Monday, January 20, 2014

Today's Special - - Nicki Salcedo


PJ here.  I am delighted to welcome debut author Nicki Salcedo back to the Romance Dish.  I met Nicki five years ago at the Georgia Romance Writers Moonlight & Magnolias Conference and was immediately captivated by her infectious personality and warm smile.  In the subsequent years, I have come to know her better and have gained an enormous amount of respect for the kind, intelligent and accomplished woman that she is and could not be happier for the success she is enjoying.  Her debut novel, ALL BEAUTIFUL THINGS, is an exquisitely written book that captivated me while reading and still has me thinking about the characters more than two weeks after I reached the end of the story.  That is the mark of a good book.

Born in Jamaica and raised in Atlanta, Nicki is a graduate of Stanford University with a degree in English and Creative Writing.  She's a Past President of Georgia Romance Writers, a two-time winner of the Maggie Award of Excellence and a Golden Heart® Finalist.  She still lives in Atlanta with her husband and children.

Visit her website at http://www.nickisalcedo.com/ and connect with her online at Facebook and Twitter.

Please give Nicki a warm welcome!

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It’s such a pleasure to welcome you back to the Romance Dish, Nicki.  Congratulations on the release of All Beautiful Things.  I recently finished reading it and I have to say, it’s stunning!  Please tell our readers what they can expect from this book.   

All Beautiful Things is a reversal on the beauty and the beast story. The heroine has been scarred. She’s the beast. The hero is the beauty. It is a love story, but it is also a story about other kinds of love. The love we have with our parents, our siblings, and unexpected strangers who care for us when we need it most. There is a little mystery and suspense too. It’s a good book for book clubs. I tried to ask, but not answer, questions on our perceptions of beauty, race, and class. I hope it gets people talking and looking at the world through new eyes.

I can't imagine that it won't get people talking.  The characters in this book provide a fascinating look into how we, as humans, deal with the aftermath of unexpected violence in our lives.  What kind of research did you do for the story?

There are several lawyers in my family. I’ve heard heart-breaking tales of kids and women who have lived in unimaginable situations. I consulted two lawyers to make sure my time frames and legal setup was reasonable. I also toured one of the largest homeless shelters in Atlanta.

For the characters, I couldn’t really research them. I became them. I walked around seeing the world through the eyes of my hero and heroine. When I thought they would react a certain way in a particular situation, I wrote the opposite. If I thought she would be scared, I made her fearless. Later when she should be fearless about something simple and every day, then I made her scared. I’ve been fortunate to have avoided violence and abuse in my life, so I don’t know anything first hand, but I can imagine.

Ava and Graham are compelling, complex characters who engaged me from the beginning, held me spellbound until the end and took my emotions on a roller-coaster ride during the journey.  Without giving away spoilers, what do you want readers to understand about these two and what do you hope they will take away from their story?  

Who Nicki would cast as Graham.



If I told you someone was white or black, you would make certain assumptions (even small ones). Same if I said rich or poor. Woman or man. Ava and Graham are two characters that defy stereotypes. The past does not define who they are now. Guilt and innocent. Forgiveness and revenge. They are both scarred physically and mentally, and they find healing in a strange way. My heroine has to believe in something. My hero has to have doubt. They are each other’s alter ego.

I want readers to come away from this story with new perspective on stereotypes and how we judge people. I want them to look in the eyes of someone completely different than they are and think for a moment that we are all the same.

You certainly accomplished that goal with me.  You made me forget about race, origin and status while reading this story and focus solely on the person inside.  They could have been purple with orange polka dots and it wouldn't have made a difference.  





You are probably one of the busiest people I know.  I honestly don’t know how you manage to keep all of the balls in your life in the air. Any tips for all of us multi-tasking women on how to make it all work? 

I take nothing seriously. Everything is a game. If I can’t laugh at it, I can’t do it. It seems like I do a lot because of my work and family, but I do surprisingly little. If it’s not my family, my job, or my writing, I don’t do it. If you do less, you have time to do it better. I put everything I have into the things I do. So I don’t watch much TV. I’m woefully ignorant of popular culture things and current events. The things I do, I love. It is easy to do the things you love. Only do the ten things you love and laugh at it. You’ll be happier and more efficient doing those things compared to doing ten things you hate!

What excellent advice!

Who Nicki would cast as Ava.
Will All Beautiful Things be a stand-alone book or do you plan to write a book for a certain secondary character?  I’m not ready to say goodbye!   

