Monthly Archives: January 2012

Jan 26 2012

5 Stages of Grief by Bethany Ramos~A review

♥♥♥♥♥ YOU GOTTA READ THIS BOOK!  ♥♥♥♥♥


Danielle thinks that the worst is behind her, but she couldn’t have been more wrong… As a beauty editor of Denver’s hot new High Life magazine, Danielle Starkey didn’t have becoming a widow on her to-do list. Then nine months after her husband’s death, she discovers he booked a vacation with another woman. Suddenly, Danielle sees Adam’s death in a whole new light and has to get over it – for the second time. Hit with the truth when she least expects it, Danielle brings a fresh, funny, and honest approach to the grieving process as she struggles through online dating, stalking her dead husband’s mistress, and, hopefully, finding the man of her dreams. With her stubborn and sassy best friend April by her side. Danielle refuses to let sleeping dogs lie. Will she finally face the truth about herself and her marriage? Or will she succumb to one of the five stages of grief?

~The Review~

Danielle Starkey thinks that she’s mourned for her husband, and let’s face it, being a twenty-nine year old widow is not something most women consider a part of their future. So when Danielle discovers her late husband was *cheating* on her…Well, that puts a whole new spin on things. 5 Stages of Grief is a witty, sarcastic, self-deprecating tale of one woman’s second trip through grief and to finding herself again. At one time or another, most of us have grieved something or someone in our lives. Danielle is a complex character who represents us all. Maybe that’s why she’s easy to identify with. She has a job that most of us will never have, she’s been through more than most of us will ever experience, and she puts herself in situations that are difficult and embarrassing and that most of us would avoid. And yet, I cheered for Danielle when she made it through yet another stage. I applauded her when she confronted her husband’s mistress, and  shook my head when she hit rock bottom. But in each phase of Danielle’s journey to healing, it’s so easy for me to put myself in her shoes and understand her motivation. All in all, 5 Stages of Grief is a laugh-out-loud, unbelievable, totally understandable, incredibly insightful glimpse into the grieving. You don’t want to miss it!

Author Bio:
Bethany Ramos is a chick lit author that is passionate about the fun, witty, and clever dynamic that can be found in a good chick lit novel. Her chick lit novel 5 Stages of Grief was published by Black Opal Books in 2011. She has also written a children’s book called Lions Can’t Eat Spaghetti that is under contract to be published through 4RV Publishing in 2015.

Bethany works full time as a freelance ghostwriter through Elance.com, specializing in Internet marketing, social media marketing, and SEO. She also co-owns her own website with her husband atThe Coffee Bump. Bethany can be reached for further information about her writing services at bethany_ramos83[at]yahoo[dot]com or follow her on Twitter.

http://chicklit-books.com/about/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1937329100/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chilitboo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1937329100

You can catch Bethany at other stops on her blog tour–check out future dates here–                          CLP Blog Tours

http://www.clpblogtours.com/2011/12/5-stages-of-grief-by-bethany-ramos.html

Thanks for dropping in today. Don’t be shy, leave me a comment and let me know you were here! Lot’s of <3–Amie

Jan 23 2012

Blank Slate Kate by Heather Wardell

♥♥♥♥♥ You Gotta Read This Book ♥♥♥♥♥

Waking up with a strange man is scary. Realizing you lost fifteen years of your life overnight? That’s terrifying. With her memories from seventeen to thirty-two gone, Kate has no idea who she is and where she belongs. As she begins to fall for the man who found her, she wonders if she forgot those years for a reason. Should she keep trying to retrieve her original self, or start a new life?

Once again I am astounded by the talent that lurks in the self-published industry. Once upon a time, it was only for those  writers who couldn’t make it anywhere else. Now, it’s filled with authors who are just looking for alternatives to the norm. And what I’ve found is writing of the same. Blank Slate Kate is a fabulous book, filled with unexpected turns, not in a shocking, over the top, Hollywood way, but in an “oh my that could really happen” sort of way that leaves the reader wondering, “How would I feel if I suddenly didn’t remember?”

