Madly in Love Monday 4/25

I'm back! The past week has given me a chance to recharge my batteries and I'm feeling ready to jump into this week head first. I hope everyone who celebrates Easter had a good day. Sunday was pretty low key for me. My brother and I both went over to my parents house for the day. It was nice to have the whole family together (minus my brother's fiance who was out of town).

This is a big week. And no, I'm not talking about the Royal Wedding. I'm talking about something a little closer to home. One of my favorite authors, Shelly Laurenston, has a new Pride book coming out, Big Bad Beast! I am so excited for this book.

Now, I know I've used a Shelly Laurenston book before in my Madly in Love segment... but since I adore this series, and since a new book is coming out tomorrow... I decided to feature the series again with a different book. So, without further ado, this week's Madly in Love book is.....

The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston. The best word for this series is FUN. Ms. Laurenston has a way of incorporating humor into her storytelling that is in a class of it's own. Her characters are quirky in the most lovable ways and the two in The Beast in Him (the second in the series) is no exception. In fact, if I had to list my top ten heroines of all time, this series would hold at least one, more likely two, and very possibly three positions on that list (Jess being my second favorite).

blurb:
In The Mane Event, Shelly Laurenston introduced a whole new breed of heroes sexy, shape-shifting hunks who redefine the term Alpha male. Now, in THE BEAST IN HIM, one gorgeous lone wolf is about to meet his match Some things are so worth waiting for. Like the moment when Jessica Ward accidentally bumps into Bobby Ray Smith and shows him just how far she come since high school. Back then, Jess gangly limbs and bruised heart turned to jelly any time Smitty all the better to ravish you with body came near her. So, some things haven't changed. Except now Jess is a success on her own terms. And she can enjoy a romp or twenty with a big, bad wolf and walk away. Easy. The sexy, polished CEO who hires Smitty's security firm might be a million miles from the lovable geek he knew, but her kiss, her touch, is every bit as hot as he imagined. Jess was never the kind to ask for help, and she doesn't want it now, not even with someone targeting her Pack. But Smittys not going to turn tail and run. Not before proving that their sheet-scorching animal lust is only the start of something even wilder.

If you are a fan of shapeshifters (and truthfully even if you aren't), this book should be on your list.

What book are you Madly in Love with?

Be Back Soon

If you're reading this you are one of my lovely followers. Well, that isn't necessarily true. You might be someone here for the first time. But in any case, I regret to inform you all that I'm feeling a little run down. Between edits for the next two books of The Alpine Woods Shifters, writing for book four of The Alpine Woods Shifters, trying to get my website up, and blogging, I'm just not finding enough hours in the day. Not that I'm complaining. I love being so busy! But I just got copy edits for The Wolf Within and I want to give them as much attention as I need to. So, I've decided to take a week off from the blog.

Don't worry, I'm just taking a week! Copy edits will take much longer than that but I just need a few days to refill my batteries. I probably wont be visiting too many blogs during this time either but I'll make all the rounds next week! I promise to start back up with a new Madly in Love post next Monday (4/25), and I'll search long and hard to make sure to choose a utterly fantastic read.

Uncomfortable Situations

I'm a little late for Friday posting but sliding in at the end of the day! Today I'm going to be talking about one of my pet peeves and an uncomfortable situation most of us have experienced at one time or another. The Hard Sell. A girlfriend of mine paid for a make-up "class" with Dior make-up. Well, I guess they didn't have enough people sign up because each person who paid for the class was invited to bring a guest. I had been feeling a bit stir crazy and needed to get out, so when she offered, I jumped at the chance. It would be like a make-over, right?

Wrong. While the class itself was very informative, the object was for us to put on our own make-up and learn the proper way to use their products. They did a demonstration and then we all got the opportunity to use the make-up ourselves. Each table had a sales consultant that was there to help. The main problem? The woman sales consultant at our table was about as intense as they come. At least I really hope they don't get more intense because I was extremely uncomfortable. She was pushing products on us, even ones we declined using. The woman I was with had taken her make-up off before arriving, having anticipated the need for a clean face. Yet, the sales woman insisted she "needed to use the cleanser". In the end, I bought two products. However, I probably would have bought three if the woman hadn't pushed me to make a decision at the end and made me so uncomfortable. If instead of pushing, she had informed, she probably could have sold me on more than that. Maybe not. I have a very tight budget, but I was in a impulse buying mood. The woman was doing the hard sell and in the end it probably cost her commission in the products I DIDN'T buy.

