This week’s blog challenge is about A Day in My Life. Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created this challenge (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning about some of the great participating authors).
My day usually begins at 5 a.m. when I wake up, feed my cats, and make coffee for my husband in that order. Then I check my computer for emails, Facebook messages, and my handy Google calendar, so I know what else is on the agenda for that day. I spend the next hour writing and eating breakfast which is usually a high fiber cereal with bananas or blueberries and coffee with skim milk. At 6 a.m., after my husband is out of the shower, I wake up my 6th-grade daughter who takes an hour dressing and using the bathroom. While she is getting ready, I put one of my Leslie Sansone walk-at-home DVD’s into my computer and exercise for a half hour. I then make breakfast for my daughter who, like my husband, grabs something quick because they are both running late all the time.
When everyone is gone, I shower and dress for work. I like to get there at 8:30 even though I start at 9. I work at my local library as a librarian. The best part of my job is ordering the new fiction and mystery books, but it’s also the hardest because I want to read them all and don’t have the time. I also enjoy helping people find new books and authors. I’ve been writing and editing the library’s monthly staff picks newsletter for the last three years.
I work at the library from 9 to 5 four days a week and from 1 to 9 once a week. I also work two Saturdays a month. When I work a Saturday, I usually get a Friday off. On my days off and on weekends, I try to catch up on household chores and social media/writing. But if my daughter is home, too, I try to spend time with her. She’s at the age where she’d rather be with her friends than her mother, so I usually take her out somewhere with a friend. Last weekend, we went to Old Westbury Gardens, a place she particularly likes, as she’s into nature. However, it was so hot that both she and her friend wanted to leave before we were there long. A week ago, my daughter unexpectedly asked me to read a book with her. We used to read together all the time when she was younger but, as she started getting more homework and I became involved in writing, there was less time for us to do so. The book she chose, The Bad Unicorn, is one of those pre-teen dramatic works with a mysterious ancient codex and a seventh-grade hero. I had to admit I found some of the parts funny, and she laughed through a lot of it, too. Despite its crazy plot, the book was written on a level that would help increase a middle-schooler’s vocabulary, and I was glad it was something we could share.
This weekend, I’m headed to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut for MASE (Mystic Author Signing Event) where I’ll be meeting authors and readers and signing both of my books, A Stone’s Throw and Cloudy Rainbow. My husband is coming along, so we’ll also try to fit in some much-needed together time. Most of the time we’re both too busy with our jobs and daughter. The single exception is the one night a week, usually on a weekend I’m not working, that we watch a movie or TV show together on Netflix while our daughter plays virtual games on her computer with her friends.
There’s not much more to know about my days except that I try to fit in reading and some time with my cats.
Her husband Max has grown cold, and Gabriella seeks out the Braille Club and its decadent delights in an effort to reawaken their hearts and strengthen their marriage. But when she presents him with his own membership card, she sees only revulsion in his eyes. Gabriella must use everything she’s learned from the club in a last-ditch effort to reconnect with Max and resurrect their love.
Ford Munroe will help bring the Braille Club to a whole new level…
Tasked with developing new technologies to enhance the club’s erotic pleasures, Ford enlists engineer Esme MacDonald to assist him. As they test the devices, the attraction between them intensifies, delighting Ford but leaving Esme perplexed about her sexuality. Her revelation rocks Ford—is Esme really interested in him, or only the Braille Club?
☆҉☆҉☆Book 3 coming soon…
Simon Lawrence will stop at nothing to satisfy his desires…
But his wife has other plans. Tess is tired of her husband’s infidelity and resorts to blackmail to stop him, but Simon won’t let his new woman of interest slip through his fingers. Distraught, Tess will be stop at nothing to protect her secret. How far will she go to save her husband…from himself.
❥¸.•´*¨`*•✿SEXY SUSPENSE SERIES,❥¸.•´*¨`*•✿
BOOK 1 FREE! FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED.
WANT EROTICA WITH A PLOTICA?
