Richelle Mead Winner!!!

Congrats Jennifer S from Texas!  

I will get the book in the mail this weekend!
Thanks to all who entered!

Splash into Summer Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Juana E!

Your book is on it's way!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Guest Author - Blog Tour - Bryan Cohen

Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on 

Bryan Cohen's author blog tour!

Bryan Cohen is a writer, actor and comedian from Dresher, Pennsylvania. Since graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill he has written four books (1,000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More, 500 Writing Prompts for Kids: First Grade through Fifth Grade, Sharpening the Pencil: Essays on Writing, Motivation, and Enjoying your Life, and Writer on the Side: How to Write Your Book Around Your 9 to 5 Job), several plays (Something from Nothing and Chekhov Kegstand: A Dorm Room Dramedy in Two Acts) and he was the head writer for an un-produced Web series (Covenant Coffee). His writing and motivation website Build Creative Writing Ideas has had over 100,000 visitors since it was founded in December 2008. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Follow Bryan on Twitter @buildcwideas.

Now - On to the interview!

About you as an author:

 ? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

In 11^th grade or so, I was involved in a high school group called Environmental Education Club. We would teach the sixth graders from the middle school about nature at this park called Robbins Park during a two-day adventure. The kids would sleep in tents after the first night but before they did we had a big evening campfire. The group leaders from the EEC would put on skits for the kids each week. The skits were silly and they’d been around forever. I started performing in them and changing them drastically. Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad, but fortunately, it was more often funny than sad. This is both when I learned I wanted to be a writer and a performer.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

Well, since I’ve yet to strike it rich, the non-writer jobs might not be over for me quite yet, but let’s see. I’ve been an administrative assistant to Oprah during the Oprah’s Favorite Things giveaway; a brand representative for Naked Juice during a Costco Roadshow; a barista at a popular world-conquering coffee shop; an extra during a Green Bay Packers themed McDonald’s commercial; and a producer of a short-lived Internet television show. I’ve been all over the place.

? How long does it take you to write a book?

This depends on a lot of factors. It took me over a year and half to write my first two books but only two weeks to write my third book. Perhaps I’m getting the hang of writing and perhaps the third book was just extremely easy. My “idea book” series as I guess I’d call it is easier to write than a novel. I recently finished my first novella and it needs a lot of work whereas my 500 Writing Prompts for Kids book was in great shape after a second draft. I have two future projects that will probably take closer to a year to accomplish including a dark novel about disease and life purpose and a guide to happiness for those graduating college.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Short sentences with a weird burst of humor. Like...this? In general, I love playing with rhythm in my writing. During college, in the midst of taking fiction writing classes I also took several levels of poetry and studied the poets of 18^th century England. It really got me in the mindset of using rhythm to my advantage in writing.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

Any routine that works. I’ve found that if I only have one particular way of getting myself in “the zone” than any small wrench could throw everything off. I have devised several tricks to get myself in the mood which include listening to motivational audio programs, visiting the many local coffee shops in my Chicago neighborhood, and writing with a friend at 6:30 a.m.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

When I write fiction, I get inspired by the people around me. Even if a person is shallow in real life, that person is fully-realized and three-dimensional. If you can extract even some of that person’s life philosophy and adapt it for the page, your characters will be more fully realized than most characters out there. I’m also a big proponent of using different aspects of myself in characters.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

I have a lot of ideas. It’s an offshoot of my years as an improv comedian. I’ve been in over a thousand scenes with different characters and situations. If one of my ideas sound good, I’m going to try to write about it. I might as well take advantage of this influx of ideas, since this is the aspect of writing some people have trouble with. I even have an idea for a project for the future in which I collaborate with many different writers over the course of just one year using my many ideas.

About you as a person:

? What books have most influenced your life?

As a bit of a self-help junkie, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was the touchstone. The book taught me about love, goals, leadership, win-win situations and keeping myself sharp and ready for the next challenge. As a previously unconfident fellow, the book helped inspire me to become a full-fledged writer.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?

While there hasn’t been a lot of time for it lately during this blog tour, I love cooking. A couple of months back I cooked a wonderful Shabbat dinner for my friends with food, stuffed with other food, and spices galore. I should write a writer’s cookbook some day.

? What is your favorite comfort food?

My mother’s meatloaf. It can’t be beat. She always cooks it when I visit my parents and brother in Pennsylvania and it’s one of the things I most look forward to when I’m there!

? What do you think makes a good story?

A good story has something to say, some truth to present through the characters. A good story should make the reader think and have some kind of motivation to change. It should also have humor, possibly scatological. Truth and poop humor, definitely :).

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

Oh, I go so back and forth on this. I love an author with an interesting life story, so let’s say John Milton who wrote all of Paradise Lost while blind, which is freakin’ cool.

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again?

I have read The Source by James Michener multiple times, though I may have only finished it once because it’s very long and dense. It’s an amazing story of historical fiction and I recommend it to anybody trying to consider his or her spirituality.

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? Dogs! Though I’m warming to cats.

·        Coffee or tea? Water! Not convinced about caffeine’s healthiness.

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Dark chocolate for all the antioxidants.

·        Rocks or flowers? Hahahahaha. This is an awesome comparison. I’ll say when I was a kid it was rocks because my dad taught me about geology. Now it’s flowers, but it’s close.

·        Night or day? Day, I’m totally a morning person.

·        Favorite color? Tar Heel blue!

·        Crayons or markers? Crayons.

·        Pens or pencils? Pencils by far! I am an anti-pen person. It may be a fear of commitment.

Here is the giveaway information (from the author):

Bryan Cohen is giving away 100 personalized writing prompts to one giveaway entrant chosen at random during the blog tour. Personalized prompts are story starters that cater specifically to a writer’s subject matter, strengths/weaknesses, etc. Cohen will create the prompts to cater exclusively to the winner. He is giving away free digital copies of his book The Writing Sampler to everybody who enters, which includes excerpts from each of his four books on writing. The book contains essays, writing prompts and tips and tricks to enhance your writing skills. In addition, for each of Cohen’s books that reach the Top 500 on Amazon during his blog tour, he will add a $50 Amazon gift card to the drawing (up to six $50 cards in total)!

To enter, simply post a comment to this blog post with your e-mail address. Entries will be counted through June 2^nd, 2011.

1,000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More by Bryan Cohen

You can buy this at Amazon.com - click here

Accidental Abduction by Eve Langlais ~Giveaway Blitz

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

Today we have a book excerpt from 

Accidental Abduction by Eve Langlais!

Author Bio –

So you want to know a little about me? Well, I'm in my mid thirties, married 11 years to a wonderful supportive man--yes, he's a hunk-- who gave me three beautiful--noisy-- children aged ten, seven and four. I work as a webmistress/customer service rep from home and in my spare time--of which there is tragically too little-- I write, read or Wii.

I was born in British Columbia, but being a military brat lived a little bit everywhere--Quebec, New Brunswick, Labrador, Virginia (USA) and finally Ontario. My family and I currently reside in the historic town of Bowmanville, about an hour or so out of Toronto.

Wow was that ever boring!!! Now for the fun stuff.

I'm writing fantasy the way I like it--hot with a touch of magic. I enjoy reading and writing stories that push the envelope of what we consider normal, and I love to cross the line into fantasy. I tend to have alot of sexual tension in my tales as I think all torrid love affairs start with a tingle in our tummies. My heroes are very male, you could even say border line chest thumping at times. So if you want a truly sensitive man, I am not for you. But that said, my men will do almost anything for the one they love. Even babysit.

I'd love to tell you more, but judging from the sounds in the living room the children are at it again, which means I'll need a mop and loads of patience. What I really need is a robot maid like Jane Jetson! Thanks for checking me out and hope to see you again soon.

Book Blurb –

Accidental Abduction

Eve Langlais

Sci Fi Romance

Abducted by a space pirate, she fights the temptation to let him plunder her goods.

A boyfriend’s attempted murder leaves Megan floundering in the ocean. Sinking without hope, the bright light she sees in the night sky isn’t her doorway to heaven, but rather the beginning of her accidental abduction by a space pirate. While thankful of his rescue, Megan stays true to form and just can’t keep her mouth shut, even when he keeps threatening to kill her--or auction her off to the highest bidder. Even odder, despite her decision to not get involved with her wickedly hot captor, she can’t help craving his touch.

Tren retired from his job as a mercenary so he could enjoy life, but he never counted on the boredom of normalcy. The acquisition of rare items has somewhat filled the void, but his accidental abduction of an outspoken earthling, who doesn’t know when to shut up, turns his life upside. Her fiery spirit draws him while at the same time drives him insane. Struggling with his urges, he must decide-- throttle her barbarian neck or ravish her delectably lush body?

Despite what his heart tries to tell him, he’s determined to sell her to the highest bidder even as he seduces her body. However, despite his best intentions, he discovers he can’t let her go. And when a foe from his past thinks to steal her, he’ll do anything to get her back

Today is the last day of the giveaway blitz but there are three of us featuring this great book today!  Be sure to go check out Reading Between The Lines and Just Another Book Addict too!!!

If you would like a chance to win your own ecopy: fill out the form below!
Contest/Giveaway ends June 2, 2011.

Month End Wrap Up!

What have I been up to this month?

Not getting enough reading done - but I did read these:

The Diva Doctrine by Patricia V. Davis

The Misadventures of Phillip Isaac Penn by Donna L. Peterson

No Place Like Holmes by Thomas Nelson

Hedgeland by A. Nyland

Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

Bloodmaiden by Christine Schulze

Daughter of Deception by Kara Thorpe

Hard Day's Knight by John Hartness

44 by Jools Sinclair

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

The Vampire Narcise by Colleen Gleason

Review: Don't Blink by James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Don't Blink by James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Amazon Product Description:
The good
New York's Lombardo's Steak House is famous for three reasons--the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Effortlessly, the assassin slips through the police's fingers, and his absence sparks a blaze of accusations about who ordered the hit. 

The bad

Seated at a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels is conducting a once-in-a-lifetime interview with a legendary baseball bad-boy. In the chaos, he accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces. NYPD captains, district attorneys, mayoral candidates, media kingpins, and one shockingly beautiful magazine editor are all pushing their own agendas--on both sides of the law.

And the dead

Back off--or die--is the clear message Nick receives as he investigates for a story of his own. Heedless, and perhaps in love with his beautiful editor, Nick endures humiliation, threats, violence, and worse in a thriller that overturns every expectation and finishes with the kind of flourish only James Patterson knows.

My thoughts:

I am one of those people who will buy anything that says James Patterson.  One of my closest friends will buy NOTHING that says James Patterson.  Thank goodness there are so many books out there and we can all choose.  I didn't say I get to read everything he writes, just that I buy it - - hoping I will find time to read it.  This book I won on a blog - Martha's Bookshelf.  It is the audio book, I love audio books.  I seem to find myself in my jeep long enough to listen to them.  Sometimes I end up driving around or sitting in the driveway to finish the chapter.  So on that note, what did I think of this James Patterson co-written with Howard Roughan?

It was an entertaining enough story to drive to.  It is a bit on the gruesome side - the scene in the restaurant with the eyeballs...

The characters were interesting.  I liked Nick.  He has some issues that he is trying to work out in the story and I found myself cheering him on at times.  I enjoyed Courtney's character.  She is spunky and snarky.  I was thrilled when her boyfriend is "found out" by her.  I like how supportive she is of Nick - who has been in love with her for so long.  

The storyline moved along quickly.  The bad guys were effectively bad, the good guys wore obvious white hats, and it was easy to dislike the right people.  If you enjoy Patterson, check this one out.