Saturday, May 30, 2015

Favorite Summer Vacation Spot!

Hi, writer friends! Today I'm jumping in on the Favorite Summer Vacation Spot Blog Hop. I haven't done a blog hop in probably three years or so, but some of my fave bloggers are hosting it, and I love vacays, so there you are :) See host blogs below for the linky list if you want to visit more and get some wander lust going!

So, disclaimer: I can never choose just ONE of anything. Therefore, I'm gonna cheat and do a past, present, future version. All pics below were taken by me.

Past: Tuscany

It's a really tough decision, and a big toss-up between a Denver trip with my BFF, and Paris, but I'm going with Tuscany on this one. I stayed in Florence, and took a day trip to a winery up in the gorgeous hills outside the city. I'm really big into wine and food, so that's probably why this one wins. I hiked around the quaint country roads around the winery with a delightful guide who picked fresh herbs for us, and later had an amazing four course meal with about a dozen people in the home of a local woman. A sun-soaked, glorious day.






Present(ish): Seattle

In July my son and I are going to Seattle for a week! It has been at the top of my domestic travel list for a very long time, so I am totally stoked to finally be going. Not only does it seem a beautiful, hip city, but it's the setting of my debut novel, Martinis with the Devil, that's coming out this year! It's going to be an epic trip. Photos to come!

Future: Ireland

Ireland has been near the top of my international trip list for a long time. I have Irish heritage, and just really connect with Irish music, and castles, and gorgeous green hills and ocean. I'm hoping to go next year. Fingers crossed!

I truly love to travel, and won't be satisfied until most of the world has passed beneath my feet. Check out my Pinterest board for more of the places I want to go.


To see more vacation blog posts, hop over to any of the host sites below. Try not to get too carried away with wanderlust! TTFN!

"My Favorite Summer Vacation Spot" Blog Hop is sponsored by Summer Reads that Thrill & Chill!



Monday, May 18, 2015

Novelette Finished! Help Me Pick a Title

Hi, friends! In my last post I announced that I'm self-pubbing my second novel, Martinis with the Devil, this November. As part of the ramp-up to the big release day, I'm writing a couple novelettes with the same characters. And yesterday I finished the rough draft of the first one! Huzzah!

I'm pretty pleased with it overall. It needs a ton of editing, but I'm really happy with how it ended up. My muse threw a surprise twist into the climax that I wasn't expecting, as I was in the middle of writing it. Love it when that happens! And the final scene wrapped up nicely too.

So! I need to pick a title so I can get my cover artist going on the design. I was hoping to find something jazzy and fun continuing with my alcohol theme (doesn't have to be a martini, but something). I usually make a list of keywords that represent imagery or themes from the book, and then play with those. And this novelette is set in Rio de Janeiro, so I want to reflect that somehow. These are the three contenders:

Tequila Moonrise
Revenge on the Rocks
Black Magic Tango

**Late entry: Black Magic and Mojitos** New fave I think!


The last one is my favorite. I think it sounds appropriate for the urban fantasy genre, has a Latin flare, and also sounds fun and sassy like Martinis with the Devil. But no cute drink reference or pun.

What do you think? What's your favorite? Any additional contenders to throw into the ring?

TTFN!