Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 90

Cover Reveal: A Missing Peace by Beth Fred

Coming in September...
A turbulent, emotionally charged YA novel that breaks down barriers and challenges the status quo...

Angry, seventeen-year-old Iraqi war refugee Mirriam Yohanna hates her new life in Killeen, Texas, where the main attraction is a military base, populated with spoiled army brats like Caleb Miller.

Caleb has much to be angry about too, including Mirriam who turns him down flat in front of everyone. Eager for retribution, Caleb agrees to a dare that will see him take Mirriam to the prom and regain his pride. But their relationship soon moves beyond high school antics. Mirriam and Caleb are bound together by more than location, and as they are forced to work closely together on a school assignment, they start to uncover an explosive story that has the potential to ruin lives — and both of their futures. One single truth changes everything and strengthens their bond.

When Mirriam's family discovers their relationship, they decide it's time to arrange her marriage to a proper Iraqi man. Caleb must convince Mirriam that he is in it for forever — or risk losing her for good.

Meet Beth Fred! That's me! I'm a full time keeper of the ELF and part time writer/blogger/writing instructor. I'm represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. I like my tea hot, my romance sweet, and my guys chivalrous. Real men hold open doors, refer to you as ma'am, make promises they keep, and aren't afraid to profess their undying love. It's not breakfast if there aren't carbs (at least, not in the South). Fajitas, carnitas, and churros are just few of my favorite things. Bet you can't guess where I'm from ;) Wanna know more about me? You can find that here:

Email me: bethfred08(at)gmail.com

Blogger: bethfred.com

Tweet me: bethfred08

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/bethfred08
Mark to read on Goodreads

The Drowning Guard: A Novel of the Ottoman Empire by Linda Lafferty

Extremely pleased with this book. It's 1001 Nights but with a woman responsible for the deaths of her lovers--a white Christian male nearly every night. As the Sultan's favorite sister, any man who beds her is forbidden to live. Her drowning guard takes care of the dirty deed...and because of his knowledge, when struck with illness, he becomes her confessor.


It's a twisted and fascinating tale with dashes of feminism and female empowerment in an otherwise oppressed world. It's rich in history, of the Ottoman empire, Muslim beliefs and customs, brothers murdering brothers, and the revolt of the janissaries--a group of soldiers that before now I knew nothing about.

Though she's cruel, I loved Esma. She is ahead of her times. Having witnessed the oppression of women, she vows no man will control her and has her own harem of rescued slaves. She's very tough too.

"If you do not consent, I will speak to my brother who indulges me more than any wife, and he will have your head impaled upon my garden wall for insolence."

"An untouchable princess who ordered him from her bed, slapping and biting him on their wedding night. She bloodied his nose with a kick when he kissed the coverlet to approach her."

There are a few love stories entwined in all this. The Sultan and a long long, disfigured slave. The Sultane and her drowning guard/now confessor...but these aren't your traditional romance, but love in a place you don't expect it and you doubt it, and thus, it's suspenseful as the reader doesn't really see that usually easily obtain happily ever after in sight.

This isn't fluff, but real literature.

I think some liberties were taken, however. I was surprised that a harem allows outside men to come and party. That took me aback, but again, this particular harem is Esma's, not the Sultan's. Love these girls, too.

The story is also interspersed with surprise bursts of humor in the jokes among the harem women and just plain name-calling among the villagers.

"Allah curse the beard of your father, the pimp!"
"May Allah do the same to your mother who surely has as coarse a beard on her ugly face as you possess!"

I also liked the looks at religion before man twisted it to suit their purposes. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale and learned much about the Ottoman empire while I read...but I was confused about some things. Not everything fell into place for me.

If Emerald is so awful and at the root of all evil, why have him in your harem? If you were born Christian and abducted to be placed in an army and are nothing but a slave, why do you love the army so? Why fight for a Sultan you loathe? There were lots of tiny contradictions I felt weren't adequately explained. You hate being a  slave, why not leave?




This was a Vine book.

