Showing posts with label award winning authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label award winning authors. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

London, Paris, and Chapter.Con

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Wow, was it ever an amazing week. Yeah, I'm gonna talk about a "few" (haha) things that happened, but I'm also gonna share photos. Not sure I've ever walked that much in my life, and I had a ton of experiences I'll never forget. Ready? Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

I apologize in advance for the long post. So much happened. Not even sure I'll be able to do all this in one day, but I'm gonna try. If it says Tuesday up top, but it's actually Wednesday, ignore, please. hahaha!

Here we go!

As most of you know, I turned forty back at the end of July. Well, my husband and I decided we'd celebrate my birthday by running around Europe and attending Chapter.Con. Here was our itinerary:
Saturday
  • Fly out at 9pm
Sunday
  • Land at around 10am, check into the hotel and get settled
  • Tour Buckingham Palace and have afternoon tea at 1:30pm
  • Eat at a London farm-to-table restaurant at 5pm
  • Go on Jack the Ripper walking tour at 7pm
  • Back to the hotel and in bed by 11pm
Monday
  • Board Eurostar to Paris at 7am
  • Tour the Louvre at 11:30am
  • Explore Paris a bit
  • Dinner at Chez Francis at 6:30pm
  • Tour Eiffel tower at 9:45pm
  • Back to the hotel and in bed by midnight
Tuesday
  • Tour Notre Dame at 10am
  • Tour Versailles at 2pm
  • Board Eurostar to London at 9pm
  • Back to the hotel and in bed by 11pm
Wednesday
  • Best of London tour at 8:30am - Included St. Peter's, Changing of the Guard at Buckingham, Tower of London, Greenwich, and the London Eye
  • Have food at a local pub
  • Back to the hotel and in bed by 11pm
Thursday
  • Tour Shakespeare's Globe Theater at 11am
  • Watch production of King Lear at 2pm
  • Unofficial meetup for Chapter.con attendees at the Hogarth pub at 7:30pm
  • Dinner nearby
  • Back in bed by midnight
Friday
  • Chapter.con at 8am
  • Did a little self-guided walking pub tour and had dinner at a pub
  • Film screening for the Lovely Witches Club at 7:30/8pm
  • Back in bed by midnight
Saturday
  • Chapter.con at 9am
  • Public signing
  • Butterfly ball at 8pm
  • Back in bed by midnight
Sunday
  • Fly out at noon
  • Land at 5pm
As you can see, we did a lot, and we saw a LOT, but it was absolutely amazing. I think we probably walked around thirty miles during our trip, but we're both in pretty decent shape now, so it wasn't too bad. Here are a few photos of our running around things (yes, we're a bit goofy sometimes):

Now, I want to talk about Chapter.con. I have so many things to say about this event, so try and be patient with me, please.

On day one, I wasn't sure what to expect. I set up my table with all the required things: books, sample booklets, swag, etc... But then, I didn't know what else to do until the keynote speaker, so my husband and I mingled and chatted with folks.

Opening the day was keynote speaker Samantha Young. She'd come all the way from Ireland, was so inspiring, and her story was so genuine. I loved when she teared up because of something a fan had said to her. It made her feel as though I could relate to her and showed her humanity in a very vulnerable way. After she spoke, we started the panels. There were so many people there that I didn't know, it was a little intimidating. I'm one of those people who will come over and shake your hand, but inside I'm totally cringing, wondering if you're going to reject me right away or listen too intently to my words and dislike me later--I have strong opinions, and I tend to voice them loudly (as you all know). It's strange being in a place where no one has heard of me or knows what I do. I get a very out-of-my-comfort-zone feeling.

But I met some of the most interesting people. Folks I'd known online for a long time, like Sophia Valentine (who arrived on day two), were there, but most of the people I'd never had much interaction with, if any. Let me tell you what, my fears were unfounded. Everyone was fabulous. There were people from all over Europe, yet I felt right at home. These folks instantly became forever friends, and we had a number of good laughs and some more serious discussions about books and publishing.

