The Book Boost Blog

Namely Fun with Guest Blogger: Mary McCall

2012-02-09T09:07:00.005-06:00

Win a copy of Highland Promise
(Sisters by Choice Book II)
and meet author Mary McCall
today at the Book Boost!

She's here to discuss the fun of naming characters and here's what she had to say...

One of the first things I seem to know about some of my characters is their names. For some, I honor family members. For example, my father’s name was Robert Duncan. Then in Highland Captive, I had a Baron Robert and Laird Duncan. The name Angelaspera was in an old Latin parchment; its meaning: Angel of Hope. I so loved the name that when I decided it was perfect for an abuse victim in another book. Sometimes I meet people with unusual names and write them down because the name as a word speaks to me as a writer.

Full Name/Nick Name:

In essence I am a proud parent and it is time to christen my child. I use the same care in picking a character’s name as anyone would use in naming a child. Quite often, the character’s name serves as his or her introduction to the reader. Some names suggest larger themes: Destiny, Pandora, Phoenix.

Some are selected for meaning: Alera = eagle, Justine = justice, Regina = queen. However, it is important not to select names for theme or meaning alone. Names should in some way reflect the time period and culture of a character’s ordinary world.

There are many sources for names: phone books, obituaries, name books, old manuscripts, computerized name generators, the people you meet, newspaper articles, etc. When meeting the demands of culture and time period, it is important to keep from using names so unusual that they become a distraction to the reader.

If a reader cannot read the name easily, the character is more difficult to bond with. If you are writing a medieval, be careful to fit the name to no more than a half line of typed text. (I’ve seen back covers where the hero’s name took up four lines and consequently the blurb didn’t have room to tell me anything. I didn’t buy those books).

The same can hold true for locations we write about, since character names in early times were often associated with locales. And sometimes character names can be translated without losing complete flavor of the time, yet be more reader friendly.

Example: Celtic: Ri Tuaithe Kaigt; King of Fire (descendant later became known by the name MacKay) King of Fire gives an air of Celtic times, yet doesn’t scare the person who reads at a fifth grade level.

The same is true of places. It is much easier for a reader to relate to Alera of Eagle’s Ridge than to Alera of Arundrydge, so I had to take extra care to explain both the heroin’s name and the locale to use the second in historical romance.

Names can also reflect occupation. Tanner, Thatcher, Smith, Chandler, etc. John the Tanner later became known as John Tanner.

Names can reflect parental devotion. I know a family who has eight children… six girls: Mary Ann, Mary Barbara, Mary Catherine, Mary Diana, Mary Ester, and Mary Frances. Can you guess their religious background. They also had a Matthew and Mark, but poor Luke and John were left out.

Meanings and connotations can be important as well. I am unlikely to name a hero Herb, or a villain Jesus.

One of my favorite names was the brainchild of Suzanne Newton in her book Reubella and the Old Focus Home. The scene where she introduces herself is delightful. She explains that she is named for her grandparents Reuben and Ella. When her parents put the names together to make hers, they didn’t know there was a virus with a similar name.

It can be fun to keep an address book handy to write down names you may like to use for future characters. As you add names, jot down why the name appealed to you at the time. Later, when you begin a new project, you may find the perfect name on hand.

A Note from the Book Boost: Great to have you here with us, Mary. We've been pals a long time and I'm so happy to hear of your recent successes! I use this same care in naming when it comes to book titles. Those feel like naming a child to me. In fact, there is only one of my titles that was subsequently changed by a publisher and it is my worst seller of all time. Go figure! Please tell us more about your latest.

Blurb:

A handsome meets the hag tale of love and revenge.

Ordered by King Alexander to wed an Englishwoman, Laird Brendan Sutherland heads to England to find and wed the sister of his best friend's wife to settle a debt. He intends to beget a few heirs and forget the lass. He has no use for love, and among his clanswomen, he is known as Stoneheart.

After being falsely accused of the Sin of Eve when she was twelve, Lady Faith of Hawkhurst hides her beauty beneath a hideous disguise becoming a hag in public. Due to a despicable penance given by a zealot priest, she believes she must enter a convent and live a life of penance or suffer perpetual damnation.

Learning her brother intends to ambush an approaching Highland party, Faith intercepts Brendan and his men and asks their aid in reaching the convent at Saint Bride. Brendan quickly sees through her disguise. Realizing she’s the woman he promised to wed, he agrees to take her with him when he goes home. After a court scandal, King Henry orders them to wed. Faith fears Brendan will never trust her when he learns of her deception. As they return to the Highlands with a killer on their trail, Brendan discovers he can't remain aloof from the woman destined to restore his faith in love.

Want More Mary?

Visit her on the web here: www.marymccall.net

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Mary about your favorite name and why or how you name your characters for a chance to win a copy of Highland Promise.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Notable Flaws with Guest Blogger: Jolie Pethtel

2012-02-08T07:53:00.005-06:00

Win a copy of Painted Jezebel and meet
Muse author Jolie Pethtel today at the Boost!

She's here to discuss flaws and all their splendor and here's what she had to say...

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember and in all that time I can honestly say I’ve liked most of my side kicks better than my hero or heroine. Why? The main characters were too perfect. I thought they needed to be to face unbelievable odds, so I saved my flaws and odd quirks for the secondary characters. I liked those characters more because they were more.

Readers want to identify with a hero or heroine and root for them because people are naturally flawed and that’s what makes us all unique. We want our characters to rise to the occasion, but by overcoming their failings to get there. It gives us hope that we might defeat our own personal battles in real life, while still escaping them for a time.

My heroine Jezebel is riddled with flaws and odd quirks. It’s what makes her lovable, even though she’s extremely neurotic. She’s a klutz, has a weird sticky note fetish and is extremely insecure about her small boobs. She also has a pretty major anxiety/panic disorder and a severe case of agoraphobia, yet she braves the world to prove her innocence when she’s accused of murder.

Jezebel’s flaws make her real. I know because some of her flaws are mine. I have an anxiety disorder and although I’m not as neurotic as she is—my husband’s opinion not withstanding—I’ve had my crazy moments. While certain events in my life didn’t seem at all funny at the time, especially the panic attacks, a few of these personal experiences make for some hilarious moments in Painted Jezebel. Like most authors, I do tend to put a little of myself into my work beyond the usual blood, sweat and tears.

Sometimes it’s a good thing not to take yourself too seriously. We all have pet peeves and eccentricities. I cry at sad movies, I always have to be right, I’m sarcastic and according to my husband, my logic makes no sense. There’s a ton more, but I don’t want to make this blog post too long. Now that I think about it, maybe I am as neurotic as Jezebel.

I would love to hear about your flaws or eccentricities; those things that make you unique. Leave a comment listing your strangest personality trait.

I want to thank my hostess Kerri for inviting me to be a guest on her blog and close with this funny excerpt from Painted Jezebel based on one of my real life experiences, then exaggerated to suit Jezebel’s own wacky personality. I hope you enjoy it.

A Note from the Book Boost: This sounds like a character I could love! Thanks for joining us today and sharing your character & personal flaws with us. Can't wait to hear more about this book. Please share.

Blurb:

Publicist Finn Mackenzie has always been lucky, until an ill-fated affair with a vindictive writer leaves him one chance for redemption: a spectacular public appearance by the elusive best-selling romance author, Jezebel Jinx.

Unfortunately, the cute but kooky writer refuses to cooperate. Jezebel believes she’s cursed with bad luck. Riddled with anxieties, she never leaves her home— until the gorgeous, albeit desperate Finn whisks her away to a writer’s conference, against her will.

After the initial shock wears off, Jezebel’s dormant hormones kick into high gear around the hunky Finn.

When his ex turns up murdered and Jezebel is the prime suspect, ill-planned sexcapades are the least of their worries.

Excerpt:

Finn pushed the release and the elevator jerked once, before grinding to a
dead halt. Jezebel fell against the side wall of the steel box, suddenly terrified.

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. I think it’s stuck.” Finn frowned.

“We’re going to die!” Jezebel shrieked. “Didn’t I tell you? It’s my jinx.”

“We’re not going to die and you’re not jinxed. We just need to stay calm.”

“Why?” Jezebel asked suspiciously. “Do we need to conserve air? Because I don’t feel any air in here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course there’s air in here.”

“No, there isn’t. I can’t breathe.” She slid down the elevator wall onto the floor, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“You’re just having another panic attack. You’d think you would know the signs by now.” He pushed her head between her knees. “Now take deep breaths until your breathing steadies.”
A few minutes later, she lifted her head slightly calmer. “I still think we’re going to run out of air. Stop using so much of it.”

“What should I do, stop breathing entirely, so you can have it?”

“Would you mind terribly?” She gave him a wan smile.

“I would mind, as a matter of fact. I think I want all the air for myself, so I’m just going to take it right now.” Finn gulped noisily, drawing in a deep lungful of air. “You should grab some before it’s all gone.”

“Stop that, you jerk!” Jezebel laughed and threw her purse at him. Now she felt silly for worrying about something so ridiculous. “So what do we do now?”

“Wanna join the floor high club?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah right,” she snorted. “You wish.”

“In that case, I guess I’ll just have to call someone to fix the elevator.” Finn lifted the
receiver.

“It’s dead isn’t it?” Jezebel moaned. “I knew it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just on hold—hello? My name is Finn Mackenzie and I’m
stranded in the elevator with another guest—uh-huh. Thank you.”

“What did they say?” Jezebel asked, as soon as he hung up the phone.

“They’ll have us out in about half an hour. The elevator repairman is on a break and they don’t know how to find him. So we’re stuck here until he returns.”

“Great. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m also claustrophobic. I’ll be climbing the walls in half an hour. Now what are we supposed to do?”

Want More Jolie?

Visit her on the web here: http://www.jezebeljinx.com

Pick up a copy of the book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Jolie and be entered to win a free copy of Painted Jezebel.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Barbie, Botox, & Books with Guest Bloggers: Beth Henderson and Letty James

2012-02-06T08:33:00.006-06:00

Win a copy of Loving Trixie Fine and
welcome dynamic writing duo,
Beth Henderson & Letty James!

Today, they are here to discuss getting older and here's what they had to say...

What Happens When You Disappear?

POOF! It happens overnight! I went from perky, sexy, young thing, to a drab, middle-aged woman stunned to find a gray hair has come to visit.

What happened to the girl I was? The one who had all those dreams? Who didn’t need to begin the wrinkle watch?

She went POOF, too! Just disappeared, leaving behind…well, THIS!

My mother said it would happen. That I would disappear. But, I wasn’t prepared. Not for the clothes not fitting right even though I hadn’t gained any weight. Not for the makeup routine getting more complicated as I now try to look younger, not older. And, not for the joints complaining even though I hadn’t given them an excuse to ache. I’m disappearing, becoming the mother, the wife, the rock-of-Gibraltar – you know, the dependable one – when I want to still be the one garnering whistles when I walk by.

The advertising folks know my wallet isn’t invisible, though. In January and February, they entice me with sales on sexy lingerie, and help me reorganize my medicine cabinet to make room for more weight loss pills and miracle creams. They tease me with gym membership specials and bargains on exercise equipment to use in the privacy of my home where no one will see how winded I get, how things jiggle in different places, and I can lie to myself about how in a month I’ll actually look good in the clinging exercise togs I spent a fortune on.

Yep, this time the thing that went POOF was the silver in my purse!

My dreams haven’t "poofed" though. They still believe that the $50 night cream just might erase my wrinkles. Or plump them up, disguising them until I do something destructive like give someone a wide smile while standing in bad light and all the little arroyos spanning out from my eyes and the corners of my mouth are back. POOF!

Where is that fairy godmother when I need her? Probably off getting her own Botox treatment or face lift. I already shelled out for the creams and exercise gadgets. I can’t afford anything else.
It’s a small comfort to know even people who can afford fairy god-doctors go POOF and begin returning to the person Mother Nature wants them to be.

Of course, I still look decades younger than my own grandmother did at my advancing age. Did she worry about having POOF'ed into her mature form? Probably not. And the reason why is: Barbie.

Yep, I’m blaming Barbie, the doll most Baby Boomers grew up with. Our mothers and grandmothers just had baby dolls to play with as girls. WE had a tall, lean, curvaceous goddess to dream our way into the future with.

When Beth and I worked on the transformation scene in Loving Trixie Fine, I argued that Bea would be thrilled to have a youthful, bodacious bod – her youth restored in aces. Beth countered that she would be horrified. Because all her life Bea had come to terms with her body – its function over form. After all, isn’t that where most of us are, appreciating the function of our bodies and trying to maintain some semblance of its former form?

But doing so without depriving ourselves of the martini or chocolate cake…who wants to do that?

Not me! Let’s hear it for taste, feel, scent! Let’s enjoy life. That’s the fantasy for us all – to enjoy anything we want with no guilt.

Like in the “good old days” when everything was new – our bodies, our dreams. Back when we all thought we’d grow into some semblance of Barbie, even if we were mixing one fantasy with another (women's lib) and finding they blended like oil and water.

Bea believed what many of us do – that Barbie is gorgeous and ultimately stupid. We’re Barbie racist – Barbiest. I admit right here in front of you all that I can be Barbiest. If I see a beautiful woman with big boobs, long legs, and blond (or any other color) hair, I think she must be demanding. She must get anything she wants.

WHY do I think this? I don’t know. I have blond hair. I have big boobs (C’s for those who are asking). So why do I have this prejudice? I’m not sure. I played with Barbies when I was growing up. But I didn’t want to be Barbie.

There are a lot of us who feel this way – are Barbiest – because there is a kernel of truth there – women using their beauty for gain = brainless twerp, bimbo. I’m not going to argue with you whether this is true or not. It’s the BIT of truth that makes a story interesting.

Beth, being the more experienced writer, recognized that a more interesting character is created when she gives us our bit of ugly truth. Bea doesn’t trust beautiful women. Her best friend Carmine was beautiful and she watched Carmine manipulate men with her looks and charm over and over.

How many of you have watched a man make a fool of himself over a bit of cleavage or a flash of long leg? If you haven’t seen this, go hang out at your nearest bar and do a bit of people watching.

Beth and I wanted to write about a woman who had basically had gone POOF! Disappeared from the forefront of what life was in our youth. Sure, the mature, intelligent woman can have all the accolades in the world, but when she walks down the street, who sees her? I don’t think it’s our duty as writers to point out society’s flaws, but it sure helps in the grand scheme of creation.

So when you next sit down to write, think about what scares you or ticks you off because most likely that is what will help you write a stronger story. You’re already behind the scenes in this case. You’ve already gone POOF!

A Note from the Book Boost: Fun post, ladies! Thanks for sharing your Barbiest theories with us. I'm not too fond of her myself but my 2 year old son already loves her (geez)! Men! Please tell us more about Trixie.

Blurb:

There is one thing too many of us worry about -- the loss of youth. Dr. Bea Fine's assignment for the past decade has been to create a youth restorer to beat those of the competition. Doing so brings her to the interest of industrial spies, but also erases 30 years from her face and form. Kaboom to Vavoom! A new body. A hot, young lover. Talk about a fantasy come true.

Everything would be wonderful if someone wasn’t trying to kill her.

Caution: Loving Trixie Fine contains explicit conjugal scenes, a serious lack of actual scientific detail, and a wild ride of fun.

Excerpt:

Zack stared up at the vision before his eyes. Seeing Bea, but not Bea. The goddess before him could have been every comic-book warrior heroine wrapped into one. From perfectly shaped hips to narrow waist to awe-inspiring full, high thrusting breasts, this woman could spark fantasies to blow any man’s mind.

And she was all his.

Bea took a single step from the shower stall and grabbed for a towel. It didn’t cover her, but hinted at the glories beneath and left on view long legs so intricately turned a lathe operator would kill to produce them.

“Shit?” she screeched. “I’ve turned into Barbie! The original Barbie!”

“And I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Zack whispered, still stunned.

“But I’m in hell!” Bea nearly whimpered. “This can’t be happening. I created the formula to treat skin diseases. Not, not . . . .”

She started to hyperventilate. To freak.

Zack pushed back to his feet. “Bea. Bea! Take it easy. It will be all right.” He kept his hands spread, not to reassure her that he wouldn’t grab her, but to remind himself not to. But then worshipping at her feet sounded like a damn fine substitute. He could kiss her feet, work his way up to her ankles, her calves, her . . . .

“No it won’t!” she cried, her voice breaking. “I can’t look like this. This is hell. A punishment for sneering at every bimbo . . . .”

“Bea. Calm down. Take a breath.”

Oh, bad suggestion, he decided when she did. Her breast heaved so nicely with the motion, like swells on the ocean that threatened to overflow the minimal blind of the towel.

“Let it out now. Slow, nice and slow.”

“But –”

“Another,” Zack instructed. “Now gird yourself. I’m going to touch you, just your shoulders, and maybe your wrist to take your pulse.”

If it galloped like his, heaven help them.

“Okay, fine,” she murmured, slowly regaining control.

“Now repeat after me. This is just another side effect from the submersion. It is not permanent.” Probably isn’t permanent, he added silently to himself. Oh, but if it was – holy shit!

Her skin felt cool and damp when he rested his palms on her shoulders. And as before, she smelled absolutely divine. His whole system went on alert, red alert. It had been at full attention since the moment he saw her standing there in all of nature’s glory.

“It is not permanent,” Bea whispered. “It is not permanent, it is not permanent. Itisnotpermanent.”

When the words ran together in a breathless jumble, he gave the instructions again. “Breathe. Calm.”

She nodded, but followed the simple action up by resting her brow against his chest.

“Breathe. Calm,” Zack repeated, only this time for himself. All that stood between him and the perfect woman was his will power and the rather skimpy damp towel she clutched to her breasts, and the will power was draining away as fast as the water in the shower.

“Are you sure it’s only temporary?” Bea asked.

He had to be honest. “No.”

She sighed deeply. Moved closer. “Now I know how Kafka’s roach felt.”

“Except I’m not likely to sweep you out with the rubbish.”

She laughed raggedly at his lame attempt at humor.

“It will be all right, Bea.” He tilted her chin up.

Her eyes were clouded with emotion, her lashes damp and spiked with glittering pearls of water. Where once a lifetime of smile lines had been carved in outward spokes, only faint tracings remained.

Zack kept his attention on her face, knowing that dropping his gaze lower would drive her even more over the edge. The scrutiny showed the thinning skin beneath her eyes had regained elasticity. Even the few traces of gray in her brows had reverted to their original darker blond.

“It will be all right,” he repeated and brushed his mouth across hers. The intention had been to merely sooth her, but it backfired, sending a fresh rush of awareness and desire flooding his already stressed system.

Bea inhaled sharply, shallowly, and broke from the caress. “Zack, I’m sixty-five years old, not…not whatever I look like at the moment. This isn’t natural. It isn’t me. It isn’t –”

“A time to be talking,” he said with every intention of kissing her again, but Bea stepped out of his arms, back toward the shower, and with admirable presence of mind, redirected the still pulsing shower head at him.

Cold water struck him full in the face, bringing sanity with it. “Well, maybe we should talk after all,” Zack admitted, dripping water on the tile as he backed toward the door. “When you’re ready, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Want More Beth & Letty?

Visit them on the web here: www.RomanceandMystery.com

Pick up a copy of their book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question for comment for Beth & Letty and be entered to win e-copy of Loving Trixie Fine.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Writing is the New Uber Sport with Guest Blogger: Rebecca Zanetti

2012-02-02T09:18:00.009-06:00

Win an autographed book from
the Dark Protector series and
welcome featured author
Rebecca Zanetti to the Boost today!

She's here to chat about the dangerous sport of writing and here's what she had to say...

Writing War Wounds

First I’d like to thank the Book Boost folks for having me over today. I love reading all the blogs and interviews on this site, and it’s an honor to be here.

Last week I sprained my ankle. For the first time ever, and I have to say, it really hurt. I had no clue. Once my husband picked me up and tucked me into a chair with a pillow under my foot, he said something that really gave me pause. After learning it was my first sprain, he scratched his head, and said, “That’s really surprising. I mean, since you’re such a klutz.”

And you know what? It is really surprising because I am a klutz. Nearly every pair of sweats, jeans, and nylons I own have an identical rip right above my left knee because I always get caught on this edge of a table nobody else gets caught on. I’ve fallen down (and up) our stairs more times than I can count. I trip over everything…and nothing. Honest.

My mom, who really loves me, says that I could stand in the center of a round room and hit a corner.

When our kid hits the floor during a basketball game, my husband always gives me the look that says, “That’s from you.”

When it starts to snow, my husband always gets out my strongest, best traction boots right away. And I always end up slipping on the ice. Every day.

You know that person that knocks over the pyramid of cans of corn at the grocery store? Yeah, that’s me.

My mother in law gets a panicked look on her face when I touch her dishes. And I can’t blame her. I’ve taken out an entire saucer and cup display before. Well, I did it three times.

But the other day when I missed the bottom step, I sprained my ankle. I had a Diet Coke (open) in one hand and my laptop in the other. And I protected the laptop. There’s something about being an author that instinctively had me clutching the laptop, even as my foot folded over into something unnatural. And when I hit the ground, yelping, I clutched that computer to me with both hands.

On the laptop was Consumed, which is book four of the Dark Protector series. It’s Katie and Jordan’s story, and I hadn’t sent it to my editor yet. In fact, I was on my way to do just that. After a lifetime of falling, slipping, and tripping, I finally became injured. From writing.

So when they tell you that writing is blood, sweat, and tears, there’s some truth to it. As well as a whole bunch of spraying, spilled Diet Coke. But you know what? If I took that fall again, I’d protect that laptop.

I’m wondering if I’m the only klutz out there. Has anyone else knocked something over in a grocery store?

A Note from the Book Boost: Luckily, the local folks are safe from me at the grocery store cause hubby does all that shopping! But, I have fallen down the stairs with laptop in hand as well. Must protect the work. Body be darned. :-) From one klutz to another, I've already dropped and broken a glass this week and had to clean up the major spillage from knocking a shelf completely off the fridge door. So, I hear ya! Please tell us more about your latest and thanks for joining us today, we're honored to have you...sore ankle and all.

Blurb:

Emma Paulsen is a geneticist driven by science. But she’s also a psychic, so when a dark, good-hearted vampire frees her from the clutches of the evil Kurjans, she realizes he must be the man who’s been haunting her dreams. But with a virus threatening vampire mates, Emma may discover a whole new meaning of “lovesick”…

As King of the Realm, Dage Kayrs has learned to practice diplomacy. Still, it’s taken three hundred years to find his mate, so he’ll stop at nothing to protect her–even if it means turning his back on his own kind…

Want More Rebecca?

Rebecca Zanetti is a college professor by day and romance author by night. Currently she’s busy writing the sexy Dark Protector Series from Kensington Brava, which has received excellent reviews. Publisher’s Weekly declared Fated a "recommended spring read," and Claimed to be a thriller with “true strengths: sizzling sex scenes and a memorable cast.”

Visit her on the web here: http://rebeccazanetti.com/

Pick up a copy of her books today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Rebecca and be entered to win, a signed copy of an available book from the Dark Protector series: Fated, Claimed, or an ARC of Hunted.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

VOTE NOW for our 2011 Blogger of the Year Award

2012-02-01T08:16:00.002-06:00

Win a Book Bundle and VOTE for
our Blogger of the Year Author Award!

Who?

Here's a recap of our 2011 Nominees (click on their name to read their personal interview and learn more about these talented authors):

Lisa Beth Darling

Margaret West

Patricia Pellicane

Leslie Langtry

J.F. Jenkins

When?

Vote NOW through February 13, 2012. The votes are calculated by the widget poll box over there on the RIGHT side of the blog. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Winner announced here at the blog on February 14, 2012. Where we'll show some love for both our Blogger of the Year and one lucky reader who has left a comment on any of our Nominee blog posts.

How?

Read and leave comments for any of our 5 nominees to be entered to win a Book Bundle from the Book Boost! Then, don't forget to vote for your fave nominee who will win free promotion, a trophy and more!

Why?

Well, because we think it is important to recognize both readers and authors here at the Book Boost and we want to celebrate our 2nd year anniversary with a Book Boost Blast!

Thanks for stopping by!

--Kerri Nelson
Owner, The Book Boost

Blogger of the Year Nominee: J.F. Jenkins

2012-01-31T08:01:00.008-06:00

Win a Book Bundle from our

talented nominees and
Welcome the final of five special
interviews with our 2011
Book Boost Blogger of the Year Nominees!

Today, we welcome nominated author J.F. Jenkins to the blog. We chatted with her recently and asked 21 questions, here's what she had to say...

TBB: How and when did you become a professional author?

JJ: It happened February of 2011. I suppose technically it started in December of 2010, but February was when the book was released by my publisher. In December, I had entered a pitch contest for Astraea Press. It was something I had done on a whim with a story I had written several years ago. They liked the concept and asked for a manuscript. They liked that too, and from there we began the publishing process. Needless to say, I'm glad I took the risk because they're a great place to be involved in. A lot of great opportunities have presented themselves.

TBB: What do you find to be the most difficult aspect of writing a book (the creation/concept, writing, achieving publication, sales/promotion, etc…)?

JJ: Sitting down and actually writing it from start to finish. Starting is pretty hard too, but it takes real devotion to go at it day after day. A lot of times I can start, but I don't devote my time to getting through the whole story.

