Interview with J.M. Kelley

Please tell me 5 things about you.

1. I’m a northern girl living in a southern world, and struggling to figure out what these South Carolinians are saying.
2. I can write dialogue until my fingers fall off, but in person? Total social ineptitude.
3. I’m terrified of storms, but love to watch Storm Chasers on Discovery.
4. My first attempt at writing a book was when I was a kid. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a really bad carbon copy of the Sweet Valley High books. Luckily, that so-called manuscript found its way into the trash.
5. I’m addicted to barbeque pork. I need a twelve-step program to help me break the habit.

What are 3 unique aspects about Drew in Blue?

1. Drew in Blue is a contemporary romance told from the perspective of the male lead. I wanted to create a love story seen through the eyes of the one who needed love the most.
2. I think Drew’s voice is unique. He says dumb things, and sometimes you want to smack him upside his head, but his heart is in the right place. Underneath it all, what he wants most is to be loved and needed. That real desire for the ‘whole package’ sets him apart, I believe.
3. When it came to the relationship between Drew and Kris, I wanted to eclipse the standard “best friends” theme in a romance novel. Their friendship is pure. They really are happy being friends. They really do want the best for each other, even if it may be with someone else. They have a level of honesty between them that makes everything that transpires seem organic.

 Name 5 things you wished you knew about publishing?

 Let’s see if I can narrow this down to five things.

1. I wish I knew how to convince more people to give Drew in Blue a whirl. Aside from beating them over the heads with the good reviews it has received. And begging. And holding their pets for ransom until they send a receipt of purchase.
2. I wish I knew that writing a second novel while trying to promote a debut novel, in addition to all that daily life stuff, is like trying to juggle melted butter sticks. At least so I’d be better prepared for the time management issues. 
3. Turns out, being published doesn’t magically eradicate your offensive abuse of gerundive phrases in your next work in progress. You still have to hunt them down and kill them. Go figure.
4. I wish I knew that there would be personal sacrifices in the wake of being published. But you have to move forward and stick with the positive and supportive influences in life, and leave behind the things that only sabotage your accomplishments.
5. I wish I knew where my million dollar advance is – I thought the check was in the mail already.

Name 3 things on your bucket list.

My bucket list is rather boring. I think I want to:

1. Have a relationship with a normal man.
2. Chase a tornado.
3. Finally learn how to swim.

I suspect I have the best shot at the tornado-chasing.

What are your top 5 favorite books?

Oh, boy. That list changes so often. I’m constantly rotating books on and off of my favorites shelf. At this moment, I’m leaning towards (in no particular order)….

1. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
2. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
3. The Stand by Stephen King
4. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
5. Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier

If you could invite any 5 authors on a cruise who would you invite?

I’d invite Stephen King because I think that man knows how to have fun. And Toni McGee Causey, so I could worship her from a close distance. Perhaps George Orwell so I could pick his brain about everything going on in 1984. I’d invite Sarah Addison Allen so we could relax on the Lido Deck and discuss her writing choices, because I’m fascinated by her style. And then I’d include somebody way out there, like Dante Alighieri just so I could say, “Guys, I went on a cruise with Dante. Yes, first name basis. We’re that close.”

Ignore the fact that I chose some dead people there. And that Dante Alighieri is more commonly known by his first name, anyway.

Name 3 things that help you gain inspiration for writing.

1. I like to seek out inspiration in the mundane. I watch people and take mental notes about their behaviors and the things they say. I like to figure out what motivates people to do the weird real world stuff they do every day, then find a way to use it in my writing.
2. My biggest inspiration is being outdoors. I’m drawn to water. Just sit me down next to a lake or an ocean and the mechanism clears, and I can start pounding out story. There’s a connection there that frees up my imagination.
3. Junk food. Hey, I admit it. I’m productive when I can sit in front of a computer in my pajamas, while shoveling chocolate ice cream into my mouth. I’m relaxed, my cravings are sated, and I’m free to write at will, with nobody questioning why I have chocolate dribbling from my chin. The ideas often flow fastest when I’m at my most slovenly.

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you as an author?

While my publisher was setting our books up with Amazon, the site managed to accidentally make our books available weeks earlier. Friends jumped on it, even though I figured it had to be a glitch, and they ended up with copies of Drew in Blue that weren’t yet formatted. Luckily, Amazon pulled the books, refunded the friends, and we had a good laugh over my fleeting moment of early publication.

What's the most embarrassing author moment you've had?

It was probably when I realized I’d sent out the worst query known to man to several agents who were at the top of my wish list. I try to chalk it up to learning the hard way, but mostly I still feel the urge to slap myself in the forehead a few times when I think about that spectacular failure.

If you were stranded on an island and could magically name 2 people, 3 things and 1 book you could have to have with you who/what would they be?

