SPOTLIGHT ON TARA NINA & GUEST REVIEW OF TARA NINA'S~ CANDYGRAM ~

Tara Nina and I at Book Obsessed Chicks Beach BBQ Blast 2012

Hi Tara! Thank you so much for joining me at Book Obsessed Chicks.  

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? 

 I’m a normal person with a wonderful set of jobs. My job as an MRI technologist helps pay the bills. The job I love to do is write. I hope to eventually become a full time author. It’s my dream. I’ve been married to the same man for 24 years and we have 2 grown children, 3 dogs, four turtles and a guinea pig. I’m a Southern transplant living in the wilds of Northern New Jersey.

When did you become a writer? I’ve always been a writer. Growing up, I made up stories and shared them with my friends. In school, I loved creative writing courses and did well in them. It’s just been a natural progression to create stories and share them with others.

Please tell us about your inspiration for your book Candygram? 

This book is part of a series of novels my writers group, The Sizzling Scribes decided to do as a team. Each of us created characters and story lines set in the small town of Port Clef, Connecticut. It’s hard to say exactly where the inspiration came from, but I have a tendency to write with a paranormal flair. This story is about an alien, who crash lands in Port Clef. She teaches the local Doctor a thing or two about sex and chocolate.

Can you tell us your favorite character from your books so far and why?

 That’s like asking me to pick between my kids. LOL.

Who are your heroes? Every member of the United States Military.  Without their sacrifice, I wouldn’t have the freedom to do what I do. None of us would.  Mentors? I have several wonderful mentors in this field. First and foremost is C.H. Admirand. If she hadn’t taken my hand and dragged me to that first meeting at NJRW I’d probably not be published.  And I can’t not mention all the wonderful help I’ve gotten from Ruby Storm, Lynn LaFleur and Cait Miller three of my Sizzling Scribe sisters.

Was it difficult for you to get published? 

When I was working at it alone, yes it was extremely difficult. I suggest for anyone trying to get involved with a local writers group in your area.

Who are your favorite authors/reads? I never miss a C.H. Admirand book or Lynn LaFleur, Ruby Storm, Cait Miller and I’m a Sherrilyn Kenyon addict. Gotta love those Dark Hunters.

Hobbies?

 Gardening and reading.

Do you use an inspiration board for your characters?

 No.  I would love it if I had the room to put up idea boards all around, but right now it’s not happening.

Who do you picture as your characters?

 I keep running files on my computer containing every minute detail about my characters. Sometimes there’s even a picture of someone I’ve seen online, on TV or in a movie that inspires a character description in the file by the character’s name.

What’s next? I’m diligently working on book five of the Cursed MacKinnons series for Ellora’s Cave. I’m hoping to have it turned in within the next few weeks.

Where can readers find you?

 They can always write to me at tara@taranina.com, or check out my website at http://taranina.com  

Twitter  @taranina

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/taranina

I’m going to be in attendance at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, May 1 through May 5^th.  There will be an Ebook Expo happening on Thursday May 2^nd from 2-6pm. There is also a Giant book fair happening on Saturday May 4^th from 11am to 2pm. Both events are open to the public.

May 30^th through June 1^st, I will be in attendance at Book Expo America at the Javits Center in NYC. If anyone is looking for me, I can be found at the Ellora’s Cave booth. For added fun, several of the Ellora’s Cave models will also be there so drop on by. Lots of goodies and books will be given away.

Guest Reviewer ~LISA MARIE~ 



For such a short
book, it certainly packs a big punch. Everett has inherited the family medical
practice from his grandfather Jonah, a local eccentric who has been obsessed
with alien hunting ever since his wife passed away. When we first meet our
heroine Elsye, she has just saved a young boy’s life by saving him from almost
getting hit by a van. As Dr. Everett ushers all of the injured into his office
for treatment, almost immediately he sees that there is something different
about Elsye and he is pretty sure it isn’t just her two different colored eyes.
Now gramps on the other hand is convinced that she is an alien and has crash
landed on our planet during a recent meteor storm. Little does he know that he
is dead on with is theories. Elsye has been trying to locate her travel
companions even since they crashed and has thus far had no luck. Since she was
a healer on her planet, it made the most sense for her to masquerade as the new
town veterinarian and try to fit in as much as possible. Her attraction to Everett
has her all kinds of twisted up and she blames her “anima”, what I can only
understand to be her sexual drive, on all of these feelings that she is having.



Now poor Everett
doesn’t know which way is up these days, as he has never been so drawn to someone
as he is drawn to Elyse. Their first sexual encounter has left him craving for
more, and it seems to consume him in a way that has him scared and confused. If
he discovers her secret, will he still want her... more important, if he found
out the truth about her, would she be able to stay?



This was an
enjoyable quick read but I would have enjoyed a more fleshing out of the story.
At times it felt rushed, and the first (and second) sex scene felt like just
that, a sex scene. I didn’t feel any emotion and I didn’t know them well enough
to care one way or the other. As the book progressed I was pleased to see that
the emotions that I was lacking had finally made their way into the story and I
was quite pleased with the outcome. I would be interested to see which
characters make the next book in this series, or if it will just be a totally
new story-line having nothing to do with this one. 






  

3 Stars (Excellent Read)