The Cracked Slipper

Today's special guest is Stephanie Alexander. Stephanie grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, the oldest of three children. Drawing, writing stories, and harassing her parents for a pony consumed much of her childhood. After graduating from high school in 1995 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the College of Charleston, South Carolina. She returned to Washington, DC, where she followed a long-time fascination with sociopolitical structures and women’s issues to a Master of Arts in Sociology from the American University. She spent several years as a Policy Associate at the International Center for Research on Women, a think-tank focused on women’s health and economic advancement.

Stephanie embraced full-time motherhood after the birth of the first of her three children in 2003. After six wonderful years buried in diapers and picture books she returned to her childhood passion and wrote her own fairytale. Her family put down permanent southern roots in Charleston in 2011. Stephanie is an adjunct professor of Sociology at the College of Charleston.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Eleanor Brice unexpectedly wins the heart of Gregory Desmarais, Crown Prince of Cartheigh, she's sure she's found her happily-ever-after. Unfortunately, Prince Charming has a loose grip on his temper, a looser grip on his marriage vows, and a tight grip on the bottle.

Eight years of mistreatment, isolation and clandestine book learning hardly prepare Eleanor for life at Eclatant Palace, where women are seen, not heard. According to Eleanor's eavesdropping parrot, no one at court appreciates her unladylike tendency to voice her opinion. To make matter worse, her royal fiancé spends his last night of bachelorhood on a drunken whoring spree. Before the ink dries on her marriage proclamation Eleanor realizes that she loves her husband's best friend, former soldier Dorian Finley.

Eleanor can't resist Dorian's honesty, or his unusual admiration for her intelligence, and soon both are caught in a dangerous obsession. She drowns her confusion in charitable endeavors, but the people's love can't protect her from her feelings. When a magical crime endangers the bond between unicorns, dragons, and the royal family, a falsely accused Eleanor must clear her own name to save her life. The road toward vindication will force a choice between hard-won security and an impossible love.

The Cracked Slipper is a book club friendly fairytale retelling in the vein of Gregory Maguire, with a dash of romance. Set in a pseudo-renaissance, corset-and-petticoats enchanted kingdom, The Cracked Slipper brings a magical twist to women's fiction.

AN EXCERPT

Their host, Sir Robert Smithwick, rose and gave a toast to the health of his nephew. Other speeches followed, each more suggestive than the next. She laughed out loud when Dorian subtly mocked Brian’s inability to hold his liquor. Gregory spoke last, and gave a surprisingly thoughtful salute to his cousin. She patted his arm when he sat, and he gave her a tentative smile.

As everyone returned to their venison and cliff shrimp Eleanor's stepmother tapped her goblet. Mother Imogene rose and lifted the cup. “I must ask you to pause for just one more moment,” she said. “I have another announcement.”

“My darling,” she said to Sylvia. “We’ve all so enjoyed your hospitality this summer. But now my daughter must remember herself, and rest, for with the winter will arrive a future duke! Our dear Sylvia is expecting!”

The guests applauded, congratulating Imogene and Sylvia. Sylvia gazed demurely in her lap, as if embarrassed by the association with procreation. As for the expectant father, he was nowhere to be seen. His wife’s entertaining had proved too much for him, and the duke returned to Harveston for some peace.

Eleanor glanced down the table. Anne Iris retched into her cup, but it was Dorian’s calm face that inspired her. She stood and the room quieted. “My dear sister,” she said. “Let me extend my good wishes.”

Sylvia’s simpering went rigid.

“I will say, Sylvia always had a flair for the dramatic when we were children. Who knew you would entertain so many with your widely varied talents? While I have recently been ill, I’ve heard you neglect no one, from the loftiest lord to the most common stable hand. We are so fortunate there is one among us who gives so generously of herself to others. It’s no wonder His Grace, your husband, took his leave. It must be difficult to share you with so many.”

Imogene’s eyes bulged and her nostrils flared, while Sylvia gave an uncertain twitter. Eleanor looked at Dorian again. He winked.

“So I salute you, Your Grace,” she said.“May your child look just like you. Just as lovely.”

The guests applauded, all the while hiding their smirks and chuckles in their goblets and napkins. Eleanor sat down. This time Gregory touched her arm. “Well played,” he said.

LEAVE A COMMENT - AND WIN A PRIZE!

Stephanie will be awarding a $10 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/04/virtual-super-book-blast-cracked.html

LINKS:

www.thecrackedslipper.com

blog.thecrackeslipper.com

www.facebook.com/thecrackedslipper

twitter: @crackedslipper

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cracked-Slipper-Series-ebook/dp/B007FLG8KS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364778060&sr=1-1&keywords=the+cracked+slipper

Where the Greener Grass Grows

Today's special guest is Lin Brooks. Lin is a lifelong Southern girl who lives in Mobile, Alabama with her family. She is a lawyer, runner, mother, home improvement enthusiast and an avid reader with a bucket list that includes visiting Australia, running a marathon and trying every kind of margarita ever made.

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

We interviewed Lin about her writing and herself:

When and how did you become interested in writing?    

I used to hate writing in high school. They never let me write about anything fun. Then, about twenty years ago, I realized that I enjoyed reading and, every time I picked up a book, I had plots swimming around in my head.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t any good at it! All that blank paper was intimidating. So it took another ten years for me to actually finish a manuscript, and another two or three to finish one that I didn’t read later and think “Wow, that’s pretty bad.” I think going to law school helped. There is A LOT of writing involved in law school, and I got a lot of good practice.

How did you select the genre you write in?

I have always read a lot of women’s fiction and romance. My mom and my grandma used to pass around big brown paper bags of romance novels, so that was what was lying around when I was looking for something to read. The genre has grown so much since I was young, and there is such a variety of romance and women’s fiction now that you can write about anything that interests women, which makes it personal to me. There are so many great romance and women’s fiction authors that I can pick up a book by just about anyone and enjoy it, so writing in that area just means that I’m writing about things I know and am interested in.

What books do you read for relaxation? Who are your favorite authors and why?

My favorite author is Stephen King. My husband and I started dating when I was 17, and he was the one that turned me on to him. He can be a little dark (King, not my husband!) and sometimes it’s a little weird, but the main thing I like about King is his ability to entertain. The man can spin a story! The Gunslinger novels are a perfect example of just plain good storytelling. When it is time for bed, I can’t seem to find a good place to put the book down, and before I know it, it’s 3am.

How do you develop your characters?

My main characters are usually someone that I can identify with. When I was in college, I had screenwriting professor who told us to “always write what you know.” That advice stuck. All of my characters have at least a little piece of me in them, because if I can understand them, then I know how they should act in any given situation. From there, I give them a pretty thorough history. Sometimes that history never makes it into the book (and that’s a good thing—I think people lose interest in a story if you try to give them an encyclopedia on all of your characters), but it does motivate them to do and act in a certain way. And that’s what makes the characters interesting. My characters often do things that I don’t expect, and I really like that.  I hate it when a writer has a character do something that doesn’t fit just so the plot will go in the right direction. It feels forced. I have changed many a plot point because my character decided to go off the deep end.

Where do you get ideas for your plots?

I am a moderate introvert, which means that I have several very close friends, as opposed to a lot of sort-of close friends. I am very involved in my friends’ lives and we’re all a little off (in a good way). So there is a lot of fertile ground. Sometimes I will see something, like a newspaper article or a story on facebook, that will trigger an idea, but mostly, my plots are twists on personal experience on the experiences of people around me.

What are you working on next?

I have a straight romance novel coming out early next year. Meanwhile, I have a short(ish) work coming out soon that is a little different for me. It’s called “The Divorcee’s Field Guide: Surviving the Apocalyptic Break Up”. It’s therapy by laughter for women who are recovering from divorce. The book is a perfect example of drawing inspiration from experience. My two closest friends and I are all twice divorced, and we have some doozy ex husband stories. We all three kept thinking we should put them in a book, because no one would believe them. So I finally did. My editor (he’s a guy) is looking over it now. I can’t wait to hear his comments….

  ABOUT THE BOOK

Sending the children off to college is never easy. For Lacey Marchand and Cara Myers, an empty nest is enough to drive them a little crazy -- but sometimes, a little crazy is just what the doctor ordered.

Now that their daughters have left for college, Lacey and Cara have too much time on their hands. With nothing else to do, Cara decides to help single-mom Lacey get a life. And what better way to get a life than a few blind dates?

Lacey, however, can't think of a worse way to spend her weekends. She has her own ideas for curing their empty nest problems -- Cara needs a new career. And a career just happens to be what Lacey understands best.    

For Cara and Lacey, coping with the empty nest means reinventing their lives without losing their sanity. Where the Greener Grass Grows is the story of two mothers learning to live, to laugh and to let go.
AN EXCERPT

Lacey nodded at the young man in the ticket booth, the grin still fixed on her face. That had to be one of the more unusual gifts she had ever heard of. At least Cara had a sense of humor about it. “That one’s going on the list.”

Cara dug in her purse for her wallet. “Would that be the ‘gifts guaranteed to piss your wife off’ list or the ‘gifts only a total moron would actually buy’ list?”

“Neither. I was thinking the ‘out of ideas’ list. You’ve been married a long time,” she reminded Cara. Sometimes that was almost impossible for Lacey to comprehend. It had been twenty three years since Cara had given up flirting with every guy in sight and settled down with Brian. How could two people manage to stay in love that long? To Lacey, it was a complete mystery.

“I’ve been married since the frigging stone age,” Cara muttered. “Which means he ought to know better. Fortysomething people in those stupid coffee commercials do things like sit on a deck overlooking a mountain range while drinking cappuccinos or jet off to Paris to exchange anniversary rings while staring up at the Eiffel tower. I get pizza and a wood toilet seat. He just doesn’t give a rip.”

 
HOW TO CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Lin will be awarding a $15.00 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a $15 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn host.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://www.goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/09/virtual-book-tour-where-greener-grass.html

Connect with Lin at:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005I56O5W

And on her Blog:

http://lin-brooks.blogspot.com