SUSPENSE SEALED WITH A KISS
SPEAKER: Linda is a member of AWSA, and is available to speak to your organization, at your conference, or as part of a workshop.
Contact her at lglazagain@aol.com

AGENT: Linda is a an agent with Hartline Literary Agency. She would love to represent that next great American novel! She will look at nonfiction, but she LOVES FICTION--historic, suspense, romance or all of the above. linda@hartlineliterary.com

AUTHOR: Linda writes romance in all categories, but what is her fave? Suspense, and not only suspense, but SUSPENSE SEALED WITH A KISS

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Welcome Sharon Srock and the Women of Valley View


 Welcome, Sharon. Tell us a little about yourself:


I live with my husband, Larry, and two dogs in Rural Oklahoma. I am a mother, grandmother, and Sunday School teacher. I have one and three-quarters jobs and write in my spare time. My favorite hobby is traveling with my grandchildren. I'm a member of the ACFW and currently serve as treasurer for my local chapter. My debut novel, The Women of Valley View: Callie released in October 2012. The second in the series, The Women of Valley View: Terri releases in April 2013.

WOW! What do you mean in your spare time. You sound pretty busy!
You can connect with her here:
 Bloghttp://www.womenofvalleyview.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!/SharonSrock
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SharonSrock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_Srock

Let's find out a bit more about Sharon.
 

Linda wanted me to tell you about my “quirky” side.
I had to give this some serious thought. There’s just so much “quirk” in my life, narrowing it down to a short list was a little like having a two pound box of chocolates and deciding which one to eat first...

Quirk # 1. I hear voices. Not dead people voices, not live people voices, IMAGINARY voices. I never had an imaginary friend when I was a child, so now that I have a whole community living in my head, you can imagine how disconcerting this can be. The voices are there when I wake up, they are there when I fall asleep. They bicker and argue like little kids They clamor for my attention, afraid I’m going to leave one of them out. I’ve nicknamed them “the Garfield dwellers” and after 5 years of their insistent chatter, I’ve almost gotten used to them. Is that one quirk or two?

Quirk # 2. I have three Starfleet uniforms in my closet. Raise your hand if you can top that for quirky. Anyone…anyone… I spent twenty years of my LBW (life before writing) as a serious Trekkie.  I Attended lots of conventions, worked behind the scenes at a few, which garnered me access to the stars of the show. The most memorable moments? Getting James Doohan (Scotty from the original series) lost in Oklahoma City on the way to dinner—he was driving, I was navigating. It was NOT my finest moment--, and taking Armin Shimerman (Quark from Deep Space Nine) on a Sunday morning tour of the Oklahoma City bombing memorial and then out to view some of the 1999 Oklahoma City tornado damage.

Quirk # 3. I can’t swim, but I love to play in the ocean. I was born in California, in view of the ocean, I don’t remember this event, but I feel the pull of the water each summer when vacation time rolls around. If you’ve never snorkeled, you need to.  I can’t even explain the beauty of God’s underwater creation, you simply have to experience it for yourself. But take a small box of cereal, the fish LOVE frosted flakes.

Sharon, I love quirky, makes me feel at home. Especially the voices in your head. I understand, yes, ma'am.



Terri:


Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child, Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her homeless and questioning God’s plan. Steve Evans’s gracious offer of his basement apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer. 

Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is horrified when Steve’s book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the parents of her foster child.  She needs to distance herself from Steve, but her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their new stepmother. 

Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive Kelsey’s family further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve? Or does God have another plan in store?
 Woman of Valley View can make you want to meet them, be friends. Why not join Sharon and the Woman of Valley View as they release? 

Here's a preview:
http://bitly.com/SmQmUs

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Deja Vu! One More Giveaway Tomorrow!

Let's give away one more copy of Always, Abby, just leave your email addy and I'll pick another one tomorrow night! AND STOP BY THE CUFFE SISTERS' SITE FOR YET ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN A COPY!!
 http://cuffesisters.com/complimentary-cuffes/

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Let's Have Another Giveaway!

Always, Abby
To be released May 1st, 2013 from Heartsong Presents
In honor of Abby's release, let's give away a copy of the book
and an ebook reader cover!
Stop by and tell me:
1-what do you know about Dachau
2-leave me your email addy even if you think I know it
3-tell me why you deserve to win the book and cover
See...easy peasy!
LET'S GIVE AWAY THAT BOOK AND COVER!
I'll draw a name Saturday night!

EXCERPT: Her arms continued to tingle as Abby chewed her lower lip, planning how to get out of dinner tonight.The news sounded wonderful, but would everyone be as thrilled as Will? Mostly, she dreaded the idea of sitting through a family dinner with Jeannine there. Seeing the other woman next to Will caused her heart to plummet into her stomach. How would she ever survive an entire meal with Jeannine dangling on his every word? Willie, honey look at me, and Willie, aren't I just wonderful? Willie, honey, do you really need to keep that little street urchin and his dirty ways? What had possessed him to ask Jeannine out in the first place? They were nothing alike. Abby didn't believe Will was shallow enough to fall for a pretty face only; so why the attraction?Loneliness? How could he be lonely in this family?
                Arms overflowing with laundry, Abby stopped and peeked out the window. Will had Hank on his shoulders, the boy's skinny legs dangling while he clutched at the "horsey's" neck. If a woman could pick an amazing sight that would fill her heart and make her long for the arms of the man she loved all at the same time, it would be this. Any man who could love a child the way Will loved Hank, deserved a full life. Those two spent so much time together, she sometimes felt one started where the other finished.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Book Launch!

What a wonderful day!
The book launch went well; the cake was amazing--and yummy; the folks were great.
Gave a away a lot of books, a kindle bundle, a couple other nice gifts, and packets of candy of the type popular during WWII.
All in all a great day with old friends and new. Folks who read the books long before they were submitted and those who just discovered them. I will say, so many lovely people have supported me through the years and it was amazing to be able to celebrate with them.
ALL IN ALL, A WONDERFUL BOOK LAUNCH!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Not a Complaint...an Observation!

OR...
Perception vs. Reality
What's it like to be an agent?
Perception: you get to sit around in your pajamas all day (Okay, so I AM in my pj's at the moment, but it's still the crack of dawn) and then reading wonderful submissions from authors who will help you rake in billions of dollars by the end of the year.

Reality: You have to establish a home office, unless you work out of an agency office, pay the overhead, etc. and read through dozens of works that you don't even handle, aren't ready for submission, were intended for someone else at the agency (or even another agency). Have received submissions for individuals not at our agency. Really?

Perception: you make g'zillions of dollars from your clients.

Reality: you hopefully break even at the end of the year after attending numerous conferences, pay to return snail mail copies you didn't request, pay for clothes you wouldn't wear except to attend said conferences (after all, how much do jammies actually cost each year?) hahahaha

Perception: Just sit back and watch the clients' work roll out and get dozens of contracts.

Reality: work your tushy off to help get a project ready only to be told "No thanks." "Not at this time." "Historic, romance, suspense, etc. are all full up till 2020." and on and on.

Perception: that's all there is to it.

Reality: Conferences to meet and greet with authors and editors. Contests--dozens of contests to judge. Acquaintances who just happen to have written a book they want you to look at. Drop everything to do a quick read for a submission an editor wants to see YESTERDAY!

Perception: easy-peasy!

Reality: No, not easy-peasy, but rewarding. VERY REWARDING to see an author who trusts you with his or her baby make it. A 3-book deal! Woot! And that's the reality that makes all the rest of the hard work worth it. Honestly, making a financial living this way is wonderful, but it isn't what drives me as an agent. What drives me is the internal reward. Knowing you helped make it happen. The jammies on a rainy, nasty day when you don't feel like putting on make up is just the powdered sugar on the banana nut muffin. It's a yummy job and somebody's gotta do it!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Hey, Come Join the Party Next Saturday!

Hey come join the party!
Next Saturday, at the Chesterfield Library, from 1-3pm, we're gonna have a party!
A book launch!
I'm going to give away a boat load of books, and a free Kindle Bundle!
Anyone in the area, stop by, have a hunk of cake and join the fun!
A BOOK LAUNCH
SATURDAY, APRIL 13TH, 1-3PM
The Chesterfield Library!