So the draw has been made - random as usual, and the winner of a copy of Allie Pleiter's latest release "Homefront Hero" is - insert drum roll here - or just some random fireworks...
VICKI!
Congrats Vicki!
Ryshia
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Winner of Homefront Hero
So the draw has been made - random as usual, and the winner of a copy of Allie Pleiter's latest release "Homefront Hero" is - insert drum roll here - or just some random fireworks...
Monday, May 7, 2012
Homefront Hero - A New Release by Allie Pleiter
Spring is here and with it a new release by Allie Pleiter. Today Allie is here to talk about her latest release, HOMEFRONT HERO and give out a copy to one lucky commenter (print if you're in the continental USA and e-copy if you're elsewhere).
An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The "dare from a friend" to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels and various national speaking engagements on faith, women's issues, and writing.
Take us on a journey to that era of WWI and tell us a story your research uncovered that most intrigued you:
Things started when I began wandering through military museums looking for that one thread to pluck and pull. That's the way stories come together for me--I find one little detail or object and follow that trail to another, and so on. I found the tale of a Charleston soldier who climbed out on the stay-wires of his dirigible over France and saved the crew. The museum displayed his leather flight helmet and the medal of honor he received for his bravery. That got me thinking about what it would be like to be hanging miles above the ocean trying to save your own skin and the lives of those around you. What would that do to a man? What if the medal represented something completely different to him than what the bestowers intended? None of this is the actual historical facts, it's just where my imagination took me as I stared at the helmet.
What unique and interesting paths your research may have taken you on:
Like most of my stories, this one started out as one thing and quickly became something completely different. It started out as a Charleston story of the homefront during World War I. It became more about the Army Base in Columbia (about 100 miles away) and the challenges brought there by the Spanish Influenza epidemic toward the end of the war. I learned that the university had been locked down in quarantine during the scare, and that seemed like a great place to bring characters. Researching this book took me by chance to Jackson Army Base during the 10th anniversary commemoration of 9/11, which was a tremendously moving experience for me.
What real life story prompted you to create your fictional characters?
Other than the airman's story above, it was the "Knit Your Bit" posters for the Red Cross socks for soldiers campaign that caught my eye. Being a serious knitter myself, I took this as an invitation to bring my love of yarn and needles into the story. When I read a detail (somewhere, I can't even find where) about the press to get boys involved because women and girls still weren't enough to meet the need, my brain fused the facts into the plot that became HOMEFRONT HERO. The campaign in the book never really took place, but if I'd been around during WWI, it's probably a stunt I would have tried.
Blurb from Homefront Hero:
Dashing and valiantly wounded, Captain John Gallows could have stepped straight out of an army recruitment poster. Leanne Sample can't help being impressed--although the lovely Red Cross nurse tries to hide it. She knows better than to get attached to the daring captain who is only home to heal and help rally support for the war's final push. As soon as he's well enough, he'll rush back to Europe, back to war--and far away from South Carolina and Leanne. But when an epidemic strikes close to home, John comes to realize what it truly means to be a hero--Leanne's hero.
Excerpt from Homefront Hero:
Here's a glimpse of their first meeting. Leanne and her nurse friend Ida are staring at a poster lauding Captain Gallow's next rally appearance:
"'Hear the daring exploits of Army Captain John Gallows," Ida read aloud. "Thrill to the tale of how he saved lives at the risk of his own.' Well where I come from gallows is something to be feared."
Leanne could only laugh. Some days Ida sounded as if West Virginia were the wild, wild West. "Oh, that might still be true here. The Gallowes are a very formidable Charleston family."
"Have you met them?"
"I've not had the pleasure, but I believe our fathers know each other back in Charleston. A fine family going back for generations."
Ida leaned back and crossed her arms while eying the dashing photograph of Captain Gallows that illustrated the announcement. "Fine indeed. He's certainly handsome enough." She adjusted her stiff white apron as if primping for the photograph's admiration. Ida did like to be admired, especially by gallant army officers. "I can't think of a better way to spend our first free evening off base. Perhaps he'll let me sketch him."
"Why is it you want to sketch every handsome man you meet?" Leanne teased. Already she could see it might prove hard to keep her artistically inclined roommate focused on her duties. Ida was a free spirit if there ever was one, and while she took her nursing very seriously, her adventurous nature already pulled her too often away from her tasks.
"I'd be delighted to sit for you," came a deep voice behind them. "Especially if you are so partial to handsome war heroes."
Ida and Leanne spun on their heels to find the very man depicted in the photograph. Complete with the dashing smile. Even out of his dress uniform--for he wore a coat, but not one as fancy or as full of medals as the one in the photograph--he was every bit the U.S. Army poster-boy hero. His dark hair just barely contained itself in its slick comb-back underneath his cap. He carried himself with unmistakably military command--Leanne suspected she'd have known he was an officer even in civilian clothes. He certainly was very sure of himself--a long moment passed before Leanne even noticed he leaned jauntily on a cane.
Ida planted one hand on her hip. "Well--" her voice grew silky "--no one can fault you for an excess of modesty. Still my daddy always said a healthy ego was a heroic trait, so I suppose I can let it slide, Captain Gallows." She drew out her pronunciation of his name with a relish that made Leanne flush.
Captain Gallows was evidently all-to-accustomed to such attentions, for he merely widened his dashing smile and gave a short bow to each of them. "How do you do?" He pointed to the sign. "Say you'll attend tonight's event, and my fears of facing an audience full of dull-faced students will be put to rest."
"Are you one of the four Minute Men, then?" Leanne asked. Her father had been asked to serve on the nationally launched volunteer speakers board, called "Four Minute Men" for the prescribed length of their speeches, but Papa had declined. Still, from the superlatives on his bill, Captain Gallows could go on for four hours and still hold his audience captive.
"The best. They give me as long as I want. They tell me I'm enthralling."
"I have no doubt they do. I'm Ida Lee Landway, and this is my friend Leanne Sample. We're just joining the nursing staff at the base hospital."
The captain tipped his hat. "How fortunate for our boys in the wards, Miss Landway, Miss Sample. I'm delighted to meet you. Tell me what I can say to convince you to come to the rally."
"Oh, it won't take much," Ida cooed.
"We were just on our way over to town early and already planning to attend," Leanne corrected. "No persuasion will be required." He certainly seemed a cocky sort, this Captain Gallows.
"I'm not so sure," he replied with a disarming grin. "I was on campus this morning and one of the students told me she would come, but she would bring her knitting. Not the kind of response I'm used to, I must say. I'm trying to see it as a patriotic act, not an expectation of my inability to fascinate."
Don't forget to leave a comment, a question or just an observation and you'll be entered to win a copy of HOMEFRONT HERO.
Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The "dare from a friend" to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels and various national speaking engagements on faith, women's issues, and writing.
So as Allie was here earlier this year with her release FALLING FOR THE FIREMAN and has already answered my favourite question that begins with a trip and ends with - Life hasn't been quite the same since... ,
I came up with a number of alternatives and Allie was ambitious enough
to tackle them all.
Welcome Allie!
Take us on a journey to that era of WWI and tell us a story your research uncovered that most intrigued you:
Things started when I began wandering through military museums looking for that one thread to pluck and pull. That's the way stories come together for me--I find one little detail or object and follow that trail to another, and so on. I found the tale of a Charleston soldier who climbed out on the stay-wires of his dirigible over France and saved the crew. The museum displayed his leather flight helmet and the medal of honor he received for his bravery. That got me thinking about what it would be like to be hanging miles above the ocean trying to save your own skin and the lives of those around you. What would that do to a man? What if the medal represented something completely different to him than what the bestowers intended? None of this is the actual historical facts, it's just where my imagination took me as I stared at the helmet.
