An Avid Reader's Haven

Paty Jager - Romance Author

2012-02-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome! Deanna Jewel here with Louise James. Thank you for joining us today for our interview with Paty Jager, a romance author from Oregon that I had the opportunity to meet when she did a book signing in Clarkston WA, across the river from where I live. Her books will pull you into the vivid scenes to feel what her characters feel and just a warning - you won't want to put the books down until the last page is read!

We're on location in what is known today as the Geiser Grand, a hotel set in Baker City with old world charm. We've chosen the cozy Palm Court to chat with Paty. If you live in the area, taking a visit to this old hotel is worth the visit to meet the friendly staff and...perhaps a ghost or two! *wink*

Reader’s Haven: Paty, thank you for joining us today! I'm so glad we got to meet last summer when you visited. Tell us a bit about yourself that our readers might not know.

Paty: Deanna, I enjoyed out meeting too! Thanks for having me here at Reader's Haven. My husband and I own 350 acres growing hay and cattle. I enjoy driving the tractor. It gives me time to think about books I’m working on. My husband has learned that when the tractor stops in the middle of the field it doesn’t mean here’s a break down. It means I’m jotting down something that came to me.

Reader’s Haven: Now that's cute! I hope it didn't take him long to learn that meaning from you! What made you want to become a writer?

Paty: I’ve been an avid reader since the age of five. In high school, the teacher read one of my assignments to the class. When there wasn’t a sound when she finished I realized the power of words. But it wasn’t until my children were small and I needed an outlet that I started actually writing.

Reader’s Haven: Please share a bit about your new release (Logger in Petticoats) without giving away any spoilers.

Paty: Logger in Petticoats is the fifth book in the Halsey brother series. This series has been fun to write. Hank is the last of the brothers to find the woman who captures his heart and makes him see life with a partner is better than going it alone.

Blurb:Hank Halsey believes he’s found the perfect logging crew—complete with cooks—until he discovers Kelda Nielson would rather swing an axe than flip eggs. As he sets out to prove women belong in the kitchen, he’s the one in danger of getting burned.Strong and stubborn, Kelda Nielsen grew up falling trees, and resents any man who believes she’s not capable, until Hank. He treats her like a lady and has her questioning what that means.As Kelda and Hank’s attraction builds, she hires a cook so she can sneak out and work in the woods. But will her deceit ruin her chance at love or will hardheaded Hank realize it’s more than his love that puts a sparkle in Kelda’s eye?

Reader’s Haven: Paty, I love the cover! That looks like the Lochsa Mountains! I love it. Do you write under a pen name?

Paty: No, I don’t write under a pen name.

Reader’s Haven: What types of hero or heroine do you like best?

Paty: I like strong heroes with a sense of humor but not arrogant or bossy. They know who they are and are just a bit surprised when they discover a woman who they can’t seem to get out of their system. My heroine’s are strong, know what they want out of life and go for it, believing their work will make them happy, until the right hero comes along and their bodies and hearts find a new life.

Reader’s Haven: Readers love to know what we do on a daily basis. Tell us about a typical day in your life as a writer.

Paty: We get up at 6am. My husband leaves for work at 6:30. I get on the computer and do two hours of e-mailing and promotion work. I do chores, and get back on the computer to write for three hours. I have lunch and in the winter do more chores then back to write another 3-4 hours. Hubby comes home w eat and I might get back on the computer for more e-mails and promo in the evening depending on what’s on TV or if hubby is feeling needy. ;) That’s the winter schedule. Summer, when we are haying and irrigating, I can be at our property in Eastern Oregon. Then I do what needs done, irrigating, driving tractor or whatever and write when I’m done.

Reader’s Haven: You are a busy woman! Do your books have a common theme or are they all different?

Paty: I think the common theme in my books even though they are romances is justice prevails. And, you never know when love will come along.

Reader’s Haven: How long does it take you to write and then edit a story?

Paty: A typical story about four months, but I’ve had a couple, the May release, Spirit of the Sky, for example, that took nearly six months. Partly because of company that wouldn’t leave and partly because of the intense research it required.

Reader’s Haven: Readers, you need to check out her Spirit books! Just sayin'.... Do you have to be alone to write?

Paty: I don’t have to be alone to write. I’ve sat in a restaurant waiting for a friend and wrote a whole scene with all the hubbub around. And I can write with grandkids playing as long as they aren’t coming up and asking me a question. But I prefer to write to music. I’m like Pavlov’s dogs. If I listen to the same music while writing a particular book, I’ll zone into the story and character’s faster when I hear the music.

Reader’s Haven: Our characters are special to us and we want the readers to remember them. How do you go about naming characters?

Paty: Sometimes the name comes to me out of a mirage just like the character does. Or I’ll have a story in mind and conjure up the character. If they have a distinct ethnic background I’ll look up baby names for that ethnicity or I’ll just to go a baby book and look up what names mean and then roll them around with the character’s attributes I know ad come up with a name I like.

Reader’s Haven: Is it easier to write about the characters if you find pictures of them before you write or do you write then find character pictures?

Paty: I never start writing a story without a clear picture(whether a clipping or a written description) in my mind. I have to have their features in my mind and their background all flushed out before I can start writing. I like to know the characters well before we leap into a story together.

Reader’s Haven: Both Louise and I agree with you on that one! How do you pick locations for your stories?

Paty: Sometimes the locations come about because I’ve visited a place and found something interesting I thought would be fun to put in a book. Sometimes the location comes from the plot or the character. The Halsey series came about because I love the area where I grew up in NE Oregon and picked the gold mining area of Sumpter to have the family located. The stories have sprouted out all around the area but the characters always return to Sumpter. The Spirit trilogy is set (first two books) in the county where I grew up. The other books are all in and around Oregon with the exception of Improper Pinkerton which I set in Montana because the area worked for the plot I’d concocted.

Excerpt:

Kelda stood by the door, a man’s black wool coat buttoned up to her neck and a wool scarf wrapped around her head. Her flushed cheeks shone in the lantern light. Her gaze met his solid and unflappable.

To appease Karl, Hank said as he pulled on his coat, “If Kelda isn’t back in here in fifteen minutes you can come looking for us.”

The door hadn’t fully closed when Dag’s voice cleared the threshold, “I don’t know what you’re worrying about. No man is going to think of Kelda in the way you’re talking.”

Kelda’s shoulders drooped proving she’d heard her brother’s comment. She walked around the corner of the cookhouse to a fallen log at the backside of the building. Hank wanted to catch up to her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. She was a fine woman. Any man would be dang lucky to have her for a wife. He stood in front of her as she sat on the log, her face pointed toward the men’s logging boots on her feet.

Hank crouched in front of Kelda, tipping her face up to read her emotions. “Your brother sees you only as his sister. You’re a woman any man would be lucky to marry.”

Tears glistened in her eyes. “I’m the size and body of a man. Men want a small delicate woman.” She wiped at the tears and her hands clutched his. “Don’t make Far keep me out of the woods. It’s all I have to make me happy.”

Pleading in her eyes and voice sucker punched Hank. “Why would you want to work alongside men in the woods? Women belong in the home.”

“I don’t care to work inside. I love the outdoors and the labor of logging. Don’t keep me out of the woods. It’s the one thing I can do well.”

