ROCCO interviews author Cate Conte! (aka Liz Mugavero!)

Liz Mugavero writes the "Pawsitively Organic" mysteries for Kensington. Her alter ego, Cate Conte, writes the new Cat Cafe series, also for Kensington!   the first book, CAT ABOUT TOWN, debuts in August!

R:  Welcome Cate! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

Thanks so much for having me! I’ve been here before as Liz, but not as Cate, so this is a brand new experience. As you know, Cate is my new alter ego, but I/we’ve been writing all our lives. As a kid, I was a crazy reader and I started writing stories as soon as I knew how to write. Combined with my fascination with detective stories (my grandfather was a detective), and my love of mysteries was born.

R: Tell us about your “Cat Café” series for Kensington.  Where did that idea come from?

The book started out as a more general idea about a “cat about town,” which ended up being the name of the first book. But after a lot of brainstorming—and a lot of cat cafes in the news—the idea was born. I love it because it’s a bit atypical of where you’d expect to find a cat cafe. They’re typically in urban areas, but the series takes place on a small island off the coast of Massachusetts. So it was challenging and fun for me to figure out how and why a cat cafe would fit there.

R:  As Liz Mugavero, you also write another mystery series for Kensington.  Can you tell us about those?

Sure! Liz writes the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, which feature Stan Connor, a former corporate big shot turned small-town girl and organic pet food chef. And, murder investigator extraordinaire, since people seem to be dying at an alarming rate in Frog Ledge, Connecticut! The books also feature a number of furry friends, including a Maine coon cat, a schnoodle, a pit bull, and a myriad of others.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

Coffee…and maybe some chocolate. Or potato chips, depending on my mood. I like to have jazz on in the background too when I’m writing. I love Miles Davis.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

I would totally go back to 1887 and shadow Nellie Bly during her asylum expose! That is journalistic excellence at its finest.

R:  If a movie were to be made of one of your books, which one would you want it to be and who would you pick for the lead roles?

I would love to have Murder Most Finicky, the 4th book in Liz’s Pawsitively Organic series, made into a movie. For Stan, I’ve always pictured her as Blake Lively, so would love to see her in that role. That book has a bunch of wacky reality show chefs in it, so I would totally handpick the real guys from all those cooking shows - they would be hilarious (even though I don’t know all their names!). For Jake, maybe Ryan Gosling? I don’t know, that one has always stumped me…

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

I’ve worked in a funeral home and watched embalming and cremations…

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

Oh jeez…we don’t want to get into that here. I’ll take you out for a drink and tell you!

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

I want my books to touch people in some way. To make them feel better, to take them out of their life or transport them from a stressful situation. I want them to want to visit, and keep coming back to, the world I created.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

I’m working on book two of the Cat Cafe Mysteries, and after that I’ll be starting the seventh book in the Pawsitively Organic series.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A little bit of both. I was always more of a pantser, but have learned that some plotting is good for my mental health. It gives me a roadmap, however loose, and helps pull me out of the panic of being stuck in the middle.

R: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

Join writers’ organizations! Sisters in Crime made all the difference for me. Find your tribe. Make friends in the community. They will be your biggest support system and your cheerleaders

R: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

I have no idea! This is what I do…it’s what I love.

R: What book is on your TBR shelf you can’t wait to get to?

Oh, wow - there are so many! Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane is probably number one.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Night

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  Ha! I have both so that wouldn’t be fair (but dog…)

Beach or Pool?   Beach

Favorite Book?  Mystic River

Favorite TV Series?  Gilmore Girls

Favorite Movie?  Shawshank Redemption

Favorite Actor: Morgan Freeman

Favorite Actress: Gillian Anderson

Thanks Cate/Liz!

You can find her at:

www.lizmugavero.com

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Wicked Cozy Authors

https://www.facebook.com/CateConteAuthor/

Liz will give away a copy of “Cat About Town” to one lucky commenter!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck! Contest ends midnight, August 12!

ROCCO's BOOK OF THE MONTH! WRONG SIDE OF THE PAW BY LAURIE CASS

·        ROCCO’S AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH – THE WRONG SIDE OF THE PAW!

