Category Archives: General

BOOK SIGNING AT BARNES & NOBLE!!!

Book Signing @ Barnes & Noble

Hello All! I am having a book signing on Saturday, August 2nd, from 11:00 to 4:00 at the Barnes & Noble near Metro Center Mall in Phoenix, Arizona. This Barnes & Noble location is not in the mall, but a stand-alone store. The address and directions can be found HERE.

I will have physical copies of my new book, The Emerald Dragon available for purchase. I would love to personally sign it for you. If you purchase a physical copy of the book, you will also get a free t-shirt (while supplies last), and a bookmark will be included in each book.   I will also have available, cards that can be used to purchase the e-book version right there in the store. You can read the first 5 chapters of the book online HERE, if you would like a preview.

I will also have my mystery novel, Vengeance of the Wolf, along with my book of poetry called Tapestry available for sale. E-books can be purchased for these as well.

It is Sci-Fi Fantasy Day at the store on August 2nd, so feel free to dress up as well! It will be a fun day, come on by to say hello and enjoy yourself!

The Next Big Thing – Authors Tagging Authors!

The Next Big Thing – Authors Tagging Authors!

I am thrilled to take part in The Next Big Thing: Authors Tagging Authors! I was tagged by the fantastic Caron Rider and I’m excited to keep this going! So now I have to answer the questions below, tag a new set of 5 authors, then they answer, tag authors, etc. I’m answering questions about my Urban Fantasy novel, The Emerald Dragon, coming soon!

emerald_dragon_lg

What is the working title of your book?
The Emerald Dragon, Book One of the Dragomeir Series

Where did the idea come from for the book?
It came from an incredibly vivid dream that I had.  I thought that it was time for not only books about dragons, but to explain that dragons are actually smarter than we are and interact at the human level.

What genre does your book fall under?
Urban Fantasy

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Main character – Tanis:  Viggo Mortenson
Queen Mother : Morena Baccarin
Demi – human form: Dakota Fanning
Basiliskos – human form: Ving Rhames
Invectum – human form:  Chris Hemsworth
Dragons – in dragon form: Themselves

And for the authors I have tagged:

Eden Baylee, Author of Spring Into Summer
Kay Glass, Author of Just One Bite
Michelle Muto, Author of Don’t Fear the Reaper
Alex Laybourne, Author of Highway To Hell
J.A.  Schneider, Author of Embryo

Many thanks to my friend and fellow Indie Author Caron Rider for tagging me! I hope you’ll keep it going…there are so many talented authors out there!

Watch Out For the Peanut Butter!

Peanut Butter Recall

Tanis and Demi contacted me with what I thought was a joke.  Okay, so I’m not laughing now, but anyway…several people at Mt. Drago have recently gotten sick, and I mean really sick.  Turns out it’s the peanut butter.  Not every brand, and there are some that don’t have Salmonella.  Yeah, you heard me.  Nearly all of the food that gets eaten by the people at the mountain comes from the outside world.  From the same manufacturers as the ones you buy for your family.  This is a wake-up call to all of our friends and their friends.  Contact your local food stores and inquire.  Get on-line and do some research.  I’m going to give as much information as I’ve found, but I need you guys to spread the word.  Little kids aren’t supposed to die from peanut butter.

The manufacturer that seems to have the highest number of recalls is Sunland, but it doesn’t stop there, oh no not by a long shot.  Okay, let’s take this one step at a time.  The first thing you need is a web address to prove to yourself the severity of which I speak.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/MajorProductRecalls/SunlandNutSeedProductRecalls/default.htm

The above address will show you the number of products that have been recalled and a lot of other pertinent information.  This is not restricted to just Sunland, it has become more widespread with multiple companies such as: Justin’s and General Mills among others.  Please check your recently purchased food to make sure you don’t have one of the recalled items.  Thank you for listening to Tanis, Demi, and of course…me.

Emerald Dragon Update

emerald_dragon_lg
Hello everyone! Yes, it is the elusive Solitaire Parke! The Emerald Dragon is taking a tad longer than I had expected, so I thought I would drop you a note and let all the people that have supported this project know that we’re still working very very hard at completing it.  In the last week, I have finished inserting the two new characters created by the contest winners, Jacob and Joe.  The new personalities have enhanced the book beyond my wildest expectations!  The new characters, Hellop and Sergei, managed to insert themselves within the story in a seamless fashion, which pleased me very much.  Both of them have taken up life in Mt. Drago and get along with Tanis and Queen Mother as well.  Even Demi got in on the act and has reminded me several times to make sure that these two gentlemen receive Holders of Things.  Now that we’re down to the last chapter, the enthusiasm in my house has reached epic proportions and I am working feverishly to get to the last line.  After that, as everyone knows, there are several waves of editing and potential rewrites.  When it gets to this last phase I will try to keep you apprised of an ETA as well as up and coming contests and free giveaways.  Once again, a huge thank you goes out to all that have supported this project.  Keep checking back because there are a lot of fun things coming!!!

