Fated Love by Darcy McKenna

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.

What's her name? Sarah Cameron

Why did you pick that name? This will sound crazy, but the character told me what her name was. I’d been leaning toward Emily, but when I changed it to Sarah everything just started jelling.

Give us a brief description of how she looks. She’s five feet tall with long strawberry blonde curly hair and electric blue eyes.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance? She looks almost exactly like the long lost girlfriend of the hero of the story.

Who does she love? Why? She loves Jake Riordan. At the moment of their first meeting Sarah felt she’d met her soul mate, but she has some issues she has to get past before she can make that leap to truly loving him.

Does this person love her? Yes. Very much. But Jake has to get past his issues with his long lost girlfriend who Sarah resembles so much.

Tell us about her family. Sarah’s family died prior to the beginning of the book. Her mother, father and sister were killed in an automobile accident a year prior to the time frame in the book. The loss of her family made Sarah very leery of giving her heart to anyone again because she never wanted to feel that kind of pain again.

Where is she from? Memphis, Tennessee

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude? She’s very much a Southern girl.

What does she want out of life? She wants to become a well know artist and (deep down) to find that one perfect man to love her.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.) Her fear of loving anyone.

Did you write more than one story about her? No. This is the first story about Sarah.

How would she describe you? Hm. Probably as an obsessive reader who needs to get out more.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Please provide your website link. www.darcymckenna.com

What is the link to buy your book? www.thewildrosepress.com

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

Dominic by Hazel Statham

1 - Tell us a bit about your book.
‘Dominic’

London 1775 Dominic Blake, Earl of Vale, is a young man of privilege and breeding whose world is turned upside-down by Jack, a beautiful young girl in boys’ clothing whom he finds sheltering on his doorstep after fleeing an attack by her abusive brother.

Despite leaving his protection, Jack is once more destined to enter Dominic’s life when, injured in a horse race, Dominic is forced to rusticate to his father’s estate and again meets Jack in her boyish guise. In turn, she becomes his pupil and his love.

Despite danger and misunderstandings, this is the story of their unconventional and delightful courtship.

2 - Tell us about the best friend - gender, age, appearance, how they came to be with the hero or heroine and anything else we need to know about them.

Lord Wroxham is Dominic’s friend and companion on the town. As young Georgian men do, they taste all the pleasures offered by life in London.

3 - Who does the "best friend" help in the book?

Eventually, Wroxham is more of a hindrance than a help, causing what appears an irreparable rift between the hero and heroine.

4 - Does the best friend have a specific purpose in the book?

It would have been hoped that he would have aided the couple, but he had an agenda all of his own and instead set about overthrowing his friend.

5 - How does your hero or heroine feel about the best friend?

Initially, Dominic is quite happy to share his life with his friend, but when jealousy rears its ugly head, his opinion soon changes.

6 - How would your hero or heroine handle their problems or difficulties with the best friend?

They both handle their problem in a different way.

7 - Are there problems between the best friend and your main characters?
There certainly are!

8 - Do you see the best friend ever having their own story?

No! He would definitely not make a good hero!

9 - Was the best friend inspired by anyone you know?

No – he’s just a figment of my imagination.

10 - Is there anything else about the best friend that we need to know? Feel free to share.

He’s secretly jealous of Dominic and begrudges his popularity.

11 - Please provide your website link.

www.hazel-statham.co.uk

12 - What is the link to buy your book?

www.amazon.com/Dominic-Hazel-Statham/dp/1597058009/ref=sr_11_1/104-9549334-9146335?ie=UTF8&qid=1186157065&sr=11-1
www.wings-press.com

Each person that posts a comment for Hazel will be entered in a drawing to win a free copy of her book at the end of September.

Runaway Hearts by Terry L. White

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.: The heroine in my book is a real historical figure, a woman who was born a slave, helped take her family and friends North to freedom, a nurse and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War.

What's her name? Harriet Tubman, also known as Hat or Hattie, and Araminta as a child.

Why did you pick that name? Harriet Tubman was her real name.

Give us a brief description of how she looks. Harriet was a frail, wiry black woman.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance? No.

Who does she love? Why? Harriet loves Freedom. She had a husband but he stole her money and ran around with other women. His name was Tubman, but that is all he gave her.

Does this person love her? No.

Tell us about her family. Harriet’s family are all slaves. Her father runs a sawmill and she helps him.

Where is she from? Bucktown, in Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude? Her home town is part of a state divided on the question of slavery. Itinerant preachers tell the slaves that running away is stealing the master’s property, but the slaves know the Quakers and others will help them if they can get away from their home farm and avoid the patrollers.

What does she want out of life? Freedom.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)

Did you write more than one story about her? No.

How would she describe you? Harriet would call me an old white woman. I don’t know if she would like me.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share. Harriet stopped at nothing to achieve freedom for her people and herself. Harriet Tubman founded what historians call the Underground Railroad.

Please provide your website link. http://www.terrylwhite.com

What is the link to buy your book? www.ebooksonthe.net or Amazon.com

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

The TRUTH, I'm 10, I'm Smart and I Know Everything! by Dr Barbara Holstein

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book. The heroine in THE TRUTH, I'm Ten, I'm Smart and I Know Everything! is a ten-year old girl. She is funny, wise, honest and she really does know the truth about most things.

What's her name? Her name is never mentioned in the book, which is her diary over a two year period.

Why did you pick that name? Not giving her a name makes it easy to identify with her. She is really all of us -once, when we were young.

Give us a brief description of how she looks. She has light brown hair and hazel eyes. She is certain that she would be very pretty if she could wear make-up. Her mother won't let her. She has a space between her two front teeth.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance? No-except that she is growing fast and keeps getting taller while the boy she is in love with keeps getting shorter.

