LIVING LONDON

Living London...and Scotland!

So my trip to the historic cities of London, England and was amazing.  One of the many things I can't seem to get over was the sheer history around every corner and the amazing beauty of the buildings! Here, we think a house built in the late 1800's or early 1900's is old.  There are buildings I visited in Scotland that were built in the 1200s!  Puts a whole new spin on old!

The Museums were beautiful and jaw-dropping in their sheer size and decor.  Don't worry, after taking a few hundred pictures I have photographic historical references for any historical story I write! In Edinburgh I visited the National Museum that had a special Viking Exhibit.  Nine pounds later,  and admonished to take no pictures ( I shed a tear...) I did my best to memorize the weight of the viking swords, the feel of their fabric for clothing, and the shape of their ships as they cut through the fierce sea.

And the food.  Who ever said food in England and Scotland wasn't that great had NEVER eaten at a pub.  Two words, Bangers, mash.  Yes.  You heard/read that correctly. BANGERS and MASH!  Grilled sausage over mashed potatoes with a sweet onion gravy...bliss.  Of course I'm a meat and potatoes kinda' girl, so that was my type of heaven.  That and a cider from sweden that was flavored with Strawberries and Limes....sigh...I miss that.  In Scotland I even tried haggis!  Yes. I am adventurous!  It was really delicious! If you don't know what haggis is, it's a traditional Scottish Dish served with Neeps (Mashed Turnips) and Tatties ( mashed potatoes).  Its a mix of mutton (older sheep) spices, blood,( didn't know that part till AFTER I ate it) and oatmeal stuffed inside a stomach and baked.  Thankfully, mine was sans the sheep stomach and was arranged beautifully next to a pile of steaming mashed potatoes and turnips.  Was really good!

On a side note, since I'm now back in the States and among the living now that my jet lag has subsided...the winners of the giveaway will be notified shortly! Thanks for your patience and I look forward to sharing more of my trip later on!!!

And if you haven't checked it out yet, here's the link to my newest release, " Living London"

Amazon, Living London

Nook Link

Here's a few pictures, I'll add more later!!
Just one of the many beautiful streets downtown London!

 These are STABLES on the side of Hyde park...lucky horses!

I'm HERE

Living London

Hi guys!  Guess what?  Right now I'm Living London myself.  True story. I can look out my window and see Hyde Park, and the people are driving on the wrong ( to me ) side of the road!  To celebrate my newest Release, I'm hosting a HUGE giveaway!  First, here's short introduction to my first full length release, "Living London"

What if your future wasn't ahead of you, but behind? What if your soul mate waited for you, but to find him you'd have to travel two hundred years in the past?  Imagine waking up in Hyde Park, thrown into a life you didn't remember. Imagine finding out first hand just how dangerous  rake could be? Or how beautiful Almacks was, or how wonderful a waltz can feel with danced with a secret love. For Jocelyn Westin, this is her reality. But reading all the historical fiction in the world could never have prepared her for what it would be like to be “Living London.”

To celebrate I'm giving away a bunch of amazing prizes. Enter on the rafflecopter!



Living London on Amazon

barnes and noble Living London Link

Have you ever wondered?

Living London

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fall into your favorite book?  Have you ever walked the sidewalk of your favorite park and been curious as to what it was like in that very same spot over a hundred years ago?  What if you got the chance to go back in time, what if you weren't just reading about Regency London, with it's glamorous balls, historic events and incredible fashion? What if you lived it for yourself?

Living London was born from an idea shared by my sister and I.  We had joked over how we would have grown up to be spinsters in the Regency Era because there was no braces ( and we needed them ) little make-up ( and I have WHITE eyelashes ) and no cover up! Here's a blurb:

What if you found yourself waking up two hundred years in the past? What if you wore the gowns and waltzed around Almacks? What if you found out first hand just how dangerous a rake could be, or how much fun? For Jocelyn Westin, this is her reality. But reading all the historical fiction in the world could never have prepared her for what it would be like to be “Living London.”

To kick off my celebration, I'll be hosting a huge giveaway!  Prizes will include a ten dollar Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift card, Three copies of NYTimes Bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken's "The Devil Duke takes a Bride" and five copies of "Redeeming the Deception of Grace" my first Regency Romance!  

The contest will go live in about 36 hours...and in the mean time I'll be LIVING LONDON myself, so keep posted and come back and check often for pictures of London as I will be there myself tomorrow!

