My Favorite Reviews

      Though bad reviews still hurt me, I've had far more good ones and want to celebrate a few of them in this post. I didn't use any written by relatives, friends, fellow authors, or wonderful bloggers, which are greatly appreciated by the way. No, these were all posted on Amazon or Goodreads by total strangers which makes them extra special.
      By far my bestseller is A Trashy Affair with its just trashy enough hero on the cover. It garnered lots of wonderful reviews, but I selected just a few. One I've seen but couldn't put my finger on said the book wasn't nearly trashy enough, but she enjoyed it anyhow. The theme of the book is really recycling, both trash and people. Here are some I got a kick out of: "The story is a big ass good time. There's heat and politics along with small town flavor, bien sur"-Reader5309. Here's another:"I laughed out loud many times while reading and read some of Jane's battle with Nadia to my husband who worked in state and local government many years"--J.M.Struwe. Just one more for Trashy. "This is a great book mostly because anyone who has dealt with a small municipal government knows the politics involved. Add in some local flavor and this is truly entertaining"-Amanda Altenhofen. There are over forty more for this book which you can read yourself if you want. And yes, a few folks didn't like it.
     My very first published book,Goals for a Sinner, garnered these two. "I am a sports photographer and though I have not been sacked by a play, I have been tackled by a sideline player! It does hurt! The way Stevie protected her camera...I am right on with that too!"-Tracy. "I really got into it on a snow day and couldn't put it down until I finished."-James Corsones. I truly love when men read my books, and many have taken to the Sinners football series.
     Another in that series, She's a Sinner, about the first female NFL player, a punter, earned these remarks. "Such a fun and flirty read. It was also a fun look at what it would entail privately and publicly to be a female in a male dominated sport."-Janet. "I liked this book. I loved Tom and Alix together. They complimented each other,"-andrewsheath, who might be another male reader or not.
     Never a Sinner, the latest Sinners book, about the handicapped son of the Billodeaux family is getting some great ones. "This story was a welcome change from books featuring 'alpha-holes' and shows a hero who is manly, caring, and protective of those he loves."-lilymay. Lilymay often drops a review for me. Maybe I know her. Maybe I don't.
     Sometimes, I just love a quirky review. The Convent Rose was trolled badly the day it was published, but in time, other readers came to its rescue, and it ended with a number of good reviews. This one tried to encompass all the characters. "This was a romantic story about arts; nuns; cow bull riders;ranchers;the way nuns can make people think about themselves."-Amazon Reader. Or to put it more exactly, two nuns facilitate the romance between an ethereal, religious artist and a professional bull rider.
     While my Sinners books by far get the most reads, locally here in Acadiana the Cajuns prefer my Mardi Gras series.  Here's one regarding Mardi Gras Madness. "A romance with a bit of mystery and mayhem. Cajun lifestyle 101 at its best. While the heroine learns of Cajun life, so does the reader. I actually gave up precious sleep to finish this book."-pingmckay. I do like to think that when a person reads any of my books, they will learn something as well as enjoy a good story.
     I can also tell you that the one thing every author wants for Christmas is a good and thoughtful review. Don't be daunted. These need not be book reports like the ones assigned in school. Just a few sentences saying what you liked about our story warms our hearts and fends off the trolls--and I don't grade for punctuation or spelling. It's the sincerity that counts with me. Whether a new release or a book you've just recently discovered, go on--post a review.

   
   
   

She's a Sinner

My newest Sinners book, the second in the Sinner's Legacy series dealing with Joe Billodeaux's many children, was released yesterday. Placekicker Tom Billodeaux meets his match in Alix Lindstrom, a tall, strong young woman who wins the position of punter on the team. Not only did I gain a lot of new knowledge about punting while doing the research for this book, but I had so much fun imagining what adding a woman to an NFL roster would entail. Alix is the NFL's first female player, and all sorts of problems crop up because no rules are in place.

First of course is locker room etiquette.  Where is Alix going to change and shower at the practice field, at the Dome, and after away games?  Tom with his experience of many sisters helps design a private bathing area for their new punter who will lead the team from the field, pass through the locker room, and go straight to her own shower.  Away games?  She takes a waiting vehicle back to the hotel immediately. And what about language?  I had the best time creating a "sexual sensitivity" class all the guys were required to attend and asked to clean up their words. Alix must attend her own session on how to deal with her male companions.  Declining to turn them in for infractions against her, she works to earn the respect of her teammates, some of whom don't want her to succeed.

Others welcome Alix, none more than Tom who is smitten at first sight. Imagine, a tall blonde who understands every aspect of kicking.  While Alix thinks of herself as a big and clunky female jock, more than one fellow on the team finds her attractive. Are there any rules about dating a teammate?  Not yet.  Tom doesn't move fast enough and is nearly shut out by another player. What about marriage?  Nothing to stop them, but Tom ponders, what if he gets a football player pregnant for the first time in history, and she cannot honor her contract?  Would this situation be treated the same as an injury?  Lots of questions came to mind, and I didn't answer all of them.

I do hope you will enjoy meeting Alix.  She's a Sinner is on sale this week of September 9, 2015 only for $3.00 at www.thewildrosepress.com. Check out the great cover by Diana Carlile there or on Amazon or barnes&nobel.com.  Write a review for me if you find the book engaging. Thanks.