Sneak Peek Sunday Returns!

Sneak Peek Sunday is back and I'm very happy to participate once again. Today I've got six paragraphs from book one in my Left at the Altar series, HER BEST MAN. Here's a blurb:

Sarah Stevens experiences a bride's worst nightmare; being dumped at the altar.  When she goes on the Caribbean cruise meant to be her honeymoon in order to lick her wounds, she discovers her ex-fiance has sent his brother, Will Marshall, the former best man, on the cruise as well.  Everyone on board thinks they're newlyweds, and Sarah is too embarrased to set them straight.  How is she supposed to share a tiny cabin with a man she barely knows?  Even worse, how is she supposed to pretend that she and Will are on their honeymoon?  Sarah discovers the best man for her really is the best man.

Purchase HER BEST MAN from Uncial Press

And here's a sneak peek:

“What the hell are you doing here?” Sarah demanded, clutching the top of her towel with both hands.  The gesture only succeeded in hiking the towel a little higher up her thighs.  She didn’t know which end to hang on to.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Brad’s brother said, a hint of amusement, and an equal measure of annoyance in his voice.  “I thought you didn’t like boats.”

“It’s called a ship and I changed my mind.  I thought I was entitled to a vacation after what I’d been through.”  Whether it was getting dumped at the altar or being taken advantage of by her family, Sarah wasn’t sure.  Either one applied.  Her heart lurched at her next thought.  “Is Brad with you?”

“No, Brad’s in Ottawa, looking for you.”  Will sighed and ran his hand through his hair.  “Yeah, I’d say you were entitled to a vacation.”  He set his duffle bag on the floor and took off his backpack. “Brad gave me his ticket.  He didn’t figure you’d show.”

Sarah lifted her chin and stared defiantly at Will.  "I guess that goes to show how little he understood me."  Another thought suddenly occurred to her.  "What do you mean Brad gave you his ticket?  I thought the tickets weren't transferable."

Will grinned, his smile slow and incredibly sexy, and Sarah could have smacked herself for noticing how attractive he was.  "Luckily our passport photos look amazingly similar.  They really should do something about the security on this boat."

I hope you enjoyed this peek at HER BEST MAN. For more great sneak peeks, check out http://sneak-peek-sunday.blogspot.ca/ See you next time!

Making New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! The New Year is a time for new beginnings, and of course, for resolutions. In addition to my usual resolutions about losing weight and going to the gym more often, I’m also working on a whole set of resolutions, or goals, related to my writing. I’m trying to set deadlines for the completion of projects, decide what new projects I want to begin this year, and what actions I’ll have to take monthly and daily to reach my goals. I’d like to share with you a few things to consider this second day of January when you are either creating resolutions or already breaking them.

1. Smart Goals – In the world of goal setting, S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (or Tangible). Working within these guidelines helps you to create goals that aren’t vague (I want to lose 20 pounds in six months rather than I want to lose weight) or unrealistic (I’m going to run in the New York marathon this year, although I’ve never run before!). They help make you accountable because you’ve set deadlines to achieve these goals and you’re measuring along the way to see if you’ve made headway in reaching your goal.

2. Write them down - Sonia Ricotti of Lead Out Loud Inc. says thinking about our goals isn’t enough. Putting them down on paper dramatically increases our chances of achieving them.

3.  Say it Loud and Proud - Once you’ve made your S.M.A.R.T. goals, and written them down, read each goal out loud. As you read, pay attention to your thoughts about your goal. If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts such as “I’ll never lose fifty pounds”, you may be sabotaging yourself. You don’t always accomplish what you want; you accomplish what you believe you can. By becoming aware of negative thoughts, you can focus on shifting them to positive, empowering thoughts (“I can lose weight and keep it off!”). Doing so increases your chances of reaching your goal.

4. Visualize your success – In 1988 Elizabeth Manley was a Canadian figure skater set to compete at the Olympic games in Calgary. I read a story about her in which she said she did daily visualization exercises. She saw herself performing her routine from beginning to end. When she could finally visualize herself performing every spin and jump to perfection, without any mistakes or falls, she knew she could do the same at the Olympics. And she did, winning a silver medal for Canada that year. Visualizing what success feels like helps to keep us motivated and helps us to reach our goals faster.

5. Plan for success – What steps do you need to take to achieve each goal? Who do you need to contact? What do you need to do? Write out an action plan for each goal, breaking it down into smaller, daily, weekly and monthly to-do tasks.

While you’re creating goals, think about what you really want in life. I read this column in my local newspaper, and it got me thinking. Ask yourself what things you want more of, and what you want to eliminate from your life in 2014. Here’s a ‘more’ list:

- I have always wanted to…
- I really like to…
- I want to do more of…
- Who do I want to be in ___ years?

And here’s a ‘less’ list:
- Things I want to do less of…
- Things I never want to do again…
- Situations I want to avoid…
- I want freedom from…

So Happy 2014 everyone! Let’s make this our year to live the lives we dream of!

Seven Lines from Her Best Man #MFRWhooks

Happy New Year! I'm starting off 2014 with the release of the third book in my Left at the Altar series. ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID releases from Uncial Press on  January 17, 2014. Yay!

