Blog Tour Sign Up: Blue Aspen by Tenaya Jayne

Tenaya will be on tour in September/October with her YA/paranormal romance novel Blue Aspen. Kindle or PDF copies can be provided, and print copies can be sent to US/Canada residents. Tenaya will also be available for a guest post or interview, and book excerpts can be requested. Please use the form below to choose your preferences. I will contact everyone chosen to participate. Thank you!

When seventeen-year-old Dulcee Elders’ mother embarks on a road trip from their home in California, Dulcee knows something odd is about to happen. Her suspicions are confirmed when they arrive at Uncle Jack’s house outside of Durango, Colorado. Without another word, Dulcee’s mother is gone, and Dulcee faces life with her reclusive and wealthy uncle in a looming rural mansion.

Dulcee has suffered from insomnia ever since her father died more than ten years ago. But once at home at Uncle Jack’s, inexplicably Dulcee now can sleep; sleep brings not only strange and intricate dreams, but a dream lover. For now, Vincent Sands is only the silhouette of a man, but when Uncle Jack leaves town for business, Dulcee’s dream world and reality collide. Once she is alone, the silhouette is no longer content to remain only in her dreams.

When Dulcee is asleep, Vincent can give her anything she wants, even the ability to talk to her dead father. Inevitably, Vincent must leave when Uncle Jack returns. Dulcee experiences the high price of loving Vincent-an addiction rivaling that of any hard-core drug. Desperate to bridge the gap between them, Dulcee faces a crucial decision that carries irreversible consequences.

**Tenaya’s tour is now full. Thanks to everyone who signed up!**

Adele is Pregnant!

Well, good news comes out of Hollywood! After hearing about the split between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, I was a bit bummed, I’ll admit it! But then I read the announcement that power-house Grammy winner Adele is pregnant! The singer herself broke the news, with the titled post “I’ve Got Some News” on her website. “I’m delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we’re over the moon and very excited but please respect our privacy at this precious time. Yours always, Adele xx”

Adele, 24, was first spotted with boyfriend Simon Konecki in January of this year, and he was by her side at the Grammy Awards in February. Konecki, 38, is divorced and has one daughter. Congrats to the couple!

Photo Credit: AKM-David Fisher /Rex USA

Katie Holmes Files For Divorce

I have to say this bit of news surprised me – which I can’t say is typical when it comes to celebrity divorces. It was announced today that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are divorcing. People.com broke the news first, and has statements from each lawyer. “This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family,” says Holmes’s attorney Jonathan Wolfe. “Katie’s primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter’s best interest.” From Cruise’s camp: “Kate has filed for divorce and Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children. Please allow them their privacy.” The couple married in November 2006 and they have one child together – daughter Suri, 6. Cruise, 49, has been married twice previously, to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman, with whom he shares two adopted children. This was the first marriage for Holmes, 33.

Anyone else surprised by this news? I know Tom got a lot of flack with jumping on Oprah’s couch announcing his love for Katie, but it seemed like the couple was genuinely in love. Then again, how do we ever know what goes on behind closed doors, especially in the Hollywood.

Photo Credit: James Devaney/WireImage

Author of the Month: June: Suzan Battah

Chick Lit Plus is pleased to announce the Author of the Month for June is Suzan Battah, author of Mad About the Boy and BaSatai: Outside In!

What was your reaction when you learned that you had been selected as the Author of the Month for Chick Lit Plus?

I was over the moon and very honoured to be chosen as the Featured Author of the month. As a fairly new author to the publishing world I’m still struggling to get the word out about my books so when I work with CLP Blog Tours I’m so grateful for the support that comes behind the hard work.

 

You now have two novels out – romance novel Mad About the Boy and YA sci-fi BaSatai: Outside In. Can you tell us more about what your next project will be?

My next project is continuing to work on the 2^nd novel of the BaSatai Trilogy, the title and planning is already there and I’m ready to get going an expected release for the ARCs will be December 2013. It follows Armani’s story and how she learns and grows as a BaSatai. There’ll be more drama, huge twists and turns and big discoveries. For those of you who enjoy a bit of mystery and thinking about the who and why things happen in the BaSatai series, you’re going to LOVE the next book. I’ve had a mixed reaction but remain firm in the journey I’ve taken with the characters. BaSatai is definitely a thinking book, I don’t like to explain too much but rather like the readers to think about why and how things might happen. Visually the BaSatai series will be dynamite on screen. I’m also in the process of writing the sequel to Mad About the Boy – Ben’s story a romantic drama titled Mad About the Girl. It will also be culturally diverse full of romance, love, laughter and drama of course.

