Happy 2013 Everyone!

As I reflect back on 2012, I remember all the things that have happened. The good, the bad and the ugly. This year was by far better than 2011 and for that I am very thankful.

I spent this year with my nose in books and my fingers clicking away on a keyboard typing a book. I have spent this year growing as a person and even turned 30 in there somewhere. If you would have asked me a year ago where I saw myself on New Year's Eve 2012-2013 I would have said sitting around watching T.V. or playing World of Warcraft, which by all accounts is VERY UNEXCITING!

In May I embarked on a book that would lead me to be introduced to the wonderful world of the Indie and Self-Published Authors and their wonderful stories. If you have paid any attention to my blog, you know that I have made a habit out of reading and sharing my favorites with you all. Lately the list has grown stale as I embark on my own writing adventure.

Tonight I will keep my New Year's Wishes short as I am on a self-imposed deadline to have draft two off to my fabulous editor Sione Aeschliman. (On a side note, as a new author, who is unrepresented, I have found great comfort in having Sione at my side. She is there to read my emails when I am babbling like an idiot, or stuck on an idea or even to provide unbiased feedback on my MS. Without her, I probably would have given up on the whole institution of writing.) If you are an Author, just getting started on your own dream of writing, then I recommend seeking out an editor. I personally recommend Sione because her and I work very well together but editors are there to support you and to help guide you, not redirect your entire dream, so if you are seeking an editor, shop around and take advantage of their free services, such as a sample edit. Getting that Sample Edit means you can see what this person is thinking and or feels and see if your two visions come together. If they do and you feel comfortable with that person, discuss what options you may have available because you never know, it could make that project that much better.

Okay, so with that being said, I am off to Write and to Edit.

I hope 2013 brings you all your dreams, fantasies and even realities that you are seeking and that you have a Wonderful and Safe New Year!

Many Hugs, Kisses, and Wishes.

*Zoey*

Want a New Year's Eve Treat? A sexy excerpt perhaps?

*Please note, this excerpt is subject to change and contains language and sexual content not suitable for anyone under the age of 18*

Her breathing spiked. I could feel her heart pounding waiting against my hands, wanting me to continue. I continued the path my hands were making. Slowly I made my way up to her shoulders, her neck, her cheeks. Cupping her face. I bent down and brought my lips to hers. Pulling her against me. I wanted her close to my body, as close as was humanly possible. She kissed me back, urgent and excited. I could hardly breathe. She was literally taking my breath away. Just then, I felt her hands on my hips. Searching for,.. ah she found it, the hem of my shirt. She started to lift it up as I continued kissing her, but stepped back. I was nearly a full foot taller than she was, so I was trying to help her remove my shirt. She continued to pull upward until she met the resistance of my arms. I smiled against her lips. “Did you want to take off my shirt?” 

She giggled, but her giggle was hot and heavy, panting. “Yes” she breathed. I pulled back, raised up my arms and off went my shirt. She immediately dropped it to the floor and took a half step back to take in the full view of the dragon on my chest. Then she realized that my nipples were actually pierced with studs that were hard to see last night. Her hands met my shoulders, bringing them down my pecks, she found my nipples with her thumbs and rubbed lightly. Ah, my God, that...Jesus. “Ah!” I grabbed at her hips. Pulled her close. Her nipples pressed against my stomach, hard as a diamonds. My cock twitched, involuntary. God I want her. I want her so bad. But I need to stop this. I can’t....

Reading in 2013!

Ah! The time has come to have a little fun.. How about $100.00 worth of fun?

That's right, It is contest time again. Are you excited? I am.

As we approach 2013 I have decided that it is time to get some more readers going out there and to do that I've decided to give away some books, or a kindle, or a nook, or whatever you see fit to purchase from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Winners will be chosen via Random.org on or around January 5th, 2013 and announced via this blog.

How to Enter? Well see below, it only involved Blogger, Facebook and Twitter.

Following this blog will earn you 10 points. (that's 10 entries)

Following me on Twitter will earn you 10 points.

Following me on Facebook will earn you 10 points.

Tweeting about this giveaway will earn you 5 points. (Can be done daily.)

Creating a Facebook status, or sharing my status updates will earn you 5 points. (Can be done daily)

*In order to earn points, you must stop by the blog daily and enter your Tweets and Facebook status in order to earn that days points.*

I think that about covers it... Right? Okay, Lets ROLL!!!

*HugS*

Zoey a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Next Big Thing...

The lovely ladies over at Deadly Ever After (www.deadlyeverafter.com) invited me to join The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, so here I am. Make sure you stop by their blog and check out their next big thing and their fabulous Holiday Horror Days, going on now.

Are you ready? Yes? No? Well tough cause here we go. 

What is the working title of your book? Well right now it stands at Love Burning, or maybe even Love is Burning, or who knows, by the time its published it could be something completely different. 

On a side note, I am working on a little short story that started with my girls over on Deadly Ever After, maybe you can find it? But I am not talking about that today. 

Where did the idea come from for the book? Love Burning is one of those stories that has been rattling my brain for years. I finally decided, after discovering the world of self-published books, that it was time to finally get the story out of my brain and on to paper, or text, or word. Well you get the idea. 

What genre does your book fall under? My book most definitely falls into the Romance Category.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? This is something that is a little harder for me to chose, although one of the mental pictures I have for Tristan (my hero) is Christian Bale. Just younger than he is today. Cami on the other hand is a bit harder. Her image is a bit 1920's to 1030's pin-up girl. Pale skinned, and pulls off dark red lipstick like no other. She is harder to cast because my mental image of her is hard to see in many actresses. 

