Author Archives: angiestanton

Blizzard of 2016 ~ New York City’s Snowpocalypse

New York City during the January blizzard was an unexpected treat. I took the trip to attend the first ever Broadway Con and complete some book research, but what I got was an historic snow storm of nearly 30 inches that forced Broadway to go dark, something that rarely happens.

Blizzard of 2016

As a Wisconsin girl used to heavy snowfall, a friend and I tramped through blustery conditions down to Times Square where a team of city workers kept the iconic landmark accessible for the tourists who came out to play.

Despite being stranded in the city, most of the people I saw were eager to be a part of snowpocalypse. There were snowmen, snow angels and snowball fights.

Three little snowmen.

It’s hard to see, but this is a snowball fight in Times Square!

Most storefronts were locked up as roads had all been closed to traffic. The heavy snow created a muffled quiet. With no taxis or buses to dodge, we walked down Broadway unbothered while the lights of Times Square glowed dimly through the thick blanket of white.

The lights of Times Square in the distance. This was taken at 2:30 pm.

After playing in the snow, we discovered an off-the-beaten-path pub packed with boisterous folk who wanted to escape their hotel rooms. It was there we met the most adorable and funny British gals. They had stood in the cold for two hours to get their refund for the cancelled Les Mis, their dream show, when one gal nearly froze her toes off. While she sat on her stool with her bare feet up, her best friend dried her socks under the hand dryer in the “loo”. Much laughter ensued, dry boots were shared, and when it was time to say our goodbyes, email addresses exchanged. Later I learned their flight home was postponed, so they were able to see Les Mis after all.

Our sassy British friends.

Clean up crews were in full force the next day, and four days later, there was barely a trace of snow left to find. A few days after that the temps hit 54 degrees!

Clean up going strong outside, while we enjoyed Noises Off inside.

All that snow reminds me of writing my novella, Snowed Over.

If you haven’t read it yet, check it out!

Magic Laptops and Traveling Suitcases

Two of my favorite things

Not long ago I was thinking about favorite things and I wondered what mine are. It took a lot of mulling it over before I realized mine are a little unusual. Set aside all the memorabilia like family photos and keepsakes, of which I have too many, and it boils down to two things.

My laptop. Seriously. I love my laptop. I grew up before it was common for every college student, let alone member of a household to have a laptop, cell phone or tablet. Buying my first laptop was like a decadent splurge that left me giddy.

I’m on my second laptop now and I love it. No one else in the family is allowed to touch it as it’s my “work”, but it’s also where I create new worlds and characters that I fall in love with. I’ve traveled to distant places on this machine, experienced euphoria and tragedy as my characters find their way in life.

My laptop is so precious that I hide it when I have to leave town. Yup. Silly, I know, but if my house were ever robbed, I’d be devastated to lose it.

My suitcase is the second super favorite thing on my list. It’s purple and becoming quite worn over the past ten years. My suitcase represents travel, new experiences, and fun! Saying I love to travel is an understatement.

This coveted suitcase has traveled to Europe as I wrote Royally Lost, it’s been to writing conferences in New Orleans, New York, and LA. It’s joined me at book signings in Minneapolis, Orlando, and Las Vegas. It’s vacationed in Whistler, Charleston, Alaska, and New York. Have I mentioned how much I love New York more than probably any other place? But that’s another story. I love to travel and my purple suitcase has been with me every step of the way.

Title Trivia – Pick a Perfect Title

Last night after writing until 2:30 in the morning, I lay in bed and started thinking about titles. Why? Because my writer’s brain never seems to turn off. I thought you might find it interesting to know what goes into deciding titles. Here goes.

When I wrote my first book, Love ’em or Leave ’em, the title was Reality Bites. Not after the movie, which I’ve sadly never seen, but because it’s about a girl who is stuck on a reality dating show and doesn’t want to be there. I thought it was the perfect, sassy title, but when it was picked up by Avalon Books, they changed the title to Love ’em or Leave ’em after the name I gave my fake reality dating show in the book. I instantly wished I’d thought of a catchier name for my fake dating show, but there it is.

