Romance

BOOK FEATURE: “The Opposite of Love”

June 9, 2015 1 Comment

“The Opposite of Love” by Dahlia Salvatore

Blurb:

What do you do when fate doesn’t offer you a happily ever after?

Everyone must choose his or her own path.

I chose to play pretend.

I lived every day with guilt, frustration, and dissatisfaction. Despite the fact that we loved each other, my husband didn’t want me. Counselors and doctors had no answers for us. For a long time, I longed for something I couldn’t have. For love, I sacrificed pleasure. I struggled against desires … until I got stuck in a cabin during a raging blizzard with Luc Partridge.

And I simply couldn’t ignore the truth anymore…

EXCERPT

CHAPTER FOUR

If you’ve made it this far without scoffing, putting down the book, and browser window to write an ugly review of my memoir, I applaud you. Like I said, I’m not perfect. I made a choice, to play pretend, to allow Luc Partridge to soil my chastity. But damn was it good. I wish you could know how good it was. Luckily for you readers, you probably don’t know the pain of a sexless marriage. Or maybe you do, but your morality is stored in some proverbial, unscalable, tungsten-carbide fortress.

I’m happy there are women out there who have the ability to resist the urge. I am. Honestly. I know it’s hard to tell by reading the words on the page, but I’m not being facetious.

But, as you can plainly see, I couldn’t resist. I was weak. It wasn’t that I didn’t love my husband. It was that I hadn’t been able to find a suitable replacement for sex. To this day, I still believe there isn’t one. You can drink all the wine and eat all the chocolate and pasta in the world, but nothing beats being physically loved by another person. And that’s part of my personal truth.

That’s what this book is about, my personal truth, my life, and my mistakes.

You have yours and I have mine. There’s not a single one of you who hasn’t made mistakes. Even if they taste different in your mouth when you chew them, or present themselves in a different shade of wrong than mine do… they are still mistakes.

I love people for their errors and imperfections, and even if you don’t love me for mine, you certainly shouldn’t hate me for them.

You see, taking a lover for myself was the first real selfish thing I’d ever done. I’d always been self-sacrificing, had always taken the burden of the work for every problem on myself. I had given Dan every day of my life since our relationship began, and hadn’t received what I thought was my equal due: to be loved as a woman should, as a soul inside a body that needed passion.

Luc was all passion, which is something I will elaborate on as my story continues.

Where was I before? Ah, yes, the owner’s cabin.

If we fast-forward to the end of the trip, we find ourselves looking down on a diminished blizzard. The snow had cleared and the sky had turned a pale shade of blue. I was sore, but that renewal I’d expected had definitely come. I hoped it was there to stay.

**Find “The Opposite of Love”: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads

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**About author Dahlia Salvatore: Dahlia is a thirty-two-year-old female author living in Seattle, Washington with her husband. She comes from Coos Bay, Oregon and moved to Seattle six years ago. She loves the west coast and doesn’t see herself anywhere else.

Her influences include contemporary writers J.K. Rowling, Mary Balogh, Christina Dodd, Stephanie Laurens, Laurell K. Hamilton, Anne Rice, Stephen King, and many many others.

**Contact Dahlia: Website Facebook Twitter

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**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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**Click HERE to see other stops on Dahlia’s Chick Lit Plus Blog tour!

BOOK FEATURE: “Guessing at Normal”

June 8, 2015 Leave a Comment

“Guessing at Normal” by Gail Ward Olmsted

Blurb: Jill Griffin has mastered the art of being invisible, so when she falls in love with sexy rocker James Sheridan, at first she is content to live in his larger than life shadow. Building a ‘normal’ life together under the glare of the media is challenging and further complicated by constant touring, James’ partying and the mixed signals she gets from James’ twin brother Alex.

When her poems and journal ramblings become the songs on James’ best-selling album, Jill has to step out of her comfort zone and figure out how to live her life in a spotlight all her own. With no road map to follow, she struggles to navigate her way in her search for happiness. As her professional success threatens her relationship with James, Jill questions whether she can make a living writing love songs without the love of her life.

EXCERPT

2009

Preface

I met James Sheridan in a motel lobby almost twenty years ago. When I gave him change for cigarettes, I cautioned him about the perils of smoking, but I was just messing with him. What did I know? It was a fluke- I should have gone home almost an hour earlier, but the guy who was supposed to relieve me was late, so there you go. Those cigarettes changed the course of my whole life and James’ too! A few years later, his hit song Jericho Road (from the bestselling album Guessing at Normal) climbed the charts on its way to the #1 song on America’s Top 40 for a record 23 weeks. At the time, there was a great deal of speculation about the title of the song and its origin. I’m here to finally set the record straight, because I wrote the damn thing. Jericho Road is not a song about salvation. I’m sorry if the title was misleading. For some, ‘Jericho’ is where the Israelites returned from bondage in Egypt, but for me? It just happens to be the name of the street where I grew up and lived until I was eighteen years old. They say you can’t go home again, but I wouldn’t know. I never really tried.

Carly thinks I should share my story, so here goes.

1990

Chapter 1 – What I Got

“Those things will kill you.” Those were the first words I ever spoke to James Sheridan. He was waving a five-dollar bill as he asked, “Can you change this? I need quarters to buy some smokes.”

I wasn’t surprised by his sudden appearance in the deserted motel lobby that night. I’d heard the hum of the elevator just moments before he appeared. I worked behind the front desk from 3:30 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday. I was supposed to get two fifteen-minute breaks and another half-hour for dinner, but there was rarely anyone to cover for me. It was a pretty boring job, with long periods of inactivity, punctuated by a flurry that would keep three people busy. When I wasn’t at work, I spent a lot of time reading and writing in my journal. I usually slept late on weekends and hung out with my best friend and her new baby. That was me, livin’ the dream!

So yeah, I heard this guy approaching before I looked up. We got some pretty sketchy folks most nights, and at first glance, he fit right in. Tall and lean, he had longish dark hair that looked like it could use a good washing. I pegged him to be in his mid-20s, but it was hard to be sure. He was barefoot (yew!!) and was decked out in a pair of baggy knee-length gym shorts and a black wifebeater. As he got closer, I could see a number of tattoos up and down his pale arms. He had a pair of bright blue eyes that were probably his best feature, but they were ringed in red and featured bluish shadows. He was a really good-looking guy, but probably a stoner. I was more attracted to the preppy types with short blonde hair and golden tans from days spent on the golf course or tennis court. The kind of guy who would never give me a second glance.

This guy was definitely glancing. From the corner of my eye, I could see him checking me out as I hit the buttons and rang a ‘no sale’ to get the cash register to open. That’s when I uttered my snappy line. I hadn’t said a single word out loud for more than two hours and I croaked it out, so I think all he might have heard was “kill you.” He held his hands up in protest.

“Hey, sorry. I can’t sleep and I’m out of cigarettes. So sue me.” Yikes, touchy! But something about him was vaguely familiar. I had heard that voice before. It was deep and rich and almost velvety. Maybe…

“It’s no problem,” I assured him. “I was just messing with you. Smoke all you want. I just want to get out of here.” I placed four singles and four quarters on the counter in front of him.

“What time do you get off?” the blue-eyed mystery man asked me.

“Gee, if I had a dollar for every time one of you guys asked me that,” I said with a smirk. He slid a dollar bill back towards me.

“You’re way too cheap,“ he told me with a grin and wandered off to the far corner of the lobby in search of his cigarettes. Moments later with his mission accomplished, he disappeared down the hall. It would bug me. I knew it would. I’m lousy with names, but faces and voices usually stick with me. Lost in thought, I jumped when Fran the night auditor came rushing up to the desk. He was in his early thirties, a big hulking guy who sounded more like a middle-school girl when he recounted his ongoing problems with his long-suffering girlfriend. I had never met Doreen, but she would have to be part saint to put up with Fran.

“Christ, Fran, you’re late,” I complained. “Again.”

“Come on. Don’t you bitch me out too,” he whined. I slipped into the adjoining office and opened the door that led out to the lobby. The damn thing locks automatically when it closes, and I can’t even count the number of times I had to shimmy over the counter to get back into the inner sanctum after sneaking out to the bathroom off the lobby. I can drop trou, pee and rinse off my hands in less than a minute, which was a good skill to have when nature called and I had to leave the registration desk unmanned.

“Oh, you big baby,” I volleyed back at Fran. “Are you two fighting again?”

“Yeah,“ he told me with a hangdog expression on his flushed face. “She’s really pissed that…”

“Save it for someone who cares, Fran. I’m off the clock.” I grabbed my car keys, my bag and the journal that I carried everywhere and took off through the lobby. Oh, wait. Don’t be such a bitch. “Good night, Fran,” I called out. “Full house tonight. See ya.”

