Coffee 'n Breeze Does Summer Vacay! PLUS get your FREE books right HERE!!

CAROLE: Hey Louise!  Vacation time is fast approaching. Wondering if any of our readers have been anywhere interesting in recent years that they’d like to share?  My family adores camping in Death Valley. We love nothing so much as tromping through a run-down ghost town or hiking to the back of an old mine. There’s so much history left tumbling around out there. We’ve seen an eighty foot waterfall in the heart of the desert and wildflowers of every color imaginable.  It’s one of our favorite destinations.

 

Another thing we like to do is visit Frank Lloyd Wright homes. We’ve toured quite a lot of them and we even got to spend the weekend in one that’s a rental. The house was decked out in original furniture, mid century cocktail glasses, and Life Magazines from the era. It was great fun for a family who loves architecture like we do.  We’ve also had the good fortune to stay at The Historic Park Inn Hotel in Mason City Iowa on several occasions. It’s the last surviving hotel built by FLW and it’s very cool. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan.

LOUISE: Well, Carole, you surely know by now that summer is my FAVE time of year, and along with beach days, barbeques and flip-flops, I always look forward to my annual trip to Lancaster, PA. As much as I’d love to say that I enjoy traveling to exotic, tropical locales, I’m a simple country girl at heart. And nothing comforts me more than a drive out to “Amish Country” where time seems to stop rushing around so darn much. At the first sight of the miles of rolling green farmlands, dotted unassumingly with silos and white houses, my worries seem less formidable. My husband and I have made this trek so often that it has begun to feel like a home away from home. After a day of shopping at road-side vegetable stands and local-owned gift shops, we will typically visit our friends who are lucky enough to call this pretty place their home. And if it’s fried chicken or brown butter noodles you’re after – look no further. Everyone should experience the peaceful Lancaster atmosphere at least once. In fact – now I feel like going again this week!

 

 

So friends– now it’s your turn. What is your FAVE vacation spot? We’d love to know where you and your family enjoy escaping to! PLUS as a FREE GIFT the first ten people to comment will receive a copy of Carole Lanham’s latest captivating short story compilation “The Whisper Jar.” Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Whisper-Jar-Short-Story-Books-ebook/dp/B00XMCQYC6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1432496340&sr=8-3&keywords=carole+lanham

Thanks for shooting the breeze with us today! Stay close and stay cool!

Spotlight on Author Derek Rempfer

He is the incredibly talented author of my FAVE book of late 2014. He is Mr. Derek Rempfer, and I am honored to bring you an up-close and personal interview with this amazing writer. First, a bit about his novel WHERE THE BROKEN LIE. You can pick up this fabulous book right now for JUST .99 CENTS!!! Hurry, though, before this special deal expires.

When Tucker returns to his hometown of Willow Grove to grieve the death of his infant son, memories of the murder of Katie, his childhood sweetheart, are ignited. In spite of her death being blamed on a mentally challenged drifter known as Slim Jim, Tucker wonders if the real killer is still out there. With new clues arriving through anonymous letters left at the graveyard, Tucker is certain that Katie's death is truly unsolved. While coming to terms with the loss of his son, Tucker also seeks truth. But the real killer may be out there, willing to kill again to protect a dark secret.

Where The Broken Lie shines a spotlight on small-town secrets, faith, fear, love and loss in this enigmatic journey into the scarred hearts left behind.

And now, Mr. Rempfer...

What do you do for fun, when you’re not writing?
-          I’m a sports nerd, so much of my time is spent watching/following or coaching (my kids) sports.  Unfortunately, I don’t play so much anymore, unless you count fantasy baseball which I LOVE to play.  See?  Nerd.
What made you choose to write?
-          You know…I’m not sure.  It’s like asking me what made me choose to have green eyes.  I think it’s a DNA thing.  I always loved reading and as my taste in literature evolved, I think I acquired a real respect for people with the ability to eloquently express themselves and connect with others via the written word.  There is a patience and a permanence to the written word.  Written words are crafted and meant to last.
What is something that you love to do that someone else may find a little shocking?
-          Hmm…I suppose that those who have joined me in tossing back shots of Patron Silver at the local taverns might be surprised that I love reading the bible.  I find comfort and wisdom in it. 
-          On another note, my wife and I are currently taking ballroom dancing lessons.  I’m very bad.  The instructor called me “a clopper”.
In 100 words or less, make us HAVE to read your book!
-          I didn’t write something to sell, I wrote something to share.  It is a story of human experience that will likely cause you to laugh and will definitely move you to tears.  Knowing that much of it is pulled directly from my own experiences will make it resonate deeply with you.  But you’ll also get wrapped up in the plot because the story is equal parts mystery and literary fiction. And when you read it, you’ll know that I crafted each word and made them to last. 
How long did it take you from concept to finished product?
-          The crux of the story took about 3 years.  I learned a lot during the process that I hope will shorten the time it takes me to write the next one.
Best piece of advice for new writers.
-          Perspiration over inspiration.  Don’t romanticize the process or wait for The Muse.  My experience is that The Muse isn’t some wispy ethereal figure that floats down in a dream.  She’s buried under ground and you’ve got to dig her out.
Are there any projects that you are currently working on and wish to share?
-          I have two projects that I’m working on.  One is a sequel to Where The Broken Lie and the other is a Young Adult novel.  The idea for the YA novel came to me years ago and I absolutely LOVE the concept and the characters.  It has a little more magic to it than Where The Broken Lie, but it has some of that same small-town, down-home feel to it.  I can’t wait to finish it and share it!
Now let’s play a little ‘this or that’…
As ice cream goes – chocolate or vanilla?
-          Chocolate all day.
Early bird or night owl?
-          More early bird these days
Paper or plastic?
-          Paper.  You can’t write on plastic.  J
Rock ‘n roll or country?
-          It’s gotta be rock ‘n roll music if you wanna dance with me.
Finally – you are being sent to a deserted island with one small suitcase of belongings. What’s in there…?(and there’s room for only one book.)
-          Somebody once answered that question by saying that the book would be “How to Build a Boat,” or something to that effect.  Assuming that’s not available and ignoring all things practical (clothing, tools, etc), I’d bring:

o   A bible

o   Pictures of my family

o   Paper and pencils

o   A really great pillow

o   A coffee maker…just in case

 

                               
                              Thank you, Derek for being here and for your beautiful novel!

 

 

 

Coffee & Breeze Talks Beach Reads

As Carole and I sit and chat over a warm cup of joe - decaf for me - beyond the window, on the other side of the frosty glass, a storm is raging. The snow is piling up once again. It's like Groundhog Day; that movie with Bill Murray where every day is The. Exact. Same. Cold and gray. White and wet. Ugh.

But fear not. Spring is less than one month away. Officially, anyway. And our thoughts have already turned to things far less frigid in nature. With that in mind, we wanted to bring you our favorite BEACH reads!! That's right. Carole and I have temporarily traded our furry boots for flip flops. So settle in and join us, and don't forget your sun screen.

 

CAROLE: I’m not a typical beach reader in that I don’t shy away from serious or unhappy subject matter while on vacation, but some books are definitely more suited than others for a summer escape.  Here are my choices for this year, all of which would go nicely with an ice cold Corona or a drink with a little umbrella in it.

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer.  I was initially hooked by these seven simple words: “If you loved The Time Traveler’s Wife…”  Call me shallow, but I’m wild about the cover too.  In this story, a woman begins shock treatments and travels to two different lives – one in 1918 and the other in 1943.  Thoroughly engrossing!

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Impossible-Lives-Greta-Wells/dp/0062213792 

TENDER IS THE NIGHT by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  This is the last novel Fitzgerald ever completed and if you’re a fan of Gatsby and have never read it, what are you waiting for?!  Modern Library ranked it #28 on its list of 100 Best English-Language Novels of the 20^th Century. 

Set on the French Riviera in the late 1920s, Tender Is the Night is the tragic romance of the young actress Rosemary Hoyt and the stylish American couple Dick and Nicole Diver.

Goes down as smooth as Beautiful Ruins while traveling.  Great fun! 

http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Is-Night-Scott-Fitzgerald/dp/068480154X 

Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall.  Hepinstall’s work is luscious, tense, always gripping, and the settings are never less than utterly fascinating.  This one is an unusual love story set in a mental institution on an island in Florida during the Civil War.  The protagonist is the wife of a plantation owner whose been convicted of lunacy by her husband for dubious reasons.  Historical, mysterious, and wonderfully different, it’s a great read and one that should be rapidly followed up with a tasty serving of Hepinstall’s The House of Gentle Men. 

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Asylum-Kathy-Hepinstall-ebook/dp/B005LVR754/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424796993&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+Asylum

 

LOUISE: For me, the beach is the perfect place to get caught up on my ever-lovingly large TBR list. I'm going to bring you my three top choices for awesome (unique?) beach reads. The first is not a new release. I read this some years back, but it always reminds me of those young. sweet and sometimes tense sultry days. From the fabulous Anne Brashares it's THE LAST SUMMER OF YOU AND ME. This is an enchanting, heartrending story of a beach-community friendship triangle and romance among three young adults for whom summer means exciting new beginnings and inevitable endings. I found this upper YA/New Adult read to be entertaining and just the right balance of drama and light. http://www.amazon.com/Last-Summer-You-Me-ebook/dp/B001974DEW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425243404&sr=1-1&keywords=the+last+summer+of+you+and+me

For a newer read, I suggest WILD by Cheryl Strayed. This gipping true account of one woman's solo journey of self discovery in the great and formidable outdoors will surely have you appreciating your comfy beach chair. http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Found-Pacific-Crest-Trail/dp/0307476073

And finally - for the more adventurous bibliophiles out there - there is JAWS - the Novel by Peter Benchley. Of course most everyone has, by now, seen the movie of the same name. BUT to recline at the shore line and flip through these frightening pages, well that takes a special sort of courage. I've done it. Are you up for the challenge? If so, you will discover several interesting revisions that Spielberg made in the book-to-screen-play adaptation. http://www.amazon.com/Jaws-Peter-Benchley-ebook/dp/B008IU9KQO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425252351&sr=1-1&keywords=jaws

So there you have it. And, of course, if none of those books suits your beach-reading fancy there's always THE READING LESSONS by our own CAROLE LANHAM http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Lanham/e/B0063EC1DQ/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1425252663&sr=1-2-ent or THE MAKING OF NEBRASKA BROWN by yours truly. Plus for those of you who prefer to keep your literary consumption shorter whilst seaside - there are PETIT FLEURS and VIGNETTES - my short story compilations. http://www.amazon.com/Louise-Caiola/e/B005HERY1W/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1425252635&sr=1-2-ent

Now it's time to turn so you don't burn. ;)

 

 

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY to #NEBRASKA BROWN - #99CENT SALE

I just have to say it, even though I know how terribly cliché it sounds: holy cow - time flies! Can you believe it's been ONE YEAR since the release of The Making of Nebraska Brown?? It's crazy to me that twelve months have already gone by. It's been great getting to know my readers. I appreciate each one of you for devoting your reading hours to my books and stories.

For those of you who still haven't had an opportunity to check out the novel being called "Oz meets Tuscan Sun" - now is your chance to pick it up (with brand new awesome cover art!) for a super-low anniversary celebration price of only .99 cents! Just follow the link for quick purchase:
http://viewbook.at/NebraskaBrown

With over 50 5-star reviews, I invite you to see for yourself why some are referring to Nebraska Brown as "an engrossing, intelligent, and evocative journey you must take."


Thank you all again for your notes and emails, for your kind reviews and your follows. I hope you will stay close. There's more where this came from.

#NewRelease News! GATES OF PERDITION is here!

Hey there friends! I wanted to share this exciting NEW RELEASE news with you.

GATES OF PERDITION, the long-awaited prequel to MIRRORS OF ANGUISH, is now available on Amazon.com
Print ($14.95) | Kindle eBook ($3.50)
In MIRRORS OF ANGUISH, journalist Jill Duport returns to the Pocono town of Belcorte, where her grandparents had lived and her mother had grown up. She's in town for two reasons: first, because she's been willed the house by her mother's death; second, she wants to investigate the life of her controversial grandfather, who was an accused murderer.
In GATES OF PERDITION, we get to meet Jill's grandfather, who is a college professor. Professor Arthur Townsend is outraged by the pregnancy of his teenage daughter and seeks advice from a friend and colleague who happens to be a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist, however, is preoccupied by a patient with unusual abilities. But the psychiatrist agrees to talk to Arthur's daughter to determine who got her pregnant. The evidence points to Campton Couny's wealthiest family, and left without recourse, Professor Townsend decides to take revenge.
Meanwhile, a young girl has vanished in Belcorte. She was last seen at Indianhead Reservoir in the presence of her boyfriend. The investigating police officer is a young transfer from Baltimore who came to Belcorte to be with his girlfriend, and as more young women begin to disappear from Belcorte, he worries for her safety.
GATES OF PERDITION is a rich, complex book with a large cast of characters. GATES explores the mental state of a small town in the clutches of a brutal serial killer. GATES is a story of madness, revenge, and intersecting lives that are treading on dark paths.

You don't want to miss this suspenseful, intelligent and enigmatic read.

Pick up your copy today!

Coffee & Breeze w/ Carole & Louise - Talkin' 'Bout Our Resolutions - Writer Style

 





Welcome to the Hook's first Coffee & Breeze of 2015! Naturally the time is ripe for affirming our writerly goals. Hmm. Yes, I said writerly. Which brings me to my first resolution. In the coming year I resolve to stop making up my own faux version of real words. As an editor, too, I find it particularly pondersome. Oops. There I go again. What about you, Carole? Anything you plan to do or not do in these next twelve months?

 

CAROLE: Oh yes! This year, I will not become distracted from my precious writing time by quizzes on FB that promise to tell me which Disney princess I am. 

 

LOUISE: Well, it IS somewhat urgent to determine if you're Jasmine or Belle.

 

CAROLE: True.

 

LOUISE: And speaking of characters, I plan to stop permitting my protagonists to interrupt me while I'm in the shower. After all, a girl needs her cream rinse privacy!

 

CAROLE: Indeed! What gall. Oh and I solemnly vow; I will give up my affinity for semi colons.

 

LOUISE: Semi colons are the belch of the sentence world. Not very ladylike, I'd say. I vow to finally make my peace with my comma coma. It is what it is. Or it is, what it is. Whatever.

 

CAROLE: I will stop referring to those hours lost to cupcake recipes and DYI birdhouses on Pinterest as “research time."

 

LOUISE: Wait. That's NOT research? In that case, I guess I should stop referring to my Twitter feed as "homework."

 

CAROLE: I shall endeavor to use the word EPIPHANEY whenever possible because it just hit me what a great word it is.  

 

LOUISE: EUREKA! It IS a great word. I shall endeavor to never again use EUREKA in a sentence anywhere. Ever.

 

And for our final resolution - this one Carole and I both share:

 

C & L - I will drink more coffee, read more books, and finish my novel.  And this year I really mean it!

 

 

See more of CAROLE here: http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Lanham/e/B0063EC1DQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1421346183&sr=8-1

And more of me: http://www.amazon.com/Louise-Caiola/e/B005HERY1W/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1421346220&sr=8-1

COME THE DARK by Rebecca Hamilton is HERE!!

Thanks for stopping by to view this quick announcement on Rebecca Hamilton's latest release, COME, THE DARK, book 2 in the Forever Girl series. Although this book is the second in the series, it is a complete standalone following a completely new set of characters. And you can grab your copy today for only $0.99! Still apprehensive about reading the second book in a series? Well, you can grab the prequel, HER SWEETEST DOWNFALL, off kindle--Always Free--and on January 9th, THE FOREVER GIRL will be free also, for the first time ever! Worried you might forget the date? Join the mailing list using the option on the Rafflecopter below and you'll receive a reminder on January 9th to download your free copy anytime between January 9th and 13th!

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COME, THE DARK

by USA Today Bestselling Author, Rebecca Hamilton

Rose desperately wants to escape the abuse of the father who impregnated her and the dark spirits that haunt her life. Being thrust from Georgia 1961 into the era of Salem’s infamous witch trials isn’t what she had in mind, and now her daughter is left hopelessly out of reach.

The only way to return to her daughter is by facing certain death to banish the dark spirits that plague Salem. If she doesn’t eliminate these dark spirits in time, they will destroy civilization and trap her in this strange new place, ages away from her daughter.

Even if she can complete the task in time to return home to save her daughter, there’s still one problem: she’s falling in love with a man who can’t return with her. Achieving her goals will force her to choose between the only man who has never betrayed her and a daughter she can’t quite remember but will never forget.

A heart-wrenching tale of a mother’s love for her daughter, this romantic paranormal fantasy underlines the depravity of both historical and modern society while capturing the essence of sacrifice and devotion.

TRIGGER WARNING: This book deals with the sensitive subject of sexual abuse.

Buy Now for $0.99

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THE FOREVER GIRL

by USA Today Bestselling Author, Rebecca Hamilton

NOW OPTIONED FOR FILM!

At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.

Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she'd settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous. One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor's hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him. The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampires, ghosts, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.

View Now on Amazon

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*** a Rafflecopter giveaway ***

About the Author

Rebecca Hamilton is a USA Today Bestselling Paranormal Fantasy author who also dabbles in Horror and Literary Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She enjoys dancing with her kids to television show theme songs and would love the beach if it weren’t for the sand. Having a child diagnosed with autism has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters who see things differently. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA and has been published internationally, in three languages. You can follow her on twitter @InkMuse

What is a Forever Girl?

Thanks for stopping by!