Book Excerpt: After Math by Denise Grover Swank

“Tucker, what’s your major?”

His face lifts, confusion crinkling his eyes. “History.”

“Why history?”

His mouth opens to say something then he unconsciously licks his lower lip. I’m sure most girls would drool over it, but I see a guy who’s suddenly lost his shield of confidence. Still, I can’t ignore the slight stir in my emotions from the movement. Finally, he shrugs. “I like history.”

His answer is a lie, but I don’t see what good will come from pointing it out. “So what exactly do you like about history? It’s full of dates, which are numbers.”

He shakes his head. “Not the numbers. They get scrambled in my head. That’s the hardest part.” He pauses. “I like the stories. People who did extraordinary things and people remember them. They’re not forgotten and lost forever.”

I watch him as he speaks, the pain that flickers in his eyes.

“Do you like soccer?”

My question catches him by surprise. He blinks and sits up slightly. “Yeah. I’m good at it.”

“I know you’re good at it. I asked you if you liked it.”

His gaze turns out the window, and his mouth turns to a slight frown. “Do you know you’re the first person to ever ask me that question?”

I realize he hasn’t answered, and although I’m curious, I refuse to invade Tucker’s personal life any more than necessary. “I’m trying to figure out how you learn. Some people are auditory learners, while others are kinesthetic. Most guys are visual.”

He shoots me a wicked glance, and to my surprise, I’m happy to see his cockiness return. Sad Tucker makes me feel too personally involved.

I lean forward, my forearms on the table. “I think there’s more to learning than just the senses. If we can tie learning to something we love, we can remember it, and it sticks in our heads longer. So then when we retrieve the information later, it’s easier to find. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah.”

“So what do you love? What excites Tucker Price?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize I’ve set myself up for a raunchy response.

He ignores it. His jaw works, and he leans back against the seat, stretching his hands across the table. I notice the multiple scars on his knuckles and the back of his hand. “No one’s ever asked me that before either.” His gaze returns to the gray sky.

While I wait for an answer that never comes, it occurs to me that he doesn’t know. As he shuffles through his thoughts, I search my own and ask myself the same question that no one has ever asked me.

I press my head into the seat, stretching my hands out on the table top, and close my eyes. I’m surrounded by people every day, yet I always feel alone, no matter how hard I try to connect. It’s as though a veil has been thrown over my heart, and no one has ever been able to tear it down. Until this boy. This unattainable, untouchable, unreliable boy.

My eyelids flutter open, and I see the despair I’ve stirred in him. My fingers flex, millimeters from his hand, his palms splayed on the table.

For the first time, I feel genuinely connected to another human being and just my luck, it turns out to be Tucker Price.

And that’s the saddest fact of all.

Novel Spotlight: Broken Sound by Karolyn James

Rockstars expect women to show up at their hotel room, but when a woman shows up with an infant and tells Davey he is the father, his world is turned upside down. 

Anna is a teacher and part-time waitress, desperate to make enough to pay off debts left to her by an ex-boyfriend who made her life a living hell. When her boss schedules her for an extra shift, he tells her it's her job to take care of a special guest... lead guitarist of Chasing Cross, Davey. The second Anna meets eyes with Davey, she feels something she's wanted for a long time. But with someone famous? That's impossible. Besides, Davey is there with a date.

When Davey returns to the restaurant, sans date, he asks to see Anna. She doesn't understand what he would want with her. He is a man with a big heart, kind eyes, and the true power that only a real rockstar could have. Then Anna learns the truth of Davey's life, from his haunted past to his rocky present. Still, she longs to be part of his future.  But when Anna's own past turns potentially deadly, life and love suddenly collide in a way that could hurt everyone and leave someone dead.

Novel Spotlight: All Access by Karolyn James

Jess is caught off guard when a sexy stranger buys her a cup of coffee and asks her to sit with him. He's mysterious, nice, and even though he says the right things at the right time, Jess can sense that there's something hidden about him.

