tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50945524638395964712024-03-13T14:52:31.047-07:00Romance Alley BlogThis blog is for authors and readers to benefit, and make it a fun place to enjoy. Romance Alley is for authors to promote their books, benefit from the writing tips published authors are offering, and for readers to enjoy contests, information about romance novels, and the free reads. Also, visit www.romancealley.suzannahsafi.comSuzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-43810298695527300482012-04-02T18:08:00.000-07:002012-04-02T18:08:49.732-07:00Cocktails Fiction and Gossip e-Magazine<div style="text-align: center;">I hope you enjoy this issue, the hard work to have the best for my readers is worth the time and efforts. I thank all the authors who participated and all my readers. Enjoy!!! </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip">http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip</a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCxkrcMu-ZSz0XozeErbgK1R1odfXaWEdFzSyfQ0D7oYSRXSF23Agw8TqvMdASQh1dDyPvcXBQKBCreVYm5J_jCr4Vp0apQAY9KkCESNMc4Hxp43mt0DNAsZTmRZPKAnWFVNvYIY53iE/s1600/CM+cover+for+April_issue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCxkrcMu-ZSz0XozeErbgK1R1odfXaWEdFzSyfQ0D7oYSRXSF23Agw8TqvMdASQh1dDyPvcXBQKBCreVYm5J_jCr4Vp0apQAY9KkCESNMc4Hxp43mt0DNAsZTmRZPKAnWFVNvYIY53iE/s320/CM+cover+for+April_issue.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-65614491325347062242011-10-19T07:20:00.000-07:002011-10-19T07:20:33.119-07:00Lins Own Speculations: WHEN THE COVERS BUILD AND THE BEST NEED TO BE NAME...Blown away by what Lin said about my book cover designs. My curtsy and gratitude to the talented fellow author, Lin Holmes for her magical choice of words describing all of us graphic designers at MuseItUp Publishing, thank you Lin for the beautiful appraisal. <br /><br /><a href="http://linsownspeculations.blogspot.com/2011/10/when-covers-build-and-best-need-to-be.html?spref=bl">Lins Own Speculations: WHEN THE COVERS BUILD AND THE BEST NEED TO BE NAME...</a>: Our cover showcase of Muse Publishing"s finest yet again must reappear. Kat and I periodically take a long walk on the wild side looki...Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-36278887439462434242011-09-26T05:01:00.000-07:002011-09-26T05:01:12.971-07:00My news at Lindsay Romantics blog...check it outCome and read my news at Lindsay Romantics blog!!!! link below<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lindsaysromantics.blogspot.com/">http://lindsaysromantics.blogspot.com/</a>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-59704847274177623332011-09-17T13:16:00.000-07:002011-09-17T13:16:36.590-07:00Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magaine - September Issue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SieqSkrXkYPLO9LzYNU54x5E7azSf8omcpBK0dzaug1Kt7DQmT1YqOhgmGpi9er4ihq9iz5rzchOICViEyHG9y7Tyg2gB2tAtbyaz7xhELkxeorxIbj-TfxiDAz8u9w_mRmTXO9dicA/s1600/September+Issue+CM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SieqSkrXkYPLO9LzYNU54x5E7azSf8omcpBK0dzaug1Kt7DQmT1YqOhgmGpi9er4ihq9iz5rzchOICViEyHG9y7Tyg2gB2tAtbyaz7xhELkxeorxIbj-TfxiDAz8u9w_mRmTXO9dicA/s320/September+Issue+CM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine September issue available for readers, enjoy!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">New announcement and change of content, read it under 'about' . Here is the link: </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip">http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip</a>#! </div>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-21810587991000553852011-08-21T11:19:00.000-07:002011-08-21T11:19:31.616-07:00Book Review: 'Fatal February' by Barbara Levinson<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><a href="http://allstace.blogspot.com/">Stacey Cotrufo</a> Romance Alley Reviewer:</strong> I am an avid reader and writer of contemporary romances. I started reading Harlequin romances in the 7th grade and haven't stopped. I enjoy a fast-paced story or one's that focus on family/friendships as the subplot. Some of my favorite authors include Susan Mallery, Nora Roberts, Robyn Carr, Kristan Higgins, Maureen Child, Debbie Macomber...you get the idea. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>'Fatal February' </strong>by<strong> </strong>Barbara Levinson</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1692515810" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTYpuievh_jE1-uEHygBMGVAtYlO6A8h5rSryjhBmZn7oplKIBb9Rgz8xTABb6JUFeogKTKKnCZPQfyC4X2KMOMAUHwPydyhlgtJ80cq7q1gQXbSTIDy7YlulitPGfS76oGl0-IfmWLc/s320/Fatal+February_front.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The Review by: </strong>Stacey Cotrufo<strong> </strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was a little hesitant to sit down and read Barbara Levinson’s “Fatal February”. I am an avid reader of romance novels but what I’ve come to discover is that it is really the contemporary novels that I lean towards.</div><br />
“Fatal February” was a good read; fast paced with characters that really seemed to leap off of the page. The problem was more with me. This type of story reminds me of when Sandra Brown sort of did a crossover from her usual contemporary romances to a more romantic/suspense and then a full throttle suspense with some romantic elements thrown in. So really, it’s not that the story itself wasn’t enjoyable, it was just that I now know for certain that I am not a murder mystery/legal thriller type of reader.<br />
<br />
If you are, then this would be right up your alley. With Miami lawyer Mary Magruder Katz having what seems to be a horrendous run of bad luck but there is so much going on in this story, that you keep turning the pages to see what happens no matter how uncomfortable the situation may be.<br />
<br />
Something else about this story that stood out was that it was written mostly in the first person; Mary is telling the story. I don’t know why that stood out so much or why it became a hindrance but it was just another issue for me to get over while reading “Fatal February”.<br />
<br />
From the opening page describing the crime to the final one hinting at Mary’s next big case, Author Barbara Levinson keeps you going. Her scenes aren’t overly drawn out – although sometimes I wish they were because I wanted more action! – and she doesn’t leave her readers lingering in a situation for too long.<br />
<br />
If you are looking for a witty, fast-paced murder mystery with just a little bit of sexual steaminess, grab yourself a copy of “Fatal February” and prepare yourself for a ride.<br />
<br />
Publisher's website: <span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.oceanviewpub.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.oceanviewpub.com</span></a></span>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-38638444188984176882011-08-12T20:40:00.000-07:002011-08-12T21:48:34.724-07:00My experience at the ‘Women’s Expo Event’Nervous, I approached the expo with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. It was a chance to promote not only my work but three other authors beyond cyberspace.<br />
<br />
<br />
I took my welcome letter with the directions and headed to the ‘Walk -the outlets in Atlantic City’. I easily found the entrance where Cat Country radio station trucks were loading their stuff and their staff helping arrange everyone to their booths. I was impressed with not only the organization, but the helpful attitude of the staff. It certainly allowed everyone to have a day free of the stress and worry of disorganization. One staff member, Kaitlynn Breder the Marketing Consultant at Millennium Radio NJ did a great job helping us. A professional I had the pleasure of meeting her and experiencing the care and consideration she took of all of us. <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wbkfrRb-4Pt4rCbv-adL1axtU4-_rL3yc8gIV9-I0x5WDWqyhn6XZqQF4BgTMrY2jS-FSCAYOLtw8_tDoDyyb-o0CfDCBFx-jYPbayeW6aOKmOGesJlrFtPFJRPiZCM7N965qFwvByg/s1600/DSCN4188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wbkfrRb-4Pt4rCbv-adL1axtU4-_rL3yc8gIV9-I0x5WDWqyhn6XZqQF4BgTMrY2jS-FSCAYOLtw8_tDoDyyb-o0CfDCBFx-jYPbayeW6aOKmOGesJlrFtPFJRPiZCM7N965qFwvByg/s200/DSCN4188.JPG" width="200" /></a>The three talented authors I had the pleasure meeting for the first time. <a href="http://www.mkatequinn.com/">M. Kate Quinn</a> author of ‘Moonlight & Violet’, and ‘Summer Iris’ published with The Wild Rose Press, <a href="http://mflagg-author.com/">M. Flagg</a> author of ‘Retribution’, ‘Consequences’, and ‘His Soul to Keep’ published with The Wild Rose Press, and <a href="http://www.comteqpublishing.com/">Ami Feller</a> author of ‘Boardwalk in Disrepair-The Splintering of Miss Patriotic’ published with ComteQ Publishing, arrived later for the event.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtLHlN-2lIBlNldOMka-6-Olmf0wmBBdIO662vjPnCuQMy1IrhNZkbFSasGOVq2a3A8dqV-damnR6mkbO1eodjwnn0pPG7phnCqZkUlNvkFGO089WsE01M02CbE3rEstcOr5X5fdtP8A/s1600/DSCN4190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtLHlN-2lIBlNldOMka-6-Olmf0wmBBdIO662vjPnCuQMy1IrhNZkbFSasGOVq2a3A8dqV-damnR6mkbO1eodjwnn0pPG7phnCqZkUlNvkFGO089WsE01M02CbE3rEstcOr5X5fdtP8A/s200/DSCN4190.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The day was beautiful, people mingled and bustled about, waiting to shop or dance the Zomba! </div>A dance inspired from the Latin dance. The spicy, sultry beat had me dancing about, handing out postcards and gifts.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXM5YTgcisgjjSAxnUyHkqQM4OqCjJ-mN5Gi65WeYCrUqBUcVUGmqGBlwnz7xcJgMrzqyAkEaC1oF_869JmVpdaww7nvlBMdAgx3tRsleDDz8n8Q6m5NQtIdTwCo6AlqKRsmPiLXHing/s1600/DSCN4193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 238px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 297px;"><img border="0" height="200" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXM5YTgcisgjjSAxnUyHkqQM4OqCjJ-mN5Gi65WeYCrUqBUcVUGmqGBlwnz7xcJgMrzqyAkEaC1oF_869JmVpdaww7nvlBMdAgx3tRsleDDz8n8Q6m5NQtIdTwCo6AlqKRsmPiLXHing/s200/DSCN4193.JPG" width="199" /></a>We met many interesting people that showed interest in our books and handed out a lot of gifts. The day passed with the handing out of promotional goodies, and answering questions. We had readers stopping to inquire about our books and we were more than happy to chat. Few actually asked if our books are on Kindle which tells you more and more readers are into reading on today’s gadgets. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2YwMI038fUKoh8bf5VqvNrB17aRJNAH4Mp4PtgJvXwQey0SJJgUUhXcgmLVnvHvPOYmdeEenEEo5SdxTofj_375fWsf8MEwWytLl24cUzxP3t9CEV2cR8RA07nkpZ9GvPZTeKMuGeSc/s1600/DSCN4192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2YwMI038fUKoh8bf5VqvNrB17aRJNAH4Mp4PtgJvXwQey0SJJgUUhXcgmLVnvHvPOYmdeEenEEo5SdxTofj_375fWsf8MEwWytLl24cUzxP3t9CEV2cR8RA07nkpZ9GvPZTeKMuGeSc/s200/DSCN4192.JPG" width="200" /></a>I passed my postcards, lollypops, cards, bookmarks. Also I handed out the gift bags provided by the talented <a href="http://www.helenhenderson-author.webs.com/">Helen Henderson</a> author of ‘Windmaster’, and ‘Romance of my Dreams II’. "Thanks Helen, I passed some of what you sent me". The bags were filled with goodies from different authors. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpT5lhAE5l2IG0RaSPVfwhyNBQI06Y12df_PtL4I5gqRVNBnT1fCgsoAGJI4Po11iuf8_V5MHjUAEDPsLIODCx9qVKwpjk-XvOK_pzQ2rJMz8hdKnAM9hZ_7eUPFXfkjnyekBjsXU_iE/s1600/DSCN4191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpT5lhAE5l2IG0RaSPVfwhyNBQI06Y12df_PtL4I5gqRVNBnT1fCgsoAGJI4Po11iuf8_V5MHjUAEDPsLIODCx9qVKwpjk-XvOK_pzQ2rJMz8hdKnAM9hZ_7eUPFXfkjnyekBjsXU_iE/s200/DSCN4191.JPG" width="200" /></a>I discovered many vendors gave out their products for free. Some were there simply to promote their products by showing and giving free gifts. To these select vendors the selling aspect was not a priority, their intent was to spread the word about their name, their brand so to speak. Some offered a free promotional gift if you friended them on Facebook. </div><br />
<br />
<strong>To have a successful event there are a few key things you’ll need:</strong><br />
<br />
