WHAT JEN'S READING RIGHT NOW: "Shiver" by Maggie Stiefvater. (She's coming to our library in a few weeks and I'm getting prepared)

Hi, all!

Wanted to know if you guys subscribe to BOOKBUB?

If not, now is the time!

Have you seen this awesome giveaway from BookSweeps?

You can win my book FIANCE BY FATE, plus books from authors like Jeannie Moon and Anna DePalo, 1 of 20 bookstore gift cards and a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet!

This giveaway ends soon, so make sure you hurry and enter!

Join the fun here and FOLLOW ME on Amazon and Bookbub!

GOOD LUCK!

Freebie Friday!

Hi, all!

Guess what?

My Critique Group has a Facebook Group: Through Heart-Shaped Glasses

We chat books, life, men, food, movies--whatever!

Sometimes we even do giveaways. 

Today I'm giving away ONE free ebook (winner's choice) from a list of 5 books in my TBR pile.
Answer the question I ask and be entered to win! (Easy peasy)

Here are the list of choices you'll have if you win:

My little Facebook disclaimer: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. By entering, Entrants agree to a complete release of Facebook.

Good luck!

Fun Interview and Giveaway!

Happy Monday!

I'm excited because today I have a friend and special guest!
Please welcome to my blog Sandra Orchard!

Sandra has a new book out called Blind Trust. She will be giving away a print copy of this book, so don't forget to enter the rafflecopter below!

Welcome, Sandra!

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

To quote Booklist’s review: “Orchard infuses romance with suspense and keeps the excitement coming page after page; readers will love the ever-deepening mystery as Kate extends her investigation and finds herself and her long-dead father tangled up in an international corporate conspiracy.”

What was your favorite scene to write?

The opening scene. This is the second book in my Port Aster Secrets series and hero and heroine haven’t seen each other for a while. It was fun to write this “reunion” in which she’s been caught counterfeiting and he’s the officer called in. His reaction: “If you wanted to see me, you could have just called.”

Since the store security guard who made the call doesn’t know their history and believes she is a thief, I had a lot of fun with the subtext of their conversation throughout the scene.

What is your dream cast for your book?

I’m not sure that “dream cast” would be the description, but…the heroine looks like Amy Adams and the hero’s description fits Dylan McDermott, although Mark Wahlberg is how he looks in my head. Not sure what happened there! My hero’s dad is named Keith and although I describe him as dark-haired, in my head, I picture him as Keith from the Partridge Family, their manager. Anyone remember him or have I totally dated myself? LOL

Can you see yourself or friends or family in any of your characters?

No, not at all. Except…okay, yes, there’s a bit of my daughter in Tom’s matchmaking sister. They both just want to see their brothers happy. J

What are you working on now?

Two things. I’m preparing class notes for workshops and a CE that I’ll be teaching at Write!Canada in June. And… I am writing the first draft of a yet-to-be-titled Love Inspired Suspense, in which an insidious stalker endangers the paramedic heroine. She was first introduced in Perilous Waters (April 2014), and also appears in my upcoming November release, so I’m enjoying the chance to tell her story.

FUN STUFF:

Where is your favorite place to write?

Oh, my newest favorite place to write is with my netbook while reclining in my zero-gravity chair. I love it so much that I bought a second one so that I can have one upstairs in my bedroom, which is a very sunny room, and one downstairs so that I can sit by the woodstove if it’s cold, or on the porch if it’s nice out. This chair has saved my back!

Favorite snack to eat while writing (or reading).

You have to ask? Chocolate, of course. Dark, Belgian chocolate to be precise. Mmm.

Hot and Humid or Cold and Snowy?

In the middle, please! Please. PLEASE! But if those were my only choices, I’d probably take cold and snowy, even after the never-ending winter we’ve just had here in Canada. Snuggling up in front of an AC just isn’t as romantic as snuggling up in front of a fire. 

What is one book everyone should read?

The Bible. It’s all kinds of books in one—action, mystery, drama, paranormal, how-to and of course, love stories.

BIO:

Sandra Orchard is the award-winning author of several inspirational romantic suspense/mysteries, including Deadly Devotion and Blind Trust. Her Love Inspired Suspense titles have garnered two Canadian Christian Writing Awards and a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Sandra has also received a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. In addition to her busy writing schedule, Sandra enjoys speaking at events and teaching writing workshops. She lives in Ontario, Canada. Learn more about Sandra’s books and check out the special bonus features, such as deleted scenes and location pics, at http://sandraorchard.com.

 

 

Blurb:

Kate Adams had no idea she was carrying counterfeit money, and she can’t believe that it came from her sweet neighbor. Or that it lands her in the middle of another one of Detective Tom Parker’s investigations. Determined to prove her neighbor’s innocence, Kate stumbles into a pit of intrigue that is far deeper than a two-bit counterfeit operation–and strikes too close to home for comfort. As family secrets come to light, her world–and her budding romance with Tom–begin to crumble. To Kate, it’s clear that she won’t be safe until she uncovers all of Port Aster’s secrets. But is it too late for her and Tom?

 

Thanks so much, Sandra!

 

 

 

How about you? What's the one book everyone should read?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back from NaNo and a Giveaway!

HI, all! I'm back!
Alas, I did NOT win NaNo (although truth be told, I never thought I would) but I got a little bit written into my book and had a nice break from blogging. So all in all, it's good.
More on NaNo next week...

Instead, today I'm so happy to announce that one of my good bloggy buddies, Karen Lange has a new non fiction book out right now! YAY!!!!

Essential co-op tools, tips, and options for today’s homeschool families.
Thinking about joining or starting a homeschool co-op? Not sure if a co-op is a good fit? Homeschool Co-ops 101 weighs the pros, cons, and creative options available for today’s homeschool family.

• Section 1 includes essential, digestible info on co-op ingredients such as planning and organization, schedules, teaching, finances, and addressing conflict and burnout.
• Section 2 shares a sampling of co-op games and activities, and
• Section 3 contains five hands-on unit studies. These ready to use studies include lessons on Leonardo da Vinci, Birds of Prey, Public Speaking, Tall Tales, and Creative Writing, and are suitable for co-op or home use. This section also includes unit study guidelines that are easily customized to suit any topic.
• Section 4 offers suggested books, curriculum, and other resources.

Karen Lange has gathered insight from years of co-oping and now shares her own and others’ experiences in this valuable and encouraging handbook.

