I love traveling, music, shopping (I seem to be all about shoes and purses right now), making quilts by hand (an homage to my Appalachian roots,) hiking, and scrapbooking. I'm a big Cincinnati Bengals fan, and I'm also way into genealogy, but I haven't had the time for it the last couple of years.
I love to ski, but haven't had the guts to get back on the slopes since an ugly fractured-femur incident a few years back - I really miss it, though, so maybe one of these days I'll be brave enough.
Although I love the snow, I love the sun even more and am happiest when I'm soaking it up, especially if I'm someplace where my toes can be in the sand.
Music
I ADORE music, always have. If you've read my books, you know I tend to set a lot of key scenes to specific songs that I feel set just the right tone for what's happening.
As for faves, really too many to name. John Mayer, lots of alternative artists, AC/DC (the older stuff), Bruce Springsteen (the older stuff), Tori Amos, 80s music, 70s music, some country, and I have a thing for traditional bluegrass.
For more specifics, see my past newsletters at www.ToniBlake.com, where I list what I've been listening to.
Movies
Well, I could go on forever, but just to give a sampling: O Brother Where Art Thou, Sense and Sensiblity, Mean Girls, Chocolat, Rain Man, Shakespeare in Love, The Sure Thing, Love Actually, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Princess Bride, Dangerous Liaisons, The Color Purple, Pulp Fiction, As Good as it Gets, Swingblade, Shawhank Redemption, Sixth Sense, It's a Wonderful Life, Lonesome Dove (I know it's a mini-series, but I think of it as a movie,) Ride With the Devil, Cold Mountain (although it's flawed in that the bad guys are a little too bad to be true, but otherwise a lovely movie,) Far and Away, When Harry Met Sally, Back to the Future, Tootsie, Glory, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Legally Blonde (yes, seriously - it's well done and very rewatchable,) Life is Beautiful, Stage Beauty, Restoration, Forrest Gump, My Best Friend's Wedding (slightly silly but very rewatchable,) Benny and Joon (somewhat wacky, yes, but it's about truly unconditional love, which is very cool,) The Graduate ... and on it goes.
Some fave actors: Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Robert Duvall, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Billy Crudup, Giovanni Ribisi, Eric Stoltz, Donald Sutherland, and pre-Batman Val Kilmer.
Some fave actresses: Kate Winslet, Renee Zellweger, Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman(particularly in historicals), Diane Lane, and Cate Blanchett.
Television
Dexter, Lost, American Idol, What Not to Wear, the Ellen Show, How I Met Your Mother, Worst Week, Private Practice, Rules of Engagement, Samantha Who?, The Mentalist, Dancing With the Stars, My Name is Earl (enough comic brilliance to make up for times when it misses the mark), Dhani Tackles the Globe, Criss Angel Mindfreak, Sex and the City (even though it's over), Friends (even though it's over), Freaks and Geeks (yeah, this one's been over a lonnnnng time, but the series DVD is fabulous!), Gene Simmons' Family Jewels and a few other "reality" TV shows (and no, I'm not completely proud of that, but there you have it.)
I truly mourn for the day of the sitcom - there's just not enough funny stuff on TV these days. I grew up on sitcoms and they are truly an artform - several story lines started and completed in about 22 minutes! I like some of the few that are left, but they all seem to revolve around sex. And of course, I LIKE sex, but I like my sex sexy - never really see it as something to cackle about ; )
Although it's only on once a year for four days, I love the Winter X Games.
And I'm a life-long fan of All My Children, as well as a more recent fan of As the World Turns.
I'm the sort of person who was very much raised on TV, so I tend to watch a lot of it. Thank God for the DVR!
Books
Yikes, too many to name, but I'll toss out a few random all-time fave books: To Kill a Mockingbird, Jane Eyre, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven, Love Medicine, Lonesome Dove, Catch-22, The Frontiersman, the poetry of Sherman Alexie, and my list would be very incomplete without dipping back into my childhood for Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.
In my own genre of romance and women's fiction, some fave authors are Barbara Samuel, Rachel Gibson, Candice Proctor, Kathleen Eagle, Teresa Medeiros, Deborah Smith, and Jennifer Crusie. But I read pretty widely in the genre and am always trying new authors. Oh, and I love Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.