Hyde Release & Giveaway With Laura DeLuca

Hyde, the final book in the Dark Musicals Trilogy is available now!
Purchase


Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes &Noble

  Rebecca Hope haslooked death in the face twice and lived to tell her tale.She and the love of her life, Justyn Patko, land a summerinternship at a local dinner theater, performing the musical Hyde. While theyare excited about their first paid acting gig, they soon find themselvessurrounded by more experienced cast mates, jealous of their success. As if thetension isn’t bad enough, they soon discover that the business might be a frontfor something much more sinisterWhen Justyn is accused of a crime that she knows he wouldnever commit, Rebecca must decide if she wants to follow her head or her heart.While trying to prove his innocence, she makes a shocking discovery of her own.Everyone has something to conceal in the grand finale of theDark Musicals Trilogy. Rebecca has to look beyond the façade to discover thetrue Hyde or face her final curtain call.

Be sure to add Hyde to your to-read list on Goodreads!










If you haven't read the first two books in the series, now is a great time toget your copy. To celebrate the release of  Hyde,  Phantom is now on sale for only $.99 exclusively on Amazon through 7/29!


Purchase


Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble
Phantom, Dark Musicals Book #1


The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalkerwho uses the lines from the play as their calling card.


Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.


Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both onand off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in reallife are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.






Demon, Book Two in the Dark Musicals Trilogy, inspired by Sweeney Todd is also on sale for $1.99 through 7/29!
Purchase


Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble

  When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School ofPerforming Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To theirdismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep.Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the productionof Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set onJustym.It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from theirapartment or that Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is anessential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to theserial rapist terrorizing the campusConsumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca andJustyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.
  




 







Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loveswriting in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laurais also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of herlocal pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works includeDestiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player and Demon.
She also has short stories featured in two anthologies called HerStory and A Celtic Tapestry.




 Follow the author Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Pinterest

















 THE GIVEAWAY


To celebrate the release of Hyde, Author Laura DeLuca has put together a Dark Musicals themed prize pack. It includes a signed copy of Phantom, geode and geode slice, rough crystal points, incense and holder, Gothic styleleather key chains, smudge stick with abalone shell, natural stone pendant, seashell, Duffy's On the Lake Coffee Mug, handmade essential oils, steampunk playing cards, gothic necklace, and gothic ring.






My friends from The Whimsical Pixie have also created a custom Celtic Heart plaque that is featured in Hyde. 







Sacred Secrets will be offering a free Divine Guidance Tarot Reading.




And if all that isn't enough, my mommy bloggers friends from Mom Powered Media are also throwing in a kindle e-reader!




One lucky winner is going to receive all these fabulous prizes. To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on  8/28/13. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to Mom Powered Media, The Whimsical Pixie, Sacred Secrets and the author for offering these fantastic prizes.




 a Rafflecopter giveaway






 ****Please note no compensation was received for sharing this post. Host blogs are not responsible for prize delivery.***

Don't Let Your Disability Stand in Your Way: A Story of Survival and Determination from Pernitha Tinsley

I met a woman on Facebook recently. I'm so very glad I kept that page open and running, or this wouldn't have happened. Pernitha approached me, and we talked, and I was so amazed by her story, I asked her to come here and share it with you. Life gave her lemons more than once. She didn't just make lemonade. She decided to make lemonade and share it with the world.

Please welcome Pernitha Tinsley, an incredibly strong and talented deaf woman who is working on her first book and will soon have a line of  Cancer Survivor T-shirts available for the masses.

"In 1994, I was diagnosed with a profound hearing loss in my right ear and a “slight” hearing loss in my left ear. I knew that something was going on with my hearing; because my high school friends would tell me that I was always ignoring them, when I wasn’t….I could not hear them.

I was 19, and ready to go off to college. I had received several band scholarships for universities in different parts of the world. I chose Liberty University in Virginia. I wanted to be as far away from California as possible. Right before I was due to leave for college my aunt approached me about getting a hearing exam. She mentioned that I kept my television up too loud. I agreed to the exam. I did not think anything of it.

“I’m sorry; you have a profound hearing loss in your right ear and a slight hearing loss in your left ear.” The doctor told me. He apologized, yet there was not an ounce of remorse in his tone. “If you continue in band, you will be completely deaf by the age of 30.”

