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Things That Make Me Go Mmmrrh … Book Boyfriends

May 18, 2017 by A Slice of Orange in category Things That Make Me Go Mmmrrh . . . by Geralyn Corcillo tagged as arlen black, book boyfriend, book boyfriends, contest, Kindle, queen of the universe, romantic comedy

Mmmrrh … Book Boyfriends. For most of my life, I have been dreaming about boys and men who’ve reached right out from the pages and stolen my heart. It all started with Jim Frayne from the Trixie Belden Mysteries. Then came the unforgettable Nat Eaton from Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond. And Rapheal Sabatini’s Dr. Peter Blood (Some call him Captain). Agatha Christie’s Anthony Cade from The Secret of Chimneys. Mary Stewart’s Rob Granger from Touch Not the Cat. Mmmrrh … the list goes on.

I’m still falling in love with book boyfriends. And even better, I’m creating heroes that readers tell me they adore. This May, Arlen Black, the hero of my romantic comedy Queen of the Universe, is one of 30 candidates up for Chick Lit Book Boyfriend 2017. Meet Arlen …

From the “I’m Trying to Stay Sane” journal of Arlen Black

Why does he need to stay sane, you ask?

From Arlen’s journal: Ray said I should do this, keep a journal. That it helps take off the pressure. The show, the media, my crazy-as-a-duck co-star. But the thing is, nothing about playing this part stresses me out. Are you kidding? After everything I’ve lost … the kids … saying a few lines on camera isn’t about to faze me.

Lola is the one driving me nuts, plain and simple. I said I’d be on her show – and I don’t regret it. She all but tricked me into it, but to say no would have been to crush her dreams. And I couldn’t do it. I WOULDN’T. I wasn’t about to let someone else feel that kind of screeching pain – not when I could stop it.

So no, I don’t regret it. But why did she let me get so close to her? And why did she get so close to me? She says she thought it was all her and she had no idea I was feeling the

attraction, too. Seriously? After that “audition” kiss on the very first day … and then everything that happened on her patio? Man, it’s a good thing I walked out – well, stormed out – when I did.

But I came back. Just to do the show. Nothing else. Because now I know that Lola is a liar and a manipulator and … God, why can’t I stop thinking about her? And why does it keep happening? Every time I’m near her, she makes me feel … God! Even knowing what I know about her – even after everything I lost … Damn it!

She makes me feel alive again.

I’d love it if you would vote for Arlen to be Chick Lit Book Boyfriend 2017! To vote, simply email Contest Coordinator Tracie Bannister and say ARLEN BLACK. That’s it! Easy-peasy, and you don’t have to sign up for a thing. Just copy and paste this email address traciebanister@gmail.com and send a two word email: ARLEN BLACK, and your vote will be counted.

If you would like to read about Arlen and Lola, Queen of the Universe is available on

And if you would like to see how the Book Boyfriend Contest can win you a Kindle Paperwhite loaded with 30 Chick Lit ebooks, click here.

Thank you for joining me for this special edition of Things That Make Me Go Mmmrrh… I will be posting on my regularly scheduled day, May 27, as well. Hope to see you then, too! In the meantime, I’d love to dish … who have been some of your most unforgettable Book Boyfriends?

First and foremost, Geralyn Corcillo loves reader reviews! In other news…When she was a kid in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Geralyn Vivian Ruane Corcillo dreamed of one day becoming the superhero Dyna Girl. So, she did her best and grew up to constantly pick up litter and rescue animals. At home, she loves watching black & white movies, British mysteries, and the NY Giants. Corcillo lives in a drafty old house in Hollywood with her husband Ron, a guy who’s even cooler than Kip Dynamite.

And she loves to connect with Readers! Check out her monthly post here on A Slice of Orange and drop by to see her daily posts on Facebook and Twitter where she would be thrilled to comment back and forth with you. And you can sign up for her RomCom Alerts emails to get access to exclusive content, deals, freebies, contests & more!

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The Writing Life: What I learned in high school . . . and why it’s still relevant today by Jina Bacarr

May 11, 2017 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat tagged as 2017, author, books, contest, England, high school, Kindle, storyteller, UK, writing

*****2nd UPDATE***** Monday early a.m. May 22, 2017

I did it!! CRYSTAL GIRL is listed among the entries for the Kindle Storyteller UK 2017 contest!

