Last minute discussion before the challenge begins!

The A-to-Z April Blogging Challenge of 2013 is about to begin.  Are you ready? Do you have a theme? Are you just gonna wing it and go with whatever? Are any of your posts ready?  I know, I know. There are a million things to worry about when it comes to the challenge. But I want to give you a few hints, tips, and words of advice before the challenge begins.

• Keep Calm and Blog on.  Don't stress it. Go with whatever feels right. Don't freak out if your post is late. Don't freak out and NEVER give up. You can do it. 
• What you give is what you'll get. Comment on other blogs and you will get comments back. Reply to people who comment on your blog, get to know people, have fun, make friends! 
• Turn off Word Verification.  This isn't just a tip but a rule.  People HATE WV and I don't blame them. I hate it too.  It is a pain and unnecessary   Last year you want to know how many spam comment I got during the challenge? None.  Yep, none! 
• Make your blog family friendly, or put up a warning.  And this one is also a rule. If you have adult content on your blog, put up a warning. We have a wide variety of wonderful people participating. And no one deserves to be surprised with something they don't want to see.  
• If there are any problems, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! I will put all contact information below. 
• Know your number. If there is a problem with your link we will need to know where on the list you are.  
• The other reason to know your number: We ask that when visiting other participants, you start with the blogs right beneath yours. 
• We ask that you try and visit at least five blogs a day! (Starting with the five beneath your own on the list). 
• Have a way for people to follow your blog, and put it at the top so it is easily found. The thing I hate the most about visiting awesome blogs, are when they don't leave me any way to follow them.  
• HAVE FUN! Learn something new.  

My theme for this year's A-to-Z April Blogging Challenge? 

Mostly (Medieval) Weapons.

And just for smiles, Remember, if plan A doesn't work, the alphabet has 25 other letters! 


Just in case you didn't get the e-mail, here is what it said: 

Just a reminder that the A to Z Challenge begins Monday, April 1!

On April 1, blog about a topic that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 3 is “C,” and so on. No posts on Sundays and we finish with Z on April 30.

You can use a theme for the month or go random – just as long as it matches the letter of the alphabet for the day.

We recommend short posts – participants will be trying to visit as many as possible during the Challenge and will likely skip long posts.

Please turn off Word Verification! You won’t receive many comments or return visitors if it’s on. Check your settings, as it may be on without your knowledge. If you are really concerned about spam, set comments to no anonymous or blog owner approval.

Make it easy for people to follow you. Use Google Friends Connect, Feedburner or other RSS Feed, Linky Followers, Networked Blogs, etc., and be sure those widgets are located near the top of your sidebar.

Start with the blog after yours on list. We suggest visiting five blogs a day and you are welcome to visit more!

Make new friends. Visit those who visit you. Return the follows of blogs you enjoy.

Each host has a section of the list and will visit you several times during the month.

We also have minions (assistants) who will help us. It is our goal to make sure all blogs on the list are participating. Ad sites, non-participants, and bad links will be removed as we find them.

Visit the A to Z Blog for updates and daily words of encouragement -http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Bottom line – have fun!

If you have any questions, please ask. If you cannot participate, let me know and we will remove you from the list.

Happy A to Zing!

Your 2013 A to Z Challenge Hosts:

Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/
Damyanti Biswas at Amlokiblogs  http://amloki.blogspot.com/
Alex J. Cavanaugh http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/
Tina Downey at Life is Good  http://kmdlifeisgood.blogspot.com/
DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0  http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com/
Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie  http://izombielover.blogspot.com/
Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse  http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/
Matthew MacNish at The QQQE  http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/
Konstanz Silverbow at No Thought 2 Small http://nothoughts2small.blogspot.com/

Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs http://stephentremp.wordpress.com/
Livia Peterson at Leave it to Livia  http://leaveittolivia.blogspot.com/
L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick’s Tips  http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/
Nicole at The Madlab Post  http://www.madlabpost.com/

Star Cursed Tour ~ This or That with the Author

Title: Star Cursed (Curse of the Beast book 2)
Author: Ashley Lavering
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance/ Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Tour Host: Lady Amber's Tours

Seventeen-year-old Tayla will never forget Beast’s fiery-venom spreading through her body like an infection. Now, with her best friend Chel’s help, she must find a human true love before the last petal falls from her enchanted rose or the full moon will transform her into a wolf forever. 

