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Martha Reynolds

BOOK FEATURE: “A Jingle Valley Wedding” by Martha Reynolds

January 29, 2020 1 Comment

 
 
Join Us for this Tour from January 27-February 14!

BOOK DETAILS:
Book Title:  A Jingle Valley Wedding (A Happily Ever After Series Book 1) by Martha Reynolds
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+)
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Publisher:  CreateSpace Publishing
Release date:   November 2015
Tour dates: January 27 to February 14, 2020
Content Rating: PG + M:
No profanity, but it’s geared more for adults (there’s a one-night stand). No explicit sex at all.

BOOK DESCRIPTION: 
New York executive Julie Tate knows what it takes to win in the financial world, but her big-city success could never prepare her for her latest career move. When her brother abandons the failing family farm, Julie hopes its salvation lies in transforming it into western Massachusetts’s newest premier wedding venue. With her social-savvy friend Freddy in her corner, Julie feels infallible. But as their bank account dwindles and one obstacle after another crops up, the business partners wonder if their venture is doomed for failure before the first bride walks down the aisle. Maybe the best way to succeed in a business based on romance is to find one.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com

Add to Goodreads



MEET THE AUTHOR:
​

Martha Reynolds was raised in Rhode Island, spent a year of college in Switzerland, and is always planning a return visit. She completed an accomplished career as a fraud investigator and decided it was time to do something she really liked.
She now writes full-time and has set a personal goal of releasing a book a year until she dies. Her writing has appeared in Magnificat magazine and her very short poem was read by journalist Connie Schultz during NPR’s Tell Me More poetry challenge.
Her novel VILLA DEL SOL won the 2018 Book Award in Literary Fiction by the Independent Publishers of New England.

Connect with the author:   Website  ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram


TOUR SCHEDULE:
Jan 27 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 27 – My Devotional Thoughts – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 27 – Books,Dreams,Life – book spotlight
Jan 28 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 28 – Ms. Cat’s Honest World – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 28 – I’m Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 29 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 29 – Chick Lit Goddess – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 30 – Over Coffee Conversations – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 30 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 31 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 3 – b for bookreview – book spotlight
Feb 4 – The Avid Reader – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 5 – Corinne Rodrigues | Booksnista – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 6 – eBook addicts – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 7 – Bookmark and fork – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 10 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 11 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 12 – Laura`s Interests – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 12 – 100 Pages A Day – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 13 – Viviana MacKade – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 14 – Read and Review – book spotlight / giveaway

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Filed Under: A Jingle Valley Wedding Tagged With: A Jingle Valley Wedding, Book feature, Books, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, Martha Reynolds, Romance

October Bloggers

October 10, 2016 1 Comment

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Fall is finally here (though it’s hard to believe that with temperatures in the high-eighties, here in Texas)! From the first sight of pumpkins, the words “lattes” and “pumpkin spice,” comfortable fall, cute clothes, Dallas Cowboy and Green Bay football, and cuddles with a loved one. That being said, can’t you see why I love this season?! So, to get in the mood, through the month of October several authors will be featured sharing their posts on certain topics that I gave them.

If you’re interested in participating in monthly blogger posts, email me!

Guest Bloggers for October:

  • Martha Reynolds
  • Janet Eve Josselyn
  • Josephine Thomas
  • Laura Chapman – October 25th

Filed Under: October Guest Blogger Tagged With: Authors, Fall, Martha Reynolds, October Guest Blogger

October Guest Blogger: Martha Reynolds

October 10, 2016 2 Comments

MY FAVORITE MEMORY OF FALL

It might seem strange that the scent of decaying leaves would be pleasant. Memorable. But scent is a funny thing, the way it triggers the remembrance of long-ago days.

We lived in a house at the end of a long driveway. The house was set way back from the road, which was actually a highway. Not the kind of highway you think of today, but a major route that stretches from Cape Cod to California. Trucks rumbled by all day, so it made sense to build a home far back from that road.

