Thursday, May 30, 2013

Why Is This Song Stuck In My Head

A few months back I saw a clip on the news about earworms. (You know those obnoxious songs that get stuck in your head)

Luke Lewis had a great blog post on Earworms awhile back and it is worth reading. Check it out here.

I've always found that the more obnoxious the song is, the more likely it is to become an earworm. Sure I've had some lovely tunes stuck in my head, like The Moody Blues' "Lovely To See You," but for the most part it is songs like "Knock Three Times" by Tony Orlando or worse yet, "Oops, I Did It Again" by Britney Spears that take up residence.

Catchy melodies are my brain's downfall when it comes to earworms.

However, that's not the case this time.

How many of you have seen the first trailer for the show Copper on BBCAmerica?

The song featured in the clip is "Hard Times Come Again No More" by Iron & Wine. This is not a catchy tune. It is a beautiful song, written by Stephen Foster, but it doesn't fit my usual MO for earworms.

However, BBCAmerica did do something to get that song stuck in my head.

Repetition.

BBCAmerica played that trailer almost every commercial break during Doctor Who.

Thank you so much!

It wouldn't be so bad if the song were available to purchase, but NOOOOOOO! It isn't. It is a so far, unreleased track.

I flip the bird to Iron & Wine for this.

And to share my burden with you, here the trailer with my current ear worm

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Reclaim My Heart - Donna Fasano: Cover Reveal & Giveaway







About the Book:
Sixteen years ago, Tyne Whitlock cut all ties to her past and left town under the shameful shadow of a teenage pregnancy. Now her fifteen-year-old son is in trouble with the law and she is desperate for help. But reaching out to high-powered attorney Lucas Silver Hawk will tear open the heart-wrenching past in ways Tyne never imagined.

Forced to return to the Delaware Indian community where Lucas was raised, Tyne and Lucas are tempted by the heated passion that consumed them as teens. Tyne rediscovers all the reasons she found this man irresistible, but there are scandalous secrets waiting to be revealed, disgraceful choices made in the past that cannot be denied. Love is a powerful force that could heal them both—if the truth doesn't rip them apart.




Title:  Reclaim My Heart

Author:  Donna Fasano

Publisher:  Hard Knocks Books

Genre:  Contemporary Romance 

Purchase Now:  Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo 

Excerpt

From Chapter Two


"Oh, wait. There's someone here to see you."
He frowned. "I don't have time today."
"I know, I know." Martha looked apologetic. "I tried to explain that your schedule is packed, but she insisted on waiting—"
"She?"
Martha glanced down at a pad on her desktop. "A Ms. Whitlock. Tyne Whitlock."
Lucas stared. Blinked. Then he reached up and tugged at his tie, wondering who the hell shut off the room's air supply.
"She's waiting in your office. I tried to tell her your schedule was full, but…" Concern sharpened Martha's tone. "Are you all right? She said she knew you. That you were old friends. That she'd only take a minute of your time. Should I not have let her in?"
Martha droned on and he watched her lips move, but he didn't hear a word of what she said. A blind-sided punch wouldn't have stunned him more than hearing that name. He lifted his hand and nodded at Martha to let her know everything was okay even though he had no idea if it was or not, then he turned and headed down the corridor.
"Don't forget Larry and Nate. They're waiting!"
Martha's warning sounded like a distant echo.
Tyne. Here. In this building. In his office.
What had it been? Twelve, thirteen… no. Sixteen years. He scrubbed his fingers across his jaw.
He turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt. At the end of the corridor, the door of his office stood ajar. He saw Tyne's perfect profile as she sat in a straight-backed chair staring at something out of his line of view.
In an instant, Lucas was catapulted into the past.
Darkness surrounded them like a cloak. Tyne's soft sobs tore at his heart. Of all the girls he'd dated—and there had been more than a few—only she brought out in him a fierce compulsion to protect.
He swiped away her tears, the dark color of his thumb a stark contrast against her creamy white skin.
"I don't understand them, Lucas. I never will."
"Don't worry," he crooned. "It's going to be all right. Trust me, babe. They can't keep us apart. You'll be eighteen soon too. We can do what we want then. Go wherever we want."
He cradled her, his back supported by the massive pin oak. And when she stopped crying, she pulled away from him and gazed into his eyes. Her sweet face wrenched his heart and caused heat to spark his desire. Never had he wanted a girl the way he wanted Tyne. Raw need coursed through him.
She cradled his face between her palms and drew him to her. Her lips were hot against his. The kiss grew hungry, their breathing labored.
"Our love will last forever," she whispered against his mouth.
He heard the question in her quavery tone, responded to her need for reassurance.
"Forever," he groaned, tugging her down onto the mossy ground.
Lucas tilted his head to stare at the carpet in front of his shoes and gulped in the artificially-cooled air as he dragged his way out of the past. The grip he had on his attaché case made his hand throb almost as much as the memory had caused his groin to go all achy and needful.
Of course, their love hadn't lasted forever.
He was within steps of the door when Tyne glanced in his direction. Nuances of various emotions passed across her face. And it was a striking face, Lucas couldn't deny it. The years had refined her features—
She stood, smoothing her palms across the fabric of her skirt.
and ripened her body. Her eyes were the same vivid blue he remembered, and her white-blond hair was still long and straight. He could easily recall the silky feel of it brushing against his bare chest. As teens, he'd thought of them as the perfect juxtaposition: she, all sunshine and light, he, dark like the night.
He forced his gaze back onto her face.
"Tyne." He entered his office, puzzled by the strain in his voice. What really confused him was the fact that he couldn't seem to get his tongue to form anything more.
"Hi, Lucas. It's been a long time." Her lush mouth pressed into a nervous smile, and his gut tensed.
He wanted to smile back. He truly did. With every fiber of his being. To let her know that he'd survived the sprawling interim since they'd parted just as well as she obviously had. But he couldn't smile. Couldn't speak. Couldn't think.


About the Author

Donna Fasano is a three time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a CataRomance Reviewers Choice Award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose Golden Quill Award finalist, and a Golden Heart finalist. Her books have sold over 3.6 million copies worldwide and have been published in nearly two dozen languages. Her books have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times, climbing as high as #17.

What others are saying about Donna's books:
"...complex, funny, and realistic..." ~Wilmington News Journal
"Excellent!" ~Bookreview.com
"Could not help myself from reading excerpts to my husband and friends. This book is well written, the characters are real, everyday folks. It is very easy to identify with them. Donna Fasano is a talented author." ~Elizabeth M. Caldwell on Amazon

"...a fast paced riotous look at family life today. Donna Fasano is right on target!" ~Donna Zapf, SingleTitles.com

Follow Donna Fasano at Website § Facebook § @DonnaFaz § GoodReads § Pinterest


Author Q&A

What attracted you to writing in the first place?
I came to writing from my love of reading. While growing up, I lost myself in books in order to escape an unhappy childhood.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
Teacher. I love kids, and I often include them in my stories. I always say that children are very honest and outspoken. Kids inject a great deal of fun into a book.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
Romance. I wrote for Harlequin for 20 years, writing sweet romance (as Donna Clayton) and women's fiction/contemporary romance (under my own name). I have self-published some of my back-list Harlequin books. The Merry-Go-Round was never published by a traditional publisher, so I guess that would be my first indie-published book. Reclaim My Heart is the second of my front-list indie-published titles.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
I think authors who face a lot of pain and anguish seem to write stories with great depth, with honesty and compassion. It could be that dealing with trauma brings out the best (or worst) in people. I believe that losing my mother at such a young age had a huge impact on me not just as a writer but as a human being. I became, I don't know, more maternal towards my family, my friends, heck, towards everyone I meet... more giving of myself. I'm not sure. But I know that the loss could have made me bitter and angry. I'm just so grateful that the exact opposite seems to describe me.
Where do you get your inspiration and ideas from?
My mind is always on the alert. I take ideas from everything I see, hear, read, experience. I have been known to take a snippet of conversation overheard in an elevator and turn it into a book (Return of the Runaway Bride), or from a location (His Wife for a While), or from a person I met (Taking Love in Stride). So be careful! If you interact with me, you might end up in one of my novels.
What was your favorite part of this book to write? Which part was the hardest?
I really enjoyed writing the love scenes. In my sweet romances, all the 'spice' takes place behind closed doors. So this was very fun. And which part was hardest? The "kitchen love scene" (naughty pun intended!).
If you could live inside the world of a book, which book would you choose?
Pride and Prejudice. Love that Mr. Darcy!
Give your fans three fun facts that they may not already know about you.
I love to cook! (I often post recipes on my blog.)
My reading tastes are crazy-eclectic. I read anything and everything.
I'm a little on the chubby side.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

I put my heart and soul into this Reclaim My Heart, and I think it shows… in the characters and in the story.
So what’s next for you as an author? Any last words?

I'm thinking of writing a book that revolves around three friends in different stages of marriage, but I'm not sure yet. I've worked very hard on Reclaim My Heart and I'm going to take a few days off. Then I'll get back to work!

I want to thank you for hosting me, and I want to thank your followers for taking the time to read about Reclaim My Heart.



Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Doctor Who In Review: Series 7 Part Deux

from fanpop.com
The second half of Doctor Who's 7 series, took a bit of adjusting. The story arc wasn't quite as prominent here, and the new companion, Clara, just wasn't as fun, as The Ponds.

The episodes ran the gamut from fantastic to downright awful.

"The Bells Of St John", introduces us to the new version of Clara...or one of the many Claras, but the episode didn't go anywhere and Clara was pretty unlikable.

