by Alan Cupp

Revenge.  It’s one of the oldest motives in our history, right up there with jealousy and greed.  An act of revenge can be a spontaneous reaction or a carefully calculated plan of retaliation.  Both can serve as a detriment to the person carrying out the payback.  Sure, the initial target recipient of revenge may get what’s coming to them, but often times the individual seeking vindication ends up sharing in the suffering as well.

We all want to see justice.  We long for it in the books we read, the movies we watch, the news stories we hear about.  Our desire to see justice is so overwhelming, we have the
potential to get fired up and consumed with stories of injustice that have absolutely no effect on us personally.  Do you ever find yourself becoming borderline enraged, or at the bare minimum, extremely annoyed with a TV, book, or movie villain who appears to be getting away with some atrocity they’ve committed?  Perhaps you notice your heart rate jumps to a higher level and you just feel irritable.  The fact that it’s fiction doesn’t matter because we all want justice; even in our world of make believe.  Revenge is merely the act of someone trying to achieve some level of justice on his or her own.

Spontaneous revenge is the kind in which we, as everyday members of society, most likely will find ourselves involved.  It’s usually the small stuff like speeding up to cut off
the person who just cut you off two miles back on the highway.  What is it about us that drive us to such action, risking a car accident, speeding ticket, or God-forbid, an actual altercation at the traffic stop ahead? An attitude of revenge can make us shortsighted and use poor judgment, especially in the heat of the moment.

Then there are those rare individuals who feel so offended and victimized by another person or group, they are willing to invest a significant amount of the time and energy
in getting back at their offender.  Unable to focus on anything else, their lives are soon wrapped up in one thing; revenge. This is the circumstance in my new novel, Malicious Masquerade. The unfortunate thing about this type of scenario is that often it’s not just the target of the revenge that ends up suffering.  Private investigator, Carter Mays, finds himself caught up in the path of destruction left by someone seeking revenge.  Deception dictates a series of calculated moves, all designed to bring about some significant justice for a past wrong.  Stuck in the middle are Carter and his new beautiful client, Cindy Bedford.

Those who follow the long road of revenge often discover that it requires such a deep level of commitment to carry out; the consequences prove to be even more costly than anticipated.  Frequently when the quest for revenge begins, little thought is given to the potential collateral damage inflicted upon the innocent who happen to live too close to the intended recipient.  Even the avenger is vulnerable to suffering in terms of happiness, integrity, and self-respect sacrificed in the pursuit of so-called justice.  Here’s the ultimate question.   Will the justice achieved be worth the cost?

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Alan Cupp loves to create and entertain, whether it’s with a captivating mystery novel or a funny promotional video for his church, he’s always anticipating his next creative endeavor.  In addition to writing fiction, Alan enjoys acting, music, travel, and playing sports.  His life’s motto is, “It’s better to wear out than rust out.”  Alan places a high value on time spent with his beautiful wife and their two sons.  He lives his life according to his 4F philosophy: Faith, Family, Friends, and Fun.

WEB: www.alancupp.com

To purchase Malicious Masquerade:

http://www.amazon.com/Malicious-Masquerade-Alan-Cupp/dp/1938383281/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363805622&sr=8-2&keywords=alan+cupp

By:  Donna Cummings
There is something magical about the winemaking process. I used to be a tasting room manager at a winery, so I got to have an up-close-and-personal view of how wine was made.  With just three ingredients — grapes, sugar, and yeast — an endless variety of wonderful beverages is possible.

Even more magical is the wine DRINKING process. That’s something everyone can enjoy!  When people came up to the tasting bar to sample the wines, they would often confess to me how they didn’t know much about wine, apologizing for their lack of knowledge as if they expected me to toss them out. And I think that’s because the people who do know a lot about wine often make it seem like an exclusive club, filled with crazy descriptive terms meant to act as some sort of secret handshake. I mean, “jammy” to describe wine with a lot of fruit flavor?  Everyone knows “jammy” is part of the writer’s official uniform!  So whenever someone told me they didn’t know a lot about wine, I always replied, “Great!  You’re going to have so much fun.”

The most important thing is to discover what pleases your palate. This is definitely a subjective thing. Everyone experiences life differently, so it’s to be expected that we’ll enjoy wine differently too.  For example, I like wines that are “fruity” or “fruit forward”. A lot of people interpret this to mean the wine is sweet. But that’s not the case. (Hah! Case. Wine humor.)  Anyway, it just means that the grape flavor is more dominant, because it hasn’t been subdued via oak casks.  When a wine is “dry”, it has been aged in oak, for an amount of time the winemaker determines.  This takes away the fruit flavor, and adds layers of things that use descriptions involving bread or toast or croissants.   (Is anyone besides me getting hungry now?)

In order to find what your palate prefers, you’ll have to sample a variety of wines. I know, I know. It’s hard to have homework, but that’s what a well-rounded education requires!  Once you’ve got that sorted out, you can experiment by pairing food with wines. Most people go with the old “white wine/white food, red wine/red food” mantra, but it’s worth being more adventurous than that. There are plenty of websites that can help expand your pairings, and give you reasons why they think spicy food should have a fruitier wine, for example. It’s usually about balance, and bringing out the best in the food and the wine. It’s a lot of fun to try combinations that on the surface seem like they couldn’t possibly work well together, and then discovering they do–just like our favorite couples in romances.  As for my favorite wine pairing right now. . .it would have to be a lightly chilled Riesling and the hot baseball pitcher hero in BACK ON TRACK, my just-released novella set on the Napa Wine Train.   

What’s your favorite wine?  Or your favorite winery?   To celebrate the release of BACK ON TRACK, one random commenter will win an e-book download.  Good Luck!

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BLURB:   What’s a little lie between strangers?

Allie Whittaker is in a dating slump, too busy getting her fledgling marketing company off the ground to have a personal life.  All that could change, though, if she can get baseball superstar Matt Kearns on the cover of a charity calendar.  Except Matt won’t even talk to her.

Matt is in a slump, worried his career might be over.  A Napa Valley wine tour isn’t enough to take his mind off his troubles–until sexy, funny Allie plops into the adjacent seat and tells him three things about herself.  One of them, she says, is a lie.

Matt can’t resist playing along, and soon the afternoon getaway becomes an interlude with lies, truths, and desire flowing as fast as the wine. Then Allie lets slip one truth too many…and they both realize they’re playing for keeps.

Warning: A handsome hunk, a determined lady and a few glasses of wine.  Throw in a little on-the-run action, and what more do you need to while away an afternoon?

Author Bio:

I have worked as an attorney, winery tasting room manager, and retail business owner, but nothing beats the thrill of writing humorously-ever-after romances.
I reside in New England, although I fantasize about spending the rest of my days in a tropical locale, wearing flip flops year-round, or in Regency London, scandalizing the ton.

BACK ON TRACK, part of the Strangers on a Train collection, just released from Samhain on April 2nd. Also available are I Do. . .or Die, a romantic comedy/mystery from Crimson Romance, Summer Lovin‘, a contemporary romantic comedy novella, and Lord Midnight, a Regency historical.

My books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.   Click to check them out.

Where to find me:
Website/blog: www.AllAboutTheWriting.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@BookEmDonna
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Donna.Cummings.Author
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5349107.Donna_Cummings
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/bookemdonna

The Don Quixote Girls is a funny, touching and tearful novel using Florida’s Garden of Eden legend as backdrop for the story of four long-time girlfriends who characterize the sandwich generation of today, but with an ominous twist.

Fictional Paradise, Florida could be heavenly for Don Quixote Girls™ Dulcinea, Harmony, Corky and Leah if the emotional train wrecks of life wouldn’t keep derailing them: troubled kids and troubling in-laws, divorce, widowhood, expanding waistlines, relationships with big question marks and caring for aging parents.

A girlfriend’s getaway at an adventure spa seems like the perfect escape from family frustrations and busybody neighbors, but their idyllic vacation is shattered by death threats and betrayal. In true Don Quixote fashion they prepare for battle, and discover unexpected allies as they seek revenge and retribution. But will their friendship survive?

This women’s fiction is a blend of romance, suspense, mystery, humor, and paranormal elements in just the right proportions! Almost from the start, The Don Quixote Girls was a challenge to write, much less complete.  It quickly became our impossible dream as life spun out of control.

Karlene: In one year, my thirty-year-old horse had to be euthanized, a decision I did not want to make but was forced to.  My favorite cat had to be operated on for colon cancer in another town because we had no electricity in our area due to a hurricane.  And, my father died suddenly. That was the start of my mother’s downward spiral into depression and memory loss, and eventually I moved her into an assisted living community.   Her five cats came to live with me while the sixth stayed with her until her COPD worsened.  I moved him into my house and two months later he dropped dead of a heart attack because he was so overweight. That worked its way into the book in the guise of a dog.   And, three years ago I was rear-ended at a red light and began chiropractic visits to treat neck and back injuries.  Doctor visits for me and my mother became the norm and writing time became scarce.

Mia: My father had died a few years before that,  so I had a good idea of what Karlene was going through.  My mother lived alone but wasn’t handling life as a widow very well.  And I became a full-time babysitter for my first grandchild.

Karlene: As life continued to present problems rather than opportunities to write, Mia and I felt like we were fighting battles anchored in futility – aka Don Quixote tilting at windmills.  But being in the Sandwich generation – coping with and caring for older children and elderly parents – it kind of goes with the territory.   So we thought, why not take our experiences and put them in a book to which women in similar situations could relate, and toss in some humor, suspense, mystery and romance to round it out.

Mia: We each took two characters and worked in bits of ourselves and our real life events with twists that had us laughing through the scenes we wrote.   Writing it all down was our escape, and humor was what kept us sane most days.

Karlene: Our characters reflect parts of who we are.  I’m a lot like Harmony, our shopkeeper who believes that there’s an herb for every ailment and that natural products are the way to go.  And I gave her my love of windmills and alternative energy.  Dulcie is also my character. She has to deal with an unpredictable mother and an intimidating ex-husband.

Mia: I’m more like Corky who is the mayor’s wife.  My husband was the mayor of our small southern town for 8 years;  during that time my waistline expanded in concert with the stress I went through from the time my father died, through the marriages of my two daughters and the subsequent arrival of four grandchildren, and my mother’s worsening bipolar and Alzheimer’s diagnoses.   I patterned my other character, Leah’s mother,  after my own mother, using both the deteriorating memory and expectation
that everyone should do her bidding instantly.

Karlene: By the time our book was finished and available for sale, both our mothers had passed. My mother missed the release of our book on Kindle by a few months, and Mia’s mother passed a few months after our novel came out in paperback.

Mia: There were many times when it seemed impossible that we would finish this book.  That’s why we call it our impossible dream.  Just like the man of La Mancha, the real Don Quixote, we had many battles to fight, battles that real life placed in our paths.  It’s hard to stay motivated in the best of times, but we managed.  Our friendship and lots of laughter kept us going.

Karlene & Mia: Everyone has roadblocks in life.  Here’s how to navigate around whatever yours may be to keep your dream from becoming impossible.

1. Put yourself first.    Stop putting the needs of others first.
2. Create the necessary mindset: consciously invite writing into your life. Make it real by saying out loud “I am a writer.” Believe it, live it, be it. Once you set an intention that vision becomes reality.
3. Action – list your goals; make a vision board. On a subconscious level this alters underlying beliefs and replaces self-defeating behaviors with positive alternatives. Seeing is believing.
4. Carve out time to write when you are ‘creatively up’. Don’t procrastinate. Say NO to things that keep you from fulfilling your dream.  Prioritize your family and career roles;  make sure your dream role isn’t at the bottom of the list. Make working on your dream routine.
5. De-clutter and organize your work space. Everything you need for work should have a ‘home’ and you should know exactly where that home is. Note: Neat and organized are not the same thing. You can be neat and not be able to locate something when you need it.
6. De-stress and enhance your productivity. Stress hormones tend to shut down the parts of your brain that handle goal-directed behavior.
7. Persistence. Doing what you love will help you keep trying. As you continue on the path of your heart it becomes easier to follow your dream. Cultivate your strengths and reach for the stars.
8. Courage – put your work out there and don’t be discouraged by rejection. Rejection and success are beyond your control. You can only control your work and what you will do today and the day after that. Unless you take the steps that come after dreaming, all you will ever have is a day dream.

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Ladies, thank you so much for being our guests today.     Now, for one lucky commenter, Karlene & Mia are offering a free download of their book…The Don Quixote Girls.…so be sure to leave a comment!

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About The Authors:

Karlene Conroy grew up in Queens, New York, later moved to Long Island, and migrated south to Florida. She is an accomplished songwriter and sang with her own band;
worked in print production; designed/illustrated/ composed greeting cards for her own company; served as vice president and newsletter editor for a writer’s organization; has written four novels; and is the published author of articles on writing and a short story entitled, “Mother Goose,” about the three Canada goslings she raised. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Florida Writers Association, currently co-leading the Melbourne chapter.

Karlene has been involved in animal rescue and animal rights organizations, and has rescued/raised/ provided a home for Canada geese, ducks, a horse, rabbits, chickens, dogs and cats. She enjoys music, reading, horseback riding, dancing and nature. Like Don Quixote Girl, Harmony, she is an environmentalist, swears by herbs and natural products, and recycles everything she can! She is married with three children.

To connect with Karlene Conroy on Facebook, click on her name.

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Mia Crews was born in Germany and traveled the world as an Air Force brat and later as a wife and mother of two girls. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and dreamed of working in the space industry. But her husband’s Air Force career transferred them to Southern California, Minnesota, Virginia and Alaska, so she decided to go for her second dream – writing. She is the author of five novels from Simon & Schuster and Silhouette Books and many non-fiction articles. She was a newspaper correspondent; owned a publishing company; co-founded a professional writer’s organization and served as president;  and conducted writing seminars. She’s taught English and Creative Writing; edited a cookbook for a five-star restaurant; and was named Florida Pen Woman of the Year in 2007. She is a member of
the Florida Writers Association, currently co-leading the Melbourne chapter.

Mia feels closest to Don Quixote Girl, Corky, who shares her love of cooking and eating and the natural consequence of such activities, an expanding waistline that periodically has to be whipped back into shape. Mia’s husband was also the town mayor, so she knows all about endearingly quirky characters populating small southern towns.

To connect with Mia Crews on Facebook, click on her name.

Taking a short break from writing, I read some great books and wanted to share them with you.

In Her Wildest Dreams

by Tami Brothers

http://tamibrothers.com/

ISBN: 9781476372334

Filed under:  5 Petit Fours, 3 Hot Tamales, Book Reviews, Reviews

Copyright by Tami Brothers

Kindle Edition at Amazon.com

And Smashwords.com

Genre: Romance

Liza works in real estate.  That’s her life and she’s happy with it – until she gets the wild idea that no one would know if she had one teensy fling.  Kevin is the rich, hot bachelor everyone in Atlanta wants.  In Her Wildest Dreams is a modern love story full of some very wild dreams! Tami Brothers holds your attention from page one. Ms. Brothers writes a fast-paced novella that will keep you reading and “dreaming.” This book had me smiling and wondering what Kevin and Liza would dream up next.  I know you will agree!

Wrangler for Hire

by Sandra McGregor

http://sandramcgregor.com/

Filed under:  5 Petit Fours, Book Reviews, Reviews

Copyright by Sandra McGregor

Kindle Edition at Amazon.com

And Smashwords.com

Genre: Romantic Mystery

Meredith has more spirit than her Dad and Ben both could imagine.  She wasn’t going to sit home as she was told while the men had the adventures.  Wrangler For Hire was a book that kept me turning the pages. Forget the fact that I just love cowboys; this was one unforgettable wrangler! Sandra McGregor keeps the action going and the sparks flying between Meredith and Ben. It wasn’t all romance. There was plenty of action that kept you wondering and crossing your fingers.

The Gift

by Mary Marvella

http://marymarvella.wordpress.com/

Filed under:  5 Petit Fours, 3 Hot Tamale, Book Reviews, Reviews

Kindle Edition at Amazon.com

And Smashwords.com

Genre: Romance

Mary Marvella had me at the first sentence. Not many people could make Edna Mae someone you would never forget, someone you pulled for, and someone strong enough to know the kind of life she would never again lead. She has spunk and loves life–finally. This book was a great read. All through it, you couldn’t help but wonder if Edna Mae’s life would really change for the best. It’s a small town story with a big heart. I thoroughly enjoy Ms. Marvella’s “voice.”

You know how you discover some things about your spouse after you’re married? Things that if you had known beforehand, might have made you stop and think twice before saying “I do”?

That’s the way it was for me when after two or three years of wedded semi-bliss, I discovered hubby’s obsession with the Mafia. He’s not IN the Mafia, of course. He just likes to read about it. And watch movies about it. Over and over.

Over the years, our TV time together has often been dominated by the likes of Michael Corleone, Donny Brasco and Tony Soprano.

After hours and hours of such conditioning, I slowly became fascinated with the whole Mob thing myself. So it wasn’t long before I was dying (pardon the word choice) to write some characters of that ilk myself.

You could say my muse gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

And thus my latest release, Chicago Cop, was born.

Chicago Cop is the story of Lieutenant Maggie Delaney who is head of the elite GUTS team in Chicago and her fight against the mob. Sergeant Juan Perez, the first victim in the book, calls Maggie “one tough lady,” but Maggie’s personal life is another story. After fifteen years, her marriage to a university medical school professor is falling apart. He’s tried of the strain of being married to a cop. And Maggie finds herself attracted to the successful and ruggedly good-looking Bryce Brooks, one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the city. Someone she considers a bottom feeder.

The description of the book is below, but here’s where you can read an excerpt.

If you’d like a glimpse at The Meat Cleaver, you can read another excerpt here. But be warned. He is a Mafia guy, so his language is not that of a Sunday school teacher.

I really enjoyed writing this book and exploring the minds of people in the Mob. So maybe marrying hubby wasn’t such a bad decision after all.

CHICAGO COP by Linsey Lanier

A police officer is shot in a crime-ridden Chicago neighborhood and the GUTS team, headed by tough-as-nails Lieutenant Maggie Delaney, is called in to investigate. When clues point to the Mob’s chief hit man, “The Meat Cleaver”—nicknamed after the vicious way he kills his victims—Maggie fears her past has come back to haunt her.

Two years ago she put away one of the most feared mob bosses in the history of the Chicago Outfit. The man who shot her father.

When pictures of The Meat Cleaver’s latest victims start showing up on her cell phone, Maggie realizes the Mob is out for revenge and her team has to find the killer before everyone she’s close to ends up dead. Now she sees the truth.

This time it’s not business…it’s personal.

Interview with Janet Evanovich

We are thrilled to have Janet Evanovich as a guest chef on the Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog today. We here at PF&HT are all big fans. In fact, our blog went as a group to see One for the Money when it was released.  Some of us have even been fortunate enough to meet Janet at book signings.

Following are some questions Janet was kind enough to answer for us.

Who’s your favorite character in the series?

Lula is the most fun to write, but my overall favorite character is Diesel from the WICKED series.

If you were stranded on a desert island, would you rather be with Morelli or Ranger? And why? Which man in Stephanie’s life do your fans seem to prefer?

Well, Ranger does have special forces training.  From our email traffic and from what readers tell us at book signings, the numbers are about 50/50.

What is the most important piece of advice you can offer pre-published writers on their quest to publication?

Keep writing.  There’s a tendency after you finish a manuscript to over edit and over polish.  Put your energy into starting your next book as you send your query letters to prospective agents.  I wrote three books before I had my first sale.

As far as advice for published authors, what do you find is the best way to publicize your novel-Web site? Newsletter? Facebook? Personal appearances? Other?

All of the above.  In addition, send a copy of your book to independent stores that specialize in your genre.  For instance, independent mystery bookstores love to discover new writers and hand sell them to customers.

When did you discover you could write comedy?

Pretty early on.  In my early romance novels, I usually found a way to inject humor.

What part of the writing craft challenges you the most?

Transitions.  Seamlessly moving the reader from one scene to the next is critical to producing a page-turner and frequently takes a lot of thought on my part.

How many hours a day do you spend writing?

When I’m not on a hard deadline, I work a minimum of eight hours a day, seven days a week.  When it’s crunch time, I could be up till all hours.

Is there an ultimate plan for Stephanie to end up with either Ranger or Morelli, and if so, will that signal the end of the series or a change in direction? Is the series going to stop at 20 or is there a targeted number of books planned?

That’s a well-guarded state secret.  Seriously, I don’t know who, if anyone, Stephanie will end up with.  Right now, I have no plans to end the series.

When is the next Stephanie Plum book scheduled for publication? In a nutshell, what will that book be about?

The next Plum will probably be out sometime in the fall, though the publisher doesn’t yet have an exact date.  What’s it about?  That’s another state secret.

Are any other books in the Stephanie Plum series going to be made into a movie?

I sold the movie rights nearly 20 years and have had nothing to do with the One For the Money movie.  In other words, I don’t have an inside track on what the producers will want to do next.  My guess is they’ll wait and see how the movie does at the box office before committing to another.  I’ve seen a screening of the movie and I really like it.

How many of you have seen the Janet Evanovich movie? What’s your favorite character in the Stephanie  Plum series? Who do you prefer, Ranger or Morelli and why? What do you like most about the Stephanie Plum books?

We saw the movie. Did you?

TRANSFORMATIONS

by Linsey Lanier

Thank you, Tammy, for having me here today. I’m thrilled to be a Guest Chef on my favorite blog group, Petit Fours and Hot Tamales. Okay, I’m a member of the group, so I’m a little biased. But it’s been such fun blogging with these talented ladies for the past three and a half years and watching us grow from an eager, wide-eyed group who didn’t really know how to blog, to a mature partnership who are dedicated to providing our readers with entertainment, inspiration, and a great selection of books to read.

One of the most challenging parts of writing a novel is dealing with the growth of your characters. With the Miranda’s Rights Mystery Series, I’ve discovered it’s even more challenging with a series of books. With each book, characters have to face new obstacles and grow a little more.

So I thought today I’d talk about the two headliners in this series and their journeys.

Miranda Steele
A woman can never make herself too tough, too strong, or too street smart.

Miranda Steele, the heroine (who is more like a female anti-heroine in the first book) has been through the wringer. Thirteen years ago she was married to an abusive psychopath who stole her only child from her.

Miranda’s reaction to what happened to her was to make herself as tough and as strong as she could, and to start searching for her daughter. When Miranda meets ace investigator Wade Parker, she has a chip on her shoulder the size of Milwaukee.

That’s one reason she doesn’t believe him when he offers to try to find her daughter. Or when he offers her a job as a trainee at the Parker Investigative Agency. Or when he offers her his heart. She has trouble believing anyone like Parker could care for her. And yet the new job gives her a sense of purpose she’s never known before. It invigorates her, makes her feel alive.

And so does Parker.

Wade Parker
His calling was spawned by a deep, shadowy need, a dark episode from his past that  plunged him into a career both his father and grandfather disapproved of.

The hero of the series, Wade Russell Parker III, is Atlanta’s most eligible forty-four-year-old bachelor. Though born into the wealthy Parker family, he’s gone his own way to become an ace investigator and CEO of the ultra-successful Parker Agency.

Three years ago, Parker lost his wife to ovarian cancer and thought he could never love again. Until he met Miranda Steele.
One look at her trim, lean body, her shapely backside, those those lush, deep blue eyes fringed with the blackest of lashes, and a raw, primal desire ripples through him that takes him aback.

Never in his life has he known such a woman. With her stubborn tenacity, her nose for trouble, her uncanny ability to get herself into the thick of danger, she puts him through the gamut of emotions from terror to despair. And yet, he can’t stop admiring that irascible spirit, that strength of will, that need to defend the defenseless, to avenge the innocent. They are kindred spirits.

And though she makes him face not only his weaknesses, but his own dark past, the undeniable bond between them grows stronger every day.

One day she’ll be his.

FOREVER MINE
No human being had ever cared about her like Wade Russell Parker the Third did. So why couldn’t she commit to him?

In the third book of the series, FOREVER MINE, Miranda and Wade have settled most of their differences–except for the one about their future together.

Ever since she left her abusive husband, Miranda has been a fighter. Over the years, she’s picked up martial arts and street fighting tactics, and now that she works for the Parker Investigative Agency, she can shoot.

But the battle with her inner demons isn’t so easy. Especially now that dead bodies are popping up again.

Distracted as she is by her struggle over the loss of her daughter and her anxiety over marrying her sexy boss, can Miranda stop an old wife-beating enemy, who has just discovered how much he enjoys murdering women?

Or will she become his next victim?

I’m giving away a free download of Book I, SOMEONE ELSE’S DAUGHTER from Smashwords today, so leave a comment and tell me what transformations appeal to you in a hero or heroine.

Extra Bonus: If you’d like to read more about what Miranda went through with her ex-husband, the Extended Prologue to the series, The Day It Happened, is available for free on Smashwords.

I’m an antsy, agitated writer. When I get an idea for a story, I get excited and run with it, almost hyperventilating as I get down the flurry of words. I let the tale take me wherever it will for the first thirty pages or so, and by that time, I usually have no clue where I got the original idea from.

In fact, writers often don’t like to be asked where they got an idea for a story. After all, a hundred-thousand word novel is so much more than just one idea. It takes hundreds, perhaps thousands of ideas, big, small, and medium to make a book.

But a few months ago, I saw a biography of Margaret Mitchell on Georgia Public television (which I blogged about last July). The narrator explained that when Mitchell was a young girl, her mother took her around to see several old mansions that had been destroyed during the Civil War. The re-enactment of a horse-drawn carriage rolling mother and child from place to place, and a little girl in crinolines staring in awe at the gutted buildings was deeply moving.

That childhood memory was what produced Gone With The Wind. I found that thought absolutely mesmerizing. But even more than that, the scene made me remember as a reader, what a delight it is to know where an author got her idea from.

So I decided to think back and remember how I came up with the ideas for some of my stories.

When I began the story that became the first book in the Miranda’s Rights Mystery series, I was playing around with the idea of the hero and heroine being opposites. Paranormal novels were coming into vogue, and I was getting interested in mysteries. So I thought of a tough detective as a hero, who only dealt in facts and reality and pairing him with a psychic amateur sleuth.

Miranda Steele isn’t exactly a psychic, but she does have a sixth sense when it comes to solving murders. The accuracy of her instincts surprises seasoned private investigator Wade Parker. She gets a chill up the back of her neck, even when there doesn’t seem to be any reason for it. She also has a dark past she wrestles with. While Wade Parker does like to deal in facts, he also has a passion for his work that he recognizes in Miranda and that draws him to her.

The idea for the second book in the mystery series was the murder itself. I saw an image of a young woman lying in a stall after her face had been kicked in by her favorite horse. I knew then that Miranda had to discover the body.

If you’ve read the first two books in the series, SOMEONE ELSE’S DAUGHTER and DELICIOUS TORMENT, I hope you’ll be pleased to know the third book, FOREVER MINE, is now available on Amazon and Smashwords. It will be available on other channels in a few weeks.

In the third book, I wanted to tie up some loose ends from the the other stories. Several characters from the previous books will make an appearance. And Miranda and Parker’s relationship reaches a point of no return.

Here’s the description:

FOREVER MINE (A MIRANDA’S RIGHTS MYSTERY) – BOOK III
Ever since she left her abusive husband, Miranda Steele has been a fighter. Over the years, she’s picked up martial arts and street fighting tactics, and now that she works for the Parker Investigative Agency, she can shoot.

But the battle with her inner demons isn’t so easy. Especially now that dead bodies are popping up again.
Distracted as she is by her struggle over the loss of her daughter and her anxiety over marrying her sexy boss, can Miranda stop an old wife-beating enemy who has just discovered how much he enjoys murdering women?

Or will she become his next victim?

Leave a comment today for a free copy of SOMEONE ELSE’S DAUGHTER on Smashwords. I’ll be giving away three of them.

~Getting to know the~

~Petit Fours and Hot Tamales Crew~

February’s Spotlight is on Marilyn Baron

Who are the ladies of the Petit Fours and Hot Tamales Blog?  Why should you spend your precious time reading our daily posts?  Why do we want you to follow us and read our books, our personal blogs, our FB status updates and our Tweets?  Let us tell you why…

Once upon a time ~ ~

I read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books and decided I wanted to be a writer. I wrote my first “book” in 4^th grade. Called “East-West Island,” it featured all of the children in my class and the teacher read it in installments. I wrote the scripts for the school assemblies; was co-editor of my junior high school newspaper; and feature editor of my high school paper. I received a B.S. in Journalism [Major in Public Relations] and minored in Creative Writing at University of Florida. 

How many “careers” have you had throughout your lifetime?

During high school and college, I sold popcorn at a movie theater; worked in the Credit Department at Sears; and at Kresge’s scooping ice cream, making subs and making announcements over the PA at the jewelry counter. Maybe that’s why I love jewelry so much. I also spent one summer working as a reservationist at the Downingtown Inn and Golf Club in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. I lived on the property in a setting much like the resort in “Dirty Dancing.”

My first job out of college was in the Public Relations Department of AT&T Long Lines in employee communications—as editor of the Southern Region newsletter; then in media relations, community relations, marketing support and special events planning. I was with AT&T for 12 years. I spent a year doing employee communications and media relations for the Florida Department of Offender Rehabilitation in Tallahassee, Florida. My husband always jokes that I was in the prison system. For nine years I was principal/owner of the Atlanta-based PR firm Baron Leatherbury, Inc. Corporate Communications, and for 18 years I headed my own PR firm, Baron Communications, Inc., handling such projects as annual reports, employee and marketing communications, brochures, newsletters, direct mail, copywriting, ad design and copy development. Corporate clients have included AT&T, AT&T of Puerto Rico, AT&T of the Virgin Islands, AT&T Network Systems, Lucent Technologies, Georgia-Pacific, Mirant, Georgia Power, Southern Company, Emory Healthcare and a variety of smaller companies in real estate and other fields.

My husband and I live in Roswell and we have two daughters—one in Atlanta and the other in New York.

What is your current “day” job?

I am owner of Baron Communications, Inc. Public Relations. Services I provide include copywriting and editing for newsletters, brochures, the Web, advertising and other special projects, primarily for health care clients.

What advice would you give someone just starting to dip their toe into the writing world?

Keep writing. Never give up hope. Someone once told me you’ll be successful if you’re the last one standing.

Why you should read my books?

Whether they’re romantic suspense, thrillers, women’s fiction or paranormal, my books and short stories have one thing in common—humor. I like to make people laugh and I use humor even when confronting serious issues. My women’s fiction, The Edger, which I coauthored with my sister, Sharon Goldman, is a perfect example of how the heroine maintains her sense of humor despite a crumbling marriage and other obstacles. I also tend to write about older characters, since, let’s face it, we’re not getting any younger. The Edger is unusual because it features paintings and artwork by my sister, who is an award-winning artist in Florida.

http://sgoldmanart.com/contact.htm

What is a typical writing day like for you—from the time you get up to the time you go to bed?

I wake up around 5:30 a.m., shower and watch Squawk Box on CNBC with my husband while we’re getting ready for the day. Then we have breakfast and I get started when he leaves for work. The first thing I do is read the Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog and comment. I’m very deadline oriented. If I have a project deadline for one of my PR clients—whether that’s producing a physician’s newsletter or editing an annual report—or a writing deadline, like a guest blog, I feel compelled to finish that job before I can do anything else. Once the deadline is out of the way, I devote the rest of the day to writing, with breaks for lunch and snacks (too many of those).

Currently, I’m doing revisions for my WWII thriller “Under the Moon Gate.” When I turn in those revisions, I will complete my romantic suspense “Sixth Sense.” On the horizon, my sister and I are working on a musical about Alzheimer’s. She’s already written some of the songs. Now I have to write the play. Around the time of a release, I spend most of the day on marketing. I do my best work in the morning. I used to be able to stay up late at night writing, but now after dinner, I pretty much relax (fall asleep) on the couch watching TV or reading. Then, since I’ve gotten about three hours sleep in front of the TV, I’ll read until I fall asleep. Anytime I am at a stopping point during the day or at night before I go to bed, I’ll check Facebook. Since I’m running a PR business, I do spend time answering my e-mails because I want to be accessible.

What is your most rewarding experience since being published? 

I think it was when I walked into my local library and the librarians all rushed up to me and said they saw an article about me and my new book The Edger in the local Roswell newspaper and they said, “That’s our patron!” That was thrilling. And they asked if I knew that the library has a visiting author program. And I said, yes, a lot of my friends in Georgia Romance Writers have given talks at the library that I’ve attended. It made me feel like a real author.  

What’s a little-known fact about you no one would suspect?

I love the Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. I tape the soaps and watch them every day. It helps me hone my dialogue, my favorite part of writing. I am a snoop. I use snippets of everything I overhear anywhere, in grocery stores, malls, at dinner, the beauty parlor, etc. No one is safe, except my sister’s family because she forbids me to write about her (not the sister who coauthored The Edger).

Anything else?

I love the beach. I get some of my best creative ideas sitting on the balcony staring at the ocean. I love to travel. I spent six months in college living in Florence, Italy, where I took Italian, Art History, Religion and Mythology classes and traveled around Europe sightseeing and eating, mostly spaghetti. I love to read and am never without a book.

The Edger is available at:

Amazon Kindle ASIN: B006Y3P12Y

Barnes & Noble Nook Books and

Smashwords ISBN: 978-1-4659-7621-5

Marilyn’s Angel Trilogy—A Choir of Angels, Follow an Angel and The Stand-in Bridegroom—humorous, supernatural e-short stories—debuted last year with TWB Press, a small publisher specializing in science fiction, supernatural, horror and thriller stories

http://www.twbpress.com/achoirofangels.html

Please stop by and say hi at:

Petit Fours and Hot Tamales www.petitfoursandhottamales.com

and at the Roswell Patch http://roswell.patch.com/search?keywords=marilyn+baron

Facebook Author Page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Marilyn-Baron/286807714666748

Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/MarilynBaron.

What Marilyn’s friends have to say~

Something you might not know about Marilyn? She’s not your average foodie; she’s a pastrami connoisseur, an old-school purist who appreciates the real deal. ~~~ Although she doesn’t have a sense of smell, she is amazing at capitalizing on her others senses and this shines through in her writing.  ~~~ Marilyn is a strong, confident woman.  This is something she has passed along to her daughters.  ~~~ She is an incredibly ambitious woman who doesn’t sit around waiting for life to find her. 

~BONUS REVIEW~

The Edger

By Marilyn Baron and Sharon Goldman

Reviewed by Anna Steffl, GRW President

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Genre: Women’s fiction with elements of murder, mystery and romance.

Length: 70K + words

Publisher’s Blurb:

The Edger is a humorous Women’s Fiction about landscape artist Alexandra Newborn’s shocking reunion with her college art professor, Nick Anselmo—once a celebrated Italian artist, now a homeless lawn man—which sows the seeds for murder, mystery and romance. In gratitude for food, art materials and company, Nick, or The Edger, as Alex comes to think of him, drops off a new sketch in front of Alex’s house every week when he comes to do her lawn. Nick’s provocative artwork is the key to revealing a dangerous liaison between Alex’s husband, Mark, and Bitsy Diamond, owner of the gallery where Alex dreams of having a one-woman show. When a deadly hurricane takes a dangerous turn the night of Nick’s opening, Mark’s body washes up behind Bitsy’s beach house, leaving readers to wonder whodunit?

Review

“The pieces of the puzzle finally fit together as her life began to fall apart.” Marilyn Baron, The Edger

The hardest thing about writing a book review is not giving away too much of the story. That’s especially the case with The Edger, a women’s fiction novel by Marilyn Baron and illustrated by Sharon Goldman. Let’s just say that any book opening with a drawing of a rabbit isn’t going to be what it seems. Just ask Alice.

The Edger opens with heroine Alexandra (Alex). She’s a 40-year-old artist in denial that her marriage and art lack passion. She compulsively fills the void in her life with stuff that turns to clutter, both physical and mental. Who better to show her the worthlessness of the stuff and propel her to rediscover her love of painting than a homeless yardman who was also once a world-famous artist? The Edger of the title, he is named both for a tool of his trade and for the fact that he now lives on the edge of society. The complication is that the Edger, Nick, was a professor with whom Alex once nearly had a relationship.

So, you think that’s it. We’re going to see these people fall in love. The author does do an admirable job of unfolding the relationship between Alex and Nick without damaging the morals of either character. As much as Alex is stirred by new-found passion, she stays true to a marriage about which she’s only slowly learning the truth. Too, the writing in Alex’s point of view, often gently humorous, is endearing. In a moment of revelation, Alex comes to see her life in terms of the accumulated stuff around her: “A food processor that blended a homogenous mix of unfulfilled dreams. A food processor that didn’t inspire passion.”

But, dear reader, the expertly handled relationship is not all you’re going to get. The way in which Alex finds out the truth about her marriage and the value of her art is a page-turning journey down a twisting and turning rabbit hole in which nothing is what it seems–not the diamond bracelet, the art show, or even Nick’s drawings.

Just follow the rabbit for a riveting read.

Petit Four Rating: 4

Hot Tamale Rating: 1

Check out another great review of The Edger on Amazon by AJ Kirby, award-winning author of Paint this town Red, Perfect World, and Bully.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Edger-ebook/product-reviews/B006Y3P12Y/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

The Edger was also named Book of the Month on Kirby’s PAINTTHISTOWNRED blog site.

http://paintthistownred.wordpress.com/

Welcome to our January edition of the Second Saturday Review Soup, a delicate blend of genres and tastes.

Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and browse today’s specials.

Bon Appétit!

~~~

When We Danced on Water by Evan Fallenberg

http://www.evanfallenberg.com/home.html

Reviewed by Debbie Weiss

Originally posted Sept 11, 2011 at the Women’s Book Reviews – For Women Who Like To Read

When We Danced on Water takes place in contemporary Israel, but there are flashbacks to other cities in other times throughout the book. The story revolves around two individuals, Teo and Vivi. Teo was born in Poland but moved to Denmark to attend The Ballet Academy in his late teens. He was a brilliant ballet dancer in his youth and at the age of 85, he is still one of the world’s most influential choreographers. He was instrumental in establishing the Tel Aviv Ballet and is still actively involved in training dancers for current performances. In spite of his artistic successes, Teo’s personal life is almost nonexistent and has been this way for many years. He often thinks that maybe he did not make the right decisions in life and should have taken the time to have a family.

Teo stops off for coffee each morning at a cafe on his way to work and he strikes up a relationship with the waitress, Vivi, a woman in her 40′s who also considers herself to be an artist. Her artistic pursuits are eclectic — painting, sculpting, photography, etc. Vivi is socially isolated, just as Teo is, having had an unfortunate romantic relationship with a German while she was in the army. She has never been able to get over it and move on with her life. These two lonely people have long discussions about the creative process and the concept of passion vs. obsession.

Over time, their friendship deepens and they confide in each other about the darkest secrets of their past. Both spent time in Berlin, but during different years and under very different circumstances. Teo and Vivi care for each other and by revealing their stories to each other, they help each other heal. I thought this was a beautifully written book and I am glad that I read it because it is the kind of book you continue to think about long after you are done reading it.

Rating: ****

