Promo Post and Giveaway - Grooming Mr Right by Tonya Kappes
Blurb:
Luvie Beiderman is
blindsided when she is fired from her junior fashion design job in New York
City and is forced to move back to her small town in Kentucky. . . under her
parent's roof. Being home isn't so bad, after all, Luvie started Primp My Pet
Mobile Pet Spa and is dating one of her client's owner, hunky Jase Nelson.
When Luvie is offered
her dream design job in New York City, she is forced to make a decision between
a career she's always dreamed of or the new life she has created in her hometown
with the man she loves.
Tonya Kappes has very kindly come to the blog today to talk about herself and her writing.
JB:
What attracted you to writing in the first place?
TONYA: The idea that
I could tell a story.
JB: What genre are you most comfortable writing?
TONYA: I
consistently write in two genres: romance and mystery. I love them both. Once I
finish a romance, I have to have a break and I get a chance to do that by
starting a new mystery.
JB: How has your upbringing influenced your
writing?
TONYA: Every novel
of mine is set in a small town, I grew up in a small town. Every novel I write
has to do with a strong family unit, my family is thick as thieves. I guess you
could say that I want everyone to experience the love of a small town and the
love of family that I did.
TONYA: Everywhere! It
might be an overheard conversation, a situation, or just an idea that pops into
my head.
JB:
Do you have any writing rituals or listen to “mood music” when you write? Where
is your favorite place to write?
TONYA: I do have some type of white noise going on in the background. Most of the time it is music. I love to write in my office or on my back porch starting at 6:00 am.
JB: What’s your favorite place in the entire
world?
TONYA: My parent’s
house.
JB:Fame or fortune, which would you prefer?
TONYA: Fortune!
JB:
What was your favorite part of this book to write? Which part was the hardest?
TONYA: I love
writing the coming of age of the protagonist. I love developing that storyline.
The hardest part was when my protag realized what was truly important in her
life and what she believed was never the case.
JB:
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you “grew up”?
TONYA: Actress.
JB:
If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
TONYA: I do have an
outside career. I’m a Child Intervention Therapist. I guess you could call it
my part time job where I work two half days a week. I love working with
children and their families to become the best person they can be.
JB:
If you could live inside the world of a book would you choose?
TONYA: I would have
to pick Whispering Falls from the Magical Cures Series. It’s a magical place
with talking crystal balls, fairy dust, and fairy god-cats~how fun is that?
TONYA: I’m addicted
to Red Hot candy. I order a large diet coke with extra ice in a stryofoam cup
every single time I go to McDonalds. AND I’m scared of the dark.
JB:
Chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?
TONYA: Hands down,
chocolate.
JB:
If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?
TONYA: Pen, paper
and my hubby.
JB:
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
TONYA: It’s 285
pages that is filled with fun, love, laughter and coming of age.
JB:
You just made the USA TODAY BESTSELLERS list with TWO novels in the same week.
WOW! How did that feel?
TONYA: AMAZING!
Nothing short of amazing! I was shocked with one, but two…..le sigh. The
Perfect Ten is a box set collection of nine other bestselling authors that we
put together in order to reach more readers and cross-promote, so I knew it
would be well received by readers. But STRUNG OUT TO DIE! To make the list on
my own is a dream come true. I couldn’t be more honored and grateful for it.
I’m still giddy over it.
JB:
So what’s next for you as an author? Any last words?
TONYA: I’ve got
another book coming out in a brand new mystery series, A GHOSTLY UNDERTAKING.
Plus I just had two novels debut on USA TODAY Bestseller list, and I’m excited
to see where that goes.
Thank you so much
Tonya for visiting the blog today! Tonya has very generously offered an e-copy
of Grooming Mr Right to one of the blog readers. So, leave a comment and
your name will be drawn out of my lucky hat!
Tonya
Kappes
"A GHOSTLY UNDERTAKING is hauntingly good read with authentic Southern Charm." Heather Webber Author.
Tonya Kappes strings together the perfect blend of family, friends, and fun." Author Misa Ramirez.
"Full of wit, humor and colourful characters, Tonya Kappes delivers a fun, fast-paced story that will leave you hooked!" Bestselling Author, Jane Porter.
USA Today Bestselling Author, Tonya Kappes writes
humorous cozy mystery and women’s fiction that involves quirky characters in quirky
situations. Not only have her novels made the USA Today bestsellers list, but
they are an Amazon Top 100 author, Amazon Movers and Shakers, and International
bestsellers.
