String Bridge Amazon Rush & A Whole Bunch Of Awesome Sauce

Today is the big day to help Jessica Bell's debut, STRING BRIDGE, hit
the bestseller list on Amazon, and receive the all-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, written and performed by Jessica, herself, for free! How cool is that?

All you have to do is
purchase the book today (paperback, or eBook), November 11th, and
then email the receipt to:
jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com
She will then email you a link to download the album at no extra cost!

To purchase the paperback:

Amazon USA

To purchase the eBook:

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.

Today is also the BIG LAUNCH DAY for RaShelle Workman's Exiled. She's launching in conjunction with her Dark C.A.R.M.A. buds Ali Cross and C.K. Bryant. They're having a Twitter party with lots of goodies and other fun, so be sure to check it out starting at 11:11AM Mountain Time under the hashtag #darkcarma.

And now for my You Should Know Friday

Today I am spotlighting a very cool sci fi chick, Ms. Mariah. She has a wonderful blog called Ms. Mariah's Space Blog-yssey. Here she talks all things sci fi from television to movies and cons. I love visiting as her reviews are always balanced, smart and very thoughtful. There's usually some lively discussions to be found in the comments as well. If you love sci fi, you definitely need to know Mariah. Right now she has an excellent spotlight of Tarsem Singh's Immortals.

Seriously Twisted Television

I am absolutely in love with the new show American Horror Story. It has to be the most twisted, creepy, squirmy thing I have ever seen on television. Check it. The show centers on the Harmon family, Ben, Vivien and daughter Violet. They move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien gives birth to a still born babe because she discovered Ben having an affair with a patient. Cool drama so far, no? Anyway, they move into this restored mansion that has a hugely tragic and evil past. As Ben and Viv struggle to repair their broken marriage and poor Violet suffers from depression, they must confront the horrors in their new home.

The always excellent Dylan McDermott stars as Ben, a psychiatrist on the ragged edge. He's sunk all of his money into this second chance, very aware that he has Mt. Everest to climb and Death Valley to cross in order to have even a chance at winning Viv back. Viv, played by the super-talented Connie Britton, is broken woman, who's seeking some kind of way out of the black hole her life has become. She hates her husband, but yet, he's also offered her a kind of life line and the glimmer of a way out the dark forest s she's willing to latch and at least try. Violet is played by newcomer Taissa Farmiga. She's depressed, resentful and been forced to leave everything familiar behind. Added to this insanity are Jessica Lange as Constance, the whacked-out neighbor whose mentally handicapped daughter is obsessed with the house. Evan Peters is Tate Langdon a new patient of Ben's who is obsessed with Violet and has his own connections to the house. Some recurring guest stars include Kate Mara as Ben's student lover, Zachary Quinto as a former owner whose obsession with the house has clearly not been cured by leaving and Frances Conroy as Moira, the housekeeper who definitely has her crazy connections to the place.

Now we come to the house. And man, this house makes Amityville look like an over-stimulated kindergartener. Built by an insane surgeon, there has been murder, mayhem, sick experiments and other evil happenings in this house since the very beginning. Every week we are treated to yet another glimpse from the house's evil past. It drives its residents insane when it's not killing them off.

Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, the creators of the brilliant Nip/Tuck and Glee are the fiendish minds behind this series. I watch every single week and I am never disappointed. I can't believe I'm seeing this on television. It's just mind-blowing, psychotic and outrageously creepy. I can't wait for more.

Monday Blues And Some Damn Good Television

Ugh! It's Monday and I'm already having a bad week just thinking about the shit I have to do this week. I want to turn the clock back to Friday. I hate when the week just starts and already my blood pressure is hopping. Stop the ride, I want to get off...NOW!!

Okay, bitch session is over. It's not all bad, honestly, I'm just whining because that's the way I roll sometimes. And what better day to bitch, than Monday?

Anyway, I watched Walking Dead last night and saw the coolest zombie kill ever. It was gross and hilarious all at once. My favorite kind, really. Picture water-logged zombie and immense dead organ spillage. I have got find the clip and post it. I nearly peed myself laughing. Yep, I'm just that twisted.

I also watched Hell on Wheels. Great is an underwhelming adjective to even begin describing this show. It is savage, visceral television. The production is just mind-blowing. I could almost smell the filth, the animals and the people. Whoever it was that said the Old West was romantic obviously had no clue what they were talking about. Uh can we say "Ewwwww..." That being said, this show absolutely captures that brutal period known as Reconstruction. Carpetbaggers, corrupt politicians, Native Americans, freed slaves, greedy tycoons, gunslingers, families wanting to start fresh, ex-soldiers, prostitutes and preachers all in a roiling, seething mass of expansion and rebuilding. What a savage period to have lived through. The U.S. had blown itself apart in civil war, the social order was in complete upheaval, the president had been murdered and we were building one of the country's greatest infrastructure projects. Not a period for family values that's for sure.

The characters are incredible, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, each with their own agenda. Colm Meaney is wickedly brilliant as Thomas "Doc" Durant, a greedy railroad man who is hellbent on building the transcontinental railroad, but also just as relentless in wringing as much money from the process as possible. Anyone who stands in his way is brutally run down. Anson Mount is intense as Cullen Bohannen, an ex-Confederate bent on revenging his wife's murder. A far, far superior cry from Brit Brit's love interest in that godawful Crossroads. Chitown's own Common is incredibly brilliant as Elam, a former slave working the line and determined that no man will ever own him again. Check the trailer and tune in for sure.

First Annual Natalie Acres Boot Scootin' Boogie Blog Tour

Imaginarians, today I'm steaming things up with erotica writer Natalie Acres, who is celebrating the release of her newest title, Cowboy Boots and Unsettled Debts from Siren Publishing.

Here's a little taste of this extremely hot menage tale...

Blurb

Seduction turns deadly when Abby Rose, an agent with the Underground Unit, decides to put a provocative spin on revenge. Her plan to sleep with a cartel leader backfires when fellow operatives refuse to let Abby face her enemy alone.

Abby’s fellow agents begin the fight of their lives. After discovering Abby will use her body to lure in the man who killed her father and their command leader, seven highly trained special operatives cope with high tensions as each man comes to terms with feelings they never acknowledged.

This team isn’t fighting for another cause or plotting the best way to take out their mark. The stakes are much higher. These men will take up arms and meet their greatest challenge as they work together to protect the woman they admire and love.

Excerpt

Abby looked freshly fucked. That’s the only way Ace knew how to describe her. She had a soft glow to her cheeks when she stepped away from the car. Her round nipples were hard, pressing through her thin light blue shirt, and those plaid shorts looked crumpled. Some heavy petting must’ve occurred in the backseat of that SUV.

“Hey you,” Ace said, forcing a smile. “I’m glad to see you’re in one piece.”

“I’m fine, Ace,” she assured him, glancing over her shoulder.
Judson slid out of the vehicle. Ace took a ragged breath. He wasn’t worried about Judson. He wasn’t the competition. He’d held Abby’s heart in the palm of his hand for a very short time.

Ace had been with her for the last five years.

Judson stuck out his hand, “Nice to see you, Ace.”

The others politely greeted Judson as well. By the time Kit stepped away from the automobile, everyone stood on the driver’s side of the Suburban. Kit and Brantley exchanged words, and everyone was introduced. Ace and Brantley were the only two operatives who’d worked with Kit in the past. Their time together was brief.

Thank God.

“Ace,” Kit said, narrowing his gaze. “You look stressed. How’s it going?”

“I’m super, you?” He stuck out his hand and shook. Damn, that hurt. He immediately wondered where the guy’s hands had been.

“Never better,” he replied, winking at Abby.

Ace stalked across the garage and stormed inside. Behind him, Brantley said, “We’ll discuss our plans once everyone gets settled in. Stop off at the refrigerator and grab you something to drink. We have plenty of snacks in the pantry. Meet upstairs in the control room in fifteen.”

Ace entered the kitchen. Abby was right behind him. No time like the present to get a few things out of the way.

She hit the last step. He grabbed her arm. Casey saw everything.