As Johnnie sits across from the beautiful woman, he can't believe she doesn't recognize him. Everyone does. It comes with the territory when you're the lead singer of one of the hottest bands in the world, Chasing Cross. With one more show to go before taking a small break in touring, it feels like luck is on Johnnie's side. That is, if he can find a way to tell Jess who he is, without scaring her off.

After her best friend begs her to come to a concert, Jess finds herself standing in the middle of a crowd. The lights are off, music begins, and the crowd erupts in cheers. She doesn't know much about the band, but that's all about to change. When the lights come on, Jess can't believe her eyes. The lead singer of the band is the man from the café.

Plucked from the crowd during the show, Jess makes her way backstage. The encore may have ended on stage, but the real show is just about to begin. Johnnie's passion quickly turns to romance but the more time he and Jess spend together, the more things get complicated. Johnnie has a big decision to make about himself and the band, testing his loyalty and love for the music, and when Jess's dreams start to come true, she starts to realize that true love exists, but it's not always an easy path to take.

Guest Post: Karolyn James

Writing a series is like extending your family by… five, ten, twenty, however many characters you get to create, meet, and write about. I take my latest series, Brothers of Rock, that serious. The five guys that make up Chasing Cross are like an extended portion of my family. Everyday I think about Johnnie, Davey, Danny, Chris, and Rick. And why shouldn’t I? They’ve crashed into my life and have taken it over. I plan their shows, set them on the road to tour, and best of all, I get to watch them fall in love.

When writing about rockstars it’s easy to fall into clichés. And while I’m not going to say that there may not be a few situations that appear stereotypical for rockstars, I will say that each and every book has its purpose and tells the story of that band member. Just because they’re rockstars doesn’t mean they’re immune to the outside world. Yes, they’re rich. Yes, they’re sexy. Yes, they’re everything a person could dream for in rockstars. But guess what? They have hearts. They have feelings. They are real people. And that’s what I wanted to create when I started Brothers of Rock. I wanted to show these musicians off the stage, exploring their feelings, fighting their demons, and falling love. Plus, through these five books, it’s five different men. Five different stories. But yet they all connect together.

Right now, Brothers of Rock #1 and #2 are available. Book #3 is due the end of June (2013). Thanks to the reader response, there are talks of extending the Brothers of Rock series beyond the original five books.

Author's Bio

Karolyn James has been published over 100 times, reached bestseller lists on Amazon, and writes in both romance and erotic romance. Her two newest series are the romance hit, Brothers of Rock, and the erotic romance series, Rock Her Curves.

Follow Karolyn

@KarolynWrites

Facebook

Blog

Interview with Pam Johnson-Bennett & Kae Allen

Q. What inspired the plot for your novel, Cookies for Dinner? 

Kae:  Pam was the inspiration for our book “Cookies for Dinner.”  When Pam was having an issue or a Mommy moment, she sought me out.  I would tell her one of my “kids are a snik” stories, usually involving me not exactly being the perfect mother, and she would feel better.  It took quite a bit of work on Pam’s part to get me involved in the project, but I can honestly say, it has been one of the best experiences of my life.

Pam: My husband was behind it. He knew Kae’s stories and he survived my early motherhood misadventures and felt other mothers out enjoy laughing at our expense!

Q. Did y'all have a joint writing ritual or was it something you both worked on in your own time?

Kae:  One of the things that makes our book so honest about motherhood in the trenches is that we did not “joint” write our stories.  We each wrote the stories that were near and dear to our hearts.  Once all the stories were written, we sat on the floor of Pam’s sun room with the titles on index cards and matched them up into chapters.  It was amazing that here we were taking on motherhood from two completely different directions but we shared similar “war” stories when it came to the kids.

Pam: I don’t know how other co-authors work but our method was perfect for us.

Q. Pam, what was your favorite story that Kae shared? Kae, what was your favorite story that Pam shared?

Kae:  While I think all of Pam’s stories are great, the one that always makes me laugh is “Creaky Floors.”  This story brings home to me the difference in parenting styles between the two of us.  While Pam is on her hands and knees attempting to sneak out of her child’s room without waking them up, I was putting my kids in the crib at a predetermined “bedtime” or “naptime” (awake or asleep) and then vacuuming in their bedrooms and under their cribs while they were asleep just to reinforce that life in the Allen house is anything but quiet.

Pam: The image of Kae dealing with massive amounts of her child’s diarrhea while he’s in his car seat still makes me laugh every time I think of it. You’ll have to read the book to learn about how creative Kae was in solving the problem. I’ve never met anyone quite like Kae.

Q. Kae, have your children read the book? If so, what was their take on it? Pam, I know your children are younger, but have you read the book to them? Is it something you think they'll read when they get older? 

Kae:  Each of my children has actually read the book.  In this book they are so young that they don’t really remember the stories but enjoyed reading about themselves and how much fun we used to have.  The biggest problem with having grown children during this project is now they are requesting rebuttal rights for the stories that come later that they do remember.  I’m pretty sure their memories of a situation and mine are going to be really different.

Pam: My daughter has read much of the book and refuses to believe any of the stuff written about her but totally believes every word written about my son. My son took the book to school for show-and-tell so he could point out how many times his name was mentioned in a published book.

Q. How long have the two of you been friends?

Kae:  Pam’s husband Scott became a fixture in the Allen house during an extensive remodeling project that began in 1991.  He was single at the time and had spent so much time at our house during and after work that Jess, our youngest, began referring to him as “Scott, our worker man.” My husband David and I were absolutely thrilled when Scott fell in love with Pam.  She is the ying to his yang.  Without Pam, Scott would be running amuck in Murfreesboro and without Scott, Pam would really be an over-the-top germa-phobe worry wart.

Pam: I am so thankful for the day I met Kae. She really keeps me grounded and she’s the only other woman who totally understands my husband.

Q. What's one parenting tip that each of you would like to share with any parents or future parents out there?

Kae:  Quit taking yourself so seriously.  June Cleaver was a character on a TV show with children she had no obligation to after the director yelled “Cut.”  Be yourself, your children don’t want to be raised by a stranger.  Just raise your children as best as you can.  They will love you in spite of your shortcomings just like you will love them in spite of their temper tantrums.

Pam: Enjoy every moment of it because it truly goes by in the blink of an eye. Don’t sit on the sidelines of motherhood. Go down the slide with your child, climb the monkey bars and splash in the mud puddles. You’ll be creating precious memories.

Q. What was the hardest part about working on this novel, whether it was something you may have struggled with personally or as a team.

Kae:  Learning to tell a story on paper.  I can verbally regale any unsuspecting victim with my “Kids are a Snik” stories because facial expressions and hand waving usually convey the excitement of the situation.  But words are flat and lifeless until someone breathes some life into them.  Luckily for me, I had Pam to be my mentor and David to be my biggest fan.  Between the two of them they helped me down the path to finding my “voice” as a writer.

Pam: I am a cat behavior expert and I have written several books. The books are advice-driven, well-researched on the subject of cat psychology and training. Writing a book where I could just be myself and let my faults, worries and goofiness come through was actually difficult at first.

Q. What was your favorite snack to munch on while writing this novel?

Kae:  During times of stress (especially tax season) my desk will be littered with easy to eat snacks like trail mix, M&M’s, cashews and pretzels.  Unfortunately for me, I was in a particularly intense foraging mood when I stumbled upon Starburst jelly beans.  Yes, my name is Kae, and I am addicted to the yummy goodness that is the Starburst jelly bean.

Pam: A diet soda and a handful of pretzels are my usual companions when writing. Not exactly the healthiest snacks. Don’t tell my kids or you’ll ruin my image.