The only good thing about her was her snarky comment about the TARDIS being a "Snogbox."

"Cold War" was a total disappointment. A wonderfully scary old monster from the classic show "The Ice Warriors" makes a comeback, and it really was a dud. The little comments about 80s new wave bands probably were the only things that brought about any entertainment, especially Clara singing "Hungry Like The Wolf."

"Journey To The Center of the TARDIS" could have been so much more, but instead, it is really one of this series worst episodes. I think if the characters are going to see the TARDIS for all she is, the viewers should as well.

Now there were some brilliant episodes here, "The Rings of Akhaten" was emotional and good with the heart string tugging. "Hide" was superb, creepy and brilliantly acted. The best episodes though were the final three, "The Crimson Horror", "The Nightmare In Silver" and of course, "The Name Of The Doctor."

Now that Clara's secret is revealed, I'm kinda hoping she turns into a better companion in the 50th and going forward, since she's supposed to have signed on for the next series.

Which were your favorite episodes? How would you rate this series?

My rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Monday, May 27, 2013

Revisiting Old Friends

My life has been so stressful lately that I've not had the opportunity to listen to music. Now I love music of all varieties. So not being able to listen to music has put a damper on my life.

This weekend I grabbed The Moody Blue Greatest Hits and put it in my car's CD player. For the first time in probably 2 years, I heard "Question." I almost didn't recognize the song. In fact, I didn't until Justin started playing that fabulous acoustic guitar solo.

Now I have George Harrison's Cloud 9 playing.

It has taken some of the edge off a weekend that hasn't been what I wanted it to be.

There are so many albums I want to listen to and love again, because music is that important to me.

This weekend, I've listened to Mika, Gordon Lightfoot, The Moody Blues, & George Harrison and it has felt like I was hanging out with old friends.

It was the only joy I had this weekend.

It is amazing what music can do for the psyche.

Have there been any band's you haven't listened to in a long time, and when you finally put their album's on, you felt so much better?

Thursday, May 23, 2013

New Rockapella Video

You may only know them from coffee commercials or a PBS game show...but there's much more to Rockapella than those two things...

Have a look and listen to their new song/video, Pretty Much You and discover the awesomeness that is Rockapella

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Doctor Who In Review: The Name Of The Doctor

Anyone that doubted Steven Moffat's ability to deliver a finale that leaves fans breathless and chomping at the bit for Nov 23, will have their opinion changed.

The name of the Doctor is not revealed, so Whovians can breath a sigh of relief and stop bitching that they don't want to know.

That's the only spoiler I'll give you in this review.

Basically The Doctor has to go to the one place he shouldn't go to save his friends and more.

I wasn't sure what role a post library River Song would play in this episode, but I loved her, as I've always loved River. She's a character you either love or hate. I love her, because I find her love for The Doctor to be quite genuine, even though she prides herself in trying to be more clever than he is.

What I love is when River and Clara meet, there isn't a repeat of the Rose/Sarah Jane jealousy. That's why I like River better than Rose.

There is one part of the episode when I was in tears and clapping at the same time, because Moffat nailed it with 11 and River. She's his wife, and it is nice that though she's been the least leg humpy woman to be with him, she deserves his affection. (Oops is that a spoiler?)

Then there is the matter of Clara, from the first seconds of the episode her secret is revealed. I like her impossibleness, and I found myself liking her, finally. I still wish Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax would be full time companions, because there was a lot of fun and good times with them. I would have liked to have seen them in The Tardis.

Strax is probably the funniest thing to happen to Doctor Who in years. He has some prize winning lines in this episode, especially in his beginning scenes.

The whole episode was really mind blowing and the end even more so, as it leaves you wondering...which is something the show's finale's seldom do. It leaves a lot to speculate on until the Anniversary episode airs.

I think this episode really gives the nod to the past in a way that will make old and new fans very happy.

Bloody Brilliant!

It will also leave you with instant Who withdrawal, which is never a good thing.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Doctor Who In Review: The Crimson Horror

The Crimson Horror is Doctor Who at its finest. It reminds you of all the reasons this show is so great as well as some other things that will just make you smile.

1. It has the super creepy factor.

2. Great companions! Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax!!! Oh Strax! I love thee!

3. Nods to Tegan...I love how 11 has been mentioning things from his past this season, it is something I wish he'd do regardless of it being the 50th anniversary of the show. He has a past and he should share parts of it with his friends.

4. Tom Tom..the little boy GPS!

This episode also makes you wonder if the BBC has bought stock in red cosmetic paint.

For a season that has been primarily hit and miss episodes with a companion that you aren't sure whether you are supposed like or feel anything for her or not, this was an episode you really liked.

Oh and props for craziness


This was by far one of the best episodes in this half a series.


Also, wouldn't is be kewl, if Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax would actually be REAL companions to the Doctor..and different.