What's-Her-Face...?

Happy Friday Everybody!

Recently I finished writing a Romance that features shape-shifters. This is not a YA (Young Adult) novel. Considering that my aim is not YA with this novel, and I'd been thinking about it for a long time, I decided to develop another pen-name strictly for those types of novels. Bethany Averie will remain associated with the Immortal Dreams series and any other YA novels I write. Jeannie Averie will be for the NON-YA Romance novels (Paranormal and Fantasy) that I write. The Jeannie Averie novels will be for ages 18/21 and up. Bethany Averie novels are high school and up.

There isn't a drastic difference, except that the Jeannie Averie novels are a bit different in style and tone. Slightly "hotter".  So they need a different pen-name.

Now, why do I use pen names?

I like to keep my personal life separate from my professional life. Yes, tiny details of my personal life seep into my professional life, but the two are not exactly the same. My husband and offspring names and ages are not included in my professional life. In fact, I've only posted one or two pictures of my husband and none of my offspring. This is on purpose. As far as my husband and I are concerned, their lives are private. My husband and I discussed it a while back and that was the decision we BOTH agreed on. (In fact, I had come to that decision before he even suggested it to me LOL. It's nice to be on the same wavelength).

Why am I making a big announcement about the pen-name? Well, it's not really a secret. But they are going to be different types of books and I don't want the two to be mixed up. Bethany Averie is YA and is the Immortal Dreams series. Jeannie Averie is not. It's Romance geared more towards older audiences. This way my readers will know what type of novel they're getting.

As of March 1, 2019, there aren't any published Jeannie Averie novels out there. I'm hoping that will change with the one I'm currently editing and getting ready to shop around. We'll see how that goes.

Under Bethany Averie, I'm working on Book 5 of the Immortal Dreams series. My plan is to finish this one and finish Book 6. So those will be under Bethany Averie.

Have A Fabulously Fantastic Friday!

The Grand Debut!

Happy Tuesday (well almost Wednesday),

I'm so excited! Thrilled beyond believe. Late in the evening Tuesday night, All's Fair In Love & Lion went "live" on Amazon Kindle!!

Thank you to Soul Mate Publishing for publishing it! You all have been so helpful. I really appreciate it.

You can buy it by clicking right here.  Hope all of you who buy it enjoy it!

Mystery Abounds In SHADOWFALLS...

Happy Wednesday All,



I apologize for all the silence. I've had a lot going on lately, and with it being Holy Week, I'm taking some time to reflect and prepare myself for the Easter celebration. For that reason, I will NOT be putting up a post on Friday since it's Good Friday.


However, I have a special post for today...


It’s almost here! C.C. Hunter’s release of her 3rd Shadowfalls book, Taken At Dusk, will arrive on shelves on April 10, 2012.

In the meantime, here’s a glimpse into the exciting next installment of Kylie Galen’s adventures:

When Awake At Dawn closed, Kylie was about to meet her grandparents. Yet, what should’ve been a happy reuinon, turns into a bigger mystery than before. Especially when they leave Shadowfalls and just go poof!

If that's not enough strangeness, Kylie starts seeing weird evil-looking animals coming after her. Burnett and the others start wondering if there’s some kind of shapeshifter at work. It’s got to be Mario, but Mario isn’t a shapeshifter…so who is the one doing this?


The love triangle between Kylie, Derek, and Lucas takes a new turn when Kylie and Derek call a quits. But, is it really over? Can Kylie give Lucas the chance Miranda and Della want her to give him?


Of course, none of these things would be complete without the amnesasic ghost haunting Kylie. When Kylie learns of a possible identity of the ghost, will she continue to help the specter, or is it “Adios, spirit!” for the identity-challenged ghost?


One thing is for certain: every twist, turn, mystery and new information you learn with Kylie will be nothing you expected. As far as I'm concerned, Taken At Dusk is Ms. Hunter’s most exciting installment, yet!