Hmm. Island. I would conjure my best friend, and a morally ambiguous cabana boy who somehow fits our different male preferences. Then I would summon the most comfortable bed in the world, a giant bag of smokes, and a giant crate full of Pepsi. And hope I could figure out how to light the smokes. The book I would call for would be the Worst Case Scenario Survival Guide, because I guess that would be the worst case scenario, being stuck far, far away from a Target or a Piggly Wiggly. Right?

Do you have another title in the works?

I’m working on a second novel with a temporary title of Daddy’s Girl. It’s about the black sheep of the family, and how she must come home to rural Pennsylvania to care for her gravely ill father. The requisite romance is definitely there, in the midst of a story about a family that must heal old wounds before their time runs out.

What is your favorite season?

Autumn. I love the colors and the smells. It’s a full sensory experience season. The smells, the sights, the sounds. I love crunchy leaves under my feet, driving in the mountains to see the changing colors, and I especially love being able to go to the beach and sit next to the surf while wearing a sweater and jeans, and no shoes.

Your dream vacation would be?

I’d love to rent a giant, luxurious beach house on the Outer Banks. Somewhere away from the crowds where I could have the beach to myself and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist. But still have access to a giant hot tub and fully stocked private bar.

Best childhood memory?

Road trips to Florida to visit my grandparents. One year, we packed into a VW bus and put signs in the window that said, “We survived T.M.I.” Watching for and being the first to see a South of the Border billboard was nearly an Olympic event. Half the trip was spent trying to get a trucker to honk for you. In Florida, there were trips to Clearwater Beach and Tarpon Springs.

My grandfather was wheelchair bound, so riding with him on the riding mower or sitting on his lap while he wheeled us around was luxury travel accommodations, in my mind. I always scored a roll of quarters from my grandmother. I thought I was rich when I got my mitts on that money.

Maybe it was because my grandparents spoiled me rotten, but nothing in life has ever compared to those trips.

If you were given the chance to do any one thing over again, what would you do over?

I’d definitely re-do the whole college experience. Less watching Another World in the lounge while cutting my Art 101 class, more actually finishing college.

If you were given the chance to re-live any one moment, what would it be?

There was a boy involved. Nothing smutty, I swear. It’s that moment when you realize your kissing styles suit each other, that his face doesn’t look too weird when you open your eyes mid-kiss, getting that fish-bowl perspective of him, and realizing that the toes will be tingling for hours after the night is over. The one I’m thinking of, that was a damn good moment.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

I recently moved to South Carolina, so I’m looking forward to longer days in which I can wander around and really get to know my new home.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Long story short: Persistence. Keep at it. Keep improving your work. Aim high, but be rational. Don’t try to be the next Stephanie Meyers. Be the best you possible. And most importantly, don’t give up. Ever.

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To purchase or price Drew in Blue on Amazon click HERE

To connect with J.M. click the following: www.jmkelleywrites.com   Twitter   Facebook 

About the Book

Drew Doyle’s done a lot of stupid things in his life, but the biggest mistake by far was not paying attention to that 2% failure rate listed on the back of the condom box.

Drew in Blue is the story of a thirty-six year old loner unexpectedly saddled with the task of raising a baby while trying to sort out his mess of a life. Problem is, he just keeps making things worse for himself. It’s a running theme in Drew’s life, considering he never does anything the easy way. The River’s View, Pennsylvania gossip mill is watching each misstep as Drew juggles a price-gouging babysitter, a major case of artist’s block, and a best friend with an opinion to share on every bungled choice he makes.

His love life isn’t faring much better. Despite a long history of relationships that never really get off the ground, he falls head over heels for someone new, hoping that she might be the one to end his romantic bad luck streak. Things finally start looking up for Drew, until he finds out (the hard way, naturally) that this new love interest isn’t the one for him after all. Turns out, it’s actually lifelong pal, and high school girlfriend, Kristina Moser.

Drew’s feelings for Kris intensify as he witnesses her growing bond with his son, and he finally realizes where he belongs. Now all he has to do is convince Kris he’s right… and she’s just not buying it.

Reviews: 10 Tips to Surviving the Scrutiny

by Ellie Newmark, Author of The Sandalwood Tree

Purchase The Sandalwood Tree: A Novel

**Guest post is part of Ms. Newmarks blog tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotions**

Reviews: 10 Tips to Surviving the Scrutiny

1. Be prepared for people who just don't like your book. They don’t like the setting, the characters, the story, nothing. Zip. Nada. They won’t have a reason; they’ll just say they didn’t like it. Then there will be some who have a reason, and someone else with a different reason and a bunch more with other reasons. If they all have different reasons you can ignore them; if they all have the same reason, it would be worth your having a second look at what they’re saying. Then there are reasons that don’t even have anything to do with your book. The reviewer was in a bad mood; she just had a fight with her husband; her teenager is driving her to the brink; the car broke down, again; the mortgage payment will be late... And then there are all those people who are just plain nuts or just looking for something to criticize.


