Adventure Just The Same...by Lora Innes

I stood gaping at the towers of boxes in my in-laws basement. Everything we owned was squeezed into a single room that would serve as our home, office, and storage unit for the next four months.

Finding the right crate in the last scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark would have been easier than locating awol pajamas in this mess.

“Try the box under your microphone, next to the Christmas decorations, near the treadmill.”

A glance told my husband, Mike, exactly what I was thinking.

“I know,” he said. “I keep thinking the same thing.”

The same thing: This is not what I thought adventure would feel like.

Nine months ago, a Silicon Valley startup offered Mike his dream job. The cherry on top? They allowed him to telecommute from anywhere in the world.

For years we’d dreamed of trading our cookie-cutter house in the suburbs for something new. The dressing of this would-be adventure varied in each of our fantasies—So Cal beach bungalow, urban Bostonian brownstone, shotgun house in the French Quarter—but one thing stayed consistent: we wanted to be anywhere but here.

“Here” was Columbus, Ohio, a small-town of a big city close to family, surrounded by a deep network of friends, and home to the world’s greatest latte. (That’s the Ohio Maple Latte at Cafe Brioso, for the uninitiated.) Central Ohio conveniently sits within a days drive of most East Coast comic book conventions, the source of my livelihood. Everything should have been perfect.

And yet the gnawing desire for ‘different,’ ‘new,’ ‘adventure’ wouldn’t go away. The pressure built gradually until every unexpected home repair became another piece of evidence proving we were not cut out to be Suburbanites. Suburbanites cared whose lawn was the greenest and scoured Pinterest for envy-inducing decorating ideas. For us, every penny spent on home improvement felt like a betrayal signed, “Love, Your Adoring 3-Bedroom Ranch.”

So when Mike’s new job allowed us to live anywhere, we listed the house.

At first, everything made us joyous: This is the last time I have to mow our lawn! The groundhog in the backyard won’t be my problem anymore! I always hated these bathroom lights!

But the initial buzz wore off as soon as we started saying goodbye to friends, family, cherished belongings, and yes… our house.

Our last night there, we ate leftover Indian food out of the carton on an air mattress. The house looked barren… like we had betrayed it.

The emptiness filled our hearts with a grief I didn’t expect. This was voluntary. We chose to move. And yet, this was home. And after tonight, I could never go home again.

Each room held ten years worth of memories and I cried through each one.

We cried so much that we started laughing about the crying.

This was pathetic.

And this certainly wasn’t what we thought adventure would feel like.

We imagine adventure as perfectly fulfilling and pleasantly unpredictable. Discomfort, uncertainty, and disorientation never seem to make the postcard shot in our mind’s eye—something Bea Whaley, the heroine of my graphic novel series, The Dreamer, is learning the hard way. 

The first time she falls asleep and wakes up in the middle of the American Revolution, she is dazzled by the gorgeous dresses and dashing gentlemen. But as the war closes in around her, Bea learns that adventure isn’t always what we’d dreamed. Will Bea realize how good she had it in the 21st century, only after it’s too late to go back?

Will I?

Last night we fell asleep on our (real, not air) mattress, boxed in by my in-laws’ oversized couches, watching Netflix on our iPad because the TV is still trapped under bathroom supplies and beer steins. We talked about what city we’ll move to. Good old New Orleans, sunny San Diego, and a rustic French countryside town all made the list.

Nope, this isn’t what we thought adventure would feel like at all. 

But this is adventure just the same.

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About The Dreamer

Beatrice “Bea” Whaley seems to have it all; the seventeen-year old high school senior is beautiful, wealthy and the star performer of the drama club. With her uncle’s connections to Broadway theater, the future looks bright ahead of her. Little does she know that her future might actually be brighter behind her.

Bea begins having vivid dreams about a brave and handsome soldier named Alan Warren–a member of an elite group known as Knowlton’s Rangers that served during the Revolutionary War. Prone to keeping her head in the clouds, she welcomes her nightly adventures in 1776; filled with danger and romance they give her much to muse about the next day. 

Each night, the dreams pick up exactly where the last one ended. Beatrice questions whether these are simply dreams or something more. The senses–the smell of musket shots and cannons, the screams of soldiers in agony, and that kiss–are all far more real than any dream she can remember.

The Dreamer began as a webcomic in 2007 and updates one new page every Wednesday and Friday at TheDreamerComic.com. IDW Publishing has released three graphic novel collections of the series: Volume 1: The Battle of Brooklyn, Volume 2: The Kip’s Bay Affair, and Volume 3: The Battle of Harlem Heights. 

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5 Reasons To Not Get Married by Boone Brux

In my newest book, Bridesmaid Blues, Dani Brown, the maid-of-honor, has to keep the best man, her ex-boyfriend, away from the groom as a favor to the bride. Dani and Jamie’s relationship didn’t end well, and she was left trying to figure out why he bolted days after she said the L-word. That got me thinking about dating, relationships, and marriage. It’s been years since I’ve had to hit the dating scene, thank God, but I fairly certain the basic reasons for sticking with or ending a relationship haven’t changed much.

These are my top five reasons not to get married. I strongly feel if you’re contemplating taking the plunge and any of these are the reason why, you should rethink your decision. Maybe go to a hot yoga class or get a massage and think it over.

1.    You need somebody to lift heavy things. You can actually hire people for this. It might only cost you a case of beer or a batch of cookies. Even if you have to fork out cold cash, Hank and the Box Boys will eventually leave, and you won’t be forced to watch the Duck Dynasty marathon running all weekend.

2.    You’re bored. I’ve got one word—hobby. Get one. Cosplay, cooking, cucumber art. You can choose as many hobbies as often as you want. Spouses are a lot more difficult and expensive to change.

3.    You need somebody to watch your pets while you go on vacation. I usually like to take my husband on vacation with me, but that might not be for everybody. Again, I’ll point out, a pet sitter or kennel is far cheaper than a spouse.

4.    Threats for your mother. She’ll die a broken woman if you don’t get married. My suggestion is tell her that day can’t come too soon. Guaranteed she will not die, broken or otherwise. You may have to listen to her crap, but you’re an adult, that’s what caller ID and peep holes are for.

5.    Lastly, everybody else is doing it. All your friends are getting married and you feel left out. All your friends might be getting their nipples pierced too, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Like with nipple piercing, if your piercer, or fiancée, are only so-so, chances are things are going to end painfully and you’ll end up regretting your choice. 

So there you have it, a few standard guidelines that will help you know when to say yes to the dress and when not to. I’d love to hear your reasons for not getting married.

About Boone Brux

Boone is a bestselling author in both fantasy and series romance. She began writing in an attempt to ward of the slow decomposition of her mind while being an at-home-mom of twin toddlers. It soon became clear that storytelling was her true calling.

Her books range from epic fantasy, full of hot heroes and demons, to humorous urban fantasy, where hockey moms are grim reapers and Greek gods live next door. Though she loves writing romance, Boone prefers stories where she gets to blow something up or kill somebody.

She calls Alaska home and lives there with her husband, daughters, rescue dog, Oreo, and Velma Underfoot, a black cat who rules the house.

You can reach Boone via Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

About Bridesmaid Blues

A wedding. An ex. And a secret.

Maid-of-Honor Dani Brown can handle anything that comes her way when it comes to her best friend’s wedding. That is, until the bride asks for a huge favor-Dani needs to distract the best man, who happens to be Dani’s ex. The ex she has fantasized dismembering for a year now.

The ex she’ll have to suck it up and play nice with if this wedding is to go off without a hitch.

Businessman Jamie Kingsland is back in Seattle for a wedding. There’s just one problem – the maid of honor wants him dead. Except she doesn’t. Even though he knows he broke her heart last year when things got too serious and he panicked and left, she’s being way too nice about it now. And it scares him.

Something is up with his favorite bridesmaid, and he’s determined to find out what…

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Top 10 Things I Learned from Reading SF/F by Raven Oak

When writing guest articles, I often flounder with what topic I want to cover that I haven’t already done on my own website because let’s face it—I post on there far too often. With the flood of Top 10 Lists on social media from Buzzfeed and other sites, I decided to crawl out of my comfort zone of talking writing and gaming to examine what I’ve learned from reading science fiction & fantasy. While I could, I promise I won’t make this all about Joss Whedon, no matter how much his mad genius has taught me. Without further ado, here are the top ten things I’ve learned from reading SF/F:

1.    Worldbuilding and scenery porn are either loved or hated, depending upon how old you were when you discovered J. R. R. Tolkien.

2.    We would destroy any alien society we come into contact with, no matter what the prime directive says, because we’re a self-centered people afraid of anything different.

3.    Magical systems must have rules until you’ve published your fourth book in the series. Then you can do whatever you want by the laws of being famous.

4.    Friendship is magic. (No really—friendship among characters will carry a character farther than flying eagles, walking trees, and wise old magicians.)

5.    There’s always a bigger sword.

6.    Faster-than-light travel is probably improbable, if not impossible. Yet we continue to dream.

7.    Few care why the story works if the story is good.

8.    Science fiction isn’t about the future. Instead, it serves as a social commentary about the time during which it was written.

9.    Be yourself because no one else will be, even if you’re a villain. 

10.  Late at night in a fog as thick as your head, someone went fishing. A slithering something wearing fins snaked through the water and walked on land. The fisherman screamed and fled to the village where he told folks he’d seen something of the gods. And thus, a mythical creature was born for writers everywhere to pontificate about.

Always remember that truth is stranger than fiction.

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Raven Oak is the author of the bestselling fantasy novel Amaskan’s Blood and the upcoming  space operas Class-M Exile and The Eldest Silence. She spent most of her K-12 education doodling stories and 500 page monstrosities that are forever locked away in a filing cabinet.

When she’s not writing,  she’s getting her game on with tabletop games, indulging in cartography, or staring at the ocean. She lives in Seattle, WA with her husband, and their three  kitties who enjoy lounging across the keyboard when writing deadlines approach. 

Raven is currently at work on Amaskan’s War and The Eldest Traitor.

What Life Looks Like When We Pull Back the Filter by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Let’s agree on something. We are all guilty of uploading a photo to Instagram or Facebook that, with just the right angle, lighting and filter makes the image look damn near perfect.  What we don’t post are the twenty pictures we took just to get the one that we then triple filtered and cropped before we uploaded it. Understandably so, we all want others to see us in the best light (pun intended) whether we’re nestled up to our spouse looking hopelessly in love on our anniversary or our child is smiling angelically in her Sunday best or the rescue dog we adopted is greeting card cute as he pants for the camera.

And while there’s nothing wrong with wanting to put our best self out there, the photos we share typically represent the way we want our lives to appear, not the way they actually are.

So in honor of our latest novel, THE STATUS OF ALL THINGS, about a social media obsessed woman who gets the chance to literally re-write her fate on Facebook, we decided to post the photos that we’d typically delete faster than you can say #nofilter or #blessed.

Oh Lily. Look at you batting your big brown eyes for the camera. I’m going to post this shot for my followers because I know they will think you’re all as cute as I do.

But what you and I both know is what they’re never going to see. The shoe you chewed like it was a tennis ball that had done you wrong. #damndog

It’s our fifth wedding anniversary and while, yes, we are still in love, we only posted the shot of us at the restaurant (aren’t we so cute?) that the twenty-year-old hostess had to take seventeen times because she was shooting up at us (and that is not a good thing when you are forty).

What we didn’t post was the shot of us just thirty minutes later when, instead of going out after dinner as planned, we called the sitter and told her there was going to be a change of plans. We headed home, put on our sweat pants and binged on Netflix. #becausewearelame #andanoldmarriedcouplealready #pleasenotemydoublechins

And then there’s my four-year-old. Doesn’t she look sweet? Posing in her princess best? As if every time I ask her to do something, she says, yes, mommy, whatever you say. Well, this was the picture I took after. After she got her way. #sheusuallywins #makethatalways

The next picture was taken before. When she had the tantrum that would make Mike Tyson shake his head. Here’s a freeze frame from the video I took and plan to use as leverage when she really is the teen she acts like now. #apicturereallyisworthathousandwords #iamnotabovebribery

Wow-Doesn’t my hair look UH-amazing? And, look, I’m kind of smirking and half-smiling like I have a really fantastic secret that I only share with other really wonderful people. And it only took me seventeen shots and five filters to get this picture just right! So there!

What I didn’t show you was the nasty pic, with dye smeared all over my face (and eyebrows!) and the clock showing I’d been stuck in that chair for FIVE hours. Because my hair starting growing gray when I turned thirty, of course. But don’t tell anyone, okay? It will just be our little secret.

OMG, aren’t they so cute! They went from being strays on the mean streets of the city to sleeping in a warm bed each night and playing tug-o-war! Aren’t I the BEST person EVER, because I rescue dogs and take adorable pictures of them living their new lives?

What I didn’t reveal was how one of them (And I can’t figure out which one?) thinks it’s hilarious to poop on the one piece of carpeting in the entire house. Yep, we have one two foot rug and that’s where’s they leave the stinky presents. And puke. And dead rats they find in the yard. And now I need to buy a steam cleaner.

Not only do I have amazing low maintenance red hair and well-behaved rescue animals, I’m also an fantastic cook! See this? You may thing it’s greasy, unhealthy fried rice, but it’s actually cauliflower DISGUISED as fried rice! Yes, I’ll accept the Mother of the Year award now. Please and Thank you.

What I didn’t show was what my kitchen looked like afterward. And yes, that’s ketchup. Those little effers put KETCHUP on my beautiful creation and didn’t rinse one of these dishes. #howdoesthatevenmakesense

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke have been best friends for twenty-five years and survived high school and college together. Liz lives in San Diego with her husband and two children. Lisa, a former talk show producer, now lives in Chicago with her husband, daughter, and two bonus children.

About The Status of All Things

What would you do if you could literally rewrite your fate—on Facebook? This heartwarming and hilarious new novel from the authors of Your Perfect Life follows a woman who discovers she can change her life through online status updates.

Kate is a thirty-five-year-old woman who is obsessed with social media. So when her fiancé, Max, breaks things off at their rehearsal dinner—to be with Kate’s close friend and coworker, no less—she goes straight to Facebook to share it with the world. But something’s changed. Suddenly, Kate’s real life starts to mirror whatever she writes in her Facebook status. With all the power at her fingertips, and heartbroken and confused over why Max left her, Kate goes back in time to rewrite their history.

Kate's two best friends, Jules and Liam, are the only ones who know the truth. In order to convince them she’s really time traveled, Kate offers to use her Facebook status to help improve their lives. But her attempts to help them don’t go exactly as planned, and every effort to get Max back seems to only backfire, causing Kate to wonder if it’s really possible to change her fate.

In The Status of All Things, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke combine the humor and heart of Sarah Pekkanen and Jennifer Weiner while exploring the pitfalls of posting your entire life on the Internet. They raise the questions: What if you could create your picture-perfect life? Would you be happy? Would you still be you? For anyone who’s ever attempted—or failed—to be their perfect self online, this is a story of wisdom and wit that will leave you with new appreciation for the true status of your life.

My Three Writing Wishes by Lynn Cahoon

A genie grants you three writing-related wishes: what are they and why? 

First wish – I have the ways and means to write full time. I’m somewhat leery of getting things for free – ever read The Monkey’s Paw? But as long as this is a good genie, I’ll ask for enough money to be able to stay home and play with my imaginary friends all day. And access to good health insurance, just in case. (I know, that might be more than one wish, but this is a good genie, right?)

Second wish – A metabolism that lets me eat what I want and never gain weight. Okay, not like Stephen King’s Thinner, but at least be able to enjoy some ice cream or a Hershey’s with Almonds, without dreading stepping on the scale later.

Third wish – To be draped in jewels… Wait, no, that’s not my wish, I think Dressed to Kill’s Sherry King is taking over the post. I must have paused too long thinking. A career I enjoy, good food (that doesn’t make me fat), those two are taken care of. I know, friends and family around to make me laugh and realized the joy of giving and receiving love.

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About Lynn Cahoon

I love happy endings. My stories are all about  life in small town America and building the family that you deserve. You know, the people who love you unconditionally – even when you’re less than perfect.

Personal stuff?  I’m a seven-year breast cancer survivor.  I’m married to my own hero who shaved his shoulder length hair when I lost mine during chemo. I’m the proud mom of a computer engineer (although I don’t know what that means.) And I have four fur babies.

I’m an active member of MORWA, my local RWA chapter.

My debut was THE BULL RIDER’S BROTHER released June 4th, 2012 from Crimson Romance. Cowboys aren’t easy to love—but they sure are easy on the eyes. I bet you’ve felt the same way my heroine Lizzie has, at least once or twice. Since that time, THE BULL RIDER’S MANAGER, came to your favorite digital store. If flying was hell, waiting to fly was purgatory. Both are available in print as well as digital. And the long awaited bull rider story is finally out and available.  Check out THE BULL RIDER’S KEEPER!

For those of you who like a little magic in your stories — The Council Series starts with A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL. A rogue hunter, a clueless witch and a mission to save an unknowing world.   The second book, RETURN OF THE FAE, continues Parris and Ty’s adventures, and is a 2014 RONE finalist.

2013 brought MARRIAGE NOT INCLUDED, a organic farmer’s daughter meets corporate seed executive. Set in Idaho, this story takes me home.

2014 sees more big news – e-Kensington released The Tourist Trap Series – with GUIDEBOOK TO MURDER kicking the fun off in April. MISSION TO MURDER arrived July 31st, and a third book, IF THE SHOE KILLS, November 10th.  Set in a small coastal California town, I love these who dun it’s with a touch of romance.

Summer of 2015 – DRESSED TO KILL and KILLER RUN will be arriving.

I’ve come a long way from the little girl on the school bus who used to cut out pictures from Teen Beat to illustrate my tales of love and loss. And yet, not so far.

So pull up a chair, pour a cup of coffee, and let’s chat about writing, love, life, and the pesky things that get in the way of our goals and dreams.

I’m glad you found me.

You can connect with Lynn via Website | Twitter | Facebook

Q&A with Catherine Mann

You have more than 60 books released in more than 20 countries. What’s it like to have fans all over the world?

What a thrill to have the opportunity to touch readers around the globe. I’m not only an author, but also an avid reader myself. I treasure the escape of a great read and am honored to offer that entertainment to others.

What inspired you to make the move from theater school director to romance author?

The two actually share many similarities – the world building, characterization, plotting, staging, creating tension. I’m building a world with words rather than on a stage. My theater background also has a heavy emphasis in directing and literature. 

Can you tell us about your animal rescue work?

Ah, my heart and passion – I’ve been an animal rescuer for over a decade through fostering and serving on a shelter board of directors. Recently, I took a big leap of faith with some close friends and started our own rescue – The Sunshine State Animal Rescue. We’re a 501c3, non profit, no-kill rescue, all foster-home based. While we do traditional adoption placements, we also specialize in identifying animals at shelters that have working dog potential and partnering them into service/therapy/search and rescue placements. It’s been a life changing experience. FMI check out our facebook page: 
https://www.facebook.com/sunshinestateanimalrescue 

If PURSUED BY THE RICH RANCHER were made into a movie, who would you cast in the starring roles?

Timothy Olyphant as Alex McNair – definitely! And Emma Stone as single mom Nina Lowery.

What are you working on next?

Exciting news! I’m starting a new series for Harlequin Desire called the “Bayou Billionaires” - a football family dynasty that gives the books a sports industry setting. I’m writing the launch book, award winning author Joanne Rock is writing the second. She and I will continue to alternate writing books in the series so readers can have a book a month in the series. The series begins in early 2016 with HIS PREGNANT PRINCESS BRIDE

About Catherine Mann

USA Today bestseller Catherine Mann has books in print in more than 20 countries with Desire, Romantic Suspense, HQN and other Harlequin lines. A six-time RITA finalist, she has won both the RITA and the Bookseller's Best Awards. Catherine resides in Florida with her aviator husband, their four children and a menagerie of pets.

 Connect with Catherine via: Website | Twitter | Facebook

About Pursued by the Rich Rancher

Single mom Nina Lowery has never understood the sex appeal of cowboys. Until she brings her son to a weeklong horse camp and meets the wealthy rancher in charge. Seduction isn't part of Alex McNair's plan to earn his piece of his family's estate. Yet plans have a way of changing. Nina and her little boy hold the key to Alex's future. Breaking the promise he made to his dying grandmother is not an option but neither is breaking Nina's heart.

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