Monday, March 23, 2015

On Monday, March 23, 2015 by Vicki Lesage in
Rummage through those couch cushions and do your best to dig up 99 cents... because then you can buy not ONE but TWO of my books! Yep, you read that right. For a limited time, you can get Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer for only $0.99 and I'm throwing in Petite Confessions, my new release, for FREE!

Only $0.99 for two books!

Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer


Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer

Diapers, tantrums, and French bureaucracy—the crazy life of an American mom in Paris.

Think French parenting is easy? Think again! Former party girl Vicki trades wine bottles for baby bottles, as this sassy mommy of two navigates the beautiful, yet infuriating, city of Paris.

How does she steer a stroller around piles of dog poop? Or find time for French administration between breastfeeding and business meetings? And will she ever lose the pregnancy weight with croissants staring at her from every street corner?

This humorous memoir will have you laughing, crying, and wiping up drool right alongside Vicki as she and her ever-patient French husband raise two children in the City of Light.

Kindle: $0.99 Save $4! (through March 27th)
Paperback: $11.99 Save $3!

Already read it? Why thank you! Would you mind leaving a review or sharing this post on FB/Twitter/wherever else the cool kids hang out these days? Merci beaucoup!

Petite Confessions: A Humorous Memoirette



From champagne bottles to baby bottles, this memoirette offers a humorous look at an American mom's decade in Paris.

Party Girl Vicki moved to Paris hoping to drink her fill of wine and fall in love. She accomplished her goal, but encountered many bumps along the way: romantic encounters gone awry, absurd French bureaucracy threatening her sanity, and two adorable but impossibly energetic kids keeping her on her toes. This memoirette takes you on a journey of the ups and downs of Vicki's 10 years in the City of Light.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to open another bottle of wine.

Kindle: $0
Paperback: $5.99

I hope you enjoy both books. Thanks for reading/sharing/reviewing and giving me warm fuzzies!

Vicki Lesage
Please note: Sale prices may only be valid in the US and UK. Please check the final price before purchasing!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

On Tuesday, March 17, 2015 by Adria in

Tired of looking at the hidden cover of our upcoming anthology "Legacy"? Well today's your lucky day! It's cover reveal time! But first, a bit about the project. This anthology, inspired by The Book Wheel's original #30 Authors international blogging event, includes short stories on the theme of legacy from award-winning writers including Kristopher Jansma and best-selling authors such as Regina Calcaterra. 

Author proceeds from anthology sales will be donated to Paws for Reading, a program that allows children to read aloud to a therapy dog (or cat, or bunny!) in order to improve reading and communication skills. 

And now, for the cover reveal and an excerpt from one of the short stories, visit Traveling With T!


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

On Tuesday, March 10, 2015 by Adria in

Monday, March 9, 2015

On Monday, March 09, 2015 by Adria in , ,
*Rafael Mendez arrived like a thief in the night at 120 Rue des Martyrs.

OR should that be:

Rafael Mendez arrives like a thief in the night at 120 Rue des Martyrs.

(*I chose this one for the opening line of my novel “Paris, Rue des Martyrs.”)

Deciding whether to write in the present or the past tense is a conscious decision you should make before you even start a first draft of a short story or novel. Of course, you can change your mind and revise, but the more thought you put into verb tense at the beginning, the fewer headaches you (and your editors) will have throughout.

Tips for Choosing Verb Tense
Photo credit: theilr / Foter / CC BY-SA

As simple as this concept may seem, it is a common pitfall. Often, problems arise when the writer heads into the territory of present tense. The charm of the present tense is it adds another layer of excitement to the action. The reader feels as if everything is unfolding at that very moment rather than in the less-dramatic past.

But present tense is difficult to sustain in a story with many characters, subplots and backstories. I’ve often seen writers start in the past tense, then shift into the present, and finally shift back and forth almost arbitrarily. Then there is the writer who sticks to the present tense – but his or her story has many scenes that happen in the past. In the end, the transitions are often awkward and confusing.

I have to admit, I’m guilty too. When I started writing my soon-to-be-released novel “Close to Destiny,” I was itching to use the present tense. But in the end, past tenses gave me a smoother story.

So how to choose?

In most cases, I recommend using the simple past tense. This is pretty much a standard that you will see in most novels. For good reason, it’s easy to sustain and allows you to seamlessly use various past tenses (past continuous, past perfect and past perfect continuous) to build a complex story.

Still want to use the present? Ideally, use it for a short piece with one main event happening right at the moment or a short “slice of life” story. It has more impact when used this way, and you won’t have to worry about awkward transitions.

And, most importantly, whether you opt for past or present, stick to it! You will make your editor’s day.

Monday, March 2, 2015

On Monday, March 02, 2015 by Adria in


Does déjà vu have a deeper meaning?

Velvet Morning Press is pleased to announce the release of the novel “Close to Destiny” by Adria J. Cimino in print and ebook formats. 

A puzzling gift from a stranger in a hat shop. Whisperings and footsteps in a dim luxury hotel. Dreams that transport to elegant parties where champagne flows like water. Kat is both frightened and intrigued by the events that have plagued her since she arrived in London, in a final effort to save herself from anorexia and recover from her latest suicide attempt. 

Most disturbing is an encounter with a mysterious woman who introduces Kat to Will. And this lovely messenger has information she desperately wants to share with Kat: an incident from more than a century ago that could transform Kat’s future. But will Kat listen?  

A story of the role of destiny in life... and of righting the wrongs of the past.

Adria is the author of Paris, Rue des Martyrs and co-founder of Velvet Morning Press. Prior to jumping into the publishing world full time, she spent more than a decade as a journalist at news organizations including The AP and Bloomberg News.

Close to Destiny is available on Amazon!