Ashes and Wine Blog Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway!

Ashes and Wine
Author: Taryn Elliott
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 190 pages
Release Date: June 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Imprint: Ever Afters 

Description:

Before Tessa met Royal Andreas, her bookstore was on the verge of sinking. And before Tessa met Royal Andreas, she didn’t mind being single. But Royal brings in business with monthly wine tastings featuring his family’s signature vintages–and brings Tessa’s heart to a standstill with intense gray eyes that look on her with nothing but cool indifference.

Yet one searing kiss between the stacks gives Tessa a glimpse of the passion smoldering beneath–and a secret pain further revealed when Royal fills in as the musician at a tasting event. Every note of Spanish guitar tells a story of family tragedy, loss, and ongoing suffering that’s made Royal afraid to lean on anyone…even if he needs Tessa’s sweet flavor more than the richest wine. Only her strength can save him when his world crumbles to ashes. But has Royal learned trust too late to claim Tessa as his own? 


Purchase Links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

 

The Top 10 Books that Influenced Me as an Author

 

Thanks so much for having me, Stephanie. This little post totally stumped me. I spent probably way too much time on it, but I had a blast with the topic!


Little House on the Prairie (series)
I lost a summer to these stories. It was the first time I was sucked into a world so very different from my own. I read the books so fast and was so wrapped up in the characters my mom had to push me outside to have fun. I think that was the first inkling that my writing would be character driven more than plot driven.


Sweet Valley High (the series)
Ahh. The sweet romance and angst of teen twins. It was like a soap opera for people my age. I got a lot of my story ideas from this series and spun it into my own characters.


Christopher Pike’s Remember Me
I’ve always loved reading, but there was precious little besides teen romances for a fourteen year old. That’s where Christopher Pike comes in. His psychological thrillers were scary and twisted and didn’t necessarily have a romantic happily ever after. I started writing suspense stories in high school creative writing because of Pike.


The Scarlet Letter
*sigh* This one was more for the teacher than anything. He taught me how to tear apart a story. I’d learned from nuns prior to this. But Mr. Green was a student teacher—a hot one at that—and he got so excited for the story he was able to drag me into this dry tale and make it seem exciting. It taught me about word choices and how to dissect a story. And damn he was pretty while doing it. I’m sure that was the reason I enjoyed it so much. I’m shameless, I admit it.


Night Shift, Nora Roberts
I found Nora at sixteen. She’s truly the reason I became a writer. Her use of family and imperfect, strong female characters snagged me like no other. And man, she could write sexual tension like nobody’s business. I read this and I was hooked on her. And Boyd Fletcher remains one of my all-time favorite heroes.


Born in Fire, Nora Roberts
My favorite Nora novel. I go back to Maggie Concannon and her crazy artist personality and Rogan, the rich man that loves her despite her flaws. These were the prototype for Eve and Roarke, but there’s something special about these two that I never tire of. The imperfect family dynamic that drives her and ultimately allows her to forgive and love and be loved was really well done. Again, it shows the family and extended family style that I’ve come to use in my own writing.


Willing Victim, Cara McKenna
This is a slice of taboo for me, reading wise. Ebooks have given us a lot of amazing stories because the smaller publishing houses allowed writers to take chances with topics that editors wouldn’t necessarily allow in mainstream fiction. As a woman that values being treated well by the man she loves, this was a swift and jarring departure. The role playing side to this story is uncomfortable, sexy, and flirts with the edge of what I’d call over-the-line for me. Of course a few years later, this is tame compared to some of the things I’ve read. But at the time, it opened my eyes to pushing the envelope in my own writing. Cara McKenna’s voice is staggering and she makes you think even if you’re peeking through your fingers to do it. It made me push myself for deeper more rounded characters.


Heart Signs, Cari Quinn
Cari’s my critique partner, but she’s also taught me a lot about pushing myself for more in a story. Her stories are wildly thought provoking because she’s a master at getting to the heart of a character and letting the story be told the way it needs to be told—not the safe way. Not the way that will allow a nice sigh of contentment at the end of the book. No…she’ll make your gut twist and your eyes well up because her characters never take the easy route. Sam and Rori don’t have an easy path, but they have the most amazing one because they take the time to get each other and in the understanding they fall in love more deeply than they ever thought possible. Every time I read one of her books, I make myself step back and look at my story and wonder if I took the easy way too often. And when I own up to it and go for the deeper lessons and more in depth characters, it always makes my story stronger.


Easy, Tammara Webber
I’ve dismissed YA and NA because I like the adult tones of books. Even when I was a teen, I didn’t think like one. I’ve never wanted to go back and relive that life in a story. But I took a chance on this story and it opened my eyes on the genre as a whole. No, I won’t be trying to write this type of book, but it has showed me that my preconceptions were wrong and has allowed me to again push myself as a writer. It’s still not a go-to genre for me reading wise, but I’m a little more open to the stories now.


Rock Chick, Kristen Ashley
This is my crack. Honestly. I slurped this book (and the subsequent books in the series) down and have no regrets. The over the top storylines and ultra-alpha males are freaking fantastic. And she self-pub’d this so it’s a minefield of editorial no-no’s, but I just couldn’t care. Again, this has given me a little freedom in my writing. Kristen Ashley does her own thing and her fans love her for it. I love the madcap fun and hope to let myself go and write something wild and crazy because I’ve read stories like this.

I want to thank Taryn for stopping by my blog today and sharing her most influential books with us. I always find it interesting to dig around inside an author's head, and I'm glad that she enjoyed writing this post! Thanks Taryn!

About the Author:

Taryn Elliott is from the great state of New York—upstate NY, thank you very much. Her family consists of a brother who takes care of keeping the snarky side of her alive and a dog that is more spoiled child than mutt. She counts her writer-friends as the glue that keeps her crazy ideas more in the sane category, and her non-writerly friends as the reason she’s not a complete hermit.

She can’t go a day without laughing, and falls in love with each and every one of her leading men as she’s writing their book. Music is life and every story has its own soundtrack.
Taryn is shamelessly addicted to the internet and adores hearing from readers. You can email her at taryn@tarynelliott.com or find her on most social media outlets via her website, www.tarynelliott.com. 

Author Links:

Website 

Twitter 

Goodreads 

Facebook

 

The publisher has generously offered (1) ebook copy of Ashes and Wine for my giveaway. Open Internationally!

 

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Tour Wide Giveaway:  

Taryn is offering up a Graphics Package including a: Facebook banner, icon, Twitter background, and Website topper. Giveaway is open to everyone and will end November 16th. 

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