Celebrate: 45 Degrees & Giveaways

This week I'm celebrating:
1) A friend got back from a month's vacation and we went out for a great dinner together.  Chatting with her lets me unload and regain perspective. I always come home smiling!
2) It's 45F/7C degrees here. Yikes! It may not seem very low to you, but Egyptian homes have no heat. (Since antiquity, they have no trees to burn so no heating.) We have an air-conditioner that heats and I used it this week, but -- Brrrrr!
3) I submitted my Thriller/Mystery BLOODWALKER to Booktrope!  I'm so excited!  They can distribute to Amazon, but still let authors have 95% control of cover/price/etc., they don't take out taxes, and the buzz is their authors are very successful! (Definitely better than Smashwords.)  Of course, now comes the 6-12 week waiting-for-response time. *twiddles thumbs, stares at clock, eats chocolate*

Do you like going out with friends to unwind? Does it improve your attitude?

UPDATE YOUR CELEBRATE BLOG ROLL:
Julie Flanders  http://julieflanders.blogspot.com
Welcome Julie!

Yolanda Renee's book has a new cover!

Blurb:
      As wedding bells echo like the ring of toasting champagne glasses in the ice carved mountains of Anchorage Alaska, detective Steven Quaid rehabs his grandfather’s cabin into a honeymoon cottage for his new bride. 
      When he returns from a hunting trip, Steven’s faced with five police officers, who “Want to talk.” Plagued by two unsolved murders, the Department is searching for answers.
      The conversation comes to a deafening halt as the team finds a bloody crime scene in the bridal suite. "Where's her body?" is a question Steven cannot fathom.  
      Steven’s jaw clenches and his heart races. Images of Sarah streak through his mind. 
      The silence breaks as an explosion of accusations vibrate through every fiber of his being. 
      Steven bolts…
      Although running is never the smart thing to do, Steven’s not thinking clearly and his escape into the wilderness of the Brooks Range proves almost fatal.
Find Yolanda Here:  Defending the Pen Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

Murder & Obsession will release on  March 10.

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=79cd691b-a101-48a4-8603-4d22bb6626d8"> </script>

** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **

 Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)

Foxy's Friday Freebies!

Foxy has been nosing around the net. 

When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Friday Freebies posts -

• Free short stories, novellas, and novels
• Giveaways for books and swag
• Free services for authors

Here are Foxy's suggestions for Jan 29, 2016:

Free Harlequin Romance Novel – Celebrate’s own Lara Lacombe is giving away 5 copies of Colton Baby Homecoming, the third book of her Coltons of Texas series, a suspense romance about a baby showing up on the porch of search and rescue expert's log cabin and the ex-girlfriend who helps him deal with it, reminding him of everything that's missing in his life. Enter via Goodreads here. (Must be a Goodreads member; ends Feb 20)

Free $10 Amazon or Kobo Gift Card – To celebrate the release of Bound to Fate (Contemp Romance), author Kiru Taye is giving away a $10 card to Amazon or Kobo via rafflecopter on Mythical Books blog. (ends Feb 5)

Free $10 Amazon Gift Card – To celebrate the release of Clean (Edgy YA GLTB), a look at the raw and real world of teen substance abuse through the eyes of gay high school athlete Lanny, author Mia Kerick is giving away a $10 card to Amazon via rafflecopter on Mythical Books blog. (ends Feb 22)

Free $20 Amazon Gift Card and Horror ebook – Win Redeeming Rhys by Mary E. Palmerin, a horror novel that explores whether people are born pure or born bad with no hope of redemption, and a $20 Amazon card via rafflecopter on the Mythical Books blog. (ends Feb 15)

For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.

If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here!  Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com

Celebrate: They Go in Threes & Giveaways

This week marks the passing of Glenn Frey at age 67, the co-founder (along with Don Henley) of the Eagles, one of the best-selling groups in history. Glenn wrote or co-wrote 107 such fantastic hits as Hotel California, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Take it Easy, Desperado, Lyin’ Eyes, New Kid in Town, and The Heat is On (from Beverly Hills Cop). The Eagles are one of the best groups ever to come out of the US, with beautiful melodies, memorable lyrics, and amazing vocal harmonies. I was a professional singer for many years, and there are few songs to rival the power and the love people have for Hotel California, even in Europe and the Middle East. 

