Sunday, June 30, 2013

STRONG IS SEXY T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY!



It's here!!! I'm pleased to say I finally got the shirts and for the month of July, I'm going to be collecting entrants for a winner. One lucky person is going to win a size Large fitted T for ladies. 

Here's the deal...I'm not gonna do a rafflecopter. People "like" me just until the contest is over and then they're gone. I'm tired of it. This is strictly for true supporters of Book Babe. If I get a few new ones, great, I hope they like what they see and stick around for a while. :)

So..no rafflecopter, no tweeting, no nothing. How do you enter? The old-fashioned way!!!! LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW, telling me your favorite feature on Book Babe and why.

You must be a follower here on blogger or GFC and a United States resident. I LOVE my International fans, but too often, shipping is more than the item is worth. No disrespect intended.

Please leave your email address in the comment. If there is no email address, you won't be entered. At the end of July, all qualified entrants will have their name dropped in a dog bowl and one of my canine sidekicks will choose. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my email with their snail mail addy before I choose another winner.

And that's all! Thank you, everyone for following Book Babe, for your supportive comments, your FB shares, your tweets, your ideas. You have all made Strong is Sexy a success!



What Were They Looking For???

I'm starting something new. At the end of every month, I'm going to share with you...blogging...err...what's the word? Funny Blogger Dashboard Keyword Searches.

See, in our dashboards, we have this page of stats and it tells us what keywords led someone to our blog. Sometimes I've had to scrape my eyebrows off the ceiling after viewing this page. I'm amazed at what people search for...even more amazed their searches leading them here...

Take this one for example:



Cock longer than your boot??? Um, you know, there is such thing as too big...

A fellow blogging acquaintance helped me figure out Google search (Ok. I'm lying. I honestly don't know how she did. I did all kinds of searches on google, yahoo, and my blog with the words "cock is longer than your boot" and I couldn't figure this out) and she figured out that the post they were finding with this search is Pink Boots  and a Machete, a book by Mireya Mayor I featured on here a while back.

Ok, wait up. How could I be talking about cock in a post like that?

I'm not. LOL

"She travels to South America and the Congo both and braves worms in her feet, scorpion bites, killer bee stings, cock roaches in her pants, possible gorilla attacks, blood infections, and all for the love of monkeys."

Pretty crazy, huh? And "hearing aid boyfriends?" Does someone want a boyfriend who specifically wears a hearing aid? Nothing wrong with that, but what an odd way to try to find one. Maybe it's a woman who is known for her incessant nagging and has finally admitted a deaf man may be the way to go...he can turn his aids off.

Another odd one. Is this a foreign language? Now you can see I'm also having fun with these screen shots.



babec booms sixey? 

What do you think that is? A Google search pulled up a site called Sexy Babe With Very Nice Boobs. Well, thank you! NOT! It's actually a porn site and I didn't enter.

How about this one below? Dancing nude. Sex slaves. I'd say we're a sex-obsessed society! Are we not getting enough of it at home??




And here, apparently someone wants to see my sister author, Laura DeLuca's....errr...assets. I'm afraid I don't include that data in the author spotlights. Sorry, searcher.



And who is Courtney Dalton????


I'd like to know was babessins are. Babe assassins?



Now I've heard of barefoot and pregnant but barefoot and doing everyday things? A new fetish, perhaps? And what is vintage sex? Sex over sixty? Sex in the twenties? Sex when hubby's sleeping...that may be kind of hard. LOL


And yea, I guess I should explain why all those husband on a leash searches are leading people my way...*sheepish grin* It's not what you think...really.

It's a book review for a book called How to Keep Him on a Short Leash. It was a funny, silly thing I picked up one day and ever since, it's been drawing all these hits, though I'm sure people are looking for something a heck of a lot more racy with those terms!

What are some weird terms showing up on YOUR blogs?

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Tip from Tara: Is Your Subject Performing Your Verb?


I've been leaving a lot of comments like this in the MSs I edit:

Your subject is the tree. The verb is staring. Are the trees staring? No... Your subject needs to be performing your verb. 

It's really that simple.

Staring at a spot in the darkness, the trees swayed to and fro.

I get what the author is trying to say, especially when I read the rest of the paragraph. A man is walking through the woods, spying on a cabin, but I shouldn't have to think about it. The subject should be clear and the verb even clearer. In the sentence above, the subject is the trees. There is no clear subject, really. I assume it's the trees. The action is...staring or swaying, one or the other. More confusion.

He stared at a spot in the darkness and noticed the trees swayed to and fro.

Now your subject is the man and your man is performing the verb. Both are clear.

Deepening the kiss, his hands caressed the bare skin under her skirt.

