Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 110

Blog Winner!

First of all, a HUGE thank you to all who posted my Feb 12th mega announcement. You are all so very appreciated. It has been a tremendous success, and it's not over yet! The contest and the freebie go for days more.

I owe each and every one of the blog posters/hosters.

If I can return the favor, in the future, you know where to find me.

Tonight, I did the promised drawing for the $5 Amazon gift card. I wrote down every single hoster/poster and put their names in a dog bowl. Lola picked a piece of paper from it.  On the paper it says Megan D. Martin.

Megan, I'll be contacting you shortly. Thank you.

Book Release, Kindle Freebie, & Grand Giveaway!

I’m pleased to share with you my latest release, Love Request. This one is special to me because it’s not only the first romance I penned, but it features a “hearing-impaired” heroine, like myself.
I say “hearing –impaired” because really, there’s nothing wrong with Ciara. She’s not damaged or in need of repair. She just can’t hear as well as others.

As a reader, I grew tired of all the women in romance novels being perfect. In real life, many of us have disabilities—and they are disabilities others can’t see. And worse, they are disabilities others can’t understand, and a lot of times what people don’t understand becomes something they fear…and belittle.
This is where the bullying comes in. You see, this is more than just a romance novel. Open its pages, hit that Kindle “next page” button, and find out for yourself. Learn. Be enlightened. Relate.Want to sample it first? No problem. Available on Kindle and FREE for the next five days, is a humorous Valentine short story, Mating Instinct.
You’ll find the first chapter of Love Request at the end.
Thank you, readers, for celebrating this special time with me. Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of you, I’m giving away a print copy of Love Request, a plush dog, a lipstick for that special date, and 5 pheromone-soaked chocolate incense sticks! WARNING: Be careful if dogs are in the vicinity.
Blurb:When Ciara Littleton finally joins Facebook to socialize without the limits her hearing impairment gives her, she looks up a childhood friend on a whim. In sending him that first message, she ignites the memories of a crush from twenty years ago. Can a simple friend request fix all that stands between them and maybe even lead to something more?
Hunter's plate is full. A recent divorce, a pregnant sister, and now, he realizes he's in love with a woman who lives states away. Can he overcome the boundaries of Internet romance to make this desire turn into something real, or will adversity and distance be their undoing?
This book was formerly titled A Facebook Affair and has been revised with a new ending.
Love Request has been named a LASR Best Book and is now up for vote on Best Book of 2012 Poll. You can cast a vote here. I’m so excited and so grateful!
Blurb for Mating Instinct: This is exactly what you need!
It’s Valentine’s Day and when Ariel receives a package of incense in the mail from her Pagan friend and mentor, she isn’t sure what to make of the enclosed note. Sure, she has some issues, but who doesn’t?
When the smoke releases its magic, Ariel gets an evening of surprise humor and romance, and it is indeed exactly what she needs.
Links:Love Request on AmazonMating Instinct FREE




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The House Girl by Tara Conklin

You'd think that with all the historical stories out there about the evils of slavery, about slaves trying to be free, of the plight of the early African Americans, you'd think you'd read it all by now. What could one more author add to it?


A lot.

This one touched me in a way that many others haven't. Looking back now that I've turned the last page, I am trying to pinpoint what it exactly what it was that really hit me hard, and I'm not sure. Josephine...has lived a live of heartache. She's an item, slapped when the "master" feels like slapping her, used sexually on another's whim, not given a choice or say in anything. The one joy in her life, art, is even stolen from her by her "mistress" who despite her claims to be sorry, stands there and takes credit for the paintings and drawings done by her slave, Josephine. And this continues long after her death.

The story doesn't reveal a whole lot about her, really, even though we follow her at times. Some of Josephine's tale is told by others, people who didn't even know her, yet her story kept continuing in my mind long after I turned the Kindle off. I cried for her. I so badly wanted her to find joy, but the story ends realistically. It doesn't throw a tied up with a bow happy ending at us. It's life. Somehow the ending the author chose resonated with me even more.

The tale goes back and forth btw modern day Lina and the slave Josephine, with added bits of letters and journals from an underground railroad helper and a doctor. Through all these narratives, we slowly piece whether or not Josephine escaped, whether she was the true artist behind the famous masterpieces, whether she had any descendants who can now claim them.

The present day story revolves around Lina, a lawyer on a reparations case, her artist father, her dead mother. Truthfully, I didn't see why the deal with her mother was in the book. I kept wondering if it was going to turn out that Lina herself was a descendant of Josephine or something. I was left feeling unsatisfied with this line. Why was it here? What was significant about her mother and her artist father's stuff? Something...slipped by me. I wasn't interested at all in that and as the book ended, I was wondering why it was there.

In the end though, I cried, and the characters are still in my mind, like I've known them, each one of them, personally. That's a sign of solid writing, of incredible talent. This book doesn't sugarcoat the slavery issue. It brings what happened into a glaring perspective. Even the ones working on the reparations case in the end...it was eye opening.. "You're too white." I was just thrown for a loop, and yet, that's how people are.

Four stars. I received a digital galley of this from the publisher.

Word and Deed by Rachel Rossano

I was really impressed by this novelette. At first, I thought how strong can a woman trapped in a tower be? And I was immensely pleased and surprised when she turned out quite strong indeed.


Even though she knows she'll be slapped and beaten, Verity speaks the truth, about her brother, her father's death, her feelings. It is what gets her thrown in the tower.

She's truly fearless though, even when a man shows up in the garden...and when presented with knives, she doesn't screech and run away, but instead, secretly learns to use them. She's not afraid of speaking the truth, seeking justice, voicing her two cents, throwing knives, or of killing when her own life is threatened.

I saw the ending's twist coming a mile away. That would have to be my only quibble.

The writing is almost poetic, very literary. I felt as I read this that the author is just meant to tell a tale. Unlike many of the books releasing nowadays, it doesn't come off as juvenile or simple in its telling or prose.

And I forgot to sum up the plot...Verity is tossed in a tower. She not only speaks out against her betrothed--a man she's never meant but heard is vile and crazy--but she knows too much about her father's death. But her betrothed shows up and doesn't seem as vile as she anticipated...but neither does he make her heart pitter-patter like the mysterious man in the garden, there to help her. Someone wants her dead, someone wants her heart, and yet someone else wants her hand. All kinds of things could go possibly go wrong, but first, she must get free of the tower, her brother, and possibly, her upcoming marriage. What shall she do?

Four stars. I received this in exchange for an honest review from the author.

Free on Kindle from Andrew P Weston!

Once every few hundred years, the Blood-Moon rises on an unsuspecting world. When it does—the very stuff of myth and legend comes to life.
He was sixth generation military, his path laid before him by his family. To secure his spot in the elite British Special Forces he found himself up against one of the harshest environments known to man. It is here that he will face an ancient horror.
What do you think might happen when nightmare becomes reality?

Where to Buy
Blood Moon currently free on Amazon!


About the Author
Andrew P Weston was born in the city of Birmingham, UK and grew up in the towns of Bearwood and Edgbaston, eventually attending Holly Lodge Grammar School for Boy’s where he was School Captain and Head Boy. He was an active sportsperson for the school and a variety of rugby, martial art, swimming, and athletics teams throughout the city.On graduation in 1977, he joined the Royal Marines and served in a number of roles both in the UK and abroad.In 1985 he joined the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, serving as a police officer in a variety of uniformed and plain clothed departments until his retirement in 2008.Over those years, he wrote and illustrated a selection of private books for his children regarding the life of a tiny kitten, called, “The Adventures of Willy Whiskers”, gained further qualifications in Law and Religious Studies, was an active member of Mensa and continued to be an active sportsperson, providing lessons free of charge to local communities.An unfortunate accident received on duty meant Andrew had to retire early from the police force, but after moving to the sunny Greek island of Kos to speed up his recuperation, he was at last able to devote time to the “Guardian Concept” he had developed over his years in the military and police.When not writing, Andrew enjoys Greek dancing and language lessons, being told what to do by his wife, Annette, and hunting shadows in the dark. He has not managed to catch any yet, but is sure he came close on 2 occasions.
Connect with Andrew 
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Whispers of a New Dawn by Murray Pura

I requested this knowing full well it's Amish/religion themed, but the woman pilot during Pearl Harbor was irresistible to me and I wanted to give it a go. I'm glad I did. There was much to like about this novel, though there were some bits that grew tiresome.

