10 Things About... @tarataylorquinn

Thank you again to Rachel Thompson, my last guest on the '10 Things About Me' series on Maya's Musings...

This month I have hosted Karen Rose Smith, Madison Sevier, Karin Baine, Jinxie G, Summerita Rhayne, Rachel Thompson and now USA Today bestselling author Tara Taylor Quinn!

A warm welcome to Tara!

10 Things About Tara Taylor Quinn

1.      I was excited when I googled ttq and found out that it’s an acronym for me!!  Tara Taylor Quinn.  I’m not kidding.  Try it!

2.       I am such a dog person that…there was a fire in a neighborhood not far from my home.  I was telling my aunt about it.  The entire house burned with the exception of the master bedroom closet which, ironically, was where the woman stored all of her most precious possessions, family photos, memorabilia, etc.  The couple who lived there got out safely.  And so did the dog.  I called the dog by name.  My aunt asked me the names of the couple.  I didn’t know. 

3.       I don’t know how to relax.  Just can’t slow my brain down.  I can’t just watch TV, I have to be accomplishing something at the same time.  I have afghans and tissue boxes, Christmas ornaments, a tree top angel, doilies and baby booties, wash cloths and scarves and coasters (just since January of this year) to prove it.  I donate them all to the annual holiday boutique my mother runs.  All of the proceeds go to children’s charities.  Last year she raised more than $14,000 in one weekend.

4.       My current furry friend – a five pound toy poodle who sits in my chair with me as I write – is named after my daughter and me.  Taylor Marie.

5.       I am addicted to Diet Coke and Frosted Mini-Wheats which I eat dry out of the box.  No matter what city I’m in, I find a place to get my stash.  I’ve looked for a Share A Diet Coke with Tara can or bottle but haven’t been able to find one yet.

6.       I am a workaholic.  I love writing, have always written, from the time I was six years old, and will commonly be at my desk seven days a week.

7.       I am a domestic violence survivor who was lucky enough to get out early.  I am a supporter of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and currently have a series with Superromance, Where Secrets Are Safe, that is nine books and counting, has been on the Amazon bestseller list for 18 months, and revolves around a very unique women’s shelter that I created off the coast of California.

8.       I am a Harlequin groupie, through and through.  As a reader, and as a writer, I am as loyal as they come.  You can find my seventy published Harlequin books listed at http://www.tarataylorquinn.com and follow book tour and contest giveaway information there, too!

9.       I love heat.  Ha ha, yeah that kind, but temperature, too.  As in HOT weather.  It’s 109 in Arizona today and while most people around me grumble and pray for fall when it cools down to the eighties and nineties, I am in heaven.

10.   Friendship is vitally important to me.  I don’t have a lot of friends as I tend to those I love with focus and depth, but I think having friends is vital to life, living and joy.  It’s our friendships that sustain us.  That give us strength, and sometimes the greatest joys, too.  It’s tough being a writer and being alone all day every day so I created a Friendship board on Pinterest.  It’s a group board.  Anyone can ask to be added and Pin their own friendship pins.  We currently have 1000 pinners and almost 5000 pins.  It’s become a great comfort to me.  A friend in and of itself as I’ve connected with strangers from around the world.  We lift each other with good morning friend pins.  Or friendship pins that make you smile just looking at them. https://www.pinterest.com/tarataylorquinn/friendship/  

Bio:

I've been at this writing gig for a long time.  70 published books can attest to that.  I've been told that my books are deeply emotional and psychologically compelling looks at life.  To me, they're just the way I co-exist with the voices in my head.  I've appeared often on local and national TV including CBS Sunday Morning, and frequently fill guest speaker slots.  I enjoy getting out and traveling, and I'm also very happy sitting alone for days at my computer living all kinds of different lives.  I was honored to win the Reader's Choice Award and to final multiple times for the RWA RITA award. 

I live life from my heart.  I'm a wife, a mother, a survivor, an in-line skater, and a supporter of The National Domestic Violence Hotline.  I am also a secret dog whisperer.

Where Secrets Are Safe... New Bestselling Series...

