tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2950358784321878032024-02-20T01:45:03.812-05:00Naughty Author ChicksA bunch of erotic romance authors blogging about writing, life and love.Cindy Spencer Papehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01583236494759465431noreply@blogger.comBlogger926125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-48546261190951967322015-09-07T20:54:00.001-04:002015-09-07T20:54:25.311-04:00Civil War: "Love Me Forever" time travel romance<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iZeCItpfttA" width="480"></iframe>Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-10268511019184018402015-08-12T03:28:00.000-04:002015-08-12T03:35:51.067-04:00This Cinderella’s got new glass slippers: My Kindle Scout Experience Part 4 <br />
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<i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPCdz7ENXoguF79pPphXycIsUEBE7hutfAm7qiGuMe9e0QyKpEe6PkPu0Rz5wPSBMeoIOV2WuTtNYg9opMZrs1qeKMFEce8tb9mfkcut43Zk-aNSOhKy9VwC4blzBPCUUBynKbL94d_hl/s1600/KS_exper_Part4_CindySlippers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPCdz7ENXoguF79pPphXycIsUEBE7hutfAm7qiGuMe9e0QyKpEe6PkPu0Rz5wPSBMeoIOV2WuTtNYg9opMZrs1qeKMFEce8tb9mfkcut43Zk-aNSOhKy9VwC4blzBPCUUBynKbL94d_hl/s400/KS_exper_Part4_CindySlippers.jpg" width="373" /></a></b></i></div>
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<i><b>(You can read my previous posts about my experience with the Kindle Scout program by clicking on , <a href="http://naughtyauthorchicks.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-cinderella-storywith-kindle-scout-as.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>, </b></i><i><b><a href="http://naughtyauthorchicks.blogspot.com/2015/06/catching-up-with-cinderella-and-kindle.html" target="_blank">Part 2, </a></b></i><i><b><a href="http://naughtyauthorchicks.blogspot.com/2015/07/happily-edit-afterwith-cinderella-my.html" target="_blank">and Part 3</a></b></i><br />
<i><b> </b></i> <br />
Glass slippers don’t last forever…<br />
<br />
But Kindle e-Books do.<br />
<br />
So when Cindy discovered her treasured glass slippers had a crack in them…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ow</i>! It was time to get a new pair.<br />
<br />
And
that's what’s been happening in publishing. It’s time to embrace new
and different ways of getting our books to readers. That’s where the
Kindle Scout program fills the gap. As I’ve discussed in previous posts,
it’s been an amazing journey for me since I started my campaign with <a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>, my Civil War time travel romance.<br />
<br />
Last week I danced in my slippers when <a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a> went on sale. <br />
<br />
Amazon sent me an email with the screenshots, showing <a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER </b></a>PR. My book was in the first slot on page one:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSHCPT8oOsNAqtToS6DEO9jCx06iHmqWofJLEj5Ypt-hmAcnxEJ6RLSzEXs3bnkOEUG_SxtblxsrQTDn2WhT7-h8ahB59HaQisg42Gw8L_lSlnkiiDskVABjqX2LTRCnV5K7XN25h6q91/s1600/%2521cid_image001_png%254001D0CEA2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSHCPT8oOsNAqtToS6DEO9jCx06iHmqWofJLEj5Ypt-hmAcnxEJ6RLSzEXs3bnkOEUG_SxtblxsrQTDn2WhT7-h8ahB59HaQisg42Gw8L_lSlnkiiDskVABjqX2LTRCnV5K7XN25h6q91/s320/%2521cid_image001_png%254001D0CEA2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNr43MeOGPzhjH-d6s9BuT56V0ymALtEFJ0WyV0K2Q7ubVpb5nEKfbfCB6U0tQ0IT1mlrX1OgDOQ3fGpA9lGhxfZim_GRsNPiY_zd7pKXhx650-dB4ZzTT5zGKzvQVwmh2Jq-NjBJYKudl/s1600/%2521cid_image002_png%254001D0CEA2.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNr43MeOGPzhjH-d6s9BuT56V0ymALtEFJ0WyV0K2Q7ubVpb5nEKfbfCB6U0tQ0IT1mlrX1OgDOQ3fGpA9lGhxfZim_GRsNPiY_zd7pKXhx650-dB4ZzTT5zGKzvQVwmh2Jq-NjBJYKudl/s320/%2521cid_image002_png%254001D0CEA2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I’ve been <b>blogging,</b> too. Check out my posts on <a href="http://www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com/">www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<b>Facebook Launch Party</b><br />
<br />
<b> T</b>he Kindle Scout Authors did a 3-hour Facebook party. It was amazing…you can read all the comments and see what happened here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1755873821306210/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/events/1755873821306210 </a><br />
<br />
<b>Time travel</b>
is my favorite genre, so I was thrilled to hit the Kindle
e–Books&gt;Romance&gt;Time Travel Top 100 list several times.
Here’s a graphic I made:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHNRLnxG9C1O9Zvzs1XmT3LG2rWB21WyAYiUj5ikazU_GfKGyojeYdx3_H4dLp7id3YsGkKIAUBqVuNujTAav6fkRrooiyPIWkJTC4kBVLVjRTJpdqyzjgAJW1ZDSjsLLhnbew400h2Qf/s1600/Green_Goddess_TT70.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHNRLnxG9C1O9Zvzs1XmT3LG2rWB21WyAYiUj5ikazU_GfKGyojeYdx3_H4dLp7id3YsGkKIAUBqVuNujTAav6fkRrooiyPIWkJTC4kBVLVjRTJpdqyzjgAJW1ZDSjsLLhnbew400h2Qf/s320/Green_Goddess_TT70.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
But most gratifying to me are the<b> reviews:</b><br />
<br />
“This
is one of the best time travel historical novels I have ever read. I
was hooked from page one. The descriptive scenes of the Civil War
battles are so realistic that you find yourself imagining you are
actually on the battlefield. I highly recommend this book.”<br />
<br />
“Gripped me from the first page and wouldn't let go until I finished the book HOURS later.”<br />
<br />
“Rich
in history and social issues, Love Me Forever is both deep and
emotionally compelling. Another fine read from a Kindle Scout winner.”<br />
<br />
============= <br />
<br />
What’s next for me? I’m writing the sequel to <a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>, "<b>Love Me Always,</b>" where we meet up with the offspring of the one of the heroines and send her off on her own time traveling adventure! <br />
<br />
Thanks for coming along with me on my journey.<br />
<br />
~Jina<br />
<br />
Website: <a href="http://www.jinabacarr.com/">www.jinabacarr.com</a><br />
Blog: <a href="http://www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com/">www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com</a> <br />
================<br />
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<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Love_Me_Forever_500x798" class="alignleft wp-image-1210" height="235" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/love_me_forever_500x798.jpg?w=230&h=362" width="147" /></a><br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>,<br />
<br />
She wore gray.<br />
He wore blue.<br />
But their love defied the boundaries of war.<br />
And time.<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear from you. You can find me on social media:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JinaBacarr.author">www.facebook.com/JinaBacarr.author</a> </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/JinaBacarr">https://twitter.com/JinaBacarr</a> </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jbacarr" target="_blank">http://www.pinterest.com/jbacarr</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<a href="https://instagram.com/jinabacarr/" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/jinabacarr/</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
And on Vimeo you'll find my videos--all 71 of them covering my books, poems, etc.:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/user216350/videos" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/user216350/videos</a><br />
<br /></div>
<br />Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-44807967922720852852015-07-29T02:26:00.000-04:002015-07-29T03:09:34.746-04:00Come Fly with Me -- new cover reveal and it's FREE today!I love to fly…I’ve traveled a lot and enjoy the excitement of the
airport, watching everyone, wondering what their stories are, where
they’re going. I’ve met interesting people in airports…but so far I’ve
not met anyone like Jace Chantiers, the hero in my novella,<b><a href="http://amzn.com/B00PR08NA2" target="_blank"> COME FLY WITH ME.</a></b><br />
<br />
A Bad Boy Billionaire.<br />
<br />
I’ve redesigned the cover…and here it is:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00PR08NA2"><img alt="Come_Fly_cover_July2015_500x800" class="aligncenter wp-image-1854" height="640" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/come_fly_cover_july2015_500x800.jpg?w=648&h=1034" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Here’s the blurb:<br />
<br />
<i>London’s Heathrow airport</i><br />
<i><br />
New Year’s Eve</i><br />
<br />
Kacie Bennett is stranded in London and desperate to get home to
avert a family crisis. She’s shocked when a tall, dark handsome stranger
offers her a first class airline ticket, no strings attached.<br />
<br />
What’s a girl to do?<br />
<br />
Kacie is the plain sister of the three Bennett girls. Tall and
practical, she buries her loneliness in creating unique breads and
croissants for the family business, The 3 Bees (Bennett’s Bed &
Breakfast). She’s studying at a culinary school in Piccadilly when she
gets a desperate call from her sister Emma.<br />
<br />
Their baby sister Megan is eloping with a guy twice her age after
breaking up with her boyfriend. Kacie is frantic to get back home to
Forgotten Valley, California to save her sister from marrying the wrong
man.<br />
<br />
She can’t believe her good luck when the most gorgeous man she’s ever seen insists she take the ticket.<br />
<br />
What does he want in return?<br />
<br />
Jace Chantiers is a self-made oil billionaire, a player who can have
any supermodel he wants, but he doesn’t believe in love. That would mean
opening up about the pain in his past, something he swears he’ll never
do. When he has to cancel his date to fly to San Francisco for an urgent
business meeting, he overhears Kacie’s panicked phone call from her
sister and is intrigued by her plight.<br />
<br />
He never expected to ring in the New Year with a gorgeous blonde who
needs his help. Kacie gets under his skin with her go-to attitude, hard
work ethic, and strong dedication to her family. Something he never had
growing up. She makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something,
something his money can’t buy.<br />
<br />
Can Kacie resist this gorgeous man the British tabloids have labeled
the sexiest man alive? Does she dare lose her inhibitions at thirty
thousand feet…or will she also lose her heart?<br />
<br />
<i>Link to my Amazon page: <b><a href="http://amzn.com/B00PR08NA2" target="_blank">COME FLY WITH ME. It's FREE July 29-31, 2015</a></b></i><br />
<br />
========<br />
<b>BONUS: </b><br />
<br />
You can read the <b>Prologue</b> to <a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a> in its entirety at the end of <i><b><a href="http://amzn.com/B00PR08NA2" target="_blank">COME FLY WITH ME. So get your free copy and check it out!</a></b></i><br />
<br />
If you love <b>Civil War romance and time travel</b> and TWO hunky military heroes, check out my <b>Kindle Scout winner</b> below.<br />
<br />
~Jina<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68"><img alt="Love_Me_Forever_500x798" class="alignleft wp-image-1210" height="235" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/love_me_forever_500x798.jpg?w=230&h=362" width="147" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a><br />
<br />
She wore gray.<br />
He wore blue.<br />
But their love defied the boundaries of war.<br />
And time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is a Kindle Scout selection and is now available for PRE-ORDER at Amazon.com! </b></a>Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-81627204472226474562015-07-15T00:05:00.000-04:002015-07-26T01:15:21.898-04:00Happily Edit After...with Cinderella: My Kindle Scout Experience Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhJcUZ2nQKr9Z6huGtLrt_8X_plQ6bAcJI9b8qkVYaqrosXbjLM8oXLRyYJCuRi6x84rAly5cKxbRkWZv9meL8ZY4cP8LrzZN5-vBOXgOIVRN0oMeyF6RpZV-_0NnJGiZjN1nIJtZvj8y/s1600/KS_part3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhJcUZ2nQKr9Z6huGtLrt_8X_plQ6bAcJI9b8qkVYaqrosXbjLM8oXLRyYJCuRi6x84rAly5cKxbRkWZv9meL8ZY4cP8LrzZN5-vBOXgOIVRN0oMeyF6RpZV-_0NnJGiZjN1nIJtZvj8y/s400/KS_part3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i><b>(You can read my previous posts about my experience with the Kindle Scout program by clicking on <a href="http://naughtyauthorchicks.blogspot.com/2015/06/catching-up-with-cinderella-and-kindle.html" target="_blank">Part 1 </a>and <a href="http://naughtyauthorchicks.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-cinderella-storywith-kindle-scout-as.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a><a href="http://naughtyauthorchicks.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-cinderella-storywith-kindle-scout-as.html" target="_blank">.</a>)</b></i><br />
<br />
Remember when Cinderella was all aflutter getting ready for the ball? Her fairy godmother shows up and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">poof!</i> Cindy has a gorgeous gown, a carriage, and the sexiest pair of glass slippers. Next, she meets the prince, loses her slipper, gets it back, and marries the handsomest man in the land.<br />
<br />
Then comes a reality check.<br />
<br />
Cindy is a princess with a hundred and fifty room castle to manage, servants galore, royal obligations, and a demanding mother-in-law who can’t wait to show her off at high teas.<br />
<br />
First, she must learn how to be a princess.<br />
<br />
Kinda like putting out a good book. It’s a lot of work. Period.<br />
<br />
After my 30-day campaign with Kindle Scout for <a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER<span id="goog_126847925"></span><span id="goog_126847926"></span></b></a>, my Civil War time travel romance, being on and off the Hot and Trending list, then waiting to see if I made the cut, came <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my</i> reality check.<br />
<br />
Edits.<br />
<br />
Most writers would rather clean bathrooms for a week than open the Editorial Letter.<br />
<br />
I was shaking in my slippers when mine came. I worked more than two years on “<a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER<span id="goog_126847925"></span><span id="goog_126847926"></span></b></a>,,” getting the research right, the romance, settings. Not an easy task. My story is over 150,000 words.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to one of my favorite things about Kindle Scout: the Kindle Press Team. With everyone jumping into the self-publishing arena, it’s easy to want to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">write, write, write</i> and get it out there. Do-it-yourself, especially if you’ve been writing for a long time. I can wrap my head around a story pretty well. I’ve written several novels for trad publishers, non-fiction books, kids’ TV scripts, and plenty of magazine columns and stories.<br />
<br />
But no writer is an island.<br />
<br />
A good editor is as important as Cinderella’s fairy godmother. She/he can wave their magic wand and give you that extra spin on your book, make you dig deeper, cut excess. One thing that drew me to the Kindle Scout program was the idea of receiving editorial input.<br />
<br />
I wasn't disappointed. The editorial guidance at Kindle Scout/Kindle Press is awesome. <br />
<br />
I’m thrilled to say that my editor at Kindle Press was thorough, gave excellent suggestions, made me think, and complimented me along the way when she particularly liked something. She’s definitely one of the best editors I’ve ever had. The turnaround was quick: a week to complete the edits. I admit I hardly slept and I maxed out the balance on my Starbucks gold card, but the KP Team gave me a heads up three weeks before as to exactly what day to expect the email with the attached files and they delivered. <br />
