Lori L. Robinett's Blog, page 15
February 17, 2015
#FiftyShades of Reality
Seems like everywhere I’ve gone to online for the past week has been papered with cheers and jeers for Fifty Shades of Grey. I haven’t read the book (too many of my writer friends have commented on how poorly written it is – I’m struggling to improve my writing – don’t need to read examples of poorly written stuff!) and have no intention of seeing the movie. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a prude. Whatever two consenting adults do is okay with me. But I do worry about the romanticism of what sounds like an abusive relationship. A BDSM contract? Stalking? Control?
Um, no thanks.
Instead, I love books and movies that tell the reality of relationships (but not too much reality). Everything isn’t all roses and champagne and limo rides and opera. That’s probably why I used to read LaVyrle Spencer books. Her heroines were real, lived in regular houses, and had a little meat on their bones. Her heros had baggage, sometimes did the wrong thing, but always treated the heroine with respect and kindness.
That’s what I strive to do in my writing: create a bit of romance without it being saccharine or fake. That said – it is nice to add a little money to the mix to make the reality of life a bit more fun! ;o)
But I digress. What is it about Fifty Shades that is so attractive? What is fantasy? What is reality?
The hero is a millionaire.
The hero is a hard-working man.
The heroine is a partner at a high-powered law firm.
The heroine is a paralegal at a small law office.
They live on a beautiful horse ranch, in a big, beautiful, rustic lodge.
They live in a modular home with three miniature horses in the pasture.
Ah, yes. Pretty easy to figure out what is fantasy and what is reality, isn’t it? Perhaps Fifty Shades is intriguing because it is something we will never experience. But don’t confuse fantasy and reality. If you are in a relationship and the man stalks you, follows you, controls you, isolates you from friends and family. Run. Quickly.
For the record, all the reality above is MY life. And I love it. 
February 16, 2015
#howtowrite: Mining Ideas
A frequent question I get is “Where do you get your ideas?”
My answer is simple. Everywhere. Look around you. Listen. Read. I’ve got several novels drafted – here’s how I’ve done it.
Denim & Diamonds by Lori RobinettDenim & Diamonds is my first novel. The story began to germinate when I worked at a law firm. A client came in, needing an estate plan. She had several horses that she cared about deeply. They were her primary concern. She wanted to know how she could structure her estate so that her little farm would be taken care of. That got me to thinking . . . and the Diamond J was born.
Widow’s Web/Fatal Impulse (my next novel . . . hopefully to be released in 2015) was inspired by a story I heard when I was 10 years old. My family vacationed in Colorado, near Salida. At some point, Mom talked to a local about the mountain roads, the steep drop-offs, the dangers of driving. I remember a woman telling a story about a car that went off Highway 50, somewhere near Monarch Pass. The woman said the woman’s body wasn’t recovered until the next summer because the ravine was so steep and rugged that it was too dangerous for rescue crews to go down. The car was left there, a mangled mass of steel. The idea of someplace being so rugged that a body couldn’t be recovered stuck with me. I thought, what a great way to get rid of a body! (yes, even at 10, I thought that way – is it any wonder that I devoured Stephen King novels in my early teens?)
Alien Threat (still in draft form) was inspired by conspiracy websites that picked up a local news story several years ago when a local research scientist was killed. Apparently there have been a lot of scientists killed in unusual ways. Too much to be coincidence? Not in my novel.
If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, there are several resources you can mine for inspiration:
Read the news (especially a couple of pages back in a newspaper)
Pick up a book and turn to the 3rd page and read a line, then turn to the 30th page and read a line
Think of a book you like, then imagine that story line in a different genre (what if Harry Potter was written as a romance?)
Think of two movies you like, and imagine them in a mashup (Harry Potter meets Rocky)
When you come across ideas like that, find a way to record them:
Keep an idea journal.
Jot ideas on scraps of paper and drop them in a jar.
Write the idea on a sticky note and stick it to your wall.
Write your idea on an index card and keep it in a card file box.
So . . . where do you get your ideas? When you get an idea, how do you remember it?
February 10, 2015
Happy Release Day! The Widows’ Gallery by Marilyn Baron
Today is release day for Marilyn Baron’s new Lobster Cove Series Novel, The Widows’ Gallery. I’m happy to share the information with you today.
