Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 79

Speaking One's Mind in a Hostile Environment, the Mormon War, and How Religion Can Bring People Together or Tear Them Apart with Author William Jensen

Please welcome Mr. Jensen. He'd like to share his new novel with you and talk about his book.
My name is (Bill) William R. Jensen and I have written a historical novel entitled Adder in the Path. Historically, this book deals with the Mormon War in Missouri (1833 -1838). I think the topic of religious wars in in United States is a fascinating one, because religious wars in the U.S. are not common and wars about religion tend to be even more violent that those fought over territory, political, or economic issues.  I think the reason for this is obvious, people view religion as sacred.
Being a trained historian, I followed the actual events of the Mormon war very closely and included many of the actual participants in the text.  However, I also wanted to deal with the basic drives of the human condition, e.g., being true to self, seeking love, finding spirituality in one’s own way, and maintaining a sense of self, in a conformist society.
The book begins with young Jake Devine, whose father, Sam is an abusive drunk, and beats both Jake and his mother Bessie.   Jake is responsible to provide meat for the larder, and do most of the work on their little homestead.  One evening, Sam nearly kills Jake’s beloved dog, Rufe for growling at him. The next day, the dog insists on going hunting with Jake, and when Jake shoots a young white-tail deer, Rufe breaks into a run, and then suddenly crashes to the ground bleeding profusely from his nose.
Jake realizes the dog is dying and panics. He tries to remember how his hypocritical father prayed, but does not remember any protocol.  In desperation he begins: “Oh lord my God, bless your servant Rufe, with health and strength. “  He does not consider how trite his words sound.  At that moment, a little band of Indians appear, led by an old “holy man.” The Indian heals Rufe, with a quiet, dignified ritual that impresses Jake with its imposing dignity. This event leads Jake to find spirituality in the ebb and flow of nature. Fifteen hundred miles to the East, John Evans, his shrewish wife Agnes and their pretty and bright daughter Jenny receive a strange visitor. Amos Eddings arrived on their doorstep one evening and announced that he was selling an amazing book, entitled the Book of Mormon, which tells the story of the origins of the American Indians, who were actually of Hebrew decent.  The book, Eddings said, was translated from golden plates by a man named Joseph Smith, who received prophecy, directly from God.
Agnes, a religious fanatic, was enthralled with the story, but John and Jennifer who were more open-minded and erudite were skeptical.  This leads to clashes with Agnes, who is opinionated, and once her mind was made up, does not allow dissent. Agnes despised her husband for his liberal, religious beliefs and constantly ridiculed his membership in the Universalist Unitarians, pointing out that John Calvin had Michael Servetus burned at the stake with his books chained to his body for heresy. Despite her claim to be Christian, she cannot see the hypocrisy in relishing this barbaric act.
Agnes totally dominates John, but denies him any intimacy or tenderness. When Jenny was born, “John wondered if it was an immaculate conception”. Eventually, their relationship deteriorates into mutual tolerance, but they never share physical or emotional intimacy. Agnes cannot see any inconsistency between her actions and the Christian faith she so fervently professes.  For his part, John considers leaving Agnes, but knows he would lose Jenny and he cannot face the grinding loneliness he had suffered as a youth.
The Evans eventually move to Kirtland, Ohio where they meet the Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, then to Independence, Missouri where the Mormons believe they will establish “Zion” a sinless society, where they will judge all nations and peoples. 
During their travels, the Evans became more familiar with Mormon beliefs and culture, and Agnes becomes more zealous in her acceptance of the doctrine, while John and Jenny become more disillusioned. In Independence, John meets Orrin Porter Rockwell, a zealous Mormon, who John respects for his courage, confidence, and skills as a woodsman.
Almost immediately after arriving in Independence, John noticed that there is friction growing between the “Saints” and the “Gentiles” as the Mormons called anyone who was not a member of the faith. Most of the animosity rose because the Mormons, who poured in to Missouri were destitute and squatted on any land that seemed vacant.  If they were questioned about ownership of the land, they told the gentiles that God had given them the land as an inheritance to establish a sinless society and anyone who questioned them would face God’s wrath. The Mormons also established a newspaper, the Evening and Morning Star.  The Star was the only newspaper in the area, and its editor, W. W. Phelps, constantly harangued the Missourians for their wickedness.  John knew that this attitude of self-righteousness would lead to violence between the Gentiles and the Saints, the spark that touched off the inferno was an article in the Evening and Morning Star, seemingly inviting “Free people of color” to come to Missouri and join the “Church”. John knew that this seemingly innocuous article would incite violence, because Missouri was a boarder slave state.
John’s admiration of Porter Rockwell grows after the frontiersman saves John and his family from starvation when the Saints are driven from Independence.  After Porter helps John move to Far West, in North West Missouri, John views him as the epitome of what a man should be and views himself as week and helpless.  After being driven to Far West, the Saints became even more rigid and self-righteous.  Once the Prophet Joseph, flees Kirtland and arrives in Far West, they establish a secret society to maintain obedience among the Saints and act as “shock troops in case of conflict with the Missourians.  John is appalled at the dictatorial society that has developed in Far West and decides he must speak his mind.  He feels that he is a coward, but he makes a pact with “the Supreme being that if the opportunity arises, he will speak out against this travesty of justice. 
Jenny is much like her father a free thinker and she too sees the society of Far West and demanding obedience and stifling free thought.  She beings to roam the prairie on a little mare that she borrows from the friendly stable owner, to escape the smothering society of Far West.  She knows that he father is terribly unhappy and that her mother treats him like a minion.  In her travels, she meets Jake, and they discuss religion, spirituality and love in a secluded spot on the rolling grasslands.  Eventually, they make love and Jenny feels an overwhelming sense of guilt, until she remembers something her father said, “Making love is not a sin, it is a beautiful symbol of love for another.”
Eventually both John and Jenny face their demons, and prove their moral courage, but also face disaster.  John finally realizes that it takes courage to speak one’s mind in a hostile setting. When Porter Rockwell betrays him, he realizes that courage comes in many guises.  One of the themes of this poignant story is that man does not have to give up his “self” to prove he reveres a superior being.  Nor does he have to fight a physical battle to prove that in his heart he has courage to stand up for his convictions.  I think the message is as timely today as it was in 1838.   
Have you ever found yourself in a situation in which it took courage to speak your mind in a hostile environment?
For more information about Adder in the Path, visit www.adderinthepath.net, or the publisher’s web site www.belleislebooks.com                                                                                                                     

