2013 Goals, getting back to me!

Well, it’s been a while since I blogger for real, I mean something other than a blog hop notification, so here goes. I am starting out the New Year with some major differences in my life. I’ve given notice at my day job. My last day of work with them will be the 12^th of January. I wanted to wait until after Christmas to give my notice. The weight of the world lifted off my shoulders the day I put the notice in. The next day I got my hair cut. Something completely different, and with it came a better attitude. You see, I haven’t written a single word in any of my works in progress in over 4 months. Somehow, and I don’t know how or when, I lost who I am along the way. Writing, it is me, it is the way I breathe, the way I live my day to day life. So, that being said, I am getting back to it, to the writing. I have some heavy plans for 2013 where my writing is concerned. My goals are as follows…I plan to release the following books in 2013, in the order in which I will be listing them. At this point, I want to thank my fans for their patience and as soon as I have dates of release for each one, I will let you know.

1)      Storm’s Destiny A Ravenwood Novel Book 2

2)      The Talking Fence (young adult)

3)      Meghan’s Acceptance A Ravenwood Novel Book 3

4)      The Pirate’s Daughter

5)      Corsets and Holsters

6)      Chester the Courthouse Mouse (kids Book)

The blurbs are as follows…

The talking Fence

Blurb - A new school, again. This one in her old hometown, and she shouldn’t be wary, though she is. Walking by the fence standing in the middle of the front lawn of the school Rhiannon noticed the fence covered in writings. She slowed and noticed it was nothing more than bad things about people she didn’t even know. The year had started without her, and she made her way to the office to register. Ninth grade was scary enough without being the ‘new girl’. She meets John and is instantly smitten, but is his attraction something other than it should be? Will Rhiannon show the entire school what she is made of, or will the rest of the school population win? Only the talking fence can say for sure.

Storm’s Destiny

Blurb – Women being attacked notwithstanding, Storm Whitmore, already married and expecting her first child finds herself immersed in a mystery that threatens those she loves. Her destiny is formed by the unthinkable actions of an unknown perpetrator. Carrying a child has seemingly turned her brain to mush, at least that’s how Damon, her loving husband sees it. She moves him into a guest bed chamber until he courts her properly. At a loss of how to proceed to please his wife, Damon pays a visit to Night Ravenwood, his best friend and Storm’s brother. Tragedy strikes and the family is rocked to the core. Can they pick up the pieces and bring their destiny together or will evil win out in the end?

Meghan’s Acceptance

Blurb – Meghan joins the Ravenwood family during a most troubling time for the country of her birth. Scotland is attempting to free itself from English rule and the hostilities are heating up. Her mother sends her to England, to her father in order to help save her life. Meghan meets with a mishap that brings her in direct contact with Storm Whitmore, both of them blissfully unaware of who they are to one another. Once the initial shock subsides, Meghan discovers she has a wonderful extended family and her father legitimizes her, making it possible for the flame haired beauty to marry well, and she isn’t short on suitors. A suitor from her home country comes to her in England begging marriage, at the same time an Earl makes his intentions known to win her hand. What will she do and is her beau from Scotland in danger? Will the drawing of her home keep her from true love or will her new family be enough to keep her safe?

The Pirate’s Daughter (no book cover)

Blurb – Princess Alvilda and Prince Alf bore one child, Gurid.  The pirate’s daughter is just as wild and strong willed as her mother was. She marries a prince of her choosing, tossing away all suggestions of her parents. She comes to regret the marriage but what can she do about it? She cares for her people and becomes a queen, getting there was one adventure after another. Once her husband is out of the picture, she takes lovers. Will she find true love or is the Pirate’s Daughter destined to rule alone?

