Thursday, December 29, 2011

In My Mailbox: 12/29/11



In My Real World Mailbox:

By: Diana Gabaldon


By: J.A. Giunta

By: Wendy Wunder

By: Sergey and Marina Dyachenko


By: Ralph Peters

By: Dr. Shelbie Witte (author), Juan Mendizabal (contributor), FSU English Education Students (Contributor)

By: Liam O'Shiel


By: Pablo D'Stair

***The link on this one is to Goodreads since I couldn't find it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble***

By: Jennifer Flanders

By: Jason Karlawish

By: Sarah Jane Stratford









All these books actually arrived over the past week, however with the holidays this is the first chance I've had to post them all! Most of them arrived on Christmas Eve, I didn't even know the mail ran on Christmas Eve!  But I'm glad it did since every time I opened the door there was another box for me to open! Kept me from trying to open the prezzies that were under the tree! lol.








****My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie . A post where we share books acquired via mailbox, library, store, etc.****


Want to put some more books in your mailbox? Check out my other contests and giveaways!:

*****Want a free book?*****
Check out my spotlight of Joseph Robert Lewis this month to find out how!

Review of Zombie Tag by Hannah Moskowitz

Zombie Tag
By: Hannah Moskowitz
Amazon

Summery from Amazon:
Wil is desperate for his older brother to come back from the dead. But the thing about zombies is . . they don’t exactly make the best siblings.

Thirteen-year-old Wil Lowenstein copes with his brother’s death by focusing on Zombie Tag, a mafia/
capture the flag hybrid game where he and his friends fight off brain-eating zombies with their mothers’ spatulas. What Wil doesn’t tell anybody is that if he could bring his dead brother back as a zombie, he would in a heartbeat. But when Wil finds a way to summon all the dead within five miles, he’s surprised to discover that his back-from-the-dead brother is emotionless and distant.

In her first novel for younger readers, Moskowitz offers a funny and heartfelt look at how one boy deals with change, loss, and the complicated relationship between brothers.


My Review:

I really liked this book. It is told from the perspective of Wil, a twelve year old little boy, who's older brother has recently passed away. His family has stalled since his brother's passing. They have moved to a new home, but his brother's presence is still there. Wil feels as if he can't connect with his father anymore, and his mother just seems lost in her grief. Going so far as to want to place four settings for dinner instead of the three that are now required. Wil becomes convinced that he can bring his brother back using a bell that 30 years ago had woke the dead. (In Moskowitz's world that she has created things like this are possible, as well as unicorns and dragons and all sorts of other things.) Even though he isn't sure what will happen when he rings it, when he gets the chance he still does and wakes up all the dead within a five mile radius. Here's were things get even worse for Wil, because while his brother doesn't come back as a brain eating zombie, he does come back very different than the sixteen year old boy that he was. He is no longer happy and full of life, but instead the only emotions he seems to be able to feel are anger and fear. On top of that the bell has a book that was hidden with it. A book that reveals even more secrets that change not only Wil's life, but the lives of his friends as well.
Moskowitz did an amazing job with Wil and his feelings as he tries to find a way to bring his brother fully back to life. While reading there were times I wanted to cry. I could feel Wil's frustration and heartbreak as everything he tries fails. She also shows Wil, who has already obviously had to deal with the trauma of his brother dying, maturing even more as he has to deal with the consequences of his actions and his brother wanting to die all over again.
If there is anything I wish I could change about the book it would be that Moskowitz had filled in the world that she had created a little more. I would have loved to learn more about the different creatures that lived in it. However, this is only a minuscule want on my part and I really don't feel that it takes anything away from the story itself.
The story is moving, but it isn't always depressing. There are some very cute moments as well as some laugh out loud ones. Because of the whole death theme and the emotional issues the story deals with I don't know if I would recommend it to the younger side of the YA spectrum. Even though the main character is only 12 I don't know if I would want my 12 year old reading it, but there is nothing inappropriate, dirty or gory in the book so I guess it all depends on how mature you think your YA reader is as to whether or not you would have them read it. Again as a whole I really liked the story, it was moving and some parts were surprisingly deep, something that I didn't expect but it was a pleasant surprise. I would definitely love to read more of Moskowitz's work if given the chance.


*****In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm disclosing that I received this book for free through GoodReads First Reads. ****
(I recommend everybody should go check out all the awesome first read giveaways they have!)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel Challenge 2012















This challenge is being hosted by Mother/Gamer/Writer.  Here are some of the challenge details:

-It will run from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. You can sign up at any time.

-You do NOT need a blog to participate as long as you have a Goodreads page or somewhere that you can review the books that you have read. Nor do you have to live in the United States.

-You do NOT have to read an ARC, or books published in 2012. And all book formats are acceptable, print, digital/ebooks, etc.
Any book counts as long as it fits into one of the 3 chosen categories: Manga (all types of comic books are acceptable), Graphic Novels, Video Game Based Novels (Such as books based off of Warhammer, World of Warcraft, HALO, Mass Effect, Dungeons and Dragons, etc).
For more details on the challenge such as levels, guidelines, PRIZES!!!, just click here.


Ok, so this will be my first reading challenge, ever...and I'm kinda nervous so I've decided to try for Level 1- Arcade Gamer-Casual Player. Which means I will have to read 4 books from each category or 12 books from 1 or 2 categories.  Hopefully I will be able to do this. :)   

If you decide to join the challenge let me know! I would love to see what other people decide to read and the levels they choose to go for!


Friday, December 23, 2011

Scorpio Rising Holiday Tour - Guest Post




Announcing the Scorpio Rising Social Media Whirlwind Tour! As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Scorpio Rising eBook edition has dropped to just .99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including 2 Kindle Fires, Amazon gift cards up to $100 in amount, 5 autographed copies of the book, and 5 autographed copies of its recently released sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio. Be sure to enter before the end of the day on Friday, December 23rd, so you don’t miss out.  


To Win the Prizes:

  1. Purchase your copy of Scorpio Rising for just .99 cents on Amazon or Barnes &  Noble
  2. Fill-out the form on Novel Publicity to enter for the prizes
  3. Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card!
  4. BONUS: If you leave a comment on this blog post, you have another chance at $100!

...And I can win too!

Over 100 bloggers are participating in this gigantic event, and there are plenty of prizes for us too. The blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card as well. So when you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to say that I referred you, so I can get a point in the poll.

The Featured Events include:

Monday, Blogaganza on Novel Publicity! We’re kicking-off on the Novel Publicity Free Advice blog. We’ll ask the writer 5 fun and random questions to get everyone talking. Leave a comment or question in response to the post, and you may win an autographed copy of Scorpio Rising or its sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio. Don’t forget to enter for the other contest prizes while you’re over there!


Tuesday, Twitter sharing contest! A tweet is tiny, only 140 characters. But on Tuesday, it could win you $50. Send the following tweet across the twittersphere, and you just may win a $50 Amazon gift card. Autographed copies of Scorpio Rising and its sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio, are also up for grabs. The winner will be announced Wednesday morning. Here’s the tweet: Looking for a read that's full of love, drama, and betrayal? Scorpio Rising has been reduced to 99 cents! http://ow.ly/7zA2s #whirlwind


Wednesday, Google+ sharing contest! Yup, there’s yet another awesome opportunity to win a $50 Amazon gift card, and this time it just takes a single click! Visit Google+ and share Emlyn Chand’s most recent post (you’ll see the Scorpio Rising book cover included with it). On Thursday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. Autographed copies of Scorpio Rising and its sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio, are also up for grabs. Three chances to win! How about that?


Thursday, Facebook sharing contest! Stop by Novel Publicity’s Facebook page and share their latest post (you’ll see the Scorpio Rising book cover included with it). It’s ridiculously easy to win! On Friday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. Autographed copies of Scorpio Rising and its sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio, are also up for grabs.

Friday, special contest on the author’s site! Win a Kindle Fire! Two are up for grabs! Visit Monique’s website to leave a comment on any of her posts and sign-up for her author newsletter. One person will win for each method, so be sure to do both.

Remember, it’s all about the books!

