Book Launch - Following His Heart by Donna Fasano

Instead of my usual Friday fare on the blog, today I'm pleased once again to help a fellow author celebrate the launch of a new book. I've known Donna Fasano via social media for some time, and read several of her books. She does tell a good story, and here is her latest, which is the first in a new series. Once I am past the hectic pace of December, I will post a review.

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Following His Heart

by Donna Fasano

Series: Ocean City Boardwalk, #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: TODAY!!!

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Sara Carson is a 30-something widow with a busy life. Two fun-loving best friends, a caring mom who needs her, and a thriving sweet shop. What more could a woman want? But when the ancient plumbing in her shop springs a leak and a gorgeous, dark-eyed stranger rushes to her rescue, hilarity unfolds—and Sara quickly sees exactly what she’s been missing.

Something most peculiar draws Landon Richards to Ocean City, Maryland—and to the lovely Sara. This woman touches his heart like no other, and the two of them explore the heady attraction that pulses between them. But haunting dreams have a way of encroaching on reality, and the strange phenomenon that brings these two together will also threaten to tear them apart.

This is the first book in the Ocean City Boardwalk Series, where life for three enterprising women, Sara, Heather, and Cathy, isn't just fun in the sun—love is waiting on those sandy shores!

USA Today Bestselling Author Donna Fasano has written over 30 romance and women's fiction books that have sold 4 million copies worldwide. Her books have won numerous awards and have been published in nearly 2 dozen languages.
 

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Monday Morning Musings

This one will be short as I was gone for the weekend and am still trying to play catch-up with my farm work and my office work. Then, too, I want to take time to join my knitting group for a while and just have fun.

What I'm Reading: The Death of Anyone by David Swykert. It's a police-procedural with a female homicide detective as the main character and is set in Detroit. Two reasons it was of interest to me. I grew up near Detroit, so I looked forward to this fictional visit back, and of course I like lead detectives who are strong, capable women. So far it is pretty good.

What I'm Dismayed About: My neighbor's dogs got out Thursday night and one of them got in my back pasture and attacked my sheep. I spent all day Friday dealing with that: taking her to the veterinarian clinic, then getting her back home, talking to my neighbor about his responsibility, forcing some electrolytes into the sheep late in the day because she wasn't eating. Luckily, she seems to be doing better today, but I'm doubting my neighbor will help with the bills.

This is Miss Marie, who was bottle fed as a lamb and very much a pet.

What I'm Happy About: I spent the weekend with some of my kids. Paul and Dany, and we had a jam session with a friend, Cora. Paul and Dany and Cora are all in a church choir together, and when I visit I get to sing with the choir, too. Getting together like this is always great fun as we sing some old songs my father taught us, like "My Grandfather's Clock", some John Denver tunes, and some from The Beatles. Sometimes we even slip in a few church songs, too.

Me, Paul and Dany. They are twins and my babies. LOL

Cora, the lead guitarist at church. Paul playing keyboard. In the first picture he was playing guitar. Show off. LOL

Instead of a Joke I thought I would close today with a video. This is a recording of "My Grandfather's Clock" by Tom Roush. It's a slightly faster rendition of the one my father taught me, but very nice. I noted that Tom has a CD with a lot of old songs, so I am tempted to do some shopping.



So, how was your weekend? What are your plans for the week?

A Bit of BSP

Friends often tell me that I am the world's worst when it comes to promoting my books, and I'll admit they are right. I never know exactly how to do it without coming across as the proverbial salesperson with an arm full of books knocking on your door. However, if I don't ever knock on any doors, how are people going to know my books are even available? I read an article at Galley Cat recently that said Amazon gets a new book every five minutes.

That's a lot of books, folks, and it is no wonder that it is getting harder and harder for indie authors to get their books noticed. So... here I am knocking on your door. I won't keep you but a moment, I promise.

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Maryann.

Maryann who?

Maryann Miller, and I just want to let you know that Stalking Season, the second book in the critically-acclaimed Seasons Mystery Series that started with Open Season, is an ebook, available in a number of places. The hardback edition was published in December 14, 2012 for library sales, and in February of this year I had a new cover made and released it as an ebook for Kindle and Kindle apps. More recently, I used Draft2Digital to make the book available at Scribd * Kobo * Apple * Inktera * Nook

Here are snippets from the major reviews the book has received. It still makes me smile to read them.

