Link of the Week – Holiday Contests

Holidays contests are under way! Here is your chance to nab you some goodies.

I am running a Goodreads contest for a free paperback copy of Dead Man’s Kiss.

The blurb:

Forced to make a bargain…
One drunken night in Cuba lands Captain Valeryn Barone in a life or death situation. To escape the gallows, Valeryn must agree to a bargain only a fool would make: Escort the tempting and tenacious niece of his captor across the Caribbean or lose his ship, his crew and his life! The caveat? The beautiful Spanish woman must remain untouched for the entire voyage.

Determined to get what she wants…
Catalina Montoya will stop at nothing to get what she wants—even when trouble is certain. Sent to live with her uncle after a scandalous affair, Catalina intends to concentrate on her dream to become a renowned naturalist. She never expected her uncle would send her with a notorious pirate to further her studies. Worse, she never expected to want the devilishly handsome pirate more than anything else.

It’s a battle of wills…
Now Catalina only has 8 weeks to seduce Valeryn and collect her specimens before he returns her to her uncle. And Valeryn has 8 weeks to secure his redemption. Except neither would be that lucky. Not when ruthless enemies threaten to destroy them at every turn. Can Valeryn save those that foolishly depend on him? Can he resist Catalina’s heart? Does a dead man walking even have a chance?

Enter the contest below!

 

Dead Man’s Kiss

by Jennifer Bray-Weber

Giveaway ends December 15, 2016.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/212767-dead-man-s-kiss

 

But that’s not all! The Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood is having a Ruby Cookie Exchange. Not only can you collect luscious cookie recipes, you could win a grand prize of a $150 gift card! Plus, there are opportunities all along the hop to win more prizes. Yours truly is participating! You can stop by my website starting the 8th for a chocolatey treat plus a $10 Amazon gift card. www.jbrayweber.com

http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/announcing-the-ruby-holiday-cookie-exchange-hop-starting-december-8/

 

Link of the Week – Dead Man’s Kiss RONE Finalist

This week’s Link of the Week I’m asking for a favor. If you feel so inclined, I would love to have your vote in the 2016 InD’tale RONE awards. DEAD MAN’S KISS was reviewed by InD’tale last fall and given 4.5 stars (whoop!). Because of the high rating, the book was entered in the RONE contest. It would be great to have your support. You do have to register to vote. But it’s super easy to do and you won’t get spammed.

I am in the Historical Post Medieval category. It is a large category and competition is tough, but you can vote for two of your favorite books. VOTING ENDS SUNDAY!

http://www.indtale.com/2016-rone-awards-week-six

Thanks in advance should you decide to vote. *sloppy smooches*

Link of the Week – Shameless Promotion and Giveaway!

Forgive me, but I’m doing a little something different for Link of the Week today. I’m up for the prestigious RONE award and need your help.

There are three rounds to the contest. First, an author’s book has to have had a 4 star or better review from the InD’tale magazine. The second round of the contest is up to the readers. Readers get to vote for their favorite books. In the third round, the book goes to a professional industry judge.

My title A KISS IN THE WIND is in the middle of its voting period, which is only one week long. – WEEK #2 HISTORICAL POST MEDIEVAL.

Please, please, if you are so inclined, follow the link and vote. The only kicker is that you must register to vote, but it is quick and painless. Promise. But you should have already done that, right? As InD’tale was my link of the week not too long ago.

Here’s link. I’ll love you forever. 😀

http://www.indtale.com/2012-rone-awards

And while we are at it, starting tomorrow, I AM RUNNING A MONTHLY CONTEST. All you have to do to be eligible is sign up for my newsletter on my website. That’s it! I only send out a newsletter 2-4 times a year, so you’ll receive no clutter from me. For the month of May, I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card.

http://www.jbrayweber.com/contact.html

I’ll return to your regularly scheduled Link of the Week next Tuesday. I’ve got more wonderful sites to share with you.

Thanks in advance for participating.

It’s Agent Shop Pitch Day!