Splitsville.com, the first novel in the Olivia
Davis Mystery Series, is a double finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book
Awards in the Mystery and Humorous Categories.
Carpe Bead ‘em is 2012 winner in Amazon’s
eFestival of Words in the Women’s Fiction Category.
A Charming Crime, the first novel in the Magical
Cures, is the 2013 eFestival of Words in the Fantasy Category Winner.
A New Tradition the Indie Romance Convention 2013
novella of the year.
When not being the princess, queen, and jester of
her family of three teenage boys, an adoring husband, and three fury kids, she
travels to various writing groups as guest speaker on “How to Market and
Promote Your Novels Effectively,” where she is known as a marketing guru.
Become a member of Tonya's STREET TEAM! It's a gathering place of readers who love Tonya Kappes nevels and Tonya gives away monthly prizes! To sign up for Tonya's STREET TEAM, newsletter, view book trailer, and upcoming news, check out Tonya's website, Tonyakappes.com.
Also by Tonya
Kappes
The
Perfect Ten Box Set
An Olivia
Davis Paranormal Mystery
Splitsville.com
Color
Me a Crime
Color
Me Love Short Story
Bluegrass
Romance Series
Grooming
Mr. Right
Grandberry
Falls Series
The
Ladybug Jinx
Happy
New Life
A
Superstitious Christmas
Never
Tell Your Dreams
A Divorced
Diva Mystery Series
A
Bead of Doubt Short Story
Strung
Out To Die
A Magical
Cures Mystery
A
Charming Crime
A
Charming Cure
A
Charming Potion Short Story
A
Charming Wish
A
Charming Spell
Small
Town Romance Short Story Series
A
New Tradition
The
Dare Me Date
The
Tricked-Out Toolbox~Promotional and Marketing Tools Every Writer Needs
You can purchase her novels at:
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyakappes
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonyakappes11
Author Website/blog: http://www.tonyakappes.com/
Goodreads author/book page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4423580.Tonya_Kappes
Link to Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tonyakappes/boards/
Children's Book Spotlight - The Fairy Bell Sisters by Margaret McNamara
The Fairy Bell Sisters
The first in a brand new book series of stories inspired by
everyone’s favourite fairy Tinker Bell from the book Peter Pan, by J. M. Barrie
Before Tinker Bell flew to Never Land and met Peter Pan she lived on Sheepskerry Island with her fairy sisters – Clara, Lily, Rosie, Silver and Squeak the baby. The young fairies go to fairy school and love tea parties, dressing up and exciting adventures. Young readers will love the enchanting stories and beautiful illustrations in this charming new series.
Before Tinker Bell flew to Never Land and met Peter Pan she lived on Sheepskerry Island with her fairy sisters – Clara, Lily, Rosie, Silver and Squeak the baby. The young fairies go to fairy school and love tea parties, dressing up and exciting adventures. Young readers will love the enchanting stories and beautiful illustrations in this charming new series.
The Fairy
Bell Sisters: Silver and the Fairy Ball
Every fairy on Sheepskerry Island is excited about Queen Mab’s fairy ball. Everyone, that is, except Silver. She’s too young to go – it’s so unfair!
Like any good fairy, Silver tries to look on the bright side. But her secret plans turn into an awful mess. Worst still, none of the fairies realise that Silver isn’t the only uninvited guest…
Every fairy on Sheepskerry Island is excited about Queen Mab’s fairy ball. Everyone, that is, except Silver. She’s too young to go – it’s so unfair!
Like any good fairy, Silver tries to look on the bright side. But her secret plans turn into an awful mess. Worst still, none of the fairies realise that Silver isn’t the only uninvited guest…
The Fairy
Bell Sisters: Rosie and the Secret
Friend
It’s summer time on Sheepskerry Island, which means the Summer People will arrive for their holidays. That’s when the fairies must take great care not to be discovered by humans. But when Rosie the fairy meets a little girl called Louisa it’s hard to stay hidden. Louisa really needs a friend and Rosie trusts her. It’s fun having a human friend, but how can Rosie keep a secret from her own sisters, and what will they do when they discover the truth?
It’s summer time on Sheepskerry Island, which means the Summer People will arrive for their holidays. That’s when the fairies must take great care not to be discovered by humans. But when Rosie the fairy meets a little girl called Louisa it’s hard to stay hidden. Louisa really needs a friend and Rosie trusts her. It’s fun having a human friend, but how can Rosie keep a secret from her own sisters, and what will they do when they discover the truth?
