Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Taming the Texas Beauty by Jody Vitek (VNBtM, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT



I have the pleasure of sharing a guest post by author Jody Vitek, who shares...





What scares you the most or makes you the happiest about writing?

by Jody Vitek
 

I’m going to be real honest. Receiving a review scares me the most when it comes to writing. If you ask any author or publisher, they’ll tell you that you need reviews to sell books. With the market overflowing with authors, it is very difficult to get reviews. I do experience a little anxiety when I receive a review. Did they like it? How many stars did they give the book? Were they nice in their review giving constructive criticism? Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone is going to like my story. We all have different tastes.

My wish would be that more readers leave book reviews. For me, it’s not so much for me to sell more books but for me to gauge how I’m doing as a writer. I love to hear from my readers. What book and or character is their favorite? What scene moved them or maybe reminded them of their own life.

Do you want to know how I handle the negative reviews? Because you know it can’t be as easy as just letting go. Well, as I said, I’m going to be honest. It’s not easy. It hurts. As writers, we agonize over every word, every sentence, every paragraph, every scene, every chapter until we think we have it right. Then we send the book to our editor who spends hours to help make the words better. Stronger. I might get upset at the reviewer and complain to my husband or fellow writer friends. I might cry, not often. Sometimes I question myself as a writer and if I should keep writing.

So how do I bounce back? My friends reassure me that I’m a good writer and tell me not to give up. I read the positive reviews to pick me up from my doldrums. Sometimes, I have an adult beverage to help wash the pain away. Other times, I’ll take a break from writing and watch a good romance flick, or maybe scrapbook to use the other creative side of my brain.

Being a published author isn’t easy. If you’re a writer aiming for publication, make sure you have a good support group and remember the positives outweigh the negatives. Really, they do.

I want to end this on what makes me the happiest about writing. It is very simple – seeing my books published and available for others to enjoy. That makes me happy each and every time a book is released. The joy hasn’t changed from my first release, Florida Heat to my current fifth release, Taming the Texas Beauty.

Thank you for visiting. Since I’m being real, is there a question you want to ask me about my writing or books?
 

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Two years ago, Ryan Rogers was attracted to Stephanie Lockhart, but as the detective who brought down her criminal brother, getting close to her was out of the question. Now, ready to restart the relationship, he discovers her salon is connected to a series of high-end robberies.

In spite of losing her brother because of Detective Rogers, Stephanie hasn’t forgotten their attraction. It could be happily ever after when they meet once again…until she and her salon are implicated in crime, sending her world spiraling out of control.

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EXCERPT


“I’m sorry to have brought it up, but at the salon you seemed to have put distance between us. And seeing you…I wanted to talk to you. Over the phone or in text wouldn’t have been right.” He glanced at his hands.



“Your turn.” She rested her hand on his forearm. “Why didn’t you call me?”



“We were busy with your brother’s investigation, as well as other cases. I couldn’t get involved with you while working on your brother’s case. When the time came around that I could’ve called you, I figured it was too late. A girl like you doesn’t wait around for a guy.”



“No, I didn’t wait around.” She removed her hand. “And what kind of girl am I, Ryan Rogers?” She relaxed against the back cushion and crossed her legs. Waiting. Waiting for his response.



“You’re beautiful and smart. You run your own business. Come from a wealthy, well-known family, and could have any man you wanted.”



She lurched forward with a laugh before raising an eyebrow. “Any man I want, huh? Your brother turned me away when he was single.”



Ryan sat upright. “You—my brother?”



“We kissed, then he kicked me out of his hotel room. So no, I can’t have any man I want. And you didn’t want me either.”



“I never said I didn’t want you. We never got beyond the phone number exchange.” He raised his voice, frustrated with the situation. “What if I told you I want you now? What if I took you into the bedroom and followed through on your handcuff suggestion?”







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AUTHOR Bio and Links:


Jody Vitek is a multi-published author with Satin Romance, an imprint of Melange Books, LLC. She has been a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Midwest Fiction Writers (MFW) since 2001 and is a Provisional PAN member of RWA.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Jody remains close to home living with her husband of twenty-five plus years, three children and a cat named Holly. Growing up, she enjoyed reading V.C. Andrews’ the Dollanganger series, starting with Flowers in the Attic, S.E. Hinton, and Stephen King to name a few. Today her tastes run across the board in fiction and non-fiction, in all genres.

She has traveled throughout the United States, to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. Between watching her youngest son playing soccer, maintaining one of the many scrapbook albums, gardening and being the COO of the Vitek household, she writes contemporary romances.


Contacts and Links

Twitter: @JodyVitek


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GIVEAWAY




a Rafflecopter giveaway

The tour dates can be found here



40 comments:

  1. Thank you for introducing me to this book, it sounds like something I'd really enjoy reading!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Nikolina. Thank you for stopping by and good luck.

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    2. Great to hear you like it, Nikolina! Thanks for popping in!

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  2. Thank you for having me here today.

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    1. Hi, Jody! Sorry to take so long to greet you. I appreciate you taking the time to interact with my visitors and wish you luck on the tour!

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  3. Thanks for the chance to win and sharing the excerpt

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    1. Patricia, thank you for visiting today. Glad you enjoyed the excerpt and good luck.

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    2. Thanks for coming by, Patricia!

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  4. What was the best book that you have read in the last year? Thanks for the giveaway. I hope that I win. Bernie W BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Bernie. Good luck.

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    2. Hi, Bernie! I have had the pleasure of reading tons of great books in the past year and I look forward to finding many more. Thanks for popping in!

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  5. Replies
    1. Thank you, Victoria. Thanks for visiting and good luck.

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    2. Happy to see you, Victoria!

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  6. I think I would find reviews scary too.

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    1. ;) Mary, thank you for stopping by and good luck.

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    2. Hi, Mary! The toughest thing about writing reviews is finding something to say when you don't particularly like the story for any number of reasons. Those take me the longest to write, since I was raised on the 'if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all' maxim but I feel obligated to be honest. Thanks for coming by!

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  7. Congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)

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    1. Lisa, good luck and thank you for visiting.

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    2. Hi, Lisa. Thanks for dropping in!

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  8. Really enjoyed your comments. This story really sounds good.

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    1. Hi, Jane. Thank you and good luck.

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    2. Thanks for taking the time to read the post, Jane. Great to see you!

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  9. Congrats on the new book and good luck on the book tour!

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  10. I really enjoyed reading the excerpt! Sounds like a very interesting and intriguing read!

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    1. Hi, Ally!! Great to see you. Hope you get a chance to read the book!

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  11. Just stopping by to say hi! Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

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  12. Shared on G+ to help spread the word, have a great day! :)

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  13. Where is your favorite spot to read?

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    Replies
    1. If it's summer, I love to read outside. Otherwise, I read in bed at night. When no one is home, I'll occasionally read on the couch.

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  14. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Looking forward to checking out this book!

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  15. Loved the excerpt! thanks for sharing

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    1. Karin, thank you for stopping by and good luck. Glad you enjoyed the excerpt.

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