Welcome special guest: author Heather Heyford ~ @HeatherHeyford @GoddessFish #Romance #contemporary

Today we have author Heather Heyford visiting.
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Heather Heyford learned to walk and talk in Texas, and then moved to England. ( “Ya’ll want some scones?”) Now a recovering teacher, Heather writes love stories, feeds hardboiled eggs to suburban foxes, and makes art in the Mid-Atlantic.
* Additional Bio: Born in the Northeast, Heather Heyford learned to walk and talk in Texas, and then moved to England. (“Ya’ll want some scones?”) While in Europe, Heather was forced by her cruel parents to spend Saturdays in the leopard vinyl back seat of their Peugeot, motoring from one medieval pile to the next for the lame purpose of ‘learning something.’ What she soon learned was how to allay the boredom by stashing a Cosmo under the seat. Now a recovering teacher, Heather writes love stories, feeds hardboiled eggs to suburban foxes, and makes art in the Mid-Atlantic. She is represented by the Nancy Yost Literary Agency (NYLA, @nyliterary) in New York City. The first book in her Napa Wine Heiresses Series from Kensington Publishing, A Taste of Chardonnay, is now available!

So, Heather Heyford, What/Who inspired you to become a writer? When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it? How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
* Ever since I wrote A Taste of Chardonnay, people have been asking me if I always wanted to write. The answer is, no! I didn’t start writing until about five years ago, when a love story rolling around in my head wouldn’t leave me alone. Naively, I thought, “I can do this. I went to college.” Ha! I had no idea what I was doing. I made every mistake a writer could possibly make in that book. It was my teacher. I got a bunch of rejections—deservedly so—but I also got a lot of positive feedback. After that, I studied hard, including researching the market to see what people wanted to read. I ended up selling my second effort, the Napa Wine Heiresses series.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
* Oh my goodness, I’ve received so much help along the way from other writers. The romance writer community is the most generous group of people I’ve ever met. Probably the best piece of advice I ever got was to “show, don’t tell.” It’s so obvious once you know that, but it had to be pointed out to me. The worst advice? For me personally, it would be to join a critique group. That never felt right to me. Why would an amateur take the advice of other amateurs? Besides, I sure didn’t want to be responsible for steering someone wrong! Now, I know lots of writers who swear by critique groups, and a clutch of experienced professionals is something entirely different from a group of newbies trying to find their way.

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series?
* The Napa Wine Heiresses series consists of 4 books: A Taste of Chardonnay, A Taste of Merlot, A Taste of Sauvignon, and A Taste of Sake. It’s best to read them in that order, though they can stand alone. They are all about how the four daughters of Napa’s’ most notorious vintner carve out their own niche in the world…and find love along the way, of course!

What sparked the idea for the story/series?
* I was inspired to write the series after my husband took me on a dream-come-true trip to the California wine country. After all, most romance readers are just like me. Our favorite things are reading, romance, travel and wine. What could make a better series than those?

*** Now for some fun info… ***
Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
* My daughter’s guinea pigs outlived all her friends’. Why? Because long after she lost interest in them, I continued to care for them out of my love of animals…even though the slightest scratch from their long nails gave me big, red welts.

Which do you prefer: rain or sun & warm weather or cold weather?
* Oh, I’m definitely a sunshine kinda girl. I lived in England for three years as a child, and it’s true what you’ve heard about their gray skies. Once when the sun shone for three days in a row, it broke some kind of record.

If you could live anywhere in the universe, where would it be and why?
* Are we talking pure fantasy? I’d have three houses: a ranch in Wyoming, an apartment in London, and a villa in the Caribbean!

If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
* I can see it all now…me sitting under a rustling palm with my Kindle in my hands, watching the sun go down. On a little table next to me are a lamp and a laptop. Inside my hut is a TV and fridge stocked with wine. What time’s my flight?

*** About Heather Heyford’s book… ***

~ Blurb ~ * When the richly bred, poorly raised daughter of a notorious Napa Valley winemaker competes with Hollywood’s hottest man in an unlikely race to see who can do the most good, who will win? ~ Excerpt ~ * A single black-and-white car, lights flashing, passed them going in the opposite direction.
* “Thanks,” she said in a subdued voice.
* “You can’t afford any more notoriety.”
* Char lowered the ice pack and turned to him. “How do you know?”
* Here it came. She braced herself for his accusations.
* When he didn’t respond, she asked more sharply, “What about my notoriety?”
* It was making her crazy, not knowing what he knew.
* In the dark, he sighed audibly.
* “My mom told me some stuff. She’s lived in Napa city all her life. She knows everyone. Hears everything.”
* “Like what, exactly?” Char braced herself for the worst, taking scant comfort in the idea that he couldn’t be that outraged, or he wouldn’t be here, driving her home. Or—to wherever they were headed.
* “It’s not important.” Whatever dreck he’d heard, he was downplaying it. That much was for sure.
* “How’s your cheek? Keep that ice on it.”
* “Just tell me what you’ve heard. I’ll tell you which parts are true or not.”
* He slid down the windows, letting in the night air—unusually balmy for early June—and combed his fingers through his hair.
* Char sat stiffly, waiting. But after a few minutes, the steady whoosh of tires on pavement helped normalize her heart rate, and her spine relaxed a bit. There, in the shadowy cab of his truck, his striking good looks were obscured. And he couldn’t see her, either…or her top-of-the-line running shoes…her one-of-a-kind silver jewelry. For the moment, he wasn’t an egotistical movie star, and she wasn’t an empty-headed heiress. For just this moment, she could almost pretend they were ordinary people with ordinary lives.
* And ordinary, if powerful, feelings.