Check out Mad About the Boy!

Julia Mendoza is driven by the success of her business. Since her husband Carlos passed away at such a young age, her business By Design is her number one priority. In her late twenties she works too hard and doesn’t take time out for fun. Annoyance with a pesky ex-friend has her begging one of the local surfer’s with a cheeky smile in the grocery store to pretend he’s her boyfriend. Suddenly, life takes a sudden detour from her business plan; much to the delight of her boisterous Latin American family. Christophe Augustine is groomed to take over his father’s successful chain of luxurious hotels. With a wealthy French-American background, Chris has been given privileges that not many have. He works hard, plays harder but seeks approval and recognition above all else. Family is a top priority for him as he fights for custody of his young brother. His parent’s divorce has not diminished his faith in romance. When a gorgeous Latino woman changes one boring morning into an interesting game of role play, though reluctant to help at first, he soon realises she’s not like the string of other women he’s known. A romantic first date ending dramatically doesn’t stop Chris from wanting to know Julia more. And for Julia, she’s all for a bit of fun but when things get too serious she’s running the other way. Too alike, in some ways and complete opposites, in other ways, Julia and Chris fumble through fun moments, annoying confrontations, passionate times and heartbreaking revelations. Love has no boundaries when soul-mates meet but when one is ready to love and the other one isn’t….

And BaSatai: Outside In!

Seventeen year old, Armani Radnelaq a full blooded BaSatai is plagued by a curse in her blood. A curse created from hate and designed to break the divide between two parallel worlds of Earth and H-trae when Armani’s blood is spilled in attack and she dies.

S’teuqoubs have been travelling back and forth across the divide for centuries without trouble. The BaSatai and Guardians monitoring activity and enforcing rules to ensure peace and harmony but if the divide splits and opens, a much greater number of supernatural S’teuqoubs will filter into earth destroying equilibrium which the BaSatai and Guardians will be unable to control. Humanity and the BaSatai will suffer and perish. The parallel divide must remain secure at all costs.

Armani has remained hidden on earth with her adopted father Elijah since her birth. She has been raised in the human way and fights her natural instinct to evolve into a BaSatai. The BaSatai in her requires her to evovle and shift, use her powers and strength. Yet Armani is freaked out by the need to shift. She smokes, has a bad attitude, must deal with aggressive bullies and control her natural BaSatai instinct. Her Guardian with BaSatai Warriors are coming for her. She refuses to accept her fate and doesn’t believe any BaSatai should die to protect her.

The blood curse maturing in her veins makes her a target for her enemies. Her Guardian Karhl and an elite BasSatai Warrior Rafael are the first to arrive and prepare her for her crossing over. Her attraction to Rafael complicates her purpose to stay on earth even more. They both insist she fall into line and follow their lead but she is not ready to leave earth just yet…

Clean Break by David Klein

The intense and sharply written novel, Clean Break by David Klein, follows Celeste Vanek as she asks her gambling husband for a divorce. She hopes to make a clean break (hence the title of the book) but that becomes a very unlikely scenario when her husband demands his family back … and does so in a very violent way. Jake Atwood witnesses the shockingly violent scene between the husband and wife, which ties in the second portion of the story. As if Jake hasn’t seen enough, we quickly learn that he has his own issues and is taking part in an affair with Sara, a married police detective. All of the characters and their story lines are interwoven together and they soon learn how that one crime will change their lives forever.

Psychological, suspenseful, engrossing, powerful, gripping …. there just aren’t enough words to describe Clean Break by David Klein. I was pulled in instantly from the opening paragraphs and read it in one day. David Klein creates very believable characters and very REAL emotions when describing a broken marriage and a family that has seen better days. There are several key moments throughout the book that make you question whether or not you would make the same choices and this book makes you think. Definitely not a happyily-ever-after kind of book, but overall, very thought provoking and a great, suspenseful read. I definitely finished the book grateful for my husband and our happy marriage.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

Future Tour: The Undiscovered Novelist by Sarah Bridgeton

Sarah will be on tour September 10-27 with her women’s fiction novella The Undiscovered Novelist

Twenty-seven-year-old Jordyn Simmons has almost everything she’s ever wanted—a sexy live-in boyfriend, an adorable son, and a finished novel she plans to publish. The only two things missing from her life are a publisher for her book and a relationship with her estranged mother, Debra. As Jordyn pursues her novelist ambitions, her world collides with Debra’s, and both women are forced to make decisions that will change their lives forever.