But Tayla never expected that her biggest obstacle would come from inside—a wolf presence threatening to take her very soul. At every turn, the she-wolf exploits Tayla’s weaknesses and gains enough control to sabotage her dates. Tayla struggles to control her unruly wolf and her forbidden attraction to Beast. But can she resist his southern charm, the she-wolf’s attraction to his alluring scent, and still fall in love with a human?

Tangled in a web of wills, Tayla must risk everything to break the Curse of the Beast. With failure and possible death looming overhead, Tayla will do anything to find true love. But will one moon cycle be long enough to conquer her wolf and remain human? Or will she become a permanent member of Beast’s pack? Find out in the second installment in the Curse of the Beast series.

This or That with Ashley: 

Milk or Dark Chocolate? Milk Chocolate

Letters or E-mails? Letters

Summer or Winter? Summer

Early Bird or Night Owl? Early Bird

E-book or Physical book? Physical book

Laptop or Desktop? Laptop!!

TV Shows or Movies? Movies

Online or In-store?  In-store

Long hair or Short Hair? Long hair

Oreos or Chips A-hoy? Oreos...yum!

A nomad at heart, I currently claim Nevada as my home. I have a wonderful husband
and two young children that put up with my “writing time.” When she’s not pondering
a spell that will magically calm the ferocious winds that plague the air around her, you
can find her, with notepad in hand, frantically jotting down ideas in those short moments
between caring for her girls and working full time at the Elko Institute for Academic
Achievement.

Art and science have always been my yin and yang. Throughout my college career, I
shifted between the two, but in the end I graduated with a Bachelors of Mathematics and
Science from the University of Wyoming.

Charging into adventures and discovering something new has always been a passion of
mine, but as a teenager I used to run screaming from a reading or writing assignment.
Looking back, the irony isn’t lost on me. Now you can’t catch me without a book in hand
or without an open word document. Every time a new idea pops into my mind my heart
races and my hand twitch to write it. In that moment, I have my writer's high and pray it
will sustain me through thousands of hours of revision.


Amazon Author Page ~ Curse of the Beast on Amazon ~ Star Cursed on Amazon ~ Facebook Page 
Facebook Profile ~ Twitter ~ Website/Blog ~ Curse of the Beast on Goodreads
Star Cursed on Goodreads   ~ Goodreads Author Page 


And now. . .the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Announcement, One Request for help!

Alright, announcement: Writeaway, the blog I started with my bestest friend Lizzy, is closing down. But not really.  Because its two biggest features are moving to Nothought2small.  What does this mean? This means that that there will be a post a day everyday except for Sundays.

Here is how the new schedule will be: 

Monday:  Random Awesomeness

Tuesday: Writing Tips (This used to be on Writeaway)

Wednesday: Book Reviews

Thursday: Week(end)ly Writing Races (This used to be on Writeaway)

Friday: More Awesome randomness

Saturday: Book updates and other news 

Sunday:  No post! 

(This schedule is subject to change at any time.) 

So, what are you thoughts? Suggestions? Are you okay with there being a post a day on this blog? 

And the request for help: I do believe it is time for Nothought2small to become a little something more. As I move forward in my writing career, I think it is time that I pay to have a professional designer make this blog look professional.  So why am I asking for help on this? Well I need help finding a designer. 

I have talked to a couple places but most places I have talked to, don't do their own designing. They use stock images. And this creates a semi-problem for me because I want dragons. Dragon everything. And I need someone who can help me take the time to actually design the dragons how I want them so this blog can one day become my author website and have a permanent background/theme.  

So please, please, please, point me in the right direction. Who did your blog? Do they custom design? Can you give me a link to their website/blog? Did you design your own blog? Do you do design? Awesome! Let me know in the comments. Leave an e-mail I can reach you at OR e-mail me: nothought2small(at)gmail(dot)com.  

Did you know I have an Author Facebook page AND Nothought2small has a Facebook page? Your support is very much loved and appreciated! 

Thank you! 

Book Tour: Feudlings ~ Guest Post with Wendy Knight

Nothing makes a new school suck worse than discovering the guy you’re in love with is your prophesied

nemesis.

Ari is the most powerful flame-throwing sorceress ever, and her people’s last hope in an ancient war. But she’s also a seventeen-year-old girl, and in her free, not-hunting-nemesis times, she jumps from school to school,trying to figure out regular people her own age and pretending she’ll get the chance to graduate.

