Midweek Mojo

First off, this picture has nothing to do with this post.  I just loved it and felt like posting it, even though it's grammatically incorrect because of the run on. Poor Floyd.  No mojo for him. 

I've become a household warrior this week as I get ready to go to the House of Mouse.  I'm one of those people who cleans only when necessary, but I'm crazy about coming home to a clean house.  I've had everyone in my house working like dogs to get the place spic-and-span, but today is the office/classroom.  Trust me when I say that it's a huge task.  If I took a picture of just my desk area, you'd be appalled.  This room looks like it's trying hard to get on that show Hoarders. (Incidentally, if you haven't seen that show, oh, you don't know what you're missing.  There's nothing like a heady dose of filth smoothed over with pseudo-psychology.  It's television at its best!)  If you don't hear from me in a few days, I succumbed to the avalanche of paper and books. 

On other fronts, I'm over at Blak Rayne's blog with an interview we did and at Elaina Lee's again today, this time with an excerpt from Love's Master.  Hop on over to each of them and check out two fabulous blogs!

It's time for me to go into the mess and I won't be coming out until the room sparkles.  Wish me luck...

Closing In On A Milestone

It's a gorgeous day where I am, and I hope you're surrounded by sun and the best things summer offers too.  I'm trying not to get down about the fact that summer will be over so soon.  Just have to remember vacation is in 11 days...think Mickey, Eeyore....there, it's all good now. 

I'm closing in on a milestone in my writing.  This morning I was another step closer, so that's definitely something to like.  I can't wait to celebrate that, hopefully this week sometime.

And I'm over at Elaina Lee's blog today and tomorrow.  Today, I'm talking about why I choose to stay indie pubbed, and tomorrow she's showcasing an excerpt from Love's Master.  For anyone who doesn't know, Elaina is the incredibly talented cover artist who makes the faces of my books look so good. She's the one who works the magic with the mess I send her.  She's also an author, so head over to her blog and check out what I'm dishing about and then take a look at what this multi-talented woman is up to!

All Sorts Of Goings On

So much has been going on this week!  It's been such an exciting time here. First, I received a 5 star review for Stolen Destiny from Reading Romances, and she made a videoreview for the book too. That made my day earlier this week.

Then on Thursday my publisher released Stolen Destiny to Amazon. Yay! I can't tell you how happy that makes me. :D

And last night I signed up with Kindlegraph, and now anyone who buys any of my books in Kindle can get an autograph from me sent directly to their Kindle!  How cool is that?  So if you're a Kindle reader of my books, you can request a note and autograph from me. Check it out HERE! I better start thinking of clever things to say. :)

Today I'm expecting my last package of swag to arrive so I can begin assembling a package to send to the event I'm attending in October.  :D  The bookmarks came the other day, and I expect the cover flats and coffee mugs to get here this morning.  I'll be including some swag in the upcoming giveaway hops I'm doing in August and September, but if anyone wants bookmarks, just email  me at gabriellebisset@gmail.com so I can get your address.  They're really great looking, thanks to the incredible work Talina from Bookin' It did on them.  (My photography skills aren't the best, but you can get a much clearer look if you click on the picture.)

I hope everyone has checked out Elaina Lee's To Urn Her Love and Sarah Ballance's Hawthorne this week on my blog.  For $3.00 each, you can get a good read and the chance to help people who really need it.  If you haven't yet, check them out HERE.

I'm at Whipped Cream Reviews this Sunday, July 31, all day celebrating their 4th Anniversary Blog Fest, so click on the banner and stop by to leave a comment to be in the running for these prizes:

GRAND prize: Winner’s choice of either a B&W Nook / WiFi Kindle / $150 Amazon or BN GC
Other prizes: Several small GCs and prizes throughout each day.
Every comment left on the posts earns an entry.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Weekend Creation Blog Hop, hosted by the terrific Shah Wharton. Click on over and check out the creative types who join in each week.  You can find some really interesting blogs.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  I'm putting my nose to the grindstone to get some things done before August begins.  My vacation is a mere 15 days away!

Elaina Lee-To Urn Her Love

Today, Elaina Lee returns to give readers a taste of her new book, To Urn Her Love, which she wrote to help the victims of the Alabama tornadoes and Japanese earthquake that happened this spring. I've gushed a bit about Elaina before on my blog because she's the wonderful talent who designs my book covers.  So in addition to being a wonderful artist, she's an author too, and a generous one at that.  She's donating 100% of her profits from To Urn Her Love to help the people in Alabama and Japan, so after you read the blurb and excerpt below, click the buy link and get a great story while you help some people who really need it. 

BLURB -

Caylie Abrahms bad day gets worse when the teen brother she's responsible for proudly hands her a gift.  Just wanting to show how much he appreciates all his sister does for him, Kyle steals what he believes is an ornate glass vase.  The gift is anything but however, and now Caylie has to find the owner of an urn.  Worst yet, she has to explain her dear brother stole someone's loved one.

Against all odds she learns the urn belongs to Rick Marshall, her best friend from college, the man she'd poured her heart out to and been rejected by.  She never thought she'd see him again, let alone have to hand him back his father in glass.  Will her resolve remain strong in his presence, or will she suffer another broken heart?

EXCERPT -

In silence, they walked the corridor flanking the stairs to the second story. Kyle stayed behind, digging through the plate of refreshments. They passed two doors and Caylie began to wonder just how large his home was. She dared not look around too much, afraid she'd grow jealous and feel even more insignificant than she

already did. There were no disillusions in her life, she knew she was poor. Never before though had she felt impoverished. Until now. However, she did keep a roof over hers and Kyle's head and they never went without a meal. Those were at least things she could be proud of. He opened a door to the left and motioned inside.

ʺOn the desk. May I ask first though, who you're calling?"

With a sheepish smile, she held up the card. ʺA cab, I...accidentally locked my keys in my car this afternoon."

He stepped inside and closed the door. ʺI can give you a ride home."

Shaking her head, she took the card between both her hands and stared down at it. Anything not to look at him and his way too handsome face and the body that proved he did hard labor. A few strands of gray stood out in his dark brown hair, slight lines appeared when he smiled, but other than that, the man was still dangerously good-looking. Only now he had a few years that took away that fresh-from-school look and a filled out frame that came with manhood. Alone in a room with him was so not where she wanted to be.

ʺI couldn't possibly ask for anything more from you. We have done more than enough."

ʺNo," he said softly and the light, musky scent of his cologne filled her nose as he moved closer. ʺYour brother has done enough. You did nothing but return what was stolen, hours after it happened, I might add. You did me a huge favor, especially since my mother happened to show up to get a good look at the urn."

"Something you wouldn't have even had to worry about if my brother hadn't taken it in the first place." She shook her head and put some distance between them, moving towards the phone. ʺI'm sorry, I can't accept anything else from you. Agreeing not to press charges and then giving my brother an opportunity to do some good...it's more than enough, more than I could thank you for."

Before she could reach the phone, his hand wrapped around her upper arm. His touch sent waves of longing through her body. Not wanting to feel anything stronger, she brushed his hand away, thankful he released her without hesitation. His eyes darkened with anger and something she couldn't place and wasn't sure if she

wanted to.

BUY LINK -

TO URN HER LOVE

http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=1011841&mode=product&product=4810596

Elaina Lee and Sarah Ballance Guest Post

This week, I want to welcome authors Elaina Lee and Sarah Ballance to my blog.  Elaina and Sarah are here today to talk about what they're doing to help the victims of the Alabama tornadoes and Japanese disaster that occurred earlier this year. Tomorrow and Wednesday, I'll be featuring each of their books, which they're donating 100% of the profits from to help the Alabama and Japanese relief efforts, so be sure to check back for a taste of both and links so you can show your support for this wonderful cause.

When disaster strikes, there's a moment when we forget all boundaries.  Geographic, political, and socioeconomic divisions fall, and there, for some of the most painful, beautiful moments in time, we are one.

Then—hour by hour, day by day, week by week—the vast majority of us lucky enough to do so will move on. 

As the headlines change our focus moves elsewhere, and save for the occasional media update, many of us don't look back.

Some, however, struggle to look ahead.  Here's a glimpse at the staggering numbers and the broken realities affected residents of Alabama and Japan must face every day.

ALABAMA TORNADOES – April 27, 2011

The mile-wide F5 tornado that literally sliced the state of Alabama in half stayed on the ground for an astonishing 300 miles—a record-breaking distance, according to National Geographic.  It also left a path of utter devastation in its wake, and recovery  hasn't been easy, as evidenced by these facts reported by blog.al.com.

·     25,081 families were denied FEMA insurance, including many whose homes had been wiped completely off their foundations.  FEMA's reason?  Insufficient damage. 

·        
Following the April tornadoes, FEMA deployed 523 inspectors to the region.  Together, they've inspected over 5,000 properties a day.  That's a lot of destruction, folks.

·     Of the $4 million in initial FEMA aid for Alabama, $3.1 million went for temporary housing alone.  

JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE – March 11, 2011

A June 29 update from Red Cross Japan reveals the following sober statistics:

·        
75,215 people from the three most affected prefectures are still living in shelters or other temporary housing. 

7,427 are still missing, their loved ones fearing the worst.

·        
119,776 claims for unemployment were filed between March 11 and June 8 in the three most affected prefectures.

·       
97,183 people have been evacuated from the area surrounding the stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. 

35, 514 have left the Fukushima prefecture, forced to start over with nothing.

You Can Help … Today

Authors Elaina Lee and Sarah Ballance, through the generosity of the Astraea Press charity program, are proud to announce 100% of profits from their novellas below will go toward Alabama and Japan Disaster Relief, respectively.  To help raise awareness, every comment on their individual blogs or guest blog posts (including this one!) from July 12 through August 8 will double as an entry into a weekly drawing for a $10 gift e-certificate or a free e-book.  Winners will be announced on their blogs and contacted via e-mail.  As an additional token of appreciation for your support, if you have purchased either of their titles you are invited to contact Elaina or Sarah for a free gift (while supplies last).

TO URN HER LOVE | Elaina Lee | romance | BUY LINK | BLOG 

Caylie Abrahms bad day gets worse when the teen brother she's responsible for proudly hands her a gift.  Just wanting to show how much he appreciates all his sister does for him, Kyle steals what he believes is an ornate glass vase.  The gift is anything but however, and now Caylie has to find the owner of an urn.  Worst yet, she has to explain her dear brother stole someones loved one.

Against all odds she learns the urn belongs to Rick Marshall, her best friend from college, the man she'd poured her heart out to and been rejected by.  She never thought she'd see him again, let alone have to hand him back his father in glass.  Will her resolve remain strong in his presence, or will she suffer another broken heart?

HAWTHORNE | Sarah Ballance | mystery, romance | BUY LINK | BLOG 

After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it took ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home.   She sought peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she found was an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she could right.

Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett never forgot about Emma Grace.  In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents revealed a truth that could cost him everything.  What he found gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?

SOURCES:  NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/110428-tuscaloosa-birmingham-alabama-news-tornadoes-science-nation/ | AL.BLOG.COM http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/06/alabama_tornado_recovery_fema.html |RED CROSS JAPAN http://www.jrc.or.jp/vcms_lf/kokusai_290611.pdf  | Photos by Elaina Lee (July 9, 2011)