Tasty Cover Reveal: City of the Fallen by Diana Bocco

Five years ago, vampires came out of hiding and took over the world. It was meant to be a quick enslavement but it turned into a bloody battle that brought humanity to the brink of extinction.

Isabelle Bryant is one of the “lucky” survivors, now living in hiding, scavenging for food through deserted towns.

And she’s tired of it.

So she’s devised a plan: find the king of the vampires and drive a stake through his heart.

Except that wickedly sensual king Marcus is nothing like the monster she expected. And while landing on his bed was part of the plan all along, discovering that he might hold the key to humanity’s survival certainly wasn’t. The catch? Saving humanity also means ensuring vampire survival. It means giving up hope for a return to a human-ruled world.

As sparks fly and hate becomes heat, Isabelle must pick a side -- before the darkness devours them all.

Author Links

 Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17834270-city-of-the-fallen

Website: http://www.dianaboccobooks.com/

Want a Review/Interview/Guest Post on Book Babe?

Email Sarita.Talmidah(at)yahoo.com. 

Why Bidding Wars Won the Bid for Lacey Wolfe's Heart

Being a multi-published author, some books are more special to me than others. Bidding Wars is one of those that holds a special place in my heart.

This story hit me like a ton of bricks and flowed from my fingertips to the keyboard in record speed—at least for me. This story is filled with passion. Not just between the characters, but from me.

You see, when I set out to write this story, I wanted to forget about sex. Sex is in all books and some heat us up more than others. I write both erotic and contemporary romance. I wanted to write a story that put all that aside and simply told a love story. Now, it isn’t completely sex free. After all, I was writing about two adults. The door is only slightly cracked open. But you aren’t going to find all the nitty gritty details in this story.

I hope readers will find in Bidding Wars, two people coming together in a way unimaginable. After all, they both want to buy the same house. And yet, only one of them can have it.

Bidding Wars will be the first story in a new trilogy titled Love Strikes. It will follow three nurses from a pediatric 24-hour office. The second book has been contracted, and I suspect will release later this year. If you enjoy this style of writing from me, be on the lookout for It Must Be Fate.

Blurb:

A sheriff plus a nurse plus a house equals trouble…

Nurse Molly Harper has had a tough year. But when she decides to regain control of her life, buying her dream house becomes her first priority. Finding the perfect house and falling in love with it—that’s the easy part. The hard part is getting rid of the obnoxious man who thinks he’s going to be the new owner. Even if he is gorgeous. And the sheriff…

Sheriff Luke Logan needs to buy a house. Getting out of the renting game will help in the custody battle for his son, so when the perfect place pops up right on his street, he can’t believe his luck. But there’s already an offer on the table, and the woman won’t back down. Too bad she doesn’t know that he always goes after what he wants, and he has no intention of letting her have “his” house. Even if she does make him feel that he might need more than just a house to make a home…

About Lacey:

Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.

Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.

You can find Lacey at the following places:
Website / Facebook / Facebook Page / Twitter / Pinterest

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Jane Doe

Book: Changing Tracks

Author: Sarah Cass

Heroine: Jane Doe

Imagine waking up in a world completely unfamiliar to you – without any knowledge of who you are, where you came from, or why you were near death from a beating. 

Jane Doe wakes up Dominion Falls in this exact state.  Her body is still recovering from surgery, and she can’t remember a thing about where she came from or who she is. Worse, the more she learns from people out of her past, the less she believes she was a wholly good person.

As her past life is fed to her in tiny morsels, Jane holds tight to an inner strength based on a firm belief in the person she is after the amnesia. Not that she’s perfect, on the contrary she makes mistakes, but she is always honest enough to own up to them once she realizes what she’s done.  She’s confesses to her imperfections and embraces them.

Jane is also rather open and confident in her sexuality—which in 1871 isn’t exactly the most popular behavior. Despite her openness, she feels no need to put it out on display. In crude terms she ‘dresses like a schoolmarm’, buttoned up and put together. Her self-confidence carries through no matter what she wears, or how she acts.

Through some difficult challenges Jane learns many lessons about herself, life, and the importance of being able to ask for help and support. Each of them makes her powerful, strong and confident—all of which add to her sex appeal.

