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An Interview with Jeny Heckman, author of THE WARRIOR’S PROGENY

30 Thursday Jul 2020

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I’m excited to feature another sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) today.  Please welcome Jeny Heckman, author of The Warrior’s Progeny.  I have lots of questions, so let’s get to it!

At what age did you write your first story?

I was a very busy thirty-six-year old mom of two, and I wrote it just to see if I could.

Which genre was the first to hook you?

Historical – Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was eight.

What was your first published book?

It’s called The Catch. I just wanted to see if I could write a book, and my favorite show at the time was Deadliest Catch. The book is about Faith, a woman crab fisherman, which is not only unusual but superstitiously unlucky. So, I wanted to write her story.

Sounds interesting!  What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

Great question, Judith! Really, it’s the writing. I love sitting down with a white screen and no interruptions, and creating a story until my arms and fingers literally want to fall off. There’s nothing better. So often it’s all the other things that get in the way.

What are you working on now?

In fact, I’m beginning the edits with my publisher on a spin off novella from the Heaven & Earth series, entitled Dee’s Cornucopia. The fans voted overwhelmingly to know her story. Between releasing and promoting The Warrior’s Progeny and those edits, I’m re-working The Catch to get it just perfect and then re-release it as well. In all, I hope to have four books out this year and I’m down to two!

Whoa!  That’s a lot of books for one year.  Of all the settings you’ve used (or created!) for your books, which is your favorite?

Oh, it’s got to be Kauai, Hawaii. I even had to go there to do “research” for The Sea Archer, book one of the series. I fell in love with the Garden Island and the Hawaiian Monk Seals!

Cool!  Have you ever dreamed about a character you created?

Ha ha, all of them! They bug me all the time, and yes, even in my sleep!

If you could have a conversation with anyone—dead or alive—who would it be?

Seriously, it would be my father-in-law, Chuck Heckman. I wrote The Catch while he was in the last stages of his cancer, and as he passed. He was an incredibly warm and loving man, who had no judgement. I would give anything to sit down and talk with him again.

I truly wish I could grant you that wish.  How about another?  If you could travel to any time and place, when and where would that be?

Well, both of my kids are now grown. I’d either go back, just to do it all again or go back to the times when our country was first being formed and all that history was being made.

Great choices!  If you could step inside any book or series and live there for a week, which would you choose?

It’s got to be Outlander, right? I am in love with Scotland and always have been, the greatest trip of my life was going there and staying a month. Seeing the history of that land and the lasting structures is really nothing short of amazing.

I studied Scottish history at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and LOVED living there, so I’m with you!  If a fairy godmother appeared and offered you one thing—anything at all—what would you request?

Okay, I’m going to be really awful and boring here but say a new body, especially feet and knees! Very unsexy, I know but there it is!

A new body…not a bad idea!  Now, it’s time to learn some of your favorites!

Sound: My kid’s laughter

Eye color: Green

Foreign language (whether or not you speak it!): Gaelic

Song: I love powerful songs with huge meaning like Hurt (Johnny Cash), or show theme songs like Woke up this Morning (Sopranos) or Outlander’s original theme song (I know I’m weird). Then it’s country.

Book: Outlander

Movie: Pride and Prejudice and The Full Monty

TV show: So many! Game of Thrones, Soprano’s, 30 for 30’s

Cuisine: Italian

Cookie: Chocolate chip

US location: U.S. Virgin Islands

Foreign location: Scottish Highlands

And finally, list your preference from the following choices:

Tea or coffee? Triple Grande Nonfat Caramel Macchiato

Cake or pie? Lemon Meringue Pie

Halloween or Christmas? CHRISTMAS!!!!

Nancy Drew or Sherlock Holmes? Nancy Drew

Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters? Jane Austen

A mortal, vampire, ghost, or fae for a lover? Mortal

English gent, Scottish highlander, European count, or all-American guy? Scottish Highlander

I’d like to truly thank Judith and all her readers for having me on today. I’m truly thankful for your time! Cheers!

It’s been a pleasure having you here, Jeny.  I wish you all the best with your new release!  And now, a little more about The Warrior’s Progeny:

Colton Stone is a newly traded tight end whose reputation is as battered as his football helmet. When he receives a vacation invitation from his new teammates, he accepts. There he collides with Dr. Lillian Morgan, a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon, and doesn’t know what to think.

A widow with two children, Lilly is looking forward to her friends’ wedding. When she meets Colton Stone, his arrogant attitude only makes her long for the love she took for granted. Lilly struggles between letting go of her perfect past for an uncertain future.

Strange events occur, out of the realm of normal consciousness. When black energy touches their world Colt and Lilly become the pawns of the immortal Greek gods. Is the love developing between them natural, or part of a larger prophecy?

A peek between the pages:

“You couldn’t have known,” Colt said.

“I’m a doctor,” she retorted. “I’m trained to know.”

“Oh, bullshit.” She drew her brows together and looked at him with irritation. Undaunted, he continued. “You were his wife, not his doctor.” Glancing back at the picture, he drank from his glass. “He was a young guy…looked fit…father of two.” Colt turned to look at her again. “Young, fit, fathers of two don’t get stage four pancreatic cancer and die in ten months. He wasn’t your patient, Lillian, and you weren’t looking at him like a patient. He was your husband, and he died.”

“Colt.” She took a breath, placed a hand on his, and backed up a little. “Look, I know you want something, but we’re broken here, and I can’t give you what you…”

“Bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit. It’s how I feel. I’ve got kids to think about and responsibilities. You want easy and I’m not that.”

“You don’t even know me, Lilly.”

“I know. That’s what I’ve been trying to say.”

“No, that’s what you’re trying to use as an excuse. Those kids aren’t damaged because of their dad, you are. Those kids have a mom who loves them and makes damn sure they aren’t damaged. You’re afraid to try, so you hide behind your dead husband.”

