Check out my awesome awards!

I received this wonderful awards from the lovely  C. Lee McKenzie

List your 5 favourite books. 

1. Shatter Me by Taheri Mafi.
2. Delirium by Lauren Oliver  
3. Easy by Tammara Webber
4. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
5.Psy-changelling series by Nalini Singh. I couldnt really choose one in this series becuase I love all the books in this series. Worldbuilding is well done.

5 fabulous moments

1. The click moment - that's what I call the moment I solve a plot problem that has been bother ing me for a while in my story

2. It is so uplifting to see a smile from one of my elderly clients when I've done something as small as, well, handing him/her a glass of water. Makes me feel...appreciated. :)

3. Every second I get to spend with my children.

4. The moment I pull the cake from the oven and see the middle is still puffed up - I have a problem at times almost always, for some reason my cakes obey the law of gravity and sink in the middle.

5. When I open my eyes to a new day, with birds chirping out my window



5 Things i love 

1. Love watching TV - My Sat receiver blew up last week after a blood-chilling storm. The last few days have been quite depressing. I'll feel alive once again if it's in working order.

2. Oh, I love sleeping ALOT. Just to catch up with the hours I have to wake up early in the morning.

3. My children

4. To read a book while cuddled up on my favourite burgundy couch.

5. Oldies. There is nothing like the seventies and eighties music.



5 Thinks I dislike

1. Dishonesty
2. People who take advantage of others people's good intentions
3. Gossip
4. Being idle
5. People who have nothing better to do than nit-pick for other people's faults.


5 people I would like to share this awards with:

1. Martina
2. C.A. Szarek
3. Liz Davis
4. Mina
5. Debbie Brown

Happy Monday!

Where do I get story ideas from.

This is a guest post I did sometime back during the Truly, Madly, Deeply You blog tour on Jacob's Beloved Books blog.

My inspiration comes from almost everywhere: Walking down the street, in the shower, watching TV, that space of time between waking up and sleeping whne my mind is drifting in all directions … 

For Truly, Madly, Deeply, You, I was inspired by a couple who I visited in their home during my home visits. The man was 93 years and his wife 88. While I sat there listening to them, telling me how they were best friends even before they got married, my mind wandered. I began weaving a story: a friends to lovers story. Only in mine, the male harbors feelings for his female friend, but she has no idea how he feels. And the woman is so guilt ridden the only way she can protect herself is ‘block’ any feelings the hero gushes over her. As I am not an outline person, I sit and just let the characters take over.

In Truly, Madly, the story is more character oriented and less plot. More about friendship and love, and discovery and with a bit of salvation thrown in there. I focused on the two characters, Frey and Liese, and explored their relationship and their feelings toward each other.

There is nothing as heady as when ideas blossom inside my mind. Intoxicating. 

What about you? What inspires you to write a story? 

My Friday Fantastic Feature: Liz Grace Davis

Sooo, It's that time of the week again. On spotlight is  the talented Liz Davis Grace,  the Author of Chocolate Aftertaste and Tangi's Teardrops, and a fellow Viennese. It is wonderful to have an author who lives in the same area. Makes me feel.. well... not alone. :D

Recently I discovered she designs book covers as well.  Here is one that left me breathless.The colours blend so beautifully, so when I first saw this, I imagined a Christmas romance...or something, but definitely Christmas-y.

Another one that had my mind churning out ideas was this one. Oooh, those eyes reflected on the mirror do say alot, don't they?

If you would like to get more info about her book covers, please hop over @ http://gracedaviscovers.weebly.com/index.html

Do you judge a book by the cover?  - Myself I don't. But I do appreciate a well done cover.  I think a book cover goes a long way soothing the eye. :D

Cover Reveal: The Watcher by Lisa Voisin

Today I have a cover reveal to share with you. The Watcher by Lisa Voisin will be released March 4th, 2013. Want a chance to win angel wings necklace? Please check the end of this post and enter this awesome giveaway!

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.

Can he face her without falling again?

 

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.

 When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.

 In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?

Ancient history is only the beginning.

 

Giveaway Swag Gift:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thief Of Shadows Book Review

Book Title: Thief of Shadows (Maiden Lane #4)
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Source: Netgalley
Genre: Adult historical romance
Setting: London, England 1738
Rating: 5/5 Stars











Book Summary:

A masked man...
Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles—protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide.

A dangerous woman...
Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society— flirtation, double entendres, and scandalous liaisons—Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar—and his lips so tempting.

