About the Book:
Robotics engineer Johnathan Michaels knows about biding his
time. In love with his business partner, Alexis Rodriguez, it's just never been
the right time. Finally both single, they extend their bond over saving the
company's first multi-million dollar defense contract into a budding romance.
Until a previous one-night stand appears to return Johnathan's shirt. Pregnant.
And it's his. Now Johnathan's scrambling to keep up at work, keep his fiancee
happy, and deal with his impending fatherhood. How long can he keep it all
going before his love life is CANCELLED?
- Paperback: 222 pages
- Publisher: CreateSpace (October 4, 2011)
About the Author:
Elizabeth Ann West is a Jane-of-all-trades, mistress to
none. After spending three years selling her non-fiction articles to websites
and marketing firms, she is finally making the jump to fiction writing. Before
choosing a career in writing, she made magic at the Walt Disney World Resort
and performed as a Quality Technician for Alcoa. Armed with a B.A. in Political
Science of all things, writing fiction is her next mountain to conquer.
Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, her family now moves wherever the Navy
sends them. Currently, the Navy needs her family in Connecticut. To contact
Elizabeth, please visit her reader site: http://eawestwriting.com
Guest Post from Elizabeth!
Book Quotes:
Where Does the Story
Come From?
By: Elizabeth Ann
West
Once upon a time....
:) For my friends and family members, the #1 question I
receive is “How do you come up with your stories?” I'd love to retort with “How
do you remember to breathe?” The answer is you just do.
My brain never shuts off. Never. At night, my daily thoughts
swirl into semi-realistic dreams and night terrors. I'm always multi-tasking.
One of my goals for 2012 is to try to slow my brain down. I'll get back to you
on how that goes....
I wish I had the gift of physical endurance rather than
mental endurance. Hours and hours of crosswords, reading, Sudoku, logic puzzles
need doing? I'm your girl! Running thirty minutes? Um.. can I walk some of it?
Okay... I'll try. (But I don't really want to).
For the most part, the ideas that stick around to run
marathons are the ideas I work on fleshing out into story outlines. The main
idea for CANCELLED has circulated my memories since Christmas 2005. Not saying
it took me 5 years to write CANCELLED. Far from it. Once the story was 100%
outlined, I drafted in 5 months. But the very basic story question came from a
flight to pick up my stepson.
Back then, he was only 5 years old, so he could only fly
when escorted by a family member. My husband's military career as a submariner
made it very difficult for him to get leave, and we didn't want to waste one of
his precious days off separated. So instead, I gladly woke up at 6 AM, rode the
earliest morning flight from Norfolk, Virginia, with a connection, to San
Antonio, Texas. Around lunchtime, the exchange occurred and my husband's
ex-wife would drop my stepson off at the airport. Then he and I would turn
around and get on another flight, with a connection, and arrive late in the
evening back home.
You meet many wonderful and interesting people when you
travel. Or at least I do because I talk to everyone. On that first “Team West”
flight, I sat next to a man with drama to trump my drama. You see, early on,
while I loved my husband, and loved my stepson, I most decidedly did NOT love
the ex-wife. This woman would call and hang up if I answered the phone. She
sent letters sprayed with perfume to my husband complaining about how much he
was missing out on my stepson's life (never mind the divorce was the result of
her forgetting her vows or that she made the court ordered visitation as
difficult as possible).
As a new wife, it took me a number of years to properly deal
with the jealousy I felt over the intimacy I imagined my husband sharing with
the ex-wife in becoming parents. Not the sex part, I didn't care about that.
But the romanticized notions I held about hearing the baby's heartbeat for the
first time, going through the delivery
process, etc. After all, I could be loyal, faithful, and supportive of my
husband in ways the ex-wife never was, but I hadn't shared with him the amazing
journey of pregnancy.
However, the bottom line was my Prince Charming came with a
custody order. Yet, I had never seen this modern relationship problem reflected
in romantic literature. Who needs outlandish conflict when the real world stuff
is already chock-full of drama?
So that man I sat next to on a plane who's drama trumped my
drama? He and his wife were having problems and opted for a trial separation.
Both dated other people. At the end of a few months, they reconciled, only the
man's ex-girlfriend was expecting his child. Yep. And the wife was at the
hospital for the birth! Like I said, his drama trumped my drama.
Now CANCELLED isn't exactly that story. In my story,
Johnathan isn't married, yet, but the dilemma exists between the woman he wants
as his wife and the woman who is mother to his child. But I wanted to answer
that question many men and women face when there's custody papers, divorce
decrees, bankruptcy filings, or any other drama coming into the relationship—how
do you know when it's worth it?
