Tawdra Kandle's Blog, page 27

All’s Fair in Love and Football

Once upon a time, authors were told that there were certain types of heroes, certain characters, who were off-limits when it came to romance novels. Among those were football players, because it was widely accepted that women, who are the chief readers of romance, didn’t like sports and wouldn’t be interested in a story featuring a sports figure.

Times have changed.

Sports romances—whether we’re talking football, hockey, baseball, swimming or any other popular athletic activity—are no longer taboo. Some of the most popular books flying off the shelves today boast an athlete in the starring role, and it’s not just the male leads who’re the game changers. Often the heroine rocks cleats when she’s not in stilettos.

So what’s different?

To be honest, I wasn’t sure. As an author, I don’t write to trends, and I’ve never paid attention to people who told me I couldn’t write about . It’s part of the beauty of being indie or hybrid. And as a woman, I’ve always been a football fan. No one informed me that women weren’t supposed to like football or baseball or hockey, and my dad raised me to appreciate sports.

For me, writing a story that features a tight end as the male lead didn’t feel much different than writing one that included a carpenter, or a chef, or a college professor. The job contributes to the character, but it doesn’t necessarily define the romance. A sports figure might be more likely to struggle with injuries and a life in the public eye, but that’s merely another aspect of the plot. It doesn’t have to be integral to the storyline.

On the other hand, the game is rife with romantic opportunities. Take your typical football player: he’s in his twenties, with a seriously-built body and the know-how to use it. And then remember that women are not only fans now; they’re also working in the front offices and in sports broadcasting. The typical female lead in a football romance isn’t a cheerleader or a bimbo. She’s a strong woman with a career of her own that may or may not intersect with the game.

The truth is that football, whether it’s high school, college or pro, is attracting women fans at an incredible rate. At some point in the last decade or so, we began to realize that it’s cool to admit we enjoy the game, instead of pretending that we’re only interested in the tight pants and broad shoulders, and now women fans make up nearly 50% of the NFL’s fanbase, according to numbers released in 2014 (Washington Post). The league caters to its female fans, with marketing and merchandising aimed at women more often than ever.

It stand to reason, then, that if we’re passionate about the game and the players, their stories are what we want to read.  When I’m watching the game, I’m interested not only in what’s happening on the field, but also what’s going through the minds of the players, their wives and their girlfriends. I want to eavesdrop on what the coaches and staff are talking about on the sidelines. I want to know what the players do after a big win?or a devastating loss.

When I read sports romances by Kristen Callihan, Sarina White Bowen, Elle Kennedy or Jami Davenport, that’s what I’m getting: a little peek behind the scenes. When I write books like my own football trilogy, it’s what I’m giving my readers. It’s also why I’m hooked on the Amazon Prime series All or Nothing, a season-long documentary about the Arizona Cardinals’ 2015 season. It’s the drama, the humor and the heartache—not coincidentally, all essential elements of a good romance.

Female fans, I might venture to say, are more well-rounded in their appreciation of the game. We get the rules on the field, don’t worry–but we also know who’s married to the quarterback. We’re going to scream and shout just as loud as the next guy—but we also might tear up when the receiver who just caught a TD pass blows a kiss to his girlfriend in the stands.

Come to think of it, that peculiar juxtaposition of teamwork and true love just might be why so many of us have fallen for football romances.

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Don’t forget!

You can preorder Book 3 of the Keeping Score Trilogy

Days of You and Me

And you can also see an exclusive sneak peek there.

Tell Me Your Love Story . . . Nana and Sa

 

As we draw closer to the September 27th release of Days of You and Me, I’m sharing a series of personal love stories (from my family and friends). Today’s is very special.

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Harry Thompson was born in Philadelphia in 1905. He was the second son of Jesse and Annie Murphy Thompson; Annie had been born in Ireland and immigrated with her family. Their oldest son, John, was just under a year when Harry was born. 

During her pregnancy, Annie, who was only 25, was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was almost always fatal. Baby Harry was born covered in sores, apparently, and had to be carried on a pillow. He came into the world in July, and by December, Annie was dead. 

Jesse raised his sons in a series of boarding houses in the city, with the help of a few friends. He never married again. 

Harry left school and began working when he was fourteen years old. When he was eighteen, he met and married a woman and had a son, but the marriage didn’t last. 

Meanwhile, on a farm in South Jersey, in June of 1911, a second daughter was born to Harry and Elinor Shute. This farm had been in the Shute family since David Shute bought the land from William Penn in the 17th century. Marian June was raised in a large family of eleven children, in a strict Methodist upbringing where cards and dancing were forbidden. She was close to her big sister Ida and her younger sister Evelyn.