A blindfold can enrich an experience, but deadly threats are best faced with your eyes wide open. You decide—is it worth the risk to indulge in the Braille Club?
Memories of another life, and the garden where it all began, keep Amalie Jarvis awake at night.
A columnist for a popular magazine, she attends a function in Palm Beach at the famous Breakers Hotel, only to cross paths with graphic designer Ian Gardner—who appears to hold the key to her visions. The more time they spend together, the more Amalie realizes how much she wants to be with him. And how much she fears admitting that she loves him.
Ian can’t remember the past, but he is drawn to Amalie with an intense passion he’s never felt before.
Many moons ago, they met in a garden. Different names, different faces—but their souls were still the same. Unable to resist her, Ian falls deeply in love. He remains by her side as she battles severe facial pain, not knowing what it is or if it could kill her. Frightened for her, he swears his adoration without ever speaking the words.
But their devotion has dangers, and they’re about to be faced by hazards neither of them could have foreseen…
Rosa Sophia lives in South Florida in a cottage by the sea. She is an automotive technician, crazy cat lady, and member of the Editorial Freelancers Association. She is the author of numerous novels including Meet Me In the Garden, Over the Ivy Wall, Orion Cross My Sky, and The House Guest.
This week’s blog challenge is called character inspiration. Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created this challenge (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the posts from the great participating authors).
The characters I feature in my books are fictionalized composites of people I know or have known. The main character usually shares some of my personality or background. For instance, in “A Stone’s Throw,” Alicia Fairmont is a librarian like I am. Although my husband is still alive, thank God, Alicia is a widow. Her marriage was quite different from mine, as her husband kept his past secret. When she searches for his family that she has never met, she ends up meeting and falling in love with John McKinney, the publisher of a small town newspaper. John’s character is mostly imaginary. His occupation and interest in journalism and novel writing is another aspect of my personal experience. I worked as Features editor on my college newspaper and also edited and published my library school newsletter before writing articles, short stories and novels.
John’s father, 80-year old Mac, is another central character in my book. He is a librarian and previous library director at the Cobble Cove Library in upstate New York. One memorable characteristic of Mac is his love of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When I worked part-time in the special collections department of my college library, I worked with an older gentleman who ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day. I gave Mac this similar quirk and also his propensity for creative quotes. The tagline of the book, which comes from one of Mac’s sayings is, “Things happen for a reason.”
Sheila, the current library director and a close friend of Mac and John is not based on anyone I’ve worked for. She’s a complex character who is difficult to know initially. As the story unfolds, we learn her hard exterior was built after the tragic loss of her young husband to a brain aneurysm that left her to raise her daughter alone.
There are many other characters in the book including Alicia’s best friend, Abigail Nostran, known as Gilly, who worked with her part-time as a clerk at their library on Long Island. Gilly has three sons and is a very down-to-earth person who likes to wear sweatshirts and casual clothing. She loves to bake and, despite a messy divorce, is a positive person who enjoys talking about the opposite sex. I based Gilly on several women I’ve known throughout my life. I also had a friend at my library who worked as a clerk.
Dora, the innkeeper, who Alicia first meets when coming to Cobble Cove, shares some similarities with Gilly. She has never married and, during the course of the book, develops a love interest in someone. An older woman who runs a bed and breakfast in a small town, she’s a bit wary about new guests. As she gets to know Alicia, she becomes friendlier. Her interests also include baking as well as gardening and making the inn’s bath soaps and lotions.
Two other characters that play important roles in my book, although they aren’t human, are the library Siamese cat, Sneaky, and Mac and John’s golden retriever, Fido. The cat is based on my own Siamese cat, Oliver, who is older than Sneaky. The dog is also based on some dogs I grew up with and those I’ve read about in books.
The sequel to “A Stone’s Throw” will feature several new characters. Without giving the story away, some will be college-age and others children. I base the kids on my own daughter when she was the age of the characters. One young girl who plays a big role in the book, Angelina, suffers from leukemia. Her character is based on my niece who underwent a bone marrow transplant ten years ago at the age of 12 and is now completely recovered with a baby daughter.
