Akamai Author - Joanne Jaytanie

           
            Akamai Author Countdown
        (akamai- smart, clever, expert)
Joanne Jaytanie, Multi-Published                                  Author

   Joanne Jaytanie lives in Washington State with her husband and Dobermans.  Take a moment to go to amazon and check out her book covers for Chasing Victory and Payton's Pursuit (Books One and Two of the Winters Sisters) to see her own dogs on the covers!
   Joanne writes paranormal, romantic suspense, and contemporary romance. She loves writing about the twists and turns of her character's lives and the trouble they find themselves involved in, coupled with building an everlasting relationship. 
   She enjoys a wide variety of books including paranormal, suspense, thriller, and most of all romance. 
Joanne's latest release with Books To Go Now is the fourth book in The Love List Series.  Her story, titled Building Up to Love, has an average of 4.8 stars on amazon!

Join me in welcoming Joanne Jaytanie to the Akamai Author Countdown.

‘Elima - Joanne, in five sentences, tell us about the series The Love List:
A small town can be a friendly place to call home and an impossible place to find a date. Four women get together and form The Love List, which consists of writing the names of their male friends on slips of paper and dropping them into a basket. Each woman draws a name with the promise to invite their pick on a date.

My book, Building Up to Love, is the fourth in the series.

‘Ehā - What are four things that inspire you as a writer?  

*  I am inspired daily when I look out my office window and see the magnificent panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains.  

*  Reading greatly inspires me.

*  People watching is a huge inspiration to me. 

*  Solving puzzles. Not the kind that come from a box, but the puzzles of a real life situations. Picturing that situation in my mind, visualizing the variety of paths which could be taken and working out the multitude of solutions.  

‘Ekolu - Tell us three random facts about yourself:  

*  I love to do stained glass.

*  I have been owned by Dobermans for 32 years and 

each holds a piece of my heart.  

*  I wanted to go to school for fashion design, but 

my dad wouldn’t let me go to college in New York City.

‘Elua - And now, two of your best resources as a writer?  

*  My friend Ruth Ross.

*  On-line classes.

‘Ekahi - And finally, Joanne, what is one symbol that describes you?

A ship’s wheel – I start at one point, but you are never entirely sure which direction I will go…  

Mahalo nui loa for stopping by, Joanne. And best wishes on your continued success as a writer. I look forward to reading more of your work!  

Building Up to Love

A small town can be a friendly place to call home and an impossible 

place to find a date. A shop owner starts a singles-mingle but only has three attendees—not a single man in sight. The women continue to meet, and change their name to The Love List. Each write names of single men and drop them into a basket. The Love List seems a success as each of the women finds their true love, except Laura. She is certain the basket is cursed.

Travis Jerome is new to town. He jumps at the chance to work on Laura’s B&B remodel, to once again have the feel of a hammer in his hand.

For something to last a lifetime it must start with a strong foundation and build up from there.

My review of Building Up to Love:

Building Up to Love by Joanne Jaytanie is the last book in The Love List Series. Her book is about Laura, the last woman of the four small town women who decide to list the names of eligible bachelors and draw their names from a basket in order to ask that guy for a date. After Tegan,Chloe, and Becca are settled, Laura claims she is too busy remodeling her B & B to take time for dating. When the new guy in town actually catches Laura's eye, she has reason to ignore her feelings. Ms. Jaytanie keeps the reader guessing as we follow Laura and Travis through their maze of building a relationship. I look forward to more stories from Joanne Jaytanie. 

‘Elima Hoku (5 stars)

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Building-Love-List-Book-ebook/dp/B00NUFAPZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413350892&sr=1-1&keywords=building+up+to+love

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/building-up-to-love-joanne-jaytanie/1120455399?ean=9781502420671

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Building-Love-The-List/dp/1502420678/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413351025&sr=8-1&keywords=building+up+to+love

To stay connected to Joanne Jaytanie, check out these links:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joanne-Jaytanie-Author/146892025475388

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7063660.Joanne_Jaytanie

Frank Borne - Akamai Author

Akamai Author Countdown
(akamai- smart, clever, expert)

