Take 5 Book Chat With Brenda Whiteside

Good morning! Grab your favorite cuppa and allow me to introduce you to my guest today on TAKE 5 Book Chat.

MEET BRENDA WHITESIDE

Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, cozy mystery, and romance. 

After living in 6 states and 2 countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona.

They admit to being gypsies at heart so they won't discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.

Brenda's Website * FaceBook * Twitter * Brenda's Blog * Amazon Author Page  * Goodreads

BookBub * Instagram * Sign up for Brenda's Newsletter.

 

TAKE A PEEK: THE POWER OF LOVE AND MURDER

Penny’s secrets can ruin the presidential contender who ordered her family’s murder…and mark her as the next hit.

Penny Spark’s desire to reconnect with family this Christmas exposes her true identity—a secret she’s hidden for thirteen years from the political powers that murdered her family.

Jake Winters is out of rehab and coming to grips with his demons. When he meets Penny, he believes this holiday season could be the start of life after rock star status…until her secrets blow up his world.

With a government agent turned hit man closing in on her, Penny and Jake race to expose the presidential contender who targeted her family. 

Even if they win the race with death, the murder that stands between them could end their hopes for a new life…and love.

TAKE 5 WITH BRENDA WHITESIDE

1. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to food and drink?

Brenda: Always Mexican food and a margarita, on the rocks, hold the salt. High fat and gooey!

 

2. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to books?

Brenda: Just reading is a guilty pleasure no matter what it is. I spend so much time writing and promoting that when I climb into bed at night with a good suspense book, I’m at my most relaxed.

3. What kind of book promotion or marketing do you most enjoy doing and what kind do you least enjoy?

Brenda: I love in-person events. Talking to readers and introducing my books is so much fun. I’m a rare extrovert author. I love the vending venues and appearing at book clubs. Least enjoyable is trying to figure out Amazon and how to reach readers with their ad program. The techy stuff makes my head spin.

4. What is your biggest goal this year?

Brenda: In my writing, I have a “get it published” goal. I’m currently co-authoring a series with Joyce Proell and we want to get book two in our cozy mystery series (The Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery books) out by mid-September. 

I have a book of quirky Christmas short stories I would like to get published by the end of summer. And last but not least, I am writing a children’s book with my ten-year-old granddaughter that I would like to finish. Whew!

 

5. What would you change about your career path if you could wave a magic wand?

Brenda: I would start this author thing at least twenty years earlier. I thought I wanted to fill a canvas with paint, but I’ve found filling a page with words to be so much more enjoyable. And I have so many ideas, I’m afraid my life is going to run out before the ideas do.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS FROM BRENDA

The Power of Love and Murder released yesterday, April 25! The other books in the series (book 4 and a sequel to book 1) release in May. You can receive the sequel, A Legacy of Love and Murder, free if you are a member of BNG (Brenda’s Newsletter Group).

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Thanks, Brenda, for stopping by so we could get to know you better! Readers, the weekend is near. I know you're looking for a compelling read that will keep you hooked to the page. Grab a copy of Brenda's new release, The Power of Love and Murder. 

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon.

DROP BY AND VISIT JOAN ONLINE

Website * Blog * Amazon * BookBub * Facebook * Twitter * YouTube 

Need an Attitude Adjustment? Try These 5 Videos

Okay, if you are "sensitive" to pop culture humor, pass on the first video.

These aren't new. I laughed when I added them to my YouTube Humor playlist.

Sunday afternoon when I was SO tired from 10 hour writing days, I put this on and laughed again.

The music video compilations aren't comical, but they're extraordinary. I marvel at the skill of the film editor and music editor who synced everything so seamlessly.

In no particular order, they are:

1. Tequila ad

2. Heineken ad in German

3. Uptown Funk TV Show Compilation

4. Uptown Funk Old Movie Compilation

5. Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant

Takeaway Truth

Laughter reduces tiredness better than a muscle relaxer.

Fun With Words: 5 Apps

Take time today to Take 5 with some fun apps involving words. Here are 5 of my favorites.

1. Hemingway Editor
Hemingway was known for his succinct, even terse, style. If you're worried your writing is too wordy, try pasting in some of your text and get it analyzed on the spot.

2. How to Write a Haiku
A haiku (pronounced high-koo) is a short 3 line poem. The 3 lines are of 17 syllables only. Line 1 is 5 syllables. Line 2 is 7. Line 33 is 5. The poem uses sensory words to evoke a feeling or image. It's all about putting the right words together to create a brief glimpse of beauty or an emotional moment, usually about nature.

3.Create a QR Code
You can encode any type of text info in a QR Code, i.e., your blog or website address, a Facebook page, a coupon, for instance, "Scan to get a coupon for my ebook." Instructions are on the website, and it's very user friendly. Once published on paper or on the web, anyone with a QR App can scan your QR Code. Scanning it decodes the information, and the app goes to the link you encoded.

4. Corporate B.S. Generator
If you ever wondered how corporations come up with strings of words that really say nothing, you may want to try the Random Corporate B.S. Generator. Those guys must use this every day? Here's an example: As a blogger, I am dynamically exploiting cutting-edge schemas. *g*

5. Anagram Server
An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase. Example, my name Joan Reeves. If I anagram it using the app, I get 38 phrases ranging from what sounds like a proper name, Jan Oversee, to phrases like jar see oven.

Takeaway Truth

Have some fun this lazy Sunday afternoon with 1 or more of these apps.

Happy Texas Independence Day

Today is Texas Independence Day which all Texans at least acknowledge if not celebrate.

Some of us take any occasion to celebrate if you know what I mean.

On this day in 1836—183 years ago—59 settlers in Mexican Texas signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.

With that document, the settlers in the territory officially declared their independence from Mexico, creating the Republic of Texas.

Our state is the only one that was an independent sovereign nation before agreeing to join the United States in 1845.

March 2 is also denoted as Texas Flag Day and Sam Houston Day. These two aren't legal holidays but special observances.

How Big Is It?

Everyone describes something large as Texas-sized. So how big is Texas? Well you can start driving at dawn and by sunset, you still won't reach the other side of the state.

Alaska is the largest state in terms of total area. Texas with its 268,000 square miles is less than half that size. However, Texas is the big boy on the block when it comes to the lower 48.

The state is so big you fit the 10 smallest states plus California within our borders with room left over.

Texas Facts

State Flower: Bluebonnet
State Tree: Pecan
State Small Mammal: Armadillo
State Large Mammal: Longhorn
State Flying Mammal: Mexican Free-tailed Bat
State Inset: Monarch Butterfly
State Snack: Chips & Salsa
State Vegetable: Texas Sweet Onion
State Song: Texas, Our Texas
State Motto: Friendship
State Nickname: Lone Star State

Takeaway Truth

My Darling Hubby can sing every word of the state song. I can't. I wasn't born here. But, like Davy Crockett, I got here as fast as I could.

Take 5 With Amber Daulton

Good morning! What a fabulous Wednesday it will be.

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming my friend Amber Daulton, one of my Glass Slipper Sisters, to SlingWords.

About Amber Daulton

Writing is the fruit of happiness, and Amber Daulton lives her life by that one belief even though she normally isn’t so Zen.

As a fan of contemporary, paranormal, and historical romance novels alike, she can’t get enough of feisty heroines and alpha heroes. Her mind is a wonderland of adventure, laughter, and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he’s down.

She probably wouldn’t be too sane without her computer and notebooks. After all, what’s a girl to do when people are jabbering away in her head and it’s hard to shut them up? Write! Nothing else works.

Find Amber Daulton Online

Blogsite * Facebook Author Page * Twitter * Pinterest  * Goodreads 

Take 5 with Amber Daulton, Author of Arresting Mason

Q: What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to food and drink?

Amber: I absolutely love Mountain Dew and fruity flavors of ice cream. When it comes to the cold, yummy goodness, however, I prefer to combine a few scoops each of strawberry and peaches-and-cream into a bowl and then drizzle chocolate syrup all over the ice cream. That’s nirvana for me!

Q: What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to books?

Amber: Bad boys and tortured heroes! You know the kind. Any story with a bad-mouthed, tattooed, extremely buff, and infuriatingly sexy hero is my kind of story, but usually I lean more toward books written in third person, not first. In any case, give me sexy and dirty any day of the week!

Q: What kind of promotion do you enjoy the most?

Amber: I love character interviews. It’s so much fun for me to step back into my favorite character’s shoes (usually the hero’s) and let him answer questions about life, love, and mayhem.

Q: Have you ever cast anyone you actively dislike as a villain in your books?

Amber: Not completely. I sometimes pick the most negative or annoying qualities from my family members and give those poor attributes to my characters, but I’ve never modeled a character in full from a real life person.

Q: What is your biggest goal this year?

Amber: Arresting Mason, Book 1, Arresting Onyx Series, just came out in April 2018. The other four books in the series are already done, but I want to go through and edit them again before I submit them to my editor at The Wild Rose Press. Each book will probably take a month or so to go through. I’ve already started on book 2, and I’m anxious to get the publishing ball rolling for that book.

Arresting Mason
Book 1, Arresting Onyx Series

Once you’re in a prison gang, you’re in it for life. That’s what Mason Harding thought until the boss accepted his resignation.

After the State releases him on parole, a sexy divorcée behind the wheel of a car almost ends his life quicker than a shank. His chance encounter with Mia Eddison results in a night of passion, but her brother—his parole officer—catches them together and doesn’t approve.

Mia falls hard for the sexy ex-con, but not because of his chiseled body. She vows to break through his walls and discover his secrets, but never expects those secrets to threaten her life. 

When members of an organized crime ring kidnap Mia to force Mason’s return to the gang, he goes up against an old friend to save the woman he loves. Will his sacrifice be enough or will everything fall apart in a blaze of gunfire?

Add Arresting Mason to Your Library

Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes and Noble * iTunes * Kobo  * The Wild Rose Press Store –

Takeaway Truth

If you're looking for an edgy, sexy contemporary romance, be sure and check out Arresting Mason by Amber Daulton.

Take 5 with Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Please welcome my friend Pamela S. Thibodeaux, author of Keri’s Christmas Wish.

About Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Visit Pamela Online

Website: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com
Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com
Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux
Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jUVcdU

Take 5 With Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Q1. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to food and drink?

Pamela: Bread is by far my guilty pleasure. I love it in nearly every form….wheat, white, rye, biscuits, cookies…you get my drift. As for drink, a good Margarita never hurts but other than that I’m a wine-cooler kind of gal. Occasionally that is. My main drink is water with a glass of milk on a regular basis. Not a huge fan of soft drinks. Juice is nice too or V8 when I want something different. And eggnog during the holidays, LOL!

Q2. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to books?