“How dare you be so callous?”

“How dare you use your husband to get out of trying again? You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman and your life isn’t over.”

Buy the book:

Amazon Kindle | Nook | iBooks

More about Jeny:

Award-winning author, Jeny Heckman, was born in Bellingham, Washington, and was the youngest of two daughters. She met her husband, Jeff, in August 1992, and eloped three months later, at Magen’s Bay, on St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

She wrote her first book, the Catch, in a few short months but took several years before she gained the courage to self-publish it at her son’s urging, and her love for writing began.

In 2018, Jeny knew her next project would be a series that showed adults could have adventures in the paranormal-fantasy genre too. So, she created the Heaven & Earth series, a story of doomed Greek gods and their only salvation, their modern-day descendants. Her first book of the series, the Sea Archer, was immediately picked up by the New York publishing house, the Wild Rose Press, and won, “Best in Category” from the 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards.

In the year 2020, Jeny released, Dancing Through Tears, a short story from the anthology, Australia Burns: Volume Two, highlighting the Route 91 massacre from the perspective of one family at the concert, and at Mandalay Bay. She also intends to release, the Warrior’s Progeny, and Dee’s Cornucopia, in 2020, continuing the Heaven & Earth Series.

Jeny lives in Washington State with her husband of over twenty-eight years.

Where to find her:

Website: https://jenyheckman.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heckman.jeny

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenyheckman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenyheckman

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenyheckman17

GoodReads: https://bit.ly/3fd8RJA

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jeny-heckman

YouTube: https://bit.ly/30vNfUI

Newsletter Sign-up: http://eepurl.com/dDTPI9

An Interview with Sydney Winward, author of BLOODBOND

29 Wednesday Jul 2020

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I’m thrilled to welcome back Sydney Winward, a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) whose upcoming release, Bloodbond, is sure to send shivers of delight down your spine.  I’m going to pepper her with questions, so we’d best get started!

Good morning, Sydney!  At what age did you write your first story?

I was twelve years old when I had a really epic dream. I decided I wanted to write it down, but one page turned into two, two into three, and soon it was a fully fledged novel, all written by hand. The pencil made a permanent dent in my finger! But that’s when I realized how much I loved to write and that I wanted to continue doing it. Prophecy of the Eight was NOT good haha! But it opened my eyes to a passion I didn’t know I had.

I understand that passion completely!  I know you’re an avid reader.  Which genre was the first to hook you?

Definitely fantasy. I loved reading about dragons, princesses, and magic. I soon discovered paranormal, and later historical fiction. But fantasy will always have my heart.

It’s a great genre!  What was your first published book?

Bloodborn, a paranormal romance. I knew everyone was sick of the whole vampire scene. The whole genre was bled dry. But what if I could write something different? A bit of my own vampire mythology with magic weaved in, mixed with classic vampire lore? Don’t worry! There are no sparkly vampires in my story. More like if they step into the sunlight, they will die a very horrible, very painful death.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Brainstorming?  Research?  Outlining?  Writing?  Editing?

I love them all (and hate them all) for different reasons, but my favorite part of the writing process has to be brainstorming. I love coming up with new characters. I love trying to figure out how the hero and heroine fit together, and what their past looks like. This part is the most exciting, which helps fuel me as I begin to write the story.

I love brainstorming too!  Tell me, what are you working on now?

I recently started a new series. Historical fiction with a small bit of fantasy weaved in. The first book, A Waltz with Lord Death, is a story about the Grim Reaper and the sudden mess he finds himself in when Lord Life dies. Without his other half, so to speak, to balance his power, the balance of the world shifts and everything and everyone starts to die. But when he meets Meira, a potential candidate for the new Lady Life, he has to convince her to take the job before it’s too late. However, he never expected to fall in love.

I’m currently writing the second in the series, Lord Time’s Keeper. Lord Time is being hunted by someone who actually has the power to kill him and take away his immortality. But when he loses his pocket watch, the one thing keeping his powers balanced, crap hits the fan. He takes refuge on a ship bound for America, where he meets a widow and her son. He has to choose between following his heart and forsaking the ones he loves to keep them safe from the man hunting him.

Sounds like a wonderful series!  Of all the settings you’ve used (or created!) for your books, which is your favorite? Why?

My favorite setting is definitely the vampire city of Ichor Knell. Dark clouds swirl around an even darker castle, keeping vampires safe from sunlight exposure. The castle is a city within a city, which is filled with jewel trees. Instead of leaves, they’re covered in emeralds, sapphires, and more.

How cool!  I’ve always preferred clouds to sunshine–the darker, the better–a fact which made growing up in Florida problematic.  Your vampire city sounds like a paradise, with lots of interesting characters.  Have you ever dreamed about a character you created?

Oh, I wish! Wouldn’t that be awesome?

It certainly would!  If you could have a conversation with anyone—dead or alive—who would it be?

I’m going to go into a fictional world for this one. I absolutely love Merlin from the Merlin TV show. He’s such an interesting character, and it would be so fun to get to know him better. Maybe he could even show me a spell or two. If we’re not caught and hanged by Uther Pendragon, that is.

Great choice!  If you could travel to any time and place, when and where would that be?

Late 1800s America. There’s just something about a hard-working farmer/rancher that is so sexy! The land of opportunity. It would be interesting to see how people lived life back then.

Yes!  If you could step inside any book or series and live there for a week, which would you choose?

Oh, that’s a hard one. I would have to go with A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I love the world it takes place in and the magic. Throw in a bit of Rhysand and I wouldn’t want to leave after the week was over.

If a fairy godmother appeared and offered you one thing—anything at all—what would you request?

To live in a fantasy world filled with magic. Was I the only one who grew up desperately wishing magic was real?

I’ve always believed in magic, so you’re not alone.  Now, it’s time to learn some of your favorites!

Sound: Thunder

Eye color: dark brown (yum! ;))

Foreign language (whether or not you speak it!): Italian

Song: I can never choose just one. I have a lot of favorites. Here’s one I really like that’s a cover of Eagle-Eye Cherry: “Save Tonight” by Tom Speight and Lydia Clowes

Book: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Movie: Stardust or Megamind or Mission Impossible: Fallout

TV show: Merlin

Cuisine: Mexican

Cookie: M&M

US location: Ketchikan, Alaska

Foreign location: Never been out of the states! But I would love to visit Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria.

And finally, list your preference from the following choices:

Tea or coffee? Hot chocolate 😉

Cake or pie? Cake

Halloween or Christmas? Halloween

Nancy Drew or Sherlock Holmes? Sherlock Holmes

Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters? Jane Austen

A mortal, vampire, ghost, or fae for a lover? Sooo hard to choose! Probably fae.

English gent, Scottish highlander, European count, or all-American guy? English gent

Thanks so much for joining me, Sydney.  I wish you great success with Bloodbond.  Speaking of which, here’s the scoop on the story:

Zachariah Degore spent ten years locked under ground as a feral vampire. Now he has to redefine what it means to be healthy and whole. With his human life behind him, he starts anew in the vampire city of Ichor Knell with the vampire shah as his kin. He must prove he is worthy of his place in this new world.

Laurel Covaci is vampire elite, she would never court a feral vampire. After two hundred years she has yet to find a mate who meets with her satisfaction. She hides the pain of past hurt and abandonment behind a cold façade. Zach is confident that Laurel is the vampire for him, but can he break through her icy walls and convince her he’s the mate she’s been waiting for?

A peek between the pages:

She stared at him. And stared. Until it became uncomfortable. 

So he stood and started to pack up his things, but she glared at him and pointed to his seat. 

“Sit.” He did. Who could disobey a tone like that? “You can’t kill?” she asked incredulously. “You only recently came out of being feral, correct?” He nodded. “And you can’t kill? Human blood doesn’t send you into a rage. You refused to drink from the goblet at the service.” 

“Have you been spying on me?” 

She ignored his comment, and her mouth puckered slightly as if in deep concentration. He couldn’t help but stare. He’d never seen her do it before. Another endearing quality he added to the lengthy list of what made Laurel Covaci absolutely perfect. 

“I have searched high and low, but I simply cannot find any answers to this particular conundrum,” she finally said. Heat rose to his ears. She’d been thinking about him? 

He grinned. “Well, well, Lady Covaci. I didn’t realize I was filling up your thoughts.” 

She blushed prettily, and he almost expected her to get up from the table and leave, regretting she even sat down in the first place. But she stayed put. In fact, she stared right back as if challenging him. He enjoyed the eye contact. Her eyes were so blue. So beautiful. They took him back to green fields of his childhood, of staring back at the blue sky as clouds lazily drifted past. 

Watch the book trailer!

 

Buy Bloodbond:

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

A little more about Sydney:

Sydney Winward was born with an artistic brain and a love of discovery for new talents. From drawing to sewing to music, she has loved to explore every opportunity that comes her way. At a young age, Sydney discovered her love of writing, and she hasn’t been able to stop writing since. Her active imagination and artistic mind take her away to different worlds and time periods, making every new story a fantastic adventure. When she is not writing (or fawning over animals in the neighborhood) she spends time with her husband and children at home in Utah.

Where to find her:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Instagram

TO HEAL A HEART by Jana Richards

22 Wednesday Jul 2020

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I’m excited to welcome Jana Richards, yet another sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) today!  She’s here to talk about her recent release, To Heal a Heart.  It’s a contemporary romance with a hero and heroine who are in pain and in need of rescue.  Here’s the story:

Garrett Saunders’ world changed two years ago on a road in Afghanistan. Back home, he feels like a stranger. As he struggles to find his place in the world, he meets a horse destined for the slaughterhouse and a woman bent on rescuing the strays of the world, including him.

Blair Greyson moves to Masonville to look after her ailing grandfather and give her rescue horses a home. Right away she butts heads with a surly former Marine. Despite a rocky start, they come to an agreement: Blair will board Garrett’s rescue horse and he’ll help with repairs around her farm.

Garrett finds purpose working with Blair—and falls in love with her. But she’s hiding a secret. Can she forgive herself and accept Garrett’s love, or will she let guilt and regret continue to rule her life?

Garrett and Blair are complex characters, and Jana wants us to know five things about them:

~ They both come from families with three children. Garrett is the oldest with two younger sisters. And Blair is the youngest with two older brothers.

~ While Garrett comes from a happy family and had an idyllic childhood, Blair’s family is best described as dysfunctional. She and her brothers have found that some hurts are difficult to put behind them.

~ Something Garrett and Blair have in common: compassion and a love of animals. Garrett found he couldn’t abandon a horse to sure death. He buys Harry at an auction despite his poor condition. Blair has rescued two horses. Stormy was a racehorse who could no longer race and was about to be euthanized, and Rainbow was abandoned at a riding stable when her owner went bankrupt. Blair couldn’t let either of them suffer or die.

~ Garrett spent ten years in the Marines until a suicide bomber in Afghanistan ended his career. Now he’s trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

~ Blair works as a veterinary technician, which is sort of like a nurse for animals. She’s often more comfortable in the company of animals than with people!

A peek between the pages of To Heal a Heart:

He pushed himself to his feet, disconcerted by his unsteadiness. He made a few halting steps toward the gate as Blair ran into the yard.

