contemporary romance Archives - Page 13 of 14 - Maggie Wells-Margaret Ethridge

September 14, 2015

Monday Mayhem – Spastic edition = spastic website

Trying this again….

If any of you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen that I made the following prediction on Friday:

Maggie Wells @MaggieWells1

Will spend the weekend working on Coastal Heat #3 whilst pimping #1 & possible round of edits on #2. #writerbrain

Well, what do you know? I’m psychic. Added a chapter or so to #3 (LOVE AND ROCKETS), set up a number of posts about #1 (GOING DEEP), and copy edits on #2 (FLIP THIS LOVE) landed in my inbox Sunday afternoon. Wooohoooo!

This is it!! GOING DEEP finally releases this week. This book has been a little over 2 years in coming. I can’t wait for it to be out in the world!

There are going to be a lot of fun giveaways happening in the coming weeks. You ready for a sneak peek?

September giveaway – At the end of the month, I will be drawing the name of one Newsletter subscriber to win this totes adorb tote bag filled with books and goodies! I send newsletter updates 1-2 times per month (if that often) and I always include links to free/discounted books. I promise not to spam your inbox! If you are not already on my mailing list, go here to sign up.

I’ll be participating in my friend Parker Kincaid‘s SOUTHERN HEAT facebook party on Tuesday the 15th! Click here to RSVP. Look for me to be hosting from 9-10PM EST. I’ll be doing a number of giveaways that night including beach-themed scents, a a blingy Razorback koozie, and prizes fans of Harlequin romances, Jane Austen and Outlander will not want to miss!

Have you joined my street team, THE MARGARITAS? If not, you’re missing out! This week I mailed some welcome goodies to those who have signed up to receive gifts and extras. Members of The Margaritas receive advanced read copies of my books, sneak previews of upcoming releases, chances to win gift cards and other prizes, and are privy to other behind-the-scenes action.

Today is the last day to download a free copy of SEDUCING STEVE exclusively at Amazon. Please tell your friends to grab their copies now!

Whew!

So…what are you up to this week?

August 31, 2015

Monday Mayhem – Ennui Edition

So it’s no secret I’ve been suffering a little end of summer ennui. I’m pleased to report that I have powered through, and Saturday I managed to get chapter one of LOVE & ROCKETS (Coastal Heat #3 – October 2016) done. Now I just need to psyche myself up for chapter two.

I got my first round of edits back on FLIP THIS LOVE (Coastal Heat #2) this weekend. Also got some great feedback from my editor on the story itself. Can’t wait to share this one with you in April 2016! Right behind it will be A WILL AND A WAY (sequel to Three Little Words – coming June 2016!) so I will be deep in the writing/editing cave as the leaves start to turn.

But first, I’m planning some prizes and giveaways for the release of GOING DEEP on September 15th!

Found this super-cute beach bag that matches the cover colors that I plan to fill with books and goodies for my newsletter subscribers (sign up now at the top of the right sidebar!).

I also have some fun stuff for the Facebook party I’ll be participating in that evening.

So yeah, I’m hoping to gain a little momentum again as the summer starts to cool down. Give me another couple of weeks and I’ll be in full-on Fall mode. That means being football and first draft ready.

I plan on turning this ennui will be off-oui (Gilmore-ism – thank you Sookie St. James Bellville!) and getting back in the groove.

How about you? What are you looking forward to this fall?

August 24, 2015

Monday Mayhem – Catholic guilt edition

So I think I may have to change my author picture to something like this:

I was a complete slug this weekend. I mean, I didn’t leave my house other than to go to the Kum & Go to refill the massive mug.

Nor did I write.

What did I do? I read THE ANGEL by the fabulous Tiffany Reisz. I napped. I watched more episodes of Friday Night Lights than anyone should admit to watching in one weekend.

But somehow, I managed to make it through the entire weekend without adding a single word to my fledgling work in progress.

I did do authorly things. If you missed the Unforgettable Heroes II pre-release party on Facebook, you missed a good time. Lucky for you, you can still order your boxed set for only $0.99. It includes SPRING CHICKENS!

AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1U1in0N
IBOOKS: http://apple.co/1NoBT8o
B&N: http://bit.ly/BNUH2
KOBO: http://bit.ly/KoboUH2

/sales pitch

I also packaged prizes to be sent out and started assembling goodies for my street team. I just didn’t put any words on paper.

That’s when the Catholic guilt kicks in. I feel bad about having so much free time and not making anything out of it.

Yes, I know sometimes I need to give it a rest. I know that reading a book or watching television can and are helpful to me as a writer/storyteller. I just have a hard time with the need to have something to show for my time. And the upcoming month is going to be action packed. UNFORGETTABLE HEROES II releases this week, SEDUCING STEVE will be going on sale September 10-14th, then GOING DEEP releases September 15th. In the midst of all that, I will be working edits on FLIP THIS LOVE and possibly A WILL AND A WAY.

So, I should have used this weekend to crank on the draft of LOVE & ROCKETS.

But I didn’t.

And I feel guilty.

Apparently not guilty enough to stop ogling Kyle Chandler, but there you have it. My confession.

Bless me readers, for I have loafed…

How about you? Are you ruled by guilt, or do you revel in guilty pleasures?

August 10, 2015

Monday Mayhem – I need a motivational speaker

It was a fairly unproductive week for me. The day job was crazy busy, so by the time I made it home each night, I didn’t have energy to do much more than mainline season 1 of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.

I did get some character and story outlines started for LOVE & ROCKETS, so I wasn’t a complete slug. I also suckered the man into riding with me when I drove up to NW Arkansas to hook up with my fabulous agent, Sara Megibow, for a couple hours.

We also managed to sneak in a Steak ‘n Shake stop (I know you are shocked). If you have one nearby, both Bill and I heartily endorse the Nutella milkshake.

This week & weekend, we’ll have a special guest star appearing at the Ethridge Estate…

Julie Doner will be in the house, ladies and gentlemen!

We have a full agenda planned, but I will share some of the highlights:

Peanut Butter pie at Three Sams BBQ at the Mablevale railroad tracks!

A visit to the container store to ooh and ahh over the variety and quantity of bubble wrap!

Stranger Than Fiction on DVD!

Trainwreck at the theater!

Big Bopper sundaes from Shakes!

Writing sessions conducted live and in person!

Exposing the unsuspecting members of the Diamond State Romance Authors to my crazy Canuck!

I can’t wait! It’s been an action-packed summer for me. How about you? Have you been out and about? Are things starting to settle in for you?

August 3, 2015

Monday Mayhem – Mostly lazy edition

In case you missed it, I did end up doing my RWA wrap-up post on Thursday. Thanks for letting me slide on the Mayhem last week.

I spent most of last week polishing FLIP THIS LOVE (Coastal Heat #2) to get it ready to turn in to my editor. I’m pleased to report that I pressed send on Friday – one day ahead of schedule! Woo hoo!

Though it was a sprint to write it on time, I loved bringing Laney and Harley’s story to life. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it. It should be available from Kensington/Lyrical-Shine in April 2016. But don’t forget that book #1 – GOING DEEP will be out September 15, 2015.

With this three book series plus the sequel to THREE LITTLE WORDS – A WILL AND A WAY coming in June 2016, I’m going to have my hands full in the coming months. That’s why I am asking for help by forming a street team.

Street team members are a merry band of readers who help spread the word about new releases and promoting sales on back list titles. In exchange for their efforts, I provide them with advanced read copies of upcoming titles, swag (bookmarks, pins, etc.), books I’ve picked up from my fellow authors, and other prizes and gifts as my way of saying thanks. If you are interested in joining my street team, complete this form!

Other than that, I’ve done very little writerly work this weekend. Oh, I played around with my series bible (the document were I keep all the details for the Coastal Heat books) some, and I may have written a few sentences – 4 to be exact, and the gist of those were jotted on an index card while in NYC – but mostly, I relaxed and recuperated.

After the month-long writing marathon and the whirlwind that was RWA nationals, I needed it.

I took care of some chores, did a few errands (Did you know that apparently every grocery store in the metropolitan Little Rock area was closed while I was away?), napped a couple of times, cooked an actual meal, and watched multiple episodes of Friday Night Lights on Netflix.

And I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it.

Okay, that’s kind of a lie. I feel a little guilty about not getting more accomplished, and there are bits of LOVE & ROCKETS (Coastal Heat #3) floating around in my head, but…yeah.

How was your weekend?

July 20, 2015

Monday Mayhem – Frenzy!

First, let me just say:

The draft for FLIP THIS LOVE is complete, has been pre-edited, revised, and is now back with the ever-fabulous Jewels for another round of scrutiny. Which is good because this

appeared in Friday’s edition of Publisher’s Marketplace, and my agent posted this awesome announcement on the kt literary blog.

Next up? RWA National Conference in NYC!

Literally finished revisions Sunday, so I’ll be frantically packing for the next two nights. I can’t wait!

In the meantime, you can gaze upon this and we’ll all pretend we’re at the beach.

I’ll be back next week with a full report!

July 13, 2015

Monday Mayhem – Excuses, excuses

Please excuse Margaret from the internet today. She has been ill this week and has been using every word she could muster to make this happen:

She hopes to be done with this first draft and back in fighting form next week, when she will tell you all about her preparations for her New York adventure and the Romance Writers of America conference. In the meantime, please enjoy the (unedited) excerpt below with my compliments.

Signed,

Epstein’s Mother

Flip This Love – a work in progress

“That’s it. Suck, sugar.”

The husky timbre of his voice sent shivers down her spine. One warm hand slid from her shoulder to her back. The tips of his fingers dug into the valley of her spine. He could nearly span her waist. Her nipples puckered when he slipped his hand into her hair. Oh, how she wished she’d worn it up. She loved the feel of him skin on skin. She almost wept with relief when he wrapped his big, broad palm around her nape. Heat seeped into the taut muscles of her neck. A thin stream of hot moisture escaped the corner of her mouth and trickled down her chin.

“Oh yeah. Suck harder.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d said those words to her, and God help her, she knew it wouldn’t be the last. She was weak. A quivering mass of happy, hurt, and oh-please-touch-me-again.

