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Recaptured Dreams by Justine Dell: Review and Interview

Jennifer Lane

Today I welcome JUSTINE DELL to the blog. She’s author of two romance novels: Recaptured Dreams and All-American Girl. Here’s my review of Recaptured Dreams, and stick around for an interview with Justine!

Recaptured DreamsRecaptured Dreams by Justine Dell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Past Love Recaptured

Justine Dell’s debut contemporary romance has a regal, formal air about it, making the novel feel not so contemporary. It’s a romance between the lovely English lass Sophia and the dashing fashion designer Xavier.

Most of the story occurs “across the pond” in England’s upper-class circles, where Sophia Montel lives with her mother. Sophia is twenty-seven and lives a somewhat aimless existence following a horrible car crash that stole her memories ten years ago. Her mother refuses to tell her about her past, which greatly frustrates Sophia (as well as me!) Sophia’s good friend Anne Marie takes her to a fashion show featuring Sophia’s favorite designer.

American Xavier Cain has ascended from humble roots to worldwide success with his “XS” fashion line. Yet his life is incomplete without the woman he fell in love with at age seventeen who has since gone missing. When he spots Sophia at the show, his mission to find his lost love is now complete! There she is!

The bad news: Sophia doesn’t remember him.

The good news: Sophia feels a strange attraction to him.

Sophia and Xavier slowly rekindle their love despite obstacles thrown their way by her mother and snooty grandmother. Then the lovers manage to get in their own way by running off or acting incomprehensibly.

When Anne Marie talks to Sophia about why she isn’t directly asking Xavier about their past, I cheered when she asked “Here’s a thought, darling; why don’t you ask him about it?” Why, indeed?

The reason for the mystery and misunderstanding later reveals itself, which blew me away and helped dissolve my frustration.

I really enjoyed the character of Xavier and his fashion creations (reminding me of a favorite TV show . . . Project Runway!) I believe that earlier revelations may have drawn me into Sophia’s struggle more deeply. Without understanding her motivation at times, I grew frustrated by her choices. I still haven’t decided how I feel about Sophia’s mother. I’m not sure I buy her explanation for why she acted the way she did.

With a flow of melancholy, Recaptured Dreams is a well-written story about recapturing lost love.

View all my reviews
 

Jennifer Lane (JL): Welcome, Justine! I’m excited to feature an Omnific Publishing pub-sister on the blog.
Justine Dell (JD): And I’m super excited to be pub-sister (love that name!) and part of the Omnific family! 
JL: Congratulations on your recent release of All-American Girl. How would you compare All-American Girl to Recaptured Dreams? Similar themes? Different settings?
JD: They have similar themes, yes, but different settings. I love, LOVE stories about two people reconnecting. There’s something so pure about a man and a woman getting back together after years apart only to discover they are perfect for each other. The settings are way different. Recaptured Dreams might feel like it’s historical to some because it’s mainly set in London, and has things that gives it an “old world” feel. All-American Girl is much more contemporary and set in a way that the reader could feel like they are reading about their neighbor or friend. 
JL: How did you get involved in writing?
JD: Well, I’ve always been a good “story-teller”, but never really grasped the “writing” part. I’m not an English major and I have zero background in writing, but I just loved to tell stories. One day someone told me I should write. I shook off that thought and continued thinking it would be awesome to do, but also thinking I could never pull it off. Then I watched a wildly popular movie based off a wildly popular book and I thought, “Hey, if a regular mom could do that, why can’t I?” So then I did. The rest is history, I guess. 🙂 
JL: I’m a big fan of the TV show Project Runway, and I loved that Xavier (the hero in Recaptured Dreams) is a fashion designer. (And surprise…he’s straight!) What made you choose this career for him?
JD: I choose that career for him because he was straight! I like creating characters that aren’t what people think they should be. In Recaptured Dreams, that’s the straight and hot hero, Lance. In All-American girl, it’s the hot-mess Sam. 
JL: Sophia’s amnesia following a horrific car accident was quite interesting. How did you develop this aspect of the storyline? (Inspiration? Research?)
JD: The plot came first and I knew to pull it off, Sophia would need some sort of memory issue. Amnesia to the rescue. In the first draft, though, I hadn’t fleshed it out enough and had to do some research to make it honest and believable. Amnesia is sort of a romance “cliche” and I worried about it, but I hope the spin I put on her’s separates it from the pack. 
JL: What are some of your favorite novels?
JD: I don’t have any favorite novels, just authors (and I gobble up all of their books!) Lora Leigh, Nora Roberts and Sylvia Day are probably my favorite three. 

Justine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her family, which consists of a horse-obsessed teenage daughter, four dogs, and a husband who is too good to be true. She’s never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate.

During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They’ve done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That’s when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair.

She started writing four years ago after seeing a movie that set off a chain reaction she couldn’t have stopped if she’d wanted. It’s not a hobby for her; it’s an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share.

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Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia: Review and Interview

Jennifer Lane

Today for the Insecure Writers Support Group, I’m supporting an author friend from Omnific Publishing.

I love an emotional read, and my pub sister Debra Anastasia has written a story that will make you howl with laughter and tears!

Poughkeepsie is a New Adult story about a psychology graduate student falling in love with a kind, sensitive homeless man. It’s about growing up in a harsh world when love and friendship are the only things to keep you going.

Following my review is an interview with the kooky authoress and a giveaway!

Poughkeepsie (Poughkeepsie, #1)Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Deeply Touching

I’ve been wanting to read this story for some time due to the many elements that appeal to me: healing, redemption, crime, a psychology graduate student character (Livia), a homeless character (Blake), and a story full of emotion. Wow! I got all that and more.

Livia is one of the kindest people around. She smiles at everyone, including the quiet homeless man who frequents the shadows of the Poughkeepsie train station. One morning when some thugs threaten the man Livia’s come to known as “Green Eyes”, Livia stands up for him. Their first words are adorable:

“You might want to find another place to sit,” Livia said. “Those idiots could cook up a plan for revenge.”
Instead of being the friendly advice Livia intended, her words seem to slice into him.
Why is he in such pain?
“I can’t leave.” Green Eyes took a huge breath. “This is the only place where I get to see you.”

I fell for the sensitive soul Blake from the start, especially after learning that he counts each of Livia’s smiles. His foster brother Cole explains:

“He counts. You’ve smiled at him four hundred and forty-six times as of a few minutes ago.”

How cute is that?

Blake might have a chance with Livia because her boyfriend Chris is a total CAD. I mean, he calls psychology “the study of psychos”! Grr.

There are fantastic secondary characters in this novel:

* Livia’s younger sister Kyle. What a potty mouth! Blake says “Pretty sure Kyle lacks any kind of editing mechanism”. Their mother took off shortly after Kyle was born, and Kyle blames herself for not being worthy enough to make their mother stay. Kyle’s low self-worth leads her to promiscuity. But perhaps she can find a love match in one of Blake’s foster bros?

* Cole is Blake’s foster brother who’s studying to be a priest. He has a violent past he’s running from.

* Beckett is a wildly colorful foster brother who aged out of the system before Cole and Blake, determined to pave the road for his brothers by committing all sorts of sins so they wouldn’t have to. He’s pretty much become a crime boss, with a muscled assistant named Mouse. Kyle refers to Beckett as “the human steroid.” He doesn’t believe in following rules, like parking in between the lines:

“I’m telling you, Cole, that’s how it all gets started. The government’s beating us down, and it all begins with those goddamn lines in the parking lot. Set yourself free, my brother. If you see a line, ignore it.

Eve and Mouse were also wonderful characters, along with Livia and Kyle’s police officer father.

The flashbacks to the boys getting beaten by their foster dad, and the intensity between Beckett and Eve made me cry so hard.

There are also so many freaking funny lines in the story, but I won’t share all the off-color words here ha ha. But one chapter title “My Penis Rules the World” gives you a good flavor! And this excerpt when Kyle berates Livia and Blake at a religious ceremony is priceless (naughty language alert!)

“Will you get your asses up here? People are waiting. I mean Beckett here has maybe a few hours before he’s bent over a metal toilet getting it up the ass from a guy named Bubba. Do you want him to have fun now or not?”
The streetlight illuminated Beckett as he appeared next to Kyle. “Why would I be the bitch? I don’t think that’s a fair f*cking assumption.”
Kyle refused to look at him and crossed her arms. “Of course you’d be the bitch. You have dimples. Bitches have dimples. And I bet your ass is soft like two pillows.”

Debra, I love your screwballs sense of humor 😉 And I love even more that your story made me laugh and cry. An EXCELLENT read!

View all my reviews

And now onto the interview!

Jennifer Lane (JL): Welcome to the blog, Debra. Obviously, I loved Poughkeepsie! The drama and humor are wonderful. Where does your whacky sense of humor come from?
Debra Anastasia (DA): I love to laugh and I was raised with a bunch of pranksters. We really tried to laugh our butts off everyday. I hope my kids are able to say the same someday.
JL: Why did you make Livia a psychology graduate student? What would be Livia’s dream job?
DA: I wanted Livia to really have to show her kindness and lack of preconceived notions. And I also wanted her to have a need to help people work through difficult situations. I think her dream job would be working in a shelter, helping people get back on their feet.
JL: Hard question: Which brother would you most like to date? Which brother would you want to marry?
DA: I already married Blake. (Well, he was never homeless, but his manners and beautiful soul is the same.) And I would date Blake as well. Those bad boys can’t always be changed, when I entered something as permanent as marriage, I wanted to know who I was dealing with.
JL: I hear some of your devoted fans actually got tattoos like the one the brothers have (see the book cover). What an amazing tribute! How do you feel about that?
DA: I think it rocks. And they have more guts than I do. I’m glad the story touches them because I certainly wanted it to convey love and loyalty. 

~*~

Sound awesome? Debra’s giving away an ebook of Poughkeepsie to a lucky commenter on this post. To enter, leave a comment including your email address before 3-13-13.

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Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

Jennifer Lane


How do you feel about exercise? Love it? Hate it? Obviously, exercise is great for our physical health . . . but did you know that exercise can work even better than medication for reducing anxiety and depression?

I’m one of those strange people that actually enjoys exercise. (If only I enjoyed eating right.) And the main reason I love exercise is the stress relief. Exercise makes me a happy camper.

Today, Ken Myers — President of Morningside Nannies — is here to tell us more!

Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

Everyone knows that exercising has great physical benefits for ensuring your own longevity. However, not many realize the mental benefits that can come from regular activity as well. Exercising can do more than build strong muscles as it solidifies a variety of brain functions. There are several ways that your mental acuity can be healthier by exercising regularly.

1. Blood Flow – First, exercising in any form gets your blood pumping throughout your body. As your brain requires a continuous flow of oxygen, getting the blood moving faster will help it function on a higher level. This movement of blood increases a wide variety of mental operations, which can prevent depression. Some speculate that exercising benefits mental capacities because the blood moves nutrients faster to the brain in order to boost productivity.

2. Self-Confidence – As the source of a great amount of anxiety, stress, and depression, your dislike of your physical appearance can be detrimental to your mental health. All too often people look at themselves in the mirror and feel disgust by what they see. Exercising regularly can help people feel stronger, and focus on what their bodies can do instead of how they look. If people are happy with themselves, then confidence will be sure to follow.

3. Release of Negative Emotion – There are many people that harbor feelings such as anger, frustration, or anxiety on a regular basis, and stuffing these feelings down can be harmful. Regular exercise is a way to help reduce these feelings as your energy is spent on other tasks. It is a common belief that pushing yourself to exercise while you’re angry or frustrated helps reduce these feelings as you become too tired to feel anything else by the time you’re done. Because exercise helps decrease these negative feelings, some believe that exercise creates a happier you.

4. Not Just Your Muscles – Exercise does far more for your body than simply building muscle. When you focus on the task at hand, working your mind and body in concert, you strengthen your brain too.  In fact, activities like Yoga and martial arts have been known to alter brain structures due to the deep breathing, meditation, and coordinated movement. Exercise can bolster the mind-body connection.

Though it’s a challenge to squeeze in a workout in your busy schedule, exercise is definitely worth it. Not only will you impress others with how ‘ripped’ your body is getting, but they will also notice a change in your attitude and emotional state. Keep your body and your mind fit and a better lifestyle will be yours.


Author Bio:
Ken holds a master’s in business leadership from Upper Iowa University and multiple bachelor degrees from Grand View College.  As president of morningsidenannies.com, Ken’s focus is helping Houston-based parents find the right childcare provider for their family. When he isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his three children and his wife.

~*~

Thank you, Ken! I often help my psychotherapy clients incorporate balanced exercise into their lives for all of the reasons you mention above.

Do YOU wish you could motivate yourself to do more exercise? Check out the Exercise is Medicine website. HERE is an assessment you can complete to identify your barriers to exercise.

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Back From the Future Blog Hop

Jennifer Lane

I love my pub sister Nicki Elson. She’s joining Suz and M Pax to host this fun blog hop!


We’re heading to the year 2023, back from the future style:


You’re up before dawn on a Saturday when the doorbell rings. You haven’t brewed your coffee so you wonder if you imagined the sound. Plonking the half-filled carafe in the sink, you go to the front door and cautiously swing it open. No one there. As you cast your eyes to the ground, you see a parcel addressed to you … from you.

You scoop it up and haul it inside, sensing something legitimate despite the extreme oddness of the situation. Carefully, you pry it open. Inside is a shoebox — sent from ten years in the future — and it’s filled with items you have sent yourself.

What’s in it?

What’s in my time capsule, from the year 2023?

1) A swimsuit from the future. You think Speedo’s material is “fast-skin” now? Just wait!


2) A photo of the man I marry at age 50 (once I’m ready to settle down). If he has eyes similar to Wentworth Miller’s, I wouldn’t complain!


3) A treatment that cures obesity, to improve health and decrease bullying:


4) A copy of my New Adult romance novel (which I’ve yet to write) that really connects with readers:


What’s in YOUR time capsule? Check out what these bloggers have to say:

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CRAZY, STUPID LOVE: New Adult Giveaway

Jennifer Lane

Have you heard of the NEW ADULT genre? It’s all the rage–books about characters age 18-25.

Thanks to Talk Supe for hosting this event. Some of my favorite NA reads include Slammed, Point of Retreat, Where She Went, Easy, Flat Out Love…and Poughkeepsie.

My pub sister Debra Anastasia has written one humdinger of a New Adult book…Poughkeepsie!

Poughkeepsie is a beautiful love story about truly seeing people with all their sparkles and flaws.


Read my 5 star review HERE.


Along with giving away an ebook of my Mature YA / New Adult novel Streamline, I’m giving away an ebook of Poughkeepsie.


See the post below to sign up for Streamline‘s book birthday, March 25-29, when there will be more giveaways.


To enter the Crazy Stupid Love giveaway, simply complete the Rafflecopter form.

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Hop over to more participating blogs! document.write(”);

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Three Kindle Valentines Giveaway

Jennifer Lane

Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Singles Awareness Day! Omnific Publishing is giving away THREE LOADED KINDLES to celebrate their three-year anniversary this Valentine’s Day.

One of my books will be available on each of the three Kindles (With Good Behavior, Bad Behavior, and Streamline).

And I’m also happy today because it’s my birthday. Presents abound!


Enter using the Rafflecopter form:


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OMNIFIC VALENTINE’S DAY ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!
Omnific is giving away THREE KINDLES for THREE GREAT YEARS! 
Kindle #1 will feature all of Omnific’s 2010 titles!
Passion Fish
Three Daves
Seers of Light
Boycotts & Barflies
A Valentine Anthology
The Unidentified Redhead
Stitches and Scars
Eve of Samhain
Life, Liberty, and Pursuit
With Good Behavior
Trust in Advertising
Take the Cake
Immortal Awakening
The Redhead Revealed
Whisper of Light
Shades of Atlantis
Breaking Point
Whirlwind
Kindle #2 will feature all of Omnific’s 2011 titles! 
Indivisible
Pleasures Untold
Bad Behavior
Pieces of Us
Becoming sage
Crushed Seraphim
The Way That You Play It
Big Guns
Concessions
It’s Only Kinky the First Time
Starstruck
New Flame
Shackled
Swim Recruit
Sway
Full Speed Ahead
The Second Sunrise
The Summer Prince
Whatever it Takes
Ember
Cat O’ Nine Tails
The Guardian’s Wildchild
Small Town Girl
Poughkeepsie
Embrace
Kindle #3 will feature all of Omnific’s 2012/2013 titles!
Destiny’s Fire
Grave Refrain
Streamline
Burning Embers
Saving sunni
Cocktails and Dreams
The Winemaker’s Dinner: No Reservations
The Winemaker’s Dinner: RSVP
The Winemaker’s Dinner: Appetizers
Recaptured Dreams
Clarity
Divinity
Glimpse of Light
Circle of Light
Iridescent
Between the Lies
Reaping Me Softly
Once Upon a Second Chance
Bittersweet Seraphim
Wallbanger
The Winemaker’s Dinner: Entree
A Christmas Wish
Blood Vine

In addition, the Omnific debut collection will be only $.99!

Check out the Omnific Publishing Blog for more info HERE.
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The Ebb and Flow of Two Careers

Jennifer Lane

Time for the Insecure Writers Support Group. One insecurity is that I’m three days late on my post! Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh for hosting this awesome meme.

Since it’s rare to make a living as an author, I’m sure many of us have day jobs. I’m a psychologist, and I’ve been wrapped up in writing and delivering two big presentations the past week (hence the delay in my post). I traveled all the way to Big Sky, Montana for my first presentation.

Isn’t it gorgeous? A big sky indeed. I teamed up with four other psychologists to present on gender issues in my field. I mentioned how I didn’t get one job because I wasn’t “a guy’s guy”. Yep, I’m not!

I’m not much of a skier, but I did decide to try cross country skiing with two psych buddies. I felt like I was about to fall every second, even on flat ground, but at least it was a sunny day. It was great to see friends and mentors.

When I returned home I scrambled to prepare another presentation, and this one went well too. I’m glad to be done with presentations for a while!

Writing has been at a standstill since I FINISHED my fourth novel! Yahoo. On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3) is on submission with my publisher.

And finally, I’m excited about the approach of Valentine’s Day (aka Singles Awareness Day) because it’s my birthday AND Omnific Publishing will give away three loaded Kindles to celebrate their third anniversary. Stop back on the 14th to enter the giveaway.




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Follower Love Giveaway Hop

Jennifer Lane

I looooove my followers! To celebrate YOU, I’m jumping on the Follower Love Giveaway Hop, hosted by the illustrious Kathy at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Nicole at The Reader’s Antidote.

Want an iTunes gift card or a Jennifer Lane ebook of your choice? Just enter using the Rafflecopter form.

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Young Adult Giveaway Hop

Jennifer Lane

That awesome hopper Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not a Writer, is at it again with another giveaway hop! Amanda from Book Love 101 is the co-host.

I’m giving away ebooks of my mature YA Streamline to two winners.

Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He’s captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother’s crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father’s abuse, battered and alone.
Leo’s girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida’s top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there’s an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number-one supporter–her father–is in prison for murder.
Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything’s on the line . . . streamline.

To enter, simply complete the Rafflecopter form. Good luck!

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Make sure to hop over to as many participating blogs as you can.