Cheesiest Post of 2014

You love cheese, right?

My posting schedule has changed. I'm only posting Wednesdays (with minor exceptions) until further notice, so my Motivational Mondays and Funny Fridays are going to appear every other week at the head of these posts. That said, who's ready to laugh?

You've probably seen this floating about, but I must have created it in my sleep. That, or my spiritual twin accessed her/his prowess and channeled our collective genius into a single statement.

Yup. Epic, right? Want some more?

Source

If your cheese meter hasn't been filled yet, how about a giveaway?

Writerly Wednesdays here are for readers and writers. Get to know authors, test your human lie detector skills, and WIN books. 

Last week, Julie Flanders shared two truths and one lie about herself and those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing to win The Ghosts of Aquinnah.

The options were:

1. While work as a psychiatric social worker, helping with assessments for the county jail, she was nearly strangled by an inmate who was having a psychotic episode.

2. She was in drama club as a teen and loved performing in plays and musicals.  

3. Julie desperately hates pie and can’t understand why anyone would choose it for dessert.

And the lie is: 

#2. Yeah, no drama club for Julie. Sorry, folks. As much as you don't want it to be true, Julie is a pie hater.  

Way to guess those of you who got it right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Alex J. Cavanaugh!

Congrats, Alex!

Today I'm super stoked because I get to unveil Cathrina Constantine's NEW book cover. Say hello to Tallas!

In a decimated world, setting foot outside the protected village of Tallas is certain death—or so they say. Mutations caused by those in the wilderness have plagued Tallas’s citizens—or so they say…

For Doogan and Keeyla their belief in a Free Tallas has lost its glimmer. And when their young son, Fabal, is given a very dangerous assignment, they risk everything to protect him. Fleeing Tallas, they head for the wilderness. But when they are ambushed by cruel Mediators, Doogan is recaptured, and while Keeyla and Fabal escape, she is severely injured.

Can the two of them survive in the wilderness? Will Doogan getaway from the clutches of the Mediators? And are the terrible legends about the monsters beyond the walls of Tallas true?

Mark your calendars folks, because this one will be up on Amazon February 1st!!! 

Super cool, right? I love the color scheme, and the blurb? *drooling* And now, let me introduce you to the wonderful author: 

Cathrina Constantine, the author of Wickedly They Come and Tallas, resides in Upstate New York with her husband, five children, two Labrador Retrievers and two cats. Constantine is represented by The Belcastro Literary Agency. When not with her family, baking, crafting, reading, or stationed at the computer writing, you will find her walking in the backwoods with her dogs, conjuring up a new tale. 

Her favorite cheese if Yancey's Horseradish. (It's kinda spicy hot and sweet rolled into one.) You might stumble across her eating it while watching a good movie.

Cathrina gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Can you figure out the lie? Those who do will go into my magic hat for a chance to win Tallas in eBook. Eek! How cool is that? You have until Tuesday, January 21, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on January 22nd.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Cathrina danced on a Vegas stage.

2. A horse fell on top of her when she was 16.

3. When an icy snowball hit her mouth, she needed 3 stitches.

And now, enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember to join my SUPER FUN blogfest and celebrate something wonderful with my cohosts and I. Details HERE.

Okay, what is the lie? What's the best cheese joke you've ever heard? Did you get enough cheese?

Can We Get Any More Awesome in this Room? IWSG, Writerly Wednesday, and a Blogfest

You don't have to be crazy to get how stoked I am about everything that's happened lately. It's humbling and oh so amazing. There are people, REAL people, who like my book and email me about the sequel, and beg me to make it as awesome as the first, and who write reviews and rave on their blogs or facebook (without me even asking!!!), and squee every time I post a writing update...

As amazing as this trip is, it leaves me with one HUGE worry. If this book is that good, am I sufficient enough to market it, or am I squashing it before it gets out the door for lack of a larger marketing team? 

Don't get me wrong, I love my publisher. (Like the bleeding-heart kind of soul-mate love.) Before launch, we made a very clear plan that we'd wait until the first series and serial story were published and then make a HUGE campaign push (we're talking EPIC here), but I worry that putting off the push is shooting myself in the foot. Still, I don't have the time or energy to do it all, darn perfectionist that I am. 

Whatever happens, I'm in for the ride -- or better yet, I'm driving and wondering if someone else should have been put in charge of this crazy train. Teeth rattling, I'm hitting every bump and unsure of the road ahead. Where is my crystal ball?

Enough of that. Who's ready to win a book and test your lie detection skills?

Writerly Wednesdays here are for readers and writers. Get to know authors, test your human lie detector skills, and WIN books. 

A few weeks ago Rachel Morgan shared two truths and one lie about herself and those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing to win a book of their choice from her Creepy Hollow series.

The options were:

1. Rachel has read every Harry Potter book at least 8 times.
2. When she was little, she had an imaginary friend who was sometimes a boy and sometimes a girl.
3. To relieve exam stress, Rachel and her high school girlfriends used to hit the middle of the school field and scream. 

And the lie is: 

#1. As much as we all want it to be true, Rachel is not quite that much of a Harry Potter fan. 

Way to guess those of you who got it right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Linda! 

Congrats, Linda!

And now for this week's special feature! I'm so excited to share Julie Flanders and her amazing new release with you!

A brilliant flash of light transcends through time.

Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick.

By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.

Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind.

She shakes her head.

For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul. Why? ... Who is she? ...

Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry.

What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?

Hannah finds out.

But, it’s not at all what she expects...

Hannah unravels a century old murder.

This one is at the top of my TBR list, precariously teetering over the edge. You can buy it HERE.  

Ready to meet Julie?

Julie Flanders is a novelist and freelance writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a life-long love affair with the ocean and has spent more summer vacations than she can count on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. When not writing, Julie can be found playing with her pets, reading, cheering on her favorite sports teams and watching too much television. The Ghosts of Aquinnah is Julie’s second novel. Her debut novel Polar Night was released in February, 2013 by Ink Smith Publishing.

The Ghosts of Aquinnah was released on December 5, 2013 by Ink Smith Publishing. It is available in both paperback and ebook formats. For more information, including purchase links, please visit Julie’s website here.

You might stumble across her munching on Muenster pretty much anywhere. (A cheese after my own heart.)

Julie gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Can you figure out the lie? Those who do will go into my magic hat for a chance to win her eBook. Eek! How cool is that? You have until Tuesday, January 14th at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on January 15th.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. While work as a psychiatric social worker, helping with assessments for the county jail, she was nearly strangled by an inmate who was having a psychotic episode.

2. She was in drama club as a teen and loved performing in plays and musicals.  

3. Julie desperately hates pie and can’t understand why anyone would choose it for dessert.

And if that wasn't enough awesomeness, check this out!

My very first blogfest! Meet my AMAZING co-hosts: Pk Hrezo, Tammy Theriault, and Michael Di Gesu. Is this a party, or what? 

In the English society of 1768 where women are bred to marry, unattractive Alexia, just sixteen, believes she will end up alone. But on the county doorstep of a neighbor’s estate, she meets a man straight out of her nightmares, one whose blue eyes threaten to consume her whole world—especially later when she discovers him standing over her murdered host in the middle of the night.

Her nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

So here's where you come in: If you lived in a society where arranged marriages were a la mode, who would you beg your parents to set you up with? (Literary characters and celebrities welcomed.) Who and why? That's what I want to know on February 10th, so think about it, sign up on my linky list, and make sure to include the hop image in your post.

Oh, and be sure to grab my button and post it on your blog, share it with everyone and let's make it a party! Yay! I can't wait to hear all about your dream matches!

P.S. If you're a coffee drinker, you have to get over the Michael's blog, now! 

Okay, which is the lie? Have you signed up for my ROCKIN blogfest? (And if not, are you crazy?!?) What marketing worries do you have or have you overcome? Have you read Julie's super amazing book? Have you read any truly amazing books recently?

Should Readers Be Allowed to Edit Books?

This video cracks me up. It's also a great concept, and I'm hoping the technology becomes available.

If you could edit your books, would you? If so, what kind of content would you block?

Only two more days left of the blog tour...

Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless. 

Goodreads | Buy Now

Want to learn about the mystery behind the moonless night? Julie Flanders shares Excerpt #5 in the Mystery Sentence Game: Unravel the mystery of the Moonless night! Gather all 8 hidden words from the excerpts and figure out the sentence to win a free copy of Moonless. Send your mystery sentence to crystal (AT) crystal-collier.com with the subject MYSTERY SENTENCE before December 10, 2013, and you will be entered to win one of 10 copies of MOONLESS—just in time for Christmas. Happy hunting!

Where did MOONLESS come from? Learn the story behind the story with Misha Gericke.

Have you ever read a book that truly offended you?

Only a couple more days to enter. Do it NOW!

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