Monthly Archives: July 2010

Jul 29 2010

Thursday’s Thirteen: Things my hero’s says


I’m posting thirteen sayings, one to four word statements that my Aussie hero, Seth, says.

  1. Blimey-words fail me.
  2. Bloody hell–not just hell but bloody hell, just makes it so much worse.
  3. Isn’t that a beaut?–isn’t this great?
  4. You’re still spunky–I don’t care about your age, your very attractive.
  5. Got hitched once–I was married before.
  6. I became a Surfie–I’m a surfer.
  7. Take the bloody thing off–take your bra off.
  8. A cuppa–a cup of tea.
  9. Rubbish–what a load of garbage
  10. Hold on a tick–just a minute
  11. karcked-it–its dead.
  12. Bugger it all–I’m not happy with this.
  13. Abso-bloody–lutely–I agree with you and will be glad to do it.

This weeks contest is for another mini surfboard. There was such a great response to the last one I offered that I decided to decorate another one.

This one has one of my hero Seth’s favorite saying: Abso-bloody-lutely.

I just finished painting it.

Just pick a number between 1 and 25 and this baby could be yours.

The winner will be announced on Sunday, August 1.

Jul 22 2010

Thursday’s Thirteen: Research book links

I’m bored and when I’m bored I do research.

You thought I’d say snack didn’t you? Admit it that’s what you thought. *shakes finger* Okay, I did have a snack but it was cherries, (yes the real ones) and some rice crackers.

This time I typed the name of my book, Windswept Shores, into google’s search engine and this was what I found.

And at the bottom is a contest.

1. If you want to read a chapter of my book check out Smashwords.

2. You can also find my book on Bookstrand.

3. Here’s it on Goodreads.

4. An interview I did a while back.

5. Oh wow, here a new place I found my book I hadn’t even know about.

6. If you scroll down you’ll see the add for my book.

7. My cover on Winter heart designs, which Lex and her daughter helped with.

8. Books on board, has my book too.

9. The book trailer I made is on NME.

10. Cheep reads–hey, I’m not cheep I’m easy! Get it right! Well, no I’m not that either. *hangs head*

11. I’m here too, but I have no idea how they got my links.

12. Here’s fun interview I did about my fickle muse.

13. I’m sixth from the bottom.

__[CK:GalleryViewLargerImage:1]__

Here’s what I have this time: a journal with my cover couple and cone incense so you can have a special moment to write your deepest thoughts. The scent is Ocean Breeze.

Pick a number between 1 and 25, the winning announcement will be post here, Sunday, July 26th which is my daughter’s B-day! Woot!

So if I’m late posting you’ll have to forgive me, since it my daughter’s special day. 🙂

Jul 19 2010

And the winner is . . .

My apologies for posting this late, but we had my daughter’s guests almost the entire weekend, and then my daughter got on the internet for nearly the whole day.

I just barely got on myself–right now.

I have the winner for my June 15th contest.

The winning number was #9.

Jennifer Mathis guessed the correct number.

Jennifer you are the winner of my mini surfboard. If you could Email me with your snail mail addy I’ll mail it out right away.

Jul 12 2010

Author: Shiela Stewart

It’s my pleasure to introduce to you, Shiela Stewart

Janice: Shiela, please tell us about yourself?


Shiela: I’ve been married to the same wonderful man for nearly 25 years. Together we have three children ages, 22, 18 and15. I am an animal lover, which shows in the three cats, one dog, five fish and three turtles invading my house. I grew up on a farm with cows, chickens, pigs, horses, dogs and cats so that might explain my love of animals. If I could take in every stray I saw on the street or in the local Shelters I damn well would. LOL

Aside from my love for animals, I love to draw, paint, crotchet, and knit. I’ve painted several murals on walls of my house including a huge dragon for my husband. I love to take long walks with my husband, and watch scary ghost stories with my daughter.

Janice:You sound very creative. Kudos on the 25 years of marriage, that’s saying a lot for this day and age.

When did you start writing?


Shiela:I started writing at a very young age. I’ve always had a vivid imagination and loved to regale my cousins and friends with stories I created in my mind. In my teens I wrote love poems, and mixed witches, ghosts, demons and killers with love stories, not realizing there were actually books written by authors in the same caliber. It wasn’t until I picked up a Nora Roberts book that I realized what I wrote wasn’t so farfetched after all.

After years of compiling story after story, my husband encouraged me to try and get them published. Dozens of rejection letters and a year later my first book, Kidnapped, was published.

Janice: Who was the biggest influence on your writing?

Shiela:I would have to say one person who started it would be my sister Nancy, who first introduced me to V.C. Andrews and Stephen King novels. Another person who was a big influence in me and still is would be my husband. Without his faith and belief in me, I wouldn’t be here today.

Janice: Your hubby sounds like a wonderful man.


How do you go about your writing? Do your prefer pencils to pens or is it all straight computer work?

Shiela:When I first got started, I worked with pencil and paper. My hands would cramp up from writing which I did practically ten hours every day. I had so many thoughts and ideas running through my head that I could barely keep up. I have a box of manuscripts yet to me typed out on my computer, sitting in my basement. Now, well, everything I do is on the computer. I don’t know what I ever did without my laptop. LOL

Janice: I’m with you there. I know I love my laptop.


What influences you in your writing? Music, movies, reading, or straight research?

Shiela:Music is definitely a big influence. I have to have music going while I write and it has to have a good hard thumping beat. I mainly listen to dance, hard rock and electronic music when I work.

Janice: When do you write morning or evening, or are you a late into the wee hours of the morning person?

Shiela:Whenever inspiration strikes I’ll write, but mostly I write during the day when the house is all mine and everyone is at work or school. My best time to write though is late at night. For some reason, my brain is more creative at night and its then that I come up with a lot of my horror and mystery themes.

Janice: I imagine late at night its nice and spooky, and it helps you set the mood for your stories.


Who in charge you or your muse?

Shiela:I am. No one, not even my muse, tells me what I can and can’t do. LOL

Janice: Good for you.


Use only one word to describe your writing style? Or at least what you want your readers to take away from your writing.


Stimulating.

Janice: Ooh, good one.


What influenced your recent book, the one you are promoting here today?

Shiela: Consuming the Darkness came into creation by the title. While working on the previous book in my Darkness series, my editor sent the file back to me, titled, Consuming the Darkness, when it should have been, Charming the Darkness. The instant I saw that title the story flew into my head. I had three other books to complete before I could get Consuming rolling and those were the longest days of my life.LOL
Consuming is the eighth book in the series and takes place after the sunlight has returned to Jacobs Cove. Where the first six books deal with vampires taking over the city of Jacobs Cove after a spell is cast to blot out the sun, Consuming deals with life after the sun returns and not entirely about vampires.

~*~
Consuming the Darkness: Bk 7 in the Darkness series by Shiela Stewart



Blurb:
He needs your heart to live.

In Jacob’s Cove, where death is as common as apple pie, a serial murderer is a first. Lieutenant Sienna Storm, the town’s newly minted homicide detective, is eager to prove she’s up to the job of tracking down the demon who rips out his victims’ still-beating hearts. Even if it means using her innate ability to connect with him through his blood.

Detective Nathan Powers lost his partner to the aptly named Heartless Killer, and the trail of bodies leads him straight to Jacob’s Cove. However, this is no typical small town. It’s a strange world populated with bloodthirsty demons and run by a vampire. Still, the leggy blonde Sienna is a pleasant distraction. Until he discovers she’s after the same killer—and she’s not sharing.

Minds clash as the hunt intensifies, but the more they run into each other, the harder it is to stay apart. Together they discover not only clues, but a searing need that rises higher by the day.

That need may be their downfall when Nathan becomes the killer’s next target, and Sienna must risk everything to get him back.


Jul 8 2010

Thursday’s Thirteen: Tea

Buy link

In my book, Windswept Shores, my couple Seth and Megan drink tea when they can.

Here’s an excerpt:
Megan gave Seth a cup of weak, unsweetened tea. Into another beat-up cup, she poured hot water from a blackened pot, setting in the same used tea bag. With a nod of satisfaction, she went to an old battered bucket and washed the dish.

Seth finished his tea. The warmth of the liquid and the chowder seeped through his body. His breath caught when he felt his strength return. He stood and carried the dishes to her. After handing over his cup and plate, he smiled down at her, hoping to show his appreciation in his eyes.

“You’re feeling stronger,” she said, her matter-of-fact tone hiding her thoughts.

He grunted, thinking she ought to have thanked him for saving her the work of getting the plates. His jaw set, he turned to walk away.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Off to the bog to leave an offering.” When Megan gave him a blank look, he added, “Call of nature.”

“Oh, it’s that way.” She pointed with her chin. “Just follow the rope.”

Seth ambled over where she indicated. He soon spotted a line made from torn cloth strips. He followed it till he came to an old crate with a crudely cut hole in the top. He studied it for a moment then decided it was a dunny. Tacked to the side was another basket containing several water-damaged magazines. Reading material, while I have a squat? Some pages were torn out. Improvised TP, clever girl. Tied to a nearby tree was a child’s beach bucket filled with water, a small towel, and a crudely made “soap-on-a-rope”—all the conveniences of home.

For some reason that made him feel better. For the first time since he had washed-up on this windswept shore, he relaxed.

~*~

Here’s thirteen teas that Seth and Megan wished they had:

1. Ooglong tea: its what you usually get served in Chinese restaurants. I love this tea, its nice full bodied with just enough caffeine in it to give it a bit of a kick.

2. Jasmine Tea: Aromatic and tasty. When I drink this tea I always think of the flowing vines growing in my garden.

3. English Breakfast tea: My sister gave me this for Christmas one year. It has probably as much caffeine in it as coffee does. This tea tastes great and it will wake up up in the morning. Warning: do not drink this of an evening, you won’t sleep all night.

4. Earl Gray: Not my one of my favorite teas, because of its bitterness. But I had to try it because Captain Pecard always drank it, lol.

5. Green tea: You hear a lot about green tea these day; how good it is for you, how it lowers your blood pressure and helps with weight loss. But darn it, its hard to find a good tasting green tea without lemon ruining it. I like my green tea sans lemon, thank you very much.

6. Oujicha: This is my new favorite. It brews a brownish liquid, but it is still green tea. Houjicha is produced by roasting Bancha or Kukicha over high heat. The result is a savory tea full bodied tea, which has that necessary caffeine in it so I can wake up.

7. Chamomile: This one is great if have an upset tummy or a headache. It made from small white flowers that look similar to daisys. Aromatic and soothing, especially if you don’t feel well. Probably a good hang over tea.

8. Chai Tea: This one reminds me of the a taste of a cookie. A sweet dark tea loaded with caffeine.

9. Peppermint: a great one if you have an upset tummy and it tasty too, but no caffeine.

10. Constant Comment: Spicy, bitter with a dash of orange rind. Yuck. Not on my list of teas to drink, but I had to add it.

11. Black Berry Rum: Full body, sweet and fruity. I love this tea. The only thing wrong with it is–I can’t find it anymore. 😦

12. Lipton Tea: Not a tea drinker tea, but I like it. Probably because I like tea with a lot of caffeine in it. And lets face it, caffeine makes tea or anything else bitter. But I use sugar too, lol.

13. White Tea: I haven’t actually tried this tea yet, but I am intrigued. the leaves of white tea are harvested before they are fully opened. Indeed, the name “white tea” is derived from the fine white hair that covers the uppermost tender buds of the plant. For this reason, white tea is sometimes referred to as the “Rolls Royce” of the tea family. Hmm? Roll Royce? Sounds good to me.

This week’s contest is easy, again just guess the winning number, between 1-25, for a mouse pad with my cover couple on it.