Tempt Me Tuesday

Hi, peeps!

I'm starting a new weekly post today. Woot!

Tempt Me Tuesday is a new hop that I'll be featuring here on a weekly basis. Yeah, baby!

Is this guy hot or what? Raaawr!!

Authors both published and unpublished can share a bit of their WIP, or feature a snippet or "teaser" from one of their published books.
There are no rules as far as how big or little your teaser should be, however, do try to keep them at a reasonable length. People may tune out/lose interest if you post half your book on your blog. Just sayin'.

To participate:

• Create a new post for your Tempt Me Tuesday entry
• Place the button on your post with a link back here. (If people get lost along the hop, they can click on the button and find the master list here)
• Post your teaser for the week
• Enter the link to your post into the linky list.

Voila!

Today's teaser is taken from Love In The Time Of Witches again. My poor Traveler...he's having a bit of a tough time. Check it out:

The blistering heat whipping across my face kicked up a notch, their sonorous voices clamoring throughout the space. “Mortal man was never meant to sift time. Such power demands a heavy price.”

I grimaced, the heat blazing across my skin growing hotter, more intense. “A…price?” Cristo! What more did they want from me? I felt like I’d been paying the price for something or other my entire goddamn life.

 The unseen force slammed me down onto the forest floor, choking the life from me once more. “Disregard the law…alter the past in any way, and you shall pay dearly–– with your flesh.”

That's it for today! Now it's your turn. Can't wait to be tempted!

Six Sentence Sunday

Hey, peeps!!

Time to share some more Six Sentence Sunday goodness :)

I'm going to pick up shortly where I left off last week, and give you a bit more from Love In The Time Of Witches. This blurb is from the Traveler's pov again.

Moonlight filtered down through a thick spattering of hemlock and white pine trees. Their earthy scent jogged memories I’d locked away centuries ago––nightmares I’d fought to forget. “Home…sweet, fucking home.”

 I’d vowed never to return, never to revisit this god-forsaken corner of earth. My memory of the ground, the trees…hell, the very air, was tainted, haunted with the echo of what once was. Just standing on this miserable scrap of dirt made my stomach clench. No, I never intended on returning to Salem Village.

That's it for this week. Seven sentences again, doh! At least I'm consistent, lol!

Make sure to check out more awesome Six Sentence Sunday offerings here.

Happy Sunday!!

Insecurities

So, here is where I open up with you and share my innermost secrets. Well, not all my secrets. Gotta keep some things sacred.

Here we go:

I'm battling a terrible bout of insecurity with regard to my writing right now. Yup. Those people who think writing gets easier after you've had a few books published are wrong. Either that or they're cyborgs with infinite amounts of creativity who can type day and night without requiring things like sleep or food.

I am not a cyborg.

The latest insecurity crushing my spirit is that I've run out of gas, I've used up all my creativity on the books I've already written and have nothing left in me.

This, of course, is a ridiculous load of crap. But still, it's what's been plaguing me at night while I lay in bed. It's what's kept me from moving past chapter one in my latest suspense novel (I keep deleting everything and starting over.)

Truth be told, I think my writing has grown by leaps and bounds over the past year, so the stuff I'm deleting isn't garbage, it just isn't right. Am I making sense?

I've been quite vocal about my being a panster. I don't plot, and instead let the story unfold organically as I write. I like this. It's worked for me for the past four books. Yet, for some reason, I can't seem to dive into my new project without knowing everything that's going to happen. Well...almost everything, anyway. I'm not sure if this is caused by my crippling fear of not being able to "get it right", or just a natural change in my writing journey.

Are there any other reformed pansters out there? Anyone who normally writes by the seat of their pants who now feels the need to plan ahead, to know where they are going?

I have to share with you. I'm feeling a little conflicted about this plotter/panster stuff. It's like I'm crossing over to the dark side or something. Ssshhh...don't go over there with those plotters. You may never come back!!

Do your writing habits stay the same, or do they change with each book you write?

Tempt Me Tuesday

Hi, peeps!

I'm starting a new weekly post today. Woot!

Tempt Me Tuesday is a new hop that I'll be featuring here on a weekly basis. Yeah, baby!

Is this guy hot or what? Raaawr!!

Authors both published and unpublished can share a bit of their WIP, or feature a snippet or "teaser" from one of their published books.
There are no rules as far as how big or little your teaser should be, however, do try to keep them at a reasonable length. People may tune out/lose interest if you post half your book on your blog. Just sayin'.

To participate:

• Create a new post for your Tempt Me Tuesday entry
• Place the button on your post with a link back here. (If people get lost along the hop, they can click on the button and find the master list here)
• Post your teaser for the week
• Enter the link to your post into the linky list.

Voila!

My teaser for this week is taken from book three in my Hanaford Park series, tentatively titled, Love In The Time Of Witches.

This snippet is from the Traveler's pov:

Chaos, both painful and familiar, grabbed me by the fucking balls and twisted. Trapped in a dark maelstrom and spinning out of control, my body disappeared, each cell exploding apart from its neighbor with the speed of magic. Teleportation…popping from one place to another was one thing. That shit was quick, easy and relatively painless. Time travel, on the other hand, was a complete bitch. Your body? Shit…It stretches thin like a rubber band being tugged in a thousand different directions, then is catapulted through the fabric of time. It chafes like hell and leaves you with a wicked nasty after-taste.

Make a post and join the hop! Can't wait to be tempted!!!

Six Sentence Sunday

Happy Sunday, peeps!

I'm having a blast participating in Six Sentence Sunday, and am going to share some more from my latest release, Obsessed. Last weekend I left you with a snippet from Nick's pov. He'd just doled out a major beat down to the perv who attacked his lady love, Halley.

Halley's suffering from a serious case of anxiety due to her attack and Nick has surprised himself by offering to help her run errands. Bad Boy doesn't want to get attached, and doesn't realize he already has.

Here you go:

Nick white-knuckled the steering wheel and released his foot off the brake, feeling like a cross between a man on fire and a complete tool. Someone was scaring the piss out of Halley, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Helpless, pissed off, and angry were becoming his favorite emotions. Whatever happened to numb? He liked numb. This new cocktail of passion, rage, and sympathy left him wound up and jonesy. Not a good feeling.


Make sure to check out the other Six Sentence Sunday offerings here.


And in case you missed it, I'm phasing out my Cali Cheer Mom blog in July. To mark the change I'm hosting a month long author extravaganza in July. Yeah, baby! Thirty days of author interviews, guest posts and giveaways. Woohoo! If you're not following me here, make sure you click the Google Friend Connect button to the right. You won't want to miss the party, and well...you'll make me feel all warm and squishy :) Mwah!

How to survive a zombie apocalypse

In case you hadn't heard, the end of the world is upon us. At least, that's what Harold Camping says.

I'm a christian and personally, I don't believe the hype. That being said, I'm all for being prepared, and have come up with a list of things you and your loved ones can do should you find yourselves in the middle of a zombie apocalypse tomorrow :D

• Don steel helmets. Zombies like brains. You and your loved ones might want to cover your noggins with some protective head gear. Just sayin'.
• Have a flame thrower on hand. Zombies are already dead, and they're generally pretty gamey. If you shoot them, all you'll do is open up another orifice with which it can ooze. Your best bet to destroy any zombies encroaching your home base is to burn them. Ashes don't stink. Corpses do. 'Nuff said.
• Arm yourselves with food resembling brain matter in the off chance you have to leave your house. Zombies aren't very nimble-footed and they're stupid as shit. If you toss a head of cauliflower at it or even some boiled noodles, you might be able to buy yourself some time to escape.
• If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. This one's a little risky, but worth a shot if you're stranded in the middle of a zombie war zone. Find the nearest dumpster you can, and take a swim. That's right...tumble around in the trash and paint your face with whatever garbage you can find. Rip your clothes, groan and walk with a limp. Between your new disheveled look, your funky stank and the real zombie's inherent stupidity, you just might live!

My guess is we'll all be chatting about the stupidity of this nonsense come Monday. If not, I hope my zombie survival tips come in handy.

Oh! And if your'e looking for something to keep your mind off our impending doom, why not check out one of my books? Pleasures Untold has a pretty kick ass zombie fight scene. Woot!

Cover Reveal- The Onyx Talisman by Brenda Pandos

Woot! So excited to be able to share this with you!!

Check out the beautiful cover for the third installment of the Talisman series!

The Onyx Talisman, third and final book in the Talisman trilogy.

Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing

Tentative Release Date: 11/16/2011

Follow Brenda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brenda-Pandos-Author/147707291958883

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10233236-the-onyx-talisman

Twitter: @brendapandos

Blog: brendapandos.blogspot.com

**WARNING SPOILERS**

All was perfect in Julia’s life until Nicholas had his vampire blood-lust activated by his mother Alora, her immortal enemy, turning him evil and bent on revenge. Heartbroken and out of choices, Phil and Julia ran away in the middle of the night, with Scarlett on foot, to Orange County to warn and plead Nicholas’ Godfather for help. Once arriving at Harry’s though, the local coven accosted them and they narrowly escaped.

After they returned home, there was a huge showdown between Phil, Nicholas, Scarlett, Alora, Katie and Julia. Alora almost got what she wanted—Julia’s vampire warding talisman—but Preston, Nicholas’ father, and Harry came to the rescue. They escorted Nicholas and Alora back to Beverly Hills, pledging to return Nicholas free from his blood-lust. But all Julia’s received in the past four months is a letter stating Nicholas missed her along with some song lyrics and promise of a quick return. That was a month ago.

Now Julia awaits Nicholas’ return with the Fab Five Coven: Phil and Katie—the sober vampires, Scarlett—the half-vamp/shape-shifter, and Tyler and Julia—the inducted humans. She’s stuck in Scotts Valley with Phil as her self-appointed chaperon and no way to return to Los Angeles to check on Nicholas. Only Scarlett and Julia know her fate ultimately involves the demise of all vampires, possibly including the ones she loves. When the time comes, will she even have a choice?

Find out in the final installment of the bestselling Talisman Series November 16, 2011!

Want to know more? Check out Brenda’s blog at: http://brendapandos.blogspot.com

Squee!! I've read and loved the first two books in the Talisman series and can't wait for the final installment.

If you haven't tried the series yet, make sure to try The Emerald Talisman on Kindle. It's just .99 on Amazon right now. Yeah, baby!

Happy news!

Happy Tuesday, peeps!

Just a quick post today to share some good news with you all. I'm happy to announce I signed a contract over the weekend, and have a short story that will be a part of Omnific Publishing's Summer Anthology. Woot! Proceeds from the anthology will be going to a wonderful charity: Save The Ta Ta's. Yeah, baby!

Oh, and make sure to follow this blog and subscribe to my newsletter. I'll be giving away an e-copy of my erotic suspense, Obsessed to one lucky subscriber on July 31st during my Sizzling Summer Author Extravaganza.

Six Sentence Sunday

Happy Sunday, peeps!

I had such a wonderful time participating in Sex Sentence Sunday last week, I had to come back and hang with you all again!

I posted a snippet from my erotic romance, Obsessed last time, so I'm gonna stick with that story and tempt you with some more.

Lead in- The hero, Nick is walking home from the the Black Diamond and sees Halley, the beautiful woman he felt drawn to back at the bar. She's unconscious and being dragged into an alley by a pervert.

Fury, hot and uncontainable, burned through Nick as he flew down the narrow alley and barreled into the sick bastard leering over Princess, sending them both careening across the filthy pavement. Gruesome memories tore through his consciousness. Pictures he’d tried so hard to bury, to forget, came floating up to the surface, fueling his rage. Blood—God, there’d been so much blood. On the walls, on the carpet, seeped into the mattress under—

The sound of bone snapping and cartilage crunching filled the air as Nick beat the living piss out of the pervert. “Goddamn freak. You…don’t…hurt…women.” 

I think that's 7 sentences, oops!!

To read more Six Sentence Sunday offerings click here.

Also, if you're not following me, make sure to click the Google Friend Connect widget. Big things are happening here this summer (moving my blog over here, Sizzling Summer Author Extravaganza) you won't want to miss!

Sizzling Summer Author Extravaganza just around the corner!

Sizzling Summer Author Extravaganza coming this July!

I'm so excited I can't stand it! Cali Cheer Mom is moving over here full time. That's right, baby. You'll be able to find me in one place, and one place only from now on. Woohoo! To mark the move, I'm hosting a month long author extravaganza. There will be guest posts, giveaways, and all kinds of fun. So, mark your calendars and make sure to click the "Follow Me" button on my Google Friend Connect widget. You'll need to be a follower here to participate in the giveaways. 

Wanna see who is participating? Here is a list of the fabulous authors in order of appearance:

• Linda Cunningham
• Daisy Harris
• E.J. Stevens
• Corrina Lawson
• Susan Kaye Quinn
• Kristin Miller
• Robin Dejarnett
• Jennifer Lane
• Cari Quinn
• Brenda Pandos
• Kelsey Ketch
• Carol Oates
• J.A. Saare
• Sandra Wright
• Jennifer DeLucy
• Hannah Downing
• Laura Kaye
• Jessica McQuinn
• Nicki Elson
• Kasi Alexander
• Amie Louellen
• Killian McRae
• Liz Fichera
• Louisa Bacio
• Lisa Fox
• Maureen O. Betita
• Sondrae Bennet
• Patricia Leever

This will be a don't miss event! Also, there will be a special prize at the end of the event for those who have signed up for my newsletter, so make sure to subscribe today :)

Obsessed virtual book tour

Happy Hump Day, peeps!

I'm hangin' out at Immortality and Beyond today answering some fun personal questions. Make sure to stop by, say hello! Each comment you make along my virtual tour ups your chances for winning a $20 Amazon GC! So, comment, and comment often!

Also, in case you missed my post last night, there are some big changes coming this way. As of July 1st, I'll be phasing over my Cali Cheer Mom blog to this site. The majority of my blogging is about books and writing, so it's time to make the change.

Keep your eyes open for some more big news in the days to come. I've got a few things up my sleeve to mark the change. Woohoo!!!

Big changes are coming!

Happy Tuesday, peeps!

I've got some big news for you. Don't worry, it's good!

Cali Cheer Mom is moving in! That's right, baby. I'm merging! On July first I will be exporting my blog posts to this website.

Why, you ask?

The answer is simple: When I started my blog a couple of years ago, I wasn't published and my attention was focused more on my girls and cheer. While I'm still a die-hard cheer mom, the focus of my blog has changed. I'm all about writing and books now, and those type of posts are best kept here, at my author website.

As I said above, the change won't happen until July 1st. I wanted to make sure my followers have plenty of time to acclimate over here.

So, if you've wandered over here from my blog (or from anywhere, really) please be a doll and sign in on the Google Friend Connect. I'll love you forever, and then some :)

Have a good night!

Obsessed receives awesome review from Sensual Reads!

Woohoo!

I'm freaking giddy with excitement right now! Obsessed received a 4.5 star review from Emily at Sensual Reads. Click on the website name to see the review in its entirety.

She says the following about the book:

"Obsessed is a riveting roller coaster ride from the first page until the very last."


Yeehaw!! I think I'm gonna bust out some chocolate and wine to celebrate :)

Day One of the Obsessed virtual book tour!

Happy Monday, peeps!

Today marks the start of the virtual book tour for my latest release, Obsessed. Woot!  I'm over at Book Of Secrets today with an interview and your first chance to win a $20 Amazon GC. Comment often throughout the tour to up your chances of winning!

I'm also posting over at the Goddess Fish Party Pavilion with some other fabu authors. Make sure to stop by read a couple of excerpts and leave a comment. I love to chat!