Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 113

Tip From Tara: That's Enough!

I'm sick of that! I really am! Seriously, I am sick of that!

It's the most overused word in the English language. Authors, open your current WIP and do a search for that. You may find you have over 1,500 of them. I promise you can get rid of half of them and your readers won't miss a beat.

I've decided that I need to leave.

I told him that I love him and that I can't live without him.

He said that he was going to be late.

Each one of those sentences do just fine without the that.

I've decided I need to leave.

I told him I love him and can't live without him.

He said he was going to be late.

Can you see how tiresome the word would be if all those sentences were in a paragraph?

I've decided that I need to leave. I told him that I love him and that I can't live without him, and all he said back was that he was going to be late.

Four thats. And I see this all the time. I hate that. Really, that's enough already!

The King's Mistress by Sandy Blair

Blurb:
The king of Scotland is in a snit. Which means Britt MacKinnon, proud Captain of the King’s Guard, has an onerous task: fetch Alexander’s favorite paramour back to the royal bed—now. Never mind that the crown should be about the business of getting a legitimate heir. Especially since England’s Edward I would love nothing more than to seize an empty Scottish throne. 

When the handsome soldier appears on her doorstep, Geneen Armstrong has to think quickly. Her twin lies abed in her cottage, pregnant with the king’s bastard. If the barren queen learns the truth, the foolish girl’s life won’t be worth a farthing. 

She must somehow transform her graceless, plain-spoken self into her vivacious, talented sister. Then, after the court is convinced she carries no child, use her herbal knowledge to sour the king’s taste for her sister’s company—for good. 

By the time Britt realizes this unusually articulate, ungodly stubborn woman is the wrong woman, tendrils of attraction have already tightened into a bond. A bond that will be tested when the king’s unexpected death puts Scotland’s very destiny at stake—and unleashes an ever-tangling web of court intrigues, secrets…and lies.

My thoughts:

Really like the heroine in this one. She's spunky and a go-getter and also strives to protect those she loves. The hero...nice to come across a strong, sexy knight that isn't establishing his dominance or manliness at every page. He's comfortable in his own skin and an overall good guy. The back and forth banter is fun. The writing itself really placed me back in time and the story is rich in history with fun facts thrown in.

I have some quibbles, however:

The prose was weird and hard to adjust to. Though I respect the author was staying true to Scottish brogue, it was a bit much at times and often I did a double take and had to reread things.

"And who kenned, mayhap she and their bairns might even become a force in bridging the rift twixt Britt and his father."

"As you lust" was another phrase constantly appearing. I got what it meant, but it bugged me as a reader nevertheless.

And some turns in the story didn't make sense to me. WHY would Britt leave her in the queen's chambers knowing the woman wanted her dead?

The scenario when he goes home to his father's to deal with a person I shall not mention because it's a spoiler, the outcome of his visit, the...convenience was...too convenient.

I also felt that with the main story being saving her sister from the queen was over too soon. To me, that was the main plot line and suddenly it was over and we were left with a different, less exciting story.

Lovely characters, however, and a nice escape from modern times. Three stars. I bought this on Kindle.

Strong is Sexy Woman of the Past: Kitty O'Neil

This woman came to my attention via a FB page liker of mine. I'm so pleased she mentioned this lady, a former stunt woman and racer who also happened to be deaf. Naturally, she warrants a post.

Having been growing deaf since I was four years old myself, I'm amazed and inspired by Kitty O'Neil. I know how very hard it is not to let naysayers deter you, to face blockade after blockade because of your disability, so the fact she achieved her dreams and did so much in a male-dominated industry blows me away. As a matter of fact, I found a quote from her that says it was BECAUSE of employers not wanting to hire her that she ended up in a very nontraditional career.

She became deaf at the age of four due to illness. According to History Website, she was a diver in her younger years and almost made the Olympics. She contracted spinal meningitis, which was predicted to paralyze her, but didn't, and even battled cancer twice before the age of 28. I highly recommend you read the article. Incredible.

She was a stunt woman in Hollywood and in 1977, she drove a rocket dragster The Motivator in the Mojave Desert. She drove speeds up to 412 mph. The year previously, she set the land-speed record for women in Oregon.