Dirty Harriet Rides Again by Miriam Auerbach

I'm a fan of this series. I'm afraid this review will read too much like my review of book one, as I loved that one too. I don't have anything new to add. Book two is a different mystery with a whole new set of laughs featuring  the most delightful heroine ever.

I think I may actually pray for a change...that there's a book three. Any gods listening? LOL

In book one we met Harriet, a former "Boca Babe" who offed her own coke-snorting, abusive husband at a wedding with a .44. She's left the frivolous "desperate housewife" lifestyle and is now a bike-riding, leather-clad, private eye who takes no grief from anyone.

The mystery this time is...religious leaders are dropping dead left and right. Is it because of their beliefs? Does someone have a beef with god? Does it go back to gay rights? Harriet is hired to find out. There are attempts on her life, hate gangs, snakes, and more.

I laughed out loud many times and though I had my suspicions, didn't know whodunit till Harriet told us. The narrative is sarcastic, witty, and even the conversations with the alligator made me smile. This is not a romance, but I don't mind that. I like that Harriet is a woman who doesn't need a man in her life to feel complete. I would actually like to see this odd "thing" with Lior kicked aside completely.

I have chosen some of my favorite passages to share.

The pastor went on, "I am here as the leader of the Christian Righteous Against Perverts." 

Christian Righteous Against Perverts. I needed an easy way to remember that. Acronyms were always good mnemonic aids. So this one was...CRAP.

***
I could just see Pastor Hollings preaching, "Wives, submit to the your husbands, as they submit to the church."Yep, shut up the women. A great way to strengthen marriages. Why, it had worked for millennia, until those women's libbers had come along and destroyed traditional values. Divine order needed to be restored.

Book received via Netgalley.

My Ever-Growing TBR Pile 10/12/2013

This one looks interesting. I found it whilst doing my suffragette search. It's on my wishlist now. Asylum by Sherry Logsdon. 

In 1896, Isobel McFadden boards the S.S. Farnassia to seek a bright future in America, far from the hands of her cruel father. But the nightmare that awaits Isobel when she arrives in West Virginia is almost more than the 16-year-old Scottish woman can bear.

Sold into indentured servitude by her father, Isobel is appointed head matron of Helsley House Insane Asylum, where she is in charge of caring for 42 deranged women. As Isobel gets to know the women of Helsley House, she discovers a shocking secret: these women are not imprisoned because they are insane; their captivity is a result of something much more insidious.
……………………..
The reform and suffragette movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries brought to light the stories of silenced and abandoned women – women who were tormented, abused, or locked away for speaking out for what they believed in, for fighting for their rights – for wanting better lives.


***
Spotted on Netgalley a while back and now on my wishlist. I found I couldn't get the premise out of my head. I wasn't approved so it's just a matter of waiting for release now.. Buying In by Laura Hemphill.


Bright, ambitious Sophie Landgraf has landed a job as a Wall Street analyst. The small-town girl finally has her ticket to the American elite, but she doesn’t real­ize the toll it will take—on her boyfriend, on her family, and on her. It isn’t long before Sophie is floundering in this male-dominated world, and things are about to get worse.

With the financial crisis looming, Sophie be­comes embroiled in a multibillion-dollar merger that could make or break her career. The problem? Three men at the top of their game, each with very different reasons for advancing the merger. Now Sophie doesn’t know whom to trust—or how far she’ll go to get ahead.

