by Christine | Writing
Isn’t this a cool cover? Makes me want to dive into the book!
When Monique finds out her brother, Kieran, is planning her future with the one fairy she wants nothing to do with, she seeks refuge in the human world. Now Kieran fears she will be the next victim in a string of murdered fairies and is determined to bring her home.
Hiding should be a breeze. She can control any human with a flirtatious smile and an attraction spell. Until she meets Daniel Elliot, the only human who’s immune to both.
A year ago, Daniel’s fiancée disappeared with the engagement ring, an Elliot family heirloom. He’s ready to move forward with his life, but his mother’s obsession with retrieving the ring makes that impossible. Then Monique walks into his office to apply for a job…
Daniel and Monique can’t deny their attraction, but will the reason he’s Fairyproof be too much to overcome?
About the author:
Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff. When she’s not writing about fairies, shifters, vamps, and guardian angels, she’s working side-by-side with her husband in their hardwood flooring business.
Constance is actively involved in her local Romance Writers of America chapter (MVRWA) and the Southeast Michigan chapter of the United States Pony Club. When not writing or enjoying the outdoors, she loves reality television or can be found at a Rick Springfield concert (just look for the pink Converse high tops).
Constance blogs regularly at www.constancephillips.com. You can also follow her on Twitter or friend her on Facebook.
by Christine | Writing
Crimson Sunrise…
Saari Mitchell attends a Tueri conference in Las Vegas, Nevada to strengthen her bonds with Dhelis Guidry and Brogan Vincent—and see if they can make their three-sided relationship work. But when Saari and her vampire brother Mag’s lives are threatened, her trip to paradise soon becomes a surreal fight for survival.
Dhelis and Brogan’s psychic abilities are no help in finding Saari. Desperate to save their mate, they call in favors from the psychic and preternatural community, but the information leads only to more questions. Is the threat against Saari personal or part of a larger plan that threatens every human and Tueri’s existence?
Crimson Sunrise is the second novel in the Tueri Fated Souls Series – make sure you check out MOONLIGHT BLEU!!!
~~~
It’s always nice to give friends a hand! If you haven’t read Renee yet, check her out. Of course, she can be found at Crescent Moon Press!
by Christine | Wine Friday
There are so many empty bottles of wine on my desk, that the cat now refuses to come up and sleep in his box. The wine bottles scare him when they fall, and the last time it happened he glared at me and went off in a huff.
As I looked at the bottles, however, I realized there were a couple that I either didn’t like or I couldn’t remember how they tasted, and my notebook had gone missing. So…those got tossed. No big loss; one was a Concannon Petite Syrah that I wasn’t that impressed with, and the other I couldn’t remember but was a new label called Handcraft – a Pinot Noir, both from 2010. I will get back to the Handcraft because I don’t have bad memories of it, and because it’s still a new wine to me.
So on to the wines that are left!
Clos du Bois Pinot Noir 2009 North Coast – Alcohol 13.5% by Volume. Regularly $14.27 at Vons; $6.99 on sale
On the Label: “Grown in north coast vineyards influenced by cooling ocean breezes and persistent morning fog, our Pinot Noir exhibits aromas and flavors of red cherry, raspberry, and hints of cranberry harmonized with vanilla and spice from aging in oak barrels.”
My Take: A lovely wine, at a lovely price. It definitely meets/beats the Smoking Loon test (is this better than a $5.99 bottle of Smoking Loon Pinot Noir?) and was a treat. We had this with a lovely home made red pasta sauce with ground pork, pureed tomatos and fresh zucchini, onions, carrots and mushrooms sauteed with the pork. That and a raft of garlic bread made a fantastic meal.
My Rating: ~ Very, Very Drinkable ~ Especially for the price!
Cut The Fluff Comique Revolution White Table Wine 2010 Central Coast
thanks to http://thymetoeatwell.com for the photo
Bottled by Central Coast Wine Warehouse – I could not find the alcohol content on the label. $6.99 (?) at Trader Joe’s.
On the Label: “We had no choice but to CUT THE FLUFF – our white wine smells like apple blossoms, juniper berries & honeydew. TASTES LIKE white peaches, custard & salted pain perdue.”
My Take: This was an interesting wine. It tasted smooth, went down very well, I had no problems with it at all. But surprisingly, neither have I gone out of my way to pick up another bottle, even when I’ve been to Trader Joe’s – and usually I’ll do so if I like it. Not sure what that says about the wine, lol.
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ But not memorable. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
thanks to http://www.cellartracker.com for the image
Tato Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2009 Denominazione di Origine Controllata Alcohol 13.5% by Volume $6.99 at Trader Joe’s.
On the Label: “Dry Red Wine. Product of Italy” (Brief – gotta love it!)
My Take: Italian wines are, to me, luscious. When I was in Italy in 2004, I couldn’t get a bad glass of red wine, and I always asked for the house wine. Every restaurant seemed to have its own supplier; and while each glass tasted different, the wine inevitably was wonderful.
This wine is, I’m happy to say, no exception. It needed airing; but it was a lovely, full-bodied, rich red wine that went perfectly with hamburgers topped with blue cheese, and lovely roasted smashed potatoes.
My Rating: ~ Very Drinkable ~ and at a great price! Plus the label is really cool.
As usual, this is just my honest opinion – which will 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 is available now. BLOOD DREAMS, a Caine Brothers Short Story, will be available on June 1st. Demon Hunt coming Summer, 2012!
