I am 29 going on 30....

Innocent as a rose. *snorts* :D Hiiiiiiii! Welcome! So today is a very special day. It's the day before the day I say goodbye to my twenties and bring in a new decade. I have to say, my twenties were freakin' fantastic. Okay, they weren't perfect. They started off a little rocky and uncertain, but towards the end I finally figured out where I want to go with my life. I found my passion. I found that really cool t-shirt I've been looking everywhere for. So yeah, I have nothing to say but a heartfelt, 'Thank you' to my twenties. You were totally great and stuff. Keep in touch, all right? All right.

The other day I was Googling (not the dirty kind) and I came upon an article entitled '30 Things Every Woman Should Quit Doing By 30'. To tell the truth, I was a little worried to read it at first. But I did, and now I will share it with you all, including my own personal commentary. You're welcome. ;) Enjoy!  

1. Buying clothes from the junior section. - I never do that. *whistles. Okay, once...Twice. But that's it, I swear. They're cheaper, okay? 
2. Forgetting her parents’ birthdays.  - This is one thing I'm good for. Once I could count and read calendars and make super-fantastic cards, I was all over it. 
3. Making out with her BFFs at bars for attention. - I don't need to make out with people for attention. I wear sandwich boards for that. 
4. Making out with her boyfriend at bars for attention. - I've never made out with a boyfriend at a bar. Random strangers, however....
5. Filling her bed with stuffed animals (really, even one is too many). - *glances at bed* But...but they're so cute. And cuddly. And they keep me safe and warm and tell the best jokes. 
6. Carrying a torch for anyone she hasn’t seen in the last five years. - I've never called someone after not seeing him for five years to see if he wanted to play tennis one last time. Nope. Never happened. 
7. Rebelling against her parents for the sake of rebelling against her parents. - Aww. :( But it's fun!
8. Declaring an entire gender “all jerks.” - Well, they are. Usually. Especially when I'm on hiatus. 
9. Holding a grudge against anyone who wronged her in high school. - Not even my English teacher for giving me a 79% on an obvious A+ paper?  
10. Skipping regular gyno exams. - I don't skip them per se. I'm just not so good about booking those appointments. But I'll be better! 
11. Going to bed without washing and moisturizing her face. - I do! I have a nightly ritual thanks to my mom.
12. Being “that person” who had a bit too much to drink at the office party. - I'm never the person who had a bit too much to drink. I'm the person who pretends she had a bit too much to drink. And then I have an excuse for the table dancing. 
13. Crushing on Justin Bieber. - Ick! Gross! Barfed in my mouth! 
14. Thinking she’s got it all figured out. - Ummm. Just ignore the opening paragraph of this post.
15. Calling her father “daddy.” - I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't stop that. I'll always be his pumpkin and he'll always be my daddy. 
16. Engaging in sibling rivalry. - Pffft. That's so juvenile. My brother and I didn't even fight when he was here last Sunday or compare the importance of our careers or anything.
17. Trying to get by on her looks. - I never stood a chance. I'm an awkward winker. ;)
18. Living paycheck to paycheck. - One thing that was instilled in me quite early growing up was the importance of saving money. Plus, I'm a bit of a cheapskate anyway. :P
19. Expecting a man/knight in shining armor to swoop in and save her. - Well, if I need to be saved from a spider, then yeaaaah. I ain't touchin' it! 
20. Aimlessly jumping from job to job. - I prefer the term 'leaping', actually. It's more graceful. 
21. Using MySpace to pick up guys. - Never been there before. But it's possible I've used Facebook for more than just...booking my face.
22. Expecting a man to do all the wooing. - Okay, that used to be me, but lately I feel like I've been doing most of the work and I'm tired and I just want to eat cake. 
23. Wishing she had someone else’s life. - I'll admit that I've been guilty of this in the past, but then I think about how amazing my life is. I think about my family, my friends, and the path I've taken to get to this point. It's been an incredible adventure and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! 
24. Expecting everyone to drop everything because it’s her birthday.… - Well! You're here, aren't you? And 30 IS an important birthday. 
25. …Or because her “boyfriend” of two weeks dumped her. - *scoffs* I don't get dumped. 
26. Measuring her self-worth by a number on the scale. - I've never let the number on the scale determine my self-worth, but I have let it dictate my life before. And that's never happening again. 
27. Being cheap. - Ummm. Can you all ignore the 'cheapskate' comment? 
28. Quitting a job without having a new one lined up first (especially in this economy!). - I only did that once, sort of, but I was assured there was a job waiting for me. And it had flowers and candy and was holding a giant 'welcome to Alberta' sign. Yeah. Never happened. 
29. Blaming her mother for all her issues. - *scoffs* I don't have issues. What? 
30. Romanticizing her 20s. - Again, I ask you to ignore the opening paragraph of this post. 

There you have it, folks! I'm ready to embrace my thirties with open arms and I hope this decade is even more magical than the last one! :) Wishing you all a terrific day! 

Six Sentence Sunday #29!

Hellooooo once again, my friends! This is the last official Six Sentence Sunday, I'm sad to say, but I'm going to continue posting little snippets on my blog every Sunday because I like to share. And I think you're pretty. And I'm in a really amazing mood today because I'm going to a Sound of Music sing-along with the fam to celebrate my upcoming 30th birthday! Woot-woot-wooty-woot-woot! :D My friends, Clinton and Julia, will enter you sufficiently while I'm gone. They're in a little story I call Human Touch. It's featured in the Passionate Exhibitions anthology which is now available in print! My first print! 

Here's the blurb: 

Julia Weston hasn’t been with a man in a long time. A really, really long time. Too damn long. When her friend notices her relocation into hermit-ville, she suggests an outing to the local museum for their newest exhibit: Penises of the World. There, the two women are wowed by the phenomenal phallic displays—everything from the 67-inch-long blue whale penis to the anaconda’s two-for-one special.

Clinton Foster, the museum curator, has had his eye on Julia from the moment she entered the building. He’s stunned by her beauty, fascinated by her quirkiness, and praying for an excuse—any excuse—to talk to her. When she stops (for an obscene amount of time) to gawk at the well-endowed whale and attempts to touch the display, Clinton quickly jumps in and asks her to refrain from disturbing the displays. That’s a museum no-no. She accompanies him back to his office under the pretense of further reprimanding, and she soon learns there is a certain penis on the premises that is fair game. 

And, since this is the last SSS, and since I'm in a particularly fabulous mood today, I'm gonna give you a whole lot more than six sentences! Enjoy! :)

Gazing at her beneath thick dark lashes, he said, “You’re a work of art. I should put you on display.”

“Uh, you mean, I’d have my own exhibit, right? ‘Cause I have lady parts, and I don’t really think I look like—” His laughter cut her off mid-sentence.

He stood and reached for her other hand, pulling her to her feet. Pulling her until there was barely a breath of space between them. He lowered his head.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” she whispered before his lips crushed hers. His tongue swept along her lower lip, making her shiver. His arms cushioned her against him, warm and strong and so damn perfect. “I’m on hiatus,” she mumbled incoherently as hot palms slid up her waist and cupped her breasts, firm and demanding in their touch.

Author Interview with Maggie Wells!

Hello there! Happy Wednesday to you! Did you know that Wednesday is my favourite day of the week? Well, you do now, and it's only fitting that I host my favourite author buddy on my favourite day of the week, isn't it? The charmingly witty and flirtatious Maggie Wells is here with us to today to answer some of my burning questions and to tell us about her latest release. In case you haven't met before, that's her. *points below*

Isn't she adorable? I have the prettiest friends, everybody thinks so. 

Hey, Maggie, describe yourself in three words. Fun, flirty, and maybe a little feisty.

Any nicknames? Um, Maggie is a nickname. That’s as much as I’m willing to divulge.

Tease! :P What was your favourite Christmas present? Ever? Do you have any idea how old I am? My brother and I got matching 3-speed bikes one year. I loved that bike….

