Six Sentence Sunday

In this excerpt from A New Dream my hero Matt is babysitting for the first time. Chris is Matt's brother, and Violet is Matt's fiancee. A New Dream is available at http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662249&mode=product&product=2676585

Violet watched with interest as Matt laid Tyler on the sofa
and removed his diaper. He reached for a clean one, but Tyler,
stimulated by the cold air on his bottom, started to wet all over
Matt, the sofa, and himself. The child screamed as the hot wetness
struck him in the face. Matt, hurriedly capped his hand over the
stream. He looked around for something to wipe Tyler’s face with,
but when he didn’t see anything he used his shirt sleeve.

Chris cracked up. “You’re getting all wet, Matt.”

I know we didn't have Six Sentence Sunday last week, but I'm a creature of habit and did it anyway. If you'd care to read it, it's available.

The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award

Hey, I was tagged for the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award. The rules of this award are:

1) You link the person who sent it to you. My friend Emma Lai sent it to me, so please check out Emma's answers. Thanks, Emma.

2) List seven random facts about yourself. Okay, here goes:

a) I enjoy going to movies.

b) I love sandals with flowers on them.

c) Give me chocolate, and you can have everything else.

d) In the course of six weeks this spring we had to replace the roof due to hail damage, replace the heating and air system, put in a new septic system, and repair the dining room walls, dishwasher, and dryer.

e) My dog always offers to share his rawhide bones with me.

f) My favorite colors are pink and turquoise.

g) I’d like to have a blue diamond.

3) Now I'm passing the award on to 10 other awesome blog buddies who're listed below. Do take time to check everyone's answers.

J. Gunnar Grey

Jean Joachim

Kim Bowman

Kay Springsteen

Jocelyn Vaughn

Joeanne Troppollo

Adele Laudan

Anne K. Albert

Billie Williams

Stephanie Burkhart

Fashionista Friday

Happy Friday, Fashionistas. Let’s talk shoes today, red shoes to match our purse that we found last week. I did a lot of internet surfing this week, and I found some red shoes to die for! The problem is that with color monitors all being so different, it was hard for me to say if they were a good match or not. So, I decided to share the ones I like the most, and you can decide which ones are best.

My first offering is this wonderful Kenneth Cole peep toe pump. These shoes have a four inch heel with a one inch platform. They’re on sale for $65.00 at http://www.zappos.com/kenneth-cole-reaction-peep-show-red

If these don’t move you, how about these sling backs from J. Renee which are one of my favorites. And no, the purse and shoes don’t have to the same. These shoes are available at http://www.zappos.com/j-renee-camelia-red-orange for only $84.95. The colors are vibrant, and the bohemian print seems sophisticated to me. The heel is only 3 ½ inches on this one.

If you don’t mind spending a little more, I have the perfect strappy sandals for you. These Christian Louboutins are $515.00 at http://www.mytheresa.com/us_en/discolilou-140-sandals-71205.html?quid=61029863468S1086032T&gkid=322497407 They have a four inch heel with a one inch platform, and I totally love the strappy look. I think it does beautiful things for a girl’s legs. If you wanted shoes the same color as the bag, I think (remember I only have my monitor to go by) that these are your best bet even though I think they’re a bit dressy for the bag.

I think these Amble pumps are gorgeous too. Only $99.00 at http://www.shoesgotsole.com/Nicole-Womens-Amble-Pump-in-Coral-AMBLE.CORAL-L3506-K~NIL1482.html?refid=DT342-NIL1482

Of course when all is said and done, the shoes you’d pair with the bag will depend on where you’re going and what you’re wearing. If you want to be casual and comfortable, I think this is a good choice. These Soft Spots are on sale for only $44.97 at
http://www.footsmart.com/P-SoftSpots-Womens-Darby-Slides-74090.aspx?srccode=YDLIKEF&cm_mmc=LIKE-_-YDLIKEF-_-Womens%20Sandals-_-NA&mr:referralID=76c3a0c5-931b-11e0-891e-001b2166c2c0

Happy shopping, and if you’d like, email me your finds, and I’ll post them for you. Send the pictures to admin@elainecantrell.com

Quintspinner

My guest today is Dianne Greenlay, author of Quintspinner. Dianne, I'm so glad to meet you.

Thanks, Elaine for inviting me to visit with you today.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing.

I live in the middle of the Canadian prairies, and by day I work at my own physiotherapy clinic; by night I write novels and I direct community theatre productions. My husband and I raised 6 teenagers into adulthood (only two bathrooms) and we all survived. We now share our home with a consortium of cats, and travel somewhere exotic in the winters (research for the novel, ya' know?), and somewhere within Canada that we have not yet been to, in the summers.

My debut novel, QUINTSPINNER - A PIRATE'S QUEST is a historical novel and has been labelled by reviewers as a historical adventure, a historical romance, and a historical YA novel. (A little something for everyone I guess ...) I wrote it as a novel for an adult audience, but an editor that I worked with suggested that I lower my protagonist's age to 16, as he felt that it was a story that upper teens would enjoy as well as an adult readership. It seems to have worked as it has won awards in both historical and YA categories.

2. I can see why it won awards. I loved the excerpt. How much research did you have to do for the book?

Well, considering that I'm a prairie girl writing about a sea faring adventure, I had to research a LOT. I had had several experiences on the ocean before I started the story, including some near misses involving a shark beneath my Hobie cat, a spouting Orca swamping the inflatable Zodiac boat that I was in, being stung by a cloud of nearly invisible baby jelly fish, and attempting - and failing miserably - to haul sail on board a tall ship (not all on the same holiday, thank goodness.)

Because of my medical background (besides being both an acute care and rehab physiotherapist, I was also an EMT for 13 years), I did not have to research as much for the parts of the story that involved Tess, (my protagonist) and her physician father, other than to find out what stage medical knowledge and techniques were at in the 1700's.

The most indepth research for me was that that helped me to understand what life on a sailing ship was like 300 years ago. I toured Nova Scotia when it had a major pirate display visiting the province, and the land itself has many nautical museums and ruins of forts and dwellings, complete with actual artillery and ammunition. The curators of these places are amazing resources. They were more than willing to share their vast knowledge of sailing and pirate stories with me.

Back home, I utilized my local library and also developed my own personal collection of resource books on a variety of topics - sailing, pirates, everyday living in the 1700's, herbal medicine - and I still refer to these frequently, as I am writing the second book in the QUINTSPINNER trilogy.

Of course, the Internet is probably the greatest and easiest source of information available to writers today. Facts, descriptions, and even videos are all available at our fingertips. Not so much fun as rolling around in the actual surf, however ...

3.I love the hands-on part of your research! Who are some YA authors who have inspired you?

I loved S.E. Hinton's THE OUTSIDERS, Wilson Rawls' WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS, and Kenneth Oppel's SILVERWING series. I'm also a fan of the classics, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, by Mark Twain and LORD OF THE FLIES, by William Golding.

4. What do you think makes a book a page turner?
As a reader, I am compelled to turn the page when the action is fast, the tension is high, and a chapter ends on an unexpected detail or in an unfinished situation. I also have to care about the characters and want to know what is going to happen to them.

5. Great criteria for a page turner. What are you most passionate about outside of writing?

I have many interests, but probably the thing that I devote the most amount of energy towards and derive pleasure from, after writing, would be live theater. I am a founding member of a community theater group and have been a part of all of its productions over the past 20 years. It is a powerful feeling to get people in the audience so involved in the story that they laugh out loud and they cry in front of their tablemates. Hmm ... maybe not so different from reading a wonderful book!

6. Would you share your links with us and maybe an excerpt?

I would be delighted to.
Web page www.diannegreenlay.com
blog http://www.writeonthewaytosomewhere.blogspot.com
Facebook Group http://on.fb.me/kFmjca
book trailer http://youtu.be/HPltUhH-b2w
available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters/Indigo


7. Blurb:
Blurb: In the year 1717, 16 year old Tess Willoughby witnesses a murder near a London marketplace and becomes the keeper of a legendary Spinner ring. Even so, she never imagines that she will find herself an unwilling passenger on a merchant ship bound for the pirate-infested waters of the West Indies and forcibly betrothed to the murderer. Longing to be with William, a young press-ganged sailor, but unable to escape her dangerous fiance's clutches, Tess struggles to survive in her new set of circumstances. During a pirate attack, she unravels the legacy of her strange Spinner ring and its power, realizing that her own life and those of everyone she loves, are in jeopardy. As a powerful hurricane overtakes the ship, a slim opportunity for her own escape presents itself, and she is forced to make the most chilling decision of her life. Having won multiple Book Awards, (ReaderViews, ForeWord Connections, Creative Arts Council, Sask Book Award, Eric Hoffer Award) Quintspinner is a tale of pirates, secrets, betrayal, and romance on the seas of the West Indies, all bound together by a dash of ancient magic.

Excerpt:
"Are you alright?" Tess whispered into her sister's ear. "How have you been treated?" Even as the words left her mouth, Tess's hands slid down to her sister's shoulders and froze over top of a softly thickened weal on Cassie's right shoulder. Tess pulled her hand away and stared.

"Oh my God, Cass," she whispered hoarsely. "What has he done to you?"

Under the inquiring touch of Tess's fingertips, an angry raised mound of fresh and tender scar tissue stood out. Clearly it was a miniature form of the powder horn depicted on the pirates' flag.

"He- he branded you?" Tess gasped.

A brand. The pirate captain's brand.Burned deeply into the soft flesh of Cassie's shoulder, it marked Cassid forever as his own.

Tess swallowed hard as sudden waves of nausea threatened to expel a rush of bitter bile. Anger deeper than any she had ever known cascaded over her in a hot rush.Looking into Cassie's tear filled eyes, and seeing the intense anguish there, she clasped her sister hard to her chest. "He will pay for whatever he has done to you!" she seethed.

"No-o-o," Cassie moaned. "He'll kill you if you try anything." Her eyes pleaded with Tess. "Save yourself if you can." She laid her own hand gently over the branded tissue. Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I am doomed."

