Globug Needs a Book: Blog Tour: Troubles and Treats by Tara Sivec Review + Interview

Synopsis:

Drew and Jenny have spent years being the envy of their friends with their out of control sex lives - well, not really. Mostly it makes their friends want to throw up in their mouths a little.

With two little kids and two busy lives, for the first time, Drew and Jenny aren't on the same page in the bedroom. Drew will stop at nothing to get his previously amorous wife back in the sack, and Jenny will do anything for a full night of sleep.

Carter and Claire, and Jim and Liz are their usual (un)helpful selves and are full of advice for the discontented duo, wanting nothing more than to help restore order to the usually happy couple's lives.

In the third and final installment of the Chocolate Lovers Series, will Drew and Jenny find the spark that's been missing in their marriage, or will the trouble they're having cause a stickier situation than the time Jenny poured honey all over Drew and he fused himself to a tree?

Globug's take:

So the story begins three months after Jenny and Drew have their second child. You would never guess these two would have trouble in the bed room but you would be guessing wrong. I imagine they sent a picture like this from their honeymoon or as their first christmas card.

Now poor Drew spends his nights working out.

Ok, that's not what he's really tuggin, poor guy. He has plans to help Jenny get her libido back. Of course all of their friends are aware of the situation and have input as to how to fix the problem. All Jenny really needs is sleep. Typical guys are way over thinking the problem.

Jenny continues to bring her unintentional comic genius to the story with such things as....

"we are all very family-oriental"

"I had a good night last night and want to baste in the glory "

"mentally telephone to drew"

"make a testicle of himself"

And Drew proves how perfect they really are together by some of the shenanigans he pulls. For example:

*pooping in the litter box and Jenny having to scoop it thinking the cat was ill. (Hootie died laughing at this)

*"He who farts in church sit in stinky pew"

*Classic tee shirts for Drew and baby like
         -Screw the titties and milk. Give me the beer.
         -Pooping in progress
         -I shit my pants when ugly people hold me
         -Camel’s Tow Service; ask us
           about our Moose Knuckle discounts.

You have the pleasure of reading about Drew and Jenny's first date, the birth of their second child and the girls attempt to uncover the reason for Jenny's recent stalker. That involves the use of mace and a taser and goes horribly/hysterically wrong.

That doesn't even begin to convey the hilarity of this book. Hootie and I would text one liners to each other as we read to point out the hystercial highlights. Here are a few you will have to watch for as you read:

         *vibrator race (of course Drew and Jenny get this all wrong)
         *imagine this x5:

*and even worse, this couldn't even be blamed on the dads:

"once you go black you never go back"

Through everything including bad advice from friends and family, therapy with a doctor that takes frequent rides on the crazy train, and just poor communication Drew and Jenny get it all figured out. Now with their wisdom can you imagine the lessons they could share with others ;)

And now Hootie's epic interview with Tara Sivec herself!

1) I loved the idea you had in S&S with the candy store adjoining the Adult toy store and I'm curious, With the success of Seduction and Snacks do you have any plans to open up and actual store like in the book?

My niece and I totally have this dream! She used to sell sex toys and we both love to bake. We talk about it all the time! Maybe someday!

2) Jenny seems to be everyone's favorite character, I know I love her but who is your favorite character from the books?

I always have to say Claire just because she is so much like me. Which of course means that I love myself. And I do, I really do.

3) I can't remember laughing harder at a book as I did with S&S then Futures and Frosting came along, now halfway through Troubles and Treats I can't stop laughing at Jenny, What are some of your favorite Jenny-isms from the books?

My favorite was a conversation that Drew had with Carter in Seduction and Snacks. He mentions how Jenny was learning to bake and using “confederate” sugar. That was a conversation that actually happened at work with my co-worker. We made jokes for days about how the British were coming and she needed to cook something in her confederate oven to keep them away.

4) Being a fat wompus cow that I am I absolutely loved the candy and cookie recipes you came up with in S&S, are those recipes you found online or are did you come up with them yourself?

