Blog Tour & Guest Post: Living Like You Mean It by Ron Frederick

I would like to welcome Mr. Ronald J. Frederick, Ph.D. to Morbid Romantic! 

About Ron Frederick 

Ronald J. Frederick, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and life coach, with over 15 years of experience helping people get the life they really want. A long-time proponent of the transforming power of emotion, he co-founded the Center for Courageous Living, which offers innovative therapy, coaching and consulting. Noted for his warmth, humor, and engaging presentation style, he lectures and facilitates workshops nationally. Frederick is a senior faculty member of the Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Institute, as well as the Clinical Supervisor of Park House, an outpatient program at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in 

About Living Like You Mean It: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want

So many of us long to feel more alive, connected, and secure in our lives, particularly now, in these challenging and difficult times. Why is it so hard? Part of the problem, says Dr. Ronald J. Frederick, has to do with a fear of our feelings a "feelings phobia" and the consequences of expressing our feelings to others. It's this fear that keeps us stuck, detached from the wisdom inside us and distanced from the people around us. And yet positive emotional experiences can actually "rewire" our brain and free us up to experience ourselves and our lives more fully. LIVING LIKE YOU MEAN IT: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want by Ronald J. Frederick, shows how we can overcome our feelings phobia in order to enjoy more satisfying lives. Drawing on cutting-edge science, many years as a psychotherapist and his own personal experiences, Dr. Frederick advocates that we understand and express the broad range of our emotions so that our feelings actually become allies in our search for fulfillment. His proven four-step process for tapping into the hidden power of our emotions includes: *Recognizing the signs of fears in ourselves, and the defenses we unknowingly use to cut ourselves off from our potential power. *Understanding how to tame our fear and exercise control. *Learning how to experience our true emotions and make use of their many resources. *Developing effective, measured ways to express and share our feelings. A master storyteller, Frederick interlaces therapeutic techniques with stories from people who have learned to recognize and deal constructively with the emotions that have kept them from living their best lives. The trick, Dr. Frederick shows, is in being able to navigate and diminish the fear that is so entangled with our feelings, so we can progress in a healthier, less encumbered direction, and get the life we really want. 

Guest Post by Ron Frederick

Most everyone is born with the ability to have feelings but as infants we don't know what to do with them. We're not quite sure how to handle or make sense of them. We're utterly dependent on our caregivers to teach us how to navigate this new world of emotions and help us cope with and manage our emotions, especially when these feelings are intense or overwhelming. When our caregivers help us regulate our emotions, we develop the ability to feel and experience our feelings fully and to express and deal with them in a healthy way. And the broader the range of feelings we experience as children, the larger and more flexible our emotional range will be as we grow and develop. When our caregivers are emotionally open and skilled at attending to feelings, this whole enterprise goes off without a hitch, and we become emotionally competent ourselves. But therein lies the rub. Many caregivers don't have these qualities. Many of us grew up with parents who were more or less uncomfortable with emotions-- their own and those of others. This is precisely why and how things go awry. If our caregivers react poorly when we get angry, sad, or even happy, we sense their discomfort and become anxious-- we're so afraid of losing their approval, of having them pull away or abandon us. We come to associate a sense of danger with our feelings and this fear gets wired into our brains. Our development as emotional beings becomes thwarted, and our emotional capacity is constricted. We end up cut off from our emotional self and cut off from others and, unless we do something to overcome this fear as adults, it stays with us. Although we've been shaped by our early experiences, we don't have to remain prisoners of our past. Even though our brain is wired to respond in a certain way, it can still change and grow. Although we can't exactly erase our past programming, we can create new pathways that are able to override what's already there. In other words, we can "upgrade our wiring" so that fear no longer needs to be entangled with the fibers of our feelings. The key to changing lies in having new experiences with our emotions in which we allow ourselves to be more fully present with our feelings and eventually come to experience them free from fear. I wrote my book, Living Like You Mean It: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want, to help you overcome your fears and be able to use the wisdom and power of your emotions to get the life you really want. I share with readers what I learned and developed over the years, and what I teach my clients every day: a proven four-step approach to overcoming fear and becoming more emotionally present in your life. Ultimately, you'll come to realize your true potential to feel fully alive, vital, and deeply connected to your experience of yourself, others, and the world. To learn more about Living Like You Mean It, please visit: http://www.livinglikeyoumeanit.com/index.html

