Category Archives: Blogging
Marie Lavender – Interview – A Little Magick
An interview on When Angels Fly! 😉
Please welcome Marie Lavender to my blog. Hello Marie, have a seat and we shall chat for a short while.
Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.
Hello! Nice to visit your blog, Mary! I am an author of twenty-four books in various genres. I’m from a small town in the Midwest. I am a thirty-something woman and I hope to marry my fiancé sometime this year. I love shopping, reading and writing!
Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?
Yes, I’ve been writing fiction in some capacity since I was nine years old. I think I always knew I wanted to be an author.
In college, I had two stories published in a university anthology. By 2010, I started the indie publishing journey, and in 2011, I submitted my first historical…
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How Shopping Correlates with Dating and Relationships: a romance blogger post by multi-genre author Marie Lavender
Not about books, but you can see how I funnel romance into my writing…
How Shopping Correlates with Dating and Relationships
I love, love, love shopping…well, for almost anything! I can never be trusted with a credit card. 😉 Most of the time I resist temptation, but now and then, especially if I have some extra money on my hands, I indulge in one of my hobbies – shopping for clothes, or even books.
Created by benzoix – http://www.freepik.com
But whether you’re browsing online or in the store, shopping for clothing items is a whole other animal. At least with a book, you can be sure you will usually end up a satisfied reader. The only issue, for me at least, might be a bunch of glaring grammatical errors, or so much head-hopping that I get fictional whiplash.
Amanda Jones, Unsplash
Shopping for clothes, however, is a different story.
Created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com
If you’re looking at stores on the internet, you have…
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Romance Novel Memories, Plus a Reader Poll!
Romance Novel Memories, Plus a Reader Poll!
Do you remember the first romance novel you ever read, or even which romance story in a film, that made you ‘swoon’?
As a child I’d always been swept away by the tales of Snow White, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. And romantic comedy movies were wonderful! While I was growing up, I savored the Mary Anne/Logan couple dynamics in The Baby-Sitters Club book series.
Being a writer and a bookworm at heart, however, I must be true to my passion. The first romance novel I remember being simply thrilled with was Annette Curtis Klause’s The Silver Kiss. I was browsing my library at school. I think was about twelve or thirteen. I had just finished two other reads, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (YA historical), and Say Goodnight, Gracie (YA fiction/drama).
I needed a change, something altogether different. And it worked well, since I’ve always been fascinated with the supernatural.
The Silver Kiss turned my fledgling romantic’s heart on its axis. It was the first paranormal romance I ever encountered, even though the title was aimed at young adults.
Sa-wooon! The chemistry between Zoe and Simon is undeniable.
Do you remember the novel that made you rethink the whole romance genre?
I recall sneaking my mom’s Harlequin books when she wasn’t around. But the year I turned sixteen, we went on vacation to Tennessee. For the first time ever while I was on break then, we stayed in a fancy cabin and I had my own room. That evening, the writing observer in me couldn’t leave the place alone. I just had to snoop! 😉
Lo and behold, there was a somewhat worn copy of Catherine Coulter’s Devil’s Embrace, tucked into a nook. I wasn’t sure if the owners meant for an occupant to have a book to read while staying there, or if a previous tenant had left it behind. I was always a bit of a night owl, so I dove into uncharted waters. I wasn’t disappointed!
Needless to say, as the novel was a true bodice ripper in style, it blew away all my expectations for a romance story. I never knew historicals could be so hot! ♥♥♥
Coulter is at fault, setting the stage for me to read slightly dark, racier reads later on. LOL.
So…what about you? Do you recall the romance books that first compelled and inspired you?
Let’s take a poll. Your answers will probably be limited in the polls, but feel free to go into more detail in the comment thread below. Tell us your history as a romance reader! 🙂
Give us more info below…
Which romance novel did you first read, and where were you at the time? Same goes for the second question.
Which novel caused you to rethink the whole romance genre?
I look forward to your responses! 😀
Conversations With Colleen: Meet Author, Marie Lavender
Hello everyone! This week I’m happy to bring you an author I’ve seen throughout social media but didn’t know. I love meeting new people so, when I asked her to pick three or four questions from my huge list HERE, she jumped right in! We all aspire to be successful authors and the best way to learn some of the tricks of the trade is to ask questions.
First, please welcome my guest, Marie Lavender.
Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 24 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. She has also contributed to several anthologies.
Her current published…
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Free Paranormal Romance!
FREE BOOK TODAY!
Hi, readers! I wanted to hop in here and announce that you can win a free copy of one of my books from the Blood at First Sight Series…
Just go to The Romance Reviews’ Year End Splash party and answer the simple, multiple choice Q&A to enter for your chance to receive an ebook copy of Blood Instincts! Yay!
Here is the event link: https://www.theromancereviews.com/event.php
The Blood Instincts giveaway is on question number 7. I don’t know if they randomize it for every site visitor, so I’m not sure if you’ll have to go hunting for it. You will need to have a free account to enter any of the giveaways on the page, but the coolest thing about this is that there are so many chances to win here!
That’s right! TRR is running this awesome event for the whole month, just with different authors donating their…
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Book Lovers Tag
I talk about my reading preferences on the I Love Romance Blog…
Here’s a fun post for all. This is a Book Lovers Tag challenge. I came across this great tag over at D.G. Kaye Writer’s blog, where she invited anyone to join in. I thought it would be exciting to jump into the challenge, as besides being an author, I love reading romance novels (hence the blog’s namesake)! So, why not?
Do you have a specific place for reading?
Mostly, I read in bed, but now and then I cart one of my books to the living room or dining room and set up shop. And if I’m feeling really adventurous (this helps if we have pleasant weather, which is never a guarantee in Indiana), then I’ll sit outside on the patio and read to my heart’s content. 😉 Now and then, I actually read on the Kindle app on my tablet, but I’m more of a paperback/hardback kind of girl. The…
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Mystery Blogger Award Nomination!
_Okoto Enigma is the creator of this award.
A FUN BLOG HOP
I’d like to thank the awesome Juneta Key at the Writer’s Gambit blog, for this nomination! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Juneta! ♥ I do have a few mystery books out and some in progress, so I’ll play. I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Juneta – such a talented lady – twice, for two books in my historical series. Here is her blog nomination. You should really check out her great blog!
The Rules:
Rule 1: Put the award logo/image on your blog. (ABOVE)
Rule 2: List the rules. (You’re Reading Them)
Rule 3: Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog. (Ronel-ABOVE)
Rule 4: Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well. (ABOVE under LOGO)
Rule 5: Tell your readers three things about yourself.
THREE THINGS ABOUT ME
Wait, I have to limit it to three?! All right, I guess I’ll try.
- I am a Libra. Contrary to popular belief about that sign, I’m neither lazy nor indecisive. The toughest issue I have with being a Libra is always seeing both sides to a problem, and only that can make me somewhat cautious about the decision. For example, deciding on a restaurant is the absolute worst for a Libra, unless I know exactly what sounds good that day. LOL.
- I am a shopaholic, especially a bargain shopper. I am crazy about online shopping, but I don’t mind going out now and then to find something either. Credit cards are my weakness, so I have to be good as much as possible. Which is hard, because I’m one of those people who loves to buy for family and friends.
- As a writer, my go-to writing subscriptions are Live Write Thrive, Indies Unlimited and A Writer’s Path. But damnit, there’s just never enough time in the day to read everything. 😉
Rule 6: You have to nominate a bunch of people (some say 5, while others say 20).
Well…okay. I’ll nominate:
- C.L. Bush (she has a great historical mystery series)
- Ashley Fontainne
- D.J. Swykert
- Margo Bond Collins
- Christopher Davis
- Rachael Stapleton (time travel mystery)
- Anyone that would like to join us, consider yourself nominated.
Rule 7: Notify your nominees. (Done.)
Rule 8: Ask your nominees any five questions of your choice, one weird or funny question.
1. Who is your favorite author and which book is your favorite?
2. If you had three wishes, what would your THIRD wish be?
3. How long have you been blogging?
4. If you could meet anyone in real life (alive, dead or even a fictional character), who would you invite to hang with on a day out in the city?
5. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? And what would your superhero or supervillain name be? Get creative!
Rule 9: Share a link to your best post.
Outside the Lines or On Perseverance or The Other Side of Our Dreams. I have three other blogs, but my author website was chosen, so I had to choose these. They are about equal in views.
ANSWERING JUNETA’S 5 QUESTIONS:
- If you could get a redo on ONE thing in your life without impunity, what would it be? I’d choose to be a little more patient with myself. Putting the pressure on constantly has only harmed me in the long run.
- If you had three wishes, what would your THIRD wish be? I think I’d prefer that we have less hate in the world. People are always talking about other haters, and it’s hard not to see the “hate” which is descending our world into chaos. Hate comes in all forms, and sometimes it even arrives in sheep’s clothing. However, true hate starts at home. So fix yourself first; evaluate and erase the hate in your own life. Be a more honest, kinder person, and then you can worry about trying to help others do the same.
- Describe your “true self” in three words. A little nutty, creative and open-minded.
- If you were a Star Wars character, who would you be? I think maybe I’d choose Luke Skywalker. Sure, he had a long, hard journey, but he usually did the right thing for everyone, including himself. And seriously?!…damn those Ewoks for being so cute! I just want to adopt one and let him baby my cats.
- If you had the opportunity to know your future, would you? Nah, I probably wouldn’t. I think it would ruin the surprise! 😉
Thanks again, Juneta, for the nomination! Everyone else, feel free to jump into this cool blog hop! 🙂
