Welcome Author Dee Gatrell
Happy Holidays to all! Looking for Holiday/Christmas reads? Give a big welcome to Dee Gatrell, author of Sweet Sunset releasing December 16, 2016! It’s
available for pre-order at Amazon. So get settled in, grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot coco, hot cider and coffee choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick a Snicker-doodle and gingerbread cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Let’s find out a little about Dee and what she refers to as her dysfunctional family book. But up first, Zack the hero in Sweet Sunset. Thanks for joining us Zack?
Well, I wouldn’t call me a hero, just an average guy looking for someone special.
Zack, tell us about the real you.
What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you?
Two of my college buddies were robbed and murdered by two thugs.
Wow, that would make an impression. Did that event change your outlook on life, or your values?
“Change, I wouldn’t say that, but it made me realize how important my family is to me.”
What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with?
“I was married to one who liked to rule me. She passed away. Since meeting Myrtle Sue, I realized how much I enjoy her company. She’s zany, sharp witted, and loves deeply.”
What do you consider most important in life?
Helping others. That is why I became a pschcologist.
What is your biggest secret?
I’m not as brave as I pretend.
So you put on a brave front for Myrtle. Good for you. I know you are short on time, so thanks so much for stopping by Zack.
He waves and hurries out the door as Myrtle Sue ambles in the side door.
You just missed Zack. I guess that’s a good think, since I have a few questions for you while we wait for Dee. Tell me a little about yourself.
Who were the biggest role models growing up?
My role models were my mother and my fifth grade teacher.
What kind of man do you want to spend the rest of your life with?
I was married to a man who liked to control me. Now I want to be with someone who is my equal and doesn’t want to control me.
Boy is that totally understandable. So now what is most important to you in life?
My family.
You and Zack have a lot in common. What is your biggest fear?
Not being the best person and not being able to help others.
Thank you for giving us a little insight into your character. Hi Dee, have a seat next to Myrtle.
Dee is married with four children, 12 grandchildren and three dogs, and having many aunts, uncles and cousins, writing about dysfunctional families is a natural for her.
Born in Akron, Ohio, and growing up in Central Ohio, she and her cousins used to entertain themselves by writing plays and charging a few pennies to the neighbor kids to watch them. Once she married and had her own children, she moved to several states with her Air Force husband. To keep her sanity when the children were running wild, she wrote to all her family and friends back in Ohio. She didn’t know she kept them entertained until years later.
When they moved to Florida, she decided it was time to attend college. In her creative writing class she was often told her writing reminded them of Erma Bombeck. When she worked as a reporter for the Galion Inquirer in Ohio, she proofed stories that were sent in. The day she proofed Bombeck’s story and learned the story was about making shell frames from seashells gathered at the beach, she realized Erma was talking about the story she sold to a craft magazine. How wonderful to know her idol actually read “her” story in the craft magazine. She also wrote for the confession magazines and Chicken Soup for the Soul.
In addition to writing, Dee worked for many years as an educational advisor at Seminole State College in FL. Since retiring, she finally fulfilled her dream of writing a novel. She hopes you will read Sweet Sunset and enjoy spending time with Myrtle Sue and her family.
Dee won’t you tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult?
It was difficult to write. I tried not to put too much of my real family into it, but some slipped in. I took a class from Mary Buckham and she helped a lot.
Do your characters always act as you expect? Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants?
No, my characters do not always act like I expect. I write by the seat of my pants, but wish I could be a plotter.
Oh, I hear you! I’m a panster myself. I tried plotting once, it like to drove me crazy!
Dee, tell us a little about Sweet Sunset.
Myrtle Sue Henderson, widowed, didn’t count on her mother-in-law moving in with her when her husband passed over. But Myrtle Sue’s loopy in-law troubles aren’t her only family baggage—she’s ailed with three adult children who use her like she’s a pair of Depends. With a daughter and two grandchildren attempting to escape an abusive husband, a second unmarried daughter who is pregnant with twins, and a son who refuses to grow up, she’s at her wits end.
Myrtle Sue didn’t figure she’d ever meet another man she’d care for, until she went to church to get away from her troubles, only to find more when her mother-in-law causes chaos and hits an elderly man with her cane and helps herself to money out of the collection plate. That’s how she meets Zack. She figures once he meets her dysfunctional family, he’ll run as fast as he can—away from them.
To learn more about Dee’s adventures, you can find her at – http://deesnews.blogspot.com/ and http://dgatrell.wixsite.com/author
Sounds entertaining. How about a sneak peek into Sweet Sunset?
- Sonja’s eyes widened, and she grinned.I thanked God Adam was blind to Hazel’s faults. “Thank you, Adam. You have no idea how happy I am that you’ll be here for Hazel.” And I really meant what I said.Hazel walked into the kitchen and glanced around. “Who’s here? Oh my goodness! It’s my son Harold. How are you, honey?” She bent over and kissed Adam’s cheek. “And why don’t you ever visit your mommy, you naughty boy?”I rolled my eyes and waved toward Adam. “Hazel, Harold’s been dead for twenty years. This is Adam, Sonja’s friend from the hospital. Remember? He’s a nurse, and he stays with you while I work.” I should’ve added whatever we paid him was worth every penny. He really was good to her.“Oh, yes, Adam, dear.” She frowned at me. “Why can’t you be kind like Adam, Myrtle Sue? You’ve always been so mean to me.”Sonja grinned. “Hi, Nana. How are you?”“I’m fine.” She took a seat and grabbed a muffin. “Who are you? Are you Violet’s daughter?”Sonja narrowed her eyes at her grandmother. “Nana! I’m Sonja, your granddaughter. Myrtle Sue and Don’s daughter.”“Of course.” She laughed and pointed at her head. “You know how it is when you get old. Someday your mother will be just like me.”
Shuddering, I mumbled, “God forbid.”
“I hope you made roast beef for Father,” Hazel said.
“Yes, of course, and I made garlic rolls,” I lied, and then whispered, “Sonja, want some garlic tied around your neck?”
“Mom!”
Hazel pointed at the stove. “Good. And remember, he likes carrots and noodles around his roast beef.”
Adam stood and smiled. “Well, I’ve got to go now. I’ll see you on Monday, Nana.”
“Okay, honey.” She reached into her pocket. “Here’s a dollar. Get yourself something to eat. You’re rather skinny, you know.”
“Thanks,” he said, kissing her cheek.
I walked him to the door.
He handed me the money. “I’ve tried giving her the money back, but she gets mad. You take it.”
I brushed away his hand. “No, Adam. You keep the money. Whatever you get, you deserve. You’re very good with Hazel. Good luck with your new friend.”
Five minutes after Adam left, my son, Terry, arrived.
Terry kissed my cheek. “What’s to eat, Ma?”
I hugged him. “Muffins.” Terry wasn’t pretty like Adam. Instead, he had a rugged look, more like a cowboy. He had those fabulous blue eyes but not the long lashes. His nose showed signs of his youthful fist fights, and his dimples added to his charm. I can’t tell you how many girls called the house for him in his teen years. And yet at the age of twenty-three, he still hadn’t found a special woman.
He grabbed a chair and sat. “Muffins? Don’t you have any real food?”
Sweet Sunset is available for pre-order right now at: Amazon.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged books, Dysfunctional, family, Romance by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Welcome Author Pam Binder and A Match Made in the Highlands!
Happy Holidays to all! Looking for Holiday/Christmas reads? Give a big welcome to author Pam Binder and her holiday tale A Match Made in the Highlands! So get
settled in, grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot coco, hot cider and coffee choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick a Snicker-doodle and gingerbread cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what her Scottish holiday tale is all about. Thanks for joining us!
Pam Binder is an award-winning Amazon and New York Times bestselling author. Publishers Weekly has said: “Binder gracefully weaves elements of humor, magic and romance into her novels.” Drawn to Celtic legends and anything Irish or Scottish, Pam blends historical events, characters, and myths into everything she writes. Pam is also a conference speaker, writing instructor, and president of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.
You can find her at http://pambinder.com
Pam, tell us a little about A Match Made in the Highlands.
Logan Mackinnon, confirmed bachelor, has put his life on hold to help his father care for his mother and honor her dying wish to tour Stirling Castle. Sparks fly when Logan meets Irene Redmond on the tour, and they are both transported back in time to the thirteenth century. But their budding romance is tested when they learn the conditions needed for their return to the twenty-first century. The castle is enchanted and only a marriage between two people who truly love each other will break the spell.
Irene Redmond expected to unravel family secrets, instead she meets Logan Mackinnon, a man who awakens long-ago dreams of a happily-ever-after. But are their feelings strong enough to break the castle’s enchantment?
How about a peek into your Scottish holiday tale?
Strong arms wrapped around her. “Don’t worry,” Logan said. “I’ve go you.”
She clung to his neck as he gathered her closer. She could feel his heart beat against her chest, or was that hers? Random thoughts popped in and out. How had he reached her so fast? Did he think she was clumsy? Too heavy?
Pathetic. He’d saved her, and all she could think about was her weight. Still…
She squirmed in his arms. “Thank you, but you can put me down.”
“And blow my one chance to rescue a beautiful damsel in distress? Not a chance. Besides, we’re almost there.”
Although the bagpipes were louder and she could hear the haunting notes of a flute, the mist was as dense as ever. “How can you tell?” She said.
She felt a rumble of laughter rise in his chest. “It’s a guess. I haven’t a clue.”
You can purchase this lovely holiday tale at the links below:
Thank you so much for stopping by. I love holiday stories. Don’t you? Best of luck with A Match Made in the Highlands! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! Check back often for more Holiday release spotlights for your reading pleasure.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Christmas, Holiday, Paranormal, Romance, Scotland by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights, New Release by Peggy Jaeger!
REVIEW UPDATE: I grabbed a copy of A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights and sat down with a mug of hot Chocolate. Here’s what I thought.
Once again the San Valentino family is making me laugh out loud at their antics. From holiday festivals, funerals, church attendance and exploding diapers this is an entertaining novella. Gia is the youngest of a large, loud Italian family, who is trying to study for and pass her CPA tests, while helping out at the holiday festival.
She yearns for a husband and babies of her own. Yet the meddling, well-meaning relatives arranged dates do nothing for her love life. The man she is attracted to causes emotional turmoil because of a whopper of a misunderstanding. This is a fun, heartwarming holiday tale of great food, big families and true love. I highly recommend this holiday novella by Peggy Jaeger. Get your copy, curl up by the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate and popcorn. Enjoy!
Happy holidays to all! Looking for Christmas reads? Give a big welcome to author Peggy Jaeger and her new holiday release A Kiss Under the Christmas 
Lights available today! So get settled in, grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot cocoa, hot cider and coffee choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick a Snicker-doodle and gingerbread cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights is all about. Thanks for joining us!
Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance novelist who writes about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.
Peggy’s Social Media Sites:
Tell us a little about A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights.
With Christmas just a few weeks away, Gia San Valentino, the baby in her large, loud, and loving Italian family, yearns for a life and home of her own with a husband and bambini she can love and spoil. The single scene doesn’t interest her, and the men her well-meaning family introduce her to aren’t exactly the happily-ever-after kind.
Tim Santini believes he’s finally found the woman for him, but Gia will take some convincing she’s that girl. A misunderstanding has her thinking he’s something he’s not.
Can a kiss stolen under the Christmas lights persuade her to spend the rest of her life with him?
How about a sneak peek into A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights?
After an hour of helping people move supplies from cars, I passed by mama who was carrying a humongous plastic swaddled baby Jesus statue for the crèche when she called out, “The new guy is here.”
“Where?” I put down the ladder I’d been carting and looked in the general direction of where she’d pointed her chin since her arms were full of the Lord.
I found him in an instant. It wasn’t difficult because he was the only guy in the parking lot I didn’t recognize. Plus, he was dressed head to toe in basic clergy black. Black long sleeved shirt under a black vest over black trousers and standard issue shiny black boring priest shoes.
His back was to me and he was carrying a table, but after he put it down and turned around I got a good look at the front of him.
And Holy Mary, Mother of God, what a front he had.
Close cropped military style hair the color of wind blown wheat topped a head which stood – truly – head and shoulders above everyone else around. The guy had to be six-three at least. Sharp, etched cheekbones God cut with a knife, sat under deep and dark oval shaped eyes. His face was a composite of planes and angles, the carved cheeks meeting up with a chiseled-from-stone chin. Hardened concrete looked softer than this guy’s jawline. His nose was perfectly fixed in the center of his face, the slight aquiline bend at the tip bringing to mind Michelangelo’s David, the cupid’s bow under it well-defined and pronounced. Clean shaven, his mouth was full and thick and – God help me – looked utterly kissable.
I could tell even with the chunky vest covering his torso, he was closer to thin than stocky, but from the way his biceps pulled against his sleeves, he had some muscle to him.
And some pair of legs. They went on forever, from heaven to earth in a full, hard line.
I don’t know how long I stood there just gawking with my mouth open like an empty cannoli shell waiting to be filled, but I’m being truthful when I say I couldn’t move. My feet were frozen to the ground, my knees had locked, and my hips weren’t taking me anywhere soon.
This was one beautiful man.
The old masters would have used him as a springboard for their work, and I could actually picture him in a Botticelli fresco, garbed in Roman robes, lounging while naked, buxom-breasted chubby women fed him grapes and sweetmeats.
In the time it took for a hummingbird to flap its wings once, I pictured myself as one of those women.
Peggy, where can we find A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights? No people not an actually kiss, LOL the book. Unless of course Peggy is holding out on us. Sorry Peggy, i just couldn’t help myself. Holidays can make me loopy. <grin>
Thank you so much for stopping by. I love holiday stories. Best of luck with A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! Check back often for more Holiday Release spotlights for your reading pleasure.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Christmas, Holiday, Italian Family, Romance by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
Celebrating Holiday Book Release For Author K. K. Weil
Happy holidays to all! Looking for Christmas reads? Give a big welcome to author K.K. Weil and her new holiday release Better to Give, releases tomorrow, Nov 30th, preorder available. So get settled in, grab a insulated mug. I’ve got hot coco, hot cider and coffee choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick a Snicker-doodle and/or gingerbread cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. They are yummy! Lets see what Better to Give is all about. Thanks for joining us K.K.
She grew up in Queens, but eventually moved to New York City, the inspiration for many of her stories. K.K. attended SUNY Albany as an undergrad and NYU as a graduate student, and is a former teacher. She now enjoys writing her own dramas and lives near the beach in New Jersey, where she is at work on her next novel.
You can find her here.
Website: http://kkweil.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KKWeilAuthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KK_Weil
Blog: www.KKWeil.blogspot.com
Tell us a little about Better to Give.
For most people, the holidays are a time of warmth, happiness and celebration. But to Jenna Samuels, they mean only one thing. Mounting debt. A single mother, Jenna struggles to make ends meet and to her, it’s a season of excess and distress.
James Garrison is in over his head, too. His ex-wife said he wasn’t equipped to take care of his twins, and now that he’s got joint custody, he fears she was right. They’re wild, spoiled, and always fighting. When they knock Jenna’s daughter into the “Gifting Tree,”—a part of their town’s charity collection—the parents are immediately attracted to each other. But James has had his fill of cold women and Jenna won’t make the mistake of falling for another man who disappears when life gets too heavy.
As their paths cross, James and Jenna must decide whether first impressions are accurate, or if sometimes, people are not what you assume at all.
Can you give us a sneak peek into Better to Give?
I needed some air. I just attacked a man for no good reason. Sure, one of his kids almost send Nora tumbling into a tree, but I could tell he was overwhelmed and I pounced anyway.
While his kids fought, the guy covered his face with his hands – the international sign for losing parental control. As he removed his hands, though, an awful thing happened. I got a good look at him and heat ran through every crevice of my body. No one should be as handsome as that guy was. Plus, I always had a thing for guys who were in over their heads, and he was definitely drowning with those kids.
I hadn’t reacted that way to a guy in a long time and I didn’t want to. My life was on track. I didn’t need some annoyingly smoky-hot, anti-super-dad screwing up my plans.
It was a problem because he clearly enjoyed the view, too. I knew what guys were thinking when they looked at me, and spoke to me, that way. When I mixed the way he was engrossed in me with my reaction to him, plans got derailed and things like Nora happened. Those smouldery guys don’t stick around once the Noras of the world arrive. So even though they’re still scorching hot, they no longer act like you are.
They disappear.
At least that was my experience. One I didn’t intend to repeat.
Where can we find Better to Give?
Thank you so much for stopping by. I love holiday stories. Best of luck with Better to Give! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! Tomorrow I will be spotlighting Peggy Jaeger’s A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights! Don’t miss it!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Christmas, family, Holiday, Romance by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
