Love Unfinished AND Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk are both FREE

Love Unfinished and Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk are both FREE on Amazon from 1/27 through 1/31.

Love Unfinished

Soul mates from the past leave their love unfinished when a tragic accident ends their lives on their wedding day. Yet they are destined to meet again to fulfill that love in new incarnations, leading vastly different lives.

Emma thought she chose the right path in life, but too late does she realize her mistake when her husband reveals the monster behind the smile. Their happily ever after - is a lie. Trapped in a broken marriage to a powerful, abusive man, Emma knows this is not the life she was meant to live. As her hope for real love withers, she meets James, her love from a lifetime ago.

Emma cannot deny the connection pulling them together, but her courage to abandon her marriage wavers, and unknowingly puts her life on the line. Are Emma and James fated to fulfill their love, or will they once again, leave love unfinished?

Pick up your copy for FREE on Amazon.

Reinventing Claire 

People get divorced, but that's what happens to other people. That's what Claire thought anyway, until her husband, Charlie, tells her he wants a divorce.  

Claire has no choice but to take on the title of Divorced Woman, and face the question she has no idea how to answer. Who is Claire without Charlie? Her family believes her newly divorced woes can be cured by landing herself a boyfriend. With her dating dunce cap in hand, Claire stumbles her way through the foreign territory of online dating.  

A teacher from hell, a softball coach, and a sap later, Claire proclaims herself the dating idiot she thought she was. But an accidental run-in with an old acquaintance might change everything. What starts with comparing dating battle wounds over a cup of coffee, quickly turns into something Claire had given up on.  

As Claire discovers maybe there is love after Charlie after all, Charlie realizes his mistake. He wants her back, and he'll do anything to prove it to her. Now Claire must choose who deserves her heart, and if she's really willing to give it away again.

Pick up your copy for FREE on Amazon.

About Darian Wilk:

Freelance author/writer specializing in women's mainstream fiction, a.k.a - chick lit. My current titles include Love Unfinished and Reinventing Claire. The first installment of The Four Peas series, The Responsible One, will be released in June of 2014.

For more information about my books, to sign up for my newsletter, giveaways, or general cyber-stalking, please visit www.DarianWilk.weebly.com.
 

FREE Book Alert - REINVENTING CLAIRE by Darian Wilk - Win 20 dollars to Amazon

Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk is FREE this week (2/25 to 3/1) on Amazon. Get your copy and find out how to enter to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card below.

Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk

August 20, 2012 

People get divorced, but that's what happens to other people. That's what Claire thought anyway, until her husband, Charlie, tells her he wants a divorce.

Claire has no choice but to take on the title of Divorced Woman, and face the question she has no idea how to answer. Who is Claire without Charlie? Her family believes her newly divorced woes can be cured by landing herself a boyfriend. With her dating dunce cap in hand, Claire stumbles her way through the foreign territory of online dating.

A teacher from hell, a softball coach, and a sap later, Claire proclaims herself the dating idiot she thought she was, and fears she's doomed to be a lonely, crazy cat lady. But an accidental run-in with an old acquaintance might change everything. What starts with comparing dating battle wounds over a cup of coffee, quickly turns into something Claire had given up on.

As Claire discovers maybe there is love after Charlie after all, Charlie realizes his mistake. He wants her back, and he'll do anything to prove it to her. Now Claire must choose who deserves her heart, and if she's really willing to give it away again.

About the author:

Darian Wilk was born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the younger of two children.  While still a toddler her family moved back to their home state of Michigan, where she still lives today. 

After high school Darian tried her hand at college, majoring in Nursing, while she worked as a Physical Therapy Technician.  "I loved my job, but I still couldn't picture doing it forever," she says now.  But before she finished her degree she became pregnant, and focused her attention on the challenges of being a single mother to her daughter.

In 2005, Darian married her best friend, Steve, whom she met and became close friends with several years earlier.  In their second year of marriage, Darian became pregnant with her son.  She worked on and off throughout her twenties as a Home Health Aid to the elderly, but preferred to stay home and raise her babies.