Corsets and Holsters (no book cover)

Blurb – Reformed call girl Rachael goes in search of the man responsible for killing the man she loved. Huck was shot down by a gunslinger, a few nights later the saloon Rachael worked in burns to the ground. Everyone is thought to have perished. Rachael escaped with a few belongings in a trunk that she was able to drag out of the window and down the outside stairs. Donning tight pants, a white shirt and a black lacy corset over the shirt, she sets in motion a plan to find and kill Hucks murderer. Along the way, she meets up with Greyfeather, Huck’s friend, a indian of the Cherokee Nation. Taking Huck’s pearl handled colts, she shows Greyfeather that she can handle a gun, and shows him she holds other attributes that will work to her advantage as a bounty hunter. Does Greyfeather show her the real meaning of love or is her love for Huck too powerful to throw away?

Chester the Courthouse Mouse (kids book about the court system done with Animal characters) (no book cover)

Blurb – Chester is a lawyer, and it is his job to try to defend a burgler who got caught stealing. Judge Wallawits, a mole listens to Chester and Millary the Squirel (the prosecutor) as they lay down the evidence. The bailiff, Riley Ratfield, has to bring order to the courtroom when the defendant starts trouble.

Evernight Publishing Holiday Blog Hop, Prizes galore!

Welcome to the Evernight Holiday Blog Hop!

We love the holidays, we love making our readers happy and we love giving away swag. What better way to do that than to hold a blog hop?

Here's how it works... the more blogs you hop to (shown below) the more chance you have of winning prizes. Each site on the hop is offering a prize and Evernight is offering an iPad 2 as the grand prize! To be in with a chance of winning the site prize simply follow the blog you're visiting and leave a comment which includes your email address. Each entry on each blog is then counted towards the grand prize draw. The more entries you have, the better your chance of winning that iPad 2! You also get extra points for liking the Evernight Facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/#!/evernightpublishing. Just make sure you let us know in the comments that you've done so.
  
Happy hopping!

Leave a comment below and you might win a copy of The Bride's Journey, one of my historical romance's through Evernight Publishing. Here is a snippet of it for your enjoyment.

The Bride’s Journey

Excerpt

Bereft of his heat, Abby shivered slightly staring at the door.  What must he think of me now. I am nothing but a wanton woman, pushing myself on a man who doesn't know me.  Oh my, what things he made my body feel, I wanted to burn with it, yet there must be more to it than what I was feeling.  But what more could there be?                                  

Abby entered her room, locking the door she leaned up against it and sighed. Her heart was still fluttering so she took a couple of deep breaths trying to calm her thoughts. The bed seemed to call her name, her lids getting heavy as she made her way across the room. Maybe a good night’s rest will clear these ridiculous notions from my head.              

She removed her robe, draped it over the end of the bed and climbed beneath the sheets. Her night rail proved too warm, sighing she got out of bed and removed it.  Abby placed it on the end of the bed with her wrapper and slipped under the covers, the cool linen luxurious against her soft skin. She snuggled into the down feather mattress and took a deep breath. I can almost smell him. My friends were right, men have a most fascinating smell. The pillow she had laid her head on smelled lightly of lavender, and her hands smelled of Benjamin, smiling, she slipped into a restless sleep filled with dreams.

****                                                                                                               

His hand reached for her, tipping her face up for his kiss.  Abby molded herself to his body, melding them into one being. She wrapped her arms around his neck, arching her back begging for more.  Benjamin picked her up, carrying her to the bed, deepening the kiss, eliciting small moans from the back of her throat.  Never breaking the kiss, he laid them down stroking her body freely. Tweaking one nipple in his fingers, his lips left her mouth, blazing a white hot trail down her neck to the other nipple. Sucking it into his mouth he suckled there and was rewarded when she threw her head back catching her breath.  Smiling, he chanced a glance at her face before letting her nipple go to kiss her ribs and stomach.  Abby was wriggling upon the sheets when his mouth took possession of her most private parts.  Benjamin slid his tongue through the golden brown curls hiding her treasure and found the hard little nub that would bring her the greatest pleasure known to womanhood. He lightly nipped the rosy bud before delving deeper into her, stroking his tongue up and down her moist slit.  One hand stroked her while his tongue journeyed in and out of her shaft, the other hand never having left the nipple he played with.                                                      

Abby moaned loud enough to have awakened herself. She was breathing heavily while one hand was stroking a hardened nipple and the other was between her legs, soaking wet.  Jerking up in bed, she brought her hands out from under the blankets as her body, hot and sweating, shaking.  Oh my, what on earth was all that? A quick glance about the room proved she was alone; Benjamin wasn’t there. Gasping, she collapsed upon the pillow, her cheeks pink and covered herself completely before finally slipping into a restful sleep.

The Bride's Journey is available now for purchase from Evernight Pulishing and Amazon.com. Good Luck.

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What do I stand for?

I heard a song on the computer last night on my way home from work, and quite frankly it got me thinking. The words to the song are slightly repetitive, but the song is good nonetheless. It’s the new release by FUN, I don’t know the title of it (sorry) but the words that stood out for me were simply “what do I stand for.” In part of the song it states they don’t know what they stand for. I have been full of convictions and I’ve known what I stand for, for a very long time.  So at the risk of losing some followers and maybe pissing more than one or two people off, this is what I stand for.

1)       Women’s’ rights. Now this includes but it not limited too the following---voting, working, pro-choice, marrying, having the same pay as the man next to her and the list could go on forever, let’s just say the women’s rights encompasses many thing.

2)      Voting. Yes go out and vote, if you don’t vote, you have no bloody right to complain about who is elected.

3)      Pro-choice. I say this because I believe that abortion is a choice and it should be one of the options. Now, that’s not to say that I think it should be used as a crutch or a form of birth control for women who can’t seem to keep their panties on and won’t use protection. I say this because I know someone who was raped and got pregnant. I also know someone who got pregnant and it was endangering her life. There will always be ‘circumstances’ in which abortion might be the only choice. ‘OMG, I’m only 17 and I’m pregnant.” Is not one of those circumstances. At least not to me. There are so many families out there that would gladly take an unwanted newborn. Just saying.

4)      I am Democrat. Mostly because every Republican in office thinks they are better than GOD, and they have another thing coming if they continue to think that way.

5)      I am PRO-Military…that’s not to say I am Pro-War, because I am NOT. I support our troops, I have fed our troops, I have raised the morale of our troops by sending packages. I do NOT condone the war they are in, but they are only following orders. I believe every person, if given the chance, should be allowed to serve at least of run in the military. I truly believe that if they did, there would be more discipline in the world in general.

6)      I am completely and utterly against this WAR we wage in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq or where else we might be. The Afghan people didn’t do 9-11 to us. The Iraqi people didn’t do 9-11 to us. A relatively small group of individuals FROM Iraq did 9-11 to us, yet here we are making the ENTIRE country pay for what a few people did. Quite frankly, the way I see it, this WAR is more like the United States playing GOD.

7)      I am for saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays.

8)      I am for hanging up on telemarketers who are rude.

9)      I am for having my own mind, and using it.

10)   I am for President Obama.

11)   I am for the melting pot that IS America, BUT, if you choose to come here to live, you need to become a citizen, and you need to learn OUR language, not make it a requirement to learn yours.

12)   I am against all this hate spewing political adds on Facebook, as well as my TV AND my radio, and I so can not wait for the election to be done, so they will ALL just go away. I know who I am voting for, and there really is nothing anyone can do or say to change my mind on it.

13)   I stand for date nights for married people.

14)   I stand for being the best mother I can be.

15)   I stand for producing quality reading for my fans.

16)   I stand up against breast cancer, and any other cancer, and I hope to one day say I helped find that cure. (Donate to your local charities, do a breast cancer walk, do fundraising, DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING, to help put an end to cancer.)

17)   I am all about working hard, not getting handouts.

18)   I stand for our welfare system, for those that truly need the help, not those that abuse the programs.

19)   I stand FOR Medicaid, our elderly need it to just get by with medications and doctor’s visits. Our young need it just to be insured.

20)   I stand FOR Heath Care Reform, not all programs are wonderful when they start, but there are parts of this new health care reform that are priceless and should be kept.

21)   I stand for my family and would kill to protect them.

22)   I stand for friendships.

23)   And I stand for loved ones I have lost through the years.

I am sure that over time, I will add to this list. But for now, this is what I stand for. Like it or Lump it, I don’t care either way.

Welcome to the Evernight Publishing Birthday Blog Hop

 

Welcome to the Evernight Publishing birthday blog hop!

Evernight Publishing opened its doors two years ago. In those two years we’ve signed over one hundred and sixty authors and published over three hundred books. From paranormal to contemporary, we’ve had more best sellers than we can count and made thousands of people smile, sigh and gasp. So, as a thank you to all our readers and everyone who has supported us, we’re holding this blog hop and we have a whole lot of prizes to offer you.

Here's how it works... the more blogs you hop to (shown below) the more chance you have of winning prizes. Each author on the hop is offering a prize and Evernight is offering the following grand prizes, a Kindle, a $100 Amazon gift certificate, two Evernight swag bags (which includes a tote, a tee, vouchers, a mug and other coolness) and a personalized Facebook banner. To be in with a chance of winning the author prize simply follow the blog you're visiting and leave a comment which includes your email address. Each entry on each blog is then counted towards the grand prize draw. The more entries you have, the better your chance of winning a grand prize! You also get extra points for liking the Evernight Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/evernightpublishing. Just make sure you let us know in the comments that you've done so.

Good luck and happy hopping!

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As a very Happy part of the growing Evernight Family, I am giving away a copy of one of my two Evernight books. Leave a comment and tell me which one you want.  The are e-books, so please include your email address just in case you win. The Pirate Princess, a novella or The Bride's Journey, a full length novel.  Check out the blurbs below.

 

The Pirate Princess Blurb -

What does a princess do when she doesn’t want a prince? She escapes the princes grasp, mere hours before he is to win her hand and she becomes a pirate. Travel the open seas with Princess Alvilda as she captains the Cryatus in the 14^th century.  She and her band of female pirates terrorize the Danish people while keeping just out of reach of the one person she wished to escape, Prince Alf.  When he captures her ship and discovers her true identity, will he also capture her icy heart? 

The Bride's Journey Blurb -

Slightly plump and over aged at six and twenty, Abigail Preston sits on a shelf in England, with no hope of marriage. She loses all she loves to the epidemic cholera, and to make matter worse, her father’s will stipulates she must marry within a year to inherit. Desperate, she answers an advertisement for a bride in America; Benjamin Siddle only requests that she be made of sturdy stock and resistant to cold weather. Opportunity is knocking for Abby so she travels to America to marry a man she doesn’t know in a last bid for happiness. Abigail is faced with an unknown surprise upon arrival at Benjamin’s home, what will she do? Someone is willing to do whatever it takes to stop her marriage to anyone. But does this mad man want her or her money? Can Ben and Abby overcome the obstacles placed in their way and find true love along the way?

Music Heals All Hearts - Music Speaks Anthology released on Ebook

A new antholgy has been released as an E-book. (print will follow soon) My story, Music Heals All Hearts, is one of the 11 stories of different gnere's within the book. At a cost of $2.99, I think you wouldn't be disappointed in your purchase. ALL proceeds are going toward Musicares Foundation.

Buy Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/172910

Music Heals All Hearts Blurb:

Martin plays guitar and sings for the patients at St. Vincent’s Hospital, disfigured on purpose during his teenage years, he wears an eye patch to cover an unseeing eye. While singing in the emergency room one day, Melissa is brought in screaming and in pain covering her eyes. There was an immediate connection to the woman for Martin and over the weeks of recovery that follows, they fall in love while she can’t see his disfigured face. Once her eyesight come back, he fears she will reject him, as she fears he will reject her once he sees her without the bandages covering her own scars. The fear is unfounded for both of them as they realize that music connected them in all ways and love conquers all.

I hope all my readers will care enough to add this anthology to their collection. Enjoy.

I have a short story, "Music Heals All Hearts", in an anthology that will be releasing shortly. The anthology is being brought out to raise money for Musicares Foundation. I was thrilled to be part of the project.

Here is the cover (links to come as soon as I get them)

A tidbit of The Pirate Princess, ENJOY!

What we have here is the Prologue and the first chapter of The Pirate Princess, an e-book that was brought out by Evernight Publishing this past may. I hope you like this small taste of Princess Alvilda's story. Leave a comment, one lucky commentor will get a FREE copy of The Pirate Princess.

You can buy the book here -

Evernight Publishing - http://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-pirate-princess-by-laurie-sorensen/

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/The-Pirate-Princess-ebook/dp/B007XYA556/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335964650&sr=8-1

All Romance E-books - http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

The book cover:

Prologue and First Chapter (Chapter name is in Old Norse Language)

Prologue

Long, long ago, back in the 14th century, in a faraway Nordic country called Gotaland, there lived a beautiful princess named Alvilda.  Rather than marry (and stay at home weaving and cooking, as every other woman of her time did, be she princess or peasant) Alvilda decided to run away from her castle and become a Pirate.  Very little is actually known for certain of the Pirate Princess, or of Prince Alf, the man who conquered her icy heart.  The story is so steeped in myth and legend it is almost impossible to untangle fact from fiction.  But recently, by the purest of magical chances, there came into my hands a manuscript well over six hundred years old.  There, inside the ancient manuscript, I found the oldest written account known to exist of Alvilda, the Pirate Princess.  I will tell you her tale, my fellow warrior women, so that you may wonder and learn from her great bravery.  I'll put my chapter numbers in Old Norse to help you remember just how long ago the brave Alvilda roamed the oceans wild.

                                                                 Chapter Ein

Gotaland, 1373

“Poisonous snakes and lizards?  You can’t be serious!”  Queen Freydis raised one eyebrow at her husband.  “Surely you don't believe these mere creatures will keep your daughter secure in the safety of our castle?”

King Synardus of Gotaland was on the hunt for a suitable mate for his only daughter, the beautiful Princess Alvilda.  Since no ordinary man would do for his one and only daughter he locked her within her tower bedroom, and placed a loyal and ferocious guard at her door.  To be extra sure she could not escape he placed a great number of poisonous snakes and even more poisonous lizards in the antechamber of the tower.

“This will guarantee only the bravest lad in all of Norse land will make it through to her chamber and capture her heart.”

“You can’t keep her to yourself forever Synardus my sweet.  She must marry.  What makes you think that whichever young man happens to fight through all your nasty snakes and lizards will be the one who captures our daughter's heart?”

“She won’t have a choice.  It will be as I say it will be.  Alvilda is only a foolish girl child anyway.”  King Synardus shrugged and turned from his lovely wife.  As far as he was concerned the matter was solved.

Queen Freydis touched his shoulder.  She didn't agree at all that the matter was solved.  “Girl or not, she is no longer a child.  She has seen eighteen summers and, in case you haven't noticed my dear husband, she has developed a will to rival your own.  She isn’t likely to wed simply because you say it is to be so.”

“Damn it!  She is my daughter.  I am her father.  And I am the King.  She will do as she is told or she will remain locked in that tower until she complies with my commands.”  King Synardus stomped roaring from the room.  He liked things kept simple and whenever life threatened to grow complicated he became very upset.