Who does she love? Why? She loves Paul. She doesn't know why. When he came to her classroom as a new student she just felt her heart turn over in her body and she couldn't stop the most amazing feelings from overwhelming her.

Does this person love her? No. He isn't aware of her passions.

Tell us about her family. She has one younger brother. They have a house. Her parents fight a lot and that upsets her. Sometimes they all have fun together, like going on mystery rides. She hates some of her cousins cause they tease her.

Where is she from? Somewhere out there in Middle America.

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude? Yes. For example, it is safe and she can take the bus downtown all by herself and shop in the stores.

What does she want out of life? She wants to marry Paul. She wants to have her deepest questions answered. She wants to hold on to herself!

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.) I can't tell but it has to do with a locket she receives from her aunt.

Did you write more than one story about her? Yes, she will be my heroine in the sequel to the first book.

How would she describe you? A nice, smart woman who took the time to really understand her.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share. She loves Nancy Drew.

Please provide your website link. www.enchantedself.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.enchantedself.com/shop/
It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.



Post a comment for Dr Barbara Holstein in September and be entered in a drawing for a free copy of The TRUTH !

Only Moments by Nick Oliva

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.

What's her name?Angela Vander

Why did you pick that name?She is named aptly because she acts as an angel in the climax of the book. Her last name was originally Vanderhausen of royal Dutch descent, but was shortened to "Americanize" the family name.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.
She was a Scorpio-Virgo-rising, of Dutch stock, and her ancestors were of royal origin. Two hundred and seventy-five years ago, they had become more than wealthy, being one of the first families to begin plying the business of slave trading in the original colonies. There was very little of the Vanderhausen’s fortune remaining by the time she was born.

I gave her a light complexion, which amplified the freckles on her face and body. She used to go through liquid sun shield like water, due to the human-induced ozone depletion, and the added moisturizing elements of the shield kept her skin smooth and wrinkle-free. She barely looked in her thirties, when she was actually in her mid-forties. Of course, her physical aging had a lot to do with her gene history more than anything else, but the shield certainly helped.


Is there anything unusual about her appearance?She has beautiful red hair and green eyes that captured you immediately when you were in her presence. It gave her the aura of a goddess.

What is her drive, her motivation?She is a virtuoso violinist driven to perfection by forces deep within her subconscious. Her brother died at an early age and another secret in her past causes her to seek love from the outside as she is very insecure and difficult to get along with anyone including Chris her lover, husband, best friend, and musical partner. She hides behind her talent in her own world of fantasy to shield herself from reality. Chris touches her soul as he is so down to earth and naturally tolerant of her moodiness and spurts of anger and she falls madly in love with him, as he her.

Does Chris really love her?Unconditionally without question. They love each other for different reasons and as Chris reveals later in the novel, they loved each other for what "they were not."
To quote Chris:
........Angela, don’t you think I’ve known who you are and who you are not? In all the years we’ve been together, don’t you realize that I’ve always counted on you being the person that you aren’t?” She cleared her nose and wiped off the tears.

“I don’t understand,” she replied. “The person that I’m not?”

“Think about it. We have struggled for years and not always been happy with each other. We’ve each had common goals and relied upon each other to achieve them. We pushed each other, we’ve insulted each other, and we’ve been through very difficult times. We never once faced the fact that alone we were incapable of doing it. We treasured each other because of the things we were not. We imagined. We took the chance, regardless of our fears. You are not the perfect wife, and I am not the perfect husband, musician, or person; but we loved each other for things that we could never quantify. We believed. We had blind faith in each other. I have let you down and you have let me down. The issue today is whether you want to be afraid with me or without me. If you love me, I don’t think you have to contemplate for long.”

Tell us about her family.
Her mother and father are both musicians. Her mother is a pianist and teacher, her father is a high school teacher and gave up being a trumpeter many years earlier to support the family. They are both proud of their daughter but Angela and her father have a natural competitiveness that drives them to argue constantly. Her father is envious of her ability to be able to take her art to levels he could have only dreamed for, but he loves her unconditionally. Her mother constantly intervenes and becomes a referee between them at times.

Where is she from?Venice Beach, California

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?It is the late sixties, the height of the hippie age and women's movement and she is independent and a dominant force. She embodies the emergence of females from that era and will not be told that she is to be a child-bearer and housewife, and takes her own path to capture success on her terms.

What does she want out of life?She seeks perfection in her music, and doesn't realize that it is not attainable. She spends her entire life pursuing it, only to fall short of her expections. She discounts her successes and doesn't realize how great she really is and that is due to the things that happened to her in her childhood that have driven her to greatness and ultimately brings her downfall. It is her denial of human imperfection that causes the conflicts within.

How would she describe you?A neurotic driving determined force that seeks perfection while knowing there is no such thing. LOL! Everyone thinks that I modeled Chris the male lead after me, and although Angela is a fictional character based in fantasy, I relate more to her than to Chris.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.
First and foremost this a love story that shows unlimited devotion even after one mate dies. When we open up the first chapter, we already know Chris' wife is long gone and he has suffered greatly. The depression he allows himself to stay in for so long, changes as he begins to recount the past-though involuntary. The setting of the future, it's technology and the human nature that rarely changes though the ages is exposed during the exposition. The real fun begins when we go back to his youth.

One of the messages of this book was to show that regardless of the age, future, past, or present-the needs and wants of the human heart can never be replaced by technology. The other aspect was to show that regardless that these two people were together twenty-four hours a day and experiencing everything together, they grew apart because of the flaws that each had and those flaws prove to be what made them great as well. Great art comes from imperfection and like the ying and yang, there is always danger in beauty be it the cliffs of Big Sur and rocks below, the infatuation of human beauty, or the spiritual dogma entrenched by centuries of emotional manipulation.

