Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour - Out of Practice Aphrodite by SE Babin #booktour

I      STEPH: I'd like to welcome author S.E. Babin on her Goddess Fish Virtual book tour for "Out of Practice Aphrodite.  S.E. sat down for a little bit and shared a little about about the book with me.  Now, I don't know much about "Out of Practice Aphrodite." What's it about?

S.E. The main character is Aphrodite. She’s been blending in with the mortal population for years now, but her peaceful existence is about to be shattered when Mount Olympus comes calling. Now she’s caught in the middle of a high stakes power play, and it’s up to her to take down a powerful goddess before Abby’s existence gets wiped out.

It’s a mixed genre book – part mystery and part humor, so the tone throughout most of the novel is light, mostly because she can make fun of herself…and everyone else, of course!

2    STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

S.E.: The book took about a year to write, but the bulk of it was done over a period of about four or five months.

3   STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research for the novel?

S.E.: I did do quite a bit of research on this one, only because I wanted to make sure the book stayed true to the characters. I did take major liberties with some of the stories to make it my own, as many authors do. For Aphrodite, I pulled from The Theogeny. For the others, I used traditional myths. This was done to keep my main character from being related to everyone in the story!

4   STEPH:  How does the cover reflect the story inside?

S.E.: That’s a great question. Have you ever picked up a book thinking it was written in one style because of the cover, only to start reading and figure out you were completely wrong? I hate that. I think this cover is reflective of the story. Aphrodite (Abby) is trying to fit in with the mortals. She wears regular clothes, loves pop culture, and (as you can see on the cover) she loves a good cup of coffee. The cover is in the vector style, which I love, and shows the work inside probably has a lighter tone.

5    STEPH: Oh, I love a good cup of coffee. Now, Aphrodite (Abby) is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

S.E.: Let’s talk about her weaknesses first. In mythology, many of the gods and goddesses are vain and manipulative. Abby stays true to that with vanity, at least in the beginning. She is the Goddess of Love and the most beautiful woman in the world. After thousands of years knowing that, she’s bound to have some issues being humble. However, as the novel progresses, she tones that down a little bit because more important things come to light.

Her strengths are many, though. She cares for her friends very much, although she struggles with selfish behavior sometimes. She also cares about Zeus even though she can’t quite figure him out. Overall, she’s a very loving person who’s been way too complacent over the years. Things change quickly for her, but she adapts to those changes with as much grace as she can.

STEPH: Tell me about the heroes in this book. 

 S.E.: I have two heroes in this book – Hermes and Marshall. Abby struggles with her feelings for both. On one hand, she knows Hermes is probably the better choice because he’s a god and he understands her better. On the other, Marshall touches something inside of her she thought was long buried. They both love her personality and how far she’s willing to go to make something right.

STEPH:   What was in the inspiration behind the story?

S.E.: It was a what if moment. What if Aphrodite (who tries so hard to be normal) unwittingly gets tied up in Olympus politics?

STEPH:   Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

S.E.: I do. I have a Kindle Paperwhite. I don’t like the glare from reading on a Fire or iPad, so I chose to go with the simpler device. I’m a simple creature at heart.

STEPH:    What are you reading right now?

S.E.: I am reading a few books right now – The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing, Swamp Sniper by Jana Deleon and Fashionably Dead by Robyn Peterman.

STEPH:  Fun Question: Do you have any Spring Traditions you'd like to share? Do you garden? Go to festivals?

S.E.: I do garden. Every year I plant a butterfly garden. This year will probably be straight herbs. We just redid the landscaping in the front and put in Bougainvillea, Agapanthus, Texas sages, Plumbago and a few others. It’s starting to look great outside!

I’m not a festival person, only because I don’t like crowded places. I really have to love something to put myself in an area with tons of people.  However, if something interests me, I will usually take the plunge. In fact, I just did one of those underground supper club things. We sat and ate a professionally prepared meal with about 30 strangers. I had so much fun doing that.

Thanks so much for hosting me today!

STEPH: Thanks so much for being here today. Here's a link about the book: 

Out of Practice Aphrodite:  

Abby’s major screw-up brings the wrath of Zeus upon her head. He offers her a choice – work for him or spend the rest of her days hanging out in Hades with her ex-husband. For Abby, this choice is a no-brainer, especially when Zeus says the only thing he wants her to do is make a love match.

She’s the Goddess of Love. What could go wrong?

Everything.

