New Year, New Read

New Year, New Read

I thought I would go through my list of reviews from this year and pull out some of those authors who really stood out to me.

This list is by no means all of the authors I read, I just thought I would start something that I hope others carry on... sharing the love for authors they read. So this is the first few authors... more to follow later, and I may make this a regular thing. :)

I wanted to give people the opportunity to read these wonderful authors, so each day I will post an article about them and all you need to do it comment on the article. I will pull out a winner and gift them some of the author's books...

1 January - Avery Cockburn 
2 January - Jordan L Hawk
3 January - Marie Sexton
4 January - Eli Easton
5 January - Charlie Cochet
6 January - NR Walker

Links will go live on the days specified, come back every day for the articles. Keeping up with my posts is simple, just enter your email in the *follow by email* box to the top right of the website.

What authors would you like to recommend to your fellow readers? Comment and link people to books you love, writers you love... let's make this a positive and happy year!


WINNERS! RJ Scott's Twelve Days of Christmas competition

WINNERS! RJ Scott's Twelve Days of Christmas competition

All RJ Scott Competitions now closed - Winners will be emailed shortly - please keep an eye on your email!

If you entered visiting author competitions I am sure those authors will be contacting you shortly.

HUGS and HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Rj xxxxx



Not only do I have twelve visiting authors to my site over the next twelve days but I am also running twelve days of competitions to win some very RJScott'y type things.

There are twelve separate competitions. And, at the end, all the people who enter will go into a grand prize to win giftcards from Amazon or ARe.

Visit my site each day to hear from the visiting author and enter the competitions with some fiendish questions only RJ Scott readers will be able to answer!


DATE DAY RJ's PRIZERJ's Winner LINK (live at 00:01 GMT each date) Visiting Author Visiting author winner
11th Day 1 Signed copy of The Christmas Collection (Angel in a bookshop, Jesse's Christmas & A Deefur short story)Linda Spice Day 1 Link Lillian FrancisBarbra
12th Day 2 Signed copy of New York ChristmasH.B. Day 2 Link Diane AdamsJulie
13th Day 3 Signed Copy of End Street Volume 1 (signed by Amber & RJ)Lee Murphy Day 3 Link Amy LaneLee
14th Day 4 Signed copy of The Christmas ThrowawaySula Holland Day 4 Link Clare Londonramlr
15th Day 5 Complete Texas collection in ebook OR Complete Sanctuary Collection books 1 - 8 (Mobi, PDF or ePub)Suze Day 5 Link Elin GregoryKendra Patterson
16th Day 6 Audio book of The Christmas Throwaway & New York ChristmasMarcine Day 6 Link Sue BrownJulie Small
17th Day 7 Signed copy of New York ChristmasKevin Frisch Day 7 Link Jay NorthcoteH.B.
18th Day 8 Five free RJ Scott ebooksAngela V Day 8 Link Liam LivingsDejamew
19th Day 9 GRL 2015 programme signed by all featured authors & a copy of the excerpt anthology 'From San Diego with Love'Shirley Ann Speakman Day 9 Link Chris
Quinton
Nikki Mc
20th Day 10 Signed Copy of Ellery Mountain Volume 2Juli-Anna Dobson Day 10 Link Meredith RussellNatalija
21st Day 11 Five free RJ Scott ebooksNikki McNamara Day 11 Link Amber KellNancy
22nd Day 12 Desk Calendar with RJ Cover art and a signed copy of The Christmas ThrowawayNatalija Day 12 Link Eli EastonPaula

ALL entries to each day will be placed in a *virtual* hat and five grand prize winners drawn:

