Monday, April 29, 2013

So, what's new?

Well what isn't? wow things are moving along now.

* Pre-order links are coming soon for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie - Will be working on the galleys soon.


 ** There's a giveaway on  GOODREADS - register to win a copy of GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie - and please friend me there. Contest ends 4/30. See link above.

* Today, see some new miniature projects I made and pix of my favorite yellow house I finally got online at Candid Canine

* A cool new zombie anthology is coming out shortly. I contributed a flash story. Having fun with those. Proceeds will be going to a charity. Details coming.

*  And it is finally nice out!! We've had cold and rain in the Wisconsin-Illinois area and finally it's dried out! Calling for - gasp - 80 degrees tomorrow!!! Yeah typical - go from no spring, to a little spring and then WHAM summer! haa!

**  Soooo.... what are you working on? What's new?

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Guest Blogger Sallie Lundy-Frommer by Margot Justes


Please welcome Sallie Lundy-Frommer.


Yesterday’s Daughter is full of suspense and surprises as the plot develops. It holds a mirror to contemporary society so we can consider our feelings about people who seem different from us, the assumptions we may make about other groups, and the consequences of those assumptions. Yesterday’s Daughter is an emotionally laden paranormal vampire romance novel woven with layers of betrayal, love and loss. Grace Stone, who later learns her true identity is Sapphira, is a loner who survives abuse in the foster care system after being abandoned as a child. A brilliant student, she escapes from her brutal foster parents as a teenager and creates a life for herself. But, her life is little more than existence; plagued with questions about what she really is, a family that she has never known and the never-ending need to keep her differences hidden. She is alone and lonely, believing it will always remain so until Malachi appears in her life. Malachi, a Guardian of the vampire communities, has searched for his life mate, Sapphira, for decades. He refuses to cease searching for Sapphira even though she is believed dead by all. Conflict arises over the decades between Malachi and his family because of his refusals to accept another mate. But his very soul drives him on to continue his search, knowing that he could not exist if Sapphira were not in the world, somewhere.

Sallie’s Bio:
I was born on a farm in the rural South to a family of migrant farm workers. In fact, my family is huge.  Some might call it a clan…:-)  I’m the youngest of 10 children.  Yup, I have six brothers and three sisters.  And yes, holidays are a zoo….

Anyway, at an early age, my family moved to the urban Northeast. No more running in the cotton fields for me….:-)

I now live in the suburban Northeast with my husband and a large assortment of plants. I don’t have any children but as you can well imagine, I have tons of nieces and nephews. 

As for my education, I was the first in my family to go to college.  I hold bachelors and masters degrees in Human Resource Management.  But I have nieces and nephews working on PhDs.  Way to go kinfolks!!!!

I guess that’s enough for now.  I hope you’ve enjoyed a peek into my world.

Excerpt from Yesterday’s Daughter:
Malachi had gone very still as cold panic ran through his veins like a locomotive.  Trigon started to speak when he noticed that Malachi had paled and was holding his breath.  “Malachi, what is it?” he asked.  The Guardians stared at him and then he let out a howl, in so much anguish that it burst all the glass in the room, exploding the windows as he fell to his knees.  The Guardians spun around believing they were under some new kind of attack but saw nothing to explain Malachi’s condition.  Stunned silence then filled the room, no one breathed unsure of what was happening or what to do.

The nerves of the Guardians were drawn tight like bows about to be launched.  Their eyes were glowing, sweeping the room, searching the shadows, listening with focused intensity, searching for threats.  Maybe the Harvesters had a new weapon.
Trigon carefully stepped closer to Malachi and tentatively placed one hand on his shoulder.  He whispered the question quietly; afraid of what he might hear to bring such a reaction from Malachi.  “What is it, friend?”

Malachi looked up and Trigon recoiled at the grief and horror in his eyes.  He said one word, “Sapphira.”  They all looked at each other, their unease growing.  They all knew his life mate had been killed in the maturing chambers long ago.  Why was he calling her name now?  Why this murderous rage?  Had he lost his mind?
“What about Sapphira?”  Trigon asked unsure of what Malachi was trying to say.  Malachi’s breathing had returned but he sounded like a wounded animal, his breath ragged and uneven.  Unable to find the words, he thrust his mind out to share information with Trigon. Trigon stilled and the Guardians knew that Malachi was giving him information directly.  Trigon’s face tightened in concentration from the onslaught of information.  As the seconds passed, the Guardians grew tenser.

Buy Links:
Createspace.
https://www.createspace.com/3565845
Amazon paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/Yesterdays-Daughter-Sallie-Lundy-Frommer/dp/1460925238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363005995&sr=8-1&keywords=Yesterday%27s+Daughter
Kindle
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TOJD4G
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005TOJD4G
DE:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B005TOJD4G
FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005TOJD4G
IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B005TOJD4G
ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B005TOJD4G
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Yesterdays-Daughter-Sallie-Lundy-Frommer/dp/1460925238
Junglee (Kindle - India)
 http://www.junglee.com/Yesterdays-Daughter-Sallie-Lundy-Frommer/dp/1460925238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348081413&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble link:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/yesterdays-daughter-sallie-lundy-frommer/1105680374?ean=9781460925232&itm=1&usri=yesterday%27s+daughter
Smashwords link:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93318
BooksaMillion
http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Yesterdays-Daughter/Sallie-Lundy-Frommer/9781460925232?id=5473235705339
Contact Links:
Sallie’s Blog:     http://yesterdaydaugher.blogspot.com/
Sallie’s  Website:  https://sites.google.com/site/yesterdaysdaughter/
Sallie’s facebook fanpage:
https://www.facebook.com/YesterdaysDaughter
Sallie’s Personal facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/sallie.lundyfrommer
Google+ link:
https://plus.google.com/101269512869199989117/posts?hl=en
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/Slfrommer
Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/slfrommer/
GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6680591
Shelfari:
www.shelfari.com/Sallieride
Youtube Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIx8MTSQNyw


Thursday, April 25, 2013

My "due date" has come and gone. But I'm still waiting! by DL Larson

Yesterday my book was supposed to be available.  I didn't have time to check my email until mid-afternoon and immediately saw three messages from my publisher.  I hoped it was a press release I could pass on to folks, maybe a notice my e-books were now set up on Amazon.com.  But no, it was none of those.

It was a second pass through to check the few corrections that were needed from the first pass through.  Ugh!  Disappointment oozed as I verified that yes, the mistakes had been corrected.  I agreed my book was ready to go to press.

The second message was a bill.  It was small, but I am expected to pay for the corrections in order to proceed with the book making.  These mistakes were spacial, not typos.  A line had dropped down in a few places when it shouldn't have.  I don't feel that these were my mistakes, but if I want things to proceed, then I pay the bill of $31.00.  I paid. 

The third message was to tell me I had messages from my publisher!  That, at least made me smile.  They are a good company and want my book to be a professional product.  Their reputation is on the line with each published book. 

As much as I want my book to be released in April in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, I have no control over what will happen next.  I'm waiting for the next "due date" to be shared with me.  Until then,
I wait and wonder.

It reminds me of waiting for my babies to be born.  My other book releases gave me the same feelings of expectation.  My book won't be rushed.  And so I wait.

Til next time ~

DL Larson

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Now is the Time



Now is the time for me to buckle down and get to my edits for Blessing or Curse. This is the sequel to my science fiction thriller, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, and needs to get out!

Blessing or Curse has a smidge of science fiction, since no one has invited a pill to revert aging, but the main focus is about the relationships of 5 different people in 5 different stories. I've already checked my email, gone to Facebook, Twitter, and dabbled in other diversions.

I'll be signing off now and getting to work.

Here's the cover, in case you haven't seen it, or have forgotten what it looks like.