<br />
So here we are at a new juncture in my Kindle Scout experience. Edits done; book in production.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank">Pre-order</a><i><a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"> now on Amazon</a>.</i></b><br />
<br />
Am I nervous? You bet I am. I put my heart and soul into this story, laughed and cried with my characters every step of the way. I’m anxious to get it out there. But the best part is, I feel confident that as part of the Kindle Scout program, <a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER<span id="goog_126847925"></span><span id="goog_126847926"></span></b></a>, is the best it can be.<br />
<br />
Update: <a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER got a five star review!! Check it out on Amazon.</b></a><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">"</b>Gripped me from the first page and wouldn't let go..." Jade Onyx<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span id="goog_126847925"></span><span id="goog_126847926"></span></b><br />
<br />
~Jina<br />
<br />
Website: <a href="http://www.jinabacarr.com/">www.jinabacarr.com</a><br />
Blog: <a href="http://www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com/">www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com</a> <br />
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================<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<b></b> <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Love_Me_Forever_500x798" class="alignleft wp-image-1210" height="235" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/love_me_forever_500x798.jpg?w=230&h=362" width="147" /></a><br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOVE ME FOREVER<span id="goog_126847925"></span><span id="goog_126847926"></span></b></a>,<br />
<br />
She wore gray.<br />
He wore blue.<br />
But their love defied the boundaries of war.<br />
And time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00YI8SX68" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is a Kindle Scout selection and will be published on August 4, 2015.</b></a><br />
<br />
You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. It’s a saga of love and romance and war. Believe me, I walked every road, fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop skirt to “get it right.”<br />
<br />
This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear from you. You can find me on social media:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JinaBacarr.author">www.facebook.com/JinaBacarr.author</a> </div>
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<a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fjbacarr&h=XAQF3D_Rj&enc=AZOAhU2Z0o4mRD6xGBrzuZlb27PWLZ6vLcIMnXl5XyzuEVGGMGg9ygkVI3vBQTcEN4xgLdjf1W-Eut4cWmPxb8qwf0ftzN_Ta86r1IbRR2d_Ms-K9LNUVXgodL8fQEIWBs5lVzbzOXMQtcVz1wjxbitFiE2HjXMFdY9pYgcluDdTyw&s=1" target="_blank">http://www.pinterest.com/jbacarr</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Finstagram.com%2Fjinabacarr%2F&h=WAQE3PwIb&enc=AZOhDpRqhEIzekRE3e_HoL-ll_Z5l6nwJ8s768-7n-73hQx8NXCHgg2StIOl7Xr1Sof5OTLmL2McFWMdh0zEs4XhqGRo0Mfo-YGeqrQzQiyMwcBLoVeygMeGiGpeAm1C8NugG7VyyVfbqWRbJjQe7w0Dw-R97TJQjrlfp8K_18vltQ&s=1" target="_blank">https://instagram.com/jinabacarr/</a></div>
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And on Vimeo you'll find my videos--all 71 of them covering my books, poems, etc.:<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2Fuser216350%2Fvideos&h=EAQHFIx_i&enc=AZNn346dCidViOxzhNM73ua5XNX-NoQ5Ian9FTlUKxDXXiU_H6AJrOYB6TCCXUSslQGm3NCR--VG9iWqmHO--hdAraxlZSrr5igXU8yN5NB0rrlffbwAe15qh2H-RAgCWZjCb40YzcL6Sqg5bDzu6WO1Wde3zyhk3qDZSG6CDEcEVA&s=1" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/user216350/videos</a></div>
Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-42362272278064879312015-07-03T01:00:00.000-04:002015-07-03T01:00:01.391-04:00Daddy Euphemisms<br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<img alt="" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.jucoolimages.com/images/daddy_girl/daddy_girl_06.gif" src="http://www.jucoolimages.com/images/daddy_girl/daddy_girl_06.gif" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></div>
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My parents taught me to be independent so in honor of the Fourth of July, I'm sharing some "Daddy Euphemisms".</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
"Sometimes you gotta have more nerve than a toothache."</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
"Heed your gut. Let me repeat. Heed your gut."</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
"Keep on truckin'."</div>
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And my personal favorite...</div>
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"Make the most of what you've got. If you've only got one leg then do what you have to do to win a wooden peg ass kickin' contest."</div>
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Any parental words of wisdom you'd like to share?</div>
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Happy Independence Day! Be safe and stay cool.</div>
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Southern Smiles,<img alt="" data-mce-src="http://americanenglishuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/july-4-fireworks.jpg" src="http://americanenglishuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/july-4-fireworks.jpg" /></div>
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Casey Crow</div>
Casey Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13451031102195554078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-73062544912056739472015-07-01T00:05:00.000-04:002015-07-01T02:48:24.086-04:00Sssshh...Kindle Scout author at workYes, it's quiet here this week. <i>Very</i> quiet.<br />
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I'm going over my Kindle Scout edits for Love Me Forever. It goes on pre-order Monday, July 13th.<br />
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It's a big job--over 142,000 words and more than 500 pages--so I'm only posting the info about my book and one of my favorite graphics for my story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zI5tLdZOGPlzIlHVuadG4jlV9DB88w-Qsptw_in_uwTFtgmJ50GyXnq8IhJsAdEHRbLt5qFEL6BYoFJPQZswkbZy-TSXJ3-QtxRzFw826LjHAXN-nhXLDfa0wMG4Dh5L4wq7WkNpgq9j/s1600/seduced_major_withcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zI5tLdZOGPlzIlHVuadG4jlV9DB88w-Qsptw_in_uwTFtgmJ50GyXnq8IhJsAdEHRbLt5qFEL6BYoFJPQZswkbZy-TSXJ3-QtxRzFw826LjHAXN-nhXLDfa0wMG4Dh5L4wq7WkNpgq9j/s400/seduced_major_withcover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thanks for understanding...be back in two weeks. <br />
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<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK"><img alt="Love_Me_Forever_500x798" class="alignleft wp-image-1210" height="235" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/love_me_forever_500x798.jpg?w=230&h=362" width="147" /></a><br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a><br />
<br />
She wore gray.<br />
He wore blue.<br />
But their love defied the boundaries of war.<br />
And time.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is a Kindle Scout selection and will be on pre-order at Amazon.com on July 13th, Monday! </b></a>(I’ll update with the link when it’s available.)<br />
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<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>You can read the first 5,000 words HERE</b></a>.
You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. It’s a
saga of love and romance and war. Believe me, I walked every road,
fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop
skirt to “get it right.”<br />
This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by.<br />
<br />
~JinaJina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-60810263672372326162015-06-19T01:00:00.000-04:002015-06-19T01:00:01.350-04:00Taylor Swift Concert<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" height="400" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14dfd2b5257f4717&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ9X_6UDmisGm-h_J3T-pkrfqZJ8kyI5gD-dPVT-OyCkYXHC9fXUz4yZPVgjk5ZCmVfFSbHO5i5xr8VgaWVe92vcCq0kQJqDxaPPAft4ioKrUmngTYXlI_epnQM&ats=1434471585665&rm=14dfd2b5257f4717&zw&sz=w1573-h634" width="400" /><br />
I'm taking a diversion this week to show off my recent vacation to Charlotte, North Carolina to see Taylor Swift and the incredible Biltmore. TS was AWESOME! I think she's such a positive role model for young girls in a world where so many celebrities aren't. I especially liked Taylor's little motivation speeches in between songs.<br />
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"You are not the opinion of someone who doesn't know you."<br />
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"You are not a loser just because you haven't gotten to where you want to be in life...yet."<br />
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<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" height="400" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14dfd2ad5f83b70f&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ-uBPKGGwIRCyi4TC03F5ZC2oFVEyls_30O4rzWWpzItd2nqNVktijNrtL9Ed65tOKrsEq0QTdA2_kDqsNRyQQEI0sO81hDP72uqdWqmIutBqVklABJbpV-x_M&ats=1434471553475&rm=14dfd2ad5f83b70f&zw&sz=w1573-h634" width="400" /><br />
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<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" height="227" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14dfd29e26996695&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ9CRzake6_TOFe2SEVgaeChiiMM51hHw8am2Zr36jrOfLN8sEwo6csbKT_Z0rtbyA3gGZ7Y4EjPz4KB3mkgw2QUauhIu92vYamCQzKpe10tQg755CWH6lrjdb4&ats=1434471491471&rm=14dfd29e26996695&zw&sz=w1573-h634" width="400" /><br />
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Hope y'all are enjoying your summer! Would love to hear about your vacations!<br />
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Southern Smiles,<br />
Casey CrowCasey Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13451031102195554078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-39531270669852494602015-06-17T00:21:00.000-04:002015-07-14T18:43:29.646-04:00Catching up with Cinderella and Kindle Scout: Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5-9IB-qxuonN_BFZ7smAwr5eGBnSCjhHWMrVlU5YxiY9msOPwkI9QBC0k0jDtp_8jyE20wZZp2EPvoENBYYVW2RhXbR_o-CbOXM1SfZxXov0O1g7EkIA3X007ogdAzZlsLPkLVlnnoik/s1600/KS_part2_hunk_castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5-9IB-qxuonN_BFZ7smAwr5eGBnSCjhHWMrVlU5YxiY9msOPwkI9QBC0k0jDtp_8jyE20wZZp2EPvoENBYYVW2RhXbR_o-CbOXM1SfZxXov0O1g7EkIA3X007ogdAzZlsLPkLVlnnoik/s400/KS_part2_hunk_castle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I’m back with part 2 of my Cinderella experience with my Kindle Scout book selection, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK">LOVE ME FOREVER</a></b>. It's been a wild ride, though the fairy dust makes me sneeze and my feet hurt from the glass slippers.</div>
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I wouldn't change it for the world, but I admit I wear my fuzzy, worn-out pink slippers when no one's looking.</div>
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So here's an update on my Kindle Scout experience since Love Me Forever was selected at the end of April. <a href="http://naughtyauthorchicks.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-cinderella-storywith-kindle-scout-as.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you missed my last post CLICK HERE.</span></b></a><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1</span><span style="color: black;">. I took the full 30 days allotted after my campaign was over on April 27th (my book was selected 2 days later) to go over my book<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>before handing it in for copy edits. I found minor errors—punctuation, missing words, etc. I had to re-do some paragraphs, fix transposed sentences, develop a few things, and worked on my timeline and events from 1862-63 for 100% accuracy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">The m/s is 142,000 words, so you can see why it took me a month.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">2. Soon after I received a phone call from the KS editorial staff. The editor said my m/s was “very clean and the team loves <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK">LOVE ME FOREVER</a></b>, it’s solidly written, filled with intrigue, both romantic and non-romantic, and we love the story of two heroes and two heroines interconnected.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">3. She also said they have a Civil War buff on staff who couldn’t believe the layering and historical information being so spot on. He <i>loves</i> my book. Needless to say, I’m thrilled.<br />
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4. I get my book back from the copy editor around June 29th with any suggestions the staff has (style changes, anything I missed, etc.). I then have one week to accept the changes (using Track Changes)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">5. My book goes on pre-order on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">soon</b>. Everyone who nominated my book should get a link at that time where you can download your free advance copy. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">6 .<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK">LOVE ME FOREVER</a></b> goes live on: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">July 28, 2015. Tuesday.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Unbelievable how quickly things move. Three months after the campaign ended, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK">LOVE ME FOREVER</a></b> will be on sale! </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">7.<i> </i>I received the $1,500 advance—digitally wired to my bank account. It takes a while to fill out the payee forms since you have to do one for each country, but otherwise, it’s a very smooth process.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">8. The Kindle Press editor also indicated my book would be eligible for Amazon promotions a month or so after its release. Wow, now <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> is cool. I’ll be busting my butt with promo to make my book look good.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">What’s next? I’m writing a sequel to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK">LOVE ME FOREVER</a></b>. To be honest with you, I couldn’t let this family go…I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> to know what happens afterward down the line, so why not follow a family through the decades who just happens to time travel? A new heroine…a sexy new hero…and a whole new time travel adventure in a different era.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Time Travel...it’s the family business."</i></span></div>
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Before I go, I want to say the Kindle Scout program has been an amazing Cinderella experience for me. If you're an author and you're wondering if you should try it, I hope my posts will help you make your decision. The KS team is awesome...the other authors are like old friends. If you're a reader, please nominate the books you'd love to see published. You'll receive a free advance copy if it's selected. <br />
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So I'll say <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">au revoir...auf wiedersehen...arrivederci</i>...till next time when I’ll have a new update for you.</div>
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And in case you’re wondering about the graphic in today’s post, the hunky guy and the luxury castle aren’t part of the deal, but hey, that’s the stuff dreams are made of…</div>
