Friday, June 28, 2013

Puppy Tales Friday: Classic Tale Revisited


* This was a Puppy Tale I first told a few years ago, when Puppy first learned this "trick." We're busy trying to teach a new dog some of these old tricks now... although, she's technically an old dog learning a new-to-her trick...

We have a tiny kitchen in our house. As in, there's no room for two big dogs to sit around the kitchen just waiting for scraps. None. Especially not for Puppy.

So one of the first "tricks" or commands our dogs need to learn is "Out of the Kitchen." So, while you think this pair is just laying there looking cute, they are really testing me. If you look closely you can see that the dog on the left has half a paw over the line onto the linoleum, and Puppy has part of her snout over the line. Not enough for me to yell at them, but enough to let me know that they're waiting.

What are they waiting for?

At the time I took these photos, I was cutting up leftover steak to make sandwiches for the boys' lunchboxes. The dogs were counting on getting some scraps. But they had to wait.

Which leads us to the next trick in the repertoire...


Waiting.

As in, we put down the scraps of steak and make them literally wait until we say "Okay." I can't take credit for teaching them this trick, as my husband is the one with the more twisted sense of humor sometimes. But it makes for a very impressive trick.

While Puppy seemed to understand "Out of the Kitchen" pretty quickly, this "Wait" trick took longer to master. You can see the expression of disbelief on her face even now - "Are you kidding? You're doing this to me AGAIN?"

But the next trick is even more impressive. And even more cruel...

The dog has to sit with the piece of steak on her nose until we say "Okay." At the signal, she then tosses it into the air and catches it to eat. If it falls on the floor, she can't eat it and has to try again. This dog has gotten very good at catching food. Any food. Every time.

Puppy? Not so much. She can't catch. Or won't catch. She likes to sniff each piece of food before eating it, as if we were trying to trick her into eating medicine or something.

Someday maybe she'll learn to catch. For now I'm just glad she understands "Out" when I ask her to leave the room, or I'd never get anything done!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Writing Wednesday: Reviews Reviews Reviews


So. We all know that reviews are Important. With a capital "I" of course. And good reviews do more than make an author feel good. Although that's really Important, also with a capital "I" (in my opinion.)

Back in the day, there was nothing better than having your book make it into the New York Times Book Review section, or one of the NYT Bestseller Lists. And that's still an important milestone, don't get me wrong. But reviews have become more democratized and widespread with the digital revolution...

With the onset of Amazon as a bookselling powerhouse, reviews gained even more importance.

Amazon Reviews not only help other readers decide to spend their money on a certain book but also help Amazon choose which books to recommend to their online buying audience. The more reviews a book has, the more likely Amazon will be to recommend it to other readers.

Goodreads is another great resource for readers to find reviews by other readers and determine whether a specific book is a good fit for their own reading tastes. Both of these sites are open to the public and have the advantage of letting the reader write whatever they want and grant as many - or as few - stars as they wish.

Blogger Review sites are also an interesting and increasingly popular source for finding reviews, especially if you're able to find a blogger or group blog that reviews a.) books in the genre you typically like to read, and b.) bloggers who have similar tastes to your own. Some sites are well-established review sites with large and consistent followings. Others might be like me, and do reviews once in a while.

Reviews help readers decide to take a chance on a new author. They also help indie bookstores and shops decide whether to stock a book by a new author, or one that hasn't made it to the NYT Bestseller list. (Yet.)

None of this should be news to anyone reading my blog. But what does it all really mean, and what can an author do about garnering good reviews?

First things first - write the best book you possibly can. Put the time and effort into editing and polishing your words until they sparkle. Find an agent or a publisher and get your book out there.

Then... do some work. Send out email requests and Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) to friends and fellow authors who read your genre. Research the various bloggers and review sites who have given favorable reviews to books similar to yours. I mean, if you're writing about vampires don't send the book to a reviewer who has already stated publicly that they hate all vampire books, sparkly or not. When I say "Research" I don't just mean find a list and email everyone. Do the homework first. 

And then... follow up. Send thank yous to friends who give you good reviews. Remind them to post their reviews to Amazon to help other readers connect with your book, (something I still need to do with a handful of people!)

And if you get a less than stellar review? Don't sweat it. Your book won't be everyone's cup of tea. Just like some people prefer, say, gummy bears over M&Ms, your story won't appeal to everyone. Take a deep breath and move on to the next reviewer. 

Reading reviews is like riding a rollercoaster - you have to take the ups with the downs, and just enjoy the ride.

 



Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Chatting with... Author Penelope Marzac

My guest today is author Penelope Marzac, who has a new book just out last week - DADDY WANTED.


Hi, Penelope! Give a brief bio and tell us what kind of books you like to read and write.

I started reading romances as a teenager and became hopelessly hooked on happy endings. A genuine New Jerseyan, I grew up along the shore of Raritan Bay. I became an early childhood educator and married an electrical engineer (from Brooklyn) with an accordion obsession. Together we raised three daughters. (They were all forced to take music lessons. They now claim the worst thing we ever did to them was to take them to organ concerts.)
 
Now retired, I have written romances in several subgenres: inspirationals, contemporaries, historicals and paranormals. Two of my inspirationals won the EPPIE award and one finaled in that contest. My paranormal, Irons In The Fire, was a nominee for Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award. 

I paint seascapes in oils when I’m not writing. Now and then I sing while hubby plays the accordion.


What's your favorite part of being an author?

My favorite part of being an author is the actual writing of the story in my head. It’s so much fun! There are other perks, of course, like sitting in front of the computer in my fuzzy robe and not getting dressed until noon. 

Part of being an author is also promotion. I don’t find that as much fun as writingalthough I do enjoy Facebook and Pinterest, but I have to limit my time in those place or I’ll never get any writing done!


What’s your approach to writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?

I usually start out with the bare bones of a plota brief outline and a character list. I know the main characters quite well before I start and I know the ending. The rest of it gets made up as I go along.


If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

I’ve always thought having the power to bi-locate would be rather useful. Nobody does it (except saints) as far as I know but it sure would be a handy superpower. Just imagine, I could be sitting at the computer writing my story AND folding laundry at the same time. I could be in two places at once.


LOL, I think every mom wants that particular superpower!! Now, tell us about your new release!

My latest release is DADDY WANTED. Set in Brooklyn, New York, it’s the story of Grace, a game designer. She wakes up one morning to discover she has lost her job and her roommate is pregnant. Determined to solve both problems, she searches for jobs online and sets up an ad to find a daddy for the child. How hard could it be in a city of eight million people? She soon learns it is both risky and dangerous. She wonders if Russell, who lives downstairs, is a safer bet, but why is he always stalking her? And why is it that the only one who will listen to her is her roommate’s turtle?

Russell, an IT repairman, is going to be the best man for a wedding in Minnesota. He needs a date, but the woman on his arm must be the Perfect Woman. According to his list of specifications, Grace will fit the bill—until he finds a pregnancy test kit box in the garbage. Deciding she’s only a little bit pregnant, he offers her a business deal, an all expenses paid trip to Minnesota with no strings attached. But when Grace insists on bringing her roommate along, Russell is in for a surprise.


Sounds like a really fun read! Okay, if you’re casting the movie of your book, who would you choose to play the main characters?

For the heroine, Grace, I thought Emma Watson with short hair would be perfect. For the hero, I think Seth Green would be great since he looks a bit geeky. 


Where can readers find your books and where can you be found on the web?

Daddy Wanted is being published by Prism Book Group at www.prismbookgroup.com. My website, www.penelopemarzec.com, has a complete list of all my published books, but you can also find the books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, All Romance Ebooks, and other book distributors.



 Thanks for stopping by to chat and share with us, Penelope!

Monday, June 24, 2013

PortCon: Long Live Geek Culture!