Taken At Dusk will be released at bookstores everywhere on April 10, 2012, check your favorite bookstore or website for more information.
 

*********GIVEAWAY IS OFFICALLY CLOSED.  I am NOT accepting anymore entries. Thank you.*********** 

I got an email from Ms. Hunter's assistant who let me know that she's giving away a copy of TAKEN AT DUSK!

Here's how to enter for a chance to win your very own copy of this awesome novel (please read the directions CAREFULLY):

Two ways to enter (one entry per person):

1.  You can comment on this blog. When you leave a comment please put your FIRST name and your email address. (If you do not include your name and email address I will NOT be able to enter you).  (NOTE:  When you leave a comment it goes into my moderation folder for me to publish before it appears on my blog. If you don't see your comment within 3 hours of posting, please send me an email).

2.  OR, if you don't want to leave a comment, you may send me an email at bethany.averie@yahoo.com please give me your first name and email where I may contact you. If I haven't responded to your email within 3 hours, please email me again.

I will be notifying the winner through email.

****I will close the giveaway at 11 p.m. Central Time today, Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Any entries I receive AFTER 11 p.m. Central time on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 will not be entered.****

***Note on INTERNATIONAL entries: I've emailed to ask if we're accepting international entries. I will update the blog post once I find out.***  EDITS: 8:35 p.m. 4/4/2012:  I apologize, but this giveaway is restricted to USA only. Thank you!


Have fun :-)


Have A Wonderful Wednesday!

Welcome Back To ShadowFalls!

Happy Tuesday Everyone,

I'm jazzed on java AND also jazzed by the fact that I remembered today is C.C. Hunter's release of book 2 in the ShadowFalls series, Awake At Dawn.

It's time to return to ShadowFalls and see what Kylie's up to, now. In Born At Midnight she learned not everything is what it seems, and that she doesn't know herself as well as she thought she did, but not for the ordinary reasons!

Now, it's time for her to learn more about her powers, deal with more ghosts, and the agonizing question nearly every teenage girl goes through--which guy to go for!

You never know what C.C.'s gonna throw at you next and I cannot wait to get my hands on this book!

So hurry over to Barnes & Noble or Amazon (Or you can get them on Barnes & Noble Nook and/or Amazon Kindle) before all the copies are snatched up!

Have A Thrilling Tuesday!

Spotlight On Author: Nancy Gideon

Happy Thursday All,

**Contest portion of this post is now officially closed.**

I enjoy every author interview I post on here for different reasons. This author's writing is what I term "tight". She writes in such a fashion that not only does she keep track of the main story, but she's able to weave several side stories without getting lost. You never quite know what's going to happen next when you enter this author's world of New Orleans Mob, a sassy strong-willed dectective, "preternatural" creatures...it's enough to send shivers down your back. And all of it is from the talented pen/keyboard of author Nancy Gideon.

So, let me introduce you to Nancy Gideon, author of the Moonlight series (Adult Romance), which has a brand new one coming out July 26, 2011. However, Nancy has graciously offered to giveaway a copy of her up coming release, Bound By Moonlight as well as a "book thong" to one lucky blog commenter (I'll tell you at the end of the interview how to enter). Please be sure to read the contest information at the END of the interview--I'm doing the contest slightly differently than I normally do, so you don't want to miss some information.

So without further ado, here's Nancy Gideon...

Me:  Bound By Moonlight is your newest release and number 4 in the By Moonlight series. Can you tell us a little bit about it and about the By Moonlight series in general?



Nancy: The first four books in my dark paranormal series for Pocket follow the same hero and heroine. Sexy shape-shifter Max Savoie inherits a criminal empire from his former mentor and a clan of New Orleans Shifters who believe he’s their prophesied leader. Charlotte Caissie is a tough-as-nails homicide detective who is trying to reconcile her devotion to duty with her love for Max. Coming to terms with their dark pasts and the threat of Max’s secret escaping are complicated by Cee Cee’s undercover work to catch a serial killer. BOUND BY MOONLIGHT can be read independently of the earlier books, but readers be cautioned: You’ll want them all.


Me:  You have 4 books in the By Moonlight series so far, how many are you planning to have total?


Nancy:  I’ve got two more written and sold: HUNTER OF SHADOWS which will be out November 29, 2011 and Book 6 which isn’t titled yet that will be out in July, 2012. These books feature the same By Moonlight world but have different heroes and heroines the readers will recognize from the earlier books. And Max and Cee Cee will make appearances as strong secondary characters.


Me:  For fun: What's your favorite way to unwind?


Nancy:  I’m a Netflix addict. I take to the couch with a warm cat and a good movie to lose myself in someone else’s imagination. Working out and cleaning house also free up the creative muse, but Netflix is more fun. Unless there’s a warm beach handy.


Me:  What sparked the By Moonlight series and is there a particular muse involved?


Nancy:  I had a publisher interested in a werewolf proposal I’d submitted. They loved the prologue . . . but wanted everything else changed, from the characters to the plotline. While I was brainstorming a new Chapter One, I started writing the scene with Cee Cee at the grisly crime scene where the Prologue left off, and just started typing. The story unfolded so fast, I was three books in before I realized it, all without the kind of outline I’d always structured my books upon. The thought of my ADD/OCD self wandering about in the creative realm without a road map still mystifies me to this day. But there was something about Max . . .


Me:  What advice do you have for aspiring authors?


Nancy:  Butt in chair, first and foremost. You have to get it written before you can edit it and send to out. Stick with it and don’t get discouraged. Sometimes rejection is just a matter of trend or timing, and has nothing to do with the quality of the work. Have a good support system of either a writers or critique group or online buddies, someone who knows what a writer goes through and who can talk you off the ledge of discouragement.


Me:  You have other books you've written both under your Nancy Gideon and other names. Are there any among them that stands out in your mind and why?


Nancy:  I’ve enjoyed all of my 50+ books and each is special in its own way. My favorite characters will always be Max from the By Moonlight series and Harm Bass from my Dana Ransom historical Texas series for Zebra that helped me get a Career Achievement for Historical Adventure award from Romantic Times Magazine because they were so unpredictable. And then there’s the silkily vicious Gerard from my Midnight vampire series. I probably had the most fun writing the upcoming HUNTER OF SHADOWS book because the hero and heroine play so wonderfully off each other. He’s an intense Shifter cop and she’s an assassin. Lots of sparks and action.


Me:  For Fun: What types of movies do you like?


Nancy:  I’m an action/adventure junkie. I love the mindless adrenaline rush, but it’s got to have enough plot and character development to ground my attention. I also enjoy a twisty tale like LA CONFIDENTIAL, the slick paranormal gloss of CONSTANTINE, and the always heart-tugging THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. I’ll watch anything that can snag my restless ADD eye, but my inner-editor won’t always let me stick with it.


Me:  Can you tell us a little about your journey from unpublished writer to published writer?


Nancy:  I’d always written stories but had never completed a book until after I quit the work force to have my first son. I started out in the early ‘80s when romance was huge. I’d written four complete historical novels before finding the courage to pick the best one to send in. This was before the Internet, and the only thing I knew about the publishing industry was what I read in the Fiction Writers Market at the local library. I can’t believe I made that first sale as ignorant as I was about the craft and the business. (I wrote my first six books out in long hand than typed them up on my Smith Corolla complete with correction tape.) The proposal for that first book went out to four publishers at random, and in two weeks Zebra called to ask for a complete. It wasn’t even typed! In less than two months, I got The Call to buy it and they wanted to see anything else I had. I sold another of those original four books, and consistently thereafter, starting out without a writers group or an agent or with any contact with any other author. Now I’ve got a great critique group and am plowing my way into the Social Media arena.


Me:  What's does the future hold for you as far as you and your writing?


