Monthly Archives: September 2013
Ten Awkward Questions with Aurelia B Rowl [Plus bumper giveaway!]
In this segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Please welcome Aurelia B Rowl, author of contemporary romance and young adult/new adult crossover to the blog today as part of her blog tour for Popping the Cherry!
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
I’d have to say Popping the Cherry – even though I will be forever grateful for Christmas is Cancelled – but Popping the Cherry was the first time it didn’t feel like a fluke, plus it’s in my favourite genre to read, full-length rather than novella, and there is a large cast of characters who were all heaps of fun to write. Plus I got to write it in British instead of having to Americanise it, and it is was signed by Harlequin UK’s new digital imprint Carina based purely on the first three chapters, which made me feel on top of the world. I finally felt like a ‘proper’ writer.
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
Hahahahaha. Okay, sorry, I’ll try to get myself together and get my laughter back under control… I’ll go with ‘cheerful’ seeing as children have killed my punctuality and neat genes. I am a good listener, but every conversation now has random interruptions from said children, and I’ve always been clumsy, yet elegant 😉 I hope I am considered generous, with my time and my knowledge if nothing else, seeing as there isn’t much else I can give.
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one):
Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
Only one? That’s not fair! I could do so much better with this set, maybe even a full house on the more ‘challenging’ days. Since I can only pick one, I shall go for slob, purely because I can’t do everything with two young children and writing deadlines so something has to give, and that something just happens to be housework. Complete klutz can’t be far behind though, considering as I gave myself concussion at the kids’ sports day at school, at least I still walked away with the prize. Pity I don’t drink red wine really, but my husband was happy.
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
Just one? I write books that I like to read, and heroes that make me swoon and fall a little bit in love. So yes… I have a soft spot for all of my leading men, even the ones seventeen years my junior, but sssssh, don’t tell 😉
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
I have a tendency to pull the facial expressions I want to use, so that I can then write them with some accuracy. Thankfully the dog doesn’t seem to notice, and if he does, he’s good enough not to call me on it. As for important scenes, no, I don’t act them out but I do get so emotionally invested I am often left either sobbing or in a foul ‘stand clear before she blows’ kind of mood.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
I don’t talk to myself out loud, but I do have a habit of staring into space with a vacant look on my face as the conversations flow back and forth inside my mind.
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Ha, easy! I choose Kate Winslet. She’s gorgeous, fun, bubbly, curvy, a hard-working mum…and she’s within hours of being the exact same age as me. I’m not actually sure which of us is the elder.
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
I’m going to go with my instant reaction to this, rather than give it a lot of thought, and say Hermione from Harry Potter. She’s smart, nerdy, out-spoken, a bit of a jobsworth and know-it-all, but she’s kind-hearted, brave, considerate, and fiercely loyal.
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
I very nearly opted for b) an unlimited supply of books, but upon further consideration, I shall go with a) a pen and notepad that never runs out, so that I can both stay sane and supply said unlimited supply of books. I get sucked in whenever I read my own work and tend to forget I wrote it, so it would work out beautifully.
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Ooooh, I like this question, and in the end my words could just as easily be said in a playground full of pre-schoolers:
“Please stop fighting and try to get along, it’s okay to be different and to like different things, and stop being so downright greedy and share with those less fortunate than you.”
Congratulations Aurelia, you have been awarded Ultra Brave Author status on the Braveometer!
>>Visit Aurelia online at her website: www.aureliabrowl.com or you can find her hanging out online, far too often, at the following:
Blog ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter ¦ Google+ ¦ Pinterest ¦ BlogLovin ¦ Tumblr ¦ YouTube ¦ Linked-In ¦ Amazon ¦ Goodreads
>>Enter the bumper blog tour giveaway via rafflecopter below!
>>And check out Aurelia’s new release, POPPING THE CHERRY, which you can buy via these stores:
Carina ¦ Amazon UK ¦ Amazon ¦ iTunes ¦ Google ¦ Sainsburys ¦ Nook UK ¦ Kobo
>>UK Giveaway: 5 specially commissioned metal bookmarks, 1 Topshop gift card, paperback books – Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, New Girl, Speechless, & The Eternity Cure.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
>>International Giveaway: 1 x $15 Amazon gift card, and ebook series packs including – Peachville High Demons x 6 books, The Dreamwalker series books 1 & 2, Dusty the Demon Hunter x 6 books, & The Sojourner series omnibus.
