Dream Destination Winners & Country Tallies

I had the best time going to all the blogs on the hop!  Everyone picked awesome places and shared great stories and photos.  It seems many of us want to see a castle, visit one, stay in one, or have one for our very own (me, me, me!!).  And some of you picked the same place and are kindred spirits.
   



Here are the tallies!
(for those who chose more than one place, I took the first one mentioned)

Winner -- The United States
(9)
US (Alaska) - Magaly Guerrero
US (Alaska) - Yolanda Renee
US (Boston/Red Sox 2013 World Series win) - L.D. Masterson
US (Famous horror sites) - Emma Yardis
US (Genealogy in Eastern US) - Beverly Stowe McClure
US (Las Vegas) - Rhissanna (with lots of fabulous castle pictures!)
US (National landmarks) - M.J. Joachim
US (San Luis Obispo, San Franciso, & Illinois white squirrels!) - Julie Kemp Pick
US (Western US) - Julie Flanders

(5) Scotland - Beverly Fox (& Ireland),  Bish Denham,  Emilyann Girdner,  Narrator,  Lexa Cain

(4) Italy - Cecilia Robert (Venice),  Enchantress (Rome),  Madeline Mora-Summonte,  Nicki Elson (Venice)

(3) Canada - Tyrean Martinson,  Kim Graff,  Kittie Howard
(3) France - Ella,  Michelle Wallace (& Greece),  Suzi (& Castles in Germany, Scotland, Spain)
(3) Japan - Kestril Trueseeker,  Loni Townsend,  Vanessa's Traveling Cats (Kyushu)
(3) New Zealand - Alex Cavanaugh,  Nutschell,  PK Hrezo
 
(2) Australia - Dani,  Maynard Morrissey (& Oregon, California, Colorado, UK)
(2) Egypt - J.L. Campbell,  Kate Larkindale
(2) Greece - Ashley Nixon,  Samantha Redstreake Geary (Samothrace)
(2) Norway - L.G. Smith,  Tania Walsh
(2) Peru - Jeremy Bates (Machu Picchu),  Shannon Lawrence
(2) UK - Chemist Ken,  Christine Rains 

The Unique Picks:
A cozy cabin in the snow - Linda King
A galaxy far, far away - C.Lee McKenzie
Anywhere with a loved one to travel with - Susan Flett Swiderski
Amsterdam, Holland - Kim Van Sickler
Aruba - Hilary Grossman
Austria (Vienna) - Alexis Lantgen
Blogging friends - Ms Misantropia
Bora Bora - Sherry Ellis
Cayman Islands - Debra McKellan
Croatia - Kim Lajevardi
Dominica Island - SB Stewart-Laing
Fantasy Island - Robyn Alana Engel  (Her post was so funny!)
Formentera - Vanessa Morgan 
Iran - Carrie-Anne Brownian
Jordan (Petra) - Rhonda Albom
Maldives - Medeia Sharif
Namibia - T.B. Markinson
North Korea - Royme2
Phuket, Thailand - Shah Wharton 
Sumer and Mesopotamia - Mary Pax (& Iraq, NYC, Hawaii, space plane)
Tibet - Sydney Aaliyah

Julie and I wanted to give EVERYONE this award,  but we had to choose.
Winner: Nutschell (New Zealand)
Runner-up: Magaly Guerrero (US -Alaska)

Both of you will receive ebooks of:
The Ghosts of Aquinnah and Soul Cutter

Before I get to the winners,  I have to give a shout out to Julie Flanders.  I couldn't have done this hop without her.  She's such a kind and generous person -- truly a beautiful soul.  

THANK YOU JULIE!!

DREAM DESTINATION BLOG-HOP

WINNERS

Soul Cutter (ebook) by Lexa Cain  --  Crystal Hicken Collier
The Ghosts of Aquinnah (ebook) by Julie Flanders  --  Sheri Larsen
5-page Critique from agent Michelle Johnson  --  Christine Rains
Query Critique from agent Michelle Johnson  --  Magaly Guerrero
5-page Critique from C. Lee McKenzie  --  Michael Di Gesu
An ebook Bundle from Ink Smith Publishing  --  C.Lee McKenzie
Champion in the Darkness (ebook) by Tyrean Martinson  --  Susan Flett Swiderski
The 13th Floor Complete Collection (ebook) by Christine Rains  --  Kim Graff
Drowned Sorrow (ebook) by Vanessa Morgan  --  Beverly Fox
Winner's Choice of an ebook by M. Pax  --  Cathy Keaton
BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. (Kindle ebook) by Medeia Shariff  --  Suzi
Winner's Choice of Three Daves, Divine Temptation or Hans & Greta (ebook) by Nicki Elson  --  Tania Miclau
The People We Used To Be (Kindle ebook) by Madeline Mora-Summonte  --  Beverly Stowe McClure
Marionette (Kindle ebook) by T.B. Markinson  --  Samantha Geary Jones
2 ebooks Memories of Murder/Murder, Madness and Love by Yolanda Renee  --  Shah Wharton
2 ebooks Memories of Murder/Murder, Madness and Love by Yolanda Renee  --  Alex Cavanaugh
Dangled Carat (Kindle ebook) by Hilary Grossman  --  Diane Burton
AlmaMia Cienfuegos and Other Stories (ebook) by Magaly Guerrero  --  Hilary Grossman

** Julie and I are informing the donors

and they will contact the winners directly **

-----

If a winner doesn't hear anything for a week,  

please contact Julie or me.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED THE BLOG-HOP!