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<b></b> <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Love_Me_Forever_500x798" class="alignleft wp-image-1210" height="235" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/love_me_forever_500x798.jpg?w=230&h=362" width="147" /></a><br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a><br />
<br />
She wore gray.<br />
He wore blue.<br />
But their love defied the boundaries of war.<br />
And time.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is a Kindle Scout selection and will be published on July 28th, pre-order July 13!! You can read the first 5,000 words HERE</b></a>. You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt.<br />
<br />
It’s a saga of love and romance and war. Believe me, I walked every road, fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop skirt to “get it right.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
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This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!<br />
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I'd love to hear from you. You can find me on social media:<br />
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<a href="http://www.jinabacarr.com/" target="_blank">www.jinabacarr.com</a> </div>
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blog: <a href="http://www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JinaBacarr.author">www.facebook.com/JinaBacarr.author</a> </div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/JinaBacarr">https://twitter.com/JinaBacarr</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jbacar">http://www.pinterest.com/jbacar</a>r </div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/jinabacarr/">https://instagram.com/jinabacarr/</a></div>
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And on Vimeo you'll find my videos--all 71 of them covering my books, poems, etc.:</div>
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/user216350/videos">https://vimeo.com/user216350/videos</a></div>
Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-20670444622572424402015-06-13T00:30:00.000-04:002015-06-13T00:30:00.418-04:00I'm a Viking? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ancestry and genetics have always fascinated me. My daughter may have inherited that trait since she’s been researching our family tree for years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently she told me she was going to send her DNA to AncestryDNA (an offshoot of Ancestry.com) to find out more about her ethic background. I thought that sounded interesting since her father’s family claims they're quite the melting pot. Irish, German, French, Polish, and Native American. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Me? I was told I was half German and half English. Guess what? It’s not true! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I only did the testing so she could try to separate out what she got from which parent. We were both surprised when we saw her analysis, since it seemed her father’s family must have been confused or misinformed. We would have expected more German since it was on both sides. Uh uh. Her chart showed that about 72% of her DNA was from Great Britain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that I’ve seen my results, I have to say I’m in shock. Either I’m adopted…(My brother always said so, because I was the only blonde in the family) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or</i> my family was quite mistaken too! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My highest percentage is Scandinavian followed by Irish! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the whaaaa????<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My mind is blown. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a member of Ancestry.com my daughter is notified when a close relative shows up in the DNA database...so people can share family tree info. She reassured me that we were confirmed as parent and child. Well, that’s a relief. I was beginning to worry that I had picked up the wrong kid from the hospital! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, now that I know I’m this whole different person—someone with a majority of Scandinavian and Irish ancestry, what am I gonna do about it? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Other than asking some of my cousins if they’d like to test their DNA, I don’t know what I can do. My parents and siblings have all passed away. I know one of my cousins is very interested in this stuff--almost as much as my daughter is, so I’m pretty sure he’ll jump into the DNA pool with both feet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m just guessing that my Midwestern relatives may carry the Scandinavian DNA. I’ll have to chase a few of them down and see if we can’t get a test from that side too. This could really snowball. Kudos to Ancestry.com for coming up with this! It’s got to be one of the best viral marketing ploys ever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If only I could sell my books like that. Or is that what ‘word of mouth’ advertising is? Hmmm…I can see the similarities. Hopefully, those who read my books will recommend them to their relatives and friends, and so on, and so on, and so on… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Coming very, very soon! The Cupcake Coven!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times",serif; font-size: 17pt;">“Entertainment abounds when a coven of witches whip up a few spells to help their friend hold onto her bakery while losing her heart. Can a long distance romance work between a cowboy and a baker if they believe in magic?” </span><span style="font-family: "Times",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times",serif; font-size: 17pt;">Pretty Wiccan Rebecca Colby borrowed money from her father to start a bakery, and now he’s calling the loan due. When she learns he fell off the gambling wagon and owes big money to some scary people, she has to start making a profit—and fast—before the loan shark takes a bite out of her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times",serif; font-size: 17pt;">Hot Cowboy Dru Tanner is looking for his missing sister who left Texas to explore their New England Wiccan roots. She’s the only family he has left, and he’s desperate to find her. Dru has to hide the fact that he’s not a Wiccan long enough to infiltrate a coven in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It’s the only lead he has.</span><span style="font-family: "Times",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times",serif; font-size: 17pt;">Dru needs a job and a place to stay while he searches for his sister. Rebecca needs cheap help so she can work some baking magic. Dru makes Rebecca an offer she can’t refuse—if only lust doesn’t drive them crazy first. </span><span style="font-family: "Times",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Hot Ash Romance Novelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10633691302884163101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-91354911623495402992015-06-05T01:00:00.000-04:002015-06-05T22:00:11.170-04:00Interview with Grey Francis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So excited to have with us the fabulous Grey Francis! Let's give her a big Naughty Authors Chicks welcome!</div>
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Southern Smiles,</div>
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Casey Crow</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Author
Grey Francis Releases <em>Bound to a Vampire,</em><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> First in the </span>Into the Dark Woods</em><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> Paranormal Romance Series<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">This is first erotic
paranormal romance novel in the </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Into the
Dark Woods</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> series featuring the vampire trio Cassandra Monteclaire, Killian
Monteclaire, and Alastair St. Germaine. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">A
psychologically compelling and literary erotic novel, </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Bound to a Vampire</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> combines the themes of sexual awakening with
paranormal adventure and creates an admirable heroine in Cassandra, who must
find her inner strength to combat demons from her past and her future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Set
in modern-day New York, </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Bound to a
Vampire</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> tells the story of Cassandra, a three-hundred-and-sixty-year-old
vampire with healing powers. Her human life ends three centuries earlier when,
condemned as a witch, she is rescued and turned by the sexually dominant and
emotionally enthralling Master Vampire, Killian. Bonded in an erotic trio with
their Protector, the brooding and ardent Alastair, the three live an exciting
and dangerous life full of love, decadence, and dark passion. But when Killian
suddenly vanishes, Cassandra and Alastair face an ever-changing and threatening
world, where they struggle with the loss of their mate while trying to protect
the vampire empire from destruction by human armies called Torians. Centuries
later, when a close friend of Cassandra’s discovers that Killian is alive and executing
members of the allied Sentient organization, Killian becomes a target for
elimination. Cassandra vows to find him before time runs out, but she must
first journey into her torrid past and face her own demons before she can save
Killian and reunite the vampire triad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Filled
with erotic passion, great tragedy, and dark mystery, </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Bound to a Vampire</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> is a turbulent thriller that delves into the
history of vampires and the dramatic events that shaped them into the complex
and powerful beings they have become. For fans of paranormal vampire series
such as </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The Vampire Queen</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> by Joey
Hill and </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Black Dagger Brotherhood</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> by
JR Ward, Francis creates a vibrant world where secrets abound and the dominant
and submissive power exchange between mates is as essential to their survival
as the blood they drink.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;">Want to know more about <i>Bound to a Vampire</i>???????</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1. <i>Bound to a Vampire</i> is an erotic paranormal romance that takes place
in both modern-day New York and 17<sup>th</sup> century Europe. What inspired
you to write a vampire novel set in those times and places?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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I wanted to set my novel in the present and in the 17<sup>th</sup>
century, going back in forth through memories, in order to show how the past
shapes a vampire after centuries of living. This time-shifting allowed me to
show vampires not only living, but being hunted, having love affairs and experiencing
great tragedy. I also wanted to take my
readers deeper into my characters’ histories, exploring how they became
vampires, how they found each other, how they lived, and ultimately how they
lost one another. Since the 17<sup>th</sup> century is one of my favorite time
periods, and a dramatic contrast to the times we currently live in, setting the
book during that time allows us to understand the past, so we can sympathize
with a particular vampire’s motivations and desires. <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2. <i>Bound to a Vampire</i> features the female healer, Cassandra, who
is turned into a vampire by the mysterious and powerful Master Vampire, Killian,
and who becomes the member of a sexual triad that includes the dark and
brooding Protector, Alastair. What’s special about Cassandra and how did you
come to choose her as the main character for your first Into the Dark Woods novel? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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This genre is dominated by male vampire protagonists. What I
wanted to see was a strong female vampire, who is driven by ambition, passion
and romance and willing to fight for those she loves. As a 17<sup>th</sup>
century human midwife, Cassandra’s talents were misunderstood and feared, and
ultimately she is persecuted as a witch. As a vampire, her former talents are
transformed, giving her ability to heal and create life, making her very
powerful. She goes from a simple peasant to vampire royalty. Flame haired with
an exquisite kind of delicate beauty, Cassandra is spirited, strong-willed, and
nurturing. She quickly finds herself in a passionate love triangle with her
Sire and her Protector. Cassandra is the perfect compliment to each of them,
but her true gift is her ability to bridge the gap between these two powerful
males, whose love for one another is dark, tangled and complicated. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">3. There are strong erotic elements,
including passages that describe submission and bondage, in <i>Bound to a
Vampire</i>. What made you decide to pursue these thematic issues in your Into
the Dark Woods series and in this new novel? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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When I envisioned my vampires, I saw them as highly sexual
creatures. But I didn’t think that vampires would express their sexuality the
way most typical humans do. BDSM and the power exchange between a dominant and
a submissive rang true to me in terms of the vampires’ natures and their
ability to attain nourishment from that exchange. I also think there is a
connection between pain and pleasure with vampires. The vampire bite, at least
in my books, is both painful and euphoric. The pain some submissives crave, as Alastair
does, is a component of that particular crossover. There is also a strong psychological
component to BDSM that parallels the emotional bonds within my vampire world.
Some vampires, like Killian, are Masters and demand ultimate trust and
surrender from their mates. In return, their submissive mates feel protected
and ultimately loved. This dynamic felt
so organic to me, I believe it was the perfect way to structure the sexual relationships
of my vampires. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">4. What do you find the most
fascinating about the paranormal romance genre?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">
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There are interesting fluctuations in what creatures are
capturing the interests of readers. Recently, I’ve seen a popular rise in books
about shape shifters, dragons, sexy demons and angelic warriors. A few years
ago, the Fae world was popular. Before
that, it was witches. Many writers have been combining a number of different
supernatural creatures in their books for years, creating very developed and complex
worlds where vampires, shifters, Fae, and others creatures, co-existed to
varying degrees of animosity and peace. I find many of them fascinating, and I
faithfully follow a number of writers. And yet, I see vampire stories enduring, being
recreated, the rules of their worlds ever changing and expanding. For me, the
vampire remains as intriguing and sexually charged as he was 30 years ago when
I picked up <i>Interview with a Vampire</i>.
