Thursdays with Taryn- Holiday Combo Rescue Me/Rescuing Riley Review @BooksbyJennifer

Rescue Me

Sitting in front of her parents’ house in a U-Haul truck at midnight, Amy Mann decides it’s time to break it to them that she’s divorced from her husband and moving back home with her seven-year-old son, Toby. As Amy settles into her hometown, she has a plan to get out of debt, get her college degree, and put her life together.

Enter Captain Riley Pennimon, local firefighter and superhero to Amy’s son. Riley is kind, brave, and civic-minded. The captain does not fit into Amy’s putting-her-life-together plan, and yet he is way too good looking without a shirt. Much to Amy’s chagrin, Toby decides that Riley is just what they need for a happily-ever-after.

Can Amy make peace with the demons of her mistakes and let the captain rescue her? And, can Riley let go of the past and grab onto the family he’s always wanted?

***

My Review:

I can definitively say I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rescue Me. I loved Amy and Toby and the Penny Man! And Granny Delphia! God I love her! I honestly can't count how many times I was moved to tears of heartache for Amy's situation and for Riley's past sorrows. I also can't tell you how many times I literally laughed out loud- the nutcracker, the fancy women bit Amy's father said, and the southern charm of real life and real people that Jennifer Johnson brings to life on the page. I'm honored and humbled to know such a talented author who doesn't just tell a story, but also makes me feel like I'm right there and I know these people and share in their sadness and their joy.  

 ***

Rescuing Riley

A Happily Ever After Novel

Finding time to spend with his wife, taking care of his stepson, and chasing his demented auntie around town keeps firefighter Captain Riley Pennimon pretty busy.

But it’s all good.

He’s ready to call his family done. After all, what more can he ask for, other than a bell around his aunt’s neck so he can find her each time she runs away. And maybe a little more sleep at night.

Riley’s wife, Amy, feels the tension of a husband who’s too pressed by duty to make it home most evenings. Stolen moments here and there with half an ear listening for the phone to ring isn’t cutting it for her anymore. But what can she do? His loyalty and kind heart was what made her fall in love with him in the first place.

When Riley is injured in the line of duty, Amy determines to live out her marriage vows. But Riley’s not the same man he was before the accident—before their lives were turned upside down.

And so Amy decides she needs to protect him. She’ll keep her secret as long as she can, but if Riley finds out….

 ***

My Review:

When I finished reading Rescue Me a while back, I discovered that there was a possibility of a sequel that Jennifer Johnson was thinking about writing, but it would be for the After Happily Ever Line, which are love stories, and life stories, from Turquoise Morning Press, that take us beyond the Happily Ever After. Sometimes there are struggles in life that even interrupt and inhibit that happy ending we all expect. This Line gives us an emotional glimpse into what happens to our favorite hero and heroine, AFTER they've come together.

Life has been good for Amy and Riley and Toby since we left them at the end of Rescue Me, and as soon as you start reading, you can't help but smile when you're reintroduced to these loveable characters. We pick up 2 years later, and things are hectic and, as is the case in all our lives, sometimes circumstances get out of hand, accidents happen and the best laid plans don't quite work out the way we think they will.

This sequel is packed with just as much love and emotion as the first book, making me laugh and feel all warm and fuzzy one minute and then sobbing over the ache I feel for the misunderstandings, fear and unresolved issues our couple have to face. You're instantly drawn back to what is familiar and soon long to see Riley and Amy find their way back to each other, to trust in their love and to redefine what is "normal" for them and their family.

We don't always get what we want, but we often find that, sometimes that's what we need most to help us learn and grow and then we discover it's more than we could have possibly wished for or imagined we could have. As Amy says at one point, "There's a difference between not being planned and not being wanted."

And that's true of a lot of things in life. This 2nd offering is a wonderful addition to any book lover's collection.

 *******

 

You can find out more about Jennifer Johnson on her website

I think this duo would make a wonderful Christmas gift

(especially since the first book is set around the holidays) 

 and you can get both for right around $5!

You can't shake a stick at that.

 

 Rescue Me is available for just 99 cents & Rescuing Riley is $3.99.

(on Amazon- Both book covers above link to Kindle.)

OR

 you can get both over in the

Turquoise Morning Press Bookstore

where Rescue Me is 99 cents & Rescuing Riley is currently ON SALE for $2.79

Thursdays with Taryn- Valerie Haight

Thursdays with Taryn

Valerie Haight

Taryn!! I’m soooo excited to talk with you about my novella HAPPENSTANCE that releases TODAY! I can’t think of a better blog to share than yours since my MC’s name is Taryn and you both are ah-MAY-zing and we are TMP sisters! WOOT!

