Double RITA Finalist Darcy Woods Visits with the Crew!

I'm thrilled to have my friend, Darcy Woods, joining the Crew today. She's a double 2017 RITA finalist for BEST FIRST BOOK and YOUNG ADULT Romance. Congratulations Darcy! Prosecco pouring for you. If you looking for her previous visit - click HERE.

Before we get to the juicy details-I want to make sure you know that Darcy is giving away one e-book for the International crowd and one paperback for a US only giveaway. :-)  

  Please make sure you comment and leave your email address for a chance to win.

MEET DARCY WOODS 

DARCY WOODS has held an eclectic mix of professions—from refueling helicopters for the U.S. Army to recharging bodies and spirits at a spa—but her most beloved career is being an author. She is addicted to happily-ever-after endings and finds all things metaphysical endlessly fascinating. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two tuxedo cats (who overdress for everything). SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS is her double RITA®-nominated debut young adult novel.

THE STORY BLURB

Fans of Jennifer E. Smith and Jenny Han will fall in love with this heartfelt and humor-laced debut following one girl’s race to find the guy of her cosmic dreams.

When zodiac-obsessed teen Wilamena Carlisle discovers a planetary alignment that won’t repeat for a decade, she’s forced to tackle her greatest astrological fear: The Fifth House—relationships and love.

But when Wil falls for a sensitive guitar player hailing from the wrong side of the astrology chart, she must decide whether a cosmically doomed love is worth rejecting her dead mother’s legacy and the very system she’s faithfully followed through a lifetime of unfailing belief. 

Nan: I loved the book!  5 STARS!! And look at that pretty RITA emblem.

READ A LITTLE 

Here is a link to the sample chapter. AMAZON

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon |Barnes & Noble |IndieBound |Powell’s

Also, SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS e-book is currently on sale (at an $8.00 savings!) for $1.99. Here is the Amazon link, but the sale applies to ALL e-tailers!  ‪AMAZON

A LIGHTING ROUND OF Q&A WITH DARCEY WOODS

NAN: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

DARCY: When I hear from you my heart sings arias. When I hear from you and my story has resonated in some way, my heart sings arias worthy of the La Scala opera house in Italy! Because without you, my stories would have no home. No ears to hear them or eyes to read them. And without you, I’m not sure I’d have the courage to continue putting one word in front of the other—again and again. So THANK YOU for helping me live my dream! 

Here’s a sampling of some fan art, including a German teen’s incredible collage of the City of Carlisle where the book takes place, a US reviewer’s beautiful graphic drawing with quote, and an Italian book and fashion blogger’s gorgeous constellation-themed nails. See? This is why I’m a bottomless well of gratitude!  

Nan: That is so much fun. I am envious!

NAN:  Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
DARCY:  I do! Or…I did at least in the early days of my debut release. Then I read a couple of especially awful ones—the kind that go from being a snarky review of your work, to a personal attack. So around the time I could taste the ash on my tongue from my eviscerated soul, I decided I was done. The price just became too high on my productivity. I mean, I could read a dozen wonderful five-star reviews, but that one nasty bugger seemed to have the ability to erase them all. And I refuse to give one person that kind of power! 
Nan: Way to go!

NAN: What has been your most rewarding publishing moment?
DARCY: Oh gosh, there have been so many, but I’ll narrow it down to two. The first biggie was when my ARCs went out and I received my first review. It was forwarded to me by a bookseller who runs a special program where teens get to read advance copies, and in turn, write reviews of them. Her name was Sophia. And I will never forget the last line of this thirteen year-old's review: “I laughed, I cried, and I never wanted the story to end!” Dear Lord I was reduced to an emotional mush ball!!! 
The second was something I was almost too afraid to hope to achieve—getting the RITA call. It was so surreal! I immediately began jumping on the couch while shrieking, giggling, and blubbering—simultaneously because I’m a multitasker. The RWA board member (Renee, I think?) sweetly interrupted me and said, “Darcy, I’m not done yet. I have more good news.” She then proceeded to tell me I was a double finalist. To say that I was inconsolably happy is a supreme understatement! My smile was roughly the size of Texas. 

Nan: Love the picture. And you deserve this honor!

NAN: What has surprised you the most about being published?! 
DARCY: How difficult it can be to find your readers! Are you guys nodding? If you’re not nodding, please email me every one of your secrets. 
Nan: Nodding here. Hoping you pick up a few new readers just from this post!

NAN'S GOTTA ASK: Which already filmed movie represents your writing style?

DARCY'S GOTTA ANSWER:  Bridget Jones's Diary! While there is humor, witty banter, and absurdity abound, at the core of the story (or movie, as it were) is a very real and accessible slice of humanity. Like that moment Bridget is heartbroken, sitting in the bathtub while crying and peeling off her false eyelashes from the night before? THAT. I seek the same balance of hilarity and heart in my own writing. 

FIND DARCY WOODS: 

Contact: woodswrite@gmail.com

Blogs: http://sweetheartsofya.com

Author Links:

Website|Twitter|Goodreads|Instagram|Facebook

Book Links:

Goodreads|Pinterest

DARCY WOODS WANTS TO KNOW: I LOVE book recommendations! What was the last book you read that made you laugh and feel all the feels?   

Comment and leave you email address for a chance to win one e-book for the International crowd and one paperback for a US only giveaway

Nan:  Thank you for hanging with the crew today, Darcy!  

Darcy's drawing will be open through Sunday - so please comment for a chance to win.

Get Lost in the Bermuda Triangle

Today I'm so happy to welcome debut author Kimberly Ann Miller! Congratulations to her on her first book!!!!

KIMBERLY ANN MILLER

Kimberly Miller received Bachelor's degrees from Georgian Court University and Rutgers University and a Master's degree from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She is an avid reader and particularly enjoys true crime and young adult novels.

She grew up in New Jersey and currently resides in Monmouth County with her husband and three cats. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel to sunny islands where she snorkels by day and stargazes by night. She always takes her Nook with her.

TRIANGLES

A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong?

In the Bermuda Triangle—a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who’s practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser’s suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she’s full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that these "alternate realities" could become

permanent.

She just has to ask herself one question—how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?

Buy Triangles:

Barnes & Noble        Amazon

GET TO KNOW KIMBERLY ANN MILLER

MAUREEN:   What’s your favorite holiday?
KIMBERLY:  Thanksgiving. I love that it's all about family time and being grateful for what we have.

MAUREEN:   Where do you most like to read and how often?
KIMBERLY:  I love reading on vacation, especially on the beach. I usually devour up to five books during a week away!

MAUREEN:   What’s the first book you remember reading?
KIMBERLY:  The "I Can Read" series are the first books I recall, and I loved them all!

MAUREEN:   Who was your favorite teacher in grade school? Why?
KIMBERLY:  Mrs. Margaretta - and I still keep in touch with her! She was my first and second grade teacher and is so proud of me for writing a book! She inspired my love of reading and learning, and for that I will always be grateful.

MAUREEN:   Do you believe in ghosts?
KIMBERLY:  Yes. I grew up in a neighborhood with a "haunted" house. Strange things happened there - doors opening and closing, lights turning on and off, rooms getting cold. The family even had a medium come and learn about the ghost and to help him move on.

MAUREEN:   Where in the world would you most like to visit?
KIMBERLY:  Hobbiton, in New Zealand.

MAUREEN:   I love New Zealand. What’s next for you as an author?
KIMBERLY:  Write, write, write! I will continue working on the companion novels for Triangles as well as some other middle grade and young adult books I have in the works.

MAUREEN:   Cats or dogs?
KIMBERLY:  Cats.

MAUREEN:   Hiking boots or high heels?
KIMBERLY:  Boots

MAUREEN:   What sound or noise do you love?
KIMBERLY:  The birdsong in the springtime during the day, and the insects and tree frogs at night.

MAUREEN:  Vanilla or chocolate?
KIMBERLY:  Vanilla

MAUREEN:   What’s your favorite dessert?
KIMBERLY:  Key Lime pie

MAUREEN:   What do you like on your burger? (and do you take your burger veggie or beefy?)
KIMBERLY:  100% beef with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, and mayo. Well done.

MAUREEN:   What do you do to unwind and relax?
KIMBERLY:  READ!!!!

MAUREEN:   Do you believe in alien abductions?
KIMBERLY:  Yes.

MAUREEN:   What was your favorite subject in school and why?
KIMBERLY:  Science. I love knowing about the world around me.

MAUREEN:   Do you remember your grade one teacher’s name?
KIMBERLY:  See above...Mrs. Margaretta.

MAUREEN:   Salsa or guacamole?
KIMBERLY:  Salsa

MAUREEN:   Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?
KIMBERLY:  I would love to invite Joey to dinner, because he's such a nice guy.

MAUREEN:   Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
KIMBERLY:  Tea, especially Chai with skim milk.

MAUREEN:   What color would you make the sky if it wasn’t going to be blue anymore and why?
KIMBERLY:  Purple, because purple is my favorite color.

MAUREEN:   Ah! Luckily I picked a shade of purple as the theme color for this post. (I actually chose it from the skirt on the girl on your cover.) What’s your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon?
KIMBERLY:  Relaxing in the sun with a great book!


GOTTA ASK -- GOTTA ANSWER 

MAUREEN: Have you ever traveled through the Bermuda Triangle? If yes, did anything unusual happen?
KIMBERLY:  I've been through the Triangle multiple times, and I'm sorry to say nothing happened other than having fabulous vacations! I've stayed in Bermuda and have cruised there several times. Each trip was amazing and fun. I'd recommend it to everyone!


KIMBERLY ASKS READERS

KIMBERLY:  Has anyone experienced anything unusual in the Bermuda Triangle?

GIVEAWAY

Kimberly's publisher is giving away a cruise!!! You read that right. A cruise!

Find the details here. But comment here too and show Kimmy some love!

In fact, as a special bonus giveaway, (and because I blew it and this post didn't go up on Kimmy's release date),  I'll give away one copy of TRIANGLES to one random commenter.!!! 

FIND KIMBERLY ONLINE

Twitter: @KimberlyAnnNJ

Blog: http://writersbytheshore.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000972287894

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13610402-triangles

Email: KAMillerWrites (at) aol (dot) com

Website: kimberlyannmiller.com

Eileen Cook

ABOUT EILEEN COOK

 Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in six different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. 

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com.  Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

ABOUT UNRAVELING ISOBEL

Unraveling Isobel

"Thrilling and creepy, super sexy, and so very hilarious." --Lisa McMann, bestselling author of the Wake trilogy

“Ideal for readers who like their stories supernatural but their dream guys human.” –The Bulletin

“Spine-tingling setting….Isobel’s sass and her steamy romance with her new stepbrother will help readers race toward the dramatic conclusion.” --Publishers Weekly

“This blend of paranormal romance, murder mystery and quirky, coming-of-age narrative offers tasty moments….Cook gives readers a fast-paced plot, a likable narrator, and interesting characters.” -Kirkus

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

You can read the first chapter here: http://www.eileencook.com/

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EILEEN:

www.eileencook.com

Twitter: Eileenwriter

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EileenCook.author

GET TO KNOW EILEEN COOK

Maureen: Thanks so much for coming by, Eileen! What’s next for you as an author?

Eileen:  I’m doing copy edits now for the book that will be out next December. The current title is Shady Sadie (although that may change)  This is the story of Sadie, a teenage con artist. When she discovers that she looks like the age enhanced photo of a missing child decides to pull the ultimate con…until she begins to suspect she may actually be the missing child

Maureen: Oh, that sounds awesome. What sound or noise do you love?

Eileen: The sound of the ocean. Or a lake. Any sort of waves hitting the shore. I find it very relaxing.

Maureen: Lucky you live on the coast. Vanilla or chocolate?

Eileen: Dark chocolate

Maureen: What’s the most romantic thing anyone ever did for you?

Eileen: My first year after college I was working in a lousy job. I didn’t earn enough to make it home for the holidays. My boyfriend (now husband) sent me a Christmas tree with lights and all the decorations.

Maureen: That is too sweet. What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

Eileen:  Thank you.  I know there are a lot of great books to read out there, I appreciate you taking time to read mine.

Maureen: Is Elvis really dead?

Eileen: I hope so, they buried him.

Maureen: Good point. :) What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

Eileen: Dance around the living room.  Then I swing wildly back and forth between thinking the book is brilliant to deciding it is terrible.

Maureen: What’s your favorite dessert?

Eileen: Homemade chocolate chip cookies, still warm from the oven.

Maureen: Drooling…What do you do to unwind and relax?

Eileen: Knit! I have a yarn obsession.  I love all the color and texture. I’m not a great knitter, but I can handle socks, scarves, and a basic sweater.

Maureen: What was your favorite subject in school and why?

Eileen: English. Who doesn’t love a subject that involves getting to read.

Maureen: Did you belong to a clique in high school? Which one of the standard high school stereotypes did you best fit in to?

 

Eileen: Drama geek.  I’ll include a photo of me channeling my inner Molly Ringwald.  I secretly wanted to live out the Breakfast Club movie.

Maureen: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

Eileen: My official answer is that I don’t read the reviews because I understand you can’t please everyone.  The truth is that I do read them. If they are good I secretly want to be that person’s new BFF.  If they are bad I wonder why they hate me. I may even consider making a voodoo doll of that person.

Maureen: LOL. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

Eileen: Tea.  I am the only person in Vancouver who is not a coffee junkie.  I am in love with

http://www.davidstea.com/   My current favorite is their chocolate chili chai.

Maureen: Oh, I love that one too. And Exotica. Those are my two faves. What does it mean to love someone?

Eileen: It means that special someone makes you want to be a better person. Real love is about feeling comfortable with who you really are and not feeling pressured to be anyone else.

Maureen: What’s your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon?

Eileen: Sleep in.  Once awake, grab the NY Times paper off the stoop and wash up on the sofa to read it while rubbing the dogs and eating a good scone.

            

GOTTA ASK -- GOTTA ANSWER  :)

Maureen: How does your day job inform your writing? 

Eileen: I worked as a counselor for people who have experienced catastrophic injuries or illness. It’s helped my writing in two ways. First, because these are people dealing with really hard issues like burns, cancer or being paralyzed, it reminds me to keep my own issues in perspective.  Secondly, counseling is great training for a writer. It teaches you to look for, and understand, people’s motivations. People do things for a reason (it might not seem like a good reason, but it’s a reason) and if you can incorporate this in your writing I believe it makes your characters more realistic.

EILEEN ASKS READERS:

This is my first time writing a ghost story- I’m curious how many people here believe in ghosts?

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Eileen is generously offering a copy of UNRAVELING ISOBEL for one lucky random commenter!

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

Sorry about the multiple publishing of this post! Internet Explorer had some issues with the HTML code that Word pasted in. I love that the only browser that can't parse through HTML created by a Microsoft product is another Microsoft product...

Janet Gurtler

Today I'm thrilled to be hosting YA author Janet Gurtler.

Janet Gurtler lives in Calgary, Alberta near the Canadian Rockies with her husband and son and a chubby Chihuahua named Bruce. She does not live in an igloo or play hockey but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot. Visit Janet at www.janetgurtler.com

ABOUT HER LATEST BOOK

IF I TELL, October 1, 2011, Sourcebooks

It was like watching a train wreck. I wanted to look away but couldn’t take my eyes off them.

IF ONLY…
If only I hadn’t gone to that party. I never would have seen what I did. Jackson wouldn’t have driven me home. I wouldn’t have started to fall for a guy just out of reform school. I could go back to pretending everything was normal. I wouldn’t be keeping a secret from my mom that could blow our family apart….

GET TO KNOW JANET GURTLER

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite holiday?
JANET: I love the idea of Christmas. I love that people are in giving moods and strangers on the street (and in the shopping malls) wish each other well. I love that families make an effort to get together. I don’t really like the commercial gimme, gimme aspect of it. I must admit though, I love giving people presents. I would give people presents all the time if I was rich.

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?
JANET: I love contemporary YA fiction (which is probably why I write it) I’m a sucker for really emotional stories, especially stories that make me cry. I also love really quirky characters like the ones that A.S. King writes.

MAUREEN: Oh, I love A.S. King, too. Do you believe in ghosts?
JANET: You know what, I totally believe in ghosts. Not the scary, rotting skeleton kind of ghosts in scary movies, but I believe that sometimes the spirits of people who have passed linger around on earth. I have a couple of personal ghost stories, one that still freaks me out today. Of course I don’t tell my ten year old son I believe in ghosts because he would probably never sleep alone in his bed again. Like him, I was intrigued but terrified by ghosts when I was a kid. Actually I guess I still am.

MAUREEN: What’s next for you as an author?
JANET: I am busy working on my third book for Sourcebooks, a story about a girl who accidentally kills a boy who a peanut allergy when she kisses him after having a peanut butter sandwich.

MAUREEN: Oh, that sounds like a great story. I can't wait. Finish it please. Now. Hiking boots or high heels?
JANET: Hiking boots. Or Doc Martens. Would someone please send a memo to the fashion police to have Doc Martens become stylish again? I love the look of high heels on other women, but I hate wearing them. I pretty much never, ever wear high heels.

MAUREEN: Fashion-shmashion. Wear your Docs. :) What was your favorite book when you were twelve?
JANET: Oh….this one is so easy! A Wrinkle in Time. I loved this story so, so much.

MAUREEN: Would you rather sky dive or scuba dive?
JANET: Um NEITHER, ‘kay thanks. Okay, but if someone made me choose at gunpoint or something I would sky dive. I am claustrophobic and I think scuba diving would finish me off.

MAUREEN: What sound or noise do you love?
JANET: I LOVE the sound of ice crunching under my boots in the winter.

MAUREEN: A true Canadian girl. :) What’s your favorite kind of cheese?
JANET: Mmmm. Brie cheese melted in some sort of sweet pastry. Heaven. Fattening, fattening heaven.

MAUREEN: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
JANET: I get kind of geeked out even imagining I have fans! I’d tell teen fans (see it makes me giggle just writing that) “BE WHO YOU ARE. Don’t try to please everyone else. Be yourself. You kind of rock.”

MAUREEN: Strawberry daiquiri or a beer?
JANET: Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri please. I quit drinking alcohol seventeen years ago. Wow! That’s a long time ago!

MAUREEN: Did you belong to a clique in high school? Which one of the standard high school stereotypes did you best fit in to?
JANET: Funny enough the group of popular girls in my first highschool called themselves, “The Clique”. I was on the fringes of that group, friends with some of them, not so much with others. I lost my way for a while and was kind of a pothead but that didn’t last too long. In my senior year I moved to a new city and high school and was a total loner/sad puppy. It was a very hard year.

MAUREEN: Moving at that age is so tough. Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
JANET: I do read reviews of my books. I’m not strong enough not to. I think I’ve “kind” of learned to filter reviews in my head. Not everybody is going to dig my stories and I try to be okay with that. It’s hard, I’m a people pleaser at heart. ☺ Luckily I’M NOT HER did really well with professional reviewers so it was nice to read them! At the time I’m doing this interview, I haven’t seen any professional reviews for IF I TELL. I must admit to being a little nervous but in the end, writers really have no control over the reviews. I think they’d only really influence my writing if there was a consistent theme in more than one interview of something I could do to actually improve my writing.

GOTTA ASK -- GOTTA ANSWER ☺

MAUREEN: Your website says you once worked as a DJ. What tunes should we listen to while reading your book?

JANET: Great question and kind of funny because I’m the type of writer who doesn’t play music when I write. I like to have total silence and no distractions. Same when I’m reading, although when I’m reading I can pretty much block out most noise. That said, I would suggest Eminem. He’s kind of an angry dude, but he’s pretty honest and emotional. Or even (I almost feel embarrassed saying this) how about some angsty Avril Lavigne songs. Not the Skater Boy stuff, but like the Good- Bye Lullaby. It KILLS ME! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHMDS7lolyc



A QUESTION FOR READERS

JANET ASKS: What is one thing you’d love to tell your parents, but are too shy/scared to tell them?

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH JANET:

TWITTTER: https://twitter.com/#%21/janetgurtler

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#%21/janet.gurtler