Friday's Film Adaption: Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Gone With The Wind
Summary:
Gone with the Wind is a novel written by Margaret Mitchell, 1st published in 1936. The story is set in Clayton County, GA, & Atlanta during the American Civil War & Reconstruction era. It depicts the experiences of Scarlett O'Hara, the spoiled daughter of a well-to-do plantation owner, who must use every means at her disposal to come out of the poverty she finds herself in after Sherman's March to the Sea. A historical novel, the story is a Bildungsroman or coming-of-age story, with the title taken from a poem written by Ernest Dowson. Gone with the Wind was popular with American readers from the onset & was the top American fiction bestseller in the year it was published & in 1937. As of 2014, a Harris poll found it to be the 2nd favorite book by American readers, just behind the Bible. More than 30 million copies have been printed worldwide.

Rating:  

Scarlett

Summary:

The timeless tale continues... The most popular and beloved American historical novel ever written, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind is unparalleled in its portrayal of men and women at once larger than life but as real as ourselves. Now bestselling writer Alexandra Ripley brings us back to Tara and reintroduces us to the characters we remember so well: Rhett, Ashley, Mammy, Suellen, Aunt Pittypat, and, of course, Scarlett. As the classic story, first told over half a century ago, moves forward, the greatest love affair in all fiction is reignited; amidst heartbreak and joy, the endless, consuming passion between Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler reaches its startling culmination. Rich with surprises at every turn and new emotional, breathtaking adventures, Scarlett satisfies our longing to reenter the world of Gone With the Wind, and like its predecessor, Scarlett will find an eternal place in our hearts.

Rating:  

What can I say about Gone With the Wind that hasn't already been said in over 75 years since it's original publication?  It's a true classic that I think should be a must read for anyone who loves historical fiction/romance.  Rhett Butler is the iconic anti-hero and Scarlett? Well she's Scarlett and I think that's the best way to describe her, she's just Scarlett.  Feisty, determined, straight-forward, beautiful, and a dozen other adverbs to describe her personality.

I've included Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley in this week's Friday Film Adaption because even though it's not as good as the original it is the continuing tale of the characters we love as well as many new ones.  I think the author did a very decent job of the keeping the same writing flow as Margaret Mitchell and yet she made it her own.  Scarlett is still very determined and very stubborn and on more than one occasion they get her into trouble, but will they get her Rhett?  You'll have to read for that one.

Films

Gone With The Wind

Release date December 15, 1939 (Atlanta premiere)

Running time 221 minutes  and  234–238 minutes (with overture, intermission, entr'acte, and exit music)

CAST

Tara plantation

Thomas Mitchell as Gerald O'Hara

Barbara O'Neil as Ellen O'Hara (his wife)

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara (daughter)

Evelyn Keyes as Suellen O'Hara (daughter)

Ann Rutherford as Carreen O'Hara (daughter)

George Reeves as Brent Tarleton (actually as Stuart)[nb 1]

Fred Crane as Stuart Tarleton (actually as Brent)[nb 1]

Hattie McDaniel as Mammy (house servant)

Oscar Polk as Pork (house servant)

Butterfly McQueen as Prissy (house servant)

Victor Jory as Jonas Wilkerson (field overseer)

Everett Brown as Big Sam (field foreman)

At Twelve Oaks

Howard C. Hickman as John Wilkes

Alicia Rhett as India Wilkes (his daughter)

Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes (his son)

Olivia de Havilland as Melanie Hamilton (their cousin)

Rand Brooks as Charles Hamilton (Melanie's brother)

Carroll Nye as Frank Kennedy (the guest)

Clark Gable as Rhett Butler

In Atlanta

Laura Hope Crews as Aunt Pittypat Hamilton

Eddie Anderson as Uncle Peter (her coachman)

Harry Davenport as Doctor Meade

Leona Roberts as Mrs. Meade

Jane Darwell as Mrs. Merriwether

Ona Munson as Belle Watling

Minor supporting roles

Paul Hurst as the Yankee deserter

Cammie King Conlon as Bonnie Blue Butler

J.M. Kerrigan as Johnny Gallagher

Jackie Moran as Phil Meade

Lillian Kemble-Cooper as Bonnie's nurse in London

Marcella Martin as Cathleen Calvert

Mickey Kuhn as Beau Wilkes

Irving Bacon as the Corporal

William Bakewell as the mounted officer

Isabel Jewell as Emmie Slattery

Eric Linden as the amputation case

Ward Bond as Tom, the Yankee captain

Cliff Edwards as the reminiscent soldier

Yakima Canutt as the renegade

Louis Jean Heydt as the hungry soldier holding Beau Wilkes

Olin Howland as the carpetbagger businessman

Robert Elliott as the Yankee major

Mary Anderson as Maybelle Merriwether

Awards

Academy Awards for Best Picture (1940): (won)

Academy Awards for Best Actor (1940): Clark Gable (nominated)

Academy Awards for Best Actress (1940):  Vivien Leigh (won)

Academy Awards for Best Cinematography (1940): Ernest Haller and Ray Rennahan (won)

Academy Awards for Best Director (1940): Victor Fleming (won)

Academy Awards for Best Editing (1940): Hal C. Kern and James E. Newcom (won)

