Shauna Roberts's Blog, page 5

 Today's guest is author Linda Andrews, who is a scientist and lives in a haunted house. She writes in a variety of genres: historical fiction, historical romance, paranormal romance, fantasy and time travel romance, and science fiction.

Her "Love's Great War" series is made up of historical romance novels and novellas set around the time of World War I.

Today, she talks about her own family Christmas traditions and offers a free ebook of A Gift from St. Nick or The Christmas Ship to one lucky commenter.







My Holiday Traditions
by Linda Andrews<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-134238209 -371195905 63 0 4129279 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;} p.Body, li.Body, div.Body {mso-style-name:Body; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; color:black; border:none;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">n my house, the holidays are about traditions—family, food, and especially decorating. For me, the Christmas season begins when certain items appear. On Thanksgiving day, as our first tradition, I bring out a wooden nativity that spins. My mother started the tradition when I was growing up, and it took me 10 years to find one so I could continue the practice. </span><br /><div class="Body"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="Body"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fyskkmoIoec..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fyskkmoIoec..." height="320" width="292" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tradition two is the setting up of the Christmas tree on the Friday after Thanksgiving. That first night, we simply hang the lights on it. No ornaments, just twinkling lights. There's magic in Christmas lights.</span></div><div class="Body"></div><div class="Body"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tradition three is the displaying of my Department 56 ceramic villages. I started collecting them when my children were young, and I add a piece every year. My son is really good about helping me because the collection is rather, em, large.</span></div><div class="Body"></div><div class="Body"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tradition four takes place on the Sunday or Saturday after Thanksgiving. It's putting up the rest of the decorations from hanging the outside lights to finishing the interior decorations, including the musical stuffed animals, Santas, Christmas trees, and my Hallmark holiday collections. The children traditionally decorate the tree, so now that they're adults we wait until they are home together. As the ornaments come out, we share memories, and I take pictures. </span></div><div class="Body"></div><div class="Body"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One thing we did while they were young was to buy ornaments each year so that when they moved out, they would have memories and decorations to take with them. This will probably be the last year my oldest will live with us, so the memories will be tinged with just a bit of sadness.</span></div><div class="Body"></div><div class="Body"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tradition five is that the weeks running up to Christmas are the baking season (or the drafting of cookie slaves). I bake a little from Halloween to Thanksgiving, but my freezer eats the results, and so I have to start again. Over the years, we've added to the traditional sugar and gingerbread cookies, most noticeably peanut butter blossoms and Nutella cookies. Yum. </span></div><div class="Body"></div><div class="Body"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Traditions are important. <span style="color: #660000;"><b>To be entered in a drawing for an electronic copy of either <i>A Gift from St. Nick</i> or <i>The Christmas Ship</i>, leave a comment about your family traditions.</b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>~ ~ ~ </b><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia..." height="320" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German nativity scene, early 20th century. Photo by Andreas Praefcke. Licensed under GNU v.1.2.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-134238209 -371195905 63 0 4129279 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;} p.Body, li.Body, div.Body {mso-style-name:Body; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; color:black; border:none;} p.Default, li.Default, div.Default {mso-style-name:Default; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family:Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica; color:black; border:none;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.6in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style></div><div class="Body"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In Linda's <i>A Gift from St. Nick</i>, the hero brings with him several Germanic traditions, one which is the celebration of St. Nicholas Day. She provided this blurb about the book:</span></div><div class="Body"></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="Default"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hans Lubeck lost his birthright to a woman's deceitful games. Ten years later, he's on the cusp of fulfilling his dream of captaining his own ship. And another woman could jeopardize everything.</span> </div></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="Default"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div><div class="Default"></div><div class="Default"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Schoolteacher Lenore Kerrigan devotes her time to her pupils and good works. She has no use for a man or the damage he could do to her reputation. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"></span></div><div class="Default"></div></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="Default"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But this holiday season, fate and an island of matchmakers have other plans. Will they accept the gift of a lifetime, or will the past steal away any chance at happiness?</span></div></blockquote><div class="Default" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"> <b>~ ~ ~</b></span></div><div class="Default"></div><div class="Default"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Find <i>A Gift from Saint Nick</i> at Amazon.com <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gift-St-Nick-Hi..." target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div><div class="Default"></div><div class="Default"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Find Linda at: </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">~ Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/LindaAndrews&quot... </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">~ Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/linda.andrew... </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">~ Blog: <a href="http://lindaandrews.wordpress.com/&qu... /><br /></div></div>

Eleven friends and friends-of-friends and I are each promoting one ebook this Christmas season at the Website "Books on the Vine."

Our promotion is called "12 Days of 99¢ Ebook Cheer" and runs from December 1 through December 12. As you might expect from the promotion name, we have all dropped the price of an ebook to 99¢ for these twelve days. My featured book is Claimed by the Enemy.

The promotion profiles one author each day (check at top right of the page to see that day's profiled author), offers a printable gift voucher you can present to a person to whom you are giving an ebook, a contest for best cover, and a raffle in which you could win an Amazon or Barnes and Noble e-gift card.

The raffle will take place at http://booksonthevine.com/win-prizes/ starting Friday, December 12.

The ebooks on sale are:
Claimed by the Enemy by Shauna Roberts  (historical fiction)
The Wine and Chocolate Workout by Greta Boris  (nonfiction: healthy weight loss)
Fathom by Merrie Destefano  (paranormal young adult)
Lost in the Light by Mary Castillo  (historical paranormal mystery)
The Forgetful Lady by Jacqueline Diamond  (Regency romance)
Shimmy for Me by DeAnna Cameron  (contemporary romance novella)
Deadly Little Secrets by Marla Miller  (romantic suspense)
Sinking Ships by Michelle Knowlden  (mystery novella)
Unexpected Superhero by Kitty Bucholtz  (paranormal romance)
Murder on the Hoof by Gayle Carline  (cowboy romantic suspense)
Lush by Beth Yarnall  (contemporary romance)
Do You Believe in Magic? by Susan Squires  (paranormal romance)

Also, for the Internet-impaired, Books on the Vine provides a nice illustrated guide to giving ebooks as gifts at http://booksonthevine.com/how-to-give-an-ebook-as-a-gift/.

December 1 through 29, Fire and Ice Book Tours is promoting Claimed by the Enemy. Most blog stops are presenting a blurb, an excerpt, and the raffle to win Amazon gift cards (or a link to the raffle). A few have an interview with me or a review of Claimed.

Here is the blog schedule as of today:

Master Schedule

12/1 Fantastic Indie Author’s Interview

Stop 2 Lady Hawk’s Historical Fiction Blog

12/2 Coffee, Books, and Art

12/3 Romantic Chanteuse

12/4 The Naughty Siren (Interview)

12/5 Warrior Woman Winmill (Review)

12/8 Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews

12/9 Peace Love and Writing

12/10 Cryptic Reads (Review)

12/11 Confessions of a Bookaholic

12/12 Rose Wynters (Guest Post on the appeal of historical fiction)

12/15 The Best Indie Books to Read

12/16 Sexy Romance Reads

12/17 Bookskater

12/18 UK Romance Readers

12/19 Indy Book Fairy

12/22 The Complete Self-Publishing Indie Author’s Resource Site (Guest Post on the telling detail)

12/23 Alpha Male Books

12/24 Book Freebies, Contests, Sweepstakes, and Giveaways

12/25 Bestseller Books

12/26 Satin’s Bookish Corner

12/29 not yet scheduled
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If you want to skip the blog posts and go directly to the Rafflecopter contest, you can find it here.

Today starts some promotional efforts for Claimed by the Enemy. Over the next 28 days, you'll have chances to buy its ebook (and others) at a discount, enter raffles to win gift certificates, be able to read interviews with me and guest blog posts , and more.

Now if I can just keep up with all the events. My head is spinning already.

But onward, boldly!

Below I list what is going on today. I'll try to post each day in December to tell you what happens that day.

(1)  Claimed by the Enemy on Kindle and eleven other books will be 99 cents from now until December 12 as part of a "Books on the Vine" holiday promo. Visit  http://www.booksonthevine.com/12-days-hq to see the discounted books, vote for your favorite cover, and read interviews with the featured authors (a new one each day; I'll be featured December 3). There will also be a mid-December raffle (starting December 12) with Amazon and Barnes and Noble gift certificate.

(2) I will be doing a book tour through "Fire and Ice Book Tours" from today through December 29.
—Today I am interviewed at Fantastic Indie Authors.
—"Lady Hawk's Historical Fiction" blog has a brief excerpt of Claimed.
—Enter to win an Amazon gift certificate at my raffle.

(3) Drop in at the "Fire and Ice" GoodReads group for Claimed by the Enemy discuss the book if you like. Find it at https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/112736-fire-and-ice-virtual-book-tours.

(4) Like Mayflies in a Stream ebooks were 99 cents this weekend as part of Hadley Rille Books' eighth birthday celebration. (The Kindle link for Mayflies is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BA5GK4.) When I posted this morning, the price was still 99 cents. You may be able to get Mayflies or other great Hadley Rille historical fiction, fantasy, or science fiction ebooks before the online sites raise their prices again. See the Hadley Rille Book three genre catalogues at http://www.hrbpress.com/.

Don't forget that books make great birthday and holiday gifts!

Learn more about me and my new historical novel, Claimed by the Enemy, at the Indie View at http://www.theindieview.com/2014/11/20/indieview-with-shauna-roberts-author-of-claimed-by-the-enemy/.

Thank you to everyone who bought the Kindle ebook of Claimed by the Enemy when it was 99¢ last week.

In December, I'll be taking part in two blog tours. I'll post the dates and places where I'll be as I know them.

In addition, Claimed by the Enemy (Kindle ebook only) will be 99¢ from 1 to 12 December. If you liked the novel, consider giving it as holiday gifts to friends and family while it's at this great price.

If you'd like to host me at your blog, the blog tour below is still looking for people to interview me, review Claimed by the Enemy, or host a guest blog post. Click here and scroll down almost to the bottom to find the sign-up form.

These Kindle books are on sale today and tomorrow only for 99 cents each. The books include romance, mystery, fantasy, suspense, paranormal, and historical, so there's something for almost everyone—for you and for people you need birthday or Christmas presents for.

Kristy Tate   Stuck With You     http://amzn.com/B00KQ9JT5C
 
Jacqueline Diamond     Calling All Glass Slippers     http://amzn.com/B00N97L532
 
Michelle Knowlden     Jack Fell Down     http://amzn.com/B00LYNHVTU
 
Susan R. Hughes     Heart’s Desire     http://amzn.com/B00KTT0SUO
 
Louella Nelson     Emerald Fortune     http://amzn.com/B008S4PH1W
 
Shauna Roberts     Claimed by the Enemy     http://amzn.com/B00LNE709G
 
Kathy Bennett     A Deadly Denial     http://amzn.com/B00MAGGHKY
 
Kitty Bucholtz     Unexpected Superhero     http://amzn.com/B00D4FOLHQ
 
Michael H. Payne     Neighbors     http://amzn.com/B00O4CRCOC
 
Angie Ray     Ghost of My Dreams     http://amzn.com/B00JJGB8CA
 
Laura Taylor     Love at the Beach (3 books)    http://amzn.com/B00OJ47DOY
 
Debra Salonen     Judy Uncensored     http://amzn.com/B00NJCK5EC
 
Linda Carroll-Bradd     The Ring That Binds     http://amzn.com/B00AM0OQSK
 
GVR Corcillo     She Likes It Tough     http://amzn.com/B00NNXWFAE
 
Chris Marie Green     Shadows Till Sunrise     http://amzn.com/B00NHYS8WS
 
Barbara McMahon     The Bachelor’s Baby Promise     http://amzn.com/B006Q64YYK
 
Donna Fasano     The Single Daddy Club: Derrick     http://amzn.com/B00AN7524Y
 
Adrianne Lee     You Don’t Know Jack     http://tinyurl.com/l7awb7g
 
Jan Hudson     Big and Bright     http://amzn.com/B00AB4FW30
 
Kathleen Creighton     Demon Lover     http://tinyurl.com/puk7opn

1. The Kindle version of my newest historical novel, Claimed by the Enemy, will be on sale Saturday, November 1, 2014,  for 99 cents. You can find it at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNE709G.
2.  Also, I'll be signing the paper version of Claimed by the Enemy at New Orlean's new Tubby and Coo's Midcity Book Shop Saturday, November 1, from 11 am to noon with my good friend, bestselling romance novelist Farrah Rochon. The store is at 631 North Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy but has many other kinds of books as well.

Claimed by the Enemy is historical fiction with strong romantic elements set in ancient Mesopotamia.

3. Do you like to listen to audiobooks? The audiobooks for my first novel, Like Mayflies in a Stream (historical fiction), and my novelette "The Hunt" (space opera) are available now. ACX provides publishers with codes for free books to give away to reviewers. If you would like a free audiobook of either and are willing to review it honestly after you've listened to it, please contact me at [email protected] to get a code.

Today's guest post is provided by writer Kitty Bucholtz.




The world needs superheroes by Kitty Bucholtz We are in the midst of the biggest superhero craze the world has ever known. Superhero movies—mostly based on popular comic books—hit theaters every few months, more often in the summer. Comic book conventions are springing up in every big city and lots of small cities. Advertising for these, and comic books themselves, is increasingly aimed at women as well as men. The erroneous assumption that comics are for young boys is constantly challenged in today’s marketplace. But many people think superheroes are for wimps. They imply that people who want to believe in superheroes are looking for a fast and easy answer to life’s problems. These people are supposedly weak, unintelligent folks who are unwilling to work for a better future, but are looking for someone else to solve their problems. 
I disagree.
I’m a Johnny-come-lately to the comic book scene, having read my first graphic novel at age 38 after leaving Archie behind as a child. Superheroes, though, have always been appealing to me. Not because I was looking for a savior to make my life better as I sat in front of the TV, but because superheroes have always inspired me to keep trying.

While my favorite graphic novel is Kingdom Come by the wonderful Mark Waid (whom I met at WonderCon this year—shriek!), my favorite superhero is Spider-Man. The versions of his story that I’ve read are about a down-to-earth boy-next-door who tries to make sense of a crazy accident. In a believably human way, he first uses his new power for himself, hiding what he can do from others. But before long, he learns to use his power for the good of those around him.

Spider-Man can’t save everyone, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to help whom he can. And he does so with a sense of humor, not taking himself too seriously.

That is what I look for in superheroes. I want more role models to help me keep trying to do what I can, whenever I can. I want reminders that I can be more than I first believed.

After reading Kingdom Come a few years ago, I had the idea to write superhero books for women. I wanted to write about women who came to realize they have more power than they thought.  These women fight for what’s right, fight for their families, and fight to hold onto love when all seems lost. They’re strong and courageous, even though they get knocked down and beaten up.

These are the kind of women I want to be, the kind of women I want to encourage others to be.
The world needs more superheroes—and any number of them could be your neighbors, your friends. Youcould be a superhero to someone nearby. So why not look to fictional examples to encourage us to become our best selves?

As for me, I’m going to keep writing superhero books for women. I’m going to keep encouraging my friends, my neighbors, myself that we all have more power than we realize.


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Thank you, Kitty, for visiting and sharing your thoughts on how superheroes can motivate us.
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Kitty’s book Unexpected Superhero, book one in the Adventures of Lewis and Clarke series, is a free Kindle ebook on Amazon from October 8 to 10 and 17 to 18. The short story prequel, “Superhero in Disguise,” is always free wherever ebooks are sold.

Kitty Bucholtz grew up forty miles east of Traverse City, Michigan, the pretend setting of Unexpected Superhero. She met and married the love of her life there and waved goodbye to everything she knew when she and her husband, John, struck out for parts unknown. Their adventures included going back to school, changing careers, and traveling Down Under. Kitty now writes wherever John is working on a film. They spent a few years in Sydney, Australia, where Kitty earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing degree from University of Technology, Sydney.
You can find her online here:
Website: http://kittybucholtz.com
Blog: http://kittybucholtz.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KittyBucholtz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kittybucholtzauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kittybucholtz/

You can find Unexpected Superhero at Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D4FOLHQ/.

The following people won their choice of one of the six prizes:

   Vida Cruz
   Virginia Johnson
   P.I. Barrington
   Ralph Ambrose
   Katherine Jensen
  Ann Hendrix

All the winners have been contacted. If you are a winner but did not hear from me, please let me know.

Thank you, everyone who took part in helping me celebrate my birthday.