Category Archives: mermaids

I Got a $5 Coupon for Valentine’s Day

mermaids

“You know we’re not doing anything for Valentine’s Day,” I say in a sweetly menacing voice as my husband and I pass each other in the hall. He rolls his eyes. “Yes, I know. Not my first day on the job.”

It’s not by accident I make sure we don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Early in our relationship, when we were still figuring things out, I said the same thing. But then came Valentine’s morning and there they were on the table: roses, chocolates and a trinket. “You didn’t get me anything? Not even a card?” he asked with a look of bewildered incredulity. “But we said nothing,” I mewled. “I thought you meant nothing big,” he replied A quick trip to the store and I spent a load of money to wipe the stench of disappointment I had smeared all over him with my lack of sentimentality. But that was in the early throws of dating.

It’s not that I hate Valentine’s Day, I hate what it represents. A fist down the throat dictate by the greeting card industry of what to buy, when and for whom. I don’t want my husband standing with a crowd of bewildered men pawing through the remnants of Valentine’s Day cards that have been fondled more times than a woman in labor. I don’t want him paying a 400% mark up on roses that looked like they’d been chewed and spit out by a grazing bull. And I certainly don’t want him feeling like he has to buy me a piece of jewelry on the 14th of February to show me how much he loves me.

The best gifts he’s ever given me were surprises I wasn’t expecting and didn’t need. There is the small trio of bath oil, lotion and gel that still stand by the edge of the tub, unused fifteen years later. We hadn’t been dating long when he gave them to me as a gift. “The bottles looked antique and I know you like antiques.” He scratched his head. “To be honest I’m not really sure what antique means or if you even like them, but I saw them and thought of you.” The second best gift he gave me was a little elephant sitting on its hind legs with his trunk in the air. A wedding ring holder he brought back from a business trip. No reason, just because. I think about him every evening when I slip them down the elephant’s trunk and every morning when I put them on. I don’t remember when he bought it, but I know it wasn’t on Valentine’s Day.

A few days ago, I was in the bathroom washing my face when he dropped my mail onto the growing pile on my nightstand. “I thought you’d want this,” he said putting a large rectangular card on top of the pile. “What is it?” I turned off the water and took my hair down from the bun it’s been in since 5am this morning. “It’s a $5 coupon to La Madeleine,” he says putting his watch on the nightstand near the elephant holding my rings. “I though you could get a cookie next time you go.” My hands plucking the tangles from my hair still. He looks at me, perplexed. “Isn’t that where you go to write every Sunday morning?” Silently I nod. “I was thinking it could help you write.” Mutely, I stare at him. My eyes begin to sting. Downstairs children scream, the dishwasher beeps that it’s done and he is in the middle of an umpteenth chore that comes with a house, kids and a twelve year marriage. And during the insanity, as he sorted mail, he thought of me. And my writing. And how important it is to me. And it wasn’t even Valentine’s Day.

Cover Reveal: Amid Wind & Stone by Nicole Luiken

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Friends, I am thrilled to bring you the cover reveal of AMID WIND & STONE, by Nicole Luiken, the second book in the Otherselves series!

AWaS

 

Isn’t that a gorgeous cover? AMID FIRE & STONE releases March 7, 2016!

Synopsis:

There is one True World, and then there are the four Mirror Worlds: Fire, Water, Air, and Stone.

Audrey and Dorotea are “otherselves”—twin copies of each other who live on different
Mirror Worlds.

On Air, Audrey has the ability to communicate with wind spirits. As war looms, she’s torn between loyalty to her country and her feelings for a roguish phantom who may be a dangerous spy.

Blackouts and earthquakes threaten the few remaining humans on Stone, who have been forced to live underground. To save her injured sister, Dorotea breaks taboo and releases an imprisoned gargoyle. Brooding, sensitive Jasper makes her wonder if gargoyles aretruly traitors, as she’s always been told.