In 2007, her mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and Darian quit working to tend to her mom.  It was in those three years of taking care of her that Darian realized how precious, and short, life really is.  In her moms last year of life, she finally had the courage to pursue what her heart always secretly longed for; becoming a writer.  It was then that she started her debut novel, Love Unfinished, and continues her writing journey today. 

Find out more at DarianWilk.weebly.com. 

Giveaway Details

One winner will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

Giveaway ends at midnight on March 1, 2013 EST.

Open internationally as long as you can use a Amazon.com gift card. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bloggers: Sign Up to Participate in a "Free Book Blast" for REINVENTING CLAIRE by Darian Wilk

Sign ups are now open for bloggers who are willing to put up a post for a "Free Book Alert" on February 25. Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk will be FREE on Amazon from 2/25 to 3/1. 

In exchange for getting the word out, you will receive a spot on the Rafflecopter. There will be a $20 Amazon gift card up for grabs. You must put up the post including the Rafflecopter by noon CST on 2/25. If you cannot commit to this, please do not sign up.

About the book:

Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk
August 20, 2012

People get divorced, but that's what happens to other people. That's what Claire thought anyway, until her husband, Charlie, tells her he wants a divorce.

Claire has no choice but to take on the title of Divorced Woman, and face the question she has no idea how to answer. Who is Claire without Charlie? Her family believes her newly divorced woes can be cured by landing herself a boyfriend. With her dating dunce cap in hand, Claire stumbles her way through the foreign territory of online dating.

A teacher from hell, a softball coach, and a sap later, Claire proclaims herself the dating idiot she thought she was, and fears she's doomed to be a lonely, crazy cat lady. But an accidental run-in with an old acquaintance might change everything. What starts with comparing dating battle wounds over a cup of coffee, quickly turns into something Claire had given up on.

As Claire discovers maybe there is love after Charlie after all, Charlie realizes his mistake. He wants her back, and he'll do anything to prove it to her. Now Claire must choose who deserves her heart, and if she's really willing to give it away again.

About the author:
I'm a women's fiction author, and my current titles include Love Unfinished and Reinventing Claire. I love the challenge and thrill of putting words onto paper, and forming it into a story. For me, the only thing better than that are my kids.

On the occasions I'm not engulfed in writing you'll find me reading a book, either for fun or for review on my blog, Crazy Lady with a Pen. When I'm not reading, I'm spending time with my friends and family. Life is too short to pass those beautiful little moments life has to offer by, I want to soak up every moment I can.

For more information about me, my books, reviews, or my blog, please visit my website, DarianWilk.weebly.com.  

Teaser Tuesday: Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk

I haven't done a teaser in a while, but here you go.

"I started crying.  And not the weepy, sniffle kind either, where you delicately blot a hanky to your eye.  No, the snorty, heaving sobbing you only want to do locked in your bathroom with the shower running so no one can hear you." 

Reinventing Claire
by Darian Wilk
August 20, 2012 
On page 8 of my ARC copy. 
Add on Goodreads.

Anyone can participate in Teaser Tuesdays. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful to NOT include spoilers! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author.

Teaser Tuesdays was created by MizB of Should Be Reading.

 

What do you think about this teaser? Please also share your own.

Darian's first novel, Love Unfinished, is currently FREE on Amazon. 

People Watching is Cool - Darian Wilk, author of Reinventing Claire

Reinventing Claire
by Darian Wilk
August 20, 2012

People get divorced, but that's what happens to other people. That's what Claire thought anyway, until her husband, Charlie, tells her he wants a divorce.

Claire has no choice but to take on the title of Divorced Woman and face the question she has no idea how to answer. Who is Claire without Charlie? Her family believes her newly divorced woes can be cured by landing herself a boyfriend. With her dating dunce cap in hand, Claire stumbles her way through the foreign territory of online dating.

A teacher from hell, a softball coach, and a sap later, Claire proclaims herself the dating idiot she thought she was and fears she's doomed to be a lonely, crazy cat lady. But an accidental run-in with an old acquaintance might change everything. What starts with comparing dating battle wounds over a cup of coffee quickly turns into something Claire had given up on.

As Claire discovers maybe there is love after Charlie after all, Charlie realizes his mistake. He wants her back, and he'll do anything to prove it to her. Now Claire must choose who deserves her heart, and if she's really willing to give it away again.

Add on Goodreads.

People Watching is Cool
Guest Post by Darian Wilk

One of the most frequent questions readers ask me is not how I come up with ideas, but how do I create such realistic characters?  This is the part where I give the awe inspiring answer only a brainiac like me could come up with, which will send an explosion heard throughout the literary community… I must give credit to my stealthy, honed, people watching skills.  Wait for the writing world to erupt into applause…wait for it, wait for it…nothing yet?  Crap.  Guess I’m still stuck in the trenches…

The success I’ve had thus far comes from years of being a wallflower and watching, well, you.  People watching is cool.  Admit it, you like it too.  When you see that woman at the grocery store, in a Superman t-shirt, yellow shorts, and her worn out Kermit slippers – you’re staring too.  People watching is not only highly enjoyable, for me it’s also apart of work.  It’s part of my research.  Thus giving me a justifiable excuse to continue staring – I’m working by staring.

Often times I can’t hear the conversation between the cashier and the woman in the Superman shirt, and I don’t really care what they’re talking about.  Dialogue fitting to a character comes naturally when they behave as they should.  I want to see their movements, their reactions, and expressions.  People watching is how I’ve learned the subtleties of people, which I pour into my characters and is what hopefully gives them that realistic flare.  For example, what’s an easy way to spot a couple on their first date at a restaurant?  It’s not the flirtatious smile, or how attentive he seems.  The giveaway?  A woman always has perfect posture on first dates.  The established couple?  She’s slouching and checking Facebook on her phone.

While it may look like I’m just staring at someone for a random reason, I’m actually learning.  I’m studying the traits of real people, to create real people.  I’m learning how a woman reacts to back-handed compliments from her mother-in-law, how a frustrated mom quiets her kids at the mall, and how people react when they run into someone they hoped to avoid. 

A writer could drown in the advice of proper ways to create realistic characters.  Everyone is an expert, or has proclaimed themselves one.  But for me, if my characters feel as if they come to life on the page, it’s not from the hundreds of articles or books I’ve read, it’s credited to watching real people.  So you never know, maybe the next time you wear your Kermit slippers to the store, I’ll be studying you, and you’ll end up in my book. 

About Darian Wilk:

I'm a women's fiction writer, author of Love Unfinished and Reinventing Claire. I love the challenge and thrill of putting words onto paper, and forming it into a story. For me, the only thing better than that are my kids.

On the occasions I'm not engulfed in writing, you'll find me reading a book, either for fun or for review on my blog, Crazy Lady with a Pen. When I'm not reading, I'm spending time with my friends and family. Life is too short to pass those beautiful little moments life has to offer by, I want to soak up every moment I can.

For more information about me, my books, reviews, or my blog, please visit my website, www.DarianWilk.weebly.com. You can also find Darian on Twitter and Facebook. (And occasionally as a reviewer on Krazy Book Lady!)

Darian's first novel, Love Unfinished, is FREE on Amazon August 20-24th. Get your copy now! And check out the new cover. That's my quote!

Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk - Waiting on Wednesday

Well, I'm not waiting on this book because I'm currently reading it, but I wanted to highlight it for the rest of you. My pick this week for Waiting on Wednesday is Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk. Pick up this book when it comes out August 20th or Darian's previous release, Love Unfinished. Stop by Darian's site and connect with her (or check out her guest reviews here on Krazy Book Lady); she's as sweet as can be! (Can you tell by that last sentence that I live in the South?)

Reinventing Claire
by Darian Wilk
Expected publication: August 20, 2012

People get divorced, but that's what happens to other people. That's what Claire thought anyway, until her husband, Charlie, tells her he wants a divorce.

Claire has no choice but to take on the title of Divorced Woman, and face the question she has no idea how to answer. Who is Claire without Charlie? Her family believes her newly divorced woes can be cured by landing herself a boyfriend. With her dating dunce cap in hand, Claire stumbles her way through the foreign territory of online dating.

A teacher from hell, a softball coach, and a sap later, Claire proclaims herself the dating idiot she thought she was, and fears she's doomed to be a lonely, crazy cat lady. But an accidental run-in with an old acquaintance might everything. What starts with comparing dating battle wounds over a cup of coffee, quickly turns into something Claire had given up on.

As Claire discovers maybe there is love after Charlie after all, Charlie realizes his mistake. He wants her back, and he'll do anything to prove it to her. Now Claire must choose who deserves her heart, and if she's really willing to give it away again. 

Add on Goodreads! 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. 

Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk - Cover Reveal

Reinventing Claire by Darian Wilk 

People get divorced, but that's what happens to other people. That’s what Claire thought anyway, until her husband, Charlie, tells her he wants a divorce.

Claire has no choice but to take on the title of Divorced Woman, and face the question she has no idea how to answer. Who is Claire without Charlie? Her family believes her newly divorced woes can be cured by jumping back into the dating scene – and landing herself a boyfriend. With her dating dunce cap in hand, Claire stumbles her way through the foreign territory of online dating.

A teacher from hell, a stalker, and a softball coach later, Claire proclaims herself the dating idiot she thought she was, and fears she's doomed to be a lonely, crazy cat lady. But an accidental run-in with an old acquaintance might change everything. What starts by comparing dating battle wounds over a cup of coffee, quickly turns into something Claire thought she had given up on.

As Claire discovers maybe there is love after Charlie after all, Charlie realizes his mistake. He wants her back, and he'll do anything to prove it to her. Now Claire must choose who deserves her heart, and if she's really willing to give it away again.

Add it on Goodreads. 

 

About the author:
Darian is a women's fiction writer, avid book reader, mom to two amazing kids, and wife to one awesome husband. Her passion for writing started at an early age, which led her to being published in three poetry anthologies as a teenager. In 2009, she took on writing full-time and her first novel, Love Unfinished, was released in 2011. Her second novel, Reinventing Claire, is set to be released in August 2012.  

You can find Darian on her website, Twitter and Facebook. 

(Darian also regularly contributes reviews to Krazy Book Lady!) 

Indie Authors are on the Wrong Side of the Tracks

Guest post by Darian Wilk
Author of Love Unfinished and Reinventing Claire (coming August 2012)

Who here has read the book or seen the movie The Outsiders? It's a classic story that can ring true with any generation – the kids on the wrong side of the tracks, the kids on the right side of the tracks, and the rift between them. While writers are typically a jolly bunch willing to help each other out, often times you can sense the same tension, the same rift between Indie authors and traditionally published authors. Indies live on the wrong side of the tracks, traditionals live in a gated community. 

I'm privileged enough to know many fine authors who are wonderful people. It's a muddled mix of Indies and traditional authors alike, coming together to share the wacky journey of writing together. We know the others children by name, what WIP's each other is working on – we're friends. But even in this blended, tight group of friends it's there – the rift. It's whispered about with the others, the ones living on the same side of the tracks as you. Traditionally published authors calling themselves real authors in front of the Indies, Indies gritting their teeth in seething silence. My friend with the agent, publisher, editor, and publicist proudly lives on the right side of the tracks – I'm in the ghetto.

Sometimes you can feel the rift rumbling, almost growing into an all-out 'virtual' protest; but both sides have valid points. Traditionally published authors have a sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment, that they have earned the title of real author – because they have queried until they were blue in the face, wallpapered their family room in rejection letters, kept on writing, and then one day got 'the call' that someone wanted their book. They've earned their title – real author. They dredged through the slush piles and came out with a book deal. They sit proudly in the lush, gated community of traditional publishing.

Indies too have shared the same journey. Most, if you ask, have spent years querying, wallpapered their living room with rejections, kept on writing, but they decided sitting around for 'the call' wasn't the right path for them. Now, some could say they never got 'the call' because their work isn't worthy of publication; but that's an entire post on its own. So the writer, after years of querying, decides to go Indie. They don't see it, but they have just moved themselves into the ghetto. They've evicted themselves from the gated community, and moved to east LA. Instead of having a team of editors, a publicist, and a sure ticket to seeing their book on an actual bookstore shelf – they stand on their own. They put in many, many hours of work just to understand how to publish, let alone actually doing it. They've earned their title – real author. They sit proudly in the grungy, graffiti filled neighborhood.