Book Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: Speak 

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson 

Genre: Fiction - Young Adult 

Finished: May 28, 2009 

Melinda Sordino has just started high school, but she is alone, friendless, and an outcast. A party that she attended was busted by the cops after she called them. Since then, her peers have ostracized her and her friends have abandoned her. Only and unfortunately for Melinda, no one asked her why she called the cops. After a few beers, she was led into the woods alone by a popular, well liked older boy and raped. Since then, her confidence has bottomed out, depression has hit, and she has told no one about it. It is near impossible for her to make new friends and she loathes to be close to people. Melinda's assault is a secret that she carries within herself, the only outside signs her anti-social behavior and the bloody lips she continuously chews at. Melinda cannot speak and she cannot tell anyone what happened to her. She has no friends to tell, after all, and no teachers who make her feel comfortable enough to confide in. To make matters worse, she doesn't feel that she can talk to her parents about what happens. Left to deal with the rape and following traumas alone, she withdraws. 

This book was unbelievably emotional. Rape and sexual assault are very serious and devastating crimes, and ones that a lot of people keep inside and never tell a soul about. It is hard to know what someone who has been through rape and sexual assault thinks and feels if not experienced personally. Being able to peek into Melinda's head, to see and live the processes of depression and isolation she feels throughout, is very emotional. Speak is not a book one should read if they want light reading. Melinda's reactions to the boy who raped her when she meets him in school are particularly hard to read--- you can almost feel the sickness and fear coming off of her in waves. 

Speak is about more than just rape and sexual assault. It is also about how difficult it is to be a teenager. In a lot of ways, Melinda is like any other girl her age who suffers from low self-esteem, wants to fit in and be liked, but has no idea how. I recall moments when she considered how much she wanted friends, Valentine's, and the spirit to enjoy simple things. What else is Speak about? Depression. I saw a lot of myself in Melinda, which made this book even more painful to read. The part where she went into the closet, stuffed her mouth full of cloth, and screamed until she couldn't scream anymore almost brought me to tears. I cannot count the number of times I have wanted to do just that. I think in some way, most of use can relate to some aspect of Melinda's personality and struggle. It's hard to know why Melinda chose to stay silent for so long. Was it shame? The feeling that no one would understand? Fear? A desire to hide from the reality of what happened, that if it is never spoken out loud it would never full form into a real moment? Whatever her reason, over the course of the school year, Melinda slowly transforms. At first, she sinks and bottoms out. Eventually, summoning up her strength through a series of painful and altering experiences, she rises out of the hole she has been slipping into since the night of the party. It can hardly be said that the book is inspirational because it is hard to find inspiration in someone's pain, but I am happy that Melinda found her voice to speak up. It shows others that they can, too, and that to admit to such things is not to admit weakness.

Blog Tour, Book Review, & Author Interview: Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton

About Lauren Lipton

Lauren Lipton is the author of two novels, It's About Your Husband (2006) and Mating Rituals of the North American WASP (2009). She is also a freelance journalist who specializes in style, business and trend stories. She is currently fashion, beauty and lifestyle editor at ForbesWoman magazine. She has also contributed features on society and media to the New York Times Sunday Styles section. A former Wall Street Journal staff writer, she reported on copycat brides who steal their friends' wedding ideas, pajama parties for grown women, and luxury homes with his-and-hers garages.

Her work also has appeared in Conde Nast Portfolio, In Style Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings, Best Life, Glamour, Marie Claire, Fit Pregnancy and Working Mother, and on National Public Radio's All Things Considered. She began her career at the Los Angeles Times. Born in Providence, R.I., Lauren grew up in the North County of San Diego and in Los Gatos, Calif., before moving to Los Angeles. She holds a bachelor's degree in English and anthropology from Occidental College and a master's degree in print journalism from the University of Southern California. She lives with her family in New York City and in Litchfield County, Conn.