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">5. What would you like
readers to remember most about you and your books?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The characters. They get under our skin and we can’t shake
them. What I would like people to
remember are the emotional layers that exist between my characters as they
develop and evolve. All three main characters go through transformations, be it
with through love, sex, power, loss, or reconciliation. Their pain haunts us. Their
love grips us. It is these emotional resonances that I hope stay with my
readers. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">6. Are you working on a new <i>Into the Dark Woods</i> novel and, if so,
what can you tell us about it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Yes. The second book in the <i>Into the Dark Woods</i> series is called <i>A King in Chains</i>, and it focuses on Alastair and his dynamic yet
tumultuous history with Killian. The story also explores Alastair’s present day
struggle to move forward as king without Killian by his side, while battling a
powerful and malevolent vampire from his past who threatens everything he holds
dear. In order to save his kingdom, Alastair must make the ultimate sacrifice
for those he loves. That’s all I can say for now!</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Grey Francis, a native of Los Angeles, has been writing since she was a teen, penning stories about ghosts, witches and vampires, among other denizens of the night. After graduating with a B.A. in Journalism from San Diego State University, Grey was employed in the New York publishing world before relocating back to Los Angeles to work in the film industry. She later explored her fascination with the paranormal as a screenwriter, but it wasn’t until the birth of her series,</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Into the Dark Woods</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">, that she found her voice as an erotic novelist. When Grey isn’t writing her next book, she is busy full-time mother of two children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">For more information on Grey Francis or <b><i>Bound to a Vampire</i></b>, please visit: <a href="http://www.greyfrancis.com/">www.greyfrancis.com</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">www.amazon.com</a>.</span></div>
Casey Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13451031102195554078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-67043010706212584182015-06-03T00:05:00.000-04:002015-06-15T19:47:47.714-04:00My Cinderella Story...with Kindle Scout as my Fairy Godmother Part 1<br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiFwdF3Q-P4sCov7AY0u3FNUc6BXDFe9nKVT841lGQ7hii0QvXTdBo91RsqFI4NE17rO7IviicTrGS1VBCwQQpnz2UGrMa6Hd4cs6QOTcIerf7YGeRWJS8y3axqtFlDTvrtXi6KzL7Yth/s1600/slipper_fits_KS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiFwdF3Q-P4sCov7AY0u3FNUc6BXDFe9nKVT841lGQ7hii0QvXTdBo91RsqFI4NE17rO7IviicTrGS1VBCwQQpnz2UGrMa6Hd4cs6QOTcIerf7YGeRWJS8y3axqtFlDTvrtXi6KzL7Yth/s400/slipper_fits_KS.jpg" width="321" /></a></i></div>
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<i>Psst..</i>.yes, it's true, I have a fairy godmother. She's smart, clever, and filled with magic!! <br />
<br />
Her name is Kindle Scout.<br />
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<i>What is Kindle Scout? </i>you ask. How does it work? Is it right for me?<br />
<br />
The best way I can answer that is to tell you my story. Adding tips and observations along the way that I hope will help guide you, whether you’re a reader or a writer…so here we go!<br />
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Once upon a time I had a book of the heart, a story I loved like a comfy, fave pair of jeans. I just couldn’t throw them away...<br />
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That book is <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>, a Civil War time travel novel that takes place from 1862-1863. It’s a big, family saga with two feisty heroines and the military men they love, coming in at 140,000 words. But as everyone knows, trad pubs don’t want Civil War...no problem, I’ll self publish it, right?<br />
<br />
Or—and here’s where temptation comes in, like circling the pastry case at Starbucks, should I try Kindle Scout? The Amazon publishing venture where readers pick the books they publish: <br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/about" target="_blank">https://kindlescout.amazon.com/about </a><br />
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So I did...and for thirty days I was on a wild rollercoaster ride during my campaign for <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>. I’d check the “Hot and Trending” List all hours of the day and night on my cell phone—fretting when I wasn’t on the list and cheering when I was.<br />
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Bonus: if you nominate a book and it’s selected for publication, you receive a free advance copy before it’s published.<br />
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Here are some tips re: submitting to Kindle Scout:<br />
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1 – Format your book as if you’re going to self-pub it. I renamed my original .doc and then took out the copyright page and TOC, links to my other books, no header needed (you can add the copyright, links, and TOC back in later if you're selected). I left in the page numbers (not needed for self-pub), but they don’t show up on the excerpt. If your book is selected, you’re ready to begin your final read-through. If not, you have your original .doc if you decide to self-publish your m/s.<br />
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2 – Don’t wait until you’re ready to submit to Kindle Scout to answer the questions, write your bio, description, etc. It took a lot of preparation to answer the questions in a way that highlighted who I am as a writer (3 questions), bio, description, logline—all have character length restrictions. I’d recommend getting that out of the way before you finish your book or do a final read-through.<br />
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3 – Cover: I did a dreamy Civil War lady cover with a beautiful rendering. It says “romance” right away so you can attract that reader. Also, keep it clean and simple with a strong focal point to grab the eye, but not confuse it. Be sure to adhere to the required size: 4500 pixels high and 2820 pixels wide (or a 1.5 height/width ratio). PNG (.png) or JPEG (.jpeg or .jpg) format, no larger than 5MB.<br />
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4 – Read the contract carefully – the percentage is 50 percent royalties instead of 70; you have to ask for your book back in writing if they don’t publish it after the 45-day exclusive; the $1,500 advance is against royalties; Amazon owns the exclusive digital and audio worldwide rights for 5 years in all languages—renewable.<br />
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Your book is published by Amazon Kindle Press in e-book, not print. Here is the breakdown from the Kindle Scout website:<br />
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Royalty Table: <br />
E-Book: 50% of Net Revenue <br />
Digital Audio: 25% of Net Revenue <br />
Translation in e-Book format: 20% of Net Revenue <br />
<br />
I believe they have 6 months to publish it or you get your rights back (you have to ask in writing).<br />
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5 – I see Kindle Scout as a new, exciting venture that combines both self-pubbing and traditional. You write, edit, copy edit, format your book and submit your own cover, but if you're selected, you have Kindle Press as your publisher with an additional copy edit, PR, etc.<br />
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For me, it was also the opportunity to put my story out there during the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. I blogged every day with stories and excerpts about the Civil War. I added graphics I did myself with Royalty Free stock I bought a while ago. I enjoy designing the graphics, so that’s a plus. You can see my graphics on my blog:<br />
<a href="http://www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com </a><br />
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6 – All in all, I’m extremely happy with the professionalism at Kindle Scout. I submitted my package online (very easy to fill out and submit) and my book was accepted within 2 hours and went live 2 days later.<br />
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Here is the link to my Kindle Scout page: <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK">https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK</a><br />
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=========<br />
The selection process:<br />
<br />
I was on the Hot list more than half the time during the 30-day campaign. I would get on the list, jump around for a few days from first to last (about 10 books average are on the list at any one time), drop off for a day or two, then pop back on.<br />
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I blogged, tweeted, etc. every day, which helped me get the message out on a consistent basis, but I believe support from good people like you was very important to staying on the Hot list. Again, thank you.<br />
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I’m not sure what other criteria KS uses to make their selection. I submitted the cleanest m/s I could. I spent a lot of time checking it after it was written and giving it a thorough copy edit before I submitted it, checked the timeline, looked for inconsistencies, etc. It’s vital to give them the best book you can.<br />
<br />
========== <br />
<br />
After my 30-day campaign was over, I received the news: my Kindle Scout book, <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>, was selected for publication!<br />
<br />
==========<br />
The next step:<br />
<br />
After my 30-day campaign ended, it took only two days for me to receive word my book was selected. My book cover was up on the KS header almost immediately along with the other selected books. I had 30 days to make any changes. I went over my manuscript again for content, punctuation, spacing, etc. I also printed out a hard copy and gave it a quick read-through. You’d be surprised what you see on paper that you don’t see on a computer screen.<br />
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I submitted my Final m/s and within hours, I rec'd a email saying it had gone through the initial review, meaning that the editors could see my m/s adhered to the guidelines. A Kindle Press copy edit follows. I’ve heard fabulous things about the Kindle Press copy edit from KS authors—everyone is pleased about the entire process.<br />
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The contract becomes active as soon as you receive their email. It also indicated the accounting team will contact me. I’m already self-pubbed with Amazon, so I have an account with bank numbers, tax info, etc. in place, but I believe this may be a different entity. I’ll report back on that aspect.<br />
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============<br />
What I would have done differently:<br />
<br />
I wouldn’t have waited so long to reach out to groups for help and support. I’ve always been a shy kid and still suffer from good girl syndrome after attending numerous parochial schools, but I credit the Sisters of Mercy with teaching me good tradecraft re: writing. I can diagram a sentence with the best of them and that’s helped me as a writer.<br />
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=============<br />
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That’s it for now. I’m here for questions about Kindle Scout and anything you’d like to ask about the process. I really enjoyed writing <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>, about two very different women, Liberty Jordan and Pauletta Sue Buckingham, who are thrown together in a mad, crazy scheme of spying, lost love, and passionate desire for what they can’t have.<br />
<br />
The men they love.<br />
<br />
Do they get their men?<br />
<br />
Well, it <i>is </i>a romance, but it’s also a wild dramatic journey based on actual events in the Civil War. Liberty and Pauletta Sue will make you cheer, then cry, then hold your breath when it looks like all is lost… <br />
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<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK"><img alt="Love_Me_Forever_500x798" class="alignleft wp-image-1210" height="235" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/love_me_forever_500x798.jpg?w=230&h=362" width="147" /></a><br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a><br />
<br />
She wore gray.<br />
He wore blue.<br />
But their love defied the boundaries of war.<br />
And time.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is a Kindle Scout selection and will be published soon!! You can read the first 5,000 words HERE</b></a>. You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. It’s a saga of love and romance and war. Believe me, I walked every road, fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop skirt to “get it right.”<br />
<br />
This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by.<br />
<br />
~Jina <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.jinabacarr.com/">www.jinabacarr.com</a> <br />
blog: <a href="http://www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com/">www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/JinaBacarr.author">www.facebook.com/JinaBacarr.author</a> <br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/JinaBacarr" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/JinaBacarr </a><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jbacarr" target="_blank">www.pinterest.com/jbacarr </a><br />
<a href="https://instagram.com/jinabacarr/">https://instagram.com/jinabacarr/</a><br />
<br />Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-31982560199670251652015-05-22T01:00:00.000-04:002015-05-22T01:00:06.332-04:00RT 2015 MemoriesHello Lovely Readers and Writers!<br />
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I just returned from 2015 Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Dallas, Texas. As with every RT hoo-rah, this one was a blast, as well. Loved seeing old friends and meeting new ones. My Developing Brand You marketing workshop and Pitch Perfect workshop went great. WHEW! And the annual Shooting Stars Gala hosted by the Seymour Agency and Bent Agency was packed with readers and bloggers! Here's a few of shots:<br />
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Cover model, professional actor and red carpet host Billy Freda. We've known each other for years and huge shout to Billy for assisting with "Red Carpet" Interviews in my branding workshop!<br />
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<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d7335b2d44f7a3&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ8pHAv8emuzDlFAUm7U5lAmYavfbSsS7ugJqnxaLYmN-qcHX_DYulDRvRhVcKAdlvAXdcQHmPGLYWVoX2P-hkkG3VCiO1acVE7iCeSH76Cpa70UABhHfM452JQ&ats=1432157510312&rm=14d7335b2d44f7a3&zw&sz=w1573-h583" /><br />
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My table at the Shooting Stars Gala giving away a "Southern Summer" basket.<br />
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<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d7334f63ffd75a&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_ZYdKvTOzVB5fVdSNKCW9HWD7EuOPyBXdGy1g54TeVopqn6PqcqzVKTsU7AAHTA4k-6Jzzog2tkgNiWSrWL9TfNOHpdZhD7FRwzCRKOWCTD0clWxRkXGjTwm8&ats=1432157001728&rm=14d7334f63ffd75a&zw&sz=w1573-h583" /><br />
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Some of the Seymour Agency authors meeting with Elle Asher, winner of our "meet the authors" contest with proceeds going to literacy charity. Pictures are Asher, me, Terri Stanton, Reese Monroe, Julie Ann Walker, and Kate Meador.<br />
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<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d733486a1f29e5&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_74TVbPSL-SM3HYny44vqEH82yEYs2cEBzfcfuyaMKzeYAjm7fgM6FxvPbcrPIiWbjHB7a0i1gWhUce7yqJzkxo90v79aA-Vu4rphj5XZ4unu3DUGqZbbM0qQ&ats=1432157001743&rm=14d733486a1f29e5&zw&sz=w1573-h583" /><br />
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My fabulous agent Nicole Resciniti.<br />
<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d7334266e977fa&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ9P1LGPEdP4s8e3eTSwb6Gy7NUH7XE-GAdM6e7BX-UgJyKextowZWy63XjnEKklmDqtDIkfftQ8bdXpAzhfPF9JFSqCHD5PEowH7BeRUVSK7kIDY95XrMsgJKM&ats=1432157001758&rm=14d7334266e977fa&zw&sz=w1573-h583" /><br />
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Literary agent at The Seymour Agency - Lane Heymont<br />
<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d7335c53de77aa&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_i0lVqvTPLPM03daAj7TP0QHeRRTRfCaRYmPNnRUqwuuREuMBbuiytdwvjl-eJr-URZwmqtibZYmixb3VYQl8uyTnkerThhXjXK4cfhUpjOgR4CgZTchUZZgM&ats=1432157510295&rm=14d7335c53de77aa&zw&sz=w1573-h583" /><br />
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My dear friend I've known since my first RT three years ago, Dennis Pozzessere (Heather Graham's hubby). He has the coolest stories.<br />
<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d733512c0c33a9&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ9hRaOSL4gnxrCPgFjAFlHAz68CVFYFK8VW4gSFgIkVocnWmGhIiRSY7adwLsumqlBqzjgdP-VnpnGWq_SJo_tqPhmIb3ElnyYbXBusCky9HFdlJ7Pd4zipZVU&ats=1432157510328&rm=14d733512c0c33a9&zw&sz=w1573-h583" /><br />
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Yeah that's me on a bull! Sooo much harder than it looks!<br />
<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d7335993525d8e&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ8ffagClzGYCVzEmBAaDxD6zEU1aKTWfBxlO_tYQfp8nMmY51P8XoJJTFW_yzCHC3TxL-JvJpX0z4Tyszwb7NzNVTRbynSjCdBXrENXjloZDkWRZ5BnDameXfY&ats=1432157208569&rm=14d7335993525d8e&zw&sz=w1573-h583" /><br />
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Giving a copy of my children's picture book to cover model Mark Johnson's daughter. Such a cutie.<br />
<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d7333849f1ba5f&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_LJfJ2Tl3JRaQ1OpLH12Fo9180cs6f-j80h9eHp1B8lKG7XSmzs66-pC23fsQzd9D7DZhSFx5G2twUfYIB_Mdc5n8ZCKmyzqKs7qV3AfDUIPip9W_e_SsQpTY&ats=1432157001774&rm=14d7333849f1ba5f&zw&sz=w1573-h583" /><br />
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Hope to see everyone in Vegas next year!<br />
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Southern Smiles,<br />
Casey CrowCasey Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13451031102195554078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-27365960769518094342015-05-20T00:05:00.000-04:002015-05-20T00:05:00.111-04:00Kindle Scout and my Civil War Time Travel Romance...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRlk5DszjeJoCGzbApdY2Z6-sJBUqI-CypRblAHjtWyXAOsK5NU5n-Q7Iv-gTPvHC60yuM1w6gYo-9kAqCAV7SzyGKd-sKirYgYU2eMhq7ac2DAgpLKDA7UqqwsuwxLhC1h52DiDUhrrW/s1600/clock_ticking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRlk5DszjeJoCGzbApdY2Z6-sJBUqI-CypRblAHjtWyXAOsK5NU5n-Q7Iv-gTPvHC60yuM1w6gYo-9kAqCAV7SzyGKd-sKirYgYU2eMhq7ac2DAgpLKDA7UqqwsuwxLhC1h52DiDUhrrW/s400/clock_ticking.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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The clock is ticking...I have only a few days left to go through my 140,000+ word Kindle Scout manuscript <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER </b></a> before I hand it in to the KS editors.<br />
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My book was chosen for publication (thank you to everyone who nominated my story!), then you have 30 days to check it over...<br />
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I'm fact checking again, looking for lost words...and yes, adding bits of stuff, which is how I got to over 140,000 words.<br />
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So please forgive me if this is a short post...I'll be back next time with a post about the Kindle Scout experience!<br />
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Till then...back to checking my story...<br />
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<br />
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<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Love_Me_Forever_500x798" class="alignleft wp-image-1210 " height="235" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/love_me_forever_500x798.jpg?w=230&h=362" width="147" /></a><br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a><br />
<br />
She wore gray.<br />
He wore blue.<br />
But their love defied the boundaries of war.<br />
And time.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is on Kindle Scout — you can read the first 5,000 words HERE</b></a>.
You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. It’s a
saga of love and romance and war. Believe me, I walked every road,
fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop
skirt to “get it right.”<br />
<br />
This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!<br />
Thanks for stopping by.<br />
<br />~JinaJina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-5027143971686147152015-05-08T01:00:00.000-04:002015-05-08T01:00:05.755-04:00RT Booklover's Conference next week with the yummy Billy Freda!<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
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<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d24e9b60dbdc14&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ-099qhd8fGADbXzRUjbxxd3d5loAOZ5BxMvN3pK148j1JCiQzlsIA2YfdrqO5NLUuG6t7kw6RdS1fzWsoKzoCqTAeTxzrjsaUubu1MY9_CzfdDxGxLifT5ORg&ats=1430843406822&rm=14d24e9b60dbdc14&zw&sz=w1573-h634" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" border="0" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d24e9b60dbdc14&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ-099qhd8fGADbXzRUjbxxd3d5loAOZ5BxMvN3pK148j1JCiQzlsIA2YfdrqO5NLUuG6t7kw6RdS1fzWsoKzoCqTAeTxzrjsaUubu1MY9_CzfdDxGxLifT5ORg&ats=1430843406822&rm=14d24e9b60dbdc14&zw&sz=w1573-h634" /></a><br />
<img alt="Home" height="50" src="https://www.rtconvention.com/sites/all/themes/rtconvention/logo.png" width="400" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27.6000003814697px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27.6000003814697px;">The Romantic Times Booklovers Convention is next week in Dallas. I'm excited to announce that my good friend (and incredibly yummy male specimen) Billy Freda will be participating in my "Developing Brand You" Marketing workshop on Thursday at 4:00. The wonderful erotic author Sparrow Beckett will also be joining us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27.6000003814697px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27.6000003814697px;">As you may know from his 200+ book covers, Billy is a legend in the romance world. He's also a professional actor and red carpet host who'll be interviewing members of the audience. Sparrow and I will then critique the interview so authors can learn how to better market themselves. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27.6000003814697px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27.6000003814697px;">The other workshop is I'm presenting is "Pitch Perfect" with some serious star power. (Not me! LOL). YA author Brenda Drake, Agent Louise Fury and Entangled Publishing CEO Liz Pelletier. That's on Friday at 11:15. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27.6000003814697px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27.6000003814697px;">If you're at RT, please look me up. Would love to see you and just because Billy is so delicious (and smart and nice and witty) here's another pic. And little known fact, his dad looks exactly like Kasey Kasem! Totally freaked me out when I met him!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
<img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" height="425" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=a256534613&view=fimg&th=14d24e9a6f0c26d3&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_j2VOgAPUgeM9knAFjUrPew91KM8ZkpVAKSNEHqChlbhrJuayoxom55GC5nP73tQ1kSD1XKCuJbJitp6bSDkSOx98sTLDw3Luu-nkXYRBuOOpG3o25vA1CmdQ&ats=1430843406843&rm=14d24e9a6f0c26d3&zw&sz=w1573-h634" width="640" /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Southern Smiles,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Casey Crow</span></div>
</div>
Casey Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13451031102195554078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-48414980085810907272015-05-06T00:05:00.000-04:002015-05-06T00:05:00.480-04:00My Kindle Scout book "Love Me Forever" was selected for publication...thank you!We’ve been on a journey, you and me.<br />
<br />
A trip through time for the past thirty days as I shared with you snippets and excerpts from my book of the heart, <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>.
A Civil War time travel that takes place from 1862-1863.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1DdtnmX" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Capture_last" class=" size-full wp-image-1578 alignleft" height="641" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/capture_last.png?w=604" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Kindle Scout book was on the Hot list throughout the month...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and the last day of my campaign!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It’s a big,
family saga with two feisty heroines and the military men they love.<br />
<br />
My KS campaign was a crazy roller coaster ride.<br />
<br />
I promoted my campaign by posting a
blog every day with a new graphic I designed, tweeted, etc. until I was
bleary-eyed. I hope you’ve enjoyed the graphics–I enjoyed putting them
together, finding the joy and the angst in writing about a war that so
divided our nation, but made it stronger.<br />
<br />
Like families.<br />
<br />
Yes, we argue, we fret, we make up, but nothing is stronger than family.<br />
<br />
Family is the theme of <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>.
Two very different women, time-traveler Liberty Jordan and Tennessee belle Pauletta Sue Buckingham,
with different ideas and different backgrounds are thrown together in a mad, crazy scheme of
spying, lost love, and passionate desire for what they can’t have.<br />
<br />
The men they love.<br />
<br />
Do they get their men?<br />
<br />
Well, it <i>is</i> a romance, but it’s also a wild dramatic journey
based on actual events in the Civil War. Liberty and Pauletta Sue will
make you cheer, then cry, then hold your breath when it looks like all
is lost…<br />
<br />
Thank you to everyone who nominated <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a>!!! You'll receive a free advance copy.<br />
<br />
Jina<br />
<br />
========= <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH4viwX2hAmQvaU21-dIOe1xhvbF9A82DG29UMiDFKhm8Qg48_XYF66OCnSblVHcqcjjXBWrmYK_LsTS7CGbA6OQNMgB6ogqUZg_bUfvaHo50BDSgEFjUR8_JQn5Ryi9JKY9GXCpBJgPs/s1600/Liberty_Major_street_TT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH4viwX2hAmQvaU21-dIOe1xhvbF9A82DG29UMiDFKhm8Qg48_XYF66OCnSblVHcqcjjXBWrmYK_LsTS7CGbA6OQNMgB6ogqUZg_bUfvaHo50BDSgEFjUR8_JQn5Ryi9JKY9GXCpBJgPs/s1600/Liberty_Major_street_TT.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a><br />
<br />
She wore gray.<br />
He wore blue.<br />
But their love defied the boundaries of war.<br />
And time.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is on Kindle Scout — you can read the first 5,000 words HERE</b></a>.
You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. It’s a
saga of love and romance and war. Believe me, I walked every road,
fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop
skirt to “get it right.”<br />
<br />
This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!<br />
<br />Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-9764439135951277092015-04-24T01:00:00.000-04:002015-04-23T12:24:45.988-04:00My RT Convention Workshops<img alt="Home" height="50" src="https://www.rtconvention.com/sites/all/themes/rtconvention/logo.png" width="400" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Hey y'all,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">I know this is a repeat post but can't have you forgetting about the RT conference!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The Romantic Times Booklovers convention is nearly a month away! Who's going to Dallas with me? It's always a blast catching up with old friends, meeting tons of new writers and readers, and my fav....scoping out the hot cover models. ***happy sigh****</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">This year I'm honored to be presenting two workshops. This first is "Brand New You". It's a marketing workshop with my Seymour agency sibs Jennifer Fusco and Sparrow Beckett. Jen wrote MARKET OR DIE and has an article in the March issue of Romance Writer's Report. Here's the link in case you missed it. </span><br />
<a href="http://www.omagdigital.com/publication/?i=246056"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27.6000003814697px;">http://www.omagdigital.com/publication/?i=246056</span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27.6000003814697px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The other workshop is "Pitch Perfect" with some serious star power. (Not me! LOL). YA author Brenda Drake, Agent Louise Fury and Entangled Publishing CEO Liz Pelletier. Geez, I'm nervous just thinking about sitting at that table! I'll be discussing loglines. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27.6000003814697px;">How do you come up with a good, exciting logline? Got one you'd like to share?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 27.6000003814697px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The most important thing I can say about pitching is show enthusiasm! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Editor Chris Keeslar says the purpose of the pitch is not to
the e/a to ask for it. They are most likely going to do that anyway if you
made the effort to attend a conference and it’s remotely marketable. The
purpose is to get them excited about reading the book so it doesn’t sit on
their desk. You want it to be the first story they get to."</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also want to invite all the RT attendees to the Annual Shooting Stars Gala hosted by The Seymour Agency who represents me and another fellow NAC chick Ashlynn Chase. Hope to see you there!</span> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Southern Smiles,</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Casey Crow</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><br /></span></span></div>
Casey Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13451031102195554078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-14892054540049739782015-04-22T00:05:00.000-04:002015-04-22T00:05:00.094-04:00Love Me Forever on Kindle Scout: "God, she was all woman."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvFcjPhEJ1wLg5IUb1R1zkGEA1Q92POdP4dhn0CyTMsC4kmPo6RMwZd8G9WU00UhkKlH-ePB5rv3WEGPjwjs3mZRk6vB3YRMyGd1JkLh6WLPuO3RCVRRcX019I9HP26K-idxmGWH1aMKf/s1600/fever_couple_scarlet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvFcjPhEJ1wLg5IUb1R1zkGEA1Q92POdP4dhn0CyTMsC4kmPo6RMwZd8G9WU00UhkKlH-ePB5rv3WEGPjwjs3mZRk6vB3YRMyGd1JkLh6WLPuO3RCVRRcX019I9HP26K-idxmGWH1aMKf/s1600/fever_couple_scarlet.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Mmm</i>...I don't know about you, but my temp rises whenever I'm around a hot guy like this...he's the Union Army major in my Civil War time travel, <a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a><br />
<br />
My heroine, Liberty, disguised as a Confederate officer, has traveled back to 1862 and saved the life of a wounded soldier with the bandage in her rented re-enactor uniform.<br />
<br />
Confusing the heck out of our hero.<br />
<br />
Her medical knowledge intrigues him, but it doesn't take him long to guess there's a gorgeous woman under that uniform...and that's when things really get interesting when Liberty asks him about checking a patient's fever with a thermometer and he tells her his unit doesn’t have one. That the Union Army Medical Corps claimed to have a few of the clinical instruments, but no one bothers to use them. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">He tried to forget she was a woman, focusing instead on her medical knowledge that challenged him to question the standard procedures. Ideas that matched his own theory of sanitation. Like keeping the latrines separate from the eating area and washing his instruments in hot water both before and after using them.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“Where are your thermometers?” she asked, checking the items lined up on a bench. Bedpans, folded bandages, a small bowl for washing.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“This unit doesn’t have one, Lieutenant,” Flynt said, clearing his throat. He explained that the Union Army Medical Corps claimed to have a few of the clinical instruments, but no one bothered to use them.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“Then how do you measure fever?” she wanted to know.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“By touching the patient,” he said.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“Oh?”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“Yes. Since chills often accompany fever, nothing more is needed.” He laid his hand on her arm and fought to keep his wits about him. She flinched.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“So tell me, Major,” she said, tantalizing him with her voice, “what is your diagnosis?”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“I’d say the patient is quite feverish,” he said, holding her tight. God, she was all woman.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“We have a saying where I come from,” she mumbled, pulling away from him.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“Yes?”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“Physician, heal thyself.”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“And where do you come from?” Flynt asked, curious.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">“A long way from here,” she said slowly.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">An honest answer, he gathered. Was it an attempt to keep him from pursuing the fact she was a woman?</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Or her deep commitment to her profession?</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">One part of his mind was telling him to take her in his arms and hold her close to him, while the other, a more practical part, did what his medical training told him to do.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MSCourier" style="line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 23.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">He put her to work.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER</b></a><br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
She wore gray.<br />
<br />
He wore blue.<br />
<br />
But their love defied the boundaries of war.<br />
<br />
And time.<br />
<br />
<a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK"><img alt="Love_Me_Forever_500x798" class="alignleft wp-image-1210" data-mce-src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/love_me_forever_500x798.jpg?w=291&h=459" height="239" src="https://jinabacarr.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/love_me_forever_500x798.jpg?w=291&h=459" width="150" /></a><br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
<a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is on Kindle Scout — you can read the first 5,000 words HERE</b></a>. You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. If you nominate my story and it’s published by Kindle Scout, then you’ll receive a <b>free copy</b>!<br />
<br />
It’s a saga of love and romance and war. Believe me, I walked every road, fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop skirt to “get it right.”<br />
<br />
This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!<br />
<br />
I’ll be back tomorrow with more about <b><a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank">LOVE ME FOREVER </a></b>and the Civil War…<br />
<br />
If anyone feels like sharing a vote…I’ll be forever grateful! <a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b> </b></a><b></b><br />
<br />
Thank you for your support...<br />
<br />
~Jina<br />
<br />Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-66947757524171131432015-04-08T00:05:00.000-04:002015-10-07T02:01:50.879-04:00Civil War Time Travel: What if you met up with your twin...who lived 150 years ago? <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYQrzsapkhPnth2EZ7D8HyvzlYrFesQxa1_vW9WsKWY5O4U-6N79RKQaGSlq5qjhiyaK6ksYQ98LphPuxD_79D2lsoQNSrjIB8sLAdugDy8_w4qrUDLIiVFirejUCAWPTQxZuU9NUjYTX/s1600/sisters_flag_roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYQrzsapkhPnth2EZ7D8HyvzlYrFesQxa1_vW9WsKWY5O4U-6N79RKQaGSlq5qjhiyaK6ksYQ98LphPuxD_79D2lsoQNSrjIB8sLAdugDy8_w4qrUDLIiVFirejUCAWPTQxZuU9NUjYTX/s1600/sisters_flag_roses.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love Me Forever is on Kindle Scout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Civil War ended this week 150 years ago...<br />
<br />
We hear so much about how the Civil War was a conflict about brother against brother.<br />
<br />
What about the women of the North and South?<br />
<br />
Sister against sister?<br />
<br />
In <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank">"LOVE ME FOREVER," my story on Kindle Scout, </a>two women with very different beliefs learn to accept each other for who they are.<br />
<br />
They’re not only separated by what they believe in, but by more than 150 years when my heroine travels back to 1862.<br />
<br />
Here is an excerpt when my heroine, Liberty Jordan, a re-enactor from today disguised as a Confederate officer, meets up with Pauletta Sue Buckingham when Liberty escapes from the clutches of a dastardly sergeant in a Union prison camp. Pauletta Sue sees her dashing across the field and races after her in her buggy and carriage:<br />
<blockquote>
“Climb aboard, Lieutenant, it you want to live to fight another day,” the dark-haired woman called out, holding her horse steady with her gloved hands in black net.<br />
<br />
“You don’t have to ask me twice, ma’am,” Liberty said, pulling up her collar. Thank God they stopped shooting at her. That didn’t mean she was free.<br />
<br />
Not yet.<br />
<br />
“Whoa, Savannah Lady, whoa,” the woman murmured to the skittish animal pulling her carriage. She fidgeted with the veil covering her face, straightening her back as if she were struggling with an inner turmoil. Liberty was amazed at her small waist and tight bodice that pulled across her full breasts with a rigid, stiff crackle as she moved. Her full skirts flowed around her like she was a mermaid in an ocean of blue, swimming in their sumptuous depths.<br />
<br />
And that hat.<br />
<br />
A straw riding bonnet with curved pheasant feathers swaying delicately in the breeze.<br />
<br />
“I reckon your horse got spooked from all the noise,” Liberty said in a deep voice, keeping up her soldier act.<br />
<br />
“Nonsense,” the woman smirked. “It’s not the first time Savannah Lady and I have outrun the Yankees with bullets flying over our heads.”<br />
<br />
God knows what she meant by that.<br />
<br />
Liberty looked around, trying to get her bearings. She felt invigorated by the idea of freedom so close she could smell it. Sweet and welcoming, like the fresh scent of her rescuer’s perfume heavy in the air. She smiled. The late afternoon sky blazed a dazzling deep pink overhead, but it would soon dissipate into a dark blue velvet.<br />
<br />
Hiding her from the soldiers.<br />
<br />
Oh, God, if only she could get away. She’d survive somehow. But even if this woman helped her, where would she go? She had no map, no idea where the road would lead her.<br />
<br />
“The whole Union Army’s on my tail, ma’am,” Liberty said, pulling her hat down low to shield her face. “I’d be dead if you hadn’t raced over the hill when you did.”<br />
<br />
“You must be brave, sir. The cause needs you,” the woman whispered with urgency, startling Liberty.<br />
<br />
So that’s why she helped her. She was a Confederate sympathizer. Here? In a Union camp?<br />
<br />
Would they both be shot?<br />
<br />
“Hurry, get in,” she ordered. “The bluecoats are coming.”<br />
<br />
Holding onto the side of the carriage, Liberty lifted herself up when suddenly she felt her feet give way from underneath her. Damn, she hadn’t counted on the slippery step glistening with dew. It caught her unaware and threw her off balance. She lost her footing on the soggy, wet earth, staggered, then with a loud plop, landed on the ground, the wind knocked out of her.<br />
<br />
Her officer’s wide brim hat flying off her head.<br />
<br />
Liberty heard the woman gasp when her long reddish-blond hair tumbled down her back like a cascade of corn silk popping up out of its stalk.<br />
<br />
“You’re a woman,” the Southerner cried out, her hand going to her mouth.<br />
<br />
“Haven’t you ever seen a girl in pants before?” Liberty said, a weak smile curling over her lips. She was surprised the woman didn’t faint.<br />
<br />
“Dear Lord, the soldiers mustn’t find out you’re a female,” she said, taking charge. “No telling what they’d do, seeing they have the manners of a country hog.” Holding up her skirts, she climbed out of the carriage to retrieve Liberty’s brim hat.<br />
<br />
“Then you won’t give me away?” Liberty asked, surprised. The Southern belle was no pushover.<br />
<br />
“You fool girl. I admire what you’re doing, but the Yankees will never understand what we women will do for the cause. Even if we suffer from a broken heart, we’ll never give up,” she said with an emotion so deep it surprised Liberty. She handed her hat back to her. “Run! I’ll hold them off. You can take shelter in the old mill down the road till morning. There’s a secret hiding place behind the pantry.”<br />
<br />
How did she know that?<br />
<br />
Liberty had no time to ponder the belle and her cause. Instead, she pulled the soggy hat back onto her head and muttered her thanks. She lifted her chin, the sun hitting her cheeks with its fading rays and revealing her face. Before she could pull down the brim of her hat, the woman grabbed her hand.<br />
<br />
“Wait,” the dark-haired beauty muttered with surprise. Or was it shock? “Who are you, Missy?”'<br />
<br />
“Nobody, ma’am—” Liberty began, her breath catching in her chest when she saw blue-uniformed soldiers on horseback racing toward them, kicking up dust. She had to get out of here, now.<br />
<br />
“I demand to know who you are, where you’re from.” The Confederate woman pulled the veil off her face framed by dark hair. “And why you look like me.”<br />
<br /></blockquote>
Yes, that's Pauletta Sue on the left and Liberty on the right in the graphic at the top of the page. The two women are twins except for their hair color. Not only are they on opposite sides, but they both vie for the same man...course, I can't tell what happens...but sparks fly and it isn't just on the battlefield...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is on Kindle Scout — you can read the first 5,000 words HERE</b></a>. You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. If you nominate
my story and it’s published by Kindle Scout, then you’ll receive a <b>free copy</b>! It’s a saga of love and romance and war. Believe me, I walked every road, fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop skirt to “get it right.”<br />
<br />
This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzuZ9t4iSza-CecuVPp_rqqjEjaUJKmMQP7mx36inJf8WLbhhaqFmmEH001zwNbI_ARJrM6qIUzEjv8HYAv9a1LZJNwG5oHQ3PatKLazzqFF8XJVieFJaLyDU-cYP_DeIXcGMy5lnFCLx/s1600/Love_Me_Forever_500x798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzuZ9t4iSza-CecuVPp_rqqjEjaUJKmMQP7mx36inJf8WLbhhaqFmmEH001zwNbI_ARJrM6qIUzEjv8HYAv9a1LZJNwG5oHQ3PatKLazzqFF8XJVieFJaLyDU-cYP_DeIXcGMy5lnFCLx/s1600/Love_Me_Forever_500x798.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
<br />
Thank you for stopping by…………..<br />
<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b></b></a><br />
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<a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>If anyone feels like sharing a vote…I’ll be forever grateful! </b><b></b></a><b><a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank">LOVE ME FOREVER</a></b><br />
<br /></div>
~Jina <br />
<br />
<br />
PS -- As I post tonight <a href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER is Hot & Trending!</b></a><br />
