Betsy Horvath

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  • HOLD ME Countdown – FBI Quiz

    20 Days to Release Day!

     

    Today on the countdown we’re going to see how much you know about the FBI.   Luc Vasco, the hero of HOLD ME, is an FBI Special Agent. Since his work gets him and Katie into a lot of trouble, it’s only fair that we learn a little bit about the history of the agency that employs him.

    I’m going to give you some multiple choice questions.  Give me a list of your answers in the comments below. And, just to make it more fun, I’ll pick a random commenter to win a $25 Amazon gift certificate.  All comments received before noon (EST) on Thursday 8/18/11 will be entered, not just the ones with the correct answers.  Yeah, I’m easy.  Besides that gets me off the hook if I have faulty information. 😉

    So, okay. Here we go!

    1.  When was the FBI founded?

    A     1908

    B     1929

    C     1935

    2.  The FBI motto is:

    A     First, Best, and Invincible

    B      Deal Fairly, Bear Witness, and Investigate

    C     Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity

    3.  How many field and satellite offices does the FBI have?

    A     50 field offices, 420 satellite offices

    B     56 field offices, 400 satellite offices

    C     60 field offices, 450 satellite offices

    4.  How many FBI Special Agents are there?

    A     11,000-12,999

    B     13,000-14,999

    C     15,000-16,999

    5.  How many FBI Special Agents are women?

    A     over 2000

    B     over 2500

    C     over 3000

    6.  When was the first female FBI Special Agent hired?

    A     1910

    B     1945

    C     1972

    7.   How many female agents were employed at the FBI when J. Edgar Hoover died?

    A     25

    B     10

    C      0

    Okay, the challenge is on!  Leave a comment and let me know what you think.  I’ll tell you the answers and the winner of the $25 gift certificate on Thursday.  Remember – everyone who comments before noon (EST) on Thursday 8/18/11 will be entered to win, even if they don’t have the correct answers.  That’s just the kind of girl I am.

    And if nobody comments, I’ll just keep the gift certificate myself and go shopping.  Win! 😀

     

  • HOLD ME Countdown – Battle Plans

    Private Horvath!

    What?  Who?…. Blogosphere? Is that you?

    I am Sergeant Blogosphere, Private, and the appropriate response to my calling you is “Sir, yes Sir.”

    What is this?

    I cain’t HEAR you!

    Um…Sir.  Yes, uh, sir.

    Fair enough.  Now front and center, Private and make it snappy.

    ::moves forward:: Um, yeah?

    Stand at attention when I’m talking to you, girl.

    Sir. Yes, sir. ::snaps to attention::

    When is release day, Private?

    Release day is in 23 days, sir!

    And what day is that, Private?

    It is Monnnnday, September 5th, sir!

    Good.  At ease.

    ::assumes parade rest position::

    I had to call you several times before you showed up, Private. What were you doing.

    I was resting, sir.

    Resting!  ::slaps riding crop against thigh:: I do not recall giving you permission to rest.

    I’m…I’m sorry, sir.  I was hungry and I needed to..

    That’s enough!  We need to review our battle plans.  That release day isn’t getting any further away, is it?

    Yes…um…no.  No, sir!

    Okay. Let’s get this done.  Twitter and Facebook, check.  Blog ::looks around:: I guess it’s the best we can expect. Google Plus?

    Set up, Sir!

    Goodreads?

    Waiting for confirmation of author status, sir!

    Fine, fine.  You were a little late on the jump on that one, but we’ll let it slide.  Amazon author page?

    Set up, sir!

    With bio and picture?

    Yes, sir! I uploaded the cover, but I’m waiting for it to load.

    Could have been done sooner, but okay. *checks clipboard*  eHarlequin community?

    Set up, Sir. With bio and author page and first blog posted.

    But no posting in the forums yet, huh?

    Um, no sir!

    Well, get out there and do that! *makes note*  Kindlegraph?

    Set up, sir!  But the cover isn’t there yet.

    What?  Not there?

    I hope it will be soon, sir!

    I guess that’s all right.  Guest blog posts?

