Tattoo Tuesday – M. Stratton

SydTatTWO

M., welcome to Tattoo Tuesday. Your five questions start now:  

1.   How old were you when you got your first tattoo? I was a late bloomer, I was twenty-nine.

2.     How many tattoos do you have? If only one, do you want more? I currently have eight, but more in the works.

3.     What inspired you to get your first tattoo or favorite tattoo?  Tell me your tattoo story. I got two tattoos my first time. One is a daisy, since it is one of my favorite flowers, and then a seashell, because some of my family and friends call me Shel.

photo 4
My first, the daisy, I added the ladybug a couple of years later.

4.     Tattoos on a significant other, like or dislike? Explain why?  I don’t like, I love. My husband has four, and he wants a few more which is totally fine with me!

5.     Do the character’s in your books have tattoos? If so, pick a character and tell me his or her tattoo story? Why was this story incorporated in the book?  Lexi’s tattoo is a Phoenix raising from the ashes on her back. She put it there to remind herself of all the healing she did to get to where she is and to say that she’s got her back. The complete reason why is in After the Storm.

photo-1 photo 3O

10b371_98edc57ad869495f8d2a2b1626f0bb2a.jpg_srz_331_554_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srzAbout M. Stratton:  M. Stratton is an International Amazon bestselling author in the romantic suspense and mystery suspense categories for her debut novel After the Storm. She is a self-proclaimed dork that loves to make people laugh and can trip over nothing. Her inner rock star is always on stage performing to a sold out crowd but is quiet and shy on the outside.

She lives with her husband and son in Arizona, which is a big difference from where she grew up north of Chicago Illinois. As an only child she learned to tell herself stories to make the long winters go by quicker while dreaming of summer vacations. Now as an adult she still makes up stories to pass the time, but now she writes them down to share with other people.

To learn more about M. Stratton, connect with her on her Blog, Twitter and on Goodreads

after the storm FINAL FINAL Ebook

Eye of the Storm ebook

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the book to purchase.

If you have a book coming out or just want to tell your tattoo story and want to be featured on Tattoo Tuesday, let me know by leaving me a message in the comments.  

Playing Pretend by Juliana Haygert – Release Day!!!

Welcome to the Playing Pretend release event, organized by Grapevine Book Tours! Read an excerpt from this NA Contemporary Romance, and enter to win a gift card or eBook copy. Don’t forget to visit the event page for a list of participating blogs with more excerpts and an author interview!
Playing Pretend

by Juliana Haygert

Publication: March 3rd, 2014

New Adult Contemporary Romance

As the Governor’s daughter, Charlotte McClain is an expert in playing pretend. High society, the men her mother shoves in her direction and a Pre-Law major are all a part of her perfect pretense. But when she pretends to be a nobody during Spring Break, she meets someone who rocks her world.Mason Rowell knows heartbreak and Spring Break don’t mesh well, so he allows the mysterious Charlotte to seduce him. What should have been a fling, results in something deeper. After Spring Break has long since passed, he moves to Washington to pursue his graduate degree, but what he never expected to find living among the rich and pompous, was the girl who gave him the strength to change and the desire to start anew.

When the guy Charlotte can’t forget goes from a sensual memory to temptation in the flesh, her facade is put to the test. If she surrenders to his charms, she risks ruining her mother’s perfect career and master plan. Playing pretend is what Charlotte does best, but how long can she pretend she doesn’t love the man who made her proud of her true self?

**A light, sexy NA Contemporary Romance (17+)**

Available on:
Grab your copy today! From now until March 9th, Playing Pretend is only 99 cents!

A sneak peek inside Playing Pretend
I held her arm and pulled her back into the dark hallway. “Wait.”
“Why are you doing this?”
I didn’t let go of her arm. “Honestly, I don’t know. I just … I guess I miss you.”
A small smile appeared on her lips. “Do you miss all the girls you hook up with during spring breaks? Oh, there’s summer too, right? Busy town during summers, right?”
Annoyance was making its way into me. “For your information, I am not that kind of guy.” Wasn’t I? That was what I said I would do. “I had the same girlfriend for three years before you.”
Her smile faded. “Please, Mason …”
“What?” I slid my hands up her arms, pulling her closer. “Tell me about it.” But she didn’t. She averted her eyes. “Why are you acting so stiff and reserved?”
She jerked away from me. “That’s who I am. I call it refined and educated. Or even elegant.”
She was certainly refined, educated, and elegant, but that wasn’t it. “No, no. You’re not like that. Come on. I saw you.”
“Who you saw is someone I cannot be.”
So, that was it. She couldn’t be like that here.
“But that’s who you are, isn’t it?” I walked up to her, towering over her, pushing her against the wall. “That’s who you have to be.”
Her eyes grew wide and she looked side to side, trying to find a way out of my trap.
“What are you going to do? Tell the world what a slut I am?” Her beautiful eyes filled with tears. “What do you want? Will you ask for money to stay quiet?”
I gave one step in her direction, bumping my legs onto hers—only a few inches separated my body from hers now—and reached around her, brushing my fingertips along the bare skin of her back.
“I want you,” I whispered in her ear. Her breath hitched, and I took pleasure in feeling her back arching with my touch, her body shivering with my breath.
Her hands grasped my arms. “Please,” she gasped.
I loved when she begged. “I want the real you. The one that spent six wonderful days with me.” I slid my tongue along her jaw and her nails dug into the skin of my arms. Damn, her scent was like drugs. I was addicted. “The one I know is in there. Let her out. For me.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. Then she pushed me back and, in tears, she dashed away.

