No Rest for the Wicked…
Posted by Blaze Author in Tori Carrington, tags: Tori Carrington Branded Astrology Quotes
…because they’re busy having so much fun.
Okay, I’ll own up to it: I’m a quote junkie. Along with reading a slew of horoscopes as part of my morning ritual (the first of the month is like Christmas morning all over again! Susan Miller at www.astrologyzone.com is a monthly fav, and Jonathan Cainer at www.cainer.com is the all-around go-to guy), I inhale the quotes I come across in the entertainment section of our local newspaper, and one of the horoscope sites I frequent includes two daily quotes, one inspirational, one more folksy (at least they did! I just checked www.horoscope.com to find they’ve updated their look and, lo and behold, they appear to have dropped the quotes. Wah!).
Great sayings can help set the mood for the day…and absolutely make a blurb. Try this one on for size: Get ‘er done.
This expression is one our editor extraordinaire Brenda Chin used for the back cover blurb for our June Blaze
BRANDED. And, as usual, she nailed the tone of the story dead on.
One of our pet themes is sex v. love and battle of the sexes comes a quick second. Both are highlighted in BRANDED. Rancher Trace Armstrong (younger brother of Eric Armstrong from our January Uniformly HOT Blaze A FEW GOOD MEN) doesn’t know what hit him when crazy hot wrangler Jo Atchison targets him in her search for the ultimate orgasm…and finds it. But can great sex lead to forever love when it comes to these two headstrong characters?
We’d love to hear what your preferred story themes are, as well as your favorite quotes! Posters automatically qualify to win a book, any book, from our 40+ backlist at day’s end. Good luck. And Happy Summer!
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One of my standby quotes is from George Bernard Shaw: “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” Especially inspirational considering that as writers we’re constantly creating. Each day is a fresh start, each step is the first of a new journey.
Okay, that’s what you get after I’ve just had my daily quote and astrology fix. lol
Although horoscope.com still doesn’t have their quotes back up and I feel slightly off kilter…
xoxo
Lori (& Tony)
I just finished reading Branded It was really great.
one of my favorite quotes:
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough
to make them all yourself.”– Eleanor Roosevelt
Amber! Missed your post.
Aw, thanks, sweetie. We’re glad you enjoyed Trace and Jo’s story. Just wait until you get a gander at the hero of our next Blaze UNBRIDLED: it’s Carter! You wanna talk about a guy who wants absolutely nothing to do with women after his experiences with Jo. And, of course, you just know we had to offer up one he couldn’t say no to, no matter how hard he tries.
Love the Eleanor Roosevelt quote! Very wise woman.
ohhh that sounds great!I will be adding it to my collection.
i LOVE STORY LINES WITH COWBOYS AND COWGIRLS. I JUST STARTED TO READ BRANDED AND i’M LOVING IT!!!!!!! I LOVE THEM TYPE OF STORIES. A FEW GOOD MEN WAS AWESOME TOO. LOVE ALL YOUR BOOKS.
I hear ya, Cheryl! There’s something about a guy who likes getting his hands dirty, isn’t there? Raw…elemental…HOT!
Big, wet cyber kisses on your kind words. Forget motivational quotes. I should have come straight here for inspiration. lol
xoxo
L (K)
I also love the sex v. love theme. Sex and love have drastically different meanings to men and women, and I think that is what makes these stories so compelling.
One of my fav qoutes is by Jane Austen “There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart” (from Emma). I love this qoute, and when isn’t our dear Jane appropriate (L)
cldivineATyahooDOTcom
Excellent quote, BL!!! Ain’t it the truth?
Being able to tackle the whole sex v. love debate is one of the many reasons we love writing for Blaze. Nothing quite mucks up a possible meaningful relationship than great sex. And we usually, um, give it to our characters straight out of the gate, which muddies the waters even further. Is it love? Or is it just great sex?
Of course, the answer probably lies in whether or not they want the other to leave first thing in the morning, but we won’t go there this early…
Hey folks.
Try FreeWill Astrology – I’m hooked on that one, and CafeAstrology isn’t bad either. 
As for quotes, I like them, too, though the ones that stick for me are ones my family tends to use. My parents used to say when we would complain “the first hundred years are the hardest” LOL
And one that my husband brought to me “if you argue for your limitations, you might get to keep them.”
The first is always funny, but reminds me to have perspective, and the second is sometimes aggravating, but only because he’s right.
As for my themes…risk and transformation…I don’t think you can have one without the other.
Sam
I adore Rob!!! Love the way his twisted mind works. Of course, his is a weekly scope beginning every Thursday. But he usually has his site updated on Wednesdays, which means checking him after looking into Kristin Fontana’s weekly forcasts at http://www.madalynaslan.com/horoscope_weekly.php (Madalyn doesn’t do free anymore…at least she didn’t. Should check it out to see if that’s changed…)
http://www.world-of-wisdom.com/01_horoscopes/horoscopes.htm is another one I check regularly.
Oh! Thanks for the heads up on CafeAstrology. Excellent! Another to add to my morning list.
Oh, and btw, Tony is sitting across our desks shaking his head right now. He wants nothing to do with this whole astrology thing. He’s okay with the quotes (the Greek ones resonate more profoundly with him, go figure), but the stars? Akin to walking around with your head in the clouds as far as he’s concerned.
Ah, yes. Wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than man. — Sophocles.
On risk and transformation, thumbs way up!
xoxo
L (& a grumbling Tony)
One of my favorite quotes by Thomas Jefferson is “I can not live without books”. Not really about love or anything, but it is so true for my life. I don’t think I’ve gone for more than a day or two in years without reading each day.
I also love the love v. sex theme. You never know when/if the feeling that are all about sex will turn into love. Plus it is always so much fun to watch each character fall in their own way. I have Branded on my ereader and can’t wait to read it.
Love that quote, Liza! Another couple in the same vein are “Wear the old coat and buy the new book,” by Austin Phelps, and “A room without books is like a body without a soul,” by Marcus T. Cicero.
Okay, so I also have quotes posted all over my side of the office, along with a framed photo of Papa Hemingway’s cats, a framed poster we swiped from outside Plaka’s ancient university theater in Athens, Greece (promoting a play about Don Juan of all things that we watched in rehearsals) and plenty of harmless items — like a foam orange from the Orange County Chapter RWA — I can toss at Tony when he’s being particularly irritating (unfortunately, he throws them right back and has his own arsenal).
Ouch. He just threw his orange at me. Guess it’s time to get back to work.
How does he know when I’m playing…? Ugh.
Enjoyed reading the comments. I also have really liked reading Tori’s books, especially the Sophie Metropolis ones.
I like these two quotes.
1. There are no mistakes, only learning opportunities.
2. Profanity is verbal poverty ( I kept telling my grandsons this as they were growing up and so far, it has worked)
Jave a nice day
1.
LOL on the verbal poverty quote, JOYE! Love it! I always told our boys that there are over 120,000 words in the dictionary they can surely rely on to express themselves. Use them! It works…at least when they’re around us. I shudder when I hear them talking to their friends and each other, thou. (They’re 29 and 27.) They try to watch themelves if we’re in the vicinity (because of simple respect rather than consequences), but sometimes they slip. Has general communication really degenerated into every other word being ‘effin’ this, ‘effin’ that and WTF? (Tony has his own take on the last one. He says, ‘what the F?’ lol) Me, my favorite response is, ‘Are you serious?’
I mean, if you’re really, really upset, what words do you use if you’ve drained all the strength out of the ones that pack a punch because you use them in casual conversation? Then again, maybe it’s a good thing that incendiary words are now powerless. Shrug.
Hi, Lori & Tony, This isn’t exactly a storyline, but, I love when the hero tells the heroine he won’t EVER get serious, & they need to split. Then, for every day thereafter, he keeps missing her & can’t figure out why. He says (to himself), “I’ve had as good sex before, but I can’t get this woman out of my mind”. He NEVER gets it that he’s fallen in love with her: he just keeps trying to make sense of it by going back to the sex. I love this aspect because it is so RL. It takes forever for the guy to figure out & admit he’s in love, while the gal has known it for months before.
Patricia
Hi, Patricia! Ah, yes, the clueless commitmentphob. Aren’t they great? And they’re so much fun to write, even if you wanna hit them upside the head every now and again while you’re writing — or reading! — them. lol
xoxo
L&T
(H)
Hi to you both.. i love quotes and i have one on my email signature that i think is cute…
Powerful Women’s Motto:
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the
floor in the morning, Satan shudders & says……………………
‘Oh shit….she’s awake’
I am hopelessly addicted to military men so those are always on my must have list.. and a good cowboy… heck hot working men in general..lol..
cant wait to get to town and get the new book soon..
Excellent, Jolene! What a fab quote. Definitely wall-worthy. Thanks so much for sharing.
So how’s that military man of your own? How many months to go?
xoxo
L&T
were hoping hes home by thanksgiving.. hes doing well, but hes ready to just come home…seems like forever since he left last fall.
I really enjoy the risk/transformation stories. The ones where they both take the risk and change themselves, for the better, through their relationship. At least, when I’m feeling angsty. Sometimes I just want them to have fun.
Anyway, my favorite quote is one from Mae West, although I’ll admit that I don’t follow it: “Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.” Although the Groucho Marx one about “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”
Hi, Arlene! That’s what I love about romance, the transformative aspect of falling in love. Of learning to put someone before yourself. Of risking it all in order to achieve that once-in-a-lifetime bond and to reach for happily-ever-after.
Omigawd! It’s been forever since I thought of Groucho Marx. Reading your quote, I could see him with his mustache and cigar. I remember watching You Bet Your Life reruns with my father. Where are all the Groucho Marxes today?
One of the things I adore about our agent Robert Gottlieb is his phenomenal connection to vaudeville personalities. They really don’t make them like that anymore, do they? Fascinating!
Here’s one:
“When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.” -Erasmus
An oldie but goodie, Minna! Thx for sharing.
My favorite themes involve either firefighters or policemen. I love knowing they’ll put their lives on the line to protect my body…heh, heh.
And a quote I love comes from the Grey’s Anatomy…..”We can be extraordinary together instead of ordinary apart.â€
Yes, they really put the ‘h’ into ‘hero,’ don’t they? Yum!
That’s one of the aspects I adore about Grey’s Anatomy, the language. The opening monologues and closing, full circle thoughts. The music with meaning. They seemed to recapture some of the earlier beauty this year, but somehow a I kept feeling they were still falling a bit short. But I’ll definitely be tuning in again next season. They feel like ‘my people.’
Favorite themes… Well, beauty and the beast and meeting your childhood friend or enemy.
Timeleess theme, beauty and and the beast, Minna!
One of my favorite quotes is from Helen Keller – ‘Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.’ Another favorite is from good old Walt Disney – ‘If you dream it, you can do it.’
Thanks for dishing up a dose of inspiration guys!
Talk about inspiration! I mean, what an iconic figure, Helen Keller. And Walt Disney!! Love the way you think, Brenda.
Hi Tori,
I like time travel stories.
quote: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like hard work.”
I love that quote
LOL! So true, Chey. So true.
Themes… I love the variety out there! Revenge, unknown child, lost love, misunderstandings that get way out of hand… so many to pick from and to enjoy the way an author brings them to life! (*)
Wonderful, Colleen! There so much great reading to be had out there, but given time and monetary restrictions, we’re hearing of more readers sticking to a singular, favorite theme. So I suppose this was an unscientific poll of sorts. More of everything!
I have no idea who first said the Quote I like best. However I use it as a tag line on all my mail now. It is: “Who needs drugs? I go broke buying books!” and is so me I can’t help but love it.
LOL, Ilona! Fantastic, equating drug to books. Brings to mind the song, “Addicted to Love.”
Speaking of which, I need to add the Palmer tune to my 80′s playlist…
Oooh, cowboys and cowgirls! Is there anything sexier? Can’t wait to read this!
My favorite quote is from a novel The Shoes of the Fisherman by Morris L. West,
“It takes so much to be a full human being that there are very few who have the enlightenment or the courage to pay the price. One has to abandon altogether the search for security and reach out to the risk of living with both arms. One has to embrace the world like a lover…” —
To me this quote explains the underlying theme in all my stories: So many of us never fully live because we’re so afraid. Afraid of emotional pain. So we don’t take the risks that would make us fully alive. Risking our hearts, risking revealing who we really are, or even risking looking deep inside ourselves to KNOW who we really are. But when we risk the pain the rewards are a life full of passion and love!
Wow, well said, Jillian! And very telling. You very definitely embody the beauty of the potent message. Warm congrats on Let It Ride, you fellow TrailBlazer you!
xoxo
L&T
Thank you, Tori. I’m a huge fan, so that means a lot coming from you.
I love revenge and amnesia stories. One of my favorite quotes is from Sun-Tzu, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”
A lot of primo meat in both of those themes, Jane! I mean, can you imagine waking up one morning and not knowing who you are or where you come from? And revenge…I think there are few things more satisfying than righting a wrong. It’s one of the seductive aspects of being a writer and a reader! There’s so little clear justice to be had in the real world.
i like cajun men , irish men, lol any theme with htose YESSSSSS . me likey!!!! or well ANY hot man!
LOL, Tasha! Yep, I’d say you about covered it.
i like cajun men , irish men, lol any theme with htose YESSSSSS . me likey(*) (*) !!!! or well ANY hot man! :-P :-P :-P
My favorite themes are those that break taboos or traditions.
I have tons of favorite quotes . . . I especially like movie quotes. Here’s one:
“Never knock the way another cat swings, man.” Jo-Jo, from Across the Universe.
Yiasou, Amy! Trust you to make us laugh.
Ah, yes, shattering romantic and social conventions. We loooove doing that! Some of our books do it to a greater degree than others, but we always strive to make the reader at the very least tilt her head for an “oh” and a “hmm” moment, look at life from another point of view, even as we hopefully entertain and touch them. It’s a gigantic challenge and one that is never-ending…and that we find ceaselessy intriguing.
Thx for posting, agape mou! Filia pola!
Minna posted my favorite quote about spending all of your money on books, but here’s another good one:
If there’s a book you really want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it. ~Toni Morrison
Keeping up with 2 teenagers, I don’t have the energy left over to write the book I want to read but I will someday! In the meantime, I’ll keep spending all my money (and increasing my TBR shelf space) on books like yours! Keep writing and I’ll keep reading!
I adore Toni Morrison. Thanks so much for sharing her quote, Sharon! She’s absolutely right. And we highly encourage you to keep writing in mind. We’re convinced everyone has at least one book in them, if not one hundred. And participating in such a creative endeavor benefits everyone; most of all the writer, herself.
Good luck with those teens!
congrats n the books
looks very hot
i like the plain jane and grows up to be aknockout
best friends into lovers theme (H) (Y) (W)
Thanks, kh! Ugly duckling stories are so much fun to write and read. A lot of emotional development to sink your teeth into. And best friends to lovers is another fav theme of ours. What’s not to love?
It is so much fun reading everyone’s favorite book themes! Ok mine is Romantic Comedies. I love Vicki Lewis Thompson’s NERD series. Oh, and I also love Jennifer Crusie’s books. She is a wonderful story teller. I especially loved her book, THE CINDERELLA DEAL. What a beautiful story and a lovely ending! My favorite quote would have to be a from a movie and a book, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” from GONE WITH THE WIND. Clark Gable, what an excellent actor!
Great taste, Michele! VLT is a guaranteed good time, whatever she writes. And when it comes to Jen, Welcome to Temptation has to be my fav. Such sarcasm! Such wit! And both of them are leaders when it comes to twisting or shattering convention. Riveting and eye-opening and hilarious. An unbeatable combo, IMHO.
any winner
kh!!! I don’t know where our post went listing our winner. As luck would have it, your name is the one we pulled. lol Warm congrats!
Go to http://www.toricarrington.net, click on our Booklist and pick a book, any book, of your choice. Then send us an email at toricarrington@aol.com with the title and your snail mail addy and we’ll get the choice straight out to you.
I can’t apologize enough for the mix-up!
xoxo
Lori & Tony :-$ (H)
Congrats kh!!! (F)
Congrats KH
very cool lol
thanks all and tori c. (H)