1. Signage. A BIG banner or board to show who you are. Unfortunately, I was so nervous I forgot mine. Still, I’m happy I didn’t spend the money on a banner with my book cover and a few words about my book. <br />
I know now what I need to place on any banner, or two banners I use. <strong>Intrigue is key:</strong> draw people’s eye and the body will follow. What you write and show on the board or banner is the most critical aspect, and is intended to catch the interest of a fast passer. Remember they walk fast and some of them will not stop unless something catches their eyes. <br />
<br />
2. You need to engage the people who come near your booth. I saw some providing that engaged them on more than just a visual level. I never thought of that, I was concentrating on selling my displayed books, and offering some free stuff. Really, the people who engaged the crowd did a great job even if they didn’t sell anything. They made sure the traffic come to them to win something and got to know their website, or friend them on facebook. That made me think that I should change my strategy next time I go for an event. Time to think out of the box!!!! <br />
<br />
3. Be creative with your gifts. Anything big, colorful and useful will attract attention. Nothing pricy, just something that will bring their attention. I attached my lollypops to my bookmarks and postcards. Their eyes hit that lollypop before my postcard, but hey, whatever makes them happy. <br />
<br />
4. Don’t sit and wait for readers to come to you. Get on your feet and start talking to them. Ask if they like to read books, or if they would like a gift. Initiate the conversation and titillate their interests. I know some of us are shy, and afraid of being rejected face to face. Well, here’s some news for you - there is no place for that introverted personality here. To sell, or even to get your name out there you have to GET on your feet and work it. <br />
<br />
5. Beside the postcards, do brochures. Give them <span style="font-family: inherit;">something</span> to read when they get home. Attach some chocolate to it and make it memorable. The brochure should include something other than your book excerpt and your info- write something funny that they will remember you-the author-by it, or something to brighten their day. Write something that will make them say, wow I think I like this author and would like to check her/his books.<br />
<br />
6. Finally, enjoy your day and smile at everyone who passes by and wish them a wonderful day. <br />
<br />
You never know who you will meet at an event. You may not think about it, but it only takes one person to spread the word to two, and three and soon you don’t know who will hear about you. Most importantly I discovered that I need to be out there spreading awareness about my name, books and business. And yes being an author is a business, and one has to approach it as such.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Don’t be nervous instead start thinking ‘how can I be more creative this time’, how can I get my name and my books in front of the people who will buy them? </div><br />
I hope my experience gave you some ideas of how to plan your next promo event. <br />
<br />
Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my article<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
Suzannah Safi<br />
<a href="http://www.suzannahsafi.com/">http://www.suzannahsafi.com/</a> </div>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-42735679617726682522011-06-26T18:31:00.000-07:002011-06-26T18:31:31.976-07:00New release of my Paranormal Romance ' Purity Dwells Within' will be available July 1st, 2011<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I'm so excited to announce to my readers the new release of my Paranormal Romance ' Purity Dwells Within' will be available July 1st, 2011. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Watch the trailer <a href="http://www.suzannahsafi.com/PurityDwellsWithin.html">here</a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kK1EqQNyw4Nn41yCatApkXnF6LhIOOzGVJo-YQ7sBFT7NEK5tRfrTR5f21Re4IfAIltegC6Tvug2LUaxxTepNymIxTpXrgUY6tGa51R8mOIFMo6eb4cZSEDQnEVXQdFSm1xFrSO69_I/s1600/PURITYDWELLSWITHIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kK1EqQNyw4Nn41yCatApkXnF6LhIOOzGVJo-YQ7sBFT7NEK5tRfrTR5f21Re4IfAIltegC6Tvug2LUaxxTepNymIxTpXrgUY6tGa51R8mOIFMo6eb4cZSEDQnEVXQdFSm1xFrSO69_I/s320/PURITYDWELLSWITHIN.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Blurb:</strong></div><br />
Quiet, timid, Hannah Williams has spent most of her life shying away from anything too personal. When her supervisor, Jenny Anderson betrays her to the satanic cult she’s part of, Hannah’s peaceful life is shattered. Trapped by black magic in the body of Jenny, Hannah must race to reverse the spell and reclaim her body. <br />
<br />
Kevin Anderson is a man living a nightmare. When his wife returns from assignment at Hartford Mansion, he has no idea just how things are about to change. With the real Jennifer Anderson trapped within a mirror, her hold is broken. Free of her control, Kevin’s first impulse is to run far and fast…but something just doesn’t add up. <br />
<br />
Sweet, caring, the woman he calls his wife acts like another – a woman he could love. When Kevin learns the truth of his wife’s deceit, he’s thrown into a world of darkness and murder, of power and control – all the while trying to save Hannah and himself from Jenny’s evilness.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Together, they must vanquish the evil surrounding them and save not only themselves, but the trapped souls locked within the walls of a mansion of death.Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-81062605142402970102011-05-22T13:04:00.000-07:002011-05-22T13:04:29.753-07:00Women's Expo - August 6th in Atlantic City<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt;">When I learned about the <b>Women's Expo event</b> that will take place at the <strong>Atlantic City Outlets </strong>in the heart of Atlantic City on <strong>Saturday, August 6, </strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">as a promoter, I immediately saw an opportunity to promote my books and author name</span></strong><b>.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt;">The event is for one day and they are having many activities, goodies, food, books, cloths, entertainments, and information that appeal to all types of women. The Entertainment Stage will feature Fashions Shows, The Colgate Country Showdown, magic shows and other live entertainment. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt;">I invited two authors to share a booth with me, and we all are going to showcase/sell our books there. I live in Atlantic City and I know how the <strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Outlets area in the summer will be packed with all kind of tourists. A DJ from </span>Cat Country Radio station</strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> also will announce our table and talk briefly about our books and ask tourists to visit our table, which is really exciting. </span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">If any author is interested to book a booth, contact me and I will send you the name and contact info of the organizer.</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">Hope to see you there. Lots of goodies are prepared for this event. I'm also preparing a special Issue from Cocktails Fiction Magazine to advertise the participants books. The magazine will be one mini disk given out as a gift to whoever visit our table, or buy a book from us. </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-57451010663223795632011-04-30T17:17:00.000-07:002011-04-30T17:27:28.820-07:00Issue 6 Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdGO7WX3Jp58Y2ZuiyLN_RLniVSQEXcopMFKJs4VznGh2otBaeJf121xTctnqKfT90OHHW13eaQ8PA5aI7UsitLl6yMGd5nHK0rsajMEv0qvj0IfGqPiGQr4KtiQLBYbRPzX1D_yjL6c/s1600/Issue+6+May.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdGO7WX3Jp58Y2ZuiyLN_RLniVSQEXcopMFKJs4VznGh2otBaeJf121xTctnqKfT90OHHW13eaQ8PA5aI7UsitLl6yMGd5nHK0rsajMEv0qvj0IfGqPiGQr4KtiQLBYbRPzX1D_yjL6c/s320/Issue+6+May.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine issue 6-adult/erotic theme 18+ only- is ready for you to read, download, and enjoy! visit <a href="http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip">http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip</a>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-39974638785180949882011-03-27T07:52:00.000-07:002011-03-27T07:54:39.129-07:00TERMINAL NEGLECT by Michael Rushnak<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aLUDx5hLoVw?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-41810275588659691342011-03-02T15:48:00.000-08:002011-03-02T15:49:16.165-08:00Cocktails Fiction & Gossip Magazine issue 4 - adult/erotic theme - 18+Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine issue 4-adult/erotic theme 18+ only- is ready for you to read, download, and enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-K2Bho7KK0MaySW_cPmWcd7k-LZPKjKItUhpNR1HIzQEyUcW3yr5zu9JttskyhXmhyCaDM9q6zNlrENVhyg5bJsq3YRsnw5XS7rzd5bshb2mKqn9kAajPdoiNyXZKrvnO4q52qcEetuE/s1600/Issue+4+CM+copy+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-K2Bho7KK0MaySW_cPmWcd7k-LZPKjKItUhpNR1HIzQEyUcW3yr5zu9JttskyhXmhyCaDM9q6zNlrENVhyg5bJsq3YRsnw5XS7rzd5bshb2mKqn9kAajPdoiNyXZKrvnO4q52qcEetuE/s320/Issue+4+CM+copy+copy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Let me know your thoughts, what would you like to read, and your comments. Authors love to hear from you. Hope you all have a wonderful read. Here is the link: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip">http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip</a>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-43317792368544186332011-02-16T16:48:00.000-08:002011-02-16T16:48:47.647-08:00GetToKnowTheBook: Author Lynne Roberts 'Creative License'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVt3oMfPknU3YYjr5XL7kLzefVYwLeuBrcHdVQXIzXQ4KZBZQvYfqpW4zxL_vrCjb67a-vlXUco8rOVFrmkJFN2adJQdPFbLm0fm5QC4odFmXLC34NOgqOBX6beGSuAEPetj_9KqIx580/s1600/CreativeLicense.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVt3oMfPknU3YYjr5XL7kLzefVYwLeuBrcHdVQXIzXQ4KZBZQvYfqpW4zxL_vrCjb67a-vlXUco8rOVFrmkJFN2adJQdPFbLm0fm5QC4odFmXLC34NOgqOBX6beGSuAEPetj_9KqIx580/s640/CreativeLicense.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I’m always interested in what inspires the idea behind a book, even when I’m the one writing it.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For me, usually there is more than one source of inspiration, but I distinctly remember when CREATIVE LICENSE was born. I was driving in the car, listening to the radio on the way to the grocery store when Katy Perry’s Waking up in Vegas came on the radio. I wasn’t really listening to it, but apparently my brain was in creative mode. I asked myself what it be like to wake up married in Vegas. I started wondering about the kinds of situations that might lead to that event and then promptly shoved the idea away because it was too cliché. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>However, like many ideas, this one wouldn’t leave me alone and eventually I asked an editor friend of mine about it. She assured me it was all in the writing and convinced me I could pull it off. So I gave in and started writing what would become CREATIVE LICENSE, but then I was calling THE VEGAS STORY. Kind of ironic now as none of the story takes place in Vegas.<br />
<br />
I am by no means a plotter, but I like to know my story has enough meat before I start writing. I always ask myself what’s keeping the two characters apart. It’s a writer’s prerogative, and duty, to torture them before the happily-ever-after. For me to do that, I needed to really nail down the characters. <br />
<br />
Caleb’s character was the easiest. He almost arrived full-born on the page. I think I fell in love with him before Lily did.<br />
<br />
Lily was a bit more challenging to pin down. I wanted her likeable and quite frankly, at first she wasn’t. It took a few good edits and some brainstorming before I came up with a good balance of privileged female and approachable heroine.<br />
<br />
And then there was the setting. I decided to place the story in San Francisco, so I drove up there with my sisters, a notebook and camera. <br />
<br />
A writer’s stories are kind of like children. You love them all. But CREATIVE LICENSE holds a special place in my heart. I hope you enjoy it too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Blurb:</strong><br />
<br />
Loose ends have a way of tripping you up… <br />
<br />
Years ago, a law school graduation weekend in Vegas had been part of Lily MacPherson’s plan. Waking up next to a naked Adonis with a ring on her finger was not. After a quick annulment, she relegated Caleb Anderson to her late-night fantasies—and very short list of mistakes—until his voice on the other end of the phone asks a favor that could shake the foundations of her neat and tidy future.<br />
<br />
Caleb is still haunted by Lily’s horrified expression that morning in Vegas. At least it had made it easy to set her free…except they aren’t. The papers were never filed. And when the nosy patroness who could launch his painting career insists on meeting his “wife”, does he confess, or call Lily? He calls Lily.<br />
<br />
When she steps off the plane, Caleb’s determination to play tour guide disappears in the San Francisco fog. Lily thought she could keep up the pretense for one weekend, cut the last tie to her past, and move on. But their chemistry still pops and sizzles, finally exploding into passion at Caleb’s studio.<br />
<br />
It’s everything they remember…but so is the yawning chasm of differences that, in the end, could once again drive them apart.<br />
<br />
<strong>Product Warnings</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>Contains balmy ocean breezes, coffee as seduction, the creative use of melted chocolate, and naughty shower lovin’ that gives new meanings to the term “shower head”.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Excerpt: Rated PG</strong><br />
<br />
The computer screen blurred. Lily blinked to refocus her tired eyes on the deposition and sighed in relief when the phone rang. She loved her job, loved working for a law firm, but staring at a computer screen for hours took its toll.<br />
<br />
Blowing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes, she reached over a stack of law books. “McPherson.” Lily glanced at the clock as her stomach rumbled. She’d worked through lunch again. Damn.<br />
<br />
The other end of the line was silent for so long, she thought the caller had changed his or her mind. “Hello?”<br />
<br />
“Yes, hi.”<br />
<br />
The rich, masculine voice sent chills down her spine and knotted her stomach. Eyes closed, she gripped the phone so hard it hurt. Even after all these years, she knew that voice. “Caleb?”<br />
<br />
A low, sexy chuckle rumbled through the line. “You remember me.”<br />
<br />
Oh shit, why was he calling her now? Memories of the most erotic night of her life flashed through her mind. Lily opened her eyes, reminding herself the most embarrassing morning of her life had followed. “How did you get this number? Never mind.”<br />
<br />
Despite the deep breath, the receiver trembled in her hand. “Can I do something for you?”<br />
<br />
An intake of breath and then a pause. “We have a slight problem.”<br />
<br />
Lily’s stomach churned acid. None of their problems had been small, not for the twelve hours and twenty-two minutes they’d been married. “Yes?”<br />
<br />
Caleb cleared his throat. “It seems the annulment didn’t go through.”<br />
<br />
“Oh, shit.” I’m in a bad movie. This has got to be a joke. She leaned against the back of her chair. “What do you mean it didn’t go through?”<br />
<br />
“We’re still married, sweetie. The annulment was never processed.”<br />
<br />
Married? “Why?” Lily rubbed the ache growing between her eyes. “No. I don’t care. Just get it processed.”<br />
<br />
“It’s too late now. We’ve been married too long.”<br />
<br />
“We are not married.” Lily tried to swallow past the tide of rising panic.<br />
<br />
“The state of Nevada would disagree, sweetheart.”<br />
<br />
She could almost see that sexy grin, those sparkling green eyes. She definitely remembered what they did to her. She’d been chocolate under the heat of his sun. “I am not your sweetheart.” She reached for a notepad. Who to call? Certainly no one in the firm. Though they were all professional and talented, people talked. She couldn’t let it get back to her family or… Oh, God. Stewart. “I’ll file for divorce in the morning.”<br />
<br />
“Um, about that.”<br />
<br />
She didn’t have the patience to wait out the pause. “What?”<br />
<br />
“I was wondering if we could delay that a bit.”<br />
<br />
A pain in her hand alerted her to the death grip she’d taken on the phone. She was suddenly glad she’d skipped lunch. “Delay? Why?”<br />
<br />
“I need a favor.”<br />
<br />
“Well you’re out of luck. I’m fresh out of favors.”<br />
<br />
“Lily, please listen.”<br />
<br />
His voice had lowered to almost pleading. Something in her heart softened. What’s wrong with me? I don’t owe this man anything! He’s a stranger. “You call me out of the blue to tell me we’re still married and now you need a favor?” It came out a little more acerbic than she’d meant.<br />
<br />
His chuckle sounded nervous. “I guess that pretty much sums it up. You’re not married or anything, are you?”<br />
<br />
Lily closed her eyes. “No. I’m not.”<br />
<br />
“Well.” He cleared his throat. “Except to me.”<br />
<br />
“Not for long. Thank you for letting me know about the clerical error. I’ll handle it from my end. Good-bye.” Lily set the phone in its cradle. Quite a feat when she wanted to slam it down. She stood and walked toward the window, leaned against the sill and stared out at the tops of the trees and below them to the expanse of grass. Interns didn’t usually merit an office with a window, let alone a window facing the courtyard. It was one of the benefits of almost being engaged to her boss’s son.<br />
<br />
Ah, Stewart. He wouldn’t mind that she slept with someone in Vegas, though he’d be a bit irritated she hadn’t been smarter about keeping it quiet. But in his eyes, marrying a divorceé was socially unacceptable. No one could ever find out about what happened in Vegas. It had been a mistake, a horrible mistake.<br />
<br />
She closed her eyes and the image of waking next to a naked Adonis filled her mind. His long blond hair had spread over perfectly sculpted shoulders, his head cradled by well-muscled arms. A silk sheet covered his lower back to mid-thigh but had only served to tantalize the imagination of her sleep-fogged brain. For a moment, she’d been tempted to explore the promising hills and valleys of his body and then she’d moved to touch him and seen the gaudy fake diamond ring on her left hand.<br />
<br />
She still could only remember flashes of their night together; falling into his arms, the silky warmth of his skin next to hers, his lips. She opened her eyes in an attempt to wash out the images that had tinted her fantasies in the three years since. An ache built in her lower abdomen as she remembered the sound of his voice. She couldn’t recall standing in front of a minister and saying I do, but the documents didn’t lie. “Shit.” Caleb Anderson might be a talented artist and sexy as hell, but he wasn’t in her ten-year plan.<br />
<br />
Behind her, the phone rang again and she sighed, turned and picked it up. “Macpherson.”<br />
<br />
“Lily, please, listen,” Caleb asked.<br />
<br />
“You have three minutes.”<br />
<br />
“It’s… Damn it, Lily. It’s a long story.”<br />
<br />
“Three minutes,” she repeated. The sound of Caleb’s sigh into her ear sent shivers down her body.<br />
<br />
“I need you to…come out here for a few days.”<br />
<br />
Her jaw dropped open.<br />
<br />
After a long pause, Caleb cleared his throat. “Are you still there?”<br />
<br />
“Is this a joke?”<br />
<br />
“No. It’s not. If you’ll let—”<br />
<br />
“No. Absolutely not. You’re crazy.”<br />
<br />
“Please. I know it’s inconvenient—”<br />
<br />
“Inconvenient? That’s an understatement. Why would I fly across the country?”<br />
<br />
“Because it could make a permanent difference in my career, in my life. Listen, it’s complicated but…” he paused and his voice thickened. “My patroness did a background check, she found out I was married. I panicked. She wants to meet you.” The words came out in a rush.<br />
<br />
“I appreciate your position, but…” Lily hesitated. She could vividly remember the passion with which he described his art. It had been one of the many things that had kept her by the bar ordering drink after drink until her memory faded to black.<br />
<br />
“I’ll pay for your air fare and—”<br />
<br />
“It’s not that.”<br />
<br />
“Then what? Lily, I need your help. Please. It’s my one big chance. It would only be for a couple of days.”<br />
<br />
A couple of days. That’s what got her into this mess in the first place, but something inside of her softened further. She did have some vacation time coming and she’d heard San Francisco was beautiful in the summer. Holy heaven, I’m considering it.<br />
<br />
She had to admit, part of her hesitation was the memory of his skin on hers and the fear she’d tumble back into bed with him in a heartbeat. She’d done it in her fantasies enough times. Would that be so bad?<br />
<br />
No, it would be so good. That was the problem. She took a deep breath. “I’ll think about it, Caleb.”<br />
<br />
“Thank you.”<br />
<br />
She hung up the phone, buried her face in her hands, and then grimaced. “I’ve just had my first argument with my husband.”<br />
<br />
<strong>Available at Samhain </strong><a href="http://store.samhainpublishing.com/creative-license-p-6257.html">http://store.samhainpublishing.com/creative-license-p-6257.html</a>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-38352832560090598932011-01-29T11:07:00.000-08:002011-01-29T11:07:30.586-08:00Cocktails Fiction & Gossip Magazine issue 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzeIA0RfcnfsUhWBRu3UpnRnFStpjunsA-ZhWhdm5WVY63whY9eNjry7N4ALWSaUl2oqjV7PVuAZoZ_2ZV3tQRy6OJVd6vll4noRL4LSG8jtLTiBa8Hr1aZj0Uw9QhGVZMK5OU7gNcoo/s1600/CM+ISSUE3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzeIA0RfcnfsUhWBRu3UpnRnFStpjunsA-ZhWhdm5WVY63whY9eNjry7N4ALWSaUl2oqjV7PVuAZoZ_2ZV3tQRy6OJVd6vll4noRL4LSG8jtLTiBa8Hr1aZj0Uw9QhGVZMK5OU7gNcoo/s640/CM+ISSUE3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine issue 3 is ready for you to read, download, and enjoy!</div>Let me know your thoughts, what would you like to read, and your comments. Authors love to hear from you. Hope you all have a wonderful read. Here is the link: <br />
<a href="http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip</span></a>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-3051199438338322942010-11-28T09:08:00.000-08:002010-11-30T15:00:34.826-08:00‘Review and Interview’ with Author Deanna Jewel<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgc-_J-WkKzUWrJ3Fl0C7ZTm6ZP_IMMkM50EdEkkpQC4pwm8au7OalmBJ5Q1AFDGdQhxW4T-_mbpGJ6UJ3C0Cfq0d5YFBYAyaEG79vNy8KVjy90SKihf5doQI2MzkRazqJE5Az0jX_Cac/s1600/Me1%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgc-_J-WkKzUWrJ3Fl0C7ZTm6ZP_IMMkM50EdEkkpQC4pwm8au7OalmBJ5Q1AFDGdQhxW4T-_mbpGJ6UJ3C0Cfq0d5YFBYAyaEG79vNy8KVjy90SKihf5doQI2MzkRazqJE5Az0jX_Cac/s1600/Me1%255B1%255D.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_CWlg-skRhsi0eNksRViob06L1GNQ562dmgbUiF-_Qsj1HKdl7BQBa4IQxSYfsGOtJnTSSrH8gZlYcz0Hv_6tMgK9OSS-uyRR9PUTzZdgazAQRq8bnLG-j-pe1Xkf1wSUZIi2sA-xGA/s1600/Cover_NoTurningBackFlatSmall_032710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_CWlg-skRhsi0eNksRViob06L1GNQ562dmgbUiF-_Qsj1HKdl7BQBa4IQxSYfsGOtJnTSSrH8gZlYcz0Hv_6tMgK9OSS-uyRR9PUTzZdgazAQRq8bnLG-j-pe1Xkf1wSUZIi2sA-xGA/s320/Cover_NoTurningBackFlatSmall_032710.jpg" width="228" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Today on ‘Review and Interview’ I would like to welcome author Deanna Jewel and to talk about her book “No Turning Back”</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Blurb:</strong><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">While avenging the death of his fiancé years earlier, Nathan learns that he can love again but is he willing to chance another broken heart? Will the woman he wants also learn to love again?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Vanessa is heartbroken over recent events in her life; she’s also head strong, flaunts London aristocracy and takes on breeding horses, something unheard of in the society circles of London. She finds herself trying to put the pieces of her life back together, but can she do it alone? With a child on the way, she is forced to do just that - their future depends on her strength. Then a friend offers to help. Dare she trust a man sworn to carry out a vow taken on a death bed? She refuses to accept that his love is true when his honor of sticking to his word is also at stake.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Reviewed by Suzannah Safi (Romance Alley):</strong> Author Deanna Jewel takes you through a journey with the hero and the heroine: their heart aches, a second chance found love, and amazing history of London’s aristocratic society to whet your appetite. Smooth narration and exciting twists throughout the book. I loved Nathan and Vanessa, the two were well described that you forget that you are reading, instead, you feel you are living with them experiencing the journey. “No Turning Back” is a great Historical Romance novel you will love to take with you on your vacation, on the beach, or cuddle with in bed. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">Note: For anyone who is having a problem leaving a comment for the author can email the author with their comments. Thanks!</span></div><br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">Suzannah:</span></strong> Now let’s meet the author and get to know her book. <br />
<br />
Deanna, welcome to Romance Alley and thank you for being here with us today.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When I read “No Turning Back” I couldn’t help but feel emotional toward Nathan, you have drawn such character, strong and emotional. I know as an author there are techniques on how to draw a character that we can feel, and not a cut-board character, mind to tell us? </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Deanna:</strong> Thank you for having me here today, Suzannah. Creating Nathan was a pure pleasure. I gave him attributes that I like in men and he respects women like he would respect his mother. I wanted a man who had felt love before; one who would know what and who he was looking for when he found her. Nathan already knew the qualities he wanted in his woman that would make his heart skip each time he glanced at her or held her in his arms. He wanted a woman to spend the rest of his life with, to watch his children grow up with, and to fall deeper in love with as each day passed. Ok, that’s plenty……he just gets me carried away!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Suzannah:</strong></span> Vanessa the heroine, did she speak to you, or was she difficult to reach. Did you ever reach to that stage where a character refuses to talk to you? </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Deanna:</strong> Vanessa was not as easy to write as Nathan was. I did have a hard time figuring out just who Vanessa was. I knew who I wanted her to be, but it’s a bit more involved than that. *smile* As a fellow writer, I’m guessing you could tell.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I wanted to create a woman who knew what she wanted in life and wasn’t afraid to go after it, to take chances, not caring what others might have to say about her. Vanessa is a risk taker and determination is what drives her. She wasn’t prepared for falling in love with Nathan at all. She already had feelings for her childhood sweetheart.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: red;">Suzannah:</span></strong> When I love a character and feel him/her, I really feel that the author loved that character and poured all her efforts to make the character that he/she is. Is that true and was Nathan it, I have a feeling Nathan is coming back but don’t know how lol.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Deanna:</strong> I wrote No Turning Back many years ago but didn’t really have a picture in my mind of how he looked until I found the photo of a young man who just jumped off my computer screen at me. I knew immediately he was Nathan and his photo is on the cover. I was a bit surprised to find out he actually lives in London so to find a character that fit the bill AND lives where my story takes place just blew me away. Once I’d found the picture of Nathan, adding to his character was so easy to do. I won’t say anymore, it’ll spoil it for the readers. I’m still waiting for him to answer my email though…I know he’s read the email I sent him, he just hasn’t decided to reply yet…but one day he will.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: red;">Suzannah</span></strong>: It was wonderful to read about the London’s aristocratic society, and I enjoyed how detailed you were in describing the life. What research did you do and what was the best information that you found and said “This piece of info is perfect for my story?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Deanna:</strong> I did so much research for this book because I wanted the city just right. I’m sure there are still items that might not be exactly correct but I tried my darnedest to get it right. I’m not a horse person but was lucky enough to meet a woman online who IS a horsewoman and she helped me immensely in getting that part of the book correct. I gave her credit for that in my dedication. Again, Lynn, thank you so much for all your help.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><strong><span style="color: red;">Suzannah</span></strong>: Tell us about the inside information of your next novel, we like to hear juicy stuff lol. <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Deanna:</strong> Well, I can’t write a romance without those warm sensuous sex scenes now can I! I’m bringing back Nathan and Vanessa in my next novel, but 100 or so years into the future from where they were and an ocean away! In No Turning Back, I never stated that he shipped items to the colonies because I just assumed the reader would know that it could happen. In my upcoming novel, Whispers at Ghost Point, Nathan is the ghost in the light house and Vanessa is actually Dana, the woman he longs to be with again but isn’t sure how that can happen. She will have to make up her mind which man she wants to be with and I’m giving her several choices!</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I won’t spoil things any further than that, just know it will be worth reading to find out how things work out. Will Nathan continue to live as a ghost and only be allowed to ‘watch over’ Dana?</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I also have to start work on the sequel to Never Surrender. Readers write me to find out when that might happen and I don’t have an answer yet. I haven’t even begun to figure out a plot for that one! Just know that one day it will happen.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: red;">Suzannah:</span></strong> Thank you Deanna for being here with us, wishing you the best of success. Hope to see more of your news, till then, take care all and I hope you enjoyed this ‘Review and Interview’ with author Deanna Jewel.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Deanna:</strong> Suzannah, thanks so much for allowing me this time with your readers. I do appreciate it. I hope they hop over to my website and surf around. There is a lot to do and several other links to visit.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I’d like to offer a contest to your readers: please leave me a comment here with your email address so that I may pick two winners to receive <em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">a copy of <span style="font-weight: bold;">No Turning Back</span></span></span></em>! I will pick the winners on Wednesday Dec 1</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>And you can find me here:</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My Blog Site: <a href="http://deannajewel.blogspot.com/">http://deannajewel.blogspot.com/</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>My Website: <a href="http://deannajewel.com/">http://deannajewel.com/</a><br />
<br />
Read two chapters of each book here: <a href="http://www.freado.com/users/1124/Deanna-Jewel">http://www.freado.com/users/1124/Deanna-Jewel</a><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>My FB Fan Page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=371589027638">http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=371589027638</a><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Fresh Fiction: <a href="http://freshfiction.com/author.php?id=25733">http://freshfiction.com/author.php?id=25733</a><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-43906688727439865852010-11-20T16:25:00.000-08:002010-11-21T07:56:18.676-08:00Cocktails Fiction & Gossip Magazine is now live!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF74fBHrr1pwDmv2xBljfqEgySCF_5SGgAMR7WNlH2fg99rFVqrt6BP2FF9LG4MeobOtruqpd00Czib40zslFgAJhdNQae6WCBebXsI87P_hhcWbKXgVf7ZWbHKhFonZbM22U77Pc5uxA/s1600/CocktailesMagazine+issue1+copy+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF74fBHrr1pwDmv2xBljfqEgySCF_5SGgAMR7WNlH2fg99rFVqrt6BP2FF9LG4MeobOtruqpd00Czib40zslFgAJhdNQae6WCBebXsI87P_hhcWbKXgVf7ZWbHKhFonZbM22U77Pc5uxA/s400/CocktailesMagazine+issue1+copy+copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>What will the magazine contain?</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Fiction in all its genres, gossip, free stories, recopies, interviews, and all you can think of. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This magazine is meant to be fun for readers to enjoy. Know new authors and interact with them here on my blog. It’'s FREE, every month I will publish a new issue for you to read and have fun with new articles. You can download the free PDF or read it online.</div><br />
<br />
Here is the link <a href="http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip">http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip</a><br />
<br />
Cheers!<br />
<br />
Suzannah SafiSuzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-57575977361505627852010-11-07T06:56:00.001-08:002010-11-07T06:56:53.837-08:00‘Review and Interview’: Explicitly English by Rachel Leigh<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImfxqD119nTWR7aVsBvDUAbEUYokDeXNmeMhuM8BFJCwUQAIyHuvAmq4HTGGrPHmVzEG2TILGdxuXvteP_YhxU8opVpbMJ3R-goWt6Ipnyw1DPQiVF-tbgjS5mC3pyhyn-qNu-Qk63IM/s1600/english.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImfxqD119nTWR7aVsBvDUAbEUYokDeXNmeMhuM8BFJCwUQAIyHuvAmq4HTGGrPHmVzEG2TILGdxuXvteP_YhxU8opVpbMJ3R-goWt6Ipnyw1DPQiVF-tbgjS5mC3pyhyn-qNu-Qk63IM/s320/english.JPG" width="213" /></a>Today on ‘Review and Interview’ on Romance Alley, I would like to welcome author <strong>Rachel Le</strong>igh and to talk about her erotic short story <strong>‘Explicitly English’</strong></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Blurb:</strong></div><br />
Laura Markham needs to forget - just for awhile. Be someone else for change - live as her parents will never have the chance to. And for Laura, that means leaving the City for the English countryside and doing just what the hell she feels like…wherever she feels like doing it…British stockbroker, Stephen Cambridge knows by going home to his country retreat two days early, he's likely to surprise his contracted interior designer. And when he finds out she's the woman who performed the solo masterbation show for him on the inward bound journey, Stephen will do anything to further convince her to miss outward bound train and stay with him forever… <br />
<br />
<strong>Reviewed by <a href="http://www.suzannahsafi.com/">Suzannah Safi</a> at <a href="http://www.romancealley.suzannahsafi.com/">Romance Alley</a>:</strong> <strong>‘Explicitly English’</strong> is an erotic short story for the readers who enjoy a quick taste of erotic fantasy, they will enjoy the read in a train trip, on the beach, or just in their privet room. There was a slight of a twist that I hoped the author had expanded on, but the length of the story maybe didn’t allow it. Still, it’s like tasting a piece of chocolate that melts in your mouth and you enjoy the taste. <br />
<br />
Now let’s meet the author and get to know her book. <br />
<br />
<strong>Rachel, welcome to Romance Alley and thank you for being here with us today.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Suzannah:</strong> Thanks for giving me the chance to read Explicitly English, and congrats on your first published short story. Now my question to you which many ask: your short story is pure erotic; explain why do you write erotic and what you want? <br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Rachel: </strong></span>I want my readers to have an experience, a fantasy that takes them out of their own world for a little while. Although my story is straight erotic (no paranormal/sci-fi elements), it is ultimately a romance, which is what I love to write. I want readers to enjoy the satisfaction of knowing great sex can last!<br />
<br />
<strong>Suzannah:</strong> Rachel, I know every reader loves to know the author behind the story. You are a reader before you are an author. What Rachel Leigh likes in a fantasy romantic book? <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Rachel:</strong></span> Great, intriguing & sexy characters are a must – I want to know what has happened to this people to shape who they are today and want they plan to do to make themselves happy. I like characters to be achievers, go-getters – not people who sit around and wait for the universe to give them what they think they deserve.</div><br />
And of course – sensuality is a must. I want to feel the tension and humor between a couple so I totally understand why they should be together.<br />
<br />
<strong>Suzannah:</strong> Why you think, some readers like erotic stories, personally I believe it’s healthy for adults to fantasies and live a fantasy in a book. Do you think it’s healthy to read erotic lol, and what is your next project?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Rachel: </strong></span>Totally! What could be more healthier?? Readers of erotic stories are looking for escape and possible scenarios for their own lives. Harmless, satisfying fun – nothing wrong with that at all.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My next erotic short story is under submission right now, tentatively entitled ‘Coming Back’</div><br />
<strong>Blurb:</strong><br />
<br />
Kelly Hampton loved and lost him – for the last two years she’s looked for him in other men but now she refuses to emotionally cripple herself any longer. No more sex until she knows for sure she is in love.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>And then the love of her life walks back into her bar claiming to still love her. Her heart hitches and her body heats – no-one has ever come close to understanding her, or worse…satisfying her like him.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When Sean McKenzie left Jessop Hill with his mother to protect her from his father’s fists, he should’ve known he would never love again after his explosively erotic relationship with Kelly. But now his father is dead and Sean is back for the only woman he will ever want. Their reunion is full of fire, pain and passion – and once they touch, the sexual connection is too much for either of them to resist…</div><br />
<strong>Suzannah:</strong> Do you have anything else to tell your readers… and tell us where to find you.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Rachel: </strong></span>Just to ask that you pop by my blog whenever possible as I host two guests authors every week as well as regularly posting myself…and there are very often those all-important giveaways on offer.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rachelleighromance.blogspot.com/">http://www.rachelleighromance.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rachelleigh.co.uk/">http://www.rachelleigh.co.uk/</a><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Suzannah:</strong> Thank you Rachel for giving me the chance to enjoy your short story ‘Explicitly English’ and have this interview. I enjoyed your story and getting to know you better. I wish you all the best and much success for the upcoming projects. I hope to have another ‘Review and Interview’ with you. </div>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-69493761042853227112010-11-07T06:56:00.000-08:002010-11-07T06:56:04.556-08:00GetToKnowTheBook: 'Giving up the Ghost' by Stacy-Deanne<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOB7Ylfg5OvgSG7BoU3qElze73LYJ5fglnOvQbe8fPUrlbpmnkci6kanZCx3VqGiRzuF8eWDkA_6sBuV5si78-5CjwKOAQ_goNuMRlf8KB4-UquVDuv3hoWSVFPSTKdqCNrdNM74WgvTA/s1600/giving+uptheghost.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOB7Ylfg5OvgSG7BoU3qElze73LYJ5fglnOvQbe8fPUrlbpmnkci6kanZCx3VqGiRzuF8eWDkA_6sBuV5si78-5CjwKOAQ_goNuMRlf8KB4-UquVDuv3hoWSVFPSTKdqCNrdNM74WgvTA/s320/giving+uptheghost.JPG" width="213" /></a><strong>Get to Know the Book: Giving up the Ghost by Stacy-Deanne</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
(Why I’m Jealous of My Heroine Detective Brianna Morris)<br />
<br />
That’s ridiculous isn’t it? How can you be jealous of a fictional character you created? But come on, what writer hasn’t created someone that embodied all the traits physically or emotionally they wished to have? Funny, I haven’t met a writer yet that didn’t feel some envy toward one of their characters.<br />
<br />
I love Bree. She came from the depths of my soul but I do envy her. I wish I was just like her. Bree has the best of both worlds. She’s beautiful and intelligent, yet sassy and tough. She calls the shots but she also has the option of being vulnerable. See Bree is a very tough cookie but it takes certain situations that I draw out to remind her she’s still just a woman. That’s what Bree fears, to be thought of as just a woman. She fights hard to prove she doesn’t need your help while not understanding that leaning on someone isn’t a sign of weakness. She goes all around the world to not admit she’s still hot for her partner Steven Kemp. Well, Bree never could turn down a blond with blue eyes. Neither could I.<br />
<br />
So why the heck am I jealous? Bree is allowed to be perfect and imperfect at the same time. S he has the luxury of saving the day and being saved. I don’t have that. Real women don’t have that. With us it’s either one or the other. In real life you’re either weak or strong. You pick your battles and hope to survive them. There’s no one plucking keys on the other end, making everything okay. There’s no one there to yank us out of trouble by the next paragraph or to kill the bad guy on the next page. Bree, being fictional has all she needs. Thanks to me. I can do so many things for her yet struggle when it comes to me. <br />
<br />
That’s one reason I’m jealous. But I love her. I really do. She is a part of me as much as a character can be. We have a bond that lasts no matter how many times I type, “The End”.<br />
<br />
What I love about Bree is that she’s not just a character but a person. She has just as many faults as I do but manages to keep them under control. She’s lovely but not so lovely where I can’t relate. Her attitude stinks at times, just like mine on certain days. She’s the sweetest and most dependable person but she can be a bit bitchy too. And that’s me all over. When Bree’s not arresting sex offenders or wrestling with her lust for Steven Kemp, she’s just like me. Just like you. And it’s then, when I start to type and remember the traits that make Bree so special to me, than I remember not to be jealous.<br />
<br />
<strong>Sneak Peek: </strong><br />
<br />
Albany Detective Brianna “Bree” Morris is having the year from hell. A sadistic admirer has been stalking her for months and now her friend Cheyenne Wilson has been beaten and left for dead.<br />
<br />
With her ex-lover and faithful partner, Steven Kemp, Bree thrusts herself into the case. It’s not long before they believe two unrelated British men are connected to the attack. Michael is a womanizing artist with a ferocious appetite for rough sex. Simon is a wealthy free spirit looking for love in all the wrong places, but has one too many skeletons in his closet.<br />
<br />
Bree struggles to determine fact from fiction when it comes to Michael and Simon but her attempts are blurred by Michael's manipulation and her sexual attraction to Simon, who Steven’s convinced cannot be trusted.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile the stalker does everything in his power to get close to Bree and his obsession evokes a spiral of violence.<br />
<br />
Bree must trust her heart to find answers but her heart leads her to the most dangerous man of all. <br />
<br />
"Giving Up The Ghost" is BOOK ONE of Stacy's crime/mystery and interracial romance series featuring the strong willed and fiery detective Brianna "Bree" Morris and her lovesick, hot-tempered partner and ex-lover Steven Kemp who debuted in Stacy's award-winning 2008 novel Melody.<br />
<br />
Fans of "Melody" and Bree and Steven will ravish this long awaited and exciting new series featuring passion, mystery, murder, seduction, interracial romance and intrigue!<br />
<br />
Coming April 1, 2011 (Peace in the Storm Publishing)<br />
<br />
To preorder a print copy: <a href="http://peaceinthestormpublishing.com/home/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=29&zenid=6ad5e71d72aeda1cbecd2a003da0c294">http://peaceinthestormpublishing.com/home/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=29&zenid=6ad5e71d72aeda1cbecd2a003da0c294</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.stacy-deanne.net/">http://www.stacy-deanne.net/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/stacydeanne">http://www.twitter.com/stacydeanne</a><br />
<br />
Search for me on Facebook!Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-87750906933611755332010-10-25T16:15:00.000-07:002010-10-25T16:16:26.519-07:00Review & Interview with: Author Faith L. Bicknell - The Darkness of Sable<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN0zGcErnrm1jLyU7KcPC27zhjyFO9FBJGzDOTOGDO8LJ6Lo1sNh_PL-Tlhy7gugPB5lX5aO3ZdICK3kx4V4iHKC_DDe80TMkNNmQk0VtgJ0RqlLKr_Fp_Qwdy0OUKcflKz4f-xF4xZc/s1600/Bicknell_TheDarknessOfSable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN0zGcErnrm1jLyU7KcPC27zhjyFO9FBJGzDOTOGDO8LJ6Lo1sNh_PL-Tlhy7gugPB5lX5aO3ZdICK3kx4V4iHKC_DDe80TMkNNmQk0VtgJ0RqlLKr_Fp_Qwdy0OUKcflKz4f-xF4xZc/s320/Bicknell_TheDarknessOfSable.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Check what gift the author has for you!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMpqhPoMkJPmd3u0qBaPvlqbt2b500h_3AUxH3Kd7gDq5sg6fH6n1DZU7CwAL2_OZLuhBgPUPTcjYBzfZnL6jbJ6BYvHfnWgSWBTgqjgNvmnM_ev47t9Xd-M_aBuNGALVOnX8D8DieEQ/s1600/giftbox+copy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMpqhPoMkJPmd3u0qBaPvlqbt2b500h_3AUxH3Kd7gDq5sg6fH6n1DZU7CwAL2_OZLuhBgPUPTcjYBzfZnL6jbJ6BYvHfnWgSWBTgqjgNvmnM_ev47t9Xd-M_aBuNGALVOnX8D8DieEQ/s200/giftbox+copy.gif" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpBZL3FCh-EbTakDN-EJLeTvpJNHYXLIeE-pr9IT11HSkmxMPhvR_h54oN3fQvpI8Abi5bPSMD3pw9JDyoY30bU0TOQdpMMW6fDLmpd-bSxZU0umyui81zB6U2ja436rnb-6LU2Hp5hc/s1600/New+Image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpBZL3FCh-EbTakDN-EJLeTvpJNHYXLIeE-pr9IT11HSkmxMPhvR_h54oN3fQvpI8Abi5bPSMD3pw9JDyoY30bU0TOQdpMMW6fDLmpd-bSxZU0umyui81zB6U2ja436rnb-6LU2Hp5hc/s200/New+Image.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Today on ‘Review and Interview’ on Romance Alley, I would like to welcome author F.L. Bicknell and to talk about her novel “The Darkness of Sable”<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Blurb:</strong> Struggling to deal with the disappearance of her daughter and in a creative slump, sculptress Sable Hendricks-Tade travels to Florida for rest and relaxation only to find herself thrust between divided paranormal worlds. One side wants her dead and the other will do anything to keep her in its "wicked" embrace. Determined to get answers, she searches for her missing daughter and spirals into the realm of immortals and goddesses where she quickly realizes her agent is her only anchor to reality. But can she trust him to keep her safe? </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Thomas Valimar, a highly trained marshal working within a network of humans to maintain the line between the paranormal and human worlds, is assigned to protect Sable from the magic she doesn't realize she possesses. Operating undercover as her agent, his duty soon turns to passion as he falls for the beautiful artist.<br />