The new book that I am currently writing with totally different characters, features themes of alcoholism. mental illness, and infertility. The main character, Sarah Lloyd, is a children’s book illustrator this time instead of a librarian. She is having problems conceiving which causes stress on her marriage. I have a familiarity with this topic because it took me many years and some fertility treatments to conceive my daughter. Sarah’s mother, Jennifer Brewster, is the alcoholic in the book. While my experience with this topic is limited, I used my knowledge of alcoholic characters I’ve read about and seen portrayed on television. Without revealing the plot or other characters because the book is only in a draft stage, I will say my characters are different from those of “A Stone’s Throw” and my first self-published novel, “Cloudy Rainbow,” although there are some similarities.
I believe most authors put some of themselves in their main characters as well as other aspects of their personalities in non-leading characters. I’ve also found that, once you name a character and begin to feature that person in your book, they start taking on characteristics and motivations that often surprise you.
In case the descriptions of my characters have interested you, you might consider joining my mailing list for updates on my books and monthly contests for prizes at https://debbiedelouise.wordpress.com(just complete the pop-up newsletter form and confirm through the email you are sent). The next newsletter will be out on June 1st where I’ll be announcing the June contest and awarding the May prize.
After being rescued from a brutal band of marauders, Ellen Hale rebuilt her life in the fortified neighborhood that became her home. A heartbreaking decision and devastating loss pushed her to become a fierce fighter, because weakness only got you and those you loved killed.
Now her community is facing a deadly threat, and Ellen has another choice to make.
Ellen volunteers as a member of fallback team three, tasked with establishing a temporary refuge for their citizens in the event their community is overrun by the enemy. As the danger intensifies, she and her adopted sister, Melissa, set off with the rest of their team on the road trip from hell.
Their mission is cloaked in secrecy, but suspicions of a traitor arise.
Something is affecting the zombies’ migration patterns, and when blacksmith Tyler Garrett is discovered trapped in a farmhouse, the team refuses to trust him. But Ellen believes his story, and it’s not just because of his rugged, blond good looks and soft-spoken manner—his skills can greatly benefit their team.
As the team struggles to reach the fallback, previously secure locations are overrun, and their chances of success seem remote. With the likelihood of a traitor nearly certain, and the lives of everyone she loves at risk, Ellen must figure out who to trust before the traitor—or the zombies—destroy them all.
Is there a spy among the fallback team,
or is there another threat lurking in the Kentucky hills?
►►► Meet the author: LORI WHITWAM ◄◄◄
Lori spent her early years reading books in a tree in northern West Virginia. The 1980s and 90s found her and her husband moving around the Midwest, mainly because it was easier to move than clean the apartment. After seventeen frigid years in Minnesota, she fled to coastal North Carolina in 2013. She will never leave, and if you try to make her, she will hurt you.
She has worked in public libraries, written advertising copy for wastewater treatment equipment, and managed a holistic veterinary clinic. Her current day job, conducted from her World Headquarters and Petting Zoo (her couch) is as the Managing Editor for Limitless Publishing, as well as editing for a select group of indie authors.
Her dogs are a big part of her life, and she has served or held offices in Golden Retriever and Great Pyrenees rescues, a humane society, a county kennel club, and her own chapter of Therapy Dogs International.
She has been a columnist and feature writer for auto racing and pet publications, and won the Dog Writers Association of America’s Maxwell Award for a series of humor essays.
Parents of a grown son, Lori and her husband were high school sweethearts, and he manages to love her in spite of herself. Some of his duties include making sure she always has fresh coffee and safe tires, trying to teach her to use coupons, and convincing the state police to spring her from house arrest in her hotel room in time for a very important concert. That last one only happened once—so far—but she still really, really appreciates it.