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? What happens when a woman with a past of neglect finds love for the first time?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-published, in e-book format.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? About 4 months. I spent a lot of sleepless nights, believe me, it was well worth it. 

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Well, I hope that my story stands out as unique among all the wonderful books out there. Most of the books I know I read consist of the Billionaire Boyfriend...what happens when you have a Billionaire Girlfriend? O/o

Who or What inspired you to write this book? This is the hardest, yet easiest question to answer. I was inspired by E.L. James and self-publishing a story that has rocked the world. I was inspired by Jamie McGuire as I watched Beautiful Disaster go from a lowly self-published novel to being signed with Atria. Reading stories of struggles to write, struggles to publish, and all that inspires. Most of all the ones that kept me writing. Shoshanna Evers and Jennifer Probst are two beautiful ladies that kept me writing day in and day out. Just ask Shoshanna about writing dust or ask Jennifer about her wanting a copy of my MS when it is done. Believe me, nothing is more exciting and terrifying than that. :-)! 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? It's Hot, It's Steamy, and it becomes something more than you expect. At least that is my goal. :-)! 

I posted today, so that means that on December 26th you should see blog posts from the following Authors. The Next Big Thing Blog Hop has grown by leaps and bounds and believe me, I had a hard time finding these lovelies. So make sure to stop by their pages, check out their blogs, and most of all, check back next week for some insider scoops on some upcoming work. 

I am nominating the following Authors...

Marata Eros

Ashlee Alexander

Mari Wells  ** Mari also nominated me, so make sure you check her out!

Sione Aeschliman

Jeanie Grey 

I hope you all enjoyed my little interview and don't forget to stop by and visit these other blogs, who knows, you might find the Next Big Thing, or just a new book to read! 

*HugS*

Zoey

Where Have You Been?

Better yet, where have I been? 
Well, let me tell you....
I recently got in touch with the wonderful Sione Aeschliman for some much needed feedback on the Big Bad Manuscript I have been writing. Through her wonderful sample edit, I quickly realized that her and I were on the same page when it come to my story. Not to mention the fact that she challenged me to answer questions that I did not realize I needed to answer out loud when it came to my story. 
After spending an hour on Skype with her, I hired her assistance for some developmental editing of my Work In Progress. 
In speaking with her, I realized that while I absolutely adore my two beta readers/best friends and their opinions on what I have written, I needed to know what you, my audience, were going to feel reading my story without a bias opinion. Sione has been heaven sent and has really helped me to be increasingly more motivated to finish my story. So I have been lost in the world of editing a 400+ page manuscript. 

Because I know you are curious, here is a snippet of one of Sione's favorite lines from my story...

The following comes from a portion of the book where Cami (heroine) is coming to understand a bit of her lustful attraction to Tristan (hero). There is no conversation here, just simply Cami's brain at work. 

Yes ok I have been starring at his face and his eyes for years, feeling a connection with him that I cannot even begin to describe. A connection through pictures. Yup...its official, I have lost my marbles. All of them, there is not even a hint of a rattle in my brain right now.

When I wrote my MS I was concerned that the attraction that Cami felt for Tristan would be lost on people, so when Sione favorited this line I was jumping up and down for joy. 

So there you have it guys, a small little piece of what I have in the works at the moment. 

**************************************

Now, this is not the only thing I have been busy with. 

The Fabulous Undead Duo over at www.deadlyeverafter.com asked me a few weeks ago to submit a short story for their Holiday Horrordays Blog event. 

When I was asked to submit a story I was extremely hesitant because they were asking me for something that I have never written, or never envisioned myself writing. Horror, or as my end result so happened to be, Paranormal. 

If you have not been over to their site to check out my story, please do so and don't hesitate to leave a comment for me, or you can leave one here as well. 

On the note of Devilish Desire (click to read)... The beautiful Shoshanna Evers (@shoshannaevers) posted up a request for someone to do a writing sprint with her and I stepped up to the challenge (and yes she beat me, but no worries, I am far from a sore loser). I stepped up, wanting to write but unsure of what to write, so I opened up Devilish Desire and I started pounding away on the keys and low and behold Devilish Desire has stretched into about 3k words and I do believe it intends to grow bigger. 

I have shared the story with the Undead Duo and they are both very excited at what as been added and I broached the subject of featuring the story via their blog. Will keep you all posted as to what happens with that little project. If nothing else it is helping me break up my editing a bit. 

*****************************

Stay Tuned on Wednesday December 19th, 2012 as I will be posting my portion of "The Next Big Thing" Blog Event. I hope to see you all here on Wednesday. 

You might just get another excerpt from "Love Burning".

As always, I hope this post finds you all well, 

*HugS*

Zoey

As the Holidays....

Approach, I am growing increasingly busy for a multitude of reasons.. First of all being that, well it is the holidays, parties, gatherings, shopping and get togethers. In the midst of all the holiday related stuff, I wrote a short story that was featured today on www.deadlyeverafter.com.
Stop by and read it for yourself, I think it turned out pretty good and I am very excited to have shared my first piece of writing with the world. Thank you Julie and Kristen for pushing my boundaries and asking me to write for your blog. It was so much fun and I am looking into seeing about continuing that story or maybe even finding out if I can write a paranormal romance novel. Next project?

I just wanted to stop in and say Hi to everyone, it's been a few days.
I hope this post finds you well and that you enjoy the blog makeover.

*HugS*
Zoey

Holiday Giveaway Winners

I want to personally thank you all for entering into my Holiday Giveaway! You guys are awesome and I hope that you continue to stick around my Twitter and Facebook Pages because there will soon be more contests coming your way. 

Now for our winners... yes I said Winners! 

*insert a drumroll here please*

*Drumroll*

*Drumroll keeps going*

Okay fine, the lucky winners are.....