***Buy Heather Heyford's book here***
Kindle | Nook | Kensington Publishing | Print: Available Oct. 13, 2014 from Amazon

***Find Heather Heyford here***
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Thank you for joining us here today, Heather Heyford! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Heather will be awarding a digital copy of A TASTE OF CHARDONNAY to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave your name and email with your comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-vbt-taste-of-chardonnay) for a greater chance of winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The process of creating with Shawna C. Jones @GoddessFish #Memoirs #Biographies

Today we have author Shawna C. Jones visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* My author bio: Shawna C. Jones lives in the US, when she's not traveling the world. She lives with her husband and "inner demon" quite peacefully now. She is continuing her mission of helping others, and encouraging young people to travel and follow their dreams.

Please tell us your process for creating an antagonist.
* For my book, I did not have to invent an antagonist. She already had a place in the story, and I knew just where to put her. I changed a few things about her so she would not be recognized on the street, so to speak. The problem with writing about a true story is, you want to keep the facts intact, but without making the characters recognizable to others. I realized that the people who were around us at that time would recognize our identities. I decided I had to be fine with that, regardless of the consequences. Even so, I called it a fiction, when I knew parts of it weren’t.
* If I were to create an antagonist in a different book, I would look at the traits of celebrities, politicians, real life humans dead or alive, and even cartoon characters. I’d find someone the opposite of who I am, and make that person an antagonist. For me several come to mind: Sarah Palin, Yosemite Sam, Marilyn Monroe, etc. These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Notice that there are still many differences between these personalities. If you’re wondering why I chose Marilyn, it’s because she portrayed everything that I don’t like about women: A woman who uses men, acts innocent, uses her body or looks but acts dumb, to get what she wants. This is her character and not who she was a person. I liked who she was underneath, but not the superficial parts she played.
* I would then start creating a composite character based on this information, and add or subtract the qualities I wanted. Imagine someone looking like Sarah Palin but with blonde hair, skinny body, and blustering like Yosemite Sam every chance she gets, but around men turns into Marilyn Monroe. And I would change the traits as I wrote, to fit whatever I was writing about. Now I might have Marilyn with dark hair talking like Sarah Palin but amp it up with more Yosemite Sam, or leave it as it is. I would play around with this and add more personalities, or change them however I wanted to. That’s the beauty of fiction, but not when you’re basing your book on a memoir.
* Another way I might create one, would be to relax and get into a more meditative state. I would then think of a trait such as “annoying”, and see what image showed up. For me a two year old showed up asking a lot of questions. Now I have a starting point for this particular character. I would write it down, and then work on the next trait. Soon I’d have a good idea of what I’m looking for, and could change it at any time.
* So this would be my process for creating an antagonist.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Shawna grew up with a secret that she couldn't share with anyone. She thought of it as her "inner demon" and it shaped her life. When she became an adult, it sent her on a quest to try to find her Real Home. In Paris, she fell in love with a fellow traveler who changed her life, for better or worse. Their relationship was full of discovery and of lessons learned.
* How could she come to terms with her "inner demon"? Can we change our fate or karma? Does love really conquer all?
* This book is based on a true story of an independent woman's search for her true self and the meaning of life, and how she found answers in unexpected places. ~ Excerpt ~ * I meditated in my Paris apartment the day before leaving for London.
* Hurricane John had picked me up and tossed me around high in the air, and then pounded me on the sand. Like my aunt’s tea cup, I broke into pieces and lay at the bottom of the ocean. I wished sharks would eat me, but none came. But there was a gentle manatee that floated by and pushed all of my pieces together with her nose. Slowly, I became whole again. I found a shield and an arrow lying on the ocean floor, and quickly picked them up. I climbed on top of the manatee, and she easily carried me to the surface. I walked out of the water with my treasures and lay in the warm sun letting it heal my wounds. I closed my eyes for a time.
* When I opened them an eagle was hovering above me, staring at me. I realized its message of freedom and strength, and soaring to new heights. I would be happy with or without John. I really did not need him. I never did. A connection to the divine was at hand and I needed to prepare. Change would be coming, and I welcomed it with open arms.
* London. Home again. I felt like I could breathe once more. My new life had begun and I waited for the stirrings of new growth to move me onward and upward. No more going backwards ever again, I swore to myself.
* I moved in with Trina. We became friends when I worked in London. A successful lawyer with room to spare for a lost American gal. But not for long, I hoped.

Buy Twist of Fate here... Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Find Shawna C. Jones here... Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Thank you for joining us here today, Shawna C. Jones! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Shawna will be awarding the winner's choice of a $50 Amazon GC, a $50 Starbucks GC, or a crystal from Middle Earth Store in Mt. Shasta to a randomly drawn commenter during this tour! So be sure to use the Rafflecopter below, leave your name and email with acomment, and visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-nbtm-book-tour-twist-of-fate) for a greater chance of winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Look At LaKisha Johnson & 'A Secret Worth Keeping' ~ @_lakishajohnson @GoddessFish #africanamerican

Today we have author LaKisha Johnson visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* LaKisha Johnson is a girl after God’s own heart; doing what she believes to be her purpose…writing. In addition to being a self-published author, she’s also a wife of 15 years, mother of 2 and native of Memphis, TN. She comes from a huge family and has always been the go to girl whenever someone needed a poem written or read, an acknowledgement that would convey just what they were thinking or even an occasion written for that special day. She’s an all-around talented lady that makes everything she touches turn to gold. She has 2 degrees from Southwest TN Community College both in Information Technology and has worked in the corporate field for over 15 years. She is also a dedicated blogger, delivering a devotional blog 5 days per week entitled “Kisha’s Daily Devotionals.”
* LaKisha wants readers of her books to step outside the box and read with imagination. She wants them reeled in from the front cover to the last word, enjoying every second in between, asking for more. She doesn’t proclaim to be the best writer or even author in the world…she just proclaims to be blessed because her motto is “God’s purpose is bigger than any problem!”

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story A Secret Worth Keeping.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Shelby is a career woman turned housewife who enjoys the friendships that have been built with her 5 best friends; Camille, Lynesha, Raylin, Kerri and Chloe. They are all career women with different businesses, husbands and even children but something is missing and they can’t seem to find it at home, in a store or even in a book. So, they search for this missing piece in the beds, arms, cars and even offices of other men who don’t mind paying for what Dem Dam Divas can offer. They enjoy the thrill of sneaking, creeping and even vacationing on someone else’s dime but they soon find out that all good things come to an end. What happens when it becomes too much? From secretly wanting someone who doesn’t want you, loving only to not be loved back and being caught up in a dream that you’re about to be awaken from; will it be worth it in the end? Will they regret their actions or stand by them? Will they finally question whether this secret is really worth keeping? ~ Excerpt ~ * Girls, this has been an amazing trip. I’m kind of sad that it’s ending but I am ready to get home to see my babies.
* “Well, good for you; I can’t say the same,” said Kerri.
* “Listen ladies, I know that these trips are supposed to be a release to renew our minds but they do no good if you go back to home and accept the same mess you left. If you all are not happy then make some changes. Life is too short to keep living in hell. You all are beautiful, educated and capable of taking care of yourselves so why continue to take less from your husband than what your husband is supposed to do? Please don’t get me wrong, I am in no way saying that you all should head to divorce court, however, I am saying stop lying down and accepting everything. Stop accepting less than what your husband should be giving. Why should you have to find part time love in the hands of someone else? Why should you find pleasure in the bed of someone else when your husband should be fulfilling your every fantasy and you should be filling his?”
* “Shelby, I hear you but you have all that at home, we don’t” Chloe said with tears streaming down her face.
* “Yea, you have a husband whose eyes light up when you enter the room, one who notices your new hairdo, one who doesn’t mind shopping with you, one who holds you when you cry, sit with you when you’re sick, stay up with you when the baby is sick; you have all that,” Kerri added.
* “Yes, I do but this is because I wouldn’t accept anything less. Understand, we have our ups and downs but we work through them. We are not perfect and I’d be lying if I said anything differently but he knows my faults and accepts them and I know his and accept them.” I said.

Buy A Secret Worth Keeping here...
Amazon - Kindle | Amazon - Print | Barnes & Noble - Nook | Barnes & Noble - Print

Find LaKisha Johnson here...
Author Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | E-mail

Thank you for joining us here today, LaKisha Johnson! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! LaKisha will be awarding a download of A Secret Worth Keeping (format: winner's choice) to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour! So be sure to leave your name and email with your comment, visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-blast-tour) for a greater chance of winning!