Friday Man Candy!

I've decided to go with a bad boy this week. We all love a bad boy....this one is not only a total jerk (according to the tabloids) but he also speaks with a British accent.

Good Lord, how I love an accent.....

You're welcome, my beautiful readers. Have a wonderful weekend!

Brooke Moss.

Special guest....Sasha Summers!!

Squeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Imma gonna read a new book this week, and so are you! .....If you win a copy of Medusa: A Love Story, by debut author, Sasha Summers!

Oh, how I love Sasha. She's my FB friend and I cyber stalk her, and she is very funny, very considerate, and very witty. Here is her bio:

Stories are powerful things. Whether reading/writing a book or watching a film, I love it when my heart picks up, I’m scared senseless or my insides turn to jelly.  The word, whether spoken or read, is such a miraculous thing! I feel supremely privileged when something I’ve written affects a reader. I hope my stories will find their way into your hands and, hopefully, what you read will touch you in some small way  !

I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, the Dallas Area Romance Authors, the Austin Romance Writer’s Association, Future, Fantasy and Paranormal RWA and the one and only Shake a Spear Critique Group. Yes, I love my RWA community 

In addition to writing and reading I’m a bit of a movie addict. I tend to post a LOT of reviews and commentary on all things film. I’ve a wealth of information and knowledge on most films – their actors, directors, scores, and other useless bits of Hollywood trivia.


Sasha's debut novel, Medusa: A Love Story is available now, and here is what it is all about:

"Medusa is ruled by duty, to her Titan father and the Goddess Athena. She's no room for the tenderness her warrior guard, Ariston, stirs. When Olympus frees her from service, her heart leads her into the arms of the guard she loves... and curses her as the creature with serpent locks.

Ariston goes to war with a full heart... and dreadful foreboding. He learns too late of the danger Medusa faces, alone, and a Persian blade sends him into the Underworld. But death, curses, nor the wrath of the Gods will keep him from returning to her.

Poseidon will use Greece's war to get what he wants: Medusa. He does not care that she belongs to another. He does not care that she will be damned. He is a God, an Olympian, and she will be his."

I cannot wait to sink my teeth into this book! How in the world can Sasha make Medusa into a romantic character? I'm totally compelled...and curious. Read my interview with her, to find out how she pulled it off...

Interview With Sasha Summers!

First off, thanks Sasha for joining us today! My blog readers love getting to know new authors on the block, especially ones that are giving away a SIGNED PAPER COPY of their book! Woot, woot! (Details at the end of the blog, peeps—stay tuned.)

First off…you’ve got to tell us about your book:

The title, Medusa: A Love Story has me scratching my head. The title just sounds like a catch-22, since Medusa is synonymous with death, fear, snakes….yadda yadda. Spooky stuff. What was your inspiration, and how do you make a historically scary story something completely different?

The idea came from a dream that would not be ignored until I’d written it all out. I’ll admit I’ve always been a little obsessed with Greek Mythology and I’m a die-hard History buff – so combining them was a no brainer.

There are all of those elements in the book – fear, death, snakes, pain, sacrifice... Yea, it’s not a happily ever after kind of story. I mean, it is, but in a ‘Gladiator-esque’ kind of way. It’s Medusa - we all know what happened to Medusa. I wanted to shed some light on what happened to her. What made her into this universally known and reviled ‘bad-guy’? In my book it was something horribly tragic that every person whose ever been in love could understand… I hope – J

Tell us inquiring minds about your writing process. Do you need music and TV, or silence? Do you write in an office, or on the couch? Do you plot or are you anti-plotting?

I NEED music. NEED it. You can find my playlists on YouTube – sashawrites. They’re all kind of emotional. (My kids say depressing – LOL.) I have an office, though I tend to move from room to room when I get stuck. I plot the most basic essentials to keep the history right, but am willing to move them around as I write. At heart, I’m a pantser. I never know where my characters or their story will take me as I’m writing it. So I go with the flow.

If Medusa: A Love Story became a movie, who would play the lead roles?

I love this question! Only catch, I have no one for Medusa. I have images I’ve used as reference, but as far as an actress… hmmm. MAYBE Astrid Berges-Frisbey – aka the mermaid from the last Pirates movie. Ariston (the hero) would be Alex Pettyfer or Hayden Christensen. Poseidon   (without a doubt ) Gerard Butler. I have a Greek Gods chart on my wall covered with pictures of who ‘plays’ them when I’m writing – very helpful tool!

