C.M. Boers's Blog, page 11
December 6, 2014
Author Interview- Tonya Burrows
Author Interview- Tonya BurrowsI am honored to have been able to interview Tonya Burrows. I have personally read her newest release Vision of Darkness and you can read my review here.
Here is the interview!
1. What were you like at school?
I was quiet, kinda shy, nerdy with my nose always stuck in a book. I had a small group of friends that I hung out with and didn’t really venture outside our circle.
2. Were you good at English?
Yes...and no. My problem was I preferred to read (and write) what I wanted to rather than what was assigned. But when something sparked my interest--an assignment on the Arthurian legend? Yes, please! Write a poem about World War II? Yup, I’m all over that!--then I threw myself into it and did very well. I was also good at B.S.ing my way through papers I didn’t particularly want to write. :)
3. What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I hope this will be a life-long career. My first book is only a year and a half old, so I’m still basically a newcomer to the industry, but there’s nothing else I’d rather do with my life. So my ambitions are to keep writing and hopefully keep selling so that I can keep writing full time. Oh, and hitting a list once or twice wouldn’t be half bad.
4. Which writers inspire you?
I’ve always looked up to Lisa Gardner. She published her first book at (I believe) 21 and I always wanted to “beat” her. I didn’t, but I still managed to get published in my 20s so I guess I’ll just have to be happy with that. I also very much admire Nora Roberts for the sheer longevity of her career and I love J.R. Ward’s writing style.
5. What genre are your books?
Romance. My new release, Vision of Darkness, is a bit of a departure from my usual military romances since there’s a bit of the paranormal thrown in. But it’s still an edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense!
6. What draws you to this genre?
I’ve been a fan of mystery since I read my first Sherlock Holmes book in middle school, and a fan of romance since I read my first Harlequin around the same time. It just felt natural to meld the two together, but I didn’t realize I was writing romantic suspense until high school when I read my first Iris Johansen novel. Years later, I started sprinkling in bits of the paranormal to satisfy my life-long interest in the subject.
7. Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
Oh boy. This is always a hard question. Okay, I think Sullivan Stapleton would be perfect for my hero, Alex. For my heroine, Pru… I dunno. Maybe Liv Tyler?
8. What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
Honestly...I don’t remember. I finished my first novel-length story in 8th grade and I haven’t stopped writing since. What can I say? It’s a compulsion.
Thanks so much for having me here today!
A psychic DEA agent works to unravel the mystery of a cursed lighthouse and falls in love with it’s keeper.
VISION OF DARKNESS is the first in the brand new D.I.E. Squadron romantic suspense series and will be released December 1, 2014. Fans of Christine Feehan's Ghost Walker series, or Rebecca Zanetti's FORGOTTEN SINS, will love this new series from Tonya Burrows! VISION OF DARKNESS is now available at Amazon. Get to know more about Tonya in this exclusive letter to readersVISION OF DARKNESSA beacon of light... Undercover DEA agent Alex Brennan doesn’t believe in the paranormal, despite the exhausting nightmares that reveal things he shouldn’t know. When sleep deprivation causes him to make a horrible mistake on the job, he is driven to find answers. Dreams guide him to a lighthouse in Three Churches, Maine, where he finds an inexplicable and comforting familiarity in the arms of the lighthouse’s beautiful keeper, Pru Maddox.
A whisper of memory… Deadly misfortune has long plagued Pru’s family, the result of a curse “The Green Lady” placed on the lighthouse. Skeptical, Alex searches for less ghostly explanations, though he can’t deny that the town has had more than its fair share of disappearances, suicides, and accidents. As their passion simmers, Alex digs deeper, and his dreams turn violent, frightening, and very real.
A vision of darkness... To keep Pru safe, Alex must embrace his abilities and unravel the lighthouse’s mystery. Except someone—or something—wants the past to stay buried...and will do anything to keep it that way.
Tonya BurrowsTonya Burrows wrote her first romance in 8th grade and hasn't put down her pen since. Originally from a small town in Western New York, she’s currently soaking up the sun as a Florida girl. She suffers from a bad case of wanderlust and usually ends up moving someplace new every few years. Luckily, her two dogs and ginormous cat are excellent travel buddies.When she's not writing about hunky military heroes, Tonya can be found at a bookstore or the dog park. She also enjoys painting, watching movies, and her daily barre workouts. A geek at heart, she pledges her TV fandom to Supernatural and Dr. Who.Connect with Tonya at: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google + | Pinterest | GoodReads
[image error]Spread the love and enter to win the tour-wide giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
[image error]
Keep up with the tour by stopping by one of these fabulous sites:Dec 1st ~ 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! and For the Love of BookendsDec 2th ~ CMB WritesDec 3th ~ MsRomanticReadsDec 4th ~ Literary Treasure ChestDec 5th ~ Parajunkee’s ViewDec 8th ~ Becky on Books and Feeling FictionalDec 9th ~ I Smell Sheep and Read Your WritesDec 10th ~ Reading Between the Wines Book Club and Bibliophile MysteryDec 11th ~ Seeing Night ReviewsDec 12th ~ Archaeolibrarian – I dig good books!Dec 15th ~ Red Hot + Blue ReadsDec 16th ~ Bea’s Book NookDec 17th ~ Reviews by CrystalDec 18th ~ Becky on Books and Romance JunkiesDec 19th ~ The La La Land of Books and Kit ‘N Kabookle
[image error]
Here is the interview!
1. What were you like at school?
I was quiet, kinda shy, nerdy with my nose always stuck in a book. I had a small group of friends that I hung out with and didn’t really venture outside our circle.
2. Were you good at English?
Yes...and no. My problem was I preferred to read (and write) what I wanted to rather than what was assigned. But when something sparked my interest--an assignment on the Arthurian legend? Yes, please! Write a poem about World War II? Yup, I’m all over that!--then I threw myself into it and did very well. I was also good at B.S.ing my way through papers I didn’t particularly want to write. :)
3. What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I hope this will be a life-long career. My first book is only a year and a half old, so I’m still basically a newcomer to the industry, but there’s nothing else I’d rather do with my life. So my ambitions are to keep writing and hopefully keep selling so that I can keep writing full time. Oh, and hitting a list once or twice wouldn’t be half bad.
4. Which writers inspire you?
I’ve always looked up to Lisa Gardner. She published her first book at (I believe) 21 and I always wanted to “beat” her. I didn’t, but I still managed to get published in my 20s so I guess I’ll just have to be happy with that. I also very much admire Nora Roberts for the sheer longevity of her career and I love J.R. Ward’s writing style.
5. What genre are your books?
Romance. My new release, Vision of Darkness, is a bit of a departure from my usual military romances since there’s a bit of the paranormal thrown in. But it’s still an edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense!
6. What draws you to this genre?
I’ve been a fan of mystery since I read my first Sherlock Holmes book in middle school, and a fan of romance since I read my first Harlequin around the same time. It just felt natural to meld the two together, but I didn’t realize I was writing romantic suspense until high school when I read my first Iris Johansen novel. Years later, I started sprinkling in bits of the paranormal to satisfy my life-long interest in the subject.
7. Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
Oh boy. This is always a hard question. Okay, I think Sullivan Stapleton would be perfect for my hero, Alex. For my heroine, Pru… I dunno. Maybe Liv Tyler?
8. What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
Honestly...I don’t remember. I finished my first novel-length story in 8th grade and I haven’t stopped writing since. What can I say? It’s a compulsion.
Thanks so much for having me here today!
A psychic DEA agent works to unravel the mystery of a cursed lighthouse and falls in love with it’s keeper.
VISION OF DARKNESS is the first in the brand new D.I.E. Squadron romantic suspense series and will be released December 1, 2014. Fans of Christine Feehan's Ghost Walker series, or Rebecca Zanetti's FORGOTTEN SINS, will love this new series from Tonya Burrows! VISION OF DARKNESS is now available at Amazon. Get to know more about Tonya in this exclusive letter to readersVISION OF DARKNESSA beacon of light... Undercover DEA agent Alex Brennan doesn’t believe in the paranormal, despite the exhausting nightmares that reveal things he shouldn’t know. When sleep deprivation causes him to make a horrible mistake on the job, he is driven to find answers. Dreams guide him to a lighthouse in Three Churches, Maine, where he finds an inexplicable and comforting familiarity in the arms of the lighthouse’s beautiful keeper, Pru Maddox.
A whisper of memory… Deadly misfortune has long plagued Pru’s family, the result of a curse “The Green Lady” placed on the lighthouse. Skeptical, Alex searches for less ghostly explanations, though he can’t deny that the town has had more than its fair share of disappearances, suicides, and accidents. As their passion simmers, Alex digs deeper, and his dreams turn violent, frightening, and very real.
