The Sunday Post Mailbox & Recap #9

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 
~this meme was inspired in part by - In My Mailbox~

It's a chance to share News. 

A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. 

Another quiet week, here, at work, and in general. I had a wonderful July 4th holiday; I spent it with friends, barbecuing, watching tv, hanging out and watching fireworks. It was hard going back to work the next day; it felt so strange having a holiday in the middle of the week. 

I reviewed "Alphabet Everywhere" which I loved but my class was less enthusiastic; I featured "Alanna's Surrender", an erotic short by KT Grant, had a guest post by author Brenda L Baker on the perfect man, and a two part interview with author Barbara Lampert, that includes a giveaway (ends July 13th). I also have a couple of historical romances up for giveaway (ends July 15th).

For Review

This is for a blog tour; the review is scheduled for July 23rd.

Kindle freebies

How was your week? Leave me a link in the comments and I'll stop by during the week.

Some deals, excerpts and giveaways!!!

Simon & Schuster has some romance deals going on right now, and a few excerpts from some of the books on sale. All of the deals below are for ebooks only.

FAR HARBOR and HOMEPLACE by JoAnn Ross are both discounted to $3.99 until 7/10.

Excerpt from FAR HARBOR 
Excerpt from HOMEPLACE


A WEDDING WAGER by Jane Feather- $2.99 until 7/15. (Her next book, AN UNSUITABLE BRIDE, goes on sale 7/24)


DEFIANT by Kris Kennedy- $2.99 until 7/30. (Her next book, DECEPTION, goes on sale 7/31.)

Excerpt from DEFIANT

Simon and Schuster has generously offered up several books for giveaway, to US residents. There's a copy of An Unsuitable Bride, by Jane Feather, and a copy of Deception, by Kris Kennedy. Both are historical romances.

Enter using the rafflecopter widgets below. Please read my Giveaway Policy.

Review of Alphabet Everywhere by Ellliott Kaufman

Publisher: Abbeville Publishing Group
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

There is a world of letters just waiting to be discovered in the world around us -- if we know how to look for it.

In this engaging and delightful book, photographer Elliott Kaufman reveals the "secret" life of the alphabet through his photographs, showing how letters can be found in things we encounter every day. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by multiple images, each unintentionally created by the intersection of architectural details, shadows, light, or natural elements as caught by Kaufman's keen eye. Some are obvious, while others demand a little more imagination to recognize, inviting the readers to start their own game of hunting for letters! This fun approach also reinforces the notion that learning to see the familiar in new ways encourages visual literacy and creativity.

Elliott Kaufman is an architectural photographer whose work has been displayed in venues such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Light Gallery (NYC). He currently teaches at Queens College and the International Center for Photography.
 
Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I don't get too excited about children's books in general. There are some I like very much and share with my classes year after, and this will definitely be one, but it's rare that I get all fangirly about one. I won this in a giveaway on a book site, thinking that it sounded like one my current class of three-and-a-half year olds would enjoy. They have been fascinated by the alphabet for months now and we keep building on and extending their interest.

When I received the book, I immediately began looking through it and fell in love. :D The author and photographer, Kaufman, has an excellent eye and did a superb job of finding examples of every letter, in uppercase form, of the alphabet. There are five photos for each letter and they are a mix of easy to identify and challenging to identify. My favorite one is the fern curled up like a P. At the back of the book is an index that identifies the objects in each photo.

Sadly, my class has been less responsive. They haven't shown a lot of interest in it, though there was some mild interest in my suggestion that we take a walk around our school, inside and out, to see what letters we could identify. But, they quickly lost interest and the book is just sitting on the shelf in the classroom. I'm very disappointed, but I'll try again and I"ll also try with next year's class.

I won this book in a giveaway on Dream.

Julie Interviews Author Barbara Lampert, Part 1

As you all know, I am a cat person. I mean, the picture on my header above is a pretty big neon clue, lol. I also like dogs, but I don't love them. Julie though, J.A. Campbell, who has written guest posts and guest reviews for us, she's a dog lover. She's owned by a Border Collie, and even has a series about a dog, "Doc, Vampire-Hunting Dog". So when we had the opportunity to interview Barbara, the author of "Charlie: A Love Story", about her and her dog Charlie, I knew Julie was the person to do it.

Barbara Lampert is a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in relationships. She’s been in private practice in Brentwood, California for over twenty years. She considers her work a calling and loves what she does. She has a doctorate in medical sociology and two master’s degrees – one in psychology and one in sociology.

Barbara has adored dogs her whole life. They’re her passion! She considers them the magic on the planet. Barbara has had dogs most of her life and hopes to have at least one by her side always. She notes that for a lot of people, their dogs are their best friends. She loves helping people know that’s ok – that a soul-satisfying relationship may be found with any being and needs to be treasured.