Winners of the 3 Wishes Blog Blitz!
I’d like to say a BIG thanks to everyone who took part in the Three Wishes Blog Blitz to celebrate the release of my new novella, I Dream of Johnny, both the bloggers and the people who left comments to enter the prize draws. I have now drawn the winners and they are…
Prize #1: Juanita Kees
Prize #2: Shari
Prize #3: Nancy Goldberg Levine
…You have been contacted and need to reply within 48 hours to claim your prize, so please let me know if you didn’t receive my message. Congrats!
Thanks again bloggers, it was fun celebrating the theme of three wishes, and i enjoyed reading the posts!
And now, to officially conclude the blog blitz, I’ll leave you with a little excerpt from I Dream of Johnny…
My third wish. Oh. My. God. My third wish! Suddenly realising what was about to manifest, I checked my reflection in the hall mirror and smoothed down my hair. The excitement I’d felt knowing my money troubles were over was nothing compared to the anticipation building inside me now. I left the lamp on the hall table and carefully looked around the house for my Greek God. Wow, I’d be able to bring him to the wedding and make Dan jealous as hell! When I next saw Valerie I would hug her so tight and thank her for this remarkable gift. Unless it really was just an hallucination. But I didn’t care. Whatever it was, it was absolutely fantastic and I was going to make the most of it.
I tip-toed towards the bedroom and heard a ruffling of sheets. He’s in there! Breathe, Mandy, breathe! No amount of deep breathing could have prepared me for what I saw on entering the bedroom. A man lay seductively on top of the bed propped up by the multitude of cushions, his eyes oozing desire.
“Mandy, my love. Come here and join me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again. He was still there, curling his finger in a come hither gesture that shook me to the core —not because he was irresistibly gorgeous —but because he was the total, utter, complete opposite. High-waisted shorts with suspenders stretched over a polo shirt, thick black glasses, a comb-over, a big zit on his nose, and —the sight was almost too much to bear —knee-high socks underneath sandals.
He wasn’t a Greek God at all. What had gone wrong?
“Who are you?” My voice shook.
“I’m the man you wished for, my darling.”
“No, no…I didn’t wish for you!” I backed away towards the hallway. “This is a mistake!”
“The magic lamp doesn’t make mistakes. It delivers exactly what you wish for.” He stood and walked towards me, arms outstretched.
“But you’re…”
“Jonathan Fortran Schnecklmyer. Your very own Geek God.”
The room seemed to spin and I held onto the wall again before dashing out and closing the bedroom door behind me. I raced towards the lamp and checked the screen.
Third wish granted.
I pressed the My Account icon at the bottom and then Wish History. A list of my three wishes appeared on screen just as I’d typed them. My eyes darted to the third wish.
Oh no. No way. One little typo or that wretched autocorrect and my wish had completely changed. There was no ‘r’ where there should have been. In my frantic moment of ignorance I’d carelessly forgotten to double check my spelling. I’d thought it was just a novelty lamp after all, but there it was, plain to see: I’d wished for a Geek God.
Buy the book via any of the following retailers: Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes, B&N/Nook, Kobo, Google Play, JB Hi-Fi, Booktopia, ebooks.com, Escape Publishing.
I Dream of Johnny, & Johnny, & Johnny [3 Wishes Blog Blitz!]
WELCOME to the official post for the Three Wishes Blog Blitz to celebrate the release of I Dream of Johnny, my new novella out now with Escape Publishing!