Did it have a horn? Speaking of horny things, what’s your dirtiest secret? Like I’d tell you. You’d just blab it to everyone on your blog.

Ouch! You cut me. Mags, it's time to get serious. In your opinion, what’s the most important part of the sandwich? The bread. I’m all about the carbs.

Amen, sister. Without bread...there would be no wich. Um, as authors we tend to have to research many bizarre and unusual topics. What’s the strangest thing you’ve Googled research-wise? I did some pretty extensive research on hypersexuality for a story. Not strange, but one of those things that made me think about clearing my browser cache in case anyone else logged onto my computer.

I have a sudden urge to log onto your computer. Moving on...What was your favourite childhood toy? Legos. No contest.

Good frigging call on that one. I remember getting a Lego set for one of my birthdays that had a log cabin and a plastic river I could build a bridge over and my little Lego people could go fishing off of it. It was bliss. Anyway. How about you share your favourite word or phrase with us. Tuchas. An all-around excellent word.

Fabulous choice! Do you believe in love at first sight? I live it every day.

Awwww! Maggie, that's so sweet! Since we're being all schmoopy and sentimental, what writing accomplishment are you most proud of and why? I would have to say completing the Hot Nights in St. Blaise series. I wrote 12 novellas in just over 10 months. It was a ton of work, but so much fun.

That's an incredible accomplishment! Congratulations! I can say first-hand that the St. Blaise collection is a masterpiece. I got a sneak peek. *preens* If you had the opportunity to live one year of your life over again, which year would you choose? I don’t even know where to start with this. I can’t think of a single year I would live over. I can think of a few I wouldn’t want to repeat.

When I was seventeen, it was a very good year...What’s the funniest/weirdest/dirtiest status message you’ve posted on a social networking site? @MaggieWells1 Pardon me while I go tongue kiss some linemen! #wevegotthepower  What can I say? Five days with no lights, internet, or hot water is a long time.

Quick and dirty: Yes, please. Both. Oh. Was I supposed to answer that one?

Cake or pie? I prefer cake, but I’m not opposed to pie.

Jocks or nerds? This is tough for me because I love sports, but I do adore a nerdy guy.

Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke, but if I have to drink regular soda, I prefer Pepsi.

Boxers or briefs? Boxer briefs.

Poolside or beach? Oh, I’m a ce-ment pond kind of girl. Love the scent of chlorine.

Pancakes or waffles? Waffles!

Baked or fried? I’m not sure what food this refers to, but fried is always better. Always.

Aaaaaand, last but not least, tell us about your new book!

Jumping Mr. January is the first book in my 12-novella Hot Nights in St. Blaise series. 

*fans self* Talk about a smokin' hot cover. Here’s the premise:

When the St. Blaise Regional Medical Center Board of Directors hired hometown girl, Beth Watkins, to jump start their public relations, they never imagined she’d be stripping their most prominent doctors, nurses, and support staff down to their birthday suits in order to beef up the hospital’s bank account.

Six men and six women were chosen to represent the best and brightest of this little town nestled in the heart of the Mark Twain National Forest. They also happened to be the hottest tickets in town. Soon the fundraising calendar is spiking temperatures throughout the Show Me state, and the men and women of St. Blaise are setting their small-town nights on fire.

And the blurb for Jumping Mr. January:

When she pitched the idea for The Men and Women of St. Blaise Regional Medical Center fundraising calendar to her Board of Directors, Beth Watkins thought she wrote the perfect prescription for the small town hospital’s budget shortfall.The moment she got a green light, Beth went after the man she wanted to be her Mr. January and so much more.

She had no time to waste.

Hunky EMT Robert ‘Spence’ Spencer was leaving for medical school within weeks of the photo shoot she arranged and there was no way on earth Beth was going to miss the chance to sneak a peek at her old high school crush in all his glory.