“I forgot my sweater,” she said, grabbing the garment from the back of a chair and slipping it on. “It’s cooler than I thought. Are you sure you don’t want to watch the fireworks with us?”

“No, I—”

His words were cut off by a loud explosion, and his only thought was that he had to protect Blair. He grabbed her and threw her to the ground, covering her body with his. He was under attack. Why was Blair in Afghanistan? How could he keep her safe?

Through the chaos and noise he heard her muffled voice beneath him. “Garrett, you’re crushing me.”

He shifted his weight slightly. “Shh. I’m sorry. You have to stay down and quiet. I can’t let them hurt you.”

She stopped struggling. “Who’s going to hurt me?”

“Can’t you hear the mortar fire? I have to protect you.”

Her hand rubbed his back in gentle circles. “It’s all right, Garrett. It’s only fireworks. It can’t hurt us. We’re safe here.”

He lifted his head and looked around. He was in Cole and Lauren’s back yard in Masonville. There were no bombs, no shelling, no Taliban. He looked down into Blair’s face, into the pity in her eyes. He rolled off her, disgusted with himself.

Disgusted and scared. He was losing his mind.

Buy the book:

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Amazon.UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Amazon.de: https://www.amazon.de/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Amazon.fr: https://www.amazon.fr/Heal-Heart-Masonville-Book-ebook/dp/B0875SLGK6

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-heal-a-heart-jana-richards/1136868654?ean=2940162717966

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/to-heal-a-heart/id1508639914

More about Jana:

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Connect with her:

Website:  http://www.janarichards.com

Blog:  http://janarichards.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Amazon UK Author Page:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B002DEVWWG

Newsletter Signup:  http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards

Thanks for joining me today, Jana.  Best of luck with the book!

SEA SALT LAVENDER FOR APHRODITE by Julie Howard

05 Friday Jun 2020

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Please welcome Julie Howard!  She’s a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) and has a yummy new release: Sea Salt Lavender for Aphrodite, part of our publisher’s One Scoop or Two summer series.  She’s here to tell us all about her love for ice cream and this fun read, which you can snap up for only $1.99.  Take it away, Julie!

After a mild, damp spring, summer laid down its gauntlet last weekend with our first hundred-degree day. I opened the freezer to a welcome rush of frigid air and reached for the ice cream. An ice cream bar, vanilla covered in a crisp chocolate nutty shell, to be exact.

That’s this week’s treat. Next week it’ll be a different flavor. I’ve never been a plain vanilla kind of gal. I need variety. Strawberry, peach, coffee, chocolate chip, mango, mint chip, mocha, and daiquiri. I’ve tried strawberry with black pepper, bourbon, and green tea. Going ice cream tasting is sort of like wine tasting, right? Somebody offer ice cream flights, please!

My love of this sweet treat is the reason I knew exactly what kind of food truck my heroine in my latest book would have. Rosella Rivers is a former pastry chef-turned-entrepreneur who now sells unique flavors from the truck she parks each day at the beach boardwalk. Chocolate eggplant, anyone? (Okay, that one wasn’t a success for her.)

After the murder of an acquaintance, she falls head over heels with the detective who investigates the case. He’s lactose intolerant. What’s a girl to do?

Sea Salt Lavender for Aphrodite is a light, cozy mystery that evokes soft lapping waves, seagulls, and warm sand between your toes. I hope you enjoy!

A little more about the book:

Rosella Rivers enjoys the perfect life, loving her new ice cream food truck business featuring exotic flavors. But her beach view parking space is not so lovable when she finds an acquaintance stabbed to death in the boardwalk bathroom.

Detective Mark Pruitt knows murder is bad for small-town Olympus Bay. He must find the suspect before he strikes again. When he first sets eyes on Rosella, the only witness, he is smitten. However, there’s no time for romance when danger lurks. 

Together he and the lovely ice cream maker must discover the killer before he turns his sight on Rosella.

A peek between the pages:

The echo of a drip-drip-drip resonated from within. Rosella glanced around, wishing a man would pass by, someone she could send inside on her behalf. On this side of the structure, though, the beachfront was hidden from view and the building backed by sand dunes. Unless someone needed to use the facilities, they wouldn’t approach.

“Mick?”

A distant chime from the town clock made her heart sink. Ten a.m. Opening time. She had to get back to her truck. A fresh round of anxious yips sounded. She scooted to the corner of the building and peeked toward her truck. Aphrodite stood at attention, straining at the leash. The dog barked twice at spotting her and renewed efforts to break free of the tether.

She returned to the doorway. “Mick, I’m just going to step inside since I’m a little bit worried, just to make sure you’re okay. Let me know if I shouldn’t come in.” No response sounded. “All right, coming in.”

The odor hit her first. Heavy, sweet, sickening. Then her eyes registered the scene. Mick lay face down in the middle of the tile floor, a steady stream of deep red blood winding its way toward a drain.

Buy the book:

Amazon | B & N | Apple Books

More about Julie:

Julie Howard is the author of the best-selling Wild Crime and Spirited Quest series. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. Now she edits an online anthology, Potato Soup Journal, and spends many delightful hours writing her books.

Where to find her:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Twitter

Thanks for joining us today, Julie.  Wishing you all the best with your new release!  🙂

LETTERS AND LIES by Colleen L. Donnelly

27 Wednesday May 2020

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Please welcome Colleen L. Donnelly, a bestselling author and sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press).  She’s here to tell us about her new release, Letters and Lies, and why she wrote it.  Take it away, Colleen!

Something about the old west brings out the humorous side of me, while other time periods I’ve written about have dredged up more hard-hitting dilemmas that pertain to the heart. Maybe this era, with all of the hardships homesteaders encountered as they forged their way across what became the United States, created the perfect mix of conditions to cause a woman to stand up and be counted along with the men. The grit and determination to lay hold of and maintain what was she believed was hers is awe inspiring…but then an amusing romp when the heroine tightens her grip behind a ladylike smile.