Guess what? It’s that time…

 

GO!

 

All pitches need to be sent to Candi_agent_shop (at) yahoo . com

 

Yes, I’m posting this early so everyone has the chance to join in…

Welcome to another round of Agent Shop! (Pitching will officially start Sat. March 16th at 10:00 am EST when I post the word go. Please wait until I update the page with a big ‘go’ at the top of the post before sending in your pitch. Don’t worry, it’ll be big so you won’t miss it!)

I’m super excited to be hosting the awesome Mollie Glick. Best of luck to everyone pitching.

And welcome to our spotlight author – one of Mollie’s lucky authors – Gennifer Albin, with her new release, CREWEL.

Check out this cover!!!!

Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl controls other’s destinies, but not her own

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

But Adelice is forced into this powerful group, and she must learn to navigate the dangerous politics at play. Caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it—or destroy it.

Links to Buy: Amazon, B&N, Powell’s

Links to Author: www.genniferalbin.com, http://genniferalbin.blogspot.com/

Make sure you check her out, and feel free to comment!

BONUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come one, come all. Even if you’re not pitching, feel free to come join in the conversation. I’ll be giving away THREE prizes. All you have to do is join in the fun! Every comment will be entered for a chance to win one of these prizes!

1 – Ebook copy of Primitive Nights

2 – $25.00 Barnes & Noble or Amazon Giftcard (Winners choice)

3 – The Top Pitch Slot!

Easy breezy…

Here’s what we’ll start with as our opening topic…

What is the one thing a hero can do in a story that makes you fall in love with him?

Writer Inspiration: 16 Dorchester Authors

by Marie-Claude Bourque

OVER 20 DORCHESTER BOOKS TO WIN!!! KEEP READING!

Well this is it everyone, the big day has arrived and ANCIENT WHISPERS is on the shelves! It is pretty surreal, what can I say.

Ancient Whispers seen in Bay Shore, NY (courtesy of Scott Romanski)

I am not the only one to have a release this week and 3 author Dorchester authors who are at once friends and inspirations to me are celebrating as well: Emily Bryan with STROKE OF GENIUS, Christie Craig with SHUT UP AND KISS ME and Cindy Holby with BREATH OF HEAVEN.

So to celebrate, I decided to ask a bunch of Dorchester authors to give us some inspirations and guess what!!! They are all giving away books!!! So I have 3 big prices to give away. Read on for some wonderful advice then find out what you can win by including just one small comment!

Phyllis Bourne

“Believe in yourself and your work. No matter how tight the market, there is always room for your book.”

Find more about Phyliss at www.phyllisbourne.com

 

 

Marie-Claude Bourque

“Always write story that speak to your heart and ignore the trends. Because no matter what happens: rejections, critiques or negative reviews, you will always believe in your stories and be happy that you wrote what is truly in your heart.”

Find more about Marie-Claude at www.mcbourque.com

 

 

Emily Bryan

“Quite a bit of the writing business comes down to luck and timing–the right manuscript landing on the right editor’s desk at the right time. Of course, the harder we work, the luckier we tend to be, so no matter what, keep writing!”

Find more about Emily at www.emilybryan.com

 

 

Christie Craig

“I’ve been rejected by every editor for which I now write–a rejection doesn’t mean “never,” it means “not now.”

Find more about Christie at www.christie-craig.com
 
 
 
 
 
Leanna Renee Hieber

“Know what you write and who you are, your strengths and your weaknesses. No matter your subject matter, own it, be comfortable with it, live in it and love it with the ferocity of a steeled yet generous heart.”

Find more about Leanna at www.leannareneehieber.com

 

Caroline Fyffe

“When stuck, go for a short run. The blood flow to your brain amps up your creativity. If that fails…eat chocolate!”

Find more about Caroline at www.carolinefyffe.com

 

 

 

Erin Kellison

 “Words of wisdom from my mom about juggling writing and the rest of daily life: If the kids are eating off clean plates and wearing clean underwear, don’t worry about the rest. Get writing.”

