Sharon's INSPIRATIONAL Short stories of Faith and Romance can be found HERE or visit her
Facebook Page, which also has the links in the comments.)

Monday, February 14, 2011

Win blue diamond earrings from Oliver

Happy Valentines Day!
Want to read a Valentines exclusive featuring Oliver and the lovely Dominique from Charade of Hearts? And you can also win a pair of gorgeous blue diamond earrings from Oliver! Come celebrate the love.
February 14-18
Celts and more blog with Sky Purington


Sharon Donovan
Romantic Suspense with a Twist of Faith

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Where the one and only Oliver will mix your favorite cocktail with a wink and a smile!

My Books

Charade of Hearts
Oliver’s story
AVAILABLE NOW!
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/charade-of-hearts-p-4346.html

Her Biggest Fan
An edge of your seat chilling suspense
ISBN: 1-60154-813-3
AVAILABLE NOW!
http://www.TheWildRosePress.com/Her-Biggest-Fan-P-4234.HTML

Mask of the Betrayer
Book one in the Mask series
Filled with so many twists, turns and surprises, you’ll be
hooked from the first chapter.
ISBN: 978-1-936167-06-7
AVAILABLE NOW!


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Dear Oliver with Mary Ricksen

Hello and welcome to another episode of Dear Oliver! Today’s special guest is the author of Time Travel Romance, Mary Ricksen. You don’t want to miss her pet peeve, especially if you are an insomniac with a self esteem issue to boot! And there’s more, so get ready, it’s a doozie of a list.
Among Mary’s otherpet peeves are rude, superior attitude, inconsiderate people, bullies, snobs, and mean spirited people! And she hates when the government gives money to countries that hate us.

So, come on in and belly up to the bar. And while you’re eavesdropping on Oliver’s sound advice, why not treat yourself to one of his legendary martinis! You’ll find his impressive venue listed on the sidebar. Not a martini fan? Not a problem. Oliver will make whatever drink strikes your fancy and serve it with a wink and a smile. Rumor has it that his Chicago style pizza is so loaded that the mafia is after him! With no further ado, let’s give a warm round of applause to Mary Ricksen!
Oliver: What can I getcha to drink, love?

Mary: Well Oliver, you know I don’t drink. I see more and get to laugh at everyone else who does!! And let me tell you I have seen some very drunk people do very funny things. Not so funny for them the next day when they realize what they did. I’ll take anything frosty with berries in it.

Oliver whips up a frosty strawberry smoothie and presents it to Mary with a wink and a smile. Noticing her pout, he plops in three more frozen strawberries. Nothing if not a lady killer, he plucks up the plumpest and feeds it to her. Then he skims his hand along her cheekbone. Why so glum, chum?

Mary:  My problem, is self esteem, I need to get more somehow! Add to that I am an insomniac and I hate it! I wanna be sleeping, but my brain won’t shut off! Every problem, every unanswered question, every hurdle that I have to leap, runs through my mind late at night when it’s quiet and the world nods it’s head in rest. My second book needs a home. And I hope to goodness I find a good one for it!

Oliver: My sweet pet, he clutches his heart. I’ve just finished reading
TRIPPING THROUGH TIME
And, my sweet, dare I say that after being sucked in to your incredible writing style, any book that follows has to be a winner! With a wicked wink, leans a little closer and whispers. Sweet thing, I slipped you that secret agent stun gun* for a reason. And for the record, if I were you, I’d zap any agent or editor that rejects your second book where the sun doesn’t shine. Now, tell me, love, who can I play for you on the jukebox to chase your blues away?
Mary:  Three Dog Night, Or the original version of Layla?

The lights dim and Oliver falls to his knees in front of Mary, plucking on the strings of an electric guitar. He serenades her, his husky voice floating across the bar to the classic Eric Clapton hit.
“No one is waiting by your side?
You’ve been running and hiding much too long
You know it’s just your foolish pride
Layla, you got me on my knees
Layla, I’m begging’ darling please…”

When the lights come back, the bar rocks with applause. Oliver hands Mary another strawberry smoothie with a ton of frozen berries and a mouth-watering piece of loaded pizza. When Mary opens her mouth, Oliver feeds her, dabbing the sauce dribbling down her chin. He smiles a beguiling smile. So tell me, sweet pea, when did you develop this pet peeve?

Mary:  Pet peeve, My pet peeve is rude, superior attitude, inconsiderate people! Bullies, snobs, and mean spirited people stay away from me please!!! We are all just plain human and should be nice to one another. Oh! I hate government giving money to countries that hate us, while our own people have no jobs or are starting!!! There is no middle class anymore; you are either well to do or struggling.

Oliver’s eyes glaze over as he listens to the longest rant he’s ever heard. When his ears begin to buzz, he mumbles something about giving a stun gun to a raving lunatic, a crazed psycho. Then he plucks up a bottle of whiskey and drinks some, straight up. Then he pours the rest of the jug into Mary’s smoothie.

Well, love, there is no such place as Utopia, but if such a place did exist, where do you think it is?

Mary: A place in the mountains, where everyone is kind and friendly, and there are trees and gentle winds, silence except for the sounds of the forest. (A hospital has to be within driving distance too Ha!) Oh, I wouldn’t mind being comfortable enough to not worry about money!
And I like to be liked, ya know? I try to be the best person I can be, sometimes I may make a mistake, but I would never hurt another person if I could help it! I love it when people are happy to see me!
But most of all I want to meet in person my two soul sisters from the AR&T. Maybe on a cruise, or in the Great Smokies, somewhere together. Sorry Oliver only girls this time.

Oliver puts on his iPod and cranks up the volume. When he can still hear Mary’s ever growing list of pet peeves, he drinks some more whiskey to drown her out.  Pretty soon, he’s belting it out to Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb.

How can Dear Oliver help, my pet?

Mary: You gave me a stun gun!* I love you, you’re my buddy. I got your back guy!
I love how you take care of Sharon. Ain’t she the bomb!
Love you sweetie! Buttttt---A nice shoulder rub might help?

His head spinning, Oliver snatches his stun gun back and shoots himself. In his dazed state of confusion, he can still hear the voice of Mary Ricksen. He’ll probably hear it in his sleep.
*(See last week's roast comments on the post 'Where are the Clowns)
I moved to Florida a long time ago. I hate the summer heat, but the winters are heavenly!! I love snow, but don’t miss the terrible weather you have where you live. I was born in Burlington, Vt., but moved many times from Canada to Texas and many states in between. When I moved out on my own I moved to Port Washington, NY. Where I met and married Chris. I loved him from the minute I saw him. He was hot and still is!
He coulda used some training in how to be a good husband. But his mom was never home.
He is like my left leg, be tough to live without him. He does surprise me though. Yesterday he did something he’s never, ever, done. He bought me a pair of earrings for no reason at all.
I was filled with shock and awe. I hope the kisses and hugs were enough to let him know I loved what he did. But, there is that niggling wonder in the back of my head. Hey, what did you do?
So far, so good. Wasn’t that just what I have been hoping for? A more thoughtful man, holey moley! And God help me, I hope he continues to do things like that!!!

http://maryricksen.com/

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Dear Oliver with Linda Nightingale

Hello and welcome to another episode of Dear Oliver! Today’s special guest is the author of steamy romance, Linda Nightingale. You don’t want to miss her pet peeve, especially if you’ve ever had to deal with one of those dreadful rejection letters. So, come on in and belly up to the bar. And while you’re eavesdropping on Oliver’s sound advice, why not treat yourself to one of his legendary martinis! You’ll find his impressive venue listed on the sidebar. Not a martini fan? Not a problem. Oliver will make whatever drink strikes your fancy and serve it with a wink and a smile. And rumor has it that his taco bar sizzles with award-winning recipes entered in south of the border contests. With no further ado, let’s give a warm round of applause to Linda Nightingale!

Oliver: What can I getcha to drink, love?

Linda hooks a hip on a bar stool. Hello Oliver! A Cosmopolitan, please.

Oliver presents a perfectly chilled Cosmopolitan to Linda with a wink and a smile. Noticing her pout, he adds a festive umbrella to her cocktail. Why so glum, chum?

Linda: I just got a rejection on the third book I sent an agent. She gives me great feedback and encouragement, but a no is a no. I understand these opinions are subjective, but it hurts when someone calls your kids ugly. Like most authors, my books are part of me—like children. Perhaps that’s why the ego takes such a direct hit. I’ve been working on taking the rejections with a “Next!” for a long time but, as yet, haven’t mastered the technique.

I talked to a friend who is a writer, too, and like me, she says she goes into a real funk with a rejection.  So I’m in a funk, Oliver, until I get back on the horse and ride again.

Oliver: My sweet bonita, he fans himself. I’ve just finished reading
HOT SPANISH NIGHTS
and, my pet, if I might be so bold to say, any agent that isn’t man or woman enough to pluck you right up has to be plum loco! With a long stemmed red rose between his teeth, leans a little closer and growls. Sweet thing, I’m your biggest fan. And for the record, if I were an agent, I’d snatch you up in a heartbeat. Now, tell me, love, who can I play for you on the jukebox to chase your blues away?

Linda: Phantom of the Opera. The thundering piece always reminds me of my Andalusian stallion Bonito. In days gone by, we performed a musical freestyle (in costume) to the Phantom.

Linda and Bonito
Oliver presses his 007 remote and The house lights go out. A moment later, under a surreal sunset, Linda and her Andalusian stallion Bonito perform a musical freestyle in costume to the explosive Phantom of the Opera.

When the lights come back, the bar rocks with applause. Oliver hands Linda another Cosmo and a mouth-watering taco. When Linda opens her mouth, Oliver feeds her, dabbing the hot sauce dribbling down her chin. He smiles a beguiling smile. Nicely done, hats off, my pet. So tell me, when did you develop this pet peeve?

Linda: It’s been rapidly creeping up on me with every rejection since the dawn of time (in my case 1992 which is when I picked up my pen again to write after a 20 year hiatus because of some negative feedback).  Tell me, Oliver, don’t I need to develop thicker skin?

Oliver winks. Sweet thing, as much as I’d prefer living in a world where life is beautiful all the time, there simply is no such place as Utopia. Life’s a continuous struggle, filled with a long and rocky road of endless rejection and challenge. So, to answer your question, yes, you must develop thicker skin in order to survive. But here’s my tip for the day. Live every day to the fullest and make every day count. Eat, drink and be merry! And another Cosmo couldn’t hurt either. Wink. But if such a place did exist, where do you think utopia is, sweet thing?

Linda: Definitely by a crystal blue ocean with temperate weather year round with a view from my bedroom window and my living room. Or maybe The Battery in Charleston, South Carolina--the gorgeous house where Morgan (the hero in my unpubbed vampire novel Sinners Opera) lives! I wouldn’t mind living with him either. He is introduced in Black Swan from The Wild Rose Press.

Oliver pumps his biceps and grins. I love a good vamp story! But while we’re sitting here, how can Dear Oliver help, my pet?

Linda: Give me a massage and another Cosmo. No seriously, I meant a message like that agent called and wants all my novels or an editor is at the door begging for my fallen angel series!


Oliver mixes a perfect pitcher of James Bond martinis, shaken, not stirred. Whistling, he fills two chilled Gibson glasses. He hands one to Linda and winks. Here we are then, love. Lets see how you do on my house special!

Bianca, my evil twin, would like her moment now. She drinks chocolate martinis and lives on the Wilder side of The Wild Rose Press garden. Her latest release is Hot Spanish Nights, a saucy erotic novella about a dynamic bullfighter, a Southern vixen and the spectacular Spanish horses.




If you’d like to read an excerpt and view the trailer, Dear Oliver, you can go to my blog: Bianca’s Blog. Hot Spanish Nights is available from The Wild Rose Press.

Bianca also has a pending release from The Wilder Catalog of The Wild Rose Press called Celestial Sin:

Blurb: Essie McBane set her standards high. She had hoped that one day she’d find her dream man, but didn’t expect him to be a warrior angel with chestnut curls and a heavenly body. Cam-ael, an angel of the Order of the Powers, had never considered mortal sin until he was wounded in the Second War in Heaven and plummeted into Essie’s arms. The most difficult task of his long existence will be to convince her that he is willing to fall from grace to win her love.

You mix a primo Cosmo, Oliver. And thanks for letting me whine. Now I’d like to cry on your broad shoulders. Not because I want to cry but because you have such broad shoulders. The next time I get a rejection, I’d love to drag my fanny back in here and let you soothe my troubled spirit.
Thanks for being Dear Oliver.

Linda Nightingale
Black Swan available from The Wild Rose Press