Unbeknownst to them, they both face the same enemy—an evil sorceress bent on
shattering all the Mirror Worlds.

nicole-luikenAuthor Bio:
Nicole Luiken wrote her first book at age 13 and never stopped.
She is the author of nine published books for young adults, including Violet Eyes and its sequels Silver Eyes and Angels Eyes, Frost, Unlocking the Doors, The Catalyst, Escape to the Overworld, Dreamfire and the sequel Dreamline. Through Fire & Sea, book one of Otherselves, and Amid Wind & Stone, book two of Otherselves, are her most recent releases. She also has an adult thriller, Running on Instinct, under the name N.M. Luiken and a fantasy romance series, Gate to Kandrith and Soul of Kandrith.
Nicole lives with her family in Edmonton, AB. It is physically impossible for her to go more than three days in a row without writing.
Website   Twitter   Facebook

 

Goodreads   Amazon   Barnes & Noble   iBooks   Kobo   Amazon.co.uk   Amazon.ca   Entangled Page

 

Don’t miss the first book in this series, THROUGH FIRE & SEA!

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Synopsis:

There is one True World, and then there are the four mirror worlds: fire, water, air, and stone. And each

has a magic of its own…

In the Fire World, seventeen-year-old Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the realm’s most

powerful lords. She’s hot-blooded—able to communicate with the tempestuous volcano gods. But she

has another gift…the ability to Call her twin “Otherselves” on other worlds.

Holly resides in the Water World—our world. When she’s called by Leah from the Fire World, she nearly

drowns. Suddenly the world Holly thought she knew is filled with secrets, magic…and deadly peril.

For a malevolent force seeks to destroy the mirror worlds. And as Leah and Holly are swept up in the

tides of chaos and danger, they have only one choice to save the mirror worlds—to shatter every rule

they’ve ever known…

Mermaids Immortalized in Romance Fiction (And a giveaway to boot!)

Alethea Kontis, Avery Flynn, Carlene Love, Dana Rodgers, Denny S. Bryce, Giveaway, Kerri Carpenter, Kimberly MacCarron, Loni Lynne, Masha Levinson, mermaids, Pintip Dunn, Robin Covington, Susan Andrews, , , , , , , ,

7Hello fishy friends!

How’s everyone doing? I hope your 2016 is off to a great start. I’m humbled and honored to say January is wrapping up very nicely with the release of my eighth published novel. Let Me See (Book 2 of the These Three Words series) just came out today. I’m so very happy I get to share this story with you but guess what really has me smiling?

I’ve missed my fishy sisters so much since moving away from their area nearly two years ago. But today I get to be with them again. Sort of.

I hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt from my new release in which the Waterworld Mermaids become immortalized in romance fiction. **Be sure and leave a comment below for a chance to win a free e-copy.** Let’s see if you can spot them…

Copyrighted Excerpt from Let Me See (These Three Words, 2) by Carlene Love…

Jay normally spent as much time out front chatting with the guests as he did on stage performing for them but right now he wanted a few extra quiet moments alone to let the importance of tonight sink in.

“Jay, come.”

Having thought that, Marie was rarely persistent with him like this. So he followed her out front, forgetting for the time being that he was only half-dressed for his solo. He ran his hand over his abs, rubbing away some of the sweat already sticking to his skin. He’d barely crossed paths with Julian but the bump-in had been enough and he had the man’s angel wing glitter all over his black pants. Jay dusted it off as best he could, eventually giving up. Jay hooked his thumbs in his suspenders. He left the newsboy hat that would—pardon the pun—cap off his college prep outfit in homage to Maggie, in his locker and followed Marie out front. One thing he recognized for sure was the extra pep in her step. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought she was playing Cupid or something ridiculous like that. Too bad he couldn’t just tell her he’d officially taken his heart off the market, for good, two weeks ago when he’d been stood up again by the girl who had somehow taken his everything prisoner.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said and followed her out, pumping himself up for the night and walking to the beat of Gabe’s solo song.

“So you guys had a pretty successful adoption event at the last shelter drive?”

“Yes, Marie. Why do you ask? You sure are talking to me a whole lot tonight. I mean, I love it. But, do you swear everything is okay with you?” He’d do anything he could to help her. She worked hard and he knew she had issues she kept hidden. Jay knew how that could eat at a person.

“I’m in the mood to do some good and you think there’s something wrong with me? Gee, thanks, Stud.”

He wasn’t sure exactly what to say back to her, to be honest. It was tricky with Marie because Jay knew he had to keep his flirting to a minimum, remembering how wrecked it had made him when D had gotten too loose with his flirty words for Kelley. “My apologies to the lady.”

They walked single file through the last bits of the cramped back hallways until they got to the door that led into the public portion of the club. Jay took an extra-long step to put him in front of Marie so that he could get the door for her. He ushered her through but then noted how she quickly jumped back in front of him. Guess she really wanted to be the leader.

“Accepted. And you’re right, it is odd that I’m feeling so chipper. It’s freaking me out but I’m going with it for this night only. I just feel like this burst of goodness came inside earlier. Apparently your sister’s spirit of positivity has its claws in me tonight.” She winked and smiled softly at him. “Anywho, recognize anyone?”

Marie suddenly stopped walking when they’d only made it a few feet into the club, clearly waiting for him to stop too and have a look around. Okay, he’d play along and checked out the bar area since that was where he associated Marie as being most often. “Drunk Al. Tina and her mom and her sisters. Um, Brad?” He noted the faces he could see this far in the dark.

“Ahem.” She cleared her throat and pulled him around by the suspender until he was facing the stage. She let go and the elastic snapped his skin. It didn’t really hurt but he let out a yelp just to tease her. “Ouch.”

Now he did see a ton of familiar faces. “Do you really want me to start naming everyone? Cause there’s Liz, Kerri, Dana, Kim, Alethea, Pintip, Susan, Loni, Masha, and Denny, just for starters.” It gave him an immense feeling of joy that so many of the regulars were already here supporting the cause. “Oh, and let’s see … Lynne, Robin, and Avery. I can keep going—Jen, Keely, Deb, Denise, Sue, Lil. Ooo, Becky’s looking supa-hot tonight. She turned fifty in here last week, you know. Still fricking gorgeous. Did you know she’s the drummer in a band? I think I’m going to give her a late birthday lick later on. In fact, I think I’m gonna go over there with my sexy self and lick her right now.” Of course he was just teasing, watching Marie’s face get more and more perturbed with him. It was his playful payback to her for bringing him out before he’d gotten dressed and then being so secretive. But honestly, who did she want him to see?

“Ugh. You’re impossible. And you wonder why I don’t talk much to you boys. Gabe—”

But she may as well have stopped speaking.

The second he changed his line of sight to the stage where Gabe currently held court as a half-dressed military hero, he saw the one thing he never would have expected, not in a million years at this point.

She didn’t even have to turn around for him to know.

*****

Eek! I hope you liked it!

Take my friendly fishy advice. If you find yourself missing those who you care about and can’t be near, write them something. Whether it’s a letter, an email, a text, or yeah, in this case a novel. Reach out. Let them know you’re thinking of them. I call it a paper hug. xoxo

**Giveaway Info: Say hi, or better yet, say hi and leave a message for someone you’re currently missing in the comments section and I’ll enter you into the drawing for a free e-copy of Let Me See. Winner will be randomly picked on Sunday night, 1/31/2016. Good luck!

My best to you and yours!

Fishy kisses,

Carlene Mermaid

Let-Me-See-evernightpublishing-JayAheer2016-3DrenderAre you sure you’re ready to see what’s inside?

Two hearts beating…      

S Club dancer and extrovert, Jay, has worked very hard for this eye-opening moment with his reluctant and shy friend, Kelley. Unfortunately, a humorous attempt to get her to open up serves to push her further away. Now it’s nearly impossible to convince her he’s not just out to play.

Hundreds of scars in need of hiding…       

For good reason, Kelley has yet to let Jay see all of her whereas he takes his clothes off nightly for a living. Her respect for him runs unmatched because she sees who he is inside. There’s just no way to ever reciprocate and that’s not fair to him. His interest in her has never made sense. The best option is convincing Jay there really is nothing to see.

One dark night to shine some light on their healing…

Sometimes, it just takes one very patient man, one dimly lit room and one safe set of arms.

Check out more from Let Me See HERE at the Evernight site or HERE at Amazon. xoxo

Quintessentially Me: Katherine Fleet

Guest Post, mermaids, ,

Hi everyone! I am Katherine Fleet, debut author of The Secret to Letting Go, releasing from Entangled Teen on Feb 1, 2016. For this guest post, I was asked to pick one thing in my house and talk about its history and what it means to me. There are so many things in my house that I love and have meaning to me, but I’ve decided to pick something a little quirky – my fridge magnets!

 

I’ve always loved to travel, but for many years, my husband and I weren’t in a position to get very far. Then we moved to the Caribbean eight years ago and found ourselves able to really travel. Since we’ve lived here, we’ve been to many parts of the US, as well as Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. When we started travelling, I knew I needed to collect something from each of our trips. Of course there are pictures, but I wanted something that I could see every day. So I picked fridge magnets!

 

Here is why they are “quintessentially me”:

 

  • I love to bake, so I see them everyday when I am in the kitchen.
  • I try to pick pretty designs, but in reality they are just a little bit tacky (yes, I bought the celebrity homes guide map when we were in Beverly Hills and drove around in a minivan full of kids to stop in front of the gates of all the star’s homes and gawk).
  • They’re small and economical to buy, so in other words, a very practical souvenir. This is very much me – a very practical person.
  • My husband and three children have started to bring them home to me from their travels. So, when I see them, I think of my family, which is the most important thing in the world to

katherine-fleetAuthor Bio:

Originally from Newfoundland, Katherine Fleet gave up the cold winters of Eastern Canada for the year round warmth of the Caribbean. The slower pace of island life has given her time to pursue a long-time goal—becoming an author. When she’s not writing, she spends her time baking, chauffeuring her three amazing, talented kids around, and having sun-filled adventures with her husband and wonderful friends in Curaçao. She is also a very thankful breast cancer survivor. In 2007, she joined RWA and has enjoyed the support and camaraderie of the YARWA and OIRWA writing communities. She’s participated in NaNoWriMo since 2012 and is an active supporter of the associated Young Writers Program. She is represented by super-agent Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency. The Secret to Letting Go is her debut novel. You can connect with her at www.KatherineFleet.com.

 

 

The Secret to Letting Go: TSTLG-cover

One summer can change everything…

Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend’s death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he’ll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she’s hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble. Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life’s story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets—even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after.

Goodreads

 

Quintessentially Me: Pat Esden

Guest Post, mermaids, new release,

Today, I am thrilled to welcome debut author and good friend, Pat Esden, to the pond. Her wonderful NA, A HOLD ON ME, which I had the distinct honor of reading releases into the world on February 23.
In the meantime, Pat is joining us to answer our mermaid prompt of the month:

Pick one thing in your house/apartment/writing space and discuss its history and what it means to you and how it is “Quintessentially You”?

Take it away, Pat!

I’m a collector and antique dealer and my house is filled with keepsakes, so picking one thing that quintessentially represents me wasn’t easy. I decided on a dollhouse that my oldest sister’s first husband built for me. It was made it: the likeness of my family’s camp where I spent a large part of my childhood.

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Camp was a place where I daydreamed and playacted, heard stories around campfires, and discovered creepy old fairytales in tattered schoolbooks. The dollhouse itself also played a role in my imaginings—as did the troll who’s looking out the window.

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This photo is of five-year-old me standing in the doorway of the camp.

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This is my dad and I carrying supplies into the camp.

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BLURB for A HOLD ON ME:

She never wanted to return.
He wants nothing more than for her to leave.
But the fire between them is as strong as the past that haunts them.A hold on me

Annie Freemont grew up on the road, immersed in the romance of rare things, cultivating an eye for artifacts and a spirit for bargaining. It’s a freewheeling life she loves and plans to continue—until her dad is diagnosed with dementia. His illness forces them to return to Moonhill, their ancestral home on the coast of Maine—and to the family they left behind fifteen years ago, after Annie’s mother died in a suspicious accident.

Once at Moonhill, Annie is shocked when her aunt separates her from her father. The next time Annie sees him, he’s a bizarre, violent shadow of his former self. Confused, she turns to an unlikely ally for support—Chase, the dangerously seductive young groundskeeper. With his dark good looks and powerful presence, Chase has an air of mystery that Annie is irresistibly drawn to. But she also senses that behind his penetrating eyes are secrets she can’t even begin to imagine. Secrets that hold the key to the past, to Annie’s own longings—and to all of their futures. Now, to unlock them, she’ll have to face her greatest fears and embrace her legacy…

Pre-order Today!

Indiebound  Amazon  B&N   Books-A-Million

 

 

PAT ESDEN is an antique-dealing florist by trade. She’s also a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and the League of Vermont Writers. Her short stories have appeared in a number of publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, the Mythopoeic Society’s Mythic Circle literary magazine, and George H. Scither’s anthology Cat Tales.

 

Her new adult paranormal novel, A HOLD ON ME (book #1 in the Dark Heart series) is coming February 23 from Kensington Books and BEYOND YOUR TOUCH (book #2 Dark Heart series) will be released August 30th.

 

Author Links

 

WEBSITE |GOODREADS |FACEBOOK|TWITTER | BLOG |PINTEREST|

 

Quintessentially Me: Stacy Wise

Guest Post, mermaids, ,

Friends, I am thrilled to welcome debut author Stacy Wise to the pond today. Her NA, BEYOND THE STARS, released on Feb. 8, 2016, and it sounds like so much fun!

Here is Stacy, to answer our question of the month:

What is something in my life that’s quintessentially me?

Gah! One thing? What on earth could it be?

I strolled though my house, pausing by shelves, lingering by the console table as though I was admiring relics at a museum. Could I be somewhere in the lovely ceramic turtle I bought in Hawaii? The one whose head broke off in an unfortunate accident with a ball and my youngest child? (I glued it back on. Looks great.) Perhaps it’s my shell collection? Or my children’s art table with the crayons organized by color? No…Maybe it’s the Legos that seem to magically appear underfoot when I’m barefoot? Hell no.

And then it hit me. It’s the piece of wall art I had to buy because it got me all choked up at the local Aaron Brothers Art Mart. I felt like Oprah having an A-ha! moment.

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Here’s what it says:

Be bold enough to use your voice

Brave enough to listen to your heart

And strong enough to live the life you’ve always imagined.

“What if I fall?”

Oh, but my darling…what if you fly?

Kind heart fierce mind brave spirit

–E.H.

E.H., I discovered, is Erin Hanson, a young Australian poet. The plaque hangs in my kitchen nook where I can read it every day. Because those words? They keep the fire lit in me. I hope they inspire you too.

Xo,
Stacy

BEYOND THE STARS 500x700BEYOND THE STARS: Most girls would kill for the opportunity to work for Jack McAlister, Hollywood’s hottest actor, but twenty-one-year-old Jessica Beckett is ready to kick him out of her red Ford Fiesta and never look back. She should be spending her junior year in France, eating pastries and sharpening her foreign language skills. Instead she’s reluctantly working as Jack’s personal assistant, thanks to her powerhouse talent agent aunt.

