Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 85

My Three Incredibly Selfish Wishes (Three Wishes Blog Blitz)

Welcome to the Three Wishes Blog Blitz!!

Today I’m participating in the Three Wishes Blog Blitz, hosted by author Juliet Madison! From 2nd to 6th September you’ll have the chance to win some awesome prizes at all the blogs participating in the blitz, including mine. All you have to do is follow my instructions below for winning the prize I have on offer, and then you can click over to Juliet’s blog to enter her prize draw, and see the list of all other blogs taking part and enter their giveaways as well. How cool is that? Why is it called the Three Wishes Blog Blitz? Juliet’s new romantic comedy release, I Dream of Johnny, is about three wishes, a high-tech genie in a lamp, and one very unfortunate typo that proves magic isn’t all it cracked up to be…

The theme is wishes...so I decided to share my very selfish wishes. No world peace here, sorry. LOL Sometimes, it's just all about me! LOL

The first thing I would wish for is the most important. I'd give up the other two wishes to make this one come true. I love my dogs, Lola, Pudgy, Jazzy, and I would wish to double their little doggy lifespans. I want them to live not their full 16 possible years, but 32 years! The longer I have them around, the happier I'll be. I hate how short dog lives are.


My second wish is more frivolous. I wish to be a guest star on Law and Order SVU...maybe a few episodes...ok...maybe a season or two, as Detective Amaro's love interest. *evil grin*


My third wish. I want a time travel machine. I want to travel back to the 1920s and wear a flapper dress and put feathers in my hair. Then I want to hop over to the thirties where my curvy body will be totally vogue. And when I feel like working, I want to head to WWII and do my part in a bomb factory--or fly at Avenger field with the WASP. When I start feeling angry, I'll go join the suffragettes or travel to the wild west where I can shoot somebody and get away with it.

When I get tired and need a darn good shower, I'll come back to 2013 and relax with my modern-day appliances, and my dogs, of course. Actually, I don't see why they couldn't time travel with me.

Unfortunately, no genie has popped up to offer me any of this...but a genie is here for YOU! Her name is Tara aka Book Babe and she's offering you two e-books of your choice from Escape Publishing, as well as one pdf file of Plotting to Win, my own Escape title. That's three books!

To enter, just leave me a comment on this post WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. If there's no email address, you aren't entered. Answer the question: what's your number one selfish wish? Let's make them selfish. Sometimes we need ME days. It's a ME day.

If you are a follower of Book Babe, you get two entries, so be sure to mention how you follow me if you do. You can follow on GFC/Blogger, Networked blogs, Email, or Facebook. All the follow links can be found in the right sidebar.

Entrants' names will be tossed in a dog bowl (with followers getting their name in twice) and one of my trusty sidekicks will pick the winners.

Be sure to visit Juliet Madison's blog to an entire of list of participants and the great prizes being offered. Visit them all!

Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman

This is a story that will grab you, suck you with force straight into the pages, and leave you feeling bereft when you turn the last page.


You have a woman who after stealing another woman's husband, pays for it for the rest of her life. Another woman steals another's child and she pays for that the rest of her life... People love who they want to love and shun society's stupid rules...and pay with their lives. You have a heroine...who...though she irritated the crap out of me at times, is incredibly tough. I mean, she risks everything for those she loves, even if it means losing them.

And that's just the historical bits. The contemporary woman is a dancer whose career has come to a sudden halt and she must realize just what is important in life...that perhaps it's time to think of others and she realizes how much she's been missing out whilst she's been wrapped up in herself and her dancing career.

I preferred the historical story even though it was full of heartache and frustration. Beattie...in the 1930s...the way she packs up her stuff and walks in the rain to escape a loser "husband"...the way she stood up to the religious lady she sought refuge with...the way she made an incredibly daring bet with a landowner. "If I win, I get the land and the house. If you win, you get my body.." (not a direct quote)

I mean, just wow. What guts. And how she came to rule a wool fashion empire...

Her love affair...so passionate and so sad, yet, I wasn't surprised by the outcome. So much bigotry and hate back then.

Even when you don't like what's happening or the choices the characters make, the story keeps you hooked. It's well written with the right amount of detail, telling, showing, history, emotion... This is a superb writer. All her books are on my wishlist now.

The story takes place in the UK and Australia both in the 1930s through 50s. The modern day story is London and Australia. A riveting book with a punch. It will stay with me a long time. I also learned a bit about the early sheep industry.

I got this via paperback swap.

My Ever-Growing TBR Pile 8/31/2013

Was free and looks way too good to pass up. I had no idea that Alex Haley's wife was also a writer.

The Treason of Mary Louvestre by My Haley. From the widow and collaborator of Alex Haley, award-winning author of Roots, comes a new American epic from the Civil War. The Treason of Mary Louvestre is based on the true story of a seamstress slave from the Confederate town of Norfolk, Virginia. When her owner gets involved with modifications to the ironclad CSS Virginia, Mary copies the plans and sets out to commit treason against the South. Facing certain death as a spy if caught, she treks two hundred miles during the bitter winter of 1862 to reach the office of Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, where she hands over the plans. Mary's act of bravery is ably told by Haley, using a rich narrative and characters drawn from that pinnacle era of American history. First there was Roots, now there is The Treason of Mary Louvestre.

***
Discovered while searching for women in aviation books. It's on my wishlist. Hell Hath No Fury by Robert Reid.. It's a team of women combat pilots!


An extraordinary group of women embark on an extraordinary journey. They confront bias, ridicule and death. They stand fast and roar, "We will not go quietly into the night." Their skill, bravery and dedication change the course of military history. Their right to fight is on the line as they stand toe to toe with their enemies. Equality, like freedom, is won with their blood and sacrifice.
***
Spotted on Netgalley and darn near flipped with excitement. I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe. Woman, Civil War, male attire. Need I say more?
An extraordinary novel about a strong-willed woman who disguises herself as a man in order to fight beside her husband in the Civil War, inspired by a real female soldier's letters home.

Rosetta doesn't want her new husband Jeremiah to enlist, but he joins up, hoping to make enough money that they'll be able to afford their own farm someday. Though she's always worked by her father’s side as the son he never had, now that Rosetta is a wife she's told her place is inside with the other women. But Rosetta decides her true place is with Jeremiah, no matter what that means, and to be with him she cuts off her hair, hems an old pair of his pants, and signs up as a Union soldier.

Rosetta drills with the men, prepares herself for battle, and faces the tension as her husband comes to grips with having a fighting wife. Fearing discovery of her secret, Rosetta’s strong will clashes with Jeremiah’s as their marriage is tested by war. Inspired by over two hundred and fifty documented accounts of the women who fought in the Civil War while disguised as men, I Shall Be Near To You is the intimate story, in Rosetta’s powerful and gorgeous voice, of the drama of marriage, one woman’s amazing exploits, and the tender love story that can unfold when two partners face life’s challenges side by side.
***
A Life Apart by L.Y. Marlow also caught my eye.
When Morris Sullivan joins the navy in 1940, his hopes are high. Though he leaves behind his new wife and their baby daughter, he is thrilled to be pursuing his lifelong dream-only to be shipped off to Pearl Harbor when the war begins. When he narrowly survives the 1941 attack, thanks to the courage of a black sailor he doesn't know, Morris is determined to seek out the man's family and express his gratitude and respect. On leave, he tracks down the man's sister, and finds an immediate, undeniable connection with the nurturing yet fiercely independent Beatrice, who has left the stifling South of her upbringing for the more liberal, integrated north.

Though both try to deny their growing bond, their connection and understanding is everything missing from Morris's hasty marriage to his high school sweetheart Agnes, and from Beatrice's plodding life as she grieves the brother she has lost. At once a family epic, and a historical drama that takes readers from World War II through the Civil Rights Movement to the present day, A Life Apart is about a love that creates complicated and unbreakable ties between two families that live worlds apart. L.Y. Marlow brings readers along for the emotional journey as Morris and Beatrice's relationship is tested by time, family loyalties, racial tensions, death, unending guilt, and the profound effects of war.
***
And look what is coming next year from one of my favorite authors, Christina Courtenay. You bet this is on my "grab asap" list. The Secret Kiss of Darkness, a time slip.
Must forbidden love end in heartbreak?