Over the weekend, I traveled to Maine with my daughter and her friend. Our destination: PortCon, a celebration of comic books, anime, manga, gaming culture, certain television shows... think of a favorite character from popular culture that might inspire a fandom, and I can assure you it was represented.
We met a few Batmans and other superheroes, several different My Little Pony lovers, Pokemon of all stripes, steampunk afficionados, Dr. Who and his Tardis... even the Ghostbusters were there! There were also authors, artists, voice actors, and game creators in attendance, who gave talks and signed items for attendees.

It was a first time for all three of us, but the 12th annual conference for Portland. Many of the attendees had been to other conferences and gatherings, but all were more than happy to include the girls in conversations, games and photo opportunities. Both girls went as characters from "Homestuck," an online-only story that has a huge fandom, and which was well represented at the convention.

If you've never been to a "Comic Con" of any sort, I would highly recommend it, at least once in your life. Especially if you are trying to write anything for this audience. It was an amazing look into the lives and loves of today's teen geek culture, as well as those of us who refuse to grow up.



Friday, June 21, 2013

Cover Reveal: A TAYLOR-MADE LIFE by Kary Rader

About the Book: 
Cheerleader Taylor Smith doesn’t want to die a virgin. Unfortunately, if the terminally-ill leukemia patient doesn't find a lover or a stem-cell match within months, her fear will become reality. But when her cancer mentor is revealed to be a hottie entrepreneur from California, it seems fate might finally be on her side.
Tech-geek Gavin Taylor has everything he ever wanted, except someone to grieve for him when he's gone. With his melanoma cancer beyond the help of his riches, he agrees to participate in a cancer patient mentoring program where he's matched with a dying teen from Texas. Despite his immediate attraction, the Silicon Valley whiz intends only to provide friendship and happy memories to the beautiful, young woman who is determined to win his love.
When it's discovered that his frozen sperm and her harvested eggs could lead to a cure, Taylor's mother offers to be a surrogate. And Gavin must decide if he can risk the heart he has never given and a child he'll never know to a girl he just met.

And to celebrate the cover reveal.. there are prizes!!! Kary is giving away a SIGNED COPY of her awesome book QUEEN OF JASTAINE (I loved this book!), an e-ARC copy of A TAYLOR-MADE LIFE and a charm bracelet.  Here are the rules and then enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post! And good luck!

Giveaway Rules: 

  • Giveaway begins June 21st and will end June 24th 11:59 EST. The winner will be announced on June 24th on Kary Rader's Facebook page.
  • Open to U.S. residents only
  • We are not responsible for items lost in the mail & have the right to disqualify anyone, at any time.
  • Personal information given by the applicant in the giveaway will never be shared. All information is deleted once the giveaway ends.



About the Author:

Kary Rader is a stay-at-home mother of three, avid reader and slave to the characters and worlds inside her head. Her book Queen of Jastain, published by Crescent Moon Press released this past April. Kary is currently in the process of self-publishing a book that is close to heart, and is sure to touch the lives of all the readers that encounter it. A Taylor-Made Life releases this summer.
Always creative, she’s drawn to stories with fantastical worlds and creatures. With a little bit of magic and divine guidance, there isn’t anything that can’t be accomplished with words. It’s the power of words that creates and destroys.
Vanquishing evil and injustice while finding eternal love in the process is all in a day’s work. And with the help of her critique partners and master cartographer imaginary places come to life.
Stalk Find Kary Online...

Website: http://www.karyrader.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaryRaderauthor?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaryRader
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18012643-a-taylor-made-life

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Book Signing and Celebration TONIGHT at The Little Beach Gallery, Hyannis

Tonight I'm teaming up with CapeWomenOnline magazine for a Summer Launch party - both of the new issue of the magazine and my new book SON OF A MERMAID!
CapeWomenOnline magazine, Summer 2013

Jen Villa of The Little Beach Gallery, 539 South Street in downtown Hyannis, is our most gracious hostess for this event - with food from Farm Fare Fresh 
and yummy treats from the pink Something Sweet Cape Cod food truck!