Also on sale a limited time, the first book in the series:
Lori Whitwam – The Dead Survive
It should be easy to tell who the monsters are in the middle of a global zombie pandemic…
The blank-eyed swarms of animated corpses who want to gnaw on your flesh. Well, those are the obvious choice, of course.
In reality, though, it’s not always that simple.
In the early days of the global zombie pandemic, Ellen Hale learned a brutal lesson. While trying to survive the hordes of zombies, Ellen was abducted by a band of marauders and subjected to abuse almost beyond her ability to endure.
She is broken both mentally and physically, and fears she is on the verge of becoming a monster herself…
Until she is rescued by a growing band of survivors and given a second chance.
Ellen is taken to “The Compound.” Where she meets ex-convict, Quinn.
He’s everything she’d ever been taught to fear, but his presence is the only thing that makes her feel safe.
Will she be able to look past his rough exterior and learn to trust him? Or will the memory of the men who subjected her to such sadistic horrors ruin her chance at a new life?
Tag Line:
Sometimes the shambling animated corpses aren’t the worst things out there. Sometimes the monsters are human…
This week’s blog challenge is about marketing tips. Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created this challenge (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning about some of the great participating authors).
I don’t have many book marketing tips I can recommend and hope to learn something from others taking this challenge, but here are six things I’ve done that seemed to help my sales of “A Stone’s Throw,”so far:
I spoke to the editor of my local paper about my book before it first came out, and she interviewed me and published an article the week of its release.
Since I’m a librarian, I sent a press release to the Nassau County Library Association, and they featured me and my book in their monthly newsletter. This can work for anyone who is a member of any association or group that publishes a newsletter which features member news.
I contacted book blogs for reviews and interviews. See my Media page for those that featured me.
I organized a Thanksreader’s Facebook party around the time of my release. Since my book came out around Thanksgiving, I used a theme of a virtual feast at which each author taking over brought a “dish” as well as giveaways. The dishes often included recipes and yummy photos.
I created teasers using Canva.com with scenes from my book, as well as review quotes that I used on Facebook posts and Twitter tweets.In addition to these marketing tips, there are some things I tried that weren’t productive for me but that doesn’t mean they won’t be productive for you. These included posting in FB groups, taking out Facebook ads, and holding Goodreads and Facebook giveaways. While these didn’t result in much sales for me, I may not have promoted them properly. You might have totally different results. The main thing is to try many avenues to reach your target market — both online and through personal appearances, signings, etc. It’s a tough market, but if your books are good, you don’t give up, and you keep writing, you will be noticed, build a fan base, and eventually earn some profit from your hard work.
This week’s blog challenge is on the topic of My Bookshelf/Latest Reads. Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created this challenge (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning about some of the great participating authors).
I actually have several bookshelves in my home. What do you expect from a librarian who is also an author? Even though I borrow many books from the library, I have a large collection of my own. My bed’s headboard actually holds some paperbacks, and there’s room in my bureau’s shelves. I also decorate my bookcases with knick knacks and curios, most of them cat-related.
Of course, my own books, Cloudy Rainbow and a Stone’s Throw, have prominent spots on my bedroom bookshelf as well as the Cat Crimes in Time anthology in which my short mystery, Stitches in Time, appears.
My bookshelves are not limited to the space in my house. I also have a virtual bookshelf on my Kindle Fire with many books waiting to be read including ebooks by fellow Limitless Publishing authors.
Since I write for and edit my library’s Staff Picks newsletter, I need to review at least one book a month, and I usually try to review two. I used to be a much more voracious reader, but my reading time is limited by the hours I spend writing and promoting my own books. Occasionally, I ask my cat, Oliver, for help choosing what to read next from my huge TBR pile. My latest choices are pictured below. I just began “House of Dreams” by Kate Lord Brown, one of my newest favorite authors. Her previous book, The Perfume Garden, was a page-turner.
If you’re interested in learning more about me and my books, I’d love to connect with you on the following sites:
I’m very excited to participate in the blog challenge Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning about some of the great participating authors).