What unique and interesting paths your research may have taken you on:
Like most of my stories, this one started out as one thing and quickly became something completely different. It started out as a Charleston story of the homefront during World War I. It became more about the Army Base in Columbia (about 100 miles away) and the challenges brought there by the Spanish Influenza epidemic toward the end of the war. I learned that the university had been locked down in quarantine during the scare, and that seemed like a great place to bring characters. Researching this book took me by chance to Jackson Army Base during the 10th anniversary commemoration of 9/11, which was a tremendously moving experience for me.
What real life story prompted you to create your fictional characters?
Other than the airman's story above, it was the "Knit Your Bit" posters for the Red Cross socks for soldiers campaign that caught my eye. Being a serious knitter myself, I took this as an invitation to bring my love of yarn and needles into the story. When I read a detail (somewhere, I can't even find where) about the press to get boys involved because women and girls still weren't enough to meet the need, my brain fused the facts into the plot that became HOMEFRONT HERO. The campaign in the book never really took place, but if I'd been around during WWI, it's probably a stunt I would have tried.
Blurb from Homefront Hero:
Dashing and valiantly wounded, Captain John Gallows could have stepped straight out of an army recruitment poster. Leanne Sample can't help being impressed--although the lovely Red Cross nurse tries to hide it. She knows better than to get attached to the daring captain who is only home to heal and help rally support for the war's final push. As soon as he's well enough, he'll rush back to Europe, back to war--and far away from South Carolina and Leanne. But when an epidemic strikes close to home, John comes to realize what it truly means to be a hero--Leanne's hero.
Excerpt from Homefront Hero:
Here's a glimpse of their first meeting. Leanne and her nurse friend Ida are staring at a poster lauding Captain Gallow's next rally appearance:
"'Hear the daring exploits of Army Captain John Gallows," Ida read aloud. "Thrill to the tale of how he saved lives at the risk of his own.' Well where I come from gallows is something to be feared."
Leanne could only laugh. Some days Ida sounded as if West Virginia were the wild, wild West. "Oh, that might still be true here. The Gallowes are a very formidable Charleston family."
"Have you met them?"
"I've not had the pleasure, but I believe our fathers know each other back in Charleston. A fine family going back for generations."
Ida leaned back and crossed her arms while eying the dashing photograph of Captain Gallows that illustrated the announcement. "Fine indeed. He's certainly handsome enough." She adjusted her stiff white apron as if primping for the photograph's admiration. Ida did like to be admired, especially by gallant army officers. "I can't think of a better way to spend our first free evening off base. Perhaps he'll let me sketch him."
"I'd be delighted to sit for you," came a deep voice behind them. "Especially if you are so partial to handsome war heroes."
Ida and Leanne spun on their heels to find the very man depicted in the photograph. Complete with the dashing smile. Even out of his dress uniform--for he wore a coat, but not one as fancy or as full of medals as the one in the photograph--he was every bit the U.S. Army poster-boy hero. His dark hair just barely contained itself in its slick comb-back underneath his cap. He carried himself with unmistakably military command--Leanne suspected she'd have known he was an officer even in civilian clothes. He certainly was very sure of himself--a long moment passed before Leanne even noticed he leaned jauntily on a cane.
Ida planted one hand on her hip. "Well--" her voice grew silky "--no one can fault you for an excess of modesty. Still my daddy always said a healthy ego was a heroic trait, so I suppose I can let it slide, Captain Gallows." She drew out her pronunciation of his name with a relish that made Leanne flush.
Captain Gallows was evidently all-to-accustomed to such attentions, for he merely widened his dashing smile and gave a short bow to each of them. "How do you do?" He pointed to the sign. "Say you'll attend tonight's event, and my fears of facing an audience full of dull-faced students will be put to rest."
"Are you one of the four Minute Men, then?" Leanne asked. Her father had been asked to serve on the nationally launched volunteer speakers board, called "Four Minute Men" for the prescribed length of their speeches, but Papa had declined. Still, from the superlatives on his bill, Captain Gallows could go on for four hours and still hold his audience captive.
"The best. They give me as long as I want. They tell me I'm enthralling."
"I have no doubt they do. I'm Ida Lee Landway, and this is my friend Leanne Sample. We're just joining the nursing staff at the base hospital."
The captain tipped his hat. "How fortunate for our boys in the wards, Miss Landway, Miss Sample. I'm delighted to meet you. Tell me what I can say to convince you to come to the rally."
"Oh, it won't take much," Ida cooed.
"We were just on our way over to town early and already planning to attend," Leanne corrected. "No persuasion will be required." He certainly seemed a cocky sort, this Captain Gallows.
"I'm not so sure," he replied with a disarming grin. "I was on campus this morning and one of the students told me she would come, but she would bring her knitting. Not the kind of response I'm used to, I must say. I'm trying to see it as a patriotic act, not an expectation of my inability to fascinate."
Visit Allie at her website at www.alliepleiter.com or at her knitting blog www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com.
Don't forget to leave a comment, a question or just an observation and you'll be entered to win a copy of HOMEFRONT HERO.
Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Sunday, May 6, 2012
NFL Draft, Not Quite - This One Is for Writers
So this year I listened to bits of the NFL draft and it's been a revelation. The surprise is really that it is a surprise. I mean I've been married to an NFL junkie for, well we're not going to discuss how many years. The thing is so far I've managed to escape the NFL draft. Maybe it was satellite radio that was my undoing. Our latest vehicle came with a trial run of satellite radio turned conveniently to the NFL. So, I've been listening as I drive from one end of the city to the other to the NFL news. Why don't I change the channel? First I'd have to know what channel - yes, I know I could just hit the pre-selected - okay, okay, leave me alone. It is, what it is. If the radio is on a certain channel once the vehicle is in motion - that's what I listen to or turn off but never change. Now I know a bit more about the teams and even have some opinions on players, few but some, all thanks to those drives across the city to visit my mom and listen to non-stop football talk on the way. I began to think that the NFL draft was rather like waiting for that call from an editor that you've been accepted. Imagine a stadium full of writers picked first or second or even third round waiting for a publisher to pick them up?
Will it be your first choice, your second or... were you even picked at all? No wait, if you make the stadium you're guaranteed a finish and a whole rocket load of hype there after. That's the writers' rule, in this new land of... Okay, so that was fantasy land but it wouldn't be a bad land to visit, just for a while.Reality - On Tuesday, May 8 I'm hosting Allie Pleiter with another new release. That's her second release this year! She was here in February with Falling for the Fireman and I'm thrilled to have her here again. This time it's with her latest release, Homefront Hero. Homefront Hero is a book that looks particularly interesting to me, because of the time period - WWI and because Allie writes some great stories. As part of her stop she's offering a copy of Homefront Hero to one lucky commenter!
Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie
Friday, April 27, 2012
Because "New York" Is Dragging Their Heels
My original title was "Because New York Will Never Want You" - harsh, I know. But that's what I thought getting published by anything but a traditional publisher was not so long ago. My goals were fairly specific, they still are - write the best story I can and make a career publishing. But it's self-publishing that I'm speaking of and I cringe when I read that original title now, but it's what I thought - then.
Things have changed in the publishing world and by default that has all tumbled down to the lonely world of the writer - even to this writer currently propped on her couch at 6:50 a.m. doing what I do - type. Yes, the publishing world has radically changed, even though I've seen it changing around me it was like I woke up one morning to an all new world. Kind of like that first snow, one minute you're having margaritas on the deck and the next you're foraging through your winter clothes and wading into a world of ear-nipping white.
So now that change is officially here I thought there must be some way it can work for me. I've previously discounted any thoughts of self publishing except maybe for a dog food recipe book but that - really, is another story and one you may not want to hear. I know Rourke, from his curled ball of red fur at my feet, is in no mood to hear that there's thought to sharing those delectable salmon crunch cookies with anyone but him - never mind his Breakfast Over Easy.
Seriously, I'm contemplating what self-publishing means - not as a career but as the path for one story. I know it doesn't guarantee any level of success and marketing comes with its own set of challenges. The self-publishing market is awash with books that should never have been published for one reason or another but its also populated by some excellent reads too. The Saskatchewan Writers Guild seems to have a good number of authors who are
creating careers as self published authors, or in some cases, a
combination of traditional and self-published. That opened my eyes to
opportunities. For me it's not a career route but it's definitely a
possibility as part of the journey.
Besides, it's a new world and it might be nice to dive into that sea of change just - well, to test it out and because I have a story that's hit the reject button with every publisher it fit both medium and large. I didn't go to small press - I considered it and then I rejected that idea. I know what that entails - I've been there before.
I'll always have a soft spot for the small press world and I can't say I won't visit again with another story suited more to that world than any other. Small press is a great experience, totally hands on, that delivers a fantastic product - just take a look at those covers. From acceptance to publication, I can't imagine a better experience. And, of course, they were my first. That OMG moment when you do the long awaited little jig and realize that someone has finally said yes, that moment when you realize you are going to be a published author, for me, that all belongs to the world of the small press. I'd love to go there again - wait, I did. But a third time, for all the joy of publication, of readers discovering you and continuing the journey with another book - there's downsides too. And at this point in my career, maybe this is a chance to take matters into my own hands and take a different look at publication and marketing.
But back to the story in question. It's a tale of suspense and romance in the jungles of Borneo. It's a good story, at least I think so - I sure fought to make it one of the best - one I want to share. Those that have read it enjoyed it, even called it a favourite - or at least they told me so. One publisher hinted that it just wasn't marketable in this climate. Okay, what does that mean? Darn it - I want to give this story a chance. Stories are meant to be read. So while I still want the traditional route, maybe this time I'll consider an alternative. It's an experiment that is still under consideration.
And BTW - should "New York" come calling, I have no qualms about dancing that jig once again.
Any thoughts of stepping out of your "norm" this week?
Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
So now that change is officially here I thought there must be some way it can work for me. I've previously discounted any thoughts of self publishing except maybe for a dog food recipe book but that - really, is another story and one you may not want to hear. I know Rourke, from his curled ball of red fur at my feet, is in no mood to hear that there's thought to sharing those delectable salmon crunch cookies with anyone but him - never mind his Breakfast Over Easy.
Seriously, I'm contemplating what self-publishing means - not as a career but as the path for one story. I know it doesn't guarantee any level of success and marketing comes with its own set of challenges. The self-publishing market is awash with books that should never have been published for one reason or another but its also populated by some excellent reads too. The Saskatchewan Writers Guild seems to have a good number of authors who are
creating careers as self published authors, or in some cases, a
combination of traditional and self-published. That opened my eyes to
opportunities. For me it's not a career route but it's definitely a
possibility as part of the journey.Besides, it's a new world and it might be nice to dive into that sea of change just - well, to test it out and because I have a story that's hit the reject button with every publisher it fit both medium and large. I didn't go to small press - I considered it and then I rejected that idea. I know what that entails - I've been there before.
I'll always have a soft spot for the small press world and I can't say I won't visit again with another story suited more to that world than any other. Small press is a great experience, totally hands on, that delivers a fantastic product - just take a look at those covers. From acceptance to publication, I can't imagine a better experience. And, of course, they were my first. That OMG moment when you do the long awaited little jig and realize that someone has finally said yes, that moment when you realize you are going to be a published author, for me, that all belongs to the world of the small press. I'd love to go there again - wait, I did. But a third time, for all the joy of publication, of readers discovering you and continuing the journey with another book - there's downsides too. And at this point in my career, maybe this is a chance to take matters into my own hands and take a different look at publication and marketing. But back to the story in question. It's a tale of suspense and romance in the jungles of Borneo. It's a good story, at least I think so - I sure fought to make it one of the best - one I want to share. Those that have read it enjoyed it, even called it a favourite - or at least they told me so. One publisher hinted that it just wasn't marketable in this climate. Okay, what does that mean? Darn it - I want to give this story a chance. Stories are meant to be read. So while I still want the traditional route, maybe this time I'll consider an alternative. It's an experiment that is still under consideration.
And BTW - should "New York" come calling, I have no qualms about dancing that jig once again.
Any thoughts of stepping out of your "norm" this week?
Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
On Tour With - The Reason Is You - Sharla Lovelace
Today I'm excited to welcome Sharla Lovelace with her new release "The Reason Is You." In addition to meeting the author and discovering another fascinating read, there's a chance to win a prize. Sharla will be giving away a $20 gift certificate from either Amazon or Barnes and Noble to one lucky commenter over the course of her book tour. So comment away, have a great day and good luck!
So let's lead things off with the question who is Sharla besides the author of a book with what appears to be a very intriguing ghost? Here's her bio:
Sharla once hunted for crab in a Honduran jungle, and explored an unknown cave on her belly through a rabbit hole. Not in the same night.
Now, she lives in Southeast Texas by the Neches River with her family, an old lady dog, and 19 cockatiels. If you wonder how she writes with all that noise--the birds actually have their own house outside. THE REASON IS YOU is her debut novel.
When she's not writing, doing the day job, or doing the family thing, she's stalking her Twitter feed.
And now I'm turning it over to Sharla who starts it off by finishing this sentence: Life hasn't been quite the same since.... The hitch is that the story must be about a trip. But that trip can be anything from a journey around the world to a jaunt to the corner store.
Thanks for having me!
I'm not a big traveler. I mean, I'd like to be, I'd like to be toodling around in a giant Winnebago or flying off to exotic locales like ones I read about. But my very blue collar world doesn't include scenarios like that. I've only really been on a few big trips in my life.
A big vacation when I was in the fourth grade brought me to the Grand Canyon and all up the West Coast. I've been scuba diving in Grand Cayman and Cozumel and Honduras. I've been to London. I've been skiing to Taos, NM. All of those things were in my twenties. And I went to Vegas for my honeymoon. That about sums up my traveling portfolio.
But one trip wasn't a vacation, stands out in my head as life altering.
When my daughter was five, her dad and I called it quits. We were living in Colorado at the time, a beautiful, majestic place. Also rivaling California for expensive living. I couldn't afford to live there on my own, and I didn't want to. It was time to move back home. To Texas. To family.
The small town I was going back to would be very different from what I was leaving behind. I knew that. I knew I was making the conscious choice to raise my daughter in an entirely different lifestyle. She would be a blue-collar Texas girl, like I was. So my dad and my brother rented a uHaul truck and drove the 2-day stretch to come help to pack up everything I owned, and we left.
I remember looking in the rearview mirror with tears in my eyes as I watched the big rock formation in Castle Rock, Colorado disappear around a bend. I knew I'd never be back. I felt the loss as I drove through the mountain passes and little picturesque towns. I looked at my daughter, coloring in a Barbie coloring book, who really wasn't old enough to register what she was leaving behind, and both celebrated that fact and regretted it.
I got to spend precious moments with my dad, that I didn't really realize was precious at the time. We stopped and ate at little mom and pop diners along the way, and stayed at the tiniest roach motel I've ever seen...lol... I remember pulling up finally, at the end of the day, into my mother's driveway. Thinking: "I'm finally home" and "Oh my God, what have I done?" at the very same time. I had no house, no job, no security for my daughter other than a support system of family. I got us there two weeks before Kindergarten started, so she'd start in one place and not have to move in the middle.
One month later, I found a rent house and a job in the very same day. And five years later my dad died...with my mom to follow eight months after that. My choice gave my daughter a chance to know them, hang out with them almost daily. She has deep rooted memories that I wish could have lasted longer but at least they are there. She's 17 now, and remembers certain activities with them vividly.
