I’m also give away a FREE book each week. Just comment to win. 

Week two’s winner: Billy Ray Chitwood!

Learn more about:

Summer Solstice

The Storyline

“Summer Solstice” is the third story in my book and kicks off summer — my favorite season.

The story is about Ava Connors, a woman who’s suffered heartbreak and turned inward. She copes with her disillusionment of men by having fantasies with her many ‘toys.’

Now …  I’m a fan of toys, so this part of the story was nicely researched. It was hard work, but someone had to do it.

Also included in this story are hot pagan rituals.  I enjoyed learning about sexy Pagans as they pertained to Summer Solstice, and I hope you will as well.

A Few Reviews

“… wonderfully crafted with a heroine whose emotions I could certainly feel…” ~ L Smith, Top Amazon Reviewer

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“Though sex and sexuality were themes in the previous two stories, they were not as prevalent as they are in this story which boils to the brim with passion, lust and desire. This story is not for the faint of heart … with its heavier emphasis on Erotica and erotic themes…” ~ Wyatt McIntyre

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“…’Summer Solstice’ is a pulse pounding, sweat-inducing erotic romance of exploring one’s sensuality, letting go and repairing the bits that get broken when care is not taken. It is episodic but with characters who briefly touch the psyche but leave footprints to follow on the path of healing…” ~ Beach Bum Books

Comment to WIN!

As pagans and fire fuel this story, tell me your experiences with either, or feel free to comment on this post in general.

I will announce the winner next Wednesday when I blog about the last story “The Lottery.“

Remember, you don’t need a Kindle to read ebooks, FREE Kindle Apps allow you to read them on all devices.

Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck!

eden

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Related posts:

WIN a copy of Spring into Summer ~ Story 1: A Season for Everything

WIN a copy of Spring into Summer ~ Story 2: Unlocking the Mystery

She’s had incredible writers who’ve covered mental illness, losing a child, and abuse, just to name a few topics.

You can read my post entitled: Just Another Cancer Story.

Please leave a comment on Rachel’s blog for a chance to win a copy of my book,  Spring into Summer.

~ eden

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One of his paintings had a picture of Paul Weller  (The Jam, The Style Council) embedded in it. I was the only person in a room of about twenty who recognized it as Paul Weller and enjoyed my 15 minutes of music snob fame.

Englishmen, musicians, guitarists … you’ll find them all in my books. Pick up any of my current titles on Amazon, where FREE Kindle Apps allow you to read them on all devices.

eden

Buy links: 

US | UK | Canada | Germany | France | Japan | Italy | Spain

Loren Kleinman interviewed me for Indie Reader the first time in January of 2012, and now she has a wonderful new website.

I’m thrilled to be connected to this vibrant, author, poet, and all-around fabulous woman.

Please read  her interview with me.

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I’m happy to say she’s every bit as delightful in person as she appears on the social networks.

Learn more about this fascinating author and her unique perspectives on life. I could not stop laughing!

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Buy links

Amazon | Red Tuque Books | Barnes and Noble

Blurb

Divorced, middle-aged Rachel Brinkerhoff, a Jewish matchmaker from New York who hopes to remarry, moved to Toronto for a fresh new start with her business and her love life. But no one told her that female-aversive Toronto was BYOB – Bring Your Own Boy. She partners with an Indian and a Muslim lady who want to help Canadians arrange marriages for their often-recalcitrant children and who secretly wonder over the beautiful matchmaker’s datelessness. But then an earthquake shakes up Toronto in more ways than one, and the next thing you know, a public fountain turns into the Fountain of Youth, an army of misfits turn up to stake the world’s weirdest Native land claim, and worst of all, a beautiful sensuous woman is stalking Toronto’s virgin males and seducing them with horrifying consequences. Can a drop-dead gorgeous, highly neurotic American and her friends save Toronto from certain destruction, or will they have to call in a cure that’s worse than the curse?

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Inside Nicole’s Mind

[eden] So thrilled you’re here Nicole, so tell me … 

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Me and George Clooney in a hot tub facing out over the ocean with a box of chocolates and some fine French wine.

Okay, honestly? I have no idea what perfect happiness looks like, but I’m quite sure it would suck after about five minutes. I remember reading a short story when I was in university about a man who had a stopwatch that he could use to freeze happiness for himself so he could remain that happy forever, but he could only use it once. And every time something made him really happy he’d pull it out, but then he wouldn’t use it, because he hoped for greater and greater happiness. Until his life went down the tubes and he wound up on a train to hell. I think, really, that always striving for achievable goals that help us grow more is what makes us truly happy. Maybe it’s not perfect happiness, but nothing in life is perfect.

[eden] Love this answer.

What turns you on creatively? The unexpected. I never know where my next idea will come from, but I know it will come. I came up with the idea for my current writing project while researching Jim Morrison for my then-current writing project, and that one was inspired by a Jim Morrison-loving friend of mine.  Moving  to Canada from the US has been good for my creativity as there’s more of an opportunity to be a bit edgy here – because Canadian humour isn’t. Not much, anyway. I hope to challenge people as well as make them laugh with my humour.

[eden] Interesting observation of Canadian vs. Americans. I think our comedians are edgy and many of the best come from here to seek fame and fortune elsewhere, probably because of that difference. I think your humor is  just unique. Period!

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Probably “wicked good.” I’m from New England and picked up that speech habit. Ayuh! (Okay, I never said that, that’s more of a Maine thing than a Connecticut thing, where I’m from, but, whatevah)

What quality do you most admire in a man? Maturity. Which seems to be in very short supply these days. To be fair, it’s about as elusive in women, too. Can’t we all just grow the hell up?

What quality do you most admire in a woman? See above.

What is your greatest regret? I wish, when I had met my long-term partner, that we had just stayed friends. We’d be friends today if we had. Instead, I made a bad romantic choice, managing to pick the loser out of a pool of probable winners. He’s a good person, he was just a total hose-up and there were men around me with much fewer self-created problems. OTOH, I suppose not buying Apple back in 1980 was a big mistake too (but I was still in high school and had a small allowance so I guess I had a good excuse

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d like to do a Peggy Sue Got Married thing and go back in time to re-live my life with the knowledge and experience I have now. Youth really is wasted on the young! I’d do so many things differently. But then again I’d probably hose up the timeline and wind up as a paraplegic with a colostomy bag attached to my butt because of some new decision I made back in like 1986. Or there’d be some horrible Butterfly Effect and Ronald Reagan somehow became President-For-Life. In fact, I’m writing a novel based on this premise, (well, set in 1968 before Reagan had time to blow up the world, which he’d probably do if I’d hosed up the timeline) except that the main character goes back to a time she can’t even remember. But she does something to change history and completely hoses it up.

Don’t do it. Don’t try to change history. You will fark things up beyond all recognition.

What is your greatest fear? That Rihanna and Chris Brown aren’t going to make it for the long term. Okay, I’m lying, I don’t really give a flying rat’s patootie about Rihanna and Chris. My greatest fear is that now that the Hostess snack brands are finally sold, they won’t taste as good as before. It’ll be like the whole Coke/Coke Classic thing! Coke *said* they went back to the old recipe but they LIED! It was never the same!!! Okay, I’ll admit, I’m lying about the whole Hostess thing too. Truth is, my greatest fear is that someone’s going to ask me what my greatest fear is in an interview. And I don’t want to do that! It’s too scary to even think about! Oh the horror, oh the humanity! All I can tell you is my greatest fear involves a carton of wine, a gallon of maple syrup, and Mel Gibson.

Okay okay, I’m still lying. I’m just not going  to tell you. But I can promise you that no matter what it is, it will be even worse if Mel Gibson shows up.

[eden] You may be slightly insane!

Which living person do you most admire? The Dalai Lama. I’m a Pagan with Buddhist leanings, and I sometimes ask myself, “What would the Dalai Lama do?” much as some people ask, “What would Jesus do?” I am also a very big fan of ex-US president Jimmy Carter, who I didn’t think was a very good president but he’s been a bang-up excellent ex-president and a fine example of what living a Christian life is SUPPOSED to look like. I don’t, however, ask myself What would Jimmy Carter do? Because his answer would be, “Don’t trust the Iranians.”

Forty-two. That’s the answer to everything. Douglas Adams should have been our Saviour, not Jesus.

[eden] Hah! Forty-two IS the answer to everything. 

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? George Clooney’s love puppy, but so far he refuses to lift the restraining order. <sigh>

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be? I want to reincarnate far enough into the future that I can live on the Moon. Or the municipal equivalent of the International Space Station. Or Mars. Whatever. Look, I don’t care. I want to live on a different heavenly body other than Earth, because it would just be too cool. I mean, on the Moon I’d only weigh one-sixth what I do here! That would be, like, 25 pounds! I could bounce around like the astronauts during their moon walks in the ’70s! I could maybe fly with fake wings like in Robert Heinlein’s short story, The Menace From Earth! I could sell moon rocks to the tourists from Ohio! Okay, the part where we’d all be dependent on some sort of a controlled environment that somehow pumps oxygen into our little city would kind of suck, because what if it broke down? Like, what if Chinese hackers broke into the support system and shut it down? What if the IT director was the sort of psycho who’d gun down an entire movie theatre, except he’s in a controlled environment with no guns, but he’s feeling pretty suicidal and psycho, so he just flips the switch to Off and superglues it to the wall? What if it ran on Windows and it suddenly locked up for no apparent reason like it used to in the olden days?  Boy, wouldn’t that bring new dimension to the term, ‘blue screen of death’! But, at least we wouldn’t have to worry about global warming anymore, because we’d be on the Moon. Or Mars. Whatever.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Overcoming a lot of bad habits to get serious about becoming a novelist and getting published. Granted, that’s a constant work in progress. Doing things outside one’s comfort zone becomes a daily thing.

[eden] Agree. 

What is the trait you most deplore in others? Not recognizing my superlative creative literary genius. The second would be narcissism.

What is your greatest extravagance? Are you kidding? I’m such a cheap-ass I can pinch a penny til it drips maple syrup. Oh wait, I can’t do that anymore, can I? Because the pennies are all disappearing. Okay, I can pinch a nickel til the beaver looks like roadkill. I recycle Ziploc baggies by washing them out and drying them on the rack. I up-end mammoth economy-size hand soap bottles to make sure I get to use every last molecule of soap I paid for. I don’t throw away toilet paper until I’ve used the other side. (Okay, I’m exaggerating a little.)

[eden] I sure hope so (about the toilet paper!) 

What is one thing you want to do before you die? You mean besides anything that involves George Clooney? Visit Italy. Become a best-selling novelist. Crawling naked into a hot tub with George Clooney and chocolate and fine French—oh, never mind. Sorry, I do have a bit of a one-track mind. World peace. Yeah, that’s it. I’d like to bring about world peace.

Who is your favorite writer/musician/film director? It’s probably weird to say but I don’t actually have a favourite writer. It’s also safe to say, as I’m friendly with an awful lot of writers who would probably kick my ass if I didn’t name them. I can’t actually name any film directors, much less pick one out – I don’t go to the movies much anymore because it’s mostly crap. When are we going to start taking indy directors more seriously? Now I can pick out my favourite band – that would be the European symphonic metal band Nightwish. They’re just awesome. I love the operatic voice of whoever’s the lead singer that week. (They’re practically hiring temps at this point.) I also like metal bands Kamelot, Leave’s Eyes, Within Temptation and Epica. I didn’t become a metal fan until I was in my thirties. I was just, like, a late bloomer for everything. So my metal rebellion is a bit more wrinkled and eyesight-impaired than your average metal fan, but I still think you need to fight for your right to party. Because we’re not gonna take it on the highway to hell! Up with bad hair and corseted rock chicks! Down with Ted Nugent! (That loser!)

What are some of your favorite curse words? I have a friend who’s one of the most creative cursers I’ve ever known. She’s so good at cursing that I actually borrowed her style for a character in my current writing project who swears like a sailor when she wants to. My friend can come up with the most creative uses of the word ‘fuck.’ Like, “Fucking Fuckleheimer von Fuckelstein of the Kingdom of fucking Fuckelonia! Fuck me every fucking which way at the fucking Bank of Fuckovia! Fuck fuck fuckity fuck with fuckpaste and fuckleberry pie and a giant pitcher of fuck-flavoured fucktinis!” Although I myself am trying to use the f-bomb less so I tend to say “fark” these days. It doesn’t sound nearly as cool, though.

[eden] That’s a lot of F-words! Good thing I don’t censor.

What is your motto? I’ve got many, but the ones I repeat to myself the most often are “Fear nothing” and “Never give up.” So many dreams have been waylaid by fear and despair. Exhibit A: John Kennedy Toole, who committed suicide at age 31 because his novel A Confederation of Dunces got turned down by so many publishers. His mother pushed to have it published posthumously and she succeeded; today it’s considered a brilliant American classic. To which I would say to the dead Toole: DUMBASS!!!

[eden] Oh…priceless. Well… Nicole, I don’t think anyone could ever accuse you of mincing your words. Thanks for your candid answers!

Readers, please say “hi” to this fabulous lady and connect to her. She’ll make your social network much more fun.   

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Connect to Nicole

I’ll also give away a FREE book each week. Four chances to win!

Leave a comment below to be eligible. 

Week one’s winner: CP Bialois!

Learn more about:

Unlocking the Mystery

The Inspiration

“Unlocking the Mystery” was inspired by the art of letter-writing and my love for words. Part of it takes place in Ireland, where I had the great fortune of traveling throughout and meeting wonderful, friendly people.

A Few Reviews

“… I was absolutely blown away by the 50 year romance … in “Unlocking the Mystery” with simply letters. Heck, they didn’t even progress to e-mail as the letters were still on paper in 2010 and 2011. Theirs was truly a deep, committed love to continue with writing these letters, some extremely erotic. Also, the woman who delivers the last letter, Evelyn, even gets a reward of her own…or at least it appears that way. And no, not sex…something even better. ~ L Smith, Top Amazon Reviewer

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“… My favorite story was “Unlocking the Mystery.” This was an unexpected tale of how a woman rediscovers love through a box filled with love letters written between Caroline Kent, the previous owner of her newly purchased home, and Shane Murphy, a man living in Ireland. The letters span Caroline and Shane’s 50-year long-distance love affair and range from sweet to incredibly sensual. As Evelyn, the new home owner, makes her way through the box of letters she also slowly discovers that they unlock the key to her heart. ~ Reese Ryan

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” … ‘Unlocking the Mystery’ is a deeply sensual, powerfully romantic story-within-a-story, a tale of two lovers who never met, who share such passion that it transcends time and distance, and a woman convinced she will tread life’s path alone until the mystery of a woman she never met and a legacy she cannot deny transports her to a destiny she could never imagine. This was perhaps one of the best short romantic fictions I’ve read in a very long time. It touched my heart in ways I cannot explain and gave my soul wings.” ~ Beach Bum Books

Comment to WIN!

Since “Unlocking the Mystery” is about the lost art of letter writing, leave a comment related to letters, traditions that have changed, or feel free to comment on this post in general.

You have until May 20th to comment.

I will assign each comment a number and use Random.org  to choose the winner and announce it next Wednesday when I blog about the next story “Summer Solstice.“

Remember, you don’t need a Kindle to read ebooks, FREE Kindle Apps allow you to read them on all devices.

Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck!

eden

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Related post:

WIN a copy of Spring into Summer ~ Story 1: A Season for Everything

Filed under: -Promo of Spring into Summer ]]> http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/win-a-copy-of-spring-into-summer-story-2-unlocking-the-mystery/feed/ 1 edenbaylee sis_final flourish flourish flourish flourish http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/music-monday-where-you-stand-with-travisband/ http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/music-monday-where-you-stand-with-travisband/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 04:10:02 +0000 eden baylee http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/?p=15012 Continue reading →]]> I learned of the band  Travis while watching footage of Ron Sexsmith, whom I featured last week. The band is from Glasgow, and according to Wikipedia, named themselves after the Harry Dean Stanton character Travis Henderson from the film Paris, Texas.

I love that!

Their new album Where You Stand releases August 19th and is also the title track.

I enjoyed this whimsical video, using levity as a means to heal a relationship. It’s how I see it anyway.

You’re going to love the song.

To learn more about relationships and all their nuances, pick up any of my current titles on Amazon, where FREE Kindle Apps allow you to read them on all devices.

eden

Buy links: 

US | UK | Canada | Germany | France | Japan | Italy | Spain

Learn more about a wonderful writer and a stand-up guy, Everett Powers.

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In Everett’s own words … 

After managing a fast-food restaurant for a couple of years, I knew that wasn’t the life for me and decided to become a doctor of chiropractic. After graduation, I purchased a practice in Modesto, CA, and practiced there until 2012.

I finished my first novel, Canals, in 2004. My second novel, The Mighty T, was finished in 2010. I decided to self-publish both novels and did so in 2011. My third novel, Death of a Matador, was completed and published in 2012. I’ve done all the work on my novels: I took the photographs for the covers of the two Grant Starr thrillers, did the formatting for both Ebook and paperback editions of all three novels, and published them.

I moved with my wife, Penny, to Utah in 2012. I’m working on my third Grant Starr novel, working title Sunset Hill, while marketing my published work. I have three sons and two step-daughters. Two of my sons are married but there are no grandkids: one couple is trying while the other couple is newly married.

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BUY links for Everett’s books on his website

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Inside Everett’s Mind

[eden] So great to finally have you here, Everett. Since I really like your answer about happiness, let’s start there. 

Your idea of perfect happiness is? Wow. “Perfect” happiness? I’ve rewritten this answer a dozen times, yet it should’ve been easy.

I’m happy when things are humming along nicely and I’m surrounded by people I love, yet have enough time to myself to write and work on promoting my novels. One unique thing about my wife and I is, we really enjoy each other’s company. We worked together for fifteen years and people were always commenting on how they could never work with their husband/wife. I think it helped that we had fairly defined roles; I tried not to step on her toes and she tried not to step on mine.

I’m happy when what I’m writing feels good, right. I don’t mind having to go back and fix things, rewrite a scene or two I later realized should have gone a little differently, if the work feels good and I’m excited about it.

I’m happy when I’m exercising and feel good about what I’m eating. Exercise is such a wonderful thing. Not only do you feel and look better, your mind is sharper, and it’s easier to get up in the morning and hit the computer or editing pencil. Everything seems to work better when I’m exercising.

I’m happy when the bills are paid on time, there’s some money in the bank, we have a vacation planned for the year, and I can help my kids if they run short at the end of the month.

What turns you on creatively? Knowing a scene is really working, that it flows. You feel good, almost tingly. I also love it when a character turns out well. I read a quote on Facebook recently by a woman I assume is an author. Regardless of whether the quote was real (and who really knows?), it struck a chord with me. The quote said she didn’t know how her characters were going to turn out until she started writing them and by the end of her book, she loved them and hated to see them go. When that happens, it’s a creative turn on.

When I wrote my first book, Canals, I wrote in the style Stephen King calls “a found thing.” Others call it writing by the seat of your pants. That was a thrill ride for me! I’d sit at the computer and have no idea what would happen next, start typing and type until the inspiration hit, then finish out the session at full speed. Canals was my most imaginative novel.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Early in my writing career I had to learn to watch for overuse of a lot of words. The worst offenders were “then,” “suddenly,” “all,” directional words such as “down” and “up,” and I’m sure many others I’ve forgotten because I kicked the habit of using them. I’m picky about using the same adjective too close together, such as a paragraph or two apart. It sounds awkward to the ear. I can usually spot a rookie writer due to their overuse of certain words or phrases.

There are on-line tools a writer can use to check for the overuse of words or phrases as well as passive language and the like. They’re useful to the new writer but after you’ve written a couple of books you shouldn’t need them anymore.

[eden] You’re like me in this way. I also hate repetition, and reading my work aloud helps me pick out those words too close together.  

What quality do you most admire in a man? Honesty. I don’t like liars. I like to see a little toughness in a man. He should be willing to stand up for his family, even when he’s outmanned and sure to get his ass kicked. A man should also take care of his kids. He should take his turn at getting up for night feedings and to change diapers. A man should respect his wife’s feelings and desires, which may not always make sense to him. This should, in my opinion, be fleshed out in detail before marriage but feelings can change over time and a man should be flexible enough to adapt.

What quality do you most admire in a woman? Honesty. I really don’t like liars. A woman often has to be a master diplomat, depending on the dynamics of the relationship. When a man is being pigheaded, and his woman knows he’s wrong, she has to keep her cool and gently lead him in the right direction. I’ve seen my mother do this with my dad countless times. She’s almost always gets her way, which is always the right way.

[eden] I can tell from your answers that you REALLY, REALLY don’t like liars.

What is your greatest regret? Putting my kids through a divorce. I understand there are worse things than that, like chronic abuse and abandonment. But what many of us forget is, what is nothing more than a speed bump to one child is a towering mountain to another. When my kids had friends whose parents were splitting up, their mother and I assured them we would never do the same, yet we did. When kids think their family is secure only to learn, in a moment, that it isn’t, it can be devastating. I still carry a lot of guilt over this, all these fifteen years later.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I lack discipline. I think it stems from being self-employed for twenty-three years. Yeah, I had to be at the office by a certain time, but there was no one to tell me what to do when there were no patients to see. So I would like to change this fault and be more disciplined. To me this means structure my day and then follow the plan.

What is your greatest fear? I fear losing the respect of people I care about. Getting caught in some lie, being proven a crook, having some great sin of mine plastered across the papers. That kind of thing. I have family who love me unconditionally, but I still fear embarrassing them or causing them shame.

Which living person do you most admire? No doubt my dad. It’s not that he’s some great statesman who brought lasting peace to the Middle East, balanced the U.S. budget, or ended senseless gun violence. He’s been steadfast in his course in life and is far down the path he set himself upon many years ago. And he’s honest. Want to know what his greatest insult would be for another? Calling them a crook.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Well, I’m not a full-time writer yet so I choose that profession. I’m sort of between gigs, moving in the direction of writing full time. The problem is, too few people are buying my books. My royalty check from Amazon UK for 2012 paid for one-third of my new iPad 3. I have the long-term view in mind, though, and while I’m a little discouraged I know I write good novels and that they will eventually provide a continuous income stream for myself and my family after I’m gone.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be? A cat that goes to a good home. We have a cat and other than all the butt-licking she seems to never tire of, she has a good life. She’s fed regularly and while we tend to buy fairly cheap food, she seems to enjoy it. She gets to lay in the sun as long as she pleases, usually gets the attention she desires, and runs away at the first hint of danger so she never has to act tough. As I write this she is laying on her blanket, which sits on a chair next to me. I’m in our basement office, which is cold, so I have a portable heater on and it’s nice and toasty in here. What a life she leads.

[eden] Another person who likes cats, easily the most popular answer of authors! 

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Raising sons who turned out great. I can’t claim this achievement for just myself, their mother had a lot to do with it, but it’s the greatest thing I’ve had some hand in. My oldest has turned out to one of the best men I know. The middle boy is a work in progress but has so much potential (I recall many saying that about me at that age, and look how I turned out). The youngest has already exceeded the expectations of many who knew him as a child, and he’s only twenty-one.

What is the trait you most deplore in others? I dislike subversive people. You know the type. They start gossip and pit coworker against coworker, just to amuse or aggrandize themselves. They tattle on others when it isn’t their job. They poison customers or clients so they never return to your business because they feel you aren’t paying them what they’re worth or are working them too much. Or they’re just lazy and don’t want to give a fair day’s work for their pay. They plant seeds of doubt in the minds of family members. You know the type.

What is your greatest extravagance? I’m pleased to report that right now I don’t have any. We’ve recently moved to a new state and my wife has started a new career, and I’m trying to start a new career, which means we’re on a tight budget. In the past we might have kept up our old lifestyle by charging trips and dinners and the like, but we no longer do that. We get a movie or two from Red Box and snuggle in for the night.

I have a collection of watches I’m happy with, purchased during more financially robust times. I have a few Rolexes and a couple of Breitlings. I should probably sell most of them, but… I also have a collection of nice fountain pens I bought back in the 90s. I paid $650 for one. Most of them need servicing and I do plan on selling several that no longer see the light of day. If you write with expensive fountain pens you need to take proper care of them. They should be cleaned and serviced once a year. It’s not expensive, about $15 plus shipping, but it’s a hassle. I have several Omas pens, a number of Montblanc pens in the writer series, purchased before I started writing, a couple of Parker pens and one or two others.

What is one thing you want to do before you die? Write a wildly popular book, one that will entertain generations to come.

What is your favorite music (genre/artist/album/song)? My favorite music genre is opera, though I don’t listen to it as often as I used to because my wife doesn’t care for it. The only other person in my family who likes opera is my oldest son, and he doesn’t listen to it much anymore because his wife doesn’t like it either. The sacrifices we make. I listen to it when I’m alone, or, if people are around, with my Bose QuietComfort headphones. Most consider it rude to use headphones when others are around, so I rarely do that. I listen to it occasionally when exercising, but have to be careful because I often end up listening to the music instead of working out.

I don’t have a broad taste in opera. I like Italian opera and some French. I rarely listen to an entire opera, instead preferring to hear arias, mostly tenors or baritones. I’m not big on sopranos. My favorite opera is probably La Bohème by Puccini. Lastly, I don’t listen to much contemporary opera, preferring the masters of the bygone eras.

My favorite performers are, not listed in any particular order, Franco Corelli, Mario Lanza, Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carerras, Richard Tucker (mostly his live performances when he’d really let go), Bryn Terfel, Jussi Bjorling, and Placido Domingo. I also enjoy a little Thomas Hampson and Sam Raimy. My son and I saw Terfel in Marriage of Figaro at the San Franciso Opera, and it was an event for us.

[eden] You are the first person I’ve interviewed to say opera is your favorite. I love La Bohème too.

What are some of your favorite curse words? Right now it’s “asshole.” I use it a lot in my writing and admit it creeps into my own language now and then. (Hopefully my mother doesn’t read this.) A wordy-type has written an entire book on the word, tracing its history and current usage. It’s a good swear word because it’s descriptive—who doesn’t know what an asshole is?—yet it’s acceptable enough in polite company, if not overused. We don’t like to curse at home, whether the kids are around or not, so we use abbreviations: “He’s an AH; I can’t stand how smug he is.” If the kids are around we’ll abbreviate calling someone a butthole. “He’s a BH.” Aren’t we clever?

I use the F-word in writing, but not in my own speech. If I personally don’t use it, why use it in my writing? Because other people use it, and use it a lot. Especially bad guys. Just because I don’t use it doesn’t mean my characters shouldn’t. And “bitch” creeps in now and then.

I admire writers who write well without using curse words. I think Grisham does this well, though I haven’t anything of his for at least seven or eight years. However, I don’t think it’s realistic for most people. I suppose it depends on the company you keep, but a lot of people swear. Again, especially bad guys. That’s one reason why they’re bad.

I think characters should be written as the author conceives them. If the reader doesn’t like the language, they should find a different author. I’ve read many one-star reviews for books because the reader was offended by foul language. Nothing was said of the writing or story other than the author used foul language. I disregard those reviews but unfortunately they unfairly reduce the overall rating for a book.

What is your motto? If I consciously had one it would be “stick with it.” I think the path to making a living writing is to write enough good books that the world can no longer ignore you. I plan on stickin’ with that.

Great motto, Everett! Thanks for being so sincere and open with your answers. It’s a delight to learn more about you.

Readers, please say “hi” to this lovely man and connect to him. He is a supportive author to know.  

* * * *

Connect to Everett

It’s comprised of four distinct novellas; two take place in the spring and two in the summer.

I’ll also give away a FREE book each week. Four chances to win! Find out how at the end of this post.

Now, let’s learn more about the first story in the book.

A Season For Everything

The Inspiration

My love of poetry has connected me to some amazing poets, and their words have seeped into my subconscious. “A Season For Everything” was heavily influenced by my affection for poets, older men, and important life lessons I’ve learned.

A Review

“… I can’t begin to tell you how much the first story “A Season for Everything” touched me. It was so poignant and passionate that it stayed with me throughout the entire book … The love between Claire and Stephen was just so real and I felt it in every part of me. I mean, it truly was the best story in my eyes. I read it three times because I just couldn’t let it go. Call me a sap, because this story was wonderful…” ~ Diantha Jones of Masquerade Crew

An Excerpt

Flipping the pages of the book, I chuckled when I realized I’d picked up one of the many iterations of the Kama Sutra, widely regarded as the most famous work on erotic pleasure ever created. I blushed as I stared at the pages of explicit sexual positions, each beautifully illustrated with stunning color photographs and step-by-step instructions.

“Are you learning anything?” said a deep voice near me. I slammed the book shut like a teen-aged boy caught with his first dirty magazine. Slowly, I turned around to stare into the dark brown eyes of the man behind me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said and smiled; tiny crow’s feet only made him more alluring.

“I was just flipping pages.” I felt more heat rush to my cheeks and hoped to god I was not turning beet red. I slid the book back into its place on the shelf.

“My name’s Stephen Taylor. Brenda said we should meet.” He held out his hand but couldn’t even extend his arm fully as he stood too close to me. I took a step back until my body hit the bookshelf and I could move no farther.

“I’m Claire—Claire Pelletier.”

“Nice to meet you Claire,” he said. “You don’t have a drink. Would you like me to get you one?”

“No, that’s fine.” I cleared my throat. “I haven’t eaten a thing today. I’ll get one later.” I noticed he didn’t have a drink either.

“That’s a good idea. There’s a line-up for the wine, but I’ll push my way in if you want me to.” Laugh lines creased the corners of his full lips.

“Thanks, that won’t be necessary,” I said, my eyes downcast. “Are all English men so chivalrous?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “I don’t know about that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some pushed in line for a drink.”

I snickered, feeling more at ease. “Brenda told me you’re a professor?”

“I am, but I’m currently on leave.”

“I see.” I didn’t want to be forward, but my curiosity got the better of me. “What subject do you teach?”

“English Literature and Poetry—18th Century Romanticism.”

“Hmm … ” I bit my lower lip. “Of course you would.”

Win an ebook of Spring into Summer

Since “A Season for Everything” is a story about poets, tell me your favorite poet or poem, or feel free to comment on this post in general.

You have until May 13th to comment.

I will assign each comment a number and use Random.org  to choose the winner and announce it next Wednesday when I blog about the second story “Unlocking the Mystery.“

Remember, you don’t need a Kindle to read ebooks, FREE Kindle Apps allow you to read them on all devices.

Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck!

eden

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Filed under: -Promo of Spring into Summer ]]> http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/win-a-copy-of-spring-into-summer-story-1-a-season-for-everything/feed/ 9 edenbaylee sis_final flourish flourish flourish http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/music-monday-everyday-i-write-the-book-with-ronsexsmith/ http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/music-monday-everyday-i-write-the-book-with-ronsexsmith/#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 04:58:32 +0000 eden baylee http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/?p=14990 Continue reading →]]> This is my favorite song by Elvis Costello, and I’m surprised I haven’t featured it already.

Fortuitous however, as I found a beautiful acoustic version where he plays with Canadian singer/songwriter, Ron Sexsmith.

I’m a fan of both their music, and you can buy tickets to see Ron Sexsmith now on tour.

Enjoy the performance … as everyday, I write the book.

You can find my current titles on Amazon, where FREE Kindle Apps allow you to read them on all devices.

eden

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