From 2nd to 6th September you’ll have the chance to win some awesome prizes at all the blogs participating in the blitz, including mine. All you have to do is follow my instructions below for winning the prizes I have on offer, and click on the links of any or all of the other blogs taking part (list is below) to enter their giveaways as well. How cool is that? Why is it called the Three Wishes Blog Blitz? My new romantic comedy release, I Dream of Johnny, is about three wishes, a high-tech genie in a lamp, and one very unfortunate typo that proves magic isn’t all it cracked up to be…
Three Awesome Johnny’s:
Do you have a favourite Johnny, real or fictional? Here are my top three…
1. Johnny Depp: Okay, he’s in Captain Jack Sparrow mode here, but it’s such a great picture. How can you not love good ol’ Johnny? My first memories of him were when he was in 21 Jump Street and Nightmare on Elm street, in his pin-up-boy days. Such a great actor who’s made a great career for himself doing things his own way.
2. Johnny Castle (played by Patrick Swayze): Ahh, probably my favourite movie of all time: Dirty Dancing. I love the forbidden romance between Baby, an upper-class good girl, and Johnny, a guy from the wrong side of the tracks trying to make a living as a resort dance instructor. Patrick Swayze was great in this movie (R.I.P.), his character Johnny saying one of the most popular lines in movie history: “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.”
3. Jon Bon Jovi: My first celebrity crush, I was so excited when I bought my first poster of him for my bedroom wall. And I must know how to pick ‘em, because this Johnny has stood the test of time. Still rockin’ and rollin’ as we speak, and I still love Bon Jovi’s music.
So who is the Johnny in my book? I don’t want to give anything away, so here’s the blurb instead 😉
I DREAM OF JOHNNY…
Getting three wishes isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when an unfortunate spelling error in Mandy’s high-tech magic lamp changes her wish for a Greek God into a Geek God. His fashion IQ is in the negatives, he’s clingier than cling wrap, and he has a penchant for breaking into song at inappropriate moments. Before Mandy can request a replacement wish, she has to put up with him for twenty four hours, and the timing couldn’t be worse – – it’s her friend’s wedding day, her ex will be there, and the God of Geeks insists on coming along for the ride.
Buy the book via any of the following retailers: Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes, B&N/Nook, Kobo, Google Play, JB Hi-Fi, Booktopia, ebooks.com, Escape Publishing.
Want to win some awesome prizes? Here’s how…
1. Simply leave a comment below and tell me which of the above three Johnny’s you’d love to have dinner with (yes I know we unfortunately don’t have Patrick Swayze/Johnny Castle with us anymore, but this is all about making wishes ;)), or perhaps there’s another Johnny/John/Jonathan you’d like to share a meal with instead?
2. Also, let me know whether you’re from Australia or International so I know which prize you’re eligible for.
Since this is all about 3 wishes, I have 3 prize packs! You could win:
1. AUSTRALIA ONLY PRIZE: just for the Aussie’s…
Gift box containing a selection of paperbacks, including: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Ahern, The Perfect Hero by Victoria Connelly, That Gallagher Girl by Kate Thomson, and Mounting Desire by Nina Killham.
Plus, handmade earrings from an artist in my local area.
Plus, an organic skin care pack containing body buff, body balm, and hand cream.
Plus, three postcard-sized magnets of my book covers – Fast Forward, I Dream of Johnny, and Starstruck in Seattle.
Am I generous or what? 😉
2. OUTSIDE-AUSTRALIA PRIZE: Sorry Aussie’s, this one’s for the overseas entrants only…
Two large paperbacks from Australian authors, including the very popular Man Drought by Rachael Johns & A Duchess to Remember by Christina Brooke.
Plus, three signed postcards of my book covers – Fast Forward, I Dream of Johnny, and Starstruck in Seattle.
Plus, winner’s choice of 3 ebooks from Escape Publishing.
3. WORLDWIDE PRIZE: Anyone could win!
Winner’s choice of 3 ebooks from Escape Publishing.
Plus, winner’s choice of either a 5 page critique of a sample of your writing, or have a character named after you or your pet in one of my future books (don’t worry, if you choose the pet option, I will name a pet character after it, not a human, although… you never know 😉
>>Enter now by leaving a comment below and telling me which Johnny you’d like to have dinner with and whether you’re in Australia or International. Winners will be chosen after midday on 6th Sept and must respond to the notification email within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.
>> PLUS, if you want a bonus entry into the draw, buy I Dream of Johnny and forward your receipt to me before 12pm 6th Sept at jtmauthor(at)gmail(dot)com with BONUS ENTRY in the subject line.
Once you’ve entered my giveaway, visit any or all of the other participating blogs listed below to enter more prize draws. You could potentially win a whole heap of prizes! Good luck! 🙂 Competitions close midday Sydney time on 6th Sept.
LIST OF PARTICIPATING BLOGS– WIN MORE PRIZES! Click the links below to see what other bloggers have written using the ‘three wishes’ theme, and see what prizes they have to give away!
1. Tahlia Newland, reader, writer & reviewer.
2. Jennifer Scoullar – Rural Author.
3. Iris B.
6. Ever On Word ~ The blog of author Danielle E. Shipley.
7. Georgina Troy.
8. Amber A. Bardan.
9. Téa Time Treat.
11. Cate Ellink.
13. S.E. Gilchrist.
14. Jennifer Joyce.
15. Words, Windmmills and Plot Wrinkles.
16. The Ecstasy Files.
18. Between The Lines.
19. Coleen Kwan.
20. My Written Romance.
21. Monique McDonell.
22. Becky on Books.
23. Sarah Belle.
24. Eva Scott.
25. Lily Malone – Contemporary Romance Author.
26. Writing Under Fire.
27. Flying Pony.
28. Nora Snowdon – writer of elegant smut.
29. Kerrie Paterson.
30. Zee Monodee – Author’s Corner.
32. Ms. Stuart Requests the Pleasure of your Company.
33. Book Babe.
34. A Slice of Tart.
35. The Official Website of Nicole Murphy.
36. Imogene Nix.
37. Lisa Swallow.
38. Lauren K McKellar.
39. J’aimee Brooker.
40. Wise Words – Book Blogger.
PLUS, my fabulous publisher has jumped in with a special blog post about three out-of-this-world book related wishes! A must-read, check it out here.
And remember to leave a comment below and enter the prize draw!
RELEASE DAY! … I Dream of Johnny
It’s here! The release of my second book! It was not that long ago I was celebrating the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, and now, seven months later I’m celebrating the release of I DREAM OF JOHNNY, my romantic comedy novella with a magical twist, out now with Escape Publishing.
If you like stories that make you giggle and leave you feeling uplifted and positive, then I hope you’ll check out ‘Johnny’. I love writing stories that are both humorous and heartwarming, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading them.
As with Fast Forward (which contained time travel 25 years into the future), this book has a slight magical twist, and a new sub-genre is emerging called ‘Romagic Comedy‘ which captures this type of story perfectly… set in every day life, but with a hint of something supernatural, yet not enough to be a true paranormal or fantasy book. In this case, think of a mix of the TV shows The Big Bang Theory and I Dream of Jeannie (yes – it has a magic lamp, AND geeks) 😉
>>Getting three wishes isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when an unfortunate spelling error in Mandy’s high-tech magic lamp changes her wish for a Greek God into a Geek God. His fashion IQ is in the negatives, he’s clingier than cling wrap, and he has a penchant for breaking into song at inappropriate moments. Before Mandy can request a replacement wish, she has to put up with him for twenty four hours, and the timing couldn’t be worse – – it’s her friend’s wedding day, her ex will be there, and the God of Geeks insists on coming along for the ride.
Here is what people are saying about the story so far…
“Pure, absolute fun!” ~ Maria
“If you’re looking for a light and quick read, pick this one up!” ~ Deanna
“Ms Madison is a brilliant author and I can seriously see her rocking the chick lit charts.” ~ Ananda
“Super adorable … A light, sweet read (like cotton candy).” ~ Cynthia
I DREAM OF JOHNNY is available worldwide and you can buy it from all ebook retailers, including:
Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes, B&N/Nook, Kobo, Google Play, JB Hi-Fi, Booktopia, ebooks.com,Escape Publishing.
…Come back to the blog on 2nd Sept at 12pm Sydney, AU time for a huge event I’m holding to celebrate this release, called the Three Wishes Blog Blitz! Over 35 blogs are participating and giving away great prizes, so make sure you stop b y and enter the prize draws. It will run until the 6th September.
Happy reading, and be careful what you wish for! 😉
JULIET MADISON 