 “. . . gripping second mystery featuring Dallas, Tex., police detectives Sarah Kingsly and Angel Johnson. . . . The relationship between the women is just as absorbing as the search for the killer. Few readers will anticipate the closing twist.” Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"So deftly plotted and paced that, although it’s certainly possible to grow impatient with the protagonists’ unwarranted impatience toward each other, they’re appealing enough to keep the pages turning." Kirkus

Okay, you can slam the door in my face now.

Book Review - "How to Climb The Eiffel Tower" by Elizabeth Hein

How to Climb The Eiffel Tower 
Elizabeth Hein
Print Length: 256 pages
Publisher: Light Messages Publishing (October 1, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00K5E0O6Q

The author hooked me with the opening sentence: "Ellery Cancer Center protruded from the hospital's facade like a glass tumor."

This is how Lara Blaine, the central character, begins her journey through cancer treatment. That is challenge enough for any woman, but added to that is the emotional trauma she still carries from an abusive past. She has tried to hide from that past by maintaining a rigid routine of work and exercise, but this cancer thing throws that routine out the window. As the treatments make her sicker and sicker, she discovers that she cannot fight everything alone. For the first time in her life, she needs people and reluctantly allows one or two to come into her private life.

One of those friends is Jane, another cancer patient, and a wonderful character. It is Jane who helps Lara step away from the past and embrace herself as a strong, capable woman. I enjoyed getting to know  Jane  and Vanessa  and Sebastian  and all the other characters who touched Lara's life. They were all so well done, they came across as real people.

The book is listed as contemporary women's fiction, and it is an easy read, despite the heavy subject matter. There is just enough humor to lighten some moments, and Vanessa is one of those bright, happy friends anyone would want around to come over and brighten a day. All in all this is a wonderful story, very well-written, and it would be good for a book club discussion.

How to Climb The Eiffel Tower is scheduled for release in October, but is available for pre-order. Elizabeth is also doing a give-away via Rafflecoptor. The contest will run all week, so enter often and tell your friends. She is going to give one lucky entrant a charm of the Eiffel Tower. Click on the link below to enter the contest.

The Rafflecopter Giveaway

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Elizabeth Hein is a mother, author, and cancer survivor. She grew up in Massachusetts and now lives in North Carolina. She writes women's fiction with a bit of a sharp edge. She is fascinated by how friendship and human connection can help a person through the most difficult moments in their lives. When not writing, she is trying to raise two young women and a husband. She will be this week's Wednesday's Guest, so do try to come back

A Surprise Guest

I normally don't have a guest on Tuesdays, but I wanted to help celebrate with an author I have met online. It is so exciting when we can share good news.

 Now with Montlake Romance - Release Day TODAY 12 November, 2013

On becoming a Montlake Author:

Let me tell you about my wonderful publishing experience! I have to back up a little bit… to this past spring. I self-published a romance titled Reclaim My Heart. The book received great reviews immediately, and it sold well from the beginning. Very well. In fact, during the first week of August I was enjoying a mug of coffee while perusing the USA Today Bestseller's List (my usual Thursday morning routine), and I nearly choked when I saw that Reclaim My Heart was sitting at #123 on the list. A couple of days later I was contacted by an editor from Montlake. She told me she'd read one of my books months before and had been keeping an eye on me. She said she'd read Reclaim My Heart and loved it. Now, what author doesn't love to hear that? She made an offer I couldn't refuse.

The Montlake editor and the design team loved the cover that was on the indie version of the book; however, Amazon had trouble licensing the rights to the image. So we searched for weeks before finding the picture that's on the current cover. I love it! And I hope my readers do, too.

I'm happy to be writing romance novels for Montlake. I feel wanted and appreciated, and it can't get much better than that in the publishing industry!

~Donna

Title:  Reclaim My Heart
Author: Donna Fasano
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Pages: 282
Formats: Paperback, eBook, AudioCD
ISBN: 978-1477817988
Purchase Now: Paperback § eBook  § AudioCD

About The Book :


Sixteen years ago, Tyne Whitlock cut all ties to her past and left town under the shameful shadow of a teenage pregnancy. Now her fifteen-year-old son is in trouble with the law, and she is desperate for help. But reaching out to high-powered attorney Lucas Silver Hawk will tear open the heart-wrenching past in ways Tyne never imagined.

Forced to return to the Delaware Indian community where Lucas was raised, Tyne and Lucas are tempted by the heated passion that consumed them as teens. Tyne rediscovers all the reasons she found this man irresistible, but there are scandalous secrets waiting to be revealed, disgraceful choices made in the past that cannot be denied. Love is a powerful force that could heal them both—if the truth doesn't rip them apart.