Unfortunately, that answer's not an
easy one. But for those readers facing a less than perfect romantic situation,
I aimed for my spin on modern romance to give them hope. Life might not always
work out the way we want it to, but we can always find a bright side if we look
hard enough. In my own life, I still have issues with the ex-wife, but my
awesome, super stepson is a million times better than she is, even on her worst
day!
As a special thank
you to readers this month, I am giving away a free, signed ebook to everyone
who signs up for my
newsletter. (The newsletter comes out every 25th
and covers my latest projects, books I've read, and technology tips for our
crazy, digital lives. This is logistically the easiest way I can learn the
ebook format you need and the email address to send it.)
Also, every Saturday there is a drawing
for a signed, annotated paperback of CANCELLED from the readers who signed up
for my newsletter that week. So far, I'm working through 100+ signed copies,
and my first winner has a book on the way to her home. :)
Thank you for hosting me once again at My
Life, One Story at a Time. Oh, and as promised, for those who caught my
last appearance here back in November, there is a sneak
peek of Chapter 1 of the sequel, SERVED on my site. The
password is: drama
Book Quotes:
Robotics engineer Johnathan Michaels is in love with his
business partner, Alexis Rodriguez. After three years of missed opportunity,
the two are finally making a life together when a previous one-night stand from
Johnathan’s past reappears. Pregnant. With his child. Can Johnathan juggle a fiancée,
impending fatherhood, and save the biggest contract his company has ever seen?
Tastes of roof tar and rotten fruit filled Johnathan
Michaels’ mouth. A swish of his tongue couldn’t remove the hangover breath from
last night. Next to him, …
A slow Sinatra song kept the beat for them and a handful of
other couples on the dance floor. Spinning to lyrics about living a life that
was full…
HIPPA rights. He doubted she even knew what they were.
“Two months. Then I tell.” Nancy Jean hung up on Anna.
Swirling the glass of wine, Anna sipped it freely. She could only try to help
him. He may not know it…
My Review:
The author kept you at the edge of your seat with all of the
unexpected twists and turns in this book. From the seemingly goody two-shoes
best friend/girl friend who turns out to be quiet the manipulative ex-fiance’
to the innocent baby, you will enjoy each page in Cancelled. Three best friends
start a company which is finally becoming the successful company they all
dreamed it would be; but is one of them bent on destroying it?
A love story, normally told from a female’s point of view
was refreshingly told from the man’s point. Johnathan’s many layers – his love
for his co-worker, his sense of right and wrong, his devotion to his unborn
child – make for a tantalizing read. In the end, girl gets boy, but you’ll be
surprised at which girl gets boy.
This book was a fast read and a good read. Looking for
something to pick up and enjoy over the weekend, I highly recommend Cancelled.
It will envelope your weekend and leave you refreshed for the week to come.
Giveaway!
Elizabeth is a very generous author and she is providing each person
who comments today (the day of my posting) a free autographed e-book.
Any tweeting about the giveaway is greatly appreciated! (but not
required)
Disclaimer / Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy
of the book with no obligation for a positive review. No compensation -
monetary or in kind - has been obtained for this post. Cover art and book
description courtesy of the author, publisher, or PR firm.
From Elizabeth!!
January 2012 is a first for me: I’m going out on tour, baby!!!
15 stops.
15 chances to win (okay actually MORE)
Wait, did she say WIN?
Yep!
Here’s how it works: Every week I will draw a name from any readers who join my newsletter mailing list. I have great books and more importantly, fun events planned for readers all year. (Sneak peek: March, we’re taking an ebook blog cruise with many of my international writer friends).
The name drawn wins an autographed, annotated (personal notes from me in margin/at end of chapter) paperback copy of CANCELLED mailed straight to their door. I already have the packing envelopes ready to go!
But that’s only 4 prizes. That’s no fun.
But that’s only 4 prizes. That’s no fun.
I agree.
In addition to the 4 signed and annotated paper copies, every single blog stop has another surprise.Everyone who signs up for my newsletter receives an autographed ebook (either .mobi or .epub). I will have instructions here on how to sideload the file onto your brand new Nooks, Kobos, or Kindles. (PDF is also available on request). You will need a USB cable (it probably came with your ereader).
Visit one or more of the stops listed below for a chance to win:
one of 4 signed, annotated paperbacks
OR
a free autographed ebook of CANCELLED (retails for $3.99)
And let’s have some fun this January, together!
Posts
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That sounds awesome. I also love the fact that it's from a man's pov.
ReplyDeleteI would love to read this, sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteMalvina just won the paperback copy of Cancelled for last week :) Just sent her an email to let her know. Just thought you might be tickled Donna it was one of your readers. :)
ReplyDelete