Please visit CLP Blog Tours for the full tour schedule!

Interview with Jacqueline Sheehan

Thank you to Jacqueline Sheehan for stopping by CLP with a great Q&A! Be sure to also check out her latest title – Picture This.

Can you give a short description of you latest novel, Picture This?

Picture This begins where Lost & Found left off, back on Peaks Island, Maine, Devastated by her young husband’s sudden death, she had been on a downward spiral until she took a job as an animal control warden (a far cry from her career as a psychologist) and she saves a black lab, Cooper. Now she’s ready to try at love again with Hill, the gentle archery instructor. But a phone call from a troubled girl looking for her biological father shakes Rocky’s newfound joy. Could the girl hold a tendril of her husband, or is something else happening that Rocky is unable to see?

Do you have a lot of input on your covers? If so, how do you choose the final dog?

Harper Collins is collaborative about covers. However, the people who design the covers are specialists at design and marketing and I bow to their expertise. I write books and they live in the world of design. We looked at 100’s of photos of dogs. The chosen dog had to carry himself in a certain heroic manner that one could see in a photo. I also really wanted eye contact with the dog since this is one of the truly disarming characteristics of dogs; they seek out eye contact with humans to transmit information.

How important are dogs in your personal life?

Cooper is a combination of two spectacular dogs in my life. I had a golden retriever that was a true companion on my hiking and camping expeditions as well as being comfortable on the streets of Chicago. He was loyal, sensitive (he once nursed a stray Siamese cat back to health), and hilarious. The second dog belonged to my sister. He was a black lab and he had a very heroic personality, as well as being able to dribble a soccer ball between his front feet while running full speed. I do not currently have a dog because I travel far too much. I do have two cats, one of whom acts more like a dog than most dogs.

You write both fiction and historical fiction. Is it difficult to switch from writing in the different time periods?

In a weird way, most fiction is historical fiction unless we are writing exclusively about the present or the future. Most of what memoirists write could be called a type of historical fiction. But I do see what you’re asking since I’ve written two books set in the 19^th century and two books in contemporary times. Most writing requires research, but contemporary literature has the luxury of being the recipient of daily news, dialogue, experiences, etc. When I’ve written about the 19^th Century, I’m exacting about details that are time/culture sensitive and I do have to immerse myself in the time period. It can be jarring to spend all day writing about starvation in 1844 Ireland and then go grocery shopping at the mega market at the end of the day.

Are you working on a new project?

I am now working on the book that was set aside for two years. I am re-introducing myself to the characters, and I find that in my absence, some of them have continued on without me and I’m rushing to catch up. The first part of the book is set in 1990 Guatemala in the Mayan highlands.

Is there a certain area where you do the majority of your writing?

Yes. I recently added a writing studio to my house that over looks my garden, and further on, a meadow. I think it is important for the eyes to be able to rest on something beautiful and that is exactly what I have.

You are a New Englander—what could you say to persuade us to visit New England.

Only one thing. Lobster rolls. I just returned from touring in Maine and in 24 hours, I had two lobster rolls. I would have had three except for a thieving sea gull who stole one.

Falling Uphill by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

Falling Uphill by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga follows main character Candace Grey, an anthropology teacher at a small college in Michigan, as she receives an alarming message on her phone from San Francisco stating that “Ruth Fenton is dead.” Ironically, she is set to leave for California (Los Angeles) to conduct research on 1960′s TV star Pamela Parrish for her thesis at the same time. Instead she heads off to San Francisco after she discovers that Ruth Fenton is a long lost relative … only to meet a woman at the memorial service who claims that the subject of her thesis (Pamela Parrish) didn’t die quite like everyone claims, and that she was murdered instead of supposedly commiting suicide. This news invokes the inner mystery solver in Candace, and she knows that she must get to the bottom of it, plus, it would be a break through for her paper. While attempting to get to the bottom of the mystery, Candance begins to suspect her boyfriend back home of cheating, and also begins a small romance with a painter. What will happen with Candace? Will she be able to solve the mystery? Or will her life go up in flames?

Light hearted and moving, Falling Uphill is the perfect mix of romance and mystery. The whole time I felt like I was right there with Candace trying to solve the mystery, as well as live vicariously through her as she struggles in the romance department. Wendy Nelson Tokunaga does a good job at creating honest characters that go through the real ups and downs of love and life, whilst also uncovering a few shadows in the closet and solving a pretty big mystery. My biggest complaint is that the book starts off a slow in the beginning. I almost gave up, but kept with it, and am glad that I did. Overall, a pretty good read.

[Rating: 3.5/5]

 

On Tour: The Cowboy Singer by Paula Tiberius

Paula will be on tour July 2-23 with her novel The Cowboy Singer

April Connors figured her love life was on hold indefinitely now that she was about to have a baby while temporarily staying at her grandmother’s house (what a turn-on!). Meeting infamous country singer Jimmy Wick may have made her giant belly flip, but she was filing him under a big “as if.” No man in his right mind would fall for a gal this pregnant, and besides, she needed to focus on herself and the baby. James Warwick (a.k.a. Jimmy Wick) was not in his right mind. His ex-wife was petitioning for full custody of the only thing that made him happy besides playing music, his four-year-old princess, Summer, and the thought of losing her had him crazier than an outhouse rat. His saving grace was his new ‘friend’ April who he was falling head over heels for. The only problem was, April had just been knocked up, dumped and stranded by the last guy she was with and was in no mood to go down that road again. She was hellbent on getting her life back on track just as James was watching his fall apart, leaving them both caught off guard by the unstoppable romance that would sweep them off their feet.

Please visit CLP Blog Tours for all the tour stops! **Everyone who leaves a comment on Paula’s tour page will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of The Cowboy Singer before July 23 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**

Author Bio:

Paula Tiberius is an author, screenwriter, filmmaker, musician and mom living in North Hollywood, California with her musician husband Richard, their daughter Violet, and their German Shepherd, Jackson. Paula wrote and directed the award-winning feature film Goldirocks in Toronto, which came out theatrically in 2004, played on Pay TV and Cable in Canada and is currently available on Netflix, distributed by R Squared Films. To learn more about Goldirocks, visit www.goldirocks.com You can read more from Paula Tiberius at her website  www.paulatiberius.com/blog, where you’ll find lots of thought-provoking blogs, vegetarian recipes and more. The Cowboy Singer is her first novel.

Ocean Beach by Wendy Wax

I received a copy of Ocean Beach in exchange for an honest review. This was the first book I read from Wendy Wax,  and I was excited to tear into it. The story followed characters from her previous novel Ten Beach Road ­- Madeline, Avery and Nicole. After renovating Bella Flora, the women get an opportunity to fix up another home – this time in South Beach and while shooting a pilot for a television show called Do Over. What they didn’t realize is that the TV show about renovating old homes has actually turned into a reality show. Maddie’s daughter Kyra had an affair with a much-married famous actor that produced a son, and the producers are dead-set on having the baby a feature in the show. Avery’s mother Deirdre is also along for the ride, and trying to mend their broken relationship. Deirdre left Avery when she was a young girl to pursue her career, and Avery is unsure she can ever get past that betrayal. Nicole is trying to overcome a scandal her money-hungry brother put her through and get her matchmaking business back on track, and Maddie is trying to save her own marriage. The women invade the house and meet the sweet old man who owns it, Max. Together, the entire group try to put the once lively house back together – but an air of mystery surrounds why Max is so insistent on getting it “ready” for someone from the past.

I will say, I think you need to read Ten Beach Road before Ocean Beach. When I got the book, I didn’t realize it was a continuation from a previous novel, but I could easily tell right from the beginning that was clearly the case. I just felt like I had missed a huge chunk of storyline, and that feeling never went away. While I enjoyed the story and the characters, I most definitely recommend you read Ten Beach Road first. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of Max and Millie’s missing son, though I will say that it wasn’t too much of a mystery. I had it figured out right away, and in my eyes it was fairly obvious as to who the child abductor was. Krya drove me a bit batty with her decisions, which were also obvious that they were going to backfire on her, but I enjoyed the dynamic between her and her mom Maddie. One thing that confused me – and this is a really small detail – was the back and forth between Nicole and Nikki. At first, I thought they were two separate              people, and I got a bit lost. But Nicole and other characters refer to her as both, and I just didn’t understand the constant switching. Max was such a sweet character, I loved how jovial he was and the love story that happened between him and his late wife Millie was so enchanting. Overall, I liked the book and would recommend – after Ten Beach Road of course!

[Rating: 4]

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