Shane lives a double life. He goes to school and masters the art of popularity, hiding the fact that he has a fate with a slim chance of his survival. He’s destined to end a 300 year-old war by killing or being killed. He know she’s hunted by a powerful enemy who’s not afraid to die. Only problem? He has no idea who that enemy is.

When Ari shows up at Shane’s school, angry and sullen and determined to keep him at arm’s reach, neither

of them realize they are supposed to be killing each other, not falling in love. Until Ari does realize it, and she

almost dies – by Shane’s hand.

Guest Post: 

Thank you sooo much for having me, Konstanz! I cannot thank you enough!

I have to tell your readers, first, how grateful I am for you! The day my book launched, I was completely overwhelmed. The outpouring of support I received from family and friends was incredible! Konstanz (whose name I absolutely LOVE and want to have another child just to name her Konstanz…) shared my links, posted a giveaway on her blog, and basically held my hand all day long while I had a nervous breakdown. I LOVE her!

So that leads me to my blog post – Why having an awesome support group is so important. They say that

being a writer is a lonely profession. I believe the opposite. Although, when I wrote Feudlings, it was lonely.

And it took me two years. Lots of nights up all by myself with no one to talk to or brainstorm with (except my husband. My poor, poor overworked husband who puts up with my constant chatter). But once I started trying to edit it, I realized I had no insight. I needed outside help. I started reaching out to other writers and discovered how amazing the writing community is – everyone is sooo supportive! I joined chat rooms and Facebook

groups and critique groups and those things all helped me make Feudlings the story that it is.

Plus, it might seem counter-productive, but being in a chat room helped me increase my productivity TONS.

Although I do chat a lot, I also have people to brainstorm with, and they cheer me on and listen to me cry and calm me down when I’m on the brink of a complete mental collapse. Also, I wrote the sequel to Feudlings in less than a year, and I've written two more books since.

And then we come to my release. I figured my family would buy my book, and my very good friends. But I

was completely overwhelmed with friends, acquaintances, family, so many people supporting me, helping me

through it, offering to post reviews or blog posts – friends like Konstanz who I knew before but, wow! I would have been lost without them all!

I love the writing community. And I love the readers. So in that roundabout way, we come to my point. Having an awesome support group makes the writing journey So. Amazing.

Wendy Knight was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five,
terror when faced with a live phone call, etcetera, etcetera). She also enjoys chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big: her family is slowly working toward
a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the U.S.
You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby, wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion may be. And if everything works out just right, she will also be writing.

Blog ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ Astraea Press ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Facebook Launch Party (Saturday/today)

CLICK HERE to check out the current giveaway going on for an e-copy of Feudlings right here on the blog! 

Oh yeah, and I'm about to sweeten the pot.  You see, if you buy Feudlings between now and April 1st, I will send you a swag pack full of bookmarks, pins, pencils, bracelets, and other goodies! (Each pack will vary).  US only, sorry.  Open to the first 20 people who enter. 

What do you have to do? E-mail me a a picture of you and your copy of Feudlings (on whatever e-reader you have) OR forward a copy of your receipt to me ALONG WITH your US mailing address where I can send your prize! 

nothought2small(at)gmail(dot)com

Cover Reveal + Guest Post + Giveaway with Heidi Garrett

Why Do I Write Fantasy? or You Never Know Who Might Show Up at Your Front Door

By Heidi Garrett

As long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with the truths that my physical senses cannot explain: the mystical things occurring on this planet. Writing fantastical stories is my testament to these other layers of reality.

There are many ways of looking at our world. Imagine sitting at home, perhaps in your living room. There’s a knock on the door. When you open it, a funny little woman is standing there. She is about half your height, and a plaid crimson kerchief—knotted under her hooked chin—covers her head. Her dress is sack-like over her square body. She’s wearing an apron that could use a good ironing and she’s carrying a battered brown suitcase that’s almost as big as she is.

“As long as you’re staring, a glass of water would be nice,” she says.

Despite her gruff manner, you sense something mysterious about this stranger, and to be honest, you’re dying to know more about her. When she crosses the threshold of your home, a strong wind slams the door behind her. You both jump. There hasn’t been a breeze all day. In fact, it’s sweltering and heat waves have been rising from the melting pavement for weeks.

