Jewish movie night recipes

A guest post by Karen Malena

Being Italian, I’ve not had much call for Jewish movie night recipes. If it doesn’t have sauce on it, anise oil, or ricotta cheese, then I probably haven’t made it.

Recently, though, while writing about a man who finds his Jewish ancestry, I’ve done a little research on all things Hebrew. For instance, did you know that Chanukah is celebrated for eight nights? The children play spin the dreidel and adults play it as a gambling game. The prize is candy or “gelt,” an old Jewish coin, now chocolate. The dreidel is a four-sided top with the Jewish letters: Nun, Gimel, He and Shin on each side. The letters stand for “Ness Gadol Hayah Sham--A great miracle happened there.”

Plan Bea by Hilary Grossman

I'd like to welcome my friend Hilary Grossman on the blog today. Hilary will be releasing a new contemporary romance novel in October - Plan Bea - and I'm excited to share the cover reveal and a Chanel fragrance giveaway with you all. Enjoy!


Book Information 

Title: Plan Bea 
Author: Hilary Grossman 
Series: (book 1) 
Release Date: October 2015 
Genres: Women’s Fiction 
Publisher: Booktrope 


Chanel fragrance giveaway 

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Blurb

How well do you really know the people in your life? 

Annabel O’Conner has the perfect husband, two adorable children, an amazing job, and the mother from hell! Annabel doesn’t like it but has come to terms with the fact that her relationship with her mother, Bea, deteriorated to the point of forced and strained communications. However, an unscheduled call from Bea turns her world around and makes Annabel question everything she believed about her life. 

Despite the fact secrets, lies, and misplaced blame have destroyed the women’s relationship; Annabel reluctantly agrees to help Bea plan her wedding. Little does Annabel know the impact of her decision. 

In this Women’s Contemporary Fiction novel, Hilary Grossman explores the complex relationship that exists between mothers and daughters in a light-hearted and relatable manner. 


Goodreads Link https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26230669-plan-bea 


Buy Links 

Amazon US


Author Biography 

Hilary Grossman loves to find humor in everyday life. She has an unhealthy addition to denim and high heel shoes. She likens life to a game of dodge ball - she tries to keep as many balls in the air before they smack her in the face. When she isn't writing, blogging, or shoe shopping she is the CFO of a beverage alcohol importer. She lives on the beach in Long Island. 


Social Networking Links 

Blog: http://www.feelingbeachie.com 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HilaryGrossmanAuthor 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/feelingbeachie 
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Hilary_Grossman/ 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hilary_grossman/ 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7266769.Hilary_Grossman 
Amazon Author: http://www.amazon.com/Hilary-Grossman/e/B00F4WT2R6/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Newsletter Signup: http://eepurl.com/brIroD 

Guest post: Welcome to the Zombie Rapture by Stuart R. West

Recently, Vanessa invited me to chat about my new book, Zombie Rapture, on her blog. (Don’t worry, despite the title it’s not a “zombie erotica” book, although I’m sure someone’s written one. Ugh.) Honestly, before I wrote the book, I thought the whole zombie craze had pretty much been played out. Yet I wanted to try my hand at a zombie tale anyway as I love the original Dawn of the Dead film and The Walking Dead TV series.

But how to come up with something original? 

At first, the idea of “zombie babies” excited me. My excitement didn’t last long, though. I realized all you had to do to escape them is step over them. Gah! So much for suspense. So dumb, so wrong-headed. 

Zombie animals? Nope, been done numerous times. 

Then I had a dream about miniature zombies, the size of toy soldiers. In my dream, a big corporation created small bombs (“bombies”) to destroy the little things. A mass marketing/advertising blitz ensued (I ate lotsa’ cheese and hot sauce that night.) During the dream (as is always the case with me), I thought, “what a cool idea for a book!” Then the cold light of day slapped me in the face and I realized how stupid the whole thing was. 

I considered zombie hillbillies. Nah, I thought…too redundant. (Ouch!) Back to the drawing board. 