Juliana HaygertHer Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | Goodreads

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

• One (1) $10 Amazon or B&N gift card {INT}

• Two (2) eBook copies of Playing Pretend by Juliana Haygert {INT}

Event organized by

My Monthly Update – Congrats to Dale Jr.

Latest News

1677257476001_3248355263001_nascar-nscs14-day-pp-junior-922x520

So excited to congrat Dale Jr. on his second Daytona 500 win. It was such an amazing ending and I am so happy he got out of the way.

This NFL off season may not be as bad as I originally thought.

His win inspired a cool little story I wrote for workshop last week. Give me a few days to fix it up and I will share it with you.

I finished my edits on Another New Life and sent it to my editor. Six days later, it showed up in my inbox. I read her summary, which was really nice, but I’ve yet to open the document. I am working on other stuff and will get back to it on Monday.

It’s getting close. I keep thinking how cool it will be to say, “I’m a published author.” I promise I’ll only say it to myself at home in the bathroom mirror.

Goals for March: 

Finish final edits on Another New Life

Prepare my A to Z Challenge post – more on that later.

Writing Workshop – continue participating and creating content for my workshop.

A to Z Challenge – Once again, I am a Minion. 

Nicole Mighty Minion Bureau-small

Nicole of Madlab Post has chosen me as one of her minions to help her out with the challenge.

I am known as Asset #1. Click the badge to find out why.  If you haven’t signed up for the A to Z challenge, well, what are you waiting for.

 

 

Are you a NASCAR fan? Does having a book published feel as good as I think it will? Sign up for the A to Z Challenge already. April is almost here. 

WIP: The Movie Bloghop

1608680_10202291185553447_2068061134_nIt’s time for the WIP: The Movie Bloghop. I love this bloghop. It satisfies my inner movie mogul persona.

Thanks so much to Kyra Lennon and Rachel Schieffelbein for bringing it back.

My soon to be released debut Novel Another New Life is about a eighteen year old piano prodigy who goes away to school in order to escape the reminders of her tragic childhood, but she soon realizes escaping her inner demons may prove more difficult.

I tried to create a young cast, but one with the talent to pull off the serious subject matter. This is not your typical teen drama.

For the lead character, Miranda Preston.

plh

I figured an Oscar winning actress could pull it off. Jennifer Lawrence is my Miranda.

For the love interest and football star, Troy Anderson.

Chace

 

Chace Crawford as the right attitude and the right hair to play my leading man.

The witty southern belle looking for love and Miranda’s roommate, Darcy Albritton.

sh

 

 

Ashley Benson is so cute, charming and can break hearts all over Austin.

I picked a theme song for my novel during the outlining process and it inspired me and allowed me to create the feel of the story through out the writing process.

Pink featuring Nate Reuss – Just Give me a Reason. Plus, Pink has her real life husband Carey Hart in the video and they are my celebrity couple role models.

Who would you pick as your perfect cast for your WIP? 

Tattoo Tuesday – Lori L. Clark

SydTatTWO

I’m excited to feature a talented writer and one of the bloggers behind one of my favorite blogs, She Reads New Adult. Lori, welcome to Tattoo Tuesday. Your five questions start now:  

1.  How old were you when you got your first tattoo?  I was over 21…and as soon as I got one, I was ready for another.

2.  How many tattoos do you have? If only one, do you want more?  I have seven, and I’m always thinking about getting another.

3.  What inspired you to get your first tattoo or favorite tattoo?  Tell me your tattoo story.  My first tattoo. Hmm. It just seemed like the thing to do at the time. It was not well thought out at all. It was a heart with a lightning bolt through it, about the size of a quarter. It’s since been covered up with something larger. Since then, the tattoos have become more planned. My latest is a saying in Latin that translates to “Time Waits for No Man.” My favorite is a line from a Motley Crue song, “My heart’s like an open book for the whole world to read.” It’s done inside a scroll on my lower left leg.

tattoo

4. Tattoos on a significant other, like or dislike? Explain why? I love tattoos on men. Not just one or two that they are ashamed of…but ones that they wear proudly. Intricately designed and well done.  

5. Do the character’s in your books have tattoos? If so, pick a character and tell me his or her tattoo story? Why was this story incorporated in the book?  In my upcoming book, The Heart Knows What the Heart Wants, the main character, Star, she has two tattoos. The planet Neptune on the back of her right hand and the words “The Heart Knows What the Heart Wants” tattooed over her heart. She dabbles in astrology and is a Pisces. Neptune rules Pisces, so she got the planet Neptune. The saying, is something she believes and something she learns from the young man in her life. (It may just be my next tattoo, as well.)

About Lori:  In 2009, after participating in NANOWRIMO, she began to take seriously the voices in her head. Two New Adult contemporary romance novels, Different Roads, and I Breathe You, were published in 2013, and showed early success. The Heart Knows What the Heart Wants is set to release in March 2014, and has her venturing into the realms of Romantic Suspense.

Lori is a member of Savvy Authors, the St. Louis Writers Guild, and Romance Writers of America.

THKWTHWFULLTo learn more about Lori, connect with her on her Blog, Twitter, Facebook and on Goodreads

If you have a book coming out or just want to tell your tattoo story and want to be featured on Tattoo Tuesday, let me know by leaving me a message in the comments.