The strong grip of her fingers on his proved her strength. He had no doubt she was a skilled woodsman…woman. He pried her fingers from his hands and held them between his palms. “I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you in the woods. It isn’t proper for a woman to work like that. And what if you prove too weak to handle a job and someone else gets hurt?”

“Ooooo!” Her hands ripped from his grasp and rammed him in the chest. He started tipping backwards and grabbed the first thing in reach—Kelda’s arms.

He fell back into the snow dragging Kelda on top of him.

The surprise in her eyes quickly turned to interest as she gazed down into his face. Her body sprawled across Hank, pressing him into the snow. Even with the heavy clothing, her curves were evident as her relaxed body molded over his.

Hank pushed the scarf back from her face and stared into amazing eyes that glistened from the moonlight bouncing off the snow. Her gaze searched his. The rise and fall of her chest quickened. She licked her lips…

He held her head in his hands. Inch by inch, Hank drew her lips closer, wondering if the heat and passion he’d witnessed in her eyes would be in her kiss.

“Kelda!”

The male voice broke through the insanity of his actions. Hank rolled, rose to his feet, and pulled Kelda up with him.

Reader's Haven: Paty, it's been a pleasure chatting with you again and feel free to contact us when you release the next book. Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers?

Paty: Deanna and Louise, it's been great being here but I'll be around all week to chat with your readers. I'd love for them to stop at my sites, check out my books and join me online! I'm also holding a contest!

Contest: One lucky commenter will win a gift card or an e-book of their choice so please....leave your email addy in your comment so we can contact the winner easily. Thank you all for stopping by this week!

Visit Paty's Web Sites:

Website

Blog

Twitter: @patyjag

FaceBook

Renee Vincent - Romance Author

2012-02-12T02:00:00.000-08:00

Readers, thank you for stopping in to visit with our author this week. We're on location in Ireland and if you'll follow us up the stairway, we're going to meet in the castle courtyard. Deanna met Renee online over a year ago and they've become good friends, chatting online, helping to promote each others books. I'm sure you'll agree with us by the end of the interview that Renee is a sweetheart! She's here to promote her third book in the Emerald Isle Trilogy set in her beloved Ireland and I think our home here suits her well with our green decor!

Renee, thank you so much for being with us this week. We both enjoy historical romances and yours are a wonderful set!

Reader’s Haven: What made you want to become a writer?

Renee: I suppose itall started when my parents had given me a personalized book during mypreschool years. I was the protagonist of the book in a detective story and hadto solve the mystery. Of course, I cracked the case and was the hero of myneighborhood. From that moment on, I always thought it would be so neat to seemy full name printed in a real book, as an author and not a character. Andso…began my dream.

Reader’s Haven: Please share a bit about your new release, TheFall of Rain, without giving away any spoilers.

Renee: The hero, LeifDæganssen, is a Norwegian archeologist who lives in Ireland and has dug up avery specific artifact (one that was very important in the first book of thetrilogy, Ræliksen, which took place in 10th Century Ireland.)

The heroine, Lorraine O’Connor, takes a much needed vacationto Ireland to get away from her cheating fiancé. If you’ve read the first twobooks of the trilogy, you know that the heroine’s name was Mara. Lorrainerealizes, through the course of spending time with Leif and the many déjà vumoments she has, that she is the reincarnated version of Mara and Leif is herreincarnated husband, Dægan Ræliksen. While she may have tragically lost Dæganwhen he gave his life for her more than a thousand years ago, Lorraine comes tounderstand that they have been given a second chance at love.

If only it were that easy to convince Leif…

Here is the blurb:

     Leif Dæganssen, an archeologist from Norway, is determinedto trace back his Scandinavian roots as far as the Dark Ages and find proof oftheir existence on the Emerald Isle. After several years of living off the westcoast of Ireland, he finally uncovers an ancient artifact—an intricatelydecorated chest with pagan carvings—buried beneath the very porch of hiscoastal cottage. Knowing it only confirms the presence of a glorifiedNorse-influenced settlement on Inis Mór, he’s determined to establish a linkbetween himself and those who once inhabited the rugged isle.
     For as long as she can remember, Lorraine O’Connor has had dreams of a Norsewarrior kissing her. And even though she’s never fully understood the reasonfor her vivid subconscious imagination, she welcomes the meaningless and wantonpleasure of being in a Viking’s protective embrace—until the day she meets thatbrazen Northman on an impulsive vacation trip to Ireland.
   Though blindsided by the relevance of her dreams and the strange familiarity ofthe man within them, Lorraine can’t help but feel a deep-seated intimacy towardLeif. And the more she gets to know him, the more she’s convinced they’veshared a life together in a time long forgotten.
    Are the clues to their ancestral past hidden within the contents of the chestor buried deep within their hearts?

Read the excerpt HERE

Reader’s Haven: Wow! We're already pulled into the story, looking forward to the emotional struggles these two will endure trying to figure out their past. What types of hero or heroine do you like best?

Renee: I love Alpha males.There is nothing better than a sexy, domineering man with a rockin’ body and acharming soul. I love heroes who know how to get what they want, who don’t stopuntil they do, and always do so with honor and chivalry. I also enjoy humor ina man, but I usually save that for the side characters in my story. As forheroines, I like women who have a level head on their shoulders. I don’t needthe heroine to be Einstein, but she can’t be too stupid to live.

Reader’s Haven: Tell us about a typical day in your life asa writer.

Renee: I’m afull-time writer, who’s also a mother and a wife. My morning consists ofgetting my two children off to school. They are always my priority. Uponreturning, I have a cup of coffee to get the juices flowing, I answer emailsfirst and do some promoting for my fellow authors on the Deep In The HeartRomance site, as well as my own stuff on my blog, then I sit down to write. I’dlike to have more time in my day to write, but sometimes it doesn’t always workout that way. After two o’clock, I’m back to being the mother. I wouldn’tchange a thing.

Reader’s Haven: Do your books have a common theme or arethey all different?

Renee: I writehistorical and contemporary, but they all seem to have a twist in the end. Ilove surprises and I can’t help but add them to my stories.

Reader’s Haven: Your books certainly grab the reader's attention from the first page. How long does it take you to write andthen edit a story?

The

Emerald Isle

Trilogy

Renee: That’s a funnyquestion. I’d like to say I can write a full novel in less than six months(research and editing included) but with being that mother and wife I told youabout, life gets in the way and sometimes writing has to take a back seat. ButI’ve never missed a deadline. I’ll work long hours into the night if I have to.

Reader’s Haven: And we can work those kinds of hours because we love what we do so we can bring our stories to our readers. Do you have to be alone to write?

Renee: Oh gosh, yes!With kids around it’s virtually impossible to write a scene. I like to becompletely absorbed in it so I can write as though I am smack dab in the middleof it and I want my readers to feel as if they are as well. I write how thingssmell, sound, and feel when creating that perfect scenario and too manydistractions get in the way. The last thing I’d ever want to do is disappointmy readers with a poorly written romance.

Reader’s Haven: How do you go about naming characters?