2. Be prepared for people who don't like your characters. We want our readers to like our characters so that they will care about what happens to them, but one person's darling is another person's pain in the ass. Luciano, the main character of the Chef's Apprentice was generally considered a sympathetic character. A Dickensian urchin trying to stay alive on the mean streets of Renaissance Venice. He catches a break from the chef and we all want to see him make the most of it, right? Wrong. One reviewer said quite plainly, "I didn't like Luciano." She didn't give any reason; she didn't have to. It's the chance you take when you let a total stranger read your book and give them permission to let the world know what they think. No one asks how this person is qualified to review books. The Internet has created a place for is a self-appointed reviewers and we are at their mercy.

3. Be prepared for people who don't like you. Some people have trouble separating the author from the work. Everything that comes out of my characters' mouths is assumed to be a reflection of my own belief system. If that were the case, I would simply write an autobiography, but it's not. It's a novel. I make these characters up. I make up the story as well as the things the characters do and what they believe and how they behave. But there will always be those who insist on finding autobiographical material where there is none.

4. Be prepared for people who will go out of their way to set you straight on some historical detail that the copy editor missed. Apparently, there are people out there who read historical novels just looking for mistakes. I can feel the excitement in their e-mails as they deliver the news that a Chinese doctor would not wear his hair in the way I describe at that period in history. It is particularly unpleasant when the tone they take is contempt for having uncovered such an important detail. To them I say, get a life.

5. Be prepared for people who will ask you why you have written a book AT them. Why, they ask, did I decide to mess with their most strongly held beliefs. Why am I questioning their values? Why, they ask, can't I write a book that confirms and validates what they already believe? Six thousands religions in the world, and they want to know why I am not in perfect lockstep with theirs. I'm not kidding. Be prepared for people who really think this is a reason for a bad book review.

6. Be prepared for groupies, hangers on, people who want to know you personally and will try to establish some common ground. Am I Italian? Oh, what a coincidence! They are also Italian. Do I like to cook? They do too! I prefer being a traveler to being a tourist? Oh, of course, them too. I'm right-handed? I'm a mother and a grandmother? I’m a brunette. The similarities keep on coming. I've been married for 30 years? Them too! I mean, what are the odds?

7. Be prepared for extravagant praise from people for whom you have touched a nerve. They, too, think you wrote the book AT them, but in a good way. These people found a legitimate commonality and they want to push it into a personal relationship. They want to be girlfriends. As flattering as this is (in a sick way) it just isn't advisable to start making friends with fans. I have few friends scattered around the world and it took a lifetime to establish the rapport I have with them. Enjoying my book does not qualify for friendship.

8. Be prepared for people who simply missed the point but go ahead and write a review anyway. They don't even know they missed the point so they have no problem with writing a review.

9. Be prepared for people who don't even finish reading the book before they write the review. I have one on Amazon in which the reviewer actually admits to not having liked the book well enough to finish so she abandoned it halfway through, and then she wrote a book review. Is it just me, or is that just wrong on oh so many levels?

10. Be prepared to be nice and polite to people who don't deserve it. There are people who cross the line that separates a civil book review or email in which the rules of polite society are observed, and the hysterical emoticon with red, sweaty skin and bug eyes that rotate in separate directions. Be prepared to meet them both and yes, you have to be polite to them too, no matter how whacked they are.
 
Thanks for the tips Elle!  I'm sure many aspiring authors will appreciate your feedback.  I'd love to hear comments from this post!  What do you think?  Are these tips helpful?  Have you experienced any of these?  Reviewers, how does this enlighten you in regards to the authors end of the author/reviewer relationship?
 

"Behind the Scenes" of "The Four Ms. Bradwells"

Quite frequently I read a book and can't help but wonder what the "Behind the Scenes" take would be on the title.  This generally happens with books I fall in love with or books that have a difficult topic addressed within the title.  Quite often, as with The Four Ms. Bradwells, the author does an amazing job of weaving so much emotion between the characters and the issues that I can't help but wonder what caused the author to write this book?  Is the author taking any of this from his or her own past?  Where does one get their inspiration for such an intense novel that makes me, the reader, feel what the characters are feeling?  So, when I read The Four Ms. Bradwells and was given the opportunity to ask Meg for a guest post, I immediately asked for the "Behind the scenes" look at this title!  My review of this title can be found HERE.  I hope you enjoy her post as much as I did!

"Behind the Scenes" of The Four Ms. Bradwells
Guest Post by Meg Waite Clayton

Like the friends in my third novel, The Four Ms. Bradwells, I was a different person when I left law school than I had been when I arrived. The novel is absolutely an ode to my law school friends and the University of Michigan Law School itself for helping me discover strengths I didn’t know I had. But it’s also an exploration of the challenges we faced as women coming into a male-dominated professional world—one that expected us to politely ride pink elevators to pink dining rooms in clubs that wouldn’t have us as members, and to turn away unwanted advances from colleagues and clients without offending anyone.