Homeschool Co-ops 101 is available at:

~~~Amazon~~~

~~~Barnes and Noble~~~

~~~Kobo~~~

About the Author Karen Lange, her husband, and three children were active in co-ops during their sixteen-year homeschool journey. Her experience includes serving as a local homeschool support group coordinator and consultant for a state homeschool network in New Jersey. Karen’s children have since graduated, and she is now a freelance writer and online writing instructor for homeschooled teens.
You can connect with Karen at her Blog, on Twitter, and Facebook.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Giveaway is Open to US addresses only. One person will receive a $25 Amazon GC and a copy of Homeschool Co-ops 101.
Please use the Rafflecopter below to be entered:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The winner will be chosen from those entries and announced December 5, 2013. Good luck!

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as e-mailed, and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Diane at That’s What I’m Here For… and sponsored by the author, Karen Lange. The author provided me with a free copy of Homeschool Co-ops 101 to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a giveaway in return for the free book. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

What prompted you to write this book? Thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog! I’m looking forward to visiting with you and your followers. About ten years ago, I was encouraged by a good friend in the homeschool community to write a booklet about co-ops. She was the director of a statewide homeschool support network, and she knew people often asked me about how a co-op works. The booklet seemed like a good way to share the info, so I self published it. In May of 2013, Helping Hands Press offered me a contract to expand it, so here we are!

What can readers expect to find in the book? The book offers info on how to start a co-op and weighs the pros, cons, and creative options available for homeschool families. One thing I emphasize is that parents have options when it comes to co-oping. Co-ops come in all sizes and sometimes an existing one is not a good fit for a family. Parents shouldn’t feel bad or be intimidated if this is the case; they need to know that it’s okay to either not participate and even start their own co-op if they wish. Another thing to note is that HC 101's usefulness is not limited to just homeschoolers. The how to section offers helpful setup and structure tips for other K-12 student groups. The activity segment has lessons, games, and hands on projects that suit these groups as well.


Tell us a little about your homeschool experience. My husband and I homeschooled our three children (two sons and a daughter) in grades K-12. We chose to homeschool because, among other things, we wanted to personalize our children’s education and felt home was the best place to do that. During this time, we were active with our local homeschool support group’s events such as field trips and science and art fairs. Co-ops played an important role too. These activities helped supplement our studies, provided balanced socialization, fellowship, and fun. They also offered a broader worldview as our children interacted with not just homeschool families, but the surrounding community. If you happen to be interested in more info about the ups and downs of homeschooling, socialization, higher education, and other related topics, visit this link:
http://www.insanitek.net/ink/archives/865

What would you like readers to take away from the book? No one plan fits everyone, so I encourage families, whether they decide to co-op or not, to find the right balance and fit for them. My hope is that they would find ideas and encouragement for their children’s educational journey.
  Thanks again for sharing your space with me today.

It’s been a pleasure!

That's it for me today. Don't forget to enter Karen's giveaway and have a great week!

Inevitable!

Hi, all!
I'm back from my visit with the in-laws and announcing the release of Inevitable, the newest young adult suspense novel by my bloggy buddy Tamara Hart Heiner!

Visions of death plague Jayne, who thinks watching her boyfriend die is the worst that could happen to her. But when she witnesses a murder, Jayne finds herself caught up in a dangerous world of intrigue and suspense.

As it turns out, she is not the only one doing the stalking. The killer is on to her, and all of her visions of the dying don't reveal how her life will end. Somehow, she must stop the murderer before he arranges Jayne's own inevitable death.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lo and behold, I actually happened to have read this one!
So I'll give a little review. :)

I had this book on my Kindle and planned to read it while I was on my mini vacation last week. But I took a peek at the first chapter and well...one thing lead to another and I ended up finishing it before I left for Florida. LOL!

The main character Jayne has an unusual "gift". She sees visions of people's deaths--if they're going to die early and in a tragic circumstance. Heavy stuff for a teenager! But to make matters worse, she gets herself involved in a murder investigation through this gift and then things really get interesting.
This book had a little bit of everything: a teen love story, murder/suspense, and a little paranormal/fantasy.
I have to say the murders/suspense thing kept me turning the pages. I couldn't wait to see how everything was going to work out in the end. Very enjoyable read!

Check it out for yourself: First page
Available on Amazon.com, Smashwords.com, Barnes &Noble.com, and Kobo.com!


Since Tamara writes YA, I thought it'd be fun to have her come on here to tell us what her TOP TEN FAVORITE YA BOOKS are!

Take it away, Tamara!

My top 10:

Man, this is hard! I just love these books. I don't know which is first.

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. Unleashed by Nancy Holder
5. Stung by Bethany Wiggins
6. Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
7. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
8. The Line by Teri Hall
9. The Death Cure by James Dashner
10. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Thanks, Tamara!
I have Beth's book and read The Hunger Games. I need to check out the rest!!

After an awesome ebook launch on Facebook, Tamara's trying hard to top that with the paperback. So here's the plan:

1) For the entire month of March, every comment on Tamara's blog gets entered into a drawing to win a HARD COPY of one of her books. (You get to choose which one!)

2) Leave a comment on THIS BLOG for a chance to win ALL of her young adult ebooks!

3) Enter the Goodreads Giveaway for another chance to win Inevitable.

Good luck!

Have you read Inevitable?
Have you read any of the YA books on Tamara's list?
What are some of your favorite YA books?
 

Author Justine Dell and a Giveaway!

 Happy Friday!

 I'm so thrilled to have bloggy friend and author today: Justine Dell

 

 A little bit about Justine:

 Justine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her family, which consists of a horse obsessed teenage daughter, four dogs, and a husband who is too good to be true. She's never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate.

During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They've done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That's when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair.

She started writing four years ago after seeing a movie that set off a chain reaction she couldn't have stopped if she'd wanted. It's not a hobby for her; it's an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share. Her debut book, Recaptured Dreams and her newest release, All-American Girl, are available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever book are sold.

Blog Facebook Twitter

 
Justine has a new romance out called All-American Girl that sounds fantastic!
I thought it'd be fun to get to know her book with some fun questions.

                              Title: All-American Girl

 

 

 

 

 Hero: Lance Cummings

 Heroine: Samantha Moore

 

  1) describe your hero in THREE words

 

 -determined

-rough-n-tumble-sexy (truly, that’s one word…heh)
 -stubborn

 2) What is the best personality trait of your heroine? Worst personality trait?

            -The best personality trait is that Samantha knows she’s broken and desperately wants to be the girl that people remember her as being. So she tries so hard.

            -The worst is her temper (but like I said, she’s working on that!)

 

 3) Give us the 140 character TWEET description of your book

            -Broken, tempered girl + Mr. Hot-Fix-It-Guy = Roller coaster romance that leaves you breathless

 

 4) What kind of car does or would your hero drive?

 Oh, he’s a construction man, so only a pick-up truck will do.

 

 5) Name one thing your heroine would not leave home without.

 Hand sanitizer. (She’s a little OCD)

 

 6) What would you pick for your book's theme song?

 One of the gals at Literati Literature Lovers sent me a message on Twitter while she was reading the  ARC. She said Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” would be perfect for Sam and Lance. I would have to agree. (Never mind that it’s for Twilight).

 

Thanks so much, Justine!
I'm a little OCD too and carry hand sanitizer always. LOL

Now that you know the main characters, here is a little about the book:

BLURB:

 

At the age of thirty, with two failed marriages and a tanking writing career, Samantha Moore deals with the world with the only tool she had left: anger. And she’s tired of it. When her grandmother's near-death sends her rushing back home to Vermont, she hopes for the chance to overcome the rage ruling her life.

Once she’s home, Lance Cummings becomes a constant source of indigestion. Lance is a single father who learned first-hand the devastating effects of a damaging relationship. He sees through Samantha’s nasty temper—straight to her cry for help. He wants to help her, but he also wants to know why Samantha ran from him—and their future—twelve years before.

Taking care of her Grams, dealing with an alcoholic brother, and getting Lance to remove his annoyingly attractive nose from her business is draining on Samantha. And she’s only got three weeks to finish her stagnated novel or her publisher will drop her. No pressure. To top it off, pretending to hate the man she actually loves makes each day in Vermont harder than the last. Especially when Lance turns up the heat

 

 We’ll give away an ebook copy of All-American girl to a lucky commenter TODAY!

***And don’t forget to stop by Justine’s blog for a chance to win a signed paperback copy, a fancy smancy swag pack, or one of four other romance books.
(including one of mine: KISSING KENDALL!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

   Thanks so much, Justine!
Don't forget All-American Girl is available on Amazon, B&N, and Omnific

Valentine's Day trivia

Did you know that over 18 BILLION dollars are expected to be spent this year for Valentine's Day?


Yes, it's true. I saw it on the news a few days ago.

Yeah, I'm full of interesting trivia.
In fact, if you would like to hear more AND...want a chance to win a copy of A LITTLE BIT CUPID (yes, apparently, my publisher is sparing no expense on the freebies. LOL) I'm over at my good blogging bud Carol Kilgore's blog: Under the Tiki Hut.

Stop by if you can! :)

Pick Up Lines, Giveaways, Hops, and the kitchen sink

Happy Friday!

This February, get Entangled in Love!
With Valentine’s day coming up, February is certainly the season of love and romance. To celebrate, Entangled Publishing is hosting a blog hop and with almost 50 authors participating, this is your chance to win a lot of amazing prizes varying from ARCs, books, chocolates, giftcards and whatnot!
The hop runs from February 8th to 15th, so make sure you visit all these authors’ sites that week! You definitely don’t want to miss these giveaways!
