Babs Hightower's Blog, page 92
August 17, 2015
IN THE DRINK by Allyson K. Abbott- blog tour, review, recipe and giveaway
In The Drink
by Allyson K. Abbott
In the Drink
(Mack’s Bar Mysteries Book 3)
Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0758280190
Synopsis
Mack’s Bar and its crime-solving clientele are quickly gaining notoriety for helping solve some high-profile cases. But Mack is learning the hard way that not all press is good press…
By day, Mackenzie “Mack” Dalton is the proprietress of a popular Milwaukee watering hole. But after last call, she uses her unique cocktail of extra perceptive senses to help solve some of the city’s most grisly homicides. Now, Mack and her barstool detectives are happy to help when Tiny, one of the bar’s newest patrons, asks them to look into his sister’s murder. Though the case has gone cold, Mack’s heightened senses quickly put her on the killer’s trail. But when a throng of reporters intrigued by her talents descends on Mack’s Bar, her efforts are muddled as a real-life Moriarty begins putting her infamous skills to the test, leaving Mack feeling shaken and stirred…
My thoughts:
This is the 3rd book in this series and I have not read the other books. I will now but I was not lost reading this one. It seems most people are jealous of Mack and her bar. The media has become aware of Mack’s ability to solve cases after hours.
The book was pretty good I liked how the author had some second stories to the plot and everyone seemed to work together. It was a quick read that other readers will enjoy. I will be grabbing the other books in this series.
* Includes drink recipes *
Murder on the Rocks by Allyson K. Abbott
SUMMER LIGHTNING LEMONADE
½ oz. berry vodka (e.g., raspberry, blueberry, blackberry)
½ oz. gin
½ oz. white rum
½ oz. Triple Sec
½ oz. tequila
2 tbsp. lemon juice concentrate
Lemon-lime soda
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add all ingredients but the soda and shake for thirty seconds. Pour into a large glass and top off with lemon-lime soda.
To make a non-alcoholic Summer Lightning Lemonade, shake together equal parts of a berry juice of your choosing (or crushed berries if in season) and frozen lemonade concentrate. Pour into a glass and top off with lemon-lime soda.
About The Author
Allyson K. Abbott is the pseudonym of a mystery and thriller writer who also works as an emergency room nurse. She lives in a small Wisconsin town with her family. Visit her at bethamos.com.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6567174.Allyson_K_Abbott
Purchase Links
Amazon
B&N INDIE BOUND
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The post IN THE DRINK by Allyson K. Abbott- blog tour, review, recipe and giveaway appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
Uintended by Justine Alley Dowsett and Murandy Damodred release day
Welcome to the Release Day Extravaganza for
Unintended by Justine Alley Dowsett & Murandy Damodred
About Unintended:
Four people. Four very different lives. Four tales interwoven.
Meet Kenzie en Shareed, the High Clan Chief’s daughter who is sent south to fulfill a treaty by marriage only to marry the wrong man; Kadrean Authier, the Crown Prince who must come to terms with his new bride, even if he doesn’t much like the idea; Garron D’Arbonne, a noble Lord who has been commanded to marry a cool and aloof princess he doesn’t love; and Vivianne Chappelle, a young and ambitious woman who is in love with her abusive father’s manservant and must find a way to avoid having her entire future decided for her.
Fate and wills collide in this Shakespearian-style romantic comedy about good intentions and their unintentional consequences.
Book Details:
Title: Unintended
Author Name: Justine Alley Dowsett and Murandy Damodred
Genre(s): Fantasy Romance, Romantic Comedy
Tags: Fantasy, romance, comedy, Shakespearian-style, romantic comedy.
Length: Approx. 440 pages
E-book: 978-1-987976-08-3
Paperback: 978-1-987976-07-6
Release Date: August 17, 2015
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/Tour Host: Sapphyria’s Book Promotions
http://saphsbookpromos.blogspot.com/
Purchase Links:
Amazon ~
Kindle = http://amzn.to/1P1GMBD
Paperback = http://amzn.to/1L0hkM4
Mirror World Publishing ~
ebook = http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/unintended-ebook
Paperback = http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/unintended-paperback
Follow the Tour to Read Reviews, Guest Posts, and Spotlights:
http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/blog-tour-schedule-unintended-by.html
Read an Excerpt:
The rolling hills and grasslands of Ismera were strange to her in the
beginning. Now, after nearly a month of riding through them, they had begun to
seem commonplace. What the High Clan Chief’s daughter was not prepared for,
however, were the high turrets of the palace she was headed towards and the
sprawling city of Ismer that surrounded it. Even more surprising than all that
was the fanfare that greeted her when at last she reached the city’s
high-walled gate.
