Tuesday, March 17, 2015
CART PRINCESS ~ read for FREE
Want to try a free sample of my writing? My young adult short story, Cart Princess, is free today. Check it out and leave a review. :-)
Monday, February 23, 2015
GCC Presents, REMEMBER, by Eileen Cook
Eileen Cook is thrilled to announce that her book REMEMBER hits shelves February 24, 2015.
About the Book:
A thrilling tale about what a girl will do to get back a memory she lost…or remove what she wants to forget.
Harper is used to her family being hounded by protestors. Her father runs the company that trademarked the “Memtex” procedure to wipe away sad memories, and plenty of people think it shouldn’t be legal. Then a new demonstrator crosses her path, Neil, who’s as persistent as he is hot. Not that Harper’s noticing, since she already has a boyfriend.
When Harper suffers a loss, she’s shocked her father won’t allow her to get the treatment, so she finds a way to get it without his approval. Soon afterward, she’s plagued with strange symptoms, including hallucinations of a woman who is somehow both a stranger, yet incredibly familiar. Harper begins to wonder if she is delusional, or if these are somehow memories.
Together with Neil, who insists he has his own reasons for needing answers about the real dangers of Memtex, Harper begins her search for the truth. What she finds could uproot all she’s ever believed about her life…
“Compelling combination of twisty mystery and realistic romance." (Cat Patrick, author of FORGOTTEN and JUST LIKE FATE)
Interview with Eileen:
Where did the idea for Remember come from?
I’d read an article about some scientific experiments being done with memory. The scientists were looking for a way to reduce the difficulty war veterans have with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It occurred to me if people could get rid of very traumatic memories, there would also be a market for people who wanted to get rid of all sorts of memories. I began to wonder what types of things might go wrong once you begin messing around with someone’s memory. It can be relatively easy to confuse what is a real memory from what someone might tell you happened. What if something you were sure was true, suddenly seemed to be uncertain, possibly a lie? Once all these questions were swirling around in my head I knew I had a book- all I had to do is write it!
If the Memtex procedure existed is there any memory you would like to forget?
I think everyone has some memories they would like to forget, but even the difficult ones have shaped who I am so I’d have to hang on to them.
Tell us a behind the scenes story about writing the book.
I decided that I wanted the main character to ride horses competitively- a subject I know nothing about. I was lucky enough to have two close friends who grew up riding and were able to share all sorts of details and were willing to read early drafts to make sure I had things correct. Now I know more about saddles than I ever expected.
What are you working on now?
It’s a thriller that involves Italy, a possible murder and two best friends who may be enemies. There’s nothing better than writing a book that includes a research trip to Rome, Venice and Tuscany. I ate my weight in pasta, took thousands of pictures and wrote pages and pages of notes.
Thanks for stopping by my blog Eileen! Check out Eileen's contest for Remember here. And pick up a copy of this intriguing read here.
“Compelling combination of twisty mystery and realistic romance." (Cat Patrick, author of FORGOTTEN and JUST LIKE FATE)
Interview with Eileen:
Where did the idea for Remember come from?
I’d read an article about some scientific experiments being done with memory. The scientists were looking for a way to reduce the difficulty war veterans have with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It occurred to me if people could get rid of very traumatic memories, there would also be a market for people who wanted to get rid of all sorts of memories. I began to wonder what types of things might go wrong once you begin messing around with someone’s memory. It can be relatively easy to confuse what is a real memory from what someone might tell you happened. What if something you were sure was true, suddenly seemed to be uncertain, possibly a lie? Once all these questions were swirling around in my head I knew I had a book- all I had to do is write it!
If the Memtex procedure existed is there any memory you would like to forget?
I think everyone has some memories they would like to forget, but even the difficult ones have shaped who I am so I’d have to hang on to them.
Tell us a behind the scenes story about writing the book.
I decided that I wanted the main character to ride horses competitively- a subject I know nothing about. I was lucky enough to have two close friends who grew up riding and were able to share all sorts of details and were willing to read early drafts to make sure I had things correct. Now I know more about saddles than I ever expected.
What are you working on now?
It’s a thriller that involves Italy, a possible murder and two best friends who may be enemies. There’s nothing better than writing a book that includes a research trip to Rome, Venice and Tuscany. I ate my weight in pasta, took thousands of pictures and wrote pages and pages of notes.
Thanks for stopping by my blog Eileen! Check out Eileen's contest for Remember here. And pick up a copy of this intriguing read here.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
2014 Writing Life Highlights
Happy New Year's Friends!! Is it really 2015 tomorrow?