It was amazing.

Day two brought forth the fans and some of the other folks I was SO looking forward to meeting in real life. Gaynor Smith (from SASS and IBGW) and Chillie Martindale (from SASS) were there, and I had some real time to chat with the lovely ladies on Katie's Chapter.con team. Catherine Stine was the keynote speaker, and I learned several new things about her! What an interesting lady. Her bio could be 5k pages long, and it still wouldn't be enough.

By the time the Butterfly Ball rolled around, I was feeling one-hundred-percent at home and comfortable.

Even with the intimate number of people (authors, readers, etc...), there were several I didn't have a lot of time to speak with and wish I'd had more.

Then, something amazing happened, I won an award. It wasn't just any old award, and it wasn't an award for anything I'd written. No, this award was for the person who gives of themselves to the writing community, the person who goes above and beyond to help anyone in need, without expectation of anything in return but a smile. It was for the Most Inspiring Community Leader.


To say my surprise was genuine is an understatement. You see, I'd been lobbying for someone else to win that award. And I'd lobbied HARD. Why? Because she totally deserved it. Besides, I'm used to being nominated and not winning, so I wasn't gearing up for a big "holy crap, I won" type of speech. This led to me rushing up and grabbing the thing and running away like I'd been lit on fire. My words were stolen. I'm a little mortified, to be honest.

Now, I sit and look at that award, and I'm so tempted to put it in a drawer where I can't see it, so I don't give up or slow down in my efforts. I find that, oftentimes, human nature works against us, and when we win something huge, we tend to say, "Okay, that's it. I've done enough."

I sit here and tell myself, it's never enough. There's always someone out there in need of a helping hand. If I quit, will someone else step in? I'd hope so, but I'm not one to take that risk. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to expect someone to shoulder ALL of that alone.

I'm beyond humbled.

So, as I look back with fondness and tears welling in my eyes, I also have a heart filled with hope and joy for what the future will bring with all these lovely new people in my life. They're amazing individuals. If you ever have a chance to be groundbreaking and get in on something that will give you a lot of personal time with new authors, don't turn it down. Do everything in your power to make it happen. To attend years beyond the first isn't the same as being there when it all begins.

I hope you've all enjoyed my little post, and if you're new, welcome to the blog! I'm looking forward to getting to know you all better!

There are so many people I didn't mention above, but you're all in my memories and in my Facebook life! Depend on me stalking the ever-loving crap out of you!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Award-Winning YA Paranormal Shifter Series on Sale

Happy Tuesday! Today, we're talking about a lovely series you can start for free, and then grab the follow up books for less than three bucks. I know, it's one hell of a steal! Ready? Here we go!

From the awesome Tia Silverthorne Bach:

I get the winter blues about this time of year (yes, even in California... it's our rainy season, and I miss the sunshine). 

So, I thought it was a good time for a sale.

Plus, Chasing Eternity is slated to publish 5/25/16. It's the last in the series. For anyone who hasn't caught up (or hasn't started), this would be a good time.


Buy Links
Chasing Destiny (#3)

To sum up the series... it's about accepting your destiny and fighting with faith. Sure there are shapeshifters, witches, vampires, and angels, but it's also about taking what life gives you and making the most of it. With Faith, We Fight.

Reagan's fate was determined long before her birth, and she must study and harness her powers in order to face what has been foretold. Although she comes to accept her destiny, she refuses to let it define her path. To save the world, she must: 

Gather powerful allies.
Call forth a team of angels.
Form an unholy alliance.
Discover an angel sword.

Survive devastating losses. 


Along the way, Reagan will discover that strength comes from faith, from believing in the unbelievable, and a new battle cry emerges… With Faith, We Fight.


*****

If you've already read and enjoyed the series, please spread the word. Happy reading!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How awesome is that? Why are you still here? Go get your copy right now!

