What's New?

Wow! I cant believe that I have not posted in over a month! Time has really flown by. Most of my days are just quick blurs as I have been so busy writing, working and  pulling together the Intimate Betrayals web series. This is my first time doing something like this and thus far it has been an awesome experience!


Here is the cast that has really supported my vision! They are 100% in tuned with me and want to see Intimate Betrayals succeed as much as I do. We actually begin our first day of shooting tomorrow! Im so excited and nervous at the same time!

Thought I would share the pics here with you.

I found this while digging thru some of my writings

There was a time a while (actually many years ago) back that I used to write poetry just to either pass time away or rid myself of boredom. One titled Durable Serenity  is one that I came across the other day.. so I thought I'd post it here... and maybe I will post one of my buried poems every other week... Actually, this particular one was inspired by  the pic listed here... (and this pic has been an inspiration to a lot of my thoughts or writings, which is why you see it so much on my site...

Durable Serenity

His mind a steel trap,

His body to match

A force to behold,

Liquid bronze to mold

Calm strength underneath,

A soft pliable sheath

But a kind heart & soft expressions,

Leave the biggest Impressions

Intimate Betrayals Web Series... coming Fall 2011

Good Evening,

I thought I would share one of my latest creations that I'm so excited to bring to life! This is something that has been tossed around between me and my partners in crime for a while... Even before the books were created, the dream of creating a production was in the back corners of our minds. It's funny, I never had the intention of writing this series as I have stated many times, but it seemed to take on a life of its own...and here we are now.

I am still working on The Ladies Club with Dark Whispers a far second work in progress...as writing is my first passion. Since the books have been received well, this was the next logical step for us to try to conquer. I love a challenge and this will be one that I welcome, full heartedly!

We predict and forsee shooting to begin this September and have high hopes to have it out by mid October. Wish me luck!

So if this series is something that you are interested in seeing, please stay tuned!

Fire Sale!

Good Morning!
 I am sure that you have heard the term fire sale before right? Well what I am doing is similar to it, but not exactly it.  LOL! I want to break my own record in ebook sales and sale 200 copies of both of my ebooks, In Between Lies and Intimate Illusions each for .99 in the next 24 hours... starting now. Will I reach 200 copies? Who knows, but I would love to try or at least get as close as I can while at the same time give readers an enjoyable read!


If you haven't already grabbed your copies, now is the chance to do so and please spread the word! If you are interested, email me @ shawnarhill@gmail.com for the coupon codes!

Lazy Sunday and my Sunday Read

Today has been a very very lazy day for me. I didn't get out of bed until 1pm...and I loved every moment of sleeping in. Since my kids are old enough (well my daughter is anyway) to fix their own food to eat, there was no rush to jump out of bed for anything. So I took full advantage of it.

So while on my way back home from vacationing in the Bahamas, we were on a long lay over in Chicago @ O'Hare Airport. We decided to stop in at the bookstore and grab some reads. I am kind of spoiled with buying ebooks, but the sight of all the books lined up brought back my fiendish need to BUY, BUY, BUY. So I did. There was a sale on mystery books.. buy one get the other either half off or free,  I cant remember. I purchased a book by an author that is unknown to me but the blurb on his book sounded very interesting.

The book is called Caught, by Harlan Corben. Have you heard of this guy before? Here is a blurb from his site and some words from the author himself:

Available Now in US & UK

From the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense comes a fast-paced, emotion-packed novel about guilt, grief, and our capacity to forgive.

17 year-old Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, captain of the lacrosse team, headed off to college next year with all the hopes and dreams her doting parents can pin on her. Which is why, when her mother wakes one morning to find that Haley never came home the night before, and three months quickly pass without word from the girl, the community assumes the worst.

Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission, to identify and bring down sexual predators via elaborate—and nationally televised—sting operations. Working with local police on her news program Caught in the Act, Wendy and her team have publicly shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined.

In a novel that challenges as much as it thrills, filled with the astonishing tension and unseen suburban machinations that have become Coben’s trademark, Caught tells the story of a missing girl, the community stunned by her loss, the predator who may have taken her, and the reporter who suddenly realizes she can’t trust her own instincts about this case—or the motives of the people around her.

I know that most of you are romance readers, but this book so far is very good!

My Bonding Vacation

So, I just returned home from an awesome vacation with my sister and her husband, my brother in law, and one of my best friends. We had a great time, created some cool life long lasting happy memories, and also created stronger lifetime bonds! Believe it or not, this is my first time vacationing with my sister and her husband, despite the many many years that she'd poked and prodded me to go with them to their vacation places. I just never seemed to have the time. After all the fun we had, it now will become a priority to get the family together on a yearly basis for some great times!

To get a better understanding, me and my sister were not raised together and had lost contact for about 20 years (not by our choice), and just over the last 10 years or so, we've been getting to re-know each other again, so this was a long time in the making and long overdue. Bringing her family and mine together is a must...and we have managed to do a pretty good job melding back into one happy family..her children, husband, my kids, our brother (was raised with me), and my significant other....good times! Almost seems like we were never apart.

So anyway, we started out flying out of Columbus to Ft. Lauderdale. We both were kind of nervous and she refused to sit by the window.. so I was the big sister and took the heat LOL! I sat by the window.. and I enjoyed the view...

View of the hills, leaving Ohio 

skyview above Ohio

landing in Ft. Lauderdale

After we landed we all headed to the hotel for the night, filled with excitement that was sure to come the next day. Heading to Palm Beach was cool.. of course we got lost a couple of times LOL! But we got there in time to port and board the ship...

The Celebration

  Then off to cruise on the Celebration... destination... Freeport, Bahamas!

beautiful home, beachfront property, Palm Beach

great view of Palm Beach

setting sail...leaving Palm Beach

While cruising, I'm sure you know that the food is limitless...so you know we sampled everything! Drank like fish, gambled in the casino, danced, viewed a male review WOOT WOOT! No, they were just alright...we have seen better, but it was great entertainment anyway. We even drank enough to gather courage to participate in karaoke LOL!! it was fun but we sounded absolutely terrible!! LOL!! But hey, we will never see those people again so who cared, right! Besides they sounded just as terrible. My brother in law did a great job singing The Commodores hit, Brick House...had the audience participating...but he is already an entertainer so it was no sweat off his nose seeing as though he has his own band. Me and my sister, Michelle, completely different story. I think we gulped down at least 3 double shots mixed in our drinks..you know to loosen up. I have no problem reading from my book or doing open mic poetry...singing.. i needed drinks LOL!

To make a longer sharing story even longer, we finally hit the shores of Freeport...let the shopping begin! The island was beautiful! The beach was breath taking and the resort was gorgeous!

Mechelle, Michelle, and me

me and my buddy, Mechelle @ Agave Restaurant

Agave Restaurant on the Island

my best friend, Mechelle and my sister, Michelle

beautiful resort

the resort

on the beach

looking up at a palm tree

I love palm trees..If I could have one here I would

Anyway this trip was awesome and a great bonding experience... and I am already looking to book another one for next year.

Not Enough Hours in the Day!

I know it has been a minute since I posted on my blog. I have been busy working and .... life. But I shouldn't let that get in my way of writing and sharing. I love to share my experiences and hear about your as well. Speaking of sharing, I have been researching and reviewing a lot of webisodes on the Internet lately and have come across some really great ones that I feel are worth mentioning.


Ok, so one that I have found is called Celeste Bright, which is written by Sonya Steele. It's an awesome drama/suspense. I cannot wait for the next episodes to come out.. Check it out.



There are 10 episodes and she actually has each episode deconstructed on her site. You can read and see the episodes on her page here. I absolutely love this!

Another one for you 24 or Keifer Sutherland fans! I ran across one by him called The Confession. In one word, AWESOME! For some reason, the first chapter is not on youtube, but you can view all of them on FB here. I was able to get the trailer however.

If you are looking for some comedy.. I found it... Hilarious!! It's by Issa Rae...called The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl. According to the site, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl follows the title character and friends as she navigates through life, love and awkward situations. This one here is episode 5 but i believe there is 6 now... funny stuff (depending on your sense of humor)

New Project!

Intimate Betrayals Web Series Now that my interesting blog tour has ended, I have had time to dedicate towards the next book in my Intimate Betrayals series! The Ladies Club is currently in process with the hopes of finishing it really really soon; then off for the editing process!



