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! 😉
Vote in the Book Junkies Choice Awards…
There’s a new contest that’s open for nominations until the 15th Sept 2013, so head on over to Book Junkies to nominate your favourite books. You can nominate just one, or several books in different categories. Help your favourite books get the recognition they deserve!
…And if you are so inclined to nominate Fast Forward (God bless you 😉 ), here are the details you need to include on the nomination form, simply copy & paste:
– Nominee category: select ‘women’s fiction‘. It would also fit under ‘debut novel (fiction)’ or ‘debut novel (romance)’, but the more votes in one category only, the more chance of finalling.
– Book title: FAST FORWARD
– Author name: Juliet Madison
– Book blurb:
Aspiring supermodel Kelli Crawford seems destined to marry her hotshot boyfriend, but on her 25th birthday she wakes in the future as a fifty-year-old suburban housewife married to the now middle-aged high school nerd.
Trapped in the opposite life of the one she wanted, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her life and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband, and hideous support underwear forever?
– Cover image: right click on the image of the book cover above and select ‘save picture as‘, then on the nomination form you can click to choose the file from your computer.
– Goodreads link to book title: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17239167-fast-forward
– Then include your name and email address to nominate the book (you will go in the draw for prizes!)
– Click ‘submit’ and you’re done! Easy 😉
>>Here is the link to the Book Junkies Choice Awards nomination form.
Thank you! 🙂
COVER REVEAL! Starstruck in Seattle
I just returned from the Romance Writers of Australia conference in Fremantle WA (post & photos to come soon), and while I was there, I got to see my new cover for the first time! It was such a nice surprise as it appeared on the screen of the Escape Publishing powerpoint presentation during the Awards gala after party. I love it! I think it captures the story perfectly, and I love how they included the skyline of Seattle. What do you think?
Here is the official blurb, and the story is released on 1st October…
Aspiring actress Anna Hilford might only have a small role in a leading television drama, but she longs to be dreamboat Karl Drake’s leading lady. Sick of being loveless and overlooked, Anna seeks the help of intuitive love coach, Lulu, from LuluTheLoveAngel.com to give her the courage and determination to follow her destiny. But fate has different ideas, Lulu has undisclosed power, and Anna is about to realise that life happens while you’re busy making plans…
Let’s do the Time Warp (again?)
Sarah Belle and I discuss time travel books at the Escape Publishing blog…
by Kate
When you hear the term time travel, what do you think of? Mad scientists, fancy machinery, and flux capacitors? Or do you think of second chances, rekindling relationships, and personal growth? A lot of fiction involving time travel revolves around the scientific part; the process of time travel and what it means for history and mankind, but time travel can be a fascinating way of creating a story that focuses more on the personal journey of the characters and how their relationships develop and change.
Time travel in romance adds an exciting element to the already challenging situations characters can find themselves in. It allows characters to question who they are, how they got to where they are, and whether they are making the right choices in life. Most importantly, time travel in romance introduces that compelling ‘what if’ scenario… what if I’d said no to that guy…
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Pre-orders available for I Dream of Johnny, plus a multi-book giveaway!
Just a quick post today to let you know that I DREAM OF JOHNNY is now up for preorder at Amazon, Amazon UK, and iTunes. Of course, you can wait until release day on the 1st September if you like, but for those eager little munchkins here are the preorder links:
- Amazon, click here.
- Amazon UK, click here.
- iTunes, click here (or search the title in the app store).
- You can also visit the book page at the Escape Publishing website which has links to all the other online stores it will be available from.
I DREAM OF JOHNNY is a fun romantic comedy novella you can read in about an hour; a great way to spend a lunch break, waiting at the doctors surgery (because they always take an hour don’t they?), read while breastfeeding or soothing your child back to sleep (hang on, scrap that… there are some funny moments in the book and I wouldn’t want you to wake the baby with a burst of laughter!), or catching snippets of on coffee breaks. Novellas are also a relaxing way to spend an evening, knowing you can finish it in one sitting and feel really accomplished that you’ve knocked over another book on that To-Be-Read pile! 😉
Here’s the blurb:
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 to 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!
Now onto other news… namely, news involving prizes, prizes, prizes!
I’m giving away a copy of FAST FORWARD and a heap of other authors are giving away copies of their books and swag over at Riverina Romantics. If my maths is correct there are 38 books up for grabs! What are you waiting for? Head on over and enter the draw to win. Oh, here’s the link.
And remember, on 2nd September here on the blog I’m hosting another huge giveaway with around 50 blogs participating and offering prizes, so I’ll see you back here on the 2nd!
Happy reading! 🙂
~ Juliet
Brooke Moss answers my Awkward Questions, PLUS a 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 Brooke Moss, author of fiction for adults and teens…laced with whimsy, humor, and heart…
1. Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
Generous.
2. 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.
Grumpy pants.
3. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
Gabe Parker, of Keeping Secrets in Seattle. Because he looks like Jesse Williams from Grey’s Anatomy. Um, hot.
4. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
Absolutely. All the time.
5. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Melissa McCarthy.
6. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Stop watching the Kardashians. They’ll never go away if we don’t start ignoring them.
Thanks for taking part, Brooke! You have been awarded Mega-Brave Author status on the Braveometer!
>>GIVEAWAY! To win an ebook copy of Brooke’s latest romantic comedy release, Baby & Bump, please comment below and answer the following question: Where is the most awkward place to meet a man?
*Competition is open worldwide & will be drawn Wed 7th August and announced in the comments. The winner will also be notified via email. Good luck!
Visit Brooke at her website, facebook, and twitter.
BABY & BUMP:
Occasional Marketing for Authors – what is it? [Marketing Mondays]
Today for my Marketing Mondays post for authors, I’m talking about Occasional Marketing. No, this isn’t promoting your books occasionally as in here and there, sometimes, when you feel like it…etc, it is about using special occasions to help market your books to potential readers, or linking your book to an occasion that matches the themes or feel of the story.
Do you have a book about babies or royalty? Then I hope you took advantage of the recent birth of the royal baby and did a spot of promo relating to it! This is what I’m talking about… taking something in the media, or using an established special occasion or event to ride on the hype and make your marketing more targeted and relevant. For example, if you did happen to have a book about babies or royalty, then on twitter you could tweet something about your book in relation to the royal baby and add the hashtag #royalbaby – this means anyone clicking on or searching for this hashtag can see your tweet, along with all the others who have tweeted using the same hashtag. (For more on hashtags and using twitter, see this post). See what hashtags are trending on twitter in the side menu… do any of them relate to your book? Most of the time probably not, but get used to keeping an eye on the trends and if they do, tweet!
Apart from royal babies, what other occasions can you link to in your marketing? Here are some ideas:
- The popular occasions that occur on specific dates like Christmas, Easter, Valentines’ Day, Australia Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve/Day, Queen’s birthday…etc.
- Other occasions and events like political elections, celebrity romances, The Oscars, The Emmy Awards, The Golden Globes, media scandals, and certain news stories in the media (be tactful and appropriate though, and choose these carefully). If your book is wedding themed, keep up to date with celebrity weddings and engagements and get in on the fun with social media.
- Even seasons of the year, months of the year, days of the week…etc if they relate to your book. Eg: my book The January Wish is releasing in—you guessed it—January. 😉
- If your book has medical themes you can even utilise certain awareness days for health conditions that are held throughout the year, and maybe link to charities or helpful advice as well, so you are being useful and not just promoting your book.
- Have a book about a reality show? Promote (especially using twitter) during the time a related reality show airs, and tap into the crowd of people already discussing it. Use the official twitter hashtag of the show, but remember; interact as well, don’t just think about promoting. Get some discussions happening.
- What about popular conferences and conventions? If they relate to your book and you’re not attending, look at ways you can still make use of the power of occasional marketing.
Here are some ideas on how to make use of occasional marketing:
- Blog posts – create an interesting title to catch people’s attention and discuss something relating to the special occasion, and filter in bits and pieces about your book.
- Share short excerpts of your book at regular intervals throughout the day on facebook, during the day of a particular event or occasion (eg: New year’s, The Oscars…etc).
- Post pictures relating to the event on your facebook page and encourage sharing.
- Find & share pictures on Pinterest for the occasion, including your book, and put everyone who repins your pictures into a draw for a prize.
- Hold a contest (blogs are good for this) relating to the occasion and your book. Eg: In hindsight, a good contest revolving around the royal baby would have been to get people to guess either the sex of the baby and put all correct answers into a draw for a prize, or guess the name of the baby, and whoever guesses correctly wins a copy of one of your books, or a gift card, or another prize of your choosing. What about a contest to guess which movie will win best picture in the Oscars? Think about the various special occasions on throughout the year and how you could make it fun for people. You don’t have to have giveaways, it can just be for fun, but giveaways do attract more people.
- Tweet with related hashtags during events and think up interesting, funny, or helpful tweets that help promote your book or your blog posts or attract new followers…etc. Not sure what hashtags to use? Search for a few variations and see which ones get the most action.
- Hold a facebook event. This could be a virtual way to enjoy an event that you can’t attend live, along with other likeminded people, and give exposure to you and your books at the same time, especially if you have a giveaway for all participating attendees.
- You could even hold a reader appreciation event in your local area with the theme of the special occasion and have your books available for signing, swag to give away, do a reading…etc.
Are your marketing juices flowing? To take action and utilise the power of occasional marketing, create an ‘occasion calendar’ and jot down different strategies you could employ around the time of each occasion. What occasions suit the themes of your book? Maybe brainstorm with some friends and help each other come up with ideas. Also, keep your eye out for popular topics in the media and be ready to pounce! (in a totally helpful, useful, ethical and appropriate way of course!).
Remember, occasional marketing is a way to connect with people who are more likely to be interested in your book, as opposed to more general one-size-fits-all marketing.
Have I missed mentioning any popular occasions? Let me know in the comments, and tell me your ideas for your own occasional marketing, or if you’re stumped, mention your book and the themes in it, and I (or another blog visitor) might be able to help. 🙂
Tweet this post by copying & pasting any of the following into a tweet:
What does the #royalbaby have to do with book marketing? @Juliet_Madison explains: http://wp.me/p1jJti-j9
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How special occasions can help you sell more books, via @Juliet_Madison http://wp.me/p1jJti-j9 #writers
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Authors, stuck for blog post ideas? Here’s some, via @Juliet_Madison http://wp.me/p1jJti-j9 #blogging
Elise K. Ackers answers my Ten Awkward Questions
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 Elise K. Ackers! Elise is a finalist in this year’s RUBY award for the romantic elements category, with her Destiny Romance title, Small Town Storm. The winners will be announced at the RWA conference in Fremantle this August. Good luck, Elise!
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!)
My romantic suspense title, Small Town Storm. As hard as it is to choose one over others, it feels like this book has always been in me. It’s a big, complex plot full of characters I adore, issues I’ve wondered about for a long time, and a love I would want for myself. I wrote it over a few years – there were many iterations of it, and it was my debut title with Penguin’s Destiny Romance.
It was published as an ebook last year, and is available as a print book from certain Australia Post shops. I still feel a swell of pride and comfort each time I look at it, and I still think about the characters often – the way one might recall old friends.
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.
I’m very generous with my heart, my time and my forgiveness. Probably too generous with forgiveness, but most days I’m zen about that.
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.
Complete klutz. It’s inevitable considering the crazy things which happen around me. A window once fell out of its frame, on top of me, for example. And I bruise like a peach, so I keep finding new bruises almost every morning.
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
Absolutely. All of the guys. If I don’t fall for them, how can I expect a reader to? They each have qualities I esteem in a partner, values I share or respect and they fight for what they want and who they love. None of them are perfect – they’re flawed, but that’s what makes them real to me, and hopefully real and wonderful to a reader.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
I’ll sometimes mimic an expression I’m writing about, or gesticulate similarly to a character, just to check I’m getting it right. This probably makes for interesting viewing for those sitting around me on the morning commute.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
No, but I do talk to other people. My parents and I often talk about my characters like they’re real people and we’ll brainstorm for hours. I’ll start to talk faster, my words will squash together and then I’ll completely space out, because I’ll start writing a scene in my mind.
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Emma Watson. Seriously, does anyone in the world have anything against that woman? She’s gorgeous, talented and full of substance. I would cheerfully be represented by her. Cheerfully, of course, being an enormous understatement.
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series (preferably not a day she’s fighting for her life), because I’d get to be a witch for a day and wander around Hogwarts! Magic!
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’m going to pick D, despite the concerning lack of all-important supplies. I’d have to make sure the conversation kept me amused for as long as possible…
All I can think is that two would surely become three over the course of the year, which would complicate an already – there I go, adding drama to the story again!
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Be kind to one another. I could expand, but that’s my core message.
Thanks for taking part, Elise, you have been awarded Ultra-Brave Author status on the Braveometer!
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>>Buy her new release, Ask Me for More, here.
When Olivia Law returns home for her best friend’s wedding, it stirs up a lot of unexpected memories – not all of them good ones. Liv has a history here she’d prefer to forget, and a life in the city she wants to get back to. She certainly doesn’t expect to find herself attracted to the bride’s elder brother, Cal O’Hara.
Cal remembers Liv as the trouble making friend of his little sister. He doesn’t expect to be faced with an incredibly sexy grown-up version. But Cal has been hurt in the past and is not prepared to risk his heart again. Certainly not for someone who is leaving town in a few days.
Nothing is certain in this delicious tale about escaping the past. Ask Me for More is a poignant story about finding love where you least expect it.
JULIET MADISON 