What Was My Inspiration For Becoming a Writer?

Happy Friday everyone! The weekend is upon us and we’re all breathing a big sigh of relief! As far as we’re concerned (we being authors) that doesn’t really mean much other than the possibility of sleeping in (if the kids comply, of course) and at least the option of staying in your pj’s all day long if you want to! Otherwise, it’s back to work at the computer typing just as fast as our fingers will allow in hopes of reaching the day’s writing goal. I know I’ll be doing just that! Guilty as charged! Whether you have an amazing ten page day, you write an inspired blog post or even just manage to jot down an idea, keep in mind what inspired you to become a writer in the first place…don’t allow yourself to become discouraged! Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t lose sight of your ultimate goal! I wish you all a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

I wrote a guest post about my inspiration for becoming a writer, and it is featured on “Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf”. You can click on the image below or the link http://www.moonlightgleam.com/2012/06/author-guest-post-with-solitaire-parke.html to read the post.

Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf

*** Fellow Indie Authors and friends…what was your inspiration for becoming a writer? ***

The Avengers – What Did You Think Of The Movie?!

The Avengers Movie

I went to see The Avengers over the Memorial weekend.  If they had charged twice what they did…it would still have been worth it!  The acting was intense and had most of my favorite actors.  The dialogue was witty, sarcastic and extremely well written.  Loki continues his role as the bad guy from the movie “Thor” and he is suitably rotten, arrogant and apparently impossible to kill.  The animation and CGI, especially for the Hulk was top notch.

There were almost too many one liners to pick a favorite, but Thor’s comment about his brother made me laugh out loud.
Black Widow says: Loki’s killed eighty people in two days.
Thor says: He was adopted.

Ironman is, well…Ironman – Does a Superhero get any better?!
The action was non stop and I plan to go see it again, and purchase it when the Blu-ray is available.
This was my favorite movie this year!

So, tell me…What was your favorite line or scene from The Avengers? 🙂

Let Us Not Forget Our Heroes

American Flag

As we celebrate Memorial Day across the nation, let us remember to take a moment to honor those who have given their lives in service to their country. To the brave men and women who have fought valiantly to keep our country free:

Thank you! May God Bless You!

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any
hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

– John F. Kennedy

Reviews and Interviews and Blogs “Oh My!”

It was a great privilege to be interviewed by Jennifer from “Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance”!!! Thank you Jennifer for featuring “The Emerald Dragon” on your blog! I encourage everyone to visit her blog and take a look around!

Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy

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Many thanks to Ellie from “The Selkie Reads Stories” for posting her review of “Vengeance of the Wolf” on her blog!! I hope that you will visit her blog and leave a comment!

The Selkie Reads Stories

Thank you to all my blog readers! I love to read your comments and feedback! 🙂 If you have any ideas for a post, if you would like to offer a guest post or blog swap, please don’t hesitate to email me! cc(at)solitaireparke(dot)com
Happy Memorial Day!

Vengeance of the Wolf Review & Interview

I can’t thank Lacey from “The Page Turner” enough for the kick butt review she gave my debut novel, “Vengeance of the Wolf”!!! I hope that you will visit her blog and read the review and author interview she was so kind enough to post! Many thanks Lacey!!!

The Page Turner

I wish everyone a fun and safe weekend! What do you have planned?

I was thinking about going to see The Avengers!! 🙂

Sell your books on Facebook!

I came across an extremely useful app for Facebook Authors while on Goodreads today! I felt the need to share this awesome find! The app is by Freebooksy and is completely FREE! It allows you to put in your Amazon ISBN and have your book details automatically pull into your Facebook page. If you aren’t listed on Amazon, you can manually enter the details of your book and link it to Smashwords, Lulu, B&N, etc. You can also offer a free chapter, collect email addresses from your fans and list your book signings.

You can install it here: Author App

You can learn more about the features here: Freebooksy Website

I now have it on my FB page…and it rocks! My FB Page

Enjoy! 🙂

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