About Scorpio Rising: Set in New York and Paris amid the glamorous and competitive worlds of art and real estate, Scorpio Rising takes the reader from the late 1940s to the 1960s through the tumultuous lives of its heroes. Alex Ivanov is the son of a Russian immigrant and part-time prostitute. He yearns to escape his sordid life and achieve fame and fortune. His dreams of becoming a world-class builder are met with countless obstacles, yet he perseveres in the hope of someday receiving the recognition he craves. Half a world away, Brigitte Dartois is an abused teenager who runs into the arms of a benefactor with an agenda all his own. When she finds out that her boss has an ulterior motive, she flees again, determined to earn her living through her art. This career brings her fame, but also the unwanted attention of her early abuser. Monique Domovitch’s debut novel, Scorpio Rising, is a compelling tale filled with finely etched characters and a superb understanding of the power of ambition. Scorpio Rising promises to resonate with all who once had a dream. Get it on Amazon or Barnes &  Noble.
About The Sting of The Scorpio: In Scorpio Rising, Monique Domovitch presented a compelling tale filled with colorful characters and the manipulation of power, ambition, and greed. Now she gives us its spellbinding sequel, The Sting of the Scorpio, where Alexander Ivanov returns to New York with his new bride, Brigitte. The real estate industry is ripe with opportunity. Blessed with irresistible charm, ambition, and the single-minded obsession to succeed, Alex plots and manipulates his way to almost mystical success. Everything he touches turns to gold, but it’s never enough. When a hostile takeover bid leaves him struggling to save his beloved company, he suspects those closest to him of plotting his downfall. Brigitte, the beautiful redhead who abandoned her country and her career to become his wife, feels alone. In return, Alex has betrayed her time and again, each indiscretion cutting deeper into her soul. Brigitte’s son, David yearns to be an artist, but Alex’s plans leave no room for such frivolous goals. He grooms a reluctant David to become the heir apparent until a devastating tragedy attracts the attention of another young man. The Sting of the Scorpio is a rich tale of a man at the mercy of his own greed and a woman bound by her need for love. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the Author: Monique Domovitch began writing at the age of fifty-five. Two years later, she has two self-published novels—her Scorpio Series—and a three-book deal with Penguin, for books she has written under the name of Carol Ann Martin. Never seen without her laptop, Monique and her husband travel the world and divide the rest of their time between their homes in British Columbia and California. Monique loves to hear from readers! Visit her on her websiteTwitterFacebook, or GoodReads.
 

Please enjoy this guest post from the author


Deciding to become a writer was a natural extension of falling in love

  People often ask me what attracted me to the life of a writer, and I have to say it was a natural extension of falling in love…with books, which I have been for as long as I can remember.

I remember my mother taking me to the public library when I was as young as four years old. That was when she introduced me to Madeline, the little schoolgirl. As teenager, I discovered Nancy Drew and Cherry Ames, and then Harlequin books. And then I really fell in love for the first time. I was in England where my friends introduced me to a book by Wilbur Smith.
I think I hadn't read ten pages of his book--can't remember the title anymore--when I knew this was it. I could spend the rest of my life in bed with this writer's books.

Over the next few years, Wilbur Smith’s books made me discover Africa, where I met animals I'd never heard of, and villains the likes of which I hope to never meet. I was swept into his stories of love and passion and greed; stories from which I never wanted to walk away. I devoured book after book of his, until, of course, the inevitable happened. I caught up with every last one of his books and was facing a long void until his next book hit the stands. And I, fickle reader that I am, had an affair with a few other authors, and then it happened again. I read Dominic Dunne. And wham. I was in love again.

With Dominic Dunne’s books, I spent time with the truly rich and the truly manipulative. How can anyone forget books like The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, or An Inconvenient Woman, or A Season in Purgatory? Once I discovered them, I was hooked. Forgive me Dominic, for I betrayed you too when I discovered my next big love, Nelson De Mille.

De Mille is a master of sharp, snappy talk, and he makes all those words come out of the mouth of a sexy good cop with a bad attitude--John Corey. Now here's the funny part. I don't really know what John Corey looks like, except that he has scars on his chest from some bullet wounds. I also know that John Corey is almost as fickle when it comes to love as I am when it comes to favorite authors. He seems to fall in love with a different woman in almost every one of his adventures. That is, until he met and married Kate. But who knows, so far she's only been around for a couple of novels. For all I know she'll be dropped off, maybe even killed in the next book, and then sexy John will be available again and I can go on dreaming. 

Now here's something you might not know about me. I'm married, and—get this—my husband doesn't mind my little dalliances with all these authors...as long as I don't meet them in person that is.