Set inside the high-stakes world of finance, Manhattan’s after-hours clubs, and factories in the Midwest and India, this is the high-powered, heartfelt story of a young woman finding her foot­ing on Wall Street as it crumbles beneath her. Written by an industry veteran, Buying In tackles what it means to be a woman in a man’s world, and how to survive in big business without sacri­ficing who you are.


***
Spotted and requested on NG because I LOVED this author's The Last Telegram, Liz Trenow's The Forgotten Seamstress. On my wishlist.


It is 1910 and Maria, a talented young girl from the East end of London, is employed to work as a seamstress for the royal family. As an attractive girl, she soon catches the eye of the Prince of Wales and she in turn is captivated by his glamour and intensity.

But careless talk causes trouble and soon Maria’s life takes a far darker turn. Disbelieved and dismissed she is thrown into a mental asylum, shut away from the real world with only her needlework for company.

Can a beautiful quilt, discovered many years later, reveal the truth behind what happened to Maria?

***
On my wishlist because it promises some women in aviation... What Our Hearts Remember by Judith McAllister. For some odd reason it is not available on Kindle and the PB is like 21 bucks, a bit out of my price range. I discovered while doing my "woman pilot" search on Amazon.


At the end of The Great Depression, three young women come of age in a small town. NORA has life planned-marriage to Charlie, a house with a picket fence, and children-until two fateful decisions, one his and one hers, put everything in jeopardy. VIVIAN seems to have it all-beauty, drive, and a golden voice, but beneath that bright veneer hides a wounded songbird with dark, self-destructive secrets. And, in the wake of painful disappointment and loss, reliable KATE must put romance and a life of her own on hold. Will these friends be strong enough to overcome what the future has in store? Or, as America plunges into a second world war, will they see their dreams fade?
***
And hey, this one is FREE TODAY!!!! Woman engineer in 1855.
Love Engineered by Jenna Dawlish
It's 1855 and Louise Thomas, owner of a large estate in Devon is ready to fall in love, but only if she can find a man who will put up with her thirst for knowledge in the engineering and scientific world.
Charles Lucas is one of the country's top engineers, tipped to be the new Brunel. He is too busy with his work for love - especially with a member of the gentry. When he meets Louise, she interests and intrigues him like no woman before. But he must make some serious decisions when he hears disturbing rumours about her.

Dear Blogger, I Don't Have All Day. (A Tip from Tara)

I recently did a number of book blogging tours for some of my titles. While I appreciate bloggers taking the time to host me and in some cases, even read and review the books, I noticed something that dismayed me. I mean, it's my own damn book on their site, and even I fell asleep halfway through looking the blog post over. Bloggers, I don't have all day. I doubt anyone else does either... 

DO NOT MAKE DAY-LONG BLOG POSTS.

That's my tip. 

You have signed up for a tour. Yay! Thank you! 

You receive the following:
-Book to read if you wish.
-Blurb, excerpt, buy links
-Guest post or interview questions answered

Why are you posting it ALL? I had some blog spots that were literally pages long. Blurb, buy links, 1000-word excerpt, 500-word review, and then a 1000-word guest post! Add to that the author bio... and this is what happens to me.





Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Let's use some common sense here. Blog tours are supposed to help get the word out about our books and hopefully sell a few in the process. It would be nice at least to make back the money we spent for the tour to begin with. I've yet to see this happen, but regardless.... you are not doing authors any favors by having a day-long post. If you lose your readers' attention a quarter through, we aren't going to reach anyone.

How to simplify it?

If I'm going to write a review, I won't sign up for a guest post. I figure my few paragraphs of opinion is enough. The post is: blurb, buy links, review, author bio. That's it.

If I'm supposed to review a book but can't stand it and won't finish it, the review is replaced with the excerpt, so it's blurb, buy links, excerpt, bio.

If I don't want to read the book, it's blurb, buy links, guest post, author bio.

Take note that no matter what I do, it's four items and that's it. 

Blurb, buy links, excerpt, review, author bio, guest post... I don't have time for all that and I doubt the readers do either. Just sayin'.

Till next time.

Spotlight on The UnHoly by Paul DeBlassie III

The Unholy, a novel by Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D. Distributed by Ingram
(Sunstone Press)“A young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop. Set in the mystic land of Aztlan, the Unholy is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. native lore of dreams and visions, shape changing, and natural magic work to spin a neo-gothic web in which sadness and mystery lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision.”

