Birthday Bargain - .99 Cent eBook Deal!!

Hey gang! Just wanted to let ya'll know that for the next 24 HOURS ONLY you can grab THE MAKING OF NBRASKA BROWN for the crazy price of JUST .99 cents! http://www.amazon.com/Making-Nebraska-Brown-Louise-Caiola-ebook/dp/B00IAFNF1S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400849527&sr=8-1&keywords=the+making+of+nebraska+brown


Here's an excerpt from one of the latest reviews:

"From the first line of this book, I knew I was in for something special. It's a rare story that can hook you from the first sentence, but this book did just that. The voice in this story is one of the most relatable, honest, and downright enjoyable of any book I've read in a long time.

The characters here are extremely layered. They talk, act, and even think like real people; especially real small town people (of which I am guilty of being one, so I guess I should know lol). The love story here is as genuine as everything else here; equal parts sweet, complicated, sad, and even tragic. The ideas of what we want, who we are, and even what we deserve are explored in deep, meaningful, and (most importantly) entertaining ways.

I could not get enough of this book. The pacing was perfect, working its way up to a fever pitch with ease and never sacrificing the character building moments for the sake of the plot. The first chapter of this book gave me exceptionally high hopes and I was thrilled to find that the reality of the story exceeded those expectations. Louise Caiola has earned a fan with this, and I cant wait to read what comes next from her!"

What better way to celebrate another year on this great planet earth than with spreading some book joy?

I hope you will take advantage of this special offer. It's here just in time for the long holiday weekend. Bring your Kindle to the beach. You know you want to!

Enjoy! TTFN...

A Day in the Writing Life

                                                                       

It’s Saturday. The office job is behind me for a couple days. The next 24 hours are mine to devote entirely to the creative process. Sort of. Here’s a glimpse of how it goes…

I awaken with a few ideas bubbling in my brain. Is that a new character mulling around up there, too? Must shower to get the Water Muse flowing. But wait! Puppy needs to go out, then be fed, then go out again. Finally, I immerse myself in the steady stream of GREAT AND AMAZING INSPIRATION. Uh, not quite. On this day I’m left wet, yet high and dry. Seems the new character escaped out the doggie door. Not to fret. Another will be along shortly. I hope. Maybe a trip to the supermarket will bring it all back again. (When did eggs get to be so expensive? And ugh, those checkout lines!) No matter! I found her! The new character and that darn little plot hole fix. They were hiding out in frozen foods. What do ya know! I rush home, put the groceries away, and dash to my home office to have at it. Phone set to voice mail. TV off. Cursor blinking. Here we go. But wait – first I should jot the new stuff down lest it goes missing again. And I really should check emails. And maybe fifteen minutes of online marketing. Just fifteen. Forty-five minutes later I’m good to go. It’s a thing of beauty. I’m like a machine. These are the BEST two pages I have ever written. Ahem. Yeah, two. I vow to get back to it later. I mean it.

Later comes. It is obnoxiously full of details like that load of laundry waiting beside the machine and the family requiring some form of dinner. (They tend to expect to be fed every single day! The nerve!) There are a few bills to be paid, too. And those phone calls aren’t going to return themselves. By eleven p.m. I’m right back where I started out this morning. The pillow is warm. My eReader is lit. I’ve got maybe fifteen minutes before I pass out. Just fifteen. Forty-five minutes later I’m good to go. To sleep, that is. It was an amazingly productive day in the Writing Life.

 

Moms, Monsters & Marathons

It's that time again - to pay homage to those women to whom we owe our very lives. Mom's are skilled in imparting their wisdom in such fashion that we may not only grow into decent human beings but also never, ever embarrass them in any way. Thanks to my mom I've learned that I didn't live in a barn ("Shut that door behind you") or that we weren't trying to heat or cool the entire neighborhood. She's taught me about world hunger ("Finish your peas. Don't you know there are children starving in Africa?") and about religion, too ("You'd better pray that nail polish comes out of that bedspread".)
Becoming a mother myself made me appreciate the beauty in the reply. My personal fave:
Kid: Can we get a pony?
Me: No
Kid: Why not?
Me: Because I said so. (It's a gem, isn't it?)
My hats off to the woman who crafted that little ditty.
Mothers are born creators. And we just love our fiction. When my kids were young I got about a million miles out of the "Santa's watching so you'd better behave" threat. Same rule of behavior applied to the Easter Bunny. We kept 'em in line with the "your face will freeze that way" tale, and keep them safe from the dreaded Sleep Sucker with a can of Mom's Famous Monster Spray. One shot of that and a dark bedroom was boogeyman-free.
If I had to sum it all up, I'd say that motherhood is a lot like running a 10k in 6-inch heels, spiked heels. In the rain. Up hill. Both ways. Yet when we reach the finish line, our reward awaits. There our children will be to offer us those three little words that make it all worthwhile.
"What's for dinner?"
Blessings moms, one and all.

10 Things You Don't Know About Me...

                                                             

Well, let’s be honest here – there are lots more than only ten, right? After all, I’m just starting to get acquainted with many of you lovely readers out there. But, for the sake of this post I’ll divulge some mild “secrets” of the personal kind.  How many of these pertain to you, too?

1.       I’m claustrophobic. Do not, repeat, do not like elevators or MRIs.

2.       Obsessive much? Guilty as charged. I am a first class late-night ruminator.

3.       I firmly believe that without dogs in the world, people would be less human.

4.       I’ve never met a honey-barbeque chip I didn’t dig.

5.       Stars are for wishing on and I still do.

6.       Give me a beach chair, a blue sky and a book, and I’m good-to-go for hours.

7.       I once came in second place in a Best Jeans-Butt Contest. (Was that TMI?)

8.       I have seen every episode of Friends at least twice, conservatively.

9.       My prized collection of Nancy Drew mysteries was destroyed in a flood.

10.   The characters I meet in my stories truly become part of my family. Even the not-so-nice ones.

So, if by now you still choose to get a closer look inside my head, (and I hope you will) check out my newest book - THE MAKING OF NEBRASKA BROWN right here - http://amzn.to/1baCbhO and be sure to let me know what you think. Have a great day!

 

L.L. Akers' Stunning Debut Novel FREE until 5/3

I could not be happier to be bringing you this super-fabulous deal courtesy of the talented author L.L. Akers. I mean, what's better than an awesome book you can download right now for FREE?

http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Go-ebook/dp/B00I5WVJLY

 

Here is the 4-1-1- on this gorgeous book entitled LET ME GO.  (Don't you just love the cover?)

The pasts of three sisters and their mother collide head-on with a mysterious present in this surreal and gripping family drama. One of these women finds herself trapped. Alone. In a box. She battles to survive the terrifying darkness. With long hours of nothing to do but wait in terror for her captor to return, she grapples through obscure dreams and memories of a painful family past, painting the story of the dragonfly tattoo--once meant to be a beautiful, family mark of freedom--but destined to become a prophetic brand of survival shared by the four women who wear it.

 

Age 17+ due to language/graphic content... a dark but beautiful story of abuse and survival.

 

L.L. Akers' debut novel, Let Me Go, is getting rave reviews, AND it's a FREEBIE today:

 

"Breathtakingly beautiful." -Not Everyone's Mama Book Blog"I was mind blown..." -MetInEleven.blogspot.sg/"Riveting and gut-wrenching, a captivating read..." -BookwormBrandee.blogspot.ca

"The ending of the book was absolutely perfect." -MetInEleven.blogspot.sg/
"There's no way Let Me Go can be excused as a typical NA book... I absolutely love this type of book." -ReadingIsMyTreasure.Blogspot.com
"Riveting and gut-wrenching, a captivating read. Full of emotion." -BookwormBrandee.blogspot.ca
"An emotional journey not to be missed." -BooksLiveForever.com
"Every word of this book begs attention, every sentence squeezing out emotion." -MySeryniti.com
"A gripping tale... This book packs quite a punch." -BookyThoughtsAndMe.com
"A rollercoaster of emotions." -Adventures In Reading
"L.L. Akers' debut book is a well-written and emotional book." -Bibliobelles.com

So, hurry on over to Amazon right now and grab your copy for FREE while you can! Here's the link!


http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Go-ebook/dp/B00I5WVJLY