Patti P and Crystal R! 

Thank you so much for entering and please email me directly at zoeyderrick (at) gmail (dot) com with your Email Address or your physical address if you would prefer an actual gift card and let me know which you would prefer Amazon or Barnes & Noble and I will get those off to you as quickly as possible.

Congratulations again to the winners and thank you again to all that entered! 

(Winners were picked via Rafflecopter and Random.org)

*HugS* 

Until we meet again, 

Zoey

<3

Thanksgiving Thanks!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Today is a chance to reflect on all that has happened in the last year, and to remember all the things that we are thankful for.

This year I am thankful for so many things that I am not even sure where to start, but I think I have an idea.

Two weeks ago today I lost my Dad after a battle with lung cancer. I am thankful for all of the time that I was able to have with him. Though he was gone far to soon in his life and mine, I cannot be more grateful for all the things he taught me. For all the things he helped me see were important, and to move past the little things that are unimportant. Through his 30 years of military service, he taught me to fight for what you believe in. This Thanksgiving instead of being sad that you are no longer with me, I am thankful that you are happier and healthier where you are right now. Love you Dad!

Now, onto more happy things.

Earlier this year, after a conversation with my hair stylist I purchased Fifty Shades of Grey and I fell so head over heals in love with those books that I never thought I would branch out and try anything else. Then I discovered books like Bared to You, Gabriel's Inferno, Beautiful Disaster, Love Unscripted, and The Marriage Bargain and I fell in Love with each of them. From there I discovered more books than I could shake a stick at and read each one of them with an appraising eye.
It was around the beginning of August that I decided that I was going to pen my first manuscript and without hesitation, I continued until I had a full sized book in my hands. So in the long run, I am most thankful for Jennifer Probst and all the authors of the beautiful books listed above for inspiring me to write.

Without writing, I would have never met the wonderful people that have kept me going, kept me motivated, and most of all kept me focused on following my dream. If you would have told me a year ago that I would have a Twitter account with over 250 followers, a blog, a Facebook Page and wonderful people keeping me excited about what I am doing, I have no doubt I would have given up long ago. So Thank You!! Your generosity and inspiration knows no bounds and I am excited to share with all of you what I have been working on so hard.

As a thank you to you for all your love, support and inspiration, I present to you the first ever Teaser of my upcoming novel...still yet to be named. 

Please note, this teaser is subject to change as it is still subject to editing and maybe even the chopping block. :-) I hope you enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving from my family and I to you and yours!

*HugS*
Zoey

I hope you enjoy this sneak peek into my mind and into my story! 

        “I do, but I figured in the economy the way that it has been the last six years that I would have actually lost money.” I was smiling. 

“Losing money is not in my vocabulary Cami. You should know this by now.” He was laughing again. “What pray tell should I do with this lot Cami Dear?”

I was laughing harder now. I loved it when he made fun of my accent. Granted I am not British by any stretch of the imagination, but growing up in England gave me no choice but to adopt the accent. “You know better than to ask me that question. Why don’t you just re-invest it? Heaven knows I don’t need it at the moment. Why don’t you just figure it out and email me the details. I am in need of a shopping spree.” I laughed again. “Maybe a new Tattoo?”

“Have at it darling, it is all yours to play with. I think though you could use a new car. You’re still driving that damn 2005, upgrade already would you?”

“Will you have a heart attack if I go for the R8 or the Lamborghini?”

“No” he stated simply.

“You are such a God awful liar Mick.” I laughed and he joined in.

Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia

First off I have to say that I have read Poughkeepsie twice, and both times I could not put the story down.

Poughkeepsie is the story of Livia and Blake, plus Cole and Kyle, Eve and Beckett. The primary characters in this story are Livia and Blake and through their meeting and growing relationship we meet Beckett and Cole and they in turn meet those that will help further develop the overall story.

Blake is homeless and spends his days at the Poughkeepsie Train platform waiting to see Livia. Blake is plagued with his own fears that Livia helps him to deal with. She shows Blake that he is worth more than his homeless status. Livia is a college student studying psychology and takes the train everyday to go to school.

Livia and Kyle are sisters and due to their being sisters Kyle meets Cole, who is Blake's Foster Brother, and their connection is immediate, however, Kyle's own personal demons make it hard for Kyle to truly see and be able to accept her feelings for Cole.

Beckett is the oldest of the Three Foster Brothers; Cole and Blake. Beckett has established a ring of drugs and prostitution due to the fact that he wanted to be able to provide for Cole and Blake when they age out of the foster program. Beckett meets Eve and that is a meeting that requires some reading in order to truly see and appreciate their relationship.

**********

Why do I love Poughkeepsie?

There is a long list of why I truly enjoyed this book, but one of the biggest reasons is because this book proves, time and time again that you can never judge a book or person by their cover.
Blake is homeless, Cole wants to be a minister, and Beckett is the local drug lord and every single one of these characters will surprise you at every turn.

This book shows that a Smile goes a LONG way. There is an underlying message (at least that I see) that shows that the littlest things that you can do can go a long way. Like smiling at the people that you see everyday.

Why do I recommend this book?

Debra Anastasia has a wonderful sense of humor. One minute I was emotionally upset because something happened that I didn't agree with, or there was something that was potentially going to turn the story 180 degrees and I wasn't to sure about it. To laughing out loud, even angry at a couple of parts.

Being that I follow Debra on Twitter, I see a lot of her sense of humor used in her books in the person that she presents to the twitter world and most of all I have no doubt that it is really her. There are more than a few one liners that had me laughing into my pillow in the middle of the night.


If you are looking for a beautiful story that will keep you guessing and keep you wanting to know what will happen next, then pick up Poughkeepsie today.

You can find Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

You can also find Debra on Twitter, Facebook and GoodReads

Thanks guys for reading my review, and let me know if my review helped you in wanting to read Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia.
I have given Poughkeepsie 5 of 5 stars on Amazon and GoodReads.

Until we meet again,

*HugS*
Zoey

Happy Holiday Giveaway!!

Hey Guys!
As a thank you to all of my wonderful followers I am giving away a $50.00 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to one lucky winner.

The contest starts today and Ends on 11/24/2012 Just in time to work on that holiday shopping or to treat yourself to some wonderful new books.

The gift card will either be sent electronically or if you would prefer a physical card, the winner will have to let me know.

I will announce the winner via my blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday November 24th, 2012.

Thank you all in advance for your participation and share share and share alike!

Happy Holidays!
*HugS*

Zoey Derrick

P.S. You can Tweet about the Giveaway daily for more entries!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fade Series by Kate Dawes

15 of 15 Stars to Kate Dawes and her Fade Series....

Here is a copy of my Goodreads review.

I am going to try really hard to not spoil all three books, however, both of the times I have read the Fade Series I have plowed through all 3 books in one night. Why? Well, because I cannot put them down.


I was very quick to fall in love with Olivia and even faster to fall in love with Max. But then again, I am sucker for the hot rich and sexy man that everyone wants. One of the reasons that drew me into these books was not just the exciting sex scenes, but the banter between Max and Olivia. There is something special about a relationship that can pick and play with each other in the ways that Max and Olivia did throughout all three books. A relationship like this shows comfort and a growing relationship.

So many of these book with heroines with self esteem issues get old after a while. Olivia was no different, only that she was concerned with a broken heart than with whether or not she deserved to be with Max. She never really questioned his motivations and whether or not she deserved him. She just accepted what he had to offer her. That to me made these books special and realistic. The story between Max and Olivia is real, its something that happens everyday. Something that gives us hopeless romantics something to strive for and hope that true love is real and obtainable.

Because I am a hopeless romantic I couldn't put down the books and was turned on by hot and steamy sex scenes, I give Fade Into You, Fade Into Me, and Fade Into Always Five (5) Fabulous stars!

"Impossible" By Komal Lewis

I want to review this book on my blog because Komal and I have a lot in common. She is writing and releasing her first book and I was fortunate enough to be able to read an advanced copy.
I say fortunate because I believe that we can see some good things from Komal in the future and this book is a good start to a self published debut.

"Impossible" is about a high school girl named Ashton (and it did take me a little while to get use to the names that Komal used, however, they were very unique and I enjoyed this very much). Ashton is your typical high school girl, trying to fit in. She is the captain of the cheerleading squad and quickly learns that some people are not always who they seem.

Discovering that people, especially high school kids, tend to be about them selves and about their own popularity, they are quick to turn their backs on you. Ashton faces some pretty serious heartbreak and I will be the first to admit that it made me cry, and it also frustrated me because of her overall attitude.

Luca is the typical "bad boy" that kids in the school are quick to label as "a freak" or an outcast. This is part of what brings Ashton and Luca together.

I will not spoil any more of this story because I feel that to truly understand, you will need to read the book yourself.

I have written a review for both Goodreads and Amazon that will be shared below.
I do look forward to seeing what more Komal has to share with the story of Aston and Luca. It is not a book that I am totally hanging and need a sequel now, however it is one of those books that I would like to see Ashton and Luca grow up and I hope that Komal intends to continue the story.

Stop by Amazon and pick up your copy today.

Until we meet again,
Zoey D.
<3

Here is the review that I placed both on Goodreads and Amazon after purchasing a copy for my Kindle.

I have said it on Twitter, and I will say it again on Goodreads as well as Amazon. 

This book is a great Debut novel for Komal Lewis. I see many great things coming from her and I do look forward to reading more of her work. 

I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of this story from Komal herself and I am sorry that I was unable to finish it in time to give real feedback to her before its release. 

The main character Ashton is a little hard to like, I am not going to lie about that. She starts off as a bit stuck up and I personally have little tolerance for characters and people like that in real life. However, I quickly realized that Ashton is your typical high school girl and most importantly, I saw quickly that things were going to work out. Eventually I felt sorry for her and it brought tears to my eyes. Other times I wanted to reach in and smack her stupid.

Luca is your typical bad boy that is easy to fall for. He is easy to like and in some cases easy to hate. 

One of the many things that I enjoyed about "Impossible" is that you are able to follow along with the story from both sides and written in first person vs both sides written in 3rd person. 

I give 4 stars because of the difficulty in truly being able to enjoy the character of Ashton. She frustrated me and made me want to hate her. In the end I did really enjoy her as a whole. 

I do not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 17 because of the language and adult content of the story. I do however recommend this book to anyone wanting to try a new read and what I hope becomes a series. 

In Loving Memory

With a very heavy heart I write this blog.

This morning around 1 a.m. my Dad passed away at the age of 56, after a ten week long fight against lung cancer. He was surrounded by his family.

Born February 18th, 1956 in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Army National Guard where he would spend the next 30 years as a member of the Reserves.

In 1997, through a radio station in Minnesota he met my Mom and they knew immediately that they were meant for each other. In May of 1999 they were married near Fort Snelling in Bloomington, Minnesota.

In 2004 he completed a 6 month Tour of Duty in Kosovo. During this time he was able to help keep the peace and even had a chance to visit Germany and some of the surrounding countries. He felt fortunate enough to finally have a chance to do something for the Country and the Army that he loved.

