My second published book: A Wild Dream of Love

The sequel to A Chance to Say Yes is now available from your favorite booksellers, including Amazon.com. The ISBN for A Wild Dream of Love is 978-1-590723-5-1. If you prefer to use an e-reader, you will find the book on Kindle. The Kindle ASIN is B007SB5FGS. Use this URL to access it quickly: www.tinyurl.com/AWDOLamazon. Stay tuned for Book Three, A Big Fan of Yours, which is in progress.Please see my profile photo on this blog site to view the wonderful book jacket created for A Wild Dream of Love. Confidentially, it's a good idea to READ A Chance to Say Yes FIRST, before reading A Wild Dream of Love, although it's not necessary to do so. To order a copy of my first novel A Chance to Say Yes, please go to www.tinyurl.com/ACTSYamazon or visit any bookseller of your choice. The ISBN for A Chance to Say Yes is 9781595071835. The Kindle ASIN for A Chance to Say Yes is B003A02MZ8. You may read and post reviews on my books' Amazon pages, and on authorsden.com, goodreads.com, and other fine sites. Thanks very much for you interest in my writing.I hope you enjoy A Chance to Say Yes and the sequel, A Wild Dream of Love. If you do, please mention them to your friends and fellow readers. My best to you, Tina Murray

Oprah in Australia

Wow, what an amazing show yesterday on Oprah. The city of Sydney, Australia, gave her a rousing welcome. Prominent Australian celebrities--Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman, Bono, all graced the stage and sang together. A very moving moment for Australians and for Oprah, too, no doubt. The number of fans who attended the show was amazing. It is a testament to the incredible power of global media and the rise of world super-stardom.

Celebrity Beginnings in Nashville

For Christmas,2010, I received a compelling book entitled They Came to Nashville. It was written by Marshall Chapman, a graduate of Vanderbilt and a singer-songwriter of note. The book includes Chapman's memories of her early days in Nashville and the people she knew before they became legends of country music. These include Miranda Lambert, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell and other illustrious singers, songwrtiers, and musicians whose names we all recognize. It also includes transcripts of her taped conversation with each of these luminaries. I have found it be a fascinating read because I now have reference points in Nashville, among other reasons. I recommend the book to anyone who wants to get to know some country music greats as people first. Another interesting note is that another country music legend, Wynona Judd, has just penned her first novel. She will be holding a book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Brentwood, south of Nsashville, on February 4. Celebs abound in Music City.

Nashville, Music City, USA

I can't believe I'm blogging again. It's as if I dropped off the earth, isn't it? It has been so long since I've blogged. In spite of all my good intentions, obviously, I did not blog everyday, as I had written that I was going to do. A lot has happened in the interim, which could be the reason I havent' been thinking about blogging. I'm relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, a major-big change from sunny Southwest Florida. I completed the manuscript of my second novel, A Wild Dream of Love, and sent it off the the publisher. A Wild Dream of Love is the sequel to my novel, A Chance to Say Yes. I have the writing bug, but I need to straighten out the practical aspects of my new life, so I must pace myself. Book Three is spinning around in my head. Yes, it has a title--and I have other works sloshing in there along with it. I'm not going to say I'll blog regularly any more because I didn't live up to my words last time I wrote that. Oh, and I just joined www.meetup.nashvillewriters. More about that soon.

Second Edition debuts in Nashville

Many thanks to ArcheBooks Publishing for releasing the second edition of A Chance to Say Yes, 2010. Thanks, also, to the Nashville Writers Meet-Up for debuting the book at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville this past weekend. For those who need to know, my web site is www.tinamurrayauthor.com. The book is available in hardcover and on Kindle at tinyurl.com/ACTSYamazon. The book video site on You Tube is tinyurl.com/ACTSYbooktrailer. The sequel, A Wild Dream of Love, has been completed. Yay! More news on that as it develops.

My FIrst Virtual Book Tour, August, 2010

Yes, I'm on a virtual book tour with Paula Deen and other fine authors! While working to finish A Wild Dream of Love, I am celebrating the release of the second edition of A Chance to Say Yes. Please join me for my first virtual book tour. Here is my officail tour page: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2010/07/26/a-chance-to-say-yes-virtual-book-tour-august-2010/ .Here is my schedule: > Book Reviewers for A Chance to Say Yes Virtual Book Tour, August, 2010 > (Blog 1) > www.hilaryshepherd.com/rantsnraves > August 2nd interview, > August 3rd review (Blog 2) Blog name: Paperback Writer http://rebecca2007.wordpress.com > (Blog 3) > Blog Name: Acting Balanced > www.actingbalanced.com > August 11, 2010 >(Blog 4) > http://thereviewstew.blogspot.com > 8/12/10 > (Blog 5) > Blog Name: Reading At The Beach > http://readingatthebeach.com > 8/13/10 > Also, please visit BookMarketingBuzz.com on 8/4/2010 to see an additional interview. Thanks to the particpating blogger-reviewers Hilary Shepherd, Heather Smith, > Janet Ruth Hovis, Marissa Oachs, and Vicki Newell and their readers. Thanks, also, to Rebecca Camarena at PumpUpYourBook.com. I hope you can join us on the tour. Tina

Book One Review; Book Two in the Works

Hello, Here is a recent review of A Chance to Say Yes. Thanks to Trish Stevens of Ascot Media Group, Inc.,for the heads up. Special thanks to the paper, The Cherokee Connection, in the Atlanta metro area. http://thecherokeeconnection.com/books/a-chance-to-say-yes-mixes-intrigue-of -celebrity-go.shtml Oh, and here's today's fortune cookie lunch: "It is nice to be important, but it is important to be nice." Book Two, A Wild Dream of Love, is in the works...I hope you enjoy reading it. Tina

A Chance to Say Yes: Book Trailer and 2nd Edition

I am pleased and excited to announce the creation of a book trailer for my first novel A Chance to Say Yes. It was created by John Weaver of PageOneLit.com. Here's the link to view the book trailer. (It's short; why not give it a whirl?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dXfMpdtGhwPlease share the link with others. It is posted on my Web site at www.tinamurrayauthor.com, also. The other excellent news is that my publisher is releasing a second edition of A Chance to Say Yes. I will be doing a virtual book tour to announce this fact later this summer. Needless to say, I am heartsick over the gushing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. I hope and pray that the flow can be stopped.

Los Angeles Times Book Festival, April 24, 2010

I am scheduled to sign copies of A Chance to Say Yes at the Authors Den booth at the LA Times Book Festival on Saturday, April 24, 2010, 10-11 a.m. Hope to see you there! The book fair will be held on the UCLA Campus. Many thanks to my gracious hosts at Downing-Frye Realty on Fifth Avenue in Naples, Florida. They hosted my book signing at the Naples Press Club's annual book festival. Thanks for the turnout,too,friends and readers (the same thing!).

A Chance to Say Yes is now available on KINDLE

GUESSS WHAT???!!! My novel A Chance to Say Yes is now available for purchase on Amazon's Kindle, the new electronic reader. You can view my book's page at Amazon.com by clicking this link: www.tinyurl.com/ACTSYamazon. This is an exciting development. If you own a Kindle--or plan to purchase one--please check it out. Also, please mention this to the Kindle owners you know. A Chance to Say Yes sells for $9.99 on Kindle, a considerable savings from the hardback edition. Happy reading!!!

Curves and Arc-Angels

Hello, thanks for checking in. First of all, I'd like to thank Annette Stillman, owner of The Beach Book Nook in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, who hosted my most recent book signing. Greetubgs to all the nice readers I met there. Also, I want to thank the ladies at Curves in Naples, Florida, who have been and so very supportive of me and my novel A Chance to Say Yes, especially Trainer Krista and Owner Gail. On another note, I want to let everyone know that I, along with fellow ArcheBooks authors Sara Williams, Sand Lender, and Jane Sutton, will have a booth at the Southwest Florida Women's Expo in Northport, Florida, on Feb. 20, 2010. We will be selling and signing copies of our novels. Sara Williams writes mysteries set in Hawaii and Florida. Sandy Lender writes fantasies. Jane Sutton writes contemporary fiction. (Jane may not be able to attend the Expo, but we will have books of hers for purchase.) Sara, Sandy, Jane, and I are calling ourselves The Arc-Angels. I invite you to come to out and experience the Women's Expo, which should be a dynamite event. I hope to see you there. By the way, I am eliminating Anonymous posts to my blog because some people have been leaving inappropriate comments on my blog. Smle of the Day: I recently subscribed to a free newsletter called The Writers' Alliance, which is put out writer Garrison Keillor (I'll have to check the spelling of his last name!) of Praire Home Companion fame. It's a daily newsletter that offers information and insight into the lives of well-known writers, past and present. Please google it if you're interested in writers and writing. FORTUNE COOKIE LUNCH:The issue isn't what you're saying. Mostly, it's the way.