First prize - $50** Giftcard for Amazon or All Romance - Tyra Berger


Second prize - $25** Giftcard for Amazon or All Romance - Laurie Peterson

Third prize - $15** Giftcard for Amazon or All Romance - Kendra Patterson

Fourth prize - $5** Giftcard for Amazon or All Romance - Jess

Fifth prize - $5** Giftcard for Amazon or All Romance - Julie Small

**or equivalent in your currency :)


New Release: Vanished by Carter Quinn

New Release: Vanished by Carter Quinn

You know what they say about house guests who stay too long? Henry Cooley and company are kind of like that. Vanished was originally a 27,000 word standalone novella designed to give my Dad a chance to read my writing. Almost two years later, it’s turned into a 97,000 word romantic suspense trilogy. I’ve learned a lot writing these three books. For example, many more readers than I suspected are unwilling to step out of their HEA-requiring comfort zones. To my great pleasure, plenty of readers have been willing to step off that cliffhanger wall with me.

For those who took the risk, I hope Vanished 3 will be a satisfactory conclusion to the saga. Even thought about eight different cliffhangers popped into my head as I wrote the third book, I promise I didn’t end it with one. I couldn’t do that to my readers a third time in the same series. And I couldn’t do it to Henry either. He deserves an answer to what happened to Tom. He deserves a chance to be happy again. And, frankly, after two years, I’m ready to meet and write about another couple.

The Vanished trilogy took me on a fantastic trip for almost two years. I hope the ride it takes you on is just as fabulous. As always, I’d love to hear what you think.

Blurb: It’s been five months since Henry Cooley woke up to find that his husband, Tom MacKinnon, had vanished. Henry has gone through hell and back since then trying to uncover what really happened. But nothing could prepare him for the truth.

Review: If you've been following this story then this is the perfect book to round it all off and explain it. Carter played with my heartstrings and I vacillated between wanting the hero to be with X, then Y, then X again... LOL...

A satisfying and exciting conclusion to a wonderful series. Try it from book 1, which I think is still only 99c on Amazon! Highly Recommended,

Bio

Carter Quinn was born and raised in a very small Western Kansas town where cattle vastly outnumber humans. In the 90s he read enough depressing gay fiction to give up on it. He discovered M/M in 2010 and started writing again. Now he's told Corporate America to kiss his books. Carter lives entirely too far from his beloved Colorado Avalanche.

Contact Info

www.carterquinnbooks.com

carterquinnbooks@gmail.com

facebook.com/CarterQuinn

goodreads.com/author/show/5607272.Carter_Quinn

On Twitter: @Carter_Quinn


Generic Buy Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Carter-Quinn/e/B008JGF9NU/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carter-Quinn/e/B008JGF9NU/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/cqbcarter

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Query=carter+quinn

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/carter-quinn

ARe: http://tinyurl.com/lbyzbcs









Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 12 - 2015 and Happy Christmas

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 12 - 2015 and Happy Christmas

2015

Christmas is like the end of the year for me. And yes, I know it's in December and therefore it is technically the *end of the year* for everyone. But, I mean, it's when I stop and take stock of everything that has happened in the year so far.  I've released new stories this year. Had Sean Crisden narrate audios of four of my books. Released translations of Sanctuary books 1 - 3. I have attended three awesome cons (GRL, UK Meet, Euro Meet).

It's been a really busy year, and I hope that 2016 is just as busy, and that I manage to achieve as much as I have this year.

So, as this is my last post in the Twelve Days of Christmas, I just want to say...

Happy Christmas, Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings... and all kinds of love and goodwill to you all... Love you all xxx

RJ X


And don't forget...

... to check out the author visiting my blog today for more competition prizes! And enter the big 'twelve days' competition below... twelve separate competition, twelve prizes... all entries to this and the other eleven competitions will be entered into a *hat* and three winners will win gift cards... the more you enter the more chance there is to win!

Closing date 24 December, 10am GMT (London)

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 12 - Eli Easton

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 12 - Eli Easton

The fabulous Eli Easton is our final guest this year. She's giving away 3 prizes of an ebook from her 3 Christmas stories – Blame it on the Mistletoe, Unwrapping Hank, and Midwinter Night’s Dream. The winner will be picked on 27th December at 6pm, GMT.