Kayla Sinclair knows she’s in big trouble when she almost bankrupts herself to buy a life-size portrait of a mysterious eighteenth century man at an auction.

Jago Kerswell, inn-keeper and smuggler, knows there is danger in those stolen moments with Lady Eliza Marcombe, but he’ll take any risk to be with her.

Over two centuries separate Kayla and Jago, but when Kayla’s jealous fiancé presents her with an ultimatum, and Jago and Eliza’s affair is tragically discovered, their lives become inextricably linked thanks to a gypsy’s spell. Kayla finds herself on a quest that could heal the past, but what she cannot foresee is the danger in her own future.

Will Kayla find heartache or happiness?

***
Spotted on Netgalley: A World Apart by Peter McAra.

A sweeping Australian historical saga that crosses oceans to prove love conquers all…

April, 1820. As children, they shared a schoolroom, but no education can remove the stain of being peasant-born. So when Eliza Downing begins to blossom into womanhood and the future Viscount de Havilland notices, his family steps in to intervene.

Once full of possibilities, Eliza’s life spirals into shame and degradation, culminating finally in a false conviction and transport to Botany Bay. Through shipwreck, exile, secrets, and scandals, Eliza holds fast to the belief that Harry will come for her — but he doesn’t come soon enough, and Eliza must learn to recognise her own value and become the heroine of her own story.

***
Spotted on a blog I follow--and a copy is on its way to my mailbox: Capitol Hell by Alicia M. Long and Jayne J. Jones.

When recent college graduate Allison Amundson, a small town girl from South Dakota, lands the highly sought after job of scheduler to the newly-elected and rising star of the United States Senate, Senator Anders McDermott III, she thinks she is on the fast track to success.
However, she quickly learns that crazy co-workers, a high maintenance boss, an over-the-top family and an unexpected Presidential bid make Capitol Hill seem even more dysfunctional than portrayed on TV. In fact, it is Capitol Hell.

The second Allison sets foot in the prestigious Senate Russell Building, things begin to go awry. Allison soon realizes her co-workers consist of a Chief of Staff who has little to no control over the antics in the office, a Press Secretary who is not only pompous, but who is constantly primping and preening, and worst of all the Senator himself, who cares more about his rise to fame than the people of Minnesota.

As Allison struggles to juggle a new career, her blooming love interest in Cam (a quiet but loyal Legislative Assistant), and her ever-declining bank account, she is comforted only by her co-worker Janet, a fireplug who spends the majority of her time on-line dating, trying to land a Senator of her own.

Just as Allison and Janet begin to figure out the ins and outs of Capitol Hill, their lives are turned upside down when Senator McDermott announces his bid for President of the United States. Soon, Allison and Janet find themselves at the center of one of the craziest campaigns in history, and hilarity ensues.

What Were They Looking For?

It's that time again...I got some more odd blogger search terms for ya.
This one...I can only assume they ended up here because Maiden Behind the Mask's heroine is Catalina Rodriguez. I guess someone wants to see a bit more of her than the book cover shows. Hum.

This next one is really offensive...I'm sorry in advance. But I said O.M.G. really loud and then laughed for a while, so maybe it's not too bad.


Another offensive one below...I edited it, mind you. But while the top one is rude and disgusting, sexy george made me curious. Is there a sexy George in your life?

Could they have been looking for...?

Someone was looking for sassy strong heroine books and sexy heroines. They certainly came to the right place. Seeing this made me feel good about what I do here.
This one below made me laugh. 

This one...um...

No idea what "lock me in the trunk" refers to or what they could have been looking for. Is there a song? Adventures of naked man just made me smile... Havoc Hailey is apparently a porn star and I have no dang idea why I keep getting people looking for porn. No idea. 
And this one...this one is just...priceless.


Anyway, what's showing up on YOUR dashboard?

My New Postcard

Last year, on election day, matter of fact, I shared with you my collection of Votes for Women Postcards. Click here if you missed them. 

Today I am tickled pink to share my new one with you!

I think it may be rare, as I've never seen it before in all my searching. 


On the back, it is postmarked Chicago, March 12, 1914. It has a message that's rather hard to read...
"Mag you can see ******* girls like this your next birthdayafter they get the voting and get on the Police Force and they can have one for Pity Man of ******"
The asterisks mark words I could not make out.

What I find even more interesting, however, is that apparently 1914 Chicago was still small enough that they didn't have to bother with addresses. It's merely a name. Mrs. Maggie Littell Hudson, Ills.
And it's postmarked and apparently found its way to her!

A Missing Peace by Beth Fred

This is truly a unique premise. Two teenagers, one Iraqi, one American...he believes his dad was killed by an Iraqi terrorist during the war. She saw her father gunned down by an American soldier...


Now imagine those two falling for each other despite their prejudices for each other's people...yea.

I applaud Beth Fred for a unique idea well done. Throughout the story, we're reminded in subtle ways how quick and how wrong we are to judge others based on where they come from, what they wear, how they look.

I also appreciated the theme about how just because we see it on TV, we are not experts on another group of people/culture.

Mirriam hates American soldiers. At first, Caleb hates Iraqis. He wants to enlist, head over there, and take revenge for his father's death, but he has to realize not all Iraqis are bad or terrorists. 

Mirriam sort of comes across as a female dog. She's rude and abrasive, but at the same time I shook my head at her, my lips would also turn up at the corners. Caleb, I had a harder time coming to like. He's the typical jock in the beginning--a playboy who expects women to fall at his feet and a douche who agrees to play with girls' hearts for the sake of a bet...but then fate changes his life real fast and it was interesting watching him change his perspective and attitude as the carpet got pulled out from under him.

One of my quibbles is the car scene. It was weak. I'm purposely trying to be vague here as I'm not sure if this scene would be considered a spoiler or not. It comes perhaps halfway into the book. But the lack of details about the medical affliction....is something broken? Did they do any surgery? Did he just lay there in a bed for 35 minutes? What exactly is wrong here? The author obviously did her research about the military, so I wonder why so little was done for the medical aspect/hospital stuff. Throughout the novel, I kept wondering what exactly was wrong with the guy. I'm a stickler for details such as that.

My other quibble is...I was disappointed that in the end, it didn't feel like Mirriam had come to respect any American soldiers. She was still very anti-American and as a military wife, this bothered me. I respect that there is indeed some truth in this:

"...at the end of the day, they're both kids our age with weaponry supplied by some old rich fat man with a belief that what they're doing is right."

But Mirriam's total lack of sympathy for the American soldier...made her no better than the kids calling her a raghead. Not all Iraqis are bad and while there will be some bad apples in the military, not all soldiers are bad either. While Caleb's character evolved to show this, Mirriam's didn't.

Third, I'm pretty sure it's illegal to marry off a 17-year-old, even in Texas. I thought that was pretty drastic. I'm sure a call to social services would have fixed that, though the ending wouldn't have been as dramatic. LOL

But overall, this was very well written and thought evoking. I enjoyed it and appreciated this very unique story line and situations. It's a YA novel that actually makes you think for a change. 

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Abigail Mulholland

Book: Lost in Kakadu 
Author: Kendall Talbot
Heroine: Abigail Mulholland

My heroine is a bitch. A rich pretentious bitch, whose life revolves around saucy gossip and her next social engagement. But money and prestige means nothing when Abigail survives a small plane crash into Australia’s Kakadu National Park with two complete strangers.

It’s a miracle they survive the accident, but things go from bad to downright hellish when rescuers never come. Learning to live in an environment that’s as brutal as it is beautiful takes Abigail to shattering point. But as she gathers the pieces of her sanity she discovers a new woman within her who’s not afraid to wield an axe or eat snails in order to survive.

As the weeks thread into months her Botox fades, her makeup runs out and the physical labour shapes her body into a lean sensual figure that she’s proud of. The old façade disappears and a strong, passionate and resourceful woman emerges with a wicked sense of humour and a fierce determination to live.

Abigail learns to love herself and along the way she’s surprised by her unlikely attraction to one of the other survivors, a younger bisexual man, a man who the old Abigail wouldn’t have been seen dead with. A man she’s willing to change for.

Fate brought them together, but they’ll need more than luck to escape Kakadu alive. Could the letters of a dean man hold the key to their survival?

Blurb:
An action adventure novel set in the Australian jungle where two unlikely people prove just how attractive opposites can be...

It’s pretentious socialite Abigail Mulholland’s worst nightmare when her plane crashes into an ancient Australian wilderness. Things go from bad to downright hellish when rescuers never come. As she battles to survive in an environment that’s as brutal as it is beautiful, Abigail finds herself also fighting her unlikely attraction to Mackenzie — another survivor, and a much younger man.

Mackenzie Steel is devastated by his partner’s death in the crash, the only person with whom he shared his painful past. Now, as he confronts his own demons, he finds he has a new battle on his hands: his growing feelings for Abigail, a woman who’s as frustratingly naïve as she is funny.
Fate brought them together, but they’ll need more than luck to escape Kakadu alive. Could the letters of a dead man hold the key to their survival?


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

Being Sexy Where It Counts: Resiliency in Action, A Guest Post from Dr. Patricia O'Gorman

Please Welcome Dr. Patricia O'Gorman as she talks about being sexy, being resilient, and "girly thoughts". She has a new book out called The Resilient Woman: Mastering the 7 Steps to Personal Power. I'll be sharing a blurb and buy links below, but meanwhile, let's permit the doctor to take the stage. 

"It is a painful fact that women who have challenged and overcome their girly thoughts in the boardroom are stymied by them in the bedroom. 
As a psychologist, I am privy to many secrets. Most secrets are wrapped in shame, shared in a low, often choked, voice that indicates the great emotional and physical discomfort of the woman sharing them. But there is one secret I’ve heard for many years that is shared only in hushed tones, the woman’s head down and her face strewn with tears. One woman told me she had other friends who struggled with “this”; they even had a private club so they could talk about it without others knowing. Another shared that she knew her marriage could not last because of this secret. More recently, women are just angry. The secret?

These women were more successful in their careers and were making more money than their husbands, and the power imbalance they felt in their marriages was unbearable. 
So unbearable, in fact, that they felt the need to divorce.

Crazy? Who said our girly thoughts make sense when examined in the clear light of day??

Over the years, the number of women making more than their husbands has steadily risen; it is currently 40 percent, and that is a substantial number. The idea that a woman could be the primary wage earner was almost unheard of a generation ago.

So if 40 percent is such a good number, why don’t women feel empowered by their earning capacity? Why would a woman feel shame that her man is not making more money than she is? Why is she embarrassed, and why does this non-traditional situation create such discord in an intimate partnership that the only solution appears to be a divorce? 

For some of us, the answer lies in our girly thoughts, the unconsciously accepted set of rules by which we live our lives. These girly thoughts tell us that we deserve to be taken care of, that we are only desirable if we are dependent on our husbands. When girly thoughts run the show, we believe there is something shameful in earning more than our husbands earn.

And we believe our girly thoughts, those nasty, sometimes unconscious, standards that we can never meet, even when doing so means we may divorce a man we love.

The painful fact is that women who have challenged and overcome their girly thoughts in the boardroom are often stymied by them in the bedroom. The same women who push to be their best at work, who are willing to risk not being liked because they put their ideas and an important part of who they are “out there” feel unable to do the same in their most intimate relationship.

In my book, The Resilient Woman: Mastering the 7 Steps to Personal Power, I discuss this particular resilience style, which I term paradoxical resilience. Women who have a paradoxical resilience style function like two different people: they use their resilience clearly in work but not at home. The career woman whose words and actions say “This is who I am; deal with it,” often finds it much more difficult at home to assert the same confidence. “I am a successful woman, and I love you” just doesn’t get shared in the same way.

The results? Poor communication that leads to resentment, and divorce becomes a painful but clear way out.