Book Signing Tomorrow at The Beach Book Nook

Please drop by The Beach Book Nook tomorrow, Saturday, January 30, 2010, between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The address is 7205 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, Florida. I'll be doing a book signing there. It's a great little shop with a very nice owner, Annette. I hope to see you there and sign your new copy of my novel A Chance to Say Yes. Next Saturday, February 6, 2010, I will be in downtown Fort Myers for the Art Walk. I'll be sharing a table with mystery author Sara Williams, www.sarawilliamsnovelist.com. I have a ton of things lined up. I'll post them as i can. Have a good one! SMILE OF THE DAY: Recently, a man said to me, "If I was as pretty as you, I'd be smiling all the time." Well, you'd better believe his comment DID make me smile! Fortune Cookie Lunch: He who climbs the tall tree has the right to the fruit.

Happy New Year, 2010

I am thankful to have made it through the Noughties, as the British say, and into Twenty Ten. I hope you, too, have a rosy outlook and hope for a better tomorrow. Obviously, I have not been blogging every day, as I had hoped I would. A lot is happening, however, which is the main reason I can't keep up with blogging. Yeah, yeah, blah, blah...Actually, I am very involved in completing my current novel A Wild Dream of Love, the sequel to A Chance to Say Yes, my first novel, which I am still actively promoting, by the way. I have several book signing events scheduled for this winter and spring. As I get the info together, I will post the whens and wheres. For example, I'll be signing at The Book Nook on Fort Myers Beach, Florida on January 23, 2010. Among other events, I also will be signing copies of my novel A Chance to Say Yes at the Southwest Florida Women's Expo in Northport, Florida, February 20, 2010. I'm taking a booth there with fellow ArcheBooks authors Sara Williams, Sandy Lender, and Jane Sutton. We are billing ourselves as The Arc-Angels. (Get it?) We're going to do readings from our books! Too much fun! Okay, wait, I need more details before I can mention more signings! Please stay tuned for further blog posts. Smile of the Day: Today I spoke by phone to one of my old grad school apartment-mates who lives in Spain. Her daughter found me on FaceBook and set up the phone call between me and her mother as a King's Day gift for her mom. What a lovely daughter! What a thoughtful thing to do! It was a nice holiday treat for me, too. I enjoyed catching up with my old friend from U Miami days. Fortune Cookie Lunch: Your power is in your ability to decide.

Five-Star Reviews for A Chance to Say Yes

Wonderful news! A Chance to Say Yes, my novel of romantic contemporary fiction, recently received two five-star reviews. The Midwest Review of Books and reviewer Charles Ashbacher each posted a five-star review on my book's page at www.amazon.com. The reviews are linked to my website, too, at www.tinamurrayauthor.com. I am elated, encouraged, and grateful. SMILE OF THE DAY: Today is my birthday. FORTUNE COOKIE LUNCH: It is darkest before dawn. :)

Speaking to the Marco Island Book Club

This Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, I will be a speaker at the Marco Island Book Club in Marco Island, Florida. I will be talking about my path to publication as a writer and beyond. For further information, please contact Amy Kaufman at (239) 393-1390. My friend Chris Wruk is a member of this group. I look forward to seeing everyone there. SMILE OF THE DAY: Yesterday I watched a young man present a bouquet of orange roses to a young woman he barely knew. Fortune Cookie Lunch: To love and to be loved are blessings.

The Loft Symbol Explained

Because I am teaching a class on Nov. 18 that involves a discussion of The Da Vinci Code (please register at http://www.artinlee.org/), I have been familiarizing myself with Dan Brown's latest blockbuster novel, The Lost Symbol (http://www.danbrown.com/). The main character is the same in both novels, Dr. Robert Langdon. The stories are related. Fortunately, I found a handy-dandy study guide that helps to explain the underpinnings of The Lost Symbol. It is entitled Unlocking Mysteries with Solomon's Key: A Guide to Understanding the Secrets to Solomon's Key and Other Legends. It is published by TD Media. I am fascinated by art history and love to read about it, especially when the information is given in an entertaining format. I have a B.A. in art from The University of Miami (Florida) with an art history emphasis. Sometimes, I wish I had taken up art history as a career, although I don't know how in the world I ever would have chosen an area of specialization. It's all interesting! Anyway, The Lost Symbol is a huge bestseller. If you are reading it, or are interested in learning more about it, I recommend this guide, which is written in magazine format. In fact, it may be available online. I haven't checked. SMILE OF THE DAY: Yesterday evening, as the sun set, I looked up at the eastern sky. There I beheld a golden full moon hovering, in an indigo sky, just above the horizon. It seemed alive, a quivering, organic orb, mellow yet magnificent, peaceful yet regal. It rose slowly, radiantly--the eternal feminine, pulsating with subtle power. The Eagles sang, "Witchy woman, she got the moon in her eyes." Roundness--circularity-- is female. Could this be the reason, perhaps, why men won't wear polka dots? Another mystery solved. Fortune Cookie Lunch: Angles are among us. When you find them, cherish their presence every day.

Good News for Writer-Friends

Good afternoon. Well, it's almost afternoon. This time change thing gets to me. Regardless, I can report several positive happenings today in the lives of some of my friends and fellow writers. Lynnette Hallberg and Heather Burch, both members of the Southwest Florida Romance Writers (http://www.swfrw.org/) have reported in. Lynnette just signed the contract for her third romance novel, and Heather finaled in a contest. Other friends, including Sandy Lender, Robert Dean Bair, and Joyce Wells had successful book signings at Barnes and Noble's local author book signing on Saturday. The event was well attended. I chatted with my publisher, Robert Gelinas and his wife, Joanna, as well as with authors Dr. Molly Barrow, Jean Harrington. I touched base, too, with Jessica and Felicia of BN, about participating in the next local author signing, which will occur in March. I'm ramping up my book signing schedule, as well as working hard on my sequel. SMILE OF THE DAY: My plumbago is blooming. Or should that be my plumbagoes are blooming? Not sure, but I do know that I have three pretty little plants right outside my front door that are alive and kicking. Not one, but two are producing clusters of five-petaled, blue-lavender flowers! Orginally, I had purchased four plants. One passed on quietly, but the three remaining plants are doing quite well, thank you. I love the color and delicacy of the plumbago flowers. They dance in the breeze as if they are waving hello. FORTUNE COOKIE LUNCH: You can put tap shoes on an elephant, but that doesn't mean it can dance.

Do You Enjoy Discussing Art and Writing?

If you're interested, please register for the class I'll be teaching at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009, 7-9 p.m. I will be leading a discussion about the role of the artist in three works of fiction. These works are The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. You can register online by going to http://www.artinlee.org/. It should be fun and stimulating. I hope to see you there. If you do register, you might want to familiarize yourself with those three novels. That will make it easier for you to join in the discussion and give your own thoughts and opinions. I'm looking forward to teaching the class. I hope to see you there! On another note, via Facebook, I received some wonderful tips on writing from fellow ArcheBooks author John DeDakis, http://www.johndedakis.com/. If I can figure out how to do it, I'll post a link to the page he sent. John works for the CNN show The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. He is the senior copy editor, a true professional. His advice about writing is the real thing. SMILE OF THE DAY: When I moved into my current residence, I inherited a small, gray, part-time cat. The former resident had dubbed him Nudger. I shortened it to Nudgie. Nudgie is a neighborhood cat, He drops by every now and then for a nosh. Lately, he's been meeting me at the car when I pull up. He ambles quietly up and sits down and waits for me to notice him--no fanfare. He only speaks when spoken to. I like it that he meets me. He's a good, sweet boy. It's nice to have a little cat bud. It's been a while. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Cruising

CRUISE NEWS: I gave been invited to attend a luncheon and ship's tour aboard the Noordam ship of the Holland America cruise line. The ship will be docked in Port Everglades on Nov. 11. I am seriously looking forward to this. I hope to have more Cruise News in future blog posts. I have been invited to particpate in a cruise-related venture for writers. Keep your fingers crossed, and I'll keep you posted with updates. This could be the start of something grand. SMILE OF THE DAY: A small boy whom I did not know offered me a Cheetoh from his bag. He was adorable. I was touched by his spontaneous generosity. He was accompanied by his mom and large number of brothers and sisters. How heartwarming to see the results of such a sturdy, nuturing type of love.

Life on the Internet

"I love your smile of the day - it truly does give me a smile as Itoddle off to bed. I'm looking forward to the next one. NBR" That's what my a friend of mine wrote me yesterday in an email. I am delighted she liked my first anecdote. I appreciate the comment. Today was eventful. Writers Jane Sutton (The Ride), Nancy Koerner and I met with Internet radio entrepreneur Joseph Dobzynski of http://www.radioearnetwork.com/, which is based in Sarasota, Florida. He invited us to assist the start-up of a Naples, Florida-based radio program. it will feature authors in round-table discussions as well as interviews with individual authors. He bought us coffee at the Coconut Point Starbucks. We had an informative conversation. I was pleased to be included in this endeavor. I would LOVE to be an interviewer. This could be my opportunity. It will be an opportunity for local authors to parcipate in the discussions and interviews, for a nominal cost. SMILE OF THE DAY: Last night I had a four hour conversation with my close friend, Tivo. I told him I had been listening to YouTube rock music videos as research for the novel I am writing, A Wild Dream of Love. Today he emailed me an incredible digitally psychedelic, endless-loop video of Break on Through to the Other Side by the Doors. I tell you, it is riveting. It made my day. Thank you, Tivo!