Have You Bid On Your Bachelor? - by Dani Collins

Have you seen the Bachelors being auctioned off in Marietta, Montana?

Who would you bid on in real life? Being the author, I should vote for Linc, in The Bachelor's Baby, but I have to admit Kate's Ryan is my fave.

Just like anyone participating in a Bachelor Auction, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into when I signed up for this series, but it was so much fun to write this novella and work with all these authors--and meet all these bachelors! Even though a few of them showed up very reluctantly. Linc, for instance, but as he was told repeatedly, It's for a good cause.

You see, Kat's heroine, Molly, has a son, Josh, who was injured and is now in a wheelchair. She needs help so Sarah's heroine, Lily, organizes this fabulous fundraiser. My heroine, Meg, ropes Linc in and he's really not happy. Here's a snippet of his reaction when he catches up to her at the hardware store:

~ * ~

Excerpt from The Bachelor's Baby:

“Not funny,” a male voice growled behind her as Meg reached for a small box off a shelf in the hardware store.

Linc’s voice really was a turn on, all heavy and faintly abrasive, yet warm and rounded. Like good scotch, or an heirloom quilt.

He’d still been talking to Lily when Meg had left the grocery store, his neck red, his scowl a firmly fixed mask.

Meg didn’t know Lily that well, but had met her through Andie Bennet, who was made of awesome. She trusted Andie’s judgment, even though Lily was rumored to have been a stripper in another life and had only been in town a few years. Meg hadn’t lived here full-time since leaving for college and took all such gossip with a grain of salt.

Besides, despite Lily’s sometimes acerbic sense of humor, she struck Meg as the biggest heart of gold walking, especially given the fundraiser she was spearheading for Molly Dekker. Molly was another sweetheart—a kindergarten teacher and single mom whose only son had been injured last fall. Meg had genuinely wanted to help once she heard what Lily was trying to do for Molly.

The fact it had allowed her to lob another snowball in Linc’s direction was icing on the cake.

“What do you mean?” Meg asked with an innocent glance at him that actually made her heart skip as she took in his folded arms and planted feet. He was genuinely mad.

She cleared her throat and made herself face him, even though her blood stung a warning through her veins. At the same time, the worst of her girlish hormones fluttered, filling her with nervous excitement and giddy warmth.

“Why did you set that woman on me?” he asked.

“Lily? She asked me about Blake. She was disappointed to hear he’s engaged. She asked if I could think of any other eligible bachelors in town. I said I had just met a perfect one-date wonder.” Blink. Blink. Blink.

These baby blues had pulled Meg from basement cable interviews of small time activists to a relief position with a syndicated station. She wasn’t afraid to use them.

Linc was really tall. And had perfected his glower of intimidation. She privately admitted he worked that like a hot damn, but she’d made a career for herself in what was still a world heavily seeded to men. Outwardly, she didn’t falter.

“Can you tell me if these are self-screwing?” She held up the box in her hand.

His scruffed beard seemed to bristle as his jaw hardened. “Oh, you’ve got a handful of screw yourself,” he assured her.

She swallowed back a laugh, pretty sure that would get her into more trouble than she already stood in. Instead, she turned the box over in her hands. She hadn’t had this much fun in ages. “Maybe one nail would be simpler?”

“Why are you so angry?” he demanded.

“I’m not, I’m really not,” she insisted. “I think it’s funny.”

“You think tricking me into standing on a stage and have women bid on me like a stud bull is funny?”

“I didn’t think you’d agree,” she defended. “It was an impulse to mention you, since you walked right by us and you’re, I assume, single?”

He narrowed his eyes.

Seriously? He didn’t see the humor in this?

“Look, I just...” She couldn’t explain it. Not without getting into how she’d let go of something today. Found herself again. She felt cheerful and sassy. She wanted to flirt. He drew her.

But she’d made him mad.

“Come on,” she cajoled. “It’s not my fault you didn’t say no. It’s a good cause,” she tried.

“You don’t even know me.”

She had to look away. Her cheeks began to sting. She suddenly felt very gauche and juvenile. Rejection was always a tough one for her and all she’d wanted was to keep playing with him. Now he hated her.

“I’m out of practice,” she allowed quietly, genuinely sorry. “Honestly, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Practice?” he repeated. “Doing what?”

Seriously? She lifted a gaze that let him see how uncomfortable she was, while scolding him for being obtuse.

He let out a choke of disbelieving laughter. “This is you trying to get a man’s attention? Are you twelve?”

