Indie Summer Blog Hop

Where in the world!

For my stop on the Indie Tour Blog Hop today, hosted by Parajunkie Blog Tours, I’m supposed to focus on one town, so I decided to focus on one I know.

I’m from the middle of the country (my house is literally surrounded by milo fields, a cow pasture, and a dirt road), so since I’m centrally located between about four towns, I can claim a handful of places as my “hometown!”

But I’m going to talk about the biggest one: Pittsburg (no H at the end!). Located in the southeast corner of Kansas, it’s a college town that typically has around a 15,000 population count, depending on the time of year. During the school year, it can almost double. Ergo, it’s very quiet in the summer.

It’s the home of the split-face gorilla. Our university mascot is Gus, and he is the only college mascot in the country that’s a gorilla. My three-year-old is a huge fan of Gus and watches videos of him on YouTube constantly.

We’re big on our PSU football team. Our tailgate parties before games can rival that of a professional NFL team. And the week before the first game is called “Paint the Town Red,” where many merchants in the area decorate their stores in the red and gold school colors.

Pittsburg was built up by a mining community—ergo its name.

It’s surrounded by strip pits, and many of the richer crowd likes to buy ground along the pits to build their houses on, and make them look like beach-front property.

I’ve gone swimming plenty of times in one of these pits that was full of some kind of mineral used in batteries. Probably not the safest thing to do (and might explain what’s wrong with me!), and it does stain your swimming clothes awful colors, but it also means fish and other creepy crawlers can’t survive in there either, so it’s a snake-free time!

Many of the first people to settle in the area were Balkans, so every Memorial Day Weekend, Pittsburg has a Little Balkans Days Festival, with a parade and other events.

And the beer of choice here is Natural Light.  I have no idea why, but my husband has gone places far away and ordered a Natural Light with his meal, only for the waitress to say, “You’re from Pittsburg, aren’t you?”

So, that there is a brief introduction to one of my hometowns!

What's something unique about your hometown?

Other stops on today's hop are :
Cocktails and Books and
The Obsessive Reader

I made the Top 100 on Kindle's Bestseller List!

It seems to happen every time. When I have a big book milestone in my life, I also hit a big baby milestone in my life.

The same month I had my first baby, my first book, The Stillburrow Crush, was released.

And it's happened again.

The night before my kiddo started preschool, when I released her to the world, my fourteenth story, Price of a Kiss, hit the top 100 in Amazon's Kindle bestsellers list!

Miss Lydia was sooooo excited for preschool yesterday. She raced into the gate, following the other kids, before Mom and Dad could hug her goodbye! And when I went to pick her up, she begged to stay longer.  Plus she's ready to go back this afternoon.  So, I think that's a success. Fingers crossed that it lasts!

I was extremely nervous, worrying about a million and one things that could go wrong.  But it seemed fine, except for the fact that I stayed at work until the very last minute before picking her up and she was the last kid waiting for a parent to come get her. 

I felt awful, thinking that she' d probably watched all these loving mommys and daddys pick up their children while hers never showed.  Then I learned her daddy had popped in while he was working to see her when she got out of class, so he was there and gone again before I showed up.  Whew. Daddy saved the day again! 

Now I know that I have to change my work-time schedule just a couple more minutes to fit in all this dropping-off and picking-up stuff.  Thank goodness my boss was cool enough to let me come in early so I could leave early every day.

I asked her what all she did in school and she was like, "I can't think." It must have been overwhelming with so much to do. Maybe in a couple days, she'll be able to talk about it more.  But she did say, "I didn't cry," which made me feel better!

Now, onto milestone number two!

For about twenty-four hours, Price of a Kiss, was rated within the top 100 paid books in the Kindle store on Amazon's Best Sellers ranking. From around 8pm Sunday night to 8pm last night, life was awesome.

So, that's been what's up with me.

Today is my Mom's seventy-fifth birthday.  We're throwing her a surprise party (and I can tell you this because she doesn't have a computer and won't read my blog to know any better).  Lydia and I are supposed to be her distractions. We're calling her over to come visit for an hour or so while everyone else gets the party up and ready at her place.  I hope I don't mess my part up somehow!

Oh!  And I'm being interviewed on Parajunkies today about How to Resist Prince Charming.

Okay, I'll let you guys go now.  Have a great week!

***

Well, this is it. One week left until PRICE OF A KISS starts its blogging tours! So, this is my last countdown quote to share with you. Enjoy:

Price of a Kiss Trailer

Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISBHg8YQQqk

 

I don't think I've shared the trailer I made for Price of a Kiss on my blog yet, so here it is!!

 

I've actually uploaded the book on vendor sites already, which a couple of people have already figured out. Okay, a lot of freaking people have figured it out!!  I'm shell-shocked by how much readers are liking it.

 

Amazing.

 

My kiddo starts pre-school on Monday. We took her to open house last night. As soon as we stepped into the room, she was gone, introducing herself to other little kids and playing with all the toys.  She didn't once look for us. So...I'm thinking she won't have any abandonment issues! Fingers crossed.

 

 

***

 

Today is the LAST Day for the

*Sizzlin' Summer Sale*

Each of the books below are only $0.99 this week. 

His Wicked Games by Ember Casey,

Detect Me by Selma Wolfe,

April Showers by Karli Perrin,

Precious Things by Stephanie Parent,

The Modeliser by Havana Adams ,

Torrential by Eva Morgan,

Kiss it Better by Linda Kage,

Exposure by Iris Blaire,

V Club by Lexi Dubois,

The Immortality Clause (The Immortelle #1) by Abigail Hawk.

*** And that's all I have to talk about today!  Have a good weekend and enjoy a fun book!

I went to my second bow shooting competition yesterday, and got a score of 188 out of a possible 300 points. I have no idea how that rates me, but its the best I've done so far!  And I only lost one arrow in the pond. Was not going in after that thing! 

My big promos start this week.  So...right now, Kiss it Better is on sale for $0.99 and Price of a Kiss is having a giveaway for paperback copies over at Goodreads.

I think I can claim that I'm finally working on a new work-in-progress.  I'm 30,000 words into a story that will be a companion novel to Fighting Fate, so fingers crossed that I stick with it!

And that's all I have to report today.

***

Two weeks left until PRICE OF A KISS's official release date!! So, of course, here is yet another quote from Price's wonky heroine, Reese:

 

 

Why

I think the dreaded whys have started for my kiddo.

The neighbor's dog died, you see.  Well, actually, it wasn't our neighbor; it was Grandma's neighbor's dog. But since Lydia stays with my mother-in-law all day while I'm at the day job, she was pretty close to this dog.

Whenever we'd drive by their house, she'd be like "There's Sam house." or "Look!  Sam's outside." (Sam was the dog's name, though Lydia also calls Sam's owner Sam as well, though her name is really Deborah...or maybe Debra...have no clue how she spells it. Eek)

So, yesterday, I picked Lydia up after work and the first words out of her mouth were, "Sam died." I had to pause, wondering if we were talking about Sam, the dog, or Sam, the human. But, it was the dog, whew.

Grandma was liked, "Yeah. Sam's gone."

Then Lydia wanted to know where Sam had gone. We told her he was resting under the ground.

Well, where was the ground?

It's under the grass.

What's under the grass?

Dirt. Sam's going to turn into dirt and become part of the world again.

And then he's going to come back?

Well, no.  Sam's never coming back.

I bet Sam (the human) is sad.

Yeah. Debra's pretty sad right now.

But...if the prince came. He could kiss Sam and make her all better again. And then she could come back.

Yeesh. This kid tries to come up with a happy solution for everything.  And I fear she's had Snow White and Sleeping Beauty read to her one too many times, too.  But seriously, I'm sooo not ready for death talks yet.  She's only three!  Isn't she supposed to wait until she's five or six...or twelve...before asking these kinds of questions?