Glenn Frey, Rest in Peace

As I mentioned last week, it's odd how big stars seem to pass away in threes. Bowie, Rikman, and now Frey. All too young and who've left our world a bit dimmer for their passing.

On the good side, the plasterer and painter have come and gone from my apartment. I'm exhausted from doing a huge deep clean of the kitchen (ceramic walls from floor to ceiling that haven't been fully cleaned in ... ahem ... a long time), but as soon as I finish the stove, I've done everything and my kitchen will look like the it's all brand new! Low cost, beautiful ceramic tiles and granite countertops -- one of the great percs of living in Egypt!

My kitchen's not as big or 

beautiful as this one--but it's close!

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=79cd691b-a101-48a4-8603-4d22bb6626d8"> </script>

** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **

 Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)

Foxy's Friday Freebies!

Foxy has been nosing around the net. 

When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Friday Freebies posts -

• Free short stories, novellas, and novels
• Giveaways for books and swag
• Free services for authors

Here are Foxy's suggestions for Jan 22, 2016:

Free Contemp/Woman’s Fic Paperback – Win The 6:41 to Paris (a bestseller in France and Germany) by Jean-Phillipe Blondel, about a Parisian women coming face to face with the man who broke her heart 30 years before and spending a train ride with him. Enter via Entry Form on the France Book Tours blog. (US only; ends Jan 31) 

Free Mystery Paperback – Win Late Harvest Havoc by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen, a new book in the long-running wine expert/detective series now a French TV serial, by entering the giveaway via Entry Form on the France Book Tours blog. (ends Jan 31)

Free (4) $5 Amazon Gift Cards – To celebrate the release of A Beauty Dark and Deadly (re-telling of Beauty and the Beast), the author Heather Myers is giving away (4) $5 Amazon cards. Enter via rafflecopter on the Mythical Books blog. Few entries = good chance to win! (ends Jan 27)

Free $15 Gift Card to Any Retailer – To celebrate the release of Sketch (Romance), author Laramie Briscoe is giving away a $15 gift card to any retailer the winner wants. Enter via rafflecopter on the Mythical Books blog. (ends Jan 25)

Free $20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card – To celebrate the release of Desert Heat (Romance/Native Indian Occult), author P.H, Turner is giving away a $20 Amazon or B&N card. Enter via rafflecopter on the Romance Novel Giveaways blog. (ends Jan 30)

Free $30 Amazon Gift Card - To celebrate the release of A Duchess in Name (Regency Romance), author Amanda Weaver is giving away a $30 Amazon card. Enter via rafflecopter on the Romance Novel Giveaways blog. (ends Jan 25)

Free $50 Amazon Gift Card – To celebrate the release of Killer Pursuit (Crime/Thriller), author Jeff Gunhus is giving away a $50 Amazon card. Enter via rafflecopter on the Mythical Books blog. (ends Feb 5)

For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.

If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here!  Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com

Celebrate: 1 Down, 2 To Go & Giveaways!

This week I'm celebrating:
1) My husband got a workman who cleaned up all the splattered cement from the work done on my kitchen and bathroom. Yay! 
2) Now we only have the plasterer and then the painter to come and finish the job.  (I say "only" trying to convince myself it will be over soon and won't be a huge mess -- though I know it will be.)
3) I was so sad to hear of the death this week of David Bowie and Alan Rickman, both only 69. But I celebrate their lives and the pleasure they gave to audiences everywhere! I'll never forget great Bowie songs like "Changes" and "Space Oddity (Major Tom)" and the Harry Potter movies wouldn't have been as good without Rickman's creepy Professor Severus Snape.  RIP.  They will be missed.

Do celebrity deaths come in threes? Do more people die in winter than summer? What's your opinion?

Celebrate has a new member! Update your blog roll:
Thoughts for the Day (Linda Smoots) at http://lindasmoots.blogspot.com/

Welcome Linda!

At the end of this month, I’ll be doing a cull of the list for people who haven’t made a Celebrate post in over 2 months.

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=79cd691b-a101-48a4-8603-4d22bb6626d8"> </script>

** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **

 Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)

Foxy's Friday Freebies!

Foxy has been nosing around the net. 

When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Friday Freebies posts -

• Free short stories, novellas, and novels
• Giveaways for books and swag
• Free services for authors

Here are Foxy's suggestions for Jan 15, 2016:

Free Horror Anthology Paperback – Win a paperback copy of Childhood Fears (Anthology) by J.H. Moncrieff, L.L. Soares, Christine Hayton, and J.G. Faherty via Goodreads here. (You must have a Goodreads account and live in the US or Canada; ends Jan 31)

Free 2 Signed YA Suspense/Thriller Paperbacks – Win How to Disappear by Ann Reditsch Sampler, a psychological thriller about a tough cheerleader on the run from a hitman’s son who’s been blackmailed into trying to kill her, and her novel Afterparty, plus a tote bag. Enter via rafflecopter on the YA Books Central blog. (ends Jan 17)

Free 2 YA SF/Dystopian Paperbacks – Bestselling author Rick Yancey is giving away his novels The 5th Wave (now made into a movie) and his new release The Infinite Sea. Enter via rafflecopter on YA Books Central. (US only; ends Jan 17)

Free $15 Amazon Gift Card, 2 Signed Fantasy Paperbacks, and Tote Bag – To celebrate the release of The Divide (#2 in the Dreamland series) E.J. Mellow is giving away signed copies of The Dreamer (Dreamland #1) and The Divide (Dreamland #2) along with a tote bag and a $15 Amazon card via rafflecopter on My Book Addiction. (ends Jan 17)

Free $25 Amazon or Barnes&Noble Gift Card – To celebrate the release of Cold Blooded (Mystery/Crime) by Lisa Regan, about two detectives trying to solve a cold case involving a serial killer that suddenly become active again, she’s giving away a $25 Amazon (or B&N) card via rafflecopter on the Mythical Books blog. (ends Jan 17)

Free $100 Amazon Gift Card and Signed Rom-Com Paperback – To celebrate the release of Becoming Blue (Women’s Fic Romance-Comedy) by Angie M. Brashears, about a chubby woman being taken from a Weight Watcher’s meeting by a handsome and kind kidnapper, she’s giving away a $100 Amazon card and a signed copy of Becoming Blue. Enter via rafflecopter on the Mythical Books blog. (ends Jan 20)

For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.

If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here!  Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com

Celebrate: Cloaked & Giveaways

This week I'm having a hard time finding something to celebrate...

This is what cement workers putting in a new 

ceiling did to my kitchen.

The kitchen has marbled-beige ceramic tiles lining all walls. 

The gray splatter you see everywhere is cement.

The splatter goes from floor to ceiling on every wall. 
(Sorry for the blur. My tablet takes lousy photos.)

My refrigerator is under the tarp, but the tarp 

only covered half the fridge -- guess what's 

splattered across the lower half??

Me.

I have one good thing to celebrate this week -- my fabulous crit partner, TF Walsh, released a novella called CLOAKED. It's fast-paced excitement with a great romance and characters you can root for! And naturally, the writing's brilliant.  :)

Blurb:
        Raised by an overly protective wulfkin pack, Daciana leaps at the chance to venture into the human world for her one-year independence ritual. But after someone steals the endangered bear cubs she’s been assigned to protect, she must locate them or lose her job and return home in disgrace. The sexy inspector on the case isn’t making this any easier. He knows nothing of her kind, and wulfkin rules forbid relationships with humans.
        Newly divorced Inspector Connell Lonescu trusts no one but himself. He’s convinced relationships are a waste of time and thinks burying himself in work will ease the pain. Yet he’s attracted to the gorgeous and mysterious Daciana, even if there’s something slightly odd about her. Can Connell learn to trust the sexy but secretive woman? 


Cloaked is the prequel to Cloaked in Fur, book 1 in The Wulfkin Legacy Series. Find out how Daciana and Connell fell in love and set in motion the paramount events that forever change their lives and those around them.

Cloaked is only $0.99
Grab Your Copy: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Google Play | iTunes
Publisher: Crimson Romance

Coming Soon
Cloaked in Secrecy (Book #2) – March 2016
Cloaked in Blood (Book #3) – May 2016
Sign up here for T.F. Walsh’s newsletter to keep up to date with latest releases, special offers, and exclusive content. 

About The Author
T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she's always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=79cd691b-a101-48a4-8603-4d22bb6626d8"> </script>

** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **

 Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)

Foxy's Friday Freebies!

Foxy has been nosing around the net. 

When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Friday Freebies posts -

• Free short stories, novellas, and novels
• Giveaways for books and swag
• Free services for authors

Here are Foxy's suggestions for Jan 8, 2016:

Free 5 Novels -- TB Markinson has started her monthly book giveaway again! For January you can win 5 great books – At the Water’s Edge by Harper Bliss, Fallen Redemption by RB Austin, You’ll Find me in Manhattan by Jill Knapp, Survival of the Ginnest by Aimee Horton, and That’s Paris (Anthology). Enter via rafflecopter link on TB Markinson blog. (ends Jan 31)

Free-for-Download Paranormal Romance eBook – The ebook Bootcamp of Misfit Wolves: Shifter Romance (Vanguard Elite Book #1) by Anne Nicholas, about a wolf shifter dumped at a tough camp run by a crazy vampire, is FREE here: download on Amazon.

Free YA Dystopian Paperback – Win a signed paperback of Ascendancy by Karri Thompson about a young girl in a world full of clones who’s the only one capable of giving birth. Enter via rafflecopter on the Mythical Books blog. (US only; ends Feb 14)

Free Romantic Suspense Paperback - Win a signed paperback of Low by Mary Elizabeth about a criminal who tries to go straight but is forced back into a life of crime. Enter via rafflecopter on the Mythical Books blog. (ends Jan 13) 

Free $10 Amazon Gift Card and a Contemporary Romance eBook – Win Behind Her Smile by Olivia Luck about a wealthy socialite who finds her husband and marriage are a dangerous sham and also win a $10 Amazon card. Enter via rafflecopter on the Mythical Books blog. (ends Jan 16)

Free $25 Amazon Gift Card – To celebrate the release of Darkness Brutal (the first in a YA Urban Fantasy series) by  Rachel A. Marks, she’s giving away a $25 Amazon card via rafflecopter on Mythical Books blog. (ends Jan 31)

For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.

If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here!  Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com

IWSG: Under Construction

This is sort of what my kitchen and bathroom look like, only with chunks of cement on the floor and countertops, and cement and plaster dust covering every single surface in a thick layer of grit.  And in addition to replacing the ceilings in the kitchen and bath (which were damaged when the pipes in the apt above us leaked), my husband decided to have two windows replaced in the living room and the spare bedroom. So lots of broken concrete in there too.  The master bedroom is the only oasis of sanity atm, and I'm locked in here with my laptop while hubby rides herd on the workmen.  Yup, just me and the slop bucket.  (Well, the bathroom is off limits... TMI?)

You'd think I'd be using this opportunity to get some writing done.  But no, I'm going in circles between social media, doing crits, and reading books/novellas for review.  And when the workmen leave at night, I try to clean up, even though I know it'll all get messed up again the next day.

This is the 1st week in January!!  By now I was supposed to be done revising BLOODWALKER and have started my new novella set in Alaska, called COLDEST NIGHT. 

But it's just not happening. 

I have no real excuse.  I enjoy doing things for others -- otherwise I wouldn't keep volunteering -- and if I time-managed a bit better, I could find a way to get some writing done.  Truth is I just let myself get "dissuaded" from writing way too easily.

Does this ever happen to you?

What do you do when you can get Butt-In-Chair, but do everything except write when your butt's there?



This is a post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. It exists so the community of blogging writers can share and support each other, blog-hopping to cheerlead and commiserate. To find out more, visit: Insecure Writer's Support Group. Plus, check out the IWSG Website for lots of helpful info and links.

Celebrate: Happy New Year 2016

This new year snuck up on me really quickly!  I'm so behind on things... But the most important thing is --

Wishing you a 

Peaceful & Prosperous 

2016!!

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=79cd691b-a101-48a4-8603-4d22bb6626d8"> </script>

** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **

 Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)