TBB: Which of your books is your favorite and why?

JJ: My yet to be released Science-Fiction novel Battlefield. I love writing in that universe because it's sarcastic and pays tribute (and pokes fun at, kindly) to a lot of the stories I read growing up. It was a lot of fun to write and the character interactions are priceless. After all, it's not every day you get to explain to a super hot alien why it's not okay to teleport into a shower.

TBB: If you had to describe that book using ONLY ONE word what would it be?

JJ: Witty.

TBB: Looking back on your writing career thus far, if you could change one thing, what would it be and why?

JJ: I would make sure to take my time with my first book. I'm pleased with it, but I do admit to be caught up in the rush of getting published. I wanted it to happen so badly that a few things got missed until after the fact. They're minor, but my inner perfectionist will always notice them.

TBB: Is there a message imbedded into your stories you hope readers will get? If so, what is it?

JJ: There is almost always a message in my work. Usually it's not something I'm intending to do. Faith is a usually a key element in all of my work whether it's faith in oneself, a peer, or a higher power. Another thing I always try to show is that the hard part eventually gets easier. And of course the whole: don't sacrifice what feels right in your heart just to be like everyone else.

TBB: What has been your favorite fan letter or fan comment ever?

JJ: I got a card once from a fan, and it was totally unexpected. It was before I even got my publishing deal. She wrote to say thank you for the goodies I had sent her, and told me she was proud of all the hard work I'd done.

TBB: What is your top writing career goal?

JJ: To eventually write an epic musical. And next year I'm planning on writing a total of one million words.

TBB: Give me one quote (from yourself/by yourself) about being a writer.

JJ: "It's hard to be an author and have a social life.
Not only do you have to interact with all of the people
in the real world, but you have to deal with
all the one's floating around in your head.
It's a writer thing."

TBB: What do you dislike the most about being a writer?

JJ: Getting emotionally attached to my work. It makes it very hard to read some reviews, and kill off necessary characters.

TBB: What other author would you most like to meet & have lunch with?

JJ: Stephen King. He's interesting and weird, but I'd love to talk with him. Otherwise I would go have lunch with my writer friend. We made a pact to one day go to England together, and we are going to make this happen!

TBB: Who, in your life, is your biggest source of inspiration and why?

JJ: My mother because she can do about five million things at once and not bat an eye. I wish I could be so good at multi-tasking.

TBB: What is your favorite breakfast food?

JJ: Breakfast sandwiches. I can't get enough of them.

TBB: What is your worst habit?

JJ: Chewing on things. It could be a pen, my fingers, my lip, food. I just need to chew on something.

TBB: What song lyrics get stuck in your head most often?

JJ: “Can't you hear that boom-badoom-boom boom-badoom-boom”. I almost wrote it into my manuscript once. I blame it on the kiddo's obsession with pop music.

TBB: If someone wrote a biography about you, what should the title be?

JJ: The Most Boring, Average, Person on the Planet.

TBB: If you were a t-shirt, what slogan would appear on you?

JJ: "Meh."

TBB: Favorite place to visit?

JJ: Ohio. I know that sounds kind of lame, but I have family out that way and the places we go are always so interesting. I'd love to get a house out that way for my “writing” house and put my grandfather's typewriter in it. Then I could be old school.

TBB: Favorite time of year (or fave holiday)?

JJ: The spring when we get some crazy storms, the cold weather feels warm, and the ice along the curb is fun to crunch. Oh, and I love the sight of the trees blossoming.

TBB: If you were a cartoon character, which one would you be and why?

JJ: Jessica Rabbit. She's smoking hot, but has a soft spot and followed her heart to marry the funny guy who treats her right instead of the hot/rich sleazy one. And she has one of my favorite movie quotes ever: “I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way.”

TBB: What is your least favorite interview question to be asked?

JJ: Outide of being asked for an author photo, it would be: describe your book for us. Writing a synopsis is hard. I never feel like I can make my books sound interesting enough. While I could just copy and paste my book blurb, I feel like that's cheating.

TBB: Thanks for joining us today, J.F. and congrats on your nomination. We enjoyed getting to know you better and appreciate your appearance at the blog in 2011.

If you'd like to learn more about J.F. Jenkins and her books, visit her on the web here:

http://jfjenkinswrites.wordpress.com

And don't forget to pick up a copy of Vala Agendas, click cover to purchase:

Be sure to come back and vote for one of our 5 nominees starting February 1st through February 13th (see poll on side panel of blog--available tomorrow)! Blogger of the Year & Book Bundle Winner Announced February 14th!

Contest Time:

Reminder: The nominees will be counting on your votes to win the Grand Prize and one lucky commenter will receive a gift pack with a book from each nominee (donated by The Book Boost).

So, leave a comment or question for each nominee to increase your odds of winning! Winners announced on Valentine's Day 2012!

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

She Bonded Me With Science Guest Blogger: Greta van der Rol

2012-01-30T07:41:00.008-06:00

Welcome author Greta van der Rol
to the Book Boost!

She's here to discuss five books that made a difference in her life and here's what she had to say...

It's one of those questions you're asked A LOT when you write. Who influenced you? Which books did you love? The truth, of course, is there are so many. But I'll list five books I've loved. Did they influence me? Yes, they did.

The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien

I loved this book. After resisting the impulse to read it I decided to give it a whirl. I was hooked, sucked in and totally oblivious to everything until I'd finished it. Then I read it again. And again. And again. I loved the depth of the novel, the history of Middle Earth, the wonderful detail of all those different races, right down to inventing languages. Perhaps that's an influence on me.

Jingo – Terry Pratchett

I adore Terry Pratchett's books, any of them. I've picked this one because it epitomizes what I love about his work. It's a story about a mysterious island that rises from the sea and is promptly claimed by two countries, who come to the brink of war over it. The true nature of the island is discovered when it is inspected by submarine. As it happens, an incident involving a suddenly appearing island did take place, so it's based on a true, historical event. And the submarine in the story was invented by one Leonard of Quirm. He (of course) is based on Leonardo da Vinci who is up on the highest pedestal I can put him on. And he did invent a submarine. Pratchett tells fantastic stories based on fact. I love that.

The Foundation Series – Isaac Asimov

This is another man whose work I devoured. The Foundation series is just one example of his remarkable Science Fiction. Here again, though his story is set in the far distant future, one of the reasons it works so well is that he learned from common old Earth history. What happens to Empires when they decay? Even his psycho-history is eminently plausible. Even a cursory study of historiography (the study of the study of history) will show you that events such as revolutions usually follow a predictable pattern. Psycho-history just takes the idea one step further. And although Asimv was a scientist and his stories are, for the main, based on scientific principles and knowledge of the day, he still had 'planet-hopping', or space opera, in many of his books. Including the seminal Foundation series.

The Thrawn Trilogy – Timothy Zahn

These three books were, I think, the first venture into the Star Wars extended universe. They were released in the 1990s, not so very long after Return of the Jedi was screened. I was a Star Wars junkie, so what's a girl to do? The books are set in the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Emperor (quite literally, as you'll recall) on the new Death Star. I reviewed the books in detail on my blog but suffice to say here, Zahn gave Star Wars depth. Like Asimov, he learned the lessons of history. What would happen when a dictator falls?

If you'd like a recent comparison, look what happened to Yugoslavia after Tito died. There is wholesale disintegration, warlords arise and the remaining fragment of the decapitated body fights back. And yes, I adore Thrawn. He's smart, ruthless, calculating, clever. You might find a hint of Thrawn in some of my admirals. But only a hint.

Slow Lightning – Jack McDevitt

It took me some time to get into this book because it has a prologue and I don't read prologues. In this case, as I discovered, that was a mistake. Never mind. When I got past the slow start (having not read the prologue) I was soon gripped by a spooky mystery about a cataclysmic event thirty years in the past. The books becomes totally gripping as the two main characters steal a spaceship and head for the belt of Orion to find out what happened out there 30 years before. The book has incredible detail in settings and grounding in made-up history. You care about the characters and the science is (for me) utterly believable. The tension ratchets up in such a way you're not sure if this is a horror story or just science fiction. Either way, it's a great read.

So there you have it. A quick analysis will no doubt show I love stories with depth, with believable science and believable history. And a compelling character or two and a great, absorbing, plot help as well. That's what I try to write.

A Note from the Book Boost: Greta, thanks for sharing your inspirational books with us. I'm not really up-to-star-date on the Sci-Fi genre but this gives me a great introduction. Please tell us more about your latest book.

Blurb:

He will use force if necessary to remind her of her place…

Autocratic, aloof, Admiral Ravindra wants to use the strange alien female and her gifts in his battle against an unknown force threatening to annihilate his worlds. Born to rule, a man of wealth, power and privilege, he will have what he most desires.

She will use courage and independence to carve a new future…

Morgan Selwood is a Supertech, bioengineered from birth to stand against the horrors of the Cyber Wars. Her abilities and appearance are the stuff of legend, exactly what the resistance needs to throw off the yoke of millennia of oppression. Caught in the crossfire Morgan must choose sides.

Together they will face a threat beyond imagining.

Excerpt (edited for content):

Morgan and her companion, Jones, have tried to escape from the alien ship, and failed.

The ship jolted sideways hard enough to have her staggering against the hatch. Those fighters were firing and the shields were beginning to fail.

“F75 stand to or be destroyed.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” she muttered, forcing her muscles to move.

The ship jolted again, from the other side this time. The whole squadron had caught up. The ship was surrounded.

“One last warning, F75.”

Her shoulders sagged. Jones stared at her, ashen faced. Sayvu implored with her eyes, the pupils dilated so far the yellow rim was barely visible.

“Sorry, guys. It’s over.” Morgan returned to the pilot’s seat. “Acknowledge.”

Sayvu followed her and leaned against the bulkhead, trembling, arms wrapped around herself.

“They’ll torture us. You don’t know what they’re like.”

Morgan swallowed. No, she didn’t. She fired a short burst with the forward thrusters to slow the ship down. But any other move was suicide. “Even if I fix the drive, in this configuration I can’t go to shift-space. There are too many of them and they’re too close, they’ll distort the matrix. We could end up anywhere.” And she’d already done that once in Curlew, thanks all the same.

“You will set this course to return to Vidhvansaka. Any deviation and you will be destroyed. We have missiles trained.”

A short burst of transmission transferred the coordinates. Morgan fed them in.
Jones squeezed into the bridge behind Sayvu. “Can’t you disable the fighters or something?”
She snorted under her breath. Idiot. Wave your magic wand, Supertech. “I’m a Supertech, not a magician.”

Sayvu seemed to have shrunk. But no tears. Maybe they didn’t do tears.

Shuttle F75 settled in the airlock, the bay doors closed and atmosphere began to fill the void around the ship. Jones and Sayvu returned to the crew quarters.

Morgan stayed in the bridge. Now the race was off and the adrenalin had drained away she felt cold. Afraid. They’d be wanting to chat with Sayvu, she expected, to find out how she’d organized their escape. Assuming, of course, they didn’t already know. She and Jones… maybe they’d overstayed their welcome. They wouldn’t kill them. Would they? The best bet was probably the university professors. Despair hovered over her shoulder, a thick, dark mantle ready to smother her. So close.

The status panel flashed pressure equalized. The bay’s internal door opened and a dozen armed troopers marched in.

Déjà vu.

She rose and went to meet them.

Want More Greta?

Visit her on the web here: http://www.gretavanderrol.net

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

The Domino Effect with Guest Blogger: Laura Kaye

2012-01-27T08:34:00.006-06:00

Win a copy of North of Need and
chat with award winning author
Laura Kaye today at the Book Boost!

She's here to chat about lessons learned and here's what she had to say...

Five Lessons Learned from Writing My First Series

I’m so glad to be here at The Book Boost today! It’s hard to believe it’s been almost three months since my contemporary fantasy romance North of Need, the first in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, released. The Anemoi were wind gods the Greeks associated with the seasons and the weather, and the mythology offers a wonderful basis on which to build a series: there are four brothers, the mythology deemed one a repeatedly jilted lover, and another evil and unlucky. All were fathered by a powerful storm god who didn’t always treat them so nice. There’s just so many good stories in all that!

Now, book two (West of Want, releases in April) is totally done; I’m writing book three (South of Surrender); and I’m learning some invaluable lessons about writing a series that I’m not sure I would’ve learned any other way than just, well, writing one. This list is a work in progress, but here’s what I’ve learned so far:

1. Plot out the series arc.

I know some of you just made a face. I would’ve, too, because I hate plotting. I almost feel it steals some of my creative mojo. BUT. In a series, it’s more critical than ever. Across three or four or five books, you must have a continuous and consistent world. You must have a conflict that emerges in an early book and carries through, building in each book, and leading to some ultimate big conclusion that will be satisfying for that final book and for the series.

The conflict of each individual book must be, in part, specific to the story of that book, and contribute in some way to the overarching series conflict. All of this represents a lot of moving parts, and knowing some of them from the beginning will make the writing easier and the read that much more compelling.

2. Separate voices.

In a typical romance, there is usually one hero and one heroine. Generally, it should be easy to keep their character voices separate and distinct. It’s harder in a series, where you have multiple characters. For example, in my series, I have a minimum of five main male characters and four main female characters, plus a number of secondary characters, too, mainly male.

Sticking with the guys for a minute, they can’t all sound the same. I’m kinda fond of a male character saying, “Aw, hell,” but it wouldn’t be believable that all four brothers say this. They have to have different personalities, different motivations, different favorite phrases, different cadences to their speech. This distinctiveness is even more important because, since you’re writing a series, earlier characters will often reappear in later books, and some readers will sit and read all the books in the series back to back—both will highlight any laziness in this area. You therefore need a sense of these distinct characterizations and separate voices for them from the beginning.

3. Unique…everything.

For the same reason each book in the series requires a unique voice for the characters, it also requires unique plot elements. One hero drives a motorcycle and wins his woman over in part by taking her on a thrilling and romantic night time ride? No one else can do anything like that. The bike thing is that hero’s, and the romantic night time ride thing is that couple’s.

You have a heroine with a terrifying phobia she at some point will have to confront? She’s the only one who gets that conflict. You have a hero who needs to practice sexual domination because of some past trauma? Again, that plot element has been used and is now done. You get the idea. Each book needs totally unique elements while tying into a shared world. It can be tricky, and knowing some of these elements in advance helps.

4. Conflict resolution.

Here’s another tricky one. Each book must both resolve the specific conflict of the individual book, and further develop the overarching series conflict without resolving it. The first is critical to giving your reader the feeling that the couple featured got a satisfying happily ever after that resolved their issues, the second is critical to maintaining the tension in the overarching series and bringing the reader back for more.

5. What kind of series?

There are two kinds of romantic series to consider: 1) each book in the series features a new couple, and 2) each book in the series features the same couple getting incrementally closer each time and/or fighting the forces keeping them apart or trying to tear them apart.

An example of the first would be my own series or, to name an absolute favorite *grins*, J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series: Wrath, Rhage, Zsadist, Butch, Vishous—they each get their own romantic plotline in a separate book.

An example of the second would be Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight series: each book features Bella and Edward, and each one throws a new obstacle at them that tries to keep them apart or from finding a true happily ever after. Both have challenges.

In the first, the issues of uniqueness and distinctiveness pose challenges—the more characters your series has, the more creative you need to be to make each separate and believable. In the second, you have to find plausible conflicts that keep them apart, maintain your readers’ belief that the couple should have and can have the happily ever after book one seemed to promise, be sure not to frustrate your readers by having them behave in questionable ways while separated, etc.

If you’re a writer, what have I missed? What lessons have you learned from writing series? If you’re a reader, what do you especially like or dislike within a series?

A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining us at the Book Boost, Laura. I've known you a long time (at least since the Book Boost first launched over two years ago) and I'm really happy to see you reaching such a grand level of success with your books. So incredibly proud of you. This series sounds phenomenal. I like both types of series. As long as the "old" characters make a reappearance here and there to let us know how they are doing, I'm a happy camper. Hope you'll come back in April and tell us more about the second installment.

Blurb:

Her tears called a powerful snow god to life, but only her love can grant the humanity he craves...

Desperate to escape agonizing memories of Christmas past, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband, realizing too late that she's recreated the very thing she'll never have.

Called to life by Megan's tears, snow god Owen Winters appears unconscious on her doorstep in the midst of a raging blizzard. As she nurses him to health, Owen finds unexpected solace in her company and unimagined pleasure in the warmth of her body, and vows to win her heart for a chance at humanity.

Megan is drawn to Owen's mismatched eyes, otherworldly masculinity, and enthusiasm for the littlest things. But this Christmas miracle comes with an expiration—before the snow melts and the temperature rises, Megan must let go of her widow's grief and learn to trust love again, or she'll lose Owen forever.

Want More Laura?

Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is the bestselling and award-winning author of a half-dozen books. Hearts in Darkness is a finalist for the EPIC eBook Award for Best Novella, Forever Freed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and North of Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was named GraveTells’ Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and won Sizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Visit her on the web here: http://www.laurakayeauthor.com/

Follow her on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/laurakayeauthor

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Laura and be entered to win an e-copy of North of Need.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Scaling Back the Stress with Guest Blogger: Olivia Starke

2012-01-26T08:40:00.006-06:00

Chat with author Olivia Starke
today at the Book Boost!

She's here to share her low stress methods to getting healthy in the new year and here's what she had to say...

The first day of January marks the start of a new diet for many people. There are countless eating plans to choose from, new ideas for fad diets, new exercise gadgets with big promises—it’s enough to make your head spin. I’m not a fitness or health professional, but I’d still like to offer a few common sense tips I’ve learned over the years to help those on the diet roller coaster.

* Throw out that cursed scale! This is an ugly little mechanism that can set you up to fail. We are more than the numbers that little needle points to, and depending on bone structure, natural amount of muscle weight, and fluctuations in monthly water retention, you can yo-yo. Seeing the needle creep up five pounds could simply be water from stress or hormones.

Comparing yourself to a ‘national standard’ can be equally disheartening. What works better is going by how your clothing fits. If your jeans are still tight after 3 days then adjust your eating/exercise.

* It takes ONE WEEK to gain fat. If you overindulge one day—or even two, all is not lost :) And don’t beat yourself up, just increase exercise, and maybe eat some more veggies for a few days to make up for it.

* Pay attention to your natural eating cycles. There are days in the month I want to eat everything in sight, and I accept this as normal for me and I don’t obsess over it. I usually end up eating less after, and it balances itself out. I also allow myself to put on a few pounds in winter—again I’m just following my body’s rhythms.

* If you’re craving a decadent dessert, grab a cookbook and find a wonderful recipe to make it yourself. Creating it, then serving it beautifully plated allows you time to get that craving under control so you’ll eat smaller portions. Plus, you’ll probably avoid the guilt of indulging when you’re involved in the creation. I keep baking supplies readily available, including common substitutes for baking such as cinnamon apple sauce for oils and eggs.

* Fall in love with hot salsa! Healthy, fat-free, and low calorie, you can pair it with most main dishes, and the spicier you can take it the better. It helps cut down on your portion size, plus you’re getting some veggies in the trade off. In the evenings if you get a salt craving, instead of potato chips grab some tortilla chips and salsa.

* Try a new workout—even if you think you’ll hate it. I personally abhor riding a bicycle, yet I love spin class after I finally gave it a shot! Don’t sell the idea short, you may find a new passion. I also discovered I love running—its meditation time for me.

Fitness isn’t one size fits all and it’s up to you to find what works best for your personality. Our bodies are amazing creations and I hope you’ll find your best way of honoring it :)

A Note from the Book Boost: I'm totally with you on the salsa! I'm a salsa fanatic. Good stuff. Thanks for sharing your tips with us and please tell us more about your newest release.

Blurb:

Ashley Adams signed up with the 1NightStand service in hopes of stirring up some cougar passion in her lackluster life. When she meets tall, dark, and oh-so-sexy Justin, the sparks fly.

But something deeper lies in their magical connection, something she isn’t prepared for. Will a casual one-night stand change her life forever?

Want More Olivia?

Visit her on the web here: www.authoroliviastarke.com

Follow her blog here:
http://romancingthepentoday.blogspot.com

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Diamonds are a Diva's Best Friend with Guest Blogger: Dawn Chartier

2012-01-25T08:11:00.012-06:00

Win a Tivoli Heart Necklace
and a copy of Diamonds from
the tantalizing & talented, Dawn Chartier
today at the Boost!

She's here to chat about diamonds and divas and here's what she had to say...

The other night I watched the Golden Globes and found myself entranced with the actresses, or shall I say, with what they were wearing. Mostly, because of my novella, Diamonds, which recently released and I figured it would be a fun to pick out dresses that I thought my character, Holly would look great in.

Holly is a self-made millionaire, and I knew she would be glued to the television watching who wore what. She’d know all the designer names for the clothes, shoes, jewelry and clutches, and so would her closest friends (Moe, Karen and Staci). More than likely they were having a girl’s sleep-over party, and drooling over the hot actors too.

So in honor of Holly and her buddies, here are a few dresses I picked out that I think they would like to wear.

The first dress is a black beaded lacey number designed by Bruce Oldfield. I thought it was a pretty antique little number that would look good on Holly’s friend Moe.

Now the second dress I picked out isn’t because of the glamorous leopard and lace so much, but it is because of the stunning 74 year old woman wearing it, Jane Fonda. Jane is still a knock-out.

And here is Reese Witherspoon’s strapless Zac Posen dress with a sparkling diamond bracelet. Reece looks so happy, and she reminded me of Holly.

And then we have Sofia Vergara. I chose her because she is not your average skinny-mini. No, Sofia has sexy curves and knows how to use them. I love this teal blue gown designed by Vera Wang, and the $5 million worth of diamonds/jewels by Harry Winston that Sofia is wearing isn’t too shabby either. (Vera’ nice. lol)

Speaking of diamonds, did you see all that bling! The earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Wow! Some of the dresses even looked like they were made of diamonds too. Who do you think wore the best dress or the worst dress?

So, anyone who answers the question will be put into a drawing for a Tivoli Heart Locket Necklace and a copy of my novella, Diamonds. If you didn’t watch it, it’s easy to look it up. Just Google Golden Globe Awards. Good luck.

Thanks for having me, Kerri!

A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining me, Dawn. You know how much I love to host you at the Boost. Forgive me for chopping off the heads of your actresses above but I had my reasons (LOL). Best of luck on this new release and I love the premise of the story. Even though I can't win the necklace (boo hoo for me), I happened to have loved the dress that Sarah Michelle Gellar wore. It was a sweeping, blue tye-dye number that her little girl loved and she wore it just because. I thought it was unique and adorable. She received bad reviews from the fashion folks but I don't think they know what they are talking about more than half the time. I say, "You go Buffy Momma!"

Blurb:

Self-made millionaire Holly Charleston has come a long way since her homeless days. Sometimes, she believes life would have been simpler before fortune and fame. With every man she meets imagining dollar signs, she yearns for the one man who sees the real Holly. A mysterious wealthy stranger may be the one, but she must control her sexsomnia and trust issues if she hopes for a real chance at love.

Professional thief Drake Davenport is ready to begin an honest life. However, his last assignment leads him to steal the heart diamond necklace from a woman known as Ms. Frost. But Holly guards her heart close and her assets closer. Once Holly thaws to Drake's seduction attempts, he finds himself in a position of protecting her from a hired mercenary or living the life he believes he earned. Drake realizes the challenge of stealing the diamond is nothing compared to the challenge of stealing Holly's heart.

Want More Dawn?

Visit her on the web here: www.dawnchartier.com

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a comment for Dawn about best and worst dressed to be entered to win a Tivoli Heart Locket Necklace (pictured at the top of the blog post) and a copy of her latest novella Diamonds!

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Blogger of the Year Nominee: Leslie Langtry

2012-01-24T09:19:00.009-06:00

Win a Book Bundle from our
talented nominees and
Welcome the fourth of five special
interviews with our 2011
Book Boost Blogger of the Year Nominees!

Today, we welcome nominated author Leslie Langtry to the blog. We chatted with her recently and asked 21 questions, here's what she had to say...

TBB: How and when did you become a professional author?

LL: When I got the first check addressed to “Leslie Langtry.” Someone actually paid me to make up stuff. Maybe technically, it was when I signed that first contract with the publisher. But seeing actual money for words I’d written, that was the clincher.

TBB: What do you find to be the most difficult aspect of writing a book (the creation/concept, writing, achieving publication, sales/promotion, etc…)?

LL: Promotion. Not public appearances or signings (I like that stuff) – but getting the word out there. I’ve never been very good at tooting my own horn. It’s like the horn has a mouthpiece the size of a dinner plate and is coated in lemon juice – and I have chapped lips.

TBB: Which of your books is your favorite and why?

LL: Probably ‘Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy. It was my first that sold, the first in the series and I wrote it just for fun. I do love all my books – each one has at least two scenes that if I could cobble them all together from all the books, would make one perfect book. Okay, so it wouldn’t make a lot of sense – but the book would be funny.

TBB: If you had to describe that book using ONLY ONE word what would it be?

LL: Funtroversy.

People have told me that my books are funny and controversial (I guess because they kill people). Funtroversy.

TBB: Looking back on your writing career thus far, if you could change one thing, what would it be and why?

LL: I probably would’ve started earlier. I didn’t start writing a novel until I was 38 and sold my first book a week after my 40th birthday. But then, maybe that’s a good thing. It could very well be that I wasn’t even remotely interesting until I turned 38.

TBB: Is there a message imbedded into your stories you hope readers will get? If so, what is it?

LL: Assassins need love too. Actually, my main goal is to make people laugh. If they can escape and laugh a little, then they get what I want them to out of the experience.

TBB: What has been your favorite fan letter or fan comment ever?

LL: At a signing in Michigan, these two really, really cute, young guys came over and made a huge fuss over me. I was signing with a couple of gorgeous romance authors so I was very flattered that they ignored them and were fawning all over me. Then one of the guys says, “I’m so excited you’re here! My Mom LOVES you!” The other guy nodded and said, “She really does – she loves your books!”

I will take what I can get.

TBB: What is your top writing career goal?

LL: I’d like to write all the books I have summarized in my head. That may actually be impossible. Hitting the lists would be nice, but mostly I just want to take all the stories swirling between my ears and share them with people.

TBB: Give me one quote (from yourself/by yourself) about being a writer.

LL: "When you are a writer – you’re never really alone…
in your head."

TBB: What do you dislike the most about being a writer?

LL: Not being recognized instantly in HyVee. Sorry, actually, it’s the isolation involved with writing. It would be fun to work on a book with another author someday. I’m not really sure how that would work – but it would be fun to bounce plot twists back and forth.

TBB: What other author would you most like to meet & have lunch with?

LL: John Scalzi (author of Old Man's War – read it!) and Libba Bray (Beauty Queens - read it!). I think we could be BFF’s.

TBB: Who, in your life, is your biggest source of inspiration and why?

LL: It would have to be my mom. She sacrificed a lot for us when we were kids and I’m lucky to have inherited her wacky sense of humor. I hope I inspire my kids like that some day. Right now I’m lucky if they do more than grunt toward me.

TBB: What is your favorite breakfast food?

LL: If I’m cooking - Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts, toasted, with a glass of milk.

If someone else is cooking – French Toast with real butter, scrambled eggs with extra sharp cheddar, hashbrowns and very large Mimosas.

TBB: What is your worst habit?

LL: Procrastination. And unfortunately, my kids inherited it from me – which is kind of like karma, right?

TBB: What song lyrics get stuck in your head most often?

LL: “Mah Nah, Mah Nah,” from Sesame Street. If someone even says something close – like “phenomena,” I immediately respond with “Doo doo, de doo doo.” That might also qualify for worst habit.

TBB: If someone wrote a biography about you, what should the title be?

LL: The Things She Did For A Klondike Bar

TBB: If you were a t-shirt, what slogan would appear on you?

LL: “Make me some cake, and no one gets hurt.”

I really like cake.

TBB: Favorite place to visit?

LL: Disney World. I’ve been 3 times to DW and once to Disney Land and I want to go back over and over again. It’s like being on another planet – and I find that very satisfying.

TBB: Favorite time of year (or fave holiday)?

LL: Favorite holiday – Thanksgiving. It’s the only holiday that’s exclusively about food. I like to eat. At the end of the day, the house is clean, smells like turkey, and we have a fridge full of leftovers. Sheer bliss.

TBB: If you were a cartoon character, which one would you be and why?

LL: Archer from Archer. I’m like his twin. Except that I’m older and have breasts.

TBB: What is your least favorite interview question to be asked?

LL: What’s your writing schedule like? Because I literally have no idea from day to day. Some days I can write normally, other days I’m scrawling a sentence on the back of a bank deposit envelope outside of my kid’s trumpet lesson.

TBB: Thanks for joining us today, Leslie and congrats on your nomination. We enjoyed getting to know you better and appreciate your appearance at the blog in 2011.

If you'd like to learn more about Leslie and her books, visit her on the web here:

http://www.leslielangtry.com/

And don't forget to pick up a copy of Paradise By The Rifle Sights, click cover to purchase:

Be sure to check back for our last nominee interview on January 31st with J.F. Jenkins!

Contest Time:

Reminder: The nominees will be counting on your votes to win the Grand Prize and one lucky commenter will receive a gift pack with a book from each nominee (donated by The Book Boost).

So, leave a comment or question for each nominee to increase your odds of winning! Winners announced on Valentine's Day 2012!

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

An Insider Chat with Author Joya Fields Today @ The Boost!

2012-01-23T08:32:00.007-06:00

Win a copy of our Book of the Month
Beneath the Surface
& chat with author Joya Fields
today at the Book Boost!

We recently chatted with featured author Joya Fields and here's what she had to say...

TBB: Welcome back to the blog, Joya.

JF: Thanks so much Kerri and The Book Boost for hosting me to chat about my debut novel, Beneath the Surface, a romantic suspense.

TBB: More about your amazing novel in just a moment, but first...please tell us a little more about YOU. Where are you from?

JF: I was born and raised in Maryland, and still live in the weather-crazy state. We get every type of weather: blizzards, ice storms, heat wave, tornadoes, hurricanes, and more recently, earthquakes.

TBB: Tell me about it. I'm in Alabama and we are under a Tornado Watch as I type this post! No joke. Do you have a story behind the when and why of how you began writing?

JF: I began writing as a child. We weren’t allowed to watch much TV, so my two sisters and I read a lot of books. When we ran out of books, I’d tell them stories. I wrote some stories and gave them away as presents, too. To this day, my sisters are two of my biggest supporters.

TBB: This is great! I have an older sister but we are not close. Although, my parents buy all my books (even the kinky ones--oh no!). How did you come up with the title for this book?

JF: Super question! I usually struggle with titles for books. For some reason, this one came to me quickly and it fit. Brooke is an underwater archaeologist and spends a lot of time under water in the book. She also has a lot of turmoil and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder issues she’s dealing with. So, Beneath the Surface ties into being underwater, and Brooke’s need to deal with concerns that are brought to the surface when events unfold in the story.

TBB: I love it! I recently wrote a sort of ocean-themed novella and the original title was Seascapes and Dark Capes! LOL It has since been renamed. Seeing as most writers are also avid readers, what book could we catch you reading right now?

JF: I’ve recently discovered Tess Gerritsen and I’m obsessively reading her backlist. That’s the great thing about finding a new-to-you author. You can read their current work, and then tear through their backlist until the next book comes out.

TBB: I recently had the same discovery and went on a Tess Gerristen reading frenzy. Ice Cold is my fave of all the Rizzoli & Isles books to date. When you're not reading Tess, what are your current writing projects?

JF: Wow, thanks for asking this question because I’m really excited about a ghost story trilogy I’m working on. I’ve never written paranormal before, but the characters begged me to write this story. It’s about a haunted Baltimore apartment building and features all sorts of interesting ghosts who interfere in the lives of the residents. These aren’t scary stories. The ghosts are not out to get anyone. They are actually helpful ghosts who are trying to accomplish something, and trying to help the residents in some way. I’m having such a great time writing these.

TBB: You know you're talking to a HUGE paranormal fan here, don't you? Can't wait to hear and see more on this new trilogy. You'll love writing the genre. Do you have any advice for other writers just starting out in the biz?

JF: Keep writing, keep reading, and keep submitting. Give yourself permission to be sad about a rejection if you get one, but only for an hour or so. Every “no” you receive gets you closer to a “yes.”

TBB: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

JF: LOL. A writer. My grandmother was an artist, and she fully supported any sort of art, including my writing. We’d sit for hours on her front porch swing and she’d ask me to tell her stories well into the night. Often, my stories didn’t make a lot of sense. I remember one story was about my sisters and me traveling via paddle boat from the Inner Harbor to Hawaii. But my grandmother never interrupted or corrected me.

TBB: I'm sure your grandmother is very proud of all you've accomplished and I hope you keep more great stories coming our way! Thanks for joining us today and please leave us with some more details about your latest book.

JF: Thanks again for hosting me today! :)

Blurb:

She’s fighting to stay independent—he’s determined to protect her no matter what…

Brooke Richards survived the earthquake that took her parents and most of her leg, but she needs time to regroup. A trip to Florida for a state-of-the art prosthesis and to visit her best friend Linda seems ideal. But the trip turns traumatic when Brooke witnesses Linda’s boat disintegrating in a fiery explosion.

Police Officer Garrett Ciavello believes the blast was intentionally set to hide something Linda found on a dive. When Brooke offers her expertise in underwater archaeology, Garrett accepts her help with the investigation. But since his fiancée’s death years ago, Garrett has become overprotective, and as they are drawn to each other, Garrett realizes he will risk anything to keep Brooke safe.

Brooke is fiercely independent. Garrett is fiercely protective. Will they heal each other’s wounds and find a killer…before it’s too late?

Excerpt:

For the first time since the accident, Brooke forgot about her leg. Forgot about all she’d lost and focused on the way Garrett made her feel.

She knew she needed to stop him. She should find a way to resist the temptation to be with him. But for a few minutes, she could enjoy the taste of him, the feel of him, couldn’t she?

He dropped his hands to her waist and softened the kiss before trailing a line of kisses down her neck. A weak cry slipped from her mouth. “Garrett,” she whispered.

She should stop this now before it got any more intense.

He lifted her chin and forced her to meet his brown eyes, smoky with desire. Heat spiraled to her middle and she caught a whiff of his sawdust scent.

“I…I can walk you back to your own room before I head to mine.” His voice broke as he whispered.

She swallowed hard. She couldn’t do this right now with him. Too many obstacles stood in their way. But as she looked in his somber eyes, she realized none of those complications were bigger than her need for Garrett.

“Let’s go to your room,” she said, her voice shaking. She moved her hands inside his shirt and ran them over his tight abs and chest. Heat soared through her body at the feel of him.

“Together…”

Want More Joya?

Visit her on the web here: http://joyafields.com/

Follow her on Twitter here:
http://www.twitter.com/joyafields

Pick up your copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment and be entered to win an e-copy of Beneath the Surface.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Timeless Travails with Guest Blogger: Pauline B. Jones

2012-01-20T10:22:00.006-06:00

Win a $15 Amazon.com Gift Card &
meet author Pauline B. Jones
today at the Book Boost!

She's here to discuss her journey into research of a fictional science and here's what she had to say...

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” Carl Sagan

Research. Authors either love it or hate—and sometimes they love and hate it at the same time.

When I wrote Out of Time, I did an incredible amount of research on World War II, B-17 Bombers, life in England during WWII, the Navy SEALS, I talked to veterans of the war both on the ground and those who flew—well, the list was long and the data to sort through ended up more than hip deep. It was fascinating, wonderful and exhausting.

And I did not expect to need to research the fictional science of time travel. Cause it's fictional, right? Or is it?

There are those who believe time travel is possible. In fact, Stephen Hawking wrote an article on how to build a time machine. It wasn’t written when I wrote Out of Time, but I read it later with great interest (because my characters persist in traveling through time).

But back when Out of Time was an idea, I did need to figure out how my character would travel into the past. I wanted it to be scientifically based, so it would involve a machine or invented device of some sort.

I did a basic web search on time travel and found there were many who believed actual time travel is possible (there were several interesting plans for building time machines for sale on eBay, for instance). I also found that the fictional ways characters travel through time are as varied as the authors who pen the novels. Everything from portals and machines, to paranormal jewelry and portraits.

What I learned from writing Out of Time, and several other novels that involve time travel is that your fictional science can be “hard” (i.e. rooted in “known” science) or “soft” (which I suppose means rooted in imagined science). Imagined science sounds less dubious perhaps than “made-up,” but that’s pretty much what soft science is, or what I think it is. Your mileage may vary (and in Sci-Fi, there is a lot of varied mileage!) Where time travel fits in, well, I couldn’t say. I know my time travel is totally made-up (i.e. unapologetically soft).

So how does a writer take the known, and the unknown, and combine it in a mix that allows the reader to suspend disbelief and travel through time with your characters? Or stay with any plot to the end?

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi said, “research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what no one else has thought.”

Isn’t that basically what writers of all genres do? They start readers with the familiar, the “known” if you will, then they take them on a journey that tries to feel fresh into a new “unknown.” You can be wildly successful at it (think JK Rowling’s Harry Potter) or not. (I’ll let you fill in this blank with your personal failures because reading is personal. What works for one person, doesn’t always work for another.)

One of the dangers of research—even the fictional sort—is getting too tied to what you’re learning. It was very easy to get caught up in “what really happened” in World War II, so easy that it tied my characters hands and actions. I pulled back from my research a bit and realized that like life, each soldier and pilot had a personal story—and point of view—within the wider story of the war. So even “the way it was” wasn’t the way it was for everyone. That allowed me some latitude to let my story happen—that and the fact that it was and is a story.

Out of Time is fiction, not non-fiction.

So that would be my next research (and writing) lesson: your fiction needs to feel real, but it isn’t real. It should feel “true,” but it isn’t actually “true.” (Small humor moment here: Chinese Ban Time Travel in books and movies because some of it is “totally made up.” Yeah.)

So, don’t ever forget that you’re writing a story, you’re telling a tale, not a treatise on whatever research item has caught your attention. If you’ve never read a book and thought, wow, that author did a lot of research, feel lucky.

Because I am not a scientist (or even the first cousin of one), I was thrilled to my toes when an Amazon reader wrote about another of my novels (Steamrolled): “This book is really quite amazing to me. The synoptic blurb is entirely accurate but only begins to touch the lovely mix of weird and romantic with reasonably credible soft Sci-Fi." (Did you see that high school science teachers? Reasonably credible soft Sci-Fi. Feel free to feel guilty for misjudging me.)

Contrast that with this Amazon reader review about Out of Time: “So many writers have problems with time travel, leaving large gaps and holes in the plot. Readers finish the stories saying, "But what about...?" These issues have been avoided in this case by not explaining in detail how the process works. And that leaves the reader with the joy of simply becoming immersed in an interesting and suspenseful story.”

I don’t post these to toot my own horn but to show that for at least two readers, the differing approaches that I used in both books succeeded. Both readers were able to suspend disbelief and become immersed in the story.

This was the gift that authors gave to me when I was a young reader, a gift my favorites still give me as a reader. And this is the gift, the goal of my writing.

Good, solid research—even when it involves made-up science—is just one of the tools we use to tell our tales. Don’t under—or over—estimate its importance and you’ll be on your way. I’ll finish with one last quote, from JRR Tolkien: “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but is not always quite the something you were after.”

Happy research hunting and Happy New Year!

A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for sharing your travails of research with us, Pauline. I love to read about time travel and have penned one novella with a little backward visit through time myself (re: The Mystical Kilt). Your book and research sound great and thanks for joining us today! Please tell us more about your book.

Blurb:

What happens when a twenty-first century woman on a mission to change the past meets a thoroughly 1940s man trying to stay alive in the hellish skies over war-torn Europe?

Melanie “Mel” Morton is an adventure reporter, who lost her grandfather in World War II. With no family left, she’s all about doing her job and finishing her grandfather’s biography.

Enter Jack Hamilton, sexy octogenarian, genius/scientist and former WWII bomber pilot.
What he tells Mel sends her on her craziest adventure yet—straight into the past to save her grandfather’s life—and change Jack’s future, if she doesn't accidentally end it.

All Mel has to do is outmaneuver the entire German army--and not fall in love with Jack.

Unfortunately, eluding the German army is the easy part....

Excerpt:

“Can we talk while you pack?” Jack asked. “We really are almost out of time. Your SEAL gig ran long.”

He wouldn’t get an argument out of her on that point. Her producer had been hiding from her since she got back. He smiled and she found herself smiling back. What was she doing? Her smile faded.

“What am I supposed to be packing?”

“Some of your grandmother’s clothes from the late thirties, and some of your own stuff. Enough to last until you jump.”

“Jump?” Her brain latched on that word like glue. “The one thing the SEAL gig taught me is that I don’t like jumping. It’s too much like falling.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Mel’s eyes widened. “You want me to go on that last mission, the one where you got shot down! You want me to jump into Occupied France with you?”

“Yes.” He looked sorry, but there was also an “and” hanging in the air between them.

“What?” she asked with suspicion. What could be worse than jumping into Occupied France?

“You also have to jump out of a plane at high altitude again. Into the vortex my machine will create. Time travel requires velocity, you see.”

She didn’t see, and yet, in an awful way, she did. “Velocity? And how do I achieve this velocity?”

“By jumping into the vortex without a parachute.”

Mel felt her jaw drop and heard something rather whimper-like come out the opening, as her thoughts spun into one clear certainty. When her head was down, she should have kissed her tush goodbye.

Want More Pauline?

Visit her on the web here: http://www.paulinebjones.com

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Answer the following question by leaving a comment for Pauline and be entered to win a $15 Amazon.com gift card.

What’s your favorite use or misuse of research in a novel? (Real life doesn’t count, I’m afraid.)

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Blogger of the Year Nominee: Patricia Pellicane

2012-01-17T09:56:00.007-06:00

Win a Book Bundle from our
talented nominees and
Welcome the third of five special
interviews with our 2011
Book Boost Blogger of the Year Nominees!

Today, we welcome nominated author Patricia Pellicane to the blog. We chatted with her recently and asked 21 questions, here's what she had to say...

TBB: How and when did you become a professional author?

PP: Years ago when Romance writers were new on the scene, I read a book I thought was awful. Arrogantly, I said, “Even I could do better than that.” So I tried it and suddenly realized I wanted to be a writer. First book never got published. The second one did. I’ve gotten better since. Like anything, the more you do it, the better you get.

TBB: What do you find to be the most difficult aspect of writing a book (the creation/concept, writing, achieving publication, sales/promotion, etc…)?

PP: Nothing comes easy for me. I start with an idea that changes maybe a half dozen times until I feel it’s just right. Once I have my characters, everything flows and then the hardest part, getting it published.

TBB: Which of your books is your favorite and why?

PP: Fire’s Tender Kiss. Strong characters, I like their reaction to each other and as the story went on how their reactions changed.

TBB: If you had to describe that book using ONLY ONE word what would it be?

PP: Strength.

TBB: Looking back on your writing career thus far, if you could change one thing, what would it be and why?

PP: I wouldn’t have listened to my first agent. That started the ball rolling in the wrong direction, check out the blog (for which I'm nominated) to see what I mean.

TBB: Is there a message imbedded into your stories you hope readers will get? If so, what is it?

PP: Sorry, no particular message. My books are pure escapism, solely for entertainment.

TBB: What has been your favorite fan letter or fan comment ever?

PP: The best comment I ever had was being compared by a reviewer to Kathleen Woodwiss. I loved her work.

TBB: What is your top writing career goal?

PP: To make money and lots of it.

TBB: Give me one quote (from yourself/by yourself) about being a writer.

PP: Here’s my favorite quote on being a writer, sorry it’s not from me, its anonymous. It goes like this… “All you have to do to become a writer is put a piece of paper into a typewriter and stare at it until blood forms on your forehead.” Every writer gets days like that.

TBB: What do you dislike the most about being a writer?

PP: The insecurity. When I put in six or eight hours a day on a job, I know I’m going to get paid. Doing the same as a writer, you’re constantly hoping for the best.

TBB: What other author would you most like to meet & have lunch with?

PP: Stephen King, slightly odd, maybe, but I like his sense of humor.

TBB: Who, in your life, is your biggest source of inspiration and why?

PP: Can’t say I have one particular source, except prayer.

TBB: What is your favorite breakfast food?

PP: Mostly I prefer to eat something that was left over from the night before, especially pasta or chicken.

TBB: What is your worst habit?

PP: Putting things off. I work hard to correct that.

TBB: What song lyrics get stuck in your head most often?

PP: Usually a love song, often an oldie and simply the last one I heard.

TBB: If someone wrote a biography about you, what should the title be?

PP: Determined

TBB: If you were a t-shirt, what slogan would appear on you?

PP: "Never Give Up!"

TBB: Favorite place to visit?

PP: New Orleans, I love the flavor of the place.

TBB: Favorite time of year (or fave holiday)?

PP: Christmas. Lots of hard work, but it’s worth it. Big family, lots of people, noisy and fun.

TBB: If you were a cartoon character, which one would you be and why?

PP: Garfield, because I’m very sarcastic and love to sleep.

TBB: What is your least favorite interview question to be asked?

PP: Don’t hate it but it’s my least favorite question. “Where do you get your ideas?”

TBB: Thanks for joining us today, Patricia and congrats on your nomination. We enjoyed getting to know you better and appreciate your appearance at the blog in 2011.

If you'd like to learn more about Patricia and her books, visit her on the web here:

http://www.patriciapellicane.com

And don't forget to pick up a copy of One Wicked Naked Lady, click cover to purchase:

Be sure to check back for our next nominee interview on January 24th with Leslie Lantry!

Contest Time:

Reminder: The nominees will be counting on your votes to win the Grand Prize and one lucky commenter will receive a gift pack with a book from each nominee (donated by The Book Boost).

So, leave a comment or question for each nominee to increase your odds of winning! Winners announced on Valentine's Day 2012!

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Act Your Age with Guest Blogger: Widdershins

2012-01-16T07:14:00.006-06:00

Welcome Eternal Press author Widdershins to the Book Boost!

She's here to discuss "timeless" fiction and here's what she had to say...

MAF-Lit

Mature Age Fiction. Never heard of it?

Well, glad you dropped by because I’m going to wax not only lyrical but eloquent on the subject.

MAF includes stories of all genres with…wait for it…main characters over the age of forty! Main characters who do all the stuff main characters do in all the other genres, but do it with more than four decades of experience under their belts. What a concept!

Let's face it, ‘baby boomers’ are the fastest growing demographic in the western world, and rumour has it, most of them learned to read… books even! And the books were…printed on paper! And an astonishing numbers of them are computer literate too! That means they can use e-readers! Be still my beating heart.

And you know what else? If you asked them to really think about it, I bet they’d embrace a genre that embraced them…that reflected their lives, the sunsets and sunrises witnessed...the wisdom and foolishness that comes with age...the passion and drama that is tempered with knowing that, all things considered, they’ve probably been alive longer than they’re going to remain alive.

So, this is what I propose. Alongside YA, Kid-Lit, Chick-Lit, Chuck-Lit (Chick-Lit for guys), and Anything-Goes-Lit, we now create MAF-Lit!

The cult of youth surrounds us, classifies us, tells us what to buy and why and who for. It actually doesn’t matter what age we are. It tells us what to watch, listen to, and defines a list of behavioral ‘shoulds’ that could easily fill a 1000 page tome with a font you’d need a magnifying glass to read.

It informs our politics, who we should vote for–or not…oh hell, lets just acknowledge that it’s all pervasive.

Maybe I oughtn’t be so quick with the ‘all’ in that last sentence. But the stuff does stand out. And, do things that stand out get our attention? Indeed they do.

Now, we edge our way towards the topic at hand, MAF-Lit.

I write genre-within-a-genre fiction (Lesbian Sci-F/Fantasy). I write about lesbian characters, within the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre. There are a few lesbian authors who do this, so I don’t quite have this unique niche all to myself. That’s O.K., I’m in very good company.

What does irk me about a majority of the stories out there is the dearth of main characters/protagonists who are older. There are secondary characters who are older. Such as...the advisor–Gandalf–who’s older than dirt, as the expression goes. The parents–Mr. and Mrs. Weasley (etc...)-or the villains (a noticeable number of villains). Another manifestation of the cult of youth perhaps?

Good=youth and Bad=age?

I don’t know about you, but here’s what I am going to do. Whenever I come across a SF/F story that has at least one main character over the age of 40, I’m going to post about it on my blog. Start a revolution. Create a new genre.

If you can think of any, or in any other genres, post them in the comments here, or on your blog if you have one.

Spread the word. MAF-Lit is here to stay!

A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining us today at the blog and you have my vote! I'm only a short distance away from the over 40 crowd and I totally want to read about others in my "condition". :-) Please tell us more about your book!

Blurb:

The Mortal realm came into existence when the Gallery, an assembly of corridors that weave, web-like between planets and dimensions, time and space, was created. Now three not-so-ordinary women must save the Gallery from its ultimate destruction.

Unfortunately, mortals are notoriously stubborn so a cunning Goddess must manipulate them to do her bidding.

Unfortunately, she’s not very good at it, and not even the Reweaving of Time can stop the annihilation of the Mortal Realm. Sometimes a woman just has to do it herself.

Excerpt:

Chalone stalked around the Hall of Lights, glaring at it, daring it to look any different. Her thoughts marched around the venerable building faster than she did. Of course it wouldn’t look any different. She didn’t know what she was thinking, imagining something wrong with the Hall. She should be getting ready for Vian’s Circle.

Vian. Her heart thumped in her throat and she deliberately turned her thoughts away from a flood of memories. She. Would. Not. Cry.

The Hall wasn’t a small building though its appearance could be deceiving. In a thunderstorm it looked massive and ominous, at other times it looked ridiculously small. It could easily embrace thousands or seem crowded when it was almost empty. Even though it was ancient beyond reckoning, it looked unscathed by the passage of time or weather. The translucent walls gleamed with swathes of light reflected from the Portals inside, just as they always had, so Chalone wrapped her fortitude around her and walked through the open archway into the Hall.

She ducked around a small group of travelers just returning from somewhere deep within the Gallery. They chattered excitedly until one of them spotted her. They sensed they might have a captive even famous audience to tell their story to and veered toward her. Even on her best days she wasn’t good at spontaneous conversations with groups and fortunately, before she embarrassed herself, Dajah the woman on duty, skillfully intersected their trajectory and herded them toward the exit. Chalone flashed a quick smile and turned back to her investigation.

The Hall’s familiar ordinariness continued to set her teeth on edge with a dissonance she could almost taste. She looked at the ceiling high above. It was the same vaulted dome it had always been. She walked around the Hall toward the far end. The walls between the irregularly spaced Portals looked the same soft shade of white they always had. Nothing spoke to her of any wrongness. At a loss as to what to do next, she walked around and around the Hall, resolving nothing.

Dajah pithily suggested she stop pacing because she was making her dizzy and would eventually wear a hole in the floor. Chalone heeded the unspoken threat and sat on the circular bench in the center of the Hall. She leaned back on the huge granite outcrop that served as a backrest and stared absently at the Portals. She groaned in exasperation, but quietly, in case Dajah heard.

Muttering to herself, she shuffled a few meters along the bench to her right. Nothing. She shuffled around until she reached the far side of the bench, still looking at Portals and seeing nothing. She stood up and slowly walked toward them, glancing out of the corner of her eye, letting her instincts find what her mind refused to.

On either side of each of the Portals, two crystal columns were positioned to stabilize the opening and keep them firmly anchored to the same physical place on the planet, in direct contradiction to the physics involved. Swirling between the columns, the Portals shone in a kaleidoscope of muted colors.

The explanation of why these two blatantly incompatible forces, the mystery of the Gallery and celestial physics, were able to co-exist without ripping reality apart was one of Chalone’s early academic triumphs. Her meticulously documented investigation caused a sensation among researchers who’d tried to account for the phenomenon previously. She delivered her findings at the university in Esparber, and thereafter, a certain fringe of academia pointedly boycotted her infrequent lectures out of spite. Sadly this would have had a more dramatic effect had she been aware of, or cared about their opinions.

The light from one Portal shone on her face, as though challenging her to enter. When a hand lightly touch her sleeve, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Want More Widdershins?

Visit her here on the web: http://widdershinsfirst.com

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Poetry in Motion with Guest Blogger: Margaret Fieland

2012-01-13T11:45:00.005-06:00

Welcome author, blogger, & poet
Margaret Fieland to the Book Boost today!

She's here to discuss writing in a new kind of voice and here's what she had to say...

As a poet, I tend to return to the same subjects over and over. Notably...family, relationships, and (to a lesser extent) the landscape around me. In spite of the fact that these subjects are near and dear to my heart, some recent experiences have shown me that I care about, and am capable of writing poetry about much more.

Last year, I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNo) as well as a chap book challenge that involved writing a poem every day through the month of November. Because I wanted to tie the two together, I invented a poet as part of the novel and wrote the poems in his voice.

The novel is a tween Sci-Fi genre piece and I wanted to bring out the spiritual values of the aliens, and so my poet's work was intended to be one of their sacred texts and contained a fair number of prayers, affirmations, and poems that spoke to the society's values.

I found myself slipping into my imaginary poet's head and despite the fact that I don't usually write spiritual or religious poetry, these works flowed easily and I had no difficulty either deciding on the subject matter or in expressing what I felt would be my poet's values. I ended up with thirty poems, thirty poems about subject matter I cared about deeply, but which, if not for the novel, it would never have occurred me to write about.

This year, I've again created a poet, this time a Terran (human) poet, and this time, also, I find myself slipping easily into my created persona and again, writing about subject matter that I would not normally take up. Constance, my imaginary poet, it appears, is far more political than I am. She has written a number of poems that speak to the chaotic political situation of her time, a hundred years before my novel begins and about a hundred years in our future.

As a poet, I am always striving to extend myself, both in terms of what and how I write my poems. Imagining myself a different person has proven to be a way to do that.

Trying Times

We were meant as a sacrifice to expediency, an excuse to attack the innocent, who meant only to watch over us.

Yet we have ears to hear the silence, the unspoken, the hidden,
the ashes of those sacrificed by corrupt government
on the alter of public policy.

Lies kept the peace. We spoke truth,
we let loose war among ourselves.

What else could we have done?

Want More Margaret?

Visit her on the web here: http://poetic-muselings.net

Pick up a copy of her anthology Lifelines today! Click here.

Take a Hike with Guest Blogger: Nancy Warren

2012-01-11T08:28:00.005-06:00

Welcome award winning author Nancy Warren to the Book Boost!

She's here to reveal her dirty little secret and here's what she had to say...

So, here's is my dirty little secret (a/k/a DLS). Okay, not anywhere near the dirtiest, but it's January which always seems like a time for new beginnings and the end of old bad habits so it's time to fess up.

My DLS is this: for more than twenty years, my New Year's Resolution was the same. It was two, in fact, though I sort of ran them together in my head. They were:

1. Get Fit.
2. Get Organized.

For. Twenty. Years. The same ones.

You'd think a creative writer could come up with something a little fresher every year or five, but no.

Each January would begin with the usual flurry. A few painful jogs. A visit to the steroid factory aka the gym. When my muscles got too sore to work out, I'd turn to part two of the compound resolution. Get organized. I'd dump out a drawer, find that lipstick I thought I'd lost forever, remove the gunked-on lint and crumbs and try and find the cap. Then I'd decide the entire task too overwhelming and simply give up.

However, three years ago, all of that changed. No, actually, part of that changed.

I love to hike. I love being out in the trees and the mountains and here in the pacific northwest we have plenty of those. Also rain, but if you don't want to get wet, stay out of the rain forest. I happen to love rain.

I don't think I'd ever connected doing something I love with my Get Fit resolution. Stupid, I know. I seemed to believe that if there was no pain and seized muscles involved, I wasn't getting anywhere. So, three years ago in October, I joined a local Meet-Up hiking group.

I could have no idea that that simple click of a button could change me life, but it has. I now hike several times every week with a group of like minded souls who have become some of my closest friends. This past summer, two other women from my hiking group and I hiked in the Rockies for nine days.

At some point, I realized to myself, that I am fitter and healthier than I've ever been. I don't have to worry about my weight, the mountains take care of that. And the coolest thing is discovering the connection between hiking and creativity. When you are out hiking (or walking, jogging, swimming, cross country skiing, etc.) something happens. It's a sort of moving meditation for want of a better term. I find story ideas popping up, or thorny plot issues working themselves out as I breathe in the fresh air and make my way up a tough hill. Sure there's effort and sometimes sore muscles involved, but for me, doing something I loved was the secret to fitness.

As for the Get Organized thing, my progress has been, well, not so good. This year, however, I made a slight variation to the old plan. I made a much smaller, daily measurable goal. My New Year's Resolution is to clean off my desk at the end of every day. I figure I can spend a couple of minutes filing, removing candy wrappers (ahem), paying bills, and putting things that have no business in my office (like the glittery change purse and feather earrings my daughter didn't want which I am looking at now) and put them where they belong.

I believe I can do this. And you know what? If I can't, my life will still go on. In spite of chronic disorganization and an office that could feature in its own episode of Hoarders, I have managed to write 45 novels, raise a family, enjoy my friends and live a life.

Maybe the secret to living a happy life isn't to beat yourself up for the things you don't achieve, but to celebrate the things you do.

Maybe the best resolution for all of us is to stop being so hard on ourselves! (But if you happen to hear of a meet-up group of people who like to come to messy people's houses and organize them, sign me up!)

Happy New Year. I think you are fabulous just the way you are.

A Note from the Book Boost: Nancy, I like your way of thinking. You are not alone. Get Fit/Get Organized are always out there looming around the next corner and taunting us with "nanna nanna boo boo". Your hiking adventures sound great and thanks for sharing your story with us today. Please tell us more about your latest book.

Blurb:

There’s nothing pretty about murder.

Meet Toni Diamond, make up artist to middle America. She’s also got a nose for trouble and a passion for solving mysteries. Imagine Columbo in a lavender suit. She never met a woman who wouldn’t look better with a little help from the Lady Bianca line of cosmetics. But don’t be fooled by appearances. Underneath the fake diamonds and the big hair is a sharp brain and a keen eye that sees the details as well as the funny side of life.

When a Lady Bianca sales rep is murdered at the annual convention in Dallas, Toni is the one who notices things that some people, like sexy Detective Luke Marciano, might easily miss. Only someone who understands as much about how to make appearances deceiving could see into the mind of this killer -- a murderer who wants to give Toni a permanent makeover. Into a dead woman.

Excerpt:

Toni stepped forward, squeezing her way through the crush of well-dressed, well-coiffed, well-made-up women. As a fairly senior member of the organization she felt she might be needed. Besides, she was dying to see what was happening.

She ‘scuse me’d her way through the crush of women until she could see. The small conference room, Longhorn C, was where a dozen people could enjoy a breakout session or a meeting.

Yellow crime scene tape stretched across the entrance way but a further half circle of emptiness engulfed the doorway as though an invisible rope held everyone back. By craning her neck she could peek into the room. A flash went off as a guy with a camera took a picture of something on the floor. A technician was dusting the table for fingerprints. Another operated what looked like a black shop vac. His back was to her, his jacket said Crime Scene Investigation.

While she stood there, a woman of about forty in a linen business suit, with her dark hair in a take-me-seriously chignon, emerged from the room. In a low voice, she gave her name to a uniformed officer standing near the door. All Toni could hear was “D.A.’s office,” and then she signed her name on a form held onto a metal clipboard, ducked under the tape and walked briskly toward the escalator. The Lady Bianca reps parted for her the way the Red Sea had parted for Moses.

Inside Longhorn C, a stretcher on wheels stood beside a clump of people in cop uniforms, plain clothes and one portly man with white hair in a black jacket that read Coroner. There was a shift of bodies and a sudden gap and she saw that they were sliding the victim into a body bag.

She only saw the bottom part of the dead woman. Legs in Capri pants, open-toed sandals. Feet in crying need of a pedicure. As they maneuvered the body, a Birkenstock sandal fell off the woman’s foot and a hand wearing a surgical glove picked it up and dropped it into the bag.

She watched a hand zip up the bag but couldn’t hear it over the sound of the vacuum. They hoisted the body onto the gurney and then it rolled slowly out toward the hundreds of silent women, almost like a preview of the funeral procession. If Toni had been wearing a hat she’d have removed it; as it was she tried to think of a suitable prayer or even a bible verse as the body rolled by.

Two young uniformed cops -- one male and one female -- wheeled the gurney in her direction. Behind them walked the coroner wearing a suitably serious face. He sported a white moustache and the erect way he carried himself suggested to her that he’d once been in the military. Walking beside him, talking quietly was a guy in plain clothes who might as well have been in uniform. He had cop written all over him from his short haircut to his watchful eyes to his upright stance.

The black shape passed by where she stood and as she gazed toward it, she realized something obvious.

“That’s not a Lady Bianca rep.”

Want More Nancy?

Nancy is a USA Today bestselling Harlequin and Kensington author who got her big break when she won Harlequin's 2000 Blaze Contest. Her sensuous, humorous romances have won numerous awards and appeared on the Waldenbooks bestseller list.

Visit her website here: http://www.nancywarren.net

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Blogger of the Year Nominee: Margaret West

2012-01-10T08:22:00.007-06:00

Win a Book Bundle from our
talented nominees and
Welcome the second of five special
interviews with our 2011
Book Boost Blogger of the Year Nominees!

Today, we welcome nominated author Margaret West to the blog. We chatted with her recently and asked 21 questions, here's what she had to say...

TBB: How and when did you become a professional author?

MW: I was first published way back in1999, I suppose you could say it was then I was officially professional, but I used to write for various columns before that. I’ve always liked writing. I was always the girl with the biggest project at school (lol) but when I began to work for Eon Productions, who make the James Bond Films, I became fascinated with the scriptwriters and how they put a story together.

I commented that I’d love to write and create people, one of them replied, 'nothings impossible in this world if you put your mind to it.’ So I did put my mind to it and my first novel was written while I was working for that prestigious company.

TBB: What do you find to be the most difficult aspect of writing a book (the creation/concept, writing, achieving publication, sales/promotion, etc…)?

MW: I struggle with promotions and sales. I always have done. Sometimes I feel the book writing is the easy part and nowadays the author does nearly ALL the promotions and the publishers take quite a back seat.

TBB: Which of your books is your favorite and why?

MW: Abigail Cottage, it’s the first book I ever wrote and it was when I worked at Eon and it’s only JUST been published last year. It’s a dark paranormal and shows how my writing has changed over the years.

TBB: If you had to describe that book using ONLY ONE word what would it be?

MW: Inspiring

TBB: Looking back on your writing career thus far, if you could change one thing, what would it be and why?

MW: I would have maybe got an agent. It’s been hard subbing to so many publishers and getting a ton of rejections. Remember, I was subbing before the internet and computers were around lol

TBB: Is there a message imbedded into your stories you hope readers will get? If so, what is it?

MW: Yes. In my latest books every story has a subtle meaning. I make them inspirational, so each reader will gain something from the stories. It might be a fiction book, but some of my characters actions can be related to in the real world.

TBB: What has been your favorite fan letter or fan comment ever?

MW: Actually, I received it not so long ago. A reader said that Abigail Cottage took over their life (lol). Even when she wasn’t reading it, she was thinking about the character and their situation within the story. It made me feel all the effort I put into making the characters three dimensional had worked.

TBB: What is your top writing career goal?

MW: To get my books back into the stores. They used to be, but the publisher I was with folded and now my books are internet based, as my overseas publishers don’t seem to have the connections with the UK stores. Which makes selling them harder.

TBB: Give me one quote (from yourself/by yourself) about being a writer.

MW: "It’s a lonely life, but a consuming one."

TBB: What do you dislike the most about being a writer?

MW: The fact that sometimes people do not realize how hard I work. How much blood sweat and tears go into every facet of my book. That my works just as important as there’s even though they probably get paid a lot more than me lol I’m not just sitting on my backside tapping away at a computer for fun.

It’s my life, it defines me. My work IS me. Oooh don’t get me started (lol).

TBB: What other author would you most like to meet & have lunch with?

MW: Catherine Cookson, Catherine Marchant, and Katie McMullen, all the same person (lol). She was Britain’s most widely read author whose sales topped 100 million. I grew up reading her books. I know she’s not with us now, but it doesn’t mean she is not available for a chat though (lol) but that’s a whole can of worms I won’t go into.

TBB: Who, in your life, is your biggest source of inspiration and why?

MW: It sounds cliché and I don’t want to sound soppy, but it has to be my husband. He is so positive with my writing. He constantly reminds me what a great achievement my books are and that each one is a legacy from me. When I feel down about a book, or the sales are low, he reminds me that being an author is not an easy path, but it’s a path that many would like to walk on and never do. I’m blessed publishers and readers like my books.

TBB: What is your favorite breakfast food?

MW: Chocolate. If that can be classed as food. I eat shed loads of it as it helps me think.

TBB: What is your worst habit?

MW: Biting my nails. If I am stuck in a chapter, they are the first to go.

TBB: What song lyrics get stuck in your head most often?

MW: I’m a bit of a classical fan, and I always play Andrea Bocelli - "Time to say goodbye". I drive my hubby nuts with it, as he knows when that plays I’m in a plot and people are suffering (lol).

TBB: If someone wrote a biography about you, what should the title be?

MW: She Followed a Dream and Found Reality

TBB: If you were a t-shirt, what slogan would appear on you?

MW: "Feed Me Chocolate"

TBB: Favorite place to visit?

MW: The coast. I feel alive, invigorated when I walk near the ocean. Hence why I live near the coast lol

TBB: Favorite time of year (or fave holiday)?

MW: I don’t have one. How sad is that (lol)? It used to be Christmas, but with the children grown up and gone, it’s a bit too commercialized for me now. It will be different again when the grandchildren come (lol).

TBB: If you were a cartoon character, which one would you be and why?

MW: Dorie in Finding Nemo (lol). Because my mind is always in my work, real life seems far too complicated and I am forever making mistakes and forgetting things. My friends always say I have my head in the etheric clouds most of time. I think I have to agree (lol).

TBB: What is your least favorite interview question to be asked?

MW: Usually it’s marketing advice for authors. That’s not my strong point I’m afraid.

TBB: Thanks for joining us today, Margaret and congrats on your nomination. We enjoyed getting to know you better and appreciate your appearance at the blog in 2011.

If you'd like to learn more about Margaret and her books, visit her on the web here:

www.margaretwest.net

And don't forget to pick up a copy of Abigail Cottage, click cover to purchase:

Be sure to check back for our next nominee interview on January 17th with Patricia Pellicane!

Contest Time:

Reminder: The nominees will be counting on your votes to win the Grand Prize and one lucky commenter will receive a gift pack with a book from each nominee (donated by The Book Boost).

So, leave a comment or question for each nominee to increase your odds of winning! Winners announced on Valentine's Day 2012!

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Take a Non-Coffee Break with Guest Blogger: Miriam Newman

2012-01-09T10:48:00.008-06:00

Welcome best selling author
Miriam Newman to the Book Boost!

Here's what she had to say...

This past July, I had a bit of a shock. Now entering my sixties, I’ve always been an active, outdoorsy kind of person. Weight was never an issue; in fact, when I was younger I was on the thin side, probably due to my ceaseless physical activity. Then the writing bug hit. Many long hours at the computer. Lots of coffee. Not a lot of sleep. Sound familiar?

Things kept cropping up. First I was diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes. The eye doctor said it was due to sun exposure. It made using the computer screen a real pain, but I plugged on. Next it was a relatively minor injury to one ankle which turned out not to be so minor. One blood clot, surgery and some physical therapy later, I realized it had taken six months to heal.
OK, I said, this is not normal.

Diabetes runs in my family and although I wasn’t having the usual symptoms, I was suspicious. So off I went to the doctor, asking to be tested even though it wasn’t “time.” When she called me from home on a Saturday morning, I knew the news was bad. My glucose level was three times normal. She couldn’t believe I was still walking around. Well, I was…but not enough, apparently.

The writer’s life was doing me in.

It was time to reorganize that life, if I wanted to keep on having one. Weight gain and inactivity are deadly enemies with this disease, which the Centers for Disease Control says is becoming a worldwide epidemic, and I came out shooting. I learned to balance my carbohydrates and took off 25 pounds in a hurry. No more pizza and Dr. Pepper (sob).

Fortunately I’ve always loved my fruits and veggies, milk, fish and whole grain products. Good thing, too, because that’s pretty much all I ate. Next I got reacquainted with my neighborhood by walking…yes, walking…through it every day, rain or shine. In between chapters, I walked, as much as three times a day. I was putting in about six miles daily.

Free, relatively convenient and surprisingly social. There are a lot of other people out there doing the same thing. My blood sugar dropped over 200 points. I could see again. When the doctor tested me three months after the diagnosis, the test that measures blood sugar levels over the previous three months (which ought to be below 7) was 6.6. It started at 13, mind you (oops).

What WAS I thinking? In a word—writing. It’s the essence of my being, but…and this is a big but…not at any cost. We can joke about the coffee and the chocolate, the flashes of inspiration that keep us up till 5 a.m. writing something that just has to come out, skipping meals and then shoveling in the food because you’re starved, sending out for pizza because you’re on a roll and don’t want to take time to cook. But you know, it’s not a joke. It’s your life.

So don’t take that BICHOK (Butt in Chair, Hand of Keys) thing too literally. Walk. Jog. Take your dog for a spin—he or she will love you for it. Buy a bike…you know, the kind with pedals. Go meet your neighbors on lovely clear mornings; you might be surprised at what they have to share with you.

Watch the sun rise. Check out the stars at night. Rediscover 7-grain waffles with fresh raspberries…apples with natural peanut butter…tilapia broiled with sugar-free marmalade and grated fresh ginger on top…beets roasted in the oven just like a potato . Salads. Seltzer water instead of soda. You may not be eating as much, but by golly you’ll treasure everything you eat.

And it’s so, so nice to get back into old clothes—like a whole new wardrobe you didn’t realize you had.

Fresh organic food—maybe $70 a week. Doctor’s visits—around $90 a pop. Not dying early of preventable complications—priceless. Take care of your body. If you don’t, where will you live?

A Note from the Book Boost: So glad you're doing better now, my friend. You know how I live with diabetes daily as my daughter has Type 1. Unfortunately, she can't control hers by diet and exercise alone but I hope I've instilled good habits in her at an early age nonetheless. Thanks for sharing your story and I'm so happy that you joined us today. Please tell us more about your latest book.

Blurb:

An ambitious young Norman knight, Neel, is seriously wounded at the Battle of Hastings and nursed back to health by a Saxon girl, Rowena. For her, it is only a matter of Christian duty and she is shocked to receive his proposal of marriage in return. She dares not refuse, but how can she love a Norman?

For Neel, Normandy is only a bad memory. His future lies in Rowena’s land and her bed, but he is not welcome in either.

From pastoral Sussex to the furthest reaches of Wales, he will seek to make her his own.

Excerpt:

Fumbling at the gaudy tie, she drew out a necklace of stones like the eyes of a cat. Carefully drilled and strung on a fine wire, they slid through her fingers smoothly.

“They are called topaz,” Neel explained. Stunned, Rowena had neither moved nor spoken.

“They are the color of your eyes. I have given Bryna a gown for you, too. And a head covering.” He smiled at her. “I think you will like ours better. All I ask is that you wear them for Christ’s Mass.”

She remained obdurately silent, but she could not…dared not…refuse. No doubt the gown was Norman. He called her “little Saxon,” yet did not wish her to appear to be one. And perhaps, if Ralf had spoken truly, he was correct and she wasn’t one at all.

“Here,” Neel said as if her acceptance was a given. “Sit beside me and I will put it on you.”

Still mute, she perched rigidly on the edge of the mattress she had shared with him in perfect comfort when he was unconscious. This time he was awake and aware and so was she-- jolted by every nuance as he touched her for the first time.

He was efficient, raising her wild hair with a hand holding its weight, parting it and dropping it forward over both shoulders so that he could fix the clasp of the necklace. She felt the cold, rich stones against her collarbones and heard the tiny snick of the clasp as he put his claim on her.

He lifted her hair back carefully, not catching it in the necklace. But he did not take his hands from her shoulders after he had done it.

She fell back upon manners, drilled into her by Bryna. “I have nothing for you,” she said faintly.

“Then give me a kiss.”

There it was--the trap she had sensed. She could wrest her body from beneath his hands and bolt for the door and he couldn’t stop her, but that was only postponing the inevitable. Slowly, she turned her head to the side, not moving towards him but not moving away.

“Come,” he said softly, inching closer. How was he doing that…hurt as he was?

“Be careful,” she said, ambiguously.

“It’s just a kiss.”

It would be capitulation…unspoken acknowledgement of his ownership. But just as the needs of the body had drawn her to offered food, other needs tempted her, too. Trapped not by his hands but by her own indecision, she made no move to resist as he turned her within their circle, now at her waist. It was an awkward position, though, leaving her in imminent danger of falling off the side of the bed.

“Better hold on,” he said, the devil incarnate. She did, twining her hands in his fine tunic as he spread his palm against her back to support her. The other hand cupped the back of her head. Infinitely gentle, he lowered his face to hers, teasing at her lips.

“Very sweet,” he murmured. It was nothing like she had thought a kiss would be. She had imagined Ralf plunging his tongue into her as Leofric had done…pictured him groping her breast, hurting her, gross and fetid.

It was not like that at all. Neel’s tongue traced the outline of hers lips, slow and enticing, not a bit revolting. When his lips nudged hers gently she opened her mouth, sighing. He kissed her slowly and deeply, a silken invasion that set her heart pounding. Her hold on him increased, involuntarily, and she felt his response in the strength of his hand on her back, fingers splayed, supporting her. Guiding her. He drew her against his chest until she could feel her breasts taut and aching against his warm flesh and started to resist. Immediately, his grip slackened and he lifted his face from hers.

“I’m only playing, little Saxon,” he whispered.

Want More Miriam?

Visit her website here.

Watch the exciting trailer! Click here.

Pick up a copy today! Click here.

The Stand Alone World of Indie Publishing with Guest Blogger: Phyllis A. Humphrey

2012-01-06T08:47:00.005-06:00

Welcome Book Boost featured author
Phyllis Humphrey to the blog!

She's here to discuss her journey into the world of Indie Publishing and here's what she had to say...

I’ve joined the Indie Publishing revolution and am very excited about it. In fact I have put three books up on Amazon within the past month from my back list and have sold five copies already.

Of course, most of my books (but not these three) have been available as e-books from their various publishers for a few years, and usually my royalty statements show more e-book sales than trade paper. But this time I’ve done it myself. Well, hubby did it actually, but I’m technologically illiterate, dontcha know.

The newly-sold e-books are North By Northeast and The Green Bough, both for $2.99, and Once More With Feeling, which I priced at 99 cents to see what would happen. Didn’t I read that some guy sold a million copies of his 99-cent book? Plus the local newspaper book page listed two 99-cent books on their best seller list recently. And they were not by famous writers like Stephen King or Sue Grafton.

Once More With Feeling is the second romance novel I wrote, way back in the early 1980's and was published by Kensington for their short-lived Precious Gems line in the 90's. I set it in San Francisco, where I was living at the time. Two of the characters in the book are 85-year-old twin aunts of the hero, and on two different occasions I was told by readers that they knew those ladies and wondered how I came to know them. The truth was I didn’t. I thought I had invented them. Small world, isn’t it?

Because my hubby did it for me, I can’t boast about how easy it is to self-publish like this, although many other authors have said so. However, reading the blogs of Anne R. Allen, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Dean Wesley Smith, and J.A. Konrath convinced me this is the wave of the future and I hope to be there.

Besides, I have my own horror stories about publishers who literally held my books for years--one for 26 months and another for 35 months--before returning them. Another published my book but went out of business before paying me. Still another wanted the rights for the life of the copyright. (That’s the life of the author, plus seventy years!) I didn’t sign with them: I may be technically challenged, but I’m not stupid.

I also rejected a contract that offered me a “generous” ten percent discount on any of my own books I might buy. And one which charged writers $35 to enter their annual contest, the winner of which might be published. One publisher--a woman--claimed to be suddenly hospitalized and asked her authors to please buy a bunch of books so she could pay that month’s bills. (I fell for that one; found out later she did it every year.) One male publisher wanted to put his name on my book as co-author. Oh no, that was an agent. But my agent stories will have to wait for another day and another blog.

At any rate, whatever happens, I’ve decided I can’t do any worse, and may do better in Indie-land. Stay tuned.

A Note from the Book Boost: Phyllis, your blog was like a breath of fresh air! I love your "can do" attitude. Tech savvy or not you're making strides toward accomplishing your dreams even after all the hurdles you've endured along the way. Good for you! Please tell us more about your latest.

Blurb:

Fresh from three years in America, Englishwoman Elizabeth Shallcross has big plans for her future, and they do not include remaining in England as a lowly governess. She agrees, however, to one last obligation. She must accompany Richard Graham, an American widower, and care for his little girl on a luxurious voyage to America.

Their ship? The Titanic. On the fateful trip, two men vie for her attention. But when the ship strikes an iceberg, who will survive?

Excerpt (edited for length):

“If I’m not being too bold, may I ask if I may assist you further? You seemed to be searching for someone in this crowd. Perhaps I could find a safer place for you to wait?”

Since he was obviously a gentleman, she had no qualms about telling him the circumstances.

“You’re right. I am waiting for someone--Lord and Lady Wheatly--with whom I’ve just returned from America.”

He gave a broad grin. “What a coincidence. I came here today to meet them myself. Are you a relative of the Wheatlys?”

“No.” She decided quickly that explaining her position would be awkward as well as unnecessary and said no more.

“Forgive me.” He touched the brim of his hat. “I should have introduced myself at once. My name is Richard Graham.”

“Elizabeth Shallcross.”

He took her gloved hand in his. “What a delightful coincidence. Since you are a friend of Lady Wheatly, I expect we shall see a great deal of one another in future. I shall look forward to it.”
His smile and the length of time he held her hand in his could mean only one thing. He was flirting with her, obviously wanting to become better acquainted. She’d had admiring glances before and suspected he might, as other men she’d met recently had done, attempt to pursue a closer relationship. His next words confirmed her opinion.

“You say you were with the Wheatlys in America?”

“Yes, I was.”

“I understand the Bennetts are planning a welcome-home party for them. No doubt you will be attending.” Without giving her time to answer, he went on. “If no one is escorting you to the soiree, may I offer my services in that regard?”

Elizabeth felt her cheeks warm. How marvelous it would be to attend such a party, and in Graham’s company at that. But the acceptance she framed in her mind never became spoken words.

An imposing voice--which she recognized at once as belonging to Lord Wheatly--broke the little tete-a-tete and Mr. Graham released Elizabeth’s hand.

“Richard, my boy,” Wheatly said to her companion, “how good of you to come to meet us.”

Almost at once, Lady Wheatly appeared behind her husband, both hands occupied holding onto those of her two children. And behind her, a uniformed steward pushed a heavy-duty cart laden with steamer trunks, boxes and leather bags.

Richard Graham bowed again. “Lady Wheatly. Sir. I took the liberty of engaging a large motorcar for your return to London. The rack on top will hold all your luggage. I hope that meets with your approval.”

“Capital,” Wheatly said. “Very thoughtful of you.”

Penelope, who was eight years old, pulled her hand out of her mother’s and rushed to Elizabeth’s side.

“I see you have met the children’s governess,” Lady Wheatly said to Graham. “Elizabeth Shallcross. But we call her Beth. We somehow lost touch with one another leaving the ship, but it seems you have found her for us.”

After taking Penelope’s hand in hers, Beth looked up at Lady Wheatly. “I’m so sorry if I caused you any worry. I returned to my stateroom for the gift I’d purchased for my mother.”

During her explanation, Beth watched the smile fade from Mr. Graham’s face. She knew exactly what he thought. No doubt an aristocrat, he’d presumed her to be one as well. Now he knew she was only an employee of the Wheatlys’. So much for his offer to be her escort to a party. A knot formed in her midriff. In spite of changing times, the class system was obviously still alive and well in twentieth century England.

A half-hearted smile reappeared on Richard Graham’s face. “Yes, Miss Shallcross and I have met.” He paused. “However, I’m not sure if there will be room in the motorcar...”
Beth spoke again. “I shan’t need a ride back to town, Mr. Graham. I expect my parents will be meeting me here very soon.”

“Admirable,” Lord Wheatly said.

Lady Wheatly leaned toward Beth. “But this is au revoir and not good-bye. You remember we have much to discuss, and I shall expect you to call on us in a day or so. When it is convenient and you’re rested from the crossing.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” She dropped her gaze, unwilling to look at the others any longer. Why had she allowed herself to be enticed even for a moment when Richard Graham introduced himself earlier? She should have known nothing would come of it. She supposed her three years in New York were responsible for such optimism. Little, if any, class consciousness existed there.

“Well, let us be on our way,” Lord Wheatly said. “Richard, is the motorcar nearby?”

Mr. Graham stared at the procession of automobiles threading their way through the slowly-diminishing crowd. “I believe I see it now.” He paused. “Miss Shallcross, a pleasure to meet you.”

She detected no warmth in the smile he gave her then, but she nodded her head for an instant and said nothing.

Both Penelope and Charles, who was six, gave her the polite handshakes she’d taught them to give when greeting or parting from others. She watched them enter the large silver limousine where the steward arranged the luggage on top. She recognized it, from magazine pictures she’d seen, as a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. Seemingly almost as large as a railroad passenger car, it provided plenty of room for her, especially if Mr. Graham were to sit in the front seat with the chauffeur.

But he apparently preferred not to include her, and the steward placed her own steamer trunk at her feet. Although she chafed at the slight, her common sense told her she didn’t want Mr. Graham to see where she lived anyway. She curtsied to Lord and Lady Wheatly, and they, too, climbed into the vehicle. Richard Graham apparently entered from the other side, and she didn’t see him again.

She sighed. Most likely she would never see the man again.

Want More Phyllis?

Visit her website here: http://phyllishumphrey.com/

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Strive for Success with Guest Blogger: Shelly Bell

2012-01-05T07:57:00.007-06:00

Win a $25 Bath and Body Works
Gift Card and meet author
Shelly Bell today at the Book Boost!

Here's what she had to say about her plan for the New Year...

Resolutions No More: Goal Setting for Success

With the New Year come the inevitable resolutions. Topping the list are losing weight and exercising. Unfortunately, most people break their resolutions by the end of the month, if not sooner. Which is why, I no longer make New Year’s resolutions.

To me, a resolution is a decision to do something, i.e., I resolve to lose ten pounds. Instead, I believe in goal setting. Without goals, how can we ever achieve our dreams? But unlike a resolution, goals require you to make a plan of action.

The problem arises when we fail to accomplish our goal. We chastise ourselves for the inability to lose the last ten pounds or exercise five days a week. After our perceived failure, we throw our goal out the window, deciding that because we ate a piece of cake, we might as well eat the whole dessert.

When we make our goal, we need to set up realistic expectations. If you never exercise, don’t set your goal at five days a week. Start with one day a week and expect that occasionally, life will get in the way. After you get comfortable with the one day, add another. Hopefully, exercise will become a habit but if it doesn’t, don’t beat yourself up for it and don’t give up.

The same goes for weight loss. While you should eat a healthy and balanced diet, for most people, it’s acceptable to eat dessert now and then. Just because you enjoyed a piece of cake, doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Accept it and move on. Don’t give in to the temptation of gorging on everything in sight.

Getting healthy must begin with our thoughts. The past few years, I’ve focused not on losing weight, but on eliminating food binges. I’ve eliminated wheat and sugar from my diet and as a result, lost seventy pounds. I’m still not thin. My goal is to obtain a healthy weight and maintain it, regardless of what society and the BMI believe to be an acceptable weight for me. It may take years to achieve my goal but I won’t give up. In the meantime, my blood pressure, cholesterol and sugars are normal without medication. I added back years to my life. That to me is much more important than a number on the scale. In fact, I don’t weigh myself anymore.

I also started exercising with a personal trainer twice a week. I’d love to do it more, but right now, that’s all I can manage. I’ve learned to enjoy weight lifting and pilates, something I never would have tried if I kept my emphasis on weight loss. I can’t believe how flexible I’ve gotten this year!

Each day, I try to eat foods that will make me feel good physically. That means three balanced meals of protein, carbs and fats. Gone are the days when lunch consisted of Peanut M&M’s and Diet Coke. Also gone are those days when I ate pre-packaged meals, drank shakes or starved my body. With a balanced diet, I have the energy to work, play with my children, read a book a day, and write. I never could have done that when my goal was to lose weight.

Of course, I’m not perfect. I sometimes eat a larger portion than I should, so I need to get back to weighing and measuring my food. Not because of my weight but because mentally, I feel better when I take care of myself.

My health goals are simple. Love myself and others with my whole heart. Focus on the positive. Live each day to the fullest. Express my feelings.

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I do set goals year-round and make a plan to achieve my goals. It’s helped me more than with my weight. Last year, I set a goal to write a book. When I finished writing it, I set a goal to work to get it published.

Notice I said work. Whether it was accepted for publication wasn’t up to me, so how could I set it as my goal? What I could do was send out submissions to the publishers. I did the work and it paid off.

My first book, A Year to Remember, will be available on January 31st. It’s about a young woman who resolves to find and marry her soul mate within a year’s time. If only she had set a goal…

A Note from the Book Boost: Congrats on achieving your goals and I wish you much success with your debut release! Your post was very inspirational and thank you so much for joining us today at the Boost. Please tell us a little more about that fabulous book.

Blurb:

When her younger brother marries on her twenty-ninth birthday, food addict Sara Friedman drunkenly vows to three hundred wedding guests to find and marry her soul mate within the year. After her humiliating toast becomes a YouTube sensation, she permits a national morning show to chronicle her search. With the help of best friend Missy, she plunges head first into the shallow end of the dating pool.

Her journey leads her to question the true meaning of soul mates, as she decides between fulfilling her vow to marry before her thirtieth birthday and following her heart’s desire. But before she can make the biggest decision of her life, Sara must begin to take her first steps towards recovery from her addiction to food.

Excerpt:

Plunged into darkness as the door closed behind me, I couldn’t find the light switch. I hit my knee against a chair and groaned from the pain.

The door opened and someone entered the room. I assumed it was Missy coming to rescue me once again.

“I can’t find the light switch, Missy. Do you know where it is?”

Without warning, someone yanked me tightly against his warm, solid body. I heard his slight intake of breath and then he kissed me.

I know I should have fought against it, but whoever he was, he kissed sinfully well. At first, his soft lips whispered lightly against my own, seeking permission. When not only didn’t I stop him, but made a little moan of approval, his tongue caressed my lips until I opened my mouth.

Only then did he allow his tongue to touch mine, first tentatively exploring the hidden depths of my mouth, and then hard and passionately, as though he’d never get enough of me.

He tasted like a heavenly combination of whiskey and cake. His tongue teased mine in sweet caresses, heating my blood to a fevered pitch.

Desperately needing to learn the identity of my mystery man, I lifted my hand to touch his face. He grabbed it away, nibbling on each fingertip then gently brushed his fingers across my cheek. I licked my lips in preparation of more kisses, but instead of kissing me, he spun me around in circles, confusing my sense of balance. As the world tilted on its axis and I tried to regain my bearings, he silently left the room.

For a few minutes, I stood rooted to the spot, attempting to recover from the encounter and craving more from my mystery kisser. Blushing from my response to him, I knew although I never saw his face, I would have made love to him if he asked. Before him, no one in twenty-nine years made my body burn that way.

Suddenly, I remembered the room’s two floor lamps. I floundered around the room until I smacked into one. After finding our coats, I left the synagogue with Missy.

Ending the evening of my twenty-ninth birthday with a kiss from my mysterious suitor should have thrilled me. Instead, I wondered why he (as drunk as I was, I was pretty sure I would have noticed if it was a woman) didn’t unmask his identity.

Was he married?

Self-conscious?

Fifteen or eighty-five years old?

Or even worse, embarrassed to be discovered kissing me?

Want More Shelly?

Visit her website here: www.ShellyBellBooks.com

Pick up a copy of her debut novel on January 31st!
Stay tuned here for details.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Shelly and be entered to win a $25 Bath & Body Works gift card.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Resolutions for a Rad New Year with Guest Blogger: Rachel Firasek

2012-01-04T09:46:00.005-06:00

Welcome back to the BookBoost,

paranormal author, Rachel Firasek!

She's here to tell us about the Top 10 Things She'll Do Different This New Year and here's what she had to say...

Hello everyone, and thanks for having me on the Book Boost today! Kerri is such a sweetie. Here’s my to do better or worse this year!

1. I will not abandon my family this year! Yes, most writers will agree, it’s a fine line between neglect to your family and dedication to your craft.

2. I will clean at least one room in my house at least once a week. (promise I’m not a slob, but I’ve been on deadlines since March.)

3. I will have a schedule so I don’t miss blog posts, deadlines, contest entry dates, etc…. (*ducks and winks and Kerri*)

4. I will learn how to say “No” if I can’t follow through. (*I have a really bad habit of over extending myself*)

5. I will have a writing schedule, with goals—my first year of writing I had 90 day goals, 30 day goals, and a daily writing goal. It was great. This year, I’ve been working against time instead of for it.

6. I will take at least three craft classes. (*Not 10*) I started the year out with 8 workshops. That was almost enough to pay for Nationals—which I didn’t get to. Lol. Several of the classes I took just because I know and like the instructors. Not the best way to spend my $$.

7. I will build stronger relationships with my readers. So, yeah expect to see me on some actual forums. Gah! I’m terrified.

8. I will develop a Twitter schedule and stick to it. I’m horrible about the lovely distraction of the awesomeness of Twitter.

9. I will write 2 full length novels, 3 novellas, and 4 shorts this year. I know, it’s a hefty schedule.

10. I will be a better friend, neighbor, sister, mother, and wife. I know that it will all come together with balance, focus and perseverance.

So, that’s my to-do and improve list. How does yours compare?

A Note from the Book Boost: Sounds a lot like my "to do" list. Big, ambitious goals set for myself for January alone. Here's to a productive and successful year for both of us, my friend! Thanks for stopping by and please tell us about your latest book.

Blurb:

For three hundred years, Arabella’s life has been one meaningless death after another. In a cruel twist of fate, Osiris–god of the Underworld–gifts the phoenix her mortality and returns her voodoo magic. If she fails to harness her wayward magic and save a man worthy of a second chance, she’ll forfeit her power and her soul–forever.

Ex-soldier Greyson Meadows desperately wants to be freed from the nightmares and guilt that haunt him after the tragedy that brought him and Ari together. Confronted by the waif of a woman who forces him to face his worst fears, he resists, fighting the need to keep his personal demons hidden instead of setting them free.

When Ari becomes the target of her own magical blunder, it’s not just her life in danger, but now the one of the man she loves.

Want More Rachel?

Rachel Firasek grew up in the south and despite the gentle pace, she harassed life at full steam. Her curiosity about mythology, human nature, and the chemical imbalance we call love led her to writing. Her stories began with macabre war poems and shifted to enchanted fairytales, before she settled on a blending of the two.

Today you’ll find her tucked on a small parcel of land, surrounded by bleating sheep and barking dogs, with her husband and children. She entertains them all with her wacky sense of humor or animated reenactments of bad 80’s dance moves.

She’s intrigued by anything unexplained and seeks the answers to this crazy thing we call life. You can find her where the heart twists the soul and lights the shadows.

Or, visit her website here: www.rachelfirasek.com

And pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Blogger of the Year Nominee: Lisa Beth Darling

2012-01-03T09:48:00.011-06:00

Win a Book Bundle from our
talented nominees and
Welcome the first of five special
interviews with our 2011
Book Boost Blogger of the Year Nominees!

Today, we welcome nominated author Lisa Beth Darling to the blog. We chatted with her recently and asked 21 questions, here's what she had to say...

TBB: How and when did you become a professional author?

LBD: On the basis of all technicality, I became a professional author sometime around 1989 when my local paper began paying me to submit 'articles of interest' on topics ranging from local politics, federal politics, gun control, religion, and more.

TBB: What do you find to be the most difficult aspect of writing a book (the creation/concept, writing, achieving publication, sales/promotion, etc…)?

LBD: Oddly enough, since losing my job in October and now having oodles of time on my hands to write—something I'd always wanted!—I find gathering up the inspiration is the hardest part. Just the plain desire to even open the file…yeah, I'm spending way too much time on FaceBook these days!

TBB: Which of your books is your favorite and why?

LBD: The Heart of War because the Muse and I just went crazy and did whatever we darn well felt like doing. We didn't have any preconceived notions or expectations, we just had a whole bunch of fun. Lucky us, a lot of people thought it was wicked good fun too and bought a few copies!

TBB: If you had to describe that book using ONLY ONE word what would it be?

LBD: Thrilling

TBB: Looking back on your writing career thus far, if you could change one thing, what would it be and why?

LBD: I'm not one of those people who likes to look back and play 'what if' so, I wouldn't change anything at all.

TBB: Is there a message imbedded into your stories you hope readers will get? If so, what is it?

LBD: I'm not Aesop, I don't tell fables for children, and my stories don't have morals. If there's any message in the things I write it's simply this; no matter what life throws at you or how bad it gets it WILL PASS and there IS light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to hold on and know that you will get there.

TBB: What has been your favorite fan letter or fan comment ever?

LBD: I have two of them and I'll never be able to decide between them. One kind person wrote to tell me that my stories saved their marriage and another kind person wrote and told me that my stories saved her life. She did not commit suicide one night simply because she had to find out what happened to one of my characters. I don't know about anyone else out there but I think those two statements are worth more than silver, gold, or a fat publishing contract.

TBB: What is your top writing career goal?

LBD: Just to tell a good story.

TBB: Give me one quote (from yourself/by yourself) about being a writer.

LBD: "Forward, ever forward."

No matter how little distance I may make in a day, if I've taken at least a few steps forward with a story then I'm a happy camper.

TBB: What do you dislike the most about being a writer?

LBD: Now that I've 'turned pro' I hate grinding the promo wheel the most. It takes so much time away from writing and the creative process that, at the end of the day, sometimes I'm so drained that I can't see the point in trying to write anything.

TBB: What other author would you most like to meet & have lunch with?

LBD: Stephen King!

TBB: Who, in your life, is your biggest source of inspiration and why?

LBD: Life is my biggest source of inspiration, just being here on planet Earth and observing human behavior, which can be quite baffling most of the time.

TBB: What is your favorite breakfast food?

LBD: I don't eat breakfast. Wait, I DO eat breakfast, I just like to have at say 6pm. Scrambled eggs, French toast, bacon, and coffee…please.

TBB: What is your worst habit?

LBD: Most people would probably say smoking but I think it's the pang of self-doubt I struggle with on a daily basis especially since losing my job.

TBB: What song lyrics get stuck in your head most often?

LBD: "Take It To The Limit" by The Eagles

TBB: If someone wrote a biography about you, what should the title be?

LBD: "Crazy Bitch, Good Stories"

TBB: If you were a t-shirt, what slogan would appear on you?

LBD: I AM Viagra

TBB: Favorite place to visit?

LBD: My bed!

TBB: Favorite time of year (or fave holiday)?

LBD: Autumn, my birthday's in October and I just love Halloween.

TBB: If you were a cartoon character, which one would you be and why?

LBD: I don't watch a lot of cartoons anymore but I suppose I'm either 'Sally' from "Peanuts" or 'Velma' from "Scooby-Doo". I'm usually the quiet, gentle, reserved, hippie in any group. Mostly, and I know this isn't a cartoon character, I'm 'Pippin' from "Lord of the Rings"; always getting into trouble with the best of intentions at heart.

TBB: What is your least favorite interview question to be asked?

LBD: I don't really have one but I suppose it's the old 'tell us about yourself'…I never know what to say!

TBB: Thanks for joining us today, Lisa and congrats on your nomination. We enjoyed getting to know you better and appreciate your appearance at the blog in 2011.

If you'd like to learn more about Lisa and her books, visit her on the web here:

http://www.moonsmusings.com/lbdarling

And don't forget to pick up a copy of The Heart of War, click cover to purchase:

Be sure to check back for our next nominee interview on January 10th with Margaret West!

Contest Time:

Reminder: The nominees will be counting on your votes to win the Grand Prize and one lucky commenter will receive a gift pack with a book from each nominee (donated by The Book Boost).

So, leave a comment or question for each nominee to increase your odds of winning! Winners announced on Valentine's Day 2012!

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

The Cure for the Common Cave with Guest Blogger: Liz Crowe

2011-12-30T13:10:00.005-06:00

Win an Amazon.com giftcard &

chat revisions with author Liz Crowe
today at the Book Boost!

The Revision Cave—Not My Happy Place

We all know about the “writing cave.” It’s that special place we go, physical or mental, where our muses gets to play, coaxing out characters, plot points and—at least in my case—sexy scenes that tie together into a lovely package of publishable words.

I like it in there. It’s warm, welcoming, full of chocolate and peanut butter early in the day then delicious, bitter, beers after about 5 p.m. (or 3 p.m. depending on the day).

Next door to this happy place is another cave, full of cold icicles, snarling rodents (I have a thing about rodents) editing balloons that say things like “too passive” and “you can do better than this” or “there are 157 uses of this word. Go back through ans lose some” and even “POV—head hop”.

Me? Head Hop? I think NOT. Oh, yeah, guess I did. Crap.

The revision cave is like the ice bath after a long satisfying run. Brutally painful. But necessary if your writing muscles are to ever fully develop.

I’m in here now (see me, waving frantically from behind a frosted over window before the mean rat-shaped demons yank me away and plunk me back in front of the computer).

I have a lovely story done. One crafted while ensconced in the cozy writing cave. One I subbed, got back with a request for “more,” which made me smile because it meant more time with the chocolate waterfalls and beer. In my eagerness to get this thing back to the requesting editor and meet one of my 2011 writing goals of adding this particular publisher I apparently wrote more POV shifts, passive sentences and repetitive words than the worst writing rookie on the planet.

I am not rookie I assure you, but you can’t tell that by the amount of tracking bubbles attached to this steaming pile of….well, you get me.

But I’ll make it work, given time and enough gut churning coffee—that’s all you get in the revision cave. That and stale crusts of bread to gnaw on.

While I’m in here, let me toss out a new release from Decadent Publishing. Caught Offside is part of the popular 1NightStand series with Decadent. And it allowed me to riff off my extreme obsession with soccer players and their ultra fit bodies while exploring a bit of the male/female dynamic in professional sports.

A Note from the Book Boost: I'm a big "non-fan" of revisions as well. Thanks for joining us over the holidays and for being our last official post of 2011. Won't you tell us more about your latest revision success?

Blurb:

Ramon Castillo, world famous soccer player and international playboy has been brought low by a career-ending injury. After the humiliation of a shattered leg at the World Cup final he has spent a year in surgeries and painful therapies, the last three months of which are at the Castillo resort in Las Vegas under the watchful eye of his cousin, Jackson.

Worried about Ramon’s lack of interest in soccer, women, or in anything much else besides the black jack tables Jackson concocts a plan to bring him out of his funk.

Gillian Winter, catering and banquet manager for the MGM Grand Hotel is nurturing her own deep wounds. Her beloved husband has died unexpectedly, leaving her with a young son whose one dream is to meet his hero: Number 17 on the American National Soccer team, Ramon Castillo.

When a chance encounter in the lobby of the MGM reveals Ramon's presence in their midst, everyone's lives are changed forever. Is real healing possible for Ramon and Gillian after just one night stand?

Excerpt:

“You told her what?” Ramon stared at his cousin in disbelief.

“That you would be meeting her and her son at noon at Soccer Plus.”

“And what the fuck am I supposed to do with them there?” He protested while his body began reacting to the thought of being that close to the gorgeous red head from the MGM lobby. But Jackson had no right to do this. He’d sworn off soccer. All that ridiculous time, energy, money spent, only to get cut down in your prime by a random bullshit event. He turned and started to walk out of Jackson’s office. The hour-long massage had loosened his leg, but his head started to pound at the latest turn of events.

“You will do this. Not because you owe me or anything. But because I’ve just made it a condition of your stay here.”

He gripped the doorknob. Yes, he owed his entire life to the Castillo clan. Born to a drug-addicted prostitute and left to languish in a Cuban-American neighborhood welfare hospital, he’d been adopted by the Castillo family, and Jackson in particular had taken an early interest in the boy’s natural athletic abilities. He’d paid for his early training in the lily-white suburbs, amongst the wealthy soccer moms with their shiny SUVs. The rest could be called soccer history, including this latest ignominious chapter.

