Feeling Boxed In with Guest Blogger: Chicki Brown

 Meet author Chicki Brown 
today at the Book Boost!

The past ten years have provided me more opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone than I’ve had in my entire life. Let me explain. From the time I graduated from high school, I worked in corporate office support. That means I did everything for everyone else and basically wasn’t allowed to make any decisions. So, my days we filled with carrying out other people’s decisions. As long as they paid me, I stayed within the confines of that box.

In 2001, I started writing merely from on-the-job boredom. Over the next ten years everything about my life changed. I finished that first novel, got laid off from the job, started working from home, joined Georgia Romance Writers (a real stretch for me, because normally I hate meetings), got an agent, started my own local writer’s group, fired my agent, got another agent, wrote eight more novels, made the decision to self-publish, entered the world of social networking, and probably one hundred other things I’d never done before.

I mention all of this to prove that I am qualified to write about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something completely new. Believe me, the fear you will experience can be a monster, but if there is something you really want to do that scares you silly, you should run toward it not away from it. Conquering a challenge and going to the next level can do more for your self-esteem than hours of expensive counseling.

We all have dreams, some GOAL we want to accomplish, even if those dreams are buried very deep inside. Mine just happened to be the desire to become a published author. Yours might be starting a business, going back to school to get a degree, or opening yourself up to love after heartbreak. Taking any major step is frightening and requires us to step outside of our self-created comfort zones, but the rewards on the other side are so worth pushing through the fear.

Perhaps this is why I always write about characters facing major decisions. In my new short story, divorcee Jan Davis meets Mac Sinclair, a man who is eleven years her junior. Her self-esteem was severely battered after a marriage to an emotionally distant man. Just the idea of going out on a date is enough to paralyze Jan, and the fact that he’s a sexy, younger man terrifies her even more. In addition to her own fears, Jan has to confront the attitudes and opinions of her daughters and, eventually, Mac’s mother.

If you’d like to read a story about a woman that steps outside of her comfort zone and into a new life, I hope you'll pick up a copy of You Make Me Feel Brand New.

A Note from the Book Boost:  I'm glad you took that leap outside the box and I'm sure our readers will love checking our your book.  Thanks for joining us today at the Book Boost


Blurb:

One year ago, personal chef Jan Davis signed her divorce papers after a miserable twenty-five-year marriage. She is single again, and romantic attention is as foreign to her as ancient Carthaginian cuisine.

When she meets her new client, sports management agent Mac Sinclair, who is eleven years younger, Jan’s life takes a complete turnaround. She’s thrilled, but everyone in her life isn’t as pleased.

Want More Chicki?

Visit her on the web here: http://sisterscribbler.blogspot.com/

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

Chilling Suspense Meets Melting Hearts with Guest Blogger: C.L. Shore

Chat with Featured Suspense Author 

C.L. Shore today at the Book Boost!

Cold Love?

It’s February, the coldest month of the year. It’s February, the month for the annual celebration of romantic love.

Contradictory?  Arguably.  Life is full of contradiction and paradox. These inconsistencies can be frustrating, but they do keep life interesting, especially when love is involved.

For those who love romance and suspense, I’d highly recommend Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart. The action takes place in a French chateau, and there are definite areas of resemblance to Jane Eyre; the protagonist comes to the French countryside to assume the role of governess to the young heir to a fortune. There is little doubt as to the motive behind the evil manifesting itself in the grand home, but the mystery lies in the heart of the protagonist’s new love. The reader frantically turns the pages in order to discover if he is a “good guy” or a “bad guy.” It is a great read for a cold winter’s night, while curled up in a comforter with a cup or tea (or glass of wine).

I don’t think of myself as a romance writer.  But the first review I received for Seeker of Truth hinted at romance between my amateur detective (Sister Lucie, a young nun), and Jed (the police investigator).

I did want to portray sister Lucie as a sexual being. She is a young widow who still carries the love of her deceased husband with her. Mark, her husband, was Jed’s former partner. So yes, Jed does love Sister Lucie and is protective of her, because of his loyalty to Mark.

The murder victim, Charlene, was Sister Lucie’s childhood friend. She left a religious order, married a college president, and began experimenting with love and sexuality. Unfortunately, her exploration led to her murder. When Sister Lucie learns of her death, she is intent on finding the killer.