This story was written for fun, but also for the Louise Archer in all of us. I may have planted my character in the 1870s, that uncomfortable time when women teetered between the need to be strong and the rejection of it, but we each have our moment of knowing what we want, deciding a small lie or a red face are costs we’re willing to suffer for it, and facing in the end that we have far more savvy than anyone…including ourselves…thought.

If there is any “lesson” in the story, it is faith and hope in your open door. When the doorway to the West opened up, people and families felt the call to go find theirs and pass through it. When Louise receives a mailed proposal from a homesteader out West, she accepts with relish the open door to marriage she’d always waited for. But back then, as now, open doors close. Louise’s did, and with the spirit of a determined pioneer, she puts herself through over three-hundred pages of embarrassing escapades to wedge that door back open again. Only to find, like many frustrated settlers and even us, faith takes us to the door always meant to be ours to begin with.

A little more about Letters and Lies:

Louise Archer boards a westbound train in St. Louis to find the Kansas homesteader who wooed and proposed to her by correspondence, then jilted her by telegram – Don’t come, I can’t marry you. Giving a false name to hide her humiliation, her lie backfires when a marshal interferes and offers her his seat.

Marshal Everett McCloud intends to verify the woman coming to marry his homesteading friend is suitable. At the St. Louis train station, his plan detours when he offers his seat to a captivating woman whose name thankfully isn’t Louise Archer.

Everett’s plans thwart hers, until he begins to resemble the man she came west to find, and she the woman meant to marry his friend.

A peek between the pages:

“He wrote and changed your plans? Why didn’t you tell me? You know I love hearing his letters.”

Everyone loved hearing his letters. Or at least they’d pretended to. I glanced at my friends, especially the one who’d first suggested I correspond with her husband’s homesteading friend in Kansas who was ready to look for a wife. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief while she flicked the fingers of her other hand in a weak wave. I dredged my soul in search of a smile. The man she’d introduced me to truly had penned everything I’d ever wanted in a husband, months of letters which convinced Mama Jim was my open door. Letters I’d foolishly carted from family to friend to blather every word like a desperate spinster. Drat.

“He didn’t send his change of plans in a letter, Mama. He sent them in a telegram.” Don’t come, I can’t marry you. The only words I never shared.  

“Well I imagine your Jim has a surprise for you and didn’t have time to send a letter before you left for Crooked Creek. How thoughtful to wire you instead.”

Thoughtful…I felt poisoned and Mama would too if she ever found out Jim had shut my open door. Which she wouldn’t, since as soon as I got out there and found him, I’d wedge it back open again.

Buy the book:

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More about Colleen:

Born and raised in the Midwest, Colleen studied and worked in science, using that career to travel and explore other parts of the country. An avid fan of literature, both reading and writing, she loves tales involving moral dilemmas and the choices people come up against. A lover of the outdoors as well as a comfy living room, Colleen is always searching inside and out for the next good story.

Where to find her:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Thanks for joining us today, Colleen.  Wishing you all the best with the book!

Sadira Stone’s New Release ~ LOVE, ART, AND OTHER OBSTACLES

19 Tuesday May 2020

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I’m excited to welcome sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) Sadira Stone today!  We’ll get a peek between the pages of her new release, Love, Art, and Other Obstacles, which is part of her Book Nirvana series.  She’s also here to tell us about her inspiration for the series.  Take it away, Sadira!

Until 2016, I was one of those readers—literary snobs who look down their noses at romance for the usual stupid reasons: too corny, too predictable, too fluffy. Then I read about how fun and lucrative writing erotica can be. I thought, what the heck? Let’s try.

I have never had so much fun with a writing project! My first steamy romance, Through the Red Door, nearly wrote itself, though it damn sure didn’t edit itself. Now I’m totally addicted to passionate, heartfelt stories with happy endings, both as a reader and as a writer. 

Why set the series in a bookshop? Ever since I was a wee lass, I dreamed of owning one. Add to that my fascination with historical erotic art and literature, and you’ve got the Book Nirvana series, set in an indie bookshop with an extensive erotica collection behind a locked red door.

I love writing stories in which a couple’s powerful physical attraction leads them to consider a partner outside their usual M.O.—one who just might turn out to be their perfect match. That’s how it happened for my husband and me!

I wanted to set my series in a college town, so I chose Eugene, home of the University of Oregon, with its lively arts scene and rich counterculture legacy from the hippie era. It’s now my favorite Oregon town to visit!

The scoop on Love, Art, and Other Obstacles:

Rejected by her family for her bisexuality, graphic artist Margot DuPont yearns for a life with no fences, no limits, and no family ties. Between college, work at Book Nirvana, and an art competition, she barely has time for her part-time girlfriend, much less a flirtation with her competitor.

Dumped into the foster system at a young age, ceramics artist Elmer Byrne craves a big, loving family of the heart. His artist family almost fills that need, but something is missing…until Margot. But when he offers his heart, her thorny defenses shatter him.

Thrown together in an art competition that could jump-start one artist’s career, but not both, their irresistible attraction forces them to reconsider the meaning of success.

A peek inside:

                “Tell you what,” he said. “How about if we have drinks and talk about anything but the competition?”

                “Because…why?”

                “You’re a real hard-ass, aren’t you?” He rolled his eyes. “Because I like you, Margot.”

                “Why?”

                He leaned so close their foreheads almost touched, a challenge simmering in his smile. “Have a drink with me and find out.”

                If there was one thing she couldn’t resist, it was a challenge. On the other hand, he might not like her so much if he knew about Darcy. Let that be the test, then. Let him prove he wasn’t one of those possessive, controlling guys Darcy warned her about.

