A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CATHY BANKS

I am thrilled to be appearing on Dru’s Book Musings today, where I share “A Day in the Life of Cathy Banks.”

In case you are wondering, Cathy Banks is the protagonist of Swimming Alone.

Oh, and there’s a book giveaway there too, which ends September 18th.

 

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BOOK BITES: Super Freak

Today I am thrilled to welcome Vanessa Barger to “Book Bites” on Not Even Joking. Her middle grade fantasy Super Freak will be out next month from Tantrum Books. Didn’t we all kind of feel like freaks when we were thirteen years old, or was that just me? In any case, this book looks Super Fun! (Did you see what I did there?) Vanessa also shares a recipe for Oreo Cookie Butter. Um…that sounds too yummy to actually exist.

Who is the main character in Super Freak? What is she like?

Caroline Bennings is a totally normal, possesses-no-magic eighth grader with dryads for parents. She loves puzzles and riddles and mostly doesn’t mind that she doesn’t have any magic. She’s also addicted to chocolate, and her best friend is a preteen dhampir named Diana.

What would Caroline choose for her last meal?

Caro would probably have spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread, and cake. Maybe she’d start with the cake. It IS the last meal, after all.

How about you? What would you choose for your last meal?

Hmmmmm… Filet Mignon, baked potato, a whole jar of mini kosher dill pickles and tea. Followed by oatmeal cake. Or Burnt Sugar Cake. Maybe both. If it’s the last one, I might as well go big or go home, right?

Why should someone bite into Super Freak?

Because it’s awesome! It’s all about realizing that sometimes being different is good, and feeling comfortable with your own gifts can lead to great things. And there’s magic, mythical creatures, and a really fun story.

Do you have a recipe you’d like to share?

This isn’t in my list of things, but I can’t give you the recipe for the Burnt Sugar Cake. It’s a family recipe, after all. However, here’s something easy and OMG delicious that a friend gave me – COOKIE BUTTER. (Seriously. Its cookie you spread on anything. Or eat with a spoon. What’s not to love?)

Oreo Cookie Butter

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of oreos
  • 1/4 c coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:

  1. Break your oreos into a food processor. Measure out 1/4 cup of coconut oil and dump in with the vanilla. The action of the food processor will liquefy the coconut oil, and then later it will harden to a peanut butter consistency.
  2. Process for 5 minutes, scrape down the pan, then process another minute or two. The longer you go, the smoother it is.
  1. I will warn you – if you use organic coconut oil, it’s going to have a coconut taste. Bonus – with just these three ingredients, no refrigeration necessary!

That sounds incredible. Spreadable cookie. Who knew?

And I have already added Super Freak to my Goodreads “to read” list. Caroline and I seem to have a lot in common. Sadly, I’m not magical either. And I totally have a chocolate addiction. Thank you so much for sharing today!

You can learn more about Vanessa Barger and Super Freak at her website or on Goodreads.

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Cover Reveal: UNDER HIS SKIN

I am so excited to help author Stacey O’Neale reveal the cover for her soon to be released novel UNDER HIS SKIN.

So without further adieu, here it is:

Earth girls are never easy. But they’re worth it.

Bakery owner Annabelle Sparks’ business is booming ever since she won reality TV’s Cupcake Wars. The one thing deflating her happy soufflé? The extremely sexy Kaden Chance only sees her as a best friend-and Annabelle wants so much more. After waiting a year for him recognize their chemistry, she’s giving up and dating other people.

What she doesn’t know is Kaden’s heart doesn’t actually beat. He’s not human. Heck, he’s not even from Earth. To retain his intergalactic immunity, no one can ever know he is an extraterrestrial. But when Annabelle starts dating, something strange happens to Kaden’s unmoved heart: it begins to beat. Now he faces an impossible choice-tell Annabelle the truth and be deported-or lose his last chance at love.

Release Date: September 21, 2015

Pre-order Here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Creative Minds Profile #6: Andi Rae Healy

I have interviewed actors, writers, producers and directors here on Not Even Joking. I realized recently that I had yet to interview a musician. This month, I am rectifying this. I had the pleasure of meeting Andi Rae Healy several years ago when my husband introduced me to her music one summer afternoon at Rockwood Music Hall on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. I was hooked immediately. I am thrilled to have Andi join us today for a Creative Minds Profile.

Andi Rae Healy is an Indie-Country singer/songwriter whose performances have been known to result in spontaneous dance parties. Usually backed by her band – The Back River Bullies – Andi Rae has graced the stage at many venues in New York City and Philadelphia, including Littlefield, The Bell House (making a guest appearance at the Johnny Cash Birthday Bash) Rockwood Music, Southpaw, The Rodeo Bar, and of course Hank’s Saloon. Andi Rae was recently able to fund an EP by becoming a finalist at Cream of Philly Rising finalist at the World Cafe Live. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, she has since turned that into a full LP record titled If You Want to Be My Man, which will be released at Hank’s Saloon on September 18th. Andi Rae’s first CD, I Guess I am a Sinner, features appearances by Cyndi Lauper, Jill Sobule and Darden Smith.

