Good Morning, Annie Rayburn!

Good morning, Annie! I can't believe I got you here. I love having
my GRW sisters as my guests. Ladies, please welcome Annie.

What's on your mind today?

Last night I watched an episode of Rizzoli & Isles. A 13 year old girl was missing, a 17 year old girl was found dead. During the race to find the missing girl, I found myself tearing up several times because I knew the character Rizzoli and she was deeply affected. You see, Jane Rizzoli is a tough-as-nails detective with a marshmallow center she tries her best to keep under wraps. If she was moved, I was moved. Rizzoli is a Tess Gerritsen character and one I can identify with.

As a writer, my job is to portray that kind of character in my writing.
Identifiable. Strong. Compassionate. Conflicted. Someone you’d like to know. (See excerpt from Bittersweet Obsessions)

My job is also to evoke in my reader that same empathy I felt watching Jane Rizzoli valiantly working to save a child.




(Mini excerpt from Phantoms & Fantasies)

“I always let you off the hook, but not this time. As much as I'd like to, I can't continue to be your crutch. It's not what either one of us deserves.” The corners of Di's mouth quirked upward. “Coop is growing impatient, wanting us to start a family, and I won't do that until we're officially married.”

“Oh, Di, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you from living your life too.” Zeenie meant the words, even if they were accompanied by a sinking feeling. Di was her best friend. Maybe Zeenie hadn't meant to do so, but it didn't change the fact that Di and Coop were waiting for her to get on with her life so they could live theirs. How mortifying. She should have seen it. Hell, maybe she had and just hadn't wanted to admit it.

Di interrupted her thoughts with a fierce hug. “You didn't ask me to wait, Zee. I did it because I wanted to. You needed a safety net after the rape, and I was glad to catch you whenever you faltered. But you're stronger now. Much more than you give yourself credit for. You don't need me anymore. Not really.”

“I don't know about that.” Zeenie withdrew from Di's embrace. The mere mention of the rape always made her want to pull into a shell. “Sometimes I want to go forward and have a normal life so bad I ache. But wanting it and actually being normal are two very different things.”

“You're ready. You don't have to jump in at the deep end. Just dip your toes in the water. Go wading tonight.”

“With Turk?” Zeenie grimaced. “No thanks.”

Sweetie, do you realize how he looks at you?” Di turned Zeenie toward the mirror. “How could he not be interested?”

As an author, my job is to promote and sell my books, so I won’t pretend that’s not why I’m here. However, I wanted to touch on the subject of the reader’s role and how it’s changing. These days, review sites are flooded with requests for reviews, so getting reviews from our readers is a real plus. Other readers pay attention to the reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari and LibraryThing or whatever site they buy e-books from.

So, I’d like to give away two copies of Bittersweet Obsessions and one of Phantoms & Fantasies, winners chosen from those who comment below and say they’re willing to read the book and at least post a review on Amazon within the next two weeks. If you’d like to post it on other sites as well, FB or Tweet about it too – that would be icing on the cake!

I’m not requesting a glowing review, just an honest one. If you’d like a longer excerpt before you make up your mind, the links above will take you to my Books page, or simply go to http://AnnieRayburn.com.

So, who’s up for reading and reviewing? I’ll be here off and on to answer any questions, if you have them.

Okay, ladies. you know you want a chance to read these wonderful stories.