Kate wakes up unable to remember her name and anything past March of her seventeenth year.  With the help of Jake, her rescuer who has ghosts of his own, Kate tries to peice together the fifteen years that are missing from her life.  Bit by bit as her life unfolds, Kate starts to wonder if she wants to remember at all, and if the people she has to rely on have her best interests in mind.

Blank Slate Kate is a novel of discovery, heartbreak, and  second chances. And definitely has a place on my list of You Gotta Read This Book.

I’m so proud to be included in Heather’s tour with Blank Slate Kate. For the duration of the tour, her novel SEVEN EXES ARE EIGHT TOO MANY is a free read (ebook), so be sure to pop over to Amazon and snag your copy before time runs out.

http://www.clpblogtours.com/2011/12/blank-slate-kate-by-heather-wardell.html

Author Bio:

Growing up, I was an avid (rabid?) reader. I am a natural speed reader, regularly clocked at about 1200 wpm (I read Harry Potter 5 in just under three hours).

After careers as a software developer and elementary school computer science teacher, in 2005 I took up the National Novel Writing Month challenge and attempted to write a novel in a month. I succeeded, and the first draft of my first novel “Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo” was the result. I realized I love writing. I left teaching, and I haven’t looked back since!

Buy the Book!

“Blank Slate Kate” is also available in paperback at:

Connect with Heather!

http://www.heatherwardell.com/contact.shtml
http://www.twitter.com/heatherwardell
http://www.facebook.com/heather.wardell.author
http://www.goodreads.com/heatherwardell

Leave a comment for your chance to win an ecopy of Blank Slate Kate or any of the other books reviewed this month on my blog! And as always, thanks for stopping by!

        Lot’s of <3–Amie

 

Jan 11 2012

Samantha March and Destined to Fail

Jasmine Jones is ready to start her college experience. With her best friend at her side, she’s ready to leave her past behind and start anew, even if it means being away from her mother, brother, and new boyfriend, Nate. But college doesn’t turn out the way her high school best friend wants it to, and Jasmine soon finds herself without a roommate. Thankfully she’s met two new and wonderful friends to help her through. But secrets are revealed and Jasmine finds herself pregnant and helping her friends—old and new alike—in ways she never dreamed possible.

Though it started out a tad slow, Destined to Fail picked up and when it did, I understood the pacing at the beginning. A story with that much heartbreak throughout would have been hell to read even with a happy ending. All the characters are believable and likeable, even surly Abby, Jasmine’s friend from high school. The delicate situations these girls recount and face were brilliantly handled, the attitudes and conversations perfect for college-age teenagers.

At first I was a little doubtful of the pain and abuse these girls suffered. But now I feel I had something of a charmed life, and this is what others around me experienced when they were growing up. This book just goes to show that it’s impossible to know what demons others have faced even when you’re in relationships that seem close. I can only say that most of us wish we could help our friends and others, that we could make a difference in a life, the way Jasmine does.

Destined to Fail is a heartwarming book of second chances, friendships, and the power of one person to right wrongs and change their world.

And GUESS WHAT? I talked Samantha into answering a bunch of my nosiest questions about her book, her publishing experience, and her writing life. 

When did you decide to take the self-pub plunge?

When I first started writing Destined three years ago, I really wasn’t thinking about self-publishing. I was thinking about writing a fab book, getting a fab agent, and then a fab publisher. By the time I finished writing and editing and all that jazz, self-publishing was huge. My blog, ChickLitPlus.com, was growing bigger and bigger, and I realized that I already had a large following. The more I thought about self-publishing and the benefits, I realized it was the right path for me. I still made myself query a whopping three agents, but my heart just wasn’t in the traditional path.

Is your book available in print as well as in e-formats?

It is! You can buy the print copy on Amazon, or through me directly! I’ll even sign it :)

Cool!  mine’s on the way ;). So how did you find the printer?

I printed my hard copies through the company CreateSpace. I found it pretty simple, the formatting wasn’t too bad and the step-by-step process was easy to follow!

And now for the dreaded edits…who did your edits and how many reads did you have before you said, “it’s time.”?

Ah, the edits. This was hard, because I also work as a freelance editor. I quickly realized that me editing my own work was not going to happen. I knew my words inside and out, and I knew what I wanted to write. So sometimes my eyes would just pass over missing words or misspelled words. My first editor made a lot of changes to my story, and I’m grateful for them all. In the first book, Jasmine and Nate break up right away, Jasmine never gets pregnant, and Abby basically disappears after the third chapter. I’m grateful for the advice and I think the story is even better! I then had a girlfriend of mine do the final proofreading.

I read and re-read and had my editor and proofreader work a lot on the story before I decided I couldn’t keep making these tiny tweaks. I also think because this was my first book, I was more hesitant to finally pull the trigger.

It is hard to edit your own work. Now, tell us about your book. 

Jasmine Jones is ready to begin her new life as a college student, and is ecstatic to have best friend Abby by her side. But weeks into their new college life, Abby drops the bomb- she is pregnant, and dropping out of college. Jasmine can’t handle the fact that Abby is wasting her opportunity to get an education, and going back to her cheating, abusive boyfriend. She struggles to move on from her friendship with Abby, and befriends two new girls at college- Kiley and Cari. Everything seems back on track for Jasmine- great new friendships and roommates, a strong relationship with boyfriend Nate, and excelling at her college courses. But Jasmine’s newfound happiness is shattered when her pregnancy test comes out positive. Does she have to drop out of college now and become a young mother? Will Nate stay with her? How can she afford a child? Jasmine’s life has been filled with obstacles and challenges along the way- from a missing father, sexual and physical abuse, and addictions that tore her family apart. With this latest setback, Jasmine fears her life will always be a struggle. Destined to Fail is one woman’s story about overcoming adversity in life, about taking the negatives and finding a positive, and about never giving up hope.

And now for the most dreaded question of all—are you going to try your hand at self-publishing again?

I most definitely will! My second novel will be out in April/May of this year. I think I might try the query process again, but I am ready to self-publish! I’ve had a fantastic experience.

All that said, what do you do for fun?

I work a lot of jobs, including a full time job at a hospital, then run ChickLitPlus, CLP Blog Tours, offer freelance editing services, and have to find time to write and market myself – but I think all of that is fun! I’m so lucky I love what I do. Other than that, I love to dance and work out – especially yoga or kickboxing. And I love sports- Go Pack Go!

Hey now, I live in  the land of Cowboys and Chiefs! :) What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

You have to keep writing. I would give myself three to four weeks off at a time when I was writing Destined because I couldn’t figure out a certain story line or I was tired or I claimed I didn’t have enough time. I have myself on a much better schedule the second time around. I only let myself have four consecutive days of writing off at a time, and I usually write around 2,000 words a day. It’s much quicker this way!

Thanks for stopping by Samantha! Okay, raders, be sure to leave a comment here or at www,amiesreviews.wordpress.com/ in order to be entered n a drawing for an ecopy if this book (and others from this month).  Lots of <3–Amie

Connect with Samantha March:

http://www.samanthamarch.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-March/104518512989033

http://twitter.com/#!/SamanthaMarch23

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5287274.Samantha_March

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97812

http://www.amazon.com/Destined-to-Fail-ebook/dp/B005XNI560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320108498&sr=8-1

Jan 9 2012

Laura Browning and BITTERSWEET

Got a special guest today, the talented Laura Browning. She’s going to tell us about her newest release Bittersweet. And even more fun, I got to drill her…I mean ask her  about her writing and writing habits. Now, pay special attention, the name of her book is actually the buy link. How cool is that! And leave us a comment so we know you stopped by. And herrrrrrreeeeees Laura~

All right, down to business. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has that childhood dream affected your current career?

Like most kids, I imagined myself in all sorts of careers. I can remember playing “school” with a couple of my friends when we were in second or third grade. That slid to the background as I got older, but seven years ago, I launched a second career—as an English teacher, so I suppose I’ve come full-circle. The other amusing thing I can remember is sitting down with another one of my friends when we were thirteen or fourteen years old and deciding we were going to co-write our own romance. It featured some poor, tortured heroine washed ashore from a shipwreck who just happened to land on an island populated only by a devastatingly good-looking hero. Sigh… As bad as it was, it really was the turning point that pushed me toward writing, first as a journalist and now as a romance writer.

 I think we’ve all got a book like that under our beds. How has your environment/ upbringing colored your writing?

Reading and writing go hand in hand. I was fortunate to grow up in a reading-rich environment. Both my parents were readers. At 85, my mother still is. I just gave her a Kindle over Christmas when I went to visit. One of my siblings struggled with reading as a child. I remember sitting with my brothers while my mother read to us. The mystery series The Happy Hollisters was a favorite.  I had another sibling who published his own newspaper with such tantalizing headlines as “A Boy Got a 100 in Arithmetic”. My father was an avid consumer of news, so current events were always up for discussion. In addition to that, I read anything I could get my hands on. Writing was a natural outgrowth of that environment. Even as a journalist, I was a closet writer of romance, though. I finally had to acknowledge that my real writing interest was fiction and not journalism. Only after admitting that did I finally make changes that allowed me to pursue writing fiction.

Everyone always asks where ideas come from. Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work? As a journalist, I suppose I’m always cognizant of what’s making headlines, so I won’t say never. However, I always remember that I’m writing fiction, so if I utilize a news nugget, I try to develop it from an idea that might be sparked from news headlines into something that’s entirely my own.  Having talked with people firsthand who have experienced traumatic events, I simply can’t pull a fictitious story too closely from someone’s real life experience. Ethically, that doesn’t sit well with me, so if I use contemporary events, they’re normally more issue-oriented.

That said, how much of your work is real? How much is fantasy?

Although I write fiction, that’s not to say I never draw on my own experiences. My most recent release, Bittersweet, is the story of a female veterinarian working in a large animal practice. As a horse owner for more than twenty-five years, I’ve assisted vets with all sorts of procedures that ranged from tooth extractions to closing wounds that required more than a hundred stitches. There are even bits and pieces of people I’ve met over the years that appear in some of my characters—and no, I’ll never tell who they are. LOL

Mum’s the word. :) So who is your favorite author and why? What books have most influenced your life?

Two books stand out in my mind as driving me toward writing romance. The first is Jane Eyre, which I read again and again the summer between seventh and eighth grade. The second is Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie. Yes, it’s a biography. What really gripped me was not only the love story between the two, but also how their personal tragedy (their son’s hemophilia) changed the course of an entire nation. I loved the ending of Jane Eyre and hated what happened to the Romanov family—so my love affair with HEAs began. As to my favorite authors—again there are two—Nora Roberts and J.R. Ward. I like Roberts for her strong heroines. Even her early heroines that fit the “formula” of the time still had gumption. And J.R. Ward—I’ll admit I’m a slavering fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood—but I like more than her sexy vampires. I like her books as Jessica Bird as well. She creates complex characters that are not all good and all bad.

Are there any tools you feel are must-haves for writers?

Create a work space where you will be comfortable for long periods of time. I’ve written as a journalist and an author for nearly three decades. When you spend hours at a computer (I won’t say typewriter since that would really date me!), you must have a set-up that’s ergonomically correct or you’re asking for trouble. The number one tool for any author in this day and age is internet access. With a reliable, high-speed connection, you have access to almost any information you need within seconds. Having worked in newsrooms before that was possible, I can tell you it has completely transformed researching and writing stories. Now, that being said, if I spin my chair around, I have a dictionary, thesaurus, two style manuals and at least half a dozen books on writing within easy reach. Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon is one of them, and a book I would consider a must-read for any fiction writer.

Great advice, Laura. And the peek at the cover…

Need more? You can contact Laura at…

facebook: Laura Browning
Twitter: laurabrowning4
A big thank you to Laura for sharing her insight and story with us today!! Be sure to show her your love and support! And as always, thanks for stopping by.
Lots of <3–Amie
Jan 5 2012

Victoria Gray ~ Surrender to Your Touch

Now y’all know that I love having guests over to blog, but here lately I haven’t had as many visitors as usual. So I was thrilled when Victoria Gray agreed to come on today and talk about her newest novel, Surrender to Your Touch. And to give very sound advice on writing historical fiction.  How much research is too much? Keep on reading and find out. Take it away, Victoria~

Why do I love reading and writing historical romance?  The answer is actually quite simple.  Historical romances transport me to another time and place and immerse me in a love story.  Before I started writing historical romance, I never considered the skillful balance between facts and emotion in these stories, the delicate weave of details within a love story that creates a sense of time and place and brings the plot and the characters to life.  Now, as a writer of historical romance, I know firsthand the challenge of blending facts into a story without creating information overload.

While the developing emotional relationship between the heroine and her hero is the central focus of historical romance, historical details serve to sweep the reader away to another time and place.  Infusing facts throughout the story without sounding like a travel guide is a writer’s challenge.  Research, layering details through multiple revisions, and a willingness to cut facts that don’t enhance the story are my keys to achieving balance between historical detail, story flow, and emotional intensity.

Of course, thorough research is a given.  Historical inaccuracies pull a reader out of a story, while details about historical events, clothing, food, transportation, communication, occupations, and social structure—the list could go on and on— provide scaffolding for a believable story.

After I become familiar with the essential characteristics of an era, I map out the plot and research specific aspects of the time period that may factor into the story.  What weapons were available?  What historical events, landmarks, and people might have impacted the characters’ lives? What literary and artistic works were prominent during that era?  In my new release, Surrender to Your Touch, the Union occupation of Norfolk, Virginia during the Civil War creates additional danger for the hero, outcast Rebel officer Will Reed, while the Union’s use of his family’s historical home, a James River plantation, adds to Will’s profound sense of loss.  Angel in My Arms features Union spy Amanda Emerson’s visit to Confederate first lady Varina Davis and her mission to Richmond’s Libby Prison to rescue a double agent,  while Destiny factors the heroine’s love of tragic romances into the character’s development.  Research to identify popular authors of the heroine’s time provided details that fleshed out Emma Davenport’s actions and dialogue.  These historical details add to the tapestry of the story.

How much historical detail brings a story to life without bogging it down?  That depends on the story.  Are historical events plot elements, or does the historical setting provide a context for the story?  Surrender to Your Touch,  Angel in My Arms, and Destiny are set against the background of the Civil War, but the key plot events are entirely fictional.  Historical details woven throughout the story create a sense of time and place, and references to historical figures can add to a character’s development, but historical name-dropping can result in detail overload.  Your characters shouldn’t sound like Joan Rivers on a time travel adventure.

Every author develops a method that works best for him or her.  To me, research, layering details, and revision are the keys to crafting a love story that transports the reader to another time and place.

Here’s a little about Surrender to Your Touch:

Will Reed is out to settle a brutal score. The disgraced Rebel officer’s own men want him hanged, and an enemy has ordered him killed. Intent on clearing his name and evening the score with those who betrayed him, he begins with the woman he once loved—Union spy Kate Sinclair.

For years, Kate used seduction as a lure. She knew better than to let her heart get involved–until she fell in love with Will. Grieving his death, Kate’s joy at discovering him alive shatters when she is confronted by a bitter, vengeful man—a man who’ll stop at nothing to learn the truth of her betrayal. As danger pursues them, Kate fights to tear down the barriers Will has erected around his heart, but her most powerful weapon may ultimately destroy her—surrender.

Surrender to Your Touch is available from Amazon.com: E-book or Print,

and

The Wild Rose Press:  E-book and Print

I hope readers will stop by my website and my blog, www.victoriagrayromance.com ; www.victoriagrayromance.blogspot.com.

I’d love for you to friend me on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1819636616

and follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VictoriaGray115

CONTEST:   Based on the story blurb, who would you like to see portray Kate and Will if this were a movie? One lucky commenter will win a pdf of Surrender to Your Touch. Winner will be announced on Monday, January 9.

Also by Victoria Gray–

 Destiny

Buy it now

   

 

 Angel in my Arms

Buy it now

And a big thank you to Victoria for sharing her newest release with us! I don’t know about the rest of you, but my TBR list is growing–by threes!!

Lots of <3–Amie