I’d actually meant to set the novel primarily at the Michigan Law School before I came upon Tom Horton’s An Island Out of Time and, through it, became enchanted with Smith Island, the basis for Cook Island in the novel. It’s a world untethered to the mainland, where even the way people speak, in British-leaning accents with improbable preposition choices, is unique. When I first visited Smith—after my first draft was written—I borrowed boots to wade through the bay as it lapped against the sun porch after an amazing storm, and Tom Horton was kind enough to take me on a black-night boat ride I will not soon forget. I’m restless by nature, and being in a new place—particularly a place of natural beauty—somehow provides me a great emotional space from which to write.

What interested me most, though, in writing the story, was the shared secret at its heart. I suppose the thing about secrets is that we often keep them out of shame. And the things that shame us often shouldn’t. They’re often things that are not our fault—and yet they’re also often things that we will be judged for, consciously or not. So the writing process for  was very much a process of peeling the layers back from the onion of half-truths that wrapped themselves over that secret in the years between the burying of the skeleton and its being discovered.

Which sounds romantic, but the truth is the way I write is not at all romantic. It’s “2,000 works or 2:00.” I sit down every morning at 8 and write until I have 2,000 words or the clock clicks over to 2:00. I was a huge reader growing up, but I thought writing novels meant being able to leaping tall literary buildings in single bounds. The adults I knew were businessmen—not even business women; the “ladies” were moms and teachers and nuns. Even a girl going to law school was a stretch, but less of one. It wasn’t my dream, but it was something I thought I could do. My husband, Mac, was the first adult to whom I admitted my childhood aspirations to write, and he gave me a great big push. He said, basically, “Your dream, Meg. How will you ever know if you can do it unless you try?” So I just started putting pen to paper, reading more and deconstructing what I read, trying to learn how to write. It’s an amazing way to spend hours and days and a lifetime. I became a writer long before I started publishing. Owning the dream and reaching for it is what changed my life. It’s lovely to be publishing novels, but it’s the writing itself that’s the cake of my life. - Meg
--
Meg Waite Clayton

Bestselling author of The Four Ms. Bradwells, The Wednesday Sisters, and The Language of Light.
"At the center of Clayton’s satisfying third novel, The Four Ms. Bradwells, are strong characters we can relate to" - More Magazine

 

www.megwaiteclayton.com

Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses

Author: Claudia Sternback
ISBN: 978-1-60953-307-2
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Source: Publisher for review
Link for purchase: Reading Lips


About the book:
Kisses, even the ones that don t happen, can be the trace of what s constant when life changes. In childhood, when what seems to define everything is competition for style, for knowing, for experience a kiss is the first first. When a girl s father moves out and chooses a new family, a kiss on the head from him may be the trace of constancy that she wants most. Later, such things take on a different flavor. Sometimes the kiss she wants doesn t come. Sometimes the one she wouldn t have is forced upon her. From time to time, the one she has kissed before is lost to her. Some kisses are final. When things are most hectic a kiss can be a celebration. And when circumstances grow threatening to a woman, her family, her sister a kiss becomes the reassertion of the most vital connections. The rich story in these essays rings with good humor and with moving wistfulness. Throughout, Sternbach maintains a perfect balance between them as her story moves from the bittersweet desires of childhood on through loss and love. Reading Lips is the tale of one woman who is just trying to get life right.

Review:
When I first received this book for review, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It is obviously a “memoir of kisses” but what was I going to reading within the pages? It turns out this title is far more than entry after entry of the authors kissing history. The title, which pays homage to the authors memorable kisses, also ties together experiences, lessons and the story of her life. With each new entry Claudia gives you a glimpse of her life and her personality. It’s a memoir written in a unique way as the author delves into her past, making the story bittersweet.

Claudia’s writing style is very easy to follow. As the reader I felt at ease with the story, as if I were a good friend sitting for coffee and re-living the moments with Claudia. There are all types of kisses and emotions in this memoir that give the reader a touching view of kisses. Claudia’s family is included in the book as she links each memory with the memories tied into her story, weaving them as one and making it whole.

I enjoyed this title. I especially enjoyed the chapter titles as I found them creative. Memoirs are not every readers cup of tea, but this memoir is one that can be related to by all because who hasn’t had a first kiss? A practiced kiss or bad kiss? How about an amazing, life changing kiss or even a goodbye kiss? It is a novel that is short, sweet and sure to have you thinking back on all your kisses!

Interview With Patricia Rockwell & Giveaway

Patricia Rockwell is the author of "FM for Murder."    Here is a little about her book:

Who shot the disk jockey while he was on air? No one saw the killer, but many heard the murder on the radio. Local police are mystified and ask Psychology professor and acoustics expert Pamela Barnes to assist them in investigating the crime. Can she determine who shot the deejay just by listening to the radio station's audio recording of the killing? And how does this crime connect to the impending death of a wealthy carpet manufacturer hundreds of miles away? And the driven behavior of his conscientious son who hides a very important secret? Unknown to Pamela, another thread of this strange mystery is about to unravel. Will she be able to solve it before another victim is claimed? In FM FOR MURDER, the second in Patricia Rockwell's acoustic mystery series, we follow feisty amateur sleuth Pamela Barnes who doesn't let academic duties prevent her from fighting crime. And Pamela fights crime with the tools she knows best-sound waves.

FM for Murder is available for purchase by clicking on the following link:
 FM For Murder
Our interview is below for your enjoyment!  After you're done getting to know Patricia, enter the giveaway for 1 of 2 copies of FM for Murder!!

Five things about me:
1. I grew up in Nebraska but I've lived in many different states.
2. I was a teacher all of my professional life but I'm retired now.
3. I incorporate some of my academic research into my cozy mysteries.
4. I'm afraid of flying.
5. I have my own publishing company and publish not only my books but those of two other authors.

Three unique aspects about FM For Murder:
1. My amateur sleuth solves the murder using sound clues
2. There are two plot lines.
3. I had to do a lot of research into carpet manufacturing, goth poetry, and underground parties for this book.

Five things I wish I knew about publishing:
1. It's harder to promote a book than write it
2. Nobody will promote a book for you
3. It's really changing (with epublishing) a lot
4. The stigma associated with self-publishing (now indie publishing) is rapidly vanishing
5. It's hard to know what does and doesn't work in publishing except through trial and error

Name three things on your bucket list
1. Cruise to Alaska
2. Get my books in some local bookstores (that's harder than getting ebooks sold)
3. Lose weight

Five favorite books:
1. Candide--Voltaire
2. Play Dirty--Sandra Brown
3. People of the Book--Geraldine Brooks
4. False Memory--Dean Koontz
5. The Diary of Adam and Eve--Mark Twain

Five authors on a cruise--Julie Hyzy, Joan Johnston, Diane Morlan, Cynthia Gallant-Simpson, Glynis Smy

Three things for inspiration--My computer, my coffee, my fuzzy robe

Funniest thing that happened as an author--a call to my publishing company Cozy Cat Press, which is named so because we publish cozy mysteries, wanting to place an ad for cat food in my "magazine for cats."

Most embarassing moment--one of my paperbacks sent to me from the printer that I sent to a reviewer (without checking) had the interior of another book! Now I always look inside my own books to be sure they are my own books before I send them out!

Stranded on a desert island I would have these 2 people, 3 things, and 1 book-- my husband and my daughter, my computer, my Kindle, a coffee pot, (if I have my Kindle I don't need a book), but maybe a really large, glossy book of beautiful paintings.

Other title in the works--My third cozy mystery is entitled "Voice Mail Murder" and concerns a philandering football coach who is stabbed in a hotel room. Police find his cellphone on the floor and on it a series of voice mail messages from his various mistresses. My amateur sleuth Pamela Barnes is brought into the case because the Police are unable to track down any of the women and it appears that one of them is probably the murderer. Pamela studies the messages and tries to figure out who the women are.

In addition to this book which is finished but not yet published, I am working on a fourth book without a title. This one will feature a 911 call from a frantic wife who claims her husband is trying to break into their home to kill her. When the Police arrive, they find the woman's body. The Police will attempt to arrest the husband for the crime but will discover he has an air-tight alibi. Pamela will be brought in to investigate the actual 911 tape to see if it contains any clues.

Best author experience so far--I really enjoy speaking to groups about my books such as at bookstores, libraries, and fairs.

Least thrilling part of being an author--constant promotion. Makes me feel cheap sometimes, like I'm selling myself. But it's necessary.

Advice for aspiring authors--be patient. Nothing happens overnight. It took a good year for me to start even seeing some reasonable sales on my first book. It builds very slowly.

Last book I read--Dean Koontz--The Voice of the Night

Currently reading--Luisa Buehler's--The Lighthouse Keeper: A Grace Marsden Mystery

Do you enjoy this "All about Patricia" post as much as I do?  Would you like to win a copy of FM for Murder?  Patricia is giving away 2 copies of her book!!  It is available in ebook or paperback format.  Please chooose your preference on the form below.  If you would like a paperback you must have a US address for shipping purposes.  To enter tell me your favorite answer to this interview in a comment and fill out the form below!  Good Luck!!

Congratulations Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the following giveways....

Waking Up in the Land of Glitter

Lilac Wolf

Ms. Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing

Angela L

Letters From Home

Sheila

The 4 Ms. Bradwells

Jencey Gortney



Fifo "50 States"
Ruthie

All the winners have been notified and I am awaiting confirmation from them.

Congratulations to everyone who won and thank you to ALL who entered!!

Interview with Kimberly Montague

Kimberly Montague is the author of...

About the Book:

Alexis Winston has been obsessed with famous race car driver Seth Keller ever since her older brother became best friends with him. After her parents pass away, Seth’s father becomes her legal guardian, and Seth begins referring to her as “kid sister.”

 Amazon Link

But when she returns home from college a grown woman, she becomes determined to prove to him that she is definitely not a “kid,” and the spark that ignites between them is anything but sisterly. Now they must battle her brother, her guardian, and his fiancé, all under the watchful eyes of the media as they fight to hang onto each other.   

Our Interview

Please tell me 5 things about you.
1. I put a lot of salt on nearly everything I eat.
2. I drive a 2011 gray Mustang named Starbuck (after Battlestar Galactica 2003 not the coffee place)
3. I have four pets (in order of reverse acquisition): Black lab/Greyhound mutt, long-haired white German Shepherd, black tuxedo cat (weighs 27 lbs but is only overweight by about 3 lbs-- he's very long and tall), and a tiny Maltese/Shih Tzu (8lbs) who is the ruler of the entire house.
4. I'm an absolute hopeless romantic.
5. I'm a book hoarder. There, I admitted it. I just completely love books and going to bookstores and looking through titles on my Kindle. I love the smell of books and the feel of smooth pages against my fingertips. My books are my little friends and their little worlds are landscapes I can pop into at-will. I rarely every sell my books, opting instead, to have a really ridiculous pile of books two-deep on my shelves.

 

What are 3 unique aspects about Racing Outside the Line?

1. The heroine is a contradiction. She is both traumatized and totally open to getting her heart torn out all over again. She suffers from low self-esteem and is also incredibly confident and ruthless in achieving her goals. She is dependent upon the strength of others, but is also the rock for many of them.
2. The hero is famous, stubborn, arrogant, and more caring and giving than the vast majority of the population. He is a seriously strong example of how really good intentions can actually harm those he's trying to protect.
3. Where a lot of romance novels neatly tie up any issues with mean and angry ex-girlfriends, this book actually places this drama center-stage for the hero and heroine to confront in more detail.

Name 5 things you wished you knew about publishing (before being published)?
1. Amanda Hocking author-life story
2. I wish I had known that one day I would be able to do something with the stories and ideas I wrote just for me and my mom, instead of allowing the skeptics in my life tell me that I was never likely to get published.
3. I wish I had known that sometimes our desire to get our words out there can easily lead us to falling victim to "agents" and "publishing companies" who are simply running massive scams. While I've never fallen prey, my father was a victim.
4. I wish I had known the actual breakdown of how much money you are likely to make through a traditional publishing company.
5. JA Konrath's author-life story

Name 3 things on your bucket list.
1. Go to the Louvre in Paris
2. See where my father grew up in England
3. See the recreated Globe Theater in London

 

What are your top 5 favorite books?
1. Hamlet
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
3. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
4. Castles by Julie Garwood

5. Ooronoko by Aphra Behn

 

If you could invite any 5 authors on a cruise who would you invite?

1. Robin McKinley

2. Amanda Hocking

3. J.K. Rowling

4. Zoe Winters

5. J.A. Konrath

Name 3 things that help you gain inspiration for writing.
1. Dreams- sleepy-time ones

2. Dreams- wishes I have while awake

3. Moments in my life that have affected me or made me wonder "what if" throughout the years

 

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you as an author?

 One of my students came to me one day with her arms folded across her chest and a huff in her voice. "Someone stole your name," she explained as she went into detail about finding Racing Outside the Line on Amazon's website. She knew I had been working on a young adult novel, but due to the young age of my students, I'd never shared any news about Racing Outside the Line with them. She was completely irate for me over this impostor that had dared write some romance novel under my name. It was funny in a completely cute way.

 

What's the most embarrassing author moment you've had?

 My first draft of Racing Outside the Line was 160,000 words. I thought it was great and was attached to all my words. I had written scenes that I personally had to know in order to write my characters effectively, but that really had little to do with the actual story. When my very fabulous editor and cousin, Robyn finally got this reality to sink into my thick skull, it was really embarrassing to go back into my book and chop out 50,000 words of essentially crap. I have since accepted this as part of the writing process, but my resistance to the original idea makes me hang my head in shame.

 

If you were stranded on an island and could magically name 2 people, 3 things and 1 book you could have to have with you who/what would they be?

1. My husband and my mom
2. A fully charged satellite phone =) but if you're discounting the possibility of cheating, I'd say a machete, fishing spear, and a flint 
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Do you have another title in the works?
I have a young adult paranormal romance called Altered, which centers around seventeen-year old Piper Kenly and the challenges she faces while being torn between her safe childhood relationship and an exciting, spark-filled connection she has with a guy she has just met. Just as she thinks she has it all figured out, a typical guy-dare leads to the spread of violent and destructive infection that causes the infected people to become aggressively deadly. This is the first book in my new series Inevitable Fates and will be out on June 1 of this year.

I'm also working on the second book in the Love Stories at 190 mph series: Pushing All the Limits. This second book is about the relationship and issues that Desmond (the older brother from Racing Outside the Line) and Chelsea (Alexis' best friend) face in their attempt to be together. Pushing All the Limits is expected to be out in the Fall of this year.

What is your favorite season?
That's actually a tie between Fall since my favorite holiday is Halloween, and I just love the leaves, and summers in North Carolina with their breathtaking thunderstorms.

