Ring in the New Year with Simply Ali Welcomes Jess Haines + Giveaway!!

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Wow it's hard to believe that 2012 is almost over. Ali and I wanted to celebrate and welcome the New Year with all of you! So we have asked a few blogger friends and authors to tell us what resolutions they are making for 2013 or what is coming up for them.

Ali will be hosting a grand prize of Simply Ali T-Shirt and Swag!!

Today we welcome Author Jess Haines!!

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Hello there! Jess Haines here. I’m the author of the urban fantasy H&W Investigations series HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, TAKEN BY THE OTHERS, DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS, and STALKING THE OTHERS.

Ali and Miranda asked me to swing by to tell you guys my thoughts about New Year’s resolutions, and whether I have any of my own.

Personally, I’m not a fan. Most resolutions are something along the lines of promising yourself you will drink less, stop smoking, lose weight, spend more time doing something that’s healthier or will improve relations with your family or friends… Why stop doing all the fun stuff, eh?

In all seriousness, I believe a lot of people don’t keep their resolutions because they want to change something fundamental about who they are or something they enjoy in life. It’s not easy to do, particularly if you don’t have motivation driving you more than one day a year.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be healthier or getting along better with others, but I think if you’re going to make a resolution, you shouldn’t have to wait until New Year’s to do it. Do what you need to if you want to live well at the time when you know you need to make the change. Don’t wait. Don’t look for excuses. Do what you need to when you need to do it.

The first time you fail to reach one of those resolutions, it seems to get harder and harder to make one you can keep. Things get in the way. You change your mind about just how much effort you’re going to put into it, or you mess up and eat an extra donut one day, or have an extra smoke, or let your temper get to you as you flip off that guy who cut you off on the freeway. Whatever that may be, it gets harder and harder to stick to when you don’t have a genuine desire to stick with your decision. The worst part is how easy it is to slide back into whatever habit you were trying to break and forget about changing it if you break it even once.

For some people, it might feel right and work for them to make those resolutions at New Year’s. If that’s what works for you, then by all means, go for it! For myself, I don’t like to see myself or my friends reach for something and then have the excitement and the desire to reach the goal gradually taper out by the end of January.

Different people have different takes on it, of course. What about you? Tell me in the comments what you think about resolutions. Agree with me? Disagree? Did you make one this year?

Thanks again for having me and the gang over, Ali and Miranda! Happy New Year, everybody!

Be sure to keep an eye out for SILENT CRAVINGS (coming February 2013) and the next H&W book, FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS (coming July 2013)! You can also visit me on the web:

Learn more about Jess here...
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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Hunted By The Others
by
Jess Haines

They are the Others—the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they’re stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again…

In a Town Like This, Being A P.I. Can Be Murder

Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm—if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires.

As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend—a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing—and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil—whether she likes it or not…

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Taken By The Others (H&W Investigations)
by
Jess Haines

Once, New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest’s most pressing problem was keeping her agency afloat. Now she’s dealing with two dangerous, seductive vampires who have been enemies for centuries. The only thing Max Carlyle and Alec Royce agree on is that they both want Shia–for very different reasons.

Max is determined to destroy Shia for killing his progeny, while Royce’s interest is a lot more personal. That’s not sitting well with Shia’s werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. As the feud between Max and Royce gets ever more deadly, a powerful vampire-hunting faction is urging Shia to join their side. Shia has always believed vamps were the bad guys, but she’s discovering unexpected shades of grey that are about to redefine her friends, her loyalties–and even her desires…

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Deceived By The Others (H&W Investigations)
by
Jess Haines

Shiarra’s relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional. Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious. That means meeting family–or in this case, bringing Chaz’s entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills.

Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home. Then their cabin is ransacked. Shia starts digging to find out whether it’s the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister. Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack’s hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers. Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that’s even closer than she knows…

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Stalking the Others (H&W Investigations Novels)
by
Jess Haines

Once, she was one of the good guys–or as close as a New York P.I. can get. Then Shiarra Waynest was drawn into the world of the Others. Every faction has its own loyalties and agenda. And Shia’s recent betrayal by her ex-boyfriend means that she may be on the verge of becoming a rogue werewolf at the next full moon.

Of course, with all the threats against her, Shia’s not sure she’ll live long enough to find out. The enigmatic vampire Royce wants her back in his clutches, as do two powerful werewolf packs, along with the police. Instead of going into hiding, Shia is enlisting the aid of her enchanted hunter’s belt and every dirty P.I. trick she knows. If she’s going down, she’ll take out as many of her enemies as she can–and hope that in the process, she keeps whatever humanity she has left…

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Ali is giving one Lucky Reader a $10 Gift Card!!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway
To enter both contests please leave a comment below. The contests are open until Jan 2nd @ Midnight and open internationally.

Please come back here on Jan. 6th to see if you have won!!