Find more about Erin at www.erinkellison.com
 

 
 
Rose Lerner

“To be a professional writer, you have to take your job seriously, and
you have to have fun doing it–maybe not every day, but a significant
percentage of the time. Both those things are equally important.”

Find more about Rose at www.roselerner.com
 
 
Tracy Madison

“Writing is like exercising. Just as you need to exercise consistently to strengthen your body, you need to write consistently to strengthen your craft.”

Find more about Tracy at www.tracymadison.com

 

 

Barbara Monajem

“Make writing top priority. Reserve your most productive time of day for writing. Save the dishes and the laundry for when you’re so brain-dead you can’t do anything else.”

Find more about Barbara at www.barbaramonajem.com

 

 

Elizabeth Naughton

“A critique partner you trust from the bottom of your soul is worth their weight in gold. It’s more than a connection on the writing level, it goes deeper into who and what you are and finding that person who gets you and your writing on a whole different level. It’s like a marriage in a way, except a really good CP can tell you the rock bottom truth and know you won’t break down into a puddle of tears. I’m published because of my critique partner. I don’t know what the heck I’d do without her. Luckily–as she said last night on IM–I won’t ever have to find out.”

Find more about Elizabeth at www.elisabethnaughton.com

 

Kerri Nelson

(Courting Demons, Dorchester ~ 2011)

My fave writer quote is from Joy Held: “Women with clean houses do not have finished books.” but I also like to say “You read because you choose to. You write because it chooses you.”

Find more about Kerri at www.kerrinelson.com

 

Gerri Russel

“You are already on the path of following your dreams. Everything you want can be yours if you just don’t lose faith in yourself. Believe it can happen, and eventually it will!”

Find more about Gerri at www.gerrirussell.net

 Helen Scott Taylor

“You can’t please everyone. There will always be some people who love your work and some people who don’t. Accept that from the start and don’t be put off by bad critiques or contest judges’ comments.”

Find more about Helen at www.helenscotttaylor.com

Gayle Ann Williams

“Always remember- this is your unique journey– yours. Follow your heart, write your own truth, and the readers will notice. Remember why you write, and keep that joy somewhere safe, so you can find it at a moment’s notice.”

Find more about Gayle at www.gayleannwilliams.com

I kept Cindy Holby’s words for last because she is such an inspiration.

Cindy Holby

My best piece of advice that I can give a newly published writer such as Marie-Claude is something she has already figured out. Cross promotion. At first I was going to go with the usual words of encouragement such as keep on writing, never give up, and keep plenty of book marks on hand. But after fourteen books and eight years of being published experience has shown me that cross promotion with my author friends is the best thing I can ask for.

As you can see, four authors from our publisher have the same release date. We have a widely varied audience. So I will be telling my friends about Christie Craig’s hilarious contemporary Shut Up And Kiss Me and Emily Bryan’s humorous regency A Stroke Of Genius. And they will, in turn do the same for me with my medieval fantasy Breath Of Heaven. Then we will all encourage our readers to try Marie-Claude’s first release, Ancient Whispers. By cross promoting we are reaching four times the readers. Makes perfect sense to me.

It all sounds very simple but there is more to it than that. It’s not only about finding someone that’s willing to give your book a shout out. It’s about finding like-minded people. Writing is a very lonely business. We spend most of our time alone with only the voices in our head for company. We also internalize a lot of things. Rejections, bad sales, bad reviews, the list can go on and on. We need friends who understand what we’re going through, who say, “Hey, I think you’re awesome.” And “Don’t give up!”

So I just want to take this time to say Hey, I’m grateful to everyone who’s ever told a friend or a reader you should read one of Cindy Holby’s books. And I’m also most grateful for my good friends in this business. The one’s who keep encouraging me when things are not going well and I’m fairly certain my career is over.

And since you’re here reading Musetracks I hope you’ll remember to look for my book, Breath Of Heaven on May 25^th and also pick up Ancient Whispers by Marie-Claude Bourque, A Stroke Of Genius by Emily Bryan and Shut Up And Kiss Me by Christie Craig. All of them awesome writers, and all of them awesome friends.