His hands are the subject. How can they deepen a kiss?

As he deepened the kiss, he caressed the bare skin under her skirt.

Now, HE is the subject and he's deepening the kiss and caressing her. It's more clear.

This often happens when a passive sentence is in use. Watch those passive sentences and make sure your subject is always performing the verb. While you don't want every sentence beginning with HE or SHE, neither do want them all starting with ING words.

Thanks for reading!

Friday, June 28, 2013

Lily's Leap by Téa Cooper

Lily's LeapBorn into privileged society, Lilibeth Dungarven finds herself married, widowed, and much to her distress, back under her father’s rule, all before her twenty-first birthday. But this feisty and independent young woman has a dream: she is determined to breed the perfect racehorse and restore the family’s flagging fortunes. An accomplished rider, she takes matters into her own hands and sets out to restore the Dungarven horse stud to its former glory.

When the devastatingly attractive Captain Tom and his mismatched band of bushrangers stumble across a mob of the best horses they’ve ever seen, and the daughter of the famed Dungarven horse stud, they know their fortunes have changed. Their catch is worth a king’s ransom. Surely it can’t be too difficult to contain this beautiful young woman with violet eyes and skin-tight riding breeches for seven days?


What I loved:

-The horses, the riding, the descriptions. Great balance of story vs descriptive details. It doesn't bore me to death by giving me too much at once or nattering on and on. It gives me the perfect amount.
-Lily's leap. Now that's a scene. I'm not saying any more than that.
-Lily's occasional spunk. When asked where she learned to ride like a boy, she retorts, "I didn't learn to ride like a boy. I learned to ride a horse." She later makes a very similar and just as witty comment during a game of chess. LOL
-The seamless narrative. It switches back and forth with ease. It flows.
-The horse race!!!!! Whoo hoo!!!!!!!!!!

What I did not like:

-How easy it was for Lily to be captured. Except for one escape attempt, Lily just kinda saunters right into her kidnapper's arms. This really didn't suit her otherwise headstrong character.
-How quickly the hero and heroine ended up draped over each other. They didn't even have two serious conversations before they were lip-locked.
-The fact the hero kidnapped the heroine for ransom never seems to be an issue...even with the heroine. Though I appreciated the perp/victim thing became a partnership, he never apologized for his actions and nobody said a word about his crime. It was just instantly water under the bus as they fell in love. Personally, if you kidnap me for ransom, I'm not going to offer you money, or fret over you doing prison time, or anything else. I'm gonna kick you in the nuts, hard. Again, this didn't work with what I felt otherwise was a very strong woman.





Thursday, June 27, 2013

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Cynthiana Davenport

Book: Homerun
Author: Ruth Roberts
Heroine: Cynthiana Davenport

This week, we have something a little different for you...we have the hero--Roberto--telling us what he sees in the heroine...strength and sexiness.



When I first met Cynthiana Davenport, I was captivated by her beauty. A fiery red head with flashing blue eyes and porcelain skin. But her appeal goes far beyond her sexy smile, or the way all eyes turn to her when she walks into a room. She is strong because she survived being raised by wealthy parents who neglected her, when they did show any interest in her it was to serve their own purposes. Affection and love were bad words in her home and any attempts to display them were harshly rejected. She was primed to take her place in the highest echelons of society, but getting there was less than fun. 

Because of her strength of character she triumphed and turned herself into a caring, giving person. Spending her time teaching children and planning charity events for underprivileged youths. I can't imagine what it was like when the two people who were supposed to nurture and love, instead did everything they could to crush her heart and spirit. I am so thankful they didn't succeed because the woman I love is like a flower after a rain storm, who despite the harsh beating from the rain still blooms bright.

Blurb: 
Cynthiana, beautiful, intelligent, and by all appearances, a spoiled socialite, finds herself as chair of the Inner City Youth League Charity Gala. Her Co-Chair, Roberto Luque, is Major League Baseball’s newest playboy from the Dominican Republic. Far from being in the league of men her parents expect her to choose from, which is just fine with her, since she has sworn off playboys. But, as they work together she discovers his devotion to the inner city children and wonders if there is more to him than his playboy reputation. Will she break her no playboy rule long enough to find out?

Roberto fought his way into the Majors. Now a successful pitcher for the Texas Rangers, he is living the life he always dreamed of--until he faces off with a bad-tempered, blue-eyed, redhead that is not his type. Why is he so drawn to her? The Charity Gala gives him a chance to find out. What he finds beneath that socialite veneer captivates him, heart and soul.

When her powerful father threatens to tear them apart, destroying not only their love, but also Roberto’s hard won career, will he be willing to give it all up for love?

