My Release Celebration continues! Check out Lisa Mondello’s guest blog and enter to win autographed booksHERE!
I have a few more book sightings to share! Two of them from right here in Toledo:
Yesterday, I met up with a few friends for coffee and fun at the B&N on Monroe St. I took a few minutes to sign and then had a great time gabbing it up with Connie and Jill. Later, I signed books over at Borders, but didn’t get a photo there. BUT, my friend Connie snapped this photo from B&N:
And then, she popped into Books-A-Million and took another picture:
Fellow Novel Girl, Jillian Cantor, sent me this photo from AZ:
Thanks Connie and Jill for sending those on! I’d LOVE to see more. Send those pictures in!
Don’t Forget!
Today, I’m participating in an awesome Q&A about A Taste of Magic, my writing, and various other tidbits over at Much Cheaper Than Therapy. I’ll be stopping in to answer questions, and I’m giving away a signed copy of my book. Stop by and leave a comment! (P.S. My cover is all discoey looking there, LOL — you gotta go see!)
Celebration Week Four continues! Go read Lisa Mondello’s fun Q&A AND enter thecontest to win an autographed bookHERE! The TWO winners will be announced on Monday, March 2nd!
The Novel Girls are Celebrating Releases this week (mine and Jillian Cantor’s). We’re answering questions from the other Novel Girls each day, and we’re each giving away a signed copy of our books! Come say Hi!
My Release Celebration continues! Check out Lisa Mondello’s guest blog and enter to win autographed booksHERE!
The release of A Taste of Magic was yesterday! There are book sightings coming in! Check out these fab pictures:
From Massachusetts:
From Pennsylvania:
Thanks to Lisa and Natalie for sending those on! If you’re out and about and happen to have a camera with you AND see my book on a shelf somewhere, please send me the picture. Let’s see how many we can get up.
And, for other news, I’ve dragged my heels for nearly a year on joining Facebook. I’ve finally gone and done it, so if you’d like to me friend me there, I’d love to have you!
I’ve also recently received some very nice reviews. Go check them out!
Anna from Anna’s Book Blog said, “I enjoyed this book, so much I had a hard time putting it down. It was delightful, charming, feel good story. I fell In love with the characters instantly. It was great watching Elizabeth discover her new talent while beginning to live life after such a heartache. If you like a bit of humor with your romance your gonna really enjoy A Taste of Magic.” You can see the entire review HERE!
Kimberly Swan from Darque Reviews said, “A Taste of Magic is a magical tale of romance and revenge. Ms. Madison takes readers on an adventure in baking that’s highlighted with tasty treats, sexy men, and a touch of humor.” You can see the entire review HERE!
Bookstore Deb said, “A Taste of Magic is a fast, fun read and will definitely be going on my recommended read shelf!” Read the full review HERE!
Harriet Klausner from Genre Go Round Reviews said, “This whimsical urban fantasy is a fun tale as the lead character will learn the effect of unintended consequences when she bakes her wish into a cake.” You can read the full review HERE!
I’ve also been getting some great unofficial reviews that mean the world to me:
From my aunt: “I only have one complaint. My face hurts from grinning so much!”
From my aunt’s friend: “I nearly went looking for my husband after reading one particularly hot scene!”
From a friend: “I was hooked the second Elizabeth wished for her ex-husband to be unable to perform on his wedding night to his new wife.”
I love hearing comments from readers! So. Much. Fun.
Don’t Forget!
I’m guest blogging about A Taste of Magic over at We Write Romance today, pop in and leave a comment!
Celebration Week Four continues! Go read Lisa Mondello’s fun Q&A AND enter thecontest to win an autographed bookHERE! The TWO winners will be announced on Monday, March 2nd!
The Novel Girls are Celebrating Releases this week (mine and Jillian Cantor’s). We’re answering questions from the other Novel Girls each day, and we’re each giving away a signed copy of our books! Come say Hi!
Welcome to the fourth, and final, week of my month-long celebration of the release of A Taste of Magic! Today, award-winning Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense author Lisa Mondello is answering a few of my questions. This is especially sweet for me, because Lisa happens to be one of my closest friends.
Her most recent release, Her Only Protectorfrom Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense received 4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times BOOKreviews and was a Top Pick in August. Her next release, Yuletide Protector, also from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, is a December 2009 release. She’s also published an amazing series with Avalon Books, called the Texas Hearts series.
Lisa answered a few questions for me, and wow–did I LOVE asking them.
The Bio Part!
