SWEET AUTHOR CONTESTS +++ More Giveaways!

On my sidebar under Some Friends I have the links for The Sweetest Romances Yahoo Group and The Sweetest Romance Authors Blog

Also, you can chat with the Sweet Authors at the Java Junction at Coffee Time Romance.  In addition to threads to comment on there are Monthly chats the second Thursday of each month, except November and December.
NEWSLETTER INFO:  To keep up with a great group of Sweet authors -Sign up for the  Sweetest Newsletter at:  thesweetestromanceATgmail.com

Here are some SWEET AUTHOR CONTESTS:

Author Anne Patrick is having a Giveaway at her blog for her book Journey to Redemption. Ends November 27, 2009.

Rhonda Gibb Hinrichsen has two give-aways going on this month. First, anyone who purchases her book, MISSING, by November 30 can receive a free, personalized children's story by e-mail. Second--this one goes through December--anyone who joins her mailing list by December 27 will be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Olive Garden! Visit Rhonda at her website to check out these great Giveaways!

Click here for an easy entry to win a Kindle!

Here is another Contest at CataRomance Singles Titles

A blog from a Man's perspective and Enter to win a copy of Michael Baron’s latest novel WHEN YOU WENT AWAY, by simply commenting or leaving a question for Mr. Baron.  A winner will be chosen randomly on November 14.

GIVEAWAY - FIVE Copies of THE GATE HOUSE by Nelson DeMille

 More thanks to Hachette and to Valerie for this giveaway!
 
THE GATE HOUSE by Nelson DeMille

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille delivers the long-awaited follow-up to his classic novel The Gold Coast. When John Sutter's aristocratic wife killed her mafia don lover, John left America and set out in his sailboat on a three-year journey around the world, eventually settling in London. Now, ten years later, he has come home to the Gold Coast, that stretch of land on the North Shore of Long Island that once held the greatest concentration of wealth and power in America, to attend the imminent funeral of an old family servant.

Nelson DeMille is also the author of Wild Fire, Night Fall, Up Country, The Lion's Game, Plum Island, The Charm School, Word of Honor, The Talbot Odyssey, Cathedral, and By the Rivers of Babylon. He lives on Long Island, New York.

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY:

1. Comment here telling me what interests you about this book. Please include your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

2. For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For another entry, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

4. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once. (This method is used to make it easier to put the entries into the random generator!)

(Three total entries possible.)

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.
* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.
* This contest will close Midnight (Central) on Novmeber  27, 2009. The winners will be randomly selected from all entries.

More "Other" Giveaways- One for AUTHORS!

CATANETWORK CONTESTS:
Find out more about** award winning author Karen White** and win a
copy of her novel THE GIRL ON LEGARE STREET by commenting on her
interview at SingleTitles.com http://singletitles.com/?p=2728  ends November 14, 2009.

SPREAD THE WORD CONTEST for authors of romance, thrillers and mysteries
Win free advertising on the prestigious SingleTitles.com website just by
spreading the word about the new and improved Single Titles!
http://singletitles.com/?p=2715  Ends November 20, 2009


Froggy's Contests:

To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt - ends November 27.


J. Kaye's Book Blog!  Lots of November Giveaways!

1. THE LOVE REVOLUTION by Joyce Meyer
2. END THE FED by Ron Paul
3. CHOSEN TO DIE by Lisa Jackson
4. BOUND TO SHADOWS by Keri Arthur
5. THE APPLE by Penelope Holt
6. BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN by David Foster Wallace
7. THE COOPERATING WITNESS by Barbara Laken
8. Four Copies of BRANDED BY THE SHERIFF by Delores Fossen
9. 9 DRAGONS by Michael Connelly
10. THE IMPOSTOR’S DAUGHTER: A TRUE MEMOIR by Laurie Sandell
11. TRUE COLORS by Kristin Hannah
12. TRUE COMPASS: A MEMOIR by Edward M. Kennedy
13. HIS EYES by Reneè Carter
14. MY SOUL TO TAKE by Rachel Vincent
15. TOXIC FRIENDS by Susan Shapiro Barash

 Just Another Blog Tour - check the Giveaways on the left sidebar!

Revenge of the Book Nerds Contests:

Pendragon's Banner by Helen Hollick ends November 15

Wild Blue Under by Judi Fennell ends November 15


Starting Fresh has lots of Giveaways on the left sidebar!

Interview Chat with Author Carol North - PART ONE- The Writing Process!

Please help me welcome Carol North for this interview series.

PART ONE - QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR WRITING PROCESS:

Martha: Carol, you now have three books out. Of course the first question is: What made you want to write in the first place?

Carol: One of my earliest memories is declaring, "I'm going to be a writer when I grow up."

It might sound corny but I believe it's my "soul bent." By that I mean being born with an inclination toward becoming a writer, if only because my fingers fit the computer keys and I have a run-away imagination. Or maybe it's genetic. Writers, artists, readers, and warriors abound on both sides of my family. The warrior part is needed to tough it out until publication. For whatever reasons, writing comes easy to me.

I believe. however, anyone devoted to the idea can be published. For some it may take longer or require more effort. If being a writer is your dream, you can make it come true.

M: I think a run-away imagination sure helps. I love the warrior part though to tough it out.

Would you say you write from experiences or imagination?

Carol: My experiences, the experiences of others, and images fire my imagination. For instance, Eternally His was inspired by working as a bridal consultant. I wanted to share the beauty of the bridal salon environment. The model for the Victorian bride ghost was a doll in a Franklin Mint advertisement.

M: That is very cool. Since my daughter recently got married I can agree that there is beauty in the salon environment. But you took it the extra step to create your ghostly bride.