Renee: With mycontemporaries, I usually find names that are “fitting” for the character. I’veeven asked my husband to help me name a few. But with my historicals, a lotmore goes into it. I still choose names that fit the character’s personality,but they also have to originate from the country in which they were born duringthat time period. I’m pretty particular about that.

Reader’s Haven: Is it easier to write about the charactersif you find pictures of them before you write or do you write then findcharacter pictures?

Renee: Hands down, Ifind the picture first. Not so much with my side characters, but with the H/H Imust find a picture of a person that suits my description. I have an idea ofwhat I want them to look like in my head before I write about them, but findingthat perfect photo (usually a famous actor) helps me to really pick them apartand describe their physical features, from the color of their eyes down totheir laugh lines and bone structure.

Reader’s Haven: We do love our details but it makes for better writing. How do you pick locations for your stories?

Renee: In my EmeraldIsle Trilogy, the location picked me. Ireland is a country that is very specialto my heart and the Vikings are a crazy passion of mine. So, in researchingthis period in the Middle Ages, there was no better place to have my hero andheroine meet than the isle with forty shades of green.

Website~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ DeepIn The Heart Romance

Please be sure to hop over to Renee's sites, follower her blog and on Twitter and don't forget to sign up for her newsletter!

Readers, Renee is giving away a signed copy of any one of the books in the trilogy or and E-book of one, winners choice. One lucky commenter will be picked by Renee on Saturday Feb 18th - you must leave your email in your comment so Renee can contact the winner.

Valentine's Day Blog Hop

2012-02-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Ravencraft's Romance Realm

Thank you for joining us! Please book mark our site so you can return later to roam around and we hope, to join our site later and use the Forum to chat with other readers. The rules are listed below.

Our Prizes

1st Place: $15 Gift Card

2nd Place: Signed copy of Never Surrender

by Deanna Jewel

(US only; International will get the e-book)

Blog Hop Rules

Follow our blog, either way
Leave a comment WITH your email addy so we can contact you.
Tell us where you'd like your gift card to: All Romance E-Bucks, Amazon or B & N
Click on the other blogs to enter their hop contest for more prizes!
Be sure to hop DAILY over to Ravencraft's Romance Realm where you can enter every day for prizes!

February Sale! On Our Main Site

2012-02-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Visit our main site http://www.avidreadershaven.com/

Feb sale: Author Page 6 months for $30 with a free 1 month Cover Ad on sidebar (a $10 value)!

Click on Advertise with Us!

Deanna Jewel's latest release "Unleash Your Inner Strength"

2012-01-31T20:46:00.000-08:00

Blurb:

Learn how to gain control over your daily thoughts to create the life you desire. Harness the energy around you and accept the gifts that come your way!

Our mind is a powerful tool that is under utilized. Within your own mind lies an area of power that can help you obtain what you want. Find out how to make changes in order to create a happier you.

Deanna told me she had been tossing the idea for this book for a few years. She finally just told herself 'To Go For It!'

You can find her book on Smashwords, Amazon and All Romance

You can read a sample here Freado

Visit Deanna's Web site and Blog

Deanna Jewel writes historical and contemporary romance. She wrote Unleash Your Inner Strength as an motivational read. Deanna believes no matter how bad your day is going, you have the power to find happiness.

Interview with Lavinia Thompson Jan 22 - 27

2012-01-22T00:19:00.000-08:00

We're in Alberta, Canada this week with Lavinia Thompson, author of "Spellbound by Fire", a dark fantasy novel and "She Wasn't Allowed to Giggle", a book and journal of poems. As you can see Alberta is a beautiful area to explore. We've set up a campsite and will build a fire just before evening sets in, near the water's edge, to chat with Lavinia. We have plenty of chairs, blankets and flashlights to go around. So pick a spot, pitch your tent and come join us for a spell.

Reader’sHaven: Welcome Lavinia and thank you for inviting us up here! It's so peaceful and calm. Tell us a bitabout yourself that our readers mightnot know.

Lavinia:One thing most of my readers know is that I grew up in a home where domesticviolence and abuse was prevalent. It was always there, up until about 2004 whenMom’s abusive ex burned the house down. In that house fire I lost my originaldraft of my novel, Spellbound by Fire. I didn’t start it over seriously untilabout 2008, about the same time that I realized just what kind of power writingcan have if utilized properly. I wanted to write to send out the message thatviolence towards women, children and spouses in general, male or female, shouldnot be tolerated. Abuse is terror. It is a horrific display of power that whendisabled, reveals the monster as it is. Once I had Spellbound written, Istarted on my poetry book, She Wasn’t Allowed to Giggle. A “personal purging,”as one reviewer called it, of my abusive childhood.

Reader’s Haven: What made you want to become a writer?

Lavinia:When I was younger, writing was an escape from the every day terror I livedwith. I’d sit in my basement bedroom, listen to the screaming and fightingupstairs, then eventually turn on my music as loud as it would go and I wouldwrite. Spellbound originally wasn’t a serious project, it was just a fantasyworld where I lost myself. At the same time that the abuse was happening at home,I was also bullied at school, so writing became the only happy place I had. SoI never necessarily said “I want to become a writer.” It was always just there,it was my escape. That escape turned into a life ambition and a dream. And hereI am!

Reader’s Haven: Kudos to you for following your dream and not letting your past drag you down. We see your experience has definitely made you a stronger person! Do you write under a pen name?

Lavinia: Yes I do.

Reader’s Haven: What type of hero or heroine do you like best?

Lavinia: I like a strongfemale character- not the damsel in distress types. I like a female who canstand up for herself, defend herself, persevere, but at the end of the day isstill a woman who can love. I like male characters that aren’t too masculine,one who isn’t always the hero and has believable flaws. I like heroes andheroines who are believable characters, no matter how much of a fantasy theworld itself is.

Reader’s Haven: How many plots do you include in one of your books?

Lavinia:Many. In Spellbound, I think I finished with about 16 plots. There is such athing as having too many plots, but having the right balance keeps thingsinteresting.

Reader’sHaven: And to entice the readers, we've included an except of "Spellbound" below. Tell us about a typical day in your life as awriter.

Lavinia:I’m not a full time writer yet (unfortunately) so I do have what some peoplewould call a real job. Yes, one of those places that pays you for doing stuff.I clean hotel rooms during the day and write in the evening. I am usuallynocturnal but having a job screws that up a little. While I am writing in theevening, I am usually simultaneously on Facebook and Twitter doing some bookmarketing as well, looking for reviewers and interviews and so on.

Reader’sHaven: Do your books have a common theme or are theyall different?

Lavinia:Right now my books have a common theme- stopping and preventing violenceagainst women and children. It is the focus of the Spellbound series and it iswhat I was purging when I wrote my poetry book. She Wasn’t Allowed to Giggle isa compilation of a bunch of old poems that survived the house fire and poems Iwrote in the last few years as well. I included some journal entries in proseform as well, bringing together my life as a terrified little girl growing upto be a haunted woman. I have a few more stories in the planning stages rightnow that steer away from that theme though. Currently, aside from theSpellbound sequel, I am working on a short novella (Working title: “Abrianna.”)that focuses on the bullying of gay kids in light of the string of suicidesthat has been in the media lately. Gay rights and discrimination is anotherissue I have at heart, as many of my friends are LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,Transgender).

