Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

One of the most thought evoking tear jerking romances I have ever read in my life. No, it is. It's the only one that has had such an effect on me.

Lou is a young woman whose never left her hometown, never done anything remarkable. She's too scared, for reasons I won't reveal in this review. She lives with her parents, has a spoiled rotten sister, a boyfriend so wrapped up in marathon training he never really gives her the time of day. When she loses her little cafe job, she has to find something fast, because the whole darned household is dependent on her. And this leads her to Will.

Will had, at one time, a bright future. He ran his own company, sky dived, traveled the world, was a force to be reckoned with. Now he is confined to a wheelchair with only the use of his neck, mouth, and a few fingers. He's pumped full of meds with a little bag of urine for his waste. He is a breathing, talking vegetable. And he is miserable.

Lou enters his life like a whirlwind, but Will wants to die.

But people love him. Lou comes to love him. His mother loves him. They don't want him to die. Who is being selfish here? Would they want to live like him? Is he the selfish one for wanting to leave? Basically, Lou has six months to change his mind, to make him see he has reasons to live, but there's a fine line between convincing and just making someone else's decisions for him. She doesn't like when he tries to tell her what to do, so where does she get off doing it for him?

It becomes an obsession for her, her haste to "fill those little white rectangles (calendar) with a lifetime of things that could generate happiness, contentment, satisfaction, or pleasure. I would have to fill them up with every good experience I could summon up for a man whose powerless arms and legs meant he could no longer make them happen by himself."

But at the same time, he in a way, guides HER. Two of the most unlikely people...from two very different walks of life understand each other. Just who is saving who?

She can change his mind or she can give him the best six months of his life. This story is proof...that love is about personality: not physical attraction, not sex, not money. Love can happen to anyone, able bodied, quad, blind...

There is no happy ending for a person paralyzed from the neck down, but even so, I cried my heart out. I cried at many parts of this novel, just realizing how a quad lives their life, the little struggles they face that the able-bodied take for granted: parking, smoothness of paths, so many things.

My only quibble is at times the heroine got on my nerves, mostly at her home. Her dad basically called her stupid half the time, her sister was a snarky wench for whom it was okay for her mooch and run off and get educated, but Lou had to stick around and support the entire family with no thanks hardly at all. I mean the stupid sister didn't even want to part with the larger room. The home life was terrible and I'd have liked to see Lou stick up for herself to them.

Regardless, best book I've ever read. It will forever be with me. Very touchy/controversial subject, but the moral is clear: everyone should have a choice. It skillfully shows both sides of the assisted suicide issue: from those who love the person and from those who are living the pain.

Five bikes. I received this on Edelweiss.

Strong is Sexy Woman of the Past: Mabel Cody

Ya'll have heard of Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show...but did you know he had a niece? Her name was Mabel and she was a stunt woman! Considering she was hanging off airplanes in 1921, I'd say she was one of the first.

This photo is from Florida State Archives.
She's shaking a pilot's hand. The webpage
contains some great pictures, the only ones
I could find. Please go there.
I cannot take credit for it, but 
this should be shared.

She was a part of Mabel Cody's Flying Circus. One time, she stood in a moving automobile going 70 mph and grabbed a ladder hanging from a passing airplane. The ladder broke and she fell to the sand, sustaining a dislocated shoulder and a broken forearm.  But she got back up and even attended the premiere of the video.

She wing walked, parchuted, and changed planes midair. She was also pretty darn feisty judging by the quotes I dug up. I first came across her name in a history book, but it told me very little so I came online to find out more. There's a good page dedicated to her here and I have taken these quotes from it. 

"Every time I sit down to sew or to write a letter, some timid member of my sex wants to tell me what she thinks about me risking my own neck!

"For heaven's sake! It's my neck, and I guess I'll risk it any time I feel like taking a chance," she told the Times-Union.

And here's a video. How cool is this?

Close Contact by Cassandra Carr, Cindy Carr, and Cristal Ryder

Blurb: Hard-hitting contact sports don't have the only sexy professional athletes. Does the strength and grace of golf, tennis and fencing instructors extend to lustier activities? Find out as they turn these classic sports into full-contact steamy sessions. Featuring stories by Cassandra Carr, Cristal Ryder and Cynthia Carr.

Service Ace by Cassandra Carr

Callum Giovanni's professional tennis career is over. He's trying not to be bitter about it, even though it means teaching women more interested in not messing up their hair and nails than a good service. Then Adriana Macy appears, claiming to be a novice, but Callum knows there's more to her than meets the eye. How far does she want to take their personal match? The ball's in her court. 