Now, I see writers all the time working the hard sell. I see it on the forums I join. I see it on twitter. For example, I had a  woman follow me on Twitter. Now, as a rule, I look at people's profile and recent tweets before following back. If the person is a fellow writer, generally funny, or at least looks like they have conversations with people on twitter, I usually follow back. If the person looks like a bot, has recently tweeted something I find offensive, or is all about the political/religious tweets, I tend to not follow back. I have my political view and religious views too, but I don't need to broadcast them. So, I went to this woman's profile and found she was a fellow writer. I thought her 'about me' blurb was clever and was about to follow back based on that alone, but I looked at her recent tweets... Every. Single. One. was about her book or her blog. Not one reply to someone else, not one subject that wasn't about her. I passed on following her back. Without following her, I knew everything she would ever say to me and I felt no need to see it five times a day in my twitter feed.

Now, I'm not saying don't promote. I promote. I send a tweet about Arctic Winds every now and then. But I also make friends through twitter. I have conversations, talk about current writing news, promote and retweet other authors, and participate in hashtag discussions. The point I'm trying to make is, the hard sell doesn't work in real life... why do people think the internet is different?

What do you think? Do you agree/disagree?

An Uninspired Blog Post

I have a secret. Well, except it's not really a secret, especially since I'm about to reveal it to all of you. We all know that once something goes on the web it's no longer secret. But this secret isn't so big. The truth is....I have no idea what to blog about today. None. I wracked my brain, and looked at my list of possible topics and not one thing jumped out at me. In fact, it's been a problem this entire week (see my very uninspired post on Monday).

I'm sure it happens to all of us bloggers. Some days our brains just rebel and say NO. I hate to give in, because in those moments my brain resembles a sulking three year old who wants an ice cream cone before dinner. But I'm smart about choosing my battles. At least I like to think I am. So instead of pushing through and writing something witty and fun, I'm rambling an apology for my post today and saving the soldiers or willpower for my current work in progress (Book Four in the Alpine Woods Series and Cody's story for anyone curious). I hope you'll forgive me and return on Friday where I WILL post something more inspired.

Giveaway Winners!

I'm sorry this is a day late. I got home from a short trip yesterday and hadn't anticipated things to be quite as hectic as they were. BUT I have random.org'ed the comments on the Stephanie Haefner interview and have two winner!

Congratulations to Rashelle and Lynda R. Young!

I will be contacting you shortly via email. Thank you to everyone who entered!

Interview and a Giveaway!

Happy Friday everyone! Today, I had the pleasure of interviewing fellow Lyrical author, Stephanie Haefner. Stephanie just released Paradise Cove this Monday. I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, but her last book, A Bitch Named Karma, was such a great read, I ended up staying awake until 3am to finish it. Needless to say, I'm very excited to read this one. So excited, in fact, that two of you will win copies of the book, one from Stephanie and one from me (details below). Without further ado, please join me in welcoming Stephanie Haefner!

Tell us a little about your latest release, Paradise Cove?
Paradise Cove is a shorter story, about a quarter the length of a novel. It’s a great quick read while waiting at the doctor’s office or on the ride to work, if you carpool or use public transportation. It’s contemporary romance, about a woman who leaves her home in New Jersey to buy a dilapidated resort in Cancun.

Sounds great! So tell us, If Paradise Cove was turned into a movie, what celebrities would you cast in the leading roles?

Ah, this is an easy question!! I almost always pick out actors when I write a story…I envision the scene in my head as I’m writing it and while doing edits. If I can visualize the scene, it helps me get the details just right!! I am a huge All My Children fan, so I often use actors from that show (been watching it for almost 20 years, 5 shows a week… I “know” them pretty well! LOL!) My main character, Shelby, is played by Alicia Minshew (who plays Kendall on AMC) and her love interest is Mark Consuelos, who I think everyone knows even if they aren’t an AMC fan! (He’s Kelly Ripa’s husband!)

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?
It’s hard to pick just one!! I think the best part is when someone tells me how much they loved my story. It’s so gratifying to know all that hard work is actually paying off. People get my story, they enjoy it, they can’t wait for more!! And working from home in my fleece pants…that’s kind of awesome too!

What do you want readers to take away from your books?
I know my genre-contemporary romance and women’s fiction- is not stuff that is changing the world or making people think deep thoughts. But if I can take someone away from their everyday life for a few hours and put a smile on their face, then my job is done. I want readers to laugh, cry, get angry…..I want them to experience a range of emotions and when it’s all over, say, “Wow, that was good!”

What do you do when you’re not writing?
I love to dance and I take an adult jazz class! I also do Zumba at least 3-4 times a week! So fun!! I’m always doing fun things with my hubby and kids, whether it be a trip to a local orchard, the beach, or Chuck E. Cheese! We are huge Disney World fans, so I am almost always planning a trip there!! And, of course, a good portion of my day is also spent online, networking and promoting my work!

If you could meet a character from any literary work, who would it be and what one question would you ask them?
Wow…that is a really tough question! This is probably going to sound so cliché, but my pick would be Scarlett O’Hara. I can identify with her on so many levels. My question would be: “Why did it take so long for your eyes to open and see Rhett’s love, and what are you gonna do to get him back?

