Vivienne Diane Neal's Blog, page 81

Meet Stephanie Casher, Author of When Love Isn't Enough

Stephanie Casher, AuthorIn December 2009, three authors joined forces to form The Pantheon Collective (TPC), an independent publishing and author services company. In their first year of operation, the trio successfully published SELLOUT by James W. Lewis, which is getting rave reviews at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982719302 and is happy to announce the release of its second novel, When Love Isn't Enough , by Stephanie Casher.


When Love Isn't Enough, a love story at its core, explores what happens when life and circumstances conspire to interrupt the path of true love. Set in Santa Cruz, CA, with a multicultural cast of characters, this novel tackles the themes of love, friendship, and relating in general. It is a heartbreaking tale of true love, terrible timing, impossible choices, and how you find the strength to go on when you discover that, sometimes, love isn't enough. You can read the first three chapters at http://issuu.com/biglew1971/docs/wl1st3chaps


Stephanie Casher is a freelance editor and author of multicultural women's fiction. She has a BA in Sociology with a Minor in Education from UC Santa Cruz, and won the Dean's Undergraduate Award for her Senior Honors Thesis "Negotiating Identity and Cultural Capital: The Social and Structural Factors


Affecting the Educational Attainment of Bi-Racial Men of African-American Descent." She is in the process of completing the Professional Sequence in Editing through UC Berkeley Extension. Currently living in Santa Cruz, California with her partner and two cats, Stephanie tries to spend as much time as possible in nature. When she's not climbing mountains, swimming in the ocean, or wandering through the forest, she spends her free time dabbling in Astrology, hanging with her amazing nephews, and meditating on how to make the world a better place. To placate her inner gypsy, Stephanie travels extensively in search of inspiration. When Love Isn't Enough is her debut novel.


One World Singles Magazine Blog had the opportunity to meet up with Stephanie to talk more about her book:


Q. What inspired you to write WHEN LOVE ISN'T ENOUGH?


A. Honestly, I started writing this book as therapy. My first experience with true love and finding my soul mate was somewhat traumatic, and I've always been someone who turned to writing for catharsis and healing. This novel started out as an extended journaling exercise, which ended up taking on a life of its own.


Q. So WHEN LOVE ISN'T ENOUGH is a true story?


A. Yes and No. For this novel, I definitely drew heavily from my life and experiences when crafting the storyline and the characters, but the story is not autobiographical. I changed and embellished enough of the plot to ensure plausible deniability and protect the innocent. ;)


Q. WHEN LOVE ISN'T ENOUGH is not the typical romance…what makes this book unique?


A. WHEN LOVE ISN'T ENOUGH is not a romance at all, technically. The primary rule in the romance genre is that the story "must have a happy ending." So by that definition, I cannot call this a traditional romance novel. But it is a love story, and a coming-of-age story, and there is a lot of romance in it. I felt it was important to tell a "realistic" love story, because in reality, happily ever after is much harder to come by. So what then? When do you decide its time to walk away from love, and how do you move on from a broken heart? I think these issues are very relevant, because that is what most of us experience in real life.


Q. Why should romance lovers pick up this book?


A. Because at the end of the day, WHEN LOVE ISN'T ENOUGH is a love story. The characters believe in true love, and yearn for true love, and pursue it with every breath they take. While people usually pick up a romance novel as some form of escapism, WHEN LOVE ISN'T ENOUGH provides a similar form of escape into someone else's trials and tribulations, but with the added benefit of being able to learn from the characters' mistakes, to possibly avoid some of those mistakes in their own life. It's about growth, triumph, and female empowerment as much as it is about finding/keeping the guy, and I think that is a message that MORE women need to be exposed to, that love should never be at the expense of your own sense of self or self-worth. So while it's not a fairytale, I believe the message is timely and has value, especially for young girls. I'm confident that everyone who reads it will find something in the story they can relate to.


Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule and sharing your journey in writing with our readers. Best wishes to you and The Pantheon Collective.


From the Back Cover - When Love Isn't Enough:


Samantha's second year of college started with heartbreak and betrayal. Lost, lonely, and robbed of all joy, she'd completely given up on ever finding love again when a chance encounter put her in contact with the man who would change her life.

