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Friday, June 28, 2013

It's official - I'm getting Published!!!!

Today Pandamoon Publishing made the official announcement!
I am officially their newest author and opening a new Genre in the Pandamoon Family!

I'm so excited!!!!

So here's all the information that lead to this fantastic point in my life!

In March, Twitter held a #pitmad party - standing for pitch madness. In this party you post a pitch for your manuscript in 140 characters. I admit I had never limited my pitch down to two sentences before, but after watching people post for over half an hour I thought "You know, if I don't at least put something out there, I will regret not having participated in some small degree" so I did.

I admit that I thought my pathetic little pitch did not portray my book well at all - but within 2 minutes I had a request to see my query and 5 pages. That's when I panicked. I had participated because I didn't think anything would actually happen and I just wanted to say "I was part of that event"
Not only that, but I actually had a few other bites too.

I jumped on facebook and begged - yes literally begged - several people to look over my MS and make it look good. Then I sent it off to all those who had requested it.

Several weeks later, to my complete astonishment, I was asked for a full manuscript!

I panicked again, sent it out to all my beta readers, pulled long hours with little sleep to edit it to perfection, and sent it out. Then I waited and crossed my fingers and hoped

When I received the Email from Zara Kramer at Pandamoon I actually glanced at the first line, that showed up on my phone, and instantly dismissed it, not taking in the words, and thinking it was from someone that I needed to reply to later.

About 10 minutes later my brain kicked into action and I realized that what I had read was not something to ignore, and was not just a regular email that could be pushed off. It read "Congratulations on a great novel! The acquisition team voted to move forward with your book. I'd like to set up a conference call ..."

I started shaking! Then I read it again and opened the email fully to finish reading it. Then I kind of freaked out. I ran in and woke up my husband by saying "Babe, I need you to wake up right now!"
He, of course, thought something was wrong and was saying stuff like, "What happened? What's wrong?"
I made him sit up and I put my phone, with the email on it, in front of his face and told him to read it out loud because I wasn't sure it said what I thought it said.

It did! :)

He read the first part (as posted above) and stopped, grinned and tackled me in a huge hug! "You did it! It's going to be published!" he yelled. Meanwhile, it had finally hit me and I started crying! Yup, lots of tears and laughter and more tears!

Needless to say that for the next several hours I was up in the air, calling a few people, replying to the email, crying some more, and calling a few more people (mostly family and only 1 very good friend). Also following up with the other places that had my manuscript as well.

So, after a wonderful conference call with Zara Kramer, I considered everything and decided that they really would be a great company to work with. So I went for it and got to work: looking over a contract and discussing thing with my lawyer. Already Pandamoon has been fantastic to work with - answering all my questions and negotiating the contract to everyone's satisfaction. I couldn't be more pleased. Several weeks later, I officially signed the contract!


I'm so excited for this new stage of my journey to begin.

What am I doing now? I'm editing, of course! And I'm working on a new novel as well - I talk about it in an interview posted by Jackson Baer, aslso a Pandamoon Author. (Read the interview here)

Thanks to everyone who helped me get my manuscript to this stage! Thanks for everyone who will continue to help me as I continue on this journey.

Being an author is a continual process - as I'm discovering. I'm always learning and progressing. So as always, I am An Author in Progress and I'm excited to share my experiences with you all!

Rebecca Lamoreaux


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

A Lady and A Spy

Recently I ran across this book, A Lady and A Spy, by Ranee S. Clark, and I just had to read it. It seemed so intriguing to me. So after the wonderful and talented Ms. Clark allowed me a copy to review, I devoured it - quite literally. So here is a little taste for all of you as well:


Book Blurb:
Blanche Audley's old-fashioned grandfather cut off her mother after she married Thomas Audley and his millions of "new money," and for the last ten years since her parents' deaths, Blanche has lived under the gloom of his disappointment. So when she recklessly loses a thousand dollars to Etta Channing in a game of baccarat, she will do anything to keep her foolish actions from him. Except he oversees every penny she spends of the wealth her father left her, leaving her no way of paying the debt without his knowledge. Until Etta offers her a deal.
Alexander Whealdon, one of the most eligible bachelors in town, needs a companion to shepherd his younger sister through her first season. Etta wants Blanche to take the position and use it to infiltrate the household and pass along information that will help Etta get her hooks into the reserved Mr. Whealdon. It seems like an easy way to pay off the debt and save face at the same time. But the more Blanche sees of Mr. Whealdon's playful side, not to mention his surprising generosity, the less she wants to help Etta win him over.
Backing out means humiliating herself and disappointing both her grandfather and Mr. Whealdon, not to mention losing Miss Whealdon's trust and friendship, but if she goes through with her promise to Etta, she will lose what might be her last chance for love.

My Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the plot was well thought out and had some unexpected twists that not only caught me by surprise, but really added depth to the story. The characters were engaging and likable. They were well written and had distinct personalities. I found myself laughing, horror struck, grinning like a fool, and hopeless at different times in the book. I was impressed with the author's voice and style.
Very well written! I would easily suggest this book to anyone who enjoys a historical romance, or anyone who doesn't know they like that genre but wants to try it out.



About the author:
Ranee and her personal superhero, her husband, live in Wyoming where they are raising three future super-villains. When she's not breaking up impromptu UFC fights in her living room or losing to one of her sons at Uno, she loves to read and write. She has a bachelors degree in history that is probably useless, but she had a lot of fun earning it. She blogs about writing, reading, and editing at http://raneesclark.blogspot.com.










Contest:
Ranee is having a contest to give away some free stuff! Click here and enter today!

Links:
Find this book at:
Goodreads
Amazon

And Follow Ranee at:
http://raneesclark.blogspot.com
@RaneeSClark






Friday, June 21, 2013

Monique Bucheger

Monique Bucheger is revealing the new covers of her books!

I've read all three books and really enjoyed what I was reading so I'm going to share them here for everyone else.



Please read my reviews of each of these great books!
The Secret Sister's Club here
Trouble blows West here
Simply West of Heaven here
These books are great and I would recommend them to anyone! Talk about family, dealing with issues in the preteen years, and about friendships. I really enjoyed them!

Author bio:

Monique Bucheger was born in Landstuhl, Germany to active duty Air Force parents. After watching her creative writing teacher's astronaut son lift off in the Space Shuttle Endeavor, she recalled a promise to her teacher to write the books only she could write. In January of 2011, her first book made it through the first 3 tiers of Amazon's National BreakThrough Novel Award Contest to the top 5%. In November of 2012 Mrs. Bucheger was offered a 3 book contract for her Ginnie West series. Book one: THE SECRET SISTERS CLUB: A Ginnie West Adventure was published March 8, 2012. Her second book: TROUBLE BLOWS WEST: A Ginnie West Adventure was published April 14, 2012. 
Mrs. Bucheger has championed the cause of children as a foster parent to over 120 children and her books embrace and empower people on all sides of the child abuse issue.


Monique is also offering a great deal where you can buy her book and get several books for free or at .99 each.

People buy SIMPLY WEST OF HEAVEN through this link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AVOYI5S/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=httpmoniquebu-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B00AVOYI5S&adid=10X8RZ9BKSQ9500R48FC&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fmoniquebucheger.blogspot.com%2Fp%2Fbook-bomb-june-20th.html 

And then go here:  http://moniquebucheger.blogspot.com/p/book-bomb-june-20th.html and read the instructions and click on the Book Bomb poster. This will take them to a site where they leave their email address and the confirmation receipt number so I can forward all the links for the free and nearly free books. They enter the info and I send the links. Please connect to her link here for more information. Also don't forget to  enter the Rafflecopter  here on Monique's page where she will be giving away some great stuff!





Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Meet the author: Jackson Baer

Today on my blog I interviewed author Jackson Baer!



Jackson is the author of upcoming literary suspense, "The Earth Bleeds Red" which will be published this fall 2013. He is a fiction writer in the literary fiction genre with blends of mystery, suspense, and even a few thrills. Previously, he had a theology/philosophy book published entitled "What the Hell?" He is currently working on a literary psychological thriller called "The Lights Will Never Fade."

So today I asked Jackson some fun questions about himself and his upcoming novel.
Enjoy!

What inspired your book?
Probably the hundreds of crime shows I've watched with my wife, mixed with all the literary suspense novels I've read. My biggest inspiration has been Joyce Carol Oates.


How do you spend your free time?
I love going to the park with the kids and playing outside with them too. Whenever I can go on a date with my wife, that's a good thing :) I like sports, running (though not nearly enough), and of course writing. Also, I love to read!




What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you
defeat it?
I guess finding the time to write as much as I need to is my biggest challenge. I sneak in short times throughout the day when possible, even if it's only ten or fifteen minutes. I dedicate my nights to writing, after everyone has gone to sleep.


If you could spend a day inside a book, which book would it be and why?

THEM by Joyce Carol Oates. It's my favorite book and I would love to just follow the characters around as they experience all the downfalls of life.


When did you first realize you were an author?
When I decided to write THE EARTH BLEEDS RED, I decided that I would be an author. I suppose I truly felt like an author the day I signed my publishing contract. That was a pretty cool day.


If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main character roles?
I'd go with Mark Ruffalo and Keri Russell as the husband and wife. They just seem like they would fit well :)



What kind of music do you listen to while you write?
I like a mixture of different music from Florence and the Machine (live) to Blink 182.


What is your favorite part of writing?
My favorite part is creating this entirely different world and then I dream about the characters inside them. They feel so real.


What is your writing snack of choice?
Chocolate donuts, unfortunately.


If you could go out to lunch with any literary character, who would it be?
Janie from THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston.


Which of your personality traits did you write into you characters?
(Deliberately or accidentally)
Scott, in THE EARTH BLEEDS RED, is a lot like me. He has the same love for his family and the same doubts and struggles with God.


Thank you Jackson for letting us all get to know a bit more about you!
To find out more about Jackson or to see his work, click on any of the links below

Links:
www.JacksonPaulBaer.com 
www.facebook.com/JacksonPaulBaer
twitter.com/JacksonPaulBaer
www.goodreads.com/JacksonPaulBaer

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Waiting Fate

Today I am featuring author W.B. Kinnette, author of "Waiting Fate."



Having read some of her previous work, and being impressed by her work, I was really excited when this book was published.

To get to know a bit more about this author, I sent her a few questions. Here are her fun answers:

What inspired your book?
Waiting Fate is based on the true story of how my adorable husband and I met!
How do you spend your free time?
Free time? What is this free time you speak of? Actually, if I do have free time, I love to read. We go camping as a family, and I love watching my kids play sports.
What literary character do you most relate to?
I really like Tris in the Divergent series. She’s small, quiet, shy, but when she needs to, she can do anything. I really love that about her.
What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you defeat it?
Finding time. I have three kids and I can’t write if I’m going to be interrupted. My poor little brain just doesn’t work that way. So I write at night after they’re in bed, but I’m not a night owl. So you can see why time is a problem.
If you could spend a day inside a book, which book would it be and why?
Harry Potter! Oh my goodness that world is so amazing. I would give anything to spend a day in those books! They are my all-time favorite books.
When did you first realize you were an author?
I now have two books released and another scheduled for August, and I still feel like I’m a little kid playing pretend. I’m not sure if I’ll ever feel like a real author.
If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main character roles?
Alyssa Milano would play Ivy. Archer would be Hugh Jackman (pretend they’re the same age).
What kind of music do you listen to while you write?
I don’t. I need quiet. If there’s music, TV, children, dogs barking…I pretty much go nuts and my brain explodes.
What is your favorite part of writing?
Seeing the daydreams and memories in my head come to life for other people. Sharing these stories that rattle around in my brain is the best thing ever.
What is your writing snack of choice?
Pepsi and gold fish. I can live without the gold fish, but the Pepsi is mandatory.
If you could go out to lunch with any literary character, who would it be?
Hmm. I had to give this one a lot of thought! I think there are two, because they’re inseparable. Nev and Livi from Feudlings, because they are so much fun and have so much energy.
Which of your personality traits did you write into your characters? (Deliberately or accidentally)
Ivy is very self-conscious, as I am. She’s not sure of herself, she’s trying to find her way, she feels like all her mistakes are written on the outside for everyone to see.
W.B. Kinnette was born and raised in Utah, the baby of the family and spoiled rotten. She lived briefly in Texas and Alaska before coming back to raise her family only a few miles from her childhood home. She’s loved writing since she was small, because daydreams demand to be written down. She believes that dreams must be chased, if only so she can tell her children honestly that dreams do come true if you work hard enough – and never give up!

Thanks, W.B. Kinnette for letting me do this interview! Go check out her new book and enjoy a great story! Buy it at Amazon HERE
BACK COVER BLURB:
Sometimes Fate hides in plain sight while you stumble through darkness.

Ivy escapes from an abusive husband, finding peace with her daughter in her childhood home. She’s determined to keep her past a secret to protect those she loves.

Archer has been in love with the same girl since seventh grade. When Ivy comes back into his life—bruised, broken, and haunted by secrets—he knows he can’t lose her again.

But Ivy made a promise to her daughter. No one would hurt them again. She’s afraid to trust, afraid to be wrong again, and afraid that the one man she’s loved forever will break her heart.

Fate might take its time, but it won’t wait forever.

BOOK EXERPT:
As he walked her to her door, she slid her small fingers into his, and he ran his thumb across the back of her hand. The night was cool. At the door she turned, smiling up at him. “Thank you Archer. It was… fun.”
He couldn’t see clearly, but he could swear she was smirking. Yeah, you blew your chance. Way to go. So he hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist, like he’d done a hundred other times before. They were a huggy group.
He was surprised when she rose on her toes and slid her arms around his neck, holding tight like he was a lifeline. He pulled back, just a bit, hoping but afraid to hope as he searched her eyes. They sparkled, just a bit, and then she leaned forward, closing the gap between them and brushing her lips against his.
Time stopped. The world stopped and he froze in shock. It took him several seconds to realize what was happening, and then he kissed her back, holding her tight against him. He could feel her heart racing, matching his. When she relinquished his lips, he sucked in a breath, struggling to breathe. “I’ve wanted to do that since high school,” he muttered, almost without realizing it.  


Get to know more about this wonderful Author at any of the links below:


Twitter: @wbkinnette

Saturday, June 1, 2013

The Dream Keeper

I was really impressed with the book The Dream Keeper by Mikey Brooks.

"Dreams: Dorothy called it Oz, Alice called it Wonderland, but Nightmares call it HOME."




Blurb:
Loser—the most frightening word to ever be uttered in middle school. Even the coolest kids are afraid of being associated with it. 14-year-old Parker Bennett is no exception. He can’t even be himself around his friends for fear they might not accept who he really is. When circumstances force him to team up with Kaelyn Clarke, the biggest loser in the ninth grade, Parker has to decide what is more important; protecting his social status or saving the world. Nightmare named Fyren has taken over the gateway to the realm of Dreams, with the intention of controlling mortals, and it falls on Parker, Kaelyn, and Gladamyr – the Dream Keeper – to stop him. They learn being called a loser is no longer a fear, when compared to the terror of real nightmares.

Review:
I admit to being a bit leary at first, as this story is told from three different perspectives, but I was surprised to find how easy it was to follow and how quickly the story pulled me in. I found myself reading it at odd times during meetings and when I should have been sleeping. The characters were engaging and very real. It was easy to fear the villains and cheer on the heroes as the characters came to life on the page.
The idea was new and fun, bringing in twists, turns, and characters I had not expected but was delighted with once I encountered them. Mikey did a great job of not only engaging us in this story, but in setting up for the sequel. I'm eager to see how the characters continue their quest in the next book. Through their adventure the characters taught the value of being true to yourself and to those you love, which I really appreciated. I would easily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a YA fantasy.

Bio:

Mikey Brooks is a small child masquerading as adult. On occasion you’ll find him dancing the funky chicken, singing like a banshee, and pretending to have never grown up. He is the author/illustrator of several books including BEAN’S DRAGONS, the ABC ADVENTURES series, and author of the middle-grade fantasy-adventure novel, THE DREAM KEEPER. He spends most of his time playing with his daughters and working as a freelance illustrator. Mikey has a BS degree in Creative Writing from Utah State University. He is also one of the hosts of the Authors’ Think Tank Podcast.



EMAIL:

AUTHOR LINKS:
Twitter as: @writtenbymikey

BOOK LINKS:
Paperback Create Space: https://www.createspace.com/4260677