Andi, your songs are sometimes whimsical, often poignant and always entertaining. What inspires your lyrics and melodies?

As much as I’d like to say it’s not boys – often it’s boys. Being heartbroken or pissed off is inspiring! But you will also find songs about cheating death (“Dear Death”), or a woman who walked across the country in the late 1800s (“3000 Miles”). Also! I crowd-funded this latest record and started writing songs about friends as bonus prizes and those ended up becoming a couple of my favorites. It was fun and expanding to have an assignment that made me look at subjects that I wouldn’t have before.

I have always enjoyed watching you perform. What goes through your mind when you are on stage performing your music? What do you love and/or hate about being up on stage?

The whole reason I picked up a guitar in the first place is because I love being on stage and singing in front of people. Before the guitar my only outlet was a choir, or musical theater and you can’t just pick up and do that whenever you want to. So… kind of I love everything about being on stage. But there are also certainly favorite parts. I love watching people enjoying themselves and dancing and singing along – I’m definitely not the type that wants her audience sitting there rapt and in silence. I also love interacting with the band – I missed that from my ensemble days when I started playing solo shows so I feel really lucky that I have a fun band to play around with on stage a little.

You can check out one of Andi’s performances here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggwy1APlT8w

Tell me about your current album, If You Want to Be My Man. How did it come about? What was it like working on it?

So as I mentioned above, I crowd-funded this record. I did that through Kickstarter. I thought I’d maybe go for a few thousand dollars and figure out the rest from there but a couple friends were like – can you make the record for that amount? No? Then go for more! So I upped it – which was SO stressful because with Kickstarter if you don’t get the whole thing you get nothing. But we did it! And I feel like I can attribute that success largely to Tammy Han who stylized the whole thing beautifully and kept making me amazing videos to update everyone with, as well as Nish Herat who we dubbed campaign manager and whose moral support was key. It ended up being really fun doing this campaign – and the fact that we met the goal of course didn’t hurt.

Working on the record was of course also fun. Being in the studio is always a great time and Sanford Livingston (the producer) and I had a great time doing it. However – I wasn’t anticipating how difficult it would be to make this whole working a full time job (was waiting tables when I made the last one and working 10-15 less hours a week!), so as it got further and further out I got more and more stressed. But it is done now and I’m really excited about. And ready to work on the next one! 🙂

What else gets you up in the morning? What are you passionate about? And how does this influence your creative life? (or does it?)

Well – I have a bit of a wanting to save the world complex. And the environment was at the top of the list for me for a good long while. Not that it’s not still a passion and a concern, but I used to actually hold an Earth Day benefit show once a year. So my creative life was definitely influenced in that way – but also in that it has shown up in my songs here and there. “The Girl in the Tree” is about Julia Butterfly, who actually lived in a tree to keep it from being chopped down. I also wrote one called “I Don’t Wanna Live on the Moon”. But the most well-received of these by far was one Bryan Dunn and I wrote for one of the Earth Day shows called “It’s the Ride”.  It’s a duet and a lot of fun to perform and is on the new record! 

I had to fade those shows out though (at least temporarily), when I got a day job that is now literally the thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. But as that job is with charity: water – which is a non-profit whose goal is to get clean and safe drinking water to the entirely too many people in the world that don’t have it – I didn’t actually give up on trying to save the world!

And, my standard teacher question: What advice would you give to a young musician who is considering a career in the music industry?

Oh man. So much. You hear this all the time but – don’t try to be what you’re not. Write/play/perform what feels natural and good to you or the audience will know. You’re better at what you love. For songwriters – you might be amazing right out of the gate but don’t count on it. Write write write – play songs for your friends, maybe get into a class or a songwriting circle. Listen to the classics – the artists that have stood the test of time. Be open to constructive criticism but also take it with a grain of salt because… see the first thing! And there is no accounting for taste. And know that being successful doesn’t have to mean playing to sold out arenas and making a million bazillion dollars. The way I feel about it is performing/playing/writing is the thing I love most in the world and if I get to do it on a regular basis – whether my own music or with other talented musicians I know – I’ve succeeded.

Wow! That is really fantastic advice. Thank you so much for joining me today!

Andi Rae & the Back River Bullies will be celebrating the release of their album on September 18th at Hank’s Saloon in Brooklyn. Learn more about Andi Rae at:

And you can purchase the new album here:

 

 

 

 

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SWIMMING ALONE: Virtual Book Launch Post #5

Wow! I can’t believe the evening has come to a close. Thank you so much to everyone who joined me on Facebook, Twitter, and right here on Not Even Joking.

All of the winners of tonight’s giveaways have been selected.

Didn’t win anything? Well, it is not too late to enter the Goodreads Giveaway. Details are below.

And I hope you’ll pick up a copy of SWIMMING ALONE. Here are the links again.

