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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Book Tour: All Shook Up Guest Post and Excerpt

Hi Everyone!

Just stopping by with the second part of the information for the All Shook Up Blog Tour! I am excited to have both a guest post from Chelsey and an excerpt from the book to share with you today! I will post the review first and then the excerpt. Enjoy! :)

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 So, I get asked pretty often, “When do you get the time to write?”

This is an understandable question. My life is pretty friggin busy.

I’m a mom to two kids, ages 4 and (almost) 6.
I work part time as a nurse case manager at specialist’s office.
I’m active in my community, and keep in touch with a local mom’s group regularly.
I take my kids to library programs and parks and on mini-field trips. 
I keep a pretty clean house and try to cook most of my meals at home.
I love DIY projects, and almost always making something.
I generally have 2-3 books on the go, at any given time.
I’ve just published my second novel, and am starting to write my third.
And on top of it all, there’s the usual household chores like laundry and dishes, getting kids ready for school, doctor’s appointments, playdates, family functions, birthday parties, bbqs with friends and catching up on favorite tv shows with my husband.

God. I’m exhausted just by writing that list!

But.

At the end of the day, when the house quiet, and everyone is asleep, that’s when I unwind, have a glass of wine, and write.

I’m a total night owl. I love being up at night; I feel good at night. It’s the time of day when I feel the most alive. I’m my most creative and vibrant self when it’s dark out.

At night, there are no distractions. Well, except for maybe Pinterest. And YouTube. And podcasts. BUT, I really respond well to challenges, and challenge myself to no tv shows or YouTube until I get my writing done for the night. But you get the idea. Once I commit to it, I can dive into my writing and not come up for air for hours.

Consequently, I usually stay up TOO late, and feel like butt the next day.
I need to work on that, because I don’t really enjoy being a “I-hate-everyone-give-me-coffee-now” sort of person. And, I imagine that people don’t really like it when I become her either. I really should invest in a timer or something. It wouldn’t be so bad if I just worked until 11 PM or something. As it stands, I’m usually up till 1 AM, and then get up with kids around 7 AM. Anyway. I digress.

Now, it might seem that by writing novels, I’m just adding to my mountainous “to-do” list pile. I mean, who writes 300 page essays just for fun? Writers really are weird creatures.

And while I admit that I do need to go to bed earlier, and I can’t even quantify how much time it takes me to write a book (6 months or so, maybe?), I think that me finding a consistent time of day to do what I love most has been a pretty amazing thing.

As parents (moms, in particular) we put so much of ourselves into our family and friends that there’s often little left for ourselves. When you have children (young children, especially), it can be hard to find time to go pee alone, let alone pursue your own interests!

That’s why I think it’s so important that I write. And, dear reader, that you also find something that brings you joy. It could be anything. Reading books. Painting. Photography. Learning a new language. Learning about car mechanics or space exploration or knitting or archaeology or taking karate classes. Whatever. It doesn’t matter what it is, just so long as it’s something that interests you, makes you curious, makes you happy. And, though I’m no expert and can’t quote any studies that support this idea, I imagine that this is GREAT for one’s mental health.

Writing is something I do just for myself, for my enjoyment, and it’s a bonus if other people like what I write too. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do, something I KNEW I was meant to do from the time I was 8 years old.

Writing is like my therapy. Sometimes it’s cathartic, soothing. It releases something in me. Sometimes it tickles me and makes me laugh out loud. Other times it’s hard and difficult and wonder why I’m doing it in the first place. (Usually, those end up being the best chapters). And I’m so glad that 3 years ago, I sat down at my laptop, without really knowing what I was doing, and just started.

So please, if there’s something you really want to do, go to it! Even if you’re afraid or don’t think you have enough time or talent. I’m not saying you’ll succeed at it, or make any money at, or whatever. You don’t’ have to become a karate expert or famous photographer or bestselling author. Just go do it for the sheer joy of being a living, creative, curious human being.

As additional homework, if you’re interested in exploring the subject of creativity, fear, and how they’re connected, read “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love), and her “Magic Lessons” podcast. It’ll blow your mind!

