TRICK OR TREAT BLOG HOP!

Halloween-time is here!  

Time for costumes and pumpkin carving and way-too-much-candy-to eat-all-in-one-sitting feasts! My favorite part of Halloween? Costume parties! The adult version of trick-or-treat, with alcoholic libations as my treat!

For years, I hosted an annual Halloween bash featuring a deadly-but-delicious punch we concocted in college called "Apple Death." Think of Long Island Ice Tea mixed with a Scorpion Bowl, flavored with apple cinnamon-y goodness...

Apple Death is a "delicate" blend of vodka, light rum, Captain Morgan's spiced rum, Apple Jack whiskey, Seagrams 7, Hot Damn cinnamon schnapps, apple cider and cinnamon sticks... light on the cider... mixed "to taste" with early arrivals helping with the tasting... stirred with a long-handled wooden spoon in a giant metal vat and served cold, (although some repeat party guests decided they liked it better warmed up in the microwave, especially on cold Halloween nights!)

I think the original Apple Death was created by some older Colgate friends of ours, class of 1985 (yes, I'm thinking of you, Mike Brown!), who used grain alcohol as the base of the mixture. As we were unable to obtain any grain after they graduated, my roommates and I revised the recipe somewhat for our senior year Halloween party in 1986... and every October after that... right up until I moved to Cape Cod, into a house too small to think about hosting parties of any size in the colder months!

Twenty years of great parties and fun (intoxicated and incriminating) party photos (most of which are thankfully not digital.) But great memories to have... and maybe next year, when the house renovations are finally complete, we may revive the tradition once again... and see whether our friends can still stomach a little Apple Death!

Make a tamer - but still tasty - version of this adult Halloween treat, to warm you up after trick-or-treating with the kiddos...

* Heat 3 cups of cider
* Add 2 shots of Apple Jack whiskey
* Add 2 shots of Hot Damn Cinnamon schnapps
* Stir, and pour into 2 mugs, with a cinnamon stick garnish, if you have them.
* Enjoy with a friend!

What's your favorite Halloween treat? Leave a comment below to be entered to win a Halloween treat bag, including one of my new CAPE COD BEACH SAND CHARM NECKLACES, pictured here - one lucky winner to be chosen on November 1st!

Be sure to visit the other blogs along this blog hop for more chances to win great prizes and Halloween treats!

Book Review: WANTED: ONE GHOST, by Loni Lynne

WANTED: ONE GHOST

By Loni Lynne

Published by Crescent Moon Press, May 2013

 

BLURB:

Stuck in ghostly limbo for 238 years, James Addison can't move on to an afterlife. After being falsely accused of treason and executed, fate's cursed him to remain an earth-bound specter until he meets a historian sent to research his past.

Distrustful of fate, Dr. April Branford wants to be taken seriously, but her unique ability to divine history by touching objects seriously compromises her credibility. Her latest assignment? James Addison, a legendary colonial ladies' man with a shadowy past.

Without much to go on, she doesn't hold out much hope to discover the man behind the legend until the day she accidentally touches him and brings him back to life. With the help of family and ghosts from James's past, they unravel the truth. But after falling in love and with time running out, it's hard for April to believe in fate and a future where forever is now.

MY TAKE:

I do love a good ghost story, especially one that mixes in romance and suspense without the gore or horror. Add in a little historical twist to it all and I’m hooked.

WANTED: ONE GHOST, by Loni Lynne, has it all – a historical ghost story full of intrigue and murder, a handsome ghost with the reputation of a rake but the heart of a gentleman, and a strong female researcher with unique psychic powers to unlock a 200-year-old mystery.

Dr. April Branford doesn’t want to acknowledge her “special” powers, or the fact that her family is all a bit strange, each having a unique psychic gift. April’s gift is psychometry, the gift of being able to tell an object’s past by touching it, and it comes in handy in her job as a historian. On a job in the historic town of King’s Mill, her gift gets a little out of hand, and actually brings a ghost back to life! Not just any ghost, but the very one she’s in town to research.

James Addison has been stuck in limbo since being hung for treason early in the American Revolutionary period. When April’s touch brings him back to life, he’s torn. He wants to help her find the truth and have his spirit set free, but he also finds himself falling in love with April’s modern, independent spirit, and wants to stay with her forever…

I love the way the author writes the story from both points of view, and infuses touches of sarcastic wit and humor throughout. The chapters that we see through James’s eyes give a wonderful – and often funny – perspective on modern life through the eyes of a colonial-era gentleman. The romance that blossoms between James and April is both sweet and full of heat, and will have you rooting that the author finds a way for them to be together forever.

Looking for a ghost story to read this Halloween season? Grab a copy of WANTED: ONE GHOST – you won’t be disappointed!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Michigan, Loni grew up all over the mid-west. From Michigan to Texas and everywhere in between before joining the Navy and meeting her Army husband. Together they were stationed in Hawaii for four years before returning to settle close to family in Maryland.

Raising two beautiful daughters, Loni went from being a domestic goddess to a writer and finally a published author when her husband gifted her with a laptop,portable hard drive and a membership to Romance Writers of America for her birthday and challenged her to, 'finish a book by her next birthday'. She now has many stories but Wanted: One Ghost is her debut.

Cephalopod Coffeehouse, October Book Club!

This month, I joined the Cephalopod Coffeehouse Book Club, hosted by The Armchair Squid. (Yes, yes, perfect for the mermaid author, right?) The website explains:

"The idea is simple: on the last Friday of each month, post about the best book you've finished over the past month while visiting other bloggers doing the same.  In this way, we'll all have the opportunity to share our thoughts with other enthusiastic readers."

Well, I generally read a lot - lots of ARC by new authors, beta reads, as well as any YA or MG that grabs my attention or is thrust into my hands by one of my kids. I also read, you know, adult fiction that tends toward romantic suspense, women's fiction, fantasy and "chic lit." Okay, so eclectic tastes, just warning you.

Unfortunately, I've read an awful lot of bad books this month, and several mediocre ones to boot... so this is harder than I thought it was going to be.

One of the better ARCs I read this month doesn't release until November 5th, and I promised to hold my review until then. (Hint: Check out DROWNING by Rachel Firasek on Goodreads.)

And my favorite book I read this month was the middle grade time travel WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead, which I already reviewed HERE.

Which leaves me with... a Contemporary Romance titled WAKING UP MARRIED by Mira Lyn Kelly.

Published December 2012 by Harlequin KISS
About the Book: (from Goodreads)

Her first thought: "Who are you?"

It's the morning after her cousin's bachelorette party in Vegas and Megan Scott wakes up with the mother of all hangovers. Even worse, she's in a stranger's penthouse having woken up with something else as well - a funny, arrogant, sexy...husband!

Up until now, finding even a boyfriend had seemed impossible - been there, got the broken heart, sworn off men for good. Then a few martinis with Carter...no, Connor Reed and she's gone from first meet to marriage in one night!

 Megan wants a lawyer. But Connor's shocking bombshell?

 "I don't want a divorce."

My Take:

This is a romance, a classic romantic comedy situation, and an easy read, but the dialogue crackles, the writing sparkles, and the whole book made me smile.

I wasn't expecting much from it, as it was a Free ebook from Amazon, offered on BookBub, and I've been burned several times this month with books I couldn't even make myself finish. Life is too short.

Some readers may find this story... well... let's quote a few (negative) reviews... "cheesy," "corny," "overly predictable," "sterotyped"...  But I agree more with the reviewer who wrote "there are times when a girl needs to be reminded that it's okay to dream and have fantasies, no matter how far-fetched they are. This is probably the mother of all cheesy and corny lines ever, but whatever."

Megan is not looking for a husband, or even for love. She has a job, a life, and her own money. She doesn't need a man to save her or complete her. On a trip to Vegas for her cousin's wedding she gets a little too drunk, ends up being pushed into a date by her so-called friends and wakes up married, as the title implies, to the perfect man - hunky, adorable, rich and thoughtful. He's totally a nice guy, and she's a nice girl, and how did a Vegas wedding happen to two logical, respectably normal people?

Connor is not perfect, or the story would not have any zing to it. And the situation starts to get complicated pretty quickly, because Megan doesn't remember most of the night or the flawed logic he used to convinced her to marry him in the first place. 

It's a fun, fast read if you like contemporary romance with a touch of sarcasm and comedy. And as I sit here typing this (on Thursday), I see it's still available for free on Amazon HERE.

Before you leave, take a minute to check out my HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-TREAT BLOG HOP coming up October 30-31. The "rules" and sign up LinkyLink are HERE, and everyone is welcome, authors and readers alike! Sign up today, and don't forget to grab the badge up in the left corner of this page!