There’s zombie politicians. But I’m sure it’s been done (and if not, why?). Besides, I’m not a journalist. 

Then (and I can’t really say when or where it occurred), a very vivid image struck me. A lil’ ol’ lady approaching with hedge clippers, smiling sweetly, but with murder on her mind. Brrr…but how to make this work as a book? And more importantly, why? 

At the same time, I wondered, “When is a zombie not a zombie?” When they’re sentient, of course! Combine that with the “hate churches” that are running rampant through my Midwest stomping grounds and I had my book. The zombies in Zombie Rapture are sentient; dead yet fully aware. They don’t eat flesh. Yet they want to kill the few remaining living beings. Why? To “save them.” The undead believe they’ve been favored by God, enjoying the Rapture come to earth. And it’s their duty to save the living by killing them, resurrecting them into eternal happiness. 

Strange concept, even wilder ride (I hope). Zombie Rapture is a black comedy, a character-oriented suspense thriller driven by a romantic quest. My hero, Hunter (a teen ready to graduate high school and leave behind his Midwestern roots), has fallen in love with Jordan, the perfect girl for him. But the world has changed and Jordan’s missing. Hunter connects with Scout (Jordan’s wild tom-boyish little sister) and his grandpa (ornerier than a six inch sliver) to travel across the Midwest to find Jordan while trying to stay alive, narrowly avoiding both the undead and the opportunistic living minority. 

What starts out as a free-wheeling comedic adventure soon turns dark as the stakes keep rising. Time is running out to save Jordan from the evil, undead Reverend Osgoode and his legion. 

Hey! It’s my first book that has all five-star ratings, my personal best! I’m sure it won’t stay that way forever, so get it while it’s still “good!” 

Zombie Rapture can be purchased here: Clicky for thrills, chills and zombie spills! 

Zombie Rapture giveaway

Fill in the Rafflecopter below to win an ebook of Zombie Rapture by Stuart R. West (format of your choice). The giveaway is open worldwide. Good luck!

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How romantic movies shaped my writing

I'd like to welcome guest author Stephanie Faris on the blog today. Stephanie is the author of 30 Days Of No Gossip and 25 Roses. When she isn't crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all-fashion. Today she'll reveal how romantic movies shaped her writing.

***

Having been a teen in the 80s, I grew up on romantic movies. My favorite movies as a teen were those set in the high school environment. I assumed it was because I was in school myself at the time, but I didn’t realize someday I’d be a writer, with most of my books set in the school environment.

I got the idea for 25 Roses from my own life experience, but there is an underlying romantic tone throughout the book. That romantic tone is always flavored by the books, TV shows, and movies I enjoyed growing up—they shaped my view of fiction today. Here are five of my all-time favorites, four of which start with the letter “S,” oddly!

Clueless

Every girl loves a good makeover movie, right? That moment when an ordinary girl emerges looking amazing gets us all. Based on Jane Austen’s Emma, Clueless features a privileged girl who decides to help out the less fortunate by providing makeovers and matchmaking services. While 25 Roses has similar elements, unlike Cher in Clueless, Mia is hardly privileged. She helps out her fellow classmates because she relates to always being invisible. She feels as though she is one of them.

Secret Admirer

I remember seeing Secret Admirer on cable as a teen and loving it. I thought Lori Laughlin was so beautiful and I didn’t see how C. Thomas Howell could see her as a buddy. A secret admirer starts sneaking secret admirer notes into C. Thomas Howell’s locker and he assumes it’s from the prom queen. Because, of course, everyone knows prom queens have nothing better to do than sneak notes into boys’ lockers. I tried the “note in a locker” secret admirer thing when I was in school but it never quite worked out for me!

Sixteen Candles

We all love Sixteen Candles so much because Molly Ringwald’s character is so relatable. She has a crush on a boy who (she thinks) doesn’t even know she’s alive. She feels awkward and invisible compared to her beautiful big sister…Mia has that same feeling about her big sister in 25 Roses. Aside from My So-Called Life, I can’t think of another piece of entertainment that has more accurately depicted what being a teenager is like than Sixteen Candles did.

She’s All That

Freddie Prinze Jr. bets a friend he can turn the school dork into the prom queen. In the process, he falls in love with her. This film mixes commentary on school hierarchies with that makeover magic we all love.

Some Kind of Wonderful

I’m including this one because many of you may have missed it. While Mary Stuart Masterson was a little too hostile to be likeable, I loved the girl-likes-boy-who-likes-other-girl theme of this one. It also makes me feel a little better about the fact that my books seem to focus heavily on the social hierarchy in school.

There they are! I won’t say they all directly influence my writing, but they were partly responsible for my views on romance and high school. I’d be interested to hear what movies influenced other people during their tweens, teens, and early 20s.

***

About Stephanie's latest novel, 25 Roses:

Mia moves from the shadows to the spotlight when her matchmaking plans go awry in this contemporary M!X novel from the author of 30 Days of No Gossip.

Mia is used to feeling overlooked: her perfect older sister gets all the attention at home, and the popular clique at school are basically experts at ignoring her. So when it’s time for the annual Student Council chocolate rose sale, Mia is prepared to feel even worse. Because even though anyone can buy and send roses to their crushes and friends, the same (popular) people always end up with roses while everyone else gets left out.

Except a twist of fate puts Mia in charge of selling the roses this year—and that means things are going to change. With a little creativity, Mia makes sure the kids who usually leave empty-handed suddenly find themselves the object of someone’s affection. But her scheme starts to unravel when she realizes that being a secret matchmaker isn’t easy—and neither is being in the spotlight.

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Top 5 movies with best dialogue

This is a guest post by T. B. Markinson, the author of A Woman Lost, Marionette and Confessions from a Coffee Shop. She's here to talk about her top 5 movies with great dialogue.

***

Hello, everyone!

It’s a pleasure to be here today. Vanessa asked me to write about five movies that have inspired my stories. The plots of the following films had zero bearing on my actual stories. However, each of them has helped me understand the importance of dialogue. Dialogue is tricky. It has to sound realistic, reveal bits about the story, and it has to help shape a character. Many of you have probably read novels with flat dialogue. If you’re a writer my best advice is to read authors who have mastered the skill and to watch a lot of great movies with fabulous dialogue. Here’s my list.

1. Casablanca

The first film that comes to mind when I think of great dialogue is Casablanca. How many of you have quoted this movie at some point? I know I have. Here are some quotes to refresh your memory:

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” 

“We’ll always have Paris.” 

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

2. His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, is a classic and the rapid-fire dialogue is spot on. You really have to listen to catch all the wonderful wise-cracks. Here’s a sample:

Walter: Look, Hildy, I only acted like any husband that didn’t want to see his home broken up. 

Hildy: What home? 

Walter: “What home?” 

Don’t you remember the home I promised you? You don’t have to know much of the backstory to realize that their marriage wasn’t a good one. Three lines and the viewer is clued in completely.

Here’s a fun youtube clip from the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loqDhn3mtW4

3. The Thin Man

Yes, I’m listing another black and white film. I love classics and the main reason is the dialogue. This film stars Myna Loy and William Powel and is based on Dashiell Hammett’s hardboiled novel by the same name. The screwball comedy has some great interactions, like this one:

Reporter: Say listen, is he working on a case? 

Nora Charles: Yes, he is. 

Reporter: What case? 

Nora Charles: A case of scotch. Pitch in and help him.

Check out this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDiDYrUoQ0I

I’m hoping it tempts you to watch this marvelous film. Careful, you may want to watch the entire Thin Man series. I do once a year.

4. Pulp Fiction 

I figured it was time for me to list a film that was made during my lifetime. I do prefer older films since story and dialogue are front and center. Today blockbusters are more about visual effects, but some writers have been able to master mixing good stories with plenty of violence and action. What can I say about Quentin Tarantino? He’s a master when it comes to writing screenplays. I could have named several of his movies for this list, but I selected my favorite. There are so many classic quotes from this film.

“Just because you are a character doesn’t mean that you have character.” 

“If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions.” 

“Play with matches, you get burned.” 

“Besides, isn’t it more exciting when you don’t have permission?”

Recently the Huffington Post had an article titled: 16 ‘Pulp Fiction’ Quotes That Will Help You Become A Better Person. Check it out here.

5. Goodfellas

For the final movie that I want to discuss today I went back and forth between Goodfellas and The Silence of the Lambs. Goodfellas won for the simple fact that I could remember more of the interactions. Who can forget this memorable scene? (Warning: there’s strong language)

Henry Hill: You're a pistol, you're really funny. You're really funny. 

Tommy DeVito: What do you mean I'm funny? 

Henry Hill: It's funny, you know. It's a good story, it's funny, you're a funny guy.  [laughs] 

Tommy DeVito: What do you mean, you mean the way I talk? What? 

Henry Hill: It's just, you know. You're just funny, it's... funny, the way you tell the story and everything. 

Tommy DeVito: [it becomes quiet] Funny how? What's funny about it? 

Anthony Stabile: Tommy no, You got it all wrong. 

Tommy DeVito: Oh, oh, Anthony. He's a big boy, he knows what he said. What did ya say? Funny how? 

Henry Hill: Jus... 

Tommy DeVito: What? 

Henry Hill: Just... ya know... you're funny. 

Tommy DeVito: You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little fucked up maybe, but I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I'm here to fuckin' amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny? 

Henry Hill: Just... you know, how you tell the story, what? 

Tommy DeVito: No, no, I don't know, you said it. How do I know? You said I'm funny. How the fuck am I funny, what the fuck is so funny about me? Tell me, tell me what's funny! 

Henry Hill: [long pause] Get the fuck out of here, Tommy! 

Tommy DeVito: [everyone laughs] Ya motherfucker! I almost had him, I almost had him. Ya stuttering prick ya. Frankie, was he shaking? I wonder about you sometimes, Henry. You may fold under questioning. 

Now watch the clip and see it in action.

This list is by no means the top five films with fantastic dialogue. They just happen to be some of my favorite films that I watch quite a bit. 

What movie(s) with great dialogue do you like?

***

About T.B. Markinson's latest release, Confessions From A Coffee Shop

Cori Tisdale was on top of the world. A basketball star at Harvard and a promising author with a lucrative book deal.

A few years later, Cori’s life is falling apart. Her beautiful girlfriend, Kat Finn, has a shopping addiction. To make ends meet, Cori takes a part-time job at a coffee shop.

Just when Cori thinks her life can’t get any worse, an old crush appears out of the blue. Cori’s friendship with Samantha Clarke pushes Cori further into a dangerous abyss when Sam reveals two secrets to Cori and asks her not to tell a soul, including Kat.

Will this be the end of Cori’s and Kat’s relationship?

The truth about me and ghosts

 

 image

Today author Annalisa Crawford has an exciting true ghost story to share with us! You might remember that I reviewed (and adored) Annalisa's short story collection That Sadie Thing last June for Reading / Watching / Listening To.... Now she has just released a new book, Our Beautiful Child, and it promises to be just as brilliant.

***

I have a habit of putting myself into my work – a characteristic, a thought I once had, a conversation been involved in. In the title story of my collection, Our Beautiful Child, I put in a conversation I would like to have, based on real events. I would love to hear if you have an alternative explanation!

When I was about 18 months old, we moved into a new house, brand new and built on the outskirts of the city. I don’t know when it started, but until the age of about three I was a prolific sleepwalker. (I’ve done it a couple of times as an adult too – very embarrassing!)

According to my mother, I used to turn on all the lights, and move our large leather settee and the TV around the living room. I’m not so sure it was me.

