Relationship Success with Your Book with Guest Blogger: Stephan Labossiere

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

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