Please welcome Guest Karen Mueller Bryson!

Karen will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly drawn commenter during her tour and to the host whose post has the most comments.

Karen Mueller Bryson is an award-winning screenwriter, produced playwright and published novelist. She has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books! Karen is the creator of Short on Time Books, a series of fast-paced and fun novels for readers on the go. When she’s not at her computer creating new stories, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.

In the romantic comedy, Twyla’s Last Trip, twenty eight-year old, Lucinda Starr is an uptight research psychologist, whose deadline to complete her doctoral dissertation is completely derailed by her estranged mother, Twyla Starr's sudden death. Lucinda must take her mother's ashes on a road trip on Route 66, in order to fulfill the requirements of her will and inherit her fortune. To make matters worse, Lucinda finds herself forced to travel across the country with her mother's easygoing country lawyer, T.J. Yates, who drives her crazy, and his drooling bloodhound, Dakota, who Lucinda finds revolting.

In the romantic comedy, One Last Class, thirty-two year old, Zak Spencer, is a washed-up teen idol, who decides to rebuild his life by returning to college in Arizona. Trouble ensues when Zak falls in love with the young professor, Amy Campbell, who teaches the one class he needs to complete his degree.

Excerpt from “One Last Class”

Thirty-two year old, Zak Spencer was sound asleep in his tousled bed, naked, except for the thin white sheet that covered the lower half of his body. Zak had been aged by recent disappointments but remnants of his boyish good looks were still visible. Elvis, Zak’s two-year old basset hound, snored on the floor next him.

Mindy, a 40-something cougar, slowly rose from the bed trying not to wake Zak. She carefully removed her clothes from the floor then snuck over to a corner chair and grabbed her purse for a quick escape.

But when Mindy tripped over Elvis and he let out a yelp, she crashed to the floor.

Zak awakened and noticed Mindy was no longer next to him. He scanned the room but didn’t see her anywhere. “Mindy?” he called.

“I'm down here.”

Zak peeked over the end of the bed and saw Mindy on the floor clutching her clothes and purse.

“What are you doing down there?” he asked.

“I tripped over your dog.”

Elvis wagged his tail.

As Zak rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he said, “You're leaving already?”

Mindy pushed herself up from the ground and tried to cover her nearly naked body.

“But it’s so early,” Zak continued.

“I've got a lot to do today,” Mindy lied. “I'll call you. I promise,” she blurted as she hurried out of the bedroom.

Zak jumped out of bed and pulled the sheet as a covering as he tried to catch Mindy. But she was quick. She had already made her way through the apartment and grabbed a jacket from a hanger next to the door before Zak caught up to her.  Zak was now tangled in the sheet as he tripped up to Mindy and said, “You don't have my number.”

As Zak scrambled for something to write with, Mindy admitted, “I'm not really going to call you.”

Zak was genuinely hurt. “Why?” he managed to get out.

“This was fun and everything but I really don't want to date a former Malibu Boy.  It's so last decade.”

“But…” Zak searched for something more to say.

“I've got to go,” Mindy shouted as she bolted out the door.

KD: Great excerpt, Karen, thanks for sharing. You have such a range of creative talent: acting, screenwriting, writing plays and novels, and yet you also have a background in human science and counseling. How do you see these two areas fitting together to define you as a person?

KMB: I’m not sure how many people want to be defined by what they do! When people ask me to describe myself, I usually use the term “spiritual creative” because those are the words I feel truly embody my life’s purpose.  I see my work as a university educator and counselor as my “spiritual” work, in that I help others to learn and grow.  I see my writing (and previous work in acting) as my creative work, in which I entertain and enlighten people.

KD: Your short, fast-paced novels feature romantic comedy. What do you see as the nature of comedy in a romance?

KMB: I tend to see the humor is everything, including romance. I believe having a sense of humor, and being funny, are attractive qualities to many people. I also think playfulness and fun are important when people are falling in love as well as in maintain passion in a relationship.

KD: Tell us a little about your early background. What was it like growing up? Were you a good student in school?

KMB: I was a quiet and reserved child. I always did what I was told and I loved school. (I guess I still love school because I ended up being a university professor!) I learned to read at an early age and fell in love with books. A fun Saturday for me was having my mom drop me off at the library and spending the entire day going through the stacks and finding books on every imaginable topic. I always ended up checking out more books than I could carry! For me, reading books was much more fun than playing outside with other children.

I was also quite ambitious and always strived to be the top student in every class. My parents were strict about my education and expected me to earn high grades. I tried very hard not to disappoint them, so I rarely earned anything lower than an A in my classes.  

KD: What advice would you give young people today who want to nurture their own creativity?

KMB: I spent 20 years of my life pursuing a career, which has been lucrative, but has not allowed me to express myself creatively. Instead of pursuing my creative passion at an early age, I allowed others to dictate the path my life would take. Of course, I’ve had a wonderful life and career but I always wonder how my life would have been different if I had pursued a creative field in my 20s. Now that I’m in my 40s, I am finally following my passion and writing. I would tell a young person to pursue his or her passion regardless of what other people say. Don’t wait until you are in your 40s to pursue your dreams.

KD: Thanks for a great piece of advice, Karen! Pursue your dreams, writers and readers...

Visit Karen on the web:
Blog: http://shortontimebooks.tumblr.com/
Website: http://www.ahorsewithnoname.com/
Publisher site (s) http://shortontimebooks.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karenmuellerbryson
Twitter: http://twitter.com/karenmbryson

Review for Twyla's Last Trip

This book was a fast-paced, fun read. If you like adventure and lots of things happening in a story, you'll love Twyla's Last Trip. The Twyla in the story was a country singer whose single hit Hurricane in My Heart is still played on the radio and is as popular as ever. Twyla, who hasn't spoken to her grown daughter, Lucinda, in many years arranges for her daughter to take her on one last trip, with stops along the famous Route 66. Lucinda, about to complete her doctoral dissertation in science is as different from her bohemian mother as she could be. Or so she thinks. T.J., a friend of Twyla's, makes the trip with Lucinda, and together they uncover the unspoken truths of the past and uncork the beginnings of a new future. The story is all action and dialogue, and I didn't once miss the usual setting descriptions and inner thoughts of the characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fast ride along the highway of romance. Let the wind blow through your hair and enjoy it as I did!

Review for One Last Class

This book was a hoot to read. The characters were unusual and fascinating and their decisions were quirky and unpredictable which made me read faster and faster to find out what they were going to do next. Zak, a former celebrity, tries to pick up the life thread he left off when fame knocked at his door. Upon returning to college he is plagued by people's impressions of him according to his reputation. To make things worse, he's followed by one of his celebrity pals who acts partly as a mentor and partly as a counterpoint to what Zak is trying to accomplish. Zak is astonished to discover a female professor, Amy, who not only encourages his pursuit of an advanced degree, but who has no knowledge of his celebrity status. The idea of being known for himself and not his television image makes Amy attractive to Zak. Amy resists Zak's romantic advances, but Zak is not about to give up.  If you are looking for a fast escape from dreariness and are ready for a funny fling into relationships, give this wonderful book a try!

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the rest of Karen's tour here:

April 13: A Tasty Read
April 16: Books Are Magic
April 17: BK Walker Books
April 18: Megan Johns Invites
April 19: Christine Young Romance Writer
April 20: Reader Girls
April 23: Sugarbeat's Books
April 24: LASR Romance Guests
April 25: Crazy Four Books
April 26: Lynnette Labelle
April 27: Maken Words

Karen's tour arrangements by Goddess Fish Promotions: http://www.goddessfish.com