Dream Destination Blog-Hop

My Dream Destination is ...... Scotland!!

Eilean Donan Castle (Freepik.com)

Why would someone who lives in a place with sunshine 360 days a year (Egypt) want to go somewhere cloudy, misty, and rainy?  Because Scotland is so beautiful and steeped in history. There are gorgeous mountains, valleys, lochs (lakes), streams, and moors. There are ancient chapels, cathedrals, and castles.  I mean, come on. There are CASTLES!!

Culzean Castle (Freepik.com)

 If you needed any cooler reason than castles (I don't!), Scotland is also the birthplace of Sean Connery.  Many of you may know him as 007, but I prefer to think of him as the father of Indiana Jones!

Happy Release to Julie & Lexa!!

A brilliant flash of light transcends through time.
Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick.

By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.

Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind.

She shakes her head.

For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul.

Why? ...

Who is she? ...

Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry.

What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?

Hannah finds out.

But, it’s not at all what she expects ...

Hannah unravels a century old murder.

The Ghosts of Aquinnah
BUY LINKS:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords ~ Ink Smith Store

The Soul Cutter is hunting again.

Seventeen-year-old Élan spends her free time videoing psychic scams and outing them online. Skepticism makes life safe—all the ghosts Élan encounters are fakes. When her estranged mother disappears from a film shoot in Egypt, Élan puts her medium-busting activities on hold and joins the search.

In Egypt, the superstitious film crew sucks at finding her mom. When a hotel guest is killed, whispers start—the locals think their legendary Soul Cutter has come back from the dead. Élan's only ally is Ramsey, a film-crew intern, but he’s arrogant, stubborn—and hiding dangerous secrets.

When Élan discovers the Soul Cutter is no scam, she finds herself locked in a deadly battle against a supernatural killer with more than her mother’s life at stake.

Élan is fighting for her very soul.

Soul Cutter
 BUY LINKS:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords ~ Kobo ~ MuseItUp

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Unstill Life Cover Reveal & Blog-hop Info

 

Available Jan 3, 2014

An Unstill Life

Things at home are rough for fifteen-year-old Livvie Quinn. Jules, her beloved older sister is sick again after being cancer free for almost ten years.  Her mom becomes more frantic and unapproachable every day. School isn’t much better.  Just when she needs them most, her closest friends get boyfriends and have little time for Livvie – except to set her up on a series of disastrous blind dates.

Livvie seeks refuge in the art room and finds Bianca, the school ‘freak’.  Free-spirited and confident, Bianca is everything Livvie isn’t. Shaken by her mom’s desperation, her sister’s deteriorating condition, and abandoned by her friends, Livvie finds comfort and an attraction she never felt before with Bianca.

When their relationship is discovered, Livvie and Bianca become victims of persecution and bullying. School authorities won’t help and even forbid the pair to attend the Winter Formal as a couple. If Livvie defies them and goes, she risks expulsion and further ridicule from her classmates. At home, her mother’s behavior escalates to new levels of crazy and Jules is begging for help to end the pain once and for all.

While searching for the strength to make her life her own, Livvie must decide how far she’s willing to go for the people she loves.

GLTB YA

Publisher: Musa Publishing 

About The Author

Having spent a lifetime travelling the globe, Kate Larkindale is currently residing in Wellington, New Zealand.  A cinema manager, film reviewer and mother, she’s surprised she finds any time to write, but doesn’t sleep much.  As a result, she can usually be found hanging out near the espresso machine.

Her short stories have appeared in Halfway Down The Stairs, A Fly in Amber, Daily Flash Anthology, The Barrier Islands Review, Everyday Fiction, Death Rattle, Drastic Measures, Cutlass & Musket and Residential Aliens, among others.

She has written eight contemporary YA novels, five of which other people are allowed to see.  She has also written one very bad historical romance.  She is currently working on a new YA novel that is still looking for a title other than its Twitter hashtag, #juvvielesbian.

Author Links
Website: http://katelarkindale.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vampyr14
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4086706.Kate_Larkindale


NOTE FROM LEXA: Kate is one of my awesome CPs, and her lyrical and emotionally powerful style make her the best writer I know.  Livvie, the mc of An Unstill Life, has synesthesia -- she smells colors and sees sounds, which are captured in brilliant descriptions by Kate.  An Unstill Life will sweep you off your feet with its beautiful imagery and the heartbreaking challenges Livvie faces.  I cannot recommend it enough!  <3

The Dream Destination Blog-Hop is almost here!!!

On Thursday Dec 5,

1. Post about your Dream Destination with blog-hop badge.
2. Post links to Lexa and Julie's blogs --
                   http://lexacain.blogspot.com/
                   http://julieflanders.blogspot.com/
--  and invite your visitors to go there and enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway.

3. Don't forget to go and enter the giveaway yourself!
4. Use the Linky tool to visit the other bloggers to see the wonderful places they want to visit!

For the Linky tool and the Fabulous Prize List -- see the links on my sidebar.

Celebrate & I Have Treasure!

The donated prizes Julie and I have received for our Dream Destination Blog-Hop Dec 5-8 are so COLOSSAL that my entire blog is splitting at the seams!  Yup, I couldn't fit everything in here and had to add another sidebar. 

Blog-Hop Rafflecopter Prize List

First up are 2 prizes from my Super Agent -- Michelle Johnson

Michelle L. Johnson is a literary agent, the founder of Inklings Literary Agency and has a business administration background in addition to a lifetime of working with books (sales, editing, and writing) and authors (marketing, promoting, event planning). She is also a script/story consultant for an independent film under production in Halifax, NS.

A 5-page Critique from Michelle Johnson
A Query Critique from Michelle Johnson 
 

A 5-page Critique from stellar author -- C. Lee McKenzie

A Book Bundle from Julie's publisher -- Ink Smith Publishing
(assorted titles and authors)

Champion in the Darkness (ebook) -- Tyrean Martinson

The 13th Floor Complete Collection (ebook) -- Christine Rains

Drowned Sorrow (ebook) -- Vanessa Morgan

One ebook from author Mary Pax (winner's choice)

Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. (ebook) -- Medeia Sharif

Winner's Choice of either Three Daves, Divine Temptation, or Hans & Greta -- Nicki Elson

The People We Used To Be (ebook) -- Madeline Mora-Summonte

Marionette (ebook) -- T.B. Markinson

One Set of both ebooks -- Memories of Murder and Murder, Madness, and Love -- Yolanda Renee

One Set of both ebooks -- Murder, Madness, and Love and Memories of Murder -- Yolanda Renee
(Not a typo. Yolanda donated TWO SETS of her books! WOW!)

 Dangled Carat (ebook) -- Hilary Grossman

AlmaMia Cienfuegos and Other Stories (ebook) -- Magaly Guerrero




And last but certainly not least:

The Ghosts of Aquinnah (ebook) -- Julie Flanders

Soul Cutter (ebook) -- Lexa Cain

*Special prize for the Best Picture*
The blogger with the best 

Dream Destination picture will receive both 

Soul Cutter and The Ghosts of Aquinnah

(For RULES and INFORMATION click --> Dream Destination Blog-Hop Dec 5-8)

Celebrate The Small Things

This week I'm celebrating:

1)  People's donations floored me. Wow. WOW. WOW!  Seriously, I teared up and got all sniffly.  I'm so delighted, honored, and grateful for the generous spirits in our writing community. <3 <3 <3

2)  To promote Soul Cutter,  I'm finding pictures and adding matching quotes from the book.  I swear there are nice things---really nice things---that I don't even remember writing.  I'm like, "I wrote that? Really? ME? Dang, that's some nice stuff ... Are you sure I wrote that?"

Have any of you ever run across your own writing and been surprised---and proud---that it was yours?

This post is part of VikLit's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to 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! 

Celebrate & Blog-Hop Giveaway

To celebrate the launch of their books
Soul Cutter and The Ghosts of Aquinnah
Lexa and Julie invite you to a
Blog-hop and Giveaway!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, 
where would you go?
Beaches of Hawaii? Slopes of Vail? Cancun, Paris, or Rome?
Where is your Dream Destination?
 
On Dec 5 or 6, post about your Dream Destination
(with blog-hop badge and links to Lexa and Julie's blogs)
Go to Lexa and Julie’s blog to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway
and use the Linky tool to visit the other bloggers
to see the wonderful places they want to visit!

*Lexa & Julie will give a special prize for the Best Picture*
Rafflecopter Prizes to be announced next week.
-- Anyone who’d like to donate a prize, please contact us at --
Lexa: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com  or  Julie: juliflan(at)yahoo.com

Celebrate the Small Things

This week I'm celebrating:
1) The ability to keep functioning on 4 hours sleep a night as I work on release/review/blog-hop things.  It's like being back in college and studying for finals.  I can still run with the young 'uns.  Ha!
2) Awesome people like Julie Flanders who are generous of spirit and warm of heart -- and know how to make Mr. Linky's and Rafflecopters, since I'm clueless.
3)  Patient people like my CPs and the winners of my critique giveaway who forgive me for lagging behind. (Sorry, guys! I'm getting there, I promise...)
4) All the members of IWSG whose posts this week have entertained me, touched my heart, cheered me up, and kept me awake when I was nodding off...  I feel proud to be one of you.  ((((Hugs))))

This post is part of VikLit's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to 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!