Sierra Blog Tour

My Blog Tour for Sierra starts tomorrow. Not very many people have read Sierra. I haven't advertised it as much as I've advertised Lancaster House. It's my personal favorite of my novels and I feel protective over it, as if I want to shelter it and not let anyone criticize it. A few of the reviews have been good and this gives me hope that people will like it! (one has been scathing--ouch!) Wish me luck! My sister, who hates romance novels, says it's the best book she's ever read. Go figure.

Here's the formula:

Extreme loss. A kidnapping. A handsome hero. A new beginning. Winter in a snowbound cabin. Drama.

When it comes to romance, how can you go wrong?

This book is my baby . . . my first love. I fell in love with writing while creating this novel. It's personal to me.

I've been letting readers notice it all on their own. Oh, do I have another book out? Well, whaddayaknow? How'd that happen? It sorta slipped in between the cracks of Lancaster House.

Time to whip up some courage and let others read Sierra. I can only hope reviewers will be kind.

Virtual Book Tour September 17 - October 6

September 17 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet

September 18 - Little Bookstar - Review/Interview/Excerpt

September 19 - Literature Lover's Labyrinth - Review/Excerpt

September 20 - Jersey Girl Book Reviews - Review/GuestPost/Excerpt

September 21 - My Reading Addiction - Review/Excerpt/Giveaway

September 22 - Up All Night Reviews - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt

September 23 - Kaisy Daisy's Reviews - Review//Giveaway

September 24 - Books For Me - Review/Excerpt

September 25 - A Chick Who Reads - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt

September 25 - Literary Getaway - PROMO

September 26 - Soon Remembered Tales - Review

September 27 - Andi's Book Reviews - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 28 - A Date With a Book - PROMO

September 28 - Paulette's Papers - Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO

September 29 - Sweeping the USA - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

September 30 - Book Reviews by Dee - PROMO

October 1 - LovLivLife Reviews - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt

October 2 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews - Review/Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt

October 3 - Kindred Dreamheart - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt

October 4 - The Solitary Bookworm - Review/Guest Post/Excerpt

October 5 - Taking it One Page at a Time - PROMO

October 6 - The Thoughts of a Girl - Review/Giveaway

STORY BEHIND THE BOOK

Behind the Story

My reasons for writing I Have People are highly personal. Although I have never been the victim of an abusive man, I have seen the effects this kind of behavior can cause. I found the writing of this novel to be therapeutic. If you have something that's weighing on you, I suggest writing it down, even if you are the only one who will ever see it. There's something about putting all of your aggression onto paper that somehow frees you of your burdens and helps you to let it all go. At least it did for me. The name of the book is also rather personal. While I was writing I Have People, I found myself with an empty nest for the first time in my life--and feeling rather alone. (Two of my children have since moved back home!) Writing is an isolating profession, even though your characters are alive and well inside your head. To my surprise, and pleasure, I was inundated with phone calls from my precious children, and other family members, which was exactly what I needed. I realized very quickly that my children may have all left the nest, but motherhood is far from over. I realized, I Have People, and I always will. That's when the name for this book was born.

Lancaster House Review

Just wanted to post my latest review of Lancaster House. This was given to me by a twenty year old Egyptian girl living in Cairo! The review is posted on her blog, Mademoiselle Le Sphinx.  I think it's pretty cool that a girl from Egypt read my book. Talk about crossing cultural boundaries! Thanks so much, Aliaa!

See the review on her blog or just read it here:

I am not sure why, but when I was asked to be a part of this tour I quickly agreed, which is confusing to me. Why? The problem with the cover is that it didn't draw me in. I am easily influenced by pretty covers and this one was alright, but nothing I'd rush to read sadly. The Synopsis more than made up for it though and that balanced up my interest in reading this book. However I was hesitant since the name brought on an 'Amityville House' memory. My friend had known I liked reading and when he'd gone to England - for some unknown reason - he thought 'Ghosts' was an appropriate book to give me. One of the first stories in it was the Amityville House one and the myths and truths around it. That story freaked me out so bad, and for some reason I sensed something similar in Lancaster House and was worried about it.

