Showing posts with label Book Birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Birthday. Show all posts

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Happy Book Birthday, FINDING THOR!!!!


I can't believe it's been one year since this amazing book released. Have you found your Thor? Kai wants to help with that. Be sure to check out the giveaway below my interview with the fun and talented Kai Strand.


International intrigue hits small-town America.

Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock.

Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again.

But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.

When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?

Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school.

Mary: Congratulations on the one-year anniversary of Finding Thor’s publication!!!

Kai: Thanks, Mary. These milestones in an author’s career are fun to celebrate. In December I celebrated five years as a published author. Five years already! Wow.

Mary:Wow! That's great! Speaking of great, Finding Thor is a great romance. And, since we’re talking about celebrating, what is your favorite wedding anniversary celebration?

Kai: So far my favorite celebration was for our 20th wedding anniversary. We went on an Alaskan cruise and it was amazing! Very romantic, too. We used the formal dinner night as our official celebration. It was fun to be all decked out with my hunky hubby on a fancy cruise ship. 



What about you?

Mary: Aww, what a cute couple! We went to Pittsburgh for our 15th anniversary, and stayed at this really cool B&B in the Mexican War district. We had fun walking around the city, and had a romantic dinner on the hill overlooking Point State Park. We’re talking about going to Vegas in a few years for our 25th, but so far Pittsburgh is the one to top.

I noticed in Finding Thor that Cara and Nik don’t really seem to get a chance to celebrate much. I bet Nick would pull out all the stops for a romantic evening with Cara.

Kai: You’re right on both counts. They’re too busy with car chases and kidnappings to go out for a romantic dinner. But Nik is pretty old fashioned and downright swoony, so I know he has it in him.

Mary: I see you’re giving away a super cool Thor cap as part of the Finding Thor swag pack. 
I’ve always wondered, out of all the superheroes, why Thor?

Kai: Really, Mary? You have to ask? It’s Thor! I might have a bit of a thing for Marvel’s Thor. And that thing might have gotten even more manic when Chris Hemsworth started to portray him. I’m a puddle.

But as far as my main character Cara is concerned, she has always been obsessed with comic books – Thor being her favorite, too. She always envisioned love as Thor, slamming his hammer into the earth, and the vibration resonating within her for a lifetime. She never expected love would be a thousand tiny actions from a normal boy. It was kind of like that for me IRL. My husband and I were friends before we started dating. He went out of his way to do things for me (fix a flat tire, drive me two hours to the airport, etc) that I always assumed were friendship things, but other people always took as signs that he had a thing for me. I was totally oblivious – until I wasn’t.

Mary: I love that image of the vibrations of love. I met my husband on a blind date, but like with Cara, it was the little things over time that made me fall in love.

Come fall in love with Cara and Nik. Mystery, love, car chases, and everyday superheroes. What more do you need? Check out the excerpt below, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!!!

Thanks so much for stopping in to share your anniversary celebration with us, Kai. Congratulations on Finding Thor’s first birthday!

Kai: Thanks for hosting me. And good luck to your readers in the giveaway!

Excerpt:
The veil dropped over Nik’s expression so fast, it told her exactly what she didn’t want to know. Nik had indeed seen her mom. Cara turned away from him again intending to trudge back into the classroom.

“By the crown, will you stop already?” Nik begged.

The exasperation in his tone and the odd choice of words piqued her curiosity. Cocking her head, she asked, “By the crown?”

The frustration melted away and Nik pursed his lips, which almost distracted Cara enough to forget the thread of conversation, but she tore her eyes away and asked, “Is that what they say in Seattle?”

Nik’s eyes lit with appreciation. “Aren’t you clever?”

“Am I?”

He nodded. His appreciative appraisal and half smile wreaked havoc with her supposed cleverness.

“Nik?” she breathed.

“Yes?” He tilted toward her giving her the impression he hung on her every word. His eyes were glued to her lips, which she realized were parted and ever so slightly panting.