                “Okay. I will.” She stepped back. “But you should know, I’m sort of seeing someone.”

                His thick auburn brows contracted. “Sort of?”

                “A woman.”

                His nostrils flared on a deep inhalation, but he held her gaze. “Is it serious?”

                “Not really.” Might as well serve up the truth, raw and ungarnished. Might as well be honest with herself too. “She lives in Berkeley. I only see her every month or two.”

                Holding her gaze, he nodded. “Okay then. Thanks for telling me.” The tense lines of his mouth relaxed into a casual grin. “So, drinks?”

                Well I’ll be damned.

The e-book is currently on sale for $2.99.  Buy it today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

More about Sadira:

Ever since her first kiss, Sadira’s been spinning steamy tales in her head. After leaving her teaching career in Germany, she finally tried her hand at writing one. Now she’s a happy citizen of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance from her new home in Washington State, U.S.A. When not writing, which is seldom, she explores the Pacific Northwest with her charming husband, enjoys the local music scene, plays darts (pretty well), plays guitar (badly), and gobbles all the books.

Where to find her:

Website: http://sadirastone.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadirastone/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SadiraStone

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18568049.Sadira_Stone

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sadira-stone

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sadira-Stone/e/B07KWK5FBX

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sadira0641/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadirastone/

Author newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dKLMP2

Thanks so much for joining us today, Sadira.  Best of luck with the book!

VANILLA WITH A TWIST by Peggy Jaeger

14 Thursday May 2020

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Sister Rose Peggy Jaeger is back!  She’s here to talk about her upcoming release, Vanilla with a Twist.  Ice cream and romance:  not a bad combo, if you ask me, and it sounds like a fun summer read.  Take it away, Peggy!

My new novella, VANILLA WITH A TWIST, is part of the new summer series from Wild Rose Press titled ONE SCOOP OR TWO. All the stories revolve around ice cream in some form and all must be set in summer. Since they are also novellas, the word count is set at 35,000 or less.

I typically write long tomes that range from 85,000 to 100,00 words, include a lot of story elements, and that typically feature some kind of intimacy (read: sex!) for the hero and heroine. I like a slow buildup with a lot of emotional and physical tension, so my folks don’t just jump in the sac in chapter 1. Sometimes, not even by chapter 10!

Because I like to write this way, penning a romance novella where I am restricted in the word count, and therefore the slow buildup, has made me a side-writer of sweet romance.

Of the three – now 4 – novellas I’ve penned for WRP, all have been sweet romances. No physical intimacy aside from a few kisses and hugs for the H/H.

Can I just tell you what an exercise in writing restraint that’s been?! Hee hee.

It’s actually been a good exercise, because it’s made me figure out alternative ways to show the physical tension and buildup of emotion through action and dialogue. A simple brush of the hero’s hand against the heroine’s can show a shiver of longing run up her spine, or have him hiss in a breath at the simple content. Just having them be aware of one another across a crowded room, or thinking about the other throughout the day without actually being in the same room denotes a type of intimacy and affection that can occur without sex accompanying it.

I have to admit, I love that.

But I also have to admit, I like writing my sex scenes, too. Hee hee.

The story:

Tandy Blakemore spends her days running her New England ice cream parlor, single-parenting her teenage son, and trying to keep her head above financial water. No easy feat when the shop’s machinery is aging and her son is thinking about college. Tandy hasn’t had a day off in a decade and wonders if she’ll ever be able to live a worry-free life.

Engineer Deacon Withers is on an enforced vacation in the tiny seaside town of Beacher’s Cove. Overworked, stressed, and lonely, he walks into Tandy’s shop for a midday ice cream cone and gets embroiled in helping her fix a broken piece of equipment.

Can the budding friendship that follows lead to something everlasting?

A peek between the pages:

For a few moments, she regarded him with a look his mother would have called insightful. The corners of her eyes narrowed, she dipped her chin a hair, and she pulled her mouth into another appealing pout he was tempted to kiss.

“I bet,” she said after a long, drawn-out sigh, “you were the kind of kid who took apart clocks and fans and vacuum cleaners to see how they worked.”

“It was more washing machines and lawn mowers and anything with a motor, but yeah. I was.”

She shook her head, her own lips forming a lopsided grin. “Your poor mother.”

“She survived.”

Tandy rolled her eyes and shot her hands to her hips. “So it’s working again?” She thrust her chin at the ice cream machine.

“For now.”

“Okay, well, I can live with for now. And you think you know the real reason it’s been acting up?”

“I definitely do. But like I said, the water to the machine needs to be shut off to fix it.”

“Okay. Well, we close at nine.”

“I’ll come back a little before then. Get things ready. Is that okay with you?”

“I guess it’ll have to be.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek as her brows pulled together. “And you’re sure you want to do this?”

“If I weren’t, I wouldn’t offer, Tandy.”

Why her reluctance to have him help was such a turn-on was something he considered while he waited for his ice cream.

Buy the book:

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More about Peggy:

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, Peggy is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go “What??!”

Where to find her:

Website: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peggy-Jaeger-Author/825914814095072?ref=bookmarks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger

            YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peggyjaeger_author/

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-jaeger-296ab878/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0

Authors database: https://authorsdb.com/community/15814-peggy-jaeger

Triberr: https://triberr.com/tribe/strong-women–loving-men

Thanks for joining us today, Peggy.  Wishing you all the best with the book!

WILD ROSE PASS by Karen Hulene Bartell

16 Thursday Apr 2020

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Let’s welcome back a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press), Karen Hulene Bartell!  She’s here to tell us about her recent release, Wild Rose Pass, a romantic journey into yesteryear based on a true story.  Take it away, Karen!

Wild Rose Pass holds a special place in my heart largely because of its setting, Fort Davis, Texas—or Valhalla, as I call it. Like Denver, the town is a mile high, a sky island, rising steeply from the Trans-Pecos Desert. The area captivated me sixteen years ago, when my husband and I missed a turnoff and ended up driving through the rugged Davis Mountains.

Vertical basalt columns rose like thousands of giant fingers reaching for the sky. The palisades, buttes, and bluffs towered above both sides of Wild Rose Pass with a raw, majestic beauty, and I breathed a contented sigh, sensing a homecoming.

Though remote, the sparsely populated area is rich with history—another reason my Western Romance, Wild Rose Pass, appeals to me. The town takes its name from the nearby garrison, Fort Davis, which is now a National Historic Site. Prior to the Civil War, the fort, Davis Mountains, and Jeff Davis County were all named after Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis.

After the War Between the States, the infamous Buffalo soldiers—the African-American cavalry—manned the fort. Then during the Indian Wars, they protected settlers, mail coaches, and freight wagons from marauding Apaches along the San Antonio-El Paso Road and Chihuahua Trail. Even well into the twentieth century, Fort Davis dispatched soldiers to patrol the Mexican border against Pancho Villa’s raids.

But the main reason Wild Rose Pass is so dear to me is because a friend’s great-great-grandfather, José Maria Bill, was the inspiration for my hero Ben Williams. Captured as a young child and raised by Comanches, he worked as an Indian scout, guide, and packer for Fort Davis in the 1870s. During research, when I touched the handwritten quartermaster reports, I connected with him across a hundred and fifty years…and that link made writing the novel personal.

Buffalo Soldier, 9th Cavalry (Denver Public Library)

More about Wild Rose Pass:

Cadence McShane, free-spirited nonconformist, yearns to escape the rigid code, clothes, and sidesaddles of 1880s military society in Fort Davis, Texas. She finds the daring new lieutenant exhilarating, but as the daughter of the commanding officer, she is expected to keep with family tradition and marry West Point graduate James West.

Orphaned, Comanche-raised, and always the outsider looking in, Ben Williams yearns to belong. Cadence embodies everything he craves, but as a battlefield-commissioned officer with the Buffalo Soldiers instead of a West Point graduate, he is neither accepted into military society nor considered marriageable.

Can two people of different worlds, drawn together by conflicting needs, flout society and forge a life together on the frontier?

A peek between the pages:

Reining his horse between catclaw and prickly-pear cactus, Ben Williams squinted at the late summer sun’s low angle. Though still midafternoon, shadows lengthened in the mountains. He clicked his tongue, urging his mare up the incline. “Show a little enthusiasm, Althea. If we’re not in Fort Davis by sunset, we’ll be bedding down with scorpions and rattlesnakes.”

As his detachment’s horses clambered up Wild Rose Pass, the only gap through west Texas’ rugged Davis Mountains, Ben kept alert for loose rocks or hidden roots, anything that might trip his mount. A thick layer of fallen leaves created a pastiche of color shrouding the trail from view. He glanced up at the lithe cottonwood trees lining the route, their limbs dancing in the breeze. More amber and persimmon leaves loosened, fell, and settled near the Indian pictographs on their tree trunks. When he saw the red- and yellow-ochre drawings, he smiled, recalling the canyon’s name—Painted Comanche Camp.

“How far to Fort Davis, lieutenant?” called McCurry, one of his recruits.

“Three hours.” If we keep a steady pace.

Without warning, the soldier’s horse whinnied. Spooking, it reared on its hind legs, threw its rider, and galloped off.

As he sat up, the man groaned, caught his breath, and stared into the eyes of a coiled rattler, poised to strike. “What the…?”

Flicking its tongue, hissing, tail rattling, the pit viper was inches from the man’s face.

A sheen of sweat appeared above the man’s lip. “Lieutenant—”

Buy the book:

Amazon eBook

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Barnes & Noble Paperback

More about Karen:

Author of the Trans-Pecos, Sacred Emblem, Sacred Journey, and Sacred Messenger series, Karen is a best-selling author, motivational keynote speaker, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life. She writes multicultural, offbeat love stories that lift the spirit. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Westerns spurred her to write (pun intended). Wanderlust inherent, Karen enjoyed traveling, although loathed changing schools. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Hill Country with her husband Peter and her “mews”—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.

Where to find her:

Facebook   

Twitter   

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Website  

Email

Amazon Author Page  

Instagram

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AUTHORSdb

Thanks for joining me today, Karen.  Best of luck with Wild Rose Pass!

WILL RISE FROM ASHES by Jean M. Grant

07 Tuesday Apr 2020

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Author Jean M. Grant–one of my sister Roses (published by The Wild Rose Press)–has a new audio book out: Will Rise from Ashes, narrated by Caroline Hewitt and Andrew Perkins.  Congratulations, Jean!

If you enjoy women’s fiction, check it out.  Here’s a little about the story:

Living is more than mere survival.

Young widow AJ Sinclair has persevered through much heartache. Has she met her match when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, leaving her separated from her youngest son and her brother? Tens of thousands are dead or missing in a swath of massive destruction. She and her nine-year-old autistic son, Will, embark on a risky road trip from Maine to the epicenter to find her family. She can’t lose another loved one.

Along the way, they meet Reid Gregory, who travels his own road to perdition looking for his sister. Drawn together by AJ’s fear of driving and Reid’s military and local expertise, their journey to Colorado is fraught with the chaotic aftermath of the eruption. AJ’s anxiety and faith in humanity are put to the test as she heals her past, accepts her family’s present, and embraces uncertainty as Will and Reid show her a world she had almost forgotten.

Where to buy the audio book:

Audible ~ Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Google books

What Jean has to say about the book and some fun facts about Yellowstone National Park:

Yellowstone is a scientist’s Disneyworld. My background is in microbiology, immunology, and marine science, but our family loves all things geology and natural wonders. Research for this book was hands-on.

How about a few fun facts?

  1. It became the first National Park in 1872. Over 5 million people visit it annually.
  2. Yellowstone is a hydrothermal wonderland with over 10,000 hydrothermal features: geysers, hot springs, mudpots, steam vents, and over 500 geysers.
  3. The park is the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, covering 2.2 million acres.
  4. Yellowstone is a supervolcano. Two massive magma bodies bubble beneath the park.
  5. There are over 20 supervolcanoes across the globe, Yellowstone being one of them.
  6. The park is not all geology wonderland…there are hundreds of unique bird, fish, and mammal species in this gem in northwest Wyoming. Some signatures: bears (black and brown/Grizzly), bison, and wolves. Because of extensive programs, endangered species now flourish in the park.
  7. Old Faithful has been very faithful, erupting approximately every 90 minutes.
  8. Sadly, human trash and pollution has caused many of the vibrant hot pools to lose their color over the years. However, Yellowstone has created innovated programs to manage waste and human impact.
  9. Yellowstone has had 3 [2 of them being “supervolcanic”] caldera-forming eruptions over the past 3 million years (2.1 million, 1.3 million, and 640,000 years ago, respectively). Will it erupt again? Yes. Soon, like tomorrow? Not likely. The last eruption: 174,000 years ago, with 60 smaller ones since.
  10. The VEI scale measures explosivity of volcanoes and runs from 0 to 8.
  11. Be safe and read danger signs! To date over 92 people have died in the park, mostly from falling into burning hot springs, off ledges, or tempting fate with a bison.

More about Jean:

Jean’s background is in science and she draws from her interests in history, nature, and her family for inspiration. She writes historical and contemporary romances and women’s fiction. She also writes articles for family-oriented travel magazines and websites. When she’s not writing or chasing children, she enjoys tending to her flower gardens, hiking, and doing just about anything in the outdoors.

Where to find her:

Website ~ Twitter  ~ Facebook ~  Goodreads ~ Bookbub ~ Amazon Author Page ~  The Wild Rose Press ~ Instagram

Best of luck with the audio book, Jean!

Cover Reveal ~ BEAR WITH ME by Marilyn Barr

04 Saturday Apr 2020

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Marilyn Barr is a new sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press), and today, she’s revealing the cover of her debut novel, Bear with Me.  Here’s the scoop on this paranormal romance:

Blue eyes, dimples, and silky brown hair; Grant Luther has all of Alison’s weaknesses.

When he asks for one last chance to save their marriage, she agrees to relocate their family to isolated Strawberry, Kentucky in pursuit of his career dreams. Grant views Alison’s sensory issues as limitations and protects her from outside threats. When he finds his new job includes changing him into a shifter in a war against the soul-sucking Sluagh he vows to keep the changes a secret. What he doesn’t know is Alison has been hiding a magical secret of her own. One that makes her a target of the Sluagh.

Will Alison emerge from Grant’s shadow to protect her family? And can Grant learn that being different can be a strength not a weakness?

Check out the trailer!

A note from Marilyn:

Bear with Me was originally a journal entry describing my family’s first full day after moving to Kentucky in 2015.  Main character Alison’s struggle to act normal with sensory processing disorder mirrors my own challenges.  Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a dysregulation of how the body perceives the world and its use of our seven senses.  Each person has a different combination of over-responsive and under-responsive senses. 

Alison has the same combination as myself, where we are overly sensitive to smells, tastes, and hearing.  Social events that involve eating are a nightmare.  It is not that I am a picky eater, but that different food textures scrape along the inside of my mouth to varying degrees.  I will cook a large repertoire of foods but would only eat five different meals when I went to college.  I knew my husband was “the one” when he didn’t make fun of my eating in our college cafeteria.

While I have normal eyesight with contact lenses, Alison and I are under-sensitive to touch, proprioception, and vestibular senses.  This is where most of my social problems occurred growing up.  I cannot feel if my shoes are on the wrong feet, my clothes are on backward, a sign has been placed on my back, or a teen boyfriend was grabbing my behind.  Because of these issues, I decided to turn this aspect of SPD into Alison’s superpower.  The last two senses describe where our bodies feel they are in space.  Those of us who are under-responsive fidget, dance, and use grand hand gestures to verify the gravitational input most people receive naturally.  You can imagine the trouble I had sitting in a desk at school.

In addition to SPD, Alison and I homeschool our autistic sons; both boys have savant syndrome.  This portion of the autism spectrum is characterized in television shows like The Good Doctor and movies like Rain Man where the person has one outstanding area of expertise to the detriment of other skills.  In Bear with Me, Henrik is a musical savant with behavior troubles in public school.  He sings, composes, and plays the piano at a virtuoso level.  My real son is a linguistic savant.  He excels in the areas of grammar and syntax, not only in English but in many foreign languages as well.

I hope to show readers a growing section of the homeschool community in Bear with Me referred to as secular homeschoolers.  These families homeschool for reasons other than religion.  The children of rural Strawberry are an hour’s drive from the nearest school, so each parent teaches their area of expertise with all the children in the community as classmates.  In real-life Kentucky, we call these groups of families “cottage schools” or “parent-lead co-ops,” depending on whether parents exchange money.  In Strawberry, the parents exchange teaching classes but do not pay each other monetarily.  Green Witch Alison teaches math and science.  Pizzeria owner Rosie Paulino teaches language arts and Italian.  Also, her son Henrik takes online classes from a local university in his area of expertise (as my son takes foreign language classes from Outschool Professors in different countries).

Connect with Marilyn:

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