Life Lessons- Meet the Author Week 5

Do you like to read? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.'

This week's question is: Who is the person you have learned the most valuable lesson in life from and what was the lesson?

This may seem trite, but it's my mother. The woman amazes me. She is a wonderfully strong woman who shared her strength with her nine children. Yes, nine. Although in some ways we are similar—her genes run strong, especially among the four girls in the family—she allowed us to grow into our own personalities.We were permitted and encouraged to pursue different interests and goals.

I know that it was sometimes hard on her as we grew up and went our own ways. I was probably one of the more challenging of her children, but we all had our moments as we struggled to become adults.

This is one of my favorite pictures of her, taken the first Christmas after she and Dad got married.

And the lesson she taught me? Don't give up. I won't tell you how old she is, I'll just say she's lived a long and full life. Yet she volunteers at a Salvation Army meal center once week, depending on the weather. She remains active in church activities. The card club she belonged to even before I was born? Most of it's members are dead now, but the remaining ladies get together to play dominoes and chat whenever they can. 

So when I changed careers yet again, she encouraged me. And when i released my first book, she couldn't wait to read it. That was an adventure because it wasn't in paperback and she read it on a borrowed Kindle- a first for her. That first book was dedicated to her. And she's waiting anxiously for the release of my next book, coming April 14th. ( I had to get that promo in there!) Although none of my books have made the best seller list yet, I'm still trying. I'm not giving up.

To find out what another author has to say, head over to Stevie Turner's blog. Stevie Turner

Title: Her Ladyship's Ring

Book 2 in the Oak Grove Mysteries

Author: P.J. MacLayne

Genre: Amateur Sleuth

Cover Design by K.M. Guth

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Description

Harmony Duprie is back, and so is trouble in Oak Grove.

When a man is murdered in the back yard of the old Victorian house she is remodeling, Harmony is determined to help locate his next-of-kin so he can be put to rest properly. But with her ex-boyfriend Jake out of prison, back in town and one of the suspects in the murder, she takes on the challenge of solving the crime.

With Eli, her current love interest, in Florida and Jake close by, old emotions come back to haunt her. Can Harmony clear Jake's name and solve the mystery of her own heart?

Although each book in the series is a complete story (no cliffhanger endings) the books should be read in order.

The Marquesa's Necklace, the first book in the Oak Grove series, is available at major e-book retailers.

Excerpt

The first thing I noticed when walking into my apartment was the afghan I kept on the back of the recliner. It was on the floor and hadn't been like that when I left. “So who's been sitting in my chair?” I asked. “Eli?” I called hopefully to no response.

Then I noticed the dirty dishes in my kitchen sink. “So who's been eating my porridge?” I whispered to myself. Surely a thief wouldn't have stopped to make himself a sandwich.

I tip-toed down the hallway, holding my breath. The bathroom was empty, but my bedroom door was partially closed. I carefully pushed it open and peeked inside. A familiar head nestled on my pillow. “So that's who's been sleeping in my bed.”

Meet the Author

Born and raised among the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania, P.J. MacLayne still finds inspiration for her books in that landscapes. She is a computer geek by day and a writer by night who currently lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. When she's not in front of a computer screen, she might be found exploring the back roads of the nearby national forests and parks.

P.J. MacLayne can be reached on: Facebook https://facebook.com/pjmaclayne

Twitter https://twitter.com/pjmaclayne

Google + https://plus.google.com/u/0/+PJMacLayne/posts

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/P.J.-MacLayne/e/B00HVE8WZI

Meet the Author Week 4

Do you like to read? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.'

This week the question a reader posed is: Name three things on your bucket list that you have accomplished, or three that you still have to look forward to.

I don't have an official bucket list. I have lots of things I'd like to do if I had the money–visit Ireland, go to Australia–but those are more dreams than anything I'll feel bad about if they don't happen. I've actually done a lot of things in my life that i suspect other people would be envious of.

I've walked on a sandy beach in sunny Florida one day and on a rocky beach on the West Coast the next day. I've traveled all over the United States for work. I've visited the southernmost point of the continental United States as well as the westernmost point. .I've hiked among the verdant forests of Pennsylvania, the windy open desert of Wyoming, and amid the magnificent redwoods of Northern California. I switched careers after the age of forty (and added a new career after the age of fifty.)  

