Tag Archives: Georgianna

Hello Again by Susanne Matthews-a review

Posted on by
15

Hello Again by Susanne Matthews-a review

Hello Again

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 9, 2016

For Charley Winters love means loss and pain. She’s spent the last five years struggling with her grief. Existing, not living. Drawn to Saskatchewan, she travels west take the job she’s always wanted. But life gets complicated when she’s rescued from a vicious tornado by her dead husband’s double, a man who makes her feel things she hasn’t in years. Add to that a native myth, a shaman, a green-eyed wolf, and her husband’s ghost … Can she lift a millennia old curse and find joy and love again?

•••••••••

REVIEW:  Hello Again is a new novel by Susanne Matthews. This is a paranormal tale with romance at its heart and soul. From the cover to the last page…this is a must read if you love myths come to life and adventure.

I have to admit the beginning and several parts of this wonderful story had my heart breaking. It also had me laughing, wanting to shout, confused about what spirits were doing. I was thoroughly entertained the entire way through.

I was intrigued right from the “A Message from the Author” all the way through the book. This is a page turner and I just couldn’t put it down. So much great information about the differences in names of “bands” of aboriginal Indians to the sad facts that many of their women go missing every year. This story touched and sometimes broke my heart, but built it back up.

How do I tell you how great it is without giving away the discoveries? It’s based on a Souix myth of a maiden who was married to a cruel medicine man. She ran away and wandered the prairies praying for the Great Spirit to take her away. He sent her a man to rescue her, not a man exactly. A shapeshifter with unique coloring (red hair and deep green eyes), he was the Chief of the Wolves. They fell in love, long story short…(read the author’s version – it’s great) her evil husband cursed them and their children (twins – a boy and a girl), and the curse is still going on.

Charlotte “Charley” Winters is married to Mike Winters and deeply in love. He’s a mechanic and so is she (she’s also a teacher). He did a tour in Afghanistan and has returned. They’re expecting a baby and are wonderfully happy. He and a few friends are going on a fund raising ride on their motorcycles to raise money for cancer research. Charley has a bad feeling about this ride…and she misses her father who recently died.

The heartbreak is that Mike dies in the ride…sort of…I said it’s difficult to explain! And Charley loses the baby…or babies as it turns out to be. She still hears Mike talk to her and her father as well. After a lot of grief, heartrending depression Charley heads out west to Saskatchewan and a new job…a dream Mike and she once had.

This trip is where she meets our new hero Sergeant Bill Murdock of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (who happens to look like Mike and has the same deep green eyes). It’s also where we meet the very interesting elderly medicine woman Shirley Smoke, not to mention a cast of animal spirits.

That’s the setup I’m giving out. I don’t want to give away any of this marvelous story. You simply have to read this for yourself. It’s fantastic, interesting and very talentedly written. How our author Susanne Matthews weaves these characters together into an incredibly exciting yet believable tale shows how much love of writing and talent she has.

So grab a big box of tissues, something to munch on besides your fingernails, a good sized glass of your favorite beverage and settle down for an exciting ride! I loved this one folks!

Copy supplied by author

Reviewed by Georgianna

Share

Soul of a Crow by Abbie Williams – a Review

Posted on by
14

Soul of a Crow by Abbie Williams – a Review

 

Soul of a CrowAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo/ BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
It is 1868 and the country is still reeling from the brutal effects of the Civil War. Lorie Blake, a war-orphan who escaped the miserable prison of her life as a prostitute in a Missouri whorehouse, embarks on a breathtaking overland journey northwest. With Lorie is her newfound family – brothers Boyd and Malcolm Carter, experienced horseman Sawyer Davis, and his beloved paint mare, Whistler. For the first time in years, there seems reason to hope. Thrown together by fate, and now deeply bound by love, each of them are determined to begin new lives as homesteaders in Minnesota. But, the past refuses to die. Former Confederate soldiers Sawyer and Boyd are haunted by the specters of the War, a conflict never truly put to rest. New friends emerge and old enemies arise, as ancient hatreds boil over in the hearts of the men who survived. In the face of incredible odds, Lorie must rely upon all of the strength in her soul as she battles for the life of her true love and the enduring promise of a new beginning in the north.

Review:

Soul of a Crow is book two of the Dove series by Abbie Williams. Author Williams is a very talented writer that gives her stories a “period” feel. From the descriptions of the places to the clothes and the speech of her characters, she immerses her readers into the time period. The issues and customs are well researched and “feel” human and real, often difficult.

The prologue begins with a story of the men right after the war ended, defending themselves against horse thieves, Sawyer killing one in self-defense. It’s a very realistic look at what returning soldiers of both sides (but mostly the boys in gray) faced as they tried to regain their previous lives.

This book is a continuation of Heart of a Dove, as the tale of Sawyer and Lorie moves further toward Minnesota with Malcolm and Boyd. Their dream of getting land and beginning a life over in the Northwest keeps them moving through the prairies toward their goal.

As the story progresses this talented storyteller takes us into the heart of prairie with the good, the bad, and the ugly well described. Love like we all dream of, heartbreak like we all fear. Hard decisions, unbound dreams, and resolute determination. Our characters face many dangers and joys all very heartfelt and yet realistically done.

I don’t do spoilers, and this is a series you really need to experience. I think the best thing I can say is that I feel if it doesn’t make it to the big screen…the world will have missed a great opportunity.

Please consider picking up this series and letting it change your soul for just a short while. It’s so incredibly exciting and inspiring I can’t wait for the next…Grace of a Hawk.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Share

SNAP: I, Vampire (Kandesky Vampire #9) by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

Posted on by
30

SNAP: I, Vampire (Kandesky Vampire #9) by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

Snap I, Vampire

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2016

Maxie Gwenoch, LA-based media star, VP for International Planning for the multi-national gossip conglomerate, SNAP, has finally agreed to marry Jean-Louis Kandesky, a 500-year-old Hungarian vampire a leader of the family that owns SNAP.

Is marriage a big change? Not as big as the fact that Maxie is now a vampire, as well. When munitions from the Kandesky Enterprises weapons plant in Slovakia turn up at the bombing of a Royal’s house in England, Jean-Louis and his “brother,” Nik, are hot on the trail of shadowy terrorist groups dealing in international weapons sales. Are the Kandesky arms being sold to terrorists groups? Should Maxie use her new-found vampire strengths to ferret out the scum?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: I Vampire, is book nine of the SNAP series by Michele Drier. This is Maxie’s story of being the newest member of the Kandesky vampire family.

We begin this tale on Maxie and Jean-Louis’s “honeymoon” in an exclusive and private chalet in the Alps. After days of mind-blowing sex, snow-filled views, peace and quiet out couple is ready to head back to reality and their very busy, albeit luxurious, lives. Maxi only a little unsure of herself, due to sometimes forgetting that her life has changed so drastically.

Jazz and Nik greet them at their Kiev home and we’re off on adventure. Author Drier uses recent headlines around the world and current issues to build an adventurous and exciting storyline. Terrorists have bombed the home of a British noble (a bit removed from the throne line…but royal none the less).

The casings found at the scene have implications for Kandesky Munitions, a huge problem for the family. This begins a story of intrigue, danger, and Kandesky style shopping for our girls, Maxi and Jazz.

With her usual and talented flair, we’re taken through plots, subplots, and things unseen. An exciting run through many exotic places as they draw out and eliminate the threats to the family. Along with all this adventure is a slow thread of romantic interest for Jazz and Nik; Maxi remembering her and Jean-Louis’s road to bliss.

If you haven’t started this series, you have some catching up to do…get started! If you’re a fan of this series, it’s another thrilling and imaginative exploit into this world. A great read, I had to stop what I was doing until I finished it! Enjoy everyone, I love this series!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna

Guest post-White and Red

Staying interested

Writing a series is both fun and nerve-wracking.

Fun because you get to spend time with people you love and know well.

Nerve-wracking because those people have to be growing, changing, finding themselves in new situations with new challenges.