Upon her retirement she held 22 land and water speed records.

There is a movie about her life, but I cannot find it on DVD. It's called Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story.

I've had a heck of a time finding a photo I may be able to use. I'm just going to have to go photoless this time. To see a photo, you can go here.

REVIEW & Giveaway: Sultry in Stilettos by Nana Malone

What a fun, sexy read! I didn't read the first one, didn't even realize this was a book two until I was a quarter in and got the tiny feeling it may be, but it can stand alone. I didn't feel as though I was missing anything major.

Basic story: woman loves man, man loves woman, but they need a nudge in the right direction, each other's direction. This comes in the form of an old rich woman and a photographer. But, see, they're best friends, and by having sex and stuff, they'll be messing that up. Add the fact they both work for the same company and are vying for the same job, a VP job...eek. Oh, and I mention his brother is her ex? LOTS of trouble ahead.

LOVE the heroines in this. Sassy, smart-assy, sexy, and their confidence is just hot. Also appreciate the humor.

"Who the hell was she kidding? His mouth should have come with a warning label. Warning: Side effects include scorched lips, flushed skin, an inability to stop picturing your best friend naked, along with sleepless nights. Please see your battery operated boyfriend if any of these symptoms occur."


The big question is will Beckett realize he is good enough for Ricca? Will Ricca allow herself to step outside her little box and love someone a little unsafe? Meanwhile, the company they are not only vying for the same job, but someone is trying to kill someone on the set of their fantasies. (They work for a company that makes people's fantasies come to life.)

Their job...was a wee confusing to me. I think maybe I need to read book one to get the 411 on the company they work for. But I will say this. I'll be reading book three.

The mystery is mild. The romance is def dominant, but the mystery kept me guessing. Though I knew whodunnit, I couldn't figure out whytheydunnit until it was revealed.

Well-written, entertaining, sassy, and funny. Four stars. I received this from Sizzling PR in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:

Shy, Fantasy Event Planner, Ricca Munroe has never been lucky in love, so when the latest in a long line of Mr. Oh So Wrongs publicly dumps her, she focuses on her career. All she has to do to land the job of a lifetime is work side-by-side with the one man who can break her heart.

Beckett Mills has never been in love. Personal entanglements are a recipe for disaster—that is until one kiss from Ricca Munroe changes everything. Beckett needs this job to fulfill a promise he made. All he has to do is resist the seductive charms of his best friend.

Can Ricca come out of her shell to land her dream job and the love of her life? Can Beckett trust himself enough to actually fall in love and still keep the promise he made?

Warning: Sexy, sass talking women will make you laugh, cry and want a pair of killer footwear. 

About the Author: 

Nana's love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin. It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She's been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

Waiting for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is. Though, until that ninja job comes through, you'll find her acting out scenes for hubby, baby and puppy while catching up on her favorite reality television shows in sunny San Diego.
Website / Twitter / Facebook
Buy Links
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Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Madame Laval & Marie-Louise Weathers

Book: No Good Like it Is, Dog Soldier Moon
Author: McKendree Long
Heroine: Madame Laval, Marie-Louise Weathers

From No Good Like It Is, I choose Madame Laval, proprietress of Chateau Blanc. The 'White House' is the second best brothel in wartime Atlanta. Gloria Constance Marie Laval (real name, Sue Brendan) is an anonymous benefactress of the many Atlanta orphans; she also helps dispose of the bodies of three Confederate provosts, killed by my protagonist after they attack him and the young prostitute he's with. The madam then has a dalliance with my hero until he returns to combat.


In the sequel, Dog Soldier Moon, I'd choose Marie-Louise Weathers. A thirtyish quadroon and former slave, she is the common-law mother-in-law of my hero, and is also the common-law wife of the hero's partner. The mother and octoroon daughter Honey had hooked up with my protagonists (Captain Dobey Walls and Sergeant-Major Jimmy Melton) in the first novel, in 1865 Mississippi. There, they had helped their husband/father run a country store until Union deserters had murdered the man and attempted to rape Honey.

Dobey and Jimmy stumbled on the attack and killed the three attackers, and the two women decided to accompany the saviors 'home' to Texas. There for three years they help their men build a new frontier community, until another brutal attack by desperate thugs. Marie-Louise and Honey are raped and savagely beaten. With a dying effort, Marie-Louise slams one her attackers with an oil lantern, setting him and the house on fire, which saves her daughter.


Blurbs:
1858, Fort Gibson, Indian Territory. 2d Lieutenant Dobey Walls meets and bonds with veteran Corporal Jimmy Melton. As the Civil War begins, they leave to join the 8th Texas Cavalry in Houston, then take part in the first and the final charges of the Army of Tennessee. Between those events, they ride with Nathan Bedford Forrest, play an honorable role in the Fort Pillow Massacre, harass Sherman with Shannon's Raiders, and visit the second best brothel in Atlanta. As surrender looms, they're released to search for Dobey's long-missing family in the Texas Panhandle. Their efforts are hampered by destitute farmers, lonely widows, dangerous militia, freed slaves, and runaways, who increase their numbers and excitement. In the process, they save a quadroon and her daughter from Yankee deserters who have stolen a Union payroll. This act of mercy brings them romance but puts Pinkerton detectives and a renegade lawman on their trail. Confederate Cherokees and Cheyenne Dog Soldiers add to the chaos.

In this sequel to his novel, No Good Like It Is, McKendree Long continues the saga of Dobey Walls and Jimmy Boss Melton during the three years following the Civil War. In Dog Soldier Moon, a great crime decimates the tiny Panhandle community of Canadian Fort, twisting relationships and putting Dobey and the Boss on a trail of retribution and frontier justice, yet unaware that they are targets of two Pinkerton teams. Black Kettle, Meotzi, the 'Boy General' Custer, and J.B. Hickok flesh out the cast in this all new classic tale.

Buy them here and here

Spotlight & Giveaway: Colonization by Aubrie Dionne

Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.

But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius’s ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus. 

Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to keep her protect her new home. What she didn’t expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus. 

Can she save the colony and discover her true love?


Excerpt

We were the only people in the corridor, and the air thickened with static friction. He dropped his head next to mine, our foreheads almost touching. “What a great adventure, Annie.”

He glanced down at my quivering lips. Was he going to kiss me?

We hung suspended for a small eternity. So many emotions swirled through me at once, I couldn’t process all of them: excitement, elation, fear. My conscience murmured one word. Forbidden.

I pulled my head back before it was too late, feeling my heart tear. “You could have gotten us into trouble.”
He took a deep breath, as if he tried to repress his own feelings as well. “Just wait until we reach Paradise 21.”

Our destiny slapped me in the face. The truth was a wall between us. Our assignments loomed in our future and soon there’d be no more adventures. Not for the two of us, anyway. A hundred teens made up our graduating class and the possibility we’d be matched together was slim, especially after they computed my miserable test results.


Buy Links:     Amazon            Barnes & Noble


About the Author:

Aubrie grew up watching the original Star Wars movies over and over until she could recite and reenact every single scene in her backyard. She also loved The Goonies, Star Trek the Next Generation--favorite character was Data by far--and Indiana Jones. But, her all time favorite movie was The Last Unicorn. She still wonders why the unicorn decided to change back to a unicorn in the end.

Aubrie wrote in her junior high yearbook that she wanted to be "a concert flutist" when she grew up. She majored in flute performance at the University of New Hampshire on a full scholarship, then secured two teaching jobs at a University and a local community music school. While playing in orchestras and teaching, stories popped into her head, and she used them to make the music come alive for her flute students. Her students said they were so good, she had to write them down! Maybe they were right, who knows? Two careers seems to keep her busy. For now.

She is represented by Dawn Dowdle and writes sweet and adventurous fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary romance. Twitter         Site        Blog       Goodreads

Giveaway:
Aubrie is giving away a digital copy of her book. For a chance to win please fill out the rafflecopter below.