Coming in October...

10 Things About... @BadRedheadMedia

Welcome again to my '10 Things About Me' series... I am delighted to present my next guest... Rachel Thompson...

Rachel is best known for writing Broken Pieces and Broken Places, being an advocate for childhood sexual abuse survivors, her business BadRedhead Media, the director the new Gravity Imprint of for Booktrope (bringing fiction and nonfiction stories of trauma and recovery to life), Huffington Post writer on book marketing and social media, tough love for authors, and of course, Nutella advocate.

Here are her 10 things...

10 Things About Rachel Thompson

1. My eyes are naturally green (thank you Russian and German ancestors). Less than 2% of the world’s population has green eyes. And there’s the red hair, too, you may have noticed.

2. I took classical piano lessons for over ten years. I mostly remember Beatles songs but can play any melody by ear.

3. I lived in NYC for a few years and hated it.

4. I adore poetry, and wish more people read it. I share quite a lot here (mine and others).  

5. I hate green peppers, but love yellow and red. I’m pretty sure green peppers hate me, too.

6. I’m always cold, especially my toes.

7. My cat squeaks instead of meows. She has red fur and green eyes, which is coincidental, given that I adopted her from writing friend Amy Gigi Alexander, who is off traveling the world and needed to rehome her. My boyfriend named her Squeakers, my kids named her Phoebe Khaleesi Meow Meow. Her tag is very long. (I voted for Hemingway but was shot down.)

8. I really do love Nutella, but eat it very rarely. Too much sugar. Instead, I pin and share pictures (mostly on my Nutella Pinterest board).

9. My escape from reality is ‘Friends’ – I know every line from every episode.

10. I’m always listening to some kind of music, especially when I write. I’m particularly drawn to soundscores (Thomas Newman is a fave), female singer/songwriters (Imogen Heap, Tori Amos, Jonatha Brooke), and 70s rock.

Bio:

Rachel Thompson is the author of newly released Broken Places (2015 Honorable Mention Winner, San Francisco Book Festival), and the multi award-winning Broken Pieces, as well as two additional humor books, A Walk In The Snark and Mancode: Exposed. Rachel is published and represented by Booktrope. She owns BadRedhead Media, creating effective social media and book marketing campaigns for authors. For affordable group sessions check out Author Social Media Boot Camp, monthly sessions to help all authors! Her articles appear regularly in The Huffington Post, The San Francisco Book Review (BadRedhead Says…), 12Most.com, bitrebels.com, BookPromotion.com, and Self-Publishers Monthly.

Not just an advocate for sexual abuse survivors, Rachel is the creator and founder of the hashtag phenomenon #MondayBlogs and the live Twitter chat, #SexAbuseChat, co-hosted with certified therapist/survivor, Bobbi Parish.

She is also now the director of the Gravity Imprint for Booktrope, bringing stories of trauma and recovery (fiction and nonfiction) to life.

She hates walks in the rain, running out of coffee, and coconut. She lives in California with her family.

Author Contact Information:

Author Site: rachelintheoc.com
BadRedhead Media Site: badredheadmedia.com
Twitter: @RachelintheOCTwitter (Business): @BadRedheadMedia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelThompsonFacebook Broken Pieces Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/BrokenPiecesByRachelThompsonFacebook (Business): https://www.facebook.com/BadRedheadMedia
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+RachelThompson/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rachelintheoc/Instagram: https://instagram.com/rachelintheoc/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rachel-thompson/24/784/b95
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4619475.Rachel_Thompson
Author Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/j9oaH
BadRedhead Media Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/koN8r
Full-size Author Photo Link:http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o158/Froze8/RachelThompson_zps88bd401e.jpg

Thank you, Rachel, for joining me today. 'Friends' is also one of my favorite shows... I am in the process of watching it again - season by season - for about the millionth time!

Stay tuned for my next - and last - guest Tara Taylor Quinn - joining me on August 28! :)

10 Things About... @SummeritaRhayne

The '10 Things About Me' series continues... So far I have hosted Karen Rose Smith, Madison Sevier, Karin Baine, and Jinxie G... Thanks again to all, especially Jinxie, my last guest!