I still miss Colorado sometimes, but I've been here for twelve years now, have remarried into a wonderful family and have fully reinstated my Texas drawl and attitude. It's home again.
Mischievous and sexy, Dani's old friend Alex still has the power to rock her world, but there's a big obstacle standing in their way--Alex has been dead for forty years. With a ghost popping up at inopportune moments and sparking conversations with her teenage daughter, Dani scrambles to find solid ground and get a grip--both on her sanity and her heart.
Preface: Dani and her teenage daughter, Riley have arrived back in Dani's hometown, and one of the first things Dani has to deal with is catching her daughter talking to her old best friend Alex in the front yard. Alex is a ghost...
My head said to walk forward, but my feet went numb. Then he looked my direction, and suddenly I was head-to-toe buzz with blood rushing in my ears. I took a deep breath and attempted normal as I made it down the steps without tripping.
Riley saw Alex. Riley wasn't supposed to see people like Alex.
She had her usual folded-arms-with-one-hip-jutted stance, looking annoyed as hell, while Bojangles circled the yard in a frenzy with his nose to the ground. Alex slowly took off his glasses and locked his blue eyes in on mine with that arrogant little smile of his. I felt heat radiate from every pore.
"Dani," he said, low and smooth, and all the breath left me. "My God, look at you."
I opened my mouth to say the same thing, that after twenty-plus years he still looked exactly the same, hot enough to melt my shoes. But then the mommy gene stood up and waved and I remembered Riley was there.
He laughed, a deep throaty sound, as he pointed at Riley.
"I knew it had to be."
A nervous noise squawked from my mouth. Nothing profound like I always imagined it would be.
"The eyes were the first clue," he said with a wink.
Riley frowned, her expression a mix of disgust and wariness.
"God, you know this perv? He was here on the car watching me and won't tell me who the hell he is."
He smirked. "The sweet, gentle nature was the clincher."
Sharla can be found at her website: www.sharlalovelace.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Goodreads.
Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
So let's lead things off with the question who is Sharla besides the author of a book with what appears to be a very intriguing ghost? Here's her bio:
Sharla once hunted for crab in a Honduran jungle, and explored an unknown cave on her belly through a rabbit hole. Not in the same night.
When she's not writing, doing the day job, or doing the family thing, she's stalking her Twitter feed.
And now I'm turning it over to Sharla who starts it off by finishing this sentence: Life hasn't been quite the same since.... The hitch is that the story must be about a trip. But that trip can be anything from a journey around the world to a jaunt to the corner store.
Welcome Sharla
Life Hasn't Been Quite The Same Since...
Thanks for having me!
I'm not a big traveler. I mean, I'd like to be, I'd like to be toodling around in a giant Winnebago or flying off to exotic locales like ones I read about. But my very blue collar world doesn't include scenarios like that. I've only really been on a few big trips in my life.
A big vacation when I was in the fourth grade brought me to the Grand Canyon and all up the West Coast. I've been scuba diving in Grand Cayman and Cozumel and Honduras. I've been to London. I've been skiing to Taos, NM. All of those things were in my twenties. And I went to Vegas for my honeymoon. That about sums up my traveling portfolio.
But one trip wasn't a vacation, stands out in my head as life altering.
When my daughter was five, her dad and I called it quits. We were living in Colorado at the time, a beautiful, majestic place. Also rivaling California for expensive living. I couldn't afford to live there on my own, and I didn't want to. It was time to move back home. To Texas. To family.
The small town I was going back to would be very different from what I was leaving behind. I knew that. I knew I was making the conscious choice to raise my daughter in an entirely different lifestyle. She would be a blue-collar Texas girl, like I was. So my dad and my brother rented a uHaul truck and drove the 2-day stretch to come help to pack up everything I owned, and we left.