My Writing Room is the first subject of this new blog challenge, and I find it challenging indeed because I don’t have a writing room at this point or beautiful photos to share with you of to-die-for offices or dens that some other authors do. I get up at 5 a.m. each morning to write (a little later on weekends or when I’m off from work). My computer is set up on my kitchen table which is good access so I can have my coffee and eat breakfast as I write (although I do get crumbs in the keyboard sometimes that frustrates my husband to no end).
The other place I do a lot of writing, if only mental writing, is in my bed at night curled up around my Siamese cat Oliver (which also irritates my husband). I mull over the next scene of my book in my sleep and, when I wake up, I am ready to write. Occasionally, my other cat, Stripey, lends me a paw typing on his laptop.
One day I may have an official office with windows all around overlooking a beautiful garden or the seashore.
For now, until my book “A Stone’s Throw” or one of my forthcoming ones becomes a bestseller, I am typing at the table like a starving artist literally because while food is within my reach, I’m still trying to stay on my diet. On the other hand, when I get a touch of writer’s block, a handy piece of dark chocolate always seems to do the trick to help get the words flowing again.
If I did have a writing room, it would be a cross between a library and a peaceful retreat. I’d move the Kittendales calendar featuring hunky men holding kittens from my bedroom to feature on one of the walls, and my books (the current two I’ve published and the next 100 I have in my mind and plan to write when I have time) will fill several bookcases along with my favorite authors, Nora Roberts, Mary Higgins Clark, Jodi Picoult, and Sandra Brown. The only problem is with all the bookcases and the calendar, I wouldn’t have much room for windows, and I’d have to have at least one with a window seat where my cats could sit while I composed my masterpieces and looked out at the flowers or the sea.
Instead of filling this blog post with photos of my writing room, I’ve filled it with photos of my dream writing rooms. If you’d like to support this starving writer so she can afford a writing room of her own, please order my book through any of the following links. I’d also love you to connect with me on the social media sites listed after.
Welcome to the Library Lounge where I interview fellow authors. Today, I am chatting with Ayden K. Morgen aka A.K. Morgen from Little Rock, Arkansas.
Thanks for joining me, Ayden. Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable.
How long have you been publishing and what titles have you published? Have you self-published any titles or published with another publisher? Please give details.
Close woman portrait with the world reflected in her eyes.
That’s great. I understand that All Over You is releasing today. Can you tell us a little bit about it as well as what genre you write and your other books?
I write romance as well as fantasy with strong romantic elements. All Over You is a New Adult romance, featuring Ivy Kendall and Cameron Lewis. Ivy is a kindergarten teacher who finds her life unraveling around her when a catfish steals her identity and lures a college student into an online relationship and, ultimately, to his death. Cameron (Cam), a San Francisco detective, has to help her clear her name…and convince her that giving him a chance won’t drag him down with her. That’s easier said than done when Fake Ivy has made sure that the real Ivy looks guilty! The book is a very steamy standalone companion to the All Falls Down duo.
In addition to All Over You, I also have Rapture coming out later this year, which will complete the Teplo Trilogy. FLAME, the third book in a New Adult urban fantasy series centered around Norse mythology, will release early next year, followed by the second book in the War Scrolls series.
Sounds great. How would you describe your goals as a writer? What do you hope to achieve in the next few years? What are you planning to do to reach these goals?
My goal as a writer is to spread a little love and share the things that matter to me. I work in the Criminal Justice/Social Services fields, so a lot of my novels feature characters in the same fields…law enforcement officers, federal agents, and even those accused of a or victimized by crime. Others deal with the mythology I grew up devouring. I love getting to share those perspectives and stories with readers while giving them a well-earned HEA! Ultimately, I would love to write full-time, and am working toward that goal every day through writing and author branding.
I also feature characters that are either librarians, researchers, or authors, as I am in my novels. It’s interestintg that you mention mythology because I loved reading them as a child, too, but haven’t included them in any of my books. Like you, I would love to work full-time in the future.
Close woman portrait with the world reflected in her eyes.