 

·        

     A Bookmobile Cat Mystery (Book 6)

·        The Wrong Side of the Paw

·        Laurie Cass

·        Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages

·        Publisher: Berkley (July 25, 2017)

·        Five Paws!!!!!! 

As Laurie Cass continues the national bestselling Bookmobile Cat mystery series, librarian Minnie Hamilton is happy to take her bookmobile for a spin with her rescue cat, Eddie—but her tenacious tabby always seems to find trouble...
 
As the bookmobile rolls along the hills of Chilson, Michigan, Minnie and Eddie spread good cheer and good reads. But when her faithful feline finds his way into the middle of a murder, Minnie is there, like any good librarian, to check it out.
 
Eddie turns a routine bookmobile stop into anything but when he makes a quick escape and hops into a pickup truck…with a dead body in the flatbed. The friendly local lawyer who was driving the pickup falls under suspicion. But Minnie and Eddie think there's more to this case than meets the eye, and the dynamic duo sets out to leave no page unturned.

I’m a big fan of this series, and number six did not disappoint me.  Of course, I enjoy watching Minnie play sleuth but I also like to read about Eddie’s antics!  The plot was well paced and I was glad to see Minnie’s erratic love life finally get on track!  Here’s hoping Penguin has the good sense to continue this series!  - Five Paws!!!!!!!

(ROCCO review courtesy of Night Owl)

Leave a comment to win one copy of WRONG SIDE OF THE PAW donated by Penguin! Please include your email address so we can contact you!  **** THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENTRIES.  THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*******

Gerry Schmitt talks about "Selling Your Novel:" on ROCCO's blog!

ROCCO’s guest blogger!

Gerry Schmitt (aka Laura Childs!)

Selling Your Novel: What Exactly

are Agents and Editors Looking For?

by Gerry Schmitt, author of Shadow Girl

I’ve been amazingly lucky as an author. My first mystery was accepted by Penguin Random House based on three chapters and a slap-dash twelve-page outline. And since then I’ve had another forty books published.

But that kind of beginner’s luck seems to be in short supply these days. Because what worked for me fifteen years ago just doesn’t work today. The world of publishing has changed big time. Publishers are being undercut by e-books, self-published authors, and hundreds of newly minted small presses. Understandably, that’s meant a considerable amount of belt-tightening. And the really radical shift that’s taken place in publishing is that today’s editors no longer edit. Editors are now in charge of acquisitions. They're tasked with finding new authors with new material.

This new breed of editor is always on the hunt for the next big thing. That usually means a great story with memorable, dynamic characters. Editors are also looking for breakout books that are different and don't rehash the same old story. Think current books such as Into the Water, A Dog’s Purpose, or Hillbilly Elegy.

So what can would-be authors do to increase their chance of success? First, take a look at the various categories. The mystery, thriller, and romance categories are holding strong. And a new sub-category – what publishers call “the domestic thriller,” is doing very well. If you’ve written a vampire or zombie book it’s going to be a tough sell, but editors are still looking for good Young Adult books and Children’s picture books.

Second, you’ve got to find yourself an agent that’s willing to take you on. The best thing to do is home in on three or four reputable agents that represent work in your category. Then you’ve got to submit a whiz-bang query letter that immediately nips at their interest.

Remember, too, that today’s tougher, leaner market also means that would-be authors have to write and submit a finished manuscript. Gone are the days when you can win a publishing contract based on a few scribbled chapters.

Authors also need to look at how their concept relates to what’s already out there in the marketplace. If there are already thirty culinary mystery series and you're pitching the thirty-first, it could be a tough sell. You also need to make sure your novel’s internal architecture is spot on. We’re talking plot, pacing, turning points, character development, dialogue, and suspense.

And, finally, in today’s on-demand publishing climate, no matter what kind of book you’re writing, it’s critical to establish an opening story hook immediately. Agents and editors don’t want pages and pages of build-up, they want you to toss your reader directly into the action.

As my agent once said to me, you’re writing mysteries so you’d better deliver a dead body in chapter one!

Best of luck to you!

Gerry Schmitt

Gerry Schmitt Bio

Gerry Schmitt is the author of Shadow Girl, an Afton Tangler Thriller, and Little Girl Gone, the first book in the series. Writing under her pen name Laura Childs, she is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty mysteries that include the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Her books have also been on the USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. Gerry is the former CEO of her own marketing firm, has won dozens of TV and radio awards, and written and produced two reality TV shows.