Q. What can your fans expect next? Will the two of you be teaming up to write another book? Possibly a "Stuff My Children Says" book?

Kae:  Our next book is actually almost ready for release.  The name is “Panic Early/Panic Often”.  This book picks up where “Cookies for Dinner” leaves off and continues to follow our little brood’s antics up until early grade school.  I personally hope we continue the project through the kid’s adulthoods.  I have tons of people constantly asking me if we can get to the teenage years because they really could use a laugh as their 15 year old daughter wants to date a guy on a Harley.

Pam: Luckily, motherhood gives us plenty of inspiration. We’re looking forward to getting the new book out there.

Q. What advice do you have for an author who's considering co-authoring a novel with someone who isn't an author?

Kae:  If you are the author, you are technically in charge of nurturing a baby writer.  Luckily for me, I had Pam.  She was and continues to be wonderfully supportive and amazingly gentle with what she perceives as my delicate ego.  Without her, my love of this craft would never have been born.  So not matter what anyone tells you, this writing thing is all Pam’s fault.

Pam: LOL, thanks Kae. It’s easy to nurture a natural talent and Kae has so much. My advice for an author who wants to work with a novice author is to remember that you were once a newbie yourself. Both of your names will be on the book so it’s important to support each other and bring out the best in each other.

Denise Grover Swank: What Makes a Story New Adult

After Math, the first book of my new Off the Subject series, is a new adult romance. New adult is a relatively new term and there’s a lot of debate as to how to define it. Young adult stories typically feature high school age protagonists, while new adult books usually consist of characters in college. Some new adult will extend past college, but it becomes a bit trickier. Some people claim new adult is YA with sex. I’ve heard new adult referenced as YA meets Fifty Shades of Grey. While you might find that type of story somewhere, that’s not what defines the majority of new adult books. That being said, sex usually occurs in new adult books, especially romances. It also is told in varying detail, but rarely fades to black. In real life, sex is an important part of the college experience. College students are legally adults and begin to have adult relationships, or at least fumble their way around them. New adult stories must focus on the main characters trying to figure out their place in the world. Young adult books also do this, but YA characters typically have their parents to fall back on. In new adult, the characters are completely on their own, fumbling around in life. Their consequences have more significant consequences. In the past few years, traditional publishers have rejected new adult literature, saying there wasn’t a market for it. Self-publishing has proven publishers wrong. To me, new adult is a natural reading progression for previous young adult readers. After reading so many first, new loves, readers matured and wanted to see characters transition from adolescence to adulthood. 

Author's Bio

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period.  Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within in two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks.  She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

Buy After Math!

Amazon

Kobo

iTunes

Guest Post: Stifyn Emrys

I’ve never really wanted to fit in. When your parents spend so much time trying to do get you to fit in, it just makes you feel that much more out of place.

I should know. I’ve always felt different, somehow, but I never thought that was a bad thing. You’d think my parents would be happy with me getting straight A’s in school. You’d think they’d be impressed with my photographic memory. But no. Instead of being proud, they made me try out for the football team and sent me to a head-shrinker. The guy had the nerve to tell me there was “no such thing” as a photographic memory.  Even after I demonstrated it on one of those childish psych tests he gave me, he still refused to accept it - the same way my parents refused to accept me.

I’m sure they thought a bookworm like me would bomb out on the football team. They probably just wanted to embarrass me. It’s not as though they ever showed me any affection. Mostly, they keep their distance, as though they’re afraid of me. I showed them, though. Not only did I make the football team, I made first team. I started scoring touchdowns, and suddenly, Mt. MacMurray High was winning again.

All of a sudden, I was a hero. Do you think I wanted that? Not really. I felt just as isolated as ever, and my parents still kept their distance.

Yeah, I never wanted to fit in. But you know that old saying, “Be careful what you wish for”? Well, now, I don’t fit in at all. I’m running for my life, chased by a bunch of people who think I’m somehow special or important - people who either want to use me or kill me. And even with all my smarts, I can’t figure out why.

The only thing that makes it all bearable is Elyse, the girl I met just before this whole nightmare started. In some ways, she’s smarter than I am. At least she seems to know more about what’s going on. But she’s had her world turned upside-down, too, and I think she’s just as scared as I am.

A photographic memory is handy, but sometimes I wish I could tell the future instead. At least I’d know what was going to happen to me. As it is, my life is taking so many twists and turns I feel  like I’m always waiting for the punchline of the bad joke that is my life. I’m still waiting. Hopefully, soon, I’ll figure it out. Algebra tests and football games were a helluva lot easier than this.

~Jason Nix

Novel Spotlight: Taste of Insanity by Morenike'

Women are often seen as soft, delicate creatures but what happens when they are plagued with tragedy? They survive; no matter what. Taste of Insanity by Morenike' tells the powerful & intriguing story of what happens when women are at their wits end. Follow as Egypt, Blakely, & Andrea are admitted to the Rosa Lee Institution for Women & Children after their strength is tested & their demons exposed. Every woman comes to a breaking point; have you reached yours yet? Do you know what crazy tastes like?

Author's Bio

Morenike` is a native of Jackson, Mississippi. She attended Provine High School and graduated from Jackson State University with a Bachelor's in English. Continuing her education, Morenike’ is currently a graduate student at Jackson State University pursuing a M.A. in English. Morenike’ has been writing short stories and poems since she was a young girl in elementary school. Her passion for reading and writing stemmed from her early introduction to reading from her parents. She states that, "reading was very important in my home, my parents’ relationship started from the discussion of a book, reading created my family." Her goals are to one day become a world-renowned novelist, focusing on African American Fiction, poems, and short stories that reflect the African American community. Her latest work includes the poem and short film, "Shoeicide" and the anticipated release of her debut novel, "Taste of Insanity" from La Femme Fatale Publishing. Morenike' can be contacted at AuthorMorenike@gmail.com or connect with her at www.facebook.com/AuthorMorenike.

Pam Johnson-Bennett and Kae Allen: Will the Real June Cleaver Please Stand Up?

Pam: When Kae and I first started talking about writing our book, Cookies for Dinner, I was a bit concerned about letting the whole world in on my little secret… I’m not June Cleaver (for you youngsters, Google her name). I’m actually a mom who worries too much, has OCD, obsesses over EVERYTHING and is prepared for the fact that my kids will very likely need therapy before they reach college age. I wasn’t sure I wanted friends, relatives and strangers to have such an intimate peek inside the crazy world of the Bennett household. Despite all the alarm bells going off in my head, I dove into the project anyway, hoping we’d be able to get the family rate when it came time for therapy. I never would’ve imagined that once the book was released, we’d receive so much feedback from other mothers who related to our stories. Mothers who felt they were the only crazy ones contacted us with a collective “yes, that’s me!” So, if my honesty and willingness to publicly embarrass myself in print will give you any comfort or sense of belonging, then it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. I’m just grateful that no one has any pictures of the time my daughter locked me out of the house while I was in my ill-fitting swimsuit. The written description was embarrassing enough… there isn’t enough therapy in the world that would’ve helped me cope with the world having the actual visual.

Kae: The day I found out I was pregnant with Matt I headed to the bookstore and bought all the “Goofy Advice about Babydom” books on the shelves.  It didn’t take 3 days after I brought Matt home from the hospital to realize that I was no June Cleaver.  As my children got older I broke more than a few of the “Good Mom” rules.  Even though I was the kind of Mom that would lay on a blanket in the backyard for hours making pictures out of clouds, or who would sit patiently on the side of the tub while playing the “tell me questions” game when the kids were riding the potty train, I was also known to go on a rant that included more than a few expletives that added to the quarter collection in the bad word jar.  The main phrase my children heard over and over during their growing up was, “I’m going to raise you the way I see fit whether you like it or not and if I screw you up, I’ll pay for your therapy.”  One thing I learned about being a parent is you don’t have to be June Cleaver to raise happy, healthy children.  All you have to do is be yourself.  Just like you love your kids in spite of themselves, your kids will love you in spite of yourself too.

About Pam

The one thing you can’t say about Pam Johnson-Bennett is that she’s a chicken. She certainly loves a challenge! After paving a career in the then-unheard-of field of cat behavior consulting and becoming a leader in the profession, she has decided to throw caution to the wind and defy the advice of family in order to reveal the REAL Pam…the Pam who is a worrying germophobe mother of two. In her “other” life, Pam is a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and best-selling author of 7 books. She is the star of the upcoming television series “Psycho Kitty” that is set to air on Discovery UK channel later in 2013. She is a former Vice-President of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and is the founder of the IAABC Cat Division. She is one of the most well-known experts on cat behavior and her ground-breaking “Think Like a Cat” approach to cat behavior has been featured and profiled in numerous magazines and television shows. Her books are considered the “cat bibles” when it comes to understanding felines and what makes them tick. Her parenting skills, however, are still in question. Pam and her husband have been married for 15 years and have two children. The family lives in Tennessee with a dog, cat and three goldfish.

About Kae

On thing you can say about Kae is she likes to laugh.  No matter what the situation, you can rely on her to find the humor and share it with all around.   In Kae’s professional life she has dedicated over 21 years to building her own accounting practice. In her personal life, she is the mother of three wonderful children.  She has been married to her husband, David for 26 years.  Kae’s favorite playtime passion is bowling.  She may wish for a higher average but is thrilled at the sound of crashing pins and friendly laughter.  She is the secretary of two bowling leagues and the association manager for her local bowling association.  All of Kae’s children have graduated from college and have so far avoided the need of a therapist couch.  She spent three years enjoying her empty nest having time to travel to bowling tournaments, play golf and dote over her husband and her female goldendoodle dog, Fred.  As of the writing of this book, Kae’s empty nest has filled back up with her in-laws moving in. For Kae, the best day is one that has her house filled to the brim with family, friends and, of course, lots of laughter.

Review: In Need of Therapy

Title:  In Need of Therapy
Author:  Tracie Banister
Genre:  Women's Fiction/Chick Lit
Publisher:  n/a
Release Date:  July 19, 2012
File Size/Pages:  478 KB/329 pgs
Source:  Tracie Banister

My Rating:  5/5

Summary:  Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a good therapist should be: warm, compassionate, supportive. She listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own life starts to fall apart? While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can't stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.” Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim. Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her. A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes. And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger. When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she's left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt. With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart.

Review:  I received this novel from Tracie Banister in exchange for my honest review, and what seems like ten years later, I've finally finished the novel and I absolutely LOVED it!! The heroine, Pilar Alvarez is a Cuban therapist. She loves her job, her patients, and she may or may not be crushing on the new shrink next door. I immediately loved Pilar from the beginning of this story and was rooting for her to have her happy ending. When Victor's character was introduced I automatically wanted to know how the story would end for those two. Would they get back together? Would they be friends? Would they find someone else? The ending completely shocked me! I loved how Tracie gave us facts about Pilar's patients and how she gave us updates on all of them at the end. I absolutely loved all of the characters in this book:  her mom, her sisters, her patients, Victor...they were all very entertaining. Ford was in a category by himself though; he is definitely swoon-worthy! Is it possible to have a crush on a fictional character? Ford is definitely on the top of that list! I loved how this novel was fun and flirty, but at the same time different; we got to see Pilar in a professional aspect, which is not something we usually get to see in a chick lit book, but I absolutely loved it! Overall, I thought this was a great novel and I'm glad I was asked to review it!