Rock and a Hard Place was my next book and the title from almost the beginning. I always thought I’d change it, but I could never think of anything I liked better. Rock stands for Peter Jamieson and his rock music. And if you’ve read the book, you know that Hard Place is Libby’s life. She’s gone through so much and continues to throughout the book. I think this is probably my favorite title so far.

Snapshot is book two in the Jamieson Collection and features Adam Jamieson, the goofy younger brother who loves photography. Half the book is set at a photography camp and I thought Snapshot had some fun duel meanings.

Dream Chaser also has duel meanings. It’s about a girl, Willow, who is cast in a musical titled Dream Chaser along side a boy, Eli. It also represents the fact that Willow and Eli are both chasing their dreams. This is my favorite cover so far.

Snowed Over is a holiday novella. I really wanted to title it Snowed In because the two college students get stranded in a vacant cabin over Christmas, but that title has been used numerous times. So Snowed Over it is. Also a great cover!

Royally Lost is a fun one. I love the title and that the publisher didn’t want to change it. The girl in the story, Becca, tends to get lost. All the time. The guy, Nikolai, just happens to be a prince on the run. I felt Royally Lost was a fun play on words and their situation. And now that I think of it, this is probably my favorite cover.

My next book, which releases in May, 2015, is titled Under the Spotlight. It’s the third book in the Jamieson Collection and about the oldest brother Garrett. He’s a real piece of work and writing this book has been a blast. I found a great girl for him with the challenging Riley Parks. Originally I gave this book a working title of Sound Check, because Garrett and Riley meet at a recording studio, but over time, I felt that Under the Spotlight was a better fit because of her being forced to take the stage. The publisher was resistant to the change at first, but once they read the book, heartily agreed.

I’m currently working on two projects, one of which is a time travel. I think I’ve come up with the perfect title, but until the book is finished and finds a home, I’ll have to keep it under wraps. I hope you enjoyed my title trivia.

Cover Reveal for Under the Spotlight.

Happy news! We’re one step closer to getting you the third book in the Jamieson Collection, Garrett’s book, or more specifically, Under the Spotlight. Here’s the cover!

After an embarrassing stint on a reality TV music competition years ago, Riley Parks vowed never to sing again. Now she’s working at the prestigious Sound Sync recording studio and life is looking up. But then Garrett Jamieson, the oldest brother in the famous band Jamieson, crashes into her world.

Garrett has hit rock bottom and is desperate to reinvent himself. After calling in a few favors, he ends up working at Sound Sync Studio to learn the ropes of record producing. And he can’t believe his luck when he discovers that Riley is an amazing singer. But Garrett is forced to use every trick in his arsenal to persuade Riley to record.

Sparks fly as Garrett finally meets his match. Dealing with the feisty redhead ranges from frustrating to thrilling, and in the heat of the moment, one stolen kiss changes everything.

Under the Spotlight releases May 5, 2015 from HarperTeen.

All in a Day’s Work – A Day on the UW Campus

I haven’t posted in forever mostly because life is busy, but I’ve had a colorful couple of days doing research and thought I’d share. Here are some pictures that represent the next book. I’m sure you can quickly guess where it takes place. If you can’t, it’s the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

The Carillon Tower

Babcock Hall ice cream on the Memorial Union Terrace

A crew boat. I’m very excited about this research

Words can’t do justice to the significance of this building

The lecture hall in Bascom Hall

Summer Camp Spent Frog Catching & Tie Dying

I love summer camp. I only went once as a kid, but my husband grew up going to a family camp. Once we had kids we started going and it’s a carefree week of sun and fun.

Each family gets their own cabin on the lake. There is a main lodge where all our meals are served, a waterfront with beach chairs and boats, a craft room for camp projects and a naturalist. Each night features a different activity from night swims, a camp prom, or talent show.

This is the place I used as the inspiration for the camp Marti and Adam attend in my book Snapshot. Every time I come to camp, I find myself thinking of Marti and Adam stuck in the bog with their overturned canoe.