The man was right. She needed to suck it up. And hard. If Harley Cade was back to stay, she had to be on her guard. The man was as insidious as the kudzu that crept into her mother’s flower garden.

Laney pulled the spent crawfish shell from her mouth and dropped it onto the butcher paper in front of her. Fingers tangled in her hair and tugged lightly, a tiny jolt that sent a lightning bolt of white-hot desire streaking straight through her. She looked up in time to see him flash old Mrs. Hillbury a dimpling smile and commandeer the folding chair beside her.

“Evenin’, Delaney.”

July 6, 2015

Monday Mayhem – One Click Edition

Hi all!

I’m here! Still in a full-on writing sprint whilst attempting to have a life. Silly me.

The book is going well. I’m chipping away at it bit by bit and hope to have the rough first draft completed by 7/15/15.

In the meantime, I am preparing for my jaunt to NYC later this month to attend the Romance Writers of America annual conference. I’m super excited. Not only do I get to room with the fabulous Karen Booth, but I get to meet a bunch of other publishing biz friends and associates live and in person. It’ll be four days jam-packed with signings, seminars, speakers and soirees.

The downside to all that means I’ve been forced to do some clothing shopping. Those of you who know me in the three dimensional world, know that I loathe shopping for clothes. Add this crazy-pants deadline to my natural aversion and you can understand why I’ve been doing as much of my acquiring as possible online.

Dress at RWA National ranges from pajama party to formal. I’m trying to be strategic in my packing. I’ve picked a basic color scheme of black, white, & re(a)d. [sorry, had to throw the Gilmore reference in] I’m adding in some silver and everything (including shoes and accessories) will work around that.

Of course, I’m a chronic over packer. God forbid I get stuck without at least three days worth of extra underwear and socks (genetic flaw), and I live in fear of forgetting the one essential item that I won’t be able to procure in the nation’s largest metropolis. So, of course, I ordered packing cubes as well. They claim I can squeeze an entire week of tops into one neat and wrinkle-free bundle. I can’t wait to see if it’s true.

So yeah, when I’m not tapping away at the manuscript, I’m clicking away on the shopping sites. So far, I’ve hit all the usual suspects – Kohl’s, Target, and Amazon. Had a fabulous customer service experience with Zappos. The shoes didn’t work out, but they were so awesome about the order, tracking & return that I’ll definitely be ordering from them again.

So yeah, that’s where I’m at this week. What about you? Are you an online shopper? What are some of your favorites?

June 29, 2015

Monday Mayhem – carpel tunnel edition

I’m writing at a full-on sprint these days. The deal isn’t signed, sealed, and delivered yet, but there’s been offer, acceptance, and a panic-inspiring deadline set. So, I’ve spent the last twelve days cranking out words. I need to have the first draft done before I leave for the Romance Writers of America conference in late July.

I’m about halfway there.

As usual, the first run at it will be far too wordy. I can already see the threads I’m going to have to cut, and some I need to sew up. But I’m having a great time with these characters. They’re fun and snarky, and thankfully, they seem to like talking to me. Plus, you know I love a deadline. I love smashing them to pieces. Boo-yah!

So, if I’m a little quiet for the next few weeks, you’ll know why. When things are official, I’ll sing it from the rooftops. In the meantime, picture me doing a lot of these moves:

June 1, 2015

Monday Mayhem – Bookmark this!

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m really the type who thrives on deadlines. Usually, I can just make one up and stick to it, but lately I’ve been torn in a number of directions on both the personal and professional fronts.

There are times when the publishing world moves as quick as a mouse click. Then there’s the other 99.9% of the time. Sometimes it feels like snails on Valium are lapping me. There’s a lot going on with the writing behind the scenes, hopefully all of it will come to fruition.

*crosses everything*

But at the moment, I’m kind of in limbo. I have a work in progress, but it’s a project with no deadline. It’s just the story I’m writing as I wait to hear about the fates of four, possibly 6, other stories. Some written, some yet to have a word on the page.

The thing is, if even one of these possibilities comes to be, I’m going to have to start busting some major words. You’d think that would inspire me to wrap up the one I have going, right?

Wrong.

It’s all I can do to make myself work on this story with no deadline, even though the first draft is over 60% complete. Part of it is middle of the story syndrome. The other part is that I am not a girl who limbos well. You see, I’m not very bendy.

So, today is June 1. I have approximately 20k more words (or 4-5 chapters) to put in on this draft. I’ve got a little vacation scheduled in there, so I’m giving myself a deadline of June 30 to complete the draft.

There. Deadline set.

I expect you to hold me to that.

Oh! Before I forget, I got these nifty new bookmarks! (Horrible lighting in my house. They are much prettier than this pic shows.) Want one or five? Email me at mkethridge1@gmail.com and give me your mailing address and I will drop an envelope in the mail.

So, how about you? Anything you’re hoping to accomplish this month, or are you just ready to kick back and enjoy the summer? If you’re looking for some reading, Jumping Mr. January and February’s Fling are still FREE. You may still be able to snag Three Little Words, if they don’t get the sale prices switched back today.