Lisa Mondello published her first novel in 1998 and continued on, selling four book ins her Texas Hearts seires to Avalon books. Lisa’s ninth published novel, an Inspiration Suspense, was published in August 2008 by Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. For three years, Lisa worked in elementary education working in grades one and two writing classes, and discovered that even at that early age, she could identify who was a pantser, a puzzler, a plotter, or a linear writer.
She has developed a workshop called “Understanding Your Writing Profile” that helps writers get organized so they can write more efficiently. She is currently completing her next novel, Yuletide Protector, for Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, as well as working as a freelance writer.
Q: What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?
A: That I’m a huge Elton John fan? No. I’m sure almost everyone knows that.
Q: Is there a reason you’ve teased your supposedly best friend, Tracy, for so many years with the mysterious “Pizza Guana,” but have never shared the recipe with her? Hmm?
A: It’s a conspiracy. You have to be Sicilian! It’s like those bakery owners in New Bedford that will only speak English to you if they think you’re Portuguese. I never had a problem with that. I think they all thought I WAS Portuguese. And I like teasing you. No, seriously, I dig that recipe out once a year during Easter, which is why it’s also called Easter Pie. It’s an Italian tradition (I’m big on tradition) and since the year I got married, I was the one in charge of making it for the family. I’ll post if if anyone wants it.
COMMENT: Um. I WANT IT. Isn’t that good enough? Come on…please?
Q: What is your favorite way to relax?
A: Read a book or watch a good movie and just having conversation with my family. I love it when the kids pile on the bed and we talk about…whatever. When they were little, we could all pile on the bed together. Now that they’re teenagers, there isn’t enough room. <G> My oldest is 6′ 6 1/2″
Q: If you could have lunch with any one person in the world, who would it be and why?
A: Hmm, see question one! Or maybe Josh Whedon, so I could ask him why FIREFLY was taken off the air. No, seriously, the one person I love spending time with is my husband, so I’d want it to be him. We never tire of things to talk about.
Now the Writing Questions!
Q: How long did you write before selling your first book?
A: I wrote my first full manuscript the year I was married and then promptly put it under the bed until my second daughter was almost 2. Then it took about 2 to 3 years to finally make a sale.
Q: What was that moment like for you?
A: I’m sure the neighbors remember it better than me. I recall doing a dance in the driveway and my neighbor running across the yard, thinking someone was hurt. As soon as I told her about the sale, I think we were both dancing in the driveway!
Q: Can you tell us a little about your most recent release, Her Only Protector?
A: Her Only Protector was a fun book to write because it continued where Cradle of Secrets left off, except we left America and went to Colombia. It’s full of action, something I love, and features two people who have goals in direct conflict with each other. It all about learning to trust.
Q: And now, how about a teast for your next release, Yuletide Protector?
A: Yuletide Protector is a book I actually wrote several years ago. My husband is a police officer and helped me plot the book with another officer he works with. It’s the first time I had to go to him for police procedure. I know a lot of authors who have their husbands read their work, but since my husband doesn’t read romance, and has never read one of my books, it was a nice way for us to work together.
The story is about a young divorced woman who finds out her ex-husband tried to hire an undercover cop to kill her. Of course, the undercover cop is the hero and because of technical legal maneuvering, the ex gets free, leaving the heroine exposed and the hero wanting to protect her. I love protector/bodyguard stories. The story also has a deeper meaning of home being in the heart, not the four walls you live in.
Now, because it’s my release week, here are the “Tracy wants attention” questions!
Q: As someone who read the earliest drafts of A Taste of Magic, why should people plunk down their money for this book?
A: Because it’s fantastic. It’s one of those books that has you laughing out loud and feeling that sigh of satisfaction at the end. And as soon as the story is over, you know you have to read another Tracy Madison book.
COMMENT: Aw, I’m blushing. Thank you! (I didn’t even have to bribe her for that!)
Q: Why don’t I have a picture of you holding my book yet? Hmm?
A: I hate pictures of me. Isn’t it enough that I squealed in your ear on the phone when the book arrived? Seriously, it’s a beautiful book! I really hope you get your hearing back soon…
COMMENT: I loved the squealing! But I still want that picture. Maybe I’ll call one of your daughters…
For more information about Lisa Mondello, her Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense novels or her Texas Heart series, visit her at her WEBSITE!
The Contest Part!
Thank you, Lisa, for taking time to answer some questions AND to help me celebrate my release. Also–she’s giving away some autographed books as prizes! What’s up for grabs this week?
TWO lucky winners will win an autographed copy of Her Only Protectorby Lisa Mondello!
For a chance of winning, all you have to do is leave a comment here. The contest runs from now through Saturday, and on Monday, March 2nd, I’ll announce the two winners. And don’t forget, you can buy any of the books shown here just by clicking on their covers!
Also, on March 2nd, I’m beginning a month-long contest to win a $25 dollar gift card from Borders! Stop by on Monday to learn all about it.
It’s been a great month, so I want to thank all of my guests for February: Jessica Andersen, Holly Jacobs, Denise Lynn, and Lisa Mondello. You ladies rock!
Last Week’s Winners!
The winners from Let’s Celebrate – Week Three! are Rebecca, Natalie, and Sheila! Please send an email to Tracy@TracyMadison.com with your mailing address so I can get your copy of Dragon’s Lair by Denise Lynn sent out! Thanks again, Denise!
Don’t Forget!
The Novel Girls are celebrating two of our releases ALL WEEK! My book, A Taste of Magic, and Jillian Cantor’s novel, The September Sisters, both release TOMORROW! Wow! Come on overand read some fun Q&As all week long, and comment for a chance at winning an autographed copy of either of our books.
The Countdown Continues! A Taste of Magicis released on February 24th! Tomorrow!
Last night my phone rings. I look at the Caller ID and see it’s my friend Fyre’n'Ali. I smile, becuase I KNOW what she’s calling to tell me. It went something like this:
Me: “Hello?”
Fyre: “SQUEEEEEEE!!!!”
Me: “They came?”
Fyre: “They did!!! I emailed you pictures. GO SEE!”
Me: “I’m gonna post them on my blog!”
Fyre: “Um…Okay. Go ahead, you can use me.”
Me: “Yay!”
Fyre: “SQUEEEEEEE!!!!”
And here are the pictures! Thank you, Fyre, for being SO. VERY. AWESOME.
SIX Copies of A Taste of Magic sitting on Fyre’s Coffee Table!
AND…
FYRE showing off the books!
Hey, Fyre? Thank you for being such a KEWL friend! Not only did you buy SIX freaking copies of my book (YAY!) but you took pictures. Seriously–that just ROCKS!
I’ve gotten such a kick at seeing these pictures, that I’d love to see more. If you have my book (or it’s on its way), send me some photos!
Don’t Forget!
Celebration Week Three continues! Go read Denise Lynn’s awesome post on how analyzing her craft is a no-no AND enter thecontest to win an autographed bookHERE! The THREE winners will be announced on Monday, February 23rd!
The Novel Girls are talking about Balancing Life and Writing this week. Today is Jillian Cantor’sday, so Come say Hi!
The Countdown Continues! A Taste of Magicis released on February 24th!
Yep, it’s that time again…random links from around the web to go check out.
It’s time to vote again! That’s right, American Title V continues, and this month it’s all about the dialogue, baby. Go HERE to vote on the best dialogue scene from the remaining four contestants. Remember, the last author standing will receive a publishing contract through Dorchester Publishing!
Over at Pub Rants, Agent Kristin Nelsongives the skinny about her role as the SECRET AGENT. If you’re a writer, and you’ve been trying to polish up your first page to impress an agent, you’ll definitely want to read through the entries and Kristin’s comments over at Miss Snark’s First Victim Secret Agent Contest.
Editor Leah Hultenschmidt posted yesterdayabout excerpts and how they might influence a reader to pick up a book. There’s a nifty poll, and, even better, if you leave a comment you’ll have a chance at winning Dorchester’s March lineup of books (A Taste of Magic included!). She doesn’t say when the contest closes, so don’t wait–go comment now!
Over at Romancing the Blog, there’s a great post up today called “What’s Your Plot Type?” by MG Braden. She talks about various types of plots within the world of romance novels–go check it out!
Finally, Marjorie M. Liu is having a week of NYX interviews. If you’re interested in comics, and are curious about the people behind them–you need to hop on over and read. So far this week, there’s been interviews with John Rauch (colorist extraordinaire), Michael Horowitz (assistant editor), and Kalman Andrasofszky (illustration). Not only are these interviews amazing on their own, Marjorie’s blog is one of my favorites!
Don’t Forget!
Celebration Week Three continues! Go read Denise Lynn’s awesome post on how analyzing her craft is a no-no AND enter thecontest to win an autographed bookHERE! The THREE winners will be announced on Monday, February 23rd!
The Novel Girls are talking about Balancing Life and Writing this week. Today is Lisa Patton’s day, so Come say Hi!
The Countdown Continues! A Taste of Magicis released on February 24th!
Welcome to the third week of my month-long celebration of the release of A Taste of Magic! Today, award-winning, ultra-talented author Denise Lynn is with us. She also happens to be one of the funniest ladies I know.
Her newest release, Dragon’s Lairfrom Silhouette Nocturne received 4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times BOOKreviews. She’s also the author of seven historical romances through Harlequin Historicals, her most recent an anthology titled Hallowe’en Husbands. Her story in this three author anthology is Wedding at Warhaven.
For her very, very cool blog post today (which I promised–and she delivered!) she wrote about analyzing her craft.
The Bio Part!
Denise Lynn lives in NW Ohio with her real-life hero, their son and a slew of four-legged “kids.” Between the pages of books, she has traveled to lands and times filled with brave heroes, courageous heroines, never-ending love and the occasional otherworldy element. Now she can share with others her dream of telling tales of adventure and romance in lands filled with knights of old or chracters of the imagination.
While lunching with a writer friend a few days ago, she asked how I write both medieval and contemporary paranormal romances. My ever so intelligent response was to blink. Swallow some ice tea, then follow it up with another mascara-less blink. Which I suppose was better than spouting off, “on a keyboard”.
Now, mind you, this is someone who knows me. She knows I don’t plot, outline, do character charts or arcs. She’s well aware that I tape a picture of the hero and heroine to the wall behind my monitor, if it’s a medieval I’ll do a calendar of battles/engagements, tape that next to the pics, then sit down and write a story. You know, just tell a story on the page. I’ve never understood all that pre-story busy work. The only time I tried all that other “stuff” I didn’t bother writing the story. Why would I? I’d just told it in the charts, outlines and things. But that’s just me and my non-process method of writing. I’m of the “whatever works” theroy of getting the job done. You take your road, I’ll take mine and we’ll meet up at the end destination.
After lunch I got to thinking, a dangerous hobby I should probably avoid, and couldn’t figure out for the life of me what my friend thought the difference was between the two types of stories. Let’s see, it’s romance so both have a defined hero and heroine. Of course there’s some internal and external conflict involved. Both types require some world building. In my case I get to have swords and castles in both sub genres, and how kewl is that? Then again, if I wrote a medical romance or romantic comedy I’d still figure out a way to involve a sword. Let’s just not analyze my fascination with long, sharp metal objects.
So, the next day, like an idiot, I called her up and asked for clarification. What was I thinking? (sigh) Her answer was to laugh and say that she had just wondered because she couldn’t imagine switching from contemporary to historical. Exactly what kind of answer is that? Swell, now that the gears in my brain are whirling around non-stop, she’s no help.
Don’t know about you, but I actually hate analyzing anything I do that’s creative. There’s nothing that’ll throw the brakes quicker than digging into the grey matter. Normally it proves about as useful as debating the chicken and the egg theory. Big. Endless. Circles.
It’s sort of like me judging contests or giving someone a review. Did I like the story? Yes. Why did I like the story? Uh, it held my attention and it was good? Now, put a number on it. Oh, please, give me a break. If I liked it, it’s a 9.0. If I didn’t, then it’s not a 9.0. Anything in-between? Isn’t that sort of like being a little bit pregnant?
As usual, I digress. Where was I? Oh – analyzing how/why I do what I do, or not. The more I thought about it, the more the differences came down to silly, unimportant things that don’t matter in the least – in the medievals the hero wears chain mail. But wait, isn’t a bullet proof vest sort of the modern equivalent? But the medieval hero lives in a castle. Oh? And what is the modern hero building? Sigh, a castle, but it’s a resort. Well, yeah, but the medieval hero uses a sword. Oh, man, so does the modern one. Um, the medieval hero is a knuckle dragging alpha at times. Uh, and you think the modern one isn’t?
GREAT. I’m telling the same story no matter the time period. SWELL. And for the next three days I don’t write because – I’m not creative at all, there’s no difference between my historical and contemporary, I really must reek and on and on and on. Don’t know about you, but I don’t have enough time to waste beating myself up.
So, two days later I give up, because I don’t have an answer. I read medieval, I read paranormal. Why wouldn’t my mind create stories in both settings? And if both come out a bit dark, isn’t that a good thing? I mean, isn’t that what all the branding stuff is about? OH. JUST. STOP. Don’t make me go there. I don’t want to analyze that whole branding thing any more than I want to figure out why or how I do what I do. I just want to tell a story. One that hopefully entertains someone besides me and the poor beleaguered editor.
What about you? Do you read in different genres? Why? Do you write in different genres? If so, why? And if so, what’s the difference between the two–outside of the obvious? Aren’t you glad I asked?
Take care,
Denise Lynn
For more information about Denise Lynn, her Harlequin Historical and Silhouette Nocturne novels, visit her at her WEBSITE!
The Contest Part!
I am totally in synch with Denise’s thoughts and love her take on it!
Huge thanks to Denise Lynn for taking time out to visit AND for offering some autographed copies of her books to giveaway as prizes! What’s up for grabs this week?
THREE lucky winners will win an autographed copy of Dragon’s Lairby Denise Lynn!
For a chance of winning, all you have to do is leave a comment here. The contest runs from now through Saturday, and on Monday, February 23rd, I’ll announce the three winners. And don’t forget, you can buy any of the books shown here just by clicking on their covers!
Also, on February 23rd, the celebration continues with guest blogger, Steeple Hill Suspense author (and one of my closest friends!) Lisa Mondello.
Help me celebrate my debut release, learn more about some fantastic authors, and have a chance at autographed books all throughout February!!
Last Week’s Winners!
The winners from Let’s Celebrate – Week Two! are Connie Phillips, Sia McKye, Aunt Cheryl, and Nancy Holroyd! Please send an email to Tracy@TracyMadison.com with your mailing address so I can get your copy of The House on Briar Hill Road by Holly Jacobs sent out! Thanks again, Holly!
Don’t Forget!
The Novel Girls are talking about Balancing Life and Writing this week. But today, rather than blog about the weekly topic, my agent Michelle Grajkowskiis popping in to answer some questions! Come say Hi!
So today, because I’m brain dead, instead of trying to come up with some type of informative post, I’m just going to list a few of my random (and completely meaningless) gripes. What’s bugging me today? Here we go…
That as much as I love meeting my writing friends at Panera Bakery for our weekly gab/writing session, it bugs me that the only sugar-free syrup Panera’s has is…Vanilla. You’d think they’d offer at least a little variety to their customers who either have to stay away from sugar, or who choose to. I cannot be the only person who goes there that wants a sugar-free caramel latte!
My daughter has senioritis, and she’s driving me crazy. I swear, every other day she’s “ill” or “didn’t sleep well” or whatever, cuz going to school (you know, so she can GRADUATE) is apparently at the bottom of her want-to list! I remember (yes, I do) being a senior in high school, and how it just felt so…mundane, but dang it, attendance is sort of necessary.
Standing in lines anywhere. I hate standing in lines. This is mostly because I always feel like I’m in a hurry…so waiting around in a line makes me STOP, and you know, wait.
My local post office. I don’t understand why at their non-busy times they have several people manning the front, but as soon as the busy times hit, there’s only ONE person. Which means–yep, you got it–more waiting in lines.
When my older son decides to be creative with my coffee. Once, he brewed a pot of 1/2 coffee, 1/2 some-weird-flavored tea, and tried to convince me I was crazy for noticing a “taste” difference. And while I appreciate his attempts at culinary creativity, um…don’t mess with my coffee!
My younger kids leave toys in unexpected places, so when I’m stumbling around in the dark, I don’t see them and I trip. This, btw, happened at about 4AM this morning–let’s just say “Ouch!”
Reading a book, loving a book, and then reaching a very unsatisfying ending. This could be for any number of reasons, but usually it means I didn’t get the Happily-Ever-After I was craving. Or maybe the resolution, while happy, seems too easy or contrived.
Telemarking phone calls…especially the ones that aren’t even a real person on the other end of the line, but a recorded message. While the other things on my list are minor, and even in some cases, humorous, this drives me all sorts of nuts.
Spilling coffee on my desk, which I seem to do once a week or so. Not only is it a waste of good coffee, but the mess! Ugh.
That’s all I can think of right now, but I’m sure there are more, LOL. Next Friday, I’ll talk about things that make me smile.
What about you? What are your random gripes?
Don’t Forget!
Celebration Week Two continues! Go read Holly Jacobs’s post on finding romance in your every day life AND enter thecontest to win an autographed bookHERE! This contest ends on Saturday!
Also on Monday, February 16th, the celebration continues! Romance author Denise Lynn will be my guest and the winners for Let’s Celebrate – Week Two! will be announced!
The Countdown Continues! A Taste of Magicis released on February 24th!