Zoe Grayson is a decorator who's been having a few rough months, she decides an escape from that reality is what she needs as she comes across Lancaster House. It was perfect. Zoe couldn't stop obsessing over the house and returning it to its former glory, she worked really hard on it, yet, she didn't seem to be only one doing so. She'd wake up to find the walls she was pretty certain she hadn't completed the day before completely done. The banisters she was sure she was exhausted to complete were finished and even random things like the stove being shut off as she forgets it on as she napped or being covered by a blanket in her sleep. Something was definitely off, but who was it helping her out? The story commences as Zoe is in the psychiatric ward, being prodded and questioned by Dr. Wade, who's trying to get to the bottom of her 'paranoid schizophrenia' as it seems the only likely solution to what Zoe is suffering from, and the only explanation as to why she tried to kill herself. But who was it in the house? And what was he? And was he real? Or just like the Doctor claimed, he's a figment of her imagination?

This book was a bit eery and I am almost always worried about reading paranormal books, but I still enjoyed it immensely! It had me so enthralled and curious as to what's going on. The story is told like the Notebook, with bits and pieces of the story coming back whilst Zoe explains to the doctor the events. Then we get a break as the doctor begins to analyze the bits of the story he's given every session and find a logical explanation to what's ailing her. Though the twist with Andre was a bit surprising and I am not sure if I was really into it. Andre's character was great, but what the author chose him to be is a bit hard to fathom, making me side with the doctor a bit, but I guess it's fiction so all is possible?

I loved the writing and the author's style. I enjoyed how flowing it was and it was an easy read - I do appreciate that. I love the flashbacks and the stories, and the explanation the doctor seems to find fitting. The story was well developed and so were the characters, it's just the added mystery that kept me on edge all throughout the book.

What I absolutely hated was the ending. This is not a way to end a book after dragging the readers along throughout it! Honestly! How could I possibly wait for book two with such and ending and teaser? I was about to go mad when I read it and I am still overcome with rabid curiosity! What on Earth happens next?

I'm glad I decided to write a sequel to Lancaster House. Oddly enough, I had not planned to write one in the beginning. One reviewer on Goodreads even says she doesn't feel a sequel is needed!

Some people loved the ending--and others, well . . . the ending drove them absolutely crazy. Honestly, I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction. My imagination could picture exactly what Zoe and Andre were doing at the moment Zoe went flying through the door. To me, it seemed obvious.

Still, I agreed that a sequel was needed.

And a sequel is what you will get!

The Middle Aisle . . . December 2012!!!

AMNESIA?

You may be wondering why I chose to write a book about abuse and out-of-control anger from the viewpoint of AMNESIA.

Good question!

Let me explain. I live in a make-believe word. All. The. Time. My stories are always in my head, distracting me from my everyday life. The thought occurred to me one day . . . what if I had amnesia? Would I wake up believing one of my stories was my reality?

An intriguing thought. And a little scary too. My husband would be very hurt if I woke up from an accident believing Alex from Sierra was really my husband!!! Can you imagine?

Yeah, I could too. So I wrote a book about it! I've always found amnesia to be an intriguing subject. Hopefully, you will too!

Lancaster House Review

I greatly enjoyed this review of Lancaster House at Endless Days of Literary Ecstasy!

My Thoughts:

Taylor Dean's Lancaster House is a suspenseful tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Based in present day California, interior designer Zoe is going through a tough break up. In order to keep her mind off of her relationship woes, she decides to purchase an old house in order to restore it to what it once was. She never expects to find her true love as a result.

As rumors are running rampant around the neighborhood about long ago murders committed inside Lancaster House, Zoe is determined not to let the whisperings of ghosts keep her from her goal. However, as strange things begin to happen inside Lancaster House, Zoe begins to question if the hype is getting to her or if she is indeed going crazy. After many unfortunate circumstances, Zoe finds herself fighting for her freedom in a Psychiatric Hospital. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Channing, genuinely likes Zoe and wants to see her better. As she opens up to him about the haunting of Lancaster House, he must decide if she is telling the truth or a very troubled young woman.

Lancaster House easily fits into the Paranormal Romance genre. It is a romantic ghost story with Zoe falling in love with the spirit that resides within her home. No mean spirited poltergeist or unhappy ghosts here. What I liked about this story was the fact that I went back and forth several times trying to decipher the true reality. Was Zoe really living in a haunted house, or was she truly schizophrenic? I discovered that only time would tell. As soon as I decided that Zoe was just insane, something would happen to change my mind and leave me guessing until the very end. Lancaster House actually reminded me of the Leonardo DiCaprio movie Shutter Island. I never knew what twist was going to come next. Kudos to Dean for making me use my brain!

Taylor Dean did an excellent job in describing the setting in Lancaster House. Since Zoe is an interior designer, Dean made sure to describe Lancaster House and its beauty in detail. I clearly had the picture of Zoe's new home in my mind by the time she had finished depicting its image. I could also tell that Dean had done her research regarding Victorian era houses. I felt like I was discovering the hidden rooms and little intricacies right along with Zoe.

I definitely recommend Taylor Dean's Lancaster House for those that enjoy Paranormal Romance. I really enjoyed the novel and the suspense it created. I'm very excited to read the sequel, The Middle Aisle, so that I can see what happens next with Zoe and Dr. Channing. If it is anything like Lancaster House, I'm sure it will leave me thinking!

Thanks, Candace! Great review!

COVER REVEAL: I HAVE PEOPLE

My next novel, I Have People, will be released this month!
I'm super excited to see this book published. It is a contemporary romance. I'm currently reading through my proof copy and working on   a few final edits, but as soon as I press that little button that says, PUBLISH, it will be available to the public! I promised to have this book released in September, and I'm a little behind my time schedule. But, it will be available in paperback very soon! Ebook will take a little longer. One thing I've learned, publishing your novel takes a lot of time and patience. That's okay, though! As an author, you want to offer the best book possible to the reading public. It's much better to put your best work out there, than to publish something in a hurry, filled with careless mistakes.

Do you like my new cover? It's kinda cutesy. My daughter, who creates my covers for me, says it's her favorite of all of my covers. Although I Have People deals with a very serious subject, in the end it does have a happy ending. The cover speaks to the overall theme of the book. But, in the middle of the book, you may begin to wonder why I chose such a . . .  happy . . . cover. I'm a happy ending lover, so my books will ALWAYS end happily!

This was my original book cover for I Have People. As you can see, the general theme is the same. When I was deciding between my old and new covers, I sent out an email to my closest friends and family, asking them for their opinion on my book covers. To my surprise, the answers were greatly varied. It was then I realized that EVERYONE  was going to have a different opinion, and that I needed to make the decision myself. It was my book, and my vision, and I had to trust my instincts.

It's the same with the inside of any and all books. Everyone has a different opinion. Writing is very subjective. What appeals to one may not appeal to another. I've come to accept this. It's not an easy thing to come to terms with, after all, you want everyone to love your book. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen!

As a writer, the best thing you can do is write from your heart. I Have People is a very personal book to me. It deals with abuse, temper, and out-of-control anger. It was therapeutic for me to commit my thoughts on the subject to paper.

I Have People is a women's journey to find love, to find the right man in her life. It's about having PEOPLE in our lives who love us and care for us.

Ebook Giveaway of Lancaster House!

Thank you so much for your interest!

I am offering 20 FREE ebooks of Lancaster House to book blog reviewers! In exchange, all I ask for is a fair and honest review.

Rules of the giveaway:

*You must be a book blog reviewer and have an active website/blogspot.
*Please post your review on your book blog, Amazon, and Goodreads. (and send me the link when you do so!)

That's it!

So, how do you get your free ebook?

If you are interested, please contact me at taylordeanbooks (at) gmail (dot) com. Please include the following in your email:

*Your name, and a link to your website/blogspot.
*Email where you'd like your gifted ebook to be sent.

I look forward to hearing from you!

The first twenty book blog reviewers who respond to this post will receive a free Smashwords ebook of Lancaster House.  This will be done on a first come, first served basis. A great deal, right!

Unsure? Here's a little information about Lancaster House:

Lancaster House is a paranormal romance. Here is the blurb:

Are you ever really alone?

Zoe Grayson needs a change. So, she moves to another state, purchases an old, dilapidated 1920s Victorian Mansion, and sets out to restore it to its former glory. As she begins the restoration, she finds herself falling in love with the old house . . . not to mention its illustrious builder, Mr. Lancaster. Zoe becomes obsessed with the house as she discovers its secrets; hidden rooms, secret passageways . . . and a mysterious man who seems to think the house is his. Who is he? More importantly, how does he live in her home unseen and unheard?

The unexpected answers leave her reeling—and questioning everything she’s ever known. To her dismay, Zoe’s actions land her in the local psychiatric hospital, scheming for ways to return to Lancaster House . . . and the love of her life.


Still unsure? Here are a few links to some great reviews: Maybe they'll help with your decision!

Thoughts of a Girl
Dive Under the Cover
Book Liaison
Literature Lovers' Labyrinth
Batty for Books
Gook Girl Knitting
Andi's Book Reviews


Thanks again for visiting Taylor Dean Books!
BTW, if you follow me, I'll follow you! I'm just saying . . .

Review of Lancaster House

GREAT REVIEW  of Lancaster House at Book Girl Knitting.

