Love, Art, and Other Obstacles By Sadira Stone
Give a warm welcome to Sadira Stone, author of Love, Art, and Other Obstacles. I see you’ve brought a couple of guests.
Yes, This is Elmer Byrne and Margot DePont of Love, Art, and Other Obstacles. Welcome all! Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Elmer, Margot and Sadira as well as Love, Art, and Other Obstacles!
Lets start with Elmer. Come on over here and have a seat.
Tells us about the real you—
Tell us three things we’d find if we looked under your bed? sketch pads, colored pencils, sci-fi paperbacks
……What makes you laugh out loud? The kids at the Rainbow Arts Center, where I teach ceramics. They tell it like it is.
……What makes you angry? Snooty people, users
What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you? My foster parents taught me what real family love is, and that the best kind of family is the one you choose.
What do you most value? Connection
…..What do you sleep in at night? Nothing. That’s what blankets are for.
What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with? She has to be creative, funny, artistic, a free thinker. And she has to love sex, of course.
What do you consider most important in life? It’s a tie: creative self-expression, and love.
What is your biggest secret? Confidence: fake it until you feel it.
****
Okay Margot, your turn in the hot seat. LOL
Who are you really? I’m a rebel.
Tell us three things we’d find if we looked under your bed? Manga books, mismatched socks, dust
……What makes you laugh out loud? The little kids at the bookshop where I work. I love it when it’s my turn for story hour.
……What makes you angry? Snobs. Judgmental people who try to squash me, or anyone else, into a narrow box.
……What do you sleep in at night? My vintage Godzilla T-shirt.
Who were the biggest role models in your life? Maxie Schmidt, my 90-year-old surrogate grandmother. She sampled all of life’s pleasures and always followed her own path. And she accepts people as they are.
What kind of man do you want to spend the rest of your life with? Who says I want a forever partner? And who says it has to be a guy? But if I do commit to one person, they’d have to be open-minded, artistic, nerdy, and sexy.
(or if you don’t want romance – Why not?)
What kind of man would you never choose? A judgmental one who wants to clip my wings.
What is most important to you in life? Creative self-expression and independence.
What is your biggest fear? Having to hide who I am
Sadira, Tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult? Do your characters always act as you expect? Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants?
This story was great fun to write. I loved the chance to revisit the crew at Book Nirvana, the bookshop at the center of this series. Margot is an important secondary character in the first two books in the series, and readers told me they wanted to read her story. Elmer first appeared in book two, and he’s such a sexy flirt that I enjoyed giving him a story of his own. They’re quite the unlikely couple. At first, Margot’s turned off by Elmer’s cocky, flirtatious ways. Of course, there’s more that she suspected under his pretty surface.
Another facet I loved was developing the Rainbow Art Center, a youth arts program where both Elmer and Margot volunteer. The kid artists and Rainbow Center staff sort of emerged to tell their own story about the importance of art in their lives. If I had great piles of $$, I’d love to sponsor an arts center like this.
I’m definitely a plantser—I plot out the story, but new sprouts develop as I write. Some of them grow fruitful; others need to be trimmed or pruned as I revise.
A little about Love, Art, and Other Obstacles, if you please:
She’s a free spirit. He’s a one-woman man.
Rejected by her family for her bisexuality, graphic artist Margot DuPont yearns for a life with no fences, no limits, and no family ties. Between college, work at Book Nirvana, and an art competition, she barely has time for her part-time girlfriend, much less a flirtation with her competitor.
Dumped into the foster system at a young age, ceramics artist Elmer Byrne craves a big, loving family of the heart. His artist family almost fills that need, but something is missing…until Margot. But when he offers his heart, her thorny defenses shatter him.
Thrown together in an art competition that could jump-start one artist’s career, but not both, their irresistible attraction forces them to reconsider the meaning of success.
Buy Links: Psst…Love, Art, and Other Obstacles is on sale for $2.99 from May 15-29. After that it’s $5.99. If I were you, I’d snap up a copy!
Amazon, Barnes & Noble Apple Books Kobo Google Play
A sneak peek between the pages:
“Tell you what,” he said. “How about if we have drinks and talk about anything but the competition?”
“Because…why?”
“You’re a real hard-ass, aren’t you?” He rolled his eyes. “Because I like you, Margot.”
“Why?”
He leaned so close their foreheads almost touched, a challenge simmering in his smile. “Have a drink with me and find out.”
If there was one thing she couldn’t resist, it was a challenge. On the other hand, he might not like her so much if he knew about Darcy. Let that be the test, then. Let him prove he wasn’t one of those possessive, controlling guys Darcy warned her about.
“Okay. I will.” She stepped back. “But you should know, I’m sort of seeing someone.”
His thick auburn brows contracted. “Sort of?”
“A woman.”
His nostrils flared on a deep inhalation, but he held her gaze. “Is it serious?”
“Not really.” Might as well serve up the truth, raw and ungarnished. Might as well be honest with herself too. “She lives in Berkeley. I only see her every month or two.”
Holding her gaze, he nodded. “Okay then. Thanks for telling me.” The tense lines of his mouth relaxed into a casual grin. “So, drinks?”
Well I’ll be damned.
About the Author:
Ever since her first kiss, Sadira’s been spinning steamy tales in her head. After leaving her teaching career in Germany, she finally tried her hand at writing one. Now she’s a happy citizen of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance from her new home in Washington State, U.S.A. When not writing, which is seldom, she explores the Pacific Northwest with her charming husband, enjoys the local music scene, plays darts (pretty well), plays guitar (badly), and gobbles all the books. Visit Sadira at www.sadirastone.com .
I’d love to hear from you! Please visit me on all the socials.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Art World, Artist, Bisexual Heroine, Bookshop, Ceramics, Chosen Family, Contemporary Romance, Disapproving Family, Graphic Design, Love Art and Other Obstacles, New Adult Romance, Oregon, Redhead Hero, Rivals to Lovers, Sadira Stone, Steamy Romance, Tattoos by Tena Stetler with 7 comments.
Interview With Rock House Grill Author D.V. Stone
Give a warm welcome to D.V. Stone, author of Rock House Grill.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about D.V. and her new release Rock House Grill.
D.V., do you see yourself in your characters?
All of my characters, good and bad, have a little piece of me. It’s what gives them life and sometimes teaches us about or motivations.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
My overall for any of my books is hope. Bad things happen. But, with family, friends, faith, and hope, we can overcome. Maybe not the way we planned but in a way we can live with.
Why do you write what you write?
I’m a multi-genre writer. I thought I was fantasy when I started but with Rock House Grill, I realized I don’t have to put myself in a box. I read it all. Why not write what I feel like.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I’m a “Glamper”. My hubby and I love to travel and bought ourselves a 5th Wheel. This way when we retire from our 40hr per week job, we can spread our wings and I can have an office to write. There’s also room for the grandkids. We’re going to Indiana and Kentucky this May.
What is the theme of this book? If it’s part of a series, how does this book fit into the series?
Rock House Grill is the first in what I hope is to be at least a 3-part series called IMPACT. All of the books will have 1st Responders, kitchens, and music. Currently I’m working on Jazz House. The House’s, Aden and his twin sister Olivia, will appear in all of them.
Wonderful. I Look forward to the series. Now SPEED ROUND FOR A LITTLE ADDED FUN:
Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Favorite movie: Guardians of the Galaxy (I am Groot)
Favorite book: Lord of the Rings
Last book read: Australia Burns
Favorite color: Orange
Stilettos or flipflops: flipflops
Coffee or tea: yes
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: eBook
Pencil or pen: Pen
Favorite song: Simple Man
Streak or not: Nope (at first I read STEAK;)
Favorite dessert: Lemon meringue pie
Favorite junk food: Pizza
Favorite thing to do to relax: Campfire
Champagne or gin: Champagne
Paranormal or Historical: Paranormal
Wonder Woman or Top Model: Wonder Woman
Favorite TV show: Jeopardy
Hot or cold: Hot
POV: 3rd
I’d die if I don’t have: Internet
Review or Not: Review
Tell us a little about Rock House Grill:
Aden House, successful but driven chef and TV personality, refuses to slow down. His life implodes one night, damaging him both physically and emotionally. He’s rescued by a woman he thinks of as his angel.
Shay McDowell has rebuilt her life after her divorce. She juggles volunteer EMT duties and her job, while dreaming of becoming a chef. She finds her way to Rock House Grill and back into the life of the man she helped save.
Can love be the ingredient needed to survive the many obstacles they face?
How about a sneak peek between the pages of Rock House Grill?
“Easy, you’re going to be okay.” A soft voice eased through the chaos around him. The owner of the voice grabbed his arms and held them in a firm but gentle grip. “I’m right here with you. You are not alone.” “Can hardly m-move.” His voice slurred. “C-can’t see anything.” “You’ve been in an accident. I’m an EMT with the ambulance squad,” the velvety voice calmly explained. “You can’t see well because we’re under a tarp. Hold still, okay?” “‘K.” A small light flickered at the edge of his vision. It shone into a bag next to him. Penlight. “You’re restrained to a board. It’s to keep your head from moving and causing more injury.” She continued to talk to him. The voice reached down somewhere inside him, calming and peaceful, so he focused on it. A glow from spotlights on the outside lit whatever covered them. The shadow gave the woman the appearance of a halo—like an angel.
Buy Links
About the Author:
Hi, my name is D. V. Stone. Rock House Grill, a contemporary romance, is available for purchase on April 6th by Wild Rose Press. I host Welcome to the Campfire, a weekly blog. I am also a multi-genre author of two independently published books. Felice, Shield-Mates of Dar is a fantasy romance. Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch Lake is a mid-grade paranormal. Here’s a little more about me.
Born in Brooklyn, D.V. Stone has moved around a bit and even lived for a time on a dairy farm in Minnesota before moving back east. Throughout her wandering, she always considered herself a Jersey Girl. She met and married the love of her life, Pete—a lifelong Jersey Man, and moved this time to Sussex County. They live with Hali, a mixed breed from the local shelter and their cat Baby.
D.V.’s career path varied from working with the disabled to become a volunteer EMT, which in turn led to working in hospital emergency rooms and then in a women’s state prison. After a few years, she took a break from medicine and became the owner of Heavenly Brew, a specialty coffee shop in Sparta NJ, and a small restaurant in Lafayette. Life handed some setbacks, and she ended up back in the medical field, but this time in a veterinary emergency hospital.
During the poor economy, she was laid–off from a long-time position she cared about. Devastated, D.V. wondered what to do with her life. Finding comfort in her love of reading, she realized it was now time to follow her dream of writing. It’s been a long road but worth every minute of it. Now a published author, she also works in a people medical office again.
“Thank you for taking the time to read about me. Each time you open the pages to one of my books, I hope you’ll be swept away by the story and find encouragement in your own life, never to give up on hope.”
Find out more about D. V.
Website Facebook Twitter Instagram
Pinterest Bookbub Goodreads Newsletter
Welcome to the Campfire Blog Amazon Author Page
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Rock House Grill.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary Romance, D.V. Stone, Rock House Grill by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Cover Reveal Bear with Me & Interview Author Marilyn Barr
Give a warm welcome to Marilyn Barr, author of Bear with Me, Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Marilyn and her Bear with Me!
Bear with Me was originally a journal entry describing my family’s first full day after moving to Kentucky in 2015. Main character Alison’s struggle to act normal with sensory processing disorder mirrors my own challenges. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a dysregulation of how the body perceives the world and its use of our seven senses. Each person has a different combination of over-responsive and under-responsive senses.
.What was your inspiration for Bear with Me. On a road trip between Louisville and Lexington Kentucky, we drove through a multitude of small towns named after fruits and vegetables. When I couldn’t find Strawberry on the map, I knew it would be the name of my fictional small town which became the name of the book series. Each book in the series has a pun for a title. Bear with Me is an Ursa shifter novel. Main character Grant is an exaggerated portrayal of my spouse who uses the phrase “bear with me” often. Very often. The title is a pun of his catchphrase. Good thing he enjoys my sense of humor.
Did you go the traditional route (agent/publisher), small press, or self-pub? Tell us about your experience with the publishing process. I was very naïve in the query process. I wanted to query agents who represented authors with books on my shelves. I made a list of five agents and queried the first one. I had read not to query more than one agent at a time, so I waited for eight months. In the meantime, I wrote two more novels, built the #Strawberryshifters hashtag, read my books in a library book club, and had a #Strawberryshifters tee-shirt printed with my desire for an agent. I was wearing this tee-shirt when I met my favorite author, Lora Leigh.
We talked about my love of her books, my new series, and how she got started by writing for a small press. She told me to find a small press where I wished to have my books sit on their shelves and enjoy being a published author. She told me to stop chasing agents who will find me when or if I need one. With her advice in my ear, I went home to look at my bookshelves. I am a big fan of J.C. McKenzie, so I picked The Wild Rose Press. The experience has been amazing, and I love working with them. I feel like part of a team with so many professionals to show me the way.
Words of advice for fellow writers in the trenches: Be faithful to your bookshelf. Do not try to write a book you wouldn’t read for fun just to please the market, your friends, or your family. You will read your book a thousand times between the initial story and the final print, only to take it on a tour where you read excerpts at libraries, bookstores and coffee shops. You will be miserable if you don’t love it. The answers to all my career questions have been answered on my bookshelf. It is a much smoother ride being true to yourself
Bear with Me book trailer 
cover reveal trailer.mp4
Speed-dating round:
Oxford comma, yes or no? Always
Ice cream (favorite flavor)? Strawberry, duh!
Coffee or tea or wine? Coffee until noon then tea, Wine gives me migraines
What does your desk look like? A fall-out zone
What is your writing vice or must-haves (e.g. for me it’s post-its, red pen, and coffee)?
Scented Candles, Potato Chips, Water, Music
Describe a perfect writing day. Four hours of emotional flow from 5:00 am to 9:00 am,
then a writer’s sprint with my son from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
What are some of your go-to methods for writing? Character Aesthetics first, then a
living outline that I cut and paste as my ideas grow
In an alternate reality, what would be your dream job (besides author)? High School
Teacher, I would go back in a heartbeat
Where is your favorite place you’ve visited (or wish to visit)? Turks and Caicos
You have a time travel machine: past or future? Where/when? The future, to see my
son as a healthy, productive adult would allow me to sleep at night.
What do you like to do when not writing? Dance, Piano, Cook, Bake, Socialize
Beach, lake, or mountains? Beach
If you could meet one famous person, living or dead, who would it be? Maria Montessori
You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why? Scarlet
because “Dear Scarlett! You aren’t helpless. Anyone as selfish and determined as you are, is never helpless”.
What are you known for? My drive to succeed.
Morning rooster, night owl, or midday lark? Night Owl disguised as a Morning Rooster
What comes first, character or plot (or other)? Character
You find a $100 bill in your purse/bag, what would you spend it on? Special Needs
Weekly Yoga. We love it and they request to be paid in cash.
How many hours a day (or week) do you write? Always four hours before anyone
else in my house wakes, sometimes I can sneak in a few extra hours to get 30 in a week.
Favorite childhood book? “Monster at the End of This Book”
Favorite book of all time? “Wyrd Sisters” by Terry Pratchett
You’re on a desert island, besides essentials, what do you bring? My spouse. We
are stronger together than the sum of the two of us.
A little about Bear with Me:
Blue eyes, dimples, and silky brown hair; Grant Luther has all of Alison’s weaknesses.
When he asks for one last chance to save their marriage, she agrees to relocate their family to isolated Strawberry, Kentucky in pursuit of his career dreams. Grant views Alison’s sensory issues as limitations and protects her from outside threats. When he finds his new job includes changing him into a shifter in a war against the soul-sucking Sluagh he vows to keep the changes a secret. What he doesn’t know is Alison has been hiding a magical secret of her own. One that makes her a target of the Sluagh.
Will Alison emerge from Grant’s shadow to protect her family? And can Grant learn that being different can be a strength not a weakness?
A sneak peek between the pages of Bear With Me!
“You look perfect. I mean perfectly healthy. I mean mostly uninjured,” she stammers. She places her tiny hand over her eyes.
Feeling braver than ever, I walk right up to her. I gently remove the hand from her face and hold it to my own. “See, I’m fine,” I whisper as I gently rub my thumb over her tiny knuckles.
Her eyes lift to mine and lock our gazes. I have always found the golden color of her eyes fascinating but never studied them up close. They are light brown with a golden star in the middle. I am literally star gazing as she takes in the injuries to my face. We stand there for about a minute, lost in time.
I wonder if she is thinking about when we first started dating, the hard times that followed, the present, or the future. I search her face for clues but don’t want to break the spell by opening my mouth. I decide to put said mouth to better use by lowering my head toward hers.
About the Author:
You can connect with Marilyn at the social media links below:
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Bear with Me!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Bare with Me, Contemporary Romance, Marilyn Barr by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Cover Reveal To Heal A Heart by Jana Richards
You know how well I love to showcase my sister authors from The Wild Rose Press! Please give a warm welcome to Jana Richards, author of To Heal A Heart. Today she is sharing her brand new cover with us. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about To Heal A Heart!
T
ell is a little about To Heal A Heart!
Garrett Saunders’ world changed two years ago on a road in Afghanistan. Back home, he feels like a stranger. As he struggles to find his place in the world, he meets a horse destined for the slaughterhouse and a woman bent on rescuing the strays of the world, including him.
Blair Greyson moves to Masonville to look after her ailing grandfather and give her rescue horses a home. Right away she butts heads with a surly former Marine. Despite a rocky start, they come to an agreement: Blair will board Garrett’s rescue horse and he’ll help with repairs around her farm.
Garrett finds purpose working with Blair—and falls in love with her. But she’s hiding a secret. Can she forgive herself and accept Garrett’s love, or will she let guilt and regret continue to rule her life?
About the Author:
Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.
When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.com
Or her Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.janarichards.com
Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
Amazon UK Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B002DEVWWG
Newsletter Signup: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with To Heal A Heart!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary Romance, Jana Richards, To Heal A Heart by Tena Stetler with 14 comments.
