Wednesday, April 17, 2013

TBR Challenge: The Family Business

This month's challenge from Wendy's 2013 TBR Challenge was to read an author that is new to me. I try to get out my romance comfort zone every now and then and read something different. I chose to read "The Family Business" by Carl Weber. I can say it was truly different. Family Business starts out with the description of the Duncans. The Duncans are a prominent family in Jamaica, Queens. They own a successful car dealership. But their real deal is crime. The father LC is about to retire and turn the business over to one of his children. Which one will it be? The mother Chippy has named all her children after cities she likes, Paris, Orlando, London, Rio and Vegas. We get to read about all their messy secrets and personal problems. There is a great deal of profanity and unromantic sex involved. It read like a straight-to-DVD movie script. I will not be watching...I mean, reading the sequel. Returning now to my HEA's.

I skimmed quite a bit so I don't feel comfortable giving this book a grade, I'll just say if you like family conflict, crime, sex, betrayal, hit men and murder in your novels, you can have my copy of Family Business.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Dyanne Davis the "Indie" Spirit

L. Wall with Bill and Dyanne Davis
 
Aurora Public Library is celebrating Romance in 2013 with programs that engage readers and encourage writers of Romance Fiction. Today's program "Indie Publishing for Authors" was presented by author Dyanne Davis. Dyanne has written over 16 books, novellas and articles. She has written traditional romance, Paranormal (as F.D. Davis) and recently Womens' Fiction. With the introduction of Epublishing, authors have more choice in the publishing and marketing of their works. Ms. Davis shared the good, bad and the ugly of publishing on your own. Her number one piece of advice for first timers is to invest in an editor before you publish your work. Indie Publishing is the first of three writers' programs that will be offered by the library. Coming in May, "Branding for Authors" presented by Blythe Gifford followed by "10 Secrets to Getting Successfully Published" presented by Joseph Durepos and Bret Nicholaus in June. For more information, visit the library's website: www.aurorapubliclibrary.org.