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Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-31647018391606699432015-03-27T01:00:00.000-04:002015-03-27T01:00:05.213-04:00Character Interview and Yummy Cheese Grits Recipe to Celebrate DWAM Anniversary<div align="center" data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.caseycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DWAM-med.jpg" href="http://www.caseycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DWAM-med.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1561" data-mce-src="http://www.caseycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DWAM-med.jpg" src="http://www.caseycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DWAM-med.jpg" height="300" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DWAM med" width="200" /></a></div>
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March is the anniversary of<a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/dance-with-a-millionaire"> DANCE WITH A MILLIONAIRE</a>. To celebrate, here's a character interview and a yummy grits recipe because what's more Southern than a girl from the deep South who can cook cheese grits?<br />
<em><br /></em>
<em>Southern belle Campbell Layne is the rising star of the Manhattan Ballet Theatre, providing she lands an upcoming principal role. The stage heats up, however, when Rod Carrington steps in and teaches her more than she ever expected!</em></div>
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<em>Determined as she is to stay focused on the audition that will push her into stardom, dazzling attorney Rod Carrington still proves to be a major distraction especially when he ends up teaching the college class she’s taking in her spare time. Campbell humiliates herself on their first date, but that doesn’t stop Rod from whisking her off to Italy and turning her into quite the vixen. Too bad he also had to use his powerful influence to secure the lead for her. Now she’ll never know if her talent was real or “bought” by the man she thought was the love of her life.</em></div>
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<span style="color: red;">Hi Campbell, can you tell our readers a little about DANCE WITH A MILLIONAIRE?</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Sure, but first let me say how glad I am to be here! DWAM is about this Southern belle and rising star of the Manhattan Ballet Theatre, providing she lands the upcoming principal role. Um, yeah, that’s me. I’m totally stressing about an audition that could change my life. All I want to do is stay focused on my career, and I’ll be dog-gone, that’s when Rod Carrington steps into the picture. OMG. The man is freakin’ gorgeous and a total ego-maniac. He simply will not go away, though, as proven when he volunteers to substitute this law school class I’m taking in my spare time. (I’m on the nerdy side, and this is how I like to spend my time – don’t judge). Anyway, against my better judgment, we go to dinner. Basically, I drink too much, embarrass the fool out of myself, and assume that’s the end of it. Oh no. Rod then whisks me off to his Italian villa and helps me become quite the vixen. (No complaining here.) I’m completely smitten until I find out he used his powerful influence to secure the lead role for me. Now I’ll never know if my talent was real or “bought” by the man I thought was the love of her life.</div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;"> How did you get into ballet?</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
The story my folks tell is that when I was about two, we were all at my uncle’s horse pasture. (I’m from this tiny town in rural South Alabama.) When Mama wasn’t looking, I climbed up onto the fence and was standing on one of the rails. She knew then that with all that balance I’d either be a ballet dancer or a tight-rope walker. The next week, she enrolled me in dance class.</div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;"> What’s your favorite part of dance?</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Definitely, my most favorite part is getting lost in the music. It transports me into a world all my own, like I’m in this bubble where I feel nothing but the rhythm of the orchestra. Tchaikovsky is my favorite composer and takes me to that sphere like no other. Yes, there are others, composers who reveled in the uniqueness of their music or intricacies of the composition, but no one does it for me like the great Russian magician. His sound is immediately recognizable, too. The peppy theme of The Nutcracker would put the grumpiest of Scrooges in the Christmas spirit. Sleeping Beauty’s “Waltz of the Flowers” causes me to sway in serenity while Swan Lake’s “Dying Swan” exhausts me with grief.</div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;">Tell us about your trip to Italy.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
Rod, bless his heart, whisks me off on his private jet to the resort town of Bellagio, Italy, on Lake Como. The Swiss Alp Mountains, the lake, all the yellow and cream stucco buildings with orange terracotta tile roofs, and the cobblestone paths were incredible to see. Rod’s home turns out to be a mansion he’s renovating. I love it because it is warm and welcoming and “him.” Bellagio is known for upscale boutiques, antiques, and art galleries. As great as the shopping was, I have to admit, the best part was seeing how the relaxation Italy offered created this new side of Rod I’d yet to see.</div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;">Rod wine and dines at some pretty fantasy restaurants then you turn the tables and cook him a home-cooked meal. Tell us about that. </span></div>
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Our first date is at Jean Georges in New York City. I have sea bass and Rod has beef Wellington. Delish! When we are Italy, I think I gain ten pounds from the manicotti, tiramisu, and gelato. Mama taught me how to cook so I finally show off my culinary skills with fried chicken, cornbread, collard greens, grits, mash potatoes, and a carrot casserole. Plus, I bake an apple pie. Rod, I’m proud to say, loved it. In fact, here is my jalapeno grits recipe (as if the book isn’t hot enough):</div>
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<u><b>Jalapeno Cheese Grits</b></u></h3>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
2 cups quick-cooking grits</div>
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2 1/2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar</div>
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1 stick unsalted butter</div>
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1 tablespoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)</div>
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3 large eggs, well beaten</div>
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2 jalapenos, finely diced</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
1/4 cup canned chopped green chiles</div>
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Garlic salt</div>
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Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.</div>
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Cook the grits according to the directions on the back of the package. Remove from the heat and add next 6 ingredients (Cheddar through chilies). Stir well and season with garlic salt, to taste. Pour into a buttered 9-inch baking dish and bake for 1 hour. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Southern Smiles, </div>
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Casey Crow</div>
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DWAM <a data-mce-href="http://www.bookstrand.com/dance-with-a-millionaire" href="http://www.bookstrand.com/dance-with-a-millionaire">BUY NOW</a></div>
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Casey Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13451031102195554078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-77572954709259818292015-03-25T00:02:00.000-04:002015-03-30T01:32:56.403-04:00Civil War Re-enactors -- wanna be a soldier or a lady?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygAeg-sB_G2KLPzuoA_uXN-Nf5XVLPt-1ulSif1z1hB4HJUwvqmKN7K3n-8Du4to1KVCn1-YS6iEp8lI4V2KIn3i935pbYZOrqBz27R_cLm6kpboby-l-uuvFoWvPTaqSsD2uMP2444d9/s1600/CW_reenactors_women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygAeg-sB_G2KLPzuoA_uXN-Nf5XVLPt-1ulSif1z1hB4HJUwvqmKN7K3n-8Du4to1KVCn1-YS6iEp8lI4V2KIn3i935pbYZOrqBz27R_cLm6kpboby-l-uuvFoWvPTaqSsD2uMP2444d9/s1600/CW_reenactors_women.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Photo Credit:<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-two-ladies-civil-war-reenactors-smith-mounain-lake-va-sept-%E2%80%9Cfranklin-county-days%E2%80%9D-sept-smith-mountain-image33778088">
</a>
<a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-two-ladies-civil-war-reenactors-smith-mounain-lake-va-sept-%E2%80%9Cfranklin-county-days%E2%80%9D-sept-smith-mountain-image33778088"><b>Two Ladies Civil War Reenactors</b></a><br />
<b> © <a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/larrymetayer_info">Larry Metayer</a> | <a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/">Dreamstime.com</a></b><br />
<br />
<br />
Imagine it's 1862 and your husband is off to fight and you want to be near him...or your ma is alone with a family to feed...no job available to you...men worked as schoolteachers and nurses had to be over thirty and plain.<br />
<br />
But you're pretty good with a rifle, in fact, you're <i>damned</i> good. <br />
<br />
So why not be a soldier?<br />
<br />
More than 400 women (estimates range as high as 750) answered the call to arms during the War Between the States. They fought and died as soldiers...<br />
<br />
I always wanted to explore what it was like for these women...but through the eyes of a modern day woman who travels back in time to the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862 dressed as a Confederate officer. (I'm doing a final read-through on my manuscript as I write...)<br />
<br />
In the photo above, you see two modern day female re-enactors -- one dressed as a soldier and one dressed in petticoats.<br />
<br />
If you were going back in time to the Civil War, which would you rather be?<br />
<br />
A soldier?<br />
<br />
Or a lady?<br />
<br />
~Jina<br />
<br />
Phot<span style="font-size: small;">o Description:</span><br />
<h2 itemprop="description" style="height: 36px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">SMITH
MOUNTAIN LAKE, VA - SEPT 7: two ladies Civil War re-enactors at the
“Franklin County Civil War Days” on Sept 7, 2013 in Smith Mountain Lake,
Virginia.<br />Photo taken on: September 07th, 2013 </span></span></h2>
<br />
<b>UPDATED: </b><br />
<br />
I’m very excited to announce that my <a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>Civil War Time Travel "LOVE ME FOREVER"</b> </a>is up on <a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>Kindle Scout website</b></a> for a month long campaign beginning <b>Sunday, March 29, 2015</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEYn_893vORRdJptOy9ViPTUC6fpPwUU9ncBWLS1V-dCrQwKzbk5E1gb4xRKB_ortXcCpjB-YbHBJOZL4yCn_zn8xWJLvaD2gxZqbQb6coC9Ah51cj69y37Xnr1wJbSkg2ob6aE4Lfsgr/s1600/Love_Me_Forever_500x798.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEYn_893vORRdJptOy9ViPTUC6fpPwUU9ncBWLS1V-dCrQwKzbk5E1gb4xRKB_ortXcCpjB-YbHBJOZL4yCn_zn8xWJLvaD2gxZqbQb6coC9Ah51cj69y37Xnr1wJbSkg2ob6aE4Lfsgr/s1600/Love_Me_Forever_500x798.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
For more info on the <a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/about" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/about" target="_blank"><b>Kindle Scout Program CLICK HERE.</b></a> This is where you, the reader, can choose which books are published. A super idea and fun for both readers and writers.<br />
<br />
<a data-mce-href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" href="https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1EBUHZH3PWQRK" target="_blank"><b>LOVE ME FOREVER on Kindle Scout -- you can read the first 5,000 words HERE</b></a>.
You'll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. If you
nominate my story and it's published by Kindle Scout, then you'll
receive a free copy! It's a saga of love and romance and war of more
than 500 pages. Believe me, I walked every road, fought every battle
with my characters, even walked around in a hoop skirt to "get it right."
This is a book of the heart...any questions? Please ask!!Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-67900728811547533382015-03-19T03:30:00.000-04:002015-03-19T03:30:04.337-04:00The Accidental Nudist by Guest Blogger Carlene Love Flores<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">“Sometimes in life, we go hiking, and end up at a secluded nude beach. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. Also, don’t wear flip flops when you’re accidentally hiking down mountains to nude beaches.” </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">~Carlene Love Flores</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;">Hi everyone. Quick show of hands (tell me in the comments pretty please if you feel inclined to share), who out there has been to a nude beach? Okay, now who hasn’t, but would give in to the curiosity and visit one? And who feels this just isn’t their cup of tea and prefers not to get all that sand in their lady parts?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0in;"> Well, I’ll tell ya, I’m about five months into being forty years old. Around the time of my b-day, a girlfriend of mine turned fifty and had taken a pledge to do something new each week for one year to commemorate the occasion. I admired her so much that I decided I was going to steal the idea but decided I would celebrate by doing a brand new thing once a week for the rest of my life. Somewhat lofty, but I started out on fire!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I did things like ride in a helicopter over the Hoover Dam and go to my first male revue show at the invite of my mom. (She chose Chippendales. It was fun and I blushed and sat with my hands over my mouth the whole time.) I let go of fear for what others would think and wrote my first super erotic heat level romance. I was on a roll for a good two months but then I admittedly petered out on the big, grand stuff and realized the rest of my life could quite possibly go on for a long time. (Fist bump for a long, happy life, right?) So I slowed down in an effort not to run out of things to experience, a little too much though. It was just that as a full-time writer and stay-at-home mom, I didn’t get out a whole lot. I had sexy, grand adventures alright, but from the confines of my imaginative little head. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I moved back to San Diego after twenty years of being gone, one of the first things I thought about was the beach and how lucky I was to live in this place where all I had to do was hop in the car and drive the twenty miles to the ocean. I vowed not to take it for granted. Except for that’s exactly what I did at first.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And then this February, I had an enlightening experience that reminded me, “Hey, blondie. Whaddaya thinkin’? You think you got forever? No one’s got forever, babe. Life is short. Don’t wait.” My subconscious was right, if not slightly in your face and Tony Soprano-esque.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What was I thinking sitting around wasting precious time?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So long story short, I now go to the beach as often as possible. I go there to think, or not think and just be. To walk. To swim at sunset. To watch and be inspired. I haven’t found a more peaceful place. It’s as easy to lose yourself there as it is to find yourself. I do both frequently. Any other ocean lovers out there? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One of the things I love most is how comfortable everyone is in their own skin. I didn’t used to feel that way, but thanks to that February reminder, I do now too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then this past weekend happened. I was standing on a cliff, looking out at the gorgeous, endless view of the ocean when I saw people in their swimsuits hiking down a trail. I wasn’t dressed for the water or hiking. I was dressed for cliff-top gazing. But the trail and the people in their flip flops and a quiet inner chant of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Be Here Now</i>” called me. So off I went.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was steep, and unsteady, and my shoes preferred to slide over the sandy rocks rather than stick like I wanted them to. But I made it! When I finally arrived at the shore, I realized where I was. This was Black’s Beach, San Diego’s secluded nude beach I’d heard of my whole life but never visited. I was prepared to be incredibly uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was not and I know that’s because of February.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a curious look around, admired the cute couples of all ages walking hand in hand and the adorableness of their bare cheeks from behind, and decided I’d like to go back some day. Although I have to find a better way to get there! For now, that route exists in the sexy story I’m currently working on called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Let Me See</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(These Three Words, 2)</i> about a practical jokester and dancer who discovers the hard way why his lady is so hesitant to let him see her naked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Next on my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Be Here Now”</i> list is to swim in the ocean at night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What’s on yours? I’d love to hear it! Thanks for having me here today!