I have a follow-up book in progress. It is another reversal on a fairy tale. What if Sleeping Beauty was a man? What if he was cursed and woke up from a strange dream. Who would be the woman to break the spell? What kinds of metaphorical dragons would she have to slay to save him? Then put all of those elements in contemporary Atlanta!

Count me one very excited reader!


I don’t make New Year’s resolutions but I do map out goals and wishes at the beginning of each year.  What are your goals and wishes for 2014?

Last year was a tough one for me because my dad died. I got the cover art for All Beautiful Things exactly one week after we buried him. I haven’t had much time to grieve for him or to celebrate my book. Part of me is afraid I’ll never feel truly happy about this book, and also afraid that I’ll never properly get to say goodbye to my Dad. I’m afraid to cry. I’m afraid to be happy. He loved reading. The two books on his nightstand when he died were books I’d given him that week. I’d had dinner with him the night before, so that gives me comfort. But he never got to see my book. That hurts. Can my goal be to be both fully happy and fully grieving in 2014? Right now, I’m neither and it’s pretty terrible.

I think that's a perfectly acceptable goal, Nicki.  Having lost my husband and both of my parents, I know how difficult it is to find peace and happiness as we move forward without our loved ones and you do have to fully grieve before finding that happiness once again.  

I am taking up running and I’d like to be able to run a 5K by the end of the year. I’m so terrible at running. I don’t hate it, but I don’t like it. I’m slow. I’m always last. But exercising has been wonderful for giving me clarity in my writing and creative process. A very pivotal scene in All Beautiful Things came to me while running through a park in downtown Atlanta at dawn. I don’t have a lot of writing time, so I have to be efficient while still writing with care. At the end of the year, I’d like to thank running for my writing success.

Seems a worthy goal though I'm still shaking my head at the thought of you running through a downtown Atlanta park at dawn.  

Where will readers be able to meet you this year?  Any conferences or book signings in the works?

I’m usually at Romance Writers of America’s National Conference in July and Georgia Romance Writers’ annual conference Moonlight & Magnolias in October. Hopefully, I’ll be giving a workshop at one or both. I love meeting new writing friends and readers. I’m on all the typical social media spots if you want to Like, Follow, Review, or Pin me! There is a reading group guide for All Beautiful Things on my website.

Thanks for letting us know about the reading group guide.  I plan to recommend your book to my former book club and I know that guide will come in handy.  (Readers, click here to download the reading guide.)

What are you working on now, Nicki?

I’m revising a novel called Pine, and it’s set in a small southern town. There is a strong romantic element, but the main story is a coming-of-age story. I received the Maggie Award of Excellence for this manuscript a few years ago. This has always been the story of my heart, and I’m very proud of it.

And I am working on a follow-up to All Beautiful Things. I finally think I have the right title for it!

I'll be looking forward to both books!

Would you like to ask our readers a question today? 

What is your favorite fairy tale and why? What would be the title you would give for a retold Sleeping Beauty story? And I would love to know about a time when someone who fit one stereotype surprised you.

My example is from ten years ago. I was on the train in Atlanta and huge pregnant. All the business commuters ignored me, but the one filthy indigent guy immediately gave up his seat for me. He shouted at everyone on the train, “All these fancy businessmen, and I’m the one with chivalry!” He grabbed his bike and hopped of the train at the next stopped. I was grateful for the seat, and that he stood up for me. The entire experience was unexpected.

Nicki, thank you for graciously answering my questions.  

Readers, Nicki has three giveaways today so let's get those comments posting.  To be eligible for the giveaways you must include U.S./Canada or International in your comment.  To be eligible for the bonus giveaway you must include in your comment that you are a member of a reading group or book club.  

Today's Giveaways:

1. Kindle book – international. *ALL BEAUTIFUL THINGS may not be available in all countries due to copyright restrictions. In these cases the recipient will be given the option to request an exchange for gift credit on their Amazon.com account during the redemption process, or they may contact Customer Service for assistance in exchanging the book.

2. A signed paperback book to US/Canada. I would be happy to mail a book to a lucky person who comments.

3. And I’ll sweeten the pot. If there are any commenters with a reading group (mention that in your comments) I’ll pick another winner. If that reading group decides to tackle my book this year, I’ll call or skype in for the meeting and answer questions for an hour at a mutually agreed upon time and date.


  

The scars. She’ll never forgive her attacker.