<br />
Drawing Sable into their world of sex, magic, and intrigue, the dark forces will do anything to keep Sable in their clutches so they may feed from her emotions and mysterious ability. Only through sheer determination and Thomas' love can Sable walk through other realms and not only battle the paranormal creatures that wish to destroy her life but save her daughter as well.<br />
<br />
<strong>Reviewed by Suzannah Safi at Romance Alley:</strong> To get answers, that’s what Sable fought hard like any mother will do to find her child, author F.L. Bicknell drew deep emotions in every step throughout the novel making me feel compassion toward the heroine. To be strong and fight for what is yours and overcome even the paranormal was Sable’s action, never give up. <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was hooked with every page I turned, the story has many twists and turns that will engage you to continue reading. The writing is smooth and consumes you, you will live in a world of paranormal with its many creatures described beautifully in the story, scary yet some are sensual. Although Sable’s aim is to find her daughter, she couldn’t but find the love she sought to find in the oddest situations. Her experience with love and marriage destroyed her spirit after her divorce, but she fought against an annoying ex-husband and struggled with the search for her daughter. Finding happiness seemed far for her and so close at times, but it’s a battle she was strong enough to fight, with the help of the handsome highly trained marshal, Thomas Valimar. I truly believe ‘The Darkness of Sable’ should have a second book for after what happened at the end, I’m not telling you what lol, but truly the story is entertaining and I recommend it for all readers who like paranormal romance novels, and I applause Author F.L. Bicknell for her captivating imagination. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Now let’s meet the author and get to know her book. </strong></div><br />
Faith, welcome to Romance Alley and thank you for being here with us today.<br />
<br />
<strong>Suzannah:</strong> When I started reading your story ‘The darkness of Sable’ I couldn’t but feel Sable’s deep dilemma and totally sympathized with her, although I’m not a mother but I felt her pains and wanted her to find her daughter and happiness. Although I’m an author myself, still it fascinates me how authors get their story formed. So, how did you get the idea for your novel ‘The darkness of Sable’?<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Faith:</strong></span> It came to me while watching a short biography onVH1 about Lenny Kravitz. He’d had dreadlocks for years and his then wife, Lisa Bonet, convinced him to cut them and start a new life. The plot for “SABLE” just hit me like that proverbial bolt of lightning. Something was after Sable and part of the reason for it was tied to her ankle-length hair, her trademark for her famous-artist image. The story grew from 8K into a full 105K novel.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Suzannah:</strong> Is'nt it amazing how we get stories! I know that with every story authors write, behind it is lots of research. What did you research and did you find something within your research that added a new idea or a twist to the story. Don’t give us spoilers, just a hint maybe? </div><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Faith:</strong></span> I’m an avid fan of anything paranormal, supernatural or numerous lore such as faerie lore. However, I did have to research something unique that would fit the part of what would want Sable dead and why. It led me to researching mythology, and as a result, I tied gods and goddesses to Sable’s paranormal world. <br />
<br />
<strong>Suzannah:</strong> One fact authors face for sure: the characters either don’t talk to the authors for sometime or they nag like hell LOL. Tell us which character gave you the runaround, nagged, talked to you or didn’t? <br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Faith:</strong></span> That would have to be Hal, Sable’s ex-husband. My editor suggested I remove him from the story, but I assured her that Hal had a meaningful part in the novel. Once she finished reading the last few chapters she quickly emailed to state she loved the twist for Hal and totally got what I had been doing with his character. Hal just wouldn’t go away and demanded to be heard, but his nagging in my mind will get him in trouble too, lol.<br />
<br />
<strong>Suzannah:</strong> Do you have part 2 lol? I want one.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Faith:</strong></span> I have ideas for a book two, yes. In the second book, Cheyenne’s dilemma will be resolved, albeit not in a way that may be expected. Although Sable will be a part of the novel, book two will center around a new heroine and her unexpected love interest.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Suzannah:</strong> I should have asked this at the beginning, but it’s never late lol. Tell us about faith the person and the author.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Faith:</strong></span> I’m a country bumpkin. I’m raising a large family, including helping my oldest daughter to raise her first child until she can get on her feet. I have four children, two stepsons, a big home to manage, and I raise a garden every year making everything from jelly to freezing vegetables and putting up venison during hunting season. I write during every spare moment I have, but I also love reading and I’m an artist of traditional mediums.</div><br />
<strong>Suzannah:</strong> You are really busy, Faith lol. What is your next project? Give us the behind the story information. We want juicy stuff. <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Faith:</strong></span> right now I have two contracted works-in-progress under pen names that I keep under wraps as well as two contracted series under the same pen names. As for material in progress under my real name of F.L. Bicknell, I have another full length paranormal romance that I recently sent off to my agent. It involves reincarnation, demonic motorcycles and the Nephilim, so it has a lot of historical research behind it.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">However, right now I have a new novel literally screaming in my brain to be written. It will be erotic fantasy/sci-fi romance, but I’m not sure if I’ll write it as F.L. Bicknell or put my alter ego of Molly Diamond on the ms. </div><br />
<strong>Suzannah:</strong> Do you have anything else to tell your readers… and tell us where to find you.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Faith:</strong></span> I have two new releases as F.L. Bicknell. One is Feathers of Silver and it can be found at Silver Publishing as well as many e-book distributors, and the other one is The Most Intimate Wish published by Turquoise Morning Press and it can be found at ARe.com, Smashwords, Digibooks Café, and many more distributors. Both books are erotic romances, full of paranormal coolness with many twists and shocks.<br />
<br />
As for where to find me, I have a new website that’s under construction. <a href="http://www.faithbicknell.com/">http://www.faithbicknell.com/</a> but my alter ego site is finished <a href="http://www.mollydiamond.com/">http://www.mollydiamond.com/</a> so anyone who’s interested can check out my erotica titles there. I’m also at Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.<br />
<br />
The Barnes and Noble.com link for The Darkness of Sable, but it's available at Amazon.com, Fictionwise, Are, ebookwise.com and many others too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Darkness-of-Sable/FL-Bicknell/e/9781608201952/?itm=1&USRI=the+darkness+of+sable">http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Darkness-of-Sable/FL-Bicknell/e/9781608201952/?itm=1&USRI=the+darkness+of+sable</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/faithbicknellbrown">www.facebook.com/faithbicknellbrown</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/faith_zinnia">www.twitter.com/faith_zinnia</a><br />
<a href="http://www.myspace.com/faith_zinnia">www.myspace.com/faith_zinnia</a> <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">I'll give one commentor a copy of their choice from my Molly Diamond erotica books published with Breathless Press. They're viewable at <a href="http://www.mollydiamond.com/">http://www.mollydiamond.com/</a> </span></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Suzannah:</strong> Thank you Faith for giving me the chance to enjoy your novel ‘The Darkness of Sable’ and have this interview. I enjoyed your novel and getting to know you better. I wish you all the best and much success for the upcoming projects. I hope to have another ‘Review and Interview’ with you and a new novel. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Authors if you would like to have your Review & Interview on Romance Alley, contact me on RA. As for readers I hope you enjoyed reading, and I wish you a good luck in winning. The winner will be announced at the end of this week and the name and email will be sent to the author to contact you with your gift. Cheers!! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;"></span></b></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><br />
<div align="center" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-90487796326449799862010-10-16T09:11:00.000-07:002010-10-16T09:12:48.540-07:00Announcement in regards to 1RomanceEbooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaMRVF4wNsS6UV_8RX70C5EKvBp6sh3039VSRnugAAe2ILAlgE0KweawzFRRMonfaU2khyeoIEmfbZHv163L4AobFN5s3yUoiN_5WCuXSPMPdh-Rgyuz-cNcr-o2YSQn0J0hJx9pl1g8/s1600/468x60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaMRVF4wNsS6UV_8RX70C5EKvBp6sh3039VSRnugAAe2ILAlgE0KweawzFRRMonfaU2khyeoIEmfbZHv163L4AobFN5s3yUoiN_5WCuXSPMPdh-Rgyuz-cNcr-o2YSQn0J0hJx9pl1g8/s1600/468x60.jpg" /></a></div>Announcement in regards to 1RomanceEbooks : In the next couple weeks, <span style="color: blue;">1RomanceEbooks</span> will become <a href="http://1placeforromance.com/">http://1placeforromance.com/</a> . The same great romance stories, the same great romance authors and publishers, the same great customer service... They're just changing their name. <br />
<br />
<br />
1PlaceForRomance is their new website name: <a href="http://1placeforromance.com/">http://1placeforromance.com/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
1PFR has a Facebook: <a href="http://facebook.com/OnePlaceForRomance">http://facebook.com/OnePlaceForRomance</a><br />
<br />