Academy Awards for Best Art Direction (1940): Lyle Wheeler (won)

Academy Awards for Best Music, Orig Dramatic Score (1940): Max Steiner (nominated)

Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects (1940): Jack Cosgrove, Fred Albin and Arthur Johns (nominated)

Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress (1940): Hattie McDaniel (won)

Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress (1940): Olivia de Havilland (nominated)

Academy Awards for Best Writing, Screenplay (1940): Sidney Howard (won)

AFI 100 Years... series

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – #4

AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – #2

AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains

Rhett Butler, Hero – Nominated

Scarlett O'Hara, Hero – Nominated

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." – #1

"After all, tomorrow is another day!" – #31

"As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." – #59

"Fiddle-dee-dee." – Nominated

AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores – #2

AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – #43

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) – #6

AFI's 10 Top 10 – #4 Epic film

Trailer: 

Rating:  

Scarlett

An eight-hour miniseries based on Alexandra Ripley's novel, "Scarlett," the sequel to "Gone With the Wind." Scarlett O'Hara travels to Ireland to be with family and escape the confusion of her rocky marriage to Rhett Butler.

Separated from Scarlett and seeking a divorce, Rhett is now pursued passionately by his wife, who seeks a reconciliation. Frustrated in her efforts and unwilling to win Rhett by telling him that she is pregnant with their child, Scarlett leaves on a journey from Atlanta to Charleston and Savannah, to London, and then to her ancestral home of Ballyhara in Ireland, where she is caught up in the upheavals of the day. In England, she subsequently stands trial for a murder that she did not commit. In a dramatic climax, Rhett rushes to Scarlett's side, knowing that she needs him and that her life is at stake. Helping to win her acquittal and finally apprised that they have a son, Rhett reunited with Scarlett, conceding that he never stopped loving her.

Release date November 13, 1994

Running time 360 mins

Cast

Joanne Whalley as Scarlett O'Hara

Timothy Dalton as Rhett Butler

Stephen Collins as Ashley Wilkes

Sean Bean as Lord Fenton

Esther Rolle as Mammy

Colm Meaney as Colm O'Hara

John Gielgud as Pierre Robillard (Scarlett's maternal grandfather)

Annabeth Gish as Anne Hampton-Butler

Julie Harris as Eleanor Butler (Rhett's mother)

Jean Smart as Sally Brewton

Ray McKinnon as Will Benteen (husband of Scarlett's sister Suellen)

Ann-Margret as Belle Watling

Barbara Barrie as Pauline Robillard (one of Scarlett's spinster aunts)

Paul Winfield as Big Sam

Trailer:

Rating:  

Gone With the Wind is the epitomy of epic.  From Scarlett's first "Fiddle-dee-dee" to Rhett's "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" I am always mesmerized, no matter how many times I watch it and that is quite a few times.  I don't really know just what else to say other than I can clearly see why this is celebrating it's 75th anniversary and is still the classic epic today that it was in 1939.

Scarlett, was a decent television mini-series that was cast as good as it could be considering it was long after the death of Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable.  Is it on the same wavelength of excellence as it's predecessor? Not at all, but it does the book honor and it shows us what Scarlett decided to do after realizing that "After all, tomorrow is another day."

Author Bios:

Margaret Mitchell

Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell, popularly known as Margaret Mitchell, was an American author, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for her novel, Gone with the Wind, published in 1936. The novel is one of the most popular books of all time, selling more than 28 million copies. An American film adaptation, released in 1939, became the highest-grossing film in the history of Hollywood, and received a record-breaking number of Academy Awards.

Alexandra Ripley

Alexandra Ripley was an American writer best known as the author of Scarlett, the sequel to Gone with the Wind. Her first novel was Who's the Lady in the President's Bed?. Charleston, her first historical novel, was a bestseller, as were her next books On Leaving Charleston, The Time Returns, and New Orleans Legacy. Scarlett received some bad reviews, but was very successful nonetheless. She attended the elite Ashley Hall, in Charleston, South Carolina, and Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

She died in Richmond, Virginia, and is survived by two daughters from her first marriage to Leonard Ripley, a son in law and granddaughter, Alexandra Elizabeth.

Ripley has also published works under the name B.K. Ripley.

Margaret Mitchell

Amazon  /  Goodreads

Alexandra Ripley

Amazon  /  Goodreads

Gone With the Wind

Amazon  /  B&N  /  Kobo  /  iTunes  /  Audible  /  Goodreads TBR

Scarlett

Amazon  /  B&N  /  Kobo  /  iTunes  /  Goodreads TBR

Films

Gone With The Wind

Amazon   /  B&N  /  TCM

Scarlett

Amazon  /  B&N

Damned Sinner by Jami Denise

Title: Damned Sinner

Author: Jami Denise

Series: The Jayne Series #3

Can be read as a stand alone

Genre: adult, contemporary romance

Summary:
Vince Donovan has lost a lot in his life. He has lived life under a code of greed, lies and crime - never allowing anyone to get too close. After losing the empire he fought to build at the hands of a psychotic man in pursuit of revenge, Vince vows to rebuild what he once had. Along with his once protege and now partner, Jayne King, he sets out to create an empire that is based on beautiful women, sex and sin.