It's time for my yearly review in all things writing for me this year and I waited too long to get to it today! There are little people all looking at me, waiting for the New Year's Eve party to get going. So, instead of the monthly breakdown of 2014, here's my fave moments:
2014 was SO great! This past fall all of my kids were finally in school full day which meant so much more writing time for me! This year I wrote two middle grade novels that I adore so much. I can't wait for you all to read them. I sketched out an adult romance series (under a pen name) and wrote half of book one. I'm plotting out 2015 now and have so much more I want to work on. So excited!! Here's the rest of the year in bullet points:
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It's time for my yearly review in all things writing for me this year and I waited too long to get to it today! There are little people all looking at me, waiting for the New Year's Eve party to get going. So, instead of the monthly breakdown of 2014, here's my fave moments:
2014 was SO great! This past fall all of my kids were finally in school full day which meant so much more writing time for me! This year I wrote two middle grade novels that I adore so much. I can't wait for you all to read them. I sketched out an adult romance series (under a pen name) and wrote half of book one. I'm plotting out 2015 now and have so much more I want to work on. So excited!! Here's the rest of the year in bullet points:
- I signed with a new literary agent in the spring, Andrea Somberg from Harvey Klinger Inc. She is so awesome and a total joy to work with.
- I had fun author visits.
- I attended the Anderson's Children's Literary Breakfast and met tons of cool teachers and librarians. And Henry Winkler!
- THE ESPRESSOLOGIST was chosen as a 2014 Illinois Reads book! I got to go to a cool ceremony at the Illinois Reading Council Conference in Springfield, IL. Signed loads of books, met other great authors, and did my first radio interview.
- Went to probably the best writing retreat ever. 21 authors, one literary agent, and one editor in a cabin in Michigan for three days. So much fun and learned so, so much!
- I did a really fun YA author panel in Chicago.
- And some local literary fests.
It was a great year and I know 2015 will be even better!
xo,
Kristina
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Some December Updates
My poor blog, I've neglected you so! If you ever come to my blog and it looks like I've been gone for awhile, find me on twitter or facebook because I'm on there all day. With tiny spurts of work here and there. ;-)
I actually have been getting lots of work done when my new puppy, Java the Mutt, isn't driving me crazy. Here she is when we first got her 6 weeks ago:
I actually have been getting lots of work done when my new puppy, Java the Mutt, isn't driving me crazy. Here she is when we first got her 6 weeks ago:
And here she is last week:
She was 12 pounds when we got her and now is 29 and growing fast! Java is a giant schnoodle (mom a giant schnauzer and dad a standard poodle) so we expect her to be a big girl! If she could just stop hurling herself at me and trying to climb over my head every time I sit down on the couch with my laptop to write things would be great.
I've been enjoying all of my free time now that the kiddos have been in school for awhile. Getting lots of writing in and finished another middle grade. I love writing for this age group! I'm editing and tweaking that now. I've also been working on an adult romance series for fun breaks in between middle grade books. Who knows if and when it will ever come out (or under what name for that matter) but it's just fun to try something new.
What else have I been up to aside from writing? Ummm, lots of reading, yoga, coffee drinking, addictive Hallmark Christmas movie watching, Christmas shopping, binge-watching episodes of Impractical Jokers (if you haven't seen this show yet you MUST watch!), and I even got to see my four boyfriends, who don't know I exist, last weekend at their show in Indiana.
They were so, so funny! Aside from that, I'm also thinking of trying to train the dog to do yoga with me. She already has downward dog nailed. If I could just get her to sit next to me instead of standing with her giant paws on my face we would be so cool.
Ah, someday.
xo,
Kristina
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Will The Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up by Sara Hantz
Will The Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up by Sara Hantz is now available!
About the book: Abi Saunders might be a kickboxing champion, but when it comes to being the center of attention, she’d rather take a roundhouse kick to the solar plexus any day. So when her trainer convinces her to audition to be the stunt double for hot teen starlet Tilly Watson, Abi is shocked—and a little freaked out—when she gets the job. Being a stunt double is overwhelming, but once the wig and makeup are on, Abi feels like a different person. Tilly Watson, to be exact. And when Tilly’s gorgeous boyfriend, Jon, mistakes Abi for the real star, Abi's completely smitten. In fact, she’s so in love with her new life, it isn’t long before she doesn’t have time for her old one. But when the cameras are turned off, will she discover running with the Hollywood A-list isn’t quite the glamorous existence she thought it was?
You can buy the book here: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository
What Others Are Saying:
"Abi Saunders is a kickass heroine with a story full of action and heart." Melissa Walker author of Ashes to Ashes and Small Town Sinners.
"Will the Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up delivers the good stuff - kickboxing stunt double, Hollywood A-listers, mistaken identity, romance. This one is a contender!" Linda Gerber, author of the Lights, Camera, Cassidy series.
"Will the Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up packs a delicious punch of realism and Hollywood magic in one hit." Allison Rushby, author of Being Hartley, the Living Blond Trilogy and Shooting Stars.
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