Reader’sHaven: How long does ittake you to write and then edit a story?

Lavinia:Well, Spellbound took me almost ten years but that’s because of circumstances.When I really got down to writing it full time in the summer of 2009, it tookme about three or four months. Editing took me about four or five more monthsas I was in college full-time that autumn. So just under a year, I’d say. TheSpellbound sequel has been slower, but I intend to get right back to that afterAbrianna is completed. I work on several projects simultaneously, so the amountof time it takes to get one done varies.

Blurb

Never again: those were the two words every innocent witch waited to hear after the nefarious Black Guards took over the country of Nevermore, savagely hunting and torturing witches for 35 years. Twenty year old Janey Black never thought they would rip through the little village of Tia Justace, but they did just that.
Spellbound is an adult fiction novel that explores the cycles of violence against women and the lives it affects. Janey loses everything she has ever known in one day when the Black Guards execute the aunt who raised her, after making a fateful promise to her aunt Olivia that she would never give up. She finds herself alone until she is rescued by chance by a witch rescuer named Shane and taken to a witch refugee camp. Soon, Janey is helping rescue tortured witches from the infamous Warbeck prison and learning the truth behind her own past from Jill, an old friend of her aunt’s. Janey discovers the legacy her aunt left in helping create the series of underground tunnels and portals that saves the lives of women and children everyday right under the noses of the Black Guards. Through the agony of torture and bloodshed she is shown the humanity of love and kindness; how it is the key to breaking the cycles of hatred and violence. Even in Billy Eagle, the man she loves, there is a child who never got to grow up, his own innocence shattered after witnessing the death of his mother as a seven year old. They both find themselves stranded, with only each other to count on in spite of their reckless flaws.
Through the despair and hopelessness that seems to hang like a black cloud over Nevermore, Janey needs to find a way to survive and live on through her aunt’s lasting and impacting legacy, to find the day when the two words would be the one thing to bring down the Black Guards… Never again.

Reader’s Haven: Wow! That's a strong excerpt and will certainly draw the readers in to the story. Do you have to be alone to write?

Lavinia:Most times, yes, though right now my fiancé and I share our writing and editingspace, so often he is right beside me while I am writing. I don’t mind it toomuch.

Reader’s Haven: How do you go about naming characters?

Lavinia:Depends on the character. Main characters get a bit of thought put into their names.I look through name books or websites until a name will just jump out that fitsthat character, and then sometimes I take the name’s meaning intoconsideration. For secondary characters, I usually just a pick a name.

Reader’sHaven: Is it easier to write about the characters ifyou find pictures of them before you write or do you write then find characterpictures?

Lavinia:I write and then find character pictures. A character starts forming in my headweeks before I start even planning. The main character is usually the firstthing to come to life from a story. I get into their head, place them inpotential scenes, get their voice into my head and picture them. And then whenI feel comfortable with them I create their character profile and the storygoes from there.

Reader’s Haven: How do you pick locations for your stories?

Lavinia: I created thefantasy world for Spellbound. I don’t even remember when I did that. It justseems like the world was always in my head. Nevermore is a place I go to when Ineed to escape. For my other stories, it’s really just a matter of whichlocation seems to fit the story. My crime-fiction, Magic Touch, is set in Vancouver because ofcertain places in the city that fit the story.

Reader's Haven: This is why writing is so fun; describing these settings in a story so the readers can escape there too. Lavinia, thank you again for visiting with us this week.

Readers, Lavinia is giving a copy of Spellbound, winner's choice of eBook format, to one lucky commenter. Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment so Lavinia can contact the winner. We'll draw the winner on Jan 28.

You can find Lavinia hanging out on these sites:

Blogs - Writer; Spellbound

Facebook - Writer; Spellbound

Twitter - @LaviniaThompson

Goodreads

Purchase links:

Smashwords

Amazon

On Smashwords, Lavinia's short story "Travis" is free for a limited time. Go up and get a copy!

Excerpt: "Spell Bound by Fire" - Chapter 11

Before the first tear could slide sorrowfully down Janey'scheek, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Jill stood above her, a sweet smileacross her face as she sat down in the grass beside Janey. Gertie stood up andwandered off wordlessly towards where other women and children were waiting forcare.

“Well, you're alright,” Jill said without asking, thoughJaney wasn't so sure. Taking the deepest breath she had in what seemed likedays, she set her head in hands.

The screams stillresonated through her mind, screams of the one she couldn't save, fromsomewhere in the dark where she shrieked something unbearable. The growls thatlurked in the bushes before the yellow eyes showed themselves as what theyreally were, encircling the girls in a protective pack around the blood staineddirt, then the howls that resonated through the night, the mourning in theircries for the ones who were suffering. They were beautiful in their brutality,stunningly sombrous with the blood glinting off their sharpened teeth...againand again it flashed through Janey's mind...the mutilated bodies of the BlackGuards, the horrid ripping of skin and the morbid tearing of hearts from theirchests, torn to pieces and avenged with the blood spilled in savagery.

“I guess,” Janey replied dismally.

There was an inconsolability like that of a child forced tolook at her life ahead without her mother, the unbreakable bonds forced to snapin one unexpected moment. It left her hollow within, the wounds that wouldn'theal like the punched-out holes in the moon. The wolves had saved her life butshe was staring down a lifetime ahead of her and she didn't know what to dowith it.

Live your life, behappy...remember me as you loved me...

Jill sat silently for a few moments, as if debating what tosay. Her hazel eyes saddened at the sight of Janey, one more girl brutalized bythe Black Guards. Gertie had bandaged Janey's wrists again, did what healingshe could, but as Janey rubbed her arms she knew that some wounds wouldn't behealed.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Jill asked. Janeyshook her head.

“I don't know. I don't even know what to do,” she said, theharrowing hurt tearing at her haggard heart in ways she never knew she couldfeel. Jill put an arm around her shoulder.

“The hardest part is moving on. It's not something that'seasy to get past. But I'm here if you need anything, OK?” Jill told her. Janeybit her lip.

“Really?” she asked as that weak, unprotected feeling washedover her again. She never knew just how safe she had been with Olivia, notuntil she was gone and the fact she was never coming back was as real as thelife before her.

“I would never let Olivia's niece go undefended. Your auntmeant a lot to me. I don't have the conscience to simply let you go it alone,”Jill told her. Janey pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them close withevery memory slipping into the atrabilious corners of her soul.

Dark nights when Janeywould wake up, screaming from her nightmares, that dim candlelight in thedarkness when she would awaken and Olivia would be at her bedroom door toensure she was alright. Olivia's soft hands would wipe away the tears as Janeycried at one more hurt in this life. They'd sit up nights on end to talk,laugh, cry or just be with each other. As much as Janey told herself itcouldn't be true, the loneliness tearing her up inside was the livid truthshowing itself as a reality. Closing her eyes, she could feel her aunt's handson her face one last time...

“I'm so sorry...”

“Janey, some things will never heal. It's a fact we have toface. You may never be completely healed of this ordeal but you have to moveon. I knew Olivia well enough to know that's something she would have taughtyou. It's what she did after Wolfe died. It's all you can do now,” Jill explained.

“So what do I do?” Janey asked, fallen so far in thedowncast of emotions she felt as if she’d never be able to move from there, asif she’d stay forever where she could be miserable with herself. Jill let out alittle smile.

“Janey, dear...stick with me. I'll find things for you todo.”

***

“There you go, bring your elbow up just a littlemore...perfect...” Jill said patiently, adjusting Janey's arm up by her face.

Janey stared into the middle of an old navy blue Nevermoreflag, a great silver unicorn prancing in graceful ripples across the old silkenfabric. The bow sat intently by her face, her dark hair flowing all around herand her elbow high as she glared down the middle of the elegant body, thesharpened point of the arrow a deathly edge in the radiant sunlight.

Gracefully, Janey released the arrow. The bow sat empty inher hand as the arrow plummeted the invisible heart of the exquisite creatureon the flag, pegged viciously to the tree. Janey let out a breath at the sametime.

“Excellent! You are a natural, my dear,” Jill commented withan approving smile, stroking Janey’s matted hair.

“Thanks, gets easier every time,” Janey replied, staringinto her target.

“Indeed, and we've only been at this for just under a week.Good skill to know, though. You can be as discreet as a wolf and just as swiftto the attack,” Jill told her.

“Nice,” Janey said, lowering the bow to her side as shestrolled to the tree and roughly pulled the arrow from the unicorn's fabricchest. The flag blew back to life briefly upon the warm breeze before settlingagainst the tree trunk again. The navy blue of the flag was faded to a shadethat nearly matched Janey's eyes. She sauntered back to Jill, her bare feetbrushing the fresh green grass beneath her and the tiny yellow wildflowers thatwere showing their happy faces in the daylight.

“That looks like a pretty old flag,” Janey remarkedoffhandedly as she reached Jill's side. Jill stared into the stunning creatureprancing, its left leg lifted regally and its spiral horn dangerous andmystical.

“So it is. It'd be over forty years old. It was the nation’sflag before the Black Guards took over Nevermore and changed it,” she explainedwith a subtle sigh. Janey frowned curiously.

“What do you mean?” she questioned. Jill looked over to herquizzically.

“Do you not know of the takeover years ago?”

“Not much besides the fact that the Black Guards ruleNevermore right now,” Janey replied. The story had never really mattered muchback in Tia Justace. All anyone knew was that it was happening and there waslittle they could do to stop it.

“Well, my dear,” Jillstarted as she pulled an arrow from the grass beside her and set it delicatelyin her bow, “this whole ordeal with the Black Guards started forty years ago,by a man with the name Ulric Al Tedesco. He was a vile man, loathed women withevery ounce of his filthy being. I remember the rise of the Black Guards,starting out as just a small political group out to put witches and, in myopinion, women in general, to shame. No one knows a lot about his upbringing,but most figure his father had a lot to do with his prejudicial views. Yet, asthe nation would soon find out, he would drive what was then a mild witch scareinto complete hysteria.”

As she spoke the last few words, with her bow raised andready, she released the arrow to watch it dig itself bitterly into the wood.Janey watched her wander over to the tree and yank the arrow from it. Janey bither tongue thoughtfully as Jill rejoined her.

“In the beginning, the Black Guards mainly staged protests,had some witch burnings and otherwise sorry excuses for witch hunts that graduallybecome more severe. King Terence and Queen Alanis had a horrendous time keepingthem at bay,” she continued as she stared into the flag again. Herreddish-brown hair fell brightly around her shoulders. It blew ever so slightlyon the breeze whispering through the trees, her dark brown eyes glaring darklyas she spoke.

“Then, 35 years ago and five years after Tedesco started theBlack Guards, that all changed. On the wedding night of the King and Queen'sonly son, Prince Noah, the Black Guards attacked the palace. King Terence wascaptured, unarmed and unguarded, forced to watch the Black Guards burn his wifealive before they murdered him too. Prince Noah and his bride, Kassandra,escaped that night, to this day rumoured to be in hiding,” Jill explainednonchalantly. It must have been a story she knew all too well, reliving the dayoften and wondering if Nevermore would ever have a rightful king again.

“Wow...” Janey pondered for a moment. Tapping an arrow onher shoulder, Jill continued.

“Tedesco took over the palace after that. No Prince or RoyalFamily left meant that the kingdom was free to take. Massive witch hysteriafollowed. Thousands of women were arrested, put on ridiculous trials, torturedand executed. Trivial gossip became enough evidence to arrest a woman. Undertorture these women would name names to avoid more suffering, and those womenwould name names for the same reason and it would go on, each woman puttingmore women into the same position; can't blame them. As you and I know, tortureis unbearable enough let alone being asked stupid questions at the same time.Been through pretty barbaric torture myself, stuff I won't even get into. But Icouldn't tell you how many met their execution as a result of me. I don'tremember the names I've named, nor what happened to them. I sure feel terriblethough. Nothing will bring them back. Their families have to live without thembut I live on because I implicated them into something they never did. It neverends...” Jill explained quietly. Janey thought she saw a hint of shame flickerin her eyes, but she wasn’t sure.

Watching Jill's aging face in the flickering sunlight, Janeycould see the years of agony, guilt and fatigue dripping through the lines onher fair skin. She was no older than Olivia had been but her ongoing fightagainst the Black Guards seemed to age her faster. Janey was beginning tounderstand why the woman did what she did. Janey herself knew that she neverwanted to be the reason another woman died senselessly.

“Tedesco was killed by Prince Noah about six years after theroyal wedding. Noah barely made it out of there alive. He disappeared onceagain, leaving the kingdom this time to Tedesco's right hand man and bestfriend, Norbert Bagan, who, four years later, was killed by Olivia. Now thekingdom is ruled by Norbert's good for nothing son, Marcus Bagan,” sheexplained with a dull tone to her low voice.

His presence dominatedthe room, his black hair sweeping his shoulders menacingly. His dark eyes wereintent upon Olivia.

“So...you killed myfather, did you, bitch?” he said slyly.

“I met him...in the prison, right after Olivia confessed,”Janey blurted suddenly, the shadows of her bruised and agonized face darkeningto a vengeful anger. The very memory of his sly, drawling voice as he stareddown Olivia with despicable hatred brought back the anguish boiling in Janey'sblood. Jill glanced at her with an expression that was not surprised at all.

“Well,” she sighed, picking up two more arrows, handing oneto Janey before setting one in her bow, “of course he would have wanted to atleast look at the woman who killed his father before she was executed.”

Jill drew the bow again, setting it beside her thinningface. She let it go, with a dramatic pull back of her hand in the air, her eyesglowering intensely as the arrow shot the heart of the fabric unicorn one moretime. Janey sighed as she drew her bow and arrow, staring straight at the heartof the ragged and frayed flag rippling softly on the breeze. Her hands wereshaking as she envisioned Marcus standing in place of the tree, his cold heartthe middle of that flag, her fingers swiftly let go of the arrow as her eyesfollowed it straight to the heart of her vision. Silently, she made herself avow.

Take what you want from me,Marcus. You will suffer for this I swear...I have a promise to keep.

Interview with Charlene Wilson - Romance Author

2012-01-15T15:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Charlene Wilson

Romance Author

Ssshhh.....come on, follow us farther into the alley but keep an eye out for suspicious characters! We're glad you could all join us this week to chat with Charlene. I don't think we'll be noticed down this alley which will give us time to get to know our author. Let's gather 'round so we can all hear....

Reader’s Haven: Charlene, we so excited to have you as our first guest author here at Reader's Haven. Thank you for joining us. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Charlene: While I have a fewtidbits I don’t usually share with everyone, I think I can put this one outthere. LOL Everyone knows I write Romance. Being born on Valentine’s Day, it’salmost a given that would happen with being a writer. I love how a heroovercomes insurmountable obstacles to be with his chosen. But can I admit toloving a good…Western too? I enjoy the old-time themes with swashbucklingcharacters that take over the untamed territories—strong men and women thattake it all on in hopes of conquering the odds.

Reader’s Haven: Our characters usually end conquering the odds, don't they? What made you want to become a writer?

Charlene:What made me become a writer? That would probably be my characters. LOL Theywouldn’t shut up. I decided I had to sit down and write all the conversationsand scenes out if I was going to get any rest. The problem with that was, it’sjust like eating a good truffle—one just won’t do. Gotta have another. And as soon as I got that scene out, anotherwould surface and the whole thing would repeat.

Reader’s Haven: Both of us can relate to the characters bugging you until you get them on paper! What type of hero or heroine do you like best?

Charlene: While the typical answer here might be hunky heroes and bolt heroines, I likemine how nature makes them. If the hero is a crusty old sort living in the backwoods and the heroine is a space alien running from a dominant race it doesn’tmatter. If the characters are written in such a way that they come alive andgrab me, I can fall in love with them.

Reader’s Haven: How many plots do you include inone of your books?

Charlene: I don’t have a set amount of plots, but Idefinitely always have more than one. I can’t just focus on one. Life iscomplicated. Even from your own view point, there a mix of intermingling plotsin your life, several that hinge on and affect that one circumstance. My booksdo too. I feel they add to the story and make it whole.

Reader’s Haven: We think readers enjoy more than one or two plots to a story also. Tellus about a typical day in your life as a writer.

Charlene: A typical day has to start with my email. While Ihave regular things I work on throughout the day, I have to be flexible toinclude anything that might come up that’s more pressing.

My social networking is ongoing—Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (Ifocus on three though I pop in on several) can be done sporadically, of course,since people are on at all times. Ithink what takes the most brainpower (for me anyway Lol!) is manning my sites, Charlene Blogs (my personalwriter’s blog), CharleneAWilson.com(my author site), ShiloManor.com(the Chronicles of Shilo Manor series site), and HighlightedAuthor.com (a site thatfeatures published authors). I also blog at Ravencraft Romance Realm and Night Writers, so I completeany posts I’m scheduled to make there. The best part of this career is when Ican settle down and write…and that happens late at night when all is quiet andmy characters speak up. I’m very thankful for having a lifestyle that allows meto do that. I’m able to be a full-time author which is a dream.

Reader’s Haven: We're finding the majority of authors have many things going on with having to promote and be out there for our readers, but we love it! Doyour books have a common theme or are they all different?

Charlene: Other than romance? My stories have several themes. While theChronicles of Shilo Manor circles around soul mates that reunite overlifetimes, my Aumelan series has Fate and Destiny playing tug-of-war with mycharacters’ hearts—love crosses national borders and challenges placement andtraditions. My YA stories tackle thecourage of accepting who we and others are and my heroines must decide how farthey would go to stand up for themselves and their loves. So… The answer would have to be that they arepretty different.

Reader’s Haven: How long does it take you to write andthen edit a story?

Charlene: This really does vary. My Aumelan series came outin a rush and I had the equivalent of three books written in a few months. I’min the process of revising book one now. The Chronicles, books one and two,each took about nine months to write and edit. The editing process definitely takes the longest and most effort. ButI’m finding that to get them to where I feel they’re ready for publication, ittakes almost a year. I marvel at those who are able to publish a good piece ina few months. Boggles my mind.

Reader’s Haven: We can't imagine doing a full length novel in less than a year so kudos to those authors who can write that fast! Do you have to be alone to write?

Charlene: Define alone. LOL My characters always have to bethere. But, I do better in a quiet environment when I’m in deep edits. I doenjoy going to the park or coffee shop to watch people and get personality orreaction ideas.

Reader’s Haven: How do you go about naming characters?

Charlene: Some characters name themselves. It just comeswith their personality. Others I have to pass by them, and many times I get adefinite, “Not a chance will I be known as George!”

Reader’s Haven: LOL We haven't heard that one before, I love it....passing the names by the characters to hear what they think! Is iteasier to write about the characters if you find pictures of them before youwrite or do you write then find character pictures?

Charlene: I write and then find pictures. And that’s a chorein itself! Lol. My characters are who they are and if I happen to find someonein real life that fits their image, well then that’s icing on the cake.

Reader’s Haven: How do you pick locations for your stories?

Charlene: The locations develop as the story unfolds. It’slike a natural progression. I world build from there out, filling in thedetails. Cornerstone Deep required a lotof world building as the Arched Spectrum of Realms was revealed. As I writefantasy, the locations are imagination made real through my books.

Reader’s Haven: Cheers to the authors who can create those fantasy worlds. What an imagination that has to take! What’s coming up for you in 2012?

Charlene: The release of book two in the Chronicles of ShiloManor series, Cornerstone Deep Echoes, is on February 15th. I have a month longblog tour set up for that. With it being the month of Valentine’s Day, I’mthrilled that my Romance is coming out then. You can get all the details at myblog, CharleneBlogs. I have a page set up with all the stops and prizes I’m offeringthroughout the tour.

I’m also working to finish up revisions of Aumelan and wantto get that sent out. It’s an exciting year! Here's the blurb and excerpt for your readers:

Cornerstone Deep blurb

It's their nature - long lives and rebirth. They're fromanother dimension, one gifted with advance abilities, but they serve inCornerstone Deep. They're the Wizards of Shilo Manor.

They outlive the mortals of this realm by thousands ofyears, and when it comes to love the cruel fact is reinforced. Reincarnationdoesn't exist on this plane. They lose their wives to death with no hope ofreuniting. Yet they continue to accept others for whatever time they havetogether. Save for Cole. His love for his last wife still burns in his soulfour centuries after her death.

When the service they render to the noblemen of CornerstoneDeep brings him face to face with Anna, something unexpected happens. Ina realm of silent souls, hers calls to him. He responds with a kiss—onethat joined with the spell of servitude she inhaled, binds her soul.

Breaking ancient covenants, angering the lords, and bringingthe gods' wrath upon him, Cole tries desperately to undo his wrong and free hislove—despite the determination of the nobleman to keep her.

~ * ~

My life is a mirage of endless time. But you in this momentengulf me, rivet my mind, encompass my soul. (Cole Shilo)

Excerpt:

As Anna emerged from Cantrell Artisan, she shivered in thespring air. The industrial West Side’s sulfuric odor rode the breeze fromacross town, and the fragrant fire flickered out. She cradled the holderbetween the large granite lion paws that sat beside the steps. It fit nicely.She sniggered at the sight. Kyle Dressen’s artistic contribution to the sphinx.