As I write this, I’m sitting on the dock with loons calling out to each other. Little kids are catching frogs and the teenagers are playing volleyball. This year at camp I decided to make a tie dye shirt. It’s been many years, so I was really excited. I think I kind of drove the craft girl, Carly, crazy with all my questions. And in case you’re wondering how it works, here’s the process step by step.

1. Swirl your shirt from the center and wrap it tightly with rubber bands.

2. Soak the shirt overnight in a bucket of soda ash water. (I have no idea what that is!)

3. Squirt different colors of dye on the shirt until it’s drenched with color. Be sure to get dye in all the creases.

4. Put the dyed shirt in a bag and let sit for a day or two.

5. Unrubber band your masterpiece and rinse in cold water until it runs clean. Then do the same in warm soapy water, then back to cold, and hang to dry.

Viola!

Royal Movies I Love

Doesn’t everyone have a secret desire to be royal or at least mix with the privileged class? I am always drawn to movies with a prince or princess, especially when the person is plucked out of their natural habitat like Princess Jasmine in Aladdin,

or is a commoner thrown into the world of the royal like in Princess Diaries and Prince and Me.

There will always be a special interest in royalty and we have Disney to thank for keeping that dream alive, most recently with Frozen and the song Let it Go. Personally, I loved the Princess Protection Program with Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. And how about the Prince of Persia with Jake Gyllenhal.

Oh yeah. I’m even a big fan of Chronicles of Narnia-Prince Caspian. Ben Barnes is very fun to watch.

And then there are the stories where the commoner pretends to be royal like in Monte Carlo with Selena Gomez impersonating British heiress Cordelia Winthrop Scott

So when an idea finally came to me on writing an American girl, Becca, who is miserable on a family trip to Europe, I knew exactly how to cheer her up. I brought in Prince Nikolai, but he’s had enough of his parents’ royal expectations and is on the run. Becca doesn’t know he’s a prince, and he’s enjoying the novelty of being a commoner. That is until his plan falls apart. Becca learns his real identity, and the palace guards have found him with plans to drag him home.

If you love stories with a royal flair, I hope you love Royally Lost as much as I loved writing it.

Release Day Random Thoughts

As most people on the planet know, today is the book birthday for Royally Lost. You may wonder what that means. Do authors spend the day celebrating? Do we put our feet up and eat chocolate all day in tribute to a job well done? Not quite.

I think I speak for a fair share of authors when I say that we fret in the days up to our book release, and even more on the day. Why? We’ve worked for many months, sometimes years on a book, put our heart and soul into it, and are terrified the world won’t love it as much as we do.

So how have I spent my time? I tried to plan my whole day away from my computer. I began with a pedicure. It turns out that the gal who did my pedi, Leah, is the same gal from over a year ago. She remembered me because we talked the whole time about youth hostels. Thanks to Leah, my research on hostels in Europe was a snap, and on the release of the book she helped with, I was back in her pedi chair. How wild is that?

With my toes cute and polished, I drove downtown to A Room of One’s Own where they are handling requests for autographed books. They have Snapshot and Rock and a Hard Place, too. I signed the book orders that had come in, so they can ship them out to the eager readers. That was very fun!

Afterwards, I hid out at the movie theater and watched the Grand Budapest Hotel as I gorged on overly buttered popcorn. It was a quirky movie with lots of stars. Fun, but far from a blockbuster. On my way home I stopped at two different garden centers and picked up my first plantings of the season. It’s 60 degrees today, balmy. Not. Putting my hands in soil is great therapy and distraction from checking rankings, reviews and social media.

Tonight I’m forcing my husband to take me out to dinner and later we’ll watch taped episodes of The Americans. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. Love it!

As you see, I’m trying to keep my mind off the book. Still, I sneak peeks once in a while and tweet my thanks to bloggers and readers. What will I do tomorrow?

Start writing the next book, of course.

If you’ve read Royally Lost and enjoyed it, one of the nicest things you could do is write a short review on Amazon. This author would be forever grateful.

