Tracey Pedersen's Blog

All right, who is choosing these Wednesday topics? When forced to choose, the types of exercise I enjoy would fill a very short list! I didn’t grow my bottom to this size by enjoying exercise!

I don’t like the gym, because I’m a bit self-conscious and I have no idea how to use the equipment. I fall down a lot, so running is out. You can do so much more damage to your face when you fall down at speed! Trust me on THAT!

Also, if you fall over while rollerskating, your face—and your glasses—can take a beating! I have first-hand knowledge of this fact!

Walking is about the only thing I’ll embrace, but I need to have a target—I don’t want to walk around the block just for the sake of it. I’m happy to take the dog for a walk. Or walk to the local KFC for a snack! Hahaha! On holiday we tend to find ourselves in places where long walks lead to fun discoveries and in those situations, I’ll walk all day and all night to see the sights.

So, I guess my answer is walking. And if there’s a reward dressed up as cake at the end, all the better!

Now, tell me, fit people reading this, what types of exercise do you enjoy?

This post is part of the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews. You can see the list of topics here.

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Ah Mah Gahd!  Books I want to reread? Rereading? No! Just no!

Once upon a time, when I was a teenager without access to my own money to buy books, I reread my favourites. Little Women, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Nimbin all had dog-eared pages by the time I was done.

Before I had a Kindle, I might have occasionally reread something on my bookshelf, and I definitely gave my well-loved copy of Twilight a workout. (I have to admit to skipping to the part where Edward comes back on subsequent reads. Who needs any part of that book without him front and centre, eh?)

Now? With eBooks so reasonably priced, and an unlimited supply of new reading material available online at a second’s notice, I’d no more reread a book than fly to the moon! Every time I read something awesome I’m thrilled to move onto the next!

And the next! And the next!

I’m a bad blogger this week, thumbing my nose at the topic. So how about you tell me what you like to reread? Because I know that almost everyone will say they love to revisit their favourites!

This post is part of the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews. You can see the list of topics here.

The post Are There Books I Want To Reread? appeared first on Tracey Pedersen.

Hehehe…. Celebrity crushes.

A laugh to some and a fight to the death for others (mostly those peeps fighting over whether the Outlander dude is hot. For the record – not hot! Hahaha!)

Anyway, I never took too much notice of who was cute and who wasn’t. Until I started writing romance. I blame it on hours spent scouring stock photo sites searching for just the right kind of smooth bicep for a book teaser, or a guy with just the right lips so that when we cut his head off for the cover, there’s still something to drool over. It could also be the hundreds of books I now read where that first meeting makes your heart skip a beat. Either way, I can confess to two men I find particularly hot.

First, and I’m pleased to say he’s older now so it’s not as lame, is Robert Pattinson. *fans face*. I also have a particular favourite photo, just to complete the horror, which I’m sharing with you here. You’re welcome! If you click on that fabulously square jawline you can read the article about how perfect he is and how he is officially the world’s most handsome man.  Take THAT Sam-whats-his-face. You cannot argue with science!

As a massive Twilight fan, I own way too many things that have Robert on them. I may, or may not, own two umbrellas with that face emblazoned on the side! A couple of watches. A notebook. And a limited edition print of various movie scenes framed and hanging next to my bed. Hahaha. Who doesn’t want a Christmas with THAT goodness hiding under the tree?!?!?!?

Once upon a time, he was my computer screensaver, and just last week one of my kids sent me a new picture of him in our family group chat. My husband was pretty darn impressed! LOL

After Robert, Alan Rickman is my guy. But, you guessed it. Only in one particular role! The Sheriff of Nottingham is probably my favourite movie character of all time. He was camp, and sexy, and evil, and hilarious in that movie, and I’ve been reminded of the goodness while searching for this photo and watching multiple YouTube videos of his greatest scenes.

A truly amazing performance! And 29 years later he’s still on my list!

Who is your celebrity crush? Is it a looooong list, or a short one?

This post is part of the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews. You can see the list of posts here.

The post My Celebrity Crushes appeared first on Tracey Pedersen.

As some of you will know, I am participating in the A Romantic Rendezvous book-signing event, and I’ll be attending in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide on various dates in March this year. I’ll be there alongside authors like Darynda Jones and Susan Donovan, and my author besties Monique McDonell and Tee Smith, and … drumroll … I have a ticket to give away to one lucky reader on Valentine’s Day!

What better Valentine’s Day gift could I give you than the opportunity to discover some new book boyfriends? (And get a cute book boyfriend badge off me, too!)

If you don’t live in the cities listed above, don’t worry, there’ll be an event in Brisbane, too – and you can win a ticket to the event of your choice! All the details on these event, including the authors signing at each one, are available here: http://australianromancereaders.com.au/events/arr2020/.

To be in the draw, please comment on this post and let me know who your favourite, or most recent, book boyfriend is. Feel free to share this post with all your friends – if I receive more than 50 entries I’ll be able to give away a second ticket! So spread the word! I’d love to give away two!

I’ll draw the winner on Valentine’s Day and announce them here.

The more who come along to the signings each day, the more fun we’ll have.

(If you don’t want to wait to see if you’re the winner, tickets start from $20 and are available for purchase now at Trybooking https://www.trybooking.com/562019)

Authors are offering extra fun goodies for preordering and collecting your books at these events. When you’ve got your ticket, check out my preorder list and let me know what you’d like!

I can’t wait to see you there!!

The post Free Book Signing Ticket! appeared first on Tracey Pedersen.

I’m at a loss for this week’s challenge.

(Photo by ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)

Besides the couples I’m making do weird shit together in my latest book, (The Billionaire’s Surprise, if you’re interested! lol) I don’t really pay much attention to any others once I’ve moved on to my next target.

I read books and watch movies and tv, then usually forget about whatever goodness I just enjoyed. There’s just so much content in the world these days that I find it impossible to keep it all in my brain.

I do have one vivid recollection of a couple though. Does everyone remember THAT kiss from Spiderman? The upside-down kiss? When I think of perfect couples I think of that moment above all else.

I’m interested to see what everyone else comes up with this week!

This post is part of the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews. You can see the list of posts here.

The post Best Book, Movie or TV Couples? appeared first on Tracey Pedersen.

I’m so excited to report that my latest book series, The Secret Billionaire’s Club is nearly finished.

Complete. Done. Finito.

It’s equal parts exciting and sad!

My nine billionaires and their attempts to win a dating bet have taken up the better part of my writing attention for a whole year and it’s nearly over. The last book will see us visit each couple to find out how they’re doing since they found love in each of their books. It’s super fun to tie up loose ends and mess with them a bit. Gee, I love messing with them! Hahaha!

The Secret Billionaire’s Club started as a group project.

Late in 2018, ten authors joined forces to each write ten books related to a holiday during the year. The result was a whole lot of diverse and interesting stories that I’ve totally loved reading. You can check the list of authors in the back of any of my Secret Billionaire books, and I’ll probably do a post later on each of the authors in the group.

Merek, Sayer, Danny, Cross, Cole, Kent, Sam, Wyatt and Everett have captured my imagination. They’re funny, and different, and quirky each in their own way, and the women they choose to be theirs are equally as sassy.

Why don’t you check them out for yourself and see if you have a favourite?

The post The Secret Billionaire’s Club Is Nearly Finished appeared first on Tracey Pedersen.

Err… no.

That’s all I can think when I look at this week’s blogging topic. Hobbies equal time (and fun- I’ll admit) and more time working on hobbies means less time writing. And I’m REALLY committed to writing.

That doesn’t mean I don’t have hobbies. Far from it. I even go to craft camp once a year with fifty other awesome women and we talk, and craft, and eat for four days straight! I think this year is the twelfth year the event has been run and I only missed a couple when I was overseas, or too slow to confirm my place.

So my two current hobbies are crochet and Diamond Painting (I’m not certain of the official name).  I’ve included a photo of the last crochet project I finished so you can admire my genius! The colours of that shawl make me want to start another one, which I dutifully have. I’m also in the middle of multiple blankets, scarves and shawls. lol. Finishing is hard when all your time is spent writing or marketing. Or sleeping!

The diamond painting is hard to describe. It’s like colour by numbers, but with itsy bitsy beads on a sticky mat. It’s kind of soothing, even while it sends you blind! Here’s a link to one so you can get the idea, but I buy most of mine from Wish on an app on my phone. My current one, which I appear not to have a photo of, is an oil painting of a naked couple getting, erm…. intimate! Not sure where I’m going to hang THAT when it’s finished!

So, what hobbies do you have? And do you make time for them, or put them aside for other more important things in your life?

This post is part of the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews. You can see the list of posts here.

The post New Hobby I’d Like To Try appeared first on Tracey Pedersen.

I’m writing this post a few days ahead of publishing. That’s kind of funny, because knowing me, the moment I schedule this I’ll start reading at least one of the books on the list. By the time Wednesday comes around and you read my recommendations, I’ll most likely have devoured at least one!

I know they’re gonna be THAT good!

I have two types of books I’m looking forward to:

The next in series from a couple of authors – one whose books I never miss, and one who is new to me.
Anything, and everything, that JA Huss plans to release between now and the end of the year. (I mean, eternity.)

Let’s start with number one.

If I’m very lucky there’ll be a new book from Jami Albright in 2020. If you haven’t checked her out you MUST DO IT RIGHT NOW. Running From A Rockstar is one of my very favourite books (which you probably know if you’ve joined my newsletter. I think I tell you about my love for that book in one of the early emails I send out.)

Next on my list is Chloe Garner’s Sarah Todd book, Clash Of Mountains. This could seem like a strange one, but I read all kinds of things that aren’t romance. I met Chloe in Vegas last year and asked her to recommend a book of hers for me to try. Sarah Todd is a western, set in space, with a female lead who kills bandits and who speaks with a VERY western drawl.

I should hate it.

I should think it’s awful because it’s so different to my usual reading.

I couldn’t put book one down, and I’m halfway through book two!

Clash of Mountains will either be immediately devoured when I finish book two, or I’ll enter a hostage situation and have to negotiate with myself and use it as a reward for getting my own writing done. The book is amazing, and every time I read a few more pages, I’m staggered by how much I love it. It’s the kind of book I sneak out in the toilet just to read one more page!

TMI???

And then we come to Ms. Huss. Have you read her? I’d read her shopping list if she published it. And consider marrying her – I’m sure my husband would understand. Eventually.

When a Christmas card from her showed up in our mailbox last week, there may have been screaming. Maniacal laughing. I might be prepared to admit to tears. What can I say – I’m a huge fan and I have never prized an author sticker so much in my life!

Writers – if you’re just hearing the hallowed name of JA Huss you can find her awesome YouTube videos here about plotting and marketing. That’s where I discovered her. I watched the plotting ones, but without having read the series she was using as an example I was a bit confused. So I downloaded it and read it so I could follow along.

I don’t even know if I finished those plotting videos, but I sure did finish almost all of her books. My trusty Goodreads challenge tells me it was 7 books in 2017, 24 in 2018 and 13 in 2019. I also made a personal reading rule – never be without a new JA Huss book waiting on my kindle. Luckily she writes fast so the torture is never too long if I happen to catch up and won’t allow myself to start the last one.

For readers, my list from her this year includes:

The last book in the Harem Station series (sci-fi alien romance with umm, double-endowed heroes – YES PLEASE!)
Creeping Beautiful. Six weeks to go. I may die from the anticipation!
Book 4 & 5 in the Bossy Series. Bossy Bride is tonight’s reading!
Anything else new that the queen of twisty, dark, messed up stories gives us. No matter what it is, I’ll be there, handing over my money for the privilege!

So there you have it. This is a long post but not a long list. I’d love you to share something you’re looking forward to reading in the comments. Sometimes that’s how we find the best books!

This post is part of the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews. You can see the list of posts here.

 

 

It’s time to set goals for the new year!
Stop that – I saw you cringe!

Goals are fun you guys! Even if you don’t reach them, you get further than if you never tried! Trust me!

If you’re a member of my reader list, you’ll have already read this and can go back to your latest favourite romance. I don’t want to keep you from that goodness.

If you’re not subscribed (why aren’t you? Join up here if you want in!) keep reading to see the things I’ve chosen to berate myself over when New Year’s Eve rolls around this year! Hahaha!

So here are my goals, in no particular order:

Lose 20kg (AGAIN!) I’m so porky, I can’t even tell you! McDonald’s and I need to break up! Fast!
Read 2 books a week – The Goodreads challenge is one of my favourite things.
Write every day, even if it’s only 10 words (I hope this email counts! Hahaha!)
Write the last book in 4 separate series. It’s time

Don't forget to visit my website http://traceypedersen.com

You guys know I’m an Aussie, right? I’m sure I’ve told everyone that before, but people are often surprised to meet me and get an earful of my Australian accent. That’s the joy of having lots of online friends!

If you want to hear my voice to know what I sound like, I’d love you to check out episode #103 of the Writer On The Road Podcast, where the lovely Melinda interviewed me this week. We talked for so long that my voice started to go at the end!

Besides telling the world that my husband is a bit clumsy and has been known to fall off the roof, Mel and I talked about building subscriber lists and, for a big chunk of our talk, we discussed getting stuff done. Bum in chair. Taking action. Just like I wrote about for Nick Stephenson last week.

We also talked about the challenges of writing a million words in a year. I’m so excited to reach that goal because it means I’ll reach several others I set for myself, like the number of my books I’d like to see available for you all by the end of the year. I dream about them all lined up on a shelf!

You’ll be pleased to know I bullied Mel into joining the challenge, too (not really – she was totally willing!)

Have a listen if you dare, and be ready for laughing. I don’t seem to be able to do much without laughing!

Here’s the link… You can also subscribe to Writer On The Road on iTunes if you prefer to listen there.

P.S. My husband and kids would probably be happy if they didn’t have to hear my voice quite as much!

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