by Christine | Writing
Here’s Shawna Romkey’s new book! Pretty spectacular, huh?
The Blurb:
What happens when falling in love and falling from grace collide?
After dying in a car accident with her two best friends, Lily miraculously awakens to grief and guilt. She escapes to her dad’s to come to terms with the event and meets some people at her new school who seem all too eager to help her heal. Sliding deeper into sorrow and trying to fight her feelings for two of them, she finds out who…what they really are and that they are falling too.
Can she find the strength to move on from the past, reconcile her feelings for Luc, find a way to stop a divine war with fallen angels, and still pass the eleventh grade?
Oooh…sounds wonderful! Keep your eyes open for this one!
~oOo~
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
by Christine | Wine Friday
Today I’m highlighting some wines I bought while in Tehachapi in December. These are not under-$10 wines, but deserve a spot on the blog. You can find my post about my trip here. I love the town so much, I’m actually setting my latest novel there, so I’ll definitely have to go back for more research, right?
Bob and Patty Souza, Proprietors of the Souza Family Vineyard
But back to the wine! For more information on the Souza Family Vineyard, please go here. Bob and Patty have a Cinderella story that many people envy! They grow Zinfandel grapes that have produced award-winning wines.
Quattro Stagioni Estate Primitivo 2007 Alcohol 13.1% by Volume; $25 per bottle at the Vineyard
On the Label: The rolling hills of Cummings Valley, Tehachapi, is known as “The Land of 4 Seasons”, where cattle & horse ranches abound. It is here on the site of the historic Elijah Stowell estate, est. 1888, where ideal conditions have brought forth in its grapes a unique flavor of spices, fruitiness, licorice and a hint of pepper. The Souza Family Vineyard has produced a rich, full-bodied wine of exceptional character. Enjoy with beef, veal, pork and pasta. The end of a perfect day begins with primitivo. From our family to yours…”abbondanza fortuna”!!!
My Take: The 2007 was their first “produced” wine (I’m guessing they had some earlier wine that they didn’t release. Just guessing, though!) This wine was a bit of a disappointment, mainly because I think it had started to turn. It had a slight raisiny flavor which is not my favorite; and I wanted more pepper than I was tasting. But that’s me. As it aired, it mellowed out and got tastier.
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ And I’m sure it was VERY drinkable even a year or two ago.
Tehachapi Wine & Cattle Company Estate Primitivo 2009 Alcohol 14.1% by Volume; $25 per bottle at
the Vineyard
My Take: The label is the same, so I won’t repeat it. However – THIS wine is what I had been expecting. Big, bold, peppery, juicy without a hint of the dreaded raisiny taste. I loved this wine and if I could do it over again, I’d have bought two of them. The next time I go, I think I’ll do a vertical tasting and see how the wine has changed over the years. It’s nice to not be distracted by other varietals when going to a tasting room!
My Rating: ~ Stay away! This is MY wine, you Slut! And much deserved!
Thanks, Bob and Patty. I look forward to barging in visiting with you on my next weekend trip up to Tehachapi. Oh, and I’d LOVE to spend a day stalking you at the vineyard with you!
As usual, this is just my honest opinion and depend upon my mood, the weather, and what cycle the moon is in. Your taste buds will differ.
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
~oOo~
My Rating System: Undrinkable, Barely Drinkable, Drinkable, Very Drinkable, and the ever popular Stay away! This is MY wine, you slut!
by Christine | Writer Wednesday, Writing
Today I have the lovely and talented Toni de Palma on my blog, and we’re celebrating her upcoming release, The Devil’s Triangle, which goes live on February 15, 2013. So without further ado, let’s jump into the interview, shall we?
CA: What made you decide to write a novel?
TdP: Cooper, my main character, was too hard to ignore. He’s a teenage boy with a heart of gold, who isn’t bad on the eyes either. Cooper struggles with doing the right thing and his inner bad boy.
CA: Why paranormal?
TdP: Cooper not only has to deal with his inner Devil, but the real Lucifer too.
CA: How many books/short stories do you have planned for this series?
TdP: Three. I’m putting the finishing touches on the second book, The Devil’s Temptation, now.
CA: Where would you live, if you could live anywhere in the world?
TdP: That’s tough. I love Paris, but I also love the Italian island of Ischia where my dad is from. A little bungalow in Key West isn’t a bad idea either.
CA: Name 3 simple joys in your life.
TdP: According to my husband, I am anything but simple, but I’ll try. I love my bike, my dog and family dinners.
CA: If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead or fictional, who would it be and where would you go to eat?
TdP: I feel like I did this this past summer when my husband, son and I had many wonderful dinners in Italy.
CA: If you could give just one piece of advice to a writer starting out, what would it be?
TdP: Find a wonderfully supportive writers group that will also keep you accountable. I would be nowhere without my group.
CA: What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have a Day Job?
TdP: I teach creative writing at a local college and am planning a writers retreat in Ischia, Italy. You can find out more about the retreat at www.tonidepalma.com
CA: Ooh, a writer’s retreat in Italy! I’ll have to save for it, that sounds divine! And at least, when you’re teaching creative writing, you are also immersing yourself in writing. That’s soo cool! Name one thing your fans would be surprised to learn about you.
TdP: Don’t tell anyone, but my grammar stinks. Thank goodness for editors!
CA: Oh, I know! I LOVE my editors. They are the BEST people in the world! Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?
TdP: Nope, I think that’s it. Thanks!
CA: Thank YOU, Toni, for coming to Writer Wednesday!
The Cover:
The Blurb:
When 17 year old Cooper dies in an attempt to burn down his school, he finds himself in the afterlife. Lucy, the Devil’s sister who has crossed party lines, decides to give Cooper another shot at heaven. The deal? Cooper returns to Earth and has to find a girl named Grace. The rest is up to him.