She looked away, frowning, trying to hide that her eyes began to burn along with the back of her throat. Pointing Lily at him had been meant in fun, but it was becoming personal and hurtful. She felt twelve. Hell, she felt seven, realizing for the first time what it really meant to be adopted: that your ‘real’ mom and dad hadn’t wanted you.

“Look—” she started to say, ready to apologize, but only saw his back. He was walking away.

~ * ~

Makes you wonder how The Bachelor's Baby happens, doesn't it? You can find out by clicking your preferred retailer below:

Amazon: US | Canada | UK  | iBooks | Nook | Kobo |

My fourth Montana Born novella, His Blushing Bride, will come out in May. If you'd like to be notified when it does, join my newsletter or visit me here:

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Thanks for visiting!

~ Dani

Cover story by Michelle Styles

My latest cover --Summer of the Viking (out in June) popped into my inbox the other day. Because I have little control over my covers, this moment is always one of dread and anticipation. This time, it was huge relief as I really like the cover.

I was re-doing my website (www.michellestyles.co.uk ) and happened to place it along side two of my other recent covers.

The first thing  I noticed was the colour scheme for all three was similar.  I like the sort of yellow/sunset tinge to the covers.

The second thing was the  male cover model in Saved by the Viking Warrior and  Summer of the Viking appears to be the same. Not that I am complaining. I certainly would not kick him out of bed for eating crackers. I am not sure of the model's name. Perhaps Doug Porter. Does anyone know  for definite? I am always amazed by how many models' names some romance readers know!

I happen to like the background as it does remind me very much of the area around County Durham where the story takes place.

The other cover I have seen recently is the cover for my latest UK reprint. I had thought good when I saw via the computer but when the books arrived, I was really impressed. The lettering of Regency is in gold. 

It is a reprint of An Impulsive Debutante and A Question of Impropriety.  The UK has an on going programme of reprinting Regency/Victorian novels.

Anyway the choice of colour for the dress made me laugh. Originally I had a teal blue gown of this sort in An Impulsive Debutante but my then editor found a lovely cover picture which had a rose pink gown and asked if I would changed it. The model in that cover looked quite a bit like my editor. It wasn't crucial to the story so I did. It is good to have the dress that I had originally imagined on the front (even though I have no idea how it happened!)

The above cover was designed by Becky Gibbery and I think she did a lovely job. In addition to the dress, I really like the necklace but I think it would be difficult to keep good. It looks to be seed pearls.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historicals in a wide range of time periods. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Christina Hollis—Spring Is On Its Way!

Snowdrops

In the UK, we still have to wait another two weeks until our clocks are switched to summertime. Luckily, nature doesn't know that. When the air is still and the sun is shining, my bees come out to investigate the spring flowers. The hens are laying again after their winter break, and the birds are singing before dawn.

It wasn't like that this time last year! We'd suffered an endless wet, dark winter, with major flooding. It was cold, too, and everyone was miserable. I was under pressure from a tight non-fiction deadline, and then...I got the call to submit ten pages of fiction for a workshop run by the Marcher Counties Chapter of the Romantic Novelists' Association.

My Current Release

The minute I hit that deadline, all I wanted to do was take a break, and collapse with plenty of tea and cake, so that's what I did—and used writing as my relaxation.  I turned up the central heating, and let my imagination drift away to the perfect holiday destination, all sun, sea and sand. Then I added a handsome hero with a secret, and a heroine who's tormented by career and personal disasters. The result was the opening pages of His Majesty's Secret Passion. The workshop loved it, and so did The Wild Rose Press. They published His Majesty's Secret Passion earlier this year, and it's being getting five star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. It's for sale in both ebook and paperback here, and to give you a taste of Leo and Sara's story, here's an extract...

The sea was so calm, Sara felt a wonderful sense of release. The Neroli swept across the surface like a swallow. She loved it. “You handle this boat like you were born to it, Leo.”

He seemed to find this funny. Seeing him look so happy made her heart do a little dance in her chest. The tousled man who kicked off his shoes and commanded his vessel barefoot and windblown was a world away from the sleek seducer of the night before...

Sara had a sudden crisis of conscience. She hadn’t texted her PA since the night before. Digging in her bag for her mobile, she switched it on. “Why do I get the funniest feeling I’m being watched?” she said without looking up from the keypad.

“Because you are. And there are two good reasons for that.”

 “You’re going to moan at me for checking mail when I should be taking a break.”

“That was one of the reasons.”

She guessed the other before he put it into words. “Blushing suits you, Sara.”

“It’ll look a whole lot better when my skin’s lost this pasty white colour.”

Leo clicked his tongue. “A woman like you should be sophisticated enough to accept compliments with better grace.”

“Sorry, but I don’t take orders from a guy who looks like a pirate.” She lolled back against the rail. It felt good to let the sun pour over her body. “Stop laughing, Leo.”

“If I’m a pirate, then the sea should be my only mistress. Is that what you want?”

That last-minute workshop project grew into my new Princes Of Kharova series. The next book, Her Royal Risk, is released in early April and is available for pre-order here.

How do you lift the winter gloom? There's a signed copy of His Majesty's Secret Passion for a comment picked at random after 23rd March.

Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women–when she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold nearly three million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at http://www.christinahollis.com. Her current release, His Majesty's Secret Passion, is published by Wild Rose Press, and available from them at http://bit.ly/1C0CxOU or in the UK, from Amazon at http://amzn.to/1DF99Dv.

The Perks of Being Fictional

Holly RWA '06

I posted on social media this week about July's RWA Conference.  I'm so excited that I'll be attending...I'll get to see my friends.  My kids refer to my writing friends as my 'invisible' friends.  Once when I mentioned an out of town friend, a particular child asked if they were with us now...was I talking to them?  Implying of course, that my friends are fictional.  

You'd think I'd be insulted.  But I do understand their confusion.  I've been known to talk about characters the same way.  I spend months invested in these fictional people's lives, and they do feel like friends.  As I write them, they get a bit more real and take on a bit more autonomy.  It's not unheard of to have a character do something that I totally didn't expect.  And like friends, I miss them when they're gone.

Last year, I wrote Carry Her Heart, a book about Piper and Ned—two everyday people who fell in love.  Piper has a garden that puts mine to shame.  She's forever puttering around it, adding new plants.  The rest of her house is very organized and neat, but her garden...it gives the Secret Garden a run for its money.  Ned...well, I describe him in the book as an every-man sort of guy.  He's a put-one-foot-in-front-of-the-other kind of guy.  They're just two average people who come together and find something that's anything but average.  It's magic.  When I finished the book, I realized how much I missed them both.  And then I realized...there was more story to tell.  It's not actually Ned and Piper's story.  It's someone else that you'll meet in their book.  But Ned and Piper will be a part of the new story.  I got back from vacation a week ago and I've started working on the new book.  It's like coming home...like going to a writers' conference and getting to meet up with all my 'invisible' friends.

I guess the idea of fictional (and invisible) friends seems natural to me...I grew up in books.  My first real honest to goodness crush was on a fictional character!  I reread some books so often, the characters did feel real...like friends.  I don't think I'm the only one.  Have you ever loved a character so much they feel real to you?

Holly

The Friends I’ve Met Along the Way - Kate Walker

As some of you may already know, this year I’m celebrating 30 years as a published author. It’s really a rather special occasion – and one I’m not quite sure how I got here! I was a child author,

of course!  Born with a pen in my hand and graduating to a keyboard before I could walk!    People often ask me how I managed to write so many books (63 and one on my editor’s desk  if you count the romance fictions stories--  another 2 if you take into account the  ‘How To’ books.)

The answers to that one’s easy (well – easier to answer than to managed) I wrote these books one word at a time – and that’s how I’ll continue to do so while I still want to write and people still want to buy my books.

So, last month, I received a box full of my newest book – Olivero’s  Outrageous Proposal – and if you’re one of the ones who gets hold of a copy early through the Book Club you’ll have seen that it has a very special dedication to a very special friend of mine.  My dear friend Pat who  had been a vital part of my life for 35 years lost her battle with cancer last year.  She left a huge gap – one that I will never truly fill.  Pat was one  of the very few people who knew that I was writing when I was just aiming for publication - so she and another long-term friend Noelle  have very special

places in my heart both as a writer and  a woman. But  this made me think about other friends being a writer -  friends who are an unexpected bonus  as a result of this writing life.

Because romance books are so well known all over the world,  one of the surprises that writing for Harlequin brought me was meeting up with people who read my books –and/or wrote their own – from  so many different countries.  For example - he reason I’m on this blog is because of one of those  readers. Lee Hyat came to visit my brand new web site and told me how much she enjoyed my books –  that’s always a great start!  I think she wrote first because of Constantine's Revenge  - We’ve been friends ever since.  And now here I am writing on Lee’s web site!

Regular readers of my blog will know that Michelle Reid and Anne McAllister are  writer friends pf mine – writers whose books I’ve enjoyed and then met the authors and enjoyed being with them too.   Well, actually the list of authors I now count as friends has grown too long for me to list  here – I’d only forget someone. But I do have to  mention my ‘twins’ – Holly Jacobs and Donna Alward.  We didn’t know we were twins until we met at a RWA conference. (What do you mean you can’t have 3 twins – we can!)

There’s a special place in my friends list for people who have come to my courses to learn about writing romance. Some of them  I’ve met on line – Julie Cohen, Anna Louise Lucia  and Abby Green  were all people I’d chatted with in forums or on line writers classes and  Abby came to my course at Writers’ Holiday. Now they’re all published authors with thriving writing careers behind them.

And that’s another reason why friends have been on my mind, Tomorrow   I’ll be heading to Weetwood Hall  in Leeds (UK)  to run another course – this year’s Writing Retreat.  I’ll meet up with a bunch of people who were originally students but now are affectionately known as my ‘Stalkers’!  I’ve had the great thrill and privilege  to see some of my students progress from studying writing to being successful at it – the latest student to be published had been Rachael Thomas, brand new Harlequin  Presents author. She is the 14^th of my students who has gone on to be a published writer. 

So now I’m hoping  to see another one – perhaps one of this group in Leeds – become the 15^th!  There are a couple of people I have hopes may well make it soon (fingers crossed) and that being so I’ll be delighted to in traduced them to you over on my blog.  But in the meantime I’m looking forward to spending this weekend with them – and  meeting up with some I know as friends

already and getting to know newer friends better as the weekend progresses.

Friends are important. I knew that with my dear Pat and I lost her way too soon. So I’m grateful for all the other friends – writers, readers, students . . .  I’ve made as  a result of  this writing game!  So that’s why Olivero’s Outrageous Proposal is dedicated to Pat. 

Thank you to all my friends – and to the readers out there  - too many to list – who write to me and tell me you enjoy my books.  You’re an important part of my life even if we’ve never met. And I’m so glad you’re there.

What about you? Do you have one special friend or a gang of friends?  Are your friends all close to you – or, like mine, spread out all over the country – the world. Tell me about a special friend and I’ll get my furry friend – Charlie the Maine Coon  - to pick out one comment so that you can give your friend a present of a  Kate Walker backlist book.

The 63rd book of mine  Olivero's Outrageous Proposal will be out at the end of March /early April.

And the 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance is now available on Kindle. (I hope to have some extra news about that 12 Point Guide - for people who prefer print books - very soon. Watch my blog for that.)

You can catch up with all of Kate's news on her website  or on her blog.  You can also find her on her author page on Facebook.

Spring Cleaning!

The notion of me writing about spring cleaning would without doubt have my mother spinning in her grave.  My mother could -- and did -- clean rings around me. 

But it's not just that sort of cleaning I'm talking about.  In my case, it's the cleaning off of my desk.

Last weekend I finished the very last bit of a book I have been working on for, er, ever.  And during that time I didn't really clean off my desk. I even wrote another book in the middle of the all-encompassing one, amid the mess.

Now it's time to clean off the desk.  It's a little sad (not very) because I have become used to the pictures I've tacked up on the bookshelves behind it. I've got used to reaching for the particular books and magazines and files that have helped me ground Lukas and Holly in their respective worlds. I have piles of notes and papers, many yellowing now with age, that I'm shoveling off the desk and into the wastebasket. And I will miss them, truly.

But, oh boy, I love the clean desk.

I love the space, the potential, the promise.  

This is the point at which hope is springing eternal. It's the moment when everything can go right. I'm not yet frustrated by plot points that don't seem to fit, character motivations that are, well, fuzzy.  I'm not tearing my hair and wondering if I'm going to be writing page 62 for the rest of my life.

No, I have a clean desk.

My mother would say that having a clean house is equally liberating. I have no doubt that she's right. But she never had to find homes for several thousand migratory books who don't have bookshelves to light on.  She never had piles of paper that needed filing (she wisely threw it out. Or filed it so she could find it again).  I don't doubt her. I'm just not like her.

But I love my clean desk.

This morning I opened up a new 'one note' book on my computer. I named it for a series of books I intend to work on next. Like my desk, it is pristine, unmarked. It's waiting for me to pull pictures and scraps and ideas into it. 

And like a kid anticipating the first week of school, I'm sharpening literal and figurative new pencils, labeling folders and files, lining things up, ready to start.

It's better than new year's resolutions, this clean desk, these unused files.  They make me smile.  

I saw a robin this morning.  The world is e. e. cummings mud-licious. The thermomenter reads are above freezing. The barest green tips of this spring's daffodils are just peeking out.  Spring -- with all of its promise -- is finally coming.

And there is spring in my office at last. I have a clean desk!

 

1. By Bilboq (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

2. By Kunal.vicky (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

3,  One Note, wikipedia.com

4. By Sujit kumar (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) via Wikimedia Commons

5. Kunal, ibid.

Lazy Sundays

Happy Sunday!  When I was growing up my grandfather used to say this to us every time we arrived at his house.  :)

Getting my book-geek on at the British Library!

Sundays have always been a day for lazing around and doing things just because you want to not because you have to.  For me that's reading.  Here are my top five romances of all time.  

1. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  Bobby Tom Denton is such a sexy bad boy from the very first moment we meet him, but for me it’s the heroine Gracie Snow who I really identified with.  She’s sort of plain, sort of shy and is in charge of “wrangling” this charming, sexy man who has never heard the word no.  I have never laughed so hard reading an opening of a book.

2. Lover Awakened by JR Ward.  Zadist.  The hero of this book is so captivating from the first time we meet him in the earlier novels of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  He is dark, tortured and his past is incredibly dark.  He keeps to himself, which suits him and because he’s scary everyone leaves him be.  Except Bella.  She sees past the tattoos and the scars to the man underneath and when circumstances force them alone together, they mate and fall in love.  What I love about this book was the way that Zadist fights his own love for Bella because he wants better for her.  I’ve seen that theme written before in romance novels but this books captures it perfectly.  

3. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy.  I love the dichotomy of a man who is believed to be a bit of fool but is really the a dashing hero.  I love the backdrop of the French Revolution and the fact that Percy wears a mask not only when rescuing the aristocrats from France but also in his marriage.  I’ve loved this book since the first time I read it.  

4. A Bravo’s Honor by Christine Rimmer.  Actually I love this entire series.  I read the first Bravo book back in the early 90s and have been addicted to this series ever since.  What I love about the stories is the complicated emotions that the characters go through to get to their happily-ever-after.  There is a sense of realism to the books.  These are characters I can always relate too.  And I love going back to the series and seeing some of my old favorites show up on the page each time.

5. The Best Man by Kristan Higgins.  The humiliation of being rejected at the altar sets off this story between Faith and Levi.  He knew her fiancé’s secret and didn’t tell her so she sort of blames him for the way things turned out.  There love story is sweet and complicated. I love their entire town and how community plays such a big part in this romance.

Tell me your favorite romance.  I'm giving away a Cheryl's Cookie card and winner's choice of my backlist titles on e-book to one lucky commenter.  I'll announce the winner here next week.

Kathy :)

Addison Fox: The Joy of Discovery

Much has been made over the past few years of the availability of free books. For those with ereaders, we are in an age where content is there for our perusal and enjoyment. The technology has eliminated much of the barriers to making a book free (paper and printing being the biggest) and readers are now given the opportunity to sample widely across genres they enjoy.

As you might imagine, publishers have been a bit slower to adopt the “free” curve. But even publishers have begun to come around to the idea that providing a reader an opportunity to sample an author’s work is far more effective than ads and social media posts.

Which brings me to my question today. How do you feel about free books? Do you believe they are just that – an opportunity to sample an author you’ve not tried – or do you see them as nothing more than (a) a gimmick or (b) a vast wasteland of too much noise? I’ve heard many comments over the past year that suggests readers are far more trusting of something priced at $1.99 or $2.99 than simply free.

As I say frequently, I’m a reader first. I can honestly say that this isn’t a perspective I have. I know I enjoy getting to try authors who are new to me with low risk and the potential for very high reward.

Admittedly, my question today is somewhat motivated by a new opportunity that came my way recently. My publisher, Entangled, has priced my book TEMPTING ACQUISITIONS free for the month of March. If you’re so inclined, download away!

Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Acquisitions-Entangled-Indulgence-Boardrooms-Billionaires-ebook/dp/B00DXJOE70/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1425643563&sr=1-1&keywords=tempting+acquisitions

Nook:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tempting-acquisitions-addison-fox/1114112544?ean=9781622660018

Thanks for joining me today.

XOXO,

Addison

Despite early ambitions of being a diver, a drummer or a doctor, Addison Fox happily discovered she was more suited to life as a writer. She lives in Dallas and - thankfully - doesn't have to operate on anyone. You can find her at her home on the web at www.addisonfox.com. Her latest book, SILKEN THREATS, is out now from Harlequin Romantic Suspense. You can visit her at her website at www.addisonfox.com

BIRD BY BLUEBIRD

When I was making my bed today, I kept hearing something like a branch hitting one of the windows–only there was no wind and no branch for that matter. Living in our house, stuff like that isn’t unusual, but since it was cleansed for good several months ago, my first thought was “They’re back.” (Yep, it's haunted, and I don't want to talk about it.)

So I ignored the noise and kept at it, but the noise kept at it too. I’d just finished arranging too many pillows on the bed when I gave up and looked at the window to see the culprit–an adult male blue bird. A major miracle considering the crazy cold weather here in Charlotte; although it was 70 degrees here today. (Don't hate me. It's supposed to be in the 30's tomorrow.)

I have a group of author friends. We call ourselves Panera Bread Babes (or Bitches depending on the day.) We get together at, you guessed it, our local Panera Bread about once a month and talk about the crazy publishing industry.

The fact that minute you’re soaring and the next minute you’ve looked at last week’s sales on Amazon’s Author Central and you’re plummeting to the ground.Then you’ll get another good review or an email or Facebook post from a happy reader, schedule a couple of book club appearances, or look at those darned sales again when you swore you wouldn’t and WALLAH! They’re up again. It’s hard to stay on an even keel in real life as it is, but throw in the complications and joys that come from a foray into creating and selling imaginary worlds and it’s next to impossible.

As I stood at my bedroom window watching that tenacious little fellow I was sure he was trying to tell me something, and then it hit me. The metaphor isn’t about me. The poor bird had nearly wracked himself silly trying to make his point and it had nothing to do with luck or happiness.The point is that he keeps trying.

I think that little blue bird was meant to remind you and me that whether you’re self-published or traditionally published or trying to sell your first novel, the only way any of us will get where we want to go is to keep fluttering our wings and believe that one day the window will open.

So aspiring writers, I want to help you by giving away three copies of this fabulous little book with tips from bestselling authors! Just comment below to enter.

CJ Carmichael: Take The Audible Quiz…Please!

Since you like to hang out at Toteblogs I already know two things about you. First, you like to read. And second, you read fiction, including romance and women’s fiction. (For the record, so do I. I also like to write aforementioned books.) Today, with your indulgence, I’d like to find out a little more about you. Like, do you also enjoy listening to recorded stories? And if so, how much?

This isn’t just idle curiosity on my part. On April 7 my 5 book series, the Carrigans of the Circle C is going to be available on Audible. (In fact, you can preorder now.) I’m pretty excited about this, but it’s also a sign of the times, isn’t it? 

When I was a kid, if I wanted to read a story, I had to do so with a book. Now we have the choice of eBooks and recorded books, depending on preference. I know I’m open to all 3 formats of stories, but I’m curious about You. So please take the following quiz and list your responses in the comments section. (I will be offering inducements, of course, to be mentioned later...)

1.       Do you listen to recorded stories

A.      Often, at least one story a week

B.      Occasionally, about one a month

C.      Infrequently, a few times a year

D.      Never

2.       What technology do you use to listen to recorded stories (List all that apply)

A.      I’m  a member of Audible.com (an Amazon company)

B.      I buy my stories from iTunes

C.      I buy stories on CDs

D.      Other—please tell me where else you find them!

3.       How much are you willing to pay for a recorded story?

A.      If it’s a story I’m really interested in, I pay the going rate

B.      I have a price point I won’t go above.

C.      I am a member of Audible and have a free credit every month and rarely buy more than that.

4.       When do you listen to recorded stories?

A.      When traveling in the car/bus/train

B.      While exercising

C.      While doing chores

D.      When I’m relaxing

5.       Do you find quizzes like this

A.      Enjoyable

B.      Annoying (Luckily you caught me in a good mood today.)

THE END

To thank you for taking this quiz I’d like to remind you that I have a free book available for Kindle, iBooks, Nook and Kobo…you can find the links here: http://cjcarmichael.com/books/daughter.php#order

Also, if you include your email in your comments you’ll be entered for a 3 month gift membership to Audible (valued at $45).