Abby stumbles into an ex-lover, a dead demi-god and the realization that a crucial relic has been stolen right out from underneath Zeus’ nose. Eris, the Goddess of Chaos and Discord, is behind the theft and murder and the faltering powers Abby is trying to keep secret. With Zeus breathing down her neck, she’ll need to keep her wits about her as she races against the clock and Zeus’ imposed two-week time period.

Of course, this is easier said than done. Not only is she struggling with a budding attraction to a sexy lawman and feelings for long-time friend, Hermes, she’s also trying to keep everyone out of the path of a vengeful goddess while saving the Earth and Olympus from the reign of a tyrant. What’s a goddess to do when the fate of the world rests upon her fashionable shoulders?

ENJOY THIS EXCERPT: 

More tears rolled down my face and golden light blinded me and still I stood there, sucking every bit of magic I could from her. She would never hurt anyone again. “We are gods, Zeus. We are all beyond help.”

“No, Abby. That’s where you are wrong. Look at you. Look at the life you have made away from Olympus. Look at the man you are killing someone for.”

I stared at Marshall, still with his hand out toward me, green eyes watchful and wary.

“You have shown me things I long thought the gods were incapable of – compassion, love, hope, and I hope now you’ll show mercy.” He stood there, powerful in his own right, the King of the Gods asking me to show lenience against someone who would have destroyed him. I looked away, no longer wanting to see the pity or the longing for his daughter in his eyes.

I shut my eyes, willing this all to go away, wishing I could wake up in my bed none the wiser. When I opened them, I turned away and saw Artie standing in the doorway of the den, tears in her eyes and a hand over her mouth. The look of horror in her eyes was my undoing. I released the magic with a gasp and fell to my knees. Sobs racked my body and I couldn’t stop them. The horror of the last few weeks caught up to me in that moment, and I laid my head on the smooth concrete of the floor and succumbed to the grasp of magic.

ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY:  The author will be awarding a chocolate/coffee/wine-themed gift basket (US only) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour so please leave a comment about the book, the blurb, the excerpt, or share who your favorite Greek God is and don't forget to leave your email in the comments. The more you comment on the tour, the better your chances of winning.  The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/02/virtual-book-tour-out-of-practice.html

BUY LINK: 

http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Aphrodite-Naughty-Goddess-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00J1ABHQG/ref=la_B00J1J236A_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394975176&sr=1-1

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sheryl has had a book in her hands pretty much from the time she could hold things with her hands. Her love of reading turned into a curious exploration to see whether or not she could write her own. Beginning with random, terrible poetry and a slightly popular reimagining of Beowulf’s Grendel in her high school English class, Sheryl ended up spending way too much time in the library, killing any chance of her becoming a cheerleader or anything even remotely cool.

Sheryl has a fondness for humorous, lighthearted stories but also secretly covets bad-ass leather wearing chicks who curse too much. It helps if they’re funny, too. She writes a little bit of everything but is currently focusing on light paranormal mysteries. Visit her at http://sebabin.com/.

Twitter - @hungrybiblio

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007993170744

Website - http://sebabin.com/

Promo Wednesday - Be Mused

I'm very excited. The Be Mused anthology releases tomorrow with Desert Breeze. Here's an excerpt from my Story, "Matchmaking Amusements." Jane meets Antonio. Enjoy!

*****

"So, Ms. Ryan, would you like to go out to lunch?"

Jane glanced at her wristwatch and groaned. "I'm ten minutes late for a meeting with my editor."

He raised a curious eyebrow. "You're a writer?"

"Yes."
Sandra Bullock, my inspiration for Jane


"So am I."

Jane's smile broadened. Adonis was a writer! "Well, ah, I'd like to have lunch with you, but I – oh, heck. Let me call Gus and reschedule."

"Your editor won't be mad?"

"I'm sure he'll be upset, but he'll reschedule." She paused. "I scare him."

"You do?"
David Ponce, my inspiration for Antonio


"He's 5'6," said Jane. Thank God Adonis was taller than her.

"Ah, that explains it," said Antonio, grinning.

Jane reached into her purse and dialed a number on her cell phone, rescheduling her meeting for tomorrow. Then she spied Isolde sitting on the flower cart next to a male muse. They were holding hands and grinning from ear to ear. A male muse? Antonio's muse, perhaps? Holding hands? What was Isolde up to? Jane flashed her muse a disapproving grin. Isolde looked like a cat caught in the middle of a flower garden.








***
Be Mused will be available at the Desert Breeze Publishing website, The Amazon Kindle store, and All Romance Books - tomorrow!

*Isolde does the happy dance!*
Smiles
Steph

Excerpt Monday - Jane & Antonio from "Be Mused" Available 1 APR

The Be Mused Anthology is a collection of 5 lighthearted short stories about muses, their writers, and love. My story in the anthology is called, "Matchmaking Amusement."


The Set up:
In this scene, Isolde, Jane's muse, made Jane sneeze. Jane tripped and fell - right into Antonio's arms.

*********


Jane fell into the strong arms of the man walking behind her. Then she looked into his soft hazel eyes and smiled. "Ah, hi."

"Hi," he replied, his voice deep and rich.

Sandra Bullock, my inspiration for "Jane Ryan."


Her handsome stranger helped her to her feet. She tried to stand up, but only had on one pump and stumbled again – right into Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. He wrapped his arms around her again. Their eyes caught. Jane's breath hitched. He was Adonis brought to life. He nipped at his lower lip with his teeth as he drank her in.

The urge to kiss those pouty red lips washed over her like a river current. Someone slap her silly. She'd just made a fool out of herself! Slowly, she disengaged from his muscular arms and stepped out of her good pump so she stood flat footed on the ground. "I'm sorry, I seem to have lost my shoe when I sneezed."

He playfully nodded his head as he smiled at her. She knew that type of smile. He was admiring her from head to toe. It had been a while since a man admired her. Two years? Three? Longer?

David Ponce, my inspiration for "Antonio."


"That sounds lame, doesn't it?" she asked.

"A little. I’m Antonio Martinez."

"Jane Ryan."

"It's nice to meet you, Jane," he said.

Jane took a deep breath as she ran her eyes over him. Again. He was older, late thirties, early forties maybe, and he had a grin that could light up a moonless night. She wasn't quite sure what to do next, but she knew she wanted to redeem herself. She didn't want Adonis thinking she was a ditz.

*******

Be Mused will be avail on 1 APR 2010 through Desert Breeze Publishing; http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com, at the Amazon Kindle store, and at all Romance Books

Congrats to Gary Paulson - Winner of the ARC for Be Mused!

I just want to congratulate Gary Paulson - Winner of the ARC for "Be Mused." - I cast Chace Crawford as "Tristan," the muse. Tristan appears in my story, "Matchmaking Amusement." In the story he meets "Isolde," another muse and falls in love.

Scarlett Johanson as "Isolde."


In my story, the muses are old in spirit, but young in appearance. Tristan meets Isolde while on vacation in Germany, but in order to be together, Tristan and Isolde conspire to have their writers, Jane Ryan and Antonio Martinez fall in love.

Here's an excerpt from "Matchmaking Amusement" with Tristan and Antonio.

*****
Tristan smiled. One day Antonio would meet a girl and impress her with his poetry -- and Spanish.

Antonio walked back out onto the porch, sat down and sipped his coffee.

"What kept you up?" asked Tristan.
"The end."

Tristan's lips curved into a wicked smile. "Are you there? Now?"
"Almost. I fell asleep."

Tristan rubbed his hands together. "Well, let's whip it out, shall we?"
"Let me enjoy the sunrise first."

Tristan frowned. "At least tell me how far you got."
"Alstair is this close from stealing Dietrich's compass." Antonio lifted one hand and held two fingers within half an inch of each other.

"Really? Where is he?" British lieutenant Alstair York was Antonio's hero from the first book. Josef Dietrich was one of the notorious SS commanders.

"He's visiting Hitler at the Berghof in 1943 for a military planning session."
"The Obersalzberg Mountain!" exclaimed Tristan.

Antonio smiled. "You remembered."

"Who could forget our trip to Berchtesgaden and the Eagle's Nest when you were in the
military?"

"Don't get confused. It was a big mountain. The Berghof is a different building than the Kehlsteinhaus, but it was all part of the same complex."

"Of course. The Americans bombed the Berghof and left the Kehlsteinhaus intact."

"I haven't decided if Alstair gets wounded or out of there injury free."
"He's got to be wounded."

"Gun wound?"
"Better yet -- knife wound."

Antonio snapped his fingers. "That's it." He flicked off his screensaver and began to type.

"What's going on?" demanded Tristan. A muse had a right to know.

***
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! I'll be going on a mini blog tour in support of the anthology the last week of March/first week of April arranged by Classic Romance Revivial.

Also, I'll be interviewed by author Regina Andrews about the anthology and short stories coming up the last week of March. I'll be offering all kinds of fun prizes on my blog tour and interview so please pop in and leave a note.

*smiles*
Steph