I cried. I probably shed more tears than rain during a storm. The band scholarship was my ticket to college. Without the scholarship I would remain a victim of the ghetto. I did not care about being in band. I wanted an education with band being my free ride to college. I wanted out of poverty. I had to forfeit the scholarship.

My aunt enrolled me into West Los Angeles Community College, where I majored in Criminal Justice Administration. I was overly happy. My hearing loss was no longer a factor. I would wear the hearing aids and move forward. I was in college working towards becoming a Sheriff, at least that is what I thought.Hearing aids failed me. I could not hear with them. I had to remove the hearing aids in order to understand my instructor. I quickly realized that the hearing aids were making it impossible for me to hear. When I was out conducting business, I could not hear the person that I was talking to. I tossed the hearing aids for good.At times, I had a difficult time understanding my instructors. If the students were whispering while the instructor was talking, I could not hear the instructor clearly. I would sit there frustrated. I shifted in my seat. I would lean forward, trying to block out the students, while fighting to understand the instructor. This is how I learned to read lips. I could not hear him, so I would “read” him.

One day, I said to myself, enough is enough. I stood and stopped all conversations in class. “I have a hearing disability. All of the whispering and laughing around me is preventing me from understanding the instructor. If you are going to talk over him, go outside. Otherwise, be quiet.”All chatter ended from that day forward. And if the students happened to forget my speech, the instructor reminded them.

Over the years, my hearing has gotten worse. But I cannot say that without mentioning, that at times, I can hear clearly. The doctors are baffled by my hearing loss. Their test results show that I am deaf, however I am not deaf. One would not know that I had a hearing loss if I did not tell them. I used to shy away from the phone, not anymore. If I cannot hear a person clearly, I ask them to repeat themselves.

In 2005, I received a Fingerprint Classification Certificate from West Los Angeles Community College. In 2006, I received a BS in Criminal Justice Administration from California State University Los Angeles. I made the National Deans List every year that I attended the university. In 2012, I received a Mobile Application Certificate from West Los Angeles College. This fall, 2013, I will start the Los Angeles Film School. I am working towards an AA in film. I have been considering a BA in movie production. I was not able to do anything with the Criminal Justice Degree. I passed all law enforcement exams with a 95% or higher, but I did not pass the hearing exams. There reason for not hiring me? “If a suspect is sneaking up on you, you will not be able to hear them.” Once again, my hearing tried to stand in my way. Well, I did not let it.

I prayed for answers. I asked God to help me. I prayed for Him to show me my purpose in life. I leaned heavily on His word.

One morning, God woke me from my dreams and told me to get in front of my laptop and type. He did not tell me what I would type, He just told me to type. For two months I sat in front of my laptop typing. I allowed my heart to guide my story. Two months later, KARMA was born.

I searched through a book that I had read, Dollar Bill by Joylynn Jossel. I took down her email address and contacted her. I did not know if she would respond. My mind was actually set on no response. I was wrong. Joylynn Jossel responded to my email the very next day, and the rest is history.

Joylynn Jossel became my agent. She provided me with the tools needed to form my own publishing company, Yellow Canary Publishing Group. I self-published KARMA and co-authored a book under the pen name REDD. Years later, I dropped the name REDD, and started writing under my real name, Pernitha A. Tinsley

My first novel, written under my real name is, A Mansion in the Hills of Heaven. It is the first of a children’s series and is dedicated to the children in the hospitals, who are suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

How do you tell a child that their soul will soon return to God? There is no easy way to tell them, is there? In A Mansion in the Hills of Heaven, I paint a beautiful picture of heaven. There is the Town of Samaria where Mr. Doyle, the Magician lives in an Oreo Cookie house. Toy soldiers march past the swing set and tree house. Flying fish leap in and out of a pond that sits in front of the Oreo Cookie house. There is a baseball field in the backyard of the mansion. Every summer, the children fly to the Garden of Eden and setup camp. If they are not flying around the mansion playing tag, the children are running around the mansion playing hide and seek.

A Mansion in the Hills of Heaven is sure to take the fear of passing out of the hearts of the children whose souls will return to God. Their parents will not have to search their hearts for the right words to say, when explaining that mommy and daddy will see them in heaven. I will be doing book readings at local hospitals in my area.

I am also bringing awareness to breast cancer through my Color Me Cancer Free tees. My goal is to connect with breast cancer organizations and to make the tees available within their organizations. A large percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Both the Color Me Cancer Free tees and all of my novels will soon be available through my website www.PernithaTinsley.com."

Follow her on twitter@ConqHerCancer@YellowCanaryKidPernithaA.Tinsley@facebook.comwww.PernithaTinsley.com (coming soon)

Music of the Soul by Erik Schubach

This is a story about the power of love and how even the baddest among us can change...if they want to.

In a nutshell: Bada** rocker chick who drinks excessively and sleeps around and parties realizes her life sucks. Meeting Anabella makes her want to be a better person. But can she? After all, she just runs away, right back into that lifestyle as soon as the going gets tough.

I had a love/hate thing going with the heroine of this book. I didn't like her much at all until the last quarter when the book suddenly slapped me in the face and I realized what the theme was...bear with me here. I didn't like how Mandy runs away from Bella, leaves her to pick up the pieces, tosses her daughter in the arms of a nanny, and then proceeds to thrive on all their text messages and voice mails and daises, expecting them to love her, but not giving back. Not even picking up the phone to talk to them, but yet expecting them to call..etc.

I didn't like this chick at all. In my eyes, she didn't care enough about Bella to even keep up to date on the news.

And that is when the book shocked the heck out of me. Just when I was cursing Mandy for the upteenth time, I realized...while they were loving and supporting Mandy from afar, she, in turn, in rocker-girl-reformed-style, was also loving and supporting them.

And that is when I finally "got" it.

Love and support comes in many forms. Love can motivate the hardest of souls to change for the better. People can change if they want to. Sometimes it just takes a nudge or in this case, a kind smile and a sweet voice. And guess what!! I've known this, but apparently a lot of romance authors don't...you don't have to have sex with someone to realize you love them! *GASP* Call the Enquirer!

I was interested in this book because the love interest, Bella, is deaf. I am disappointed that she wasn't really IN the entire middle of the story, only the beginning and end, in person anyway. Throughout most of it, Many is loving her from afar. However, I appreciated the tidbits and looks into Bella's life of deafness. I love how she trained herself to sing, to speak in a nice tone, etc. I actually found it very plausible. As a deaf person, I'm fully aware of how self-conscious we are about how we sound. It does take some training. I appreciated this story line very much.

And I'd be a good-for-nothing editor if I didn't notice the punctuation errors and stuff, so I'm going to mention that, and I'm giving this book four bikes. Thank you, Mr. Schubach, for the important messages within these pages. We should all strive to be like Bella and Mandy.

My Ever-Growing TBR Pile 7/20/2013

Got some good-looking books to share with you this week.

Was free: A Princess at the Court of Russia by Eva Martens. Caught my interest because it's about Catherine the Great. I've read about three novels about her now, so I curious to see what this one does differently.


The Russian court in the mid-eighteenth century is ruled by the beautiful and capricious Empress Elizabeth, who seeks a bride for her designated heir, the sadistic and immature Grand Duke Peter. Bored with life in the Prussian provinces, Princess Johanna is delighted when she is invited to bring her fourteen-year old daughter to the Russian court to be betrothed to the future Emperor. But there are powerful court factions determined to prevent a Prussian princess from taking the Russian throne. The Russian court is not for the faint-hearted but Sophie survives two decades of dangerous court intrigue, not only to to take the throne of one of the greatest empires of the eighteenth century but to become Catherine the Great, one of its greatest rulers.

I scooped this one up also: Liberty Hill by Sonja Heisinger. Promises to be a historical adventure/romance.
It’s the 1800’s and thousands are fleeing the potato blight in Ireland. But in New York City, two young Irish immigrants are fleeing something else. For Evelyn Brennan, an impending marriage she doesn’t want. For Lucius Flynn, the burden of a life in business and trade under his tyrannical father.