Kelsey Franklin is young, beautiful, sexy and should be forbidden. Kelsey is also the one woman that Vince has vowed never to have and yet is the one woman he wants and needs.

When love happens in the unlikeliest of circumstances Vince must ask himself - Is love fit for the damned and the sinner?

Does the words "redemption" or "reinvention" apply to Vince?  Probably not, but it's a bit of both mixed with "rebuilding" so I think it's suitable to throw them out there when I think about what Damned Sinner meant to me.  There's definitely no shortage of determination from all characters involved, especially Vince and Kelsey.  On the surface they appear to be very different but for me, it's that determination they both have that cemented their connection.  Granted, what is driving their individual determination may not be the same thing but nevertheless it proved to me that they would most certainly benefit in more ways than not by being together.  But does the author make it so?  For that answer, you'll have to read this one for yourself.

Rating:  

     Her lips were glossy and covered with a thick sheen of red. I stared at her mouth while dragging a finger across them and let the paint follow a path down her chin, over her neck, and down her chest. The stain coated the light fabric of the white dress—spoiling it, just like I was spoiling her.
     “You can see right through this,” I said roughly and dragged a finger underneath the neckline of the dress. Your little pink nipples are pushing right through it—aching and ready for someone to bite them.”
     I let my teeth snap in her ear and then sucked the soft skin into my mouth. “A man like me sees a woman in a dress like this, and that’s what he wants. To touch the nipples you so willingly show off, to bite, pull, tug, and suck on them. He wants to pull those sweet little tits into his mouth, let his tongue run over them until your nipples are so hard they hurt.”
     She was shaking, but I wasn’t going to stop there. As if to show her exactly what I was talking about, I moved the palm of my hand over her shoulder and down to her chest. I cupped one of her ripe tits in my hand, squeezing softly at first, and then wrapped my fist around it tightly and pulled.
     She whimpered, and her knees shook. I was testing her, and so far she failed. As badly as she thought she wanted what I had to give, she had no fucking clue what it meant. She wasn’t ready.
     I released her from my grasp and ran my hand over her clavicle, smearing the rotten red mess all over her chest and the top of the dress before moving it down over her belly.
     “I could see the valley between your legs when you walked down the hallway,” I growled in her ear. “I could see your little pussy, the sweet V where I’d sink my cock. All I could think about was your long, skinny legs wrapped around my back while I fucked you right there in the hallway.”
     She whined. “Please, oh God.” She grabbed the collar of my shirt and tried to pull me closer. “Fuck me, Vince.”
     My cock jumped in reply, but I ignored her and went on with my ministrations. I reached the hem of her skirt, and with a swift rip, I yanked it up over her hip. There wasn’t much of it there in the first place, so it was no big task. That pissed me off even more. There were maybe three inches of lift and I could see her pussy.
     Rubbing my coarse finger over her soft, silky mound, I stood back and watched her face. I was testing her, but I wasn’t going to push her. If she showed an ounce of regret, I was done. But I had to see where she stood once and for all.
     Her eyes fluttered open as if she could read my thoughts. They were as wide as a newborn chick, scared and astonished, but surprised and exhilarated.
     But definitely not ready to leave the nest.
     I gave her pussy one more swipe of my finger and then a light slap. The shock showed clear in her eyes, and her mouth fell slack with pleasure. I could feel that she was into it, slick and warm and malleable in my hands.
     “That’s right, baby,” I said gruffly. “I want to tear this pussy up. I want to make this pussy cry. You have no idea what I want to do to you, and if you don’t stop teasing me, you’re bound to find out.”
     She bucked her hips stubbornly, and I narrowed my eyes. Folding my fingers, I gave her clit a hard flick with enough force to knock a dog on its ass.
     “You’re not ready for this—or me,” I said, lowering my voice. “I want to defile you in so many ways, but that’s not what you want.”
     “Yes,” she said. Her voice shook, and I could feel her heavy heartbeat through her dress.
     “I care about what happens to you, Kelsey,” I said as evenly as I could. “That’s why I took you home—where you belonged. If you think walking around in Jayne’s clothes will do you any good, you’re completely wrong. What I want to do with your body is the same thing every other man out there wants. The only difference is, they won’t stop.”
     “Don’t stop,” she said weakly, tears sprouting from her eyes. “I can handle anything from you. I love you, and you damn well know it.”
     She dropped to her knees abruptly and raised her hands to undo my fly. I had a brief moment of euphoria. This was a regular fantasy of mine to have her on her knees with her mouth on me. It was too fresh and way too clear for me to think straight.
     I jerked her up by her shoulders and pinned her back against the wall. “Stop!”
     She snarled and fought against my hold on her. “If you don’t want me, why do you care if someone else does?”
     I slammed her lightly against the door and leaned forward again so we were eye to eye. “I do want you—that’s not the problem. I want to fuck you. There’s a difference.”

Author Bio:
Jami Denise is a romance writer from Southern California. While she waits for the next felon to come along and sweep her off her feet, she writes about swoony bad boys and sassy gals that make them squirm. She also loves cats, cars, cupcake flavored lip balm, and cherry limeade.

Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Website  /  Amazon  /  Goodreads

Damned Sinner #3

Amazon  /  Goodreads TBR

See Jayne Play #1

Amazon  /  B&N  /  iTunes  /  Goodreads TBR

Queen of Hearts #2

Amazon  /  B&N  /  iTunes  /  Goodreads TBR

$10 Gift Card 

Jayne Series Swag Pack

Rafflecopter

Brought to you by:

Bounty: Hunted Love #2 by Aden Lowe

From Aden's FB page: 

***Good morning, everyone.... I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

Well, I was planning to announce about now that Bounty was live and ready for purchase.

Unfortunately, it didn't work that way. Last night I came back from Thanksgiving with family, and sat down to check through the book one last time before uploading it.

Imagine my shock to find huge chunks of the file missing, blank pages and gaps in the text. I tried multiple times to recover the file, with no luck.

Soooo, I have no choice but to delay the release of Bounty while I reconstruct it. I hope you understand, and I appreciate your patience.

For all the bloggers who are participating in the Blitz, I want to thank you, and I apologize for the inconvenience with the delay. As soon as I have the problem fixed, I'll send you the links. I understand if you are unable to run it at the later date, but if you possibly could, I would appreciate it.

Again, thank you for your patience. And as my way of apologizing for the delay, the first two chapters of Bounty will be on my blog later today.***

***I will update the post when Aden gets everything situated***

Title: Bounty: Hunted Love #2

Author: Aden Lowe

Genre: Romance

Release Date: November 28th, 2014

Summary:
Bounty hunter, Falon Harris is asked to go after outlaw biker Tom Kellen and tracks him to where he's hiding out in Stags Leap, KY, laying low and waiting for the heat to pass. Rita James operates a busy tavern/grill and occasionally rents out the little camper trailer on her back lot. Figuring the tavern is the most logical place to watch for Kellen, Falon rents the trailer for a week. The first night, while he's having dinner and watching everything, Kellen shows up and starts giving Rita a hard time. The bartender puts a stop to it, but Falon gets the idea it's happened before. Knowing Kellen's past, he knows the biker won't take no for an answer for long.

*** 18 years old and up due to sexual content***

     Falon took advantage of the small gap between them to look. Silky pale skin covered her smooth musculature and feminine contours. Black lace accentuated the paleness of her breasts and acted as an artistic showcase for all that sheer perfection. The impulse to touch overcame him and he allowed his hands to rise and gently cup her flesh. She reacted with a sharp hiss and reached behind her back to unclasp her bra. The garment went slack in his hand, and he let it drop in favor of touching bare skin. Hardened nipples beckoned his mouth, and he obeyed instantly to flick his tongue across the tip of one and rolled the other between his finger and thumb. Rita's moan accompanied her fingers cupping the back of his head, nails raking his scalp in a way that inflamed him even more. He pulled her nipple between his lips and sucked hard, drawing a gasp from her. A muffled bang from below made them both stiffen just as a buzzer sounded in Rita's apartment. "Shit!" She pulled away and scrambled for her bra and shirt. "Trouble in the bar. That was the shotgun."

Author Bio:
Growing up an only child, I was lucky enough to have a huge brood of cousins to help me get into all sorts of trouble. Long summers spent on various family members' farms gave me a deep appreciation for the outdoors and horses. I worked my way through college training horses as a result of those summers.

After 15 years editing books for strangers, I decided to try my own hand at writing. Big Game: Hunted Love #1 was my solo debut, and my story idea file is endless. After I finish the Hunted Love series, I have a romance series featuring soldiers returning from war and set twenty years in the future. And after that, there's a Roman Gladiator who keeps insisting on telling me his story…

Facebook  /  Twitter  /  FB The LoweDown

Website  /  Pinterest  /  Amazon  /  Goodreads

Bounty #2

Smashwords  /  Goodreads TBR

Big Game #1

Amazon US  /  Amazon UK  /  B&N  /  iTunes

Kobo  /  Smashwords  /  Goodreads TBR

December Rain by AL Goulden

Title: December Rain

Author: A.L. Goulden 

Series: August Fog #2 

Publication date: November 25th 2014

Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Romance

Summary:
Monica and Alex Waters have spent that last few months working to repair a broken marriage and rekindle their passion. Just as they start finding their spark, Quinn Matthews and his escalating career resurfaces, but this time Alex makes the decision to let Monica go.

The devastation of losing her high school sweetheart, her home, and even her dog twists Monica down a destructive path that alienates her from her closest friends and lands her on Quinn’s couch. Despite her efforts to resist jumping into his arms again, the spark between them reignites and sweeps her away on a whirlwind holiday adventure. She finds that falling in love with Quinn’s family and lifestyle is as easy as falling for his ocean colored eyes. The problem is that it’s all too easy, and when she sees that Quinn’s reinvented life has completely shifted towards her dreams, she starts to question whether he’s too good to be true.

Quinn has a secret that was never meant to be kept this long, but will Monica be able to trust another man who’s lied? And now that Quinn’s got his happily ever after in sight, he’s not about to let her go or share her with another man.