Today I'm giving you a sneak peak at  the first book in the series, HER BEST MAN. Here's the blurb:

Sarah Stevens experiences a bride's worst nightmare; being dumped at the altar.  When she goes on the Caribbean cruise meant to be her honeymoon in order to lick her wounds, she discovers her ex-fiancé has sent his brother, Will Marshall, the former best man, on the cruise as well. Everyone on board thinks they're newlyweds, and Sarah is too embarrassed to set them straight. How is she supposed to share a tiny cabin with a man she barely knows? Even worse, how is she supposed to pretend that she and Will are on their honeymoon? Sarah discovers the best man for her really is the best man.

Here's seven lines from the opening of HER BEST MAN:

Suddenly Brad’s face turned an alarming shade of red. “I can’t do this.” He stepped away from Sarah. “I’m sorry, but I can’t marry you.”

For a second no one moved or made a sound or even breathed. Then everyone began talking at once. Isabelle Stevens jumped to her feet. Sarah’s mother had appeared high-strung when Will met her last night, but now her strings had completely snapped.

“What do you mean you can’t marry Sarah? We’ve got dinner waiting for a hundred guests at the hotel. Sarah’s cousins flew in all the way from Vancouver. I had an ice sculpture of two lovebirds made for the head table. Do you know how much an ice sculpture costs? You have to get married!”

Brad backed away from the wild-eyed woman. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Stevens.”

“Sorry? You’re sorry?” She advanced on Brad. “I’ll give you sorry.”

Before anyone could react, Isabelle Stevens slipped off her high-heeled shoe and began whacking Brad with it. “How dare you humiliate us this way? How am I going to explain this to anyone?”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Stevens. I didn’t mean to hurt you or Sarah. Ow,” Brad cried, as the pointy heel of her shoe hit him in the chest.

HER BEST MAN can be purchased from Uncial Press, Amazon and other major e-retailers.

Today I'm also at Contemporary Romance Cafe. You can read about how this series almost didn't get written at all. I hope you enjoyed my sneak peak. Join me for more book hooks in the future!

In Winnipeg at Christmas

This poem was written by a British lady named Rose Fyleman who was visiting Winnipeg in the 1930s. A friend took her around town to see the sights; the Fort Garry Hotel for tea, the statue of Queen Victoria in the park, the policemen wearing their buffalo hide coats. And she was enchanted with it all. This poem always reminds me to quit complaining about the snow and the cold and the shoveling and to just enjoy the beauty of the season. Merry Christmas everyone!

In Winnipeg at Christmas

In Winnipeg at Christmas there's lots and lots of snow,
Very clean, and crisp and hard
And glittering like a Christmas card
Everywhere you go;
Snow upon the housetops, snow along the street,
And Queen Victoria in her chair
Has snow upon her stony hair
And snow upon her feet.
In Winnipeg at Christmas they line the streets with trees-
Christmas trees lit up at night
With little balls of coloured light
As pretty as you please.
The people hurry past you in furry boots and wraps;
The sleighs are like a picture book,
And all the big policemen look
Like Teddy Bears in caps.
And oh! The smiling ladies and jolly girls and boys;
And oh! The parties and the fun
With lovely things for everyone-
Books and sweets and toys.
So, if someday at Christmas you don't know where to go,
Just pack your boxes up I beg,
And start at once for Winnipeg;
You'll like it there I know.

- Rose Fyleman

Naughty and Nice Blog Hop!

Welcome to my blog! Thanks for stopping by and participating in the Naughty and Nice Blog Hop! The Grand Prize Is A Kindle Fire HDX 7” plus books to go on the winner's new Kindle! In addition, there will be prizes of ebooks at various participating blogs. Winners of items that need to be shipped (such as the Kindle) must reside in the US or Canada to be eligible, but anyone anywhere can win an ebook. Check it out here:
http://safariheatbooktoursandauthorservices.blogspot.com

There are four ways to enter the grand prize giveaway: Leaving a comment on this post, following my blog, liking me on Facebook, or following on Twitter. You don't have to do all four, but they increase your chances of winning. Once you have followed or liked, let us know in the comment box below so you are eligible to win!
Here's an example:
Name: Carey Abbott
Email: careydoucet@yahoo.com
Comment: Great Post
Twitter: Followed
FaceBook: Followed
Blog: Followed
Country You Live In: United States

I'm in the nice category with a trio of spicy novels about getting left at the altar, living through the humiliation and learning to trust in love again. I want to tell you about my three heroines from this series and their feelings about the holiday season.

Just like me, my characters from my Left at the Altar series love Christmas. Sarah Stevens, from HER BEST MAN, decorates her tree by December 1 every year. Every year she visits craft fairs to buy unique, handcrafted ornaments and decorations. Each ornament on her tree means something to her. There’s the little lady dressed in a ball gown made with pink and white beads that reminds her how much she loved to dance as a child, how much she still loves to dance. She loves the Christmas ornaments made from egg cartons, pipe cleaners and glitter that her grandmother made when she lived in the nursing home. They may be tacky but she'll never throw them out. Then there there’s shepherd she made in a long ago ceramics class that makes her smile every Christmas when she unwraps it. Luckily for her, she meets someone who understands how important traditions are to her. 