Heroes
My late grandmother, Mary Irene Hargis Blevins. Raised in poverty in Appalachia, she worked harder than anyone I ever knew, was a wonderful cook, and had a kind word for anyone she met - except for anyone she thought meant harm to her children or grandchildren, and she also disliked boys with long hair ; ) (What can I say - she was the traditional sort.) She lived a hard life, mostly doing things for others, but she never complained, and she was THE perfect grandma.
Also, anyone who stands up for women's rights or speaks out against censorship.
Toni Blake is super busy writing her next sexy, heartwarming Destiny Book. To hang out with Toni online, join her reader group at http://lnk.ms/0vmln view more
About me: Hello - I'm Toni Blake, an award-winning author who writes big, heartwarming, sexy, emotional romance novels. Thanks for stopping by my page.
My newest is ONE RECKLESS SUMMER, the first book in my Destiny series, and it's now on sale! Check out the gorgeous cover and I hope you'll pick up a copy for yourself! Get ready to enjoy these super-sexy, heartwarming stories all set in the same small town of Destiny, Ohio!
Also still available: LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER, (with the beautiful purple cover in the slide show,) TEMPT ME TONIGHT, which was excerpted in Cosmo and nominated for a RITA Award, and SWEPT AWAY, which launched the Avon Red line.
Meanwhile, I hope you'll stop by my website at www.ToniBlake.com to learn more about my books, read excerpts, sign up for my newsletter, and enter my current contest! And if you're not yet tempted, at my website you can also find weird random things like photos of my fave shoes, a picture of me when I was seven, and lots of other fun stuff!
And if you'd like to chat with other Toni Blake readers online - AND me - join my reader group by pasting the following into your browser: www.yahoogroups.com/groups/ToniBlakeFans
Before watching the videos, pause the song in the other column. :)
Here's the lovely video for ONE RECKLESS SUMMER and the Destiny Series, featuring the song, "Clouds," by Marty Casey!
Here, check out a short interview with me about the Destiny series!
Click below to see the LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER video! It's very fun, I promise!
"With sizzling sensuality and amazing depth, a book by Toni Blake is truly special!" ~Lori Foster, NYT bestselling author
"Sexy and Emotional - Toni Blake gives readers a 1-2 punch! Everything you want in a romance and MORE!" ~Carly Phillips, NYT Bestselling Author
"Toni Blake is a star on the rise! Her books are sexy and full of heart." ~Teresa Medeiros, NYT bestselling author
Reviews for ONE RECKLESS SUMMER (Destiny Book 1):
“One wild ride! This is just the book you want in your beach bag--it's sexy, emotional and filled with twists and turns that will keep the pages turning.” ~New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Wiggs
"I loved One Reckless Summer. Seriously loved it." ~New York Times Bestselling Author Eloisa James
“I’ve found the perfect 2009 romantic beach read. One Reckless Summer is a bookshelf must. This is one you definitely don’t want to miss.” ~Donna, Bookishly Attentive
“A great plot. The way it ends will linger in your mind. You’ll look forward to more out-of-the-ordinary stories set in Blake’s small town.” ~Susan Mobley, Romantic Times, 4 STARS
“Emotionally charged, deeply sensual and wonderfully realistic, One Reckless Summer gives romance readers everything they could ever want in a romance. Every word she writes flows beautifully, forming a flawless plot. Bravo, Ms. Blake for another job well done.” ~Priscilla, Night Owl Reviews, 5/5 A REVIEWER TOP PICK
“With very spicy sex scenes, a very hot but very bad boy who just oozes sensuality, and a woman determined to get rid of her good girl persona, how could I not love this story?” ~Danielle, Coffee Time Romance & More, 5 CUPS
“With each new release, Toni Blake’s writing talent impresses me more and more. A story as inspiring as it is sexy!” ~Jennifer Ray, CK2S Kwips and Kritiques, 5 CLOVERS
“Toni Blake never fails to provide readers with a captivating story (and) intriguing characters. Lindsey and Rob are written so realistically that you can’t help but feel their every emotion and share their pain. I highly recommend LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER to all romance lovers!” ~ Laurie Damron, Romance Junkies, 4.5 BLUE RIBBONS
“LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER made me laugh out loud, gasp in surprise, and coo over the major loving between Rob and Lindsey. Toni Blake has written a near perfect novel and rightly deserves RRT's Perfect 10 award!” ~Romance Reviews Today, Kate Garrabrant, PERFECT 10
“A stunning romance filled with intrigue, passion, and hope. I was mesmerized.” ~Bestselling Author Robyn Carr
“Toni Blake has succeeded in becoming one of my all-time favorite writers. When you read LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER, you will laugh out loud, get butterflies, and shed tears. The ultimate love story!! I loved it!” ~Mandy Burns, Fresh Fiction
“A splendid read … sensual, hot, sexy. Toni Blake creates a steamy, and tantalizing delicious romance not to be missed. I was deeply touched by this story.” ~Cherokee Sanders, Coffee Time Romance, 4 CUPS
“This book is so phenomenal, so beautiful … and drew me in like no other. Toni Blake is the new queen of contemporary romance. If you've never read a Toni Blake book, now is the time to pick one up and find out what all the fuss is about.” ~Kristal Gorman, Romance Reader at Heart, Top Pick
"Tempt Me Tonight evokes delicious memories of steamy nights spent discovering young love, and invites one to feel what it’d be like to make up for lost time with the 'sexy one that got away.'" – Michelle Buonfiglio, LifetimeTV.com
“Believable characters and scorching love scenes enhance this emotionally complex novel. The strong emotional bond between the protagonists will enthrall readers!” ~Romantic Times Book Reviews
“Toni Blake cleverly blends those heartfelt pangs of first love’s sweetness and the sweltering breathlessness of some seriously high-voltage love scenes, wrapping it all up in a charming happy-ever-after. Talk about a recipe for perfection. This is a “can’t miss” read!” ~Romance Junkies
“This one-sitting read will leave you breathless!” ~Road to Romance
“A great romance with wildly erotic sensuality.” ~ Michelle Buonfiglio, WNBC’s Romance B(u)y the Book
“I loved Swept Away!” ~ John Charles, Booklist
“The writing borders on extraordinary. Blake’s flair for sexy contemporary romance is undeniable.” ~Paperback Reader
“No one can write a contemporary romance like Toni Blake. She brings her characters to life and leaves a reader wanting more with every word they read!” ~Romance Reader at Heart
“Toni Blake creates characters that leap from the page and into your heart. Swept Away will be hard for Avon Red to top.” ~A Romance Review
“An awesome talent! This is one you must add to your reading list!” ~The Best Reviews
A Little Background
I've wanted to be a writer since I was ten years old. I never saw myself writing romance, though, until I discovered the genre about twelve years ago and found out how smart, sexy, witty, heart-wrenching, and just all around wonderful it could be. I immediately knew it was where I belonged and I've never looked back.
New Friends
I LOVE making new friends on My Space - it's so fun and interesting to meet so many new people - but if you're a spammer, please don't waste your time. I'll just delete your comments and you, too ; ) Otherwise, though, please add me to your friends and spread the love : )
~Toni Blake either owns or has permission to display all images on this page. Professional author photos are by Cassandra Stella~
Who I'd like to meet: Readers, other writers, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Albert Einstein (okay, I know he's dead, but still ...)
GOOD AFTERNOON TONI,
JUST STOPPING BY ON THIS GORGEOUS BUT WARM AND HUMID TUESDAY TO SAY
HELLO TO YOU MY SWEET FRIEND. JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I AM
THINKING OF YOU AND HOPING YOU'RE DOING GREAT !!! I HOPE YOU HAVE A
VERY BEAUTIFUL DAY TODAY AND ARE ABLE TO GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE
WONDERFUL SUMMER WEATHER WHILE IT'S HERE. IT ALWAYS GOES BY WAY TOO
FAST. I HOPE THIS HELPS TO PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND SUNSHINE,
HAPPINESS, WARMTH AND A SONG IN YOUR HEART AND JOY IN YOUR SPIRIT !!!
TAKE CARE AND ENJOY YOUR TUESDAY AND MAKE THE MOST OF IT. SENDING
LOTS OF LOVE AND BEST WISHES YOUR WAY ALWAYS.
LOVE & HUGGSSS & BLESSINGS ......... BONNIE
You know I still haven't been able to get it! My Barnes has been sold out. I ordered one though and they're going to email me when it comes in. I KNOW I'll love it.
I found you on facebook and became a fan. :) I just finished "Letters to a secret lover." Now I have to go buy "One reckless summer." I can't wait. Your welcome. Your an awesome writer. You deserve all the props!
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