Now that we’ve all learned about your book, and your writing process, let’s get to know you a bit better. Tell us about yourself. Where do you live? Do you have a family? Are you a dog person or a cat person?

I recently returned to the Hill Country. I have four kids (who are all awesome and brilliant in their own unique way.), am married to my high school sweetheart, and have the luxury of writing full time. I’m a movie-holic, a stay-up-all-night reader, and a poor excuse for a housewife. But my family loves me anyway, thank goodness. I love cats and dogs. It’s their spirit that pulls me in - I love a kindred spirit.

What is your writing fuel? (Mine is Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi, and Starbucks Skinny Hot Chocolate)

COFFEE! Lots and lots of coffee… If in short supply (heaven forbid), I’ll filch one of the hubby’s Dr. Peppers.

Now let’s have some fun….

What Hollywood hunk floats your boat?

Always Gerard Butler and Eric Bana (HECTOR – fanning self – He was my inspiration for my Hades). Have crushes on quite a few fellows… Michael Fassbender, Paul Bettany, James McAvoy, etc etc etc.

If you could travel anywhere in the world and money is no expense, where would you go, and why?

GREECE and Italy – for like a month. I feel like I’ve been there from all of my research and reading, but I would soak up the way the sun feels there, the scent of the air, the sounds… those are the kind of things that you need to experience first-hand.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Hmm – tough one. Mother of four = let a lot of things roll… I guess rudeness or snarkiness. I don’t like to see other people get hurt – ever. It makes me sad.

What is your favorite kind of cheese?

Sharp cheddar

What is your favorite color?

Cobalt blue

Pick a number between 1 and 60….

37 or 4

Give us one random Sasha fact that nobody would expect from you…

I’m an open book. How about this: I had a tarantula named Charlotte who would walk all over me. She was gorgeous.

What do you wish your readers knew about you?

I’m very thankful for the support and love I’ve received since Medusa released earlier this month. That readers spend their time and money on my books is… humbling. And awesome! If you’re a die-hard fan, email me so I can send you pretty Medusa bookmarks and postcards!

Tell us about your upcoming books and/or WIP’s...

July 14^th Hollywood Ever After (Book 1, Red Carpet Series) releases. A total departure from Medusa, this one is a hot and fun contemporary romance set in (surprise) Hollywood. Book 2 – Hollywood Holiday comes out for the 2012 holiday season.

My sci-fi holiday novella, Galileo’s Holiday will be included in Carina Press 2012 sci-fi holiday Anthology so that will also be out this holiday season.

Both will keep you warm and entertained on the long, cold nights of winter J

January 2013 will see For the Love of Hades release – the second in the Loves of Olympus series. I hope more Loves of Olympus books and Red Carpet books will follow.

Thanks for stopping by, Sasha! It was fun having you, and I’m super psyched to read Medusa: A Love Story ASAP, as I’m sure all of my blog readers are, too!

Alright.....so now I'm dying to read the book....and to buy some spider traps for my house. If you would like to WIN a FREE signed paper copy of Medusa: A Love Story from Sasha, then leave a comment answering THIS QUESTION:

Which Greek God or Goddess would you love to read a romance novel about next?

I'll pick a winner on Sunday, May 27th....good luck!

Brooke Moss.

Try it....you might like it.

Last night my family ate these, and I didn't tell them that they were vegetarian.

They LOVED THEM. My husband and oldest and son (who resist me the most when it comes to clean eating and pescetarian living) both ate two of them. And my 5 year old, who would rather vomit than eat something he doesn't like--I wish I were kidding--ate a whole burger.

You would literally never know that they weren't made out of meat. I was impressed, and we will be eating these again soon!

Brooke Moss.

Wednesday's F.A.Q.'s....Say What, Say Wha....?

Today's F.A.Q.'s consist of a few questions that made me either laugh, cringe, walk away from my computer with my hands up, and even tugged at my heart a little.

Like to hear it? Here it go...

1.) Can you read my book? Can you get your publisher to look at it? Can you talk to them for me?


