Exclusive Peek: Pillow Talk by Ruth Hartman

 Exlusive Excerpt: 

Three days later, Trixie showed up for her 1:00 dental appointment. She took a seat in the waiting area. She was determined not to let Korkie get under her skin. And she was especially determined that Graham wouldn’t either. Although the more she thought about the luscious dentist even touching her skin…Stop it Trixie! Stop it this instant! 

“Oh, hello, Trixie. Are we ready for our appointment?” the dental assistant crossed her arms and smirked at her. 

Trixie looked up and smiled sweetly. “Hello, Korkie. Well, I’m ready. Not sure about you. Are you having a crown prep today, too?” she asked innocently. 

Korkie huffed out her breath and stomped towards the back room. “I’ll let Dr. Keebler know his patient is here.” 

Trixie looked down at the magazine in her lap as she replied, “Yes. Please tell Graham I’m here.” 

Korkie frowned as she turned back toward Trixie.  “For your information, his preferred title is Dr. Keebler.” 

Trixie looked back up. “To you, maybe. I received a special invitation to call him Graham,” she replied calmly. She held her hands together on her magazine so the temptation to smack the other woman’s obnoxious face wouldn’t materialize. 

“You did not!” The woman stomped her hoof like an aggravated moose. 

“Actually, she did.” Korkie and Trixie both turned to see Graham standing in the doorway to his treatment room. “Trixie, come on back and I’ll get you numb. And Korkie?” 

“Yes Dr. Keelber?” Korkie smiled as sweetly as only a smarmy assistant could. 

“You and I will talk after the appointment is over.” 

“Of course,” she managed to eek out from between her overly bleached front teeth. 

The three of them headed for the back of the office. 

As Trixie was leaned back in the patient chair, she looked up to see Korkie flinging mental dental scalers at her forehead. Suddenly she wondered if it had been such a good idea to antagonize the smug dental assistant. Well, she started it! 

Graham put on his mask, protective glasses and gloves. Korkie did the same. Trixie was suddenly glad the evil assistant didn’t know about her allergy to the sleeping powder she used on the kids. She’d probably end up in the hospital with an allergic purple rash the size of Texas.

Graham leaned over her. “Okay Trixie. Open wide for me. There may be a slight pinch, but I promise I’ll be as gentle as I can. You can close your eyes if you need to.” She did just that. The mental picture that played out behind her eyelids was relaxing indeed. Graham putting his hands on either side of her face. Gazing into her eyes. Drawing her close. Whispering her name. Gently kissing her…” 

“Ahhh…” Trixie sighed loudly. 

Graham chuckled. “That’s got to be the easiest injection I’ve ever given.” 

Trixie’s eyes flew open. She couldn’t see Graham’s mouth but his eyes were crinkled at the corners, so she knew he was smiling. She dared to glance at Korkie, who was rolling her eyes dramatically. Why did the dental assistant have it in for her, anyway? 

Check out our review!
Check out Ruth Hartman's post on "What's In A Name?" 

Don't forget our giveaway! Make a comment in this post or in the review post and you could win a copy of this book! US/Canada only. Ends October 4, 1159pm EST.

REVIEW: Pillow Talk by Ruth Hartman

ASIN B003ZK5HLY

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Fantasy

(c) August 2010, Class Act Books

Ruth Hartman's blog

Rating: 3 stars

Available now in Amazon(ebook)

What is a poor tooth fairy to do when she has a tooth ache? Go to the dentist of course! And that is exactly what Trixie Trident finds herself doing when she breaks a tooth on a french fry. Ouch! Luckily for Trixie, her dentist is the dazzlingly handsome, Graham Keebler. Unfortunately for her, Graham's dental assistant, Korkie, doesn't seem to like Trixie very much.

Can Trixie figure out a way to get Graham to notice more than just her teeth, or will Korkie be a permanent cavity in Trixie's life? 

Short. Sweet. Simple. Those three words describe Pillow Talk perfectly. As a G-Rated fantasy romance, I can't say I found the plot very fulfilling, and I didn't feel any connection to the characters. Yes, it was unusual to read a story about a Tooth Fairies, even if not much explanation of why Tooth Fairies exist is given. The mishaps Trixie finds herself in were mildly entertaining, and I even laughed out loud in some parts, but somehow the story fell a little flat for me.

