On The Road

So you'll find me this weekend in Funky Town...officially known as Fort Worth...partying...erm, attending the North Texas Two Step Conference.

 (credit for this gorgeous photo goes to the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau)

Seriously, Fort Worth is one of my favorite cities in Texas because it has history, culture, good food and a wonderful laid-back unpretentious attitude. Also, my first child was born in the city and so there are many, many good memories. I plan to spend some time revisiting old favorites and discovering new places.

And, truthfully, while I do go to conferences to learn from the excellent panels what I enjoy the most is meeting people. So yes, I plan to hang out and enjoy myself with sister book lovers. So if you happen to be there too, make sure you say hi :)

Wishing each and everyone of you a happy, happy weekend!

Love,

Mina

Seriously Shifter: Dragon!

I love shifter stories and when Anna from Herding Cats and Burning Soup mentioned the Seriously Shifter blog hop...well, I had to jump aboard.


Alpha Male Madness Hop

Of course, I'm going to grab this opportunity to share about my favorite shifter type -- dragons! Fierce and mysterious, ancient and timeless, these gorgeous creatures inspire my imagination.



My favorite dragon series is G.A. Aiken's Dragon Kin series -- the dragons are fierce, sexy and,oh so funny. The heroine or hero counterparts are clever and loyal, they definitely deserve their dragons. And the stories are pure fun!



G.A. Aiken Dragon Bundle: The Dragon Who Loved Me, What a Dragon Should Know, Last Dragon Standing & How to Drive a Dragon Crazy

Of course, my dragon love has bled into my writing and, dragon oh dragon, I had a blast writing my most recent release Wildfire: A Paranormal Mystery with Cowboys and Dragons. And I made a special necklace to go with the story! :)

So I'll giveaway a signed paperback of Wildfire with a dragon necklace and also a $5 Amazon gift card. It's a US/CANADA giveaway.


Check out all the other participants and their giveaways on the Seriously Shifter Blog Hop!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stormy Inspiration for Writing with Sofia Grey

I met Sofia Grey on Goodreads and was instantly smitten with her book-lovin' bubbly personality. But when I started reading her stories, I found that she had another, more moody, emotional side too...which translates into sweet, sexy stories. I'm so glad to be part of Sofia's blog tour for her new release Crash Into Love! Here's Sofia sharing about storms and music...


Thunderstorms. My grandmother hated them. She'd run around the house covering up mirrors, and hiding under the table, when they came. I wasn't sure about being caught outside, but from the safety and warmth of my bed, I enjoyed them.

 I've seen a few spectacular storms, ones where the lightning seemed to tear the sky apart, and where the rain fell so hard it could almost leave bruises. The most exotic were perhaps in Florida, when I visited on a business trip. It would go from blue skies to heavy storm in the space of a few minutes, and then equally fast, back to blazing sunshine again. The only proof would be the puddles rapidly turning to steam on the sidewalk.

 Why not listen to Lightning Song, by Queens of the Stone Age. This awesome instrumental track features on my playlist for this book.

In Crash Into Love, Cass and Jonah watch the storm playing out over the ocean.


The deck made a perfect viewing platform for the sea, and covered by the overhang from the roof, the back half was perfectly sheltered from the rain. Jonah slipped his arm around my waist and then grabbed the quilt, and together, we made our way outside. The padded bench seat was just the right size for us to curl up on, and with Jonah at my back, and the quilt draped over our fronts, I was both cushioned and warm. Heat poured from his naked body, and I wanted to laugh in sheer delight at the audacity of what I was doing. If Colin could see me now, naked on the deck in the arms of my much younger lover—my toy boy—he would be appalled. I wouldn’t change this for the world.

Brilliant lightning ripped the sky in two, illuminating the sea for a fraction of a second before pitch-darkness descended again. My eyes were still recovering from the blinding streak of electricity when the thunder crashed overhead. Jonah tightened his arms around me and nuzzled the crook of my neck. “Reminds me I’m alive,” he murmured. He was right. The raw power of the storm made everything feel more vibrant, more real. I’d never forget this wonderful, magical night, or the gorgeous man teasing my hair and kissing my neck.

Check out the awesome cover!




Blurb: Cass thought spending a month at a beachside hideaway relaxing and collecting shells would be the perfect escape to finish her novel. When she meets the dark and brooding and much younger Jonah, who's staying next door, her book becomes the last thing on her mind.

Jonah would rather stay home alone than go on vacation with his brother and their friends, but does his best to tolerate the situation after being convinced to go. But when he sees the beauty next door, he can’t avoid his attraction.

Together, they break all the rules, but will Cass be able to bring Jonah out of his shell forever, or will he leave her with only the crash of the surf to keep her company?

Want more?

How about some exclusive swag? One lucky commenter (who also leaves a contact email) will get one of these gorgeous little fridge magnets, 



 and yes, Sofia will post international J

Trailer link:


Book links:





Author bio:

Romance author Sofia Grey spends her days managing projects in the corporate world and her nights hanging out with wolf shifters and alpha males. She devours pretty much anything in the fiction line, but she prefers her romances to be hot, and her heroes to have hidden depths. When writing, she enjoys peeling back the layers to expose her characters’ flaws and always makes them work hard for their happy endings.

Music is interwoven so tightly into my writing that I can’t untangle the two. Either I’m listening to a playlist on my iPod, have music seeping from my laptop speakers, or there’s a song playing in my head – sometimes on auto-repeat.

Check out my playlist on Pinterest and listen for free via Pandora.com (Sofia Grey –Crash Into Love station)

Author links:


Catch me blogging with Allyson Lindt at www.GeminiGirls.com

Twitter: @SofiaGreyAuthor   https://twitter.com/SofiaGreyAuthor 
Amazon author profile page: https://www.amazon.com/author/sofiagrey


Veronica Mars Movie Time! WooHoo!

So I have been getting ready for the movie by going on a Veronica Mars re-runs binge. I love the old PI movie feel, and the cute and snappy girl detective -- she's like Nancy Drew with more attitude. And y'all know I love a good bit of mystery in my stories...I'm so there tomorrow.

Anyone else checking out this movie?

Writing Wisdom from Stephen King


I needed this reminder because you always hit a point in the writing of any story that leaves you flummoxed and frustrated. It's easy to walk away and open a new document, play with a shiny new idea that seems to be brimming with possibilities.

But unfinished stories, like ghosts, exist in the shadows and haunt you. They demand completion. They deserve completion. I'm sharing this in case anyone else needed these words as much as me.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! Thanks for Your Words



Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! And thank  you for your words of wisdom that you shared with us through 46 children's books. Truth be told, not only do I like reading your work to my kids, but I like to read them for myself. They inspire, they encourage and they give hope. And they're fun!

Your words, nonsensical rhymes with lots of common-sensical whimsy, are lessons for life.