Have you ever thought that something other than yourself has a hold of your mind? Meet Claire, a young curandera, in the mystic land of Aztlan who struggles to overcome the forces of evil and claim her inner inheritance.
The Unholy is a riveting novel about the dark side of religion, cultural prejudice throughout the Southwest, realms of mystic happenings, folk healers, native shamans, and signs from the spirit world. It is a psychological thriller, supernatural journey, and neo-gothic horror.
The Unholy lures the reader into a twilight realm that pits two old worlds against each other — the indigenous medicine ways versus institutional religion. Natural magic and the dark side of religion each play a role as healer confronts slayer.
“Paul DeBlassie III has brought us a richly imagined supernatural thriller set in the high mountain desert of Aztlan, where Claire Sanchez, an herbalist and medicine woman, has come to reclaim her healing heritage and uncover the secrets of her mother’s death. The book digs deep into legend, folklore, and the author’s own imagination to paint a stirring picture of a traditional curanderismo pitted against the oppressive forces of institutional religious power. Make sure you have lots of time; once you start reading this book, it will be hard to put down.”
-—Stephan V. Beyer, author of Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon“The Unholy, an excellent novel by Paul DeBlassie III, keeps the reader engaged throughout in mystery, suspense, and church politics. In addition to vividly depicting the beautiful landscape and culture of New Mexico, it exposes and strengthens the traditional work of the medicine women of the Southwest. I am looking forward to Dr. DeBlassie’s next book.”
—Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, author of Curandero: A Life In Mexican Folk Healing, professor, and university administrator
Buy Amazon | B&N and all major booksellers 
About the author:Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D., is a psychologist and writer living in Albuquerque who has treated survivors of the dark side of religion for more than 30 years. His professional consultation practice — SoulCare — is devoted to the tending of the soul. Dr. DeBlassie writes psychological thrillers with an emphasis on the dark side of the human psyche. The mestizo myth of Aztlan, its surreal beauty and natural magic, provides the setting for the dark phantasmagoric narrative in his fiction. He is a member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.Follow Paul on Facebook | Google + | Twitter | Literary Addicts | Website

Author Interview & Giveaway: Victoria Vane Retells A Timeless Tale of Passion

Victoria Vane is really taking off. If you haven't yet heard of her, you will. A talented author of historical romance, she has taken a classic novel and retold it to appeal to modern-day readers, adding her own twist as she did so--a must stronger heroine. I'm pleased to have her here today. She's agreed to answer two questions that immediately came to my mind when I first learned of The Sheik Retold. Join us.


Book Babe: E.M. Hull's The Sheik, first published in 1919, was a hugely popular novel in its time, with over fifty printing before 1921 alone. Was it intimidating modifying a classic, rewriting someone else's story? 
Victoria: In a way it was. I knew when I took on such a well known and controversial novel that I would face some controversy myself, but it was still something I was compelled to do.
The Sheik had been on my radar for years but it was only upon stumbling across a free download at Amazon that I decided to finally read it. My reaction when I finished the book was mixed and conflicted. There were some aspects of the story that I loved.  E.M. Hull's descriptive prose was nothing short of enthralling, but there were so many other things I found appalling—such as the heroine's rape by the sheik. I felt the book had so much potential to be more than what it was. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to tell a different version of the story— my vision of it—so I did!
The Sheik Retold is a fresh retelling from the heroine, Diana May's POV. In my version of the story, I have kept everything I loved about the original but have added a number of plot twists.  My biggest changes, however are in the characters themselves, especially that of Diana. I feel that my version stays much truer to Diana's character and nature than the original story. 
Book Babe: Now this really intrigued me. Tell us how you changed the heroine and why.
Victoria: What bothered me most about The Sheik was E.M. Hull's inconsistent portrayal of Diana. She begins as such a strong and independent woman but by the third chapter seems like a completely different person - whiny and whimpering. I could not respect her. My Diana is cool and pragmatic. She knows she has no choice in submitting to the sheik, but still manages to do so largely on her terms!
Book Babe: Fabulous! And below is an excerpt. Read away, folks!
EXCERPT
I had tempted him in the same way just this afternoon, defiantly daring him, taunting him to kill me. He had only laughed. For the moment my protestations and rebellious antics amused him, but should he begin to grow weary of it…of me… I shuddered.
So, it was all back to the matter of my inevitable submission, for it was inevitable. I'd already accepted that fact, and in truth, had only continued fighting to delay the actualization of it. Perhaps even the loss of my virginity was also a matter of perception, or misperception, as it were.
I had never understood why the act of losing one's virginity was referred to as being taken, an expression that seemed ridiculous to me. When considering the mechanics of it, the act involved a great deal more giving from the male perspective and receiving on the woman's part.
In truth, my decision was not whether to give him anything, but merely to receive what he desired to give me. I could enjoy it or not, but I would be no weaker for it. I fingered the necklace, the cool jade pressed against my breast. I had not wanted to receive this either. It had pleased him far more to give it to me than it had for me to accept it.
Indeed, in the great scheme of things, I suddenly saw power rather than weakness in being the object of a man's desire. Although it was not in my nature to manipulate—I was too honest and forthright for that—I was also not fool enough to pass over the opportunity to play the cards I was dealt to my best advantage. I could either let him have me in the deferent and submissive manner of a lowly servant or meet him on equal footing, allowing myself also to take from him.
I laughed aloud on this absurdly liberating thought.
Yes, I decided. I would take him as my lover—for as long as it suited me to do so.***THE SHEIK RETOLD by Victoria Vane and E.M. Hull
The Desert Was Never Hotter!
Pride and passion vie for supremacy in this steamy retelling of E.M. Hull's romance classic. A haughty young heiress for whom the world is a playground…A savage son of the Sahara who knows no law but his own…When pride and passion vie for supremacy... 

