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AUTHOR INTERVIEW – JODY WALLACE

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

Been waiting for an excuse to invite Author Jody Wallace to the blog. She’s here this morning talking about her new urban fantasy release The Whole Truth. You can read the first scene here, which I have just done, and am totally hooked. Ready to download it along with another one of her books I found while trolling around on her site. So many books, so little time.

Cleopatra Giancarlo is different from your average twenty something career girl. For one thing, she knows when people lie because she can see the truth in their shadows. For another, she doesn’t use her power for good. Or evil. After repeated failures to help others, she mostly just uses it to get deals at Bloomingdale’s. She fears what the government would do if they discovered her ability, yet she longs to find out if there are people like her out there. If there’s anything more she could be.

She gets her wish when two strangers whisk her away from her old life and introduce her to the world of suprasensors. John Arlin and Samantha Grooms represent an organization called YuriCorp, one of many privately-owned firms that employ supras like Cleo to increase their profit margin. Any of these firms would be thrilled to have Cleo on staff, and their methods of recruitment aren’t always friendly.

But even in the world of supras, Cleo doesn’t get to be normal. Her new boss wants her to go undercover and seek traitors in the company ranks. Her new friends know what she can do and how to work around it. And her new assignment might end up with her in a coma–or worse.

Good morning, Jody. Tell us about yourself, your books, and what the hell an amigurumist is.

Know how authors write these books and they’re really long and the books take forever to finish? Maybe you don’t, so I just told you. Well, I write novels sometimes, and it takes forever. So that’s how I got into crocheting.

Once I started crocheting, I knew I didn’t want to do any huge projects — like NOVELS — so I tackled little stuff. Amigurumi is the art of crocheting tiny, cute animals, hence amigurumist, so I get to stitch “the end” into my creative crochet projects a lot more quickly than I do in my writing. Recently tiny, cute animals have been too much for me, too, so I’ve started crocheting earrings. I may need to change my website to earringurumist or something.

Crocheted earrings…how uniquely fabulous! If I could wear earrings, I would hit you up for a pair, but alas, it is my cross to bear in life to have underdressed ears.  

Cleo, our Whole Truth heroine sees truth in people’s shadows. Tell us how this concept came about for you. And I want to know, if you could see people’s truths, would you choose to?

It came about, as do so many of my novel ideas, as a short story. Needless to say, it swelled from there. I thought about what types of paranormal powers I’d seen characters possess in books and movies and what magic or science had been used to explain those powers. What powers, I wondered, would be the most exciting for humans to have? Strength? Agility? Flight? Invisiblity? And then I said, to heck with it, and made some stuff up about supersensors. They don’t have anything different than normal humans–they just have the ability to access their senses in more enhanced ways than we do.

I would not want to see people’s truths. I think I’d find, Iike Cleo, that everyone’s a liar, and it would get old fast. I would want the power of instant teleportation of me and all my family and my crap on vacations. Or maybe healing. No, wait, probably I’d pick immortality. At least for the first 1000 years.

This novel looks beautifully intense and intricate. What’s your research process, and how much of it did you need to do on this one?

How much research I did was directly proportional to how much I wanted to procrastinate each particular scene. I researched a huge variety of items for this book. Management consulting, accounting practices, kaizen, burglar alarms, those bug zapper things, people who test perfumes, telepathy and telekinetics, potato salad, Nolensville Road in Nashville, what a “river cooter” really is…that didn’t make it into the book, though. But did you know some turtles can breathe through their butts??

I’ll need a full report of what a “river cooter” is next time I see you, please. How much will romance play a part in this novel? Do we have any love scenes to look forward to?

There is romance. There is flirtation, sexual tension, at least one date, and some hot guys who take off their shirts. The story is written as the beginning of a series about Cleo, though, so …SPOILER!… it does not have a traditional romance genre HEA where Cleo gets married to the man of her dreams and rides off into the sunset on a Segway. I think she’d like a Segway.

Ooh, you just said the magic word…series! Yes!

Do you plot or pants?

I plotz my pants on a regular basis.

No, wait, what? I do both. Sometimes simultaneously. With this book, I nearly ruined it for myself. Long ago, when I was but a lass of some young age I can’t say because it would reveal my current age, I was asked to provide a full synopsis of this crazy book idea I had about a woman who could see lies. I painstakingly wrote that synopsis and then found I hated the very idea of that book. It didn’t get written at the time. Then, later, it did, and it bore little resemblance to that first synopsis.

Luckily, a synopsis evilly ruining my writing libido only happened once. Now my kids do that.

What’s your take on reviews? Do you read them – the good, the bad and the ugly?

Reviews are for readers. I read them. I do not comment on them publicly. Meankitty even writes reviews sometimes. She’s not very nice. Once she got hate mail for one of her “Bad Libs” reviews where she just takes a bunch of random adjectives and adverbs and such and sticks them in a fake review form. I treasure that almost as much as my 3 pieces of fan mail.