Excerpt:



A determined Cynthiana strode up the front steps of her parents twenty-thousand square foot palatial home. She walked right in the front door, even though they had asked her countless times to ring the doorbell instead. She refused to act as a guest in her childhood home, where her parents still lived.
The shocked housekeeper entered the foyer and started sputtering when she saw her. “Oh miss, I didn’t hear the doorbell. I’m so sorry. If you’ll have a seat in the front parlor, I’ll let your parents know you are here.”

“No need, Molly. Is my father in his office?” she asked as she brushed by.

“Yes. But you can’t just go in—”

Cynthiana ignored her and approached the double mahogany doors to her father’s office, hurled them open, stepped inside and slammed them behind her.

Her father glanced up from what he was writing, then returned to his writing without saying a word. More furious than hurt by his dismissal, Cynthiana went to his desk and slammed her hands on top to get his attention. “Leave Roberto alone. That is not a request.”

He threw his pen on his desk and scooted his chair back, but remained seated. His glacial blue eyes meant he was angry—Cynthiana had seen that glare many times before.

“You do not give me orders, young lady. I will do whatever needs to be done to protect my family, and that includes you. Whether you like it or not, you are a Davenport.”

Cynthiana met his angry gaze with one that matched his in color and intensity. “Oh, please. All I’ve ever been to you and mother is an accessory that you could show off to your friends when needed, then pushed to the background once I had served my purpose. If it hadn’t been for the Howards, who took me in whenever the two of you abandoned me, I would have never known the true meaning of a family.”

“Spare me your theatrics. It wasn’t the Howards who clothed and fed you or who paid for the best education money can buy. While you were playing house with the Howard’s, your mother and I were busy making the money that you benefited from, that made you a Davenport of the Dallas Davenports. And now you are threatening to tarnish that good name? I won’t allow it Cynthiana.” Somewhere during his tirade he had stood and now towered over her.

Never one to back down, she fired at him, “You are not attempting to protect me, you are trying to maintain an image and if my happiness has to be sacrificed along the way, then so be it. Isn’t that right, Daddy? You want me to be a true Davenport? Fine, I will. I’m warning you now, if you hurt the man I love I will use all the weapons in the Davenport arsenal to bring you down.”

His face glared red with rage. “How dare you threaten me?”

“It’s a warning, Daddy. Stay out of my life. Leave Roberto alone.” She turned and walked away, out of his office and out of the house, ignoring his yells.

“Get back here, Cynthiana! We aren’t finished!”

She smiled in satisfaction—maybe she was more of a Davenport than she thought.



Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Vanquished (The Roxbury Trilogy #1) by Hope Tarr

Vanquished (The Roxbury Trilogy, #1)This story took me by surprise, and for that alone, it gets a few extra points. I'm tired of reading the same done over and over again story lines and I like to be surprised.

The plot alone is unique. You have the leader of suffragettes, a woman who hasn't known the touch of a man in a very long time...you could say she's a man-hater. You have a photographer being blackmailed into somehow obtaining a naughty photograph of her. How in the world can he get under skirts?

This leads to romance, to falling in love with the forbidden. For Hadrian, there is no way out. He must get that photo or lose his life. The two engage in a love affair that's scorching-hot as he opens her eyes to plight of the London people. Callie realizes it's not just women being untreated unfairly, but the less fortunate, period.

Hadrian must face up to a torrid past and come to terms with who he is and was. Callie learns to come out of her shell, to be a woman for a change, and learns there is more to life than the right to vote. Though the cause doesn't diminish in her eyes, she realizes there's a lot more she needs to see and do as well.

But how in the world can they find happiness once he helps see her vanquished? What woman is going to forgive a man who sullies her reputation with a scandalous photo? How can he get out of this mess?

There was a rape sidestory that somewhat rattled me. While I appreciate being reminded rape is not necessarily confined to women, it jarred me with its brutality. The erotic scenes though well done, I didn't necessarily need them. I don't pick up historical fiction for the butt sex.

I appreciated the match factory and women on strike side story, however brief. The author explains the real facts in her author notes as well. I found this interesting. I also liked both the hero and heroine and this surprised me as the hero is technically a jerk and a man-whore and he's out to ruin her, but I was able to connect with him on some level and see more to him.

Major LOL moment: "She came then, little pulses that sent her woman's flesh fluttering against his mouth like the beating of butterfly wings.

That's quite a vagina!!!!!


Four bikes. I bought this on Amazon a while back.




Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Meet the Strong Women from Lavender Road, Introduced by Helen Carey

Lavender Road (London at War)Strong women – don’t you love them? Especially if they don’t start off that strong but grow as the book progresses. That’s why I enjoy writing about the Second World War - that’s when so many women (particularly in the UK) started to realise that they had the same skills and abilities as men. With most men away at war they found the chance to take on new roles and responsibilities, often surprising their men and themselves too! 
     
