New Romantic-Suspense SPLIT DECISIONS by bestselling author Carmen DeSousa is now available!

I'd like to introduce you to author Carmen DeSousa. Her stories are modern-day fairy-tales that overflow with romance, mystery, suspense, and of course, tragedy. After all, what would a fairytale be without a tragic event setting the stage? All of her novels are sensual but not erotic, gripping but not graphic, and each one will make you love, laugh, cry, gasp, and hope.

  

Split Decisions is a follow-up novel to the romantic-suspense bestseller She Belongs to Me. While you do not have to read the first book to enjoy the second, we believe you should have the option, so click here to avoid spoilers.

If you’re still here, read on for a first peek at Split Decisions and a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Book Description:

Sometimes you want something so badly you are willing to abandon everything you’ve ever known—including yourself.

Eighteen years ago, Jaynee Monroe married the man of her dreams, became the mother of four, and fulfilled her career goals. About to turn forty, she senses something is missing from her idyllic life. While Googling her name in an attempt to find herself, she unearths something so impossible, she contemplates her own sanity. Seeking answers, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth, only to end up abducted by a deranged stranger who insists on calling her Caycee.

Caycee took the road less traveled. Rejecting a marriage proposal from the only decent man she ever knew, she ventures to California to become famous. Eighteen years later, success has left her alone and miserable. Attempting to locate her lost love on Facebook, she discovers his infatuation with her. Not only does his presumed-dead wife have Caycee’s uncommon middle name, it appears he has photo-shopped her face over hers.

Never could Caycee and Jaynee have imagined decisions they made years earlier would threaten not only their lives but also their loved ones. Caycee must now reunite with the southern gent she dismissed eighteen years ago and convince him to accompany her to New York to locate his wife, the most important person in both their lives.

Download Split Decisions here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Now all you have to do to register to win the $10 Amazon Gift Card is share this page via Rafflecopter. Contest ends 7/1/13 at 12:00 a.m. EST and you can share daily if you want. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Introducing Author Vicki Tyley

This morning, I'd like to welcome Australian author Vicki Tyley to my blog. If you love mystery novels, I urge you to look for Vicki's books. I highly recommend them.

~ ~ ~

Two of the most common questions I’m asked as a writer are:

Vicki Tyley, bestselling author of mystery and suspense

1. Where do you get your ideas?

2. Do you base your characters on real people? 

The answer to the first question is quite simple: the news. Each of my stories is inspired by a real murder case, the more unusual the better. After I’ve applied a series of what-ifs to it, the original true crime is so bent out of shape, it’s unlikely anyone would recognize the case that sparked it.

The germ of the idea for my most recent mystery, Bitter Nothings, came after hearing about the tragic murder of a young family. A murder with no apparent motive. What would drive someone to slay a whole family?

Bitter Nothings is a psychological whodunnit with a dysfunctional extended Australian family at its core. There’s no violence or gore in the book and the children’s deaths are only touched upon.

Talking of family brings us back to the second question: Do you base your characters on real people?

My characters are not usually based on specific people but rather grow from my observations of people over the years. Empathy is a good trait for a writer to possess. It makes getting inside your characters’ heads much easier. I’m glad no one can see me writing, because I often act out the scene. Not a good look.

Details drawn from real people and real life experiences help make fictional characters come alive, but it wasn’t until Bitter Nothings that I delved into my own family. And that’s probably because enough years have passed that I can now talk openly about it. In Bitter Nothings, the protagonist’s mother had committed suicide on what would’ve been her and her estranged husband’s thirtieth wedding anniversary. In one of those truth-is-stranger-than-fiction twists, my mother committed suicide on my parents’ twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Obviously the details and motives are different and my parents were still married, but the emotion and questions are still the same. 

The two brothers in Bitter Nothings are loosely modeled on my own two brothers (except my brothers can tolerate each other even less than the brothers in the story can). However, that’s as far as the similarities go to my own situation. Dervla, the sister in the story, is nothing like myself or any of my three sisters.

Want to say hello or ask a question, email Vicki at vickityley@gmail.com

Website: www.vickityley.com  

Eucalypt Habitat – Living in rural Australia photoblog: eucalypthabitat.blogspot.com.au

Find Bitter Nothings:

In the US Kindle Store       In the UK Kindle Store        In the CA Kindle Store

In the Nook Book Store

In the Kobo Store

In the iTunes iBook Store

Organize Your Friends on Facebook

If you're anything like me, you have tons of friends on Facebook…sometimes too many to keep up with. I've found a way organize my family, friends, business colleagues, fans, etc, so that I never miss another post or picture. The Facebook feature is called "List" and you can use it to create custom lists that will show up on the left hand column of your home page.

1.     Go to the timeline of the Friend you want to add to a list.

2.     Click the Friends icon located in the lower right-hand corner of their cover photo.

3.     On the menu that appears, click Add to Another List.

4.     Then scroll and click + New List

5.     Create a name for the list by typing it into the box and hit enter.

I have a list called Family, one called Friends, another called Writers I Love, and so on. Once you have your friends organized on these lists, simply click the list (as I said before, your lists will be located on the left-hand column of your home page). All your friends/family/etc posts will be there for you to comment on. 

20-book #GIVEAWAY! Let's Celebrate! @DonnaFaz

Reclaim My Heart is FINALLY in the iTunes iBook Store. 

It took 5 LONG weeks for the book to go live. I have no idea what happened, I'm just happy that the wait is over. See the listing HERE. 

To celebrate, I'm giving away 20 iBook copies of Reclaim My Heart. 

You read it correctly – TWENTY COPIES!

I would love it if you:

Follow me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Sign up for e-mail alerts

(Find the sign-up box at the top of the left-hand column.)

But none of that is mandatory for a FREE iBook. Simply leave a comment below, and then send me an e-mail with your e-mail address (click the Contact Me tab for my email address). That's all there is to it. I will contact you with a coupon code that you can use in the iTunes iBook Store for a free iBook.

BooksAndPal.com called Reclaim My Heart, "Fasano's best book yet." You should read this book!

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Summer is the perfect time to fire up the grill. This recipe is simple, quick, and delicious.

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

4 Portobello Mushrooms, brushed clean

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Brush both sides of the mushrooms with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grilling time will vary, depending on the size and thickness of the mushrooms--approximately 10-15 minutes. While the mushrooms are grilling, make the stuffing.

For the stuffing

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

¼ cup fresh parsley, minced fine

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced fine

1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fine

1 clove garlic, minced fine

Stir together all ingredients. During the last 3-4 minutes of grilling, divide the stuffing equally among the mushrooms and smooth to fill the caps. Close the grill lid and allow the stuffing to warm through until the cheese begins to melt.

Here's a simple but perfect side dish for these mushrooms:

Grilled Asparagus

1 lb fresh asparagus

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Drizzle asparagus spears with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill for 4-6 minutes, turning frequently.

Enjoy!

It's A Summer Sale: Runaway Bride!

Take advantage of this 99¢ sale 

Return of the Runaway Bride

In the US Kindle Store     In the Nook Book Store

Hurry! Grab a copy today!

♥

Introducing UK Author Carol E. Wyer

Carol E. Wyer is an award winning author whose humorous novels take a light-hearted look at getting older and encourage others to age disgracefully. Her best-selling debut novel Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines won five awards including Readers Views Reviewers Choice 2012 Award (category - humour). Surfing in Stilettos follows the further adventures of Amanda Wilson as she attempts to inject some fun into her life; the book was a Costa Award nominee.

How Not to Murder Your Grumpy is Carol's newest release.

Carol writes a blog called Facing 50 With Humour.

Find Carol on Facebook... and on Twitter.

About her new book:

Before you push your Grumpy off the next bridge, look no further!

Is your Grumpy Old Man getting under your feet? Is he wrestling with retirement? Are you wondering if you should bundle him up and entrust him to basket-weaving classes? Then this book could be the answer to your prayers. This light-hearted guide is packed full of lively ideas, anecdotes and quips. Not only does it set out to provide laughs, but offers over 700 ideas and ways to keep a Grumpy Old Man occupied.

Written tongue-in-cheek, this book succeeds in proving that getting older doesn't mean the end of life or having fun. It provides amusing answers to the question, "How on Earth will my husband fill in his time in his retirement?" It offers suggestions on what might, or most certainly might not, amuse him. Ideal for trivia buffs, those approaching retirement, (or just at a loose end) and frustrated women who have an irritable male on their hands, this book will lighten any mood and may even prevent the odd murder.

What readers are saying:

"Move over, Erma Bombeck!"

"From bungee jumping to bird watching, she presents these ideas in her usual (VERY FUNNY) style. I have been married for 58 years and I wish that I could have had access to this book years ago!"

"…unique, witty… will have you giggling… I highly recommend this book to anyone of any age who needs to get their man a hobby. Another winner from Ms Wyer!"

Find this book:

In the US Kindle Store      In the UK Kindle Store     In the CA Kindle Store

In ePub format for Nook, Kobo, iBooks, Sony, and most reading apps

In Paperback in the US          In Paperback in the UK

My Interview is Posted on About.com

Valerie Peterson is the Publishing Editor at About.com.

She and I have been chatting for a couple of weeks about

traditional publishing and self-publishing.

She asked if I would be willing to share my story and my experience

with her readers. You can find the result of the interview

here on About.com.