What are you currently reading?
I am almost finished with Matched by Ally Condie (I will probably finish it tonight!) I have to say, the first few chapters did suck me in, but after that it got a little blah for 100 or so pages. Not sure why I stuck it out. But it has picked up toward the end!

What can we look forward to from you in the future?
I have another shorty releasing this summer, called Soap Dreams! It’s about a woman who is unhappy with her current life and her ex boyfriend-her first love (and first everything!)- steps back into her life and offers her the opportunity of a lifetime.

Any parting thoughts?
Thanks so much for having me!!

Thank you for being here!

Blurb for Paradise Cove:
Paradise is nothing if you choose to enjoy it alone.

When Shelby Meyer jetted off for a relaxing week in Cancun, she never expected to fall in love with the quaint piece of Mexican heaven. Or make on offer to buy it.

The Paradise Cove, a run-down Cancun resort, is in desperate need of TLC. Shelby can easily envision the resort as it was in its heyday and sees its potential. She vows to do everything in her power to return it to its former glory.

Though the previous owners' grandson, Gabriel, insists that she will destroy his family's resort, and a neighboring resort owner doubts in her ability, Shelby's resolve strengthens.

But when she finds her lists of repairs and the stack of bills piling up around her, hope begins to fade. Will she swallow her pride and accept Gabriel's love and financial help, or be forced to give up her dream of Paradise Cove?
Warning: Contains brief sexuality.

To enter the contest to win a copy of Paradise Cove, leave a comment or question below for Stephanie. Be sure to include your email address and whether you'd prefer a PDF copy or a Kindle copy. Stephanie will be giving away a PDF and I will be gifting a kindle book.  I can't guarantee you'll get the version you want. First pick will get their preference and second pick will get whichever is left. Don't worry if you don't have a kindle, Amazon offers free aps for computers and most smart phones. Contest will close this Sunday at noon, so be sure to enter before then!

Woohoo Wednesday

Sondrae's Corner has reached a milestone! 100 followers! Thank you to each and every one of you! And in celebration, I have something special planned for Friday. Well, okay.... I already had this thing planned before this happened. But there's no reason we can't make it a celebration for hitting 100 as well, right? And because I'm no good with secrets...unless they're someone elses... I'm interviewing fellow Lyrical author Stephanie Haefner on Friday and not only will she be giving away a PDF copy of her newest book, Paradise Cove, to one lucky commenter, I will pick a second winner to win a kindle copy! So two people will walk away with a copy of her book! So be sure to stop back Friday for your chance to win.

Now, onto other subjects. There are a lot of great books coming out this month! I'm amazed at how many interesting things are being announced on twitter. Not to mention new titles from Maya Banks, Lauren Dane, and Dana Marie Bell (the start of a series I'm very excited about). It's going to take me awhile to work through all the new titles, not to mention the old titles that are patiently, or not so patiently, waiting on my to be read pile. Still, it's very exciting to know there are so many great options when browsing for new books to read.

What's at the top of your wish list?

Madly in Love Monday 4/4

Good morning, or almost afternoon in reality, Blogger friends! I hope everyone had a good weekend. The reason I'm a little late putting up my post this morning, is because I had a meeting with my website designer, and let me tell you, it looks awesome! I can't wait for it to go live so I can show it off, even though that's probably still a ways out. So if I seem a little too cheerful for a Monday, that's probably why.

So, it's time for another Madly in Love post. Madly in Love is a weekly post I do on Monday where I talk about a book I'm so "madly in love" with, I wanted to share it with all of you so you can fall in love with it, too. Being a romance writer, and reader, most books I choose are romance based, but every now and then a horror or sci-fi will sneak their way in (such as last week).

Today's book is an erotic romance selection, so if you have objections to erotic fiction, I'd suggest you turn back now! Or better yet, skip to the end and leave a comment with your Madly in Love pick and we can discuss that. Without further ado, today's pick is....

Master of the Abyss by Cherise Sinclair. Let me start off by saying, I had a hard time picking one book from Ms. Sinclair. She writes characters so beautifully, its hard not to fall in love with them all, which makes narrowing down to one book hard if not impossible. Master of the Abyss is one of her more recent books and one of my favorites, right up there with The Dom's Dungeon and her newest Make Me, Sir. One of the greatest things I've discovered about Ms. Sinclair as a writer is that her stories seem to get better and better. It's hard to keep things fresh and new, especially in the erotic romance genre, but Ms. Sinclair has yet to disappoint me.

Kallie, the heroine in Master of the Abyss, has all the strengths and vulnerabilities needed in a main character and is perfectly matched by mountain-man Jake. Their story will make you laugh and it will make you cry.

Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, BDSM theme and elements, exhibitionism, violence, voyeurism.

Needless to say, this book is not for everyone. But if you like your romance a little on the spicy side and like well rounded characters, I highly recommend checking out Cherise Sinclair.

What's your Madly in Love Monday book?