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Always love,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carlene Love</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Wicked Flower (A Sin Pointe Novel, Vol 5)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">by Carlene Love Flores</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Flower-Sin-Pointe-Novel/dp/1772332100/" target="_blank">Buy Link</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LHbq4RiGLas/VQoct_DM3iI/AAAAAAAACUk/1-MWWcydkFo/s1600/11063043_10205260671070100_1603567171_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LHbq4RiGLas/VQoct_DM3iI/AAAAAAAACUk/1-MWWcydkFo/s1600/11063043_10205260671070100_1603567171_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Sin Pointe front man Stefan Calderon is playing a very dangerous game and his mom’s live-in caretaker, Dani Foster, just landed right smack in the middle of it. Practically strangers when Stefan rolls into his small hometown looking to patch things up with Mom, his and Dani’s worlds collide with a hot and intense hook up. He knows right away this woman will make the perfect partner for his two weeks in town. But when she realizes whose son he is, and what he’s there to do, sexy times come to an abrupt halt. That is until they come up with a solution. Rules. Every game needs them. The question isn’t if they’ll break them, but when and how hard. It’s a wickedly delicious game, one neither of them intends to lose.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN"><b>Carlene Love Flores</b> is a big fan of the stars (especially Orion), clever music (especially Depeche Mode), and the ocean (especially at sunset). These things inspire her intimate style of romance writing. She feels honored to be a member of </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #4f998d;">Washington DC Romance Writers (WRWDC)</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #4f998d;">, </span><a href="http://rwasd.com/index.html"><span lang="EN">RWA San Diego (RWASD)</span></a><span lang="EN">, and the </span><a href="http://waterworldmermaids.com/"><span lang="EN">Waterworld Mermaids</span></a><span lang="EN">. Carlene currently lives in the San Diego area where she can often be found listening to live music and looking up at the sky on clear nights. If she could touch someone’s heart with her writing the way others have done for her, she’d say truly there never lived a luckier girl. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carlene would love to hear from you, find her here:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://carlenelove.com/"><b><span lang="EN">Website</span></b></a><b><span lang="EN"> / </span></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/carlene.l.flores"><b><span lang="EN">Facebook</span></b></a><b><span lang="EN"> / </span></b><a href="https://twitter.com/cloveflores"><b><span lang="EN">Twitter</span></b></a><b><span lang="EN"> / </span></b><a href="http://www.evernightpublishing.com/carlene-love-flores/"><b><span lang="EN">Evernight</span></b></a><b><span lang="EN"> <u><span style="color: #0563c1;">/</span></u> </span></b><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/clove16/"><b><span lang="EN">Pinterest</span></b></a><b><span lang="EN"> / </span></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarleneLoveFlores"><b><span lang="EN">Facebook Author Page</span></b></a></span></div>
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Dalton Diazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05176463811948745241noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-1938998961862699782015-03-13T01:00:00.000-04:002015-03-13T01:00:08.325-04:00Dance with a Millionaire Anniversary <a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/dance-with-a-millionaire">DANCE WITH A MILLIONAIRE</a> is celebrating its anniversary! Here's an excerpt!<br />
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Southern belle Campbell Layne is the rising star of the Manhattan Ballet Theatre, providing she lands an upcoming principal role. The stage heats up, however, when Rod Carrington steps in and teaches her more than she ever expected!</div>
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Determined as she is to stay focused on the audition that will push her into stardom, dazzling attorney Rod Carrington still proves to be a major distraction especially when he ends up teaching the college class she’s taking in her spare time. Campbell humiliates herself on their first date, but that doesn’t stop Rod from whisking her off to Italy and turning her into quite the vixen. Too bad he also had to use his powerful influence to secure the lead for her. Now she’ll never know if her talent was real or “bought” by the man she thought was the love of her life.</div>
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<em>“It leaps right off the pages and into your heart. I will remember and reread. I look forward to Ms. Crow’s storytelling in the future. I just love the sassy, Southern girl meets cool rich guy. This book is well worth the read.” My Erotic Reviews </em><br />
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Now for a mainstream excerpt:<br />
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“Thank you for attending the performance and for your generous donation to MBT.” His dark eyebrows shot up a notch, highlighting a definite mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Why did they have to be the exact shade of turquoise as the Caribbean Ocean at sunset? Stunning.<br />
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“That’s well-rehearsed, Miss Layne. Tell me, though, do you turn on the Southern belle charm for all your fans or only the male ones?”<br />
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Her mouth fell open, but thank goodness she had the presence of mind to snap it shut. “How dare you? First of all, I’m from Alabama which makes the accent genuine, and secondly, that’s…that’s the rudest, most ungentlemanly thing to say.”<br />
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“I never said I was a gentleman and readily admit to be undeserving of your sweet façade. I’d much prefer the real you.”<br />
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She propped her hands on her hips. “And precisely what, may I ask, do you assume to be the real me, seeing as our acquaintance has a life span of what? Thirty seconds?”<br />
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Rod glanced at an expensive-looking gold watch. “Forty-five.” He stepped closer.<br />
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She did not see that coming and stumbled back only to become trapped between the wall and his body. The hard, cold stone competed against his warm, harder presence. Damn it, the latter won out. <br />
She ground her traitorous fingertips into her palms in an effort to prevent them from brushing away the stray curl that fell across his forehead.<br />
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The hem of his jacket brushed her hip as he moved in to splay his hand over her waist. The pressure built as he gathered her an inch closer. She caught a faint whiff of his cologne. The clean, fresh scent permeated the air and reminded her of the Southern pines back home, but this was not the time to reminisce.<br />
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“In fact, I’d like to get to know every inch of you.” Another sharp tug had her chest pressed against his rock solid form.<br />
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Her blood boiled in a delicious rhythm. Obviously, the vibrator thing was getting old if this jerk was turning her on. She made a mental note to ask her best friend, Heidi, to set her up on a date. Any man would do—as long as it was not Rod.<br />
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She flexed her fingers and pushed against his shoulders. “Let go of me, you arrogant pig.” A lion, cougar, leopard—anything powerful—seemed a more apt description though.<br />
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Rod chuckled and loosened his hold. A fraction. Enough to insert his finger between them. It followed the line of fabric at her shoulder slowly, very slowly, across her chest. As he glided over her cleavage, he said, “But, my dear, you’re mistaken. It’s confidence I possess.”<br />
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“More like cockiness.” Even as she said it, Bella couldn’t take her gaze off his finger or steer her attention from the intense hunger sweeping through her. She instinctively arched her back, lifting her breasts to silently beg for more.<br />
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“Either way, but I always get what I want, and in case you need me to spell it out”—he slid his finger up her throat to tilt her chin, forcing her to look at him—“I. Want. You.”<br />
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So obviously Rod jumps right on in there with Campbell. Is that how you like your man, or do you the slow and steady kind? I’d love to hear your stories.<br />
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<strong>DANCE WITH A MILLIONAIRE <a href="http://www.bookstrand.com/dance-with-a-millionaire">BUY NOW</a> from Amazon or </strong><strong>from <a href="http://www.sirenpublishing.com/">Siren Publishing</a></strong><br />
<strong><strong>DANCE WITH A MILLIONAIRE</strong><strong> <a href="http://www.caseycrow.com/works/">EXCERPTS</a></strong></strong><br />
<strong>Visit Casey at <a href="http://www.caseycrow.com/">http://www.caseycrow.com</a> </strong><br />
<strong>Follow on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/#!/caseyecrow">caseyecrow</a> and <em><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000835514709">Facebook</a> Casey Crow</em> </strong>Casey Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13451031102195554078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-40301219580835846382015-03-11T00:02:00.000-04:002015-03-11T00:02:00.055-04:00Women in the Civil War: North and South <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My favorite things are anything vintage.<br />
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Stuffed away in my closet I have a blue parasol trimmed with white lace, a pair of old lace-up, pointy boots.<br />
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And a hoop skirt.<br />
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As flighty and unpredictable as any belle from the Civil War.<br />
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But the reality of the role of women during the War Between the States is more than flirty belles twirling a pretty parasol. Women worked as nurses, volunteered as soldiers, risked their lives as spies. They were <i>The Women of the Civil War: North and South</i>.<br />
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This is the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War. I've always loved this era since I first saw Scarlett sitting on the front porch at Tara with the Tarleton Twins and pooh-poohing the idea of war coming. So I've just finished my own Civil War novel--a time travel...more about that coming up. I'll update as things progress.<br />
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One thing the women of the North and South had in common was their love for the men fighting. They became nurses, took wounded into their homes, sewed blankets and uniforms, baked breads and jellies, and fought beside them. They did everything they could to help their cause.<br />
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Can you imagine living in a time when wearing a corset day and night was required? Women found themselves not only hampered by stays, but petticoats and those hoop skirts. I got my hoop skirt from the costume department in a theater where I worked years ago...they were throwing it away!! No, I couldn't have that. I was thrilled to take it off their hands. Since then, I've worn it under a Civil War era gown to commemorative events, book signings, and costume parties.<br />
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When I was writing my CW time travel, I put it on again. Just to get the feel of what it was like.<br />
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<i>Floating...</i>is how I would describe it.<br />
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It's so important to <i>walk the walk, talk the talk </i>of the time. I'm fascinated with the women who fought as soldiers. Imagine trying to keep your identity secret among a bunch of rowdy troops. Not easy. According to reports, many women signed up to get a regular paycheck. How about being a nurse? You had to be over thirty and plain.<br />
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And what about being a spy? Sounds glamorous...but dangerous. Imagine hiding a letter written in cipher in your pantaloons.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by...and as I mentioned, more about my Civil War time travel when I have news!<br />
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Best,<br />
Jina<br />
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http://jinabacarr.com<br />
@JinaBacarrJina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-55077243673069828802015-02-27T01:00:00.000-05:002015-02-27T01:00:07.971-05:00Because Mascara is a necessity of life<div class="MsoNormal">
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Today I'm jumping from author mode to another one of my jobs. That of a pageant coach for over 20 years. It's pageant season with high school pageants, students gearing up for Distinguished Young Woman, Miss America and Miss Teen USA so I'm fairly inundated right now. </div>
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One of the most common questions I get asked is "How do I tape my boobs?" Seriously. But I'll save that topic for another day. Another hot topic is "What's the best mascara?"</div>
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My answer...Loreal Extend in the maroon and white tube. It's the kind
that adds tubes to the end of your lashes after using a white primer. You still have to use a volumnizing
mascara over it because it's not enough on it's on. Sadly, I haven't found a volumnizing mascara I love. I can tell you that Loreal Butterfly Effect in the
silver tube and the Loreal False Fiber lashes in the black and gold tube are
not worth the money. I'm thinking of trying Cover Girl next.
Maybe the one Katy Perry advertises because she's a celebrity, and you know how important it is to believe anything a celebrity says. LOL</div>
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I've used the 3D Fiber that everyone is raving about. Mom loves it. I hate it. Way too much
work and clumpy thick. My lashes look better with the cheap drug store stuff versus spending $30. Dido on
Lancôme. (I can say that because I worked at Lancome for a while.) Plus Loreal owns Lancôme so it's basically the same formula minus the added fragrances.<br />
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Lastly I also use Latisse a couple times a week to maintain my long lashes.Its a miracle
drug. A friends gets lash extensions so she doesn't have to use mascara at all, but my research revealed it is harmful to your real lashes.</div>
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So there you have it. Beauty tip of the day. Do you have a favorite mascara?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Southern Smiles,<br />
Casey Crow</div>
Casey Crowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13451031102195554078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295035878432187803.post-4162137044342103092015-02-25T00:02:00.000-05:002015-02-25T00:02:00.317-05:00I'm a bit early for fairytales but......I couldn't resist posting a graphic I put together for National Tell a Fairytale Day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-YY0cC8C_f3Tyy4c_VaWGb68W4lSaXSREwTy9eQQ-Dgd_u9_UKQfyyItiAKr3tnVE2xu_UhUWZKD0WnVsJH69Hciug7yBfHOItdeXfirZomKbbI2jmqnTWPwSSvG8O8wgQJiy7_VKU-r/s1600/tell_fairytale_day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-YY0cC8C_f3Tyy4c_VaWGb68W4lSaXSREwTy9eQQ-Dgd_u9_UKQfyyItiAKr3tnVE2xu_UhUWZKD0WnVsJH69Hciug7yBfHOItdeXfirZomKbbI2jmqnTWPwSSvG8O8wgQJiy7_VKU-r/s1600/tell_fairytale_day.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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It's actually February 26th, but I won't tell if you don't...<br />
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And to celebrate fairy tales, here is a video I made about The Princess and the Stilettos.<br />
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Okay, it has a Valentine's Day theme -- I'm too early for Fairytale Day and too late for Valentine's...I hope you'll forgive me. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/86387069" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/86387069">The Princess and the Stilettos for Valentine's Day</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user216350">Jina Bacarr</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Enjoy!!<br />
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~Jina Jina Bacarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07858018049423464275noreply@blogger.com0