‘Banning the Bullshit’ Sunday: ‘Food of love’ by Anne. R. Allen

No, it isn’t Valentine’s day and no, you haven’t forgotten that all-important anniversary (at least, I don’t think you have. And if you have, no amount of BS will get you out of it! )…

It’s Sunday. ‘Banning the Bullshit’ Sunday to be precise.

So, what literary lusciousness do I have for you today then? Ah, well, you may have heard of this lady before. Quite a few times actually. THAT is because she writes lots of books and we, publish them! She is even collaborating with the uber-awesome, Catherine Ryan Hyde (of ‘Paying it forward’ fame) on a ‘How to…’ book, but more of that in a mo….

There’s just no stopping Anne R. Allen – and we love it! In fact, talking of love: Get a load of this – ‘Food of love‘ is the latest addition to the MWiDP fold and to Anne’s ever-growing collection of brilliant books (see the end of the blog for links to other bullshit-free posts). BUT, ‘Food of love‘ is actually Anne’s first-ever published novel (OK, we came to the game a little late on this one) and is still her best-selling. There’s a reason for that.

It’s brilliant.

Yup. No messing. Comedy thriller. Porn, screwball romantic comedy. It has the lot. Here’s the blurb (oh and guess who provides the intro?):

Food of Love was Anne R. Allen’s first published novel, and continues to be her most popular of her five (and counting) books.

First published in the UK in 2003 by the now-defunct Babash-Ryan, it’s a romp through the world of the booming late 1990’s. Part thriller and part screwball romantic comedy, Food of Love appeals to readers on both sides of the pond. Beneath its roller-coaster plot and comic exterior, the story addresses some complex issues about body image, religion and a woman’s right to choose.

Food of Love tells the story of Regina, a former supermodel, now princess of a tiny European principality (yes, these places do still exist, although the one in this novel is of course fictional), who has lost her skeletal figure and finds herself threatened by an unknown assassin. Fearing her royal husband wants to kill her now that she’s not model-thin, she seeks protection from her estranged African-American foster sister, conservative Christian television pundit, Rev. Cady Stanton.

Reverend Cady has some serious weight and romantic issues of her own, compounded when an “accident” intended for Regina leaves her temporarily blind. But when Regina is declared dead and Cady’s seventy-year old secretary is wrongly arrested for smuggling a small nuclear bomb to the funeral, Cady takes control.

With the help of a porn mogul, a Russian spy, a rap diva and her fierce hairdresser-girlfriend, Cady is able to save Regina, restore the bomb to its proper owners, and unearth the long-buried family secrets that hold the key to her own happiness.

Food of Love has all the classic elements of comedy thriller and believable farce that have become the hallmark of an Anne R. Allen novel.

Introduced by UK best-selling author Saffina Desforges.

Oh and here’s the link stuff:

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Amazon.fr

Amazon.de

Sooooo, you know what I’m gonna say, right? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

So, where was I? Oh yeah, when all those around you lose their heads… here’s how to keep yours and survive in the E-age.

Anne and Catherine have been around the block where sanity and writing is concerned. Believe me. So, when two experienced and successful writers decide to come together and produce a ‘How to’ book, you have no choice as a writer (and even less as a publisher, I mean, HELLO, I watched ‘Pay it forward’ three times) but to read it. And read it you can. Soon.

‘How to be a writer in the E-Age and keep your E-Sanity‘ will be released mid-June, so look out of it. In the meantime, cast your peepers over the amazing cover, designed by our very own design God extraordinaire, Athanasios.

Oof! Cool, huh?

*sigh* I just don’t know how I do it.

Until next time fellow BsF’ers…

Saffi

Related articles

• ‘Banning the Bullshit’ Sunday: Bloomin’ brilliant box sets! (sapphicscribe.wordpress.com)
• ‘Banning The Bullshit Sunday’: ‘Academic Body’ by Shirley S. Allen (sapphicscribe.wordpress.com)

‘Banning the bullshit’ Sunday: ‘Growth’ by Karin Cox

Did somebody say the ‘S’ word? S…sss…Sunday?

AND, are we Banning the Bullshit? Hell yeah!

To steal an uber-awesome line from the mega-talented (Jees, I love my hyphenated words) Passenger, “It’s braille for the deaf and a signpost for the blind”.   Over here, Guv’nor. See? NO shite.

