There Will Be Another Sunrise: December 2013

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

@OBBookTours - Book Feature - Brian Francis Heffron - Colorado Mandala

With refreshing depth, distinct literary merit, and highly original poetic phrasings that spill from the pages like paint, Colorado Mandala is poet Brian Heffron’s debut work of literary fiction. It mines the complex landscape of post-Vietnam America to unearth the deep connections that bind individuals together, and also ferociously rip them asunder. Illustrative, luscious, seductive, and engaging, this rare piece of craftsmanship will stir the senses of any one who thirsts for artistic expression, or who longs for an era in our country now utterly, irretrievably gone.

In the heady, hippie backdrop of Pike’s Peak, Colorado, in the tumultuous 1970s, three souls swirl together in an explosive supernova. Michael is the flinty-eyed, volatile former Green Beret, whose tour in Vietnam has left unbridgeable chasms in his psyche and secrets that can never find light. Sarah is his fair-haired paramour, the ethereal Earth Mother widow of a fallen soldier and single mother to a ten-year-old son Stuart. Paul is a young wanderer, who is drawn in by Michael and soon bears the mantle of both minister and scourge. As they are drawn together, and torn apart, each is changed forever. And our hearts race along with them, through the rocky, raw Colorado terrain amidst the blood sport of man and beast.

Laying bare the loss and acceptance of a pioneering age, Colorado Mandala shines revelatory light on the crazy, glorious, and romantic notion that each generation conceives anew: that love can be a spiritual gift shared openly rather than coveted, or hidden, or hoarded. If you wish to go barefoot again and climb an unspoiled Colorado trail, look no further. If you long for something to wake you up in simple, clean language, a shimmering story awaits. Awaken to what you have always known: simple truths show you the way home. With his gripping and unforgettable Colorado Mandala, it is clear that Brian Heffron knows the way.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Literary Fiction

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Brian Heffron on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.brianheffron.net/brianheffron.net/Welcome.html

Follow the Tour

18th December – Excerpt at bit’s ‘n Bobs

@OBBookTours - What Makes A Hero? by Merry Farmer

What Makes A Hero?

by Merry Farmer

Open the pages of any given romance novel these days and what will you find? You’ll find a strong, devilishly handsome rake with a good heart. He might have a past, he’ll certainly have an attitude, but above all he’ll have the best intentions at heart. At least by the end of the story.

When I set out to write Our Little Secrets, I had a very different sort of hero in mind. Michael West is not devilishly handsome. He’s not particularly strong either. He’s a shopkeeper with a past. And he wears glasses. But one thing he is, is smart. Maybe even a little too smart for his own good. He’s smart enough to pull himself out of the massive hole he digs for himself where his heroine, Charlie, is concerned.

I’ve always been attracted to the smart guys. Muscle is okay if put to good use, but if you really want to melt my chocolate, give me a smart man any day. Smart men might not be the first to jump into the fight, but they’re definitely going to come out of it in one piece. Brawn might be able to turn a woman’s head and sweep her off her feet, but brain will build a home for her and figure out how to get her out of scrapes. Best of all, a smart man knows enough to accept a woman for who she is, even if who she is makes him wince from time to time.

Michael West has his hands full when he agrees to marry Charlie almost as soon as she sets foot in Cold Springs, Montana. Contrary to all of the fabulous stories of mail-order brides and quickie frontier marriages, it was highly unusual in Montana of the 1890s for a man to marry a woman he didn’t know. Especially when he has secrets he wants to keep. But what makes Michael a hero is his quick wit and his ability to recognize a good thing when it stumbles into his life.

Well, almost. Some would argue that the things Michael does in Our Little Secrets are exactly the opposite of what a hero should do. Does he stand up for his heroine when the chips are down? Does he rush to the defense of his friends when they are attacked? Does he face trouble head-on or does he have a little too much scotch and make a really bad decision. How can a man who would slip be considered a hero?

Easily. Heroism doesn’t come from always doing the right thing any time there’s a choice to be made. It doesn’t come from strength or force or sheer potent masculinity. It comes from learning to listen to your heart. It comes from letting go of pride and admitting your mistakes. It comes from making the right choice after a string of wrong choices. It comes from the ability to change for the better.

So is Michael West a hero? You better believe it!

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Western Historical Romance

Rating – R

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Merry Farmer on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://merryfarmer.net/

Follow the Tour

18th December – Author Interview at Me, You & Books

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

@OBBookTours - A Day in This Writer’s Life by Patti Larsen

A Day in This Writer’s Life

by Patti Larsen

I often have people ask what my normal working day looks like. And I snort. The word “normal” feels like it belongs to someone else.

I like to sleep in until at least 8am or even 9am, depending on how late I worked the night before. I used to be able to sleep later, when I was working at other jobs full time, but now the voices prod me to get out of bed and get to their stories and, because I love what I do so much, I’m happy to do so.

Breakfast is a cup of hot tea as I jump into social media to see what I’ve missed while wasting time sleeping. A quick tally of my sales numbers from the day before—with a huge THANK YOU to the Universe for allowing me to write for a living—and I’m off and running.

Mondays are begun with at least two hours of chin wagging with my amazing editor, Annetta Ribken. I try to schedule meetings with my cover designer, Valerie Bellamy, the same day if I can.

Those done—with a great deal of giggling and only a little work involved—it’s time to hop a ride to another place.

Sometimes to Wilding Springs, where my main character of Family Magic lives with her wacky family. My husband laughs when he asks me how my day was and I tell him I had to spend some time in the Ukraine or Harvard or an Austrian castle full of vampires.

No airplane required.

If it’s a writing day, I schedule hourly bouts with short breaks in between to check the almighty Facebook and update my readers on my progress before diving in again. I like to schedule five or six chapters per day and usually hit the mark.

I’m forced into the odd caterlude by one or more of my five massive cats, mixed with a quick lunch, more tea and a chat or two with friends on Skype or Google Hangout.

Or, at times through the week, I trot off to schools to talk to kids about what I do and how fun it is to be a writer. Meet with emerging authors looking for advice on where to go from where they are. Or have a lovely lunch with a good friend just to get me out of the house.

The days are just packed.

If it’s winter, dinner is cooked for me, thank goodness, by my very patient Boo. The rest of the year, I usually eat alone, my golf-course manager husband gone until after dark. If there’s something interesting on Netflix, it might catch my attention. But I usually unwind with a hot bath and a book on Kindle for at least an hour before tumbling into bed, ready for the next day’s adventures in far-flung places.

Don’t I have the best life?

About Patti Larsen: You’re not looking for my polished bio, huh? You sure you want more? The real dirty, down deep, nitty gritty? Fair enough. Here goes: I’m a card-carrying nerd. It’s taken years to admit it. I’m also a hermit in a writing basement who prefers solitude to people (cats always welcome). I’m a writing fiend who hears the voices of teenagers and blushes at the S-E-X parts. I don’t sleep very well. Ever. My mind is too busy. I am a feline loving married woman who could easily end up a crazy cat lady if my husband would let me. I am a paradigm shifter, a believer in self and my own personal power. I see everything in black and white until the gray is explained to me. I am a fiercely loyal friend, a confidant and a Tarot card reader and intuitive. I am a proud roller derby girl, a total dweeb and can’t dance to save my soul. I am terrified of heights and challenge that fear every chance I get. Oh, and I’m the Creator. The Queen of my own Destiny. I love that.

Find her all over the Internet:

and find Family Magic www.bit.ly/familymagic