Today I have the privilege of hosting romance author Summerita Rhayne... best known for sensual, emotional romance to sweep you away into another world.

10 Things About Summerita Rhayne

1) I love to teach. Whether it’s simply coloring with little kids or going over complex human body processes with college students, I love to impart what I know and watch new knowledge take root in young minds…lol, that was a bit overdone. Fine, I confess, whatever the topic, I love to lecture!

2) I write in snatches of time. Lately my routine has become a bit rushed. Too many things occupying my mind. So I don’t get to concentrate for a fixed length of time, and have learned to write in brief snatches. My daily output is down to 200 words but I am happy to put down whatever I can.

3) I love to sketch. Not good but here’s an example of my efforts. My Indian friends would recognize him (or should). Okay, stop laughing! It’s supposed to be Hrithik Roshan :)

4) I’m not the tidiest person but I like order in some things. For example I would press the edges of currency notes and put them all the right side up, I like books put with the spine out and I search compulsively for the right word to put in my writing. I still haven’t been able to understand why I’m sloppy in most other things.

5) I’m a great procrastinator. It took me several years to get down to writing even though I have wanted to write for a long time. (Now that’s some procrastination!)

6) Sometimes, I dream of full-fledged stories. However, they can’t be used in fiction writing as they are lacking in logic.

7) I’m addicted to tea and coffee. I can go without food but not my beverages!

8) I carry three phones, a Blackberry for my typing, one for internet and a third to use for calls.

9) I’m multi-published in traditional publishing as well as self-published. But I’m still to decide which one has been a better experience.

10) I’m really very easy to please. No matter how angry I’m at someone, the tiniest gesture makes me melt. However, I must be convinced of its sincerity.

Bio

Summerita Rhayne writes contemporary and historical romance. She first got published in 2013 and has won contests with Harlequin and Harper Collins India. Writing, she finds, is the only way to deal with the numerous story ideas bubbling in her brain which pop up more rapidly than her keyboard can do justice to. Her pet belief is that a story and its characters have a life of their own and will find a way to make the writer pen them down.

 Stalk links

Amazon author page:

http://www.amazon.com/Summerita-Rhayne/e/B00MZQ0PUC

Website and blog:

www.summeritarhayne.com

Follow her at Twitter @SummeritaRhayne     

https://twitter.com/summeritarhayne

Friend her at Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8505238.Summerita_Rhayne

Subscribe to her newsletter and win a collection of short stories: http://summeritarhayne.com/about-me/183-2/

Her Books

Against All Rules

Hidden Passion

The Eligible Princess

Unexpected Valentines

Her latest released book is The Eligible Princess, a historical romance set in early medieval India.

Here’s something about it.

BLURB:

....After Hidden Passion, the Kamboj Princesses Saga continues with Rukmani’s sister Lakshaya...
THE ELIGIBLE PRINCESS 

King Kartikeya must marry a princess. He's determined to do anything to keep the kingdom that he has taken with strategy and sheer guts. If that involves charming a princess into marriage, then so be it.

Princess Lakshaya infinitely prefers her pursuit of scientific experiments to the learning of the arts of impressing a suitor. In fact, she would rather have no more proposals at all. But refusing a king as opulent as Kartik is out of question. Drawn against her will by the force of his attraction, she begins to accept him, only to discover hidden secrets along the way.

Can she bring herself to go ahead with this marriage?

Set in Early Middle Ages in India, Book 2 in the Kamboj Princesses Saga follows Lakshaya in her journey to discover desire, passion, intrigue and love.

Order now at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z09FAQA

EXCERPT:

She thought she could detect movement in one chamber and raised her vision enhancer to her eye.

The next instant, she gasped and nearly dropped the instrument. Recovering, she trained her eye to it again.

The king stood, handing his gold chest plate to the servant who was next handed the strings of pearls from around his throat. His armlets and cuffs came off. Then his hand slid lower and he unwrapped the gold belt from his kayaband.

Lakshaya’s hands nearly slipped from the cylinder. She could make out a vast expanse of skin. Male skin. Toned skin covering corded muscles. She had a view up close of how dark hair smattered across his upper chest, not thick, rather pleasing to behold as they thickened slightly. Muscles of his chest, bulging, moving as he – she gulped – as he now removed his kayaband. She trembled. Surely she should go now. A maiden shouldn’t observe a man undressing, should she? The servant was bid something. Maybe to prepare his bath? The uniformed man left. Lakshaya brought back the focus on the king. His hands went to the knot of his antariya. Just as her lower belly contracted, the moonlight came and flooded the courtyard as a cloud uncovered the lunar god’s visage. Light fell on the glass, momentarily blinding her. With a small gasp, Lakshaya moved back into the shadows. Regaining composure, she trained her instrument on the object of her fascination again. He turned till his back was towards her. He raised his arms and flexed and extended them by turns, his back muscles moving and bulging. Something contracted in her stomach, a strange fluttering attacking her pulse. Shame, excitement and anticipation mingled like magic potions to produce butterflies inside her stomach. He repeated the movement. For her, breathing became difficult. She lowered the cylinder, hands trembling, heart beating fast. Oh devi ma! She had to take control. Had to think...

After a breather, she raised it again, her mouth dry with the knowledge of the forbidden. What would she find now...?

He wasn’t immediately in her view. Frowning, she moved it from one wall to the other. Where had King Kartikeya gone?

A hand gripped her wrist and she gasped, dropping the cylinder. She had an impression of hair covered skin covering honed muscles and gasped anew as she realized who it was.

She had her answer as to where he had gone!

‘Maharaj!’ 

He had caught her instrument as it slipped from her fingers and now turned it this way and that. ‘A device for spying? Or was it peeking for your own benefit?’ Dark eyes snared her gaze. ‘Why strain your eyes, charuta. Have a look at the real thing up close.’

Thanks, Summerita, for participating in my summer series! I read The Eligible Princess and would highly recommend it! Next up is Rachel Thompson, joining me on August 26!

10 Things About... @Jinxie_G

My last guest in the '10 Things About Me' series was Karin Baine. Thank you again, Karin, for sharing 10 facts about yourself!

Today, I am pleased to welcome NL "Jinxie" Gervasio who is best known for her sarcasm or swearing. It’s a toss-up. In addition to being an author, she is also the CEO of Just Ink Press, LLC, the amazing company who took a chance on me and published my debut novella Dream Hunter. 


10 Things About Jinxie G

1. I have a B.A. in English with studies in Criticism, Psychology, and Anthropology, and I work in Information Systems/Technology. Yeah, I haven’t quite figured it out myself, but I love my job, even though it completely drains me of energy at times. I answer IT calls for one of the largest school districts in the state with 11K employees and 70K students. The start of school each fall is something my four co-workers and I absolutely look forward to. Since school started yesterday, I’ll see you around Christmas.

2. I got into freelance editing after writing book reviews on Shannon Mayer’s Nevermore trilogy and commenting that they needed a good copy edit. I’ve been editing for her ever since and she keeps sending authors to me in hopes that I’ll be able to do this full time someday. Silly woman. My rates can be found under the “Editing” tab on my website. *winks*

3. I collect Funko Pop! characters...and minions. Someday, I will take over the world.

4. I’m a gamer. Like, seriously. Assassin’s Creed, Dragon Age, Tomb Raider, Skyrim, etc. For real. Not big on first person shooter, though. I get motion sickness. I will not be taking over the world from a boat.

5. Sometimes, I work with celebrities. Yeah, like those people in movies. It’s pretty awesome and wonderful. I have no desire to ever have that level of fame, although the paycheck would be nice.

6. I hate marketing my own work; never been able to. No problem marketing others, though.

7. My brain is full of useless information and TV/movie quotes. If you don’t get my references, I will educate you. I’m so, so sorry.

8. I binge-watch a lot of TV these days, but then, who the hell doesn’t? Favorite shows include: Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Grimm, Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Orange is the New Black, and Lost Girl.

