Tawdra Kandle

Best Teased Cold

February 24, 2015 No Comments

This teaser Tuesday is also a throwback Tuesday–I’m sharing a little piece of Best Served Cold, the first book in the Perfect Dish series. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re in luck; it’s free right now for just another week. Grab it while you can!

Julia is a college junior whose boyfriend Liam broke up with her very publicly and with a heaping side of humiliation. She’s determined to get payback by making him fall for her all over again and then turning the tables to mortify him in front of their friends. The plan’s humming along until Julia meets Jesse, a grad student with curly brown hair and dimples. The deeper she falls for him, the less important her revenge plans seem.

In this scene, Julia and Jesse are on their second date, at Jesse’s apartment; Julia’s cooking after they enjoy a movie together. They’ve discovered a mutual love for Joss Whedon, so the movie Jess chooses is a no-brainer. I loved this particular interchange, because it plays very close to my own love for all things Joss and for superhero movies. Yes, The Avengers is one of my all-time favorites. I watch it every time it comes on. Who can blame me?

I sat on the sofa, and Jesse picked up a remote before he joined me, sitting close enough that our legs touched. He clicked on the television and draped an arm over the back of the couch behind me.

“So what did you decide on?” I shifted a little closer.

“A stroke of genius. We both love Joss, and we need an action movie. Well, I needed an action movie. So. . .” He hit the play button. “The Avengers.”

I grinned. “One of my favorites. You couldn’t have done any better.”

“Huh.” He fast-forwarded through the previews. “Do I rock or what? But seriously, you’re okay with this one?”

“Umm, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey, Jr. and Jeremy Renner? Are you kidding?”

Jesse shook his head. “Nice. Way to make me feel secure in my manliness. So later when I kiss you, you’re going to be imagining I’m Thor? Or Hawkeye?”

“Thor? Really?” I raised one eyebrow in mock skepticism.

“Okay, I see how it is.” He settled back as the movie began. “Don’t forget Scarlett Johansson is in this, too. Black Widow is smokin’.”

I snuggled down as he curved his arm around me. “I’m very secure. It wasn’t Scarlett you had hot on the counter five minutes ago.”

He lifted my chin with one finger, turning my eyes toward him. “I had you hot?”

“Shhh, I like the beginning.”

***

“How badass was Iron Man in that movie?” I dug through a drawer in the kitchen. “Hey, do you have measuring spoons?”

Jesse shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe? Sarah put the bare essentials in here. I don’t cook, so who knows?”

I gave up. “I’ll make do. Can you grab me the cream from the fridge?”

“That I can do.” Jesse pushed off the counter where he’d been leaning to watch me cook and retrieve the container. He set it down next the stove. “So you really think Ironman is the leader of the Avengers?”

I nodded. “No question. I mean, Hulk, he’s got the brute strength, but not so much with the reasoning skills, right? Captain America is hot in a clean-cut retro way, but he’s still getting up to speed on the twenty-first century stuff. Thor’s just a visitor. He’s not from earth. And Hawkeye and Black Widow. . .well, they have potential, but not the whole package. Yet.” I eyeballed what I hoped was a tablespoon of tomato paste and added it to the pan.

“You’ve obviously given this a lot of thought.” Jesse stood with his arms crossed on his chest.

I grinned at him. “I never thought I was a geek. I don’t love comic books or anything, but I have to admit, I’m a sucker for superhero movies.”

“What about Spiderman?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, yeah.”

“Which one? New or old?”

I checked the pasta. The penne was still a little too al dente. “New. I don’t have anything against Toby, but Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone?” I fanned myself. “Yeah. Definite chemistry.”

Best Served Cold is Book 1 in the Perfect Dish series. You can find it at Amazon, BN and iBooks. There are currently two more books available in this series, Just Desserts and I Choose You; the final book, Just Roll With It, will be released June, 2015.

Friday Free For All

Five From Jesi Lea Ryan

February 20, 2015 No Comments

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 Jesi Lea Ryan

{Note from Tawdra: Jesi Lea is one of my favorite authors. We ‘met’ through a book blog a few years back, and I fell in love with her book Arcadia’s Gift. . . and then I was blessed to be able to edit the second two books in the trilogy as well as her current release, which is a fast-paced, engaging and definitely *not* YA paranormal thriller. I can’t wait to read more. In so-called real life, Jesi Lea and I got to hang out a bit last year at RT in NOLA. Enjoy her quickies!)

Q: You are gifted the services of a maid for one year. However, she’s only allowed to perform one chore for you daily (same one every day). What will you assign her?

A: Clean the bathroom! I have three of them, and they drive me crazy.

Q: Your cat SeBastard is known for his dastardly ways. If he could write it, what would be the title of his autobiography?

A: I Didn’t Do Nuffing!

Q: You’re on a cruise with every living author in the world. (It’s a big ship.) Which four will you choose to sit at dinner with you?

A: This is a hard question! I’m not big on hero-worshipping other authors, so I’m going to go with who would make for an entertaining table. John Green (I have a thing for sexy nerds), Alan Cumming (my future best friend) and Dan Savage.

Q: Your (okay, my) favorite of your characters is Cane, from the Arcadia books. You’re given the ability to talk to him for one minute. What would you tell him?

A:I think I’d like to tell him that I’m proud of him for making mature decisions. He’s a guy who has been through a lot in his young life. His mother was weak, his step-dad was emotionally abusive, he suffered a devastating loss when his high school girlfriend was killed, etc. But I feel like he has come through the worst and will be okay now. Okay, and I would tell him to stop by your house to see you. Maybe you could talk him into mowing your lawn or something so you can ogle him.

Q: Your fairy godmother will whisk you anywhere in the world for dinner tonight. Where will you go?

A: I’ve never been to Russia, but I’m not sure how I’d like their food. I guess I’d pick Marrakesh. I like Moroccan food, and I’ve always wanted to visit there.

***

Jesi Lea Ryan grew up in the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, IA. She holds bachelor degrees in creative writing and literature and a masters degree in business. She considers herself a well-rounded nerd who can spend hours on the internet researching things like British history, anthropology of ancient people, geography of random parts of the world, bad tattoos and the paranormal. She currently lives in Madison, WI with her husband and two exceptionally naughty kitties.

Follow Jesi Lea here: Website/Newsletter/Twitter/Facebook

Just A Little Nudge

Marley Sexton never aspired to be a stripper. She even chose the stage name Misty Showers as a joke, thinking she’d make a few quick bucks and move on to greener pastures. Three years later, Marley’s still stripping. It’s the only job she can land that will put a dent in her mother’s mounting medical bills.

It’s also the only job where she feels justified parting fools from their money with a little talent she calls nudging.

As psychic powers go, nudging isn’t impressive. Marley can’t get people to do anything they’re not already inclined to do. Useful for making a seedy customer grab a larger bill from his wallet, but not strong enough to ditch a drug cartel that’s on her tail.

Marley is in over her head. She’s not big on trusting people, especially a strange man with a gun, a badge, and a story that doesn’t quite add up. JC Moreno figures out that Marley may have taken the nudge a little too far. But how? Whoever the guy actually works for, one thing’s for certain. He has a history with the cartel and an agenda of his own. Although the suspicion between Marley and JC runs both ways, maybe they can work together to both get what they want…if they don’t get killed in the process.

Buy the book: Amazon US/Amazon UK/Kobo/Smashwords/Nook/iBooks/Goodreads

This Author's Life Thursday

Authors, Readers and Boundaries in this Brave New World

February 19, 2015 No Comments

I’m an indie author, and proudly so. I can’t imagine making this journey any other way, because it works for me. It doesn’t mean it’s anyone else’s best choice, but it’s definitely mine.

That being said, it’s not difficult to see the shifts in the landscape of publishing, both positive and negative. I love being in control of my own career. I can publish as much or as little as I choose. I can have the book covers I want, and I can write the characters and story lines I want. I’m my own boss.

Some of the negatives have been slow to develop, but they’re here. I’ve noticed that some readers–none of mine, who are perfect in every way–but some out there have begun to feel that they have the right to dictate to authors what they should and should not write. . .which book should be written before another one. . .which character should live and die.

I’m not sure why exactly this change has come about, but I have a theory. Once upon a time, authors were reclusive creatures. You might write a letter to a favorite author, or you might meet her at a book signing, but there was rarely time or opportunity to share your own take on her plot lines. But here we are in the 21st century, where most authors are on social media, have email addresses available to the public and often post very personal information. Readers feel closer to authors. And in one sense they are; I like my readers very much, and I enjoy what they share with me. As I’ve said before, my readers are perfect. But I see it, and I’ve heard about it.

I like feedback, and I welcome readers’ input. But there is a line. The characters may live out in the book world, but they were born in my head, and that’s where all the magic happens. I’m sorry if some of their actions or decisions aren’t what all readers want, but that’s how it happened, I promise you.

I think the inimitable Nora Roberts captured this perfectly in her recent blog post. It’s called, appropriately enough, Bite Me.

I’m not Nora, I’ll never be Nora, and I would never, ever dare to suggest that I know anything about what she’s experienced. But I see the trend, and not just with the lovely Ms. Roberts. I see it creeping in everywhere.

I’m not unsympathetic. Heck, if you want the full truth, in the course of my reading lifetime, I wanted Bella not to turn into a vampire (or have a baby, but that’s another story), I wanted Dumbledore not to die, I wanted Claire not to leave 18th century Scotland, and I wanted Rhett not to walk out on Scarlett. But I understood that the story wasn’t mine, and I had to accept the decisions of the author.

(Now, when it comes to a TV show, like, say, How I Met Your Mother, all bets are off. The real ending was not what we saw last spring. I’m sure of it.)

The bottom line is that writers have the right to control the destiny of their own characters without influence or harassment from others. It’s one of our job perks. And if you mess around with us, no worries. . .we’ll just write you into the book. And probably kill you off. Horribly.

😉

What I'm Reading Wednesday

I’m Reading. . .Until There Was You.

February 18, 2015 No Comments

This week, I’m reading Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins.

For me, word of mouth is the best way to find new books and new authors. I count on a small group of people who know my taste and preferences. Last fall, my friend Amanda recommended KH to me. I began with her Blue Heron series, and I was hooked fast. As is typical for me, I went on to devour everything of hers I could find.
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I’m now down to her earliest books, and I’m still enjoying them. She has a way of writing strong yet flawed women who are surrounded by amusing–yet all too real–supporting characters, family members and always a dog. I’ve yet to get through one of her books where I haven’t a) laughed out loud (usually in the middle of the night, to the annoyance of my sleeping husband) b) cried real tears–and sometimes ugly cried with sobs and c) sighed at the lovely romance of it all.

These books are more than just love stories. They border on chick-lit, but the very best of that genre–not so much on the angsty, more on the real and amusing. The women have good jobs, they have strong support networks, and they’re close to their families. The men tend to be slightly less-well developed; we’re definitely seeing the world through the female perspective, but it doesn’t make me like the guys any less.

The heat is on in KH’s books, but there’s no detailed sex. It’s fade to black, but I never feel that lack–there’s no doubt that she delivers the sizzle. But if reading the nitty-gritty makes you queasy, no worries here.

If I were you, I’d begin with The Best Man (on sale right now for 99 cents at the ‘zon), Book 1 in the Blue Heron series. And then be prepared to sail through her entire back list–I’m betting you’ll be hooked.

My favorites so far as Catch of the Day and Too Good To Be True. Be sure to come back and tell me what you think. . .or stop in to my Facebook page and let me know. We can chat all things KH!

Until next Wednesday. . .

Teaser Tuesday

The Only One Sneak Peek (Part 1)

February 17, 2015 No Comments

If it’s Tuesday, it must be time to get a little sneak peek of my latest work-in-progress. . .

This week I’m working on The Only One, the last book in The One Trilogy. I have to be honest. I’m so loving this book, and I am so freaking sad to say good bye to all the characters in Burton, Georgia. Part of me is wondering if ‘trilogy’ can stretch to four or five books. . .hmmm. . .

Like all The One books, TOO is written in dual point of view, both Mason’s and Rilla’s. This particular piece is taken from Rilla’s chapter.

Dad had taken Gram’s place at the sink, and he glanced at me over his shoulder as I came back into the kitchen. “You’re late. Did you leave your grandmother to make dinner by herself? You know I expect better.”

I steeled myself against wincing. That had been the story of my life. He expected better. I’d been disappointing my father as long as I remembered. I always wondered if those had been the first words I’d heard upon being born. And I wondered if my mother had felt the same way, which would explain why she’d gotten off the farm and as far away from Burton, Georgia as soon as she could.

“I got here as fast as I could, but—”

“Emmett, leave the child be. I started supper early today, and there wasn’t a blessed thing Rilla could’ve done to help me. She would’ve been in my way.” Gram shot me a wink and a smile.

Remember, you can pre-order The Only One right here on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble and Kobo. I can’t wait to show the cover. All in good time, my pretties, all in good time. . .

(And if you haven’t read the first two books yet–The Last One and The First One–get to it! TOO releases April 7th.)

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