The queen lowered her head and sighed, and her sighs joined the echo of the king's growls as they reverberated throughout the room.  She chanced a glance toward his retreating figure, only to see he was already gone from sight.  “Oh Alvilda, I pray you will not spurn the suitor he finds for you.”

~~~

Up in her tower the Princess Alvilda paced back and forth.  She was furious.  “So I am to be locked away like some prize piece of meat for the first sturdy soul who answers my father’s summons!  Nothing more than a pawn for men’s pleasure and money.  I will not be subjected to this game called marriage."  She came to an abrupt stop in front of her companion.

"But how shall I get out of this tower without my father knowing?”

“Well milady I think I can help you with part of your problem.  I could distract the guards.  But there isn’t anything I will be able to do about those vile animals your father has set to guard your room.”  Alvilda’s handmaid Helga motioned toward the door.

“Animal’s?  What sort of animals?”  The Princess Alvilda strode to the door only to find it locked.  “Open this door, right now.  I'm the Princess and you will open my door now.”

“Milady, they have orders not to open the door for anyone save your father.  They let me in this morning while you still slept.  Your morning meal is on the table in your sitting area and the door will be opened to admit your midday meal.  Until that time your only company will be me.  Shall I brush your hair and plait it for you?”

“Helga, how can you so calmly talk about plaiting my hair when we are held prisoner here in my room?”  Alvilda’s shoulders slumped and she sank into the nearest chair, valiantly striving to hold back the tears stinging her eyes.  “My father must be truly insane to think keeping me locked here will make me fall in love with whoever he brings to take my hand.  I’ll not wed anyone.”

“Princess, you are but a young girl.  It’s what young girls do.  They wed and produce children for their husband.”

“Well, this girl,” Alvilda pointed to herself, “will not wed.  I swear it on the sacred Aesir, Odin.  There must be something different for women to do in this world.  Taking care of little wiggling, crying, whining babies is not something I long for.  What I long for is freedom!"

"Freedom, Princess?  What on earth do you mean?"  Helga looked interested but slightly confused.

"Freedom from whatever is expected of me.  And I will have it!”  As a matter of fact, Princess Alvilda really wasn't quite certain what she meant either but she wasn't a girl to be bothered by details.

~~~

At noon, sure enough, the door swung open to admit the midday meal carried by a kitchen maid.  She set the tray on the table in the sitting area of the tower bedroom.  Alvilda couldn't help notice that the guard who stood outside the door blocked the entrance and refused to budge.

“Take this message to my father.”  The Princess placed a small parchment in the kitchen maid's hand.  “Inform him that his daughter requests his presence in the tower since he has made it impossible for me to come to him.”

“Yes Princess, as you wish.”  The kitchen maid curtseyed and slipped past the guard who shut the door immediately following her departure.

“He can’t hold me here like this.  I’m no criminal.  I am a Princess, his daughter.”  Alvilda turned to the tray and picked at the cheese and bread upon the trencher.  What have I done to anger him so?

Helga flitted about the chamber while Alvilda poked at her food and pouted, waiting for the king to answer her summons.

~~~

“How dare she make demands upon my person?  I am the King and I do not answer summons from anyone.  She may come to me if she wishes to speak with me.”  The king smiled happily at his brilliant logic.

“Darling, you must stop bellowing around all over the castle.  I heard you through the closed doors and down the hall.  You sound very much like a lion with a stomachache.  Be reasonable Synardus, our daughter can’t come to you.  Have you forgotten the guards open the door only on your orders and only to bring food to her?”  Queen Freydis spoke softly, hoping to sweeten her husband's temper.

He ignored her calming voice and turned a blind eye to the soft looks his wife was giving him.  “All the same, she can’t make demands of me like this.”

“Darling, I don't see it as a demand so much as a pleading wish to seek out your everlasting wisdom in this situation.  Go to see her, talk to her, and by talk I mean talk, no yelling.  If you would like her to see things your way, it would be best not to anger her.”  Queen Freydis smiled and left the room with her fingers crossed.

King Synardus paced the great room with his hands clasped behind him and a thoughtful look on his face.  'Best not to anger her' she said.  What about me?  Wouldn’t it be best not to anger me instead?  “There is no help for it.  I must make her understand.  Prince Alf of Denmark will be here within the week.  She must be made to realize she will marry him if he does what I think he will do and gets past my snakes and lizards."  King Synardus left the great room, taking the stairs leading to his daughter’s bedchamber.