"They believed without question, without doubt."

That is quite a lot to write into a romance novel, but it is what life is all about if one wants to take the time to understand it's meaning and one's place in it.

Chris is every woman's dream. A man so incredibly devoted that no other woman could ever take the place of his wife and soul mate Angela. A man so patient and understanding, gifted and tolerant of her mood swings and temper. He understood her every move and motivation and their music echoed the love that they both shared. They both gave each other confidence and the ability to dream their dream together. Angela's pure determination is what makes them the best they can be, and at the same time causes all of the heartache.

There are many other obvious and hidden messages within this "road of life" novel but it's main message is live life to it's fullest everyday! Don't expect life to treat you kindly and the "road" will be bumpy with potholes and dangerous curves, but it will take you places you have never been as long as you stay on it and that is the important part. Stay on it! Don't give up no matter what. Death is over-rated and the other side is an eternity. I know. I was there. Stay awhile and let time heal and be good to yourself and as the love of Chris' life tells him to remember that "Love is all there is. Never lose that gift."

Please provide your website link.www.onlymomentsbook.com

What is the link to buy your book?
Amazon or go to www.onlymomentsbook.com

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

The TRUTH, I'm 10, I'm Smart and I Know Everything! by Dr Barbara Holstein

Okay -- its time to tell us about that hunky hero in your book. The hero on THE TRUTH, I'm Ten, I'm Smart and I Know Everything! is anything but hunky. However, he is handsome, at least in the eyes of his beholder, who is 'the girl' who writes my book.

What's his name? His name is Paul Fein

Why did you pick that name? Truthfully, and this is a secret, I was in love with a boy named Paul when I was in the fourth grade. Shhh. Don't tell anyone!

Give us a brief description of how he looks.He has brown hair and deep brown eyes. He looks very smart and he is very smart. He keeps getting shorter, as 'the girl' gets taller.

Is there anything unusual about his appearance? No

Who does he love? Why? Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to love my heroine. She wants desperately for him to love her, but he seems preoccupied with just being a kid. Darn it!

Does this person love him? Yes, 'the girl' is desperately and deeply in love with him.

Tell us about his family. Are they important to him? They are nice but unimportant.

Where is he from? The same town that 'the girl' is from-somewhere out there in middle America.

Does his hometown affect his behavior, thoughts and attitude? No

What does he want out of life? To be a 10 and then 11 year old boy.

What's his biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.) If only my girl knew! She hungers to know more.

Did you write more than one story about him? No-he will have a minor part in the sequel to this book.

How would he describe you? A grown-up lady who writes stories.

Is there anything else about your hero that we need to know? Feel free to share. It is agonizing to have unreturned love!

Please provide your website link. www.enchantedself.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.enchantedself.com/shop/

It was wonderful to meet him. Thank you for bringing him to meet us. By the way, do you have a picture of him that you'd like to share? I wish I did. I have to ask 'the girl' if she has one!

Post a comment for Dr Barbara and you will be entered in a drawing for a free copy of The TRUTH. Its that simple to have a chance to win!

On Borrowed Wings

Who causes friction in the story? In ‘On Borrowed Wings’ there are two protagonists who particularly cause trouble for the others. Merchant and head of the household Gardar and his thrall Thyri, are both interested in power, control and getting their own way. Leif, heir to the household becomes an additional problem as the book develops because of his predatory sexual tendencies and lack of care for others.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals? I don’t think gender matters at all where villains are concerned. What seems more important to me is that they should have convincing motives for their actions, rather than just being evil, two dimensional plot devices.

How do you use your bad guys? The bad guys create challenges for the more sympathetic characters. Their plots, machinations, betrayals, underhandedness, unfairness and cruelty force the other characters to act. Without at least a few trouble-makers in the mix, there wouldn’t be much of a story.

Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult? I really enjoy writing them – giving vent to the darker aspects of my imagination and trying to make the characters convincing, and perhaps even likeable at times.

Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way? I love all my characters, even the horrible ones. Trying to get into the head of someone who behaves in despicable ways is always interesting, and I enjoy the challenge of trying to make them believable. I think most people consider themselves to be in the right, and most have a rational for what they do, an excuse or a justification, so I’m always looking for those to explore.

Who is your favourite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in? Gardar remains my favourite. He’s a singularly selfish and egotistical person, capable of making people fall in love with him even while he’s doing dreadful things to them. He’s violent, cruel and manipulative. He’s also very clever indeed, which makes him quite an adversary for the hero and heroine. Even though he’s quite a nasty piece of work, he isn’t inhuman, and has his own tragedies that make it difficult to entirely hate him.

Who is your favourite fictional bad guy -- that's not in your books? I remain very fond of Severus Snape from the Harry Potter books (although his status as a bad guy is complicated.) ‘Rebecca’ from Du Maurier’s book is an awesome villainess.

Is there anything else about your bad guys that we need to know? Feel free to share. Although Gardar comes from quiet a violent culture (based loosely on the Vikings) it’s also an honourable one. What makes him especially unpleasant is his lack of honour – that he would cut down an unarmed man, bring dishonour to members of his family, use his power for sexual coercion and so forth. He has a lot of unpleasant secrets which emerge during the story.

Please provide your website link. http://www.bryncolvin.mysitre.orange.co.uk

CJ Maxx - Coming Back a Virgin

What's her name?

Lorraine, she wasn’t given a last name by Walter.

Why did you pick that name?

I had used Lorraine in an earlier work in a sensual setting. I liked her then and thought I’d given her a wider role to showcase her talents.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.

