Authors Against Bullying - The Party Invitation

Several years ago, our family was out of town for spring break when FutureStar informed us in a panic that we had to go home early. We were enjoying our time away and really didn't want to leave. Even more so, when FS told us the reason for returning early was for a birthday party for a kid we'd never heard of before.

Seriously? We were supposed to cut our vacation short for some acquaintance? FS had never even mentioned the boy before now.

But then we heard the reason why this party was so important.

Apparently, this boy wasn't treated very well by his fellow students. He was different - different interests, different clothing, prone to acting out in class. And they tended to avoid him most of the time. Then, right before spring break, he brought in party invitations to every student in class.

He put the invitations on each desk, and announced that he hoped some of his classmates could attend the party. What FutureStar described next nearly broke my heart.

They threw the invitations on the floor. Laughed at the suggestion that they would go to this boy's party. Mocked him both behind his back and to his face. "I have to go to the party," FutureStar told us. "Someone from our class needs to be there. And no one else is going to go."

After that, there was no question. We packed up and headed home early, picked up a present, and on the day of the party FutureStar was on his doorstep, ready to celebrate with him.

Did any of the other kids in class show up? No. And FutureStar did endure some teasing from classmates when word got out. But that didn't matter. It was the right thing to do. And, eventually, the bullying in class stopped as well.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to be a friend to the friendless, the bullied, the outcast.

Stop bullying, one connection at a time.

Mandy M. Roth
Yasmine Galenorn
Lauren Dane
Michelle M. Pillow
Kate Douglas
Shawntelle Madison
Leah Braemel
Aaron Crocco
NJ Walters
Jax Garren
Shelli Stevens
Melissa Schroeder
Jaycee Clark
Shawna Thomas
Ella Drake
E.J. Stevens
Ashley Shaw
Jeaniene Frost
Rachel Caine
Kate Rothwell
Jackie Morse Kessler
Jaye Wells
Kate Angell
Melissa Cutler
PT Michelle
Patrice Michelle
Julie Leto
Kaz Mahoney
Cynthia D'Alba
Jesse L. Cairns
TJ Michaels
Jess Haines
Phoebe Conn
Jessa Slade
Kate Davies
Lynne Silver
Taryn Blackthorne
Margaret Daley
Alyssa Day
Aaron Dries
Lisa Whitefern
Rhyannon Byrd
Carly Phillips
Leslie Kelly
Janelle Denison
Graylin Fox
Lee McKenzie
Barbara Winkes
Harmony Evans
Mary Eason
Ann Aguirre
Lucy Monroe
Nikki Duncan
Kerry Schafer
Ruth Frances Long

Where'd It Go?

No, you're not imagining things. My blog is currently gone - or at least all the posts in it are. Thanks to the news that a fellow author has been sued by a photographer for using one of his pictures in a blog post, I've pulled all my posts so I can a) determine if there are any photos without proper permission or attribution, and b) fix them if necessary.

There's a lot on my blog that's perfectly fine - cover art, photos shared with me by the subject or photographer, stuff I have license to use - but there's other photos I'm just not sure. Sadly, one of the main items that's sure to go is the Inspiration Friday posts, at least in the format they've previously taken.

But most of the 731 posts will be back, in some form or another. If you subscribe to my blog and get email notifications that something new has posted, you might want to turn off that function for a while as the posts are re-published. And it could take a while, since I'm currently in the middle of a move AND have a book due at the end of August.

Sorry for the inconvenience, and I hope you'll stop by once the blog is up and running again!

Book BIN Tuesday - Forever Men

Walls crumble when you build a forever love.


As a couple, the deep, sensual connection between Desi and Alec is imaginative and limitless, even though Desi’s fear that love is transient keeps her from telling her man how she feels. Fun-loving Alec, who lost his parents in a tragic accident, has found that kind of forever love again. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep it, including giving Desi the one thing he lacks—a partner with a serious side.