My Rating System: Undrinkable, Barely Drinkable, Drinkable, Very Drinkable, and the ever popular Stay away! This is MY wine, you slut!
by Christine | Uncategorized, Writing
Some of the buzz around Sasha Summers’ new book Medusa – A Love Story – available now!
“This tragic and beautiful retelling of one of the world’s oldest stories tackles the eternal battle between duty and happiness. Medusa, A Love Story broke my heart then filled in the cracks with joy. Sasha Summers is simply a mesmerizing new talent.” ~Stephanie Dray, Author of the critically acclaimed Song of the Nile
Astrid, Amazon review – “I have been waiting for weeks for this book to come out and I was not disappointed. A tragic love story of great depth and heartbreak. How Ariston pours his heart out to Hades brought tears to my eyes. Perfect for anyone who loves mythology and reading of the power of love.”
“Sasha really had me feeling for Medusa’a plight. A really enjoyable read and I will definitely be reading more of her books.” Kay, Goodreads review
“Medusa, A Love Story is a beautifully written story with characters who are stunningly alive and well crafted. A creative twist on mythology! If you’re into myth and/or romance you’ll be well pleased.” – Raven, Amazon review
“The love between the hero and heroine is enviable. It’s what love stories are made for, really. It just tugged at me and kept me thinking about it long after I read the book.” ~Lynn Rush, author of Wasteland and Awaited.
“Beautifully and poetically written!” Jessi, Goodreads review
“This is a beautiful love story, and the beginning of a fantastic series. Do yourself a favor and read it as soon as it’s available. Sasha is a very gifted storyteller and has a rich way with words.” Allison, Goodreads review
Medusa Blurb:
It’s said love can change a person. Medusa wasn’t always a monster…
Medusa is ruled by duty, to her Titan father and the Goddess Athena. She has no room for the tenderness her warrior guard, Ariston, stirs. When Olympus frees her from service, her heart leads her into the arms of the guard she loves… and curses her as the creature with serpent locks.
Ariston goes to war with a full heart… and dreadful foreboding. He learns too late of the danger Medusa faces, alone, and a Persian blade sends him into the Underworld. But death, curses, nor the wrath of the Gods will keep him from returning to her.
Poseidon will use Greece’s war to get what he wants: Medusa. He does not care that she belongs to another. He does not care that she will be damned. He is a God, an Olympian, and she will be his…
Medusa, A Love Story book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90fH7xoZiCo
Author Media Links:
Media Links:
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sasha-Summers/213036208773108
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5759214.Sasha_Summers
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sashasummers/
Twitter: @sashawrites
Webpage: http://www.sashasummers.com
Get your copy today, and find out what all the hype is about!
by Christine | Publishing, Writing
So, I just came back from the Desert Dreams conference, which was a wonderful experience (thanks to the Desert Rose chapter of RWA for a FABULOUS time!). I really want a partner in this writing endeavor, so I was focused on meeting with agents and hoping to stir some interest in my work – which I did, so yay me. (Now I’m behind. Again. So it goes!)
I also got to speak very informally with one of my editor-crushes, Brenda Chin (she’s just fantastic, and I’d go kayaking with her any time). A big step for me – a couple of years ago I wouldn’t have known what to say or how to act. Anyway…
A good conference. No, a GREAT conference. Lots of goodness – lots of hugging old friends, meeting and cheering on new friends, and I’ve even been asked by a couple local RWA chapters to speak at their monthly meetings, so that was a kick. (I must get back to those ladies…)
And then, I opened my email today and saw this post from Kristen Lamb who I absolutely adore. It’s titled BIG SIX PUBLISHING IS DEAD – WELCOME THE MASSIVE THREE . Go ahead and click on that and read the article – I’ll wait.
Back already? So, basically, she says (and it’s really hard to disagree with her logic) that Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft/B&N are the new beasts on the publishing playground, and they will devour traditional publishing the way Apple first devoured music stores, and then devoured Kodak and their traditional film cameras (does anyone carry a camera any more?). This is also much in alignment with what I heard from Bob Mayer this past weekend.
After the weekend I just had, this news (which isn’t really news) makes me dizzy. I am still firmly of the opinion that I don’t want to be my own publisher – I don’t want to work that hard. Writing the book is hard enough, thank you very much. However – I feel very much whipped around, like I’m on the edge of the tornado that is publishing now.
Maybe I’ll “grow up” and get over it, and pub my own stuff. Maybe not. It’s still a discoverability issue – even if you get 70% of royalties on stuff you pub, if no one can find it and if no one buys it, that’s zero dollars. Actually, negative dollars since you’ve paid for the cover/editing/etc. If you make your work free, whoopee – that’s still no cash in your pocket, and no guarantee that anyone will go on to purchase from you. And no matter how much I love writing, am I willing to put book after book out there with no return? To be honest, I really don’t know. But it’s hard to put food on the table with a negative income, even when doing something I love.
So, still conflicted. Here’s a soothing photo of people kayaking. (Brenda, take note – if/when we work together, I’d LOVE to kayak with you!)
What about you? Are you thinking about taking the plunge? Have you already taken it? Are you resisting it with every fiber of your being, and now feel like a little dinosaur about to be eaten by the big T-Rex?
I love your opinions – lay them on me! Am I still firmly an ostrich, dancing, and is there anything wrong with that?
~ Until next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