While Cooper figures out his mission, he’s thrown into the life he’s always wanted. Great parents, a spot on the Varsity football team and a real future are all within reach. But what he really wants is Grace, a feisty girl with an abusive boyfriend who can pound Cooper into pulp if he doesn’t watch out.
While Lucy plays demonic-puppeteer, clues to an unknown past between Cooper and Grace start to unravel. Cooper discovers that what’s keeping him and Grace apart is far more sinister than anything this bad boy could have ever imagined.
Where to Find Toni:
Goodreads book page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13610688-devil-s-triangle
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/465309.Toni_De_Palma
Website: http://tonidepalma.com/
Blog: http://writersbytheshore.blogspot.com/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/WriterToniDePalma?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ToniDePalma1
~oOo~
Thanks for stopping by – please give Toni some comment love!
by Christine | Life, Observations
I spent Sunday carrying my “big” camera – my Canon Rebel T1i – around with me when the hubs and I walked to the duck pond and back. Thank goodness for digital! All the fun of taking pictures and none of the pain of getting them printed if we don’t like them!
We got the best of the day for photography – amazing clouds, amazing birds, and no rain. That came later, while we were at Lowe’s for seeds and plywood…but the photos of the rainbow I tried were just meh. Ephemeral mist just wouldn’t behave.
First up is a particularly devout mourning dove. They are remarkably tame (at least, around me) and won’t fly away unless you startle them.
A mourning dove, paying respects to Buddha.
Next up is a hawk’s nest. It’s high in the trees by the duck pond and the golf course near my house. Yesterday on our walk, the hawk was sitting there, and – wait for it – cheeping. At least it sounded like cheeping. Nothing mean or scary, like you might think a hawk would sound like.
The hawk’s nest, high in a tree by the duck pond.
Lastly, this is the bird feeder in our back yard. This morning, around 5:30 as I was puttering around on the internet, I heard a lot of songbird cheeping and twittering. Once the sun came up, I snapped this photo of a brave lad who didn’t leave when I stepped out on the patio. The only time our yard isn’t full of birds now is when a local hawk (maybe the same one that owns the nest, above?) swoops down through our yard, barely missing our heads. For some reason, all the small birdies go hide for ten minutes or so after that.
Our back yard bird feeder. At breakfast this morning, a squirrel trying to get at the seed almost fell off the top of the feeder.
Thanks for stopping by. What do you tend to take photos of these days?
~ I love your comments. Let’s chat! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
by Christine | Uncategorized, Writing
Sneaking in a cover reveal for a Savvy pal of mine, Lori L. Clark. Plus we have an interview!
Here’s the blurb:
It’s been said that when we look back over our lives, we are able to recognize the pivotal moments that in some way, shape, or form have led us to where we are today.
When Jacqueline Carter is fifteen, she crosses paths for the first time with Seth Thomas, a young man who unwittingly alters the direction of her life forever.
Jaq plans to break-up with her boyfriend on her sixteenth birthday. Instead, she is date-raped, and left emotionally broken. She builds a wall around her heart and begins spiraling downward on a road filled with drinking, drugs and physical abuse.
When Seth re-enters her life a few years later, the walls around her heart slowly come down and the two of them fall in love. Unfortunately fate has other ideas, and they’re forced down a different road from which they initially set out.
Here’s the interview:
CA: What made you decide to write a novel?
LLC: I enjoy reading so much that I thought I would like to try my hand at writing. I’m too wordy to write short stories, so I decided to go big or go home.
CA: What do you write?
LLC: I used to read paranormal a lot, in fact, I credit Twilight for getting me to read again. But I don’t write it. I guess I’m just not that imaginative. Or maybe I feel like all the good ideas have been taken. I write contemporary romance.
CA: How many books/short stories do you have planned for this series?
LLC: My latest book, DIFFERENT ROADS is completely stand-alone. Though I have had several readers comment to me that they would love to see a sequel from Seth’s POV.
CA: Where would you live, if you could live anywhere in the world?
LLC: I love living where I am. But maybe Ft. Lauderdale when I become ridiculously wealthy.
CA:Name 3 simple joys in your life.
LLC: Reading. Writing. Running.
CA: If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead or fictional, who would it be and where would you go to eat?
LLC: I have never thought about this before. But I think maybe I’d say Stephen King. Although I am not a huge fan of his work, I think he has a lot of advice to offer writers. I have read his stuff enough to know that his imagination must be in over-drive 24/7. I think he would be a fascinating dinner companion. Where would we eat? Why the hotel in Colorado where they filmed The Shining, of course.
CA: If you could give just one piece of advice to a writer starting out, what would it be?
LLC: Don’t get discouraged. If you have a story to tell, you have to believe there’s someone who wants to read it. You must read, read, and then read some more. Write a book that you want to read. Don’t try fitting into a niche because you think it’s wildly popular. But write the book you would go to a bookstore and pull off the shelf to read.
CA: What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have a Day Job?
LLC: I have a full-time job outside the house. I love my day job, but I can tell you… there are times when I feel like there are just not enough hours in the day.
CA: I hear you! Name one thing your fans would be surprised to learn about you.
LLC: I worked for over two years as an online psychic reader. It was my sole income and I made pretty good money doing it. Yes, I really am psychic.
CA: Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?
LLC: Summer. I’m ready for summer.
Here’s where you can find Lori!
Book Review Blog: http://justbookinaround.blogspot.com/
Author Blog: http://www.shewritesbooks.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6093884.Lori_L_Clark
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clarklori
Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoriLClarkAuthor
Thanks so much for stopping by, Lori – and good luck on your release!
~ I love your comments, and so do my visitors. Please ask questions if you have them! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
