5 Tips for a Bewitching Halloween by Jina Bacarr
October 11, 2018 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as books, Dating, Halloween, naughty, Paris, speed datng, vampire, witch
Read about my speed date with a vampire at Charmed Connection on FB coming this Halloween
Got your Halloween costume? Not yet?
Whether you’re going out with a gorgeous man or with your girlfriends, it’s a time to shine. Once you have your costume, here are 5 Halloween tips for the big night:
1 – Pick a costume that reveals enough of you, but not too much. As a famous stripper once said, “It’s not what you take off, it’s how you do it.” It’s all about the tease.
2 – If you enjoy a cocktail or two, any alcohol at all, this is a no brainer. Don’t drive. That’s what Uber is for.
3 – Eyelash glue – pack an extra tube. There’s nothing more humiliating than your date finding your soggy false eyelashes in his brew or stuck on his forehead after that big kiss. Bring a tiny bag with your makeup essentials that you can wear unnoticed on your costume or around your wrist.
4 – Carry a small amount of cash—in your bra, strapped to your thigh—along with a credit card even if you have a date (in case he turns out to be a ghoul).
5 — Shoes. Wear the stilettos, but somewhere have a pair of comfy but cute flats stashed. In your car, his car, a Halloween-decorated purse. Your feet will thank you at the witching hour.
I love Halloween and I’ve had my share of crazy dates. So when the Charmed Writers headed up by the fabulous Tari-Lynn Porter-Jewett decided to have a Facebook Halloween Event over at
The Charmed Connection Halloween Event 2018
https://www.facebook.com/events/2356229577739205/
Hosted by Tari Lynn Porter-Jewett
I signed up to write Flash Fiction. My story is called: My Speed Date with a Vampire.
We’re still finalizing the details, so I’ll update here as we get closer to Halloween!
Till then, Happy Halloween!
Special treat: here’s a video I made with a Halloween twist for my erotic romance Spice novel, “Naughty Paris.”
Amazon: Naughty Paris
by Jina Bacarr
Link: http://a.co/d/hB9zdBG
Music: “Duet Musette”
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
What cocktail waitressing taught me about writing by Jina Bacarr
September 11, 2018 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as author, books, cocktail, waitress, Writer, writing
I once worked as a cocktail waitress…great research for stories
Back in my sassy cocktail waitress days, I dreamed about being a writer. I worked until 3 a.m. cleaning up, checking stock, etc., then I’d go home and write. On a charming PC with a black screen and alien green text.
Ah, yes, those were the days.
Dreaming, planning. Wishing and hoping. Always believing if I worked hard enough, I’d get published.
No one told me the road to Oz was a long and winding one. A road filled with curves and pit stops and wrong turns.
Which brings me back to my days as a cocktail waitress. I got the job because I fit into the skimpy costume. A black fringe short, short dress. High, skinny black heels and fishnet stockings. I looked the part, but I had no idea what I was doing. The cute bartender helped me make up a list of the drinks on a placemat (I kept it as a souvenir) and I had adorable pink tip trays.
I spilled drinks. More than once. Okay, I spilled a lot of drinks.
The competition among the waitresses was fierce. Like a beauty pageant. I got punked by another waitress when she set me up with a grabby, belligerent customer who almost got me fired.
I got asked out on dates by customers, but I kept my nose clean. The only date I had after work was with a bear claw at the 24-hour doughnut store.
I became a darned good waitress. I learned the drinks by heart, got my tray balancing on like a pro, knew when to steer the bouncer to a table of tipsy, unruly drinkers, navigated the jealousy of the other girls, made good friends, and enjoyed the job.
So, what does all this have to do with writing?
Cocktail waitressing taught me that like writing, it’s not one thing that makes you good at what you do. Sometimes it’s going outside your comfort zone to get the job done. Whether that’s learning new technology, expanding your social media network when you have no idea what works, taking criticism (I learned how to serve a drink by dipping and bending my knees) and writing is rewriting. It’s about learning your craft, persistence, and getting through the tough moments when you want to quit. Have your cry and get over it.
I have several book projects on submission….keep you posted!
6 0 Read moreRomance Awareness Month and why you need romance in your life by Jina Bacarr
August 11, 2018 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as August, books, hot, romance, Summer
Find romance in a romance novel and this hunky guy, too!
August is romance awareness month.
Not sure why someone picked this month when half the world is on holiday with the family or wishing they were. Not enough time for romance when you’re watching the kids in the pool or trying to wave down a taxi in London with a toddler in your arms.
To me, romance should be about cool breezes and fruity drinks on a sexy, tropical island with lots of down time, sarongs, and him shirtless. Ah, yes… (see below)
We all need romance.
The subtle flirting of a cocked eyebrow raised in your direction, a low growl from the back of his throat when he sees you in your bikini, cuddling together under a blanket and playing footsies. Mood changers, for sure. That certain connection that doesn’t come in a bottle. The “feel good” hormone. I talked to a woman in Starbucks recently waiting for her Internet date. When I asked her why she’d meet up with a guy she didn’t know, she said, “I wanted a little romance in my life.”
Wow.
I so understand. However, the good thing is, if you’re between boyfriends or dates, you can pick your romantic destination as easily as picking up a romance novel. As writers, we get to experience both creating and writing about our heroes.
Works for me….
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Here’s the shirtless guy I promised you…oh, yeah.
Goodbye Kindle Worlds . . . or why I need a hug by Jina Bacarr
July 11, 2018 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat tagged as addiction, Amazon, author, books, Italian, Italy, Kindle, Kindle Worlds, moon, prince, princess, recovery, royals, vampire, Writer, writing
Even the biggest bag of Godiva chocolates from my favorite warehouse club store doesn’t last forever . . .
Such a fate has also befallen Kindle Worlds.
As of July 16th, all Kindle Worlds books will no longer be available on Amazon Kindle.
It’s a sad time for those of us who fell in love with the worlds created by some great authors.
I wrote six Kindle Worlds books — five for “The Royals of Monterra” and one for “Vampire Girl.”
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On July 1st, I checked my KW books and they had already been taken down — or so I thought.
Then I discovered they were back up!! I have no idea why this happened, but I’m certain that by July 16th, the Kindle Worlds program will be closed across the board.
The authors get their rights back — but in order to republish them, we have to remove the “world” from our stories. Not always easy . . .
I’m not sure when I’ll do this — I’ve started another story in the same line as my Italian prince billionaire submission for a publisher. It will take a while to re-do six books, so as a tribute to the worlds I participated in, I decided to post the videos for five of my books and a graphic for the sixth.
Here they are.
Thank you, KW, for the opportunity to participate in this program! And yes, I could use a hug. It’s always sad to see your characters ride off into the digital sunset . . . but they’ll be back!!
Jina
PS — I’m excited to be a Featured Author this month!! Check out my other books, too, especially in you love Civil War time travel romance and my WW 2 time travel romance3.
The Royals of Monterra series:
Twisted Tiaras: Princesses with a Past
Book 1: Royal Dare http://bit.ly/1sAkoKJ
It ain’t easy getting clean . . . even for a princess.
Book 2: Royal Bride https://amzn.com/B01N3U44OH
Can a sexy prince give a girl a second chance at love?
Book 3: Royal Kiss http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MY91GBM
Even a goody two shoes princess can get lost down the rabbit hole.
Book 4: Royal Noel http://a.co/65GYfHH
A pretty con artist risks everything when she falls for a handsome duke
Fairy Tales & Magic:
Royal Magic https://amzn.com/B01I21TIF6
The magic is in his kiss . . . a Philly girl falls in love with a royal magician.
Vampire Girl series:
Princess Moonglow http://a.co/7MGyUqz
Can a girl with a weird superpower find happiness with a hottie vampire?
2 0 Read more
Once upon a manuscript…by Jina Bacarr
June 11, 2018 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as books, chocolate, Cinderella, coffee, fairy tale, prince, writing
You know the drill. You write a wonderful story, pour your heart into it, and send it off.
Then you wait.
You drink coffee, refuse to let anyone come between you and your phone so you can check your email 24/7, you obsess, eat chocolate, exercise to work off said chocolate so you can eat more, then give up eating altogether because your throat is so tight from the stress, you binge watch everything you can on TV so you can forget the horror of waiting and wish you’d fall into a hundred years’ sleep so the pain will go away.
A major run-on sentence. But that’s life in the “waiting to hear back from the publisher who requested the full” in the manuscript world.
Okay, so what do you do?
Write another book.
You’ve heard it before and I agree, but it’s also important to take some “me” time. After all, you’ve been taking care of your characters, who can be quite demanding, keep you up at nights, make you cry and drink coffee nonstop, so now it’s time to put your feet up and relax.
Then work on another book.
Writers are not machines.
We need nurturing, healthy food, exercise, fresh air, and social interaction. So as I sit here writing this and waiting to hear back on my manuscript, I’m going to do just that.
I’m going for a walk to the nearby coffee shack, have a mocha coffee and, God help me, a warm croissant oozing with raspberries and melting chocolate chips.
And just breathe.
And yes, I’m bringing my phone with me.
Just in case the editor calls…
Jina
PS – I’ll update my post when I hear anything on my m/s – an Italian billionaire prince story and his Cinderella. 
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