Monthly Archives: February 2015
Featured Author: Celia Kennedy
Today, I have a wonderful author, Celia Kennedy, vising me. I have read both of her books, Venus Rising and Charlotte’s Restrained. Truly, they were a joy to read. I am happy to announce that she has recently released Kathleen’s Undressed.
Here’s what she shared:
“Writers are always looking for inspiration; how to put a new twist on an old topic, how to add the unexpected, put a lot of sparkle in what could be just an okay story. I’ve always believed that to be a great writer, you have to be a passionate reader, and that includes your own work! After publication of Book One of The Accidental Series, Charlotte’s Restrained, The Accidental Stalker, I realized that I had one character who, though a great contributor to Charlotte’s story, was really quite unknown.
So, I looked at Kathleen as I would a person I’ve never really gotten to know well. Why had Kathleen remained undeveloped? What wasn’t I seeing? Was there something she was hiding? From there, Kathleen’s Undressed, The Accidental Enigma was born. In my coming to understand Kathleen, I realized that I could create a character who still meshed well with the intelligent, quick-witted, high-fashion, well-travelled, group of women from book one – but I could make her so much more – give her that sparkle, and add twists! So, she becomes an enigma. As book two unfolds, readers quickly come to see that there is much more to Kathleen than Charlotte, Tiziana, Hillary and Marian – her five closest friends – know. She has secrets, some quite dark.
As for location, I write books that takes us travelling, help us enjoy a side of life we might not get to otherwise know. Kathleen and cast are a driven group of successful business women. Kathleen works for a well-known company in Paris, The City of Lights, and is far enough up the ladder of success to be invited to designer showing during Fall Fashion Week. What’s better is that her friends join her for a week of food, fashion, and fun… just as Kathleen meets a special someone.
Much like Charlotte’s Restrained, this book is very much about the strong bond of friendship between these five women. As in real life, there are highs and lows, love and heartbreak, chipped nails and bad hair days, they just happen to take place in some of the most glamorous settings in the world.”
So what is the second book about?
Kathleen’s Undressed
Book Two, The Accidental Enigma
The ladies from Charlotte’s Restrained are back together! Joining Kathleen in Paris, France, for Fall Fashion Week, the ladies and their men mingle with celebrities, royalty, and the fashion elite.
Kathleen’s thrilled to have her friends in town, but what should be a week of camaraderie and fun is about to take a darker turn. Because Kathleen has secrets. Dark secrets her friends would be devastated to learn.
A special someone enters Kathleen’s life who urges her to reveal what she’s kept hidden. It becomes clear she will have to make a choice when the group reunites for an unexpected wedding.
Will Kathleen continue deceiving her friends at the risk of their friendship — or reveal the truth at the risk of herself?
Let’s get to know this wonderful author!
Celia Kennedy was born in Wurzburg, Germany on a military base. Her parent’s penchant for traveling has stuck with her, she’s lived in and traveled through several countries.
The imagined world has always fascinated Celia. She has studied Art History, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Architecture. Her thirteen year career at UW in Seattle ended in 1996. Not wanting to be homeless, she left the academic world and worked as a Landscape Architect, married the love of her life, became a mom, has been PTA President, Girl Scout leader and Boy Scout leader.
The unimaginable wealth in her life is the most fascinating thing to her.
Her love of travel, the designed and natural world, friendship, self-discovery, wine, chocolate, AND love are the foundation of her books.
Celia published her first book, Charlotte’s Restrained, The Accidental Stalker in December 2012, Venus Rising in August of 2013, Sugar It’s Cold Outside, Cupid on the Loose Anthology, April’s Fool, Fool’s Rush In Anthology, 2015 AND Kathleen’s Undressed, The Accidental Engima on February 23, 2015. Three other works are in progress.
Kathleen’s Undressed purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Kathleens-Undressed-Accidental-Enigma-Book-ebook/dp/B00SAP05QG
Celia’s Links:
Amazon Author Page – Follow: http://www.amazon.com/Celia-Kennedy/e/B00AW5KEZO
Website: http://www.celiakennedy.weebly.com
Blog: http://www.womanreinventsself.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMKAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennedyCelia
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/celiakennedy/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106475224814075459757/posts
Thank you for visiting! I can’t wait to read this sequel. We wish you all the best in your endeavors! Check Miss Celia Kennedy out, guys.
My Favorite Book Couples… Happy Valentine’s Day!
Chayse Pierce and Tessnia Sanoby from Chaysing Trilogy by Jalpa Williby: Yes, I admit, I may be a bit biased on this. But truly, I adore them. I mean, come on! He meets her when she was a young girl, and they go through so many adversities together. Both evolve through the series and so does their relationship… but their love never changes. And man, talk about that tortured love that just hurts your heart. I mean he’s her first everything… how can she possibly forget him? He’s always been her savior, her knight in the shining armor. But truly, it’s Tessnia that ends up saving him.
“I kept telling myself that I have to stay away from you because I’ll just end up hurting you. But I’m powerless. I can’t seem to stay away. Eventually, I find my way back to you again. Maybe I’m a selfish bastard.” –Chayse Pierce
“If you even think about touching her, I swear I’ll rip your heart out.” –Chayse Pierce
“I gave my heart to somebody a long time ago…when I was barely a man. And I never got it back.” –Chayse Pierce
“With the strength and power of my blood, I bond myself to you through eternity. You will always be mine, Tessnia.” –Chayse Pierce
“I’ll always be with you. I’ll always be protecting you. Even if you can’t see me, I’ll be there… watching over you.” –Chayse Pierce
“You’ve never walked away. And that day when you walked away from me, was the day you took my heart with you.”-Chayse Pierce
“My soul will always seek you out, in this life and beyond…for I will forever be yours.” –Chayse Pierce
Jamie Fraser and Claire from Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon : I mean need I say more? Virgin Jamie marries Claire to save her and then, the adventure starts. So many times, they both save one another… so many times, they would have died for another. Jamie stole my heart when I first read Outlander almost ten years ago… and I never forgot him. Oh and I’m loving the series on Starz about him. Sam Heughan is the perfect Jamie and Caitriona Balfe plays the perfect Claire.
“When the day shall come that we do part,” he said softly, and turned to look at me, “if my last words are not ‘I love you’-ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time.”-Jamie Fraser
“You are my courage, as I am your conscience,” he whispered. “You are my heart—and I your compassion. We are neither of us whole, alone. Do ye not know that, Sassenach?”-Jamie Fraser
“Claire,” he said quietly. “Tomorrow I will die. This child…is all that will be left of me–ever. I ask ye, Claire–I beg you–see it safe.” –Jamie Fraser
“Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone,
I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One.
I give ye my Spirit, ’til our Life shall be Done.”-Jamie Fraser
Edward Cullen and Bella Swan from Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer:
“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.” –Edward Cullen
“No measure of time with you would be long enough. But we’ll start with forever.” –Edward Cullen
“Look after my heart. I’ve left it with you.” –Edward Cullen
“If I could dream at all, it would be about you.” –Edward Cullen
Rose Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead : So much happens between the two of them in this series. I loved badass Dimitri, and Rose was easily able to give him run for his money.
“I want you because… my heart needs you. I just want you, Roza. We belong together.” –Dimitri
“You’ve burned into my mind forever.” –Dimitri
“If I let myself love you, I won’t throw myself in front of her. I’ll throw myself in front of you.” –Dimitri
Jace Wayland and Clary Fray from Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare: Again, another forbidden love. Love these two… Ahh, and Jace is well… Jace.
“I love you, and I will love you after I die. And if there is life after that, I will love you then.”-Jace
“If it’s a lack of forbidden you’re worried about, you could still forbid me to do things…” –Jace
“As long as I can dream, I’ll dream of you.” –Jace
Katniss Everdeen and Peeta from The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins: Man, these two were just trying to survive… didn’t expect to fall in love in the process. Although I do believe that Peeta had loved her since he first saw her in grade school.
“You love me. Real or not real?” –Peeta
“I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever.” –Peeta
“I just want to spend every possible moment of the rest of my life with you.” –Peeta
Noah and Allie from The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks: Probably one of the most romantic couples… love them, love them!
“If you’re a bird, I’m a bird.” –Noah
“It’s not over. It’s still not over.” –Noah
“I want you. I want all of you, forever. You and me, every day.” –Noah
“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire and brings peace to our minds.” –Noah
Aragorn and Arwen from Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: And Aragorn and Arwen’s love survives against all odds. Such a beautiful love story.
“I would rather share one life time with you… than face all of the ages of the world alone.” –Arwen
“It is mine to give to whom I will, as is my heart.” –Arwen
That’s my list in no particular order. To all you romantics out there, Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
The Making Of A Cover…
“Don’t judge the book by its cover.”
We’ve all heard this a million times. But the reality check is that people do judge the book by its cover. Since I’ve published three books, I’m slowly learning different tricks of the trade, and a good cover for a book is a must.
I really think long and hard on what kind of cover I want. Colors are very important to me. I also like the covers to look unique. Unfortunately, the stock photos have already been used on other book covers many times. So, I used a professional photographer and a model for the covers of the Chaysing Trilogy. I’m very picky about the vision I have for my covers, so it’s imperative that both the model and the photographer understand what I’m looking for.
Chaysing Dreams Cover
In the first cover, Chaysing Dreams, the model is wearing a white dress. Tess, the main character, is young in this book, innocent and even naïve. It’s mostly a coming of age tale where she’s forced into situations, and she has to find inner strength to grow up. The white dress symbolizes her innocence. At the same time, the woods are dark and have a bluish tint to them. There is some suspense and mystery to this story, so this is portrayed through the dark coloring. In this first book, Tess is haunted by nightmares of being chased through woods. In the cover, the woods appear mysterious and intimidating, just like her dreams.
Also, the model’s pose is an important aspect of this cover. She seems like she’s lost and searching for something. At the same time, her posture is confident. She’s not timid or scared. She looks like she’s trying to find some answers. Athough Tess is a teenager in most of the first book, she’s still a strong young girl.
There are tiny stars scattered throughout the cover. For me, these shiny stars symbolize hope—light through the darkness.
Chaysing Memories Cover
In the sequel, a lot happens. Tess is growing up but has lost much of her memory, especially of the man she once loved. Although Tess is much stronger in this book, she is still lost, searching for answers. For the cover, I wanted to show this through her expression.
Also, the male character is added in this book cover. However, he is mysterious and we still don’t know much about him. Hence, in the cover, he’s hidden within the fog.
Tess is haunted by dreams of a man with gray eyes. To make the eyes stand out, the male model on the cover has glowing gray eyes. Again, this adds to the mystery and suspense of this strange man from her dreams.
Also in this cover, Tess is wearing a red dress. The color red symbolized love and passion. In this particular story, she learns to truly love, and the relationship eventually becomes passionate.
There are stars again around her, symbolizing hope through the despair.
Chaysing Destiny Cover
By now, Tess has gone through a lot in her life. She is a strong, confident woman by now. Tess has hardened herself and is fiercely protective of her loved ones. Oh, and she’s out for revenge.
It was imperative to have a fierce and confident pose in this cover (head/chin up, fists clenched, strong legs). The cover shows how much Tess has matured, and she’s not backing down from anything. And although it’s hard to see, the model is wearing a necklace with a heart and teardrop. This is the gift she had received from the man she had fallen in love with and eventually lost in Chaysing Memories. This necklace is a reflection of their relationship.
Color again is very important. She’s wearing a black dress in this cover because black symbolizes strength and power.
In the background, the sun is setting. I like the symbolism of this. As the sun sets, the light fades, overcome by the forces of darkness. This last book is a lot darker, so the setting of the sun is the perfect background. Also, the sun looks like an enormous fireball, which represents the fire that has been growing inside her through the years.
There’s a creek right behind the model. Again, this creek has a special meaning… it symbolizes perseverance. How? Well, you have to read the story to find out.
Oh and how can I forget? There’s that beautiful guy in the background. Yeah, about that… Who is he? What is his role? Is he one of the good guys or the epitome of evil?
So that’s my hard work on the covers. I’ve never been a director of something like this, but I did have a lot of fun directing these photo-shoots and eventually picking the cover shots. I think it forced me to work out of my comfort zone and really brought out my creative side. Besides, I had a fabulous model and photographer who did a fantastic job doing their magic and creating my vision.
Although the covers may not be like the big publishing house covers, they’re not bad for a little indie author like me. Besides, nothing beats the feeling of creating something yourself and having complete control over it. Now that’s priceless!
American Sniper (review)
One word: Wow!
There’s just so much I can say about this movie. Let’s talk about the acting first of all. Bradley Cooper blew me away! I was utterly impressed with his range of acting. I’ve always been his fan, but he really won me over with this movie. He was able to not only act as the loyal, tough soldier, but the wounded husband/father with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. He made the perfect Chris Kyle. It was obvious he took this role seriously and did his research.
I felt that Sienna Miller also did a phenomenal job playing Chris Kyle’s wife. Her acting made me feel. Being a wife of a soldier myself, it made it that much more real for me. When my husband was deployed to Iraq, it’s indescribable what it did to the family.
Besides the acting, I was thoroughly impressed with how much the movie held my attention. From the start of the show, I was sitting on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I could breathe a sigh of relief, something else would happen and I’d find myself holding my breath in anticipation.
At the end of the movie, everybody in the theater clapped for “Chris Kyle.” And then there was silence. We all exited without making a sound. without saying a word… lost in our thoughts… remembering this fallen hero.
Jalpa Williby 