With their fledgling construction company headed for the skids if they don’t finish the job on time, Desi and Alec are frantic to catch up. Enter Alec’s friend, Matt, a man haunted by the “dull and unimaginative” label his ex-fiancé pinned on him.

Working side by side, a thirst grows that seems unquenchable and each must come to terms with old hurts in order to consider possibilities never before imagined.

****
This is Lace Daltyn's first erotic novella, and it looks hot, doesn't it? Why not head on over and Buy It Now?



Guess What I'm Doing Next Week?

Girls’ Night Out

Join us for a fun night of romance, wine, food and pampering at Sage Book Store
Friday, July 13th 6-9 pm

Romance Authors Attending/Signing include:


Kate Davies - “Take A Chance On Me”
Jami Davenport – “Fourth and Goal”
Theresa Scott – “Love Rehab”
Shey Stahl – “Racing on the Edge”
Laurie Ryan – “Stolen Treasures” and “Pirate’s Promise”

$10.00 reserves a space, a latte and includes a donation to Meals on Wheels!
Sage Book Store 116 W. Railroad Avenue Shelton, WA 98584



Book BIN Tuesday - Moonshell Beach

He no longer believed in anything.

But she believed in him.

J.T. Douchett has returned home to shut out the world and escape the memories from his final mission as a Marine that haunt him. When he reluctantly agrees to provide security for a town event, the last thing he expects is to experience unbidden feelings for Irish movie star Mary Joyce.

Mary has surprised everyone—including herself—by accepting an invitation to a film festival in Shelter Bay. The Oregon coastal town immediately charms her, and an even larger surprise is encountering the stoic man who could be everything she's dreamed of.

As J.T. struggles to keep Mary at arm’s length, Mary reminds herself that she’s never been attracted to the strong, silent type. And having known so much sorrow, he’s wary of getting close to anyone. But in Shelter Bay, even the most strongly guarded heart is no match for love.

*****
I adore JoAnn Ross's books, and am SO excited she's got a new one out today! I think it's the perfect opportunity to bop on over and buy it now.

Summer Movies - What Are You Excited to See?

I'm so far behind in my movie viewing, it isn't even funny. But I'd like to change that, and see at least a few flicks during the summer blockbuster season. So my question is - what movie are you looking forward to seeing? Or maybe more specifically, what movies should *I* be excited about? What's coming up that really should be seen on the big screen?

Help a girl out! :)

Guest Blogger Kelly Jamieson - For The Love of Hockey!

I grew up watching hockey with my mom and my grandma (her mom) on television every Saturday night – Hockey Night in Canada. Strangely my dad wasn’t all that interested in hockey and used to nap on the couch during games. As a teenager, my first boyfriend played hockey and I used to go watch some of his games. He also liked to go to live games, and our local team was the Brandon Wheat Kings (yes, we lived on the prairies J). I remember sitting in the Keystone Centre watching the Wheat Kings while my boyfriend patiently explained what icing was, why they just gave a penalty and what made a play offside. I think I tried to be interested mostly because I wanted him to like me, but it somehow turned into a real love of the game!

When I started writing romance, I wanted to write a story with a hockey player hero, but hesitated because I kept hearing you shouldn’t write about heroes who are professional athletes. Athletes are big and muscular and strong. When they’re successful,  they’re confident, wealthy and famous. Are these heroic qualities?

Well, big muscles and a sexy smile are important for a romance hero, but qualities of determination, passion, loyalty, dedication, sacrifice and courage are important for heroes too. And don’t professional athletes have all those?

One Man Advantage, out today, is the third book I’ve written with a hot hockey player hero. Logan Heller is the younger brother of Jason (Breakaway) and Tag (Faceoff). While he’s a talented hockey player in his own right, it wasn’t easy following in the steps of such superstar older brothers.