What type of reader are you hoping to attract? Who do you believe would be most interested in reading your books?
Readers who love romance, heat, suspense, and HEAs are sure to find something they enjoy in my fictional worlds. So are those who love a little angst, flawed characters, and a dose of reality. I don’t shy away from putting characters into tough situations and letting them find their way together. That’s part of what love and relationships are all about, right?
Exactly. You sure have your target audience pegged.
What advice would you give other authors or those still trying to get published?
Don’t give up! There will always be someone out there who doesn’t like what you write or how you write it. That’s perfectly fine, because there will also always be those out there who love what you have to say and how you say it. I’ve had people tell me that they hated X, and then had others come along immediately after and tell me that’s exactly what they loved about the story. Rejection and bad reviews are inevitable, so don’t let them discourage you.
I agree completely. Persistance is an important trait for an author. You need to have faith in yourself and your writing and, as you said, realize that not everyone will love it but that’s the way it is with every book.
What particular challenges and struggles did you face before first becoming published?
Quite honestly, I didn’t ever plan to publish. My mom badgered me into it, and I had a very different experience than most. I sent out my first query in late 2011, and 3 months later, I had my first contract offer, followed by another soon thereafter. That’s not the norm, so I always kind of feel like I lucked into publishing initially. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and sleepless nights since, but yeah, I definitely got lucky to begin with!
Yes, that’s unusual. I think I became published rather quickly myself once I started concentrating on submitting material, although I’d had a few rejections but nothing close to what some authors receive.
Have you taken any writing or publishing classes? If so, please provide information about them and if you feel they helped you further your professional skills.
I took a creative writing course as a kid, and various lit courses in high school, but I haven’t taken any classes since. I did help TA College Composition I and II in college and grad school, so that helped strengthen my knowledge of the technical and mechanical side of writing, I think.
What hobbies and interests do you have besides writing?
I’m a huge hockey fan, especially when it comes to the Chicago Blackhawks. Hockey season is a little frightening around my house…there’s a lot of screaming at the television and dancing involved. I’m also a big fan of mythology, ballet, action movies, and causing mischief. I also work as a 911 Dispatcher for my county, so I don’t have a lot of free time between my two careers, but when I do, I spend as much as possible just hanging out with my husband of twelve years and my family and friends.
What do you like most and least about being an author? What is your toughest challenge?
I love inspiring others and telling the stories that rattle around in my brain. Knowing that my words have helped someone else through a difficult situation or time is so rewarding. I love that! My least favorite part of being an author is how much work goes into things like marketing and branding and the whole business side of things. I spend as much time on those responsibilities as I do writing…it can be pretty exhausting!
I hear you. I feel the same way. Marketing and promoting are so important, and yet authors are usually not experienced with them and prefer to write which is just as important.
Can you please list your social media links, website, blog, etc. so readers can connect with you.
When Gabriella Woods finds matches from a gentlemen’s club in her fiancé’s pocket, her suspicions require a search for answers.
At the club, she realizes it’s not her fiancé’s fidelity that can’t be trusted…
It’s her own.
Darion Milano is daring, intriguing, and unpredictable…
Unable to get him out of her head—and against Darion’s explicit warning—
Gabi begins a torrid affair. No longer fighting the urge to enter the depth of his dark and mysterious lifestyle, she indulges in his most intimate desires.
They become the most exciting, wild, infatuated couple everybody knows.
Until his confession changes everything…
Her heart is telling her to stay.
Her instinct is telling her to run.
She can never match his outrageous ex-wife and become the fun, fearless woman he craves…
★★ WHAT EARLY REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT HIS CONFESSION★★
“His Confession was a surprisingly engaging read with believable characters who were easy to connect with.It dealt with subjects a little different to what I’m used to, but the author did a great job of pulling me into her world.” – Mia Hoddell, YA/NA author.