Change is confusing, particularly when we are altering what we expect from an intimate partner. Change is painful and scary when it occurs within a committed relationship and we are moving and wanting different things. Some of us cover our fear with anger, others with developing a new goal—divorce. But some of us step into the void that change creates and use our resilience to navigate our wants and needs to develop a new and vastly improved model of what we rejected. Rather than a woman’s success being a game ender, this can be a new beginning for a marriage.

The first step toward any change that occurs in our intimate relationships lies within. So dig deep and ask yourself what it is that you want, and know that you can use your resilience to help you get there. Whether that is to end your marriage through divorce or to create a new relationship with your husband—one that bucks current norms—then your resilience is there to support you and help you. The world is changing, and women are responsible for many of these changes. It is now time for each of us to change the unhelpful parts of our thinking—our girly thoughts—so they do not keep limiting us in any part of our lives.

Stay tuned for Part Two . . . Sex and Housework … yes, research show the two are definitely connected!
Blurb: Women of all ages want to make others happy—it's just in a woman's nature, isn't it? But what happens when that "need to please" goes wrong, and a woman keeps pushing herself harder while simultaneously ignoring her own needs? What happens when a woman begins to think self-sabotaging girly thoughts—thoughts like If only I was thinner . . . younger . . . prettier . . . was into kinkier sex . . . ? What happens when relationships sour and the trauma is carried into subsequent relationships?
Noted psychologist and author Dr. Patricia O'Gorman answers these questions for today's generation of women. This expanded and updated edition of her groundbreaking book Dancing Backwards in High Heels reveals how girly thoughts are just conclusions women reach as a way of making sense of the trauma they've experienced and the resulting codependency issues they grapple with. They need to be reminded from time to time of the saying that while legendary dancer Fred Astaire received top billing, "Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels."
Whether dealing with family members, coworkers, intimate relationships, or a best friend, when a woman feels "less than" she often misses the path toward achieving her true potential. Blaming herself for what someone else has done to her is, sadly, a common theme among women, but Dr. O'Gorman shows how this reaction is merely how women have been conditioned to respond—then provides the tools they need to break the cycle and become more resilient.
Resilience, according to Dr. O'Gorman, is the part of us that celebrates cycles: it looks forward to new beginnings and back to past lessons. Using this life-long lens, readers will learn valuable ways of looking at their interpersonal relationships and will acquire tools to become more resilient, and they will:

Discover the resilience patterns established in childhood
Learn how "girly thoughts" become so powerful and how to neutralize them
Understand issues that are specific to women when dealing with any relationship
Learn to overcome trauma—physical, psychological, and emotional
Discover how to self-motivate by losing the victim mentality
Learn to listen to the inner self and align with personal strengths as a way to tap into personal power
Understand what resiliency is and is not, and how to achieve it
Determine personal resilience patterns
About the Author:Being a coach, a psychologist, and raising twin sons in a rural community has certainly fostered Patricia O'Gorman's resilience and made her honest in understanding the subtle gender-specific nuances of developing resilience. Internationally recognized for her work on women, trauma, and substance abuse, and at home for her award winning menus, Dr. Patricia O’Gorman also is a recognized public speaker known for her warm, funny, and informative talks. She was one of the first researchers exploring the dilemmas faced by children of alcoholics in the early 1970s and went on to create the Department of Prevention and Education for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. She is cofounder of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics and has run a rape-crisis center. In addition to her private practice in Saranac Lake and Albany, New York, she is Chairperson of the Advisory Board of Horses Healing Hearts, Inc., an equine learning program for children of alcoholics. For more information on Dr. O’Gorman’s work or her latest book, please visit: www.patriciaogorman.com, where you can also find her blog: thepowerfulwoman.net.

Editing Services

With today's self-publishing industry, everyone can make their dreams come true, and I'd like to help you do that. You have a story and the words with which to tell it. I have the skills to make it go from great to fabulous. 



Don't let typos hold you back from the bestseller list.

I'm currently seeking to expand my client list. I have lowered my rate from $3.25 per thousand words to $3.00 per k.

