Sarah Grimm's Clearing House "Sweep"stakes!

This giveaway is closed. Thank you for participating!

Winners, randomly drawn are: Kim Urban and NoraA. 
Look for an email in your inbox coming from me today.

If you friended (http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahGrimm) or liked (http://www.facebook.com/SarahGrimm.Author) me on Facebook then you may have seen that I am on a cleaning/reorganizing binge.

A few weekends ago I announced to my husband that I hated our living room furniture and wanted new furniture. Surprisingly, he agreed. This led to cleaning out the living room, painting it, moving furniture from dining room/computer room into living room and quite honestly, a bit of a chaotic mess around here.

I’d love to tell you that everything is back to normal, but…the most I can say is the new furniture is here and I’m thrilled to realize that I will get my own writing space out of this. No more writing at the kitchen table for me. Woot! What does this mean for you, my readers and friends? I’m glad you asked.

While cleaning out the corners and hidey holes I discovered two zippered tote bags from my trip to Romantic Times Booklovers Convention this year. Two untouched totes that we received when we checked in. And guess what? I’ve decided to gift them to two (2) lucky readers. Because I also realized I have too many print copies of my contemporary romance, After Midnight, I’ll include a signed copy of the book in each bag.

What do you have to do to be in the drawing for these goodie filled totes? Well, that depends on how many times you would like to be entered. Entering is easy, it’s fun, and you can do it via the Rafflecopter form below.

Good luck! And hey, help me spread the word will you?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fine Print:

1. Giveaway runs from midnight EST 7/23/2013 through midnight EST 7/30/2013 
2. Winner will be chosen at random. (I like Random.org) 
3. Open to U.S. and Canada Only. (Sorry, international shipping fees are large for these prizes) 
4. 18 and Older Only

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Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop

Update: I mistakenly told random.org to choose 4 winners, so we'll go with that! :)
Winners, randomly drawn are: Nikki McCarver, strawberryrose, Silvia Fugate and Mel Bourn. Look for an email from me coming to your inbox today.

Welcome to the Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop!

Up for grabs on this hop are:

1. A Kindle Fire
2. $50 Amazon.com gift certificate

Winners will be will be selected from post comments via random number generation so be sure and LEAVE A COMMENT.

Also, I will be giving away three (3) eCopies of my book,
NOT WITHOUT RISK. 

Thanks for visiting!

Today I thought I would talk a little bit about my favorite type of romance hero: The Damaged Hero

They draw us in with their gut-wrenching pasts and their painful presents - the lost soul, so damaged by the million different things life has thrown at him he grows defeated, feels adrift and unworthy. We love their stories, no matter how painful or bittersweet. We yearn to see them find happiness as they travel down that long, difficult road toward happily-ever-after.

With a damaged hero, what you see on the outside is never what you get on the inside. The damaged hero feels deeply and I think that’s one of the reasons he appeals to female readers. I know when I read about a damaged hero I want to nurture and ‘heal’ him. I just can’t help myself.

There are many types of damaged heroes:

• Scarred - A scarred hero has visible damage. His body has suffered a lot and is usually covered in scars. The loss of his looks is a real blow for this type of hero.

• Wounded – A wounded hero can also have scars, but he also has physical damage. He has lost one or more of his senses, suffers disabling headaches or is dealing with lost or limited mobility.


• Tortured – A tortured hero is a damaged hero at the end of his rope. He is at his lowest point. He believes himself unworthy of love, most likely from being emotionally or mentally abused at some point in his life.

• Tragic – A tragic hero is an emotionally damaged hero. He’s lost family, friends, careers, purpose, and drive. He doesn’t want to/can’t possibly love again for losing that love just might kill him.

• Burdened – A burdened hero is a damaged hero who acts alone. His experiences in life have shown him he can’t trust others. A burdened hero may be harboring a deep, dark secret. He could be seeking vengeance, revenge, or absolution.


From my own writings, Sergeant Justin Harrison in NOT WITHOUT RISK is a wounded hero. A San Diego homicide detective, Justin is all cop. It’s all he knows, everything he is. His job defines him. Or so he believes, until the day a long-legged brunette stumbles into his crime scene and tips his world off its axis. Struggling against lingering physical limitations from taking a bullet, the last thing Justin wants is an unwelcome attraction. But as he works to uncover the identity of the person who killed her friend and is now threatening her life, Justin discovers Paige Conroy is exactly what he needs.

Who are some of your favorite damaged heroes?

CHECK OUT MORE PARTICIPATING BLOGS HERE:

http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=272693

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Sarah, Where Have You Been?

I've been a bad blogger, but I promise to get better. What has kept me away from the computer these past few weeks? A lot of things...

I quit my day job a while back, and went to work with my husband. He (we) have a family business doing boat repair and since I was majorly unhappy at my day job, which led to stress at home, I threw in the towel and decided to help hubs out. Of course at the time I thought that would lead to more time to spend writing and 'chatting' online with my readers. *Sarah falls off chair laughing* Yeah, that didn't happen. But hey, the stress is waaayyy less now so that's fantastic!

Things are beginning to slow down for me as he moves into a time of year were the most I can do to help is run for parts, but alas, I'm still busy. I've been rearranging the house, moving furniture, painting and cleaning. I convinced hubs we needed new living room furniture the other day and he convinced me we needed a new TV. LOL  The great part of this is I WILL FINALLY GET MY OWN WRITING SPACE!

Wow, can you tell I'm psyched? I'm thinking I may get this desk since our home was built in 1868 so storage is always an issue. What do you think?

 

I don't want it against a wall, but facing the room so I like that no one will see what I have stashed in it since, let's face it, it won't look so organized or pretty if I'm using it to write. 

So that's what I've been up to. I hope you're all having a wonderful summer. I'll be back soon, I promise. After all I have to get ready for MIDNIGHT HEAT's November release, don't I? (yay!!)



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Reblog, Retweet & Share to WIN! - Take 2

Not Without Risk is On Sale! 

It’s summer and I'm so busy I don't know whether I'm coming or going! So to celebrate the warm weather, I've put my award winning romantic suspense, Not Without Risk, on sale for the super low price of 99 cents! And because it was so much fun last time, I’m doing another re-blog, re-tweet and share to win celebration!

What can you win??? 

$25 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM BARNES and NOBLE or AMAZON
(winners choice) 

Here’s how to play:

1. Tweet (or retweet) about the sale. Every tweet will earn you one entry in the drawing. Make sure to include @SarahGrimmAuthr in your tweet so I can track your entry. 
2. Post or Share the sale on Facebook. Every post/share will earn you one entry in the drawing. Be sure to tag Sarah Grimm – Author in your post so I can track your entry. 
3. Reblog this post. Make sure to leave a link here so I can keep track. 

That’s it. Pretty simple, yes? The more you tweet, retweet, share or repost, the more entries you receive! I will announce the winner of the gift certificate on this blog on June 14, 2013.

He has a killer to find and doesn't need a leggy brunette clouding his investigation...

Six agonizing months after a slug collapsed his lung, Sergeant Justin Harrison manages to return to the one place where he shines—the San Diego homicide division. Nothing will stand in the way of proving he is fit for active duty. Especially not the long-legged brunette who just stumbled into his crime scene.

Photographer Paige Conroy spent years hiding from her past. Then a late night telephone call brings it crashing back. An old friend is in town and needs her help. When she arrives at his hotel room four hours later, he's dead. Suddenly, she's the target of a madman, and Paige must turn to Sergeant Harrison for protection.

But who is the bigger threat to her... the faceless assailant she fears will steal her life or the dark-eyed detective she knows could steal her heart?

GET IT TODAY – Just $0.99!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/VCdnYz

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/134DlkP

 "Ms. Grimm takes readers on an amazing journey, a trip where her wonderful talents as a storyteller bring the tale to life...If you, like me, enjoy fast paced, nail biting, page turning, edge of your seat suspense, then by all means get on board and try Not Without Risk." —BEST BOOK, Long and Short Reviews

"Sarah Grimm has done it again with a fabulous romantic suspense...The suspense and attraction was awesome and this is definitely an author that will blow your mind away."—Top Pick, Night Owl Reviews

 

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Mid Week PIC Me Up

I'm not much of a coffee drinker...

I will take a bite of that bicep for breakfast. :-)

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Reblog, Retweet & Share to WIN!

Great News! My publisher has decided to extend the sale of After Midnight to February 15th!
So I've decided to extend the contest.

~*~ 

After Midnight is On Sale! 

It’s official, my award winning contemporary romance, After Midnight, is on sale for the super low price of 99 cents! So, I’m celebrating with a re-blog, re-tweet and share to win celebration!

What can you win??? 

$25 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM BARNES and NOBLE or AMAZON
(winners choice) 

Here’s how to play:

1. Tweet (or retweet) about the sale. Every tweet will earn you one entry in the drawing. Make sure to include @SarahGrimmAuthr in your tweet so I can track your entry. 
2. Post or Share the sale on Facebook. Every post/share will earn you one entry in the drawing. Be sure to tag Sarah Grimm – Author in your post so I can track your entry. 
3. Reblog this post. Make sure to leave a link here so I can keep track. 

That’s it. Pretty simple, yes? The more you tweet, retweet, share or repost, the more entries you receive! I will announce the winner of the gift certificate on this blog on February 18, 2013.

Can music heal a fractured soul? 

Or will it tear them apart forever? 

Thirteen years—that’s how long Isabeau Montgomery has been living a lie. After an automobile accident took her mother’s life, Izzy hid herself away, surviving the only way she knew how. Now she is happy in her carefully reconstructed life. That is until he walks through the door of her bar…

Black Phoenix singer/front man Noah Clark came to Long Island City with a goal—one that doesn’t include an instant, electric attraction to the dark-haired beauty behind the bar. Coaxing her into his bed won’t be easy, but he can’t get her pale, haunted eyes nor her skill on the piano out of his head.

Can Noah help Isabeau overcome the past? Or will her need to protect her secret force her back into hiding and destroy their chance at happiness?

2012 Romance Through the Ages Award Winner ~ 1st Place Contemporary 

2012 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Finalist 

2012 Readers Favorite Award Finalist 

2011 Book of the Year Finalist ~ Long and Short Reviews 

GET IT TODAY – Just $0.99!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/11kD7JS (1/25 – 2/15) 

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/TNBRdL (1/25 – 2/15)

 "After Midnight is one hell of a love story! I was hooked at the end of the first chapter. I had to read more. I had to know more. And Sarah Grimm definitely delivered more." —5 Stars, Fire Pages

"Ms. Grimm creates characters that grab hold of your heart and never let go. This is an emotional ride that you won't want to miss."—BEST BOOK, Long and Short Reviews

"I am in love. This book was amazing. I would even go as far as to say that it was one of the best books that I read this year." — 5 cocktails, Cocktails and Books

 

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Let's Talk Heroes

So I’ve been wracking my brain for a blog topic and finally decided to talk a little about heroes. It’s a sacrifice, I know, but I love you – my readers – so I’ll suffer through it. LOL Seriously, who doesn’t love to talk about heroes?

For years I was addicted to reading cop heroes. FBI, P.I. or detective, I didn’t care. I couldn’t get enough of them! To this day, they’re still one of my favorite to read about, so it stands to reason that my first book, NOT WITHOUT RISK, featured one. Sergeant Justin Harrison – San Diego homicide detective – is all cop. It’s all he knows, everything he is. His job defines him. Or so he believes, until the day a long-legged brunette stumbles into his crime scene and tips his world off its axis.

I never base my character’s physical attributes on real people. When my characters first begin talking to me, I come up with the details – hair color, eye color, height, and skin tone – and an image of my hero and heroine takes shape in my head. I have problems with my characters looking “just like INSERT MOVIE STAR NAME HERE” because they aren’t that movie star. However, in the case of Justin Harrison, one man kept popping into my head whenever I sat back and pictured him – the smile, the dimple, hair and eye color – and pretty quickly he became the exact representation of Sergeant Justin Harrison.

Who is the real person that Justin looks like? Country crooner Ty Herndon.

My latest release, AFTER MIDNIGHT, is the first book in my Midnight Series. Noah Clark is the handsome, sensual lead singer of the rock band Black Phoenix. Noah has known fame and lived the wild life. He’s learned some hard-won lessons and is ready to focus on his music instead of everything else that comes with it. Then he walks into Isabeau’s bar and Whammo!

Mature and focused, Noah doesn’t come with much baggage. Which is perfect, really, as Isabeau has more than enough for both of them. What Noah does have is sex appeal. Tall and lean, with hair that’s a mix of medium and dark blond, and vibrant green eyes, that’s Noah. A quiet, confident man with a British accent. Oh, didn’t I tell you he was British? *grin*

Noah is one of those characters who resembles no one but himself, so when I went out to find a visual representation of him I came up blank. Until I stumbled upon this photo:

Which led to this one:

Yeah, that second one is my favorite. It’s about as close to how I picture Noah Clark as I can get. Is he hot or what? I could stare at that photo all day.

I never set out to make AFTER MIDNIGHT a series. When the story first came to me, it was just the story of a man and woman and their journey to happily-ever-after. Then Dominic Price walked onto the page…

My work in progress is book two in my Midnight Series, MIDNIGHT HEAT. Noah’s best friend and Black Phoenix bassist, Dominic Price is the type of man women walk into walls trying to get a better look at. Literally. At six-two with black hair that hangs in waves to just past his shoulders, and eyes so blue most people believe them to be contacts, Dominic is the epitome of a rock god. His British accent and killer smile don’t hurt, either.

I can’t find a picture that truly captures Dominic, but you get the idea. Dom knows exactly how sexy he is and has been known to use it to his advantage. He’s a touch arrogant, has an amazing sense of humor, and a love for music that is only rivaled by his love of one woman. The woman he walked away from three years ago.

What I love most about Midnight Heat is…well, the hero. Dominic is probably the most alpha of all of my alpha heroes. He’s blunt, in-your-face, and curses too much. He’s also flawed, damaged by his childhood, and more sensitive than he would ever let on. It takes a very special woman to unravel Dom, and Rebecca Dahlman is just the one to do it. That is, if Dom can convince her this time around he’s in it for more than just the heat.

So that’s them, my heroes. Well, the ones whose stories I’ve already fleshed out. There are two more who make appearances in the Midnight Series Books 1 and 2 who are impatiently waiting for their own book.

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My Funny Bone

I have a confession to make. I’m a laughaholic. I love to laugh, and do so whenever and wherever possible. It’s not always pretty – head thrown back, mouth wide open – but it does seem to be contagious. Especially if you get me to laugh hard enough I snort. My BFF can make me laugh that hard, and does any and every time we’re together. She can get me laughing so hard it literally becomes difficult to breathe. God, I love that woman!

My family makes me laugh. On any given Saturday night you will find me, my husband and our two sons (17 and 18) sitting in a local restaurant having dinner. This may not be too strange – although I know a lot of families whose teenaged sons don’t spend much time around the parents anymore – but that’s not even the strange part. Okay, strange may not be the right word, but…whenever you find us out like that, you’ll know us because we are the table that can’t stop laughing. It’s true, mom, dad, 17yo son and 18yo son are always laughing. Always. Laughter is a huge part of my life, and my husband and sons make me laugh.

This is the one thing I am most thankful for in life. I can’t imagine a life without laughter. I can’t relate to people who don’t laugh long or often. I can find laughter in some of the dumbest things. When something is so messed up it’s either laugh or cry, I choose laughter. Every time. And when I’m blue, I turn to laughter to lift my spirits.

So it’s not surprising that some of my favorite contemporary authors incorporate humor in their writing: MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Anderson, Rachel Gibson, Amie Louellen.  Getting lost in a fabulous romance, falling for the hero – a hero who’s funny – it’s like falling for my husband all over again. It doesn’t get much better than that. I think this is one of the hardest things for an author to do – reach readers by touching both their hearts and their funny bones. It’s also one of those skills I don’t have. No matter how hard I try, I can’t write funny.

So instead, I’ll keep scouring the local bookstores for more humorous romances. And if I keep that little dream alive – the one where one day I can write a book that touches the readers heart, tickles their funny bone AND keeps them on the edge of their seat – well, there’s no harm in dreaming, right?



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Musings of a Distractible Mind

For my first 'Musings' post I thought this was fitting

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Random Photo Day

This is me, taken using a sketch setting on my son's phone designed to make the photo resemble a drawing. The item in front of my face is a plate - I hate having my picture taken.

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Spring Fling Web Hunt

Over 75 Winners In This Years Spring Fling

Wow, I can't believe it's already April 1st!
Won't you join me in celebrating Spring by taking part in the Spring Fling Web Hunt? Over 100 prizes available and this year the hunt will have over 75 winners!! Prizes range from a Kindle Fire and eBooks to jewelry and much more.

What is a Web Hunt?

It's a scavenger hunt that takes place on the web. You visit websites and find the answer to a question. Plus along the way you can find great new authors and new titles while entering to win prizes.

Don't Miss Out!

ENTER THE HUNT TODAY

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Friday Quickie

25 quickie facts about Sarah Grimm:

Birthday? October 9
Favorite color? Pink
Favorite animal? Dog
Siblings? 1 sister, 2 brothers – all older than me
Favorite drink? Diet Coke
If you were a jelly bean flavor, what flavor would you be? Very Cherry
Favorite author? Linda Howard
Favorite dish? 40 year-old male, black hair, blue eyes & a British accent. YUM!
Ice cream flavor? Chubby Hubby
Favorite Season? Fall
Plotter or pantser? Pantser
Hobbies? Drag Racing
Dream vacation? England and Scotland
Favorite TV show? GRIMM
Musical preference? Rock n’ Roll
Pet peeve? People who lie
Favorite place to write? The kitchen table
Favorite song? Hysteria by Def Leppard
Odd family fact? We’re all pervs
Unforgettable moment? The birth of my sons
Favorite Superhero? Thor
Spicy or not? Spicy – unless we’re talking about food
Cat or dog? 3 dogs, a guinea pig, 3 orphaned mice
Favorite candy bar? Snickers
Favorite guilty pleasure? Hostess Golden Cupcakes

Summarize your book Twitter style – 140 characters or less:

Can music heal the fractured soul? Or will it tear them apart forever?

BUY LINK

To learn more about Sarah's books please visit her Website:
http://www.sarahgrimm.com

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With Love Valentine's Blog Hop

Thanks for stopping by to enter my giveaway!

Here's the scoop...

Each of the over 200 participating authors will run a contest on their blog for readers to enjoy!

Make sure you hit all the stops on the

hop and leave a comment.

You won’t be disappointed!

Contest starts February 11, 2012 and

ends February 14, 2012 at midnight.

One lucky reader
who leaves a comment or

follows my blog

will win a digital copy of

AFTER MIDNIGHT.

PLUS I've decided to add a

Grand Prize SURPRISE!

So that's TWO chances to WIN!

Random winners will be chosen Tuesday, February 15th
and will be listed here on the blog.

His shirt sleeve slipped down as she pressed the warm cloth to his skin. She shoved it back out of the way.

“Wait,” he said as it slipped a second time. He reached his arm over his head. Fisting his hand in his shirt, he pulled it off.

There was something so inherently male about the move that she didn’t look away. Then, once he stood before her wearing nothing but his jeans, she couldn’t look away. He was built. His body was sleek, smooth, and leanly muscled. Lightly tanned, with hard six-pack abs and a dark blonde line of hair that started below his navel and trailed down to disappear beneath the waistband of his jeans.

Not that she was looking.

Or drooling.

There was no doubt about it, he looked better than most men half his age.

“Is something wrong, Isa?”

Arousal clouded her mind. Her body thrummed with it. “What? No.”

But as she pressed the cloth against his skin, her hands shook.

She tried to keep her focus on the task at hand and off his chest, but it was right there. Suddenly she was hyperaware of the heat coming off him, of the scent of musk and man that swam through her senses.

“So what do you think?” he asked, his voice a whisper against her temple.

She thought she wanted to reach out and see if his skin was as soft as it looked, his body as hard. She swallowed. Her dry throat stuck together. “What do I think?”

“About the tattoo.”

“The tattoo?” Perfect. She sounded like an idiot. Heat flooded her cheeks. She could feel his eyes on her and knew he noticed. He had a habit of watching her in a way that made her toes curl, her stomach turn over. She’d caught him doing it on more than one occasion and knew if she tipped her head up, she’d catch him doing it now.

So she focused on his tattoo, and smiled.

Thomas had given him a small skeletal body, wings and a halo above the over-sized and even more animated skull. “It’s perfect.”

Trading the wet washcloth for a clean, dry one, she patted his arm dry, then applied a thin layer of ointment. “There you go.”

“Thank you.” Reaching up, he tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear.

Her breathing shallowed when his fingers grazed the side of her throat, caught as his other hand settled on her hip. Slowly her eyes raised, moved up his throat, past his dangerously tempting mouth, before she met his gaze and felt a punch of awareness.

“You have the most beautiful eyes,” he said, and shifted just a little closer.

Never had her eyes been called beautiful. Strange? Yes. Beautiful? Never.

“They change color depending on what you’re feeling, did you know that?”

“I…no.”

“Right now they’re blue—a very pale blue. What does that mean, Isa? Tell me what you’re feeling right now.”

Desire. Need, unlike she’d ever felt before. She’d had no idea how much she’d craved a physical touch, his touch. Her stomach fluttered. Her heart skipped a few beats. She slicked her tongue over her lips, and his hand flexed against her hip.

“I have to know,” he murmured.

“What?”

“Your taste.”

He slipped his hand from her hip to the small of her back, pulling her against him. Their bodies molded, soft to hard. His thigh slid between hers and desire curled her toes, tightened her nipples into hard, aching points. And still, he didn’t kiss her. Why didn’t he kiss her? Then he did. Finally, he did. He teased her lips with his tongue, and she opened to him, drank in his dark seductive flavor.

She settled her hand against his chest, reveling in the feel of hard muscle and hot male. Good God the man could kiss. His body surrounded her, engulfed her as his mouth continued to seduce. She arched into him, and as his erection pressed against her stomach, she couldn’t hold back a moan.

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Gone Blogging

I am blogging today at Keeping a Pulse on Life and Romance. I'm talking about the importance of music in my life and how my love of it led to AFTER MIDNIGHT. Stop by and say hello.

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Author Spotlight

Come and visit me today and tomorrow on the fabulous blog of author Cate Masters.  Cate is a fellow BLOGMANIA participant as well as a wonderful person who spotlights her fellow authors frequently.  Definately a blog you need to check out and keep coming back to.

I'm giving away a copy of NOT WITHOUT RISK to a random commentor, so be sure and swing by.

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Blogmania

Would you like the a chance to win hundreds of prizes?  Would you like to discover new, exciting blogs?

Then BLOGMANIA is the event for you! You will literally have the chance to win hundreds of prizes. We’ve done all the work for you. No hunting or surfing for just the right blogs. Every blog you visit will have more links for you to follow, all of them with a special BLOGMANIA giveaway and just waiting for you to drop by.

Each blog will have a number like this (12 of 72). These numbers will allow you to keep track of which blogs you’ve visited and how many are left to visit. Now, really, isn’t this the easiest thing ever! AND SO MUCH FUN…

You can begin at any of our participating blogs, just look for the BLOGMANIA badge.  If you don't have a favorite BLOGMANIA blog bookmarked, you're invited to start here.

Remember! The special BLOGMANIA prizes are only available for one day, April 30th. The number of prizes you could win is only limited by the number of blogs you visit.

Examples of the prizes available:

Pearl Necklace
Dichroic Glass Pendant
BOX of books
Amazon Gift Card
Chocolates
...and so much more.

Get Ready—Set —Oops, not so fast, you have to come back on April 30th, 2010 to win.  Mark your calendars!

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New Banner

I've always loved banners. I enjoy searching review sites and checking out author's banners, comparing the static banners to the animated banners, the erotic book banners to the suspense banners and so on. It's interesting, checking to see just how others choose to promote themselves and their books.

So recently, I decided to try my hand at making a banner. While not the first time I've done this, I have to admit that it hasn't gotten any easier for me. In fact, this banner, which promotes me as an author and not a specific book, was kind of a pain. You see, I'm not that good at Photoshop. Before too long I wind up cursing at the computer as if it should be able to read my mind and do what I want it to do without me needing to push the right button. (does this sound like any of you?) Anyway, after much trial and error, I came up with the following banner.

I'm not sure if this is something I'll keep or not. What do you think?

~Sarah

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I've got mail!

I just went out to check for mail and what did I discover? Something that always brings joy to my day. A box labeled Amazon.com. Okay, so I knew the box was coming. In fact, yesterday I was wondering why it hadn’t arrived yet, but that doesn’t detract from the thrill of receiving a new shipment of books. Seriously, you’re readers, you must know what I mean?

What did I order?

UNDEAD AND UNEASY by MaryJanice Davidson (what can I say, I love Queen Betsy!)

YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY by HelenKay Dimon (I read an excerpt on her MySpace page and was hooked!)

and

WITSEC: Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program

Honestly, I’m not sure which book I’m most excited about receiving or which I will read first. I have been forcing myself to spend a bit of time each day, brainstorming a new story. About a week and a half ago I believed I had my story idea. Then, a few days ago a new story popped into my head. A story that I can’t seem to let go of. A story about a woman in the Federal Witness Protection Program.

So, I sit at my desk, with my three new books strewn alongside my laptop and I wonder…which to read, which to read…

I might have to resort to a game of Einy, Meiny, Miney, Mo.

Did you get anything fun in your mailbox today?

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Story Ideas

As a writer, the question I get asked the most is ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ The answer to this question is very simple. It is also a bit complicated. Confused? Hang in there, I’ll clarify.

Story ideas come to me all the time, from lots of different places. Sometimes it is as simple as a line in a song sparking my imagination. Usually a line of dialogue comes to me first. From there, I begin to imagine just who said it, the hero or the heroine. Or maybe it’s something the villain says. From there, I begin to see the scene unfold. (Yes, as odd as it sounds, my stories come to me like movies in my head.) I have written an entire book around one particular scene.

In fact, this is how AFTER MIDNIGHT came to me – as the opening scene. From there I had to figure out who the characters were. That brings me to the next part of the creative process for me. Who are the hero and heroine? Why are they doing what I envision them doing?

Again, I’ll use AFTER MIDNIGHT. The book opens with the heroine playing the piano in a bar after closing. Why, you ask? Well, that’s one of the questions I asked myself. Why is she doing this? Why is she drawn to play? Why doesn’t she play more often?

However, not every story idea starts with a line of dialogue. Sometimes it begins with a question. For NOT WITHOUT RISK, it was this question:

What if a killer set his sights on you and the only way to survive was to revisit a past you swore never to look back on?

For me, story ideas that come to me in the form of a question are easier to flesh out than those where I ‘see’ the scene in my head or that begin with a line of dialogue. Why? Simply because when I have one question, it’s simple to come up with a second question:

What if you then had to trust the type of man experience told you was untrustworthy?

Then, a third:

What if you fell in love with that man? Is love worth the risk?

Oops, I guess that’s four. LOL

Anyway, as you can see, for me at least, answering the question “Where do you get your ideas?” is not easy. I get my ideas from everywhere - people, movies, a line in a song, a news report on the television. From there they either become dialogue, scenes, or questions I feel the need to answer.

Still confused? I think I am. Which brings me to my favorite quote - so true in my case.

"Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing." ~ Margaret Chittenden

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Changes in print schedule

I am posting this today to let you all know that there have been a few changes at my publishing house in the post month, changes that affect me as an author and you as a reader. Specifically, the change that affects us both is this—Triskelion has made the decision to scale back their print titles.

Unfortunately, this means that the print release of NOT WITHOUT RISK has been put on hold. At this time, the book is still listed for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but I expect the August release date will be pushed back.

Don't want to wait? You can always dowload a copy today.


~Sarah

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