Celebrating the release of TAMING TORI with some great prizes!

At my age it isn't wise to do cartwheels and somersaults, so I'll just have to loudly shout, "Woohoo!" 

Today, TAMING TORI (Book #3 in my Texas Boys Falling Fast series - Jake's story) is officially released! 

To celebrate I'm giving away some awesome prizes! All you have to do for a chance to win, is leave a comment here or on Facebook. I will draw the winning names on Saturday, November 1st at noon (EST).   

3 - $10 Amazon gift cards

2 - $15 Subway gift cards

1 - pair of Monet sparkly earrings

1 - pair of Lia Sophia twinkle earrings

Blurb for Taming Tori:

Jake Garrison is an all-around nice guy who tries to stay out of the limelight despite being considered one of Dallas's most eligible and wealthy bachelors. He's down-to-earth and a quiet people-pleaser until someone pushes his buttons. Tori Caye not only pushes his buttons, she pulls him into her special kind of chaos with tears and those sexy amber eyes.

Tori Caye is a mean-girl debutante whose sense of entitlement exhausts even those close to her. After her fiance of two years calls off their engagement, she throws herself into the arms of Jake Garrison and tries to manipulate him while trying to maintain her uppity disposition.

The attraction between Jake and Tori is off-the-charts, but it's game-on when he thinks he can tame Tori and when Tori tries to bend him to her will. 

** Jake and Tori's story was fun to write, although I have to admit to some hair-pulling moments. In my mind, Jake's character was solid; Tori's not so much. She was a handful! In their story, Tori starts out as someone you'd like to put in a headlock or trip as she walks by. Slowly, she redeems herself. But...don't expect a complete transformation because she is who she is. When you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth and treated like royalty from birth, realistically, you're only going to change so much.** 

~~~

My website:  www.authorjanromes.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanRomes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.romes.5

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5240156.Jan_Romes

♥♥♥

I've got to hand it to you...

I've wanted to do a blog post for a while on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. With my hands a little stressed from finishing my latest novel, TAMING TORI (book #3 in my Texas Boys Falling Fast series), I thought now would be a good time.

 (Hand model, Kerri Unverferth-Romes)

We use our hands all day, every day. Sometimes the things we do are repetitive, which puts us at greater risk for CTS. 

You can reduce your risk by taking a few simple steps.

1. Exercise keeps our muscles strong.

2. Stretching keeps our muscles flexible.

3. Arrange your work space to be more ergonomic.

4. Proper body mechanics. Don't slouch. If your shoulders roll forward you can compress nerves in your neck which can affect your arms, wrists, and hands.

5. Take frequent breaks. 

6. Relax your grip. 

7. Slowly roll your wrist 10 times in each direction. (You might feel a slight popping) This will help put mobility and circulation back in your wrist.

8. Use one hand to gently pull your fingers back on the other hand - not to the point they hurt.

9. Press your hand down to a 90 degree angle - again, not to the point it hurts.

10.) If you use a keyboard keep it at elbow height or slightly lower.

(A more aged hand, belonging to yes...me)

Signs of possible carpal tunnel syndrome -- tingling, numbness, weakness or pain in the fingers, thumb, or hand and occasionally spreading up the arm. These symptoms occur where there is pressure on the median nerve. 

Sometimes the symptoms are temporary. If they linger, see your doctor to prevent permanent damage.

Be kind to your hands and wrists by giving them a break from time to time! 



** disclaimer -- I'm in no way associated with the medical community. The information in this post are tidbits I've collected either through reading or conversations. ** 

Coming soon!

  

Cover reveal for BIG ON CHRISTMAS!

Drum roll...

Cover reveal for -- BIG ON CHRISTMAS!

(Coming 11-24-14)

BIG ON CHRISTMAS was chosen to be part of The Wild Rose Press's - Twelve Brides of Christmas series. 

Here's the blurb for my book:

Born to free-spirited, convention-shucking parents, Cassie Newman thirsts for normal. Leaving L.A. with a secret, she finds herself in Woodstock, Vermont - a town rich with Christmas tradition. She's not big on Christmas but Woodstock feels like the perfect fit. Landing a job with Stennett's Hardware, she tries to forget the world she knew, but Luke's small-town charm makes her even more aware of the life she never had. 

Luke Stennett has his hands full with running the store and caring for his dad. He's attracted to Cassie but he doesn't have time for a relationship. Things are starting to go right but he harbors a secret of his own that has the potential to turn everything upside down.

Once their secrets are revealed, will it kill the chemistry and send Cassie back to L.A.? Or will she fight for her happiness and stay firmly planted in a place big on Christmas? 

* ~ * ~ *

You can follow the releases of the books in this series at:

Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/12BridesofChristmas

 

To be rich...

TO BE RICH

What's it like to be rich? Not just comfortably wealthy, filthy rich! I'll never know but I can imagine. Today, while working on book #3 in my Texas Boys Falling Fast series -- Taming Tori (Jake's story) -- I was in my heroine's head. Or at least I tried to be. Victoria "Tori" Caye is a spoiled fragrance heiress that hasn't wanted for anything in her life. Whatever she wants she gets. 

Time to 'fess up! I've struggled with Tori's character from the get-go. I'm not sure if it's because she's so well-to-do that I can't relate, or because I can't fathom someone acting so badly. Believe me, she's a real treat. 

This brings me to what the experts say about writing -- write what you know. I agree with that advice, to a point. If I only wrote what I knew, I'd never get enough words written to equal a novella much less a full length novel. Since I'm not rich (far from it) and never have been, (I used to be dirt-freaking-poor) should I shy away from writing about those fortunate enough to be considered well-to-do or affluent? No siree-bob! I consider it a challenge. Has it given me a few grey hairs? Yep. But that's okay. I'm old(ish) so grey hairs are fast becoming the norm.

I digress. 

Anyway, back to being distracted by Tori's character. She had me so twisted inside I wanted to cuss. (Hard to believe, but yes, a cuss word or two has been known to slip out) Instead of cussing, however, I took a walk around our pond. Water seems to have a calming effect. A few laps around relaxed me. Thoughts began to zing through my brain so fast I was afraid I'd forget half of them before I made it back in the house. 

After tapping the keys for awhile, I wandered back outside. This time, I cut some flowers from by beds and snipped a few colorful weeds from the ditch on the north side of the house. And voila! This is what I came up with. (Did I mention that flower-arranging isn't my forte?) 

Too bad this isn't a scratch-n-sniff picture because there are sprigs of spearmint in the arrangement!

In the midst of jamming those beautiful flowers and weeds into the pot, I was struck by a profound thought -- I have a good life. A comfortable home, albeit nothing fancy. A pond to walk around to refresh my mind and soul. Flowers to admire. An awesome family. Great friends. And a partridge in a pear tree. (Okay I threw that last line in to see if you were still awake) What I'm trying to say is, I may not be rich dollar-wise but in the big scheme of things, I'm rich beyond measure. Soooo...I guess I can write what I know!

I found new inspiration just by backing away from my work-in-progress for a little bit. I feel that I now have a solid grasp on Tori's character! I'm eager to finish Jake and Tori's story so I can share it with you.

Taming Tori will be published later this month. If you read it, please let me know how I did with Tori? (any and all thoughts are welcome) 

For those of you who write, where do you go when you need to sort out stubborn characters or things in your story that drive you wonky?

Random thought:  If Martha Stewart, Barbara Corcoran, Donald Trump, or Warren Buffett is reading this post (yeah right), I'd love to hang out with you. You know, for research. (A girl can dream)

Thanks for popping in to read my ramblings!

Until next time...

Hugs!

~ Jan

    

Ice water, baby!

I took the ALS ice bucket challenge to help raise awareness of the horrible disease.

For those who don't know, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) is a disease of the brain and nerves which affects the spinal cord and muscles. The nerve cells waste away and die, thus they cannot send signals to those muscles we normally have control over. When the chest muscles stop working, it becomes impossible to breathe. I became aware of ALS when a member of our community fought hard and lost the battle. Since then, I've learned that more and more people are afflicted and to my knowledge there is still no cure.

May all those participating in the ALS ice bucket challenge and those donating to the cause, bring attention to this disease and help those suffering. 

Undiscovered Angel by Sharon Saracino (Book #1 - Earthbound series)

SHARON SARACINO

It's a pleasure to welcome gifted author, Sharon Saracino to my blog with an interview. She's a sweet friend who writes awesome stories. Grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever you consider nectar of the gods and settle in to learn more about this talented author. *Psst! We're also going to help her celebrate the release of her new book -- UNDISCOVERED ANGEL*

~~ ** ~~

Happy to have you here, Sharon! Would you like to share your bio and then tell us something we would be surprised to know? (Folks, you'll be able to say you heard it here first *grins*)

First of all, thanks so much for having me, Jan! It's always such fun to visit with you! Hmmm...bio...well, I was born and raised in the anthracite coal region of Pennyslvania and I still reside there with my long suffering husband, funny and talented son, and two insane dogs. When I'm not reading, writing, or enjoying photography and genealogy, I brew my own limoncello, dream of moving to Italy, and work as a Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse. I plan on winning the lottery just as soon as I remember to buy a ticket! (although I'm pretty sure that surprises no one!)

How would you define your writing style? What genre is your specialty?

I'm not sure I actually have a writing style. Does flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants count as a writing style? I write primarily romance, usually with a touch of the supernatural or paranormal thrown in.

When you're laying the groundwork for your stories, do you outline or make notes that will lead you from beginning to end? Do you research details ahead of time or as your story grows?

I don't outline at all. Please reference the above flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants response. I usually start with a character who's floating around in my head...sometimes the germ of an idea with absolutely nothing fleshed out...and occasionally, even just a single line that strikes a chord. As for research, it really depends, though usually I research as the story grows since I generally have no idea where I'm going until I actually get there.

Setting is so important. It puts the reader right there with the characters. You've chosen Italy as a big part of your Earthbound series. The city of Rome figures prominently in the second book, Angel Unbound. Italy is known as the Land of Love. You've been there and are scheduled to return later this year. Can you tell us what you love most about Italy.

The food. Seriously. But also, it's a completely different pace there, a true sense of la Dolce Vita. And the history! I've always been a history nerd and would love to write a historical some day. Italy in general, and Rome in particular, exudes such a sense of what's come before, so much of the past still existing in the present, all layered and melded and co-existing everywhere you look. Not to mention the beauty of the language. Let's face it, a tall, dark, and handsome Italian can be explaining how to clean a sewer, but in Italian? Even that sounds romantic!

UNDISCOVERED ANGEL

I've read your work and I have to say that you have a keen sense of your characters. Tell us a little bit about UNDISCOVERED ANGEL and introduce your characters.

Thank you so much! I've always been fascinated by the unsolved nature of Jack the Ripper murders and the many theories as to who he might have been. Then I wondered, what if the murders had never been solved because Jack the Ripper wasn't even human.

Undiscovered Angel (Book #1 in my Earthbound series) is the story of Katrina Shepard, a woman with psychic and empathic abilities who's struggled her entire life with powers she doesn't understand. She spends most of her time alone, preferring solitude to the constant battering from the pain and emotions of others.

Kassian McAllister is a wealthy publishing tycoon who also happens to be an Earthbound angel, with inexplicable powers of his own. He's hardly looking for a relationship. The only thing he is looking for is Jack the Ripper, an evil Fallen who murdered his sister over a century ago.

At a party she reluctantly attends in honor of her best friend, Kat intercepts the malevolent energy of a woman's murder, and Kassian is compelled to act, forcing her under his protection. Kat awakens emotions he thought long dead and as they grow closer, he struggles with his sense of responsibility and she discovers an unexpected truth about herself and a chance for belonging she has always craved.

But Jake the Ripper is still out there, and Kat has now become the ideal target.

What is your tagline for Undiscovered Angel?

Tormented by guilt, consumed with vengeance, will the arms of an angel be enough to save him?

Care to share a snippet to whet our appetites for more?

"Look, I'll make a deal with you." He knew they were attracting more attention than he'd intended, but Kassian found it inordinately refreshing to have a woman up in his face instead of falling at his feet. "You stop trying to get into my head and I'll stop trying to get into yours and we'll just agree to have a nice, normal conversation."

"Why?" She regarded him with narrowed eyes.

"Why? What do you mean, why?" Had she looked in a mirror recently? Why would she think he was any different than the next poor schmuck? Not to mention the telepathy thing and the fact that she'd actually tried to read him; that would have guaranteed his interest even if she looked like Janet Reno. She was obviously uncomfortable with her abilities. He found himself not only moderately entertained, but unwillingly curious. 

"I mean, why would you want to have a nice, normal conversation with me? There are plenty of people here tripping all over themselves to get your attention. You don't even know me. I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but honestly, I was getting ready to leave when you came over. Did you want something?"

His eyes did a quick once-over, missing nothing. Hell, yeah, he wanted something, but he knew instinctively that she wasn't the anonymous-quickie-in-a-bathroom-stall type. He could have any woman in the room. That wasn't conceit talking, it was just a fact, a fact about as impressive to him as dry toast. And the only woman in the room he found remotely interesting was wishing she was anywhere but here with him. She wasn't flirting or making any effort to impress him. He suspected she would be more relieved than disappointed if he walked away right now. It was a completely new experience for him. And given his extensive experience that was saying something. She rubbed her forehead as though she was in pain. He wondered if trying to hold her shields securely while engaging in verbal repartee with him in a crowd was causing her discomfort. Maybe he should tell her to relax? She really wasn't blocking him very well anyway.

"Why were you leaving? Do you have to be somewhere?"

He surreptitiously glanced at her left hand. Katrina Shepard had piqued more than his physical interest, although she was certainly no slouch in that area. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had done that. He wasn't quite ready to relinquish her company to whoever might be waiting for her at home. After all, they were simply conversing in a public place; it should be harmless enough. 

"No," she replied levelly, "and please don't take it personally, I don't really care for crowds. I only came for Elle's sake, and only planned to stay for a short time."

Kat rubbed her forehead again. He hadn't intended to make her uncomfortable; well, not physically at any rate. He was about to withdraw when he hesitated. Her mind suddenly descended into turmoil, her thoughts becoming increasingly scattered and disjointed. He realized it was more than trading banter with him, more than the crowd.

Something was wrong.

~~ ** ~~

It's been a joy having you here today, Sharon! Come back anytime and keep writing those incredible stories. Wishing you much success with UNDISCOVERED ANGEL and the rest of your Earthbound series.

I also wanted to congratulate you on your Max Logan series. Your female character in that series -- Maxine Logan -- is a snarky, refreshing, take-no-prisoners kind of gal that I enjoyed reading so much in:  Death Benefits and again in, Life After Death. I'm anxiously awaiting book #3, Smitten with Death.

Love your books and your characters!  

Thank you so much for having me, Jan! It's always a blast coming over to hang out with you and your readers!

Easy buy links for Undiscovered Angel:

Wild Rose Press

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

You can follow Sharon here:

Twitter - @SharonSaracino

Blog - http://www.sharonsaracino.com/blog.html

Website - http://www.SharonSaracino.com

Goodreads - https;//www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073851.Sharon_Saracino

Amazon Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Saracino/e/B00CLXDNYO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Newsletter - http://www.sharonsaracino.com/mailing-list.html

Ahhh! Sweet Summertime!

It's July 10th already! Yikes! How is that possible?

For those of us living in Ohio, we know what that means -- maybe 2 and 1/2 more months of warmth and vibrant sun before the evil cold air moves in. If you're like me, by the middle of July you realize you didn't get in all the fun, downtime, or exercise you promised yourself. Those long walks and bike rides were a great idea at the time.

The good news? We still have time!

Put on those sneakers or that swimsuit. Go for a walk. Hop in the pool. Dust off the cobwebs on that bike, oil the chain, and go for a ride around the block a few times. Picnic in the park. Recharge your body, mind and soul with fresh air, some home-grown or locally grown produce, and escape with a good book. 

There's an old saying around here that after the 4th of July it won't be long before snowballs will be hitting you in the...(ahem)...backside. So get cracking!!

HAPPY SUMMER, FOLKS!