Nothing stays in Vegas by Elena Aitken

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 Available from: Amazon and Smashwords
 
 Authors Website: www.elenaaitken.com









Lexi Titan has mastered the art of pretending everything’s fine. After all, how else could she ignore the fact that her husband is never home, her son barely knows him and the last time she had sex, well, who can remember? With her life crumbling, the last thing she wants to do is go on a trip, especially back to Vegas; a city full of glitz, excess, and Leo, the man she’s spent the last six years trying to forget. But when her best friend announces she’s getting married, Lexi doesn’t have a choice. Besides, it’s ridiculous to avoid an entire city because of one guy. Even if he is the father of your child.


Face to face with memories of the past and the gorgeous man who started it all, Lexi can no longer deny the truth to anyone, especially Leo. But honesty will come at a price, and Lexi must decide if she’s wiling to take that risk. And what exactly will she tell her husband? Because as she now knows, NOTHING STAYS IN VEGAS.

Bio: Elena has published numerous non-fiction articles and has contributed multiple stories to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series but fiction has always been her true passion. Nothing Stays In Vegas is Elena's first released full length work of fiction and she's currently hard at work on the next one.

Excerpt

The music was too loud. Maybe it was me. Was twenty-seven too old to sip an overpriced cocktail, wearing a too-short skirt and a too-tight top? Judging by what some of the other ladies were wearing, no.

I tugged at my skirt in a vain attempt to pull it closer to my knees. Preferably over them. Nicole was late, as usual; it would take at least twenty minutes to go back to the room and change. There was no time. One thing was for sure, I'd never again buy anything an eighteen-year-old sales girl declared, "Totally perfect for Vegas."

The fluorescent blue liquid swirled around my glass as I fiddled with my straw. A “Knock Out,” the bartender had called it. It was going to knock me out. Every time I took a sip, the sweetness sent bites of pain through my teeth. Yet I couldn't seem to stop drinking it.

“Excuse me,” a voice from behind said.

I swiveled in my seat to see a very blond, very clean cut, very preppy guy. Good looking if you liked the college boy look.

I didn't.

He was standing over me, not even trying to conceal the fact that he was staring at my cleavage, which there was way too much of.

“Yes?”

“Can I get you another?” College Boy gestured to my drink which I was surprised to see almost empty.

That would explain the dizzy feeling every time I moved my head. Knock Out, indeed.

"I'm married,” I said and turned back to face the bar. Where was Nicole?

"I'm Clark," College Boy said as he took the seat next to me, "and nobody in Vegas is married."

I twisted to look at him again. His smile dazzled. Clearly the result of thousands of dollars of orthodontic work. “Seriously,” I tried again. “I'm not interested.”

He leaned in and the smell of stale beer assaulted me. Over his shoulder I could see the table of his frat buddies, poking each other in the ribs and pointing in our direction.

Perfect. I was a bet.

“Listen, Kid.” I couldn’t have been much older then him, but maybe an insult would help. “I'm not interested in being part of your game tonight.”

“Come on, Baby.” His breath was hot and moist in my ear. I leaned back as far as I could without falling out of my seat but his arm snaked around me and yanked me toward him. “I just wanna have a little fun.”

“Maybe I can suggest a playground nearby."

Interview Questions with Elena Aitken

What will readers like about your book?

My books appeal to the 'every woman' because they address the hard questions that we've all asked ourselves at some point. 'What if things were different?' 'What would happen if I chose differently?' or even, 'Is it too late for a second chance?'

Why did you self publish?

With the publishing industry changing so rapidly and with things in such a state of flux, I felt self publishing was the best route for me to take to get my book in the hands of readers. Ultimately, I don't write my books so they can languish on my hard drive, I want readers to be able to connect and gain something from them. Self publishing seemed like the best choice, and so far it's been very satisfying.

What is your writing process?

I like to write as 'hot' as I can, so I make every effort to get the first draft out as fast as possible. Then there's a few rounds of edits and rewrites, that are all run through my critique group. When I'm ready, I send out my manuscript to a few trusted beta readers, more edits, and then I'm usually ready.

How long does it take you to write your first draft?

It depends on the story. For Nothing Stays In Vegas, it only took about three months to get the first draft finished.

What inspired you to write this particular story?

I love Las Vegas, and on a recent trip I was struck by the common phrase, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." I thought, what if what happened in Vegas, didn't really stay there? So it was a combination of the city itself and the idea that Vegas is for flings and affairs that sparked the thought.

Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories by Lisa Scott

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Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories to squeeze into your busy life. Fun, flirty, sweet and sassy-always with the perfect happy ending.

Each story is 8,000 to 11,000 words in length (approximately 32-44 typical book pages in length. 53,000 words total, or 210 typical book pages.)

The stories include:

"The Hot Girl's Friend"
How can a plain Jane find love when her best friend is a curvy blonde man magnet?

Jane usually busies herself during a night on the town, fending off the men lusting after her gorgeous friend Miranda. When Brady the bartender overhears her inspired, ludicrous excuses, he resolves to hook up Jane with his friends. But Jane would be quite happy with him. Pine along as Jane tries to find her own happily ever after.


"Wrong Place, Right Guy"
She's in the wrong place at the wrong time. Can the guy who saves her be Mr. Right? Or will his past keep them apart?

When Kristen is jumped in a parking lot, Tony jumps in to save the day. While she thinks her hero could also be her heartthrob, Tony's worried his past is reason to stay apart. Will the good guy get the girl in the end?

"Not You"
One night with a stranger...gets even stranger the next day.

Single, lonely Carly thinks the best way to handle her mother's third wedding is by throwing her own bachelorette-party-for-one the night before. What's the harm in her first one-night stand ever? She'll find out the next day.

"Desperately Seeking Cupid"
Does she finally have the key for finding love?

Brianna has tried everything to find love-with no luck. So she's turning to feng shui to bring romance to her world. Too bad the guy she's after thinks its bunk. Will her formula for love work-or blow up in her face?

"Never Been Dumped"
It's a relationship with an expiration date and it's going to go bad.

Rachel hates breaking hearts. She's never been dumped, and she's tired of being the one to walk away. But a handsome stranger in town for the summer promises he'll dump her after their summer fling. Will they be able to say goodbye?

Flirts! Five Romantic Short Stories to make you smile and swoon-buy the collection now for 2.99 or buy single stories for .99 each. Look for Beach Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories due out in late summer 2011.

“The Hot Girl’s Friend” By Lisa Scott

A night out with Miranda always ended in one of two ways: either she found this week’s love of her life right off the bat—and I caught an early cab home for a night of popcorn and bad cable reality shows; or I spent the entire evening fending off the smitten males whose pheromones went on high alert the moment her big toe entered the room.

This night was going in the direction of option number two; I didn’t see any hot prospects at first glance. McGinty’s Bar was the place to be in Springfield, Massachusetts on a steamy Saturday summer night. The place was packed, with the crowd spilling out onto the back patio and the music thumping at a gotta-shout level. All eyes turned to the door when she walked in. A path cleared as six-foot tall Miranda, with her platinum blonde hair hanging past her curvy hips, wiggled her way onto the dance floor.

I followed, because she couldn’t get her groove on without me. I’m a better dancer than her and she stole all her moves from me. It’s true. I’ve got that going for me at least—not that anyone noticed her five-foot-four dark-haired friend with the thick ankles. Her shadow certainly swallowed me whole, but hey, not everyone wants to be in the spotlight. Suited me just fine.

We boogied to the hip song of the moment and soon enough, a few gutsy gals left the security of the tables scattered about and joined us. Then the drunker of the men crowded the floor, probably wondering if they should shoot for the top and approach Miranda or pick one of us “lesser” girls, like they could flatter us into bed by flirting with us first. For the most part, men at bars are idiots. Newsflash, I know.

“You with the hot chick?” a short, curly-haired guy asked, bumping his hip into mine in some pretence of a dance move.

I bumped back hard enough that he had to catch his balance. “If you mean the tall blonde, yes I am.”

Out came another bad dance move, with him jiggling his hands like he was shaking a martini. “She available?”

I shook my head and gave him the bad news. “Not exactly. She starts her prison sentence tomorrow. This is kind of a last hurrah.”

His bushy eyebrows scrunched as he recalculated his plan of attack, not quite ready to give up the chase. Perhaps prison stripes are a turn on for some guys. I shrugged. 

 “I suppose she could use a pen pal. Although her ex might be writing to her, too. He seems to have gotten over the whole stabbing thing. You really only need one testicle, right?” I boogied away from him and started getting my excuses ready for the string of men who would soon be lining up to meet the second most appealing woman in the bar—the hot chick’s best friend. Always a good girl to know when trying to make your move. At least, that’s what the men seemed to think.

About Lisa Scott

Lisa Scott is a former TV news anchor who now enjoys making up stories instead of sticking to the facts. She's worked in Bangor, ME, Rochester, NY and Buffalo, NY. She lives in upstate NY with her husband, two children, dog, cat and koi fish. When not writing, she works as a voice actor narrating everything from children's books to corporate tutorials.

Just as she enjoys reading a wide variety of genres, she writes in different genres as well. Romance and middle grade fiction are favorites. She's an avid gardener and has had essays published in The Ultimate Gardener and The Ultimate Bird Lover books.

Interview with Lisa Scott


N.L. Earnshaw: What will readers like about your book?

Lisa Scott: These are fun, flirty, sweet romances.  Each one is between 9,000 and 12,000 words, so they're great for lunch breaks, kids' sports practices--when ever you've got a little spare time.  Sometimes, I want to do some reading, but don't want to start a whole novel.  Short stories like these fill that need.  They're like yummy little candy bars.  One taste, and you'll probably want another!

N.L. Earnshaw: Why did you self publish?  

Lisa Scott: I like the control, the speed with which you can publish, and the ability to offer titles that traditional publishing might not consider. (Like a collection of romantic short stories.)   Right now I'm working on the next batch:  Beach Flirts!  The collection should be out in August.  Couldn't do that with traditional publishing.  However, I do have a novel under consideration with Harlequin, so I would love to have a foot in both worlds.

N.L. Earnshaw: What is your writing process? 

Lisa Scott: I'm a big fan of "do it when you can!"  But I write really well when I start the day with a walk to clear my mind and get the story flushed out.  Then I get home and write 2,000 words or so.  I need to get the beginning perfect before I can move on.  (Then, in the middle when I'm convinced the story isn't good, I can look back, re-read the beginning, and fall in love with the story again.)

N.L. Earnshaw: How long does it take you to write your first draft? 

Lisa Scott: I hate first drafts.  I love the polishing up stage.  But for a short story, I usually ruminate on it for a few days, spend a week or two writing it, and then polish it up over the next two weeks while working on the first draft of the next story.

N.L. Earnshaw: What inspired you to write this particular story?  

Lisa Scott: I love writing short stories and wanted to put out a collection, rather than just a few at once.  (And it was fun to link the stories together with a loose thread.)  Some of these stories are inspired by people I know, like "Never Been Dumped."  I have a friend who has never dumped a guy, and was hesitant to get in another relationship because she figured it would end ugly again.  "Desperately Seeking Cupid" was inspired by my interest in Feng Shui.  





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Happier Than a Billionaire: Quitting My Job, Moving to Costa Rica, and Living the Zero Hour Work Week by Nadine Hays Pisani

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Authors Website:

www.happierthanabillionaire.com

What happens when you decide to quit your job and move to Costa Rica.

Bio: Nadine was born in New Jersey and went to Rutgers University. After 10 years of working as a chiropractor, she decided to sell everything and move to Costa Rica with her husband, fat cat, and neurotic dog. She wakes up every morning to the sounds of parrots flying over the house. She also wakes up with a few scorpions in her bed.

Excerpt

Have you ever rolled over, hit the snooze button, and wanted to blow off work— forever?

I did just that and quickly found myself fording crocodile infested rivers and bribing border police. It wasn't what I expected but even while jumping out of bed and tossing stinging scorpions into the air,
it was still better than a day at the office.Happier Than a Billionaire: Quitting My Job, Moving to Costa Rica, and Living the Zero Hour Work Week, is a lighthearted narrative for anyone who has ever dreamed of getting out of the office and starting over.

Much like Frances Mayes in Tuscany and Peter Mayle in Provence, I too faced many challenges. Whether dealing with Dolores the Dog Lady, my uninvited neighbor who pees on my lawn to get closer to nature, or Jim the Jehovah witness with fourteen aliases and two passports, Costa Rica introduced me to a medley of characters and situations I could never have prepared for. It turned out becoming a Central American diva was harder than it looked.

Interview with Nadine Hays Pisani

What will readers like about your book? 

It's funny. I get bit by lots of things and my husband pepper sprays himself in the face. It's comedy gold.

Why did you self publish? 

I already had a poplular blog and had an audience reading my material. It just made sense for me to be in
control of the whole project. And since it's been available, I've shot to number 1 in my category on Amazon. (I'm like a cuter David Hasselhoff...I'm a bigshot in Central America.)

What is your writing process? 

Must write in the morning because the urge to Facebook old boyfriends is too overwhelming. It's wonderful to know so many of them are bald.