I seriously hope I never cross Meankitty in a dark alley.

Who are your favorite authors in and out of the romance genre, and what are you reading now?

Right now I’m reading Lyndsay Buroker’s newest book Torrent, Part 1 of Rust & Relics. I love her stuff. Favorite authors include Ms. Buroker, Linnea Sinclair, Natalie Damschroder, Ilona Andrews, Clyde Edgerton, Sandra Boynton, Marion Chesney, Carla Kelly, JK Rowling and Charlaine Harris. Among others.

A selfish question – how do you balance writing with family and the day to day of life?

I don’t. I suck. Just don’t tell my family. I think I have them fooled.

When is your most productive time of the day to write, and where do you do it?

I write when the kids are in school, in my recliner, in complete silence. The only sound allowed is the purring of a cat. Let’s just say I’m not very flexible. I don’t remember how I managed to get anything done when kids were at home. It’s like a bad dream to me now. Which isn’t to say I dislike my children. I don’t. I think I wrote a lot when they napped and after they went to bed.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about The Whole Truth?

It’s less than $4, before tax?

Find The Whole Truth for only $3.99 on Amazon or add it to your Goodreads list.

Visit Jody’s website: http://www.jodywallace.com

Follow Jody on Twitter Facebook Goodreads and Amazon

If you are a “cat person” or enjoy cat humor, you’ll want to click here
You can also follow Meankitty on Facebook and Pinterest

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO WRITE, WE SALUTE YOU

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

On Friday, hundreds of thousands of writers opened their laptops and began page one of a new novel in celebration of National Novel Writing Month, more commonly known as NaNoWriMo. These writers will create at least 50,000 new words between November 1st and November 30th. 


Many writers view NaNoWriMo as an exercise in discipline and commitment. These dedicated novelists will pen the words rain or shine, headaches or clear brains, writer’s block or free-flowing ideas. They are in it to reach their goal of 1,666 words per day No. Matter. What. And for that, this writer salutes you.


Am I going to be one of the many committing to such a feat? To quote the hilarious Jody Wallace who will be featured on this blog next week – NaNoHellNo.


For me, I believe there are three sixes in that daily word count for good reason. See, there are days that I am on fire and can spew out 5,000 or even 10,000 words (once, okay? it happened one time – I’m counting it). But those are the days when the sun, moon, stars and planets all line up perfectly; I have a kid-free day off of work; and okay, I admit it, a few cocktails. Not promising what those 10,000 words consist of, or whether or not they make it into my final draft, but on extremely rare occasions, they happen.


Then, there are MOST days, which look more like me sitting in front of the computer staring at the same paragraph for two hours straight, my fingers laced through my knotted hair, permanent frown lines creasing my forehead, and a kid tugging on my shirt wanting to know when it’s time to work on the devil-cursed rainbow loom again. These are the kind of days that would instill panic in my NaNoWriMo committed brain and ultimately cause heart failure…or a flying laptop through a window at the very least.


But what I WILL do this month, is commit my time. I will turn off the television – don’t ask me if I’ve seen the latest Blacklist – pry my eyelids apart, and commit to two hours per day of SOMETHING to do with writing, whether it be edits on an already written book (my current project), new words on my WIP, or even reading what I know to be a well-written novel for “homework” purposes. Yes, this is one career that has fabulous homework assignments!


But to all of those forging forward with your 50,000 new words – much respect my friends…much respect.


“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

AUTHOR INTERVIEW – PAMELA CLARE

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

*Good morning, Pamela! And thanks for taking a minute to stop by the blog. Tell us a little about who you are and what you write.

Thanks so much for having me as a guest! I really appreciate it.

I am a former investigative journalist and newspaper editor-in-chief and a single mother of two adult sons. My degree is in classical archaeology — Latin, Greek, Romans and the like. I started writing historical romance with my first historical hitting shelves in 2003. In 2005, I began writing romantic suspense with my I-Team series. I left journalism in 2011, and now I write full time. I live in Boulder, Colorado, so my writing view every day is the Rocky Mountains.

*Talk about inspiration! And by the way, I am envious of your background, which must come in helpful in your I-Team series. Speaking of, for those who haven’t heard of your I-Team series, tell us what it’s all about.

Working as an investigative reporter can be dangerous at times, and over the course of my career I faced numerous death threats, had two stalkers, had a gun held on me twice, and saw things no one wants to see. One evening when I was chatting with my agent about my second historical novel, which was in the works, I mentioned that I’d gotten a phone call from a state official who was worried about my safety. He’d been to a factory I was investigating and had heard the plant manager whipping up the employees into a rage over my articles. The official’s exact words were, “These guys aren’t going to write you a letter to the editor. They’re going to beat the shit out of you with baseball bats.”

I told my agent what he’d said. I wasn’t upset or scared. I’d heard things like this before and was simply passing on the news. My agent got very quiet for a moment and then said, “You ought to write romantic suspense because you live it.”

And I said, “Yeah—except for the ‘romantic’ part.”

That’s how the I-Team series started. The stories are based, loosely sometimes, on real work I did as an investigative reporter. The word “I-Team” refers to the Investigative Team that is the focus of the series—a team of hand-picked, hardcore investigative reporter heroines whose work lands them in life-threatening situations where they meet the dangerous men who become their heroes.

There are five full-length novels and two novellas in the series at this point, with the sixth novel, Striking Distance, slated for release on Nov. 5.

Striking Distance tells the story of Laura Nilsson, a broadcast journalist, and Javier Corbray, an active-duty Navy SEAL. Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

Her past is a secret—even to her.
Discovering it will be the most dangerous move of her life.

TV reporter Laura Nilsson, known as the “Baghdad Babe,” spent eighteen months in an Al-Qaeda compound after being kidnapped live on the air. Two years later, she’s still wondering why.

No mission in Javier Corbray’s fourteen years as a Navy SEAL affected him the way Laura’s rescue did. No woman had stirred his protective instincts the way she did. And he wants her more than he’s ever wanted anyone.

As Laura and Javier’s passion ignites, so does Laura’s need to discover the mystery of her past. Especially when she learns that her abduction was not random—and that she’s still a target for a killer with an impenetrable motive. Now Javier will have to rely on his skills to keep the woman he loves from being struck down before she dares uncover the truth.

There are excerpts on my website for all the I-Team books.

*Death threats? Guns drawn on you? I’m speechless. Make that wordless. Wow.

I see your series is now available in audiobook format. Congratulations! I am a huge proponent of audiobooks for the busy reader. (I’ve just downloaded my copy of Breaking Point, by the way.) Did you have much input on who was chosen to narrate? And do the performances illustrate the characters as you intended while writing them?

Thank you! I love audiobooks, so I was really excited about this.

I have been so incredibly lucky when it comes to the narration. I was told at the outset that I would have no input into who narrated my stories, but I felt very strongly that my books needed a male narrator. The stories revolve so heavily around the actions and personalities of the alpha male heroes, both in the I-Team series and in my historicals, that I felt a male narrator was necessary to do the stories justice. So, having been told I had no say, I took to Twitter, and, with the participation of my readers and the use of hashtags, ran a little campaign. It succeeded.

Tantor Audio gave me my male narrator in the form of Kaleo Griffith, who had never narrated romance before and was somewhat new to audiobooks. We worked more closely together than a lot of authors and narrators, thanks to Kaleo’s desire to learn all he could about the stories and the characters before he started recording. He has a gift for narration and has done an absolutely fabulous job.

I couldn’t be happier with his performances. He brings the characters and all the little emotional moments between them to life. And having a man with a super-sexy voice narrate the sex scenes? These books need to come with a warning about driving and operating heavy machinery, I think. The best part about it is that I’ve become good friends with Kaleo through our interaction on these books.

I was thrilled last month when AudioGals named the I-Team series and Surrender, one of my historicals, as audiobook classics.

Many of my readers have now become listeners, and they seem to be afflicted with a strange syndrome. It’s called OKD — Obsessive Kaleo Disorder. They can’t get enough of Kaleo’s narration.

*Ha! I love that story! First of all, power to the people! Love that you started a campaign to win your valued input! And secondly, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a man narrate a lengthy “love” scene. Looking forward to that!

Are the stories in this series stand alone, or should we read them in order?

The stories absolutely do stand alone, but I think it’s sometimes they’re more impactful if you read them in order. But most people have read them backward, so I know that works. Breaking Point is actually a great place to start. They are pretty spicy, but I do have some limits.

*What first inspired you to write for the romance genre?

I read a lot as a child and a teenager. When I was about fourteen, I read The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss and fell in love with romantic fiction. After that it was Rosemary Rogers’ Sweet Savage Love and Woodiwiss’s Shanna and The Wolf and the Dove. I’d known since I was about 10 that I wanted to write books one day. After reading my first few romance novels, I knew I wanted to write romance.

*Who are some of your favorite authors in and out of the romance genre? And what are you reading now?

Oh, what a fun question! I could talk about books all day.

I have so many authors whose books I love — Julie James, Jill Shalvis, Monica McCarty, Tara Janzen, Cindy Gerard, Roxanne St. Claire, Marie Force, Norah Wilson, Bonnie Vanak, Vanessa Kelly/VK Sykes, Lila DiPasqua, Elisabeth Naughton, Monica Burns, Kris Kennedy, Mia Marlowe, Erin Kellison, Jennifer Lyon. I could go on…

I still have my copies of Woodiwiss’s books along with other classics, including Rexanne Becnel’s medievals, and several of Julie Garwood’s historicals.

