I was so happy to be able to support rising star/fellow Ozarks Romance Author Cecily White!

And then there were Divas. So many Divas! Now, I do have to preface this first picture with the obvious statement: This isn’t her best pic, but it’s the only one my daughter took. Meeting the amazing Queen Kate Pearce was a dream come true.

And I met two out of  THE Three! The beautiful and talented Kristen Painter.

and the Gorgeous, brilliant Eden Bradley/Eve Berlin.

If only our Kitty Snapdragon Jax had been there, I’d have had the trifecta! But the Diva Parade didn’t stop there. I got to meet even more wonderful, beautiful, talented (the descriptors could literally go on for some time!) Divas!

Shelli Stevens

Robin Rotham

Stephanie Draven

Jeannie Lin

If you couldn’t already tell, it was a FABULOUS DAY!

Evie Shepard’s nightmare begins when she finds herself buried alive, with no idea how she got that way. As she struggles to remember what happened to her, she begins to notice changes about herself. Her senses are heightened, her movements are quicker, she is incredibly strong….her heartbeat has stopped. It’s then she makes a disturbing discovery. She wasn’t buried alive. She was murdered. Somehow she has come back…

And she wants revenge.

Awakenings on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17786348-awakenings

About the Author

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J. E. Shannon currently lives in Florida, but is a Missouri native. She spends most of her time reading, writing, and taking care of her small child and two crazy dogs.

You can connect with her on Twitter (@JEShannonauthor), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-E-Shannon/433304970085317) or at her blog (http://jeshannonauthor.blogspot.com.au/).

]]> http://tsueversteeg.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/j-e-shannon-cover-reveal-2/feed/ 8 tsueversteeg Awakenings JE_photo http://tsueversteeg.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/cover-reveal/ http://tsueversteeg.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/cover-reveal/#comments Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:55:17 +0000 Sue https://tsueversteeg.wordpress.com/?p=1059 ]]> I’ve already posted this to Facebook and Twitter. I can’t believe I didn’t blog this first. :-/ In my own defense, Super Hubby had already spilled it on FB. I was just joining in on the fun. So, what do y’all think? I adore it!

So, Gemma and I (Pardon me for a short fan-girl moment. Whew. Okay, I’m cool now.) were discussing character profiles for our upcoming Tahoe Tessie series. I’ve always been more of a visual kind of gal when it comes to my characters and like to have photos and a short bio of details. I try to find a celebrity, friend or even family member as the ground work for my heroes and heroines. This has become even more important as I venture into the world of series writing.

I know many of my blog followers are fellow authors. Do you keep things straight in your head or find yourself keeping a bible of sorts tracking and cross referencing every detail? Perhaps a happy medium? Dish! I want details and suggestions.

And, just in case you were wondering why there is a gorgeous pic of Bradley Cooper in the post, he’s the drool-worthy inspiration for Devin Ryder, one of the love interests for our heroine, Tessie King. Yes, we are hard at work on Luck Be A Lady! As you can see, my research has been sheer torture.

Photo courtesy of Bradley-Cooper.org

I, as a rule, try not to set myself up for failure by doing resolutions. I am, however, working on a few things that I’ve either personally wrestled with this past year, or I’ve witnessed the hurt they’ve caused others.

1. When someone starts a conversation with the words ‘I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I thought you really should know’, you probably need to stop them cold. Unless they are giving you a seed of knowledge that can change your life for the better or save you from harm, there won’t be anything good to come from most of those chats. And this leads me to my next point.

2. ‘Sally thinks you are _____.’ Unless this blank space is a compliment, it doesn’t matter what Sally, Suzie, Tammy or anyone else thinks of you. What you, your family, and your closest friends think of you is all that matters. Especially YOU! Everything else is just their perception of the tiny sliver of your life that they may have misconstrued or assumed. We all know what happens when we assume, right? All of us can learn from this, me included. You don’t know what others have been through to make them pop off at the mouth or do something stupid.

3. Sometimes you just have to walk away from an argument. This has been (IS) tough for me. Some people don’t want to understand your side, no matter what you have to say. I’ve come to the conclusion after the ugly election battles, it’s far better to be happy than right on occasion. Learn to pick your battles. Human nature makes us want to convince others that we are right. Perception and perspective have a lot to do with this, too. Choose which arguments are worth your time and raised blood pressure. Walk away from anything else. A smug smile and a slight shake of the head as you walk away works wonders in a pinch.

4. Labeling someone because of their career choice is often times wrong. Not all attorneys are crooked, not all strippers are prostitutes, not all bankers are bad, and not all romance writers want to sit around chatting about sex with random men. As a romance writer myself, I have absolutely NOTHING against those who do the sex chat thing. There is a niche for every kind of writing one can imagine, and I will never judge anyone who wants to chat it up like that. Unfortunately for the few poor souls I’ve had to block on FB, I am not one of those people.

