Monday, March 31, 2014

My reaction to "The Walking Dead" season finale last night

{SPOILER ALERT: If you have not seen the season finale of "The Walking Dead" that aired last night but plan to, you might want to skip this post until later}

***
So last night was the season finale, and I've chewed my nails off expecting lots of deaths of characters I've grown to care about as much as friends I see once a week who have been through awful things. I was expecting a big death, maybe Rick, maybe Carl, maybe even (gulp) Daryl, Glenn, Maggie or Michonne — my faves. So this is my animated recap of my reaction to what happened. 

So the episode started with a flashback to a time at the prison. There was Hershel! And Beth! And the whole Season 4 gang together again. Just like old times. It made me feel kind of like this.


But kind of like, oh no, something really, really bad is about to happen. (gulp)

And then it showed Rick sitting there, in present time, covered in blood with this look on his face, and I was like...


Cause I figured that meant Carl was probably a goner, and even though Carl is annoying as all get out, I mean, he's still a kid and Rick's son, so you'd have to be soulless not at least feel something...

Then the credits rolled. Then we were back with Rick, Carl, and Michonne where the last episode ended with them. Rick showed Carl how to set that rabbit trap, which now that I'm thinking about it was great foreshadowing, because Terminus was exactly like that trap, wasn't it?

Anyway. 

So then, boom! The Claimers showed up, gun pointed at Rick's head. 


Just when things started to look hopeless, oh yeah, here comes Daryl! But wait! Is Daryl gonna backslide and side with his new gang of baddies or is he gonna help out his old homies and try to save Rick?


Of course he totally offered himself up as a sacrifice to save Rick, Michonne, and Carl in a totally noble and heroic fashion. And even though I knew that was going to end badly, I was still like this...


Anyway, then all hell broke loose when the Claimers started beating the crap out of Daryl, and then that total weirdo straight out of Deliverance went after Carl with the obvious intent to rape the kid, and I was like...OK, he needs a haircut and kind of looks like a girl now, but still. He's still a kid, and maybe I like him more than I thought I did...


And then Rick totally loses it and goes all beast, ripping out the leader guy's throat and everyone is so shocked for like a minute, including me... I mean. He BIT THE GUY'S NECK OPEN!



But this gives Daryl a chance to put the whoopass on the guys beating him and Michonne time to go Ninja Warrior on the guy holding her down. Then Rick goes even more crazy killing the guy who was assaulting his son, and suddenly I realize I probably need therapy, because even though I consider myself a nonviolent pacifist, I'm all like (cause those scumbags totally deserved it...)


Yeah!!!

So then Rick and Daryl have their bro time and I'm all like... (again)


And Michonne and Carl have their besties moment, and suddenly, our four heroes have made it to...


And I'm thinking, OK, where the heck are Glenn and Maggie, because when we last saw Glenn, Maggie and their group, they'd just found Terminus — the supposed safe haven for survivors of the apocalypse. But even then, things seemed....weird. 

After a seemingly benign meeting with Gareth and some other Terminus folks, Rick spots (gulp) Glenn's watch and riot gear and that familiar poncho on OTHER people, so he goes on the defense, demanding to know where his friends are. But then I remember that barbecue going behind them and the "plate of food" Gareth offered them. Gulp! How do they have so much food when Rick and his troops are starving?

So I realize, these people are CANNIBALS! And Terminus is a trap to lure people in to be eaten! And I'm like...



But do I stop watching? Of course not! I can't. As horrible as that is, I have to know. What happened to Glenn and Maggie!?!?!?

And then I start thinking. Oh no. Glenn and Maggie are dead, aren't they? Go ahead and break my heart, The Walking Dead. Just do it!


And then I start to get upset, expecting the worst, and I fully anticipate an ugly cry coming on...


And then I start thinking, holy crackers, is Beth food, too? Is that why she was kidnapped and where she was taken?

And then there's an epic shootout between Rick's small group and the Terminus folks. And yep, did you notice that pile of human bones they ran past trying to get away? Gulp.

