Picture Me Naked by Lisa Olech

 

BOOK RELEASE PARTY!!!

 

Oh, I have been waiting for this book to publish--waiting, mind you! You see, dearhearts, I judged the first chapter of PICTURE ME NAKED in a contest a year or so ago and fell in love with it. As a judge, I was bummed to reach the end of the entry. So much fun. So much sizzle. So much Jagger...fans self...ah, where was I? Oh, right...our party today. I was able to scoop Lisa's release and get her to give us a peek at her book.

Tell us, how's life as a new author, Lisa?

"Surreal." Lisa laughs and gets misty-eyed. "I've waited so long."

Oh, darlin', I know the feeling. Let's get this celebration going. Calvin, pop the champagne, would you sweetheart? Pour us some bubbly. Now, Lisa, let me tempt you with some French pastries too. Ladies, please join in on our virtual party. You know we just got back from Paris and Berlin yesterday, so I am still of a French mind. I love how they make every tiny pastry look like a piece of art.

 

It was odd. Every time I stood in front of a bakery window to glance at their assortment of goodies, a woman hurried out and scrubbed off the window. I mean, surely I wasn't drooling that bad. Now, your Australian hero, Jagger, he is most definitely drool-worthy...sigh...

 

"Well, yes, he does have that effect on people." Lisa waggles her eyebrows and laughs.

Now that Calvin has the bubbly poured, let's toast to the success of your book, shall we? May your sales be awesome and every review a positive one. And may there be many, many more books by Lisa Olech. Cheers!

 

"Thanks, Vonnie. Oh, the bubbles tickle my nose."

 

Here, have some goodies, ladies. There's plenty...the guy at customs was so generous in letting me pass through with a few extra things. I think it was my story of how I threw out my back that threw him off his official keester.  Poor fellow did blush...

 

 

"Oh, you could be trouble, Vonnie."

Yes, but it's a good kind of trouble, you understand. More champagne? Will you share your book blurb with us?

 

"Sure. I'd love to."

BLURB:

Z. Z. LAMBERT wasn't born uptight, but someone needed to be the adult. Zee's a "color-inside-the-lines" artist with a hippy mother, a mostly dead grandmother, and a cat named Isabella Rossellini. Add to her life's palette a stunning new life model, Jagger Jones. Is it just her, or does all the air leave the room when he shows up? Good thing he's just passing through. This is no time to fall in love, especially not with her model, no matter how perfectly knee-melty he may be.

Australian JAGGER JONES is a rolling stone. Living with nothing to tie you down takes talent. Posing without your britches is a piece of cake. He's three years into his walkabout with only his dead father's ashes for company.

But Z.Z. Lambert stops him faster than a croc in the mud. Her paintings of him are incredible. She sees past all of his posturing, past the flesh and bone and uncovers his heart. Zee understands the promise he made his father, and comes to love him enough to let him go. But does she love him enough to let him stay? His only other choice is a future without her. And he can't picture that at all.

Ladies, don't you love this cover? I adore it. The cover artists at The Wild Rose Press really are the best, aren't they?

"Yes. I was very pleased when I got the mark-up of it. I think it captures the story so well."

Oh, for sure.  Now, share an excerpt with us, would you please?

EXCERPT:

“Artists, let me introduce Mr. Jagger Jones. He’ll be with us for the next several weeks. Make him feel welcome, shall we? Let’s not frighten him off on his first day.” Did Madeline just giggle? “Jagger, there is a men’s room down the hall, third door on the right. You can change down there.” She tipped her hand and checked her oversized watch. “We appear to be running a bit behind schedule this morning, so if you’d like to get us started, I think we’re ready for you.”

 

“Won’t be needin’ the men’s room, Maddie, darlin’. Can be naked in a blink of your lovely baby

blues.” Jagger smiled at Madeline, dropped a beaten canvas book bag near the model stage and kicked off his sandals.

 

Zee glanced at Leah. She was practically drooling. “Yummy. Don’t you just love his accent?” Leah whispered. “And what a cool name.”

 

“Charming,” Zee muttered, trying to shut out the Australian lilt. She resharpened and organized her already sharpened, organized pencils. Next to her, she heard Leah gasp and exclaim under her breath, “Mercy.”

 

Zee looked back at the model’s dais. Oh... my...Mr. Jagger Jones may or may not be arrogant, but he was a beautiful example of the male form. His tall frame made his physique long and lean, yet his muscles were chiseled and well defined. She only had a view of his backside but it was one of the finest backsides Zee had ever seen.