I’m currently reading Kaylea Cross’s DEADLY DESCENT and really enjoying it. She’s a new-to-me author who does a fabulous job with military romance. I’ve got Jessica Scott’s I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS up next, followed by Jenn LeBlanc’s THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE, which is illustrated — yes! — and which I’ve been dying to get to for ages, and then RAZING KAYNE, a romantic suspense title by a new author Julieanne Reeves. On audio, I’m listening to Julie Garwood’s RANSOM, an old favorite.

*Looks like I’ve got some authors/titles to add to my lengthy reading wish list! Is there anything else you’d like everyone to know about you and your books?

Right now, I-Team fans have a lot to be excited about. First Strike, my first erotic contemporary novella which is basically like a movie from www.tubev.sex but a lot steamier and lustful was just released last week. The erotic prequel to Striking Distance (I-Team Book 6), it’s only 99 cents right now.

Breaking Point, which was named one of Amazon’s Top Books of 2011, is on sale for $1.99 through Oct. 30, so that’s a great opportunity for someone who’s new to the series to get started.

And then, of course, Striking Distance, the next full-length book in the I-Team series, will be out on Nov. 5, finishing the story that begins in First Strike. Striking Distance got a Top Pick review from RT Book Reviews, which thrilled me.

I guess the big thing to know about my books is that they’re pretty intense and emotional. The journalist and archaeologist in me demands authenticity, so I do a lot of research prior to writing in an attempt to write a story that feels real and genuine. That’s true of both the I-Team series and my historicals. For Striking Distance, for example, I worked with an active-duty Navy SEAL to get the SEAL elements of the story right.

Also, I love to chat with readers on Facebook and Twitter and do my best to keep up.

Thanks so much for having me here!

Visit Pamela’s Website: www.pamelaclare.com
Follow Pamela on Facebook  Twitter and Goodreads
View Pamela’s pretty artwork.    

             

Breaking Point on sale now through Oct. 30th for $1.99 through Amazon

Striking Distance available Nov. 5th

First Strike now on sale for $.99 through Amazon

AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ELLA SHERIDAN

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

Excited today to feature Ella Sheridan and her new release Dirty Little Secret. I’ve seen some excerpts from Ella’s writing and shew!  Get out your fans, ladies because it’s gonna heat up!

Ella was nominated for this year’s coveted Golden Heart award, the Romance Writers of America’s most prestigious award for non-published authors. So you know the girl’s got some street cred. I’ve just downloaded Dirty Little Secret and am looking forward to ignoring my family and binge-reading. Here is what awaits me on my Kindle:

Cailin Gray transferred to the new Atlanta branch of her company to work for the senior vice president, Alex Brannigan. But before her job begins, she allows the anonymity of the big city to lure her into a night of dancing–and the arms of a mystery lover hotter than anything this country girl could imagine. When she wakes alone, his absence hurts more than she thought it would, but not nearly as much as walking into the office Monday morning and discovering her lover is her new, married boss.


Alex has one goal: help his best friend, Sara Beth, keep her inheritance. This plan included a marriage of convenience–check–taking over the vice president’s position–check–and keeping the platonic state of their relationship secret until their position of power is solidified. That last takes time, but the resulting solitude weighs heavily. Until Cailin. He told himself a single night would have to be enough, but fate had other plans. Now he must choose between keeping his dirty little secret and fulfilling his promise to Sara Beth, or finding the strength to free them all from the secrets that bind them.

                                                                    

Thanks so much, Ella, for stopping by the blog this morning. Let’s jump right in.

*What is in store for us lucky ones who have chosen to read Dirty Little Secret? On a scale of 1-10, what’s the heat level?

I’d say a 7—lots of open-door intimacy without kink or some of the trigger words some readers find a bit “over the top.” I’m a little shy that way. ☺

*Ha! Yes, those terms can get a little creepy sometimes. What’s Cailin, our heroine, like? How do you think we’ll relate to her?

Cailin is at a time in her life I think many women identify with: a time of change. Even if she’s not divorced, a woman often faces those moments, maybe their thirty-fifth birthday or their child’s moving out, where she looks back at her life and has a few regrets. When I wrote DLS, that’s where I was in my own life. Cailin is there as well. She’s looking back and realizing she never really gave in to that “wild side,” that part of her that takes chances and lives a little. Of course, when she does…oh boy, is it a doozy! 

*Sounds like it from the blurb! (which, by the way, did not fail to get my attention—yowza!) What parts of writing DLS came naturally, and which did you hit speed bumps with (without giving too much away, of course!)?

The opening scenes, where Cailin and Alex meet, came very naturally. I love delving into an imperfect but alpha male character, and Alex is just that. He is protective and strong and all the things a woman wants from a hero, but he faces a moral dilemma he’s not sure how to deal with. I wasn’t sure how to deal with it either, and that’s where things got rocky—at the end. How could Alex find his happily ever after and still protect his best friend? But don’t worry (even though I did!). I finally came up with an answer, thank goodness.

*Oh, yes. How we love our alpha heroes! What, if anything would you like for your readers to know about DLS?

The thing that has worried me most since DLS sold was how readers would react to Alex’s situation. I’ll admit, I wrote the book as an exercise in creativity. I wanted to see if I could take some of the old “romance tropes” (boss and secretary, marriage of convenience, starting over in a new job/place) and make those into something new and interesting. But a marriage of convenience in a contemporary setting, where the married people aren’t the ones falling in love? Most readers struggle with any semblance of infidelity—I do too. I wasn’t certain if the relationship between Cailin and Alex and Sara Beth would be too much for some readers. I hope by showing Alex’s true relationship with Sara Beth (definitely friends, not lovers), and that Sara Beth has her own happily ever after waiting for her, the readers will see not infidelity, but a man of integrity and strength ready to sacrifice everything he wants just to help his best friend. That is what makes Alex a hero for me.

*I’m confident that we are in good hands with you, and that you handled it superbly! Which authors do you love, in or out of the romance genre and what are you reading now?

I read romance almost exclusively, both for work (I’m a line editor) and because it’s the best escape in the world for this particular high-stress person. I just finished Lexi Blake’s Love and Let Die, which was awesome, let me tell you! Her alpha males are protective and caring, much like Alex, only in a slightly different (*cough—dominating—cough*) way. ☺ I’m a huge fan of author Maya Banks, as well as Cherise Sinclair, Belle Andre, Lauren Dane… I could go on forever! My Golden Heart final, Unbroken, is a gritty paranormal romance (think shape-shifters but based on mythical creatures, set in Nashville—apparently I have a thing for Southern cities), and so I do read a good bit of that as well: Lara Adrian, J. R. Ward, Larissa Ione. So many wonderful books and authors out there, and so very little time to indulge, but books are my go-to indulgence, even over chocolate. Maybe not over man candy, but definitely over chocolate.

*OMG – I would follow Maya Banks into an erupting volcano! I’ll have to check out your other suggestions. What’s next on your writing agenda?

I have several projects on my plate right now, including my paranormal series and an indie series that will release late next year. The sequel to DLS is in the works right now. That will be Damien’s story. Talk about smokin’—Damien is every girl’s fantasy come to life, and we get to indulge in some very sexy fantasies with him. His heroine is sassy and sarcastic and his match in every way. And her secret? Well, you’ll have to wait a little bit to find out, but it’s a doozy as well!


*Well played, Ms. Sheridan. I am officially teased and hooked! I’m off now to start on Dirty Little Secret. Nobody bug me until about midnight tonight!

Dirty Little Secret is available through Loose Id or Amazon or All Romance eBooks


www.ellasheridan.wordpress.com


Connect with Ella on Facebook


JUST A TYPICAL RUN

Posted on by Melissa Chambers
0.5 Mile Marker: 
Ugh, can’t breathe. Dumpy, awkward. Why is it that I run, again?
1.0 Mile Marker:
I’m never going to level out. It’s going to be this way for the rest of my life…I mean, the rest of this run. Maybe I should check out an aerobics class.
1.5 Mile Marker:
I want to stop. I NEED to stop. Is that a pain in my right calf?
(Drill Sergeant Melissa steps in.) Wait, give it to the end of this stretch then see if the pain is still there.
I make it another 1/10th of a mile. Pain gone.
Dammit.
2.0 Mile Marker:
At least I can breathe now, but still dumpy. This would be so much easier if I lost that annoying ten pounds.
Two twentysomething guys are coming my way, shirtless and sweaty. How you doin’? 
I’m “one of them.” I am runner. They are runner. They approach. I give them my coolest one finger wave…just as I stumble over, yeah, nothing. I just stumble.
As they pass, I notice their gazes are drawn to my mid-section. I look down to see what’s the attraction, and notice my “fitted” white t-shirt is clinging to the jiggling extra ten pounds. Nice.
2.5 Mile Marker:
Hello, Groove! Ah, yeah. Feeling fine. THIS is why I run. This is heavenly. **Head held high. Moronic grin on face.** It’s smooth sailing from now till the end. I’m halfway done. Easy money.
3.5 Mile Marker:
I NEED to stop. I’m GOING to stop. **Body deflates. Stride breaks. Steps grow even slower. **
(Drill Sergeant Melissa returns) Sure, you can stop. You just need to answer “yes” to any one of these three pertinent questions:
1 – Do you have a stomach or side cramp? No.
2 – Great. Does your knee hurt? Uh, no.
3 – Fan-freaking-tastic. Now, is it more than 90 degrees outside, and if so, do you feel tingles at the top of your head indicating heat exhaustion? **Head drops a little in shame.** Um, no. It’s like 70 degrees out here.
Wonderful. Now MOVE!! MOVE!! MOVE!!
4.5 Mile Marker:
I see the end of the trail in sight. That glorious finish line is mere moments away. I lift my knees, I am Flo Jo. I am Bruce Jenner before he became a Kardashian. I am NOT. GOING. TO. MAKE. IT.
5.0 Mile Marker. 
I am FINISHED. Yes! **fist pump**
I walk in the back door. My sweetie asks, “How was your run?”
I reply, “Awesome. Can’t wait to go again.”

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK, WILL YA?

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

I love October. With its schizophrenic weather, promise of kookiness the last couple of weeks, and the influx of candy, it’s a month full of funky fabulosity!

It gets my juices flowing. I want to drag out the Halloween decorations, light pumpkin pie scented candles and search Pinterest for fun treats the offspring and I can cook up together. It also gives you the perfect excuse to look for bulk party snacks that you can give away to trick or treaters, or no one will judge you if you decide to save them for yourself instead. And that’s why I truly love this time of year! Will I have an opportunity to dress up for Halloween? If so, what will I be? Gotta drum up something original. Not to mention something figure flattering (i.e. full-coverage, big and flowy). The fall party at school will be coming up. I could try to make those acorn candies I saw that mom post on FB. Or I could buy a cake pop maker and…

I’m exhausted and I haven’t even lifted a finger yet.

So what do I end up doing? None of it. It’s overwhelming. It’s too much. If you’re like me, you want it all and you want it now. But there’s too much to weed through. Besides, there’s the kitchen to clean, the clothes to fold, the school paperwork to go through, the bills to pay, exercise calling your name, the family to spend happy, fun, “relaxing” time with…

This is where many of us could stand to give ourselves a break.

Why is that so hard?

I had a big couple of weeks. Nothing to announce yet (although I have fingers, toes, teeth and you don’t even want to know what else crossed). After I completed a long and daunting task during those weeks, I decided to give myself a coupla days break. I swear, it’s been more stressful “taking it easy” than it was when I was staying up until 1:00 working on edits.

I can’t really relax, ever. And I know I can’t be the only one.

So how about we give ourselves a break. A REAL break. Let’s do one thing at a time. Let’s allow ourselves to relax when it’s time. It’s OKAY to sit down and watch a television show without guilt. I met up with a friend at the offspring’s game last weekend, and she was feeling guilty and selfish for having spent a few hours at the hairdresser getting a cut and color.

When did this happen to us? When did forget how to take a break?

So I just phoned the husband who is at the grocery store and asked him to pick up a pumpkin pie scented candle.

One thing off the list. I think I’ll take a rest now.

FOR THE LOVE OF AUDIOBOOKS

Posted on by Melissa Chambers
**Steps up to podium. Clears throat.**
One question: Why are you not listening to audiobooks?
No, no, no, let me guess.
#1 – What are you, rich? Have you seen how much those things cost?
Why yes, I have. But who says you have to purchase them? You have already paid for the use of tens of thousands of them through your property taxes. In TN, we have a fabulous online library system called R.E.A.D.S. Through this system, you have access to copious amounts of audiobooks and eBooks, right at your fingertips. With R.E.A.D.S. you are allowed to checkout up to 15 books at a time, and you are able to keep them for up to three weeks. It rarely takes me more than a week to get through one.
And these aren’t public domain books we’re talking about here. Just a few of the authors available to you through this website include James Patterson, John Grisham, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, Sue Grafton, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Gillian Flynn…you get the picture.
I also know many people who have subscriptions to Audible. I often consider taking out a subscription myself, but there are so many I need to get through from the library system first, I don’t think I’ll ever need to!
Torrenting audiobooks is also a great option, and there are several options out there. There are private trackers that offer only audiobooks and eBooks, as well as public websites that offer thousands of audiobooks. However, you’ll need a VPN when you download audiobook torrents in order to prevent any potential consequences. It protects you by masking your online activities. In fact, comparisons of Nordvpn vs PIA or other online resources could probably be your best option for finding the best VPN. And if you are the type that feels guilty for not paying for the actual book, show your love to the author by giving a good rating or review if you enjoyed their book. I know that’d be enough for me. The point here is to get people excited about books again. If it takes the public library system to do that, I’m for it!
#2 – CHEATER! You’re not REALLY reading that book. You’re having it read to you. It’s not the same. How dare you count that on your Good Reads page?
Eh, you’re probably right. But I can’t even begin to count the number of authors and books I have been introduced to through audiobooks – none of which I would ever have picked up and read on my own.
As a writer, I am instructed to read every night. Oh-kay. Let’s see. I’ve been at work for 9+ hours, gotten in my daily exercise, showered, dinner, spent quality time with the offspring, unloaded the dishwasher, folded clothes, sat down at 9:30 to write, edit, research, market, blog, address personal emails, etc. until 11:30. Do you see a spot in this day for extracurricular reading? I don’t even watch any kind of regular television anymore! I’m doing all I can here. Give me this one thing, will ya?! **Swallows chill pill. Feels better.**
Audiobooks enable me to maximize downtime with information and entertainment. I listen while I run, drive or clean house. If I’m to be penalized for that because I didn’t sit and actually read the words, well, get our your red sharpies and mark a big ole red X on my face.
#3 – A bad narrator can ruin a great book.
That’s for damn sure! But I find that is less often the case as it is the other way around. I have certain narrators that I’ve enjoyed so much that I have gone searching for audiobooks that they have narrated just because I enjoy their work, which in turn has introduced me to some excellent authors I would have otherwise never known. A few outstanding ones include Cassandra Campbell, Jeannie Stith, Cynthia Nixon, Kate Reading, Rosalyn Landor, Michael Ledwidge and for me, Dick Hill is as synonymous with Jack Reacher as Lee Child himself!
#4 – Eh, you gotta download software and mess with that thingamajig, blah blah blah hassle, yada yada yada too much trouble, #notatechy.
Honestly, it’s not all that. I’m probably the least technologically savvy person you know. I want to pull my hair out in globs every time I attempt to update my website. So if I can do that, trust me, you can do this with one hand tied behind your back (not that you’d want to do that, but you get the picture). You just download the FREE overdrive software to your computer, and you’re good to go. You download the books from the site, then transfer from overdrive to your device (i.e. phone, iPod, whatever). I’m sure you can download direct in some cases and I’ve heard Eurodownload is the best place to find downloadable software, but I’ve found it works best for me to download to my computer first.
So, have I convinced you yet? I know, it’s a lot to take in, but I am super-passionate about this subject. I love books. I love taking them in, any way I can. Can you blame me for wanting to share the love?
I still read plenty of books. I’ve purchased three so far just this month. But I want MORE MORE MORE than I have time to actually sit down and read. I’m greedy that way.
In closing (thank God, right?), the day you see a Melissa Chambers novel available in audiobook format, you will know that I feel, that I have finally arrived as author extraordinaire.