Did you need any help staying motivated or getting any element of your stories to cooperate?

Carol: I probably do, but don't notice because of my training. I'm fortunate to have more than 20 years experience as a business and technical writer from which to draw. Early on, I realized a client won't pay you while you're having writer's block or waiting for the muse to sit on your shoulder, so I trained myself to spend every minute of my writing time being productive. 

If I'm stuck in one area, I move to another. For example, from writing to research. Webbing and mind or idea mapping are techniques I successfully use to get back on track. The techniques are especially useful when plotting stories.

M: I’ve never heard of the term “webbing.” What is that?

Carol: It's a brainstorming technique basically the same as mind or idea mapping; it just goes be a different name. You start by drawing a circle in the middle of the paper. Write a name or term in the circle. Draw another circle and connect the two with a line. Write the first thing that comes to mind in the second circle. Keep doing that until you run out of ideas for the new circles. When done, you'll see your subconscious mind has given you a lot of ideas for continuing your story or writing a new one.

M: That sounds like an awesome tool.

Your three novels are all contemporaries but in different genres: paranormal, sci fi and straight contemporary. Do you have plans to write in any other genres?

Carol: Yes, 20th century historical. My next book begins in 1910 and covers three decades of the heroine's life. I have an urban fantasy novella, "Gifts for the Goddess," under contract. For me, the story idea comes first, rather than genre preference.

M: Wow – you are across the board. That is wonderful.

Do you enjoy promoting your book and do you do anything special to promote?

Carol: After spending many months writing a book, the characters become like family. Yes, I enjoy promoting because it's an opportunity to talk about my "family."

I have fun making promotional graphics, like excerpt booklets, bookmarks, and bookplates. My most successful promotions are contests for tees and tote bags decorated with covers from my books. I've been told people are trying to win the entire set.

M: Ha! Promoting the “family” eh?? Yes I’ve heard the totes are popular and we are pleased that you are offering two as Giveaways during this interview series. Thank you.

Did you have any input in getting the covers of your books?

Carol: Publishers provide to their authors "cover information" forms. The forms include questions about the location and time period of the story; and physical attributes of the main characters, such as hair color, build, typical attire (formal or informal). The rest of the questions are more conceptual: genre, tone of the story, symbolical objects in the story, and so on. 

An author friend said to me, "The cover gods have smiled on you." I agree and am happy with all my covers. They tell the stories as much as the computer files and the pages between the covers do.

M: Yes I think the cover gods have smiled on you. I like each one.

CONTINUE THE INTERVIEW TOMORROW NOVEMBER 4, 2009 with Crystal at My Reading Room!

REMEMBER TO ENTER THE TOTE GIVEAWAY AT THIS LINK.  Comment on this interview for extra entry. And check out the Review post and comment there for another extra entry!

Review of Love's Reflection by Carol North

Title: Love’s Reflection

Author: Carol North
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Publisher: Class Act Books
BUY LINK
ISBN:  978-1-935048-61-9
           1-935048-61-9
Price: ebook $3.99
          Print $12.49

Rating: 4.75 of 5.0
Heat Rating: Sultry (Sexual references and a few explicit scenes.)

Author Website:  Escape Into A Story

Blurb: Alpha is every man's fantasy woman: pure and untouched, low-maintenance, obedient, beautiful, anatomically perfect. She's a robot, created by Dr. Cort Hirsch in the image of his unrequited love interest Zoe Parker, film superstar.

When his robot refuses to clean the bathroom until he provides waterproof gloves to protect her hands, the hunky scientist realizes there may be some flaws in her design.

Alpha, Zoe, and Cort are thrown together when Zoe receives death threats and Alpha is used as the bait to catch the stalker.

Cort's passion is consummated, but by which female?

REVIEW:
I applaud Ms. North for another well written, engaging and fun romance. I have been consistently impressed with Ms. North’s versatility.

Although Alpha is a created robot, she “evolves” or trains herself to become almost human! She is able to see the positive and negative characteristics of others, especially Zoe, for whom she is a double. I hesitate to say too much about the characteristics that Alpha adopts as I don’t want to spoil the story!

Cort is almost a “scientist geek” except he is really a hunk who happens to be a genius in his field. Others do not readily see his sexy potential because he is so absorbed with his research project. His other obsession is the gorgeous superstar Zoe Parker.

Zoe is a very self absorbed actress on the verge of alcoholism. She may be a beauty but in her case it is only skin deep!

When Cort agrees to allow Alpha to move in public as Zoe’s double the interaction among the three of them becomes particularly interesting!! This story had me chuckling at guessing what was going to happen, particularly as Alpha “matures” in her socialization!

This story has a bit more sexual heat and raw language than Ms. North’s other books. However, I did not find it offensive in the overall picture as it fit well with the plot and characters!

I have read three different novels by Ms. North: Eternally His, a contemporary paranormal, Miss Bisque and the Colonel, a contemporary women’s novel and Love’s Reflection, this fun sci-fi contemporary. There is a very clean and flowing style to Ms. North’s writing. Each book has a unique plot and Ms. North’s is able to capture or portray the "feel" of each story. Eternally His had an ethereal sense to it; Miss Bisque has a lyrical artsy feel; and Love's Reflection has a crisp humorous bent. I think that is pretty remarkable. The fine quality of writing comes through with an individual essence fitting each story!

It appears to me that you can’t miss reading enjoyment if you pick up any of Ms. North’s novels!! Better yet, get them all as they each have a unique, well written story to offer!


REMEMBER to ENTER THE TOTE GIVEAWAY AT THIS LINK.  Comment on the review for extra entry.

Read the next post - Part One Interview - and comment there for an extra entry too!