Seven years ago, a knife-wielding stranger left socialite Ava Camden for dead on the sidewalk of an upscale Atlanta restaurant. She survived, but her face was brutally scarred. The police, the courts, and the powerful Camden family pinned the assault on only one suspect: Joel Sapphire, a twenty-year-old star athlete on the cusp of a pro football career. Too drunk to remember any details, Joel was found over Ava’s body, holding the bloody weapon. 

The letters. His brother is her only hope for the truth. 

Graham Sapphire grew up fighting on the city’s tough southside, and he’ll never let the Camdens crush his family. Now a wealthy hotelier, he’s determined to clear his brother’s name—and to find the monster responsible for Ava’s scars. Graham started writing to Ava the day his brother entered prison, asking her to give him a chance and offering his help. She never answered—but she never stopped reading. 

The secrets. The truth may destroy them both. 

Now Joel has been paroled, only to vanish before Graham can reach him. Is he lurking in the shadows or on the run from death threats? Ava is the lure that will bring him back, but she’s not alone in the fight. Graham will give his life—and even his brother’s—to protect her. The bond between them is hot, tender, and almost as dangerous as the hunter who waits in the shadows of the city’s darkest streets.

57 comments:

  1. Congratulations Nicki on your debut release ALL BEAUTIFUL THINGS.

    I've always loved the story of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. That tale of finding someone's inner beauty just speaks to me.

    I'm not sure what I would title a SLEEPING BEAUTY retelling. Maybe something like "Wake Up Already".

    I can recall the bottom falling out of a grocery bag. Three young men covered with tattoos & piercings helped me out. The were polite & respectful. I remember thinking afterwards that if you are going to rebel then there could be worse ways than a visual display.

    INT

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    1. I love "Wake Up Already" because 100 years of sleep is plenty! I'm glad those three young heroes stopped to help you. Tattoos and piercings are ways that they are trying to be beautiful. Thanks for stopping by, Mary.

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    2. Hi Mary! If you enjoy a tale of finding someone's inner beauty you definitely should check out Nicki's book. It's wonderful!



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  2. Hi Nicki
    Welcome from the UK/International.
    'all Beautiful Things' sounds like an amazing début novel!

    Favourite fairytale: Cinderella, especially Bernard Shaw's variation in 'Pygmalion' or the musical version as 'My Fair Lady'. It's the story of the downtrodden heroine making it through overwhelming adversity to glorious success and (possible) happiness. Audrey Hepburn as Eliza also helped make this a favourite!

    Retold Sleeping beauty: 'Sleep No More My Hero'

    Stereotype surprising me: As a research student I studied the papers of Richard Feynman and was impressed with the brilliance and originality of his ideas. Another Einstein or Dirac I thought, until I saw a video of Feynman playing the bongo drums and singing 'I wanna my orange juice' Changed my perception forever! LOL

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    1. Hi Quantum! I have a Cinderella story in mind for book 3. The transition from adversity to success is a happy one. "Sleep No More..." has a nice hint of mystery.

      I've spent a good deal of my other professional career dealing with scientists. I noticed that many have a very creative alter ego. Painting, music, writing. It's good to be reminded that a genius can also be silly and fun-loving! Have a great day.

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    2. Add my vote to "Sleep No More...". Love that title!

      Q, what a great example! I agree with Nicki. It's good to be reminded from time to time that brilliant scientists can also be silly and fun-loving. *grin*

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  3. Congratulations to Nicki on her debut. Beauty and the Beast is a favorite of mine with the idea that it is what is underneath that counts. A Sleeping Beauty title would be Awake from the Curse.

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    1. Hi Maureen. Thanks for stopping by. "Awake from the Curse..." is another good mysterious title. I love it. Hope you enjoy my beauty and beast.

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    2. Hi Maureen! Just a reminder...to be eligible for today's giveaways you must have U.S. or International included in your comment.

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  4. Bridget C (International)January 20, 2014 at 7:13 AM

    I loved this book, which PJ recommended to me. Like her, I am still thinking about the characters and also about the way you told the story, several days later. I am pleased that there is a sequel in the works, because I still have questions about the main characters and their future!

    When you started the story, did you deliberately have in mind to make us question stereotypes of beauty, ugliness, rich, poor, white and black, or was it subconscious? I am trying to imagine how you planned the book, I guess.

    I think my favourite fairy tale is still Cinderella and the rags to riches idea, but if I had to choose the title for a Sleeping Beauty story, it would probably have Sleepy Head in it.