After being sleepless in SoCal all weekend, I checked before I powered down tonight and there she is! Excited that I did it right and fulfilled all the requirements.

It wasn’t easy to enter – writing the book was only the beginning. Formatting it and also doing a print version, getting them linked, right keywords, did both covers myself. Crazy, but I’m just happy to have a chance.

Check out Crystal Girl Available on Kindle & Kindle Unlimited.

Thanks for listening!

~Jina

****UPDATED**** Saturday May 20, 2017

Thursday night . . . I felt like Cinderella waiting for the clock to chime at midnight . . .in England.

That was the deadline looming for the Kindle Storyteller UK 2017 contest (see below for the scoop). I was almost finished with editing, formatting, etc. CRYSTAL GIRL, a prom queen wannabe sells her soul to the devil to get thin, watching the clock. You have to upload a print book as well as an e-book. Formatting an e-book I can do.

The print book.

Well, let’s say I used up a pot of coffee stressing on that one. However, I’m pleased to say that Amazon has made it exceptionally doable for authors to turn their e-books into print. Kudos to them. It takes some studying, a few trial runs, but I did it.

So . . . I uploaded everything before the deadline. I’m all set, right?

No. My entry isn’t there.

At least I can’t find it.

So I emailed Amazon support and they’re helping me figure out what’s happening. So, that’s my update. I did what I set out to do and that in itself is a win. But I’m hoping, really hoping, that my book will show up in the contest. It may take a few days to show up, but I know in my heart I’ve done everything I can.

Will I win if the book joins the entries? That’s in the hands of the angels . . .

~Jina

PS — meet Kaylee Russell in Crystal Girl –– how far would you go to get thin? Read her story here.

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I love to wish on the stars.

Big ones, little twinkling ones. I’ve always been the type to jump headfirst into a challenge and then wonder later how I’m going to do it. Like the time I was a freshman in high school and I was a newbie on the Speech and Debate Team. The team was entered in a big speech contest over the weekend where each contestant performed a piece in front of judges.

At the last minute, somebody dropped out. I raised my hand and said, “Yeah, I’ll go!” Eyebrows raised. Throats cleared. Obviously, I was not their first choice. Far from it. But I wanted it so bad, the teacher must have seen the stars in my eyes. I was so eager to get out into the world and try out my wings. They had no one else, so I went. This was a Thursday. I needed my speech ready by Saturday.

I was too young and naive to be scared.

Too green to know everybody thought I’d freeze up.

Hey, I was fourteen.

By Saturday, I had the speech down. Kinda. Not perfect. But okay, I couldn’t back out now. I’ll never forget the snickers, the whispers when I got up in front of the judges and jumped into my speech. It was a speech about life and its many roads and the choices you make. A bit too mature for me, but what the heck, I forged ahead like I was on a mission to Mars.

Then reality set in. I forgot a line . . . then two. I stopped, grinned like a puppet with its strings cut. Now what?

Thank God I have a bit of blarney in me. I filled in with personal anecdotes about roads my family took. Literally. I talked about our wild adventures living in different places from coast to coast. No one breathed. Or made nasty comments. They just listened.

When I was done, I left the room as fast as my ballet flats could take me. Went to the girls’ restroom and cried.

I messed up.

Or did I?

I don’t believe I did. Even now as I write this, I never forgot the feeling of taking that risk and getting through it even if I wasn’t successful. Just putting myself out there made me grow up.

And in case you’re wondering, here’s how I scored: 4 judges = 2 third places; 1 honorable mention; and 1 second place.

Not bad for a kid at her first speech contest.

So, why am I telling you this?

Because I’m wishing on the stars again. This time it’s the Amazon Kindle Storyteller contest. (Get all the info HERE). A writing contest and the deadline is fast approaching. I have to wrap up my YA Novel entry asap.

God help me, I’ve seen the sun come up the past few days. Did you know the birds start chirping outside my window at 4:30 a.m.?

I’ll fill you in more later about my story with updates here. Post the cover, etc. It’s called CRYSTAL GIRL and it’s the story of a prom queen wannabe who sells her soul to the devil to get thin.

So that’s it for now.

But you know what’s funny to me? I don’t feel any different than I did at fourteen when I jumped into the speech contest and did the best I could. I love the challenge and I trust the storyteller in me to accomplish my goal.

I hope I never lose that feeling.

And I hope I never run out of stars . . .

Jina

High school can be such a pain, remember? I do.

Here’s a very short story I wrote about that first kiss.

VIRGIN KISS is **FREE** May 11 and May 12 on Amazon Kindle.

You can find me on social media at:

Once upon a Story blog

Facebook: http://facebook.com/JinaBacarr.author

Twitter: http://twitter.com/JinaBacarr

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jbacarr

Videos: https://vimeo.com/user216350

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001IU2P8G

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The 2017 Book Buyers Best Contest for Published Authors

January 8, 2017 by A Slice of Orange in category Contests, Writing Contest tagged as BBB, Book Buyers Best, contest

The Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America is proud to announce that the Book Buyerâ€™s Best Contest for 2017 is now open.

We are looking for entrants as well as preliminary round judges. If you wish to judge please contact the contest coordinators at: bbbcontest@occrwa.org.

This award will showcase the shining excellence of published authors in novella and novel length romance fiction and mainstream fiction with a central romance. The entry deadline is April 15, 2017.

The categories are:

Contemporary Series Romance
Contemporary Single Title Romance (Over 70,000 Words)
Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance
Historical & Regency (Both Series and Single Title)
Romantic Suspense & Mystery with romantic elements (Over 70,000 Words)
Paranormal/Time Travel/Fantasy/Futuristic Romance (Both Series and Single Title)
Young Adult
Inspirational
Erotic Romance
Novella (Specify Category) (Over 15,000 to 40,000)

GLBT entries: Authors are to place their entries in the appropriate category

Judging

The preliminary round will be judged by booksellers, librarians and romance readers. First, second and third place will be awarded in each category. Highest score in each category will advance to the final round to be judged by the Top Pick Judge (TBA).

For a complete list of the rules and the official entry form, please visit: http://occrwa.org/contests/book-buyers-best/

If you need to contact the contest coordinators, Nikki Prince and/or Sabrina Sol please email: bbbcontest@occrwa.org

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Self-Pub Corner: Back Cover Copy “FInalist” in I Heart Indie Contest by Jina Bacarr

August 11, 2014 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as audio, Christmas, Confessions of a Podcast Goddess, contest, excerpt, finalist, Italian, las vegas rwa, romance novel, self-publishing, soldier, video, Vimeo

The sales pitch.

You either love it or hate it.

For your novel, it’s called the back cover copy. It can be even more difficult to write than the dreaded synopsis when you’re self-pubbing a novel. But you gotta do it.

The tease. The logline. The character descriptions.

Sometimes it seems it takes longer the write the back cover copy than the novel itself (just kidding…).

So you can imagine how excited I was when I found out my back cover copy and beautiful cover from Covers by Ramona for A Soldier’s Italian Christmas is a finalist in the Novella category in the I Heart Indie contest!

Here’s the back copy cover:

He is a U.S Army captain, a battle-weary soldier who has lost his faith.
She is a nun, her life dedicated to God.
Together they are going to commit an act the civilized world will not tolerate.
They are about to fall in love.

December 1943
Italy

The ravages of combat have taken a toll on Captain Mack Oâ€™Casey, who has lost his faith after seeing the horrors of war as the Nazis fight hard to keep the Allies from reaching Rome. His beliefs are challenged even more when he loses his way and ends up in a mystical place called Monte D’Oro Rose during the cold winter of 1943â€¦and falls in love with the beautiful Sister Angelina.

The young nun has a secret of her own, one she will die trying to protect: the lost Cross of Saint Cecelia. She must find the religious relic first before the brutal Nazi major who will stop at nothing to get it. Even murder. Sister Angelina risks her life to save the cross for the Church, but will she also risk her heart? Falling in love with the handsome American soldier is against the rules, but she canâ€™t deny the stolen moments with him have made her question her vows.

It is Christmas Eve when these two lonely people come together on this holiest of holidays and how faith helps them overcome their greatest fears. A time when the whole world holds its breath as brave men and women fight for freedom.

And a soldier and a nun dare to fall in loveâ€¦

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And here is the cover! Check out this extended video excerpt from Chapter One from A Soldier’s Italian Christmas

A Soldier’s Italian Christmas: Excerpt from Chapter One from Jina Bacarr on Vimeo.