Brash and adventurous, Lucius decides the only way to be free of his doomed future as a bored tradesman is to risk everything on the burgeoning and dangerous gold fields of California. However, that “everything” that he plans on risking is in fact the dowry of his headstrong bride, Evelyn. The truth that they were once childhood friends is something Evelyn sorely tries to forget as her new husband drags her along the quickest but deadliest path to the California gold rush: the Panama Route.

Also a freebie I couldn't resist: Intrigue by Jaimey Grant. I can't pass up a lady bandit/outlaw/robber. I was also hooked by the cover.
A troubled lady...
Malvina is in over her head. Blackmail, highway robbery, murder, and treason are just some of the crimes she’s become embroiled in. With each passing day, her chances of escape—and survival—lessen.

A bored gentleman...
Gideon stumbles upon a holdup where all is not as it seems. Kidnapping one of the robbers’ accomplices hands him the very lady he was sent to investigate. Is she as caught up in her husband’s treasonous activities as his superiors suspect, or is simple highway robbery more her cup of tea?

A dangerous alliance...
Gideon is determined to help Malvina even if doing so leads to some unpleasant truths. Malvina acknowledges her need for Gideon’s help, but accepting might require her to make the ultimate sacrifice: her son.


Freebie, Body of Shadows by Jack Shadows. Seems to follow a dude detective, but the story line of this one grabbed me.

In this riveting thriller from acclaimed author Jack Shadows, a beautiful young attorney suffering from memory loss desperately tries to piece her past together only to find that the deeper she digs the more likely it is that she is the very killer that homicide detective Dent Drift is closing in on.

I won this on an English historical fiction blog, along with another title of this series (it's not on Goodreads so I'm only posting the data of  one. I get my covers and blurbs from Goodreads.) The Midwife's Secret by Linda Root. It interested me because it's a four-book series surrounding the drama of Mary Queen of Scots. Promises secrets, court intrigue, and mystery.

One afternoon in December 1570, the celebrated knight Kirkcaldy of Grange rides up Castle Hill Street with a little girl named Daisy strapped in a basket riding pillion behind him. He springs from his horse and raises her high above his head for all to see. When his wife and daughter ask whose child she is, he declares that she is his, and when Lady Grange asks him why he is saying such a thing, he emphatically declares, “She is because I say she is.”

For Kirkcaldy, that settles the question. But two years later when the castle is about to fall, the knight sends his adult daughter Janet to deliver Daisy to France into the care of a most unlikely set of guardians. Daisy arrives at the castle of the House of Guise in Joinville speaking only one French sentence, “Je m'appelle Daisy.” The Dowager Duchess of Guise shakes her head from side to side: ‘Mais non! Votre nom est Marguerite, mon cher!" It appears that even the child's name has been taken from her by the Guises.

For delivering her purported sister to their care, Janet Kirkcaldy, Lady Ferniehirst, is rewarded with a overdose of slow acting pennyroyal that kills her on her inbound journey, the first in a parade of victims of warring factions, one wishing to keep the child’s identity a secret, and the other, wishing her dead.


Was free, a memoir of deafness. I can't pass this up for obvious reasons. 4 Ears, 4 Eyes: Misadventures in Deafness by Cynthia Dixon. 

This book contains short stories of a woman's experiences with hearing loss. Hearing loss is nothing to laugh about, but humor can transform negative events into positive ones. These stories should not just entertain, but enlighten, and inform. They were written for anyone interested in deafness. Some of the stories are embarrassing, and some vent frustration at normal hearing people totally clueless about hearing loss and the behavior of a hard of hearing person.

Read Corban Addison's A Long Walk to the Sun this week and enjoyed it even though it follows a male lawyer. So I'm eager to get my hands on his 2013 release The Garden of Burning Sand. It follows a female this time!!! On my wishlist.

Zoe Fleming is an American attorney working with an NGO devoted to combating child sexual assault in Lusaka, Zambia. When an adolescent girl is raped in the dark of night and delivered by strangers to the hospital, Zoe’s organization is called in to help.

Working alongside Zambian police officer Joseph Kabuta, Zoe learns that the girl’s assailant was not a street kid or a pedophile but the son of a powerful industrialist with deep ties to the Zambian government. As the prosecution against him grinds forward, hampered by systemic corruption and bureaucratic inertia, Zoe and Joseph’s search for the truth takes them from Lusaka’s roughest neighborhoods to the wild waters of Victoria Falls, to the AIDS-ridden streets of Johannesburg and the splendour of Cape Town.

As the rape trial builds to a climax and sends shockwaves through Zambian society, Zoe must radically reshape her assumptions about love, loyalty, family—and, especially, the meaning of justice.

And oh, yea, I can't resist a woman superhero! Was stoked to see this on NG and even more stoked to get my hands on it. It screams STRONG IS SEXY. To the Fifth Power by Shirin Dubbin.
Three years ago, Zola Noite's nemesis killed her sidekick and forced her to watch. The guilt drove her to hang up her cape. Zola knows one thing for certain. She will never be a superhero again.

Psychologist Dr. Arturo Forte specializes in super-powered mental health. He’s the only reason Zola can once again call herself sane—although, truth be told, the heat between them is slowly driving her mad.

When three mega-villains escape the prison Forte oversees, all Zola's best laid plans go up in flames. Forte asks her for help, and she can't turn down the man she's come to love. As battles ensue and clues add up, the one thing Zola trusts is called into question: Forte's true agenda and which side he’s on.


Girl Racer. That is all. Skid by Doug Solter. Came across it by accident on Amazon and immediately nabbed it. 

Racing is a game that kisses death on the lips... 
Samantha drove the car that killed her dad. Now racked with guilt, the 17-year-old girl racer from Oklahoma promises to fulfill the racing dreams they shared. Even if it kills her. Samantha sneaks into a private testing session and impresses the eccentric owner of Formula 1 racing team who takes a chance on the outspoken, yet crazy-talented girl.
Samantha pushes herself, pushes her car, pushes her luck at 200 miles per hour. She battles a seven-time world champion and Ferrari racing god who was once a crush-worthy hero to a girl, but now a dream-crushing rival to a young woman.

Be A Domino and Bring it All Down

Sometimes...I question my existence, my reason for being. Many days I wake and I look at the room around me and I ask myself, "Why bother to get up? Who's going to care? What difference do I make in the world?"

I recently got an answer, in a way, to that question. Let me tell you a story...

First of all, having dedicated a year and a half to being a work-from-home writer and editor, I've decided to back into the work force. I miss it--the vibration of tools in my hands, the easy camaraderie of working with other mechanics, the paychecks that went into a savings account, and more than anything, watching something I worked on with my bare hands take to the skies. I'm looking for a job. This led to me meeting a man who helps the deaf/hard of hearing not only find work, but keep it.

It's a program in which the people visit the deaf person's potential work place and they educate the employer about the employee's disability, rights, and what accommodations need to be made. For the deaf/HOH, they even make sure there are phones we can use on the job site. If an employee is discriminated against later down the road, these people step in and remind the employer of the disabled's rights.

This time I'm going to get a job and protect myself. Three years down the road, I will not suddenly be told I can't wear my hearing aid...but I digress.

This man I met with (I'm going to call him Domino)...who dedicates so much of his time to helping people like me...throughout the meeting, I kept wondering, "Why does he do this? Why does he care?" From my personal experience, hearing people very rarely think about what we go through...or care. I wondered if he had a daughter like me, a wife, a mother...someone close to him who is deaf who's been put through the wringer.

And I asked him, "Why do you do this, help people like me?" 

His answer: 

Domino was just getting out of the Army and didn't know what to do with himself. I think he said he drove a tank and that's not a job that really prepares you for anything outside the service. Someone told him to find something he was passionate about and then find someone who would pay him to do that. 

If only it were that easy, eh?

Well, one day Domino went to a diner/restaurant and he spoke to the man behind the counter. The restaurant worker ignored him. After repeating himself a few times, Domino grew angry and even beat on the counter. Someone else said to him, "Hey, that guy's deaf. He can't hear you."

Domino felt like crap. He apologized to the deaf restaurant worker and they became the best of friends...and it was this person who eventually led to Domino becoming an advocate and helper of the deaf/HOH, and in turn, led him on my path.

So this entire story is one long answer. That kid flipping burgers, the person behind the restaurant counter, the gas station attendant, the waitress, I don't give a crap what their occupation is...they could be dominoes. By merely existing, they could be having an impact on someone and changing their life, just like that deaf restaurant worker did for Domino.

The restaurant worker was a domino, who touched Domino, who in turn has touched hundreds of other deaf people and helped them, including me.

So be a domino. Let that be your purpose. Knock someone over and watch them knock someone over in turn. Before you know it, we've all fallen down...in a good way.

Tasty Review & Giveaway: Lost Without You by Heather Thurmeier

Zoe Oliver never wanted to be on another reality TV show… until Chip Cormack made an offer too good to refuse. He’s guaranteed her a payday this time and a chance to redeem herself in America’s eyes. But Zoe worries she won’t be able to focus as her desire for Chip grows and her strength to resist him weakens. When she learns she’ll be roughing it in the woods with Chip and without luxuries like indoor plumbing and electricity, she’s instantly on edge, feeling naked and terrified that her scars will be exposed and her secrets revealed. When Zoe’s past turns up on the show, she fears she’ll lose not only the life she’s sacrificed everything else to have, but also the affections of the only man she’s ever trusted with her heart.
Buy links:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lost-without-you/id657434468?mt=11

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Without-Crimson-Romance-ebook/dp/B00D5X0504/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1370599974&sr=8-11&keywords=lost+without++you

***My REVIEW***

I've read all three books now in the reality TV show series and despite my dislike of reality tv in general, I actually really enjoy these books. For some reason, while I may not like watching them, I love reading about them. Lost Without You brings back the villain of the last two: Zoe, and we finally get to see why she's the way she is. She's scarred, inside and out.
The show is about roughing it in the wilderness. Thankfully Zoe is a host, not a contestant. This was an interesting twist. At first I was bummed because there wasn't enough interaction with the contestants and not much drama when they did challenges, but this changed in the end as the action picked up and the drama got intense. There's a romance with the producer, a sort-of-stalker-guy, and a blackmailer.

I had a hard time with Zoe's trauma...I didn't feel it warranted the huge deal she made of it the rest of her life, and as someone who has been on the receiving end of extreme bullying, I found it questionable that she would turn around and bully others...but hey, "'till you've walked in her shoes", right?

I didn't care for Chip, the love interest. He came across as way too pushy for me, but I get most women like those types now.

I totally, not for a second, bought the whole "I got my hair stuck around a post" thing.

But despite the above quibbles, I did enjoy this book. I was hooked and kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. I didn't see some of the things coming, a huge plus. I was on the edge of my seat in the last 20% especially. Ms. Thurmeier delivered a very satisfying conclusion to this series.

Author bio:Heather Thurmeier is a lover of strawberry margaritas, a hater of spiders, and a reality TV junkie. She was born and raised in the Canadian prairies, but now lives in upstate New York with her own personal romance hero (aka her husband) and their two little princesses. When she's not busy taking care of the kids and an adventurous puppy named Indy, Heather's hard at work on her next romance novel.
"Heather Thurmeier's hunky heroes and feisty heroines will have you laughing out loud, falling in love ... and coming back for more!" ~ Carly Phillips, NY Times Bestselling Author

"Heather Thurmeier writes sweet, funny romances that capture your heart!" --NYT and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Probst.
Author Links:Website:  http://heatherthurmeier.comFacebook:  http://www.facebook.com/HeatherThurme...  https://twitter.com/hthurmeierGoodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...  http://pinterest.com/hthurmeier/email:  heatherthurmeier@gmail.com

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Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Matilda Sweet

Book: Matilda’s Freedom 
Author: Téa Cooper 
Heroine: Matilda Sweet 

Australia 1856 
Matilda Sweet is a “currency kid,” one of the new breed of Australians—born of convict and emancipist parents. She didn’t know the term suggested inferiority and a distinct identity, that her 'cornstalk' looks and distinct way of speaking marked her.