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Excerpt:


“Casey, this is a terrible idea,” I hiss.
“Shh, they’ll hear you,” he whispers.
“It’s illegal to impersonate an officer, you know.”
“Only if we get caught.”
I tug at my pants, which have a baggy butt and an uncomfortably tight waistband. Whoever designed these should be fired. “Where did you find these uniforms anyway?”
He knocks on the door. “The police station. Oakes got them for me.”
“What?” I yelp. “Constable Oakes knows about this?” I lean against the side of the house, my heart pounding. “We’re totally going to jail.”
“We are not going to jail,” Casey says quietly. He knocks a bit louder on the door.
“Didn’t Oakes ask what you were using them for?”
Casey pauses. “Oakes and I have a, uh, understanding,” he says.
Muffled footsteps sound from the other side of the locked door. Casey whips his aviator glasses down over his eyes.
“Okay, Thrift Shop Girl, game face.”
He immediately adopts a stern, don’t-fuck-with-me expression. I try to do the same.
I hope I don’t giggle.
The gray, scraggly curtains are drawn on the door’s window, and I see a distorted face behind the frosted glass. A moment later, the deadbolt turns over.
I’m holding my breath. For some reason, an enormous laugh builds in my chest. It feels like there’s a beach ball stuck under my ribs, slowly inflating with air. If I don’t let it out soon, I’m sure I’ll explode.
Casey elbows me playfully. I nearly lose it.
The door opens, revealing a man with leathery skin and white tufts of hair just above his ears. He’s smoking a cigarette and wearing a threadbare robe.
“What do you want?” he asks, looking supremely bored.
Shit. He doesn’t look intimidated by us at all. I rub my sweaty palms over my pants. We are so busted. Casey expertly flashes a badge.
Where did he get that? It looks pretty real, all shiny and official looking. Surely Oakes wouldn’t give him a real badge for our little project?
“Good evening, sir,” Casey says. “I’m Constable McGuire. I have a few questions I’d like to ask. Is now a good time?”
Ugh! What’s my cop name? We never discussed this!
Robe Man takes another bored drag on his cigarette. “Now’s as good a time as any.”
Casey smiles at him encouragingly. “Thank you, sir. We’ll just need a few moments of your time.” 
I glance over at Casey. He’s the picture of quiet authority, confident and unruffled.
He lifts up a black clipboard and starts flipping through some typed-up papers, complete with fancy-looking RCMP letterhead.
“Are you the owner of this house?” he asks.
Robe Man nods. “Yep.”
Casey flips through the papers as if looking for something. “A mister…Frank Bailey?”
“The one and only.” 
Casey asks him if he used to live at such-and-such address.
Frank narrows his eyes. “Yes. Well, technically I never lived there. I rented it out. What’s this all about?” 
Casey nods. “We’re looking for a missing person, a lady named Nancy Carlyle.”
Casey and I look up at Frank in unison.
I hold my breath. This is it, the moment I’ve been waiting for. Maybe he’ll know exactly who Nancy is and this stressful, highly illegal, OMG-I’m-so-scared-I-could-puke day will have been worth it.
I bet they were buddies. He probably knew her for years. Maybe they were even lovers! Oh my…could Frank be my dad? I scrutinize him a bit more.
Leathery skin. Long, wispy eyebrows. Bad fashion sense.
Shit. Is this my future? Am I going to have long, wispy eyebrows someday?
Frank shakes his head. “Never heard of her.”
Phew. Dodged a bullet there.
But then the realization hits me. He doesn’t know who Nancy is.
Casey takes his aviators off and tucks them into his front pocket. “We have reason to believe that Miss Carlyle lived at that address at one time.”
Frank lifts his hand in an evaluative gesture. “It’s possible. A lot of people lived there.”
“How many do you estimate?” I hear myself ask.
Frank looks at me as if he’s noticed me for the first time.
“It’s hard to say. Too many to remember. I’ve been renting it out since the mid-eighties.” Since the eighties? Damn. No wonder it looks a bit, umm, used.
“Did you keep any records?” Casey asks. “Renter’s agreements? That sort of thing? Anything that might give us a list of names of who’s lived there before?”
Frank rolls his eyes and turns down the hall, one hand waving over his shoulder. “Follow me,” he says.
Casey and I hesitantly step into the entryway. A cold prickle of fear washes over my whole body.
“Is this even legal?” I whisper. 
“Of course not,” he replies.
“But don’t we need a warrant or something?”
Casey briefly squeezes my shoulders in a side hug.
“Just roll with it.”
I bite my thumbnail and follow Casey and Frank down the hall and into the basement, alarm bells ringing madly in my head.
Okay. There’s no need to panic. Casey looks pretty capable. I think he could take Frank, or whatever creepy things might be in the basement.
We descend a flight of rickety, open stairs to a depressing unfinished basement. Frank ambles across the room and pulls a chain that leads to a single light bulb.
“Just a minute,” Frank grunts while sifting through a lumpy pile in the corner.
The main room – or what I can see of it, anyway – is filled to the gills with junk. Normally I like old junk, but there isn’t anything of merit here. Just stacks of outdated newspapers, piles of dirty laundry, and dusty couches piled with odds and ends that were set there once and never moved.
Casey stands straight as an arrow behind Frank, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. My own personal brick wall. I smile at him and mouth the words, Thank you.
He nods imperceptibly and turns his attention back to Frank. I’m glad Casey is here with me, even if the cops are going to haul our asses to jail.
Eventually Frank whirls around, still carrying his lit cigarette loosely between his lips, and plops an overflowing file organizer at Casey’s feet.
“Here you go,” he says. “Have fun.”
An annoyed expression crosses Casey’s face. “What do you expect me to do with that?” he asks, his accent showing more. I wonder briefly if his accent is stronger when he’s caught off guard or stressed.
Frank starts to climb the stairs, wheezing as he hauls himself up each step.
“Do whatever you want with it,” he rasps. “Everything in there is at least ten years old or more. Burn it, shred it, use it as ass wipe, I don’t care. It’s your problem now.”
I pick up the organizer, and we follow Frank upstairs. Adrenaline races through my veins, the boom of blood in my ears yelling Get out, get out, get out! with every heartbeat. A swell of relief floods me as soon as I step through the front door and take a breath of fresh air.
Casey turns around, in pseudo-cop mode again.
“Thank you for your cooperation, sir. You’ve been most–”
The door slams in our faces.
“–helpful.”
Casey and I stare at each other for a moment. I look up at him, not really believing what just happened. Or, more importantly, what we’ve just got away with.
“What do we do now?” I whisper.
He tugs my elbow and starts heading toward his truck that he parked down the street.
“Now, my darling, we haul ass.”’
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Happy Reading! Thanks Chelsey for stopping by the blog today! 


Book Tour: All Shook Up

All Shook Up Blog Tour Promo

young woman in retro style by color umbrella - outdoors

All Shook Up By Chelsey Krause

August 29th - September 2nd 2016

Blurb:
Natalie’s world is shaken to its core when she discovers an old photo of a woman who looks like her. Could this woman be related to her birth mother, who put Natalie up for adoption as a baby? When she tracks down the person who dumped the photo album at her thrift shop, she’s shaken again. Especially when the gorgeous fire-fighting guitarist offers to help her find the owner. They quickly become friends – which is all they’ll be, as far as Natalie’s concerned. Her rebellious youth turned her off cheating men, and the new Natalie is looking for true love and a family of her own – something Casey isn’t willing to provide. But how long can Natalie ignore her undeniable attraction to the man with the Irish accent and the broken-down ’57 Chevy?

In Chelsey Krause’s second novel, friends become lovers over a whirlwind summer of rockabilly rhythms, twirling skirts, and a mystery that takes them hilariously far out of their element.

Buy the Book: Amazon | iTunes | Google Play

About the Author:
View More: http://rhondakrause.pass.us/chelsey
Chelsey Krause
Chelsey Krause has a thing for thrift stores and used bookshops. A nurse, wife, Starbucks addict, and mom to two children, she can often be found repurposing other people’s junk or considering whether the library would let her move in. The rest of the time, she’s reviewing for Chicklit Club or writing. All Shook Up is her second novel.

Find her here:

Book Tour Schedule:
August 29th
The Belgian Reviewer - Excerpt/Promo Post Lady with a Quill - Book Review/Guest Post
August 30th
Judging More Than Just The Cover - Author Q&A Novelgossip - Promo Post/Guest Post Hello...Chick Lit - Book Review
August 31st
He Said Books or Me - Excerpt/Guest Post Book Lover in Florida - Excerpt/Promo Post Yellow Brick Living - Book Review
September 1st
Read My Mind - Excerpt/Promo Post Books and Warpaint - Book Review/Promo Post Mystery Date With a Book - Book Review/Author Q&A Between the Pages - Book Review/Promo Post
September 2nd
Serve Me Reviews - Book Review Sylv all about books and films - Excerpt/Promo Post HEA Romance With A Little Kick - Excerpt/Book Review

Tour Arranged By:
H.C.L. (2)

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Blog Tour: For This Life Only Q&A with Stacey Kade




Hi Everyone!