Blistering desert days are nothing compared to sizzling Sahara nights…

"There will be inquiries." I choked out. "I am not such a nonentity that nothing will be done when I am missed. You will pay for what you have done."
"Pay?" His amused look sent a cold feeling of dread through me. "I have already paid… in gold that matches your hair, my gazelle. Besides," he continued, "the French Government has no jurisdiction over me. There is no authority here above my own." 
My trepidation was growing every passing minute. "Why have you done this? Why brought me here?"
"Why?" He repeated with a slow and heated appraisal that made me acutely, almost painfully, conscious of my sex. "Bon Dieu! Are you not woman enough to know?"


AUTHOR BIOVictoria Vane is an award-winning romance novelist, cowboy addict and history junkie whose collective works of fiction range from wildly comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance. Victoria also writes historical fiction as Emery Lee and is the founder of Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers and the Romantic Historical Lovers book review blog. 
Look for Victoria's Contemporary Cowboy Series coming summer 2014 from Sourcebooks
CONTACT: victoria.vane@hotmail.comWeb:http://www.victoriavane.comBlog: http://victoriavane.wordpress.comTwitter: @authorvictoriavFacebook: Author Victoria Vane
Available now from Amazon in E-book and Trade paperback.

Comment below for a chance to win a digital copy of A Breach of Promise, another incredible historical romance from Victoria Vane. Contest runs for one week. BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. Answer the question: what classic novel would you love to see retold?


When charm and persuasion fail...only seduction remains...

On the night of her betrothal, Lydia Trent receives just a taste of what ecstasy will be at the hands of her fiancé…and then he leaves her wanting. After waiting six years, and tired of being neglected by her exceedingly reluctant husband-to-be, Lydia decides to break it off.

When Marcus, Lord Russell, receives Lydia’s letter requesting a release from their contract, he is stunned by her audacity. Confident he’ll have her eating out of his hand with his usual wit and charm, he’s determined to repair the damage. However, the headstrong woman she’s blossomed into is equally determined to thwart his every effort to win her back.

Marcus discovers, in spite of her conviction to end the union, Lydia is more responsive to his touch than he ever imagined. He just needs to get her alone to unleash the promised passion he sees within his wanton virgin. Marcus will use any tool in his arsenal to exploit her weakness—his kisses, his hands, his mouth…her own body. In short, he’ll just have to ruin her!

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Darcy Campbell

Book: Detained
Author: Ainslie Paton
Heroine: Darcy Campbell


It’s not her profession—journalism, or her looks—slightly overweight, dressing on a budget, or her actions that make Darcy Campbell heroic. 
It’s the way she faces up to the catastrophe she causes, the pressures of her family and the changes professional success make to her life. 
She’s not heroic because she fights off professional rivalry, sexism and being marginalised as a woman.  Or because she works hard, under difficult circumstances to fix the wrong she did to her interview subject, Will Parker.
She’s heroic because she grows in self awareness and can acknowledge her faults and because she’s prepared to walk away from a dream when it sours, for the chance at a more meaningful life.

Blurb:
A romance about manipulation, truth and facing the past. 
Truth can make you and break you. But can it glue you back together again?

Detained in a cold, dull room in the depths of Shanghai airport, a journalist chasing a career break and a businessman with a shadowy past, play a game of truth or dare—deliberately not exchanging names.

They tell each other painful secrets and hot desires. One dare leads to a kiss and a wild weekend of illicit passion, setting off a dangerous sequence of events and bringing exposure, and disgrace.

Only the brutal truth can save them. But it will also rip them apart. And it will take more than daring before they have a chance to build a new truth together.

Excerpt:Darcy Campbell sat on her hands. The posture wasn’t pretty outside primary school but it was effective. A better alternative to violence. It was the bodily equivalent of biting her tongue. She did that too. After the screaming match she’d had with Gerry in the corridor, she knew Mark didn’t need any excuse to regret his decision.

Mark Mason was a study in cool angry. He channelled plugged volcano, but his eyebrows had knitted. A hint the eruption, if it came, would be devastating.

It was business as usual to see Gerry frothing at the mouth. Mostly his lather was theatrical. It was designed to remind everyone he was the paper’s most senior correspondent. But right now it was downright rabid. Gerry Ives was a man whose banner headline-sized ego had been stroked the wrong way and his fur prickled.

Gerry propped his ‘years of long lunches’ bulk on Mark’s desk, wafts of cigarette smoke easing from the creases in his crinkled blue shirt. “She knows nothing about reporting business at this level.”

