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Showing posts from November, 2012

No Justice by Darcia Helle: Review and Interview

Meeting author Darcia Helle is one reason I enjoy being an author. She is so kind and supportive! And I'm pleased to have her on the blog for an interview about her suspense novel No Justice. But first here's my review: No Justice by Darcia Helle My rating: 5 of 5 stars Leaving Las Vegas Meets Dexter In No Justice , Darcia Helle creates a gritty world reminiscent of the movie Leaving Las Vegas . Instead of alcoholic Nicholas Cage turning to prostitute Elizabeth Shue for solace, this time it’s hit man Michael Sykora falling for prostitute Nicki. Similar to the TV show Dexter , Michael kills bad men — like the one who murdered his wife. From the first line… Let him laugh. One more hour and he’d be dead. …it’s clear a dark ride awaits. Somehow Darcia manages to show Michael’s integrity despite his sinister side vocation as hit man. Although Michael first met Nicki when she serviced him as a prostitute, both developed genuine feelings for each other. He felt guilty

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

To all my American friends, I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving. I'm at the airport on my way to Chicago *points to skyline above* to spend the holiday with my oldest sister, brother in law, nephews, and parents. To all my international friends, happy Thursday! Here are a couple of recipes I want to share. I made "Wild Rice with Shitake Mushrooms and Miso Dressing" for a potluck at work, and got some rave reviews from the vegetarians on staff: Recipe HERE And today I plan to make these hilarious chocolate turkeys, perhaps as place settings for the Thanksgiving dinner table. Hee hee.

Gender Differences in Mental Health

Today I have a guest post from Ken Myers. Take it away, Ken! Different Mental Health Concerns in Men and Women Aside from the obvious physical characteristics, men and women differ greatly. Their thought processes, preferences, and struggles can vary wildly. Yet there are also individual differences within each gender. Here are some gender differences in mental health: 1. Alcohol and Other Drugs - Men are more prone to substance abuse, according to researchers. Our culture socializes men to avoid emotional expression, and sometimes they turn to alcohol and other drugs to suppress emotion. 2. Depression - Women are more prone to bouts with depression. Whereas men tend to deal with stress through externalizing problems (substance abuse, aggression, “acting out” behaviors), women tend to deal with stress by internalizing problems (low self-worth, depression, anxiety). 3. Eating Disorders – Women comprise about 90% of the eating disorder population. However, numbers of men

YALL Fest Fun

What fun it was to attend a young adult book festival in Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday: The YALL Fest 2012 ! Omnific Publishing sponsored an exhibitor table and provided tons of YA books to give away to our readers. Lovely author Trisha Wolfe signed copies of her steampunk-futuristic-sci-fi Destiny's Fire , and I signed copies of my swimming-romance-military-murder-mystery Streamline . Here I am wearing a fake Navy hat, posing with Trisha Wolfe. Yes, I am twice her size. ;-) We also had the pleasure of introducing readers to our pub sisters' creations: Embrace by Cherie Colyber Life, Liberty & Pursuit by Susan Kaye Quinn Ember and Shades of Atlantis by Carol Oates Breaking Point by Jessica Bowen (Too bad Iridescent by Carol Oates and Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista were too hot off the presses to make it to this festival.) Here are readers holding their signed copies of Streamline ! Kristen and Sharanna Marie works at

Men & Women of the Military Giveaway Hop

Thanks to Vanessa from The Jeep Diva for hosting the Men & Women of the Military Hop. I LOVE men in the military! I have to confess I've written stories about men in the US Navy simply because they look so damn hot in uniform. *blushes* Shallow, right? Okay, it's also true that I really admire their sacrifice in keeping us safe. I'm also fascinated by the complete obedience required to serve in the military. All three of my romantic suspense novels feature a military influence. The hero of With Good Behavior and Bad Behavior is Grant Madsen, former Navy lieutenant. Unfortunately his Mafia family interfered with him serving his country for very long, but he still calls everyone "Ma'am" and "Sir" hee hee. Leo Scott--the hero of Young Adult swimming romance Streamline --seems like the perfect midshipman for the Naval Academy. But perfection is hard to achieve. I'm giving away ebooks featuring these hot men in uniform! To enter, co

Insecure Writers Support Group: Politics

I HOPE the Presidential election has been decided by the time this post goes live. The last thing we need in America is more hanging chads! Today I want to talk about political beliefs and the extent to which you share them. I live in Ohio, the state that COULD DECIDE THE ELECTION dun dun dun . I'd much rather frolic on the beach than listen to the endless political commercials. But I am passionate about politics. I have strong opinions about who I want to win this election. Yet I stifle myself from sharing my political views in both careers as a psychologist and author (psycho author). Why? 1. Therapy is about the client, not the therapist. My political views don't really matter. The only times I self-disclose are when those disclosures could benefit the client, and my opinion about politics probably isn't central to our therapy goals. So I listen, nod with understanding, and sometimes *grr* inside. 2. Marketing my books is not about me spouting political