Every Move She Makes by Jannine Gallant

Modern Heroines—Doing It All with Style

A modern heroine doesn’t much resemble her predecessor of a few decades ago—back in the day when bodice-rippers were all the rage… Today’s heroine isn’t a young girl wringing her hands, moaning over her hard luck and waiting for a strong man to save her. Not that she doesn’t appreciate a strong man when one crosses her path! She’s a woman taking control of the situation and finding solutions.  She’s a woman with a career and interests beyond the man with whom she falls in love. 

Today, creating heroines with jobs, kids, and problems to solve while they fall for men as imperfect as they are, is what we do best. The heroine of Every Move She Makes is Rachel Carpenter, ex-soap star, bookstore owner and divorced mother of three with a psychotic stalker on her trail. Maybe most of us don’t have an unbalanced fan following us around (at least not yet!), but I bet you can relate to the frustrations of a mom whose fourteen-year-old daughter dyes her hair pink and gets a tattoo, a woman so busy prioritizing her children and her business she doesn’t have time to date. The mark of a true modern heroine is how she handles herself and her problems. I think Rachel qualifies. In the following excerpt, Rachel is doing her best to cope with her resentful teenage daughter. What do you think? Personally, I’d rather deal with a stalker… 

Lark was bent over wrapping a towel around her wet hair when Rachel reached the shower stalls.

“Does it feel good to be clean again?”

Lark ignored her question. “I saw you talking to Kane.”

“He just got back. His dad’s a lot better.”

“I bet you’re happy to see him.”

Her daughter’s tone set Rachel’s teeth on edge. She put down her clothes and shampoo before turning to face her. “As a matter of fact, I am. What have you got against Kane? He’s really a very nice man.”

“Nothing, I guess.”

“Then what’s with the attitude? I’ve dated men before, and you didn’t seem to mind.”

She shrugged. “I could tell you didn’t like those guys very much. But you smile at Kane the way you used to smile at Dad when I was a little kid. It bugs me.”

“Don’t you want me to be happy?”

Lark sighed. “Sure. Whatever.” When she raised her gaze to meet Rachel’s, her blue eyes clouded. “What I don’t want is some guy thinking he can replace my dad. Jade and Ivy might be dumb enough to fall for it, but I’m not.”

“No one can replace your father, honey, and I wouldn’t want anyone to try. Besides, I think this conversation is a bit premature. I barely know Kane. I don’t think you have to worry about picking out bridesmaid dresses just yet.”

“Funny, but you don’t fool me. You really like him.”

“Yes, I do, and I’m going canoeing with him tonight. I’d appreciate it if you’d be civil.”

Her daughter’s expression reflected pure disgust. “That’s so gross. How am I supposed to sleep knowing you’re making out with Kane in a boat?”

“Try hard. If you’re done here, I’d like you to keep an eye on your sisters. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

Lark whipped the towel off her head and trudged up the path as the last rays of dying sunlight highlighted the magenta streaks in her hair.

 

Blurb:

No matter where she goes, he knows her every move…

Long ago, Rachel Carpenter was a glamorous soap star. She gave it all up to move to Napa Valley with her daughters to open a bookstore near her family vineyard. Her life is safe and dependable, until she encounters Kane Lafferty at a wilderness camp in the rugged High Sierra. A burned-out police detective struggling with his own demons, Kane is instantly attracted to Rachel. And like Rachel, he isn’t sure if he’s ready to open his heart. But everything is about to change… 

Someone is watching from the darkness. A fanatic obsessed with Rachel for years has decided to claim what he believes is his. It will be up to Kane to not only protect his new love and her family, but to uncover the identity of the stalker before it’s too late for all of them… 

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

 

About the Author:

Write what you know. Jannine Gallant has taken this advice to heart, creating characters from small towns and plots that unfold in the great outdoors. She grew up in a tiny Northern California town and currently lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband and two daughters. When she isn’t busy writing or being a full time mom, Jannine hikes or snowshoes in the woods around her home. Whether she’s writing contemporary, historical or romantic suspense, Jannine brings the beauty of nature to her stories. To find out more about this author and her books, visit her website at janninegallant.com.

Author Links:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Valentine Honky Tonk Hearts Blog Hop

Ladies, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking old Gus, owner of The Lonesome Steer honky tonk couldn’t have brought together all the lonely, broken hearts that he did. But I’m here to tell you I have. Not only do I have the pictures of these couples in my office to prove it, but there’s been a whole series of romances written about the men and women who found love at The Lonesome Steer. And just like every one of my couples, each of these romances is a keeper.

 

The authors of these books have put together a Valentine Honky Tonk Blog Hop, an easy way for you to get a sneak peak at every story. And there are prizes to put a bounce in your Texan Two-Step. 

Blog Hop Prizes:

$50 first place gift card to The Wild Rose Press

$25 second place gift card to The Wild Rose Press
TWRP Mug (for US visitors only) 

To be Eligible:

Visit each blog and leave a comment. Every comment constitutes an entry for grand prizes. The more hop stops you visit and comment on, the more chances YOU have to win. Comment away, ladies!!! Y'all know how ya love to talk.

 

 

 

Here at Vintage Vonnie, I'm offering prizes too ... NO, not him!!! For two of my commenters, I'm offering your choice of any of my Wild Rose Press backlist in eBook format. Look at the titles to your right and choose one, should you win. To be eligible, you must answer both of my questions asked at the end of the post.

I have two stories in the Honky Tonk Hearts series.

My first is THOSE VIOLET EYES, first place winner in the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award (NERFA) and also first place in the Contemporary Novella division of the International Digital Awards (IDA's).

Here's an excerpt:

Evie rolled her eyes and stepped behind him, tapping him on the back. The metal strainer clattered in the sink and a blur of motion barely registered before steely hands gripped her forearms. Oh my God! In a flurry of movement, he snatched her off the floor and backed her against the stainless steel counter. Cold wet hands viced her arms. Her eyes snapped wide and the air whooshed from her lungs when his body slammed into hers.

Win’s eyes were narrowed, his breathing rapid through a clenched jaw and a vein bulged in his forehead. “Don’t do that.”

The man was every inch the warrior, every hard tensed inch. He held her mid-air, so close they were nearly eyeball to eyeball. As his gaze traveled over her face and awareness evidently crept in as to the sex of his attacker, several inches of his frame hardened even more.

Evie swallowed. Oh, good Lord.

He glared and his nostrils flared.

“I…I’m sorry, Win. I called your name, but…but you didn’t answer. I was only trying to get your attention.” Her lips twitched at the humor in the situation—hadn’t Keira told her the man lost part of his hearing? Evidently she’d startled him. Poor soul. She felt a portion of herself return. A portion she’d hidden for so long; that light-hearted part of her soul that teased and cajoled. “Honest, I wasn’t trying to attack you.” She placed an open palm on his defined pecs and patted. “You’re safe with me, big guy.” Just to rattle him some more, she winked.

Win’s hazel eyes flashed for a second, then he slowly leaned in and whispered in her ear, “You’re not safe with me.”

 

My second story, BACK WHERE YOU BELONG, is a bit of a love triangle. A different triangle than you might expect. Our heroine, who tends to prattle when she gets nervous, our single-dad-hero and his thirteen-year-old daughter, who likes to play matchmaker.

EXCERPT FROM BACK WHERE YOU BELONG:

Holy crap! The guy from the Lonesome Steer was sitting in her kitchen and looking at her as if he couldn’t believe this crazy quirk of fate any more than she could. Now, if she could only get through the next few minutes without prattling and making a fool of herself—once more.

“Hello, again, Lacy.” His deep voice washed over her, raising gooseflesh and setting her insides to melting. Then he smiled and her heart stuttered for a few beats. Only one man in the entire world could smile like that with dimples so deep they carved grooves into his cheeks.

“You’re…you’re Tyler Desmond? I haven’t seen you since I was a teenager and you were young and handsome.” Shit, did I say that?

Tyler’s chocolate eyes narrowed.

“I don’t mean you’re not still handsome, you’re just older.” She cleared her throat and glanced frantically around the room, mentally searching for a way out of this awkward situation. “Not that you’re real old.” She waved a hand in expression. Men like Tyler didn’t age, they sauntered into the arena of perfection. “You’re just…older.” And twice as sexy. She pursed her lips. “I had a serious crush on you at one point.”

His dark eyebrow quirked in silent surprise.

“I can’t believe it’s you. Why didn’t I recognize you the other night?” She fingered her curls and shook her head once. “You, of all people. I even took a picture of you years ago, when you weren’t looking. Just one. A profile shot.”

Now both dark eyebrows rose.

“Had it blown up poster-sized and taped it to the ceiling over my bed. That was ten years ago, the summer I turned fourteen.” Shut up! For God’s sake mouth, shut up!

But, of course, her demon tongue kept right on talking. “Grandma had a fit when she saw it. Said I had no business lusting after a married man.” She pursed her lips again. “I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing. I just simply enjoyed looking at you.”

He sat there silent; his gaze locked on her, looking better in a navy T-shirt and worn jeans than any male had a right to. One of his elbows rested on the table; his square chin was cupped in his hand and a long finger slowly stroked his lips as if he were erasing a smile before it had a chance to grow.

THE TWO QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ANSWER IN YOUR COMMENTS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN WHAT I’M OFFERING – What color are Win’s eyes? Why did Tyler stroke his lips?

*** Don't stop here!!! Click on the following story titles which will take you to the author's blog where you can read about their Honky Tonk Hearts story and leave a comment to increase your chances to win!

Nothing But Trouble by Jannine Gallant                   Sing to Me, Cowboy by Lauri Robinson

Honky Tonk Man by Sylvie Kay                               A Song for Sophie by Mackenzie Crowne

Those Violet Eyes by Vonnie Davis                          Cowboy-sexy by Donna Michaels

Lonesome Cowboy by Stacy Dawn                           Back Where You Belong by Vonnie Davis  

The Morning After by Brenda Whiteside                  Lost Memories by Sherri Thomas 

 

GOOD LUCK and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

December FREE Holiday Stories from The Roses of Prose

 

This year, like the two previous years, the Roses of Prose are bringing you free holiday reads. We're each starting every story with the line ... This was the last place she expected to spend Christmas. Oh, imagine the possibilities! Each of us went in our own direction with the line, creating Christmas stories we hope you’ll enjoy. They begin today, December 1^st and run every day of the month. These are delightful reads you won’t want to miss. And did I mention they were FREE? http://www.rosesofprose.blogspot.com

 A few of the stories are told in one day, a few are told in four and the rest fall somewhere in between. Regardless, we hope you'll visit The Roses of Prose every day this month for your Free holiday read.

What Did You Watch in the 80’s? by Jannine Gallant

Thanks for having me today, Vonnie. It’s always a pleasure to visit you!

 

In the summer of 2010, I went a little crazy and wrote three books for a brand new series from The Wild Rose Press called the Class of '85. Why, you might ask? Because the series title hooked me. Having graduated from college in 1984, I have some wonderful memories from the early 80’s. Great times spent with good friends.

 

June 18th through the 22nd, five books from this terrific, multi-author series are free, including the first one I wrote, Lonely Road To You. To celebrate, I'm taking a trip back to the past and reliving those years. Today, let's talk TV! 

I’ll admit, I didn’t watch a lot of TV back then. But there were times when we ditched studying for some mindless relaxation. And I do mean mindless. This was the era of the nighttime soaps. Dallas and Dynasty topped the ratings charts. I wasn’t a fan, but there were some entertaining and innovative sitcoms I enjoyed. The Cosby Show was a hit. And what about a show that took place in a bar? Cheers took the sitcom away from family values and gave us something completely different. Then there was Magnum PI—Tom Selleck in a Ferrari—what more is there to say. LOL

 

My heroine in Lonely Road To You is a children’s book author and illustrator. She heads off on a cross-country road trip to her 25 year high school reunion. Instead, she finds adventure—and love—with an old classmate along the way.

 

As I mentioned, five books from the series are free. Just click on the titles to be taken directly to the Amazon download link!

Lonely Road To You by Jannine Gallant

To Be, Or Not by Margo Hoornstra

Promises, Promises by Silver James

Embraceable You by Kat Henry Doran

Something More by Keena Kincaid

For more 80's nostalgia, follow me as I continue on my mini blog tour where I'll be talking about 80's fashion (shudder), the movies that held us enthralled, and how life back then was different for kids than it is today. Find me at these places:

Keri Neal June 20^th

JM Stewart June 21^st

Kathy Wheeler June 22nd

So, what were some of your favorite TV shows from the early 80's? Let's immerse ourselves in nostalgia!

For information on my other books, including two more in the Class of '85 series, check out my website. Or, follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

HOW'S YOUR OPENING HOOK?

I love a story that reaches out in the first paragraph and wraps its hand around my throat. One that grabs my attention from the get-go and laughs or threatens, “Hang on, girl, I’m gonna take you on a fantastic ride.”

Isn’t that what we want from a book as readers? To be swept away from the pile of laundry, the dirty toilet or the five pounds that somehow sneaked onto our bathroom scales? To be reminded of those push-and-pull moments of initial attraction to a man. To be swept away to some exotic place or another era? To be pulled into a dangerous situation? To be snatched by the writer onto an emotional ride from laughter to tears to anger or fear? If these statements are true, then we as writers must work hard at providing those moments for our readers.

But before we can attract the reader to the plot of our stories, we have to snare their attention from the initial words under the words: Chapter One.

To grab the reader, a writer needs a good hook.

If an agent or editor isn’t hooked immediately, she’ll reject the manuscript. Sometimes this happens after reading the first five pages, but more often, the rejection comes after the first page, or worse the FIRST paragraph. So, as writers, we must have a great hook. Something startling, or charming, or amusing that makes our reader want to read on. A paragraph or two that dares the reader to walk away. This is rarely easy.

Still, with a critical eye and a gazillion rewrites, we can do it. Forget the fluff. In the past, it was more acceptable to ground the reader with a setting or show the reader what the character’s life was like in the past. Now, more and more editors and agents are asking—no, demanding—the writer start with the inciting incident and then go back and fill in the details.

Start your story at the inciting incident—the moment where your character’s life changes, either for the better or the worse.

Let’s take a look at some examples. In Storm’s Interlude, I started with a bizarre scene:

Someone swaggered out of the moonlit night toward Rachel. Exhausted from a long day of driving, she braked and blinked. Either she was hallucinating or her sugar levels had plummeted. Maybe that accounted for the male mirage, albeit a very magnificent male mirage, trekking toward her. She peered once more into the hot July night at the image illuminated by her headlights. Sure enough, there he was, cresting the hill on foot—a naked man wearing nothing but a black cowboy hat, a pair of boots and a go-to-hell sneer.

Imagine the number of rewrites to get that paragraph just the way I wanted it. Let’s take a look at a few more opening hooks. In my opinion, opening hooks should speak to us, make us shudder or smile, make us identify with the heroine or simply ask questions that make us want to read on to find the answers. Here are some that captured my attention right away. Openings that made me want to read on for a variety of reasons.

Chase Paladin slammed on the brakes and prayed. Momentum, and the heavy livestock trailer he was towing, sent his pickup careening toward the red sports car idling in the middle of Route 66.

With tires smoking, he rocked to a stop inches from its rear bumper. He peeled his fingers from the steering wheel and spared a glance for Bo, who had slid off the seat onto the floor of the truck. The hound shook himself.   

-- Jannine Gallant’s Nothing But Trouble. (Don’t you love the visuals she’s thrown in with just the right word choice, like “peeled his fingers”? This tells me I’m in for an excellent read.)

“Reese, if you weren’t dead, I swear, I’d kill you!” D’Anne Palmer stomped from her mosquito-infested campsite toward the Laundromat. “Damn it!” she cursed, smacking a super-sized, bloodsucking pest feasting on her neck.  -- Lynne Marshall’s One for the Road

(I love reading about a woman pissed, which she clearly is. So, now, I have to read on to find out why she’s angry. And who is this dead man?)

“Kyle, I’m pregnant.”  

(Three words and I’m hooked. Oh, well done!)

-- JM Stewart’s Staking His Claim




“What the hell did ye find wrong with that one? She’s a well-bred lass with a tempting dowry, and ye’re a blind man if ye missed those breasts.”  -- Maeve Grayson’s The Highlander’s Fury (If I’m smiling, I’m hooked…and the author most definitely has me smiling.) 

She’d read somewhere that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, but Samantha McNead knew better than that—in certain men the stomach was aiming just a bit too high.

Wade O’Riley was one of them. 

(Haven’t we all felt that way about a man, or twenty, in our time. She’s hooked me because already I’m identifying with the heroine.)

-- Jill Shalvis’s Slow Heat

“You look like you’ve been hit by a truck.”

(Oh, really? And why? What’s happened?)

Mackenzie Crowne’s That Dating Thing

 “I need a wife, Carter, and I needed her yesterday.” Riding in the back of the town car en route to a Starbucks, of all places, Blake Harrison glanced at his watch for the tenth time that hour.  

Catherine Bybee’s Wife by Wednesday (Can’t you feel his annoyance? If the reader can make me feel what the character’s feeling, I’m hers for the duration of the book.)

Sometimes the hook comes in a set of carefully arranged lines.

The Change

Waikato Hospital, New Zealand

The lights dimmed and the humming intensified, echoing in her blood.

Radiation snaked out from the machine like tentacles and struck deep. As if she’d gone down a hill too fast, Jenna’s stomach lurched. She gasped aloud as internal organs stretched and shifted and her heart beat frantically in her chest. She fought the urge to vomit and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Why did everyone say x-rays were a piece of cake?

LaVerne Clark’s Affinity (I was hooked by this point and there was more to the paragraph. I had to know what the author meant by the first line: The Change.)

To me, the variety and power of an opening hook are endless. In a book I recently contracted, Rain is a Love Song, this is my opening paragraph.

It wasn’t the hardened man who eased his motorcycle to the curb that snagged Gwen Morningstar’s attention. Nor was it the wide spread of his shoulders or the way his black jeans hugged his muscled thighs like a pair of lover’s hands. For sure, it wasn’t the long scar on his right cheek or the small silver cross that dangled from his ear. No, it was his pristine-white angel wings that dragged on the pavement.

In my current WIP, Jazzbeat of Surrender, I am floundering with my opening. Big time. I have rewritten it, moved paragraphs, deleted, tweaked, freaked and still don’t like it. But as Hemingway said, writing is rewriting.

These hives were going to kill her. For reasons she kept secret, weddings and anything associated with romantic love made Simone Reynard’s skin crawl. While most women sighed and cried at weddings, she suffered the annoying itch of hives.

Her gaze swept over her sister’s yard, lavishly decorated for the outdoor wedding reception. She scratched at her chin, thankful concerns about the weather proved fruitless; the fall day was gorgeous, although slightly cool. Thank goodness her maman and Gwen, the other bride, decided on a double ceremony. She’d only have to go through this misery once.

I’ll get eventually. I guess.

What about you? Do you have trouble with your opening hooks?

*** Oh, to all you talented writers that I mentioned and shared your opening hooks, Blogger's Label feature only allowed me so many characters, so I could not include the titles of your referenced work. Sorry.

JANNINE GALLANT -- AUTHOR

My guest today is vivacious Jannine Gallant, a fellow Rose with a novella scheduled for the Honky Tonk Hearts series, of which I'm a contributing author. Jannine is also an important part of the international blog, Roses of Prose, of which I'm honored to contribute to twice a month. So you see we run into each other online quite often.

Jannine has had a lifetime love affair with the outdoors. She grew up in a tiny town in Northern California, where kids swam in the river, ran wild in the woods, and rode their bikes everywhere they wanted to go. Now she lives in Tahoe City with her husband, two daughters, and dog, Ginger. When she’s not busy writing or being a full time mom, she enjoys taking Ginger for hikes in the woods around her home.

Whether she’s writing romantic suspense, contemporary, or historical romance, she tries to bring her beloved beauty of nature into her stories.

Weather as a Plot Device

I’d like to thank my friend, Vonnie, for having me on her beautiful blog today to promote my new release, Bittersweet. But first, let’s talk weather. It affects all of us, whether we’re basking in the sun and enjoying a beautiful day, or swearing at the three feet of snow in the driveway that has to be shoveled before we can get our kids to school. We all love to talk about it, predict it, watch it on the weather channel… But I digress. How do we use weather in our writing?

Hollywood has certainly capitalized on its impact over the years. The Perfect Storm wouldn’t have been much of a box office hit on a cloudless day. As for Twister —enough said! But weather also creates atmosphere.

Fargo is a good example, all that snow building tension… And how about Michael Douglass, stuck in a car with faulty air conditioning in the middle of a traffic jam in a heat wave. Is it any wonder he snapped in Falling Down?

Weather may trigger the entire plot of the book. Vonnie and I, along with our fellow Roses of Prose, co-wrote a novella called A Holiday to Remember about two people stuck together in a freak snowstorm. Or, weather can be used at key turning points, to create a situation. In Bittersweet, my heroine, Tess’s house is flooded by the rising creek in a rainstorm, forcing her to seek temporary shelter with the hero, Daniel. Okay, big deal, you say. But, a thunderstorm wakes them in the night, and Tess and Daniel see each other in a different light. It may have something to do with their skimpy attire at the time… LOL Later in the book, a drought threatens their corn crop, forcing them to work together to save it. Another turning point in the book.

So, if you’re an author, let’s hear how you’ve used weather in your books. If you’re a reader, tell us some of your favorite weather inspired scenes. Enquiring minds…

Blurb: 

Eight months after her husband is killed in a train robbery, Tess Moran knows she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life and build a future for herself and her infant daughter. Daniel Moran’s love for Tess is bittersweet. Acting on his feelings for his sister-in-law will betray his dead brother’s memory. Watching her search for love elsewhere may very well destroy him.

In 1880, life in rural Colorado is filled with hard work and simple pleasures, but trouble looms on the horizon. Together Tess and Daniel battle drought and the outlaw who killed the man they both loved, but the greatest challenge of all is finding solace for their battered hearts.

You can find me at:

Website: http://www.janninegallant.com/

Personal Blog: http://janninegallant.blogspot.com/

Group Blog: http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/JannineGallant.Author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JannineGallant

Publisher Buy Link: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=964