She’s grown up on the land, in the saddle handling every situation thrown at her. Working with her father on their meagre holding she did what needed to be done and she loved it. What she wasn’t prepared for was for her world to fall apart.

Left with nothing but the deeds to sixty acres of barren land, debts and the love token her father had given her mother she has nothing to lose when Christopher Matcham offers her a position as governess and companion to his two step sisters. It seems the perfect stopgap.

What she hadn’t bargained for was the family’s social bias. Despite Christopher’s mother’s best efforts Matilda refuses to be broken. He might have family responsibilities but Matilda is used to taking matters into her own hands. She knows what she wants and if she can’t have it so be it. She can look after herself.

Christopher has to make some hard decisions and embark on a steep learning curve for a “pure merino” before he can convince Matilda to allow love to win through. 



Blurb:
Christopher Matcham returns to Sydney, his halcyon bachelor days in Europe over. He must take responsibility for his mother, two stepsisters and the family property. Fortune smiles on him when he is introduced to Matilda Sweet.
Fate has played Matilda a cruel hand and all she has to show for her parents' rise from their convict beginnings is her pride and the deeds to the bankrupt family property. She must find some way of supporting herself or as a stopgap measure, a husband.

When Christopher offers Matilda the position of companion to his stepsisters it is the perfect answer to her dilemma and he is a most attractive man–the sort of man she could imagine marrying if he wasn’t part of the hide-bound colonial society of Sydney.

Bio  Téa writes contemporary and historical romantic fiction featuring strong-minded women and sexy Australian men. Love and life Down Under isn't always easy. Her heroines have to fight long and hard for what they believe before they reach their happy ever after. 

Matilda’s Freedom is Téa's second Australian historical romance. Her first Lily’s Leap is available from Lyrical Press. She is currently working on another nineteenth century historical romance set on the high seas somewhere between Tasmania and Sydney. To keep up with all of Téa's news visit her website www.teacooperauthor.com where you will find links to her blog and social media pages.



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A Bandit's Broken Heart (Blood Blade Sisters #2) by Michelle McLean

What's a widowed woman to do when she leaves behind her banditing ways on a ranch and travels to Boston to be a society lady, her daughter and younger sister in tow?

How will she fight the boredom?

Why, help in a clinic...and do some banditing, of course!

A delightful read. McLean really knows how to present readers with strong heroines and solid story lines and doesn't need to fill the book with tons of sex scenes to make the word count or keep our interest. Her books are about the story and the love.

Brynne is just as spunky as her sister was in book one.

"Dr. Oliver, I am not some sort of animal that has been "bred" to anything."

At first, she's turned away from the clinic where the handsome doctor works, but she proves her mettle and worth and knocks his socks off. They fall in love. But when she resorts to her previous activities again--to help the doctor, actually--her past comes up. Can the doctor handle it?

I loved Brynne. I loved how she proved herself at every turn, how she actually saved HIM, instead of him saving her (fantastic!), how she doesn't judge others (like the tattooed butler) the way the rest of society does.

I liked the hero as well. No alpha male here who feels he has to establish his masculinity every five seconds. He's a man comfortable with who he is. He isn't without his flaws...but regardless, I liked this guy.

Lucy doesn't have a lot, but we'll see more of her in book three. Yet she has her parts and I love the hints of the woman she's becoming.

"Lying bastard! Steven Bartlett, that's who. I tell you, if we were back home, I'd have him hog-tied and strung up in the barn while I introduced him to the gelding shears."

Things get real intense in the last ten percent...not so much in the rest of the book. That's my only quibble. The thieving does start until a ways into the book and there isn't that much of it. This one lacks the constant excitement of book one. I still thoroughly enjoyed it though. I did get a bit tired of hearing how snotty, catty, judgmental, and standoffish the rest of Boston society was. Felt like I that was pointed out to me one too many times...but I recommend this and I'll be reading book three. Lucy's is going to be something. I can tell from the way this one ended.

This was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.