A handsome man atop a white horse rode boldly out to greet her, without
so much as a weapon drawn or a friend to watch his back.
They are much more trusting here of strangers than they are back at
home, she noted. Unless, it’s only that they don’t consider me a stranger.
Mackenzie en Shareed of Haldoram straightened her back, instinctively
preparing herself to make a good impression. She felt her breath catch in her
throat as he came closer and she realized that the man before her, with his
sunny hair, tanned skin and bright blue eyes could be none other than the man
she’d ridden all the way here to marry. She felt her usually flawlessly tanned
skin flush an uncomfortable shade of red as she watched him dismount and walk
the rest of the way to her side, a wide grin spreading across his face at the sight
of her.
I didn’t expect him to be so handsome. Kenzie found that as
much as she might want to, she couldn’t deny the pounding of her heart or the
fluttering in her stomach. I’m very fortunate to be attracted to him so
easily.
If he took notice of her discomfort he didn’t show it, bowing over her
hand and kissing it lightly. “Princess Mackenzie, let me be the first to
welcome you to the City of Ismer.”
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Kenzie reached for the marriage
bracelet she’d woven herself for this very occasion. Unhooking it carefully
from her belt, she caught his hand before he could take it away and swiftly
wrapped the small, white-flowered wreath about his wrist, tying it with a
practiced motion.
She could see in her husband-to-be’s eyes that he was confused, but she
didn’t have time to explain it to him now. That would come later, after they
were entwined together in their marriage bed. Right now, only the ritual
mattered.
I have to do this now, she affirmed silently. Once I enter this city of
theirs and am completely surrounded by Ismeran culture and politics it will be
too late to marry him in my own way, in front of my people and by our customs.
It’s the only way I will feel comfortable with his arrangement. I can marry him
in the Ismeran way afterwards.
The barest nod over her shoulder was enough to bring Seraphina over. Her
mentor and friend had accompanied her this far and now she played her part of
the wedding ceremony by bringing forth the wreath that Prince Kadrean would
place upon her head, sealing their arrangement and making them man and wife.
Aging Seraphina bowed before the Prince, despite the aching old bones
she always complained of, holding out the wreath before her in offering.
“Take it,” Seraphina urged him, her English much less accented than
Kenzie knew her own to be. “You must place it upon her head and say the words.”
Looking as confused as ever, the Prince took the woven white flowers and
did as instructed.
“What words, exactly?”
“I be bhur agus thu de agamsa,” Kenzie spoke in her native tongue,
making sure to properly enunciate each syllable so he could follow along.
“I be burr…” he began, trying his hardest to stumble through the words
that were foreign to him, “a Gus who de Gamsa.”
That’s good enough, I suppose… Kenzie frowned, regarding him. Though
I thought that being the heir to these lands, he would have some knowledge of
Gaelic.
“You may call me Kenzie,” she told him, dismissing her negative thoughts
with a smile, before leaning in to kiss him, as was customary.
Seraphina and the other clanspeople who’d made the journey with her
began to cheer, but their cheers were cut short when her new husband pulled
back from her in surprise. “Whoa! I don’t know what’s expected between two
strangers in the North, but here in the South it’s customary to save that kind
of greeting for your husband.”
“Yes?”
“Yes…” he agreed, searching her eyes as if to gauge how much of the
language she understood, “so I have a fiancée and you have a Prince who’s
waiting very anxiously to meet you up at the Palace.”
Kenzie suddenly felt ill and more than a little dizzy. “You are not
Prince Kadrean…?” The golden-haired stranger she’d just married wore a look of
concern mixed with confusion. “Then who are you?”
“Uh…” He cleared his throat, made a little uncomfortable by the stares
of the clanspeople. “Lord Garron D’Arbonne…at your service, Your Highness.”
An uncomfortable silence fell over them and the clansfolk, but Kenzie
couldn’t find it in her to break it or fill it with anything meaningful. Her
entire focus was on keeping herself from hyperventilating.
I just married this Garron D’Arbonne… Not the Prince; not my intended. Kenzie was in full
panic at the gravity of the error she had just committed. How can I fix
this?! The marriage bond is forever, never able to be undone… A man can
remarry, under certain circumstances, but can a woman? Would they even allow
such a thing?
My father will be so disappointed in me. He wanted this treaty between
our lands to work. I’ve only just arrived and I’ve already ruined it. What am I
going to do?!
“Well,” Garron cleared his throat again, “we should be going. I’m sure
Prince Kadrean is eager to meet you.”
Gesturing forward, her husband held out his arm for her.
No, I mustn’t think of him that way, she admonished herself. He is my
husband, but he’s right, I’m supposed to marry Prince Kadrean. There is a
treaty; our marriage is law. It must happen…
Meet the Authors:
Murandy Damodred (left) & Justine Alley Dowsett (right):
With a background in Drama and Communications from the University of Windsor, Murandy Damodred (left) enjoys fantasy fiction with strong romantic subplots. She is an avid roleplayer and is happiest when living vicariously through her characters. Though she’d rather think of herself as the heroine of her next novel, in the real world she is an expert in sales and management living in Windsor, Ontario.
From obtaining a BA in Drama at the University of Windsor to becoming an entrepreneur in video game production and later, publishing, Justine Alley Dowsett’s unswerving ambition has always led her to pursue her dreams. Today she lives in Windsor, Ontario and is still writing and publishing fiction novels. When not focusing on growing her business, she enjoys role-playing with friends and developing new ideas to write about.
The post Uintended by Justine Alley Dowsett and Murandy Damodred release day appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
Release Blitz Be Here Now (Cedar Creek #2) by Julia Goda
Title: Be Here Now
Series: Cedar Creek Book #2
Author: Julia Goda
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 17, 2015
Synopsis:
Six years ago, Loreley Cooper thought she had it all. Head over heels in love with her boyfriend Jason and ready to take on the future after college, she landed the internship of her dreams. But things came crashing down during a fight, when she believed she found out he’d done something she knew she could never forgive. Completely heartbroken she walked away and hasn’t talked to him since.
Now, six years later, Loreley is recovering from a painful tragedy that almost killed her. Finally finding her way back to herself, now famous rock star Jason Sanders storms back into her life and seems determined to win her back. Why he would seek her out after all this time, Loreley has no idea. She has sworn to never talk to him again after what he did.
Jason Sanders is determined to not let the love of his life walk away from him again and is willing to do anything and everything to make her give them another chance.
Misunderstandings are uncovered and secrets are revealed that lead to pain and heartbreak yet again. Will they have what it takes to forgive each other and themselves and fight for their happily-ever-after or is it too late?
Buy The Book Now:
Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AU / Amazon DE
The only person who hadn’t said anything (…) was Tommy. He was standing separated from our big group, leaning against the railing, his eyes assessing and broodily on Jason. “Tommy?” I called his name. His eyes came to me and they warmed a little, though it didn’t erase his scowl. “You okay?” I asked.
“Depends,” he answered as his eyes went back to Jason.
“On what?”
“On if he’s staying this time.”
I could feel Jason tense beside me, but he wisely didn’t say anything and let me handle this. Jason didn’t know Tommy, though he knew about his mother abandoning him when he was just a baby. I had told him all about it years ago when we shared about our families. Jason abandoning Jesse and I would hit too close to home for Tommy, as he had proven at dinner last week when he stormed off after learning who Jason was and what he had done. It was understandable that he’d need some reassurance.
“He’s staying.”
“You sure about that?” His eyes were still narrowed on Jason. God, I loved that boy.
“Yes, Tommy, I’m absolutely sure about that. He didn’t abandon me before. It was a misunderstanding,” I explained.
“Yeah, that’s what dad said, too. Still, he should have tried harder.”
I opened my mouth to defend Jason, but Jason beat me to it. “You’re absolutely right. I should have tried harder. And because I didn’t, I missed not only six years of being with the woman I love, but also being a father to my son. I’m gonna have to live with that for the rest of my life.”
Tommy’s eyes grew wide at Jason’s confession. He was impressed. His eyes flickered to mine and I gave him a small reassuring smile. Everyone around us was quiet as they watched the scene unfold before them. Then Tommy gave Jason a small quick nod.
“We good?” Jason asked.
Tommy repeated his nod. “We’re good.”
My God, Tommy was so much like his father it was scary sometimes.
I felt tiny arms wrap around my legs and when I looked down, I saw Noah smiling up at me. He was the quiet one of the bunch and always hung out with me. He reminded me a lot of Jesse.
“Hi, Lore,” he said through his smile. “I wanna sit with you.”
“You wanna sit with me, huh?” He nodded happily. “All right big guy, go find us a chair and you can sit on my lap.” Without delay, Noah scuttled off in search of a chair.
Jason’s arm around my shoulder pulled me in closer. “What if I want you to sit on my lap?” He whispered in my ear.
“Sorry, but Noah’s got dibs. He always sits with me.” I gave him a wide smile.
“I see.” He nuzzled my nose with his and kissed me softly. “You’ve got quite the male following.”
“What can I say? I’m a fun person to be around,” I grinned at him.
“Can’t argue with that.” He returned my grin.
“I’m gonna marry Tommy when I grow up,” Lucy announced from across the deck. All eyes went to her and the boy in question she was now standing next to.
