Four For Friday--Gemma Wilford

Four For Friday is a weekly feature where guest authors choose one of their own characters to complete four sentences. 

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This week's post is by Gemma Wilford from her novel, The Ruby of Egypt.

Hi my name is Ruby, I'm fourteen years of age and I love going on holidays! Who doesn't? Only mine are still with my parents. In the past they have taken me on your typical beach holidays. However, now that I am a bit older, they insist on taking me on cultural sight-seeing expeditions. You probably think I am spoilt and ungrateful - and rightly so. My recent holiday to Egypt lead me on an adventure that was not only an important mission, but changed the purpose of my life forever. It was a journey of self discovery that challenged my ability - to find out what happened, read my story here...

1. The best part about a wedding is …

well, I'm only fourteen and the only wedding I have been to was my cousin's. I was bridesmaid for it and the best part was getting to dress up in a pretty dress for the day.

2. My father is… 

embarrassing! All he wants to do is take pictures of random things and he treats me like a baby.

3. My ultimate summer vacation would be… 

lying on a beach somewhere, like Mexico, soaking up the sun! Although after this trip to Egypt I feel there may be more adventurous vacations to come ;-)

4. The most important thing I learned in high school is…

I'm still there and still trying to learn, which is hard as I am easily distracted. I would say paying more attention in history lessons as you never know when you might need the knowledge ...

Thanks for having me here today.

________________________

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LACRIMOSA--We Have a Winner!!

There were 29 entries for a Kindle copy of LACRIMOSA

 Thank you to everyone who participated. 

And now, what you've all been waiting for....Drum roll, please...

Bethany Farwell Nedio

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Four For Friday--Christine Fonseca

Four For Friday is a weekly feature where guest authors choose one of their own characters to complete four sentences. 

Don't forget: you need to click on the Rafflecopter tabs or else your entries won't count! 

This week's post is by Christine Fonseca from her novel, LACRIMOSA

Nesayiel, a Sentinal and the heroine of the Requiem Series.

I have always known who am I and what I wanted. I am a warrior, fierce and loyal. I serve Celestium and my master, Mikayel. It is all I know, all I desire. At least, that is what I try to tell myself every day. The truth is more complex.

500 years ago I met a boy - someone forbidden in every way. I was ripped from him and that life. I stored my feelings for him away, never letting the Council know of my weakness, my need, for him. For love. 
But in the darkness of night, I still see him. I smell the pine on his skin, feel the softness of his lips on mine. I want to pretend it's nothing, but one day I won't be able to hide the truth.
And I have a feeling that day is coming faster than I'd planned.

1. The best part about a wedding is…

Getting all dressed up and wishing the happy couple a great life! I love seeing the new look of love in a wedding couple's eyes, not to mention the fab people watching at the reception!

2. My father is…

The most amazing man I know. Truly. He is kind, honorable, strong. He has taught me a lot about what it means to be a "good man."

3. My ultimate summer vacation would be…

Hiding out in the Tuscany region of Italy and writing - for the WHOLE summer!

4. The most important thing I learned in high school is…

High school was hard for me. I guess I would say that I learned a lot about finding your unique voice and holding on to it, no matter what others were thinking about you!

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Christine is the author of Transcend and the Requiem Series in YA Fiction, and Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids and the upcoming Girl Guide in nonfiction.

If you'd like to learn more about Christine Fonseca, check out her Website.

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A CLUE FOR ADRIANNA--We Have a Winner!

There were 24 entries for a Kindle copy of A CLUE FOR ADRIANNA.

 Thank you to everyone who participated. 

And now, what you've all been waiting for....Drum roll, please...

ANGEL WOLF

Didn't win? There will be a giveaway every week. Make sure you stay connected so you will know when to enter.

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Fun Facts--Father's Day

This year, Father's Day will be celebrated on my birthday--June 16th! Unfortunately, John and I both lost our fathers, but we have two NEW fathers in the family--my brother and my stepson.

Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and fatherhood. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June, but it is also celebrated widely on other days. Father's day is a commercial holiday and was created to complement Mother's Day. We wouldn't want to leave out the men, would we?

Father's Day was founded in Spokane, Washington at the YMCA in 1910. Sonora Smart Dodd wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran who raised his six children alone. Ms. Dodd didn't raise national awareness until the 1930s.

In 1966, President Lydon B Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, President Richard Nixon signed the law, making the day a permanent national holiday.

Around the world:

In a few Catholic countries, Father's Day is celebrated on the Feast of St Joseph.

In Shanghai, China, the holiday was first celebrated in 1945.

Celebrated on Ascension Thursday, Father's Day in Germany is celebrated differently from other parts of the world. In Northern Germany, the day is called Mannertag (men's day) or Herrentag (gentlemen's day) groups of males do a hiking tour with one or more wagons pulled by manpower. The wagons hold wine or beer and traditional food. 

Out of the 27 states in the European Union, Romania was the only one without an official Father's Day prior to 2010.

Father's Day in Taiwan is observed on August 8th. In Mandarin Chinese, the pronunciation of both the number 8 and the month of August is very similar to the character which means father. 

In Thailand, Father's Day is set as the birthday of the king. December 5th is the birthday of the current monarch.

Did you know?

George Washington had no children of his own. Researchers believe that childhood illnesses may have rendered him sterile. 

For a short time, Kurt Vonnegut was Geraldo Rivera's father-in-law. Rivera's marriage ended because of his womanizing. Kurt Vonnegut included an unflattering character named Jerry Rivers (a chauffeur) in a few of his books.

In the underwater world of the seahorse, it's the male that gets to carry the eggs and birth the babies.

Nearly 95 million Father's Day cards were given last year in the United States, making Father's Day the fourth-largest card-sending occasion.

Sons and daughters send 50 percent of the Father's Day card to their dads. Nearly 20 percent of Father's Day cards are purchased by wives for their husbands. 

Mr. Mom is becoming a more common sight at parks across America with 154,000 estimated “stay-at-home” dads. 

More phone calls are made in the US during Mother's Day than Father's Day.

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Four For Friday--Charlotte Kent

Four For Friday is a weekly feature where guest authors choose one of their own characters to complete four sentences. 

Don't forget: you need to click on the Rafflecopter tabs or else your entries won't count! 

This week's post is by Charlotte Kent from her novel, A Clue for Adrianna

Hi! I’m Adrianna Maria Montgomery. I’m 26 years old, well almost 27, and am now a proud resident of a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore called Captain’s Point.  My life has changed so much in the last several months—I was laid off from my job in Seattle, my Great-aunt Martha died, my fiancé left me, I moved cross-country, and I inherited the Montgomery fortune, my ancestral home and found the love of my life!  Maybe I should back-up and give you a little more background on myself.  I have long dark wavy hair, dark eyes, and everyone says I have the Montgomery mouth.  I received my undergraduate degree from Stanford and an MBA from the University of Washington in Seattle. My parents were both archeologists, and my mother was Italian.  While they were traveling the world, I spent summers during my early years in Captain’s Point with Great-aunt Martha.Montgomery House and all its grounds and gardens provided an idyllic setting in which to play, imagine and grow.  I loved to explore, especially in the woods behind the house. My great-aunt along with her property manager and housekeeper, Otis and Penny Plunk took exceptionally great care of me until I was old enough to accompany my parents on their work travels. I experienced things most people only dream about—riding a camel, participating in a dig in Turkey and cruising the Greek Isles until my parents dropped me at a Swiss Finishing School for my teenage years.  Tragically, they both lost their lives much too soon in an auto accident along the Amalfi Coast.Despite all the challenges in my life, I’ve always had an undying spirit that allows me to always see the good in people and situations.  When confronted with circumstances beyond my control, like being summoned to Captain’s Point for the reading of my late aunt’s will, I rise to the occasion and meet my challenges head on.  In the process of doing so, fate brought me my soul mate in attorney, Chase Augustus Sheffield.  He is my everything—my hero, my friend.  We’re engaged and getting married in late summer! You’re all invited to our wedding which will take place at the end of August. Get to know me better by reading A Clue for Adrianna, the first novel in the Captain’s Point Series.  Our wedding takes place in the second soon-to-be released novel in the series, A Man for Susan, which will be available by the end of June! Hope you’ll join us!

1. The best part of a wedding is…
   
   

The best part for me is seeing family and friends come together in celebration of two people who want to share their lives with each other.  As a matter of fact, I’m going to be getting married soon to Chase Augustus Sheffield, and I can’t wait to experience my wedding day with friends and family present to celebrate our special day!

2. My father is…
   
   

still watching over me even though he’s no longer here on earth.  I feel his presence in my life everyday and know that he will always be proud of me for my accomplishments and for the way I am continuing the Montgomery legacy in our ancestral home.

3. My ultimate summer vacation would be…

sailing the Caribbean with my new husband finding all the romantic hideaways the islands have to offer.  We might just do a little treasure hunting, too.

4. The most important thing I learned in high school is…

I actually attended a Swiss Finishing School instead, but it would be having mastered five languages (French, Spanish, German, Italian and Russian) allowing me freedom of communication throughout a large portion of the world.

_________

You can find A CLUE FOR ADRIANNA at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble

Kobo  

CreateSpace

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Interested in finding out more about Charlotte Kent? Visit her Amazon Author Page

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Writing and Racing--Nitromethane is My Muse

Drag racing is my guilty obsession. I love the smell of nitro. I love the rumble in my chest when Funny cars and Top Fuel dragsters go whizzing by, and I LOVE LOVE that a fan can get up close to their favorite NHRA celebrity. 

You may have noticed that I haven't been around this past week. It wasn't because I was deep in novel revisions. It wasn't because I was ill. This past week was filled with racing events! 

While some of you may think I was slacking off and just enjoying myself, I happen to think of the whole experience as fodder for the future. You never know, I just may get lucky and land a job with National Dragster or Drag Illustrated. I would have no problem traveling around the country and following the NHRA circuit to do interviews. Yoohoo! Is anyone on their staff listening??

Thursday night, John and I were very lucky to have attended a meet-and-greet with Ron Capps. Mr. Capps is the man who drives the Napa Auto Parts Funny Car. You know him. Sure you do. He's one of the drivers who does those Na-na-na-Napa Know How commercials on TV. Here's a YouTube video to jog your memory:

Haha! Isn't he cute? 

This is his Funny Car.

Me & Ron after the Q & A. 

VIP tickets for Saturday's race at Englishtown's Raceway Park!

On Saturday, the temperatures were scorching! There wasn't a cloud in the sky and all the sun's rays concentrated on top of my head. BUT I did get a few good pics from the day.

Inside the tent--the only shady spot.

 Ron Capps' Pit Crew firing up the engine

Tony Schumacher's Pit Crew

John talking to a couple of soldiers. I was hiding in the shade. 

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! 

Sunday's weather wasn't as brutal. Yes, we had tickets for Sunday also...

Strolling down Nitro Alley, fans walk among rows of big rig trailers, sporting sponsor's graphics and high-tech equipment, as pit crews ready the top-fuel dragsters, funny cars, and pro-stock cars.

Spectators adjust their earplugs and cover their noses as crew members start up the 8-10,000-horsepower engines. A potent cloud of Nitro Methane hangs in the air. Some people choke and cough, tears streaming from their eyes, while other people breathe deeply, a smile on their face from ear to ear. Ah! The smell of nitro in the morning...

Fans cheer their favorite driver as the cars streak down the 1000 ft track at 300+ mph toward the finish line.

(Maple Grove 2012)

Famous drivers like John Force, Cruz Pedregon, Ron Capps, and Antron Brown sign autographs and pose for pictures with their loyal fans.

Robert Hight

Antron Brown

John Force (Maple Grove 2012)

Don Schumacher!!!! (Maple Grove 2012)

Words cannot accurately describe the smell, the sound, or the excitement in the air at an NHRA race, but I tried. How did I do?