 I swear by almighty God that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I swear by Allah that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I swear by the Gita that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I swear by almighty God that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I swear by Guru Nanak that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

I being one of the people called Quakers (United Brethren called Moravians) do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I swear by Almighty God that I will well and faithfully interpret and make true explanation of all such matters and things as shall be required of me according to the best of my skill and understanding.

Have I missed anyone out? Nah, didn’t think so. Complaints on a postcard to… Mark Williams (and yes, he does still exist and no, he hasn’t been eaten by crocs)

So, enough of the procrastination (which, btw, is not bullshit) and onto the main event.

Poetry.

Yup, you heard right. Poems. aka: Poetry (from the Greek ”poiesis” — “ποίησις” — with a broad meaning of a “making”, seen also in such terms as “hemopoiesis“; more narrowly, the making of poetry) is a form of literary art which uses the aesthetic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning.

This is a first for BtB, so enjoy.

‘Growth’ by Karin Cox. Here’s the blurb:

If the poet’s job is to provide a reflection of an entire world in a single teardrop, Karin Cox’s haunting anthology, Growth, does so admirably.This collection of her finest poems—some previously published in anthologies around the world, others new; some rhyming, some free form—delivers beautiful sentiments, melancholy moments and some delightfully lyrical figurative language, all the while charting the poet’s personal growth over several years.While introspective, Karin’s work avoids self-obsession by interspersing political and broader global themes with the personal. What results is a whimsical anthology that brings to mind the challenges of just being human and fitting into a world that sometimes feels like a tight squeeze.A must-read for lovers of the English language and a wonderful gift for poetry aficionados, Growth will continue to bloom in the reader’s mind long after the last page has been turned.

 

Oh, and here’s a little teaser:

Cool, huh?

So, I’ll say it again: What are you waiting for? *shrugs*

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Amazon.fr

Amazon.de

*sigh* Epic, right? Sooooooo, money supermarket.

Saffi

‘Banning The Bullshit Sunday’: ‘Academic Body’ by Shirley S. Allen

Did someone say Sunday? Really? What happened to the other days of the week? Huh? Oh yeah, that’s right, they were filled with the sloppy brown stuff! Forget about ‘em.

So, here’s one for you? What have Maine, New England and Agatha Christie got in common? (Not much, I hear you cry). Well, you’d be wrong…

Aside from being one of the places on my most-want-to-visit bucket list and home to one of my favourite writers, this weeks’ BtB book is set there, AND, if you like a good Agatha-esque mystery then you will LOVE this. Guarantee it. I mean, would I bullshit ya? Right.

‘Academic Body‘ is a classy, beautifully written and hilarious farce that will transport you effortlessly to college town Maine and leave you hopelessly trying to sleuth your way through to the end and figure out whodunnit.

Brilliant and charming.

Here’s the blurb and what readers have said about it:

A retired theatrical director struggles with a new career as drama professor at a small, Maine college while trying to woo his wife away from the New York stage.

When he finds himself a murder suspect, he becomes a reluctant sleuth with only three weeks in which to solve all three problems.

Shirley Allen has used her expertise as a writer and a former academician to write a little gem of a mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie. Ms. Allen has assembled a cast of suspects, each with a distinctive voice (and vice), to lead the reader sniffing through clues like a rat in a maze. The result, Academic Body, is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Paul Godwin, a Broadway theatrical director disabled by a cardiac disorder, has turned, in his retirement, to teaching drama at a small Maine college. The murder of the officious dean has forced Godwin, unwillingly, into the role of amateur sleuth. The dean has given a number of faculty members motives for wanting him dead. In spite of having little assistance from the local police, Godwin methodically sifts through the evidence in a way that would make Christie’s Hercule Poirot cheer–as will the reader of this well-written, suspense-filled book.

And here’s the kinda-important link things:

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Amazon.fr

Amazon.de

So, erm, well, that’s it. Totally BS free and straight to the point. What more can you ask for?

Saffi

‘Banning the Bullshit’ Sunday : ‘Mad Gods’ by Athanasios

Phew! At last. It’s Suuuuuuunday again.

This weeks’ post is one of the unbullshittiest (I know, I know) BtB Sunday posts I have ever done.

Two reasons for that.

1. I am probably wildly hung-over from my Ma n Pa’s belated Ruby Wedding and ‘saying eff off to The Big ‘C” party

2. This book is self-explanatory – no BS required.

So, here it is. Talk about telling it like it is…

A unique and engaging read that re-imagines myth and gods.