Jen Carter in LAVENDER ROAD dreams of making a name for herself on the stage despite her unpromising and entirely unsupportive family background. She suffers repeated knockbacks, both in her career and her private life, but her gritty determination wins through in the end. 

Some Sunny DayKaty Parsons in SOME SUNNY DAY has always been over-cosseted by her anxious publican parents. Trying to gain some independence she enrols as a nurse but finds it far more gruelling and exhausting than she imagined. But when her father is killed in the Blitz and her new husband is missing overseas she eventually finds the courage to reopen the pub herself in order to provide for her unborn baby.
Lady Helen de Burrel in ON A WING AND A PRAYER is fed up with everyone treating her as a brainless debutante. Against her better judgement she offers her services to the Secret Operations Executive and finds herself battling to hold her own among a group of tough ambitious men during the brutal agent training. But her real test comes when she is asked to parachute into France to help blow up the ships in Toulon harbour before the Nazis can get them.

The Art of LovingIn my recent contemporary suspense novel, SLICK DEALS, Ella Crossley, a young, city girl oil trader, finds herself way outside her comfort zone when she gets embroiled in hunting down the kidnappers of her boss’s son. Much more used to business lunches and dinner parties, the last thing she wants to do is get involved with the irritatingly laid back environmentalist, Nick Jardine, and a group of eco warriors in the wilds of West Wales. But she rises to the occasion and between them they not only rescue the child but also prevent a massive oil disaster.

In THE ART OF LOVING, young artist Kelly James arrives in Heidelberg to work with an eminent German painter. She has been offered accommodation with her aunt but is immediately thrown off balance by discovering that her aunt is dying and that her husband’s nephew the wealthy, arrogant scientist Max Dreiecke von Hardwald believes Kelly has come to try and get her name in the will. Battling both her own nervousness about her artistic ability and her attraction for her antagonistic host, Kelly needs all the strength she can muster.

HAPPY READING!
Helen Carey

Lots more about my books at: http://www.helencareybooks.co.uk
Visit my blog for writing and reading tips: http://helencareybooks.wordpress.com
Or join me on Twitter at: @helencareybooks




Monday, June 24, 2013

Marriage Matters by Cynthia Ellingsen

Weddings are pretty stressful affairs, especially considering it's supposed to be the best day of a woman's life... Imagine walking down the aisle, however, with your mother and grandmother! All three of you getting married on the same day!
Marriage Matters

Chloe is the granddaughter and she's engaged to a man who just may want her around solely to take care of his daughter...hum. Kristine has been married 25 years and it's going stale (he'd rather go hunting with his buddies than go to Italy with her!), but she's expected to renew her vows. Does she want to spend another 25 years with him? June swore off men since she was widowed, but she has this love/hate thing with her neighbor.

The story is funny with bits of humor here and there as all three women prepare to walk to down the aisle and plan their triple wedding. I laughed out loud at June's antics at destroying Charley's garden and her old lady friends competing for the same man. Chloe...I had a harder time with her. I was like "Are you blind???" Kristine--I totally got her. Her story had the most effect on me. She's tired, feels like her husband doesn't love her anymore, and is tempted by another man. It's a rut I imagine most marriage face at some point. And the way the author handled this was fantastic. At no point was this subplot distasteful or dirty.

I especially loved watching June and Charley move on from widowhood and into each other's arms while at the same time, maintaining the sweetest respect for their dead spouses. The family time between the three women warmed my heart too.

What was especially wonderful about this book though besides the laughs, was the theme: you always have your family.

Yea, they  meddle, but sometimes meddling is necessary.

Quibble: There really wasn't enough Ben considering how important he was to the story.

LOL moment:

June: "If I end up missing, he's buried my body in the garden."
Chloe: "You always say he doesn't know how to buy a decent fertilizer."

Four bikes. I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.




Sunday, June 23, 2013

A Beautiful Heist by Kim Foster

A Beautiful HeistThere's a lot to like about this book. You have a tough heroine who steals things for a living, believing she's righting an old wrong. Her jobs had me on the edge of my seat. They were heart-stopping. Many times I didn't think she would make it. I loved her sense of humor and sarcastic wit too.

"...was there a specific reason they made church pews so damn hard and uncomfortable? I mean, stained glass here, gilded whatnot there--surely there wasn't a lack of money in the budget."

There's a romance with fellow, very hot thief. There's a good side story about morals and whether what she does it bad or good and is she still a good person even though she does something bad? Her dad and dead sister play into this a lot. I appreciated the points this brought up and the things it makes you think about.

