What's On Page 25?

Hello my little dew drops!

It's that time of year again: International Chick Lit Month. I'm super stoked to be participating in this fabulously fun blog hop, and we have a seriously awesome prize we're giving away. A Kindle Keyboard 3G with free 3G + Wi-Fi and a 6" E Ink Display and a copy of all the books by the authors participating on the tour! Now, onto what's happening on page 25 of The Karmic Connection...

Poor Adam. I spend a great deal of the first part of this novel torturing this guy. First he's yanked from his office in the middle of the night and thrown into a chauffeur driven car bound for where? He doesn't know. He arrives at a wellness center deep in the woods of Vermont where there's no coffee and no way of communicating with the outside world. He's miserable, stuck up there with (according to him) a bunch of New Age whack jobs when all he wants to do is work.

Page 25 is actually the first page of Chapter 2. Adam has just met Lorraine - the beautiful, but flightly weirdo who introduced herself as his "wellness guide". He's sitting on the grass outside the big old farmhouse, feeling very sorry for himself. (Win the grand prize! The eleventh secret word in the 27-word sentence is: chick.) He's wondering what's going on in the office and cursing his bad luck for being imprisoned at the wellness center. To make matters worse, one of the weirdest of the weirdos staying at the center is intruding in his personal space.

So there you have it! Now, onto the subject of our Grand Prize giveaway: if you're a little unsure how to go about entering the drawing, be sure to check this fantastic post written by Julie (our fearless leader) with excellent instructions on how to go about collecting the secret words. You'll find that post here.

Thanks for reading and happy hopping!!

Love,
Libby


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I've Been Through the Desert on a Book with No Name...

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself. I can't get that song out of my head.

Hello my little brainiacs!

I need your help. I'm polishing up the next story I'm planning to release, but there's only so much I can do at this point because I cannot come up with a decent title for it! I finished this book way back in 2009, and the title I've been using for it is Playing House. You'll see why in a sec. But I don't love Playing House. In fact, I kind of hate it. So I'm sending this one out into the cyberworld in the hopes that someone will be able to come up with the right title, the one.


If you happen to suggest the title that I end up using, here's what I'm thinking:

1) You'll get a mention on the acknowledgments page of the Book with No Name (yet)

2) You'll get a free copy of the Book with No Name (yet) e-book or print - your choice

3) You'll get a character named after you in one of my future books. It can be your first name, your last name or both. Or if you're not comfortable with this, I can use any other name you like. Want me to name a character after your dog or cat? I can work with that!


Sound good, I hope? Now, I need to tell you a little bit about the Book with No Name. Here's a rough description of the setup:

Does being in a couple make one a hot commodity in the eyes of would-be suitors?

Chloe Lane has her hands full. She runs a fashion wholesale business as well as managing her own boutique, so her love life (or lack thereof) is the furthest thing from her mind. When her childhood pal, Ethan Webster, asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to test this theory, she reluctantly agrees. Not that she has any intention of trying to attract someone else. She just wants to help out her friend. Ethan already has his heart set on a woman he works with. However...

When Chloe agrees to judge a new reality show, she finds herself instantly smitten with fellow judge, William Shannon, a tech whiz millionaire who looks like Superman. Since opportunity is knocking, Chloe decides to test the theory herself, orchestrating a casually flirtatious relationship with William that gradually intensifies.

So things get increasingly complicated as Chloe maintains her faux relationship, attempts to lay the groundwork for a future relationship, works hard to keep her fashion business productive, carves out her new role as a television personality and struggles with keeping track of all of the lies. By posing as a couple, she and Ethan are lying to their families and their best friends, and the lies just keep stacking up, one after another. 

More information:

I chose Playing House as the working title because Chloe and Ethan have been friends since they were three years old. And there's this bit in the book when Chloe is musing on how it's sometimes difficult to separate Ethan the adult from Ethan the child. I'm sure you can see where I was going with the title, but... meh. I don't think it works.

I also considered Bizarre Love Quadrangle as a possibility. It works as far as the plot goes, and it's a twist on the New Order song title, "Bizarre Love Triangle". But it's definitely not the right title for this book. Unless you're familiar with New Order, it just sounds weird.

I thought I might play with the Superman theme in the title. William Shannon is repeatedly described as the "millionaire Superman". He looks like Superman (as portrayed by Christopher Reeve). Ethan is basically Clark Kent. Although not awkward and nerdy, he is unpretentious and somewhat wholesome. And also, he works as a journalist at the New York Times. As for Chloe... well, her last name is Lane. I think it could be really fun to work the Superman angle into the title, but so far I haven't come up with anything good.

I absolutely love book titles that sort of twist old titles or sayings (Misery Loves Cabernet, The Misfortune Cookie, The Kitchen Shrink).

And I really love titles that just sort of hit you with a POW (Dancing Naked in Dixie, Sleeping with Ward Cleaver). How could you not click to see what those books are about when they have such excellent titles?

I know this is a lot of information, folks. I hope some of you feel up to this challenge! I feel like that perfect title is out there somewhere, but I've been trying to catch hold of it for four years now and it's been out of my reach. So if you would put your thinking caps on, my little lovelies, and answer my call for help, I would be super, super grateful.

If you have any suggestions, please post them in the comments section. Thanks!

Oh, and just in case you're not sure what I'm talking about with the "been through the desert on a book with no name" post title, here's a link: America video. My parents were hippies. Sort of.

Love,
Libby

The Karmic Connection is Live!

Hello my little lavender sprigs!

Well, it's been a crazy past few weeks, but I'm super happy to tell you The Karmic Connection is uploaded and on sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I just love the cover so much, I have to paste it in this post too. :-)

And so far I've gotten some truly wonderful reviews. Here's a little taste of what my reviewers have to say about the new book:

"The backdrop setting was delightful and so very calm , it was as if the author let me get rid of my own stress just as her characters are meant to do. I loved how the author let the calm and peace of Luna shine from the residents there to help others, by using it's tranquillity to transform the characters."

- Desere Steenberg, reviewer for Romance Book Heaven

"Once again, Libby has another hit on her hands! The Karmic Connection is a wonderful look into the lives of two people who could not be more different." 

- Susan, reviewer for The Book Bag

"All in all, The Karmic Connection is a very refreshing and entertaining read. You'll start it and won't be able to stop until the last page has been devoured, just perfect for a lazy afternoon."

- Charlotte, reviewer for BestChickLit.com

AND it's just $1.99 on both sites right now. I will probably be raising it up to $2.99 in the next couple of weeks. Not sure yet. I'll see how it goes. But for now, it's a definite steal. Enjoy!

Love,
Libby

Guest Blogger: Jacqui Jacoby

Hello, my little raindrops!

I'm busy doing all the last minute pre-release stuff for The Karmic Connection (can't believe launch day is in 5 days!) and things are naturally insane, so I'm particularly pleased to welcome Jacqui Jacoby today as a guest blogger. Or to be more accurate, I'm actually welcoming Jaime Walsh, the star of Jacqui's latest book, With a Vengeance. Take it away, Jacqui! Er... I mean Jaime!

A Day in the Live of Jaime Walsh

By Jaime Walsh, star of With a Vengeance

Once upon a time … that’s usually how stories start, don’t they?  Well once upon a time there was a CIA Operative who managed to finally get some time off.  There was me.

Time off doesn’t come around very often.  Assignments, sometimes lasting weeks or months, often back up against each other with only a few days between to get some down time.  The bosses have the next job planned before we even get in the door.  It takes some prep time to get ready to go.  What part of the world will we be in next? Who is on the team? What is our objective? 

All important questions.  All, plus more, that have to be answered before we get on the plane.

But not today.  Today is my day.  A day I get to do with as I see fit without answering to anybody.

And the first thing I am going to do is sleep in.  I mean way in.  I pull the blinds tight, turn off my cell phone and cover my head with a pillow.  I wait for the time when my body says it has had enough sleep and not when an alarm goes off.  If someone knocks on the door, they get ignored.

This is just for me.

Staying in shape is important to me.  It means I will be up for the next obstacle that comes my way.  Even on the job I manage to get in a couple mile run a day.  I shoot for six days a week.  On my day off though, after I climb from that warm bed, I won’t be hitting the streets or a treadmill.  I will be lucky if I even get dressed.  Laying around in my pajamas signals my brain this is the day we’ve been waiting for.

Food is easy.  I live in New York City and have a drawer full of take out menus.  Finding someone to deliver is a simple matter of looking through the pile and deciding what it is I feel like today.

What to do to fill up the hours in between is the real challenge.  I’m not used to having nothing to do and doing nothing makes me uneasy sometimes.  I look for that closet that needs reorganizing or the letters that need to be written. I have to work at not working.  I could get lost in a good book, but there is not enough time to get through one of the titles I might like to read, something off the classics list.  A movie is always a good choice.  I can make myself some popcorn and turn on a Cary Grant comedy.  Maybe Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House or Bringing Up Baby.  Maybe both.  Probably both.

Yeah, that sounds like the perfect kind of day.  I won’t even look at the files in my briefcase until tomorrow. 

I love the idea of a CIA Operative lounging around at home, watching classic movies. Jaime Walsh certainly sounds like an interesting character. Here's the book blurb for With a Vengeance:

WITH A VENGEANCE

The more she wanted out, the more they dragged her back in!

Daughter to murdered CIA officers, niece to a deputy director, Jaime Walsh has never known life outside the world of espionage. Until a high-action case in Buenos Aires leaves her gutted. Physically, emotionally…and professionally.

She’d planned for her long-overdue vacation to be a time to rest and reassess. With her longtime partner Stephen not far behind, it’s a tropical paradise away from work. A paradise where boundaries will be tested.

From their training days, Stephen Reid has watched Jaime kick ass while performing what has become his second job—watching her back. But now his feelings have grown.

As best friends look at each other in a new light, they like what they see. And Jaime dreams of a new life outside “the company”.

Except someone from their past won’t be satisfied until Jaime and the man she loves are hunted to the brink of death. Now Jaime must find the strength to trust her heart and let go of her fear. Before she loses everything…

And now for the links: 

You can read an excerpt here.

Read the reviews here.

Find it at Samhain here.

Find it at Amazon here.

Find it at B&N here.

Find it at Powells Books here.

Thanks for being on the blog today, Jacqui! Er... I mean Jaime!

Book Spotlight: Between Boyfriends

Hello, my little tulip buds!

Today I've got some exciting information about one of my author pal's revamped book. Check this out:

The Amazon #9 humor best seller, Between Boyfriends, got a makeover! Sarka-Jonae's chick-lit novel just got a new cover, a new book description, and a new book trailer. It also dropped a few pesky typos and is ready to show off its new svelte, flawless look. The new version is able as an update on readers' "Manage Your Kindle" pages through Amazon. For people who have not checked out the book yet, we hear there is a sale coming up April 14 to 16. Get the book East County Magazine calls the "ultimate chick-lit read" for only $0.99.

And here's the book's description:


At first glance, twenty-one-year-old Jan Weston has it all: a gorgeous boyfriend, fun friends, and wealthy parents who take care of all those pesky credit card bills.

Then her boyfriend dumps her, her friendships fall apart, and her parents cut her off. Suddenly without money, without a man, and without a plan, it's time for Jan to grow up.

Determined to get her life back on track, Jan decides it's time to make it on her own. Can she find her way as a single lady in San Diego? Can she fix her friendships, her job prospects, and her hair? And can she keep her vow that she'll never date again, even after she meets a guy who just might be perfect for her?

BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS is a sexy, hilarious story of living life, finding love, and growing up... but not necessarily in that order.


You can find the book trailer here.

You can learn more about Sarka-Jonae on SarkaJonae.com and BetweenBoyfriendsBlog.com.

Join her on Facebook or find her on Twitter @BoyfriendsNovel.

Happy reading, everyone!

Love,
Libby