When you offer it, she almost grabs the glass from your hand, and you can’t stop your staring—even though you know it’s rude—as she drinks in noisy gulps.

“What? You've never seen a spring faerie before?” she asks.

Before you can answer, she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “Guess not, there aren't many of us left. And I haven’t been to the Mortal World, since…” She stops. Her deeply etched face softens. Something like sorrow pools in her dark brown eyes. She waves her hand. “That’s not what I’m here to talk about.”

Your heart tugs. You want to pull her from that sad place. “What’s in your suitcase?”

She points to the table. “I’ll show you.”

The suitcase is filled with eyeglasses. There are so many. Some have square black frames, others have round wire frames; there are a few speckled frames with octagonal lenses. You spy a pair of purple ones.

She shoves a pair of thick black glasses into your hand. “Put these on. Tell me what you see.”

With the eyeglasses settled on the bridge of your nose, you can’t see anything but yourself. You blink. You can see your hands and feet, your legs and toes. But the spring faerie—if that’s really what she is—is just a blur. You pull them off. She trades them for a pair of wire rims. With these glasses you can see her and your home.

“What’s your name?” you ask.

“Flora.”

“Like flowers blooming.”

She nods and looks away with that whiff of sadness.

Again, there is something about her that pulls at your heart. You think of the miracle of spring after a long hard winter, and that she shouldn't be sad—if she really is a spring faerie.

“But...you don’t have any wings,” you say.

She smoothes the wrinkles in her apron. “Not all faeries do.”

“But—”

She almost jerks the wire-rim spectacles from your nose. You reach for that purple pair. She doesn't stop you. Now, you can see down the street; your eyes travel the highway. Your view elevates, as if you are a bird. Soon you see the entire city you live in. With each pair of glasses, you see the bigger world.

When Flora tucks the temple arms of a pair of red frames behind your ears, perspective zooms around you. It’s like the lens pulls you into outer space, and you can see the entire world and all the billions of people who live on Earth.

Your heart flutters in your chest; it’s a lot to take in.

“Now—” Flora hands you a pair of fuchsia glasses with tiny rhinestones embedded in the frames. “Try on these.”

When you put them on, you’re able to see beyond the physical entirety of the world into the things that you've always known exist, but since you can’t see, touch, smell, or hear them, sometimes you've doubted. But you’ll never doubt again, because now— with these special glasses—you can actually see the bonds of love that death can never sever, the strings of fate that wrap the brown paper package of all our lives with twine, the tide of time that alters us, even as we never change...

But most importantly, you've seen that you belong here, on this planet. And you know— without a shadow of a doubt—that everything fits. Including you.

“I don’t ever want to take these glasses off,” you say.

Flora is already cramming the rest of them back into her bag. “Then don’t.”
__________

The Queen of the Realm of Faerie is a fairy tale fantasy series that bridges the Mortal and Enchanted worlds. The main character, Melia, is an eighteen-year-old half- faerie, half-mortal. She lives in Illialei, a country in the Enchanted World, with her two sisters and their mother. Melia’s father has been exiled to the Mortal World, and her best friend is a pixie.

When the story opens in the first book, Melia is troubled by her dark moon visions, gossip she overhears about her parents at the local market, and the trauma of living among full-blooded faeries with wings—she doesn't have any.

As the series unfolds, the historic and mystical forces that shape Melia’s life are revealed. Each step of her journey—to find the place where she belongs—alters her perceptions about herself, deepens her relationships with others, and enlarges her world view.

In The Dragon Carnivale, book 3 of The Queen of the Realm of Faerie, energies in the Enchanted World are shifting and new alliances are forming; the Battle of Dark and Light has begun. Melia is desperate to make things right with Ryder, the young priest from Idonne, but first she must warn the half-bloods in the Mortal World that Umbra is coming for them, and face the powerful Dragonwitch and her spectacular Dragon Carnivale.

The first two books in the series: Nandana’s Mark and The Flower of Isbelline are currently available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords. Nandana’s Mark is free.

The Dragon Carnivale is scheduled for a June 18, 2013, release.

Sign-up for Heidi Garrett’s new release email List and receive a lavender and gold Half- Faerie bracelet while supplies last…because you’re half faerie, too, right?

Enter to win a $25 American Express Gift Card!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio

Heidi Garrett is the author of The Queen of the Realm of Faerie series. Her personal message to all her readers is: Once upon a time, you lived in an enchanted world, too… There is magic in all our lives; sometimes we need to look through different eyes to see it. The Queen of the Realm of Faerie includes many strong female characters within an intricate fantasy land. It is also a fairy tale fantasy.

The first book, Nandana’s Mark, is one of those free ebooks; the second book, The Flower of Isbelline, is now available; and the third book, The Dragon Carnivale, will be released in June 2013.

The series was inspired by the 15th century French fairy tale, Melusine. Heidi's hope is that when you read her books, you will rediscover the enchantment in your own life.

She currently resides in eastern Washington with her husband and their two cats. So far, she loves the snow. Being from the South, she finds it magical. 

Learn more about Heidi and enjoy her stream-of-consciousness reading journal,

Eating Magic, at: www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com.

If you want to say hello, give her a shout out on Twitter at @heidigwrites or on

Facebook at www.facebook.com/heidigwrites.

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iBooks ~  Kobo ~ Smashwords

Broken Aro ~ A Book Review

.

Open your eyes to darkness. What do you see? Does the darkness frighten you? Now imagine the darkness being the cargo hold of a slave ship. Your city has fallen. Your family is most likely dead. You don't know anyone around you, and some of them aren't even human. Giving up would be so easy to do, but not for Arowyn Mason. Not after being raised in a military family with seven brothers. Every great story should begin with a plan. Aro’s was to escape and to survive. 
Escape comes, but at a price. As they reach the shore, Aro and the other survivors learn that freedom doesn't mean safety. The slavers want their property back and will do anything to get it. The party uses every ounce of their brute strength, a hearty helping of cunning, and even ancient magics to keep themselves alive. Sickness, danger, and even love surprise them at every turn. Dealing with danger becomes their way of life, but none of them ever considered that nothing can be quite as dangerous as a prophecy. Running turns into another race altogether as her world falls to pieces again and again.

My Review: 

This book isn't what I expected at all. Let's just get that out there right now.  And pretty much if I had to sum up my review in one sentence it would go something like "I. Am. In. Love. With. This. Book. AHHH!" 

Fantastic writing, incredible story, phenomenal setting, fantastic characters! Love, love, love, love, love ALL the main characters!  And there are so many twists and turns and heart pounding moments and it made me laugh and cry and this book put butterflies in my stomach! 

I couldn't stop reading it and as soon as I finished I wanted more. 

Now for the part of the review that isn't me just fangirling . . . 

There was one scene that looked like it was going to get really bad. And it kinda made me uncomfortable and I was terrified that afterwards it was going to be one of those things that kept getting mentioned.  But nothing ACTUALLY happened and while Aro did think about it, nothing went into detail, and I think the situation was handled very well.  

Okay, back to fangirling . . . oh my goodness I love this book!!!!! And one more thing I forgot to mention, I hate books with a whiney damsel in distress and a fancy prince coming to the rescue, so I try and stay away from books with Prince Charming.  However, I would gladly be a damsel in distress for the Prince in this book! . . . Just saying.

  

 ~ Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ 

And here, I give you a teaser from the book!!! 

Excerpt: 

The men conversed quickly in quiet whispering after their return and Avery told them about the ship. Kei was greeted warmly by Bo and Cain, stared at by the two new men, and glared at by Prince. As far as she was concerned, everything had returned to normal.

Feudlings by Wendy Knight ~ Giveaway! (INT)

Nothing makes a new school suck worse than discovering the guy you’re in love with is your prophesied nemesis.

Ari is the most powerful flame-throwing sorceress ever, and her people’s last hope in an ancient war. But she’s also a seventeen-year-old girl, and in her free, not-hunting-nemesis times, she jumps from school to school, trying to figure out regular people her own age and pretending she’ll get the chance to graduate.

Shane lives a double life. He goes to school and masters the art of popularity, hiding the fact that he has a fate with a slim chance of his survival. He’s destined to end a 300 year-old war by killing or being killed. He knows he’s hunted by a powerful enemy who’s not afraid to die. Only problem? He has no idea who that enemy is. 

When Ari shows up at Shane’s school, angry and sullen and determined to keep him at arm’s reach, neither of them realize they are supposed to be killing each other, not fall-ing in love. Until Ari does realize it, and she almost dies – by Shane’s hand.

I just love the cover and had to share! Now go buy the book! 

 Barnes and Noble ~ Amazon ~ Smashwords ~ Join the party on Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is for a KINDLE, NOOK, or Smashwords copy of Feudlings. 




If you buy Feudlings between now and April 1st, I will send you a swag pack full of bookmarks, pins, pencils, bracelets, and other goodies! (Each pack will vary).  US only, sorry.  Open to the first 20 people.

What do you have to do? E-mail me a a picture of you and your copy of Feudlings (on whatever e-reader you have) OR forward a copy of your receipt to me ALONG WITH your US mailing address where I can send your prize! 

nothought2small(at)gmail(dot)com

Pulse ~ Blitz

Title: PULSE
Author: HJ Daly
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours

Esa is a street girl living in a post apocalyptic world. A world that left her with nothing

except the physical and mental scars that drive her to the person she is becoming.

Whilst searching for shelter, she encounters a creature known as a spinner who pulls her

onto a perilous path. Now with a horde of goblins close on their heels, they must work

together and enter the magical realm in search of answers. Why can she sense magic and

why is a powerful sorcerer determined to end her life?

This is an exciting story of power, friendship and secrets. Secrets that threaten to rip

Esa’s world apart.

Pulse is aimed towards the young adult market. For those seeking adventure and magic

with a futuristic edge. Most fantasy novels tend to hide the magical worlds or show as

historic here I have tried to blend the worlds together.

HJ has always loved books and read at every opportunity. At first reading with her own

children and then at schools in a hope of capturing the hearts and minds of the young.

Writing became a natural progression for her when her children attended full time

education and she had a little free time.

It wasn’t always about writing though, during her teens, HJ stepped up her Latin

American dancing and travelled Europe competing.

Blog ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Youtube ~ Amazon

Excerpt 
“Oh, girlie, you really shouldn’t have said that.” His beady red eyes greedily took in the girl and seeing no real threat he lunged forward. His sword scraped the wall where moments earlier Esa had stood. Pushing from the wall, she twisted to the side and drove her dagger deep into the goblin’s extended arm. A yowl filled the room and he swung his sword blindly in her direction. In one fluid movement she dropped to the floor and kicked her leg out.
Boot hit shin and he fell to the floor grabbing his leg. “No one calls me girlie.” Standing over him she turned the dagger around in her hand, bringing the hilt down on the base of his skull. “Night, night.” Wiping the blood from her blade on her jeans, she turned her attention to Rootu.

How I wrote an entire book in 15 days!

On February 20th I (along with my wonderful friend C Michelle Jefferies) realized we both had the same goal date for our various writing projects.  I had decided that day that I was going to write my second novel in 100 days.  (Starting February 20th, finishing on June 1st) and that was that. We created the group 'The 100 Project' and so it began . . . .

Not long after (about two days I think it was) my bestest friend Lizzy declared a writing race.  And so my fingers went flying, and my word count jumped.  And I realized, I could have the book done so much faster than June 1st.

On March 3rd, the true battle began.  It started with a poem I posted on Facebook.  *WARNING* Though it may seem we hate each other, these were all written with a laugh and are not intended to hurt anyone. We were both laughing the entire time.  Also just so there is no confusion, if I won, Lizzy is buying me a journal. If Lizzy wins, I have to take her to Olive Garden.  (And while some find the price difference between those prizes unfair, we don't. It is what we each wanted.)

This was the first poem. The one that started the battle.

And so Lizzy replied with this. 

To which I answered with this.  

And here is what Lizzy had to say about that.  This one actually scared me. Could Lizzy actually win? 

Okay really, I get it. I'm not a poet. You can quit laughing at my lack of rhyming skills. 

Okay, when Lizzy posted this one I ACTUALLY started to get worried that she was going to win. 

Alright I am actually quite proud of this one EVEN IF I didn't finish the book at 75k.
Not the first draft anyway.

Right about now is when I started to panic.  Never before had I seen Lizzy writing so fast.  

And right about now I knew I had it down. There wasn't any way I was going to let Lizzy out write me!

Lizzy posted this and I thought "Wow, she is really pushing this! She really might beat me." 

Right about now there were a few more but honestly, I lost track of them all. But no worries, you get the picture.  

I posted this one and it didn't even get a rhyming reply. Just a comment! 

But as I said before, I knew I would win, not a doubt in my mind (Okay yeah that's a huge lie! I was so worried that she was going to beat me and all these poems would be so embarrassing  . .well they still are but not for the same reasons).

And on March 6th I posted this poem, a victory poem with my victory picture! 

Aren't I so great at rhyming?? I know, I know, I should sell my poems for millions! 

Pages: 200 ~ Words: 48,864 ~ Start Date: February 20th ~ Finish Date: March 6.  ~
Days I wrote it in: 15. (Exceeding my previous record of 18 days) 

Yeah that's right! Lizzy is getting me a journal! But don't get me wrong. I was honestly worried that Lizzy was gonna kick my butt, humiliate me, and still make me take her to Olive Garden.  (Don't tell her but I'm still planning on taking her to Olive Garden.) 

Oh yeah, and my goal now is to have the book written, revised, edited, polished, perfected, and ready for submission by June 1st.  

And THAT is how I wrote a book in fifteen days! 

With my bestie pushing me, racing me, and making it a competition.  

Oh yes, and here is a picture of my victory journal!

Love and Blood Highlight & Excerpt

Title: Love and Blood

Author: Jessica Gibson

Genre: Paranormal

Tour Host: Lady Amber's Tours

Blurb:

Bronwyn Fitzgibbons was young and reckless. It was easy for Ronan to

steal her human life and make her a vampire. She ran, but she never

forgot him--or how he made her feel.

Rider saved Bronwyn from the new life she loathed and the new self

she detested. His love restored her sanity.

Now Ronan is back to claim her. She struggles like hell against him,

but she cannot deny the overwhelming power of her maker. Will

Bronwyn surrender to the one who could possess her utterly? Or can

she find the strength to choose the one who loves her as she is?

Jessica Gibson is a recovering bookaholic, she's down from four

books a week to a more reasonable one. It was that love of words

and creativity that made her dream about writing her first book. That

dream was hidden for years, always put on the back burner, filed away

in the "someday" section, until her husband Matt gave her the kick in

the pants she needed to actually get off her butt and write.

Jessica and Matt live in Southern California and have a serious

addiction to reality tv shows like Pawn Stars and American

Restoration. They have one son and hope to add to the family in the

near future.

Aside from writing, she runs an online event planning business

called the Release Day Diva. In addition to novels, Jessica writes and

maintains the blog Book on the Bright Side. Keep up with Jessica and

her latest releases and events on her blog.

Website ~ Blog ~ Book Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twiter: @jessicajgibson

Excerpt: 

She hated herself right now, loathed what she was doing to Rider and to herself.
After a while, she grew tired of hating herself; so she wandered into her room.
She lay down on her bed, wanting nothing more than to turn off the horrible
thoughts in her head.
She heard a soft tap at the window. She knew who it would be before she turned
to look. “I can’t do this tonight Ronan; I thought I made myself clear when I left
earlier.”
“You said what you wanted to say, yes? I, however, did not. I’m asking as a
courtesy to you; so either open the window or I will break it.” His tone left no
room to refuse.
Bronwyn got up slowly and opened the window, allowing him entrance into the
room. He sat down on the bed and studied her before speaking. “Would you care
to sit?” He gestured to the bed next to him.
“I’ll stand, thanks.” She shot back and leaned back against her dresser. “Say
what you have to say and leave, Ronan, I’m really not in the mood for this.”
“I’m not going to change, you know that. The idea of having a soul or a
conscience is absurd to me. We are Vampire!” he shouted. Ronan’s expression
softened, “I love you Bronwyn; you’ve intrigued me since I first saw you. I sired
you because once I spoke to you, I could not be without you.” He was next to her
in a split second and he gently caressed her cheek.
Despite her earlier resolve, she turned into him and kissed his lips. “Loving
you has never been the issue, Ronan; I never stopped. I just can’t stand the
senseless killing.”
“Did you, yourself, not kill tonight? I tasted blood on your lips,” He said..
“I did; but you and I both know it's different.”
“It’s not.”
Bronwyn looked at him, sadly. “This is where we always end up.” Tears slipped
down her cheeks, leaving behind red streaks. She tried to hold them back, but
everything within her was broken. “I can’t just turn off my humanity like a switch.
I refuse to do that, Ronan. I. Will. Not.” She sobbed into his chest, beating her
hands against him.
“I can’t let you go,” he whispered into her hair. He tipped her chin up and brushed
his lips against her. “Is this where we are then?” He whispered.
“I can’t...”
He kissed her once more and vanished into the night.