And then it becomes clear Rick and his friends are trapped, and they are sent into that train car for only God knows why, and my heart starts to prepare itself for absolute horror, knowing there are only five minutes left in the episode. 

And then...is that someone in the next train car? Is it....is it Glenn? And Maggie! Yes! It is! And Sonya and Bob and Tara and Abraham and Rosita and Eugene! ALL ALIVE! I totally want to reach into my TV and do this...


And I'm like...


And then I realize, well, crap. They're all trapped with a bunch of likely cannibals waiting outside to eat them for dinner. And then...and THEN...Rick utters those awesome words...


The credits roll, and I jump to my feet, like...


Because NO ONE DIED...at least not obviously, like I had expected. But then I'm like, oh wait. They're still trapped...and where on God's green earth is Beth??? And WHY DOESN'T MAGGIE CARE ABOUT HER SISTER? She hasn't asked about her once the entire second half of the season...


And what about Carol, Tyrese and Judith? 


And then I realize I have to wait until October to find out, so I'm like...


The end.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Fun Friday Q&A with author Jane Lark

Jane Lark
Today I am hosting the very talented (and best-selling) author Jane Lark, who writes both historical romance and new adult for HarperImpulse. Jane's historical, The Illicit Love of a Courtesan, and her new adult title, I Found You, have both done very well on the charts and are terrific reads. I highly recommend them. Plus, I Found You is discounted this month at Amazon. Hint, hint.

 Jane agreed to be my latest Q&A victim guest, so without further ado, let's get started.

Angela: Welcome to my blog, Jane! Describe yourself in five words or less.

Jane: Crazy, fan of falling in love.

Angela: I love crazy people, especially since I am one. Are you a member of any fandoms (TV/film/books)? If so, which ones? 

Jane: My only real fanatical followings are for authors: Anya Seton, Gaelen Foley and Jay Crownover.

Angela: Oooh. I'll have to get to know them. Okay. Describe your ideal man or woman.

Jane: Dark haired, definitely. Muscular but not in a bulky way–athletic. Very masculine in nature and mannerisms. Has a strength in personality as well as physically. I want a man to be someone who I can lean on for support and he’s solid. Must have, nice eyes! Dark eyelashes, but either brown, blue or even hazel, will do for me, they just have to carry emotion in them and look at me like he’s crazy about me :D

Angela: Celebrity crush? 

Jane: Clint Eastwood was the man for me for years, but in recent years, I do have a very soft spot for Zac Efron.

Angela: I too have a soft spot for Zac Efron! I wonder if he likes cougars? Hmm. Anyway. You can invite five people to dinner, living or dead. Who would you invite?

Harriette Wilson
Jane: Well, Anya Seton, Gaelen and Jay are a given. Ooh, I could have Jane Austen too, if we are allowed ghosts, the more I learn about her, the more I discover how much she thought exactly like most writers do today, and drew on scenes and experience from her real life. I find her fascinating. Totally awed when I visit her family homes. I’ve posted all that stuff on Pinterest now too. Five people, who else?? Oh, of course, Harriette Wilson, the Regency courtesan who inspired my first historical novel The Illicit Love of a Courtesan, having recently discovered some of the stuff she didn’t put in her memoirs, I would so love to have a conversation with her. So now I just realized, I should have added Jane Austen, and Harriette to my fandoms… LOL

Angela: Those are all great picks, if I do say so myself. Thank you again for visiting with me, Jane.

Please learn more about Jane about her website, www.janelark.co.uk. And please do snatch up her latest book, I Found You.

Tomorrow is for regrets. Tonight is for being together. 
On a cold winter night, Rachel and Jason's lives collide on Manhattan Bridge. She's running from life, he's running toward it. But compassion urges him to help her. 
His offer of a place to stay leads to friendship and trouble. There's his fiancĂ©e back home in Oregon and a family who just don't trust this girl from the wrong side of the tracks. 
But when the connection between them is so electric, so right... everyone else must be wrong. And as the snow begins to settle on the Hudson, there's nothing but the possibility of what could be - of this, right here, right now. Them.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Fun Friday Q&A with author Sun Chara!

Sun Chara
Folks, today I'm happy to introduce you to the lovely and cheeky Sun Chara, author of some wonderful contemporary romances set amongst the rich and fabulous. A globetrotter who writes for the UK-based Harper Impulse, Sun is a schoolteacher turned actor/writer who writes some seriously fun and hip stories. Check out her books, Manhattan Millionaire's Cinderella and All Wrapped Up in You if you haven't already.

In the meantime, let's get to know Sun a little better with a handful of questions.

Angela: Welcome to my blog, Sun! Describe yourself in five words or less.

Sun: Out of this world!

Angela: I see what you did there. (chuckles) I am a geek and I have no life beyond my cat and writing, so I always ask: Are you a member of any fandoms (TV/film/books)? If so, which ones?

Sun: The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, Castle; and books w/ a classic romance storyline.

Angela: Oooh, I never miss an episode of Castle! Okay. Describe your ideal man or woman for us.

Sun:  A real hero – Harrison Ford/Hans Solo. A real heroine – Linda Carter/Wonder Woman.

Angela: Woman, those are awesome answers! *high five* Celebrity crush?

Sun: Maybe they have a crush on me?! :)))

Angela: Oooh, cheeky. I like that. You can invite five people to dinner, living or dead. Who would you invite?

Sun: Everyone on the Harper Impulse team!

Angela: Brief and concise and a great idea! Thank you, Sun, for stopping by today. For the rest of you, please get to know Sun better by liking her author page on Facebook and purchasing her latest, All Wrapped Up In You (which, quite frankly, is a great read year round).

Their marriage hangs in the balance, but on this wind battered Christmas Eve, a miracle is born… 
When Ellie hooked up with world renowned neurosurgeon, Peter Medeci, aka 'Prince Charming’, she thought her dreams had come true. But the demands of being the model wife to his career triggers a mutiny within her and she decides to ditch the 'royal' life until he sees her as more than his bedroom playmate.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Holy corn nuggets! "On the Scent" hit #1!

No, I did not slip crazy powder in your drink to make you delusional (although I've been wondering since Tuesday morning if someone had slipped some to me). No, I am not kidding — about this post's heading. See? That screenshot above is proof. "On the Scent" hit No. 1 on a Kindle Best Seller list. It's kind of a weird list to hit No. 1 on, but still. To borrow a saying from my friend, the fabulous RL Naquin, at one point yesterday, I was afraid Stephen King was going to beat me up for sitting at the cool kids table without asking permission. I mean, holy mackerel, I knocked Stephen King out of the No. 1 spot on a list. How does that happen?!?


"On the Scent" made it into the top 100 in all books in the U.S. Kindle Store March 18. In fact, it hit these rankings before I went to sleep last night:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64 Paid in Kindle Store

Again, I ask, how the heck does this kind of thing happen?!

I'll tell you how it happens. Luck, plain and simple. And maybe even a little karma? Plus, I have to give major props to my publisher, Harper Impulse, for getting my book listed as a Kindle Daily Deal. And for giving me loads of social media support while the deal was live. Seriously, thank you Charlotte, Genevieve, Katie, Kim, and all of the wonderful authors at Harper Impulse. Love you guys! And thank you to my friends over at the Here Be Magic blog, who turned out in full support. And my friends I actually know face-to-face, who (finally) bought my book because it was discounted. Mwah!

I don't mean to go on and on about this, because I know how much it sucks to be an author and see another author who has hit a best seller's list celebrating and feel like, dude, that will never happen for me. I should just give up now and go carve wood for a living or something.

I only gush because this opportunity is going to save lives. Let me tell you how.

I pledged to give half my royalties to my local animal shelter, and so far, I've given ALL of my royalties and then some because, well, I haven't sold as many books as I had hoped I would. Every now and then when I head over to the shelter and see some of the animals who desperately need a favor, I get really sad and my ego as a writer suffers a bit. I mean, I wrote a book lots of people assure me is kind of funny, full of suspense, and just plain fun to read. Why isn't it selling like hotcakes?

Deep down I've been telling myself good deeds never go unrewarded. When I got the news last week that my book had been selected as a Kindle Daily Deal, well, I didn't realize what a rare and powerful thing it was going to be. I really think (shhh...just go with it...) that the universe said hey, let's cut the girl a break and help her save more animals, why don't we? And boom. Kindle Daily Deal.

Know what else surreal happened that makes me think the universe...or God...was smiling on me yesterday? I went to a press screening for the movie Divergent last night. Long story short, I ended up sitting beside a very lovely woman who owns a popular bookstore in town. We chatted, she invited me to email her my books' details, and...hopefully that will lead to something. Maybe?

Yesterday was all about luck. Or Karma. Or someone had cooked up a spell in a cauldron to benefit me. I have no idea. I'm simply grateful it happened and thank the good lord above it did. Maybe I'll actually keep a small percent of the royalties this time. Or maybe not. I'm a total sap when it comes to the animals at the shelter.

Either way, I thank you. If you bought my book, or have read it, I want to thank you with a tackle hug. Hopefully a heartfelt "thank you" will suffice.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Fun Friday Q&A with author Jane Linfoot!

Jane Linfoot with two of her adorable fur-babies!
Today I have a treat — the lovely best-selling author Jane Linfoot has agreed to answer some questions for me. Jane, who lives in England and has some adorable fur-babies, has written two fabulous contemporary romances, How to Win a Guy in 10 Dates and The Right Side of Mr. Wrong (which releases March 6), each published by Harper Impulse.

Without further ado, let's put her under the microscope!

Angela: Welcome to my blog, Jane. Describe yourself in five words or less.

Jane: Creative, dreamy, happy, driven, unusual

Angela: You already sound awesome. I'm a total geek and always want to know — are you a rabid fan of any TV shows/movies/book series?

Jane: I’m not a member of any fandoms – how boring is that?

Angela: Not boring at all! OK, third question. Describe your ideal man or woman.

Jane: Haha. I have to say my OH fits the bill for this one. He has the fab qualities we all look for in a hero... He’s a classic TDH (tall dark and handsome), he’s sexy, kind, thoughtful, interesting, has great taste in cars and houses, plus he’s very handy round the home and he makes a mean pot of coffee.

Angela: You lucky thing! Celebrity crush?

Jane: Adam Levine from Maroon5 will fit the bill here for today! Thank you, Angela! He’s a nice combination of cute and smoking hot, although I might choose a different one for tomorrow, given that I’m a) indecisive b) hate to have favourites.

Angela: Personally, I don't limit myself to only one. Just sayin'. (clears throat) You can invite five people to dinner, living or dead. Who would you invite?

Jane: I’d love a dinner party with any five Harper Impulse authors. How to choose who? It would have to be the first five to reply to the invitation, which I’d put up on facebook. We’ve hung out so often in cyberspace, I’d love to have an evening to get to know them better face to face. I’m happy to provide the venue so long as they don’t mind my large dog and my cats, but I might have to get some outside caterers in because my cooking’s definitely not up to dinner party standard!

Angela: Aww, what a lovely thought. Thank you for visiting with me today, Jane.

Jane: Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Angela!

***
Be certain to check out Jane Linfoot's website, follow her on twitter, or like her Facebook page. And snatch up her latest release, The Right Side of Mr. Wrong!


One-off, moving on sex, wasn’t meant to be this hot… 
When determined singleton Shea Summers is persuaded to become the “wife” of the Lord of Edgerton Manor, the last thing she wants to do is play house with a stranger. 
Brooding playboy Brando Marshall is far from happy when Shea turns up at his sprawling estate with production crew in tow. Surely she’s just another woman after his wallet? And if she’s looking for Mr Right, she’s definitely hitting on the wrong guy. Then again, after catching an unscheduled glimpse of her knickers, perhaps Brando needs to teach this “gold-digger” a lesson! 
She’s seizing the moment, he’s breaking the rules, and when bad boys can be so much fun, who can resist getting on the right side of Mr. Wrong…



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