Official Website

Author Blog

Facebook Fan Page

About Mating Rituals of the North American WASP

New Yorker Peggy Adams is upset when she wakes up next to a strange man after a night in Las Vegas she can't remember...but she's horrified when she discovers she has married him! Luke Sedgwick is WASP royalty, the last of the New Nineveh, Connecticut, Sedgwicks. He might also have been perfect, if Peggy weren't already "pre-engaged" to her live-in boyfriend (with a promise ring to prove it). Peggy and Luke agree to get an annulment ASAP, and then receive an offer they can't refuse. Luke's eccentric Great-aunt Abigail offers the two the chance to make millions on the family estate: All they have to do is stay married for a year. Peggy is soon pretending to be one-half of the perfect couple among New England's WASPy set on the weekends, while keeping her marriage a secret in New York during the week. But she isn't prepared for what might be her worst mistake of all: Falling in love with her soon-to-be ex-husband.

My Review of Mating Rituals of the North American WASP

Peggy Adams wakes up one Vegas morning in bed with a strange man. It seems during a whirlwind casino and alcohol romance, they were married. Her new husband and veritable stranger, Luke Sedgwick, is a Connecticut WASP from a family with a name and history almost as old as the Mayflower. His house, which is rapidly crumbling like his family fortune, stands as an icon of his heritage and prestige. A deal is struck up between Peggy, Luke, and Luke's great-aunt Abigail: the two of them have to stay married for a year, after which they will inherit her house. With the money gained from selling the house, Luke would be able to afford full time care for Abigail. Peggy would be able to save her business from closing. The two of them decide to go through with it. At first, the two of them are barely friends and tolerate each other with cool regard. Peggy has a pre-engagement engagement ring by a man who she has been waiting seven years to get engaged to and Luke is afflicted by a terrible disease known as New England Yuppie Lack of Expressed Emotion with a side effect of Dating A Wild and Exciting Redhead. The early relationship between Luke and Peggy is at first hindered by outside responsibility and guilt. But for the sake of appearances, the two of them play the game and fake being a happily in love WASP couple on the weekends. However, soon the two of them are experiencing real feelings, which brings in a whole new set of complications and guilt. The two of them can never seem to express the right emotion at the right time, or admit to each other what is in their hearts and minds. These two are so frustrating, but with each page they come closer to each other emotionally. I ended up staying up all night to finish this book because I wanted so badly for the two of them to work through their misunderstandings and misinterpretations and just admit to having real feelings for each other. For a while there, for every step forward they make, they take another two back and it drove me crazy in a good way. It is interesting the way that the author allows us to see some events from both perspectives, so that after a while we learn to gauge how the other person is feeling even though it isn't obvious. Like, I knew after a while why Luke would make certain comments or faces. I understood the way Peggy saw his actions. None of it had to be explained anymore. Need I say that I absolutely LOVED the romantic and sexual tension between the Luke and Peggy? I did. Sometimes it was almost palpable, I kid you not. I mean, no it's not very realistic that your average struggling business owner female in an unhappy relationship meets rich and sexy man in Vegas, but I found the progression of their relationship to be complex and realistic. They didn't just fall in to each other's arms as romance novels tend to have their characters do. Mating Rituals is a romance novel for people who don't like the conventions of typical romance novels.

Interview with Lauren Lipton

Q: What do you do to prepare to write? What is the process that gets you ready to sit down a lay out a story?

A: How I prepare depends on where I am in the process. While in the middle of a book, I spend time before my writing day officially begins--while lying in bed, doing dishes, at the gym, and so on--chewing on whatever challenge is on the agenda, such as, "How do I get Peggy down the stairs?" (Truly, getting a character from the third floor to the first is usually as much as I can accomplish in a day.) If I'm starting a new book--as I am now--I spend weeks, sometimes months, thinking about it and outlining it. It sounds like procrastination, but the thinking part is as necessary as the writing part.

Q: How much of yourself do you put in your characters? Are they extensions of you, or are they independent creations that take on a life of their own after coming from your imagination? How much are you like Peggy?

