Happy Labor Day!

When I was a kid, Labor Day meant that everything was closed. My parents didn't have to work, and any trip we took had to be planned for in advance because the laboring masses were allowed a day of freedom from their service industry jobs.

That is so far from the case now that it makes me a bit angry. Laborers do  not get time off from laboring anymore. Instead, it seems as if LABOR DAY has become a rich person's holiday where white collar workers buy gas, dinner, movies and retail from the very people the holiday was meant to honor.

In fact, stores no longer close down for Thanksgiving, but rather open for special pre-Black Friday sales. Turkey is gobbled quickly so shoppers can get the best pre-pre deals around. What, may I ask, are we thankful for? A good deal? Another chance to purge our wallets on useless items? One more shopping opportunity to buy toys and gadgets that lose their luster the moment they wrapping paper comes off?

Christmas Eve is open late for elves that forgot to stock up for Santa's arrival and the New Year brings extra savings. Fourth of July blow-out sales rival stocking up for summer supplies over Memorial weekend. No longer are our holidays sacred. And neither are they celebrated as intended. Instead, they are simply one more day to commercialize our lives

Well, bah humbug on shopping.

Happy Labor Day to all the wonderful people who work long hours, long weeks and weekends over every month of every year to make life easier for the rest of us. Your work is appreciated by some--even as you flip another burger, layer another sub sandwich, hang up another shirt or clean--especially clean--another public restroom. My life is more enjoyable because of you.

Many thanks to the true working heroes.

Puppy Love

A few weeks ago, my daughter became the proud owner of a two-pound Morkie. It was love at first sight. Then came midnight whimperings, puppy piddles, chewed shoes and constant supervision.

The honeymoon ended and love transformed, weighed down by inconvenience and responsibility.

In more than a few novels I've read, the characters never get past puppy love. They remain stranded on the island of Cooing and Oohing, where everything is physical and few interactions lack real depth. The relationships seldom transform into something more meaningful.

It could be that I'm just getting old and out of touch--wanting something beyond girl gets boy--but I believe that teens deserve more substance.

Am I wrong to think that teens might appreciate a glimpse into mature, healthy relationships? Or, do they prefer more fluff than stuff in their quest to escape the reality of their own lives?

Speak up. Speak out. Your opinion matters.

Beach Snacks for the Brain

My publisher, Elephant's Bookshelf Press, has come out with not one, but two, summer anthologies. I love so many of the stories found within the pages of Summer's Edge and Summer's Double Edge.

Let's see, there's a ghost or two, an angel, broken engagements and death...not to mention a few bad dates and mystical creatures. Per tradition, EBP provides an eclectic collection of quality short stories by writers of all genres and publishing experience. The joy is finding the gem that moves you.

As you can imagine by the covers, Summer's Double Edge boasts darker stories than the lighter beach reads of Summer's Edge. This is where you will find my short, Skinwriter. The theme this season: the end of relationships. Yet don't be fooled. The end isn't always a bad thing. Especially since at the end of both books, you will find the first chapter of my debut novel, Whispering Minds!

And lest I forget, I want to shout to the world how very much I adore my editor, Laura Carlson. Not only is she cute as a button, but she's whip-smart when it comes to catching typos and plot inconsistencies. I love working with her and the editorial team at Elephant's Bookshelf Press.

Both anthologies are available digitally at Amazon and Smashwords with dead-tree copies to follow in a few days.

Happy reading!

Alexandra Tys

PS: Congrats to my fellow writers for contributing such great stories: Robb Grindstaff, Simon P. Clark, Matt Sinclair, Shawn Proctor, R.S. Mellette, Amanda Hill, A.M. Supinger, Ken Staley, Tista Ray, Cat Woods, Samantha Enders, Julie Hutchings, Jennifer Prescott, MarcyKate Connolly, Mindy McGinnis, Michelle Hauk, Laura Carlson, P.S. Carillo, Jean Oram Jeff O'Handley, Tiffany Grindstead and Rick Pieters.

Cover Reveal: Addicted to You

Addicted to You by Colina Brennan

NA Contemporary Romance

Slated for Release: June 2013



When twenty-one-year-old Leah Carter's latest one night stand burglarizes her apartment, her roommate forces her to attend therapy for sex addicts. Leah insists she isn't a sex addict; she just doesn't do relationships. After all, sooner or later, everyone lets you down.

At first, the group sessions are little more than an education on how to be promiscuous. Until she meets the newest addict—blue eyes, killer body, and a smile that tempts relapse.

Psychology student Will McLean is posing as a fellow addict while researching a case study on unusual addictions. But the more he learns about Leah, the more certain he is that his desire to break through her walls and unearth her secrets has nothing to do with his assignment.

As the uncertainties spike alongside the sexual tension, the only thing Leah knows for sure is that falling in love would be disastrous. Too bad love might be one addiction she can't kick.

Cover Reveal: Catching Liam

It's always a pleasure finding a new writer or a new book to appreciate. It's even better to be in the discovery from the get-go. That's why I'm sharing this super-secret-until-midnight-last-night cover reveal by Sophia Bleu.

BOOK AND AUTHOR INFO:

Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu
Publication date: Summer 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary

 

 

Twenty-one year-old Jillian Nichols only has one rule when it comes to boys: catch and release. Boy-catching isn't just a game for Jillian and her friends, it's a lifestyle. After all, boys might be good for a dance or a drink and certainly a little under-cover action of the scandalous variety, but expect much else and you're bound for heart ache.

 

So when her best friends and fellow boy catchers start dropping like flies junior year, Jillian is determined to keep boys in her bedroom and out of her heart. Until she meets Liam McAvoy, the kind of guy that sticks around to make waffles and who can't—or perhaps won't—take a hint.

Study abroad student Liam doesn't want to be another notch on Jillian's bedpost. Actually he has much more interesting ideas for Jillian and her bedposts, but his student visa's set expiration date means he can't promise her forever. That doesn't mean he's going to walk away from the challenge of discovering why Jillian is hell-bent at keeping people at a distance.

Before long, neither is sure who is catching who—or if they're playing for keeps. Jillian knows one thing though: falling in love will not only break the only rule of boy-catching, it could also break her heart.

 

Catch Liam on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17839132-catching-liam

 

Who is Sopia Bleu? In a bio statement, she reveals... 

Sophia Bleu is a secret identity where I can write about fantasies and falling in love and all the smexiness in between. In real life, I'm likely catching a plane, chasing kids, or making out with the love of my life—all 6 ft 3 inches of hotness that he is. Life is pretty good.

 

Author links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter

 

 

Jackson Pearce Trifecta

I love horse races. Shiny coats tautly gleaming over powerful muscle, thundering hooves eating up the track and raw beauty. Horses awe me with their power--and even more so with their gentle nature despite their brute strength. I grew up on horses and love watching them race.

I do not, however, like gambling. I hate parting with my hard-earned money and pretending there's a science behind the victory. Sometimes luck has a hand in who wins and who loses. Sometimes history, experience and breeding do. Yet picking a winner is a gamble.

Obviously.

Picking the trifecta--now that is akin to separating a single raindrop from the ocean. It's why I don't bet.

Yet this weekend, I bet big and won. It started with a kind of skulky need to read something I wanted to read. With speech just wrapping up, I'd read a lot of what other people wanted me to read. This was my chance to read something for my own pleasure, a much  needed break after a demanding speech season.

Years ago, I'd read Jackson Pearce's Sisters Red and loved it. What I didn't love was the idea of reading the second novel in her fairytale retellings--Sweetly. The story of Hansel and Gretel had never intrigued me and so I had been turned off by the idea of even picking up this companion novel.

Grudgingly, I decided to give it a try, as no other prospects jumped out at me.

Without belaboring my point, I'll just say that I hit the Jackson Pearce trifecta. On Saturday--between curling hair and painting nails for my daughter's prom--I started reading Sweetly. On Sunday, I finished it and started Fathomless after cleaning up the backyard and putting out the patio furniture. This morning, after reading to the end of Pearce's Little Mermaid rewrite, I was like a crack addict waiting for her next hit. I picked up yet another Pearce novel and finished her contemporary novel, Purity, just before shuttling my boys to baseball.

My favorite of the three: Sweetly. Yeah, I know. And I was a snob about reading it for years. My loss. Suffice it to say, I LOVED the characters. Sophia broke my heart, while Samuel captured it. Gretchen was courageous and loving, while her brother Ansel was selfless and sweet. I hated the ending because Ms. Pearce made it hurt. I have half a mind to read it again, just to see if I can will the ending to change. To see if I can somehow wish this beloved, rag-tag family the happiness they deserve.

The most evocative: Fathomless. This dark novel is nothing like Disney's mermaid we all know and love. Lo is torn between two worlds and two souls as she tries to live in the present, remember her past and embrace her future. She is utterly tragic and beautiful in her quest to do right. And while I am not always a huge fan of stories told from different perspectives, Ms. Pearce did a masterful job of using it to create emotionally robust characters, rather than as a cheat to impart information the audience needed but otherwise wouldn't know.

Most relevant: Purity. I have a sixteen year-old daughter who is a big daddy's girl and the thought of those purity ceremonies and vows has always kind of creeped me out. Ms. Pearce handles it with humor and dignity. This novel took me about three hours to read, and even though the subject matter is heavy--death, sex, religion and integrity--the author doesn't weigh it down by getting all preachy. Instead, Shelby is a very real teen with very real teen concerns.

All in all, the most respectful thing I can say about Jackson Pearce's writing is that she writes realistic characters I care about and puts them into difficult situations where they have to act and react in ways that truly matter. Not to mention, her prose is down-right lyrical.

And the best thing: her fourth fairytale Cold Spell will be out soon. You can bet I'll be snapping that up the minute it gets published!

In fact, I think Jackson Pearce just may rounding the corner and taking over the lead as one of my favorite authors. To learn more about her or to check out her novels, please hop over to her website and get reacquainted with some of your favorite fairy tales.

Going Too Far: Irrational Fears and a Book Review

Once upon a time, my big sister told me that if I stepped on a railroad track after a train went by, I would burn up and die. I am not proud to say I believed her. Even more difficult to admit is that I still cannot step directly on a railroad track.

Yeah, I know. Irrational to the point of ridiculous.

My adult mind knows--knows--that this can't possibly happen, yet I can't seem to override the ingrained fear my dear sis planted years ago. Suffice it to say, she went too far with her little prank.

Fears. Where do they come from and how do we overcome them?

In going too far by Jennifer Echols, Meg is terrified of being restrained in any way--even as she's a dare devil in other aspects of her life.

Both Meg and Officer John After are drawn to the train bridge. Both for very different reasons. Meg sees the bridge as a way to feel alive, while John views the bridge as sure death. In the beginning, the bridge draws them together. In the end, it tears them apart.

I am not one to read romance novels as a general rule. However, while searching for speech material for next year, my daughter and I came across this book and thought it might be usable. Unfortunately, it's not. Fortunately, it's still a great book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in going too far. Meg was lovable in her imperfections and completely drew me in, while John was the perfect balance of steel-tough exterior and silk-soft vulnerability.

going too far was a quick, but fun read. Ms. Echols handled the fears of her main characters in a realistic and compassionate way--without bogging down the story by writing a pity party. I highly recommend this novel for anyone looking to perk up their spring with great characters and a well-written plot.