Curious as to what it’s about? Read on:
Childless heiress Abigail Adams Longley and three other widows bond over a Renaissance masterpiece in Florence, Italy, and find love, friendship and joy in their joint venture to open an art gallery at the Longley mansion in Lobster Cove, Maine.
Since the death of her husband, Abigail has been lonely and drifting in a house that’s too big and a town that’s too small. When she literally runs into sexy widower and whale-watching excursion captain Tack Garrity on the dock, she’s entranced by his adorable five-year-old daughter.
But will Tack, who has harbored a secret crush on Abigail for almost two decades, be able to capture her heart? A secret pact her husband made with Tack could either tear them apart or bring them closer together and change their lives forever.
And I’m delighted to share an excerpt to give you a taste of The Widows’ Gallery:
Abigail Adams Longley looked around at the three women flanking her in Hall 10/14 of the Uffizi Gallery. They were all staring at The Birth of Venus like wide-eyed art students. Admittedly, the painting was as compelling as when the Medici family originally commissioned the tempera on canvas in the fifteenth century. But for Abigail, seeing the painting again wasn’t cathartic. It was beautiful, but that wasn’t the feeling she was going for. Peace. Why couldn’t she get some goddamned peace in this life?
Abigail glanced at the square-cut, four-carat diamond on her finger, gazed at the sparkle of the ring she hadn’t removed since the day Louis had proposed. And now, a whole year after his death, she still hadn’t taken it off. Conventional wisdom dictated that you weren’t supposed to make any major life decisions until a year after a spouse’s death. Well, it had been a year already, and she hadn’t wanted to make even one decision—major or minor—about where to live, where to go, or what to do. Whoever said money can’t buy happiness had devised another dead-on axiom. She had all the money in the world—in fact Louis had left her a big chunk of the globe. He’d left her set for life, monetarily. But she would have traded every cent for the chance to be with him again. Louis was gone, and the sooner she faced the fact that she was alone on this planet, the better off she’d be.
Now . . . go get your own copy!
Barnes and Noble and other outlets: Available after Feb. 11, 2015
Marilyn Baron
And now a little about the author:
Marilyn Baron is a corporate public relations consultant in Atlanta. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers (GRW), recipient of the GRW 2009 Chapter Service Award and winner or finalist in writing awards in single title, suspense romance, novel with strong romantic elements and paranormal romance.
Marilyn writes in a variety of genres, including: Humorous women’s fiction (The Widows’ Gallery, Stones, and Significant Others; a psychic suspense series (Sixth Sense, Homecoming Homicides and the soon to be released Killer Cruise); and historical (Under the Moon Gate and the prequel, Destiny: A Bermuda Love Story) for The Wild Rose Press; and humorous paranormal short stories for TWB Press (A Choir of Angels, Follow an Angel, The Stand-In Bridegroom, Dead Mix and The Files Death Forgot).
Marilyn is a member of the Roswell Reads Steering Committee and belongs to two book clubs. A native of Miami, Florida, Marilyn now lives in Roswell, Georgia, with her husband and they have two daughters. She graduated from The University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism [Public Relations sequence] and a minor in Creative Writing.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, going to movies, eating Italian food and traveling. She often sets her stories in places she’s visited, including Bermuda, Australia and Italy, where she spent six months studying in Florence during her senior year in college.
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February 5, 2015
Happy Release Day! One More Second Chance by Jana Richards
Please join me in congratulating Jana Richards on the release of her novel, One More Second Chance! I’m happy to have Jana joining me.
Wondering what this new novel is about?
Dr. Alex Campbell has an agenda—finish his contract to provide medical services in Maine, pay off his medical school debt, and head back to his real life in San Diego. But when he meets Julia, all his carefully laid plans are put in jeopardy.
Julia Stewart, Lobster Cove’s high school principal, swears she’ll never let another man drag her away from the home she loves. Her aging parents need her, and the Cove is where she wants to raise her daughter. When her mother’s illness brings her and the big city doctor closer together, panic sets in. Her marriage taught her men don’t stay.
Can she put aside the heartaches of the past and trust Alex enough to accept the love he’s offering? Or will her fear of abandonment mean she’ll send him away forever.
Read on for an excerpt from One More Second Chance:
“What did the x-ray find?” she asked.
“A spiral fracture of the right arm.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath as if trying to control his emotions. “I’ve seen this kind of injury before. A fracture like this can be the result of a fall, but it can also be an indication of child abuse. An arm as small as Ava’s will break like a twig if it’s twisted hard enough. I’m obligated to contact the authorities if I suspect abuse.”