She comes from Walter’s pornographic mind. You know she has the perfect body with large breasts, a narrow waist, and perfect legs and hips. In his books he never mentions how beautiful she is. It comes out in this story.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance?

The perfect woman—from a man’s point of view.

Who does she love? Why?

She’s fictional so doesn’t love anyone in the beginning. She does start to fall in love with Walter as she progresses in turning him into a competent writer.

Does this person love her?

At first he lusts after her, then lust turns to love.

Tell us about her family.

No family.

Where is she from?

I answered this question earlier on the blog. It needed to be explained up front or the reader would be somewhat confused.

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?

Yes, it does. Her character in Walter’s self-published books is so slutty she can’t get a date up there. She’s upset about that. Her motivation is to teach him to present her in a much more favorable light—a romance heroine.

What does she want out of life?

Her initial goal is to teach him to be a better writer. As that goal is met she wants something else—to come back as a real person.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)

It’s in the title and isn’t really one of her secrets. Walter thinks his character Lorraine will be back. That’s not quite the case.

Did you write more than one story about her?

No, just this one.

How would she describe you?

She loves me. Everything she wanted, she got. (Kind of like my wife.)

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.

This story is a fantasy. Just keep that in mind that she’s not real—in the beginning. Not too real, anyway.

Please provide your website link.

My website is: www.cjmaxx.net

What is the link to buy your book?

https://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=211
It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

Thank you. I hope your readers enjoy this book. I had a lot of fun writing it.

Only Moments by Nick Oliva

Tell us a bit about your book.

The book is about two people who spend all of their time, 24 hours a day, with each other. They are lovers, musical partners, and best friends to each other. The book opens in the year 2020 and then works its way back to 1970. It is a whirlwind romance that shows hope through tragedy, happiness through love of the self. It is much to pack in a romance novel, however it is about life and the things that happen to these two people who come to rely on each other throughout their lives as they set out to become successful musicians.

The journey begins in the year 2020, with a romantic surreal dream and the waking of one sixty-six year-old widower Chris Vadia, a retired professional musician, and his sullen celibate perspective due to his wife dying fifteen years earlier. After establishing the human surroundings of the time period, we flashback to 1970 and we find how he meets the love of his life, while on a wild summer vacation driving through California. A beach in Big Sur is the dramatic background for the beginning of their impassioned romance.

Time then shifts through their college days, marriage, their struggling and successes, the World Trade Towers disaster, parental deaths, their Carnegie Hall debut, and then the crisis of having grown so far apart despite being with each other constantly. Our unforgiving fate, the duality of technology, the commonality of human emotion throughout history, ties into a tale of human devotion that eventually brings understanding and hope.


Tell us about the best friend - gender, age, appearance, how they came to be with the hero or heroine and anything else we need to know about them.They are both each other's best friend. They meet as Chris, the lead figure, is sixteen and goes on a wild cross-country ride to California.

When we open up the first chapter, we already know Chris' best friend and life-mate is long gone and he has suffered greatly. The depression he allows himself to stay in for so long changes as he begins to recount the past-though involuntarily. The setting of the future, it's technology and the nature of humans, that rarely changes though the ages, is explored during the exposition. The real fun begins when we go back to his youth. He and his crazy friends end up in Venice Beach and while on a walk Chris stumbles upon the beautiful music of a violin emanating from a house and stops, sits, and falls into a trance listening while sitting on the porch. The father of Angela (she becoming the eventual best friend and love of his life) comes home and startles him and both Angela and her mother come out on the porch to see what happened. They are appreciative that he has been listening to her playing for over an hour and invite him in. Once they find out that he is a pianist they chide him into playing with her and the enchantment that occurs is the basis for their immediate friendship and future love that turns into a bond that drives them barreling forward relying on each other almost in fantasy-like expectations as they mutually use each other in a conscious effort to make their musical dreams come true.

Chris' name was selected as Christopher Columbus was the discoverer of the New World. There are many references hidden, and some not so hidden, such as the letter he writes to the love of his life on Columbus Day about exploring the "new world," and many other references. That sense of discovery is really re-discovery as there is nothing new in the universe, just our awareness of it. Many of us have forgotten and/or forsaken the core essence of who we were in our youth and our values and dreams and it is that re-discovery that the book focuses on and that commonality of re-evaluation that occurs when one reaches the point of middle age and the passing of the torch. Life has two sides, the Ying and Yang, the duality of nature. The loss of one so close changes and completely alters the outlook of life and that sadness can only be cured with the understanding and love of the self. Once he accepts his mortality and experiences the things he does (I can't give away the plot) he becomes aware of the miracles that surround us everyday and lives each day knowing it is truly a gift.

Does the best friend have a specific purpose in the book?
Each of the two main characters in this book has a set of flaws that drive them to become great artists. Angela is deeply flawed because of things that happen (again I can't give it away) in her early childhood and the loss of her brother in the Vietnam War that was shielded from her by her parents. Those memories act as a dual impetus to drive her into wanting recognition and love from the audience's applause to fill the void she sub-consciously harbors. Chris so is love with her playing and insecure because of his lower class background and having much less talent than she. He compensates by voraciously studying and driving himself so hard to catch up with her and in the process loses the sense of whom Angela really is.
His best friend comes to his aid and puts him back on the path to redemption long after she has died. You have to read the book to figure that one out!

How does your hero or heroine feel about the best friend?
They love each other with total conviction until deep insecurities begin to chip away at the bond that ties then professionally and personally.

How would your hero or heroine handle their problems or difficulties with the best friend?Most of the time they hide them behind words and actions that belie major problems in denial. He looks past her ranting and neuroticisms to see only the best of her actions and doesn't act on what he knows is damaging behavior on her part. She keeps her secrets secret and allows the mental "cancer" to spread.