A little of both. The Cranberry Hootycreeks (hooterpeeps) and the Butter Brickle bars are recipes I’ve had for years that I make for Christmas. The Globs (white chocolate covered potato chips and pretzels drizzled with caramel) is all mine. I’m sure there’s a store out there that makes them somewhere, but a few Christmases ago we were at my dad’s house covering everything in his pantry in chocolate and I made those. They were inhaled within minutes.

#4 Follow up) Would you consider putting out a S&S themed cookbook?

I actually thought about adding recipes at the end of Futures and Frosting but I never had time to do it. I’m planning on adding a “Recipe” page to my website so you can check there soon J

5) One of my favorite moments is from Futures and Frosting when jenny stuck Ben Wa balls in her snatch in the middle of the store, where the actual fuck did the inspiration for that scene come from? I'm already afraid of those stores for that reason, please tell me that didn't ACTUALLY happen to someone you know?

Ha ha ha! No, that never actually happened thank God or you would have seen news story of me puking in the middle of a sex shop. My brain is a scary place to live, that’s all I can say about this. I was writing the chapter and the idea just sort of evolved. I actually stood in the middle of my living room trying to mimic the movements Jenny would use to un-lodge them so I could write the motion accurately. I hope no one was looking in my windows at that point.

6) Do you plan to stick to the funny romance genre or will you tackle something like a serious drama or something paranormal?

I need a break from funny right now. It’s exhausting! I have a new romantic suspense series that I’m hard at work editing right now. The first book in the series is called A Beautiful Lie and it will be out on January 3^rd. I have also started a one-off that will tentatively be called “Watch Over Me” and that will have some paranormal twists in it. I’m excited and flat out fucking nervous for these books! I want people to see that I can actually write and not just do stand up comedy!

7) If you could REWRITE any book out there and put YOUR OWN spin on it, which book would it be and what would you change/remove?

The Twilight Series. I would make it X rated and let Bella and Edward have dirty, hot, balls to the wall sex.

8) The next question is for "Claire/Carter" What is the craziest thing Gavin has done to his little sister?

She has a My Size Barbie that she’s a little bit afraid of for some reason. He popped off one of the arms (on accident I’m told) and replaced it with a duct-taped screw driver. While she was sleeping, he stood it up next to her bed so Barbie was watching her sleep with her creepy screw driver arm. It wasn’t a good morning.

9) Tara, if you could switch places with any of your characters (Written or in development) who would you chose to swap places with?

I would switch places with Parker, who is the heroine in my romantic suspense A Beautiful Lie. Not to give too much away, but she kicks ass and she gets to be around a hot Navy SEAL named Garrett. That’s all I’m sayin’!

10) Last question to Tara Did you ever imagine you would be where you are right now and what advice can you give other aspiring authors who might be scared to venture out?

Never in a million years! If you would have told me a year ago I would have quit my brokerage job of 14 years and been a full-time writer, I would have laughed in your face. I am amazed every single day that this is my life and I have no one to thank but the fans. I have the best fans in the entire fucking world! My advice for other aspiring authors is to not be afraid of your dreams. With the self-publishing world blowing up all over the place, it doesn’t just have to be a dream anymore. Anyone can make it happen.

We hope you have enjoyed this post as much as we enjoyed these books and their hilarious cast of characters. It's bittersweet to be saying Goodbye but we look forward to amazing things from Tara! If you don't know much about the awesomeness that is Tara Sivec, I suggest you check out the links below and go grab the books!

Author Bio:

Tara Sivec is a best selling author, wife, mom, chauffeur, cheerleading coach, soccer coach, babysitter, short-order cook, genius and albino squirrel hunter. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two kids. In her spare time she likes to read, write and cover things in chocolate. Most of her material comes from real life experiences with family and friends. Lucky for them, the names have been changed to protect the innocent (aka, drunk).

Connect with Tara

Website: http://www.tarasivec.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TaraSivec.authorpage

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6422281.Tara_Sivec

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TaraSivec