Just stopping by today with a Q&A Post from Stacey Kade, author of For This Life Only. Not only is this book a great read, but I had a lot of fun asking these questions and so glad to be part of the blog tour for this book. 


Welcome, Stacey to the blog! 

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How did you become a novelist and how long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing my whole life. Little bits of things here and there. I never finished anything until I took a short story class in college. When I graduated, I worked as a copywriter for a variety of companies, but writing a book was always something I wanted to do. I love books so much!
I finished my first book—it was terrible—when I was 22 or 23. So I’ve been writing steadily for about seventeen years or so.

What is your writing process? Do you have a daily routine?
Every book is a little different and I try not to let my process be so formal or ritualized that it gets in the way. Usually I have an idea that excites me, something that I can’t stop thinking about. Much like if you hear about a book from someone else and you desperately want to track that book down to know more. I take lots and lots of notes on characters, trying to understand who they are and what they want. I can’t start until I have a pretty decent first line, and I have to have a rough idea of the ending.
My daily routine is to exercise first thing in the morning. I hate it and if I don’t knock it out right away, then I won’t do it. Then I read for a while, as that seems to help get my brain in the right space. Then, I head out to either Starbucks or Panera to write. I work better away from the house.

What inspired you to write this book and in this way?
I’m a pastor’s kid myself. It’s a unique position, growing up with a behind-the-scenes look at religion. I felt like I had a story to tell about what that was like, when church is the family business, to speak. But I wanted it to be at a crisis point rather than a more leisurely exploration of identity and beliefs because I think those crisis points are when you really need to draw on who you are and what you believe, which is made all the more difficult when you aren’t sure about either of those things.
Also, I don’t think people talk about doubt or questions or uncertainty enough. It feels like we want people to check a box one way or another and kind of neglect talking about the process by which one makes that decision.

How did your characters for this book come about and did you enjoy creating them?
Characters for me tend to show up whole cloth. In this case, Jace and Thera have been hanging around in different iterations for a while. For Jace, there was always the car accident, and Thera always had some connection to the supernatural in some way.
I always enjoy creating the characters, seeing them take life and breathe on their own. They always surprise me! Thera, to me, was particularly enjoyable because she is so angry (as she has a right to be) and she’s not afraid to show it.

Finally, is there a question that you wish an interviewer would ask that you’ve never been asked and how would you answer said question?
Do I have a favorite line in the book?
 I love dialogue so I’m always the person who has a favorite line in a movie or TV show and runs around quoting those things endlessly. And I do have a favorite line: In the argument about Sarah leaving the cap off  the toothpaste. Eli says, “Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure Jesus would have been a proponent of putting the cap back on.”
And Jace, who is reluctantly drawn into this argument, responds with: “Actually, I’m pretty sure clumpy toothpaste wouldn’t have been an issue. Son of God, water into wine and all.”  It made me laugh.



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Thanks Stacey for stopping by the blog! Happy Reading!


ABOUT FOR THIS LIFE ONLY:
A young man struggles to move forward after the death of his twin brother in this gripping, coming-of-age tale about loss, redemption, love, and the moment you begin to see the world differently.

Three minutes.

Jacob Palmer died for three life-changing minutes.

And when he woke up, nothing was the same. Elijah, his twin brother, is dead, and his family is broken. Jace’s planned future is crushed, along with his pitching arm. Everyone keeps telling him that Eli’s in a better place, but Jace isn’t so sure. Because in those three minutes, there was nothing.

Overwhelmed by guilt and doubt, Jace struggles to adjust to this new version of the world, one without his brother, one without the certainties he once relied on. And then Thera comes into his life.

She’s the last girl he should be turning to for help.

But she’s also the first person to truly see him.






ABOUT STACEY KADE:

As an award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead.

She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and two retired racing greyhounds, SheWearsThePants (Pansy) and Shutter. When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll likely find her parked in front of the television catching up on her favorite shows (Scandal, The Vampire Diaries, Almost Human, The Walking Dead, and Sherlock, among others.)

Stacey is the author of the The Ghost and the Goth trilogy (THE GHOST AND THE GOTH, QUEEN OF THE DEAD, and BODY & SOUL) and The Project Paper Doll Series (THE RULES and THE HUNT). You can find her (far too often) on Facebook and Twitter as well as http://www.staceykade.com
LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr 


Giveaway:
3 Finished Copies of FOR THIS LIFE ONLY (US Only)

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway