My Odd Little World
Random thoughts and reflections from a skewed point of view. Promos, books, reviews and musings. All opinions encouraged. Welcome to my world.
Just a quick post to promo Fiona Archer's debut book, Chloe's Double Draw. Fiona will be giving one commenter on the Blitz a $10 Amazon GC. Be sure to leave your e-mail address when you comment. This sounds like an interesting one.
Blurb:
Chloe Morgan fled to King’s Bluff, Wyoming, to start a new life. With a past that haunts her, the shy schoolteacher must make a choice. She can hide away and protect her secrets or embrace the acceptance of the small community.
Noah King and Flynn Taylor have traveled the world as members of Australia’s elite SAS. They’ve earned scars, both inside and out. Now powerful influencers in King’s Bluff, a town founded by Noah’s ancestors, the men have made a haven from the ranch Noah inherited.
As the two Doms fight to gain her trust, Chloe’s past crashes in on them, threatening their futures. When a man obsessed with her tracks down his prey, nobody could have imagined how high the stakes would go.
This was a fun post, and as promised, I have used RANDOM.Org to
pick my five winners of hand beaded necklaces - but instead of the original
plan of thirty inch ones, I have decided my fifty inch ones are much nicer, and
not so plain. Without further ado, the five commenters picked through RANDOM.ORG are
Charlene Raddon (charraddon @....)
Jenn Mathis (meandi09@....)
Yazmin (yazmin593@....)
Joy Harris (joyskidsdidit@....)
Jessiel (JessieL62@....)
Thanks to all who visited, don't be strangers, and congrats to all the winners in the hop.
While the rest of the US is out handling the crowds,
fighting for their holiday gifts, some of us like to stay
in, shop online, or just ignore Black Friday all to
together. This year, join us in our second annual Black
Friday Blog Hop! It's a ONE DAY hop where we're
giving away prizes, talking about books we love, and
most likely eating left over turkey. :-)
The hop is November 23rd and is ONE DAY only.
And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger. But that's not all.... We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $75 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, e-books, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more! (All prizes except the Swag are International)
Today is the day when people in the United States go absolutely insane looking for the next big bargain. People have been camping out in parking lots for over a week, just to beat someone else to that 'really cheap' big screen TV, or that brand new gaming system. Well, not me. I have no desire to brave the crowds and the crazies, and possibly suffer bodily harm or, even worse, the emptying of my bank account and my wallet. For those who choose to visit here, you will not hear me rhapsodize over the great bargains I got at five in the morning, or the way I beat out some little old lady for the last plus size Christmas print sweater. Nope, what you will hear from me is book talk. I plan to spend the whole four day holiday just relaxing with some good books from some favorite authors, and for those who drop in to visit, maybe there will be some new to you authors in my list of favorites you'd like to try. And there will be prizes, too, from the organizers of this hop, and from yours truly as well. In my spare time, I make beaded jewelry, and a few of my commenters, chosen by RANDOM.ORG, will be the recipients of beaded necklaces from me - I plan to give five commenters each a lovely one.
Now, what will I be reading (or rereading, in some cases). I want to spend time with some old and some new books, by favorite authors, and maybe a new one or two.
My first choice will be the Granite Lake Wolves from Vivian Arend. Viv's 'wolfies' are not the scary kind of shifters, and although there is sometimes an element of danger, there is always lots of fun, romance and super hot shifters. Wolf Signs, Wolf Flight, Wolf Games, Wolf Tracks (my favorite, TJ's story) and Wolf Line are the books in this series, and each has a hot hero, a sassy heroine, and lots of warmth and laughter. From Samhain Publishing.
Next will be Sierra Dean's Secret McQueen series. If you haven't read Secret's books, you have no idea what you are missing. Secret is a Vampire/Werewolf hybrid bounty hunter, and she can kick butt with the best of them. Along with her mentor, Holden Chancery (vampire) and her two, yes I said two, soul-bond mates, Lucas Rain (King of the eastern Werewolves) and Desmond Alvarez (second in command, Lucas' right hand man) (its complicated), Secret gets in and out of more trouble than most folks get in a lifetime. Something Secret This Way Comes, A Bloody Good Secret, Secret Santa, Deep Dark Secret, Keeping Secret, and the side trip with The Secret Guide to Dating Monsters: all are worth spending time and energy reading these, and I'm going back over all of these this weekend. From Samhain Publishing.
If I have time after all of these, I plan on reading some Lexxie Couper, some Mari Carr, the Seeds of Dawn series from Jambrea Jo Jones, and the Powertools series from Jayne Rylon. And just because it is the season, I'm loading up my holiday books, starting with White Hot Christmas from Serenity Woods.
So now, I have a question for those who managed to get to the end of this post - for one of my hand-crafted thirty inch beaded necklaces, who are your 'comfort reads'? What author or authors do you turn to when you need that pick-me-up or to just reconnect to a sense of calm. I have many more, but these are just the tip of my iceberg. And please, be sure to leave your e-mail address when you comment, so I can contact the winners about their prizes.
Today's stop is a Virtual Book Review for Emlyn Chand's Torn Together, a Women's Fiction novel now available from Evolved Publishing. Emlyn will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC and autographed copy of Torn Together to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. First, a bit about Emlyn Chand
Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a
fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing,
she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm
Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing
a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning
to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is
available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com
for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!
From her cheating boyfriend to her dead
father and cold, judgmental mother, Daly knows she can’t trust others to be
there when it counts. This cynicism begins to melt away when she meets Kashi, a
light-hearted charmer from India, who decides he cares too much to let her fade
into the background of her own life. After a series of false starts, their
quirky romance carries them to India, where Daly must win the approval of
Kashi’s family in order to seal their “forever.”
Meanwhile, Laine struggles to cope with
the pain of early widowhood, fleeing into the pages of her well-worn library
and emerging only to perform her duties as a social worker at the crisis
pregnancy center. Although her daughter wants nothing more than to work as an
artist, Laine doesn’t know how to redirect Daly to a more suitable profession
without further damaging their tenuous relationship.
Can Laine look past her pain to learn
from an unlikely mentor? Has Daly finally found someone whom she can trust?
Will the women recognize their common bonds before the relationship is broken
beyond repair?
"Torn Together," Emlyn
Chand’s first sojourn into Literary/Women's Fiction, illustrates how our
similarities often drive us apart. Excerpt from Torn Together:
He pretended to clack at the
keys in an exaggerated pantomime. "All right, you're officially in the
system. Now, what can I do for you?"
When she hesitated, Kashi encouraged
her to continue with a swift nod. "Well, I was on my way home and started
sneezing. Then I realized I'd forgotten to fill my prescription. I've got
pretty severe hay fever."
"I understand. Please,
give me a moment to contact your old pharmacy, and I will fill your
prescription." Kashi walked out of earshot, then reappeared and went to
the back of the pharmacy. He returned after a few moments carrying a little
white paper bag with her name stapled to the front.
"Take one a day,
preferably at the same time each day, and I think everything will be just
fine." He rang up the purchase.
Daly handed him her credit
card, which he refused.
"On the house," he
insisted, slipping the ten dollar co-pay from his wallet into the register
drawer.
Kashi winked. Then, feigning
surprise, he said, "Oh, it seems you've been selected to respond to a
brief in-store survey."
"More questions?"
"I'm sorry, every fifth
customer gets selected. You have no choice but to respond." He cleared his
throat loudly before carrying on. "First question: on a scale of one to
five, five being the absolute best possible answer, how would you rate your
satisfaction with your shopping experience today?"
"Five," she said,
smiling.
He clicked a key on the
register. "Okay—on the same scale of one to five, how attractive do you
find your pharmacist today?"
"Kashi! It says
that?"
"Please, you must
answer the question."
"Five." She
blushed and glanced toward her toes. When she looked back up, Kashi had a
crestfallen expression on his face.
"Only five?" he
asked meekly.
"You said five was the
best possible answer!"
"Yes, but you could've
picked the secret answer. If the subject feels strongly, she may volunteer six
as an acceptable response."
"Okay, okay. Six!"
"Only six?" he
mumbled, his brow pinched in distress.
She flicked the wrist he
held poised over the register's keys. "Okay, fine. One billion!"
"Well, that's more like
it." Kashi removed the key from the register and locked up the pharmacy
for the night. "So... now that the official business has been taken care
of, I do believe I promised you a life-changing date, should we meet again—and
meet again, we have."
"I believe your exact
words were, 'very special.'" She fell into step beside him as they made
their way out of the store. "But, sure, I'll settle for
life-changing."
Torn Together is a story of loss, and how it affects a mother and daughter in separate and heart wrenching ways. The death of Daly's father has a devastating effect on both Daly and her mother, Laine, and each finds their own way of dealing with it. This causes mother and daughter to drift apart, and Daly begins to think Laine would have been happier had Daly not been her child.
As Daly moves on with her life, she meets a delightful you man from India, Kashi. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Daly and Kashi blossoms, and these two have some delightful conversations. As their feelings deepen, Kashi realizes that, because of his traditional family beliefs, his parents must approve of his choice of possible wife.
As Daly and Kashi begin their relationship, Laine tries to ignore her grief and begins to mentor a young pregnant girl, Meghann. As an outsider, Meghann can see how Laine and Daly are growing further apart every day, and she tries to help salvage the mother/daughter relationship before it is too late.
The characters in this are all well crafted, and each has a strong personality depicted here. I found parts of this story very emotional, and was brought to tears in places. Overall, though, I enjoyed this look at a slice of less than perfect life, and the effect grief can have on even the best of people. This one brought out many emotions for me, and I smiled, sighed, cried and even got a bit angry at it. I will say, this one was never predictable, and I would recommend this one without reservation.
Today is my stop on Daisy Harris' tour for her latest Men of Holsum College 8, My Fair Dork. The book is a Contemporary Erotic Romance that is currently available from Siren Publishing. Daisy will be awarding a large-size dildo, a scented penis candle, as well as a $20 gift certificate to the winner’s choice of Barnes and Noble or Amazon to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. How's that for an...interesting prize?
Birkenstock-wearing glamour
girl and mother of two by immaculate conception, Daisy Harris still isn't sure
if she writes erotica. Her romances start out innocently enough. However, her
characters behave like complete sluts. Much to Miss Harris's dismay the sex
tends to get completely out of hand.
She writes about fantastical
creatures and about young men getting their freak on, and she's never missed an
episode of The Walking Dead
Book buy link: http://www.bookstrand.com/my-fair-dork
My Fair Dork (Men of Holsum College 8)
by Daisy Harris
They
say a guy can never be too hung. Well, Harold Jacobs doesn't know who they are,
but they’re wrong. Socially awkward for as long as he can remember, Harold
feels his enormous package is just one more thing to be embarrassed about.
Especially once hunky and popular
Owen
McKenzie notices it in the showers.
Owen
knows he’s bi, but he keeps that secret close to his chest. He likes Harold,
and wants to help him shed his dorky image and maybe even find a boyfriend.
Still, Owen can’t stop obsessing about Harold’s equipment. And much as he
doesn’t want to flip-flop on his sexuality, Owen does want to test-drive what
Harold has between his legs.
Their
friendship erupts into full-blown lust. But can Owen accept the loss of his
golden child status and be Harold’s boyfriend? And can Harold outgrow his
insecurity in time to keep the man he loves?
Excerpt from My Fair Dork
He
put his hands on the girl’s hips and started to sway into her from behind. They weren't the only people three-way dancing, so it didn't feel too weird. But
Harold still kept his eyes closed so he wouldn't have to see Owen staring at
him across the barrier of the girl’s presence.
It wasn't bad, pressing against her back. She was soft, and her ass squishy. The
round globes of it kept bumping into Harold’s hips. But he wasn't too bothered.
She smelled like perfume, and felt more like cuddling into a comfy blanket than
anything remotely sexual. Harold was happy not to be worried about getting an
erection for once in his life.
The
girl leaned back and hooked her hand back behind Harold’s head. Then Owen
followed suit. First his hand covered hers, and then Owen eased his hand to the
side, so he was cupping Harold’s nape.
And
Harold sprung wood. It happened so fast that he was grinding it up into the
girl’s butt crack before he even realized what was going on.
He
tucked his hips back, and wrenched his head out of Owen’s hold. Harold pulled
away from the two of them, but although he wanted to storm out of the party
like he had from Eta Xi, he held back. After all, for once he’d gotten a boner
while touching a girl. It must have been some kind of miracle.
“Wow.”
The girl gave him a flirty wink. She’d never stopped dancing, though she moved
away from Owen to come to his front. “Is that a salami in your pants, or are
you just happy to see me?”
My Fair Dork is the eighth of Daisy Harris' Men of Holsum College series, and it is such fun to read. The characters are well defined and likable, the world is filled with interesting characters, and the very real problems experienced by Harold are not those usually addressed in a romance book. Harold's problem seems at first insurmountable. He isolates himself to avoid the teasing and snide comments, all the while fearing he will never experience love or even intimacy because of his size. He hides in plain sight, with baggy clothes and bad posture. Harold crushes on Owen, but believes he is straight, and Harold has know for a long time that he is not interested in women at all. Owen is securely in denial, knowing he doesn't go for guys...well except for that time way back, when he tried it with a friend. And then there's Harold. After a glimpse of Harold's package one day in the shower, he can't seem to keep his mind off of it, and wonders. And thinks he wouldn't mind getting his hands on some of that, but then, Owen isn't gay...is he? I love these two, and the subtle dance between them, will they, won't they, will someone end up hurt? When Owen convinces Harold to change his style, I had to laugh at the makeover he got. I loved that Harold became a hottie, and enjoyed the increased attention for him. Does Owen finally hop off the fence and choose to be who he really is? You need to read this to find out, because I am not telling. But I promise you this, there are some really great moments in this, and I really couldn't put it down.
The Coleman Family has ranched in the Rocky Mountain House Area of Alberta for generations. These modern day, contemporary romance stories follow the current family members as the find their place in the community, as well as their happily ever afters.
Today is my Salute!! to all things Canadian Cowboy. I never used to be a fan of 'Cowboy Romance'...then I got my hands on Vivian Arend's Six Pack Ranch books, and her deliciously sinful and delectable Coleman Clan. What Vivian does to warm up cold Canadian nights on the 'range' should be illegal in the provinces, and in most of the states south of the Canadian border. What is there left to say about these sexy, sometimes kinky, but always all man Coleman men? Well, apparently, a lot!!! Today marks the release of the fourth Six Pack Ranch book, Rocky Mountain Angel. If you've read any of these, you know each book focuses on one of the Coleman men, and this one is cousin Gabe's book. The title has more than one meaning, but I'm not going to spoil the fun of discovering what the duality is.
Now for the great part of this release day!!! One lucky commenter will win a copy of the first Six Pack Ranch book, Rocky Mountain Heat, in PDF, and I'm hoping to have some other goodies to give away as well. Depends on how many folks come by to comment, so be sure to leave a comment with your e-mail address in it - after all, I can't send a winner anything if I can't find you!
Rocky Mountain Angel
Six Pack Ranch, Book 4
Sometimes even Angels must learn to fly… Allison Parker needs a convincing excuse to come home to Rocky Mountain House. A hopelessly romantic reason that won’t let her mother suspect the truth—that Allison has discovered Mom is keeping a terrible secret from the family.
Coming Soon – November 20 2012
Trade Paperback coming October 1, 2013 Rocky Mountain Angel - A Brief Snippet (thanks, Vivian!!)
For the second time in less than twelve hours Allison woke in Gabe’s bed. It wasn't the scent of coffee teasing her senses as a wake-up call, but something savoury and rich. The sound of running water registered as well, and she sat up and stretched before looking around for the source.
Holy moly. She shouldn't have been so curious. Allison averted her gaze, but not before she’d gotten an eyeful.
The bathroom was off to her right. There was no door but instead an open archway revealed a long counter with a sink and a glass enclosure housing the shower. Which meant nothing but slightly foggy glass stood between her and a very naked Gabe. She was positive she’d spotted soap bubbles clinging to his body.
The urge to take a second peek and double-check the entire firm package rushed her, and she squirmed off the bed and fled into the living room.
Rocky Mountain Desire
Six Pack Ranch, Book 3
Nothing comes easy. You’ve gotta work for it. Matt Coleman always figured at this point in his life, he’d be settled down with a family. Since his ex split for the big city, though, no way will he give anyone else the chance to drop-kick his heart. Physical pleasure? Hell, yeah, he’ll take—and give—with gusto, but nothing more.
Now Available
Trade Paperback coming February 5, 2013
Rocky Mountain Haven Six Pack Ranch, Book 2 It’s the quiet ones that take you by surprise. Beth Danube’s emotionally abusive husband is dead and buried. So is her heart. It’s no big deal, she has all she wants: her three little boys and a fresh start in a small Alberta town. What she doesn’t want is another man in her life—not now, maybe not ever.
Now Available
Trade Paperback coming December 4, 2012
Rocky Mountain Heat
Six Pack Ranch, Book 1
He’s the one who taught her to ride. Now all he wants is to ride her. Blake Coleman is old enough to know that acting on impulse causes nothing but a heap of trouble. But when trouble’s a western-hat-wearing blonde with slim legs that go on forever, what’s a man to do? Wanting the sweet girl next door is just wrong. The responsible thing to do is keep his hands off.
ARe Rocky Mountain Angel is the fourth of Vivian Arend's Six Pack series, and it is the most emotional one so far. The rest of the family takes a back seat to Gabe this time, and his torment at trying to please his father comes through so plainly, it tugged at my heart. When Allison comes to Gabe with a proposition, one that includes a solution to his woes on the ranch, he has to decide if he is okay with the deception they both will have to perpetrate. Can Gabe pretend to be Allison's man, while she comes home, saying it is to be close to him, when in fact it is actually because she has discovered her mother is keeping a tragic secret from her children. These characters are both wounded when we first see them, Gabe by his father's cold nature and disdain, and Allison by the situation with her mother. I liked that these two could find comfort in their friendship, and that, as time went on, the deception slowly became caring and finally, love. And the connection these two forge as they set the sheets on fire is scorching, too. I love that the Coleman men show up time and again here, and there are some real laugh-out-loud moments with them. This story also brought some tearful moments, and lots of sighs and giggles too. Ms. Arend has a real knack for making people feel like old friends, folks you want to visit with more every time you can. Every Six Pack Ranch book is a delight, but Rocky Mountain Angel has more emotion and passion to it, and I could not put it down. She builds her world, and never makes it feel anything less than real, like you could hop in a car and drive right out to Rocky Mountain House, sit in the diner and chat with Allison over coffee and pie. If you haven't read any of the Rocky Mountain books yet, you are in for a treat. I recommend that you read all four, but be careful not to overdose on hot and sexy men to quickly, or you will never want to come back home. Now, one lucky commenter will win a digital copy of the first book in the series, Rocky Mountain Heat. Just make sure you leave your email address in your comment. And thank you, Vivian Arend, for the many hours of enjoyment received from your fantastic books. I look forward to many more in the future.
Today I have Liz Crowe in with her latest Stewart Realty book, Escalation Clause. This is book six in the series, and is currently available from Tri-Destiny Publishing and your usual booksellers. Liz will be awarding prizes to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour: a signed copy of the new release (either eBook or print); $100 Amazon gift card; and a gift of Stewart Realty (Zazzle) swag of choice. First, here's a bit about Liz Crowe, then a brief interview and more about the book.
Microbrewery owner, best-selling author, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major college town. Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse, plus making her way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry), has prepped her for life as erotic romance author.
When she isn't sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, she can be found writing, editing or sweating promotional efforts for her latest publications.
Her groundbreaking romance subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” has gained thousands of fans and followers who are interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”)
Her beer blog a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for its insider yet outsider views on the craft beer industry. Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered real estate offices. Don’t ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.
LINKS:
www.lizcrowe.com
www.brewingpasssion.com
www.a2beerwench.com
www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor
www.twitter.com/beerwencha2
www.facebook.com/romanceforreallife
www.facebook.com/jackgordonrealtor The Writer
What is the best thing about being a writer? The worst?
Doing what you truly enjoy and (in the best case scenarios) getting paid to do it.
Worst: figuring out no matter how hard you work there are always people way more successful than you. I’m a serious competitor. This bugs me.
What inspired you to write your current release?
My 10 years of life as Realtor basically, channeled into a sweeping saga that birthed my entire “Romance for Real Life” sub genre.
I like my books realistic to the point of frustrating and sad. So I write them that way too and have gained a fairly decent following by staying true to that.
How important is the setting/world in your books?
Well, I don’t read a lot of paranormal or sci fi or other genres that require world building however I will say that a well-crafted, realistic “fake” world is pretty compelling. I read the YA series “Chaos Walking” by Patrick Ness which has a fairly out-there concept at it’s core and LOVED it because that guy is a master of making it real.
What drives your books? Is it the hero, the heroine, the conflict?
My stories are all very character driven. But bear in mind I don’t use a lot “traditional romance” norms. While the happy ending may occur, I tend to go past it, get into what happens AFTER and dig deep into character motivation beyond the white wedding or whatever.
Plotter or Pantser? Why? Pantster. Because the thought of “organizing” a plot on paper sounds like the worst kind of muse-stifling activity—but that is just me. THAT SAID, I am always about pushing my own boundaries. So as part of a long mainstream project I will be starting next year I’m going to try my hand at plot and character mapping.
What is the best advice you ever got as a writer? The worst? If you could go back in time and give your beginner-writer-self some advice, what would you say?
Best: Don’t give up. But don’t be inflexible and unable to take criticism.
Worst: Don’t bother with social networking. “Just write” and the readers will come.
Can you tell us a bit about what book(s) you have coming out next and what you’re working on now?
Escalation Clause (Stewart Realty book 6) is my most recent release. It picks up the story thread from the end of Essence of Time and moves the various characters forward, dealing with personal tragedy and loss. It is NOT meant as a stand alone novel. If you try and jump in at this point you will be losing a lot of the nuts and bolts of what happened to get everyone to this point. But never fear! The first 5 books are award winning and best selling and my fan base grows daily!
The Person
When you get a chance to read, what books do you love to read? Mainstream fiction mostly. I just finished John Irving’s latest book which was amazing and am reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and just re-read the Life of Pi by Yann Martel (one of the best books ever written). What bores you as a reader? Werewolves or “shifters” of any kind---they don’t bore me they just sort of creep me out I guess. I’m bored by sex books written to titillate and not tell a story. What is your favorite food and what is your guilty pleasure food? My favorite food is pizza. My guilty pleasure food is pizza. If you could go anywhere on a vacation where would you go? Back to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey after 2 weeks spent in Istanbul (where I lived for 2 years). Do you have a secret talent? I can brew beer. What do you think is romantic? What does the word Romance mean to you? Because I feel pretty strongly about my “romance for real life” sub-genre I believe that taking what is real and making it sexy is romantic. I like surprise “let’s go out to dinners” and “stay in bed and I’ll make breakfasts” and am a huge fan of “meet me at noon at (blank)” to find myself in a sexy moment with a special someone on the spur of the moment. I’m not a huge fan of giant weddings, over the top gestures or even flowers. Working around every day life and its responsibilities like jobs and kids and (For me) small business ownership to capture a sexy or surprise moment is the most romantic thing anyone can do for me.
Randomness
Aliens have landed on the planet. What are the three things you would tell them that are great about this planet?
Men who play soccer.
Craft Beer.
College Football season.
If you could create your own drink what would go in it and what would you call it?
Water, malt, hops and yeast.
It would be beer. I don’t think any more pure form of “drink” exists.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to figure out a book?
Contacting the owners of several large and successful Michigan breweries to ask them one question:
What is your worst nightmare sabotage for the brewery? When working on Cheeky Blonde, a stand alone brewery based romantic suspense novel (Decadent Publishing). I used every answer I got too.
You’re having a dinner party, what five people would you invite?
Ok, trying not to get political here I would invite:
Bill Clinton because I am dying to flirt with a master
Sam Calagione (owner of Dog Fish Head brewery) because he is my official beer crush.
Kim Jordan, Owner/founder of New Belgium brewing in Colorado because she is my hero.
E.L. James and JR Ward so they could arm rassle and we could all drink beer and watch.
What book was the most fun to write? Which was the hardest to write?
They are all fun to a certain extent but Essence of Time was the hardest. IF you have read it, you know why.I
eBooks or print forever?
Both. I have books queued up on my Ipad Kindle app and sitting on my bedside table.
You are offered your final meal. You can have anything you want. What would it be?
Filet Mignon, rare
Cheesy whipped potatoes from The Chop House (Ann Arbor)
Spinach salad with balsamic
Crème Brule
Flash round (don’t think, just answer)
Ice cream, vanilla or chocolate?
Chocolate
Steak or salmon?
Steak
Heels or sandals?
Heels
Dogs or cats?
Dogs
Snakes or Spiders?
Snakes
Beer or girly drink with umbrella?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Right. Next ?
Boxers, briefs or commando?
Boxers unless they are playing soccer
Vampire, demon or shifter?
None of the above
Mountains or seashore?
Beach (with a beer, please)
ESCALATION CLAUSE
By
Liz Crowe
BLURB:
Young love burns hot and bright. Soul mates are found, then lost in the blink of an eye. When young widow Maureen Gordon Taylor meets her daughter's sexy soccer coach, her body and heart slowly unthaw. But will holding tight to the past cost her a future?
A devastating blow shatters a family's fragile happiness. Rob Freitag and Lila Warren now confront life without the emotional glue that once bound them, but a shared goal brings them back together. Is it enough to make them whole again and become the family they were meant to be?
Mutual trust is hard won for the Gordons. When tragedy strikes, Jack and Sara’s lives are sent into a tailspin. To keep her family from falling apart, she must force Jack to admit his deepest fears. After everything they’ve been through, can they revive the spark and move to the next stage of marital fulfillment?
The sweeping saga of the Stewart Realty series continues as long-time friends learn to rely on each other, and to grab hold of happiness before it's too late.
PG Excerpt from Escalation Clause
Sara handed Lila another tissue, but her own eyes stayed dry. Observing the slow dissolution of her brother’s remaining family hurt, but pretty much everything hurt these days.
It was just, as they say, one more thing.
She patted the woman’s shaking shoulders, listened to her rant about Rob. But she hardly heard anything. The bubble wrap that seemed to encase her had not loosened as she hoped and prayed it would. And after a year, the wall between her and Jack approached Chinese construction standards. She watched, numb, while Katie and Maddie rolled around on the floor with their little brothers.
“Sara,” Lila said.
She turned her head slowly, noted she was late for work . “Yeah, sorry.” She tried a smile, but the other woman’s face remained frowning.
“Are you okay?” Lila’s black hair was shorter these days, and framed her heart-shaped face. Sara tried to focus on anything beyond that. Katie yelled when one of the little boys bopped her on the head with a plastic toy. The dog barked, wanting food. Her head pounded, throat ached with unshed tears. People needed her. She rose, pressed her skirt down.
“Yes, no, who knows. But I am late for work. Will you be all right here with all this chaos?” She pointed to the kids on the floor. “The nanny will be here at noon. I … Jack was supposed to be home already.” she looked up, confused when she heard the door open, and the clink of keys, watch and fountain pen being deposited in their appointed spaces on the table by the front door. “He flew in on the red eye from the west coast last night,” Sara sat back down, suddenly exhausted and needing her husband’s arms around her more than her next meal.
Jack strolled in, still dressed in dark suit pants and a thoroughly travel-wrinkled white shirt. Her heart did its usual roll at the sight of him. But he didn’t look at her. More than once she’d demanded time to talk, requested his undivided attention for some serious conversation about his distance. He kept coming up with excuses to avoid her and given how chaotic their lives were with two kids, a dog and very busy careers, excuses were easy to come by. So she had held back the one thing she knew he required, telling him flat out that she would not be sleeping with him until they cleared the air with a long talk. They had not had sex, or actually exchanged words beyond the necessary logistics of work and children for seven months.
Jack smiled down at Katie who’d latched onto him, kissed her and was staring down at the two little boys. Brandis was standing up holding onto the couch, a recent trick and one Sara had dreaded since it meant mobility for a kid who was never still anyway. He made his slow way to the edge of the leather ottoman glaring at Gabriel whose bright blond hair was back lit from the sun coming through the large window. They were in a mortal battle over a single dump truck and warfare was escalating fast. Brandis had already pushed Gabe down on his butt once, but the other boy quickly recovered. In a funny toddler attempt at diversion, he’d handed Brandis a matchbox car giving Gabe enough time to grab the obnoxiously orange truck and drop to his knees to make a swift crawling getaway. Since Brandis seemed stuck hanging onto the furniture, he wailed and threw the car, hitting his sister in the temple, then dropped to all fours and chased Gabe to the kitchen. Katie followed them. “Mom!” She yelled. “They’re feeding the dog Cheerios. That okay?”
By the time Jack had arrived Brandis was in full-throated fury, just as Sara was trying to leave the house. The boy made a crawling beeline for his father, and Gabe followed. He was already pretty steady on his feet, the cheap plastic toy clutched to his chest as if it were the Hope diamond. The dog brought up the rear, lapping up the little round circles of processed sugar dropped in their wake.
“Hey sport,” Jack plucked his son from the floor, kissed him then did a double take when he saw the other boy. “Well hello there. Little Rob. Wow.”
Sara watched the scene unfold, silent, but thankful he at least acknowledged his own son. Since Brandis had such a raging temper he was usually screaming about something or throwing things or in his crib for a time out, which meant Jack could ignore him, leaving the discipline to her. Gabe stared up at Jack, thumb in his mouth, the truck still held tight.
“Pa!” Brandis glared at his father. “Mine.” He pointed down at Gabe. Brandis had developed clear speech patterns early and was on the verge of walking at a year as well. The kid was an eerie mirror image of the man holding him, Sara observed for the thousandth time. Jack bent down and put Brandis on the floor. The boy lunged for the truck but his father held him back.
“No. Share,” he said, reaching over and snagging one of the zillions of trucks scattered around the room. “Yours.” He pressed an identical cheap blue dump truck to Brandis’ small chest. The boy’s face lit up with joy and he dropped to all fours and rolled the thing back to the kitchen with Gabe tottering along behind, so they could resume kitchen demolition by cereal. The eager dog scampered after them.
Because this is not a stand alone book, I am adding the series buy links to this post for you to get the rest of the books in the Stewart Realty Series.
Thanks again to Liz Crowe for coming by today, and giving us all a peek at her new Stewart Realty book, Escalation Clause. Remember to leave your e-mail address in your comment, because there are some really great things up for grabs here.
