• authors,  book launch,  Books

    Time to Radiate!

    Congratulations to my friend, author, Marley Gibson on the release today of her book RADIATE.
    RADIATE is a work of fiction but it is based on the personal story of her being a teenage cheerleader stricken with cancer. It’s the story of how cheerleading changed her life.
    Over at Marley’s blog where she has a fun pep rally going on today to celebrate the release, so hop on over and check out the party. There are tons of fun and prizes.

    I think it’s time for all of us to RADIATE! Don’t you?

     

    Best,
    Kwana

  • authors,  interviews,  my view

    My (not so) Storybook… interview with Elizabeth Owen

     

    Blogging is a funny world. Daily or a few times a week you get to play reciprocal voyeur into someone’s life or at least into the parts they open up and let you into. The best blogs are the ones where it feels like you are stopping by for a cup of coffee and a chat with an old friend.

    That’s what it felt like on my visits to Elizabeth Owen’s blog: Mabel’s House. You see I was first drawn to, Mable, Liz’s sweet natured pup that reminded me so much of my Jack. And then happily and even more so, I was pull in by, Liz, Mable’s owner who has such a kind heart a way with words, not to mention with her wonderful eye for decorating ,well I could not turn away.
    Today I’m happy to say that Liz has written a book called MY (NOT SO) STORYBOOK LIFE: A TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AND FAITH which will be out this month. Lucky us, Liz has agreed to stop by here to answer a few questions.

    First here is a little bit about the book thanks to Amazon:
    Fresh, funny, and poignant, My (not so) Storybook Life is old-fashioned humor mashed with literary spoofery. Elizabeth thinks of herself and her husband, Matt, as a modern day Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. Together they’ve endured paint-color mishaps, sewage disasters, pest infestations, and a schnauzer that poops at tornado sirens. It was hardly the domestic perfection a young Liz imagined while reading Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice. Could it be that these literary stalwarts had led her astray?

    Liz tells the story of her own path to happiness, along the way seeking revenge on her literary heroes: Jo March has to cope with a soul-sucking job, Elizabeth Bennett shepherds a Duggar-size brood of kids, and Anne Shirley deals with a penny-pinching husband. But every comedy is balanced by tragedy. Angela was one of Liz’s closest friends, a kindred spirit who at age of 33 was diagnosed with cancer. Before Angela, Liz was discontent. But it was the journey she took with this friend that made her realize that her house and its decorations and plumbing and dirty-clothes-covered Man Cave were not burdens to be tweaked and perfected, but blessings to be thankful for.

    And now to Liz…
    Hi Liz thanks so much for being here at KwanaWrites please tell us a little about MY (NOT SO STORYBOOK) LIFE.
    I’m so glad to be here, and thank you for having me!
    What led you to writing a memoir?
    Well, I’ve always kept a dairy or prayer journal over the years. But one day when I was writing the literary spoofs as an idea for a blog series and my husband said, “Don’t use those on your blog, save them for a book.” And so the idea kind of sprung from there. I’ve always enjoyed blogging about my life, so this was really just a bigger extension of what I was already doing.

     

    I know that you are a new mother (yay and congratulations!) to baby Jane. How has your life changed? Are you able to schedule writing time with a little one now?
    Life has changed in a huge way. My husband and I were married almost 10 years when we had Jane, and I really thought I would resent all the time constraints and lack of sleep that goes along with parenting. But it’s funny. I don’t at all. In fact we spring out of bed at 6 each morning, excited to peer over her crib and watch her stretch, grin and toot. I still write, but it’s a little more sporadic and I have to grab time when I can.

    What’s next on the horizon? Any plans for a future book?
    I have a book signing scheduled for November 12th at 1:00 at Books-A-Million in North Little Rock. And I’ve been kicking around some ideas for a second book too, although there’s no telling what I might end up writing with my sleep deprived brain running the show!
    That’s so wonderful and I can understand how hard it is with a new little one robbing you of sleep. Best of luck!

     

    You all can check out Liz at her lovely blog Mable House here.
    And you can pick up her wonderful book MY NOT SO STORYBOOK LIFE here!

    Best,
    Kwana

  • authors,  Books

    TBR Yeah I’ve fallen…

     

    So I noticed with getting the twins off to college and getting into this new empty nester life and all I kind of fell off the wagon
    with reading and Wendy the Super Liberian’s TBR challenge. But I have read a bit and though this month was paranormal was the suggestion I have been reading (a first for me) sci-fi romance from Ms. Ann Aguirre. I was pulled in through the twitter world to give her Sirantha Jax Series a try and I’m so glad I did. So far I’ve read the first 2 books Grimspace and Wanderlust. I now have to get on board with the next 3 (I’m reading slow compared to my twitter friends). I have to say I’m loving this new genre for me though. It was fun to step out of my comfort zone and go into a totally new world and time dimension something I’d normally never do.

     

    Have you read out of your comfort zone lately?

     

    Best,

    Kwana

  • authors,  conference,  my view

    Strip a What? Strip a Who?

    Once again under the heading of: ‘Totally Educational’, whilst at Rom Con there was session called Strip a Hero and since I saw a bunch of other smart looking ladies flocking to it I thought I’d join in the stampede queue.

    Historical authors Kimberly Killion, Jade Lee, Jennifer Ashley and Mary Wine hosted. They all wrote funny skits that were acted out by our heroes where they just so happened  to end up disrobing a bit. Only a bit mind you. LOL.

     So for today I give you Strip a Hero!

    Happy Friday!

     

    Best,

    Kwana

  • authors,  inspiration,  my view

    The Ladies Are Out In Style

    To show you Rom Con wasn’t all about the beefcake here are pics from one of the highlights of the weekend.

    Deeanne Gist’s Victorian Fashion Show with the fashions modeled by Your Favorite Historical Authors!

    It was so much fun and so educational:

    Mary Wine takes your breath away in a costume she made herself!

     

    Delilah Marvelle beautiful in a skating costume

     

    Jade Lee strutting her stuff

     

    Beth Williamson lovely in her day dress

    Jade and Delilah having fun in their swimming suits

     

     

    In the end we got to see Deeanne get dressed from her chemise on up and here she is finally done in her gorgeous walking suit.

    Trust me there will be no quick ravishing with trying to get under all those layers.

     

     

    Best,

    Kwana

  • authors,  blogs,  Books,  my view

    Anxious Shoulders…TBR

    It’s been a while since I went on a little reading binge but my historical romance mini-binge this month all started with When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James for Wendy the Super Librarian’s TBR challenge. This month’s theme was Fairy Tales so this book fit perfectly:

    Here’s a little blub thanks to B & N:

    Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty . . . Naturally, she’s betrothed to a Beast.

    Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman.

    Linnet is not just any woman.

    She is more than merely lovely: her wit and charm brought a prince to his knees. She estimates the earl will fall madly in love—in just two weeks.

    Yet Linnet has no idea of the danger posed to her own heart by a man who may never love her in return.

    If she decides to be very wicked indeed . . . what price will she pay for taming his wild heart?

    But really it was Beauty and the Beast meets House.

    What I loved about this was Eloisa’s hilarious and so very smart turn of phrase in such ridiculous situations. Poor Linnet, due to an unfortunate choice of high wiasted dress one evening (haven’t we all been there) and being spurned by a quite caddish prince now has the ton thinking she’s pregnant and of course if they think it, well then, it must be true. So now this beauty has to get some poor, but rich (of course), schmuck to agree to be her husband. And who does she choose? Only the smartest, most perceptive, most cantankerous, doctor in all of Wales. Ahoy, I see troble ahead!

    She had me cracking up with this one right out the gate with this one.

    Really with lines like:

    The shoulders are a trifle anxious. You mustn’t seem anxious. You are offering to save the man’s line after all.”

    How could you not love her?

    Best,

    Kwana

  • authors,  blogs,  Books,  conference,  my view,  writing life

    Ok So Enough Of That…

    This weekend I did nothing but lounge about and read with increments of eating bbq thrown in just to keep my lounge strength up (a girl had to stay strong mind you). But today marks the start of a new week and it seems after Nationals a new outlook on work.

    RWA Nationals is always renewing to a writer like that and for me this year it particularly is with the twins leaving for college.  Time to get that old grind on with a renewed spirit. But before I get started here are a few more pics from Nationals. Hope you have a wonderful week.

     

    Here I am at Juniors enjoying a Cheesecake meet and greet with team Heroes and Heartbreakers meeting some of the other team bloggers for the first time.

     

    Me and my friend author Jax Cassidy. Jax had me all over Times Square taking new author photos of me. Yeah, Uh, ANTM I am not.

    Enjoying an Italian tourist meal with Maureen McGowan and Stephanie Doyle. We were starving and had energy to only step outside the Marriott for the meal. It was good though. Check them out on their great blog Drunk Writer Talk.

    Harlan Coben and Lisa Jackson talk. So much fun and inspirational.

     

    Finally mypushed to the limit H & H bag and my handbag wiped out in the Atrium lounge.

     

    Best,

    Kwana

  • authors,  Books

    Blink blink

    Yawn. Stretch. Oh sorry that’s just me trying to wake myself up after an exhilarating and a completely exhausting week at RWA Nationals.

    Spent a good deal of yesterday trying to organize all the books I got at author signings. Really if you were there and you call yourself my friend, you should have stopped me. A small hand slap would have done it.

     

    But as usual I was all caught up in the frenzy of it all and just about lost my mind along with thousands of other’s at The Times Square Marriott hoping to get an autograph from their favorite author.

     

    Here I am being all fan girl with Lisa Kleypas

    And with Suzanne Brockmann

     

    And check out my friend Maureen McGowan  signing her debut YA books!

    Look it’s Gwen Hayes signing Falling Under!

    And this year’s Regency Historical Regency winner Lauren Willig!

    What a great signing year. More to come on RWA Nationals soon.

    Best,

    Kwana

  • authors,  interviews,  my view

    Who’s Hungry?

    Oh Happy Day!

    Why you ask? Because we have a guest on ye old blog today and it’s a really great friend, one of my critique partners, Jeanine McAdam.  Now the relationship between critique partners is a very special one and in some ways like a marriage because it is based in mutual trust and respect and filled with highs and lows (lots of whining over the business and all that). You put your most basic self out there (your words, your ideas) and trust another person to come back with their honest, thoughtful and hopefully caring opinion of it. Talk about vulnerable; better be careful when choosing that critique partner.

    Well I’m so happy and proud to have Jeanine (one of the trusted ones) here to talk about the release of HUNGRY FOR YOUR LOVE and her part in the anthology out now from St. Martin’s Press. 

    Hi Jeanine, Tell us a little bit about HUNGRY FOR YOUR LOVE. I mean Zombies and love? What a mix there. 

    Hi Kwana, HUNGRY FOR YOU LOVE is a collection of twenty one zombie romance stories.  My story Inhuman Resourcesis in there along with New York Times best-sellers Lois Gresh and Brain Keene.

    The blurb from the back cover explains it best:  “Romance ain’t dead…it’s undead.  In this thrilling zombie anthology, horror fans will finally get their fill of zombie-on-zombie action, zombie-human love, and zombie smut.  Because why should vampires have all the fun?”

     So what’s your story about?   Let the readers know. It’s gotten great reviews and I can attest is so funny and cute.

    “Inhuman Resources” is about Claire Defoe an office worker who doesn’t like her wheezing, moaning, pealing and flaking co-workers.  However, in this economy she has to put up with them.  Rafe comes in and tells Claire her fellow paper pushers are zombies.  Claire doesn’t believe the nerd with the smug attitude, she thinks her co-workers symptoms are the result of too much time under the florescent lights.  Things change when Claire’s boss tries to chew on her thumb and Rafe comes to the rescue.  Suddenly Claire notices the zombie hunter’s athletic build and skill at disposing the undead.

    Publishers Weekly called Inhuman Resourcesalong with Dana Fredsti’s First Date “zippy stories about the sexy turn-on of successful zombie hunting.”  Also RT Book Reviews gave HUNGRY a four star review and Inhuman Resourceswas mentioned again.

    You have sold over 26 short stories to True Romance and True Experience Magazines. Why do you love the short story genre so much? How do you feel this prepared you for your publication in the HUNGRY Anthology?

    Short stories taught me how to write.  In five to eight thousand words I establish a conflict, create interesting and engaging characters and build a meaningful plot that maintains itself all the way to the end of the story.  It’s been a great lesson and wonderful to be published monthly.

    So Jeanine what’s next for you? 

    I’m working on a paranormal short story for Harlequin’s Nocturne Bites about an eco-terrorist trying to save a tree and a hunky fairy who thinks she should save the forest.  Plus, he’s got a big chip on his shoulder about being a member of the fair folk.  Too many stereotypes for this alpha male.

    Thanks for having me today!

    Thanks so much for being here Jeanine!

    Now for some fun, one lucky commenter will receive a signed copy of HUNGRY FOR YOU LOVE from Jeanine so please comment away. Winner will be announced on Friday.

    You can find Jeanine here at: http://jeaninemcadam.blogspot.com/

     

    You can get HUNGRY FOR YOUR LOVE HERE.

    Best,

    Kwana

  • authors,  friends,  my view

    Mar and Me

    I was so happy to have my friend, author and super Ghost Huntress, Marley Gibson stop by off the Ghost Hunting road to see me, Jack and the Dear Twins for a bit yesterday. It had been way too long.

     

    What is it about seeing old friends that just brightens the day?

    Best,

    Kwana