Thanks so much for those helpful hints, Gerry!

Gerry’s latest thriller, SHADOW GIRL hits stores TUESDAY, AUGUST 1! Make sure you get your copy for some good summer reading!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!

Gerry will give away a signed copy of SHADOW GIRL to one lucky commenter!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. US entries only please. J  Contest ends midnight, August 4. Good luck!

Revisiting LAURA BRADFORD

Laura Bradford writes the Amish Mysteries and now, the Dessert Squad Mysteries for Penguin!
We're reprinting her interview from 2015 in honor of the second release in the Dessert Squad series, SILENCE OF THE FLANS!

Laura Bradford (aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey) has wanted to be a writer since she was ten years old. Today, she is the author of several mystery series, and a handful of romance novels. She is a former Agatha Award nominee and the recipient of an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award.  SUSPENDERED SENTENCE is her twentieth traditionally-published release. In her free time, Laura enjoys making memories with her family, baking, playing games, and catching up with friends.  Her latest series is the Dessert Squad cozy series. Book 2, Silence of the Flans, was released in March.

Website: www.laurabradford.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/laurabradfordauthor

Twitter:  @bradfordauthor

     Welcome to the blog Laura! Tell us a little about your background – what got you interested in writing as a career? 

~I was ten years old when I knew I wanted to be a writer, and I never strayed from that path. In the beginning, I thought I’d go toward children’s writing, but in the end, when I really looked at what I enjoyed reading, I went the route of mystery.

To pay the bills out of college, I worked as journalist, but once I left that world to be a mom, I started getting serious about that fiction-writing dream.

   

     How do you “get to know” your characters before and while you’re writing the books?

~I always start out with some idea about each character, but their true essence is revealed to me in the writing process.  Sometimes I find the need to give them a particular nuance that I don’t understand at the time, but invariably the reason behind that nuance always reveals itself. Kind of weird, I know, but oh so cool when it happens!

     How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?

~My plot always comes from a small nugget. In Suspendered Sentence, that initial nugget was the notion of a group of teenagers leading a family to believe their child had simply run away when they knew that wasn’t the case. The nugget always kicks off a series of questions in my head—questions I’m propelled to answer (why did they keep quiet? What really happened?). 

I always know the who and why behind the crime when I start. Everything else happens as I write. That said, I do utilize a bullet point system as I go. I’ll bullet-point out “have to happen” moments in each chapter, five chapters at a time. It’s not as constraining as an outline for me, yet still keeps me on task.

     Which do you consider more important, plot or character?

~I think they’re both important, however, in a series, if your readers don’t care about your characters, they won’t pick up the next book. 

     What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

~Tough question. Staying on task is always tough, but that’s internal so I can fix that when it becomes an issue.  I think the biggest challenge is finding ways to let readers know my books are out there. Social media is good, but the majority of people coming to an author’s page are coming because they already know about you and your books. The challenge is how to find more.

As for how I stay motivated, I’m a fairly motivated person to start with, so that helps. But at those times when I’m not, I think of the college tuition payments I have to make. Being accountable for daily word counts to my friend, Lynn, is a huge help, too.  

     Do you have an “How I got my agent” story you want to share?

~I was already a published author (small press) with an Agatha nomination and a book club deal when I got my agent. J

  What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

~I’m currently writing the second book in a brand new cozy series I have debuting in 2016. I’m not really sharing specifics about the series yet as it’s still too far away. But when we get a little closer, I’ll be talking about it on my website (www.laurabradford.com) and my Facebook Author Page.  (ROCCO'S NOTE: THIS IS THE DESSERT SQUAD MYSTERIES)

~In terms of future plans, I’m hoping the Amish Mysteries get picked up for more books after # 5’s release in March 2016. I also have a thriller and a women’s fiction novel I’d like to spruce up and send out.

  What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

~A typical workday for me has me at the computer by 7 a.m. I spend about an hour on my blog, Facebook updates/viewing, Twitter, and email. Then I switch to writing. My goal, under normal circumstances, is 2,000 words a day. If I need more because I goofed off the day before, than I write more. But I don’t move until I accomplish what needs to be accomplished that day.  If the words are flowing and I’m done before noon—great.  If I find myself sucked back onto the internet during a time I should be writing, then I have less time later in the day for non-writing.

  If you could take only three books with you for a year-long writing retreat in a gorgeous setting with no library, which three would you take?

~Oooh, fun question!   Since this is a writing retreat, I’m guessing I need to bring writing-related books?

I’m really not in to how-to books, so I’d pick ones I could consult for encouragement and inspiration;   Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, On Writing by Stephen King, and Mary Higgins Clark’s A CRY IN THE NIGHT because it’s the book that made me want to write mysteries.

  What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?

~Read. Read. Read.

Write. Write. Write.

I see so many aspiring authors spending far more time reading how-to books on the craft of writing, than actually writing.  If you want to be an author, write.

  What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

~Early in my writing career, I took a woman (who’d emailed me about my first series) up on her offer to stay with her and her husband while touring. And I did it.  Looking back, I can’t believe how trusting (and probably stupid) I was to do that. But honestly, they couldn’t have been any nicer.

  What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you?

~If I could no longer write for some reason, I would bake. Something about baking just makes me incredibly happy.

  What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

~What’s a favorite memory from your journey as an author thus far?  My answer:  getting to speak to Mary Higgins Clark on the telephone—Harlan Coben’s telephone, to be exact.

  Where can we learn more about you and your books?

~You can learn more about me and my books by visiting my website: www.laurabradford.com.  There you can find all of the books I’ve written with links for more information on each title, a printable book list to make shopping easier, a fairly amusing bio (alongside the more official one), an event schedule, an opportunity to sign up for my several-times-a-year E-newsletter, and a super fun page devoted entirely to my Amish series (including a clickable map of Heavenly, PA, the town in which my series takes place).

In addition to my website, I have an active Facebook page that I frequent daily: https://www.facebook.com/laurabradfordauthor?ref=hl

And, finally, I’m on Twitter, although I’m not the best Tweeter:  @bradfordauthor   

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?     Day.

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)    Surely a dog snuck this question in when Rocco wasn’t looking, right?   CAT!!!    

Beach or Pool?    Beach

Steak or salad?    Steak

Favorite Drink?     A Vanilla milkshake

Favorite Book?     A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark (an oldie, but a goodie)

Favorite TV Series?    Survivor (been watching since the first show)

Favorite Movie?    27 Dresses

Favorite Actor:    Tom Hanks

Favorite Actress:    Meryl Streep  

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada?    I’m more of a Mudslide girl (sans Vodka), myself.

Hawaii or Alaska?     Hawaii.

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Walt Disney. I’d like to thank him for creating the backdrop for some of my very favorite memories.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, I wouldn’t. Being mom to my two daughters is the most beautiful gift in the world.

Penguin has donated a copy of SILENCE OF THE FLANS FOR A GIVEAWAY!

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

 * Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Contest ends midnight, July 30!!   Good luck!

Say hello to Meg Macy!

Merow!  My guest this week is author Meg Macy!

Award-winning mystery author Meg Macy lives in Southeast Michigan, close ​enough ​to Ann Arbor, Chelsea, and Dexter -- the area she chose for the setting of her new "Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear" cozy mystery series for Kensington. She is also one-half of the writing team of D.E. Ireland for the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins Mystery series; two​, Wouldn't It Be Deadly and Get Me to the Grave On Time​ ​were​ Agatha Award finalists​ for Best Historical​. Meg's first published book, Double Crossing, won the 2012 Best First Novel Spur Award from Western Writers of America. She's a graduate of Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction program. Meg loves reading mysteries, historicals, and other genre fiction, and also enjoys gardening, crafts, and watercolor painting.

R:  Welcome Meg! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

Thanks ROCCO!  I’m an avid reader, and started writing when my daughter was a toddler – children’s puzzles, etc. (magazine credits between 1997-2001) - and wrote a few romances. Those manuscripts, unfortunately, had dead bodies cropping up – so the editors would pass after complimenting my “voice” and style. After a break until my daughter entered college, I started over in the mystery genre via Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction program. Within a year of graduating, I was published. Double Crossing, a western historical mystery, won the Western Writers of America 2012 Spur Award for Best First Novel. Quite a surprise to me!

R: Tell us about your  “Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear” mystery series!  Where did that idea come from?

I started collecting teddy bears after buying a Paddington Bear at Harrods in London. When I needed a cozy theme, I researched if any other series had teddy bears (only one, John J. Lamb’s Teddy Bear Collector series) and also discovered that the Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory had moved from Michigan to Missouri. Rats! But I found photos online of the shop, which had offered tours, and developed my own unique small town shop and factory.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?  How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

I didn’t have an agent when my first novel sold, but I do co-write the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins mystery series (My Fair Lady fans, take note!) with a friend and fellow author, Sharon Farrow. We wrote the first book, Wouldn’t It Be Deadly, sent a query at 9 am one day, and received a phone call from the agent by 11 am – not just interested in seeing the completed manuscript, but offering representation! We were shocked. That’s virtually unheard of, really, and he sold it within three weeks. So exciting. I was also thrilled when my current editor thought the idea was “adorable” and made an offer for my teddy bear cozy series within a few months.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

Pinterest. Seriously! I have multiple secret boards for photos of my setting, characters, fashions, etc. I also use Michael Hauge’s 5-point plot arc, and I spend at least a month developing character sketches before working up a detailed synopsis/outline. Saves a lot of time in the long run. I also have my “Sheldon” spot on the sofa, near the window, where I do most of my writing. I love to watch the squirrels and birds, and see my flowers while working.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

Wow, great question. I’d say when Gutenberg invented his printing press – I would have loved to be involved in that! It changed history.

R:  If a movie were to be made of one of your books, which one would you want it to be and who would you pick for the lead roles?

That’s a toss-up between Bearly Departed (a perfect idea for the Hallmark channel, and I’d love to see NCIS’s Emily Wickersham as my amateur sleuth Sasha Silverman!) and also Wouldn’t It Be Deadly – but I don’t have an actress in mind for Eliza. Who can beat Audrey Hepburn? Or Rex Harrison as Higgins. Sigh. Wouldn’t that be loverly…

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

I’m a Christmas cookie fiend. Seriously, a fiend.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?

Tried to go up a down escalator. And failed. I still laugh about that. Long story, shared with my writing partner back in college.

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

A sense of family connections, which are important to me, and that justice is served in the end of all cozy mysteries – unlike other books, or real life.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

I just sent in Bear Witness to Murder, book 2 of the Teddy Bear cozy series. Next I will start With A Little Bit of Blood for the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins series with Sharon Farrow. Two books in that series have been finalists in the Best Historical category of the Agatha Award from Malice Domestic. We’re really proud of that.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Plotter, definitely, for novels. I have “pantsed” a short story or novella at times, but even that needs a basic outline.

R: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

Persistence is key, hard work pays off, and listen to only the best advice.

R: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

Teaching school, or retired and writing picture books! I love picture books, the artwork blended with words. I’m also an artist, so I’d probably be doing a lot more watercolors. No time now, unfortunately.

R: What book is on your TBR shelf you can’t wait to get to?

Soooo many, it’s hard to choose! Design for Dying, Renee Patrick; What You See, Hank Phillippi Ryan; The Song of the Lion, Anne Hillerman.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Day – I am a happy morning person, to some friends’ dismay.

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  BOTH! Love the furries, so much.

Beach or Pool?   Pool – no surprises, but I don’t mind walking a Florida beach looking for shells or a Petoskey stone in Michigan.

Favorite Book?  Tolkien’s The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Favorite TV Series?  Remington Steele

Favorite Movie?  Cary Grant’s – North by Northwest, Charade, Father Goose, etc.

Favorite Actor:  David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, or Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes

Favorite Actress:  Dame Maggie Smith or Audrey Hepburn

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Agatha Christie.

If I had just one wish, it would be to live on Mackinac Island.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be  myself at a younger age, so I could start writing much earlier!

Thanks Meg! Folks, you can find Meg at:

http://www.megmacy.com

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!!!!

Meg will give away a print copy of Bearly Departed to one lucky commenter!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck! US entries only! Contest ends midnight, July 23!