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Life Beyond the Laptop

Most writers tend to be a tad introverted. Even those of us who like to hang out with other people on a regular basis often find ourselves in the midst of a shrinking world with the computer at its center.

And that’s not odd. When you consider that we write our stories, promote our books and interact with our fans there, it stands to reason that most of our hours are spent with fingers on the keyboard and eyes on the screen.

But every now and again, something happens to pull me away from my desk and out of my office chair, and I’m reminded that life does not revolve around the words.

For the past few weeks, my other life has been taking precedent over my writing life. I’ve had opportunities to socialize, meet new people from around the world and enjoy long conversations about topics that don’t cross my mind every day. Or any day.

It’s been both eye-opening and healthy. And while there’s always that itch at the back of mind to get back to the writing, I know that these brief interludes only make me a better and more well-rounded author.

So my lesson for today: no matter what you do on a regular basis, consider stepping outside that box today and doing something different. Go for a walk. Choose a new spot for lunch. Turn off the TV and listen to music. Opt to visit a friend instead of working that extra hour.

Embrace life wherever it leads you.

Five From Juli Valenti

Welcome to Five From Friends Friday!

Each week, I’ll share with you five quick and quirky questions and answers

from some of my favorite author friends.

I think you’ll see some familiar faces in here, too.

Quickies from Juli Valenti

I was trying to remember exactly how I ‘met’ Juli Valenti. I know we were chatting about something bookish related, and then she was involved in a promotion we did this past winter. We also met up at Coastal Magic in February . . . she’s a fellow Floridian. Give her a big hello!

Q: You’re a Florida girl. If you were offered your choice of an annual pass to any local amusement park—transportation included—would you choose Disney World, Sea World, Universal or Legoland?

A: Disney World!!!! I’m a huge child at heart and I’ve only been once.

Q: You’re on a cruise, and the captain says you get to choose the dinner menu for the last night at sea. What will be served?

A: Hmm. tough one… depends on my mood, I guess. Probably Prime Rib, Green Beans (just like Outbacks) and a Caesar salad. For dessert: Key Lime Pie, Black Forest Cake, and Strawberry shortcake

Q: A genie offers you the chance to take your best friend and spend a day in *one* of the worlds you created in your books. Which book-world will you visit with your friend?

A: All of my worlds are real-time, and not different from every day life. If i could visit ANY world, though, it would probably be Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series 🙂

Q: What’s the one item you must have with you at the beach?

A: Sunscreen! A LOT of it. Maybe I need to go into business making sunscreen that protects the ultra-fair peoples like me. (I’m the only perpetually pale person in Florida!)

Q: The Property Brothers are going to help you find your dream home. What three elements are absolutely essential for your perfect house?

A: Light – I want to see the outside when I’m inside, using less electricity. Open floor plans with high ceilings and not a lot of walls (walls make me claustrophobic). A large backyard with a patio so I could sit outside and watch my kids play safely while I write and bask in the warmth of Florida (covered, of course, so I don’t burn like bacon!)

***

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Juli Valenti grew up in a small town in Arkansas, known for Wal-mart, which is no longer small but is still known for the grocery store. Lucky for her, she didn’t retain an accent, despite her overuse of ya’ll when talking. She currently resides in sunny Florida with her husband and two young boys. If her world wasn’t crazy enough, she also works a full time day job, as well as owns her own editing company (Juli’s Elite Editing).

Follow Juli here:

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Website

 

Pieces in Chance

Drew Townsend has lived anything but a charmed life. When her mother died from cancer, her father snapped, using her as his own personal punching bag. After taking one too many beatings, she took things into her own hands. Determined to escape the Pieces in Chance Ecovernightmare she was living, a desperate Drew does the only thing she can think of to end it all.

Jensen Marks, a former Marine and now police officer in the small town of Chance, had seen a lot of things in his years – war, beatings, crying children – yet none of it kept him up at night. So once he met Drew, he’s perplexed by the way she got under his skin. After years of everyone turning their back on what was going on, Jensen takes it upon himself to see a change in her.

Can Jensen help Drew pick up the missing pieces of herself or will he push her into losing yet another piece in Chance?

Amazon/Nook

Five From Lyssa Layne

Welcome to Five From Friends Friday!

Each week, I’ll share with you five quick and quirky questions and answers

from some of my favorite author friends.

I think you’ll see some familiar faces in here, too.

Quickies from Lyssa Layne

Q: In the middle of a busy week, suddenly everything you had planned for one day falls away and you have twelve hours of unstructured time—no responsibilities, no plans, no requirements. What do you do with that gift of time? (And writing cannot be the answer!!)