Click here to check out what the other authors are giving away during the Entangled In Love blog hop!
                                                   ****

Don't have a Valentine for Valentine's Day? FEAR NOT!
Since my publisher is hosting a blog hop now (see above), I thought this would be THE perfect time to give to you my personal FAVORITE pick-up lines. Maybe it will help you out.
 
Mostly likely not

I liked these because I laughed when I read them. And if a guy wasn't serious, but using one of these to make me laugh, then these lines WOULD actually work.

(I must be easy)

Anyhew, here we go:

            TOP 5 FAVORITE VALENTINE'S DAY PICK-UP LINES

1)(guy) Hey baby, how much does a polar bear weigh?"
   (girl) "I don't know."
   (guy)"Neither do I, but it broke the ice."

2)"If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together."

3)"I lost my phone number, could I borrow yours?"

4) "Your name must be milk. Because you're doing my body good."

5) "Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?"

LOL! See? I MUST be easy. :-)


PS: #4 has been used for real by a buddy of my husband's. It got mixed results. :D

GIVEAWAY:

For this HOP, I will be giving away an ebook copy of my romantic comedy A Little Bit Cupid.
This contest will end Feb 15th and the winner will be notified Feb 16th.
**To enter, your email must be in with your comment below.**




Has a pick-up line ever worked on you?
Have you heard any good ones? Or...cheesy ones?

Misc Monday

Happy Monday!


Guess what? I'm trying to potty train my guinea pig.
I was told it could be done. (Although I think someone forgot to tell the guinea pig.)
We're still working on it...
Will keep you posted.
                                                                                 ***

In other news, I hosted a Super Bowl party last night. Found a new drink for it too!
I'm usually a tequila kind of girl. I love margaritas but I wanted to do something different. My friend emailed me a recipe and when I made it, I absolutely LOVED it.
Probably great for the summer, but I thought it went well with chili. :)

It has no name so I'm calling it:

Jennifer's Tired of Margaritas Grapefruit Splash

1/4 c FRESH pink grapefruit juice
1 TBsp FRESH lime juice
2 tsp agave
1/4 tequila
1/4 club soda

Rub rim of highball glass (I used a margarita glass because old habits and whatnot) with lime and dip in salt. Combine juices and agave (or super fine sugar if you don't have it) until sugar dissolved. Add tequila and ice then top off with club soda.

Refreshing and yummy! Not too sweet either, which I like.

                                                                              ***

On the book front, I'm over at Ex Libris blog sharing some Valentine's Day funnies--ya know since my novella A LITTLE BIT CUPID is kind of a romantic comedy.
Fun stuff!
Stop by and share a funny/ Chance to win a copy of A Little Bit Cupid. :-)

 

Did you watch the Super Bowl?

What did you think of the half time show?

New news and old news

Yay, it's Friday!

This has been a looooooooooooong week for me. Christmas decorations are done (not put away) but Christmas tree is STILL up and decorated.

Don't judge me.

I have a p90x workout and hair appointment waiting for me, so I'll make this brief:

New News:

Did you see my Tweet yesterday? 'Fifty Shades of Grey' parody musical coming to N.Y.

Yes. Seriously.

According to the NY Post, “The opening scene centers on a middle-aged ladies’ book group, then plunges, like a cougar’s neckline, into sketches making fun of the erotic, best-selling novel.” The show comes complete with a live band and 11 original songs, including “They Get Nasty” and ““I Don’t Make Love, I “F#*!,” per the Post.

Where is the apocalypse when you really need it?



Old News:

Still on book blog tour!
Today I'm over at A CHICK WHO READS talking about how Kendall's doughnut muffin came to be. :-)

Giveaway:

I will be awarding a free ebook of Kissing Kendall or an ebook from my backlist (winner's choice) to a random commenter at each stop. (There must be a minimum of 5 comments on each blog for a winner to be chosen).

 

Hope you can stop by!

Have a great weekend!!

A Day in the Life

Hi, all!

As I've mentioned before (in many many ways) I'm on blog tour all this week for my latest sweet romance release KISSING KENDALL.

Today I'm over at MY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS talking about my typical day.

AKA Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

But stop by anyway to see my 5 out 5 STAR review for KISSING KENDALL as well as a chance to win your own copy (or a copy of one of my backlist books).

Have a great day!

BIG Happenings today!

Happy Monday!!

 

I'm VERY excited today for TWO reasons.

 

The First Reason: my blog tour for KISSING KENDALL starts today! (Yay!)

For more info on the stops and giveaways, see Friday's post.

 

Today I'll be over at MUSINGS FROM A ADDICTED READER talking about... me. Ha!

 

Original, I know.

 

The Second Reason: my author friend Carol Kilgore has a new release in the works and today is her BIG cover reveal!
 

 

A little bit about Carol:
 

Carol Kilgore is an award-winning author of several published short stories and many essays and articles.

Solomon’s Compass is her second novel-- a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss: always at least one crime and one love story.

 Carol and her Coast Guard husband live in San Antonio, Texas, with two herding dogs that like nothing better than pack time on the patio

You can find Carol here:

website . blog . facebook . twitter . goodreads . amazon

 

And now the reveal....

                           SOLOMON'S COMPASS
 

When U.S. Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell discovers her uncle’s drowning death was murder, she must determine the killer’s identity in order to prevent another murder. Jake Solomon’s job is to make sure Taylor isn’t the next victim.
 

Isn't it a great cover?

Congrats, Carol!