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Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Guest Post with Author Hayson Manning and Giveaway


Today I would like to welcome to RFTC author Hayson Manning. Hayson is celebrating the recent release of her book, Wife in Name Only and has stopped by to chat. Please give Hayson a warm welcome.


Hayson Manning's debut release, Wife in Name Only with Entangled Publishing, is available now. She lives in Southern California with her lovely sloth children, infuriating but much loved shoe-dropping husband, a tubby opinionated cat (as if a cat never doesn't have an opinion). There will often be a foster dog parked on the couch waiting for their forever home. She loves to read, cry watching Antiques Roadshow and is an expert at finding new and inventive ways to avoid exercise.


Places to find Hayson:
| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Soundtracks of Life

In Wife in Name Only, my heroine, Zoe plays ABBA. A lot. It's her happy music. When she was little her mom would sit Zoe on the kitchen bench and sing along to Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Björn, and Benny when she was baking. Zoe lost her mom at a young age and listening to ABBA always make her smile and feel loved. I know I can't stay in a bad mood when belting out `Waterloo.'

This got me thinking of songs that affect me.

Galveston

Yep. Glen Campbell. Showing my age here, but my mom loved him. My mum died suddenly a long time ago now. She'd sing along at maximum volume as if she was twenty-one and leaving Galveston. I play that song, a lot, and it always makes me smile and feel that she's beside me, singing loudly. It is also guaranteed to clear the room of my moaning children, so I play it. Often.

Hallelujah

The Jeff Buckley version. It's breathtaking. The words are beyond beautiful and I'm in awe of Leonard Cohen. The way Jeff Buckley sings it with such beauty always moves me to tears.

Mad World

Gary Jules singing. Chez Manning were lounging around too large to move after chowing down on Christmas day in 2004. It was the next day and the images of the Tsunami that hit on the twenty-sixth of December started rolling in. While I was standing frozen at the despair and heartache on the faces of the people, the television station played Mad World and it was stamped on my soul. Every time I hear it now I hug my boys, much to their horror.

Tongue Tied

Something about this Grouplove song just makes me smile. I don't know why. It's my happy song.

Dancing Queen

Because you can't stay in a bad mood with Dancing Queen booming. It might be something about me wanting to be young and seventeen again.

There're many songs that are on my soundtrack of life. Are there songs or bands like Zoe likes that are on your soundtrack of life?


Trapped in a loveless marriage, Zoe Hughes escaped to make a new life for herself on a tiny island in Tonga. Now she runs a successful boutique honeymoon resort. Selling true love is easy. No one needs to know she's married in name only. At least until Americas premier honeymoon magazine wants to publish a feature on her perfect marriage. Now she must convince her estranged husband to rip himself away from plotting corporate takeovers in LA to save her island paradise.

Rory agrees to come for forty-eight hours, but only because he needs the positive PR. To his surprise, the wife he finds in Tonga isn't the same woman he married. Now she's so much more and he wants her back by his side in LA.

Can love be reborn on an island paradise or will the storm of the century rip them apart?

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes |

Check out what's up for grabs.


Up For Grabs:

To Enter: 
  • Please answer the question: What are some of the songs in the soundtrack of your life?
  • Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

34 comments :

  1. Gym Class Hero's Fighter :) thanks for the great post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Erin,
      I toodled off to iTunes and listened to The Fighter and it's awesome! It is now sitting on my pod. Thanks for the tune and stopping by.

      Hayson

      Delete
  2. Right now I am in love with the song My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up), by Fall Out Boy. Love the beat!

    Thank you so much for offering this giveaway and for the post. My fingers are crossed for luck. :-)

    Best Wishes,
    Lindsey V.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lindsey!
      Love that song! Always makes me smile and think of hot dudes led by Vin Diesel just swaggering towards me as I drool.

      Thanks for the stopping by and best of luck.

      Hayson

      Delete
  3. Journey, fleetwood mac....so many more!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The first songs that are coming to mind is, 'Don't worry, Be Happy', 'Born in the USA', 'Evergreen', and In Your Eyes'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey K,

      All awesome choices there.

      I do love me some Bruce. Born in the USA is awesome. Up there with Born to Run and Jungleland for me. Gotta smile at 'Don't Worry. Be Happy.' I'm a huge Peter Gabriel fan. In Your Eyes is awesome as is the beauty of Evergreen.

      Delete
  5. Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran, Tonight I'm Getting Over You by Carly Rae Jepsen, Remember When by Chris Wallace, Just Tonight by The Pretty Reckless, and I Won't Let You Go by James Morrison.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne,
      Fab-o list there. Anything by James Morrison rocks my boat. Give me Love is on high rotation at Chez Manning. Love that song.

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Hayson

      Delete
  6. Honestly the song that fits my life most is Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound by Hank Williams Jr. *sigh* Yeah, I know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seriously cool, Sebella Blue. Went across to iTunes and got lost in the song. Always good in the morning. I'm now in denial about the day happening. Love that.

      Hayson

      Delete
  7. I can't think of anything
    if I could turn back Time??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey PM350,

      I'm forever trying to turn back time! Every day I wish for a time machine here in Chez Manning. So far, nothing, but I'm hopeful.

      I wish I looked like Cher in that video...

      Hayson

      Delete
  8. Thanks for sharing your soundtrack! Im going to have to check some of those out! I dont have any specific songs really except Everything by Michael Buble. Its my husband's and my song. It pretty much describes our relationship!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Casey,

      How lovely that you and your hubs have a song! Everything by Michael Buble is gorgeous. Ah, I've gone a bit teary.

      Actually I'm thinking my hubs might be singing 'If I could turn back time.'

      Hope your day is awesome!

      Hayson

      Delete
  9. "Music has charms, they say." Joe Walsh

    So true

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha. Love that quote Mary Jo. Music does indeed have charms. As does Mr Walsh. Thanks for stopping by.

      Hayson

      Delete
  10. Replies
    1. Thanks, Cassie. Hope your day is rocking.

      Hayson

      Delete
  11. Momentum by Vienna Teng, The River is Wild by The Killers, and It's My Life by Bon Jovi are a few...

    Thanks,
    Leanne :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All excellent choices. I am a bit of a Bon Jovi fan. Actually I just like looking at them as well.

      Thanks for stopping by.
      Hayson

      Delete
  12. The music that comes to my mind right now is anything by the Eagles! I remember being a little girl and hearing them from my older brothers. Love listening to Don Henley's gravely voice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah Lori,
      Did we have the same older brothers? Same. I used to roll my eyes but now sing along and know all the words. Love them. Top down in the car singing Take it to the Limit...one more time. Yay.

      Hayson

      Delete
  13. 'Our Time is Running Out' by Muse and 'F*** You' by CeeLo Green.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    mestith at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Meredith,
      Anything by CeeLo Green works for me. Love that man and his suits!

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Hayson

      Delete
  14. Turn the Page by Bob Segert ( last dance at homecoming dance with my now husband).
    Several songs from Phantom of the Opera played at wedding.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lori,
      That's lovely. I think my hubs wedding song would be. "I gotta get out of this place."

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Hayson

      Delete
  15. My sound track changes but right now I have a couple on repeat every 6 or 8 songs, Hey Pretty Girl, You Found Me and Locked out of Heaven. I enjoyed the post. Thank you. lisagk(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lisa,
      Oh, I love Locked out of Heaven. That gets turned way up in the car, much to my kids horror. Love that song.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Hayson

      Delete
  16. i love anything on the bodyguard soundtrack. am looking forward to a new book to keep me busy soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Michele,

      Whitney sure did have a beautiful voice. Thanks so much for stopping by.

      Hayson

      Delete
  17. Just Dance - Lady Gaga! I love to dance around to it all the time! Awesome giveaway! Gratz on debut release!

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  18. Tracey Chapman, Shinedown, Mumford and Son's and so many more!

    ReplyDelete
  19. The sounds of silence are sought for around here.

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