5. Judging someone from their past isn’t always a good idea. Some people change, grow, evolve and occasionally they even grow up! (I’m betting against the last one for me, but it could happen. Don’t give up hope.) Yes, some will always be the same, stuck in that rut or destructive behavior, but not everyone. I’m different than the person I was in my teens and twenties, thank God. I’m so far from perfect that I can see delusion from here, but I try hard most days to be a better person. Give people from your past a chance at forgiveness. If they hurt you badly, that doesn’t mean you have to forget and give them the opportunity to hurt you again. It just means that you can let the pain go and move on. It’s very freeing. I stumble with this one and grab that hurt back, clutching it to my scarred bosom with brute force at times. Super Hubby even has to remind me once in a while to let it go. It’s a learning process.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful and prosperous new year!

We are also neck deep (and quickly sinking) in the waters of buying a short sale home. As of right now, we are technically homeless. Our daughter has purchased our current home and has graciously allowed us to stay for a few weeks. Hopefully, all will be straightened out and the moving can commence very soon!

I wish you all good tidings and a wonderful season. Since I celebrate Christmas, I wish you all a wonderful December 25th but also a happy whatever you honor this season. See y’all in the new year!

But wait, there’s more!

That fabulous woman has asked ME to co-author her next series. Yup. Me. I still have to pinch myself at times or do random things to make sure it’s real. Just ask Super Hubby. We will be sitting around eating supper, and I’ll announce it like he’s never been told. “Hey, did you know that I signed a contract with Gemma to write her next series?” Most of the time, he just plays along and acts all surprised. With big doe eyes, he’ll exclaim, “No way! That’s fabulous!” He’ll then hug me, dance me around the living room in true Super Hubby style, and I’ll cry or something girly like that. Yeah, I spring that stuff on my kids and friends, too. They don’t dance with me, though. Spoil sports. (Long distance family and friends are off the hook on the dancing part!) I’m sure they are secretly getting tired of my outbursts, but I’m not concerned. I’m riding this wave all the way to the shore! Besides, they love me.

So, we are scheduled to start writing in January. The first book is tentatively titled Luck Be a Lady and involves the Tahoe Tessie legend. I’ve been doing my research. Stay tuned!

This is the story of beautiful, vivacious Emma Prescott who has an unfortunate love-’em-and-leave-’em reputation.  Fact is, Emma’s holding off for a hero.  When she moves to a cabin at wilderness Loon Lake and meets her one neighbor, biology professor Frasier MacKenzie, he’s still just another guy, even with his killer blue eyes and a  body that just won’t quit…until he rescues her and her Pug from one danger after another, from drowning to wild animals to a pair of armed and angry drug dealers.  Then he definitely falls into hero territory. 

The professor has no intention of filling the role of white knight in Emma’s life.  All he wants is to be rid of her and her annoying little dog so he can get on with his “research.”  In fact, he’s ordered to get rid of them whether he wants to or not. But, judging from the following excerpt, maybe he won’t have to worry about that much longer.

Scene:

Emma floored the gas, and they took off with a squealing of tires.“Hey, hey!” he yelled. “Slow down! The speed limit is 100 km. You’re heading to 130!”

“Look, I told you, I’m in a hurry!” she exploded. “I’ve got a ton of things to do back at the cabin. You see,” she continued, quieting and sounding sly, “I’m having a party tonight. I have to get ready.”

“A party? You’re having a party? At the lake?”

Ah, man, that just about tears it.

“Actually, a bachelorette bash. One of my teacher friends is getting married next week, and a bunch of us decided we’d give her a real whing-ding of a sendoff…up at my cabin where there’ll be no witnesses. Teachers and the likes of myself have reputations to think of, you realize.” She cast him a wicked glance.

“So there’ll be music and a lot of noise and…”

The Professor’s blood pressure would skyrocket when he gave him this information.

“Oh, y-e-a-h.” She dragged out the last word.

“Couldn’t you have it somewhere else? Like a male strip joint in town?”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said about teachers and others of that ilk? We can’t be seen parading into one of those places. Our superintendent would suspend every last one of us. Anyway…” She looked over at him. “I don’t see why it should be such a big deal for you. You don’t have to keep banker’s hours. If the noise bothers you, stay up, watch a video, and sleep in on Sunday morning.”

“Okay, okay, but will you please keep your eyes on the road? And slow down! There’s a speed trap somewhere along…”

Behind them a siren wailed.

“Quick!” she ordered, pulling over as the police cruiser rolled alongside. “Hunch over and clutch your chest!”

Want more?! Visit her at GailMacMillan.ca and get your copy!