“Jill, I’m sorry,” Fran called after me. “I’ll come in a half-hour early tomorrow night. I promise.”

“Make it forty-five minutes,” I hollered back and raced out the front door and smack into the blue-eyed smoker himself.

“Christ, you really do want to kill me,” he protested.

Oh man, I do not have time for this. Actually, I did have time as I had nowhere to be for the next fourteen hours or so until my next shift began. But still. “Sorry. I don’t really want to kill you,” I assured him.

“Well then, why don’t you come to my room and make it up to me somehow?” he teased.

“Now I do want to kill you. Hey, it’s been real. Got to go.” I race-walked across the parking lot towards my car. I was supposed to park out back and leave the prime spots for the paying guests, but I’d run late that afternoon and the back lot was pretty creepy in the early morning hours when I got off work. The mystery man quickly caught up to me, as his long strides easily outdistanced my short ones. “Do I have to call security?” I threatened, only half-seriously.

“No, I’m actually pretty secure,” he assured me. “But thanks, anyway.” Hmmm, cute and funny. “So do you have a name? Do you want a cigarette? Fresh pack.” He wiggled them at me.

“Yes, I have a name. No, I don’t want a cigarette. Any more questions?” I wiggled my car keys at him. “Good night, okay?” He dropped back and let me pass. I tried to unlock my car door, but the lock sometimes caught and you had to fiddle around with it. He came up from behind me and placed his hand over mine, steadying me long enough to actually accomplish the task.

“I’m James,” he told me. “I’m in a band.” Okay, loosen up, girl.

“I’m Jill. Wait, you’re James? James Sheridan from Nomad? Oh my God, I love you guys,” I gushed. I might have liked my guys preppy, but I like my rock music hard-core with a hint of grunge, just like Nomad delivered on their first album.

His eyes lit up. Maybe it was the well-lit parking lot, but they actually glittered.

“You like us, yeah, really?” He grinned at me, and I was finally able to place his good-looking face. It had been staring out at me from the cover of the album I’d purchased nearly six months before.

“You’re staying here?” I asked. “Well, of course you are. They never tell us anything.” Like management should have sent out a memo or something.

“Yeah, we played the Palace. Tonight was the first of three big nights,” he added sarcastically.

Hmmm. The Palace for three nights. That couldn’t be a good sign, touring to support a newly released LP, playing at a second-rate venue in a second-rate town like mine for not one, but three nights. I tried to work up to my earlier enthusiasm, but failed.

“Cool,” I responded weakly.

“Yeah, the tour has been pretty tough,” he admitted sadly. ”Ticket sales are slow and getting airplay is nearly impossible. We had to reschedule…”

I cut him off. He did not need to apologize or explain himself to me. He was a musician and a good one.

“Well, I bet you guys stormed the Palace tonight. Did you have them rockin’ out in the aisles?” I asked tentatively.

“Yeah. They liked us, I think. We got called back for an encore.”

“What song?”

“Over You.”

“Oh, I love that one,” I told him.

He started humming the opening chords, and then broke into the chorus. “I’m already over you.” Oh my God! James Sheridan of Nomad is singing to me in the parking lot at one in the morning. Wait till I tell Beth! This is amazing. I could be in big trouble here, I realized, if I didn’t have a hard and fast rule about not fraternizing with motel guests.

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Jill Griffin has her own playlist…everyone should!

What I Got by Sublime

Say My Name by Destiny’s Child

Friday, I’m in Love by The Cure

Got My Mind Set on You by George Harrison

I’ll Be Missing You by Puff Daddy

Baby, One More Time by Britney Spears

I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith

Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison

Two Princes by The Spin Doctors

Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve

Only Wanna Be with You by Hootie & the Blowfish

Torn by Natalie Imbruglia

Hard to Handle by The Black Crowes

Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.

Walking on the Sun by Smash Mouth

Right Here, Right Now by Jesus Jones

You Get What You Give by New Radicals

Linger by The Cranberries

Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band

Come As You Are by Nirvana

(Everything I Do) I Do It for You by Bryan Adams

Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Losing My Religion by R.E.M.

One Headlight by The Wallflowers

Something to Talk About by Bonnie Raitt

One Week by Barenaked Ladies

Un-Break My Heart by Toni Braxton

When I Come Around by Green Day

All I Wanna Do by Sheryl Crow

More Than Words by Extreme

You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette

The Boy is Mine by Brandy & Monica

I Try by Macy Gay

Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman

One by U2

Daughter by Pearl Jam

Killing Me Softly by The Fugees

Ray of Light by Madonna

I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly

What’s Up? by 4 Non-Blondes

Lose Yourself by Eminem

End of the Road by Boyz 2 Men

Closing Time by Semisonic

Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden

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**About author, Gail Ward Olmsted:

Gail Ward Olmsted is a professor in the School of Business & Information Technology at Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, MA. She was the recipient of the Deliso Endowed Chair Award and was recently recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s Department of Higher Education as one of “29 Who Shine”.

Olmsted’s first visit to Sedona, AZ prompted her to start writing JEEP TOUR, her first novel. A few years later, her second visit provided the incentive to complete it. Her 2^nd novel is Guessing at Normal, a rock and roll romance. She is currently working on a sequel to JEEP TOUR, which will be based in Ireland. A hopeless romantic, she is married to the love of her life, is mom to two young adults, and enjoys her three cats, reading, music and travel.

**Contact Gail: Email Amazon – Author Page Facebook Twitter

BOOK FEATURE: “How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie”

June 4, 2015 Leave a Comment

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“How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie” by Gina Henning

Blurb:

A scrumptious pie. A long distance guy. 4th of July fireworks guaranteed.

Lauren Hauser has it all…nearly. With a shiny new job and sparkly new engagement ring on her finger, the only thing she’s missing is her gorgeous new fiancé by her side. Should she be worried? Jack’s kisses are as sizzling as always and, sure, long distance is hard but, she and Jack are solid, right?

Of course the stress of planning a wedding—or not—is nothing compared to the stress of baking an apple pie. Because it’s not just any apple pie that Lauren must bake for the 4th of July contest; it’s her grandmother’s famous, award-winning apple pie! Yet Lauren is determined to make this pie her own and a little apple pie should be no problem for the Hauser clan dessert queen…!

But with her new job taking up so much time, a prize pie to perfect and the growing distance between her and Jack, Lauren begins to wonder if she can really have it all… Only one things for sure, there’ll be fireworks this 4th of July!

EXCERPT

The timer buzzes on my oven. I pop open the door and a delicious apple pie is staring back at me. I inhale. Wow, apple pie has got be one of the best scents ever. I take in another long whiff. Yum. I pull the pie out of the oven and set it on my countertop. I’m supposed to FaceTime with Jack at any minute. Tingles of excitement dance along my arms. I was hoping my pie would turn out and now I can show Jack that it has. He’ll probably want to hop on the next plane and feed it to me. Mmm…Jack and apple pie, the perfect dessert.

My phone vibrates from the counter. A text message from Jack flashes.

“Something came up at work. I’ll call you when I get home.”

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**Buy “How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie” now!: Amazon – US Amazon – UK Nook Google Play Kobo iBooks

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**About author, Gina Henning:

Gina Henning currently resides where bluebonnets line the highways in the spring, but she prefers the rock flower anemone from under the sea. Above the ocean’s surface Gina likes to dance with her three boys and travel to exotic places like the grocery store with her husband. Her pooch Schatzi is a mix between German Shepherd and possibly pig. One of Gina’s favorite pastimes is running. She recently completed her one-and-done marathon. At the end of the day her glass of wine is always half-full.

**Contact Gina: Website Facebook Twitter

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**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to be entered in Gina’s giveaway!

BOOK REVIEW: Twin Piques by Tracie Banister

May 22, 2015 1 Comment

“Twin Piques” by Tracie Banister

Description:

Forensic accountant Sloane Tobin and kooky pet psychic Willa may have the same face, but that’s the only thing these identical twins have in common.

How she can read the hearts and minds of animals has always been a mystery to Willa, and her rotten luck with men is equally baffling. Although she’s been looking for “The One” for what feels like forever (A teenage marriage to a French mime and dating a guy named Spider seemed like good ideas at the time!), optimistic Willa refuses to give up on love. When she meets Brody, the handsome rose expert hired to save her grandmother’s garden, she’s instantly smitten, but why does he keep sending her mixed signals? Does he return her feelings, or is their attraction all in her fanciful head?

Unlike her twin, Sloane has zero interest in romance. Her passion is her job, where she uses her gift for numbers to take down slimy embezzlers and asset-hiding spouses. When she’s assigned two high profile cases, Sloane feels confident the promotion she’s been angling for is within her grasp. But will her plan to climb the corporate ladder be thwarted by difficult clients, her co-worker-with-benefits, or – most surprisingly of all – her own sister? And how’s she supposed to stay focused on the drama at work when her childhood friend, Gav, moves in next door and the spark between them becomes impossible to ignore?

To get what they both want, can Willa and Sloane band together and rely on each other’s strengths? Or will their differences drive them apart once and for all?

My Review:

I’ve been a huge fan of Tracie Banister’s, even before I read her book, “In Need of Therapy.” So, after seeing the adorable cover, along with reading the blurb, I knew I wanted to read “Twin Piques.”

From start to finish, this book held my attention, as I got to know Sloane and Willa, who are two very different twin sisters. While I saw quite a few similarities between them, I have a feeling they would disagree 100% Sloane is the all-work and no play type, who doesn’t think she needs a relationship, but doesn’t mind mixing business with pleasure, on occasion. Though, her friend, Gav, is a whole other story…especially after they share a bottle of wine. On the other hand, Willa is the free-spirited quirky dog psychic, who believes in love (even finding it herself), and doesn’t second-guess throwing her sister and the man Sloane ends up with together, (no spoilers, but YAY).

“Twin Piques” had me laughing, along with cheering on Sloane (wishing she would open her heart) and Willa (hoping she doesn’t get into trouble, the more she meddles). At times, I felt the storyline was a little predictable, but just when I thought I knew what would happen, I was thrown for a loop–nice job, Tracie Banister!

If you’re looking for a quick and fun read, “Twin Piques” would make for a fabulous beach read!

I give “Twin Piques” 5 stars!

**Click HERE to buy your copy of “Twin Piques” now!

COVER REVEAL: Up To I Do by Samantha March

May 20, 2015 2 Comments

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a cover reveal, but I’m fairly partial to this one. I’ve had the pleasure of beta reading Samantha March’s fourth novel, “Up To I Do,” and today, I’m beyond thrilled to share the cover release with you! ISN’T IT BEAUTIFUL?! While the book hasn’t been released yet, this is already one of the best books I’ve read this year, as Samantha March’s writing just gets better and better!

“Up To I Do” by Samantha March

Blurb: Emerson Sinclair, twenty-seven year old hotel heiress, has said yes. With just over a year to plan her extravagant, over the top nuptials to Logan Worthington, it’s all hands on deck with the wedding plans. A Sinclair marrying into the Worthington family is the talk of their small New Hampshire town, and ideas include filming the wedding for a TV segment. But as the items get checked off the list, plans start to go…not as planned. From not getting a designer dress to a selfish bridesmaid and unaccountable best man, Emerson is afraid her wedding will be more a joke than anything.

When both her mother and sister seemingly begin to lose interest in her wedding plans in favor of their own personal lives, Emerson fears her big day will turn into the forgotten wedding. With the pressure to pull off a beautiful and elegant event that everyone expects from their respectable families, Emerson starts to forget the reason why she is saying I Do in the first place.
But her spirited Grams is there to make sure neither happens. With her help and guidance, Emerson not only has her wedding plans back on track, but she remembers the reason why they are going through the stress of wedding planning – because at the end of it all she gets to marry her true love, and marriage is defined by more than a wedding.

**Click HERE to add “Up To I Do” to your reading list on Goodreads!

Cover Reveal: On The Edge

May 11, 2015 2 Comments

“On The Edge” by T.S. Krupa

(on sale June 9th, 2015)

Blurb: Andy Parker is a war widow raising her fifteen-year-old daughter on her own. Hayden Grace dreams of becoming a professional snowboarder, and Andy is doing everything she can to make that happen. When Hayden Grace’s passion begins to falter, Andy is at a loss for how to re-inspire her daughter.

Andy does her best balancing Hayden Grace’s competition schedule, practice, and school with her own work schedule at home, in the city, and on the mountain. But work starts to demand more from Andy. Then, Andy receives an opportunity of a lifetime. An opportunity that will turn their lives upside down. But is it too good to be true?

Soon, mother and daughter find themselves in Aspen for Hayden Grace’s first national competition when a chance encounter brings Andy into a passionate, unexpected romance, a romance that could change everything. Will Andy be able to find the happiness she deserves?

**Book link: Goodreads

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**About author, T.S. Krupa:

T.S. Krupa was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Raised in a Polish household with a blended American culture, she is fluent in Polish. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Franklin Pierce University, where she also played field hockey. She earned her Master’s from Texas Tech University and recently graduated with her Doctor of Education from North Carolina State University. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and her dog.

In 2014, T.S. Krupa published her award-winning debut novel Safe & Sound. On The Edge is her second novel. To learn more about the author visit her website.

**Contact T.S.: Website Facebook Goodreads Twitter

Kathleen Irene Paterka

April 22, 2015 2 Comments

About the author: Kathleen Irene Paterka is an Amazon Bestselling Author of smart women’s fiction. Her newest novel, The Other Wife, was published in February to critical acclaim. Kathleen’s popular James Bay series, set in Northern Michigan, includes: Fatty Patty, Home Fires, Lotto Lucy, and For I Have Sinned. Love weddings? Pick up a copy of her novel Royal Secrets for a fascinating glimpse into the world of royalty, romance and brides. Kathleen is the resident staff writer for a world renowned castle listed on the National Historic Register, and co-author of the non-fiction book For the Love of a Castle. Kathleen and her husband live in the beautiful north country of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, where she is busy working on her next James Bay novel.

**Contact Kathleen: Email Website Facebook Goodreads Pinterest Twiter

**Click HERE to sign up for Kathleen’s newsletter!

INTERVIEW

Describe your writing style in five words: Smart, emotional, witty, intense, and personal.

Which do you prefer, hard/paperbacks or eBooks? Both! I’m a big fan of our town’s public library, which has plenty of hard cover books to enjoy, but eBooks are great too. I especially love using my Kindle when I’m reading in bed. The backlit screen, plus one flick of a finger, and I’m on the next page. But hard/paperback or eBook, the most important factor will always be a great story that keeps my interest.

Tell us about your writing/editing/publishing process: Though ideas and conversations constantly bounce through my brain, I’m very linear when it comes to writing. I start with Chapter One and write my way to The End. I’m slow and methodical when it comes to writing; I count it a good day if I manage to produce 500-750 words. By the time I’m finished, my rough draft usually only requires one or two edits. I then turn it over to a few trusted beta readers for their input. An indie author, I signed with Booktrope Publishing in February. I’m excited about the opportunity to promote my works to an expanded audience.

In what location do you think you write better, (ex: office, kitchen, etc.)? I’m a very structured writer, and tend to work best in my home office. Unlike other authors who can write anywhere (J.K. Rowling wrote reams of Harry Potter materials while riding on the train and sitting in coffee shops), I need the peace and quiet that surrounds me when I’m at my computer.

While working on a WIP, do you have any rituals? I write every day. I’m up early, at 5 am. Normally, by 6:30 am, I’m at my computer. I have a little timer which I set for two hours. Then I open up my WIP, and I’m quickly lost in a beautiful daydream that unfolds before me on the computer screen. Thank God for that little timer. If I didn’t have it, I’d probably be late for work every day, and have been fired from my day job long ago.

If you had to meet any author who would it be? Stephen King. I am a huge fan of his work (11/22/63 and The Shining are classics). His book On Writing is the one craft book about writing that I keep close at hand.

You mention that your husband was an inspiration for this story. What were your emotions when you were writing “The Other Wife”? Grief is not an easy issue to tackle, and The Other Wife proved the most difficult story I’ve written to date. First, I was dealing with two separate characters: Eleanor and Claire—two wives, each with their own perspective and storyline. Eleanor (wife #1) and Richard (her husband of 38+ years) were already living semi-separate lives when he died on page 1. Eleanor’s method of coping with Richard’s death also proved semi-detached; her scenes were easy to write. Claire (wife #2), however, was a different story. She and Richard had been married only a few years, and she was left feeling betrayed and bewildered at the situation in which she suddenly found herself. With two young children to raise, Claire’s grief threatened to overwhelm her… and me, as the author. Eventually, about ½ way through the book, I switched from writing in 1st person to 3rd in order to distance myself from Claire’s emotions. Her grief was so intense, I found myself not wanting to write. If I hadn’t switched POV, I doubt the book would have been finished.

What is your favorite word? Perseverance.

What is the best advice you’ve been given? A dear friend of mine (who is a NYT bestselling author) gave me the following advice years ago: “Don’t give up. Don’t give up. Don’t give up. Work hard, work smart, work tirelessly. Be tough, be brave, and be persistent. All clichés, yes. But when they apply to you and how much you want to realize your dream, they are very apt.” Her words came to me in an email, which I have framed and hanging right above my computer. I’ve often looked at it throughout the years, and her words have served me well.

Where do you see your writing career in five years? I would like to have written and published another three novels. I’m an idealist at heart, but I’m also realistic. I’m a slow writer, and that’s okay. It’s part of my process. Normally it takes a good 12-15 months for me to complete a work to my satisfaction… and that’s before my editor sees it. I am not going to kill myself trying to impose strict deadlines upon myself that will only stress me out. My latest work, The Other Wife, took 18 months to write. While I was in the editing process, my 92 yr. old mother was diagnosed with cancer. I slowed down and allowed myself time to focus on her. Thank God I did. The book was published on Feb. 18th (my mother’s birthday), and she passed away on March 13th. I’m slowly beginning to pick up the pieces and begin the process of writing again.

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“The Other Wife” by Kathleen Irene Paterka

Till death do us part…

Eleanor Anderson has a beautiful home, a loving husband, a tranquil life. After thirty-eight years of marriage and her children now grown, she finally has time for herself. She’s not expecting any surprises; certainly not to wake up one morning and find her husband dead in bed beside her from a massive heart attack. It’s a devastating discovery… but not as much as the shock awaiting Eleanor when she learns the truth about her husband’s secret life. And then there’s the damaging document he signed before his death, which threatens to destroy her life.

Claire Anderson isn’t your average thirtysomething. A professor of psychology at a prestigious university, Claire has a successful career, a handsome husband, and two young children at home. But nothing in her background, including her academic accomplishments, prepares Claire for the horrendous reality of discovering that the life she’d led was all a lie… fostered by a husband who’d promised to love and cherish her forever.

Two women from two generations, bound together by denial, anger, and grief. How far will their misery and fear push them? Does compassion rule the day, or will a husband’s betrayal lead to a woman’s revenge?

What happens when each of these women comes face-to-face with the other wife?

**Buy “The Other Wife”: Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes

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GIVEAWAY

**Click HERE to enter to win an eBook of “Lotto Lucy” by Kathleen!

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**Click HERE to see other stops on Kathleen’s Chick Lit Plus Blog tour!

Jessica Scott

April 8, 2015 Leave a Comment

About author, Jessica Scott: USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She’s also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.

Most recently, she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012.

**Contact Jessica: Website Facebook Twitter

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INTERVIEW

Describe your writing style in five sentences: I can do it in one: pure chaos. Just kidding. I start with characters – usually a name gives me a sense of who they are. Then I start figuring out what their strengths and weaknesses are. Then I figure out what their problem is: what do they want and why can’t they have it. After that, it’s figuring out where and what they’re doing and who the supporting cast is around them.

You knew you wanted to be an author when…: I don’t really know. I started writing seriously back in 2007 and basically didn’t quit.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? Depends. I love physical copies and I’m much better able to find my notes in a physical copy but I’m doing more and more reading on digital these days.

What is the writing, editing, and publishing process like for you? I usually have a very ugly first draft, get it as reasonably unscrewed as I can, send it to my editor who usually tells me to add more emotion and make things sexier, then I revise, have multiple people proof read for me bc I am incapable of seeing my own mistakes and hit publish.

What is the last great book you read? Black Hearts by Jim Frederick. It’s absolutely hands down one of the most powerful books about the Iraq war that I’ve read.

Do you have any writing rituals? Not really. I tend to write the first draft in Scrivener then edit and revise in word. I really like seeing track changes. Helps me feel like I’m really cleaning that sucker up.

Is social media a help or a hinder? I like it. I get to interact with other authors and I love the interaction on my Facebook pages with readers.

How do you come up with the titles of you books? Magic 8 Ball 🙂

Salty or sweet? Depends on what time of the month it is.

Where do you feel that you work the best? Coffee shop, hands down. I get so much work done at Barnes and Noble, too. I love being surrounded by books.

As an author, what is the best advice you’ve been given? When I was first starting out a very good friend of mine told me: write the book only you can tell. There’s a story and it’s yours. Tell it the way you need to tell it. Now that I’m published, the best advise I’ve gotten is: what if you never hit it big? What if you only reach a small amount of readers with every book. Will you still be a writer? And my answer to that is yes, definitely. But it changes your perspective: focus on the story. Everything else is secondary.

What are you working on right now? Finishing up the next two books in the Homefront series and then working more books in the falling series.

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“Homefront” by Jessica Scott

Blurb:

He’s always loved her…

First Sergeant Gale Sorren waited a war and half a lifetime for a chance to get stationed near the ex-wife who left him years ago. When he finally musters the courage to see her, the life he imagined she was living was nothing close to the reality.

She’s never stopped loving him…

Melanie never stopped worrying about Gale each time he headed off to war. But he’s never been there when she needed him and she’s had fifteen years to steel her heart against him.

But when Gale moves to Fort Hood, he finally has a chance to make things right with Melanie and the daughter she raised without him.

Can Mel trust her heart to a man who has always let her down?

**Buy “Homefront” now: Amazon Barnes & Noble GooglePlay iBooks Kobo

Elle Field

March 31, 2015 3 Comments

About author, Elle Field: Elle Field is a twenty-something chick lit author who lives in London with her boyfriend and their cat. She enjoys exploring and photographing new places, watching musicals on the West End, and eating her way around London’s culinary delights.

**Contact Elle: Blog Facebook Goodreads Twitter

INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five sentences: I’m a twenty-nine year old author who loves nothing more than reading a good book. Originally from Yorkshire, I went to university in St Andrews – yes, with the Prince – and I now live in London with my boyfriend and our cat, Comps. I enjoy exploring and photographing new places, watching musicals on the West End, and eating my way around London’s culinary delights. I’m also a massive fan of The Killers, Milka Daim, giraffes, caipirinhas, Audrey Hepburn movies, balsamic vinegar, Scrabble, gingerbread men and sunshine. Oh, and tea and champagne, too!

Have you always wanted to be an author? Ever since I can remember I’ve scribbled down tales of magical adventures and damsels in distress. When I got a bit older, I moved on to the adult equivalent of these – I’ve definitely always wanted to be an author!

I first started writing chick lit the summer I turned twenty-one. I’d had a bit of a rough time in the months leading up to that birthday and I found it to be quite cathartic making things turn out well for my characters. Even though that book will probably never see the light of day, it was much more fun than working on my dissertation – that’s what I was supposed to be writing that summer!

As you don’t tend to see advertisements for people looking to hire an author, it has taken me a while to make my dream of being an author happen. Kept finally made it out into the big wide world six years after I penned the first draft, which is why the book is set in 2007!

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? Once upon a time I would have said paperbacks generally and hardbacks for my absolute favourite authors, but a lack of space means eBooks are my format of choice nowadays. (I own about three thousand hard/paperbacks!)

What is the writing/editing/publishing process like for you? My process is constantly evolving; how I wrote and edited my third book was a completely different process than the process for my first book. I no longer write the first draft by hand, which is probably for the best as my once beautiful handwriting has become a horrid scrawl!

Once the first draft is ready, I edit on screen, on paper, and by reading the book out loud. Once I’m happy with the edits, it goes off to my Copy Editor, who will also proof read the manuscript.

It’s at the first edit stage that I commission my book cover and start working on my marketing and promotion for the release of the book. I definitely enjoy editing more than I enjoy writing the first draft!

Coffee or tea? Most definitely tea! I’m partial to English breakfast tea in the mornings, lemon and ginger tea in the afternoons.

Who and/or what motivates you to write? The beauty of the story is a big motivator: I love getting under my character’s skin and giving them a voice so they can share the twists and turns in their lives! But, knowing that people enjoy and identify with what I write is the biggest motivator for me.

If you’re not writing, then you’re probably…: Cooking, sleeping, exploring, reading or binge-watching box-sets!

How do you come up with ideas for your books? Real life is a great place to start to get inspiration for books, but I always make sure to add a heavy fictional twist if I do “borrow”. Arielle, the heroine of Kept and Lost, has a few of my own traits. I think it is inevitable as an author that a few of your own experiences or quirks might make their way into bits of your books!

If you could meet any other author who would it be? I’d love to meet Bill Bryson. He’s one of my favourite authors, and has been for over half of my life now. I’d love to share a cup of tea with him and chat books and Blighty.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given? Never give up. It might take you six months to publish your novel, or it might take you six years… if you give up though, you never will!

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? My third book, Lost, will be out on April 7th (it’s available to pre-order now, and is the second book in the Arielle Lockley series: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Arielle-Lockley-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00U2X7E4A). Once that is published, I’ll be working on the third book in the series. Found will be out towards the end of 2015.

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Books by Elle Field

Kept (Arielle Lockley Series Book 1) – Amazon

Geli Voyante’s Hot or Not – Amazon

Lost (Arielle Lockley Series Book 2) – Amazon, (pre-order now!)

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