Mark kept his frown steady on the Richter scale and his voice level. “Is that right, Gerry?”

“Want to know anything about the ‘Oh my God’ particle, Darcy is your girl, but this isn’t special interest reporting.”

“I’d hardly call science special interest.”

“Don’t fuck with me. What’s she got I haven’t, apart from legs to her hairy armpits and good tits?”

“I’m not going to respond to that, Gerry and neither is Darce. It’s beneath you.” Mark’s warning look was the kind you gave a dog about to steal a shoe to chew, right before you thwacked him on the nose with it to make sure he didn’t. Mark knew how much Darcy wanted to knee Gerry where it would hurt more than his 48pt-sized ego.

“Why not? They asked for me. Me, our senior business correspondent, ex-Asia desk chief, twenty-five years in the business.”

“They did and they expect you, so we’re not going to give them what they expect. The day it’s dial-a-reporter-of-choice is the day I retire.”

“This paper used to be about in-depth, intelligent, investigative reporting. She’ll write about his flamin’ hairstyle, and what he has for fucking breakfast.”

“Darcy will write about Parker Corporation and if what Will Parker has for breakfast is part of his extraordinary success, she’ll write about that too.”

“Fuck. You’d be the worst managing editor I’ve ever worked with.”

“I bet you say that to all the boys.”

Darcy would’ve laughed but Mark hairy-eyeballed her.

Gerry made a growl sound; part wet ashtray, part undigested sweet and sour pork, and threw his bulk into a chair. “I’m not being precious. I don’t understand why you want Darcy to do this instead of me. There aren’t too many genuine scoops left in this business. Not too many genuine opportunities to bring the world a story it’s not heard before. This Will Parker is a fair dinkum mystery man. He’s built a multibillion dollar business out of thin air, and no one knows who the fuck he is, where he’s come from or what he’s going to do next.”

“That’s right. So it’s not like you have a head start knowing how to write the story.”

“But I know how to ask the right questions. This is my turf and much as Darce is a gun, she’s not up to it.”

“Jesus, Gerry! I’ve done my apprenticeship.”

The words were bouncing around the room before Darcy realised she’d said them. She looked at Mark. There was a fight going on at the corner of his mouth, one side ticked up with the vague promise of a smile. He wasn’t going to shut her down.

“I’ve been reporting for ten years. I’ve covered business, sure not at your level, Gerry. But I know the drill. I’ve worked crime, education, science and public companies. I’ve done bloody awful death knocks, and bat shit boring budget lockups. I’m damn sure I can interview a CEO and come away with a decent story.”

“A reclusive superstar CEO about whom not a word’s been written that’s not pure speculation or conjecture.”

Gerry had a point. Gerry always did, that’s why he was the country’s leading business commentator and Darcy was rattled by this whole thing. One minute she was writing about particle physics, the next Mark wanted her on a plane to Shanghai to write the definitive piece on Australia’s most enigmatic businessman.

This was the ‘Oh my God’ particle right here.

But if she showed any sign of weakness, any twitch of confidence, Gerry would elbow her sideways so hard she’d be writing the racing guide. And if Mark, for all his apparent consideration and support, smelled a whiff of fear, he’d have no qualms reversing his decision.

“I’ve got this, Gerry,” she said, looking at Mark. Mark who’d sign her expenses and ultimately approve her copy. And bounce her so hard if she fucked up, a job in a suburban paper writing about the need for more school safety zones would start looking good.

Gerry’s head whipped around. “Sounded like your old man there for a minute, Darce.”

Trust Gerry to bring Brian up. He’d never gotten over losing out to her father on the managing editor job at the Financial Record. Every chance he got he’d made a dig about it. The inference was always that Darcy only had a job because Brian pulled strings.

Gerry glared at Mark. “I get copy approval.” He hauled himself upright. “I’m still business pages editor.”

“I’ll take that into consideration,” said Mark. Now the shouting had stopped, he was doing his imitation of the earth cooling, brows going it back to their habitual position above watery grey eyes that’d seen too many pissing competitions like this. “Get out. And if I have to break up a racket like what just went down between the two of you again, I’ll find a way to bloody well dock your pay.”

He would too. And there’d be nothing they could do about it. Mark was wily. If he needed to walk on water to run the paper he’d come up with special moves to keep his feet from getting wet. You didn’t survive as managing editor of the Herald without knowing how to out-manoeuvre, out-bully and outsmart a mob specialising in manoeuvring, bullying and being near criminally intelligent.

Darcy let Gerry quit the office first. She wanted a word with Mark. He let her hover uncertainly while he read an email. He had a way of making you feel like you were taking up too much space on the planet.

“What, Campbell?”

“They asked for Gerry. You’re taking a risk on me and I want to know why.”

“I’d better not be taking a risk on you.”

“You know what I mean.”

