Smashwords Summer Sale

Packing your beach read? Download Lost in the Light for just $2.99 and Girl in the Mist for $0.99 through Smashwords Summer Sale through July 31, 2013!

Click on the book covers and save!

Lost in the Light is 30% off today on the Kobo! Code: SPRINGSALE http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Lost-in-the-Light/book-2a6A0Hw9fEqdGtbzP-VmOA/page1.html

Cover reveal: Girl in the Mist

Short story 1.5 in the Dori Orihuela paranormal mystery series
 E-book only $1.99
Available April 11, 2013 - Newsletter subscribers can get it tomorrow, Friday, April 5! Sign up here

From the back cover: When we last left Dori Orihuela, she received a shocking message slipped to by her high school flame, Gavin Salazar.

Girl in the Mist picks up where we left these two lovers as Gavin sweeps Dori off to a romantic weekend in Carmel, California. Their charming cottage, hidden in the cypress trees, holds a dark secret. A young woman appears in the mist, not knowing her name or how long she's been dead. When Dori tries to find out what happened to this broken young spirit, everyone she encounters refuse to speak of what happened.

Dori also has a few secrets of her own that she's hoping never to tell Gavin ... even if holding onto them could destroy the best thing that's ever happened to her.

 Haven't read Lost in the Light? Get the book today and catch up before Girl in the Mist is released!

HOW I ALMOST DIDN’T SELL HOT TAMARA

In July 2004 I attended RWA’s National Conference during what had to have been the gloomiest, muggiest New York summer ever known to a woman in heels and nylons. Even worse, I almost did something very stupid. Actually two. First, I hadn’t signed up for any agent and editor appointments to pitch my 100,000-word contemporary romance known at the time as, “Her Mother’s Daughter.” Second, I almost didn’t attend Harper Collins Avon publisher spotlight during which all of the editors would talk about that their books and what they were looking for.

You see, I arrived in New York having just been rejected by an agent the week before. We had been working together exclusively on revisions for nearly six months. After three drafts, she decided that my book was not a project she could get behind.

On day two of the conference, I knew that drastic measures needed to be taken to achieve my childhood dream of seeing one of my stories in the hands of readers. So I sat down at the Avon Spotlight session  and during the Q&A I almost didn’t raise my hand. But I must’ve channeled the spirit of Wonder Woman to stand up in front of 300 people to ask if the editors if they were looking for a book that sounded suspiciously like mine. Selina McLemore, one of the editors on the panel, grabbed the mic and said, “SEND IT TO ME!”

Selina read the manuscript in record time and then we discussed the changes she wanted me to make. I listened with mounting horror as she suggested that I cut the story line of Tamara’s best friend, Isa. But I took one last look at that story and said farewell to Isa after promising her that she’d get her own book. During my lunch hour, at night and on weekends, I trimmed that 100,000-word manuscript down to 89,000 words.

Three weeks later, the book went back to Selina. For two more weeks I pretended that it was perfectly normal to check my email, my cell phone and my answering machine every two minutes. But then on Monday, Nov. 10, 2004 I came home after a really busy day at work and saw that I missed Selina’s call. Talk about a long night.

At 7:10 a.m. the following morning I got a good luck kiss from my husband, went into my office and held onto my good luck rock as I called Selina. While my husband and our two pugs waited at the door, I braced myself for the old line: “We really like your writing, but this book just isn’t Latina enough for us. Keep us in mind for future projects.” So it took a moment for the words to process after Selina said she wanted to buy my book. I might have even asked her to repeat that, but I’m not really sure. I do remember saying, “thank you” and “may I call you back” before hanging up. I think I cried. I know I hugged my husband and then called my mom, my best friend and then my grandma. But I kept thinking it couldn’t be real. The next day, I said yes to Selina’s offer with absolutely no idea that Hot Tamara would become a “Red Hot Read” in Cosmopolitan Magazine, or that it helped other authors publish their books.

Eight years and seven books later, I’m still a bit surprised when a reader emails me out of the blue to tell me how much they loved Hot Tamara. I’ve never quite gotten used to the idea that people I may never meet in person are really reading my words and entering the secret world of my characters! But it’s truly a pleasure to connect with you. For me connecting is what publishing – whether through the traditional publishers or not, print or e-book – is really about. When the reader takes the journey with the characters and then puts it down with a smile on her face, my job has been done. Thanks so much everyone for giving me the opportunity to be in your lives, even if for a moment.  I can’t wait for you to read what is coming next!