1PFR is on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/1PFR">http://twitter.com/1PFR</a>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-2608237085996381722010-10-10T17:46:00.000-07:002010-10-10T17:46:18.612-07:00GetToKnowTheBook: Author Sherry Gloag 'The Brat'<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8I4hvh_vGSSmp9AE936A8nrNLnpChUw-YuMj65K9i8ZpyAN_X7S9iYMa8h5nKF7il1cEU0P3RsKsTT4dYblZT3sfTuIJIAWn0mm7WuBykVfjiNktf-STzWhAekax3nG5O7lc9rw0Jo0/s1600/banner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8I4hvh_vGSSmp9AE936A8nrNLnpChUw-YuMj65K9i8ZpyAN_X7S9iYMa8h5nKF7il1cEU0P3RsKsTT4dYblZT3sfTuIJIAWn0mm7WuBykVfjiNktf-STzWhAekax3nG5O7lc9rw0Jo0/s1600/banner.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHrTqvfwfFILBC50HKdzs1rdZKldCxexMjnXA27t8UMB09UrPYqJ-C5R70lzC8W28lLu9LBuQ6wNVrVY6Mw1OT5SRi046X1uZzBgHiea4MWS4ce3p5a_BQBHAFV7zj_Dg0m_fHeND-tI/s1600/New+Image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHrTqvfwfFILBC50HKdzs1rdZKldCxexMjnXA27t8UMB09UrPYqJ-C5R70lzC8W28lLu9LBuQ6wNVrVY6Mw1OT5SRi046X1uZzBgHiea4MWS4ce3p5a_BQBHAFV7zj_Dg0m_fHeND-tI/s200/New+Image.JPG" width="166" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv4xYQyM0QJBQeIohqYd7I2Et5Wrj3wH1NaqCTqyrSnTWUEaxYJEYotxH5wF2ap2DcWUg5Cpab6x3cKvqnyCA4TnvJ8fHEMgdDOecfy9VFpCsrvyGVXU445hkXl6Y9gv0MTWTQV6rAt8/s1600/book+cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv4xYQyM0QJBQeIohqYd7I2Et5Wrj3wH1NaqCTqyrSnTWUEaxYJEYotxH5wF2ap2DcWUg5Cpab6x3cKvqnyCA4TnvJ8fHEMgdDOecfy9VFpCsrvyGVXU445hkXl6Y9gv0MTWTQV6rAt8/s200/book+cover.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Getting to know your book is a bit like finding the jigsaw pieces and putting them together. But, unlike a jigsaw, the pieces don’t come ready-made or ready packed. To add to the confusion, you don’t even know what those ‘pieces’ look like.</div><br />
<br />
My jigsaw puzzle today is a romance named The Brat.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Authors are often described as ‘plotters’ or ‘pantsers’. They first plot their stories in detail before they start writing, while others work from an ‘idea’. I fall into the latter category. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So how can a pantser possibly ‘get to know their book’?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Even they have to have a few basics on the table before they start. What kind of book do they want to write? If it’s a romance they then have to decide which sub-genre they are aiming for. And by association what kind of reader they want to attract. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>But that’s not enough. <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When a reader picks up a book they expect to be drawn into the story. They want to experience that personal connection with the main characters.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">To ensure the reader will keep turning the pages the author must create well rounded, believable characters that are fully developed. People the reader can relate to, whether they like your characters, or hate them, if they can say ‘she/he reminds me of…’ then you have reader connection with your characters.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">To do this the author must ask themselves three basic questions.</div><br />
1) What does my character want?<br />
<br />
2) What is obstructing their goal?<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3) How will the characters solve their problems?</div><br />
That on its own will not hold your reader, so you have to add action and suspense. <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You have to find a plot that has more twists and turns than the most dangerous mountain switchbacks. But, and there is a but… the conflicts you put in your characters’ way must be believable. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>This does not necessarily mean gunfights, murder and mayhem or shouting matches between your hero and heroine. Especially not the shouting matches. Nothing will turn a reader off more than a book-full of constant bickering. <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Your action and conflict can be internally related. By that I mean something in their past influences the moment you open the first page of the book. The action and conflict must draw the reader in so they forget the real world around them. All conflict requires balance to hold the reader.</div><br />
Even a pantser has to keep these criteria in mind when they write. They have to know their book.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The characters in The Brat seemed to know this instinctively. For the most part they ‘told’ their own story and used me as their ‘go-between’. On the occasions when they, and I, forgot the rules we found ourselves backtracking that involved some major re-writing.</div><br />
An author can’t help but get too close to the action when writing a book. <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">To them there characters are real people, with real problems. They are the jigsaw pieces that complete the puzzle. The only difference is the author must know their puzzle/book inside out before putting each piece of the puzzle together in the correct order.</div><br />
Then, and only then, when they have that knowledge, can they start writing! <br />
<br />
~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><strong>Blurb~</strong> <br />
<br />
Gina Williams is a 35-year-old famous children’s author, who also writes detective mysteries under the name of George Williamson.<br />
<br />
<br />
She was robbed of her childhood when aged ten by the late mother of the hero, Ben Kouvaris.<br />
<br />
When he was ten-years-old his mother sent him to her ex Theo Kouvaris, multi-millionaire, who lives in Greece. When he returns to her funeral he is haunted by the beautiful woman who organised the funeral.<br />
<br />
When his father orders him to marry he thinks of Gina Williams.<br />
<br />
They have to overcome the horrors of the past and forgive their parents for their betrayals. Will their past destroy their future?<br />
<br />
<strong>The Brat – Excerpt Three - Pg 99</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
“I guess life diverted your dreams.”<br />
<br />
The earlier light-hearted banter between them vanished. “Yes.” Ben signalled the waiter, passed over his credit card, and rose.<br />
<br />
She leaned forward to pick up her bag just as her phone rang. Without checking the caller ID she took the call.<br />
<br />
“You think I don’t know what you’re up to?”<br />
<br />
The last time she heard that voice the Inspector had walked into her house seconds later. The phone almost slipped through her fingers, and she swung away from Ben’s perceptive stare.<br />
<br />
“Who are you? What do you want?”<br />
<br />
“You won’t deny your family’s existence for much longer, I promise you.”<br />
<br />
The dial tone buzzed in her ear. Dear God in heaven, what did that mean? She’d never denied her family! They’d deserted her.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Buy The Brat here = <a href="http://bit.ly/d5nVDC">http://bit.ly/d5nVDC</a><br />
<br />
And at Amazon = <a href="http://amzn.to/bclDhY">http://amzn.to/bclDhY</a><br />
<br />
My Website = <a href="http://www.%20sherrygloag.com/">http://www.%20sherrygloag.com/</a><br />
<br />
My blog = <a href="http://bit.ly/bnuELA">http://bit.ly/bnuELA</a><br />
<br />
Book Trailer = <a href="http://bit.ly/9O6j6C">http://bit.ly/9O6j6C</a><br />
<br />
Facebook = <a href="http://bit.ly/daeGN7">http://bit.ly/daeGN7</a><br />
<br />
Goodreads = <a href="http://bit.ly/bTOzHC">http://bit.ly/bTOzHC</a><br />
<br />
Twitter = <a href="http://twitter.com/SherryGloag">http://twitter.com/SherryGloag</a>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-45679874809220953682010-09-12T11:46:00.000-07:002010-09-12T11:46:57.292-07:00GetToKnowThe Book: Have You Seen Her? by Chicki Brown<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88TlBj_w7GpmJFdyFS4DR3zcvT_M4v8F3XbiCyMYMWFK308T3koUWkaSlSX_yupttE1fp7BPoaSx1AYKRM8aF0K361QnIzPaBpGE5uO56GQDbYDJP2oIi2fIXQkaLBRB31DE8TDH8Cyw/s1600/New+Image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88TlBj_w7GpmJFdyFS4DR3zcvT_M4v8F3XbiCyMYMWFK308T3koUWkaSlSX_yupttE1fp7BPoaSx1AYKRM8aF0K361QnIzPaBpGE5uO56GQDbYDJP2oIi2fIXQkaLBRB31DE8TDH8Cyw/s320/New+Image.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>ABOUT THE HERO FROM THE HEROINE'S POV</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For the life of me, I can’t figure out Taylor Villanova, the bouncer at Frenzy, the nightclub where I recently started working. When I first met him, he came across as a monosyllabic “muscle head.” You know, the kind that never cracks a book unless it’s the latest issue of Muscle and Fitness.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Actually, I was a little afraid of him at first. The man is twice my size, a six foot two, two-hundred-twenty-five-pound tower of sculpted muscle. A study in contrasts, he is so physically beautiful he could be a runway model or movie star yet he resents his extraordinary good looks.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Taylor makes his living using his brawn, but he works a part-time job that displays a sensitive, artistic side I never imagined. He has no problem with using his fists on rowdy, disruptive club patrons but is repulsed by violence against women. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just the other day I found out that he’s taken it upon himself to look after his widowed mother.</div><br />
Everything I originally thought about him was dead wrong. He’s the most fascinating man I’ve ever met.<br />
<br />
<strong>EXCERPT </strong><br />
<br />
Her thoughts seemed to drift away for a moment. The distant look in her eyes had a sobering effect on him. He broke in on her mental digression. “There’s a reason why I don’t drink.” Her gaze settled on his face. “My father was a drunk. When he got wasted, he beat my mother. I can’t count how many times I had to jump between them to keep him from hurting her.”<br />
<br />
Her lips parted in shock, she sat up straight but didn’t speak.<br />
<br />
“I started lifting weights in high school. All I wanted was get bigger and stronger than him so I could protect her. It kind of became an obsession. He was a big guy, but he wasn’t strong. That bastard never lifted anything heavier than a bottle of Chivas Regal.” He stopped and drew a long breath. “I rushed her to the emergency room more times than I care to remember. Seeing you with those bruises brought it all back. My mother wasn’t as strong as you are. She never got the courage to leave him. The sick part is I think she still loves him even now. I don’t do alcohol because of him. I know from experience what it can do to people -- to families. Plus, I don’t know if alcoholism is in my genes.”<br />
<br />
Dani took the salad bowl he slid across the table towards her. “Did they get divorced?”<br />
<br />
“No. He died.”<br />
<br />
Her gaze dropped to her plate. “Oh. I’m sorry.”<br />
<br />
“Don’t be. I hated him. He got killed in a car accident. DWI - exactly what he deserved.”<br />
<br />
The coldness in Taylor’s voice sent a shudder through her body. <br />
<br />
“I remember the night like it happened yesterday. The doorbell rang at four o’clock in the morning. It was the cops. They’d come to tell my mother he’d lost control of his car on the AC Expressway coming back from a playing a gig in Neptune. It went over the guardrail and into the Intracoastal Waterway. His blood alcohol level was one point four. He was too drunk to unfasten his seatbelt and drowned inside the car.”<br />
<br />
“Oh, God. That’s horrible,” Dani said in a whisper.<br />
<br />
“I still don’t understand how or why my mother grieved for him. He’d put her through so much pain during their marriage. I admire you, because as small and fragile as you appear to be, you found the courage to choose to live rather than spend the rest of your life being the object of a sick man’s rage.” He took a deep breath then exhaled. “There are other similarities between my father and me. He was a musician. In fact, he started teaching me the piano when I was about four. Over the years, he played keyboard with different bands. He met my mother playing at a club up in Newark and claimed he fell in love with her that night. They got married in two months and I was born nine months later. He traveled all the time,” Taylor remembered looking off into the distance. “Every time he’d come home, he’d be loaded down with gifts for us like it was Christmas. He bought gifts because he felt guilty about being away all the time.”<br />
<br />
Dani didn’t know what to think of his sudden talkative disposition. She took in his every word as he revealed his painful past.<br />
<br />
“His homecomings were like little celebrations. I remember listening to him and my mother in the bedroom when they thought we were asleep. I didn’t understand at first because I was little, but somehow I knew it was a good thing. They made love like he’d been away for years then the next morning they’d be all hugged up on each other.” The memory brought a wry smile to his face.<br />
<br />
“But by the time I got into middle school he’d started buying liquor from the corner store. The longer he stayed on the road, the worse it got. By the time I was in high school, he’d become a world-class lush. Out of nowhere he started getting violent.”<br />
<br />
“Did he hurt you or your brother and sister?”<br />
<br />
“Tony never went after us kids. He didn’t hesitate to knock us out of the way though. Their fights were either about his drinking or money. He acted like he forgot she had three mouths to feed and clothe and bills to pay.<br />
<br />
He hesitated and spoke haltingly. “The first time he hit me I was fifteen. They were fighting, and I tried to get him off of her. That was all it took to make me know he’d never to do it to me again. The next morning I signed up at the Y, started lifting and learning how to box. I know it probably sounds bad, but I couldn’t wait until the day when I knew I could beat his ass.”<br />
<br />
“Did you?”<br />
<br />
“I broke his jaw the first time I hit him.” His face remained expressionless, yet she heard a disturbing pride in his voice.<br />
<br />
<strong>Where you can find the author and the book:</strong><br />
<strong>Link to the author's website</strong>: <a href="http://chicki663.webs.com/haveyouseenher.htm">http://chicki663.webs.com/haveyouseenher.htm</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Link to her Facebook fan page</strong>: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Have-You-Seen-Her/138634486150116?ref=ts">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Have-You-Seen-Her/138634486150116?ref=ts</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Link to the YouTube trailer</strong>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXBmteVDtRY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXBmteVDtRY</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Buy links</strong>: <a href="http://amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a> <strong>for Kindle, PC and phone</strong> - <a href="http://su.pr/26hZz2">http://su.pr/26hZz2</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Smashwords for all e-formats</strong> - <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18241">http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18241</a>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-90585271116646319342010-08-30T16:16:00.000-07:002010-08-30T16:16:59.887-07:00Treasure Maze: Treasure Maze Contest week 1 author Suzannah Safi<a href="http://treasuremaze.blogspot.com/2010/08/treasure-maze-interviewing-author.html?spref=bl">Treasure Maze: Treasure Maze Contest week 1 author Suzannah Safi</a>: "Fantasies are made to be enjoyed. Wouldn’t you want to live a forbidden lifestyle, if not in reality, in a fantasy? Well get your sleeves r..."Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-46430315522624428442010-07-24T23:16:00.000-07:002010-07-24T23:16:27.034-07:00Treasure Maze: Paranormal Submission for Oct contest now open<a href="http://treasuremaze.blogspot.com/2010/07/paranormal-submission-for-oct-contest.html?spref=bl">Treasure Maze: Paranormal Submission for Oct contest now open</a>: "Wow, I'm pleased to say that the response has been great for our promotional party starting this September. October marks the new monthly c..."Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-33724864439272523572010-07-15T19:05:00.000-07:002010-07-18T12:42:42.203-07:00GetToKnowTheBook: Author Kaily Hart 'Picture This'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglV39bRTctDyVlkPa3aExyDOA_raUye_0qQXjC0tpgzAvji-5lNMDfJse3GYKVUEfDbIsdNjBO03kZsK7-w9EmSWwzDKjHBmcDYznUZFjJerDrARGMXw0yEqkSKB8MCRL25doHndsIDo/s1600/New+Image.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglV39bRTctDyVlkPa3aExyDOA_raUye_0qQXjC0tpgzAvji-5lNMDfJse3GYKVUEfDbIsdNjBO03kZsK7-w9EmSWwzDKjHBmcDYznUZFjJerDrARGMXw0yEqkSKB8MCRL25doHndsIDo/s200/New+Image.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494321537702435282" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxy__QWxwH96CHpCJ1TsLbIR3xiTGB27sOJUFIASm5hCsG8Z0YRitiUzmsQAfHg4zvG2ixi_jGjBFo9ZsKN-3RaF0qIMLin55T5kmmKJivWNER6ClXQamSUmR7Lj9-nS7noVKVaptrJ8/s1600/New+Image3.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxy__QWxwH96CHpCJ1TsLbIR3xiTGB27sOJUFIASm5hCsG8Z0YRitiUzmsQAfHg4zvG2ixi_jGjBFo9ZsKN-3RaF0qIMLin55T5kmmKJivWNER6ClXQamSUmR7Lj9-nS7noVKVaptrJ8/s320/New+Image3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494321396950570322" /></a><br /><br />Writers. Where do we get our ideas? There’s no easy answer to this and you’ll probably get a bunch of different answers if you ask a group of writers. For me, it’s ‘everywhere’. Everything I see, read, feel and hear is potential input. It could be a funny expression, a piece of clothing, a snippet of a song, a hair style, a name on a sign, my reaction to something…literally anything can spark an idea and it can happen at any time. I may not remember names, I might forget my kid’s dentist appointments, I might not be able to repeat what my husband said to me mere minutes before, but I never, ever forget a detail I liked. And it gets filed away for later use. Someone recently asked me about the premise for Picture This, and how I came up with it. Honestly? I have absolutely no idea. Just for fun, I thought I’d take some of the elements of the book I can trace back and tell you about those:<br />The hero, Sam Steele’s name is similar to a guy my husband used to play golf with over fifteen years ago! Always loved the name ‘Steele’, but he looked absolutely nothing like Sam! See? Never forget a detail!<br />I have the denim dress Jillian wears to Sam’s house. Trust me, I’ve never gotten as lucky as Jillian does wearing it and ah…it probably doesn’t look as good on me :) <br />Jillian’s shaving mishap? Yeah, well, that can happen to anyone, right? Right? LOL<br />I might not have described the building where Jillian lives it in the book in much detail, but the visual I had is of an apartment building I used to actually live in, in downtown San Diego. <br />Ideas are funny things. Sometimes it’s easy to see what sparked one. Other times, I have no clue. One thing I do know is I have no shortage of them! <br /><br /><strong>Blurb:</strong><br /> <br />Desperate and young, Jillian Moore did something she knew would one day come back to bite her in the ass. She’d posed nude. For money. Years later, and on the fast track to a successful career, she’s still haunted by her mistake. She can’t help but wonder when her past will catch up with her.<br /> <br />Samuel Steele is not short on female attention, but the women who warm his bed pale in comparison to the fantasy he’s created of the seductive temptress in the painting hanging prominently in his bedroom. A fantasy that has ruined his once satisfying sex life. When he discovers that her exact likeness works in his building—for him—things get…interesting.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Excerpt R-rated</strong><br /> <br />Oh my God, Samuel Steele was a walking, talking wet dream.<br />She’d drooled from afar plenty, but up close he was downright gorgeous. Every woman in the place, and even some of the guys, had checked out his tight butt, flat abs and broad shoulders, and although he’d never worn anything but a suit to the office, that didn’t stop imaginations from running riot. His hair was dark and thick, his skin tanned, and regardless of the time of day, his jaw always seemed darkened with at least a day’s beard growth. And his eyes. She’d never been close enough to make out their color before, but they were a dark, piercing gray. They should have looked cold, but the way he was looking at her made her wonder if someone had turned off the air-conditioning.<br /><br /><br />Author's links:<br /> <br />Book buy link - <a href="http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8437-picture-this.aspx">http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8437-picture-this.aspx</a><br /> <br />Web – <a href="http://www.kailyhart.com">www.kailyhart.com</a><br />Blog - <a href="http://kailyhart.blogspot.com/">http://kailyhart.blogspot.com/</a><br />Facebook – <a href="http://www.facebook.com/kaily.hart">http://www.facebook.com/kaily.hart</a><br />Twitter - <a href="http://twitter.com/kailyhart">http://twitter.com/kailyhart</a>Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5094552463839596471.post-73531232073961427182010-07-14T16:44:00.000-07:002010-07-14T17:02:28.660-07:00Review: Flaherty's Crossing' by Kaylin McFarren<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenrpC5T1hIk2szeHY75VA1VPyd2YHyBC1FAhWZ1rFOz0lq08SDdhTpMp2gTuGvmuKQ2Ha8oR1iR-u0sWtPBXtLCArsFNCHcAwMRV0sknPeSzZFa5Jd-J58RFu2g7BB5TSyjB-jnzZip0/s1600/New+Image.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphenrpC5T1hIk2szeHY75VA1VPyd2YHyBC1FAhWZ1rFOz0lq08SDdhTpMp2gTuGvmuKQ2Ha8oR1iR-u0sWtPBXtLCArsFNCHcAwMRV0sknPeSzZFa5Jd-J58RFu2g7BB5TSyjB-jnzZip0/s200/New+Image.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493913120015218178" /></a>From Pacific Northwest's award-winning author Kaylin McFarren comes a powerful novel about love, loss, and the power of forgiveness... <br /><br />Successful yet emotionally stifled artist Kate Flaherty stands at the deathbed of her estranged father, conflicted by his morphine-induced confession exposing his part in her mother's death. While racing home, Kate's car mishap leads her to a soul-searching discussion with a lone diner employee, prompting Kate to confront the true reasons her marriage hangs in the balance. When her night takes an unexpected turn, however, she flees for her life, a life desperate for faith that can only be found through her ability to forgive. <br /><br /><br /><strong>Reviewed by Author Betty Ann Harris </strong> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHIQ5yuG5OjkQ_FplHTIsuO4gp_oJo486hKkz_Myvi0blSyi8_uxerk0Z1z2iYZE4kxw5L4QVE_AQ15Cm9loJ1og2NYUTs7gvnb2ahNSUpT6fvKgPobpFS0hB3ClLGenemTwxQuBVmTU/s1600/5+hearts.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 28px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHIQ5yuG5OjkQ_FplHTIsuO4gp_oJo486hKkz_Myvi0blSyi8_uxerk0Z1z2iYZE4kxw5L4QVE_AQ15Cm9loJ1og2NYUTs7gvnb2ahNSUpT6fvKgPobpFS0hB3ClLGenemTwxQuBVmTU/s200/5+hearts.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493912396474193282" /></a>It was apparent to me as I read Flaherty's Crossing by Kaylin McFarren, that she poured her heart and soul into this story of love, healing, and faith. Ms. McFarren evokes strong emotional responses from her readers, and I can truthfully admit that I cried at the end of the story. Not tears of sadness, but rather, tears of pure emotion and a feeling that the author truly connected with me. And that I felt the same emotions while reading the book as she felt and wanted to convey while writing it. And isn't that what writers truly want to achieve? Well, Ms. McFarren accomplished that with her wonderful book, Flaherty's Crossing. <br /> <br />The main character, Kate, who grew up feeling unloved, almost loses everything because she is not able to forgive or trust those closest to her. It takes her father's death, a car accident, a good knock on the head, and her husband almost leaving her before she realizes what is most important in life. She learns to forgive and to trust her heart. And once she is able to do that, a whole new world awaits her. <br /> <br />I truly loved this story and the way it was written, with such depth and emotion. I give this a well-deserved five stars. It was a fantastic book! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flahertyscrossing.com">http://www.flahertyscrossing.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com">http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com</a><br /><br />Champagne Books<br />ISBN: 978-1-926681-19-1<br />Publication Date: February 2010Suzannah Safihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01286710864209486327noreply@blogger.com2