*insert triple cartwheels here*

This is just good mojo and I’m so happy to be here today celebrating with YOU! We can talk more about the book later because right now, you’ve got questions for me! I loooove questions. Let’s go! :D
 
What book(s) most influenced you as a writer?
Divergent by Veronica Roth, False Memory by Dan Krokos, Patrick Lee’s The Breach trilogy. I got into this writing for publication business fairly late (two years ago) and Janet Reid was one of the first agent blogs I read every day. So naturally, I wanted to learn what worked. She is a lover of fast paced, cut-to-the-chase, tense novels and I wanted to learn how to write like that.

What book do you read over and over again?
There are only a few books I’ve read more than once. One is Sandra Brown’s Texas Trilogy. I really love how she makes you fall in love with all three characters when you think there’s no way you could possibly love the next one as much as the last. But you do.

Another is The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. Oh, the tragedies within and I can’t seem to get enough. I feel the Australian heat, hear the bustle of their dresses, smell the dust of the open prairies where the sheep roam. And a personal favorite of mine is by a lady I met while working at a video store when I was 19. She struck up a conversation when she returned “Bridge On The River Kwai”. She’d been imprisoned in a Japanese concentration camp and was writing a book about her experiences. When “Hell Came Twice” was published, I bought three copies and I’ve probably read Sonja Schulz’s amazing story at least four times.

Thursday Trio-
1) Movie- Gone With The Wind
2) Music- Opus 23 by Dustin O’Halloran
3) Decadent Dessert- Brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with pecans. Because I’m sophisticated like that.  

What’s the most interesting or bizarre bit of trivia you’ve learned from researching for a novel?
In researching the Arkansas/Missouri railroad of the ‘30s and ‘40s, I’ve discovered many amazing facts like security for hauling gold bars back then was a hired bounty hunter with a shotgun. Of course, I’m taking advantage of THAT!

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading?
Chocolate Covered Baloney by K.D. McCrite. She is hilarious and I happen to know her personally which is a double treat! Her writing is superb, snappy and super entertaining. I’ve learned so much from her.

Whom would you cast as your Main Characters/Hero/Heroine if your book became a movie?
I wouldn’t be able to breathe if my book became a movie, much less cast characters! But…if I was forced, I’d choose Kate Beckinsdale for Taryn, Chris Hemsworth for Devin and Chris Pine for Wade because of his dry and brilliant sense of humor.


Blurb for HAPPENSTANCE

Taryn Ballard is happily married and a newly appointed analyst for a prestigious shipping company. Her career upsurges in record time but she's about to discover the real price of corporate life.

While on yet another business trip, Taryn suffers a brutal attack by a carjacker. Her husband isn't there, but her co-worker Devin is. The accidental bond Taryn and Devin share pitches them into dangerous and confusing territory. Taryn struggles to discern both her feelings for her sexy protector and Wade's reaction to it all. Unfamiliar emotions blur the rules of the game and Wade's ready to quit.

Taryn must rise above disaster to save her marriage. But is she ready to let go of the man who saved her life? In a single moment, Happenstance changes everything.

Valerie Haight is a short story writer and contemporary suspense and romance novelist. She is a member of Ozarks Writer’s League through College of the Ozarks in Branson, MO and a published author with Turquoise Morning Press.

You can find her scheming on the corner of Happy Trouble and Literary Mayhem, also known as Twitter @Valeriebrbr. Her author page on Facebook lists all the latest news on HAPPENSTANCE as well as her upcoming short in a wedding anthology, MAGNOLIA BRIDES. She also gives way more than her two cents on her website www.thewriteoneval.blogspot.com. To purchase HAPPENSTANCE, click HERE!

#SCENTsational Saturdays Favorite Jovan's Vanilla Musk

Another soft scent by Coty. I just discovered this one in the four pack gift set I got last year with Christmas money. I was surprised that I enjoyed it, as usually I prefer a more realistic vanilla scent. If I'm wearing it, I usually prefer to smell like a sugar cookie, but instead this one has subtle tones of cedarwood, sandalwood and musk, giving it a much more exotic fragrance than simply smelling of fresh baked goodies.

We're getting started on these holidays and this inspires me into a different direction musically...

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

Hey #Readers, come check out Tuesdays with Taryn- It's My Turn

Tuesdays with Taryn

Taryn’s Answers

 Yep, that's me.

Considering I've spent the better part of the year asking others to answer these few questions, I thought it might be nice to also answer them myself, to share a glimpse into me, as a writer and a reader, so here we go. (I'm not including site links or buy links, as I'm certain you can find them easily anywhere on this blog or my website.)

Okay- And AWAY WE GO....

What book(s) most influenced you as a writer? 

Any by V.C. Andrews. The Secret Garden, Little Women, but as I’ve gotten older- Tanith Lee, D.H. Lawrence, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, Yasmine Galenorn- any that are really well-written and capture the heart of the story. I like fiction that reads real, because real means the author knows how to reach you with raw emotion.

What book do you read over and over again?

 

I don’t reread a lot of them because I simply don’t have time, but I have reread several by V.C. Andrews, Snow Queen by Linda Wisdom, The Guarded Heart by Robyn Donald, The Tales from the Flat Earth by Tanith Lee, and The Thief of Always by Clive Barker.

Tuesday Trio-

1)      Movie- Grease 2

2)      Music- anything by Maroon 5 or Ben Taylor or Pink

3)      Decadent Dessert- Better than Sex Cake

What’s the most interesting or bizarre bit of trivia you’ve learned from researching for a novel?

In my recent research for the current WIP I’m writing for NaNo, Heart of the Surf, I discovered that authors Mark Twain and Jack London both surfed in Hawaii.

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading?

At the moment in print, I’m reading Night Seeker from The Indigo Court Series by Yasmine Galenorn and Everdark from The Dark Ink Chronicles by Elle Jasper. I’m eager to get my hands on Shadow Rising, also by Yasmine Galenorn, that just came out a few weeks ago that’s part of her Otherworld Series and the next two books in Elle Jasper’s series. On my Kindle, I’m reading Laments, a collection of short stories by Michael Embry, Salt of the Earth by Jesse V. Coffey. I’m also looking forward to time when I can start reading Kallypso Masters’ Nobody’s Angel in her Rescue Me Series.

Whom would you cast as your Hero & Heroine if your book became a movie?

In Castaway Hearts, I saw Dawson as James Scott, who plays E.J. Dimera on Days of Our Lives and Catherine as a young Kate Beckinsale. In my current WIP, I would cast Jared Padalecki from Supernatural as Mark Pryce and Kaley Cuoco, who plays Penny on The Big Bang Theory as Alexa Stevens.

****

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to share some of your answers to these questions if you'd like.


Don't forget that if you are an author and would like some FREE PROMO, you can always contact me if you would like to do a Tuesdays or Thursdays with Taryn. My email is available via my G+ Profile About Me section, so feel free to give me a shout out. I'll set you up with a file especially for you and all you have to do is answer the questions and send me your author info, book image, info, blurb, links etc to have a spot on here for free promo!

Help welcome @ednahwalters E.B. Walters to Thursdays with Taryn

Tuesdays with Taryn

E.B Walters

Please help me in welcoming fellow author E.B. Walters to Thursdays with Taryn. Keep reading to find out more about her and also go check out the contests she has going on her blog and Goodreads (see below) 

What book(s) most influenced you as a writer?

I’m an avid reader who reads everything from Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum to contemporary, paranormal and urban fantasy romance. I started with Janet Dailey way back…hehehe, way, way back, Amanda Quick, Jude Deveraux and Johanna Lindsey, but the author whose works I loved the most, moved me to tears and made me run to the store to buy her next books was Jude Deveraux.

What book do you read over and over again?

Whitney My Love by Jude Deveraux

Thursday Trio-

1)      Movie- The Notebook

2)      Music- pop (I love to dance)

3)      Decadent Dessert- cheesecake

What’s the most interesting or bizarre bit of trivia you’ve learned from researching for a novel?

In almost every mythology, from Europe to Africa, Americas to Asia are tales of giants who once roamed the earth and either fought for the good of mankind or with the demons. Makes you wonder.

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading?

Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway (an ARC)

Whom would you cast as your Main Characters/Hero/Heroine if your book became a movie?

 Hmm, FOREVER HERS, I’d have Eliza Dushku as Amy and Channing Tatum as Eddie

FOREVER HERS (book 5 of the Fitzgerald Family)

She wants her past hidden...

Amy Kincaid is running from her controlling ex-husband, who will stop at nothing to find her. With a new identity and a new job as a housekeeper, she just wants to be left alone to raise her daughter. Then Eddie Fitzgerald rolls into town and turns her world upside down.

He’s in the business of exposing the truth...

Eddie Fitzgerald, L.A.P.D.'s finest, lives for his job and nothing else, until he decides to take a break at the family summer home and is held at gunpoint by the most annoying, sassiest woman to ever cross his path. But something is off about Amy, and the more he learns about her, the more he’s convinced she’s a fugitive.

When her past catches up to her, Amy has no choice but to trust Eddie. Unfortunately, Eddie has demons of his own, and struggles with the decision to protect her or uphold the law.

The truth takes them down a deadly path, and only love can save them.

You can find out more about E.B. Walters on her

Website 

Blog (contests ongoing)

 Goodreads

E.B. has 3 signed copies she's giving away on Goodreads.
Contest ends November 15th- a week from today!

You can find her books at the following-

 Amazon

Barnes and Noble

  Smashwords