Musing Mondays [5]

 

MUSING MONDAYS… is a weekly event where MizB of Should Be Reading will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic.

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.

This week I thought I'd answer #2: • Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).

The hubby gave me a gift certificate to one of my favorite used/new bookstores for Christmas.  So, I immediately had to go spend it and purchased the following:

Needful Things, It, and The Stand - all by Stephen King
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks

Apparently I was in a horror genre mood and I've been trying to expand my Stephen King library lately!  I've seen the movies for all three of his books that I purchased and have been curious as to whether the movies followed the books at all or if the movies or the books were better.  So, we'll see.

As for The Zombie Survival Guide, I've had that on my list for a while.  It sounds like it has a lot of humor which I like and I've also got a special love for zombie novels.  Yeah, I know, I'm strange.  But it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round, right? lol

Did you get any books for Christmas? 

Or have you purchased any books lately?

Leave me a link or comment below and have a great week!

Teaser Tuesday: A Veil of Shattered Dreams

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

 

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

This weeks' teaser comes from A Veil of Shattered Dreams by Rachel Stark:

As the air slips from my lungs, I manage to utter one last scream as I watch the sharp thin end of a syringe plunge directly into the side of my thigh. The room whirls around and I am swaying and then falling…falling… (p. 8)

If you like psychological/suspense type novels, definitely check this one out.  This is the debut novel for this extremely talented author and it will have you turning each page, impatient to figure out just what is going on with Katerina.

Have something to tease me with?

Leave me a link or comment below!

 

A Wild and Exciting New Year!

Wow, it has been a very crazy couple of weeks since I last posted!  First of all, I want to wish Rachel Stark a Happy Release Day!  Her amazing debut novel, A Veil of Shattered Dreams, (link is to Goodreads) is now available on Kindle and Nook and will be available in paperback soon.  So very excited for her!  And if you'd like to check out the first chapter, mosey on over to Cressen Books website.  There are links for the Kindle and Nook if you read the chapter and decide you have to have this awesome book right then and there! :)

Christmas was wonderful and I got some really cool "author" related gifts (a couple of tees and a long-sleeved tee with author sayings that are adorable and totally me as well as a HUGE coffee mug with an author saying on it too)!  So now I'll be able to dress the part of an author while I sit down to the keyboard and pour out all of these stories floating around in my head.  And the HUGE coffee mug will be put to very good use, delivering inspiration one steaming cup at a time! lol

New Years Eve was uneventful...the Muse and I ended up going to bed around 8:30 after a very long day, so we missed the ball drop this year.  New Years Day, we celebrated the Muse's birthday and I actually managed to bake a really awesome-tasting pecan pie, my first ever!  I was really excited about that. :)  I don't bake or cook, so it was a bit of an undertaking for me.  The Muse was happy, though, and so was I, so it was all good.

As for 2013, there's so much already planned that I don't even know where to begin!  I should have The Butterfly Connection, the fourth and final book in The L & L Mysteries, completed within the next month or so...yay!  The Muse will be coming out with a new book in the next few weeks as well.  Then we have our new authors, Jessie McClain and Jessica L. Padilla, that we'll be assisting in getting their novels ready for publication.  And of course, there will be trips and book fairs and other happenings taking place throughout the year...busy, busy!  But I wouldn't have it any other way.

And somewhere in there, I'll be working on the collaborative project the Muse and I are doing together (Galactic Dynasty series) as well as The Soul of Arial.  Whew.....I've got a lot on my plate now that I think about it! :)  But, I believe that's everything I can think of at this moment that will be taking place this year.  And I believe that's probably more than enough!

Did you celebrate Christmas?

If so, what awesome presents did you get for Christmas?

 

I'd love to hear from you, so leave a comment below!  I always respond back, so if you leave a comment, be sure to check back within a couple of days!

Provoking Emotions/Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

It spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

Just a heads up...this post is actually a mix of WoW and a regular post today.  So, those of you who are looking to see what I'm eagerly waiting on, please be patient as I do reveal it towards the end of this post!  What is written between here and there is actually pertinent to the WoW reveal!

As most of you know, I co-own a publishing company (Cressen Books LLC) with my husband and lately we've been taking on new authors.  We have three authors signed on with us now and one of them is getting ready to release their debut novel.  It's in the final stages even as I write this.

The reason I mention this is that I spent this morning editing the latest chapter in this soon-to-be-published novel.  And I literally went through 10-15 kleenexes while editing it.  It was that emotional!

Normally, when editing occurs, especially if it's more technical editing than content editing, emotions get turned off and I'm busy looking for misspelled words or punctuation problems or grammar issues, that sort of thing.  Can't get too emotional with that.

But, I also do content editing.  So to a degree, I have to read what's written in order to know if anything needs to be added or changes suggested to make the work flow better.  Even with content editing, I can usually turn off the emotional responses because it's work reading not pleasure reading.

Not today, however.  Rachel Stark, the author of this upcoming novel, is such a talented writer and I knew that this latest chapter was going to be an emotional ride.  But, I had no idea how Rachel was going to proceed to write it.  And boy was I in for a surprise.  Within the first two paragraphs, I was jumping up from my computer and fetching a box of kleenexes.  And the waterworks kept getting jarred as I continued through the chapter.

Now this book is full of emotion already, but Rachel has written it in such a way that it just keeps building and building until it finally has to burst.  And she manages it so well in this latest chapter.  Whew.  Now that's what I call provoking emotions in a story.  The reader knows that it's fiction but has become so emotionally tied to the main characters' plight, that tears or laughter or anger can readily be drawn from the reader as events unfold.

Well done, Rachel!

For those that are interested, the title to this debut novel is A Veil of Shattered Dreams and will hopefully be published within the first week of January.  It falls in the Young Adult Psychological Suspense category but is definitely a read that many adult readers will enjoy as well.  And because a cover reveal has already been done, I'd like to share the cover here with you...it's amazing and definitely fits well with the story:

Is that an amazing cover or what?  Rachel, along with two of her friends, one a photographer and one a model, developed this cover and I think they pulled it off beautifully!  And there's actually more to it but you have to order the paperback to get the full effect (hint, hint). ;)

And here's the synopsis:

Have you ever dreamed so hard it was real? A dream world that beckons to you, but is so fragile it could shatter with the mere thought of harsh reality. Katerina dreams of this place. But is it real or only real to her? With her sanity trapped behind a shadowy veil, Katerina struggles to free herself from its hidden secrets. But these secrets come at a terrible cost, a cost that may be too great for her to accept.

Does that synopsis draw you in or what?!  So, I guess in a way, this is my Waiting on Wednesday because I truly can't wait to see this book published and available for readers everywhere.  It will definitely provoke emotions and leave readers ultimately satisfied at the end of the heart-wrenching journey.

For those visiting today, if you have a WoW post you'd like to share, please leave a link for me in the comments below as I'd love to see what you're waiting on!  If you read through this whole post, thank you...it truly was pertinent!  And please let me know what you think about this exciting upcoming debut!

Teaser Tuesday: The Shining

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

 

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

This weeks' teaser comes from The Shining (The Shining #1) by Stephen King:  And in the [VW]bug, which moved upward more surely on the gentler grade, he kept looking out between them as the road unwound, affording occasional glimpses of the Overlook Hotel, its massive bank of westward-looking windows reflecting back the sun.  It was the place he had seen in the midst of the blizzard, the dark and booming place where some hideously familiar figure sought him down long corridors carpeted with jungle.  The place Tony had warned him against.  It was here.  It was here.  Whatever Redrum was, it was here. (p. 64) 

This piece is from Danny's perspective.  I've been in love with the original movie, The Shining, since I was a teenager (too many years ago...lol).  I loved Jack Nicholson's performance...really epic!  So, I finally decided to purchase the book and read it to see how closely the movie followed the book.  So far, it's been amazingly close to the storyline and I'm really enjoying it.  Danny's perspectives are usually the eeriest, especially since he's a five-year-old with this strange ability.  And from the very first page, I could see Jack Nicholson grinning crazily out of the pages, so I believe Hollywood cast him perfectly, as well as casting Wendy and Danny perfectly!  Anyway, a great book so far and if you have never seen the movie, please give it a try...it truly is a classic!

 

Have anything to tease me with?

Leave me a link or comment below!



Musing Mondays [4]

 

MUSING MONDAYS… is a weekly event where MizB of Should Be Reading will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic.

 

This week’s musing – courtesy of http://www.kwizgiver.com - asks…

 

Is there a particular book that is your nemesis–the book you’re determined to one day finish?

The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld #2) by Gena Showalter literally made me want to throw my 10" Android across the room!  I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series, The Darkest Night, and couldn't wait to begin the next book.  But, dear god, this book made me want to scream and I only got about 19% through it.  All the two main characters did for most of the first 19% was teleport all over the freakin' world, chasing each other but never really doing anything when they did catch up with each other.  However, I have heard wonderful things about the rest of the series and I am determined to work my way through this book someday as I can't stand leaving a book unread in a series, especially a series that has such great potential and especially if that book is not the first book in the series.  *deep breath*  Okay, I've finished my rant now and hopefully someday will finish this infuriating book, too! lol

Have you read this series?  What did you think of it or of this particular book?

And do you have a book that is your nemesis?

 

Leave me a link or comment below!

 

Priorities and Procrastination

You know, I never cease to amaze myself with how well I procrastinate.  When it comes to things that I'm working on for myself that I know I need to get done and even want to get done, I still manage to find ways to put it off. 

Take, for example, The Butterfly Connection (The L & L Mysteries #4).  This is a book that I've had written for quite a while now and I'm in the final editing stages even as I type this post.  But, I find myself looking for anything and everything else to do so I can put this off. 

Why?  Well, one reason is because this is the last book in the series and I'm a little sad to see it end.  But, at the same time, I'm ready to move on to other projects.  It's just that, I think about Leyla and Lucien and wonder if I'll ever revisit these two characters and the world they live in.  Or will it just fade into the back of my mind as I move on to create new worlds and new characters.....hmmm....yeah, I still don't have an answer for that. 

And another reason I keep procrastinating has more to do with getting things done for the business and setting The Butterfly Connection to the side so I make sure nothing falls through the cracks with the business.  Anyway, the point is that I keep putting this off (whether it's because I'm personally putting it off or it's because other aspects of the business have taken my focus, doesn't matter).

So, that's me procrastinating.  Now on to me setting priorities.

If it's for myself, I know the top priority has to be The Butterfly Connection simply because I'm literally almost done with it, I want to get it published ASAP, and I want to finish out The L & L Mysteries so I can move on to other things.

If it's for others, it all depends on what's happening at the moment within the business.  For example, right now we are getting really close to officially publishing a book that one of our new authors (and our current intern) is writing.  So, I need to do several things for that, including creating a webpage for the book and telling everyone about it.  Then there's the book signing that will take place after the first of the year for this book and I'll need to make posters and flyers and get things ready for that.  And this is what I actually intend on working on today.

So, see...I do know how to set priorities and get them done.  It's just when it comes to my stuff that I tend to drag my feet and I have absolutely no idea why.  I mean, you would think that I would be chomping at the bit to work on my stuff and would be procrastinating when it came to other people's stuff, right?  Nope, that's just not how I work.  I prefer to put other people's stuff ahead of my own.  I guess that could be considered a good thing, but it still doesn't get any of my stuff done...sigh.

And that reminds me, I need to do two posts on this blog about the two new authors we've taken on at Cressen Books LLC.  So, stay tuned because those posts will be coming in the next few days.

Yep, lots to do and I can already feel myself wanting to put things off and just goof off for half the day.  MUST...RESIST....TEMPTATION......

How do you organize your priorities and ensure that they get done?

Are you a procrastinator?

If so, how do you keep yourself from procrastinating when it's really important to get certain things done?

 

I love to hear from you, so leave me a comment below!