Your dream vacation would be?
I would love to sit out on a beach in the Caribbean and do nothing but drink Daiquiris and snorkel with my personal aquatic life tour guide, my husband.

Best childhood memory?
My parents and me in our backyard during the summer enjoying the sun, swimming, raft races, playing chess with my dad, my mom making nachos, and our dogs with their tongues hanging out and their tails wagging in happiness. Good times.

If you were given the chance to do any one thing over again, what would you do over?
I would go back and live in a college dorm and experience going away to college even if it had only been an hour or two away.

If you were given the chance to re-live any one moment, what would it be?
When my husband met my parents for the first time. My husband and I played chess against my dad (he still won, he was brilliant) and laughed with my parents enjoying the warm evening on our swing on the deck.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?
Sleep. I'm a teacher, so the opportunity to focus on my own life without worry of lessons, students, budgets, etc, is incredibly welcome.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Don't let anyone look at you skeptically. Find those that always make you feel you can do what you aspire to do, and ignore everyone else. If you can successfully ignore the doubters... email me and tell me how. =)

Thank you Kimberly!

To learn more about Kimberly and her books (she writes in other genres too!) visit her website: http://www.kimberlymontague.com/

Phew! Moving is......

A LOT OF WORK!  Those of you who follow me on twitter or Facebook have probably seen my tweets and status updates about my up coming move.  Well.... I moved!  I also slept like a baby last night.  I am aware of muscles I had forgotten about.  I am so excited to be in our new home!  I am also in a bit of disarray due to the very unorganized and cluttered house I now live in.  Simple task such as brushing your teeth are a chore because who knows where the tooth brushes and tooth paste are located??  I actually couldn't find them this morning and ended up having to run to Walmart and brush my teeth at work!  I felt like I a 22 year old returning from a passion filled night, the way I snuck out of the house finished getting ready at work!  It was an odd feeling.

So, how am I doing now?  I'm GREAT!  We have a lot of unpacking to do in order to make our home livable.  I worked my tail off last night getting the kids bedroom and playroom ready so that they would be all set!  I couldn't find my toothbrush but God forbid they don't have toys to play with!  Times like this make me aware of myself as a mother.  I have lots of reading to do, many author interviews and giveaways to post, and quite a lot of fun in store for my blog!  If you have a blog or a Goodreads profile and would like to be part of a blog tour please let me know!  Sign ups will be posted soon for a romance novel!  I'd love to have you as part of this tour. 

 Warm wishes from a small hole in the midst of boxes,

Angel Harp

Michael Phillips
ISBN: 978-0446567718
Publisher: Faith Words
Source: Publisher for Review
Purchase Link: Angel Harp: A Novel

Synopsis:

Widowed at 34, amateur harpist Marie "Angel" Buchan realizes at 40 that her life and dreams are slowly slipping away. A summer in Scotland turns out to offer far more than she ever imagined! Not only does the music of her harp capture the fancy of the small coastal village she visits, she is unexpectedly drawn into a love triangle involving the local curate and the local duke.

The boyhood friends have been estranged as adults because of their mutual love of another woman (now dead) some years before. History seems destined to repeat itself, with Marie in the thick of it. Her involvement in the lives of the two men, as well as in the community, leads to a range of exciting relationships and lands Marie in the center of the mystery of a long-unsolved local murder. Eventually she must make her decision: with whom will she cast the lot of her future?

Review:

What an enjoyable book! The premise of the book is emotional as Marie is a widow at a young age. When she decides to move on, before life passes her by, she heads to Scotland in pursuit of living a dream shared with her husband. She visits small villages along the way and is drawn unexpectedly into a love triangle. This brings her back to the controversy of life and death, which she struggled with after losing her husband, and leaves her with decisions that will affect her future.

Michael is a skilled writer. I have read my favorite series, The Secret of the Rose, by Michael many times. His novels are wonderful to re-read, as each time I gain something new out of the story. This title, in ways, reminded me of that series as I can see myself re-reading this novel and gaining new insights with each read. I was instantly drawn to the main character, Marie, and could sympathize and emphasize with her along the way. Michael is gifted in writing long novels that pull you further into the story, leaving you unaware that you read four hundred or more pages. This book is no exception. It has heart, soul, intrigue, mystery and a descriptive nature that pulls the reader deeper and deeper into the story.

The story is one of loss and reconciliation, love, life and faith. It was a wonderful read, especially for those who like contemporary fiction. There were very few drawbacks to this book. My biggest hurdle was reading the local dialect of the Scottish town people which was slightly difficult to read until you got used to it. This may be because I am not used to reading this type of dialect. It did make the book feel more authentic, though at the same time took away from the reading for me.

The Violets of March

Author: Sarah Jio
ISBN: 978-0-452-29703-6
Publisher: Plume
Source: Author for Review
Pre-order Link: The Violets of March: A Novel
Watch the Book Trailer

Synopsis:

A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

Review:

As I sit here, ready to pen my review of this book, I must confess I’m just not sure my writing has what it takes to do this book justice. The Violets of March is a captivating and soulful read, I did not want to put it down. Many daily tasks were neglected while I read this novel. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. It’s as if a constant pull beckoned me back to the book, which didn’t disappoint me!

The story itself is one of the most original and refreshing stories that I've read in quite some time. It put stories I recently categorized as original to shame. I couldn’t help but wonder how an author can come up with such refreshing and original material at this day in age. Regardless of her methods, Ms. Jio has proven to be a masterful story teller with this novel. It is full of depth and emotion with twist and turns that carry the reader away.

The characters of The Violets of March are an intriguing and well developed group. My connection to Emily was instant, as if I had known her my whole life. In spirit, I was not sitting at home reading this novel. Instead, I was sitting with Emily at the sound; drinking Starbucks, overlooking the water and feeling the breeze as I listened to her tell me this intimate story. I felt as if I knew each character, their unique and vibrant personalities are part of what made them enjoyable to read.

Sarah’s writing style was wonderful. At no point during this novel was I aware that I was reading. I was simply immersed. I felt a part of the story, as if it was being told to me personally rather than the fact that I was simply reading it off the pages. The story is told through Emily, but switches tones when she is reading the diary. The dual storyline is executed beautifully. I was never lost, never had to pause or re-focus. It was a clear and smooth read.

Overall, I feel this review could never quite capture the essence of this wonderful novel. I can only hope that you, as a reader, will trust my opinion when I say this novel is a must read! It is fresh, satisfying and fully re-readable. It will not disappoint you. My most simple and honest feelings about this book and Sarah’s writing can be wrapped up in the following statement; based on The Violets of March, if Sarah Jio continues to write in this manner, I without doubt, have stumbled across my new favorite author. Her books are now a must read for me and I highly anticipate her next release. She is without doubt; a very talented writer and I urge you to read this book. It will amaze you.

The Violets of March is available for pre-order and will be release on April 26th. Amazon has the book listed for fewer than ten dollars!! Treat yourself to a great read…

A Dream Unfolding

Author: Karen Baney
ASIN: B004GNFT5I
ISBN: 978-1456512316
Publisher: Self Published
Source:Author for Review
Purchase Link: A Dream Unfolding (Prescott Pioneers #1)

About the Book
The promise of a new life and a chance to start over…

Hannah Anderson had the life she always wanted, married to the man of her dreams. When her husband’s brother gets in trouble with the law, the town turns against them, shattering her perfect life. Now they are left with only one choice—to head west to the Arizona Territory in the hopes of creating a new life. Will the journey be worth the cost?

Will Colter, after burying his father, is forced to leave the ranch he has called home for nearly thirty years. The journey is dangerous, challenging him and his men. Will he find the new life he was hoping for?

Or, is there a new dream quietly unfolding before their eyes?

Review
A Dream Unfolding is a delightful debut novel! I enjoyed this book immensely though I am not a fan of westerns, which this book reminded me of. This historical fiction takes place in 1800’s America, during the Civil War and Arizona’s statehood. While I was clearly aware of the plot set up from the very beginning, there were a few surprises, in terms of its execution, along the way. Here is the skinny on this title.

Setting – Perfect! The author does a wonderful job of being as historically accurate as possible when it comes to writing a historical fiction title. She even includes an author’s note at the end that clearly defines what details is fact, what's derived from fact or what's completely made up in the story. I appreciated this touch.

Characters – All the characters are well developed and throughout. It was easy to make them come alive in my imagination. I had a clear picture of them and their surroundings throughout the entire story. It was as if I was watching a movie in my mind. Just as with a family member or friend, these characters were lovable yet aggravating at times. I was happy they had friends in the novel that helped “enlighten” them when they needed it.

Pace - The novel has a steady pace that guides the reader. There is just enough action, story and plot to make it wonderful. I never felt the pace slack. It was very consistent.

Story – Though somewhat predictable in regards to its set up and direction, the story was very interesting and kept me captivated. I was aware of the “storyboard” with this title. It is very clear who the hero and heroine are once you are introduced to both sides of the story. From here it is obvious that certain events will take place in order to remove obstacles and bring the two together. There of course is a love triangle and all the other wonderful elements that go into a well written story. This was the only part of the book that I felt could use improvement. The author is very creative, well written, expressive and interesting. The only thing this book lacked was the ability for me to “forget” I am reading a book.

Audience – Though lovers of historical fiction, Christian fiction, romance and western related fiction will enjoy this title most, it is a book for any reader. The romance is extremely light and never goes beyond an Inspy heat level. The book has romantic elements but in my opinion barley qualifies as a romance, so don’t let that stop you from reading it!

Overall, I recommend this book! It really was a wonderful debut. It has a little of everything to offer the reader. I enjoyed the authors writing style immensely. She did a wonderful job switching between the two sides of the story and bringing them together as one. I’m thankful for the chance to read it and look forward to reading the second title in its series!