A: This is an interesting question, because I would have given the opposite answer two years ago. The heroine of my first novel, It's About Your Husband, was a fictionalized version of me. But while writing Mating Rituals of the North American WASP, I was surprised to find the characters taking on personality traits I do not believe I possess. Peggy, for example, is too indulgent of her commitment-phobic boyfriend. Seriously, Peggy; he'll never make you happy.

Q: What is the most valuable piece of knowledge that you've picked up after becoming a published author that you wish you knew from the start?

A: Oh, where to begin? I wish I'd known how lovely publishing people are. Maybe there are meanies in the industry, but everybody I've met, from agents to editors to designers, proofreaders, publicists and other authors, has been smart and personable and kind. I'd had this notion that they'd be snobby or mocking. That was a lot of wasted worry.

Q: What's the best part of writing a book? What is the worst?

A: The best part is the physical act of sitting at the computer and spinning ideas into a tangible object: a big, thick, satisfying chunk of paper. The worst part--and it's hardly terrible; I'm not complaining--is that I don't love being the center of attention. I get a little embarrassed doing the readings and interviews and talking about me, me, me. At the moment, I am thoroughly sick of myself.

Q: Finally, could you share with all of us a quote that you love?

A: "Omit needless words." --William Strunk, Jr., in The Elements of Style

Some Participating Sites

http://thereviewfromhere.wordpress.com/ 

http://librarygirlreads.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.devourerofbooks.com/ 

http://burtonreview.blogspot.com 

http://bookopolis.blogspot.com/ 

http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/ 

http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.bookconfessions.com/ 

http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.readingwithmonie.com/ 

http://www.sheistoofondofbooks.com/ 

http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.thisbookforfree.com 

http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/ 

http://unmainstreammomreads.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.bermudaonion.wordpress.com/ 

http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/ 

http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/ 

http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/ 

http://epicrat.blogspot.com/ 

http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.thebookzombie.com/ 

http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.linussblanket.com/ 

http://donnasbookreviews.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.skrishnasbooks.com/ 

http://www.brimfulcuriosities.com 

http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/ 

http://diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.com/ 

http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/ 

http://danys-san.blogspot.com 

http://www.iheartmonster.com/ 

http://debbiesworld.wordpress.com

Blog Tour & Author Interview: Making Light of Being Heavy by Kandy Siahaya

About Kandy Siahaya 

Kandy Siahaya was raised in a small town in Maine where she graduated from high school in 1984. She worked her way up from her first job as CSW to Manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken and ended up in Brunswick, Maine. When she decided to leave the fried chicken business at age 22, she packed up her little Chevy Chevette and moved to Fort Myers, Florida where she worked as a waitress and had a great time as a single girl in her 20's. Reality hit when she was 25 years old and went back to Maine and received her Associates Degree at Beal College and promptly moved back to Florida and started a career in medical transcription. In 1995 at age 29, she met her future husband and moved to North Miami Beach, Florida, and continued with transcription starting her own business.

In 2002, Kandy left North Miami Beach and moved back to Maine with her five year old son and eventually divorced in 2005. Kandy still does medical transcription but had an unexpected decline in work which left her with a lot of time on her hands. This is when she decided to write a book. this is something she had been thinking about for a few years but never had the time because she was always so busy with her business. It was meant to be a quick and funny read, something to brighten the outlook of many that really do not see the light through their own tunnel vision. It was also intended to be insightful for those that could never possibly relate to this specific subject. Kandy has succeeded in doing just that with Light of Being Heavy.

Making Light of Being Heavy website

About Making Light of Being Heavy

These days everyone has a society-driven mindset and totally forget to laugh, especially at themselves. This may be cliche but I truly believe that laughter is the best medicine and I think everybody should laugh every day. Period. Over the years as a person blessed with the fat gene, I have been in many situations where if I could not find humor I probably would end up on the couch in the psychiatrist's office. This book is about as politically incorrect as it gets for such a subject but it is also based on reality. This is a reality that many women have just like me, but do not think they can (or should) at times just laugh about it. 