In 2008 he moved, with my mom, to Arizona and began a two year long adventure as an over the road truck driver. He loved to be on the road, traveling from town to town and state to state. He never got to see much, but that didn't bother him, he was just happy to be doing something that he had always wanted to do.

He was diagnosed with Stage 3, small cell lung cancer on August 30, 2012.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother.

He is survived by his Wife, his daughter, his two sons, and two wonderful grandchildren.

Rest in Peace Dad, you are loved, will forever be loved and missed.

R.G.T.
Feb. 18, 1956 to Nov. 8, 2012

With all my love!!!

"When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars and he will make the face of Heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night.." ~ William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet

Zoey's Playlist

Alright Ladies and Gents,

Here is a list of the music that has inspired me to write, while writing and well in everyday life. Many of these songs have played throughout the writing process of my first book and some of them make an appearance somewhere in the book, so here goes.. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 

But be forewarned, it is far from your typical playlist. I am sure some music buffs out there will wonder..What in the hell is she thinking putting that song with those songs. Its all good, my taste is eclectic. 

"Come Over" by Kenny Chesney

"Porn Star Dancing" By My Darkest Days

"Amazing Grace" as sung by Aaron Neville

Snow Patrol - the Entire 100 Million Suns album. 

     Especially "Disaster Button"

"Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones

"Fireflies" by Owl City

"Run" by Matt Nathanson ft. Sugarland

"Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line

"Hard to Love" by Lee Brice

"Somebody's Heartbreak" and "Wanted" by Hunter Hayes

"Heaven Knows" by Taylor Hicks

"So What", "Sober", "Bad Influence", and "Glitter in the Air" by Pink

"Lying in the Hands of God" by Dave Matthews Band

Adele - the Entire "21" album + "To Make You Feel My Love" from "19"
"Angel Eyes" by Love and Theft
"Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon

There is so much more to this playlist so stay tuned for more great music that I love. 

(Watch out cause there is some serious old school coming up in the next installment.)

Warmest Regards until we meet again, 

*HugS*

Zoey

But First...

     I cannot make my announcement without first thanking some wonderful people that have given me some very heart warming and humbling support.

     First of all, though he is way to young to read this, to my Pint Sized Peanut. Without your encouragement and million "Mom, what are you doing?" Questions turning to "Mommy are you writing again?" I would not be able to be making this announcement.

The big announcement: As of today, the final unedited word of my first draft has been typed and the road to editing begins tomorrow. But tonight I celebrate with some much needed Thank You's to be said. 

     I need to send shout out style thanks to some wonderful people who have continuously given me encouragement without fail these last couple of months.

    First off is the wonderfully talented Shoshanna Evers. Her *writing dust* and witch style Muse hunts have kept me writing far longer than I ever thought I was capable of.

    To Jennifer Probst, girl without all our conversations and your words of encouragement to follow my dreams and my heart this would not becoming to fruition so quickly. So thank you!!

    I also have to, without a doubt, thank Barb and Jolene, two beautiful lovely ladies that through their enjoyment of what they have read so far and their tireless butt kickings to keep me on track, my story would be incomplete without their fictional alter egos and I would probably still be laboring over the first sentence. I hope that your characters do you guys great justice.

     There are many more that need thanking and even more than that have had an indirect impact on my book and those indirectly influencing my desire to write are all the wonderful authors that I have had the pleasure of reading over the last several months.

Some of the following have more than just a readers influence on my writing. 

Including but not limited to: Sylvain Reynard, Jamie McGuire, Tina Reber, Marata Eros, Delilah Fawkes, Cherrie Lynn, Sydney Landon, Sara Fawkes, J. R. Ward, Sylvia Day, and last but not least E. L. James*

     Now, for my wonderful Twitter people who have shown me even more encouragement by your support and expressed desire to read what I have written, Thank you for your continued patience while I labor through my heart and soul for you to read.

Be sure to follow my blog for all the latest and greatest in Zoey's editing world.

All my heart to you,
Zoey


"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." Harriet Tubman 


 *Despite our recent indifference, I cannot help but thank E. L. James for creating Fifty Shades of Grey, because without those three books, I would have never found all the beautiful authors listed above.*

Fifty Shades of Steele?

Edited Oct. 8, 2012 with a very heavy heart. 

I wrote this blog post to kick start some conversation as to why I think E.L. James should continue the Fifty Shades Trilogy with Christian's point of view, and also the flip side to what writing from his perspective would mean to me. Once the blog was posted and I went to share it with my faithful Twitter followers and tag Ms. James so she could see a diehard fans perspective I discovered that I was no longer following Ms. James and when I went to re-follow her I was informed that I was blocked by the user from re-following her. 
I am a sensible girl and would like to think that Ms. James blocked me in error, however, this was the second time I needed to click follow in order to follow her and now I am unable to at all. 
This breaks my heart because I am a HUGE lover of the Fifty Shades Trilogy and what Ms. James has accomplished with this wonderful story. So much so that I personally own the eBook edition, 2 paperback copies of all three books, the audible versions and have purchased and gifted more than 7 copies of the series to my friends in Paperback and have gifted more than 10 copies of Fifty Shades of Grey in eBook format. 
Beyond that, I own the entire playlist listed on her website and the classical music inspired by Fifty Shades. 
Beyond this, I do what I can, where I can to support all of my favorite self published Authors via my blog as well as Twitter and my Facebook page. 
Not to mention that what she has done with Fifty and where this story originated is what has inspired me to follow my dream and complete my own book. 
So please forgive me if my being upset is unnecessary, but nothing like being shunned by what you have fought to support. 

