Monday, December 23, 2024

Love and the Divorce Lawyer

 She defied death once. Can she do it again?

 About Love and the Divorce Lawyer:  Josephina Jensen, a feisty, justice seeking divorce lawyer reluctantly returns to the courtroom after a four-year absence, to help a woman collect an award worth several million dollars from her unscrupulous ex-husband. This means she must match wits against the brilliant, infuriating, yet ever so charming attorney , Richard Diamond, and his unscrupulous client , who will go to huge lengths to stop the dismantling of his empire.

Little does anyone know that someone from Josie’s past is also at work, intent on taking care of unfinished business by stopping her permanently.  

Wild Women Authors is delighted to feature author Barbara Newhart as she celebrates the release of her debut novel, Love and the Divorce Lawyer, a cozy mystery released earlier this month out of the Wild Rose Press. With Barbara is attorney Josie Jensen who will go first.

Good morning, Josie. Tell us a bit about yourself.  I’m originally from the central New Jersey area and after college, I joined my older brother Dan, in Connecticut, where he lived and practiced law. I went to law school there and our younger brother, Mark, followed for college, then returned after rabbinical school, leaving our father and his family back in Jersey. He visits often and we all are devoted to him and to each other.

What made you choose divorce law for a profession?  I became a divorce lawyer through unexpected circumstances. My mom was a civil rights lawyer, and I expected to join her law firm when I graduated from law school, except she passed away while I was in college, and I fell to pieces. Dan got me back on track, but civil rights jobs were far and few and didn’t pay well, so I accepted a position at a criminal defense firm. I figured it was pretty close to civil rights and my mom would approve.

          After six months in, I was assigned to represent a wealthy middle-aged woman who crashed through a stop sign and wrecked part of a nearby property-owner’s lawn with her Range Rover, and kept going, causing two other cars to crash into each other at the intersection. Cameras identified her and she was arrested for reckless driving and evading the scene of an accident, along with a list of other colorful charges.  

          My client claimed her defense was temporary insanity. Earlier that afternoon, she’d been served with divorce papers from her cheating husband’s lawyer. The husband had emptied many of their financial accounts and was heading to Argentina to be with his twenty-three-year-old girlfriend. My client learned his plane had been delayed and was racing to the airport to give him a piece of mind. Fortunately, for all involved, the FBI caught him before she got there. It turned out that his girlfriend was the daughter of a drug cartel leader, and the FBI had been investigating him for several months for money laundering. My client got to witness him being arrested, even though she didn’t know what was going on.

          With me representing her, my client, as an innocent spouse, cooperated with the FBI and local officials regarding their investigation. She also wholeheartedly apologized for her behavior and agreed to meet regularly with a therapist while her divorce was pending. The prosecutor agreed to let her enroll in a first offender probation program that would be removed from her record in a year, providing she didn’t get into any other legal trouble.   

          During that year, my client and I stayed in close contact, with me helping her make sure she followed all of the probationary rules. I also learned a ton about divorce law through her divorce and I discovered that I like it. When the year expired, the owner of the law firm representing her in the divorce offered me a job and I accepted. And that was that.

Whoa, that’s quite a story—but knowing what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with the law or do something different? When I think about a later client who was aiming a gun at her husband—but shot me instead—any job looks good. Thankfully, after two years of rehab which got me back on my feet, literally, I was able to secure a teaching position at a law school. It pays my bills and keeps me in the legal profession, minus any flying bullets. I don’t ever want to step foot inside a courtroom again.    

What is your biggest fear? When I was going to court, practicing divorce law every day, my biggest fear was being ineffective. Clients came to me for help, and they paid a lot of money for that help. I had a constant fear that I was missing something crucial in their cases. But this fear was good. It motivated me to understand human nature and to predict my opponents’ moves and counter them before they took place. Obviously, I failed where that erratic client was concerned. It never occurred to me that a woman would try to murder her husband in order to make herself a widow and to prevent the divorce.

Who is your favorite fictional character and why? I really like Mickey Haller in the Netflix series, The Lincon Lawyer. I also like his staff. The series shows what it really takes to represent someone exceptionally well, and that should be the goal for all lawyers.

Yep, the Mick is a piece of work—as is his staff. So, what’s the best piece of advice you ever received?  I found this in a Chinese fortune cookie: A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved.

Excellent! Thanks for spending time with us, Josie. We can’t wait for the next story in this intriguing series. Now we’d like to chat with Barbara.

Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing?  This is a tough question because I have so many favorites. For authors, years ago, books written by Nora Roberts, Erich Segal and John Grisham inspired me to hurry up, sit down and write, while trying to hold on to the emotions they evoke in me. More recently, books by Susie Black, Steve Cavanagh, and Tessa Wegert motivate and inspire me.

For movies, The Rainmaker, Love Actually, and Notting Hill give me that same inspirational feel-good feeling. And I can relate directly with the 1989 hit movie, The War of the Roses, with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. It is the best!

With regard to research, where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original concept?  I didn’t need to research to write Love & the Divorce Lawyer. While all the characters and the storyline are fictional, the writing came naturally through twenty-five-plus years of practicing divorce law. In addition to being a lawyer, I am also an Occupational Therapist, focusing on mental health. The two professions really blended well because the ending of a relationship and the legal aspects of the divorce process can be emotionally traumatizing, for all sorts of reasons.    

Tell us a bit about your publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them; how is the submission process; what is the turn-around time from date of query to date of release? I write for The Wild Rose Press. I first learned about this publisher through other writers who belong to Romance Writers of America and its Connecticut chapter. The turn-around time was very prompt and professional. The process took just about a year, from query letter to release date. My editor, Kacee John, and I had an excellent working relationship, and her suggestions really helped to make Love & the Divorce Lawyer a better story.

What are you reading right now?  I recently finished Brian Anderson’s Yule Tide, and Kate Damon’s Jury Duty is Murder, both published by The Wild Rose Press. These stories are fast-paced, fun, who-dun-its, with surprise endings.

What's next for you? I’m working on a sequel to Love & the Divorce Lawyer. The working title is Your Future Ex-Mother In-law.

To learn more about Barbara Newhart and the stories she creates, go to:

Website: www.Barbaranewhart.com

Barbara.newhart.mysteries@gmail.com

Tik Tok: @barbara.newhart2

Find her on Facebook and Instagram as Barbara Newhart

To purchase Love and the Divorce Lawyer, go to:

Love and the Divorce Lawyer – The Wild Rose Press Inc

Love and the Divorce Lawyer: Newhart, Barbara: 9781509259250: Amazon.com: Books

Love and the Divorce Lawyer by Barbara Newhart, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

Also available at Walmart.com

 

Monday, December 16, 2024

Breaker by AK Nevermore

 Beware the Coming Storm…

 A bit about Breaker

Before Kara Jester met Flynn Scot, she was property of the Source, a genetic research facility owned by a powerful international conglomerate which dominates the Northern Hemisphere. Valued solely for her DNA and her talent to bind matter together, when Kara receives a summons to breed, she panics and goes on the run. Rescued from the brink of death, she is offered the chance to escape and find her own destiny.

The journey through the desolation of the Outside is fraught with peril, and the golden haloes which mark her as a Talent also paint her as a target. Kept ignorant of everything beyond the facility’s walls, Kara grapples to survive in the hostile wasteland. Humanity purists and roving gangs are only a fraction of her problems because the Source and Riegel, her contracted mate, aren’t just going to let her walk away …

 Wild Women Authors features indie author AK Nevermore and Breaker, Book one in The Price of Talent series, a futuristic dystopian romantic adventure. With AK is Kara Jester, a Binder as well as a Talent, who will go first.

Good morning, Kara. Thank you for spending time with us. Let’s begin with where you are from. I was created at the Source, the Corporation’s genetics division.

Tell us a bit about Breaker. It details my journey through the Outside and across the border into the Northern Territories. Early on, I make a really stupid decision and have to be rescued. Looking back, can’t say that I wouldn’t do it again, but Glory, if I knew then what I know now…

What did you think the first time you saw Flynn Scot? I thought he was a Breaker, but then that beard of his, the scars…I wasn’t exactly in the best state of mind. I mean, he couldn’t have been one, at least, not one of the Breakers from the Source.

Interesting. What was your second thought? That I’d never seen anyone with a beard before. Stupid, right? But it’s true. I wanted to touch it to see if it was real.

Do you feel it was love at first sight? No. He was infuriating, but…I don’t know. There was always something about him. I still don’t know if I want to kiss him or punch him half the time.

Always a good start to any relationship. What do you like most about him? That he’s a better person than he thinks he is. He’d deny it, but he cares so deeply about things…

How would you describe him? Big. Better looking than he has any right to be. He carries too much on his own shoulders.

That’s nice. It shows your . . . humanity. How would Flynn describe you? You would have to ask him.

What made you choose medicine for a career? I didn’t. All Binders are trained either as medics or structural engineers. My talent lends itself more toward healing than construction.

What is your biggest fear? That I’ll wake up and be back at the Source.

How do you relax? I like to write in my journal.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Alice in Wonderland. I can relate.

Great response! What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Rogan once told me to let people underestimate me. So far, that’s served me well.

Thank you for letting us see a different side of you, Kara. Now we’d like to chat with your creator, AK Nevermore.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Anything and everything sci-fi, horror, fantasy…it all goes into your subconscious and kind of bubbles away, fermenting into something potent. Breaker, the first book in the Price of Talent series was something that I’ve been working on for a while. A lot of that epic SFF I read when I was a kid got translated into it.

Is there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I think there are bits and pieces of me in every book I write. I can’t pinpoint one exact thing, but it’s all the little things, I think. The sensations. How a black iron pipe sounds when you drag it against concrete. Being outside when it’s so incredibly cold and ice hisses when it hits. Having to continually feed a fire and the air being cold enough to hurt when you breathe…all that.

Tell us a bit about your publisher. Breaker is self-published. I have a Traditional and a Digital First Publisher, but I wanted total creative control of this project.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Butcher & Blackbird, a bunch of Ilona Andrews, and a lot of my friend’s work. I beta read quite a bit.

Last, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I’ve got more books in The Price of Talent series coming, and a couple of other series are always bubbling along.

You can check out all of them on my website, aknevermore.com

 

 

 

Friday, December 13, 2024

His Christmas Muse by J. J. Ransom

 Christmas magic and a rescue dog bring two lonely people together for a holiday tale which explores how we mis-judge others, tell ourselves lies and heal from past wounds.

Wild Women Authors welcomes author J. J. Ransom as she celebrates the release of His Christmas Muse, a contemporary holiday tale, a current release out of the Wild Rose Press. With J. J. is marketing professional Sylvie Bradley who will go first.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Sylvie. Let’s begin with you telling us a bit about yourself and His Christmas Muse. I currently live in Richmond, Virginia for my employment. I’m from Alabama and, yes, I still have a very southern drawl, but I’m workin’ on it. I’d been stuck in a home office for over a year and I’d gotten pretty lonely, so I decided to try online dating. That did not go great at all. When I meet Pete at a pet adoption event, things start to happen. I don’t like him much, but the dog he adopts, Riley, seems determined to get us together. Well, that’s my interpretation of events. Pete is a writer, and I assume he’s a freelancer which is just not acceptable. I want someone who’s financially stable. Not because I’m greedy, it’s cuz of my somewhat unreliable, but loving daddy. You know how it is. Pete is very handsome and smart, and there’s something to him. It’s a romance story, so you might guess the rest.

What led you to choose strategic marketing for a career? I majored in business at the University of Alabama, then got my MBA at Vanderbilt. I ended up at a consulting firm in Nashville, where I fell in love with marketing and helping businesses improve and grow.

Knowing what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being a strategic business consultant or do something different? I earn a good living in my day job. However, my grandma was an award-winning gardener, and she taught me a lot while playing in the dirt. I spend most of my extra time on my extensive collection of plants. When Pete saw my plants, he was pretty near stunned. So, I guess if I could do something else, I’d work with plants. Maybe I’ll try for a Master Gardener certification one day. I guess I’d like to do both.

What is your biggest fear? My biggest fear at the age of thirty-two is wasting my time on the wrong man. I don’t want to fall in love with someone who isn’t my perfect match. I suppose I hear my biological clock ticking, just a little noise out there. Right alongside that fear is ending up alone. Though, given my parents’ relationship, I suppose you could end up alone right beside a person. Sad, huh?

Who is your favorite fictional character and why? I love Miss Jane Marple, a brilliant character written by Agatha Christie. When I was a little girl in a house filled with division, I read a lot of books. I wanted to solve the problems in my home, but I didn’t have the tools or abilities to do that. I was awfully curious as a kid, and my nosiness got me in a few tough spots, so naturally I related to this funny pretend detective.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? My friend, Angie, told me to give Pete a chance early on when I had serious doubts and fears about being involved with him.

Thank you, Sylvie. Now we’d like to speak with J. J.

Which writer or character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on your writing? I read a lot of historical fiction and women’s fiction, and I have many favorite authors. Whether they have impacted my writing specifically, I couldn’t say. That I have been a voracious reader since childhood has certainly paved the way for me to write books. That said, I love pithy, fast-moving dialogue which I find many thriller writers have mastered. Authors like Tami Hoag, John Grisham, Michael Connelly, to name a few. Quick, funny dialogue is always a goal of mine when I’m writing scenes.

With regard to research, where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths, thereby changing the original concept? His Christmas Muse is a holiday romance, so my best inspiration for introducing conflict and pacing the story was the much-loved Hallmark Christmas movie! I live in the area where the story is set, so I used my research skills to verify ideas I wanted to include. Silly things like using an actual street name meant I had to find a house number that did not exist on that street. I used restaurants I’d visited but changed the name slightly to avoid potential issues. The characters get to Nashville, so I used what I knew from my travels and researched areas of the city for accuracy.

I’ve never been to Alabama so that state got a lot of my attention—things like the weather there, colleges in the state. Originally, I had Sylvie going to Auburn for her master’s degree, but a lady I met in an airport bar (yes, really!) suggested it’d be highly unlikely an Alabama grad would go to Auburn because the college rivalry is fierce. Funny, right?

Tell us a bit about your publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them? I’m late to the novel-writing game so I didn’t want to spend time waiting for a literary agent to shop my book. I searched for publishers accepting un-agented work. That’s how I found The Wild Rose Press.

How is the submission process; what is the turn-around time from date of query to date of release? The submission process with Wild Rose is very clear and certainly easy enough to follow. I submitted His Christmas Muse in February 2024 and got a contract offer in March. The book releases on December 9, 2024.

What are you reading right now? I recently giggled my way through The Love of My Afterlife, a romantic comedy. Right now, I am reading The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. It’s set in 1975 which makes it historical fiction.

What's next for you? When His Christmas Muse releases, as a two-book romance series, I will be editing Book 2—untitled so far—I expect to submit it to TWRP very early in 2025.

My next project will be one of two ideas I have percolating: a decades-spanning friendship story set in Duck, NC or a Civil War female spy story, possibly a romance. Both of these projects have detailed outlines already developed, so we will see how the mood strikes.

To learn more about J. J. Ranson and the stories she creates go to:

https://www.juliejranson.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieJRanson

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jjransonauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjranson_writer

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jjranson/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jj.ranson.author

 

To purchase His Christmas Muse, go to:

https://www.amazon.com/His-Christmas-Muse-Hers-ebook/dp/B0DJC227ZY

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-christmas-muse-j-j-ranson/1146305820

https://bookshop.org/p/books/his-christmas-muse-j-j-ranson/21881514