I’m happy to announce that my contemporary mainstream, Never the Same, is available in print today! There are previous excerpts of this book to read here at my blog. Just click on Excerpts located on sidebar. Also there’s an excerpt about Tori on my website to read. A thrilling excerpt can be read at my publisher’s site. Click here to read the excerpt when the two main characters are worried about the plane crashing. Also this link takes you to Samhain’s buying page!

Other spots to buy online:
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

A wonderful author, Kate Davies, posted about my release today at her blog. Every Tuesday she features a book and I’ve learned about a lot of wonderful new books this way. Also her book, Tease Me, Please Me, releases today in print. I’m thrilled for her and for many other fine Samhain authors with print releases today - be sure to check out their books!

By the way, it usually takes a few weeks after the release date before the books show up on the shelves in the bookstores.

Since my book, NEVER THE SAME, is releasing Tuesday in print, I posted an excerpt on the Samhain blog today. If you leave a comment there and mention the last Samhain book you read, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of my three Samhain books in ebook format. The winner gets to choose either my inspirational romance, NO GREATER LOSS, chick-lit mystery, A FIERY SECRET, or contemporary mainstream, NEVER THE SAME!

Click Samhain to go to their blog! Thanks.

I can’t update my website myself. I wish I could sometimes, but I don’t have the necessary software so I’ll post the winner of my summer website contest here first. Congratulations to Eva Minaskanian! My daughter Amanda picked your name. Eva wins a print copy of my inspirational romance, NO GREATER LOSS and EX,WHY, and ME by Susanna Carr.

The neat thing is on the same day my contest ended, I saw a new review for this book at My Book Cravings review site. And don’t forget about my August Blog Contest. Each time you leave a comment during the month of August, your name is entered for the drawing. Click here for the list of books to choose from if your name is drawn. The books are slightly used but in excellent condition. My sister gave me a huge box of books and some are mine.

No Greater Loss Review
Contemporary Romance
Buy at B & N, Amazon or My BookStore and More
Rating: 4 Roses

Jennifer Hunter just couldn’t get over losing her husband and son fifteen years ago. The pain seemed so fresh even today. The pain and hurt just was so strong that she is against every marrying ever again. Then a friend introduces her to Luke Brunsman and tells her that he would be the best for her to hire to renovate her old farmhouse. When she meets Luke and the feelings that seem to flood out, makes her turn down asking Luke for help. Then it seems even fate is against her, she gets hurt working on the fireplace and concedes to hiring Luke to help her. When Luke starts work on her home the attraction explodes and is hard to control. When Luke makes it clear that he wants more then a friendship, Jennifer is too afraid to let Luke in, she can’t go through the pain of losing someone again, she just can’t. Or can she?

Widowed Luke Brunsman knows what Jennifer is going through. When there friend lets on that she needs help with renovating her home, Luke jumps at the chance. A first Jennifer shoots down him helping her until she is hurt and she gives in. Luke lets her know that he wants more then just friendship but will she let him into her heart? Luke falls in love with this kind and gentle woman, but can he break down the walls she has put around her heart? Luke and Jennifer have to get over the pains and shadows of the past to find the future that is just out of reach for them both.

This story was a beautiful loving romance that had me crying more then once. The way that Jennifer had been through so much at a young age, losing her young husband and baby son just tore at my heart. I loved the way that Diane Craver wrote this loving story, that shows even when you lose the love of your life, life isn’t over, there is someone out there that will give you the love you so need to get past it. I look forward to more books by this author.

~Nicole, Reviewer at My Book Cravings

Recently, I went to see the movie, Hairspray, with three of my daughters. I remembered loving the original movie that was made in 1988 with Ricki Lake playing the leading part, so looked forward to seeing a muscial remake of it. I wasn’t disappointed. If you haven’t seen Hairspray, it’s a fun movie to watch.

It’s about star-struck teenagers on a local Baltimore dance show, and Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky), is obsessed with the Corny Collins Show. Every day after school, she and her best friend Penny (Amanda Bynes) run home to watch the show and drool over the hot Link Larkin (Zac Efron), much to Tracy’s mother Edna’s (John Travolta) dismay. After one of the stars of the show leaves, Corny Collins (Jason Marsden) holds auditions to see who will be the next person on the Corny Collins show. Tracy makes it on the show, but then decides that it’s not fair that the black kids can only dance on the Corny Collins Show once a month, and with the help of her parents, friends and Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah), she integrates the show.

The casting is superb with Nikki Blonsky and Zac Efron. Zac’s in the Disney movie, “High School Musical” and “High School Musical 2″ which will be on Disney Channel tonight. I wish we had cable because I know Amanda would love both of these musicals. I heard the first one was very good.

Michelle Pfeiffer does a great job as the nasty Velma in Hairspray. She goes to great lengths to get her spoiled daughter Amber to win the crown for the “Miss Teenage Hairspray” contest. Amber is played by Brittany Snow. I thought it was interesting that Brittany had played a similar part in “American Dreams” which aired on TV but was cancelled. In the TV show Brittany played Meg Pryor. Meg Pryor was a Philadelphia teen in the 1960s who dances on Dick Clark’s locally produced “American Bandstand.” We liked that show a lot and hated to see it cancelled.

John Travolta and Christopher Walken are amazing as Tracy’s parents. I loved watching the scene where Wilbur dances with Edna.

Have you seen any good movies lately?

Hope these links and advice will be helpful to anyone interested in writing!

Allie Boniface - Published author at Samhain Publishing and The Wild Rose Press. I love her blog because she always has a lot of great articles. One recent one is titled “Writers’ Wednesday: How To Take the First Steps Toward Publication” so click on the title to get to this page. She also has information on her blog on how to make a book trailer which is something I need to do for my books.

Donna Alward - a Samhain and Harlequin author
Donna wrote on how to construct a book at her blog. Because of the popularity of The Construction Zone, she has it on her website. By the way, I wrote a post about her book, HIRED BY THE COWBOY, in May if you want to read it and can buy this book and others at Amazon.

Absolute Write site

Charlotte Dillon – www.charlottedillon.com Her website is full of great information for writers. For example, she gives examples of query letters, how to format your manuscript for submission, tax information, and many other helpful tips.

Wow! Women on Writing Great articles on writing and just read one about critique groups at this site.

Nicholas Sparks –www.nicholassparks.com He has a sample query letter that he used to get a contract from his agent and also gives writing suggestions.

E-harlequin – www.eharlequin.com They have writing articles plus submission samples of what a query letter, synopsis, and a manuscript should look like. On their home page, click on their section that says Learn to Write.

Great Professional Organizations

Romance Writers of America - www.rwanational.org

Mystery Writers of America – www.mysterywriters.org

Sisters In Crime – www.sistersincrime.org

Publisher’s Weekly - http://www.publishersweekly.com

Advice for aspiring writers

Follow your heart and believe in yourself!

You have to be persistent and develop a thick skin when it comes to rejections. Remember this is a subjective business so don’t get discouraged. I’d suggest finishing your book before querying publishers and agents. I had half of a novel done when I queried an agent and expected her to ask for a partial first which would’ve given me plenty of time to finish it. Instead, I heard immediately from her and she requested the whole manuscript. It was very stressful trying to finish it and get it to her as quickly as possible. When you’re established as a published author, you’ll be able to submit a partial manuscript to your agent or editor before completing it.

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Marianne Arkins and Judy Thomas are launching their new romance review site this month on August 27th and giving away a free tote filled with books and other cool stuff! I’ll give more information about this soon!