In 1935, Marian took a job as a secretary in Philadelphia at an insurance company. It was the middle of the Depression, and jobs were scarce. While working there, she met a handsome young paralegal named Harry Thompson. 

Harry was taken by Marian and enjoyed visiting her family’s farm, where he was welcome by her large family. Now, what did Harry Shute think about his daughter seeing a divorced father of one? We don’t know, but I can’t think he was thrilled. 

Harry and Marian decided to get married, but at this point in the Depression, in this company, a married woman was not allowed to continue working. So they had to wed in secret, so that Marian could continue working. 

On August 19, 1936–eighty years ago today–Harry and Marian, along with their two best friends, slipped down to Ocean City, NJ, where they were wed in the Baptist Church there. They kept their marriage a secret for at least a year! 

Over the course of their marriage, they raised three children–Richard, Robert and Eleanor. They had seven grandchildren and a myriad of great-grandchildren.

Harry was an old-fashioned man who held the family to strict standards. The women did the cooking. No jars or containers were allowed on the dining table: everything had to be in a dish. His concession to helping was making the toast every morning at breakfast, manning the toaster which was alongside his chair at the head of the table. 

Harry worked as a paralegal well into his 80’s. Although he kept retiring, he also kept going back to work. His second son joined his long-time law firm in 1979 as a lawyer and became a partner in that firm a few years later.

In the late eighties, the family noticed that Marian was becoming forgetful. Tragically, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. But Harry did something no one had expected: he stepped up and refused to relinquish care of his wife to anyone else. Until her death in August of 1999, Harry cared for his Marian with love, patience and gentleness. It was a beautiful example to the entire family.

After her passing, Harry remained active with his yard work and gardening. He made chocolate chip cookies for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He told stories, and every Halloween, he hosted the big family gathering, calling ahead to order the pizza weeks in advance. 

When he passed from this life in June of 2002, it was in peace, as he went to join his Marian. 

This was the story of my Nana and Sa. Harry was called Sa by his grandchildren, thanks to me. He was a bit of a smart-ass, and when I was born, he told me, “Call me Sam.” I couldn’t say Sam, so I called him Sa, and Sa he remained. 

When I was little, I remember Sa saying to Nana, as he had their whole life together, “Stick with me, sweetheart–you’ll wear diamonds!” She never did have a diamond–even her engagement ring was pearl–but he gave her a greater gift than that. His love and faithfulness was something I will never forget.

I miss them so much . . . in my kitchen is a tea cart that sat in their home all my life. Even I see it, I remember the love in which these two wonderful people raised me. Their home was the true home of my heart. 

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Come tell me YOUR love story. Go here and share your personal love story. You’ll be entered to win the contest: prize is a $50 gift card AND the chance to have your love story included in Days of You and Me. (Names and details can be changed at the discretion of the winner and the author.)

Exclusive Preview of DAYS OF YOU AND ME Only on iBooks!

Days of You and Me releases in six weeks! To celebrate, iBooks is promoting a special *exclusive* sneak peek of the book only available here.

You can get just a little taste of the final book in the Keeping Score trilogy.

But all you Amazon, Nook, Kobo and Google fans aren’t left out completely–the book will be available on those venues, too.

And meanwhile, When We Were Us is on a special promo deal ONLY at Amazon and Barnes and Noble for just 99 cents–but only for a few more days.

While you’re waiting for Days of You and Me to release, come join us on our special event page Tell Me Your Love Story. You can share your very own special love story and win a $50 gift card PLUS have your love story included in Days of You and Me. Jump over to the event and enter now!

Sun Sets On Summer Super Sale and Giveaway!

Check out the
Sun Sets on Summer Super Sale & Giveaway!
36 Romance Authors are offering 73 books…

Most of them are on sale for a limited time. It’s just our way of thanking our loyal readers.

Even better, we’ve pooled our funds to offer an awesome giveaway! Enter to win a Kindle and Amazon Gift Cards just for subscribing to our newsletters or following us on social media.

Here’s the link to the Sun Sets on Summer Super Sale & Giveaway:

http://lovekissedbookbargains.com/reader-rewards-sales-giveaways/  

WHEN WE WERE US
is on sale for JUST this week for 99 cents, as part of this promotion.
Grab it now–DAYS OF YOU AND ME comes out in about six weeks!

 

At last . . . the long-awaited third bookin the captivat...

At last . . . the long-awaited third book
in the captivating
Annie Crow Knoll trilogy!
Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise is now available.

Return once again to Annie Crow Knoll . . . a place to grieve loss, accept change, and rebuild a life worth living.

Breezy and Jemma, are world-class cyclists until violence at a race leaves Breezy with permanent physical disabilities and kills the man she loved. With her Olympic dream shattered, guilt and shame threaten to destroy her future happiness. Her sister Jemma escapes with only minor injuries, but the psychological damage she experiences shakes her self-worth, her Olympic potential, and her capacity to accept love.

The young women return to Annie Crow Knoll, their childhood home on the Chesapeake Bay, to heal and reclaim their lives, and with their parents and grandparents, struggle to make sense of life after this tragic and irrational incident.

Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise, the third novel in this fiction series by Gail Priest, is a story about the power to reinvent life after surviving loss and trauma. (This novel can be read as a stand alone.)

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Buy your copy here!
Amazon/Barnes & Noble//iBooks/ Kobo

 

Advanced Praise for AnnieCrow Knoll: Moonrise

In Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise, the youngest generation of the Annie Crow clan returns to the Knoll hoping its transformative powers can help them survive tragedy and find love. A captivating tale that demonstrates the power of family, loyalty, and determination. 

Nancy Sakaduski, Author and Publisher, Cat & Mouse Press

Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise is a richly complex and satisfying read, with a cast of characters so real I felt they could be my own neighbors. Beautifully written, thoughtful, and deep, Moonrise will speak to anyone who has faced loss and emerged on the other side of it.

Martha Conway, Author of Sugarland and Thieving Forest

MOONRISE is Gail Priest’s third, and most moving title in her Annie Crow Knoll series. Like Sunrise and Sunset before, the story of four generations of family on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is rendered with achingly beautiful power and sensitivity.  The characters, led by the strongest of intelligent women, are all finding their way forward with tremendous wisdom, tears, and courage following a horrific tragedy that scars them inside and out. A literary tale of deep pain and every manner of healing, I wholeheartedly recommend Moonrise, and all the Annie Crow Knoll titles, to our most demanding readers, and yes, to Hollywood as well.

Robert Blake Whitehill, Author/Screenwriter, The Ben Blackshaw Series

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The first two Annie Crow books are available at all retailers.
Annie Crow Knoll: Sunrise
FREE for a limited time!
Amazon/iBooks/Nook/Kobo/Scribd/Inktera
Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset
Amazon/iBooks/Nook/Kobo/Scribd/Inktera

 

Gail Priest is the author of the Annie Crow Knoll series. For many years, Gail and her husband have rented a cottage in Betterton, MD on the Chesapeake Bay in a cottage community that is the inspiration for the novels. Annie Crow Knoll: Sunrise debuted in 2013. Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset was released in 2014. Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise is the third book in the series.

Gail is honored to have a selection from Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset in 50 Over 50, a PS Books anthology celebrating the wise and experienced feminine voice of fifty women writers over fifty.

Her play Eva’s Piano was produced at the Dayton Playhouse in their 2000 New Play Festival. The Church Hill Theatre in Church Hill, Maryland staged a reading of her play A Thing with Feathers.

Gail’s career in performing arts and education has allowed her to enjoy a combination of roles: teacher, adjunct college professor, guidance counselor, actor, director, and writer.

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Visit my website and my blog.

DAYS OF YOU AND ME Cover Reveal

 

Once upon a time, not that long ago, I had just about everything I ever wanted. I was a star football player at one of the best colleges in the country, and I had the girl I’d always loved by my side. The promise of a future most guys can only dream about was close enough to touch.

But if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that life is unpredictable. One twist can change it all, and suddenly, I’m alone. Even football, the one constant in all the insanity, somehow isn’t enough anymore, because without her, everything else is empty. Meaningless.

I’ve got one shot left. One more chance to win her heart. We’re not kids now, and I know that being good enough for Quinn isn’t some game I can fake my way through. She’s more than the prize; she’s my reason for living. The world only makes sense when we’re together.

And this time, I’m going to do whatever it takes to give us our happy ending.

Preorder your copy exclusively on iBooks!
And here’s the super-hot cover
designed by Meg Murrey!

 

Follow the DAYS OF YOU AND ME play list here.

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I want YOUR love story.
To celebrate the release of the final KEEPING SCORE book,
we’re having a very special giveaway.
I want to hear YOUR love stories–the real story of how you met and fell in love.
Go here and comment with your love story.
One will be chosen at random to win a $50 gift card AND be included in DAYS OF YOU AND ME.

 

Tawdra Kandle writes romance, in just about all its forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong women, sexy guys, hot love scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books include YA paranormal romance,  NA paranormal and contemporary romance, and adult contemporary and paramystery romance. She lives in central Florida with a husband, kids, sweet pup and too many cats. And yeah, she rocks purple hair.

 

 

Follow Tawdra:

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And if you love her books, join the Naughty Temptresses!

When Faith Hurts

 

If I had a dime for every time someone told me that he or she had been hurt by the church, I’d be able to treat us all to a lovely dinner.

Christians seem to have an endless capacity for injuring and insulting those we dearly desire to bring into fold. I don’t know why; there is no scriptural precedent for doing it. Take, for example, the time the Pharisees set Jesus up for a fall, by pointing out a woman who had been found in the act of adultery and asking Jesus what should be done to her: should she be stoned, as the Law commanded?

Jesus wrote something in the dust–we have no idea what He wrote, but some scholars wonder if He might have been listing the sins and shortcomings of the men standing around Him, each of them holding a rock. And then Jesus said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” One by one, all of the men left.

Today, all too often, church members find themselves in the same position as the bystanders that day, over two thousand years ago. Our choice is whether we will be the Pharisees or the Lord. When we encounter people who need compassion and understanding, are our faces and hearts hard, like stone? Or do we offer love, understanding and help?

I don’t like the fact that most people, when made aware of my faith, expect me to be judgmental and quick to condemn. I wish that they saw the cross and thought, “Now there’s a person I can count on if I’m in trouble. There’s someone I can confide in without fear of derision.”

But as the graphic above points out, it’s my job to change that perception. I can’t do it by browbeating anyone into understanding that I’m not out to hurt them. I need to prove it by my life, my words and my actions.

Faith means living in such a way that others see me and see joy, hope and peace. I want to live so that those around me want what I have.

After all, isn’t this the point?

 

Red Hot RELEASE DAY!

Sit back and send the kids outside to play because RED HOT SIZZLE is finally here!

 

Fourteen new book boyfriends are here to woo you in this big box with over 2000 pages of romance! Treat yourself to this sizzling, sexy sampler of NYT, USA Today, and best-selling authors. Are you ready to dive into decadent stories about hit men, tech moguls, shifters, new neighbors, bosses, lumberjacks, military men, motorcycle guys, and rock stars?

These great books are just the thing for those long, lazy summer days sunning at the beach, hanging out beside the pool, or lounging around on vacation. Some are sweet, some are just for fun, and some are Red Hot!

Grab this box set of best-selling books before it’s gone forever!

Amazon

B&N

Google Play

Kobo

iBooks

This sizzling set includes the following red hot stories:

Chloe by Lacey Silks ~ Axel Wagner saved me in more than one way, and then I ruined it by letting him touch me. He’s no longer just an employer–he’s my everything.

Dream On by Blair Babylon ~ A new story about Alexandre and Georgie, the Duke and Duchess of Valentinois, and other rock stars.

Bumpy Ride by Olivia Rigal ~ You’d think I’d know better. Better than to fall for a biker, and one from a different MC. Better than to get knocked up by a Nomad who vanished without a trace. Better than to try and hide it from my family.

Banshee by Sarah M. Cradit ~ I was eighteen when I died. But then, at eighteen, I was reborn.

Picked by the Billionaire by Daizie Draper ~ The fiery rebound-sex arrangement a dumped and already broken florist dives into with a tech mogul puts her heart in peril again.

Two Much for You by Sky Corgan ~ Two hot men just moved in across the street. I never thought they would show up on my doorstep. And what they want is far from conventional.

Two Wingmen and a Baby by Daisy Prescott ~ Hold onto your ovaries because this short features John, Tom Cat, and sweet Baby Day. Surely two alpha men can take care of one baby, right?

Witch In the Window (Bend-Bite-Shift Next Gen-1) by ~ Olivia Hardin ~ As if college finals aren’t bad enough, Chelsea’s witch radar tells her the delivery man who frequents her front door is more than he seems to be.

Right: A Hitman Romance by V. J. Chambers ~ Giovanni Gallo meant to kill Sable Clarke, not fall for her. What seems wrong actually turns out to be something so right.

Tutoring the Wolf by Jacqueline Sweet & Devon March ~ When she’s forced to tutor to a bad boy shifter, Cassie has no idea how much she’ll learn about herself, or how much fun she’ll have doing it.

Yours by Kim Linwood ~ Bianca met the man of her dreams in paradise, but their real lives are an ocean apart. Can he convince her that their love is worth the risk after the fairy tale ends?

Blooming Hearts by Felicia Tatum ~ First love blooms as Francesca and Cade slowly begin their descent into the depths of true love.



Taking Charge by Shannon Macallan ~ Miranda expects Charleston to be hot, humid and boring as hell. What she finds instead is an entirely different heat with a cadet from a South Carolina military academy.

Chasing Shadows by Sophia Barron ~ When Delilah’s witchy ways threaten to pierce Joe’s shadows; the jaguar shifter must choose between darkness and light for eternity. Will bonds of love save their world or destroy it?

BUY IT NOW!

Amazon

B&N

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THEN Enter to win here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ALWAYS OUR LOVE Release Day!

 

ALWAYS OUR LOVE
is available now!
Finally . . . Jenna tells her story.

The third book in the Always Love Trilogy is here!

Jenna Sutton celebrated her twenty-first birthday by persuading Trent Wagoner, the guy she’d been crushing on for months, to sleep with her. When he broke her heart and crushed her dreams by rejecting her afterward, a devastated Jenna tried to end her life.

Trent has told his side of the story. So has Jenna’s mom, and her cousin, and just about everyone else in the small Georgia town of Burton.

Now it’s Jenna’s turn.

Over two years later, Jenna’s finally figuring out her life. Her job at the county historical society is steady and predictable, two elements she appreciates right now. She’s living on her own, and her world is peaceful, if lonely.

That is, until Lincoln Turner comes to town.

When Linc’s wife was killed in a car accident, she left him with two small children and a bleak future. Six years later, he’s a recovering alcoholic who’s just gotten his kids back and is ready to tackle a new position as co-owner of a building restoration company . . . in Burton.

Jenna isn’t looking for love, and Linc definitely doesn’t want any attachments. And neither of them are ready for the sparks that fly when a huge project brings them together. Still, the road to true love has more bumps than they could imagine. Making their way to a happy ending won’t be easy.

But this is Burton, and happily-ever-afters are a specialty of the house.

Buy your copy here!
iBooks/Amazon/Nook/Kobo/Google

~~~***~~~

Always For You, the first book in the Always Love trilogy, is now FREE for a limited time.
You can find it here:
Amazon/iBooks/Nook/Google/Kobo/Amazon UK/Amazon Australia

~~~***~~~

All of my Burton books are set to the best country songs. So it was only fitting that ALWAYS OUR LOVE, the third book in the Always Love Trilogy, includes some of my favorite hometown hits!
You can check out the list below and on Spotify (where you can follow me and see all of my books’ playlists).

 

Tawdra Kandle writes romance, in just about all its forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong women, sexy guys, hot love scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books include YA paranormal romance,  NA paranormal and contemporary romance, and adult contemporary and paramystery romance. She lives in central Florida with a husband, kids, sweet pup and too many cats. And yeah, she rocks purple hair.

 

Follow Tawdra:

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Instagram/Website/Newsletter/Amazon/BookBub

And if you love her books, join the Naughty Temptresses!

Authors, Readers and the Value of Art

This has been a tough week for me, for a myriad of different reasons, both personal and professional. Being an author is a crazy ride. I could, and have, shared all the ways I love what I do–and they’re all true. But at the same time, there’s a flip side, and it’s a little darker than you might think.

I’m not complaining. I’m lucky beyond the telling of it to be able to do what I love, and I am the most grateful person around. Being appreciative, though, doesn’t obligate one to pretend bad things don’t exist.

Putting the struggle into words wasn’t easy, ironically. I couldn’t quite pin down what was bothering until I read a post on Facebook.

These are the words of author CM Foss, as shared by K Langston. I linked the post here, so you can read it first-hand, if you’d prefer.

From the desk of CM Foss…

A Swan Song

Except I can’t sing, so I’ll spare you that.

From what I hear, basically everyone is aware of me bowing out of the biz here. It is not temporary and I am not sad about it.

What I am sad about are the astounding number of texts and emails I’ve received from other authors, ones who I thought had their shit together way more than me. Confessions of marital problems, anxiety, blood pressure dangers, misery, stress, guilt. They say they’re impressed, maybe even a little jealous, that I just shut it all down.

Guys. Wtf.

I am no expert. I’m a mess, quite honestly. But I’m really good at looking at things from an outside perspective and telling people what’s what. Since I’m no longer in the trenches, I can do that now.