My Loot and your Loot

The Husband gets home tonight, its been 5 weeks and am at the point of shooting his boss with a bebe gun(those are not harmful right? i hope i even spelt it right).
On another Squee note I got all my contest wins in one day so Thank you Talli, Michele and Madeleine, let me share a random line from one of the books

"What if I get frostbite?"
"I don't bite, Jal. Unless you want me to"       fans self copiously

I shall take pictures as soon as I charge my camera, So today is the last day for you to comment on my not 100 or 150 followers giveaway, just tell me what genre you like to read and you are automatically entered. If you also tweet, blog or facebook abt this giveaway please let me know (there is a special bench reserved for you in the goodies corner).

Now get this, there is another giveaway tomorrow, hosted by some amazing bloggers(whom I just found) and I and next week the author in the interrogation room is coming with 5 books to give away and she has been writing for 10 years.

I think someone should start daring me on the Authors I bring to the Interrogation, maybe Stephen King will be next (the Sarcastic Joanna laughs at the optimistic Joanna)

Not doing my blogging rounds is not really working out for me so as soon as I get some Lunch I shall be hounding your blogs again, you guys inspire me to write.

Have a lovely day 

Enjoy the scenery of my reality as a stay at home mom,  I promise I left him for just 1minute

Tuesday News and Book Giveaway

Okay I know I said my schedule would be Monday Wednesday Friday for NaNoWriMo but am an addict, sue me!
Remember when we talked about the Public Lending Rights well you will be pleased to know that the budget cut has been made and it is not as bad as was feared it was cut by 15% over 4 years as opposed to 30% for the Arts Council (these are the guys who have loads of Writer in Residence progs).
My NaNo mood: NaNo sucks! why? I just realized I am a pen and paper writer I can't tell you what my word count and I cannot win a prize at eHarlequin because of that, they are giving out prizes every week to act as incentive to the Nanoers by the way and its good stuff. But I think if I were to guesstimate my word count from yesterday would be closer to 3k than 2k and that was me writing with a migraine. My plan is to finish the 50k words hopefully by the middle of the month and get it typed(1st edit) by the end of November, If I get this done then I will be a true winner.

Don't forget if you have not entered my not 100 or 150 followers book giveaway there is still time, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me what genre you like to read and if you are one of my winners, I will have a book in that genre shipped to you from the book depository.

Invite your like-minded friends to join in this giveaway, the more the merrier and who knows maybe every referree will get a chance to win a chocolate package (please let me know if you have tweeted, blogged or facebooked abt this giveaway, I would make a button but IDK how)
Enjoy these pictures and have a lovely day.
Oh Oh the husband gets back tomorrow!

one of the many lighthouses here

good snorkeling spot

Woo Hoo Bank Holiday! and another giveaway

Woo Hoo its a bank holiday in France today! Is somebody getting green with envy? Don't be, you guys have eaten enough candy to get a hangover this morning. So how was Halloween? It was fun seeing everyone get excited online.
Thank you all for coming out to Support Christine Bell on her release day, She had a lot of fun and without further Ado I shall announce the winners for the friday giveaway

Rachel Harrie
Amie Kaufman
Terri Anne Stanley

Congratulations and please send me an email so we can work out the logistics of your loot.

I did say I was going to have a hundred followers giveaway on Thursday but here we are on Monday and we are at 122 so we shall call this giveaway
THE NOT 100 OR 150 FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY
All you have to do is comment on my posts till Wednesday letting me know what genre you read and I shall select 3 lucky winners and have new books in their genre shipped to them by the Book Depository.
If you also want to advertise this giveaway on your blog I shall be a happy bunny.
Lastly NaNoWriMo has started and in true Pantser style I have not written a word yet (yeah I'll blame it on my pantsing skills and not because I like to procastinate). But in the light of the work I expect to do this month I shall try to limit my blogging schedule to Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays .
Are you NaNoing? How is it going so far? don't forget to tell me what genre you read so I can enter you in the giveaway.
:)

Interrogation Room and giveaways

Me: *whispers*Is the interrogation room ready?
Sidekick : Yeah lights and audio are perfect
Me: Ladies and gentlemen today I drag before you Christine Bell and Chloe Cole (2 me that counts as 2 people even though they share the same picture). She comes bearing gifts; 2 books and a 10 page critique for an aspiring author, to learn how to win keep on reading :)

1. Joanna - Hey I know you don't know us that well, but tell us a secret
   Christine - Okay. Let’s see…Sometimes, when I’m in an elevator and I’m the only one in it, I pretend I’m controlling it with my superhero powers. Sort of like Magneto from X-Men, yanno? So, I will get in, the door will shut, and I will turn my palm face up (in a rather dramatic fashion) and “make” the elevator rise. When it stops, I will flick my superhero wrist, which will (theoretically) cause the doors to open. I blame this on my interaction with my four boys and husband. We spend an inordinate amount of time discussing superheroes, most desirable superpowers, etc. Recently, however, I did find out that my workplace has hidden cameras in the elevators, so I have begun to curtail this practice.
   Mostly.
   
   
2. Joanna - Are you or plotter or a pantser and can we lure you to the other side?
   Christine - A few months ago, I would’ve said 100% panster, but you’re already luring me to the other side! I have recently taken to doing loose outlines and character overviews. Not that I stick with them, mind you, but I *do* them. And they guide me through a lot of the story. I find my beginnings and ends are usually true to my outline.  The middle chunk? Not so much.
   
   
3. Joanna - Are you a disciplined writer that has to write a certain number of words per day or you just go with the flow?
   Christine - I would LOVE to be one of those writers who can set a daily word count, but my lifestyle just doesn’t allow for that. I have a full time job, a husband, a house, four boys and two dogs. Not to mention, a lot a family out of state so I do a lot of traveling in order to maintain a close relationship with them. Aside from stolen moments at lunch time, or between making dinner and doing dishes my writing time is typically from 10:00 p.m. until about 1:00 a.m. (or until I start drooling on my laptop). And that time isn’t just for writing, but all writing related business as well (cover art forms, blurbs, contracts, proposals, emails, promo and on and on). I also try to squeeze in extra time on the weekends. That said, to come up with a min. word count would just be depressing, because, depending on how tired I am by the time I get to writing, I would invariably fail to meet it. That’s one thing I do pride myself on is meeting or beating my goals and deadlines, so to set a goal and fail to meet it would be really bad for my mental state. I do consider myself disciplined, though. Just not in the “daily word count” sense. More like I’ll say “I need to complete, edit and sub this ms by X date.” And then I do that. Or I will say “I want to release ten books this year.” If I say it, then I’m very driven and will do everything in my power to make it happen.
   
   
4. Joanna - Choose one, chocolate, wine or books? why?
   Christine - That’s just cruel. I have to go with books, because then at least I can read about souls more fortunate than I (who get to eat chocolate and drink wine!)
   
   
5. Joanna - What advice do you have for aspiring writers like me?
   Christine - In order to do this, you have to love it. It’s not an easy road to publication, it’s not a high paying profession for the majority of us, it’s hard work and if you break it down to an hourly rate you would probably cry once you realize you’d be better served getting a job at the Quickie Mart. But if you truly love it, and couldn’t stop if you tried, immerse yourself in it, read about writing, write about writing, take workshops, read blogs, read books and write write write. Then submit submit submit. Take the feedback you get from editors (if you’re fortunate enough to get it) and apply it, then write some more. This is often said, but it really is the truth: A published author is one who won’t quit. When you get knocked down, get back up and do it again. For a great, inspiring book about becoming an author, I suggest Stephen King’s On Writing. 
6. Joanna: Okay I think she did a good job, she is guilty of being an author. Sidekick roll the book blurb

AWAKENING - The Wolves of Pray
Sean Mulaney’s beloved mate Sara is dead and her killer’s trail has grown cold. Eaten up by grief and guilt, it’s an effort just to get through the day. Now, after a year in mourning, his animal instincts have reawakened. As Sean struggles to control the need clawing at him, along comes Chandra and she wants more than just passion. But if she refuses, she might blow her one chance to convince him that she can rock his world and fill the empty space in his heart. Will Sean let love in, only to risk having it taken away again?



Ahem still drooling at the book cover? go and cobble cobblestone press for a copy

Christine Bell is one half of the happiest couple in the world. She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys and their two dogs, Gimli and Pug. When she isn't acting as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from Young Adult novels to books on poker theory. She hates bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate. She also loves writing steamy romance stories, but also hopes to one day publish something her dad can read without wanting to poke his eyes out with sharp sticks. If she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate. Or, like, a ninja maybe. Oooh, or a Gryffendor! 
Christine can be found at her website or her blog she loves guests.
Now for the giveaway
Christine's book comes out today from Cobblestone press at 5pm EST (Exciting right?), she has also been recently signed with Carina Press (The Adventures of Stormy Gale) and she is on a role.
Today she is giving out 2 books written by her of course

1. Pray (Book 1 in the wolves of Pray series)
2. Captive Audience (From Chloe Cole)
3. And of course a 10 page critique 

To win all you have to do is follow her blog which can be found here and follow me too

You also get to do a fun challenge: Chloe Cole wants to know what your ideal pen name would be.
So three special steps tell us what your ideal pen name would be, follow me and then hop on over to her blog and follow.
Winners will be picked by my Kidlet on Sunday Night French time and announced Monday Morning American Time
Have Fun, its Friday and Christine will be by later with the drinks, I told her we are a rowdy bunch

Help is Here

After a billion edits don't you and your CPs ever feel you need a fresh pair of eyes? Especially since your agent or editor has no idea how well you have improved from first to last draft and will only judge you based on what they see. Well here is a solution 4 u, our friend Erica over at A Novel Hypothetically Speaking has come up with an amazing idea, A beta party blogfest!


Its a way to connect with other writers/bloggers and find a beta reader if you need one. Then there is more and this is where I get excited she's got Prizes (I know am automatically out of the running but she has got prizes!).
1st Prize is A copy of "The Forest for the Trees" & she  will beta read your MS/WIP 
2nd Prize is A 3 CHAPTER critique by Clarissa Draper check out her blog, seriously check it out.
 
The 3rd prize is supposed to be from me, but for the life of me I could not figure out what to give, oh I know! I know! we can do a synopsis crit together. That's what followers are for right?*winks*
so head on over to Erica and Clarissa's the blogfest is till Sunday the 10th and meet some fellow writers looking for you (oh gosh! now I sound like a dating website).
On another note today, I did a hundred and ten on the speedometer today (believe me that was the speed limit), it felt so good I think I might start training for the Grand Prix de Monaco.