Thanks for helping me celebrate!

Barnes and Noble buy link

CELEBRATE

Happy Two Year Anniversary...to my Publishing Company!

There's a lot of publishing houses out there.  They range from giants of the Avon and Little Brown and Co.  variety to small ones that you've never heard of that consist on one author who wears the hat of editor and author all in one. As an author, it can be difficult to find the perfect fit, not only for your manuscript but for your personality as well.  Each company has its strengths, weaknesses and places they excel. But I want to give a huge shout out to Astraea Press, the company that has given my manuscripts a home and my face a HUGE grin.  While they aren't huge, they aren't too small either.  It reminds me of the story, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Everything about them is JUST right. Here's a few reasons why.

*They have standards.  Yes, you read that correctly.  There's guidelines that are defined and precise which uphold a specific moral code.  Now, don't let me loose you at that last sentence.  Let me explain.  Have you ever read a book where the detail wasn't in the story, but in selectively specific scenes? Have you ever loved a story but hated that you felt the need to flip a few pages because you're more interested in personal experience, rather than reading someone else's? Yeah.  Astraea is wonderful because the romance is alive, active and passionate. They only select stories that allow the thread of a wonderfully woven romance to weave its way into your mind till you're drawn into the whole tale, rather than specific parts or lack there of.  There's no reason to skip pages with over-shared information, and no reason to do anything but enjoy a well written story.

*They are genuinely interested in their authors and readers.  First, as an author, I can speak with the owner of the company over Facebook, or over the phone and ask questions and get a ready response.  As a reader, they love hearing from you and are truly interested in what you enjoyed about specific stories and how they can continue to provide you with amazing literature.  They host giveaways constantly and even have book club you can join where you get a free book each month.  

*Finally, its a company where you connect with other authors and are easily accessed by your readers.  There's constant interaction between author, editor, publisher, and reader.  Does it get any better than that?

I have a home with Astraea Press, and I'm thankful to be part of that AP family.  If you are an author, I encourage you to check out their submissions page (they accept everything from contemporary romance and regency to paranormal) here's the link Submissions.

To add my own little HOORAY to the celebration, my first full length release "Living London" will be  live in a few short hours!  I'll be hosting a huge giveaway shortly so check back and enter to win a some free books or maybe even a Amazon Gift Card!  

See you soon!

Claiming Mariah

Claiming Mariah by Pam Hillman

I've recently joined the Tyndale Blog network.  It's an amazing opportunity to review books through this publisher of quality Christian Fiction.  The first book I've read is Claiming Mariah, by Pam Hillman.  I was completely absorbed by her wonderful word pictures and the way she spun the story. Here's my review!

 Great story with vivid word pictures, January 21, 2013

By 

Eden Bridgman "EB"

This review is from: Claiming Mariah (Kindle Edition)

This was my first book by this author and I will be reading anything else she releases. Claiming Mariah was a wonderful and warming story on how God brings all things full circle and to benefit those who call upon his name. Mariah was faced with many choices, all of which could have left her bitter, cynical and blaming God. Slade grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and blames God for his father's drunken abuse. Together they find the beauty of redeeming love, both in each other and in God.

This is a very clean romance. The author does a wonderful job of creating emotional sparks without adding in any unnecessary detail, although I must admit, a little more detail wouldn't have hurt either. It is a great and enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

I received this book as part of a blog network through Tyndale, the publisher. However all opinions and statements on this book are my own.

Why no voting buttons? We don't let customers vote on their own reviews, so the voting buttons appear only when you look at reviews submitted by others.

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I really suggest you check out this author.  I'm going to be watching to see if she does another boom about Slade's brother, Buck!  Here's the buy link!

amazon Claiming Mariah

  Yes, I know. I move my hands...A LOT! But remember, I'm new to this and learning as I go.  Maybe next time I'll tie my hands behind my back so they are not so distracting...( but then I might stumble over my words even more seeming as I use my hands to punctuate my sentences...hmmm...)  Don't forget to leave me a comment! Have a great weekend!

First Video Blog!

Ok, So I'm a busy mom. I don't have a whole lot of extra time, so, in trying to keep up my blog I'm doing a little experiment. I'm going to try video blogging.  Let me know what you think...and if you see dirty clothes in the background, or hear little kids yelling...just let it add to the ambiance that is my house...