And why am I blabbing about all these loves of mine? Because, every time I start a new project, I hope with all my heart, that I infuse my novel with enough passion and ambition and greed that when you, dear reader, read my work, you will fall—perhaps just a little bit—in love with my characters. And I promise to love you right back, even knowing that I will never be able to write fast enough to keep your from someday leaving me for some other writer.

C’est la vie!

Monique

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Review of The Myth of Mr Mom By: Jeremy Rodden


The Myth of Mr. Mom
By: Jeremy Rodden
Amazon

Summery from Amazon:
The Myth of Mr. Mom is a collaborative non-fiction essay anthology written by stay-at-home dads that shares the personal stories of eight men from around the world.




























My review:
Being a stay-at-home parent hasn't always been looked down upon. However as more women willing choose to join the work force and a career path that involved brief cases and meetings instead of binkies and nap times;stay-at-home parents began to get bad rap. For women who chose to stay-at-home, they were looked at as being soft, since they stayed home all day, or even worse as naive, since they let their "man" do all the work and make all the decisions. For men who chose to stay at home, the reaction was even worse. Men were long considered the bread winners of the family, so when they decided to stay home not only were they considered lazy, it was even looked at to the point that there was something inherently wrong with them. That they couldn't "cut it" in society or worse that they were purposely manipulating their poor wives into working, while they stayed home and did nothing.
For women the original opinion has changed greatly. In today's economy if the woman is fortunate enough to be able to stay home, they are no longer looked at as naive or soft. She is no longer pictured as sitting at home watching soaps and eating bon-bons all day. More people have come to realize that running a household can be similar to running a business, with coordinating schedules, house hold budgets, etc. It is no longer assumed that just because a women isn't working that she doesn't have an equal say.
However while women have been able to shed the majority of negative connotations, men unfortunately have not. The majority of people still view stay at home dads as lazy or selfish or both.
I really liked this book. The essays gave great insight into a new family dynamic that is on the rise, and shines a spotlight on the biases that are still prevalent in today's society towards it. They take the reader inside a world that they may not be wholly familiar with, often with humor, but always with honesty. I feel it's a great read whether you have children or not. I think that it should be required reading if you have a significant other who has decided to stay home with the kids. (whether they are male or female) I have been on both sides of the fence, and I know that when I was the main bread winner for my family it was hard to understand what my husband went through. I think that this book would have also been of great help to him since it would have helped him to see that there were other stay-at-home dads too.
One of the few things that I noticed though was that all the men had jobs that they could do from home. I would love to find out if this was from boredom and wanting to have something to do outside of the home, or because of today's economy and they needed to find a way to help the family finances, OR if they felt compelled to find work because they were tired of people looking down on them because they weren't working outside the home. I know in at least one of the writers cases, he needed to provide an income for himself and his daughter and that he was lucky enough that he could work from home and his daughter's mother wasn't involved in the financial equation for the household.
Anyway, I really liked this book. There were parts that made me laugh out loud, parts that had me nodding my head in agreement, and parts that had me wanting to find some of those people who had the gall to say degrading things to these fathers and smack them upside the head. If there was any problem I had with the book it would be that it was short, and I wanted to read more. As a side note to all stay-at-home dads may I commend you on your choices. I'm not saying that all dads should stay home, that is something that should be decided on an individual basis, but in a world that gives you grief over your choices remember that what it comes down to is that the people that matter, your kids, your significant other, (and you!) are happy in the end.


*****In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm disclosing that I received this book for free through GoodReads First Reads. ****
(I recommend everybody should go check out all the awesome first read giveaways they have!)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

In My mailbox:12-21-11


In My E-mailbox:

By: Ralph Peters

By: Sergey and Marina Dyachenko

By: Jason Karlawish

By: Jennifer Flanders

By: J.A. Giunta


In My Real World Mailbox:

By: Dean Koontz

***Oooooo soooo pretty!!!***

***So I got this one and was telling  my boyfriend about how it's an Advanced Readers Copy, and he says:
So that means there's bigger words in this version?
(yes he was kidding)***



By: Hannah Moskowitz














****My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie . A post where we share books acquired via mailbox, library, store, etc.****


Want to put some more books in your mailbox? Check out my other contests and giveaways!:

*****Want a free book?*****
Check out my spotlight of Joseph Robert Lewis this month to find out how!



Scorpio Rising Holiday Tour - Author Interview



Announcing the Scorpio Rising Social Media Whirlwind Tour! As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Scorpio Rising eBook edition has dropped to just .99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including 2 Kindle Fires, Amazon gift cards up to $100 in amount, 5 autographed copies of the book, and 5 autographed copies of its recently released sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio. Be sure to enter before the end of the day on Friday, December 23rd, so you don’t miss out.  