They both put in the work, the hours, the heart, the dedication – yet there it is, the tracks between us. Indies and traditionals, us and them.  I'm living in the ghetto, surrounded by frantic writers scrambling for reviews, and banging their heads on the walls trying to format an ebook – and I kind of like it here. I see my friend over there, on the other side of the tracks, on her perfectly manicured lawn in the gated community of traditionally published authors – I nod and wave.  She smiles back, texts me, and we agree to meet for coffee and complain about promotions. She's a real author, I'm an Indie. We're friends and have a rift. It's like high school all over again.

But this is how I see it...so many people, Indies and traditionals, are so busy screaming about their author status we've forgotten the thing that made us love books. The thing that made us want to be an author to begin with...great stories. When I immersed myself in books growing up and well into adulthood, I didn't care about what the copyright page said; that was the boring page! A friend of mine that can almost recite her favorite book by heart, she can't tell you who the publisher is, she's never looked at the copyright page. It's the content, the story that matters to her. Indies and traditionals, my side your side...if my book is as strong as theirs, aren't we both real authors? If the content can stand on its own, does it matter what the copyright page says? Our journey here was much the same, and in the end we both have the same struggle – trying to get people to read our books. At the start of the day our to-do lists look the same, at the end of the day our worries are the same – are we really on different sides of the tracks, or walking down the tracks together?

About the author:

Darian is a women's fiction writer, avid book reader, mom to two amazing kids, and wife to one awesome husband. Her passion for writing started at an early age, which led her to being published in three poetry anthologies as a teenager. In 2009, she took on writing full-time and her first novel, Love Unfinished, was released in 2011. Her second novel, Reinventing Claire, is set to be released in August 2012. 

Find out more about Darian, connect with her on Twitter and Facebook, and check out the trailer for Love Unfinished.

Darian is also a regular reviewer for Krazy Book Lady!

Darian Wilk, Crazy Lady with a Pen, joins Krazy Book Lady

Darian Wilk, author of Love Unfinished and blogger at Crazy Lady with a Pen, is joining Krazy Book Lady! Darian understands indie authors because she is one! I am very excited to have her join us.

About Darian:
A fondness for books was not a natural occurrence for Darian as a child.  But after her mom forced her to sit and read, she quickly fell in love.  She immersed herself in the ever changing world of stories; where the hero was a villain, or where eternal love was just a page away.  She found her freedom in books; she could be anyone, go anywhere, all through the beauty of words on a page.  It was from that love of words that she found her passion in writing and published her debut novel, Love Unfinished.

Her favorite genres to read are women’s fiction/chic lit, mystery/crime, suspense, and historical romance.  She also enjoys general fiction, non-fiction, ‘clean’ romance, and the occasional YA.  When not reading, Darian spends her time writing, raising her two kids, being with her husband and relaxing with friends.  

Besides here and the Crazy Lady with a Pen blog, you can find Darian on her site, Twitter, GoodReads, and Facebook.

Giveaway Hop: Love Unfinished by Darian Wilk

This giveaway is part of the hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Babs Book Bistro. There are a lot of great blogs participating in this hop and each has their own giveaways. After you enter here, hop over and enter their giveaways too. Please also check out the other giveaways that I currently have. They can be located on the right sidebar.

My giveaway:
2 winners will receive Love Unfinished by Darian Wilk, one will receive a print copy and one will receive a code to download a copy through Smashwords. Print copy is available to US residents only.

Soul mates from the past leave their love unfinished when a tragic accident ends their lives on their wedding day. Yet they are destined to meet again to fulfill that love in new incarnations, leading vastly different lives.

Emma thought she had chosen the right path, but too late does she realize her mistake as her husband reveals the monster behind his smile; morphing their fairytale image with loveless obligation. Trapped in a broken marriage to a powerful, abusive husband, she knows this is not the life she was destined to live. As her hope for love withers, she meets James, her love from a lifetime ago.