Love takes many forms. It can run hot or cold. Love can survive, even in February’s chill. Love is the source for many of life’s celebrations.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

A Note from the Book Boost:  Thanks for joining us today and thanks for the book recommendation--I must check it out.  Hope your cold season is full of warm nights and cozy books!  Please tell us more about your story.


Blurb:

Detective Jed McCracken is tempted to dismiss his first phone call of the week as a prank, until he realizes he's talking to his late partner's widow, Sarah. Jed hasn’t spoken to her since her husband’s death and is shocked to discover that Sarah is now Sister Lucie.

She’s distraught over breaking news about the murder of a former fellow nun and intent on finding her killer. Together, they rekindle their lost friendship while untangling a network of deception, lust and greed. Although they appear to be closing in, the killer proves elusive, prompting Jed to persuade Sister Lucie to bait a trap.

Will Sister Lucie outwit the murderer…or become his next victim?


Excerpt:

Sister Lucie decided to take a walk around the apartment. Her neck was a little stiff, probably from nervous tension. She rolled her shoulders a couple of times. I guess I was so tense that I didn’t move much while reading those first pages. A book fell from the bookcase onto the floor with a soft thud. She scrambled over quickly to its resting place and picked it up, Look Homeward, Angel. Maybe Mark was agreeing with her.

She opened the volume’s front cover, and an old Polaroid photograph fell to the floor. She picked it up and cautiously fingered the edges. Mark’s gaze met hers. She lay on the edge of the bed and held the photo in her hand, just below the level of the mattress. The picture had been taken on a trip to Michigan about six years ago. Mark stood with his back to a grove of trees. The glint of sunshine sparkling on blue water was in the background. Mark gazed into the camera with his beautiful smoky-gray eyes.

“Thank you, Mark,” Sister Lucie said, looking down at the photograph. “I’m so lucky to have known you, let alone love you and have the experience of being loved by you. I’m so lucky.” She rolled over on her back. Dusk had fallen long ago, but every light in the apartment was on. She held the picture above her head, and then pressed it to her heart. “Thank you, Mark,” she said again. She closed her eyes.

Want More C.L.?

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

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

Tis the Season for Tea with Guest Blogger: Joya Fields

Win an Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble 

gift card & more with author Joya Fields 

today at the Book Boost!

February: A Great Month for Tea for Two…or Four...or More!

Thanks very much for hosting me on The Book Boost again! I love visiting this fun blog and thrilled to be back to chat about taking a winter tea break and to share an excerpt of my latest release, Hereafter, too.

I admit it. I’m addicted to coffee. Don’t get me wrong. I like tea, it’s just not my first choice of hot beverage. It doesn’t seem to start my engine like a strong, black coffee.

Yet, there’s something so relaxing—traditional, even—about afternoon tea that can relax and recharge a person like nothing else. And the long, dark days of February are a great time to indulge in hot, fragrant tea.

For years now, my sister and I have made a twice-yearly ritual to take our two college-age daughters to afternoon tea. When we arrive, the server hands us a menu with tea that range from spicy to chocolate. Regular ole black tea is on the list too, if you’re not in the mood to experiment.

Then guess what happens next? You relax. That’s right. You sit back, wait for your tea to arrive, let it steep for four-five minutes, and enjoy the slow pace of the tea room. The cushioned chairs, soft chatter, and the scent of scones baking put you into an almost trance-like state. Gradually, your body acclimates to this relaxed pace and you find yourself taking deeper breaths and keeping your cell phone tucked away, not a bit worried about whose text you might be ignoring.

Pretty soon, your blood pressure lowers and that kink in your neck goes away. Then, the magic happens. The three-tiered platter of food arrives. It’s almost too pretty to eat. Picture this: slivers of fruit and fancy-cut cheese on the bottom layer with warm scones that melt in your mouth. On the second tier, intricately cut tomato sandwiches with a savory spread that makes you take small bites so the treat lasts longer, croissants with tuna salad, and finger sandwiches that fill you up more than you’d ever imagine. The top tier…if you still have room…features beautiful gourmet sugary treats for dessert. It doesn’t look like a lot of food, but by the time you get to the top layer, you’re asking for a “to go” box (see the photo above for a glimpse at the real thing).

I think it’s a great reminder about how we should eat. How we used to eat. Dine. Slow down…look around…enjoy each bite at a leisurely pace instead of scarfing down lunch while checking email. Funny thing is, not only is meal time more pleasurable when you eat at a slower pace, you fill up faster, too. Having an afternoon tea luncheon can be good for your psyche and your waistline!

Here’s hoping you find a tea room near you where you can relax and enjoy a nice, slow meal with good company. And you don’t even have to hold out your pinky while you lift your cup!


A Note from the Book Boost:  Well, good job Joya...now you've gone and made me drool all over my keyboard.  :-)  That dessert tray looks scrumptious.  What a fabulous tradition you have with your girls.  I recently discovered an unknown tea room in my town (when I was stuck in traffic and forced to look around at the same area for 20 minutes instead of just speeding by).  You've doubly convinced me to give it a whirl.  Great post and best of luck on the new book!



Blurb:

When by-the-numbers accountant Rob Morrison, a skeptic of all things paranormal, moves into a new apartment and discovers it is haunted by the corporeal ghost of a beautiful woman, he must hastily reconsider his beliefs and revisit his painful past.

With no memory of her time on earth, Angie Barsotti doesn’t understand why she’s compelled to visit the same apartment every night as a ghost caught between two worlds. If she’s to have a chance to move on, she needs to find the missing pieces of her life and death through the man who lives there…if only he’d believe in her.

Together they struggle to find the truth about her death and stumble upon a very pleasurable way to time travel, hopeful they can prevent her death. But someone doesn’t want them to discover the truth. And if she’s human again, will she have any memories of her time as a ghost…and more importantly, will she remember the man who helped her find her way?


Excerpt:

Angel’s body tingled. Her skin rippled with electricity, and she recognized the signs that she’d be transported soon.

Yes. Finally. She closed her eyes, wishing she could rush the transition from her world to his. Cool air prickled her skin and she stood in the man’s dark apartment. With moonlight shining through the sheers, she could make out his form on the sofa.

He jumped up and faced her.

She wanted to speak, but she couldn’t.

"The electricity went off again,” he said.

She frowned.

He stepped closer. “Ghosts don’t exist.”

No. He couldn’t banish her again. She needed something in this world. The lights flickered, sizzled, and then went off again.

Please don’t tell me to go away; it makes me go away. She might not have a voice in this world, but she could at least think it. She would not go, not when potential answers waited in this place.

The man stepped closer. “What are you doing? Angie, why do you keep coming here?”

Don’t tell me to leave…don’t tell me to leave. Pictures flew into her mind. People smiling and laughing. A tree in the corner with white lights and boxes under it….

He’d called her Angie.

"You know me?” Her words came out a whisper, but at least they finally came out. Tears tracked down her cheeks. The electricity flickered on, and then, stayed off. The air stopped sizzling. She blinked to adjust her eyes to the darkness again.

“Christ, this can’t be happening.” He moved his fingers over something in his hand and then pocketed it.

She closed the distance between them and grasped his upper arms, pleading him with her eyes because her voice had left her again.

“Yes, I know you.” He glanced away and looked out the window, let out a huff of breath, and then gazed at her. “Your name is Angie Barsotti and you used to live here.”

No wonder the place felt so familiar. Her spirits lifted. He could help her find out who she was, help her find out what was going on.

“And,” he dragged a hand through his hair. “You died and I don’t believe in ghosts.”

Cold air, cold as ice tore through her, ripping her from the apartment.

Want More Joya?

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

Pick up a copy of her latest!  Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Joya and be entered to win your choice of a $5 gift card (for Amazon or Barnes&Noble) AND a set of Hereafter Romance Trading Cards.

Chinese Food Sets the Mood with Guest Blogger: Britni Hill

Meet debut author Britni Hill 

today at the Book Boost!

It’s that time of year!  February.  And Valentines Day is fast approaching.  All over the place girls and women of all ages are saying to themselves “I wonder what he will plan.”, “I hope I get those earrings.”, “Will he propose?”, and “If he doesn’t plan something…”.  Valentines day brings up all kinds of feelings for people.  Some people love it and can’t get enough.  Others hate it and it’s just a reminder that they are single or not so happy in their relationship.  That they’ve been disappointed before.

It doesn’t just affect women either.  Men get pressured to plan the perfect date.  And let’s admit it most of them aren’t that great at planning ahead for things like holidays or anniversaries.  They are always scrambling around last minute because they forgot or didn’t have a clue what to do.  Now, I’m not saying all of them are this way.  There are a few out there that stay on top of things.  They remember your birthday.  They surprise you.  They buy the perfect gift with plenty of time left to spare.  It’s just like women.  Some like the day and making someone feel special, and some of them don’t.  I’m sure there are plenty of men that have had their fair share of Valentines let downs.

Plenty of my friends have different feelings about this particular day.  I personally could take it or leave it.  Would I enjoy it if the boyfriend planned something and I got to wear a sexy dress and sparkly heels?  Of course.  Am I going to get mad if he doesn’t?  No.  Don’t get me wrong I love love.  I can’t get enough.  In books.  In movies.  I real life.  It doesn’t matter.  I can’t get enough.  I also know my boyfriend and he’s not so big on the romance.  He’s too goofy.  But he makes me laugh and I love him for it.  So I live without elaborate Valentines dates.  We have our own little Valentines tradition.  It happened by accident but 3 years later we’re still doing it.  We get Chinese take out and a Redbox movie.  Simple, just the way I like it.

I think it’s important to remember that you should show the one you love that you love them every day.  Not just one day out of 365.  Maybe that’s why I don’t care so much about our Valentines plans.  Or maybe I’ve just had countless years of disappointing dateless Valentines Days and I’ve decided that I don’t want to be disappointed anymore.  Either way if you love it or hate it it’s hard to ignore it.  You don’t have to be a total cynic you can still love love.  And in the mean time you can read books with handsome heroes that always show their women how they feel and plan the perfect dates.  Like the main male character in my first novel Tears in the Rubble.  I know he’d show his girl the perfect Valentines Day.


A Note from the Book Boost:  I love the idea of your romantic night of Chinese takeout and a movie rental.  Sometimes the simpler the better.  Hope you have a wonderful day (and year) of love and best of luck with the debut release!


Blurb:

Layla Swanson grew up in the lazy, small town of Hollow Oaks and can’t wait to get out.  She has big dreams and big plans in the big city.  Layla has worked hard and her senior year is nearly at its end.  She can’t wait to go away to college.  And she’s one step closer to getting what she wants. Layla isn’t letting anyone get in her way.

Taylor Scott may not be your typical country boy, but he doesn’t mind Hollow Oaks.  His dreams may not be marked on paper and set in stone, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have them.

A chance meeting between the two childhood friends may have Layla second guessing her longtime plan. Their rekindled friendship is leading them down a path neither one could have foreseen.  But with Layla leaving for college, many challenges face them, especially when she so stubbornly sticks to her solo plan.

Is Taylor’s love enough to convince Layla to let him in?  Or when everything falls apart, will Layla run away?   


Excerpt:

… the corner of her mouth curling as she replayed Taylor swimming away. The look in his eyes as he had watched her smooth sun screen into her skin caused a tingle in her toes and a quiver in her stomach. Drifting off a bit, Layla thought about how much she'd actually miss her country summer days.

A wet finger trailed its way slowly across Layla’s warm stomach, leaving a trail of water droplets behind. She shivered but didn’t move. The finger continued its journey, going up her side now, tickling as it went. 

"Layla," Taylor said finally, his voice quiet but deep, need lingering in the way he said her name.

She rolled to her side on the narrow dock and found Taylor perched on the ladder beside her, his eyes level with hers.

"What?" She asked voice sleepy, contentedness rolling through her body. 

Taylor gripped her thin hip in his hand, a few of his fingers slipping beneath the fabric of her bikini bottoms. The pressure of his fingertips was light but the feeling seared its way to her bones. Electric goose bumps spread across her skin and Layla felt the need to cause the same reaction…

Want More Britni?

Visit her on the web here:   

http://britnihillwriter.blogspot.com/

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

Write On with Guest Blogger: John Alvarez

Welcome teacher John Alvarez 
to the Book Boost!

Learning How to Write the Right Way

Writing is a huge piece of mankind's culture. It has been around for centuries, from the primitive cavemen symbols drawn on caves to the vast content found in the Internet to date. While nearly all people learn how to write as they grow up, writing effectively is not everyone's forte. Some people are born to be natural writers, influencing people with their words and even making money from it. Today, freelance writers go by the thousands. If you wish to claim a spot as one of them and be recognized by various contractors for a permanent writing position, a well versed writing skill set is a must-have.

Find Reason & Inspiration

Why are you writing? Is it because you are bored and don't have anything else to do? Are you writing for money or to get your name printed on a newspaper or at an online site? Inspiration is essential in any line of work. It fuels one's body and mind to push further even when circumstances are not letting you do so. Make sure you find a good enough reason and inspiration to start writing. If you write simply because you find the pay rate is good, you'll have a difficult time learning and mastering the art. Possible inspirations include your family, getting a house or car of your own, or savings.

Simple is Better

Have you ever read a book that's so complex in word choices and sentence structures that you find it difficult to keep up? Note that your online audience come from different backgrounds and are usually searching for meaningful content rather than fancy words. By keeping your articles or blog posts simple and easy to understand, you are able to connect to audiences of different cultures and backgrounds and ultimately helping them answer their questions or problems. Of course, choose where to apply this rule. Some writing styles like academic or technical writing require specific words and jargon.

Brevity

It's sad to say, but the attention span of most people who surf the web is lowered to a mere 5 to 10 seconds, which is equivalent to that of fish. People who surf the web are often impatient that they can't stand reading large chunks of paragraphs and sentences for countless minutes. It is vital, as a writer, to keep your content as concise and straight to the point as possible.

Connect with Readers

Always keep your readers in mind when writing. Remember that you are writing for them, not yourself. Put yourself in their position and ask what questions you may want to get addressed on a certain topic. By doing so, you arrive with more accurate results. Without connection, readers tend to lose interest in your content as they feel it isn't the right or best one to use.

Learning the proper writing techniques is a continuous ordeal. But if you are really serious of making a career out of writing, a slow but sure pace is the best approach. It may be helpful to read more books and watch movies to improve your grammar and vocabulary.

A Note from the Book Boost:  John, this is all sage advice for writers.  I particularly agree with the "find inspiration" suggestion.  This is crucial in making your words reach the readers hearts as well as their minds.  Thanks for joining us today!

Who's John?

John Alvarez is a high school English teacher who writes about the creative process, education and communications. His most recent work focuses on the Best Education Degrees.

Cold Hands...Evil Hearts with Guest Blogger: Bev Irwin

Meet Author Bev Irwin & 

Win your Choice of Books 

today at the Book Boost!

Thank you all for stopping by, and to Kerri for inviting me. So what shall we talk about today?

It’s cold here in London, Ontario. The wind raging through the trees around my property sounds like a speeding train. The trees are swaying and bending, but not breaking, at least not yet. And the snow. It blusters, then stops, then starts again. So far not much on the ground. I hope it stays that way. I’m shuddering listening to the weather outside. Wait while I turn on the fireplace.

There that is better. What a way to spend a day. Sitting in front of a roaring fireplace with a computer on my lap, safe from the cold, wind and snow.

Kerri says the freezing January temperatures make her think about villains. So lets talk about my favorite characters to write about, villains. I love to write about those people who sometimes have frozen hearts just as cold as the temperatures outside.

I write several genres but enjoy writing mystery and thrillers more than anything else. I like to add a little medical aspect to my writing and I enjoy delving into the psyche especially, if it’s warped.
And what villain doesn’t have a warped psyche?

What interests me is how they became that way. Were they born like that? Was there some trauma in their childhood to cause it? What effect did his parents or lack of them have on him/her? Can he change? Did anyone see the movie We Need to Talk about Kevin? Seeing that movie brought up those questions, but no answers. Sometimes there are never answers.

When Regan Murphy, a professional reviewer, reviewed my book (Thank you, Regan, for a wonderful review), she commented on my villains. I’ve taken a quote from her review.

"Without Consent is another spectacular psychological thriller from Bev Irwin. Once again Irwin has given us a villain who is totally believable. I remember when I took a psychology class in college, my professor said that no one, no matter how evil, ever thinks of him or herself as being evil. I never fully understood that until I met some of Irwin’s villains. She does such a marvelous job of justifying her character’s motives in the character’s mind, that he seems real, like someone we should know...well, no, I guess we wouldn’t want to know them, after all. LOL!"

If you read any of my villains, the kidnapper in Missing Clayton, the creepy boyfriend in Ghostly Injustice,  or the serial killer in Without Consent, then you can tell me if she is right.

Think of the villains you have heard or read about. Would you have known they were capable of the deed if you had met them on the street, lived next to them or worked along side them. Sometimes we can see the evil in men’s hearts but sometimes it is hidden by a cloak of charm.

How many psychopaths have charmed women into letting him into their homes and were murdered or raped?

Or a woman who is so desperate to have a baby that her mind becomes deranged to the point that she has a psychosomatic pregnancy, or steals a baby from a hospital and in her mind is convinced the baby is hers.

Or my kidnapper in Missing Clayton, suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), who becomes convinced that Clayton is his son. He did have a son, years ago, but his wife left town years ago taking his son with her. He even deludes himself that Jenny, Clayton’s single mother, has feelings for him. By the end of the story his mental state has deteriorated even more.

In Without Consent, my serial killer, also suffering from mental illness, hears voices and has deluded himself that he needs to find the perfect kidney for his ailing mother. Even when he picks the wrong woman and things go wrong. Below is Regan’s quote on this.

"I love the way Irwin has the killer twist the situation in his mind until it is the victim’s fault for being murdered."

See aren’t villains fun to write about? If you want to read an excerpt from my novels just head over to my website and meet my nasty characters.

Now, tell me about your favorite real or fictional villain, or the one you are dying to create.


A Note from the Book Boost:  Oooh, these sound chillingly wonderful.  Looking forward to checking out your newest evil creation.  Thanks for joining us today, Bev.  Best of luck on the latest release!

Want More Bev?

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

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

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Bev and be entered to win an e-copy of one of Bev’s books. Five to choose from (When Heart's Collide, Ghostly Justice, In His Father's Footsteps, Missing Clayton, or Without Consent.)

Creating Cupid with Guest Blogger: Elysa Hendricks

Chat with our Featured Author 

of the Month Elysa Hendricks 

today at the Book Boost!

I'm often asked where I get my ideas for my stories. Usually I say that I "pluck them off the Idea tree I have growing in my backyard," but the truth is there are stories to be found everywhere I look and in everything I see, hear or read.

Story telling has been around for as long as mankind. There might not be any "new" stories to tell, but every author tells the story in her own unique way. We take myths, fairytales and history, twist them, bend them and reshape them into something fresh and exciting for our readers. Valentine's Day and the myth of Cupid are ripe for storytelling.

Valentine's Day didn't start with Cupid. Cupid, of course, is the God of Love from Greek mythology. The earliest recorded version of Cupid is the one told in Lucius Apuleius's novel, The Golden Ass, written in the 2nd century AD, which goes like this:

Psyche is a princess who is so beautiful the goddess Venus is jealous. So Venus asks her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with an ugly mortal. Instead Cupid falls in love with Psyche. Meanwhile, Psyche's parents are concerned that she is so beautiful no one will marry her. The oracle of Apollo, tells them to prepare her for marriage and leave her on a cliff. Eager to find a husband Psyche accepts her fate.

Instead Cupid transports her to a beautiful palace where he lives with her as an unknown, invisible lover. But Psyche is urged by her sisters, who are jealous of the wondrous stories she tells of her new life, to find out what her husband looks like. Afraid she might be married to a monster she peeks at Cupid while he sleeps and learns he's a god. She frightens him (this doesn't make sense to me, but heck, I didn't write the story), so he goes back to the realm of gods.

Broken hearted Psyche returns home. She begs the gods to reveal her lover. Venus answers, but still jealous sets her to a series of difficult tasks, including a trip to Hades. With the help of other gods, including, for the last task, Cupid himself, Psyche is made immortal and is officially married to Cupid. My favorite part of this story is that Psyche and Cupid then had a baby, Voluptas (Pleasure) but she was conceived before their official wedding.

The story of Cupid and Psyche is full of story ideas an author can mine. Since statues of Cupid and Psyche go back to 323 BC, Apuleius seems to have done some mining of his own. Recognize the Beauty and the Beast and the Cinderella aspects of the story? Guess I'm in good company.

The story of Valentine's Day doesn't have its origins in the Cupid myth. Instead the celebration of Valentine's Day was originally based around several saints named Valentine. Now with the help of florists, greeting card and candy companies it's been turned into a romantic celebration, so that over the years Cupid and Valentine's Day have become intimately entwined in our minds. You can't think of one without the other. The image of a cute, winged, chubby little cherub flying around shooting people in the heart with love arrows on Valentine's Day is now in ingrained in our psyches.

Cupid's Apprentice is my own twisted take on the Cupid myth and the Valentine's Day celebration. Since the human population has exploded the poor God of Love is completely overwhelmed. In addition he has to deal with Psyche (she doesn't want him accidentally falling in love with anyone else), so he's had to take on apprentices.

Cupids' Apprentice is about one bumbling apprentice, her wish to earn her wings, and the two, mismatched people she has to bring together against all odds before Valentine's Day.


A Note from the Book Boost:  I love Valentine's Day and as a romance writer, can't imagine a world without romance or the search for romance.  Thanks for the history lesson and your book sounds fabulous!



Blurb:

To earn her wings, Cupid's apprentice Medarda "Dar" has until Valentine's Day to match two-time Loser Laura Quinn with Boring Brian Hoffman. When Dar's love arrow goes astray and hits the sexy PE teacher Flynn Sullivan instead things get interesting.

Laura loves teaching high school in the small town of Council Falls, but knows it's only a matter of time until her famous mother shows up and the quiet life she's created comes crashing down around her ears.

PE teacher Flynn Sullivan's been interested in the shy history teacher for a long time, but it isn't until they're forced to chaperone the Valentine's Day dance together that he gets the opportunity to make his dreams come true.

With time running out can one bumbling Cupid's Apprentice bring together a Jock and a Brain?


Excerpt (edited for content):

Dar puffed into the room just as the woman said Laura's name. Though invisible to the humans, a couple of them shifted away. Some humans seemed to sense the presence of a Cupid.

She was almost too late. Timing was nearly as important as aim. Where were her targets? Laura sat in the back of the room. Hmm, interesting. What was plain, bland, boring Laura doing with two handsome men? Guess it didn't matter. They weren't important to her mission. Dar took a brief moment to admire their looks. Too bad one of them wasn't her target. Attractive people were so much easier to create love matches for than dowdy spinsters and stuffy middle aged men. Just her luck to pull the short straw on her first solo assignment.

She sighed and shrugged off the tension riding her shoulders. If wishes were horses, they'd all be Cupids. She searched the crowed room for Brian.

Darn! The man was on the opposite side facing away from Laura. This was going to be a tricky shot. For her spell and potion to work, Dar needed to put her love arrow through Brian's heart then into Laura's.

While in transit she'd prepped her arrow with the appropriate potion and readied her spell. Each potion was carefully calibrated to its intended subjects and each spell was custom written by the attending Cupid. Hitting the wrong targets or in the wrong order could be disastrous and result in unexpected consequences.

She worried her bottom lip as she notched her arrow in the bow. She'd nearly failed her potions classes. Fortunately the office provided the potions for apprentices. She wouldn't have to formulate her own until she made apprentice first class and got some wings. At least she'd excelled in her spell composition classes and despite dumping a quiver of arrows, took first in her archery lessons.

Holding her breath she raised her bow and took aim.

"Love's arrow tried and true finds its mark. Hearts pierced. Love's released to find its mate." The spell spilled from her lips as the arrow flew.

Bull's-eye! A dead hit. Brian jerked slightly and looked around in bewilderment.

Then at exactly the wrong moment as the arrow headed toward Laura, another woman walked in front of her. The woman tripped as the arrow rocketed through her then hit the wall next to Laura with an audible smack and dissolved in a cloud of pink smoke.

She was so screwed.
 

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