Thanks Everyone!

The Blog Hop to celebrate Rachel Van Dyken's Contract with Grand Central Publishing was a HUGE success, thanks to all of you!!  It was a wonderful time and I enjoyed reading all of your comments. Isn't Summer a wonderful time of year? Too bad it's freezing and windy outside right now!

I selected and notified the winner Of "Living London". In fact, I was so thrilled by all the comments and everyones encouragement of my sister, I also selected additional winners who received an e-copy of "Redeeming the Deception of Grace."

Soon I'm going to be posting an excerpt from my newest Regency Romance "To Refuse A Rake." I can hardly wait for it to be released! I'm hoping to have it available by the middle of June.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend and don't forget to read a good book while you relax in the sunshine!

So PROUD!

So I told my sister that I wanted a shirt that said "I'm RACHEL VAN DYKEN'S SISTER!" She didn't think that was a good idea.  I'm still not sure why!  Though it might have something to do with her wanting me to wear a "Seaside High" T-shirt instead...Marketing never ends! This is especially true for the Indie published or the self published author.  Rachel happens to be both.  But before I get into everything,  I really want to brag,  Really REALLY REALLY want to brag about my sister.

Not only did Rachel Self Publish "The Bet" a NYTimes #1 Bestseller...but also, she's running a half marathon next week. She's been a  USA Today bestseller numerous times, but she also can make any one who meets her begin to smile and laugh.  She can write characters that you swear are alive, but she can coax a distressed teen out of their pain and help them find their voice. She loves turtles, but swears she'll never have one as a pet and is freaks out when you call them 'bob' rather than "stuart". Rachel isn't just an amazing author, she's an amazing woman.

Rachel's journey to writing started out as an escape. As a junior high counselor, you deal with a lot of drama and heartache.  Rachel's way of coping? Writing.  When she first started, she'd send me a chapter here or there and each time I'd be riveted to my computer screen. Then I'd text her and tell her to write more! She had to laugh, saying something about having a job and not having time to write.  Now, Rachel is so successful that writing IS her job!  Right now, she's one of the most popular and sought after authors around.  She's represented by Trident, a MAJOR managing company and just signed an amazing contract with Grand Central Publishing, an amazing and prominent company!

I'm so excited for her! To celebrate, a bunch of us are hosting a hop that will take you from site to site where you'll learn more about Rachel and her books. It's pretty cool because you'll learn about us as authors as well. Don't forget to enter the GRAND PRIZE contest and all the other contests along the way.  I'll be giving away a copy of "Living London." My regency romance with a time-travel twist.  Here's a blurb.

"Jocelyn Westin wasn't expecting to find love.  With the recent death of her beloved grandmother, she was simply surviving, till she woke up in Hyde park almost two hundred years in the past.  Survival takes on a whole new meaning as she faces the London elite, the Ton. When Lord Ashby steals her heart with his warm gaze and crisp accent, she has to figure out if love really conquers all...or if you can ever truly trust a rake."

Living London

To enter the contest for "Living London" simply leave me a comment with your e-mail address and tell me your favorite part of Summer.  Mine? Sprinklers!

I wanted to include some pictures...(insert evil laugh) but I was REALLY kind and picked out the good ones. Well, mostly. (wink) There is this one picture...the 'mikey' picture. You'll have ask her about it sometime.  You can follow all of Rachel's ( and consequently, her families' adventures) on Facebook by 'liking' her page. www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken and I would HIGHLY suggest checking out her webpage too(www.rachelvandyken.com). She has a Regency Romance installment novel she releases chapter by chapter each week called "The Spinster Club." It rocks!

Rachel's inspiration comes from the beautiful marriage she has with Nate. ( I can brag about him too!)  They have the most hilarious and romantic relationship, it's constantly entertaining and endearing to watch!

This is one of our annual trips to the beach.

I'm so proud of my sister, in case you didn't catch that from everything before.  She's an incredible woman.  Her integrity, respect and ability to meet people where they are constantly astound me.  God's love shines through her each day and I'm blessed to watch her continually grow and become more beautiful, inside and out.

Rachel's other books are available on Kindle, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and Kobo:

"The Bet"

"Elite"

"The Wolf's Pursuit"

"The Devil Duke Takes A Bride"

"Tear: A Seaside Novel"

"Pull: A Seaside Novel"

"Whispered Music"

"Upon A Midnight Dream"

"The Ugly Duckling Debutante"

"Waltzing With The Wallflower"

"Beguiling Bridget"

"Savage Winter"

"The Redemption of Lord Rawlings"

"The Seduction of Sebastian St. James"

"Every Girl Does It" 

"An Unlikely Alliance"

"Compromising Kessen"

"The Parting Gift"

"Taming Wilde"

And Coming soon!

"Shatter: A Seaside Novel"

"Divine Uprising"

"When Ash Falls"

"Elite"

"Fall: A Seaside Novel

"The Wager"

"The Spinster Club"

You don't want to miss ANY of them! (I would know because I've read them all!)

You can find the other bloggers celebrating Rachel's success and their posts about Rachel at THIS blog!

Don't forget to leave a comment and enter to win "Living London!"

Surviving Scotland

There's nothing like a man in a kilt...let's face it.  When you read the Scottish Highlander Romances, you totally get the whole 'man wearing a skirt' thing and find it appealing. Somehow, they make it work.  While in Edinburgh, Scotland a few months ago, the kilts were everywhere...in stores.  A few men would play the bagpipes in full Scottish dress, letting their haunting music float across the chilly air.  It was magical. The tourist in me wished that all the men would wear kilts. To do my part I would have dressed in historical costume too! But alas, it wasn't to be.

My next release will be featuring a hero in a kilt.  I cannot wait. At all.  Already he's one of my favorite characters of all time ( can I say that about my own book?) It's true.  Of course, it might be because he reminds me of my husband...but I digress.  "Surviving Scotland" Will be releasing in the next month and a half.  Here's a little blurb.

Ioan is handsome... until he opens his mouth. How can someone so masculine and striking be so irritating? Yet part of her knows that if his sarcastic and teasing temper changed, she will lose her heart.

Elle is untouchable. His quick-witted barbs keep her at arm's length. She can never know the truth. But like a moth drawn to the flame he can’t resist her.  Indeed he already burned.

When the Jacobites attack Carnasserie castle, the Black Watch come to assist. Surviving Scotland isn’t for the faint of heart…

Here's a picture of part Edinburgh Castle. Carnassarie Castle is much smaller, but you get the idea.  

 And if you haven't read "Living London"...The book before Surviving Scotland in the Westin Legacy Series, here's the links!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Have a GREAT weekend! 

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!