SONGS OF THE HEART-romance novel

THANK YOU FOR JOINING IN AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!

2008-04-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

OUR GRAND PRIZE WINNER IS ...

2008-04-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

AUTHOR: It’s been quite a day. Geoff and Shannon, thank you for rejoining us to answer any new questions and draw the winner of the GRAND PRIZE, which includes a keyboard and a dozen silk roses.

GEOFF: We hope you've enjoyed your time here with us today and visit *www.awe-struck.net* to read our story, SONGS OF THE HEART. Shannon, do you have the winning name?

SHANNON: I do. The winner is ... Yvonne K! Wow, Yvonne, two wins in one day. CONGRATULATIONS!

OUR GRAND PRIZE DRAWING WILL BE AT 8:00 P.M.

2008-04-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a day this has been!

Five winners of goodie baskets. Interviews with ten characters from SONGS OF THE HEART. Comments and questions and well wishes.

What an awe-some way to kick off the official release of my first book, SONGS OF THE HEART, from Awe-Struck E-Books.

I want to thank Kathryn and Dick of Awe-Struck, Chris who encouraged me to submit, Danita who took the photo for my first cover (which I got to design!). The last few months have been the start of a wonderful journey.

Right now, I'm going to make sure the names of everyone who has entered one of my contests since they began on February 4 are in the contest hat for the GRAND PRIZE drawing. Then I'm going to finish up some final items to be sure everything is in place for our wrap-up at 8:00 p.m.

Many thanks to all of you who took the time to share part of your day with me. This has been fun for me and I hope you had an enjoyable time also!

There's still time to post a comment or question to enter the GRAND PRIZE drawing. I'll be waiting!

THE WINNER OF OUR COOKIE BASKET IS ...

2008-04-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

YVONNE K.!

Yvonne, a variety basket of cookies and much more will soon be on its way to you. CONGRATULATIONS!

SPECIAL GUEST: AMELIA, the little girl who stole Shannon's heart and challenged Geoff's doubts that he could be a loving father again

2008-04-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Interviewed by Genene Valleau, author of SONGS OF THE HEART

AUTHOR: Right now Amelia is decorating cookies she and Shannon have baked. Amelia, what is your favorite kind of cookie?

AMELIA: Ones with sprinkles.

AUTHOR: Why is that?

AMELIA: Because they make you sweeter. *giggles*

AUTHOR: Do you and Shannon make cookies every day?

AMELIA: Almost every day, and sometimes Geoff helps put the sprinkles on.

AUTHOR: Do you dance every day too?

AMELIA: Kinda. My teacher says I have to work hard at dancing, but some days I’d rather dance just for fun with Geoff.

AUTHOR: Do you like Geoff?

AMELIA: *nods* He saved me from the river.

AUTHOR: That must have been scary.

AMELIA: And cold.

AUTHOR: You like Zach a lot too, don’t you?

AMELIA: *grins* Yeah. Other people say he’s kinda grouchy, but he tells me funny stories.

AUTHOR: You have a lot of people who love you.

AMELIA: Shannon says that’s the way adoption is supposed to be. She said the angels knew she had wished for a little girl with all her heart and I was her dream come true.

AUTHOR: I think she’s right.

AMELIA grins broadly: Can we give away some cookies now?

AUTHOR: Good idea! Why don’t you draw the winner?

OUR NEXT GUEST AT 4:00 P.M. IS AMELIA

2008-04-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

The little girl who stole Shannon's heart and challenged Geoff's doubts that he could be a loving father again.

THE WINNER OF OUR BATH & BEAUTY BASKET IS:

2008-04-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

RUTH!

Ruth commented on our blog today, which earned a chance in our drawings. CONGRATULATIONS!

And there's still time to enter our drawing at 4:00 p.m., as well as the grand prize drawing at 8:00 this evening. Just comment or ask a question on this blog and your name will go into the contest hat. No limit on the number of times you can enter today!

SPECIAL GUESTS: LAUREN (the woman who brought Geoff and Shannon together) and ZACH (the man who wants to keep them apart)

2008-04-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Interviewed by Genene Valleau, author of SONGS OF THE HEART

LAUREN: I told you we'd be late.

ZACH: I'm not even awake yet. How can I be late if I don't know where I am?

LAUREN: My apologies for running late.

AUTHOR: Glad you could make it. Are you ready to get started?

ZACH: She wouldn't even stop for coffee. I hope the dog made some coffee and didn't drink it all.

AUTHOR: I think we can come up with something, then we'll get started with the interview.

ZACH: Ahh. Give me a minute and I'll be almost human.

AUTHOR: Then we'll start with a question for Lauren. You brought Geoff and Shannon together, didn’t you?

LAUREN: Well, I got Shannon into a party after one of Geoff’s concerts fifteen years ago.

ZACH: I should have known you started this mess.

LAUREN: I think it’s very romantic to work things out with your first love, even after a lot of years.

ZACH: Shannon was just after Geoff’s money.

LAUREN: Shannon was totally infatuated with Geoff, just like hundreds of other teenaged girls.

ZACH: Other teenaged girls didn’t paint themselves up to look years older and sneak into Geoff’s room to seduce him.

LAUREN: You were furious because Shannon wasn’t one of your hand-picked hussies.

ZACH: Our band didn’t use groupies like that.

LAUREN: So you’re telling me that you never took advantage of a fan who threw herself into your bed?

AUTHOR: Let’s get back to Geoff and Shannon’s first meeting. Zach, why didn’t you like Shannon?

ZACH: Like I said, it was obvious she was after Geoff’s money. Some fans just wanted to say they got to kiss a star, but Shannon’s old man went straight for the bank account.

LAUREN: Shannon didn’t know her father demanded money from you.

ZACH: That’s a matter of opinion.

LAUREN: When she found out, she mortgaged her house to pay back the money.

ZACH: Fifteen years later.

LAUREN: Exactly. She didn’t even tell her parents she was pregnant. They found out when Shannon almost died from the miscarriage.

AUTHOR: Zach, when did you change your opinion of Shannon?

ZACH: Well, it really looked like she wanted more of Geoff’s money, you know?

LAUREN: Is it so hard to say you were wrong, Zach?

ZACH: I reconsidered my opinion for Amelia. That little girl loved Shannon, and even I could see Shannon adored the kid. When Amelia decided Geoff should be her daddy -- well, the little girl had already been through enough pain. I wasn’t going to cause her any more.

LAUREN: You really can be a good guy, Zach.

ZACH: Don’t let that get around -- it would ruin my reputation.

AUTHOR: Zach and Lauren, thanks for being with us today. And if you would please draw the winner of our Beauty & Bath Basket.

OUR NEXT GUESTS AT NOON

2008-04-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Lauren, the woman who brought Geoff and Shannon together
and Zach, the man who wanted to keep them apart

Please join us!

SPECIAL GUESTS: JULIA (Shannon's best friend) and her 4-year-old TWINS

2008-04-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

AUTHOR: While the twins watch TV and we fix breakfast, Julia, tell me how long you’ve known Shannon.

JULIA: We started working at Talmidge Center for Children about the same time. I’m a child psychiatrist and Shannon was hired as a physical therapist.

AUTHOR: But Shannon’s dream was to build a music therapy program?

JULIA: Our boss led her to believe that would happen.

AUTHOR: In the meantime, Shannon incorporated music into physical therapy sessions, right?

JULIA: Yes. It might be as simple as teaching mothers lullabies to calm their children as the moms gently massaged their babies’ legs and arms. Shannon also worked with other staff to do this . For instance, she worked with the speech therapist to teach children to sing. When children sing, lisps or stutters and some other speech problems disappear. It gives a child self-confidence to know they can sound like other kids.

AUTHOR: But your boss wasn’t supportive of these efforts.

JULIA: He didn’t want to spend money on the programs we already offered, let alone to start new programs.

AUTHOR: Yet Talmidge held fundraising events to generate money.

JULIA: Yes. And each time, our boss promised Shannon that part of the money would go toward music therapy.

AUTHOR: Including the fundraiser where Geoff and Shannon sang a duet?

JULIA: That’s right. The duet was unplanned, but it brought Geoff and Shannon back together again. As their relationship developed, our boss saw the opportunity to use Shannon to get money from Geoff.

AUTHOR: And that put Shannon in the difficult position of asking Geoff for money or lose the opportunity to realize her dream of setting up a music therapy program.

JULIA: That choice became even more distasteful for Shannon after she found out her father got money for her teenaged encounter with Geoff.

AUTHOR: And we’ll find out more about that when we talk to our next guests at noon. Thank you, Julia, for spending time with us.

AND THE WINNER IS ...

2008-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

AUTHOR: We're here with special guests Julia Cabot and her 4-year-old twins. However, this time we’re going to draw the winner of the basket first. What’s in our Breakfast Basket?

JULIA: The ingredients for breakfast --

ANGELINA: Because Aunt Shannon only knows how to bake cookies.

ABRAHAM: Why can't she make other things?

JULIA: Maybe because cookies are what she likes to eat best.

ANGELINA: Me too.

JULIA: Now, let’s see what we have in the basket. Pancake mix --

ABRAHAM: I like syrup on mine.

ANGELINA: And shaped like teddy bears.

ABRAHAM: Can we have hot cocoa too?

JULIA: There's cocoa mix in the basket.

ANGELINA: Can we keep the basket of goodies?

JULIA: No, but you can draw the winner.

ANGELINA: I don't want to. I'm going to watch TV.

ABRAHAM: I'll do it.

JULIA: Thank you, Abe.

AUTHOR: And the winner is: Kathy C.! CONGRATULATIONS!

NOW AVAILABLE FROM AWE-STRUCK E-BOOKS

2008-04-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

You can read an excerpt and purchase a download of SONGS OF THE HEART at <www.awe-struck.net>

. I hope you take the time to visit Awe-Struck's Web site and look at all their fine e-books available for purchase.

NEXT GUESTS AND PRIZE DRAWING AT 8:00 A.M.

2008-04-04T04:08:00.000-07:00

Our next guests will be Shannon's best friend, JULIA CABOT, with her four-year-old twins. They will be drawing the winner of the Breakfast Basket.

You still have time to enter. Just post a comment or question on this blog, and your name will go in the contest hat!

AND THE WINNER OF THE COFFEE SAMPLER BASKET IS:

2008-04-04T04:01:00.000-07:00

MINDY M! Our Coffee Sampler basket contains samples of different coffees (naturally!), mugs and more. This basket of goodies will soon be on the way to you.

Congratulations, Mindy!

SPECIAL GUESTS: JASPER (Shannon's dog) and MITCH GARRISON (Geoff's bodyguard)

2008-04-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

Interviewed by Genene Valleau, author of SONGS OF THE HEART

AUTHOR: The two of you have very special relationships with Geoff and Shannon, but how did you get along with each other?

JASPER: Indignant woof*
*translation: The first time I saw you, you were pointing a gun at me.

MITCH: It wasn’t actually the first time. Besides, I heard noises in the kitchen. How was I to know a dog could make coffee? And why am I talking to a dog?

JASPER: *Because everyone else is asleep.

MITCH: I was only at your house as a favor to Geoff.

JASPER: *Well, Shannon and I weren’t happy to have you there either.

MITCH: It didn't take her long to dump my duffel bag on the sidewalk, as I recall.

JASPER: (with doggie grin) *At least I didn’t bite you on the butt as you left.

MITCH: But Shannon slammed the door in my face.

JASPER: *That’s my girl!

MITCH: Neither one of you were so cocky when I came back.

JASPER: (with a sniff) *That was weeks later as a special favor to Geoff.

MITCH: You liked him right away.

JASPER: *I knew he was the man for my Shannon right from the beginning.

MITCH: You could have told her that. It would have saved everyone a lot of hassle.

JASPER: *Aw, you like Shannon too.

MITCH: I came to respect her when I knew she wanted what was best for Geoff and wasn’t just a golddigger like Zach thought.

JASPER: (with doggie eye roll) *Now there’s a butt I’d like bite.

MITCH: (with rare smile) So would a lot of people. Hey, you want to keep watch while I grab a couple hours sleep?

JASPER: *I’m on it. (As Mitch disappears, Jasper yawns, lays down and puts his chin on his paws.)

AUTHOR: Wait, we’re supposed to draw the winner of another basket of goodies. Guess I'll draw for this basket too.

NEXT GUESTS AND PRIZE DRAWINGS AT 4:00 A.M.

2008-04-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

Get your comments or questions in early!

A REMINDER IF YOU'RE JUST JOINING OUR PARTY

2008-04-04T00:36:00.000-07:00

Our guest characters will be drawing a winner every 4 hours today. To enter, just make a comment or ask a question on this blog. Next up at 4:00 a.m. we'll be interviewing Jasper (Shannon's very special Border Collie) and Mitch Garrison (Geoff's bodyguard). They will draw the winner for a Coffee Sampler basket -- definitely a "winner" for you early risers or those of us who will be partying all night!

THE WINNER OF OUR ROMANCE BASKET IS ...

2008-04-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

My apologies to those of you who sent in questions for Geoff and Shannon. Your name has been entered in the drawing, but we'll have to get answers to your questions later -- when our hero and heroine are, ahem, available. So cyber drum roll, please! Our first basket of goodies tonight is the Romance basket filled with a CD of love songs, a romantic movie, and more. And the winner is: DREA S. CONGRATULATIONS, DREA! Thank you for entering. The Romance Basket will soon be on its way to you!

SPECIAL GUESTS: GEOFF CHASTAIN & SHANNON AUSBROOK

2008-04-04T00:00:00.003-07:00

interviewed by Genene Valleau, author of SONGS OF THE HEART

AUTHOR: Shannon, you were a virgin when you first met Geoff, right?

SHANNON: Well, most guys are intimidated by a girl who can throw a softball at almost 90 mph.

GEOFF: I didn’t know you could throw a softball or that you were a virgin.

SHANNON: I didn’t want you to know. I wanted you to think I was sophisticated.

GEOFF: You were sexy as hell. If I had known...

AUTHOR: If you had known, what would you have changed about your first meeting?

GEOFF: I wouldn’t have been intimate with her. The first time should be special --

SHANNON: LOL! And I would have become a thirty-one-year-old virgin. If we changed our first meeting, maybe we wouldn’t have gotten together fifteen years later.

AUTHOR: A lot happened in those fifteen years.

SHANNON: I became a physical and music therapist for kids who have been abused or were born with disabilities.

AUTHOR: And suffered a miscarriage.

SHANNON: Yeah. I would change that if I could.

GEOFF: We could have had a child together. I’ll always regret that I was so callous all those years ago.

AUTHOR: You both had some rough times in the fifteen years before you met again. Geoff, you found out about a daughter.

GEOFF: Mandy. For too short a time, she was the light of my life. I tried to give her everything I didn’t have when I was a kid.

SHANNON: You built M’s Playground for her. An incredible facility that you opened up to other kids with disabilities.

AUTHOR: Your daughter made you promise not to let the music die when she died.

GEOFF: That’s what led me back to Shannon. Seeing the work she was doing with kids and music therapy gave me the perfect idea to honor that promise to Mandy.

AUTHOR: So you set up a music therapy program at M’s Playground.

GEOFF: Gambling that Shannon would see reason and come run it for me. *grin*

AUTHOR: SONGS OF THE HEART begins when you meet for the second time. Where were you at that point in your life?

GEOFF: Grieving my daughter and trying to fulfill the promise I had made not to let my music die. That seemed nearly impossible since I hadn’t touched a keyboard or written a song since she had died two years earlier.

SHANNON: Grieving takes time. After I miscarried Geoff’s child, I was determined my career would help children in some way. That’s what led me to a job at Talmidge Center for Children with the promise of setting up a music therapy program of my own.

AUTHOR: The fundraising event for that program is where you met again.

GEOFF: I choked on a song and Shannon saved my musical butt by stepping in and singing with me.

SHANNON: And then I ran. I thought I had left the past behind and it terrified me that seeing Geoff made me feel like a teenager with a crush on a rock star again.

AUTHOR: Yet you worked through the heartache of the past and found the music of love again.

SHANNON: I wasn’t sure we would make it.

GEOFF: I knew all along you’d see things my way. *grin*

SHANNON: The physical attraction was never a problem.

GEOFF: Want to see if that physical attraction still works?

SHANNON: I like the way you think.

AUTHOR: Wait! You’re supposed to draw the winner of the Romance Basket...well, never mind. I’ll do it.