Experience: I have been editing for two years and have completed over a hundred manuscripts in that time period. Genres include nonfiction, fiction, romance, young adult, historical, contemporary, erotic, and more. Authors I have edited for: Lorraine Nelson, Victoria Vane, Megan D. Martin, Laura DeLuca, Lacey Wolfe, and others. I can provide a CV upon request as well as references.
What I do: My above-mentioned fee includes two read throughs of any MS. I do both content and copy. I watch for misspelled or misused words, head hopping, passive voice, comma usage, hyphen placement, dialogue and action tags, telling vs showing, and more. All of my changes are tracked.
Payment: I require half the fee upfront, via paypal. The rest is collected when I have returned your round-one edits.
Contact me --tchevrestt(at)yahoo(dot)com or click on the link to the left-- to discuss dates for editing your manuscript. We'll make it shine.
"I have known Tara for two years. It has been my pleasure to have her edit two of my titles. The experience became a partnership. She impressed me with her willingness to discuss the editorial process beforehand. Her technical expertise and creative solutions helped improve both manuscripts." --Lisa J. Yarde, multi-published author

"Tara is a wonderful editor and quite responsive to your needs and questions. She has a sharp eye for detail and an ear for dialogue. She also knows how to ask the right questions to get your creative juices working in the right direction for your story." --Dahlia DeWinters, multi-published romance author

"Tara has been insightful, encouraging, prompt, and above all, very professional in all her dealings with me. She’s a terrific editor. With her help, we have produced highly saleable novels for readers to enjoy. It was a pleasure to work with her." --Lorraine Nelson, bestselling romance author

Hindsight by Sarah Belle

This story surprised me. It skillfully address so many issues in a woman's life...it made me laugh and cry and nod and just experience every emotion a woman can feel.

I didn't like it at first--well, I didn't like the heroine. I'm all for women being in positions of power and wholeheartedly agree we shouldn't have to give our lives up just because we have the vaginas...but if you're not going to pay any attention at all to your children--don't have them. This lady has two kids, never sees them, and doesn't know how to change a diaper.

But...therein lies a moral and I discovered it as I kept reading. A woman doesn't have to give up her life...she just has to have different priorities for a while. And some folks have a hard time managing that. But what really drives us to succeed? As with Juliette, is there an underlying issue?

Juliette's current life...she's all work, no play and one could say just leaves everything up to her husband as far as childrearing. It's rather ironic really when she travels back to 1961 when all that was considered "woman's work" and she finds the roles drastically reversed. She realizes how much she's taken for granted and how much she's missed.

I'm not going to recap the entire blurb. It's Australia, time travel back to 1961, motherhood, and marriage. Suffice to say, this is a novel, but I read it in a day--not because it's short, it's just that good. I was on the edge of my seat. I felt as though I was learning things along with the heroine--changing cloth nappies, using a clothing wringer. I fell in love with her 1961 family, friends, and children. I sorta wanted her to stay there, but then that would have left the modern day story unresolved and it would have made it seem like the heroine had time traveled away from her problems.

I burst out laughing so often I'm glad I read this at home. I'm sure someone would have put me in the psych ward that Juliette feared so much.

"As if the undies weren't bad enough, I trip and stagger in the tiny bathroom, trying to outrun the small, furry creature that has crawled onto my lap and decide to live there...Holy mother of God! There's so much pubic hair that it could be braided into dreadlocks. I could shear it like a sheep and make a jumper out of it."

I bit my nails. I honestly wasn't sure things were going to be set right in modern time--after all she'd left behind a husband who'd kicked her out with a "replacement" woman waiting in the sidelines. How was she going to get out of that mess?

The story is incredibly well written. I was shocked to discover (at least I think) that this is her first book. I know authors who have been writing for two years or more (hell, I'm one of them!) who haven't quite achieved this amazing level of storytelling. You may be picking up a digital book, but this is NOT 5th-grade writing.

Beautiful, well done, thought evoking. It made me not only appreciate mothers more--after all, they give up so much, but it made me sit here and think about the differences in our generations and why things have changed so much. As unfeminist as this will sound--sometimes I wonder if eliminating that line between men and women was such a grand idea.