 

And then Jagger Jones turned around.

 

 

 

Whew!!! Ladies, grab yourselves a fan. Calvin, darlin', open a window would you?

Tell us where we can order a copy. I've got mine on my Kindle already, just waiting for me to get to it. I've been trying to ignore the steam rising from it. I've got mountains of laundry from the trip to wash and fold...still...I could just read a page here and there. Right?

"PICTURE ME NAKED is part of the KDP at Amazon. The link for purchase is --  http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Stoddard-School-Series-ebook/dp/B00FE3QK0C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1380292602&sr=1-1&keywords=picture+me+naked

 

Whew! We have partied hearty. Lisa, have a fabulous time with your new book.

MULTI-TALENTED ALYSON REUBEN

I've learned some new facts about my Wild Rose Press sistah, Alyson Reuben, as I've organized her blogpost for y'all. One, she's gorgeous. Two, she's also an artist--charcoal sketches, pastel drawings and acrylic paintings.

 

Gee, and it's all I can do to paint my toenails...

 

Alyson, what is your life like away from the computer? Tell us something about your household.  

I live in a small town that I’m very proud of.  We’re not just a community, we’re practically one huge family, and there is always a community event to attend or a ballgame to watch.  As for real family, I have a wonderful husband, Greg, and a beautiful daughter, Katie.  My parents, one of my brothers, my grandmother, and a horde of other relatives, live just a few blocks away.  We know what’s happening in each other’s lives at all times… good and bad! lol  It probably doesn’t take a lot of imagination for you to guess how busy life can be around my place.   I write on a strict schedule through the day hours, but no matter how busy I am with my latest project, my life centers around family.

What is your writing schedule like?

I write in the daytime hours when my husband and daughter are at work and school.  Of course, this schedule changes through the summer and vacation months.  Occasionally, when I’m on an especially tight deadline crunch, the family understands that I have to hole myself up until my work is done.

What is the story behind your book title?

The title is both symbolic and an actual sand formation in CASTLES WE BUILD.  It came to me almost as soon as I started writing the story.  The first reference to castles is on page one of CASTLES WE BUILD.  Yet, the title was inspired from a scene between Julia and her second husband, Ford, when they argued about building lofty castles in the sky.  It just seemed natural to compare the ‘sky castles’ to the sandcastles in my characters’ Floridian beach setting.  As I continued writing, several more references to castles cropped up.  Readers will probably pick them out easily, helping to tie all the elements together.

Do you ever dream of writing in a different genre?

Definitely!  I like reading several different genres.  I have a passion for good mysteries and some horror stories too.  Another genre I love is family sagas (no surprise there!).  I’m hoping to one day branch off into one or more of these areas.  But, one thing is certain, I’ll never stop writing women’s fiction and romance!

Has your road to publication been a walk in the park or a steep mountain climb?

I’ve been writing stories since I was in second grade.  Not that they were worth reading! Ha!  Yet, they gave me plenty of practice.  By the time I became serious about actually finishing the stories I began, I got married.  Still, I never quit writing.  I was even an editor for a small advertising paper, which included a few articles.  I submitted story after story (fiction), without any luck.  A BEAUTIFUL CAGE was my first success.  So, I’d say my road to publication has been a challenging one.  And I imagine it will continue to keep me on my toes!

     Tell us about your current release.

Set in 1927, CASTLES WE BUILD is very much Julia’s story.  She’s a woman who is happily married to her second husband after losing her first husband in WWI (or The Great War, as it was called then).  She’s content being a wife, mother, and a somewhat reserved socialite.  Yet, her peace of mind, as well as her heart, is called into question when her first husband returns from overseas, where he was imprisoned.  She now faces a dilemma she never would’ve predicted in a million years.  Which man is she legally married to?  More still, which one has her complete heart?  Faced with a crippling amount of pressure, she makes more mistakes while gaining insights. 

 

The entire time I was writing this story, scene after scene surprised me!  And I don’t mean just the obscure details.  Some of the most pivotal scenes, such as a burning factory, a run-in with a bootlegger, and a critical segment involving Nan, Julia’s stepdaughter, seemed to show up on my computer screen as if by magic.  Julia was as eager to tell her story as she now is for others to read it!

I love to meet new friends and hear from my readers.

 Twitter- https://twitter.com/alysonreuben

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/#!/AlysonReubenAuthor

Website- www.alysonreuben.com

CASTLES WE BUILD is at Amazon- http://amzn.to/Qm6sxj

Thanks, Vonnie, for having me here on your blog today!