What would you do if the love of your life was a ghost and no one believed you? What if they stuck you in a psychiatric hospital and filled you full of drugs to keep you sedated. Welcome to Zoe Grayson's life.

Reading this book, I was not prepared for the strength of voice and the very real grit author Taylor Dean projects in her amazing story. Give me a great ghost story any day of the week. Fill it with kick butt heroines and a spicy romance and you have me at the word go.

From the first page, the tone of the book compelled me to keep reading. The sarcasm, wit, description of the 1920's Victorian house (Has anyone watched Ghost Story? It made me think of that movie so strongly) and how the events unfold that lead Zoe to be housed in a psychiatric hospital being interviewed by yet another doctor. Is she crazy or did she actually experience a love from beyond the grave?

This book will keep you up nights and take you away from your housework. Yay! It had me hiding in the bedroom with my e-reader and box of Raisinettes, happily turning the pages and marveling at the stunning voice.

If you like a crazy good ghost story with a happily ever after love story, give Lancaster House a try.

Thanks for the wonderful review, Dana.

Tour Update and Giveaways

As part of my Lancaster House Blog Tour, I am featured at A Buckeye Girl Reads today.There is an ebook giveaway of Lancaster House being offered also! Just leave a comment. The winner will be chosen from the comments.

ALSO, yesterday I had the honor of being featured at I'm a Reader, Not a Writer. There is an author interview, as well as a giveaway of Lancaster House and Sierra!

It's entirely surreal to see yourself featured on other people's blogs. I'm just a stay-at-home Mom with an active imagination who decided to write some books! I feel as though I'll be 'found out' at any moment. People will say, 'you're not really a writer!' And I'll say, 'I know, I'm a fraud!'

Instead, the response to my books has been wonderful and I am thrilled!

A special thank you goes to all who have purchased, won, read, or reviewed my books. You're allowing me to live my dream of being an author.

THE FAM: MY PEOPLE

YES, I'm a grandma. And that cute little guy in my arms is the one who made me a grandma!!

Next to me is my hubby, my three daughters, and my son. (two daughters are married--husbands not pictured)

I actually have another grandson, but we lost him at eight months gestation to Trisomy 18 on Dec. 22, 2011. This is another story in and of itself, and one that I will blog about one day soon. I had no idea this condition existed until it happened to us. It's still a little raw right now and I'm not ready to share it as of yet. I plan to share the story of our little Jerad Harlan on the anniversary of his death, Dec. 22, 2012. It will be therapeutic.

I inherited the 'look younger than you really are' gene from my Mom. She still looks amazing, and I can only hope I'll look as young as her when I'm 70!

When I was 20, I hated looking young. People thought I was 12, and that's not a compliment!

Now, I like it!

I'm about to release my next book, "I Have People." Here's how the title of this book came about:

For about eight months I had an empty nest. (now two of my children are home again) The house was soooo quiet and I felt a little lonely. I've always been a stay-at-home Mom and I liked a household with kids coming and going all the time. To my surprise, I didn't have time to bask in loneliness. My daughters called on a regular basis, sometimes everyday, and my son called often too. It was then that I realized motherhood was far from over--the logistics had just changed! I had PEOPLE. People who loved me and cared for me, whether they were living at home or not. It was a wonderful realization and this experience inspired the name of the book I was working on at the time: I Have People.

I have people. Thank goodness. And those guys up above are my PEOPLE. The most important people in the world to me.

Tell me about your PEOPLE!

Lancaster House Review

Read my five-star review of Lancaster House here. Thanks to Batty for Books for taking the time to read and review my novel and thanks for the great review! Check out her site or read the review below:

  When I started reading ‘Lancaster House’ I thought it was going to be your typical ghost story / haunted house type deal. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This book was about a man wronged in loved and suffering eternity for it. His life hanging in the balance for something he did which seemed justified to me.

It also about the woman who buys Lancaster House and wants to restore it to its original beauty, she is in love with the house and falls in love with its secret tenant as well. The only question is will she be able to handle his story or will she lose her mind in the process of restoring the house?

I absolutely adored the story Taylor Dean told in this amazing unique novel. ‘Lancaster House’ took a usually creepy, scary theme and turned it into something beautiful and inspiring. True love cannot be beaten or torn down and that is really the lesson in this book.

Andre and Zoe just give me chills at how beautiful y they are together. Not to mention this story has every wow factor to it you can imagine. Twists and turns like you wouldn’t believe. It was a great adventure and a job well done for Taylor Dean. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to everyone. A true masterpiece.