Frank Borne, Multi-Published Author 

     Frank Borne joins me this week as the featured akamai author.   Frank Borne has authored numerous non-fiction books and short essays concerning Jefferson Parish history and politics, and served as editor of The West Bank Beacon, a good-news community newspaper, for three and a half years. In 2012, he self-published his first novel, But for the Grace of God. In 2013, Astraea Press released his novel Fame and Misfortune, which has been nominated for a 2013 RONE Award. Beau Coup Publishing recently released The Captain and the Queen, and the sequel, The Captain of Her Heart was released this week.
     Currently, The Captain and the Queen has 4.7 of 5 stars on amazon!

Countdown Interview with Frank Borne

'Elima - Five sentences about The Captain and the Queen:

Baxter Edwards, the captain of a Carnival organization struggling in changing economic 

times, selects a celebrity to serve as its monarch, convinced the club will be infused 

with vitality. However, when he chooses his best friend’s college-age daughter, 

Claire Boudreaux, to serve as queen, he’s surprised when they develop feelings for 

one another. Their love for New Orleans unites them; their age difference threatens 

to keep them apart as the disapproval of family and friends presents obstacles for 

the cross-generational relationship. Threatened by the resurgence of Baxter’s club, 

ewton Lavoisier, the captain of a rival organization, uses unethical means to cause 

the Merry Men of Sancus financial harm. He conspires with the krewes’ float-builder 

to manipulate contracts for his club’s benefit, but discovers alternate avenues to profit 

from Baxter’s newfound success.

http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Queen-Frank-Borne-ebook/dp/
B00JTN4PMI/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kinie=UTF8&qid=1412034459&sr=81
&keywords=FRANK+BORNE

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-captain-and-the-queen-frank-borne/1119402775?ean=9781499226928

‘Ehā - What things inspire you?
*  My family and my friends read my books as I am writing them; they provide insight, guidance, and inspiration.
*  Life experiences have provided inspiration; my first book, But for the Grace of God, was based on my relationship with my father; my second book, Fame and Misfortune, touched on extreme weight loss from the male point of view, drawing on my experience with having been heavy; and my third book, The Captain and the Queen, was inspired by my involvement with a Mardi Gras organization. 
*  A passion for the English language and clear writing has always been an inspiration. For many years, I wrote non-fiction historical essays and books and also was the editor of a small good-news community newspaper.



‘Ekolu - Share three random facts about yourself:                   
*  Married my childhood sweetheart. 
*  Only child of a single mother.
*  Wife and I are trying to see all 50 states by the time we’re 50.


‘Elua - What are your two most useful resources:
I have a small circle of friends who serve as my beta readers and provide inspiration.

‘Ekahi - Choose one symbol that best describes you as an author:
* The asterisk. I’d like to be known as a writer with books in multiple genres with stories and topics as different as possible.

Connect with Frank Borne:
http://www.frankborne.weebly.com
https://www.facebook.com/authorfrankborne?ref=bookmarks

A warm mahalo to Frank for joining us this week.

Akamai Author - Lyn Croft

Akamai Author Countdown
(akamai- smart, clever, expert)

Lyn Croft, YA Paranormal Romance Author 

Join me in welcoming Lyn Croft, author of the Bloodline Series and one of four authors in the collection Shivers.  Book 1 in the Bloodline Series, Blood and Lilies, has 29 reviews on amazon with 4.7 stars!  

Read the Hawaiian countdown to learn more about Lyn Croft and her work.  

'Elima - Tell us a little about your book, Blood and Lilies:

Once cast from Heaven, Zillah has vowed to destroy God and overtake his kingdom. But a key is needed to open the gates between the two realms. 
The Key to the gate walks the earth in the form of a woman...young, innocent and completely unaware of her importance in the battle between good and evil. Once her blood is shed, Zillah can open the portal to release her father...Lucifer himself. 
Cara, a college sophomore, is quickly thrown into the world of the supernatural, as well as learning of her true ancestry. Vampires, werewolves and the Nephilim are now a part of her reality. As the beings struggle to protect her, she fights to keep her sanity as her mortal realm is crushed. 
Secrets are revealed that could shatter Cara’s new found love, as well as lead to her ultimate death. A family is torn apart as the battle to save the key leads them down a road of betrayal and heartache. Loved ones are lost, lines are crossed, and nothing is as it seems. Lies and truths twist and turn, leaving us with only one question… 
Could you sacrifice the one you love to save the world? 