I remember looking in the rearview mirror with tears in my eyes as I watched the big rock formation in Castle Rock, Colorado disappear around a bend. I knew I'd never be back. I felt the loss as I drove through the mountain passes and little picturesque towns. I looked at my daughter, coloring in a Barbie coloring book, who really wasn't old enough to register what she was leaving behind, and both celebrated that fact and regretted it.
I got to spend precious moments with my dad, that I didn't really realize was precious at the time. We stopped and ate at little mom and pop diners along the way, and stayed at the tiniest roach motel I've ever seen...lol... I remember pulling up finally, at the end of the day, into my mother's driveway. Thinking: "I'm finally home" and "Oh my God, what have I done?" at the very same time. I had no house, no job, no security for my daughter other than a support system of family. I got us there two weeks before Kindergarten started, so she'd start in one place and not have to move in the middle.
One month later, I found a rent house and a job in the very same day. And five years later my dad died...with my mom to follow eight months after that. My choice gave my daughter a chance to know them, hang out with them almost daily. She has deep rooted memories that I wish could have lasted longer but at least they are there. She's 17 now, and remembers certain activities with them vividly.
I still miss Colorado sometimes, but I've been here for twelve years now, have remarried into a wonderful family and have fully reinstated my Texas drawl and attitude. It's home again. Thanks for letting me come by!
Hope you all enjoy the book!
Sharla
"The Reason is You" - Blurb:
In the small town of Bethany, Dani Shane never fit in. Being different pushed her to the fringes of society, and even leaving town for two decades didn't stop the talk. Now, with her sixteen-year-old daughter Riley in tow, Dani is back in Bethany looking for a fresh start. Too bad her plans for staying under the radar are about to be thrown out the window.
Mischievous and sexy, Dani's old friend Alex still has the power to rock her world, but there's a big obstacle standing in their way--Alex has been dead for forty years. With a ghost popping up at inopportune moments and sparking conversations with her teenage daughter, Dani scrambles to find solid ground and get a grip--both on her sanity and her heart. Excerpt from "The Reason Is You":
Preface: Dani and her teenage daughter, Riley have arrived back in Dani's hometown, and one of the first things Dani has to deal with is catching her daughter talking to her old best friend Alex in the front yard. Alex is a ghost...
My head said to walk forward, but my feet went numb. Then he looked my direction, and suddenly I was head-to-toe buzz with blood rushing in my ears. I took a deep breath and attempted normal as I made it down the steps without tripping.
Riley saw Alex. Riley wasn't supposed to see people like Alex.
She had her usual folded-arms-with-one-hip-jutted stance, looking annoyed as hell, while Bojangles circled the yard in a frenzy with his nose to the ground. Alex slowly took off his glasses and locked his blue eyes in on mine with that arrogant little smile of his. I felt heat radiate from every pore.
"Dani," he said, low and smooth, and all the breath left me. "My God, look at you."
I opened my mouth to say the same thing, that after twenty-plus years he still looked exactly the same, hot enough to melt my shoes. But then the mommy gene stood up and waved and I remembered Riley was there.
He laughed, a deep throaty sound, as he pointed at Riley.
"I knew it had to be."
A nervous noise squawked from my mouth. Nothing profound like I always imagined it would be.
"The eyes were the first clue," he said with a wink.
Riley frowned, her expression a mix of disgust and wariness.
"God, you know this perv? He was here on the car watching me and won't tell me who the hell he is."
He smirked. "The sweet, gentle nature was the clincher."
Sharla can be found at her website: www.sharlalovelace.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Goodreads.
Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Nothing Better Than A New Book!
There's lots of great things in life and one of them is new books!
Tomorrow I'll be hosting author Sharla Lovelace with her recent release - The Reason Is You. I read an excerpt from the book and it's caught my interest. Stop by tomorrow, April 12, to meet Sharla - find out some more about her book and leave a comment or two for a chance to win a prize.
It's all happening here - tomorrow!
Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)