Victoria Michaels's Blog

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Snow days are the best! To celebrate this glorious Friday off…. I thought I’d share some EXCITING news. (Or at least hint at it a little… but you’ll know soon enough!)

I have to say, the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years are easily the fastest moving of the whole year! So many things going on and people running in different directions, it’s the craziest time of year- but it’s also my favorite. To celebrate the countdown to 2014, I made a few decisions and I think this year is going to end with a BANG!

New beginnings…

New directions…

New book…

“Tis the season for you all to STAY TUNED for more info on all these ‘New’ things that are coming much sooner than you think

I’m alive, just a horrible blogger- I admit.

I have to say, July has completely snuck up on me. It feels like yesterday was the last day of school and summer had just started and now… it’s half-way over! So much to do, so little time.

One thing I was able to check off my list was joining Authorgraph!

Now if you want to get an authorgraph of Trust in Advertising or Boycotts and Barflies, all you have to do is go to their website and make the request. It’s really cool and I should have done it ages ago, but better late than never! So if your interested, click on the link and  check it out. Who will be my first authorgraph??

Also, because if you know me, you know I’m obsessed with Wrath from the Black Dagger Brotherhood so I had to share this little gem

The cover the JR Ward’s upcoming book: The King which is about… you guessed it- WRATH. March cannot come soon enough for me!

I think that’s all for right now, I’m busy writing. Yep, I said writing. Hopefully I’ll have some exciting news soon to share!

Enjoy your summer and time with your families. As the mother of a soon to be high school senior, it goes by faster than you ever could imagine!

MWAH!

V

Why is it this time of year the days fly by? There’s so much to do between Thanksgiving and Christmas that if you blink, you’ll miss it. So I wanted to slow it down a little and take some time to be thankful, before the time slips away.

November was a crazy month but I was productive writing for NaNoWriMo. I am thrilled and extremely proud to say I did it, I wrote 50,00 words in one month’s time. I even went over my mark. That might not seem like a lot, I know some people out there can sit down and pound out 10,000 words in an afternoon, but I don’t operate that way. As it was, the whole thing was a learning experience for me. Simply writing and not looking back at what I wrote. I typically edit, edit and reedit what i write the day before, then moved onto new material. A process that slows my writing substantially. But this year I stuck to the formula and simply wrote. I’m so excited about what I did that I’m still working on it every day. the editing will be extensive, I don’t know if half of what I said makes sense, but I’m determined to get it done.

Make that my first New Years’s Resolution!

News/Announcements for the Holiday Season

In a few weeks the lovely ladies at Literati Literature Lovers are going to do another read along this time of Boycotts and Barflies! Check out their website for more information and fun.  I had a great time with them in September when we did the read along for Trust in Advertising, chatting on Twitter, sharing recipes, and lots of laughs so I hope you will check them out. They are fantastic and it should be a good time for all.

Second announcement Omnific is doing a holiday giveaway. They have three Kindles up for grabs, each filled with a different genre of novels.

The YA Kindle will be for the Season of Sweetness

The Paranormal Kindle will be for Haunted Holidays

The Adult Contemporary Kindle will be full of Holiday Hotness

Here is where you enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the Omnific Blog for fun holiday snippets from many of the authors and more details about how to win the Kindles. I will keep you posted.

Things I am thankful for:

My family- they are my heart and soul.

My job- I love what I do, love the kids I work with.

My friends

My NaNoWriMo buddy who keeps me working. Couldn’t do it without you.

All of you who are so incredibly kind to me.

Amazing authors who entertain, enthrall and enrapture me with their words and their worlds. Nothing makes me happier than reading a good book.

Laughter. Because without it the world would be a very boring place.

I hope you all take some time to enjoy these weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Enjoy the time with your family, make memories to last a lifetime. Be kind, be happy, and more than anything…take time to laugh.

So the ladies over at Literati Literature Lovers are doing a read-along of Trust in Advertising with their book club!

I was floored and extremely flattered when I heard they wanted to do this. They’re covering three chapters a day and will be discussing them on Twitter at 9pm nightly. To see the schedule check out their site at http://literatiliteraturelovers.com/book-club/

The read-along starts tomorrow evening Monday, Sept. 10th and runs through Monday, Sept. 24th. I hear there might be some questions for me to answer too, so I’m going to be reading TiA again myself so I don’t look like a dork And who knows, I might just pop on Twitter sometime and join in the fun.

Huge thanks again to the ladies at Literati Literature Lovers for sharing Trust in Advertising with their book club. I hope you enjoy it!

Follow them at

Literatiliteraturelovers.com

So last night, at midnight I packed my husband and four kids into the car and like so many others we went to a midnight showing of The Dark Night Rises at our local movie theater. It was a great movie, but even more fun was spending the evening with my family and listening to my teenage son’s excited ramblings over what a great movie it was and hearing the other kids highlight their favorite things in it and more importantly, hearing them decide that they wanted to go see it again, together, the next day.

The joy of that experience was cut short when we came home and heard about the terrible shooting in Colorado, at a movie theater, where other families were watching The Dark Night Rises, enjoying a night out, just like we had done. Even though we were perfectly safe and sound, halfway across the country, it’s still a horrible shock because I can’t help but wonder, how many of the victims were like us? A family piled into a car going to see it together? Or people out on a date? Or friends who had planned this night for months, bought their tickets in advance and taken a nap earlier in the day so they would be ready to stay up late? How many were taking a sick day or vacation the next day? How many were going to call in sick or how many were going to go to work, without sleep because they wanted to see the movie that badly?

So rather than post my opinion on guns, the death penalty or society in general, I’m calling for action. I’m going to DO something to honor those who have died and I hope others join me. Do something good, do something silly, do something fun and carefree. Celebrate life, celebrate your family, celebrate who you are.  Help another person, give your time, your money, yourself to something you care about. Actions speak far louder than words. Fight hate and evil with actions of love. All the talk in the world won’t change what happened, but loving people and loving yourself will show that people care.

Those who died probably wouldn’t want a gun debate in their honor, but I bet they would be touched to know people left work early to go be with their families, or gave their time to help those in need, in memory of them. To know that people sacrificed something they love for someone else and are working to show the good in people.  Pay it forward. THAT is turning something negative into something positive far more than words on a timeline, posts of outrage, or rants amongst friends.

So let’s do it. Spread the word. Do something good today. It doesn’t have to be huge, sometimes the smallest things mean the most. Honor those who died with action, inspire others to do good, show them that we all can overcome such mindless evil with kindness, patience and love.

Because nothing is more powerful than love…

So it’s July already! We recently got back from vacation, which was amazing! There’s nothing better than sitting on the beach, watching the kids play in the sand and hearing the waves crash against the shore. I could honestly stay there forever. Here’s a picture of one of the spectacular sunsets we were blessed with while we were there.

Since we got back home, we’ve been having ridiculously high temperatures where I live so I’ve been enjoying the air conditioning and had my nose stuck in a book. I should preface this post with, I’m a little crazy obsessive when it comes to books. So…

Last week,  the latest book in the Ghostwalkers series by Christine Feehan came out and I’m a huge fan of the series so I immediately fan-girl squealed, downloaded it onto my Nook and was so excited to read it, but I haven’t touched it yet. It’s still sitting hrere with the ‘new’ banner across the top of it in my library. Why you ask? Because I’m a bit odd and wanted to re-read the series, from the beginning so I was fresh in the story and knew what was going on. So here I am, a week after it came out, on book 6 of the series with 3 more books to go before I can read Samurai Game.

Sure I could have simply re-read the last book, to refresh my mind where everything left off, but then I think of all the storylines from the first few books, the moments when characters met, fought or fell in love and I had to start at the beginning. The more I thought about it, the more I realized, I do this all the time. I NEVER read a book out of order. I NEVER start a series in the middle, then backtrack. I NEVER read the last book then pick up the newest one. Even when I’m re-reading, I never just jump to book 3 and read, I start at one and get to 3.

So it made me wonder, does anyone else do this too? Or am I the only neurotic, OCD person when it comes to reading a book series? There have to be more people like me out there.

All this talk of books has me thinking about what I love to read so here are a few favorite series of mine:

Black Dagger Brotherhood- JR Ward

Immortals After Dark- Kresley Cole

Ghostwalkers, Drake sisters and Carapathian Series- Christine Feehan

Lords of the Underworld- Gena Showalter

Stephanie Plum Series- Janet Evanovich

Vampire Academy/Bloodlines – Richelle Mead

Harry Potter – JK Rowling

Dark Hunters, League Series – Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Wilderness Series – Sara Donati

Outlander- Diana Gabaldon

The Bridgertons – Julia Quinn

Virgin River Series – Robyn Carr

I really could keep going on and on and on with books I love to read. But those are some of my favorites. Hopefully you are having a great summer and enjoying time with your families like I am. I’m always looking for new books to read so if you have something you love- tell me about it.

There’s nothing like a great book!

It’s hard to believe it’s summer again! Another school year, done. The kids are another year older and wiser, or so they say. It’s amazing how busy your kids can keep you during the school months with their activities and such. But now, the glorious month of June is upon us and that means SUMMER VACATION. Sleeping in, staying up late, going to the pool and nothing but fun. I love summer!

My first project every summer, involves a major decision- what book should I read first? It seems like a little thing, but it’s not. So much goes into making the choice: Do I go with something new? Do I go with an old, reliable book I love? Do I sink into a series that will keep me busy for a month, or do I try and read as many single titles as possible? Decisions, decisions. So because I’m nosey, the question of the day becomes, What are YOU reading this summer by the pool or on vacation? I need suggestions, so send them my way.

In addition to relaxing, being lazy and playing with the kids, I’ve set some goals for myself to finish a few things I’ve started writing. Yes, I said that publicly, hoping I will now feel the need to follow through with it and not keep it to myself. If others know, I will feel more pressure to get it done and not let the time pass without progress. So there. I’ve said it- not let’s hope I actually do it

I hope everyone takes some time to relax this summer and spend time with those you love. The world is filled with craziness and stupid people. Don’t let them ruin your day. Be yourself, be original, be unique.

Happy Summer Reading! Keep the suggestions coming

Long time no blog… I know, I've been bad. Unfortunately, sometimes life gets in the way. But I was thinking about something today in the car and said to myself, "That would be an interesting blog post" so… here I am.

My question on the day is: If you could take 5 books with you to read on a deserted island what would they be and why would you choose them?

Now that I've asked the question, I suppose I have to answer and it's a much harder question than I thought initially because I love books and choosing only one (especially from a  favorite series say) is so difficult. But I'll try.

First book I take – Dark Lover by JR Ward because anyone who knows me knows I enjoy the BDB books more than I can say and Wrath and I go way back, so he's the first of my five. I think its a great start to an amazing series but I can only take one… so Dark Lover it is.

Second book I take- One for the Money by Janet Evanovich because she makes me laugh until my sides hurt and heavens knows if I am trapped on some deserted island I will need that. Her characters are so lively, entertaining and Morelli… is another personal favorite of mine. Team CUPCAKE all the way, baby. I think she has a great wit to her writing and enjoy this book more than I can so, so One of the Money is next in the bag and will have me laughing out loud.

Third book I would take – Dark Magic by Christine Feehan. Paranormal romance where she creates an amazing world and huge cast of characters that overlap into other books and pull you into their dark and brooding world. The dynamic between the main characters – Gregory a centuries old Carapathian male and the most powerful healer among them and the young, modern woman who loves her independence and refuses to follow blindly or be bound to someone as unyielding as Gregory. Angst, drama, love.

Fourth Book I would take- Now here is where it gets tricky…. I guess I would take Outlander by Diana Gabaldon because I loved this book the most in the series… and it's nice and long to keep me occupied. BUT… if you've read the series you know at the end of book one, you MUST have book two to read and I don't know if my heart could take it. Jamie and Claire- their story is epic and makes you happy yet breaks your heart all at the same time. Excellent read I say. I'd just need to find a copy of it with a snippet of book 2 in the back of it

Fifth book- IMPOSSIBLE to choose. I pulled out my Nook and looked through my titles and realized I have no Lori Foster on this list yet, no Gena Showalter, no Kresley Cole, no Sherrilyn Kenyon, no Karen Marie Moning or none of the Circle Trilogy books which I fell in love with this week.

What does this little exercise tell me about myself? First, I'm never going to a deserted island – that goes without saying since I don't do well in the great outdoors – ask anyone. Second, I'm a romance book junkie. I admit it. And if I'm trapped on an island, I don't want something depressing to read… I want fun. But I also love mysteries like Mary Higgins Clarke and darker, creepy books like Dean R Koontz but alone in the dark, at night, they might scare me even more than whatever furry little creatures are running around on this island at night, so forget them. Third thing I learned is, I love my Nook because it allows me to take everything including the 'kitchen sink' of my books with me in my purse every day.

So the bottom line is, if I was going to a deserted island, it better darn well have a hotel with indoor plumbing, a chef, and electricity so I can charge my Nook and have all my favorite titles at my fingertips, daily.

Hope you're all catching up on a little summer reading and taking a few minutes out of your busy schedules to relax and have a good read by the pool, on the deck, or curled up on your couch.

Share with the class: what you would take. I love hearing about new books, series and titles that people are passionate about. There's always room on my To Be Read list for more books

Happy Reading!

Hello everyone! Can you even believe it's December already??

I was checking my email before I went out to hopefully get the last of my holiday shopping done and I was floored to find a message from Goodreads letting me know I was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in the category of Best Goodreads Author! Here is the link if you would like to check it out for yourself.

Vote for this book!

I have no idea how this happened, but it is truly an amazing honor to be nominated for something like this and I wanted to take a minute to say thank you to all of you who have supported me for so long. None of this would have been possible without you! Your emails, messages, posts and support of me, as an author, touch me beyond words. Thank you for all the love you have shown me, and my books.