Julia stared at him in mute shock, her brain struggling to process his words, as if trying to translate some unintelligible language. The words child abuse rang in her ears. Finally she found her voice.
“You think someone deliberately hurt her?”
“Her injuries are consistent with abuse.”
“I don’t give a damn what they’re consistent with. Ava has not been mistreated. My mother said she fell down the stairs, and if that’s what she said, then that’s what happened.”
“I believe there’s more to the story than a simple fall.”
“If it comes down to believing you or believing my mother, I’m going with my mother.”
“Perhaps you don’t know your mother as well as you think you do.”
Julia sucked in a breath and stared into Dr. Campbell’s dark, accusing eyes. The idea that her mother would hurt Ava was ridiculous. She adored Ava, would do anything for her…
She blinked and looked away, remembering an incident the other day. She’d heard her yelling at Ava about the milk she’d spilled on the kitchen floor, making such a huge deal of it that Ava had cried. It had struck her as strange, since she couldn’t remember her mother yelling at anyone, ever. She wasn’t as patient as she used to be. And how did she explain her strange phone call telling her Ava had been hurt? Of course she’d been upset, but her mother had been nearly incoherent with distress. Was something going on she wasn’t aware of? She was seventy-one now. Maybe looking after a rambunctious five-year-old was too much for her.
No. She shook her head to reject the disloyal thought. Dr. Campbell was the one who was wrong.
“I know my mother. She didn’t do this. It was an accident.”
“We’ll soon find out. Sharon is questioning Ava now.”
Julia stared at the door. “She’ll be scared, all by herself.”
“Sharon’s very good at what she does. She has a way of making kids feel comfortable.”
Julia turned on him, the anger and despair she’d been holding inside spilling out. “And you? Do you enjoy upsetting five-year-olds and turning families’ lives upside down? Does it make you feel powerful to sic the authorities on us?”
“Look, Mrs. Stewart, I take no pleasure in bringing in the authorities. But I’ve seen child abuse, up close and personal, and I can tell you it’s damn ugly. The things parents and caregivers are capable of doing to defenseless children…”
He stopped abruptly, his chest heaving. Closing his eyes, he averted his face and took a deep breath. When he turned back to her, his steely control was back in place. “So yeah, if I have even the smallest suspicion that a child has been abused, I’m going to ask questions. And I’m not going to apologize for it.”
And now for a bit about the author . . .
When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.
In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou and several unnamed goldfish. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com
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February 1, 2015
How People Respond Differently to Scandal
The Superbowl is today, and the country has been talking about DeflateGate. Oh, the scandal! There’s something about scandal that generates buzz – we seem to like tearing people down, and take delight when we learn that someone who is up can be torn down. Most of my stories include some sort of scandal – something that causes outrage, the topic of gossip. Some big, some small. Why do I include them? Because scandals are a great motivator. Part of writing a layered character involves making them realistic. They need to have motivation for what they do. For instance, if one character kills another, there needs to be a reason for that death to happen. It could be out and out murder, or it could be a justifiable homicide. Regardless of which it is, there has to be a believable reason for it. That reason could vary greatly, depending on the character. Your characters become living, breathing individuals, and their actions have to match their personalities.
Let’s play with a character and see this in action.
Helen is the president of her garden club. Her husband is the CEO of the biggest company in town. She is the queen of the local society types, and takes great pride in her status.
Tamara is a paralegal, active with her kids’ school activities. Her husband works construction. Her life is work, then kids, then sleep. It may not be a glamorous life, but she has no complaints.
What happens when we add scandal? Imagine Helen and Tamara. How will each react when her husband announces that he’s having an affair? Tamara will likely take it in stride. They may get divorced, but life will go on. Helen, on the other hand, will be more desperate. It will be more embarrassing for her. In fact, she might even go so far as to let that desperation drive her to do something horrible . . . like murder. Her victim could be her husband or his mistress.
Let’s take another example:
Dr. James Whittenhaus is a well-known researcher, credited with discovering the cure for cancer.
Dr. Grant Gibbons just graduated with his doctorate, excited that his article was selected to be published in a trade journal.
What happens when we add scandal? Imagine James and Grant. How will each react when a national news reporter exposes the fact that the research was not original? Who will be more desperate? What lengths will each go to in order to keep this story from going public?
Another thing to consider is the environment. In a small town, scandal can rip someone to pieces and destroy an individual’s life. In a large city, scandal may be easier to escape. What motivates the person behind the scandal? Every time a story breaks loose and goes viral, someone is driving it. A story doesn’t have legs all on its own. Someone has to expose the wrongdoing, and publicize it. With social media, that doesn’t take much. A simple mistake can grow and morph into something barely recognizable, and the truth can be lost along the way.
Pay attention to the stories you hear this week, both by major news organizations and by regular people on social media. Think about the scandals and how those involved might react, based on their backgrounds.
January 27, 2015
Strong Women: When Your #Baby is a #Preemie
You may already know that my youngest has had some health issues. What you may not know is that before she came along, I was weak. I passed out when the nurse pricked my finger when I went in for my first prenatal appointment. I couldn’t stay in the same room when the vet examined my kitten. The thought of going through childbirth terrified me. I worried about everything – the pain, what life would be like, if I could handle being a mom.
Then, on June 22, 1995, I left my doctor’s office, drove myself to the hospital and 15 minutes later, my kiddo was born by emergency C-section. She had her first heart surgery when she was a day old, her first brain surgery when she was three weeks old, and another when she was three months old. Pretty rough stuff for a 2 lb 7 oz infant. I was in pretty rough shape, too. During my stay at the hospital (part of it in ICU myself), I was poked, prodded, and so much blood was drawn, it really didn’t bother me anymore. Our tiny baby spent three months in the NICU. During that time, I discovered that I was so much stronger than I ever dreamed. Suddenly, the little stuff didn’t matter as much. I shifted into survival mode.
But the moment I realized how strong I was was when my kiddo needed surgery at 2 1/2 years old. Her shunt failed. She needed a new valve and catheter into her brain. The surgery went well and she was released the same day. We took our little girl home with a c-shaped scar on her head, thankful for the good docs at the University of Missouri. A week or so later, I sat in the neurosurgeon’s office with her in my lap as the doctor pulled staples out of her head (you know, what he used looked a lot like what I use to pull big staples out at the office . . . ).
If anyone had told me that I’d be able to do that a few years before, I would’ve shaken my head and declared confidently, “No way!”
She needed another surgery when she was 11, and just last month, she needed another. This most recent one was difficult for different reasons. My kiddo is now living on her own, an adult. Yet, it was just as hard to watch them take her away to the O.R. as it was all the other times. I still waited anxiously to see her after it was over. This time she didn’t want me to stay the night with her, she wanted her boyfriend. Though that hurt my feelings, I left them together at the hospital, glad that I’ve raised a daughter who is strong enough to deal with her health issues.
The obstacles that life throws at you make you stronger. I tried to incorporate that in my book, Denim & Diamonds. I wanted Beth to start off unsure of herself, and wanted her to grow throughout the story – to find strength that she didn’t know she had.
Tell me about your strength. When did you discover you are stronger than you thought?
January 22, 2015
Strong Women: #divorce
When I was trying to think of a tag line for my blog (and for my writing), I realized that something that most of my writing includes strong women, often dealing with scandal of one sort or another, and, last but not least, second chances. In Denim & Diamonds, Beth finds herself with a cheating fiance and a dead daddy. In a nice twist, her dead daddy leaves her his horse ranch, with a provision that she has to run it to get her inheritance. She takes the challenge, relieved at the chance to escape the chaos of her life and start over fresh.
Most of my friends know I was married before, but it isn’t something I talk about a lot, largely because it’s not a part of my life I’m particularly fond of. It was flat out hard. My job was demanding and required a lot of travel (Kay & Ann Marie & Kim can back me up on that!). In hindsight, that may be the only reason the marriage lasted as long as it did. We were young when we got married. I was 20, he was 19. After five years of marriage, I came home from a business trip and a neighbor asked who the cute little green sports car belonged to that had been at the house while I was gone. Don’t get me wrong, there were problems before that. Arguments about money. Frustration about house work. He took a couple of late night calls from his employee, Chris. When I found out that Chris was short for Christine, and she drove a little green sports car, I knew. It cut like a knife. I confronted my husband, asked if the marriage was over, did he want a divorce. His reply? We can’t afford to get a divorce. NOT the answer I was looking for. In an odd way, I was relieved. The decision of whether or not to leave was no longer a difficult one. In spite of having a challenging job that I enjoyed, a home that I loved, and neighbors that were good friends, I picked up and moved. In order to make it on my own, I needed the love and support and security that home provided. I didn’t move home with the parents, but to a nearby town.
It was hard. Flat out HARD. Leaving behind the life I’d built was difficult, but the hardest part was admitting failure. My marriage had failed. The how didn’t matter. The first night in my new apartment (in a bad part of town – it was all I could afford), I curled up in the fetal position and cried myself to sleep. I allowed myself that night to mourn the death of my marriage. Then I made a conscious decision to look forward. I felt like I’d wasted five years of my life, and was ready to get on with life.
Second Wedding (and my stepdaughter!)
I reconnected with friends from high school (hi, Denise!). After working as a professional at a college, I found myself working nights at a telemarketing company selling children’s books and encyclopedias. Quite a fall for me. Finally got a job as a receptionist at a law firm, which led me to the career that I love. Met my now-husband. We just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary (we all look real happy in that pic in the upper left, right?). My life is sooooo much better than it was. I’m so much happier than I was. And I am stronger than I thought I was at the time.
In my writing, I often draw upon those feelings – the fear of being alone, feeling like a failure, the sadness, the anger, the hurt, the betrayal – to make my characters more real. I’m drafting the second novel in the Diamond series, and it features another strong woman as the main character. I hope she turns out as strong as I think she is. I want my readers to experience the fear, anger, and happiness of my characters. And I hope, in some small way, it helps my readers through their own bad times.
Because, dear readers — just like me, just like Beth, you are stronger than you think.
January 19, 2015
Focus on #womensfiction: Asked For by Colleen L. Donnelly
Asked For
I’m happy to have Colleen Donnelly joining me today. Colleen and I met while both writing madly to win National Novel Writing Month several years ago. She’s now one of my critique partners. Her second book was recently released by The Wild Rose Press, so I asked her to share some info with my readers. Please join me in welcoming Colleen!
Colleen, could you tell us what Asked For is about?
Cletus asked for Lana when she was barely more than a child. He told her grandmother he wanted a wife, not a bride, someone to keep his house the way he wanted it and to give him sons. He got more daughters than sons, and he also got James: “That boy,” the one Cletus claimed wasn’t his. Jim Dillon wanted Lana — he always had. He just hadn’t expected her to be taken away and married to someone else so soon. Glen Morgan recognized the beauty underlying Lana’s worn features, and he stepped in where Cletus hadn’t, offering help to her and her children. Lana grew up under Cletus’ demands, fulfilling what was expected of her — until his accusations that she’d done the unexpected and been unfaithful. Lana no longer looked at what might have been or what could be. She discovered what was most important, and she found it inside of herself.
Colleen J. Donnelly
And what about you? Who is Colleen?
Born and raised in the Midwest, Colleen is at home in that rural atmosphere but enjoys experiencing other cultures also. She works as a laboratory technician by day, but devotes her nights and weekends to literature, both reading and writing. Other hobbies include outdoor activities, treasure hunting in antique malls and flea markets, yard work, and theater.
Would you share an excerpt from Asked For?
She wore her auburn hair longer now because Cletus liked it that way, but it was pulled back out of Magdalena’s and Betsy’s reaches. And no makeup. She’d come plain, the way she always was, plain and tired.
“I probably am a sight.” Lana felt her face flush, but tried to ignore it. She wasn’t here to be told how good she looked. She was here to see Grandma, see herself and her new life against her old one and the person who’d told her how this new one was supposed to be lived.
“You look just fine, actually.” A tall shadow filled the shed’s doorway behind Grandma. “If anything, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“Jim…”
Jim Dillon stepped from the shed’s dark interior. He’d changed. She was shocked at what he’d become. He’d grown in three years, muscles where scrawny arms used to be, tanned skin and chiseled features where softness used to be. There was still the boy in his eyes, though, the boy who’d helped her with chores before she left to get married. The boy Grandma had said really wasn’t there to help Lana but was there because he needed the pay. A bucket half full of milk dangled from one of Jim’s hands. Grandma was right again. He was here not because Lana was but because he needed the pay.
Jim didn’t stare at her daughters, or the bulge of her stomach, or the worn dress that covered it. He just looked at her face, his eyes scanning every feature as if relearning, even admiring, who she’d become.
Where can we find Asked For?
The Wild Rose Press e-book (various formats available)
The Wild Rose Press paperback
For the Kindle
Goodreads
Also by Colleen L. Donnelly and available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc., and RomCon Readers Crown finalist – “Mine to Tell“
Thanks for stopping by, Colleen!
January 11, 2015
Finding my Zen: The Cause of Suffering
In Buddhism, the Second Noble Truth is the cause of suffering. Take a moment to look over the past year, and consider those times that you suffered. Before you can do anything to improve your situation, you have to identify the root cause.
As I look over 2014, there were some very difficult times. We had to have our yellow lab, Shelby, put down. It was difficult to make that trip, even though I knew she was suffering. Shortly thereafter, we had to make that same trip with our Miniature Schnauzer, Sasha. That nearly broke my heart, even though she was hurting so badly she bit me when I tried to hold her. Later in the year, my father-in-law passed away. Shortly thereafter, I suffered from a (mild, thank goodness) Lupus flare. Finally, we ended the year with my daughter in the hospital for an unexpected surgery – her shunt broke in her neck.
The research I’ve done about this Second Noble Truth talks about the attachment to desire being the root of suffering. Perhaps it is. I was very attached to my dogs (Sasha, in particular). Losing family members (pets included) is a physical attachment, an attachment to the physical form of the individual. I desired to hold them, keep them, have them with me. Health is the same way. Of course we want health. Once we see sickness, illness, etc. for what it is – a temporary situation – we can get past the suffering. When my mouth and throat hurt so bad in December from the ulcers that I was unable to eat or drink, I FELT like I was suffering. Honestly, though, I’ve been doing so much reading and thinking about awareness and mindfulness, I was able to recognize the temporary situation for what it was. It hurt AT THAT MOMENT, but I told myself it would get better. The same thing happened when my daughter had surgery. Of course, I was worried sick about her, but I was also able to recognize that her hospital stay, her pain, and the interruption of life was temporary. We could get through it. We WOULD get through it.
Oddly enough, I think that is what helped us get through her birth (she was born at 28 weeks, and has had many surgeries). My husband and I simply dealt with the things we had to deal with. We lived in the moment, and appreciated each small victory. We didn’t allow ourselves to wallow in misery. In hindsight, I think we saw those very bad times as temporary.
I’m not an expert on Buddhism, by any means, but I do find the philosophy interesting to study, and it has helped me deal with situations that, at times, I wondered if I could survive.
What do you think the Second Noble Truth means? What experiences have you suffered through, and what helps you get through those times?
And if you find yourself suffering through a down time, read a book. It helps distract the mind. Same goes for those you come in contact with who are suffering. Offer them something to distract them, and help them get through the temporary setback. Of course, I recommend Denim & Diamonds, because it’s a sweet, light read. 
January 6, 2015
#Romance Review: Smolder on a Slow Burn By Lynda J. Cox
From the moment I started reading Smolder on a Slow Burn by Lynda J. Cox, I was drawn into the historical setting and immediately wanted to know more about Allison and A.J. It was obvious from the beginning that each character carried secrets and the fact that they shared a connection surprised me – it was a twist that I hadn’t seen coming. A man named Oakten is responsible for destroying both their lives, and his man Garrison is on their trail. Allison is running for her life, accused of the murder of her sister and nephew, guilty of educating the children of slaves. A.J. still carries the terrors and injustices of war upon his shoulders, with the injuries to his soul nearly as bad as those upon his body. The memories of his years as a prisoner of war come back as nightmares that bleed over into wakefulness.
When the two find themselves on the run after barely becoming acquainted on a westbound train in Nebraska, the physical attraction surprises both of them. A.J. was always faithful to his wife, even after her death. For the first time since he lost her, he finds that he can’t resist the wisp of a woman who is stronger than she appears. Allison, on the other hand, tries her darnedest to maintain propriety as a single woman on the prairie, but circumstances throw her into quite improper closeness to a man who is more of a gentleman than he seemed to be at first blush.
After a terrifying night in a sodden shelter during a hailstorm, he tenders a proposal of marriage and she accepts. Though both are damaged, together, they are whole. Together, they must fight the demons of their past – even when those demons turn out to be flesh and blood men determined to destroy their lives.
If you enjoy historicals, Westerns or romances, I recommend this book. The characters are well-written and layered, and a couple of steamy sex scenes pull you in and make you feel the romance between Alli and AJ.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