Tony never believed in love at first sight – until he laid eyes on Samantha. But within moments of meeting her, he knew without a doubt that she was the woman he was put on this earth to love. There was only one problem – Angela, his girlfriend of five years.

Tony doesn't want to hurt Angela, with whom he shares a rich history, but his connection to Samantha is undeniable. Angela, however, is not about to let the love of her life go without a fight.

When desperation takes a tragic turn, a chain of events unfolds that changes the course of all three of their lives forever. It is a heartbreaking tale of true love, terrible timing, impossible choices, and how you find the strength to go on when you discover that, sometimes, love just isn't enough…


If you enjoy the work of Trisha Thomas, Mary B. Morrison, and Donna Hill, you should definitely check out the exciting debut novel from Stephanie Casher. And stay tuned for the sequel, SOUL MATES, coming from TPC Books in Summer 2011.


For an autographed copy of When Love Isn't Enough go to TPC Website. You can also special order the book from any bookstore. Just go to the information desk, give them the name and title, and they can order it for you to pick up later. :)


Now, through the end of the year, when you purchase an autographed copy of When Love Isn't Enough ($11 plus shipping), you can get a copy of SELLOUT by James W. Lewis for only $10! A set of books would make great gifts for the book lovers in your life, don't you think?


Links:

www.pantheoncollective.com
http://www.stephaniecasher.com/
www.facebook.com/whenloveisntenough
www.facebook.com/stephaniecasher
www.twitter.com/stephcasher
www.shewrites.com/profile/StephanieCasher
www.youtube.com/scasher
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.bn.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/


For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact


pantheoncollective@gmail.com
mailto:author@stephaniecasher.com
stephcasher@gmail.com

Phaze Books Accepting Interracial Erotic Romance for Mid-Late 2011 Release

Now in their sixth year of providing quality erotic romance and women's erotica to discerning readers, Phaze Books looks forward to the future.
Especially known for their best-selling interracial romance titles by favorite authors like Bridget Midway, Marie Rochelle, and Zena Wynn, it is their hope to continue offering the smartest, sexiest I/R novels and stories for e-Book lovers.
Authors are invited to submit works of 15K words and higher for inclusion in their growing catalog of I/R titles. They want characters that provoke the reader and each other, romance and conflict that turns pages, and explicit sex that forces readers to wear oven mitts while holding their e-readers!
Sub-genres are definitely welcome within I/R, too! They would love to see historical, BDSM, ménage á trois, futuristic and shape-shifters and even steam punk! Take your HEA couple on a wild ride and show them your best work.
Though their most popular titles feature the BW/WM pairing, Phaze Books also welcomes books featuring other multicultural combinations: Asian, Hispanic, Native American, etc. The standard no-nos apply (no incest, pedophilia, positive rape, bodily waste fetishes). Interested authors are invited to visit their guidelines at http://www.phaze.com/ for formatting details.
When you're ready, submit your cover letter, completed novel, and synopsis/marketing history to submission@phaze.com. Thank you!
Phaze Books
http://www.phaze.com/
Exceptional Erotic Fiction

Today is Blog Jog Day - November 21, 2010

Thank you for stopping by! Please explore everything this Blog has to offer, then jog on over to Author's Box created by Carol Denbow who is the author of six books, most on book writing, publishing and marketing. On this day only, she will be offering a 50% discount on ALL of her books. If you would like to visit a different Blog in the jog, go to http://blogjogday.blogspot.com/



A Holiday Special

Get a 20% discount off Shades of Deception, a collection of ten fictional short stories centering on diverse men and women who in their speedy search for love, romance and bliss, become the targets and victims of deceit, betrayal, fraud, revenge and scandal. Each chapter tells a story as to how ordinary citizens who are sophisticated, successful and financially smart fall prey to insightful predators that use love, romance, lust and money as embellishments to destroy lives. Offer will expire on December 31, 2010.

Read what one person had to say about Shades of Deception: "Really a fantastic novel. A mirror to the real world. I hope it can be translated into Chinese."
By Achates on 12/13/09

Excerpt from The Woman Behind the Red Curtains, one of ten short stories from Shades of Deception:


People in the neighborhood were fascinated with the house on the corner, which had been unoccupied for three years. The property, with its strange past and lingering questions, had neighbors speculating as to what really happened to the couple who once lived there. Rumor had it that Mr. and Mrs. Awa were celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary on a hot summer night. One hundred guests attended the gala, and one of the invitees was an alluring young woman. Her stunning features captivated most of the men at the party, and Mr. Awa had fallen for the enticement. She was twenty-three; he was fifty. They started to talk, and before anyone knew it, the two snuck off to the basement and went at it like a heifer and a bull in heated passion. She had such a grip on him that the lovemaking lasted for almost two hours. He never experienced this type of fulfillment, not even with his wife, who never missed him because she was busy attending to their guests. Being in a state of erotic bliss, he was ready to leave his spouse and live merrily ever after with the young female. Almost losing track of time, the husband rushed back to his wife and company. Ten minutes later, the young woman followed like a silkworm coming out of her cocoon. When the party was over, the husband announced to his wife that he no longer loved her, wanted a divorce and was gone the next day. One week later, his wife vanished. It was a mystery as to where the couple went. Many surmised that the wife might have done away with her husband, or he might have run off with his young lover. Since the couple only lived in the house for five years and kept to themselves, neighbors never got to know them. The duo would never speak to anyone and would spend weekends at Martha's Vineyard, where most of their friends lived. The Awas were a strange match in heaven, to say the least. People would refer to them as the creepy crawler twosome, because they would sneak out of their house to avoid running into the neighbors.


The one hundred year old Victorian style single-family house was located in Central Brooklyn, New York, a thriving village made up of professionals, artists, retirees and business owners. Built in 1901, the 4,090 square feet three-story property had 9 furnished bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 total full baths, 1 total half bath, and a finished basement. There were carpet, marble, and linoleum floors, a spacious kitchen with a refrigerator and stove, an open dining area, and an airy living room where an imported crystal chandelier hanged. What made the home even more distinctive were its hardwood floors, decorative stairs, multi-colored walls, patterned ceilings and its steep roofing. Throughout the house were Victorian and modern furnishings, African and Native-American paintings, and exquisitely handcrafted treasures from every corner of the world. It was never quite clear who owned the house. The neighbors assumed the couple was the rightful title-holders, but when they disappeared, several people showed an interest in buying the property, but when individuals did a title search, there were too many roadblocks. Therefore, interested parties never proceeded with the purchase. In 2003, the house was valued at $500K. Three years later, the asking price would probably be close to $700K. Nevertheless, as time went by, folks lost interest in the house and the odd couple, but soon that would all change. A storm was about to pass through, and if the community was lacking in new chitchat, they were about to be hit with the biggest scandal that would make a soap opera look like child's play.
Links to Purchase Shades of Deception
Printed Version or PDF: http://www.lulu.com/commerce/index.php?fBuyContent=660882 
E-book - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/24236

Vivienne Diane NealAbout The Author
Vivienne Diane Neal gets her story ideas from observing people, places and things and watching true TV court cases. She has just completed her third book Malicious Acts, an anthology of five short stories that centers on people who will stop at nothing to get what they want. If it means disguising themselves as benevolent individuals and destroying lives along the way, they are up for the thrill. They will use romance, lust, greed and deceit as preludes to suck unsuspecting men and women out of their life's savings. The release date for Malicious Acts is the winter of 2010.
Her fourth book, Wicked Intent, is a fictional short story about a successful businessman who is set to marry his fiancée of three years, but is sidetracked by a beautiful new arrival, who will brings lust, desire and eroticism into his life but will ultimately destroy his relationship with the one person who has always stood by him. The book is set to be released in the summer of 2011.

