Forever Fredless

12:45 AM Elizabeth Seckman 11 Comments

Now this looks right up my alley!!! .

Forever Fredless by Suzy Turner!

Kate Robinson has spent the past two decades yearning to find her soul mate, the boy she found and then lost during a family holiday. Shortly after her twenty-eighth birthday, however, she inherits a fortune from an old family friend and becomes something of an overnight celebrity. Can her new-found fame lead her to him after all this time?

Forever Fredless will be available from online bookstores from October 2013

For more details about Suzy and her books, visit:

11 comments:

I Cued the Drum Roll...

12:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 14 Comments

It is with great pleasure and a thrill in our hearts that Gwen Gardner and I (Angela Brown *hugs*) reveal the covers for our follow up stories to our currently available novels: Givin' Up the Ghost (Gwen) and Neverlove (Angela)

*cue drumroll*
...
..
.

A GUILTY GHOST SURPRISED by Gwen Gardner (Add to Goodreads)

An Angel Among Us

Paranormal happenings at the Eady household are the norm. Recently, things have become downright peculiar. Childish giggles at odd hours of the night lead Indigo Eady to her little cousin, Bryan, a guileless cherub spirit, complete with Spider Man pajamas and a set of faux angel wings. The problem is that Bryan died nearly three years ago in a hit and run that killed him and his mum. The driver was never found. Now the gang must solve the mystery of his death in order to send him back to heaven. But where to start when the trail is three years cold?

Indigo Eady

Indigo Eady is not clumsy. At least, that’s what she keeps telling everyone. Can she help that the overactive spirit community of Sabrina Shores causes her psychic abilities to short-circuit? It’s unfortunate that her cute friend Badger is often on the receiving end of her mishaps. At times, she is positively hazardous to his health. Even so, sparks fly in more than one direction.

THEY ALL FALL DOWN by Angela Brown (Add to Goodreads)

Abby and Basil: New love reaches new heights as they finally give in to their lust and desire for each other.

Q: Consumed by the Devourer within and his base need to claim Abby as his own.

The crave: What it all boils down to. A crave for souls. A crave to keep love intact beyond betrayals. A crave for a second chance. A crave for power and The Fall of mankind.

“Love can conquer all” is put to the test and salvation may be impossible when it’s “ashes, ashes…they all fall down.”

About Gwen

Gwen Gardner is a native Californian living in sunny San Diego, where her love of reading and writing led to a BA in English literature. Life is now complete with her husband, two dogs and a daily call from her daughter.

Since ghosts feature prominently in her young adult Indigo Eady Paranormal “Cozy” Mystery series, she has a secret desire to meet one face to face - but will run screaming for the hills if she ever does. Gwen adores travel and experiencing the cultures and foods of different countries. She is always up for an adventure and anything involving chocolate - not necessarily in that order.
Haunt at the following: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

About Angela

Angela is a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to contemporary - mostly young adult - fill her growing library of books. Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving: "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Haunt at the following: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

14 comments:

A Naughty Blogger on Kids...

1:56 PM Elizabeth Seckman 52 Comments

Oh how I long for a simpler time...

I've been a naughty blogger.

No, not the kind who needs another dip in the baptism fount, but one who has been too busy to update a post. I haven't even turned on the computer in over a week! (I think I heard gasps...)

Normally, taking a few days (or more) to get the kiddies off to school and adjusted to the new, busier fall schedule would give me guilt. I'd feel like I was a "career" failure.

But not this year.

This year, I am hearing far too often, "What's wrong with the kids these days?"

And I have to stop and count my blessings as I realize the time I take out of my schedule to help with school projects, homework, and sports isn't time wasted.

As a matter of fact, I believe it's one of the greatest investments of energy I will ever make.

My kids come first. Their lives, their happiness...those aren't just things I concern myself with when I have some spare time. They are a priority I schedule first.

Doing the Mom (or Dad!) thing isn't at all glamorous. It comes with little glory- the pay is crap. The hours are long. There are rarely many thank-you's....

But! In the end, I will rest better knowing: "I did right by my kids."

And they may one day thank me by putting me the very best nursing home my money can buy.

photo credit: fingle via photopin cc

52 comments:

Fiction Friday: Jessie Andersen!

9:44 PM Elizabeth Seckman 26 Comments

I'm off this weekend...got a college student to drop off and a football scrimmage to watch. The whistles and the heavy Morgantown traffic remind that fall is right around the corner. And after fall, we barrel full speed ahead into the holiday season.

Now I know Jessie Andersen has a fabulous holiday tradition I wish I had thought of when my guys were little, so I asked her to guest post today. I will be back Monday and play super catch up. Till then...here's Jessie!!

Jessie and baby Gemma

When Elizabeth asked me to write about our family’s Thanksgiving tradition, I had to laugh. I’m pretty sure NO ONE has a tradition like ours.

It starts off pretty nice with warm fuzzies and all. Just as with any Thanksgiving feast, we gorge ourselves on great food then sit back and attempt to breathe with what little room we have left. My parents, brothers and their families come to my house for the non-traditional chicken cordon bleu dinner, made my amazing cook of a sister-in-law, Jeanine. She cooks; I clean up after her. It's a great deal we have going.

Then Mom pulls out the tablecloth. You might think I should do this before dinner, but this is a special tablecloth. We’ve traced babies and kids’ hands and feet. We’ve drawn pictures of turkeys and leg lamps (more on that later). But most of all, we write what we’re thankful for. It ranges from my sister in law’s pecan pie and my hubby’s coffee to new life in the babies that have come throughout the year.

There have been hard years for the family, but even those bring us thankful hearts. Each year, before we begin our thankfulness, we get to read through the old ones, laugh, and remember how God has worked in our lives.

The tablecloth signing is the sentimental portion of the night, but it’s followed quickly by the real ceremony.

Let me back up just a tad and give you the history of what you're about to read: My husband is very difficult to buy for, so my sisters-in-law are always looking for something he might like.

He has his own "Major Award!"

For a while it was fleece pull overs. I finally got them to stop the fleece when we ended up with about 10 in our closet. Once that option was eliminated, they had to find something else. So one Christmas they called me up and said, "Jess, we've found the perfect gift for Todd." Oh great. This was sure to be interesting. "The leg lamp." "What?" was my response. "You know, from The Christmas Story. The leg lamp."

Now, I'm thinking a little table sized lamp. Okay. Ha ha. no big deal. NO. That's not how it went down. It's the full sized leg lamp, standing at least 3 1/2 feet tall. And get this, they want me to display it proudly in my front window! My reaction was pretty much the same as the mother in the movie, and every year I threaten to rid the house of glue just in case the thing breaks.

Jessie's son Ian...adoring and adorable!

So now our tradition is to light the leg lamp, which does sit in my front window. I have to stay inside the house while my hubby and the rest of my family congregate on the front lawn and recite the lines from the movie. "Hey, what is that?" "It's a major award!" "Move it a little to the left." "You say you won that?" "Mind powers, Lee. Mind powers." They stand in the cold and cheer when it's lit. All I can say is, it's a good thing we live in a small town. :) Now, because there's no real way to describe the lamp in all it's glory, I'll add a few pictures.

As you can see, my family is insane. But we love each other. We can laugh and cry and thank God for his work in our lives, year after year.

The leg lamp crew admiring
“The soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.”

Now before you leave...check out Jessie's amazing book trailer. It's very impressive...like most everything Jessie does!

At What Cost Book Trailer from Travis Carlson on Vimeo.

Then Check out the book! "At What Cost"

26 comments:

Revealing Cassie and Grilling Gary...It's a Good Day!!

12:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 47 Comments

Cassie Mae redefines the New Adult genre with a novel that answers the eternal question: What do you do when you’re head-over-heels for your best friend’s guy?

Ever since high school, Kayla has been crazy for gorgeous football player Talon. But before she could muster the courage to tell him, he became a hot item with her beautiful BFF, Reagan. The only person who knows Kayla’s secret is Wesley, Talon’s best bud—and he’s got it bad for Reagan. Now they’re all in college together, hanging out 24/7. For Kayla, seeing the two lovebirds together is absolutely unbearable. So Kayla and Wesley hatch a plot to drive them apart. But time is ticking and they must act now, before Talon gives Reagan the Christmas gift she’s been waiting for.

Sure enough, the once-happy couple is fighting, Reagan suddenly can’t get enough of Wesley’s goofy sense of humor, and Talon seems to be paying more attention to Kayla than a guy who’s “just a friend” ever should. But something just isn’t right. Then Kayla and Wesley accidentally spend a night together, and discover a hitch they never considered: that switching partners may not lead to a perfect ending after all.

Cassie Mae

About The Author:

Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. She’s the author of the Amazon Bestseller REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND, and is the debut author for the Random House FLIRT line with her New Adult novels FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI and SWITCHED. She also has a three book deal with Swoon Romance Publishing, including her book HOW TO DATE A NERD. She spends time with her angel children and perfect husband who fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.

Buy The Book!!

Don't worry I didn't forget my favorite punny man Gary!!

Thanks to Mark, Alex, Robyn, Tina, and Morgan for giving us the opportunity to honor our friend Gary (and pick up some followers, comments, and hits...cha ching!) by listing some blog fests that even we, the blog hopping tramps of the internet, would think twice about joining!

The Urban Hunter Blogfest!!

Ted Nugent's got nothing on you! Tell the world how you would survive in the inner city after the zombie apocalypse shuts down all the grocery stores. There are rats to hunt and road kill to grill. Share your favorite tips and recipes.

The Back to School Blog Hop!!

This hop isn't just for words. You are given the opportunity to run from store to store on a limited budget and buy everything you need from notebooks to Nikes!! Whiny kids included.

The Facebook Blog Hop!!

Troll your Facebook (Farcebook) page and post your friends' status updates. Looking for the whiniest; the braggiest; the most inane drivel on the site and share it with your blogger friends! So be good to your blog buddies...they may be all you have after this hop!

Need a laugh? A loyal friend? Visit Gary at Klahanie!

47 comments:

Friday Fiction: Judy White!

1:01 AM Elizabeth Seckman 12 Comments

Author, Judy White

I CAN’T QUITE SEE THEIR FACES…YET!

They come to me, out of the blue, many times a day. I speak to them and they respond. I know the way they say their words, the way they walk, what they do when they first arise in the morning, and what they deem important in life. Their personalities are becoming set in my mind. I know many of their physical traits, but their faces are a blur. I can’t quite see their faces, yet, that is. One day, I will…I am sure of it.

The Case Files of Sam Flanagan came alive in May of 2012, and it’s these people; those who make up my novels, that I speak of (hopefully, you’re not getting the idea that I am too off the wall). Sam, Gran, Helen, Albie and Bobby…they are my main characters to whom I have a growing relationship. They are with me constantly; they are a part of me…but I can’t visualize their faces in a clear image. Do all writers experience this? I’m not sure. Maybe we all travel the journey a bit differently.

1943 Detroit private detective Sam Flanagan stands six feet two inches tall, weighing in at 207 pounds. He has deep black hair and light blue eyes. His grandmother, Ruby, is short and on the pudgy side, wearing her short, steel gray hair in waves. She doesn’t see well enough to read the mail and she elevates her voice when speaking through a telephone receiver. Helen Foster, Ruby’s best friend, is very slender and moves with a quick determination. At 76, she colors her hair a dark brown; much too dark for her skin tone and age. And the two boys who live next door are Albie and his younger brother, Bobby. Their hair is a bit too long over their eyes and a light brown. Albie’s eyes rest behind tortoise shell glasses, and he barely utters any words at all to the detective, while Bobby is always bartering for a higher fee for chores performed for the man.

When we, ourselves are young, we visualize our appearance in the reflection of a mirror, but it takes us almost a lifetime to find what lies inside. It may be the reverse for an author striving to know the created characters; first learning what makes them tick.

I may not know all there is to know about these people, but I’m learning who they are from our conversations. With each story, I see them a little clearer; with each situation I become closer to them. Each journey takes a different path. But, oh, what a fun journey it is!

Book buy links:

A Method to Madness: The Case Files of Sam Flanagan

Sins of the Father: The Case Files of Sam Flanagan

Visit Judy:

Facebook

12 comments:

IWSG: Photographs and Wisdom

4:36 AM Elizabeth Seckman 75 Comments

Thanks to Alex and his co-hosts:
M Pax, Melissa Maygrove, and Karen Walker

I love to write; to lose myself in make-believe and happily ever-after.

So, when I first started writing, I never dreamed I'd ever hold one of my books in my hot sweaty little hands.

Never.

But I was content with writing stories for me. I figured I'd stack them in the closet in neat manilla envelopes...like the romance version of Emily Dickinson.

One night, my husband and I were out with friends, enjoying maybe one too many margaritas...I joked with my friend, Lora, that when I got a book published, she could take my author photograph.

See, Lora is an uber talented photographer. She's been named West Virginia's Photographer of the year for 2013, 2011, 2010, and 2008. That's some serious talent! I had full faith in her, but not so much in myself.

Then in February 2012, I signed a publishing contract!

And sadly, Lora's son, Brock was diagnosed with leukemia. (Read post here.)

So, when "Past Due" and "Healing Summer" were released, the author pic was a shot taken by my son, Conner. I told Lora when Brock was well, I'd hit her up for the photo.

Today...I am so HAPPY to say, Brock is well!!! A full recovery...he even has his hair back!!

and I have my official author photo...

What, you ask, does this have to do with insecurity?

We may suffer from it, but we can't let it beat us.

We must have faith.

Lora started taking photos at her day care, she polished her craft, and today she is the owner of her own business and has a cabinet full of awards that would make Oscar envious. All because she believed, worked hard, and never gave up.

By Lora
See More @
Memories By Lora Yeater

As she took my photos, I asked her...did she ever dream she'd do as well as she has?

And in true winner fashion, she explained that she always believed she had some talent, but the greatest part of her success was loving what she does. Photography isn't work. It's part of who she is...an expression of her self.

And it doesn't matter where an artist is right now. You keep working, you keep learning and your skills and reach grows. It doesn't happen by luck or even happen over night.

Then she reminded me there was a time when she was just a gal with a camera taking pictures in her basement.

Like Lora on Facebook!

75 comments:

(Never) Again Cover Reval!

11:02 AM Elizabeth Seckman 44 Comments

(For the Summer Give Away Blog Hop...click HERE!)

It's my birthday!!

And what better way to celebrate than to show off an upcoming NA romance? I love a good romance and this book looks like one I will be snapping up when it's released!

Ahh... a happy, kissy couple...what could be better?

A couple that is a story of lost love, found again?

Oh, be still my beating heart! (But just for a pause...I do want to live ;)

The Blurb:

Just when she had finally moved on… …He moved back. When college freshman Liz Wagner hears her ex's voice for the first time since he moved clear across the freaking country, she does what any respectable girl would do: Dive into the girls' bathroom. Zach Roberts—the Zach Roberts—is back. And he’s everywhere Liz looks—infiltrating her friend group, buddy-buddy with her brother. It’s enough to ruin college altogether. But what choice does she have but to put on a happy face and pretend he didn't leave her vulnerable and alone in a pile of emotional wreckage? Pretending works, until tragedy strikes and the only person available for comfort is the one person she wants to stay away from. When Zach turns out not to be the jerk she convinced herself he was, but the boy she used to love, Liz needs to decide whether to open her heart again to the boy who tore it out.

(Never) Again will be available October 15, 2012 by (Berkley) Penguin.

About Theresa:

Visit Theresa's Blog!

Theresa Paolo lives in the same town she grew up in on Long Island, NY with her boyfriend and Milton, their big eyed goldfish. She has a hard time accepting the fact she’s nearing thirty which is why she writes New Adult and Young Adult books, reliving the best and worst years of her life through her characters. She put her love of writing on hold while she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Dowling College. On November 11th 2011 at 11:11 she made a wish. Two hours later she was laid off. Jobless for the first time since she was sixteen she was determined to make her wish come true. Writing became her life again and after many nights of ignoring her boyfriend to spend time with her characters, she finally received the call that all her hard work, finger crossing and eye crossing paid off. She signed with Berkley (Penguin) and her debut novel, (NEVER) AGAIN, a NA romance, will be out in Fall 2013.

44 comments:

Fiction Friday! Fran Orenstein

12:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 43 Comments

*For the Summer Give-Away Hop click HERE!

WHAT IS A WRITER?
by Dr. Fran Orenstein, Author, Poet, Presenter

Writing prose and poetry is the means I use to express myself. All artists have a unique talent or ability that drives them to create. From the first storyteller chiseling a picture on a cave wall, to today’s writer at a computer, the goal is to produce something they hope people will read.

Personally, being a published author and poet is a fulfillment of a dream I have had since I wrote my first poem at age eight. Part of that dream is to leave a legacy for the future, whether it is simply a book my grandchildren will enjoy and pass on through the generations, to the ultimate dream of producing a classic that will live on forever.

As a writer you must be willing to keep putting ideas down in words, and really want to write. A friend who is a musician and artist said to me many years ago, “When are you going to call yourself a writer?” The question boggled my mind, for I did not consider myself a writer, even though I had been writing academically and professionally for much of my life. I was other things, but I thought, “Me, a writer?” Then one day, I woke up and realized, “I am a writer.” It did not matter what I wrote, I was producing articles, newsletters, papers, books, short stories and poems, and people were reading them.

Writing is a lonely art. Sometimes, days go by when the only communication you have is with the characters on the page. Then there are the days when nothing happens, words refuse to appear on the page, the book seems to drag, the characters are bland, and you are ready to give it all up. But suddenly there is a breakthrough; your fingers are off and running, and your brain surges forward with new ideas.

The ultimate high for a writer is the day the doorbell rings and someone in a brown uniform rushes away like a felon down your driveway. You open the door and there it is; a plain brown box. You haul it inside, paying no attention to your screaming back and run a blade carefully through the tape. You open the flaps and there they are snuggled in bubble wrap. You lift out the top book and hold it in your hands, then stare at the cover like it was the archaeological find of the century. You open it and the words you slaved over for so many months or years jump off the paper. Glancing furtively around to make sure no one is watching, you clutch it to your chest, and grin like a kid with a new toy.

That’s what writing is all about. Every book is a new baby; a new beginning. Murder in Duplicate (June 2013, World Castle Publishing) is a new writing genre for me, and the second novel written for adults. I’ve written children’s mysteries, but never an adult mystery. An avid reader of mysteries since the Nancy Drew series, people have nagged me for years to try writing a mystery. Finally, I gave in and loved doing it. Readers are enjoying it, so this may be my genre of the future, wherever that may lead. A series? Who knows what diabolical plots lie dormant in my brain? Stay tuned to for future books, events, and blog tours!

Fran's newest release

LINKS:
Webpage
Blog
Amazon

Blurb:
Romance mystery writer, Lily Aaron is a young woman looking for a forever love and inspiration for her popular books. On a lunch break from her job as a magazine editor, she meets a sexy, gorgeous man in a coffee shop, and falls hard. Is Ken Braun’s image as a successful attorney and charming companion all a façade, or is he the man destined for Lily’s future? Meanwhile, Ted Warren, an obsessed computer geek starts stalking her, calling her Laurel. She can’t get rid of him and before she can figure it out, Ted is murdered and Lily is now in first place as the killer. Lily struggles to prove her innocence, and deal with the enigma of a new man in her life and the secret behind Ted’s obsession and death. In a harrowing climax, Lily discovers the truth, but it may not be in time to save her own life.