Kindness is an inside job

I am posting on The Kindness Project today. Here is a taster of my post, but to read the rest please visit TKP blog:

I think pondering what to write about for this post and got to thinking about my Mum back in England. She is always helping and looking after other people and putting herself last. She recently had a prolapsed disc in her neck which was incredibly painful. Luckily it was diagnosed reasonably quickly but she was told in no uncertain terms to REST. Not one of her strong points as she hates sitting down and doing nothing, but she was so worried about getting the pain back that she has taken the stern warning seriously for once. She decided to write a list of all the things she was NOT to do and at the very top of her list was: "I must not get irritable with my husband!" Thankfully, he is responding well and bringing her breakfast in bed, cooking dinner and generally looking after her, even though he has limited cooking skills. Her day-to-day kindness and caring of others was also rewarded when a recently widowed neighbour, who Mum had been checking on regularly, rang and offered to cook lunch without knowing Mum was incapacitated and desperate, as there is only so much fried eggs and yorkshire pudding anyone can stomach!

Ok - that's all you're getting here. You'll have to visit TKP blog to see what else I have to say. I would love comments in either place if you have time. Thanks.

Guest post: Cover reveal - Deadly Kisses by Kerri Cuevas

I am delighted to be interviewing my friend, Kerri Cuevas, today about her upcoming new book, Deadly Kisses. It launches on 5th March but the Cover is being revealed now so ... *drumroll* ... ta dah ... here it is:
 

 

1. How exciting Kerri. The cover is amazing - who designed it?

Covers are so much fun. WiDo Publishing asked me to send them samples of covers I liked from other published authors, as an example that I would like to see for my book. I told them Defiance by C.J. Redwine—cover love! WiDo sent Steven Novak my info, and the cover for Deadly Kisses was born. I have to tell you the cover process scared me more than editing. It’s such a huge deal for a book, but WiDo delivered.

2. Can you briefly summarize the story and the main plot points for us?

Aiden Grant is seventeen, has a killer kiss, and a boss who used to be President, back in the old days. You see, Aiden is a grim reaper and his kiss welcomes the newly dead. But Aiden’s simple grim reaper lifestyle is at a standstill. And it’s not because Honest Abe keeps throwing out history lessons with reaping assignments, just to confuse him. It’s because Aiden’s next assignment is to reap the soul of Bee, the only girl he has ever loved.

When Aiden’s kiss of death fails, intertwining their souls, Bee is still very much alive and they are both in trouble. The ancients want Bee, who has special powers of her own, and they’ll do anything to get her.

Some rules are meant to be broken—even if that means Aiden must bargain with his own soul to save Bee. Who knew the afterlife could get so complicated?

3. It's rather gruesome, this Grim Reaper stuff, where did the idea come from?

The idea came from Halloween—best holiday ever! I decided I would write about Grim Reapers and when I took my kids trick-or-treating, I saw kids with Grim Reaper costumes everywhere. The gears in my brain turned more, and I began building their world. You never know where inspiration comes from.

4. How long did it take you to write Deadly Kisses?

I wrote, Deadly Kisses, in one month as my NaNoWriMo project. It has gone through many drafts, and has changed a lot from the original version.

5. Do you have an agent or are you working directly with the publishers?

I’m working with WiDo Publishing, and I can’t say enough great things about them. They have been fabulous!

6. How did you get together with WiDo Publishing?

Claire, I have to tell you that it was pure luck. I was going down my blog list and saw a submission contest, so I read the blog post. It said at least one person would get a contract, and you would at least get editorial advice. It was the last day of their contest, and I entered on a whim. That whim landed me in the top three. Although, I didn’t get a contract, I did get editorial advice with an invitation to resubmit. With that second resubmission came an offer of a contract with WiDo Publishing, and that’s how I got my publisher.

7. Wow, that's great. Very inspiring. I'll have to enter more contests in future. Is Kiss from the Grave the sequel to Deadly Kisses?

Yes it is! Deadly Kisses will be a trilogy. I just can’t say goodbye to my characters and their world.

8. What is your favorite bit in Deadly Kisses?
I have two favorite scenes in the book, and I had so much fun writing them. One was near the beginning when the main Character, Aiden, tries taking Bee’s soul. I think the reader will get some chuckles during that part. The other part is near the end. Aiden is showing Bee how to steer his gondola, and it’s rather romantic and sweet.

9. Do you write full-time or do you have another job as well?

I’m a Mom of three girls first, and then an author. On the weekends it’s shopping, boyfriends, sports, and homework, and when they’re in school, I write. I also volunteer at my local animal shelter. 
 
10. Where is your favorite spot to write?

The dining room has become my office. I open the blinds and see a beautiful green forest (right now it’s white with snow). My laptop is usually surrounded by three cats, and my daughter’s bunnies entertain me while I’m writing. It sounds more like a zoo than a dining room/office, eh?


Thanks so much for having me on your blog today, Claire!

There is a pre-order special going on right now for anyone interested in reading, Deadly Kisses.  http://widopublishing.com/deadly-kisses-by-kerri-cuevas/

Thank you, Kerri, and best of luck with the launch in March. Please visit Kerri's website for more information about Kerri and Deadly Kisses.