     The outdoor style shopping mall is bustling with tourist and local art lovers. Rows of art galleries surround the courtyard where a stage welcomes a local reggae band. Monica settles into a groove and starts dancing with the crowd. Alex tries to hang in for a couple of songs before he starts feeling claustrophobic and looks to the galleries and shops around them.

     “Go ahead,” she says with a loving smile. “I’ll meet you down there… after one more song.”

     He gives her a little kiss on the cheek and glides his hand across her behind before making his way out of the crowd. His attention is pulled by various pieces in gallery windows along the way. There’s a large glass sea turtle in shades of green and gold followed by a painting of an autumn forest with heavy texture. He stands daydreaming for a minute until he’s distracted by a reflection passing in the glass. It’s so brief he’s sure it’s his imagination. He barely catches a glimpse down the mall as the backside of the man disappears into another gallery.

     Alex follows the ghost, dodging through happy couples and pushy salespeople trying to get his attention. Before he can see inside the gallery, a painting that’s prominently displayed on a front wall stops him. A cold washes over as he stands there staring at it. He slowly moves inside, mesmerized by the familiar vibrant paint strokes until he sees a few people gathered in the back. A man talking to two smiling women stills himself as Alex’s eyes freeze on the back of his shaved head. No words were needed as the tropical air takes a chill. Even the women sense a showdown, and step back to give Quinn room.

     Quinn turns. What do I say? Fuck! I thought that was him. I hoped it wasn’t. Quinn moves very slowly towards Alex. Is he gonna hit me? I do deserve it. Might as well get it over with. “Hey.” Quinn pauses near the center of the room waiting.

     Alex swallows hard, his nostrils flaring and fist clenched. His jaw flexes as his breathing grows heavier, but the emotions just start to turn to mush. His eyes fill as thoughts of his new friend’s betrayal wash over and the painting draws his eyes again.

     “I’m sorry Alex,” Quinn says quietly.

     Monica nearly passes the gallery on her way to see their friends when Alex’s shirt first catches her eye. She halts and shifts backwards until she sees the painting and stops. It’s a female figure bent forward reaching for her toes. The abstract form of her body in swirls of orange and reds is cradled by a man swathed in blues and purple. Oh my God! That’s me. That’s us, stretching. It can’t be. He’s...

     She struggles for air as the tears swell, and she can already feel him. As she stands there, not crossing the threshold, the two men watch her. When her eyes finally land on Quinn, electricity fills the room. She can only see him and the deep tan that backdrops the pale oceany eyes reaching for her. A warm drop gently slides down her cheekbone as her breathing syncs with his. His lips move slightly hinting at words that he can’t find, and she struggles not to run into his arms.

     Alex’s discomfort is audible as he clears his clogged throat to rattle her attention to his worried eyes. She steps in and touches his hand briefly. “I’ll be outside,” she says, turning without another glance at Quinn.

     Her feet move quick as her thoughts try to keep up. What are they doing? Alex is gonna hit him. I can’t believe he’s here. What are the odds? Did he know we’d be here? No. Maybe he moved here. That painting was him and I together. Would Alex know that? It’s pretty abstract. Fuck! This can’t be happening. Before she knows it, she’s at the other end of the mall near the parking lot. She settles on a bench to wait for the world to stop crumbling around her. 

Trailer:

Author Interview:
How did you come up with the story?
There is a little bit of real life in the story. I was laid up on the couch for a summer, forced to quit my job, because of three stress fractures in my ankle that wouldn't heal. I was reading a lot to pass the time and eventually started writing. There really was a sexy neighbor, he really is an artist, but there was never really an affair. Luckily I'm married to a man that finds my overactive imagination amusing and he never once thought it was autobiographic.

So many of the books I was reading had a similar heroine who was "damaged" as well as the same alpha males. I wanted to build characters that were realistic and flawed to see if I could make them sexy as well. People you would know. Your best friend or coworker. Real life is complicated and real love is even worse. I knew Monica wasn't always going to be likable. As much as we'd like to deny it, most of us aren't when we're going through life changes or stressful events. But that wasn't a reason not to connect to her or even understand her. I didn't want a woman who just callously throws away her life-long commitment because she needs to have sex. Monica loves her husband. He's her best friend. But she realizes that she wants more than a friend and Quinn reminds her that she's more than just this wife.

I struggled with the premise of an artist, because it's been done so many times and is a little cliche. But I know a lot of real artists, painters, sculptors, whose lives are very free and I wanted Quinn to have that. It's an element in Monica's past that she let go of and forgot about. So, I looked at it like another opportunity to take a cliche and make it more realistic. There are secrets behind him that will eventually test her ideas of freedom and trust. It's all about her growing into who she is supposed to be and finding out in her mid-thirties that she hasn't been honest with herself.

I set out to create a story that touches on the complications of love and commitment. It's been an adventure and I've learned so much. I never thought it would be a finished novel, much less multiple, but once I got into it I didn't want to stop. I know I still have a ton to hone and learn, but I'm finding that the challenges of writing are so addictive that I can't imagine ever quitting now. It's become my vice I guess. The reality is that I have another career still as a Production Designer and Art Director in film and television so writing does tend to be crammed into my nights and weekends or between shows.

What led you into writing? Was it a lifelong ambition, or the result of some type of turning point in your life?
I've been writing casually since I was in fifth grade. My first story was about five fifth grade boys and an escaped con. Stories were the biggest reason I got into the film and television industry, but as a visual person I ended up in the art department. It's only been the last few years that I was provoked to push myself to write novels.

About Cover Design?
I love designing my own book covers and graphics. I chose the titles of each book based on the literal and emotional condition in Monica Waters' life. The element that links all three book covers together is the eye and the predominantly white background. I wanted to reflect the voyeurism that runs through Monica's world, as well as the intense effect Quinn's blue eyes have one her. Instead of going dark, as erotic covers tend to be, I wanted to connect to the comfort she finds in a white blanket of fog. I was warned that a white cover might not attract the right readers, but I'm not one to shy away from doing things differently.

Through the series each cover slips into a new shade of oceany color that works with the accent images. August Fog was all about San Francisco and the fog that took over when the complicated affair began. December Rain reflects the tears shed and washing away of everything she knew before Quinn. I don't want to spoil April Snow's cover yet, but I'll say that it reflects springing into a new beginning and her growth. Hopefully readers will see the transformation and get the undertones of the story in just a glance.

What are you working on now?
I'm writing the final book in the August Fog series titled April Snow as well as a stand alone novel called Chasing Swells. I'm really excited about Chasing Swells because it's so different from this series, but it will be a little sad to say goodbye those characters.

What are some of your likes and dislikes?
Likes (or LOVES): 
Chocolate - The darker the better!
Cooking - Anything I can do in a dutch oven or cast iron skillet.
Complicated characters with mystery. - Not all has to be unveiled to me.
Movies - I am a film-o-holic.
Laughter - Life is too short to live without it.

Dislikes:
Instant Love in romance novels. (Lust is okay though.)
Overreactions
Assumptions (I'm guilty unfortunately.)
Chardonnay (One bad night can spoil it forever.)
Mean spirited people. (A no brainer though right?)

Tell us one thing about yourself that we wouldn't know?
I love to build things. I built the decks in our backyard by myself. It started as a dare, but I did it.

If there was one thing you could tell your readers, what would it be?
Thank you. Thank you for giving some of your time to hang out with me and my characters.

Author Bio:
I'm a designer, author, wife and dog-lover living in the South Pasadena area of California. I got my BFA in Film Production from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, but my love of a good story came way before college. I remember writing my first full story in fifth grade on a typewriter. I cut and pasted it into a book, complete with cardboard cover and taped binding. Things have changed a lot since then. With the magnificent digital age I can produce books and give them to the world without a sticky mess.

In college numerous instructors and peers praised my dialogue pushed me to hone my storytelling skills. Of course the need to cut and paste was still there, so I went into the world of Production Design and Art Direction for films and television. It gave me the ability to connect design to storytelling in a way that no other career can. The past 18 years have spun a unique perspective on visually emotional tales of relationships and the thread that ties all things together. Now I'm shifting focus on the driving force that brought me here... stories. I hope that I can share a unique perspective on life, love and the pursuit in all of the above.

Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Website  /  Goodreads

Amazon  /  B&N  /  iBooks  /  Kobo  /  Smashwords  /  Goodreads TBR

2 signed copied of December Rain

2 signed copies of August Fog

2 August Fog bookmarks

Huge swag gift basket

Rafflecopter

Brought to you by:

Saving Charlie by Anne Conley

TITLE – Saving Charlie

SERIES – Stories of Serendipity

AUTHOR – Anne Conley

GENRE – Contemporary Romance

PUBLICATION DATE – Nov. 15, 2014

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 75K

PUBLISHER – Anne Conley

COVER ARTIST – Vanessa Booke

Summary:
100,000 children are sexually trafficked every year in the US.  In the 1990s, Charlie was one of those children.  She’s spent her adult life getting past that, trying to become a successful business owner in Serendipity, TX.   Relationships are not goals for her.  In fact, she’s not even sure she has what it takes to be a part of one.

Les is a fool for love.  All he’s ever wanted was a girl.  Now that every last one of his friends are married, and in happy relationships with families, he can’t stop thinking about the sexy lady who sells house parts, even if everything about her screams at him to stay away.  He just can’t.

When they are thrown together on a cross-country road trip, Charlie’s past comes back to her full-force, long-buried memories inundating her.  Les seems to be the only thing grounding her to the present, when everything else seems to be trying to tear her apart.

While it has a HEA, the road getting there is long, rough, and dark.  Enjoy the ride.

#1
     They were passing a sign for White Sands when Les tugged gently on a piece of her hair.  “Let’s stop here for a little bit and stretch.”
     She agreed and when they pulled into the national monument, Charlie was overwhelmed.  “Wow…It looks like a beach with no water.”
     Les climbed out of the truck and walked into a pristine patch of sand, unmarred by footsteps.  She laughed as he proceeded to mess up the unadulterated landscape by doing cartwheels and whooping.  She watched his transformation with blatant amusement and a little bit of jealousy.  He was so carefree in almost everything he did.  It was breathtaking to watch this grown man play in the desert like a child.
     “Hey, Charlie!  Come here!”  He called her over to where he was making a snow angel in the sand, flapping his arms and legs wildly.  She couldn’t help herself.  She stood next to him and fell back with a thud, making her own angel in the sand.
     She was close enough that her hand brushed Les’s when she flapped, and he grabbed it and clasped.  She turned her head to look at him and saw his face breaking into a smile that matched her own.
     They gallivanted around, Les piggy-backing her around the park, having sand fights, and stealing kisses.  Charlie couldn’t stop the giddy feeling erupting from her.  Her entire adult life, she’d tried to stay away from being a part of something like this, and now that she’d finally let herself do it, she felt like a teenager.  She wanted to touch Les all the time, walking hand in hand, or better yet, with her arm around his torso.  She stole looks at him, and the best were the kisses he pretended to steal from her when she wasn’t expecting them.  She was a part of something special with Les, a half of a whole, and the possibilities she allowed herself to ponder filled her with an unfamiliar longing.
     They snapped photos of each other clowning around, and themselves together.  Charlie couldn’t remember when she’d had more fun, just laughing at herself and someone else.
     Les deposited her on a hill, with her back to him and told her not to look until he said so.  She closed her eyes and nodded, then with a mysterious grunt, he was gone.  She waited, a small smile on her face, wondering what he was up to.  When he finally called to her from some distance, she looked.
     Les was at the bottom of a hill in an enormous heart he’d made by shuffling his feet in the sand.  Inside the heart were the initials, C + L.  It was an impossibly juvenile endeavor, and it brought a tear to Charlie’s eyes.  She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.
     Back at the truck, she watched, amused, as Les tried to shake all of the sand out of his clothes before climbing into her truck.  He stripped off his shirt, socks and shoes before shaking everything out.  She ignored the flutter in her belly at the sight of his shirtless chest, and instead poked fun at him slapping at his jeans.
     “Are you always so anal about dirt in vehicles?”
     He looked at her, his eyebrows waggling, an impish smirk on his face.  “Why, Sweetness, did you just suggest Anal?”
     She blushed furiously, “No.”  Getting into the truck, she was suddenly worried.  Did he do that sort of stuff?  He seemed so sweet, like a missionary type guy, maybe doggy-style, but anal?  Was he into the hard-core stuff?  Would he want to tie her up?  Charlie didn’t do bondage, in any form.
     Back on the road, the silence was uncomfortable for Charlie as she tried to wrap her mind around the alarming thoughts racing through her head.  Finally, she decided to just put it out there.
     “Are you into stuff like that?  Anal?”
     He snapped his head around, shock evident on his face.  “It was a joke, Charlie.  I didn’t mean anything by it.”  His fingers reached over for a tendril of her hair, and she rested her cheek on his hand.
     “I was just checking.  I don’t...” she took a deep breath.  “I don’t like sex like that.”
     His hand drifted down to her leg.  “I just like sex, Charlie.  And I have an idea if it’s with you, it’ll be amazing, no matter what kind it is.”  He squeezed where his hand was on her thigh.  “I don’t need all that other stuff, blindfolds and toys and stuff.  I just like your basic sex.”  Just the image in her mind of the two of them together had a warm pool of moisture coating the inside of Charlie’s panties.
     “So, you’re a missionary man?”
     He chuckled and adjusted his crotch while an adorable blush crept up his neck.  Charlie liked that the conversation was getting to him, too.  “Missionary, cowgirl, doggy-style, I like it all, but I like using the correct holes, and have never felt the need for aids in the bedroom.”
      Charlie heard the exhale of relief from her mouth, as well as Les’s soft chuckle, but she couldn’t concentrate on the relief she felt, she was too busy tamping down the images of Les making love to her in ways she didn’t really want to think about right now.  Oh hell, who was she kidding?  She totally wanted to think about them.

#2

     The shed at the end of the row held all of her molding and some of her flooring.  Filled with stacks of old wood, it was a critter haven.

     “Watch out for snakes.  ‘Tis the season.”  In fact, it was unseasonably warm and dry this year, which had the snakes out and looking for water in unlikely places.  “The molding is all over against this wall back here.”  She picked her way through the piles of wood, watching where she stepped, leading the way to where Les needed to look.

      A low whistle came from Les.  “This is some pretty nice stuff.  Where’d you get it?”

     “Um, some of it came from a remodel Mr. Burt did last winter, some of it came from an auction in Jacksonville, and some of it came from the old Lancaster place on Serendipity Road when they tore it down.  I made a deal with those folks.  They let me come in and take what I wanted for a small fee.”

     “Cool,” Les murmured as he pulled pieces away from the wall, choosing what he wanted to take with him.  Suddenly, he dropped everything with a girlish shriek and jumped back.  Charlie was at his side in an instant, gun drawn.  

     Sure enough, a copperhead about two feet long lay there, coiled up and looking deceptively innocent.

     “Good eye, Les.  Those things are bad news.”  Carefully, she aimed at the head, and as soon as she drew a bead on it, the head disintegrated with a loud bang.  Smoke hung in the air along with the gunpowder’s acrid smell.

     “My hero.  I hate snakes.”  Les tried to chuckle good-naturedly, but Charlie could see he was shaken up.  “They don’t travel in pairs, do they?”  He was looking around them, eyes wild while he shoved his shaking hands in his pockets.  Charlie suppressed her giggle.  He probably hated clowns, too.

     “No, that’s water moccasins.   At least, that’s what I’ve heard, anyway.”  She picked up the pieces of molding he’d dropped and led the way out the shed, lithely dancing between piles of wood.

     “You always packing out here?”

     “Yeah, it’s snake shot in a .22 revolver.  Won’t really hurt a man, but it’ll blow off a snake’s head in a heartbeat.”  This was her home now, and as distasteful as snakes were, she’d learned to co-exist with the non-poisonous ones and she had a bullet for every poisonous one she ran across.

     “I feel so safe with you.”  The teasing lilt in his voice brought a smile to her face.

     “I aim to please,” she drawled.

#3

     When the crowd began to disperse, there was a small torrent of people standing and walking past her chair, just before someone whispered in her ear.  The voice froze her in time, and she closed her eyes as it grated across her skin.

     “You are my diamond in the rough.”  Not someone.  Him.  His voice sounded weaker than she remembered, but it was unmistakable.

     Her head and body spun around to see The Man while her heart stopped.  There was nobody behind her, where the voice had come from.  

     Les asked her, “What’s wrong, Charlie?”  When she turned back to her front to face him, her eyes caught on her empty place setting, where the servers had cleared everything away.

     The raccoon was sitting on the table in front of her.  He’d left it for her.

     “He’s here…”  She whispered it to herself, but Les heard her.

     “Who?  Charlie, you’re so pale.”  He grabbed her hand and saw the small child’s meal toy on the table.  “What’s this?”  He picked it up, and she smacked it out of his hands.  It bounced across the table, where Les’s friends were all looking at her, mouths in various stages of openness, silently staring at her outburst.  Charlie didn’t care.

     “Don’t touch it.  It’s evil.  He put it there.”  She wasn’t making any sense, but didn’t see how she could.  Her vision was tunneled on the innocent looking creature, lying on its side on the other side of the table, a child’s toy that represented a childhood she’d never had.

     Her heart pounded in her ears, a loud whooshing sound that wiped out all ambient noises.  Her bowels loosened and she could feel the blood drain from her face.  She knew she would pass out if she couldn’t get her body under control.

     Charlie stood, her entire body shaking, as she spun around, trying to find The Man.  She knew he was here, and she was angry that he had reduced her to a trembling mass of fear.  She suddenly wanted to kill him.

     If she could find him.

     “Charlie, what’s wrong?”  Les’s arms were around her.  “Oh God.  You’re shaking like a leaf. Let’s get out of here.”  He tried to turn her, to lead her away, but Charlie resisted.

     “Find him, Les.”  Black started creeping around the edges of her vision, and she knew the night wasn’t going to end well for her and Les.

      “Who?”

     “The Man.”

     Les’s face was fading away into a fog, but she saw concern clearly etched on his features, as he asked the final question of the night.  “What man?  Charlie?”

     Holding her limp body in his arms, Les felt impotent.  Frantically looking around, he found Rachel’s astute gaze on them.  

     “You know something about this?”  She shook her head.

     “Not really, but I think I can find out.  Let me go make some calls.”  Rachel stood and stoically left the table, while her husband, Sam, came around to take Charlie’s pulse.

     “She’s okay,” Sam said after a quick examination.  “She’s just fainted.  She might need some oxygen, and I’ve got a tank in my Jeep, but other than that, she’ll be fine.”

     Les scooped her up in his arms and started carrying her out of the crowd.  “Move back, please.  I just need to get her some fresh air.”  He heard the command in his voice and honestly had no clue where it was coming from.  He was scared shitless.  Somebody had come into his function and scared the life out of his girl, and he was going to find out who it was, and what had her so terrified.  

     Renae followed him to Sam’s Jeep while Sam unlocked it.  Rachel had disappeared when he’d given his instructions to find out what Charlie was talking about, and Les knew she was on the job.  Her tireless efficiency and endless resources were a boon to the Refuge, and Les would use them to his advantage.

     Renae’s voice broke through his fog.  “I saw who it was, Les.  I mean… I didn’t know him, I’ve never seen him before, but I got a look at the man who was talking to her when she… reacted.”

     Sam had the Jeep door open and Les deposited Charlie on the seat.  “Get with Rachel.  She may want you with one of the composite artists to get a picture.  I want this guy.”

     Putting the oxygen mask over her face, Sam asked, “Who do you think it is?”

     Les raked his hand through his hair in a gesture of complete and utter frustration.  “I have no fucking clue, but he’s the key I need to unlock what the hell has happened to her. And I’m going to find him.”

Author Bio:
Anne has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She's been writing for public consumption for the last four years. Currently she is writing two romance series. In Stories of Serendipity, she explores real people living real lives in small town Texas in a contemporary romance setting. In The Four Winds, she chronicles God's four closest archangels, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, falling in love and becoming human. She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.

Facebook  /  Twitter  /  FB Friend  /  Website

Google+  /  Pinterest  /  Amazon  /  Goodreads

Amazon  /  B&N  /  iTunes  /  Goodreads TBR

Ebook of Saving Charlie

Autographed postcards

$5 amazon giftcard

Rafflecopter

Brought to you by: