Saturday, December 15, 2012

Of Gaea by Victoria Escobar


Book Info-
Of Gaea
Book #1 in the Of Legacies Series
By Victoria Escobar
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Blurb-
Ari had always taken her mobility for granted. She was a track and field star, an archery champion and an Eskrima pro. One selfish action changed all of that, though. Now confined to a wheelchair, Ari yearns for those days to return.
Ari has been searching the last eight months for a cure with no progress.  Her best friend Sasha is the only thing keeping her from completely giving up. Following some vague advice, Ari turns away from medical science and starts researching alternative methods of healing. Suddenly, she finds herself tangled in a web of lies, questioning everything she’s ever known as truth. 
She’s thrown headfirst into a world of good and evil, magic and Gods she didn’t know existed. Ari learns she will have a choice to make on her eighteenth birthday that will change everything. For everyone.   But how does she know her choice will be the right one?

About the Author:
Once upon a time, long, long ago, Victoria was born in sunny Florida, except it wasn’t sunny; it was the middle of the night. Midnight actually, well, two minutes past, but she tried really hard for midnight.
​Victoria has been to twenty one schools in her lifetime. With all the continual switching around, she’s relied on her imagination for friends and books for close companions. In high school she remained apart from the whole and spent most of her time in the library either reading or writing.
​Currently, Victoria has set down roots in New York with her family. She still reads and writes every day. She finished her debut novel Of Gaea in the fall of 2012 and is working on the sequel and many other projects.

Author Links:
Facebook-http://www.facebook.com/V.Escobar.Writes
Twitter-https://twitter.com/VEscobarWrites
Goodreads-http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6370082.Victoria_Escobar
Website-http://cvescoba8.wix.com/victoriaescobar

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop!

Prizes:

                  From this blog: $10 Starbucks gift card. Must be 18 years or older and live in the U.S.
                                                   
                 1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!



My favorite Christmas memory: I was really young... maybe 3 or 4. Whatever the age, I believed in Santa still. Anyway, I was on my way home from my grandma's house on Christmas Eve. My mother stopped to get some gas. Snow started to fall so I pressed my face to the window to watch the flakes hit the glass. The moon caught my attention and I just sat there in the dark, amazed by the beauty of the flakes floating around the brilliance of the moon's glow. And then it happened. A shadowed figure swooped across the moon's image. I smiled. Santa! I had seen Santa Clause. 

Now I know it wasn't Santa but I can still remember every part of that event... the view of the moon, the chill in the air, hearing my mom pump the gas, the feel of the glass against  my face... and that shadow (whatever it really was) kept me believing for a really long time! 

I'm trying to make someone else have a happy memory this year! I'm donating 50% of my royalties for Confessions to Chelsia's cancer treatment from Dec. 13-31 2012. Want to help her out? Buy Confessions here: http://amzn.com/B00A3FVT84

So tell me your best Christmas memory! 




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy Confessions and Help Chelsia Beat Cancer!

From December 13th, 2012 to December 31st, 2012 Wendy Ely, author of Confessions, will donate 50% of her royalties to Chelsia A. Rice for Chelsia's cancer treatment. Buy the book here: http://amzn.com/B00A3FVT84

How Wendy and Chelsia met: They went to school together in Junior and Senior high. Although they weren't friends, Wendy knew who Chelsia was. Way back then Wendy admired Chelsia's strength and charisma (which hasn't changed!). She definitely stood out from the crowd even as teenager. The two writers connected over Facebook as adults. Now Chelsia has been diagnosed with a rare form of bladder cancer and Wendy wants to help! 

Want to help someone this holiday season? Help Chelsia kick cancer!


Putting Your Characters on the Couch by Caridad Pineiro




People always ask me whether I'm a pantser or a plotter and invariably it's tough for me to answer.  I definitely write a synopsis, but it's generally a very loose one, maybe because I am definitely a character-driven writer which means that sometimes the characters surprise me.

When that happens, I find myself tweaking that general plot line to accommodate the new thing I've learned about the character. Usually it's a minor tweak because I'm fairly well familiar with my character and the conflict they need to face and resolve during the course of the story.

Why am I so familiar with them?  I like to say that I put my characters on the couch and delve into their psyches to peel away their layers in order to best craft a story that enhances the main conflict.

For example, in THE PRINCE'S GAMBLE, the heroine, FBI Agent Kathleen Martinez asks the hero, Prince Alexander, at one point what is most important to him.  Prince Alexander replies, “Freedom.”

When I set out to craft Prince Alexander, I knew his theme would be about “freedom”, but on various levels that would set him on a collision course with the heroine.

How you may wonder? For starters, Kathleen is there to investigate a missing hostess and a possible money laundering ring.  If the prince is connected to the crimes, he may lose his physical freedom.  Even if he isn't, if the casino's reputation is jeopardized, it could impact his economic freedom.

But there are more layers to that “freedom” conflict.  As the story progresses, we discover that the prince is very paternalistic and over-protective of his younger sister.  Why?  He wishes for her to have freedom away from the paparazzi that normally dog them when they are in Europe.

In addition, however, he wants her to be free from the kind of fear he's experienced as the scion to a royal family.  In time, Prince Alexander reveals to Kathleen a deep dark secret from his past and worse yet, he must confront his fear about that secret toward the end of the book.

But there is another deeper fear that the prince and confronting that fear will bring him emotional freedom and in time, Kathleen's love and trust.

So put your hero or heroine on the couch and try to figure out what is their “psychic wound.”  Ask them these simple questions.

1.      What do they fear more than anything?
2.      How did that fear arise?
3.      Have they confronted that fear or does it still have power over them?
4.      What would it take for them to overcome that fear?
5.      Would doing so give them power?  Love?  Peace?

Once you have the basic answers to the above, ask yourself what kind of conflict you can craft that would force your character to face that fear  and overcome it.  Readers love a story where they can root for the hero/heroine to be victorious!

Also ask yourself if it is a universal kind of fear or one that is specific to the hero/heroine.  For example, in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy is afraid of snakes.  There is a pivotal scene where he must overcome that fear in order to succeed in saving the day.  Many people have that fear of snakes, but moreso, many have some kind of phobia and could totally empathasize with Indy as he forces himself to overcome that fear.

Think about whether your hero's fear is universal as that may pull your readers in more easily than a very unique fear.  For example, part of Alexander's desires for freedom come from growing up a royal and in a communist regime.  Those two things have limited his freedom in the past and make him that much more determined to keep it in the future.  These are fears that aren't as universal as Indy's snake phobia, but they are still compelling to many people.

Ask yourself whether that psychic wound has had any impact on the character's physical appearance.  For example, someone who has been either sexually/physically/emotionally abused may got to great pains to be physically strong.  They will likely know how to defend themselves and stay fit because they have the mistaken idea that physical strength is the equivalent of emotional strength.

Also remember that when writing a romance, that psychic wound should have a direct correlation to the conflict between the hero and heroine.  A fear of snakes isn't going to kill a romance, but a fear of trust will.

I hope this has helped you learn a little more about creating characters and conflict in your novel.

Please take a moment to find our more about THE PRINCE'S GAMBLE and my campaign to help raise money to rebuild the Jersey Shore.  From now until March 1, 2013, my share of the proceeds from the sales of the book will be donated to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief fund. THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE is available for download at Amazon via this link: http://amzn.to/UFCKRO or at B&N via this link: http://bit.ly/WxipEv. 

Monday, December 10, 2012

Hey you!

I'm looking for a few good readers to join my street team! It's easy and free!  As a street team member you receive:

  • Every new release for free! 
  • Special street team promo materials for my books!
  • Exclusive street team gift bags and/or swag! 
  • Any other fun stuff I think up :) 

What is required of a street team member? 

  • Leave short and honest reviews Goodreads and Amazon! 
  • Occasionally tweet and post my links on your social networking sites! 

Limited openings. Email me today, so I can send you my books. authorwendyely@gmail.com

Talk to you soon,
Wendy Ely 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: Confessions


Jordan slid to the side so she could position herself in front of the monitor and keyboard. His
hand brushed her thigh, sending sparks through her. It took effort to remind herself that the task at
hand was much more important than his thigh resting against hers, or his hand moving to the back
of her chair and his fingers playing with a strand of her hair. Denying the temptation was a lost
cause. She wanted Jordan, and wanted him bad, but she could only admit it to herself.
Even though she was supposed to be looking for her daughter, every part of her body yearned for Jordan’s touch.

http://amzn.com/B00A3FVT84

Thursday, December 6, 2012

My Holiday Confessions

So the holidays are upon us and I've been thinking a lot about Christmas, so I decided to confess a few things to you:

1. This is the first year in a very long time that I've felt the holiday spirit. The kids actually nicknamed me The Grinch. Yes, I bought the gifts and went along with the whole holiday thing for them. We decorated a tree but that is it in terms of holiday decor. This year is totally different. I can't wait to decorate the house and the tree!

2. We haven't bought Christmas gifts yet this year! I usually have the shopping done by Halloween. Why? Because I loathe shopping during the holidays. I feel that this should be a time of giving but many people have lost that in life, making people greedy and mean.

3. When the kids were little I started the tradition of having them open their presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. I did this to relieve some of the Christmas chaos because they were so young. They still get presents under the tree from "Santa" to open on Christmas morning. Christmas Day is about being together instead of presents.

4. We always eat pizza on Christmas Eve while we watch holiday themed movies and open presents!


Okay... your turn! Share your holiday secrets :)

Chelsea Montgomery has her own secrets to confess in Confession, Desert Secrets book 1. Check it out here: http://amzn.com/B00A3FVT84

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Last NaNoWriMo Post of 2012!

Nanowrimo has ended and I know many of you have been watching my progress throughout November. I'm am a goal oriented person and when I don't reach one it ways heavily in my thoughts. So imagine how hard it was to not finish Nano this year. I even thought about making a cute picture with the word Nano Loser to replace the Nano winner graphic that the site gives out to those awesome people. Guess what? I didn't make one of those loser pictures because I may not have met the 50k word count but I gave the project my all that life allowed. I have a partially written manuscript that will be finished. 

My total word count: 33,019



I'm proud of those numbers!! This book happened to be book 4 in 

my Desert Secrets series. 

Book 3 isn't even finished yet. I'll now go back to finish book 3 

and then move on to book 4. 

Thank you for cheering me on through November! 

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Hot Autumn Nights Blog Hop

As I've mentioned a few times before, we have a mountain behind our house which provides us with a very secluded backyard. I love to sit by the bonfire with my real life hero, Dan, on hot autumn nights!

Leave a comment with your email to win an autographed copy of Confessions and be entered to win the grand prize of $155 gift card for Barnes and Noble or Amazon!

Confessions blurb:

Can Chelsea and Jordan find their child, and rediscover each other?

When Chelsea Montgomery vanished eleven years ago, her hometown thought she’d been abducted. In truth, she'd given up the daughter she'd secretly had with Jordan Case.

Now he confronts her to help find the child. With a little girl's fate hanging in the balance, will the uneasy partnership -- stained by the past -- transform into something else?


http://amzn.com/B00A3FVT84

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

I need a title!

As some of you may know, I'm working on the 4th book in the Desert Secrets series for my NaNoWriMo book. I'm tired of calling it Book 4! So... I'm begging for your help! The person who picks the winning title will get an acknowledgment in the beginning of the book.

Here is what the book is about: Bailey Roan decides to lease part of her Victorian house to a production company. Of all the actors in Hollywood, her house becomes the set for an expected hit starring Zane; Hollywood's hottest celebrity of the moment and the actor Bailey can't stand. But Zane has a charisma that Bailey can't ignore. In Bailey's embrace, Zane feels like he's finally found his home and gets to forget he is a celebrity. Until reality knocks and people in Wilson, Arizona realizes who Zane is.

The title that keeps coming to mind is Finding Home but I'd really like to keep the secret/confession type of theme of the series.

Book 1 is Confessions
Book 2 is Midnight Secrets
Book 3 is Lost and Found

So... leave me a comment with your title suggestion!


Sunday, November 25, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: Confessions



Jordan Case. His memory came swooping though her like a flooding river. She remembered the way she’d run her fingers through his curls, or when he’d kiss the tip of her nose. He’d made her feel so special when he had carried her books for her, as though they had been in another era. When he had been waiting to walk her home from work at night, he’d grab her in a giant hug as though he hadn’t seen her in a month. All this time, she’d tried not to care about her past. But she did. 

http://amzn.com/B00A3FVT84

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! It's the first year that the kids and I are not eating alone. It's mine and Dan's first Thanksgiving together, so it's kind of special to me. It wasn't his holiday to have his son (he's 14) but things worked out in our favor. Our little family is complete for this holiday and I feel blessed.

Talk to you soon,
Wendy

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday

This six sentence Sunday is from Confessions, Desert Secrets Book 1. You can get Confessions FREE through Tuesday! http://amzn.com/B00A3FVT84


As soon as her knuckles hit the wood, the door swung open. Dark eyes widened with surprise. He stepped into the door frame. Dressed in a pair of jeans, shirtless, and his curly hair still wet from a shower, she couldn’t help but admire him as a man and not the boy he’d been when she left. The scent of aftershave and soap wafted out. No cologne. Just deliciously clean.


Friday, November 16, 2012

When Life Gets in the Way of NaNoWriMo!

If you're a writer you probably already know that it is the middle of NaNoWriMo. If not, Nano stands for National Novel Writing Month in which thousands of writers commit to write a 50k word novel in the month of November. Some authors whip out thousands of words per day, so this event might not be a big deal. It is for me because it is giving me a kick in the butt of motivation. But what happens when you don't have a day or two... or five to sit at the computer and pound out those required words? You get behind on your word count and probably discouraged. The thought might cross your mind whether you should give up or not.

Well, that is exactly what has happened to me! I cruised write a long for the first week. I wrote a few hundred extra words each day which bumped me way ahead. Good thing I did because at the start of the second week I got a text from my mom who I hadn't seen in 2 years (and had only talked to a handful of times) saying she was on her way from California. I had no idea why she was coming or how long she intended to stay.

Once she arrived, her living arrangements fell through. I took the day off to catch up on things with her. The second day was dealing with the drama she was in. My amazing boyfriend (he really is, I'm not being sarcastic!) met her for the first time ever and told her she could stay with us until she figures something else out. She has figured it out but can't leave yet. My quiet time has completely vanished which lowers my productivity level.

Add a house full of people on Veteran's Day and that was almost an entire day lost. The work that was completed was because I locked myself in my room but still had people knocking on my door. Now I'm sick so I'm working at a slower pace. I'm working as much as I can to catch up but remain 3 days behind. You see how life can impact an author's work?

Will I give up? No way. I'm going to keep writing and hopefully will get caught up before November 1st. If I complete Nano or not, I'll have the majority of the book finished this month. Also, it is retraining me to write every day no matter what!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Blog Hop Winner!

Congrats to Kayley for winning the gift card and autographed copy of Jesse's Brother! Starbucks and a book? What could be better!?!

Watch your email Kayley... I'll be contacting you!

Friday, November 9, 2012

Autumn's Harvest Blog Hop

Welcome to the Autumns's Harvest Blog Hop! Leave a comment on my blog for one chance and subscribe to my newsletter for a second chance to win a $10 Starbucks gift card and an autographed copy of Jesse's Brother! You'll also be entered to win the blog hop grand prize.

I live in Phoenix, Arizona, so my family looks forward to the change of seasons. In autumn we have very chilly mornings and afternoons between 80 and 90 degrees. Sounds crazy? It is but this type of weather is the best. During autumn Dan and I can curl up under the blankets for awhile, drink coffee outside during the chilly mornings, and basically enjoy the closeness. One of my favorite things to do during this time is bundle up and head down to the park for Glendale Glitters. We sip hot cocoa, watch live bands, and check out the all of the holiday lights.

What is your favorite thing about autumn?

Here's a little teaser from Jesse's Brother:


So much for his self control when he was with Samantha. Noah had always taken pride in the amount of willpower he possessed. He’d given in to temptation in the past. When he had sex with a woman, he made sure he was wearing a condom. If he chose to drink alcohol, he didn’t drive until he was sober. He never dated someone in an inconvenient time in his life and had never fallen in love. Until now. 

For your Kindle: http://amzn.com/B009NWWW6G
In Print: http://amzn.com/1468069047

Grand Prizes: 1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains 10+ paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

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