Excerpt

From Chapter Two"Please, Lucas."
He couldn't dismiss the tone of those two small words, nor could he ignore the magnitude of emotion clouding her expression. He had no choice but to relent.
"Sit down," he murmured. He closed the door of his office and then returned to perch himself on the corner of his desk. He steeled himself before asking, "What's on your mind?"
She seemed to shrink a little as a thousand thoughts ran though her head. Seconds passed, and still she didn't speak.
Lucas witnessed the phenomenon almost on a daily basis. The people who wound up in his office often felt as if they were carrying the world on their shoulders. He knew her anxiety would eventually discharge, and from the looks of it, he wouldn't have to wait long.
Finally, she pressed her hand to her chest. "I can't breathe."
"Relax. Do you want some water?"
She shook her head, a lock of her long, platinum hair falling over her forearm. "No. I need to get this out. I promised you I'd hurry."
He couldn't keep his brows from arching a fraction. She hadn't kept her promises in the past. Why would he expect her to now?
Tyne ran her tongue along her full bottom lip, hesitated another moment, then blurted, "I need a lawyer."
Lucas closed his eyes and stifled a sigh. He could have guessed as much, of course. He'd worked hard to get himself into the privileged position of being able to pick and choose his clients. The last person he wanted to represent was Tyne Whitlock.
"A good lawyer, Lucas."
Common sense told him Tyne wasn't attempting to flatter him. She was speaking purely out of desperation.
"Look, Tyne—" Something made him stop. He sighed, and then he stood, taking his time rounding his desk and sitting down. The leather-upholstered arms of the chair were cool and smooth under his fingertips.
"I know some of the best attorneys in the city." He plucked a pen from the cup on his desktop. "And many of them owe me a favor or two." He reached into his inside jacket pocket, pulled out one of the business cards he always kept handy, and turned it over, poised to write. "Let me give you some names and numbers—"
"I don't want just any attorney." Her chin lifted. "I want you. Why else would I have come here?"
His gaze lowered to the small white card in his hand. With much deliberation, he set down the pen and the card, and then he looked her directly in the eyes.
Every muscle in her body appeared board-stiff.
"Listen to me—" he kept his tone calm "—when people find themselves in trouble with the law, or victimized, or wrongfully sued, or unjustly accused, they tend to get lost in a strange, I don't know, franticness. A recklessness that they almost always regret. Believe me when I tell you that no situation is hopeless, and circumstances are rarely as desperate as they might be perceived. Whatever trouble you're in, don't let panic and fear haze your thinking."
"You don't understand."
"I think I do," he rushed to assure her. "I see it every day. Honest, hardworking people finding themselves in dire straits. And this unfamiliar territory throws them. They grasp at help from the first source that comes to mind."
"But—"
"Just like that old adage warning that only a fool acts as his own lawyer, it's also foolish to choose an attorney in haste. You and I have a past, Tyne, and even though all of that took place years and years ago, the fact remains that we have a history. I don't believe I would be the best person to represent you in a court of law. You need someone who'll be totally unbiased. Let me give you some names. I'll make some calls for you myself—"
"Stop!" She lifted her hands and scooted to the edge of the seat. "You don't understand. And I can't make you understand if you won't shut up for a minute."
His eyebrows arched and the frustration in her statement had him leaning back a bit.
She frowned. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. I had to stew all day yesterday." She fisted her hands in her lap. "I didn't expect to reach anyone on a Sunday, but do you know that your firm doesn't offer an emergency number on the answering machine?" She exhaled with force. "I'm a nervous wreck just being here. Seeing you. But all that aside, I shouldn't have snapped at you. Please accept my apology."
He didn't react, didn't move. He just waited for her to continue.
"The thing is… what you need to know…"
Once again, she grew terribly cautious, and Lucas found that extremely curious. What the hell was it she found so hard to tell him? What kind of trouble was she in?
She blanched, but then her spine straightened. "I'm not the one who needs a lawyer. I want to hire you, yes. But I'm not the one needing representation. It's my son who's in trouble." A nerve at the corner of her eye ticked, but her gaze never veered from his as she added, "Our son, Lucas."

About Donna Fasano

Donna Fasano is a three time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a CataRomance Reviewers Choice Award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose Golden Quill Award finalist, and  a Golden Heart finalist. Her books have sold over 3.6 million copies worldwide and have been published in nearly two dozen languages. Her books have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times, climbing as high as #17.

