Wonderful Women with Guest Blogger: Caroline Clemmons

Win a copy of Save Your Heart For Me and welcome author Caroline Clemmons to the Book Boost today!

She's here to share with us the women who have inspired her...


March is Women’s History Month and we each have one special woman who influenced us more than any other, don’t we? Before I disclose that person, please indulge me while I tell you about several women who made a significant contribution at my different life stages.


(1) My grandmother, Frances Josephine (nee Gamble) Phifer Reynolds was an amazing woman who raised four children and outlived two husbands. She made each of her grandchildren feel as if he or she was her favorite. She was shy, but when she spoke her words were worth hearing.


(2 and 3) Several teachers influenced me, but Mrs. Huff during my fourth grade in Morton, Texas and Mrs. Mary Stewart during two years of journalism in Lubbock, Texas especially took time to interact individually with students.


(4) Helen Keller was an inspiration even though I disagreed with her support of socialism. With the help of Annie Sullivan, Miss Keller overcame unbelievable handicaps to make a contribution to too many causes to name here. Who of us could have overcome being both blind and deaf from the age of nineteen months? When I’m discouraged, I tell myself if Helen Keller could do, I had better cowgirl up.


(5) My eldest half-sister, Elsie Lorraine (nee Johnson) Reed, was only two years younger than my mom, and Elsie functioned as the matriarch of our family. She was a classy lady who taught me to be less insular and to embrace deep spirituality, even though we attended different Protestant denominations.


Who was not influenced by his or her mother? You’ve probably guessed that the most influential person in my life was my mom, Lena Mae (nee Phifer) Johnson. She demonstrated devotion to her children daily. Her life goal was to see her children safe, secure, and happy. I was a puny kid doctors predicted would not live to maturity, but Mother determined to see I grew up in spite of any naysayers. Obviously, she followed through. More than just because she gave birth, I owe my life to her devotion.


Which brings me to my current release. Save Your Heart For Me is a novella in which the heroine is named after my Aunt Elizabeth Margaret Phifer Scott and the heroine’s mom is named after my mom. Although my aunt was never called Beth, I used that form of Elizabeth in the story. Mother loved reading my books. The novella was to be a surprise for her, and I knew she would be delighted. When she died before I completed the work, I simply had to put it away for a while before I could finish writing the story.

Now it’s complete and available from The Wild Rose Press.

Kerri, thank you so much for hosting me today.

A Note from the Book Boost: What a lovely post and thank you for sharing all the special women in your life with us. We all should be so lucky to have such strong and inspiring women in our lives, I know I do! Please tell us more about your book.

Blurb:

After fleeing an abusive husband six years ago, Beth Jeffers wants nothing more than to protect her son Davey and to help her mother operate a boarding house. The women in her family have had no luck with men, and she has no intention of letting any man influence her son. Not even Matt Petrov, no matter how much her lonely heart urges otherwise.


Federal Marshall Matt Petrov, also known as Lone Wolf Peters, fell in love with Beth the first time he saw her. Then she was another man’s wife, so he kept his longing a secret he’s saved his love for her for six horrific years. Now, the lovely widow and he have crossed paths again. This time, he intends to risk all for a chance at happiness. First he must rescue his distant kinsman from an assassin’s clutches. Will Matt succeed before his kin is killed? And will his secrets shatter the love he and Beth now share?


Excerpt:

The tall younger woman kept her head lowered and all he saw was her shapely backside while she tugged at the corner of her navy skirt caught under one leg of the safe.

“Let me.” He tilted the safe to free the fabric, then pushed the unwieldy block of metal into place.

“Oh, finally.” She shook out her skirt and bent to brush at the stain marring the hem. “Thank you—“ When she straightened and looked up at him, she fell silent and paled as if she’d seen a ghost.

Hell, he figured she had. A phantom from her past.

“Beth? Beth Jeffers?” Matt tried to mask the sensations raised by seeing her again—surprise, longing, heartache—but doubted he succeeded.

She, on the other hand, quickly recovered her composure and turned up her nose as if she’d smelled a skunk. “What are you doing here?”

“Honestly, Beth, I’m surprised at you.” Her mother looked from one to the other. “You two know each other?”

Beth pushed a stray golden curl from her face and raised her chin. “We met long ago.”

She wore her blonde hair in a bun, but wisps escaped to frame her face. Time had been good to her. The years had rounded her a bit in the right places and softened her—except for her ice-cold blue eyes.

She gave Matt a measuring glare and balled her fists at her hips as if challenging him.

“Whatever you want, you won’t find it here.”

Matt wanted to say something sharp to make her think he cared nothing for what she thought, but his mind went blank. Danged if she wasn’t prettier than when he’d known her six years ago, especially without bruises marring her ivory skin from her sonofabitch husband’s fist.

Want More Caroline?

Caroline Clemmons writes romance and adventures—although her earliest made up adventures featured her saving the West with Roy Rogers. Her career has included stay-at-home mom (her favorite job), newspaper reporter and featured columnist, assistant to the managing editor of a psychology journal, and bookkeeper. She and her husband live in rural North Central Texas with a menagerie of rescued pets. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, reading, travel, browsing antique malls and estate sales, and genealogy/family history. Her latest releases include The Texan's Irish Bride, Out of the Blue, Snowfires, Save Your Heart for Me and Home Sweet Texas Home.

Visit her website her: www.carolineclemmons.com
Pick up your copy of her book today. Click here.

Contest Time:


To enter the drawing for a free PDF download of the novella, please comment on this blog and tell me that you’ve signed up for my Mostly Monthly Newsletter at the sidebar on my blog http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com. Please leave your email address with the comment.

**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!**

Marching to the Beat of Miss Havana with Guest Blogger: James L. Hatch

Today the Book Boost welcomes author James L. Hatch!


Here's what he had to say...


The Earth-Shaking Events of March

JH: Today, I'm interviewing the controversial Miss Havana. It’s good to have you here, Miss Havana. We understand you will enlighten us about important events which occur in March. Please, take it away.

