Still California Dreamin' and a giveaway

The 2017 California Dreamin' Writer's Conference rocked. Held Friday thru Sunday in the Embassy Suites in Brea CA, This was a four-chapter RWA conference and the organizers did a fabulous job.
The CDWC17 Committee, authors Debbie Decker and Cami Brite from LARA, and Alina K. Field, Alanna Lucas, Judy Duarte, Christina Alexander, Jill Limber, Theresa Carpenter and Jann (Audiss) Ryan from the OCC, East Valley and San Diego Chapters headed up a group of wonderful volunteers. They made it look easy and I know it wasn't. I am so grateful to them all.

I got there late Thursday night because I was filming on a new series for Hulu called Future Man. My character got stabbed with a pen. Which was great 'cause I got an editor meme out of it. Wednesday,  Cheryl Yeko sent me back round 2 edits on Maybe This Time and said I had a plethora of missing punctuation marks. She's right, of course. That's next on my 'to-do' list.

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Bronte, my roommate.

Lisa Kron and Bronte's mother, Kelly Hartog.

 Friday night was a fabulous dessert buffet sponsored by Burroughs Publishing. During the event, the California Hookers Contest winner and finalists were announced and called up treceiveve certificates. Kate's Hero came in second.

I was thrilled.

Saturday was the first ever California Barbara Vey Event for Readers.

300 readers. Sixty Authors. Games and Prizes Galore. This was a wonderful event and I plan to go again in two years. If you are a reader and ever get a chance to go to a Barbara Vey Reader Event, they are usually in Wisconsin. Her next event is April 28-30 in Milwaukee. https://barbaravey.ticketleap.com/bvw17/
GO!!!!!!

Barbara Vey and (back to camera) Robyn Carr, one of my favorite authors,

Amazing gift baskets donated by the authors.

All the authors were wonderfully inventive with their baskets

I will be submitting Kate's Hero to Jessica Watterson, the agent  I pitched to. But first,  I must finish the current edits on Maybe This Time

and one more pass through Kate's Hero.

Another Happy Thing. I spoke to some authors who will be appearing on the blog in the future.

And I made a new book buddy friend. Cara King, whose Harlequin Regency Romance is called My Lady Gamester. I added it to my reading list.

                                           We cherish all the same books.

Giveaway: The only unsold paperback copy of Time and Forever from the book sale. Or if, you prefer, a Kindle copy which is also an audio book (whisper sync enabled.)

Leave me a comment with your email address to enter. Happy Reading.

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California Dreaming

This Friday through Sunday is the California Dreaming Writer's Conference.
Robyn Carr and Sarah MacLean are the headliners. (Oops. Went into acting mode.) Robyn Carr and Sarah MacLean are the keynote speakers.
I am looking forward to this event for several reasons.

 Robyn Carr is one of my "keeper" authors. I have an ARC of her next book, Any Day Now on my bookshelf and I plan to get it signed.

My manuscript Kate's Hero is one of five finalists in the California Hooker's contest.

And I am presenting a workshop on Sunday at noon. Exorcising Your Inner Critic: Improv for Writers.
That's because my other career is acting. Pamela Dumond suggested that readers might be interested in that.
So I made up a collage postcard

Major Crimes, Mama Pantone, and the Real Butcher from American Horror Story

I chose the images because (Top right) I am the victim on Major Crimes this week. (Wednesday, 10:00 PM on TNT) As it happens, GW Bailey who plays Lieutenant Provenza is also my sons' godfather and this is the first time we've worked on the same show.
The two images under that:
Mama Pantone from Tim and Eric's Bedtime stories has to be one of my favorite roles. Someone else who loved the shop uploaded the clip I linked to and it went viral.

The Real Butcher AHS Roanoke.

I added this picture because I think the makeup is by the brilliant Mike Mekash is amazing. This year I killed Kathy Bates on American Horror Story on Roanoke. 

I did 4 episodes, but the one where I first appear and kill Kathy is the best. It was a great pleasure to work with Kathy again. We first worked together in 1979 at the Actors Theatre of Louisville.

I have been working a lot lately as an actor. This clip is from Life in Pieces which aired a couple of weeks ago.

There are more videos on my acting website SusanBergerActor.com (Since I also aspire to voiceover acting, I must have a website.)
I also have a YouTube Channel where I can store my clips.  Being a working actor is part of my California Dreaming.  And it continues to come true.

Last:
I am one of sixty authors taking part in the Barbara Vey Reader event and I think it's going to be great fun. I share a table with the delightful and prolific and funny Pamela Dumond.
I'll be signing Time and Forever at the book-signing that follows the event. I don't have an ARC of Maybe This Time yet, but I have a postcard of the cover and blurb.

Maybe This Time
A Second Chance Romance
Their Happy Ever After is over before it begins. Unless they can change time. 
Popular London stage actress Jennifer Knight would rather eat worms than face her first husband.
But when her niece Kat accidentally sends herself and Jen thirteen years into the past, she has no choice but to accept Lance’s help.
Computer guru, Lance Davies is more comfortable with machines than people. He never knew how to handle his beloved, mercurial Jen. But now her future self is here in front of him and he wants another chance.
Jen’s torn. Her traitorous body insists that home is in Lance’s arms, but her heart has trust issues
Can two people whose timelines are thirteen years apart find a future where they can be together?

If you would be interested in receiving a PDF ARC of Maybe This Time, in return for a review on Amazon or Goodreads, please let me know in a comment.

Wish me luck.

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Linda Lael Miller's new Western Romance, Forever a Hero Review and #Giveaway

Linda Lael Miller’s third book in her series, The Carsons of Mustang Creek.  Forever a Hero debuts March 21^st. And I have a copy to giveaway.

The Carson's of Mustang Creek: Slater, Mace and Drake Carson may be brothers, but that doesn’t mean they are alike. While all three of them can handle a horse, Slater’s interests lie in documentary film making, Drake runs the ranch and Mace runs the family winery. While the books stand alone, I think it's more fun if you read them in order.

Forever a Hero follows Mace, who runs the family winery. And it is my favorite of the three books. Possibly because I loved hearing about running a winery and Kelly, big city girl who'd been sent to try and buy the winery, seemed an unlikely and yet perfect match for Mace.

Linda Lael Miller fills her books with romance set against Wyoming’s big sky country.  She surrounds her protagonists with a close-knit family, loveable, eccentric side characters and delightfully witty dialogue. The give and take among the Carson brothers, their wives and Mace’s maybe-forever love Kelly is great fun to read. It escalates into suspense when the man who attacked Kelly twelve years ago is released from prison.

Blurb:

For the youngest Carson brother, finding—and fixing—trouble seems to be all in a day’s work

Mace Carson never considered himself a hero. Back in college, he came upon a woman in trouble and intervened—but he was just one irate Wyoming cowboy with his boots planted firmly on the side of right. Now a successful vintner, Mace ends up saving her once again. This time rescuing her from a car teetering on the edge of a cliff. The college co-ed he's never forgotten is now a corporate executive representing the company that wants to buy his winery. Only, he’s not selling.

Kelly Wright still has the occasional nightmare about that horrible night ten years ago and she's never forgotten the man saved her. The surprising success of a winery in the middle of ranch country has brought her to Mustang Creek, and she’s secretly thrilled to discover Mace at the helm. Reluctant to mix business with pleasure, Kelly vows to keep things professional, until her attacker is released from prison and comes for vengeance…against both of them.

If you're interested in winning a copy,(Continental US only) please enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. Wishing us all a wonderful week with lots of reading.

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Rhys Bowen's Farleigh Field. Review and #Giveaway

Do you know Rhys Bowen? I do. I first ran into her work with Her Royal Spyness series. Charming mysterie series about a distant (and totally broke) member of the Royal family set in the 1930's. I've always enjoyed her work, so when her publicists, Little Bird Publicity, asked me if I would like to feature her newest book, In Farleigh Field on my blog, I was delighted. When I got it, I realized this was a Kindle First Book which is crazy because Rhys Bowen's books have been nominated for every major mystery award and she has won thirteen of them to date. I should have asked why Rhys chose to do a Kindle First, but I didn't because I've been racing the clock since the beginning of the year, trying to keep up.

In Farleigh Field  is a stand alone novel set in 1941 Great Britain  - A mystery with a satisfying soupcon of romance.
World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham’s middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility.

As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, which may include another member of Pamela’s family, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela’s help, stop them before England falls?

I binge-read In Farleigh Field and I loved every minute of it. Think of it as a book version of Dalton Abbey, The story is told from several points of view and you get a wonderful picture of a Great House in Wartime.
And, joy of joys, it also takes us to Bletchley Park, home to the code breakers I met in the movie, The Imitation Game. Another favorite of mine. I found it to be a thoroughly satisfying read. I love Rhys Bowen's style and her plotting.

I am delighted to have a copy to give to one of you. If you are interested, please enter the Rafflecopter. US Only please. It's a paperback. (I use Rafflecopter so I can email the winner. I do not give away your email addresses. Ever.)
Happy Reading and Happy Week to all of you.

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