To Win the Prizes:

  1. Purchase your copy of Scorpio Rising for just .99 cents on Amazon or Barnes & Noble
  2. Fill-out the form on Novel Publicity to enter for the prizes
  3. Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card!
  4. BONUS: If you leave a comment on this blog post, you have another chance at $100!

...And I can win too!

Over 100 bloggers are participating in this gigantic event, and there are plenty of prizes for us too. The blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card as well. So when you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to say that I referred you, so I can get a point in the poll.  

The Featured Events include:

Monday, Blogaganza on Novel Publicity! We’re kicking-off on the Novel Publicity Free Advice blog. We’ll ask the writer 5 fun and random questions to get everyone talking. Leave a comment or question in response to the post, and you may win an autographed copy of Scorpio Rising or its sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio. Don’t forget to enter for the other contest prizes while you’re over there!

Tuesday, Twitter sharing contest! A tweet is tiny, only 140 characters. But on Tuesday, it could win you $50. Send the following tweet across the twittersphere, and you just may win a $50 Amazon gift card. Autographed copies of Scorpio Rising and its sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio, are also up for grabs. The winner will be announced Wednesday morning. Here’s the tweet: Looking for a read that's full of love, drama, and betrayal? Scorpio Rising has been reduced to 99 cents! http://ow.ly/7zA2s #whirlwind

Wednesday, Google+ sharing contest! Yup, there’s yet another awesome opportunity to win a $50 Amazon gift card, and this time it just takes a single click! Visit Google+ and share Emlyn Chand’s most recent post (you’ll see the Scorpio Rising book cover included with it). On Thursday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. Autographed copies of Scorpio Rising and its sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio, are also up for grabs. Three chances to win! How about that?

Thursday, Facebook sharing contest! Stop by Novel Publicity’s Facebook page and share their latest post (you’ll see the Scorpio Rising book cover included with it). It’s ridiculously easy to win! On Friday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. Autographed copies of Scorpio Rising and its sequel, The Sting of The Scorpio, are also up for grabs.

Friday, special contest on the author’s site! Win a Kindle Fire! Two are up for grabs! Visit Monique’s website to leave a comment on any of her posts and sign-up for her author newsletter. One person will win for each method, so be sure to do both.

Remember, it’s all about the books!

About Scorpio Rising: Set in New York and Paris amid the glamorous and competitive worlds of art and real estate, Scorpio Rising takes the reader from the late 1940s to the 1960s through the tumultuous lives of its heroes. Alex Ivanov is the son of a Russian immigrant and part-time prostitute. He yearns to escape his sordid life and achieve fame and fortune. His dreams of becoming a world-class builder are met with countless obstacles, yet he perseveres in the hope of someday receiving the recognition he craves. Half a world away, Brigitte Dartois is an abused teenager who runs into the arms of a benefactor with an agenda all his own. When she finds out that her boss has an ulterior motive, she flees again, determined to earn her living through her art. This career brings her fame, but also the unwanted attention of her early abuser. Monique Domovitch’s debut novel, Scorpio Rising, is a compelling tale filled with finely etched characters and a superb understanding of the power of ambition. Scorpio Rising promises to resonate with all who once had a dream. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About The Sting of The Scorpio: In Scorpio Rising, Monique Domovitch presented a compelling tale filled with colorful characters and the manipulation of power, ambition, and greed. Now she gives us its spellbinding sequel, The Sting of the Scorpio, where Alexander Ivanov returns to New York with his new bride, Brigitte. The real estate industry is ripe with opportunity. Blessed with irresistible charm, ambition, and the single-minded obsession to succeed, Alex plots and manipulates his way to almost mystical success. Everything he touches turns to gold, but it’s never enough. When a hostile takeover bid leaves him struggling to save his beloved company, he suspects those closest to him of plotting his downfall. Brigitte, the beautiful redhead who abandoned her country and her career to become his wife, feels alone. In return, Alex has betrayed her time and again, each indiscretion cutting deeper into her soul. Brigitte’s son, David yearns to be an artist, but Alex’s plans leave no room for such frivolous goals. He grooms a reluctant David to become the heir apparent until a devastating tragedy attracts the attention of another young man. The Sting of the Scorpio is a rich tale of a man at the mercy of his own greed and a woman bound by her need for love. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the Author: Monique Domovitch began writing at the age of fifty-five. Two years later, she has two self-published novels—her Scorpio Series—and a three-book deal with Penguin, for books she has written under the name of Carol Ann Martin. Never seen without her laptop, Monique and her husband travel the world and divide the rest of their time between their homes in British Columbia and California. Monique loves to hear from readers! Visit her on her websiteTwitterFacebook, or GoodReads.  

Let's get to know the author a bit better through this rousing Q&A...
 
 You’ve had varied careers, the first of which was modeling. Looking back, what did you learn from your careers?

From modeling, I learned that by pretending a person can become. I was the shyest, gawkiest girl, but walking the runway taught me to hold my head high and smile in spite of my fear, and with time, the confidence I tried to project became real. From my years as a financial planner, I learned that I, and only I, am responsible for my financial security. This is a lesson I tried to teach women during my four years as a television financial coach. And from becoming an author during the last third of my life, I’ve learned that it’s never too late to follow one’s dream. Like the old Nike commercial says, “just do it.”  

You married again late in life. Is marriage easier the second time around?

Maybe not the second time, because I was divorced twice. But the third time is the charm. Mind you, I was on my own for twenty years before meeting my new husband. I came to a point where I decided I’d rather be alone than in an unsatisfying relationship. And I was very happy with my family, friends, career and dogs. My life was full. I believe that when a woman is happy by herself, she’s less likely to make a wrong choice.    


Do you believe in love?

Totally and passionately. But, and this is a big but, I think that it can be very easy to mistake passion for love, and although they are not mutually exclusive, they are not always both present at the onset. I believe that love is friendship on fire. For that reason, unless one person really likes another— and I’m talking, ‘Like,’ with a capital L here— real love is not possible.  


Who has provided you with the most inspiration for your writing?

It wasn’t so much a ‘who,’ as a ‘when,’ that really pushed me to follow my dream of becoming a writer. I was fifty-five years old, had just retired after a lifetime of being a career person while denying my real dream, writing. That’s when I decided that if I didn’t do it now, I never would. You know how people are supposed to ask themselves, ‘when facing death, what they would regret not doing?’ For me the answer was writing. Writing is what I had always wanted to do.  

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m almost finished writing the first of a three-book mystery-series for Penguin, which I write under the pen-name, Carol Ann Martin. I’m having a great time developing the main character—a career woman suffering from a burnout, and who escapes from her life to a tiny community, only to stumble upon a murder. Next, I have a stand-alone book that is about half done. I want to go back and finish that one. And then, I have the rest of my astrological-sign series, the next in line being Taurus, set in the investment world. More greed, deception and betrayals. And then the second of my Penguin books, and then...Sometimes I think I’ll never have the time to write everything I want to write.

Do you have a writing schedule?

Yes, all day every day :-P Just kidding. I try to write eight full hours a day, or a minimum of one thousand words. But try as I might, I find that the first half of a novel just about writes itself. The words fly onto the page, but when I get to the fifty percent mark, the going slows to a crawl—especially in a murder mystery. I have to keep going back and forth making sure all the clues and details are there, but not so obvious they give everything away.

Where do you write?

I made myself a private space in my home and that’s where I go for privacy. But my best writing is often while I’m doing the dishes, or during long drives. That’s when my mind wanders and I dream up my next scenes, or come up with some snappy dialogue. I often stop and just down a few lines to remind myself for later.


What advice do you have for wannabe authors?

I don’t want to give anybody the same old advice about practicing your skill, getting an editor. My advice is, treat writing like a business, especially if you plan on self-publishing. Remember, your novel will be competing with millions of other novels out there. You have to come up with a plan to make yours stand out and get noticed. Of course the story and the style counts, but everything else counts too. Will you write for women? For young adults? For children? What publishing format should you choose? E-book? Soft cover? Hard cover? How much will it cost and how many copies must you sell to break even? How will you distribute your novels? What can you do to make them stand out from the millions of others? A new author should research what the best-selling authors have done to become successful, and then create plans of their own.  

What do you do when you're not writing?

People are always surprised to find out that I’m also a hobby beekeeper. I have one hive from which I harvested over forty pounds of honey last season. And I love to boast that my honey is absolutely wonderful. It has a floral quality, because of the area where we live. Victoria is the most floral city in North America.  

If you had one wish, what would it be?

That one is easy. I wish for a long and healthy life, so I can keep writing for the next fifty years. Okay, fifty might be pushing it. Make it at least forty years.

Songs of the Season



Songs of the Season
Event production by
Random Magic Tour
Sasha Soren (Random Magic)
Dec. 10-25, 2011



Welcome to the Songs of the Season music hop! You're invited to join

us every day from December 10-25, to enjoy a virtual round of
caroling.



You can visit a different blog each day to find another wonderful

music selection, handpicked by a great host. Schedule



Here's my selection for your enjoyment!



Title: Christmas Wrapping
Artist: The Waitresses
Available at: Amazon  



Here are the lyrics, so you can sing along!:

Bah, humbug!" No, that's too strong 
'Cause it is my favorite holiday 
But all this year's been a busy blur 
Don't think I have the energy 


To add to my already mad rush 

Just 'cause it's 'tis the season. 

The perfect gift for me would be 
Completions and connections left from 



Last year, ski shop, 

Encounter, most interesting. 

Had his number but never the time 
Most of '81 passed along those lines. 



So deck those halls, trim those trees 

Raise up cups of Christmas cheer, 

I just need to catch my breath, 
Christmas by myself this year. 



Calendar picture, frozen landscape, 

Chilled this room for twenty-four days, 

Evergreens, sparkling snow 
Get this winter over with! 



Flashback to springtime, saw him again, 

Would've been good to go for lunch, 

Couldn't agree when we were both free, 
We tried, we said we'd keep in touch. 



Didn't, of course, 'til summertime, 

Out to the beach to his boat could I join him? 

No, this time it was me, 
Sunburn in the third degree. 



Now the calendar's just one page 

And, of course, I am excited 

Tonight's the night, but I've set my mind 
Not to do too much about it. 



Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!

But I think I'll miss this one this year. 

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! 
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! 
But I think I'll miss this one this year. 
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! 
But I think I'll miss this one this year. 



Hardly dashing through the snow

Cause I bundled up too tight

Last minute have-to-do's
A few cards a few calls
'Cause it's r-s-v-p
No thanks, no party lights
It's Christmas Eve, gonna relax
Turned down all of my invites.



Last fall I had a night to myself, 

Same guy called, halloween party, 

Waited all night for him to show, 
This time his car wouldn't go, 



Forget it, it's cold, it's getting late, 

Trudge on home to celebrate 

In a quiet way, unwind 
Doing Christmas right this time. 



A&P has provided me 

With the world's smallest turkey 

Already in the oven, nice and hot 
Oh damn! Guess what I forgot? 



So on with the boots, back out in the snow 

To the only all-night grocery, 

When what to my wondering eyes should appear 
In the line is that guy I've been chasing all year! 



"I'm spending this one alone," he said. 

"Need a break; this year's been crazy." 

I said, "Me too, but why are you? 
You mean you forgot cranberries too?" 



Then suddenly we laughed and laughed 

Caught on to what was happening 

That Christmas magic's brought this tale 
To a very happy ending! " 



Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! 

Couldn't miss this one this year! 

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! 
Couldn't miss this one this year!


I love this song, it's so upbeat.   The only time I would hear it as a kid though was at Christmas.  Lately I don't ever hear it.  So I wanted to make sure I shared it with everyone.  I know it's not one of the more "traditional" holiday songs. But it's still a classic.  I couldn't find the actual music video to go with the song.  But I really liked the whole Christmas light action going on in this one. So you can sing along and pretend you are really out in the snow caroling! (of course while enjoying some nice hot cocoa in the comfort of your home.) 

I was originally gonna choose I'll Be Home for Christmas. Since this is the first Christmas in a long while that I will be actually celebrating Christmas at home. But I get kinda depressed when I hear it too, since some of the people I would love to see on Christmas are 3000 miles away, and I wanted my song to be cheerful and make me happy as well as make people smile. So I hope you enjoyed the song! I'd love to hear in the comments what your favorite holiday song is and why.   Be sure to click on the badges below to hear another great song! Thanks for stopping by!










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