Party starts at 6 p.m. and goes through 8:30 p.m. - click the image to get directions!


CapeWomenOnline magazine is celebrating the launch of their Summer 2013 Issue - the first issue in four years without my name on the masthead. I've taken a step back to reevaluate, and decided to focus more on my writing and my family, and had to give up something.... I'll still be writing my column, but I've turned over the editorial hat back to the capable hands of publisher Nicola Burnell.

(So this party will be my retirement soiree as well! )

Hope to see you there!



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

New Release: DADDY WANTED by Penelope Marzac

 
Pop the champagne corks! Toss the confetti! It's release day for my friend Penelope and her new book, DADDY WANTED.

Here's the book blurb:
 
A game designer in NYC, Grace wakes up one morning to discover she has lost her job and her roommate is pregnant. Determined to solve both problems, she searches for jobs online and sets up an ad to find a daddy for the child. How hard could it be in a city of eight million people? She soon learns it is both risky and dangerous. She wonders if Russell, who lives downstairs, is a safer bet, but why is he always stalking her? And why is it that the only one who will listen to her is her roommate’s turtle?

Russell, an IT repairman, is going to be the best man for a wedding in Minnesota. He needs a date, but the woman on his arm must be the Perfect Woman. According to his list of specifications, Grace will fit the billuntil he finds a pregnancy test kit box in the garbage. Deciding she’s only a little bit pregnant, he offers her a business deal, an all expenses paid trip to Minnesota with no strings attached. But when Grace insists on bringing her roommate along, Russell is in for a surprise.   

The book is available from Prism Book Group, and the ebook is specially priced at $2.99! Cool!

To celebrate her new release, she figured she couldn't drink champagne with everyone... so she's hosting a giveaway! She's giving away three $10 Amazon gift cards - think what you could do with $10 on Amazon! The contest runs through next Thursday, June 27th and winners will be announced on her blog on Friday, June 28th.

To enter, you need to:

1. Go hit the LIKE button on Penelope's Facebook fan page - 

http://www.facebook.com/penelopemarzecbooks

 

2. Visit Penelope's blog and post a comment on her contest post here -

http://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com/2013/06/celebrating-release-of-daddy-wanted.htmlhttp://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com/2013/06/celebrating-release-of-daddy-wanted.html
 Congrats to Penelope and Good Luck to you all in her giveaway!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Still Splashing Into Summer - Mountain Style!

Today I'm visiting with the talented Jody Kessler, over on her blogspot. She's one of my favorite new adult authors, who wrote DEATH LIES BETWEEN US, which I reviewed earlier this Spring.

Today she has an interview with me, (including a sneak peak at the second book in my mermaid series!) and tomorrow - Wednesday - she will be posting her review of SON OF A MERMAID.

The CMP Summer Lovin' Blog Hop is officially over, and winners have been chosen! Big Congratulations to Maria M for winning the Grand Prize Paperwhite (with ebooks!) and more congrats to Kristi C for winning the $25 gift card and swag pack. The prizes will be in the mail to you soon!

In other book news, I had an AWESOME book signing at Beach Cottage Living over the weekend - despite the fabulously sunny weather! As one shop owner said in an email, "Here on Cape Cod we have a precarious love/hate relationship with the weather." But. I saw some old friends, neighbors, teachers and tourists, chatted a bunch, ate some yummy cupcakes and signed a bunch of books! Next up: Thursday night in downtown Hyannis at The Little Beach Gallery. See you there?

Here are a few of the wonderful people who visited me this weekend:






Thanks to everyone who stopped by the shop! You made my day pretty awesome!

Friday, June 14, 2013

Summer Lovin' Blog Hop: First Kisses


It's time for the Crescent Moon Press Summer Lovin' Blog Hop and I want to welcome everyone who's hopping along on this ride! There are uber-cool prizes to be won - including a Kindle Paperwhite! (Want!) Don't forget to fill out the Rafflecopter! And be sure to visit as many of the blogs as possible for some great stories about summer love... mine is about first kisses...

First kisses and summertime so often go hand-in-hand. The weather heats up, school's out of session, and suddenly the world seems full of endless possibilities.Even after you graduate from college, there's still something about summertime that heats things up.

Do you remember your very first kiss? Or the first kiss you had that you knew - you just knew - would change your life? Sometimes first kisses are planned, strategized with friends and dreamed of for long before they occur.

Sometimes they just happen, and it's like lightning out of the blue.

I remember my first kiss with that special guy who I ended up marrying... It was the beginning of summer, and my friends from college had talked me into going to an alumni night at a local bar in Boston. His friends had dragged him along as well. When he walked into the bar, the girl I was chatting with saw him and said, "See that guy over there? My mother always wanted me to marry him."

I turned to look. It was a guy I kinda knew from college, although he'd graduated a year ahead of me. We had a couple mutual friends. I knew he worked in Boston and had seen him at gatherings and parties, but never thought of him as "boyfriend material" before. I had to ask my friend, "Why? Why him?"

She shrugged. I definitely remember the shrug, although I don't remember her exact answer to my question. I decided to find out for myself. Before the night was over, we had that first kiss, and I knew I'd found something special. Someone special. Twenty years and three kids later, I still love kissing him.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

My new YA novel is about mermaids on Cape Cod, and a fifteen-year-old boy named Shea MacNamara who discovers both his roots and his destiny lie far below the waves. He falls in love with a mermaid... and experiences his first kiss. Here's the scene where she just explained to him who and what he really is, and the complex political manueverings taking place below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

Shea knows that he has feelings for this girl, but the kiss isn't planned, it just kind of happens...


Excerpt from Son of a Mermaid, Crescent Moon Press 2013



“Kae,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “We can’t let this Demyan guy win. There must be something we can do.” Her body shivered under his touch, and he remembered why they’d come upstairs in the first place. “Are you still cold?” he asked as he put his arm around her and hugged her against him. She felt warm against him, her body radiating heat like a bonfire. Her hair smelled of salt air and sunshine.
* ~ *
“I’m not cold,” she whispered as she shivered again. “Just scared.”

He cupped her cheek with his hand and tipped her face upward, looking down into her wide eyes. “Don’t be,” he whispered back, and kissed her lightly. Her lips were soft and tasted of salt and sweetness, like the saltwater taffy they sold in the center of town. He wound his fingers through her golden locks, her hair silky and fine to his touch like spun sunshine, as he locked his lips more firmly to hers. His heart hammered within his chest, the blood pounding in his ears drowning out the world around them, he felt as though he were tumbling through space…until a sharp bark brought him back to the present and he opened his eyes. Lucky was standing next to the bed, prodding Kae with his black muzzle.

Kae drew away suddenly, her cheeks flaming red once again. “Oh,” she said, jumping to her feet. “Oh, I’m so sorry!”

“Sorry?” Shea stood slowly, his brow knotting with confusion. “What is there to be sorry about?”

“I… I… Maybe we’d better get going. My father will know what to do to help your mother.” She turned abruptly and walked into the hallway. He felt like all the heat had left the room with her, his heart still beat with a rapid, steady sharpness. Sorry? Why would she say that?

Lucky still stood next to Shea. He looked down at the dog and frowned. “Way to go, dog,” he muttered. “Rule number one? Never interrupt a first kiss.”

Lucky gave another sharp bark and wagged his tail.

“Stay here,” Shea commanded as he started to follow Kae. Lucky whined. “No, boy. You’ve done enough.” Shea shut the bedroom door behind him. He heard the dog jump against the door and start to bark, but ignored the sounds. Instead, he followed Kae down the stairs.
 * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

Leave a comment below, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter, and don't forget to hop along to the next blog!
Happy Summer Reading!


Shawna Romkey Author blog
 Constance Phillips, A Writer's Musings
 Katie O'Sullivan Summer Lovin' - On Olympus...
 Kate's Blog
 Kary Rader
 Lindsey R. Loucks
 Summer Lovin', postcards, and maybe bookmarks
 Jody A Kessler Summer Lovin' Mountain Style
  Official Website of Maer Wilson
  Author Jean Murray ~ Wicked Romance Blog
  Summer Lovin' Heat
  Hildie McQueen's Author Site
  Loni Lynne's Blog Site
  Author Avery Olive Blog
  Wendy S. Russo Cindy Young-Turner
  Michelle Clay - The Darkside of Romance
 the Marvelous Misadventures of Mrs. t
 Shannon Eckrich

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, June 13, 2013

SON OF A MERMAID in the News!



SON OF A MERMAID and I are featured in this week's HARWICH ORACLE, my local hometown paper here on Cape Cod. I'm very excited about the color shout-out on the front cover! Not so excited about the photo of yours truly (is my forehead really THAT big? Argh!)

But reporter Jamie Balliet obviously read the book - or at least sections of the book - as he references parts that haven't been excerpted. And he gives shout outs in the article to bloggers at MangaManiacCafe.com and TheBookMaven.com, who hosted stops along my Splash Into Summer tour.

And he gives a sidebar shout out to my upcoming book signings - this Saturday at BEACH COTTAGE LIVING in Harwich Port and next Thursday at THE LITTLE BEACH GALLERY in Hyannis.

Also in the realm of excitement yesterday, my neighbor who owns the *Real* Windmill House (the one I use as Hailey Thompson's home in the novel) stopped by yesterday and gave me a framed pen and ink drawing of her home, a copy of one done by an artist years ago. I was so touched!

So when you're reading SON OF A MERMAID, this is Hailey's house. It sits on the edge of Windmill Point and her bedroom is in the windmill portion. That window you see dead center under the X of the windmill paddles is the one that looks out onto the Herring River (you can see a bit of the reflection in the river water in the foreground.) This is how the house would look if you were sitting on the river dock, fishing with Shea and Kae. Or swimming in the river. The ocean is behind the house from this angle.

My neighbor has taken me up through the windmill, and the circular stairs do indeed lead to rooms. She had her bedroom up there as a child, and the bed is still there. What looks like a breezeway connecting the windmill to the main house is actually enclosed living space, with those big windows to showcase the views. Pretty cool, right? Right!
 ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Tomorrow kicks off the weekend CMP SUMMER LOVIN' BLOG HOP running from June 14-17 with fabulous prizes and lots of fun posts about all things related to SUMMER and LOVE. Make sure to stop by this weekend and enter for your chance to win a KINDLE PAPERWHITE!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Splashing Into Summer... at Courtney Farrell's blog

The blog Tour continues today at Courtney Farrell's place, with one of my favorite excerpts... visit and leave a comment at Loose the Hounds

If you've read SON OF A MERMAID and enjoyed it, please consider writing a review and helping me spread the word! Thank you to those of you who've already put reviews on Goodreads and Amazon - every review counts, and any one of them might help another reader choose to read my book - thanks in advance!

Friday is the start of another Blog Hop - the CMP Summer Lovin' Blog Hop, from June 14-17. There are 20 authors participating and some great prizes, including a Kindle Paperwhite that we all chipped in for. Don't miss out - come back here on Friday to start hopping!

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Goodreads Reviews for Son of a Mermaid - So Far So Wonderful!


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Writing Wednesday: Summer Lovin' Blog Hop!


Crescent Moon Press authors are ready for summer! 

We’ll be blogging about our summer loves, our romances, and how much we love summer! Have you ever had a summer fling? Do you have a favorite book about summer? What’s on your summer reading list? What are some great beach reads?

 We’re blogging about all of it!

During the event, visit our blogs (click the link below to see which ones!) leave comments and enter to win some great prizes, from between June 14 -17. That means it starts NEXT FRIDAY! *YEA*

Grand Prize: A Kindle Paperwhite & some of our eBooks to read on it!

1st Prize: A $20 Amazon gift card, and a Swag Pack that contains more eBooks, bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, and more!

Sound good? (Man, I want that Paperwhite!) Drop by between June 14 & 17 and enter the Rafflecopter!


Good luck & hope to see you then!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Getting Back In the Groove... Or Finding a New One...

 So, I realized yesterday that I've been so hyper-focused on promoting my new book that the month seems to have slipped right by. It's June now. How did that happen?

Setting up and organizing my own book tour took a lot more time and effort than I expected it to. I see now why people pay to have someone else organize things. On the one hand, it's good and I feel very connected to my book and getting my characters out into the world. On the other hand, I find myself obsessively checking Facebook for new "likes" on my author page and checking Amazon for new reviews and checking Goodreads to see how many people added my book to their TBR piles...

I was lucky to have noticed the bleeding hearts in bloom. I grabbed the camera immediately, which was good because they didn't last long with all the torrential rains we've had in the last few weeks.

And I missed the wisteria completely. I remember noticing when it was about to bloom, the purple buds all tight and ready to burst. And now they're over already. How did that happen so fast? The grass growing behind the sand pile is over two feet tall, but can't get there to mow it until they get rid of the rest of the sand. Can't open the pool until the sand won't blow into it, so it's a slimy green pollen-filled algae mess at the moment.

Construction has my yard in utter disarray.

My book launch seems to have done something similar with my mind.

It's time to take a deep breath and focus on what's important. That does include SON OF A MERMAID, but not to the exclusion of my house, my yard, and my family. Youngest child has All-Cape track meet today. Oldest son has his appendectomy scheduled for Thursday. Middle child has big anniversary coming up with girlfriend (one year! OMG!) Spring Sports Awards night. Honor Society induction. Step Up Day. Port-Con with my daughter. The opening of her first summer theatre production.

It's a busy month. I don't have time to be obsessing over Facebook stats.

I have 2 more live book events scheduled for this month, a Goodreads Giveaway that I need to promote, and the rest of the Splash Into Summer tour with that Rafflecopter giveaway going on until the 21st. Other than these things, I need to disconnect from the virtual and focus on reality. I don't want to ignore any of my children - books or humans - so I need to find a balance that works.

I want my book to get out there and be successful. I need to help it succeed. But I need to be there for my kids now too. It's a delicate balance. One that I'm hoping to master.

Any advice? How do other authors balance book babies with their real-life children?


Monday, June 3, 2013

Splash Into Summer Tour Continues Into June....

Can you believe it's JUNE already?! Summer is just around the corner now! We still have three more weeks of school around here - the last final isn't until the last Monday of the month, even.

And! My book tour continues through the blogosphere with two stops today, one tomorrow, and one on Wednesday, with interviews, reviews and Rafflecopter giveaway - and one stop has a special giveaway all its own...

Today I'm visiting Brooke at THE COVER CONTESSA blog for an interview, and that special giveaway of a "Follow Your Heart" beach stone necklace. She has both Rafflecopter giveaways at the end of the post - don't forget to enter to win! The special necklace looks like this:


Today I'm also "In The Spotlight" at Maer Wilson's blog. She's the author of the new urban fantasy detective novel RELICS, and owner of the awesome Mythbehaving podcast. And... She asks great interview questions!

I'm also ultra excited about my upcoming book signing ---> I'll be at BEACH COTTAGE  LIVING on Saturday June 15 starting at noon for a MERMAID EXTRAVAGANZA! Shop owner Erika Nickerson is all kinds of supportive and will be featuring all kinds of mermaid things - mermaid art, mermaid chachkas for the home... even mermaid themed cupcakes! Sounds like a lot of fun!!

How about you? Looking forward to the final days of school? Or are you already on summer vacation? What are you doing to get ready to Splash Into Summer?