Painting Rain Blog Tour HTML

Painting Rain by Annette K. Larsen

How do you heal your heart after tragedy leaves you broken? When the person you loved didn’t deserve it and they can’t earn your forgiveness because they’re already dead? How do you move on, and heal, and love?

If you’re Princess Lorraina, you paint. A year ago Lorraina watched Tobias die, and she still doesn't know how she's supposed to heal—or forgive. How can she when she’s still running away? In an attempt to reinvent herself, she steps outside her comfortable life as princess and seeks the tutelage of a master painter—a man who is not at all impressed by her pedigree, and demands not just talent, but emotional honesty. Struggling to learn what’s being taught, she finds herself drawn to someone who not only knows her secrets, but who she once considered far below her notice. Now she is compelled to seek him out despite knowing their relationship would be forbidden if discovered. Staying away from him doesn’t seem possible when discovering him may be the key to healing her heart and rediscovering herself.

 

Blog Tour Sale!!
Grab a copy of Just Ella for 99 cents!

 Author Annette K. Larsen 

 I was born in Utah, but grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona and St. Louis, Missouri, the fifth of seven children. I attended Southern Virginia University and Brigham Young University, where I studied English and Theater. I now live in Idaho with my husband and four children. I have Charlotte Brontë to thank for the courage to write novels. After being bombarded with assigned reading about women who justified abandoning either their families or their principles in the name of love, I had the great fortune of reading Jane Eyre. And that was it: finally, a heroine who understood that being moral and making the right choice was hard, and sometimes it hurt, but it was still worth it. After rereading it several years later, I realized that if I wanted more books to exist with the kinds of heroines I admired, then I might as well write a few myself. My books are about women who face hard choices, who face pain and rejection and often have to face the reality of sacrificing what they want for what is right. The consequences are often difficult or unpleasant, but in the end, doing what’s right will always be worth it. I believe there is no substitute for good writing or good chocolate. Fortunately, one often leads to the other.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blog Tour Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Code or Paypal Cash 

Ends 3/31/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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If We Were a Movie HTML

My website was moved to a new server yesterday and it is not currently loading. I'm simply using blogger to create a HTML for a couple of blog posts.    

If We Were a Movie by Kelly Oram (Power of the Matchmaker #3) Music meets Movies in this sweet college romance from the bestselling author of Cinder & Ella. NYU freshman Nate Anderson is a triplet who is desperate to escape his wild and crazy brothers. After they screw things up for him one too many times, Nate flees his housing situation and takes the first available room for rent as far from his brothers as he can get. Enter his new roommate Jordan--a quirky LA girl who believes that everything in life has already been done in the movies. In this heartfelt tale of love, friendship and family, Nate learns how to deal with his new adult life using Hollywood films as a guide.

 

What readers just like you are saying about If We Were a Movie:

"WOW! This book is great! The concept is so inventive, and the writing is brilliant."

"I thought Cinder & Ella jerked with my emotions too much but this one might have it beat."

"I finished reading If We Were a Movie yesterday. I loved it! I fell hard for Nate. Jordan was amazing! And Pearl's timing was perfect! "

"Amazing concept with movies as chapters, and fantastic storyline." "I loved this story and was humming along to the songs from the book whilst reading. I can see this book becoming the movie it was written to be." "If We Were a Movie made me want to binge watch movies, listen to old playlists and re-read it all at once."

TEASER: “So this is what a Pearl-approved guy looks like.” She shook her head once and cracked a smile. “She’s got good taste, I’ll give her that. You’re an odd mix of sexy and adorable. Don’t see that often.”

I was a little taken aback by the compliment, if that’s even what it was. She may have just been stating what she considered to be fact. She laughed at my surprise and held out her hand to me. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jordan Kramer.”

I’d been afraid of that. “You’re a girl.”

Jordan laughed. “That’s what it says on my birth certificate, but I’m really glad you were able to figure it out without needing to read it.”

Nope. I definitely didn’t need that.

 TEASER: I handed Jordan the electric guitar that I’ve had since I was twelve, and laughed when her eyes got really big. “You play the electric guitar, too?” “Music major,” I teased, picking up my keyboard. “I play this, too. A little. And the bass guitar.” “Awesome.” She examined the electric guitar with awe. “Why do you seem so surprised?” She looked at me as if the answer to that question should be obvious. “Hello. Have you met yourself? You with an acoustic guitar singing soft songs around a campfire or in a coffee house makes perfect sense. But I can’t picture you up on a stage, jamming on your electric guitar like a rock star.” She studied me a moment, then shook her head. “You’ll have to play for me, or I’m not going to believe it.”

 

Author Kelly Oram

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.

 

   

Don't miss the latest news from Kelly Oram! Sign up for her newsletter to receive e-mail notifications for all of her new releases, events, sales, & giveaways. This is a monthly newsletter often with exclusive giveaways and freebies from some of her favorite authors.

         

Giveaway

Signed copies of V is for Virgin & A is for Abstinence (1 winner, 2 books)

Open Internationally

Ends 3/18/16

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We've Moved!!

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FREE - The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson

The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Renee Anderson

Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town’s charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out. Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it’s up to the viewers–not her–to decide which bachelors stay or go.

Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke’s good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. Unfortunately, Luke’s an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she’s up to, it means revenge.

Grab a copy for FREE on Amazon!

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3 Years & Counting...

Today it has been 3 year since I started this blog.  However I am transferred this blog to Wordpress and am now blogging at http://iamareader.com

Stop by to enter my 3 year Blogoversary Giveaway:
http://www.iamareader.com/2013/06/i-am-a-reader-not-a-writers-3rd-blogoversary-giveaway.html

Cover Reveal Giveaway: Working It Out by Rachael Anderson

The cover for Rachael Anderson's newest book has just been released.  To celebrate enter to win a $25 gift card or paypal cash!!

Author Rachael Renee Anderson

Rachael Anderson is the author of four books: Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, Minor Adjustments, and The Reluctant Bachelorette. She's the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Blog * Facebook * Twitter

Working It Out
A chance encounter . . . 
Grace Warren's life is safe and predictable—exactly the way she likes it. But when she gets roped into going to an auction to help out a friend, everything changes. She meets Seth Tuttle—a guy who unexpectedly kisses her then disappears, leaving her flustered and upset. If she never sees him again, it will be too soon.

A chance for love . . . 
Weeks later, when Seth limps into Grace's rehab clinic post surgery, she immediately recognizes him. Unfortunately, he's every bit as frustrating and annoying as she remembered. Yet there's something about him that makes her second-guess her carefully placed boundaries even though he's everything she's sure she doesn't want in a man. But maybe Seth is exactly what Grace has needed all along—assuming she's willing to risk safe and predictable for a chance at love.

Giveaway Details
Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/31/13


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I'm still working on the HTML code for those who would like to post this cover & giveaway to be entered to win an additional $25. If you want to go ahead and post now you can grab the rafflecopter here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MGEwMDk2ODM4YmEyM2MyMzNmNmEwNjhkYWFjNGMwOjkwNA==/

Then Enter your link here:
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4 Weeks After the Move....

I'm still getting used to Wordpress but overall I'm glad I made the switch.  Be sure to visit the new site as that is where all new posts are now at.

http://www.iamareader.com

New Wordpress Site is Now Live

My transfer to Wordpress is done!  3418 posts were imported to the new blog.  However due to the size of the import I opted to leave the 25,000+ comments on this blogger blog and not import them to wordpress.  All new comments on the Wordpress site will be approved assuming they are not spam.

I'm not done designing and updating the wordpress blog but I have a good start on it.

This will be one of the lasts posts that goes up on this blog http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com.

From here on out please visit http://www.iamareader.com for new posts.  Please be aware it can take up to 72 hours for your internet provider to find the new site.  If you get an error message check back because it should be up soon.

Please be aware I still have a lot of work to do when it comes to updating links.  Wordpress uses a different permalink system so there will likely be a lot of 404 error pages for a while.

Kiss of Fire by Rebecca Ethington - Interview & Kindle Giveaway

Author Rebecca Ethington

Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then in stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn't found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.

Twitter * Facebook * Website

INTERVIEW

What inspired you to want to become a writer? 

My Grandfather. I have always told stories, mostly to my grandmother who only gave books as presents and owned a bookstore. My granfather lives several states away and when talking to him, he mentioned about how much my grandmother used to enjoy my stories. So, I sat down and wrote Kiss of Fire as a present for his 93rd birthday.

What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen? 

Sideways Stories from Wayside School as a child, Angelas Ashes as a teen, and Playing the Jack as an adult. It's weird how each book really mirrors what I was going through in my life at the time. Crazy kid, troubled teen, and self identifying adult.

If you could choose only one time period and place to live, when and where would you live and why? 

I met my husband when we were both volunteering at a living history museum close to our home. So, we only knew each other as wearing clothing from the 1860's and speaking with weird accents. We only 'dated' at work, so the first time he saw me in regular clothes, I showed up in overalls and his jaw dropped. I guess overalls aren't sexy. But because of that I would gladly go back to the 1860's at least for a little while.

What's the best advice anyone has ever given you? 

Do what you love, because you love it.

How do you react to a bad review? 

I'm an odd one. I grew up in theatre, performing on stage. So, bad reviews are part of my life. But because I grew up with them when I get one I always look at them critically. How can I fix it? How can I do better next time? With the original cover for Kiss of Fire we only got bad reviews. I don't think anyone liked it. So, I changed it. If you hear a bad review once its not something to worry about, but if you hear it more then 3 times, it something you need repair either now or in the future. It's all part of becoming better at what you are doing.

You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy? 

Pay off debt. Clothes. When the economy dived my family was hit hard, we even lived out of our car for a while. It would be awesome if I could buy nice clothes for myself. But I also worry. If I buy clothes the chances are very VERY high that I would become a clothes snob. But, I am not really sure that would be a bad thing. :)

How did you celebrate the sale of your first book? 

I kinda danced around the house for a bit. I think my girls thought I had gone crazy.

Favorite smell? 

I performed at the same theatre for about five years, and behind that theatre was a coffee roasters. That 'burnt cookie' smell of coffee roasting will always be one of my favorites. It reminds me of long nights and early morning, of laughter and creativity, and friends. That smell reminds me of everything I grew up loving in my life.

How did you go about publishing your book? 

I never actually intended to publish Kiss of Fire. It was really meant only as a gift. My sister actually dared me to do it, so I did. I would have never guessed it would have gotten this kind of response. Even though publishing wasn't my first intent, I am glad I did it.

If you could ask any author (alive or dead) one question, who would it be and what question would you ask? 
I'm not sure it's a question. But I would like to tell JK Rowling Thank you. The Harry Potter series are the only books my brother has ever read, and my grandmothers favorite series. Sadly, she was never able to finish them. Other then that, I'm not sure. I am probably way to shy to ask them any questions anyway.

Do you like the spotlight or lurking in the shadows? 
Totally lurking in the shadows. Even when I was performing full time I would use a stage name and never go out to meet the audience. I always joked that if this book went crazy I would wear glasses and do my hair all crazy so that people would never know what I really looked like.

How do you go about revising/editing? 
I have a 'team' of nine beta readers and one really amazing editor. I send the book to three beta readers at a time and then make any changes before it goes to the next group. Once it's made it through all the beta's it goes to my editor. Total process takes about 3-4 months.

How many books are in your TRB pile? 
A lot - far too many. When I write I focus on writing so all my TBR books get forgotten. I have a few weeks before I start working on Scorched Treachery - So, I am hoping to get through about 10 of them.

What makes your novel standout from the crowd? 
Personally, I am not sure. But all the reviews have been coming in saying how real the emotion is. I write like I would perform the scenes if they were being enacted on stage. I want my characters motivations to be real, there personalities to be consistent. I have written scripts for stage performance for years, I guess I just elaborated on that skill.

Fanfition - Love it or Hate it? Have your ever written it? 
This is going to be the weirdest answer ever. I am not necasserily a fan... but that being said. I have also written it. Don't judge me. It was ten years ago, I was 19 and I collected Rainbow Brite dolls, so I wrote a terrible Rainbow Brite fan fiction. It's actually pretty embarrassing to admit that. lol

Do your friends or enemies ever find themselves in your books?  
As a writer you draw of what you know. But being a performer I also took notes from characters I have seen my friends, or that I, have performed on stage over the years. I take pieces and mix them up to create individuals that I think would be interesting roles to play, or fascinating characters to watch on stage or screen. So lots of different bits of the characters are taken from people I know... but don't tell them that.

About how long does it take to write a book? 
I wrote Kiss of Fire in 17 days. I thought it was a fluke, but then I wrote Eyes of Ember in about 22... I guess I just write really fast. 

This or That

TV or Movies? Movies

Night owl, or early bird? I have kids... so both
Print or Ebook? I thought I would hate it, but I love my kindle.
Coke or Pepsi? Ew.
Horror or Romance? Romance
Action or Drama? Action
Summer or Winter? Summer
City or Country? Country
Harry Potter or Twilight? Harry Potter
Gum or Breath Mints? Gun
PC or Mac? Mac
Beach or Pool? Beach
Shoes or Sandals? Shoes
Cats or Dog? Dog
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook
Truth or Dare? Dare
Text or Talk? Talk

Kiss of Fire

Joclyn Despain has a scar. In fact, it is almost like a brand on her skin. She doesn’t know why it appeared on her neck, but she doesn’t want anyone to see it, including her best friend Ryland, who knows everything else about her. The scar is the reason she hides herself behind baggy clothes, and won’t let the idea of kissing Ryland enter her mind, no matter how much she wants to.

The scar is the reason she is being hunted.

If only she knew that she was.

If only she had known that the cursed stone her estranged father sent for her 16th birthday would trigger a change in her. Now, she is being stalked by a tall blonde man, and is miraculously throwing her high school bully ten feet in the air.

Joclyn attempts to find some answers and the courage to follow her heart. When Ryland finds her scar; but he knows what it means, and who will kill her because of it.

Amazon

Kindle Fire Giveaway

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Hoppy Easter Giveaway - The Waiting Booth, Necklace & Gift Card

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop

March 29th to April 5th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Read Now Sleep Later

My Giveaway
An autographed print copy of The Waiting Booth, a custom necklace & $10 Amazon Gift Card.
Open to US only.

The Waiting Booth by Brinda Berry

A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal... Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High-find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia's drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it's no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia's secrets, she begins to wonder if there's more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him...

Purchase:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Praise for The Waiting Booth:
"The book kept me on the edge of my seat with its perfect balance of teenaged angst, interdimensional portals, and a fractured family."
~ Author Christine Ashworth

"The description was so good I could easily see things as they happened...like a movie playing in my mind as I read. I just love Regulus. He's my kind of hero for sure."
~ Author Lynn Rush

Author Brinda Berry

Brinda Berry lives in the southern US with her family and two spunky cairn terriers. She has a BSE in English and French and a MEd in Learning Systems Technology. She's terribly fond of chocolate, coffee, and books that take her away from reality. She doesn't mind being called a geek or “crazy dog lady”. When she's not working the day job or writing a novel, she's guilty of surfing the internet for no good reason.

Links:

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter 

Goodreads * Youtube * Google+

The Waiting Booth Book Trailer:

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Each of these blogs is hosting a giveaway as part of his hop. 

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Class Collision: Fall From Grace by Annette Mackey - Interview & Giveaway

Welcome to Author Annette Mackey

Annette Mackey, B.A. Music, Brigham Young University, is an accomplished musician and writer. Her works include three novels, a number of short stories, two full length musical plays, and a vast number of musical compositions. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho with her husband and children.

Website * Twitter

INTERVIEW

140 Characters or less Tweet about your book. 

What if you didn't know your boyfriend was worth millions. CLASS COLLISION, a love story when everything else fails.

Do you write as you go or do you have the book all planned out from page 1? 

I almost always have the book completed in my head before I start typing. It's a funny thing though, sometimes I'll hit a spot where I didn't realize I hadn't worked out all the details. That’s when I stop everything and go back to brainstorming for a while. I don’t really mind. To me it's a delicious moment. I absolutely LOVE brainstorming. It's one of my favorite steps in the writing process.

What is your favorite part of the writing/publishing process? 

I guess I mentioned the brainstorming already. But another step that I REALLY enjoy is whipping a manuscript into shape. My least favorite step is the first draft. I get so frustrated by the lack of perfection. But I really enjoy going through the manuscript over and over until it's just right. This is where the characters come to life in my mind--the shade of their eyes, the curve of a lip, the emotions that rock them. This stage is seriously so much fun! I've seen some indie authors "skip" this step, and I can't understand it. Maybe they're anxious to be finished with their manuscript, but for me, this is one of the most enjoyable parts of writing.

What's the craziest writing idea you've had? 

I'm a Harry Potter fan, through and through. When book five came out, my kids and I had so much fun reading and talking about the book, but it seemed like it was taking FOREVER for book six. So I made up my own version and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, telling "Harry Potter" stories to my children. It was great fun!

Hidden talent? 

I am a music teacher and every day hundreds of people get on my website and download my music rhythm worksheets. I guess I should have put them up for sale. But they're free, and apparently, in high demand. 

What's your biggest challenge as a writer? How did you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it? 

The biggest challenge for me is marketing. I'd rather be writing another novel. But ... it comes with the territory. 

What is you favorite way to spend a rainy day? 

I grew up in Seattle where rain is constant. But it's not the kind of rain that most people are used to. There aren't many thunderstorms. Instead, the rain is more like a drizzle. Sometimes it's so fine that an umbrella is useless. The droplets can be small, so tiny that the air currents stir them up until they are beneath umbrella. I guess I never noticed how much it rained until I moved away. Now when it rains I feel at home. It seems like everything is right with the world. I like to watch the it and just be still. Funny thing, in Idaho everyone tries to stay indoors when it's raining. In Seattle, if you don’t go outside when it’s raining, you'll be indoors for months.

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? 

First drafts aren't finished books. Sometimes it takes 50 drafts to get it right.

Finish the sentence - one book I wish I had written is.... 

Let me rephrase that sentence. "What book do you wish you hadn't thrown away?" I used to chuck everything I wrote. I know it's dumb, and I'm no McFly -- "I just don't know if I can take that kind of rejection," was never the problem. I'm a musician. Rejection comes with the territory. But for me writing is personal. For years I didn't want anyone to know that I was writing. And so I chucked it all. "Class Collision" was a book a chucked and rewrote, and chucked and rewrote three times. Thankfully I was able to remember the details well enough to put it down again. But there was one book I wrote back in college called, "Scarlet Snow," that I really wish I hadn't thrown out. I had written it out in longhand. We were moving and I just tossed it. Sometimes I think about that book and remember just how juicy it was. It makes me pretty mad at myself. If I had that manuscript now, I know I could really whip it into shape.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? 

I'm always writing. My third novel was just published on Amazon. "The Forgotten Queen" was so much fun to write, that I've actually been a little sad that it's finished. It's my version of Camelot with a twist. Avalon is not a place. She's a person. She is the forgotten queen and the sole bearer of Arthur's heart. I absolutely loved writing that book. It was truly a labor of love. Now that it's published, I'm working on another novel called, "Second," which is about a woman who falls in love with a widower. Needless to say, I'm having a great time.

Class Collision: Fall From Grace

Born to wealth and privilege, ten-year-old David, arguably the most spoiled, obnoxious kid alive, finds his greatest enjoyment tormenting the maid. That is... until he is kidnapped for ransom and left for dead. Thrown into a world he knows nothing about, he spends the next several years in an orphanage where his claims to fame and fortune fuel years of torment. Finally, he escapes, hoping to make it back home. Instead, he meets Linda. Having lived among boys for so long, he doesn’t know how to handle his feelings for her. She is both irritating and intoxicating. Not that it matters. With looks like hers, every boy in the county is chasing her, and David, with his scraggly clothes and long hair doesn’t stand a chance. Then, when circumstances push them together, they both find that sometimes, people aren’t always what they seem. Set during the Great Depression, Class Collision: Fall From Grace will transport you to a simpler time, filled with heartache and unexpected love.


Awards: Gold Award (first place) Readers Favorite 2011, YA Historical Fiction




Giveaway Details
1 copy of Class Collision
Paperback available to US only, Ebook available Internationally
Ends 4/14/13

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