Sean and the newest Backstage Pass book, Striking a Chord, are making an appearance on the True Story Book Blog today! Drop by and say hello!
I'm hanging out with the lovely ladies at Smile Somebody Loves You (SSLY) and talking about rock stars on this Wicked Wild Wednesday! Join me for some hot talk and goodies!
Also be sure to check out the debut post on the Nice Girls Writing Naughty blog! We'll be having loads of fun with events and prizes throughout the year. I'd love to have you join me there!
Dani
It’s a New Year and I wanted to start off in the right way! So I’m visiting Tawny Weber’s blog today for a Quick Six – answers to 6 either/or questions so readers can learn more about me. And I’ve got a special either/or question for you too! Answer to be eligible to win 1 of 2 prizes from me! Answers through Sunday are eligible to win.
In other news, something really exciting happened this week! For those who’d like a quick peek into what Daniel Korvello and Solar Uprising have been up to, you can check out my sister, Ella Sheridan’s new release: Naughty Little Christmas! My characters make a very special appearance in this hot, sexy story. I hope you love it as much as I do!
This weekend I’ll be putting together my inaugural newsletter, with special news about the Backstage Pass series, so be sure to sign up! I hope your New Year is as fun as mine is going to be!
Happy 2014!
Dani
I'm joining the lovely Lee Hyatt of Author Sound Relations on her lovely blog, Tote Bags 'n Blogs! If you've ever wondered how crazy-making it can be to release a book, I've revealed a few secrets in my guest blog today. :) And there's a giveaway! So comment for a chance to win!
It's Release week for my debut Harlequin Desire, His By Design, and to celebrate I'm being interviewed by the fabulous June Love on the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood. Join us as we talk characterization, story ideas, and Vegas, Baby!
Today I'm sharing a bit about my chaotic writing process with readers at The Pink Heart Society blog. You'll see, I write here, there, and everywhere! Join us!
I'm blogging today with Keira Kohl and her readers about the Dominant/Submissive themes in my books. Do you prefer the darkest of D/S in your books or your D/S on the lite side? Join us for the discussion and comment for a chance to win a gift card!
I'm over at Delilah Devlin's High Octane Heroes blog talking about my very own High Octane Hero, Michael Korvello! Check it out and comment for a chance to win a gift card!
It's Field Trip Day! I'm the Friday Quickie on author Sarah Grimm's blog today! :) Drop by and learn a few things you might not have known about me.
Our special guest blogger today is Linda Winstead Jones! As y'all know from her posts, she travels quite a bit, personally and for her writing career. She's sharing her tips for managing food while on the road. Thanks, LJ!
As a writer, I get to live vicariously through my characters. They can have adventure after adventure, and I’m along for the ride. I experience their ups and downs, I feel their pain and their joy. Best of all, all my heroines can have the fabulous metabolism with which I was not blessed.
A shallow thought, I know, but there you go.
Even though I work at home, I end up traveling quite a bit. Conferences, luncheons, the occasional signing, working vacations... It seems there’s always a trip around the corner. Coming up next month, we have the RWA National conference. It’s always so much fun, but dieting on the road is not just a challenge, it’s darn near impossible.
So, what’s a girl who struggles constantly with weight issues to do? How can I enjoy myself without needing to pack pants in two sizes? Here are a few of the travel/diet tips I’ve relied on over the years.
One: Take complete control of one meal a day. For me, it’s breakfast. A protein bar and a couple of cups of black coffee will fill me up, provide some protein to start the day, and comes in at around 200 calories. I might throw in a piece of fruit, depending on the bar and the circumstances. Compare that to a medium latte and a blueberry scone from Starbucks, which will give you around 650 calories and little to no protein. Buying a smoothie? Go in knowing what you’re getting. They can run anywhere from 200 to over 900 calories. Love Cracker Barrel? I do. Their breakfasts come in between 500 and 1200 calories, depending on your choices.
Not only do I save myself calories at the start of the day, getting that good start reminds me all day to be careful about what I choose to eat. And protein bars are easy. Stick a box in your carry-on and you’re set. Have a couple of extras on hand to eat in the airport or on the plane.
Two: Share. When Lori Handeland and I are in NY, we always go to Junior’s. And we always share. We split a meal and a piece of cheesecake. It’s still not what anyone would call a healthy meal, but half an unhealthy meal is better than eating the whole thing. If you don’t have a friend along you can share with, cut the meal in half anyway. I used to feel terrible about “wasting” food, until one day I convinced myself that my stomach is not a garbage can. That’s the alternative, after all. My stomach, or the restaurant garbage can. Cleaning my plate does not affect a single hungry person anywhere in the world in any positive way. If you feel guilty about wasting food, pledge to donate to a local food bank when you get home. It’ll do a lot more good than eating twice as much as you want or need.
Three: Water. I can’t emphasize this one enough. Drink water. Lots of it. Not only will you be well hydrated (a must for flying and staying in a hotel) your body will function better and you won’t mistake thirst for hunger. Going to a party? Alternate cocktails or wine with water. Not only do you save calories, you might save yourself from that embarrassing “I don’t remember dancing on the table” Facebook photo. :-)
Four: Remember the three bite rule. Recently I’ve read that after three bites we’re no longer tasting the food, we’re eating out of habit. A rich dessert? A fabulous appetizer? Take three small bites. Eat slowly. Savor. Enjoy. Then stop.
Five: Ask. While I would never go into a restaurant and make an outrageous special request, asking for salad dressing on the side or steamed vegetables instead of fries is not demanding, and you could easily save yourself hundreds of calories.
It all comes down to taking control. Plan ahead, be prepared, and have a good time.
Share with us some of your favorite tips for eating on the go, and your progress for this week!
Linda's first historical romance was released in 1994, and in the years since she's written in several romance sub-genres under several names. In order of appearance, Linda Winstead; Linda Jones; Linda Winstead Jones; Linda Devlin; and Linda Fallon. She's a six time finalist for the RITA Award and a winner (for Shades of Midnight) in the paranormal category. Most recently she's been writing as Linda Jones in joint projects with Linda Howard, and rereleasing her backlist in ebook format. She can be found at any one of a variety of Facebook pages (search for Linda Winstead Jones and Linda Howard/Linda Jones) and at www.lindawinsteadjones.com .