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book, Bridget! I love sharing books that "speak" to me with other readers. :)

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    2. Bridget, thank you for reading the book. Glad you liked it. I deliberately set out to change the genders. Romance novels are filled with scarred heroes, but not many scarred heroines. Women who are damaged are often discarded by society. I wanted to focus on Ava. The rest fell into place as I wrote. Race is a tricky issue. Being poor or without a home are other tough issues. No one wants to admit that they see others as ugly, but the world does. Sometimes being ugly is being different, and we've all felt that way. I hope people can related to these characters no matter their backgrounds.

      You must know something about my life. "Sleepy Head" is my life story. The alarm went off at 5am for boot camp this morning and I decided to go back to sleep. It's a first, but I needed my energy to talk to you all today. Thanks for joining us from all the way over there! Thanks again!

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    3. "Sleepy Head" is my story, I'm afraid! The IDEA of setting an alarm for 5 am, unless I was going on a very expensive holiday, would not even have crossed my mind. Yesterday was Sunday and when it went off at 10 am I was horrified ;-)

      Yes, that is exactly what was fascinating about your book. All the tough issues which you talk about without endless discussion and introversion by the characters, unlike some books where all the "what will people say?" and "should we / shouldn't we"s get repetitive. I also loved it that Ava comes from a wealthy family and Graham, um, not. Trying not to spoil here. It's the opposite of what we might have expected in a typical romance and even in our preconceived ideas. I'm still thinking about them!

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    4. We will agree to have joint custody of "Sleepy Head"!

      My family is not wealthy, but we are nicely educated, and I'm not kidding when I say I'm the worst one in the family. My sisters and their spouses are Ivy League educated. My normal view of the world seems unusual to the rest of the world, but I wrote what I know.

      Here is something about preconceived ideas: One of my brothers-in-law is a doctor. My oldest was about 7 and asking about people's jobs. When I got to her uncle she said, "He can't be a doctor. He's a boy!" I thought about my doctor and her doctor and the doctors she'd seen and they were all women. Do you think a girl 50 years ago would have said that?!? I told her boys can be doctors too if they are smart. :) It's all about perspective. My life's mission is to change how people see each other and still find friendships and love.

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  5. Congratulations on your book release, Nicki! You have always been an inspiration to me. (PS- I already have your book so don't include me in the giveaway- unless the prize is to come to my house for a writing weekend.) :)

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    1. Kelly, all those little minutes here and there to write add up to something. Thank you for being an inspiration to writers everywhere! I will check my schedule to runaway to you. :)

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    2. don't include me in the giveaway- unless the prize is to come to my house for a writing weekend.) :)

      Now that would be a great prize!

      Thanks for stopping by, Kelly!

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  6. Hi Nicki! Welcome and congratulations on the release of ALL BEAUTIFUL THINGS. I loved this book so very much. It's on my "Best of 2014" list and sure to stay there even if it is only January.

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    1. It is truly a honor to be with you today PJ. What you do to connect readers with books is amazing. Thank you for your friendship and energy and smiles over the years. And the book recommendations! I'm so thankful for the new authors I've found through you. I just wanted to write a novel to make you proud. You are beautiful!

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  7. I'm about to shove this to-read-NOW pile of mine off my nightstand to make way for your book!

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    1. I highly recommend that move, Wendy.

      Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to add U.S. or International to your comment to be eligible for Nicki's giveaway!

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    2. Wendy, thank you for stopping by. (A secret hint for you only...this is a very traditional contemporary romance with a bit of suspense. No paranormal elements at all, but there is one character I imagine as a shape-shifter in an alternate world. When you read the book let me know if you can pick out who it is.) Happy reading!

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  8. PJ thanks for introducing me to another new to me author. I can always count on you to make me want to read their books.. Nicki I can't wait to read your book.. I am love the story and II think it is always adds more depth to the book when the Heroine is the one who has to hide her looks because of the scars on the outside as well as those on the inside.. .
    I am going to be one of your "International" fans for sure.

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    1. Kathleen, I have 9 first cousins in England so I appreciate the international fan base. I need an excuse to have an international book tour one day. PJ is great. I hope you enjoy the story. We all have scars, and we all are beautiful. Thanks for stopping by.

