Showing posts with label LDS Living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LDS Living. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

2013 LDS Authors Giveaway Hop (results)

Thanks everyone for entering the giveaway! The two winners of an autographed copy of Unexpected are DEBRA and ERIN!!

Want a chance to win a free book (or other cool stuff) from some of your favorite LDS authors? Come and hop along with me, then! Join the LDS Authors Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and American Night Writers Association.
From October 8th to 15th, you can hop to any (or all) of the blogs listed below and sign up for their giveaways. It's the easiest kind of hopping you can do—and not nearly as tiring, either! Last year I participated in the Giveaway Hop and it was a lot of fun!  This year I'll be randomly selecting TWO winners of my latest novel, Unexpected!
My giveaway:
All you have to do, for a chance to win an autographed copy of my novel Unexpected, is:
1) sign up to follow this blog on Google Friend Connect or by email, and
2) fill out the form below so I can contact you if you win.  (I will not share any email information with an outside source, but to be Internet safe (because I'm a mom) only enter if you are 13 years old or older, please. 
To find out what the story is all about, check out this blog post, titled Unexpected (difficult as this will be to believe).
For an additional chance to win, repeat the process at my other blog: A Tuft Act to Follow. And you can follow me on Facebook, too!

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Unexpected


My latest novel, Unexpected, is now available! 


Here is the blurb from the back of the book:

Eleven years ago, Ross McConnell was devastated by the betrayal of the woman of his dreams. Time does not heal all wounds, and after more than a decade, Ross is no closer to finding love. When his well-meaning family attempts to play match maker, he concedes by creating an unrealistic list detailing his perfect mate. Perhaps he'll give love another try, if such perfection exists. . . 

Natalie Forrester is no stranger to heartache. After two failed marriages, the single mother of three is determined to make it on her own. Without a college degree, she starts at the bottom: working as a housekeeper may not be glamorous, but it's her first big step toward independence. And Natalie's most recent cleaning job is ideal--the guy is always out of town, and the pay will go a long way toward supporting her missionary son. 

And then Ross and Natalie meet . . . and meet again. And following a series of awkward encounters, Ross is shocked by his growing attraction for this woman. Natalie couldn't be further from his ideal woman, and she is firm in her determination to keep her heart closed to love. But as their tenuous friendship develops and deepens, will the unlikely pair have the courage to set aside the disappointments of the past to catch hold of a bright new future?

Writing Unexpected was a lot of fun. I asked my cute, artistic sister-in-law if I could loosely base my main female character after her, and she replied, "Why not? My life is stranger than fiction!" (Too true, that.)

I'll be posting another blog soon to describe what elements I borrowed from her, and what she is doing to help me launch Unexpected! In the meantime, you can find Unexpected at Deseret Book and Seagull Book, and Amazon, for starters. 

Happy reading! And go have some cookies and hot chocolate, while you're at it!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Romance Novels: Another Form of Porn? A Rebuttal

Dear Ms. Bardsley,


I just read your blog titled "Romance Novels: Another Form of Porn?" in LDS Living Magazine. As a reader—and writer—of romance, I would like to offer a differing viewpoint.


Quoting from the Romance Writers of America genre description page, which I have copied and pasted from their website (http://www.rwa.org/cs/the_romance_genre) a romance novel is defined as having:

A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.

An Emotionally-Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love. 

Romance novels may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time, and have varying levels of sensuality—ranging from sweet to extremely hot. These settings and distinctions of plot create specific subgenres within romance fiction. 


The romance genre is frequently and unfairly maligned. Are there those books you describe? Yes, definitely. But it seems to me your blog lumps anything that can be construed a romance into one big, evil pot. You imply that, specifically, romance novel escapist tendencies are bad, while the escapist tendencies of other novels in general are not. Are you telling me that horror, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery cannot potentially do the same things you are accusing romance of doing? In my opinion, your statements paint with too broad a brush.  


You seem to think women's escapist choices in particular undermine individuals, relationships, and families. And yet, if you read the description of the genre from RWA once more, it would appear that the general intent of romance is the struggle, development, and ultimate success of the relationship. The RWA also requires an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. To me, that is what the Gospel is all about: developing a deep and loving relationship with my husband, and looking forward to eternity—the ultimate "happy ending."


That said, I also recognize that one must be careful selecting reading—romance or otherwise—from the national market. We each have our own sensibilities, and each romance author has her individual style and approach when it comes to the inclusion of intimacy and the level of sensuality. However, to clarify, sex scenes are not the primary content of most romances, as you state in your blog. And while there are authors I will not read, there are others whose writing I find to be sensitive, and who deal with intimacy in a context within the story that I feel is respectful. 


Age and experience are definitely factors that need to be considered when choosing any reading materials. It is unfortunate that the 17-yr old you mentioned had a bad experience. Good for her for having good judgment. There have been books (of all types, not simply romance), movies, and TV shows my children have expressed an interest in reading or watching over the years, and I reviewed and censored them as I deemed appropriate. Trips to the library should not be an exception to this rule. 


I am glad Deseret Book is developing a brand of "Proper Romance." Women are relationship driven. It would only make sense that novels dealing with these types of stories and themes would hold appeal for many women. 


Sincerely and respectfully,
Karen Tuft 


http://www.ldsliving.com/story/68147-ae-romance-novels-another-form-of-porn