"When I'm not writing..." with Thea Harrison + giveaway!

I'm very excited about today's visitor because it's the talented Thea Harrison! She's joining us today as part of her blog tour for LORD'S FALL, her latest release and the fifth book in her delicious Elder Races paranormal romance series. I discovered her earlier this year and think Thea's work is absolutely delightful so I was pleased as punch when I found out that Tynga's Reviews was going to be included in her tour. Penguin has also offered up a giveaway of this spankin' new novel so be sure to stick around to the very end of the post.

Without further ado, here's what Thea Harrison does when she's not writing!

When I was asked to write a piece on what I do when I’m not writing, several things immediately leaped to mind.

This year, on June 1st, I just became a grandmother for the very first time. My new little granddaughter is beautiful, funny, and a joy to visit, so visits with family have become an important part of my life. Because I can’t resist posting photos on my author Facebook page and on Twitter, I’ve had people from all over the world tell me how adorable the new baby is. Aside from postings about my new releases, Baby Doll’s photos are the most popular things I post on Facebook.

Also, with this writing job can be very sedentary, which has led me to become much more plump than I am comfortable with, so I invested in a treadmill. Now I’m focusing a lot of my attention on getting in an hour of exercise each day. That includes walking my two little dogs, so that THEY get the exercise they need. I’m starting to feel the benefits of the hard work, and it’s manifesting in increased energy. Also, I have my treadmill positioned so that I can watch TV shows while I take a walk, which helps to while away the time. I love it!

The third thing I’m hoping to develop is a coffee group with members of my local RWA chapter. While I love my job, writing is a solitary profession, and it’s important to try to balance social needs with the professional.

We’re going to try to meet twice a month at a local bookstore, with people attending as their own individual schedules allow. I’m quite looking forward to it, and I hope others enjoy it as much as I know I will.

And that leads me to one more thing that I do when I’m not working—read! The choice for the coffee group to meet at a local bookstore was not at all by chance. The trip will allow me to browse the bookshelves, look at new releases, and indulge in one of my favorite past times, which is shopping for books. Like a lot of people, I often allow myself to get too busy to go to a bricks-and-mortar bookstore. Instead I jump on a major bookseller website like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and I settle for the “quick fix” of buying books online and having them delivered either to my doorstep or to my ereader.

Unfortunately, this means I don’t get the visceral pleasure of exploring a physical book, along with the wonderful experience of discovering a new author who is a complete surprise to me. Online booksellers have search programs, and they can make suggestions, but those only take a reader so far. They cannot completely replace the experience in a physical bookstore of turning a corner and seeing an intriguing book quite by accident. Nor would I want them to. I love my ereader for the convenience and instant accessibility it gives me, but after having used it for over a year now, I know that my first love is also my best experience, that of holding a physical book in my hands, opening the pages for the first time, the sight, smell and weight of it, and reading those first intriguing words.

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Thanks for visiting us, Thea, and have fun with the rest of your blog tour!

For more information about Thea and her books, check out her website or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Here's the scoop on LORD'S FALL:

In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, two mates find themselves on different paths, torn between their duty to the Wyr and the passion that binds them…

Before she met Dragos, half-human half-wyr Pia Giovanni was alone and on the run. Now, she’s mated, pregnant and heading south to repair the Wyr’s frayed relationship with the Elves. Being separated from Dragos is painful, but for the good of the Wyr demesne they need to figure out how to be partners, in more places than just the bedroom.

In New York to preside over the Sentinel Games, Dragos is worried about his mate, but knows that finding two replacement sentinels is essential to show the rest of the Elder Races just how strong and brutal the Wyr demesne can be. But as the games heat up, Pia’s negotiations with the Elves take a turn for the dangerous, straining her bond with Dragos and threatening everything they hold dear…

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

You should also check out the rest of Elder Races series.

Novels:

E-novellas:

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The lovely folks at Penguin are generously offering one (1) lucky reader a copy of LORD'S FALL!
(I wish I could enter this giveaway.)

To enter the giveaway, obey the Rafflecopter!

US only

Ends Monday, November 26, 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favorite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit and share with us? Please email me at jennblogs (at) gmail (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

Posted by jenn at 15:39

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Born and raised in the Toronto area, Jenn moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, eight years ago for school. She's still in school (thankfully on another degree!), now trapped in her dissertation. When she's not dissertating, which happens more often than it should, Jenn spends her time reading, watching movies, playing volleyball, travelling, and enjoying the local music scene. Her latest addictions: yoga and Almond Crunch cereal.