Also, I wanted to tell you some other great news! If you remember, I was asking your input on the interest in a web series...well, that is a project that I have been working on too! I am currently in the works of bringing Intimate Betrayals web series to life! I am very excited! Right now I am trying to raise funds to help me cover the costs of production, equipment (both sound and cameras), lighting, etc.... I just recently launched a project on kickstarter.com If you are interested in helping me out, I'd appreciate it! Of course, there are things in it for you as well!

My Kickstarter Project!

4th of July Special!!

 For those of you that have been interested in reading where it all began.. In Between Lies, for the 4th of July, I'm offering you a free copy! In return, I'd like for you to post a review on any of the sites such as Amazon.com, BN.com (barnes and noble), smashwords.com, or even here...just leave a comment! If you really enjoy it, please pass the word to a friend that you think may like it as well!

Happy reading!

click here to grab your copy today!  use code XC34H for In Between Lies. This coupon is good thru 7/5/11 so hurry!

Picture of Beauty and Full of Heart

I know this has nothing to do with reading, art, writing, or expression...but I just wanted to talk about my love of horses...I practically grew up around horses and developed a love for them. At one point I wanted to buy one...not to race, but to just have. I think they are beautiful animals that are full of rich personalities and strong hearts! Though I knew I couldn't afford to keep one; they take a lot of time, money and energy to keep them healthy and right...they can really eat, but they have to to sustain their weight and energy, I still contemplated getting one.


I just finished watching Secretariat. It was an awesome movie! 


You know that great race horse and thoroughbred legend,  whose record breaking time of 2:24 (1 mile and 1/2 in distance, I believe it was )...in the Belmont Stakes Race in 1973 hasn't been touched...and probably wont be anytime soon. The Belmont was the third leg of the Triple Crown Series of races...won by 31 lengths! If you don't know times or lengths....let's just say the horse blazed the track and all behind were wayyyy behind!  This horse was AMAZING! I found myself really into this movie and wanting to see more of the horse than the actors LOL!!! His speed and heart was untouchable.

Another all time great is the New Zealand born Phar Lap! He was just as amazing as well. He dominated the Australian racing circuit.   During the 20's Great Depression times, this horse uplifted many peoples hearts! He died in 1932, as the third highest stake winner in the world!

Both of these horses were great animals. But most of all what I loved about them and all animals is that they have HEART! They are strong and persevere against odds that seem impossible. There is nothing impossible and there is nothing that you cannot accomplish....just takes time, effort and energy on your part. That is what I have always known and was told growing up...and still believe. This is how I feel about my books and my writing. I know that it is hard work behind the scenes and will do what it takes to succeed. I'm putting my whole heart into this and know that one day (hopefully soon) that it will pay off. God put these amazing creatures here to show us how this is done. They do what they were put here to do... run! I am here here to write...as authors and human beings, we have to know, feel, and believe undoubtedly in what we do...Just look and think about the greats...all we have to do is take and follow their queue.

The End of the Road

So, tomorrow (7/3/11) ... it's boiled down to the last day of the Intimate Betrayals Book Blog Tour and I have to say that it has been an experience. Please be sure to stop by my last stop @ Book Lovers Hideaway.

I want to thank the hosts that extended their help and knowledge (as they know it was my first time organizing such a tour)...thanks so much for your help! I had the chance to meet people that I otherwise maybe would not have met through this tour and that was great. I love d the opportunity that was given to me to not only introduce myself, but my colorful characters as well. Hopefully you followed the tour and got a chance to learn more about them through the character interviews.



Hopefully, if another tour is done with my next book, it will be as successful or even more successful that this one.

Ebook Winner!

Congrats to Daniela! Thanks for participating! I hope that you enjoy! Your info to claim the books has been sent!

Chat and Giveaway...Intimate Betrayals Blog Tour

The question that I am posing is this: When it comes to strong male characters, what is your definition of the ultimate Alpha Male? Everyone has a weakness, so what would his weakness be?

Just post your answer/comment. One winner will be chosen to win both hardcopys of my books (US only) and one set of ebooks (international).

Good luck and Im interested in your thoughts.

Come Chat with Me .. Intimate Betrayals Book Tour Chat!

So far, this tour has been fun! I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people and look forward to meeting even more. I've had great hosts and giveaways, had fun creating posts that I hoped were interesting..and there is still more to come. Since this tour, Ive had the opportunity to do character interviews. I love those! They give me a chance to flesh out the characters even more and give you a better understanding of who they are and why they do what they do.

If you haven't had a chance to encounter my fav characters, read my books, or even the reviews, please stop by tomorrow night @ 9pm EST to get acquainted with them.. and me. I would love to talk to you and answer any questions, address your topics, etc. The floor is yours and it's your chance to get inside my head! Let's talk.



As an added bonus, there is a chance to win one hardcopy of each book (US residents only) for one commentor for stopping by and leaving a comment to a proposed topic of the nights conversation. Ebooks will be available for international residents as well. The topic/question will be announced tomorrow night.. see you then.

Another Musical Inspiration That I Use

 In case you didn't know, I love jazz music. Mostly smooth jazz. But growing up with my grandmother, I was introduced to a large variety of sounds of music. She was a connoisseur of music, full of culture....and I loved that once I grew up a little more. To be exposed to other cultures, thoughts, rituals, sounds, ideas is a great way of expanding yourself beyond your reality. This song by 3rd Force has been one that I listen to from time to time. There are only particular songs on this CD that I like. This one is titled Echoes of A Dream.

When I write to it, I can envision a hot sex scene...and it really helps me to loosen up with a glass of wine. Just listen to it.. it has sort of an animalistic sound or quality to it. If you let yourself go with it and really feel it, you can see it! If you read my book, Intimate Illusions, this is the song that would have been playing when Naomi was introduced to The Ladies Club lifestyle at the Grand Hotel Party she attended (in the beginning of the book).

Anyway...take a listen. Pull out your headphones, hit play, lay back and close your eyes, listen... and tell me what you think... can you feel it too?

 Ok, here is another one.. not jazz.. but some diversity (neosoul) I thought I would throw your way. Im sure that most of you have never heard of her before. It's by Amel Larrieux, titled Gills and Tails... very talented young lady...not of the popular culture, but quality at its best!... real music..no bumping and grinding, etc.. very nice!



Spring Into Summer Blog Hop Giveaway Winner

Hello All,

Sorry, I am late announcing the winner! Anyway the winner is....thruthehaze!


Congrats!  I havent yet figured out how to add actual numbers to the comments section (if anyone knows, please email me) so I just counted down to posting #22.

Also, I am still playing around with therandom generator..never used it before now.. soI wasnt able to show.. but I promise that #22 is what was chosen. Hopefully by the time i run another contest, I will have figured it out. In the meantime....


throuthehaze said...I would watch it. Once a month is a long period in between though...once a week would be better

I follow you via GFC (Throuthehaze)
throuthehaze at gmail dot com

June 19, 2011 3:22 PM

Intimate Betrayals Blog Tour- How a Diva is Made

If you have been following this blog tour, then you may some questions about one of the main characters, namely Naomi Saunders, and want to know more about her. This post gives a little more indepth info about this fiery character and gives a little more insight into her world and how she thinks.

What is a Diva you ask? Well, according to Urban Dictionary, a diva can be one of the following:

a.)    A female version of a hustler.

b.)   A bitchy woman that must have her way exactly, or no way at all.  Selfish, spoiled and overly dramatic.

c.)    A woman that is perceived as a bitch, or self- absorbed, which in some cases they are. A diva is a woman who has self -confidence, self -respect, and hella swagger. She knows who she is and exactly where she is going. Her style and attitude is on point even when she is not trying.

Ok, I think you’ve got the picture now. Let me introduce you to Naomi. All of those characteristics mentioned above are all wrapped into one person.  The question now becomes what made her that way?

We all don’t come out and proclaim ourselves to be diva’s or even attain our desires to be diva’s… from the start anyway, that is. In Naomi’s case, that is exactly what she set her sights on and obtained.

Coming from meager beginnings, Naomi was not the ideal model of a child molded from perfect, privileged life. Being the product of an absent father and drug abusing mother that had multiple partners at a time, it’s a wonder she really kept her sanity…or did she?  To a certain extent, she did. She made her mind up that she was going to have the exact opposite in her life that her mother showed her. College, a man, a great job….all that went down the tubes as she got older and realized that her life was not turning out the way she expected.  Living on the south side of Chicago amongst hustlers, thieves, and crack heads was not exactly showing her the way.

Her plump body attracted no one except for the hideous men her mother brought home. So fighting was inevitable to keep her cookies intact. Exit left stage.

College years at Illinois State was just the beginnings of her diva-hood. Delving into acting classes and drama was an outlet for her…one that she found enjoyable. So much so that she began to envision herself as her roles…literally. Nabbing a great guy helped her self -esteem as well…although her plumpness was an obstacle, she was able to keep her hold on men, using her fast talking and eagerness to please. Who wouldn’t want a person that catered to any and every beck and call? She found that in Kevin Styles. He taught her things that she’d only read about, imagined or dreamed. He was her life, her everything.

Tasting the pleasures that he brought to her, bolstering her esteem and confidence, Kevin created something in her that she’d longed to have and didn’t realize that the developed traits she’d acquired would stick with her and follow him throughout. Devoting herself to being the best at all she could, to obtain the life that she wanted and yearned for; had tasted once to have it taken away, no matter what the cost was to get it is what Naomi set out to do… thus a hella Diva was born and let loose on the world.

Now that you have a little more indepth knowledge of Naomi's diva-ness... grab a copy of the book and see for yourself how she brings her role to life...only in Naomi style.




**Be sure to enter the giveaways through out the blog tour to win you free copies and check back here as well for possible other swag**

Intimate Betrayals Book Blog Tour Kickoff!

Please join me @ Shameless Romance Reviews for my kickoff to the Intimate Betrayals Blog Tour tomorrow, June 19th! The tour will run through July 3rd. There will be giveaways throughout the tour, author interviews, character interviews and a chance to chat with me live right here! I would love to connect with you all at some point and share my experiences and hear about yours!



Look forward to meeting you and hope to see you soon!

Spring Into Summer Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Spring Into Summer Blog Hop! This giveaway/hop is hosted by Coffee and Romance and Release Notes. This is only my second hop that I have participated in and I'm excited to be a part of it! This should be fun and interesting! 

Ok, so here is what I’m giving away. You have the opportunity to win both copies of both of my ebooks, In Between Lies and Intimate Illusions and a $10 gift card from Amazon.com. (You can see reviews and excerpts on the corresponding links to the left.)

To win all you have to do is answer the question below, be a follower of my blog (A Novel Life…Shawna Hill’s Blog), and leave a comment (a general answer to the question or whatever else you want to say) and be sure to include your email if it’s not included in your profile.

Question #1:  Would you consider watching a short 10 minute monthly video series spin off based on a book?

This giveaway will run from 12:00AM Friday, June 17 @ midnight through 11:59 PM Tuesday, June 21st   and is open to international  readers, so all can enter!  The winner will be chosen via random.org and will be announced on Wednesday, June 22nd. Good Luck!

Be sure to hop over to the other blogs for more giveaways! Enjoy!

Two Reasons Why I Work So Hard

I came across some pictures on my FB page today. Here are pics of my two children. They are the two most important people in my life! They are the reason why I do what I do. I try to instill so much into them and know that what I tell them, only half of it they will listen to and retain. I hope that isn't true, but is most likely since they are still so young and innocent.

I try to see things from their eyes, feel from their little hearts and listen with their censored ears. I find myself staring at these little people in awe and just wonder what goes through their minds at any given moment. I can remember a time when I was as young as they are, thinking how great life is, what I wanted to be when I grow up, and having no cares whatsoever! Thoughts such as what color shirt I was going to wear, what color crayons I was going to use to "color an decorate" the walls LOL!! The days seemed so long and lazy.. nothing like today; fast paced and always in a hurry, no time for anything anymore except work, cook, and sleep (if that). They truly don't know that right now they have it made; the life!  I want them to enjoy every minute of it and I want to enjoy it with them because like I said in an earlier post, time stands still for no one.

Anyway, I guess I'm finished reminiscing and reliving my thoughts as a child, but I do plan to stay a child at heart and strive to see the beauty and innocence in the world, no matter how much I have been subjected to jaded thoughts and actions. It's hard for me to because as they say, ignorance is bliss, that rings true.