Sunday, September 27, 2015

Driving with Spiders


 
Over the weekend, I was up in Heber Arizona selling and signing books. After four long days of schools and signings I was excited to get home. So I settled in for the two and a half hour drive down the mountain. The day was overcast and misty and I drove with extra care on wet roads. About ten miles into the drive I saw something small fall from the interior roof of my car, then I felt it hit my hand. When the tiny legs of a spider began to climb my hand like a miniature mountain I squealed with surprise, swerved and flicked the spider off in one fluid motion.

               Bob (as I’ve come to affectionately call him) flew through the air and for a moment disappeared. While I righted my car’s position in the lane, I began to think about Bob. I’d just left a forest. Bob could be any kind of spider. He was small, but so are brown recluse and they’re deadly. About mile later, Bob reappeared on the passenger’s seat next to me. It was as if he were taunting me, laying there with his spindly little legs all spread on his very own chair. Meanwhile, I had to contend with a fluid stream of traffic, so while I could check on Bob with a quick glance in his direction, I couldn’t really watch him. Most importantly, I couldn’t get him out of the car.

               Yes, he had the element of surprise, but I’m much bigger, I told myself. That’s when I turned and noticed that Bob was inexplicably gone. Hmmm, it seems being small has it’s perks.
             
 I began to look around the car at available hiding places. A stack of books. Maybe instead of a book worm, Bob was a book spider. Yeah, probably not. Then there was my purse, sitting there with the top wide open. I may as well have stuck a sign on the handle, spider hotel, stay two nights, get one free.  

I started itching just thinking about it. Would some poor unsuspecting teenager open my book and a spider pop out?(although that really would add to the mood of The Secret Keeper) Would I be reaching for a pen only to feel the tiny little patter of spider legs using my arm hair like a ladder?  And so I drove, me wondering where my spider friend had gone and him, laughing at me as he made himself cozy in some dark corner of my car.

What were the chances that a spider would fall from a tree, land in my car and scare the bejeebers out of me. Obviously, pretty good. Where’s Bob now, you ask? That is a good question. The day after I returned home I found one long delicate strand of spider web running from the top of the windshield to the dashboard…but no Bob to take the credit so the mystery lives on. That’s my story anyway; so what’d you do this weekendJ

Monday, September 14, 2015

You Make A Difference!

I've decided that someone should start an author school. It could be called AU(Author University) and the building could be a beautiful castle or maybe a fortress with tall windows and dozens of secret nooks perfect for writing brilliance.

At this college, they could offer course like descriptive writing 101 or The power of reviews 210.

Unfortunately there is no such enchanting and informative place and authors, even those with college writing classes are not taught about the nuances of marketing in the real world.

If such a place existed I would certainly have learned years earlier that when readers post reviews, it is a powerful tool for authors. I used to think of reviews as a nice way to give your opinion or perhaps complain. Don't get me wrong even the most simple review on your book thrills an author, keeping them motivated for a long time. However, in the last couple of years I have learned that the number of good reviews an author garners can actually change their career. You see, reviews are our report cards, not just for other readers but also for  
advertisers, agents, screenplay writers and anyone else that might be looking to size up our work before reading it. For example Bookbub, a powerful advertising tool will not even consider you without dozens of strong reviews. The same thing goes for E-reader News and bloggers considering whether to read your work.

The ones that are hardest hit are indie authors. I recently read and reviewed a book titled Shadow of the Hawk by K.S. Jones. She's a relatively new and unknown author. I gave the book 5 stars and a rave review because the writing was amazing, Harper Lee quality and I couldn't put it down. However a couple of years ago I would've read the book, thought, that was a great book and slid it in my bookshelf without another thought.
In fact, only about one percent of readers leave any kind of review. Imagine if you went to twelve years of primary school and then sweated through college and only two teachers posted grades that entire time. It would be impossible to gage your progress or even feel motivated to keep working.

Reviews also help authors. I read mine understanding that not everyone will love my stories, but if I see criticisms that form patterns, I really think about those criticisms and improve my writing where necessary.