MH: Why, thank you for having me. And, yes, as a former substitute teacher, I always have plenty to say about most everything, but even I was surprised at all the vital events associated with this very special month. For example, who knew National Noodle Month and National Craft Month coincided with National Frozen Food Month? They do! Really. Perhaps you were already aware of that, but being the devilishly curious sort I am, I needed to know if more earth-shattering events lined up in March like a rare alignment of planets!

I frantically Googled…and then looked up wide-eyed from the vivid colors on my computer screen, gazing across the peaceful snow-covered limestone formations out my back window and over the serenity of the lake beyond. My mouth dropped agape in near shock. There are more, many more, and I was awed by the plethora of incredibly important March events that scrolled up on my screen!

Just considering the critically important individual days of March nearly made me swoon. Did you know that March 1st is National Pig Day? I suspect not! It’s simply amazing that most people completely ignore it, as well as National Pound Cake Day on the 4th; Multiple Personality Day on the 5th; Barbie’s birthday on March 9th; Buzzard Day on March 13th, an important carry-over from the Great Hinkley Varmint Hunt of December 24, 1818, that has unfairly taken a backseat to the beginning of daylight savings time; Potato Chip day on the 14th; Submarine Day and the birthday of the rubber band on March 17th, both of which have somehow been overshadowed by St. Patrick’s Day; Sparky the Fire Dog’s birthday on the 18th, again unfairly overcome by Johnny Appleseed Day; National Teenagers Day on the 21st, which, let’s be real, no one celebrates except with a headache; National Goof Off Day on the 22nd, which everyone seems to celebrate every day; National Toast day on the 22nd, which is generally eclipsed by National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day on the 24th; Something on a Stick Day on the 28th (really); and let’s not forget, Tater Day on the 31st.

Why, the opportunities to party down simply boggle the mind. However, beyond these vital important days of note, and ignoring that the second week of March coincides with both National Bubble Gum Week and National Crochet Week, I was shaken to the core to realize that today, March 9, 2011, is…National Panic Day! Trust me, I would not kid you about something so serious.

On this day, everything you know—everything I know—could simply disappear. Poof, it’s all gone! You must restrain yourself in light of this new knowledge, and try not to press the panic button until the day is over. But then, if the day reaches a peaceful conclusion, you might not need to press the panic button at all. Not knowing what could happen, here are some suggestions to help you through the day:

a. The fetal position. Try it. It’s very comforting, especially when properly robed in a ‘Snuggie’ and accompanied by new age music and aroma therapy. By the way, did you know that new age music played backwards sounds like new age music?

b. Use a pillow. Fold one over your face and scream into it, ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more!’ To be most effective, you must scream at least ten times or until your voice fades, whichever comes last, but don’t hold the pillow over your face while breathing—only while screaming.

c. Watch violent movies. I recommend the Steven Segal series because the sound of other people’s bones breaking can be quite comforting, especially if you are in the midst of a nasty divorce.

d. Blitzed. This is a good state to be in if everything goes “POOF!”

e. Adopt a cat. Cat ownership will make you feel so insignificant you won’t care if it all ends.

f. Pierce your eyebrows. It will make you even less relevant than owning a cat. Two piercings and people won’t even know you’re in the room.

g. Deep breathing in a paper bag helps in most all panic situations, if you can find one. Plastic bags aren’t recommended.

h. Finally, better living through chemistry. Try Prozac.

March is also well-known for both people and events. Who can forget the astrologer who warned Caesar to be on guard on March 15th, 44 BC? Caesar greeted him smugly on the way to the Senate, feeling quite self-assured that dire forecasts of bodily harm were completely off base, ‘The Ides of March has come’, and the seer responded with sadness, ‘Aye, Caesar, but not gone.’ Yes, March is truly a noble month, where pleasantries are exchanges in all circumstances.

Of course, ‘Near Miss Day’ is a day that simply can’t be missed. The day is so named because 4581 Asclepius, a small asteroid of the Apollo group, passed within 680,000 km of Earth on March 22, 1989. Unfamiliar with it’s name? You might remember it by it’s alternate designation, “B 1989 FC Category Apollo asteroid Orbital elements C Epoch November 26, 2005 JD 2453700. 5 Eccentricity”. Asclepius is named after the Greek demigod of medicine and healing, not for its potential for destruction, but it received special note because it passed through the exact position of Earth only six hours earlier, a close call on the cosmic scale of things. A tiny deviation in orbital mechanics, and Asclepius would have punched our lights out, releasing energy equivalent to a 600 megaton atomic bomb, which itself is the equivalent of one Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb detonating every second for 50 days. Clearly, ‘Near Miss Day’ is a day to be celebrated with the whole family.

And let’s not forget my personal favorite, the vernal equinox, or as my people call it, Ostara—the day of equal darkness, ‘equinox’ literally meaning “equal night”. That event occurs between March 19 and March 21, and starts the clock for Easter, which falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

As indicated in the book, The Substitute, Lucifer still claims he got a bad wrap for that one, but Lilith settled that score once and for all!

Oh, pardon, I digress. The Vernal Equinox sets the date for Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday as I always call it when Mrs. Wansworth was present. Mardi Gras was a personal party time favorite of mine when I lived, and it was extremely reliable, always being exactly forty-six days before Easter. But the Vernal Equinox has been around much longer than Easter. In fact, since the Earth began turning. Even early Egyptians built the Great Sphinx so that it points directly toward the rising Sun on that day.

The Vernal Equinox is also the day when Wiccans and Neopagans gather in a circle around a fire to celebrate, some ‘star clad’, which is a fun topic in itself. When a bell rings thrice, a parchment is passed from person to person. Each writes what they want most, thus affirming their heart’s desire and helping them to attain it. The leader then takes the parchment to the altar and lights it, allowing the ashes to fall into a soil-lined bowl before mixing the ashes and soil with a special knife. The participants dance around the circle, hugging and kissing each other in a time of merriment, drinking and feasting.

