Gabriella Hewitt

Well, the chat is over. We had a very cozy group talk with author Kate Willoughby. Kate’s cover artist stopped by, which was very cool. I want to thank all the ladies who made time today to come on over. For those who missed it, I hope you’ll visit the next time we hold such an event.

In the meantime, Rhian is the winner of Kate’s contest and won the very stylish charm bracelet. *pout* LOL! Rhian, you lucky woman you. I think you mentioned winning some books lately too. Sounds like you’re on a streak. Rub some of it my way.

Now, here’s a mini, whet-your-appetite excerpt from Losing It by Kate Willoughby

Chapter One

“How much pain is there when you lose your virginity?”

In the bathroom where he was laying tile, Ben Hayden fumbled. With a wild juggling motion, he caught the float just before it clattered into the tub. The splattered grout dribbled down the unfinished wall, but Ben just stood there, frozen, listening hard.

Although he knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, he hadn’t bothered to remind his client, Charlotte that he was still working in the bathroom. After all, she and her sister Kerrie were only discussing seating arrangements for Kerrie’s wedding. He’d expected to hear them chatter about cake toppers or menu choices.

Unfortunately, the bride-to-be had something less mundane on her mind.
**************************************************

To read the rest of chapter one click here. Better yet, buy the book and read the whole thing!

Welcome Kate and welcome everyone! From 5pm Pacific (8pm EST) we’re chatting the hour away with author Kate Willoughby about her book Losing It, romance, writing and any topics you want to chat about. Don’t forget Kate will be annoucing the winner to her contest in celebration of Losing It’s one month anniversary. So join in and let’s have some fun!

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING CHAT
In the box where it says Change your name, type your name in and hit the enter key twice. Then in the Your Message Here box, type in your message and hit enter. That’s all there is too it. If you have any problems just type in your message and ask.

Tomorrow May 29th at 5pm Pacific (8pm EST)we’re going to be chatting with author Kate Willoughby. She’s going to be talking about her books and writing and wherever the conversation leads. And she’s going to be announcing the winner of her contest. Check this prize out:

Isn’t it gorgeous? I　can’t believe I’m letting you all in on this. I’m increasing the competition when I so want this for myself. LOL! So, if you want a shot at getting this beautiful charm bracelet, hurry on over to Kate’s blog and answer the question. Time’s running out!

Okay not really. It’s Sunday and I’m thinking about everything I have to do this week and there is simply too much to keep track of. I’ve got school stuff, freelance writing stuff and the biggie is the author stuff. I keep hearing that women are great multi-taskers. Which women are they talking about? LOL! Dh complans that I can’t do two things at once. To me, the problem is that my brain is always thinking about twenty things at the same time or it’s only thinking about my writing in which case, everything else gets shoved aside. Seriously, though, or as serious as I can be, I’ve never felt that I’ve gotten a handle on this multi-tasking skill. I walk around perpetually thinking I’ve forgotten something, I was supposed to do something, or conversely, completely oblibious to what I should’ve, could’ve, ought’ve done. I am the queen of disorganization. I’d make a great cartoon strip. So for those of you who have a handle on this multi-tasking skill, send some tips my way.

Fiction writing goals for this week: (h/t to writing pal Christine D’Abo)
1. Synopsis of Blood Ties written
2. Final edit of Blood Ties
3. Packaged and sent off to the editor
4. Flesh out first scene of novella

And don’t forget the LIVE CHAT with Kate Willoughby this May 29th at 5pm Pacific (8pm EST). See post below for details. Come join the party!

ANNOUNCEMENT: While I have your attention, I thought I’d give you a heads up that we’re going to do a LIVE CHAT with author Kate Willoughby on May 29th 5pm Pacific (8 pm EST). More details are in the post below. Make sure to mark it on your calendars and come by for the fun!!

On to books…

Before I started writing, I stayed hip deep in books. I’d finish one paperback and pick up another. I couldn’t get enough of mysteries and romances or thrillers. My reading time has dropped off quite a bit since I started writing. I know I need to read to keep up with what’s out there, to get ideas I’d like to run with, and just because I love to read. Still, that darn TBR pile gets bigger and bigger. Below are 13 romances and mystery books that I intend to read by the end of the summer. Some of these aren’t out yet and I am counting the days…

1…. Say You’re Mine by Sydney Somers (Take one witch, add a really hot detective, and you’ve got instant attraction!)

2….Undenied by Maya Banks

3….Safe Harbor by Christine Feehan

4….What’s A Ghoul To Do? by Victoria Laurie (Ghost Hunter series)

5….Witch Hunt by Shirley Damsgaard

6….Acts of Violets by Kate Collins (A Flower Shop Mystery)

7….Surviving Demon Island by Jaci Burton and whichever of her books she sent me from the contest I won.

8….Kiss of Midnight (Book One of the Midnight Breed) This is the other book I won from Jaci’s contest. Can’t wait to get my package and dig into these!

9….Second Sight by Amanda Quick (and I wish Julie Garwood would go back to writing historicals)

10….The latest Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich

11….Too Good To Be True by Marie Nicole Ryan

12….The DaVinci Cook by Joanne Pence

13….Mirror, Mirror by Chloe Michelle (see the post on YA Junkie below)

What’s in your TBR pile?

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

UPDATE: if you found your way here through the link on Kate’s site, go up to the top of this blog where I’ve put the chat box in the top blog post. (On the other hand, if you see the chat taking place in the chat box in this post here, feel free to simply join in. What do I know?)

Next week KATE WILLOUGHBY will be chatting with usLIVE! She’s celebrating her 1 year anniversary of Losing It and announcing the winner of her contest. Come join in on the fun:)

In the meantime, enter Kate’s contest.

Simply read the excerpt and answer this question:

What part of Charlotte’s body turns on Ben the most?

Then email Kate with your answer to be part of the raffle. Deadline is May 28. 2007.

Kate will announce the winner of her contest to win a smokin’ braclet from Spring Hill Charms LIVE on the chat.

So get familiar with our chat function. Then join us on May 29th, 5pm Pacific (8pm EST) to celebrate Kate’s 1 year anniversary of Losing It

Mark that date on your calendar people. On September 25th, 2007 Dark Waters, my debut novel, will get its digital release from Samhain Publishing. I don’t know whether to squeal in excitement or have a nervous breakdown. I think I might start biting my nails again. *grin* My editor (and how cool is that to be able to say my editor) says I should have edits by the end of June and a cover sometime after that or maybe earlier. I’ll be sure to post the cover when I have it. We can all oooh and aaaah over it together.

Now back to your regular programming.

There are a lot of adults who are in the closet YA readers. I’m one of them.
We’ll I’m coming out!

Here are some of the books topping my reading list this summer.

Mirror, Mirror by Chloe Michelle
Publisher – Mardi Gras Press ISBN – 1-934329-56-8
YA – Manga / Fantasy 240 pgs
I didn’t plan to spend my last summer vacation before college kidnapping the future Emperor of Japan. And I didn’t expect to be chased, attacked, or seduced by sword wielding samurai or put on the marriage market by an ancestor who died a century before I was born, but I was. And it all started with a shabby old mirror I found after publicly humiliating myself…

Shug by Jenny Han
Publisher- Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
ISBN-10: 1416909427 ISBN-13: 978-1416909422
Tween 256 pages
Annemarie Wilcox, or Shug as her family calls her, is beginning to think there’s nothing worse than being twelve. She’s too tall, too freckled, and way too flat-chested. Shug is sure that there’s not one good or amazing thing about her. And now she has to start junior high, where the friends she counts most dear aren’t acting so dear anymore — especially Mark, the boy she’s known her whole life through. Life is growing up all around her, and all Shug wants is for things to be like they used to be. How is a person supposed to prepare for what happens tomorrow when there’s just no figuring out today? – ALA Best Books for Young Adults Nominee

Dee Days by Adelle Laudan
Publisher – Mardi Gras Press ISBN 1-934329-20-7
Tween – Mystery (series) 120 pgs
Deedee is twelve years old and taller than all of her friends. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they had to move, which meant a new house, a new school and new friends. Her life was over!! Soon after they moved Deedee met Anita and they became fast friends. They were told not to go into the Arena at the end of the street. It had been boarded up for years and wasn’t safe. Curiosity got the better of the two girls and they made plans to explore the old skating rink. What would they find? Was it really as dangerous as they said? Would they regret not listening to all the warnings? They would find out soon enough…

I WAS A TEENAGE POPSICLE By Bev Katz Rosenbaum
Publisher: BERKLEY JAM ISBN: 0425211800
YA – Sci-fi/ Chic Lit 256 pgs
Floe Ryan was frozen—well, ‘vitrified’—when she was sixteen. She’s just been thawed, and guess what, it’s ten years in the future and she’s still a teenager. And her parents are still, shall we say, chilling out. Floe’s little sister is now her older sister (and guardian!), and payback’s a beyotch. On top of that, Floe has to get used to a new school, new technology, and a zillion other new things that happened while she was napping in the freezer. Luckily, she has Taz Taber–the hottie sk8er boy who used to make her melt before she was frozen—to reintegrate with. But now they’re trying to close the Venice Beach Cryonics Center—with Floe’s parents still in it! Now that’s cold. It’s up to Floe to save the clinic and her parents—so she can finally have a chance at a somewhat normal life…

Check out YACWW for interviews with these authors!

Dh and I are right handed. Ds#1 and #2 are right handed. It was something of a surprise to realize ds#3 is left handed. I don’t think I noticed until he was two or so. At that age they dig that plastic spoon into their bowl with either hand or even give up and use their fingers. But gradually, I could see that he preferred his left hand.

I’ve heard it said that one in ten people are lefties. And of course, there is the whole right brain vs. left brain thing. I can say that my older two boys caught on to math much quicker. Sometimes I can’t figure out how ds#3’s brain works. *grin* He amazes me with his ability to learn something and then promptly unlearn it.

I actually love that he’s a lefty. I like quirks and traits that make people stand out. I had a hard to pronounce name growing up, but I never regretted all the times I had to correct people. In my eyes, being different from the crowd is a good lesson in finding your own path. And I have to say I always thought it would be cool to be a leftie, until I watched my son accomplishing normal tasks and realized how much our world is designed for right handed people.

So how many left handers are out there? In case you were wondering check out these famous left handers and feel free to name some more:

U.S. Presidents
1…. Gerald Ford–38th and Ronald Reagan–40th
2…. George H.W. Bush–41st and Bill Clinton–42nd

Historical Figures
3…. Alexander the Great and Julius Ceasar
4…. Queen Victoria of England
5…. Prince Charles and Prince William of England
6…. Boston Strangler and Jack the Ripper

Musicians
7…. Paul McCartney and Phil Collins
8…. Jimi Hendrix (who I read used a right handed guitar upside down to play)

Artists
9…. Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci

Actors
10…. Dan Ackroyd, Tim Allen and Charlie Chaplin
11…. Carol Burnett, Whoppee Goldberg, Marilyn Monroe, Nicole Kidman
12…. Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, Keanu Reeves

Athletes
13…. Pele, Babe Ruth, Monica Seles

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!