*~*

Blurb:
There’s nothing simple about forgetting your past.

Cole Mitchell runs the busiest saloon and brothel in Dominion Falls. He keeps his women at a distance, unwilling to relive a past he worked hard to forget.

Until the night Jane Doe falls into his saloon bleeding and near death. She wakes with no memory, only the firm belief someone tried to kill her. In the strange world of amnesia she manages to find solace in Cole’s arms and he finds home in hers.

While they work together to solve the mystery of her appearance, their pasts – her lack of, and his buried – build a barrier between them.

To make matters worse, Jane’s past isn’t willing to let her go. A stranger proves he’ll kill to keep his secrets safe. With those she loves in danger, Jane’s errant memory is all that stands between them and death. Cole can only do so much to protect her, will it be enough?

Buy Links:

Secret Cravings Website -  http://bit.ly/14XQPTl

Amazon -  http://amzn.to/11DDgcG

Barnes & Noble -  http://bit.ly/XcTs0R

All Romance Ebooks -  http://bit.ly/WJxSiA

Bookstrand -  http://bit.ly/12dl2PB

Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

Tasty Review & Giveaway: Super Love by Stephanie Beck

Reuniting to save the world. 

Dinah just wanted to save the world. That didn’t pan out, so she turned to social work, only to find herself miserable. When she’s given the option of returning to the Justice Fraternity and her life as Dinah-Go, super fast superhero, she hesitates because going back means working side by side with her former lover Myles Steele, aka Man of Wonder.

To save their city from gargoyles, Man of Wonder needs Dinah-Go back in fighting shape. But Myles wants more than just his fighting partner at his side, he wants the lover and friend he lost two years earlier. Getting her will take more than even his super strength.

**MY REVIEW**

First, I have to give the author a lot of thumbs up for uniqueness and plot. You don't see many romances with superhero heroes and heroines. Also loved that the bad "guys" were female. Nice touch!

The setting is mostly a superhero lair, complete with hidden cameras , an underground driveway, and booby traps. There are two conflicts: The head honcho (hero) has permitted and sorta "hired" four gargoyle women, knowing full well they are bad seeds and after his lair/operation, but he wants to keep his enemies closer and find a way of killing them.

The other conflict is a romantic one: Does he love the heroine? Did he bring her back (she had the superhero group previously) because he loves her and missed her or because he needs her help to kill the gargoyles?

The story is very climatic.

Problems: This is an idea that could have been expanded on a lot. More scenes, more details, and def more emotion would have been nice. At times the writing came across as cold and unfeeling, just far too "to the point".

Three bikes.

About the Author:

Even before she understood what all the thrusting meant, Stephanie Beck loved reading romance. When the stories didn't end the way she wanted, writing her own was the perfect solution. From ridiculous humor to erotica, Stephanie loves being transported within a story.

When she's not elbow deep in words, her husband and three children command her attention. After they are sleeping she knits or bakes cookies…or squeezes in more writing.

Stephanie loves to hear from readers. Contact her at stephaniebeckauthor@gmail.com

Find Stephanie Beck at www.stephaniebeck.net or www.facebook.com/StephanieBeckAuthor

www.stephaniebeck.net
www.twitter.com/StephBeck123
www.plotmamas.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/StephanieBeckAuthor

Giveaway 

*Stephanie will be hosting Six Tour Wide Commenter Giveaway's for: 

- One $10.00 Amazon/or B&N Gift Card 

- Two Digital Copies of SUPER LOVE 

- Three SWAG PACKS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes Palmieri & Loretta Nyhan

When I first realized this book was written entirely in letters...I thought "uh oh...all telling, no showing."

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Yes, it's all told through letters, but the words draw you into the page. As I read, I stepped back in time, into the lives of two women left on the home-front during WWII. Everything--from their gardens to their recipes to their nosy neighbors all served to totally transport me and draw me in.

Two pen-pals develop an incredible bond. And I found myself comparing these two women to modern-day women on Facebook. We make friendships, incredible ones, through the Internet, so I believe many friendships were made back then via snail mail.

Rita is an older woman. She has a grown son in the Navy and her husband is also serving. She has so much to lose. Her strength helps those around her, as well as Glory across the country. Glory is much younger and at times, stupid, but she's discovering herself.

There's worry and fear and all kinds of guilt in their letters. There's infidelity. There's grief. There's conflicting emotions. There are pregnancies. There's romance. (Now, remember, these ladies are talking about others in their lives too.) 

There's so much really within these letters, but I'm just going to mention two things I loved very much...I felt Glory's story, her changes, really showed the evolution of women during this time. First, she learns to take care of a house without servants, she then begins to speak up for women's rights, and by the end of the war, she's looking around her and speaking for all rights. Her story, despite some of her wrongdoings, really spoke to me. The Glory pre-war was not the same woman after the war.

Rita...Rita changes too. She starts a bit more judgmental and as the book goes on, opens her heart and her home to others.

Their letters are filled with heartache, but also humor. For every time a tear ran down my face, I laughed at least twice in other parts of the book.

I highlighted some areas, really, I've gone on long enough.

Terrific book. I can't recommend it highly enough. Though-evoking, rich in history, tear-jerking, and just REAL. Five bikes. I received this from netgalley.

Wendiann Proteau Talks Online Relationships

Popular Jade Prency would never describe herself as beautiful. Amazonian and imperfect, she relied on humor and her ability to help others to find her place in the world. Believing tomorrow would always come; two words invade to twist her world. Illness becomes her personal battle. Grief is a process her soul must endure. Feeling separate and alone, she searches for a new way to cope. 

In today’s world, the internet has become the new best-friend as websites and chat-rooms offer anonymity and a place to escape from life’s struggles. Millions reach out around the world from the safety of their home. One in five relationships start online they say and for every success, I’m betting there are ten stories never to be repeated; they just don’t boast about that in the ads. What could possibly go wrong for Jade when she finally reaches out for understanding?

“Hon,” she whispered then looked away from him.

“Here it comes,” Brady said with a wide smile.

“Umm…”

“Yes?” he prodded by poking her lightly in the back.

It’s now or never, she thought. Meeting his gaze she watched his reaction. “Would it be okay if I kiss you once?” His eyes showed a surprise, then warmth.

“You sure you want to?” He smiled at her.

I need to overcome this shyness, she thought. With her left hand supporting her, she moved closer. When they were inches apart she whispered, “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” Her lips were almost touching his. “I’m pretty sure.” She watched his eyes darken, then closed her own and moved forward.

Brady remained perfectly still as her lips hesitantly grazed his lower, then upper lip. She felt the gentleness as he kissed her, his lips a silky softness.

His right hand at her lower back pulled her closer, while his left laced through her long hair and she started again, this time deepening the kiss. Her tongue entered his mouth as her fingers reached to his hair then slid to his chest. Lost in what she’d dreamt about many times, he was like a drug. Kiss him once…kiss him once…Jade thought as her tongue became aggressive and the warnings went off in her brain.

Have you ever engaged in an online relationship of any kind? How did that go?

Ask Away Sunday: Ask Me Anything, I'll Answer Sunday

I'm starting a new thing. First, an explanation:

I keep getting lots of really nice compliments about this blog. Let me say I'm grateful to each and every one of you for following. I appreciate it.

But despite the fact people seem to be liking the blog, I'm not getting any comments/interaction on here--not enough to get excited about anyway. LOL

BUT...I get emails, PMs, and Goodreads messages from all kinds of people. Some are readers asking me questions, like, "How in the world could Hunter and Lindsey come from the same household?" in regards to some characters in Love Request. (This is an example.) Sometimes readers want to know where an idea came from, etc.

I'll happily answer. 

I get PMs from authors, like, "Is this sentence okay? Do you think I should change this word? My editor said..." or even, "This publisher has offered me this and that...what do you think?"

I get questions from fellow deaf people, authors, etc. Sometimes, I feel the answers should be shared. I bet everyone else can learn from them too.

Ask me. Seriously, ASK ME. From now on, every Sunday, I'm going to post questions from readers/authors/random people and my answers. You can be anonymous. You can give me a fake name. No email address required. You ask me and I'll post an answer the following Sunday. If I don't know the answer, I'll do my darndest to find it. Don't be scared. Even if you just want my opinion, ask.

I'm interested to see what comes of this. Please, nothing nasty.

And on that note, here's the form. Ask away! And be sure to come back Sunday to see the answer.

It Happened at the Fair (It Happened at the Fair) by Deeanne Gist

This is one of the best books I've read in some time, one that once you pick it up, you want to read it all the way through and have to force yourself to eat, sleep, and do anything not related to the book. And then when you are doing those things, you're thinking about the book or telling the husband all about it.


It's the Chicago World's Fair in the 1890s...and Cullen is there trying to sell his invention: an automatic sprinkler system. His family is about to lose his farm so he's under tremendous pressure, but he's going deaf and add to that, he's in a noisy environment, and he can't make a single sale!

Enter Della, also at the fair teaching deaf children to lip read. When he seeks her help in learning himself, neither has any clue what this will lead to.

A revelation...and I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. This is how Della has been taught and thus, how she feels, "You must never, ever use sign language. It would brand you as deaf and different. It's critical that you blend in with everyone else."

This attitude, while not without its merits (as witnessed later in the book when a potential client refuses to do business with Cullen upon finding out he's going deaf...grrrr) is like saying deafness is something to be ashamed of and teaches the kids just that.. "I must hide it.."

Cullen and his story about how he one time communicated with a deaf man not only touched my heart, but I think began the slow roll of opening Della's eyes. That and his persistence, as well as her own issues in public with claustrophobia...just because she has a fear of confined spaces doesn't mean she belongs in the looney bit any more than a deaf person does... I loved watching Della change her attitude and thoughts and accept sign language. It was beautiful and made a huge impact on me, a deaf reader.

"The problem was, those who supported sign language accepted difference, while those who supported lip-reading sought equality. What she'd just begun to grasp was the deaf were not one for the other; they were both different and equal."

Romance... These two wonderful people fall in love and it's clean and wholesome. There's no sex, no hardening you-know-whats. Though it's not without its barriers. Cullen is engaged to a girl back home and Della has a severe mistrust of men, thanks to her father's warnings.

Humor... There's not shortage of cute, LOL moments.

"There was no point in trying to figure out a woman. There were illogical, inconsistent, confounded creatures, and Cullen didn't know why God thought He'd been doing Adam a favor."

Historical detail about the World's Fair. Very rich and very well done, this. As they tour the fair, readers tour with them. The author had a perfect balance of telling/showing and has her characters see and experience things, letting the readers, in turn, experience and see them as well.

Foul Play...Someone doesn't want Cullen succeeding.

Tragedy...There are fires and lives lost.

The lip-reading will be a huge eye-opener for those not familiar with it. Many people don't understand all that goes into, that it's not easy and not learned in a day and so many factors are involved. I appreciate the way the author handled this and slowly opened the door to another world for the non-lip-reading community.

"So much depended on whether the person was facing him, facing away, or looking to the side. Whether their lips were thick or thin. If they had a mustache, a beard, or both."

I loved both the heroine and the hero. He wasn't an alpha male aka douche bag. He was a good person and I was gripping my Kindle at times, just hoping so hard they would find happiness, that someone would buy his sprinkler...etc etc.

There was no sex. The book doesn't need it. I was never bored and appreciated the slow growth from teacher/student to more. And though this is labeled Christian Fiction, it never once preached at me. There was none of that "find God and everything just falls into place" stuff. It was just a really good story that didn't need cursing or sex.

Five bikes. I can't recommend it highly enough. Thank you, netgalley.

Stop Hearing Loss Bullying Video

I've spoken a few times of Author Shanna Groves, her new book, Confessions of a Lip Reading Mom, and how I met her in at the Deaf Cultural Center where we talked about a video she was putting together.

I'm pleased to say, she did it! She had an incredible and thought-evoking video made to boost awareness of hearing loss and the bullying that sadly, too often comes with it.

Take a moment this week and ask yourself: How do I treat those who are different from me? How do I speak to them? What message do my actions send my children?

Watch the video. Thank you for your interest and be sure to visit lipreadingmom.com to find out what more you can do. And do leave a comment. My quotes and pictures are in this too. I'd love to know what you think.

Tasty Spotlight: To Stand Beside Her by Kristin McMichael

Blurb

To be the best courier in the world, eighteen-year-old Benét Leila follows three simple rules: always work alone, never stay in one place too long, and never fall in love. Too bad she didn't follow her own advice.

Leila is a courier. To the people she takes from, she is seen as a common thief; to the people she helps, she is a savior.

Nalick is your typical king. He's rich, powerful, and always assumed to be right. When Leila crosses paths with King Nalick, she finds herself trapped. In a rush to save her best friend Kay from a prison sentence for a crime Leila committed, Leila trades her hand in marriage in exchange for Kay’s freedom.

Tomboy Leila does not want to grow up, but in three months’ time, she will be married to King Nalick, if Nalick can keep his end of the bargain. First, Nalick must make Leila fall in love with him, a hard task since Leila is not ready to love again after losing her first love to a greedy king. Second, Nalick must keep her safe. He is not the only king trying to hold onto her. Leila has made many enemies over the years, and even more admirers that want her as a prize. Lastly, Nalick must convince Leila that ten years of love is better than a lifetime without. Unless Leila can trust her destiny, she might not reach her wedding day at all.

Excerpt

“And where should we put her, Nalick?” one of them asked. Leila was surprised to hear the man address Nalick so casually.

“Leave her here,” he ordered.

“But, but . . .” the tracker sputtered. “If you just put my captive back in jail she will escape.”

“Don’t worry. She will not be going anywhere. She is not the ghost courier,” Nalick replied as Kay was escorted out of the room.

“Now, I’d like to be left alone with this one,” Nalick said, referring to Leila.

“Bring the seer,” he ordered. The men beside him rose and left the room. One of the men from earlier escorted the tracker out. The second man shut the door and stood at the back of the room.

“So everyone out did not include him?” Leila asked. She had no chance of leaving if both men stayed in the room with Nalick and her. One, she could possibly overpower, but two would be foolish to challenge.

Nalick rose and walked over to her. Leila stood her ground and did not move. Nalick circled around her, inspecting her like a wolf getting ready to pounce on its prey. Leila knew what was coming next. She had this same encounter with five other kings before. Though, in her opinion, they were all lesser men than the man in front of her. She still did not happily anticipate the next words out of his mouth. Leila stood in silence as he returned to his table and leaned against the tabletop. Just like all the other kings, he looked at her like she was a trophy. Leila refused to be a trophy to any king. Like any man in power, Nalick had committed acts against innocent people. Intentionally or not, Leila did not approve of hurting innocent people. She had been in several battles over the last four years, and luckily escaped with her life each time, but never once had she killed anyone who attacked her. Even those who would try to kill her did not deserve to die in her opinion.

As she stood there, the door in the back of the room opened and the seer, Gabor, walked in escorted by the man who had just left. Leila stared blankly at Nalick, trying her best to read his expression.

“I really don’t think you understand the word alone,” she commented to Nalick sarcastically, as the door shut and there were now five people in the room.

Gabor walked past her and bowed his head slightly to the king. Nalick nodded his head, and Gabor returned to Leila. Extending his hand, Leila knew what he was planning to do. Trying to stay in control of the situation, Leila gave the old man her hand. Surprised, he stopped, held her hand, and closed his eyes. After a few moments, Gabor returned to the king’s side. Nalick leaned over to the seer and asked him a question too quiet for Leila to hear.

“You don’t need to be hushed about this since you are discussing me,” Leila said before Gabor could respond. Nalick looked up at her. “I am guessing I can answer your questions just as well as he could.”

Nalick smiled. He had become the king when he was fourteen and then everything changed. Almost every person treated him differently, apart from his two good friends that were standing in the room with him now. In his years of being king, Nalick had yet to find a woman that would speak her mind to, or at, him. Here before him stood the woman who was a legend around the dinner tables he shared with neighboring kings. All told of encountering a lady so beautiful she would take your breath away and yet who was so cunning none could cage her long enough to make her into a wife. She was truly everything they talked about, and even more. Nalick didn’t need the seer’s opinion to know that this was the woman he wanted to marry.

Author Info:

Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in Biology working as a scientist. In her free time she is hard at work on multiple novels; as each day passes, she has more ideas for both current and future novels.