Her cousin who's near the same age still talks in two or three word sentences. He cries and stomps around, yelling, "Mine, mine, mine," whenever his toy is taken away from him.  Why can't Lydia still be in that stage (without the temper tantrums, of course) instead of contemplating death already?

Anyway, my proof copies for PRICE OF A KISS came in!!  And what do you know, I found an oopsie on the first page one of chapter one.  Grr.

I made Lydia do the usual pose-with-mommy's-new-book picture.  But she'd just woken up from a nap thirty seconds after the books arrived, and she was a complete crabby pants. She was cold, she wanted me to hold her, she wanted some chocolate milk, her blankie and her iPad. She did not want to take a picture with some stupid books that didn't even have illustrations or a big bad wolf in them.

So, we tried again the next night with much better results!

And that's what's been going in Linda Kage world. What's up with you guys?  And how do you handle death talks with little ones?

Upcoming Promos

I think my poison ivy is making a valiant effort to come back...and winning. After getting a shot plus a week's worth of pills to take, I do not want to go back for more. But I am getting tired of being itchy all the time.

Oh well. No time for that really.

This week seems to be my calm before the crazy promo storm. For a glimpse of what kind of things I'll be involved in for the next couple of months--starting next Monday--just glance over the list below.  Insane right?  Yeah, but hopefully it'll be fun!

What do you have planned to do in the near future?

***

AUGUST 18 - AUGUST 24

*Sizzlin' Summer Sale*

Ten books, ten dollars...for six days! To help heat this summer up, a couple Indie authors have banded together to offer one of their sizzlin' hot books for the discounted price of $0.99 this week. So mix your favorite dink, curl up with your Kindle in your favorite reading position, and get ready to soak up some sizzling hot stories! Here is what we have to offer you:

His Wicked Games by Ember Casey, Detect Me by Selma Wolfe, April Showers by Karli Perrin, Precious Things by Stephanie Parent, The Modeliser by Havana Adams , Torrential by Eva Morgan, Kiss it Better by Linda Kage, Exposure by Iris Blaire, V Club by Lexi Dubois, The Immortality Clause (The Immortelle #1) by Abigail Hawk.

***

 

AUGUST 19 - SEPTEMBER 9

*Parajunkie's Indie Summer Blog Hop*

Para Junkie Book Blog is having a tour to feature a bunch of Indie Authors. My featured book will be HOW TO RESIST PRINCE CHARMING! My spotlight day will be on August 29th at Cocktails and Books and The Obsessive Reader!

***

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Price of a Kiss

by Linda Kage

Giveaway ends September 09, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

AUGUST 19 - SEPTEMBER 9

*Goodreads Giveaway*

3 paperback copies of PRICE OF A KISS will be given away through a Goodreads drawing (US shipping addresses only). First day to enter will be August 19th.  Last day will be September 9th!

***

SEPTEMBER 1 - SEPTEMBER 30

*September Madness Giveaway*

Devon Ashley from The Crazy Dream Blog is throwing a September Madness giveaway. With over 20 authors participating and over 100 prizes to win. You have the chance to win a paperback and ebook copies of FIGHTING FATE by Linda Kage!

***  

SEPTEMBER 2 - SETPBEMBER 6

*Tasty Reads Excerpt Tour*

Tasty Book Tours has set up an exclusive excerpt tour for PRICE OF A KISS! One new, never-seen-before excerpt each day of the tour, all in chronological order to make one cool, super-long excerpt!

***  

SEPTEMBER 2 - SETPBEMBER 13

*Tasty Reads Excerpt Tour*

Tasty Review Tours has set up a review tour for PRICE OF A KISS! Prizes to be won on this tour are: $20 Amazon Gift Card, ebook and print copies of Price of a Kiss.

***

SEPTEMBER 23 - SEPTEMBER 28

*AToMR Book Tour*

AToMR Book Blog Tours has set up a book tour for Price of a Kiss. Prizes to win on this tour are: $25 Amazon Gift card.

***

OCTOBER 1 - OCTOBER 31

**Books Over Boys Blogoversary*

To celebrate their three-year blogoversary, The Books Over Boys blog will be giving away a massive amount of prizes. Among them will be 1 ebook (Int) and 1 paperback (US only) of Fighting Fate!


And that's all I plan to participate in until at least November!

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With three weeks to go until PRICE OF A KISS release, I have only three quotes left to share from my wonky heroine, Reese. It's okay, you can admit it, you're going to miss these, aren't you??

Fighting Fate Book Trailer

Seems like it has been forever since I last made a book trailer for one of my stories. I started slacking for a while there, and I still have the old covers on my trailers for Kiss it Better and How to Resist Prince Charming. But I used to have so much fun doing it, that I tried my hand at it again for Fighting Fate.

I showed it to my husband and my niece when I was finished. The husband thinks the music is weird. But seeing as I can't compose my own music, I just tried to find the most suitable from what I could use! And my niece is still upset that the title changed from Cry. I'm not sure if she'll ever be able to think of it as Fighting Fate. But I guess we can't all have what we want.

I've been trying to teach that very lesson to my daughter lately because she is getting way too spoiled. She wants to throw a temper tantrum when she doesn't get her way. I've been trying to make her breathe and calm down, then attempt to compromise. But I think I might have backed myself into a corner with that idea.

Now, whenever she doesn't get what she wants, she'll say, "Let's talk about this," after initially getting upset. And then I feel as if I have to give some slack because she's finally doing what I taught her to do, and because she's just so cute and grown-up sounding when she does it. Melts me every time. Grr.

She learning the lesson better than I am too. I was trying to get gas in my car the other day, and got upset when the card reader messed up and wouldn't let me enter my pin numbers to pay. So, after attempt number three, I slammed into my car and drove across the road to the other gas station, which, yay, was working correctly.

The kiddo knew I was irritated by my grumblings and kept asking, "What's wrong, Mama. What's wrong?" So I told her I was upset that the stupid gas station wasn't working right. And the wee' wise three-year-old from her car seat opened her arms and said, "You need a hug and two kisses."

Well, that made all my irritation dissolve immediately AND reminded me I was being a really sucky role model for my child. I can't even practice what a preach. 

Anyway, my mom made it home from Alaska, YAY! But she won't be going to Mexico for any mission work because she fell on her face in an airport on the way home from the Alaskan vacation.

Let me tell you, getting a phone call from her cell phone at ten on a Saturday night and hearing her traveling companion, not her, answer her phone made my heart stop dead with dread.  And then, after hearing the words, "We're at the University of Colorado hospital," I almost started bawling before I could listen to what had actually happened.

Mom doesn't even know how it really all happened. She knew she was trying to pick up her pace, the next thing she knew, she was on the ground, seeing stars. She fell so hard, she broke her nose, bruised her chin, busted out half of her two front teeth, and I swear she's bit off half of her top lip.  She looks pretty banged up. Scared Lydia to death when she saw her.  Mom also broke her wrist and her opposite elbow is in a lot of pain. I know it could have been worse, but I'm super thankful it was as mild as it was, even though it really doesn't seem all that mild.

Anyway, that's what's been up with me and my family. I guess I should get to sharing that book trailer I made now. If the embedded video isn't showing up, here's the direct YouTube Link to it: http://youtu.be/sEOAzvZPlLI



Happy viewing.  And have a great weekend!

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It's been three weeks since FIGHTING FATE released. So, here's my celebratory FF teaser quote of the day.

Cover Reveal - PRICE OF A KISS

It's here!  It's here!  It's here!!

 

I am soooo excited (can you tell?) My cover reveal is today. So, here is the cover for my next contemporary new adult romance story, PRICE OF A KISS, officially releasing four weeks from today on September 3rd (though honestly, I'm pretty sure I'll sneak it online for sale earlier than that!):

 

In think a couple of my other books got all jealous by POK's limelight today, so they decided they needed to come up with some big news to make me mention them as well. 

So... Fighting Fate would like you all to know that she was rated a "Top Pick" in Best Romance Novel's Today best contemporary romance section this week. It was utterly bizarre to see her cover sharing a page with big-name authors like Sarah McLean, Maggie Shayne, and Gennita Low.  But I totally loved it!

And Addicted to Ansley had to go and make some great news too, right in the middle of all this. Thorndike Press has picked up the rights to publish her story in large print hardback for their "sweet reads" selection they target toward libraries!  So, woot, woot, for Addicted to Ansley!!

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And since it's Tuesday on my PRICE OF A KISS countdown day, I still have my quote banner to share. So, below is another wonky saying from my heroine Reese Randall:

 

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PS: Many thanks to AToMR Book Tours for setting up my cover reveal today, and to these book bloggers who are helping to spread the word about my new cover! I can't thank you guys enough :

AToMR Book Tours, A Bibliophiles, A Book Lovers Review, A Diary Of A Book Addict, A Dream Within A Dream, A Life Bound By Books, A Tale of Many Reviews, Anny Books and Movies, Bibliophile Mystery, Book Freak, Books Over Boys, Bookshelf Confessions, Bookworm Beauties, Faerie Tale Books, I Heart YA Books, Kassie's Book Thoughts, Kelly P's Blog, Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews, Literary Meanderings, Lori's Book Blog, , Romantic Book Affairs, Rose and Beps Blog, Scandalous Book Blog, Sex and the Books,  Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews, Spiced Latte Reads, Stuck In Books, The Book Goddess, The Cozy Reading Corner, The Little Black Book Blog, The Phantom Paragrapher, Whirlwind Books, and Wish Upon A Star Reviews.

Friday Ramblings

The road I grew up on floods whenever it rains more than an inch or so. It has for as long as I can remember. Now, that I'm (physically, at least) grown up, I still live on that same road, about half a mile from my mom's house. Lydia and I like to walk down to visit Grandma Doris (who's turned into some kind of widow gone wild and is now in Alaska on a cruise-type thing, then will promptly go to Mexico for a week or so of mission work. It's craziness, but I'm glad she's happy. Anyway...).

This week, our road flooded. Typical.  I had to drive around the mile section to get to work, which I was used to doing. But the next day, after the water had gone down, I turned off the highway onto my road only to find--gasp!--a new sign saying "Road May Flood." It's all pretty and bright yellow with black, block letters.

A new sign on my road; that's all I got new going on today!  So, what's up with you?

Actually, it's fair week in my county. My husband has been working some midnight shifts there for security after his evening shifts, so I've been home alone with the kiddo and letting her bunk with me at nights.  And last night, one of the rare times she wets the bed, she went all over daddy's side.  So, I was up at two this morning, frantically trying to get sheets cleaned and the mattress dried so the husband, who just worked pretty-much a double shift, can have something to sleep on today.

And, whew, when he made it home at five this morning, The sheets were done and the mattress was dry enough for him.

So, if I ramble a bit, you can blame the lack of sleep I've had!

I took kiddo to the fair to see all the livestock yesterday. It was sloppy from the rain, but us farm girls just put on our rubber boots and managed just fine. We ran into some of her cousins who were displaying some of their goats in the 4-H goat show. And I've decided goat shows tick me off. 

After walking your goat around the arena on a leash, the judge has you line them all up, and he picks out the ones he doesn't like first, sending them to the other side to wait until he comes up with a first place winner. Four of my five nieces and nephews were picked first to lose in every competition they were in. Made me feel all crappy for them. I'm not one of those people that say every child should be a winner and get a medal and trophy, but pointing out the worst of the breed first seemed pretty cut-throat. Then they go and announce it on the loud speaker to top it off.  Ouch.

Okay, I think I'm shutting up now. Have a great weekend.

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It's been two weeks since FIGHTING FATE released. So, here's my celebratory teaser quote of the day.