Ah, yes, fond memories celebrating fertility, a topic I can go on and on about.

JH: Er…ah…perhaps another time for that topic, Miss Havana. For now, we'd like to thank you for being here. I think we’ve had enough.

MH: Oh, is my time up? Well, then, thank you for having me, it’s been most extraordinary, but before I go I’d like to push my book, The Substitute. I, Miss Havana, am the star of that novel, but my public persona is far from the truth because, in my capacity as substitute teacher, the small community where I lived knew me as the breathtakingly beautiful young woman who demanded every student learn (the fools), but in my private life, ostensibly caring for aging parents in Chicago, I raced through the lives of powerful men, leaving a wake of destruction…and a deep desire for revenge. Little did I realize my conflicted life would end in a chaotic a death at an early age, and to eternal conflict with the devil. The Substitute is clever and witty, your really should get a copy.

I promise you won’t guess the conclusion until the final paragraph!


A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks to James and Miss Havana for joining us today at the Book Boost. It has been...enlightening...to say the least!


Excerpt:


The extremely dark sunglasses I take from Fred tone down the sun’s glare and make me look cool, but from my bus stop vantage point, things appear to have changed a lot since my last visit here, especially the quantity of people and the complexity of everything around me. However, I suspect people remain essentially the same as I knew them in the distant past, even though they’ve replaced their stinking camels with stinking automobiles.

A large brown delivery truck whizzes by, oblivious to everything but the green light ahead, and splashes water from a gutter puddle onto an old lady nearby. Not that I care about the old lady. I don’t in the slightest, but it seems a call to irony if I’ve ever seen one, as well as an opportunity to disrupt the orderly flow of things. I change the oncoming light to green with a single thought and another large truck carrying sugar races through the intersection to meet the first squarely in the middle. Both spill their cargo onto the ground, blocking the intersection completely. Ah, chaos. Before I amble on, I ensure every ant in the vicinity rushes in to check out the free meal spread across the ground.

I stretch my arms and crack my knuckles, feeling smug that I’ve still “got it”, and briskly step out toward Burger Town, but few people notice me. That will have to change. I’ve grown to expect far more adoration over eternity—or at least a little fear. I will demand it here as well after I rid myself of the black-and-yellow checkered shirt provided by my employer. Although, in my not so delicately modified condition, I suspect the fawning of women will be wasted on me. Waldo is in for some very rough times when we return to my home.

Burger Town is a beehive of activity as I enter fashionably late. I casually pick up an apron and hair net on my way through the kitchen, trying to look as much like the other toiling fools as possible. Taking time to enjoy the refreshing moist heat and smell of searing meat, a touch of home to be sure, I note with interest the smoking rancid oil would be a nice aroma therapy addition to my own décor.

A young man removes frozen meat patties from the freezer as I wander aimlessly toward the back of the establishment. I can’t resist picking one up and taking a bite, like having a refreshing Popsicle on a hot day. He looks at me with an absolutely blank expression, apparently having checked his emotions when he came to work, takes the partially eaten patty and throws it on the grill. “Look, dude, you’re not all that new here. You don’t eat ‘em, you fry ‘em…right there.”

Ah, sarcasm! If everyone is like this, I can see how Miss Havana learned to be so irritating. I begin frying the pile, but change things up a bit by adding a layer of flies between patties. I also concoct a touch of botulism for each slice of meat, knowing I’m doing everyone who will eat here today a big favor. While burgers generally cause considerable weight gain, these particular ones won’t. I snicker just thinking of the rampant diarrhea that will fill the customers’ evenings for the next few weeks, assuming they survive.

By eleven I’ve grown weary of playing with the meat patties. This job, unlike eternal judgment, has no requirement for creative expression whatsoever. I hand my yellow-and-black checkered shirt to my nearest neighbor, the guy handling the buns and cheese, and I walk out of the kitchen with the tune of “Take This Job and Shove It” playing in my mind, just as the lunch crowd is beginning to gather. Finally, recognition! But the boos and jeers of my co-workers, as I leave them short-handed, are somehow less satisfying than those from my normal gallery. In fact, many encourage my premature return to my home.

Want More James?

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

Get in the Write Mind with Guest Blogger: A.J. Best

The Book Boost welcomes aspiring author A.J. Best to the blog today.

Here's what she had to say...


It’s time to sit down to write. What shall I write about? Should I work on the current project or the one the muses gave me last night? I could research that one. Oh, or the one that I started last month. I can finish my NaNo project, even though I didn’t ‘win’ this year. Oh never mind, there’s too much to choose from, and the house is a mess anyway.

I’m sure that many authors go through that scenario in their heads; I do that and then some.

Luckily I have had some great writing friends, and non-writing friends who were kind enough to tell me, “You know what AJ? Writers are called writers because they write. Now sit your butt down and write already.”

There is nothing like getting wisdom told to you like it really is; I actually need that. I want to be told how it is, and not have things sugar coated for me. I needed to hear their rants about sitting down to write.

I’ve used the excuse of writer’s block, and cleaning, and kids, and, and, and... With all of those "ands", I never got anything accomplished. So, I’ve had to force myself to SIT and WRITE. I’ve made a schedule that I can live with. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are my writing days. Those are the days that I cannot dilly-dally with anything. There will be no checking email during the day, no Facebook (dear Lord NO!) and no TV. On Wednesday I allow myself to work on my email that needs to be done. I write my guest blog posts, work on getting others on my website, and get some Facebook time during the day!

I created a writing space for myself, which is set aside for writing only. When I’m there, there are no social networking sites, no messengers. There is only word processing software, and any research related sites on my browser. I have incense, Pandora or Slacker playing in the background, and a drink.

I’m quite sure if I didn’t have my music, I wouldn’t be able to write. There are several reasons why:

1. When the house is quiet, I can hear every noise. The clock is ticking, the cats are walking, the sink is dripping, the house is settling, and I can’t focus. I was like that when I was in school too. I finally talked my parents into letting me have music on when I was doing my homework. They were pleasantly surprised when my grades went up.

2. Music helps me to set the scene. When I need a good love scene, or a tender moment I’m a sucker for Celine Dion. When I have a good fight scene, or a vamp doing something dirty Metallica rocks my boat. For some odd reason Metallica also calms me down when I’m in a ‘mood’.

3. And when the door is shut and the music is playing, my kids and fiancé know that they are not to enter without knocking. There is nothing worse than loosing the momentum of a fight or a sex scene. I’ve actually been in the middle of a sex scene and I was rudely interrupted. I had to leave my computer and come back. When I got back my muse decided to tell me that they weren’t in the mood for sex anymore. I couldn’t finish the scene and had to write something totally different.

Make yourself comfortable with your environment. Make sure to have the music playing and my dear writing friends, sit down and write.


A Note from the Book Boost: Great tips for all, AJ. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us today. Hope you'll join us again in the near future with news of one of your finished projects. Can't wait to hear more about what you are writing to all that musical inspiration.

Want More AJ?

Visit her website here: www.ajbestwrites.com

Get Your Freak On with Guest Blogger: Freaky Fountain Press

Welcome Freaky Fountain Press to the Book Boost Today!


Here's what they had to say...



How many of you skulk around in fandom from time to time?


Read any fanfiction?




If you have, then you know all about trigger warnings.



If you don't, here's a quick primer. Being “triggered” is when someone who has experienced psychological trauma in the past experiences psychological distress in the present when they read, see, or hear about something similar to their particular traumatic experience. A “trigger” is something that causes a particular person to re-experience some of the emotions or sensations of past trauma. "Trigger warnings" are when someone mentions in advance if there's likely to be common triggers in whatever is to follow.


It makes sense, right? Movies, even television shows, warn for things like violence and adult language. Books, however, don't.


Many fanfic writers don't either. The folks in fandom who dislike the idea of trigger warnings, claiming that posting trigger warnings “spoils” their stories for potential readers, often point fingers at the publishing industry and cry in their own defense, “Real publishers don’t use trigger warnings! Real publishers don’t do it, so why should we?”


Triggers are scary, disruptive things. Anyone who has them will tell you: the smallest thing can set them off, and in that moment it’s like reliving the trauma all over again.


Freaky Fountain Press, started by Catherine Leary and Robin Wolfe, exists to give a home to certain kinds of erotic stories. This is the freaky fountain: we like it raw, we like it real, and we crave the sorts of things that traditional publishers won’t touch with a ten-foot pole. Given that we may handle subject material like incest and rape fantasy, Freaky Fountain stories and novels are more likely than your average erotic tales to be loaded with potential triggers. Given our deep respect for trauma survivors, we've decided to use trigger warning lists in all our releases. (We're also pleased at destroying the tired old, "But publishers don't use warnings!" defense.)


When you’re scrolling through a fanfic archive, the warnings are up-front and readable before you click through to the story. At Freaky Fountain, we decided to remove any threat of “spoilers” by putting the trigger page at the back of each book. This way, the reader can flip to the back of the anthology or novel and scan through the trigger list before he or she decides which stories to read, or whether to read the novel at all. Even the previews at our website and at places like Smashwords and Lulu include the trigger warning list, so a reader can look them over before deciding whether or not to purchase our novels and anthologies.


Triggery content (such as rape or a back-story of child abuse) is very common in many erotica books, even those considered more "vanilla". We're the first company to start using trigger warning lists, but we hope that we won't be the last. We hope that other companies, and authors who self-publish, may feel that having a trigger warning list at the back of their own publications is a fair compromise between not "spoiling" their work, while still being considerate of the risk of triggering their readers. When readers can make informed decisions about whether the content is safe for them, the better it is for the readers.

A Note from the Book Boost: FFP, I think this makes a world of sense and I appreciate the efforts you are taking to warn potential readers. Please tell us more about your new venture!


Freaky Fountain Press is the brainchild of two lifelong writers and connoisseurs of the freaky: Catherine Leary and Robin Wolfe.


For years, we’ve bemoaned the lack of published literary erotica covering dark themes and unusual kinks and practices. Nearly all mainstream publishers have blanket guidelines prohibiting elements such as necrophilia, non-consent, violence, gore, and cannibalism—all stuff we love! And while these guidelines undoubtedly serve a valuable function, implementing them straight across the board leaves a lot of niche readers out in the cold. Self-published authors are sometimes willing to tackle the darker side of Eros, but we’ve found the quality of those publications was often sorely lacking. So where does a reader go to find edgy, psychologically dark, and high-quality literary erotica?


One day we decided to stop complaining and do something about it. On that day, Freaky Fountain Press was born.


Freaky Fountain Press is not for everyone. Many readers will find some of our content disturbing, and guess what? We’re perfectly okay with that. Our novels and anthologies aren’t for them. They’re for you: authors and readers who like nothing more than to roll up their pants, jump in, and dance in the freaky fountain. So bring us your cannibal love, your natural born killers, your hot zombie sex and your death fetishists. Bring us your dark gods and weird kinks and bizarre fetishes. Write your stories to the edge and back. You’re always welcome here.

Want More Freaky Fountain Press?


Visit their website here: http://www.freakyfountain.com

Pick up your copy of This is the Way the World Ends today!
Click here.

Strife is a Highway with Guest Bloggers: The Force Recon Authors

Meet the authors of the Force Recon: Beacon Bayou Anthology today at the Book Boost!

Here's what they had to say...


Props to Each Other: Why Networking with Other Writers Is Important


Once upon a time not so very long ago, four writers were at a crossroads. At the crossroads were several signs pointing them in many different directions and none of the directions were a suitable path to where the four writers wanted to go. Road hazards were all around them. They were four people navigating the literary highway on four separate road trips, but none of their adventures were going completely as planned yet.

Until one day all four of their separate highways converged and something wonderful happened. They all climbed in the same woody station wagon and began to drive. They each had something to contribute to the collective trip and found that traveling with companions was much better than traveling alone. Things weren’t so frustrating anymore.

One person was great at reading a map, one was great at figuring out the quickest and most efficient way of getting to point B, one person knew all the best sights to see, and one knew the best place to get coffee. Each person was a vital component in making the whole. Things became much clearer and everyone was happy. The End.

Well, it’s not really the end. Writing can be a very lonely, frustrating, and tiring experience. Writers spend the majority of their time sitting in front of a computer screen talking to their invisible friends and telling their stories, then sitting alone in wait as they go through the submissions process, and then sitting alone is accompanied by pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth when the manuscript gets accepted and the marketing plan kicks in.

Which for most writers is the least savory part of the creative meal. But, it doesn’t have to be lonely, frustrating and tiring. Networking with other writers is important, but finding the other writer or writers that are the vital components of your collective whole can be tedious and can take some time.

The four writers were us...BethAnn Buehler, Christopher Craven, JL Oiler, and Lila Munro. We each were at a crossroads in our career and most, if not all, of us were ready to throw in the towel and quit. Until we found each other. Once we did we sort of became our own little crazy family with all the dynamics of a family unit. We’ve laughed together, cried together, cheered on each one’s successes, and mourned over the failures. We complete each other and help each other along this place we call the literary highway.

The result of our banding together has been some pretty amazing things. We each now have defined goals and are doing all we can to help each other achieve them, we’re all happy with the direction in which we are traveling, and a terrific writing experience has taken place.

Much as we found each other and are a family, our characters in our anthology are also their own crazy little family. A very tight close knit family of Marines. They stick together, help each other out, laugh together and cry together. We’re pretty proud of our little accomplishment.

Our advice to other writers—don’t go it alone. Find another writer or group of writers you can lean on and prop up. Not feeling alone is so important in this industry. We promise when you find your family you won’t be sorry you did.

Force Recon, A Bit of History...

Force Recon exists large in part to JL Oiler. During a late night chat between JL, Lila and BethAnn, JL asked if anyone was up for a joint project. We started brainstorming and the only parameters we set for ourselves were that we wanted something that would make a great spring break read featuring non-paranormal bad asses (JL's favorite description of our guys). Within minutes, we decided on a group of black ops warriors that found their personal lives far more treacherous than anything the enemy could throw at them.

The three of us had been involved in a collective project Wicked Muses that had fallen prey to growing pangs and as a result we’d lost part of our team. Wanting to add a fourth Muse back to the team, we girls strong armed Chris into joining us and after several months of planning and sharing our characters with one another, Gabe, Aaron, Regan and Brogan came to life.

If the team survives their vacation to Beacon Bayou, we think they'll be adding a couple of new members which also allows us the chance to welcome JA Lawson to our ranks.

We hope you enjoy Force Recon: Beacon Bayou as much as we enjoyed working together and creating it.

And a look into the characters and their creators...

Lila: So, Chris--what did you find was the most enjoyable thing about writing the anthology?

Chris: The most enjoyable part of writing the anthology was learning about the Marines and the role of black operatives in general. Until working with Lila, JL and BethAnn on this piece, I didn't have a clue how the USMC played such an integral part in military ops and just how extreme some men and women are willing to go to protect our freedoms. Jeanne-- did you learn anything new about yourself while writing Aaron's character?

Jeanne: I actually learned a good bit about my own way of thinking and communicating with others. Prior to writing Beacon Bayou, I had very limited experience really working so closely with others in story development. I was always able to allow my own ship to go where ever the water took it. With this story, however, we had a certain place we wanted to reach so my writing was much more guided and set. What I discovered is that the process taught me to organize my thoughts to produce a more cohesive piece of work. In the end I believe this project has allowed me to improve as a writer. It also netted me some great friends. BethAnn, what did you think was the most difficult part of doing the anthology?

BethAnn: In my opinion, the most difficult part of writing this anthology was making sure that every character got the chance to have his own voice. In Beacon Bayou, readers are going to meet four very close-knit but uniquely individual guys and readers will get to live life through each of their eyes. Given that the stories are so interwoven, I felt it was important that within their group life, each character had a chance to have his own story as well. Lila, what inspiration went into creating your main character?

Lila: For people that are just getting to know me and may not know it, I'm the wife of a US Marine. I've been living this life for fourteen years now and the inspiration to create realistic military characters is all around me, I only need look out my door. I usually use Marines as my heroes, but this time I decided to deviate a bit and give tribute to the guys and gals that keep our Marines healthy both at home and while deployed. Corpsmen and women are an integral part of operations on any Marine Corps base as the USMC doesn't have their own medical personnel so they tap the Navy for those jobs. In fact, my next door neighbor is a corpsman. I'm thankful that these people give their time so freely to help keep my husband and his brothers and sisters well while in harm's way. So, Chris how did you see your character Regan develop and grow while resting and relaxing at Beacon Bayou?

Chris: Being the Hollywood pretty boy that he used to be, Regan had to overcome several struggles in both the way he reinvented himself for the rigors of his job and the way he had to grow given his bent toward being rather emotional at times. I can't speak for the other guys, but for Regan, he had two opposite kinds of obstacles to leap--keeping his own sexual preferences a secret and his love for Brogan, a man who was curious about his sexuality while posing as a hetero guy all along to keep "cover." BethAnn, what was your favorite part about writing Brogan?

BethAnn: Without a doubt my favorite part of writing Brogan was setting his utter lack of self confidence in the bedroom against his bigger than life, take no prisoners attitude in every other facet of his life. For me, a character is only as strong as their biggest weakness so to see this hunk of a warrior hit his knees wondering what in the hell to do with his feelings, and better yet, trying to get his hands around the fact that he might actually be in love, kept me coming back to the keyboard night after night. Jeanne, will readers get to see more of the team if they survive their vacation to Beacon Bayou?