A vision of darkness... To keep Pru safe, Alex must embrace his abilities and unravel the lighthouse’s mystery. Except someone—or something—wants the past to stay buried...and will do anything to keep it that way.
Tonya BurrowsTonya Burrows wrote her first romance in 8th grade and hasn't put down her pen since. Originally from a small town in Western New York, she’s currently soaking up the sun as a Florida girl. She suffers from a bad case of wanderlust and usually ends up moving someplace new every few years. Luckily, her two dogs and ginormous cat are excellent travel buddies.When she's not writing about hunky military heroes, Tonya can be found at a bookstore or the dog park. She also enjoys painting, watching movies, and her daily barre workouts. A geek at heart, she pledges her TV fandom to Supernatural and Dr. Who.Connect with Tonya at: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google + | Pinterest | GoodReads
[image error]Spread the love and enter to win the tour-wide giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
[image error]
Keep up with the tour by stopping by one of these fabulous sites:Dec 1st ~ 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! and For the Love of BookendsDec 2th ~ CMB WritesDec 3th ~ MsRomanticReadsDec 4th ~ Literary Treasure ChestDec 5th ~ Parajunkee’s ViewDec 8th ~ Becky on Books and Feeling FictionalDec 9th ~ I Smell Sheep and Read Your WritesDec 10th ~ Reading Between the Wines Book Club and Bibliophile MysteryDec 11th ~ Seeing Night ReviewsDec 12th ~ Archaeolibrarian – I dig good books!Dec 15th ~ Red Hot + Blue ReadsDec 16th ~ Bea’s Book NookDec 17th ~ Reviews by CrystalDec 18th ~ Becky on Books and Romance JunkiesDec 19th ~ The La La Land of Books and Kit ‘N Kabookle
[image error]
Book Review- Married for Christmas
Book Review- Married For Christmas by Noelle Adams
When I found this book I thought "oh good a Christmas book." not really caring what genre it was. It turns out it is a Christian Romance. Now having never really taken interest in that genre I may not have picked it up if I had known. Not that I am against them, I am Christian. (We will not go into religion!)
With all that being said, I really enjoyed this book. At first like all books, I felt it was a bit boring for the set up. Then....nothing really big happened yet for some reason I was hooked! I couldn't stop reading it. There was nothing that stood out that kept me reading, it just captivated me and I had to know what happened. I read this book in 24 hours.
As for the Christian undertones in this book, it did not slap you in the face with a bible. It did not push beliefs on you. It was simply centered around the church.
One thing I did find a bit odd in the story was the swearing and then the profuse apologies for it. I felt like that was a bit put on. I know swearing is frowned upon, but I don't really think that friends that close would have been disappointed if there were a few s-bombs or f-bombs that slip every once in a while. I felt like that could have been taken completely out.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars!
C.M.
When I found this book I thought "oh good a Christmas book." not really caring what genre it was. It turns out it is a Christian Romance. Now having never really taken interest in that genre I may not have picked it up if I had known. Not that I am against them, I am Christian. (We will not go into religion!)
With all that being said, I really enjoyed this book. At first like all books, I felt it was a bit boring for the set up. Then....nothing really big happened yet for some reason I was hooked! I couldn't stop reading it. There was nothing that stood out that kept me reading, it just captivated me and I had to know what happened. I read this book in 24 hours.
As for the Christian undertones in this book, it did not slap you in the face with a bible. It did not push beliefs on you. It was simply centered around the church.
One thing I did find a bit odd in the story was the swearing and then the profuse apologies for it. I felt like that was a bit put on. I know swearing is frowned upon, but I don't really think that friends that close would have been disappointed if there were a few s-bombs or f-bombs that slip every once in a while. I felt like that could have been taken completely out.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars!
C.M.
December 4, 2014
Book Review- Winter Interlude by Sandy Loyd
Book Review- Winter Interlude by Sandy Loyd
Read more »
Read more »
December 3, 2014
Wordless Wednesday!
A day without words in an industry where words create worlds sounds like fun to me!! I decided to participate in Create With Joy's fun idea. Happy Wordless Wednesday, dear friends! It’s time to share your favorite family-friendly photos – with or without words – at the friendliest party in town!
Read more »
December 2, 2014
Inspiration Tuesday!
Inspiration Tuesday via Little Bits of Wisdom
Tuesday is a great day to have little inspiration strike. The day after dreadful Monday. The day that there is still three more days until the weekend! So here's another quote to help you through the week! Read more »
Tuesday is a great day to have little inspiration strike. The day after dreadful Monday. The day that there is still three more days until the weekend! So here's another quote to help you through the week! Read more »
November 29, 2014
Book Review- Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone!
Book Review- Harry Potter and The Sorcerers StoneBy: J.K. Rowling
I did not take the time to read the series before I watched the movies and I thoroughly enjoyed them. So I decided that it would be nice to read them to my 7 year old son to help get his interest in reading and also to of course spend some nice quality time with him. I will say that when I first told him about it and brought the book home, he fought me on it and did not want to read it and had decided reading was not for him. Shortly thereafter he changed his mind and asked me to read it to him.
At first, he listened but did not seem interested at all, but as the story went on he became intrigued and begged me to read on nights we did not have time. At the same time, he grew a love of reading and now reads every night before bed for at least an hour, when before he "hated reading."
We just finished it tonight and he is so excited to watch the movie and start the next book.
With all that being said, I figured going about this review in the way that I normally would was not necessary being that the book is so popular.
I would absolutely recommend reading this to your children, age appropriate of course. It is a great way to spend some great time with them and get them interested in reading at the same time.
Have you read it to your kids? What did they think?
C.M.
I did not take the time to read the series before I watched the movies and I thoroughly enjoyed them. So I decided that it would be nice to read them to my 7 year old son to help get his interest in reading and also to of course spend some nice quality time with him. I will say that when I first told him about it and brought the book home, he fought me on it and did not want to read it and had decided reading was not for him. Shortly thereafter he changed his mind and asked me to read it to him.
At first, he listened but did not seem interested at all, but as the story went on he became intrigued and begged me to read on nights we did not have time. At the same time, he grew a love of reading and now reads every night before bed for at least an hour, when before he "hated reading."
We just finished it tonight and he is so excited to watch the movie and start the next book.
With all that being said, I figured going about this review in the way that I normally would was not necessary being that the book is so popular.
I would absolutely recommend reading this to your children, age appropriate of course. It is a great way to spend some great time with them and get them interested in reading at the same time.
Have you read it to your kids? What did they think?
C.M.
November 26, 2014
Stigma
I was watching a movie and this conversation played out.
Man- "....she writes children's books." Woman- "Oh? Self published?" Man- "No, she's big time."Woman- "Wow." Read more »
Man- "....she writes children's books." Woman- "Oh? Self published?" Man- "No, she's big time."Woman- "Wow." Read more »
Wordless Wednesday!!
A day without words in an industry where words create worlds sounds like fun to me!! I decided to participate in Create With Joy's fun idea. Happy Wordless Wednesday, dear friends! It’s time to share your favorite family-friendly photos – with or without words – at the friendliest party in town!
Read more »
November 25, 2014
Little Bits of Wisdom
Little Bits of Wisdom
This book was my favorite book growing up. It was the book I would ask my mom to read anytime she read me a bedtime story. I still have my copy from when I was little, though the paper cover has long since been lost.
I feel like even though it is a child book, it still has quotes that ring true for everyone. So each week I will post another bit from the book as inspiration for the week!
"One, two, whatever you do, Start is well and carry it through."
I think this quote is a great to help keep the motivation and excitement going!
What do you think of this quote?
C.M.
This book was my favorite book growing up. It was the book I would ask my mom to read anytime she read me a bedtime story. I still have my copy from when I was little, though the paper cover has long since been lost.
I feel like even though it is a child book, it still has quotes that ring true for everyone. So each week I will post another bit from the book as inspiration for the week!
"One, two, whatever you do, Start is well and carry it through."
I think this quote is a great to help keep the motivation and excitement going!
What do you think of this quote?
C.M.
November 24, 2014
Book Review - Vision of Darkness
Book Review - Vision of Darkness by Tonya BurrowsA psychic DEA agent works to unravel the mystery of a cursed lighthouse and falls in love with it’s keeper, a traumatized former chef. VISION OF DARKNESS is the first in the brand new D.I.E. Squadron romantic suspense series and will be released December 1, 2014. Fans of Christine Feehan's Ghost Walker series, or Rebecca Zanetti's FORGOTTEN SINS, will love this new series from Tonya Burrows!
[image error]Read more »
[image error]Read more »