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Lilies-Bloodlines-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00GZ9MUU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412908556&sr=8-1&keywords=blood+and+lilies

'Ehā - Share what inspires you:

There is so much, where do I begin? Art, music, poetry, books, nature, beauty. I pull from everything around me for inspiration.

‘Ekolu - Share three random facts about yourself:

Crafty bead maker, video game fanatic, and should have been born a Mexican with all the chili I eat.

‘Elua - What do you consider two of your best resources?

My education in writing and my muse.

‘Ekahi - Share one symbol that describes you as a writer and why:

A ring – a never ending cycle of insanity that represents the stories playing in my head

Mahalo to Lyn for stopping by today.

Stay connected with Lyn:

	http://amazon.com/author/lyncroft http://lyncroft.beaucoupllc.com

Akamai Author - Alison Jean Ash

Akamai Author Countdown
(akamai- smart, clever, expert)

Alison Jean Ash, Romance Author 

Welcome to Alison Jean Ash.  Alison shares that she lives, as she must,  near salt water and mountains, in Western Washington.  She has written poems, letters to newspapers, articles, essays, reviews, journals and then one day in 2001 when she was working on what was supposed to be creative non-fiction: whoops, she was writing fiction!  

Join me in our Hawaiian countdown with Alison.



'Elima
Five sentences about You're So Vain:                                          

Small town banker Liz Archer is strongly attracted to lawyer Trent Callahan—except for his infuriating habit of boasting. Besides, he’s too handsome, just like her two-timing ex. Unfortunately, she needs his help. You’re So Vain launches my Oakville Romance series, set in a town where people still know their neighbors, friendships last a lifetime, and gossip is a force of nature. The next story comes out for Christmas.

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Youre-Vain-Alison-Jean-Ash-ebook/dp/B00NF3QM56/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1410291636&sr=1-1

'Ehā

Four sentences about what inspires Alison:

Moving water always inspires me. As a late bloomer, I cherish the example of English novelist Mary Wesley, who was 72 when her first book was published. I often get story-prompts from my dreams. And finally, much as I hate to admit it, I am inspired by deadlines.

‘Ekolu

Three random facts about Alison:

My mother gave me Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre for my 13th birthday—a female rite of passage! By age 30, I’d had 35 residences in 13 cities and 7 states. As a soccer hooligan in my 60s, I once dyed my hair bright blue.

'Elua

Two of Alison's best resources:

1. My critique group, Write On!

2. Natalie Goldberg’s books on the writing process – Writing Down the Bones, etc.

‘Ekahi

One symbol that describes Alison and why:

A magpie. I pick up shiny bits of story everywhere, and save them until I need them.

To connect with Alison:

https://www.facebook.com/authorAlisonAsh

Mahalo to Alison Jean Ash for visiting with me today.  

Here's my 'Ehā Hoku (4 Star) Review:

Liz Archer likes her life just fine. She's a successful banker, is respected in the community, and volunteers as a "Big Sister" to a troubled teen. She's determined to stay away from the arrogant new lawyer in town until circumstances force her to work with him. It seems people in Ms. Ash's story are not always what they seem.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes plot twists, humor, and a budding romance.  

Just Released

Chad Granger is convinced the new third grade teacher in Mercy Ridge will fall for him if he plays his cards right. He just has to convince her.

Excerpt from Lesson Plan for Love

“I hoped we were friends." Kristin looked at the ground. "I’m not ready for a boyfriend.”

Chad looked at her sheepishly. “Not even me?”

“Nobody, Chad. Long story short, I’m just not able to start a relationship right now. I’d love it if we can be friends, though. I can sure use a friend.” She crinkled her adorable nose.

“Friends, then. But if you ever change your mind…”

She punched his arm. “Thanks for the offer, Wrangler Guy.”

Ahh, a pet name. Things are looking up.