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    2. Happy to be of service, Kathleen! *grin*

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  9. Nicki, awesome book and loved your bio. I think you have inspired me to stop hiding and writing , instead to get out, join the GA Romance Writers and start getting my writing out there. Your book also filled me with so many emotions. AND I will say this, it doesn't allow for predisposed opinions of things. It does indeed make you think. But for me? I love your writing style. I didn't get stuck trying to get through , the writing kept me interested, focused and invested. I lost sleep finishing it and did re read it to grab all the things I thought I might have missed. GREAT debut. PJ, thanks for letting me know about Nicki and the book, I think that makes about 20 new books/authors in a very short time lady!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Hope. I'm so glad you enjoyed Nicki's book. It kept me reading late into the night too and, like you, still has me thinking.

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    2. Hope, are you in Georgia? Georgia Romance Writers is best chapter of writers in the world. Period. Sorry other RWA folks. Great chapters every where but GRW is the best. :) Come meet me in February. I'm glad you liked the book, and I appreciate your energy to get your writing out to the world. Someone needs to hear your words. Maybe the journey will be easier for you. I had lots of people hate and reject this book over the years. I don't exactly have the same voice as other romance writers, but romance is my first love (pun intended)! And PJ is a real book whisperer. She has always helped me when I needed a new author (last one was Heather Snow). Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. Congralations on your book! No reading groups or clubs. US.

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  11. I'm SO proud of you!!! This book, your future novels, will be read by so many grateful people and I know they'll be hungry for much more from you.
    This post was fantastic. I loved everything about it, but I especially loved the story about the man on the train and how he stuck up for you!!
    Love you, Nicki!! You're one in a million and I wish you the very BEST life and writing has to offer :)
    Have a fantastic week!
    Tamara

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    1. Hi Tamara! Like you, I'm so proud of Nicki and so happy for all the accolades her book is receiving. I can't stop recommending this book...and the fact that I know the author has nothing to do with it. It's just that good.

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    2. Tamara and I sat next to each other in a writing class years ago. I still have a lot to learn and ways to improve my storytelling, but it's nice to have friends and writers along the same journey. That guy on the train was a trip. Atlanta. MARTA. I take the train a good bit and I find a hero almost every time. Story of my life! Thanks for stopping by.

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  12. Hello Nicki,
    I don't often comment for giveaways, but your book really attracted my attention! I love romance combined with mystery/suspense. I live in Canada. Your cover is absolutely gorgeous. Can you let us know who designed it?

    Thanks,

    Madelle

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    1. Welcome, Madelle! We're happy you decided to de-lurk and leave a comment today. Good luck in the giveaway!

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    2. Madelle, my publisher is Belle Bridge Books. You can find them online at bellebooks.com. They are amazing. They did a wonderful job with the cover. Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. Sounds like a wonderful read and i would love to read it.

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  14. Congratulations on your debut, Nicki, and your great blog tour! What a wonderful lesson on the train that you can't judge on appearance. All Beautiful Things is on my to-be-read list, but not yet in my house so I'm a US person.

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    1. I love Nicki's train story. Definitely a lesson there.

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    2. Emily, I often have life changing experiences on the train. Or in a taxi. You meet the most interesting people. Strangest and most wonderful people. In a car, you only meet you! I guess we are all strange and wonderful. :)

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  15. Hello and welcome, Nicki!! We're so happy to have you with us today. Congrats on your debut! I can't wait to read it!

    My favorite fairy tale is Cinderella, but in reverse. I love it when the hero is beneath the heroine in rank. ;)

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    1. Andrea, hello! In my mind I'm the princess. I always outrank the hero. I save him! There is a scene in the book where the heroine is in trouble. Normally the hero would save her, but I like reversals so something different happens. :)

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  16. Congratulations on your debut, Nicki! I trust PJ's recommendations, and so All Beautiful Things is already on my Kindle. I look forward to reading it.

    Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, although I prefer the older version of the Cupid and Psyche myth because of all the layers concerning the power of love, the issues of jealousy and trust, and the heroine's gender-reversing heroic tasks. I also find fascinating Maid Maleen, one of the Grimms' lesser known tales, because it features a heroine who, with the help of her maid, frees herself from her prison.

    I would borrow from the Disney soundtrack and entitle a Sleeping Beauty story Once Upon a Dream.

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    1. Janga, I hope you like it. The first beauty and the beast story I remember reading was "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." It was a picture book in the library at my elementary school. I checked it out dozens of times. It was the most beautiful story. The hero is a bear, there's a troll queen, and beauty. She goes on the adventure to save him. Love, love, love that story. Probably where I started thinking all the princesses needed to save a hero or two!

      We do a lot of dancing to "Once Upon a Dream" in my house!