READ AN E-BOOK WEEK DEAL: LOST IN THE LIGHT FOR $2.50

Haven’t read the book that Samantha March called “captivating?” Like gothics, paranormal mysteries, haunted houses and ghost stories? Then you’ll love Lost in the Light that takes from my family history as well as my own experiences living in a haunted house. Also, you might want to get caught up before its short story sequel,Girl in the Mist arrives sooner than you think!

Use the discount code: REW50 at Smashwords to get a copy for your Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iPad, etc! Offer expires at 11:59 p.m. on 3/9/13.

Praise for Lost in the Light:

“This book captivated me. The ending might have been my favorite. One of my favorite mystery reads of the year, and one to get your to-read list!”
- Samantha March, Chick Lit Plus

4.5 Lightning Bolts
“Lost In The Light is an enchanting story that takes the reader from present to the past. Full of mystery, emotion, and a plot that keeps the readers on their toes, I couldn’t peel my eyes away. Ms. Castillo, you’ve got a new fan. I can’t wait for more!”
- Storm Goddess Book Reviews

Four stars
“I haven’t read a mystery novel in quite some time.  This one definitely reminded me of why I enjoy them so much.  Lost in the Light is an enjoyable story that flips between the Prohibition in the 1920′s/1930′s and the present. And who doesn’t love a good ghost story!  Ghost shows up in your house, haunts you, asks you for favors and basically tells you what to do constantly… gotta love it!”
- Lost in Literature

“The story is a page turner with old flames, sexy ghosts, family obligations that we all contend with, humor, and bonds with new female friends.”
- Sandra Ramos O’Briant

Four stars
“I think that the author weaves a fantastic tale through both worlds and we kind of see Dori evolve and grow through her experience and even able to allow her self to depend on others. I think this book is definitely worth picking up if you like a good historical mystery, with a touch of paranormal and a dash of romance. I will have to check out more of Ms. Castillo’s novels in the future.”
- Ramblings of a Semi Housewife

“Castillo created an interesting, and expertly woven tale that is fraught with romance and mystery. Dori’s guardedness, Vicente’s rough edges and Grammy’s spunkiness all made for very real characters and good story telling. Castillo knows how to dish up a story with some spice, and I’ll be looking forward to more adventures from Castillo in the future.”
- Cellar Door Lit Rants & Reviews

“Mary Castillo has written such a rich and compelling novel… I was pretty much glued to this book. To say I was behind Dori the whole way is an understatement. I love her!”
- Whoopeeyoo! Reviews

Now Reading: Fashion Victim

Paige Tourneur is a heroine you can get behind. She’s smart with a few rough edges to make her interesting in her solo debut, Fashion Victim by GT Herren. Even better, she has a dark past that Herren promises will play out in a series of dark comedic whodunits set in New Orleans. As a fan of cozy mysteries, I’m loving this new generation of heroines who are savvy and may appear to be tough, but inside they have a core of integrity that can’t be broken. The misdeeds are dark and gritty. The supporting characters keep Paige embroiled in uncovering secrets. My only complaint was that the bad guy reveal was over so fast that I didn’t feel Paige was in any real jeopardy. But I’m hooked and can’t wait for the second book. I may just need to read Herren’s backlist of mysteries with PI Chanse McLeod that first introduced Paige in a supporting role.

Excerpt from Fashion Victim:

Fashion shows are not my thing, as a rule. But this had been Marigny Mercereau’s first show in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, and my boss decided this was a big enough deal to warrant putting Marigny on the cover. She was getting the full treatment—coverage of the runway show, a cover shoot, and an in-depth interview. I wasn’t convinced she deserved it, frankly. Don’t get me wrong—I knew it was agood thing that the House of Mercereau was open for business again. Any business coming back since Katrina was terrific, a sign that things were getting back to normal—whatever that meant in New Orleans.

But a cover story on a business whose primary clientele was rich w
omen, drag queens, and high school girls in the market for a prom dress?

I pointed out to my boss this was hardly a newsworthy enough story in our post-Katrina world to warrant such coverage—even if Marigny was a huge advertiser, which she never had been and was unlikely to become. Since I’d gone to work at Crescent City we’d moved away from being a fluff magazine about the city to doing more in-depth investigative pieces—because as a monthly, we could do the kind of in-depth reporting the city’s daily and weekly papers couldn’t, and we were doing quite well with this kind of hard-hitting journalism.

I didn’t understand the return to fluff, but gave in with good grace.

Choosing your battles wisely is becoming a lost art.