There are a few things that I want to accomplish. I want to write a best-seller. (No, neither of my current books has that distinction but I'm still trying.If you haven't read them already, check out the books tab of my blog!) I want to make a trip to Aspen and visit the memorial to John Denver. I want to take a horseback trip to at least one of the remote peaks of the Rocky Mountains.At least I live in the right area to accomplish the last two!

Want to find out what author Stephany Tullis has on her bucket list? Head on over to her blog and find out. Stephany Tullis

New Release from Lila Rose

Title: No Way Out

Author: Lila Rose

Series: Hawks MC Series, Book 4

Genre: Fiction/Humorous/Romance/Erotica 

Cover Designer: Louisa at LM Creations  

Editor: Hot Tree Editing 

Release Date: March 23rd

Trapped in a marriage since the age of twenty-one, Malinda May is finally free. Having lost her biker husband, she is determined to keep her two teenage children as far away from the MC lifestyle as possible, a lifestyle which has brought her nothing but heartache and fear. Life is never that simple. Relentless in their mission to prove to Malinda that not all bikers are bad, the Hawks’ women are determined to support Malinda and her family, whether she wants it or not. In her struggle to keep her distance, Malinda soon battles her desire to keep her family safe or relent and begin to trust the MC.

Tired of women and their mind games, Declan Stoke knows women are only good for keeping his bed warm for a night. Having once thought he’d found the one, he’s no longer willing to put his heart on the line. Even when faced with the temptation of a wounded, sexy woman, he steers clear…well, tries to.

Malinda and Stoke find themselves at an impasse, one seemingly impossible to navigate through. With trouble brewing, life is going to get complicated, and for Malinda, she’s trapped with no way out.

Amazon US I UK I AU I CA

BARNES & NOBLE

iBOOKS

Meet The Author Week 3

Do you like to read? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

This week they asked:

Tell us about your first concert.  Who did you see?  Who did you go with? Did you enjoy it? Have you seen that band/artist again in concert?

I have a confession to make. I don't remember the first concert I went to.

Despite being in chorus in  high school, despite teaching myself to play guitar, (well, trying to) despite being exposed to large variety of musical types throughout my life, I was never really "into" music. Yes, despite participating in a musical my freshman year in college, and working backstage for one of the concerts that came to the campus (and no, I don't remember the band) I never "followed" a group.

Sure, I was a fan of John Denver, but the only time I had a chance to attend one of his concerts, I didn't go. It was at Christmas time, money was tight, and I felt guilty buying a ticket for myself instead of spending it on my kids. Although I regret never seeing  him in person, I'd still put my kids before myself any day of the week.

But I spent a number of years in Daytona Beach, and had the opportunity to go to a number of free concerts that were part of the Bike Week celebrations. I have to admit, I don't remember all the bands, but one of them was Lynyrd Skynyrd. The perfect band for a biker audience. Me and my husband were fairly far back from the outdoor stage, but we could sit back, relax, enjoy the music, drink a beer and stay away from the hard-core fans crowded up close.

That was also the era when MTV was filming Spring Break on the beach in Daytona, and hosting a number of free concerts. The trick to getting in was to show up close to where the bands were playing and hope the MTV representatives invited you in. My daughter wanted to go, and was too young to go by herself, so I took her. And yes, we got tickets to the Head Banger's Ball filmed on the beach. My daughter would probably remember better than me, but I believe one of the bands playing that night was the Stone Temple Pilots. We managed to have a great time while avoiding the mosh pit. I think that night ensured my designation as a "cool mom."

I've never seen either of those bands again. It might be fun to catch a concert by one of them for kicks, but it's not on my bucket list. Both bands are still out there rocking which I find amazing, and when I catch on of their songs on an oldies station, it still makes me smile.

Want to find out what Christine Ardigo has to say? Check out her post at Christine Ardigo

Meet the Author Week Two

Welcome to Week Two of the "Meet the Authors" blog hop. Do you like to read? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place!  Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box

1. How do like your sex scenes, whether it's writing them or reading them?

I don't write sex scenes. I'm not against them, it's a matter of whether I feel like they will add anything to the plot of  my books, and so far, they wouldn't. I'll take my readers to the bedroom door, and maybe a little further, but I don't go into detail about what happens to my characters once they are inside. I make the assumption that my readers are smart enough to figure that out for themselves.That's why I say I write adventures with a hint of romance rather than straight romance novels

On the other hand, I don't mind reading a well-done sex scene is someone else's book. What I don't like are books that are nothing but the characters hopping in and out of bed (or other places!)  I prefer a little sex mixed in with the story, rather than a little story mixed in with a lot of sex.

And when it comes down to how I like the scenes written, I prefer fewer physical details and more emotions. After all, there are only so many words in the English language you can use to describe the bodily parts involved. Unless you a reading a book by a gifted author (like some of the others in this hop!) I find the sex scenes get boring if there are too many of them in a book. At some point, my eyes glaze over and I skip ahead to where the story picks up again.

2.  What was the last book you read that stayed with you long after you read "The End"?

Wow. This is a tough question. I've had the pleasure of being introduced to some really great authors in the last couple of years and read some fantastic books.I'm going to start by mentioning the Everly Gray "Touch" series of books by L.J. Charles, just because the concept behind them seems so unique to me. I'd also like to mention Lila Rose, because I didn't realize "motorcycle clubs" was a genre before I read her story "Holding Out." And I have to add in Jenna Bennett, because she is so good at developing the characters in her Savannah Martin mystery series. The growth of her main character across the series is just a fantastic piece of writing.



That's all for me this week. Would you like to see what author Christine Ardigo has to say? Check out her post at http://christine-ardigo-author.com/author-question-answer-blog-hop-mmb-week-2/

Cover Reveal for No Way Out

Title: No Way Out

Author: Lila Rose

Series: Hawks MC Series, Book 4

Genre: Fiction/Humorous/Romance/Erotica 

Cover Designer: Louisa at LM Creations  

Editor: Hot Tree Editing 

Release Date: March 23rd

Trapped in a marriage since the age of twenty-one, Malinda May is finally free. Having lost her biker husband, she is determined to keep her two teenage children as far away from the MC lifestyle as possible, a lifestyle which has brought her nothing but heartache and fear. Life is never that simple. Relentless in their mission to prove to Malinda that not all bikers are bad, the Hawks’ women are determined to support Malinda and her family, whether she wants it or not. In her struggle to keep her distance, Malinda soon battles her desire to keep her family safe or relent and begin to trust the MC.

Tired of women and their mind games, Declan Stoke knows women are only good for keeping his bed warm for a night. Having once thought he’d found the one, he’s no longer willing to put his heart on the line. Even when faced with the temptation of a wounded, sexy woman, he steers clear…well, tries to.

Malinda and Stoke find themselves at an impasse, one seemingly impossible to navigate through. With trouble brewing, life is going to get complicated, and for Malinda, she’s trapped with no way out.

Do you like to read? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

 PJ Fiala wanted to know:

1.  If you could be stuck in a television show for one month, what show would it be and why? 

I don't watch much TV, so this is a tough one. In fact, about the only show I watched on a regular basis before it was cancelled was Longmire. (Thanks Netflix, for picking it up!) I've lived close to the part of the country the fictional county of Absaroka  is set in, and would enjoy a chance to go back and visit. Plus, as it's a small town, maybe I'd get more writing done with fewer distractions. Of course, I might have to spend some time hanging out in the Red Pony Bar with Henry. Talk about a distraction!

2.  If you could have dinner with one famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?

I've answered this question before, and my answer used to be John Denver. I've worked in a reference to him in each of my Oak Grove books. But I've changed my mind. Wouldn't it be great to have the chance to spend some time with Janis Joplin? Sure, she she had more than her share of issues, but what a forceful personality! I think it would be amazing to sit and have a conversation with her. 


3.  If you could live anywhere in the world, money is no object, for 1 year, where would you want to live?

I'd live in a cabin outside of Red Lodge. Montana, near the Beartooth Mountains. If I got really lucky, I'd get one with property that backs up to the National Forest. Sure, I'd have to use a satellite connection for internet access, but I could head into town once in a while to get a better connection and upload all the writing I'd accomplished. Since I wouldn't have to hold down a job, wouldn't have the internet to distract me, and would have the mountains for inspiration, I imagine I'd get a lot done. 

Before you take off to visit the next author, please check out my book page. My Books Then come back here and go check out what author D.K  Cassidy has to say at http://www.dkcassidy.com/