Book Blast: Reel to Reel

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Isla Grey will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Lights, Camera, Action! From the very beginning, the world of cinema has captivated us. We have found ourselves laughing at our favorite comedies, crying when love finally comes to fruition, being beamed to other worlds or battling in the midst of action sequences. While movies might be the perfect entertainment, most have slight imperfections, mistakes, which go unseen, until they’re released and caught by the movie audience. These mistakes don’t detract from the film, and finding them are just as fun as watching the movie. For the past several years, Isla Grey has written a “Movie Mistakes” column for Bellaonline. “Reel to Reel” is a collection of some of those columns, spotlighting the fun goofs found in some of our favorite movies. Can you spot them? Grab the popcorn, sit back, and happy movie watching!

Read an Excerpt

The Notebook

There’s no question--Noah and Allie are in love. Set in two different time periods, the beginning of the pair’s relationship is shown via a notebook an older Noah reads to Allie who is suffering the effects of dementia. Can true love ever be forgotten? Here are a few movie mistakes to look for while watching “The Notebook”.

Near the beginning of the movie, the younger Allie and Noah are at a carnival. After their first encounter, Allie and another man get on the Ferris wheel. The man is holding cotton candy in his right hand. This is noticeable throughout the scene. After Noah has climbed aboard and gets Allie to go out with him, the cotton candy the man was holding is now gone.

After Noah and Allie have watched the movie in the theater, they decide to go for a walk. When they get to the traffic light, Noah tells her how he used to lie in the road and demonstrates for her. At first, Noah is closer to the center of the lane to his left. (This is noticeable in the overhead view.) During the close-up, Noah is now closer to the double lines that run down the middle of the road. This happens again when Allie joins him. At first, they are closer to the center of the lane to their left, but the next view shows them near the double lines.

About the Author

Isla Grey is from Central Virginia and at an early age developed a love of movies. She shared many Sunday afternoons watching old favorites with her grandmother that included everything from “Gone with the Wind” and “Rio Bravo” to “Titanic” and “The Mummy”. (Her grandmother may or may not have made fun of her when she covered her eyes during “Anaconda”.)

Working as Bellaonline’s Movie Mistakes editor since 2012 has given Isla the opportunity to indulge in two of her passions—movies and writing.

When Isla isn’t writing or watching movies, most of her time is spent with her ever active daughter and her band of cats. She also enjoys good music, reading biographies and ghost stories and taking quiet strolls.

Website: http://www.islagrey.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorIslaGrey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IslaGrey1

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0918MM97L

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Release Blitz: Off to the Races

I’m the new racehorse trainer at Gold Rush Ranch and I’ve got three months to turn a problem stallion into a winner. Working with horses is easy, but contending with Vaughn Harding, my moody new boss, is a whole other story. He can’t decide if he hates me or wants me—not that it matters, I swore off men like him years ago. Readers who enjoy Melanie Harlow and Kelly Elliott will love this slow burn, enemies to lovers, contemporary romance.

Blurb

He can’t decide if he hates me or wants me.

Vaughn Harding is my new boss. Getting close to him would be career suicide for a female racehorse trainer, and plain old gossip fuel in this small town. I get a kick out of our verbal sparring, but I swore off his type years ago.

And I’ve got plans.

I’m the new trainer at Gold Rush Ranch and I’ve just been handed a problem horse that I promised to make a winner. I want to put down roots, and I’m not about to let a man distract me. No matter how electric it feels when we lock eyes, or how my body ignites when we touch.

Vaughn’s a vivid reminder of every guy I grew up around. Handsome, rich, entitled--a total media darling. But there’s a sadness in him that I can’t seem to turn my back on. A sensitive side hidden beneath brooding good looks.

The last thing I need is a broken man to put back together, and the last thing he needs is more scandal.

Teasing him for kicks is one thing, but handing over my heart?

I should have known better.

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Excerpt 

Copyright 2021 @ Elise Silver

Walking in to see and hear Billie sobbing into the horse’s shoulder had been an absolute gut-punch. Hank had told me she wasn’t in good shape. But he failed to mention the part where she was absolutely falling apart. Seeing someone as strong as Billie break down and cry her apology to a horse, for something I am ultimately responsible for, almost brought me to my fucking knees.

The guilt. The ache in my chest at the raw pain in her voice. I’d known she was more sensitive than she let on. But this. This scene could crack my chest right open and leave my heart beating right at her feet. 

Yeah, this hurts.

She hiccups in my arms, head nestled towards my shoulder, arms resting low around my ribs. And I’m holding her as firmly as I can without hurting her, trying to absorb all her anguish. Letting it seep into me. I’m the one who deserves the blame. Her sobs slow as I run one palm over her messy chestnut hair. I glance behind her at DD. He looks tired, closing his eyes and dozing now. Like he was just waiting for someone else to get here and take care of her. 

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About the Elsie Silver 

Canadian author who loves book boyfriends and the sassy heroines who bring them to their knees. Connoisseur of charged looks and lingering touches. Fan of witty banter. Horse girl through and through. Fully convinced that it’s always wine o’clock somewhere.

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VBT: The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender

 The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender

by WS Carmichael

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GENRE:  Romance/Romantic Comedy

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BLURB:

Ava Moreland has it all planned out. In two months, she will marry her fiancé, Tim. She’ll continue working at Vegas’s famous Cosmopolitan bar while he runs his father’s accounting firm. Soon they’ll start a family and she’ll have the white picket life she’s always dreamed of.
Or not.

When her fairytale engagement implodes in a devastating display, Ava embarks on a quest to reclaim her identity and feminine prowess – by sleeping her way through Las Vegas. With her best friend, Jarrod, acting as wingman her plan is foolproof.
Or not.

Nothing goes as planned with hilariously disastrous results. Her sexual misadventures will keep you in stitches as Ava searches for herself in Sin City, finding herself and her happily ever after in the unlikeliest of places.

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Excerpt:

The problem with a dramatic exit is what comes next. They never show you that part in the movies. You never see the tough heroine stumbling down a hotel hallway, her feet tired from traveling all day, alone and confused in a strange city, holding back tears as the realization her life has been flipped upside down settles in.

No. They never show you that part. They fade to black and pick up two years down the line when she’s found her happily ever after.

Where the hell is that fade to black button? Because this is the part I want to skip. I want to skip the binge eating and the ugly crying. I want to skip the ‘why me’ phase. I want to skip the explanations to my friends when they ask what happened. I want to skip all of it.

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AUTHOR Bio :

WS Carmichael is attempting to write the world into romantic bliss one novel at a time. Based in upstate NY, she travels as often as her hectic schedule will allow. When she isn’t busy writing, she’s a mother, nurse and avid sportswoman.

WS Carmichael fell in love with romance at an early age when she would sneak Harlequins from her mother. A voracious reader, she eventually made the jump to writing.

Writing is her passion and she’s always jotting down new storyline and character ideas. Often, her characters take on a life of their own and don’t always cooperate with her plan for them. Creating well developed, strong alpha male characters that don’t fit into the typical romance hero mold makes her novels exciting and relatable. A woman who believes whole heartedly in happily ever after, she gives her heroes the heroine they deserve.

You can check out her blog and find out more on her website:

Website 

Interview

* Did you use any of your own experience as inspiration?

I did. Ava and Adam have been close friends for years with a simmering chemistry neither one of them was free to act upon. Although they shared a close friendship, they never openly acknowledged the mutual attraction they felt. My best friend and partner in life and I were in a similar situation. We were friends for years and the chemistry was undeniable, but neither of us was in a position to explore the possibility of a relationship. The timing was never quite right – until it was, of course.

* On average, how long does the writing process take?

My last two novels each took over a year to complete, but I’ve also written one in less than six months. Ultimately, it boils down to how insane the rest of my life is going. Writing is what I love to do, but I’m not yet in a position to devote myself to it full time. Hopefully, that will be changing soon.

*  When did you realize you wanted a career in writing?

I’ve loved writing since I was a child, but I never had the courage to write a novel until I was almost forty. It was scary to pour so much of myself into a book for others to read. It’s like walking around naked. I did it, though and I’m hooked.

* If you weren't an author, what other career paths would you have taken?

In addition to being an author, I also work full time as a Registered Nurse. As I said, I’ve loved the idea of writing since I was a child, but I was afraid to try it until later in life. I chose the safe career path, which wasn’t a mistake because it gave me the stability I needed to try something crazy like writing a book.

* Out of the characters that you created, who is your favorite?

That’s a tough question! Ask me to pick which of my children is my favorite, why don’t you? Just kidding. I have two favorites, actually. Matt Montgomery, from Never Say Never Again, is everything a man should be. He’s tough, sexy, tattooed, considerate and he loves his woman fiercely. His toughness is balanced by his ability to laugh at himself and act like a complete goofball when the situation warrants it.

My second favorite is Jarrod Jeffries. In The Misadventures of a (Wannabe) Slutty Bartender, he is Ava’s out and proud, unwaveringly supportive best friend. He’s an all around awesome guy anyone would be lucky to know.

* What advice would you give to someone looking to be a writer?

Just write! The hardest part is getting started. Nothing is ever set in stone. You can always go back and edit or rewrite, but you have to write something first. It can be scary letting others read your work because there is a part of you in everything you write, in every character you create, but that’s part of what makes writing thrilling. Start small if a whole novel is intimidating. Write short stories or poems. Anything. Just write.

*How long after you finish a book do you start another one?

I’m usually planning my next one before I’m halfway through writing a novel. I force myself to finish the one I’m working on before I start the next, though. If I didn’t I’d never get anything done.

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Giveaway

WS Carmichael will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Blog Tour: The Restless Cowboy

Title: The Restless Cowboy (Granite Junction Book 2) 

Author: Megan Ryder 

Genre: Small Town Western Romance 

Release Date: April 27, 2021 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC. 

Free—from family, duty, and responsibility. 

Cam Miller has spent most of his life bound by choices others made for him. He did what had to be done to provide for his little sister, and he doesn’t regret that. But now, with her off to college, he can finally put ranching behind him and pursue the life he’s always dreamed of... far from Granite Junction. But after one night of passion comes back to haunt him, he fears his hard-won freedom is only temporary . . . 

Independent—from family, relationships, and matters of the heart.

Molly Brennan was living her best life as a rodeo trick rider until a failed marriage forced her from the arena. Now she’s perfectly fine running her own hair salon and raising her daughter solo. She doesn’t need a man, but what could it hurt to indulge in a little no-strings fun with a sexy cowboy? 

When Molly realizes she’s pregnant, she pulls herself up by her bootstraps. She's handled things this far on her own and she can do it again, although she’s finding it isn’t so easy to let Cam go. But Cam’s not the kind of man who shirks responsibility. Finding himself torn between a woman who feels like home and his need to break free, where will Cam’s heart lead him?

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She nipped the tip of his thumb that was still idly stroking her lower lip, then she soothed it with a gentle kiss. “Neither of us were ready for anything before now. Heck, we’re not ready for anything now either but here we are.”

“Here we are,” he echoed.

She cupped his cheek with one hand and leaned in, lightly brushing his lips with hers, the pain in his soul crying out to hers for comfort, for soothing, and the woman inside of her responded the best way she knew how. He remained still under her kiss, passive, almost frozen in place as if unsure how to respond. She understood his reaction, as torn as she was by their situation, circumstances that had occurred beyond their expectations, that had somehow brought these two lonely souls together. Maybe they could help each other heal in the dark moments of the night.

She stroked his lips with her tongue, a little bolder, and he groaned. “Molly, you don’t know what you’re doing to me.”

She gave a husky, low laugh and let her hand settle on the tense muscles of his abdomen. The hard ridges of his muscles jumped under her fingers and she gently caressed him. “Are you distracted yet?”

“From what?”

“Mission accomplished,” she murmured against his lips.

Ever since Megan Ryder discovered Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught while sneaking around the “forbidden” romance section of the library one day after school, she has been voraciously devouring romance novels of all types. Now a romance author in her own right, Megan pens sexy contemporary novels all about family and hot lovin’ with the boy next door. She lives in Connecticut, spending her days as a technical writer and her spare time divided between her addiction to knitting and reading.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO |

My Review

First of all, I felt that this was a fast read. This book took me less than two days to read. That always earns a star (or in my rating, a smile).

I love the dialogue. There are many lines that I would highlight on the ebook version. 

Both the main characters seem to have trust issues. Depending on the reader's favorite troupes, that can be a plus or minus. For me, it helps to hold my attention. 

Rating: 😀😀😀😀😀

* I voluntarily requested to read and review this book.

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WWBC #17 : Favorite Outdoor/Nature Activities

 

Hello all. 

 I was a little late to post this week's blogging challenge. 

So my favorite outdoor/nature activities include Volleyball. Growing my family and I would play Volleyball on the Fourth of July. 

On the occasion that I would travel up north for the weekend, I would spend a few hours on a pantoon boat with other relatives. 

So once more, this post didn't turn out how I would have liked, but there you have it.

See you all next week.

*** The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews .