Tawdra Kandle's Blog, page 39

I’m reading The Liar by Nora Roberts

I’ve been a Nora Roberts fan for a very long time. My favorites have always been her trilogies, whether they’re the romance with paranormal twists books or straight romance, but of course I enjoy her annual hardback romantic thriller releases, too.

The Liar was a book that intrigued me. I was excited to read it and see if it lived up to the hype. The first few chapters were. . .slow. Now whether they really were or whether my perception of them was colored by my recent new adult romance reading, I can’t say. I do know that although the story was building, slow but sure, it wasn’t quite gripping me yet.

The shift came when the female lead, Shelby, returned with her young daughter to her family and home in the mountains of Tennessee. Here the story not only picked up pacing, the heart of the tale began to beat. There was such connection between Shelby and her family and friends,and their community, that it became almost another character in the story.

Of course, the love story didn’t hurt either. Griffin was a leading man worthy of the title, and his part never faltered.

One of the things I’ve always loved about Nora Roberts is that she doesn’t fall into trite traps in her books. We might anticipate the fight that’s going to alienate the romantic leads, but Nora derails it before it happens. She takes another route and leads us to the inevitable conclusion with finesse and style.

This book was no different when it came to the love story, but the thriller part was fairly predictable. No spoilers here, but I’d called the main situation before I reached the halfway point in the book, and I’m frankly surprised no one in the story itself did, too.

Happily, as in all of Nora’s books, the excellent writing, heart-melting love story and fabulous characterization trumps any weak plot lines. I enjoyed this book; it lingered on my mind for days afterward, and I can gladly recommend it.

Crystal Cove Cover Teasers!

This is going to be a summer of lovin’ . . . beach lovin’! And really, is there anything better?

I’m excited beyond the telling that the next two Crystal Cove books are coming out. Their release dates are June 29th and August 23rd.

AND The Posse, the book that started it all and made us everyone want to live in the Cove (or at least keep a summer house there!) will be included in a special beach-themed box set coming out June 28th. You heard it here first, folks. More info coming very soon, but here are some of the preorder links!

iBooks/Nook/Kobo

Last week, I revealed the gorgeous new cover for The Posse on my Facebook page. I’m including it here today . . . along with the brand-new, not-yet-seen-outside-the-Temptresses cover for The Plan. I adore these covers so freaking much–aren’t they amazing? (MUCHO love to Stephanie Nelson of Once Upon A Time covers!!)

So here’s The Posse‘s dreamy new look . . .

 

And this is the cover for The Plan, releasing June 29th!

 

Emmy Carter is a hard-working, no-nonsense woman. She’s focused only on supporting her family and growing her pie business. Working weekend nights at The RipTide is just something she does to help pay the bills. When it comes to men–or love–she’s not interested. Since the day her surfer-boy husband walked out the door to find bigger waves, Emmy’s been determined never to give another man power over her heart.

Cooper Davis agrees. He’s been married–and divorced–twice, and he’s got no desire to make it a trifecta. He has his carpentry business, which is his passion, and his teen-aged daughter to keep him busy. The posse, his best friends since boyhood, tease him about finding the right woman. But Cooper knows she doesn’t exist.

When Emmy and Cooper share a casual hook-up late one night, isn’t a big deal. It’s just a one-time thing. Until it isn’t. And although neither of them will admit to themselves or each other that they want more, each encounter only brings them closer to the happily-ever-after they never planned to have.

Like it or not. . .it’s all part of The Plan.

iBooks/Amazon/Nook

When the song tells a story

 

When I was growing up, we spent a lot of time in the car. My dad was in the Army, and then he was with a company that moved us around quite a bit–and beyond that, we loved to travel, so we drove across the country, east to west and north to south. I loved it.

One of my favorite parts was listening to music with my parents. Both my mom and dad had a passion for popular music that they’ve passed on to their children and grandchildren. I enjoyed the music, of course, but I especially liked the stories that my dad told about the lyrics, the artists or even about how he and my mom had discovered this song or what it meant to them.

Stagger Lee was the song my dad sang at the ninth grade lip synching contest at school.

When he first heard Herman’s Hermits singing I’m Into Something Good, he made an unprecedented mid-week call from West Point to my mom in New Jersey, to play it for her.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight came out my dad’s first year at West Point, when he wasn’t allowed to listen to radios or records. He heard bits and pieces of it from the rooms of upperclassmen and was mystified by the weem-o-wep.

Today it’s me telling my kids the stories, both from their grandparents and from my own history. Someday, they’ll tell their own children. It’s our own personal form of oral tradition.

And sometimes, those stories spark an idea that leads to a book. Those are good days.

Next week we’ll talk about songs that tell a story all their own.

Five From Patrick Friar

Welcome to Five From Friends Friday!
Each week, I’ll share with you five quick and quirky questions and answers
from some of my favorite author friends.
I think you’ll see some familiar faces in here, too.
Quickies from Patrick Friar

Author Patrick Friar will be joining us at Indie BookFest this summer! Check out his book and his interview.

Q: Wine or beer?

A: Wine. Moscato.

Q: Think of your favorite of your own characters. What attribute, physical or otherwise, would you most like to have yourself?

A: Damon’s guts to wrestle with two tensions that many  shirk the courage to do with honest soul scouring intensity; religious faith and human sexuality .

Q: A famous producer appears on your doorstep and offers to turn any book you like (by any author) into a Broadway play. Which novel would you choose? 

A: One of Anne Tyler’s brilliant people portrait  writings  either A Beginner’s Goodbye, or St Maybe , or Breathing Lessons.

Q: It’s a gorgeous Saturday morning in early June. How will you spend the day, assuming time and money are both limitless?

A: How about on one of those ivory sandy beaches  with aquamarine surf next to me  . Not very much attire… a great book say from a fellow or maiden Indie author, and a stocked cooler. 

Q: Brownies or chocolate chip cookies?

A: My mom baked the best. Won the hearts of all my high school friends on bus trips many years ago . Have to go with Moms famous chocolate chip cookies 

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Damon is faced with a trial that shakes the depths of his soul. His spirituality is tested as he encounters the unyielding pull of sexual desires. Controversial and absorbing, Stained Glassis the story of a man whose own passions tear him apart with indecision.

 pastorsdamon.com/Amazon

  

Patrick Friar has had many years of experience in ministry. While becoming familiar with the inner workings of different smaller and larger church congregations, he finished work with a doctorate. Friar operates regularly as a therapist working with couples, individuals, and groups. He calls North Carolina home. He enjoys being a family man and is well-traveled. Friar enjoys a good steak, watching sports, playing golf, listening to music, and spending time with his family.

Follow Patrick here: Website/Facebook

Spring into Romance Hop!

 

 

Over 80 authors and bloggers are participating in the Hop and offering giveaways! On my Facebook page, you can win an ebook copy of THE FIRST ONE and a $10 Amazon or iBooks gift card.

Stop by here to enter and then hop around to all the pages.

Want to enter the giveaways? Start by clicking here then hop from page to page!

 

Sex, Power, Feminism and the New Adult Heroine (Part 2)

I ended last week’s This Author’s Life #Thursday with this question:

So how does that increased sexual assurance translate into a twenty-first century feminism and female and empowerment?

And now it’s time to talk about it.

I’ve been a feminist all of my life, though that ideology has taken a variety of forms, and some purists might argue that I’ve deviated from the path now and then. However, in the strictest sense of the word–that feminism is all about advocating for and believing in the rights and abilities of women–I’ve always been a feminist. I believe women have the ability to do whatever they desire.

However, while I know that women and men should be treated equally, it doesn’t necessarily mean the same. While I know that I can hold a job, lead a government or fight in a battle, I still want to have doors held for me. I still want a man to treat me like a lady, and I am more than happy to treat him like a gentleman. Equality does not negate gender roles.

In 2015, we pay nice lip service to equality. There is a still a gender gap in wages, and there still exists some sense that women cannot be responsible or strong as men. We’ve passed laws to make changes, but laws don’t change hearts and minds.

Women who are strong and take charge are still thought as bitchy, while men who do the same are admired.

Women whose comfort with their sexuality might lead to multiple partners are considered sluts, while men who sleep with multiple women are called studs.