Now I'm off to see what other books have been read and recommended for October in this bloghop! Thanks to the Armchair Squid for not only organizing this hop, but for stopping by earlier this month to invite me to join! It was so much fun, I'll have to sign up for November, too!

Have you heard of Book Bub?

Have you heard of this company? It's a free service that you sign up for and they send you a daily email with book bargains... ebooks that are on sale for a limited time, $2.99 or less, all the way down to free.

As a reader, you sign up for free and they send the deals to your inbox. You list what genres you like to read, and they only send those deals your way. If you see something that interests you, you click either the Amazon or B&N or smashwords link and go straight to the source to get your book bargain.

Book Bub is not a middle man or reseller in the traditional sense. I've clicked through and gone straight to Amazon, where I sign into my 1-click account and instantly download the book I'm interested in. They list previously released best sellers or Amazon favorites that are being offered at steep discounts, perhaps to draw interest to an author's latest book. They also have new authors that publishers are trying to promote with flash sales, or special discounts to boost release day.

Founded in 2012, they claim over one million email subscribers, so it's a good way for publishers to get attention for a book they want to push.

If you're an author, you can sign up to have your sale book listed with them - well, you can submit a form and they decide if they will promote your sale. There is a fee, but I can't find it listed on the site. Here's what the site does say by way of explanation:
 
1. You submit a title for consideration. You start by filling out an online submission form outlining the details of your price promotion.
2. We review your submission. Our editorial team reviews your book and decides whether they’d like to select it for a feature. If your title is chosen, you’ll receive confirmation and an invoice. (If it’s not selected, we’ll let you know within a few days.)
3. You coordinate your promotion with all retailers. We recommend partners contact distributors and/or retailers directly for detailed instructions on how to implement a price promotion.
4. We prepare the listing. You don’t need to provide us with any additional materials for your feature. Our editors write a blurb for your book and our production team assembles all other creative.
5. We send your book to our readers! On the morning of your promotion, we verify that your deal is available at all the retailers you selected. As long as everything is in order, the deal goes out in that day’s email and appears on our website.

Has anyone tried this for themselves to promote their book? I've heard from one author who was over the moon with her Book Bub promotion...

I've been a reader subscriber now for about a month, and scroll thru my daily email from them with interest. So far, I've downloaded 14 of the *Free* books offered. One was a Harlequin KISS story that was cute and well-written. I will look for that author again. One was a fantasy set in medieval Ireland  that had some issues but was a good story and kept my interest.

Four of them were romantic suspense novels that I started and Just. Can't. Finish. Not well written, jumping the shark, poorly edited, no likeable characters... yeah, some might say you get what you pay for, but really? Someone thought these should be books?

But it's fun to get the daily email and see what bargains there are to be had.

Have you tried it yet? What do you think?

Book Review: When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead

WHEN YOU REACH ME, by Rebecca Stead
Published 2009 by Wendy Lamb Books
Middle Grade Time Travel fantasy ~ Winner of 2010 John Newbery Medal

About the Book: (from Goodreads)

Four mysterious letters change Miranda’s world forever.
By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.

My Take:
Wow! Five stars and two thumbs way up...

This book wasn't at all what I expected, and I'm so totally sorry that I didn't take my daughter's heartfelt recommendation more seriously soon after it first came out. A friend of hers did a 5th grade book report on it, and she came home raving about how cool it sounded and made me buy it the very next day at the bookstore. In hardcover. And still I resisted reading it for myself, mostly because I didn't like the cover.

I shouldn't have resisted.

This middle grade time travel fantasy makes near constant reference to Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, which is both the protagonist's favorite book and a touchstone reference for other main characters (as well as a timeless classic.) This book is set in a borough of New York City in the late 1970s, which is both close enough to present day for kids to relate to the details and far enough in the past to be "exotic"... and since the author gets the details down perfectly, it's like a blast from my own middle grade past.

At its heart, this is really a story of a middle school girl going through the angst of growing up, losing her best friend and being forced to make new ones, confronting racism, social prejudices, first crushes, and first impressions. Plus, there's the time travel thing. And it features the $20,000 Pyramid. 

What more could you want from a 70s story?

Rebecca Stead does a masterful job of making Miranda a likeable character that middle school kids can easily relate to. Stead shows her characters reacting to real-life situations, making mistakes and working through them, instead of preaching about the right way to handle problems or combat social injustice.