~~~

Young Adult Review

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

http://www.ashfallbook.com/

Review by Trish Milburn

Originally posted Jan 10, 2012 at The Romance Dish

This past month, I managed to read a very enjoyable YA book during all the holiday craziness. Ashfall by Mike Mullin is the first in a post-apocalyptic series about Alex, a teenage boy from Iowa, and what he endures after the supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park explodes, sending the planet into a prolonged winter with no sunlight. I’ve always loved stories of survival and that’s what Ashfall is at its core. Alex, who was home alone when the volcano erupted, sets off on a journey to Illinois to find his parents and younger sister, who had gone to visit Alex’s uncle. Along the way, he meets people who help him and others who are a threat to his very life.

When the way we are used to living is sent into chaos, man quickly descends into basic survival mode. With no electricity, dipping temperatures, air that’s dangerous to breathe, no way to travel other than on foot, and the constant search for food and water, Ashfall is an edge-of-your-seat read. It’s one part scary and one part hopeful, particularly when Alex finds people who haven’t lost their humanity or kindness in the midst of the eruption’s aftermath. He has to grow up fast and learns there’s more strength in him than he ever knew. He also finds an unexpected friend, and perhaps more, when Darla, a teenage girl, and her mother nurse him back to health after he’s injured by one of the people bent on taking whatever they want however they can.

The sequel to Ashfall, Ashen Winter, is scheduled to be released in October.

~~~

Mystery

The Black Cat – A Richard Jury Mystery by Martha Grimes

http://www.marthagrimes.com

Reviewed by Maxine Davis

From Jacket:

The suave and savvy detective superintendent from New Scotland Yard returns to investigate the death of a well-dressed woman—witnessed only by a black cat…

Richard Jury is pulled out of his jurisdiction when  beautiful young woman is found dead outside a pub in Chesham.  Her Yves Saint Laurent dress and Jimmy Choo shoes suggest wealth and privilege, but no one in the village has a clue who she is.  There’s no ID, and the only one close to the scene that night was the pub cat.  A similar crime then occurs in London—this time the victim’s shoes were Louboutin—and Jury must confront questions of identities and appearances, both human and feline, before he labels someone a killer…

Martha Grimes is an American author of more than 25 books and can tell a British mystery with the best of them!  The Black Cat is a fun read that keeps you guessing—and wondering about the cats and dogs that have their own mystery going.  (“If you have friends who like animals, whimsy, and murder, you can’t do much more to brighten their day than put Ms. Grimes’s latest mystery in their lap.”—The Washington Post)

5 Petit Fours

~~~

Harlequin American – Romance

Claimed by a Cowboy by Tanya Michaels

http://tanyamichaels.net/

Reviewed by Sally Kilpatrick

Review: Lorelei Keller is an actuary, a woman who avoids taking risks by her very nature. She has never felt at ease in her hometown, where she was the nerd, or in the presence of her mother, a woman who leans on the spiritual almost to the exclusion of the practical. When her mother passes unexpectedly, Lorelei rushes home and runs headlong into laconic Sam Travis, a cowboy who often passes through the B&B Lorelei’s mom ran. He can’t understand why Lorelei would stay away from a mother who clearly loved her so very much—especially not when his mother had abandoned him and foisted him on a gruff uncle. When Lorelei’s mom leaves the B&B to Sam, things really start to heat up between two people who are utterly convinced they have nothing in common despite a mutual attraction that threatens to break down their respective defenses. Throw in a nosy matchmaking older lady who liberally spikes her coffee and a demonic cat, and you have a vivid cast of characters in charming Fredericksburg, Texas.

If you like strong and silent cowboys, eccentric Texas characters, a very opinionated cat, and some serious sexual tension, then this book is for you. As always, I’m particularly partial to Michaels’ sense of humor in which Sam becomes “Monosyllable Man” and the cat’s relationship to Satan is often questioned. It’s the end, though, that got me. Both characters have struggled with a great deal of loss, and their struggle to accept love despite a history of loss is especially poignant.

5 Petit Fours/3 Hot Tamales

~~~

Harlequin Presents Extra – Romance

With This Fling by Kelly Hunter

http://www.kellyhunter.net/Index.html

Reviewed by Susan Carlisle

With this fling… Successful archaeologist Charlotte Greenstone has no time for men, so invents a convenient one – who bears a highly inconvenient resemblance to sexy stranger Greyson Tyler! To protect her mortifying white lie, Charlotte begs Grey to act as her temporary fiancé…

I thee bed? One glimpse of Charlotte’s killer curves and Grey can’t resist making his own outrageous proposition – he’ll pretend to be her fiancé… if they can enjoy all the benefits of being a couple! Smoking-hot grey is definitely fling material, but Charlotte knows that’s all it can ever be… Isn’t it?

This book has a funny primus to begin with that I was unsure where it was going and was pleasantly surprised by the twist and turn that really worked. I got caught up in the characters’ lives and their desires. Grey is a hot leading man, and Charlotte is someone the reader can like. With this Fling makes a great Sunday afternoon read. I enjoyed.

**The books we review on this site, unless otherwise noted, are our own personal copies. The Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog members do not accept payment in exchange for a review or mention.**