Tommy chuckled a boy chuckle and said. “You can’t marry me, Luce. We’re practically family.”
Lucy scrunched up her face, not liking his answer at all.
“You’re not my brother,” she stated.
“No, I’m not.” Tommy answered.
“Or my cousin.”
“No.”
“Or my uncle.”
“No.”
“Then how are we family?”
Tommy shrugged. “We just are.”
Lucy scrunched up her face again. Then she had a thought. “Wait! If you’re family, then I can kiss you! Mommy and daddy say I can only kiss boys if they’re family.” Macy, Ivey, and I tried not to laugh. This wasn’t the first time that Lucy was trying to get around Larry’s no-kissing rule.
“Drop it, Lucy. You’re not kissing anyone but your brothers and me.” Larry growled.
“But you said—”
“I know what I said and now I’m saying this.”
“That’s not fair,” she pouted and crossed her arms on her chest. “Either Tommy is family and I can kiss him or he’s not and I can marry him.” The three of us couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. All the men chuckled.
Spotify Playlist for Be Here Now
https://open.spotify.com/user/juliagodaauthor/playlist/2OvO1LhE9AtVL3BBwAQuLx
All About Julia Goda
I have been writing stories in my head since I can remember. Much to my teachers’ dismay, given the task of writing a short essay I would always come back with way too long and detailed stories. Many discussions (I have always been somewhat of a smart-aleck) and bad grades were the result, so that for most of my life I thought I couldn’t write worth a damn and pursued other careers. But the dream of being an author wouldn’t be ignored and kept lingering. With a little help from my fantastic husband, who gave me the necessary kick in the behind, I was finally brave enough to start writing my first novel and finished it only a few short weeks later—well, the first draft, that is. The seal was broken.
My novels jump genres and touch on all kinds of different topics, but the things I try to focus on no matter what are romance, strong women, and a good sense of humor.
Now, when I’m not in my writing cave, spinning the tales that have been hounding me or editing (yes, I am also a professional editor, guess that degree in Literature and Linguistics turned out to be useful after all!), I enjoy reading, drinking coffee, eating good food, and listening to rock music.
Stalk Julia Goda
Website: www.juliagoda.net
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/juliagoda
Facebook: www.facebook.com/juliagodaauthor
Twitter: @julia_goda
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13769357.Julia_Goda
THANK YOU!
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KILLER WEDDING CAKE by Gayle Trent blog tour, review & giveaway
Killer wedding cake
by Gayle Trent
This was a super fast read for me. The author gave me so many fun characters to love.
~fuonlyknew
Laura’s Ramblins and Review
Killer Wedding Cake by Gayle Trent
Cozy Mystery
Synopsis:
Daphne Martin’s wedding to Ben Jacobs is only a couple of weeks away. An award-winning cake decorator, Daphne is busy designing their wedding cake. Her twin nephew and niece, Lucas and Leslie, are excited about being in the wedding party. And Daphne’s brother-in-law Jason is planning a bachelor party for Ben. Everything is going beautifully until Daphne’s ex-husband Todd shows up. Just released from prison after serving a sentence based on his shooting a gun at Daphne, Todd comes to Brea Ridge to profess his undying love for her.
Despite Daphne’s attempts to make Todd leave town, he insists on hanging around to reconnect with people he used to know. When he’s found murdered, Daphne finds herself at the center of the investigation. Now she must track down Todd’s killer before she becomes the next victim. Can she still make it to the church on time?
My thoughts-Killer Wedding Cake is the fifth book in the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating Mystery series by author Gayle Trent. I have read the first and second in this series and skipped to this one but each book you can read as a stand alone.
Todd returns after being released from prison but waits a bit to come around to see her.This puts a kink in her wedding plans with Ben. When Todd is found dead in his hotel room things start to unravel. Who would want him dead? Will they want her next?
A great read. I adore this series and need to go back and get the ones I have missed.
About The Author –
Gayle Trent (and pseudonym Amanda Lee) writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series and the Embroidery Mystery series. The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop.
Author Links:
https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee
https://twitter.com/GayleTrent
https://www.pinterest.com/gayletrent/
Purchase Links –
Giveaway leave a comment to win one copy of Killer Wedding Cake.
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August 16, 2015
Donna Michael’s Knight’s Seal Tour
Print Length: 105 pages
Publisher: Kindle Worlds (August 2, 2015)
Publication Date: August 2, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
A Dangerous Curves/Hot SEALs crossover
Navy SEAL Sam Gentry barely has time to consider his buddy’s job offer to join Guardian Angel Protection Service when a commander from their past, with his own D.C. based agency, asks for help. Owing his life to former Commander Jameson Knight, Sam is eager to help retrieve a mutual friend from a dangerous cartel, until he learns the operative assisting him is Knight’s oldest daughter, Lisa—Sam’s former lover.
Elisabeth Knight has waited over eight months to get into the field, and just her luck, her first mission hits close to home in more ways than one. Not only does it involve rescuing her friend, a former NIO like herself, but her father assigns one of his former SEALs to assist—the one she’d given her body and heart to five years ago. Sam had walked away when he’d realized who her father was, and she let him, not wanting to see the sexy man shot, or worse, assigned to Antarctica…permanently. Completing their current mission isn’t the issue, the danger lies in their inability to fight their resurrected attraction and keeping that failure from her father.
BUY YOUR COPY
ABOUT KINDLE WORLDS
Put simply…..
New stories inspired by books, shows, movies, comics, music, and games people love.
Check it out here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Donna Michaels
It’s all my mother’s fault.
She read to me before I could read and opened up that magical world where I still reside today. Then came television and movies. Now I had three avenues that fed my imagination…and boy could I eat! As you no doubt figured out, this lead to my writing career. I’m a NY Times, USA Today, and Amazon Bestselling Award winng author. Phew, that was a mouthful! Multi-published in e-book and print with several publishers, I certainly have a ton of voices in my head.
I’m happily married to a military man for 28 years. We have four children and several rescued cats. Michael’s been in the Army National Guard since before he graduated. The Guard has been a part of our lives right from the start. It was only natural for the military to spill into my writing. God bless the military and their families. Thank you all for your sacrifices. ♥
You already know my mom inspired my love of reading,but it was my dad who got me hooked on movies. Even now, if I had the time, I could happily go from one movie to another all day long. They are the reason I love mixed genre and why I can’t just stick to just one in my writing, although, as you can tell, I have a soft spot for cowboys and the military.
Well, that’s about it. Thanks for getting to know me a little better. Remember, keep reading to your children. The journey you’re igniting is precious. And the next time you’re at the movies, turn around. I just might be the person sitting behind you. No, not the one throwing popcorn (it’s too expensive to waste). I’m the one already imagining the sequel.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
You can find Donna either on……
Google+
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Or of course by her
Website
The post Donna Michael’s Knight’s Seal Tour appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
August 15, 2015
Cover Reveal – If I Seem Dangerous by Rose Sawyer & Giveaway
He’s preparing for the fight of his life.
Title: If I Seem Dangerous
Author: Rose Sawyer
Genre: MMA Romance
Release Date: TBA
Standalone
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Cover Designer: Claire Smith
Darkness shrouds Noah James’ past. Drugs, alcohol, abuse—they cloud the few memories he has and threaten to eat away at his future. The only brightness in his life is Caitlyn Hale. She came crashing into his world the day he met with her father, the sports agent who could possibly give him a new start. That day, he left the agent’s office with a professional fighting career ahead of him and the image of a hazel-eyed beauty imprinted in his soul.
Rarely does life offer a glimpse of happiness without snatching it away. Just like he’s always feared, the monster that haunts him comes roaring back. His entire life shatters, threatening to return him to the darkness he came from. The light-heavyweight champion is about to face the fight of a lifetime. He can only hope to make it through each round without losing the few things he has left.
Even as hard as she tried to force herself to believe that he wasn’t dangerous, she heard the murmurs around her that tempted her to believe differently. Crazy, rage, monster, all of them curses being murmured by the onlookers. She choked back a sob threatened to rise in her throat as she remembered the darkness shadowing his face.
He had truly left her in that moment. He left reality. The blackness she was determined to keep him from had swallowed him whole.
Facebook I Goodreads I Twitter I Wattpad
Rose Sawyer currently lives on campus full time while working on her undergraduate degree in Biblical and Religious studies with an emphasis on Religion and Sociology in California, where she was born and raised. On weekends, she travels home to see her parents and the gaggle of cats, dogs, horses and other four-legged animals that she loves.
At 19, she has written seven romance novels, is currently writing two more and has another two in the process of being published. The majority of her novels can be found at Wattpad.com, where they are available to read for free.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ea80a6ed90/
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August 14, 2015
Women in Science: a dozen tips for crafting an honest character by Cathy Haustein
Please welcome our guest author Cathy Haustein to the blog form Penner Publishing.
As the number of female scientists increases, so does the likelihood that a work of fiction will include some. What should readers expect? How can an author build a realistic character?
I surveyed female scientists about their defining traits and two rose to the top: passion and curiosity. And the scientists had other suggestions. I’ve combined their responses into the following twelve tips to help authors create an authentic female scientist:
Passion runs more deeply than just for science. Because of the high correlation between a scientific personality and curiosity and openness, it’s unlikely for a scientist to be buttoned up and cautious when it comes to romance, no matter what the stereotypes might be. (Although she probably won’t jeopardize her safety.)
She’s likely to be multidimensional. The scientist will most likely be passionate about life in general so give her a side interest. Many scientists like the arts, enjoy working with their hands, and find similarities between the lab and the studio. Others enjoy sports and fitness. She likes to defy expectations.
No mad scientists out to destroy the world, please. Scientists combine passion and compassion. They see science as being a not just fascinating but a benefit to society.
Balancing career and family is an important aspect of a female scientist’s life. Scientists would love to see more fictional characters who have kids.
Problem solving is essential to scientists, but keep in mind that a scientist today will be highly specialized. She won’t know everything. She’s more likely to work as part of a team, too. The idea of one lonely genius working in solitude is outdated. In fact, working alone in lab is a violation of lab safety rules.
She’s overcome a lot to get where she is. Prejudice, harassment, exclusion— these women are tenacious and they do overcome, often by cultivating a healthy sense of humor.
Yes, she was a good student. Intelligence is a common trait among scientists. But it takes more than smarts to be a scientist. She probably had something driving her–the need to please a parent, to prove herself, or to overcome poverty or prejudice. Like many high achievers, reaching a goal brings pleasure, so much so that she could let relationships fall into disrepair if not careful.
She might have her favorite jargon. Scientists have their words. It’s part of being in the club. But there’s an even better reason for science speak—it’s precise. Why say carbohydrate when you can say maltodextrin?
MacGyver anyone? Yes, it’s true. Scientists fix things with duct tape and paper clips or a twist of copper wire. Scientists don’t mind improvising. And they like their scientific equipment.
Power suit? It’s a lab coat. Studies have shown that those white coats make people perform better and make fewer errors.
Under scrutiny. Peer review means that her work is critiqued by other scientists—a humbling experience and one that will keep her honest.
More than anything else, your scientist will be curious about and find wonder in the natural world. Isaac Newton said that being a scientist is like picking up pebbles and shells on a beach beside the “vast ocean of truth”. Your scientist should be always questioning, always curious, with one foot in the future, her eyes on the stars or peeking through a microscope, and her passionate heart here on earth.
Are you creating a female scientist? Want to talk more? E-mail me at hausteinc@gmail.com
Author:
A graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Catherine Haustein is a chemistry and English professor at Central College in Iowa. Her ancestors lived in the famous ghost town of Singapore on the shores of Lake Michigan. Natural Attraction is her first novel.
Follow:
Blurb:
To get ahead she’ll have to become a man—and a man, she always thought, never lets love get in the way…
Clementine dreams of being a naturalist—a career that leaves no time for romance. To sneak on an adventurous prospecting expedition, Clementine will have to convince everyone she’s a man. A mysterious tonic offers her just that disguise.
But “Calvin,” as she calls herself now, had no idea what she was giving up. When Wesley, the expedition’s gentle preacher, catches her eye, she can’t get him out of her head; not his lush lips, wide brown eyes…or broad chest. Dare she reveal her secret to him? Can she keep her career if she does?
Among run-ins with cowboys, natural disasters, and traveling shows, Wesley’s most fascinating adventure is meeting Calvin. Though Wesley’s betrothed to another, the cute, clever naturalist threatens to make him fall into temptation.
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August 13, 2015
Welcome guest author Becki Brannen author of Breathless
About Breathless
What happens when an ordinary girl meets the man of everyone’s dreams?
Keeping secrets is never easy, especially since Ryan Spalding is on the cover of every magazine and this year’s “Hottest Hunk under 30.” Good thing busy lawyer Carly Sparks is so out of the loop when it comes to celebrity affairs, or she’d realize she was in one!
Leading man Ryan Spalding tempts Carly Sparks in ways she’s only ever seen in the movies. She’s drifted away from a promise she made to God as a teenager, but Carly must rely on her faith when her relationship with Ryan is put to the test. Will it be enough to keep them together, or will theirs be just another failed Hollywood romance?
Guest Post
I’ve never had one tried and true method for writing. Breathless came to me as a dream over several months, and I finally gave in and wrote it down for National Novel Writing Month in November 2011. My writing pace was frenzied–trying to get fifty thousand words written in a month meant long nights and early mornings, and a lot of time away from my family. The end result was an editor’s nightmare, but it was my baby.
Since the first release of Breathless, my writing style has become much more relaxed, taking months to get a book to print (and sometimes longer). I’m able to enjoy the storylines and love stories, falling as much in love with the characters as I hope my readers have.
