Debra Jupe's Blog: Author Debra Jupe Happily Ever After Isn't Just for Fairytale Diva's, page 5
August 21, 2015
The Evolution of Toxic
Originally posted on Author Debra Jupe:
To findthe truth, she’ll have to defeat his darkness…
I’d like to share how my next release, Toxic came to be.
I call Toxic (formerly titled Don’t Ask Questions of Fairytales) my starter novel because this was my first full-length manuscript. The entire story derived from a dark period in my life, throwing in a hunky hero, a cast of colorful characters, and of course, romance and suspense.
I started writing seriously in 2004. I lived in Columbus, Texas a small, picturesque town about seventy miles east of Houston. Columbus is my inspiration for the story’s setting. During that time, I worked at a wholesale nursery. We potted, grew, and shipped bedding plants. I held several positions, ending up becoming the shipping supervisor.
My story takes place in a nursery, patterned after the one I worked. The heroine, Gracie Desoto’s life mimicked my own and unlike other characters I’ve…
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August 18, 2015
The Evolution of Toxic
To continue from my last blog, where my stories come from, I’d like to share how my next release, Toxic came to be.
I call Toxic (formerly titled Don’t Ask Questions of Fairytales) my starter novel because this was my first full-length manuscript. The entire story derived from a dark period in my life, throwing in a hunky hero, a cast of colorful characters, and of course, romance and suspense.
I started writing seriously in 2004. I lived in Columbus, Texas a small, picturesque town about seventy miles east of Houston. Columbus is my inspiration for the story’s setting. During that time, I worked at a wholesale nursery. We potted, grew, and shipped bedding plants. I held several positions, ending up becoming the shipping supervisor.
My story takes place in a nursery, patterned after the one I worked. The heroine, Gracie Desoto’s life mimicked my own and unlike other characters I’ve created since, her personality is closest to mine. I had an interest in learning landscaping which is where Gracie’s profession materialized. She lives on a river, the Colorado River runs through Columbus, another inspiration, sans the alligators.
Once completed, I set the manuscript aside and left it alone for several years. I moved on, wrote two other books, Echoes and Tomorrow, then decided I was ready go back to Fairytales. A major revise was in order. I took out the personal stuff, made it more romantic and suspenseful. After the revisions, I re-titled it to fit the story.
I’m grateful for this book. The writing helped me clear many personal hurdles. Though not an idea or spark, this particular piece was my therapy, a way of purging an awfulness I experienced, and let me take a giant step as to who I’m supposed to be. I’m excited it’s about to be published. I hope you’ll give it a read.
Release date is September 23rd, and published by The Wild Rose Press.
Cover reveal, blurb, and excerpt coming August 23rd.
August 12, 2015
Summer Fun
Greetings from the writing cave! I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer, we’re rather warm here in Texas, though that’s not unusual for August. Another thing common for the month is school is about to start, which means my summer is about to end. I did work some at the daycare, my former employer during my time off. I enjoyed seeing my co-workers and the kids. I also managed to get away and spend a couple of days at the beach, and it was awesome.
Did I get any writing done? Weeelll, not as much as I’d like—says just about every author.
On that front, I did get a release date for Toxic (woohoo!), which is set for September 23rd. I’ve been anxious to get this one out, I have a great story on how the book came to be…y’all will hear more about that later.
The Texting All Hearts boxset, where I contributed a story with six other great authors was divided, and we’re publishing our stories separately. I was never happy with mine’s outcome, I felt it needed to go deeper for the suspense level. I spent several weeks in revisions and rewrites and it reads much better. I will have it reedited and a cover done, the plan for release is January 2016, so stay tuned.
I also completed my suspense I’ve been working on for way too long, Afraid to Breathe. That took a lot out of me. It’s a little different from my usual style, but I’m pleased with the results. It’s with beta readers, thus far I’ve gotten positive feedback. Once I clean it up and put together the blurb and synopsis, I’m going to submit it to Avon and see if I can swim with the bigger fish. Fingers crossed.
Currently, I’m working on Hanging on an Instant, a story that’s been “hanging” around for a while. Of course it’s changed from what I first envisioned, a little more of ATB’s style, I hope it’ll come together a little easier, but I’m not holding my breath.
I’m also doing a sequel to Echoes in the Wind, titled Echoes in the Storm. This one is for fun. I plan to do one more, Echoes in the Heat—kind of got an idea in my head, but I need to get number two completed, then start on three.
I’d like to wrap Hanging and Echoes II up and submitted by years end, hopefully karma will be on my side. Which means—if I’m going to fulfill those goals, I need to get back to it. Thanks for stopping by. Everybody keep cool! D.
July 13, 2015
Laura McNeill Center of Gravity Virtual Tour–the truth could cost her everything…
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Center of Gravity
by Laura McNeill
Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true.
In the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is grand. When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava convinces herself she can fix it. It’s temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss.
If only Ava could believe her own excuses. Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.
Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new attorney in town —Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?
Center of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem.
Excerpt:
The road rushes under the wheels. I rearrange snippets of the frantic conversation. Gash. Some blood. Breathing fine. Emergency room. A few more miles to the hospital. I flash back to this morning. Packed sack lunch, flop of dark hair across his bare forehead, navy
backpack slung over one shoulder. A surge of pure love courses through my heart. A stab of worry steals my breath. I force myself to focus. The traffic light ahead flashes green to yellow. Intersection’s clear. I push the accelerator to the floor, glance in the rearview mirror. Air from the open window catches Sam’s wisps of hair. He smiles, showing off his first few baby teeth, and reaches a chubby hand at the rays of sunshine streaking by, trying to catch the light. Thump. Thump. The Jeep jerks to the left. I guide the wheel, hold it steady, and take my foot off the gas. When I pull over and brake, the abrupt stop sends up a dust cloud.
“Uh-oh,” Sam says.
I unbuckle, jump out, and survey the damage. A glance at the tire confirms it. Flat. Dead.
Hands on my hips, I bite my lip. Tentatively, I grab the jack from the back of the Jeep, the weight of it solid and heavy in my hands. I can fix this. After all, in my former life, as a school counselor at Mobile Prep, I was the problem-solver, crisis manager, and shoulder to cry on. I always handled situations. And I didn’t need help.Then my eyes fall on Sam as he babbles and blows bubbles in the back seat. I hesitate, gripping the metal between my palms. As the sun beats down on us, heating my skin, my pulse begins to race. Maybe I was fearless because I didn’t know any better. I wasn’t a mom then. I didn’t have two children depending on me. Trusting me to do the right thing, be on time, and not
screw up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
After six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast to raise her family. Her accolades in broadcasting include awards from the Associated Press, including Best News Anchor and Best Specialized Reporter. Laura works at Spring Hill College as the school’s web content and social media manager and is
active in her community—participating in fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, and Providence Hospital’s Festival of Flowers. Laura was recently awarded a 2-book deal with Thomas Nelson Publishing, a division of
HarperCollins. Her novel, Center of Gravity, set in Mobile, Ala., will be published in July of 2015.
Laura is represented by Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein, president of McIntosh and Otis literary agency in New York. Her writing awards include those from William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative
Writing Competition, Writer’s Digest, RWA, and the Eric Hoffer competition.
July 6, 2015
FIRE’S FIELD BY JILLIAN JACOBS – VIRTUAL & REVIEW TOUR + GIVEAWAY
GIVEAWAY $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC
BLURB:
Vengeance
Forged in rage and sorrow, a dark witch’s spell travels down her ancestral line to Violet Levina. Enchanted with the power of the entire Electromagnetic spectrum—microwaves, gamma rays, radio waves, Violet is cursed with limitless energy and the obligation to destroy an insidious creature composed of dark matter.
Justice
For over five hundred years, Flint has served as Fire, aiding Earth’s environment and its people as one of four Elementals. Yet only once in his long existence has he been burned. A flaming redhead ignites the embers of his heart, but he finds her resistant to the heat building between them.
Illumination
Knowing she must fulfill her destiny, Violet travels to her ancestral home in Ireland,
accompanied by the fiery Elemental. Not fooled by his charms and brazen demeanor, Violet wishes only to shield him from the coming battle, but can’t deny the flames of desire flickering when she is at his side.
Love
While standing together against unrelenting adversaries, false friends, family betrayals, and an underlying seed of darkness, they must burn bright against the magical forces buried deep within Violet or the ruthless power behind the ancient spell will turn everything to ash.With Flint as her beacon in a field of darkness, Violet learns that love is the most powerful magic of all.
EXCERPT:
They were coming for her.
On the eve of her mother’s 25th birthday, a young witch fought back chills as the sounds of
braying bloodhounds echoed through the forest. A single red stroke, mixed with the faintest purple, lit the darkening sky, as night, along with death, crept closer.
At the banks of River Nore, Sorcha rocked back and forth, tears of innocence-lost escaping
down her cheeks. Heart splintering, she searched her memory for a spell to ease her mother’s torment. With her hands locked in the fabric of her mother’s woolen dress, she chanted pleas to the Goddess Isis to hear her cries and heal her mother.
To no avail.
The only answer came in the form of the demon’s sickness dripping from her mother’s mouth in a sludge of grimy gray mud. Fear unlike anything she’d ever felt iced her heart, as once more she begged, swore her very life in exchange for the continued beat of her mother’s heart. A piercing pain shot through her overburdened mind as the beast fought to break through her mental shields. Weakened by her angst and un-tested youth, she left a crack exposed, and the beast slipped in. Squinting her eyes closed, her entire body shaking with the will to deny the sick beast entrance, she couldn’t prevent his foul words from seeping through.
“Your mother paid for her defiance, for her inability to accept this gift only I could give her. Look at you simpering and shaking, if you weren’t so weak I’d use you, but no matter, I’ll be back.”
Drained from holding back the tempest, Sorcha let loose true sobs for the loss of the deepest love of her life, her solid fortress during every storm, the lyrical voice singing away her nightmares. Ignoring her drenched skirts, she released all her torment against her mother’s breast, barely catching the beat of her mother’s weakening heart between each aching moan torn from the depths of her soul. No one came to her aid. No one soothed her broken spirit. The sounds of the hounds drew closer, their howls a mad cacophony in her surreal world. The yellow-glow from fire-tipped sticks, created a mystical glow in the woods before her. Snaps and cracks of branches reverberated across the forest as the frenzied townspeople advanced to accuse and convict one of their own—a witch.
My take:
An enjoyable read. This book has a little of everything, love, treachery magic and good old fashion good verses bad. I found the main characters likable well written and enjoyed the interaction between the pair as they fought their way to love. The bad guys are always the best for me, and this story’s didn’t disappoint.
I highly recommend! A solid five stars.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
In the spring of 2013, Jillian Jacobs changed her career path and became a romance writer. After reading for years, she figured writing a romance would be quick and easy. Nope! With the guidance of the Indiana Romance Writers of America chapter, she’s learned there are many “rules” to writing a proper romance. Being re-schooled has been an interesting journey, and she hopes the best trails are yet to be traveled.
Water’s Threshold, the first in Jillian’s Elementals series, was a finalist in Chicago-North’s 2014. Fire and Ice contest in the Women’s Fiction category.
Jillian is a: Tea Guzzler, Polish Pottery Hoarder, and lover of all things Moose.
The genres she writes under are: Paranormal and Contemporary with suspenseful elements.
Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.jillianjacobs.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenMooseProd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jillian-Jacobs/737689872920933
Amazon: http://bit.ly/AMZFiresFieldebook
ARE: http://bit.ly/AREFiresFieldebook
iBooks/Smash: http://bit.ly/SmashFiresFieldebook
B&N http://bit.ly/BNFiresFieldebook
Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboFiresFieldebook
Fire’s Field, by Jillian Jacobs
[image error][image error]BLURB:
Vengeance
Forged in rage and sorrow, a dark witch’s spell travels down her ancestral line to Violet Levina. Enchanted with the power of the entire Electromagnetic spectrum—microwaves, gamma rays, radio waves, Violet is cursed with limitless energy and the obligation to destroy an insidious creature composed of dark matter.
Justice
For over five hundred years, Flint has served as Fire, aiding Earth’s environment and its people as one of four Elementals. Yet only once in his long existence has he been burned. A flaming redhead ignites the embers of his heart, but he finds her resistant to the heat building between them.
Illumination
Knowing she must fulfill her destiny, Violet travels to her ancestral home in Ireland,
accompanied by the fiery Elemental. Not fooled by his charms and brazen demeanor, Violet wishes only to shield him from the coming battle, but can’t deny the flames of desire flickering when she is at his side.
Love
While standing together against unrelenting adversaries, false friends, family betrayals, and an underlying seed of darkness, they must burn bright against the magical forces buried deep within Violet or the ruthless power behind the ancient spell will turn everything to ash.With Flint as her beacon in a field of darkness, Violet learns that love is the most powerful magic of all.
EXCERPT:
They were coming for her.
On the eve of her mother’s 25th birthday, a young witch fought back chills as the sounds of
braying bloodhounds echoed through the forest. A single red stroke, mixed with the faintest purple, lit the darkening sky, as night, along with death, crept closer.
At the banks of River Nore, Sorcha rocked back and forth, tears of innocence-lost escaping
down her cheeks. Heart splintering, she searched her memory for a spell to ease her mother’s torment. With her hands locked in the fabric of her mother’s woolen dress, she chanted pleas to the Goddess Isis to hear her cries and heal her mother.
To no avail.
The only answer came in the form of the demon’s sickness dripping from her mother’s mouth in a sludge of grimy gray mud. Fear unlike anything she’d ever felt iced her heart, as once more she begged, swore her very life in exchange for the continued beat of her mother’s heart. A piercing pain shot through her overburdened mind as the beast fought to break through her mental shields. Weakened by her angst and un-tested youth, she left a crack exposed, and the beast slipped in. Squinting her eyes closed, her entire body shaking with the will to deny the sick beast entrance, she couldn’t prevent his foul words from seeping through.
“Your mother paid for her defiance, for her inability to accept this gift only I could give her. Look at you simpering and shaking, if you weren’t so weak I’d use you, but no matter, I’ll be back.”
Drained from holding back the tempest, Sorcha let loose true sobs for the loss of the deepest love of her life, her solid fortress during every storm, the lyrical voice singing away her nightmares. Ignoring her drenched skirts, she released all her torment against her mother’s breast, barely catching the beat of her mother’s weakening heart between each aching moan torn from the depths of her soul. No one came to her aid. No one soothed her broken spirit. The sounds of the hounds drew closer, their howls a mad cacophony in her surreal world. The yellow-glow from fire-tipped sticks, created a mystical glow in the woods before her. Snaps and cracks of branches reverberated across the forest as the frenzied townspeople advanced to accuse and convict one of their own—a witch.
[image error]
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
In the spring of 2013, Jillian Jacobs changed her career path and became a romance writer. After reading for years, she figured writing a romance would be quick and easy. Nope! With the guidance of the Indiana Romance Writers of America chapter, she’s learned there are many “rules” to writing a proper romance. Being re-schooled has been an interesting journey, and she hopes the best trails are yet to be traveled.
Water’s Threshold, the first in Jillian’s Elementals series, was a finalist in Chicago-North’s 2014. Fire and Ice contest in the Women’s Fiction category.
Jillian is a: Tea Guzzler, Polish Pottery Hoarder, and lover of all things Moose.
The genres she writes under are: Paranormal and Contemporary with suspenseful elements.
Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.jillianjacobs.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenMooseProd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jillian-Jacobs/737689872920933
Amazon: http://bit.ly/AMZFiresFieldebook
ARE: http://bit.ly/AREFiresFieldebook
iBooks/Smash: http://bit.ly/SmashFiresFieldebook
B&N http://bit.ly/BNFiresFieldebook
Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboFiresFieldebook
June 25, 2015
June 10, 2015
Midnight Supper at the Rise & Shine
A little about the author!
Tara Woolpy is the author of The Lacland series, loosely linked novels set in the fictional upper midwestern town of Lacland, including Releasing Gillian’s Wolves, Raising Wild Ginger and Midnight Supper at the Rise and Shine. Tara earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Whitworth College after which she spent a year at the Women Writers Center in Cazenovia, New York. While pursuing her writing career she paid the rent through an astonishing number of jobs—she’s been a waitress, a shop owner, a retail clerk, a half-way house counselor and a commercial diver. Eventually, she took a midlife hiatus from writing to become an aquatic scientist. As such she also holds a Masters degree from Oregon State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Now she teaches online for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and has come back to writing fiction with new passion and wonder at the long, serpentine beauty of life. In addition to the novels, her work has appeared in Focus, Corymb, Kalliope, Alligator Juniper and the anthology The Things that Divide Us from Seal Press.
Find her on
A little about the book!
Bad luck and worse choices—that’s Irene. She’s been a widow half her life and now splits her time between waitressing at the Rise and Shine café and singing in an oldies cover band. And she’s having an affair with a married man—something that even her eclectic, super liberal family can’t condone.
She’d be the first one to admit she has faults, but she’s not a bigot. The genetic pool in her nuclear family spans the globe. And it’s not that she’s prejudiced against people with disabilities but that doctors and wheelchairs give her the heebie-jeebies. So when a cute guy in a chair keeps showing up in the restaurant, she’s clumsy, awkward and strangely drawn. Can Irene let go of the past or is she too emotionally broken to find a future worth the risk?
A little teaser
The restaurant buzzed with conversation and the familiar clank of silverware on plates. Movement near the front made me glance over. A massive, shaggy-haired creature stared up at me from under table one. My heart pounded. It looked like a fucking bear. I screamed. Everyone in the restaurant turned to look.
Adam trotted over, his face aflame. “Mom, get a grip.”
As I moved toward the table, I pointed to the bear and scowled at the guy sitting beside it. “What the fuck is that?”
He looked up at me, a man about my age, who had the most amazing blue eyes. “Um, it’s a dog, ma’am. A Newfoundland. He’s very civilized. He’s a—”
“You can’t have a dog in here,” I shouted as he finished “—service dog.”
That’s when I noticed the bear’s blue backpack.
“Shit. Oh, I’m so sorry…” Great. Now I was yelling at the disabled. I moved to get out of the way of the huge dog. Something jabbed into my hip, and the guy with the great eyes jerked sideways. He clutched the table and swore.
I looked down and saw the wheelchair I’d just bumped into—unobtrusive, low-slung, a nice red that blended in with our décor.
“Sorry.” I grabbed the handle to straighten it back out for him.
“Don’t!” he barked.
I backed away, mortified. Adam glared at me. Someone put a hand on my shoulder.
Edward smiled down at me. “I see you’ve met my friend, Mark Redfield. Mark, this is Irene, the mother of our charming server. She’s quite pleasant most of the time. Maybe you could bring us some pie?”
Find it here!
Amazon ## B&N ## For more about the Lacland books
Prizes!
Tara Woolpy will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. CLICK HERE to enter to win! Readers, follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.
June 5, 2015
FAIREST OF THE FAIRE TOUR & Giveaway
The renaissance fair is filled with characters and romance, but will it end in storybook love?
Book Information:
Theme; Second Chance Love 
SubGenre: Contemporary
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Imprint: Champagne
Rating: Spicy (PG13)
Keywords: romance, contemporary romance, widow, Renaissance Faire
Page Count: 296
Digital Price: 4.99
Print Price (if applicable): 15.99
Blurb:
Schoolteacher Connie Meyers is suddenly a young widow, her husband killed in a horrific car accident. Heartbroken to find out he had gambled away everything they had, she moves to her sister-in-law’s Midwest home to rebuild her life. A trip to the local Renaissance Faire with her nieces leads to a summer job as a costumed storyteller.
Avowed bad boy and fair performer Gage Younglood is infatuated with Connie at first sight. Despite his deliberately commitment-free life, and Connie’s don’t-touch-me attitude, he soon has her in his arms, realizing quickly she is also in his heart.
When she is threatened by her late husband’s bookie, he steps into the role of protector, his fate forever sealed with hers.
Excerpt:
“Who said anything about a relationship?” he said, standing up so he could tower over her again. “I’m just trying to have a little fun. You know, fun?”
If he’d been an animal, she was sure he’d have had hair raised on the back of his neck, he seemed so angry, and it struck her painfully. She hadn’t wanted to anger him or hurt him. She turned away from him and closed her eyes to tamp down the tears she knew would come if she let them. She crossed her arms over her chest, to hold in the pain. Being tired made her much too vulnerable.
“Yes,” she finally said. “I know about fun. Life isn’t always fun, though.”
“Princess.” His voice was soft, tender. “I won’t hurt you. It’s not in my plan.”
Despite herself, she felt the shivers of desire race down from her shoulders, down her arms and legs, and back up to that secret, soft place at her core. She bowed her head and gritted her teeth, hoping for the feeling to go away.
“And what is your plan, Gage?”
“It’s a simple plan. I want you to feel good. I want to feel good, too.”
Available June 5, 2015
http://www.thewildrosepress.com
(more news on outlet releases like Amazon and B&N to follow)
About the Author:
Susabelle Kelmer is a wife and mother living at the base of the Rocky Mountains in northern Colorado. She believes in romance, second chances, and the magic of moonlight. When she isn’t writing, she works with students with disabilities in the college environment. http://www.susabelle.com
Susabelle’s tagline: Love is Everything.
Website – http://www.susabelle.com
Blog – http://journal.celestialchicken.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SusabelleKelmer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SusabelleKelmer
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1333156.Susabelle_Kelmer?from_search=true
May 30, 2015
Hot Summer Nights Barnes and Noble book signing
Originally posted on Author Debra Jupe:
Nese, Linda, Lorelei, Terry, Debra, Susan
Barnes and Noble in Waco, Texas hosted a book signing for a group regional romance authors. Prizes were given, including a Nook donated by B&N, free Starbucks, and of course there were books! Lots and lots of books. We had the best time talking about writing, books, and we made some wonderful new friends.
Authors who participated were Terry Spear, Linda LaRoque, Nese Lane, Susan JP Owens, Lorelei Buckley, and yours truly. Check out some of the great photos from the event. 
Author Debra Jupe Happily Ever After Isn't Just for Fairytale Diva's
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