Royally Lost ~ Teaser #4

Only one week until release day! Here’s another sneak peek for you.

Nikolai opened his eyes, chilled, as a cloud blocked out the sun. Next to him, Becca slept, her hand curled in his. She smiled in relaxed slumber.

He gently released her hand and looked around. A couple of people lounged on the distant beach and a lone man sat in the sand with a camera aimed straight at him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Nikolai turned his back to the beach and nudged her. “Becca!”

“Hmm?” She stirred.

“There’s a guy on the beach and I’m pretty sure he’s taking our picture.”

Her eyes sprang open. “What?” She sat up and spotted the man. “You think he’s paparazzi?”

“It sure isn’t a random tourist aiming a long lens at us. How the hell did he know I was here?” Nikolai slid on his shorts.

“Oh crud.” Becca grabbed her clothes and quickly pulled them on. “You think he’s been taking pictures of us sleeping?”

“That and more. Lord only knows how long he’s been here.” He didn’t notice him when they were in the water, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been lurking in the trees, snapping pictures.

Nikolai stuffed their leftover lunch items into his backpack. How did this camera-wielding jerk find him?

Dressed, with everything packed up, they headed for the motorbike. Their path unfortunately forced them to pass the creep with the camera. Nikolai pulled his baseball cap low and hid behind his sunglasses. He led the way with Becca’s hand firmly in his.

“Prince Nikolai, why did you run from the palace?” The photographer, a short, heavyset man with cameras strapped across his chest moved closer.

Nikolai picked up the pace, but the man stayed with them, walking backward and snapping pictures. This was no official appearance where Nikolai owed the press a friendly smile and kind word.

“Do your parents know where you are?”

He ignored him.

“Your friend is beautiful. Is she the reason you fled? What’s her name?”

Nikolai bristled and fought the urge to shove the man to the ground and bust his camera. He glanced at Becca, her face pink with embarrassment. She didn’t need to be targeted by this oily loser.

“Have you heard that your sister, Princess Alexi, has gone missing?”

Nikolai hesitated for an instant, but then hurried on. The man was lying. He was sure of it, and he wouldn’t let this vile intruder ruin their day.

They reached the bike. He hurried and strapped on the pack and hopped on. Becca climbed up, hugging him from behind. Nikolai liked the feel of her body secure against his. It made him feel better able to protect her.

The photographer kept snapping pictures and wouldn’t back off. “There are rumors that you have renounced the throne,” he baited.

Nikolai stiffened, but didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction. He started the engine.

“Where are you going next?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Nikolai grinned, revved the engine, and spun gravel as they raced away.

Royally Lost releases May 6th and is available for pre-order now.

Royally Lost ~ Teaser #3

Three weeks until release day! Here’s a sneak peek at Becca and Nikolai at a lake in Germany on a hot day.

The hot sun burned down on Becca. “The lake is so clear I can see all the way to the bottom. I wish I’d worn my swimsuit.”

“You could . . . you know,” Nikolai said suggestively, looking at her shirt.

“I am not skinny-dipping, so you can wipe that idea from your mind right now.”

“Look who’s jumping to conclusions. I wasn’t suggesting you skinny-dip.” He delivered a sly grin. “What I was about to say is that you could swim in your underwear.”

“Oh, but—”

“Ut.”He held up a finger. “Let me finish. Your underwear probably covers you more than your bathing suit anyway.”

Becca opened her mouth to speak, but then changed her mind. She knew he was secretly laughing at her.

“What? It’s a great idea.” He smiled devilishly.

“So, you’re saying you’d strip down to your undies, right here, in broad daylight.”

Nikolai stood and reached between his shoulders, pulled his T-shirt over his head, and dropped it at her feet. “You Americans are so uptight about your bodies.”

Becca stared at his strong arms, lean physique, and flat stomach. He began to unbutton his shorts.

Her jaw opened. She wanted to tell him to stop, but even more, she wanted to see if he’d actually drop his drawers in front of her.

He did.

Royally Lost releases May 6th and is available for pre-order now.