I’m a sort-of outliner. I get the idea of where the book should go, although I don’t hesitate to change what simply doesn’t work. I love knowing where I’m going and how fast I need to get there, pacing the story and (hopefully) making it coherent. I love having an idea of the direction of the books, mostly because I jump around in my writing. Sometimes I want to write, but I simply don’t have it in me to write an emotional scene, or a piece of dialogue, or whatever it is that comes next in the story. Instead, I skip ahead to another section of the book, sometimes writing the beginning and end–then filling in the middle. You can’t pick when inspiration hits, and it’s not always in a chronological order. I’ve heard so many other authors say “I’m stuck!” I tell them my method of skipping ahead, and I know it’s helped several. It doesn’t matter what you write; it only matters that you take time (preferably daily) to write. As for the rest of my process, well…it mostly includes sitting up in bed long after my husband is asleep, getting a thousand words or so on paper before succumbing to sleep. I’d love to say I sit at my lovely Civil War era desk and devote hours of each day to writing, but I’d be lying. I’m a bed-typer.
As an indie author, I would write a first draft and then edit, edit, edit, usually with the help of my husband. A grammar stickler if there ever was one, he was my saving grace. I would then quickly schedule some marketing, all done with hard work and word of mouth, never a single dollar spent. I thought if I hadn’t yet earned it, I couldn’t yet spend It. From final draft to publication date, there was often less than two weeks.
Now that I’m with a publisher, the fabulous Vox Dei Publishing, I realize there is so much more that goes into publishing. Not creating a book in its entirety on my own, from cover to “The End,” has been a relief (and a test of patience). The difference in the end results, however, is remarkable. As Breathless comes up on its re-release under Vox Dei, I know that this version of my baby is so much better than anything I did on my own. The cover is prettier, the editing is crisper, and the storyline is tighter. My baby got a makeover, and I’m so proud to show it off to the world.
About Becki Brannen
Becki Brannen is a thirty-something writer born and raised in the heart of Georgia. Her debut novel, Breathless, is the result of NaNoWriMo 2011, having been written in just twenty-nine days. Becki primarily writes “chick lit with a Christian twist,” marrying one of her favorite genres with her Christian faith. Her life verses are Jeremiah 29:11 and Isaiah 41:10. Becki and her husband have twin daughters and a poodle, Sophie.
Contact Becki Brannen
Website: http://beckibrannen.weebly.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/BeckiBrannen.Author
Twitter: @BeckiBrannen
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1eYMV5K
ABOUT VOX DEI
Our name rhymes with Fox Day. We’re an imprint of Booktrope, a new type of publishing company founded in 2011 in Seattle, WA that’s pioneering a model called team publishing. Our mission at Vox Dei is to provide books for a primarily Christian audience that edify and entertain, encourage and inspire. While Christian themes are woven throughout our fiction, our purpose is not to preach a sermon but rather provide a quality alternative to the secular market for entertainment. Our non-fiction titles are intended to help readers explore the Bible in a more personal way and grow in their walk with Christ, while being informal in voice and approach. Whether fiction or non, our goal is to shine the light and love that is central to the Christian faith into a dark and messy world. Learn more at voxdeipublishing.com.
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The Madness behind the Passion by Jamie McLachlan
Unlike a lot of authors I meet, I didn’t always know that I wanted to become a writer. Instead of writing stories that received high praise from my elementary teachers, I was just a kid with a wild imagination who spent an exorbitant amount of time day-dreaming. It was only during my first years in university that I woke up one day and said to myself, “I have a lot of stories in my head that I would love to share with others.” So, I began to write.
But, with most passions, there is a sort of madness that follows.
There are various hurdles you’ll experience during the writing process. Writer’s block is one of these obstacles that you’ll encounter, sometimes creeping up on you by surprise. There’s also self-doubt, which some suffer more so than others. Let’s not forget motivation. Are there stories half-finished and collecting dust beneath various other files on your computer? These are all hitches in a writer’s life that most face.
Then, there’s the editing stage—a dreaded game of ‘I Spy’. You’ve finally completed a wonderful masterpiece, something you’ve poured a lot of energy into, only to realize that your manuscript is a worn deck that is in dire need of polishing before anyone can step foot onto it. At this point, it’s beneficial to step away from your novel for a while, acquire beta-readers, and perhaps even seek out an editor. Afterwards, you can approach your novel with fresh eyes, watching out for grammar, repetitive words or phrases, plot inconsistencies or holes, and removing any extraneous scenes.
Once your manuscript is deemed complete and polished, you then have to wade through the publishing world. It’s confusing and, often times, a stressful compilation of cover letters, query letters, synopsises, series outlines, and, if you’re on Twitter, pitch events. In addition, you spend hours researching agents and publishers, only to discover that the majority of the latter doesn’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. Or perhaps you decide to forgo the traditional route and self-publish instead. Even if this is the case, it’s still in your best interest to do a lot of research.
I had completed two different manuscripts, and had even gone so far as to write the second book in both trilogies. Yet after sending out multiple queries, the only responses I received were rejections. Both novels had their complications, yet I couldn’t understand why I was reading other published works with similar problems. I kept asking myself, “What am I doing wrong?”
Well, for starters, the first book I wrote wasn’t well-written and the characters were one-dimensional. I also made the mistake of sending out a mass query letter, which was also poorly written, to several agents and publishers without personalizing each.
The second novel was too long. I’ve found that, generally, agents and publishers won’t consider manuscripts over 100,000 words. But that wasn’t my only problem with the book. I wish I could say that all 115,000 words were gold, but, unfortunately, there were large sections that were superfluous to the story. The narrative was also written in multiple viewpoints and was often redundant. One agent regretfully informed me that the beginning just didn’t pull her into the story as much as she wished and would have to pass on my manuscript.
Both experiences had left me disheartened, so I took a break from writing for a little while. But even though I had decided to set my writing aside, the ideas continued to flow. Soon, my mind was brimming with scenes and characters that were dying to get out onto the page. After outlining the novel’s plot, I began writing again and wrote the first draft of Mind of the Phoenix in three weeks.
Such is the madness of a writer’s passion.
Mind of the Phoenix was conceived in response to the abundance of dystopia novels crowding the shelves of bookstores. In these books, I often found that the revolutions were glorified and the cause often a noble one. So I had wondered, “What if beneath those honourable intentions is someone who isn’t virtuous and commits amoral acts?”
In those three weeks, the novel took me to dark places, where I was forced to place my main character in uncomfortable situations. For the first time, I found myself plotting deaths as the novel acquired elements of a mystery/thriller. But, throughout it all, I was riding a wave of ecstasy as my vision poured out of me and began to take form.
So why do I write, you ask?
Because—despite all the anxieties, complications, and rejections—I couldn’t imagine a life where I locked all my ideas and characters behind a door in my mind to never think of again.
Bio
Jamie McLachlan is a graduate from Grant MacEwan University with a major in English and a minor in Philosophy. She decided to put her day dreaming to good use by weaving tales of speculative fiction. Avid reader and lover of all things creative, she lives in Canada with her family.
Website: http://www.jamiemclachlan.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@JamieMcLachlan8
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJamieM...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamiemclach
Novel blurb
Moira is a powerful empath, a psychic graced with the ability to read emotions and memories. Her skill is as much a curse as a gift, for in the harshly stratified city of Braxton empaths are slaves. Clever and beautiful, Moira has learned to rely on no one but herself. Determined to escape life as a concubine, she kills her master, and is imprisoned for the crime.
This could be the end for Moira, but the government has need of her skills. A mysterious serial killer known as the Phoenix has been planting suggestions in his victims’ minds that drive them to murder and suicide. To gain her freedom, Moira partners with Keenan Edwards, a handsome young detective, to stop the killer.
Hunting the Phoenix will bring Moira on a more dangerous road than she imagined, forcing her to confront dark minds, twisted moralities, and her growing feelings for the detective.
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August 12, 2015
Blog Tour for Come and Get Your Love by Tina Donahue
Title: Come and Get Your Love
Author: Tina Donahue
Hosted by: Beautiful Promotions
Their desire wasn’t supposed to be real…
With millions willed to her in an incentive trust, Lissa can get the dough to start her own country music label when she meets one of the no-contest clauses. Namely, reach middle age in twenty years, work in the hated family business for a decade, or marry someone not in the music biz.
Marriage it is, at least for a year to satisfy her greedy brother who wants the inheritance.
Enter Cass, a hot Texas rancher who dampens Lissa’s panties. With a pile of medical bills from his brother’s accident, Cass agrees to wed Lissa. She’s sweet to look at, surprisingly pleasant for an Atlanta debutante, and makes his jeans feel tight as hell despite their no-sex contract.
Uh-huh. The devil’s in the details. Longing gazes turn to tender intimacy and wild nights with pretend feeling all too real.
Damn shame it may be too late with her brother gunning for them both.
About The Author:
Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic romance, and an admitted chocoholic known to down semi-sweet candy bars in grocery checkout lines. She lives with her family in Palm Springs, California, where tires melt in the 120-degree summer heat and an occasional earthquake puts everyone on notice to bolt things down. When she’s not writing her steamy stories, trying to stay cool, or crawling beneath her desk during a trembler, she loves shopping, eating at her favorite Mexican restaurant and meeting other authors. Before she wrote romance, Tina was the editor of an award-winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.
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