Monday, September 30, 2013

Karma Countdown! 8 Days!

T-minus 8 days until Naughty Karma releases, boys and girls!  Who's excited?  (Confession: I am freakishly excited about this book.  I can't wait until you guys can read it!!!)

I'm whipping up a quick and dirty recap of the series as a brush-up for folks who don't have time to re-read the whole series but want a reminder of who's who in the Karmic world - and in the process I'm having fun reminiscing and thought I'd throw it over to you guys.

Who was your favorite couple or character?  Who are you most hoping to see in a cameo in Naughty Karma?  What are your favorite Karmic moments? 
 Any votes for Mia and Chase locked in the pantry by her grandmother for Seven Minutes in Heaven from Finder's Keeper? (Which releases in print TOMORROW!!!)

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Naughty Karma - An RT Top Pick!!!

RT Magazine has been fond of the Karmic books in the past, but I have to say my little mind was flat out boggled when I found out they'd named Naughty Karma as a Top Pick.  (Squeeee!)

"Once again Andrews' magic has brought readers a story that is deviously funny, wickedly exciting, and strikingly emotional. [...] The result is nothing less than spellbinding." -4.5 Stars, Top Pick, Romantic Times Bookreviews.

Oh my stars and garters.  There will be much dancing around the living room in Casa Andrews tonight, boys and girls!  

If you're a subscriber to Romantic Times, you can check out the full review online HERE.  Otherwise you can find it in the November print edition coming to stores soon!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Humor & Heart - Place Your Betts

Today I'm over at the Ruby blog interview debut Ruby Katie Graykowski about her laugh-out-loud funny and heart-string tugging contemporary romance, Place Your Betts.  Come on by for GIFT CARDS and PRIZES!

Or just take a peek at this fabulously fun book:

Betts Monroe is a country music rags-to-riches story. As the daughter of the town slut, she clawed her way up from the bars of Bourbon Street to the County Music Hall of Fame. She’s America’s sweetheart, darling of the media, and a multi-platinum star. But she has a secret. At the age of sixteen, she had a baby and gave him up for adoption because her boyfriend wasn't ready for fatherhood. Now she finds out that her precious baby boy has been living with his father from day one.
Gabe Swanson is a Texas cattle baron riches-to-rags story. As the only son of the town's most prominent family, it was a huge blow when his father lost the family fortune in a ponzi scheme. Now, Gabe is land rich and cash poor. But he has his son and family is all that matters.

When Betts moves back to the small town the shunned her, all hell breaks loose. She wants her son. Can Betts and Gabe leave their past in the rear view mirror so they can be a family? 


Buy it now for NOOK :: KINDLE

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Love, the Verb

I love this article in the Huffington Post about love and marriage and our societal expectations of both.

I know romance novels take a lot of flack for being part of the irrational-fairy-tale-building-up-love-as-a-fantasy problem, but I think the best romance novels (if you really read them rather than just venting about them after a glance at the sexy man-chest cover and steamy back-cover copy) are about love as a verb, just like this guy is talking about.  About how it is something we have to learn to do, not just feel.  (And I'm not talking about sex, you gutter-minded darlings.)  It's about getting past your own pre-conceived notions about what emotion is supposed to be, and learning that it isn't always pretty, there's almost always sacrifice involved, but it's a choice.  A choice the characters make.  To do love right.  (In the end.  There will be lots of drama to get them there.)

At least that's what I see, in the best of our industry.  So maybe we aren't part of the problem.  Maybe we're part of the solution.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Last Chance to Enter for a FREE Print Copy of Finder's Keeper!

Hurry, hurry, darlings!  Time is running out to enter to win one of five signed print copies of Finder's Keeper, up for grabs now over at Goodreads.  Enter before the 26th for your chance to win!



Goodreads Book Giveaway

Finder's Keeper by Vivi Andrews

Finder's Keeper

by Vivi Andrews

Giveaway ends September 26, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

Friday, September 20, 2013

Ruby Birthday Bash!

It's the Blog-o-versary over at the Ruby blog and that means prizes!  Swing on over and comment for your chance to win one of a bevy of prizes, including an advanced reader copy of the upcoming Karmic Release Naughty Karma!  Go forth and win!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

We Love Librarians & Library Journal Loves Naughty Karma!

That's right, boys and girls, the Library Journal had this review of Naughty Karma today and they liked it!

"Full of banter [...] There’s nothing better than watching two smart people unlock each other’s secrets!"—Emily Thompson, SUNY Oswego

Less than three weeks until release day, have you pre-ordered your copy yet?

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Behind Barres

I am sharing this in part because ooooh, love the book trailer, and in part because I've been binging on So You Think You Can Dance now that I'm back in the country and clearing off the DVR:

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Three teen ballerina books in one!  And the whole bundle is ONLY $0.99 this week!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Naughty Karma Countdown

I've been doing Teaser Tuesdays on my Facebook page for Naughty Karma and I thought the non-FB types might want to take a peek too, so today we have a sneak peek inside this upcoming Karmic release.  Prometheus and Karma... well, they have a somewhat confrontational start...
“You wanted war? Well, you’d better brace your ass because war is exactly what you’re going to get.”
Bring it on. Prometheus barely stopped himself from issuing the challenge. It was hard to remember when looking into her fiery brown eyes that going toe-to-toe with Karma wasn’t his end game. Step One had been to make it so the ice queen couldn’t ignore him—mission accomplished there.
Step Two might be trickier. Cooperation had never been his strong suit, but he needed hers. “As it happens, I don’t want war. I want your help.”
“You’ve done an excellent job of making sure I couldn’t care less what you want.”
“Not even if it comes with a truce? No more pranks, no more curses. I’ll be on my best behavior.” For all that’s worth. “Helping me is a small price to pay for peace of mind.”
“No.” She pivoted toward the open door, revealing the plunge of the backless dress. He lost his smile. She was bare to the small of her back, the soft curve of her spine vulnerable, exposed, lickable, but Prometheus had more pressing concerns than the itch to tease every inch of her silky skin.
He reached out a mental hand and slammed the door shut. “We aren’t done here.” Power thrummed in his voice. Life or death had always sounded foolishly dramatic, but when it was his death, that changed things substantially. He didn’t bother playing nice—not that he ever did.
Karma spun back to him, eyes widening as the lights in the shop flickered in reaction to the energy surge coming off his body. “Excuse me?”
“I was willing to play by your rules, do things your way, but you turned me down. Now you’re on my turf and you will hear me out.”
“Do you really think threatening me will help your case?”
“This isn’t threatening. When I’m threatening you, you’ll know.” Though she had a point. He took a slow breath, trying to dial down the current of power coursing through him. It was always easier to let it out than it was to get it back in the box.
Her mouth fell open. “When? When you’re threatening me? My God, Prometheus. Is that supposed to make me want to help you?”
“You don’t need to call me a god. That’s a different Prometheus.”
“You really don’t get it, do you? You can’t bully me into helping you. Especially not after you’ve spent the last year doing everything you can to piss me off.”
“It wasn’t the last year. I’ve really only been focused on aggravating you for the last six months. Everything before that was just a coincidence.”
What do you think, darlings?  You like?  Want more? 

Naughty Karma: Coming in just 3 weeks! Pre-order Amazon :: Nook :: Samhain

Monday, September 16, 2013

Dear Author Review of Super Bad

And speaking of reviews... it appears the folks over at Dear Author have taken a look at Super Bad!  (Check out the review HERE.)  Now, I'll be honest, I haven't read it.  Because I'm chicken.  The ladies at Dear Author are smart, highly opinionated, and don't pull any punches, so when I saw they had reviewed Super Bad, I promptly hid behind my couch cushions.  I've never been reviewed by them before (that I know of) and yep, I'm skeeered. The book I'm working on is going brilliantly right now, so for my own sanity I'm trying to stay in my isolation bubble and not hear any negative news.

However, if I'm gonna gush about my dizzy-making good reviews, I feel like I need to be equally open about the less-than-gushing ones.  So here I am, making this review available to you, my lovely darlings.  Enjoy!

Friday, September 13, 2013

Literary Nymphs Review for Karma!

Good news, boys and girls!  We have the early word on Naughty Karma (Coming Oct 8th to an ereader near you!) and it's glowing!  Literary Nymph Reviews gave Karma's caper 4.5 Nymphs!

"In addition to two unique primary characters, there’s vivid imagery, and a fast but smooth pace. I love the bantering dialogue between them and its great fun to watch their one-upmanship. I’ve been waiting for a book featuring Karma since the series started and I wasn’t disappointed. This entertaining book is a definite keeper."

A keeper!!!! Excuse me as I squee and dance around the living room.

Click here to read the whole review.

Who's excited to see Karma finally get her guy?  I can't wait for you guys to read this one!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Asian Adventure... Final Thoughts

It's funny, in telling the story through pictures, I realize there are several moments that slip through the cracks.  Like 85.

85 was a man we met in Vietnam.  We call him 85 because he was 85 years old and we never did catch his name, though we had a lovely time chatting with him over breakfast.  We had been trying to decide whether to splurge on a fancy hotel in Singapore and 85 appeared in our lives at that moment, chatting about his travels in Vietnam, his life as a trouble-maker in Australia and England, and dispensing wisdom such as "You can always put more money in the back, but you can never put more life in the bank."  We found ourselves quoting him frequently, and living more richly for it.  Just a little moment that was missed between the pictures, but somehow came to define the trip.

Or our chance meeting with another American girl on the train to Poipet.  We became fast friends, spent the next two days together before parting to go our separate ways, and are now considering a trip to Machu Pichu together for next year.  You meet the best people on adventures... Australian fire-twirling rockstars and Chinese/LA movie producers and second grade teachers from Chicago and 85 year old Australian retirees. 

In other news...

There are Times Squares everywhere.  Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur - you name it.  7-11s and KFCs are ubiquitous.  Diet Coke is a myth - it's all Coke Zero.  Don't eat Mexican food in Vietnam - no matter how you are craving it... 

And live life richly.

I rode an elephant.  Petted a tiger.  Ate a grasshopper.  Climbed ruins.  Kayaked a Marine Park.  Leapt off a boat.  Ate and ate and ate and ate... took trains, planes, automobiles, ferries and tuk-tuks... experiences that I hope will never fade in my memory bank... because in the immortal words of 85: "You can always put more money in the bank, but you can't put more life in the bank."  So live it up.

Asian Adventure Complete.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

The Asian Adventure: Part Eight - Busan & Tokyo

The last leg of my Asian Adventure took me to Busan, South Korea.


 
The second largest city in South Korea, dynamic Busan is a famed resort and recreation area.  I was only there for a short time, but I wanted to make the most of it, so I immediately hopped a bus down to the Yeongdo-gu coast. 

The paths wending along the coastline reminded me of Cinque Terra...


Though the metal staircases down to the pebbled beaches were a bit more modern in feel...

I explored the lovely beaches...

Then it was up to Taejongdae - where there is a forest reserve and a hike up to an observatory and lighthouse where, on a clear day, you can see Japan.  That day was a bit hazy, but the walk was still great.  (Though there was also a little tram you could take if you weren't athletically inclined.)


After Taejongdae, I headed past the Gwangan bridge...

To the famous Haeundae Beach...which was actually a bit crowded for my taste.  I met a woman from Haeundae at the airport who joked that you couldn't see the beach for all the hats - though I found it was more umbrellas.

 I wandered over to Narimaru for another walk along the coast...

Then it was time to wave goodbye to Haeundae and Busan...

And fly off to Tokyo!

I had only one day to explore this city, while on a layover before my flight back to the states continued, so I had to be selective.  I chose Shinjuku as my exploratory area of choice.  In the morning I explored the gorgeous park there...




... complete with a lovely hot house - though Tokyo was plenty hot all on its own...



Then after a sushi lunch (because you have to have sushi in Tokyo), I made my way up to the Tokyo Government Tower with its free observatory to look out over the city. 

It began to thunder and rain while I was up there - a good mile and a half from where I needed to catch my train back to the airport...
But luckily in Japan, you can walk a mile (or three) in the rain without ever getting your feet wet, because there are these warrens of underground tunnels connecting everything

I even found a restaurant in the underground city to grab some curry and katsu before I had to catch my train. 

Japan was fascinating.  They have these cool sort of pay-as-you-go-credit-card-swipey-thingeys (that's the technical term) and I'm kind of in love with their vending machines.  Largely because of this sign:

...and the fact that they sell sweat.  I am still not sure what a Pocari is, but drinking its sweat was an experience I was happy to miss.  Though I'm sure it's delicious.



And that's it folks... after that it was off to the airport and back to the States.  Thus ends my Asian Adventure.  I took a lot of pictures and a lot of memories home with me.  Hope you enjoyed seeing them half as much as I enjoyed sharing them. 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Asian Adventure: Part Seven - Hangzhou & Shanghai

After Datong we hopped the train south to Hangzhou, about an hour outside of Shanghai.  Some China friends had recommended the town and WOW, we were not disappointed.  We wandered down charming walking streets...


Watched artisans blowing glass...


Pounding food into submission with sledgehammers...

And chipping designs into porcelain with a delicate hammer and chisel.


I tried the local "Hangzhou Noodles" (which were delicious and reminded me a lot of saimin)...

And I munched on a Taiwanese Croissant (which was heavier than what the French would technically call a croissant).

After wandering past the big jolly Buddha...


And the Drum Tower...



I bought a fan (to be given away here at the blog as part of the Naughty Karma release party!)


And we headed down to the famous Westlake...



Where we explored the lovely paths and parks of this recreational region.



And in Hangzhou, it turns out I'm a celebrity!  At least that's what it felt like.  This is a popular site for Chinese tourists, but we only saw a couple other Westerners our entire visit - so we think the novelty of my very European face and Viking-ancestry-build was why so many Chinese people came up to us and asked to take pictures with us. This had happened a handful of times in Datong (and also would happen when we got to Shanghai) but Hangzhou was definitely the most extreme case.  At one point, when we were riding a tandem bike (complete with a little umbrella to keep off the sun, so cute!) by the lake, we were surrounded by so many people wanting pictures with us that we couldn't move.  I have a new sympathy for celebrities with paparazzi hounds.  It was bizarre. I still, honestly, do not quite understand taking a picture with someone just because they are a different race - but then, I'm not from a very closed, homogenized country.  To each their own.


From Hangzhou it was off to Shanghai!  On the train to Shanghai (or rather the boarding area for the train) we noticed another uniquely Chinese cultural phenomenon.  The train to Shanghai is reserved seating - absolutely everyone boarding this train has an assigned seat.  And yet, when the boarding doors opened, people were shoving one another and leaping over rows of chairs in an attempt to be the first ones onto the boarding platform - not even onto the train, just onto the platform.  We had noticed the same thing on other trains and even on airplanes and I can't make any logical sense of it, but it's definitely a Chinese cultural difference.  If you are waiting in line, you had better be standing on the heels of the person in front of you, because if you aren't, someone will cut in front of you, even if it means bodychecking you out of the way.  That's just how it's done.  But don't do that in Japan - across the water you'd be unforgiveably rude.  

We arrive in Shanghai, and we were staying in a posh hotel near the lovely Bund.  So of course we immediately wandered down to check out the view...





The next morning, we headed up Nanjing Road - a famous walking street - to the People's Square...


Which, would you believe it, houses a carnival of sorts.  So of course we were mature and rode the swings. 

After flying on the swings, we explored the tranquil gardens and lily ponds of the park...


Before heading back to the Bund to check it out in daylight, and then grabbing a ferry across to the other side of the river for a closer look at the buildings that look like they are trying to contact aliens.


It was my birthday, so we got gussied up and headed over to the Cloud 9 Bar on the Eighty-Somethingth Floor of the Grand Hyatt for drinks (though this pic is the lobby of our hotel...)

Where we happened to meet an LA movie producer who chatted with us about the fascinating business of the Chinese film industry.  After blowing out my candles (which were perched in strawberries romanov) we made our way back to our own side of the river and grabbed some street food to finish off the night.

The next morning my traveling companion had to head back to Beijing for work, so we parted ways and I continued to explore Shanghai solo.  I went to the Yu Yuan area which featured the incongruous sight of a Starbucks in an ancient temple...

But also the lovely Gardens of Contentment...



The garden is really a maze of walled gardens inside the larger Yu Yuan area and though it had been strongly recommended to me, I found it rather crowded and actually preferred the quiet of the People's Square or the lovely river walk of the Bund. 

I returned to both of those favorites and then headed back to our posh hotel to pack up and prepare for the last two countries of my Asian Adventure - Korea and Japan.