Are there problems between the best friend and your main characters?
Trust begins to break down as the hectic pace of their lives, the traveling on the road, the drugs to keep them awake and performing night after night wears them down as their youth passes to middle age. The medical problems from arthritis and repetitive strain issues really begin to wear on Angela as she begins to lose her precise abilities and becomes frustrated and questions everything about their lives together. This is the beginning of their "crisis" that has been allowed to develop over many years and culminates in her leaving the house. You have to read the book to find out what happens after that.

Do you see the best friend ever having their own story?No the story ends with this book.

Was the best friend inspired by anyone you know?
Both are a conglomeration of people through my life, my own personality, and complete fictional characters.

Is there a message to their experience?The message is live life to it's fullest everyday! Don't expect life to treat you kindly and the "road" will be bumpy with potholes and dangerous curves, but it will take you places you have never been as long as you stay on it and that is the important part. Stay on it! Don't give up no matter what. Death is over-rated and the other side is an eternity. I know. I was there. Stay awhile and let time heal and be good to yourself and as Chris' best friend, lover, and partner for life tells him -remember that "Love is all there is. Never lose that gift."

Please provide your website link.www.onlymomentsbook.com

Partially Human by Dwayne Anderson

What's his name? Joshua Valkron Plofhard

Why did you pick that name? I made up his middle name and last name, though the first name I chose had special meaning. A man named Joshua led the Israelites succeeding Moses, the man who delivered his people out of Egypt. Similar to Moses’ successor, Joshua of “Partially Human”, ultimately leads his people out of human ignorance and prejudice.

Who does he love? Why? Joshua doesn’t fall in love with Kimberly Derth until late in the book, though he does treat her special before he does realize his true feelings for her.

Does this person love him? The feelings Kimberly feels for Joshua are definitely mutual.

Where is he from? Los Angeles
Does his hometown affect his behavior, thoughts and attitude? His rejection from the citizens and their cruel treatment starting in the second part of the book destroys his esteem and spirit, still he has his friends to support him.

What's his biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)
Sorry, but if I did tell his biggest secret(which of course is revealed to everyone), it would be a spoiler.

Did you write more than one story about him? No, one is often enough.

How would he describe you? He would say that I am a man who has been through much hardship, but is determined to succeed. He says I take after him quite well.

By the way, do you have a picture of him that you'd like to share? Nope, but I think that’s him on the cover page.

Post a comment for Dwayne for a chance to win a copy of Partially Human :)

Only Moments by Nick Oliva

Okay -- its time to tell us about that hunky hero in your book.

What's his name?Christopher Vadia

Why did you pick that name?
Chris' name was selected as Christopher Columbus was the discoverer of the New World. There are many references hidden, and some not so hidden, such as the letter he writes to the love of his life on Columbus Day about exploring the "new world," and many other references. That sense of discovery is really re-discovery as there is nothing new in the universe, just our awareness of it. Many of us have forgotten and/or forsaken the core essence of who we were in our youth and our values and dreams and it is that re-discovery that the book focuses on and that commonality of re-evaluation that occurs when one reaches the point of middle age and the passing of the torch. The lesson of the book is hope through tragedy, happiness through love of the self. Life has two sides, the ying and yang, the duality of nature. The loss of one so close changes and completely alters the outlook of life and that sadness can only be cured with the understanding and love of the self. Once he accepts his mortality and experiences the things he does (I can't give away the plot) he becomes aware of the miracles that surround us everyday and lives each day knowing it is truly a gift. His long dead wife comes to his aid and puts him back on the path to redemption of the last 15 years of his life.


Give us a brief description of how he looks. Brown hair, Deep brown eyes, 6 ft. tall, broad shoulders, 185 lbs, hairy chest, athletic build, handsome man

Is there anything unusual about his appearance? not really

Who does he love? Why? He is devoted to Angela his musical partner and soul mate. There is no other but her. He is entranced by her playing, infatuated by her looks, and is completely and unconditionally in love with her faults as well as her attributes. He is drawn to her as he is a flawed person and Angela completes his desire to bring him successfully into the musical world that he could have never accomplished by himself.

Does this person love him? She loves him dearly, but because she is so insecure and neurotic due to a secret childhood horror story, she cannot love herself enough to give of herself until long after her death.

Tell us about his family. Are they important to him? His family plays a small part of the romantic story.

Where is he from? Bridgeville, a fictional place based in Southern New Jersey

Does his hometown affect his behavior, thoughts and attitude? Not really

What does he want out of life? He is searching for true meaning and as he goes along in his life with Angela he discovers that it is the journey that counts. They succeed as a team believing in each other through the worst of times until the pressure that Angela imposes on herself becomes too much. He then gives up on himself and his life becomes a muddled smearing of day to day existence and not much else or hope of anything further bringing him happiness. He then begins his trek through the past and re-discovers who he once was. Life has two sides, the ying and yang, the duality of nature. The loss of one so close changes and completely alters the outlook of life and that sadness can only be cured with the understanding and love of the self. Once he accepts his mortality and experiences the things he does (I can't give away the plot) he becomes aware of the miracles that surround us everyday and lives each day knowing it is truly a gift. His long dead wife comes to his aid and puts him back on the path to redemption of the last 15 years of his life.

What's his biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)It is Angela that holds the secret and she reveals it at the most unlikely time. It is the cause of their downfall.

Did you write more than one story about him? No this is it.

How would he describe you? A neurotic driving determined force that seeks perfection while knowing there is no such thing.

