Want to have lunch with 29 agents and editors? (Of course you do!)

Maybe you’d like to mix and mingle with a cocktail in your hand and have the opportunity to pitch your book in a relaxed atmosphere to 29 agents and editors? (Because being relaxed is better for everyone!)

How about have a delicious lunch while be regaled by keynote speaker Angela James, Executive Editor of Carina Press? (The food is always great and Angela is a fabulous speaker!)

Door prizes? We’ve got ‘em.

Free books? Yes, we’ve got them too!

Have I mentioned 29 agents and editors eager to hear your pitch in an informal atmosphere – with no timers or someone standing over your shoulder ready to tell you your allotted time is UP!

Want to know how you can join us?

Sure you do!

So, here’s the details…

If you live, work or play anywhere near Long Island, NY (we’re a short ferry ride from CT, RI, NY, MA and a short train ride from NYC, NJ or PA) We just might be the perfect place for you to pitch that masterpiece you’ve been slaving over these last few months (or years!)

What: The Long Island Romance Writers Annual Agent/Editor Luncheon

When: June 8th. 12:00 – 4:00

Where: The gorgeous Waterfall Room at the Inn at Foxhollow

Price: $50 LIRW members, $60 non-members

Agent/Editor guest list:

GUEST AGENTS
Frances Black – The Literary Counsel
*NEW* Hannah Bowman – Liza Dawson Associates
*NEW* Claudia Cross – Folio Literary Management
Marisa A. Corvisiero, Esq. – Corvisiero Literary Agency
Jita Fumich – Folio Literary Management, LLC
*NEW* Evan Gregory – Ethan Ellenberg Agency
Jill Grosjean – Jill Grosjean Literary Agency
Erin Harris – Irene Skolnick Literary Agency
Anne Hawkins – John Hawkins & Associates, Inc.
Emily Keyes – The L. Perkins Agency
*NEW* Victoria Marini – The Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency
Jennifer Mishler – The Literary Counsel
Lori Perkins –- The L. Perkins Agency
Katie Shea – Donald Maass Agency
Becky Vinter – FinePrint Literary Management
*NEW* Sarah E. Younger – Nancy Yost Literary Agency
 

GUEST EDITORS
Stacy C. Abrams – Editorial Director, Entangled Publishing, LLC
Crissy Brashear – founder of Samhain Publishing
Marlene Castricato – Marketing Director – Co-Founder – Crescent Moon Press
Lindsay Faber – Publisher of Samhain Publishing
*NEW* Leah Hultenschmidt – Sourcebooks, Inc.
*NEW* Christopher Keeslar – Editor in Chief, Boroughs Publishing Group
Lauren Plude – Editorial Assistant, Grand Central Publishing
*NEW* Aubrey Poole – Sourcebooks, Inc.
Pat White – Publisher of Arrow Publishing
Irene Williams – Editor in Chief, Loose Id
*NEW* Abby Zidle – Senior Editor for Gallery and Pocket Books

 Still need more information?

Take a look at the LIRW website.

Only a few seats left, so reserve your spot now! Will I see you there?

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 I’m so excited to announce my cover re-design for the first book in my "in her" time travel series – out now and only .99!

(Cover coming soon for "The Pirate in Her Dreams" – my upcoming release!)

Cover credit for this beauty goes to Elaina Lee at  For The Muse Designs.

A Knight in Her Arms 

A 12th century Knight. A 21st century woman. A blind date for all time.

Dreaming of the past. Hannah Falcon loves her job cataloging medieval artifacts and setting up the displays at the Natural History Museum in New York City. What she doesn’t love is her friends insisting she date more. When a man dressed as a medieval knight shows up in the museum, Hannah mistakes him for her friend’s latest attempt at a blind date.

Sent into the future: Sir Gavin of Rogueforth is a battle-hardened twelfth century knight who expects nothing more from life than to live and die by his sword. Sent through time to protect a woman named Hannah and claim her as his own, he expects a reward. He doesn’t expect a woman who refuses to be protected.

Can one passionate night, ten days before Christmas, convince a twenty-first century woman to follow her heart and show a medieval knight there’s more to life than being a protector?

*Previously published as Her Knight Before Christmas, this is a sexy time travel novella* 

Buy for Amazon Kindle

Buy at Smashwords

Buy at Barnes&Noble

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It’s a BlogThings Quiz!

You Are Comic Sans

You are a nothing but a big goofball. You’re quite playful and fun! You’re widely known for your zany personality and your vivacious attitude. To say that you stand out in a crowd would be a definite understatement. Remember that you are overwhelming at times and that people appreciate you best in small doses.

Hmmm…let’s break this down.

A big goofball – No.

Playful and fun – Yes.

Zany personality – If they mean my "I love Lucy" approach to life…then hell yes!

Do I stand out in a crowd? – Only if I want to (and I usually don’t)

Do I overwhelm people – Probably.

I wouldn’t call this quiz spot-on, but the result is! I LOVE the Comic Sans font and would use it for everything if I didn’t think it would drive people crazy. I do tend to compose my emails in Comic Sans and all my correspondence to friends, etc. Rest assured I will not torture readers of the Saucy Scribe with my fun-loving font, because I really do want you to come back!

Your Turn!

Take the quiz and let me know what font you are – do you agree or disagree?

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I’m sure everyone remembers their mother saying, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"

And she was right.

Eating breakfast isn’t just important when we send our kids off to school, it’s equally as important for us adults to stay focused and do our best work! Eating breakfast has been shown to improve memory and cognitive functions (as we age, this is so important!) Studies show that breakfast skippers eat more at the next meal or snack on higher calorie foods before their next meal (I don’t know about you, but those high calorie mid-morning snacks are my downfall!) And did you know that prolonged fasting (aka – skipping breakfast) can increase your body’s insulin response, which means more fat storage and that equals weight gain! 

The truth is, we can’t concentrate on work, on writing that chapter, on finding just the words – if our stomachs are growling.

The good news is, even if we’re faced with a hectic morning – we can fix breakfast in just a few minutes!

The Easy Smoothie. In a blender, add: 1/2 cup low-fat or non-fat yogurt, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 banana and 3-4 frozen strawberries. Done!

A Better-topped Bagel. Instead of loading up your bagel with cream cheese – try spreading on a more healthful nut butter and topping it with a few slices of banana.

Breakfast Wrap. Wraps now come in all size and flavors – grab your favorite and roll up a scrambled egg with some ham and cheese and you’ve got a healthy breakfast you can eat on your way out the door!

Yogurt Cup. Buy the large container of plain vanilla yogurt so you can make your own parfait. In a cup layer some yogurt, fresh fruit and granola.

Hard Boiled Eggs. Boil some eggs over the weekend and you’ll have a quick and easy breakfast all week. Eat them whole, slice them over some whole wheat toast, or add them to a wrap and you’ve got a healthy breakfast in minutes.

Your Turn!

What’s your go-to quick and easy breakfast recipe?

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Happy Friday!

Just in case you need a little writing inspiration this weekend, I thought it was time for a little fun fantasy post.

I’m currently in the middle of writing a pirate time travel – and even though my hero will not be sporting any tan lines like this – I’m definitely pinning this to my desk for some "other" inspiration *wink*

Are you a fan of tan lines? Or should we just sit back and sip our coffee thinking about how this guy could lose the tan lines altogether?

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I embrace change!

I’ve been married a long time – 25 years – to the same man. A man who often comments that given my love of change, he’s surprised I haven’t traded him in for shiny new model. Truth is, we are two very different people. I’m quickly swayed by something new and shiny, love to change the colors of rooms and rearrange my furniture – my husband does not enjoy any of those things.

I’m creative and live in my own world most of the time – my husband, the engineer, lives and breathes reality and order.

I have fanciful ideas, he grounds me and pulls back to earth.

He’s my constant in a world of things I can’t control and stands beside me when I feel the need to change something I can control.

So, today in honor of the things we can change…I give you a new blog design (because I got bored with the old one and felt Spring was a good excuse…and it’s my blog!)

Sometimes a little change can feel good.

Your Turn!

What are you changing for Spring?

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Wouldn’t this be scary to see on a Monday morning?

Ok, it would be scary to see ANYTIME!

So, let’s get down to business.

We live in the computer age. From our smartphones to tablets to laptops and desktops – most of us have our lives on our computers. As a writer, I have files for my current books in progress, files of my completed books with their covers and all my promo materials and all the research that goes along with every book.

I’ve got recipes and family photos.

I cringe with even the hint of something going wrong with my computer and being faced with losing everything inside. Backups are NOT something any of us can afford to procrastinate on – we’ve got to be proactive and prepare!

Here are just a few ways you can backup your important files in just a few minutes:

1. Dropbox. If you don’t already have one, hop on over the dropbox.com and get yourself a FREE account. (You can pay for more space if you need it.) One of the great things about Dropbox is you can access whatever you put there from any internet-connected device.

2. Online Backups. Examples are companies like Carbonite, Mozy or iDrive. Many of these companies offer free services and a pay option for enough room to backup your entire computer. These services run automatically in the background and are encrypted – so your personal information remains safe. Best of all, if your computer does crash – you simply log into the site with your new computer and restore! Once you set these accounts up – it doesn’t even take minutes of your time, it runs without you!

3. Flashdrives. Don’t underestimate the power of your flashdrive. From music to photos to your current WIPs – it’s fast and easy to save your files on a flashdrive and take it with you.

4. Email. At least once a week I email the current version of my latest chapter to myself at my google account. I can access my google account from all my internet-connected devices, so I know I can always get to it.

5. Yahoo. Create your own personal and private yahoo group and upload photos and documents there. Again, yahoo is accessible on any internet-connected device or computer, so you can always find your stuff.

These are just a few ways to painlessly back-up some of your important files – I’m sure there are many more options out there to make the job quick and easy for you.

Your Turn!

How often do you backup and how?

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Writing a fictional tale that really captures the readers imagination is so much more than creating a believable character, we must strive to make the world we create on those pages come alive.

Descriptions of people, places and things are not just important – they’re crucial. Color is one way to help your descriptions pop off the page and into the imagination of the reader.

Just like a painter uses color to make their masterpiece come alive on the canvas, we can use color to give our words life.

This past weekend I found these beautiful flower baskets to flank my front door. I love the way the purple of the flower contrasts with the green of the leaves, creating an eye-catching bloom of color against the white of my house. And for some reason, they just look like such a happy flower!

So, today to kick off my Colorful Writing series of blog posts, I’m talking PURPLE today!

Examples of Shades of Purple:

Amethyst, eggplant, mauve, lilac, plum, violet, orchid, lavender, mulberry

The History of Purple according to Wikipedia

“The Tyrian purple (in Greek, πορφ?ρα, porphyra, Latin: purpura), also known as royal purple, imperial purple or imperial dye, is a purple-red dye which was first produced by the ancient Phoenicians.

Tyrian purple was expensive: the 4th-century-BC historian Theopompus reported, ‘Purple for dyes fetched its weight in silver at Colophon’ in Asia Minor. The expense rendered purple-dyed textiles status symbols, and early sumptuary laws dictated and forbade their use. The production of shellfish purple was tightly controlled in Byzantium and subsidized by the imperial court, which restricted its use for the coloring of silks for imperial use, so that a particularly elite member of the imperial family was porphyrogenitos, ‘born in the purple’.”

Purple dye was rare and expensive and thus purple became the color of royalty and wealth.

 

Purple is frequently used to give the impression of opulence and wealth, but can used to describe the every day things just as effectively. Everyone can relate the glob of grape jelly seeping from between the slices of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich – by saying "grape jelly" the reader can picture it in their mind. The beautiful lavender dress on the hanger your heroine is thinking about wearing for her first date? We’ll know it’s a pale dress and she’s not being too flashy. If she chooses the magenta or mulberry dress, we get the feeling she just might be feeling more bold. Which color your heroine chooses gives the reader a good character clue!

I hope I’ve inspired you to see all the variations of purple around you this week and maybe add a little of this royal color to whatever you’re writing!

Your Turn!

What’s your favorite shade of purple and why?

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This is NOT me, and this is NOT what I look like on any given day! But, that doesn’t mean I don’t like to think about looking glamorous – or simply looking my best whenever possible.

I think every woman, from the corporate CEO to the stay-at-home Mom can agree that we’re all strapped for time, but we still deserve (and want!) to look good doing whatever job we’re doing.

Lucky for us, we don’t need hours a day to look and feel fabulous!

Here’s a few things we can all do in five minutes or less to make us all feel just a little more glamorous! Because as that famous commercial has been telling us for years, aren’t we worth it?

FIVE MINUTES ON YOU!

1. Moisturize! Summer, winter, spring and fall – your skin (especially as it ages!) is screaming out for moisture. Don’t miss out on the quick and easy way to keep your skin looking it’s best. From your face down to the tips of your toes. (Don’t forget to add a moisturizer with some sunscreen for your face too!)

2. The Cucumber Slice. Yes, we’ve all seen the ads for the spas with the women with cucumber slices on their eyes – guess what? This really works! Just a few minutes with a slice of cucumber over your eyes helps relieve puffiness and lighten the dark circles (and it just feels cool!)

3. Exfoliating hand scrub. Just a few minutes with an exfoliating hand scrub each week can keep your hands feeling smooth and keep them looking young. Your hands and face are two things that are rarely covered and are the first to show those signs of winter dryness. With spring here, keep those hands looking soft and smooth with just a little extra help from a nice scrub.

4. Drink your water! We’ve had this drummed into us since we were kids – drink 8 glasses of water a day. Water keeps you hydrated from the inside, helps flush out toxins and is a major contributor to healthy skin. Having trouble getting all that water down? Add lemon or orange slices to your water bottle. Fill up you coffee cup with water instead of coffee after lunch until the end of the day.

5. Smile. Only takes a minute, but remember to smile today. A smile uses facial muscles that lift the face making you appear younger. Research has shown that a smile releases endorphins into the body – which is a natural pain killer. A smile can make you feel better and a simple smile can brighter someone else’s day when they just might need it the most. In just a minute! (And ladies, smile lines are so much better than frown lines – they’re evidence of a life well lived!)

There you have it – a few ways to take care of yourself today in just a few minutes!

Your Turn!

What do you do in just minutes a day to make yourself feel or look great?

Happy Monday!

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So, it was no surprise to me, that the night after the sleepover did NOT involve sleeping at my house. Yes, my little girl was up most of the night – lights on in her room, TV on, cell phone firmly in hand.

Welcome to those fun teenage years.

I remember those sleepless nights all too well myself. I think I was the same age when my group of friends started watching all those scary movies too – and even making up our own to try to outwit and scare each other half to death just before we had to walk home alone in the dark…fun times! (NOT!)

Yet, the scary movies and scary books have a intensely loyal following. People love a good suspense, a good scare. Not me, of course – I write, and prefer to watch, romance. Romantic suspense…maybe. Romantic comedy…definitely. Happy endings with not a lot of blood, guts and gore – that’s my thing.

Enjoy the BlogThing quiz below and have a great Friday the 13th!

The Sixth Sense

You know what’s scary? Death! And anyone who pretends otherwise is completely kidding themselves. You often find yourself wondering what it would be like to be on the other side… even if there is no other side. When you’re all alone with your thoughts, you tend to be the most frightened. Confronting the harsh truths of life chill you to the bone. What will happen do you when you’re dead? Are dead people watching you right now? Those are some very freaky questions you ponder from time to time.

Your Turn!

What kind of Scary Movie are you? Take the quiz and let me know!

 

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