    Um, not yet, sir.

    Not yet! Not yet! What have you been doing, sleeping?

    Well, the posts are mostly drafted and I have them planned…

    That is not good enough, Private!  ::begins to pace back and forth:: Not good enough at all.  There are 23 days to release day.  23!  You need to have these things in place before then!  Have you even looked at the interview Maureen sent you?

    Not yet, but…

    Have you looked at the promotional opportunities email from Carina?

    Not really, but…

    Have you formatted your interview with Rhonda for next week?

    No, but…

    This is unexceptable!  This will not be tolerated!  Stand at attention, Private!

    ::snaps to attention::

    Now you listen to me, and you listen to me good. This battle will not be won with “but’s”  This battle will not be won with “should’s”  This battle will be won  with heart, and soul, and computers!  Do I make myself clear?

    Sir!  Yes, sir!

    Good!  Now get out there and give me the kind of blog posting that I expect from one of my recruits!  Go out and interact the way you’ve never interacted before!

    Sir!  Yes, sir!

    GO, Private!

    ::Betsy double-times it out of the post::

    Damn straight.  ::Blogosphere chews on unlit cigar::  Well, she’ll either get it, or she’ll fall asleep trying.

    And YOU!  YOU watch for HOLD ME, release day 9/5/11. Do I make myself clear?

    Good.

    P.S. – Tune into the blog on Tuesday – we’re having a contest.

  • HOLD ME Countdown – Twelve Big Puppies

    25 Days to Release Day!

     

    In my book, the hero, Luc Vasco, has a Newfoundland dog named Spot.  Spot is female, very protective, and quite large.

    In honor of Spot, I wanted to tell you about some friends of mine.  They, too, cohabitate with a female Newfoundland.  Her name is Athena.

    They also share their home with a male Bernese Mountain dog.  His name is Paladin.

    One spring, with the blessing of my friends, romance bloomed between Athena and Paladin.  A young man’s fancy turned to love and after a suitable interval Athena found herself in the family way.

    My friends were happy.  Paladin was happy.  Athena wasn’t too thrilled, but she was resigned.

    Paladin was a somewhat elderly gentleman, so my friends were expecting maybe two or three puppies.  Four puppies tops.

    They got twelve.

    Twelve big puppies.

    Athena popped them out like Pez.  And then came the realization that the poor thing just didn’t have enough spigots to feed all of them.  Here’s what it looked like when she would go into the whelping box to make the attempt.

    Mass hysteria.  Athena was patient and did her best, but there just wasn’t enough of her to go around.

    And so the babies were bottle-fed.  Friends and family were drafted into service to make sure all mouths were satisfied.  It worked.  The babies were astonishingly healthy, and cute as little black buttons.

    Their father was very proud of himself. (“Yeah? Who you calling old now? Suckers…”)

    And the puppies grew.

    Soon they were almost as big as Athena, but that didn’t stop them from trying to nurse.

    I’ll bet there are some mothers out there wincing at this picture.

    The puppies thrived.  And they grew.  And grew.

    And they are all beautiful. And big.

    Now I can’t think about Spot without picturing her with twelve puppies hanging off her…body.  She’d probably be a pretty good mother, too.

    Except if she knew that I even THOUGHT about giving her twelve puppies, she’d come for me in my sleep.  After all, she saw what Athena went through.

    LOL

     

     

  • HOLD ME Countdown – Meet the Bad Guy (with excerpt)

    27 Days To Release Day!

     

    Well, excitement abounds at the Palatial Horvath Estate today, because I found out that HOLD ME is available for preorder at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Wheeee!!  It’s like it’s all real or something. 😀

    But for today’s countdown post, I had something a little different in mind.  Today I wanted to talk to you about the bad guy.

    In romantic suspense, things can’t be all sunshine and lollipops.  The hero and heroine can’t run away screaming, “KITTENS!  AHH, THE PURRING!”.

    No.  In a romantic suspense novel, there needs to be a bad guy.

    The bad guy in HOLD ME is named Frankie Silvano.  Frankie is a hit man for the mob.  On top of that, he has a reputation for never having been arrested. And, oh yeah, he’s a little…nuts.

    Here’s Katie’s impression of him the first time she sees him:

    He was a little man. Short. Not too much taller than she was, but he had an almost kinetic energy, the illusion of both strength and madness.

    Today I’d like to share an excerpt from the first time we really meet Frankie Silvano.  I hope you enjoy it! 😉    (potty mouth language warning)

    [spoiler effect=”simple” show=”Click To Read Excerpt “]

    The Dream Net Casino was huge, one of the biggest in Atlantic City, and Joey Silvano ran the place. So Frankie figured it was a measure of his father’s affection that he’d been given an office the size of a postage stamp right next to the loading dock. Half the time he couldn’t even hear himself think because of trucks idling outside. Poppa used the whole fucking penthouse and mostly he wasn’t even there, but Frankie was shoved into a broom closet. Fucking old bastard.

    Frankie sat behind his desk and toyed with a pencil, tapping it repeatedly. When somebody knocked on the door, he called out permission to enter. Arlo Kravitz walked into the room.

    “You wanted to see me, boss?” Arlo asked. His face was placid, eager. He was a big man, far bigger than Frankie himself, with a muscular build turning to fat. A beer belly hung over the waistband of his brown trousers and there was no way the jacket would close. He’d been wearing the same suit on Friday.

    Friday.

    Frankie heard a pop and saw that he’d snapped the pencil in half. He threw it away with a quick gesture.

    “Arlo,” he said. “Thanks for coming. Sit.”

    “Sure, sure.” Arlo sounded almost pathetically grateful. With some effort, he squeezed himself into one of the visitors’ chairs. “Thanks for understanding, boss.” Arlo leaned forward once he was settled. “You know, about the car.”

    Frankie swiveled back and forth in his chair. “You mean, the car you were driving?”

    “Yeah, yeah. I wasn’t sure—”

    “The car you were driving when you got pushed into a quarry pit?”

    Arlo looked concerned now. “Uh—”

    “The car you were driving when you got me arrested?”

    Arlo sat straighter, definitely on edge. “Boss—”

    Frankie studied him. “I’ve never been arrested before, did you know that?”

    “Um, yeah. Yeah, I knew that.” Arlo definitely sounded nervous. Sweat beaded on his broad face.

    “And the woman, the woman who was driving the other car? She’s a secretary. Did you know that too?” Frankie kept his voice even, but his fingers tapped restlessly on the desk.

    “Uh, no. I mean, Yeah.” Arlo was practically babbling now. “I think one of the guys told me after.”

    “Turns out she’s not a Fed. Not a cop. Hasn’t had any kind of training, as far as I know. In fact, she’s probably never been involved in a car chase in her life. But she pushed your car into a quarry pit.”

    Arlo was mute, eyes huge. He looked like he was finally grasping the seriousness of his situation.

    “And I got arrested. And humiliated. She took me out with her purse. The cops, they laughed, did you know that? Laughed at me.” He tamped down the anger bubbling just beneath the surface.

    “I’m sorry, boss.” The big man swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

    “I had to tell my father. Did you know that as well?” he continued as if Arlo hadn’t spoken. That had been the worst part, really. Telling Poppa. Seeing the triumph in his eyes. The glee. Knowing that inside, the old bastard was laughing at him too.

    “No. Boss, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Arlo struggled to get out of the chair, his breathing fast, the sweat running. “I’ll fix it. I’ll make it right. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. Just give me a chance to—”

    “Too late,” Frankie said, softly.[/spoiler]

     

     

  • HOLD ME Countdown – Nothing You Can Do About It

    HOLD ME Countdown – Nothing You Can Do About It

     


    29 Days To Release Day!

     

    I have to tell you that I love the group The Manhattan Transfer.  I have almost all of their albums/CD’s.  I loved them before there WERE CD’s.  Yes, I’ve loved them for that long.

    When I was writing the draft of the book that became HOLD ME, I found myself obsessed with TMT’s classic album/CD “Extensions”.  I listened to it all the time.  In particular, I would play the 3rd track,”Nothing You Can Do About It”, over and over and over again.  It was, I thought, absolutely perfect for the book I was writing. I would sing the song loudly.  I would get strange looks.

    I can’t say that “Nothing You Can Do About It” would be on either Luc’s or Katie’s playlist.  The smooth, creamy, vocals don’t seem to be quite their style.  But I like to think that once they heard the song, they would recognize their own story in the lyrics, and they’d like it.

    So, because in my mind at least, this song is made of awesome and tied to Luc and Katie, I thought I’d share it with your for their countdown.  Here’s The Manhattan Transfer singing “Nothing You Can Do About It”.

    I hope you enjoy it!

    [youtube id=gtEzcYkGlxw width=440 height=390 ]

     
     
     
     

  • HOLD ME Countdown – Fun Facts About New Jersey

    32 Days to Release Day!

    Although I don’t live in New Jersey, I’ve driven through it a time or twelve.  I’ve wasted days of my youth at Great Adventure and spent time “down the shore”, although, to my sorrow, I’ve never met Snooki.  And, since a good portion of HOLD ME takes place in various New Jersey locations, I thought I’d give you some fun facts about this great state. Feel free to print this post out and astound your friends and neighbors.

    And here we go!  All about New Jersey!

    * Major Industries – farming (potatoes, tomatoes, peaches), chemicals, pharmaceuticals, petroleum-based products, insurance, tourism

    (Wait – Farming AND chemicals?)

    * Highlands, New Jersey has the highest elevation along the entire eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida and The Great Falls in Paterson is the second-tallest waterfall east of the Mississipi.

    * New Jersey has more race horses than Kentucky.

    * New Jersey has the most dense system of highways and railroads in the U.S.

    * New Jersey is a major seaport state with the largest seaport in the US, located in Elizabeth. Nearly 80 percent of what our nation imports comes through Elizabeth Seaport first.

    * New Jersey is a leading technology & industrial state and is the largest chemical producing state in the nation when you include pharmaceuticals.

    * The urban density of northeast New Jersey contrasts sharply with the rugged hills of the northwest, the enormous stretches of pine forest in the southeast (the Pine Barrens), and the rolling and lush horse country in the south-central part of the state.

    * The marshy area west of The Palisades (the Hackensack Meadows, popularly called the Meadowlands) and the Great Swamp of Morris county are relics of glacial lakes of the last Ice Age.

    * Farms cover about one-sixth of the state’s land area. Less than 1 percent of the state’s population is engaged in farming, but farm income per acre is among the highest in the country.

    * New Jersey is the 47th biggest state, but the 9th most densely populated. New Jersey has the highest percent urban population in the U.S. with about 90% of the people living in an urban area.

    * New Jersey is a world leader in blueberry and cranberry production.

    * New Jersey is the only state where all of its counties are classified as metropolitan areas.

    (Confused yet? Is it me, or do these facts seem to, um, contradict each other?)

    * State Dinosaur Hadrosaurus foulkii – A duck-billed dinosaur (a plant-eater).  Modern paleontology, the science of studying dinosaur fossils, began in 1858 with the discovery of the first nearly complete skeleton of a dinosaur in Haddonfield, New Jersey.  (Who knew paleontology started in New Jersey?)

    * New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is sometimes referred to as the diner capital of the world.

    * North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world with seven major shopping malls in a 25 sq. mile radius.

    * Atlantic City is where the street names came from for the game monopoly and the longest boardwalk in the world.

    * New Jersey is home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

    * The official state folk dance is the Square Dance.

    Ah, New Jersey.  How I love thee.  Land of contradictions and wonders.  And the perfect place to set a book!

     
    Find these facts and more about New Jersey at the following websites:
    http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/newjersey/
    http://www.50states.com/facts/newjerse.htm
    http://www.njeha.org/njfacts.html
    http://www.history.com/topics/new-jersey
    http://www.memory-lane.org/NewJerseyFacts.html (music alert)