When I sat down to write SNAP: I, Vampire, I knew the main theme of the book was Maxie’s first few weeks or months as a vampire. She’d given up all she ever craved in the regular world—sun, days at the beach, food—to be with Jean-Louis in everlasting life and love.

In the world of the Kandeskys, things change. Not the Kandeskys themselves, they’re 500-or-so- year-old Hungarian vampires. For them, their days…and nights…have a continuity and sameness, safe and predictable. But because they chose centuries ago to live in the world of regulars, they face challenges they must adapt to or lose their family.

They’ve overcome their ancient enemies, the Huszar vampire family; threats from Chechen thugs who want to take over SNAP, the family’s cornerstone property, and outwitted forays from Bulgarians, Russian oligarchs and Azerbaijanis.

Now, one of their other properties, Kandesky Munitions, the Czech factories that Nik is responsible for, have been implicated in a bomb explosion at the house of one of the British Royals. Torn from their idyllic, and sex-saturated, honeymoon on the top of an Alp, Jean-Louis and Maxie must unravel the threats from a group of terrorists. ISIS? Al Qaeda? A wholly new unnamed group? Who knows.

In tracking down the thugs and arms dealers, Jean-Louis and Nik fill the cells in the basement of Jean-Louis’ Kiev house with low-level scum and fun and mayhem ensue.

I’m a news junkie, and all interesting and weird bits of trivia from around the world are grist.

I have a file (a pile?) of small pieces of paper, sticky-notes, print-outs I’m intrigued with. Every so often some of them make it into a book. This time, it was terrorist threats, from articles on the international arms trade.

The Kandeskys live in the rarified atmosphere of the world’s superrich. The possibilities of kidnapping, secret trade agreements and working with shady arms merchants are always their cost of doing business.

And terrorist groups from the Middle East and Eastern Europe are just the latest news.

Stay tuned. There will be more.

About The Author

 

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

Michele DrierMichele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home. During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series.

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Edited for Death, Labeled for Death and Delta for Death, published May 2015.

Her paranormal romance series, The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was named one of the best paranormal vampire series of 2014 by reviewers of the Paranormal Romance Guild. SNAP: All That Jazz, Book Eight of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was awarded second place for best book of 2014.

The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles include SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, Plague: A Love Story, DANUBE: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, SNAP: Happily Ever After?, SNAP: White Nights and SNAP: All That Jazz. SNAP: I, Vampire, Book Nine in the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles is scheduled for publication in 2015.

Box Set ebooks Vol 1-4 of SNAP: Kandesky Vampire Chronicles : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/ Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

Share

The Improper Bride by Lily Maxton – a Review

Posted on by
12

The Improper Bride by Lily Maxton – a Review

 

The Improper BrideAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Cold, arrogant, and demanding Henry Eldridge, Marquess of Riverton, would never dally with a mere servant. But when Henry is injured in a horrible fire, his pretty housekeeper Cassandra nurses him back to health, throwing them together day and night. As he slowly heals from his burns, their friendship blossoms, and the class walls between them start to crumble. Cassandra is surprised by glimpses of a kind and thoughtful man beneath her employer’s hard façade—and even more surprised when she develops tender feelings for him. But anything between lord and servant is impossible…and besides, as a widow, she knows love only leads to heartbreak.

Henry is changing, as well. His close brush with death has opened his eyes to his self-imposed emotional isolation…and has urgently reminded him of his duty to marry a well-bred lady and produce an heir. Determined to do right by his family name, he immediately begins searching for a suitable bride. But Cassandra is the only woman who is never far from his mind or his heart. Contrary to everything he’s been taught to believe, he realizes his lovely housekeeper might just be his perfect match. Now, if only he could convince everyone else of that. Especially Cassandra…


Review:

The Improper Bride is a historical romance by the talented author Lily Maxton. Some of the characters in this book are mentioned or featured in her other book or books. This is the story of Henry Eldridge, the Marquess of Riverton, and his housekeeper, Cassandra Davis.

The story begins with Henry in his bedroom and finding that this wing of his house is on fire and he is about to be burned to death. However, while trying to get out a beam from his bed canopy crashed down and hit his head, resulting in many horrible burns on half his face and body. The servants managed to pull him out and save his life, but he was unconscious for a long period.

Cassandra Davis, a widow, is a young but able housekeeper and doing a marvelous job. The doctor charges her with helping to keep Henry occupied and pull him out of melancholy or depression while recovering. She does this by a unique idea of having him tutor her in German.

That’s the set-up. This story is well written with a slightly more modern language instead of antiquated terms. I didn’t feel any of the historical significance was lacking by it, in fact it made the story more compelling and easier to get into.

It’s a slow building romance between members of separate classes in society. It’s alternately heartwarming, frustrating, provocative, infuriating, and heart wrenching in the telling. Once they leave the privacy of his sick room and he begins to regain his life, the obstacles of position and class make themselves felt. The attraction and growing respect between the two characters is incredibly well done.

If you enjoy a really good romance, and all the frustrations that can be done while you wait for it to build, this is the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It felt a lot like living it along with the characters.

Grab your favorite beverage, cuddle up (or down) and be prepared for an enjoyable trip of emotions!

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy provided by Publisher

Share

Secrets and Lies (Hearts of Braden 4) by Susanne Matthews-a review

Posted on by
18

Secrets and Lies (A Hearts of Braden Book) by Susanne Matthews-a review

Secrets and Lies

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / BAM

About the book: Release Date November 16, 2015

DEA agent, Emily Shepherd, is after the Chef, a crystal meth cook, who sets up labs for the Mexican cartel and walks away—the same man responsible for the deaths of her husband and unborn child. Her search leads her to Braden, Iowa, a small town just right for the Chef’s specialty. But identifying her quarry won’t be easy when she’s up against a woman who sees her as a threat, a male chauvinistic deputy sheriff, and an attractive school principal who might just be at the center of it all.

Jackson Harris has sworn off women. Life is satisfactory, if lonely, until he meets a hazel-eyed damsel in distress who gets under his skin, and triggers that protective instinct of his. There’s a killer in town, one who may or may not be a notorious drug lord. Finding him, and keeping his town, his students, and Emily safe, may be harder than he thinks.

Love is breaking out in Braden, Iowa. Follow all the romance with this collection of stories. Secrets and Lies is part of the Hearts of Braden Series, a multi-author series Secrets and Lies stands alone for your reading enjoyment, but the story doesn’t need to end there.

•••••••••

REVIEW: Secrets and Lies is Susanne Matthews’ newest in the Hearts of Braden series. This is a mystery/crime/romance novel.

Emily Jacobson Shepherd is a special agent for the DEA, just physically recovered from a failed operation that killed her husband (Alex), her unborn son, and left her with one leg and a newly restored face. The criminal who did this (aka the Chef) is back and she wants to be on the team that stops him. The Chef is a meth cook and sets up labs and uses others to produce drugs for the cartel, then leaves, killing everyone who has any idea of his identification.

Her cover for this mission is a nutritional expert starting a program for healthy meals in the school system, a federally funded program called the Healthy Living Initiative. This takes place in the small northern Iowa town of Braden, a small farming community, with issues from a recent large tornado. Her romantic interest will be the local principal, J. J. Harris (Jackson). His story is interesting as well, sorry no spoilers. This is a thrilling ride, with the good, the bad, and the funny…a good measure of danger thrown in.

What did I love? The set-up is well done, but I truly loved the way the author handled her handicapped issues. She didn’t gloss over it, or glamorize it…she handled it with realism and talentedly wrote the issues into her dialog and daily narration. Author Matthews gives a very realistic look into the physical issues and the emotional ones as well. She does this with several characters, giving you their insecurities from life as well as their strengths. You get to know the people of the town, their quirks and some of their personality.

What didn’t I love? Nothing…I did figure out who the Chef was pretty quickly. However, for me the story is in the intricacy of the journey…not the destination.
This is a marvelous story and I look forward to more from Susanne Matthews, in Braden and elsewhere.

Enjoy everyone, I loved it and hope you will too!

Copy supplied by author for an honest review.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Share

A Knight for Kallen by Lauren Linwood-a review

Posted on by
17

A Knight for Kallen by Lauren Linwood-a review

A Knight for Kallen

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 4, 2015

Kallen de Mangeron grew up in a convent, her noble family never knowing of her birth. When a new Mother Superior informs them of her existence, they send trusted knight Griffith Sommersby to escort her home.

Griffith’s heart broke when he lost his wife and infant son during childbirth, and he’s kept his feelings locked away from the world—until he meets Kallen. He soon learns her dark secret—that she sees auras around people—which allows her insight into their actions and personalities.

Now Quentin, bastard brother to the king, decides to harness Kallen’s gift in a plot to win the throne. Will Quentin successfully use a kidnapped Kallen as his political pawn, or will Griffith be able to stop him before Kallen changes the course of England’s history?

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: A Knight for Kallen is an old world romance story set in the south of England, 1293. It’s difficult to give you the set-up without retelling too much of this wonderful story. Kallen is the child of rape, at the hands of one Quentin, Earl of Nowland (and bastard son of the King, Edward ‘Longshanks’). She was born at a convent in northern England, the abbess was the sister of her grandfather who took her mother there to hide her ruin at Quentin’s hands. These men were not the best, neither particularly honorable. The girl’s (Bevia) mother was told she died in a riding accident while traveling with her father. She was raised by Savina, a sister at the convent who loved her and her mother very much. Her mother, Bevia, never recovered her mind from the rape.

It’s a very complicated beginning, that is very well written with good dialogue that shows you the type of people.

The main story begins when the old abbess and her brother, Renton, die. The good sister writes to Crispin, Reston’s son and now the Lord of Mangeron. He’s nothing like his father, the estate is prospering under his fairer hand and he’s delighted to learn he has a niece. His wife is about to give birth and he can’t leave her so he sends his wife’s brother and his good friend, Lord Griffith Sommersby to bring Kallen back to her true family.

What follows is a lovely story of a wondrous young lady finding herself, and a magnificent young man healing from losing a wife and child a few years earlier. The story of their trip back through England to her true family and the dangers of being related to Quentin is an adventurous one. The writing is well done, the characters are well developed and you’ll fall in love with many of them.

Author Lauren Linwood has created an inspiring story, filled with love, danger, and the wonders of the spiritual. Be prepared with some tissues, a few snacks and, of course, your favorite beverage. Dive into this delightful story, just right for these chillier nights!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna

Share

Fair Helen by Andrew Greig – a Review

Posted on by
7

Fair Helen by Andrew Greig – a Review

 

Fair HelenAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Elderly narrator Harry Langton looks back on the adventures and friends of his youth, transporting the reader to the Scottish Borderlands at the end of the 16th century…

The much younger Langton returns to his birthplace to aid an old friend, the brash Adam Fleming, who has fallen for legendary beauty Helen of Annandale. He has also, it seems, fallen foul of a rival for her hand, Robert Bell, a man as violent as he is influential. Fleming confesses to Langton that he fears for his life.

In a land where minor lairds vie for power and blood feuds are settled by the sword, Fleming faces a battle to win Helen’s hand. By virtue of being the lovers’ confidant, Langton is thrust into the middle of this dangerous triangle, and discovers Helen is not so chaste as she is fair. But Langton has his own secrets to keep–and other powers to serve. Someone has noticed Langton’s connections to the major players in the Border disputes, and has recruited him in their bid to control the hierarchy of the Border families–someone who would use the lovers as pawns in a game of war.

Packed with swordplay, intricate politics, and star-crossed lovers whose actions could change the course of history, Fair Helen is a sumptuous, rousing adventure novel that brings to life one of English poetry’s most intriguing heroines.


Review:

Fair Helen  by Andrew Greig is a fictional and historical romance or perhaps best labeled fable. Written as a first-hand account of Harry Langston, friend of Adam Fleming, this wonderful story gives the “true” story of the old Scottish song or legend of Fair Helen of Kirkconnel Lea.