A passion neither could deny...
During the day Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night their passions are revealed...But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that he might have to sacrifice everything—the Home, Isabel...and his life.

My Review:

 I read the first book in the Maiden Lane series sometime last year, so when I saw this on netgalley, and that it was Winter Makepeace story, one of the characters I was really curious about in Wicked Intentions, I was quite excited to read this. And I wasn't disappointed. There's that saying that goes, "Still waters run deep." After reading Winter's story, I totally agree with that saying.

St. Giles is part of London, ridden with orphans, prostitutes, almost every horrible thing one can imagine. Winter the schoolmaster and manager of the orphan home and The Ghost of St. Giles lives to right the wrongs. And then there is Isabel, one of Winter's home patrons. These two are brought together by the fortune event (or misfortune, I do prefer the fortunate) when Isabel saves The Ghost from a riot, and later on when the orphan home is in danger of falling into someone else's hands. As the story advances, so does the romance between these two as well as the mystery surrounding children disappearing in the streets.

I loved Isabel's character. On the outside, she is strong, confident always sure of herself.And she is older and more sexually oriented than Winter.Then her life is revealed through her POV. This is someone who had gone through alot in her life, and is still suffering. I really sympathised with her.

I loved Winter's character as well, maybe a little too much. On the outside, he is the boring, stern schoolmaster who has dedicated his life to the children in his home. On the inside, and also when he takes the role of The Ghost, he is daring, passionate, wields swords like flash of lightning. And he is younger than Isabel, inexperienced in the matters of making love. He is also stubborn, and straighforward. Never minces his words, and oh so gentle (could see that whenever he was with Isabel)

So when these two finally got together, the scenes left me breathless. And what a happy ever after.

I'm really looking forward to Lord of Darkness, which also features a character I adored and felt sympathy for in Wicked Intentions. Yay! In the meantime, I will play catchup with the other book in the series.

Fan of well written, action packed, and scenes which leave one breathless... I recommend this series.

Eye candy Monday featuring Frey and Liese from Truly, Madly Deeply You

Today, Inkspell publishing is featuring the couple from my Novella, Truly, Madly, Deeply, You - Freytag Meier and Liese Hansfield.

Book Summary:

Just when she thought she had lost love, she found her heart and soul.

Four days before Valentine’s Day, Liese Hansfeld is determined to shut the door to her house, as well as her heart, for her annual four days of mourning her one true love. Little does she know her best friend Freytag Meier is just as determined to keep her from her ritual. He’s ready to pick the lock to her apartment door and camp in her living room if that’s what it takes.

What Freytag isn’t prepared for is the surge of deep-rooted emotions he feels for Liese, but two things stand in his way: the grief and guilt she still clutches close to her heart, and a man who threatens to snatch Liese from under Frey’s watchful eye. Frey is determined to distract her into forgetting her pain. But is that enough to ease her grief, or help her see he can be more than her best friend?

To see who Liese and Frey most resemble, head over @ Inkspell page below.

http://www.inkspellpublishing.com/1/post/2012/06/eyecandy-monday-meet-liese-and-freytag-from-truly-madly-deeply-you-by-cecilia-robert.html

Sometimes Mondays can feel like

But don't let that nail you down. 4 more days to the weekend. That's great right?

 Yay!

Hope your Monday is going great, though.  

My weekend was quite busy. On Friday my youngest, Alyssa, and my oldest, Donell had summer parties in both their schools, so we had to attend Alyssa's first  then Donell's. Later on,  the kids took a ride on the canoe down the Donau river channel. I opted to keep my distance from that vast amount of  water. Even though they had swimming vests and everything, plus the water level was just above my knees, I was very distrustful of those rocking canoes, in case, they spilled me into those waters.

(that's Aly and Don in the middle)

Annnddd my son turned fourteen on Saturday. He had over ten friends from school come over, and so you can imagine how busy it was trying to satiate 10 hungry adolescent boys. Thank goodness the weather was super-fine and they took care of entertaining themselves outside in the garden.

By the time I was leaving for work for my afternoon shift everyone was fully watered and fed, save for Mellie, our dog,who was frustrated and excited and thirsty all rolled into one. Lots of activities and new faces popping in and out of the flat. Plus the heat was just too much for her.

I managed to write at least 1500 words from my WIP in the midst of all that was happening, and I'm really proud of myself for that. yay! :) 

How was your weekend? Did anything special?