Book Tour: Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers by Deborah Serani

Title: Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers
Author: Deborah Serani
Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield 
Pages: 232
Genre: Self-Help/Psychology, Parenting
Format: Hardback/Paperback/Kindle

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Seeing your child suffer in any way is a harrowing experience for any parent. Mental illness in children can be particularly draining due to the mystery surrounding it, and the issue of diagnosis at such a tender age. Depression and Your Child is an award-winning book that gives parents and caregivers a uniquely textured understanding of pediatric depression, its causes, its symptoms, and its treatments. Author Deborah Serani weaves her own personal experiences of being a depressed child along with her clinical experiences as a psychologist treating depressed children.2013 Gold Medal Book of the Year Award – IndieFab (Psychology Category)https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/depression-and-your-child/ 2014 Silver Medal Book of the Year Award – Independent Publishing (Parenting Category)http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1791

Book Excerpt

When you held your child for the very first time, you were likely brimming with pride and joy. Your heart swelling with enormous love, you’re swept away with streams of thoughts for what your child needs in this immediate moment – as well as plans and dreams for the future. You expect there to be wondrous adventures your child will experience, as well as bumps in the road along the way. And that’s okay you say, because you know that life isn’t always an easy journey.           

But one thing you probably never considered was how an illness like depression could take hold of your child. And why would you? Up until recently, it was never believed that children could experience depression. Long ago, studies suggested that children and teenagers didn’t have the emotional capacity or cognitive development to experience the hopelessness and helplessness of depression.                                                                                                     

Today, we know that children, even babies, experience depression. The clinical term is called Pediatric Depression, and rates are higher now than ever before. In the United States alone, evidence suggests that 4% of preschool aged children, 5% of school-aged children and 11% percent of adolescents meet the criteria for major depression.

           

“Depression and Your Child” grew out of my experience of being a clinician who specializes in the treatment of Pediatric Depression. I wanted to write a parenting book to raise awareness about depressive disorders in children, teach parents how to find treatment, offer tips for creating a healthy living environment and highlight important adult parenting matters such as self-care, romance and well-being.                                                                                                    

I also wrote this book because I have lived with depression since I was a child. As is the case with pediatric depression, my own depression didn’t hit with lightening like speed. It was more of a slow burn, taking its toll in gnaws and bites before hollowing me out completely. After a suicide attempt as a college sophomore, I found help that finally reduced my depression. Until then, I accepted the sadness, despair and overwhelming fatigue “as the way my life just was.” I never realized, nor did my parents or any other adults, that I had a clinical disorder. I’ve since turned the wounds from my childhood into wisdom and believe that sharing the textures of my experiences will help parents realize what their own depressed child is going through.                     

More than anything else, I want this book to offer hope. As a clinician, proper diagnosis and treatment can be life changing and life-saving. As a person living with depression, I have found successful ways to lead a full and meaningful life. I want parents and children who struggle with depression to feel this hope too – and in these pages, that’s what you’ll find.

           

I’m a teacher at heart. Just about everything I do in my personal and professional life has some aspect of nurturance to it. When writing, I want readers to be able to take what’s in these pages and apply them to their life. The chapters herein will give you all the necessary requirements needed to parent you child with depression with confidence and success.                              

You’ll learn about the normative patterns and stages of child development, from physical, verbal, cognitive, emotional, and social development. I’ll teach you how to observe your child, how to spot potential concerns and give you the insight needed to help diagnose depression. As you read further, I not only outline traditional treatments for pediatric depression, I delve deeply into holistic methods too. I’m a great believer that there’s more than one way to treat illness – and finding what works for you and your child will be vital. In the pages of this book you’ll also find how to tap school resources for additional support and what kinds of specialists you need to advocate for your depressed child. I discuss the scariest subject matter related to depression, suicide and self- harm, in a manner that is candid and frank, yet hopeful. I want parents to know what to expect from medication if it’s needed, from hospitalization if it’s necessary and what kinds of realistic expectations to have regarding what psychotherapy can and can’t do when it comes to depression.                                                                                          

A significant emphasis in “Depression and Your Child” is making sure you, as a parent, carve out time for yourself and time for your love life. Chapters include tips for intact families, single parents and co-parenting arrangements, as well as caregivers who may need to plan for future caregiving for their depressed child. And because stigma features strongly in the life of anyone who lives with mental illness, a section of myths, facts and ways to address such stigma is featured. Furthermore, a list of almost 400 high profile people, from athletes, actors, musicians, scientists and world leaders, will help you and your depressed child see that people who have depression can lead meaningful lives.          

           

To broaden the understanding of what’s covered in this book, I’ve included a case study at the end of each chapter. Though the names and other identifying information have been changed to keep confidentiality, reading the stories of these selected cases will help you understand theories, treatments and techniques.                                                                                 

Finally, worldwide resources to advocacy websites, mental health organizations, parenting associations, suicide hotlines and pharmacology agencies round out “Depression and Your Child,” making this truly a guide book for parents.  

Wow! Talk about a fantastic book dealing with a sensitive subject. I am a licensed social worker and work with kiddos of all ages. This book was extremely helpful in helping me to understand the origin of diagnosing depression in pediatrics, the different types, and the plethitude of treatments open to children and their families. She gives great case examples at the end of each chapter. The reader does not need to be a professional and have any experience regarding depression or its related symptoms and treatments. The book is explicitly written for parents and caregivers of children with depression. The author does an excellent job of breaking the subject down into multiple chapters that build on each other. She is honest, concise in her facts, and has a lot of common sense and scientific back up. I highly, highly recommend this for parents, caregivers, or professionals who deal with any aspect or have a relationship with a kiddo suffering from/suspect suffering from depression. 

Dr. Deborah Serani the author of the award-winning books “Living with Depression” and “Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers.” She is also a go-to media expert on a variety of psychological issues. Her interviews can be found in ABC News, Newsday, Women’s Health & Fitness, The Chicago Tribune, The Daily Beast, The Associated Press, and radio station programs at CBS and NPR, just to name a few. She writes for Psychology Today, helms the "Ask the Therapist" column for Esperanza Magazine and has worked as a technical advisor for the NBC television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. A psychologist in practice twenty five years, Dr. Serani is also a professor at Adelphi University.

For More Information Visit Deborah Serani’s website. Connect with Deborah on Facebook and Twitter. Find out more about Deborah at Goodreads. Visit Deborah’s blog. More books by Deborah Serani. Contact Deborah.

Cover Reveal (middle school fiction): Extraordinary Sam & the Adventurers Guild by Kevin A. Springer

“This box may seem empty, But there’s more than meets the eye…” Sam Miller seems like an ordinary 12-year-old boy, until he discovers a mysterious box. Suddenly, he lands in a magical world in which he must battle deadly pirates, savage warriors, giant man-eating spiders, and a fire-wielding tyrant. To survive, Sam must overcome his fears, solve riddles, and most of all, be extraordinary.

Releasing March 2015 by Bookfish Books! 

 Buy Link: 

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Kevin A. Springer grew up on a farm in Maryland where his imagination knew no limits. As a husband and father, he reconnected with his creativity while telling bedtime stories to his two young boys. One such story evolved into his debut book, Extraordinary Sam & the Adventurers’ Guild (March 2015, Bookfish Books LLC.), which tells the tale of an ordinary boy who finds a hatbox and discovers a world of adventure and self-discovery. Kevin is a self-proclaimed dreamer and a kid at heart. When he’s not writing or reading, he is coaching soccer or helping with homework. He lives outside of Atlanta with his wife, two extraordinary boys, and dogs. He is also a co-founder of the Middle Grade Mafia blog. Author Links: @kevinaspringer, kevinaspringer.wordpress.com, middlegrademafia.com

Book Review & Giveaway: Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown
Published by: Grand Central
Publication date: August 19th 2014
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Synopsis:
Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her.

While police suspect Jeff of “instant divorce,” Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself the captive of a man whose violent past is so dark that he won’t even tell her his name. She’s determined to escape him, and willing to take any risks necessary to survive.

Unexpectedly, however, the two have a dangerous encounter with people who adhere to a code of justice all their own. At the center of the dispute is a desperate young woman whom Emory can’t turn her back on, even if it means breaking the law.

As her husband’s deception is revealed, and the FBI closes in on her captor, Emory begins to wonder if the man with no name is, in fact, her rescuer.

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*** 4/5 Stars ***

"Mean Streak" is a fast paced and twirl of deception and suspicion. Emory (love her name!) is a well known pediatric doctor married to Jeff who works in finance. Childless and down to loveless, the couple of on the rocks. Emory heads out to train for a charity marathon while Jeff completes a cheat-a-ton. Emory disappears and is suddenly a not so willing, kind of willing resident in a cozy cabin with an imposing stranger. While treated kindly, she kinds a few mysterious clues to and tries to ferret out her mysterious rescuer's past and identity.

The story fast forwards the Emory's return to the world and the ultimate betrayal. I didn't see the twist at the end. Fair warning, the bad guy isn't who you might guess at first. Roles will be reversed. The supporting characters, a few quirky detectives and a searching FBI agent, add to the general melay and intriguing storyline. Sometimes boggled down by details, this was still a good romantic suspense that deals with some modern day issues.

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including DEADLINE(2013), LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), & HELLO, DARKNESS (2003).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program “PM Magazine.”

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Author links:

sandrabrown.net/books/mean-streak/

href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6218.Sandra_Brown" target="_blank">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6218.Sandra_Brown

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSandraBrown

https://twitter.com/sandrabrown_NYT

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Book Review & Giveaway (blog exclusive ebook giveaway): Bueno by Christy Esmahan

All three books in the series is on sale for $2.99 through the end of February!!

Free on Kindle Unlimited. 

*** 5/5 Stars! ***

"Bueno" is the first of a three book series about Harvey, an American, and his tenacious and sometimes naive leadership as a headmaster in Spain of an international school. Harvey is an extremely likeable and pluckable character who battles through a new culture and a school bogged down with personal politics and favoritism.

I was immediately drawn into the story and had a hard time putting it down. I grew up with a ton of different cultures here near Houston, Texas, but the international school scene was new to me. Being transported to that world and being dumped straight into the struggles and drama that Harvey faced was eye opening. The "brujahs" (witches in Spanish) is a word, an excellent one at that, used to describe the clandestine group of tenured staff at the school that rule its inner workings. Harvey is hired on tentatively and strives to do what's best for all involved and steps on some grumpy toes. The story goes through his personal losses, the sheer nastiness and lengths that people will go to keep change out, and his blossoming relationship.

Harvey is an extremely likeable guy and I winced, gritted my teeth, and laughed with him through the story. The author does an amazing job of weaving a fun, contemporary, and fictional story that goes to show people don't change that much- even across the globe.

In need a good break from reality or just a plain good story? Start this amazing series and be sucked right in.

Interview questions for A Little Bit of R&R

Tell us a bit about yourself

Well, I lived in Spain for 12 years as an adult which really helped me to write the Cantabria American School series, of which Bueno is the first book. I also love science and birding. And I love to read—often I’m devouring 3 or 4 books at a time. I love to travel. And I love to cook, but I don’t like following recipes.

When did you begin writing?

I have been writing poetry all my life but I began my novels in 2008, shortly after I retired from teaching.

Have you ever been discouraged in regard to your writing ability and if so, how did you get past it and move forward?

Yes, definitely. I almost gave up writing completely. But my husband was very encouraging, and then I stumbled on a wonderful blog by a talented writer and writing coach named Lauren Sapala. Her blog posts were uplifting and reminded me of the joy of writing.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

When the characters come alive and the novel writes itself—that’s my very favorite part. I’ll go into a scene expecting to write one thing and something completely different will occur. It’s magical.

What is your writing style? Do you like to outline or just write as you go?

I’ve changed. I used to just write as I went, but it made for a very messy and incoherent plot. Now I outline. I still give myself the freedom to deviate if needed, but then I document the deviations.

Do you have a favorite spot where you like to write?

No, though I do all my writing on the computer now.

What is something you've written that will never see the light of day?

Probably my poetry.

What's the hardest thing about writing for you?

Sometimes I’ll get stuck and not know where to go with a story—that’s really hard. I find, though, that if I keep returning to it and keep plodding along, I become unstuck.

What inspires you to write?

Goodness, I can’t NOT write now. What inspires me to breathe? What inspires me to open my eyes in the morning—it’s all kind of the same thing.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I have written 4 books—the fourth will be published in just a few weeks (by March 2015). Usually, whatever I’m currently working on is my favorite. My newest book is called THE LAPTEV VIRUS and it’s about a large virus discovered in the Arctic which becomes a human pathogen. I’m very excited about it.

What are some of your favorite books?

The list is tremendously long! In the realm of general fiction, I love the Dickens books most of all. The funniest books are the Nursery Crime and Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. I have read The Lord of the Rings at least 6 times in its entirety. And there are tons of other terrific books that have moved me. I use a shelf in my Goodreads profile to highlight the best books I’ve read.

What authors do you like to read?

Charles Dickens, Jasper Fforde, Alexander McCall-Smith, Liane Moriarty, JoJo Moyes, Anthony Doerr, Jeffrey Eugenides, etc.

What inspired you to write Bueno?

I felt like I had a story to tell. I was a teacher and an administrator in a small international school in Spain and I wanted to write about my experiences, but I also wanted to convey my love for Spain and the sense of adventure I felt when I lived there.

Would you say you relate to any of your characters? If so, which one and why?

Well, I kind of relate to bits and pieces of each of them—they’re my characters, after all. I mean, certainly some of them misbehave pretty badly, doing things I would never do, but that makes the story much more interesting.

This or that.

Sweet or Salty? Salty

Naughty or nice? Definitely nice. Too nice most of the time, which is why it’s fun to write about not nice—gives me a chance to live vicariously.

Cats or dogs? Dogs—I’m allergic to cats. Though I do watch an inordinate number of funny cat videos.

Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate, preferably with nuts.

 

Wonderful news: Bueno is a semi-finalist in the Elixir Press Fiction Award competition of 2014!

I owe my early passion for writing to my high school English teacher, who, like one of the characters in my new series, was very inspiring. She believed in me and I've never forgotten that. I took a circuitous road toward authorship, working first as a researcher in the field of molecular biology, then as a science and math teacher, then as an administrator, and finally as a technical translator. As I progressed along the path of completing my novels, I swerved out and published a children's book, which 3-year-olds seem to love, and then returned to literary fiction, my first passion. My 11 years living in Spain also heavily influenced my desire to write. I loved my time there and wanted to share that beautiful world with everyone. I hope you enjoy my novels!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorchristyesmahan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristyEsmahan

Author Website: http://christyesmahan.com/

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Book Review & Tour: Stillness of the Sky by Starla Huchton

Title: The Stillness of the Sky
Author: Starla Huchton
Series: A Flipped Fairy Tale
Genre: Fantasy /YA
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: Feb 2 2015
Edition/Formats: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
"Once upon a time, my life was certain: it was insignificant, and it was cruel. But I refused to let it define me, no matter how great the cost.
Once upon a time, I made a wish. The world I knew grew wider than the sky and higher than the stars, and I listened to the voice within me, reaching out for freedom.
Once upon a time, my wish became my fate, and my destiny the hardest lesson to learn: kindness may be the most difficult path, but it can save entire kingdoms.”

*** 5/5 Stars! ***

This is my second book to review by this author. I LOVE her writing style and stories. They are fairy tale sweet but lifelike in their realism and presentation. In this novel, she mixes up traditional fairy tales and delivers them on a lovely platter of lyrical fantasy.

Jack, Jacqueline, is our main hero. This chick is sweet, vulnerable, and kind. She also has an uber power hidden within herself that is unleashed once she sets out on an adventure to escape her abusive home life. Giants, magic, princes (selfish and not), inn keepers, a rideable raven... and our lovely protagonist is in for a whole lot more than she bargained for. Love, adventure, sorrow, and discovering her true family ends for a happily tied up ever after.

Please, if you're a lover of fantasy or anything in a similar genre, pick up Ms. Huchton's books. They make for excellent reads and her newest release does not fail to entertain!

It took my vision a few moments to adjust to the sudden brightness, but when I did, I couldn’t believe the sight in front of me. Stunned, I staggered backwards, all but falling down as my gaze drifted up from the base of the enormous plant that had sprung up overnight.
The bottom was easily twenty feet wide to either side of me, with massive leaves bursting from curled vines thicker than a man’s shoulders were broad. It seemed to be not a single plant, but three twisted around each other, leading up and up into the sky. I followed the trail of leaves spiraling around it like a giant staircase until I lost sight of them in the clouds obscuring the top.
What, by the spirits, was that thing, and how had it come to be there so instantaneously? What enchantment conjured it? Even more, how long would it remain? Eventually someone would notice it and ask all sorts of questions, and I wouldn’t have any answers for them.
I paused, hitting on one word swirling in my mind: enchantment. In running from the wolves, I’d dropped the beans. While I couldn’t prove it myself, I was fairly certain they were some sort of magic. Therefore, the only reasonable explanation, even though it was the most outlandish thing I’d ever entertained, was that the plant before me was the result of the three beans being exposed to soil and water.
“Either you’ve hit your head very hard, lost your mind completely, or found something amazing, Jack,” I said out loud, hoping that talking through the development might bring me some clarity. “As you’re not in terrible pain, let’s discount the first one for the time being.”
My feet moved without my thinking, and I carried on my monologue, trying to puzzle it out. “You might be talking to yourself, but nothing up until this moment has ever given you cause to doubt the reliability of your brain. That leaves one option.”
I stopped walking, marveling at the turn of events. As I watched, a single leaf uncurled from the base of the humongous beanstalk, spreading out on the ground before me like a carpet. Was it a greeting? That leaf led to another slightly above it, and a third and fourth after that. Each was perfectly positioned, one leading to the next.
If ever I’d been given an invitation to anything, that was it.
Not entirely sold on it, I wandered back to where I’d woken, retrieving my pack and cap from between the layers of leaves. The hat was a bit soggy when I placed it on my head, but I was sure it would dry quickly with the heat of day already growing rapidly. Again at the leaf that unfurled before me, I lifted my gaze up, following it once more into the clouds.
“I wonder how high it goes?”
The thought of being at such an elevation, looking out over everyone and everything, cemented my decision. People climbed mountains only to say they’d done it. They built larger and larger structures for no better reason than gaining a closer perspective on the stars. Why should I be any different? How many could say they’d encountered a plant such as this, and how regretful would they feel for having passed up the opportunity?
Tentatively, I set my foot upon the leaf, unsure if it would even hold me. It gave some, but easily supported what little weight I carried. A large man might find it impassable, but for me, a girl of sixteen with years of hunger under her belt, I’d have no cause to worry.
Well, no cause pending the strength of the greenery held out all the way to the top.
As many times as I’d looked to the sky, never before had it seemed so full of promise.
With a firm nod, I started up. After all, what was the worst that could happen? If nothing else, I’d finally know what it felt like to fly.

A geek of all trades, Starla Huchton has been crafting stories in various genres since 2007. Her first novel, The Dreamer’s Thread, was released as a full cast audiobook podcast, becoming a double-nominee and finalist for the 2010 Parsec Awards. After releasing short fiction of steampunk, noir fantasy, and other varieties, she released the first three books of the Sci-Fi Romance Endure series in 2013. All three books of the Evolution series, a New Adult Superhero Romance series, were released in 2014, as well as a Steampunk Fantasy novel, Master of Myth (the Antigone’s Wrath series, book 1), which was the first place winner of the Crested Butte Writers’ contest, The Sandy, in 2012. Shadows on Snow, a gender-flipped retelling of Snow White, releases in November 2014.

When not writing, Starla trains three Minions, a black lab, and a military husband whilst designing book covers for independent authors and publishers at DesignedByStarla.com.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Blog

Facebook Author Page

Goodreads

G+

Twitter

Website

Other Works by Starla 

Evolution Series

Evolution Angel #1

Evolution Sage #2

Evolution HEX #3

The Evolution Series Omnibus

The Endure Series

Maven #1

Nemesis #2

Progeny #3

Paradigm #4 (WIP)

The Antigone’s Wrath Series

Master of Myth #1

Master of Machines #2 (WIP)

Stand Alones

The Dreamer’s Thread

A Flipped Fairy Tale

Shadows on Snow

The Stillness of the Sky (Coming Late Winter)

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review & Giveaway: Bound By His Ring by Nicole Flockton

 



I seriously fussed at the author about 30% into this book. Luciano Morelli was such a butthead jerk!  For crying out loud, the chick he met and had a whirl wind beach wedding with a year ago didn't even remember him! Jasmine Anderson had a nasty car wreck that knocked out her last year's memories. To make things worse, her overbearing, controlling father has mucked up much more than his relationship with Jasmine. The first part of the book takes place with Mr. Morelli out like a shark to get revenge on his soon to be ex-wife during a mandatory business trip they take. I took Nicole's promise it got better.

Oh-la-la, the romance and good man I wanted appeared! Romance readers can easily dive into this lovely story by Mrs. Focton and get family drama-rama, the rediscovery of lost love, and the beauty of past mistakes and their futures.

I had a good mix of emotions reading the book, which is the whole point of romance, right? Writing flowed well and the characters had their past and present spoken into the story by their individual voices. Good read, folks!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

 I’m an Australian living in Houston Tx. I’m married to a wonderful man and have two kids who drive me crazy but I love them. I have the cutest Pomeranian Dog who always sleeps next to me when I write or on the floor behind me if I’m at my desk.

I love to read, have always read romance. I also used to do Ballroom Dancing. If I can avoid driving around Houston I do, so I tend to keep to my house and only go out if I have to. But I make an exception for Heather because she’s special!

When did you begin writing?

I began writing while I was pregnant with my daughter, so back in 2002. I was writing a time travel, Outlander style, story with a group of girls. We had a lot of fun with it. Then I started my first manuscript, which after many edits and some re-writes got contracted by Escape Publishing and became “Bound by Her Ring”.

Have you ever been discouraged in regard to your writing ability and if so, how did you get past it and move forward?

I’m going to be really honest here. I could say I’ve never had issues with being discouraged. Last year was a really bad year for me. I was continually doubting myself and everything I wrote. I did a lot of comparing which is absolutely the worst thing you can do, but it was where my head was at, at the time. To get past it I kept trying to write and eventually I sat back and realised that no one probably cared about what I was doing so I shouldn’t worry about what anyone else was doing. It’s still a struggle but I just keep moving forward and I know one day it will all fall into place – well I hope it does.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Hmm I think it’s getting to create characters and putting them in uncomfortable situations and making them work hard for their happy ever after. It can be challenging but also fun.

What is your writing style? Do you like to outline or just write as you go?

I do a mix of things now, but I’m a pantser. On some stories I’ve mind-mapped ideas of where I think the story is going to go. Character traits and other times I’ll just sit down and write because I want to get to the story and not spend time planning. That can bite me in the butt, but it’s my process.

Do you have a favorite spot where you like to write?

Nope I can write anywhere. But I do most of my writing in my lounge chair.

What is something you've written that will never see the light of day?

Probably the time travel story I wrote with my friends. LOL I thought I was so good but really I was so bad!

What is your writer food?

I graze so sometimes it’s chocolate or mini cupcakes or pita chips.

What's the hardest thing about writing for you?

Trying to promo myself and get out there. I’m not aggressive like that and in this age of so many books being put up on a weekly basis. I’ve got to become a bit more pro-active and stronger. I need an alter ego who can do that for me. LOL

What inspires you to write?

I don’t know to be honest.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I’ve written 7 full length novels and 4 novellas. A couple of those are pending publication but there are parts of all the books that I love. But I will say Bound by Her Ring is probably my favourite because it was my first book I wrote so it’s special to me.

What are some of your favorite books?

That I’ve read? Ooh you know I have a lot of them. “The Second Mrs Adams” by Sandra Marton is one I can re-read and love every time. I’ve enjoyed Debra Kayn’s Bantorus MC books.

What authors do you like to read?

 The list is endless. LOL

What inspired you to write Bound by Her Ring?

I had a scene pop into my head of a woman standing in a ballroom, people all around her but she seemed alone, like she didn’t belong there.

If you could choose a dream cast for Bound by Her Ring, who would you pick?

Ugh I always have no idea how to answer this question LOL. I really have no idea. I don’t ‘cast’ people when I write my books. On the last book I wrote I had a couple of pictures of people but I have no idea who they are. So I really can’t answer this question. LOL

Would you say you relate to any of your characters? If so, which one and why?

Hmm I don’t think so. I try to give my characters a more glamorous life than mine. LOL

This or that.

Sweet or Salty? Sweet

Naughty or nice? Nice

Cats or dogs? Both as I have both and love them both LOL

Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate all the way.

If you were deserted on an island, which author would you want to be stranded with?

 Oh I don’t know LOL. But I think I’d like to be stuck with Debra Kayn. I’ve chatted to her online for so long so would love to meet her in person and I’m sure we’d have fun stuck on an island.

On her very first school report her teacher said ‘Nicole likes to tell her own stories’.
It wasn’t until after the birth of her first child and after having fun on a romance community forum that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book.
The stories she writes are contemporary romances with either a medical setting or in the boardrooms of high powered businesses. She enjoys taking two characters and creating unique situations for them.
Apart from writing Nicole is busy looking after her very own hero – her wonderfully supportive husband, and two fabulous kids.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NicoleFlockton

Website: http://www.nicoleflockton.com/

Twitter: @NicoleFlockton

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Review: Incarcerated: Letters from Inmate 92510 by Inger Iversen

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

Title: Incarcerated: Letters from Inmate 92510
by Inger Iversen
Published by Inger Iversen on September 29th, 2014
Genres: adult, contemporary, romance
Pages: 342
Format: eBook
Goodreads

One of the few white kids in a rural Kentucky town, Logan Whyte always kept to his own kind out of self-preservation. He never considered himself racist, but that didn’t stop him from falling in with the wrong crowd that celebrated hate as much as he fought it - or from ending up in prison for eight years on an armed robbery charge.

A successful and educated black woman, Katie Andreassen is tired of being accused of betraying her own race. Her lonely isolation, coupled with her grief over losing her mother, inspire her to create a new pen pal program at Capshaw State Penitentiary, where her father is a warden.

The program brings together the unlikely pair, but Logan and Katie soon find themselves forced to overcome past fears and prejudices. Their friendship doesn’t come easily - threatened by a crooked lawyer with a grudge and a best friend who betrays her promise to help.

When faced with a world that forces them apart, Logan and Katie must show everyone else what they have discovered: that love is, in fact, colorblind.

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Let me start off by saying this… I didn’t love Incarcerated but I didn’t hate it either. I’d say I thoroughly enjoyed it up until about 80%. I’ll just go down my list of points. I’ll start at the cover because it was undoubtedly the first thing that pulled me in. This ebook cover is up there but here’s the audiobook (I swapped back and forth). They’re both equally gorgeous. I stepped out of my comfort zone for this one. I would normally never read something that has a convict as one of the main characters. It’s just not something that appeals to me and brings up some bad memories. So I took the plunge. Katie is the female lead in this story. She enters into this pen pal program for the incarcerated as a way to rid herself of her own loneliness.

It’s a romance, so you have to figure that she’s going to fall for this guy. I think that was my biggest hurdle when I was reading this. I couldn’t figure out a logical reason why she would fall for someone that is in jail, but hey, it happens. Then, to top it off, Logan has issues with any race besides his own. He’s got a troubled past and it affects they way he views people. I was waiting for the proverbial “shit to hit the fan.” I knew it was going to happen. After all, Katie is black but he thought she was white. It was like the elephant in the room. You know it’s there and the other parties are completely unaware. This could end badly. But it didn’t! There were a bumps in the road and it was a long one.

Some new information was brought to light and I felt better about rooting for their relationship. I almost felt like it was doomed to fail given his hatred. The romance between Logan and Katie is beautiful. My concern was still there though. He had this deep seated hatred towards other races and it’s not going to go away overnight…I get it. I just expected him to start warming up to it sooner than he did.

Back to where it went downhill for me….80%. I switched to the audiobook and felt like I had missed a few chapters. I couldn’t believe the direction it went in with what happened in the previous chapter. I literally rewound it several times, convinced that I missed something. I didn’t…and I really hate the way the last chapter ended. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for happy endings, but it didn’t feel realistic to me. The epilogue was definitely needed. It made me feel a little better knowing that he was working to change himself.

Inger Iversen was born in 1982 to Anne and Kaii Iversen. She lives in Virginia Beach with her overweight lap cat, Max and her tree hugging boyfriend Joshua. She spends 90 percent of her time in Barnes and Noble and the other ten pretending not to want to be in Barnes and Noble.