On a personal note... There are few opportunities when I feel I get some bragging rights, but in this instance, I'm going for it! I read a book by author Ava Branson (contemporary romance) and ended up becoming friends with her on facebook. Lo and behold, we discovered she lived only a stones throw away from me. Our fb friendship became a series of messages and giggles, a severe love of wine and a lost purse, and a trip to the beach and I was never more excited to have been able to celebrate Paisley's 1st birthday - and that both she and her daughter attended. Nothing cooler than having one of your go-to authors become your real life friend! Having said all that, you also get a bit of a glimpse of the trials and struggles an indie author really goes through to get out there. As well as the triumphs and personal accomplishments!
I recently attended IndieBookFest - which if you didn't go this year, definitely make it a point to go next year! Not only can you meet your favorite authors, but you can meet new ones, attend panels, learn if you want... it's a wealth of information and wrapped up in one big class act! In any event, Ava was attending, along with several other new and seasoned authors, and it was so cool to hear her talk about this past year. 8 books in less than 2 years, that's all I can think.... whew!
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| Ava Branson (far right) with other indie authors at the IndieBookFest author panel |
Time to get bookish!
I LOVE A GREAT BEACH READ
What that means is, sometimes I just love a go-to-grab that I can pack in my bag, read at the beach, or in the doctor's offices or wherever. The Blue Water Seduction Series is awesome because not only does it give me my HEA, as they aren't so heavy that I walk away needing an ugly cry, box of tissues and lots of concealer. Although... I did get a bit watery-eyed during a read of Ava's most recent book coming out! But also, I love the fact that they take place.. on the beach! or the ocean... it works, I can truly transport myself.
The first book in the series, which ultimately led to this astonishing friendship, is Rough Seas. I loved this story of a young woman and an accomplished CEO. Who doesn't like the thought of being swept off your feet by a gorgeous Greek yachting magnate? Thought so! Here was my review... but honestly, if you really want to know JUST. READ. THE. BOOK.
The second book, called Fiery Seas, was just as tempting. Talk about hot! If the cover model alone doesn't lure you in... Ahem, anyways, I loved the chemistry between the main characters and I loved reading little snippets about the characters from the first book. What's nice about this series is that even though it's technically a "series" - they are all standalone. So you don't feel like you have to read all of them in order to know what's going on... although I highly recommend reading them, because you'll definitely want to! You can find my Amazon review for this here.
The most recently released book (look out! there is another one coming out shortly though) was Sapphire Seas. A lot of this takes place in hot and sultry Belize. But what I loved about this particular book was our heroine's go getter take no BS attitude! She's already accomplished and in fact, brought more to the table than her counterpart. She wasn't just swept off her feet and actually stands her ground on several issues. I love it when the heroine can do that without losing her femininity and said as much in my review. Definitely another book worth reading... now to wait with bated breath for the release of Ava's next book, Sensuous Seas, to come out!
Another great thing about Ava Branson is that she is FAN-tabulous! What I mean by that is that she is great with connecting with her fans! You can follow her on fb and twitter, and even see much of her inspiration for her books on Pinterest! It's so awesome. Once you've read her books, hop on over to her webpage and sign up for her newsletter!
facebook: Click here!
twitter: Click here!
pinterest: Click here!
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