Readers, leave a comment to be entered in a contest for a Quintspinner tee shirt and a $10.00 gift certificate from Amazon. Follow the tour and comment more often for more chances to win. You can find the tour schedule at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/04/virtual-book-tour-quintspinner-by.html.

Why I Love My Nook

I'm now participating in Why I Love Wednesdays. Today's topic is my favorite book format. For more authors go to http://www.reflectionsofabookaholic.com/2011/06/why-i-love-wednesdaysfavorite-book.html

Things sure do change over time, don’t they? Ten years ago I don’t think anyone could have predicted how ebooks would change the publishing world. I’m assuming that anyone reading this post would know what an ebook is, but just in case let’s define it. An ebook is a book read on a hand held device like a Barnes and Noble Nook. They can be read on a computer, but it’s easier on the eyes to read them on the ebook reader.

Prior to the Christmas season an estimated four million homes had ebook readers in them, but I’m sure the number is higher now that Christmas is over. I got a Nook myself. It has a case that opens like a book, and there’s a book light attached so I can read it in the dark if I wanted to. You can also change the font size to suit yourself.

Do I like My Nook? I sure do. For one thing, the books I’ve downloaded so far are cheaper than print books. Same text, just cheaper. And since they are cheaper, I’ve found that I’m far more willing to try new authors. For another thing, I can download an ebook and have it ready to read instantly-no driving to the bookstore or waiting for a book order to come in the mail.

Besides those things, storage in my house is maxed out, and that includes book storage. Both my son and I are avid readers, and even though we have bookcases stuck in every conceivable corner, there just isn’t any more room. But with an ebook reader about the size of a paperback, I can store hundreds of books. If I go on vacation, I can take my library with me.
With the Nook I can even borrow books from other Nook owners which is a plus for me. Honestly, I never liked lending my print books to anyone. All too often they came back with smudged pages or torn covers, and I don’t like that kind of thing. It was always risky to borrow a book for myself too. I borrowed one book from a friend of mine, and the cat peed on it. I had to buy a new copy for her. (I don’t know why the cat did that. I thought it was a good book, but maybe she didn’t like it. LOL.)

The books I wrote are all available in either print or ebook version. (Let me pause to put in a bit of shameless self-promotion; ebooks are inexpensive so try one of mine.) If you haven’t given any thought to reading ebooks, take a field trip to Barnes and Noble where they have Nooks set up for customers to look at and try out. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Oh, and before I forget, over Christmas Barnes and Noble sold more ebooks than print books. And one more thing, a few months ago I read an article in the paper about a school in the Northeast that did away with print textbooks. Every student’s textbooks are electronic.

Six Sentence Sunday

Technically, there is no SSS today, but since I'm a creature of habit I'm writing my six anyway. I'm cheating a bit, though. I'm writing seven today. These are from A New Dream which is available at http://www.astraeapress.com In this excerpt, Matt is sitting on a stool while Violet bandages his hand. He cut it while they were carving a pumpkin.

The soft, breathless tone of her voice brought Matt’s head
up. Violet caressed the side of his face and cupped his cheek in her
palm. “You’re so handsome, Matt. When I touch you I…”

Matt forgot that both his knee and his hand hurt. He pulled
Violet between his legs and rested his head between her breasts.
She shivered as he slipped his arms around her waist and fanned
his fingers across her hips.

Welcome to Fashionista Friday

Welcome to the first Fashionista Friday. Am I a fashionista? I doubt it. I’m not even sure I spelled the word right. (If I didn’t, you’ll let me know, right?) No, I don’t spend my days shopping or studying fashion magazines, but like most women, I do want to look nice. I bet you do too, so I’ve decided to share my quest for a new summer wardrobe. After looking at the things I like, you may say my taste is all in my mouth, but then again, maybe we’ll be on the same wavelength fashion wise.

As any fashionista knows, having the proper handbag is critical to give your outfit a smooth, polished look. I needed a red bag, so, I began my search and found a Hermes birkin bag I loved at http://www.hervelegerinlove.com/products/Hermes_Silver_Lockpin_Birkin_35CM_Crocodile_Veins_Bag_Red_silver.html .

Just look at it! The words Hermes Paris made in France are embossed on front of bag under flap. It has Palladium gold hardware lock and keys, and Hermes Paris embossed on the hardware. There are four palladium feet at the bottom to protect your bag each time you set it down. It’s also available in blue, orange-gold, and silver although the blue bag has ostrich veins not crocodile.

Price? $332.99. Ouch. I don’t want to pay that much for something I’ll use with only one or two outfits, but I do look this look. Can I find an alternative without spending so much?

Yep, sure can. What do you think of this?

Of course, it isn’t identical, but it has the same look to it. It’s roughly the same shape and size, and it also has a nice grain pattern running down the front like the original. It even has the same feet and similar hardware. I found it at http://www.cityofbags.com/product/urban-expressions-alsatia-vegan-faux-croc-tote-handbag-red

Oh, what’s the price? Only $63.00. Just call me your friendly frugal fashionista. (Bet you can’t say that too fast.)

Don’t forget to join me on Sunday for Six Sentence Sunday. Happy shopping!