Jack is private, prickly, and downright condescending. Jessica pushes his buttons—she’s not the type of girl to swoon over celebrity heartthrobs, precisely why her aunt thought she’d be perfect for the job—and Jack pushes right back.

But as she begins to peel away his layers, Jessica is shocked to find she craves her boss’s easy smile and sexy blue eyes. The problem is, so does the entire female population. And what started out as the job from hell soon has Jess wondering if a guy like Jack could ever find love with a regular girl like her.

BIO:stacy small

Stacy Wise is the author of BEYOND THE STARS (Entangled Embrace, 2016).

She has a B.A. in Communications Studies from UCLA and a Masters in Teaching from Chapman University. She lives in California with her husband and four children.

 

When she’s not dreaming up stories, you can find her beating up the bag at a kickboxing gym, cheering for her kids at their numerous sporting events, or walking her dogs, Bailey and Rex.

Emma Adams Swims with the Mermaids: INDESTRUCTIBLE

Books, mermaids, new release,

It’s release week for Indestructible, the first in an exciting new YA post-apocalyptic trilogy.


Two years ago, the fiends invaded, with a devastating explosion that split the world in two. Even now, energy blasts strike without warning, destroying everything in their paths. The fiends hunt anyone unlucky enough to escape.

My name is Leah. An energy blast killed my group. It should have killed me, too. Instead, I woke up alone in the wilderness, stalked by the fiends.

My only hope is the red-cloaked strangers who call themselves the Pyros. They can do the impossible and make flames shoot from their hands. Right now, my one chance for safety — and revenge — is with them.

But they’re keeping secrets from me. Like those skeletons hidden under their base. And the reasons I developed a psychic link with someone who can’t stand the sight of me — after he saved my life.

If I don’t uncover the truth about why the world ended the first time, my new safe haven might go up in smoke…

Indestructible is the first in a YA post-apocalyptic superhero-fantasy trilogy.

Amazon   Add on Goodreads

Emma is the author of various fantasy novels, including the universe-hopping urban fantasy Alliance series and the YA paranormal Darkworld series.

Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing speculative fiction with magic and monsters. She lives in the middle of England, but dreams of exploring the Multiverse. When she’s not immersed in her own fictional worlds, Emma works as a freelance editor and proofreader and reads an improbable number of books.

Visit www.emmaladams.com to find out more about Emma’s books, or subscribe to her newsletter (smarturl.it/ELAnewsletter) to get a free Alliance short story and monthly updates on upcoming releases.

Website  Blog  Facebook  Twitter  Newsletter

Cover Reveal: The Girlfriend Request by Jodie Andrefski

Cover Reveal, mermaids, ,

Today, it is my privilege to host the cover reveal of debut author, Jodie Andrefski’s book, The Girlfriend Request.

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Isn’t this cover stunning?

Blurb:

Emma has been best friends with Eli since she moved to his neighborhood ten years ago. Tired of being cast in the role of the girl next door, Emma creates a fake Facebook profile in the hopes of starting an online friendship with Eli, which would hopefully lead to more. Like…way more. From friend request to In a Relationship–it all seemed so completely logical when she’d planned it.

Eli can’t figure out what Emma is up to. He’s pretty sure she’s the one behind the Facebook profile, but then again, why would she do something so drastic instead of just admitting she wants to be more than friends? And who the heck is this new guy he saw her with? Eli starts to think that just maybe… he missed his chance with the girl next door.

Two best friends, one outlandish ruse. Their status is about to become way more than It’s Complicated.

Be sure to keep an eye on EntangledTeen.com for an interview with Eli for their Swoon-Worthy Sunday feature. (Trust me, Eli is definitely just that!) 😉

A note from Jodie:

I hope you love reading THE GIRLFRIEND REQUEST when it releases, just as much as I loved writing it.