These are beautiful little books that every little girl will adore! I know my own daughter certainly did. Pink and sparkly with beautiful covers. What's not to love about them! With lovely little illustrations inside and easy to read text and short chapters and exciting adventures, these books are a must for the princess in your life! There are a number of books in the series to check out.
Free Book Promo - The Priest by Monica La Porta
"The
Priest by Monica La Porta is FREE today"
"The Ginecean
Chronicles are a glimpse
into a world that is the mirror image of ours. Ginecea is dominated
by a matriarchal society where men are enslaved
and heterosexual affection is considered the ultimate perversion. But
love always find a way, because society can't rule over the matters of the
heart."
"Mauricio and Rosie, the slave and the
president's daughter. A poignant love story."
"The Priest: Love Conquers All."
"The Priest: Love Conquers All."
Download to your
kindle – free until 14th September.
Author Interview - Annabelle Blume
Brook Cottage Books is delighted to welcome the lovely
Annabelle Blume. Thanks so much Annabelle for enduring the interrogation interview.
JB:
I love the title of the book! How did you come up with the title and was the
book originally called something else or did you play about with a number of
other titles?
Annabelle:
Thank you! Melted Tears was always the title, though I wasn’t sure I loved it
in the beginning. As for choosing it, I wanted something that implied growth on
Cressenda’s part. Frozen Heart was such a perfect description for her emotional
state in the first book, I spent a lot of time thinking about where she was in
the second book – what she’d learned and how she’d changed.
JB:
Tell us a little about you inspiration for your book. Can we look forward to
another in the series?
Annabelle:
Initially, I though Beckett and Cressie’s story was done at the end of Frozen
Heart, but so many readers asked for more, wanted to know what happened next,
that I knew I had to explore their future together. Plus, I knew Beckett wasn’t
the type to leave well enough alone.
I
would definitely like to write more in the Outlier Series. Cressie and
Beckett’s story is in a good spot, which leave me the option to explore the
stories of the others, like Teagan and Guard Tallion.
JB:
From start to finish, how long did it take you to complete Melted Tears?
Annabelle:
It took me 4 months to have the Melted Tears manuscript ready for submission to
Inkspell. Then Rie, my editor, and I spent a couple weeks fine tuning.
JB:
Did any of the characters suddenly develop in a different way than you had
originally planned or did you stick pretty much with what you had planned for
each of them?
Annabelle:
Guard Tallion took on a whole new arc I hadn’t seen coming, but it couldn’t
have been any other way.
JB:
Do you have a publication day ritual and does it include champagne?
Annabelle:
I don’t have a ritual, but I like your idea. Can I steal it?
JB:
Your book covers are stunning. Tell us a little about who designs your covers?
Annabelle:
Najla of Najla Qamber Designs does my covers with Inkspell Publishing. She is
amazing. I haven’t seen any other cover artists whose work even comes close to
hers.
JB:
Lots of authors tell me they write every day. Are you that type of writer or do
you write when inspiration strikes?
Annabelle:
I definitely do not wait for inspiration to strike. When I write it is
intentional. I carve out hours in my day and I write deliberately and with
purpose.
JB:
Tell me 3 good things about being a writer and 3 things that suck!
Annabelle:
Oh, whoo...man, that’s hard. I’ll tell you a story about the time when my
writing dream came true.
About
6 months ago or so, a man I know came to me and asked if I had any copies of my
book on hand. He explained that his daughter was in a bad place, falling apart
over an ex-boyfriend who wasn’t worth the sock fuzz between her toes and
floating somewhat aimlessly now that she was out of high school. He wanted her to read Frozen Heart because he believed
Cressenda was exactly the type of woman she needed to get to know. A character
she could be inspired by and learn from.
I was floored.
My writing dream had come true. I gave
him a signed copy with a personalised dedication to his daughter and a set of
signed book marks and wouldn’t take a dime in exchange. He had already paid me
far more than money every could.
As for what sucks? That’s easy.
1.People assume you’re going to be
rolling in dough as soon as your book is published, which isn’t true at ALL.
2.The reactions you receive when you
say you write romance fit in to one of three categories – the haters, the
lovers, and the pervs. The pervs are the most annoying.
3.Someone once said to me, “Anyone can
write a book these days.” That’s the sentiment floating around out there. It’s
insulting on levels even I don’t have the words to describe. I usually respond
with, “I look forward to your best seller any time now.”
JB:
You have a sociology degree. What made you decide to study this particular
subject and is there another area you’d like to study?
Annabelle:
Sociology is the summary of reality to me. How we think, feel, behave, etc is
all influenced by the society in which we live. I loved studying Sociology.
Sometimes I wish I had followed through with my teenage plans to be a
geneticist, but in this era of GMO foods, I’m rather glad I didn’t follow that
path and end up under Monsanto’s dark cloud.
JB:
You write for Vitacost.com also. How did you get involved with this site?
Annabelle:
Initially, my ability to talk about sex, openly and honestly, without being too
clinical or too crass was what got me the job. The Bombshell Mommy started out
completely focused on sex, self esteem, and relationships. Sadly, there are
still plenty of very prudish people out there and after wading through tons of
backlash, we transitioned to an overall “Bombshell” lifestyle blog, focusing on
natural and green approached to health and beauty.
JB:
What’s next for you? Do you have any new projects in the pipeline or are you
busy enough!?
Annabelle:
I’m working on a New Adult Urban Fantasy. This will be my first full length
novel. I am terribly excited!
JB:
If you could have any other job in the world what would it be or would you
stick to doing what you do now?
Annabelle:
I’ve always wanted to be a host on QVC. Yes, I’m serious. It’s okay, you can
laugh. It seems like the best gig ever. I mean, all you have to do is talk
about how awesome a product is and have really big hair. The big hair might be
a tough transition for me, but I think it’d be worth it.
JB:
Any advice out there for any budding writers?
Annabelle:
My only advice is the mantra of Chuck Wendig: Finish Your Stuff (well, he uses
more colorful language, but you catch my drift). Seriously though, if you don’t
finish anything you’re not a writer, you’re a typist. Writers tell stories from
beginning to end. Learn how to follow through with your story arc and your
character arcs. Even if you think it’s complete and utter crap, the very act of
getting to the end of a story is magical.
Thank
you for having hosting me today. It’s been delightful!
About Annabelle Blume
Annabelle is a Science Fiction and Urban Fantasy Romance author, that is, when she's not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm. Her Sociology degree has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle's unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.
| She's also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com, where she expounds her knowledge of being a vixen clad in sweatpants. A serial book monogamist, Annabelle is deeply devoted to the literary love of her life until the next amazing book falls into her clutches and she obsesses anew. |
Annabelle’s
official author page www.annabelleblumebooks.com
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Novella
Release Date: August 2013
Release Date: August 2013
Two lovers face off against a government determined to keep them
apart. It’s only brave if it’s hard.
After a decade of being alone in the wilderness, Cressenda is
still adjusting to life with the man of her dreams. When Beckett hatches a plan
to break her parents out of The Affinity prison work camps, Cressenda must make
the biggest sacrifice of her life; trading her freedom for her parents’.
Cressenda’s fortitude is tested at every turn, from surviving the conditions of
West Fallen work camp to believing in Beckett’s dedication to their plan and
their love, even when it looks like all hope is lost. With the help of a
unlikely ally, Cressenda learns to stop fighting against her fears and embrace
the power of fighting for her dreams.
Will trusting Beckett to take
down The Affinity be the ultimate show of faith or a fatal mistake?
Children's Book Spotlight - Bing : Get Dressed, By Ted Dewan
Celebrate the messy energy, joyful
surprise and miniature wonders of toddlers’ everyday life with this playful
picture book by award-winning creator Ted Dewan. With short texts, bright
artwork and appealing characters, Bing teaches us all that whatever happens
it’s just a Bing thing, an ‘oops moment’ and nothing to get upset about.
In Bing: Get Dressed, Clever Bing has mastered putting on
his clothes, with a little help from his constant companion Flop, but he’s
struggling with the right order. And when he’s fully dressed, uh-oh, he has an
accident. Don’t worry, Bing. It’s no big thing. Just get dressed all over
again! That’s the Bing thing…
This
is a lovely little book and the illustrations are very sweet, bright and big!
Perfect for inquisitive minds and tired parents! Written with pre-schoolers in
mind, it makes learning about getting dressed fun! And, lets face it, its not
always easy to convince wriggling kids that its a good idea to get
dressed. With an easy to follow story-line and short, snappy sentences,
younger kids will adore the very lovable Bing! It's a funny story about getting
dressed that teaches children an important life-skill and also teaches that its
ok to sometimes get it wrong too! Children learning without even realising it! I loved this little book as did my almost 3
year old Godson! He squealed and laughed the whole way through it. There are lots of other books in the series too that are well worth checking out!
Here are some of the books available! There's lots more in the series!
Woman Walks into A Bar ..............Helping a worthy cause!
When I was
asked to take part in this promotion I jumped at the chance. This is a subject very
close to my heart. For a number of years I have worked directly with victims of
domestic abuse, both in a refuge as a support worker and as part of my
social work role. I have heard so many devastating stories and have seen the
impact of domestic violence first hand. Please, please, please give your
support to this great cause and buy Rowan Coleman's book. Many thanks. JB. x
On September 10th Rowan is publishing her novella Woman Walks into a Bar as an ebook for the first time. And 100% of her proceeds will be donated to Refuge.
Her goal is to raise £10,000 and you can help. All you have to do is buy a book, or two, and get your friends to buy one too. You’ll get a funny, romantic and touching summer read and you’ll be helping women you’ve never even met at the same time and all for the price of £1.59!
The story behind the story
Every book Rowan has ever written has meant a lot to her, but with her latest book ‘Dearest Rose,’ something really special happened when the real world and the fiction she loves to write collided. It changed her as a person and a writer, forever.
She was getting ready to research her
tenth novel, which with the help of her Facebook readers she decided should
pivot around the theme of domestic abuse. It was a subject she’d touched on
briefly once before, when she wrote a short novella as one of the first Quick
Reads called Woman Walks into a Bar, which to this day remains one
of the pieces of work of which she is most proud.
So she posted on her Facebook
page asking if anyone had any personal experiences of domestic abuse, and any
stories they might share with her in confidence.
She was shocked and amazed by the
response; there were more than 200 emails waiting in her inbox the next day.
Each story she read was horrific and frightening in its own way, giving her an
insight into the secret lives of many women; lives that all too often remain
hidden. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone - well educated wealthy women are
just as likely to suffer as women from a working class background - but the one
thing all those women had in common was that they were survivors. After years
of being mentally and physically beaten down, they had managed to find the
emotional strength, somehow, to break free and start again.
Now Rowan wants to do something that
will help other women find that inner courage, and change their lives.
‘Woman Walks into a Bar’ is the
story of 28-year-old single mother Sam spends her days working in the
local supermarket and her Friday nights out with her friends letting her hair
down at the White Horse. Life hasn’t been easy for Sam and her daughter,
Beth (who always looks on the bright side) but she’s always hoped that one
day she’ll break free from her past and meet The One.
But after a series of terrible dates
with men she’s met through an internet dating site, that have all been as awful
as her daughter’s terrible jokes, she’s starting to lose heart - until her
friends tell her they’ve set her up on a blind date. Sam’s horrified but
finally she agrees to go. After all you never know when you might meet the man
of your dreams; maybe Sam’s happy ending is just about to begin….
So, come on and join Rowan, and help to
#supportafriend on September 10th. Every time you buy or pre-order
‘Woman Walks into a Bar’ you’ll be entered into a prize draw for fabulous
prizes every week, while the #supportafriend #womanwalks campaign is running.
On 10th September, tweet Rowan photos of you and your friends, tell her your
ideas to support a friend, and why your friends mean so much to you.
You can be a best friend to someone you
have never even met. You can help someone out there find the support they need
to change their lives.
If you are a blogger or tweeter, spread
the word using #supportafriend #womawalks. If you are a company who could offer
a prize to drive book sales and thereby money for Refuge, please get in touch.
If you are a woman in an abusive relationship, or if you have a friend about
whom you are worried, please get in touch with Refuge and ask for help today.
About
Rowan
Rowan Coleman grew
up in Hertfordshire secretly longing to be a writer despite battling with
dyslexia. After graduating from university she worked in bookselling and
publishing for seven years before winning Company Magazine Young Writer of the
Year in 2001. Her first novel ‘Growing Up Twice’ was published in 2002.
Rowan has gone on
to write eight novels for women including the bestseller ‘The Accidental Mother, The Baby
Group’ and ‘The Accidental Wife‘ and eight novels for children and teens including the paranormal
adventure novels Nearly Departed and Immortal Remains under the name Rook
Hasting. Her books are published around the world. She now lives in
Hertfordshire with her family.
