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Showing posts from 2016

The Five Year Plan. Alternate Title: Winging It #IWSG

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Hey all! I hope your Decembers are off to a good start and that you're feeling the magic of the season. Amid all the festivity, I'm getting the third book in a trilogy (which is actually the first book in the series...more on that next month) ready to relaunch into the world at the end of January. Naturally, my insecurity this month is: "Will I get it all done?" But I know by now not to waste any time worrying about it. Head down, nose to the grindstone, and all that. So on to the IWSG question of the month: In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?  Here's my deal - I don't make 5-year plans. On this writing thing, I'm happy to go with the flow and see where it takes me. Yeah, I won't be writing any how-to books anytime soon (or ever). But I'm having fun, and that's my main objective. And I'm very, very, very grateful to those writers who've made goals,

The best thing about being a writer #IWSG #amwriting

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Welcome to the November 2016 edition of The Insecure Writers Support Group . Before I get to this month's question, I want to go back to last month's: When do you know your story is ready? Part of my answer last month was that no story is ever going to be perfect, and boy, have I learned that lesson agian. Earlier this year, I got my rights back to a story ( Vibrizzio , to be re-released in January 2017 as When It Hits You ). Since this story had already gone thorugh professional editing and been out in the world, I figured it'd be good to go with a new cover and title. But when I readied the first chatper to include in the back matter of When It Holds You , I got itchy fingers. I could see where I was sometimes overly wordy or made word choices too snooty for the tone of the story. As I dug further into the manuscript, I was finally able to see the excess business talk that had turned off some reviewers. And I noticed how my random "narrator intrusions" to c

Spooktacular #Giveaway Hop! #TrickorTreat

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Welcome to the 2016 edition of the Spooktacular Giveaway hop, hosted by Bookhounds . I'm so happy you stopped by. Think of yourselves as trick-or-treaters on my front porch - 'cuz I'm giving away treats to everyone who knocks on my virtual door! ~.~.~ A Freebie for Everybody Throughout the hop, I'm offering my twisted fairy tale novella, HANS & GRETA absolutely free to everyone who stops by. Throughout the entire hop, you can download a mobi, epub, or pdf of HANS & GRETA at InstaFreebie . The InstaFreebie giveaway ends when the Spooktacular hop does.  ~.~.~ Want Another FREE Book? In November, I'm gifting all subscribers to Nicki's News (my monthly author newsletter) an exclusive e-single of WHEN IT BEGAN. It's a prequel to The It Series , a sassy new collection of love stories set in Chicago. Just click below to get on the list. Subscribe to Nicki's News ** When It Holds You is only 99 cents until Octob

Constellation by Jennifer Locklear is Here!

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Congratulations to  Jennifer Locklear on the publication of CONSTELLATION, a contemporary romance novel released today! She's intelligent, beautiful, and emotionally numb. He's older, sophisticated, and harboring secrets. Up-and-coming executive, Kathleen Brighton is ready to launch her family's firm into the next level of success. Polished and professional on the outside, Kathleen's personal life is a source of constant struggle and letdown. But after one night alone with Jack Evans, her sexy new colleague, her life takes a turn toward erotic intensity. Torn between her instinct to guard herself and her irresistible desire for Jack, Kathleen has only known heartache. And when she finds herself in the middle of a shattering personal crisis, she must trust fragile and uncertain bonds to survive. Will Kathleen conquer the demons of her past to find a future worth fighting for? Jennifer Locklear lives in the Pacific

How Do You Know? #IWSG

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Welcome to the October edition of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, a time to release our fears into the world and support one another. Be sure to visit the IWSG site  for details about the current anthology contest!  This month's question is: When do you know your story is ready?  One thing every writer has to accept is that we can't wait for perfection - because that will never happen. No book is perfect. But we still want it to be as good as it can be before we put it out there. To that end, these are my rules of thumb for knowing when a book is ready:  1. After I've received feedback from unbiased critique partners and have addressed their issues. 2. After I've let the story "cool off" long enough to come back at it with a fresh critical eye. 3. When I no longer have nagging qualms about story, characters, or flow. And then what's it ready for? Not for publication. It's then ready to go through editing.  ~.~.~

Congrats to @JenLaneBooks on the release of SPIKED #NewAdult #Sports #Romance

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SPIKED is the third and final book in the BLOCKED series by Jennifer Lane. It makes a great end to a wonderful series. You can read my full 5 star review at Goodreads . Jennifer took time during her release festivities, to answer a question for me. Take it away, Jen... Nicki asked, "If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of SPIKED, what would you choose and why?" At times, music serves as inspiration for my writing, especially for Spiked , which features a singer / songwriter hero: Mateo Ramirez. I remember hearing the song "Wounded" by Third Eye Blind years ago. I interpreted the lyrics as a loving man trying to help a woman recover from a trauma: Well I never claimed to understand what happens after dark But my fingers catch the sparks at the thought of touching you When you're wounded This song very much fits the story of Spiked (Blocked #3). Get SPIKED today! Amazon US * Amazon UK Meet t

Excerpt Reveal from USE SOMEBODY by @BeckAndersonID #Contemporary #Romance

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I have a treat for you today - an excerpt from Beck Anderson's upcoming release. Excerpt We stand in a ridiculous line (my opinion) to grab a coffee at the original Starbucks, and Macy pulls out her phone. “Now we’ll take our coffees and go drink them somewhere cool.” She pulls me along back the way we came, hops on the Link again, headed back toward the hotel. “Where is this cool place?” I fight the urge to take the reins. She’s lost. We’re headed nowhere. “Just wait. It’s gonna be cool. I asked the concierge about it before you got up, too, so it’s not just me and Google that thinks so.” We walk a short block in the opposite direction of the hotel, past the gleaming steel and glass public library, which Macy takes several pictures of as we walk. We cross the street, and she walks up to the front doors of a grey stone modern office building. “What?” I feel a little unsettled. I’m the one who does the surprising. “Trust me.” She takes my hand and pulls me in t

Congratulations to @Nancee_Cain on the release of TEMPTING JO! #Paranormal #Romance

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Amazon  *  B&N  *  iBooks  *  Kobo In celebration of the release, I asked Nancee my favorite question for authors: If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of Tempting Jo, what would it be and why?  Her answer: Charlie Puth's "One Call Away" because it captures Rafe's feelings. Forbidden love is hell... Confident and quirky, Jo Sanford thinks her boss is God's gift to women--and she couldn't be further from the truth. Devilishly handsome, Luc DeVille will stop at nothing to lure his administrative assistant right into his arms--and bed. Over Rafe Goodman's dead body... Rafe, Jo's best friend, refuses to sit by and watch as Luc tries to win the heart of the woman he's always protected. After all, Rafe is her guardian angel. Suddenly, Jo's caught in the middle of a battle between good and evil. But the closer she gets to the fire, the hotter it burns. Now, Jo's going to learn that when

#SeptembertoRemember #Giveaway Hop!

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Welcome to the Unbe-Leaf-Able September to Remember Giveaway Hop, hosted by The Kids Did It and The Mommy Island . Thanks for another great hop, ladies! Hosts and other bloggers aren't responsible for obligations of sponsors who don't fulfill their prizes. When thinking of a leafy theme for this post, I wondered...do digital leaves count? As in, pages of an e-book? You see, my mind's a bit of a one-track these days with the cover just revealed for my upcoming release .  Want a peek?  WHEN IT HOLDS YOU Coming October 19, 2016 Virtual. That’s where she was supposed to stay—only in my online gaming life. I never intended to meet up with her in person. And I certainly hadn’t counted on her being who she is. Cliff Walsh has dozens of hot, smart, and willing paramours in his video games. Who needs to look further? The twenty-eight year old attorney is done getting his heart smashed by real-life women who fit his perfect-mate checklist. From now on, he vow

#CoverReveal: TIMELESS by @CrystalCollier1

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I'm so excited to host the cover reveal for the final installment of Crystal Collier's Maiden of Time series. Congrats to Crystal on completing the series! And on to that cover...   TIMELESS (#3 Maiden of Time) by Crystal Collier #CoverReveal Book Title: TIMELESS (Maiden of Time #3) Author: Crystal Collier Genre: YA Paranormal Historical Release Date: November 1, 2016 TIME IS THE ENEMY In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming. In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if

Hi. My Name is Nicki, and I'm a Book Quitter #IWSG

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I used to be the kind of reader who'd see a book through to the bitter end, even if I didn't like it. I don't do that anymore. There are just too many good books out there waiting for me. I can't waste time on a book I'm not enjoying. I called time of death on the book above at 106 pages in. This is me returning it early. Does this seem like bad form for a writer? Should I have more compassion for the author's efforts and keep on reading even when I'm not having fun? Instead of becoming more lenient on books since I started writing my own, I feel like I have less patience with them. How about you? On a related note - and the thing that has me paranoid this month - I posted a two star review for the book above. As a published author, have I broken an unwritten law? Should I only post reviews for books I can honestly give 3 stars or above? And now for the IWSG question of the month: How do you find the time to write in your busy day? Um, yeah, so

#CoverReveal CONSTELLATION by the Amazing Jennifer Locklear

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Oh, how I love me a good cover reveal - and this is a really, really great one... Title:  Constellation Author:  Jennifer Locklear Designer:  Jada D'Lee Designs Genre:  Contemporary Romance Release Date:  October 20 She's intelligent, beautiful, and emotionally numb. He's older, sophisticated, and harboring secrets. Up-and-coming executive, Kathleen Brighton is ready to launch her family's firm into the next level of success. Polished and professional on the outside, Kathleen's personal life is a source of constant struggle and letdown. But after one night alone with Jack Evans, her sexy new colleague, her life takes a turn toward erotic intensity. Torn between her instinct to guard herself and her irresistible desire for Jack, Kathleen has only known heartache. And when she finds herself in the middle of a shattering personal crisis, she must trust fragile and uncertain bonds to survive. Will Kathleen conquer the demons of her past

#BookReview ACCIDENTALLY ME by @kim_karras #BlogTour

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I don't usually do reviews here, but I was thrilled to be asked to be a part of this review tour—and even more excited when I downloaded the ARC and was simpatico with the main character on page one. ACCIDENTALLY ME by Kim Karras *  Amazon * Barnes & Noble  * Books & Things  * Deseret Books *    “Maybe, just maybe, if I can convince Dad that I’m in enough danger at home, he won’t mind shipping me to California for school. But there’s only one problem. If I hope to pull this stalker scheme off, I’m going to need more than just a scary story.” Sabrina has been trying to be the perfect child her whole life to convince her parents that she’s more than just an “accident.” Now she is desperate to go to her dream college, but her parents want her to stay close to home. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Sabrina must team up with an unlikely ally to get what she wants. But she can’t let her parents discover her plan. If she wants to maintain her perfect