Burn It All Down

I’m angry and don’t have the words to fully express my feelings in a blog post. At least not words that will live up to my own writing standards. So for now, I’m not writing about how women in the US are no longer free to have body autonomy, how a corpse has more rights than an American woman, or how Christian ideology has impinged on the separation of Church and State.

Instead, I’m going to write about how I escape from the real world. I’ll admit, it’s hard to do. Everywhere I turn I see women’s faces frozen in shock or anger. Social media is filled with comments and videos and memes.

 

But I appreciate the friends who have posted images of flowers or videos of the beach. Because although reality can’t, and shouldn’t, be avoided, we do need a break. We need a moment to catch our breath before we once again lose it in anger.

 

I appreciate the authors who have written books I can disappear into for a short while. I’ve got to admit that I’m totally off the dystopian society ones. I want stories that show me what the world can be if things go well, not what it can be if things continue on this trajectory. 

 

I also appreciate the nicer weather we’re having. Breathing fresh air, soaking up the sun, and taking some time out to laugh with friends and family is a huge help. It’s not going to solve anything, but it’s helping me. 

 

If you have other ideas, share them. And if you’re looking for books to help you escape, don’t forget about mine.

Welcome, Anastasia Abboud!

 Jennifer, thank you for hosting me today. I love your writing, so it’s a real honor to be a guest on your blog. 

I’m very excited about Tremors Through Time. I like the main characters, Deidre and Lachlann. I’m not bragging. It’s that surreal experience I think is both common and unique to fiction writers, that of the characters writing themselves.

What I appreciate about Lachlann and Deidre is their authenticity. They are true to themselves and to others, at least as much as they can be. 

They remind of a quote from Aristotle, “One swallow does not a summer make, neither does one fine day; similarly, one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy.” 

The ancient philosopher goes on to examine what does make a person happy. His concludes that honor and personal integrity -- in a word, virtue -- are essential to happiness. 

Lachlann and Deidre do their best, but they’re only human, after all. They can’t completely stifle their needs, desires, fears. All they want is to live a simple, happy life together, yet they are both aware that there are circumstances bigger than they are and that everything could change in an instant. They concentrate on doing what’s right, try to live in the moment, and hold out hope for the next. 

I believe it’s what we all should do. Of course, just as Deidre and Lachlann discover, that’s easier said than done.

Blurb:

 

She's made mistakes and paid the price, but Deidre Chisolm is no quitter. She'll never again be a fool for a man, not even her gorgeous new neighbor with his haunted eyes and strange accent. She'll be friendly, but nothing more. 

 

Lachlann has to go back to fourteenth-century Scotland. He can't forsake his family, his son. But when a beautiful, kind, funny lady buys the house next door, he's never been so drawn to anyone in his life. Would she believe his story? After years of struggling through nightmares and flashbacks, headaches and illiteracy, dare he ask her to help him return?

 

Book Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Tremors-through-Time-Anastasia-Abboud-ebook/dp/B09X3S3QVQ

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61248505-tremors-through-time

 

https://www.anastasiaabboud.com/tremors-through-time.html

 

https://www.bookbub.com/books/tremors-through-time-by-anastasia-abboud

 

Author Bio: 

 

For me, playing is the best -- playing outdoors in nature or in my garden, experimenting in the kitchen, spending time with those I love. I also enjoy disappearing into a good book, attempting crafts, learning, writing, exploring, discovering. I especially like to mix it up and have yet to perfect any of it; and I've come to realize that perfection's not the point. It's all wonderfully fun. That's the point!

​I prefer authentic and natural, be it food, lifestyle, people. I passionately enjoy both history and science, and certainly sociology to a degree, and I am most truly a romantic.

​​My husband and I have been married for over forty years. We reside near Houston, Texas, surrounded by loved ones. We have a blast with our little grandchildren.

​I thank God for this wonderful life.

Author Links:

https://www.anastasiaabboud.com

 

https://www.facebook.com/anastasia.abboud.author

 

https://twitter.com/AbboudAnastasia

 

https://www.instagram.com/anastasia_abboud_author

https://www.goodreads.com/anastasiaabboud

 

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anastasia-abboud

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-abboud/

 

https://www.amazon.com/Anastasia-Abboud/e/B00BTSVUY2

 

 

Latest Book Deal

I’m so excited to share that I’ve been offered a three-book deal by Harlequin Special Edition, an imprint of HarperCollins and a huge force in the romance genre. The mini-series will be Jewish holiday focused, and take place during Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur, Passover, and Hanukkah.

Thanks to my agent, Cathie, this manuscript finally has a home. Someday I’ll go into explanation of how exactly this manuscript came to be, but for now I’m just going to say that I think it’s exactly where it’s supposed to be, and I can’t wait to get to work on it. Both my agent and my editor completely understand what to do with this book, and I am so glad to finally get it out into the world.

 

Writing Jewish romance is incredibly satisfying from a personal standpoint, because I get to create characters who are familiar to me (nope, still not based on me or anyone I know). But it’s also important for those books to get out into the world. Representation matters. As a white person, I have incredible privilege. But as a Jewish woman, those rights are not always guaranteed. And even though there are incredible authors who are marginalized in ways I will never experience, Jewish romance is also often pushed to the side, waiting for someone who knows what to do with it. The more books published by Jewish authors, the better it will be for Jewish writers in the future. And, quite honestly, the more books published by marginalized authors from any background, the better it is for all of us.

 

So if you haven’t yet read a book by a marginalized author—authors of color, LGBTQIA+ authors, Jewish authors, Muslim authors, Indigenous authors, Asian authors, to name just a few, go out and find them. Read them. Review them. Talk them up with your friends. Suggest them to your book clubs. Borrow them or request them from your libraries. You may just find your newest, most favorite author.

Barnes & Noble Book Signing #2

Another Saturday, another Barnes & Noble event. And this one was fabulous! If you like romance, go to the Easton, PA store. They have a big romance section, and they are very romance friendly. 

The store manager contacted me and asked me to invite some of my romance author friends to join me. They wanted to make it a multi-author event. He then decided to make it even bigger by inviting additional romance authors. They were wonderful. We all enjoyed talking to each other, learning about each other’s publishing journey, and checking out the books. 

 

Unlike other events I’ve attended, they made a huge publicity push, creating hashtags for us to use on social media, blasting it out to their customers for a month leading up to the event, creating signage, and even offering coupons for readers once they arrived in store. It was fantastic, and I sold books. And customers came in specifically requesting our books because they’d looked them up ahead of time!

 

If you missed it, they’re doing it again on May 6, 2023. Mark your calendars—I personally can’t wait to go back!

 

 

5 Things to Know About the Hero and Heroine in Jana Richards' “To Heal a Heart”

 5 Things to Know About the Hero and Heroine in “To Heal a Heart”

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

 

2.     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.

 

3.     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.

 

4.     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.

 

5.     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!

 

TO HEAL A HEART on sale at Amazon for .99 cents – May 20 – June 3, 2022! Get Your Copy Today!

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?

Excerpt: 

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 Links:

https://books2read.com/To-Heal-a-Heart

 

STRONG ENOUGH, book 4 in the Masonville Series, Coming Soon!

STRONG ENOUGH is available for pre-order now. The book releases June 22, 2022!

 

Charlotte Saunders has a full life—a rewarding career as a nurse, meaningful volunteer work at a dog shelter, and family, friends and pets she adores. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t forget the horrible event that’s haunted her for ten years.

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Damon Greyson now helps others who have suffered trauma. His experience and intuition alert him to trouble in Charlotte’s past, and he wants to help her, if only she’d let him.

As they work together to help veterans suffering from PTSD and neglected dogs needing loving homes, their feelings for each other deepen. But when the trauma from Charlotte’s past roars back to life, both are forced to confront their painful histories—or die trying.

Buy Links:

https://books2read.com/Strong-Enough-by-Jana-Richards

 

Author Bio:

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length contemporary romance, paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side.  She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies such as golf (which she plays very badly) or reading (which she does much better). 

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.com

 

Social Media Links:

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