Author Spotlight - Excerpt from Animal Instinct

Thanks so much for supporting Lynette and Tami during their week in the spotlight. Leave a comment today, Saturday, Sunday on this excerpt post and don't forget to include your email. I'll pick one lucky winner at random on Monday to receive a PDF copy of their novel, "Animal Instinct."

Enjoy the Excerpt!
Smiles
Moderator Steph

***********

Sean tried to shrug away the tension gathering in his shoulders and the back of his neck. He'd seen the clinic on his way home yesterday, and he didn't know where any other vets were located. He prayed someone would be there, and they could take his dog. The sting the poor boy got during their morning run was swelling around his eye and his breathing seemed more shallow than just a minute before. As a first responder, he knew the signs of anaphylactic shock, and he was terrified. He shifted King's weight and kept on jogging, a slower jog with the extra hundred pounds, but he didn't want to waste any time. He was close, just another half a block. "Hold on, King, I'll get you some help." He shouldered his way through the door. He barely took in the prim ladies with their lap dogs on leashes. He only had eyes for the person behind the counter who could get him some help.

"Doctor Al's office, Carol speaking. How can we help you and your pet today?"

She wasn't talking to him. She was answering the phone. He rested King, all sprawling, hairy, panting, wheezing dog, right on the counter in front of her.
His swollen eye was on her side of the counter. She couldn't miss it.

"Just a moment, I have an emergency," she said to the caller. "I'm putting you on hold."

The woman was quick and competent. She called over her shoulder, "Doctor Al, we have an emergency in Exam One." Then she turned to Sean as she opened the door to the side of the counter. "Follow me." She opened another door into an exam room, grabbing what he recognized as the new epi pen on her way through. He carefully placed King on the table in front of them. "I will get you some paperwork in a minute. Do I have permission to treat your dog?" He nodded and she put the needle against King's neck and pressed the life-saving drug into his system just as Doctor Al came into the room.

King was already breathing easier.

Sean's whole body relaxed in relief. "Thank you, thank you." He pressed the hand of the lady from the front desk; the motherly one who had acted so quickly
"You're welcome. Doctor Al will look at your dog now. Stop by here before you leave."

Doctor Al was a woman. That was the first thing that registered. She was petite, with very small but competent hands examining King's body. "Carol has given your dog a dose of an antihistamine to quiet what appears to be an allergic reaction." She flicked her gaze to him. "How long ago did this bite or sting happen?"

*****

View video Trailer at Video trailer: http://bit.ly/OJFLzrl
Download from: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-332/Time-After-Time-Book/Detail.bok
http://tamidee.blogspot.com/
www.lynetteendicott.com
http://www.tamidee.com/
https://twitter.com/LynetteEndicott
https://twitter.com/authortamidee
www.facebook.com/authorlynetteendicott
https://www.facebook.com/tami.dee.7

Author Spotlight - Tami & Lynette talk about the animal helpers in Animal Instinct

In the Time After Time Saga every hero and heroine has an animal helper. They aren't always the same book to book so I won't give away the future.

In Animal Instinct the helper to the woman of the Heartmark is Slainte' (pronounced slawn cha - and sometimes shortened to Cha Cha.) Slainte' is a Gaelic toast to health - and the real cat she was named for, which belongs to Lynette Endicott, needed all the health she could get when we rescued her.

The helper to the hero in Animal Instinct is his German shepherd K9 partner on the police force. He is named for the German Shepherd given to my family when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. Unfortunately no one knew how to train him or had the time, so the generous breeder who gave him to us took him back. Now that I am an adult dog owner I know that walking him and being consistent with his training would have given us a fabulous dog, but it was not to be.

Here are a few photos of the real life Slainte'. She is a feisty little thing who keeps the other cat and dog in line in a very intentional way. Notice her eyes are usually golden, not green. Tami Dee, the co-author on Animal Instinct, and Lynette recently discovered that both have rescued calico cats, although Tami's is much older. Their markings are very similar.

She is the only animal that Lynette's daughter's very lively beagle/bassett mix respects. She is smaller than the other cat but twice as feisty.
*****

View video Trailer at Video trailer: http://bit.ly/OJFLzrl
Download from: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-332/Time-After-Time-Book/Detail.bok
http://tamidee.blogspot.com/
www.lynetteendicott.com
http://www.tamidee.com/
https://twitter.com/LynetteEndicott
https://twitter.com/authortamidee
www.facebook.com/authorlynetteendicott
https://www.facebook.com/tami.dee.7

Author Spotlight - Lynette & Tami talk about what drew them to write the Time After Time Series together

Tami

For a couple of people who met in an on-line critique group, Tami Dee and Lynette Endicott have some odd things in common, including:

· No sons born into our immediate families - daughters only

· Both have cockatiels (a recent discovery). Lynette's showed up on my back patio one day, starving but mostly healthy.

· Both have adopted calico cats - and except for the age difference they even look a lot alike.

· Both live in the Central valley in California (which we didn't know when we "met" on line)

· Both enjoy writing romance, including some speculative elements (like time travel)

· Both have a moral aversion to paranormal elements in our books due to personal faith

· Both like our books steamy but not explicit and want the sex within the bounds of marriage

· Each has helped the other out in the writing journey

And now we can add - we are writing a series of books together! Sometimes people ask how that happened. Great question - and like many blessings in life it just...happened.

Lynette had the idea of a series of generational books, where the heroine in each faces the same enemy in her own way. It was pretty nebulous at first. And Tami is one of the people she runs ideas by.

The only one excited about the concepts at first! And as the structure of the books unfolded each contributed elements and had ideas for books, and so it became natural to write them together.

Lynette

The whole experience has been on line! While we have met, very briefly, twice, most of our connection has been email. . (One meeting was to hand off a manuscript in the days before we emailed them, and the other was at the Pleasanton Scottish games where you were doing some research. I regret now that we didn't take a photo together! On our book tour!) So each of us has taken the lead on half the books, and we have gone back and forth in email to tweak and fill out the family stories until we have something that I think is fun, exciting, interesting - and I hope the readers will, too.

People have been asking what it is like to work together on these books. It is very motivating. When one knows the other is waiting she gets to the work a little faster, and when one is stuck on a plot point she has someone to talk to about it besides my husband.

The most amazing thing about this journey is that they think so much alike!
They didn't alternate chapters, like some people assume. Each is taking the lead on three of the series of six that we've set out. The first, Animal Instinct (AI), where Lynette led and Tami contributed humor and sizzle, is out this week. They are well along in the second, Survival Instinct (SI) where Tami led and have completed the first draft.

The first book released August 21. Here are our links - and Tami also has an ap for Android or iPhone.
*****

View video Trailer at Video trailer: http://bit.ly/OJFLzrl
Download from: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-332/Time-After-Time-Book/Detail.bok
http://tamidee.blogspot.com/
www.lynetteendicott.com
http://www.tamidee.com/
https://twitter.com/LynetteEndicott
https://twitter.com/authortamidee
www.facebook.com/authorlynetteendicott
https://www.facebook.com/tami.dee.7

Author Spotlight - Tami and Lynette introduce the Time After Time Series

The Time After Time Saga is a series of six books (at least that is how many the authors can see right now) set in different time periods as they track the women of the Heartmark and their conflict with the ancient enemy of their family, who travels through time to find them. Tami and Lynette came up with the ideas in on-line brainstorming, and have written the first two entirely through email correspondence.The plan is fun and inspiring for both. Each will take the lead for half the stories. What do we mean by take the lead? Simply put, Lynette writes one book, is responsible for all the hard stuff, writing the first draft, story line, editing, formatting, etc. Once completed, she e-mails the draft to Tami and she gets to go in and play. Then Tami writes the next book and Lynette gets to play! We sincerely hope you enjoy reading this ongoing series as much as we are enjoying writing it! Here is what you have to look forward to:

Animal Instinct, August 2012 (Lynette)
Survival Instinct, April 2013 (Tami )
Pioneer Instinct, December 2013 (Lynette)
Protective Instinct, August 2014 (Tami)
Maternal Instinct, April 2015 (Lynette )
Primal Instinct, December 2015 (Tami )

*****

View video Trailer at Video trailer: http://bit.ly/OJFLzrl
Download from: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-332/Time-After-Time-Book/Detail.bok
http://tamidee.blogspot.com/
www.lynetteendicott.com
http://www.tamidee.com/
https://twitter.com/LynetteEndicott
https://twitter.com/authortamidee
www.facebook.com/authorlynetteendicott
https://www.facebook.com/tami.dee.7

Author Spolight - Q&A with Tami Dee and Lynette Endicott

STEPH: I don't know much about Animal Instinct. What's it about?

Lynette: Dr. Allison Green is one of a long line of women in her family who bear the Heartmark - a heart-shaped birthmark that draws out a time-traveling enemy to deny their happiness. She is a veterinarian whose growing love with detective Sean Barnett is threatened by this ancient enemy.

Tami: It is about two people meeting, falling in love, and while doing so having to survive not only Allison's ancestral memories, but coming to grips with the fact that she is a part of her family's amazing legend and legacy simply by bearing the Heartmark on her body. Sean and Alison must face, and conquer, a time traveling enemy who is determined to rob them of their new found love.

STEPH: Where did you find the inspiration for the story?

Lynette: I was thinking about how fun it would be to track a family's romances through time. I am the genealogist in our family, on both sides, and in the third published in this series will actually take much of the story from one of my husband's ancestors from the 1890s from Ireland to Wyoming.

Tami: Lynette e mailed me with the outline, asked if I wanted to share this adventure with her, and I jumped at the chance.

Lynette Endicott

STEPH: Did you have to do to a lot of research?

Lynette: This will be a series of six books and each one is written in a different time period, so yes, there is research. I did live in the 1970s so the time period of Animal Instinct wasn't hard, but I knew nothing about veterinarian medicine in that time.

Tami: Yes, lots.

STEPH: How does the cover reflect the story within?

Lynette: Oooo - I love our cover. Gwen Phifer did a fabulous job of capturing the mystery and sometimes pain of carrying the Heartmark. She also gives us a glimpse of the passion beneath the surface of our very modest veterinarian once she finds the man of her life.

Tami: The cover highlights the 'mood' of the story. As the story is driven by ancestral memories it gives readers a glimpse of mystery and intrigue. As both Lynette and I take the lead in three books each, our wonderful cover artist, Gwen Phiter, went above and beyond her job by coming up with a way to show which of us leads in each book without compromising the integrity of the series covers. As Lynette took the lead in Animal Instinct, her name is listed first. The next book in the series I take the lead in, and my name will be listed first and so on.

Tami Dee

STEPH: Dr. Allison Green is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

Lynette: She is a bright, capable doctor who cares a great deal about her patients and her community. At the same time she doesn't always see the evil in people, and that is a weakness when it comes to recognizing the enemy.

Tami: I have to agree with Lynette's assessment. Allison is warm and kind, and much too trusting. But as the story moves forward, she learns to be more cautious, without losing her internal sense of goodness.

STEPH: What does the hero, Detective Sean Barnett, find appealing about the heroine?

Lynette: She is sexy but innocent, bright but not jaded by the evil in the world, strong when she needs to be - and before the book is over she definitely needs to be strong to help him survive.

Tami: He recognizes her as an intelligent woman, sees the good within her heart, and definitely benefits from her bravery and all-consuming love for him and her single minded determination to not let anyone hurt him.

STEPH: What genre is Animal Instinct and what do you like about writing this genre?

Lynette: Romantic Fiction with some speculative elements. I have always loved the romance - and to set it against a generational saga and the classic good vs. evil in a romance context was fun. Because there are speculative elements we can play a little with how the animals help and communicate, how the enemy is thrown through time to the next situation, and how ancestral memories help the story along.

Tami: Although this is a six book series, and Animal Instinct is the first to be released, this story is by no means the first book in the series. Our series concept ~ our editor gifted us with a remarkable amount of trust by allowing us to do this ~ is a bit different than readers expect with series books. None of the books are being written, or released, in a chronological order. The stories and their release order are basically driven by Meredith, the time traveling enemy. Once she has had her chance to destroy the Heartmark women's true love, whether she succeeds or fails, she is thrust through time-- sometimes landing in the future, sometimes in the past within a span of eight hundred years or so. Each story in this series can stand alone, with the ancestral memories tying them together and giving small peeks into the other books. It will not really matter what order the books are read in, the reader will come away with a sense of completion.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, what were the last 3 books you downloaded on to it?

Lynette: I have an iPad and the last three books I've read were all DBP books - finished Janus last night (and now can't wait for the next one. Gail Delaney leaves us in great suspense.) Before that A Discreet Gentleman of Discovery which also has my mouth watering for the sequel by Kris Tualla who has a marvelous touch with the main character's capabilities, and his deafness as a characteristic not a tragedy. I am now starting Noah's Ark, a prequel to a set of stories by Vijaya Schartz. I love cats, and big cats have been featured on the covers of the other books in this series.

Tami: I have a Kindle. Last three books were My Brave Highlander by Vonda Sinclair, Everglades by Petie McCarty, and The Abduction of Julia by Karen Hawkins.

STEPH: Tell us a little about the town/state you live?

Lynette: We both live in the San Joaquin Valley in California - even though we didn't know that when we "met" in an on-line critique group. I live in Fresno, which is right in the middle of California both North to South and East to West. When the air is clear, which is unfortunately not often, you can see the Sierra mountains and we are 45 miles from the south gate of Yosemite.

Tami: I live in Stockton. Some may recall The Big Valley TV show (1965 western) which was set in Stockton. Haha, things have changed quite a bit from when Miss Barbara Stanwyck who played widowed matriarch Victoria Barkley held down her homestead. But I have to say, when I was a little girl, Stockton was mostly orchards and rural areas. It's grown a lot, and recently had the misfortune of being listed on AOL headline news as one of the ten most dangerous places in the United States to live. :/

10. Fun question: Did you watch the Olympics? If so, what did you find fun to watch?

Lynette: My daughter was a competitive swimmer through high school, and breast was her stroke, so the women's breast stroke was my favorite. Of course all the drama around the men's swimming was interesting but the quiet triumph of Rebecca Soni taking the gold in the 200 breast was my favorite moment.

Tami: Olympics? Was that on already? Guess I should get my nose out of books and check out the TV once in a while. hahah


LINKS include:
http://tamidee.blogspot.com/
www.lynetteendicott.com
http://www.tamidee.com/
https://twitter.com/LynetteEndicott
https://twitter.com/authortamidee
www.facebook.com/authorlynetteendicott
https://www.facebook.com/tami.dee.7
Buy link at Desert Breeze Publishing: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-332/Time-After-Time-Book/Detail.bok


First of the Time after Time Saga with Tami Dee
Video trailer: http://bit.ly/OJFLzrl

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "More Than a Job"

Thanks so much for supporting Lynette during her week in the spotlight. Leave a comment on any of the posts throughout the week and I'll randomly pick a winner to receive a PDF copy of Lynette's story, "More Than a Job." Leave your email in the comment so we can get a hold of you. I'll announce the winner here and on the Yahoo Connections Loops.

Thanks
Moderator Steph

**********

Paige put her hand to her stomach to quiet the butterflies. Their kiss had been so right, it had scared her. Serious and funny. Gentle and passionate. Filling her with warmth and craziness. She shut down the thought. She didn't even know him.

Stop. Give it time. What's the hurry?

Despite her caution, something had happened inside her. Maybe the timing was right for a change. She was changing, growing. The world had shifted to a new place; maybe that place had room for a man. Maybe this man.

"All tucked away." Josh scanned the kitchen. "Mind if I wash up?"

Paige backed away from the sink and gestured to the soap. "Help yourself."

She didn't move too far away. Watching him was a joy. The way he scrubbed his hands reminded her of the training she gave to staff. Hands and wrists and nails meticulously addressed, with lots of scrubbing, rubbing away all the germs. She remembered Josh's gentle but professional touch as he'd dressed her scrapes in the parking lot. Something clicked in her mind.

"Are you a nurse?"

"I am. Are you okay with that?" He glanced up briefly, holding his hands with fingertips down, leaving the water running. "Male nurses aren't exactly common. Some people are uncomfortable with the role."

Paige handed him a couple of paper towels and watched as he dried his hands and then used the towels to turn off the faucet. "Doesn't bother me. I've been around a lot of nurses in my time, men and women."

"I'm wondering…" Her voice sounded breathless as she let the word trail away, hoping he'd hear sexy and not flaky. "I'm hoping we can pick up where we left off behind the shed. What do you think?"

She dared to look deep into his eyes and was rewarded by a smile filling those brown depths with light. He had her insides quivering. So this is what it felt like to flirt. She had forgotten the energy of it, the feeling of being a kid on an adventure.

He took one of her hands in his and examined it, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles and squeezing gently before he turned it over and kissed her palm. "I think I can arrange that."

A kind of dizziness enveloped her.

"But first I want to tell you something. Look at me, Paige."

She tore her eyes from their hands and fell into something hot and dangerous in his eyes. They smoldered, and her heart tripped ahead of itself in response.

The intensity in his eyes mesmerized her. She wanted to look away, but couldn't.

"You taste like heaven, and I don't know if I will ever get enough." He leaned in then, moving her hand to his shoulder as he did, angling for another sweet, almost cautious taste. He sighed against her mouth and she pressed into him, wanting to be held as well as kissed.


***************

"Where starting over is the path to romance".

Review Snippets:

I read More Than a Job and enjoyed it so much! I loved the characters, loved her occupation and the way you included the group homes and residents in the story. I'm a retired ER nurse, so I always love stories with health care issues. I've never read anything that had group homes in it, either. You must be so thrilled. I'm definitely reading book 2 when it comes out.

Sheri Humphreys
2012 Golden Heart Finalist
http://sherihumphreys.com

This review is from: Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job (Kindle Edition)
I have not stopped reading since I bought the book this morning. The characters are fun and it is an easy read! Great new author, as this is her first book to be published! Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job , Amazon reader/purchaser.


Available now - Book 1 Starting Over Series: More than a Job

Coming August, 2012 - Animal Instinct
First of the Time after Time Saga with Tami Dee

Coming October, 2012 - Book 2 Starting Over Series: Return of Joy

www.lynetteendicott.blogspot.com
www.lynetteendicott.com
www.twitter.com/lynetteendicott

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Over-Book-One-ebook/dp/B007F4D0CO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332628883&sr=8-1
On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/starting-over-book-one-lynette-endicott/1109161024?ean=2940013890701&itm=1&usri=lynette+endicott
At DBP: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-269/Starting-Over-Book-One/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Lynette Endicott talks about researching her story

Researching the story - working in the field of disability services, rights and justice

I have had the honor of working in the field of disability services, rights and justice for more than thirty-five years. It is natural that experience finds its way into my stories. For 25 years this work was in rural western Kansas, very similar to the Missouri town where Paige lived. I've also had the chance to visit a lot of other programs both as a consultant and as a quality reviewer. I've seen great programs and a few ugly ones. Not all of the programs I was involved with were residential, and I don't think residential group homes are the right answer for many people. Sharing housing isn't always ideal for adults. At the same time, with costs the way they are here in California, where I live now, I've decided that shared housing is sometimes a good option for single adults, and not so far from the norm.

The most important concept behind any interaction with people with disabilities is respect. Even people who don't speak or who have difficulty controlling their actions deserve our respect. They are individuals with unique characteristics and we need to see each as a person with individual dreams and needs.

Much of my work has been with people with disabilities in the Independent Living Movement. This is an active, exciting and dynamic group of people not just in the States but around the world who work together to achieve Justice for All people. Every disability is represented in this dedicated group of advocates.

While my own disability is invisible, I am aware of the ways our society restricts people with disabilities, and one of these is in the stereotypes of characters. If you write a character with disabilities, remember that the person's dreams, desires, goals and abilities are more like the non-disabled neighbor than different. Writers should beware portraying a person with a disability as a short-cut device for implying evil, and should be just as cautious of writing about people who are superheroes because of "overcoming" their disability. Write real people, living real lives, for whom a disability is a trait or characteristic, but does not define them or provide a short-cut to implying good or evil in a character.

********

Review Snippets:

I read More Than a Job and enjoyed it so much! I loved the characters, loved her occupation and the way you included the group homes and residents in the story. I'm a retired ER nurse, so I always love stories with health care issues. I've never read anything that had group homes in it, either. You must be so thrilled. I'm definitely reading book 2 when it comes out.

Sheri Humphreys
2012 Golden Heart Finalist
http://sherihumphreys.com

This review is from: Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job (Kindle Edition)
I have not stopped reading since I bought the book this morning. The characters are fun and it is an easy read! Great new author, as this is her first book to be published! Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job , Amazon reader/purchaser.
Available now - Book 1 Starting Over Series: More than a Job
Coming August, 2012 - Animal Instinct
First of the Time after Time Saga with Tami Dee
Coming October, 2012 - Book 2 Starting Over Series: Return of Joy
www.lynetteendicott.blogspot.com
www.lynetteendicott.com
www.twitter.com/lynetteendicott
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Over-Book-One-ebook/dp/B007F4D0CO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332628883&sr=8-1
On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/starting-over-book-one-lynette-endicott/1109161024?ean=2940013890701&itm=1&usri=lynette+endicott
At DBP: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-269/Starting-Over-Book-One/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Character interviews with Paige and Josh from "More Than a Job"

"And you helped me fix up this old house."

Kristen, best friend and former co-worker, interviews Paige


Kristen: So Paige, how long have we known each other?

Paige: When didn't we know each other? We've both lived in our small Missouri town all our lives. I could probably say you are my oldest friend.

Kristen: Thanks a lot! So tell me about a time that our friendship made a difference to you.

Paige: That would have to be the day I was fired from Robinson, Inc. You came into my house -- without my permission, but since I gave you the key I guess I can't complain. You brought me ice cream and helped me through my first crying jag after I was fired.

Kristen: I remember we demolished an entire half gallon of Rocky Road ice cream. Did it help?

Paige: It helped some. Mostly I just needed time to get used to the idea and figure out what to do next, but your kindness definitely took the edge off so I could begin to do that.

Kristen: I saw that awesome written plan, with drawings and everything, on the wall in your office. How did you come up with that?

Paige: Well, you know how we do individual plans with the people we support in services. I followed that kind of thing. Meg helped me put it together.

Kristen: And Meg is?...

Paige: A life coach by trade, the mother of one of the guys served at Robinson, Inc., and a good friend.

Kristen: And what are your plans?

Paige: There are a bunch, including finding a home of my own - which I did when my Grandmother moved out and left me hers -- and getting pets, in the form of two kittens that wandered into my back yard and ... well, you'll have to read the book but let me tell you, I love it when my plan comes together. It's a great life.

*************

Kim, his HR director, interviews Joshua

Kim: Josh, in this harsh funding environment, how often have you had to fire or lay off staff due to the economy?

Josh: Not as often as you might think. I know for-profit owners like my family sometimes get a bum rap because people think for-profit is full of greed, bad.

Kim: And it isn't?

Josh: It doesn't have to be. Think about it - my family wanted to develop our own business, and our heart is in the field of providing good homes to people with developmental disabilities. We won't have homes that are too big. They have to be well-kept and the people living in them have full say about what is their home, including the choice of roommates, the color of paint on the walls, and the temperature setting on the thermostat. To have control and to be able to run it as a family we had to go for-profit. Otherwise a non-profit board could stage a coup and throw us out. It's our business, and we make enough and are happy with our work.

Kim: So how many have you laid off?

Josh: Well, with the acquisition here in Missouri we didn't plan to let anyone go until we'd been operating it for a few months. Unfortunately one of the managers took things into his own hands and fired a very valuable employee.

Kim: You mean Paige?

Josh: I do.

Kim: That had to be hard on your relationship.

Josh: It had the potential to be. But Paige and I had the same goals for our people, the same values, and the manager who fired her didn't. You and I figured out pretty early on that he was the real problem.

Kim: We did. Still, it was water under the bridge. Could you do anything after the fact to make it up to Paige.

Josh: I guess you'll have to read the book to learn the rest of that story.


************

Review Snippets:

I read More Than a Job and enjoyed it so much! I loved the characters, loved her occupation and the way you included the group homes and residents in the story. I'm a retired ER nurse, so I always love stories with health care issues. I've never read anything that had group homes in it, either. You must be so thrilled. I'm definitely reading book 2 when it comes out.

Sheri Humphreys
2012 Golden Heart Finalist
http://sherihumphreys.com

This review is from: Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job (Kindle Edition)
I have not stopped reading since I bought the book this morning. The characters are fun and it is an easy read! Great new author, as this is her first book to be published! Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job , Amazon reader/purchaser.


Available now - Book 1 Starting Over Series: More than a Job

Coming August, 2012 - Animal Instinct

First of the Time after Time Saga with Tami Dee

Coming October, 2012 - Book 2 Starting Over Series: Return of Joy

www.lynetteendicott.blogspot.com
www.lynetteendicott.com
www.twitter.com/lynetteendicott

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Over-Book-One-ebook/dp/B007F4D0CO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332628883&sr=8-1
On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/starting-over-book-one-lynette-endicott/1109161024?ean=2940013890701&itm=1&usri=lynette+endicott
At DBP: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-269/Starting-Over-Book-One/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Lynette Endicott talks about Animals in her writing

I didn't have pets when I was a child, not ones that were mine. When I married, my husband had no interest in them, either. Then when my daughter was 14 a neighbor cat had kittens in our back yard, and much like Paige, we were quite taken with them. I thought we should take them to an animal rescue place, and when she asked why, told my daughter that her Dad wouldn't want them. She uttered four words that have changed my life. "Why should he decide?"

Three cats, two dogs and a bird later (shared between our households now that my daughter is grown and married)... I am an avid animal lover, but still a novice when it comes to how to live with pets. My latest learning curve has been with Georgie, the cockatiel that landed on my deck last summer. He was underweight, starving, and we couldn't find an owner so I learned about birds.



The cats we adopted when my daughter asked her fateful question are the ones that show up in Paige's back yard in the book. Our third cat shows up in my next release, the Time after Time book, Animal Instinct.

My dog and I have an especially close relationship, because he is a certified therapy dog. He and I volunteer together, and go to a nursing home every week, a hospital every month, visiting the residents/patients. We also visit a library once a week, where children read out loud to Ollie. He lays patiently beside them and doesn't ever correct them, and when they finish he does a trick for them, and they get to give him a treat.

My life is richer with my animals and I will probably always work an animal or two into my stories.


*******
Review Snippets:

I read More Than a Job and enjoyed it so much! I loved the characters, loved her occupation and the way you included the group homes and residents in the story. I'm a retired ER nurse, so I always love stories with health care issues. I've never read anything that had group homes in it, either. You must be so thrilled. I'm definitely reading book 2 when it comes out.

Sheri Humphreys
2012 Golden Heart Finalist
http://sherihumphreys.com

This review is from: Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job (Kindle Edition)
I have not stopped reading since I bought the book this morning. The characters are fun and it is an easy read! Great new author, as this is her first book to be published! Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job , Amazon reader/purchaser.

Available now - Book 1 Starting Over Series: More than a Job

Coming August, 2012 - Animal Instinct
First of the Time after Time Saga with Tami Dee

Coming October, 2012 - Book 2 Starting Over Series: Return of Joy

www.lynetteendicott.blogspot.com
www.lynetteendicott.com
www.twitter.com/lynetteendicott

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Over-Book-One-ebook/dp/B007F4D0CO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332628883&sr=8-1
On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/starting-over-book-one-lynette-endicott/1109161024?ean=2940013890701&itm=1&usri=lynette+endicott
At DBP: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-269/Starting-Over-Book-One/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Lynette Endicott

STEPH: I don't know much about "More Than a Job." What's it about?

LYNETTE: Paige Hamilton loses her job - one she's poured herself into, literally day and night, because she is single and the job includes supervising houses where people with developmental disabilities live, so it is 24/7. Then she realizes there is suddenly room in her life for things she's wanted for a long time, including romance.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

LYNETTE: The first draft took a week - I was doing April Kihlstrom's Book in a Week program with a local writing group. It was an intense week, don't get me wrong. I planned ahead with meals and groceries and took a week off work and wrote in several sessions a day, but I finished. Then I worked it through an on-line critique group and, somewhere along the line, put it aside for several years. Maybe I got too busy with work! Another Desert Breeze author, Tami Dee, was in that on-line critique group and one day she sent me an email and asked what I'd done with it because she remembered the story, the characters, and if I could get it to her within the week her Editor would look at it.

STEPH: What was the inspiration for the story?

LYNETTE: So many people these days have lost their jobs and need to start over. I wanted to encourage people that such an event is not the end of the world and can actually be a new beginning.

STEPH: How does the cover reflect the story?

LYNETTE: Isn't the cover great? You know immediately that you are seeing someone who lost her job. She's thoughtful, not just sad, but also looking to what will come next.

STEPH: Paige is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

LYNETTE: Paige is fiercely devoted to the rights of people with disabilities. There are some twists and turns in the story that test her advocacy, but it holds true. Her weakness is that she judges too quickly, which almost costs her some important relationships.




STEPH: What does the hero find appealing about her?

LYNETTE: He loves her sense of adventure, the fact that she is recreating her life the way she wants it, even after her job loss.

STEPH: What do you hope readers take away from reading the novel?

LYNETTE: That we aren't alone as we navigate this life, and when we are willing to trust God and move forward, He will bring good out of our toughest times.

STEPH: Are you a plotter or a panster?

LYNETTE: Both. Usually I map out a rough plot so I have a sense of the story arch. Then I sit and write and the book takes off in new and unexpected directions. In this book, the secret about Paige's uncle was completely unexpected and wrote itself, to my great surprise.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

LYNETTE: I use the Kindle ap on my iPad. I love carrying LOTS of books around with me, and always have four or five in line, but I only read one at a time.

STEPH: Fun question: Do you have any Easter traditions or customs you'd like to share?

LYNETTE: We are pretty tradition in attending church together. Then there are Easter foods. My college roommate's family from Montana served roast rabbit for Easter dinner, which always seemed a little too harsh to me. Our favorite Easter food is Cadbury Mini Eggs. The whole family shares my love of them. The best is two to one milk to dark chocolate. Perfect!

"Of course my family had Easter egg hunts when we were children."


********

Available now - Book 1 Starting Over Series: More than a Job

Coming August, 2012 - Animal Instinct
First of the Time after Time Saga with Tami Dee

Coming October, 2012 - Book 2 Starting Over Series: Return of Joy

www.lynetteendicott.blogspot.com
www.lynetteendicott.com
www.twitter.com/lynetteendicott

Review Snippets:

I read More Than a Job and enjoyed it so much! I loved the characters, loved her occupation and the way you included the group homes and residents in the story. I'm a retired ER nurse, so I always love stories with health care issues. I've never read anything that had group homes in it, either. You must be so thrilled. I'm definitely reading book 2 when it comes out.

Sheri Humphreys
2012 Golden Heart Finalist
http://sherihumphreys.com

This review is from: Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job (Kindle Edition)
I have not stopped reading since I bought the book this morning. The characters are fun and it is an easy read! Great new author, as this is her first book to be published! Starting Over Book One: More Than a Job , Amazon reader/purchaser.

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Over-Book-One-ebook/dp/B007F4D0CO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332628883&sr=8-1
On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/starting-over-book-one-lynette-endicott/1109161024?ean=2940013890701&itm=1&usri=lynette+endicott
At DBP: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-269/Starting-Over-Book-One/Detail.bok