Let’s stop and consider this: if we persist in this way of thinking, we are not only slowing the evolution of women’s rights, we are in effect creating a class of women who can never be anything but so-called sluts. If we allow that men having multiple sex partners is okay–but the same is not true for women–there must be a group of women having sex with the studs whom society will shame and deride.

Do you see the level of unfairness here?

How does this, any of this, relate to books and writing? Well, I believe strongly that how we depict people in fiction has an enormous impact on how we view and related to them in real life. So when we only create characters who make ‘good’ sexual choices and reward them accordingly within the story, we’re saying that’s what we expect of girls outside literature. When we choose to punish characters who make what society might consider questionable sexual choices–through consequence or simply by portraying them as less than desirable–we’re saying that women can only expect those same results in real life.

Let’s take the book I’ve been talking about all week, Sarina Bowen’s The Shameless Hour. If you haven’t read it and you don’t want to be spoiled, please stop now. I can’t delve into this topic without talking about specifics.

We all good? Spoilers are okay?

Bella is a character who, it is clear from the beginning, has made sexual choices that are very different from those we usually see in our heroines. Bella likes sex. She has a lot of it. She’s friendly and tactile with her friends on the hockey team, and she’s mistrusted and not liked by other girls. Bella doesn’t have girl friends.

When she meets Rafe, he’s just been dumped by his girlfriend on the night they were slated to have sex for the first time, both of them virgins. Bella comforts Rafe, and then, as it’s second nature to her, she has sex with him, not knowing that this is his first experience.

Rafe’s guilt for sleeping with a girl he doesn’t know well and for indulging in what he sees as casual sex makes him leave in the middle of the night and avoid Bella for weeks. Bella, for her part, feels the rebuff as judgment on Rafe’s part. It hurts, even though she doesn’t regret her actions.

She does end up regretting a night with a football player not long thereafter, because the jerk gives her chlamydia. When she goes to tell him, so that he can be treated, too, he drugs her drink and with his frat brothers, writes horrible and derisive words on her body, takes pictures and puts them up on a website.

Now Bella is broken. She’s alone, devastated that this could happen to her. Rafe comes to her aid, and over the course of the next months, he helps her to recover both mentally and emotionally, with the help of a new friend–Bella’s first female pal.

What’s different about this book is that we are on the side of the shamed female. We’re not seeing this story through the eyes of the hockey player’s girlfriend, the ‘good’ girl who hates the slutty team manager. We see Bella as a real, whole person, not a caricature. And Rafe, in all his undoubted masculinity, is this time in the role we so often see saved for girls: he wants sex to mean something. He wants a relationship with Bella, not just casual fun. He’s willing to wait and deny himself in order to have that. It’s a nice change to see a man portrayed with such feeling.

Bella is a strong, powerful character. Part of that strength is her sexuality and her comfort with it. I feel that Joss in Undeniable is the same, and even Meghan from The Last One. I’m happy that we’re seeing more of these women populating our books.

Until we’re ready to accept strong sexualized females in our favorite stories, we won’t be able to accept them in our society.

And now I’m climbing off my soap box. Next week we’ll talk about something far more frivolous and not at all weighty. I promise.

I’m Reading The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen

We’ve been playing with a theme here the last week or so: strong females, sexuality and how it’s all portrayed in contemporary literature, more specifically in New Adult romance. The book I’ve been reading over the last week is a perfect example of how that’s done well.

You might remember I read the first two Ivy Years books last month and really enjoyed them. I was thrilled to see this new installment come out in April, but since it didn’t involve the main characters from the first two, I was a little worried. Happily, the story was so good and the characters so very engaging that I was immediately captivated. But what drew me in even more was one of the main themes of this novel: healthy sexuality and the role of shaming in our culture.

Bella, the female lead, is an unabashedly sexual character. It’s clear early on that she’s perfectly comfortable with her own body, with her sexuality and with a series of partners. She’s the hockey team’s manager, and she’s definitely more at home with men than she is with girls; we notice that she doesn’t really have any female friends, and the attitudes of the hockey girlfriends are less than warm. Still, the fact that Bella doesn’t feel shame–and in fact celebrates her choices–makes the reader comfortable with her, too.

When she encounters her upstairs neighbor Rafe needing some cheering up, Bella does what comes naturally. His response–or Bella’s perception of it–in the weeks that follow shake her convictions, but what happens next nearly destroys her life. I won’t spoil it, but the way the author weaves this story, subtly showing how easy it is to jump to judgement in situations we don’t understand, is remarkable and extremely well-done.

The juxtaposition of Bella’s open sexuality and that of the men at her school, and how both of those are perceived by others, is eye-opening. (More on that Thursday.)

From a strictly-story point of view, this was fabulous. The love story is gently developed, with believable ebbs and flows. Bella’s evolution and maturity is also nicely done, and I’m excited that one of the related characters will have her own story! (Yay! More Ivy Years!)

If you haven’t tried these books yet, I highly recommend them. Actually, I can’t say enough good about them. One click ‘em now.

The One Trilogy Tease

THE L AST ONE

“Hi.” Her voice was low, and one side of her mouth lifted in a smile.

“I see you girls got home. Finally.” I didn’t mean to say them, but the words came blasting out before I thought about it. Because she was Meghan, and she never did what I expect-

ed, she only lifted one eyebrow.

“I brought your sister home as promised, safe and sound.

I had one beer, hours ago, and my car didn’t break down.” She slid her foot between both of mine, her eyes still steady. “This is where you say, ‘Thank you, Meghan.’”

I let out a breath. “Yeah. Thanks. How drunk is she? Did she get groped?”

“Not by me.” Her smile grew, and she pivoted sideways and dropped onto my lap. Out of instinct, I caught her by the hips.

“What are you doing?”

“You brought up groping. It seemed like a good idea.” She leaned onto my chest and twined her arms around my neck. “You kissed me this morning. I know you said it was a mistake, and maybe you meant that. But right now, I don’t care. I want to kiss you.” She brought her lips to my jaw, nipping along the line until she reached my ear. “What do you think, Sam?”

iBooks/Amazon

THE FIRST ONE

“How did I ever get lucky enough to deserve you?” Ali laid her head on the back of the seat. “What do you see in me? I’m not special.”

“You’re the most special. Ali, you’re beautiful, and not just on the outside. You’re nice to people, you’re funny, and . . .” I shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t describe it. I just know it.”

“I love you, Flynn.” She said it as though she couldn’t help it, as though the words surprised her as much as they did me. “I—I know that sounds weird, or maybe you’re not ready—”

“I love you, Ali.” I spoke before she could backtrack any- more. “I’ve loved you for a long time. It’s not weird. It just is.”

“When did you know?”

I hesitated. I wasn’t sure she’d want to hear this, to know the truth. But I’d promised to be honest and open with her always. “It was after your parents. After the accident.”

There was a brief flare of pain on her face, but she didn’t look away, so I went on. “You were hurting so much, and you were so sad. Crushed. I knew then that I never wanted to leave you. I wanted to do anything to make sure you never had to feel that way again, for the rest of your life. I never want to be away from you.” I sucked in a breath and for the first time, I spoke the words that would both define us and doom us. “I want you to come with me, Ali, when I leave Burton. This town, it’s just . . . too small. I’m getting out of here as soon as we graduate. I’m going to see the world. I’m going to travel as far as I can, for as long as I can. And I want you to come with me.”

iBooks/Amazon

 

THE ONLY ONE

I opened the kitchen door, sniffing in appreciation. Meat- loaf. But although dinner was clearly underway, Rilla and Piper were nowhere to be seen. I was about to call their names when I heard music coming from down the hall.

Following the sound, I headed for my mother’s room, where the unmistakable lyrics and tune of Come on, Eileen were blasting. I glanced into the room and then did a double take.

Rilla was dancing. She had the music turned up loud, and she was swinging her hips in time with it. Those jeans that had been making me hot and bothered for quite a while clung to her ass as she shook it. And she was singing along.

I was a musician, and even more, I had the gift of recognizing musical talent. It had been my job in Nashville, and I was damned good at it. I’d heard the magic in Lu’s voice the first time we met. It had been a big part of falling in love with her.

Rilla didn’t have talent. She didn’t sing badly, but she was barely on key. She wasn’t going to win any talent contests, and she’d never be signing a recording contract. But all the same, the sound of her belting out those words, some of which she got horribly wrong, was one of the most beautiful sounds I’d ever heard.

She was singing with such joy and abandon. And she was dancing with the same freedom. My pretty girl had never looked more beautiful to me.

iBooks/Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where do you find your musical muse?

I’m just about to start on a new book, and I need musical inspiration. Most of the time, I have one or two songs that let me know what genre the playlist will be, but it doesn’t always fall out easily.

There’s a few ways that I find new songs. One is just random listening. I’ll start writing, or even just working on promotions or other business fun, with music in the background. The catch is that it can’t be music I’ve selected. I’ll toss on the music channel on my television, or I’ll click on Pandora or Spotify and just randomize the music. Usually, it becomes background noise until suddenly a phrase or lyric will jump out at me . . . at which point I scribble down the name and artist, add it to a list of potentials (and usually look up the lyrics, too).

I’ve discovered not only new songs, but new bands that way, too.

Another great source of new muse comes from my kids. When I drive my daughter to work, she’s always playing brand-new, cutting-edge music. I frequently say, “Who is that? Send me the name!”

I’m in that stage now as I write The Plan. I know a little about Emmy’s taste–she loves her some country–and I just discovered that Cooper is still wrapped up in the hard-rock of the ’80s . . . so I’m listening to an odd mix of both right now.

How do you find new music?

Five From Juli Valenti

Welcome to Five From Friends Friday!
Each week, I’ll share with you five quick and quirky questions and answers
from some of my favorite author friends.
I think you’ll see some familiar faces in here, too.
Quickies from Juli Valenti

I was trying to remember exactly how I ‘met’ Juli Valenti. I know we were chatting about something bookish related, and then she was involved in a promotion we did this past winter. We also met up at Coastal Magic in February . . . she’s a fellow Floridian. Give her a big hello!

Q: You’re a Florida girl. If you were offered your choice of an annual pass to any local amusement park—transportation included—would you choose Disney World, Sea World, Universal or Legoland?

A: Disney World!!!! I’m a huge child at heart and I’ve only been once.

Q: You’re on a cruise, and the captain says you get to choose the dinner menu for the last night at sea. What will be served?

A: Hmm. tough one… depends on my mood, I guess. Probably Prime Rib, Green Beans (just like Outbacks) and a Caesar salad. For dessert: Key Lime Pie, Black Forest Cake, and Strawberry shortcake

Q: A genie offers you the chance to take your best friend and spend a day in *one* of the worlds you created in your books. Which book-world will you visit with your friend?

A: All of my worlds are real-time, and not different from every day life. If i could visit ANY world, though, it would probably be Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series

Q: What’s the one item you must have with you at the beach?

A: Sunscreen! A LOT of it. Maybe I need to go into business making sunscreen that protects the ultra-fair peoples like me. (I’m the only perpetually pale person in Florida!)

Q: The Property Brothers are going to help you find your dream home. What three elements are absolutely essential for your perfect house?

A: Light – I want to see the outside when I’m inside, using less electricity. Open floor plans with high ceilings and not a lot of walls (walls make me claustrophobic). A large backyard with a patio so I could sit outside and watch my kids play safely while I write and bask in the warmth of Florida (covered, of course, so I don’t burn like bacon!)

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Juli Valenti grew up in a small town in Arkansas, known for Wal-mart, which is no longer small but is still known for the grocery store. Lucky for her, she didn’t retain an accent, despite her overuse of ya’ll when talking. She currently resides in sunny Florida with her husband and two young boys. If her world wasn’t crazy enough, she also works a full time day job, as well as owns her own editing company (Juli’s Elite Editing).

Follow Juli here:

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Website

 

Pieces in Chance

Drew Townsend has lived anything but a charmed life. When her mother died from cancer, her father snapped, using her as his own personal punching bag. After taking one too many beatings, she took things into her own hands. Determined to escape the nightmare she was living, a desperate Drew does the only thing she can think of to end it all.

Jensen Marks, a former Marine and now police officer in the small town of Chance, had seen a lot of things in his years – war, beatings, crying children – yet none of it kept him up at night. So once he met Drew, he’s perplexed by the way she got under his skin. After years of everyone turning their back on what was going on, Jensen takes it upon himself to see a change in her.

Can Jensen help Drew pick up the missing pieces of herself or will he push her into losing yet another piece in Chance?

Amazon/Nook