9. I’m not the person you want to sit next to when watching a movie, especially if said movie doesn’t completely pull me into the story line and have me totally enthralled. I have been known to throw sarcastic or otherwise comments out into the theatre ether. Like during Underworld...

KRAVEN: *after too-long pause* Mark my words...

ME: Oh. My. God. He did NOT just say that!

FIANCÉ: *groans*

10. I’m a 6-foot single (likely due to the above) Amazon who takes care of her mother, and who now has a Chihuahua after raising wolves and large breed dogs most of her life. Don’t. Ask. Said Chihuahua belongs to the mother. I swear. She doesn’t even like me….which is why she’s on my Instagram, of course.

I didn’t swear much in this, did I? Well, fucking hell.

Jinxie G is a creator and destroyer of worlds. She is both editor and author, and has discovered she’s quite good at the romance thing—writing it, that is—with vampires, werewolves, zombies, angels, and demons. She reviews books in her spare time, of which she rarely has any, and spends most of her time—when not working in the IT industry—chained to her laptop editing, gaming, or watching movies. But mostly editing.

Born on Friday the 13th, her dad wanted to call her Jinx; her mom said no. After 34 years, she discovered the nickname, and she’s grown quite attached to it, thereby choosing the moniker as her interwebz handle. She lives in Tempe, Arizona with Umi (her mother), whom she cares for. She enjoys riding her beach cruiser “The Betty” around downtown Tempe when it isn’t being used as a clothing rack, loves a good pub crawl on occasion, and has had the pleasure and the heartache of experiencing a love far greater than she could have ever imagined.

She welcomes you to her worlds.

Jinxie is the author of the Kick-Ass Girls Club series book Nemesis, and the Prophecy series books The Dracove and Gods & Vampyres, as well as co-author in anthologies Into the Darkness, Undead Uncensored, and The 434 Revolution.

You will find Jinxie in cyberspace at the following:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | The ZSC | Just Ink Press

Tumblr | Goodreads | Instagram | Books

Thanks for joining me today, Jinxie! Your answers were fabulous and I'll help promote your work anytime! Next up... Summerita Rhayne on August 21...

10 Things About... @karinbaine1

My last guest in the '10 Things About Me' series was Madison Sevier. Thank you again for sharing, Madison, and, hopefully, having a bit of fun here at Maya's Musings!

Today, I am pleased to welcome... Karin Baine... This lovely author is best known for her recent release French Fling to Forever with Harlequin Mills & Boon® Medical Romance...

Let's see what Karin has to say...



10 Things About Karin Baine


 1. I have no sense of direction and will invest in a set of walking reins some day to prevent getting lost again.

2. With the amount of chocolate I eat I'm pretty sure my veins run with pure cocoa.

3. I used to paint miniature figurines for a living.

4. I have two sons with a metabolic disorder so I'm a dab hand at low protein baking.

5. I'm the Queen of Procrastination. I'm answering these questions now because I have a ton of housework and a book deadline I'm avoiding.

6. My notebook/pen obsession is starting to take over the house. I've recently progressed to document folders too…

7. I've had my driving licence for twenty years but refuse to drive on the motorway. Well, I'd probably never find my way home again!

8. I turn 40 this year. I'm not really bothered about it unless I'm expected to tidy up the house for a party.

9. I'm socially awkward. I hate parties. Or any occasion I have to change out of my onesie.

10. I've been bombarding Harlequin Mills & Boon® with manuscripts for years. I finally got my big break after last year's So You Think You Can Write competition.

Author Bio

Karin Baine lives in Northern Ireland with her husband, two sons, and her out-of-control notebook collection. Her mother and grandmother's vast collection of books inspired her love of reading and her dream of becoming a Harlequin Mills & Boon® author. It wasn't until she joined her critical group UCW that she started to believe she could actually write—and only her husband's support enabled her to pursue it. At least now she can tell people she has a proper job!

You can stalk Karin here:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Thanks, Karin, for joining us today... And do check out her debut novel French Fling to Forever (available from 27^th August). Stay tuned for the latest installment of the '10 Things About Me' series...Next up Jinxie G... here on August 14th only on Maya's Musings...