Mark sighed. ‘You’re the investigative reporter, take a stab.”

“Parker won’t be able to pick where I’m going with the story because my current resume isn’t on point. It’ll be harder to manipulate the interview because I’m an unknown quantity.”

Darcy watched Mark for a nod or a meaningful blink. She got nothing. “You’re sending me because my tits are more impressive than Gerry’s.”

He picked up his phone and thumbed it. “That’s my good little investigative reporter.”

“I can’t believe...”

Mark dropped his phone and zeroed in. Mean glare at two paces. “Will Parker is a thirty-something year old ghost. He’s never done an interview. The only reason Parker’s people initiated this is because he suddenly needs to build a local profile. The guy wants something and we don’t know what. We’re not his bloody PR agency, but that’s how he’s treating us. If we want the real story on why Parker wants to expand his interest here instead of China where he’s been based for the last ten years, we’re going to need to fight for it. And your tits are better than Gerry’s.”

“You want me to seduce him?”

“Come on, Campbell. Every interview is a seduction; you know that. You learned that as a cadet. Hell, you probably learned it at Brian’s knee. Yeah, I want you to fucking seduce Will Parker. Seduce him so he flashes his soul and all his grubby business interests at you, so you can stick ‘em on page one, and wreck any chance he has of ripping off the Australian public in his quest to make another billion.” Mark took a lungful and expelled it impatiently. “Is that clear?”

“As glass.”

“And you get I’m not actually telling you to flash your tits, or sleep with the guy?”“I do. Anyway he might be gay and my tits are not that good.”

Mark’s hand went to his head in a gesture of disbelief. “Fucking might be gay.” He refocused on her, and it wasn’t humour he projected. ”Darce, you always did know how to push the point. Go meet a deadline. Don’t disappoint me.”

It wasn’t till she was back in the corridor that Darcy allowed herself to feel exhilaration. Her heart was fuel-injected; her head, helium high. She was going to interview Will Parker. No—she was going to seduce Will Parker with nothing but her intellect. And when she’d broken the secrets of Parker Corporation, no one would say she skated by because she was Brian Campbell’s daughter, and any media job she wanted to name would be one step closer.

By the time she got back to her desk, her smile muscles were fatigued and her stomach was flip-flopping. If she was going to seduce Will Parker with anything other than a plunging neckline and a too short skirt, she had work to do.

Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

The Female Veteran by Ty Will

First I want to applaud Ms. Will for having put this data out there. It's very revealing. It takes a lot of guts to put something so personal out there for the world. I understand she's done it to help other women who may be suffering from MST, Military Sexual Trauma.

PTSD is not just for combat veterans.

The book shows us the ongoing frustrations a female veteran goes through for YEARS after the trauma; her inability to talk about it, her struggle between wanting help and throwing it away by refusing to discuss the issue, her discomfort with men, her constant job losses. It all goes back to one--I should say series of, actually--bad situation(s) she experience in the military.

I'm reminded of a graphic I saw on FB one day. It said this:

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything." It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

This book is a prime example of holding that glass of water for way too long. 
It takes her years to get past what happened to her, years of being put through the wringer by the VA. She's passed from psychologist to psychologist, doctor to doctor, put through the wrong treatment. She has MST, not combat PTSD or drinking/drugs problem.
You can tell because the book contains...actually IS, all her psychologists' notes and reports. 
Therein lies the trouble with this book. Because the book is mostly those notes, it becomes a tad repetitive. She goes doctor to doctor and each doctor asks the same questions and writes the same data in their reports. Probably not the best way to put together a book, BUT if it becomes tedious for the reader, imagine how it was for her.
Each report is punctuated, however, with an angry or sometimes funny comment from the author, showing us her reaction to these doctors and the story behind her actions. SOMETIMES it felt as though she were making excuses for herself. Other times, I LOL'd.
"I don't particularly like this doctor; he is quite the character. When you sit at his desk to talk with him, his desk is full of water bottles and all sorts of cups too. Some bottles are full of soda pop, some are full of coffee, others are full of juice, and then there are some half full. This is very distracting--I mean there are at least twenty to thirty water bottles. Personally, I think this guy needs help more than me, and that's saying a lot!"
The next dr reports says that "She also made a rude comment about the amount of drinking glasses on my desk."
Technically, this story isn't funny. What she went through at the swimming pool and later in an apt, is NOT funny, but I appreciate how the author made me laugh anyway.
Had the story been told in a different manner, I would like it more. I just don't think the psychologists'-reports method was the way to go. Obviously the author has a good voice with and I'm curious as to how the book would have been had she chosen to narrate her story.
On that note, however, if you are a woman veteran who has suffered MTS, be sure you get the CORRECT help. Talk to your care providers about seeking the appropriate venue of therapy. I can tell from this book, that if you don't know what you are getting into, you'll just be pumped full of drugs, shuffled doctor to doctor, and not receive the right therapy you need.

