Readers' Heaven - Dariel's New Year Reunion: Day Six

Hi, and welcome back to our New Year's Reunion! It's day seven, last day! Every day you take a look and comment, you'll receive extra points, so if you're new to the event, you'll want to take a look at posts from the last five days to catch up. Make sure you enter the Rafflecopter and include your email address in your comment. Don't miss a day, and have fun :-)
Alexandra Anthony

Five Things I Learned in 2013 – Alexandra Anthony

  1. I have to take time to let my mind recover between books
I quickly discovered that I can’t keep up the frantic pace of writing.  As much as I love to write…I have to think about my personal well-being and state of mind.  As a writer, you develop characters, worlds, drama…you even hold your character’s very lives in the palm of your hand.  It’s also taxing…writing, doing promo work and just keeping up with your personal life.  I have to take time for me.  The books will come…
  1. It’s OK to keep your personal life…well, personal.
I make myself very accessible to my readers and fans.  I enjoy and have formed friendships with many of them.  I’ve met so many wonderful people that I enjoy talking with.  However, the flip side of the coin is that accessibility also brings in negative people and I realized that it’s OK to keep some things about Alexandra Anthony quiet.
  1. Building friendships with your fans and reads is more important than pushing books.
As an author, you need to get your books out there.  That’s a given.  And it’s easy to fall into the trap of just being a glorified salesperson.  I decided I’d rather focus on interacting and talking with my fans than pushing books down everyone’s throat every day.  It’s much more enjoyable for me…and my followers too!
  1. Sometimes you have to let go of a series to grow as a writer.
This was a hard one for me.  I made the decision for now to keep The Dark Hart Chronicles as a two book series.  Is it the end of the road for Savannah & Nick?  Never say never…but I have many stand alone books I want to write…and writing a series is difficult and time-consuming.  In order to grow, I have to let some things go.
  1. Being an author sounds glamorous, but it’s not.
When I tell people I’m an author, they likely picture JK Rowling on the red carpet.  HA!  Not only do you have your “normal” life to maintain, you also have a business to run.  You are the CEO, Personal Assistant, Creative Director and grunt.  There are days I never make it out of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. 


Writing is fun and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but it is not glamorous!
Where to find Alexandra on the Web
Blog     AuthorGraph       LinkedIn       Indie Author Network 
 Scribe Trailer       Feedburner/RSS         Shelfari  
Promo Video for The Vampire Destiny Series:
Promo Video for The Vampire Destiny Series and The Dark Hart Chronicles:
Promo Video for Tempted: The Dark Hart Chronicles Book 1:
Promo Video for Ascend (The Vampire Destiny Series Book 4)
Smashwords Author Page:


Abigail Owen
Crimson Dahlia

Book #3 of the Svatura Series
When Lila Jenner leaves her family and friends to start a new life for herself, Ramsey Pierce lets her go. Determined that the fire raging inside him will never harm her, he denies the magical bond that could be theirs alone.

When an old enemy resurfaces and Lila suddenly disappears, Ramsey realizes that he'll do anything to win her back and keep her safe beside him. But Maddox, driven by a centuries-old quest for revenge, is stronger than they ever imagined. And Lila could be the key to his ultimate power. 

Friends and enemies must band together against this shared threat if any of them are to survive. Even then, they may all discover too late that one dragon is not always enough...

Don't miss out on the first two books in the series:
Abigail
Award Winning Author of Blue Violet & the Svatura Series

Other places to follow me:
Website & Blog: http://www.abigailowen.com

    Danita Minnis

    Dariel, thanks for having me on the reunion! I can’t believe it’s been a year since my debut novel Falcon’s Angel, Book 1 of the Cardiff Novel series was published. I’ve learned so much about marketing and advertising my work, and I’m still learning. J  I am so excited to present to your readers the second novel in the Cardiff series, Love Entwined. To celebrate this reunion I’m sharing a new excerpt of Love Entwined. Enjoy!

    Blurb

    Run, little witch…
    Amelie Laurent is on her way to the top of the jewelry designing world with no time for men. Her orderly life is about to come undone when jewelry tycoon Roman Cardiff steals her away on assignment to a remote English estate. Roman wants Amelie all to himself but St. Clair Manor’s resident ghost has been waiting for her much longer than he has.
    Run home…
    An unseen gunman takes a shot at Roman and he blames a business rival. But Amelie and Roman are to blame, for falling in love 200 years before in a time neither of them remember.
    From the heartbreak of pre-Revolutionary France to modern day corporate wars, Amelie and Roman uncover a history of blood jewels, lust and demons.
    Good witch, bad witch, you must decide…
    When Amelie discovers her inner witch she learns the real reason she was summoned to St. Clair Manor. Il Dragone will kill to get her back. Amelie will kill if they do.

    Excerpt

    “It is good you have come.”

    Amelie turned at the soft French and squinted up at the woman. She was standing directly behind Amelie but the sun was just at the right angle to obscure her face. Auburn locks waved in the breeze.

    She shaded her eyes with a hand, to no avail. “Bonjour. I am sorry, but I don’t know your name.” She waited, firming her lip in growing impatience in the silence. There was something that bothered her about this French maid, who did not act as a maid should.

    She stood up clutching her sketch of Zeus with the stone bench between them. She still could not see the woman’s features clearly. The sun appeared even brighter than before so that she could not look directly at the woman. “Do you live here? With Roman?”

    “This is my home.”

    “I see.”

    Bells tinkled on the breeze.

    Amelie turned back toward the statue of Zeus. Below the gardens, near the River Wharfe, two white horses galloped.

    “They are beautiful,” she whispered.

    “It is almost time.”

    “Time for what?” She could not take her eyes off the Arabians. She’d never seen anything so beautiful. Bells hung from their tassels as they sped by in fluid motion.

    “They have been in your midst for some time, Amelie, waiting for the perfect opportunity.”

    The horses jumped across an embankment in unison, never breaking their stride, so lovely…

    “They know who you are. They remember.”

    “Yes, they remember…” Amelie murmured. The sound of the horse’s hooves pounded through her…

    “You will remember.” The woman’s French was so insistent it blocked out the sound of the horse’s hooves in her head.

    She shook her head slowly. “I don’t. I can’t…”

    “Your precious life depends on it, ma chérie. Remember, Amelie.”

    Bio
    Danita Minnis grew up singing and once thought she would do that all her life. She soon found writing just as fulfilling and writes paranormal romance. She loves mystery, mysticism, the fantastic and the fey. She has published The Cardiff Novels, a series about one family’s trials with vengeful demons, a legacy of ghosts and mysterious blood jewels. She is currently working on the third novel in the Cardiff series, which introduces the Cardiffs’ connection to ancient vampires.
    Danita is a member of Romance Writers of America. She is a lover of chocolate, a good, scary movie, kittens and pups - especially Siberian Huskies. When she is not writing, she exercises her lungs at her son's soccer matches and their favorite theme park, because everyone knows it's easier on the stomach to scream your way down a roller coaster.
    Connect with Danita
    Facebook Cardiff Novels Page: https://www.facebook.com/DanitaMinnis?ref=hl

    The Cardiff Novels
    Love Entwined, A Cardiff Novel Book 2 Amazon   Amazon.ca   Amazon UK

    Falcon’s Angel, A Cardiff Novel Book 1 Amazon   Amazon.ca   Amazon UK

    Krystal Shannan
    Trevor
    A MacLaughlin Family Novella

    By
    Krystal Shannan

    Trevor MacLaughlin has been in love with his sister's best friend for years. But, he let her move away to college without ever telling her how he felt and hasn't seen her since.

    Now, years later, a second chance with the woman of his dreams practically falls into his lap.

    Will he take a leap of faith and tell her how he feels? How he's always felt? Or will the woman he knows is meant to be his slip through his fingers a second time?

    Excerpt:
    Trevor opened the hotel room door at 9:05pm. The meeting with the client had taken longer than he expected. The flooding had taken down a wall, collapsed a roof, and ruined several large machines. The owner was paying upfront for a quick salvage, but it would be tomorrow morning before he could have a crew mobilized and here.
    As late as it was, he’d managed to find a little place still open and got them both a home-style burger and fries. Hopefully she would forgive him for being so late.
    The site that greeted him was adorable and frightening at the same time. Her luggage was open on the floor and appeared to have been dug through, as if whatever she’d wanted was at the very bottom. A pair of pink satin and lace panties lay draped over the edge and a matching pink and black bra lay just inside the suitcase on top of a pile of shoes. The thought of seeing her in those made blood rush to his dick. Papers and books were scattered across the bed along with a tablet computer wrapped in a bright yellow cover.
    He set the bag of food down on the dresser next to the tv and picked up one of the books off the bed – Ancient Gods and Goddesses. He flipped through a few pages. Next to it he picked up an inside out black, over-sized sweatshirt. He turned it the right way and chuckled. On the front it read –Men say a women’s place is in the kitchen. Just remember, that’s where all the knives are. This girl was something else.
    The door of the bathroom clicked open. Lorelei walked out half wrapped in a towel, wet hair glistening, looking like one of the goddesses from her book. I’ve truly died and gone to heaven.
    “Holy mother of popcorn balls! Trevor!” She screeched and ducked back into the bathroom, but not before giving him a nice peek at her bare ass. “You could at least make a little noise when you come in,” she spat out through the barely cracked door.
    “Where would be the fun in that?”
    He heard a faint curse, but couldn’t decipher what she’d said.
    “Can you please leave so I can get dressed?”
    He had no intention of leaving the room. “I can bring you clothes. What do you want?”
    “I…fine. The yoga pants and the sweatshirt on the foot of the bed.”
    He picked up the requested items and glanced down at the lacy bra and underwear. She hadn’t asked for them. A few steps brought him to the bathroom door. She opened it far enough to stick her arm through, snatching the clothes from his hand and shutting the door in his face.
    “Anything else?” Underwear, perhaps?
    “No.” Her voice was irritated, but husky. The raspy quality made his mind go places it shouldn’t.
    ~~~~~~
    Available now @ Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

    Meet the Author:
    Paranormal Romance author, Krystal Shannan, lives in Texas and is married to the love-of-her-life. They have a spunky young daughter who believes in fairies. Krystal professes to loving shoes, but avoids wearing them at all costs. She teaches in the public schools and writes as much as she can in her free time. If any more spare time can be squeezed from her day, she enjoys reading romance in all genres, but especially paranormal. If it has a 'Happily Ever After', she's on board!

    She is an active member in her local RWA chapter DARA.

    Krystal Shannan
    Putting Magick in Romance one Soul Mate at a Time.
    ___________________________________
    Receive a free book for subscribing to my NEWSLETTER!
    Facebook Friend & Fan | Newsletter | Blog

    What’s Happening Now? Interview
    1.    First, looking back, how do you feel about your 2013 goals and how well did you do in reaching them? What helped or hindered your success?
    2013 went well, but I didn’t get everything done I wanted to. I did learn a little more about realistic expectations and will plan 2014 accordingly.
    2.    Life happens, and every writer is subject to its effects (positive or challenging). What personal (spiritual, emotional, physical, professional) life changes do you foresee affecting your writing this year?
    I’m going to be a stay-at-home-mom this year! This is definitely going to change my outlook on life, schedule, and time available for writing.
    3.    What have you learned about yourself recently as a writer (one random thing)?
    I write faster if I do at least a semi-plotted outline of my stories.
    4.    How many books have you published (include anthologies)? Tell me about them (genre, bibliography)
    I have 8 published books in the contemporary and paranormal romance genres.
    5.    What can we look forward to from you in 2014 (special projects, books and anthologies of course)
    I have lots coming in 2014. I plan to finish my Vegas Mates Series and start two new paranormal series. I’m also having a blast writing a short 4-book contemporary novella series. It will be completed by the end of February.
    6.    Which of your books would you suggest to someone new to your writing and why?
    If you prefer contemporary with just a hint of paranormal, I recommend OPEN HOUSE. If you prefer a little darker paranormal with shifters, I recommend CHASING SAM. If paranormal is not in your wheelhouse, I absolutely adore my newest release TREVOR.
    7.    What’s your favorite online hangout (complete link – only one)?
    Is it bad that I don’t have one? LOL.

    Maegan Provan

                     Take a closer look! 
    What’s Happening Now? Interview
    1.    First, looking back, how do you feel about your 2013 goals and how well did you do in reaching them? What helped or hindered your success?
    I think I didn’t do as well as I had hoped. When I wrote Book One: Celine, I was mostly unemployed so I had the time. Now I have a full time job and much more going on with my life, but I do still try to make it through and just get my books out as I can.
    2.    Life happens, and every writer is subject to its effects (positive or challenging). What personal (spiritual, emotional, physical, professional) life changes do you foresee affecting your writing this year?
    Well, I know for sure that my full time job will get in the way. I have had zero time to work on Book 2: Jeremy since I started working again. It’s a positive road block, because I really like my job, but my ideal career would be just writing.
    3.    What have you learned about yourself recently as a writer (one random thing)?
    That the whole “writers like to procrastinate” thing is not a myth.
    4.    How many books have you published (include anthologies)? Tell me about them (genre, bibliography)
    Just the one so far. Celine is New Adult/ Urban Fantasy. I attempted to make my version of vampires. I have certain details that could be considered true to the original legends, but I wanted to try something new.
    5.    What can we look forward to from you in 2014 (special projects, books and anthologies of course)
    I am hoping to get Jeremy out before the end of the year, but if I don’t it will be coming out in early 2014. My special project is my currently untitled zombie novel, and that is going to get the bulk of my focus next year.
    6.    Which of your books would you suggest to someone new to your writing and why?
    Well, since Celine is the only book I have out right now, that would be the best place to start. Since I started my writing career with a series, it’s only fitting to start from the beginning.
    7.    What’s your favorite online hangout (complete link – only one)?
    I don’t have one, honestly. I just kind of stick to my little corner a bulk of the time.
    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Comments

    Unknown said…
    Your comments about how you are growing in your field and in your gift as a writer is interesting. I have found that how 'outsiders' view a particular 'glamorous' job is generally incorrect. Most are tedious, time consuming or as you say grundging 98% of the time, then comes the 2% of exciting, glamorous, fun time. Thank you for sharing, AnnePeni1@gmail.com
    Dariel Raye said…
    You're so right, Peni, particularly high profile careers and careers in the arts like music, dance, art and of course writing. I think most of us would say we write not because it's always fun, and definitely not because it's glamorous, but "because we must."
    Samantha said…
    I absolutely LOVE Krystal Shannan's books!!! :O) S-WOODS@COMCAST.NET
    Donna Reynolds said…
    I found a few I will be looking into Thank you for getting together to do this. mrscrabbyfan@gmail.com
    Unknown said…
    Thanks for the great giveaway!! jasdarts at hotmail dot com