A: Wow! How can I make this happen for real??? If I couldn’t write or do author tasks then I’d probably find myself at Cardinals’ game with my family and being a tourist in my own great city of St. Louis.

Q: Your fairy godmother grants you the gift of being one character in one of your own books for the day. Who will you be and why?

A: Well, Jules from Everybody’s After Love is actually loosely based around my husband and me so I know what her day to day is like. So if I had to pick, I’d probably choose Mia from Fear of Striking Out. Hello, hot hubby in baseball pants! Not to mention, she’s incredibly strong and such a sweetheart.

Q: Five chefs from The Food Network are coming to your house for dinner tonight. What will you prepare for them to eat?

A: My hubs was saying I make a pretty delicious meatloaf so I’d probably do that and just pray it wasn’t raw in the middle. :-/ And of course, we’d have to have Fat Man’s Delight for dessert!

Q: The zombie apocalypse is upon us. You have a full tank of gas. . .where will you go to hide and/or make your stand?

A: My husband (man, he’s a character himself!) already has our basement stocked and our pantry full so we’d probably stay where we are… and run to the grocery store to buy all the Twinkies I could get my hands on.

Q: You’re at the society event of the year, and the most eligible bachelor in the room wants to buy you a drink. What’ll it be?

A: Electric lemonade please!!!

***

re edit 19-1Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.

Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa’s own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional.

Follow Lyssa here: Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Amazon/Goodreads/Barnes and Noble

 My Favorite What If

One year after Jacob “Smitty” Smith is stood up at the altar, his good friend Jules encourages him to redeem his honeymoon favoritewhatif_1600x2400package before it expires. Reluctantly, he agrees, and finds himself sitting beside free spirit Sloan Talbott, who is attending her sister’s destination wedding at the same resort. Both have been hurt. Neither is looking for love. Will one week in paradise be a fling to remember or could it possibly lead to something more?

Amazon US/Amazon CAN/Amazon AUS/Amazon UK/Barnes & Noble/Kobo/Goodreads

Other Books by Lyssa Layne

Love is a Fire

Burst Into Flame

The Right Pitch

Fear of Striking Out

Everybody’s After Love.

Boxed Sets

Heroes to Swoon For

Spring Into Love

Book Boyfriends Cafe Summer Lovin’

Next Release

Lyssa’s next release Until You Fall In Love and will debut June 9 and is available for only 99 cents!

Release Day!

The Only One is available now!

TheOnlyOne

 

The anticipated final book in The One Trilogy 

is finally here!

Rilla’s a good girl who’s ready for a change.

Mason’s a tough guy who’s afraid to love again.

Sometimes love isn’t the easy choice.

Sometimes it’s the only one.

***

Amazon/iBooks/BN/Kobo

Mason Wallace left his hometown to live his dream: he had the perfect career, a gorgeous wife and a beautiful baby girl. He was on top of the world, until it all shattered with the sudden death of his wife. Now he’s back in Georgia, running his bar and trying to take care of his family. And he needs all the help he can get.

Rilla Grant’s never been farther than twenty miles from her family’s farm. Her overprotective father wants her to marry their church’s youth pastor and settle down into the life he’s chosen for her, but she’s not sure that’s what she wants anymore. Rilla’s chafing to make her own choices, and that includes starting her own PR business and maybe even moving off the farm, no matter how much her dad hates it.

When Mason asks Rilla to work on some promotion for his bar, she’s both excited and terrified. Excited, because it’s just the opportunity she’s wanted, and terrified because Mason, with his intriguing hazel eyes and drool-worthy body, is the kind of guy who makes her knees weak and her heart pound. He’s the only one who’s ever tempted Rilla to defy her family, and when she does just that by moving in to help take care of his daughter, they’re both forced to make a decision that’ll change their lives forever.

Sometimes love isn’t the easy choice. Sometimes it’s the only one.

***

Don’t miss the first two books in The One Trilogy!

The familiarity of home, the warmth of family ties, the sweet sensation of being wrapped in the arms of THE ONE love that meant everything. . .each story is a remarkable package of all this and more.

–Olivia Hardin
USA Today Best Selling Romance Author

The Last One

The One Trilogy Book 1

Meghan Hawthorne is restless. The last year has been a roller coaster: her widowed mother just married a long-time family friend. Her younger brother unexpectedly became a father and a husband. Everyone’s life is changing. . .except for hers. As she begins her final summer of college, Meghan’s looking for excitement and TLOEbookSWmaybe a little romance. Nothing serious; this girl just wants to have fun. 

But the only man for Meghan turns out to be the last one she expects. 

Sam Reynolds doesn’t need excitement, and he doesn’t want romance. Fun is out of the question. He’s been the steady, responsible one since his parents were killed, and serious is his way of life. 

When Sam rescues Meghan alongside a dark Georgia backroad, she falls hard for his deep brown eyes and slow drawl. But making him see her as more than just a party girl won’t be easy. Sam’s tempted by the fiery young artist, even as he realizes that giving into his feelings will mean radical change. . .maybe more than he can handle. 

Nobody ever said love was simple.

 “As an almost strictly paranormal romance reader, it takes a certain type of author to convince me to dive into straight romance. Tawdra Kandle is one of the few authors I will make an exception for. Her writing style is so easy and relaxing that I have to really keep an eye on the time or I’ll stay up all night to finish one of her books.” Carrie Williams, Goodreads Reviewer

“Wow. Talk about romance with an edge. From the beginning the characters were so real that I was completely invested in them. The sexual tension woven into the story added so much value to the relationships. I will be reading this book many times just so I can spend more time with Meghan and Sam.” Cheryl Garrett, Goodreads Reviewer

“I’m in love with this book!!” Leah Fennick, Goodreads Reviewer

Buy it now at Amazon/iBooks/Barnes and Noble/Kobo/Google Play

***Free for a limited time***

 Watch the trailer here!

 

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The First One

The One Trilogy Book 2

Ali and Flynn were high school sweethearts. Eager to see the world and leave behind their small Georgia hometown, they’d planned for an exciting new life together after they finished school.

But on graduation day, only one of them hit the road.

Eight years down that road, an unexpected loss brings Flynn home again. He’s a big-shot photo journalist, and he’s made most of his plans reality. But he’s done it alone. Is it too late for his biggest dream to come true?

Ali’s spent those years working hard, raising a daughter and helping her brother keep their family farm alive. Thinking about Flynn and what might have been is a pain she tries to avoid. . .even when it’s impossible to forget.

Flynn’s return brings back feelings Ali thought were long dead and hopes she’d abandoned. Finding their way back to each other will change them forever, opening old wounds and stirring up memories.

Can first love be the one to last forever?

“Tawdra Kandle knows how to weave a story that is both steamy and heartfelt. I cannot even tell you how many times I was brought to tears while I read The First One. I’ve been waiting for Ali’s story ever since I finished reading The Last One, and I was not disappointed.” Melissa at Reading It All

“This was a beautifully executed romance that managed to change around all my preconceived notions about Flynn and Ali from the previous book. I started the book determined to hate Flynn all the way through for abandoning his family, but somewhere along the line I began to hope for happiness between these two. Amazing!” Carrie Williams, Goodread reviewer

Buy it now at Amazon/iBooks/Barnes and Noble/Kobo/Google Play

Watch the trailer here!

 

Tawdra Kandle writes romance, in just about all its forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong women, sexy guys, hot love TK03scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books run from YA paranormal romance (THE KING SERIES), through NA paranormal and contemporary romance (THE SERENDIPITY DUET, PERFECT DISH DUO, THE ONE TRILOGY) to adult contemporary and paramystery romance (CRYSTAL COVE BOOKS and RECIPE FOR DEATH SERIES). She lives in central Florida with a husband, kids, sweet pup and too many cats. And yeah, she rocks purple hair. 

Follow Tawdra on Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Instagram

Visit her Website and subscribe to her Newsletter for special content and giveaways!

The ONLY Playlist. . .

Tomorrow is release day for The Only One! I’m so excited to share Rilla and Mason with you. Today you get a sneak peek in the form of the book’s playlist.

Of course, this is a country playlist, because it’s part of The One Trilogy. And of course, Brad Paisley is featured more than once, because I <3 him big time. I especially wanted two of his songs on here because they speak to a delicate topic: Christianity. It’s TheOnlyOneEbooksomething that plays a fairly big role in The Only One; Rilla’s been raised in a strict church, and part of her journey is discovering what faith means to her and how much her upbringing should influence the rest of her life. I liked Brad’s songs Those Crazy Christians and Me and Jesus because they deal with that struggle in a real way.

Colin Raye’s On The Verge has always been to me the musical epitome of a man just about to fall in love. I went a little old school with Hal Ketchum’s Stay Forever; I just happened to hear it, and it captured their dance scene perfectly.

There are two Suzy Bogguss songs. One is a little older, her cover of Chicago’s If You Leave Me Now, and the other is from her latest album, a cover of Merle Haggard standards. Both are haunting and beautiful.

It was while listening to Suzy’s musical that I came across another cover, this one by the late Mindy McCready. She’d remade Long, Long Time which had been one of my very favorite bittersweet songs when I was a teenager. I love how Mindy re-did it.

I love this playlist, just as I love this story. Go check out the playlist here and get ready for Rilla and Mason tomorrow!