My 80's lovin' heart is breaking over the news of Prince's death. Seriously, one of my favorites.
Prince and Billy Idol. Their posters hung side by side on teen me's wall.
My dad once joked that he couldn't wait to see what kind of boyfriends I brought home. A feminine-looking black man or a British rocker in need of a shower. I told him it would all depend on my mood.
Good times. Great music.
I did a check on Billy. He's still doing fine. He'll be touring in Vegas this summer.
My kids came home from school, and I asked them if they heard of his death and they said, "Yeah, all you old farts are blowing up Facebook with it."
I would have been mad at them, but I was once the snotty teen who bemoaned the overplaying of Beetle's hits the week John Lennon died. I had no respect, yet.
I wanted to watch some videos in memory, but doggone it, he was so good at monitoring his copyrights, there was nothing. I attached the "video" below, but there is no music, just pictures.
The Blurb:
 |
|
|
He came looking for a ghost.
Instead, he found a girl.
Tucker Boone is a war-hardened Marine on a ghost hunt. Fresh out of the corps, Tucker learns he has a missing half-sister, Maddy. The only clue to her whereabouts is a cryptic note…I’ve gone Mad, Mags. Tucker agrees to search for her and heads to Ocracoke, North Carolina where a ghost named Mad Mags is said to haunt the ancient graveyards dotting the island.
The note doesn’t bring him any closer to finding Maddy, but it does offer him a diversion to the doldrums of civilian life— his new island neighbor, Josie McCoy. Tucker is drawn to her quiet spirit. There’s something special about Josie…a connection he can’t quite explain.
By summer’s end, he’s mixed up in deception, murder, and the love of a lifetime. Logic tells him to head home and forget the truths he found on the island. But can he walk away? Josie offers him more than love; she offers him hope. When the clues pile up and it looks like she can never be the girl for him, he has to make a choice- play it safe and break her heart, or risk everything for a chance at being swept away.
I'll be planning something for promotion. Not exactly a blog tour, but some short shout-outs during the month of May with a give away. If you have space on your blog in the month of May, let me know in the comments and I'll be sure bug you.
Tucker Boone is a war-hardened Marine on a ghost hunt. Fresh out of the corps, Tucker learns he has a missing half-sister, Maddy. The only clue to her whereabouts is a cryptic note…I’ve gone Mad, Mags. Tucker agrees to search for her and heads to Ocracoke, North Carolina where a ghost named Mad Mags is said to haunt the ancient graveyards dotting the island.
The note doesn’t bring him any closer to finding Maddy, but it does offer him a diversion to the doldrums of civilian life— his new island neighbor, Josie McCoy. Tucker is drawn to her quiet spirit. There’s something special about Josie…a connection he can’t quite explain.
By summer’s end, he’s mixed up in deception, murder, and the love of a lifetime. Logic tells him to head home and forget the truths he found on the island. But can he walk away? Josie offers him more than love; she offers him hope. When the clues pile up and it looks like she can never be the girl for him, he has to make a choice- play it safe and break her heart, or risk everything for a chance at being swept away.
I'll be planning something for promotion. Not exactly a blog tour, but some short shout-outs during the month of May with a give away. If you have space on your blog in the month of May, let me know in the comments and I'll be sure bug you.
COVER REVEAL FOR CATALYST With $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY!
Clean Teen Publishing is proud to present the official cover reveal for CATALYST by Kristin Smith.
This is the first book in the thrilling new Deception Games series coming November 21, 2016!
Title: Catalyst (The Deception Game, Book One)
Author: Kristin Smith
Release Date: November 21, 2016
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Genre: YA near-future thriller
Book Synopsis:
Too pretty.
Too smart.
Too perfect.
With little skills to help provide for her family, Sienna clings to the two things that come easily—lying and stealing. But not all thief-for-hire assignments go as planned. When a covert exchange of a stolen computer chip is intercepted, she becomes entangled with a corrupt government official who uses her thieving past as leverage, her mother as collateral, and the genetically modified poster boy she’s falling for as bait.
In order to rescue her mother, there may only be one option—joining forces with the Fringe, an extremist group, and their young leader who’s too hot to be bad. Problem is, these revolutionaries aren’t what they seem, and the secrets they’re hiding could be more dangerous than Sienna is prepared for. In the end, she must be willing to risk everything to save the one thing that matters most.
Enter to WIN a $25 AMAZON Gift Card!
About the Author:
Kristin Smith writes young adult contemporary and science fiction novels with enough kissing to make her mother blush. She's a beach lover and a Just Dance guru who enjoys belting out karaoke (from the comfort of her own home). As a self-professed chocoholic, Kristin is a firm believer that if a dessert doesn't have chocolate in it, then it's not considered a dessert. (Except for crème brûlée. She can always make an exception for crème brûlée.) Kristin currently resides in the middle-of-nowhere North Carolina with her husband and five incredibly loud but extremely cute boys. To read more about her obsession with YA novels or her addiction to scarves, you can connect with her at the links below.
Love your blurb, can't wait to read Swept Away.
ReplyDelete2016 has to slow down. We can't cope with anymore losses.
I was reading a piece about the guy who writes obits for the BBC. He usually gets a half hour programme at the end of the year, but he's already been given the go-ahead to produce an hour. Looking at the body of work these people produced in their lifetime (including a few sublime comedians that I don't think you Americans have heard of), I don't think an hour will be enough.
It has been a bad year. Bowie's death surprised me. I didn't even realize he had cancer. But Prince's floored me. I felt like he was finally coming back to the lively guy I loved in the 80's. So sad.
DeleteI love Swept Away's cover, so pretty!! I'd love to feature you some time in May, just message me and we can work out the deets. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!! I will be bugging you :)
DeleteThe cover is Sprinkles on Top Studios. I should have added Sarah a credit. I need to get my stuff together!
Yay!!! So glad to see that Swept Away is coming out soon!! I loved it, and I know everyone else will love it too!! I'd love to feature you on my blog in May. Just send me an email and let me know the details! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the shout out! It's been so fun seeing my cover everywhere this week!!!! :)
I like to think it's a much better book after your input.
DeleteThanks for the help. I will be bugging you!!
I am deeply saddened by Prince's death, which makes what I'm about to say sound cold and heartless (even though I don't mean it that way). I'm not sure what happened to Prince after the 80s. I don't know if was Hollywood or fame or whatever pressing in on him, but that whole changing his name to a number thing (who does that???). And then, as you pointed out, the YouTube thing. I've not seen anyone try to keep their music off YouTube as capably as he dies, with the possible exception of Garth Brooks (what is up with that dudes???). I think they are losing record sales by trolling YouTube for their songs. It doesn't actually work that way. Young people watch something on YouTube, like it, and then download it from ITunes. It actually HELPS sales. But these guys can't wrap their brains around the Internet and how it actually functions. So, the ONLY GOOD THING I can see coming from this is that we might get to actually watch our beloved Prince videos on YouTube in the future. I doubt his lawyers are going to troll with the diligence that Prince did to keep his songs off. Plus, they might see the advantages that Prince didn't (sales!).
ReplyDeleteNow that my rant is over, I still feel very sad that another super talented human being is no longer here. I don't see this trend ending any time soon.
Not cold and heartless at all. He was en enigma. Here's the Prince I know, as a fan who never got to meet the man or even got to see him in concert. He was the most humble of men. On stage, he is a ball of energy. In interviews, he is quiet- you can almost feel his pain at having to answer questions. There was no cockiness in the man. He cam alive with music, because it was what he loved. The fame was just something he had to accept along with it. I don't know if he ever made the connection between the fame and the true love of fans. He once said he didn't have fans- fan was short for fanatics. He had friends. I don't know if he ever truly realized how many true friends he reached just through his music alone. That people loved him because they knew him through his lyrics. I think he was almost too humble to make that connection causing him to look at things like YouTube with skepticism. And I don't think he cared about sales at all. He just liked to create music and perform it. On the Larry King show, Larry asked him why he didn't make better business decisions and Prince said he had to consider- what was more important, his sales and his career or his spiritual well-being? He said he always had to choose the spirit and did nothing that he didn't feel moved by God to do.
DeleteThere was also the death of his child in the 90's. If my memory serves me correctly, a lot of his reclusive behavior began with that loss.
No matter what talent leaves suddenly, we're always touched by their absence. Very nice tribute to Prince, Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteIt is always sad. I suppose growing old is a privilege we shouldn't complain about, if we get to be one of the lucky ones.
DeleteI heard about Prince yesterday. 2016 is a rough one in terms of such great stars passing on. Lovely tribute. I would be happy to help you out in May. Just send an email my way! :)
ReplyDeleteIt has been a rough year.
DeleteThanks for the offer to help. I will be bugging you!!
I was sorry to hear about Prince's Passing away, May he R.I.P.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of your post was wonderful to read. Thanks.
Yvonne.
Thanks Yvonne. :)
DeleteI was surprised and sorry to hear that Prince had passed away. His music was truly unique.
ReplyDeleteKristin, congrats again on your lovely cover!
Elizabeth, I'd be happy to do a promotional post for you in May. My second book will be coming out at about the same time. Maybe we could do a shout-out swap?
I think a blog swap sounds like an awesome idea. I'll bug you about it in a little bit :)
DeleteCan't wait to read it!!! I definitely will host you on my blog. Just let me know the date and I'll reserve it for you.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny--someone posted the opening lyrics to Let's Go Crazy yesterday and put the commas in. "Electric word, life, it means forever..." For the first time in my life I got that he was saying that life was an electric word. I always was puzzled by what "electric word life" was.
I think it was his blend of faith and the ornery that always appealed to my natural faithful, ornery nature...well, that or he had too much of an influence on me in my formative years. My best friend and I would pick apart his lyrics...like electric word, life...like some would study Shakespeare. And I always assumed the elevator was the ups and downs of life, and of course dealing with all the people in life whose elevators don't hit every floor.
DeleteI love your cover - and the blurb is very exciting, especially the way you worked the title into the last line. Great job! Very odd Prince is dead. 57 is too young. :(
ReplyDeleteMy kids teased me about that last line. I believe they called it dramatic. I told them a little drama never hurt nobody. ;)
DeleteI'm glad you liked it. I feel vindicated.
I was so sad to hear about Prince too, I used to LOVE his music back in the day sigh. It's so sad to lose him to young :(
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your book cover and the blurb of your latest book. Definitely count me in for the tour. I'd love to have you on Fiction Dreams!!
Catalyst sounds amazing too.
Hugs
Suzy xx
I will be happy to bug you for help :)
DeleteCatalyst is definitely on my read list!!
Yay, another book from you. I'll pre-order.
ReplyDeleteI was in disbelief last week. Prince was one of my favorite '80s artists and he passed away too young, too soon. :(
It was stunning. One of those moments in life where you hope it's a bad hoax.
DeleteI wasn't really a Prince fan. I knew his music some but I wasn't a big fan of music in general until I reached my 20s. I did find out, after Prince passed, that my brother is a HUGE fan. Who knew?
ReplyDeleteTell your brother I think he has good taste. LOL.
DeleteMy husband doesn't connect with his music either. That's why we have choices, so we can all have a sound we love. I never really got into Michael Jackson music. There is no denying he was also a genius, but I was just never into it. I totally understand.
I love the 'old farts blowing up Facebook' quote :) That's class! It was sad to hear about Prince, not that I was a huge fan but my husband was. It's sad writing this in the past tense.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on completing your upcoming novel :) The premise sounds enthralling. Looking forward to its release.
It is sad. My fan condolences to your husband.
DeleteEnthralled. I like that word. Thank you!
It was a sad day when Prince died. I wasn't a huge listener, but I saw how many lives he touched with his music.
ReplyDeleteYay for your pre-order though! It looks great!
For many years, he almost made it a chore to find his music. That definitely disconnected him with younger listeners.
DeleteEver wanted to get free Google+ Circles?
ReplyDeleteDid you know that you can get these ON AUTOPILOT & TOTALLY FREE by using Add Me Fast?