Pamela: Nora Roberts books! Any and all…romances, suspense (no JD Robb though), her Born In trilogy is by far my favorite of all time, but I also have the Three Sisters Island trilogy and ….well too many to list. Suffice it to say she is my ‘go to’ author when I want to escape into a good book.

Q3. What's the worst review you ever received?
Pamela: The worst review I ever received was actually 5 not 1. A reviewer read and trashed my entire Tempered series & the spin off novella in one fell swoop. Her remarks were so heated, she actually challenged my faith because of the stories.

Q4. What did you do, if anything, after reading that review?
Pamela: After asking her not to publish them anywhere (which she ignored) I licked my wounds a bit and shrugged it off. After all, she is the minority in a whole bunch of readers who love the books and characters.

In this business, you have to take the good with the bad and not take either personally. Reading is subjective. I’ve also had several reviews I responded politely to and those with constructive criticism help me grow as a writer.

Q5. Do you listen to music during any of the phases of writing a book?
Pamela: If you do, what kind of music. No, not at all. Except for heavy metal and rap, I love almost all music so much so that when I listen, I’m usually moving. That does not bode well for me when it comes to writing. I need quiet to be in the zone. That said, having a radio or television on in another room doesn’t usually bother me.

Keri’s Christmas Wish

Can Keri get past her angst over Christ’s birth and enjoy the Christmas season?

For as long as she can remember, Keri Jackson has despised the hype and commercialism around Christmas so much she seldom enjoys the holiday.

Will she get her wish and be free of the angst to truly enjoy Christmas this year?

A devout Christian at heart, Jeremy Hinton, a Psychotherapist, Life Coach, Spiritual Mentor and Energy Medicine Practitioner has studied all of the world’s religions and homeopathic healing modalities.

When a rare bacterial infection threatens the life of the woman he loves, will all of his faith and training be for naught?

Find out in Keri’s Christmas Wish.

Keri’s Christmas Wish is featured in Mistletoe, Snow and Suspense ,a collection of 5 Christmas stories for only 99cents!
These stories are by 4 Acclaimed authors and are available for a limited time for only.

Add Keri’s Christmas Wish To Your Romance Library

You'll find this book as an Amazon Kindle Ebook or as a Print Book at Amazon.

Takeaway Truth

Have you tried Christian fiction before? If not, why not broaden your horizons and try Pamela's books.

Take 5 With Jen J. Danna W/A Sara Driscoll

This morning my writing pal Jen J. Danna dropped by for book chat and coffee.

You may know Jen by her other author name Sara Driscoll which she uses to write the popular FBI K-9s Series.

About Jen J. Danna W/A Sara Driscoll

In the real world, Jen J. Danna is a scientist specializing in infectious diseases. She works as part of a dynamic research group at a cutting-edge Canadian university.

However, her true passion lies in indulging her love of the mysterious through her writing. Together with her partner Ann Vanderlaan, they write both the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries and the FBI K-9s (as Sara Driscoll). Jen lives near Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two daughters.

Find Jen J. Danna | Sara Driscoll Online: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Goodreads.

Now, please make Jen J. Danna's alter ego, Sara Driscoll, welcome.

Take 5 With Sara Driscoll

Q1. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to food and drink?
Jen/Sara: I’m absolutely a salty snack girl. If you offer me the choice of a piece of cake or a bag of potato chips, I’ll go for the chips every time. Salt is definitely my guilty pleasure, but it’s so incredibly not good for one’s health that I don’t indulge very often. But when I do, I really enjoy it!

Q2. What would you change about your career path if you could wave a magic wand?
Jen/Sara: I’d have given myself more patience. Publishing is a long game, and the sooner an author realizes that, the easier his or her life will be. Querying takes time, and so do revisions, submissions, and then the entire traditional publishing process right up to a book’s actual release. In my opinion, it’s worth the wait for a traditional publishing deal and its production, but patience and an understanding of why it can take so long will go a long way in keeping your sanity.

Q3. What's the worst review you ever received?
Jen/Sara: I don’t know that it was the ‘worst’ review (there isn’t one that sticks out in my mind), but this one was destructive simply based on timing. It was a review of the first book we published, at a time when early reviews were really important. This reviewer had bought the book, versus getting it from the library (or she said she never would have bothered to finish it), and said she was ‘disappointed in the story, the storytelling, the cliched characters, and the banal horror show at the end’. At the beginning of your career, when you’re trying to figure out if you can actually do the job, that was painful.

Q4. What did you do, if anything, after reading that review?
Jen/Sara: We all know the golden rule is you never moan and complain in public. But there’s nothing that says you can’t stress eat or complain to your husband and writing partner! ;) Bad reviews are hard on the ego, but as authors, we need to remember that everyone has a right to their opinion, their opinion isn’t wrong, and there is no way to please everyone all the time. So, I reminded myself to continue to write the books I’d like to read, and I haven’t looked back. Our Goodreads averages are all nearly 4.0 or above, so clearly it’s working for the majority of readers.

Q5. Do you listen to music during any of the phases of writing a book? If you do, what kind of music.
Jen/Sara: I listen to music all the time when I write and often have specific playlists for particular books or moods. It all has to be instrumental though, as I find lyrics distracting when I write. Film score music really hits the spot for me and I have a natural bias towards my brothers’ film scores (Mychael and Jeff Danna), as well as Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Alan Silvestri, Mark Isham, Henry and Rupert Gregson-Williams, Howard Shore, Nicolas Hooper and many others.

Before It's Too Late by Sara Driscoll

In this powerful K-9 crime thriller, FBI Special Agent Meg Jennings and her trusted search-and-rescue Labrador, Hawk, must race against the clock before a diabolical killer strikes again…

Somewhere in the Washington, D.C., area, a woman lies helpless in a box. Beneath the earth. Barely breathing. Buried alive. In Quantico, the FBI receives a coded message from the woman’s abductor. He wants to play a game with them: decipher the clues, find the grave, save the girl. The FBI’s top cryptanalysts crack the code, and Special Agent Meg Jennings and her K-9 partner, Hawk, scramble to follow a trail of false leads to the scene of the crime. By the time they solve the puzzle, it’s too late. But the killer’s game is far from over . . .

Soon another message arrives. Another victim is taken, and the deadly pattern is repeated—again and again. Each kidnapping triggers another desperate race against time, each with the possibility of another senseless death. That’s when Meg decides to try something drastic. Break the Bureau’s protocol. Bring in her brilliant sister, Cara, a genius at word games, to decipher the kidnapper’s twisted clues. Meg knows she’s risking her career to do it, but she’s determined not to let one more person die under her and Hawk’s watch. If the plan fails, it could bite them in the end. And if it leads to the killer, it could bury them forever . . .

Add Before It's Too Late To Your Library

I can't wait to read this edge-of-the-seat thriller. Add it to your library today. You'll find it at: Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Books-A-Million * Indigo Books * IndieBound.

Takeaway Truth

Want a taut thriller? Then Before It's Too Late is what you want to grab. Get it today.

Take 5 with JD Corbett

This morning, I'm having coffee with JD Corbett, the author of Leaving Kate.

In case, JD Corbett is new to you, here's a bit about her in her own words.

About JD Corbett

"I've always had a passion for writing! Ever since I was a little kid, I loved to write stories, and even enjoyed my assigned essays in school! (I can hear the sighs and eye rolls!)

Some of my favorite books (beside my secret passion for teen fiction) are light-hearted and witty romances, and I hope that my writing can attest to that! I am a nurse and educator by trade, but am excited that I can now share my creative side.

On a personal note, I live outside of DC with my husband and daughter, who put up with a lot from me!"

Find JD Corbett Online: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon Author Page.

Let's see how JD answers today's 5 questions.


Take 5 With JD Corbett

Q1: What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to books?

Jennifer: I am absolutely obsessed with teen fiction! Some of my favorites are the Clique novels by Lisi Harrison and I LOVE Nicola Yoon! Yes, I am in my 30’s and most of my reading is for tweens/teens…I can finally admit it!

Q2: In your most recent book, who would you cast as the main characters and why?

Jennifer: I have actually put a lot of thought into who I would cast in the role of Eric, and it would definitely be Luke Pell from JoJo’s season of the Bachelorette. I mean, he’s perfect…plus he fits my character to a T, from the southern drawl to his plaid shirts! For Kate’s character, there were a couple people in mind, but

Q3: What would you change about your career path if you could wave a magic wand?

Jennifer: I have been a nurse for 9 ½ years, and love what I do, but if I could wave a wand and place myself anywhere, I’d want to be working at a zoo or reserve with animals. My dream job as a kid was to work with tigers and other big cats. I did volunteer once at a Big Cat Reserve, but left as soon as I noticed the unusual amount of HUGE spiders that were all over the park! Yuck.

Q4: Do you listen to music during any phases of writing a book? If so, what kind?

Jennifer: I absolutely listen to music while writing, and throughout all phases!

It’s funny, because if I’m reading for fun (not my own stuff), I need complete silence, but while writing and editing my stories, I can only focus with music playing.

I listen to all sorts of music, and depending on scenes or characters, the genre changes. For example, I loved listening to Peter Gabriel’s Book of Love while writing more moving scenes between Kate and Eric. But I’ve been known to listen to anything from Rap to Disney songs!

Q5: Any final things you’d like to say to SlingWords readers?

Jennifer: I just want to add how excited I am to be a part of the Reader/Author community!

This is a dream come true, and I hope you enjoy my first book. As a newbie, I welcome all advice! So bring it on!

Leaving Kate by JD Corbett

No big chances, and no big changes. This was Kate’s motto. With her father out of the picture, and a mother who had quit being mom a long time ago, Kate finds herself floating through life under the shelter of her brother and best friend.

Afraid of rocking the boat and having to face the world alone, she makes every effort to keep her circle tight. That is, until she meets Eric, the charming Southern boy from Texas who stands out like a sore thumb in the bustling city of D.C. Eric has suffered much in his past, but, unlike Kate, he has learned to grow from his experiences instead of run from them.

When Eric first arrives in the city, he is a bit out of place. His southern drawl and beat up cowboy boots aren’t exactly a fit for the area. Motivated by the necessity to get the best help possible for his mother, he strives to rise above his tragic past and make the most of his new surroundings.

He already has plans to be a soldier, just like his father, and he will see his commitments through. After meeting Kate, he thought that falling in love was a positive turning point in his life, but instead he was taken for a ride on an emotional roller coaster.

Just when Kate finally begins to let her guard down, letting Eric in, dark events cloud her new sunny attitude towards life and love. After a traumatic incident that shatters her whole world, fears from her past re-surface and she is forced to decide if she is willing to stay open to love, or if the risk is just too great.

A decision needs to be made soon or she will lose everything.

Add Leaving Kate to Your Romance Library

You will find this romance at: Amazon * Apple * B & N * Kobo * Scribd.

Takeaway Truth

Readers, the weekend is upon us. Why not try Leaving Kate, a debut romance novel by JD Corbett?

Take 5 With Darcy Flynn

Good morning, Readers! Got your cup of coffee or tea or whatever your favorite morning beverage is?

Please welcome author Darcy Flynn who is joining us for some Book Chat. Her featured book today is Eagle Eye, and it has really great cover art.

Darcy will also be answering some fun questions about herself and her writing.

About Darcy Flynn

Darcy Flynn is known for her heartwarming, sweet contemporary romances. Her refreshing story lines, irritatingly handsome heroes, and feisty heroines will delight and entertain you from the first page to the last.


Miss Flynn’s heroes and heroines have a tangible chemistry that is entertaining, humorous and competitive.

Darcy lives with her husband and a menagerie of other living creatures on her horse farm in Franklin, Tennessee. She raises rare breed chickens, stargazes on warm summer nights, and indulges daily in afternoon tea.

Although published in the Christian non-fiction market under her real name, Joy Griffin Dent, it was the empty nest that turned her to writing romantic fiction. Proving that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

Find Darcy Online

Website/Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon Author Page * Goodreads * Pinterest * Google+ * Sign up for Darcy's Newsletter.

And now, let's get to know Darcy and have some fun!

Take 5 With Darcy Flynn

Q: What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to food and drink?

Darcy: Lemon squares! Admit it, you thought I was going to say chocolate, didn’t you. And yes, I do love chocolate, but lemon squares, with a hot cup of Starbucks Café Verona is my fave!

Q: What's the worst review you ever received?

Darcy: You had to bring that up! *LOL*

Q: What did you do, if anything, after reading that review?

Darcy: Like most authors, I bitched, moaned, screamed and cried…a lot, and ate... lots and lots of lemon squares!

Q: What's the best review you ever received and what did you do, if anything, after reading that review?

Darcy: I’d have to say it’s one I received for my first book, Keeper of My Heart! This reader/blogger loved it so much she included photos and music throughout the review! Then, I sent it with a note to my husband and said, “See. This is not a hobby!”

Q: If Eagle Eye were made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters and why?

Darcy: I would cast Tom Mison as the hero. With his long hair and short beard as Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow, he’s perfect as the disheveled homeless man my heroine meets on the street corner. Later, as the clean-shaven, short haired, New York City journalist, one would have a hard time recognizing him as the same person.

I’d cast Emma Watson as my leading lady because like my heroine, she’s a petite brunette and has a wholesome, trusting appearance. Something about her makes me believe she could convince a homeless man to come inside a fine hotel for an hour of warmth and a hot meal.

About Eagle Eye by Darcy Flynn

Could one little mistake derail everything she’s worked for?

Undercover journalist, Cameron Phillips, is known for his forthright exposé articles uncovering scandals of New York City’s rich and famous. Using the pseudonym Eagle Eye to hide his identity, he is free to wield his finger pointing, no-holds-barred articles at leisure.

Jillian Jeffrey, teen fashion industry’s latest darling, has a heart for the less fortunate. Her goal is to raise enough money for fashion icon Anna Delany’s, Like No Other charity foundation. The donation will not only keep the charity afloat, but will place Jill in the running for a coveted position on LNO’s board of directors.

In a moment of weakness, at the charity gala, Jill reluctantly accepts a bet from her ex-boyfriend and uses a homeless man to raise twenty thousand dollars. Unknown to Jill, the homeless guy is the cynical, undercover journalist, and Jill has just become his latest exposé target.

In a twist of fate, Cameron is soon hired to shadow Jill as she volunteers with the charity. Shorthaired and clean-shaven, he looks nothing like the bearded, disheveled man Jill had encountered the night of the gala.

During their time together, he not only discovers the noble reason behind the bet, but witnesses first hand his article’s negative impact on her business. Faced with the prospect of losing her, will Cameron come up with an antidote for Eagle Eye’s toxic exposé before Jill loses everything she’s worked for?


Add Eagle Eye by Darcy Flynn to Your Library

You'll find this captivating romance at: Amazon * B&N * iBooks.

Takeaway Truth

Readers, this sounds like a fun romance. Why not get a copy today?

Take 5 With Karen Kelley

Today I have a long-time author friend on SlingWords. Please welcome Karen Kelley, whose latest release is Roped, Book 1 in the Scavenger Hunt Series.

Giveaway Alert: Karen is giving away 2 free downloads of Roped. Winners will be drawn from the comments so be sure and leave a comment with your email addy written out. Karen will notify you if you are 1 of the 2 winners.

About Karen Kelley

Karen is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author who quit her job as a nurse, sold her house, moved into a 5th wheel (RV), and took off down the road because she and her husband always wanted to see America. Karen's motto is: Life would not be nearly as interesting if we didn't take a few chances now and then.

Find Karen Online

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pintrest * Gems in the Attic Group Blog.

Sign up for Karen's free newsletter if you'd like to keep up with what she's writing or even where she and Karl are traveling to next. (They really are King and Queen of the Open Road.)

Take 5 With Karen Kelley

Karen: Thanks, Joan, for having me on SlingWords. I love the list of questions that you give authors to choose from. My fave out of all of them was: What is your worst review? So I'll start with that one.

I actually count what follows as my worst review, but after I got over the shock, I couldn't help but chuckle. It was only one sentence: "This author should be thrown under a train!"

Joan: What did you do, if anything, after reading that review?

Karen: I thought about having my husband post a notice that might read something like this: Author Karen Kelley was hit by a train late Tuesday night. (Yes, I have a warped sense of humor.)

Seriously, if I get a negative review I look at it and see if there is any constructive criticism I can actually use. I take fans very seriously, but I have to admit, I love reading reviews where readers enjoy my books.

Joan: Have you ever cast someone you dislike as a villain?

Karen: *LOL* Yes, the person who wanted me thrown under a train. Actually, I didn't. That person didn't have enough going for them. A villain should have more than one layer of personality. I see the bad guys when I'm writing, but I've never intentionally cast anyone I don't like in that role.

Joan: Do you listen to music when you write?

Karen: Yes, I listen to music when I write but mostly to drown out surrounding noises and eventually, I drown out the music. My favorite music is instrumentals or voices that blend in well with the music---like Enya.

Joan: What are your career goals for next year?

My goals for my career next year are to finish up my Scavenger Hunt series. Roped is the first book in this series, and there are five more. I'm planning to release one a month. Confessions will be out later this month. They're very sexy, but still have a touch of humor. I have the rights back to three more books that I want to release again. I also have ideas for new books that I'm very excited about.

About Roped

Josephine doesn’t particularly want to go on a scavenger hunt for a cowboy, but when her friends deliver their ultimatum: seduce a cowboy or spend the next two weeks on a remote island—a career killer for this over-achieving young businesswoman, she caves. She quickly discovers Levi isn’t just any cowboy. He takes her places she never expected to go, and that scares her.

Add Roped to Your Library

You'll find Roped by Karen Kelley at: Amazon * Nook * Kobo * iBooks.

Remember, Karen is giving away 2 ebooks of Roped so leave a comment with your email addy written out--not as a hot link--to be entered.

Takeaway Truth

Thanks, Karen, for visiting with us! Good luck with your RVing and your new series Scavenger Hunt!

Take 5 With Liz Flaherty

Please welcome a long-time friend, Harlequin Heartwarming author Liz Flaherty.

About Liz Flaherty

Liz thinks one of the things that keeps you young when you quite obviously aren’t anymore is the constant chances you have to reinvent yourself. Her latest professional incarnation is as a Harlequin Heartwarming author, and she is enjoying every minute!

She’d love to hear from you at lizkflaherty at gmail.com, or find her online at: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Word Wranglers Blog * Gems In The Attic Blog

About Every Time We Say Goodbye

He had her at "hello again…"

After the prom night accident that had stolen the innocence of his small lakeside hometown, Jack Llewellyn had run. The guilt—especially facing his high school sweetheart, Arlie Gallagher—had been too much. Now he had no choice. He was back in town, and on Arlie's radar.

Arlie couldn't believe that after all these years, she still had him under her skin. He was such a changed man…a responsible business owner, a single parent. Would he understand the changes she'd gone through, the secrets she lived with? She was ready to forgive him but was he ready to forgive himself? And did they have to say goodbye this time?

Take 5 With Liz Flaherty

1. What kind of promotion do you enjoy the most?

I chose this question to answer because it’s so easy. My favorite promotion is guest blogging. I wrote a newspaper column for years, so my favorite way to write is still in a 400-word piece with a beginning, middle, and end. I’m not sure I’ve ever sold the first book this way, but it sure is fun.

2. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to food and drink?

Pringles—and yes, I can eat a whole can if I’m not paying attention—and vanilla milkshakes from Steak and Shake. It’s easy to avoid the shakes, because the closest S & S is 35 miles away, but Pringles are everywhere.

3. What's the best review you ever received?

It’s on Goodreads for One More Summer. It starts with this: “This book had to be one of the most 'healing' books in my life. I related to it extremely, on a personal level. I had a lot of cleansing cries from it - that's for sure...” and goes uphill from there. Although I don’t read all my reviews, I have gone back and read this one more than once to give myself a “yes, I can” bump when I need it. (Click here to read the complete review.

4. What's the worst review you ever received?

I’m not sure it was the worst, but the most damaging was a 2 I received from RT for Back to McGuffey’s. I won’t offer a quote from it because as far as I could tell, the reviewer hadn’t read the book. I’m not one who thinks all reviews should be good (although I won’t leave a bad one), but I do think reviewers should be careful of what they say. I’ve never understood the need to be hurtful.

5. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to books?

I had to think about this because I think guilt and books don’t belong in the same sentence, but then I realize sometimes they do. Because I will have a long list of TBR books on my Kindle and instead of delving into one of those shiny new choices on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I’ll read a Kristan Higgins or Mary Balogh or Kathleen Gilles Seidel that I’ve read before—more than once. (Not just them, but theirs are the names that jumped out first.) The reason I feel guilty is because when I choose a known quantity that I know will make me laugh, cry, and sigh with pleasure, I’m not giving a new author a chance.

Every Time We Say Goodbye is available at these booksellers: Amazon * B & N * Kobo * Harlequin

Takeaway Truth

Buy Liz's book now so you'll get it first on Friday when it releases.

Take 5 With Author Lily Bishop

Lily Bishop, one of my author friends, has a new release to tell you about.

About Lily Bishop

On the personal side, Lily was born near Athens, Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia,  and received a Bachelor's in English, and then enrolled in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Purdue University. After a year, she left the program and moved to Atlanta. Later Lily received her Master's in Public Administration. She works full-time as a database administrator for a university.

Lily makes her home in the Upstate of South Carolina. She is married to her best friend, and they have two children. When she is not writing, she and her family are playing German or Euro-style board games.

Lily writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her goal is to blur the lines between romance, chick lit, and women's fiction. Her books are peppered with family members who make things complicated and couples who can't seem to find a way to be together. Lily writes with a Southern flair, but her characters find themselves in exotic locations and dangerous situations. She loves to hear from her readers.

Find Lily Bishop Online

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Now, Take 5 With Lily Bishop

1. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to food and drink?

I love Mexican-style food, but I especially love nachos. I could eat nachos every day. What goes better with nachos than a margarita or a good pitcher of sangria?

2. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to books?

The romance genre is known for its tropes, or basic story-lines. I love the kidnapped heroine trope. I would buy and read them all day. They have gotten harder to find, since it’s not the politically correct story right now.

3. What's the best review you ever received?

A new reader recently commented on For the Win, my third book:

I fell into reading the first book of the City Lights book series and I'm so very happy I did! It is a wonderful series and love love all the main characters in these series from Fox and Laura, Lee and Elizabeth to Ric and Lindsay. All of them are wonderful and I'm looking forward to continuing to read about them and other characters! Thank you so much Lily!

She used her name. I don’t know her, but I saw that she reviewed all four of my books as soon as she read them. The reviews popped up one after the other. I was honored and touched that she fell in love with these characters – because I love them. It’s like when someone tells you that your child did an amazing thing. I just wanted to grab her and hug her. That’s frowned upon in literary circles, so I will settle for giving her a virtual thank you here.

4. Do you listen to music during any of the phases of writing a book? If you do, what kind of music?

Mostly I write to the tune of the television, but sometimes I listen to music to block out other sounds. I like Pandora music, and I have stations set up around the Indigo Girls, eighties country, and nineties country.

5. What would you change about your career path if you could wave a magic wand?

I’m happy in the job that I have now, but if I could wave a magic wand, I would work fewer hours at my day job and write more. I’m not sure I would want to write full-time, since I need that interaction with other people to fuel my stories.

About Breaking Even (City Lights Book 4)

Everyone wants to be a winner. Nobody wants to be a loser. But for Lindsey Todd, all she wants is to break even and get back to the real world, focusing on graduate school in South Carolina. However, with her heart still in Caribbean with the sexy Ric Salzana, Lindsey's mind is miles away.

When Ric Salzana realizes that old enemies have resurfaced and that Lindsey is in danger, he'll do anything to save her--even if it means jeopardizing everything they've worked so hard to build. Can Ric keep Lindsey safe before all the cards start crumbing down or is their downfall just the bad luck of the draw?

Add Breaking Even to Your Library

Amazon Kindle

By the way, you might prefer to start at the beginning of the series with No Strings Attached which is on sale in September for only 99 cents at all retailers.

Takeaway Truth

Discover a new author today! Try Lily Bishop and her City Lights romances.

Take 5 with Pam Thibodeaux

Award-winning author Pamela S. Thibodeaux dropped by SlingWords today to answer a few questions to help us get to know her better.

About Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Pam is one busy author. She's the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Find Pamela S. Thibodeaux Online

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

About Circles of Fate

Set at the tail-end of the Vietnam War era, Circles of Fate takes the reader from Fort Benning, Georgia, to Thibodaux, Louisiana. A romantic saga, this gripping novel covers nearly twenty years in the lives of Shaunna Chatman and Todd Jameson.

Constantly thrown together and torn apart by fate, the two are repeatedly forced to choose between love and duty, right and wrong, standing on faith or succumbing to the world’s viewpoint on life, love, marriage and fidelity. With intriguing twists and turns, fate brings together a cast of characters whose lives will forever be entwined.

Through it all is the hand of God as He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Take 5 with Pamela S. Thibodeaux

1. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to food and drink?

Bread is by far my favorite food…any and every type of bread…Cakes, cookies, pastries, dinner rolls, crackers…you get my drift. As for drink, I’m a water person with perhaps one glass of milk per day. Occasionally I’ll drink tea and have begun drinking Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey. Moscato or White Zifandel wine with a shot of Peach Schnapps, Smirnoff Triple Black wine coolers, Strawberry Daiquiri, Margarita no salt and throw in a mixed drink of Wild Turkey and Coke and you have my adult beverage list from which I choose when out dancing.

2. What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to books?

Nora Roberts romances & women’s fiction novels and spiritual non-fiction by authors such as Cheryl Richardson, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson top my list of books to buy and always have on hand.

3. What's the best review you ever received?

The best review I’ve ever received is not really a review, but a compliment. There are readers who like my books and those who love them. Then there are those who don’t, but for me, the best compliment comes from two sectors…those who never read and those who read all the time and read authors across genres. Having someone from either category tell me they couldn’t put my book down, is the greatest blessing and encouragement I can receive.

4. Do you listen to music during any of the phases of writing a book? If you do, what kind of music.

No, I don’t because I either get so caught up in the music that I can’t write a single word or so engrossed in the story that the music distracts me to the point of frustration. That said, I don’t mind a little background noise on occasion (TV or radio on in a different room). But for the most part, I write in a silent environment so I can hear what my characters and my muse have to say.

5. What would you change about your career path if you could wave a magic wand?

My first book (Tempered Hearts) was E-published in 2000, and the second (Tempered Dreams) in 2001. During that time I worked with the Books A Million stores within driving distance from my home to set up signings and distribution. In 2002, I pulled these two books and signed a contract with an “up and coming” publishing company that never got off the ground. That decision cost me four years out of my career and put books 3 and 4 of my Tempered series (as well as everything else I’d written to date) on hold. If I could wave a magic wand, I’d change that decision and hopefully use the time I lost to hone my craft and write more books.

Add Circles of Fate by Pamela S. Thibodeaux to Your Book Collection

Amazon Kindle * Print Edition from Amazon * Nook * Print Edition from B&N * Smashwords Ebook

Takeaway Truth

Thanks, Pam! Readers, Pam Thibodeaux brings emotion and faith to her novels, but in a way that makes them different from the usual inspirational romances. If you haven't read her before, try her latest today.

Take 5 With Award-winning Author Nancy Morse

I'm happy to have award-winning author Nancy Morse as my guest today.

Grab your coffee and let's Take 5 with Nancy.

About Nancy Morse

Nancy writes contemporary and historical romance, with a little paranormal thrown in too. Although her historical romance novels are set in a variety of eras and places, her favorite subject is 19th century Native American.

Nancy lives in South Florida with her husband and their Alaskan Malamute, Indio, aka Big Fur.

Find Nancy Online

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Tsu * LinkedIn

About Where The Wild Wind Blows

Their love gained strength from the land… Born and raised in Sioux country, Katie McCabe, daughter of an Indian trader, finds herself alone when her family is killed in a battle between the Army and the Indians. Rescued by Black Moon, a fierce Oglala warrior, and taken to live in his village, the love that ignites between these two wild hearts is tested by treachery, abduction, and the tensions that erupt between the Sioux and the Army during the tumultuous 1850s. From the war-torn Great Plains to the opulence of St. Louis, a headstrong white girl and a proud Lakota warrior fight for their love and the country of their birth where the wild wind blows.

Take 5 With Nancy Morse

1. What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to food or drink?

My favorite is dark chocolate. I’ll buy a big chunk and keep it in the freezer and hack off pieces as needed. Once, when I was having plot problems with a current book, the solution came to me while I was eating a piece of chocolate. The fact that dark chocolate may improve blood flow to the brain might have had something to do with it. While it doesn’t solve every plotting problem, I find it impossible to feel bad about it when a chunk of dark chocolate is melting slowly in my mouth. My second guilty-pleasure food is ice cream. There’s a little store in my neighborhood that has odd and wonderful flavors. My favorite is chocolate ice cream with swirls of raspberry and, you guessed it, chunks of dark chocolate.

2. What’s the best review you ever received?

One of the best reviews I ever received was for Where the Wild Wind Blows.

One of the finest books I have had the pleasure to read. Tears of heartache and tears of pure joy, very well written. I felt I was in the story with them. I have never read a book that literally made my muscles tense during the rough scenes to where I had to focus on relaxing them, was amazing, no book has ever affected me this way. I loved it.

What I love about this review is that it wasn’t just a rehash of the story, but it was about the reader’s emotions as she read the story. The muscles tensing part really got me. It tells me I did the job I set out to do when writing this story. I made somebody feel something, and for me, that’s what it’s all about.

3. What’s your biggest goal this year?

For the same reason I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, I don’t set long-term goals for myself. I figure life is already filled with disappointment, so why set myself up for more by failing to meet a resolution or goal? I do, however, set short-term goals. For this year I plan to release two historical romance novels. One will be part of a set I’m doing with the Love Historicals authors due out late this year. The other will be the next book in my Native American series. I’m not a fast writer, so I have my work cut out for me. After that, who knows?

4. How do you celebrate an achievement in your career?

I’ve been in this crazy business for more than 30 years. I’ve had ups and downs and everything in between. To me, everything is an achievement, whether it’s a big deal like a signed contract or just typing The End on a manuscript. And dare I say it, even the rejections I received along the way were achievements because, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I don’t do any real celebrating. I’m not much of a drinker, but a glass of Merlot helps wash down that extra helping of dark chocolate.

5. Any final thing you’d like to say to SlingWords readers?

I’m assuming you’re all here because you love to read. I’ll read just about anything, and that includes cereal boxes. All you ever have to know how to do in life is read and then you can be anyone or go anywhere or learn how to do anything. Reading led me to writing. I hope your love of reading leads you to exciting places, introduces you to ordinary people doing extraordinary deeds, encourages you to be all that you can be, and takes you on many wild and wonderful adventures.

Buy Where the Wild Wind Blows by Nancy Morse

Amazon Kindle * Smashwords * iBooks * B&N Nook or Paperback * KoboBooks

Takeaway Truth

Native American Romance remains a popular romance subgenre. Have you ever read one? If not, try Where the Wild Wind Blows by Nancy Morse.

NOTE from JOAN

I've received several emails about my next book so thought I'd answer them here. For the last several weeks, I've been out of the office more than in due to a family medical emergency. If you've been waiting for the publication of Cinderella Blue, as I have been, the book is finished, but I haven't had enough time in the office to set it up for publishing. When I've been home, I've been exhausted and spent most of my time here trying to catch up on the absolutely-must-do items like paying bills, etc. If you subscribe to my email list, you'll be among the first to know that the book is "live" and available for purchase. Thank you for your patience and understanding.