Friday, August 26, 2011

Guest Post by Carol Cassada

If someone had told me years ago that I’d eventually be writing romance novels, I would’ve told them they were crazy. Yet here I am, writing for the genre I once loathed.

I admit I’ve never liked romance novels, in fact the only way I got my feel of romance and drama was from soap operas, which inspired my second book Westmore, we’ll get to that in a minute. But when I decided to go into writing, romance is one of the genres I considered as a option. I even got a few Harlequin novels to help me get a sense of the genre. I must admit I became hooked on them, I’d read a couple of chapters, then take a break, a few minutes later my hand was reaching for the book, I had to read more. I’d tear through them in three days, while it usually takes me weeks to read a book, depending on the length and the style. After getting inspiration I began writing my first book Going Home Again.

Going Home Again revolves around New York fashion photographer Rachel Mitchell, whose living the good life with a great job, and handsome boyfriend Jeremy David. But her perfect life is shattered upon the death of her mother Nancy. Rachel returns home to Virginia to comfort her three younger sisters and her grandma Edie, who throughout the book instills in Rachel the importance of family, a value which will eventually change her for the better. While in Virginia Rachel runs into ex-flame Cole Ashton, whose heart she broke years ago, yet they remain friends. Upon her return to New York, Rachel feels something’s missing and before long her life is in shambles, her job is in jeopardy and there’s trouble in paradise for her and Jeremy. Suddenly Rachel begins contemplating changes she wants in her life.

Shortly after Going Home Again was released I was finishing my second book Westmore. As a teen I explored the world of screenwriting and at one time I wanted to be a writer for the daytime serials, I had a notebook where I wrote characters and plots. Then I was looking for inspiration for my second book and I thought of taking my soap opera ideas and turning them into a book series and that’s where Westmore came from.

Westmore is set in a fictional town and the story focuses on three families; The Greens, The Braxtons, and The Reynolds.

The Greens consist of widowed matriarch Charlotte who has given up on love following the death of her husband Michael; however she changes her mind when handsome detective Jim Bryant comes to her rescue. Meanwhile her oldest son Jack, loves his job as a bartender, but longs to do more with his life. Scott and his sister Alicia are singers in a rock band, hoping to take their band to the next level, yet fate has other plans. Youngest son Peter returns home from college with girlfriend Zoey whose ten years older than him and causes trouble for Mama Charlotte.

The Braxtons are a rich, publishing family, Andrew is the oldest brother and took over the reigns of the company after his father’s death. Andrew’s a very controlling man, and his wife Elizabeth is fed up with his behavior and plans to leave. If that wasn’t enough Andrew learns his son Wayne who he’s groomed to take over the company, plans to jump ship, however Andrew isn’t letting go without a fight and will do anything to keep his son, even if it means his actions could hurt others.

The Reynolds consist of real estate tycoon Stan, whose life is turned upside down when his son Jacob begins dating rocker Alicia Green, and soon father and son are butting heads. Then his divorced daughter Laura and granddaughter Megan move back home. Once Laura’s settled into her new life, her ex shows up unexpectedly threatening to reveal her secret.

Towards the end of the book an accident occurs which will affect all three families, and the sequel due out September 2011 deals with the aftermath.

It’s hard to believe I’m writing for a genre I once detested, yet the old adage is true “don’t knock it until you try it.” Now how long I plan to write for the genre remains to be seen. Eventually I’d like to branch out into other fields, but for the time being I’m having fun writing romance and I hope readers enjoy the books as much as I do.

To learn more about my books visit http://www.carolcassada.net/

Thank you so much Carol for sharing your story, giving us an interview AND a guest post. And mostly for hosing a giveaway. And the winner is...Mina from Green Witch with Sprinkles.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Review - Westmore

by: Carol Cassada

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Set in a fictional New England town, follow the lives of three families; The Greens, the Braxtons, and the Reynolds. The Greens: * Widowed matriarch Charlotte never thought she could find love again after the death of her husband Michael, until handsome Detective Bryant comes to her rescue. * Youngest son Peter returns home from college with his new girlfriend, who's ten years older than him, and is a problem for Mama Charlotte. * Scott and Alicia are singing siblings who are on their way to the top, until tragedy strikes one night. The Braxtons: * Andrew Braxton is a ruthless and powerful businessman who runs his household the same way he runs his company, with an iron fist. Upon learning his son Wayne plans on abandoning the family company, he'll do everything in his heart to stop him from leaving. The Reynolds: * After the divorce Laura Reynolds and her daughter Megan move back home with her father, where she plans to start life anew, but little does she know that it's not easy to escape your past.

The cover is quite waspish, which fits the story well. The fictional town is as white bread east-coast as you can get.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story. It's pure chick lit, lots of characters that you love and love to hate. They all cross each others lives here and there throughout the book.

I felt the pace was perfect, not too fast, not too slow. I felt like I was reading a Danielle Steel novel, only this was better. Charlotte is still grieving her husband who died 4 years earlier, she is just getting ready to think about dating. Her oldest son works in a bar until he finds something better, her middle son is in a rock band with the daughter, hoping to make it big. The youngest quit college to shack up with a 29 yr old (he's 19).

Charlotte is best friends with Marie who is married to Jeff. Jeff is brother to Andrew who is married to Elizabeth - and they are Wayne's parents. Wayne is best friends with Jacob who starts dating Alicia (Charlotte's daughter). Very soap opera-ish. But it flows so well that even I can keep the characters straight (I'm so bad with names as some of you know) and I can't wait to see what happens next.

This book is fairly lengthy, 391 pages...but I read it in 2 days. Now remember, that's with kids so the story does grab you. Only problems are the numerous grammatical errors and the ending. Although I saw on Amazon that it's Volume 1 so I think I can give some leeway to the ending now. The grammar needs work. Some of them I'm not sure if it's just a bad feed to the PDF version, so I'm not going to hit that too hard either.

Just a reminder to authors - please, let many people red pen your manuscript, especially if you plan to self-publish.

Ok - since it's volume 1 and I see paperback versions out there while I read a PDF I'm going to upgrade this to 4 stars since I really didn't want to put it down and it read so very fast. I do look forward to volume 2 and hope Carol Cassada lets me review that as well.


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Good luck! I'll announce the winner on Friday, August 26, 2011.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Interview with Author Carol Cassada


Interview provided by A Cozy Reader's Corner.

Did you find it hard to have so many characters with their own thoughts and opinions, but they all somehow are connected to each other? Does it ever get confusing?
I admit it was hard having all those characters in a book and coming up with ideas for their backgrounds, and I’m sure it may be confusing to readers. But with Westmore I wanted to show diversity in the characters; in the story there’s a pair of rock singers, a conservative medical student, a dedicated policeman, and snooty older couples. I wanted different characters, somebody the readers could love and relate to, and then someone they would hate.

One other aspect that makes Westmore unique is the three families; the rich, upper class Braxtons and Reynolds, then the middle class Greens. Even though the families are from opposite social circles, they have relationships with each other. It not only gives readers a sense of their personalities but also helps with the flow of the story.

Without giving too much away, what's your favorite part of Westmore and why? Do you have a favorite character?
One scene I really love and think is powerful is when Wayne Braxton fed up with his father’s controlling behavior finally confronts him. Throughout his childhood Wayne’s let Andrew dominate his life, but now that he’s an adult he’s tired of it. Then when Andrew takes his behavior too far, Wayne stands up to him and lets him have it. It’s one of those scenes that people will applaud; happy the villain gets what’s coming to him.

As for characters, Charlotte and Alicia Green are two of my favorites because I modeled them after my mother and me. Much like my mom, Charlotte’s only wish in life is for her children to be happy and she’s supportive of their dreams. As for Alicia, we both have a combination those girly-girl and tomboy personalities, plus we both grew up with brothers who love to tease, yet hold our own when it comes to them.

Are you currently working on volume 2? Do you have an idea of when it will be released?
I’m in the process of editing volume 2, which I hope to release sometime in September. Then I’ll begin volume 3 and continue on with the series, either until the readers tire of it or I feel it’s time to end it.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I considered myself a writer when my first book Going Home Again was published, because all my hard work had paid off and I was now a part of the industry.

How personal or realistic is your writing?
My writing is very personal; most of the characters are modeled after me and my family. In a way its how I show my dedication, to thank them for supporting and encouraging me.

Another thing that makes my writing personal is the drama in the story. My family’s not prone to turmoil, there been lots of arguments and fights on both sides, and by incorporating this into my novels it helped relieve the stress I was feeling during those times.

What is your writing routine?
Usually I like to sleep in, then eat breakfast, exercise, and do chores. I’ll start writing around mid-afternoon. One thing I need when writing is privacy, if I have too many people around, then they’ll be coming in and out of the room and it’s too distracting. When working I like to turn on rock music to get my creativity flowing. Now how much I write varies day-to-day. Sometimes I can write a chapter, others it’ll be a few short scenes, and then there are days when I just take a break.

What's your big distraction or vice while writing?
I admit I find it hard to concentrate while writing, I’ll be in the middle of a sentence, and then I’ll stop everything and search the web for the latest celeb gossip or look up the name of a song I’m hooked on, crazy stuff like that.

Just for fun:

Who is your celebrity crush? (writer/actor/musician)
At the moment Alex O’Loughlin from Hawaii Five-O, I tune in every Monday night to see his handsome face.

3 Things we readers may not know about you.
  1. I tend to cuss.
  2. I have a rose tattoo on my left ankle and would like to get more.
  3. I have a fondness for margaritas.
Top 3 things on your bucket list.
  1. Travel, I definitely would love to visit New York and California. I’d also love to go to England and Ireland to trace my family heritage.
  2. Try surfing, even though I’d probably fall off the board.
  3. Sing karaoke, sounds silly, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to try, but can’t bring myself to do.
Top 3 most listened to songs on your iPod.
  1. Queen of the Forest by Ted Nugent
  2. Rock You Like a Hurricane by The Scorpions
  3. Juke Box Hero by Foreigner
Your guilty pleasure. (tv show, food, etc.) I like reality shows, mostly the TLC shows; 19 Kids and Counting, Sister Wives, and The Little Couple. As for The Kardashians and Jersey Shore, I don’t care for any of that crap; I’ve had enough of them.
You can find Carol at her website - http://carolcassada.net or on Twitter @dramacjc

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Sunday Stealing: The Heaven Eleven Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. If you could live in any other time period, which would you pick? Hmmmm, you know I think I would like to live with the Native Americans back before the "white man" discovered this country. That would be fascinating. So, like middle ages time but over here.

2. What is your favorite topic to write on your blog other than a meme? Duh - book reviews! lol

3. What are some traits that you admire in a lover? Humor, honesty and kindness. Without those 3 a person isn't even worth considering, I wouldn't find them attractive. I remember in high school I had the hots for this guy until one day he started teasing me for crocheting...seriously, WTF??? He became ugly in that moment and my crush dissipated.

4. Could you adjust to life in another country? I hope I someday have the opportunity. So many places I'd love to try living in, including Canada and Mexico, some South American countries, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Russia, oh and New Zealand.

5. If you could study anything, what would it be? Computer Programming...I know dream big, right? lmao But seriously, I enjoy playing with HTML, and I think I'd enjoy writing code.

6. What is your favorite possession that cost less than $15? My wallet, I paid $4 at TJ Maxx about a year ago. It's black, cloth with pink flamingos on it. When I was choosing a wallet, CW picked it out. I have to say it's served me well for being so cheap. And it's kitschy enough to fit in with all my Vera Bradley purses. Now people are thinking, what are you rich? No I have one very good friend who has given me gifts and let me buy her used ones, AND a very nice cousin who sells me cheap bags after the outlet sale. I swear one day I will attend that baby!

7. Which color do you wear most often? Black...or brown...really it's a tie.

8. What has been your “theme song”, or favorite song this summer? Hmmm...I can't think of one. I love so many songs, and since I can't seem to hook up my MP3 player into the car...it's just not as easy to listen to music when I'm driving. Husband introduced me to Robin Trower last night, and I gotta say he bears looking into. So go check it out, very classic rock sound.

9. What's the most romantic thing that's ever been said to you? "here give me your hands." Seriously, i was massaging Chris' back and I had to stop because of my carpel tunnel made my hands hurt. I felt bad, he sat up got some lotion and asked for my hands and massaged me until I felt better. I told him that meant more than all the flowers and chocolate in the world.

10. What would be your dream birthday cake? Oh no doubt on this one, the Soaring Eagle Casino has this buffet restaurant that has an amazing dessert section. There's this white-chocolate raspberry cake that is heavenly. So if you ever come to Mt. Pleasant, MI - go to the Casino's buffet and just eat dessert.

11. What is the coolest thing you’ve ever done? Grown a human being. Yup, of all the things I've done, having that little human being growing inside my belly is the COOLEST thing that has ever happened to me. And since I am the one who got pregnant, I share responsibility for that miracle.
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