I didn’t even bat an eye when the interview was assigned to me—at Marigny’s request. I knew her—I’d dated one of her sons briefly in the pre-Katrina world, and for some reason Marigny liked me. She seemed rather pretentious to me, and her sense of humor was odd…and it’s not like I was really into the entire fashion scene.  But before I had a chance to say okay, my boss gave me the whole ‘team player’ speech.

Obviously, she was expecting me to pitch a fit of some sort.

But I loved working at ­Crescent City, and I really liked my boss. It was a great job, and a huge improvement over working at the city’s daily paper—and besides, there was that whole choose your battles wisely thing. I figured I could use the good will I’d earn doing the Marigny Mercereau interview to my advantage later. We’d scheduled the interview for later this afternoon—so I really needed to pull it together. Marigny had also sent me tickets to her fashion show last night—enclosing them in a card with the note so looking forward to seeing you again, xoxoxoxoxo Marigny—in what she called her ‘trademark’ pink ink.

After all, nothing screams ‘professional’ like pink ink, right?

Buy the Book!

Author Bio:

Greg Herren is a New Orleans-based author and editor. Former editor of Lambda Book Report, he is also a co-founder of the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival, which takes place in New Orleans every May. He is the author of ten novels, including the Lambda Literary Award winning Murder in the Rue Chartres, called by the New Orleans Times-Picayune “the most honest depiction of life in post-Katrina New Orleans published thus far.” He co-edited Love, Bourbon Street: Reflections on New Orleans, which also won the Lambda Literary Award. He has published over fifty short stories in markets as varied as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine to the critically acclaimed anthology New Orleans Noir to various websites, literary magazines, and anthologies.

Buy the Book!

Q&A with GT Herren

As a former reporter, I can catch a writer when they've never had newspaper experience. But Paige Tourneur is spot on. Were you a reporter in a past life, or just a really good researcher?!?

 Oh, thank you so much! No, I was never an actual reporter. I wanted to be one, but changed major my freshman year in college. I do know a lot of reporters and former reporters, and my editor, Julie Smith, was a long time journalist, first with the New Orleans Times-Picayune and then with the San Francisco Chronicle. Any time I had a question, all I had to do was ask. She was a HUGE help to me.

Paige has a secret past. How much longer will you make us wait to find out her back story?

 The story of Paige’s past is going to slowly play out over the course of at least a few more books. There’s a lot of back story there, and I don’t want to just dump it all out in one fell swoop. But there is definitely going to be a big pay-off for the readers, so I certainly hope they’ll buckle their seatbelts and come along for the ride!

Was there a challenge in writing from a woman's POV?

 Well, I was a little worried about authenticity. But I’ve always been surrounded by women—I had a sister who was very close to me in age, and I’ve always had a lot of women friends, and still do—so I was pretty sure I could get the voice right. I also had, as I mentioned before, an amazing editor who is a woman, and I knew if I made a false step she’d be on it like a duck on a june bug.

Author GT Herren

For the writers out there, do you write by the seat of your pants, or outline?

With my first few books, I outlined everything. But I stopped around Book 5, I think it was, because I kept straying away from the outline so it seemed like a waste of time, since I kept coming up with new ideas and changing everything. Now, I just have it all in my head and if I get stuck, then I sit down and outline what I’ve already written and then go from there. I may not actually use what I come up with, but it usually unsticks things. I always know how it’s going to end—it’s the getting there that changes a lot.

New Orleans is a character unto herself in Fashion Victim. Allow us into your world and describe your perfect New Orleans day.

Well, to me every day in New Orleans is perfect, but I think the most perfect day I’ve ever had in New Orleans was Fat Tuesday in 2006. It was amazing. It was after Katrina, and most of the city was still in ruins—and there had been a lot of criticism nationwide of the city for not cancelling it. But for all of us, that Mardi Gras was a symbol of perseverance and determination, a way for New Orleans to announce to the world that we weren’t going to let what happened get us down, or keep us down, to let everyone know we loved them for their help and their concern and their love and we weren't going to let them down. And it was a spectacular day, in the high 70’s, no humidity, no clouds, just sunshine and blue sky everywhere you looked. I’ll never forget walking to the French Quarter from my house along the parade route, and all the signs like “504ever” and “Atlanta Thanks and Loves You, NOLA” and “NOLA Is Down But Never Out”—my eyes filled with tears several times that day (even now remembering I get teary) and I just knew in my heart that day that New Orleans was going to be back. Everyone was so happy, that wonderful feeling of community we always felt on Fat Tuesday was really strong that day, and everyone was in costume and celebrating. It felt like coming home.

Excerpt from Fashion Victim:

Fashion shows are not my thing, as a rule. But this had been Marigny Mercereau’s first show in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, and my boss decided this was a big enough deal to warrant putting Marigny on the cover. She was getting the full treatment—coverage of the runway show, a cover shoot, and an in-depth interview. I wasn’t convinced she deserved it, frankly. Don’t get me wrong—I knew it was agood thing that the House of Mercereau was open for business again. Any business coming back since Katrina was terrific, a sign that things were getting back to normal—whatever that meant in New Orleans.

But a cover story on a business whose primary clientele was rich w
omen, drag queens, and high school girls in the market for a prom dress?

I pointed out to my boss this was hardly a newsworthy enough story in our post-Katrina world to warrant such coverage—even if Marigny was a huge advertiser, which she never had been and was unlikely to become. Since I’d gone to work at Crescent City we’d moved away from being a fluff magazine about the city to doing more in-depth investigative pieces—because as a monthly, we could do the kind of in-depth reporting the city’s daily and weekly papers couldn’t, and we were doing quite well with this kind of hard-hitting journalism.

I didn’t understand the return to fluff, but gave in with good grace.

Choosing your battles wisely is becoming a lost art.

I didn’t even bat an eye when the interview was assigned to me—at Marigny’s request. I knew her—I’d dated one of her sons briefly in the pre-Katrina world, and for some reason Marigny liked me. She seemed rather pretentious to me, and her sense of humor was odd…and it’s not like I was really into the entire fashion scene.  But before I had a chance to say okay, my boss gave me the whole ‘team player’ speech.

Obviously, she was expecting me to pitch a fit of some sort.

But I loved working at ­Crescent City, and I really liked my boss. It was a great job, and a huge improvement over working at the city’s daily paper—and besides, there was that whole choose your battles wisely thing. I figured I could use the good will I’d earn doing the Marigny Mercereau interview to my advantage later. We’d scheduled the interview for later this afternoon—so I really needed to pull it together. Marigny had also sent me tickets to her fashion show last night—enclosing them in a card with the note so looking forward to seeing you again, xoxoxoxoxo Marigny—in what she called her ‘trademark’ pink ink.

After all, nothing screams ‘professional’ like pink ink, right?

Buy the Book!

Author Bio:

Greg Herren is a New Orleans-based author and editor. Former editor of Lambda Book Report, he is also a co-founder of the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival, which takes place in New Orleans every May. He is the author of ten novels, including the Lambda Literary Award winning Murder in the Rue Chartres, called by the New Orleans Times-Picayune “the most honest depiction of life in post-Katrina New Orleans published thus far.” He co-edited Love, Bourbon Street: Reflections on New Orleans, which also won the Lambda Literary Award. He has published over fifty short stories in markets as varied as Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine to the critically acclaimed anthology New Orleans Noir to various websites, literary magazines, and anthologies.

Buy the Book!

American History: Executive Order 9066

February 19, 1942: President Roosevelt signs the executive order to place Japanese Americans in internment camps.

Andy Munemitsu, a character in Lost in the Light, was named in honor of the Munemitsu family who leased their farm to Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez before the Japanese-American internment. The Mendez family took care of the property until the Mumemitsu’s were released after the war. The two families united when Gonzalo and Felicitas took on the local school districts in the historic case, Mendez v. Westminster and ended segregation in California public schools.

Here’s a story about their connection: http://blogs.chapman.edu/happenings/2010/05/10/munemitsu-unveiling-today-at-leatherby-libraries/

Guest post: Into the Dark Places with Katherine Owen

Today, Katherine Owen stops by on her Chick Lit Blog Tour to talk about her new novel, When I See You and going into the dark places.

I strongly believe in the adage: art imitates life. I strenuously believe in this. (I’m adding a little Demi Moore there, if you remember the movie A Few Good Men.) Writing for me begins with life experiences and goes from there. I’ll ask myself the what-if questions in the beginning, such as what does a woman do who has been left behind? This premise began in my novel Seeing Julia. One of the scenes I cut from that novel metamorphosed into this novel When I See You because the idea of the soldier story just wouldn’t go away. At first, I started out with just Jordan Holloway’s point of view, but then, it became obvious as the characters formed that readers would also need to hear from Brock Wainwright. Two points of view from both a male character and a female one made the whole story that much more complex. I also wanted to explore the idea of two accomplished people who seemed to have everything; and yet, beneath the surface something seems to be missing within them. I think readers get that sense with both of these characters early on.

So, let’s talk in general terms about the dark places. I can effectively put people into two different places in their lives. It’s what I call the dark zone and the white area outside of the dark zone. The dark zone is that place where all the bad stuff happens in the world. You lose a loved one—someone close to you. It can be a husband, a brother, a father, a mother, a sister, a child…I could go on, but you get the picture. Yet, there are those people around you who haven’t experienced the dark zone. They go about their lives oblivious to the damage that grief does to a person’s soul because nothing bad has ever happened in their world. In the time of someone else’s crisis, they do the right things. They send the sympathy cards and the flowers, attend the funerals, and wear black, and even hold your hand. They make you casseroles and tell you how sorry they are, but, in the end, they really don’t get it, until it happens to them because people don’t like to spend time in the dark zone. Truly? They don’t even really want to talk about you and your loss or find out what it’s like or how you feel.

As it relates to my novels, it seems I have three types of readers: empathetic ones who’ve been to the dark zone, sympathetic ones who’ve never been but still get it and me, and a third kind who don’t even know what the dark zone entails and don’t want to. Those are the ones who read my work and conclude this stuff just doesn’t happen in real life, let alone fiction. Yet, it does; and, someday, they’ll find that out for themselves when they land in the dark zone at the unexpected loss of a loved one and their insulated world is blown to bits. Going to the dark places is relatively easy for me because there are many stories to be told from there because I’ve been to the dark zone in real life and many of my readers recognize this in my work.

Katherine Owen is the author of SEEING JULIA
(debut novel and Zola Award Winner),
NOT TO US and WHEN I SEE YOU.

My writing is not for the faint of heart. It will rock you to your soul if you recognize that kind of pain of heartbreak and loss, but at the heart of it, I think it gives people a little hope. At least, that’s what some of the reviewers of my work have said. Here’s a snippet from one of the most reviews of When I See You that states it quite nicely:

“…This is a story that is going to stand out for me in my memory for a very long time. Owen has written this book very well. The story is magically woven with and drew me in from the start. This isn’t a fluffy romance. This isn’t the book that makes your panties bunch and the steam factor is off the scale. This is a realistic love story, one that doesn’t necessarily paint the characters as fabricated. I am surprised that this story hasn’t received more praise and has not left a dent in the world. When I compare some of the books I’ve enjoyed to this, I have to shake my head. I enjoy reading for entertainment and sometimes value fluff and sugar to keep me happy. This isn’t that kind of book. This is a story that will make you feel anxiety, make you feel sad, make you hope that they find a happily ever after. This is a book that grows hair on your chest and makes you look at your life. This is synonymous with this website’s name, it is a GoodRead…” Obsessed – Goodreads Review

Buy at any of these online retailers:

Amazon (Paperback & Kindle):  http://bit.ly/WISYbuyme
Barnes & Noble (Paperback & Nook ePub): http://bit.ly/WISYbuyBN
Kobo (ebook): http://bit.ly/WISYbuymeKobo
iBooks (ebook):  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/when-i-see-you/id588905242?mt=11

Excerpt from When I See You, part of Chapter Two – Show me what I’m looking for ~ Jordan

Here’s the set-up: Jordan Holloway is married to Ethan. His best friend Brock Wainwright has come to spend the last four days of their leave (Ethan and Brock are U.S. Navy SEALs and part of a sniper team) with them in Malibu, CA. Ashleigh is Jordan’s best friend. She’s pretty carefree and has already developed an interest in Lieutenant Brock Wainwright. This is the next day after a big goodbye party at the house. In this section, readers get a glimpse of the underlying tension that exists within Jordan and Brock. Here’s the excerpt from When I See You:

An hour later, the household has been fed French toast, and all the adults have been replenished with multiple cups of Brock’s strong black coffee. Max is busy showing off his swing set and sandbox to the clearly hung-over Ashleigh and his daddy. I watch my son as he constantly pulls at Ethan’s outstretched hand. His unmet need for Ethan’s attention brings tears to my eyes, but our child’s enthusiasm is contagious. I can’t help but smile, when I hear Max call out, “Look at this, Daddy; look at this, Ashleigh,” in his sweet, elf-like voice. I gaze at the three of them through the open French door that leads to the backyard and feel this surge of love for my little family.

A half hour later, Brock peruses the Los Angeles Times, while I decorate cupcakes for Max. Decorating cupcakes has become my signature specialty within this small community of Malibu. It’s kind of a sideline hobby to my real job as head chef at Le Reve.

I look up. Brock watches me with the rapt interest similar to that of a small child. It reminds me of Max when he’s mesmerized with a television program like Big Bird or Barney. The newspaper is folded up and lies next to his forearm.

I slip up with the icing under his studied scrutiny and attempt to refocus upon the task at hand by breaking eye contact with our unexpected house guest.

“Ethan tells me you studied at CIA,” Brock says. “That you’re a head cook, here in Malibu. At Le Reve, is it?”

I glance up from what I’m doing and nod, but looking at him is worse. The man continues to interfere with my ability to concentrate on the cupcakes for some reason. I glance away from him, intent on getting back to looping blue icing across the little cake’s surface in a circular pattern, making ocean waves. I’m going for a Finding Nemo theme, per my three-year-old’s request. He’s taking the cupcakes to his play date with his friend, Davey. I hold my breath in an attempt to drape the icing in a steady wave pattern.

“Head chef at Le Reve. Before that, head chef at Rivera,” I say. “And before that, I worked at L’Ecole in New York, even a summer in Paris.” I lift my chin in defiance and can feel myself blushing. Why do I feel the need to provide my resume to this guy?

“Chef,” Brock says with a wide smile. “Sorry, you gourmets are so touchy about titles.”

“It’s a big deal in the culinary world to be a head chef. It takes years to get that title and the responsibility that comes with it.” I shrug, trying to give off an air of indifference, but even I can hear the edge in my voice.

“Okay,” Brock says. “Head chef at Le Reve. Tell me what that’s like.”

I put down the pastry knife, somewhat disconcerted to be asked about the restaurant. Ethan sees it as a drain of my time away from Max, away from him when he’s here. Le Reve is a source of tension between us every time he’s home.

“There’s a certain energy and excitement in running a restaurant every night. You spend your whole day preparing and planning, and then, the satisfaction of execution on a nightly basis is exhilarating. Almost spiritual.” I smile over at him. He gets this disconcerted look. “There’s nothing quite like it. Le Reve is small, only eight tables, but people come from all over to eat there. We have a good thing going. My boss, the owner, Louis DuPont, is from Paris. He’s amazing and gives me a lot of flexibility. It’s close by. Ashleigh or Mrs. Richards watch Max in the evening, and I try to be home by midnight or so.” My voice trails off at the thoughtful look on Brock’s face. “What?”

“Isn’t it kind of hard to juggle all of that with Max?”

“It works. I don’t know any other life. Of course, Ethan would prefer me to work part-time and be home with Max more.” I hesitate, before saying, “Running a restaurant, making decisions about food, and preparing it is cathartic for me. I need to do it.” I pause, experiencing misgivings about saying anything more, but somehow, needing to. “Ethan was gone when Max was born. He’s been home three times in the past three years. I have a life. Here. In L.A. It works.”

I sweep the pastry knife across the air in agitation and openly blush, knowing I sound too defensive. I take an unsteady breath. I’ve given too much away. “We make it work,” I say in a low voice.

I look over at him. He’s shaking his head. I’m unable to look away.

“You just don’t know how rare you are. I think it’s great that you have a career and still manage things with Max.” He frowns. “Most women wouldn’t put up with the long tours away from home. It wreaks havoc on a relationship. It takes commitment. Trust. It’s rare.”

“Relationships are hard, no matter what the circumstances,” I say.

“You think so?” Brock asks. There’s discernible disquiet in his tone.

The ground seems to shift beneath me. I reach out for the counter to steady myself. Yet, I’m unable to stop myself from saying more. “We sailed into marriage with all these dreams and made all these promises. We were so naive. Within fifteen minutes of meeting him, I knew how I felt about him and how he felt about me.” I try to smile. “He swept me off my feet and I didn’t hit the ground, until I was standing at the airport and watching his flight to Afghanistan take off.” I smile, but then, it fades.

“At that moment, I’d never felt so alone in my life. And, there have been other times when I have felt pretty much alone.” I stop, take an unsteady breath, and close my eyes, remembering the death of my parents and that exact moment when Ethan left the first time. I open them and he’s staring at me intently.

“Alone. Eight weeks pregnant. Ashleigh and I had been in L.A. for a couple of years already. Then, I’d met Ethan and everything changed,” I say in a low voice. I gaze over at Brock and then shrug my shoulders, attempting to lighten the mood at seeing the disconcerted look on his face. “But nothing really changed. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yes.” Brock looks even more troubled.

“What?” I ask with growing trepidation.

“I was engaged once. It didn’t work out.” A shadow crosses his face. “I dropped out of my last semester of law school and signed up for SEAL training, then sniper school. My father wasn’t too happy.” Brock gets this bleak look. “Relationships are hard whether you’re in L.A. or Austin.”

Ethan and Brock both grew up in Austin. I pause in mid-air with my pastry knife, realizing that this is one more thing that Ethan hasn’t really shared with me. I don’t really know much about his life in Austin, before me. We rarely go there because his time is so limited when he’s home.

“I’m sorry. About the fiancée. About your dad,” I say.

“I got over it. I moved on.” He shrugs and looks indifferent.

“Is that why you go through women like they’re an endless supply of shaving razors? To defy your father? To prove you’re over her?”

I blush at my bluntness.

“I suppose so.” He tries to smile but it doesn’t reach his eyes. I sense this profound sadness in him. “But razors aren’t as sharp. Never disappoint. Never maim. Not intentionally, anyway; and don’t require commitment.”

Connect with Katherine Owen:
Website: www.katherineowen.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KatherineOwenAuthor
Twitter: @katherineowen01  line: https://twitter.com/KatherineOwen01

Sunday morning in February

Deals & Steals: my books for $3.99

Purchase my back-list titles for only $3.99 at BookCloseOuts.

But wait! Groupon has a deal where you can get $30 credit for only $15. Here’s the link to the deal; check out my titles,Hot Tamara, In Between Men,Switchcraft and Friday Night Chicas.

Kobo is offering 30% off a great selection of titles this weekend. The offer ends February 18, 2013. Visit: Save 30% on These Great Reads (Code: 30WEEKEND)

Randomly Selected

A free randomly selected excerpt from Lost in the Light:

"He watched them dance four dances. Albert walked her to sit with two old ladies and then headed out the front door with a silver cigarette case in his hands. Vicente wheeled around into the darkness, not seeing Anna look up at the last moment to see if he was still there."

Read more!

Guest post and SkinnyTini recipe by Teresa Marie Howes

Mixing it up with Teresa Marie Howes

Teresa Marie Howes is a health enthusiast, expert skinny mixologist, avid runner and author of SkinnyTinis: All the fun for half the calories. Backed with a formal education with degrees in both nutrition and business and over a decade of professional experience consulting in the weight loss industry, she certainly knows the “right” things to do when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. She is also well versed in the challenges that an active social and travel calendar can infringe on ones best efforts to do these “right” things. As it turns out, what’s “right” isn’t always “realistic” and that’s where her personal experience plays a key role. She has battled out the conflict of “right” and “realistic” in the bars, on the road and on vacation for 15+ years – and now in her mid-thirties and at a weight less than she weighed in high school, she’s feeling pretty confident in her strategies and is eager to share them!

Please welcome Teresa who kicks off her Chick Lit Plus blog tour on my blog!

Q: What, in your own words, is it about cocktails that seem so glamorous and sophisticated?

A: I think it has to do not so much with the cocktail, as the way you feel when you have one. A fully done up martini with fine ingredients, care and precision in construction and artfully topped off with the perfect garnish can only leave you feeling like something special. Whether you took the time you do it yourself or you paid a pretty penny in a fine establishment – and finely crafted beverage means a time to celebrate or a time to kick back and relax. Either way, when all aligned, the experience is glamorous and sophisticated, the cocktail is just one ingredient in the equation.

Q: What was the final impetuous to write SkinnyTinis?

A; Every since I graduated from high school, I found myself naturally fascinated by health and wellness. I also grew up to be a goof ball of an adult who truly loves a night on the town with friends, a fine martini before dinner and a smorgasbord of cocktails when I’m on vacation. I’ve often touted, “I’m not drunk, I’m just awesome!” This was always balanced with a modestly healthy diet plan and a good deal of physical activity, as I am an avid runner. However, when I hit my thirties and I found myself on the beach in Antigua in December, I was so dissatisfied in my own skin, yet struggling with the burning vacation desire to always have a drink in my hand. For this trip, I opted to cut out ALL sugar from my drinks. This left me with few options as we were on a remote portion of the island. Then I discovered in my toiletry case a bottle of airborne. Mixed with 8 oz of water only had 5 calories and a delicious, tangy orange flavor – and VIOLA – the concept of SkinnyTinis was born!

Leveraging creative low calorie mixers and combining with high quality alcohol satisfied my vacation needs and kept me from growing in my bathing suit at the same time. When I got home, I found my ingenuity so impressive, I developed a slew of interesting drinks using zero calorie sweeteners, low calorie juices, sports drinks , spices, coffees, creamers, skim milk, rice milk, extracts – essentially anything low calorie I mixed up with booze and tested to see if it was tasty. These all commonly became known as SkinnyTinis amongst me and my friends.

At the time, nobody was talking about calories and alcohol – it was one or the other – all or nothing. The concept was so original I was prompted by friends, family, co-workers, strangers (essentially anybody who had a drink in their hand and a cared about their weight) to “write a book.” And so that’s exactly what I did. And to this day,SkinnyTinis will continue to exist as the first of its kind. The first tool that taught social drinkers how to enjoy all the fun of a delicious cocktail, but with 50% fewer calories!

Q: How did you test and then select the recipes in Skinnytinis?

It was all trial and error. We must have tested hundreds of recipes in 2008. I had a series of “tasting parties” and we would tweak recipes a few times over before we decided we had a good enough product to share. I divided the recipes up into several categories and wanted to provide a good variety. So the book features 30 SkinnyTinis (5 oz with 2 oz booze). 25 of these are original recipes and 5 are remakes of familiar classics (AppleTini, Chocolate Martini, Cosmo, etc). There are also an additional 20 Skinny Cocktails (5 oz with 1 ½ oz of booze). Of these 15 are remakes of familiar classics (Margaritas, Pina Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri, etc). Lastly, there are an additional 20 recipes that can be ordered when you are out on the town. Ten that are standard, easy, low calorie good picks. The other 10 all feature ingredients the bartender should have on hand, but you may have to be descriptive, as he won’t know them by title. I am a vodka drinker, so most recipes feature vodka. But I did also provide recipes that feature rum, tequila and gin, so there is defiantly something for everyone – and all with 50% fewer calories!

Q: If you could open a cocktail lounge, what would it be called and what would it look like?

A: I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this actually. I’d have to go with SkinnyTinis, because I love the name and the brand so much. I’d have it in an urban “downtown” environment and it would be very small. I’d go super modern and chic—black bamboo floors, stainless, chocolate leather with some bright bursts of color…likely a fascia, Verde or turquoise. Most cocktails and martinis would be “skinny” along with other healthy snacks and bites. The bathrooms would have skinny mirrors and great lighting, so that everybody always felt their best when they were there.

Q: What was your favorite book or author that you read in 2012, and what new releases are you looking forward to?

A: I loved “The Paris Wife” by Paula Mclain and the “Rules of Civility” by Amor Towles. I wept like a school girl when Ernest finally left Hadly in the end and I found the Rule of Civility to be like reading cinematography. I don’t end up with a lot offree time to read novels, but when I find ones like these, it’s hard to put them down. I’m always looking for a recommendation from a good friend on similar works of this genre. My travel schedule will pick up again soon and I find that there is no better time to read than in the airport and up in the air.

Q: If you were to host a book club night, what drink would you serve?

A: Well that completely depends on what the group has read that month. This question makes me miss my book club! And it’s one of the things that I love so much about mixology and SkinnyTinis. There are endless combinations of what you can do with booze, mixers and garnishes to put the prefect accent on your evening. Hot or cold, spiced or sweet, strong or mellow, light or heavy – infinite. So the short answer to your question is that I would mix up the perfect SkinnyTini that represented the heart of what we had spent the prior month reading to make the discussion that much richer.

Connect with Teresa and get some great ideas for your next party. In the meantime, check out her Cactus Chill (180 calories)

1 1/2 ounces tequila

1/4 ounce agave nectar

1/2 ounce lime juice

2 3/4 ounces lime-flavored sparkling water

Pour the tequila, agave nectar, and lime juice into a highball or other cocktail glass and stir. Add ice and fill the glass with lime-flavored water.


http://www.eatdrinkandbeskinny.com
http://www.skinnytinis.com
http://www.facebook.com/SkinnyTinis
https://twitter.com/SkinnyTinis
http://pinterest.com/skinnytinis/

Upcoming short story: Girl in the Mist

Without spoiling Lost in the Light, I’m going to say this: Dori will get a short story that is tentatively titled, Girl in the Mist. It is set in a Carmel cottage. My goal is to publish it for Valentine’s Day 2013!

As I was writing a scene today, I thought that for those of you who enjoyed the book, you’d get a kick out of this:

Gavin pinched the tip of Dori’s nose. “You are scary when you work.”

She swatted his hand away but then leaned in close and whispered, “Let’s walk by the cottage in a few minutes.”

“I thought you were going to give me a kiss.”

“Detectives don’t kiss on the job.”

Dori is the older sister in Names I Call My Sister. She is also the lead in Lost in the Light.


If you need a weekend read, check them out!

Good things come in 3s

Thanks to +Sacha Boutros (the voice that inspired Sela from Names I Call My Sister and Aracely in my upcoming novel), I have some beautiful new music! Her glamorous voice will accompany me while I edit the freshly printed manuscript of Dori’s short story, “Girl in the Mist.” If you haven’t heard Sacha perform, listen to her original song Amor Imposible.