Do You Want To Be A Super-Hero?

Happy Wednesday Everybody,

Did everyone go check out author Katie McGarry's new YA Contemporary novel that was released yesterday? I got an e-book

copy of it and I'm well into the story. I really like it so far. Razor is complex and interesting, as is Breanna. This feels a lot like some of her previous work, and I'm thrilled about that. Nowhere But Here was good, but Walk The Edge is definitely better (in my opinion).

Okay, folks, raise your hand if you're a nerd/geek/dork...

Come on, don't be shy!

Just admit that you're a big fan of DC's Justice League, or Marvel's Avengers (or both, as in my case). Tell me you love Chris Helmsworth as Thor, and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the movies makes you smile. Or maybe you're more into the comic books, or into something else entirely.

Batman, maybe?

I happen to be more of a fan of Super-Man, but that's just me. I do want to see Batman Vs. Super-Man. I'm curious as to how they play up the rivalry.

I don't plan to see the Suicide Squad movie. I'm not a huge fan of all that. However, it does look like they're putting a lot of thought and consideration to each character and that the actors are going to be superb.

My favorite depiction of Super-Man is Lois & Clark. This will not shock those who know me best. I'm hopelessly romantic, and that show played up the romance between the two of them and I loved that. I have two of the seasons on DVD (can you guess which 2 seasons? Hmm..., cue the Jeopardy! theme song).

I watched several seasons of Smallville, but lost interest after a while. While I'm a fan of several pieces of Tom Welling's work, I just wasn't too into the show.

I guess I'm more of a Marvel girl than a DC girl. Huge fan of X-Men movies (Patrick Stewart does a great job as Professor X. Of course, he pretty much does a great job whatever role he plays. Hugh Jackman IS Wolverine as far as I'm concerned. He embodied the role really well, and I did think that Ian McKellen's Magento was well done).

I also like Toby Maguire's depiction of Spider-Man. I wasn't as into the newer Spider-Man movies.

Funny side note:  When I saw Snow White And The Huntsman, every time Chris Helmsworth came on the screen I yelled out "Thor! Wait, where's his hammer? Oops, wrong movie!" (We watched it at home on DVD) my husband gave me a weird look for that, but as far as I'm concerned Chris Helmsworth will be Thor first and foremost in my mind. (P.S. I also said it to see what my husband would do. I thought his reaction was hilarious).

So what's your nerdy/geeky/dorky "guilty" (because I make no apologies for liking these things) pleasure?

Have A Wonderfully Whimsical Wednesday!

I'm Back, Did You Miss Me?

Happy Tuesday All,

Sorry for the long silence. Last week husband had off and I don't post on the weekends and Monday I was getting used to the usual schedule after the weekend.

I'm doing all right. Friday I went out with 3 of my best gal-pals and we had a blast. A lot of laughter and fun. I didn't get home until almost 2 a.m. I never thought I'd stay out that late--we didn't do a lot...mostly hung out at Starbucks, then at one of the ladies' apartment. But it was still fun and we all agreed we had to do that again (although I'm hoping that I'd get home before 2 a.m. next time LOL). Trust me, me being out that late is very unusual.

I'm so behind on scheduling my blog! I still need to email some people and see what I can figure out for this year. But don't worry, I'll get it pulled together.

I finished an ARC for an official blog review that will be posted in March and the novel is also releasing in March. I'm very excited about it and I'm looking forward to posting it. But I'm not telling what it is! You'll just have to wait and see.

So what's one question you'd want to ask one of your favorite authors?

Have A Terrific Tuesday!

Take To The Open Road (Or Skies)

Happy Tuesday All,

Monday was a day off--which I needed because it was sort of a crazy day. I hadn't planned to take the day off, but it turned out to be a good idea.

I know Fall is coming and that school starts back soon, but Summer isn't the only time people travel.



I think this was in
Frankenmuth, Michigan

 I have been all over the U.S.A. (by car and by plane) here's a list of states (off the top of my head, I'm sure I'll miss naming one) that I've been to (and I'm talking about either driven through or actually visited...not changing planes):

Texas (San Antonio is fun, and Austin is gorgeous--been out to some of the Hill Country--nice, too)
New Jersey  (love Madison and Morristown very pretty areas)
Maryland (visited--some really great places there)
Washington, D.C.(visited--wear very comfy walking shoes)
New Hampshire (visited--very nice)
Connecticut  (visited--pretty)
Kentucky (visited--a lot of fun)
Tennessee (mostly drove through)
Indiana  (I think mostly drove through)
Michigan  (visited...love it)
Iowa (visited--went to where they filmed the movie Field Of Dreams).
Oklahoma (went to a few interesting places there)
Louisiana (visited, but I don't think I've been to New Orleans, but I went to a nice part of the state)
Mississippi (driven through)
Alabama  (driven through)
Georgia (visited--very pretty areas)
New York  (visited--yes, I've been to NYC)
Washington State (visited/love it...Seattle rocks!)
Missouri (visited...some nice places out there)
Mississippi (driven through)
Ohio (visited several places there...including the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame)
Pennsylvania (visited, I don't remember where I went there)
Massachusetts (haven't been to Salem or John Adams house, though, but I did have fun out there).
Illinois (can't be sure if I visited anything there or just drove through)
Arkansas (mostly drove through)

And that's just off the top of my head.

Outside the U.S.A. I've been to: Canada (a few times--pretty...been to Niagara Falls)

I've been to the U.S. Virgin Islands--St. Croix (my husband and I went there on their honeymoon...we fell in love with a restaurant there called Le St. Tropez...so good French-Mediterranean food) We want to go back to St. Croix because we enjoyed it--next time we go we want to stay at a resort. On our honeymoon we stayed at a hotel, but really if you're gonna go there a resort is the best idea. Also, be sure to take a sailboat ride out to Buck Island--so awesome!

So where have you been and where do you recommend people go to visit/live?

Have A Timeless Tuesday!

TV, YA & Pizza

Happy Tuesday Everybody,

If you haven't watched TLC's Surprise Homecoming I recommend it. Service Men and Women come home and surprise their family members. I usually end up with tears streaming down my cheeks. It's a heartwarming show.

Has anyone read any Jennifer Echols books? I saw a book of hers online and I was intrigued. It's called Love Story and it looks good (was released July 19, 2011). The blurb made me curious about her work.

Okay, so who likes pizza? Raise your hands!

I love pizza. Favorite topping is plain cheese (yeah, I know, boring). But I also like Hawaiian (Canadian Bacon with pineapple) and I'll eat pepperoni and I'll eat mushroom, but I really do like plain cheese pizza best.

I also like pizza rolls and calzones, too. Emeril on the Food Network was talking about calzones one time when I was watching his show and I thought "Hmm, I wonder if that's something I could do." So I got some ingredients, put it together and voila! Homemade (in a manner of speaking) calzones (my husband loves them).

What about you? Do you order pizza, make it yourself or a combination? What's your favorite pizza?

Have A Tasty Tuesday!

Candy Memories

Happy Wednesday All,

Recently I had Nerds (the candy) again. I haven't had those things in years. I can't eat too many of them now, but I remember now how good they are. Definitely a trip down memory lane.

I remember walking into the CVS when I lived in New Jersey (this was many moons ago). We'd walk from our house downtown. The CVS had lime green carpet and bright fluorescent lights. I always felt like I had just woken up and someone turned on a light and shined it in my eyes when I walked into that store.

What triggers memories for you? What candy takes you back to your childhood? Is the candy still available in stores? (For the record, you get Nerds at different stores--they were at my grocery store).

Have A Whimsical Wednesday!

New Release & Blog Update

Happy Wednesday All,

Yesterday MaryJanice Davidson just put out her brand-new book in her Undead series, Undead And Undermined. Last year I had the pleasure of interviewing MJ and her husband, Anthony Alongi. The interview centered around their YA series, Jennifer Scales. But MJ has written several series for adults, as well.

I'm working out some details for this blog, so please bear with me :-)


Have A Whimsical Wednesday!

Spotlight On Author: Melissa Ohnoutka

Happy Friday Everyone,

A special shout out to my parents who are celebrating 45 years of marriage today--congratulations!

Today I'm happy to introduce to you a friend of mine and a very talented author, Melissa Ohnoutka. Melissa's Faithful Deceptions, which I reviewed and definitely enjoyed when I read it. She's incredibly nice, cheerful, and a lot of fun to know. She also has a blog, where you can go and see what's happening in her world. 

Anyway...introducing Melissa Ohnoutka:

Me:  Faithful Deceptions came out in March, do you have plans for future releases? If so, what and when?

Melissa:  Yes, I'm working on a short story called "Shattered Souls of Innocence." It will tie my first two books together and should be released soon. Then "Target of Betrayal" will follow this summer.


Me:  What made you choose human trafficking for your novel?


Melissa:  I watched a Lifetime mini series back in 2005 or 2006 with Mira Servino and Donald Sutherland called "Human Trafficking." I had no idea this went on in America or to what degree. When the movie ended, I sat down and didn't stop till "Faithful Deceptions" was finished.


Me:  What are the pros and cons of "indie" or self-publishing?


Melissa:  Pros - control over storyline, cover, page count, price, promotion, and the direction I want my career to go.


Cons - Haven't found any yet. LOL One might say marketing, but from what I've learned, unless you are a best selling author you end up doing most of the marketing yourself anyway.


Me:  For Fun: what's your favorite breakfast food?


Melissa:  Fruit & nuts. I know, I'm boring. LOL


Me:  What advice do you have for aspiring authors?


Melissa:  Never give up, trust in yourself and learn all you can.


Me:  Do you plan to only write Romantic Suspense, or do you plan to write in other genres, as well?


Melissa:  I have no idea why, but I love suspense. I have a young adult suspense and middle grade already written, but in need of major edits. They too have their fair share of suspense. To be honest, I've tried writing a simple sweet romance. I just can't keep my heroine out of trouble. LOL After I finish up the three dealing with human trafficking, my plan is to challenge myself to work on something light.


Me:  For Fun: what flavor donut do you like?


Melissa:  Chocolate filled. Okay, now I want one really bad! :)


Me:  Have you thought of writing a sequel to Faithful Deceptions, or is it a stand-alone?


Melissa:  "Faithful Deceptions" started out as one book, but has somehow evolved into a three book sequel. Although each book will be tied together with the human trafficking, they will also be able to stand on their own as well.


Me:  What do you think defines a person as a writer?


Melissa:  Sitting down and writing. I've come across lots of people who want to write, but having the dedication and determination to actually sit down and do it is a whole different story.


Me:  Anything else you'd like to add?


Melissa:  Just a big thank you to you, Bethany! Your support has been awesome through all this!


Faithful Deceptions and you'd like to check out Romantic Suspenses, be sure to check out either  Amazon Kindle / Barnes & Noble Nook (in-prints are or will be available). 
 
Have A Fascinating Friday!

Are You Plum Crazy?

Happy Monday Everyone,

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

One of my regular followers, Tonette, has 5 booklets with the first chapter of Janet Evanovich's newest Stephanie Plum novel, Smokin' Seventeen to give away. In order to enter the drawing you need to do the following:

1. There's some adult content in the booklet, so Tonette requested that only 17 or 18 year olds and up enter. No offense to the younger readers, just don't want any angry mothers after us.

2.  Either email me or leave your comment on here. If you can't post a comment, email me. Include your email address and first name.

Please note:  Blogger sometimes acts up for some people and not so much for others. If you can't post a comment, just email me.    

3.  Have your entry posted in the comment section are emailed to me no later than 10:30 p.m. Central Time. I will email the winners and Tonette will send the winners their prize.

Like I said there are FIVE (5) booklets of chapter 1 to give away, so I will draw 5 names in tonight's drawing.

Thank you to Tonette for this!  

Have A Magical Monday!                       

The Nitty Gritty

Happy Friday All,

I'm a bit late posting this. Last night my Internet went nuts and decided to see if I was paying attention.  Today I got it to work despite electrical sockets deciding to go on vacation and not work for me. (And we just had the electrician come and check out these same sockets!)

Anyway, I got this idea from a blog post that Shannon Hale did about an interview she had with Stephenie Meyer.

Here's what I came up with:

You get to ask ME questions. What do you want to know about me? (Please note:  I reserve the right to not answer any question I deem too personal--this includes information on my age, personal information on family members and my sexual life).

However feel free to ask about my writing, inspiration, the NWHRWA, reading, movies I like, and things like that. You can also tell me if there's something in particular you want me to blog about or ask me about author interviews--make suggestions if you'd like.

So whatcha wanna know?

Have A Fun Friday!

Characters, Contest, & Fun

Happy Memorial Day,

**Edits 11:29 a.m. (I remembered it was Memorial Day, but I should've posted this earlier):  Here's to all the USA's service men and women, both past and present, fallen or alive. Thank you for your service to the USA and God bless you and your families. (Note:  If I tried to do actual white, it wouldn't show up).


Everybody have a good weekend? My weekend was fairly nice. Mostly quiet, which was just fine with me.

For all you C.C. Hunter fans, tomorrow she's starting a very special contest. I'll reveal more details tomorrow, so be sure to come back tomorrow to see what those details are.

Hope everyone enjoyed Tess St. John's author interview on Friday. I had fun having her on my blog. She's an incredibly talented author. Be sure to watch for her Romantic Suspense novels. I'll also probably let you know about those releases here. 

Did you all follow the link to Tess St. John's blog on Friday and meet the hero of one of my novels? Monroe would be angry if he went through me interviewing him and you didn't go have a peek!

I'm still reading Georgette Heyer's Lady Of Quality and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. Annis is a very lively character and I just recently met Oliver Carleton and they're in the middle of verbally sparring with each other.

Recently I've gotten interested in the musical of The Scarlet Pimpernel. I've read the novel by Baroness Orczy, but only within the last week or so found out there was a musical based on the book. The musical also seems to have gotten some influence from the movie that was based off of Baroness Orczy's book and the sequels. The movie stars Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. By the way, I do really like that movie and if the musical ever has a professional tour in my area again, I'll have to go see it.

What movies are you interested in these days?

Have A Marvelous Monday!

It's Worth A Fortune

Happy Tuesday Everyone,

Does anyone remember the song If I Had A Million Dollars by Barenaked Ladies?

I can't remember when or how I was first introduced to this song, but it's a fun song.

So, how about if you had a million dollars? What would you do with it?

Of course there's the responsible things to do with a million dollars--pay off debts, and such like that.

Then there's the question of whether or not you give to charities, and how much.

But, suppose you answered all those questions and you still had quite a lot left; what would you do with it?

Maybe I'd go to Disney World. I've wanted to go, and I've never been able to. Or, perhaps I'd go to Germany and England, and Belgium (three of the countries my ancestors are from). Travel around seeing family and friends I don't see often. There's all kinds of possibilities.

So, what about you? What would you do with a million dollars?

Have A Tremendous Tuesday!

3, 2, 1 Launch Party!

Happy Monday Everybody,

Here's hoping everyone had a great weekend. I had an awesome one.

The NWHRWA annual Lone Star Contest is now open for entries! There's an early bird discount for those who are interested. So come on and check out NWHRWA Lone Star Contest page. There's some really great final judges, so come check it out.

As I mentioned last week, Friday was Christie Craig (C.C. Hunter) launch party for her YA book, Born At Midnight, book one in her new Shadow Falls series.



Even if you couldn't make it to the launch party at Katy Budget Books, I thought I'd provide you, my readers, with a taste of it, so you can get a little taste of what it was like (a lot of fun). I don't have a lot of pictures, but here they are:

Christie (C.C.) answering questions

More of Christie (C.C.) answering a question.

Christie (C.C.) signing copies of Born At Midnight

Christie (C.C.'s) cake--it looks just like the cover of Born At Midnight (isn't it gorgeous?)

Triple "threat"! From left to right:  Bethany Averie (me), Kerrelyn Sparks (author of Love At Stake series and For Love Or Country) and Christie Craig (C.C. Hunter).

Anyway it was fun and hope you all get to attend a book launch party one day :-)

Have A Merry Monday!

Have A Cookie!

Happy Thursday Everybody,

Today I'm thinking of cookies...no, not the computer website ones, but the ones you eat. Specifically Oreos and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

In my head the Oreo jingle plays merrily while warring with the parody Weird Al Yankovich wrote.

I don't remember if I put any kind of cookie in my stories (I could be wrong, but I don't have any memory of doing that) but how many of us would identify with a character who sits down with a glass of milk  and a cookie (be it an Oreo, Chocolate Chip or any other) dunking the cookie into the milk just like a kid? (especially if said character is an adult). I know I would. Or take a Chocolate Chip Cookie and dunk it in coffee (if you haven't tried that and you like both Chocolate Chip Cookies and coffee I recommend it!)

Yes, I'm a dunker of cookies. I like when they're soggy and heavy with coffee or milk (well, in my case creamer--because I don't drink regular milk too often, but that explanation is a whole different post).  I always liked it when cookies tasted soft--you know, the chewy ones.

My Dad (yeah, even over 30, I still like my dad's cooking and baking--brings back very happy memories plus it's just plain good) makes these really big, soft chocolate chip cookies. My Dad and I agree that Chocolate Chip Cookies should be big and soft. Now, I know several people who prefer less soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, but, I really like my Dad's way of making Chocolate Chip Cookies.

So what about you? What cookies do you like? Are they homemade or a particular brand? Are you a dunker or just prefer the cookie by itself?

Have A Tasty Thursday!

What To Call Yourself?

Happy Friday All,

I would've posted this earlier, but I wasn't feeling well last night. I'm doing better today, though. (YAY!)

Yesterday, NWHRWA's President, Jenn, was on Four Foxes One Hound Blog posting about calling oneself a writer. It's a great post, by the way, and I give Jeff (the hound) a lot of credit for hosting Jenn. She's smart and funny and most definitely a writer.

The other blog post I wanted to talk about was NWHRWA's Vice President, Stacey, being hosted by Jenn on Muse Tracks. Stacey is also very funny and smart. She and Jenn have a great dynamic working together to head up NWHRWA.

When I grow up I want to be a published author. I'm already an adult, so one down, one to go!

Question for the day:  What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you end up being what you wanted to be, or did you change your mind?

Have A Fantastic Friday!

New Week--What's Up My Sleeves?

Happy Monday Everyone,

I hope you all had a great weekend. I did.

First off, I want to give a warm welcome to all the new followers on Write By Bethany. I'm so pleased you decided to stick around and hang out with me :-)

Looks like I'll be hosting another give away this Friday. This time, courtesy of Kim Lenox, whom I interviewed last year. Kim has written a series of books called Shadow Guards and wants to give  them away to one lucky winner. I've read them and they're good.


I have a few other surprises coming up, so don't be a stranger :-)

Before I close this post...what are you reading these days?

Have A Merry Monday!