Author Spotlight Saturday ~ Meet Marianne Jones + Giveaway!

This week I am excited to introduce everyone to Marianne Jones. Marianne is a Canadian children's author with a few titles written. This is the first time Marianne has been on Genuine Jenn, welcome Marianne! 

Tell us a little bit about your book(s) and yourself. 

I’m a wife, mother and grandmother of two darling wee girls. I’m also a retired teacher and children’s choir director, an actor, playwright and director. I’ve written a collection of poetry, called Here, on the Ground, which was a winner in The Word Guild’s 2011 Writing Awards, The Land of Mogan, a fantasy novel for young readers, The Serenity Stone Murder, a  mystery set in Thunder Bay, and Great-Grandma’s Gifts,  my first picture book, which I wrote for my grandchildren about my Mom, who passed away at Easter.  

When was your first book published? 

I self-published The Land of Mogan in 1998. I used to read it to my grade four students. It’s great fun when they come up to me as young adults now and remind me of that. It’s nice to know that is one of their pleasant memories of elementary school. 

Are you currently working on anything? 

I am working on several books, but the main one is tentatively called The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die. It’s an as-told-to account from a survivor of horrific abuse, who is now a speaker for the Canadian Mental Health Association. It’s amazing how much she went through, and inspiring to see how she has triumphed over it all. 

Why did you decide to become an Author? 

When I was ten or eleven (I think.) I loved reading, and devoured books voraciously. I also wrote poetry, and spent considerable thought over crafting them and trying to choose the exact right words. One day it occurred to me in one of those “moments of truth” that I wanted to spend my life creating the things that gave me so much joy. From that moment, I knew my path. 

Who and what inspired you to write? 

The magic of books themselves inspired me, and my own love of words, their beauty and what they could do. But that love was nurtured by my mother, who also loved to read and was very happy that I had chosen writing as my vocation. 

When you are writing to you like to listen to music? What is on your playlist? 

I actually don’t. I love music, but it distracts me. I’m likely to start singing along! I need quiet and solitude to concentrate. I love Paul Simon, and all the classics from the 60s. I don’t keep current. 

Who is your favorite character in your books? 

That’s hard to answer. Each book is like a good friend. Why play favourites among your friends? But I like Emily in Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. 

Do you ever take characteristics or nuances from close friends or family when working on character development and if so has that friend or family member noticed and what was their response to it? 

In The Serenity Stone Murder, the protagonist has a personality similar to mine. The other characters don’t particularly remind me of anyone I know. In a novel I’m working on, the characters do bear some resemblance to certain family members, but I don’t think they’ll mind. I guess I’ll find out! 

What is your favorite book of all time? 

The Idiot, by Doestoevsky. I love everything of his. 

Tell us in one sentence why we should read your books. 

My writing is lively and humorous,  very accessible, with underlying meaning and love. 

List your books that are available. 

Here, on the Ground, The Land of Mogan, Great-Grandma’s Gifts, and The Serenity Stone Murder. 

Where can people connect with you? 

Website | Facebook |  Twitter | LinkedIn | Goodreads | Amazon | 

Giveaway Time! Marianne would like to offer one lucky Genuine Jenn reader a Great-Grandma's Gift prize pack! 

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~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Chasing Love's Wings by Zoey Derrick ~ Book Tour & Review!

Title: Chasing Love's Wings (Love's Wings 2) 
Author: Zoey Derrick 
Age group: NA 
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Cover Design: Parajunkie

Scheduled to release: May 27, 2014

Book Summary: 

Everything in Cameron Enders' life feels like a dream since she took a trip to a remote island where she met Tristan Michaels, Hollywood's hottest man. Tristan never imagined that his get-away vacation would change his life and his heart.

But everything isn’t perfect in paradise once Cameron and Tristan return to Phoenix. When Cami discovers a dark secret, her dream becomes a living nightmare. She slips back into old habits, turning to alcohol to hide her pain. As the woman he loves becomes more a stranger by the day, Tristan’s world is rocked again. He’s a helpless witness to Cami’s self-destructive cycle - until she pushes too far, testing the limits of his love. Their love is far from perfect, but he will stop at nothing, chasing it all until she has everything she deserves.

Cami’s withdrawal could strengthen or destroy everything she hopes to have with Tristan. Can Cami trust him enough to give him everything or will she cling to her secrets and their pain, tearing them apart forever?
 
Purchase a copy on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
 

About the Author: 

Amazon Best Selling Angels, Demons & Devils and Paranormal Author of Give Me Reason - The Reason Series Book One comes from Glendale, Arizona. Zoey, was a mortgage underwriter by day and is now a paranormal, romance and erotica novelist full-time. She writes stories as hot as the desert sun itself. It is this passion that drips off of her work, bringing excitement to anyone who enjoys a good and sensual love story.
 

 

Not only does she aim to take her readers on an erotic dance that lasts the night, it allows her to empty her mind of stories we all wish were true.
 Her stories are hopeful yet true to life, skillfully avoiding melodrama and the unrealistic, bringing her gripping Erotica only closer to the heart of those that dare dipping into it. 
 

 

The intimacy of her fantasies that she shares with her readers is thrilling and encouraging, climactic yet full of suspense. She is a loving mistress, up for anything, of which any reader is doomed to return to again and again.

Connect: Twitter | Facebook | Blog/Website | Goodreads |

Review: 

I read this series a little backwards starting with this book first instead of Finding Love's Wings. I usually don't like skipping books in a series because for the most part you get totally lost from the beginning especially if there was a cliff hanger in the last book. This book isn't like that. I was able to pick up Chasing Love's Wings and jump right into a great story. I felt like I received enough back ground on the characters that I was able to easily get into the story and love the characters.  

Zoey Derrrick has taken me on another great journey with more solid characters that really are hard to not fall in love with. Tristan and Cami have this steamy and passionate relationship. Tristan is by far one of my favorite male characters in the books I have read lately. He is hot, sensitive and would do anything for Cami. Cami is a strong women with her head on right even if she doesn't think so at times who would blame her when she is thrown for a loop about a person from her past. After everything Cami goes through she and Tristan find that their love for each other is strong enough to handle everything. 

This characters are well developed and the story flows right along with no lulls or jumping around. I love being able to have both Cami & Tristan tell their story as it is happening. By the end of this story I was smiling from ear to ear but also had some happy tears. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a little more of Tristan & Cami.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Follow the rest of the tour by clicking the logo below.

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~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of the book above in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Look what I found on my walk

Yesterday morning Molly and I headed out to take the kids to the bus and then head out on our morning walk. We didn't get too far on our walk this morning before we came across something that needed our help. 

We were very close to the water where we take a trail for our 5km walks. The HUGE turtle started across the road! I got closer trying to figure out how in the world I was going to get this big guy across the road as he was in a really bad spot that cars fly down a hill and out to the end of this road. He was at the bottom of the hill. I remember last year I learned that when moving a turtle you are suppose to move them in the same direction they were going. I had no idea how I would move him especially with Molly with me. I was lucky that just as we were standing in the middle of the road with the turtle this guy who works for Parks Canada was coming to work and was parking his car in the lot close to us. He came to us right away and there was another car that came that had a blanket. The guy was able to get this big guy across the street but not before I stopped a couple cars flying towards us. 

I love living in a smaller town close to water and parks, you just never know what you will see from ducks, beavers and turtles.

Here are some pictures!

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Dreamworks Dragons: Defenders of Berk Part 2 on DVD TODAY!

Based on the DreamWorks Animation Academy Award^® nominated movie How to Train Your Dragon, comes Dreamworks Dragons: Defenders of Berk Part 2 on DVD today! Join Hiccup and his fearless friends as they embark on new adventures and battle to protect their island home. The young Vikings must put their dragon training skills to the test to defeat dangerous and surprising new enemies! The series features original voice talent from the film including Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera and Christopher Mintz-Plasse and will include Zack Pearlman and more.

The DVD is jam-packed with special features that dive deeper into the exciting world of Dragons, including Dragon Tracker Part 4 featuring an in-depth look at Skrill, Baby Thunderdrums and Speed Stinger dragons, along with a special sneak peek of Snaptrapper, a dragon that will be seen in How to Train Your Dragon 2; Evolution of Skrill, a featurette with visual effects supervisor David Jones who explains the history behind this mysterious and scary dragon; and the “Here Comes the Fire” Dragon Mash-up music video. When it comes to action and excitement, the sky’s the limit in this high-flying animated TV series.

Fans that purchase the DVD will also get a Digital HD UltraViolet^™ code for the title and Movie Money ($7.50 value) to redeem for tickets to How to Train Your Dragon 2 when the film hits theatres in June, as well as a chance to win a free dragon racing saddle or a mystery box code for exclusive battle gear and powers to School of Dragons, the online game from JumpStart based on DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon franchise. 

For more information, visit School of Dragons.
 

DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk Part 2 DVD Features:

·         Dragon Tracker Part 4

·         Evolution of Skrill

·         "Here Comes the Fire" Dragon Mash-Up

Review:

My son was waiting for this DVD since he watched Dragons Defender of Berk Part 1. He loved this one just as much as the first or even more. He liked learning why the screaming death was destorying all the islands while trying to find his mom. He has watched this a few times already and can't wait to see if they come out with more! 

Giveaway Time! Who would like to win their very own copy of Dragons: Defenders of Berk Part 2 on DVD? If you live in the USA or Canada enter below!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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The Fructis Damage Eraser by Garnier

As we are finally leaving winter and fast approaching the hot weather our hair has been through all kinds of climates here in Canada. We are all guilty of being Damage Criminals by applying too much heat to our hair from using flat/curling irons or hair dryers leaving us with the frustrations of dry and damaged hair. We can now rest easy with Fructis Damage Eraser, the latest in hair care innovation from Garnier Fructis. Reconstruct your hair's strength by 90% from root to tip!

This NEW hair care product line include the Damage Eraser Shampoo and Conditioner and the Strength Reconstructing Butter.  It is specifically designed for dry and damaged hair. No more worrying when using your favorite styling tools. 

Get great looking healthy hair in THREE easy steps! 

Step 1 ~ use the Fortifying Shampoo & Conditioner 

Step 2 ~ use the strength reconstructing butter by applying to wet hair

Step 3 ~ seal with using the split end bandage

I was really amazed at how quickly these products went to fixing the dry ends I have along with my frizzy bangs. I found my hair softer, smoother and bouncy within a couple uses. I will say I love the hair butter. With all these products I found a little bit goes a long way especially with the hair butter! I also thought that I put a bit too much on my hair the first time but it didn't even look oily. I found that the scent is fresh and light and my hubby loves the smell. He smelled my hair after the first time I used it and asked if I changed shampoos.

To learn more about the NEW Fructis Damage Eraser product line and to take advantage of the limited time trial offers visit the Garnier website.

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn and brought to you by Garnier L’Oreal Canada via SheBlogs. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Garnier L’Oreal Canada. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Mani Monday & a Pedi ~ Wild Animal Prints

This week I decided I would walk on the wild side with some animal prints on both my fingers and toes! The Zebra tips are now retired but I absolutely love them! I also LOVE the Gold Leopard prints that I have one my toes. I will be picking up another sheet of these soon.  

What are you wearing on your fingers and toes?

Pop over to The Knit Wit to follow Shari's Mani Monday too!

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Author Spotlight Saturday ~ Meet P.R. Newton

Please welcome P.R. Newton to this weeks Author Spotlight. We recently featured a review of P.R Newton's Shattered Embrace on Genuine Jenn.

Tell us a little bit about your book(s) and yourself.

I’m a thirty-something mother of two boys living on the prairies of Canada. Last year I decided to try publishing my first book. I have published some short stories in the past in various anthologies, but taking the leap and publishing a book was a little scary. I started with a memoir about a health issue I suffer with called And Then My Uterus Fell Out – A memoir on life with pelvic organ prolapse. The title is pretty self-explanatory. My goal was to give other women hope and to help them feel less alone as they deal with this condition that affects half of all women, but no one seems to talk about. Then, this spring I published my first fiction novel, Shattered Embrace. Shattered is a story I have been writing for years. It was inspired by my experiences with adoption and in the adoption community, plus my training in psychology and childhood mental health. I also have a short story that was just released on May 15th as part of the Telling Truths: Storying Motherhood anthology from Demeter Press.

When was your first book published? 

My first short story was published when I was a teenager, but my first full length fiction book is Shattered Embrace which came out in March 2014. My non-fiction book was published in September 2013.

Are you currently working on anything? 

Always. I love multi-tasking and have a number of stories at various stages of completion. 

Why did you decide to become an Author? 

I have always loved to write. I still have boxes full of notebooks filled with stories I wrote as a child. As an adult I published short stories in a number of anthologies and I also worked in communications where I wrote corporate professional pieces. Then I gave birth to my first son and developed health issues that prevented me from returning to work. In addition to POP I have a heart condition I underwent surgery for in September 2013. Parenting and dealing with my health became the primary focus of my life for years. Then last year things started to change. One child was in school full-time, the other son in school part-time, and I found myself with time to write again. And it has proven to be a very fulfilling and healing process for myself.

Who and what inspired you to write? 

It’s hard for me to pin down one thing. For me writing is like therapy. Each story is inspired by different people and experiences, but in all cases I write because I truly love to do it. Even if no one was reading my stories I would still write. In fact having people read my stories is still a very new thing for me. Most of my stories have been collecting dust for decades.

When you are writing to you like to listen to music? What is on your playlist? 

My youngest child is only in school part time, so most of my writing is done to the sound of cartoons. One day I would love to have a playlist, but I’m still a couple of years away from that luxury.

Who is your favorite character in your books? 

Marilyn Witcraft, the grandmother and mother of Matt in Shattered Embrace. She is a smart, loving woman who embraces life with a quiet confidence and hope that I greatly admire.

Do you ever take characteristics or nuances from close friends or family when working on character development and if so has that friend or family member noticed and what was their response to it? 

I pull little bits from people all around me, even strangers. I’ve never consciously modelled a character after any one specific person, instead they become a blend of traits forming their own person. No one has ever commented on that aspect of my stories, hopefully because the characters are their own people.

What is your favorite book of all time? 

I can only pick one? I’m not sure if that is possible there are just too many. A few favourite authors are Anne McCaffrey, J.K. Rowling, Tolkein, plus a lot of the classics. I’m also a horse girl so books like Black Beauty, the Black Stallion series, and Misty of Chincoteague were always on my shelf as a child.

Tell us in one sentence why we should read your books. 

My books are honest, truthful and will send you on a rollercoaster ride that will stick with you long after you turn the last page. 

List your books that are available

Shattered Embrace

And Then My Uterus Fell Out – A memoir on life with pelvic organ prolapse

Telling Truths: Storying Motherhood anthology (short story) 

Where can people connect with you?

Website | Mailing List | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | 

Thank you P.R Newton for taking your time to answer some questions for my readers.

Are you an author that would like to be featured on Author Spotlight Saturday or have your book(s) reviewed on Genuine Jenn. Please fill out this form. Thank You!


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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