My sisters and I didn’t have neighbor kids to play with (there was an elderly couple on one side – I remember the man always scowling), so we found our own fun. When October rolled around, there were leaves – so many leaves! Oak and maple trees surrounded the property, and on Saturdays my dad raked all morning. We may have tried to help, but I’m sure we didn’t. Still, once the leaves were raked into a big pile on the far corner of the driveway, pushed against the high stone wall, it was time to jump.

Normally, we couldn’t jump from the stone wall to the driveway – it was a drop of about five feet, too high for me at five and my sister at seven. But the leaves provided a cushion – and we’d bury ourselves in the pile, trying to hide from each other, and from my father. What fun! Well, until it was time to burn the pile down.

Back then, leaf-burning was permitted, because, for the most part, people were careful. My father burned small portions of the pile at a time, never leaving it unattended, and never letting us get too close. I was fascinated, and still am, but it’s a rare sight these days to see anyone burning leaves. Still, once in a while, when the weather is warm enough for an open car window, I catch a whiff and am transported back in time. And it warms my heart.


About the author: Martha Reynolds is the author of six novels, including the Amazon bestsellers Chocolate for Breakfast and Bits of Broken Glass. Her writing has appeared in Magnificat magazine and her very short poem was read by journalist Connie Schultz during NPR’s Tell Me More poetry challenge. She and her husband live in Rhode Island, never far from the ocean.

Filed Under: Martha Reynolds, October Guest Blogger Tagged With: Fall, Martha Reynolds, My Favorite Memory of Fall, October Guest Blogger, Seasons

Chocolate for Breakfast

February 19, 2014 1 Comment

Book review of “Chocolate For Breakfast”

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“Chocolate for Breakfast” by Martha Reynolds

Book Description:

Young Bernie (Bernadette) Maguire is in for the journey of a lifetime when her junior year abroad takes her to Fribourg, Switzerland. Ripe for love and adventure, she is seduced by a handsome Swiss banker, but is horrified when she discovers she’s pregnant. Protected and befriended by those who help to keep her secret for as long as possible, this moving rite-of-passage tale will warm the heart as a young woman struggles with an all-too-familiar dilemma. Yet after an unexpected death and the discovery of her pregnancy by a classmate, Bernie’s life takes some unexpected turns that will take decades to resolve.

My Review:

“Chocolate for Breakfast” has been on my TBR list for a long time, so I was very eager to start this book.

I planned to only read the first chapter of this book since I was on the treadmill, but I ended up reading more than that because the book captured my attention with Bernie taking off for Switzerland.

All the characters had their own personalities, but Bernie was my favorite. As a young woman who was eagerly wanting to be a grown up, not only did she seem mature, she appeared to know what she wanted. During her adventures in Switzerland, Bernie had several life changing events. From thinking she’s in love with a banker and losing her virginity to him, becoming pregnant, and losing a family member that she’s close to, Bernie had quite a lot on her plate. With the help of her friends (old and new), she survived it all.

There were a lot of twists and turns, some that I didn’t expect, which made it a quick read. One thing that I liked about the end was that I got to see where Bernie was years later in her life, which was interesting to me because she was very different. Though it was sensed, the only thing that I wish there could’ve been more of was seeing more tension between Bernie and her mother.

Martha Reynolds is a very talented author who has written an unforgettable book about a young woman’s journey during her time away from home. I cried, laughed, and cried more. This was the first book I read by Martha Reynolds, and it’s not my last. Right now I’m reading the next book in Martha’s Chocolate Series, “Chocolate Fondue”. If you’re looking for a wonderful, quick read, with a lot of heart, I recommend “Chocolate for Breakfast”.

I give this book 5 stars!

Filed Under: Book Review, Chocolate For Breakfast Tagged With: Book review, Books, Chick-Lit, Chocolate for Breakfast, Love, Martha Reynolds, Switzerland, Women's Fiction

Martha Reynolds

October 8, 2013 3 Comments

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About author, Martha Reynolds: Martha Reynolds ended an accomplished career as a fraud investigator and began writing full time in 2011. Her debut novel, CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST, was published in 2012 and was named the 2012 Book of the Year in Women’s Fiction by Turning the Pages Books. She released CHOCOLATE FONDUE, its sequel, in 2013. BITS OF BROKEN GLASS marks her third novel, and she plans a final book in the ‘chocolate’ series, BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE, by the end of the year. She and her husband live in Rhode Island, never far from the ocean.