My intention when I started writing this book was to hopefully give insight to many who could never relate but at the same time perhaps provide a different perspective to women just like me. It is a point of view that has given me the strength to live my life happily and project these feelings onto everyone I come in contact with. I have a great sense of humor and a quick with and guarantee you will be laughing (and thinking) with each chapter of Making Light of Being Heavy.

Interview with Kandy Siahaya

Q: Your book takes a humorous look at weight issues. Have you always been so comfortable with yourself or did it take time? What was it that brought you to this point of being comfortable with yourself enough to put humor to it?

A: I do not think I was this comfortable when I was in grade school but through the years it has just kind of evolved into my way of thinking and I have a great sense of humor so it just kind of happened I think.

Q: Do you feel that the overall perceptions of weight would change if women (indeed all people) could learn to be more comfortable with their bodies and less influenced by the pressure of media?

A: Of course. We all watch the T.V. and read the magazines, etc. and it seems like people will automatically give validation to something just because they heard it or read it somewhere. But I think also for a lot of people it is hard to overcome something that has become so systematic because of the media and society's huge role in our lives in general.

Q: A significant portion of the population is overweight, so why do you think people still view it with such negativity?

A: I think people still view it that way because it has always been perceived that way and to convert a way of thinking has to start with each person, one at a time, and that is not something that is a quick process unfortunately. I do not know if this is a good example but another serious issue such as racism still goes on today and it is a way of thinking, it has gotten better comparatively speaking from years ago but look how long that took just to get where we are today. I think there will always be negativity about weight issues but hopefully we as a society will become more understanding and perceptions will start to change.

To look at something with humor is one of the best abilities to have. Unfortunately, a lot of men and women have had their self-esteem harmed due to weight problems. What would you say to them?

This is such a personal issue. I think a person has to make the decision to change the way they think. People may say that it is hard to do. Yes it is, but we are in control of what we think and ultimately can decide whether something will bother us or not. Just start making the decision that it is not going to bother you.

Q: If you had only a few seconds to explain to someone in brief the plight of an overweight person to help them understand what it is like, what would you say?

A: That is really a hard question because I do not look at my situation as a plight and it truly has no bearing on my daily activities. We all have something that we wish other people could understand but will they really ever understand? Probably not. A person who is short may wish that others could understand the plight of being a short person but I could never understand it because in order to really understand you must have the experience.

Q: What do you think is the key to true happiness?

A: Being happy with yourself.

Q: What would your perfect day be like?

A: My perfect day would be finishing my work early enough so that my son and I would be able to make it to mom's for dinner, come home and help him with his homework etc,, touch base with a couple of my good friends by phone before it is past their bedtime, and then relaxing to my shows after my son has gone to bed.

Q: What is your number one, end all and be all indulgence?

A: Macaroni Grill's loaf of bread they serve with olive oil and cracked pepper and we always get extra fresh-grated parmesan cheese mixed in with the oil....yum. And I just love to go to new restaurants!

Q: What is one thing, one piece of wisdom, that you know now and wish you had known all along?

A: You cannot change the actions of other people but you can change your reaction.

Q: Finally, would you share with me and my readers a personal favorite quote?

A: What my mother used to say, "Pretty is as pretty does." I actually Googled that for the heck of it and I guess it is an old fashioned saying that basically means a person may be pretty on the outside but their behavior ultimately is the deciding factor whether or not they are really pretty. When I was younger and my mother would say it to me I knew it was related to my actions and so responding in kind to people who were mean or spiteful was not the answer and I think that is when I started to learn to just let it go.

Book Review: All Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #7) by Charlaine Harris

Title: All Together Dead

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Book Number: 7

Author: Charlaine Harris

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal

Finished: May 22, 2009

Time for the Rhodes vampire conference, which Sookie must attend as part of the Queen of Louisiana's entourage.