Up to the Hilt by Cynthia Carr
Olympic fencing wunderkind Sebastian Como is Rina Rogers’ last resort to find someone who can instruct her toward her own Olympic medal. All her other trainers have balked, saying she is too impulsive, too unmanageable, too everything. Sebastian recognizes her talent and tells her he'll take her all the way. But does that include his bed?

Playing Through by Cristal Ryder
A relationship is the last thing Lexie is looking for, especially one with a hot cowboy wanting golf lessons. It's all she can do to keep her focus on the game and off Jay’s hard muscled body and devilishly sexy face. But the more lessons they have, the farther his sexy drawl gets under her skin. 

Does he feel the attraction too? Mother Nature forces them to seek shelter as the power of nature lets loose around them. Will they go primal and unleash their attraction for one another amidst the rawness of the Rocky Mountains?

***My two cents***

Three erotic romance stories in one, all involving sports in some way.

The first story is about a woman who has had her eye on a pro tennis player for sometime. A severe ankle injury has relegated him to being a coach. Hey, there's a silver lining behind every cloud, right? One of his students happens to have the hots for him and it's lust at first sight and a hot romp. The lust/sex was almost immediate, too immediate for my taste, but at least they used a rubber.

The second story was a golf instructor and her student. They get rained on and seek shelter together. The sex was hot, the writing good, though I felt a big over dramatic with all the sexual awareness.

The last story, Up to the Hilt, was my favorite. Well-written, engaging, and featuring a tough female who wants to be the best fencer she can be. "Fencing needs some fresh blood amongst the stodgy, good old boys network. I'm the one who's going to show them there's a youth movement out there. There are all kinds of moves you can make that no one has dared to perform in competition. I'm going to make them and shock everyone."

She was right up my alley, attitude problem and all. She engages her instructor in real battle, which leads to a battle of a different sort. I also liked  that this story was more STORY than sex. I'll be seeking other work from this author.

Strong is Sexy Heroines of the Week: Carly, George, Mika, Mrs. Spurlock-Watts

This week is a little different. This week is not only about fictional heroines, but two very real strong and sexy women. The real-life heroines I'd like to honor today are Shyla Colt and her mother, Mrs. Spurlock-Watts. Ms. Colt doesn't like to talk about herself, so I'm going to do it for her. This is an author who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. She not only writes to touch and reach others, but in her everyday life, she's a mother, a marine wife, an editor, an office manager, and she has also been granted a very special award called the Molly Pitcher award for the hard work she's done with military families. And this woman is once again giving something of herself to help Veterans. Please welcome real-life strong and sexy Shyla Colt as she talks about the strong woman in her life and those in her latest book.


Book: No Man Left Behind
Heroines: Carly, George, Mika
Author: Shyla Colt

To be a woman is to be strong.  This is what my mother taught me in words and in actions. A woman, if she chooses to have a family will be the heartbeat, the glue, the driving force that steers the bus. That's no small task. She must be strong, capable, poised and ready to do what's right even when it's not easy. Because most of the time, it won't be. She told me I could be whatever I wanted to be and I believed her. Independence was a given. I would go to college or trade school, know how to cook, clean, budget a checkbook, handle my own finances, and fix what was broken.

My mother is one of the strongest women I know. She had me at fourteen, went on to co-own a business, and later work for the government. I watched her remain strong when my father's diabetes took its toll, and he went on to have surgery ,after surgery, ending in an amputation of his leg. He was a proud man and this sudden helplessness ( in his eyes) was a hard pill to swallow. Rehabilitation and readjustment was no walk in the park. But looking at my mother, you never would’ve known it. She handled his new needs, and later his death, with a grace, dignity, and a core of steel I hoped to one day have.

My mom, Suzette, can cook a meal that would make you think she went to culinary school and then turn around and change a broken doorknob. She was the fix-it person in my house, thank you very much. In my opinion, it's that kind of open-mindedness and instilled life skills that breeds strong women who can handle themselves and put a man in his place if need be. I say this because I see a new generation that thinks disrespect is the norm.  As a woman this appalls and angers me, but as a mother, it goes to a whole other level. I will be forever grateful for the woman my mom helped me become.

It's this attitude of a woman being strength that I try to instill in each of my characters in some way. My latest book, No Man Left Behind, in particular. Our men and women in the military face a lot of challenges and aftereffects from the wars they fight to keep us safe. This anthology gives us an up closer and personal view of some of those issues and feature women strong enough to stand by their side.

George, Carly and Mika are three very different women, but each is strong in her own way.  When Carly's longtime friend and secret crush, Trevor comes back home for a visit the romance she's only wished for begins. Things are perfect until she starts to notice things aren't quite right. Trained to see signs of distress in her job as a social worker, she knows Trevor needs help. It's a risk bringing this to his attention, but it's one she's willing to take. Because when you really care for someone, you want what's best for them. I admire her honesty and positivity in the face of losing what you want most.

George is a strong-willed woman who knows what she wants and refuses to settle. It's that attitude and ability to ignore society's demands that makes her strong. When Alex Denning catches her eye, she sees past the damage done to his face in an IED explosion as well as that done to his heart by his ex fiancée. She turns the tables, pursuing him with her understanding of military life and God-given charisma. Her sassy spunk and self-confidence are qualities I think most of us wish we had more of some days. :Winks:

Last but not least, we come to Mika. When her husband receives a life-altering injury that changes his personality and memory drastically, she digs deep to find the strength of character necessary to be there for him as he heals. Her selflessness coupled with her ability to be honest and frank while continuing to stand her own ground sets her apart and shows how powerful true love could really be.

I hope you will join me on the journey of these strong women and the men who risk everything to keep others safe. Fifty percent of each purchase will go to the Wounded Warrior project. My husband is a Marine and we put our heads together to come up with a way to give back to those who are too often forgotten. We hope to bring awareness back to them and the families who serve in their own way alongside them.

Blurb:

Even after our brave men and women leave the battlefield, the scars can linger physically and sometimes mentally. Here are three tales of courage, strength, perseverance, and love that deal with both.

After a long sting in Afghanistan, Cpl. Trevor Martin finds himself home for leave and contemplating reenlistment or civilian life. Weary and tired of the grim sights he's witnessed, he turns to his old friend Carly for comfort. When Trevor shows signs of PTSD, Carly urges him to get help, hoping that Repairing His Soul won't cost them their rapidly forming romance.

After a near death experience with an IED in the Middle East, Staff Sgt Alexander Denning is grateful to be alive but scarred inside and out after his fiancée's bitter rejection of his choice to continue serving. Georgette "George" Harper is attending Jane Wayne day for her sister when she's smitten with the McMap instructor Staff Sgt. Denning. Can she convince him what they have is worth the risk? Wooing Her Sergeant may be harder than she thinks.

When Mika gets a phone call that her husband Kasey's been hurt abroad, it's her worse nightmare. Prayers and the grace of God deliver him through, but the battle isn't over yet. The journey back to happiness and health will be painful, full of setbacks and damaged feelings, but Mika refuses to give up on the man she knows is her one true love. A true Marine's wife is Always Faithful, no matter the cost to herself.

Buy here

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

Holiday Kisses

Holiday Kisses

Beachwalk Press  FREE Holiday Anthology

 Holiday Kisses includes 11 short stories all with a holiday twist.

Lose yourself in the romance, holiday cheer, and unexpected surprises!

Positively Holly by Pepper Anthony

When Holly and Evan run into each other at the Toy Palace the week before Christmas, the last thing on their minds is rekindling their failed love affair. After all, Holly is one of those wide-eyed optimists, and Evan is a man who deals in practicalities. Things would never work out between them. But two cups of coffee, a pair of shopping bags, and a touch of sexy Christmas magic just might help them find their common ground.

Hometown Miracles by Patricia Bates

The holidays hold little interest for Leanne Wilson, a single mother who receives devastating news mere days before heading home. Once she arrives, she runs into the one man who holds her heart. But she can’t reach out to him now...after all, this may be her very last Christmas. Jay Locke has loved Leanne for years. When she left town, he forced himself to move on, but now she’s back with a darling little girl and a Christmas wish he just can’t say no to.

Believe in Me by Aimée Duffy

Leona Sharp and Ryan Lee have been friends forever, it seems. Although there’s an attraction between them, they’ve never acted on it. On New Year’s Eve, Leona finally allows herself to give into the temptation, but she vows that it will only be for one night and as soon as the clock strikes midnight they will put it in the past and go on as if it never happened. Ryan, however, has other plans…

His Holiday Lifesaver by Hazel Gower

Brad isn’t looking forward to Christmas dinner with his family as they are always trying to set him up with women. This year he has a plan involving Hailey, a female tourist he rescued at the beach, posing as his girlfriend for the next couple of weeks. The only problem with the plan is he didn’t expect to fall in love with her.

Drawn To You by Tara Mills

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, what does that make a series of sketches? Drawn to the same beach over and over again to secretly sketch this quiet, contemplative man, Rachel is about to find out.

Reunion by Ashlynn Monroe

Years ago, Shayla left her small hometown to pursue her dream. When she did, her family turned their back on her. Leaving also meant she had to forget about the boy she loved. When her mother dies, Shayla realizes that while some things change, other things are doomed to remain the same. She returns home, but doesn’t feel very welcome until the boy who haunts her memories steps into her present. Luc is no longer the farm boy she’d fallen for—he’s grown up, and quite nicely too. Can Shayla rekindle what she lost with the man she never stopped loving?

Winter Break by Kaylie Newell

Harper Smith is a horrible skier. She can’t stand it almost as much as she can’t stand her irritatingly sexy ex-boyfriend, who also happens to be a member of the ski patrol. So when she finds herself in a life-or-death situation on a cold, dark mountain, she has mixed feelings when Justin Noble shows up to rescue her. Part of her would rather freeze to death than accept his help. The other part can’t help but warm up at the sight of his messy, sun-bleached hair and cocky grin. Without her consent, Harper’s heart tips dangerously close to falling for him again. But will this time be any different?

Mistletoe & Holly by Tamaria Soana

Zoey is going through the normal Christmas Eve ritual with her three-year-old twins. The only difference is that her husband Preston isn’t there to share it with them. He’s been deployed overseas and won’t be home for the holidays. After Zoey tucks the kids in for the night, she places the gifts under the tree, snuggles on the sofa to watch It's a Wonderful Life, and falls asleep. She’s startled awake by a loud noise. Is she dreaming, or is her Christmas wish standing under the mistletoe?

Katrina's Christmas by Sidda Lee Tate

Christmas has always been just another day to Katrina Bryant. She works hard and expects her employees to do the same. When her sexy assistant, Grant Ward, quits on Christmas Eve she becomes worried she will never see him again, and she wonders why that bothers her so much. To her surprise, he arrives at her home hours later and whisks her away for a Christmas she will never forget.

Merry Christmas, Mrs. Todd by Elise Whyles

Recently widowed, Mary Todd isn’t looking forward to spending Christmas alone. She’s determined to keep a low profile during the madness—that is, until she meets her sexy neighbor, Walter. He seems intent on helping her get into the holiday spirit, and she just might let him.

The Gift Beneath the Tree by Lacey Wolfe

Tara won’t be spending Christmas with her family this year, but she’s not entirely alone. Her roommate, Brad, who’s currently single, is also at home with her. Tara goes to bed Christmas Eve with hopes Santa might bring her what she most desires. After hearing a loud crash, she goes to investigate, and underneath the tree, she finds the present she’s been dying to unwrap.

FREE Flash Fiction! Fantasies

Dinner rests heavily in my stomach, and the wine I greedily gulped during the meal gives me a feeling of deep contentment as I lounge on my end of the sofa, a mere leather cushion separating my husband and I.

The television drones on and on in the background. I only pay it half a mind as I hit the button on my Kindle to read the next page. My husband is watching a basketball game. I find the commercials more interesting than a bunch of sweaty men fighting over a ball and only occasionally look up to comment or laugh.

Ah, commercial time. I glance up from my Kindle screen to see a sporty blue car race across the television. “Oooh. I want that car.”

My husband laughs and shakes his head. “We’re not getting a BMW.”

I pout and return to my Kindle, keeping one eye on the television. That was some car. I can visualize myself in it, music blaring from speakers, the windows rolled down on a sunny day, my hair blowing in the breeze, the admiring glances…

The commercial changes. “Oooh. Look at that cute dress. I want that dress. It’s like a princess dress for adults.”

“You need to quit watching TV. You want everything.”

“Hey,” I say, insulted. “How much of that stuff do I rush out to buy?”

My husband gives me that look, the one that says “true, but I’m not going to agree with you out loud ‘cause I have my male pride.”

I only pay him half a mind. My overactive imagination is already visualizing myself wearing the pink princess dress for adults, driving my awesome blue BMW, music blaring from the speakers… “You know,” I turn to my husband once again, “I just honestly fantasize about that stuff. I can briefly imagine it, I’m wearing my awesome pink dress, I’m a size-two again, I permanently look twenty-five, and I’m out in my sexy blue BMW. All the fellows are turning their heads to look at me. I can’t even go to the grocery store without it being on TMZ!” I’m really getting into this crazy fantasy story of mine now and nearly jumping up and down on the sofa cushion. “And everywhere I go, people see me and they just happen to have one of my books with them and they ask me to autograph it, because I’m a New York Times Bestseller.” I nod and in my mind, I can see it. A little old lady is holding a pen out to me with a shaky hand. A camera light flashes. My blue BMW glints in the sun. I place a hand on my tiny hip…

I bring myself back to the present, to the sofa, to my husband’s guffaws. He’s laughing at me, but it’s not a mean laugh. Soon, I’m chuckling too.

“Watching TV gets my imagination going,” I confess with a grin. “I fantasize. Those are my silly fantasies. What’s your fantasy?”

I look at him expectantly, waiting to hear about how in his fantasy, he have ten motorcycles in the garage, a ’69 Camaro or two, and maybe Megan Fox on his arm. And I won’t take offense, because I know it’s just a fantasy. He’ll never meet Megan Fox.

But he shocks me, and I don’t see it coming, and for a second I’m speechless.

“I live it every day,” he says, so casually, and flips a page of his motorcycle magazine.

I blink. I feel all warm inside and have to blink again to ward away a tear.

Let Megan Fox have the blue BMWs and the TMZ fame. I have everything I need right here, just a sofa cushion away.

High-Tech Holiday by Lorraine Nelson

Whatever would possess a woman to dress as a walking, talking holiday? And how can romance possibly evolve from a chance meeting on an airplane? Find out in Lorraine Nelson's short but cute High-Tech Holiday. I got more than a few chuckles from this one. It was a fun book to edit and read.

Blurb:

Kris Temple is a web graphics designer, an ambitious entrepreneur striving to survive in a dog-eat-dog world. She also wants to win her family’s Christmas contest. She adorns herself in full holiday gear the night before thanksgiving and is flying home fully decorated. She's thrilled to find herself seated next to a handsome man. But Kris has a speech problem. However would she converse with this man without stuttering and embarrassing herself?

Aaron Masters is not thrilled to be flying economy, but his personal jet is in for repairs. He’d had to scurry to the reservation desk at the last minute to book a seat on the only flight out, and now he finds his practical, no-nonsense demeanor assaulted by a woman dressed as a holiday advertisement…his seatmate. How could he hope to ignore this woman for the entire flight?
With their flight being rerouted, calls from her ex-fiancé/co-worker pleading for assistance, and his ex-girlfriend stalking him, they are certainly in for a memorable flight. 

Excerpt:
 “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. We are being rerouted due to a severe storm front sweeping down from Canada. We are unable to return to Chicago or continue on to Minneapolis.” There was a general murmur of discontent at this announcement.

“We are being rerouted south to Atlanta. Attendants will be on hand to assist with reservations for accommodation and help reschedule your flights. We apologize for the delay in your travels but deem the safety of our passengers our top concern. We are sorry for any inconvenience.”

“I should have stayed in Chicago,” Ethan mumbled.

“I'm going to miss the contest. Darn.”

Ethan pulled out his cell phone. “George, have Donald bring the car around to the airport and instruct Maria to make up a guest room. I think I have a travel companion who'll be staying overnight.” He signed off a moment later and turned to her. “I hope you don't mind me making plans for you, but since Atlanta is one of the corporate locations for the businesses I run, I know finding decent accommodation will be next to impossible.”

She hesitated briefly, before replying, “That sounds fine. Thank you. Are you sure it won’t put you out?”

“I have a six thousand square-foot loft. You won’t be crowding me,” he said with just a hint of a smile.

“I should call my family and let them know about the delay.” Nothing like stating the obvious, Kris, she thought with disgust as she flipped open her cell phone.

“Hi, Mom. I'm going to be delayed. They've rerouted my flight due to a storm. Yes, we’re landing Atlanta. No, I have all my luggage with me. Yes, Mom, I do have clean underwear,” she whispered the last part. She could feel the flush of color rushing into her face. God! How embarrassing. Once again she could tell he was listening to her every word. Especially when she whispered her response to her mother and he'd leaned closer.

“Yes, I'll call as soon as I land. Bye for now.”

Shoving the phone deep into her pocket, she turned to see a huge grin on the handsome face next to her. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“More than I ever thought possible.” His answering smile showed off a dimple in his right cheek.

“Well, I'm feeling rather exposed at the moment. So maybe you can share something personal about yourself?”

“Actually I was going to ask you what color.”

“What color?”

“Are they?”

“Are what?” she was starting to wonder if he was a little tipsy.

“Your underwear.”

“That is none of your business,” she admonished, incredulous he would even dare ask.

“Well, it sounded like your mom was concerned about it. I just figured I should be too.”

Now she could see he was really having fun at her expense. But then, it was kind of funny that a successful, independent woman had a mother who still wanted to make sure she had clean underwear in case of an emergency.

“My mom's a bit old-fashioned and still thinks I'm twelve. She treats all of us that way.”