Is there anything else about your hero that we need to know? Feel free to share.
First and foremost this a love story that shows unlimited devotion even after one mate dies. When we open up the first chapter, we already know Chris' wife is long gone and he has suffered greatly. The depression he allows himself to stay in for so long, changes as he begins to recount the past-though involuntary. The setting of the future, it's technology and the human nature that rarely changes though the ages is exposed during the exposition. The real fun begins when we go back to his youth.

One of the messages of this book was to show that regardless of the age, future, past, or present-the needs and wants of the human heart can never be replaced by technology. The other aspect was to show that regardless that these two people were together twenty-four hours a day and experiencing everything together, they grew apart because of the flaws that each had and those flaws prove to be what made them great as well. Great art comes from imperfection and like the ying and yang, there is always danger in beauty be it the cliffs of Big Sur and rocks below, the infatuation of human beauty, or the spiritual dogma entrenched by centuries of emotional manipulation.

"They believed without question, without doubt."

That is quite a lot to write into a romance novel, but it is what life is all about if one wants to take the time to understand it's meaning and one's place in it.
Chris is every woman's dream. A man so incredibly devoted that no other woman could ever take the place of his wife and soul mate Angela. A man so patient and understanding, gifted and tolerant of her mood swings and temper. He understood her every move and motivation and their music echoed the love that they both shared.


Please provide your website link.www.onlymomentsbook.com

What is the link to buy your book?www.onlymomentsbook.com or amazon.com

It was wonderful to meet him. Thank you for bringing him to meet us. By the way, do you have a picture of him that you'd like to share?I wish that I did, but he was a photographer and never took his own picture.

Sara from Lady Lightkeeper by Nikki Leigh

This is an unscheduled stop on my virtual tour. I scheduled my entire tour without planning to visit any of my own book promotion blogs. That was because I created these blogs after the tour was planned. So, I decided that I would drop by today to tell you about the best friend in Widow's Walk and Lady Lightkeeper. I hope you enjoy. I will also include this stop in the book giveaway. Post a comment and you will be entered in the drawing for a free copy of Lady Lightkeeper.

1 - Tell us a bit about your book.
I’ll include the back cover blurb for the first and second book in the series to set the stage for this book.

Widow’s Walk – Misty Cove Chronicles, Book One

First in a series of three. Days before her wedding, in October 1841, Lizbeth climbs to the widows walk atop her home, with her fiancé. They search the dark and stormy horizon for her father's fishing boat and Lizbeth notices the darkened lighthouse on the point.
In such a violent storm, her father and the other men from Misty Cove need the lighthouse to guide their boats safely into harbor. In the morning and the lighthouse lamps shine out, but it's too late. Death had come in the stormy night and the community is devastated by loss. Is love enough for Lizbeth to overcome the needless death of her father?
Mourning and an investigation into the light's failure delay the wedding. When, at last, Lizbeth and William pledge their love, will they find happiness?

Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles, Book Two

Lizbeth's happy world is turned upside down. Can she move ahead with her life? Lizbeth keeps an almost obsessive vigil from the lighthouse catwalk. She must find a way to help her children.

Friends help her realize she can help the townspeople and move her life ahead. The assistant light keeper helps her learn the ropes of her new job. He is a secretive man. Is he hiding a dark secret or a lifetime of hurt?

Lizbeth's children grow up in a time and place where death and loss are prevalent. Can Lizbeth draw on her disappointments and help them understand and cope?

2 - Tell us about the best friend - gender, age, appearance, how they came to be
with the hero or heroine and anything else we need to know about them.
Sara is the best friend. She was hired about 15 years earlier to live in with Lizbeth and her father. Captain Sullivan brought Sara to the house to care for his young daughter while his fishing boat was at sea. (This backstory will be in a short story I hope to release before November 2007. There will be news about the story on my website. The tentative title is A Whisper on the Waves.)

Sara is in her late 40’s – early 50’s in Lady Lightkeeper. She’s proud of her Portuguese heritage and it is apparent in her appearance. She has long dark hair, an olive complexion and she is a tall woman. Sara is a very loyal person and she cares very much about Lizbeth and her family.

3 - Who does the "best friend" help in the book?
Sara helps Lizbeth and is her greatest supporter. However, she is also very helpful with Lizbeth’s children – Aidan and Marta.

4 - Does the best friend have a specific purpose in the book?
Sara is in the story as the former caretaker for Lizbeth when she was much younger. She’s a housekeeper and friend of Lizbeth, the main character. In Widow’s Walk she devoted all her time to help the family, but I gave her some story elements of her own in this book and she even has a boyfriend.

5 - How does your hero or heroine feel about the best friend?Lizbeth loves Sara like a mother. Lizbeth lost her mother when she was very young and Sara took care of her for over 15 years. They have a very strong bond, but it is tested within the pages of Lady Lightkeeper.

6 - How would your hero or heroine handle problems or difficulties with the best friend?This actually happens in the book. A long hidden secret is revealed to the town gossip. This woman mistreats Lizbeth at every opportunity and she loves to harass Sara – so getting word of a big secret is bad news for my heroine and her best friend. I can’t tell you how they handle it, because it gives a lot away.

7 - Are there problems between the best friend and your main characters?Only problems caused by Ida – the villain. But, she really stirs up some big trust issues.

8 - Do you see the best friend ever having their own story?Sara will have a short story of her own. She might get more exposure in the future that depends on reader feedback for A Whisper on the Waves.

9 - Was the best friend inspired by anyone you know?
I hadn’t really thought about this, but I have an aunt and a good friend who didn’t raise me, but they have always been there to support me. Sara doesn’t have any physical or personality traits like these two women, but their presence in my life could’ve inspired her character in some ways.

10 - Is there anything else about the best friend that we need to know? Feel free to share. The only thing I can think of is the fact that the story would be very different without her. She contributes a lot to the story and means a lot to Lizbeth and her family. It simply wouldn’t be the same without her. She’s also been a great character to write.

11 - Please provide your website link.
www.nikkileigh.com

12 - What is the link to buy your book?
Full order information is on my website at www.nikkileigh.com/books_4_sale.htm.

Dominic by Hazel Statham

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.
London 1775 – Eighteen-year-old Sophie Thornton is in the care of an abusive brother. When he attacks her in an attempt to coerce her into complying with his wishes she flees and finds herself sheltering on the Earl of Vale’s doorstep. Despite her naivety she enthrals the Earl and in time becomes his pupil and his love.

What's her name?
Sophie Thornton

Why did you pick that name?
I wanted to tie her into the sequel, ‘My Dearest Friend’ which is the story of her son. I actually wrote the sequel first. Despite being related, both books are stand alone and can be read without reference to the other.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.
Petite. Blonde curly hair and expressive blue eyes.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance?
Sophie has a penchant for dressing in boys’ clothing as she believes it gives her the freedom she lacks in her conventional role as a young Georgian lady.

Who does she love? Why?
Dominic Blake, Earl of Vale who rescues her from her tyrannical brother and in turn becomes her tutor and her love.

Does this person love her?
Although he tries very hard to deny the attraction, he nonetheless succumbs to his emotions.

Tell us about her family.
Both her parents are dead and her brother Raymond is her guardian. He is a violent man and a scoundrel. She also has a younger brother who is also mistreated by Raymond.

Where is she from?
London

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?
It is difficult for a young woman of her era to survive without the protection of a male member of her family and when she is forced to flee her home she finds she almost starves on the streets.

What does she want out of life?
Security!

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)
Under Dominic’s tutelage, she looks and acts as a boy.

Did you write more than one story about her?
No, this is her only appearance in a novel.

How would she describe you?
Kind – I hope!

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.
She idolises Dominic from their first meeting.

Please provide your website link.
www.hazel-statham.co.uk

What is the link to buy your book?
http://www.amazon.com/Dominic-Hazel-Statham/dp/1597058009/ref=sr_11_1/104-9549334-9146335?ie=UTF8&qid=1186157065&sr=11-1

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet u

The TRUTH, I'm 10, I'm Smart and I Know Everything! by Dr Barbara Holstein

1 - Tell us a bit about your book.
My new book, THE TRUTH, I'm Ten, I'm Smart and I Know Everything, is a delightful, humorous secret diary, written by a girl who is 10-11 years of age. She is wise and yet so innocent. She makes us cry and laugh and remember ourselves. Behind this very easy read is the psychological message to the women reading THE TRUTH that they can and must recapture the fire and passion of their girlhoods not only for themselves to flourish and be happy, but for the next generation to also have the gifts of good emotional and spiritual health.

Women love the book and so do girls, ages 10-14. Women find it a pure delight-a hot fudge sundae with a secret message inside and no weight gain, while girls recognize themselves and finally feel totally understood!


2 - Tell us about the best friend - gender, age, appearance, how they came to be with the hero or heroine and anything else we need to know about them.
'The Girl' in The Truth, I'm Ten, I'm Smart and I Know Everything does indeed have a best friend, of sorts. Her best friend is the character Nancy Drew, who she idolizes and sees as the personification of being smart, and having a wonderful, adventurous life. She loves Nancy Drew because she stays focused on solving mysteries and is not seduced by other silly attractions like flirting or wasting time. Also, she loves Nancy because the girl even feel superior to Nancy, often solving mysteries before Nancy does.

3 - Who does the "best friend" help in the book?
Nancy Drew and her mysteries help 'The Girl' in powerful ways as she struggles with growing up. Nancy gives her courage to hold on to what is special about herself as she worries her way toward early adolescence.

4 - Does the best friend have a specific purpose in the book?
Yes, she does have a specific purpose. She is a heroine figure that 'The Girl' can play off of without any of the angst of a real life best friend.

5 - How does your hero or heroine feel about the best friend?
She adores her and wants to be like her when she is a teenager.

6 - How would your hero or heroine handle their problems or difficulties with the best friend?
That is kind of an unknown as this best friend is all in 'The Girl's' head. However, she would dearly like to really know girls of Nancy's passionate nature who also have purpose in their lives.


7 - Are there problems between the best friend and your main characters?
Of course there are not, as 'The Girl' is mistress of this friendship and always gets to feel smarter than Nancy Drew.

8 - Do you see the best friend ever having their own story?
Obviously Nancy Drew has had her own story and millions of dollars have been made from it as well as thousands of girls have been entranced in positive ways, as was my character.

9 - Was the best friend inspired by anyone you know?
Yes, of course, my memories of Nancy Drew.

10 - Is there anything else about the best friend that we need to know? Feel free to share.
I think we all probably know what we need to know about Nancy. Wasn't she your pal also?

11 - Please provide your website link.
www.enchantedself.com

12 - What is the link to buy your book?www.enchantedself.com/bookpage.html or Amazon.

Partially Human by Dwayne Anderson

1 - Tell us a bit about your book.

Partially Human is a story about a group of friends who discover that one of them possesses the genes of a dying alien species in his body and how they help him cope with it.

2 - Tell us about the best friend - gender, age, appearance, how they came to be with the hero or heroine and anything else we need to know about them.

The protagonist actually has several best friends, each of whom is his age. They were each originally each others’ friends, but included the protagonist in the group after he someone close to him moved away.

Rick Warris is an African-American whose parents and aunt were killed in a drunk driving accident. As a result, his uncle, a tavern keeper and motel operator who offers shelter for the homeless, stopped serving alcoholic drinks. His family has a history of racism against them.

Peter Christjes was raised in a religious family; everyone is named after a biblical character. His father is a minister of the church the protagonist attends. Peter frequently quotes from the bible which is his favorite work.

Eric Blonfly is the son of the police chief. He is the only member of the group to have a girlfriend, but one who is obnoxious, vain, self-centered, and henpeckles him.

3 - Who does the "best friend" help in the book?

These three friends continue to stand by their friend the protagonist of the story. They also later befriend three different girls and help them with their problems while becoming their new boyfriends in the process.

4 - Does the best friend have a specific purpose in the book?

Each does their best to help the protagonist cope with being ostracized by the city after his extraterrestrial heritage is revealed, thus demonstrating the true meaning of friendship and loyalty.

5 - How does your hero or heroine feel about the best friend?

At first, he is too depressed by his predicament to have his spirits lifted by his friends, but as he learns to accept himself, he appreciates the efforts of his friends who try to help him.

6 - How would your hero or heroine handle their problems or difficulties with the best friend?

There are no difficulties, problems, or conflicts, between the protagonist and his friends.

7 - Are there problems between the best friend and your main characters?

None.

8 - Do you see the best friend ever having their own story?

Everyone has their own story, yet if I were to write the complete story for each, I’d have to write one book for them all.

9 - Was the best friend inspired by anyone you know?

I have an online friend named Tiffany who I can depend on to brighten my day whenever I’m feeling down. She stands up for me when others put me down.

10 - Is there anything else about the best friend that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Nope, I’ve told you everything I know about them.

11 - Please provide your website link.

http://www.geocities.com/andersondwayne/dwaynegand.html

12 - What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.bbotw.com/description.asp?ISBN=0-7414-3990-5

It can also be purchased at Amazon

Killraven by Arline Chase

1 - Tell us a bit about your book.

KILLRAVEN is the story of Hope Voeschell, who was raised in a pacifist sect, and who, thanks to her best friend and former teacher, Elyza Whitely, moves to a small Chesapeake Bay island.

2 - Tell us about the best friend - gender, age, appearance, how they came to be with the hero or heroine and anything else we need to know about them.Elyza is ten years older than Hope, a self-proclaimed "horse-faced spinster," who has a jolly personality, but no real hope of romance. She is one of eight sisters, all of them prettier, and has dedicated her life to educating other people's children.

3 - Who does the "best friend" help in the book?Elyza was Hope's teacher after the county government insisted children from her sect MUST attend school. She also boarded with Hope's family. Elyza is the reason Hope wanted to be a teacher.

4 - Does the best friend have a specific purpose in the book?Several. She inspired Hope to look beyond the narrow precepts of her strict faith. She helped Hope get a scholarship to teacher's college. Then, when Hope found it impossible to get employment, again because of her faith, Elyza offered her a temporary home on Killraven Island.

5 - How does your hero or heroine feel about the best friend?The hero thinks of Elyza as "the schoolmarm" and is othewise not concerned about her. Hope is enormously grateful to Elyza and also feels beholden to her for the refuge she has offered.

6 - How would your hero or heroine handle their problems or difficulties with the best friend?
Hope would be lost without Elyza. She has been "shunned" by her own people for becoming a teacher and can never go home again.

7 - Are there problems between the best friend and your main characters?No. Elyza is supportive and kind.

8 - Do you see the best friend ever having their own story?
Elyza is the main character in a sub-plot of Killraven. So she does sort of have her own story.

9 - Was the best friend inspired by anyone you know?
No. She just toddeled on into a short story I was writing and the story tunred into a novel. Elyza grew with it.

10 - Is there anything else about the best friend that we need to know? Feel free to share. She dreams of finding a love of her own, but knows it's all moonshine.

11 - Please provide your website link.www.arlinechase.com

12 - What is the link to buy your book?http://www.amazon.com/Killraven-Arline-Chase/dp/1594311374/ref=sr_1_9/104-4441723-8273525?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186496718&sr=1-9

Runaway Hearts by Terry L. White

Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.: The heroine in my book is a real historical figure, a woman who was born a slave, helped take her family and friends North to freedom, a nurse and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War.

What's her name? Harriet Tubman, also known as Hat or Hattie, and Araminta as a child.

Why did you pick that name? Harriet Tubman was her real name.

Give us a brief description of how she looks. Harriet was a frail, wiry black woman.

Is there anything unusual about her appearance? No.

Who does she love? Why? Harriet loves Freedom. She had a husband but he stole her money and ran around with other women. His name was Tubman, but that is all he gave her.

Does this person love her? No.

Tell us about her family. Harriet’s family are all slaves. Her father runs a sawmill and she helps him.

Where is she from? Bucktown, in Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude? Her home town is part of a state divided on the question of slavery. Itinerant preachers tell the slaves that running away is stealing the master’s property, but the slaves know the Quakers and others will help them if they can get away from their home farm and avoid the patrollers.

What does she want out of life? Freedom.

What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)

Did you write more than one story about her? No.

How would she describe you? Harriet would call me an old white woman. I don’t know if she would like me.

Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share. Harriet stopped at nothing to achieve freedom for her people and herself. Harriet Tubman founded what historians call the Underground Railroad.

Please provide your website link. http://www.terrylwhite.com

What is the link to buy your book? www.ebooksonthe.net or Amazon.com

It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.

Feel free to email your answers to nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com and I'll add your information. They will be posted, but not all at once. That will give everyone an opportunity to get plenty of exposure.


You can find Terry L. White's books at www.ebooksonthe.net and amazon.com by typing her name in the search engines. Look for Runaway Hearts, Mystick Moon, Ancient Memories, The Last Priestess, Mustard Seed, Crazy Quilt, Hang Your Head Over, Imagine, Hell or High Water and more. Terry is also a bead artist and musician.