In All Together Dead, Sookie is a valuable asset what with Louisiana being weakened by Katrina and the Queen, Sophie-Anne, under suspicion for killing her husband, the King of Arkansas. For money, Sookie has agreed to attend the conference and read the minds of any humans present in case someone is thinking something that might be important for Sophie-Anne to know. Her new boyfriend, were tiger Quinn, is also in attendance setting up events. However, unfortunately for them and their budding romance, they don't get to spend much time together. But at least Sookie has one friend. Barry the Telepathic bellboy is there with another group, and the two of them find few moments of peace to work out their gifts together. As two of the only humans there, they find themselves at the call of the stronger and more powerful vampires who send them out on missions such as assassin investigation. It's not easy to be at the bottom of the food chain. After the last book, this one was a big improvement. Relations will Bill are still rocky, but at least Sookie will acknowledge his name. Sookie isn't too fond of being a lackey for the Queen and her personal bodyguard Andre, but she realizes her limitations and goes with it as best she can. Her relationship with Eric deepens in All Together Dead. The two of them find that the bond they had formed when they first exchanged blood is now multifaceted and far more complicated than before. I am very happy about that since I think that Sookie and Eric make a far better and complex couple than Sookie and Bill. I also think that Eric appreciates Sookie in a different and more meaningful way. Sookie brings something out in Eric that no one else does and I think that says a lot about the nature of their relationship. It was just good to get back to some of the older characters. Granted, they were a long way from Bon Temps and Merlotte's. I don't feel like the Southern Vampire Mysteries needs any more characters since every new inclusion comes at the expense of interaction with other older, favorite characters. 

All Together Dead does not fall short on action and mystery, either. There is sinister intent all around and Sookie can feel it. Between can bombs and dead assassins and shifty waiters/hotel workers, you never know who the enemy is. It is also pretty hard to be one of the only humans in a building full of blood drinkers, as well. Toward the end of the story, when the action picks up full force, it's well written and done just right to level the suspense and intensity off without overdoing it and making it too dramatic.

Book Review: Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #6) by Charlaine Harris

Title: Definitely Dead

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Book Number: 6

Author(s): Charlaine Harris 

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal 

Finished: May 21, 2009

Definitely Dead is book 6 in the Southern Vampire Mysteries. Sookie, weary and battle scarred, once again has high hopes that her life can return to normal. She has enough stress as it is between her brother's personal life, rebuilding her kitchen, Debbie Pelt's family's meddling, her broken heart, the dead demon left on her lawn, and the murder of her cousin Hadley. As it turns out, Hadley was a vampire and a favorite of the Queen of Louisiana. Sookie must go to New Orleans to clean out her cousin's old apartment, which means entering the paranormal world of the vampires once more. On the bright side, she has a new boyfriend. Her new boyfriend is a were-tiger named Quinn. Quinn is tall, bald, patient, and seemingly without drama. Unfortunately for them, they are attacked by crazed bitten weres on their first date. It is all downhill for Sookie from there. Weres and vampires attacking from all angles, oh my. Additionally, not only does Sookie want to clean out Hadley's apartment, but she wants to find out what truly happened to her cousin. That opens up its own can of worms to add to the already smoldering pot of problems simmering.

I'll be honest with you guys. If this had been the first or second book that I read in the series, I wouldn't have continued. Though it was good, I gave it a lot more credit because I already know and love the characters. If Definitely Dead were my introduction to the Sookie Stackhouse world, I wouldn't have thought twice about not picking up the next book. Don't get me wrong, Definitely Dead is a good book, it just isn't the type of book that would capture my attention and make want to read again. A lot of the book just seemed to be out of character. Sookie is slowly exiting the world of being your average every day telepathic waitress who is cutely modest to being a supervixen special something who has all the guys stare when she flips her hair. And Bill did a total 180. Only Eric was the same, which was a relief because I would take it too hard if he changed at all. It is disappointing that there is such an influx of new characters because the old characters, the ones I enjoy, are being pushed to the wayside. I don't need a whole new league of witches and boyfriends and vampire buddies to enjoy The Southern Vampire Mysteries. I just want to read about the world of Sookie and her close companions. Adding too many characters makes things overly complex and complicated. Of course, fresh blood is necessary to keep a book active, and new people are always coming and going in life, but within the limited confines of a book they only end up pushing out other characters since only so many can be in focus at a time. Also, a word of warning. If you've ONLY read the books, you will be confused

If this book is to make sense to you from the start, I suggest you read the short story One Word Answer from Bite. The events of that story come to fruition in Definitely Dead and are unfortunately never mentioned anywhere else. So, if you haven't read One Word Answer, you are going to be very confused about Hadley and the Queen and the Queen's request. It doesn't make sense that the story wasn't included as a prelude or a first chapter, but I suppose it makes more money selling in parts. I have high hopes for the next one and can only cross my fingers that Sookie and her world will return to how it was when I fell in love with it. I want Sookie to go back to being a normal girl with a special gift, not some half-supernatural creature like everyone else. How can I relate to her that way? And I want more of the old characters, more Eric and Bill and Sam.

Blog Tour & Interview: Outcast (The Cat Star Chronicles, #1) by Cheryl Brooks

I'd like to thank Cheryl Brooks, author of the Cat Star Chronicles to Epeolatry. She was generous enough to let me read and review book 4, Outcast, and was also kind enough to stop in answer answer a few questions for me and you, the reader! For more information about Cheryl Brooks and her books, check out her official home page.

Interview with Cheryl Brooks

Q: What do you think draws readers to the paranormal/supernatural? What draws you to the paranormal/supernatural?

A: I think most readers who enjoy paranormals are interested in pure, escapist entertainment and have a strong liking for the "what if...." questions. I like it because it puts the fewest possible restrictions on my imagination.

Q: What made you choose to write your characters as inhabitants of outside planets? Why not Earth?

A: We already know what Earth is like, and though the Earth of the future is fascinating to consider, as Star Trek illustrates so well, the greatest adventure is “to boldly go where no man has gone before.  So far, my heroines have all been from Earth, or at least human, and I think any woman who enjoys science fiction has wondered what it would be like to have an alien lover. Alien men represent the vast unknown, which is intriguing, though sometimes dangerous! Setting the books on other planets also gives my imagination the freedom to create new worlds, and those planets determine what kind of novel it will be. For Outcast, I created the newly colonized world of Terra Minor, which gave me the opportunity to write about a pioneer woman and her hired hand, giving it a slightly historical feel, as was the case in Warrior. There was more "planet hopping" in Slave, which is more like Star Trek, and Rogue is about a woman traveling to a distant and very different world to take a post as a piano teacher.

Q: What do you do to prepare to write? What is the process that gets you ready to sit down a lay out a story?

A: When I begin a story, I usually have at least one scene in mind. It could be when our lovers first meet, their first romantic encounter, or the world they find themselves on. Either way, that one scene creates the characters and makes them real for me, and the rest of the story develops from there. In Slave, I had the vision of a male slave on the auction block in chains who was bought by a woman who only needs him for one task, but they turn out to be perfectly matched. In Warrior, I envisioned a young witch living alone in a forest cottage to whom an alien slave is brought for healing. In Rogue, already having developed the Zetithians as a species, I tried to imagine just how hard it would be for one woman to choose between two brothers. With Outcast, I took a man who had been so used up by women that he wanted nothing more to do with them, but then meets the one who can redeem him.

How much of yourself do you put in your characters? Are they extensions of you, or are they independent creations that take on a life of their own after coming from your imagination?

Jacinth, in Slave, is the same kind of no-holds-barred independent space trader that Han Solo was, but she is saddled with some of my own insecurities, as are all of my heroines. They share some of my strengths as well, but though there is a little of me in all of my heroines, they become different people as I develop them. Bonnie, the heroine in Outcast, has elements of my own personality along with the kind of dogged, independent spirit that I see in my sister.

Q: Okay, so they are making a movie of The Cat Star Chronicles. Who would you choose to play the main characters? What actors or actresses could you see playing your characters?

A: I usually reply to this question by saying that I think it would have to be some unknown actors because I don't know of anyone I would choose, but, in reality, my books are much too erotic to be made into mainstream movies. For that reason, I've never given any thought to who might play any of the characters, but some of my heroes were inspired by specific actors. For example, Tycharian in Rogue is based on Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean) and I had a young Jeff Goldblum in mind when I created the character of Manx in the upcoming Fugitive.

Q: Which of your characters would you like to spend a day in the shoes of?

