One book stalled (for now) but another on a roll

So at the minute Provoked, my rather erotic romance has stalled, but a possible second book for Charlotte and Sebastian is very much on a roll right now. Admittedly I’ve not long since started it and trying to match up bits from the first book is driving me a little mad BUT I  think it could be good if I get the  storyline how I want it.

I just haven’t figured out who her love interest should be yet and whether they are going to be human or vamp but I will say  that even as I’m writing this I’m thinking human and someone who’s  been through the same thing as her… and now I’m not sure anymore. Huh, the joys of being a writer lol.

Well I’m off to carry on. Current word count : 1622

I can be a TERRIBLE Blogger

Lately, I’ve been pretty crappy in keeping everyone updated on what’s happening in my world. Truth is, I’ve been busy with work and reading way more than I should if I want to get any writing done. I’ve even had weeks off and done more reading than writing.

But today, luckily for me, the wi-fi connection was out when I put my laptop on so I opened my latest story, currently titled Angry Sex 1 (though it’s real name will be Provoked), put some music on and have just written nearly a 1000 words. To some people this is nothing but to me this is like a miracle. I open the document every day just in case I suddenly think of something awesome to write and generally it’s about 50 words. The internet always manages to drag me away to do something else–mainly book related. Thank God the connection wasn’t there!

Word count upon opening the document today: 20302

Word count now (17:25): 21160

I haven’t even finished my current chapter either, so fingers crossed I can get more down tonight.

I’ve also just been re-reading previous chapters and I have to say I am so proud of what I’ve written so far. It’s much more erotic than my previous books and I can hardly believe some of it came from me–though I did have a little/more than a little help from a friend at work. Cheers, Vicks!

Off to write some more!

Numbers in Book Titles

I’ve been a really bad blogger–you’re more likely to find me on Goodreads (I’m there all the time!), Booklikes (not as often as Goodreads) than on here–lately and I know but I feel I have to share this that I’ve just seen on Booklikes: http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com/post/1199155/books-with-numbers-in-the-title

You’d be surprised how many books have got numbers in the title. I was thinking I’d probably have about 10 out of the 1269 books on my Goodreads but surprisingly it turned out to be more.

I may be cheating a little with this–using first/once/second–but here’s my list:

1

Another One Bites the Dust
Caught on Camera: Part One
Dark Soul, Vol 1
First Book of Demons
First Debt
First Night
First Grave on the Right
First Three Rules
Hate F@*k: Part One
Heartless: Episode 1
Just One Night
Once Bitten
The One
One Foot in the Grave
One for the Money
One Perfect Summer
One Small Thing
The One that I Want
One to Hold
One True Thing
One Week Girlfriend

2

Dark Soul, Vol 2
Miranda’s Second Choice
Second Chance Boyfriend
Second Grave on the Left
Texas Two Step
Twice Bitten
Twice Tempted
Two for the Dough
Two Roads
Two Weeks Notice

3

Dark Soul, Vol 3
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Three Years

4

Four Corners
Four Score
Fourth Grave Beneath my Feet

5

The 5th Wave
The Fifth Favor
Fifth Grave Past the Light
Five Dates
Five Miles

6

Six Brothers
Six of Hearts
Six Ways from Sunday
Sixth Grave on the Edge

7

Seven Sons
Seven Years
Seventh Grave and No Body

9

The Ninth Star

10

Ten Tiny Breaths

13

Thirteen Weddings

15

Fifteen Shades (Of Gay for Pay)

28

Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes

29

Twenty Nine and a Half Reasons

50

Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades Darker
Fifty Shades Freed

374215

Prisoner 374215

Total: 59

I may have to start taking part in more challenges on Goodreads in my groups.

Freebies at Smashwords

I’m putting my book’s Charlotte & Sebastian and Cat’s Wolf free on Smashwords if you use these codes:

Charlotte & Sebastian: AM45U

Cat’s Wolf: AX63C

The codes will be valid until the end of this month.

Happy reading!

Rating a book

How do you rate a book? Are you someone who if they enjoyed a book they give it five stars and then work the ones they liked less by so many stars? Or do you base it on a scale of your choice because it had this or that in it? Do you give out 5 stars all the time? Or save it for those extra special books that you fall in love with?

As you can see from the above image from Goodreads, I’m rather picky about giving out 5 stars and have to be blown away by the storyline and the characters. If I give a book a half star rating then I round it up instead of down which is probably why I have so many 4 star ratings.

I can’t help but wonder how others rate books so feel free to leave comments 😀

Happy New Year & New Years Resolution

First things first, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope you had a great year and read lots and lots of good books!

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I’ve decided that for this year it’s going to be to be a better blogger.

I’ve been rather bad in updating this blog over the past couple of months with my new job and Christmas getting all my attention.

I have to admit though that I haven’t really been writing much. I have two stories on the go: a sort of paranormal/police case/romance story that will likely not go anywhere but I’m enjoying writing it nonetheless, and a Bounty Hunter romance–inspired by my reading of book 1 in Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series–that may also not end up going anywhere but we’ll see.

I’m hoping to get the blog up to date soon and to keep it updated. I’ll also try and do some more author spotlight posts, where I focus on not-so-well-known authors whose stories I’ve enjoyed.

That’s it for now. Ciao!

My Love Affair with NYC is Over

So after six trips to New York over the past eight years, I think my love affair with the city is over. I think everything has been done by us that could have, apart from an actual boat ride to the Statue of Liberty but we did get on a boat and go around the island so I think that’s close enough.

This year there were a lot of road works and things happening and it made everything seem so crowded and I didn’t like it. But me and my mum did two things we hadn’t done before; we went to the Central Park Zoo and we went to The Highline.

I’ve added a few pictures I took while there:

One of Lord & Taylor’s Christmas Window displays

Warlords.com Advertisement in Times Square

A view of a painted building from the Highline Park

A snow leopard in Central Park Zoo

I also didn’t get much reading or writing done although while waiting in Manchester Airport, I got a brainwave for how to overcome the bit I was stuck on in my new writing project–the P.I. Romance–and I’ll be writing it in soon and seeing if I can finish the current chapter.

As for the reading, I only managed one and a half books–the Morganville series–and I have to admit I’m not really in any hurry to finish it as it will be hard to leave Claire, Shane, Eve, Michael and the rest of the gang for good…but I must.

Ciao for now 🙂

Tomorrow is the day

In about 7/8 hours me and my mum will be piling into our car and heading off to Manchester airport ready for our flight to New York.

Books: PACKED
Notepad: PACKED
Clothes: Erm…? lol 😛

Yeah, so I’ll be gone a week and when I get back I’m going to do my best to put this blog in order (Sorting out the side widgets and my “Read in 2014” page)

Books for Holiday

So I think I’ll be taking 5 books away with me because although we might spend a good 8 hours walking around throughout the day, we also spend quite a few hours between trips out in the hotel room.

I’m hoping to finish off Rachel Caine’s Morganville series meaning Fall of Night and Daylighters (books 14 and 15). I’m also going to take book 3 in Julie Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series, The Forever Song. And then the last two will be Gena Showalter’s Alice in Zombieland and Alice through the Zombie Glass.

Hopefully I’ll get at least three and a half books read in the 6/7 days I’ll be abroad 😀

Bad blogger/Charity shop book haul

I know that as of late I’ve turned into a terrible blogger, not writing anything for months but I can’t say much is happening on the writing front. I keep adding bits to my “on-the-go” stories but i’m not getting too far with them. I’m off on holiday soon and will be taking my trusty pad and pen with me to see if I can get inspiration for my current story–a contemporary romance–while I’m there.

* * *

In other news I’ve been quite busy in the reading department. I’m desperately trying not to buy too many ebooks as I already have about 300 on my kindle but I can’t quite say the same for paperbacks.

These are some of the paperbacks I’ve bought from local charity shops for either 25p or 50p each. Bargain! The ones on the top row are from today. I’m in book heaven 😀