The book unfolds in fits and starts, reminding me of The Time Traveler's Wife, which I absolutely loved, but on a middle-grade/YA level, which I found intriguing.  At only 199 pages, it's a very fast read once you become absorbed in the story. Whether or not you figure out the mystery alluded to in the book's blurb before Miranda figures it out is not the point. This is a coming-of-age story wrapped in a mystery surrounded with a vortex of time travel... as I said before, what more could you want?

Cover Reveal: VISION by Lisa Amowitz

 

When the Cover Contessa was looking for people to help with this cover reveal I signed right up. The blurb really captured my imagination, and the cover is pretty cool as well. VISION isn't being released until 2014 from Spencer Hill Press, but I already know I can't wait to read this one! Here's the full blurb:

About the Book:

The light is darker than you think…

When seventeen-year-old Bobby Pendell begins to have blinding migraines followed by frightening hallucinations, he fears there’s something wrong with him. Then murder rocks his sleepy town and the visions that put him on trail of a killer—also make him the prime suspect.

Add it to your Goodreads list today!

About the Author:

Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot. She is a professor of Graphic Design at her beloved Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly seventeen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children. Lisa is represented by Shannon Hassan of Marsal-Lyon Literary Agency.

New Release & Book Review: COUNCIL COURTSHIP by Constance Phillips

Constance Phillips has released a new novella in her Fairyproof series - COUNCIL COURTSHIP - and it's available on Amazon and Smashwords now!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this story to review - in short, it was a fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you haven't read her first book, FAIRYPROOF, you might get a little lost as she jumps right into the fairy realm and fairy lingo, so go read the first book first. You can read my review of FAIRYPROOF here... and here's my review of COUNCIL COURTSHIP...

Book Review: COUNCIL COURTSHIP, by Constance Phillips

Published October 2013

About the book:

Tristan Ipsly knows firsthand how Eero's ideals have ripped houses apart. More than half of his family was prosecuted for supporting the revolution, the remaining fled to the the otherworld, leaving him the lone member of his house, and one of two candidates for the recently vacated Council seat. As a healer who is seated on the repopulation project, he has real solutions to the problems that face them all, but fears he's been branded a traitor, not worthy of the seat nor to court Quinn.

Quinn Vettore knows that Fairykind is dying. Eero and his revolution have left them a people divided, but she believes tradition and the Canon's writings are equally to blame. She wants to see the Council fill the vacancy with someone who will be the voice of change. The prime candidate in her mind is the same choice of her heart: Tristan.

Too bad her Grandfather is the one man who stands in the way of both.

My Take:

In her latest novella, author Constance Phillips plunges us back into the world she created in FAIRYPROOF with a quick, 72-page tale filled with romance and political intrigue.

In the fairy plane of existence, society is segregated by class and family, or “house,” reminiscent of ancient Rome or old England. Their world follows laws and traditions set out in the Canon, and enforced by a supreme Council, with representative members from the major houses. In FAIRYPROOF, we learned that not all fairies are happy with this archaic arrangement, longing for more freedom to make their own life choices.

Tristan Ipsly is from the disgraced house that spawned the villainous Eero, but he chose to stay in the fairy realm while the rest of his family either fled or faced prosecution for fomenting revolution. Tristan is a healer and scientist, in charge of the Repopulation Project, which is trying to figure out an answer for the dwindling fairy population.

His even bigger problem? Trying to figure out a way he can ask the lovely Quinn Vettore out on a date, when her grandfather hates Tristan and looks down on his traitorous house. To complicate matters further, Tristan and Edwin Vettore are now rivals for the vacant seat on the Council.

The point of view switches back and forth between Tristan and Quinn, so we are able to see both sides of their longing for one another, as well as Quinn’s supreme frustration with the narrow scope of her personal freedom as a female, and the lack of choices she is allowed to make for herself.

Ms. Phillips does a wonderful job of creating characters you really want to root for, and storylines that suck you right in and don’t let go until you reach the end. I loved catching up with the familiar characters from FAIRYPROOF, and seeing how their stories are progressing. My only complaint was that this was over far too quickly! I’m looking forward to another full-length story from Ms. Phillips – hopefully soon!

Buy COUNCIL COURTSHIP on Amazon for your Kindle for only $2.99 HERE.

Writing Wednesday: Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?

I've been finding it really hard to write lately, as we are undergoing house renovations. Lame excuse perhaps, but I'm one of those writers who like it quiet... the blend of hammering, voices, power tools, and other people's musical choices are way too distracting for me to focus well. I sit at my keyboard and don't feel inspired.

But when I was walking on the beach the other day with the dogs, I had a great idea for a new YA story. It grew in my head for a day or two (during morning walks, away from the chaos at the house) and then I related the idea to my middle son later that week as he was walking the dogs with me after school. He was excited and encouraging.

And I have yet to get the outline down on paper or Word doc.

Inspiration.

That's one of those things that sets writers apart - we're supposed to actually act on it when we get these cool ideas and flitting movie scenarios in our heads.

Walking on the beach is my quiet time, and when most of my productive thinking happens. Sometimes it's my zen meditation kind of time, but I'm not zen enough to dismiss the wayward thoughts when they start taking shape into a good storyline. I like to follow them down the path and see if they turn into something.

Where do you get your inspirations from? And How do you make the most of it when you get an idea for a story?

Do you rush to the computer and start writing? Make an outline? Open a new document and just start with Chapter One?Or do you jot the thoughts and character descriptions down on scraps of paper, a specific notebook, the back of cocktail napkins at the bar?

Thinking about Inspiration and our Muses doesn't "jinx it" - it helps open us up to be receptive to it. Having a game plan for what to do when you get a good idea also help the idea to stay alive in your head. (Think about how many cool ideas you've had for books that are gone now because you didn't flesh it out for yourself at the time.)

Where do you get your inspirations? And how do you keep them from fading away?

* ~ * ~ * ~ * 

Don't forget to sign up for my TRICK OR TREAT BLOG HOP, coming up at the end of the month!

For details and Linky Link sign ups, click HERE.

New Release: DAKOTA CAPTIVE by Alythia Brown

Today I'm excited to introduce you to a new author and her exciting new paranormal romance, DAKOTA CAPTIVE.

About the Book:

When the evil spirit of Jumlin returns with his army of Offspring, the Earth Spirits are summoned to protect the Sioux. Unbeknownst to Charli, these Earth Spirits are a sacred secret. So she probably shouldn't have spied from behind a rock when they shifted from their animal forms. She shouldn't have taken pictures. And she definitely shouldn't have gotten caught. And they're not going to let her go until some creepy witch doctor, or something, erases her memory.

So all she has to do is try to keep her big mouth shut, get her memory erased and go home, right? Wrong. Because Jumlin's Offspring are stalking Charli. And since no one can explain this unusual behavior, it becomes imperative to enter the Other World for sanctuary. Now if only she can figure out why she's beginning to fall for one of her abductors on top of everything else...

Sounds intriguing, right? I can't wait to read this one. And now, a little Q&A with the author, Alythia Brown!

1. Give a brief bio and tell us what kind of books you like to read and write.

Hi everyone! I'm an author, wife, and mom who lives in Northern California. I typically read fantasy but I'm not against picking up something new that sparks my interest in the bookstore or library. I would eventually love to branch out into different genres but, for now, I've only published fantasy works. Something about being able to create a new world with exotic rules is especially fun for me. 

2. What's your favorite part of being an author?

Holding a book and knowing that I not only created the contents but managed to get it in print! I used to staple my drawings together as a kid and call them books. I think I've always secretly wanted to be an author.

3. What's your approach to writing? Do you plot or go with the flow? 

I always start writing the first few chapters in a journal with no plot in mind. I just "listen" to what's happening in the beginning of the story. If I decide it's something I want to pursue, I transfer it all over to my computer and use the journal for brainstorming notes and plot diagrams. 

4. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? 

When I was little, I would have said I wanted to fly. Which, granted, would still be awesome. But, with three small kids and a husband around, I think I would love the power to twitch my nose and instantly make a room clean, like Samantha from Bewitched. Then I wouldn't waste extra time on tedious housework! 

5. Tell us about your new release, DAKOTA CAPTIVE

Charli is a teenage girl who finds herself held prisoner by four Lakota Earth Spirits who are pretty upset that she has witnessed their sacred secret. The day she hid behind that boulder and watched as four animals shifted into people was not only disturbing but apparently reason enough to become a kidnap victim. Their plan is to take her to Pale Horse, the shaman who can erase her memory, but the group hits some bumps along the way. For instance, Jumlin, the demon prowling the Earth in the form of a man, is extremely interested in Charli.

6. Okay, you’re casting the movie version of your novel – who would you choose for the main characters? We’re talking dream cast.

I can honestly say I do not have names to fill this dream cast. I think I would rather find passionate, undiscovered actors whose faces aren't already associated with other roles.

7. Where can readers find your book and where can they find you online?

You can find me and my book in some of these places:

Alythia's Website

Dakota Captive in Print  Barnes and Noble and Amazon

Dakota Captive for Kindle

About the Author:

Alythia Brown was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area where she now lives with her husband and their three small children. She found her inspiration to write Dakota Captive after traveling to North Dakota to return an authentic peace pipe to the Sioux Natives. The artifact had been picked up after the Massacre of Wounded Knee in 1890, and eventually ended up in the hands of one of her ancestors—who, in turn, told everyone it was a wagon spoke. Alythia is the author of two short stories, published in the Mertales anthology, and she aspires to publish many more books for children, teens and young adults.

Get Ready for a Trick-or-Treat Blog Hop!

Get Ready - Get Set - Trick-or-Treat!

My 2013 Blog Hop is ready for sign ups - two days of blogging fun with lots of cool authors and bloggers, and prizes to be found at all the different sites! It's like Trick-or-Treating in the blogosphere!

The idea is to go from blog to blog, ring the virtual doorbell, and see what prizes are in store for you!

And now is the time for authors and bloggers to sign up to play! Here's how:

1. Enter your name in the Linky Tool below - sign ups start today and close October 27.

2. Have your post ready and scheduled by Wednesday, October 30th. Blog about anything Halloween - your favorite scary books, movies, characters, costumes, party ideas, drink recipes...

3. Steal the blog hop badge and paste it onto your blog site to let your readers know it's coming up!

4. Think up a fun prize/giveaway to offer - an ebook, some swag, something Halloween-y... it doesn't have to be big. And make sure to let people know how to enter to win - comment, like your FB page, sign up for your newsletter, etc. It's up to you!

5. Talk it up on Facebook and Twitter - the more trick-or-treating visitors, the more fun for all!

6. Trick-or-treating will start October 30 through Halloween night. Make sure to visit other blogs and play along!

7. Prize winners should be announced on individual blogs by November 2nd.

That's it! Now, sign up and let's get ready to

Trick-or-Treat!

Cover Reveal: DROWNING by Rachel Firasek

 I'm so excited to be part of today's Cover Reveal virtual party for Rachel Firasek and her upcoming release, DROWNING. * Yea! * Confetti and champagne all around!

Now, being that I'm a mermaid kind of author, you might think this is another mermaid kind of book. You would be wrong. Rachel means a different kind of drowning altogether - check out this cover and book blurb...

"I dare you."

Those words would change adrenaline junkie, Alice Harrison's life forever. She's a party girl that doesn't believe in love until she meets a man that only writes about it.

Seth James escaped his overbearing father and moved into one of the James family's vacant condos, hoping to create the music he loves in peace. But the fragile calm he's envisioned shatters when a tiny woman with a world full of energy bounces out of the elevator and nearly takes him out.

With the patience of a saint, Seth seeks the dark that keeps Alice from enjoying life. He challenges her to exorcise the demons in her past in order to discover the true meaning of love. But when the walls fall down, the hidden deceptions will bare the ugly truth about a woman drowning in sorrow and a man who may not know how to be her hero.

OOh, sounds interesting, right? The book releases on November 5th, but I'm going to add it to my TBR list on Goodreads right now! You can too - Add the book on Goodreads here:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668038-drowning

There's also a Rafflecopter giveaway, starting today and running through the end of the month! Rachel will be giving away 3 swag gifts, 2 $100 gift cards(!!!) and 10 ARC ebooks of  DROWNING. (Again, I'm entering NOW!! Pick me, Rachel!!) The Rafflecopter is at the end of this post, or visit Rachel's blog to enter there. Either way, I want one of those ARCs!

About the Author:

Rachel Firasek spends her days daydreaming of stories and her nights putting the ideas to ink. She has spent a dull life following the rules, meeting deadlines, and toeing the line, but in her made up worlds, she can let the wild side loose. Her wonderful husband and three children support her love of the written word and only ask for the occasional American Idol or Swamp People quality hour.

She has a philosophy about love. It must devastate or it isn't truly worth loving. She hopes that you all find your devastating love and cling to it with all your heart!

You can meet her at:

https://www.facebook.com/RachelFirasekAuthor
https://twitter.com/RachelFirasek
http://www.rachelfirasek.com
http://www.rachelfirasek.blogspot.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway