Month: October 2015

Day 17: A Hint of Danger

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Happy Halloween, everyone!

I hope you’ve got your best, scariest, most dangerous face on, and all your ghosts, ghouls, and goblins are happily hovering around the candy. In our little apartment, hubby has already started to dig in the bowl full of Twix and Starburst. If there is any left by the time the kiddos get here, it will be a miracle.  If not, I’m not sure what my exit strategy is when his sugar high hits.  I may or may not be spending Halloween night at the motel down the street.  🙂  Anyway, I have a nice surprise for you tomorrow (I hope), but before then, here is a hint of the darker side of Thirty Nights. Coming in only 17 days.  And great work entering the raffle: one of you better win that Tiffany’s necklace.  Talk to you soon. xo, Ani

Danger Teaser

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Day 19: Aiden Memory Teaser

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Good morning everyone! I took a little break for Day 20, mostly because of a 12-hour day writing briefs at work. 🙂 But I can’t go more than 24 hours without a little bit of Aiden, so this one is as much for me as it is for you.  Because I freaking love this photo.  And this line.  You’ll know that this relates to Aiden’s eidetic memory, or total recall.  But I bet you don’t remember the line because it’s from a brand-new scene.  Hope you like it! Day 19 almost gone.  #ThirtyNights is around the corner.  Please spread the word and use the hashtag. Love you all, xo – Ani

Aiden Memory Teaser

Day 21: Another little teaser

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Happy Tuesday every one! It’s almost Wednesday, which means it’s almost Friday.  For today—Day 21, I thought I’d show you what Elisa’s paintings look like in Aiden’s bedroom.  Or at least how they are arranged.  When editors and agents read the book, that was one of their questions. It’s hard for me to find a picture of Aiden’s bedroom similar to what’s in my head (still working on that).  It’s even harder (actually, it has been impossible, and I’ve given up) to find the actual paintings.  Here is the closest of what I can find, and how they look on the wall. Hope you like it. 🙂  Talk soon, xo – Ani

AIDEN’S BEDROOM TEASER:

We walk through a hallway along the ubiquitous glass wall, our footfalls echoing on the polished hardwood floor. Over the sound system, Neil Diamond croons about a girl becoming a woman. We walk past six open doors and stop at one that is slightly ajar. He opens it and steps to the side. I enter, feeling like I am walking into a haunted house and a dream at once.

It’s his bedroom.

Excerpt 4 Bedroom Photo

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Day 22: Recipe for Aiden and Elisa’s First Meal (and Gandy Monday)

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Happy Monday loveys! (I can hear you complain, “ah, not so loud, it’s Monday morning!”).  True, so we will keep easy for today.  How about some good food and hotness  to start the week right? Below is the recipe of the first meal that Aiden and Elisa share.  Can you guess where it was? It was at Aiden’s home, for her graduation (that she decided to skip).  Roasted Wild Salmon and Apple-Fennel Salad.  It’s super-easy! 

As I was finished editing Thirty Nights, I got the idea of collecting all its recipes and sharing them.  So here is the first.  Hope you enjoy it.  I actually felt good after eating this (trying to use my “first book fifteen”).

WILD SALMON and APPLE-FENNEL SALAD 

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Ingredients for the Salmon (serves four):

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 4 skinless wild Sockeye or Chinook salmon fillets (about 5 ounces each)
  • 1 cup very thinly shaved fennel (from 1 bulb)
  • 1 cup of small cherry tomatoes (mixed colors)
  • A few springs of flat-leaf parsley
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Coarse salt for sprinkling
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • Five medium-thickness lemon slices

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients for the Salad:

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • juice of half a small lemon
  • juice of half of a small blood orange or regular orange (preferably Valencia)
  • 1/2 cup very thinly shaved fennel (from 1/2 bulb)
  • 1 apple (preferably Golden Delicious apple), thinly sliced or julienned
  • 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds (optional)
  • 2 generous cups of mixed greens (preferably arugula, mache, pea shoots, baby kale, butter lettuce, and dark leaf baby lettuce)
  • salt (pepper optional)

Preparation For Salmon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix five tablespoons of the olive oil with the lemon juice and rub each salmon fillet.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large ovenproof skillet over high heat (preferably Pyrex), and swirl to coat pan. Layer the lemon slices and fennel on bottom.

Place salmon, skinned side up, and surround with the cherry tomatoes. Sear until golden, about 3 minutes. Flip salmon, and transfer to oven. Roast 5 minutes (for medium).

Take out; season salt and pepper; drizzle some olive oil over it; and garnish with the flat-leaf parsley sprigs.

Preparation For the Salad

Place all the baby greens, the fennel, the apple in a large serving bowl.  Separately, whisk or mix together the olive oil, orange juice, and lemon juice, until they are thick and emulsified. Toss over the salad, sprinkle salt to taste, and add the pomegranate seeds.  Layer on top of the salmon or to the side, and enjoy!  Print the photo below for extra nutritional effect. 🙂

David Gandy: The Appetizer, Entree, and Dessert of Every Meal. 