How long does it take you to write your first draft? 

It took 2 years because it was based on my adventures here in Costa Rica. I wanted each chapter to be great, so I had to make sure there was no filler, just lots of funny.

What inspired you to write this particular story? 

I believe everyone wants to run away from home —quit our jobs and do the things we are most passionate about. I desparately wanted to get out of that office and live my life on my own terms. So I was living through this great adventure and wanted to share it with other people. It's a great story...still can't believe it's my own.

   

The Bridge Club by Patricia Sands

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Chapters/Indigo
Author's websites:
www.patriciasandsauthor.com


THE BRIDGE CLUB ( … it was never just about the cards … )


Eight women. Four decades of friendship. One unimaginable request.


How far would you go to help a good friend? Is there a point where you might draw the line?

Partying together as hip twenty-somethings in the psychedelic 1960’s, eight young women begin a connection that will last longer than any ever imagined.

What starts as a monthly card game, turns into forty years that span a woman’s journey from youthful optimism to the challenges and opportunities presented in life’s later years. The complexities of women’s friendships are played out through a maze of life’s inevitable scenarios. Laughter and tears lead to a crisis that challenges principles and proves the power of friendship.

The Bridge Club is a story for anyone who cares about friendship. Not simply the “Hi, how are you?” type but the kind that weathers all storms, unselfishly celebrates triumphs, and hums along year after year with never an unkind word. It does exist.

If you already share a friendship like this, you will relate to the women of The Bridge Club. If you don’t, perhaps the story will inspire you to find it.

About Patricia Sands

Patricia Sands lives in Toronto, Canada and has degrees from the University of Waterloo and York University. With a happily blended family of seven adult children and, at last count, six grandchildren, life is full and time is short. Beginning with her first Kodak Brownie camera at the age of six, she has told stories all of her life through photography. Much to her surprise a few years ago, she began to write and her debut novel The Bridge Club has been published through iUniverse. Currently at work on her second novel, part of which is set in the south of France, she is gathering material and writing her blog from the Cote D'Azur until the end of September. Particularly drawn to the rewarding friendships women share, her writing frequently focuses on the challenges and opportunities of life's later years.

Excerpt

Prologue

Silent night, holy night.
All is calm, all is bright.
It wasn’t Christmas and it’s not about religion, but whenever I think of that night, those words filter into my head. Kind of bizarre, I know, but that’s how thoughts are sometimes.
The winter storm that consumed the weekend had finally moved on. As often happens, the unpredicted disturbance came at us out of nowhere, much like the shocking news months earlier that bound us together for these two days.
Winds had raged sporadically. Snowfall had fluctuated from light to blinding, including everything in between, but there was never nothing.
Left in the storm’s wake were drift-filled roads, the work of savage gusts whipping the snow across the flat, vacant fields of Simcoe and Grey counties. The white barrage had swirled and funneled as it was sculpted into uneven peaks, trapped between the fencing that bordered the road. Trapped, as between the proverbial rock and a hard place, which was how you might have described this group of friends, but you would have been mistaken. We had chosen to be there.
Dangerous whiteout conditions brought traffic to a halt as roads had been closed around midnight on Friday. Through sheer luck we had left early enough to miss the worst of it. Trust me, you don’t want to be out there when you can’t tell which way is up.
On Sunday evening it was suddenly peaceful. Quiet. Still. A silent calm filled the post-storm air and cast a surreal shroud over the landscape. The pristine snow reflected the moon’s soft glow, making the night appear more like dawn. Had we not been so distracted, we would have appreciated the beauty of it all.
Too numbed by what we had experienced on this weekend to even notice the cold, we stood on the crest of the hill by the farmhouse and watched.
In the distance, a fluorescent blue beam revolved on the cab of a snowplow. Piercing the dark, the probing rays brushed across the mounds being carved along the narrow side road. Blinking red and yellow lights lined the truck warning of its massive size. Following in tandem was a bulky SUV with amber hazard signals flashing. Last, and somewhat diminished by comparison, were the headlights on the unmistakable silhouette of a funeral-home hearse.
The pulsating throb of the combined lights created a slow-motion kaleidoscope silently sliding toward us.
We waited.
That’s how this story ends. Let me tell you how it all began.

Interview with Patricia Sands

What will readers like about your book?

The Bridge Club is based on the forty-plus years of friendship of my real-life bridge club. Although it is fiction, much of what happens in the story did in fact happen in one way or another in real life. Readers often write to me about how they related to one or another of the characters and had similar experiences in their own life. I've heard from women as young as twenty and as old as eighty-three. There's something for everyone!

Why did you self publish?

As a first-time author, I knew it was going to be difficult to attract an agent or publisher. I happened to read an interview with Lisa Genova, the author of the amazing book "Still Alice", and she had self-published through iUniverse. Coincidentally around the same time I read another interview with a very successful Canadian author, Terry Fallis, who also had used iUniverse. That's what pushed me in their direction after I did a pretty thorough investigation into publishing companies. It worked for me.

What is your writing process?

I tend to be a "pantser" rather than an organized planner. I'm working on that! I find that I wake up early with my head full of thoughts and have to go straight to my computer and get them down. Like most writers, once I get into the story it takes over and often leads me places I never imagined in the beginning. It's a great ride!

How long does it take you to write your first draft?

The first draft of The Bridge Club took me a couple of years as I wasn't really serious about it at first. After people began to encourage me to publish, I buckled down. I'm writing my second novel at the moment and it is going far more quickly.

What inspired you to write this particular story?

This story had been in my head for many years and my bridge club had often joked that, since I have always recorded our 'stories' with my camera, I should write a book about "us". When I found myself with time on my hands, I began to write just for the fun of it. There's nothing better than having wonderful friendship in your life and this story became a testament to that. I knew it was something to which many women would relate as there are so many groups of friends just like ours all over the world. Then something happened to another friend of mine that profoundly affected me and I decided that this issue was truly important and would be the crisis that occurs at the end of the story. That really inspired me to get serious and make it happen.


 

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Beatrice Munson by Lorena Bathey

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www.LorenaBBooks.com 
www.facebook.com/lmbathey
www.twitter.com/lmmtoo


In Vista Heights, the women of the neighborhood have started to look like their homes, varying shades of beige.

Lost in this world of suburbia, Marissa Lyons learns her high school nemesis has bought the house right across the street from her. Afraid that her arch enemy, Beatrice Munson, will arrive with Marissa’s high school crush as her husband and cause Marissa to relive the insecurity of high school in her forties she decides to face the music and heads to Beatrice’s house with warm cupcakes. But what Marissa finds is something she never expected.

How will Marissa and the rest of the women of San Martino deal with someone like Beatrice Munson, whose defining moment in her life was to get a boob job or go on a trip to Egypt. This story is about friendship, love, learning to look at things differently, drag queens, Cosmos, and great party planning.

Step into the world of Vista Heights where you might recognize the women, or you just might be one of them.

Quotes:

‘Thanks for making me cry several times on the plane. Seriously, thank you for writing this great piece of art.’ Jody W -

"I rarely cry in movies and here I was crying for the last twenty minutes reading your book. Lorena this is an awesome book so full of underlying messages and lessons. " Erica E -

G'Day L.A. by Tony McFadden

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$2.99
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Author's websites:
Website

Aussie Ellie Bourke came to LA a year ago to advance her acting career. She had no idea she’d have to solve a murder to find that success. When Ellie finds her room mate dead of an apparent suicide she’s ready to pack it in and head back to Australia. Until she hears something that leads her to believe he was killed. Can Ellie convince the police that her best friend’s death wasn’t suicide? Or accidental? Can she stay alive herself, now that the killer knows what Ellie knows? And can she find a career in a city that cares more for what’s on the outside than on the inside?

The Proposal: Book One (The Beautiful People) by Danielle Blanchard Benson

Kindle Price: 

$2.99

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Author's websites: 

Website
Twitter

 

Remember the late 90s and early 00s? Movie stars were larger than life, event films were the norm and it was the last breath of an age of cynicism tinged with innocence.

The Beautiful People series is a unique look at young Hollywood during a particular time in the film industry when movie stars still carried their own particular magical brand of clout and films made money; before the period of celibutantes and reality television.

 From the gritty streets of the San Fernando Valley to the ritziest addresses in Beverly Hills, the Pacific Palisades and Bel Air, The Beautiful People takes you on a ride. The journey to fame and fortune in Hollywood is not for the faint of heart.

A Second Chance by Nicole Ireland

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Authors Websites:
Homepage

What if you discovered you only had months to live? How would you tell your children, your husband, your parents? Would you even tell them at all?

When faced with the devastating news that her cancer treatments failed, Annabelle Dixon does what many terminally ill people do: she prays for a second chance.

A Second Chance is the debut novelette from author Nicole Ireland.