His shoulders slumped and he nodded, not turning back to face the man at the desk.

“Okay—but just once. And I am not doing this for her or that kid. I’m doing it for you.”

“That’s fine. But I assure you that you may have met your match with Gillian Winter.”

Suddenly curious in spite of his irritation, he turned. Jackson leaned back in his chair, shiny dress shoes propped on the huge walnut expanse of a desk, one eyebrow cocked.

“Gillian Winter….” He had a sudden flash of realization. She had been the goal keeper for the women’s national team back when he’d still been playing at the under-nineteen level. He’d quickly moved up. But she had left her gold-medal winning team after two brilliant seasons.

“Christ.” He ran a hand over his face, yanked open the door and stomped out. First the pressure to stay in Vegas to take over the semi-pro team Jackson had funded with several other successful resort owners. And now this?

Want More Liz?

Visit her website here: www.brewingpassion.com

Follow her on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/beerwencha2

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Share a story with Liz about your own "revision cave" and be entered to win a $10 Amazon.com gift card!

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Snow Drifts and Lip Lifts with Guest Blogger: Ruth J. Hartman

2011-12-28T11:56:00.009-06:00

Win a copy of Grin and Barrett and
chat with author Ruth J. Hartman
today at the Book Boost!

Here's what she to say...

We’ve just had our first snow of the season. It’s gorgeous! The three inches of white fluff is covering building, yards,and pine trees. Our huge maple trees have a slick, shiny coating of ice that sparkles in the sunlight. And we’re warm and toasty inside.

Most people groan when it gets colder. And even though I love spring and fall, winter does have a positive side. I don’t even mind being snowed in, if there’s no place I have to go. My husband and I, and our two lazy cats, are quite content to hang out in our recliners with our books or watching movies.

I can’t think of anything much better than having Garry sitting near me. And one or both of our cats, Maxwell and Roxy, asleep on the comforter on my lap. The cats curl into warm, purring balls of fur. There’s a small table between our recliners. Plenty of room for drinks, snacks, books, and my kindle. Let’s face it. If I didn’t have to go to the bathroom every now and then, I could be there for hours!

Reading has always been a huge part of my life. And I loved writing in school. Even the dreaded term papers everyone else hated. I didn’t take writing seriously until three years ago, though. In my family, we were encouraged to find a vocation that was more “practical”. So, I’m one of four siblings in health care. I’m a dental hygienist. My sister is a nurse. And we have two brothers. One’s a dentist and one’s a doctor. I love what I do. Well, except for the days when I’m covered in spit and goo from a patient. But three years ago, I realized something was missing.

That something was writing.

And reading is a large part of that process. I didn’t believe that at first. I’d heard that from several writers. But I thought, how in the world can reading what someone else has written benefit my writing? But I found out, it does! It’s not that we writers are stealing ideas from reading what others have written. It’s more, giving your brain some down time from sitting in front of the computer, pounding away at the keys. And when I read, I get to use my imagination in a different way. As I read the words and paragraphs of another writer, I’m forming a picture in my mind of what they’re trying to convey.

Also, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been reading and my mind will hit on some idea that sparked off of a word or scene I’ve read. Again, not copying the writer. I mean, why would I want to do that? I want to use my words. My ideas. But sometimes, you need to get outside yourself. Get someone else’s perspective on something, to help your brain jumpstart back to your own creativity.

So yes, it is December. It is getting colder. But with Garry, our cats, and my books to keep me company, what’s not to like?

A Note from the Book Boost: Your version of "snowed in" sounds absolutely fabulous! Hope you're having a wonderful holiday season and thanks for joining us today at the Boost! Please tell us more about your latest...love the title.

Blurb:

Remmie Grin is a self-sufficient dentist who has her life right where she wants it. That is, until handsome, flirty Dr. Victor Barrett moves in next door. He constantly bugs her about selling her practice to him—but she's not budging. How can she convince him to leave her alone when all she really wants him to do is kiss her again?

Want More Ruth?

Visit her website here:
www.ruthjhartman.blogspot.com

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Ruth and be entered to win an e-copy of Grin and Barrett.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Meet author KC Klein at the Book Boost & Win!

2011-12-23T08:54:00.005-06:00

Win a copy of Dark Future & meet paranormal author KC Klein today at the Boost!

We recently had a chat with KC and here's what she had to say...

TBB: Welcome to the Boost, KC. Tell us, how did you come up with the title for this book?

KC: Great question. I think I used the word Dark because a lot of my book is set in a place called Dark Planet. And I put Future with it since Dark Future has such an ominous feel to it. Even the HEA at the end has a few story threads that aren’t perfectly tied up.

TBB: Makes sense to me. I love the cover, btw. What book are you reading now?

KC: Reading? What’s reading? Seriously, I really don’t have much time to read, but when I do I’m usually reading two to three books at a time. Right now, I am trying to make my way through the fourth book in the Game of Thrones series. This book hasn’t grabbed me like the others, but I have to get through it in order to get to the fifth book, which I hear is great.

TBB: I love series books as well. Right now, I'm on a Lisa Gardner binge reading event for the holidays. Nothing like mixing murder and mistletoe. Ya know? What are you working on next?

KC: Right now, I am finishing up a sci-fi, bodice-ripper, anthology with two other authors. We’re really just having fun and loving just writing to our own rules. It’s very freeing.

TBB: Now that you're "living the dream" as a published author, do you have any advice for other writers?

KC: Put yourself on a schedule and never quit. The road to success is full of ups and downs and at times comes full circle, so never compare your journey to another author’s. When I start to comparing my successes with others is when I lose my joy of writing.

TBB: Do you have any interesting writing quirks?

KC: Not sure if it I interesting or not, but so far I’ve written all my books out long hand. I am trying to break the habit since I need to learn to write faster, but when I get stuck I always go back to paper and pen. More times than not, I can work out the plot points and dialogue better on paper.

TBB: Wow! This stuns me. I cannot image the hand cramps I'd get from doing this. It is bad enough with all the typing. Although, I hear that Stephen King does this handwriting thing too. So, it must work. Which brings us to the question...what do you like to do when you're not writing?

KC: I’m a mom, a wife (isn’t that enough?), and I work outside the home. I also decided long ago that I wasn’t willing to trash my health and my body in the name of becoming an author. So I work out almost every day. As of right now, I just joined a kickboxing gym, and my class starts at 5:15 in the morning. In order to get up at 4:30 on the weekdays, I really have to be organized and disciplined. But really, so much in life comes down to discipline—saving money, working on a marriage, raising kids, losing weight, and yes…even writing a book.

TBB: Very impressive schedule. It is all about time management. Now, if you had to describe this book using ONLY ONE word, what would it be?

KC: Sexy-dark. (I hyphened it so that really is one word.)

TBB: I think that might be cheating but...still good. :-) What has been your biggest reward as an author thus far in your career?

KC: I just received my first fan email. All I can say…wow, way cool.

TBB: I know the feeling. Somehow makes all the sweat and tears worthwhile. Thanks for joining us today at the Boost and please don't forget to leave us with a blurb and excerpt teaser!

KC: I want to say thank you so much to Kerri for asking me to come on Book Boost and talk about my book. The whole debut author thing has been a very exciting, and I’m so glad I get to be a part of it.

Blurb:

Awakened in the middle of the night by a future version of herself, Kris Davenport is given a mission: go forward in time to save the world—and His life. Of course, her future self doesn't tell her who he is, just sends her into an abyss and straight into an alien invasion.

He turns out to be ConRad Smith, the callous, untrusting Commander of Earth’s army and the world’s last defense. There’s only one way to know for sure if this strange woman is an alien spy—slice her throat. Except, he didn’t anticipate the heat he would feel as he interrogates the hot-tempered, warm-blooded woman. For a man whose sole focus has been survival, she's more temptation than he can handle. But a world on the brink of destruction leaves no room for love…and time is running out.

Excerpt:

“Mmm, you taste human. Like salt or more like … warm sunshine?” He pinned me with his gaze. His eyes spoke a primal language. Desire warred with anger; need against punishment.
I looked away. Embarrassed. Violated. His body crushed mine, suffocating in its nearness. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe without crushing my breasts against him. I always considered myself strong and physically fit, but he subdued me with barely any effort. Heart racing, I panicked.

The feeling of no control would break me—complete powerlessness always did. I used whatever weapon was available; whatever maneuvers would give me a fighting chance. This was no different. I turned my head, opened my mouth against his neck, and … sunk my teeth in.

He cursed. Grabbed hold of my shirt, picked me up, and slammed me back against the wall.

A painful whoosh came from my lungs. My vision rocked—brain swished inside my skull.

“You bit me.” He sounded shocked.

My head hurt so bad I had to blink hard to keep my eyes in their sockets. “You licked me,” I shouted back.

He assessed me, aqua blue eyes hooded with thick, long eyelashes, for what seemed like an eternity. “I will ask you one more time. Who are you?”

“I’ve told you everything.” My voice sounded desperate, tired, even to me. “I went running and fell into the dark … I’m a doctor at a hospital. If you don’t believe me, just call them. I’ve worked there for years.”

He stood still, his body hard against mine, creating an insurmountable barrier. His face so close I could see his pupils enlarge, almost hiding the hard blue of his irises. The rage in him lived and breathed. One hand ran along my scalp in a mock caress, grabbed hold of my hair and pulled.

“Liar,” his voice barely a whisper, the knife was back … shaking at my very exposed, very vulnerable artery. “There hasn’t been a hospital anywhere on Earth since the year 2075.” And in one efficient movement, he drew the knife across my throat.

Want More KC?

Visit her website here: www.kckleinbooks.com

Follow her on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/kckleinbooks

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for KC and be entered to win an e-book copy of Dark Future.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Top Ten Things I'll Do Differently in 2012 with Guest Blogger: C.R. Moss

2011-12-22T11:10:00.011-06:00

Welcome author C.R. Moss
to the Boost today!

She's here to discuss her plans for the new year...

Hi everyone! Thank you for joining me here today & thanks to The Book Boost for having me!

It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about the holidays, but about how it’s time to look back at the year that passed and make plans for the upcoming one. I’m here today to discuss the top ten things I’d like to do differently in 2012 and would love to hear from you on what you’d like to change!

10 – Decrease stress / be more forgiving of self
These should occur with ease as the rest of my list happens. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be mindful of my stress level and take measures to make myself relax and not worry so much. And if for some reason I backslide from any of my goals, I need to not freak out about it so much…just get back up on the proverbial horse and get on with things.

9 – Write down my goals
My game plan is in my head, but what I really need to do is write down my goals, post them on my desk where I can see them and keep them in the forefront of my mind.

8 – Utilize social media more
It’d be nice if I could become a bit more chatty on Twitter and other social sites. See reasoning for why I’m not/it’s difficult for me in #6.

7 – Blog a bit more
Along the lines of #8, I’d like to become more open and share my thoughts & life on my blog to help vary it from the interviews, guest posts, and line sharing I already do. But again, see number six as to why this is tough for an individual like me.

6 – More public appearances
Public appearances? Isn’t that what the social media and blogging is about? Well, yes and no. Here I’m talking about getting off-line, out of my comfort zone and being more social in the real world when it comes to my writing career and personal life. I’m an introvert though and being out in the public eye isn’t always the easiest thing. I am making strides in being more visible and getting out there. In 2011, I went to a couple of cons and in 2012 I’m attending a few more.

In March I’ll be at EPICon where there’ll be an eFiesta for booklovers and aspiring authors. Then in June I’ll be at two readers’ events: Arizona Dreamin’ and RomCon. Attending these events is a start. I just hope I don’t freeze like a deer in headlights when I’m in front of people trying to discuss my work. LOL Good thing I’m going to these places with some close friends so I’ll have support.

5 – Get some sun everyday
What can I say, I spend a lot of time inside (too much time actually) at my computer working on stories and doing promotion, which makes me miss the hours that the sun is up and shining. I’ll have to be sure to catch some rays on a regular basis for sunlight’s vitamin D and mood enhancing properties.

4 – Get some exercise everyday
Like I said in number five, I spend a lot of time at the computer which means I spend a lot of time being sedentary. Not good. I really need to be better about this and start walking and weight lifting again to combat the spread. Thing is, there are so many places here in Las Vegas I could go to walk around and people watch at, it’s a wonder I don’t take better advantage of the opportunity. Think of all the research I could do for stories!

3 – Eat better
In line with getting some sun and exercise, I need to eat better foods and not grab junk food when I’m deep into work (or even when I’m not deep into writing). What’s the point of building a prosperous writing career if I’m not feeding the machine properly and being healthy, right?

2 – Write at least five days a week
Confession time… I’m one of those writers who likes to be inspired, at least a little, before I sit down to write. Except this hasn’t been working for me very well. I’ve been writing in spurts, a whole lot at one time then nothing for a while. But to meet my goals, I have to be more consistent. I need to make sure I’m doing something at least five days a week so my series stories can get done.

There’s Wild West Haunting, the next story in the Double D Ranch Tales. The first story, offered through Evernight Publishing, is called Wild West Weekend. I’d like to write another story or so for possible EP anthology submissions following up with the characters in my story Chasing Miss Kringle that’s in EP’s holiday anthology Stockings & Suspenders.

Then there are the next couple of stories in my Sunset series. Book one, Sunset Desires, is tentatively scheduled for release at the beginning of February 2012 for Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand series. Book two, Sunset Heat, is currently in the publisher’s submission queue, and I have two more Sunset stories planned.

Then there are several indie books I’d like to get done as soon as possible, but I have to plant butt in chair and write. And getting the books written will only happen if I write almost every day and keep distractions at bay.

1 - Time management
Can I say it again? Time management… Time management… Time management… Once upon a time, I used to be really good at it. Then again, I also used to be really busy and as ‘they’ say - You want something done? Give it to a busy person. Now that I’m not as busy, my procrastination trait has reared its ugly head. I used to use a palm pilot to help manage my calendar, but now I’m hoping to get my DH’s iPhone when he upgrades to another iPhone so I can use that. For now though, I think I have to go back to the old fashioned way and use lists and a paper calendar.

Yeah, I have Outlook on my computer, and I can use it in conjunction with the old fashioned way, but until I get another handheld I need something I can carry around and take with me places. Time management is in the number one slot because I know if I got a handle on how I use all the hours in the day the rest of my list would fall into place with ease, my life would run more smoothly, and I could get more stories out to my faithful readers.

So how about you? Anything different you’re hoping to do in 2012?

A Note From the Book Boost: A great list that is sure to make 2012 very happy, healthy and productive for you! Wishing you the best in the coming year! Please tell us more about your latest.

Blurb:

Ex-cop turned private investigator, Jack Vorst, is a cynic when it comes to love and a skeptic when it comes to anything paranormal. When his PI partner requests his help on a paranormal investigation to find an elf, Jack thinks it's a joke. It isn't, and he's roped into working on the case.

In his search for the mystical creature, he meets a beautiful woman named Kristina at a local 5k race who starts to change his mind about love, magic and the holidays. Can the spirited woman melt his icy heart and change his outlook on life in time for Christmas?

Excerpt:

A shrug was all I answered with. My sex life shouldn't be a concern of hers or anyone else's. After thirty plus years of living, over a decade of those years with Metro, I understood I had a problem with commitment. Maybe if the right woman came along though.

She'd have to be the right gal for me, the perfect feminine complement to my masculine. Someone who could bring light to the dark corners of my mind, chase away the scattered nightmarish memories and dreams I had on a regular basis. A tall order no doubt.

If she looked like the woman I saw the other day, at the gym in fact, that'd be a great bonus. Calling her a Goddess didn't do the beauty justice. Some might call her amazonish, but not me. Tall, toned, curvaceous women, and red-headed to boot, turned me on. A woman at the gym's front desk had called the auburn-haired, athletic wonder Kristina. Pretty name. That chick was someone I wouldn't mind seeing again and getting to know.

Want More C.R.?

Visit her website here: www.crmoss.net

Follow her blog here: http://www.crmoss.blogspot.com/

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

There are Buy.com coupons available for books.

Holiday Happy Hour: Win 6 months Free Promo!

2011-12-21T11:04:00.004-06:00

Who has money to spend on promotion this time of year? Well, how about a great bargain price that will last you well into the new year and maybe win a whole year of promotion in the process?

Announcing an End of Year Sale for cover ad,
guest blog, and featured author promotion
at the Book Boost Blog!

Current price: $25.00 for 1 ad for 6 months of promotion (swap out cover once per month)

Sale price: $25.00 for 2 ads 6 months of promotion (swap out one or both covers once per month)!

OR $25.00 for 1 ad for 9 months of promotion (swap out cover once per month)!

**Special Bonus Giveaway**: Everyone who purchases one of these packages from us on or before 12/31/2011 will be entered to win a free additional 6 months of FREE promotion at no additional cost! Winner announced 1/1/2012!

Contact with questions: thebookboost@gmail.com

Happy & Healthy Holidays to all,
Kerri
The Book Boost

Mistletoe Mania with Guest Blogger: Melissa Jarvis

2011-12-20T08:09:00.005-06:00

Win an ancient fossil pendant necklace
from history buff and busy author
Melissa Jarvis today at the Boost!

She's here to talk about it all...

The Anything and Everything Under the Tree Blog

For the near Christmas, frantic holiday rush, going out of my mind blog, I looked at the suggestions from the lovely folks at the Book Boost as to what topics to cover. Which reminded me of a quote from author Patrick Dennis: “I always start writing with a clean piece of paper and a dirty mind.”

Bad Weather: Hmmm, I live in Southern California and complaining about rain or when the temp drops below 50 degrees will probably get me drawn and quartered and trussed up like a snowman by everyone in the Midwest and East.

"Hi Neighbor" Month: My husband is antisocial. I think in the 11 years we’ve lived in this neighborhood, we’ve only said hi once or twice. And again, this is Southern California. A friendly expression could get you shot, and not with a camera. (Except that we have enough guns to hold off a major zombie invasion indefinitely.)

Writing Goals: That would be a great subject to talk about if I actually set them. You see, I’m a closet pantser. I like to think I plan, but all I really do are bullet points. No pun intended from the above. I would however, highly recommend plotting especially if you have an uncooperative muse, which mine tends to be. I have to coax her with chocolate and peanut butter, and promises that the five year old will not interrupt that great sex scene again.

Top 10 Things I Would Do Differently Next Year: Ten is not a big enough number. As a publicist, I make my living by writing and promotion, and thought once I was published, that all those years of dealing with the media would give me a tactical advantage (are you sensing a gun theme here?) But although my first book Past Her Time came out this year, I still made rookie mistakes.

I don’t Twitter; I’m not a bird and I tend to be long winded anyways. I did reach out through Facebook, which unfortunately tends to suck the writing well dry coming up with clever status updates. And who can resist all those funny photos? I tried advertising, even though I know the stats on how effective it is and how much money you actually have to spend to reach 1% of your potential audience. Since I’m not a presidential candidate, the advertising campaign was a bust. I also tackled the mighty Amazon, and fought the good rankings war. I wrote hilariously funny blogs like the one you’re reading now (as well as some geeky ones on quantum physics and parallel universes. Hey, I write time travel.)

So what would I change? I’ll let you know next year once the sequel to Past Her Time is out.

Holiday Traditions: I’m from Texas and my husband and his family are from El Salvador. Over the years, there have definitely been some ah, cultural differences and lots of surprises. I had never had tamales for Christmas Eve dinner, and he never had green bean casserole or jellied cranberry sauce (you know the kind that’s comes out of the can shaped just like it?) My family celebrated on Christmas Day and his celebrated Christmas Eve. Now that would be great if we all lived close together, but since my parents are still in Texas, we always have the in-law battle as to where we’re going. I have to say, the airport just does not have the holiday spirit. I think they need a visit from the three Ghosts of Christmas.

I was also unfamiliar with the tradition of the Three Wise Men gift, although my son thinks it’s great—he gets even more presents after Christmas! We’re going to have to add on a new wing to the house to hold all his toys. The spoiling from two sets of grandparents rivals government spending.

So now that I’ve exhausted all the topics, or if you’re hoping I’ll wrap this up (pun intended) I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, wonderful holiday and New Year.

Tell me about your traditions, the weather, what you would do differently in 2012, anything and everything. I’m blessed to have a wonderful family and friends, and to have fulfilled the writing dream this year.

And to celebrate, one lucky commenter will win a beautiful fossil pendant necklace that’s millions of years old. Did I mention I’m a history buff?

A Note from the Book Boost: Melissa, you've exhausted me just reading this! Very clever and thanks for making time for us here during a very busy season. Please tell us more about your book!

Blurb:

Making the world, if not a better place, at least a familiar one. It is the motto of the Lineage, a secret organization founded in the late 22nd century to correct anomalies in history caused by early time-travelers. Comprised of men and women from different time periods, these agents have been highly trained to get in and get out, and stay under the radar.

Agent Alexandra “Alex” Raines has been assigned to 1793 France in the midst of revolution. But she has no time for Gabriel Huntington, a man who doesn’t always follow convention and can’t take even the most obvious hint. After being inadvertently rescued by Lord Huntington, it takes all of her training not to lay him flat on the ground, and all of his not to lay her flat on her back.

For Gabriel, Alexandra was just another damsel in distress, sans dragon. A fashionable gentleman of the London ton, Gabriel’s main concern was the latest way to tie his cravat. Or was it? Just what was he doing in Paris? And was that a mask in his back pocket?

The French Revolution pitted noble against peasant, friend against friend. Thrown together in an elaborate game of cat and mouse, can these two learn to take of the disguises and trust each other? Or will the fate of the world and time travel rest on Alex’s ability to betray the one man she has come to love?

Excerpt:

She could tell him the truth. Although Alex doubted the “saving your ass” part would go over well, and she’d already had one narrow escape today.

The road ahead came into focus, along with her equilibrium. Gabriel slowed their pace from the brisk, can’t-catch-a-breath canter he’d whipped the horse into after clearing the Paris gates.

“I’m rather embarrassed to tell you why I’m out here, ah, alone.” She pushed tangled hair out of her eyes and decided bonnets had their uses after all.

Gabriel didn’t respond.

Alex frowned slightly. She recognized the tactic. Give the subject enough rope or silence, and they’ll hang themselves. “I—I’ve been trying to learn how to drive. I know it’s not considered a very appropriate skill for a lady, but I thought it might be useful.” Half-truths were more plausible than full lies.

He pursed his lips but still didn’t answer.

“It seemed it would be easier to practice outside the city where no one would see me. I didn’t realize how difficult it is, though. I lost control.”

Silence.

Alex attempted a smile. “I—I apologize for the incident back there. The guards are rather difficult these days.”

“Do you leave the city often?” Gabriel asked casually, the first words he’d spoken.

Damn. His trick had worked, and she’d been careless with her tongue. No man had ever flustered her this much or made her, even briefly, forget her duties as an agent for the Lineage. Despite his lazy smiles, this man was sharp.

Want More Melissa?

Visit her website here: www.melissajarvis.net

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Melissa to be entered to win a beautiful fossil pendant necklace.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Haunted Hunting for the Holidays with Guest Blogger: Romulus Crowe

2011-12-19T11:53:00.008-06:00

Win Ghosthunting for the Sensible
Investigator and meet author
Romulus Crowe today at the Book Boost!

He's here to discuss the on-going disputes between the worlds of self publishing and traditional publishing...

I investigate hauntings. I try to capture verifiable evidence of life after death. Naturally, some people scoff at this and say I am wasting my time. Well, it’s my time and I’ll use it how I wish.

The skeptics can be incredibly belligerent and vociferous and I sometimes wonder why they waste so much of their time telling me I’m wasting mine - but again, it’s their time to do with as they please.

Polarization of opinion seems to be the way of the world these days. Everyone either agrees with something absolutely or is violently opposed to it. I am amazed to see that atheism has now become as organized as Catholicism. They even have meetings! I have no religion but I don’t see any need to attack anyone who does, my beliefs are not your beliefs. That’s all part of the rich tapestry of life and if we were all the same it would be a gray world indeed.

This polarization also appears in the world of publishing. Do we try our luck with publishers and agents or do we self-publish? It sounds such a simple option but it has, like religion and atheism, its zealots on both sides. Why does each side insist on berating the other?

There was a time, not so long ago, when self-publishing was a big financial risk. A printer had to pay someone to assemble your book from a tray of metal letters, in reverse, to make print blocks for the pages. That skilled job cost the printer money, as did the metal letters. Then there was the printing, the binding, the covers...

No printer would have considered printing ten copies of a book. To make it worth their while you’d have to have a print run of hundreds and you then risked having boxes full of books you couldn’t sell piled up in your garage. A big financial outlay that might never pay for itself.

Now, all you do is load your book onto the internet and it’s an e-book that’s available within seconds and a print book that anyone can buy one copy of and get it in a few days. You can do this with no financial outlay at all. The big boxes of metal letters are now nothing more than a print file on a computer so although printing one copy still costs more than a mass-produced paperback, the price is no longer prohibitive. The best part is, you don’t have to buy any copies yourself. No boxes of stock cluttering up your house.

This is both a great thing and a big problem for the modern self-publisher. There is no screening, no checking, no editor between the writer and the internet and with no up-front costs, nothing to push a writer into getting their work checked. Some self-published books are absolutely brilliant. Some are a disaster in text and there is everything in between. Finding the carefully-checked and proofread book among a mountain of texts that look as if the letters were dumped on the page by a tornado can be exceptionally difficult.

