Friday, December 28, 2012

New Year's Blog Hop Coming January lst.





It's another year over! Can you believe it? Well we authors, readers, and bloggers sure can't. And to celebrate the New Year with bang, we're going crazy and sending out so many prizes, fun parties, experiences, and other goodies, that it's a bit scary. Each author has a favorite New Year memory, book, idea, or way to party and we're going to show you! Can't wait to see you January 1st - 6th!

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

In addition, each person who leaves a comment on my personal blog will be entered to receive a set of Dog Tags from the covers of my SEAL books, as well as a free copy of Fallen SEAL Legacy, my new book. Every commenter will also receive a free short (SEAL Endeavor or SEAL Encounter). Be sure to leave your email in the comment. 

Enjoy your adventure into the NEW YEAR!

HAPPY READING - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Come back and join me here on Tuesday, January 1st, 2013.

Here are all the blog participants

Forwarding encouraged!

Monday, December 24, 2012

Angels at Christmas: The Start of the Writing Journey


Angels and the Heaven That Could Be

I was raised in a traditional family, or as traditional as a family could be in Northern California during the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. And yes, we had our fair share of quirky characters, as all families do. Laced in there were some serious hours doing service at our local church, mostly because that’s what my parents had done, how they had met, in the shadow of my grandfather, who was an evangelist.

Let me set you straight here, this blog isn’t about religion or much of anything in the way of values, other than as it relates to my characters. I’ve always said I’m a Christian with a bent antennae. I’ll explain.

I was given a unique view behind the curtain, to see what went on behind the production number that was the stage. And that’s where I think the real story is. I got to see the women, kids in tow, coming to my grandfather’s house in the middle of the night, after being beaten by a raging husband. Those things really do happen in the real world. I’d see them at breakfast the next day, and watch as my grandfather would hand out a free meal or a little money to people out of luck. He told me the “hobos”, as we used to call them, marked his fence so one that followed would know there was a kind person living there who might share a scrap of food. I once gave my favorite teddy bear to a little girl who was about 4 and clearly was afraid. I was afraid too. Afraid for her future. I often think of her little face, standing in my grandfather’s kitchen, barefoot, with syrup running down her chin.

What has always interested me is what makes people do the things they do. And what choices they make in life. I didn’t want to go into religious studies. I wanted to know what motivated them. So, in college I majored in Psychology.

Years later, after raising a family of my own and now beginning to see them have children, I still don’t really know what makes people do what they do. But I know how to write it down.

Heavenly Lover is my first book, and it was the book that seized me one cold December day when I was visiting my daughter for her college graduation in Portland. We were snowed in that day, and the graduation (mid-year, smaller) was cancelled. And like the famous story of Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein, we started talking about stories as we went around the room. I had been dreaming about angels, but not anything close to the angels I’d learned about in Sunday School. These were fully fleshed out beings with personalities, in a beautiful place with gardens and classrooms so they could learn about human life.

My blonde angel character was innocent, but drawn to the human world like a moth is drawn to a light fixture. The story developed that her attraction to all things human was what made her such an effective Guardian Angel. And she had a 100% track record, unlike anyone else.

I constructed a world around her and the possibility that she might fall in love so hard, that she wanted to give up her wings and become human. And so I explored what that would look like, how she would feel, and what the consequences would be.

The premise became:  Heaven isn’t 100% perfect by design. The Underworld isn’t 100% evil by accident.

I began thinking that she would test the premise that all beings had free will, human as well as angelic. And I wanted her to push the boundaries. And not just push them, I wanted her to fall off the edge and watch her recover, if she could.

Thirty days later, in mid January, I had that first draft done. It was 92,000 words. I asked other writers I was becoming friends with if that was normal, and realized I am a prolific writer. Now that version has been re-written over 50 times now, vetted and critiqued on the contest circuit, where it did very well. It took a lot of people to help me wrestle with this behemoth first novel. But the end result is something that is near and dear to my heart. The premise and the ending remained the same.

I’m now on my 4th book in the angel series.

You might ask me if I believe in the presence of a higher power. And I have to say, when I shut my eyes and tune out everything else, that someone else is there.

I hope you enjoy the journey I’ve taken. No, it probably won’t send you back to church. But it might make you believe in perfect love. For life doesn’t have to be 100% perfect to be fully enjoyed. We don’t have to be 100% perfect to love or be loved.


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Tacky Christmas Sweaters

I'm over at Delilah Devlin's blog today, talking about tasteless Christmas sweaters. Come join the fun and win some dog tags!

http://www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/2012/12/23/guest-blogger-sharon-hamilton-4/

Sharon

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Blog Hop Winners


After over 8,000 comments our Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop has some grand prize winners!!
Congrats!

Grand Prize Winners:

Kindle Fire Winner:
Aimee F.


$200 Amazon Gift Card:
Laura T.


Swag Pack:
Debbie G.


THE WINNER FOR MY PERSONAL
BLOG HOP IS:

angelheart/My Durango

Congratulations!

Merry Christmas, ladies.
When we wear red at Christmas, let's think
of our troops everywhere, and the families that love them.

Sharon

Do We Need Heroes?

Join me today over at Kaylea Cross's blog:

http://writersgonewild.blogspot.ca/2012/12/meet-sharon-hamilton-and-her-seal-heroes.html

We're talking about the need for heroes these days, and why reading romance is actually good for you!

Sharon

Friday, December 14, 2012

All I Want For Christmas is my Husband

There are a lot of military families out there who are separated this Christmas. Thank you for stopping by to help remember them today. It's easy to forget about our fighting men and women when we are just going about our daily lives. In this picture, my husband and I are at the wedding of our oldest son, which took place amongst the redwoods. I'm holding our grandson.

But these precious days wouldn't be possible without those that have sacrificed, and in some cases, given their all so we could have a "normal" life, free from the worries and dangers we might otherwise face.

I think about the families separated this Christmas, and my heart goes out to them especially. They are having a Christmas dinner in a temporary home, sleep on a cot, love getting letters and packages from home. They play video games and read, and they think of their families. I include them in my family. And if I could rule the world, like I do in my military romance novels, I'd bring them all home safely tomorrow. Before Christmas.

But I'm a realist. The world doesn't always have a happily ever after, like in our books. And, sadly, some must pay the ultimate sacrifice or come home wounded. I can only imagine the pain their absense causes.

And so I say thank you, for all you do for us. For giving me a Christmas and a whole life I will not squander.

Please leave your email in your comment for a free short to my new Navy SEAL Brotherhood series, SEAL Endeavor. This is the prequel to my new release, Fallen SEAL Legacy. You must also leave your email addy to be entered in the grand prize drawing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, and be sure to share this post with everyone you know. Remember, EVERYONE who leaves a comment and their email address will win a short. Everyone.

And be sure to stop by all the other author blog sites for other free prizes to make your Christmas that much merrier:


We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!



After you leave your comments, join the other hoppers by clicking here.





Saturday, December 8, 2012

Fallen SEAL Legacy is now here!

So excited to get Book 2 of the SEAL Brotherhood up on Amazon as of this morning: Fallen SEAL Legacy. The prequel to this full-length book, SEAL Endeavor, is also live.

I wrote the prequel so readers could meet my hero and heroine, just before the love story starts. So no, they don't really meet, but you better believe they've felt the sparks!

This has been a labor of love for me. Hope you enjoy both Book 1 and Book 2. The next one will be based on the character Armando Guzman, who is LPO Kyle Lansdowne's best friend on SEAL Team 3.


You can order your copies here:

Fallen SEAL Legacy, Book 2 of the SEAL Brotherhood.
Accidental SEAL, Book 1 of the SEAL Brotherhood.

Prequel/shorts:
SEAL Endeavor (prequel to Book 2)
SEAL Encounter (prequel to Book 1)