The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender by WS Carmichael (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title

I am delighted to share a guest post by author W.S. Carmichael, who ponders...

WSC:  Balancing life and writing? Is there such a thing? I’m not sure if balance would be the right word for how I fit writing into the rest of my life. Amateur flaming stick juggling might be a more appropriate description. Take right now, for example. As I type this guest blog post, I’m listening to the sounds of a kitchen renovation in the next room as the contractor’s three year old son chatters in my ear. The contractor is a friend who is bailing us out of a jam by installing the hardwood floors after the original contractor went AWOL. Cartoons are playing on the television above my desk, my dog is barking because she wants the cheese puffs the boy is eating, an air compressor is running in the living room and an adorable little boy is asking a million questions.

 

The cup of my life is full to the tippy top.

 

As much as I love writing, my career as an author doesn’t yet pay the bills. In addition to crafting stories and weaving tales of romance, I also work full time as a nurse, have three busy young adult children and run two businesses with my super awesome partner, lover and best friend. To say we are busy would be an understatement. Still, because I love writing, I make it a priority. At the end of each week, I look ahead at my schedule for the following week and plan which nights I’ll have time to carve out an hour or two to devote to writing. I’ve found if I block out time in my planner and set deadlines for myself, I’m more likely to make progress on whichever project I’m working on.

 

As I’ve traveled the path of becoming an author, there have been times when balance was nothing more than an abstract concept I struggled with. Either I was so entrenched in writing my other responsibilities were ignored or I went weeks without touching my laptop. After years of catapulting myself between the two extremes, I am only now realizing the importance of balance. The times when I work tirelessly and endlessly on a novel can result in writer’s fatigue. Being too close to the story for too long clouds my vision. I start to doubt every aspect of my book from the characters to the plot to basic sentence structure. Somehow, I convince myself the entire project is rubbish best suited to line a litter box. Ironically, going weeks without writing has a similar effect. The more distance I have from the story, the more I convince myself my writing is a flaw filled, choppy disaster. In my mind, the only way to salvage any work done thus far is to light it on fire.

 

The entire process is exhausting and frustrating.

 

In the end, the key to finding balance was less about creating the balance and more about recognizing the need for it. Planning time to write and keeping myself accountable with deadlines allows me to maintain the level scales I didn’t know I needed. I have an irritating habit of finding the hardest way possible to learn what should be obvious. There is no other aspect of my life that isn’t planned or scheduled, so I don’t know why it took me so long to understand organization and forethought would be the key to successful writing. I have given in to the clear and inevitable conclusion that writing, like everything else in life, demands stable and steady progress to be fruitful.

 

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The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender

ADULT title

by 

WS Carmichael

 

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GENRE:   Romance/Romantic Comedy

 

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BLURB:

 

Ava Moreland has it all planned out. In two months, she will marry her fiancé, Tim. She’ll continue working at Vegas’s famous Cosmopolitan bar while he runs his father’s accounting firm. Soon they’ll start a family and she’ll have the white picket life she’s always dreamed of.
Or not.

When her fairytale engagement implodes in a devastating display, Ava embarks on a quest to reclaim her identity and feminine prowess – by sleeping her way through Las Vegas. With her best friend, Jarrod, acting as wingman her plan is foolproof.
Or not.

Nothing goes as planned with hilariously disastrous results. Her sexual misadventures will keep you in stitches as Ava searches for herself in Sin City, finding herself and her happily ever after in the unlikeliest of places.

 

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EXCERPT

  

 

“That’s your master plan? To become known as the slutty bartender?” Jarrod raises one eyebrow, his skepticism written all over his face.

 

“Well, it sounds bad when you put it like that.” I shrug. “You’re misunderstanding the point.”

 

“Is the point to see how many STD’s you can rack up?”

 

I sigh. “No. The point is to reclaim my womanly power. The point is to live life. The point is to embrace life’s opportunities without the expectation of a happily ever after. The point is to forget about Mr. Right and enjoy Mr. Right Now.”

 

Jarrod shakes his head, leaves me sitting on the sofa alone and goes into his bedroom.

 

“I thought you’d be totally on board!” I shout to his closed door.

 

I mean, seriously. It isn’t as if I told him I was going to lay spread eagle in front of The Bellagio holding a sign reading ‘Free Sex’. While I’m not the type of girl to throw her cooter at every guy passing by, I see no reason to be a total prude either. I’ve decided to explore the world of one-night stands. I get hit on all the time at work. What’s so wrong with taking someone up on the offer if I find him attractive? I am no longer beholden to anyone.

 

A few minutes later, Jarrod jerks his door open. “Ok. I’ve thought about it. You can do this, but you need a chaperone.”

 

“I don’t need a chaperone.”

 

“Ok, A wingman, then. I’ll be personally vetting your selections to make sure there’s no psycho vibes.” He plops down next to me on the couch.

 

Amazon buy link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

WS Carmichael is attempting to write the world into romantic bliss one novel at a time. Based in upstate NY, she travels as often as her hectic schedule will allow. When she isn’t busy writing, she’s a mother, nurse and avid sportswoman.

 

WS Carmichael fell in love with romance at an early age when she would sneak Harlequins from her mother. A voracious reader, she eventually made the jump to writing.

Writing is her passion and she’s always jotting down new storyline and character ideas. Often, her characters take on a life of their own and don’t always cooperate with her plan for them. Creating well developed, strong alpha male characters that don’t fit into the typical romance hero mold makes her novels exciting and relatable. A woman who believes whole heartedly in happily ever after, she gives her heroes the heroine they deserve.

You can check out her blog and find out more on her website:

 

Social Links:

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Twitter

Website

 

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GIVEAWAY

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The tour dates can be found here