The narrative switches seamlessly between first person and third, depending on who it's following.

It's a terrific yarn, really, as this woman dodges the FBI, the IRS, a Russian casino-owning family, a former thief turned author, and also tries to get a promotion within the company of thieves. This was rather cute. I loved a peek into the lifestyle and gadgets: gloves with blood-packed fingertips for one.

In the middle of it all is a Faberge egg and some possibly religious artifacts.

I enjoyed this, very much, but I have some quibbles. I found the entire Brooke thing just kind of crazy. This lady just seems to stalk her and make trouble for her every which way, and in the end this sub plot left me feeling very unsatisfied. I also didn't buy the lady FBI agent showing up everywhere. It seemed so obvious to me something wasn't right. There were just too many coincidences. The romance...I'm disappointed with the heroine. One man risks life and career to help you but you end up in the arms of another? No....that's not where I was was hoping this would go.

The ending overall is very vague. I'm still not sure what all these people had to do with everything, how everyone is connected, why Cat is praised when in the end, she was empty-handed. I'm beyond confused. I get this continues into another book, but the ending left me with more questions than answers. I also found the "I have to keep stealing to avenge my sister's death" side story a bit lame.

But quibbles aside, I enjoyed this action-packed read featuring a strong heroine and I look forward to book two.

Four bikes. I received this on netgalley.




Saturday, June 22, 2013

When Our Books Become Outdated...

I write my share of contemporary romances or just plain ole contemporary stories, all genres. And lately, I've grown to wonder, what will I do when my title becomes outdated?

Think about this: 

In Love Request, the hero and heroine hook up via Facebook. I've already had to modify this book once to accommodate the new Timelines. Facebook changes its stuff every two weeks though. I can't modify the book every time they change something. So...week by week, my book is becoming outdated.

In a book I recently edited, the heroine had a flip-top phone. Does anyone still make those?

In A Healing Love, when I first penned it, I was told Cindy Crawford was awful old. Could I refer to a more modern model? So I replaced her with Megan Fox...but twenty years from now, will anyone know how that is?

My point: contemporary stories are only contemporary now. With technology constantly changing, with cell phones that eventually will probably even wipe our arses for us, our contemporary books will one day be picked up by a curious reader who just may think it's historical!

"Oh, how quaint! These people are still using toilet paper! Doesn't she know there's an APP for that?" 

Do we then change the genre? Twenty years from now when the world is like Back To The Future with flying cars and skateboards, will we need to change the genre of our now-contemporary titles or revise them to get with the times? I guess Carlos would have to have a flying Harley, Maria would wash the car using a car wash app, Ciara probably won't even be hard of hearing; stem cell research would have taken off.

But what if we're dead and can't revise anyway? Seems changing the genre would be easier. After all, if someone in 2030 releases a book containing a plot that occurs in 1990, it will be labeled historical fiction then, making ours technically historical fiction too!

That concludes my thoughts of the day.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Spotlight: The House on Burra Burra Lane by Jennie Jones

The House on Burra Burra Lane (The Swallow's Fall Series #1)A dilapidated house, a city girl looking for a tree change, and a rugged vet with a past. Just another day in rural Australia…

Just ten days after her fresh start in the isolated Snowy Mountains, Samantha Walker trips over a three hundred pound pig and lands in the arms of Dr. Ethan Granger — and the firing line for gossip. It was hardly a ‘date’ but sparks of the sensual kind are difficult to smother in a community of only 87 people. Now there’s a bet running on how long she’ll stay and what she’ll get up to while she’s in town.

Ethan has his own issues — Sammy’s presence in his childhood home brings with it painful recollections of family scandals and a bad‐boy youth. When the gossip around them heightens, his life is suddenly a deck of cards spread on the table for all to see. Then Sammy's past catches up with her... and it looks like all bets are off.

Excerpt:
Sammy threw herself on top of her, lying flat-out. ‘Don’t move. Please don’t move.’ The pig’s body had sunk another four inches already. Sammy petted her nose and spoke softly. ‘Not long, baby. Ethan will be here soon.’

            As though her prayer had been answered, the sound of his ute’s engine sang on the breeze. She couldn’t see over the ridge high above her but she recognised the engine’s hum the way a faithful dog left at home would. And Mrs. Johnson’s 4WD was behind it.

            Both vehicles stopped, engines running. A door slammed, the children’s voices rose, sounding like pleas, and then Ethan’s voice, the low steady timbre telling the children to stay clear.

            ‘Here we go,’ Sammy whispered, and wondered if she was calming Ruby or advising herself to remain controlled when she saw him.