INTERVIEW

Welcome back, Martha! What have you been up to since your first appearance? Thanks so much, Isabella. It’s good to be back with the Chick Lit Goddesses. Since the release of my debut novel, I’ve been writing, as you can guess. This is my full-time job, so I’m at work every day. When I’m not writing, I’m reading. Good literature is such an inspiration for better writing!

Congratulations on your new book, “Bits of Broken Glass”! Tell us about it: It centers around a high school reunion, but is about so much more than that. Four former classmates will meet again, twenty-five years after graduation. Each of them has a struggle. Each of them has a chance at redemption.

What is your favorite word? Today, my favorite word is green. I love the way it sounds, and what it evokes. Green figures into this book, in a subtle way. My favorite word changes constantly, though.

Where did you get the idea for this book? I know some people who dread the idea of a high school reunion; they’d never attend. Others have told me that they hated high school, for any number of reasons (we all have teenage angst, I suppose). Much of the story grew from there.

If you could meet you favorite author, who would it be? I’ve been very inspired lately by Catherine Ryan Hyde. She wrote PAY IT FORWARD, as well as many other wonderful books. She has influenced me to write meaningful fiction.

What was the most difficult part of writing your new book? Probably the passages where Joe and Kellie relate their long-held secrets. Very heartbreaking to write.

If you’re not writing, then what are you doing? Reading, a lot. But now that our weather has cooled, walking a lot, too. It clears my head.

When people find out you’re an author, what’s their reaction? My friends aren’t surprised, and they’ve been so supportive of my efforts.

What must every writer have? Every writer must have the passion, at least in the case of writing fiction. If you don’t, and you’re only in it for the (presumed) money or notoriety, it will come through in your writing. I absolutely love what I do! Wealth and recognition aside (‘cause those haven’t happened yet!), I will continue to write.

What do you want readers to take away from “Bits of Broken Glass”? I want my readers to remember that everyone has a story, and sometimes the people we think least of have a lot to offer.

In your career, where do you think you’ll be five years from now? In five years, I’ll probably be releasing my twentieth novel.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? I’m planning to publish a journal written by my grandfather. In 1924, he and a friend traveled three rivers in Rhode Island and Connecticut, by canoe. I’ve just begun transcribing his writings and I’m very excited about it. And I’ve written the first draft of BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE, the third and final book in the series. Hoping to have that ready before the end of the year.

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Blurb of “Bits of Broken Glass”:

How much really changes in 25 years?  Former classmates are poised to find out as their first-ever high school reunion gets closer. Some lives have improved, some have soured, but all remained connected by their shared West Alton High past…

Once the target of ridicule, one-time “ugly duckling” Kellie has transformed in both beauty and attitude, though her fears and fragility remain as deep scars within. Will facing those who once wronged her help or do even more damage to her delicate psyche? Joe was adored by everyone in school. Well…almost everyone. Being gay in a close-minded small town, he knew he had no future in West Alton, so right after graduation, he traded one ocean for another. Now an Oscar-winning Hollywood director, Joe is ready to return. Except that it means having to face the horrific event that ultimately pushed him away… Former cheerleader Cherry planned this reunion to make peace with those she may have wronged in school. But as she faces cancer and stares down her own mortality, will she really be able to make things right again? And then there’s Scott, the West Alton “lifer,” who’s been collecting a disability pension from the town for a suspicious back injury, among other questionable life choices. Are his reasons for wanting to attend the reunion pure? Or does he have another agenda? As the months count down, long-kept secrets will be revealed as the question ever looms… Can you ever really go home again?

**Contact Martha Reynolds:

Email: MarthaCFE@gmail.com   Blog/Website   Facebook   Twitter

Filed Under: Martha Reynolds Tagged With: Bits of Broken Glass, Books, Guest Interview, Martha Reynolds

BOOK FEATURE: CHOCOLATE FONDUE

April 2, 2013 3 Comments

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“Chocolate Fondue” by Martha Reynolds

Words from the author about Chocolate Fondue:  CHOCOLATE FONDUE is a sequel to my debut novel, CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST; however, I’ve written it to stand alone. That is, it’s not necessary to have read the first book to read the second. It picks up where the first book leaves off – Bernadette Maguire has returned to Switzerland with her aunt for a much-needed vacation, and she’s come face to face with a young man she believes to be the son she gave up for adoption twenty-three years earlier. While she’s convinced of his identity, she doesn’t know whether she should reveal herself to him. The matter is complicated by another hotel employee, who discovers the truth and has her own intentions.

Blurb:  Twenty-three years ago, Bernie Maguire, a young student in Switzerland, delivered a son. Giving him up for adoption was the right decision, she knew, but Bernie always wondered about the boy who was now a young man.

Back in Fribourg, Switzerland for vacation, Bernie is stunned when she sees the man she knows is her son. Now she must decide whether to identify herself to him and hope for a connection, or say nothing and leave the young man to live his life. The matter is complicated by a hotel employee who discovers the truth, and who intends to get in the way of Bernie’s plans.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE is the sequel to Martha Reynolds’s award-winning debut novel, CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST, available online at Amazon.

**Buy Chocolate Fondue!

MarthaReynoldsB&W**Contact Martha:

Email: MarthaCFE@gmail.com   Facebook   Facebook: Author page   Goodreads   Twitter

**Additional comments by the author:  I’m so grateful to the Chick Lit Goddesses for support, encouragement, retweets (!), and hand-holding. There is no better group of writers anywhere! Also – this book is available at Amazon as an e-book, but a print version will be available within a few weeks.

Filed Under: Chocolate Fondue Tagged With: Book feature, Books, Chocolate Fondue, Martha Reynolds, Writing

NaNoWriMo Books

December 17, 2012 4 Comments

This time last year I was still reeling with joy because I finished writing my second book, The Right Design.  You see, I participated in my first NaNoWriMo and I won, (this means that I wrote a book in 30 days!).  I was on a high, not believing I had done it.

This year, however, I didn’t take part in NaNoWriMo because there was too much going on, but I’m proud to be sharing NaNo experiences of the below awesome ladies:

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LAURA CHAPMAN, Change the Word

Tell us about your NaNoWriMo experience:  This was my third consecutive year participating in NaNoWriMo, and as much as I planned and prepared for it in advance, my schedule naturally went away. While my first two years I worked entirely on one project, this year I found myself in a slightly different position. I needed to add a few new chapters to the book I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2010 to prepare for (hopefully) publishing in 2013. I knew I needed to get them done before I could completely focus on my new book. That means, I participated as a NaNoWriMo rebel, and I’ll tell you it was not the same. Even though all of my friends told me to add that word count to my new novel, because it was new word count, I felt pretty guilty about it the whole time. It was definitely much more rewarding my first year, when I hit that 50K after spending Nov. 1-2 plotting the book and the rest of the month writing on airplanes, airports and if I was lucky enough my home.

What is the title of your book?  “Hard Hats and Doormats” and “Should Old Acquaintance” (Again, I was a rebel. Bad, Laura.)

What is your book about?  The first book is about a Midwestern girl transplanted in Texas to work in the big oil business. While trying to charm her way up the corporate ladder, she ends up missing a big promotion, because the bosses think she is too nice. Determined to change her ways, she stops playing by the rules professionally and personally. Both combine when she falls for one of her co-workers, which is against company policy. The MC ultimately learns that nice girls don’t always finish last.

The second is about a guy and girl who hook up at a New Year’s Eve party and decide to leave a little mystery in their night of fun by never exchanging last names, phone numbers or any way to contact each other. Five years later, they find themselves the best man and maid of honor in a holiday wedding. Stuck between wanting to support their loved ones and a rekindling of those feelings that drew them to each other in the first place, their reunion makes for an interesting December.

How many words did you write?  50,258… and counting!

Now that NaNoWriMo is over, what do you plan to do with you book?  Book one needs a few more edits, and I hope to publish in the first part of 2013. It will be my debut novel, which is super exciting. I’m plugging away at book two, which has added several thousand more words to my final NaNoWriMo tally. My goal is to finish draft one before the new year — it is a holiday book — then take some time to revise. It’d be great to publish next holiday season, but we will see.

