Adele Downs's Blog, page 43

Love The Earth, #EarthDay2015

I never get tired of wearing my vintage 1970 booster button to commemorate the very first Earth Day. Back then, I had no idea what Earth Day was about, but one of the cutest boys in school gave me this button, and so I wore it on my t-shirt. I thought it might have something to do with protesting, since I wore protest buttons, too, but I knew as little about war then as I did about preserving the environment.

Time has changed my awareness, of course, and my 1970 Earth Day button means, quite literally, the world to me. Rock on, Earth Day!

For more information about the history of Earth Day visit: http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement

Filed under: Environment Tagged: Earth Day 1970, Earth Day 2015, First Earth Day booster button

Guest Post, Lori Mann–Boudoir, Pin-Up and Glamour Photography

I met aspiring romance author Lori Mann at my local chapter of Romance Writers of America and became fascinated by her impressive career as a pin-up, boudoir, and glamour photographer in the Philadelphia area. The romance industry is fueled by fantasy, and sensual photography for the everyday woman might be the ultimate fantasy experience. I invited Lori, writing as Lauren Sydney Strauss, to tell us about her studio and the business she’s built exclusively for women, by women, that has served clients from many parts of the world.

Are you curious about boudoir photography? Have you considered giving it a try? Do you have questions or comments for Lori Mann? Please post your thoughts and welcome Lori in the comments section.

(Lori Mann, Owner, Lori Mann Photography)

Thank you for inviting me to join your blog today, Adele. I’ve been a professional photographer focusing (no pun intended) solely on boudoir, glamour, and pin-up photography for eighteen years. I’m incredibly blessed to have one of the most fun jobs in the world!

I work out of a beautiful studio surrounded by private woodland tucked away in Newton Square, Pennsylvania. My clients are without fail fun, delightful women of all shapes, sizes, and ages—one client even did a (modest) glamour shoot to celebrate her 75th birthday!

A typical boudoir session runs about five hours. During that time we’ll put on music, pour champagne, and my professional hair and makeup artist gets the client all dolled up. Then I guide the client through the photo shoot, including instructing her on poses and expressions and reminding her to breathe!  I always joke that my clients walk in the door giggling and nervous, and walk out laughing, smiling, and strutting like a lingerie model on the catwalk.

Women come in for boudoir shoots for a variety of reasons: presents for their spouse on anniversaries or holidays, or to celebrate their own achievements such as significant weight loss or a milestone birthday. The romantic in me is always particularly touched, though, by the military wives who send these photos to their husbands serving long stints overseas—these very personal pin-up portraits help keep the proverbial home fires burning.

But what I find is true for every one of my clients is that while they may be shooting with their man in mind, in the process they discover something for themselves—that they’re every bit as sexy and confident as any model or movie star. The tears of joy I see in so many of their eyes when they view their final glamorous images become the incredible gift my career gives me.

Find out more about my photography at www.LoriMannPhotography.com where I am currently running a special through May. Also, feel free to find my romance-writing alter ego, Lauren Sydney Strauss, at Facebook.com/laurensydneystrauss or Twitter @LaurenSStrauss.

Filed under: Original Photography, Photography, Places in Pennsylvania, Romance Tagged: boudoir photography, Lori Mann, Lori Mann photography, sensual photography

LIP SERVICE by Adele Downs, Coming April 28!

Coming April 28, 2015!
LIP SERVICE by Adele Downs

A novel.

Light paranormal romance

From Boroughs Publishing.

The ghost of Aunt Ada comes with the old house Legs Anderson inherits, but her prudery will be no match for the lifelong love, the unstoppable lust, and the sexy schemes of Legs and her lover Jack Harris to free themselves of Ada’s spirited meddling.

Cover art, summary, and excerpt coming soon!

Filed under: Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Kindle Book, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Romance Fiction, Romantic Fiction Tagged: Adele Downs, Lip Service, New Release!, novel, Paranormal Contemporary Romance, paranormal romance

Celebrate Surviving Tax Time with 25% off All Romance eBooks!

All Romance eBooks is offering 25% off on select ebooks today only, Tax Day, to give you a financial break.

Shop, have fun, and save! My publisher, Boroughs Publishing Group, is participating and most of my books are on sale! Find books by Adele Downs in the search bar.

Filed under: Amazon Top 100 Best-Seller, Romance Fiction, Romantic Fiction Tagged: All Romance eBooks, Sale, Tax Day Sale

Orchids, Original Photographs

Original photographs taken with my Fuji digital camera at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA.

Photos copyright Adele Downs.

Filed under: Family, Flowers and Gardens, Historical Sites in Pennsylvania, Original Photography, Photography, Places in Pennsylvania, Places to Visit in the USA, Seasons of the Year Tagged: Adele Downs, Longwood Gardens, Orchids, Original Photographs

Immortals, Vikings, Celestials, and Fantasy Romance

While surfing the Web one day I had a happy accident. During research for an article I was working on, I stumbled across unrelated information about the gods, demi-gods, and Light Elves of Norse mythology. The lore drew me in, and I wanted to learn more.

I’d never heard of Light Elves—the angel-like beings whose sole purpose was to serve the gods and humanity. These celestial creatures lived in Alfheim (Elf Land) “the place between heaven and earth” in “the west beyond the seas” and could communicate with both deities and mortals.

The Light Elves were described as tall, blond celibate males so handsome they were “fairer to look upon than the sun.” In the middle of the night they would come to earth surreptitiously to complete the chores of deserving individuals. My creative mind went into overdrive when I pictured a handsome immortal cleaning house!

What would happen, I wondered, if a Light Elf got caught? And what if the woman who found him was beautiful? Would he risk the wrath of his god and put his tasks aside after centuries of celibacy to make love to her? If they fell in love, how would he commit to her and reconcile the distance between heaven and earth? My questions formed a story idea that became a manuscript.

In my new release, HER IMMORTAL VIKING, Gunnar of Alfheim is a warrior unjustly cast into eternal servitude and made a Light Elf by an angry god. When he falls in love with Penelope, a modern day mortal, he must find a way to link heaven and earth and cross the divide of a thousand years to clear his name and claim her.

HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs

Summary:

Divine intervention. That’s all Penny asks. Freedom from overwork and mountainous debt. She sings songs of praise, chants like a yogi, and rubs her belly like Buddha until the crystal charm on her navel shimmers, all hoping to draw the attention of someone—anyone—“up there.”

In the west, beyond the seas, from the place between Heaven and Earth, an immortal hears Penny’s cries. Once a renowned Viking warrior, Gunnar has been cast into eternal servitude by an angry god. Now, while Penny sleeps, he comes to Earth to grant her wishes. But Penny is about to wake up, and so is every desire she’s ever known. To claim their fairy-tale ending, Gunnar must find a way to clear his name. Not only must his sword arm and courage stay strong, but their powerful love must cross the divide of a thousand years.

**

What reviewers are saying about HER IMMORTAL VIKING:

“Once again, Adele Downs creates the perfect love story.” 5★ ~Girl With Pen

“Downs’ clever mash-up of Viking elements and contemporary romance (and oh, the hot, hot Viking!) make this novella an absolute winner.” 5★~Words, Words, Words

Buy HER IMMORTAL VIKING on Amazon!

Buy the book on Apple iTunes!
Also available on Smashwords and All Romance eBooks
For More Information: Boroughs Publishing

Filed under: Amazon Top 100 Best-Seller, Fantasy Romance, Romance Novella, Romantic Fiction Tagged: Adele Downs, Amazon Top 100 Best-Seller, Fantasy Romance, Her Immortal Viking, Novella

Carpe Diem, Read a Book

Have you read a good book lately?

Filed under: Romantic Fiction Tagged: Adele Downs, Original Photographs, Sunrise

Contest Winners! HER IMMORTAL VIKING Book Tour

Contest Winners! Contest Winners!

Many thanks to everyone who followed HER IMMORTAL VIKING during the book blog tour and got the word out through tweets, Google Plus, and Facebook shares. Your enthusiasm for the story is greatly appreciated. If you picked up a copy, read the book, and enjoyed it, I’d also be grateful for your review on Amazon and Goodreads. Don’t have your copy yet? HER IMMORTAL VIKING is available at all major ebook retailers.

Rafflecopter selected the following people for contest prizes. I will contact each winner individually via email. Thank you again for your participation! I hope you enjoy your gifts.

Winners:

$10 Starbucks Gift Card

Winner – Deb P

Kindle gift copies of NATURALLY YOURS by Adele Downs


Winner – Alan S
Winner – Kellie C-S
Winner – Juana E

Kindle gift copies of KISSING HER COWBOY by Adele Downs

Winner – Melissa C
Winner – Gabrielle C
Winner – Heather T

Buy HER IMMORTAL VIKING on Amazon!
Buy the book on Apple iTunes!
Also available on Smashwords and All Romance eBooks
For More Information: Boroughs Publishing


Filed under: Contest, Prizes Tagged: Book Blog Tour, Contest Winners, Her Immortal Viking by Adele Downs

Celebrate Spring! Original Photographs

Happy Spring!

After the horrible, terrible, long and miserably cold winter we had, including the surprise snow storm on March 20, the first official day of spring, I couldn’t be happier to see the seasons change. The sun is out in Pennsylvania! To celebrate, I thought I’d share some of my favorite springtime photos, taken with my Fuji digital camera.

Enjoy! Carpe Diem!

(Original photos copyright Adele Downs.)

Filed under: Flowers and Gardens, Original Photography, Photography, Places in Pennsylvania, Seasons of the Year, Spring Equinox Tagged: Adele Downs, Celebrate Spring!, Original Photographs, Spring flowers

Cinderella 2015, Film Review

If you’ve been on the fence about going to the movies to see the new Cinderella, directed by Kenneth Branagh, here’s my unbiased, purely subjective opinion: get off the fence and go. I loved it, and I think you will, too. Everything about this film is sumptuous and beautiful, and even though we know the story by heart and can follow along, this version makes the tale feel fresh. The gorgeous costuming, outstanding acting, and stunning visual effects are nothing short of magical.

As a romance author, I’m naturally drawn to fairy tales, but I particularly wanted to see this movie because it stars Kate Blanchett, arguably one of the greatest actors of our time. (If you missed her Best Actress, Academy Award winning performance in Blue Jasmine, rent the film. She’s amazing!) Blanchett is fabulously evil as Cinderella’s stepmother, though one of the things I liked best about her character was the glimpse of Lady Tremaine’s backstory and motivation. Maybe someone in Hollywood will write a script for her, because I think the stepmother’s story could be the most interesting of all the Cinderella characters.

The mean stepsisters, Drizella and Anatasia, played by Sophie Mc Shera and Holliday Grainger, were both terrific in their roles, as was Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother. The leads—Cinderella, played by Lily James, and Prince Charming, played by Richard Madden, were both so breathtakingly beautiful it became impossible to look away, especially when they waltzed at the ball. Both characters brought tears to my eyes during their scenes with their dying parents. Screenwriters Chris Weitz and Aline Brosh McKenna added strokes of emotional depth with these touching goodbyes. And the wedding scene—wow! Major kudos to the costume designer and the superb hair and makeup designs. I see Academy Awards in their immediate future.

Cinderella 2015 is a story for everyone, young and old, male or female. I went to see the film at the local IMAX theater with my husband, my Prince Charming of nearly 30 years, and we didn’t feel the least out of place. We did hold hands through much of the film, though. Cinderella and her prince had that effect on us.

Filed under: Movies, Romance Fiction, Romantic Fiction, Theatre Tagged: Adele Downs, Cinderella 2015, Fairy Tale, Movie Review