Jeanne: Force Recon is in no way done yet. There are still missions left to complete and lives to save, including their own! Readers will get to learn even more about these sexy strong men as they head off on their next mission. Lila, any idea what lies around the corner?

Lila: I heard from their command that the team were last seen on the border of Mexico headed to Somalia. I know as far as Gabe is concerned, he and Ros have a rough road ahead with some tough issues to face. I'm also pleased to announce that we'll be welcoming JA Lawson to our team in Force Recon book two. Jeanne did you have an prior experience with the military that helped you channel Aaron's character?

Jeanne: I'm blessed to have come from a family filled with vets. Both my father and father-in-law served though neither were Marines. And I've always had a thing for a man in uniform so researching the topic was like shopping in a candy store. Aaron is also a survivor of a different sort. He has a lot of self-worth issues which he's forced to face while at Beacon Bayou. I called upon a good friend who had personal experience in that area to help me get better insight into Aaron's emotion and reactions. Chris, how did you feel about the final story?

Chris: I feel satisfied with the final story. For me, writing about a gay Marine was one of those controversial topics because of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" thing. But deep down, the story is more than just that. I felt as if we as a group utilized this anthology as a therapeutic technique of sorts. This was a story that needed to be told. Lila, when describing Roslyn in such detail, did you ever think it would be as emotionally "trying" as it turned out to be?

Lila: That's such a great question. I'm known for tackling tough issues head on. My characters always have a ton of problems and I'm never afraid to talk about controversial ideas that might otherwise seem over the line so to speak. Not since writing Madi Melbourne in Bound By Trust have I had such an emotionally trying character. I do live through and with my characters in a very intimate way, and while I knew that Ros would take a lot out of me, I must admit she was probably the hardest character emotionally I've written to date. Her issues stem from a health stand point and I think a lot writers might find crossing that bridge out of line and taboo. For me, it's important to share those real life experiences and I completely believe they can be dealt with with tact and compassion. At the same time, it's emotionally draining to get so inside someone's troubled thoughts and emotions. I found myself in tears more than once telling Ros' story, but I'd do it all again. And I'm sure the tears aren't left behind. There are more to come while Gabe's in Somalia. BethAnn, you're character Brogan is closest to Chris' character Regan--do you think they had a satisfactory ending to their story and can you give us some hint as to where their relationship might be going later on? Any women in Brogan's future?

BethAnn: Well, things were going pretty well until command interrupted the party, so to speak. As the team heads off in the middle of the night to God knows where, Brogan finds himself wondering how to keep his head in the game on the job and keep an eye on Regan. There's no question that the pair are committed to one another, but between the women who keep landing on Brogan's doorstep and the little lady that's trying to get to know Regan better, the boys have their hands full. And that's not to mention saving the world while trying to stay out of harm's way. Jeanne, care to share any final thoughts about the project with readers?

Jeanne: Sure, I think readers won't be able to miss falling for the guys of Force Recon. They're the injured knights in shining camo that we all want to save us. The story itself is so intertwined that instead of giving readers four separate pieces, Force Recon offers readers a single cohesive story with several points of view. We have drama, action, romance, and everything in between to help our readers step into the world of our recon team like they've never experienced before. Any final thoughts from you, Chris?

Chris: Final thoughts? Wow! I'd just like to share that I truly think readers will enjoy this captivating story that not only sweeps you off your feet with four hunky leading men, but offers a bit of suspense and shock straight to the chest when readers discover our guys have some extra baggage of sorts. Like the saying, "A house is not a home..." "A vacation isn't a vacation" either. Bring tissues and a Crown and Coke--you might find you read the entire book in one sitting. How about you, Lila? Any closing thoughts?

Lila: I'd like to toss out that I think readers will be pleasantly surprised to find so many sub-genres encompassed in Beacon Bayou--we have everything from a sensual m/f relationship between Ros and Gabe, to a more erotic encounter between Aaron and Scarlett, to a steaming m/m relationship between Brogan and Regan. I think there's something here for any lover of romance. It was a joy to work with such great talent and combine each of our "specialties" into one work. I can't wait to get the next installment finished. BethAnn, any final thoughts from you?

BethAnn: You know, this has been such an exciting project to work on, I'm just anxious to get Force Recon into readers hands and let the guys work their magic. Being able to share in the creation of such a dynamic story leaves me wanting more of the recon boys. I hope they all make it home safely...

Thanks so much for hosting us today, Kerri, and thanks to all the readers for stopping by and spending some time with us! We truly appreciate you all!

A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining us today, Force Recon authors. Most folks don't know that I'm the former wife of a U.S. Marine and did a long tour of duty in that role myself! I also worked for the Marine Corps and my first baby was delivered by a Navy doctor. So, I've been there and done that. I think you'll reach a wide audience with this anthology and wish you the best of luck. Please give us a little more about your book.

Blurb:

Looking for a splendid place to visit? Welcome to Beacon Bayou! Come wander Big Thicket National Preserve... For one four man Marine Force Recon team, a vacation was just what the doctor ordered. Or in their case, the team corpsman.

Fresh off a mission in the jungle of South America, rest and relaxation are Recon's number one priorities. But for Gunnery Sergeant Brogan Baker, Sergeant Aaron Wolf, Corporal Regan Maxwell, and Chief Gabriel Sanchez, this vacation will test their strength unlike any mission ever has.

After a string of failed relationships, Brogan Baker is questioning his sexuality. Surely Regan Maxwell can't be the answer to Brogan's problems, can he? Besides, Regan’s a former Hollywood pretty boy just trying to prove he has what it takes while keeping one foot firmly planted in the closet. Then Kelli comes along. Can the two men foster their growing relationship and survive the presence of one tiny female?

Aaron Wolf, the unit lost sheep, agreed to the Texas get away thinking he could finally overcome the short comings his father points out every chance he gets. Meeting Scarlet might be the way out Aaron's been looking for, but it’s the beauty Gabe's got his eye on that shows Aaron there’s hope where he thought none existed. After losing his first wife over fifteen years ago, Gabriel Sanchez has sworn off women. But somehow Roslyn Romero manages to capture his heart. The only problem is she's got a host of her own issues that will push Gabe to the brink.