Right as Ace dragged her into the utility room, Casey said, “I got this, Ace. You can owe me later.”

There was a brass latch at the top of the door, Ace used it. He slid the lever in place, turned around, and faced his fears. Time to play, and way past time to sate the need and satisfy the longing. Although he feared after he fucked her, things would only get worse.

“I’m in love with you.”

“What?” she asked, acting surprised.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t see this coming,” Ace said, stalking her. “Don’t act as if you don’t know there’s something between us.” He loosened his belt, snapped it as he pulled the leather away from the denim. Shirtless after working in the hayfields all afternoon, he noticed how her gaze worked across his dusty, hay-coated abs.

“I’m hot. I’m sweaty. I’ve been farming all day.” He reached behind her and turned on the shower nozzle. A matter of convenience more than anything else, the mudroom housed a washer, dryer, toilet, sink, and small shower stall. “And I need to clean up.”

She placed her hand over her mouth and hid a smile.

“Considering I don’t know where you’ve been or who you’ve let touch you, I think a bath is in order for you, too.”

“Ace this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of,” Abby said. “You’re what? Jealous of Kit and now you’re ready to fuck me?”

“You’re half right,” he replied, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her against him. “I’m not jealous, but I am gonna fuck you. Right here. Right now. I don’t care if someone interrupts us or not.”

“Ace, no,” she said, shaking her head.

“Why? Because you don’t want to hurt him?”

She thinned her lips.

“Do you love him?”

Her eyes watered.

“You do,” he said, processing.

“I always will,” she informed him.

Ace felt his jaw tighten. He felt like a blasted fool now. Maybe he should’ve asked her about her feelings for Kit before he dragged her off to the shower.

“And I’ve known for a long time I’m in love with you, too.”

He felt his jaw relax. “Of course you are.” He hoped like hell he didn’t sound pussy whipped. “Yeah, you are.” The second time sounded more confident.

“You should believe that,” she whispered as she stood on her tiptoes and took their first kiss. Her wicked tongue jabbed through his sealed lips. They parted and welcomed the invasion, the overdue moment that would prove they somehow weathered the storm.

Whoa...I think my glasses are fogged up. :) As if this spicy excerpt weren't enough deliciousness, Natalie is giving away prizes at the end of this tour. So leave a comment or three since the more you comment, the more chances you have of winning. For the rest of her tour stops , click here. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and I will see you on the Flip Side.

It's Friday!!!!

I am so psyched, my peeps. I just received news that Nathan's Angel is the #5 bestseller for October at Amber Allure. Drinks all around!!! Who cares if it's not 5 o'clock yet? It's so completely freakin' awesome to have my story and the word bestseller together in perfect harmony. What's that Lionel Richie song? "Oh what a feeling, when we're dancing on the ceiling..." I am so blown away and considering the story has only been out for 2 weeks? Wowzers! Thank you all so very, very much for the support. You rock!!

On to some more awesomeness, my You Should Know Friday. Today, I want to spotlight a wonderful blogger friend that I just adore, Ella from Ella's Edge . I just love her. Ella is a poet, an artist and all around creative genius. She always has the most interesting posts and opens up your mind with her unique blend of art and writing. She always leaves upbeat, quirky comments that make me smile and give me a lift when I really need it. Visiting Ella's site is like going to a favorite place and giving your spirit a lift. You should all get to know her.

See the Movember button at the top of my side bar? Jamie aka Mithril Wisdom is growing a stache for a good cause. He's helping to raise funds to fight prostate cancer. So click on there and check it out. Go Jamie and go Jamie's 'stache!

Well, that's it for today. A short sweet post to see you all into the weekend. Do you all have big plans? I want to try and hit the theater since this is I did not get there last weekend, either. Harold and Kumar are back, Yay!! Those two crack me the hell up. I'm also having dinner with friends and of course, there's the Bears-Lions game. Yes, I am a football junkie. I even play fantasy football. I can see the eye rolls and sad head shakes out there. :) I wish you all a stellar weekend.

Author Spotlight: Jessica Bell

Imaginarians, I am dancing with excitement because the amazingly talented Jessica Bell is spending some time here with us on her whirlwind tour for her debut novel String Bridge.

String Bridge tells the story of Australian musician Melody, who married a Greek music promoter and settled in. Eager to make her new life work, she gives up her music for a proper career and eventually, motherhood. Unable to bear what she's become, Melody makes plans to return to life on the stage and the person she once was. However, the obstacle mount and tragedy unfolds, leaving Melody to wonder if she's been looking for fulfillment in the wrong place. You can read the official blurb here.

If you're not already familiar with Jessica via her spectacular blog, The Alliterative Allomorph, here's a little bit more about her. She is a literary women's fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s.

She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide, such as HarperCollins, Pearson Education and Macmillan Education.

In addition to String Bridge, Jessica has published a book of poetry called Twisted Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in various anthologies and literary magazines can be found under Published Works & Awards, on her website.

From September 2012 Jessica will be hosting the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca, home of Odysseus.

String Bridge is your debut novel. What was that moment like when you first found out it had been accepted for publication?

I really didn’t want to, seeing as it’s all I had been doing with every rejection, but I cried. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I was ready to shelve the thing. I’d said to myself, “This is its last chance.” It really felt unbelievable.

What has surprised you the most about the business side of writing? Is there any part of publishing that you have found especially challenging?

The marketing, the networking. It takes just as much time, if not more, than writing does. I also don’t really enjoy tooting my own horn. I feel like I’m imposing myself on people. But I guess it’s something I’m going to have to get used to.

What will you take away from this experience and how do you think it will affect your future pursuits in publishing?

I will forever cherish the memory of all the support I’ve received from people like you. The launch of this book would seem useless without you! How will it affect the future? Well, it’s certainly changed my view of myself. I think I’ll stop doubting myself so often.

Do you write every day or only when inspiration strikes? How do you keep your creative juices flowing?

Only when inspiration strikes. I lose my flair when I push myself. But I love to write, so my breaks aren’t usually lengthy. I keep my creative juices flowing by writing poetry.

What message do you hope readers will take away from String Bridge?

I’m hoping readers will realize that there aren’t ever really any wrong choices in life, there are just different roads to follow. The challenge is to take a step back and figure out what is the most important to us before taking that leap in a new direction.

If we looked on your bookshelf right now, what are some of the titles we would find?

A Marilynne Robinson, Anne Lamott and Margaret Atwood library …

Writers receive advice from many sources along their journey. What was the best piece of writing advice you have received?

To be true to myself.

Aside from writing, what are some of your other passions and pursuits?

Reading, singing, playing guitar, cinema, travel, ancient history, making beaded jewellery (though I haven’t made any for quite a long time), learning how to enjoy physical exercise! (not quite succeeded yet)

If you were sitting in a room full of young girls who aspire to be writers and poets, what would you say to them?

Learn the rules and then break them intelligently!

That's some great advice. Thank you Jessica so much for being here. String Bridge debuts from Lucky Press, LLC. For more information go here and visit the amazing site Jessica has set up for novel. String Bridge is available for Kindle at Amazon and Amazon UK.

As if this book weren't amazing enough, she also wrote a soundtrack for the novel called Melody Hill: On The Other Side. You can check it out on iTunes, Amazon and Amazon UK.

Want more of this amazing writer? Visit her website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads or her blog.

Insecure Writers Support Group

Well today is Insecure Writers Support Group Day and I am sending out positive, productive thoughts to all my fellow writers out there. Some you of, like my good friend Vics over at Hairnets and Hopes, are doing NaNoWriMo this month. Vics, you can rock this challenge!! I have every faith in you. And the same sentiment goes out to all my writer buds doing the NaNo. Write On!!

In the spirit of the Writing Muse, I want to share some of my favorite quotes about writing. Here's hoping we all take away some inspiration today.

"A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket." ~Charles Peguy

"And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." ~Sylvia Plath

"When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing." ~Enrique Jardiel Poncela

"Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." ~Gene Fowler

"Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." ~ E.L. Doctorow