Scattered Thoughts, Random Musings

Goodbye 2014 and welcome 2015! I'm super excited for this new year and can't wait to see what it will bring. I'm also happy to announce I completed most of my goals for 2014 and there are just a few I want to concentrate on for 2015. My top 5 goals for 2014 are: 5. Find balance 4. Build my new  SweetHART  street team 3. Get and stay organized 2. Develop a healthier lifestyle and move more 1. Continue to improve my craft, build my relationships with readers/fans, and write, write, write! I have some exciting projects planned for this year, including a new contemporary series (a Blissful Brides series), a sequel for HIS BEDPOST QUEEN, and my second historical novella. More info to come on these so be sure to sign up for my mailing list . The words I will continue to live and write by in 2015: “The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.”  –Steve Young. Hope yo...

I would like to thank Carolyn Gibbs and Ursula Renee for inviting me to participate in the "Writing Process" blog tour! These lovely ladies are fellow members of the RWA/NYC chapter and published authors of interracial, contemporary romance. What am I working on? What am I NOT working on would be the easier question, lol! I have so many stories in my TBW (to-be-written) pile but currently I'm working on a 4-book series ( The Queen's Quartette ) that is written in parallel to each other. It's been more of a challenge then I thought it would be but it's also been a fun experience and I can't wait to share my "Queens" with the world.   In conjunction to the series, I'm also working on a special project--my first short historical romance set during the American Revolution (tentatively titled A SWEET SURRENDER). It will be part of an anthology with three other lovely authors. The research has been intense but also another fun experience...

Happy New Year! I'm super excited for 2014 and can't wait to see what this year holds for me. I have many things planned--both personally and professionally--and I look forward to watching them unfold and come to fruition! Though I've gone through enough New Year Resolutions to realize that they sometimes don't work, I do have goals I would love to accomplish this coming year. My top 14 goals for 2014 are: 14. Get organized 13. Open my blog to guest authors 12. Grow my list of subscribers 11. Continue to improve my craft 10. Become more physically active 9. Become a PAN member for RWA 8. Participate in an anthology 7. Attend more reader conferences 6. Start a street team 5. Travel more, travel far 4. Adopt a healthy lifestyle 3. Establish my direct publishing company 2. Self-publish 4 novellas and 2 novels 1. Celebrate the small successes and remember the positive moments I hope to accomplish most, if not all, of these goals. I plan to work ha...

My girl friends and I have this inside joke. We're major foodies and when we come across a delicious meal or dessert, we wait until everyone's gotten a bite before asking with sincerity and delight: "Are you happy?" It started innocently enough over savory garlic shrimp and has now morphed into our signature dining-out tagline. But aside from appreciating a great meal and realizing how food can in many ways be balm for the soul, I realized that I have a lot to be happy about this year. The start of the year began dismally when I lost my uncle and aunt to cancer within months of each other. It wasn't the best start of the new year and though the year was filled with many other challenges, it helped me put a lot of myself and my goals into prospective. I realized it was okay to take risks, to follow your dreams. This life we have is not only fleeting but it's also unpredictable so do what makes you happy. I managed to do a lot of that this year, and hav...

I can't believe how fast the summer flew! It's already August and thankfully the weather has been very bearable so far--both in NY and Florida, which I just got back from. Before then, I was in Atlanta at the RWA National conference, which was very inspiring, motivating, and informative, as always. I learned a lot, met plenty of great people, and took back a suitcase filled with books (seriously, it weighed 45lbs when I checked it in at the airport!). But I also brought back many insights and blogged about them at Savvy Authors, where I guest posted on my take on the Author Survival Guide: 10 Things All Authors Should Know . As we enter the last month of summer, I'm excited to be wrapping up edits on my debut novel, BECAUSE THIS IS FOREVER! It's a story of Mia and Nate--along with their son, Mikey--and their road to everlasting love. This family took me on a powerful journey and I can't wait to share them with the world =). More details to come on this stor...