If that which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, then the Force Recon team will either leave Texas in body bags or they'll have a new found resolve to live life to the fullest. Beacon Bayou beware. Recon never backs down.

Want more Force Recon?

Visit our websites here:

BethAnn Buehler: www.bethannbuehler.com
Chris Craven: www.cravenheat.blogspot.com
JL Oiler: www.joiler.weebly.com
Lila Munro: www.lilamunro.weebly.com

Or at our joint blog here: www.wickedmuses.blogspot.com

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

Canoodle with Paranormal Romance Author Lara Nance!

Welcome paranormal romance author Lara Nance to the Book Boost today!

Here's what she had to say about noodles...


Hey, It’s National Noodle Month!


So, I’m sure everyone knows March is National Noodle Month, right?

No?

Well, it is, and one of my favorite things in the whole world is pasta, so it’s a great month for pasta-lovers like me. I plan to celebrate frequently!


Noodles have certainly progressed over the years and now you can buy them in all shapes, flavors and sizes. There are frozen noodles, fresh noodles, dehydrated noodles and pasta machines to make your own.


I am especially happy that over the past few years, pasta companies have come up with a way to add fiber to noodles so that the whole-grain varieties don’t taste like cardboard. That takes away a lot of the guilt about eating pasta. Right? Just say you’re trying to get your daily fiber content up…doctor’s orders.


How does this tie into my writing? Glad you asked. I’ve found that food plays a big part in all my stories and my characters frequently gather at a favorite café during the novel or share meals to discuss ideas. There’s nothing like a big bowl of pasta passed around to make a meal more communal and happy. It’s even more fun to have different sauces to try on the noodles. Mix and match!


Yep, I love everything from traditional spaghetti to Thai noodles with peanut sauce. And who can forget college when we thought eating Ramen noodles was the same as eating Chinese food but they only cost four for a dollar? I’ll never forget how crushed I felt when I found out how much sodium they had in them. Now that I have high blood pressure, they’re a thing of the past. *sigh*


Of course my favorite foods have a way of showing up in my novels. That way I can enjoy them without actually eating them…LOL. In my new paranormal romance, Memories of Murder, I have a scene in the characters’ favorite café and they have one of my most loved noodle dishes of all times: Linguini with grilled scallops, shrimp and clams, topped with feta cheese and a lemon-pesto sauce. Mmmm, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!


It’s simple, too. Just grill or sauté the scallops and shrimp in butter and steam the clams until they open. Cook your favorite size noodles (I prefer linguini), toss with olive oil, and arrange them in a decorative dish. I have a colorful eighteen-inch ceramic platter in the shape of a fish that I like to use for family-style dining.


Place the seafood on top of the noodles and then pour the lemon-pesto sauce over the top of everything. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. *mouth watering*


Here’s the Lemon-Pesto recipe:

4 tbsp. sweet butter
dash of white pepper and salt to taste
1/2 juice lemon
1 tbsp. chopped capers
3-4 tbsp. pesto sauce


Pesto Sauce:
1 1/2 c. loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs of Parmesan Cheese
Puree all


So how about you guys? What’s your favorite noodle recipe?


A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks, Lara. Now I'm craving pasta before 9 a.m. *sigh* Thanks for joining us today and sharing your passion for pasta. Please tell us more about your book!


Blurb:


When Maeve McKenna renounces her witch powers and accepts a low-key nurse practitioner position at a Virginia retirement community, the last thing she expects is a suicide her first day on the job. As the town's sexy sheriff, Paul Sutton, starts looking into the tragic death of his father's friend, Maeve can't help but get involved--with both the case and him.

Their informal investigation unveils an old journal that connects the ruins of a nearby asylum and long-forgotten cemeterywith the shiny new retirement community's memory unit--and Maeve's Alzheimer's patients. Maeve senses a sinister presence in the old asylum, calling to the patients, but in order to stop it from killing again, she must first conquer some demons of her own and reclaim the magic she's denied herself.


Excerpt:

"Ready?" Maeve found Paul sitting in the foyer near the Golden Acres entrance. He had changed out of his uniform into black slacks, a white Polo shirt, and a tan raw silk blazer.

"Yes, let's go. I'm in the Range Rover over there." Paul pointed.

The tingle of excitement had returned upon seeing him. She walked to her car, a little breathless. Hopefully they could talk about more than ghosts and evil spirits tonight. She'd shut herself off from others since the attack, filled with guilt and fear. But she was desperate to get over the closed-off feeling that lingered and to connect emotionally to others.

She followed Paul's car past the guardhouse, down the winding road alongside the mountain, and into downtown Rolling Gap.

The view over the ravine to her right took her breath away. Jagged rocks interspersed with mountain laurel and cedar trees made a spectacular combination.

Paul sped away from her, going faster and faster. She frowned. Was he showing off? If so, it wasn't funny. It was dangerous. Two of his wheels came off the road around a turn. When the tires landed back on the pavement, the brake lights remained red, but his car went faster. Her heart nearly stopped. Something had to be wrong with his car.

She increased her speed as much as she dared and lost her breath when he skidded around another curve, almost losing control. He could be killed! Instinct took control.

Raising one hand from the wheel, she strained her fingers outward. She recited the words of old, and a silvery stream of mist flew from her hand. A sheen of perspiration dotted her upper lip as she twisted her fingers, melding strands of magical gossamer together to form a web that attached to Paul's car. She pulled back on the strands and kept the vehicle from sliding off the edge of the ravine. Her voice grew louder. She tried to direct the path of the car with the web, but only managed to slow it. The best she could manage was to force the SUV into a tree to completely halt its progress.

Want More Lara?


Visit her website here: www.laranance.com


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

Get Rooney With It with Guest Blogger: Maggie Dove

image courtesy of remotepatrolled.com


Win a copy of Call me Duchess and meet author Maggie Dove today at the Book Boost! Here's what Andy Rooney...err...I mean Maggie Dove had to say...


Hello Readers and fellow writers…today, I’m Andy Rooney.

I love to write and I thoroughly enjoy being a writer, but there are a few things that I find quite difficult when it comes to writing. So just for today if you will indulge me…I’ve decided to become Andy Rooney and list a few of my writer peeves.


The Blank Page: I detest the way it stares back at me, white and empty. I cringe when I have ideas in my head, a plot ready to be typed, my fingers warm and toasty eager to hit the keys and…nothing. Absolutely…nothing! How wonderful when the blank page is no longer blank.

When it is finally full and all I have to do is edit and correct and switch paragraphs around. Ah, the blank page…my arch enemy! Sometimes I would love to hire a ghost writer to write the very first paragraph so I could take it from there. Life would be so simple if I only could. But I can’t…so I struggle and somehow manage to write a brilliant page when the computer breaks down or a lightning storm erases everything I had worked on for hours.


Form Rejection Letters: Why elaborate? There is nothing more to say. We all hate form rejection letters.


Interruptions: Why is it that no one understands that when a writer is writing, a writer is working? No one ever bothered me when I worked in an office. I abhor interruptions…except when I’m staring at The Blank Page…then interruptions are a welcome distraction!


The Dreaded Synopsis: There is nothing more to say…well, yes, I shall elaborate on this one. It’s not easy condensing a 300 or so page book into 2 to 5 pages. And after accomplishing the impossible task, you find the other house you wanted to send your work to wants a 15 to 25 page synopsis. In a perfect world, all publishing houses would ask for an 8 page synopsis.


Finally, Blogs: It is puzzling to me how I can write novels with over 90,000 words and I can’t seem to be able to blog. I ask myself often--what is it about blogging that I find so hard? I’ve written short stories, poetry, screenplays, and even songs…but blogging…well blogging rattles my mind! I can’t think of anything to write about. I have a website and in that website I have a blog. I came up with what I consider a very appropriate name because when I’m writing hours can go by and I find myself still in pajamas.

My blog is called—yes—you guessed it—Still In Pajamas! I love the name. I’m still trying to write something under it! I marvel at my fellow writers who have full time jobs and young children, come up with wonderful novels every six months and still find the time to blog!

What kind of a name is blog anyway? Who came up with that? I don’t know but I have blogging on my serious to do list for 2011!

Oh my, look at the time. Thank you for indulging me. It felt nice to be Andy Rooney for a day and get things off my chest.

No wonder he has lived so long. Still in pajamas and still in love with writing!


A Note from the Book Boost: Maggie, this was too funny! I own real estate (multiple properties even) in Rejectionville--so the rejection letter hatred is at the top of my list. Personally, I think you did a terrific job of blogging here--pajamas or not! Please tell us more about your book.


Blurb:

A rapist is loose in London…and he has plans for Marguerite Wiggins.

Grippingly suspenseful and romantic, Call Me Duchess, is one young woman’s stunning journey to find love in 1870s London while a dashingly handsome chaperone, a heinous villain, and her own lofty aspirations stand in her way.

Left penniless by their father, Marguerite Wiggins and her sisters must find husbands during the London season or find work as governesses by season’s end. Determined to become the next Duchess of Wallingford, Marguerite must make the difficult decision between following her heart or attaining her lifelong dreams and ambitions as a depraved rapist seeks to make her his next victim.


Excerpt:

Ah, the London Season—how glamorous, how debauch!

Staring at his image in the gilded mirror on top of the marbled staircase, the nobleman adjusted his black mask over his eyes and smiled with approval while surveying the fine-looking picture he presented. As usual, his appearance was faultless. There was not a hair out of place. It was time to make his grand entrance, but he couldn’t help but linger a while longer as he looked over the banister at the massive ballroom below.

The magnificent Bentley House boasted the most exquisite of ballrooms, and tonight the festooned and tinseled room did not disappoint. What would the London Season be without the Dowager Duchess of Wallingford’s annual masquerade ball, held every year at the commencement of the Season? He had looked forward to it for months.

His heart pounded with anticipation as he slowly descended the staircase, his keen eyes surveying the magical grandeur before him.

There she was now—the bejeweled and crusty dowager, dressed in black silk and lace, smiling at her doting son, the Duke of Wallingford. The duke’s escort, Lady Lorena Bonner, giggled and blushed while speaking to Lord Christopher Jackman, who looked more enamored by her than ever.

Entering the room, the nobleman recognized Lord and Lady Hardwood and their delectable daughter, Samantha, from last year’s Season. He accepted a flute of champagne from one of the numerous silver trays being passed around by uniformed waiters. He glanced at the dance floor and noticed the Countess of Salesbury waltzing with a young dandy while her aged husband watched silently.

And was that not the exquisite Marchioness of Albester in lively conversation with the Earl of Deville? Where were their other halves? No doubt enjoying a lovers’ rendezvous in the terrace while their spouses conversed for all to witness. The nobleman smirked, remembering how the four had scandalized the ton with their blatant behavior last summer.

But that was last year’s gossip. He wondered what tidbit this year would bring.

The marchioness called him over, but he could not go and speak to her now. He pretended not to notice, for he had more pressing matters at hand. The nobleman was not interested in the guests he recognized. He was more fascinated by the guests he had yet to meet.

Looking to his side, he observed a large group of young ladies standing by the north wall. So many of them! Giggling and hoping they’d be noticed. This year’s pretty pickings—such beautiful, dainty flowers just waiting to be plucked. Where would he start? Knocking back the champagne with one quick gulp, he headed toward them.

The London Season—how glamorous, how debauch, indeed! The time of year when the upper crust departed from their country manors and brought their young daughters to London to partake in the marriage mart, all anxiously hoping the young debutantes would meet eligible bachelors from good families such as theirs.

He wondered which one he would rape tonight.

Want More Maggie?

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

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

Contest Time:

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