My biggest problems were with Trixie's day job and the 'villain' character, Korkie. I didn't find it remotely believable that Trixie would have a successful custom jewelry business selling necklaces and bracelets made of dental floss and buttons. It just really didn't work for me. And Korkie was very unlikeable, which was the point, but the way her 'downfall' was executed just seemed like such an exaggeration.

Pillow Talk wasn't a story that I would classify as a must read, but it had its charm and light humor.

Reviewed by Missie

The Unread Reader

Check out Ruth Hartman's post "What's In A Name?"

 

Book Summary: 

Trixie Trident is much too busy to worry about her love life. Her shop Necklaces, Bracelets and Rings, Oh My! has her up to her elbows in beads; Benson the parrot is hungry; and she just chipped her tooth. Plus she’s seriously sleep deprived—that happens when a tooth fairy hits a busy stretch. That’s right, tooth fairy.

But somehow the ideal man drops into her life. Actually she drops into his office. Is it time for Trixie to give up her night job as tooth fairy? Or should she give up the handsome Dr. Graham Keebler? Of course she won’t have to worry about either if he’s stolen from her! Can a magical tooth fairy find true love with a practical dentist?

A copy of PILLOW TALK is up for grabs! US/Canada only, and no P.O. Boxes, please.

How to Enter: 

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Contest Duration: October 4, 1159pm EST 

Contest Winner Announcement: October 5

The winner will be selected via Randomizer.org. Be sure to come back and check the Winner Announcement post because instructions to claim your prize will be written there.

GUEST POST: What's In A Name? by Ruth J. Hartman

Character names are extremely important. We all know that. But sometimes coming up with just the right one can give a writer a migraine. And you have to be careful to avoid certain scenarios, too.

Here are some of the don’ts I’ve discovered along the way:

Don’t spell the character’s name in such a way that the reader will stumble over it every time he or she reads it. Take my name for instance. Ruth. Not Ruuth or Rooth. That’s a silly example, I know, but you get the point.

Don’t assign two characters with names that are too similar. I’ve read a few books with that going on, and I found myself re-reading paragraphs over two and three times just to make sure I had the right person doing the right thing. Tessa and Teresa. They’re both pretty names, but too close in spelling and pronunciation. Just pick one.

Don’t pick an old-fashioned name for a light and fluffy book. That is, unless that’s part of your book’s humor. Again take my name. I like it, my family and friends like it. But strangers often form an image of someone from a name even before they’ve met them. When I started my dental hygiene training at the dental school in Indianapolis, we were all assigned a Big Sis from the class ahead of us. When it was my turn, my Big Sis called out my name. And when she did so, she was frowning. Why was she frowning? She’d never even met me before. After I introduced myself, she let out a relieved sigh. Apparently, she’d pictured me as 65 instead of 19 because of my name. She’d had visions of having to deal with someone her grandmother’s age, and she wasn’t quite sure we would hit it off.

Don’t pick a light and fluffy name for a serious character. My heroine’s name is Trixie. Light and Fluffy. But then, so is my book. “Pillow Talk” is fun, quirky and humorous. So the name Trixie just seemed to fit my image of a klutzy tooth fairy. Somehow, though, I’m not sure a Trixie could pull off a dark, serious historical romance. “It was a dark and stormy night. Trixie…” Nope. Sorry. Just doesn’t fit.

And I try not to pick names of someone I know. If I like the person, they might be offended if they read my book and the character was too different from them. And if I don’t like the person attached to the name I’ve chosen, well…enough said, it wouldn’t be pretty. Because every time I read the name, or say it or type it, that person’s face jumps into my head. I’ve got enough going on up there, and I don’t need more confusion. 

So remember these words of advice: Always look both ways before crossing the road, don’t run with scissors, and choose your names carefully!

Author's bio: 

Ruth started out life as a dental hygienist but morphed into a romance writer. She has fun working the dental industry into her romances. While Pillow Talk features a dental hygienist/tooth fairy, her next romance Flossophy of Grace also follows the love life of a dental hygienist. Who knew the dental world was so romantic?

Ruth’s first book was My Life in Chains, a memoir about her struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Ruth, her husband and two very spoiled cats live in rural Indiana where Ruth dreams up new and exciting romances. And flosses regularly. Really!

Visit Ruth's blog: http://ruthjhartman.blogspot.com/

Ruth will be visiting the blog tomorrow! We've also got a review of her book, Pillow Talk, an exclusive excerpt and an awesome giveaway! So, do drop by!