What others are saying about Donna’s books:
“…complex, funny, and realistic…” ~Wilmington News Journal

“Excellent!” ~Bookreview.com

“Could not help myself from reading excerpts to my husband and friends. This book is well written, the characters are real, everyday folks. It is very easy to identify with them. Donna Fasano is a talented author.” ~Elizabeth M. Caldwell on Amazon

“…a fast paced riotous look at family life today. Donna Fasano is right on target!”
~Donna Zapf, SingleTitles.com

Website  Blog  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads

Friday's Odds and Ends

Rick Perry dropped his campaign for the Republican nomination for president. I couldn't help but wonder at the timing of the announcement. It was just before the debate yesterday. Had he forgotten to prepare?

And what did you think of Newt's rant against the press? In last night's debate, CNN moderator John King directed the first question to Gingrich, asking him if it was true — as Gingrich’s former wife alleged in an interview with ABC News — that he asked for an open marriage in the late 1990s.

 “I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that,” Gingrich said. “Every person in here knows personal pain. Every person in here has had someone close to them go through painful things. To take an ex-wife and make it two days before the primary a significant question for a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything I can imagine.”

I'm not a fan of Gingrich, but I do agree that the media has crossed so many lines they have virtually been erased. Shame on the reporters and broadcasters who just keep filling the airwaves with junk and sensationalist.  A full story about the debate is online at Poltico.com

Some interesting predictions from Gopher Central:

In a story from the BBC two prominent futurologists take some shots at what the world will be like in 100 years. Following are their 10 most likely predictions.

1. Oceans will be extensively farmed and not just for fish.

We will need to feed 10 billion people and nature can't keep up with demand, so we will need much more ocean farming for fish. But algae farming is also on the way for renewable energy.

2. We will have the ability to communicate through thought transmission.

Transmission will be just as easy as other forms of brain augmentation. Picking up thoughts and relaying them to another brain will not be much harder than storing them on the net.

I found this second one most interesting. When my twins were young, I think they communicated telepathically.  Maybe they still do.

One of the things I decided to do this year is read books that have sat on my bookshelf forever. Well, not really forever since books haven't been around since the beginning of time. But you get my drift. Those of us who love to read have books tumbling out of shelves and falling off of tables or sitting in boxes, just waiting for us to get to them.

Yesterday, I started reading Spartina by John Casey. I don't even know how long I have had this book, but I bought it because it won the National Book Award in 1989. The edition I have was published in 1998. I almost donated the book to a local garage sale, but stopped. I bought the book for a reason, I might as well read it before I give it away.

I'm so glad I did. I am only a few chapters into the story, but I can already see why it won the award. It has wonderful descriptions, characterizations, and lines such as:  ...they waded through the clear water, stirring the bright sand, a little school of nice-looking people in bright clothes and bare legs... smiles and words as quick and simultaneous as a school of minnows."

Casey was describing a group of rich vacationers who had come for a clambake and weren't really connecting as people. They were too busy with the patter and chatter of people intent on being part of the group and making sure they said all the right things.

Teachers Who Made a Difference

Kathleen Parker, a Washington Post columnist, and recent Pulitzer Prize winner -- way to go, Kathleen -- attributed some of her success to a special teacher she had in high school.

In her column on April 15h, she told the story of Mr. Gasque, her high school English teacher. Kathleen had been called on in class and did not know the answer to the question, but whatever she said made the class erupt in laughter. Mr. Gasque whirled from the blackboard. "No perfectly executed pirouette can top the spin executed by Mr. Gasque that day." she wrote. "Suddenly facing the class, he flushed crimson and his voice trembled with rage. 'Don't. You. Ever. Laugh. At her. Again,' he said. 'She can out-write every one of you any day of the week.'"

Kathleen continued her column by writing, "It is not possible to describe my gratitude. Time suspended and I dangled languorously from a fluff of cloud while my colleagues drowned in stunned silence. I dangle even now, like those silly participles I eventually got to know."

What a wonderful moment, and anyone who has been touched by a special teacher knows that feeling.

In her column, Kathleen encouraged readers to think about those special teachers that touched our lives, and maybe pay them homage.

So I want to thank Mrs. Henderson, my third-grade teacher who introduced me to the joy of books and reading.

I also want to thank myseventh-grade teacher, Mrs. Carpenter, for entering my story in the Scholastic Writing Awards contest. I didn't know she had done that until I was notified that I won an award.

And I want to thank Sister Honora, my high school English and journalism teacher who also encouraged me to write and keep on writing.

It's possible that I could have ended up where I am now - a voracious reader and a published author - without their influence, but I highly doubt it.

What about you? What teachers do you remember who made a difference for you?