Emma cannot deny the love pulling her toward James, but courage to abandon her marriage wavers and unknowingly puts her love on the line. If Emma has any hope of life and love, she must trust the bond with James and be with the man destiny has spent two lifetimes guiding her toward. Are they fated to fulfill their love, or will they once again, leave love unfinished?

Book bloggers - Darian has an open review request. 

How to enter:
Choose one or all of these options and then fill out the form below.
+1 Follow Krazy Book Lady on Twitter.
+1 Like Krazy Book Lady on Facebook.
+1 Follow Darian Wilk on Twitter.
+1 Like Darian Wilk on Facebook.
+1 Leave a blog post comment here, on my review of Love Unfinished, or my interview with Darian.

Please do not leave emails or usernames in the blog post comments. Please include usernames, name you used to leave a comment, etc, in the section for comments on the entry form. 

Giveaway details:
Print copy is available to US residents only, and eBook is available internationally. This giveaway will run until midnight EST on January 3. Must be 13 or older to enter. Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Winner will be emailed and this blog post will be updated to include the winner's name. Winner has 3 days to contact me or a new winner will be selected.

Thank you for entering and good luck!

Sorry! This giveaway is now closed.

Winners:
SiNn - print copy
Ceri Kay - eBook

Review Request: Love Unfinished by Darian Wilk

Love Unfinished is a paranormal romance by Darian Wilk.

Please read the blurb of the book and leave a comment below or contact Darian through her website if you would like to review it. Review copies will be available as eBooks only.

Soul mates from the past leave their love unfinished when a tragic accident ends their lives on their wedding day. Yet they are destined to meet again to fulfill that love in new incarnations, leading vastly different lives.

Emma thought she had chosen the right path, but too late does she realize her mistake as her husband reveals the monster behind his smile; morphing their fairytale image with loveless obligation. Trapped in a broken marriage to a powerful, abusive husband, she knows this is not the life she was destined to live. As her hope for love withers, she meets James, her love from a lifetime ago.

Emma cannot deny the love pulling her toward James, but courage to abandon her marriage wavers and unknowingly puts her love on the line. If Emma has any hope of life and love, she must trust the bond with James and be with the man destiny has spent two lifetimes guiding her toward. Are they fated to fulfill their love, or will they once again, leave love unfinished?

Interview with Darian Wilk, author of Love Unfinished

Darian Wilk is the author of Love Unfinished.
(Please see my review.)

About the author:
Darian was born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the youngest of two children. While still a toddler, her family moved back to their home state of Michigan, where she continues to live today.

Darian married her husband, Steve, in 2005, and is the mother to two wonderful kids. When not writing, she is happiest spending time with her family and friends.

Where did you get the idea for Love Unfinished?
When the idea came to me for Love Unfinished, I was actually working on another project all together. I had sat down to try a free writing exercise to ‘get the juices flowing’, where you write down whatever comes to your mind as it comes to you. I was writing, complaining really, about using an actual pen and paper to write, that I was getting a finger cramp, and had a blue smudge of ink on my finger. I began to wonder if technology was ruining us, if perhaps things were better when they were simpler. As my mind drifted to thoughts of older times, the image of a young couple came to me. I decided it was their wedding day. I wondered how tragic it must be for someone to die on their wedding day, and thus the idea was born.

How long did it take you to write Love Unfinished?
This is a question I am asked often by family and friends, and is probably the hardest to answer. When I started Love Unfinished my mom was on Hospice due to ovarian cancer, and I was her full time caregiver. I worked on it on and off for a few months, depending on the level of care she needed at the time. But after she passed away I set it aside for several months to get grounded again, to find my place in the world as a motherless daughter. Putting all the separate chunks of time together, from first draft to publication was roughly around ten months I would estimate.

How long have you been writing?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve filled countless notebooks, and folders over the years; but I have only taken up writing full time since 2009. The majority of my adult life I was under the assumption that my career choice had to be ‘practical’, with steady paychecks and 401k plans. It wasn’t until caring for my mom, seeing how much she wished she could have done, that I realized life is too short to not do what we love the most. I decided ‘practical’ just wasn’t for me, I was a writer.

Do you have other books published or are you working on any other books?
Love Unfinished is my first published novel, although I did have a few poems published in poetry anthologies when I was a teenager. I always have more ideas than I know what to do with, but right now I am finishing my second novel, Reinventing Claire, which should be out in late spring of 2012.

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer. I was a very, very quiet child, but I loved words. I could go an entire day without speaking, but give me an empty notebook or a typewriter, and I would write for hours. Sometimes I wish I had listened to that childhood want, and not wasted so many years trying to be something I wasn’t.

What was your favorite book when you were younger?
When I was very young it was tied between Goodnight Moon, and Oh the Places You’ll Go. Both I still know by heart. When I was a bit older, I was in love with Little Women. I read it so many times the binding broke loose and I had to use duct tape to hold it together.

If Love Unfinished was made into a movie, who do you see as Emma and James?
Oh good one! That’s a tough one for me to nail down! James, I think the closest to the man I see him as would be Joshua Jackson, the actor who plays Peter on Fringe (although I know him as Pacey from Dawson’s Creek!). He’s handsome but sort of plain, sweet but flawed. Emma is a bit harder, as far as her looks I see a beauty and softness of perhaps Kate Winslet, but the spunk of Maggie Gyllenhaal.

What is something most people don't know about you?
I love musicals and movies from the 50’s and early 60’s. I can sing Oklahoma by heart, could spend an entire day watching Moon Over Miami, and love anything with Doris Day in it. I’m also mildly obsessed with the 80’s; the music, the corny movies, bad makeup and all. It’s all so bad that it’s great!

You can find Darian Wilk at her website, on Twitter and Facebook.

Review: Love Unfinished by Darian Wilk

Love Unfinished by Darian Wilk
Published: October 2011

Soul mates from the past leave their love unfinished when a tragic accident ends their lives on their wedding day. Yet they are destined to meet again to fulfill that love in new incarnations, leading vastly different lives.

Emma thought she had chosen the right path, but too late does she realize her mistake as her husband reveals the monster behind his smile; morphing their fairytale image with loveless obligation. Trapped in a broken marriage to a powerful, abusive husband, she knows this is not the life she was destined to live. As her hope for love withers, she meets James, her love from a lifetime ago.

Emma cannot deny the love pulling her toward James, but courage to abandon her marriage wavers and unknowingly puts her love on the line. If Emma has any hope of life and love, she must trust the bond with James and be with the man destiny has spent two lifetimes guiding her toward. Are they fated to fulfill their love, or will they once again, leave love unfinished?

My thoughts:
Love Unfinished is a touching story of eternal love and finding your soul mate against all odds. In the beginning of the book, you meet the main characters as Carol and Ted. A tragic accident on their wedding day ends their lives, but they have not finished their love story. We meet them again as Emma and James. They don't remember their former lives and have barriers to coming together. However, after meeting again in this second life, they have an instant, unexplainable attraction to each other. This story explores the concept of what someone would do to be with their one true love.

I was worried it wasn't going to come together, but then it does get wrapped up nicely in the end. I only wish the connection from the previous life had been developed a little more. Also, the copy I read had quite a few grammatical errors, but I was assured this was simply a problem with that version that has now been corrected.

Overall, this is a superb story for the "hopeless" romantic that (hopefully) lives in us all to some degree.

You can find Darian Wilk at her website, on Twitter and Facebook.

A copy of this book was provided by the author.

Teaser Tuesdays: Love Unfinished by Darian Wilk

Teaser Tuesdays was created by MizB of Should Be Reading.

My teaser for the week: (More than two sentences again, but I just can't help myself.)

She blushed and held a hand over her eyes. "God, I know I look just awful --"

He smiled playfully. "You look amazing."
 

She self-consciously cringed and tugged her Tom Petty t-shirt. "Oh, I don't but --"

"I like you better like this," he grinned. "Not so stuffy and uppity," he said, brushing off the shoulder of the worn t-shirt.

Love Unfinished by Darian Wilk, p. 127

You've got to love man who likes a girl in her jeans and Tom Petty shirt! 

Anyone can participate in Teaser Tuesdays. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful to NOT include spoilers! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author.

What do you think about this teaser? Please also share your own.