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  17. My "don't judge" story happened about ten years ago. My sweet dog and I were in an exam room at the veterinary clinic awaiting our regular vet tech to take my dog back for her chemo treatment. The door opened and standing in the doorway was a young man I'd never seen. He was tall and thin with a bland expression, spiky, pitch black dyed hair and covered in tattoos and piercings, including those huge plugs in his ears. I silently made a judgment based on his appearance and remember thinking that if I'd encountered him on a dark street I'd have been terrified. Without saying a word, he walked into the room and plunked his butt on the floor. My dog, who had been cowering in my arms, walked straight to him, gave him a kiss and curled up in his lap. He said a few quiet words to her then, while continuing to gently pet her, looked up and said, "Hi, I'm ..., the new tech. When I returned a couple hours later to pick her up, the treatment was not quite finished. I glanced through the window into the treatment room and there she was, with an IV in her leg and still curled in his arms while he stroked her and quietly kept her calm and comforted. The Vet Oncologist told me he had held her for the entire treatment (not their usual protocol) Clearly, my discerning dog had known immediately what I had not: that he was a kind, caring young man who would become a very dear friend. The loss would have been mine had I not looked beyond the outer trappings to the wonderful person inside.

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    1. We all have different perceptions of beauty. And we all have a backstory. In real life. We keep animals near us, because animals are often smarter and kinder than we are. So glad that guy took care of your dog. Good dog. Good man.

      I went to vital records a few weeks ago to get my dad's death certificate. I started quietly crying while I waited. It's a little bit like the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles for our UK friends) there. Glass partitions. Seemingly surly and indifferent employees. When it was my turn at the window. The lady just walked away. I thought she was taking a break or who knows what, but she walked all the way from behind the row of windows and came out to give me a hug. Those of you who know me, know I'm a reluctant hugger, but I need that hug that day. I had assumed she was surly and inefficient and uncaring, but she stopped everything she was doing, delayed the people behind me, for a hug. Wherever I go heroes find me.

      Part of me likes to keep my expectations low. It's so I'm never disappointed. This way I'm often surprised by kindness.

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  18. Hello, Nicki, you gorgeous girl! How are you? I'm really looking forward to reading All Beautiful Things, and I have no doubt that I will love it!

    I love Beauty and the Beast, no matter how you slice it. It's one of my favorite scenarios, whether the beast is the hero or heroine. It just works....and it's divine. Hmmm, I'm not sure about a title for Sleeping Beauty, except "While You Were Sleeping" keeps popping in my head. Such a good movie! ;-)

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    1. "While You Were Sleeping" is the best movie. So funny and so sad. I love the family dynamic in that story. Romance isn't always just the hero and heroine. Sometimes we have to fall in love with the extended family too. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy it!

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  19. Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite fairy tale, so the reversal in your book fascinates me. I like how Beauty sees the real man behind the Beast.

    Hmm..as for Sleeping Beauty titles: When I Awoke? Awakened To You? I'm not very good at this. ;)

    Marcy Shuler
    USA

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    1. Marcy, I'm not good with titles either. If I could, my books would be named Book #1, Book #2, Book #3. :) Thanks for stopping by.

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  20. US resident
    My favorite fairy tale is The Beauty and The Beast. A wounded heart/soul learning to love and that sometimes you must show that love by letting them go. And of course, Disney threw in that glorious library.
    For Sleeping Beauty - A Princess Out of Her Time or What Took You So Long, Prince Charming?

    My experience was similar to yours. I went to NYC with some college friends who lived on Long Island. We went to the beach one day and I got a terrible sunburn. It was Spring and we just walked the beach. I didn't realize how bad a burn you could get from reflected light. We were on the train heading into town the next day, and yes it was full. I was standing as we started, but a young hispanic man got up and gave me his seat. No one else ever even looked up. I was swollen, hurt, and forever grateful for his kindness.

    Congratulations on the release of ALL BEAUTIFUL THINGS. I hope the release is going well. sounds like a good read.

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    1. librarypat! The library is very important. I'd rather get a book than anything. I like "So Long, Prince Charming". It could mean a lot of different things! Nice of that guy to give up his seat. The problem with not looking up, you'll never see where you are needed. Thanks for stopping by!

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  21. Nicki, thanks so much for being our guest today. I wish you all the best with ALL BEAUTIFUL THINGS and am counting the days until the release of Book #2!

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    1. Thank you PJ and Andrea for the wonderful The Romance Dish. I've enjoyed chatting with everyone and look forward to hearing more feedback from readers. Happy reading!

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