Traditional publishing employs slush pile readers so the random-spelling manuscripts are screened out at stage one. If the publisher proceeds with the book, they will employ an editor to go through it and check its quality. The editor might ask for large changes, small changes or none at all.

There are advantages to traditional publishing and chief among these are the services of a professional editor, professional cover artist and marketing, all paid by the publisher. The main disadvantage of the traditional route is time.

It takes a long time to write a book and even longer to rewrite it. By the time you finally have it in a form you think is ready to publish, you might have spent a few years on it. Then you have to submit a query and wait three months for a response. If the response is positive, you send in the full manuscript and wait another three months. If it is accepted it can be anything up to a year from there to seeing it in print.

If it’s rejected at any stage, you’re back to square one.

It’s not a game for the impatient. That makes it understandable that some authors want the immediacy of putting their books on the electronic bookstores and seeing that e-book available within a day. The traditionally-published often sneer at such impatience, seeing it as a lazy way out.

However, self-publishing is not an easy route. Those professional editors and artists paid for by publishers are your problem if you want to be the publisher. Either pay them yourself or learn to do it yourself. Then there is marketing.

Yes, you need to do some of this yourself anyway, but if you’re self-publishing then you’re doing it all. Nobody is sending books to reviewers on your behalf. Nobody is mentioning your name at book fairs. Nobody is including your book in advertising. You have to do it all yourself.

Whichever route you take, there is a particular sort of person who succeeds. The determined, perhaps to the point of bloody-mindedness, individual. In the traditional publishing world it’s the author who shrugs off rejection and just keeps writing and submitting who eventually gets through. With self-publishing, the perfectionist and the shameless self-promoter move to the top of the pile.

These people are often the ones with strong opinions and who do not back down when challenged. Perhaps this is why, when the relative merits of the traditional and self-publishing models are discussed, tempers tend to run very high.

Yet it is possible to do both. My own preference for novels is to take the traditional route while short stories and collections are self-published. The reasoning behind this is that I can comfortably self-edit a short story but I prefer a novel to receive the attentions of a professional editor.

With Ghosthunting for the Sensible Investigator, I initially went the self-publishing route because that first edition was very short and because I didn’t really expect it to sell. When it did, I produced a much longer second edition, but still not really enough to interest a traditional publisher. The third edition might be.

We should not be arguing about whether traditional or self-publishing is best. We really should be doing both to the best of our abilities.

As far as I am concerned there really is only one rule. Publication should not cost the writer money. As long as I stick to that one rule I am happy.

A Note from the Book Boost: I agree with you that there are pros and cons to both avenues of publishing. I, myself, have only ventured forth into the traditional world of publishing but I've never closed the door on the possibility of self-pubbing. I salute those who do and do it well. Thanks for joining us. Please tell us more about your ghosty goodness.

Blurb:

In the five years since the first edition there has been no progress at all in research into ghosts and related phenomena.

In fact, it appears that ghosthunting is now more about reality TV and entertainment than about any serious research. Modern 'investigations' seem designed to show off new gadgetry rather than to obtain any form of actual data.

This second edition consists of a collection of essays by an author infuriated by the abandonment of even the most basic of research principles and by the ridiculous insistence that buying more unproven gadgetry will somehow enhance success.

You will not agree with everything in this book. It is not here to be agreed with. It is here to start you thinking like an investigator rather than a TV presenter.

Most of all, it is here to save you money.

Excerpt:

For temperature measurement you will need a thermometer. Since you will want to examine cold spots, the laser-aimed digital thermometer is no use. The cold spot is in the air and those thermometers do not measure air temperature. Where that laser dot lands, that is what you are measuring. Not the air in between.

If the first solid object is some way off then the temperature reported by the device is the average over a circle of measurement that gets bigger the further away you are. The bigger that circle, the more inaccurate the measurement because moving the thermometer even a little will give you a different average. Their measurement range does not conveniently stop where you want it to.

Another reason to be careful of such devices is safety. The laser in the handset is perfectly capable of damaging someone’s sight so waving that thing around in the dark can be dangerous to any co-workers there with you. Make sure you know there’s nobody in the way before you use it.

These thermometers are useful for measuring surface temperatures but for cold spots in the air they are of no use at all. A better option is a digital thermometer with a probe on a cable, the sort you can buy very cheaply for use in greenhouses and aquaria. They are only accurate to around +/- 2°C but that’s good enough. Remember you are looking for a change in temperature rather than the absolute temperature and even the cheap devices will give you the difference between one point in the air and another point.

Don’t hold the probe with your fingers. Tape it to something you can hold out in one hand while watching the thermometer reading. An extendable rod, such as a car aerial, is ideal because you can extend it when you need it and put it in your pocket when you don’t. Have the probe out of your pocket for some time before using it so that it’s not warmed by your body and is closer to room temperature. Also, when fixing the probe to a metal carrier such as an aerial, insulate it from the metal with a foam pad or anything that doesn’t conduct heat too quickly.

This gives you a reading of the air around the probe. You can tell exactly where you are taking the reading. It can take a little while to stabilise so don’t wave it around like some manic orchestral conductor. Take your time. Get a reading in the cold spot and to either side and write them down. Record your results so you can analyse them later. Note where the cold spot is as accurately as you can so you can check maps for underground water courses, supplies or drains, and check back in daylight for draughts.

A vague statement of ‘it was a bit cold at one point in one of the rooms’ impresses nobody and more importantly, proves nothing.

Want More Romulus?

Follow his blog here: http://romuluscrowe.blogspot.com/

Pick up a copy of his first edition here.

Or, click here to upgrade to the second edition.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Romulus and be entered to win signed copies of both the first and second editions of Ghosthunting for the Sensible Investigator (one winner).

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Meet Musa Publishing today at the Book Boost!

2011-12-16T09:36:00.006-06:00

Meet Musa Publishing's Dominique Eastwick
and win a copy of Shifting Hearts
today at the Book Boost!

Here's what she had to say...

Starting Your Own Publishing Company…Oh My!

Back in August four women were throwing around an idea, we were working our tails off for a publishing company and although we were making a difference it was still someone else’s company, someone else’s baby and well someone else’s rules. So we were playing the “what if” game. What if we had our own company. What if we could run this our way? Fate and circumstances allowed us just that.

Musa Publishing was born.

With little more than 2 months in our pocket the four of us, Celina Summers, Kelly Shorten, Kerry Mand and I took the plunge head first into the waters of E-publishing. All of us had years of experience behind us in one way or another, Celina as an editor and author, Kelly as a webmaster and Book designer, Kerry as a bookkeeper and office manager, and me both as promotions and an author.

But we wanted a concept that we hoped was uniquely our own. Total transparency in everything we do. From, up to the minute sales, to open communications with our authors, editors and interns, we wanted everyone to know what we were doing and where the company was going. We wanted the authors to feel like they were a part of something they could be proud of and wanted to promote. We wanted the feeling of family.

We have hit brick walls at places and it’s not always been smooth sailing. We are learning some new ropes but what makes this work is that the four directors are like the four corners of a building, without one the building is weakened. We hold each other up and support each other’s decisions. We are open about what are concerns are and supportive of a difference of opinion. Four women whom only two have ever met face to face have created a company that we hope will be a contender in the years to come.

Musa has 9 imprints (all named after the Muses) including an e-Mag Penumbra. With Genres running from Romance, Regency, to Mystery and Speculative Fiction, and let us not forget the YA Imprint Euterpe. There is truly something for every reader.

What advice would I give to a reader or author looking at starting their own company?

Be passionate, do your homework, know your market, and be prepared to work long hours for a long time. We didn’t go into Musa expecting to make it rich, we went into it expecting to create a publishing experience that was a good one for the authors, editors and staff. That is the payoff for us in the end.

Musa Publishing is proud to announce its Shared world Series The Wiccan Haus. The first book Shifting Hearts was released in November. If you are unfamiliar with a shared world it’s a series that many authors will add to. So every story is written by a new author (though some authors will return to add more stories).

If you are interested in writing for The Wiccan Haus series please email us at wiccanhaus (at) Musapublishing (dot) com to get your copy of the guildelines to help you understand the world and characters within it.

A Note from the Book Boost: This new publishing venture and new series both sound phenomenal. I am so happy for you, my friend. Best of luck on your new endeavors! Please tell us more about the first book.

Blurb:

The Wiccan Haus 1: Shifting Hearts

Sometimes it takes losing everything to find the one thing you need.

The last of his kind…

Rekkus is the last of the great Black Tiger weres and he is happy to stay that way. Working as security for the Wiccan Haus, a magical spa for inner healing, he has enough danger – and women – to keep him busy. Unfortunately, the Fates are not content with him being comfortable.

Alone and discouraged…

Dana has walked away from all she has known, her fiancé, family, apartment, and job. Now, having a ticket to the Wiccan Haus may be the only way she can move on. But what she finds isn’t what she expects, nor is it what she thought she was looking for.

Meet the unusual residents of the Wiccan Haus. The staff can get a little hairy and not all of the guests eat what’s served in the dining hall. But the proprietors always do what they can to make the resort into a place of healing and peace, using all of their years of practice. At the Haus, where humans and Paras reside side-by-side, everyone in need of the Rowan siblings’ services are welcome.

Want More Dominique?

Visit her blog here: http://dominiqueeastwick.blogspot.com

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Want More Musa?

Visit the website here: http://www.musapublishing.com/

Follow their blog here: http://musapublishing.blogspot.com/

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Dominique and be entered to win a copy of Shifting Hearts.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Meet Hurricane series Author Jenna-Lynne Duncan today at the Boost!

2011-12-15T06:32:00.007-06:00

Author Jenna-Lynne Duncan "dropped" by recently and here's what she had to say...

TBB: Jenna, where are you from?

JLD: I am from New Orleans but currently in Minnesota.

TBB: I love New Orleans and can't wait for my upcoming trip there this spring. How did you come up with the title for this book? Was it inspired by the events of Katrina?

JLD: Hurricane was the working title and it just fit perfectly. The title has a double entendre which refers to both the hurricane that hit New Orleans in 2005 and more importantly, the main character’s life.

TBB: What was your first reaction when you found out that you were going to be published?

JLD: To know that I would have to go back in time and pull myself out of the dream-like state I was in! It was all just so surreal and everything happened so fast.

TBB: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

JLD: I really wanted to be a doctor and veterinarian. I love helping people and I love animals. Of course, in reality, to be able to become a doctor and a veterinarian I would have had to have gone to school for like fifteen consecutive years. But those dreams were killed when I took high school Anatomy. Let’s just say I don’t do well with blood and after dissecting a chicken wing, I am now a vegetarian!

TBB: I know what you mean--I'm a big fan of the veggies myself. But I think your readers will be glad you chose writing instead of medicine. What are you working on now?

JLD: I have almost completed the second novel in the series as well as another YA novel. Hurricane #2 (title not yet released) should be available sometime in 2012. In the meantime, I am planning on releasing short stories/novellas that my fans can read for free.

TBB: Fans love free stuff. Plus it is a great way to attract new readers who might not have had a chance to check out your work. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

JLD: I am spending time with my family, traveling, and reading.

TBB: I wish I had more time for traveling as well. To close up the questions, give us a quote about being a writer.

JLD: “Just write”. It’s simple yet good advice. Sometimes you can’t worry about plot, grammar or editing, you just have to sit and write it out. It is the literary version of Nike’s “Just do it” slogan!

TBB: I like it. Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers?

JLD: Thank you so much for your interest and support in my new series, Hurricane. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to charity, Habitat for Humanity New Orleans. Being an author isn’t easy, but it is all worth it to know how many of you love Ana, Hayden, and Luke’s story. I love to hear from my readers and you may contact me through my website or email. Thanks again, y’all!

TBB: That sounds great. Thanks for joining us and please share a blurb and excerpt with us before you go!

Blurb:

Hurricane is a paranormal romance novel for young adults. It follows Adriana Alexander, a high school teen whose dreams predict the future. When her dream of two mysterious brothers attending her school comes true, she makes it her goal to figure out the brothers’ secret.

What she didn’t predict was that the brothers would kidnap her on the eve of Hurricane Katrina. The book chronicles the trio’s evacuation from New Orleans, complete with a touch of voodoo and a vengeful ghost, and Adriana’s eventual return to the devastated city she loves.

Excerpt:

“When I woke, Hayden hovered over me. I was outside, lying on the hard gravel of an unpaved country road.

“What purpose does this serve?” Luke spit as he leaned against the front of the truck.

“Quiet. She just needs some fresh air.” Hayden was kneeling down beside me, his body so close I could feel the sweet heat of his breath as he spoke. I didn’t want to move, but I couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation. I was being kidnapped and heading deeper into the swamp, where it was likely my body would never be found. The alligators would eat my remains, and soon there would be nothing left of me. I could see the headlines in the fictional newspapers in my head. I didn’t hesitate to think out an escape plan. Before I knew it, I was on my bare feet taking off in the other direction. I didn’t think about the alligators that were likely in the water next to me. I just knew I had to get to the main road.

“She’s running away?” I heard Hayden say in a surprising tone.

“Go get her!” Luke yelled from behind me. “

Want More Jenna-Lynne?

Visit her website here: www.Jenna-Lynne.com

Follow her on Twitter here:
www.Twitter.com/JennaLynneD

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Relationship Success with Your Book with Guest Blogger: Stephan Labossiere

2011-12-14T08:23:00.008-06:00

Welcome author and relationship expert,
Stephan Labossiere, to the Book Boost!

Here's what he had to say...

It’s Not Their Book, It’s YOUR Book.

So you finally achieved your dream of publishing a book. It has been a long time coming, and you are just happy and relieved to finally complete this project. You’re excited to get people to read your work, and you continuously envision become a best seller and have great success. Then you realize you still have a lot of work to do. This book is not just going to sell itself. Proper promotion has to be put in place to really get this moving. You figure getting things started shouldn’t be too hard because maybe you have a publisher who you think will help. Maybe you have a connection or two that may be able to get your book in the right place. Maybe you just have a large group of friends and family and you’re sure they will support you and get your book to the top.

Guess what? It is not enough. Yes, those things I mentioned above can contribute to your success, but you can’t just count on that. Your book may be amazing, and have a catchy title, but still you can't rest your head on that. At the end of day your books success will be determined on how much YOU push it and how much of the necessary work YOU put in. All the tips and tricks in the world can’t help you if you do not take the time to implement them. All the possible connections are pointless if you don’t stay on top of things and present yourself properly.

I see many people that think "now that the book is out, let me the sit back and let the greatness of the book pull people in." You’re in an industry that has millions of other people putting out “greatness” what makes you think that doing just that will be enough? You have got to be focused, determined, and believe in your work. This also means that just because things do not go as planned early on that you abandon the whole project. There are so many success stories of people who had to struggle to have their work accepted, but they kept pushing and eventually had their breakthrough.

There are so many ways to promote your book and get the exposure you need to put you on the path to success. You can blog, use a press release distribution service, set up blog tours, book signings, social networking, and more. No matter which route you decide to take, it will still come down to one important factor and that is YOU. You can’t rely on the idea that everyone is going to help you out, you must help yourself out first and then you will see more people that will be willing to lend a hand. This is nobody’s books but yours, so believe in what you set out to do and hold yourself accountable for what needs to be done.

A Note from the Book Boost: Promotion for your book is hard work indeed--perhaps the toughest part of the industry today. Wish you much success on your tour and thanks for joining us today at the Boost!

Blurb:

“Just tell me yes…”, is exactly what men all over the world are thinking when they are desperately trying to get intimate with their wives, but are only met with excuse after excuse and rejection after rejection.

Women typically want their men to just “know” what they want or figure it out on their own; so men are left being set up to fail because they are near clueless in regards to what their women are truly looking for. Due to not truly understanding women, both men and women are left with a lack of intimacy and ultimately unfulfilling relationships.

“How to get a married woman to have sex with you…….if you’re her husband” is a revealing book that seeks to bring to light what a lot of women don’t tell their husbands. It is designed to offer a look into what women really need from their men, and help men be better husbands while also getting the sexual benefits they are desperately hoping for.

Excerpt:

One of the biggest reasons that leave men wishing they could turn back the hands of time is LACK OF SEX!

Now I bolded that word to make sure that any women reading would truly get that this is urgent. I mean really, if you don’t give your husband some action soon his “friend” might just wither away and turn to dust, and that’s just not nice women. Really, this is an important issue that a lot of marriages are faced with, and to be honest with you most men have just accepted that it’s a part of the program.

They have utterly given up on trying to figure this out. They honestly start to believe that their wives just don’t like sex and there is nothing they can do about it. Well I’m here to tell you there is hope. In this book lies the key, or shall I say keys to unlocking this mystery. Before we get into showing you the light at the end of the tunnel I think there are some important things you’re going to have to realize before we continue.

1. Fear Is Powerful: No I am not trying to insinuate using scare tactics to get the results that you want. Though she may be prone to doing this (ex: withholding sex, threatening to poison your meals) it is not the route you should take. What I am referring to here is that whether you realize it or not and whether she has accepted it or not, a lot of women are scared. Scared to open up and completely let you into her heart.

Some of you may be saying, but I thought this was just about sex. NEWS FLASH: Sex for a lot of women isn’t that simple. We can debate whether it should or shouldn’t be, but the fact remains this is the reality in a lot of situations. Her fear of exposing herself and therefore putting herself in a vulnerable position is neither appealing nor is it comfortable. She may have been through emotionally traumatizing experiences or simply have a negative view of men based on what she has seen or heard. The truth is a lot of women believe that a man doing something to hurt them is inevitable and they will take whatever necessary precautions to protect themselves.

Being her husband does not exempt you from this belief so don’t think you’re different. Just understand this issue so that you may approach things properly, and delicately. You can never personally remove the fear from her yourself; it will be on her to do that. You can however, help to decrease or completely eliminate it over time. This book will help you with some of those aspects, but you must have patience.

Want More Stephan?

Visit his website here: www.stephanl.com

Follow his blog here: www.stephanspeaks.com

Pick up a copy of his book today! Click here.

The Mystery & History Behind a Story with Guest Blogger: Chuck Waldron

2011-12-13T10:20:00.005-06:00

Win an autographed copy
of Tears In the Dust and
meet author Chuck Waldron
today at the Book Boost!

Here's what he had to say...

You Can Judge A Book By The Cover

Anonymous once said, “the beginning is easy, what happens next is much harder.”

For me, it started with a short story and ended with three novels. In between came the part I call writer’s sweat. We writers know the agony of staring at a blank page, waiting for exactly the right words. English author Neil Gaiman said, “This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It's that easy, and that hard.”

Then comes the magic, the moment our story comes to life and we want to share it with readers.

The writing seemed like the hard work, right?

Writing is the fun part of the journey for me and turned out to be the easiest part of my journey in connecting with readers. When I finished my first novel I sat back with a smile of celebration, unprepared for the steps that followed.

Editing and rewriting is demanding, tedious and absolutely necessary. In spite of the hours spent on that task it was worth the effort. I wish I had a time sheet of the hours spent pitching manuscripts to agents and publishers and it’s not a secret that emerging authors have a difficult time getting a foot in the door.

Many of us are now becoming indie authors, choosing to self-publish. As self-publishing gains respectability it’s important to make sure the interior content is well edited and has a good look. All that hard work demands not only a good cover, but a great cover.

Tears in the Dust was my first novel. Whatever prompted the idea to write it is long lost to memory. The setting was 1937, during the time of the Spanish Civil War. The story stretched from Vermont, through Canada, to Texas, on to Spain, ending in Canada. The story featured a man hounded by a detective.

That was some challenge for the cover designer. She looked at the elements of the story and came up with a moody look with a man seen through the lens of a magnifying glass, the perfect reference for detecting clues. The cover hinted at a car that was suitable to that era.

The cover is vital. It needs to reach out and grab attention.

In Julius Caesar, Brutus made what was called the unkindest cut of all. From a writer’s point of view, marketing is the hardest part of all. Few writers are born marketers and have the knowledge of, and talent for, marketing. Yet we are expected to market our novel, like actors thrust on stage, without a script.

It takes courage to walk into a bookstore for the first time, not to buy a book, but to ask them to sell one. Then there is the reminder that we sell books one-at-a-time, the old fashioned way. It is a joy to meet a new reader, autograph a book, and then hear back how much the story was enjoyed.

For those of us with limited funds we just don’t have the resources for expensive advertising and book tours.

Thanks to sources like The Book Boost a soon-to-be-famous author like Chuck Waldron can reach out to new readers. I am grateful for my time here at the Book Boost and encourage you to judge my book, Tears in the Dust, by the cover. Then sit back and enjoy the read. My joy of writing is only half of the process. The important half is when you are entertained.

A Note from the Book Boost: I've been on the same journey, Chuck. I can totally relate to the trials, tribulations, and ultimately the joy of seeing your book come to life. Thanks for joining us today and Congrats on the debut release. Please tell us more about your story.

Blurb:

Tears in the Dust is a contemporary novel with gleams of hope intertwined within the despair of life. Alestair “Alec” Ferguson beings a journey as a young man, off to enlist in the Spanish Civil War in 1937.

Samuel T. Harrison is a dark and warped detective. He is the dark and violent nemesis who makes his way into the ranks of the detective agency where his boss uses his violent talents. People disappear whenever Harrison comes to town.

The story chronicles Alec’s journey to Spain to fight in a war filled with personal loss and disillusionment. While in Spain, Alec falls in love with Tamarah, a convoy drive for the International Brigade. The war takes a heavy toll on Alec, and he learns just how high the cost of war can be. Disheartened, Alec fights on despite the damage done to his once strongly held beliefs.

When Alec returns to his home in Vermont, seeking healing and the redemption of his ideals, what he finds there instead, causes him to flee to Canada and live the rest of his life under a false identity.

But, no matter how far he goes, Alec cannot outrun Harrison, who pursues him through years and countries, only to catch up with him in a stunning conclusion to the story.

Excerpt:

I turned to watch a truck slowly moving down the road, clouds of dust spraying into the summer heat. Behind that truck, I saw four other trucks following. At last, the lead truck came to a stop, brakes complaining with a harsh grinding sound.

When the dust found a place to settle, a woman in blue coveralls stepped out of the cab and my life changed forever. I watched her put a foot up on the running board to retie her boot, and when she straightened up, pulled a cloth out of an upper pocket and rubbed the sweat from her face. She turned around and looked directly at me.

I returned her look with an intensity that made her uneasy. I had my pack over one shoulder and was carrying my rifle casually in my right hand. She would later tell me that she had never seen such intensity in someone's eyes before. But that came much later.

I watched as she turned back to the truck and reached into the cab, pulling a clipboard from the seat.

She turned and shouted, “Up and in you lazy bastards, your ride is here!”

Her voice let slip one of the many accents I was growing accustomed to hearing in the International Brigade. However, I couldn’t place the accent, and simply waited there, sweating and swaying in the sun.

I had heard something else in her voice when she shouted—the sound of humor, a voice that conveyed sympathy and understanding. We men took no exception to her comment about being lazy bastards. We had heard that time and again from much lesser people.

I didn’t know why at the time, but for some reason, she turned to me. I was still staring wordlessly at her when she said, “You can ride up in the cab if you want.”

Want More Chuck?

Visit his website here: www.chuckwaldron.com

Follow his blog here:
http://chuckwaldron.blogspot.com

Pick up a copy of his book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Chuck and be entered to win an autographed copy of Tears in the Dust.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

First Degree Innocence with Guest Author: Ginger Simpson

2011-12-12T11:31:00.004-06:00

Welcome author Ginger Simpson
to the Boost today!

She's here to give us a teaser for her book First Degree Innocence...

Blurb:

Carrie Lang's insistence of innocence falls on deaf ears. Even her fellow inmates don’t believe her as it’s a claim they all make. Alone in the world, she has no one to turn to for help, and not a single soul to campaign for her freedom…at least until she makes a valuable friend. In the meantime, a plan for retribution is brewing, and naïve Carrie finds herself smack dab in the middle of an evil scheme concocted by the prison bully.

A ten year sentence seems mild when she’s threatened with death for refusing to participate. Can Carrie find a way out of this horrible nightmare, or is she destined to spend her days locked in terror, isolation, and the cold gray interior of prison walls?

Excerpt:

“Okay, Lang, strip!” The guard’s bark made Carrie’s stomach roil. She cowered in the corner of the women’s processing area, shivering under the blast of cold air from the ceiling vent.

“I said strip! Don’t make me have to tell you again.” The pudgy, uniformed female slapped a baton against her palm in a constant rhythm. In the empty room, the sound bounced off the depressing gray cement walls and echoed in Carrie’s head. She forced herself to take a faltering step out of her shoes. Her frigid fingers fumbled with the buttons as she struggled to remove her favorite pink cotton blouse. She unfastened her jeans and let them drop to the floor, then gazed through bleary eyes at the other woman, praying she didn’t require the removal of anything more.

“This is all a big mistake. I shouldn’t be here.” Carrie’s voice trembled. “Honestly, I’m innocent.”

With deeply-furrowed skin and graying hair, the guard looked well past fifty. She walked closer, stopping when her face was only inches from Carrie’s. “Do you have any idea how often I hear that in here?” Her breath reeked of cigarette smoke, and Carrie wrinkled her nose and turned her head. How could someone she’d never met hate her so much already? Was there even an ounce of compassion buried beneath that deep sneer?

The older woman pressed the edge of her baton against Carrie’s jawbone and forced her face forward. Her stomach clenched. Evil gleaming in her eyes, the guard delved the wooden stick under Carrie’s bra strap, slowly guiding the silky string off her shoulder and down her arm. Gooseflesh peppered her skin and she shivered.

“Stripping means everything, inmate Lang. Panties, too, sweetheart. Move it! I’m a busy person, so quit wasting my time.” The matron strode to the other side of the room, leaned against the wall, and ogled Carrie while she finished undressing.

Lowering her head, she dropped her bra atop the pile on the floor then kicked her panties off next to it. Feeling the cold invade every pore, she wrapped her arms around her upper body. Threatening tears blurred her eyes, but she squeezed her lids together and tilted her head toward the ugly pipes snaking across the ceiling. Oh Lord, what did I do to deserve this? Please, help me. You’re my last hope. “Praying are you?” the gravelly voice taunted. “It’s a little late for that. Put those hands down to your sides and look to the front, missy.”

Want More Ginger?

Visit her website here: http://www.gingersimpson.com

Follow her blog here: http://mizging.blogspot.com

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Brain Teasers with Guest Blogger: Kelley York

2011-12-08T08:41:00.006-06:00

Welcome Entangled author Kelley York to the Boost!

She's here to discuss the internal dynamics of her characters and here's what she had to say...

What Makes them Tick

I'll admit being drawn to characters in books (Cole St Clair from Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver series, Will from Brother/Sister), movies, and even celebrities (John Lennon) who are so terribly broken in the head. I love picking apart a character to figure out what makes their brain tick. I could write and write and write about my theories on Lennon suffering from paranoia and borderline personality disorder, or Cole St. Clair's narcissism and Will’s massive paranoia.

Which means when it comes time to build my own characters, I do this, too. Either I know ahead of time my character has had this specific bit of trauma or event in their past and I'll have to figure out how I feel it will shape them in later years, or I realize my character has a tendency toward certain actions—codependency, "clinginess", fear of abandonment, anger issues, depression—I want to analyze why. I want to figure out what it is that made them that way.

Of course, I'm no pro, but this is where the internet and (gasp!) books are your friend and research is essential.

Not that I'm saying every character ought to have some kind of dysfunction about their personality. But, let's face it; we all have our ticks and habits, in part shaped by our growing up experiences.

The fascinating thing about psychology, though, is that two different people can grow up in the same environment, but turn out entirely different. A pair of siblings dealing with abusive parents won't necessarily end up exactly alike. One might lash out wildly and repeat many of the same mistakes her parents made with her own children. The other sibling might have withdrawn into herself, dealing with her feelings of resentment and anger internally. They might both have problems, but the way they handle it and the way they grow from their experiences can differ greatly. (Trust me, I've seen examples of this and it really does amaze me.)

In the case of Hushed, with Archer, his personality was both fun and tricky to dissect. I'd originally intended in going a slightly different direction with him. Archer started out as far more manipulative, scathing, and angry. Many traits that eventually went off and became Vivian's instead. Archer became the one who internalized his anger and hurt and felt the only way to alleviate his own guilt and pain was to take care of everyone around him. Vivian became the one who lashed out with it and brought hell to everyone around her. If she was hurting, everyone else needed to hurt, too.

Evan was meant to be the middle ground. A little on the shy side, sure, but otherwise typical. In this case, typical, 'normal,' is precisely what someone like Archer needed to balance his insecurities and uncertainties. For Vivian? Well, she might've been able to find someone capable of handling her, but until she got some serious mental help, the types of boys she's drawn to will stick her in an endless cycle of abusive relationships. Effectively, an endless loop she's pretty doomed to repeat until she—or someone else—can put the brakes on. Something Archer tried to do, but ultimately he spent his years running alongside her instead of stopping her.

Hushed started out as a story about a boy who killed people for the girl he loved. Everything else fell into place when I delved deeper to find out his reasons, his background, and what (or who) could redeem him.

I think every good novel idea starts out with an intriguing 'about.' "This story is about someone who does this..."

What turns it into a good story is when you stop to ask and explore "Why?"

A Note from the Book Boost: Kelley, this story sounds very intriguing. I love delving into the psychology and psychosis of characters. Thanks for the post and please tell us more about the book.

Blurb:

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached.

The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants…

And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

Want More Kelley?

Kelley was born and raised in central California, where she still resides with her lovely wife, daughter, and an abundance of pets. (Although she does fantasize about moving across the globe to Ireland.) She has a fascination with bells, adores all things furry - be them squeaky, barky or meow-y - is a lover of video games, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she's a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or maybe a mermaid.

Within young adult, she enjoys writing and reading a variety of genres from contemporary with a unique twist, psychological thrillers, paranormal/urban fantasy and horror. She loves stories where character development takes center stage.

Visit her website here: http://www.kelley-york.com

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Eternal Youth with Guest Blogger: Veronica Blade

2011-12-07T10:30:00.006-06:00

Meet featured author Veronica Blade today at the Book Boost!

Here's what she had to say about her latest addiction...

Until a couple years ago, I’d only ever read novels for “grownups,” with the exception of Harry Potter. As a teen, I didn’t realize I had options other than Judy Blume, so I opted for Harlequin romances. In recent years, I couldn’t ignore the hype over a particular bestselling novel and finally picked up the book, reading these four lines on the back cover:

“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him — and I didn't know how dominant that part might be — that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

That was it for me. I bought Twilight and it immediately sucked me in (pun intended). And thus began my addiction to reading YA. As a woman old enough to have grown kids, I found this slightly disturbing. I mean, in addition to writing, I run a successful business where employees call me “boss.” I’m also a published author who has completed writing six full length novels and two novellas. I’m supposed to be an adult, right? But there’s something about teen novels that’s unstoppable.

Wondering if I should hide my undeniable craving for teen novels, I was thrilled to discover many of my adult friends also devouring YA. I wasn’t the only addict! Teen series like Twilight, Wolves of Mercy Falls, and the Hunger Games are flying off the shelves. So, what’s up with the sudden YA craze?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t exactly look back fondly on my school days. I wasn’t popular or at the top of my class. I didn’t meet the love of my life and live happily ever after, like Bella and Edward. I did, however, deal with acne, hormones, weight gain, a broken heart, unrequited love, bullies, teachers I didn’t like, classes I sucked in and too many embarrassing moments to count.

Why would any sane person want to revisit that? Thank goodness we’re not! What we’re really doing is following the lives of young heroes and heroines as they navigate the toughest hurdles they’ve ever encountered: a/k/a "The Teen Years". The protagonists may not deal with challenges as well as an adult, but by the end of the book, they handle things far more maturely than I would have back then.

YA isn’t just about hormones, acne and awkward growing pains. It’s about being on the cusp of adulthood, about falling for boys, and other major life-changing twists and turns. It’s about firsts — first jobs, first kisses, first loves, first heartbreak. It’s about uncovering things — family secrets and betrayal. It’s about discovery — who you are and how you fit into this new adult world you’re rapidly becoming a part of. It’s learning — who to trust, how to be trustworthy, and the difference between right and wrong when the stakes are high. YA is about relationships and discovering how to co-exist with others. It’s about conducting yourself with honor, when it’s all you have left.

After dipping your toes into novels like that, it’s hard to go back to corporate espionage, mortgage payments, divorce, single parenthood, financial problems, etc. etc. Hey, I get that in real life, so why would I let it suck up my spare time? I’ll stick with my fantasies, thank you very much. The escape is, after all, why we lose ourselves in books in the first place – to be in someone else’s world with an entirely different set of problems.

As I read about teens battling their fears and conquering their enemies, I can live their lives with them and feel their emotions. In a way, I get a do-over of my teen years. With YA, we are forever young. In a sense, it gives us immortality. I don’t know about you, but I will forever be 17… a million different seventeens than the one I experienced.

Hello. My name is Veronica Blade and I am a YA addict. And I shout it out for all the world to hear. Or, in my case, I type it out. :)

A Note from the Book Boost: I totally get it. I'm secretly addicted to the show Vampire Diaries for the same reasons. Of course, I could only be so lucky to have two scrumptious "forever teen" brothers fighting over me. Sigh. Thanks for the post and please tell us about your latest release, Veronica.

Blurb:

Brainiac Tessa McClean’s newly discovered magical powers give her an escape from her self-absorbed parents. But the thrill of being a witch fades when she learns of a rival coven and begins to suspect her own coven’s motives. Evidence tells Tessa to trust one side, but instinct drives her toward the other.

When the school’s scrumptious delinquent, Hayden Anders, offers Tessa self-defense lessons in exchange for tutoring, his timing couldn’t be better. Although hanging out with him is a necessary evil in Tessa’s fight to stay alive, resisting a bad-boy she secretly yearns for might be more than she can manage.

Together, Tessa and Hayden work to unravel the mysteries behind the two covens to discover why they’ll stop at nothing to lure Tessa to their side. She must form an alliance with one of the covens before it’s too late. But the wrong decision could cost Tessa the lives of all who she holds dear — including Hayden.

Want More Veronica?

Visit her website here: http://veronicablade.com/

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Target coupons are always available for books.

Get to Know Author Dianne Venetta today at the Boost!

2011-12-06T12:14:00.004-06:00

Welcome back to one of our featured authors Dianne Venetta!

We chatted with her recently
and here's what she had to say...

TBB: Thanks for joining us today, Dianne. Tell us about where you're from?

DV: I’m originally from Miami, but my entire family has since migrated to Central Florida. Most of them moved after Hurricane Andrew, though I left much earlier, after high school which was prior to the major Cuban and South American influx. Which is ironic, because I happen to love the Spanish culture—food, music, people—I even speak Spanish! Everyone assumes it’s because of my time in Miami, but I actually learned the language in college. As for food, people and music? Have you ever eaten tapas while listening to Flamenco? Ever danced the merengue with a handsome Latin American? Hmm. You should try it some time! BTW – you’ll find some of this influence in my current releases.

TBB: Hola! Maybe I should have started your interview with "Bienvenida!" instead? Speaking of "lustful" ideas...how did you come up with the title for this book?

DV: Lust on the Rocks embodies a woman’s lust for sexual freedom. Samantha Rawlings is a career-minded woman chasing her ambition, uninterested in marriage and family and having the time of her life. Until Victor Marin, that is. He proves a challenge to her lifestyle, pulling from her a desire to settle down with just one man. But this would jeopardize her free-wheeling ways and like a shipwrecked boat, her “lustful lifestyle” could soon end up on the rocks. And of course, pun intended with the reference to her favored martinis!

TBB: Sounds like a hot read. What are you working on now?

DV: At present I’m writing the third in this series. The first is titled Jennifer’s Garden which epitomizes the showdown between a career woman’s criteria for the perfect husband and what true love means. Jennifer is a cardiologist who believes she has found her perfect mate until one Jackson Montgomery shows up in her life. He turns everything she believed true about herself and what she wanted from a man upside down.

Sam faces her own set of challenges in Lust on the Rocks while my next book deals with a woman’s inner insecurities. Sydney Flores appears powerful on the outside but on the inside? She harbors doubts about who she is, what she wants from life and how best to get it. While the three are connected by characters, they do not have to be read in order—so start where you like! The third will be out summer 2012.

TBB: I love a great series. I know you'll gain a big following to find out what happens next. Sounds like writing keeps you busy but what do you like to do when you're not writing?

DV: When I'm not writing I'm gardening—at home, at school with the students, at a friend's house. And I’m totally organic because as a mom, I care about what goes into my kids' bodies. But more than a food staple, gardening provides personal reward because I can plant the seeds, watch them grow, harvest the bounty and reap satisfaction in knowing I achieved something. Yes, I realize the whole she-bang happens without my help in the wild of nature, but my garden grows because of me! :) You can follow all of our adventures on my Garden Blog.

TBB: Oh, that sounds great. I need to be more like that with my kids. But, luckily, I have a hubby who loves to cook healthy. He takes up the slack for me in that department. Speaking of hubbies, what does your family think of your writing?

DV: As my novels are romantic women’s fiction, my husband doesn’t pay too much attention. I fill him in on the major themes and such (not to mention a few of the more sensual scenes—just to make sure they work!) and he’s good to go. But now that many of the women he works with (hospital, doctors’ offices) have read my books, boy—does he get an earful!

My 9-year-old son peeks over my shoulder while I’m at the computer and it always seems to be at the WRONG time. “Mom, your character said damn! That’s inappropriate!”

AGH! So much for trying to set the right example. :) My 11-year-old daughter understands my novels deal with adult subject matter and she has a few years before she’ll be able to read them, but she likes the idea that I’m a writer.

TBB: I love it! So hard to write the "good stuff" with children peering over your shoulder. I know this from personal experience as well. LOL

Now for the tough one, if you had to describe this book using ONLY ONE word, what would it be?

DV: Unexpected.

TBB: Oh, nice. Expect the Unexpected! What has been your biggest reward as an author thus far in your career?

DV: That’s easy. Connecting with readers who enjoy my work is by far the best reward of all. Now I’m a writer who would write these books, even if my daughter was the only one who ever reads them, but knowing there are people out there who enjoy my characters, my settings…

It’s simply wonderful.

TBB: Thanks for the chat, Dianne. Everyone please be sure to check out our featured book of the month, Lust On the Rocks!

Want More Dianne?

Visit her website here: http://diannevenetta.com/

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Find Freedom with Guest Blogger: Xavier Axelson

2011-12-05T08:34:00.006-06:00

Win a copy of The Birches and meet author
Xavier Axelson today at the Boost!

He's here to discuss themes in writing and here's what he had to say...

The Theme is the Thing

I just wrote a blog about writing and how it is a journey of discovery. I have been shocked at what I have learned about myself from my writing. More shocked when people tell me what they’ve learned about me through my writing. I’m not an introverted person so I find it interesting when I reveal something about myself I didn’t know was a secret.

What is the theme of your writing? I know I’ve been asked this more than once and I can’t remember what answers I’ve given, maybe because I wasn’t really sure what the answer was. I asked someone close to me who has read all my work if they noticed a theme and without missing a beat, they said, “freedom.”

It made total sense. Each story is about personal freedom, achieving, fighting for, and maintaining ones personal freedom and identity. My first story Christmas Eve at The Powers That Be Café taught me more than to shorten my titles. It was two men struggling to be set free. One from guilt, the other from a doomed future in battle, they begin to overcome these burdens by finding one another.

In A Valentine for Evrain, Evrain is struggling to remain free from love. He confuses lust with love and lives caged by his passions only to find it is love that leads to freedom.

Next, was Dutch’s Boy and if there was ever a story I’ve written about personal freedom this is it. His family, by duty and most importantly, his father are holding Henry back. He is fighting every step of the way to make a life for himself as his own person out from under the sticky paws of his father. His journey is all about being free to be who he really his.

The Incident is so full of struggle and the need to break free you really have to read it instead of having me explain it. But, suffice to say, Michael, my tortured cop is chained by so many shackles he can barely stand. I think of him as Prometheus on the mountain chained and forced to have his liver eaten just as it grows back. How awful can we be to ourselves? The Incident really is about finding your way through a chained darkness to the light.

Finally, The Birches is an ode to the pursuit of perfect things. What a deadly journey that can be, talk about deliberate cruelty. Leo is so hard on himself he has turned his passions into a self-hating need to be perfect. It is only after meeting Dock, a casual and passionate opposite, that Leo discovers the key to his cage is right in front of him.

So what does it all mean? Am I caged? I’ve never thought so. I know I’ve fought to be the man I am and struggled to be open and hate to see other people caged and chained by their own doing. I hate injustice, and unfair treatment of those who can’t fight back and don’t have a voice. If my stories are about the pursuit and desperate need to be free then I am fine with it.

The theme to never stop searching for a way to let go and be what you really want to be.

Writing is my freedom and I do it everyday.

A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining us today, Xavier. Well spoken words and a powerful theme indeed! Please tell us more about your latest.

Blurb:

Perfection isn’t everything, although it’s everything Leo wants. His desire to become the perfect chef may keep him at the top of his class, but it drives his friends and family crazy while keeping love and passion on the back burner. That is until he meets Dock, owner and chef of the new and popular restaurant, The Birches.

Although Dock isn’t a trained chef, Leo finds the food he cooks delectable and the man behind the food irresistible. The lessons taught at the hands of an untrained cook may be just what this uptight chef needs to let go.

Excerpt:

He pulled into the parking lot of The Birches and sat on his bike a minute. He felt nervous, like he was about to meet a celebrity and the self-doubt that plagued him made him queasy.

“You gonna sit outside or come in?”

Leo jumped at the sound of the man’s voice. He pulled his helmet off and looked around, but didn’t see anyone.

“Over here.”

Leo looked just past his left shoulder and saw a man emerging from the nearby woods that surrounded the little restaurant.

“Oh, hey,” Leo called out, his voice cracking.

“You looking for something to eat?” the man asked, coming closer.

Leo was shocked to find himself riveted to the spot, staring at the man who came towards him.

The man offered Leo a rough, calloused hand. “I’m Dock,”

“Hey,” Leo managed weakly.

“I was out back, picking blackberries, they grow wild around here. I thought they’d make a great dessert. Don’t know what kind of dessert, but how can you go wrong when you have stuff like this?” He said as he offered up a large, wooden bucket half-full of dark, purple black berries.

There were purple smears across Dock’s white tank top that seemed barely able to contain Dock’s impressive chest. There were several brown freckles on Dock’s shoulders, next to where the strap of tank top clung to his body.

"Lucky berries,” Leo said under his breath.

“What?”

Sweat ran down Leo’s back, he felt so nervous. For a brief moment, he thought of hopping on his bike and taking off. Instead he said, “Um, nothing, sorry, I just wanted to come by and--”

“You want to come inside and have an iced tea or something?” Dock asked, “It’s hot as hell out here and I know I need to cool off.” He swiped a hand across his face and left a smudge of blackberry juice across his cheek.

Leo’s heart was pounding, what was it about this place, this man?

“You coming?” Dock asked.

“Huh?”

Dock laughed, “You coming inside or you just gonna stare at the ground the rest of the day?”

Leo was still staring at the spot where Dock had been standing. Something was happening inside his head. He felt spellbound and excited. He didn’t know where this sensation came from, all he knew was he wanted more of what he was feeling. He followed Dock, who was still talking about black berries, the sun and something else that sounded perfect, into the restaurant. When Dock stopped suddenly by a booth at the back of the restaurant, Leo almost crashed into him.

“Take a seat. I’ll be right back with some tea.” Dock said, a smile lingered on his lips.

He knows he makes me uncomfortable, Leo thought once Dock left and was sitting down. It was this realization that held him glued to the seat. He wouldn’t give this man the satisfaction of getting the better of him.

“So, what’s your name?” Dock asked when he reappeared and set a jam jar full of iced tea in front of Leo, there were several blackberries floating in it along with some ice and a sprig of mint.

“Leo,” he replied, taking a sip of the tea.

“You know we’re closed, right?” A woman’s voice called from behind Dock’s perfect shoulders. Leo decided right then and there he would trade his ability to beat an egg for a chance to touch those shoulders and kiss the freckles that lived there.

What was he thinking?

He wasn’t thinking, that was just it, there was something about the place and, more noticeably, about this man that seemed to block Leo’s ability to think rationally. Where there was once thought, there was now an incredible amount of feeling. He was stunned into a stupor by this realization.

Want More Xavier?

Visit his website here: http://www.xavieraxelson.com

Follow him here:
http://www.examiner.com/la-in-los-angeles/francis-xavier

Pick up a copy of his book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Xavier and be entered to win a copy of The Birches.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Will You Be My Neighbor? With Guest Blogger: Joya Fields

2011-12-03T10:28:00.006-06:00

Win a Love Delivered style tote bag and meet author Joya Fields!

She's here to discuss the neighborly way and here's what she had to say...

Thank you to Kerri and The Book Boost for hosting me today to chat about the importance of neighbors and about my new release, Love Delivered.

Neighbors have played an essential role in my life. Since we’ve been married, my husband and I, and then our two children, have lived in three houses. We’ve just finished moving into the third one (pass the ibuprofen, please). At each of our homes, we’ve been so lucky to have great neighbors. We’ve enjoyed getting to know them, and missed them when we moved.

In our first neighborhood, where both of our children were born, our kids made their first friends and instantly had several sets of surrogate grandparents. Trick-or-treating took over three hours because these “grandparents” invited the little goblins and their parents inside for a few minutes to “ooo” and “ah” over the costumes. I always felt safe in this neighborhood, because everyone looked out for each other.

We moved from that picturesque cul-de-sac to our second neighborhood, which featured gorgeous rolling hills, a variety of trees, and over seven acres of land. But hardly any neighbors. What it lacked in quantity of neighbors, though, it made up for with quality. The kids all became fast friends. Four-wheelers zooming around the property became the norm, and, during one particular ice storm, our neighbors held one of the best parties I’ve ever attended. Friday night volleyball games in the summer and snowball fights and bonfires in the winter.

Neighbors have been there for us in ways others can’t, simply because of their proximity. I’ve been a quick last-minute babysitter in an urgent situation. Neighbors have picked up my kids from the bus stop when I got stuck in traffic and couldn’t make it home in time. And during a very scary time in our lives, a car accident involving our family members, our neighbors not only showed up at the hospital, brought groceries and meals, and took over the carpool for the kids, they also decorated the driveway with a handmade welcome home sign. Little things mean a lot in a situation like that.

If you’re lucky, your neighbor is the type who will let you borrow a snow shovel when yours breaks in the middle of clearing your sidewalk. A great neighbor will also hot-shot your car when your battery dies. And of course, there’s the ole “borrow a cup of sugar.” I’ve traded ingredients many times with neighbors. It sure beats a forty-five minute round trip to the grocery store.

Dogs are a great way to meet neighbors. Now that we’re at our third house, Peanut the pug helps us meet lots of people. During her half-dozen or so walks every day, we run into residents from our street. Even though the neighborhood kids don’t know our names yet, they know Peanut. A little one will race past us on a bicycle and holler, “Hi Peanut.” Kids call out from the bus stop to her. She shows her appreciation for this attention by barking and wagging her tail.

I’d like to think that we’ve been good neighbors to all the people we’ve been lucky enough to live near. One thing is for sure: good neighbors can make a place fun and friendly.

In my upcoming release, Love Delivered, a small-town neighborhood and its inhabitants are a big part of the story. Even characters in stories need neighbors.

My holiday wish for all of you is that you are always surrounded by pleasant people who bring out the best in you and are there for you when you need them. Happy Holidays!

I’d love to hear about your experiences with neighbors. Do you take time to get to know your neighbors, or are you the type who likes to keep to yourself?

A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining us and sharing your heartwarming neighbor stories with us. I grew up with neighbors just like the ones you describe. Unfortunately, I've never quite made the same type of friends as I had back then. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that our neighborhood has many "temporary" military families who are moving in and out with a rapid pace that I can't keep up with it seems. Please tell us more about your book.

Blurb:

Bianca McClain has worked for years to achieve her dream job in New York City. After her grandmother passes away, she finds herself returning to the small town she grew up in to ready her house for sale. The slow, friendly pace of the town and its citizens, especially Pete the mailman, appeal to her—but there’s no way she’s giving up everything she’s accomplished in New York.

Born and raised in Centreville, MD, Pete Schaeffer loves his small town mail carrier job and can’t imagine leaving for any reason—or anyone—so he's dumbfounded by his intense attraction to Bianca, a woman with a fast-paced life in the big city.

Pete and Bianca soon find themselves lost in each other’s arms. When the summer ends, they will have big decisions to make. Will the small-town guy and big-city girl find common ground and lasting love, or will their differences drive them apart?

Excerpt:

He leaned in and touched his lips to hers. Shivers of pleasure cascaded through every vein in her body. For such a speedy, energetic guy, he sure took his time kissing. His lips lingered, barely touching hers, for what was probably only seconds but seemed like an eternity.

She wanted more. Her stomach muscles turned somersaults, and she leaned toward him. Like the thunder gaining strength from the approaching storm, a sudden need fired inside of her to be with this man. He tasted like sweet tea and smelled like summer. She wanted more of his lips, his mouth…his entire body. She pressed against him, and a moan escaped his lips. The sound of his desire ricocheted her heartbeat into overdrive.

When she finally had the willpower to pull away, her face heated and she stared at her lap. She hoped the stormy gray sky hid her embarrassment. She’d kissed him enthusiastically—like a schoolgirl with a giant crush—and had no idea where the impulse had come from. Sure, she liked him. It wasn’t until their lips met that she felt the spark that, even now, had her body shaking with desire.

“I…uh… Wow,” he said. From the stunned look on his face, she didn’t think he’d planned the kiss ahead of time. Like her, he probably hadn’t expected such intensity. He smiled his giant smile and leaned his forehead against hers. The move, although simple, felt intimate with him.

“What did you put in that sweet tea?” he whispered.

Want More Joya?

Visit her website here: www.joyafields.com

Follow her blog here:
http://joyafieldswriting.blogspot.com/

View her book trailer now! Click here.

Book available December 21st. Click here for updates!

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Joya and be entered to win a Love Delivered tote bag.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**