Thanks, Chastity! What a wonderful review!

BTW, THERE IS AN EBOOK GIVEAWAY OF LANCASTER HOUSE AT Dive Under the Cover.
ENTER NOW!

Lancaster House News

My Second Book Blog Tour for Lancaster House is well underway! I'll be posting links of giveaways and reviews as the tour progresses.

My latest review from my previous tour is at Midtown Underground. Or just read it here:

Overall, this was a pretty good read! Lancaster house starts out with Zoe Grayson getting assigned a new psychiatrist as nobody else has been able to work with her. Through her recounting the events that happened to land her into the psychiatric hospital, we are told the story of the Lancaster House.

Zoe decides to buy this house and renovate it back to it’s old glory.The author did an amazing job describing this house and the details were very accurate for a 1920′s home. She very accurately portrayed what the Lancaster House would look like. and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it. You are talking to an HGTV addict over here, okay?

The characters in the story, Zoe, Andre, and to an extent even her doctor I found all very likeable in their own way.I liked the fact that Dr. Channing seemed to genuinely care for and want to help Zoe. My only issue is that Zoe seemed a bit too co-dependent. But I get it, when you are in love, sometimes you can become that way when things are new and you are passionate and just want to be with the other person.

I think that the author created a great romance, but with a bit of a twist. It was definitely not one that I was expecting either. I found it to be an interesting and intriguing read and look forward to seeing more from Taylor Dean.

Thanks for the review, J.A. I'm an HGTV addict too! I guess that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed writing Lancaster House. 

Currently, I also have an ebook giveaway going on at Dive Under the Cover. Thanks, Shelly, for featuring me and my books on your blog once again!

Sierra Giveaway!

This is a book or book related giveaway hop!

I'm offering one paperback or ebook (Reader's Choice) of my novel, Sierra. (Romantic Suspense)

To enter, scroll down to the rafflecopter below the linky list. 

Thanks for stopping by!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back from Vacation!

I didn't get around to posting last week. I was able to go with my hubby on a business trip to Vegas. We stayed for two extra days for a little vacay and some much needed R and R! (and we were celebrating our 30th anniversary--can you believe it? Where does the time go?)

So what do I read while sitting by the pool? My own book! Sierra always gets me hooked, even if I do know the ending!!

We stayed at the JW Marriott, far away from the hustle and bustle of the strip. It's an amazing place to stay when you're in Vegas. It's a resort and the grounds of the hotel are beyond GORGEOUS. I could live out my life there and be perfectly happy. Seriously. This place is BEAUTIFUL.

See what I mean? This is the view from our balcony. We had french doors that opened up to this every morning. BLISS! The soothing sound of rushing water met our ears at every moment of the day.

While my hubby attended to business, I sat in the room next to the opened french doors and worked on my final revisions to The Middle Aisle. Life just doesn't get any better than this! The faint sounds of the radio drifted to me from the grounds of the hotel. (The radio plays softly throughout the grounds)

 I had a little . . . moment too.

I was on the last few pages of The Middle Aisle.  The song, Marry Me by Train, came on over the sound system. This song has always been a huge inspiration to me as I wrote The Middle Aisle. It played as I finished the last few pages, as if I was watching a movie and the song was recapping the events of the story. It was perfect and made me smile. I END the Lancaster House story at the end of The Middle Aisle. I could probably write more, but I don't want to ruin it by dragging it on and on and on. Know what I mean? Sometimes I think it's best to end it while everyone is still enjoying the story and is not SICK of it.

I cried when we left. Yes, cried. I know, silly. But, it was such a relaxing week, even if we were working while there. And the beauty is like a balm to my soul. I miss it.

But, we're back home now and back to work, back to the everyday rigors of life.

But, ah, the memories.

Lancaster House Blog Tour

Join me on my second book blog tour for Lancaster House!

September 3 Hanging With Bells Guest Post
September 4 Dive Under The Covers- Excerpt
September 5 Batty For Books Review
September 6 Batty For Books Guest Post
September 7 A Buckeye Girl Reads Excerpt
September 10 Book Girl Knitting Excerpt, & Review
September 11 Endless Days of Literary Ecstasy Review
September 12 Book Girl Knitting Guest Post
September 13 Book Liaison Author Interview
September 14 Mademoiselle Le Sphinx, Review
September 15 Mademoiselle Le Sphinx, Guest Post
Septebember 16 Offbeat Vagabound Review
September 17 WV Stitcher Review