Find more about Cindy at www.cindyholby.com

Hope you are all feeling inspired!

So here we are, your comments for 3 prizes, books books books and more books! Just tell us which bundle you want!!! That’s it (and please give us a second choice just in case!)

ONE WEEK TO ENTER! I will post the winner on Friday June 4th.

BOOK BUNDLE (1)

• ANCIENT WHISPERS by Marie-Claude Bourque (signed copy)
• TSUNAMI BLUE by Gayle Ann Williams (signed copy)
• SUNRISE IN A GARDEN OF LOVE AND EVIL by Barbara Monajem (signed copy)
• SHADOW BOUND by Erin Kellison (signed copy)
• MARKED by Elizabeth Naughton
• DIVORCED, DESPERATE AND DECEIVED by Christie Craig (signed copy)
• THE DARKLY LUMINOUS FIGHT FOR PERSEPHONE PARKER by Leanna Renee Hieber
• THE PHOENIX CHARM by Helen Scott Taylor (signed copy)
• LORD OF THE FADING LANDS by C.L. Wilson (audio CD)
• and a fun stuff such as pen, notebook & chapstick (courtesy of Christie Craig)

BOOK BUNDLE (2)

• STROKE OF GENIUS by Emily Bryan (signed copy)
• A WARRIOR TRAINER (AT II winner) by Gerri Russell (signed copy)
• IN FOR A PENNY by Rose Lerner
• BREATH OF HEAVEN by Cindy Holby (signed copy)
• WHERE THE WIND BLOWS by Caroline Fyffle (signed copy)
• CHOSEN WOMAN by Shirl Henke
• ANCIENT WHISPERS by Marie-Claude Bourque (signed copy)
• GOTCHA by Christie Craig (signed copy)
• and a fun stuff such as pen, notebook & chapstick (courtesy of Christie Craig)

BOOK BUNDLE (3)

• STOLEN FURY (RITA finalist) by Elizabeth Naughton (signed copy)
• A TASTE OF MAGIC by Tracy Madison (signed copy)
• THE HOLIDAY INN Anthology by Phyllis Bourne, Farrah Rochon and Stephanie Worth (signed byP. Bourne)
• SHUT UP AND KISS ME by Christie Craig (signed copy)
• A TALE OF TWO DEMON SLAYERS by Angie Fox
• A MIDWIFE CRISIS by Lisa Cooke
• A CHRISTMAS BALL anthology by Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan and Alissa Johnson
• CROSS CHECK MY HEART by Kerri Nelson (Romantic Suspense-Eternal Press) (signed copy)
• ANCIENT WHISPERS by Marie-Claude Bourque (signed copy)
• and a fun stuff such as pen, notebook & chapstick (courtesy of Christie Craig)

STAY almost at 400 votes!!!!

In celebration of ‘STAY’ at #1 (for now) and it’s continued climb to the top, I’m posting the first ‘chapter’ TextNovel style, in the hopes that you’ll be hooked enough to stop by TextNovel and read on. Of course voting would be great as well >grin< but certainly not required.

I love comments as well. The good, the bad, and the ugly!

So here it is, the first ‘bite sized’ chapter of my contemporary romance, ‘STAY’:

—————————————————————————————–

Sitka, Alaska 2007

“You know protocol, Burke. Stay in the damn boat.”

“That man’s going to drown, Captain. To hell with protocol!” Coast Guard Lieutenant Abby Burke screamed to be heard over the helicopter hovering above their small rescue boat. “Requesting permission to dive, Captain?”

“Denied.” Rain coursed over Sam Jordan’s hardened features. He held tight to the safety handle as the swells smashed into the raft with relentless force. “Stay on.”

Abby turned back. She squinted through the stinging spray of icy water at the man less than thirty feet away. His panicked face, pale and wide-eyed, dropped below the surface of the turbulent water. Lightening illuminated the sky, framing his desperate features in sharp contrast. Each violent wave took him further out of reach, longer to resurface. Hypothermia would sap his strength. It wouldn’t be long.

“How long till the other rescue boat is clear?”

Sam signaled the helicopter to back down. “Soon.”

Christ. Soon wasn’t going to be good enough. The other boat was far enough off to negate the need to wait another minute. Unnecessary caution would end the fisherman’s life.

She threw a life ring into the water.

The man’s arms pushed through the violent torrents of rain and sea, reaching for the source of solace with desperate exhaustion. Impotence crushed her chest.

“You’re almost there,” she yelled. Then he went under.

She stood, scanning the water’s mercurial surface with her flashlight, the strain against her shoulders from the tight survival suit more pronounced, mimicking her tension. “He’s not coming up, sir.”

“Damn it, Burke. Don’t -” Wind whipped violently against the boat, whisking his command away.

“I need permission, sir.” The man in the water still hadn’t resurfaced.

Sam shook his head, the set of his sharp eyes held no tolerance. “Denied.”

His answer followed her over the side of the boat. An icy crush of water enveloped her, freezing the breath in her lungs. Deep black replaced the meager light from above and she closed her eyes to center herself, the shock of the frigid water sharpening her senses. She knew this ocean, knew its bitter temperatures. She’d ridden the variegated currents whipped up by numerous storms and trained for every improbable scenario.

She’d jumped in – against orders. Now it was time to prove she’d made the right decision.

Her eyes opened and she streaked toward the surface, willing her limbs to follow orders. Breaking the surface, she followed the line of the life ring. The man drifted along the swells, a lifeless blob, tossed and turned at the storm’s bidding. Her heart drummed and she fought the strength of the water to reach his side.

The life ring clutched in the crook of his arm did little to keep his face above the water and she struggled to roll him over to his back. She glanced back at her boat. Sam yelled, his eyes wide as he pointed in her direction.

She nodded and looped the life ring around the sailor. “You’ll be okay now.”

Lethargy slowed the man’s response, his nod almost imperceptible. Giving Sam the thumbs up to haul the man in, she allowed a quick smile. One more life saved. Nothing could compare.

Salty spray crossed her lips, stinging her eyes as she glanced around. Like an ominous warning, a wall of water built before her. The sheer height of the swell blocked the lights from the low flying helicopter. From behind, loud enough to muffle the roar of the wind, a chilling groan rumbled through the water. She gave the sailor a hard push toward the rescue boat and turned.

The damaged fishing vessel had given its last grasp at remaining afloat. Its bow swung up into the air, bobbing on the waves as scattered lights from the lower deck slowly disappeared beneath the water. Splintering fiberglass accompanied mesmeric arcs of electrical units as they cracked and sizzled to eerie silence. Huge plumes of air billowed up in a cauldron like foam from the ship’s abdomen, spewing debris yards out in every direction. The long metal arms of the fishing vessel, used to haul in the days catch, swung wide in a broad sweep, like wings unfurling from a morphed butterfly to crash down into the ocean.

Mesmerized by the deadly dance, Abby jerked back too late, crying out when one of the metal arms crashed down on her legs. A sharp pain ripped through her right leg. The agony increased until the sickening sensation of bone being snapped churned through her stomach. Pain and disbelief engulfed her conscious in a dizzy miasma. Immune to her lethargic struggle, the ocean sucked her beneath its turbulent depths.

She tumbled in meaningless motion. The massive weight of the metal beam dragging her lower. Lights from the boats above sparkled in faint patches over the water. Agonizing pain coursed from her leg into her thigh and for once, she was happy with the numbing cold of the ocean’s embrace.

Strange, the peaceful silence just below the disaster above.

A life saved – water filled her lungs in a deep prickling ache – a life lost.

————————————————————————————-

Want more? Want to vote, comment, maybe read more stories?

Go to:  www.textnovel.com

Thanks to everyone who’s voted so far.

Be sure to stop back tomorrow to find out who our visiting agent will be!

Have a great day!