Nancy: I’m up for anything. I’m hoping to go back to contract with Pocket soon for more paranormals and would like to continue expanding the BY MOONLIGHT world. I’m also looking at ways to get my 50+ book backlist into at least e-format for readers who may have missed them.


Me:  Do you have any upcoming appearances?


Nancy:  Next week is the release week for BOUND BY MOONLIGHT, which will be on the stands on July 26. I’ve got tons of fun stuff planned and will be all over the blog-verse. I’ve got lots of contests and giveaways in the works!


Check for times and places on my website at http://nancygideon.com or on FaceBook and Twitter. To launch my blog at http://nancygideon.blogspot.com as well as my book, I’ve got a weeklong scavenger hunt planned with a mondo prize attached. Check the blog for details!


Me:  Anything else you'd like to add?


Nancy:  I’d like to thank my editor and Pocket Books for letting me go outside the box with the first four books of this series. These were the Books of My Heart and I so appreciate the risk they took!


Thank you so much, Nancy Gideon, for the interview...now onto the contest:

***CONTEST IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED***
Please be sure to include first name and email address if you enter by commenting on here.


EMAIL ENTRIES:  If you want to email your entry, there is only ONE email address I will be accepting emailed entries and that is:  bethany.averie@yahoo.com  Put NANCY GIDEON CONTEST in the subject line.


All you have to do is comment in the comment section or email me to enter.


I'll close the contest at 10:30 p.m. CENTRAL Time.


Have A Thrilling Thursday!

Calling All Heroes!

Happy Monday All,

What do you look for in a hero? Someone larger than life? Super-Man, maybe? *EDIT as of 9:37 a.m.:  (I'm talking about FICTIONAL heroes. As Tess points out in the comments there are real life heroes that make this world a better place, and they have my respect, admiration and gratitude for what they do, but for this post I'm talking about heroes in novels, I apologize for being unclear).



  Or perhaps you're for someone a bit more "untouchable"--a little more "forbidding", like Mr. Darcy. Maybe you go for swashbuckling pirates like Captain Jack Sparrow.

One thing I was told about heroes is that they should be "larger than life".  

Heroes do have to be believable but they aren't likely to necessarily be someone you'd meet walking down the street. I don't know about you, but I've never run into Edward Cullen (or any other vampire) as I walked out of my house (maybe I wasn't looking hard enough?) I have yet to meet Mr. Darcy at the grocery store (kind of the wrong time period). Or Captain Jack Sparrow anywhere (not that I'd want to, I'd rather read about pirates, not encounter them in real life).

Last time I saw a shape shifter was...never. So, yeah, in a sense they have to be larger than life and unrealistic. But they also have to be believable, someone people can relate to. Now granted, most of us aren't going to believe that a demigod is existing in our swimming pool, like Percy Jackson, but believable in that a person can suspend their disbelief. That is, they have traits we can relate to.

Heroes have to have some kind of honor code. Something that makes them heroic. For Darcy, one of the things that made him heroic was helping Elizabeth Bennett's sister--and saying he only thought of her while doing so. That's not only heroic, but entirely romantic. (Now you men understand why we women swoon when someone brings up Fitzwilliam Darcy).

For Edward Cullen, I'd say a heroic gesture on his part was how he prized Bella's humanity. He treasured it. He didn't treat her as expendable as the other human-blood drinking vampires were prone to doing, he and his "family" treated her humanity as something to guard.

I don't know enough about Captain Jack to say what makes him heroic. 

My favorite heroes are the ones who did things because they are just so passionate over the heroine they couldn't help themselves. Yes, I'm that mushy-romantic. I'm sort of the "knight-in-shining armour" type heroes.

What defines a *edit as of 9:38 a.m.:  FICTIONAL or in a novel hero for you? (Like I said above, there's many real-life heroes I totally respect and agree that they truly DO make the world a better place, but I'm talking about fictional heroes that appear in novels, that's why I brought up Mr. Darcy, Captain Jack and Edward Cullen, rather than real-live people.  I apologize if I wasn't clear).

Have A Magnificent Monday!