What I'm saying is reader reviews make a difference. When I ask someone if they'd leave a review they often say they feel uncomfortable, like they don't know what to say. I get that but truthfully even if you just leave however many stars your think the book earned and write I enjoyed this book because......leaving only one reason....authors and readers alike benefit! So don't be shy. Your voice counts...far more than you know!!!

For all of you who have read my books, review or not, Thanks! No seriously, it gives me great joy to know I got to share this amazing part of my life with you.

Those of you who want to tell the world what you think. Go for it. We love to hear your honest opinion!!
Thanks for stopping today and if you want to see reviews on my books check em out here:) http://www.amazon.com/Angela-Carling/e/B006P15NOG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
 

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

I'm so excited to welcome a new author to my blog today. Ms. Brooke Williams has a big release coming up and I'm happy to help her get the word out. Without further delay, here is her guest post!

Mamarazzi Release Promo Post

 

Mamarazzi

 

By Brooke Williams

 

Release Date: September 11, 2015 from Prism Book Group

 

 

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Order HERE

 

Join the Sept. 15th Release Day Party on Facebook HERE

Enjoy giveaways with a dozen different authors!

 

Danica Bennett isn't sure what she hates more...her job or the fact that she's good at it.  As one of the many Hollywood paparazzi, she lives her life incognito and sneaks around trying to get the best shot of the latest star.  When she is mistaken for an extra on a new, up and coming TV show, her own star rises and she becomes the one being photographed.  Add that to the fact that she's falling for her co-star, Eliot Lane, and Danica is in a whole heap of trouble.

 

Add “Mamarazzi” to your Goodreads list HERE

 

 

About the Author

 

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Brooke Williams writes in a sleep-deprived state while her daughters nap. Her romantic comedy is best read in the same state. Brooke has twelve years of radio in her background, both behind the scenes and on the air. She was also a television traffic reporter for a short time despite the fact that she could care less about hair and make-up. Today, Brooke stays at home with her daughters and works as a freelance writer for a variety of companies. When she isn’t working for paying clients, she makes things up, which results in books like “Accept this Dandelion.”  Brooke is also the author of "Accept this Dandelion," “Wrong Place, Right Time,” “Someone Always Loved You,”  “Beyond the Bars.” She looks forward to her first children's book release “Baby Sheep Gets a Haircut” in June 2016. Brooke and her husband Sean have been married since 2002 and have two beautiful daughters, Kaelyn (6) and Sadie (2).

 

Connect with Brooke:

Facebook

Website

Blog

 

Note from the Author on the book's inspiration:

I've always been fascinated by the Hollywood life and the idea that "they" are different from "us." The idea for Mamarazzi has been with me for a long time. I'm not even exactly sure when I came up with it, but in college, I had a screenwriting class and I had to write a portion of a screenplay. I wrote "Paparazzi," which was the same general idea only with a male lead character. When I began writing romantic comedy, the idea came back to me and I decided to chance the main character to a female and call it "Mamarazzi." I even had a naming contest so that facebook fans and blog readers could name the characters in the book. Every character in the novel is reader named and approved! Overall, I wanted to examine what happens when you take someone from one side of the fence and plop them on the other side. In the end, famous or not, we're all just people. And in this book, they all have secrets...

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And next from Brooke Williams....

 

"Dandelions on the Road"

releases November 5, 2015...

pre-order today by clicking below

Dandelions on the Road (Dandelion Series Book 2)

 

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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Hey ya'll! I''m so excited today to get to host a cover reveal by a very talented author Tamie Dearen! So without further delay, here is her first book and just below, the fabulous cover for book number 2 in the Alora series. Enjoy:)


Cover Reveal for Alora: The Portal

The compelling story of the young soulmates, Alora and Kaevin, continues…

The adventure begins with Alora: The Wander-Jewel.



Fifteen-year-old Alora has visions.

Only while in the shower. And only of one stranger: a handsome boy with long brown hair, intense green eyes, and the oddest clothes. A boy who vanishes whenever she opens her eyes.

And then one day, he doesn’t…

Alora’s safe world is soon turned upside-down as she’s thrust into another realm where her soulmate waits, magic abounds, and unfathomable evil seeks to claim her.




The epic fantasy continues in Alora: The Portal.



Cover design by StunningBookCovers.com

If one of them dies, they both die.

Bound together as soulmates, something compels Alora and Kaevin to abandon the safety of their refuge for the dangers of Kaevin’s realm.

The soulmates arrive in the midst of a raging battle as Stone Clan warriors defend their capital, an attack made more deadly by the pervasive evil of her father. Alora and Kaevin face mortal danger as they fight against man and magick to preserve Kaevin’s home and heritage.

For Alora’s father will have her allegiance. Or her death.




Praise for Alora

“…I have to admit – I wish the book had not ended! …The romance is sweet rather than steamy making this a clean read for young adults, but the action and adventure is thrilling enough to keep any age reader turning pages…” Today’s Visions

“I found Alora to be a breath of fresh air in the YA fantasy genre! … A YA fantasy with characters you will adore and cheer for, Alora is a book I would recommend to any of my friends!” Books Are Sanity


Find Tamie Dearen on her website, Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter.




 

Excerpt from Alora: The Wander-Jewel

Alora fought the urge to beat on the tile wall. He’d disappeared again. Who was this
boy she kept seeing? Why did he only appear when she was in the shower? He seemed so
real, and she could have sworn he looked as confused as she felt. As if he was trying to
figure out who she was, as well. Was he a figment of her imagination? His eyes were so
unusual. They were green. Not an ordinary green, but a deep, intense jade, the color of
her aunt’s emerald ring. He was really cute, although he wore his wavy brown hair a little
long for her taste. Yet she could only see his head—never his clothes or the background.
Today he’d tied his hair back in a ponytail. Surely the fact he’d changed his hair was
significant. Wouldn’t a figment of her imagination have his hair the same every time?

She peeked around the shower curtain at the clock on the bathroom counter. It was
five a.m. on a Saturday, and she had chores to do, feeding the horses and letting the
chickens out. But it was winter, so she had plenty of time to spare before the rising sun
tolled the beginning of her responsibilities. Living on a ranch in the backcountry of
Montana meant cold winters, lots of work, and little time for leisure. It was the only life
she’d ever known, and she usually enjoyed it, despite the heavy work involved.
But right now, she wanted another stab at seeing that boy. The image was always so
fuzzy. If only he wouldn’t disappear when she opened her eyes. She couldn’t summon his
visage at will. He didn’t come every time she closed her eyes in the shower; it seemed to
happen when she was relaxing and letting the water beat down on her head and shoulders.
Maybe, if she were soaking in the tub, she might see his image again.

She pushed the curtain back, put in the stopper, and turned the faucet on full blast. As
an afterthought, she added bubble bath, filling the tub with fragrant suds. Soon the bath
was full, with aromatic bubbles foaming on top. She eased into the soothing water,
closing her eyes at the blissful caress of the heat on her tight muscles. And she waited.
Anticipating. Would he come? She tried to stay alert, but the relaxing warmth seeped into
her skin, lulling her to sleep.

Awakening with a start in the cold water, disappointment formed a knot in her
stomach—he’d never appeared. She released some water down the drain and added hot
water, swirling it around until the temperature was comfortable again. She had five more
minutes before she had to abandon her bath to start her workday. She lay back down,
sinking below the water with her eyes closed, swishing the fresh water over her skin to
remove the bubble bath film, her face floating above the surface to breathe.

He appeared. She held her breath, clamping her eyes shut tight, trying to hold the
image as long as possible. Though the apparition was still slightly blurry, she could see
all of him, head to toe. She took advantage of her increased perception, thoroughly
studying his image. She almost clapped her hands when her mental measurement
estimated his height at over six feet. At five feet ten, she was taller than most boys her
age. But she scolded herself for examining him as if he were a potential boyfriend. He
wasn’t even real. His clothes were made of supple-looking brown leather. The attire was
odd—held together with ties and toggles rather than buttons or zippers. The fit was close
enough that his well-formed muscles were evident. She noted his long hair was tied back,
as it had been earlier. She could only see the front of him as he stood frozen, stock-still,
with his mouth agape, his jewel-green eyes wide and… moving. His eyes were moving, up
and down, as if he were scanning her body as she had done. And it occurred to her if she
could see all of him, he might be able to see all of her.

She gasped, opening her eyes to dispense with the specter. But his image remained,
now sharp and clear. And he seemed to be standing in her bathroom. She cowered under
the water, attempting to hide under the few remaining bubbles. His eyes dropped down to
her navel, and as they widened, he whispered, “Wendelle?”

Lunging for her towel on the floor, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Hastily
covering herself and preparing to leap from the tub, she looked up, only to discover the
vision was gone—if indeed it had been a vision.


 

Monday, August 17, 2015

A Roll of the Dice



This month my children(all teenagers) have decided to shake things up a bit. We have five cats so scooping kitty litter is a daily, sometimes twice daily chore. Tired of trying to remember who's "night" it was, they decided to roll dice each night to choose who would the lucky cat pooper-scooper. Yeah, it's not democratic, but apparently it's more interesting because they've taken to this method like gamblers to Vegas. Best of all, if their number comes up two days in a row, they get immunity the following night.

I've watched my kids create and use this system with fascination wondering why they prefer it over an orderly rotation. Finally, it hit me. It's the unknown that makes it worth the roll.  As that tiny little dice connects with the countertop, you wonder who will it be and then the inevitable groan when it falls on your number.

Isn't life just like that. We wake up everyday rolling the dice of life. Will I do well on my test? Will I get the raise I ask for? Will I find true love today, or like my child that has the winning number, will I be up to my elbows in (forgive the crassness) crap?

  For my kids, it's a one and three chance. For some of life's greatest joys and heartaches, the odds are more like one in a million, yet we roll. With bated breath, we climb out of bed and put our feet on the cold floor of chance and yet with that chance comes hope. That's why my kids like their silly little system and that's why we keep going day after day, even when our number comes up more than it's fair share and the stench and filth of hard things bear down on us. Are we crazy to keep rolling the dice? Are we stupid? No we're human and that drive to live and hope for something better is what makes us truly unique and undeniably amazing.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

What's the verdict...and giveaway!

Last week was an AWESOME all-review blog tour for The Secret Keeper. I was so excited to hear what this group of blogger thought of The Secret Keeper. My work was new to each of them so they came in with no preconceived ideas. Below are snippets from all of the reviews over the week with links to read the entire review. When you are done checking those out, stop by and enter to win an ebook or printed copy of The Secret Keeper. I say these AMAZING reviews are celebrating so I’m giving away books! Hope you win!

 If you’d like purchase The Secret Keeper today, here’s so links
-Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Keeper-Angela-Carling-ebook/dp/B00X0FZWHS/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
-Itunes bookstore http://www.ibookstore.com/products.php?i=1936037920
-Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/angela-carling

Without further delay…..the reviews!

Greenlee over at Nerdgothestrangecapricorn

"This book had the element of suspense I thought the plot was superb and the conflict was just on key point and I love the twist and turns in it this book was so well written and had very likable characters that you could understand it was one of those book you can not put down I was so mesmerized by it I can not wait for the second one I would defiantly recommend this one to people that want something new and fresh. I give this 5 stars 

Anna  at The Book Addict Read full review here:
 http://addictedbookslover.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-secret-keeper-by-angela-carling.html

“The characters in this book are so well developed that you feel dragged into the story, as you were living it. When someone screams you'll want to scream, when someone laughs you'll want to laugh and everything from true happiness to shear horror, that's the feelings span of this book and you'll love it. This will change your way of seeing your life and the way that you live because it will make you question yourself on how life would be if you could change reality in order to erase your mistakes and maybe even teach you a lesson about telling the truth and owning up to your mistakes. If you like paranormal, love stories, a little science fiction and even suspense this book is for you!” “P.S: I'm so excited for the second book! Please come out fast!!!” Sammi at

ACLOSETFULLOFBOOKS Read the entire review here: http://www.aclosetfullofbooks.com/2015/07/the-secret-keeper-by-angela-carling.html

“Winter recently lost her brother to a tragic accident since then her parents have encouraged her to live her life to the fullest. With that thought in mind she eagerly gets ready for her senior prom. Her best friend Ally comes by to help and wait for their date to arrive. Prom turned out totally different than either one expected. Winter makes a mistake that comes back to haunt her and all she wants is for this secret to go away. When a woman tells her about someone who could make her secret disappear Winter is skeptical but has nothing left to lose. The terms of the contract she made meant nothing to Winter at the time she made the deal but when tragedy strikes and is bound by the contract not to reveal the secret it slowly eats away at her. Now not only is her sanity in danger but so is her life. At the cost of losing everything and everyone she ever loved will she go back to the Secret Keeper for one final bargain? A great tale that will leave you speechless and desperately wanting more! Can’t wait for the next part of this series its sure to be one hell of a ride.”

Jennifer @ GenuineJen http://www.genuinejenn.com/

The Secret Keeper is a YA novel. It is very clean so I would recommend it for younger teens also. It does touch on death by murder but it isn't graphic. This is a great novel with a story showing how desperate one can be to remove a secret but the consequences of secrets have on everyone especially the burden you hold when you have secrets. I couldn't even imagine having a horrible secret that I need to tell but not be able to and have to deal all alone with it. The story hooks you in from the beginning and has many twists and turns keeping you hooked. I didn't want to put this book down and had a really hard time when I did have too. I can't wait to read book #2. I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and look forward to reading more from Angela Carling! Floryie @Travelogue of a Book Read the full review here http://thebookdrealms.blogspot.com/2015/07/blog-tour-book-musings-secret-keeper-by.html “When I started the book, I didn't have any expectation since this is a first time author for me. The story starts to get intense after Winter meets the Secret Keeper and it kept me on my toes till the end, making me wonder what would happen next during each scene. I went through the whole gamut of human emotions from guilt to happiness to horror to sorrow through the heroine. Not even Liam with his mature understanding and support at the end garnered that much liking from me as much as Winter did. She is a finely crafted character who easily had me grasped in her feelings and thoughts. If I had a chance to grab the sequel's copy right now, I would. And if you guys like to read different types of paranormal-ish books without the usual entities associated with them, I would recommend this unique tale.” My rating : 4/5

Darlene Mousey Books Read entire review here http://mouseybooks.com/2015/07/28/at-what-will-winter-the-secret-keeper-to-get-rid-of-her-secret-and-will-she-pay-it/

“OMG!!! This is a fantastic story. One that is magical and leaves you hanging by the edge of the page…. “I haven’t read many of Ms. Carling’s books- but those that I have read are extremely well written. She takes her pen to paper an creates pure magic and captures the reader right of the bat. I was asked to read and review this exciting book. It was a pleasure and an honor to do so….” “This is a fantastic and terrific story.” “I recommend this book for the young adult reader and even the adult reader. As for Mismousey’s rating for this awesome and compelling book, She gives it a 60 out of 5 stars. I recommend that you go to Goodreads add it to you to read list and then run and GET YOUR COPY OF IT TODAY!!! Ms.Carling I am so looking forward to reading the next book in this series. There has to be one- got to see where and what happens next to Winter.” a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, July 23, 2015

A Rocking Review tour of THE SECRET KEEPER

Whoot whoot! It's time for the first Secret Keeper entirely review Blog Tour! I'm so excited because we'll be jumping all over the globe to find out what reviewers think of the first Secret Keeper book. Of course there will be giveaways so check it out! Here's the schedule and I'll post the day's reviews next week as well! Happy Discovering and thanks for stopping by. Review Blog Tour for The Secret Keeper Thursday July 23 http://www.aclosetfullofbooks.com/ http://addictedbookslover.blogspot.com/ Friday July 24, 2015 http://popcornreads.com/fiction/the-secret-keeper-by-angela-carling-ya-book-review-giveaway/ Monday July 27th http://sweetsouthernreviews.weebly.com/ Tuesday July 28th http://mousiey.blogspot.com/ Wednesday 29th http://novelsontrial.blogspot.com/ Thursday 30th http://www.librarymosaic.blogspot.com/ Friday http://novelsontrial.blogspot.com/ http://www.genuinejenn.com/