Have you already read it? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo 

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Author Spotlight #1 and a Highly Ranked YA Dystopian Freebie

Howdy, everyone! Welcome to week one of my author spotlight posts. I do hope you enjoy these. If not, let me know in the comments, and I'll reconfigure. Today, I'm spotlighting the fabulous Casey L. Bond. Get your clicking fingers ready, grab your coffee, and let's get rocking and rolling.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT


CASEY L. BOND

About Casey:

Award-winning author Casey Bond resides in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. They have two fur-babies, a cat named Nefertiti and an enormous puppy named Benson. Casey loves to read almost as much as she enjoys writing young adult and new adult fiction. Dystopian is her favorite, but all of her works include a romantic element.


Her titles:
Sin Series - winner of the 2015 Utopia Award for Best Serial Series
Temptation - Serial Series
Devil Creek
Shady Bay
Crazy Love
Dark Bishop - Serial Series (Rachael Brownell and Casey Bond)
Harvest Saga (Reap/ Best World Building award in 2014 from IABB), Resist, Reclaim, Catalyst
Prisoner of Prophecy (CHBB Publishing)
Liquid
Winter Shadows
Frenzy (TBR - Feb)
Fractured Glass: A Novel Anthology
Prep For Doom
Light in the Darkness
7: The Seven Deadly Sins
Chasing Wishes (Juliet and Casey Bond)


FREE RIGHT NOW:

Title: Reap (Harvest Saga Book 1)
Genre: YA Dystopian
Length (print): 270 pages
Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 - 87 total reviews
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle FREE

Blurb:

The remnants of the United States of America have been divided. From five enormous, technologically-advanced cities, the Greaters rule over the Lessers.

In the Lesser village of Orchard, things are not as perfect as Abby Kelley thinks they are. When the apple harvest draws near and the Greater’s engineered fruits become too much for one village to handle alone, reinforcements from neighboring villages are called upon.

Having to choose between her best friend, whom she has no romantic feelings for, and mysterious newcomer Crew, Abby finds herself in the middle of a harvest that she had no intention of becoming a part of. She becomes involved in a situation that threatens the strict rule of the Greaters, and just might give the Lessers hope for a better tomorrow. But, can she help the Lessers without losing Crew? And if she chooses Crew, will she lose her best friend?

Social Media Stuffs:

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  IG  ~  GR  ~  G+  ~  Amazon  ~  Pinterest 

I do hope you give her a follow, and I hope you grab Reap! I gave it 4 stars, and it's been edited since my review went live.

Let me know what you think!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Fallen Sorcery Collection

Happy Thursday, everyone! I can't even!!!! You're never gonna believe who got into the first ever paranormal/dystopian romance Fallen Sorcery collection releasing end of next year. That's right! ME!

Think I'm a little excited?

Yeah, that's an understatement.

You can get updates about the releases (and several awesome goodies) by subscribing to the newsletter here. First one will be published September of 2016.

Give us a like on Facebook and a follow on Twitter!

Here's the list of AMAZING authors in the collection:
USA Today Bestselling Author REBECCA HAMILTON
Amazon Bestselling Author SYLVIA FROST
USA Today Bestselling Author APRYL BAKER

USA Today Bestselling Author RAINY KAYE writing with NATASHA LARRY
USA Today Bestselling Authors CONNER KRESSLEY & REBECCA HAMILTON
USA Today Bestselling Author JC ANDRIJESKI
USA Today Bestselling Author CONNER KRESSLEY
Amazon Bestselling Author LISA SWALLOW
USA Today Bestselling Author NOREE COSPER
USA Today Bestselling Author ANGELA FRISTOE
Amazon Bestselling & Award Winning Author J.E. TAYLOR
Amazon Bestselling Author SHANNON ECKRICH
Amazon Bestselling Author AMY LEE BURGESS
Amazon Bestselling Author HEATHER MARIE ADKINS
Amazon Bestselling Author JARET MARTENS
Award Winning Author JO MICHAELS

Hello! How cool is that? 

I do hope you hopped on board with us and are looking forward to all the awesome.

What do you think? Are you excited, too?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo