The First Impression

About a month ago I blogged about the importance of a good title, in relation to articles and books. A lot of that post was poking fun at embarrassing headlines from newspapers, but the point got made – how something is titled is important. Because I’m on the brink of publishing my first novel, I’m at the point where I need to start making some very important decisions about not only titles, but the items that will make or break someone’s decision to buy my book. The items that create a good first impression. The things that will make my book stand out from the rest on an already crowded shelf.

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Wouldn’t You Like To Be A Liebster Too?

It happened – I’ve officially been granted the Liebster Award.

What does that mean you ask? It means that I am now officially a Liebster. It’s sort of a distant cousin to the lobster, only without the deep red color and fishy smell. And it’s a little bit like being a leprechaun only taller and less green. Oh let’s be real, I have no idea what it means, but I’m honored just the same that Emily at Adventures of Dog Mom, has bestowed this gracious award on all of her loyal subjects followers.

Here’s the link to Emily’s blog: http://wp.me/p2oq4C-2jP I recommend you check it out if you’re a lover of dogs.

Now this honor is not to be taken lightly; there are regulations that must be followed if you decide to accept the illustrious award. It’s sort of like living in a community governed by CC&R’s. They’re not so bad until you violate one of them. I don’t want to be a violator, so here’s my showing of respect:

Because I’m a rebel like Emily, I’m going to break the rules a bit and not nominate just 11 blogs, but rather share it with all my wonderful readers! So if you are a blogger who would like to have this award all I ask is that you tell people where it came from then copy and paste the questions below with your own individual responses. It’ll be fun. Go on. Do it.

Princess Diana. Photo courtesy Google Images

What is the goal for your blog? I want to make people smile and make them aware of who I am and what I stand for.
If you could meet anyone (past or present), who would it be? I don’t have just one; I have three: Walt Disney (duh), Princess Diana, and Ellen DeGeneres.
Do you have pets? If so, tell us about them! Currently I have one purebred yellow lab named Sherlock. In the past I have had dogs, cats, horses and birds.
What is your guilty pleasure? Hmmmm. Alcohol I guess. And fresh baked bread.
If you won the lottery, what is the first major purchase you would make? Sports car. Dodge viper probably.
What is one simple thing that makes you happy? Baby anythings. I’m a sucker for puppies, kittens, baby birds, any baby animal.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Right now my answer is North Carolina, but Tennessee is really pretty, too.
What is the hardest thing about blogging? Technology. There’s really cool things I see on other peoples’ blogs that I wish I knew how to do.
What is your favorite thing about dogs? They love unconditionally. I accidentally stepped on my dog’s tail with a spiked heel and he yelped but then immediately wanted me to play with him. It’s as if he were comforting me because I felt bad for stepping on him.
What is the last book you read? Mozart Murders by Loucinda McGary.  http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Murders-Loucinda-McGary-ebook/dp/B00JAZU5YW/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398893975&sr=1-10&keywords=loucinda+mcgary
Who is your favorite musician/band? I like new age music and I listen to a lot of David Arkenstone. I also like Enya and Celtic Women. I like Toby Keith, too and pretty much all old time rock and roll. It’s hard to choose just one.

 

So there you have it. Now it’s your turn. I can’t wait to see your answers future Liebsters!

Word of the Day: Latitudinarian

Fun fact about me: I rarely wear the color orange.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, May 2014. Princess Diana photo courtesy Google Images.

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Spring Break – Down Mexico Way!

It’s that time of the year again – time to be thinking of warm places, beaches, sun tans, getting a new tattoo, and adult beverages! It spring time! Time for spring break.

Cabo San Lucas

This month I’m hosting my very first guest blogger, author and good friend, Loucinda McGary, otherwise known as Aunty Cindy from Aunty Cindy Explains it all www.auntycindy.blogspot.com. Aunty Cindy and I will take you on a virtual spring break to Mexico! We hope you enjoy the ride.

Cindy is a chapter mate of mine at the Sacramento Valley Rose writers group. She writes contemporary romance with paranormal elements set in exotic locales. Her interesting characters quite often have unique talents.

She recently took the plunge into the world of Indie publishing, with her novelette, The Sidhe Princess, a prequel to her debut novel, The Wild Sight. Today we will be talking about her latest release, High Seas Deception.

Everyone who visits today can take advantage of this coupon offer of $1.05 (35%) off the already incredibly low price of $2.99 toward the purchase of High Seas Deception from SmashWords. Use coupon code UT63X when you order (expires March 10th). One lucky visitor will receive a certificate for a free download (Amazon, B&N or SmashWords). But you must leave a comment to qualify.

High Seas Deception is a story of intrigue and suspense set aboard a cruise ship. Cindy is no stranger to cruising the oceans of our great planet. In January she completed her 22nd cruise. Her frequent voyages to foreign lands provide much fodder for her stories. High Seas Deception is no exception.

Without further ado, let’s get on board ship, have a celebratory drink (make mine a double) and chat with Aunty Cindy:

Hello, Aunty and welcome to my blog. I’m very honored to have you as my very first guest blogger.

Cindy: Thanks a bunch, Patricia! I’m tickled PINK to be the first guest on your wonderful blog and I appreciate the opportunity to talk about my newest release, High Seas Deception. But I’ll also be happy to answer questions about any of my other works, or writing and publishing in general.

High Seas Deception takes place on the Mexican Riviera, the west coast of Mexico. Why did you choose Mexico for the location instead of someplace in the Caribbean or the Bahamas?

Cindy: You know that old saying “write what you know?” Well, that was the case in me choosing the Mexican Riviera as the setting for High Seas Deception. As you and most of my friends know, I’ve been on twenty-two cruises to date. Fifteen of those have been to the Mexican Riviera. But never fear, I will be setting future books in the series in the Caribbean and other great cruise locations (I’ve actually never been to the Bahamas, yet)!

High Seas Deception involves another of your famous Irish heroes. Why Irish?

Cindy: Two words — cute accent. But seriously, being Irish myself, I’ve always had a preference for dark haired, blue-eyed lads (think Pierce Brosnan), and my readers seem to enjoy them too. However, my current work-in-progress (WIP) will have a non-Irish hero. I hope readers will enjoy his story just as much as my Irish lads. 

In HSD your heroine works security on the ship. Why did you choose a security guard role instead of a more glamorous cocktail waitress or cruise director position?

Cindy: My hero, Malone has a blatant disregard for rules if those rules hamper his objectives. The end definitely justifies the means as far as he is concerned. I thought it would be fun to match him up with a woman who has a great sense of justice and following the law. Skylar turned out to be a good foil for Malone, and they both learned and grew from being with the other.

Again, in future books I’ll have characters with more “glamorous” cruise ship jobs. Matter of fact, the heroine of my WIP is Skylar’s roommate and assistant cruise director, Avery Knox.

The plot revolves around a “package” that your Irishman is trying to intercept before it reaches Los Angeles. What can you tell us about this “package” and why someone is trying to smuggle it into LA?

Cindy: Without giving away any too many spoilers, “the Irishman” (as Malone is called) is a mercenary with a reputation for being both ruthless and deadly. He’s a bit of a James Bond type who is adept at extricating himself from dangerous situations.

There is a smuggling ring on board the cruise ship Intrepid that serves as a ‘middleman’ in transporting illegal things between Mexico and California. Malone is hired by a third party to retrieve a package which could prove lethal in the wrong hands. Of course, the problem is that almost everyone is “the wrong hands” and they all would like to possess the contents of that package.

So, veering away from the book for a moment, of all of the cruises you’ve taken, where has been the most interesting place you’ve visited and why?

Cindy: They have all been fun and interesting in their own ways. I’d say one of the most interesting places I visited was last September on cruise #20. We sailed out of New Orleans and visited Belize, Honduras, and the east coast of Mexico. We took this cruise specifically to see Mayan ruins, and we toured a fabulous site outside of Belize City called Altun Ha.

If you ever have a chance to visit this area, do not miss the Mayan ruins! They are spectacular. Here’s one of my pictures from my visit.

Thank you, Cindy. It’s always a pleasure to hear about your travel adventures and your books. What can we look forward to following HSD?

Cindy: Right now, I’m working hard on Book 2 in the Adventure Cruise Line series. The tentative title is His Reluctant Bodyguard and features Avery Knox from High Seas Deception as the heroine. I hope to have the story completed and the book available online by the end of the summer. This will be a real challenge, so please keep your fingers crossed and good thoughts coming my way to help me achieve this ambitious goal. I know I can count on you, Patricia, to offer encouragement and well-placed threats along the way!

It was a pleasure having you as my guest. Good luck with the next project and have fun on your next high seas journey. If folks want to know more about you and/or your books where can then go on line for that information?

Cindy: I’ve just revamped my website, so I’d love for everyone to pop over there and tell me what you think, http://www.loucindamcgary.com

I also have my own personal blog at: www.auntycindy.blogspot.com/
And you can find me on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/loucinda.mcgary
and Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LoucindaMcGary

I love hearing from readers and other writers, and heck, ANYBODY! So please pop on by and say hi.

Don’t forget to enter the following coupon code UT63X when ordering your copy of High Seas Deception from SmashWords only.

So tell me readers, Aunty Cindy is partial to Irish heroes; what types of heroes do you like to read/write about? Where’s your favorite beach vacation spot?

Word of the day: Exonumia
Fun fact about me: When I was a freshman in high school I could run a mile in less than six minutes.

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