Carmen DeSousa

McDonalds.com Free Books are like Big Macs! Really! Find out how they compare.    As I wrote that line, not only was I reminded of Joe Fox's comment in  You've Got Mail  about vats of olive oil, but I also realized — and this is fitting to the post — not everyone likes Big Macs. Me, eh ... not really, I'd rather have a black-bean burger. But ... I LOVE McDonald's french fries and coffee. I digress ...    The M in McDonald's is probably the most commonly known trademark throughout the world, and yet, McDonald's advertises EVERYWHERE! Radio, TV, Twitter, Facebook, your mailbox…    Yes, even though there's a good chance that you'll go to McDonald's in the near future — umm … for coffee — they still pay millions of dollars to bring you into their lair. And one of their most popular draws is the freebie or discount, often called a "loss leader."   Yes, that lure of a free or bargain sandwich is what gets you in the do

The answer might surprise you... I n my case, it's because I want you to read it. In general, authors write because they love writing. Most of us didn’t just decide in college that this was our career choice; we’ve been writing as long as we could hold a pen. We were great pen pals, journaled, didn’t mind writing our grandmothers a thank you note, passed messages back and forth in school, and usually drove our boyfriends/girlfriends  crazy with our four-page love  letters .  But there’s one thing every writer I know loves more than writing, and that’s "being read." And more importantly, readers reading our writing and then letting us know it touched them. As most writers, I tend to check my book stats. But there’s something I do that proves my above assessment about myself — and I assume other authors  — is true . When I jump behind my laptop in the morning to see how my book fares in the notorious Amazon ranking system, if I see there’s a n

Ten years ago, Sirena left her family, her way of life, and her crown. Now, she wants to go back. But what if the prince is still waiting for her? The king dispatched him to bring her home, but J.W. didn’t plan to fall for her. If he lets her go, it might start a war. If she returns home, though, she might start one. For those of you who've read the Creatus Series, get ready for this new adventure full of romance, suspense, and fantasy. And this week only, register to win the eBook  the day it publishes! Chapter One Sirena stared at her image in the mirrored wall of her glamorous suite. She’d sold everything she’d accumulated in the last ten years to come here. For one last week to be free. To feel the sand beneath her feet, the sun on her face, and the breeze as it brushed against her skin like a lover’s kiss. Not that she’d felt that kind of kiss in a long time, but she remembered what it’d felt like the first time she had. The f

Ten years ago, Sirena left her family, her way of life, and her crown. Now, she wants to go back. But what if the prince is still waiting for her? The king dispatched him to bring her home, but J.W. didn’t plan to fall for her. If he lets her go, it might start a war. If she returns home, though, she might start one.   Note: Christmas with Jacky Waterman is a 5000-word short story. This sweet fantasy takes less than an hour to read, so you can enjoy a quick escape with your coffee, over lunch, or before you fall asleep. For more information, visit Amazon . Thank  you  for stopping by my place and reading my musings. Remember these are just  my   opinions  and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. If you have questions, please  feel  free to leave them in the comment section, and I promise you I will answer.  If you’re curious about what I write, please  visit  one of my author pages, where you can read all about my novels and short  stories . And hey, I’ll even give

Did you know Amazon has a program  called Kindle Matchbook? It offers customers who purchase, or have previously purchased, a print book from Amazon.com the option to purchase the Kindle version of that title for $2.99 or less. Well, since they gave me a choice, I'm offering the Kindle versions FREE! Yep! If you buy the print version of any of the paperback  books , you can download the Kindle option absolutely FREE!  Christmas will be here before you know it... So if you have any avid-reading friends... Hint, hint! Can we say two gifts for the price of one! Or Buy one Give one! Southern Romantic-Suspense Collection A  passionate romantic -suspense of love, betrayal, and obsession, She Belongs to Me will have you falling in love and wondering if you can trust anyone right up to the last page.  Charlotte police officer Jordan Monroe is used to being in control. Ever since his father died, he has provided for his mother and sisters and even hired his two b

For four thousand years, creatus have concealed themselves from the humans who hunted them almost to extinction. Unwittingly, one creatus will endanger them all... As with most of his family, Derrick Ashton knows his future and what position he’s destined to fill within his unique society. Everything changes, however, when he breaks one of his family’s strictest laws and falls in love—with a human. In his quest to protect the woman he can never have, a twist of faith propels him into a new role that will cause dissension among his family and endanger the anonymity that they’ve strived for thousands of years to protect. Now, he will risk everything to save the girl from humans and his own kind. The one thing he can’t save her from, however … is herself. The Creatus Series is not your normal paranormal story ... it's a  realistic  twist of the myths you've heard your entire life. Prepare to believe... The Prequel ~  C

Click the banner to see a list of all the tour stops! Meet the eBook Your Escape Authors Amy Vansant Amy Vansant is the author of the urban fantasy "Angeli - The Pirate, the Angel & the Irishman," the first in a series scheduled to continue Jan. 2015, assuming Amy gets over this whole "need to sleep" hang-up. Currently, she is finishing the romantic comedy "Slightly Stalky." Amy also served as the editor and one of the 26 authors of the humor anthology "Moms are Nuts," which has been on Amazon's best-sellers lists since its publication in April 2014. Amy the former East Coast Editor of SURFER Magazine and freelance writer published in Modern Maturity, Caribbean Travel and Life, Yankee, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, McSweeney's Internet Tendencies, Barnes and Noble Review and others. Long ago she wrote "The Surfer's Guide to Florida," which is currently out of print because the urge to drive up