The Next Big Thing

Melinda Dozier was kind enough to tag me for “The Next Big Thing”. It's my second time, so I assume it has since made it's way all around the internet. :)

The idea is simple: I answer ten questions about a current work-in-progress. I've been doing some edits on a story just this morning, so that's the one I chose. 

10 Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:

1. What is the title of your Work In Progress?


I'm calling it A Late Thaw.

2. Where did the idea come from for your book?

I went to college in Vermont and it burrowed it's way into my heart. I was thinking about the old advice to write about what you know and I know Vermont. For the record I don't think we should all stick with what we know, if we did we'd miss out on sexy vamps, hunky shifters, steamy spies and time traveling adventures. But this time, I decided to write a love story for a place I love.

3. What genre does your book fall under? 

Contemporary Romance

4. What actors do you imagine playing your characters?

When I think Cole, I think Joe Manganiello, a young Joe Manganiello. He's got the right look and that easy, natural charm. Cole is the best type of Alpha, the kind that doesn't need to prove it all the time and Manganiello could easily play that. Also...yum, right? Honestly, I tend to be personally more drawn to sort of pretty, nerdy guys, but Joe is a force of nature. Or testosterone.

Kiley...hmmm, maybe Zooey Deschanel. She has the dark hair and blue eyes and the quirky charm that men can't resist. She'd need a more tom-boy wardrobe for the part though.

5. Give us a synopsis of your book?

Barret, Vermont, home to nearly as many goats as people. It was the perfect picturesque spot to stop for cocoa after a ski trip or to buy your Christmas tree from a hunky farmer wearing snug jeans and a pair of well-worn boots. Kiley St. Claire wasn’t there for either. She’d come home for one reason and one reason only: make enough money waiting tables at the local tourist trap to survive her final semester of graduate school. Of course she was going to have to see that Christmas tree farmer eventually. That was fine; Kiley wasn’t the same nerdy little girl he’d palled around with. Nope, she was done crushing on Cole Thomas. Totally done.

Cole thought he was ready, but seeing Kiley again is a punch to the gut. She’d rejected him and run away without explanation. The least she could have done was to have stayed away. Still, it’s good. Now he’ll have a chance to say what he’s needed to say for years and then, just maybe, he’ll be ready to move on. He just wished she didn’t look so damn good in her waitress uniform.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I'm polishing it up for submission to publishers.

7. How long did it take you to finish the first draft of your manuscript?

I wrote this one awhile back and thought it was done. I've since decided it needs a little something. I think the first, first draft only took a month or so. It's a short story-around 15,000 words.

8. What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?

Gosh, I don't know. It's a second chance, friends to lovers story. There are a bunch of those, but I think my voice is a bit different. There's a lot of humor in it. 

On a side note, if you're into second chance stories, you should keep a look out for Melinda's upcoming book, Time Changes Everything.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I suppose I just love the idea of people falling in love over years. Cole and Kiley were always together. It took them awhile to realize what they were to each other. My husband and I were friends for a decade before we tried dating. When we did, it was instant, everything clicked.

10. What else about your book might pique your readers’ interest?

It's a fun story; it takes place over the course of about eighteen hours and could probably be read in a single evening. There's a hot man determined to get the girl, a girl determined to hide her feeling, tacky German-themed knick-knacks, steamy sex, a bunch of mean chickens and an unfortunately named cat.

Okay. I don't have enough people to keep tagging more. Please, if you read this and have a WIP that you want to chat about, consider yourself tagged. Leave a comment and I'll add a link to your site. 

Read.

Writers are readers. We eat books. Some days I think that the most challenging part of writing is having to put down a book in order to do it. (Other days I remembering editing and rejection letters and trying to find another synonym for smile. )

So today, as I've realized that it's been too long since my last blog update, I've decided to talk about books. More specifically, the best books I've read over the past few months.

I "met" Ms Moss on twitter when fellow Entranced Author, Rachel Kall introduced us. She also highly recommended I check out her book, The Selkie Spell.

She was right, it is a wonderful modern day fairytale full of magic and mystery. Moss describes the misty Irish island atmosphere so well you'll shiver and grab another blanket.

Here's the blurb from Goodreads: In this modern-day fairy tale romance, American doctor Tara Moore's life is transformed when she travels to an enchanted Irish island and discovers she has the power to break a 200 year old curse. At first, Tara laughs off the villagers' speculation that she is descended from a selkie--a magical creature who is bewitching the island. But when a ghostly woman appears to her with a warning, Tara realizes it was more than chance that brought her to this island. Desperate to escape a dark and dangerous past, Tara struggles against a passionate attraction to handsome islander, Dominic O'Sullivan. But the enchantment of the island soon overpowers her and she falls helpless under its spell. Caught between magic and reality, Tara must find a way to wield both when a dangerous stranger from her past arrives, threatening to destroy the lives of everyone on the island.

Technically I read that one more than few months ago, but I was delighted to learn it is part of a trilogy. :)

I might just like book two, The Selkie Enchantress, even better than book one.




The Goodreads blurb: In this modern-day fairy tale romance, Irish islander, Caitlin Conner, has been in love with professor of Irish folklore, Liam O'Sullivan, for as long as she can remember. But just when he's starting to look at her as more than a friend, a mysterious woman arrives on Seal Island and captures his heart. As Caitlin discovers the truth behind the woman's lies, she realizes Liam is trapped in a dangerous enchantment and the only way to break the spell is to uncover a secret Irish fairy tale that has remained hidden for hundreds of years. But when the petals of a white rose grown in winter start to fall, the legend is set in motion. And Caitlin must find a way to change the ending before the last petal falls.

I cannot wait for the conclusion,  The Selkie Sorceress. 
Go read them. (Finish this post first.)



My next series came from another awesome Entranced Author recommendation. Melinda Dozier said that I absolutely had to check out Jill Shalvis' books. Yeah, I was really late to the game on this one. She's a NY Times bestseller. At any rate, I will throw in with the masses. Check out her Lucky Harbor Series. They are charming and they have some of the cutest covers in the bizz. :)

And now for something a little different. Warm Bodies.

 If I could marry this book, I'd be wearing it's vaguely creepy but adorable ring right now. Seriously. The movie was cute and funny, the book will haunt you. (In a good way.)

Says Goodreads:
A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving

Last but not least and (equally haunting).  If I stay.

 Goodreads says:
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

This book kept me up and reading (and sobbing) all night. It is exquisite. 

So, has anyone else read a great book lately?

Lavender Brown Sugar Scrub

I have something a little different for you all today.
I received a really cool gift last Christmas, a homemade sugar scrub from my bestie. She also made bath salts, soap and candles. Yeah, she's awesome. In fact, she's so awesome she agreed to let me share her recipe.

See the cute label? I <3 the cute label.

First let me tell you that this scrub gently exfoliates, smells wonderful and is super moisturizing. I'm fighting some winter skin dryness and this worked better than any of the other "moisturizing" products in my shower. You won't need to use a lotion if you use this.

Three Ingredients.

Seriously. Just Three Ingredients.

Grape Seed Oil
Brown Sugar
Lavender Oil

Mix lavender oil (or your favorite essential oil) with grape seed oil. (My batch has about 50 drops of lavender oil to 2 cups of grape seed oil. But I'm told there's some wiggle room-use as much as you like.)
One part oil to two parts sugar.
Mix.
Put in cute jars.
Enjoy.

Okay, I need to get back to editing now. Let me know if you try this scrub.

Resolved.

I wasn't going to make resolutions. I mean, honestly, I think any vows made whilst blissfully buzzed on New Year's Eve are pretty much destined for failure. It's almost like making them for New Year's gives you an automatic, easy out. Almost all New Year's resolutions are dropped by mid-February, right?

But today isn't New Year's Eve or even New Year's Day. I've waited a full week and I'm making the following resolutions without any of the grandiosity that typically invades the tradition. Also, I'm going to keep things simple. You'll see.

Professional Resolutions:

1. I will complete the first draft of Daddy Issues, the vampire romance I've been working on since before vamp romances were overdone.

2. I will get (at least) one more story published. Okay, this one is tricky since it obviously requires someone else deciding to publish my work. But by stating that it will happen, I have to do my part to make it so.

3. I will blog more often. Seriously.

Personal Resolutions:

1. I will walk more.

2. I will eat more greens and less cheese. The first part of this one is easy; I love greens. The tough part, I also really love cheese.
 

Relationship Resolutions:

1. I will come up with one new and unexpected way to remind my husband that I love him every week. (I love him everyday, but 365 new ways of showing it is a bit extreme.)

2. I will keep him guessing. Just a little.



Okay, that's it. That's my list. Did you set any goals this year? Wanna share them?

Watching.

So we're in that dark period between television seasons and I find myself daydreaming about the many excellent programs whose return I am eagerly awaiting. I decided to make a list. I am NOT going to put these in order. (It would be like picking which of my cats I like best. Wrong and bad.)

Oh, and yes, this will be a long list. 

Once Upon a Time

I adore this show. Rumple rocks my world. And now they've added the most charismatic Hook ever.

Luckily Once Upon a Time returns soon.

Some of my other faves are making me wait. The worst offender: Sherlock. Yes, I understand why and I'm thrilled that these two fine actors are finding such success. But still...we may not see more Sherlock until 2014!!! Arghh!

Which brings me to another long wait but totally worth it show: Downton Abby. Here in the US, we are finally getting the new season early next month. I might make it.

But I'm hearing rumors that this will be Dan Stevens final season! What? Noooo!

I love me some Matthew Crawley.

The Christmas special has me buzzing with excitement for part two of season seven with the eleventh Dr. :)

Now, folks that know me know that I'm a wimp about scary movies and yet...The Walking Dead is still too good to resist.

Still many months to go before we find out what Bill is now on True Blood.

Who else loves the way Eric became the good one?

Now we're moving on to my guiltier pleasures. First up: The Vampire Diaries.

 I tried to resist but look:

le sigh.

And finally, the oh so adorable Hart of Dixie. I may have a crush on Rachel Bilson. How cute is she, right?

And:

I rest my case. 

 I'm going to stop here-though there are still plenty of other shows that I watch. These are the ones that I'm most craving today.
What are you all watching?

Varney the Vampire-A Literary Remix

Hi all!

Back in October, GalleyCat hosted a large scale rewrite of  Varney the Vampire a penny dreadful from 1847. Participating writers were each assigned a single page from the "classic" gothic vampire tale to rewrite in the style of their choosing. This was very much anything goes project, so rewrites could be stylized spoofs or even cartoons.

The book is now available as a free download through Smashwords in many formats. So go take a look at my modest contribution or some of the others.

Varney the Vampire-A Literary Remix

Blood Debt

 Please welcome Nancy Straight to the blog today! She's here to tell us about her book Blood Debt. I asked her why she thinks we are all so in love with the paranormal. 

Ana, thank you for signing up for the Blood Debt tour!! Your topic was interesting because I’d never put much thought into why the Paranormal Genre is appealing to readers.

From the author perspective, there’s a lot of freedom to be creative when the character’s get to a
stumbling block in the story and I’m able to create a power for them to overcome their obstacles.
Anything can happen when writing about mythical creatures with supernatural powers! They
can have superhuman strength, they can fly, be immortal, be psychic and the list goes on.

I think it’s appealing to me as a reader for much the same reason. Life is full of all kinds of
demands on our schedules and days that easily fall into a routine -- it’s nice to live vicariously
through creatures who don’t suffer a mundane existence. They can all be young and attractive,
wealthy, and special – yet, still maintain human emotions. The paranormal genre is a way to
weave our emotions into extraordinary situations.

When our real lives are full of financial concerns, unemployment worries, stress or drama from
co-workers and friends it’s appealing to get lost in a story. It’s exciting when a kick-butt heroine
is fearlessly fighting demons, or falling in love with an immortal, or searching for the object that
will give her the happy ending we want her to have.

Title: Blood Debt
Series: Touched #1
Author: Nancy Straight
Self-Published
Release Date: July 13, 2012
Pages: 293

Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) | Smashwords

Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s
last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her
entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille
was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But
nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family
claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a Centaur touched by
Zeus.
As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love
with Drake. Her family acknowledges her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her
mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into
decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past
that will win her freedom and the life she desperately desires.

About the Author:

Nancy was born in Sioux City Iowa, left the cold of the Midwest in 1991 and only returns to see
family in the summer time. She spent ten years traveling the world as a US Marine and settled in
rural SC with her husband and two children.

She enjoys reading all types of Paranormal and Young Adult literature – so long as there is a
love story. She loves Starbucks’ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together). She
has a lead foot so she sets cruise control when she drives, even in 25 MPH zones. Nancy almost
never wins when she plays Angry Birds, but keeps her 8 year old close, so he can clear the hard
levels for her. She grew up on a farm and is opposed to eating fresh chicken (not opposed to
meat - just opposed to any meat that was alive a few hours before lunch). Nancy has written five
Young Adult / New Adult novels and can be found nightly on Facebook and Twitter.

Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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