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Dinner at the Lincoln White House

Last night I attended another fun event sponsored by our local historical society. Last year in April we spent an evening aboard the "Titanic" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its sailing. This year we put on Dinner at the Lincoln White House. It was a wonderful night. We had photo opportunities, trivia, a raffle for an overnight stay in Springfield, IL and a presentation by Mary Todd Lincoln and her sister Emilie Todd Helm.

The most fun part for me was dressing up. I used my sister's maid-of-honor dress from my wedding and used some safety pins and crumpled paper towels to make my hoop skirt. I had a friend do my hair in a period style. I found a cameo in my jewelry box and hung it on a length of decorative 'ribbon' pearls.




I even had my picture taken with Abraham Lincoln!

All in all, a lovely evening!

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Dominica by Margot Justes



Dominica is breathtaking, luscious mountains and rich green forests beckon. The natural and undeveloped beauty is one reason for a visit, the others would be scuba diving, tubing and kayaking. The preferred choice of activity for most tourists.

I tried snorkeling once, many years ago, and decided it’s not for me. In between gulping and swallowing the yucky salt and fishy water, closing my eyes and wandering off-let’s just say those were not my best moments. I firmly decided, a swimming pool will do just fine, as well as a glass bottom boat, if I wanted to visit with the fish.

The morning was spent looking through the many tents that were set up right outside the dock. Local arts and crafts, along with the usual tourist paraphernalia.  Dominica is not as wealthy as St Kitts, and there were few shops, mostly tents, whereas St Kitts is undergoing major growth and development, not so in Dominica.

The afternoon tour I booked, took us through the rain forest, it seemed parched during their dry season. I never imagined a bone dry rain forest. On the way back we walked along a path between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; on one side the usually calm sea, across the path, the rolling powerful ocean waves, and in the middle were all the gawking tourists. The last stop was a two hundred year old church, simple yet colorful.

Our guide told us that out of the twenty volcanoes in the Caribbean islands, thirteen of them are found on Dominica, maybe that is one of the reasons for the lack of development. However, there is reason to hope the economy would improve, according to our guide, Dominica is in the process of developing geo thermal energy to supply other islands, that certainly would help their struggling economy.

After the tour, it was back to the ship, drained and exhausted, it was nice to sit and relax, and sip an espresso. It was only about 85F, but the extreme humidity just wipes me out. I went swimming after dinner, and was in bed by 10:30, sad but true.

Cheers,
Margot  Justes
A Hotel in Paris
A Hotel in Bath
Hearts & Daggers
Hot Crimes Cool Chicks
www.mjustes.com

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Honoring Child Abuse Prevention Month! by DL Larson

My new book, Promises My Love, is not quite ready.  Release is set for April 24 ~ if all goes well!  These last two weeks I have sent newspaper articles to several Illinois papers about my book and its release in April, honoring the Child Abuse Prevention month. 

A few reporters called for an interview and I was grateful to talk to them and explain the setting of my book in the 1840's, way before DCFS was established or child abuse was a national issue.  I've been doing what my publisher suggested, to promote myself releasing a book, rather than just the book.  So I mentioned in the articles that I worked for eleven years at Northern Illinois University in the Department of Children and Family Services.  We were in charge of on-going educational classes to social workers, clergy, policemen, guidance counselors, etc.  I listened to the professionals talk about every aspect of abuse, the heartache and the cleansing of forgiveness and the moving on in the victims lives.  It was quite an education.  From that experience I felt empowered to write about such a sensitive subject.  My character, Francis Frailey faces the dilemma of his abusive past while struggling with the daily intimacies with his young family.

This week I plan to send a glossy picture of my book cover to Illinois libraries and book stores.  I will include the price, ISBN number and a backcover blurb. I will mention that I am a librarian, a member of the WindyCity RWA and Historical Novel Society.  And of course, I will state that I am an Illinois author.
Yes, it will cost me money and time to send this information out, but it will also be an investment for future sales. 

I hope to do the same type of promotion on the internet.  I will set up a few blog tours and see what develops from there.  If anyone is interested in hosting me, I would appreciate a chance to visit your site.
Feel free to leave a message here at Acme Authors, or email me at dllarson_60518@yahoo.com

Til next time ~

DL Larson

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

One of Those Days

It's one of those days, actually more than one of those days! When I first got my Kindle Fire HD, I had trouble setting up my e-mail accounts there. The situation somehow by magic was resolved, and I thought it was all set.

Then I changed my password. I did everything the same and put in the new password on the Kindle, and it wouldn't work. I finally had success by going to the Yahoo website and clicking for the mail that way. I still can't use the nice app that worked for me before.

Then, somehow, maybe because my Kindle talked to my iPhone and told it to act up because that might be fun, the iPhone wouldn't receive e-mail. After hours on the phone with the AT&T guy today, we got my personal e-mail to work. Still no success with the business one. Fortunately, I can still get everything on my desktop computer, but that won't always be the case when I'm out and about.

I do have way too many messages in my inbox, which might be part of the problem, so I will be deleting some of them. Still, that will take forever. In the meantime, my poor iPhone is in limbo, and my Kindle is doing a little better, but not by much.

Such is technology. Maybe it's the weather. Lots of rain today. It's as good an excuse as any.

Why is the cover for my romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams, up here today?

Just to let you know - This book will be free again for Kindle/PC this Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20. If you didn't get your copy yet, here's your chance.

Here are the links for the various Amazon sites:
US/India - http://amzn.com/B0065R11QO

BR – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0065R11QO

And if you're so inclined, after you read Girl of My Dreams, feel free to write a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads, and it would be much appreciated!

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com  


Monday, April 15, 2013

Happy Monday! Right?

It's Monday and it's supposed to be warm today (at least spring like as it can be in the Chicago - Wisconsin area) - so that makes it a better day already!

So some news:

I'm sharing miniatures all through April at my Candid Canine blog for the A to Z Blog Challenge.

At GirlZombieAuthors I'm talking about upcoming zombie and scary movies.Got one you want to see?

*** And.... ta-dah! If you didn't see it - check out the cover and prologue - plus download the prologue & chapter one for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie...

If you're on Facebook, please LIKE my book page for GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie




Sunday, April 14, 2013

A Taste of Spring?

So far it's been kind of a miserable spring. I'm all for the "April Showers Bring May Flowers" type philosophy. It's not the rain I mind, but the cold temperatures. I'd rather be "Singing in the Rain" in 70 degree (okay, I'll even settle for 60s) weather rather than 40s.

Today was supposed to be more spring-like. I even heard promises of the temperatures hitting the 70s. Lying in bed this morning before getting up, my head was full of plans to take a book outside and sit in the sun. I'd like to try to coax a little bit of my Caribbean tan back. In anticipation, I even put capris and flip flops on for church this morning.

Alas, looking out the window...things aren't looking too good so far. Now, granted it's early, but the folks walking by are huddled in their jackets. Some are wearing hats. The wind is blowing the trees around, and it's overcast. All in all it looks quite blustery.

Things could change. It's Chicago after all, and the mantra of 'if you don't like the weather wait five minutes' definitely holds true. But my dream of waking to sunny skies has already gone by the wayside.

At any rate, since I got most of my chores (I just have to read one more contest entry today and figure out how to turn a bridesmaid dress into a hoop skirt.) done Friday night after school and yesterday, I still can have a day devoted to reading. And there's nothing wrong with that. If the temperature doesn't rise in the next couple of hours, there's also a Hawks' game on. (I was planning on skipping it in favor of being outdoors, but if the weather is yucky...)

As you can see, I'm trying to focus on the glass being half full instead of half empty. Not sure it's working...

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

Saturday, April 13, 2013

St. Kitts by Margot Justes



 

 
 
I love to watch as we come into port, usually on deck ten where I walk, stop and continue on, this allows me to see all sides of the island. Beautiful way to start a morning. Coffee comes in handy, always available makes the early morning doubly rewarding.

Booked an excursion that was an overview of St. Kitts, or saint Christopher, since this was once an English island, they drive on the wrong or right side of the road, depending on your point of view.

There are areas that are pristine and hardly populated, others are well developed boasting five star hotels.

The tropical flora and fauna is gorgeous, the flowers in full bloom. I actually saw a fan palm, beautiful spread out huge palm. I love palm trees, but have never seen a fan palm. It’s not hot, about 85F, but it’s incredibly humid and the sun is beating down, you simply wilt. I can’t imagine what  it’s like in the summer, and I don’t want to find out-this is perfect.

Went to see a batik factory, full of bright, vivid tropical colors. They use cotton, and I’m more used to seeing the African work, which uses linen and silk and much of the wax remains in the material, so it’s stiff.  In St. Kitts, the wax is removed and the material is soft and pliant.

I found a lovely water color print of Independence Square, drawn by a local artist. I try to buy something from every place I visit, one because they appeal to me, and it’s a lovely reminder of the visit.

Cheers,
Margot  Justes
A Hotel in Paris
A Hotel in Bath
Hearts & Daggers
Hot Crimes Cool Chicks
www.mjustes.com

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Guest Blogger, Karla Brandenburg, author of Mist on the Meadow! by DL Larson

Our guest blogger today is Karla BrandenburgMist on the Meadow is her new release and available now.  I met Karla a few years ago at a Springfling Conference and had a wonderful time getting to know her. 

Karla shares some of her insights we all face as writers.  "What will our friends think of our writing?  What will mom and dad say?"  "Who do we please?"  "Can we be true to ourselves and still write a dynamic book?"  Here's what Karla has to say ...

Thanks for having me, Deb! And congratulations on your third “Promises” book.


I’ve just released my newest endeavor, Mist on the Meadow, which gave me an extra point to think about in my writing. Generally speaking, profanity in romance novels is kept to a minimum. As my mother always told me, it shows a lack of vocabulary. So imagine my surprise when, after writing a very intense scene with a high-strung hero, I found his vocabulary very colorful indeed!

When I’m writing, it tends to be from my head, through my fingers and I’m not always one hundred percent aware of the content until I go back to read through how it flows, works, etc. Yes, I knew I was typing those words, but often things go down on “paper” that will get cut later. As I re-read the first of Wolf’s outbursts, I paused to consider. Is that language really necessary? It is highly offensive to some people and could easily turn off a reader. So I reached out to one of my beta readers who had been following along with me and asked her the question. Her response was, “Absolutely it needs to be there. That’s who he is and his response is completely validated.” So I left it in.

Now, back to my parents. They generally like to read my work, and they generally get an inside view before it gets to publication. Mist on the Meadow went very quickly – sometimes stories do! – so they didn’t get that “first look.” When I was visiting recently, they asked when they were going to be able to read it, and I gave my mom the language disclaimer. Funny thing about my parents – and I’m going to digress for just a moment here – they’d done a read on the last book I published in an early stage, and my mother said to me, “it needs a little something more. More sex. More Violence.” MY MOTHER! My parents are very conservative, so that’s the last thing I expected to hear from her. That’s when I stopped worrying about offending my parents, or being nervous about their judgments on my writing. I’ve been grown up for a long time, but it’s funny how you never quite outgrow, “what will my parents think?” ANYWAY, back on track, I gave them the language disclaimer. My mother responded with, “Sometimes that’s what real life is like. It’s unfortunate, but true.” My mother, again, who is offended by movies with bad language. The book has only been out for a week, and I just received my “giveaway” copies, so the parents haven’t read it yet, but there’s a copy on the way to them.

The point of all of this is that there should be a sensitivity to your audience. You don’t want to offend people, and yet you have to be true to your characters. My heroine uses a tamed down epithet, her outbursts don’t require profanity. Men, on the other hand, are more often less reserved. Wolf has been through a lot in his life, and once those buttons get pushed one more time, he reacts in a less “civilized” manner, in spite of his resolve to maintain his self-control. It takes the calming hand of the heroine to “ease his pain.”

So what is Mist on the Meadow about? Here’s the pitch: Wolf Harper needs a Kundigerin, "one who knows," to close his grandmother's estate and save the failing family business; instead, professional baker Marissa Maitland rattles skeletons in his family's closet and ignites a passion Wolf has never felt before. Has he been bewitched?

Karla’s books are available through all the online booksellers or ordered by request at your favorite bookstore. Visit http://www.karlabrandenburg.com/ for more information or follow her blog at www.karlabrandenburg.blogspot.com.



Karla



Find out more about author Karla Brandenburg

http://www.karlabrandenburg.com/

http://www.karlabrandenburg.blogspot.com/


Thank you, Karla, for visiting us today!  Please feel free to ask Karla about her writing or other author-type
questions/comments you might have for her.

Til next time ~

DL Larson

To Free or Not To Free

There comes a time when decisions need to be made. Is it better to enroll in KDP Select and offer freebies, or not?

So far, I've got Forever Young: Blessing or Curse still enrolled, as well as Girl of My Dreams.


I took my most recent romantic comedy, Her Handyman, off the program, but may put it back on later. I have mixed feelings about offering freebies. After a free event, I do get more sales, but then I wonder if some readers notice it's available free for Prime members, which means it will probably be free for everyone else for five days, somewhere along the line. That seems a double-edged sword.

Anyway, I'll see how the system goes, and learn if any other alternatives present themselves.

In the meantime, I'm not completely neglecting other sources, since two of my books, Killer Career, and Two Wrongs, are still available on all the Smashwords sites, as well as on Amazon.

For excerpts and buy links to all my books, you're welcome to check them out at:
http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com

Sunday, April 7, 2013

SOLD!

It's been a long time coming, but I'm thrilled, excited, ecstatic, and Happy Dancing to annouce I've finally sold This Feels Like Home to The Wild Rose Press! Home is the third installment in a 'series' that began with This Time for Always and This Can't Be Love. When I first conceived the idea for Always, it was with the intention of using the secondary characters in it for additional stories. With the publication of Home, another of my writing dreams will come true.

The road to publication has been a long one in this case. I first submitted Home to my editor at TWRP back in August of 2011. The timeline goes something like this:

August 2011 - I submitted to my editor.

September 2011 - The story was transfered over to another editor at TWRP because my hero is a bull rider. It was now being considered under the Yellow Rose line, which is for contemporary cowboy stories.

November 2011 - The new editor took a pass on the story, but mentioned some areas for change if I wanted to resubmit. The changes were some fairly major ones, and it took me a long time to decide if I wanted to go in this new direction for my story. And then it took me even longer to implement the changes.

June 2012 - I resubmitted the story.

September 2012 - I received another e-mail saying the editor liked the changes, but felt it still needed something more. She was kind enough to offer specific suggestions on areas that still needed improvement and to even do a partical unofficial edit. Even so, I was devastated. It seemed this book just wasn't meant to be. After I got over my sadness, I got to work on another round of revisions.

January 2013 - I submitted for the third time, hoping this was the 'charm'.

March 2013 - The e-mail I'd been waiting more than a year and a half for finally arrived: the offer of a contract!

Getting all of the revision requests wasn't easy. Each one, although not an outright rejection, was like a little stab in my heart. In the end, though, I know the story is a stronger one, and I really love the changes I've made to it.

Right now I'm in the process of filling out my Manuscript Information Sheet and Cover Information Sheet. Once those are submitted - hopefully later today - we can proceed with the first round of edits. Depending on how many rounds we go with that, my release date should be toward the end of this year or the beginning of next! I haven't had a paperback release in a few years, so this is all the more exciting. Soon, I'll have that trilogy sitting on my bookshelf.

See? Dreams really can come true!

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com



Saturday, April 6, 2013

Cruising the Caribbean by Margot Justes


The next two days were spent at sea, time to relax and do nothing, or immerse oneself in scheduled activities. Every evening a ‘compass’ is left on the bed outlining tomorrow’s agenda. It is always full. I love to walk, read and swim, and let’s not forget the non-stop meals, and snacks-hence the swimming and walking.

The day starts with coffee and the blog, and of course food. Breakfast was eaten in the dining room, less hectic and far more relaxing than the buffet at the Windjammer Café.

Spent the late morning in the solraium pool, floating in the ocean water-along with the salt, we got the waves too; pure heaven, warm and soothing.

Checked out the library, but didn’t stay long, along with the books, it was filled with cigar smoke. They do cigar tastings in the evenings, and the scent lingers long into the next day. There is shopping, stopped in the stores, and tasted a South African Amarula liqueur, made with marula fruit. It was delicious, brought home a bottle.

Before dinner, I stopped for an espresso and a snack, after all I did walk, and swim.  Tonight will be the first of two formal nights. I pack a dressy pair of black pants and a couple of sparkly tops, and I have black sandals that my granddaughter tells me are shiny. It works. I don’t lug many suitcases when I travel, one small expandable suitcase and a carry on, plus a large purse. It was nice to see everyone dress up, and I’ve come to the conclusion that most men look good in a tuxedo.

I’m not really a meat eater, but ordered beef tenderloin, only because potatoes were on the menu. I’m Polish and love my potatoes, later I was told I could have potatoes every day. The dinners were exceptional, Royal Caribbean improved the quality of their food, and with feeding so many people, that is quite a feat.

Sorbet was a refreshing end to a delicious meal. I happen to like it, and I already consumed a yummy sweet with the espresso earlier in the day; a double chocolate espresso brownie. A decadent slice of heaven.

After dinner, I checked my e-mail and walked a bit on deck, the full moon shone on the water and reflected a soothing glow in the deep, almost pitch black sea. I love that time of day, I was alone on deck, and found the tranquility soothing. Sometimes you can see another cruise ship, or cargo ship in the distance.

You get into a routine of being pampered, and reality is far removed from everyday life. That is what vacation is all about, an escape, a glimpse of another life. Our first port of call is St. Kitts.  

 Cheers,
Margot  Justes
A Hotel in Paris
A Hotel in Bath
Hearts & Daggers
Hot Crimes Cool Chicks
www.mjustes.com


Thursday, April 4, 2013

Book Covers ~ A Challenge and a Blessing! by DL Larson

It's here!  My book cover arrived today! 

My task is to look it over and decide if there are any mistakes and then notify the publisher with the changes I want to make. 

The only thing that needs changing is the price.  Right now it goes for $00.00.  We writers get
paid little enough, I don't want to give it away. 
The price will be $15.95 in book format, much less
in e-book.

The size will be 6 x 9 inches, with a soft cover.
My family and friends helped choose the cover. I had thousands to pick from.  I think we did good!
Thank you family and friends for your input.  It made the decision much easier hearing various view points on what worked and what didn't.  Angie, Amber, Shannon, Pat, Cindy, Wendy, Gina, Judy, Marge and Kurt ~ thank you, thank you!

I'm closing in on the final product ~ a finished and published book.  It's been a long, long time coming.  Once all is done, my book will be available in various places:  Ingrams, Baker & Taylor - valuable venues for bookstores and libraries; Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble - great for consumers, especially e-book readers. 

I've seen the text layout and now this!  Let's hope it all comes together soon.  I'll keep you posted!

Til next time ~

DL Larson

PS:  next week, author Karla Brandenburg will join us.  Be sure to stop by!



Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Free Again - Friday, Saturday and Sunday!



If you aren't on Facebook and following my page, you may not know this -

Freebie coming up this Friday, Saturday and Sunday - April 5, 6 and 7

That's right - Forever Young: Blessing or Curse for Kindle/or PC will be free on those days. If you don't have a copy, be sure to click and get one before it goes back to its usual $2.99 price.

Here's the link: http://amzn.com/B006MO28CQ







I'm over halfway through the edits for Blessing or Curse, the companion sequel to Forever Young: Blessing or Curse .

Blessing or Curse contains 5 different stories about 5 very different people taking the Forever Young pill. Each story has some sort of romance, but is much more than a typical romance.

You'll see when I start sharing excerpts.

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com