Jerrie Alexander's Blog, page 18

Kick back with Alyson Reuben

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Today, I’m welcoming Alyson Reuben to the blog.  Alyson is one of the few authors who’ve made me cry. Her debut novel A BEAUTIFUL CAGE was that compelling. How powerful is that? To bring out that much emotion in the written word.

Join us while we celebrate the release of her new book, CASTLES WE BUILD.

Alyson’s Bio:

Back in elementary and high school, Alyson was always in trouble for jotting stories in her notebooks when she should’ve been studying for math tests. Detentions and trips to the principal’s office aside, she was determined to become an author someday, no matter the price.

Fast forward a few years — okay, actually several years — she began writing historical romance and women’s fiction, leading to the debut of A BEAUTIFUL CAGE, published by the Wild Rose Press in 2011.

Now she gets in trouble for writing stories when she should be cooking dinner for her family.

I’m going to ask her a few questions, and then we’ll share the CASTLES WE BUILD book cover, a blurb and excerpt. You do NOT want to miss the excerpt.

Your stories are full of interesting history and locations. How do you research for your novels?

Thank you! The story idea for A BEAUTIFUL CAGE  http://goo.gl/6x7w I sprang from my interest in WWII and Europe’s resistance movement. Its time-period was a sure thing, because of the specific dates and events. I made lots of notes, read books, searched archives and websites, and even watched documentaries. On the other hand, for CASTLES WE BUILD, I knew the central theme long before I realized it would be set in the 1920’s. As I sat down to make the notes and begin to write random scenes as they sprang to my mind, I realized that I was visualizing the characters wearing 1920’s clothes and driving luxury cars from that period. From there, I began to look up the historical details I’d need to get the story really off the ground – specific apparel (I bought a 1927 Sears Roebucks catalog for this), the exact model of cars, the language (this was especially fun because of Nan, Julia’s stepdaughter), the mannerisms, the social customs, and even the exact layout of a 1920’s yacht. Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I enjoyed finding all the details. I’m a research nut!

What about you current release excites you the most?

Everything! I’m always excited (and very nervous!) when my stories go public. By sharing my stories, I’m exposing a very deep part of myself that I would never dare reveal otherwise. As for CASTLES WE BUILD, I’m excited to find out what readers think of Julia’s whirlwind life. Are they surprised by the decisions she makes? Do they agree with her? Disagree? I have every intention of luring readers into in the late 1920’s world of fun, frolic, excitement, and danger, while filling them with a medley of emotions – alarm, joy, anger, hope, and, ultimately, a sense of victory. I don’t believe an author could hope for anything more.

Out of all your novels, which hero and heroine are your favorites? Why?

Uh Oh! I honestly can’t answer this one. Like a mother with her children, I don’t play favorites. *wink* Yet, I can say, that I’m mighty proud of Julia’s ability to cope after her world is turned upside-down, Landon’s magnificent good-looks and brave heroism, and Ford’s power and strength.

 What are you working on right now?

I’m in the process of revising a YA called, A FALLEN STARR, about a girl who works as a fortuneteller’s assistant in a traveling carnival, http://goo.gl/SWPn2. I’m also working on two untitled short stories for The Wild Rose Press.

 Do you ever hit the wall or find you’ve written yourself into a corner? How do you turn that around?

Ha ha! Oh, definitely! In fact, I was halfway into CASTLES WE BUILD before I knew which man Julia was going to decide to spend the rest of her life with. When the reader is locked in suspense, it’s a good thing. But, believe me, when the author is in a deadlock, it’s pretty scary! I cried in frustration. I pounded my desk. I yelled at the computer screen. I honestly had no idea how in the world Julia was going to rise to the top without crushing everyone in her path. Luckily, just when I was about to step away and take a long break, the characters took over and finished the story for me. They dictated the words and I simply wrote it all down. Well, not really. That would be too easy. It was still darned hard work and required typing like a madwoman until, by nightfall, I’d crawled into bed barely breathing.  But it was totally rewarding to write the final scene. So… does CASTLES WE BUILD have a completely happy finale? Are there bittersweet elements left over? Does Julia make the best choice in the end? I leave it up to readers to decide!

Okay…enough with the business stuff! How about some fun stuff! You know just between the two of us.

 Favorite food?

I like it all! Seriously. I love to eat. My favorites are Mexican dishes and Greek cuisine. As for desserts… anything chocolate and served with coffee!

Cook in or eat out?

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a gourmet chef. Not even close. Just ask my family. I’ve tossed a few dishes into the yard that even the wild animals steer away from! However, being a family kind of gal, I do cook simple meals on a regular basis. But I also like to eat out at my favorite restaurants. So, I guess it’s a toss-up.

 Do you have a pet? What did you name it and why?

Yes, we have Benjamin. He’s really my daughter’s tabby cat, but we’ve all grown to love him! She decided to call him “Benji” after hearing the name on the TV show “Monk”.

Beer or wine? Definitely wine!

 Tell us one thing about you that might surprise us…it can be a secret…we won’t tell.

Hmm… Well, I’ve been told a few times that I sing like Dolly Pardon (and, yes, I sing all the time!), quivery vibrato and all! I’m still hoping that it’s meant as a compliment. 

Tell us more about CASTLES WE BUILD.

Castles We Build’s blurb:

She has a chance to relive her past. But at what cost?

When Julia married the man of her dreams, Landon Sloane, neither of them could have predicted the destructive impact of The Great War. Finding herself a widow and single mother in a period ripe with women’s suffrage and the prohibition, Julia married wealthy industrialist Ford Hampton.

Now, ten years later, with a son attending an academy for the gifted, a daughter with special needs, and a flapper stepdaughter who tests her daily, Julia is hardly prepared for Landon’s return from his long foreign captivity to announce he has never stopped loving her.

Faced with unrequited love for Landon, her life truly begins to unravel with the intrusion of her mother, who abandoned her as a child, a devastating factory fire, and an alarming encounter with a tawdry bootlegger. Finally, when her son is kidnapped in a diabolical scheme of revenge, Julia knows she has to make a final decision that will forever change everyone and everything in her life.

Except:

There he is. A man whose memory I desperately tried to lay to rest at his memorial site in Westbrook Cemetery.

          Landon Sloane.

          For a few seconds, I wobble, my peripheral vision closing in. I’m about to pass out….

          Suddenly, he grins. And the grin does the same thing to me now that it did nine years ago, saving me from losing consciousness. Saving me, period.

          He holds out his arms, and I rush into them, moaning as his mouth claims mine in a kiss that’s like a drowning man clutching a lifesaver. Pulling me inside and reaching behind me to slam the door shut, his hands grip at my clothes and my hair, tangling in them as if hoping to extract the essence of everything I am.

          Now he’s kissing my cheeks. My forehead. My chin. The places behind my ears. The hollow of my neck. The skin above my lace collar. My breasts through the voile fabric. My legs as he pushes up the hem of my frock.

          And I’m falling backward on a bed that seems to have appeared like magic. Calling his name. Over and over. He answers me with a voice tinted by a slight brogue, as familiar as the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. Yes. Yes, he’s really Landon Sloane. Alive. Very alive. And my name is also on his lips, coming out in hoarse whispers, pressed against my skin, branding me with what’s always been there, never disappearing completely, but only lying dormant — my love for him.

          Rising above me, his body comes down over mine in the ancient way that has coupled countless lovers. In the same way that summoned us in the past with pleasure and intoxication. I grip him, pulling him closer, needing him to complete what’s lacking. To satiate me with his heat and energy….

          A little girl’s cry floats through the room.

          Gracie! Just that suddenly, I push Landon back, forcing his flushed face away from mine. No, I’m not thinking clearly. That wasn’t a girl’s voice. Just a bird outside the open window. One that has a trill similar to a child’s outburst.

          For several seconds Landon and I stare at each other, saying nothing. He looks the same. Yet, different in several ways. Slimmer…a little too slim. A leathery tan that makes his eyes brighter, as potent as midnight’s navy sky in a flash of lightning.