Loved:

--The heroine...for the most part. She isn't without her flaws (who isn't?) but I'll get to those in a bit. A sentence from her father in the beginning sums her up to a T:

"Hooking you up to an Amish farm boy would be like putting a modern engine in old Fokker triplane. Why, the stress on the wing struts would tear the plane apart."

She's spunky, brave, and witty. I was impressed that she managed to be such a tough girl without uttering a single curse word. Well done. Most authors couldn't pull this off. I think her flying around with the Zeroes was my favorite part. 

--The hero. This ain't an alpha male, but a nice guy with fears, feelings, and he's poetic too...and patient.

--The banter both between the hero and heroine and the hero and his fellow aviators. Had me laughing out loud many times.

--The flying scenes. Fantastic and on the edge of your seat!

--Watching romance blossom. Rather than fill up pages with sex, the author gave us moments of deep conversation under full moons, playing in the waves, passionate kisses.

--Ruth. Though I didn't care for her how her tale ends...rather cowardly in my opinion, I enjoyed watching her blossom for the brief time she did.

--The Hawaiian setting.

There was lots to love...but there were some things I didn't like as well:

--Loved the romance blooming, but some scenes were over drawn out and sappy. And the party planning scenes bored me.

--The author inserted too many historical facts about the ships and the planes in dialogue. I realize what he was doing, but it didn't stay with me after turning the page.

--Didn't care for Becky at first. She was willing to give everything up, her flying and freedom, for a MAN. And later in the story, she wants Raven to say he loves her, even though she can't say it back. But again, we can't have a perfect heroine.

--I also had trouble with the whole, "we just sit out the war in peace and let everyone kill themselves so we can religious freedom to sit here and do nothing" crap from the Amish. But I loved how Becky and her family did what they felt was right, regardless. I loved her parents, their strength.

Overall though, I think the good outweighs the bad. There were just some scenes that didn't hold my attention. But I appreciated the messages within its pages... Don't be afraid to love again. You aren't living 'til you're lovin'. (That's just me talking there. LOL)

Three stars. Rich in history and humor.

Strong is Sexy...Lady Bullfighters...Movies and Real Life

Found on Wiki. I watched a movie on Turner Classic Movies recently about a woman who jumps in the bullfighting ring in place of her twin brother. It was awesome.


It's called Fiesta from 1947 and stars Esther Williams. The movie starts with a famous bullfighter, Mario Sr., being told his wife is in labor. He rushes to her side and is terribly disappointed to be presented with a daughter. But a son is born minutes later... OLE!

It's a classic case of parents wants one thing, child wants another. Mario Jr. just wants to compose music. The father stands in his way at every turn, wanting his son to follow in his footsteps. Crap hits the fan and Mario goes missing, the Morales named branded for cowardism... I'm not going to ruin it for you, but Maria the sister jumps in the ring and fights in place of her brother, not once, but twice!

The movie is dubbed a musical due to a few singing and dancing scenes, but it wasn't that much. I actually fast forwarded all but the incredible dance scene between Mario and Conchita. That was fantastic. 

Terrific movie. It was filmed in 1947. Check your TCM guides for its next showing. 

And while I'm on the subject of lady bullfighters...now, wait a minute...I don't condone the killing of bulls, but one must confess there's something awful ballsy about this...and fascinating.

Book found on AmazonThere was a very famous real-life lady bullfighter named Conchita Cintrón, "The Blonde Goddess." She was part Puerto Rican, born in Chile, and became a bullfighter in Peru. She killed her first bull at the age of 15. Imagine the ruckus that caused! This occurred in 1936! She was badly gored twice, refused medical treatment, and walked back into the ring and killed that horned mofo, both times...


In the late 40s, Spain had laws banning woman matadors in the ring...but there was nothing preventing her from being in the ring on horseback. When she approached the president and requested permission to finish her task aka kill the bull, he denied her. She dismounted anyway, took the sword away from her novillero (the young man assigned to do the dirty work, as she was but a mere woman) and proceeded to stimulate a kill. She was actually arrested for this.

The uproar from the crowd assured she was not charged. Instead, she was gifted with the bull's ears and tail, a high honor.

My One Square Inch of Alaska by Sharon Short

This wasn't what I expected. I was expecting--as the book promises on the back--a moving tale of exploration and love-human and canine--that dares to believe the impossible.


I felt the dog wasn't really in it often enough to warrant that. What I got was a moving tale of exploration and love between a brother and sister, a story that moved me to tears, even though the dog was in it very little.

It's the 1950s and Donna has raised her younger brother Will. She's been forced to be a mother way too soon. She lives in a small town, a judgmental type of place, where nobody minds their business and the slightest thing out of the norm is scandalous and this gets her in trouble.

There's a grandmother who doesn't love her and is just so evil I wanted to jump in the book and murder her. There's an alcoholic father, a spineless boyfriend, an interesting art teacher, a kind lady who just happens to be on the wrong side of the tracks...and it's interesting to see just WHO ends up helping Donna and Will. This book is a good example of how it don't matter where you come from.

There's so much going on within these pages, I can't write a proper summary. Needless to say, Donna has had to take on way more responsibility than she should and it's hard to remember at times, she's just a high school kid. She doesn't make the smartest choices, but she grants her brother's wish. Stupid? Yep. Irresponsible? Yep. But I found myself rooting for her all the same.



And the stealer of the show...is a little boy, wise beyond his years, smart. He knows how to appreciate the simpler things in life. We could all learn from him. As I read the last chapter, I actually cried. It's not that often I read a book that can evoke so much emotion in me. And I think Donna is just so brave, a strong heroine, a woman who even though it's "silly" she does what she has to do for her brother. She gives him what he needs. And that's brave.

Beautiful story. Five stars. I received an ARC of this via LibraryThing.

MARY R. PAGANO Talks About Her New Release and the Greatness of Women & Mothers

La Vita E' Triste, Ma Pure Bella!  depicts the life and times of an amazing woman of Italian descent, Maria Elena Francesca Calabria, who faced many difficult situations in her eighty-seven-years of living in Italy and America. Throughout those years, Maria experiences much sadness and many very humorous situations. The reader recognizes that the common pattern of life is that the same things that bring us joy will also at some point in life bring us sorrow.


My story will take the reader on Maria’s journey from rags to riches and then from riches to rags. Maria’s life followed a winding road that took her to a strange land where she learned a little about prejudice and a lot about courage, strength, perseverance and love. These years also covered some political history of Italy during the time when Benito Mussolini was a rising star. Maria and her brothers were very lucky to have left Italy just before Mussolini’s liaison with Adolf Hitler, and just before the arrival of the Nazis.

Maria’s first American residence was in the little town of Madison, New Jersey, where she met and married Pellegrino Marra. The reader will travel with Maria from Madison, New Jersey to a section of Newark, New Jersey, known as “Newark’s Little Italy.” Newark’s Little Italy proved to be an Italian-based city with many unique commodities and denizens. For example, there were some interesting characters that walked the streets of Newark selling fresh goods. This was a city where the locals had the ability to buy fresh tripe and fresh lamb’s head from a man known as “U Trippaiole.” Two other street peddlers were “U Pizzaiole,” who pushed a cart carrying the best home-made pizza I have ever tasted. The next peddler, riding a horse and carriage, delivered the most delicious baked sweet potatoes and roasted chestnuts. He was known as “U Fumo.” Finally, the colorful grocery store of “Spezzafero” offered fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, along with Spezzafero’s talking parrot, Cheech, who spoke fluent Italian and had no problem cursing at customers who came in and thieves who attempted to steal!

The reader will be delighted to read about the different restaurants that provided excellent Italian cuisine to some very famous stars such as Jimmy Durante, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, Jackie Gleason, Enrico Caruso, Abbot & Costello, Rocky Marchiano and others. Other noteworthy patrons were Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and many others. Another famous person who grew from the streets of Newark is Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, who would later be known to the world as “Mother Cabrini.”

Readers will have the good fortune of meeting many humorous characters, some of whom Maria acquired after coming to America. These characters range from Maria’s husband, children, her siblings, aunts, uncles, in-laws, family friends, a murderer and a promiscuous woman! It is through the various personalities of these characters that Maria’s many attributes will become visible. Maria’s entire life journey will bring tears of laughter and sorrow to many readers. All in all, the story lives true to its title, “Life is difficult, but also beautiful!”

My mother was such a rare, fascinating, kind, classy and humble woman, that I felt I had to share this story with others. It is truly a tribute to the greatness of women and mothers!

About The Author
Mary is a former legal-secretary/paralegal who has worked for Connell Foley, L.L.P.; Stein, Bliablias & McGuire and Blume, Goldfaden, Berkowitz and Donnelly. Mary has also worked for the New Jersey State Judiciary in just about all of its divisions. She has worked for the Honorables Philip S. Carchman, Carol A. Ferentz, Murry D. Brochin and Steven Lefelt. She is a single parent who worked in that capacity for over forty-seven-years, allowing her the ability to support her three children, Louis, Marissa and Joseph, alone. During this period of time, Mary also assisted in the caretaking of her stubborn, elderly Italian parents. Mary also has four grandchildren, Anthony and Brianna Pagano, and Nikolas and Core Adamo, who are the light of her life! Her own dreams were put on hold for many years so that she could focus on supporting and caring for her family.

Mary’s writing credits include several poems that have been published through the American Poetry Association. She managed to attend college classes in the evenings in Caldwell, New Jersey and is about 22 credits away from a Business Management degree. Her life philosophy is one lovingly taught to her by her mother: her children, grandchildren and family are her most precious treasures and her pets, Isabella, Sabina, Chance Giuliano, Sir Lancelot, Lady Guinevere and Peanuts follow closely behind them!

Although a new author at writing novels and novellas, Mary believes in writing what you know and what you feel in your heart and soul. Mary also enjoys skydiving, good wine, cooking, bicycling, exercising and gardening.

Can be ordered at any of the following links: http://outskirstpress.com/bookstore http://www.amagon.com/dp/1478713860 FACEBOOK and Barnes & Nobel Nook.

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Aiyana Cassidy & Kendra

Book: Run Like Hell
Author: Adam Gaffen
Heroine: Aiyana Cassidy, Kendra


Her name was Aiyana Cassidy and she was thirty-two years old. Half Irish and half Native American, her name meant ‘Eternal Bloom‘, though everyone called her Cass. Tall, nearly two meters, and slim, she had long auburn hair that trailed down her back (when it wasn’t pinned up for work)... But it was her eyes that were her most memorable feature – pale, ice-blue eyes that seemed to gaze deep into the soul of anyone she talked to.
She’d grown up in a small town in northern Minnesota, part of the Northern Imperium. Her childhood was uneventful, she thought. Science fair winner in sixth grade for her design of a hypersonic transport, she’d always shown a flair for design and engineering. So it wasn’t a surprise when she announced, political differences be damned, she was going to attend MIT...
Seven years at MIT later, she left with her Master’s in Quantum Mechanics and a Doctorate in Optical Engineering. The Heavy Lift Corporation hired her immediately, to help design the next generation of Photonic Laser Thrusters (PLT), and she moved to New Mexico and the Los Alamos laboratories. There she was given her own research team and budget and allowed the freedom to work as she pleased... Her professional life flourished, but her personal life floundered for a time. Until, that is, she forced herself to take an entire night off.
Kendra had skipped college entirely, going directly to the San Fernando Valley and getting into the sensies. Shorter than Aiyana by several centimeters, she was blonde, carried true green eyes, and was fuller across the hips and bust, a legacy of her donor-mother. From her earliest years, she’d loved the old ‘television’ programs of the twentieth century. Now, after several years, she had made enough money, and invested wisely enough, to semi-retire. Rare was her on-screen performance, and rarer still a public appearance. She had purchased a large spread off the Jemez Mountain Trail, fifty klicks west of Los Alamos. The remote location was her attempt to ensure privacy, as much as was possible. When her studio wanted her to appear for a premiere, she insisted, and had the clout to ensure, that the event take place near her new home. That led to the encounter with Aiyana, and the renewal of their friendship.
So how do an optical engineer and a movie producer end up in a killer's crosshairs, and who's really behind it?  
That's what Run Like Hell is about!Blurb: Wedding days are supposed to be memorable, but probably not like this. Not with an assassination attempt and fleeing your home and country for reasons you don't understand. But that's exactly what happens to Aiyana Cassidy. Now, she's on a quest to find out who's chasing her, what they want, and how she can stop them.
Set a century from now, this novella is the first of the Cassidy Chronicles.

Buy here