This is the story of star-crossed lovers, of political intrigue, the plight of women who had to marry for family and wealth versus love. Told in the lilting tongue of an old Scottish scriber, I found it easy to understand the gist of the telling without the glossary (included for convenience in the back of the book). It takes you to another place and another time with its telling. Descriptions of the place, the people and the times are full and sometimes even enchanting.

Following Harry’s account of people and their part in this story is detailed and you can’t help hoping for an outcome brighter than the old song. His version of how and why all this came about, and especially the political motives behind it are brilliantly devised.

If you love historical accounts and romance, this is a wonderful story. I loved reading it and although I love a HEA, it’s so worth reading this remarkable tale of love, trysting, and heart wrenching betrayal. I highly recommend it for a cold evening or evenings…with a good glass of wine and a warm fire or blanket. Enjoy, I truly found it a good read.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy provided by Publisher

Share

The Prince’s Christmas Vow by Jennifer Faye-Review, Interview and Giveaway

Posted on by
53

The Prince’s Christmas Vow by Jennifer Faye-Review, Interview and Giveaway

The Prince's Christmas Vow banner

The Prince’s Christmas Vow
Twin Princes of Mirraccino #2
by Jennifer Faye
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Release Date: November 3, 2015

The Prince's Christmas Vow

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 3, 2015

Secretly married…to a prince!

Zoe Sarris hasn’t seen Crown Prince Demetrius Castanavo since their secret elopement. So she’s shocked when he requests her interior design services. She’s only just pieced her broken heart back together, and seeing Demetrius–as gorgeous and guarded as ever–threatens to shatter it all over again…

However, the shocking news that they are actually still married changes everything. Especially when Demetrius reveals he wants his princess back…preferably in time for Christmas!

•••••••

REVIEW: The Prince’s Christmas Vow is a lovely romance by author Jennifer Faye. It’s a lovely seasonal story centering on Prince Demetrius Castanavo (of the Mirraccino Islands) and Zoe Sarris. They had fallen in love and married secretly and within two days she’d left a note and run away, breaking both hearts.

This is a lovely romantic story with a heart-wrenching disease at its center. Zoe’s mother has familial Altzheimer’s and she was afraid to pass it on to their children and let her husband down, so she’d run away without telling him why. A year later, he’d become the respectable prince he needed to be and was doing a renovation project and needed her help. He thought they could just work together on this and perhaps he’d get some answers, as well as annulment papers he thought she was holding onto.

That’s the set up. The story is twisty and fantastically romantic as they wind their way through misunderstandings and back into each other’s lives. There’s much story on both sides and they are both still very much in love with each other. The writing is descriptive, romantic and very well done. This is a delightful read and a very romantic tale for the holiday season.

Grab a glass of egg nog…and a few seasonal cookies and cuddle up for a wonderful read and thrilling ride through this fabulous story! Enjoy everyone, I certainly did.

Copy supplied by Author

Reviewed by Georgianna

Interview

TRC: Hi Jennifer and welcome to The Reading Café.

Jennifer FayeJennifer: Hi. 🙂 Thanks so much for having me.

TRC: Congratulations on the November 1, 2015 t release of THE PRINCE’S CHRISTMAS VOW (Twin Princes of Mirraccino, book 2) and the October 12, 2015 release of A MOMENT ON THE LIPS (A Whistle Stop Romance, book 3).

Jennifer: Thank you! I’m very excited about both releases.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow Jennifer: Goodreads/Website/Twitter/ Facebook

Jennifer: I’m a wife and mother. I have two wonderful furbabies, otherwise known as cats. But shh…don’t tell them that. I’m also a writer with a vast imagination. I love to write small town romances and romances set in far flung settings. It keeps things interesting.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Jennifer: I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a kid. My love of reading started with Dr. Seuss and then moved on to the Hardy Boys and Judy Bloom. When I was a teenager, I found Harlequins and I’ve been reading them ever since. 😉

TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you encounter writing and publishing your stories? Have you considered entering the ‘indie’ publication field?

Jennifer: When I first got serious about my writing in 2007, I received my fair share of rejections. The best ones were the personalized ones. I knew I was getting somewhere when they started to show up. But my dream had always been to be a Harlequin author and I wasn’t about to give up. 😉

As for going the indie route, I have done that also. I’m what they call a hybrid author. I have learned so much from following both paths. I think what I’ve learned from one form of publishing has helped the other side. And vice versa. The best thing about publishing/writing is that I’m always learning something new. 😉

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of :

The Prince's Christmas VowJennifer: THE PRINCE’S CHRISTMAS VOW:

Secretly married…to a prince!

Zoe Sarris hasn’t seen Crown Prince Demetrius Castanavo since their secret elopement. So she’s shocked when he requests her interior design services. She’s only just pieced her broken heart back together, and seeing Demetrius—as gorgeous and guarded as ever—threatens to shatter it all over again…

However, the shocking news that they are actually still married changes everything. Especially when Demetrius reveals he wants his princess back…preferably in time for Christmas!

A Moment on the LipsA MOMENT ON THE LIPS:

Welcome to Autumn Fest…sweet treats, entertaining company, and a tender romance.

Piper Noble feels like she’s going places. Her business, the Poppin’ Fresh Bakery, is a culinary success story. Next on her to-do list is expanding the bakery into the vacant shop next door…and starting a new diet, like her mom keeps nagging her to. But when Joe Montoya steps into her life, her grand plans grind to a sudden halt.

Joe’s taken a big risk returning to Whistle Stop. But with his disastrous marriage over, it’s time for a fresh start, including opening a coffee shop…and coming to terms with his troubled past. Though his neighbor Piper looks like she’ll be a big distraction in getting Fill-It-Up Joe off the ground–with her honeyed smile, curvy goodness, and her unflagging determination to grab his storefront.

However, when Piper and Joe are elected as co-chairs of a fundraising committee to help the town’s revitalization project, the hostilities must cease. Joe’s not sure about spending time with a woman who, one moment, reminds him of all the good things he’s been missing, and the next minute drives him up a wall with her stubbornness. Meanwhile, Piper’s looking for the way to this gorgeous but grouchy guy’s heart–maybe serving him one of her fresh-from-the-oven pastries could be just the right start…

TRC: How do you keep the plot(s) unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Jennifer: I guess I’d have to say it comes into play when I’m outlining the story. It’s the first thing I do. I learned a long time ago that it was a lot faster to revise a short outline than to go back and rewrite the book. So if I can outline the story, playing off the character’s motivations as the driving force, then I hope the story will be believable and true to the characters and their desires.

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Whistle Stop Series

Jennifer: I do believe it plays somewhat of a role in whether a reader takes a closer look at a book. There are a lot of books out there so if a cover doesn’t strike them or the author’s name doesn’t click in their minds, I think they’re likely to move on and miss what might be an awesome book.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Jennifer: Life would be so much easier if I could direct the characters. 😉 Even though I expand my outline until it’s rather extensive, I find that my characters will take their own detours. Plotting by no means takes the surprise out of writing the story. I never know when we’ll be off on an adventure/detour. It really keeps writing interesting.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Jennifer: Oh my. I don’t know if I’m the right person to answer this question. I’m forever wondering if I went deep enough—far enough. It’s all so clear in my head, but sometimes it’s so hard to convey on the page. In the end, I do the best I can at that point in time and then I hope that I nailed it. I wait until my readers get back to me with their thoughts to know if I pulled it off or not. Either way, I do give it my all. 😉

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Jennifer: Yes, I listen to music all of the time. Most of the time it’s country music. I’m a BIG Tim McGraw fan. And when I’m writing my Christmas romances, I play Christmas music on Pandora. 😉 And no, it doesn’t really influence my stories. It just keeps me humming along.

TRC: What three things would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

Jennifer: Lots! I have so many story ideas in my head that are just bursting to get out. I either need to figure out how to squeeze more hours in the day or learn how to write faster. I have lots of plans to expand the Whistle Stop series. I have more Harlequin books in the works. I have some other series ideas that I’d love to explore.

TRC: Have you collaborated with any other authors/writers? If not, have you considered such an enterprise?

Jennifer: Yes, I have. I worked with a group of Harlequin Romance authors to write the Vineyards of Monte Calanetti continuity. It’s an 8-book series set in the breathtaking hills of Tuscany. The stories range around a small Italian village and an upcoming royal wedding. It was my first time working that close with other writers. It was very exciting. My book is the second in the series, RETURN OF THE ITALIAN TYCOON. FYI, each book can be read as a standalone as each has its own HEA.

And I also just took part in an 88-author cookbook, WE’D RATHER BE WRITING. It just released. It is full of time-saving recipes and tips. The blurb can explain it better than me:

TRC: Have you ever wished you could find more time to do the things you want to do, rather than just doing the things you have to do?

Jennifer: Most authors juggle day jobs and family responsibilities along with their writing. Because they need to find time to write, they look for ways to save time in other aspects of their lives.

Cooking often takes up a huge chunk of time. In We’d Rather Be Writing: 88 Authors Share Timesaving Dinner Recipes and Other Tips you’ll find easy, nutritious recipes for meat, poultry, pasta, soup, stew, chili, and vegetarian meals. All of the recipes require a minimum of prep time, freeing you up to read, exercise, garden, craft, write, spend more time with family, or whatever.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Jennifer: Honestly, I don’t bounce ideas much. When I do, they are bounced off my editor mainly and sometimes my husband. He has the most amusing reactions at times when his brow scrunches up and he asks, “Why would they do that?” Well, usually it’s because I’ve jumped over the beginning and gotten to the part I’m excited about—the part I’ve just figured out. 😉

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Jennifer: That writing is easy. These days authors are so much more than writers. Basically they are small business owners. There is so much admin that needs addressed from marketing to bookkeeping to tackling the ever busy email. There’s always something that needs attention and when you work for yourself, there are no office hours. It just keeps going.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

Jennifer: That my favorite time of the year to enjoy ice cream is in the winter. LOL. When the hubster figured this out, you should have seen his face, especially when it was snowing and he was standing in line at the ice cream shop to get me a hot fudge sundae. LOL.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Jennifer: I just completed and turned in a book to Harlequin, THE GREEK’S NINE-MONTH SURPRISE. It’s the second book in the BRIDES FOR THE GREEK TYCOON’S duet. It will be out June 2016.

And I’m just about to begin the fourth book in the Whistle Stop series, A MOMENT TO CHERISH…

Wedding bells are about to ring out in Whistle Stop. And trust me, it won’t be your typical wedding. It will be done up in Whistle Stop style. 😉 And if that isn’t enough, there’s a mayoral election underway that’s about to become rather sticky and not from the honey fresh pastries at the Poppin’ Fresh Bakery either. 😉 For years now, Mayor Ortiz has run unopposed, but all of that is about to change. Mason Noble is about to toss his hat into the election. But will his political pursuits endanger his engagement to the beautiful Bella Nez? And are the townsfolk of Whistle Stop ready to do away with tradition? So many questions. So many changes. Keep an eye out for the fourth installment in the Whistle Stop series ~ A MOMENT TO CHERISH coming Spring 2016.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Jennifer: Thanks so much for having me. I’ve really enjoyed my visit. I hope we can do it again. 🙂

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – Pizza

Favorite Dessert – do I really have to pick just one??? Pecan rolls

Favorite TV Show – The Tudors

Last Movie You Saw – I don’t watch many movies. I enjoy series. The last one I watched was The White Queen. It was excellent!

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk chocolate

Secret Celebrity Crush – Henry Cavill *dreamy sigh*

Last Vacation Destination – Amish country

Do you have any pets? Yes, two cats

Last book you read – SOLDIER, HERO…HUSBAND?

Pet Peeve – tapping nails/pen

TRC: Thank you Jennifer for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on all of your success. We wish you all the best.

Jennifer: Thank you!!! 🙂

Giveaway pink

Jennifer is offering a signed, paper copy of A PRINCESS BY CHRISTMAS (Book 1) to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe. Each book can be read as a stand alone.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jennifer Faye on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on TSU for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway is open internationally

9. Giveaway runs from November 4 to November 8, 2015

Share