And here is my evidence:

• I was a tiny child – I don’t think I’d have been able to reach the light switches
• Our TV at the time was on a pedestal without wheels – it would have been much more likely to fall over than move, if I tried to push it. (Ahem, I actually discovered this when I was about four and a half!)
• Our living room was small, without much space to manoeuvre large objects like settees – indeed I have memories of my parents struggling to do it between them

Okay, I realise my evidence isn’t extensive. But I have circumstantial evidence too!

• The row of houses that we belonged to had a hedge running along the back of all the gardens – but in our garden, the hedge was dead and never grew back 
• My grandmother ‘never felt settled’ in the house – her own words! 
• Years later, when I was at school, there was a rumour that the school – which was on the other side of the dead hedge – was built on a graveyard. True story! (Okay, the words might have been Indian graveyard which gives it a little less credibility in England...) 

So it’s over to you, did I play with ghosts when I was a child, or was I actually just very strong and stretchy?

I’d love to hear your ghost stories too – I’ve exhausted the internet, and need new ones!

***

“The Boathouse collects misfits. Strange solitary creatures that yearn for contact with the outside world, but not too much. They sit, glass in hand, either staring at the table in front of them, or at some distant point on the horizon.”

… so says the narrator of Our Beautiful Child. And he’s been around long enough to know.

People end up in this town almost by accident. Ella is running away from her nightmares, Sally is running away from the memories of previous boyfriends and Rona is running away from university. Each of them seek sanctuary in the 18th century pub, The Boathouse; but in fact, that’s where their troubles begin.

Ella finds love, a moment too late; Rona discovers a beautiful ability which needs refining before she gets hurt; and Sally meets the captivating Murray, who threatens to ruin everything.

Three women. Three stories. One pub.

Available at:

Amazon

Seeing Ghosts

I'm handing over my blog today to James Garcia Jr.  He'll talk to you about his new paranormal romance Seeing Ghosts and about the things he's reading, watching and listening to lately. James is also giving away an ebook copy of Seeing Ghosts to one lucky reader of this blog. To enter to win, leave a comment with your contact information. You can gain extra entries by sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, Google+ and/or a forum. Giveaway is open worldwide and ends July 8. Good luck :)

Hello, Vanessa! Thanks so much for granting this opportunity to share with you and your audience. I was very pleased to find you among those who are hosting me this month. Our paths may not cross all that often along the world wide web, but to quote Khan from Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan, “I never forget a face.”

As you know I have a new e-book out. It is called, Seeing Ghosts. I have momentarily stepped away from the crossover vampires that I have been writing and have embraced my inner paranormal romantic. It’s not a pure romance necessarily. I call it a paranormal with a healthy dose of romance. One might find it odd that a guy who grew up listening to eighties heavy metal would be writing a book that has that much romance in it at all; however, it isn’t surprising once you understand that I am actually far more comfortable sitting on a couch, watching romantic comedies than I am watching horror. No one in my family really watches horror, anyway – although my 15 year old son has begun doing so. Can you picture me down some darkened basement, plugged into a horror film on my laptop with headphones over my ears to muffle the screams? Yeah, it’s kind of like that. Now you can see why it is that I hardly watch anything scary. *laughs*

When I came by on an advanced scouting trip, as it were, looking for the perfect guest post for this site, I noticed that you frequently updated everyone on what you were watching, reading and listening to. So it dawned on me that there was perhaps no better way to introduce myself to your audience than by doing the same.

Reading:

I work an 11 hour day job for Sun Maid Growers of California where I supervise the packing of raisins and other dried fruits into various types of packaging materials. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for reading. However, of late I have managed to dust off my trusty Kindle and get some reading in. I read the new Dan Brown book, Inferno. I thought it was good and a worthy entry into the Robert Langdon series. The ending is a bit of a letdown, but all in all enjoyable for those who love those page-turning, cliff-hanging chapters of his. I then read the second book by Indie author Linda Cassidy Lewis. She’s a buddy and neighbor of mine who writes adult fiction about people and their relationships. I then read Richard J. Parker’s latest, Scare Me. I was blown out of the water by that one. If you like serial killer stuff, you have got to get your hands on that one.

Watching:

I’m stuck playing a little catch up in this category. You see my teenage sons don’t need dad to get them to the movies anymore. Now I see nothing until nearly a month later, and very often not until it’s On Demand on cable. *sigh* My wife and I did just see the latest in the Celine and Jesse series that is Before Midnight. We’ve really enjoyed these films and were very excited to get this third chapter. This one is a bit hard to watch because there’s a great deal of fighting, and not the kind of movie that enables you to skip the first one or two because you’ll end up not liking it at all. However, if you’ve enjoyed the first two chapters, I think you’ll like this one, too.

Listening to:

My tastes vary, but lately I have been listening to a lot of Jamie Cullum and Thirty Seconds To Mars. We’ve got tickets to an upcoming Matchbox Twenty/Goo Goo Dolls show, so I’m catching up with the new Goo Goo Dolls cd. I’ve been very curious to hear the new Black Sabbath cd now that Ozzy is back, and the early reviews have been very favorable as far as I can tell.

So, that’s a little bit about me. I thank you so much for taking the time, and thank you, Vanessa, for once again giving me this opportunity. *waves*

About Seeing Ghosts

Paul Herrera finds himself bequeathed a mysterious old house near the California central coast by a deceased aunt he never knew. The woman who shows it to him is the spitting image of his wife, taken from him three years before in a senseless car accident which also took his unborn son.

While he deals with the ghosts of a past he cannot let go, there are new ghosts Paul must deal with - alone for the week in the expansive two-story house that he will soon discover holds many secrets.

Eventually, he will see that he is surrounded by ghosts as he struggles to hold onto the only thing that he has left in this world - his sanity.

Also check out James' vampire novels Dance On Fire and Flash Point.

Other author guest posts: Favorite sci-fi and fantasy movies by Alecia Stone, All you need is love by Kimberly Krey, How to write a character study? by Blair McDowell, Favorite Christmas stories by Robert Gray, Do we have past lives? by Sarah DiCello, Help an animal this Christmas by Stacey Joy Netzel, Omaha 1945 by Vickie Hall, Spooky Halloween treats by Kristina Springer, Favorite ghost stories by Jennifer Rainey and Five things you didn't know about Boris Karloff by Jolie du Pré.

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Alecia Stone's favorite sci-fi and fantasy movies

The following post is by Alecia Stone. She is the author of Talisman Of El, a novel with a gorgeous hero, thrilling emotions, romance and intrigue.

Being a fan of sci-fi and fantasy movies since childhood, many films have inspired my imagination and as such have inspired Talisman Of El. I’ve watched many movies, so this one was hard to compile, but I think the list below features a range of movies that I can say have been both an inspiration and are also slightly similar, whether in plot or theme, to the elements in my novel.

10. Harry Potter

9. The Fifth Element

8. Pan's Labyrinth

7. Journey To The Center Of The Earth

6. The Wizard Of Oz

5. Lord Of The Rings

4. Alice In Wonderland

3. The Goonies

2. Narnia

1. Peter Pan

All you need is love

The following post is by guest author Kimberly Krey who shares with you an excerpt from her new novel, Evie's Knight.

***

Evie’s Knight fits into multiple genres: From Urban Fantasy and Paranormal, to Clean romance or Young Adult. Yet above all the sub-genres, Evie’s Knight is, first and foremost, a Romance.

We all know that love goes deeper than simple attraction. Sometimes that undefined moment of love budding between two people is a presence all its own. A penetrating force that slips into the space between them. This post is dedicated to that initial connection between Calvin and Evie – the very first sparks of L. O. V. E. These are moments when Evie can literally feel herself connecting to Calvin on a deeper, more meaningful level.

Welcome to Part Three of ‘All You Need Is Love’. Here, Calvin, upon analyzing Evie’s art as assigned in their college class, has asked if she would be willing to share her inspiration for the piece.

The tender urging in his eyes encouraged her, gave her confidence to continue. He wanted to know more.

“My inspiration for this piece was … well, you know how I told you that my mother wasn’t a part of my life?”

He nodded, and she could barely believe she was about to go to this place with him. “Well, she used to be–a long time ago–but she left one day. She said she’d come back in time for my ninth birthday, only she never did come home.” Evie spun the ring on her thumb once again as she considered how much more to tell him. “My dad was all worried about her at first, thinking something must’ve happened to her, but then he found out that she was fine, that she was just staying away by choice.”

Calvin cleared his throat. “How did he know that? Did she call?”

“She sent a letter, actually. To her own mother, who then told my dad. But it wasn’t until a few days after my birthday, after my dad put out a missing person’s report, you know? It’s weird, though, because before my grandma even told us,” Evie risked a glance at him, “I just … sort of knew she wasn’t coming back.”

“That is strange. Did that make it better or worse? Knowing.”

She gave that some thought, surprised by the certain ease that came over her as she opened up to him.  “I guess both. Better because I could sort of start mourning right away. Since I was so sure she wasn’t coming back, I dealt with it. And it was worse for the same reason–because there was no room for hope.”

“That’s got to be a lot different from having your mother die, like mine did. More complicated.” The warm brown of his eyes held her gaze, reaching an inner part of her, filling her with a deep longing for more. “But we do have that in common, don’t we–that we’ve spent half our lives without a mother.”

Evie nodded, melting in the magnetic connection. “We do.” The words came out quieter than she meant them to.  

About Evie's Knight  

When Evie falls in love with Calvin Knight, their young, virtuous romance conjures a truly wicked spell.

Evie always thought her eighteenth year would be magical, but so far it's not what she hoped for. Her best friend has gone wild, her love life is void, and she misses her mom more than ever. But life for Evie is about to change. Calvin Knight, the object of her fascination, is about to fall madly in love with her. Just one problem: Their love conjures a murderous woman from beyond the grave who wants Evie dead. The same demon who has haunted the Knight men for over four generations. Soon Calvin is forced to make a choice: Set Evie free and hope to evade the wrath of The Raven- haired Ghost, or use his newly gifted strengths to fight against her. If he chooses to fight and wins, Calvin will free the Knight men of this demonic witch. If he loses, Evie will become her next victim.

Purchase

Amazon * B&N

Giveaway  

A tour-wide giveaway includes:  

Grand Prize: $50 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

2nd Prize: $25 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

3rd Prize: $10 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

Five more winners will receive an ebook version of Evie’s Knight!

Paperback winners may choose between old cover (shown below) or the new cover, featuring Calvin Knight (shown above).

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How to write a character study?

The following post is by guest author Blair McDowell. She runs a B&B on the West Coast of Canada six months of the year. When the tourist season is over she travels the world, resides in her little house on a Caribbean Island and writes. In this guest post, she shares the process of how she created the character study for her latest book, Sonata.

***

I always begin any new book by choosing a setting I know and love, and then by creating the characters I want to put in that setting. Only after that do I start thinking about the plot. Then I write a synopsis for that plot before I write page one.

Any of these three things, setting, characters, or plot, can change as my story grows, but I have a very complete plan before I start any new novel.

This is, of course, just my way of writing. I realized that many very fine authors have started with the first line of their stories and kept going until the last lines. Who could ever forget “Scarlet O’Hara was not a beautiful woman.” And “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” I don’t know whether Margaret Mitchell was a planner or a seat-of-the-pantser. But somehow I suspect she was the latter. Gone With the Wind has a spontaneity that I don’t think could ever come from advanced planning. But perhaps I’m wrong. After all, she gives us a detailed backstory of how Scarlet’s mother came to marry the improbable Irishman O’Hara.

I like complex multigenerational stories. And I really like older men. In Sonata Sean McAllister, the father of my heroine Sayuri, is a fifty-something millionaire tech tycoon. He’s handsome and fit. He swims and kayaks. And he’s been a widower for eighteen years.

His daughter, my heroine, Sayuri, comes home after studying in Paris to find him engaged to a woman she’s never met and about whom she knows nothing. Who is Alyssa James? Below is the brief character study I originally drew of Alyssa. As Sonata developed, Alyssa became much more important to the plot than I originally intended, and I watched her character shift and change as my story shifted and changed. Alyssa James, as I originally drew her below, developed into a quite different character by the end of my story. That sometimes happens. Still, for me, it’s important to have a clear image in mind for each of my characters before I begin writing.

Character study for Alyssa James

Sean McAllister’s fiancé. Sean met her when her firm was hired to do some consulting for his business. Alyssa emigrated to Canada eight years ago from Great Britain. At thirty-five, she’s nearer Sayuri’s age than her father’s. Alyssa is the first woman Sean has been serious about since his wife’s death, 16 years ago.

Alyssa has blond hair, worn in an elegant French twist and an English peaches-and-cream complexion. She’s a bit shorter than Sayuri, graceful, sophisticated, worldly. She wears expensive designer clothes and stiletto heels and wouldn’t dream of going out without a hat. Her long fingernails are painted crimson. Expensive scent. (Guerlain?) She wears furs. Extremely feminine, she carries herself like a model.

She’s given to occasional sarcasm with Sayuri when Sean isn’t around. Sugar sweet when he is.

Alyssa James is the picture of an older man’s trophy wife, apparently in it for financial security and social position. She sees Sean’s daughter, Sayuri, as a potential threat.

Excerpt from Sonata

Below is a brief excerpt from Sonata that gives a hint of Alyssa’s character at the beginning of my story.

Alyssa smiled. “You must stay with us while you’re in Vancouver. The house is certainly large enough for all of us. I hope you’ll continue to consider it your home.”

Sayuri was shocked into silence. Was she being told, none too subtly, that she was a guest on her own home?

Her father spoke sharply. “Of course Sayuri will stay here. Where else would she stay?”

“Just as I said, dear. We must organize some dinner parties and perhaps a dance to welcome your daughter back to our home.”

Sayuri threw a startled glance at her father. Our home? Alyssa was living here? She took a deep breath. Of course, she’d be living here. After all, they weren’t children and they were engaged to be married.

She turned to Alyssa and responded. “I have an incredible amount of work ahead of me in the coming months, preparing for my upcoming recitals and for my performance with the VSO. And I’ve been invited to replace the cellist in the Amalphi Quartet. On top of that, I’ve agreed to take some advanced students at the Conservatory and give some Master Classes at the University. I’m afraid I won’t have much time for socializing.”

A small frown crossed Alyssa’s features. “I shouldn’t think you’d need to teach, Sayuri. Surely your father can support you until your concert career builds in North America. You should concentrate on performing.”

“But I like teaching. It’s as important a part of my life as performing.”

Alyssa shrugged her shoulders, a small dismissive gesture. “As you like. We’ll keep the social life to a minimum until after your recital at the Chan. We must have a reception here after that. And of course, you’ll be involved in our wedding. We’re having the rehearsal dinner at the Club and a reception after the ceremony here at the house. We’ll bring in caterers for that. It’s a bit beyond Nora and Joseph, I’m afraid.”

Her father cleared his throat. “We were hoping you’d play at our wedding.”

Sayuri tried to hide her dismay. The wedding was that imminent? “Of course I’ll play for you. When is it to be?”

Alyssa answered. “Six weeks from today. We were just waiting for you to arrive.” She put her arm through Sean’s and smiled at Sayuri. “Shall we go to dinner?”

Are you an author? What are the first things you do when starting a new novel?

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