She stepped onto the sidewalk and looked around. Humorfaded. Vapor loomed over the empty streets like phantoms gathering warmth fromthe asphalt. She briskly rubbed her sleeves. The slight warming did nothing toease her insecurity. Street lights blinked on but offered little comfort as thenewscaster’s announcement flooded her mind. “After much deliberation, the newcurfew of 2024 has been set into place. Lord Kyle Dressen, Grand Marshal of thecourts, announced the bill’s passing, and urges all to adhere as strict measurewill be taken to ensure vandalism of the East Side is eradicated.”

What a ridiculous notion. The impoverished East Side gettingaid from the lawmakers. Yet now, unease filled her. Her co-workers’ gossip onthe matter didn’t help her anxiety. An apprehensive tone caught her voice asshe repeated the warning. “Curfew breakers will never be seen again.” Herwhisper sent mist through the chill. She wished she hadn’t spoken.

Anna hurried across the open court and down an adjacentstreet. Awnings rustled in the wind. Neon signs that once invited late-nightcommerce hung dead behind barred windows. Her rushed steps echoed through theair.

She looked to the sky. A blanket of stars covered thefirmament. She’d worked too late. Again. “God, I’m not going to make it.”

Her steps quickened, and she caught her breath as sheapproached the shortcut through the park. The wide corner entrance stood closed,the ancient stone griffin perched high on the gateway glaring down at her. Sheshook the bars with disbelief. “When do they ever lock Shilo Park?” Scanningthe long gates that fortified the urban green, fear clutched her stomach.

“Anna.”

She whipped around. The sound was like a whisper to her mindyet clear as if spoken. Her gaze intensified as she studied the shadowedpavement. Beneath the dim light of a street lamp, dense smoke billowed, takingthe form of three men. Her throat clenched. “What…in…the…world?” She spunaround and ran.

“There’s no use in running.”

Throwing her hands to her ears, she tried to block out thevoice. An abandoned shuttle van propped half way up the curb offered the onlyprotection along the vacant street. She darted across the road to find refuge.

Her long hair netted her face as she stumbled past street-sideclutter. She swiped the strands away. Catching her balance, she raced along thestorefronts and spotted a weak halo down an alley. She rushed into the darknesswith hope of an open door.

Puddles of discarded waste filled the dips in the pass, andthe air held a foul stench. Her frantic feet beat the pavement as she raced toevery locked door.

Steady footsteps followed.

She gasped with each failed entry. “Come on. Just one opendoor.” A cry ripped her throat as she turned to the final promise of safety.The small lamp flickered. Obscene graffiti sprawled the length of the wall thatblocked her escape; the dim halo highlighted the neon paint.

She turned to the way she came. Her body trembled as shebacked into a corner for support. “This is a nightmare.” Her shallow voicequivered and sent denial through her. “This isn’t happening!” The tomb-likeclosure briefly echoed her claim but the measured steps resounded as theyapproached.

She stared at the forms as they overtook the narrow alley. Aman led center, his companions flanking. Each unified stride caused their capesto furl with controlled motion. Their gazes focused on her. The bleak lamp littheir approach--a dark trio,reapers, all of them--black hair, black eyes, blackcloaks. Curfew breakers are never seen again. At that moment, she believed.Anna held her breath as if to ward off the imminent danger.

They stopped a few feet from her, and the leader steppedforward. Endless time filled her as she gazed at their resolute faces. Sheswallowed hard to ward off the want of air.

With graceful motion, he lifted his hand as if setting abutterfly free. A mist, the brilliance of snow crystalline encircled her andlingered.

Anna struggled to withhold a gasp.

“You have to breathe sometime.”

The voice sifted through her mind. Her lungs burned, beggedfor relief. Fear gripped her as she succumbed to need, and the tinycrystallites flowed past her lips. The taste of divinity touched her senses,and the promise of bliss sang in her mind. The invitation was overwhelming,irresistible. A wave of serenity coated her emotions.

She met his gaze. A small smile touched his coal eyes. Itpenetrated her soul and opposition dissolved.

He inhaled the sparkling mist and leaned close. Cradling herface in his hands, he touched his lips to hers. They were warm and seductive,unexpectedly tender. The aroma of licorice and cream flowed through her. Sheaccepted his attention, intoxicated by the offering. In a gentle motion, shefelt the loving caress of his tongue on hers. Eternity echoed in her heart.

With a breath, the magic spell filled her. Heat steamed herlungs and filtered throughout her body. Every wave carried with it memories;the last words of her father, the aged photo of her mother she clung to as achild. Subjection engulfed her mind. All wonderment ceased under its capture.Rapture sealed her senses and final will vanished.

Author site

Blog

Facebook

Facebook Fan page

Twitter

LinkedIn

Contest: One lucky commenter will win a PDF copy of Cornerstone Deep, drawing will be held on Saturday Jan 21st

Charlene: Thank you for having me here this week! Okay, who has questions or comments? Don't forget to leave your email addy in your comment so I can contact the winner!

Check our interview schedule!!

2012-01-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

Author Interviews!!!

We're excited to have as our guest this week romance author Ms Charlene Wilson! Be sure to stop back this week and learn more about her and her books!

Check our schedule and mark your calendars so you don't miss out on upcoming releases, new authors and books. Chat with you later in the week. Thanks for stopping in!

Meet Our Book Reviewers!

2012-01-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to introduce Lynn Reynolds, Romance Reader Enthusiast, and Suzyn Micheals, SuZ ReviewZ, as An Avid Reader's Haven book reviewers!

Lynn Reynolds in her own words:
I have been reading romance novels since High School. Have worked in libraries since the 6th grade. Currently write romance novel reviews - getting to know a lot of new authors that I have never read before.

Lynn's reviewer page on Haven and her Blog

Suzyn Micheals in her own words:
I am an Avid reader and book reviewer. When I am not reading I am riding the Harley with my husband.

Suz's reviewer page on Haven and her Blog

Readers, Bookmark their pages on Reader's Haven to read their reviews!

Authors, 'Contact Us' on our main site and fill out the form for a Book Review.
http://www.avidreadershaven.com/

Visit our Haven's Reviewers page for more information.
http://www.avidreadershaven.com/havensreviewers.htm

May 2012 be YOUR best year!

2012-01-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of our readers who participated in the New Year's blog hop! It couldn't have been a success without all of you!

We're gearing up already to bring you a fantastic start to 2012 with a full schedule of author interviews, events and new books. Check back often and mark your own calendar so you can return to chat with our authors! We look forward to book release parties, fun and prizes and want YOU to be a part of it all with us!

New Year's Blog Hop!

2011-12-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Winner is - Gena Robertson!

Congratulations!

Merry Christmas

and Happy New Year!!

Thank you for stopping in and I hope you have a great time during the hop. Book mark sites you want to return to, then head out to enter on all the other hops so you get your contest entries in on all the blogs! You might even win on more than one blog. Good luck everyone!

PRIZE: a $20 Gift Card!

(Amazon, B & N, All Romance book bucks)

MY Contest Rules: 4 things to do:

Leave a comment
Include your email addy (santa.claus at yahoo dot com)
FOLLOW my blog in Google or Networked (winners will be chkd)
Tell me where you want your GC to
You're done!

Nothing difficult and not a bunch of hoops to jump through. (I don't like it when I have to visit other sites to enter a contest either!) Leave your comment here then begin the hop! Leave this window open, right click on the next blog and open in a new tab. Close that window after you've finished their contest requirements, come back here and right click the next blog.

Good luck and have a great time!

We still have our Grand Opening going on -

Check the post below and join our main site for more prizes!

Happy New Year to all of you!

It's finally Official Grand Opening Week!

2011-12-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

See Winners below

Thank you all for joining us!

Louise and Deanna would like to thank everyone who stopped in to read our post, leave a comment and also shared our link with your friends. We're humbled by the number of you who were so generous in leaving comments and sharing! Be sure to check the winners list below. If your name is there, please email us (anavidreadershaven at yahoo dot com) your mailing address so we can get your package to you.

We have emailed everyone but it might have gotten swallowed up by your junk mail filter. Again, thank you all so much and we hope you visit often for the upcoming interviews and book reviews that will be on our main site.

Welcome to our long awaited Grand Opening! Louise and Deanna want to thank you for stopping in at our blog and our main website. Please help yourself to champagne and snacks. Our sexy bartenders are waiting for you, male and female, so that our male guests also had someone to flirt with over drinks. Feel free to roam around, check out our other pages, imagine your books there on your very own author page like Christine Ashworth has. We'd love to promo for you. Readers, soon we hope to have more authors and books for you to spend hours looking through. We do have a links page for fun things to do.

There will be two daily swag bag prizes for Readers and on Dec 24th, one grand prize drawing for readers’ choice of e-book from Deanna Jewel and two one-month Cover Ad prizes will be given to two lucky authors.

To be included in the drawings please follow the blog. To be included in the grand prize drawing on Saturday, please hop over and JOIN the main website. Leave your comments along with your email so we can contact the daily winners from those who have followed by Google or Networked. There will be special drawings done for those who have joined as members on our main site. We hope you jump over there to become a member with us. Don't forget to follow our blog for future contests if you're not already following there.

Congratulations Winners

Sunday - Photographyelf & Anne L

Monday - Angela D & Sara W

Tuesday - Jude K & Amybrown16

Wednesday - Colleen M & Ann

Thursday - Deb D & Chelsea S

Friday - Jenny H & Michelle B

Saturday's Grand Prize Winners

'Blue' - selected short stories

signed paperback by Wodke Hawkinson

Winner - katsrus

One-Month Cover Ads

Winners - Cheyenne M & Rod Johnson

(winners, if you don't hear from us, pls leave

us your email in the comments section below)

We'll be giving away goodie bags daily and on Saturday we'll pick two lucky authors to win an ad package and one site member to win a signed book!

Again, thank you so much for joining us all week!

Louise and Deanna

Blog Hop Winners!!

2011-11-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

Blog Hop

Winners!!

Thank you so much to all who followed us for the blog hop this month! We hope you continue to follow and participate in our upcoming events, notices and interviews for upcoming authors and more! Without further ado, here are our two winners for a $15 gift card:

guettel78 and SavvyCouponMom

Congratulations!!

We'll be emailing you to find out where you'd like your gift card to: Amazon, B & N, Bath & Body Works, All Romance/OmniLit E-books. Watch for our emails! Again, thank you to all who are following us!

Grand Opening - Need promo for Goodie Bags Authors!

2011-11-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

We're going to create goodie bags for contests in December for our Grand Opening on Deanna Jewel and my new site An Avid Reader's Haven. We'd like to gather pens, bookmarks, business cards, postcards, mousepads and any other promotional tools from all of you to place in the bags. If you would like to send please email me and I'll give you Deanna's mailing address. We'll announce the Grand Opening date soon. Please be sure to sign the bookmarks, business cards and postcards before sending.

louisejames157 at yahoo dot com

Be sure to visit the site and follow us. We're giving away an ad package to a few lucky authors during grand opening in Dec.
http://www.avidreadershaven.com/

Fall Social Blog Hop

2011-10-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first annual Fall Social Freebies Giveaway Event. We have partnered up with lots of different and wonderful bloggers to bring you some fabulous prizes, just in time for the Holiday Season!

Giveaway starts October 31st at12:01 AM EST to November 21st at 12:01 AM EST. Giveaway winners will be announced through the Rafflecopter widget and notified by email by the end of the day on November 23rd, 2011. Winners must reply to email notification within 48 hours of delivery, or a new winner will be chosen.

Participating Blogs that made these giveaways possible:
Pink Dandy Chatter
Between The Lines
Personalized Sketches and Sentiments
Magical Mouse Schoolhouse
Reading Teen
The Organic Blonde
Nurtured Beauty
Green Country Girl
Free Hot Samples
Social Media Junkie
Pawsitive Living
Retail Therapy Lounge
Lily's Laundry
Uncommon Chick
Chi-Towncheapskate
Smile A Day Giveaways
Granny Loves Gift Baskets
Kelly's Lucky You
An Avid Readers Haven
Mayra Calvani

GIVEAWAY PRIZES:

* Winner will receive a 8 GB iPod Touch in their choice of black or white by Apple. Retail value is $199

*This giveaway is open to the US and Canada Only

*There will be 1 winner chosen to win this giveaway

* Winner will receive a SleepTracker Elite Watch by SleepTracker. Retail value is $149

*This giveaway is open to the US Only

*There will be 1 winner chosen to win this giveaway

ABOUT SLEEPTRACKER (from their website):
The SLEEPTRACKER® Elite watch is the latest in sleep monitoring technology. Unlike other monitors and alarms, the SLEEPTRACKER® measures and logs your sleep patterns waking you at the most optimum time when your body will feel the most alert and energetic. The SLEEPTRACKER® Elite also records and stores your sleep data allowing you to download and track your own personal sleep information right from your home computer.
SLEEPTRACKER® continuously monitors signals from your body that indicate whether you are asleep or awake. Because you wear SLEEPTRACKER® on your wrist like a watch, its internal sensors can detect even the most subtle physical signals from your body. SLEEPTRACKER® finds your best waking moments, so that waking up has never been easier.

GIVEAWAY ENDS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST AT 12:01 AM EST

GOOD LUCK!!!

**From all who follow THIS blog, TWO WINNERS will be drawn on Nov 21st for a $15 gift card: Amazon, B & N, All Romance eBooks.

Fall Social Blog Hop!

2011-10-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Fall Social

Blog Hop

Please come back and join us for the Fall Social
and enter to win prizes! We look forward to seeing you!

Goodies Galore!

Welcome to our blog page!

2011-10-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you for stopping in to take a look around. We're glad you're here. Please know that our blog and web site will change as we grow so our visitors aren't bored when they stop in. Our plan is to have several authors in many genres with books galore just for you!
Be sure to visit our Fun Page for more readers sites to visit! For those who love to enter contests, check out the contest links and enter as many author contests as you wish!

If you'd like to help us grow, we would appreciate that. Feel free to grab our site button on the side bar and add that to your own blog or website! Please post on your FaceBook and Twitter accounts so all your friends can find us, too! We have a 'Contact Us' button so you can send us suggestions or comments to make the site better for those who visit. We hope you use it!

Again, thank you for stopping in! Each future visit will get better as we add authors and books!

Deanna and Louise