SharonMoore

SHARON MOORE, Romance Righter

Tell us about your NaNoWriMo experience:  I was pleased and amazed at how many words I could write in a day’s time with a deadline of 30 days. It was great fun, and I was never seriously worried I wouldn’t make it. (Even though I logged 0 word count for seven days because of three out-of-state trips during the month.) What I was disappointed in was not meeting my personal goal of 65K words.

I learned a ton about which planning tools work best for me, and I’m going to apply them to my future books. I have tried bunches of tools over the years, but this combo kept me on track and writing even when I knew it wasn’t the best writing.

Never again will I let the saggy middle, or plot holes, or character inconsistencies stop my writing. Just keep writing, and it will all sort out when you revise. Some of those aspects that would have stopped me in the past, showed me another direction to go with the book because I kept writing!

Toward the end, I was seriously behind–and traveling again–but friends understood and we worked around carving writing time out for me. I found myself “downloading” (e.g., “writing”) scenes playing in my head no matter the order. Just get them down, I told myself. So now, though I have a complete novel, it is not completed. I am going into the last few thousand words and re-ordering the scenes and writing better transitions and linkers for them. THEN I can start revisions and edits.

All the warnings for NaNoWriMo say to just write and do no edits or revisions, but I found myself largely ignoring that advice. I went back into the book each session, fixing something or elaborating a scene that I had envisioned more for. I don’t think it is a problem at all to do those things as long as you continue to add to the story.

I have both “pantsed” and “plotted” past novels. For fast writing like NaNo, however, I was successful largely because of the massive planning I did in October. It was my most planful novel, and I know that’s the major reason for the writing coming so easily. I was “in the flow” more than with any other of my novels, save one. Flow writing is sooo much fun!

What is the title of your book?  The Quick and the Dedd.  It’s the first book in a series.

What is your book about?  I wrote a parnormal romantic suspense.

Isabella Quick, current owner of I.Q Security (“We take your intelligence seriously.”) misses the company of one of her best agents. Riley Dedd is, well, dead, murdered while on assignment for her. When his spirit turns up in her office, she thinks it might be other spirits–her single malt scotch perhaps–at work. Having convinced her he is real, a real ghost that is, they figure out how to work together to find his murderer, save her company from a takeover, and unmask a plot of national security proportions. And can they figure out the mechanics of making ethereal love corporeal? Throw in her petty crook ex-husband, a BFF ex-sister-in-law who’s her office receptionist along with assorted other co-workers, and you have a paranormal romantic suspense that is not as transparent as it seems.

How many words did you write?  50,115 validated. My counter showed a few more, but it was close.

Now that NaNoWriMo is over, what do you plan to do with you book?  I am sending the novel to Avon Impulse (deadline Dec. 10th). They solicited completed NaNoWriMo novels for their digital imprint (new title each week). I’m sure they know these are first drafts, so we’ll see if anything comes of it. (3-month response time.)

If that’s a no-go, there are lots of publishers to query re paranormal romantic suspense once it is revised and edited.

In the waiting time, I am going to revise/edit the novel and plot out three more Q&Ds to follow (Dedd on Arrival, Dedd to the World, and Dedd as a Doornail). In case Q&D gets published, I want to be ready to write the next ones.

Additionally, I am going to pitch a NaNoWriMo article to various in-flight magazines. The idea to do so came in this month’s issue of The Writer. So many people say they want to write a book, that this should appeal to a large number of flyers. I am researching flight magazines’ guidelines and timelines. I see this as an October article to give people time to sign up for NaNo next year.

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MARTHA REYNOLDS, MarthaReynoldsWrites

Tell us about your NaNoWriMo experience:  Last year I had hoped to participate in National Novel Writing Month; however, I’d already begun writing what would be “Chocolate for Breakfast,” my debut novel. I only wanted to join in with something new, so I decided to wait until this year. With my debut novel released in August, and my current work-in-progress at about 50,000 words, I was ready to devote the month of November to writing a sequel to “Chocolate for Breakfast.”

I signed up and added a few writing buddies. And although I didn’t participate in any of my local events, I did want to commit myself to this project, so during the last weekend in October, I drove to the Barnes & Noble bookstore, ordered a tall skinny latte and sat down with a notebook (the kind with actual paper in it) and a pen and began outlining the story that would become “Chocolate Fondue.” Mapping and outlining was essential, I knew. Although I’m more of a “pantser” kind of writer (writing by the seat of my pants, going where my muse takes me), I didn’t think that method would work within a thirty-day time frame.

I reached 50,011 words by Day 14, but I kept going. I “finished” the messy first draft on November 29 at 62,883 words. Now the editing begins. Whoever first said “Write fast, edit slow,” was right. Getting it all out there is important. Making every word count is more important.

What is the title of your book?  My book is called “Chocolate Fondue.” That’s the working title, but I’m happy with it as of now, and I envision the cover already, so I’m sticking with it. And because it’s a sequel to “Chocolate for Breakfast,” I think it works. Keeps the wonderful chocolate theme alive!

What is your book about?  Well, it’s a sequel to “Chocolate for Breakfast.” It’s certainly beneficial to the reader if he or she has read CFB, but I’m writing the book with enough informaiton in it so that if the reader hasn’t read CFB first, they won’t be lost. It picks up on the exact same day where CFB left off, as Bernadette and her aunt Joan are standing at the reception desk in the Hotel de la Rose (Switzerland), and Bernadette is string into the face of the young man she believes is the baby boy she gave up for adoption twenty-three years earlier.

How many words did you write?  I wrote over 61,000 words by November 27th! Now that’s not enough for a book, so I’d like to have at least another 20,000 words. But I don’t think that will be a problem. Then, of course, there’s all that editing.

Now that NaNoWriMo is over, what do you plan to do with you book?  I’m still working on it! More to write and lots to edit; after all, the idea behind NaNoWriMo is to get that messy first draft written. Ultimately, I’d like to have both “Chocolate for Breakfast” and “Chocolate Fondue” picked up together, but querying agents will come much later.

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JEN TUCKER, Jen Tucker

Tell us about your NaNoWriMo experience:  I really liked the discipline that has to come along with writing a book in one month.  The idea that there were a community of writers participating globally was encouraging to me.  I think for anyone who needs a kick in the pants to complete a novel that has been running through your head for an eon, this contest is for you!  *Jen included*

What is the title of your book?  Ashes to Ashes

What is your book about?  A woman dies and she has gathered three people from her youth to spread her ashes: the first boyfriend, the high school bestie, and the nemesis.  There are some secrets that they wish would remain buried, yet nothing shines a light on the truth like spending time with people from your past you’d rather forget.

It has humor and tender moments in the story, as well as people you’d love to punch and some you might just wanna hug.

How many words did you write?  50,877

Now that NaNoWriMo is over, what do you plan to do with you book?  I’m going to let it sit and rest for the month, then begin edits at the top of the year.  I’m not sure yet if I will shop it around for a publisher or go indie.  I’m really happy with the way the characters developed throughout the book and without me realizing it until the end, I think they gave me their blessing to make it a two or three book series.

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JOSEPHINE THOMAS, eBook Addict

Tell us about your NaNoWriMo experience:  NaNoWirMo was an experience that I had never experienced before. For starters, I didn’t even think it was possible to write 50,000 words in 30 days. When the challenge first began, I was super excited, but as the excitement wore off, the pressure grew and as well as the fear; my word count began lagging immensely! When I first signed on to do NaNoWriMo, I never factored in things such as:  blog tours that I had signed up for, novels that I had promised authors I’d read (which I will get to eventually), final exams for college, and last but certainly not least, the unexpected things. Taking care of my grandmother while working on my novel for NaNoWriMo was a lot harder than I expected, but I was able to manage. All in all, this was an experience of a lifetime; NaNoWriMo definitely gave me the push that I needed to kick-start my wanting to be an author.

What is the Title of your book?  Sliding into Love

What is your book about?  As I was working on my novel for NaNoWriMo, a lot changed with the synopsis and everything, but a few things stayed the same. For example, when I went into this experience, I knew I wanted to have both of my main characters on dialysis. So basically the story is about a girl, Emma, who has been on dialysis for ten years and is tired of living the same old boring life; she is definitely ready for excitement. Then she meets a guy, Bradley, who is the star pitcher for their hometown baseball team. Bradley also ends up getting sick and has to be on dialysis. The story was inspired by my father’s diagnosis with renal failure, which he has been dealing with for almost two years now. Renal failure is an illness that runs in my family, so I thought it would be a great idea to bring awareness to the disease while exploring the aspects of a relationship between two ill people as well.

How many words did you write?  Shockingly enough, I was able to write 50,156 words! I just made the word count goal by the skin of my teeth!!

Now that NaNoWriMo is over, what do you plan to do with your book?  First and foremost, I plan on doing some heavy duty editing; it was pure torture not being able to edit my book during the month of November! Once I’ve completed my editing and things of that nature, I plan on publishing my book through KDP and if my book does well, I’d love to have a portion of my royalties go to the American Kidney Foundation.

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SARAH HITCHCOCK, Wattpad

Tell us about your NaNoWriMo experience
:  This was not my first time, and as I enjoyed writing my book last year, I was more prepared this time around. I did try and do two books, but for me, it did not pan out. I mainly wrote one, and added a little over 10,000 words on the other.

What is the title of your book?
  Torn between two brothers

What is your book about?  
From the title you may guess, but my MC, Megan, is set up on a blind date, and although he is not her type, she finds herself liking this short bald headed man. Until one day, she is invited to the families home for Christmas, and she meets Callum’s brother, who she had thought had been hired help. She had caught him looking at her, and found she was attracted to him. While at the families home for Christmas, she pops out to the stables for some fresh air, their Liam catches her of guard and kisses her. After that she cannot help but think about the brother, but as she is with Callum, she would not cheat on him, even though she has no idea where there relationship is going. She is confused about her feelings, how will this story unfold?

How many words did you write?  
I manged just under 51K on this novel, and just over 10,000 on the YA one I started.

Now that NaNoWriMo is over, what do you plan to do with you book?
  For now I plan to leave it, I still have a few books which I have been writing for a while now, to finish and edit, and last years Nano book to edit. So many to do, and not enough time.

PaulaPhillipsPic

PAULA PHILLIPS, The Phantom Paragrapher

Tell us about your NaNoWriMo experience:  This is my first year that I have done NanoWriMo and I started out great and then November ended up being a Crazy month so it took a little bit of a backburner, but will pick it up again when things start to show signs of settling.

What is the title of your book ?  A Teenage Girl’s Literary Guide to Life

What is your book about?  It is a set of 52 diary entries , each one taking on the theme of a book at the moment it has a Pride and Prejudice Theme to the novel.

How Many words did you write ?  10,567

NaNoWriMo is over, what do you plan to do with you book?  I plan to continue writing it and eventually who knows, I might get it published. I also had a cover made by Boo Savage Creations.

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Books, Jen Tucker, Josephine Thomas, Laura Chapman, Martha Reynolds, NaNoWriMo, Sara Hitchcock, Sharon Moore, Writing

Martha Reynolds

August 28, 2012 23 Comments

Bio of Martha Reynolds:  She’s a graduate of Providence College and studied at the Universite de Fribourg in Switzerland. Martha returned to Switzerland numerous times and is always looking forward to her next trip. Recently, she ended an accomplished career as a fraud investigator (many stories to tell!) and now writes full-time. Martha and her husband, and their little dog Bonnie, live in Rhode Island, never far from the ocean.

Q & A with Martha Reynolds

Describe yourself in five sentences:  I’m living proof that it’s never too late to pursue a dream. Even when I was doing something I didn’t like, I always tried to do it well. When I stopped looking for the perfect man, I found the right man. I inherited my mother’s propensity to gain weight, and (fortunately) my father’s sense of humor. I have an older sister and a younger sister; yep, classic middle child.

Tell us about your books:  My debut novel is “Chocolate for Breakfast.” It tells the tale of a young woman who spends her junior year of college in Switzerland. Yes, I spent my junior year in Switzerland! And I lived in a tiny room. And during that year, my father died unexpectedly. Other than that, my life was pretty boring, so I decided to make up a story about a young woman named Bernadette. Her year in Switzerland was much more riveting! ‘Bernie’ makes adult decisions and the rest of her life is really characterized by those decisions. I always said that even if only my friends and family read my books, I still didn’t want them to suck. From the feedback I’ve received so far, I’m very pleased.

What is the writing/editing process like for you?  I write freely for as long as it takes, not worrying about spelling, grammar, punctuation. I just write everything that’s in my head. Every thought, every idea that relates to the work in progress. I have used an Excel spreadsheet to sketch out my characters. That’s just so I stay consistent on things like birthdays, anniversaries, favorite colors, etc. When I begin to edit, I slow way down.  In the case of “Chocolate for Breakfast,” it took about six months for the editing. I did some of it, then turned it over to my editor, Teresa Kennedy. She didn’t think my original ending worked (she was right), so I completely rewrote it, and I think this ending works very well.

Hardback/Paperback or eBooks? Why?  Chocolate for Breakfast is an e-book only. Because it was my first effort, I’d overspent my budget on editing, formatting, and the gorgeous book cover. I wouldn’t have gone with hardcovers anyway, as I think they’re overpriced and most people I know don’t read them. I have had some people ask for the paperback version of this book, and I feel bad that it isn’t available to them, although there’s a free Kindle app that enables anyone to read a book on their computer, or even their phone.

If you could write anywhere, where would it be?  Easy question – Switzerland. By the lake in the summer, high in the mountains in a cozy chalet in the winter. As long as I have some solitude.

What are you reading right now?  I just finished “Girl Unmoored” by Jennifer Gooch Hummer and am about to start “Where We Belong” by Emily Giffin.

For an author, how important is social media?  For me, it’s everything. I don’t know what I would do to market my book without it. For the past year and a half, I’ve worked on building my platform through Twitter, Facebook, my Facebook writer page, LinkedIn, and my blog. Twitter friends retweeted information about my book, Facebook friends shared the Amazon link – I’m very grateful to all of them. And I’ve learned so much about publishing and marketing from the writer blogs I subscribe to. (sorry, I know I ended that sentence with a preposition, but writing ‘the blogs to which I subscribe’ sounded way too stuffy!)

What authors do you admire?  Oh, there are so many! Flannery O’Connor, Claire Cook, Tonya Kappes, Amy Tan, the late Maeve Binchy. Just so many wonderful writers! And, of course, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner. Harper Lee. Kathryn Stockett. Stop me, I’ll just keep going.

How did you celebrate your first book being published?  Just a quiet dinner out with my husband, then screaming it all over the internet 🙂

Tell us about your daily routine:  I wake up around 7:30 most days. Two cups of coffee and usually a power shake (almond milk, banana, protein powder, and frozen fruit), then it’s upstairs to write. I try to write for at least three hours each day. The afternoon is spent with household chores and reading, catching up on e-mail, blogs, etc. I’m usually up until 11:00 at night, and may do more writing, if I’m inspired. And now I always keep a notebook with me, because there are words, phrases, thoughts that must be written down!

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?  Probably “to live your life without regret.” My husband has helped me to see that more clearly, and it’s really because of him that I’m writing full-time.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects?  I’m writing a novel now about a high-school reunion. There’s a lot of angst that accompanies a reunion, especially after so many years. Ghosts from the past can haunt a person for decades, and I’m tapping into some of that.

**Contact Martha:

Blog: marthareynoldswrites

Email: MarthaCFE@gmail.com

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**GIVEAWAY**

To enter to win a FREE Kindle download by Martha Reynolds, please leave a comment telling us what your favorite kind of chocolate is, along with your email address!  A winner will be picked on Friday, September 7th!

Filed Under: Martha Reynolds Tagged With: Author, Book giveaway, Books, Chick-Lit, Giveaway, Guest Interview, Isabella, Martha Reynolds, Random, Writing

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