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

Gunpowder Tea (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch #3) by Margaret Brownley

What a cute and entertaining read. I really enjoyed this historical story: a mixture of romance and western with some funny moments that had me chortling aloud.
The plot: She's a Pinkerton agent. He's a Wells Fargo detective. But neither of them knows the other is what they are...instead, they suspect each other of being in cahoots with the Phantom gang. You could say they distract each other from finding the real Phantom--train and robber extraordinaire.
She's at the ranch where the outlaw is said to be hiding under the guise of an heiress to the woman who owns the place. He's posing as a cattle hand when he's not robbing trains...you just have to read it to see what I mean.
I think the mystery could have been stronger. That has to be my only quibble. While I hate knowing whodunit by page 5, some hints along the way are nice. The clues are so sparse or vague, they never led me to point the finger at anyone, which took some of the fun out of it for me. I like to be "Oooh, I know whodunit..." and then "Shoot! I was way off."
The romance and humor is clean. I appreciate that. Though a Christian romance, the book is in no way preachy. I appreciated that too. I learned some things about running a ranch--I seriously had no idea that salt could poison cows. I loved the heroine and especially the old lady running the ranch. Her brusque attitude, humor, and sarcasm made me laugh while at the same time hid a warm heart.
I'd like to add that while this is the third in a series, I never once felt lost. I hate it when I pick a series book and have to go dig up all the titles that became before it to know what in the world is going on. No problems here, at all. Matter of fact, I'd like to add a pleading note here for the author...
Ms. Brownley, 
Please consider writing another series based on the detective agency that comes to be in the end. I'd like more adventures of the people involved. Please. 
Sincerely,
Book Babe aka Tara
And I'm going to sign off here by sharing my two absolute favorite parts of the story. I received this from Netgalley, so passages may be different in the final book.
"I should specialize in stubborn patients. They're a pain the gluteus maximus but they seldom die, which does wonders for a doctor's reputation."

***
"Plan on shooting anything with that toy?"
"John Wilkes Booth managed and his was a Deringer with one r. This one has two."
She was right in that regard. The original derringers were spelled differently and had only one shot. Imitations such as hers had two shots. 
"You might be interested to know that this is a Peacemaker--with one r--and I've got a good mind to arrest you. I believe that's two r's."

Dancing with Paris by Juliette Sobanet

"I, Claudia Davis, a single, thirty-five-year-old therapist who wanted nothing more than than to marry Edouard Marceau and have my baby girl, had been a prostitute in my past life. The only comfort was in the fact that even though Ruby had been a full-blown prostitute in the past, she sure as hell wouldn't be one now that I was running this show."


And there you have it. Modern-day pregnant therapist is torn from the arms of the man she loves and time-travels back to 1959 Paris where she's a murder suspect, a dancer, a prostitute, and best friends with her future grandmother. And she has to change fate...or lose her life and baby girl forever. After all, she hasn't been born yet...and what if she isn't?

It's extremely exciting and fast paced. Everyone is just dropping dead around Ruby, the past-life heroine and she has to save herself, change what's to come without even knowing what's to come, and figure out who's killing people. I was wholly entertained and dying to know what happened next. It's more mystery than romance, I think, and I like that I wasn't able to figure out whodunit by page 50. Matter of fact, I thought I had a pretty good idea toward the end, but I was wrong.

The first-person narrative worked well, but I am disappointed that there wasn't more historical data. Traveling from 2012 to 1959 can't be peachy. A part of me couldn't help comparing it to another recent time-travel romance I read that jumped similar dates, Hindsight by Sarah Belle. While that author had details about trying to LIVE and perform what in 2012 are much easier tasks (Imagine not having a modern-day washing machine all of a sudden!), this book didn't even touch on that stuff.

It also tied up too quickly and too cheesily in the end. I was left with a lot of questions and it being such a long book, it's not like it didn't have the time to tie them up.

-"When I kill you, your soul won't ever be reborn."

Why not?? Huh? She was killed the first time around and still lived in another life.

-The wife following Ruby around...I seriously doubt she knew Ruby would be in that office and got there before her in time to plant that photo. No... The timing here was all off.

-How could you not notice you haven't had a period in four months? Get real.

-I was also slightly alarmed that the heroines always seem to go for taken men, in both lives, except for in the case of JP. I laughed when Claudia said this, "I'm not normally like this, running from one man to the next."

Errr. Married lover fathered your baby, and three months later the man you love is engaged and then you time travel and a mere three days after you have sex with a married politician in that life, you're having sex with another taken man.

-I was also really put off by the unprotected sex. Granted, the doctor could just shoot himself with penicillin afterward, but really, she's still a prostitute. He's seen the photos and heard it from her own mouth. This grossed me out. I don't care that it was a different soul in the prostitute's body, the body had been around, and just days before. Is the scenario likely? Yep. But I can't help that my nose wrinkled anyway.


From Wiki CommonsAnyway, EW. That being said:

I bought this on Amazon.