            The ute’s engine purred, then the tow bar came into her view. The door opened and closed. The tarpaulin ruffled on the tray. Some shifting sounds, and his voice again, asking the children to bring his bag.

            Sammy breathed deeply, steadying herself when he stepped to the edge of the ridge.

            The afternoon sunshine shone on his back. The wind billowed his tan checked shirt and blew his sandy hair across his brow. For a moment, he melded with the breeze and the tall gum tree behind him like a painting from another era. A time of bushmen, and horses and roping; the layers of oil on canvas darkened at the edges. The sunshine glistening through the emerald green of the tree branches, resting like a halo on the shoulders of a man at home on the open land.

            Legs akimbo, rescue gear in his hands, he looked as though he could ring any bell in the world.

            Sammy’s heartbeat skittered. She hadn’t seen him or spoken to him since yesterday in the kitchen and hadn’t expected to be in touch with him until … She didn’t know. Didn’t have any idea what would happen between them next.

            He had his gaze on Ruby. Then it moved to Sammy, and his eyes narrowed.

            Ruby shuffled her snout, as though she sensed his presence. She oinked, and wriggled in the mud.


            Sammy put her hands flat on the pig’s midriff, and pushed to keep her still. She glanced up to the ridge again. It was the strangest moment to feel thrilled. She had no right to it, but no matter what he was doing - holding rabbits, patting horses or saving pigs, her heart would always burn with pride at his composure. He was a flagship of strength and her eyes would always welcome the sight of him.


Where to buy:

Amazon.com 

All Romance eBooks 

Escape Publishing (Links to all Where to Buy eRetailers)


Born and brought up in Wales, Jennie loved anything with a romantic element from the age of five. At eighteen, she went to drama school in London then spent a number of years performing in British theatres, becoming someone else two hours, eight shows a week.

Jennie wrote her first romance story at the age of twenty five whilst ‘resting’ (a theatrical term for Out of work). She wrote a western and sent if off to Mills & Book in the UK who politely and correctly declined. She put writing to one side after that and took a musical theatre job. Which brings Jennie to her favourite quotation: “Fate keeps on happening.” - Anita Loos.

When Jennie’s life changed and a new country, marriage and motherhood beckoned, she left acting and the UK.

She now lives in Western Australia, a five minute walk to the beach that she loves to look at but hardly ever goes to due to there being too much sand. (Sand is like glitter; once it gets between your toes, you keep finding it in the house for months.)

Jennie returned to writing three years ago. She says it keeps her artistic nature dancing and her imagination bubbling. Like acting, she can’t envisage a day when writing will ever get boring.

Where to find Jennie: 
@JJRomance

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Holly Grey

Book: Hubble Bubble
Author: Jane Lovering
Heroine: Holly Grey



Holly Grey from Hubble Bubble is an independent woman.  She lives and works alone and doesn’t need anyone else in her life – she’s already got a man in the shape of her brother, Nick.  But Nick is not the big brother that most women would want, or could cope with, he’s highly strung and prone to paranoia, so Holly has to maintain stability and absolutely NEVER give way to her emotions.  She has to stay strong, to keep life running smoothly for her brother, even when it seems her own life is out of control. 

It’s Holly’s ability to care that makes her sexy.  Her ability to empathise.  When Kai Rhys gets some news he never expected, that makes his whole life fall apart, Holly is there for him.  She listens, when no one else will, she offers the support and comfort that he needs in order to face up to some serious personal demons, and overcome them. And she’s there when he finds out who he truly is, and what he truly wants...

Blurb:
Be careful what you wish for…


Holly Grey only took up witchery to keep her friend out of trouble – and now she’s knee-deep in hassle, in the form of apocalyptic weather, armed men, midwifery…and a sarcastic Welsh journalist.



Kai has been drawn to darkest Yorkshire by his desire to find out who he really is. What he hadn’t bargained on was getting caught up in amateur magic and dealing with a bunch of women who are trying really hard to make their dreams come true.


Together they realise that getting what you wish for is sometimes just a matter of knowing what it is you want…

Hubble Bubble is one of Apple's 'Best Books of June': https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/hubble-bubble/id626890821?mt=11



Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Cover Reveal: Long Road, Full Speed Ahead by Emily Walker

Blurb – A young girl struggles with abuse, addiction, and abortion all while trying to go to school. Somehow she hits rock bottom and finds an unlikely love story.

Synopsis- Grace finds herself with a toxic friend and a brand new hobby when she discovers meth. She had a promising future before Grayson came into the picture. A wolf in sheep’s clothing he soon shows his true colors and they are painted with black and blue.

The drugs cause more problems than they fix, but lost in the intoxicating world of numbness she must find herself through abuse, addiction, and abortion. Will she let the drugs take her out of the world, and be forever numb, or will an unlikely love pull her out and make her feel again?

Website – http://www.authoremilywalker.com
 Blog – http://www.selfpublishordie.com
 Review site – http://www.reviewsfrombeyondthebook.blogspot.com
 Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/authoremilywalker
 Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/authorewalker

Bio:
Emily Walker loves creating worlds and stumbling around in them. She is constantly losing her chap-stick, and has an obsession with the color pink. Currently a resident of the mountains and loving the view she writes mostly paranormal fiction, and horror. Her small family consists of her red bearded other half, a rat terrier named Rebel, and a cat called Mr. Creepy.





Ten Questions from Tara: An Interview with Erik Schubach. Bullying, Dating, & Strong Women

I love meeting new authors. I especially love meeting authors whom I have something in common with. Every now and then I'll spot a book that grabs my attention...I'll email the author of the book. Sometimes I'm ignored. Sometimes the author replies, promises to get with  me again at such and such a time or send a post, and I never hear from them again. But sometimes, they turn out to be some real nice, down-to-earth, awesome people, and this leads to some great correspondence and new friendships. And this how I came to meet Erik. Please give Erik a warm welcome. He has some really important things to say from bullying to discrimination to one of his coolest-ever dates.

Tara: You came to my attention because you have a deaf heroine in your book, Music of the Soul. Tell me about the research you did on this, the things you learned from hard of hearing/deaf people.

Erik: Most of my experience was back in the mid to late 1980's. Being the curious person I am, back then I had asked my deaf friends how they experienced music. Also about and how they overcame bullying, which I witnessed frequently and was grouped into since I was bullied all through my young adult life. We all sort of stood up for each other. I think Amber, one of my hearing impaired friends, handled it better than I did. I seriously believe that young people can be much meaner than adults.

We had gone to movies at times and I was curious how much of the dialog she was able to pick up on by reading lips. She let me know that what she didn't get, she picked up on by the progression of the scenes.

I thank God that the hearing impaired people I had dealings with could read lips (Though there were some misunderstandings.) because I sucked at learning sign language, I tried and tried... I felt like a complete idiot since my other friends were learning it at a quick pace. Amber once said that teaching me was like like trying to teach a one-eyed raccoon how to sign.

I did try the sensory deprivation technique I describe in the book to experience some music and a sub-titled VHS movie at her house to try to gain some perspective after high school at Amber's house. It is a real eye-opener.

Tara: What do you feel hearing people could learn from your book?

Erik: That what they deem as different or as a handicap is really only a matter of perspective. Differences are what make us all amazing individuals and give us character. Nobody should be treated any differently or ostracized because they don't “hear” the world in the same way.

Tara: *nods head* Amen, Erick. Thanks for pointing that out. You bring up bullying. I understand what being on the receiving end of that is very well. I notice you also tackle the subject in book two. What message do you hope to get across to people by putting this topic in your novels?

Erik: Bullying is one of the worst things a person can subject another individual to. In many cases that bullying can damage someone almost beyond repair. More suicides are being attributed to bullying almost every day. People need to take a stand against it, and realize that “ignoring” bullying when they witness it is the same thing as saying that it is OK. It is very rare for a person to not be affected their entire lives by it, even if they don't show it externally.

I myself was bullied relentlessly in high school and beyond because I was a small gangly nerd (the term geek wasn't used widely back then yet). Always getting pressured into doing other people's homework just to be made fun of by those same people.

I think I turned out relatively OK, but to this day I hold a deep seated grudge against anyone I see bullying anyone and am the first to step in to diffuse it. I remember the names of each and every person that ever bullied me, even though I can't remember most of my other classmates from the time. That's my damage.

So I try to mention the subject in each and every book I write. I believe people need to be more educated about bullying, bigotry and discrimination.


Tara: A DEAFENING Whisper. I love that title. Does that feature a hard of hearing person too? If not, what significance does that choice of words have? 





Erik: It pertains to a poem one of my characters writes. A Deafening Whisper is something whispered between two people that is so profound that it alters their lives forever. Whether it is for the good or the bad. So regardless of how quietly it is whispered, the consequences boom louder than thunder. Like telling someone you love them for the first time.

None of the characters are deaf in that book, though one main character suffers from OCD and Tourette Syndrome and the other has a sickness she has not revealed to anyone. I like to write about strong characters that use their supposed weaknesses as their greatest strengths.

Tara:  That is truly beautiful. I like that. All your books are lesbian fiction, which is awesome, but as a man, how did you end writing that? Did someone suggest you write one? Did the characters just pop in your head and refuse to quit nagging you until you put them on the page?

Erik: Well, there are a few reasons. My nieces are both lesbian and I think it is awesome how strong they are. One has even asked me to base a character on her struggles in an upcoming book. Also, I have always enjoyed strong female characters in media. In the past, I don't think that they have had their fair share in the spotlight (though recently that has been turning around).

The ideas just come to me and I have to write them down. The first book, Music of the Soul, was written in one weekend because the idea popped into my head and I just had to write the story down. My style and grammar my not be the most professional (It sucks) but, it is the story I want to share.

I do want to point out that none of my books contain erotic material. A lot of people seem to jump to that conclusion. But I leave those moments to people's imaginations. I may lead up to it but never delve into details. My stories are about the love and romance two people share, not the sex.

Tara: I commend you for that. Sex is all over the place nowadays. It's nice to meet an author just giving a solid story. Do you think you’ll ever write m/m or m/f?

Erik: I'm open to writing about anything. It doesn't matter which two individuals fall in love... it is the love that matters, and romance is romance. The only reason my first four books are F/F is because they are in the same story arc world. Other romance books in different settings may be a different dynamic.

I am currently finishing the manuscript for the fifth book in the Music of the Soul arc and will be turning to science fiction for a book or two. There are two ideas just screaming at me to write down.

Tara: Your Amazon bio says you have always been drawn to strong female characters in books. That totally rocks. Can you tell me some of your favorite book heroines?

Erik: I could seriously go on forever with this list :) but the top three main ones are as follows...

On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington, #1)

Honor Harrington from the Honorverse books by David Weber (my personal favorite). Not only is she a kick butt admiral in the royal space navy, but she also has a husband AND a wife later on in the series. She is known by the enemy as the Salamander, she always shows up where impossible battles rage the hottest, and somehow always walks away victorious.



Killashandra Ree from the Crystal Singer books by Anne McCaffrey. She gave up her life to mine crystals and be with the man she loved even though she knew that same crystal mining would eventually strip her of her memory and curse her to an extraordinarily long life without those memories.

Killashandra (Crystal Singer, #2)


Magiere from the Nobel Dead books by Barb and J.C. Hendee. Not quite vampire and not quite human, she travels the continent hunting the vampires and other creatures that prey on the weak. She has to fight not just the undead, but her own rising blood-lust.

Tara: An Amazon reviewer recently reviewed book three of your series, The Dating Game. She says, “Enticing book with excellent dating tips ;)”. Okay. Now I must know more. Give us a dating tip, please.

Erik: Since my two previous books were so deeply emotional I attempted to lighten up the mood on this third book, Dating Game, before dipping back into the heavily emotional fourth book. To mixed reviews... apparently you either love the book or hate the book.

The dates are fun though. I would say that nothing beats a picnic if you share it in a location that means something personal in your life. Share that information and your impressions then and now. Nothing is more intimate than letting someone into your life like that. Communication is sexy.
Tara: Tell us about a date of your own. Did it make it in the book? Was it horrible, funny, boring?

Erik: I have lived in the Pacific Northwest most of my life. At one point I had asked a girl in Spokane, WA out for some “adventure”. I had brought her to a bridge where an Anubis hieroglyph graffiti was tagged with a triangle. We drove the direction of the point of the triangle. The next bridge had the same graffiti.

This continued through some scenic views of the city, I made sure to give her time to look at the city and mountains from these unique vantage points before moving on to the next. Soon we wound up at a plaque overlooking a portion of the Spokane River that described a whirlpool that used to exist at that point caused by the meeting of two forks of the river.

There just happened to be a picnic lunch set up there (what a coincidence). I shared with her the first time I had discovered that “secret” Anubis breadcrumb trail years ago and how I had never shared it with anyone. After letting me know I was a goofball, she admitted that she hadn't had that much fun in a long time.

Digger

Tara: Thank you for sharing that. Really. That's cool. This is always the tenth question...As a dog mom, I must know. Do you have pets? If so, what are they and their names?
Baby

Erik: I happen to share my home with three dogs. Tucker Magoo, who is the coolest, big black Flat Coat Retriever mix... ever... period. Digger Doo, who is a Basset Hound, Labrador Retriever mix (imagine a black lab cut off at the knees). Then there is Baby, a Papillon who thinks she owns the world.

Tucker

Then there's the seven cats, three finches, two hamsters, three mini-goats and thirteen chickens. Help, I think I live in a zoo!

Tara: I want to thank Erik for taking the time to come on here. Erik, it's been a pleasure. I wish you all the best in your writing career and I hope to maintain our email correspondence. Those of you wanting to connect further with Erik, check out his blog and like him on his FB page