A Giveaway:

To celebrate, Jodie is offering a chance to win a $20 Amazon e-Gift Card, as well as this beautiful handcrafted necklace with a vintage rose, glass pendant.

(I’m sorry, but Jodie is unable to ship the necklace outside of the US. If the contest winner is outside of the US, it will be e-Gift Card only. Thank you for your understanding.)

The winner will be selected randomly from all entries, and will be announced Thursday, November 26th.

To enter, click here: Rafflecopter.

Remember, you can RT daily for more chances to win!!

Best of luck in the contest!

Cannot Write Without… My Sanity

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Edgar Allen Poe said, “I am a writer. Therefore, I am not sane.” I think I agree. Sanity is twenty shades of complicated. For me, it’s the ability to think and behave in a normal and rational manner. When life gets tough, or when sanity is tested, writing can be an outlet.
Sometimes.
Except this is not one of those times.
This time I can’t write. And it’s happening during NaNo. When everyone is furiously squirreling away words, the inability to write becomes a miasma of frustration and self-recrimination.
But not this time.
This time I am allowing myself not to write. And not to feel guilty. There are a number of downsides to not being published. But one of the upsides is that the only deadlines I have are self-imposed.
Yes, it’s NaNo.
Yes, I’m not writing.
Yes, I’m okay with that.

Do You Hear What I Hear…

Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, , , , , ,

The question in the lagoon this month: What’s the one thing you cannot write without?

Today’s answer comes from the Waterworld Mermaids’ very own Kerri Carpenter.

Visit Kerri at her awesomesauce website here. Follow her on Twitter here.

*********************

I have to keep this short and sweet today. Why? Because it’s NaNo month of course.

Wait, you don’t know what NaNo is? Allow me to explain. Writers from all over the galaxy are trying to write at least 50,000 words during the month of November. Intense, right?

Even more crazysauce is that the Waterworld Mermaids are in a tight competition with the writers over at Romance on the Rocks. Who can write the most words? Fingers crossed for the lagoon! Now, back to the question at hand.

The one thing I absolutely, under no circumstances, no way Jose, cannot write without is… Music!

Some writers need absolute quiet. Others love them some background noise. Me? I gotta have the tunes. For the most part, any music will do. However, I do have some favs. Without further ado, here’s my list:

Field of Dreams Soundtrack

I love the movie and I love the soundtrack. I listen to this constantly.

Random Playlists I Create

I love creating playlists and sometimes I’ll do one inspired by whatever I’m working on. For example, in my contemporary romance, The Best Kind of Love, Penelope and Ethan were created by listening to a lot of Lady Antebellum. I considered the song, “Dancing Away with My Heart,” to be Penelope and Ethan’s song.

Anything by John Williams

John Williams is the man! Like a song from a movie? He probably came up with it. I’ve been listening to his Greatest Movie hits for the last couple months. Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and soooo many more.

Random Artists

I really do listen to a ton of different music but I will admit I have some go-to’s. Colbie Caillat, John Mayer, Paul Simon, Lady Antebellum, Ben Folds Five, Ashley Monroe, and more.

Christmas Music

I love Christmas music so freaking much! I would listen to it all year long, but I do restrain myself. However, I’m currently working on a Christmas story so it’s been all Christmas, all the time. Bring on Bing, Mariah Carey, and the Chipmunks. I’m in Heaven! (And thank you to the Hallmark Channel for already playing Christmas movies!)

Alright, folks. That’s it for me. I’m off to fire up The Carpenters’ (no relation) Christmas album and get back to the writing.

 

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Cyber-stalk Kerri at her website.

Like Kerri on Facebook, so you can answer her Questions of the Day and view her plethora of adorable dog photos. Everyone loves Harry!

Retweet Kerri on Twitter, especially when she gets super into #TheWalkingDead on Sunday nights.

What’s that? You still need more Kerri? Wow, you guys are insatiable. Buy Kerri’s books on Amazon. (Most books are also available at Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and kobo too.)

Kerri-Harry Working