So I'm starting something new: a monthly "What D'ya Know" segment that will feature (I hope) interesting topics that everyone just knows about but not really the why . We know yawning is contagious but why? We know in Jeopardy, they always start with "What is..." but why? We know cat's have whiskers, by why (lol, true story--a friend asked me why my cat's had such long whiskers and I thought that's a good question...). But because of my random mind--and nosey nature--I like to know a little of a lot, to be able to satisfy my "well, why is that?" questions. And I thought I'd share my findings. But be warned, I don't claim to be an expertise in any of this! This is just plain, ole Google research (which may not even 100% accurate) but I hope you find them interesting, fun, and enlightening... So, why is yawning  contagious? We all know we yawn when we're tired. But the phenomenon is being next someone who yawns and g...

Happy Earth Day! It's nice to see there's an official day/week to celebrating our planet. We only have one so we should take care. To help with this initiative of saving our Earth, I've made some changes in my lifestyle and I think we all should all do our part. Here are five easy things I've adopted--and you can too!--to being more green.  Buy a water filter to refill your water gallons/jug/pitcher Spend the .99ct and get those reusable bags for your groceries Opt in to receive bills electronically and pay bills online Switch your light bills to the energy efficient ones--they really do save on the electric bill!  Use matches over lighters--I love the strike of a match when burning my candles so this was an easy one ;) Here's to a cleaner, greener planet!

Happy April Fools Day! I'm happy to announce that BECAUSE YOU ARE MINE is now available! And no, it's no joke :) Speaking of April Fools, did you know that before 1582, April was the start of the New Year? Though there is no actual orgin of "April Fools Day", there are plenty of theories. There are too many to list but here are a few interesting facts that are worth mentioning: "April Fools" day was once known as "All Fools" day In Portugal, April Fools' Day is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before Lent In France, it was once called "April Fish" - Poisson d'Avril In Scotland, they celebrate "April Gowk" for two days In Australia, April Fools' Day pranks and jokes must not extend past noon Interesting right? But before you head off to send someone on a "fools errand", be sure to check out my new release! Now available! Betrayal cuts deep, especially when it comes from someone you trust. A...

I f you never learn the language of gratitude, you will never be on speaking terms with happiness.     The last is a father and mother kissing their dying little girl goodbye. If you are wondering why all the medic people are bowing: in less than an hour, two small children in the next room are able to live thanks to the little girl's kidney and liver.  

Romance Junkies is throwing a month long Halloween Contest and you're all invited! You can entered to win a $5 Amazon gift card and a free e-copy of my debut novella, Because You Love Me . Simply click on the icon on the right, read an except from my novella, and answer my trivia question.   Here's how to play: To enter contests for the newsletter, the contestant must send an email to entercontest@romancejunkies.com with the author's or publisher's name in the subject line. Answer the trivia question and please include your mailing address so if you're chosen, we can email the author immediately. Each prize entry must be a separate email sent with the above information.   There are more author's to discover and goodies to win. Click here to find them. (Hint, I'm the wolf with the party blower...)     Contest ends November 29, 2012    

Today marks the 6-month release anniversary of my debut novella,  Because You Love Me. And what better way to celebrate then with my first author interview with author, Nett Robbens! Please stop by and check out my take on "Love, Plotting, and 'New Age' Publishing" . And if you haven't already, check out Sabrina and Jake's story !  

The Winchester brothers are back - finally! And to celebrate tonight's premiere of Supernatural Season 8 , I've listed 8 of my favorite lines/quotes from some of the show's dynamic characters. Gotta love great dialogue. Enjoy! "I'm gonna fry her up extra-crispy." -Dean "Idjit." -Bobby "Your peanut butter has been in my chocolate for far too long." -Crowley " Son-na-va-BITCH!" -Dean "Yeah Dean, I think 6 seconds is too soon." -Sam "Balls" -Bobby "Death is our bitch." -Dean " Bollucks." -Crowley What's your favorite??