Beings I'm relatively new to the world of being a published author, I am always shocked at how frequently people ask me one, or all, of these questions. I still feel like a novice myself, so how can I help someone else?? But here's the deal: I can read someone's book, if I want to. And there may be times when I do want to. However, right now, I have two excellent critique partners, that I love and adore (finally found a good fit) and I've found that a group of three is the perfect combo for me. It is important to remember that critiquing takes time away from critiquing my CP's work, as well as doing my own work, so I have to be sort of picky about when and where I take on more.

Also, because I work with multiple publishers, the best thing I can do to help other people get published, is to direct them to query and submit to my publishers according to their submission guidelines. There have only been a few instances where I've actually pushed authors I know/believe in towards my publishers, and frankly, it hasn't always panned out in mine (or the other author's) favor. So I tend to avoid doing it now. I just have to let each author find their own way, in the hopes that by acting alone, and standing strong on their own two feet, it will lead them to the perfect publisher that was meant for them!

2.) If I send you my copy of The What If Guy, will take it to Fairfield and take a picture of yourself holding it, then send the picture and the book back to me?


When I got this question (thanks, Crystal!) I almost fell out of my chair! What an odd, yet sort of exciting, task to ask me to do! The answer is: YES. If you take the time to send me your paper copy of The What If Guy, I will take it with me the next time I go to the "real" Fairfield and take a picture of it, and me, right in the center of town. Hell, why not? If a reader digs my book *that much*, I'm half tempted to get their name tattooed on my arm! A fan's a fan. :D

3.) My mother is an alcoholic, and I've been trying for years to make peace with her and her disease. Autumn's story inspired me to call her for the first time in seven years. 


Um.....first off, holy cow. I'm so proud of you (Estella) for calling your mother, what a big step that was. I know that the presence of alcoholism is pretty heavy in my family, and that there are still people in my family who are not ready to take the steps that you've taken. So kudos to you for making peace with your mom, and with her disease.

Second, please know that even though my books are lighthearted and romantic, there is always a heavier undertone that I put in very purposefully. In The What If Guy, it was alcoholism. In my July release, The Carny, it is social stigmas and racism. In my August release, Keeping Secrets in Seattle, it is sexual assault. I feel like books are a wonderful way to thread important topics in with humor and fun, which, in turn, makes discussing said topics easier. If the fear and heaviness of a serious topic is lightened up with some smiles and giggles, then it feels a lot let intimidating and daunting to talk about. I read a book about suicide last summer, Breathe Again, by Bonnie Paulson, and it was a really good example of a fine line between a fun story and a heavy subject matter. This is what we authors have to do, find the balance between serious and fun, then utilize it as much as we can. If I've helped one person open up to their spouse, friends, parents, siblings, whoever, about a rough topic...then I consider my career well worthwhile.

4.) If The What If Guy is loosely based on aspects of your life, then did you get to have sex with a guy like Henry Tobler in a fancy hotel??


Oh my gosh, when someone asked me this on Facebook last fall, I almost peed my pants. No. I did not actually experience *that* chapter in real life. I wish I had, because that Henry Tobler...oh my goodness...what a hot specimen he is. This is how I pictured him in my head:

I know, right??

5.) My seven year old son has Autism, too, and I follow your posts on Facebook about your journey as an ASD mom, and can relate so much. Thank you for being an advocate for Autism awareness.


Thank you so much (Kathee). It's good to know that somebody out there cares, and can relate to my plight as an ASD mom. I hope that more parents of children on the spectrum find the love and support that I've found online. There is nothing in this world worse than feeling alone in your confusion, despair, and frustration. I hope that as the bigger my career becomes, and the more books I sell, I am able to bring more and more and more awareness to this often misunderstood disorder. These children are not "retarded". They are not "broken" or "weird". They are brilliant and intelligent...they just function differently than the rest of us. I won't rest until the world sees it this way, too.

6.) What color will your hair be next?


I think I'm going blonde after I reach a certain weight loss goal. I was blonde a few years ago, and I really liked it, but the upkeep...oy. However, since I am digging my pixie cut so much, I decided recently that if I reach a certain goal (which I will not share, because then you'll all know how fat I actually am, and then I will have to kill you. All of you.) I will go blonde again. So you'll have to wait and see.....

I hope that you've all enjoyed my F.A.Q. series this week. Maybe I'll do this again after you've all sent me more interesting questions. What a whirlwind this last year has been. I hope it continues, and I hope I can continue to put out interesting, fun, poignant books for you to read. Thank you for your support! <3

Brooke Moss.