Reinvention Summit: 2-Week Virtual Summit on The Future of Storytelling, Nov 11-22, 2010

November 11-22, 2010
The Reinvention Summit is gathering a new tribe of storytellers: change-makers, marketers, entrepreneurs, and creatives who see storytelling as critical to their work and mission. There's a star-studded line-up of 25+ speakers with diverse backgrounds to lead teleseminars, interviews, and panel discussions that relate to the future of storytelling as our world goes through reinvention. All sessions are recorded for playback. The online summit includes lots of social networking, collaboration, and crowd-sourcing for those who feel inspired to play. Entry-level pricing starts at just $11.11.
To learn more: visit http://www.reinventionsummit.com/

Reinvention Summit: 2-week Virtual Summit on Future of Storytelling, Nov 11-22, 2010

November 11-22, 2010
The Reinvention Summit is gathering a new tribe of storytellers: change-makers, marketers, entrepreneurs, and creatives who see storytelling as critical to their work and mission. There's a star-studded line-up of 25+ speakers with diverse backgrounds to lead teleseminars, interviews, and panel discussions that relate to the future of storytelling as our world goes through reinvention. All sessions are recorded for playback. The online summit includes lots of social networking, collaboration, and crowd-sourcing for those who feel inspired to play. Entry-level pricing starts at just $11.11.
To learn more: visit www.reinventionsummit.com

Telltale Signs of a Cheating Spouse by Miss Know It All

Whenever a spouse is cheating, that individual will always send out signals or may say something that might not mean very much at the time, especially if he or she is caught in a compromising situation. Because you believe your relationship is built on trust, you will give your mate the benefit of the doubt. Too often, the signs of cheating are so obvious that a bat could read between the lines, and the explanations given are so ludicrous that they defy logic. One would have to ask, "Does this person really think that I am stuck on stupid?" Yet, many will continue to ignore the 'in your face' warnings. Eventually, a spouse will have to face reality and ask, "Is there infidelity going on in our marriage?" Although unfaithfulness occurs on both sides, we are focusing mainly on cheating husbands who have used some of the most dumbfounded excuses to mask their betrayal:
"Honey, I am going fishing with my buddies this weekend." Ordinarily that might not be a problem, but why would he choose to go fishing on the day of your birthday or worse on your wedding anniversary. Some individuals might say, "Give the guy a break; most men have a temporary lapse of memory when it comes to important dates." However, if a woman never forgets, why would a man fail to remember such an important day?
You find condoms in the glove compartment of your husband's car. You and your mate never use condoms. His explanation is that the condoms belong to his male friend, and he is just holding them as a favor. The question to ask, "Would a woman carry her friend's diaphragm or cervical cap as an act of kindness."
You find a pair of panties in the back seat of your husband's car; he tells you they are your gift for Valentine's Day. The problem is, the panties are a size 5, but you wear a size 16. In addition, nowhere on the label does it indicate that one size five fits all.
Your husband is served with child support papers and you never knew he had an offspring. His response is, "We were separated during that period, but you were still legally married.
You find a shoebox hidden in the basement. In that box are risqué photos of him posing nude with another woman. You confront him, and his response is, "That is not me baby." You say, "It is you." He says, "Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?" When he makes that remark, he has a great big grin on his face.
It is late at night, and you wake up to noises coming from the living room. You go down stairs to check and catch your husband doing a horizontal dance with a strange woman. He looks up and says, "Honey, it is just a dream. Go back to sleep."
* * * * * *
Have you heard of an unbelievable explanation given by a cheating spouse, when caught in a compromising position? If so, we would like to hear from you. Your name or email will never be published. Only your initials, city or country where you reside will be posted. Send details to hmcsromanceinternational@juno.com Sometime in the in the near future, we will post the results. All information submitted will become the exclusive property of HMCS and may be published in any media without any compensation to the person sharing the details.

An Interview With Clare Dargin, Author of Speculative Sky

We are please to introduce you to Clare Dargin, who is an author of science fiction and science fiction romance books. She was gracious enough to take time out of her busy schedule to allow One World Singles Magazine Blog to talk about her newest work "Speculative Sky" and how she got into writing.






What inspired you to write this book?

Well, ever since I was a child I always wanted to be a writer. It was a dream of mine to be published and to write stories that everyone could enjoy. Speculative Sky was created because I've always had a fascination with stories about Extra-Terrestrial Life and S.E.T.I. and I wanted to integrate such a story with a female character as a strong and intelligent lead.


Do you have a specific writing style?


Yes I do but I am not sure what to call it. When people read my work I want them to feel as if they are right there in the midst of it all. I want them to be able to hear, taste, smell and see the action as if it is happening all around them. I also tend to write tight stories with quick pacing. It's what I like to read and consequently how I write.


What is the name of your latest book? And how did you come up with the title?


To be honest I've always been attracted and fascinated by the abstract and the symbolic. I wanted the title to be symbolic of what April Mullen, the main character, has to deal with as an Astronomer and all that came with her assignment.


What is Speculative Sky about?


It is about a woman who takes a chance and leaves for an assignment on a science colony far away from Earth. As an astronomer it is her job to monitor the stars at night and to record her findings. Nothing more than that. But when she arrives, she notices that her new home is a bit odd, and that though there is evidence of life out there… they don't want her to either acknowledge it or do anything about it. She of course finds this troubling.


What books have most influenced your life most?


To be honest, in fiction category, it would have to be the old star wars books that came out in the eighties after Return of the Jedi. The expanded universe books taught me more about atmospheric and expanded universe development then any book I know! I read them over and over again and learned about non-human creature development, planetary science fiction and description of space travel and not to mention how to write a cool leading man. I still read them!

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?


Douglas Preston and/or Lincoln Child. They write incredibly compelling books of which I generally can't put down.


What book are you reading now?


To be honest and I am almost finished with "Book of the Dead" with Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I'll be going through their back list very soon in order to get caught up.


What are your current projects?


Presently I am finishing up the final editing for "Ice and Peace" the sequel to Cold Warriors. As well as having another expanded universe book in the works. Not to mention, two futuristic romances that are completely different from my military fiction.


Do you see writing as a career?


Yes! One day I hope to do it full time.


If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?


Yeah that's why I have to hurry up and get it out of my hands cause I keep changing it!


Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?


As a child my father use to encourage it. I use to write stories for my family and give it to them and they would say "Maybe one day you could get this published!" I was like five.... and then when I was in middle school I found out that S. E. Hinton had been published at sixteen-- I became truly determined then.


Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?


Just get the first draft down on paper and don't be afraid to make stupid mistakes and have dumb lines on paper cause it's the first draft and you are allowing the characters to come alive. Later on you can fix and micro manage but don't try to do it the first time through cause it will stifle your creativity.


Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don't give up on being published! Try every avenue! There is away for you!

Thank you Clare for talking to us and much success to you and your book.



Excerpt from Speculative Sky:



"It's amazing. You say this happens every day?"


"Night, mostly, but you get the idea," Bart said, pouring more of the sweet concoction into her glass.


"Do they know about this back home?"


"Sure they do. We send them the data all the time. And they tell us to keep tracking."

"Why didn't anyone say anything?"


"About what? A few blips on a screen?" Bart scowled, pouring more into his glass. "How's that interesting?"


"It's more than we ever had at home."


"Trust me, April, it's nothing."


"Bart, this is... Has anyone made contact?"


"Don't talk like that around here. Just leave it alone," he said, shaking his head. "Calm down, get to know the place. You'll really like it here. Most people don't want to go home after being here."


"I‟m sure that's the case, but how can I not be excited over this? It's the find of a lifetime," April said, reveling in the thought of making contact with extra-terrestrial life.


"You don't have to try to impress us. Just do your work and you'll be fine."


"What does that mean?"


"It means you don't worry about it. There is plenty of research to be done. You could spend your entire lifetime studying the Jugis Star Cluster alone."


"Haven't you ever looked up in the sky and wondered if there was anyone else out there?"


"Of course I have. And if anyone back home asks, tell them it's just us," he said, finishing off his drink.


"That's not what I‟m talking about."


"I know what you're talking about and don't worry about it."

"What?"

"What you're thinking. Just don't do it. I'm telling you, don't do it."


Speculative Sky , is now available from Red Rose Publishing Red Rose Publishing 


Author's Links:

The Haven
Clare's Blog
The Embraced: Scribal Love

How to Deal with Pesty Neighbors

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