A: I can probably relate more to Tisana, the witch in Warrior, than any of the others because she is a healer, and in my other career, I'm a critical care nurse, but the one whose shoes I'd most like to be in would be Kyra in Rogue. I've always admired anyone who can play the piano well, and I'd like to know what that feels like, not to mention her experiences with two sexy Zetithian brothers!

Q: What is the most valuable piece of knowledge that you've picked up after becoming a published author that you wish you knew from the start?

A: I had no idea just how much extra work being published would entail. At first, you imagine that you write the book and then someone else handles everything else, from editing, to cover art, to promoting. But in reality, while you're in the midst of writing a new novel, you must also promote the one on the shelf by doing interviews, guest blogs, book signings and other promotional activities. Then there is the work to the one that is already finished, but not yet published, which includes revisions—which can sometimes be fairly extensive-- proofreading, and reviews of the copy-edited and page-formatted versions. In addition to that, there are websites to maintain, blogs to write, and emails to be answered, and all of this on top of another full-time job!

Q: What is one thing you've never done but would love to do?

A: Now, don't laugh, but I would dearly love to be the lead guitarist in a rock band. This isn't something that will ever happen-- and it's not because of the resultant fame or anything like that, either; it's the being able to do it and do it well that interests me.

Q: What would your "theme" song be on the soundtrack of your life?

A: I have absolutely no idea, unless there's a song about a woman who is constantly doing something and finds it very difficult to relax.

Q: Finally, could you share with all of us a quote that you love?

A: This is from Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy-- specifically from The Crystal Cave.

"The gods only go with you if you put yourself in their path. And that takes courage." 

This is so true for an author. If you don't take the plunge and submit that manuscript to someone, you'll never know if being published is a possibility or not.

My review of Outcast

Title: Outcast

Series: The Cat Star Chronicles

Book Number: 1

Genre: Romance - Sci-Fi 

Finished: May 17, 2009

Outcast by Cheryl Brooks is book four in the Cat Star Chronicles series. In this installment, Zetithian Lynx has been stolen from his planet at its destruction and sold into slavery. A slave of slave women, Lynx is made to share his special intimate talents with 50 harem women. At first, he enjoys the constant lovemaking, but after a while it begins to wear on him and he loses the ability to feel arousal. Kicked out of the harem, he travels on his own to find work, to earn enough money to buy land and live quietly. After his bad experience with the harem women, Lynx wants nothing to do with a woman ever again. Imagine his upset when he comes to work for Bonnie, who is with child by her ex-boyfriend, a man who stole her money and ran off. As an honest and hard worker, Lynx decides to stay, though he has no interest in even being Bonnie's friend. Despite the unfriendliness that Lynx displays, Bonnie tries her hardest to live with him peacefully even though the two of them can barely get along. Lynx is nothing short of rude and dismissive, even a bit mean at times. After a while though, Bonnie begins to love Lynx. Despite his attitude and her knowing he wants nothing to do with women, she can't help but fall prey to his good qualities. However, Lynx has no interest in loving her back. Yet. 

In Outcast, Cheryl Brooks creates a very realistic world. I have to praise her creativity for not only thinking up good characters, but also in the creation of unique planets and alien species. I am not usually one for science fiction-y type things, but I loved the setting for Outcast. The entire "here we are on an alien planet" thing was so casual that you slipped right into the reality of it as if it were quite simply so. Brooks really drew out the tension on this one, too. Outcast didn't have the lead female and sexy male hero fall instantly into each other arms. The conflict between the two was great, even if main character Bonnie DID fall in love with Lynx awfully quick. I can't blame her, though, because a cute guy is a cute guy. It was truly sweet the way that the two of them fought, and how different Bonnie's perception of Lynx was to how he really felt. Yeah, he had a chip on his shoulder and it showed. But, in any good romance/erotica book, the steadfast female soon enough melts the ice of the cold, distant man's heart in no time. Outcast is creative, humorous, emotional, and sexy. It was my introduction to sci-fi erotica and romance, and I have to say that I enjoyed this one very much. I haven't read any of the other Cat Star Chronicles, but I plan to go out and get a copy of 1, 2, and 3 as soon as possible. It was unbelievable fun to involve myself in the personal world of Bonnie and Lynx.