Kosta is a man with a dark past, and lives life on the run: wanted dead or alive by Satanists, Dark Nobility and the Catholic Church.

He has abducted a child destined to enslave the world and given him a life more ordinary.

Together they are pursued by those who want the child returned to his destiny and the Church that wont give up its power.

Prophesy and free will collide when the child must finally choose his own path or the fate set out in Revelation.

Here’s the links:

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Amazon.fr

Amazon.de

See, what else do you need to know?

Until next week… stay BS free.
Saffi

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• Banning the Bullshit Sunday: Anathema (Book 1 of The Cloud Prophet trilogy) by Megg Jensen (sapphicscribe.wordpress.com)
• ‘Banning the bullshit Sunday’ ‘Bone Dressing’ by Michelle I. Brooks (sapphicscribe.wordpress.com)
• ‘Banning the Bullshit’ Sunday: ‘Gisborne’ by Prue Batten (sapphicscribe.wordpress.com)

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‘Banning the Bullshit’ Sunday: ‘Gisborne’ by Prue Batten

N’awwww come on, it can’t be that time again already, can it?

Yup, sure is! BtB Sunday is here again and thank *@!* for that I say.

So, despite having my right arm in a sling from a particularly nasty hockey injury (ruptured clavicle and shoulder joint) I am still bringing you BtB, if not somewhat left-handed and typo-ridden. (what a trooper eh?)

This week has surpassed itself in the smouldering stacks of shite stakes here in literary land, so I am desperately in need of a reprieve. A whiff of good, clean, fresh air without the stench of crap wafting into my nostrils…

And here it is:

Now if ever there was a man that you wouldn’t want to be giving any bullshit to, it’s Guy of Gisborne; long-hailed foe of Robin Hood himself.

He was one scary mo’fo, or so we thought…

Prue Batten has other ideas.

I asked Prue for a ‘bullshit-free’ quote for this post, something to explain the reasoning behind writing Gisborne, its characters and why she chose the path she did for this story. It seems that she has already explained all of this in previous interviews; so, rather than fill this post with BS, this is what she said:

Given that this segment is called BtB, probably the most ‘lacking in ‘BS’ comments’ I’ve ever made are in the three links below: an in-depth 3 part interview on why I wrote Gisborne the way I did.

http://bit.ly/xIolpl

http://bit.ly/zh2Lxb

http://bit.ly/zkPebG

The medieval age fascinates me, the seeding ground for the Renaissance, the foundation of so much that would support the world as it developed and grew. To throw a man and a woman into that setting, to have them battling through Europe or the Middle Sea, maybe even the Holy Land as they sought to redress the damage in their personal lives, maybe even to seek revenge or have revenge sought upon them … it just seemed a story that needed to be told. And to shatter the centuries-long image of Guy of Gisborne as Robin Hood’s arch nemesis? Goodness, I love shattering preconceptions and creating new ones.

Cool huh? Even my contributors are getting the hang of this!

Now in true BtB nature, I am gonna ‘fess up right now and tell you that this kind of book isn’t my bag. Or should I say, wasn’t. Obviously, as co-bosswoman of MWiDP, I have to help Mark read all of our submissions (I mean, we wouldn’t want to be publishing any old dross now would we?) so I reluctantly picked this up when it landed in my inbox.

Prue’s voice is truly unique and the way she breathes life into her characters is a thing to behold. Guy of Gisborne not only becomes a real person, with a life, love and labours beyond that of presumed history, but she manages to create a place and time that comes alive like a pop-up story book from the pages, in 3D with Dolby surround sound.

As I say in my introduction to this book, you will find yourself booking a travelling holiday in search of Moncrieff castle, so vivid and curvaceous are her descriptions of it!

So, get it, yeah? What possible reason is there for not getting it? Huh?

I can’t think of one…

Linkies:

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Amazon France

Amazon Germany

Happy (crap free) Sunday.

Saffi

Banning the Bullshit Sunday: Anathema (Book 1 of The Cloud Prophet trilogy) by Megg Jensen

Well, it’s that day again. BtB Sunday. Yup, no crap here…

Soooo, what could be better than a post about a great book and no steaming pile of dung about how wonderful Amazon are or how traditional publishing is dead in the water or banging on about my brilliant, fantabulous REAL book sale numbers?

Well, I’ll tell ya’. A great FREE book!

Sheesh, this blog just gets better and better every week.

Megg Jensen has some AWESOME books out there, but Anathema is FREE at the moment and that makes it even more awesome’er!

The story:

Reychel is a slave girl surrounded by magic, lies and manipulation. Her best friend disappears in the middle of the night leaving Reychel to face her fifteenth birthday, the day her master burns his brand into the back of her bald head, alone. She’s sheltered from the outside world and doesn’t have any hope for escape, but when people desperate for freedom ask for her help can Reychel learn to believe in herself?

It is aimed at young adults, BUT, don’t let that put you off if YA fantasy isn’t your bag, this book NEEDS reading, whoever you are. Trust me.

And guess what? You can get it here and I think I said, it’s FREE!

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Amazon Germany

Amazon France

If you LOVE this (which you will) then Megg has the box set trilogy available too, here.

I was gonna trawl on and mention Oubliette and Severed and how brilliant they are too, but I won’t cos you already know that…

And like I said, if you want bullshit, go elsewhere.

Happy (bullshit free) Sunday y’all (see what I did there?)

Saffi

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• SLEEPERS by Megg Jensen – COVER REVEAL (caughtbetweenthepages.wordpress.com)
• Banning the Bullshit Sunday: ‘Sherwood, Ltd’ by Anne R. Allen (sapphicscribe.wordpress.com)
• ‘Banning the bullshit Sunday’ : ‘Clockwise’ by Elle Strauss (sapphicscribe.wordpress.com)

Banning the Bullshit Sunday: ‘Sherwood, Ltd’ by Anne R. Allen

Oh well, here we are again! After a week of mostly, well, bullshit, it’s time for a refreshing change.

No tsunami of shite, just a blog post about a damn good book, who wrote it and where you can buy it. That’s it. Nothing else. *shrugs*

So let me tell you about Anne R. Allen and more importantly, ‘Sherwood’.

Ten years ago, Anne was on her third literary agent and just about ready to give up on the dream of being an author. Her  novels were being rejected everywhere. In her own words, “In those days, the mash-up of romantic comedy with noir mystery was too unusual to fit New York’s needs. ”

 Anne had three novels completed. A fourth had run as a serial in a California entertainment weekly. One of her stories had been short-listed for an international prize, and a play had been produced to good reviews. Anne was ‘bringing in a few bucks’ —mostly with short pieces for local magazines and freelance editing.

But meantime, her savings had evaporated. Anne’s boyfriend had ridden his Harley into the Big Sur sunset, and she was contemplating a career change to the fast food industry. (phew, we are sooooo glad you didn’t do it, Anne!)

Even acceptances turned into rejections: a UK zine that had accepted one of Anne’s stories folded. But when the editor sent the bad news, he mentioned he’d taken a job with a small UK book publisher—and did she have any novels?

Anne sent him one her agent had rejected as “too over the top.” Within weeks, she was offered a contract by her new editor—a former BBC comedy writer—for FOOD OF LOVE. Included was an invitation for her to come over the pond to do some promotion.

So she rented out her California beach house, packed her bags and bought a ticket to Gainsborough, Lincolnshire (now we’re talking Anne, this is my neck of the woods) , where her new publishers had recently moved into a huge 19th century mill on the banks of the river Trent —the river George Eliot fictionalized as “the Floss.”

George Eliot. Anne was going to be working and living only a few hundred yards from the ruins of the house where she wrote her classic novel about the 19th century folk who lived and died by the power of Lincolnshire ’s great tidal river. An English major’s dream.
At the age of… well, she wouldn’t tell me exactly… Anne was about to have the adventure of her life.

She knew the company published mostly erotica, but was branching into mainstream and literary fiction. They had already published the first novel of a distinguished poet, and a famous Chicago newspaper columnist was in residence, awaiting the launch of his new book.

But when Anne arrived, she found the great Chicagoan had left in a mysterious fit of pique, the “erotica” was seriously hard core kink, and the former ladies’ underwear factory on the Trent was more of the William Blake Dark Satanic variety than George Elliot’s bucolic “Mill on the Floss.”

She told me that some of her fears subsided when she was greeted by a friendly group of unwashed, fiercely intellectual young men who presented her  with generous quantities of warm beer, cold meat pies and galleys to proof. After a beer or two,  Anne even found herself almost comprehending their/our northern accents!

She held it together until she saw her new digs: a grimy futon and an old metal desk, hidden behind stacks of book pallets in the corner of an unheated warehouse, about a half a block from the nearest loo. The only modern convenience was an ancient radio abandoned by a long-ago factory girl. (did I used to work here?).

Now for those of you that don’t have the pleasure of knowing Anne, let me tell you, she ain’t the kinda gal that would squat on your floor for the sake of art if you know what I mean! This must have been a real wrench for her.

For our friends from sunnier (and colder!) climes who don’t know where Anne is talking about (or which part of the world I hail from) Gainsborough is here:

Anne admits to some tears of despair. Until, she says…:

“…Until, from the radio, Big Ben chimed six o’clock .

That’s six pm , GMT.

Greenwich Mean Time. The words hit me with all the sonorous power of Big Ben itself. I had arrived at the mean, the middle, the center that still holds—no matter what rough beasts might slouch through the cultural deserts of the former empire. This was where my language, my instrument, was born.

I clutched my galley-proof to my heart. I might still be a rejected nobody in the land of my birth—but I’d landed on the home planet: England . And there, I was a published novelist. Just like George Eliot.”

Three years later, Anne returned to California , older, fatter (the English may not have the best food, but their BEER is another story Anne!) and a lot wiser. That Chicagoan’s fit of pique turned out to be more than justified. The company was swamped in debt. They never managed to get her US distribution. Shortly before her second book THE BEST REVENGE was to launch, the managing partner withdrew his capital, sailed away and mysteriously disappeared off his yacht—his body never found. The company sputtered and died.

And Anne was back in the slush pile again.

But (thankfully) she had a great plot for her next novel.

Here’s what Anne says about SHERWOOD, LTD.

That novel is SHERWOOD, LTD. It’s 100% fiction—I put the heroine of THE BEST REVENGE into those improbable digs and made up an intricate whodunit plot—but the setting in the old ladies’ underwear factory I call the “Maidenette” building is very real, as are the wonderful people of Lincolnshire I fell in love with during my almost three-year stay. I will always feel part of me still lives in Gainsborough—George Eliot’s St. Oggs—the town I call “Swynsby-on-Trent” in my novel. SHERWOOD, LTD. is a kind of love letter to the English Midlands, and to one of their greatest contributions to world culture: the story of  Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

Thankfully, some forward-thinking, innovative and all-round uber-ambitious digital publisher (ahem) railroaded talked Anne into coming on board and letting them publish this fabulous book.

Links:

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Amazon Germany

Amazon France

Ahh, brilliant! How thankful we are to Lincolnshire, that band of unwashed intellects and our local ale. For without it, the world wouldn’t have Sherwood!

Get it now. Really.

Saffi

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‘Banning the bullshit’ Sunday: ‘Beyond Nostalgia’ by Tom Winton

Ok, here we are again. BtB. I LOVE it!

Noooooooooo steaming pile of cack here, M’lad. TOTALLY bullshit free. We all know where to go for that (should it be your thing)…

Soooo, what have we today then? Well, it’s a bit of a strange one this.

A guy that writes romance? Whaaaaaaaaa’? Yup.

No, I mean it. BUT, whatever you were thinking, un-think it. That’s it. Shake your head, rid your brain of all those crazy images, reverse the cogs, empty those little grey cells and picture this:

A guy that writes romance BRILLIANTLY.

Described as a “monumental romance” Beyond Nostalgia is just that – with class.

Now, those of you that know me will know that romance isn’t my thing. I’m more of a blood & guts kinda gal, but I really enjoyed this. It’s just…real. A love story, yes. Soppy, girly romance, no.

A unique voice and a tale told without the frills. A story or true love that survives all the hurdles.

This is what others have said about it:

BEYOND NOSTALGIA: Born with blue in his collar instead of his veins, best-selling author Dean Cassidy chronicles his soul-scarring rise from New York’s darkest alleys to a place high atop the literary world.

As difficult and unlikely as such a climb is, there’s yet another force working against Dean. He’s forever haunted by treasured memories of his long-lost teenage soul-mate. Theresa! Theresa! Theresa! She just won’t go away!

Despite all Dean’s hang-ups and mental baggage, he eventually does marry another woman. And for twenty years his wife, Maddy Frances, remains so giving (and forgiving) she deserves to be canonized a living saint. Even after she finds Dean unconscious at a botched suicide attempt–a time-faded photograph of Theresa clenched in his hands—her love never wavers.

But is Maddy’s loyalty enough to keep them together? Or will a force far stronger than fate alone change everything?

MORE PRAISE FOR TOM WINTON’S ‘BEYOND NOSTALGIA‘

“I have no doubt that it will be huge once it gets the attention of the right people, and be compulsory reading in schools one day. For me it was on par with Harper Lee, JD Salinger or John Steinbeck as American social commentary…” – Mark Williams International

“It’s very difficult to write what is called a literary novel without coming across as wordy or plain rambling. I find Faulkner and Joyce and Lawrence, among others, all too fond of the sound of their own words and unable to ‘get on with it’. You’ve done that brilliantly.” – Nicholas Boving

“I love it when I find a book so touching like yours. The story itself is the force of it all, you capture human emotions going against real life obstacles. You’ve done a wonderful job and it took me a while to find the words fit for a comment. Even so, I find them useless, all I can say it’s been a beautifully haunting read.” – Julia Siboney

“Beyond Nostalgia is a story told with such tenderness and depth that it will break your heart. It reaches out and grabs the hopeless romantic in all of us.” – Isabel Lopez

“You write with such a unique voice, it’s like I’m the person narrating your story, and I already feel what’s happening, happened, and will happen even though I don’t know what is, did, and will. That is remarkable.” – Kevin Wong

“Oh Thomas, I absolutely love your story. The place, the pacing, the sweet youth of Theresa and Dean, you have captured it all. This is about more than love it is about intimacy, opening your heart and soul.” – K.C. Hart

You might also want to check out Tom Winton’s newest release as well, ‘The Last American Martyr’.Tom was one of the very first authors we took on when we launched our digital imprint, MWiDP and we did so without hesitation. If you read this book, you’ll know why.

So, I only have one question: What are you waiting for? Here’s the links:

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Amazon Germany

Amazon France

Happy Sunday. See, no crap!

Saffi

‘Banning the bullshit’ (Super bowl) Sunday : ‘Here, home, hope’ by Kaira Rouda

Ok, I must admit, I am a Patriots fan (not sure how many of my American friends will fall out with me for ‘fessing up to this?) and will be watching tonight to see how they get on, even if I don’t quite get American footy…

Still exciting nonetheless. BUT, before that, is the BIG match! My beloved Manchester United are taking on Chelsea, now THAT’S football!

Anyway, I digress. Enough of the bullshit!

It’s Sunday again and time for ‘Banning the bullshit’! As promised…

Today, I would like to direct your attention to Kaira Rouda.

Yup, that’s her. Not only is she gorgeous, turns out that she’s pretty good at this writing lark too! She won the Indie excellence award for Womens’ Fiction AND got an ‘honourable mention’ in Writers’ Digest International Self-Published Book Awards for Mainstream fiction! Ooh, get her!

Anyway, think mid-life crisis and settling for your lot…then read this!

Kelly Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her middling middle-American existence and her neighbors’ seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding. But Kelly’s own passions lie wasted. She eyes with envy the lives of her two best friends, Kathryn and Charlotte, both beautiful, successful businesswomen who seem to have it all. Kelly takes charge of her life, devising a midlife makeover plan. From page one, Kelly’s witty reflections, self-deprecating humor, and clever tactics in executing that plan–she places Post-it notes all over her house and car–will have readers laughing out loud. The next instant, however, they might rant right along with Kelly as her commitment to a sullen, anorexic teenager left on her doorstep tries her patience or as she deflects the boozy advances of a divorced neighbor. Readers will need to keep the tissue box handy, too, as Kelly repairs the damage she inflicted on a high school friend; realizes how deeply her husband, Patrick, understands and loves her; and ultimately grows into a woman empowered by her own blend of home and career.
Winner of the Indie Excellence Award, Here, Home, Hope will surely appeal to readers of chick lit and other women’s fiction titles who are ready to transition into something new in their own life.
“Witty and uplifting, Here, Home, Hope is a charming debut that explores the courage it takes to reshape life and how to do it with a dash of panache.” –Beth Hoffman, bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

“Relatable and inspiring. A perfect read for anyone experiencing one of life’s “what’s next?” moments.” –Robyn Harding Author, Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis

“If you’ve ever felt your own life contained a list of Things to Change (and whose hasn’t?), then you will fall in love with Kelly Johnson, the restless protagonist of Here, Home, Hope. Kaira Rouda’s funny, moving novel is a model of inspiration and reinvention for anyone seeking to find what’s next in life.” –Katrina Kittle, author of The Blessings of the Animals

“A warm, witty, and engaging debut that had me laughing out loud. Rouda has created a lovable and perceptive heroine who navigates her struggles with honesty and awe-inspiring determination to succeed. A fun and totally satisfying read.” –Amy Hatvany, author of Best Kept Secret

“A wonderfully warm read about finding happiness in yourself, Kaira Rouda’s debut novel skillfully portrays the triumph of self-belief over society’s threatening elements.” –Talli Roland, author, The Hating Game

“A must read for anyone who’s had their own mid-life crisis, Here, Home, Hope reminds us that it’s never too late to reinvent ourselves.” –Liz Fenton, author of I’ll Have Who She’s Having and creator of Chick Lit is not Dead

Here’s the links:

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

I mean, it’d be silly not to, right?

Happy Sunday, without the dung!

Saffi

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12 Days of Christmas – #1 Elizabeth Ann West

WOOOOOOT! It’s here! It’s Christmas Eve! Yay!

Ok, we’ve had some brilliant stories and posts over these past 12 days. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed hosting them. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

I saved the last spot for someone special. Elizabeth is not only one of our brilliant authors over at MWiDP and our fabulous IT guru, but in 2012 we are going to be working on a couple of projects with her. She’s also pretty cool!

Here she is:

Christmas Under Pressure

This is my fifth attempt to write this blog post. I’ve followed the series and I’ve built up all of this pressure on myself to deliver. I’ve got THE Christmas Eve post. The last one…and I’m so afraid to disappoint.

Here’s the problem: I’m not IN to Christmas this year. In my country, the good old US of A, there are two extreme camps. One side looks at Christmas like a sport, with bargains hunted with such ferocity, don’t visit your neighborhood K-mart without pepper spray! On a completely opposite side of the spectrum, are the religious fanatics, who want to throw piety around like it’s 1692 and there’s some witches to burn. How many tiers did you make your birthday cake for Jesus?

This year, I did all of my shopping in one day. I bought a small gift for the in-laws and shipped it to them directly, as our recent move from SC to CT has put a damper on our Christmas fund. My children each had a limit placed on them, and I even traded in my hand held video game player for an extra boost so we could upgrade my stepson’s system.

My husband and I are not exchanging gifts this year, a first. And I don’t care. I’m not upset one bit. This year, my family worried about our future too, too much. My husband applied for an officer program in the Navy and if he didn’t get it, was getting out. He flew to job interviews in places that get eleven feet of snow per year. Let me say that again. Me, a girl raised in southeastern Virginia, where everything shuts down on a forecast of flurries, was going to move to a place where they get ELEVEN feet of snow!

And I would have gone. But thankfully, he made officer and we now live in Connecticut, where they average about twenty inches of snow per year. For the first two year though, it’s a slight pay cut (we’re making the same amount we made in SC, but there’s a high cost of living up here and we are renting out the house we own down south).

The bottom line is my family is healthy and happy. My marriage is in a less stressful season, despite living a little tighter to our budget. I couldn’t ask for more than that. Well I could, but I don’t want it. I’m looking forward to a new year writing another novel or two, and putting on a publisher hat once in awhile. I’m anxious for a brand new chance to make life special, whether it’s reaching out to a reader who wants to read my book but cannot because she is blind so I’m making her an audio book, or teaching my daughter how to spell her name.

This year, I just want a normal, quiet holiday. My family is finally together, without anymore Navy deployments. The lack of emotional drama is one of the best gifts I could ask from Santa Claus. And we’re building new family traditions, such as my parents visiting the weekend before Christmas. What about that extravagant Christmas dinner everyone puts on? The West family is making pizzas.

So Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on our troubles will be out of sight.

If you haven’t seen Meet Me in St. Louis, give it a chance this holiday season. And I look forward to celebrating a new year full of new opportunities with all of you. Merry Christmas!

Thanks Elizabeth! And here’s to 2012!

So, that’s it. We’re done.

All that remains is to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year. Here’s hoping that 2012 brings us all everything we could wish for and more.

Saffi

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