Besides her love of dogs, Barbara is an avid gardener and finds herself gardening in much of her spare time. She sees her garden as a work of art. She loves being in nature – the miracle of growth, the ever-changing landscape, its beauty.

Today Barbara lives happily in Malibu, California with her husband David (married twenty-eight years!) and their six-year-old Golden Retriever, Harry.

Barbara hopes that "Charlie: A Love Story" will be a tribute not only to a magnificent dog but to all dogs everywhere.

Barbara was generous with her time in doing the interview and answered in depth so I've broken up the interview into two parts. Part one, which you're reading now, is about her book and a little bit about Charlie, while part two is more about Barbara, Charlie, and her other dogs.

"Charlie: A Love Story" tells of the beautiful love between Charlie, a Golden Retriever, and the author, Barbara Lampert. It takes place in Malibu, California. When Charlie turned eleven years old and started having some health problems, a journal Barbara was keeping about her garden quickly became mostly about Charlie.

"Charlie: A Love Story" is an intimate look at an incredible connection between a canine and a human. And as a psychotherapist who specializes in relationships, Barbara brings that sensibility and understanding to Charlie’s story as well.

Charlie was Barbara’s loyal confidante and best friend. He was indomitable, had a zest for life and an uncanny emotional intelligence. As Barbara says in her book:

“Charlie’s a big dog, not just physically but in every way. He has a big heart, a big smile, lots of courage, a big appetite, and a great, big, generous spirit. Charlie’s the emotional core of our family, the most solid being I have ever known, and wise beyond his years. Charlie and me. It’s a great love affair, a once-in-a-lifetime connection.”

"Charlie: A Love Story" is about devotion, joy, loss, and renewal, about never giving up or giving in. But mostly it’s about an extraordinary dog and an extraordinary relationship.

"Charlie: A Love Story" was released in January of this year by Langdon Street Press and is available in paperback and ebook format. You can find Barbara online at her website and on facebook. For more information on Barbara's blog tour, click here.
 

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Julie: You are stopping by on a release tour for your recently published book. Tell us a little bit about it.

Barbara: First I want to thank you for hosting me on your site and for coming up with such good questions. They’re inspiring.

Charlie: A Love Story is about an indomitable and joyful Golden Retriever of mine, Charlie, who conducted himself like a Buddha in the face of his life’s challenges. He had a zest for life and an uncanny emotional intelligence. Charlie and I were joined at the hip. He was my loyal confidante and best friend. So my book is about this astonishing dog and our extraordinary relationship. I’m a psychotherapist who specializes in relationships, and so I bring that sensibility and understanding to Charlie’s story as well.

Charlie’s story, which takes place in Malibu, California, begins when he is eleven years old but also includes a number of reminiscences of his younger days as well as some stories about his pack members. Because it emerged out of my gardening journal, his story is surrounded by gardening and garden images. And because it is in journal form, Charlie’s story is told while it is happening and is mostly uncensored, providing an intimate look at Charlie and our incredible bond.

Charlie: A Love Story is about devotion, joy, loss, and renewal, about never giving up or giving in. But mostly it’s about an extraordinary dog and an extraordinary relationship.

Julie: What inspired you to write this book and share these incredible memories with the world?

Barbara: Unequivocally, Charlie was the inspiration for my book. Though one could argue that because Charlie’s story came out of my gardening journal, maybe my love of gardening had at least a little to do with it. Let me tell you how Charlie’s story came to be a book.

I’ve loved and been passionate about dogs my whole life, starting, I’ve been told, in infancy. For most of my life, I’ve had at least one dog, and at one time my husband David and I had four dogs and two cats. I love all animals, but particularly dogs. I’ve thought of each of the dogs and cats I’ve had as special, but a confluence of factors brought Charlie’s story together.

For several years, I’d been keeping a gardening journal of my landscaping activities. Occasionally, I would write about Charlie in my journal. But when he became eleven years old and started having some health problems, my journal entries quickly became more and more about him and less and less about gardening.

Charlie and I had always been extremely close – we just hit it off. Early on I recognized his stellar and unusual character, but I was amazed at how Charlie, at age eleven, dealt with his health problems. He seemed to have a very deep understanding of what was going on, and just about nothing got him down. He was both determined and joyful. Indomitable and wise. He was inspiring.

At first I was hesitant to turn my journal into a book, because the writing was so personal and intimate, and because, being such a private person as well as a psychotherapist, I didn’t know if I’d be comfortable doing that. But my overriding thought then was that it would be Charlie’s story, that not only did I want to pay tribute to this magnificent dog, but also I felt that the way he handled life could be an inspiration to others, just as it was to me.

I knew that Charlie was not only a once-in-a-lifetime dog but also a once-in-a-lifetime being. And that ours was a once-in-a-lifetime relationship. I needed to write about him, and his story needed to be told.

And so Charlie’s story emerged in a very natural way, not written after-the-fact but as he was living his life. It never occurred to me that those journal entries about him would become his story, a book, and my tribute to him.

Julie: What were some of the highlights of your life with Charlie?

Barbara: Mostly when I think about Charlie I remember how funny he was, how emotionally smart, how wise he was, and how good I always felt just being around him. I have such wonderful memories of this magnificent dog!

Charlie was funny from day one, at thirteen weeks old. For starters, he did not want to go outside, not even to play, to walk, or to do anything. We had to carry him out. He just wanted to stay in the house. What dog doesn’t want to go outside?! Yes, he would relieve himself outside and was trained almost instantly, but that was about it for the great outdoors. And all his life, he seemed to prefer being inside the house rather than going for walks or going away. On walks when he was finished, he would sit, and I could not move him (one hundred pounds or more most of his life), unless I indicated we would be going home.

Charlie seemed to have a sense of humor as well. If he got into our bed at night, he would instantly fall asleep with his head on the pillow, just like a person. And no one could get him up – he only wanted to sleep in that bed. And then there were the times when I might be lying on the floor and he would come over, lay himself across me, and actually pin me down. I’d be laughing so hard that, even if I’d wanted to, I couldn’t get up, and he would have a huge grin on his face – he thought that what he’d accomplished was wonderful.

Charlie had a mind of his own and was very determined, which often made him very funny. It wasn’t just me – our housekeeper used to call him “Funny Charlie.” He would make strangers laugh. What was it? I think it was that he was for the most part very well-behaved but then, when he would want something, there was no stopping him. He was so determined as to be indomitable.

Charlie’s life was long and rich, and he enriched my life so much as well as enriched the lives of the numerous people and dogs he encountered. He was a big, gentle soul. As examples, he saved a little bird the size of a thimble, he protected a rescued Sheltie whom we brought into our family, and he would be very upset if one of our other dogs was ill. Charlie was so attuned to the world around him. And then when he started having some health problems at age eleven years, I couldn’t believe how stoic, wise, and accepting he was. In the face of whatever he had to deal with, he was calm, and he’d always become joyful when he’d gotten through it. As I’ve said, a Buddha. A being to learn from. A being that I and lots of people wanted to be around. Charlie was one big highlight of my life.

Julie: What inspired you to make a garden journal, which, I understand, turned into a story about Charlie?

Barbara: Good question! I myself wonder why I started keeping a gardening journal, particularly because I’d never done that before. Maybe it was because I’d undertaken such a large project – landscaping almost an acre. Or maybe it was because I was having so much fun doing it. It was exciting. Or maybe it was because there was so much to keep track of – I was doing it by myself. Or maybe it was because I started having so many interesting experiences in the garden as well as when I went to nurseries looking for plants.

While I was landscaping our property, I was living in my own world. It was so much fun writing about what I was doing in the garden and what gardening needed to be done, about the designs I had in my head, and about the plants I was getting, what they needed, their beauty, and the way they were growing. It’s interesting how all this got pushed to the background when Charlie started having his health problems. I still wrote about the garden somewhat, but that definitely took a back seat as Charlie needed more attention and I became more and more concerned about him. As Charlie’s story unfolds, the garden, the plants, my gardening activities start fading far into the background. After about halfway through his story, there are very few garden references – Charlie gets my undivided attention. But there is always a beautiful garden and garden images surrounding my Charlie.

Julie: Could you tell us a little more about your non-writing life?

Barbara: While I love to write, my profession is that of a psychotherapist, and doing this work is how I spend most of my time. I’ve been licensed as a Marriage Family Therapist for more than twenty years and consider my work my calling. I’ve been curious about people and have helped people with their problems most of my life. So it was only natural that I would do that professionally. I love what I do!

I specialize in relationship issues. I work mostly with individuals but also with couples, dealing with anxiety, depression, and various other mood problems as well as with character disorders, mainly the narcissistic personality. I see my job as helping people extricate themselves from the various situations in which they become entangled.

Julie: Could you tell us a little more about your writing life?

Barbara: To begin with, I’m not a writer by profession. I need to fit my writing into my day. Also, I’m the type of person who writes only when the mood strikes. For a few years, while I was journaling about Charlie and my garden, I was writing every day, no matter what, but once I began working on turning my journal entries into a book, my new writing became much more sporadic, and still is. When I do write, it’s usually in the back room of our house or in my psychotherapy office – places that are very quiet and beautifully decorated, with comfortable chairs, places where I know I won’t be interrupted. All of which are very important features for me. I often write on yellow legal pads, and though lately I’ve begun to use my computer, my favorite medium remains my yellow pad.

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Thank you Barbara for taking the time to answer our questions. For more on Barbara, Charlie, and Barbara's other dogs, go to part two of the interview. You'll also find a giveaway at the end of that post.

Julie Interviews Author Barbara Lampert, Part 2 & A Give Away

Welcome to part two of Julie Campbell's interview with author Barbara Lampert. Barbara wrote a memoir about her life with her dog, Charlie, called "Charlie: A Love Story". In part one Barbara talked about why she wrote the book and told us a little bit about both Charlie and herself. Now, Barbara will tell us about her other dogs, and also more about both she and Charlie. At the end of the interview is a chance to win a copy of the book for yourself.

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Julie: What do you think makes dogs so special?

Barbara: Their energy is pure. There are no hidden agendas. Most are filled with love and want to give it, and most soak it up when they get it. They live in the moment. They are so joyful and yet also very stoic – some more than others. Most want to please. They’re sensitive. And loyal. They’re curious. They try so hard to understand. They look you in the eye, want to connect. They seem to understand the importance of relationships with others. They seem to actually need relationships and are not afraid to show that need. They love almost no matter what. They made friends with our species – no other species has done that with us or for us. I’m so thankful. My life has been made so much richer by having dogs in it.

Julie: Did you grow up with dogs?

Barbara: But here’s the irony – I was not allowed to have a dog when I was younger and living at home with my parents. I begged and pleaded but to no avail. My parents wouldn’t believe me when I said that I would take care of it. A couple of my close friends in middle school and high school had dogs. I was at their homes a lot.

Julie: What is your most vivid memory of your life with dogs?

Barbara: This is impossible for me to answer. I’m flooded with so many memories of my dogs. The days I got them, their first days at home. All their funny, charming, and cute ways. Charlie handing me a rock that was too heavy for him to carry in his mouth. Giving it to me willingly and then running off to continue his walk in the garden. Simon holding a bit of a grudge. Sabrina running off with a tin filled with sourdough bread. Taking it into the garden where she could eat it in peace. Mandy chasing squirrels until the cows would come home. Arthur sitting on his sofa knowing that it was his. Barney meeting and greeting everyone with a smile, the consummate politician. Harry’s eager face when he knows there’s a ball game just around the corner. The memories are endless…

Julie: Have you always had Golden Retrievers or have you had other breeds too? Which is your favorite?

Barbara: As I mentioned earlier, I love all dogs! All breeds, mixed breeds, all sizes, all colors. Each dog is unique and special in its own right. But the Golden has captured my heart. We got our first Golden in 1987, and it was with her that I vowed that I would always have at least one Golden by my side forever. But here’s the list of dogs I’ve had and have:

That first Golden was Mandy, a reddish blond with an exuberant personality, who never sat still, loved and was friendly with everyone, was brilliant, housebroken in a minute, and loved to chase squirrels.

Then there was Arthur, our Afghan. Goofy and elegant, that’s the only way to describe him. Arthur was gorgeous – cream-and-black fur, soul-searching eyes. He primped regularly on “his” sofa, was independent beyond words, and never became totally housebroken. I do think that this unbreakable behavior was his attempt to make sure that everyone knew it was his house. Smart as a whip, as long as the situation involved him. And absolutely adored Mandy.

Next came Charlie. Nirvana right from the beginning. I think he had me laughing starting when he was a puppy. He was just a funny being. Ever so earnest, and big. I think at thirteen weeks he weighed something like forty pounds, and for most of his life, as I mentioned, he was at least one hundred pounds. A big, gentle soul, a big, generous spirit, and connected with me right from the beginning. Though he loved playing with Mandy. She taught him how to dig.

And then from the streets of Los Angeles came Sabrina. A beautiful Sheltie that David rescued. Without a qualm, she marched into our house with our three big dogs and figured out how to get along, was never intimidated, was in fact truly fearless, and had more chutzpa than any being I’ve known.

Barney, another Golden that I rescued (I found him crossing four lanes of traffic on Pacific Coast Highway!), knew exactly what to do when he came to our house. I didn’t want another dog when I found him. As a matter of fact, I looked for a home for him for about a week. But the longer Barney was with us, the more I wanted to keep him. After being with him for that week and looking diligently for a home for him, there was none that was good enough, and so he stayed. He was so smart and so socially appropriate, and he took the concept of friendly to a new height. Everyone – dogs, cats, children, in fact almost every child in the nearby elementary school looked forward to seeing him – everyone adored Barney. He made friends with a local policeman, who, to this day, still looks out for our house and who has become a wonderful friend of our family. We call him “Barney’s cop.”

Our fourth Golden Retriever who lives with us now is Harry. “Happy Harry” I call him. He’s six years old and still retains that joie de vivre. He might be the happiest dog I’ve ever known. He loves life, loves the outdoors, and loves but loves to play ball, actually is quite good at it, particularly the lost-ball retrieving part. He’s an extremely graceful and gorgeous Retriever – long fur, beautiful face, more than classic appearance, and very quick and smart.

Oh, let me not forget the first dog I had. Simon, a Cairn Terrier mix. He had such an unusual personality. Again, he was very bright, but quite standoffish and independent. Picked and chose who he would be friendly with, and there weren’t many people who were honored with his attention. As an example of how bright he was, when I was a flight attendant and had to be away for two to three days at a time, he was able to stay in our (his and my) apartment, pace himself with his food, use only a certain area to go to the bathroom, and never bark. Brilliant! He’d been a Christmas present, and I did not want to give him up. So he and I just figured it out. He would hold a little grudge when I would return from a trip, but he’d soon get over it. Unusual guy.

Besides the dogs that I’ve had at home, I go up to practically every dog I see. I go to the local shelter and give all the dogs treats. I love all dogs. But I love the Golden Retriever the most. For me this breed epitomizes the best qualities in dogs, particularly their joyfulness, their playfulness, and their need to connect with other beings. And they are almost always happy. They’re the kind of dog I dreamed of having when I was a little girl. For me, living with a Golden is a dream come true.

Julie: Do you and your dogs participate in any dog sports or activities?

Barbara: Can’t say that we do, unless you want to count the many ball games at home. And only two of my retrievers really wanted to play ball. As you may well imagine, my Afghan and Shetland Sheepdog had absolutely no interest in that. Arthur (our Afghan) seemed to think that playing ball was a ridiculous waste of time, even though he loved running like the wind. And Sabrina (our Sheltie), she was too busy thinking – analyzing and assessing – and trying to herd everyone. Charlie was absolutely uninterested in athletics – something of a klutz, and much more interested in what people were doing and thinking, particularly me.

However, those two ball-playing Retrievers were really obsessed – for a long time now, everywhere you look, inside the house or in the garden, you see balls, balls of all sizes, textures, and colors. Barney was a superb ballplayer, rarely missed a throw, liked to make the game of catching the ball harder: short hops, mid-air changes of direction, that sort of thing. Harry, the Retriever I have now, also loves to play ball and is also very good at catching it: one of his specialties is the no-look over the shoulder catch.

But Harry’s favorite game, which he invented, consists of him first running out of sight somewhere in my garden, then my throwing the ball, and then when he hears it land going to look for it. He absolutely loves this game. The instincts involved in this particular ball game may be similar to those for which his breed was developed: searching for a game bird after it’s been shot, then after finding it carrying it carefully back to the hunter in that soft Retriever mouth. The eagerness I see in Harry as he comes bounding back to me during this game is so much greater than in the other games we play. I think that’s because of how much he loves the search, because while he’s doing that his long fluffy, billowy tail is wagging really hard, as hard as he can wag it while running at the same time. Two truly great talents. Between Harry and Barney, it’s hard to say who would be considered the better ballplayer.

Julie: What do you think inspired your love of gardening?

Barbara: It’s so hard for me to know how my love of gardening got started. My best theory is that I saw my mother gardening and knew how much she loved it. When I was about three years old, I started going with her to a nursery right across the street from our house in Los Angeles. She would be so excited picking out plants. I used to love those trips. And then we would come home and I would watch as she planted what she just got. And then miraculously, to my young mind, these plants would grow and get more and more beautiful. I would watch my mother cultivate around the plants and then go out with her and water. Sometimes the neighbors would bring potted plants to my mother that they were having trouble with, and inevitably my mother would bring them back to life. That was always so exciting.

So my mother had a green thumb, and her mother had a green thumb, and now I have a green thumb. I too love to garden and get plants and watch them grow. But it’s more than that. I love all aspects of gardening. I love raking, watering, pruning, potting plants, designing – all of it. Dogs and working in the garden bring me so much pleasure, peace, and joy.

Julie: Do you have a favorite plant or type of plant?

Barbara: I have so many favorite plants – breath of heaven, Mexican marigolds, solanum, grasses (almost all kinds, especially pampass), bamboos, flax, ficuses, heavenly bamboo, Texas privets, angel vines, gravillias, lots of forms of sedum, Veronicas, agapanthas, leptosporum, pittosporum (some varieties), scheffleras, asparagus ferns, lots of different kinds of succulents (they’re so much prettier than they used to be) and then there’s all the plants I love whose names I don’t even know.

Primarily I seem to like plants that are not too neat. I like to see a flow to them and a natural, uneven look. Open, carefree, and relaxed.


Julie: Describe your dream garden.

Barbara: My dream garden is wild and open-looking. An English cottage garden. Not manicured. Plants seeding themselves, allowing that to happen. Plants and trees everywhere. Seating arrangements throughout. Pots all over, some with plants in them and some empty – I love looking at empty pots. Cobblestone paths, uneven but easy to walk on. Bird baths throughout. And I’d love to have a small swimming pool or waterfall among all this. Maybe a little stream and a little bridge. Maybe a little glass house in the garden. A place to write, to think, to relax.

My own garden is a lot like my dream garden already. Missing the body of water, the little glass house, and the cobblestone paths. I have Arizona flagstone for paths right now.

Besides the appearance of a dream garden, there are other aspects of a garden that make it a dream. Gardens and gardening are so forgiving. If you make a mistake, it’s usually so correctable. That’s one of the things that makes gardening so relaxing for me. I’m very happy in the garden I have now. I have so many plants and trees that I love, filling almost an acre, and the whole garden was designed by me. It’s beautiful, but there is so much to do, always. Another wonderful feature of gardening as far as I’m concerned.

Julie: Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Barbara: Again, thank all of you so much! I appreciate this opportunity to connect with you and tell you about Charlie and his story, about our very special relationship, and about me. I would love to hear about you and your pets (pictures would be great!). You can contact me on my website: www.charliealovestory.com. Please let me know if you’d like me to post your pictures and your stories if I decide to start a blog.

I wish you well!

Thank you Barbara, and the same to you. Best of luck with your blog tour, and give Harry a belly rub from Bea.

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If you want to read more about Charlie, the book is out now, in paperback and ebook, so go get a copy! After you read it, come on back and share your thoughts.

Barbara and her blog tour company, Tribute Books, are giving away one paperback copy to a US resident.

Enter using the rafflecopter widget below.

Please read my Giveaway Policy.

The Perfect Man: A Guest Post from Author Brenda L. Baker

Love. Betrayal. Families. Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Brenda Baker to the Book. Her book, "The Elusive Mr. McCoy" was released a few days ago, on July 3rd (review coming later this summer).

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Novel writing is one of the few professions where it is acceptable for an adult to have imaginary friends. Even so, writers rarely talk about their imaginary friends—except to other writers—for fear someone might think we are talking about real people, a phobia especially prevalent among horror and thriller authors. So today, I’m grateful to Bea for giving me the chance to tell you about my favorite character in The Elusive Mr. McCoy: the private investigator.

During adolescence, my friends and I spent a great deal of time making lists of the qualities we were looking for in a romantic partner. Our requirements started out simply enough; we all wanted a boyfriend who was cute and had a sense of humor. With the onset of dating, our lists began to diverge as experience taught some of us that cute didn’t compensate for an inflated ego, and others discovered a sense of humor could be devoted entirely to off-color jokes. We refined our lists as the years passed, until somewhere just across the twenties threshold, it became apparent that, outside of Socrates’ theory of ideal forms, the perfect partner did not exist. Everyone had room for improvement.

If you had a list, and even if you didn’t, you probably figured this out at about the same age. So if you read the blurb for The Elusive Mr. McCoy on the back of the book, phrases like “best partner” and “perfect husband” may cause you to roll your eyes, or sniff dismissively, or mutter “Yeah, sure,” in a derisive tone of voice. And you will be right to do so, because McCoy was created from those adolescent lists.

Early on in the writing process, I realized the improbably perfect Mr. McCoy needed a foil, an imperfect but much more believable character to whom he could be compared. Enter Jason: resentful ex-husband, envious brother, reluctant father, and lazy housekeeper—character traits I plucked from a real life list of relationship gripes among my current circle of friends. With all these flaws, I expected Jason would be an unsympathetic character. But as writing progressed he began to seem more and more like a really decent guy. At first I didn’t understand how this could be, then I realized Jason’s imperfections were what made him likeable.

While there are no perfect people, there are those who have the honesty to admit they are not and the willingness to strive for self-improvement. These are the people who inspire us, who earn our respect and affection. There is dignity in the high school drop-out who earns a degree at night school and the alcoholic who rises to testify at an AA meeting. We root for the miser who learns to give and the timid lover who finds the courage to declare himself. These people warm our hearts. We want them to succeed, to prove there is hope for us all.

In Jason’s struggle to assume the unwanted responsibilities of fatherhood, and his reluctance to take sides in his sister’s marital difficulties, I saw the subtle courage of an everyday hero, a man doing his best to make himself a better person and the world a better place. By the middle of the book, I’d developed a bit of a crush on him. I found myself writing more and more Jason chapters, most of which were removed from the second draft and tucked lovingly away in the folder where I keep the darlings I am forced to murder in the interests of producing a commercially viable novel. By the end of the book, even though it was essentially an un-romance, I could not resist the temptation to reward Jason with the love I felt he deserved.

If I could go back a half-century and give teenage me one piece of romantic advice, I’d tell myself to stop looking for perfection and start making a list of the imperfections I could live with. Not only would this have resulted in a shorter list that was much easier to fulfill, it would have greatly increased my chances of finding a perfectly imperfect man like Jason.

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  A little about Brenda, in her own words: At the age of eight, I decided to become an archaeologist. I had no idea what the word meant, but it sounded cool. When it became apparent a career in archaeology would require significant education, I switched my aspirations to creative writing, the only class in high school that did not involve reading textbooks.

Writing novels turned out to be less than lucrative. Writing computer programs, on the other hand, paid extremely well in the early seventies. I became a nerd and surfed the technology wave for thirty-five years. This is a very boring period of my life. I will spare you the details.

In 2007, in the grip of a delayed mid-life crisis, I abandoned my secure niche in a cube farm, took early retirement and moved to India. I signed on as a volunteer with a social services organization in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and had many wonderful adventures exploring South India, meeting the people, and learning their culture. My western background created many challenges for me during this time, but the only truly insurmountable difficulty was the dearth of interesting reading material.

I’m a fiction junkie. For most of my life, I’ve had a three novel a week monkey on my back. During my first months In India, I had the good fortune to live not far from an old-fashioned subscription library run by a dignified, middle-aged man with a British accent and a passion for New York Times bestsellers. His stock-in-trade was primarily Tamil romances and tattered Marvel comics but at the back of the library he kept his prized collection of English novels; six double-stacked shelves of yellowing paperbacks laboriously accumulated over twenty years. His taste was eclectic to say the least, everything from Aldus Huxley to Zane Grey via Lee Child and Maeve Binchy. His rates were more than reasonable; less than fifty cents a week got me all the books I needed to feed my habit.

One day, I walked over to return some books and found the metal shutter pulled down over the entrance to the library. The young man who ran the internet cafe next door told me the building that housed the library had been sold, and the librarian had relocated, but left no forwarding address. Unable to quit reading cold turkey, I began making weekly excursions to Higginbothams, Chennai’s famous English bookstore. The journey was long, the prices were exorbitant and the selection of modern novels was less than impressive. I frequently returned home with nothing at all.

Desperate for something to satisfy my fiction addiction, I began writing my own novel, using the people around me and the stories they told as inspiration. I scouted out locations around the city, photographing buildings and inviting myself into homes as varied as marble mansions and slum hovels. I followed my maid through her daily routine and tried, with little success, to do what she did. I subjected my incredibly patient Indian friends to endless interrogations about their culture and poured over the case files of the social services organization where I volunteered to understand the challenges faced by my characters. In the process, I discovered that writing a novel was almost as much fun as reading one. It took considerably longer, which was a blessing given the number of book-less hours I had to fill. But Sisters of the Sari didn't just fill my days, it filled my heart, as the characters became my imaginary friends.

Now, writing isn't for everyone, at least not novel writing. It's solitary, occasionally frustrating, and frequently annoying - especially when one of my imaginary friends does something that results in whole chapters having to be re-written. But it works for me and now, forty years after turning my back on writing, I'm at the keyboard again and delighted to be here.

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 Book Blurb:

Lesley McCoy works in a day-care center, and she is planning to start a family of her own. Her husband, David, is a homebody whose job as a wilderness guide takes him away for long periods—but when he’s home, he’s the best partner Lesley could imagine.

Kendra McCoy is a successful businesswoman whose husband, Eric, is an analyst who specializes in Middle Eastern politics. He supports her enthusiasm and drive to succeed, and is the perfect partner—when he’s home between assignments.

While trying to identify a man who collapses in a Portland, Oregon, coffee shop, two wallets are found: one belonging to David McCoy, the other to Eric McCoy.

Devastated by their comatose husband’s betrayal, Kendra and Lesley reluctantly join forces in an attempt to piece together a true picture of the man they both fell in love with. Instead, they uncover a vast web of deceit as they learn their husband lived a third life neither of them suspected.

THE ELUSIVE MR. MCCOY
By: Brenda L Baker
Publisher: NAL Trade
ISBN: 9780451236890
Genre: FICTION, CONTEMPORARY
Format: EBOOK, PAPERBACK
Length: 336 pages
Release Date: JULY 3, 2012
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There's no question that my criteria for a perfect man has changed over the years, and is much more realistic these days. How about you, have your criteria, or even your definition of perfect, changed over the years?

Spotlight On: Alana's Surrender by KT Grant

Please welcome KT Grant to the blog today. She's on a month long tour to celebrate her new release, "Alana's Surrender", an erotic short story. KT is a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who not only loves to read a wide variety of romances, but also loves writing it. Under her alter-ego, she is a well-known book reviewer and blogger who doesn't shy away from voicing her opinion. A proud native of New Jersey, KT is multi-published and known for writing "out of the box" romances. KT has been mentioned in the Guardian.UK, Publisher's Weekly's Beyond the Book and at Bookseller.com. KT is a top ten best-selling author at Amazon, as well as being a multiple All Romance Ebooks best seller and a Night Owl Reviews Top Author Pick.

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Book Blurb (from goodreads):

Alana, the lead singer of the all girls’ group, The Lady Pearls is about to hit it big. Every Saturday night she sings at Sisco’s, a popular bar in town. She’ll always be grateful to Casey, the owner, who gave her a start and who she has a secret crush on.

Casey doesn’t just want to be Alana’s employer but her lover. Then there’s the bartender Marc who also lusts for Alana and refuses to wait on the sidelines as Casey puts the move on her. He’ll finally claim Alana as his own and perhaps allow Casey to join them for a night all three will never forget.


ALANA'S SURRENDER (GOOD VIBRATIONS #2)
By: KT Grant
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
ASIN: B007ZTQ080
Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, EROTICA, MENAGE (M/F/M), CONTEMPORARY
Format: EBOOK
Length: 300 KB, 20 pages
Release Date: MAY 1, 2012
Website & Blog
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goodreads


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EXCERPT

“Stop staring at my ass, Lana.” Casey turned around, giving her a slow wink. Her heart skipped a beat, but she bit her lip to keep from blurting out her admiration. He flirts with everyone. It’s not personal. She’d learned long ago not to shit where she ate, but her employer made it hard to remember that useful fact.

She took her time sauntering in, swaying her hips in her low-rise jeans. “I couldn’t help myself. You have one squeezable ass, even in these older-than-dirt clothes you’re wearing.”

Casey turned down the sound on the radio to a more reasonable decibel level. When she got close enough, his hand curled around her wrist. “I’d let you appreciate that part of my anatomy or any other part you want. Just say the word.”

He wiggled his eyebrows when she snorted. Casey acted like he never took anything seriously. But despite his boyish looks, he was a shrewd businessman whose success reflected years of hard work. She admired that side of him, too—maybe even more.

“Perhaps I’ll take you up on that offer in a year, when I’m out on the road touring and no longer working for you. But for now, I’ll have to say no.”

Casey lost his smile. “The hell you say,” he snarled, still keeping possession of her hand.

“I can’t play here forever. We finished the album last week and offers from bigger venues have started rolling in,” she said. He had to know the Pearls were going places. They couldn’t be tied down to one location.

“Did you come here with that information just to piss me off?” He threw the clipboard on the counter and curved an arm around her waist.

Whoa, what’s going on here? She stared up at him in shock. His palm closed on her hip; a hot brand that went straight to her core. “I came here to pick up my check, nothing more.”

“Nothing more, huh? After Saturday night, I thought you’d have more sense than to come here on a Monday when you know I’m here by myself.” His face dipped toward hers. “Nobody is going to walk in on us.”

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Now, go out and get your copy of "Alana's Surrender". It's short, hot, and will leave you wanting more. Pardon me while I stare at the pretty cover.

The Sunday Post Mailbox & Recap #8

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 
~this meme was inspired in part by - In My Mailbox~

It's a chance to share News. 

A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. 

 

Summer is here! Though, the weather has been wacky, even for New England. We'll have two or three days of 90+ degree temps followed by a week or more of 60's and 70's and at least two days straight of rain. Weird, and not very summery. But, my school's regular year is finished and we start summer session tomorrow. We have class two days, then closed on Wednesday for the US's Independence Day celebration, then two more days of class. Many of our kids are on vacation this week so it will be a light week at school.   

Last week was light on the blog, and this week will be also. I posted an update on the lung surgery for my asthma; a spotlight on a new romance "This Tangled Thing Called Love" by Marie Astor, which includes a jewelry giveaway (still open); a cover reveal for Kelley Armstrong's upcoming novella, "Forbidden"; and a review of "Magic Lost, Trouble Found" by Lisa Shearin. I also had a giveaway for "Vampire Bay" by Sandra Cox, which ended yesterday.

Coming up this week, I will have a spotlight on "Alana's Surrender" by KT Grant; a review of "Beach Season"; an anthology with stories by Lisa Jackson, Cathy Lamb, Holly Chamberlain, and Rosalind Noonan; a guest post from author Brenda L. Baker; and an interview with author Barbara Lambert along with a giveaway of her book, "Charlie: A Love Story". 

 

BOOKS!

 

Review  

 

 

Review coming this week, maybe Wednesday. 

Gifted

 

 A few weeks ago, I posted that I received from Penguin Books,"Darkness Devours", book three in Keri Arthur's Dark Angels series. I hadn't read the first ones however. I tweeted Keri, asking her if I could read DD as a stand alone and she replied no. She then generously offered to send the books to me and they arrived this week, along with a signed cover flat for "Full Moon Rising". I'm still a bit in shock at her generousity. (She lives in Australia, for anyone unfamiliar with her. So, two books plus mailing to the US = a generous author and a very happy reader.)

Kindle Freebies

 

 

Yep, it was even a quiet week for freebies. There wasn't a lot this week that caught my eye and with my goodreads TBR shelf at 549 books, I really need to get busy reading. 

I hope you had a good week. Leave me a link and I'll try to visit this week.