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Day 23: Another teaser

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Happy Sunday everyone! Hope you’re all having a quiet, relaxing day.  Mine is filled with laundry and waiting like crazy for the new Homeland episode tonight. #LetQuinnSurvive.   In the meantime, here is another teaser for you.  23 days left to Thirty Nights!  Spread the word and don’t forget to register for the giveaway.  Thanks for all you’ve done and continue to do for this story. xo, Ani

Tango Teaser

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Day 25: Meet the girl that bonds them – Elisa Snow

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What can I say about Elisa?? Just the fact that at times, I know her better than I know myself. Because she tends to be on the expressive side, readers feel like they know her best.  But I bet there are lots of things about her you didn’t know.  Check out her new page and read some more.  Her background, trivia, her favorite things.  And her top rose breeds on the gallery in the side bar. Why do you think Aiden is so crazy about her?  Let me know your thoughts and I’ll tell you mine.  xo

Elisa Snow

 

Day 26: Tiffany’s Key Necklace Giveaway

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Good morning!!  Happy Day 26!   What would a countdown be without fabulous jewelry and some man candy? To toast Thirty Nights in style, we are doing a giveaway that I wish I could win (but of course, I can’t).  Tiffany’s Iconic Key Necklace, in Tiffany Blue!! It’s reversible silver, so you can wear it on both sides.  Let me tell you, I stared at it for a long time—I’ve never been able to own something from that store. But I hope you can! I would LOVE it if the winner was one my readers, followers, and—let’s face it—friends!  Below are the pictures of the necklace and the link for you to enter the giveaway.  Sign up and let’s hope one you wins it!!!  And please spread the word: mention Thirty Nights to your friends.  Every time you tweet or share or say something about Thirty Nights, it helps! It really helps.  THANK YOU! (scroll below for the links, pictures of the necklace, and mandatory man candy because why not? It’s jewelry day!)

Enter the giveaway here  and here is the full link if for some reason you want it separately: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4cf78adb299/

Tiffany Iconic Necklace GiveawayTiffany Key Necklace Giveaway

Tiffany Key Necklace Rerversible

 

 

Tiffany Iconic Necklace Box

And just for fun, I couldn’t resist these two pictures:  The first because … well, you need no reason to want to post it.  The second because they bear a resemblance to Aiden and Elisa together.  Happy Day 26!  Talk to you tomorrow!

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“Aiden” and “Elisa”?  I can kind of see it–definitely in him, a little bit on her, especially the rose earrings. 🙂

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Day 27: Meet Javier Solis and a little announcement

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Good morning everyone! The countdown continues. 🙂  Learn some new information on Javier this time by visiting his brand new page and his gallery on the side bar menu.   You will see trivia, character background information, and listen to his playlist (which has a soft spot for me). Javier had so many fans when the story was first posted that now he is getting his own book:  the third in the American Beauty series!!!!  Yep, you saw that right.  Until then, check him out and see why so many of you are big fans.  I’ll be back with teasers and excerpts very soon.  Thank you for spreading the word about Thirty Nights.  xo, Ani

Javier Small for website

Day 28: A little interview with a cameo by Gandy :-)

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Good morning everyone! The Thirty Nights countdown continues… this time with a little fun interview I did with another author: Kameron Brooks.  And look who stopped by to completely derail me.  David Gandy!!! (Ok, he doesn’t know, but in my head this is an actual date).  Hope you like the read, check out Kam’s own works, and stay tuned for more: we have more excerpts, teasers, giveaways, and other materials coming up.  Thank you for reading!

Author Showcase and Interview with Ani Keating

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Welcome, Ani Keating!!

  1. For those who might not be familiar with you, would you be a dear and tell the readers a little about yourself? How did you get your start in the writing business?

(Ani) Hi, Kam. Thank you for having me on your blog (I love the Superman gravatar).

I’m a lawyer by day (please don’t stop reading, it gets better) and a writer by night. I have settled in Portland, Oregon, after trying out a few other places, and I love it here.  Rain, green forests, bookstores, and coffee shops… I had no choice but to start writing. J  It was something I had always wanted to do—since my first short story in third grade—but “real life” took its course. College, law school, job, family… It wasn’t until three years ago that I finally decided to go for it. I got this idea in my head that just wouldn’t leave me alone. Next thing I knew, I was outlining, then opening an account on fanfiction, then posting chapters online, and the rest became a roller coaster ride. I thought I’d be lucky if I had one or two readers and they’d both like it. I ended up finding quite a few more, then an agent, then a publisher.  And now here I am, with my first novel coming out on November 17, 2015.  I’m still trying to catch my breath, but I’m so glad I started.  Being a writer is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do (and I argue for a living) but it has also been one of the most beautiful and fulfilling experiences of my life.

(Kam) Yeah, Superman ROCKS!! 

  1. All writers fear the dreaded “block”. Please tell us how you handle it.

 

Continue reading here and take a look Gandy! 🙂  See you soon!! xo

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Day 29 of countdown continues: Meet Aiden Hale

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Happy Monday morning! Let’s start the week off right by talking about Aiden.  Of all my characters, I have received the most questions about him.  Take a look at his updated page here for new information about him, including his strong pet peeves, and even his reading speed.  Do you think the new trivia about him makes sense? Why? What is your favorite Aiden trait?  xo, Ani

Aiden Small for website

Day 29: Teaser

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Good morning everyone! The “Thirty Days to Thirty Nights” continues.  Hope you like this teaser for Day 29– what do you think it says about Aiden?  I’d love to hear from you! xo

Teaser 1 Inkslinger PR

Teaser 1: Thirty Nights

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Hello all! On October 17, we will be starting our Thirty Days to Thirty Nights campaign.  Lots of teasers, excerpts, interviews, and more.  Let’s start a little early!  Here is a mini-mini teaser. Some of you will know where this is from.  Hope you like.  xo, Ani

Question Teaser

A big thank you!

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Happy Sunday everyone! Two years ago, many of you helped Thirty Nights (back then Master’s Muse) become a loved story, a finished story, and now a published book (Nov. 17, 2015). For all that support, here is my thank-you in the official Acknowledgements page. Told you I’d try. 🙂 Unfortunately, listing everyone by name would be impossible with the publisher’s word limits. But I hope with this, you will know how much every click, review, and comment helped! And that I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you (and I hope you enjoy the new website and material)!  I’ll be back soon with more fun stuff (teasers, excerpts, oh my!)Acknowledgements