“His Confession pulled me through from the first paragraph! The enigmatic Darion practically leapt off the pages and I could picture his every move and facial expression clear as day in my head! This story is definitely one to add to your “want-to-read” list-especially if you love a captivating plot as well as scenes so hot that they fog up your glasses. I don’t want to say too much and spoil it for future readers but DARION and GABI put Christian and Ana to SHAME! Enough said. LOL.” – Kiarra M. Taylor, contemporary romance author of THE QUARTER CHANGE.
“I loved it and I’m excited to read more to find out what happens. Darion is a great guy who was hurt badly and doesn’t know how to handle, which in steps Gabi. Love love love her! Hopefully she fights for him! When does the next book come out, as I’m dying to know what comes next! I also hope the girls get their own stories.” – Susan Flynn, Beta reader Writers club.
“S. Valentine does an exquisite job at creating a dynamic between two characters, both from different worlds, that goes beyond a physical attraction. His Confession is book one in The Black Door Trilogy. It is a fast paced story that is full of hotness and anticipation that heats you up from your head to your toes. Gabi, is tired of always playing it safe. Darion, has demons that he can no longer control. When these two get together, boundaries are pushed, control is tested and emotions run wild.” – AV. Scott, author of High Heels & New York.
“A brilliant book which leaves you wondering what happened in Darion’s past that has left him so wary and so afraid to put himself and his heart out there not to mention to put his faith and trust in Gabi, the one woman whose managed to penetrate the walls he’s built. I can’t wait for book 2 and I’m hoping that Darion and Gabi can overcome the obstacles that stand in front of them, including Eva, Darion’s ex wife.” – Rebecca Barber, author Nobody’s Obligation.
★★ ABOUT THE AUTHOR ★★
Valentine grew up in England. Studying English language and literature, as well as law, she worked in a solicitors for many years before moving to Spain. She does however still visit the UK, which in a way, will always be home.
Returning to her lifelong passion of writing books, she’s also a weekly columnist for The Ibizan newspaper on: lifestyle and fashion. Her other interests include reading, shopping and a nice glass of wine. She’s a social media addict, and loves connecting with new people.
This week’s blog challenge is about A Day in My Life. Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created this challenge (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning about some of the great participating authors).
When everyone is gone, I shower and dress for work. I like to get there at 8:30 even though I start at 9. I work at my local library as a librarian. The best part of my job is ordering the new fiction and mystery books, but it’s also the hardest because I want to read them all and don’t have the time. I also enjoy helping people find new books and authors. I’ve been writing and editing the library’s monthly staff picks newsletter for the last three years.
I work at the library from 9 to 5 four days a week and from 1 to 9 once a week. I also work two Saturdays a month. When I work a Saturday, I usually get a Friday off. On my days off and on weekends, I try to catch up on household chores and social media/writing. But if my daughter is home, too, I try to spend time with her. She’s at the age where she’d rather be with her friends than her mother, so I usually take her out somewhere with a friend. Last weekend, we went to Old Westbury Gardens, a place she particularly likes, as she’s into nature. However, it was so hot that both she and her friend wanted to leave before we were there long. A week ago, my daughter unexpectedly asked me to read a book with her. We used to read together all the time when she was younger but, as she started getting more homework and I became involved in writing, there was less time for us to do so. The book she chose, The Bad Unicorn, is one of those pre-teen dramatic works with a mysterious ancient codex and a seventh-grade hero. I had to admit I found some of the parts funny, and she laughed through a lot of it, too. Despite its crazy plot, the book was written on a level that would help increase a middle-schooler’s vocabulary, and I was glad it was something we could share.
This weekend, I’m headed to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut for MASE (Mystic Author Signing Event) where I’ll be meeting authors and readers and signing both of my books, A Stone’s Throw and Cloudy Rainbow. My husband is coming along, so we’ll also try to fit in some much-needed together time. Most of the time we’re both too busy with our jobs and daughter. The single exception is the one night a week, usually on a weekend I’m not working, that we watch a movie or TV show together on Netflix while our daughter plays virtual games on her computer with her friends.
Ruff Drafts 