WHY NOT ME?

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

I firmly believe that many of us fall into two categories: the dreamers and the doers.

The dreamers are people who have fantastic ideas. In business, the dreamers may sit in power positions in marketing departments, coming up with fabulously creative ventures while their less senior workers implement them. While these dreamers may thrive in the business world, the implementation of their personal dreams may come up short.

I know a few of these people. On a weekly or monthly basis they will, gleam in their eye, enthusiastically detail their newest idea. As I listen, generally I think the ideas are fantastic. But it never fails that when I follow up with the person on where they stand with the implementation of these ideas, they give me that look my Jack Russell terrier gives me when I try to talk to her.

                                                       

Then, there are the doers. These are the people who come up with an idea and actually follow through on it. Doers want more than anything for the idea to come to fruition. And they want to get good at it. They spend months, even years researching the idea – trying, failing, picking back up and trying again. Doers are unstoppable. You can try to get in their way, but it doesn’t matter. They’ll just hop right over you and keep on moving forward.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love my dreamer friends. They are usually wildly creative people and are fun to be around and absorb energy from…when they’re “on.” But doers need each other. Doers will not laugh at your idea or make catty comments about your efforts. Because we know it’s not at all easy being a doer. It takes loads of discipline. We fall, constantly, but we always pick ourselves up and keep going. We are dogs with bones. We are on missions.

One note for the doers, and you know who you are, don’t let the dreamers get you down. They don’t understand us. They shoot us slightly condescending grins when we talk about our passions – all but dying to give us a, “Yeah, right,” when we talk about our dreams. It’s because they don’t understand the sacrifice of follow through which sucks up every moment of your free time. And if I do study, research, and keep going and redoing and redoing however many times it takes, then why can’t I achieve my goal, no matter how lofty it is. Why can’t I open a restaurant, or run a marathon, or become a best-selling author. Why not me?

Dreamers…keep on dreaming.

Doers…make it happen.

IS IT REALLY COOL TO BE A NERD NOW?

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

Miriam Webster’s definition of the word NERD: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially: one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits.

It seems everywhere I turn, I am affronted with a word-NERD. Against my better judgment, I braved Old Navy on the tax-free weekend prior to the first week of school (other than this, I swear I’m a total sane person), and all the young cute workers were dressed as extreme nerds. In Target yesterday, in the teenage girls section (don’t judge, a really cool denim shirt caught my eye from the outer aisle) I spotted a t-shirt that had the word NERD huge across the chest in big block letters.

At a class on metadata, keywords & back matter at the RWA convention in Atlanta this summer, the instructor asked for a show of hands of a certain kind of nerd and half the room threw their arms in the air. Now, mind you, none of these girls looked anything close to nerdy. They were highly attractive, impeccably dressed ladies.

I see people owning up to nerdiness all the time who in no way shape or form resemble the nerd stereotype. Somehow, it would seem that nerd is the new cool. Now this paradigm shift is one I’ll happily jump on board with. I would (and have) referred to myself as an Excel nerd. I absolutely love spreadsheets. My dream job (other than writing of course) would have me in front on an Excel spreadsheet for nine hours a day calculating numbers, using new formulas, and consolidating data from other sources. (I’m all giddy just thinking about it). For the ones unaware of its benefit, let me tell you – an excel spreadsheet can help you organize, calculate and analyze huge data of sales figures, taxes, and commissions within seconds. All you need is just a few formulas to get it done. In case, you are wondering where to learn all these formulas, you can consider taking excel training classes in Denver or wherever you reside. However, as I plug numbers into formulas, I like to think that I’m not doing so in an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept manner.

So why are we suddenly referring to our passions and strengths as nerdiness? Is it a self-effacing way of bragging about what we’re good at?

But my real question is what does this new nerd popularity mean for middle and high school kids? If a 14 year old boy loves math and Dungeons and Dragons, is he suddenly cool now? Sure, he might get an amazing high school graduation announcement (like the ones from Jostens or similar companies) due to his high academic potential, which could really give him a boost for his future. However, does he still have to deal with the same social pressures that have been around since pre-nerd popularity? When I was in high school “a while back” I’ll tell it to you straight-it was in no way shape or form cool to be a nerd.

So what is high school like for today’s students? Are true nerds owning up to their pocket protector, taped glasses heritage, rising up and taking back the campus Revenge of the Nerds style? Or are nerds being robbed of their own social class as the cool kids steal their namesake? Or are they all holding hands in a Kumbaya fest, swaying side-by-side in peaceful demonstration?

I don’t have a teenager (yet) so I really would love these answers from those of you who do. Comment here, if you will, or message me if you don’t want to publicly admit your nerd knowledge. Start a dialogue. This enquiring mind wants to know. Now get back to work you blog-reading nerd.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS ARCHETYPE?

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

Welcome to the first stop on the Where in the World Is Archetype? blog tour!

Location: Brentwood, Tennessee.

There has been a tremendous amount of buzz about M.D. Waters’ science fiction thriller Archetype which is set to release on February 6th, 2014 from Dutton Adult. And because I know people *ahem* I received the honor and privilege of getting a first crack at this absorbing read.

About the book:

Emma wakes in a hospital, with no memory of what came before. Her husband, Declan, a powerful, seductive man, provides her with new memories, but her dreams contradict his stories, showing her a past life she can’t believe possible: memories of war, of a camp where girls are trained to be wives, of love for another man. Something inside her tells her not to speak of this, but she does not know why. She only knows she is at war with herself.

Suppressing those dreams during daylight hours, Emma lets Declan mold her into a happily married woman and begins to fall in love with him. But the day Noah stands before her, the line between her reality and dreams shatters.

In a future where women are a rare commodity, Emma fights for freedom but is held captive by the love of two men—one her husband, the other her worst enemy. If only she could remember which is which. . . .

The first novel in a two-part series, Archetype heralds the arrival of a truly memorable character—and the talented author who created her.

                                         

There’s so much I want to tell about this book, but I don’t want to ruin a single delectable page of it. But what I can tell you, is that YOU. WILL. LOVE. IT!

You say you’re not a typical science fiction fan? Neither am I. But I am a fan of great books, which is most definitely what we have here. There’s intrigue, action, romance, and a plot so full of twists and turns you’ll have to hold on to your chair as you navigate your way through it.

And the writing…oh the writing. Ms. Waters’ style is one of relaxed elegance—sophisticated and poised, but somehow still relatable and down-to-earth. And Emma, our heroine, tugs at your heart as she makes her way through a strange and unfamiliar world. You want her to win, so bad, but like her, you can’t imagine how!

More than any other book I have read, I can see a major motion picture playing out in my head as I read these scenes. (God, please let there be a movie!) It’s fast-paced taking off right from the beginning and holding you captive chapter by engrossing chapter.

I had the privilege of having dinner with Ms. Waters at the RWA Nationals in Atlanta this summer, and I assure you she is as lovely as her writing is fantastic. Don’t you love it when that happens?

I can’t wait to introduce this novel to my book club because I’m DYING to talk about it! But until then, I will bide my time and impatiently count down the days until its February 6th release.

P.S. Did I mention there’s a sequel set to release next summer? Eek! 

                                

Follow M.D. Waters:

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Available for preorder through Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Next week’s stop on the Where in the World is Archetype? blog tour will be blogger Jodi L. Henry.

Thank you to Charissa Weaks, who is hosting this tour! Charissa is a brilliant writer, editor, and all-around precious person, by the way, and I highly suggest you subscribe to her blog and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

The Where in the World is Archetype tour will run as long as we have bloggers to spread the word. Anyone interested in participating should contact Charissa Weaks at cweaksblog at gmail dot com.

Want to join in? It’s simple. Here are the rules:

1. Possess your own blog and be willing to do a post about the book.

2. Read within the allotted timeframe of 2 weeks and mail to next recipient.

3. Take a pic of you and the book and post on your site.

4. Write a little note to Charissa inside the cover since this is her ARC