What saddens me the most is that I have a wonderful Kindlegraph from Ms. James that says...
"Hi Zoey, Thank you for your lovely note. I am delighted you enjoyed Fifty and Ana's escapades, and that you have found them so inspiring. Laters baby. E L James

****** WARNING: This Blog post contains spoilers of E. L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. Consider yourself warned and if you have not read the books and want to, do not continue reading this post, plus having not read the books, this post might not make sense ******

     I have had Christian Grey on my mind for days. Okay I won't lie, months would be more accurate, but this morning I started to think about a reverse point of view and reading all Three Fifty books from Christian's head and I have decided that I have mixed feelings about it for a variety of reasons. 

     Now, you can chose to agree or disagree with me, either way, this is my opinion. :-)!

Why do I want to read Christian's POV?

#1. A lot of the unknown. There are specific parts that I want to read to really know what is going through his head.
#2. What causes his possessiveness. Why does he feel the overwhelming need to protect Ana even after she has proven her ability to handle herself?
#3. I personal am curious about the business side of Christian. 
#4. I am truly a sucker for a broken man.

Here are the parts I want to see from Christian Grey's point of view:

****** Fifty Shades of Grey ******

     A. All of Chapters 7, 8, & 9. Including Ana's viewing of the "Red Room of Pain", when Christian discovers her virginity and his verson of taking her virginity.
     B. The Contract Dinner, Graduation and The first night he stays with Ana in her apartment.
     C. Dinner with Mrs. R and his decision to go to Georgia, then seeing Ana and her Mom in the bar.
     D. Thomas Tallis (Don't think I need to explain why, do I?)
     E. The Belt and it's aftermath.

****** Fifty Shades Darker ******

Given that Fifty Shades Darker is by far my favorite book of the three, it's a pretty safe bet that this entire book would be amazing from Christian's POV. However, there are a few parts that would satisfy my cravings for Christian's POV more than others.
     A. The "Break Up" period. How much agony was he really in?
     B. The conversation with Mrs. R in the salon.
     C. The Charity Dinner, especially Ana's bid and the first dance auction.
     D. Tuesday night and Layla in Ana's apartment.
     E. Christian's submission to Ana after Layla is taken care of.
     F. The Elevator. Do I need to explain why?
     G. Charlie Tango and every page to the end of Fifty Shades Darker.

****** Fifty Shades Freed ******

     Freed is not one of my favorites for roughly the first half. Yes, I LoVe that they got married and are on their Honeymoon. However, I feel that the emotional aspect is on a down low and that they both seem pretty open about their feelings for one another. However, this goes back to the overall question of Christian's possessiveness. 
     Beyond the beginning I would LOVE to have Christian's POV from the moment Ana tells him about the baby until the end. It's one of those must know unknowns.

********************************

Now for the flipside. 

Why I don't want a flip POV?

     
     Honestly, I think that though Christian has some pretty dark secrets, everything gets explained pretty clearly by the end. You know more about Christian as a child and you know more about Mrs. R and the history there. Christian's secrets are pretty well revealed during course of the books.
     Sure I want to know his emotional turmoil regarding Ana and at what point he really falls in love with her, however, I have an idea of when in my mind and I personally am okay with that idea.
     What I really want to know is a Christian Prequel to Fifty Shades of Grey and the relationships he had with Layla or any of the "15" for that matter. Get a taste of what Christian Grey was like in the "Red Room of Pain" before Ana. Not to mention the fact that Christian's inner turmoil in my opinion would make for a rather dark story and until he steps into the light and gives into loving Ana, I am not so sure the story gets much lighter.  Christian's light is not found until the very end of Fifty Shades Freed when he becomes truly happy with the path that he and Ana are on with the baby on the way. The Epilogue really completed the story and proved to me that Christian was really capable of coming out of his darkness. 
     I also think a prequel would help explain Christian's emotions towards Ana from the beginning. Christian'z actions with Ana in the "Red Room of Pain" show me that he feels deeper for her from the very beginning because most Dominants do not bed their submissives in the course of a song or two. Play can last for hours and Christian has difficulty controlling himself and his need/desire for Ana and play is quickly escalated. Christian makes every "Red Room" encounter about Ana's pleasure and little to do with his own.
     Now only Christian and E. L. James have the real answers to who Christian really is, but I think that if you open your mind to the fact that things really are different for Christian when it comes to Ana, you will see that pressuring and begging Ms. James into writing Christian's POV might not be necessary.
Next time you want to read Christian and Ana's story, before you start read Christian's Epilogue of the first two Ana encounters, you will see that his emotions are changing before he even steps foot into the hardware store.

    Please feel free to comment with your own opinions. I am very curious as to why you want to read The Fifty Shades Trilogy from Christian's Point of View. 

Until we meet again you can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and GoodReads.

Haven't read The Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy? Check out your favorite e-reader website and get to it. :-)! 

*Laters Baby*
Zoey D.

    
    

Zoey's Reading List... The Books I LoVe!!

     If you follow me on Twitter then you have probably seen my #SupportWhatYouLove tags. I was asked why do you use that tag? Well, the answer is simple, I am not a mainstream reader. I love Indie Authors (Self-published) and how they write. I love the free mind of an Author that puts their heart and soul into what they write and the ups and downs they face when publishing their books to be read, reviewed, praised and criticized by the consumer. I respect them for what they do and LoVe them for having the courage to put some of their most intimate parts out their for the world to read.

    So tonight I write for you the list of my top favorites, in no particular order. Now there are several books on here that I am in the process of reading and or on my must read list. I am also in the process of getting my GoodReads profile up to date with all that I have read. So without further adieu here is the list...

(All of these books were read prior to mass market or paperback publishing. All of my favorites can be found on Amazon as this is where I got them all. :-)!)

edited: 10.12.12
"Reason to Breath" & "Barely Breathing" by Rebecca Donovan
Rebecca can be found: Twitter, Amazon, GoodReads, Website/Blog

edited 11.02.12
"Poughkeepsie" by Debra Anastasia
Debra can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, GoodReads, Website/Blog

"The Fade Series" By Kate Dawes
Kate can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, GoodReads, Website/Blog   

"Anything He Wants" 5 book (to date) serial and "Back in the Groove" by Sara Fawkes

            Sara can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

"Gabriel's Inferno" & "Gabriel's Rapture" by Sylvain Reynard

          Sylvain can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

 "For His Pleasure" 10 book (to date) serial by Kelly Favor
Kelly can be found: Amazon (Author Page)

     ***** Please note that the "For His Pleasure" installments are all named differently. I have linked you to her Amazon Author Page and doing an Amazon Search by her name will get you where you would like to be to read her work. *****

"Billionaire's Beck and Call" and "Lush Curves" Series by Delilah Fawkes

          Delilah can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

     

"Beautiful Disaster"by Jamie McGuire

          Jamie can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

     

"Slammed" & "Point of Retreat" by Colleen Hoover

          Colleen can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

     

"Love Unscripted" & "Love Unrehearsed" By Tina Reber

         Tina can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

     

"Spanked", "Denied", and "Collared" (Also known as the Dominatrix Fantasy Trilogy)

 By Shoshanna Evers

         Shoshanna can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

     

"The Druid Breeders" 7 book serial by Marata Eros

          "Reapers, Bled, Harvest, Sow, Seed, Plow and Thresher"

          Marata can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

     

"The Tantric Principle", "The Marriage Bargain" & "The Marriage Trap" by Jennifer Probst

          Jennifer can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

     

"Weekends Required" (Danver's Book 1) by Sydney Landon (additional books in series)

          Sydney can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

     

"Unleashed" by Cherrie Lynn (additional books in series)

           Cherrie can be found: Twitter, Facebook, Amazon (Author Page), GoodReads, Website/Blog

The following and very well known and were read by me when they were still a dirty little secret.

     "Bared to You" & "Reflected in You" By Sylvia Day

     "Fifty Shades of Grey", "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed" By E. L. James

I will also be editing this as I find more great books. Plus there are some wonderful books coming out very soon and no doubt I will have them all as quick as they are available. 

*** Have a book suggestion for me to read? Leave a comment or shoot me an email ZoeyDerrick@gmail.com ***

For more of what I have read stop by my GoodReads Profile. Also, though it is a work in progress, I have reviewed almost all of the books listed above via GoodReads, so please, if you are interested in my heart felt opinions regarding these books, check out GoodReads. 

As always you can find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Until we meet again,

*HugS*

Zoey

   

When Life Keeps You Busy!!

Hey Guys,
   
     Today is finally Saturday and I have spent this last week wholly engulfed in work and in life.
The book has only managed about 3k in words since last weekend, and last weekend did not allow for much book attention.
     At the beginning of the week, when I had finally tied my two parts together I thought for sure it was going to be the end of book one, and boy was I wrong. I realized that there was way to much to tell in my story and that I needed to be able to continue, at least at this point. So with that being said, I am back, hot on the writing trail, at least until Tuesday when I will be consumed by two long awaited book releases.

     Speaking of book releases, I now have a new GoodReads profile and you can find and follow me here. My GoodReads profile is a work in progress but you can see many of the wonderful books that I have read, want to read and that I am currently reading. Many of which will come with wonderful book recommendations because I truly only believe in reviewing the books that I truly enjoy.

     I tend to be a bit of an optimist and try not to dwell to much on the things that I don't like or don't enjoy. I have read an enormous pile of books over the last few months and many of which are not entirely worth my time to have read them, let alone to review them, so I don't. Reviews that are both good and bad are definitely needed and feedback is always warranted on books, but books that I personally feel are bad, or not of good standing in my mind do not always need yet another bad review.

     One of the biggest things that will get me to stop reading a book, especially a self published book is the authors lack of enthusiasm for their own work that they conveniently forget to edit their works before hitting the publish button on Amazon. I personally am the type of reader that enjoys a book that flows flawlessly and does not require me to concentrate hard on what it is that was written.
     Now on the defense of self published authors, most of them do not have someone that will edit their works on their behalf and sometimes the desire to see their work succeed is so overwhelming that they don't think to review all of what they have done and make the necessary corrections.Editing a painstaking process and it is sometimes hard to get into your own writing, you wrote the story so you know how it ends.
     Now, please do not confuse or assume that I am pretentious and that I will immediately disregard books with spelling and grammatical errors for this reason. It simply means that the more difficult it is for me to follow the book, the harder it is for me to truly enjoy the story because that is far from the case, it just makes them harder to read and the more errors, than the less likely I am to finish it.
     I must also add that originality is KEY! Nothing bothers me more than a book that has potential to be great but it is overwhelmed by the corniness of character and location names. I once read a book that was filled by such a great story and the writing was good and kept me engrossed but I laughed at the character and location names as they were named after various names of the buttons on a computer keyboard. Bottom line is, if you are creative enough to come up with a story as good as that, than simply use a baby names website and pick some realistic names to remove the corniness and make a better story for your readers. Then again, I have read this short story more than a few times, so I got over the corniness of it.

     Okay, sure as I write this blog lets hope that I take my own advice with my own book. Currently I have one editor lined up, who is a friend of mine and who can be brutally honest at time. I have another tentative editor or at least a reader/reviewer and I am currently in the market for at least one more person to review the book and provide me with a detailed honest opinion of how they think my story stacks up. When the books primary edits are complete is when I will be looking for that person. So stick around and stay tuned for more on your chance to become my Beta's Beta!

     As always you can find me hanging out on my Facebook page and i am always on my Twitter pages. Like the Facebook and follow me on Twitter for more updates on my own book progress, my reading progress as well as everyday life adventures!

Until we meet again, my warmest regards,
Zoey

Who is Zoey Derrick?....

Hi Guys and Gals,
I was asked for little more information on me, who I am, why I am, where I am, so on and so forth, you get the idea, so a little bit about yours truly...

I am a 30 year old, full-time employee, full-time student, and full-time single mom.

I am currently, thanks to the recently discovered world of self-publishing, writing my first book entitled "Love is Burning" (title is subject to change at any given time and without notice). I started this book years ago, before marriage, divorce, a kiddo, Twilight, Fifty Shades, and all my other favorite books and well eBooks. Like many self-published Authors, I shelved my book and my dreams for my life and the scary idea of championing my book to all the great publishing companies in North America.
I'm not gonna lie, one of my biggest influences in this process is E. L. James. One of the reasons she has influenced so much of what i am trying to do is because she did it, fought for it, and brought it to life for her readers and for many Authors out there. She took "the ordinary to extraordinary" with her Fifty Shades Trilogy and because of that, I am  inspired to put a dream to print and see what happens.

A dream remains a dream, unless you do something about it.

Until we meet again,
Zoey

Some Midday Thoughts....

The following article has inspired this post, as well as a Twitter post.

Sylvain Reynard article seen here.

My apologies if the link does not work. This is my first time using the mobile version of Blogger.

I commend Sylvain on his/her choice of anonymity. He or She, as it is unclear which, has a choice on how they want to be presented to the world. All that really matters is the finished product and what that product represents.

Sylvain can be James Patterson for all I care personally. Pen names are nothing new in the world of Authors and will forever be how many authors continue to write and many Authors remain in name only because most Authors tend to be shy or unwilling to be involved in the public spotlight and they are entitled to that.

As far as the six figure book deal is concerned, what is wrong with an Author earning 6 figures on a book that has already proven its worth by maintaining ebook sales and best seller status? 6 Figures is a lot of money, whether it is $100,000 or $999,999. When you consider Sylvain's books are $15.00 each, with a million copies on the market, that's $15 million dollars in one release provided all 1 million books sell, 6 figures is pennies in comparison.

Who knows, maybe Sylvain is just a good negotiator...

Ok, I think I have managed to say my peace on this subject.

Thank you Sylvain for such wonderful books and I look forward to more from you.

Until we meet again,
Zoey

Why I love....

One of my best friends asked me today why I wanted to write a book?
          My response was shorter than I wanted it to be, but ultimately it has been motivation from some of the Indie Authors I have been reading lately. Seeing many of my favorite books become novels via the self-publishing world of the ebook. Seeing the books that I love turn into New York Times Bestsellers, watching many of them realize a dream because of people like me buying, reading and reviewing their books.
          She proceeded to ask me, what happens if your book does not have the same success?
          Well, my answer to that was simple. I expect my book to fail, but it wont stop me from trying, it wont stop me from putting a story that I believe in to print. I also believe and know even, that many of the writers that I enjoy on a regular basis have had the same struggles with their own works. In fact, Tina Reber is stated on her Facebook page as saying that she struggled with allowing her dream to become reality. Because she took the plunge and took a chance she is realizing her dreams and is being published by Atria. Tina is the Author of one of my favorite self published books, "Love Unscripted".

         On that note... Why do I love "Love Unscripted"?
Well, that is a question that cannot be easily answered because there are way to many elements to this story that keep me going back to it again and again. The first thing that keeps me going is that the story is an amazing love story between Tarin and Ryan. Taryn is the owner of a local pub where she meets Ryan, an actor, that is in town filming his latest movie. The first impression of Ryan that I received was that of someone such as Robert Pattinson in the world of Hollywood. Whether or not that was Tina's inspiration for her story is one of the many questions that I would love to ask Tina if I were ever given the chance to do so. Regardless of that, I enjoyed the fact that throughout the entire book you managed to forget the little things, like Ryan's fame. Tarin being a just a woman trying to make a living. The book says to me that it does not matter who you love, loving someone means you love them for who they are, not in their bank account, their fame, or even their lack there of. Most of all, I love the challenges that Taryn and Ryan face with his fame. The paparazzi and bad headlines. People purposefully out to destroy their relationship and no matter what they seem to find a way through it all.
I do not want to give away spoilers, I want people to read it for themselves.
         If you are looking for a wonderful story that will keep you entertained for hours of great entertainment "Love Unscripted" is a great book to read. Oh and guess what... "Love Unrehearsed" (book two) will be released on Sept. 14th via Amazon and other ebook formats. LU2 is available for pre-order here.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and this is mine.

On that note, I end my musings for tonight. I hope you enjoy. Don't forget to leave a comment, or find me on Twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned.. I have some more interesting book reviews...In the mean time.. Need some more books to read?

"The Marriage Bargain" By Jennifer Probst

"The Druid Breeders" By Marata Eros (The link will take you to Marata's Author page on Amazon)

"The Billionaire's Beck and Call Series" By Delilah Fawkes 

"Anything He Wants" Series by Sara Fawkes I also really enjoyed "Back in the Grove" By Sara and look forward to reading more from this story, should she continue the story.

"For His Pleasure" Series by Kelly Favor

Those should keep you busy for a while. I will be adding more books, series and Authors in the blog posts that follow. Including Coleen Hoover, Sylvain Reynard, Shoshanna Evers, Jamie McGuire, Cherrie Lynn, and of course the self-published author that has inspired them all...E.L. James!

Until we meet again!

Zoey