          I’m lying here half naked. With a husband I thought would never return from the war he left to fight nine years ago. And the question hits me like a rock to the stomach. “Why, Landon? Why didn’t you come home? Where have you been?”

          He visibly swallows, his face glistening with perspiration and what might very well be tears. “My ship sank off the coast of South Africa. Most of the men didn’t…. Anyway, me and my lieutenant were rescued by natives. They had bartering friends who traded with them. Local radicals who supported the enemy forces. I think a few of them even had direct ties with Germany.”

          His voice has deepened, grown huskier with age. I try to concentrate on his words, needing desperately to understand. To make sense of this unexpected phenomenon: the miracle of his rise from the dead.

          “So me and the lieutenant were arrested and held in an encampment. Seventeen straw huts surrounded by a high fence. Guards with guns and long pikes. Shared it with criminals and other detainees. We didn’t even know when the war was over. Guess they liked having free laborers too much to set us free. Or maybe they just liked trapping us like mice in a maze.” His voice is hard now. Gritty. Full of hatred and anger. In a tone I don’t recognize.

          “They finally released us last month. Because of some new political uprising, I think. I don’t know exactly who or what…. I only care that I’m free. Back where I can see you. Hold you. And…oh, God, if I can just get all this filth out of my head.” He sits up beside me, gripping the sides of his head.

          The hair at his temples is peppered with silver.

          It used to be completely dark, the color of coffee with no creamer.

          Like Brent’s.

          I reach for him, pulling him to me. Prison. For almost a decade. What a nightmare that must’ve been. The hurt is palpable, transferring between us. “It’s over, darling,” I whisper near his ear. “And I’m so glad you’re back, safe and sound. Alive.”

          He folds his arms around me so that we’re huddled in a ball. And we stay that way. Unmoving. Quiet. For a very long time.

          His heavy breathing steadies to a hoarse snore; the sound of a man who hasn’t had good, clean rest for a long time. He shifts, spreading out his arms in unconscious freedom. And I release him, sitting up gently in order not to wake him.

          The bedroom is mostly bare. A utilitarian iron bed. A dresser. A shabby club chair. But nothing else. I stare at the open window where the cage hangs, dangling slightly in the breeze. There are no finches in it. Or any other birds. The door is hanging open, facing the outside.

          He won’t cage anything again.

          I push my tousled hair from my face, combing both hands through the chin-length strands.

          None of this is the way it should be.

          It’s all messed up somehow.

          Ford’s face enters my mind. Just the way he looked last night, smiling at me from the dinner table.

          Oh, God.

          I’m married to someone else.

          And I have a family.

          Two men.

          Two husbands.

[image error]Castles We Build can be found at Amazon (ebook Kindle version will be available later this week): http://www.amazon.com/Castles-We-Build-Alyson-Reuben/dp/1479296104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348024240&sr=8-1&keywords=castles+we+build

Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Alyson-Reuben/e/B008MOD09E

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5171065.Alyson_Reuben

Website: www.alysonreuben.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AlysonReubenAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alysonreuben

 

Monday-Monday Elvis and Me!

My husband and I played poker at a friend’s house Friday night, where I lost at least twenty dollars. We do live a wild and crazy lifestyle. On the drive over, I’m pushing buttons on the radio, which drives my honey insane. Something outside (probably something shiny) caught my attention, and with finger hovering, I paused, paying little attention to two men talking on the radio.

The speaker had worked as a backup singer with Elvis Presley. He insisted singing wasn’t Elvis’ occupation. 

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Now, I’m listening and wondering…what??

The gentleman went on to say he believed Elvis sang because it was his vocation. He was ‘called’ to sing. Had to sing. Couldn’t have stopped singing if he’d tried, making the career in music Elvis’ vocation not his occupation. 

Okay. That comparison made me think.

I worked for years in logistics, not a glamorous profession, and truth be told, I entered with the plan to only work long enough to buy myself a new car. The new car came, but I stayed and rose up through the ranks, pushing that glass ceiling out of my way. The pay was great, I traveled all over the USA, and the people were wonderful.

That was my occupation.

So what’s different now?

I wasn’t compelled to do that job. In fact, when the contract ended, I decided to concentrate on my writing. Why? Because I have to write. I couldn’t stop if I tried.

Telling stories has always been my passion. To transport a reader to a different place or time, to touch a reader with my words, that’s my greatest desire. I try very hard to accomplish that on every page of every book.

Writing is my vocation.

I hope you see that passion in my books.

Now who would have thought I had anything in common with the King of Rock and Roll? But I do.

So tell me, what is your calling?

Monday – Monday

 

So I’ve decided to post each Monday. That’s not to say I won’t have a surprise guest show up from time to time, so be sure to subscribe to the feed. For now, I’m getting ready for the release of The Green-Eyed Doll on December 7th. Goddess Fish is lining up a virtual book tour, and I’ll post the schedule and a sparkling new video posted soon!

Holy cow, December 7th is right around the corner. Time passes slowly when you watch the clock, so I’m staying busy getting the word out. As a debut author, I’m feeling my way around.

I’ll confess the most daunting part is marketing. Staying active on social networks is critical, and I love chatting and keeping in touch with friends, readers, and fellow writers. It’s figuring out what works and what doesn’t that has bum-fuzzed me. It’s like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if it sticks.

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So here’s what I’ll promise each of you. I’ll never spam. I’ll never wave my cyber-arms in the air and cry buy my book. And I’ll never call in sick.

‘Cause really, my job is to write, and that’s what I’ll continue to do. I’ll be here honing my craft, spit polishing my words, and figuring out who to kill next. (metaphorically speaking of course.)

Release for hot, new “Vegas” Series – Are you feeling lucky?

Please welcome my first official guest, Mimi Barbour. Mimi’s kicking off a new series, and I’m thrilled to be part of the celebration!

Thank you Jerrie for letting me visit your blog today and for your support in helping me spread the news about my new series called “Vegas”

 

~ Welcome ~

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This is release day for the new romantic suspense

Vegas Series by Mimi Barbour

 

 

[image error] “Partners” Book One in the new Romantic Suspense Vegas Series. 

Riveting and fast-paced, this short blockbuster will introduce you to Aurora Morelli and Kai Lawson, the characters who are the stars of the Vegas Series.

In this novel, Aurora is forced to accept one very difficult fact—she’s lonesome for her partner Debbie. An attack by a maniac put paid to their working together and Aurora is pissed. She’s out to get the madman who hurt her friend and God help anyone who gets in her way.  Therefore when a new partner is forced on her, a bloody hotshot no less, the kind of dude she always stays as far away from as possible, she’s even more pissed.

This action–packed short is humorous and will sweep you into the lives of these Las Vegas Detectives. 

Short Excerpt – Chapter One

So this is what missing someone feels like. Kind of sad and lonely mashed together, eating away at you all day long. Aurora had never felt this way before; wouldn’t have given herself permission. This time the annoying ache refused to stop.

She seldom allowed gloomy thoughts to grab hold and mess with her head. But looking around the small office assigned to her and another, seeing the empty desk, sorrow gnawed away until she gave in. Her old partner Deb left behind a hollow emptiness, a sensation she wouldn’t ever admit to anyone else. What did you expect? She chastised herself. Not having the person you trust more than anyone else in the world backing you up sucked big time.

Two weeks ago, life had been normal. She’d gone to get a cup of the sludge they called coffee and left Debbie working on their backlog of case files. Returning to their office, Lieutenant Cory Ashton had caught up with her and they’d stepped into the room together, both coming to a dead stop. Debbie, who’d lately taken to the layered look with sloppy clothes, had bent over to pick something up from the floor and everything had draped open— her pregnant belly had been revealed for all to see. 

 

[image error]“Roll the Dice“ Book Two in the romantic suspense Vegas Series.

“You shot me!” Aurora is incensed. Her new partner shrugs and answers. “I saved your life.” From the very first page of this riveting story, these two battle for supremacy in trying to catch the serial rapist who ripped both their lives apart. With all her might, she fights the attraction to his baby blues that tease and start her internal warning devices humming. After all, her job is her life and determination has always been her lifeline.

Kai has a mission of honor to undertake. The man who’d raped his sister can’t be allowed to live. After all, she hadn’t! Revenge fills his soul while visions of his new partner fills his heart. The sassy woman rattles his calm, and he can’t keep his hands to himself. Doesn’t mean she has the power to stop him from doing what has to be done. 

Short Excerpt – Chapter One

“You shot me!”

“You told me to.”

“Dumb shit!” Aurora pushed her new partner from hovering over her so she could sit up. “I didn’t mean it. I just wanted you to scare Rhondo.” She felt blood poring from the wound on her arm and purposely kept her head turned away.

“Shooting you did scare him. He let you go, didn’t he?”

Aurora frowned at him. Why did his voice have to sound so damn reasonable?

“What-ever!” She hoped her scorn would get to him.

“Hey! I saw his eyes, you didn’t.  He had every intention of using that knife. You know, the sharp one he had pressed against your throat. If I’d shot him instead of you…” He shrugged.

Aurora shuddered, fighting off nausea. She didn’t want to listen to reason. Being angry made the situation a whole lot easier to deal with. Sarcasm, the best weapon she had in a macho man’s environment, replaced whining.

She glared at him and saw his shapely eyebrows rise. The light of the bulb hanging from the ceiling of the cruddy apartment haloed his head making the bare skin shine.  “Just my frigging luck to end up with a partner who thinks and looks like Bruce Willis.”

Kai chuckled. Her glower put a quick end to his merriment. He tried changing the subject with sweet talk. “I’ve been told I have a nicely shaped head for being bald.”

“Sure and it goes swell with your baby-blue eyes.” She sneered on purpose. No way would she admit he did look good.

His response was a grunt of displeasure. “Are you always this crabby?”

Disbelief shone in her amazed expression. “Not at all…” She said, disdain evident. “…only when I’ve been shot.”

 

“Vegas” Contest Rules

(Sept 15 – Sept 30th)

1. Read the book called “Roll the Dice”.

2. Write an honest review for Amazon.

3. Send a copy of Amazon’s notice to

mimibarbour@hotmail.com

Then…

you’ll have a chance at being the lucky winner of a

$50 Amazon Gift Certificate

I’ve purposely set the price of the book down to $.99 for this contest and on Sept 19 & 20 it will be promoted in the

www.Freepartay.com

and will be …

…you guessed it!

FREE!!!

Good Luck!!!

We Have Lift Off!

Welcome to my blog and my first post!

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I kicked around a few catchy titles before I decided on no title. Ramblings from a Fractured Mind was my favorite, which really in a nutshell describes me when I’m writing. But when it all shook out, this is just us getting to know each other.

That you’re here tells me you’re interested in reading, and I hope we’ll find even more things in common as time progresses.

Here’s where I need your help. What kind of articles would you like to see? What are your favorite topics? We can run the gamut, talking about life in general, movies, TV, or books. Want to know what worked and what didn’t on my path to publication? Or maybe, I’ll set aside one day a week to talk about beautiful men.

We’ll stay away from politics or religion. And I’m not a book reviewer. I’m a book lover and writer. Other than that, I’ll keep the door wide open. We’re a diverse nation, full of fun people with strong personal opinions, and I’d love you to stop by on a regular basis to share yours with me.

Considering the zillion or so blogs on the internet, I want to make this one different. Life is too busy and hectic not to have a place to slow down, to laugh, and sometimes just to stop and breathe. I hope this site becomes that place for you.

 

First Blog Post Coming Soon!

I’m attending the RWA Conference the last week in July. Soon as I’m home and settled in, I’m kicking off a weekly blog. Stop by on Mondays to see who posted. Might be me or one of my favorite authors. Fun Friday will be just that!

Stop by and chat!

Until then, thanks for stopping by.

Jerrie