Focused and dedicated, Spence wants bigger things than his hometown can offer, but when brainy, sexy Beth Watkins breezes into St. Blaise with a plan to get into his pants, he finds she’s the one woman who can offer him something he doesn’t want to refuse.

Mmm, mmm, mmmm...Be sure and visit Maggie's website for a taste of each delicious St. Blaise story coming in 2013! http://maggie-wells.com/

You can get yourself a hotter than hot copy of Jumping Mr. January at the following locations: 
Turquoise Morning Press Bookstore

Amazon

All Romance eBooks

Smashwords

Thank you so much for being here with us, Maggie, and I wish you the best of luck with your new series! :) As for the rest of you, be sure and leave a comment because Maggie told me she has a copy of Jumping Mr. January for one lucky reader!! 

Six Sentence Sunday #28!

Hey, folks! Happy Sunday to you! Can you believe it's already January 20th? I sure can't. The closer it gets to the end of the month, the sooner I become 30. *gasp* :-O I'm not ready. I mean, it's not that I'm scared of becoming a 30 year-old. Besides, I hear women are at their most desirable in their thirties. ;) But I think I'm just having trouble realizing that this is the end of a decade in my life---a fantastic decade at that. More on that in a future blog post. For now, let's celebrate the fact that it's been a week since CHEAPSKATES IN LOVE released and I finally have some links to share with you! 

My Cheapskates are available at the following locations: 
Amazon
Turquoise Morning Press Bookstore
All Romance Ebooks
Smashwords

Here's the blurb: 

It’s couples' skating night down at the local rink and Elena Armstrong can’t seem to keep her cocky jock blind date around long enough to knee him in the balls. Sadly, she was too much of a cheapskate to pay for a membership to an online dating site and based everything on Leonard’s personality profile alone. Big mistake.

At the opposite end of the rink, Ben Kessel, another cheapskate on a blind date with Iris, the ice princess, is having a similarly miserable time. Elena, a hater of all things sports-related, inches out into the skating world butt-first and collides with Ben. After sharing their hilarious and horrifying dates-gone-wrong stories, the two disappear and make everything right again on the floor in the players’ dressing room. Almost everything. They forget to exchange numbers. Now these two cheapskates need to make the ultimate sacrifice: pay for a membership to the online dating site so they can track each other down. But is the possibility of love really worth the price of $24.95 per month?

And now, another ssssseven sentences! 

Before she realized what was happening, she found herself leaning in to him. He smelled like hot cocoa and cinnamon. She licked her lips, tasting excitement, a tiny bit of fear, and so damn much desire it scared her. Their lips connected and she felt that desire all the way to her toes. The kiss was slow and sweet. His tongue gently teased her lower lip. A quiet moan filled the air as she opened her mouth and granted him access. 

Thanks for stopping by! Have a marvelous day! :)

Six Sentence Sunday #27!

Oh my goodness, today is a special day! Not only is it time once again for Six Sentence Sunday, it's also release day for CHEAPSKATES IN LOVE! *dances* *tosses confetti* Champagne? Yes, let's have some! :D I will be posting buy links as they become available throughout the day/week on my twitter and facebook pages, and on the old blog here as well, so be on the lookout for those! I guess it's only fitting, on today of all days, that I share another snippet from my Cheapskates. That's them. *points below*

Here's the blurb! 

It’s couples' skating night down at the local rink and Elena Armstrong can’t seem to keep her cocky jock blind date around long enough to knee him in the balls. Sadly, she was too much of a cheapskate to pay for a membership to an online dating site and based everything on Leonard’s personality profile alone. Big mistake.

At the opposite end of the rink, Ben Kessel, another cheapskate on a blind date with Iris, the ice princess, is having a similarly miserable time. Elena, a hater of all things sports-related, inches out into the skating world butt-first and collides with Ben. After sharing their hilarious and horrifying dates-gone-wrong stories, the two disappear and make everything right again on the floor in the players’ dressing room. Almost everything. They forget to exchange numbers. Now these two cheapskates need to make the ultimate sacrifice: pay for a membership to the online dating site so they can track each other down. But is the possibility of love really worth the price of $24.95 per month?

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! My six, er, nine sentences! ;)

“God,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I just…I’m having a really amazing fantasy in my head right now. Do you think, uh…Could you say the whole ‘beautiful’ thing again?”

He laughed harder than she’d heard him laugh. He could laugh all night long and she’d never grow tired of it. When he calmed down, he raised a hand to cup her cheek and repeated the magic word in a deep, husky timbre. “Elena, you are a stunningly beautiful woman.”

You like? I like you too! :) Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day! And please don't drive if you imbibed a bit of the bubbly. 

Author Interview with Angela Quarles!

Hellooooo, my friends! So happy to see you! As many of you know, I've been participating every Sunday for the past several months in a little thing called Six Sentence Sunday. In it, authors share six sentences from a completed work or a work-in-progress, and readers and authors-as-readers hop around from blog to blog and feast on all the snippets they can handle! That's how I met the lovely Angela Quarles, as a matter of fact. She refers to herself as the geek girl romance writer. How can you not love that?! :D So, without further ado, let's get to know Angela!

Describe yourself in three words.
Quirky, easy-going, creative

I knew I liked this girl. Quirky is my middle name! :) Hey, Angela, any nicknames?
Plange. It morphed in college from Angie Pangie to Pange to Plange. 

Interesting. I shall call you Phalanges from now on. What's your dirtiest secret? 
Not saying! ;)

:P Such a tease. In your opinion, what's the most important part of the sandwich? 
The right blend of condiments. You can have the best meat, but if you've got too much or too little condiment-wise, it can ruin it.

So very true, Phalanges. The mayo to mustard ratio is of the utmost importance. As authors we tend to have to research many bizarre and unusual topics. What's the strangest thing you've Googled research-wise? 
This isn't probably too unusual, but on my first novel, a murder mystery, I needed a low-acting poison to kill the murder victim and had to Google it. For that same book, my favorite example of the wonders of Google was when I needed to know if Stalin had a favorite book, and so I thought what the heck, I'll Google it, and boom, sure enough, the answer was in the first result set. Googling historic underwear is always funny. 

Hell, even the word 'underwear' is funny. :D Speaking of words, share your favourite word or phrase! 
Discombobulated. It's such a wonderful word. I remember my dad using it a lot and thought it was a made up work until I was writing a college paper and it just fit so well and I was like dammit, wish it was real, so I looked it up and was surprised and pleased to learn it was a real word. 

I'm discombobulated that more people don't love the word 'discombobulated'. Oh, here's a question. Do you believe in love at first sight? 
I think it can happen for some. I've certainly felt instant attraction but it wasn't love. 

I usually think it's love, but often it's just heartburn. What writing accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
Finishing my first novel, even though I ended up trunking it, because it was a testament to me that I could do this, I could finish a novel. Up until then, I wasn't sure it was possible. 

Major kudos to you there, Phalanges. I'm still working on my first big novel. If you had the opportunity to live one year of your life over again, which year would you choose? 
Oh wow. Hmmm.... That's a tough one. I've had some very wonderful moments in my life. Also some regrets. Maybe one that encompasses both would be 1988. I was ending my junior year in college, which was a very transformative and empowering year for me, then that summer I studied abroad in Vienna, Austria, and then started my senior year in the fall. It was also a year where I could've acted with more confidence with guys and wish I'd had that experience under my belt before entering my twenties.

I hear you on the confidence with guys. I'm only just now developing that sense. :P

Now it's time for the quick and dirty round of questioning!

Cake or Pie? Cake
Jocks or Nerds? Nerds
Coke or Pepsi? Coke
Boxers or Briefs? Boxers
Poolside or Beach? Poolside
Pancakes or Waffles? Pancakes 
Baked or Fried? Fried

Aaaaaand, last but not least, tell us about your new book!

Sure thing! It's BEER AND GROPING IN LAS VEGAS, an erotic geek romantic comedy with a touch of the paranormal by way of a wish-granting djinn. (Can I get one?) It's a novellete, so if you're looking for a quick but fun read, this might be just for you. 

Here's the blurb:

Can a djinn and a magic slot machine bring two geeks together? 

Riley McGregor is a geek trapped in a Good Ole Boy body and as owner of a microbrewery, smart chicks never look at him twice. 

Rejected by a geek who wanted to "trade up," Mirjam Linna would rather immerse herself in work than be the girlfriend-of-the-moment. Stranded in a Vegas hotel, she makes a wish--a night of hot sex with the man of her dreams. It's granted. She agrees to dinner, but afterward, she'll say thanks, but no thanks, and see what's on the SyFy channel. But when they meet, they're surprised to find they had a shared connection in their past. Sparks fly as these two learn to be in the moment, be themselves and find love. 

Fans of Star Trek, Star Wars, Monty Python, Firefly and Marvin the Martian will enjoy this romantic comedy. 

Beer and Groping in Las Vegas (btw, how awesome is that title?) is available at the following retailers: 

 Amazon | B&N | ARe | BookStrand | trailer | goodreads | shelfari 

Bio:

Angela works at an independent bookstore and lives in an historic house in the beautiful and quirky town of Mobile, AL, with her two matched gray cats, Darcy and Bingley. When she's not writing, she enjoys the usual stuff like gardening, reading, hanging out, eating, drinking, chasing squirrels out of the walls and creating the occasional knitted scarf. She's had a varied career, including website programming and direction a small local history museum. 

She's an admitted geek and is proud to be among the few but mighty Browncoats who watched Firefly the first night it aired. She was introduced to the wonderful world of science fiction by her father, by way of watching reruns of the original Star Trek in her tweens and later giving her a copy of Walter M. Miller Jr's A Canticle for Leibowitz as a teenager. She hasn't looked back since.

She has a B.A. in Anthropology and International Studies with a minor in German from Emory University, and a Masters in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University. She was an exchange student to Finland in high school and studied abroad in Vienna one summer in college. She recently found representation with Maura Kye-Casella at Don Congdon, Assoc.

You can find Angela here: 

website | blog | twitter | facebook 

Thank you so much for being here with us today, Phalanges! Best of luck with your new release! I just got myself a copy and I can't wait to read it! :)

Six Sentence Sunday #26!

Guess what?! Cold water is not hot. Also! I have a contest! That's right, folks. I'm giving one lucky commenter an ARC of my soon to be released short story, Cheapskates in Love! Be sure to leave your email address and I'll randomly choose a winner by the end of the day! :) 

What's that? You want to see my cover again? Well, if you insist. ;)

Here's the blurb! 

It’s couples' skating night down at the local rink and Elena Armstrong can’t seem to keep her cocky jock blind date around long enough to knee him in the balls. Sadly, she was too much of a cheapskate to pay for a membership to an online dating site and based everything on Leonard’s personality profile alone. Big mistake.

At the opposite end of the rink, Ben Kessel, another cheapskate on a blind date with Iris, the ice princess, is having a similarly miserable time. Elena, a hater of all things sports-related, inches out into the skating world butt-first and collides with Ben. After sharing their hilarious and horrifying dates-gone-wrong stories, the two disappear and make everything right again on the floor in the players’ dressing room. Almost everything. They forget to exchange numbers. Now these two cheapskates need to make the ultimate sacrifice: pay for a membership to the online dating site so they can track each other down. But is the possibility of love really worth the price of $24.95 per month? 

And now, my six (er, nine) sentences! This exchange occurs shortly after the butt-first collision. 

Her butt made contact with the bench and she jerked upright. “Gah!”

His eyes widened in panic. “What’s wrong?”

“Coccyx,” she muttered, rubbing her backside.

He blushed profusely and she relished the rosy tinge that lit his smooth, kissable cheeks. “Excuse me?”

This time she chuckled. “Tailbone. I think I must have bruised it when I…butt-checked you.”

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to leave your email so you're eligible to win!