Thanks for stopping by and reading another excerpt from my short romance, The Flower Queen . Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~ The pounding came again and Gina jumped out of the bed. She was still a bit disoriented but ran to the door. The cool air of the hotel room brushed against her bare skin and she realized she was just about to answer the door in her underwear. She stopped at the closet and grabbed the robe hanging alone inside. The pounding came again as she belted the sash. “Coming!” she shouted. There had better be a fire, she thought disgruntled. Gina swung the door open and her heart skipped then dropped. She was now fully awake but words escaped her. Gabe stepped into the room, forcing her to move back then shut the heavy hotel door behind him. He appeared disheveled, a shadow of a beard forming on his hard, chiseled jaw. His clear gray eyes held a hard glint as frustration emanated from him. And despite her conflicting emotions, her body still ached for him in a way that ...

I've been tagged by Cindy Christiansen  to answer 10 questions about my next work-in-progress. Enjoy! About your "Next Big Thing"... What is the working title of your book? Autumn Rising (Book 1 of the Rose Sisters series) Where did the idea come from for the book? I can't exactly remember, but these unique sisters came to me and I had to write their story What genre does your book fall under? Contemporary romance, with paranormal an d suspensful elements :) Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Aisha Tyler as AJ Rose and Gerard Butler as Jon Boyd What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? When AJ Rose decides to reopen her aunt's old bed and breakfast, she enlists the services of a one-man crew: Jon Boyd. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Haven't decided yet... How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? Took two months to outline ...

After a 6-month hiatus, I'm glad to be back creating new stories for Tuesday's Tales! Below is an excerpt from my new short, The Flower Queen. This week's writing prompt is finger . ~~~~~~~~ She felt like a fool. Seeing the evidence of his betrayal left a rancid feeling in the pit of her stomach. If she hadn’t forgotten to eat lunch, she would have been sick. Gina stared at the picture, taken two months ago, of the smiling couple. It had accompanied the short email that had just come into her inbox. In no uncertain terms it basically read: Stay away from my husband . She deleted the photo from her screen and sprang up from her desk. Trying not to draw too much attention to herself, she walked calmly to the ladies room. Someone called out to her but she kept walking. The tears started to flow before she even made it into one of the bathroom stalls. She had never had her heart broken before and wasn’t used to the ache in her chest that caused the uncontrollab...

How picturesque. A beautiful scene for a cozy regency or sweet contemporary...                Picture taken at a Vineyard in Long Island

Tall, dark building against a cloudy, moonlit night. The perfect backdrop for a scary movie -- or a paranormal romance... Picture taken at Bryant Park

NOW...  

Imagine walking out in a public area when you come across a young couple locked in a passionate embrace. The man's arms surrounds the woman as he expertly moves his lips across hers. You walk steadily pass them, fascinated if not a little bashful by the sight. You steal another glimpse at the affection couple only to realize the scene before you is not that of a loving couple. It more of a woman who, just by the look in her eyes, is suffering miserably through her dates sloppy kisses. Well this is a scene I got the displeasure of witnessing. It was clear to everyone except the Sloppy-Kissing Gentleman that the woman found his kissing insufferable. The entire scene just looked painfully awkward and I couldn't figure out who I was most embarrassed for. But it was clear from their interaction that no connection had been established between them. I later realized that along the way our Sloppy-Kissing Gentleman must have forgot...

Welcome all, I don't know why I feel compelled to have a blog. Maybe it's the writer in me that needs to share all my thoughts, feelings, and mental randomness out to the public - whether people care to read about it or not. I have many "hats" that I have to alternate between and so far I've got this juggling act down to a science. Yes, I miss - or neglect - things but I still mange to hang on to my sanity. And isn't that whay's really important? It's not easy, rarely ever fun, but it's interesting. So feel free to follow me on this journey, mind dump, whatever you want to call it. I promise to keep you guessing ;) -LH