Links

Blog

http://www.bkristinmcmichael.com/

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6889132.B_Kristin_McMichael

Twitter

https://twitter.com/bkmcmichael

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/bkristinmcmichael

Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/bkmcmichael/

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/B.-Kristin-McMichael/e/B00B0DJ782/

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/b.-kristin-mcmichael

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Katie Walsh

Book: Trove (Katie Walsh Mysteries, Book 1)

Author: KJ Montgomery

Heroine: Katie Walsh

Katie Walsh is an investigative mythologist. She seeks to find the origin of Celtic/Norse legends and decipher what the ancients were trying to tell us. Katie believes these legends transcended time for a reason only through the ages the tales had morphed into “quaint” entertainment having no bearing on modern times.

In the first book of my series “Trove, The Katie Walsh Mysteries,” we find out that Katie is a survivor. Her parents had been killed in a horrific accident that was due to negligence. When the professional community closes ranks around the person responsible and he’s basically let go with barely a slap on the wrists, Katie realizes she can rely on herself. She forges on with her career and bruises a few egos in the process. She’s not out to destroy anyone, but in her quest for the truth, her work, based on valid facts and data, ends up invalidating some of her colleagues’ life-long research. Katie believes in bringing the truth to light rather than living in the shadows. 

In Trove, life seems to continually through curveballs her way, yet she’s quick to regroup or at the least get out of the way. When the hero, Alec, comes roaring back into her life, she refuses to let him control her. The back and forth struggle between Katie and Alec reinforces in the reader’s mind that she is every bit as strong as Alec, at least mentally, and every bit his equal (but Alec wouldn’t have it any other way). 

There is a book trailer at my website that captures the overall feel of Trove: BLURB: 

Katie Walsh is an investigative mythologist seeking clues that could lead her into the very distant past and uncover the secrets of the mythic Norland. Alec MacGowan is an archaeologist searching for clues in the recent past in an attempt to bring a murderer to justice. 

Anonymous lovers five years before, they’re re-united as their worlds collide when they are thrown together to decipher the murdered man’s notes and identify his killer. As the quest unfolds, they are forced to deal with their simmering attraction and hidden secrets.

Can they uncover the secret hidden in the murdered man’s notes before the killer finds them? And can they open their hearts to each other before it’s too late?

Follow Katie and Alec as they search for clues in their race to uncover secrets from the long past and their past while staying out of the killer’s cross-hairs. 

Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.

Be AWARE of Hearing Loss

The month of May is Hearing Loss Awareness Month. I'd like everyone to take a moment...not just now, not just this week or even this month, but try to remember throughout the year, that millions of people throughout the United States have hearing loss.

Some tips for the hearing world:

-The next time you speak to someone in a public place and they don't acknowledge you, don't just automatically assume they're being rude. Stop a minute and ask yourself, "Did they hear me?" Maybe they have hearing loss. Hearing loss isn't a visible illness. You don't SEE it. Hearing aids can be well hidden.

-Make it a habit of speaking clearly and enunciating your words. Don't mumble; don't stare at the ground; don't talk too fast. Try to make sure people are looking at you when you speak to them. This was a rule taught in my household growing up, regardless of if someone had a hearing impairment or not. Back in those days, it was a sign of respect to look at someone when they speak to you and vice versa. We need to bring this back.

-Facial hair...is a nightmare for us hard of hearing lip-readers. If we can't see your lips, we don't understand you. Men, keep that hair trimmed.

-Do not assume that because we can't hear, that we're any different from you. I can get married (I am!), I can have children, I can drive, I can ride a bike. I can do everything you can do, except HEAR. This does not in any way or form hinder my mental capabilities or make me dumb. Let's separate deaf and dumb. It's past time.

-Do not speak to us as though we are slow. Speak normally. There's a big difference in plain enunciation (speaking clearly) and spending one minute on each word you utter. Don't draw it out and move your mouth in an exaggerated fashion. We learn to lip-read normal moving lips, not comical.

-Don't yell at us. Many of us are deaf to certain sounds and it doesn't matter how loud you say it, it won't get through. Plain and simple: if you're not speaking clearly, we won't understand it. Your quiet blah blah blah maw wah just becomes a very loud BLAH BLAH BLAH MAW WAH.

-Don't leave us out of things and talk over our heads. We feel ostracized. When everyone around us is laughing at a good joke, we want to laugh too! Include us. Make an effort. If you feel it's too much work to talk to us, we're going to decide it's too much work to be your friend. And you could really miss out on a good friendship.

-Hearing helpers are just that: HELPERS. If you're asked to be a hearing helper, don't permit others to speak to you as though we aren't there. Don't answer for us. If someone says to you, "What does she want to eat?" do not tell them, "She wants pizza." A hearing helper should turn to the deaf person and say, "He asked what you wanted to eat." We can and will answer for ourselves. Be careful not to take over and remember to just help. We do value our independence.

-Don't say something and then get mad when we ask you to repeat it for the second or third time. Count to ten if you have to, but try to avoid that callous "never mind". If you said it once, I'm going to assume you wanted me to hear it. It must be important enough. It's very frustrating when people do this.

-Cochlear implants and medical procedures of that ilk are personal matters. Do not try to fix us. Many of us are happy the way we are and have no desire to change. We don't see ourselves as broken or in need of fixing, so don't act like we are.

-Teach your kids that we're no different from them, that deaf isn't dumb, that hearing aids are nothing to be ashamed of. Talk to your children about bullying and its long-term effects.

Thank you for your time. In honor of Hearing Loss Awareness Month, I'd like to announce that two of my titles, one my memoir of growing up deaf and working in a hearing world (Hear Through My Ears) and one (Love Request) a contemporary novel featuring a hearing-"impaired" heroine, are on sale for 99 cents the rest of May.

Dirty Harriet by Miriam Auerbach

This is proof you don't need a romance in a book to be wholly entertained and love every minute.


I was hooked from the get-go. The story opens with Dirty Harriet telling us about how she killed her husband at a wedding with a .44 and confesses she said, "Go ahead. Make my day."

I knew from that moment this was my kind of heroine.

What follows is a mystery involving illegal immigrants in tomato fields, mysterious female problems, car and motorcycle accidents, rick women, and more. To reveal too much would ruin the story. But I was not able to figure it all out until Harriet did--a plus for me. I like to have an inkling but I don't like to figure it all out by page 50.

The mystery was good, but what makes the book awesome is the heroine's wit, snark, and thoughts. And just her, herself. She's very down to earth, though she hasn't always been. She's dealing with her mother, who's on a cruise and babbling about a mysterious man. She rides a motorcycle and works on it herself in her free time. She cracks jokes about it being a 500-pound vibrator "always up for a ride, the pushrods pumped hard and the tires never deflated..." If you haven't figured it out, she was saying her bike was better than a man. LOL

She talks to an alligator and drink scotch at the end of the day.

There's even a moral in the end. Two, actually. 1. Never assume. 2. Nobody can be free until we're all free. Everyone is a prisoner to something.

I think my favorite, LOL moment was when Harriet has to get a pap smear...I laughed so hard, I was glad I wasn't in public. I'd have appeared like a lunatic.

"Please scoot up here a little bit," the doctor said. That was gynecological code for, "Shove your ass in my face." 

Hilarious. Fun. Empowering. No damsel in distress here at all. I highly recommend this and I'll be eagerly watching for book two, due out this summer.

5 bikes. I got this from netgalley.

Tasty Review Tour: Horse Charmer By: Angelia Almos

*Horse Charmer is on sale for $.99 (ebook) to celebrate the two year anniversary*

Blurb

A gifted princess. A special horse. A quest for the truth.

At sixteen years old, Cassia would rather spend her days in the royal stables than in the royal court. But as the eldest child of King Robet and Queen Sarahann she obediently performs her duties as the Princess of Karah.

Her safe world changes forever when her father is murdered in the neighboring kingdom of Vespera. Cassia grapples with his loss as her mother prepares her for her new role as queen. Her first task - she must travel to Vespera to marry a prince she barely knows to fulfill the treaty her father signed just before his death.

Nothing is as simple as it seems with political intrigues and unusual powers shadowing Cassia on her search to find out who killed her father and why.

****My Review****

This took me some getting used to. The writing style has a nice flow, but it's a wee slow at first. Despite all the drama happening--her father's death, fighting with her mother, her shocking marriage announcement--my mind began to drift. However, once she escaped and started conversing with her horse, I was hooked. What an intriguing plot twist!

The heroine discovers she has a special power. She's able to charm horses and make them do what she wishes. While she gets to the bottom of who murdered her father and why, she begins to utilize these newfound powers.

There's a subtle romance going on with a horse wrangler, nothing too racy, and the ending leaves enough that you want to read sequel. And for a while there in the last quarter, I thought for sure the family wasn't going to get themselves out of this mess.

It kept me guessing and I want to mention...with fantasy, the author has the leeway to create their own world and do not have to be historical accurate. I've read old-world fantasy books that were supposed to take place in medieval times, but had balloons. This author didn't do anything like that. Her setting (even with the horse communication  was believable and I was able to transplant myself mentally into this world she created with the same ease as if it was reading a historical fiction.

Very well done. A likable and realistic heroine who at times acts impetuous. She's feisty without it being unbelievable. The prose was smooth. The action once you got to the middle entertaining.

Four bikes.

Author Info
Angelia Almos' love affair with horses began when she was five years old and talked her parents into her first riding lesson. Horses have always been a huge part of her life. The initial idea behind Horse Charmer came to her when she was fourteen. The image of a teenage girl riding her horse through a meadow appeared. Who was this girl? Where was she going? What was she running from? Those questions led to the creation of Horse Charmer.

Author Links
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AngeliaAlmosAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AngeliaAlmos
Blog: http://angeliaalmos.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.angeliaalmos.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/109925456863894987370
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1027877.Angelia_Almos

Book Links
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468801-horse-charmer
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051BOAMC
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/horse-charmer-angelia-almos/1101976975
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/horse-charmer/id442235188?mt=11

Giveaway ($20.00 Amazon/B&N Gift Card)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour here.

Stag Hunt by Laura DeLuca

For those of Book Babe's readers who like a strong heroine, look no further. Stag Hunt is here. A quick read/novelette, it's a great pick me up when you need that boost of feminist power. In it, the the heroine not only dresses as a boy, but attempts to take down the legendary and powerful stag. If she succeeds, she'll not only win the princesses's hand in marriage for her brother, but put a stop to an impending war--if she doesn't succeed, YIKES! Folks didn't take too kindly to gals that dressed as lads back then. LOL

In ancient Britannia, the warrior who brought down the king stag was named the defender of the land.

Eartha’s brother Balen has been in love with Princess Galiene since they were children. Upon the death of the High King, the tribesmen of the realm vie for the throne, and with it, the hand of the fair princess.

Balen is desperate to win his lady, but a rival tribesman is equally determined to keep them apart.

With her brother, her dearest friend, and the country she loves all hanging in the balance, Eartha must do the unthinkable to ensure her brother’s victory in the stag hunt. Sometimes true love needs a helping hand...or some blood to be spilled.

Purchase

Amazon * Goodreads

About Author Laura DeLucaLaura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.

Stay for a Song

Love Request: a story about two people reconnecting on the Internet and a young woman discovering she can indeed be truly loved despite her "disability" while at the same time, facing down the bullies from her past. She could have been beaten down, refused to face it, went through life resentful and distrustful, but instead she chooses to open her heart and forgive.


I couldn't settle on one song for this book so I'm sharing with you today two songs, both by Amy Grant. I'm a huge fan of her.

The first one: Stay for A While. This is how Ciara remembers Hunter, years later.

Long time since I've seen your smile,

But when I close my eyes,

I remember

You were no more than a child,

But then so was I,

Young and tender.

Time carries on;

I guess it always will,

But deep inside my heart

Time stands still

The second one...this one has always touched a place deep inside me and though Ciara was never sexually abused, she faced a trauma of a different sort: bullying. Bullying does have long-term effects on people. The feelings of insecurity, fear of people, and extreme self-consciousness stay with people long into adulthood. The question is...how does one handle it? Can they be like this woman in Ask Me? Can they look in the mirror at a lovely woman face and see no more frightened little girl? Or do they still see that frightened child afraid to go to school for fear of what will be done to be her that day?

Now she's looking in the mirror at a lovely woman face

No more frightened little girl, like she's gone without a trace

Still she leaves the light burning in the hall

It's hard to sleep at all.

Not an official music video, but I love it. Someone named Terapath made it.

Make sure you don't live your life as a victim. Live your life as a person.