment to the retelling of an event.  She wrote her first short story when she was twelve years old, and at the age of sixteen she tried her hand at poetry.  She reconnected with her love for writing in 2010 thanks to the encouragement of a dear friend. 

Her passions include a "mild" Starbucks addiction, music, reading, quotes, movies, and romance.  When she's not spending time with her family, she can be found reading, writing, chatting with her friends or diligently working toward her bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology.  A proud Texan, Jeanne currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.

Where to find Jeanne
Website   |   Facebook   |   Twitter
Goodreads   |   Amazon

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Saturday Snapshot: 3/29/14


Saturday Snapshots is a picture prompt brought to you by Author to Author, meant to inspire the creative genius within you.

Maybe you'll be moved to write flash fiction for it, perhaps it will kick start an old idea for a novel, or it may inspire a new short story. Whatever it does, we hope you'll enjoy these images around the web.

If inspiration does hit, we hope you'll post a snippet in the comments.

Today's image: Bride


Photo credit: http://www.fearlessphotographers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/MG_5472.jpg

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Jennifer Garcia's Review of Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Maybe SomedayMaybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

  My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every single Colleen Hoover book makes me feel, feel so much. But this one, I think, is by far my favorite. Not only is this an awesome story with a love triangle, she crossed the originality of writing by pairing the book with a music cd. Yes, Ridge and Sydney are musical, and they write lyrics together. So, when you read the words to the songs, you can actually listen to them. Clever, right?

But, truly, that's not even the best part, Ridge is the best part. He's original from any other character I've ever read. All the characters are quite incredible, even the roommates, the side characters, are so a part of the story. The characters and their situations are original. The plot is original! Sydney, the heroine, is respectable, honest, and more than likable. But Ridge is loyal, lovable, amazing, and just true to heart. You'll fall in love with the story, with the characters, and just the feels that it leaves you with.

 Colleen really did it with this one. I mean, she really did it. I suggest this to everyone that loves music, love triangles, sexy heroes, honest heroes, beautiful heroes and heroines then you'll love this. Also, I suggest the cd by Griffin Peterson that goes with this book. His voice is incredibly soulful and the music is beautiful. My favorite song is I'm in Trouble. Love it!

Maybe Someday CD Buy Links:
 Amazon
  iTunes
  Google Play
  Maybe Someday Website
  Colleen Hoover's Blog  - Signed CD description Summary:

Includes a free original soundtrack by musician Griffin Peterson.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance—and the enchanting music that inspires one young woman to put her life back together.

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next. Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

 From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Slammed, Point of Retreat, Hopeless, This Girl, and Losing Hope, Maybe Someday is destined to become another bestseller and long-lasting fan favorite.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The Wednesday Word

Wednesday Word

Author To Author’s Newsletter                                                    

March 26, 2014

Invisible Burden of the Trilogy

tril·o·gy
ˈtriləjē/
noun
noun: trilogy; plural noun: trilogies
  1. 1.
    a group of three related novels, plays, films, operas, or albums.
    • (in ancient Greece) a series of three tragedies performed one after the other.
    • a group or series of three related things.
      “a trilogy of cases reflected this development”
Origin
from Greek trilogia, from tri- ‘three times’ + logos ‘story.’

In the current publishing climate, I am seeing a divergent (See what I did, there?) set of perspectives regarding trilogies. On the one hand, folks like them because they are considered to be an extending of a story involving characters the reader has come to love/hate and this is pleasing. On the other hand, the story often changes or ends in a way that a reader might find unsatisfactory.

Because, let’s face it, life DOES that. If your life were a trilogy, would YOU expect to be where you are, now?

I digress.

As I am writing the final book in what is, in fact, a trilogy, I have to confront the general expectations of those who read trilogies. And I have to confront the fact that I am not and never have been a terribly conventional sort of person.

A trilogy is, as per the definition above, a group of three related novels. Related. That is, they are bound together by common theme or purpose, as well as (often) a character or two. Or more.

My trilogy has three separate books, each with its own story arc, but they are related. They are pointing to a place in history that I always intended to get to, and I’m there, just about, in my current writing. It’s a burden to shoulder, though, when I know how people sort of expect trilogies to conclude. A burden that I hadn’t fully considered when the idea originally occurred to me, once upon a time.

But still, I persevere. I am trying to balance my ideal for this final book—

—As an aside, it is highly intimidating and frustrating to write a trilogy and publish it and be unable to go back and tinker with earlier books in the series—

Eires-Viking-3D-Paperback—with the role the final book in a trilogy should play. Because, honestly, to me a trilogy is a series of three related books. But to many, it’s a saga that should end in a certain way.

So, I continue to write, adding a scene here and there, progressing forward in my ultimate design for this final Viking book. I fret, I dance, I look up dates and names, I check the weather patterns for the 9th century…

And I enjoy the process.

I hope my readers will enjoy the result. Both of this book and the entire trilogy. By A2A Member and Contributor, Sandi Layne. Originally posted on her blog March 19, 2014 http://sandyquill.com/2014/03/19/invisible-burden-of-the-trilogy/

Exciting News for Author to Author Group Members


Enter April Emerson's Giveaway

It's the last week to enter April Emerson's Good reads giveaway! Don't miss it! https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/83983-the-righteous-and-the-wicked


Join R.E. Hargrave On Tour

Sign ups are open to participate in Author R.E. Hargrave's latest blog tour! http://www.rehargrave.com/2014/03/the-divine-trilogy-mid-series-tour.html?zx=4b5db85bcb698529

You can also join up with R.E. for a Facebook party this weekend here... http://www.rehargrave.com/2014/03/aint-nobodys-fool-multi-author-event.html


Join A2A Authors for Some Viking Excitement!


Lissa Bryan and Sandi Layne are watching VIKINGS on History Channel. Not only do they live-tweet the episodes (@LissaBryan & @sandyquill), they do a day-after recap/discussion. Here's the latest from episode four: http://sandyquill.com/.../eye-for-an-eye-vikings-episode-4/

 

Sign up for The Truth in Lies Book 2 Cover Reveal

Signups are open for Jeanne McDonald's The Certainty of Deception cover reveal on April 25th.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PAI_DiCRFcIg6vRQijoTcJNh02CiJXmLihxLiCJgdYs/viewform

Wednesday's Weird Word


Floccinaucinihilipilification

Noun for the act of deciding that something is totally and utterly valueless.


Thank you for reading this edition of Author to Author's The Wednesday Word! Visit us again in two weeks for more news and savings to refresh your bookish pleasures! As always, feel free to share and spread the word! Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Tempting Tuesdays ~ Cream Cheese Filled Banana Bread


We haven't had a bread recipe posted in a while and I found this one while visiting one of my favorite blogs, Lil' Luna. What I discovered was a new twist on an old favorite.


Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
3 mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 TB sour cream
2 cups flour
1 TB Sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts
Cream Cheese Mixture :
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 TB flour



                  Mix butter, eggs, and 1 cup sugar.




Dissolve baking soda in sour cream. Mix in bananas, salt, nuts, and 2 cups flour.


Add banana mixture to sugar mixture and blend well.

Combine all ingredients for cream cheese mixture until smooth.


Pour half of your bread mixture into greased loaf pan. Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over bread mixture. Add remaining bread mixture. Sprinkle top with 1 Tbsp of sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.







ENJOY!


Sunday, March 23, 2014

Sneak Peek Sunday - Sydney Logan

 
Sydney Logan is revealing the book trailer for her upcoming military romance, Soldier On. 
Be sure to add Soldier On to your Goodreads Shelf!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20828066-soldier-on
 
Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author who may or may not have an unhealthy obsession with music (seriously, she loves everything from Eminem to Johnny Cash). She also has an amazing husband and a ridiculously spoiled cat, both of whom join her in soaking up the stunning views from their East Tennessee front porch. Find her books on Amazon, iTunes, B&N, and TWCS Publishing House. Visit her online at www.sydneylogan.com.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Saturday Snapshots 3/22/14


Saturday Snapshots is a picture prompt brought to you by Author to Author, meant to inspire the creative genius within you.

Maybe you'll be moved to write flash fiction for it, perhaps it will kick start an old idea for a novel, or it may inspire a new short story. Whatever it does, we hope you'll enjoy these images around the web.

If inspiration does hit, we hope you'll post a snippet in the comments.

Today's image: Hummingbird


 | Dreamstime.com

Friday, March 21, 2014

Friday Freebies


This week's Friday Freebies picks:


Bait (Order of the Spirit Realm) by K.C. Blake
Genre: Young Adult | Paranormal
Get it for free on Amazon
Ghosts, a reaper, and a rock star.
At sixteen Bay-Lee is not your typical girl. She doesn't even try to fit in at school. What's the point when she'll be moving to a new place within a few months?
She's lived her whole life on the run, hiding from monsters.Then a reaper uses her closet to cross over from the Spirit Realm. It has a message for her. Just when she's about to join her father at his school for hunters she finds out they are dying on their birthdays. Something is killing them, slipping past locked doors, never leaving a trace of evidence, and her birthday is only two months away.Becoming a hunter isn't exactly her dream come true. She's doing it for her mother, for revenge, for justice. Nothing is going to get in her way, least of all love. Then she looks up into a pair of jungle green eyes and everything changes.




Rae of Hope (The Chronicles of Kerrigan) by M.J. May
Genre: Young Adult | Paranormal
Get it for free on Amazon
How hard do you have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past? 

Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed. 

Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter? 

As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future





Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover
Genre:  Young Adult | Contemporary Romance
Get it for free on Amazon
A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.


A Beautiful Lie by Tara Sivec
Genre:  New Adult | Military Romance
Get it for free on Amazon
He saw her first, but his friend made the move.

She settled for the safer choice, but her heart knew the truth.

They love, they crave, they lie.

Garrett McCarthy, Annabelle Parker, and Milo Roberts were as close as friends could get. They shared in each other's joy during graduations, promotions, and engagements. They consoled one another through heartache and loss.

When one of the friend's life is tragically cut short, it's up to the two left behind to pick up the pieces and find out the truth - no matter the cost. As they slowly start to uncover the nature of his deception, and the very powerful people behind it, they begin to question everyone and everything, even themselves.

Everyone has secrets - some do it for love while others do it for power. Those secrets can change perceptions, alter reality and sometimes destroy lives.

What do you do when you find out your whole life has been a lie?


The Viking by Marti Talbott
Genre:  Young Adult | Historical Romance

Get it for free on Amazon
At not quite fifteen, Stefan's father finally let him board the longship Sja Vinna to take part in his first Viking raid. But the battle was not at all what he expected and he found himself alone and stranded in Scotland. Thirteen-year-old Kannak's problem was just as grave. Her father deserted them and the only way to survive, she decided, was to take a husband over her mother's objections. Then suddenly she found herself helping a hated Viking escape. Could Kannak successfully hide a Viking in the middle of a Scottish Clan? And why was someone plotting to kill the clan's beloved laird?

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Tempting Tuesdays ~ Homemade Cheese Crackers


Since I have started finding recipes for things I would usually buy already made, I have found some real gems. In my search for a Cheez-It like cracker recipe, I stumbled upon this recipe from love, pomegranate house. These are easy and delicious. A great homemade snack.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used my favorite combo of Colby and Monterey Jack)
1 cup flour (Can use all purpose gluten free flour to make gluten free)
3-4 tbsp water


Mix butter, salt, and cheese together until combined.


Add flour and mix until combined. It will be very crumbly at this point. This is where you dig in with your hands and form the dough into a ball.


Wrap dough ball tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Once cool, divide in half. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into squares. If you feel so inclined, take a toothpick and make a little hole in the center of each square.


Place each square on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 375 degrees for 13-17 minutes.

*The original recipe says this will fill two baking sheets. Every time I have made this recipe, I have filled at least three if not four baking sheets.







The first time I made this recipe, I could have sworn I was eating Cheez-Its. Now when I bake them, they taste even better than the store bought treats. Give them a try!




Saturday, March 15, 2014

Saturday Snapshots: 3/15/14


Saturday Snapshots is a picture prompt brought to you by Author to Author, meant to inspire the creative genius within you.

Maybe you'll be moved to write flash fiction for it, perhaps it will kick start an old idea for a novel, or it may inspire a new short story. Whatever it does, we hope you'll enjoy these images around the web.

If inspiration does hit, we hope you'll post a snippet in the comments.

Today's image: A Boy and His Dog


http://www.country-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/A-Boy-and-His-Dog-1.jpg

Photo: http://www.country-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/A-Boy-and-His-Dog-1.jpg

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

The Wednesday Word

Wednesday Word

Author To Author’s Newsletter                                                    

March 12, 2014

Winter Blues

It's the second week of March. Did you hear me, Old Man Winter? That means that we who reside in the northern hemisphere should start to soon be seeing a few signs of Spring. Yet here I sit in the midst of a winter storm warning, watching ice pelt against my office window.

I spent three hours this morning struggling to write. And I mean, struggling. Nothing could describe my energy level or inspirational thought process other than the simple word...blah. I long for the sunshine, to hear the call of blue jays in my backyard, and use those stimulants as fuel for my writing. Rest assured, friends, that we will soon see the change of seasons we are all surely waiting for, but it might not give us everything we hope.

As surely as I sit here and actually believe that once that change comes I will no doubt have a bolt of energy when it comes to working on my WIP, deep inside I know that won't quite be the case. No, when the days get longer and those flowers bloom, I will be outside, enjoying the weather. Thinking about writing. Thinking about the plot. Imagining all sorts of great ideas to put in my book. However, I probably won't actually be doing it and that's not part of the plan.

When I realized that this morning, I had to ask myself why. Why wouldn't I be working like crazy on my project? The first word that popped into my mind was work.

Work.

When did this wonderful hobby that I love so much become work?

Was it over a year ago when I hit the publish button on my first book? Was it when I started keeping track of what promotions and giveaways I was running? Was it when I created a writing schedule for myself? Or, was it when I had to start tracking the dreaded book sale numbers?

I'm not really sure when it happened but at some point this became a job, and that has to stop.

Right now.

I'm not lazy, it isn't that I don't enjoy work. However, writing has always been my escape from the real world, my relief from real life responsibilities. So, if it was once that way, there has to be a way to return to that frame of mind.

I'm going to start by putting a stop to tracking sales. The money aspect of this venture might just be what is sucking the fun right out of it. Sure I will have to print out my statements at the end of the year for tax purposes, but there is no reason to obsess about that every month.

If that doesn't alleviate the strain then the next step will be to eliminate my writing schedule. There isn't anyone to tell me when I must write, which is sort of why I created the schedule in the first place, but looking back, I can see that my best writing days were unplanned. I just let my fingers hit the keyboard when inspiration struck.

As far as promotions and giveaways go, well I love those and have a great time with them. That won't be changing anytime soon.

Yep, "Operation Make Writing Fun Again" has begun.

What stressors do you find when trying to write? What seems to hold you back? Most importantly, how do you find your way around those obstacles?



By A2A Contributor Andrea Goodson www.andreagoodson.wordpress.com

Exciting News for Author to Author Group Members


Join T.M. Franklin on St. Patty's Day

Over 45 ebooks will be given away at the St. Patty's Day Party on March 17th! Check out T.M.'s page for more information! http://www.tmfranklin.com/index.php/blog/big-ebook-giveway-join-st-patricks-day-party/


M.B. Feeney Offers Books for Review

Check out this page to sign up and be a part of M.B. Feeney's Review Tour! Choose what book you would like, read it, and write your review! Did I mention you get a free book? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1b_VXSMSWQ6-kKd0pKAKyAdylt79bkGQk14gHVn22nc4/viewform


Join A2A Authors for Some Viking Excitement!


Lissa Bryan www.lissabryan.com and Sandi Layne www.sandyquill.com will be live-tweeting as they watch the next episode of VIKINGS on History Channel. On Friday, they'll post their post-episode conversation, complete with speculation and commentary about everything from costuming to possible human sacrifices. Follow them on Twitter beginning at 10pm EDT @LissaBryan and @sandyquill

 

Sherri Hayes Offers Slave for FREE

Check out Amazon between March 13-20th and download your copy of Slave (Book 1 in The Finding Anna series) for FREE! http://www.amazon.com/Slave-Finding-Anna-Sherri-Hayes-ebook/dp/B005EYTG1Q

Also, vote for Sherri's book here--> http://indtale.com/2014-rone-awards-week-one It's up for a RONE award!

Wednesday's Weird Word


Anadiplosis

The trick of repeating the last word of a sentence, line, or clause, at or near the beginning of the next.

Example: (Star Wars) “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Thank you for reading this edition of Author to Author's The Wednesday Word! Visit us again in two weeks for more news and savings to refresh your bookish pleasures! As always, feel free to share and spread the word! Have a wonderful day!