Goodnight!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Swimming Alone, A Young Adult Mystery by Nina Mansfield

Swimming Alone, A Young Adult Mystery

by Nina Mansfield

Giveaway ends September 15, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

 

Don’t forget to add Swimming Alone to your TO READ list.

And here are some links where you can purchase Swimming Alone:

 

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SWIMMING ALONE: Virtual Book Launch Post #4

Here’s is the third and final selection from SWIMMING ALONE. It’s a little slice from Chapter 3.

Swimming Alone Chapter 3

And my cats are at it again!

Again, feel free to post any questions in the comments section below. This is your last change to try to win a signed copy of SWIMMING ALONE tonight!

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SWIMMING ALONE: Virtual Book Launch Post #3

Before we continue, my cat Cookie has a request:

And now, for a little bit from from Chapter 2!

Swimming Alone Chapter 2

Join us later this evening for a slice of Chapter 3!

And if you would like to be entered to win a copy of SWIMMING ALONE, just make sure that you comment below!

 

 

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SWIMMING ALONE: Virtual Book Launch Post #2

First of all, thank you again for joining me for this Virtual Book Launch for SWIMMING ALONE. If you are wondering what the book is about, you can always read the first chapter on the Fire & Ice YA Website.

And here’s a clip of me reading a short selection from the first chapter.

Swimming Alone Chapter 1

All the segments tonight deal with the Sea Side Strangler. But there is more to SWIMMING ALONE than serial killers.

I hope you’ll check it out! And please let me know if you have any questions about the book in the comments. Remember, anyone commenting tonight will automatically be entered to win a signed copy of SWIMMING ALONE!

 

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SWIMMING ALONE: Virtual Book Launch Post #1

Welcome to the first post of my online book launch for SWIMMING ALONE! I’m getting this post up a little early to accommodate friends in different time zones. I am so glad that you could join me today.

I have been looking forward to this day for quite a while! My debut young adult mystery novel Swimming Alone has been released! It is available both as an ebook and in paperback.

Here are some things you can look forward to during today’s book launch:

Are you on Goodreads? Don’t forget to add Swimming Alone to your TO READ list.

And here are some links where you can purchase Swimming Alone:

 

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BOOK BITES: Black Cradle: Origins

I am excited to welcome Max E. Stone back to “Book Bites.” Back in May, Max’s novel The Bleeding kicked off this segment on Not Even Joking. This week, he shares about his latest book, Black Cradle: Origins (A Warren/Bennett/Johnson Novel). This hardcore thriller/suspense novel is being released on Friday.* Incidentally, this is a day after my own mystery novel, Swimming Alone, comes out. Although I have a feeling, based on Max’s description, the two books are very different. However, they do both take place in Rhode Island. Coincidence? Hmmm…. Max also shares recipe (and a story) for something sweet. [*Black Cradle: Origins has a new release date: September 2nd.]

Who is the main character in Black Cradle: Origins? What is he like?

In Black Cradle, the main character is Detective Stephen Bennett, a homicide detective new in Newport, RI who has been assigned by his bosses to keep an eye on a millionaire’s wife after he rescues her from a supposed accident. However, he knows her, very well in fact. Because of that, she wants nothing to do with him and refuses his help when he suspects her bruises are anything but accidental.

What would Bennett choose for his last meal?

Bennett is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, not too complicated, though his circumstances might seem otherwise, so I’d say just that: ham and potatoes.

I know I’ve asked you this before, but tell us again. What would you choose for your last meal?

Since it would absolutely, positively be my last meal, something sweet with bounds and bounds of caffeine and sugar (I’m talking “my head hurts” type of sweet) since I wouldn’t have to worry about a sugar coma or anything like that.

Why should someone bite into Black Cradle?

In 2012, I wrote a very short story called “August to Life,” which started the saga of the Warren, Bennett, and Johnson families. Black Cradle is a much broader story on that and takes place over ten years before the events of The Bleeding. It’s like dessert: the follow-up (maybe not necessarily the ending) to a delicious course.

Do you have a recipe you’d like to share?

OK, so around Christmas time, I decided I would make a two-layer eggnog cake. I got two boxes of cake batter, icing, the works. I followed the directions here: http://www.food.com/recipe/best-eggnog-cake-15102, made both layers with the same directions, iced the first the layer with vanilla icing and everything was cool. Until I flipped the second layer over onto the first. Long story short, it didn’t look so hot. But that didn’t stop me. I tried to fix it with icing, icing, and more icing, which made worse and cracked the top layer.

Max E. Stone's "Earthquake Cake."

So, with that being said, I, and my family, dubbed my creation “The Earthquake Cake.” It was delicious, proving that, in many cases, you cannot judge a book by its cover.

Thank you so much for joining us again! Very true, you cannot judge a book by its cover. Although I will say, the cover to Black Cradle is frightening and intriguing. I imagine the novel is as well.

You can learn more about Max E. Stone and on Facebook and Twitter. And to learn more about Black Cradle: Origins, visit Amazon US or Amazon UK.

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