Question 1: What is your favourite Christmas movie?  

“Elf” with Will Farrell
Question 2: What is your best Christmas memory? 

My husband and I were married on Christmas Eve. We had both families together at my sister’s house and got married in a church there. So that was pretty special.
Question 3: What is the best present you’ve received?

My husband (then boyfriend) gave me plan tickets to New Orleans one year when I was working on a story set there. I’d never been!
Question 4: What is the best present you’ve given?

Hmm. I think that would fall in the PWP category.  
Question 5:  Santa Claus – real or fake?

Real!
Question 6:  What is your favourite Christmas book?

A Christmas Carol by Dickens
Question 7: Do you like eggnog?

Yes, but I’m vegan now so I don’t drink it anymore.
Question 8: What do you eat at Christmas?

In years past, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, peas. But I need to find a new tradition now that we’re off meat. I made a really nice wild rice with dried fruit and nuts and date-syrup sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, so I may try that again.
Question 9: Be honest, when do you put up the Christmas tree?

It really depends on the year. This year it went up before Thanksgiving because we were having family here for the holiday. Usually it’s just a few weeks before Christmas.
Question 10.  When do you open your presents?

Christmas day.
Question 11. Do you have snow at Christmas?

I live on a farm in Pennsylvania, so usually there is snow, but not this year!
Question 12: What is the best – all-time – Christmas song. Ever!

O Holy Night singer by an operatic tenor

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 11 - Next Years Christmas Story

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 11 - Next Years Christmas Story

Next Years Christmas Story

This is an interesting thing to  think about. Next years Christmas book. SO far we have had:

The Christmas Throwaway (2010)
Texas Winter (originally released - 2011)
Jesse's Christmas (originally released - 2011)
The Journal of Sanctuary One (2012)
New York Christmas (2012)
Texas Christmas (2013)
Christmas In The Sun (2013)
Angel In a Book shop (2014)
Christmas Collection (2015)
Love's Design (2015)

2016 will be book 3 in the Legacy Series... and/or The Road To Frosty Hollow ... and/or The King Of Christmas which is an entirely new idea based around these cheesy Christmas films I love to watch so much. The idea of King came to me in a conversation with hubby and I am so excited by it I would like to write it now... only I can't as it's a Christmas story... LOL

Legacy is three books based on characters introduced in Texas Fall. The books will feature cameo's from Riley, Jack et al, and the first book in the series is due Summer 2016. The Road to Frosty Hollow is entirely Meredith Russell's fault. She created a beautiful cover and I stole it...

So as you can see I am pretty excitable when it comes to Christmas stories ;)


And don't forget...

... to check out the author visiting my blog today for more competition prizes! And enter the big 'twelve days' competition below... twelve separate competition, twelve prizes... all entries to this and the other eleven competitions will be entered into a *hat* and three winners will win gift cards... the more you enter the more chance there is to win!

Closing date 24 December, 10am GMT (London)

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 11 - Amber Kell

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 11 - Amber Kell

Today's visiting author is the very best, the awesome Amber Kell.
(my PA tells me I have to be nice to Amber as it's Christmas)

Amber is giving a $25 Amazon giftcard. Leave a comment here to enter the giveaway. We'll pick a winner on 28th December 2015, at 6pm GMT.



Question 1:      What is your favourite Christmas movie? 

I traditionally like to watch The Ref and Die Hard for Christmas but my favorite cartoon is Olive the Other Reindeer. 
Question 2:    What is your best Christmas memory.

Any Christmas with my children.
Question 3:    What is the best present you’ve received? 

A wooden dollhouse my sister made for me.
Question 4:     What is the best present you’ve given? 

I’m not sure. I think that would depend on the person receiving it. LOL This year I’m writing a book for my mom.
Question 5:     Santa Claus – real or fake? 

Real of course.
Question 6:     What is your favourite Christmas book? 

Night before Christmas.
Question 7:    Do you like eggnog? 

Now that I’ve gotten older I like the lite eggnog but I’m trying a vegan version for my son who’s turned vegan this year.
Question 8:     What do you eat at Christmas? 

We cheat and do finger foods so the kids can eat whenever they come up for air. It seems cruel to make them sit down to a formal meal.
Question 9:     Be honest, when do you put up the Christmas tree? 

We get a real one so we put it up a few weeks before Christmas so it doesn’t dry out.
Question 10:     When do you open your presents? 

Christmas morning…after coffee. It’s my one firm Christmas rule.
Question 11:    Do you have snow at Christmas? 

We live in Seattle so not usually.
Question 12: 1.       What is the best – all-time – Christmas song. Ever! 

Holly Jolly Christmas or anything by Bing Crosby.

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 10 - Christmas TV

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 10 - Christmas TV

Christmas TV

Back in the old days, when we only had three channels (BBC1, BBC2 and ITV) we would have a choice of what to watch Christmas Day. Usualy there was a Bond film, and on the other side would be Wizard of Oz, or some such kind of film. Of course this was always after The Queen's Speech which was always watched by my parents and grandparents.

But the good stuff was after tea (meal at around 7ish)... The Morecombe and Wise Christmas special. OMG, how that made me laugh, classic slapstick comedy that never failed to reduce me to tears of laughter. And then, later, The Two Ronnies. I am sure a lot of the jokes were over my head, but I can say I was there the year Angela Rippon danced (and only if you are a Brit will you get that!).

Of course News at Ten meant supper, and then bed, and Christmas Day was over. :(

Do you remember TV shows from your childhood at Christmas?



And don't forget...

... to check out the author visiting my blog today for more competition prizes! And enter the big 'twelve days' competition below... twelve separate competition, twelve prizes... all entries to this and the other eleven competitions will be entered into a *hat* and three winners will win gift cards... the more you enter the more chance there is to win!

Closing date 24 December, 10am GMT (London)

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 10 - Meredith Russell

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 10 - Meredith Russell

Day ten and my lovely friend Meredith Russell is my guest today.

She is offering a $5 giftcard. Leave a comment on this post and the winner will be picked on 27th December at 6pm, GMT.




Question 1.      What is your favourite Christmas movie?  

Up until recently Santa Claus: The Movie was my favourite. The one with Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. I love that film. But then I saw Arthur Christmas and I just think that is awesome.
Question 2.       What is your best Christmas memory? 

Wow. I don’t know really. I guess I hold on to the simple memories of how things used to be when it was kind of just my family for Christmas. So there were no husbands and wives, no kids, no in-laws, just Mum, Dad, their partners, me, my brother, and my sister. Like how we’d always do the same thing. We’d spend Christmas Eve and Day at my mum’s and Dad would have me and my brother on Boxing Day. So it would always be drinks, a buffet tea and charades on Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas morning we’d get up early even when none of us believed in Santa anymore and Mum would be in and out of the kitchen while we opened presents, followed by slobbing in the afternoon with the TV, and a turkey sandwich for tea. Then Boxing Day was Dad’s day - more presents, another Christmas dinner, playing a board game or DVD game in the afternoon, a buffet tea, then down the pub until home time. I miss it sometimes, but making new memories with an expanding family is just as fun now.
Question 3.       What is the best present you’ve received? 

I have such a terrible memory about this kind of stuff. I can’t really think of anything as an adult that I’ve had that I didn’t either ask for or help pick out. I guess the last thing that made me go aww was off my husband who had gotten me a small gift to open on the morning in the hotel before heading over to his parents’ house for lunch. It was an emergency supplies tin and in it was some of my favourite things to eat/drink, or what I collect lol - a can of Pepsi Max, Cadburys chocolate, a cuddly toy, and a fancy pen and notebook. It was like... you know me so well.
Question 4.    What is the best present you’ve given? 

Crikey. You mean besides the gift of my wonderful company? I have no idea really. I love that my nieces are now old enough to rip the wrapping off themselves and I enjoy having that magic back in Christmas that had slipped a bit since my brother, sister and I had all grown up. So I love giving them gifts. But I guess from a fun buying it kind of thing I enjoyed some of the gifts I used to get for my university friends. It was kind of a challenge to get ridiculous stuff. I can’t really think of anything in particular now but yeah, that was good fun.
Question 5.    Santa Claus – real or fake? 

Definitely real. Who else is eating all those mince pies we leave out?
Question 6.      What is your favourite Christmas book? 

It’s a book I’ve had since I was a kid - An Oxford Book of Christmas Stories. I think I got it from some book club thing at primary school. But it’s a strange mix of horrible, funny, and sweet short stories all mixed up – you know the thing, people freezing to death and curses and a boy clubbing his grandfather round the head because he thought he was the real Santa and wanted to steal his bag of presents. Happy Christmas!
Question 7.       Do you like eggnog? 

I don’t know because I don’t really know what eggnog is. What is eggnog? Is it like advocaat? That’s got egg in it, right? If so then yes I like that when made into Snowball cocktails, so mixed with lemonade and lime.
Question 8.      What do you eat at Christmas? 

Other than chocolate? For Christmas dinner it depends where we are. If we’re at my husband’s parents they do a soup starter (I guess there’s space in their bellies if they don’t open presents until later so haven’t binged on a chocolate breakfast), then we have turkey with the usual veg, roast potatoes type stuff. If we’re at my dad’s he has cockerel, plus very yummy sausage meat stuffing, and cherry pie for pudding. And if we’re cooking it ourselves we save up a bunch of Marks and Spencer vouchers and go crazy lol I think we had turkey and gammon last year, then the veg, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, and a toffee sponge for pudding.
Question 9.      Be honest, when do you put up the Christmas tree? 

I think it’s a tradition passed on from my parents, but it has to be December, and because of work and stuff it therefore is the first weekend in December. That’s my rule and when I send my poor husband up into the roof to get all the decorations down :) So this year it’ll be the 5th or 6th.
Question 10.     When do you open your presents?  

Personally, I’ve always been used to before dinner, so we get up, open presents in our pjs, binge on chocolate for breakfast and sneak off at some point to get changed in time for dinner. But my husband’s family don’t open theirs until the afternoon. So as we alternate Christmases at the moment, one year we open them before lunch, the next after lunch.
Question 11.      Do you have snow at Christmas? 

We can do. I live in England so we have the cold weather. It just varies when the snow comes whether it hits Christmas itself or falls before or after.
Question 12.     What is the best – all-time – Christmas song. Ever!  - Oooh. There are so many good ones. I have two particular favourites which are Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses and Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewie. If I had to stick one on repeat? I’d go with... Stop the Cavalry.


Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 9 - Christmas break

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 9 - Christmas break

Center Parcs

Every year, just before or after Christmas, we go to Center Parcs. This is a whole lot of cabins in a forest, with a sub tropical swimming paradise, and restaurants, and no cars. We have been going since before the kids were born, and it's the place where Matt has learned the first bits of independence.

Center Parcs is all fenced in, and he knows his way around the sites so well that we can trust him to go for walks. This was actually the first place we trusted him to go out by himself.

This year we have Geocache, Pottery Painting, Swimming, Pool, Football, Ten Pin bowling ... so many things booked in. Not forgetting the three hour spa visit that I am so looking forward to.

At Christmas everything is lit up, and there is a fireworks display one evening. Everything is chilly and dark (the place isn't lit much after dark) so you feel like you are cosy in your cabin in the forest. Love it!

Do you have a special place you like to go on holiday or to have a short break?



And don't forget...

... to check out the author visiting my blog today for more competition prizes! And enter the big 'twelve days' competition below... twelve separate competition, twelve prizes... all entries to this and the other eleven competitions will be entered into a *hat* and three winners will win gift cards... the more you enter the more chance there is to win!

Closing date 22 December, 10am GMT (London)