  

Olivia Taylor from THERE GOES THE GROOM was an only child and her parents’ marriage was strained. So Christmas at her house was often a quiet, tense day when she was a little girl. When she met Tony at the age of eighteen, everything in her life changed, including the way she felt about the holidays. She was introduced to his large, boisterous, loving family, and Christmas became a time of family and food and fun. She loved it. She loved shopping for gifts, baking Christmas cookies, and going to Christmas mass with Tony’s parents, brothers and his sister Dani. But when Tony left Olivia at the altar, she not only lost the love of her life, she lost a loving family, and a beautiful Christmas celebration. She became determined to create her own happy Christmases, even if Tony was no longer in her life. During the eight years she was separated from him, she made new traditions for herself, like volunteering at a soup kitchen and delivering Christmas hampers to needy families. The memory of those wonderful Christmases with the Dipietros inspired her to be a better person.

Dani Dipietro from ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID was raised in a large Italian family with six older brothers. Christmas was a big deal in her family. When she was a child, her mother baked and cooked for weeks before Christmas for the endless stream of guests – extended family, friends and neighbors – who visited over the holidays. Dani loved it. She loved getting together with family, and being with friends. Christmas was perfect, except for one thing – the eating. Dani loved to eat as much as she loved Christmas. By the time she was eighteen, she was fifty pounds overweight. The only boys she seemed to attract were ones who wanted to take advantage of her in some way. She was afraid she’d never find the kind of loving relationship her parents had. Fast forward ten years. Tired of the way she looks, she decides some drastic action is in order. And when she least expects it,

love walks into her life.

Before you go on your merry way to the next blog, I hope you'll take time to enter my contest. For your chance to win an e-copy of the second book in the series, THERE GOES THE GROOM, answer at least one of the questions here, based on the blurbs and excerpts on my website - just click the title to go there. You'll get one entry for each answer. Email your answers to me at jana.richards@hotmail.com  BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS! I'll choose one winner at random on December 17. Here are the questions:

1. In the excerpt from ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID, what does Zach do when Dani arrives at the house?

2. In HER BEST MAN, where does Sarah go after she gets dumped at the altar?

3. What is Olivia's fiance's name in THERE GOES THE GROOM?

You can also enter my contest by leaving a comment and telling me your favorite thing to do over the holidays. Email me with your answer at jana.richards@hotmail.com  but be sure to leave an email address! Happy Holidays!

To continue hopping, go back to the Blog Hop List. 

25 Days of Christmas at The Wild Rose Press

My family's Christmas food traditions are featured today at The Wild Rose Press Blog. "Christmas Eats" is about my food memories of Christmas, and happy childhood memories. I hope you'll join me!

And while you're there, enter the draw to win a $25 TWRP gift certificate. Every day from December 1 to Christmas Day, December 25, someone will win a $25 TWRP gift certificate in a Rafflecopter draw. Enter often for your chance to win!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cyber Monday Specials at Untreed Reads!

Today is Cyber Monday, the day of sales on the Internet! Uncial Press will be offering all of our titles for 50% off in the Untreed Reads Store (and only there) from midnight Pacific Standard Time Sunday (12 am PST) until 11:59 pm PST on Monday.

During those 24 hours, there will also be timed specials:

- 12 am - 4 am: EARLYBIRD coupon special (extra 10% off) all Uncial Press titles

- 4 am - 10 am: Additional 10% off selected Uncial Press romances (listed on their site - including my contemporary romance, "A Long Way from Eden")

- 10 am - 12 pm: Selected Uncial Press fantasy titles for $1.99 each (listed on their site)

- 12 pm - 2 pm: A Strange Little Band FREE!

- 2 pm - 4 pm: Additional 10% off selected Uncial Press mystery & suspense titles (listed on their site)

- 4 pm - 6 pm: Selected Uncial Press western & thriller titles $1 each (listed on their site)

- 6 pm - midnight: any holiday themed title (including Halloween) for $1.99

Untreed Reads' timed specials are listed below:

- 12am PST - 4am PST: Save an extra 10% off with coupon code EARLYBIRD.

- 11am PST - 12pm PST: Grab a free copy of Caught Dead in Philadelphia by Gillian Roberts

- 12pm PST - 1pm PST: Each story in Season 1 and Season 2 of Space: 1889 & Beyond will be $1.00 each.

- 1pm PST - 2pm PST: Buy Rose of the MIsts and A Rose in Splendor by Laura Parker and get The Secret Rose by Laura Parker free.

- 2pm PST - 3pm PST: Buy Blood Money by K.J. Janssen and get Fatal Dose by K.J. Janssen for free.

- 3pm PST - 4pm PST: Save an additional 10% off all Childrens and Young Adult titles published by Untreed Reads.

4pm PST - 5pm PST: Get Barbara Metzger's Father Christmas for $1.50.
ALL TIMES ARE PACIFIC STANDARD


Uncial Press titles don't go on sale often, so take advantage of this great opportunity! Again, the link to the Untreed Reads Store is http://store.untreedreads.com