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Coming Soon: Royalist Rebel by Anita Seymour

Intelligent, witty and beautiful, Elizabeth Murray wasn’t born noble; her family’s fortunes came from her Scottish father’s boyhood friendship with King Charles. As the heir to Ham House, their mansion on the Thames near Richmond, Elizabeth was always destined for greater things.
Royalist Rebel is the story of Elizabeth’s youth during the English Civil War, of a determined and passionate young woman dedicated to Ham House, the Royalist cause and the three men in her life; her father William Murray, son of a minister who rose to become King Charles’ friend and confidant, the rich baronet Lionel Tollemache, her husband of twenty years who adored her and John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale, Charles II’s favourite.
With William Murray at King Charles’ exiled court in Oxford, the five Murray women have to cope alone. Crippled by fines for their Royalist sympathies, and besieged by the Surrey Sequestration Committee, Elizabeth must find a wealthy, non-political husband to save herself, her sisters, and their inheritance.

Royalist Rebel by Claymore Books, an imprint of Pen and Sword, is released on 17th January 2013
http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Historical-Fiction/c/146/
For a little background on the novel, see Anita’s Book Bloghttp://royalistrebel.blogspot.co.uk/
The National Trust Website of Elizabeth Murray’s former home, Ham House, at Petersham near Richmond, Surreyhttp://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ham-house/
Anita’s Bloghttp://thedisorganisedauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

Tip from Tara: Easy on the Eyes

Yes, please, go easy on the eyes. I swear it's one of the most commonly overused words in literature. Some common things I'm seeing that are driving me nuts...

I've ran across manuscripts that feel, for some strange reason--I guess the authors think we have sh*t memories and won't remember what their characters look like because I have noticed some authors like to remind us, the reader, constantly, what eye color the hero/heroine eyes. Make a note: You don't have to tell me the eye color every single time to you mention their eyes.

I looked into his deep brown eyes. Then a page later: His deep brown eyes were full of sadness. Then a page later: I could feel his deep brown eyes raking over my skin like hot coals.

And while I'm on the subject, your eyes don't pop our of your head and rake over anyone's body.

His eyes met mine.

Did your eyeballs pop out of your head at the same time as his and have some kind of eyeball meet and greet? *Note. I personally love disobeying the disembodied parts rule, but I hate it when it's eyes. I try to use the word gaze as much as I can.*

My point today: Enough with the eyes. You told me once his eyes were a deep brown. I don't need to be told every single page or every time the character is mentioned.

And that's all folks. Hope this wasn't hard on your eyes. ;)

Virtual Code: Infinity Love by D.F. Krieger

HUGE thumbs up for uniqueness. In a time when 1,000 ebooks are releasing a day, it's quite a feat to write a story nobody has read, and Krieger pulled it off.


The heroine Zayda is designing a program that through virtual reality allows you to "visit" your dead loved ones. So she uses the program to see her dead husband, but only when it's too late does she realize the emotional ramifications of this...what if you don't want to go back to the real world?

And there's a glitch...she has taken a microchip of her husband (this is kinda futuristic, technology wise) and because of this chip, her husband is REAL, just in virtual land. He's not a program after all.

I had a hard time at moments visualizing stuff, but that's probably because I know nothing at all about these things. I know how to open a program and type and that's about it. I felt kinda dumb at moments. LOL

But it was a solid, unique, and entertaining read, and I can see why the ending may be controversial, but it made perfect sense to me. If you have nothing in your life to lose...well, then...

Four stars. I won this from the author in a blog hop.

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan

Def giving this points for uniqueness. I learned so much about ballet, opera, Degas, his art. There's a bit of a mystery at the heart of this, but to me, I honestly felt this was a story of women and their never-ending struggle to be loved, respected, and successful. It's also a tale of children not being allowed to be children. It's about a very different time.


Three sisters, each one striving for something. Antoinette wants to be adored. Marie wants to take care of her family. Charlotte wants to be successful. And yet, they all become whores. One is a whore to love. One is a whore because in the end, despite all she does, she's left with nothing else. One is a whore in order to succeed, and in the end it's utterly sad.

Though very true to the era it's penned about, I had a hard time with Antoinette's story. She was just terribly dumb in my eyes. The truth was in front of her face so much...but it's amazing what a girl will do to have a man's approval. This book really makes you think of that.

Marie, the trial, the guilt she felt for the decision she made...very gripping.

Vivid. Realistic, sad, and wrenching. This is the kind of book you pick up when you wish to time travel. But it is full of heartache. In the middle, my mind began straying and at times the book lost my interest as it got repetitive, but it hooked me again towards the end.