Please welcome Allie Boniface on her latest stage of her virtual Book Tour

Please give a warm welcome to Allie Boniface

The blurb for “One Night in Memphis”:

What if a woman, tired of broken hearts and bad choices, traveled a thousand miles to the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, and spent a night forgetting her past in the blues clubs of Beale Street? What if a man who lost his wife to cancer ventured to Beale Street's social scene for the first time in over a year? And what if they met and realized love was still possible for them both?

Dakota James and Ethan Meriweather have both given up on finding happiness in a relationship. When they meet in downtown Memphis, at a crowded nightclub, neither has romance on the brain. But as the evening unfolds, and small talk turns to the stuff of hopes, dreams, and shared loss, a kinship grows that surprises them.

Before the night is over, though, Dakota's past will catch up with her in the form of a violent ex-boyfriend. As dawn approaches, and tragedy threatens to tear Dakota and Ethan apart, both will have to make a decision that could change their lives forever. Is new love worth putting your life on the line for someone you've just met?

Congratulations on the release of the audio edition of your Eppie 2009 winner One Night in Memphis. When you heard it for the first time, did it startle you hear the reader’s interpretation of your characters. Or did they sound exactly as you imagined?
Thank you!Hearing my books in audio format was an interesting experience! I love the narrators Audio Lark matched with my books, and even though a few places sounded different out loud than I'm imagined them in my head, I really think they did justice to my story :)
Did you always want to write and if not what triggered your passion for writing?
Yes, I've always loved writing, since I was a little girl. I used to get caught by my elementary school teachers writing stories in class instead of doing my schoolwork! I think my love for writing came from an early love of reading - I was reading to my stuffed animals by the time I was 3.
Are you a pantser or a plotter? If a plotter which comes first your characters, your settings or your plot?
Oh, boy - I'm definitely a plotter! I need to know where my story is going and how it will end. I have to say that usually the plot comes first - I think of a "what if" situation and go from there.Setting is usually the last thing I figure out.
What kind of goals do you set?
For writing? That depends on the rest of my life, since I have a full-time teaching job. Some weeks I don't get any writing done at all. When I'm in the middle of a writing project, though, I usually try to write at least 500 words a day.
Whose POV do you prefer…hero/heroine/villain?
Actually, I prefer writing from a male POV, whether that's my hero or my villain. I find it easier, maybe because I can get fully OUT of my own head - no female influences allowed!
What is your favoured writing routine? Do you have a set routine and place to write?
I usually write at night or on the weekends, and since I have a laptop, I'll write in my favorite chair, or at the dining room table, or on the sofa...wherever the mood strikes!
What advice would you give an aspiring writer?
Simple: do not ever give up, and develop a thick skin. If you want to become successful in this business, you will inevitably have to overcome bumps along the way. Not everyone will like your writing/your books/your characters/your ideas. Write on, all the same. Some ideas will fall flat. Some will be rejected many times. Do whatever you can to become a better writer, and soldier on.
What do you do to relax?
I work out a lot, which really helps the mind and body. I also read or play my baby grand piano :)
Which do you prefer, background music or silence when you write?
Silence, definitely! I'm easily distracted.
What book are you reading at the moment?
Nothing right now, since I'm in the middle of grading students' papers at school! But I just finished Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," which I loved.
Who is your favourite writer?
I have a few, both classic and contemporary. I'm a fan of Shakespeare, Dickens, and Austen, but also Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, and YA author John Green.
How do you deal with criticism?
I've tried to develop really tough skin and remind myself that not everyone is going to have the same taste or like my work. I'll be honest, though - it's hard sometimes. We writers work so hard and pour our blood, sweat and tears into a story and its characters...so when readers or reviewers lambaste it, that can hurt.
What do you do when your mind blanks?
Keep writing. The old saying "You can't edit a blank page" is absolutely true.
(I have that quote pasted on the wall above my pc monitor!! LOL)
What books and WIP are in the pipeline for this year?
I have 2 print releases coming out this year, both with Samhain Publishing: One Night in Napa releases in mid-May, and Summer's Song releases in mid-November.
Any tips on promotion?
Do as much as you can with the time and budget that you have. There are many ways to get your name out there electronically, which is great, and they don't cost a lot. You can also buy print ads in some of the major genre-specific publications, depending on your budget and the support of your publisher. I try to look for ways to network with other authors and also book-sellers, anyone who will pick up your book, read it, and tell others about it. I've been fortunate enough to link up with some local authors for book signings, and I've made connections through them. Don't be shy - take advantage of the opportunities that come your way, even if you don't feel totally comfortable "putting yourself out there."
Do you have a link for one of your books you’d like to share?
One Night in Memphis is now available in print, ebook, and audio book - you can find out more about it and my other books at my website, www.allieboniface.com
And here's the link for the book, with a sneak peek listen if you'd like!


And thank you for having me here today!
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If you have enjoyed visiting with Allie, please let her know.

 Click HERE to participate in The Goddess Fish Promotions contest 

"A hunting we will go..."

Although at times it can be daunting, most of the time I'm happy to accept I'm not the brightest spark in the Universe! LOL.  So when faced with new learning curves, it can take some time for things to fall into place.  But when they do...
Then I start having fun. 
And so it is with setting up and creating a book trailer.
After weeks of frustration, a couple of days ago everything fell into place and all my picture hunting and music selections, while edifying, turned out to be hopelessly wrong in choices.  All the research is coming into its own, because my previous selections are all being tossed and I'm having great fun with new and more pertinent choices.
Many years ago I played around with Music Maker, and while it is no longer compatible with my current version of Windows (that's how long I've had it), I can still access the music and soundclips in a round-about method.
The trouble for me now, is, that I'm enjoying myself so much 'playing' with my options, it will probably take me as long again to complete the trailer as it's taken me to come to grips with how to do it in the first place!  LOL.
Sigh!!
Never mind, back to the playground...

Please give a warm welcome to Genella deGrey

Please welcome Genella DeGrey, author of erotic historical romance Love Divine:

Blurb--
In the Highlands of Britannia, 420 A.D., Aslyn, was raised a Druid by her late mother.
Now Rome has returned, but in place of a legion of solders, a single man peddles a new Roman god.
Ryus Jorian was sent on a mission for the new religion. But instead of a cave of barbaric souls in need of saving, he finds an intelligent, beautiful, hedonistic distraction whom his Bishop finds equally delectable.
Ryus must choose between the salvation of his soul and the woman he loves.
Aslyn must escape before she becomes the Bishop’s newest sacrificial lamb.



What - if any - was the toughest fight you had with your characters, and which one/or how many of them ganged up against you?
:) That hasn't happened just yet - At the moment, I am struggling with killing off one of my characters in my current WIP. He wants not only to live, but to have his own book. The nerve! LOL

Do you stick to a rigid writing regime and space?
No, I have a 9 to 5, so I write whenever and where ever the muse insists.

Can you write with background noise, or do you need silence?
Wouldn't it be nice if the world came with a mute button? LOL – I think I've had only a few opportunities to write in total silence. I can do either though, I'm easy.

Do you read while immersed in your current WIP?
Yes. I usually try to stay within the same time period so that the atmosphere and language is easily accessible to me when I sit down to write. This also goes with watching DVD's, too. I remember when I wrote my Victorian old west story I had immersed myself to such an extent that in my dreams people were wearing 1880's period-correct clothing.

Do you have more than one WIP on the go at the same time?
No, although I will bounce back and forth between my WIP and a manuscript that is in the critique/edit process. If I get an idea I jot down everything for later and re-visit when I'm finished writing the current manuscript.

When/if you get writer's block what do you do to overcome it?
Haven't gotten that yet – Knock on wood and wake the Fae! :)

Who, or what is/has been you greatest inspiration in your writing career?
Oh man. The love of a good story, my penchant for entertaining, the wonderful people I've met along the way to publication . . . Everywhere I turn there is inspiration.

What to you do for exercise?
Now. I've only been seriously exercising since January. I practice Yoga twice a week, I walk up to three miles (give or take) a day, three days a week. For some odd reason I feel like it takes me twice as long to lose weight as it does the ordinary person. I blame my genes – and my jeans. LOL

Other than writing what other occupation would you have like d to follow?
was 'this close' to having a makeup career in the motion picture industry. I wish I could do both writing and makeup, but I have to pay the bills somehow.

Unrelated writing hobbies? What are they?
Aside from DVD land, I love live music. One of my favorite local bands is an Oingo Boingo Tribute band called, "Dead Man's Party." I also love swing, big band and blues. I go dancing as often as I can.

When you immerse yourself in a period of history such as 410 Scottish Druid, do you feel you have a kind of mystical connection with the period, settings and characters?
Oddly enough, it isn't hard for me to imagine being a historical western European. I'm still looking into why that is, but I'll tell you what, there are other places and peoples I can't even fathom. So yes, I do think there is a mystical connection — I just can't put my finger on it or prove it.

How much time and effort do you put into research before you start one of your historical novels?
I research as I go. For instance, if I come across tiny details such as distance between place to place or specific historical event dates I jump on the internet. I try not to leave any stone unturned, as they say.

Do you interview your characters, and if so, please will you share some of their responses with us here?
I've heard of that exercise, but I've never actually done it. I will tell you, there is something that almost all of my characters share. It's that when love finds them, it's not because they were looking. They go about minding their own business and BAM! Cupid's arrow finds its mark.

When creating the setting, what gives you your inspiration?
The settings are usually just . . . there in my mind. LOL I often go a step further when I read and watch movies to see what other's think the setting looks/feels like. For me, movies shot on location are a tremendously helpful tool for getting the feel for settings.

Do your characters correct you if they feel you have strayed from settings they want you to create?
Not yet, but most of the time I have to play chaperone with them. They like to go at it ASAP and as you know, sometimes the plot doesn’t call for it right away. LOL

How much freedom do you give your characters?
Save for letting them jump into bed at first sight, I think I give them a good amount of freedom. I'm sure they'd beg to differ. :)

What is your favorite characteristic about Aslyn, your heroine?
Aslyn doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do. The idea needs to be her own or she won't budge – like when she realizes she's in love. She knew everyone would want her to be with Ryus . . . She must be a Taurus like me. LOL Some might think of it as a weakness, but I think it empowers her. :)

What do you love and hate most about your hero, Ryus Jorian?
At first I was sad that before we meet him, he'd fallen in with the type of people who treat women as second-class citizens, but he soon figures things out - even though he does it in a typically logical man-like fashion. LOL I love that he internally melts when it comes to Aslyn – he is crazy about her.

Apart from Asly and Ryus who is the character you most enjoyed/connected with in Love Divine, and if it doesn't give away too much, why?
Twegan Greenwood was a really fun character to write. She loves Aslyn like a daughter, but is nosey as all outdoors. I could really relate to Aslyn's friend, Mae. I've felt hopelessly stuck in life before. Her plight is close to my heart.

Please will you give me any links you want added to the interview to help readers to your site and where to buy your book? 

  My website can be found here   
I love to have visitors, so pop by and say hi!

You can purchase Love Divine here  ~ first, enjoy the extract below :-) --

Reaching up to entwine her arms around his neck, Aslyn’s heart raced when his mouth softly coaxed her lips part. She nearly toppled over when he groaned as her tongue touched his. The wood post which bordered the stable separated their bodies, and Aslyn longed to be rid of the thing.

Suddenly remembering that anyone who had a view of the stable could see them, she broke out of the kiss.
“We shouldn’t be—”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
Aslyn glanced over her shoulder and back up to Ryus. No one was about, but that could change at any moment. Her breath came out in a huff that may have been part laughter. “Let me finish. We shouldn’t be doing this here.”
She saw his eyes light up like flames. “Then where?”
Come to me after sundown,” she whispered, unable to believe the words actually came out of her mouth. Oh, she was thinking them, but once they passed over her lips, the bones were cast. He would be leaving soon, and it would be good for her to take a few more memories with her to her grave.
Without another word, Aslyn pushed away from the stable fence and headed straight for her lodging.
She paced in her room and wrung her hands, the same way in she did just before she met Ryus in the ancient grove of Ardwinna.
Aslyn almost yelped when he came bursting through her front door.
“You have more faith in me than I do if you think I can wait until sundown.”

                                                            ~~~~~~

During Genella's virtual book tour, she will be giving away a digital edition of Love Divine to one lucky commenter! Readers, please leave your comment or questions for Genella today for a chance to win!

Please come and support Genella deGrey's interview here on the 22nd April as part of her book tour with Goddess Fish Promotions.

Review of Circe by Anita Saran

Recently, knowing I review romanitic fiction for LASR,  author, Anita Sara, asked me to review her latest release Circe ~

Review of Circe by Anita Saran ~ Published by Mojocastle Press, LLC Price, Utah ~ ISBN: 1-60180-018-5

Anita Saran’s dry wit predominates her writing. As a reviewer of this story, my lack of knowledge of Greek mythology means I cannot fully credit the connections between the various gods and goddesses and their ilk, but it does mean I can still enjoy Anita’s humour.
She writes with a fluency and energy that has the reader turning the page eager to discover what further outrage she will depict next. Circe describes herself fully in the first chapter and thereafter you heave a sigh and follow her adventures and crises as they occur.
The thought of bearing a cloud for a son, who drifts in and out of the various dimensions and worlds, is fascinating. Her offhand opinions of her companions will have you loving her or hating her, but be assured of one thing you will not experience half-measures in your opinion of her.
To describe the various chapters is to give away more than Anita wishes the aspiring reader to know before she starts the book. But if you want a good laugh, a warped version of Greek mythology that is actually based on ‘factual’ tales, then this is the book for you.
If you are in need of transportation away from the daily tribulations of your life, then this is a ‘must-have’ read.
If you feel in the need to exercise your chest and lungs with a good and wholesome laugh, then buy this book, for you will get hours of fun and amusing entertainment.
If you are a fanatic of Greek mythology and find it hard to accept a perverse and quirky version of your beloved subject then be sure to have a strong ‘pick-me-up’ when you dip into this story, for while you may want to scream with frustration at the liberty she has taken, you will be too busy laughing to resort to any kind of outrage.
If you are looking for ‘something different’, then pick up this book. You will find it hard to put down until you’ve turned the final page.

Reviewed March 2010, by Sherry Gloag author of The Brat. Release date 1st Oct 2010.

If you would like me to review contemporary/sweet/inspirational/light paranormal/suspense romance novel reviewed here, please contact me. (top of right sidebar)