She gulped. “Can we perhaps do this after school?”

When he raised his gaze to meet hers she almost liquefied under the heat of it. “Can I trust you?”

“Trust me to do what?” Cara asked. She was losing the ability to think.

“Show up.” He slid closer and she held her breath hoping he would take her in his arms.

“Show up where?” she asked.

A full-blown grin curved across his face and she thrilled with the knowledge she’d put it there. Then she realized she couldn’t remember how.

“Actually, I was going to ask you that,” Nik said. His eyes roved her face.

“Wait. What?” Cara’s voice was so breathy she wasn’t sure if she spoke or gasped.

“Where should we meet? After school.”

She itched to rise up on tiptoe and kiss that stellar grin off his mouth.

A low chuckle rumbled through him. “Why don’t you tell me in gym class?”

She nodded slowly. Was he a drug? Or maybe the male version of a siren. Did they have those?

He tipped further forward and she caught her breath. Then he sighed.

“See you next period.”

Her mouth fell open as he walked away. He hadn’t even touched her and she was burning with need.

At the end of the hall, he glanced over his shoulder and grinned when he saw her still gaping after him. When he walked out of view she let out the breath she’d been holding. It stuttered and shook, but was relieved to escape her burning lungs. How long had she been holding her breath?

By the crown, Nik Rock was dangerous!









Finding Thor is available in print or electronic format from the following:

Amazon| Barnes & Noble| Whiskey Creek Press| All Romance| BookStrand|

Add Finding Thor to your to-read shelf on Goodreads











About the author:

When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.

Mailing List| Facebook| Twitter| Instagram|



Swag alert! Looking for your Thor? Look no further, Kai’s got you covered. Enter to win a custom tote bag for all of those books you like to carry with you, and a Thor baseball cap. Easy entry for those in a hurry, or many other ways to earn more entries for contest junkies. FT swag pack can only be shipped in the United States. If first winner is International, an Amazon gift card will be substituted and another winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Monday, June 15, 2015

How Authors Write~Elizabeth Varadan



Today I'm pleased to have Elizabeth Varadan here as part of my How Author's Write series. As a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, I'm super excited for Elizabeth's book birthday today for Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls. Congrats and Happy Book Birthday!!!

Welcome, Elizabeth. Please tell us a little about what you write? 
Thank you so much for having me here today, Mary. I write for both children and adults. For children, I’m drawn to the middle grades, and I write both fantasy and mysteries. For adults, I write mostly short stories and flash fiction.

Do you use 1st person, 3rd person, multiple POVs?
Most of my fiction is in 3rd person, close, although I’m rewriting a historical novel/ghost story that is in 1st person. It just seemed to call for that point of view.

How do you get started with a book? 
For me, it does vary. For Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, it was the idea: What if a young girl became friends with Sherlock Holmes? What if she even helped him solve a case? [I can't wait to read this!!] For the historical novel with the ghost that I’m rewriting now, it was character. I actually dreamed the ending to the story and in my dream heard the voice of one of the characters and built the other characters around her.

Do you draft quickly, or are you more detailed in your draft?
I’m the epitome of the term “panster”, although I’m trying to be better about plotting things out in advance. I always have a general idea, and then I poke along from the start. I also revise a lot as I go, so that first draft can take a few weeks. The good news is that in my rewrites a lot has already been fleshed out. I still have to rewrite several times to get the story just right. [Your process sounds a lot like mine. I'm still trying to learn to do more plotting up front, in addition to the mental plotting I do. Maybe someday.]

Do you do research before your first draft, during?
I research both before and during, and sometimes even after, to go back and check certain details. [Sometimes it seems research is never done. Not that I mind. I actually like research :-)]

Do you outline?
I tried once to outline a story before sitting down to write it, and the story lost its zip for me. What works best for me is if I write out the general idea –main characters, problem or story kernel, ending I’m working toward – and then get that first draft out. And then I go through and outline what happened in each chapter, marking what I think are weak spots to be addressed before the re-write -- questions that need to be answered, conflicts in information, that sort of thing.

Do you name everything up front when you are drafting or do you leave comments for yourself to go back and fill in later so you don't lose the flow of what you are working on?
I have to have the characters’ names from the start. And then much of it is naming as I go. For me the “flow” doesn’t really work if I have blank spaces waiting to be filled. I have to fill them before I can go on.

Do you work with CP's or Beta's? If so, how soon into your draft do you let them see your work?
I belong to two really great writing groups. One group meets faithfully once a month, and we bring short work at any stage – no more than twelve pages -- to these meetings, both early drafts and rewrites. (It’s nice to see the progress in rewrites.) The second group meets more flexibly, around every six weeks or two months, and we bring more finished work to the meetings; often the whole book in a later draft, which is helpful in a different way. [These sound like great groups!]

What books/websites have you found most helpful to helping you write your best?
A really wonderful book is David Corbett’s The Art of Character. He has some exercises that are so evocative that just reading them makes characters come to life in my head, whether I actually do the exercise or not. Another book that I like to dip into for a mystery I’m writing, is Carolyn Wheat’s How to Write Killer Fiction. And one of my all time favorites is Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity. Online, I’ve enjoyed Chris Eboch’s blog, Write Like a Pro. She publishes all kinds of writing tips and has book suggestions, depending on what you like to read or write. And Nancy Hardy’s site, Fiction University, has great articles on aspects of writing that I find very helpful.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started writing?
How many times you’ll have to rewrite a manuscript to get it just right, and how many rejections you might have to deal with. (It’s also good to know that you might be happy those early drafts didn’t get published.)

What do you have out now, or coming out?
My middle grade mystery, set in Victorian London, Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, released today from MX Publishing.






In Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, a day after Imogene's obnoxious step-cousins pay a visit, her mother's pearls go missing. When Sherlock Holmes is called in, Imogene, harboring a secret desire to become a detective, sees her chance to learn from the great Mr. Holmes.








You can order your copy at Amazon or Book Depository 

Any upcoming events?
I will have two book signings in July:

-Hein Book Company, 204 Main Street, in Jackson, on Tuesday, July 7th at 6:00 p.m.,
-Swan’s Fine Books, 1381 Locust St. in San Francisco, on Saturday, July 11th, at 3:00 p.m.

A website we can find you and your books at?
You can find me at either of my blogs:
http://elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.com
or
http://victorianscribbles.blogspot.com

Additional links:
Twitter: @4thWishVaradan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethVaradanAuthor
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Varadan/e/B003VOTCFG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1308264854&sr=1-1


Thanks so much for visiting, Elizabeth!!!



Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Book Birthday!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! And Happy Book Birthday to Suzanne de Montigny for The Shadow of the Unicorn II: The Deception. What's the book about? Here's Suzanne to tell you more!





It’s finally here—the launch of my second tween novel, The Shadow of the Unicorn II: The Deception. Finally, the continuing saga of unicorns existing 12,000 years ago—how they survived the humans the second time around. Rather than me telling you what it's about, I thought you might prefer to watch this trailer.


So what do you think? Why not drop by my on-line FB launch, eat some cyber-food, have some cyber-drink, meet a character or two, and share your thoughts. Best of all, you can win prizes!!! There are nine in total! Plus you’ll learn all about unicorns.

The Shadow of the Unicorn II: The Deception is available at most major retailers, including:





But wait! Did you miss what happened in The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy? If so, you can purchase an e-book or print copy here: 
















Don't forget to stop by the FB Launch Party for fun and prizes!! I hope to see you there.




About the Author:

SUZANNE DE MONTIGNY wrote her first unicorn novel at the age of twelve. Several years later, she discovered it in an old box in the basement, thus reigniting her love affair with the unicorns. As a teacher in Vancouver, B.C., she learned she could spin a good tale that kept kids and teachers begging for more. The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy is her first novel. She lives in Burnaby, B.C. with her husband and two boys.