Author Guest Post
Ten Things I Love About Being A Writer
I’ve always written. Even as a child I was writing stories, torturing my third grade class by reading then my literary creations. (Talk about a captive audience!) Now, as an adult, I get to write for a living and torture an even larger audience. How fun is that? Here are ten things I love about being a writer.
1. A short work commute.
It takes me a whole minute (five if I stop by the kitchen for coffee) to amble down the hall to my office.
2. Affordable work wardrobe.
There’s no one in my little office I have to impress so I can wear whatever I want to work. I don’t write in my jammies though. I have more class than that. I write in my sweats.
3. A great boss.
I give myself time off when I need it. And I always give me a good review!
4. Flexible hours.
I work a lot but I play a lot, too. It’s nice to be able to fit my work hours around my family’s needs and my social life.
5. Eavesdropping is okay.
After all, it’s research. Listening to people talking in the mall, in restaurants, on their cell phones helps me with writing dialogue. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
6. I can rule the world.
My fictional world, anyway. I love getting to be in charge. Every time I sit down at my computer I get to boss my characters around. And unlike cats, children, and husbands, they always do exactly what they’re told.
7. I can raid the chocolate and nobody has to know.
Well, until it shows up on my hips.
8. I can indulge my creativity.
I think God gives us all the ability to be creative. Writing is my particular outlet and I enjoy it a lot. It’s a double blessing that I can earn a living at it.
9. I get to meet interesting people.
I’ve interviewed firemen, businessmen, cops and chocolate makers when researching books. And I’ve met fascinating people at book signings, writers’ conferences. and on line. My writing career has introduced me to many people who have inspired me and become lifelong friends. Talk about job benefits!
10. Job Satisfaction.
When I’ve finished writing a scene I’m smiling. When a reader writes me to say she enjoyed my book, it makes my day. I look forward to going to work each morning and I end my workday feeling good about what I’ve accomplished. Now that’s a satisfying job.
About The Author
Sheila Roberts lives on a lake in the Pacific Northwest. She’s happily married and has three children. She’s been writing since 1989, but she did lots of things before settling in to her writing career, including owning a singing telegram company and playing in a band. Her band days are over, but she still enjoys writing songs. When she’s not speaking to women’s groups or at conferences or hanging out with her girlfriends she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.
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What She Wants by Sheila Roberts ~ Virtual Book Tour Event: Goddess Fish Promotions
Book Review
What She Wants by Sheila Roberts
Book 4: Life in Icicle Falls series
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: March 26, 2013
Format: Paperback - 400 pages / Kindle - 465 KB / Nook - 373 KB
ISBN: 0778314324
ASIN: B00ALTVJ50
Genre: Contemporary Romance
BUY THE BOOK: What She Wants
BUY THE SERIES: Life in Icicle Falls
Book 1: Summer in a Small Town
Book 2: Better Than Chocolate
Book 3: Merry Ex-Mas
Book 4: What She Wants
Book Description:
What do women want?
Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies can't figure it out. Take Jonathan, for instance. He's been in love with Lissa Castle since they were kids but, geek that he is, she's never seen him as her Mr. Perfect. He has one last shot—their high school reunion. Kyle Long is equally discouraged. The pretty receptionist at his office keeps passing him over for other guys who may be taller but are definitely not superior. And Adam Edwards might be the most successful of Jonathan's friends, but he isn't having any success on the home front. His wife's kicked him out.
When Jonathan stumbles on a romance novel at the Icicle Falls library sale, he knows he's found the love expert he's been seeking—Vanessa Valentine, top-selling romance author. At first his buddies laugh at him for reading romance novels, but soon they, too, realize that these stories are the world's best textbooks on love. Poker night becomes book club night…and when all is read and done, they're going to be the kind of men women want!
Book Excerpt:
Working in such close quarters with a woman that you could bump knees (thighs, and maybe even other body parts) was probably every man's dream job. Except Dot Morrison's knees were knobby and she was old enough to be Jonathan Templar's grandmother. And she looked like Maxine of greeting card fame. So there was no knee (or anything else) bumping going on today.
"Okay, you're good to go," he said, pushing back from the computer in the office at Breakfast Haus, Dot's restaurant. "But remember, what I told you. If you want your computer to run more efficiently you've got to slick your hard drive once in awhile."
"There you go talking dirty to me again," Dot cracked.
A sizzle sneaked onto Jonathan's cheeks, partly because old ladies didn't say thing like that (Jonathan's grandma sure didn't), and partly because he'd never talked dirty to a woman in his life. Well, not unless you counted a Playboy centerfold. When talking with most real-life women, his tongue had a tendency to tie itself into more knots than a bag of pretzels, especially when a woman was good-looking. This, he told himself, was one reason he was still single at the ripe old age of thirty-three. That and the fact that he wasn't exactly the stuff a woman's dreams were made of. It was a rare woman who dreamed of a skinny, bespectacled guy in a button-down shirt. Those weren't the only reasons, though. Carrying a torch for someone tended to interfere with a guy's love life.
Never certain how to respond to Dot's whacked-out sense of humor, he merely smiled, shook his head and packed up his briefcase.
"Seriously," she said, "I'm glad this didn't turn out to be anything really bad. But if it had, I know I could count on you. You can't ever leave Icicle Falls. What would us old bats do when we have computer problems?"
"You'd manage," Jonathan assured her.
"I doubt it. Computers are instruments of torture to anyone over the age of sixty."
"No worries," he said. "I'm not planning on going anywhere."
"Until you meet Ms. Right. Then you'll be gone like a shot." The look she gave him was virtually a guarantee that something was about to come out of her mouth that would make him squirm. Sure enough. "We'll have to find you a local girl."
Just what he needed - Dot Morrison putting the word out that Jonathan Templar, computer nerd, was in the market for a local girl. He didn't want a local girl. He wanted …
"Tilda's available."
Tilda Morrison, super cop? She could easily bench-press Jonathan. "Uh, thanks for the offer, but I think she needs someone tougher."
"There's a problem. Nobody's as tough as Tilda. Damn, I raised that girl wrong. At this rate I'm never going to get grandchildren." Dot shrugged and reached for a cigarette. "Just as well, I supposed. I'd have to spend all my free hours baking cookies for the little rodents."
Sometimes it was hard to know whether or not Dot was serious, but this time Jonathan was sure she didn't mean what she'd said. She was only trying to make the best of motherly frustration. Dot wanted grandkids. Anyone who's seen her interacting with the families who came into the restaurant could tell that. It was a wonder she made any money with all the free hot chocolate she slipped her younger patrons.
She lit up and took a deep drag on her cigarette. Her little office at the back of the restaurant kitchen was about to get downright smoggy. Washington State law prohibited smoking in public places, but Dot maintained that her office wasn't a public place. Jonathan suspected one of these days she and the local health inspector were going to get into it over the cigarettes she sneaked in this room.
"I'd better get going," he said, gathering his things and trying not to inhale the second hand smoke pluming his direction.
"You gonna bill me as usual?"
"Yep."
"Don't gouge me," she teased.
"Wouldn't dream of it. And put your glasses on to read your bill this time," he teased back as he made for the door. He always tried to give Dot a senior discount and she always overpaid him, claiming she'd misread the bill. Yep, Dot was a great customer.
"Okay, you're good to go," he said, pushing back from the computer in the office at Breakfast Haus, Dot's restaurant. "But remember, what I told you. If you want your computer to run more efficiently you've got to slick your hard drive once in awhile."
"There you go talking dirty to me again," Dot cracked.
A sizzle sneaked onto Jonathan's cheeks, partly because old ladies didn't say thing like that (Jonathan's grandma sure didn't), and partly because he'd never talked dirty to a woman in his life. Well, not unless you counted a Playboy centerfold. When talking with most real-life women, his tongue had a tendency to tie itself into more knots than a bag of pretzels, especially when a woman was good-looking. This, he told himself, was one reason he was still single at the ripe old age of thirty-three. That and the fact that he wasn't exactly the stuff a woman's dreams were made of. It was a rare woman who dreamed of a skinny, bespectacled guy in a button-down shirt. Those weren't the only reasons, though. Carrying a torch for someone tended to interfere with a guy's love life.
Never certain how to respond to Dot's whacked-out sense of humor, he merely smiled, shook his head and packed up his briefcase.
"Seriously," she said, "I'm glad this didn't turn out to be anything really bad. But if it had, I know I could count on you. You can't ever leave Icicle Falls. What would us old bats do when we have computer problems?"
"You'd manage," Jonathan assured her.
"I doubt it. Computers are instruments of torture to anyone over the age of sixty."
"No worries," he said. "I'm not planning on going anywhere."
"Until you meet Ms. Right. Then you'll be gone like a shot." The look she gave him was virtually a guarantee that something was about to come out of her mouth that would make him squirm. Sure enough. "We'll have to find you a local girl."
Just what he needed - Dot Morrison putting the word out that Jonathan Templar, computer nerd, was in the market for a local girl. He didn't want a local girl. He wanted …
"Tilda's available."
Tilda Morrison, super cop? She could easily bench-press Jonathan. "Uh, thanks for the offer, but I think she needs someone tougher."
"There's a problem. Nobody's as tough as Tilda. Damn, I raised that girl wrong. At this rate I'm never going to get grandchildren." Dot shrugged and reached for a cigarette. "Just as well, I supposed. I'd have to spend all my free hours baking cookies for the little rodents."
Sometimes it was hard to know whether or not Dot was serious, but this time Jonathan was sure she didn't mean what she'd said. She was only trying to make the best of motherly frustration. Dot wanted grandkids. Anyone who's seen her interacting with the families who came into the restaurant could tell that. It was a wonder she made any money with all the free hot chocolate she slipped her younger patrons.
She lit up and took a deep drag on her cigarette. Her little office at the back of the restaurant kitchen was about to get downright smoggy. Washington State law prohibited smoking in public places, but Dot maintained that her office wasn't a public place. Jonathan suspected one of these days she and the local health inspector were going to get into it over the cigarettes she sneaked in this room.
"I'd better get going," he said, gathering his things and trying not to inhale the second hand smoke pluming his direction.
"You gonna bill me as usual?"
"Yep."
"Don't gouge me," she teased.
"Wouldn't dream of it. And put your glasses on to read your bill this time," he teased back as he made for the door. He always tried to give Dot a senior discount and she always overpaid him, claiming she'd misread the bill. Yep, Dot was a great customer.
My Book Review:
Welcome back to picturesque Icicle Falls, Washington! In the fourth installment of the Life In Icicle Falls series, author Sheila Roberts provides her readers with a fun twist to the townspeople's stories with an entertaining tale of a guy's perspective on women and love ... specifically ... learning what women really want from their men!
What She Wants is told in the third person narrative that alternates between three men who are simply clueless when it comes to really knowing about women. This entertaining story follows Jonathan, Kyle and Adam as they try to figure out and understand what women really want from men and love relationships.
The three men along with buddies Vance and Bernardo hold weekly poker games filled with humorous discussions about their lack of finding women who are "The One" and the anxiety that goes with being single. Vance, who was once married, and Bernardo, currently happily married, give as few advice to the three younger men as humanly possible. It is only when Jonathan comes across his sister Juliet's romance novel by top selling romance author Vanessa Valentine, that he finally finds his love coach. Jonathan embarks on a research mission to find out exactly what a woman wants in a man, so that he can try and win his dream girl's heart. Jonathan convinces Kyle and Adam to read the romance novels, they’re so desperate that they’ll try just about anything. The question is: does Jonathan, Kyle and Adam put what they've learned to good use and win the hearts of the women they love, or are they still clueless to what woman really want?
In true Sheila Roberts fashion, the reader is transported back to the picturesque small mountain town of Icicle Falls, Washington, where they catch up with all the familiar townspeople from the previous books in the series, as well as reading about these lovable but clueless men. This story is simply delightful, the storyline picks up where the last book left off, it flows seamlessly and is so entertaining that you can't help but become captivated and invested in the lives that inhabit Icicle Falls. I really enjoyed the guy's perspective storyline twist, it is something different that readers usually don't find in contemporary romance novels, and I think the author has hit a home run with this storyline. I found myself laughing a lot as I turned the pages, it even made me feel sympathetic towards the men.
With a lovable cast of characters, humorous dialogues and interactions, and a richly detailed description of the town of Icicle Falls, What She Wants is a lighthearted romance story full of love, laughter and friendship that will leave you wanting to return to Icicle Falls for another enjoyable visit.
What She Wants is the fourth book in the Life in Icicle Falls series.
RATING: 5 STARS *****
Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway
Win 1 of 10 Print Copies of What She Wants
or
Grand Prize: A $25 eHarlequin Coupon
&
Finished Copy of What She Wants
Contest Dates: April 1-26
Author Sheila Roberts will be awarding the following prizes:
* A print copy of What She Wants (US/Canada only) to 10 randomly drawn commenters during the tour.
* A Grand Prize of a $25 eHarlequin coupon plus a finished copy of What She Wants (US/Canada only) will be awarded to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment on each tour stop; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.
The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/02/virtual-book-tour-what-she-wants-by.html
April 1: Andi's Book Reviews
April 2: Teena in Toronto Review only
April 3: Coffee and A Book Anytime
April 4: Books à la Mode
April 8: Forever Book Lover
April 9: It's Raining Books
April 10: Reading Reality
April 11: Rachel Brimble Romance
April 12: Long and Short Reviews Review only
April 13: Harlequin Junkie
April 15: Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance
April 17: Books and Other Spells
April 18: A Chick Who Reads
April 18: Kaisy Daisy's Corner Review only
April 19: Tiffany Talks Books Review only
April 22: Flirting With Romance
April 22: STOP 2 Queen of All She Reads
April 23: Jersey Girl Book Reviews
April 24: Three chicks and their books Review only
April 24: All in One Place Review only
April 25: Harlie's Books
April 26: TBQ's Book Palace
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ReplyDeleteExcellent review, I can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
i had thought that "better than chocolate" was the first book!! now i have to hold off on my reading until i read the first book, "summer in a small town"....
ReplyDeleteWhat an absolutely wonderful review. This entire series sounds wonderful. I loved the excerpt, It sounds, from your comments, that you love writing, and it shows in the story.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! And great review! Cant wait to read this!
ReplyDelete-Amber
goodblinknpark(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Thanks for stopping by everyone. And yes, Jane, I do love to write!
ReplyDeleteHi Sheila! I love reading every book in this series! Thank you for the opportunity to host your virtual book tour event. :)
DeleteThank you everyone for stopping by and visiting with Sheila! :)
ReplyDelete