Matchmaker! Matchmaker!

Hey, gang! Very excited to be taking part in my homie Crystal Collier's Moonless blogfest this week! As part of the fun, I get to pick who I'd want my parents to set me up with if arranged marriages were part of my culture. 

(Which means there'd be no chance of it happening, because my parents would undoubtedly set me up with the exact opposite to teach me some morbid lessen about true love... I digress. :)

All this matchmaking seems entirely appropriate, this being Valentine's week and all. And for some additional goodness, I'm over at Brinda Berry's blog as well this week to share in her "Month of Love". 

Basically, each day a bunch of us author types are sharing our thoughts on the best places for first dates, most romantic songs of all time, and more. So you can learn even more about me than you want to know. ;)

Loads of fun, and B is doing a big giveaway so be sure to check it out if you get the chance. (I believe my day will be on the 12th...) 

AND speaking of giveaways, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for the Moonless release that follows the post.

In the English society of 1768 where women are bred to marry, unattractive Alexia, just sixteen, believes she will end up alone. But on the county doorstep of a neighbor’s estate, she meets a man straight out of her nightmares, one whose blue eyes threaten to consume her whole world—especially when she discovers him standing over her murdered host in the middle of the night.

Her nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

BUY IT HERE

And here's a special coupon code for $2 off via CreateSpace:

Book link: https://www.createspace.com/4550104

Coupon code: LQJM3F84

So here's the question: If you lived in a society where arranged marriages were a la mode, whom would you beg your parents to set you up with? Why? (Literary characters and celebrities welcomed.) 

So who would ol' E.J. want shacked up with? SOOO many possibilities here. Kate Beckinsale, those eyes... Scarlett Johansson, those lips... Olivia Wilde, those--EVERYTHING!

And if I went fictional, it'd be hard to pass up Olivia Dunham from Fringe (so tough!), Jean Gray (so smart!) from the X Men, or Lara Croft/Tomb Raider (so adventurous!).

But the sappy truth is that I could never find a better mate than the one I actually have. She's got the smarts and determination of Hermione Granger, the natural beauty of one of the Granthom girls from Downton Abbey, and the genuine, unassuming goodheartedness of Jess from the TV series New Girl. 

So just give me another round of what I have, please! :)

My wife and her Grandpa Bob (he passed last month). Told you I married up! :)

What about you? If you could be fixed up with anyone, who would you choose?

~EJW~

Find the rest of the hop below!

And while you're at it, enter to win one of these great prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 Things To Be Grateful For--Debut Author Edition - Crystal Collier

Hey, gang! I know we're headed into a busy holiday week for some, so I wanted to take the chance to wish all of you safe travels and loads of fun. Also wanted to share some things to be thankful for--with a writerly slant, of course.

So author-friend Crystal Collier put together this great post. Crystal's debut novel, Moonless, is out now, and what a great way to stuff your own stocking this holiday season! (Okay, on the proofread that came out unintentionally tawdry … but I'm leaving it because it also made me snort-laugh like a 7th grader.)

With that, how about I just let Crystal take it away.  :D

Five Things (Or So) To Be Grateful For--Debut Author Edition

E.J., thank you so much for having me here today! It's amazing, as you look back over a period of time, how many people influence your life and help you grow. As a debut author, I've been marveling at how I got where I am, so I want to share the things/people I'm MOST grateful for (publishing wise):

1. The Editor. Have you met the amazing Bethany Kaczmarek at A Little Red, Inc.? My publisher let me choose my own editor, and after much research and communication, I met Bethany. Her style and taste directly complimented my story, and she not only kept me laughing while editing, but caught absolutely EVERYTHING. Some people edit because they can. Some edit because they have a gift. She's the latter--and I'm exceptionally blessed for being able to work with her.

2. Critique Partners/Beta Readers: The biggest support has been my creative partner and husband. He reads everything--even if it's not his genre of choice--and even brainstorms with me. Best. Thing. Ever. I don't know what I'd do without Rachel Hert--from exchanging cheesy emails (where she locks me in a basement to work and keeps me alive with cheese dropped down the laundry chute,) to the continued support. Similarly, T.C. Mckee has been the wind beneath my wings. Her optimism and encouragement gave me the courage to get out there. My writing coach, Sharon Johnston (whose book, Sleeper, releases December 2), bequeathed me with a new title and helped fashion this story so literary agents were clamoring for it. My mom and sister read multiple times.  Lastly, for my amazing beta readers in 2009 (all 32 of you), I am intensely grateful--and especially for your amazing weekly feedback.

3. Readers/Reviewers: Every time someone says they've read my book, every time someone is kind enough to leave a review, I feel like breaking out a turkey and having Thanksgiving dinner.

4. Blog friends/Writers/Support Groups: WriteOnCon connected me with Rachel. (LOVE YOU WRITEONCON ORGANIZERS!) There have been innumerable writers who've been an example of what to (and not to) do. I've been blessed with amazing support groups (WriteOnBuildOn, DayDreamers Anonymous, Writers Support 4U, my Goodreads groups, and YaLitChat)--you've kept me going and taught me so much. Lastly, my bloggies--including the Insecure Writers Group, and What's Up Wednesday peeps, you have been an immense support/staple in my developing career. I'm intensely grateful for Rachael Harrie with her Writers Crusades...ahem, Campaigns, and my buddies with the Choose Your Own Adventure bloghops.

5. Goodreads/Amazon/Cheese: Reading is the key to good writing, so I'm grateful for all establishments that sell books, but especially for Goodreads and the real-world recommendations that keep me in the know. And of course, cheese keeps the brain pumping.

Who and what are you most grateful for this year?

Crystal Collier, author of MOONLESS, is a former composer/writer for Black Diamond Productions. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. 

You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

MOONLESS is Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

"MOONLESS is powerful, compelling, and packed with soul." --Bethany Kaczmarek, editor at A Little Red, Inc. 

"I fell head over heels for the characters." --TC Mckee, BookFish Books 

"Power-packed action, heart stopping mystery, unpredictable twists and turns..." --I Am a Reader Not a Writer

Buy MOONLESS HERE or add it on Goodreads.

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