But a hero is brave enough to face his insecurities and flaws and steps up when life is difficult. In One Man Advantage, Logan gets traded to a new team and even though he knows it’s part of the business and not personal, it still feels like a punch in the gut. He’s faced with starting over, with a new team, in a new city. He feels bitter and resentful and it would be tempting to let those feelings out, to whine and complain. But that’s not the kind of guy Logan is. And when he falls in love, he’s the kind of guy who sacrifices his career to protect the woman he loves, even when she’s stomping all over his heart because of her own insecurities.

Here’s the blurb for One Man Advantage:

After her ex trashes her reputation in front of the media and it quickly goes viral, Nicole vows she’ll never get involved with another hockey player. Too bad her job with the Minneapolis Caribou puts her in contact with sexy hockey players on a daily basis, including the newly traded center, Logan Heller. Logan’s pretty sure Nicole is the perfect woman for him and he’s determined to have her—in and out of bed. Nicole is equally determined to never date another hockey player. But Logan has a one man advantage...he knows what she really wants. 

Kelly Jamieson is a best-selling author of over twenty romance novels and novellas.  Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy”. Where you can find Kelly:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Nine Naughty Novelists

Book BIN Tuesday - a Two-fer!

Book BIN Tuesday - Spice and Smoke

You guys. YOU GUYS. I am so excited about this release, I can't even.

Bollywood? Forbidden passion? I'm so there. And you should be too! Just check it out:

When the cameras stop rolling, the real scene begins.

To their adoring public, Avi Kumar and Trishna Chaudhury are Bollywood’s sweethearts. Behind closed doors, their open marriage lets them freely indulge in all manner of forbidden passions. The arrangement suits them both, but as they begin filming on the set of their new movie, the heat of new and rekindled flames singes the pages of what they thought would be a fresh script.

When costars Michael Gill and Harsh Mathur arrive on set, the sexual temperature goes up exponentially—at least for Trish. She can’t take her eyes of Harsh, for whom she’s carried a torch for years. Avi’s instant attraction to Michael, however, bounces off Michael’s solid wall of resistance.

Meanwhile, ex-boyfriends Vikram Malhotra and Sam Khanna, cast as fictional enemies, are finding it harder and harder to control the very real demons that once cost them the love of a lifetime.

Once the music starts, though, they all have no choice but to dance . And pray the fallout doesn’t ruin all their careers…and destroy their love.

*****
Seriously, doesn't it sound fab? Why not head over to Samhain and Buy It Now?

Meet The Author Monday - Suleikha Snyder

NAME:  Suleikha Snyder

BLOG: http://suleikhasnyder.blogspot.com

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/suleikhasnyder

TITLE OF FIRST BOOK: Spice and Smoke

RELEASE DATE:  April 10

FAVORITE WRITING STORY/SAYING/MEMORY: “Brevity is the soul of wit,” from Shakespeare’s favorite windbag, Polonius. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said it — both to myself and to people whose (nonfiction!) work I’ve edited. Whether it’s short, sweet, sexy or funny, never underestimate the effectiveness of getting right to the point.

FAVORITE NON-WRITING STORY/SAYING/MEMORY: I’ve never watched the U.S. version of The Office, so I don’t even know where I might have picked it up from, but I say “That’s what she said!” way more than is advisable. I overuse it to the point where some friends of mine have suggested I write a TWSS moment into a novella. (Don’t worry: I haven’t managed to fit one in yet.) (That’s what she said!)

COMFORT FOOD: Anything fried, particularly empanadas or samosas. I completely adore mac & cheese. In fact, the one thing more excellent than mac & cheese is fried mac & cheese.

COMFORT READ: A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L’Engle

YOUR PERFECT DAY: Starts with coffee and ends with a smile. 

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?:  I’m currently working on the sequel to Spice and Smoke, Spice and Secrets. It’s a multicultural contemporary romance. Two couples — a pair of former sweethearts and a fiery talk show hostess and her producer — must work through lies, misgivings and past relationship baggage in order to find love. I also have a couple of other Bollywood/South Asian-themed romances up my sleeve. Let’s just say that I’m realllly excited about 2012!