From the author: Holding Off For a Hero is my 26^th published book.  I also write non-fiction and two of these Ceilidh’s Quest and Biography of a Beagle have won awards in NYC.  I’m a graduate of Queen’s University and live in New Brunswick, Canada with my husband and two dogs, Fancy, a Little River Duck Dog, and (of course, the canine star of Holding Off For a Hero) Bruiser the Pug.  My web is www.gailmacmillan.ca  (drop by, visit, and enjoy the haunting tale of the phantom ship as sung by ECMA winner Lennie Gallant) and you can also follow me on Facebook.  My books are available at Amazon.com and The Wild Rose Press.

Lead in:

Garrett Van Deren is the new kid at the CIA Paranormal Division, and Nia Brooks is a girl lost in the same boy’s club. Neither of them is very happy about finding out that the other is their partner. In this scene they attempt to work things out…Nia’s way.

Scene:

As he stormed back down the hall toward his desk, he spied a scantily clad Nia in the gymnasium area with her red curls pulled into a ponytail. She was attempting to kill Bob, the martial arts training dummy. He watched her small fists slam into his rubber head, followed by elbow jabs and kicks to his jaw.

After pondering his rudeness toward her, he entered the gym and offered his hand. “Agent Garrett Van Deren.”

She turned toward him, wiped sweat from her forehead onto the back of her arm, and stared at his hand. “Small?”

Garrett laughed. “Your boss knows you well.”

Nia’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve been a part of this boy’s club for some time. I can hold my own, trust me.”

“‘Your own’ isn’t what concerns me. What happens when I need help or we end up ambushed by ten guys? I need to know someone has my back. I don’t think you can handle it.”

“So, do you want to get your ass kicked in your jeans or would you like to change first?” After gesturing toward the locker rooms, she slapped her hands on her hips. Shoulders thrust back and chin tilted, she oozed confidence.

“You want to spar with me?” He knew she’d play tough with him eventually, he just hadn’t expected it so soon. He briefly entertained the idea of taking it easy on her. The trained agent inside swatted the idea from his mind, steeling his gaze. He had no qualms about knocking her on her ass, putting her in her place. It might actually do her some good to be humbled a bit.

“Unless you’re afraid to hit a girl, that is.” Nia’s chin jutted further upward.

Garrett kicked his sneakers off to the side while removing his watch, haphazardly tossing it toward his shoes. He was a bit more careful with his gun. He gently removed it from the back waistband of his jeans and laid it on the ground. Stepping onto the matted area, he automatically widened his stance, swinging his hands out in front of him. Motioning her toward him with his fingers, he announced, “Give me your best.”

They summed each other up as they danced about in a circle. Nia threw the first punch. Garrett blocked it, smacking her arm away. He couldn’t keep the smile from creeping onto his face.

Anger emanated from Nia, her face bright red, her jaw clenched tight. She came at him head-on with a misleading punch and a sweep kick, knocking him onto the floor. He jumped back into his stance.

“Bravo, but you can’t keep me down.”

Punches flew; blocks were made, and more dancing around the mat. Finally Nia missed one of his punches. It landed on her jaw, throwing her head back. She flinched for a second but came back with a solid punch to his gut. Stinging heat flooded his abdomen, making him instantly forget his regret for punching her. The sensation he found most disturbing was in his groin. He had to focus somewhere other than her pretty face, sleek curves or he’d be taken down. No sooner had the thought entered his mind than Nia swung a roundhouse kick landing upside his head, knocking him to the floor. In a blur, she was on top of him with his head locked between her surprisingly strong thighs, his chin resting square in her crotch. She squeezed his neck, cutting off his air supply. If it hadn’t been for the inability to breath, he’d have let her keep the pose. The view was amazing. He tried to imagine the panties underneath her shorts. His arm snaked between her legs brushing against her taut, supple skin and pushed her off of his windpipe. Still surprised at her strength, he held back some to preserve her dignity.

Unable to make much of a sound in his position, he croaked, “Truce?”

Her thighs tightened, squeezing his own arm into his neck, her jaw clenched. “I don’t think you’re in much of a position to be asking anything.” Grumbling expletives that ran together into a garbled mess, Nia tightened her thighs in an amazing display of strength then released him and jumped to her feet. “Count your blessings I’m not PMS-ing right now.” Stomping toward the women’s shower room, she tossed a glare back at him as she disappeared into the hallway.

Garrett stood and stared toward the locker rooms, glad to have proof she could stand up for herself. He was content with the knowledge that most other men would also misjudge her strength or become mesmerized and fall prey to her. He brushed off his pants and turned to head for his desk. Levinson stood in the doorway with a knowing smirk on his face.

Shaking his head, Garrett asked, “I don’t suppose you missed all that?”

“No, I walked up when you put your gun down.” Laughing again, he continued, “Which was probably your first mistake. I do think she likes you though. She was holding back.” Levinson’s smile turned more playful.

Running his fingers through his hair, Garrett replied, “Yeah, I was too.”

His new boss slapped him on the shoulder. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Blurb: