Author Fun Facts: Elvis, Hauntings, Gingerbread, Surrogate Babies, Hawaii

Sharing some fun facts about myself and a few author friends. And, we all have questions for readers…

 

End of Lonely Street – A Vintage Romance Short Story from The Wild Rose Press – $1.99

Alicia Dean Fun Fact:

I wrote my first romance at eleven years old. My hero’s name was Lonnie Beal (after Elvis Presley’s character in the movie, Tickle Me) and I describe him in the story as looking just like Elvis. 🙂 I still have my pencil-written copy of the story, although it’s faded and difficult to read. When I began publishing, I continued the tradition of mentioning Elvis in most of my stories, although I learned to be a little more subtle. 🙂

Blurb:

All Toby Lawson wants is to go to college to become a teacher and to be free of her alcoholic mother and some painful memories. But when her mother nearly burns the house down, Toby must put her dreams on hold and return home to care for her. The only time she isn’t lonely and miserable is when she’s listening to her heartthrob, Elvis Presley. His music takes her away and helps her escape from everything wrong in her life.

Noah Rivers has always loved Toby, but no matter what he says, she can‘t get past the fact that her drunken mother once kissed him. He soon realizes the true problem lies in Toby’s belief she’s not good enough for him and in her fear she will be just like her mother.

What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would give anything to be the man to make her dreams come true?

Amazon Link: http://amzn.com/B00QQO3BK0

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/end-of-lonely-street-alicia-dean/1121006997?ean=2940150002807

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_176_145&products_id=6029

 

Question for readers: What is your favorite era to read about? Contemporary? Vintage? Civil War? Regency? World War II? Other?

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A Red, Red Rose Cozy Mystery, Southern Gothic, The Wild Rose Press 

Susan Coryell Fun Fact

I got the inspiration for a Red, Red Rose when I explored an actual Colonial estate that was rumored to be haunted. Though I never experienced anything unusual there, every family with children that toured the place reported that the kids felt “something weird.” One asked, “Did someone die in here?” Another said, “Oh no! I see a man in the fireplace!” My writer’s antennae went up and I started writing my cozy mystery/Southern Gothic on the spot.

Coming Spring of 2015 Beneath the Stones – The Wild Rose Press – sequel to A Red, Red Rose, 5 years later.

Blurb:

When twenty-year-old Ashby Overton travels to Overhome Estate for the summer, she hopes to unearth her ancestral roots and the cause of a mysterious family rift surrounding the horseback riding death of her Grandmother Lenore many years ago.

From the moment she enters her room in the oldest wing, Ashby feels an invisible, enfolding presence.  She learns the room belonged to a woman named Rosabelle, but no one is willing to talk about Rosabelle—no one except Luke, the stable boy who captures her heart. As Ashby and Luke become closer, she realizes he can be the confidant she needs to share the terrifying, unfolding secrets.

Ever present is a force Ashby never sees, only feels.  Candles light themselves, notes from an old lullaby fall from the ceiling, the radio tunes itself each day.  And roses, always meant for Ashby, appear in the unlikeliest places.  Are the roses a symbol of love, or do they represent something dark, something deep and evil?

Amazon Link:http://amzn.com/B00GVKMG0K

Author Website: www.susancoryellauthor.com

 

Question for readers: Have you personally had a supernatural or paranormal experience?

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Now available for $.99— Gingerbread Wishes – Book 1, Sugar & Spice Bakery series. Holiday, Indie release 

Linda Carroll-Bradd Fun Fact:

This story has made a progression from a holiday story aimed for a confession magazine to a short story included in a holiday anthology (but the company went out of business) to an indie release. Each time, I made changes (from first person to third, added the hero’s POV, lengthened the word count). But the essence of the story has remained the same and I’ve loved it in all its versions.

Blurb:

Tora can’t wait to sell the family bakery run by generations of Hammond women and seek excitement outside of Dorado, Texas. Widower Jordan Dawson, the town’s star quarterback from a decade ago, returns to his hometown with plans to develop a sporting goods store. He also hopes experiencing a small town Christmas will cheer up his five-year-old daughter, Jenna, still recovering from the loss of her mother. Will the spark of interest Tora sees in Jordan’s eyes be the excitement she’s looking for?

Amazon link:  http://amzn.com/B00HGUZSMC

Author website: www.lindacarroll-bradd.com

Question for readers:  What do you like best about romances set in small towns?

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Nobody’s Baby, Contemporary romance, holiday ending, Indie release for only $3.99 

Carol Burnside Fun Fact:

NOBODY’S BABY came about during a brainstorming session as I attempted to put a twist on a secret baby trope or plot. Well, the baby was a surprise to Rio but not in any way I’d ever read in a book. Authors are supposed to torment their characters and and—whoo-ee—do Kate and Rio have a lot to deal with in this heartwarming story with a Christmas ending! I hope my readers enjoy my twisted take on an inherited baby/secret baby plot.

About Carol: Award winning author of “Sizzling romance with heart and humor.” A native Texan, Carol is a southern gal through and through, a gardener, amateur chef, avid reader, dog and cat lover, crochet enthusiast, seamstress, and creative diva who dreams up ways to torment her characters from an imagination fueled by too much sweet tea. Also a traveler and at one time a nomad, Carol loves to draw upon her memories for story settings, whether close to home or far-flung.

Blurb:

She was the incubator,
nothing more
until the parents died tragically.
Now she’s having Nobody’s Baby.

For Kate Morissey, becoming a surrogate seems like a great way to refill her tuition account and get the education she’s always wanted. After putting her life on hold to raise and educate her two brothers, she’s desperate for freedom and a college degree that will secure her future. Weeks away from realizing her dreams, a freak accident threatens everything.

Adopted as a boy into the safety of the Hawthorne family, Rio swore he’d never become a father. He won’t pass along his cruel legacy of abuse. When he inherits the last Hawthorne heir, obligation and duty dictates he abandon the challenges of guiding safari’s and become a parent. Convincing Kate to teach him infant care was the easy part. Proving his love isn’t her prison may be the hardest thing he’s ever done.

Buy e-book on: Amazon / AzonUK / AzonCA / AzonAU / B-N / Kobo / GooglePlay / iBooks / AllRomance / Smashwords and other retailers

CarolBurnside.com

 Question for readers: As a reader, what are your favorite tropes / plots / storylines? 

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The Marriage Trap – Hawaii, Sexy romance, The Wild Rose Press 

Marissa Garner Fun Fact:

I set THE MARRIAGE TRAP in Hawaii because every time I’ve visited the islands, it’s been a romantic adventure. The book draws on some of my experiences. I’ve actually stayed in the Volcano House overlooking the Kilauea Caldera, which is where my hero and heroine plan a getaway. I’ve hiked on Maui’s dormant volcano, Haleakala, which my characters also visit. I’ve snorkeled in the coral reefs and bodysurfed on the crashing waves. But I let Drew and Ginny do something that I never had the pleasure of experiencing. You’ll have to read the book to learn what they got to do that I didn’t.

THE MARRIAGE TRAP (First in the Hawaiian Heat series) is available now and only $4.61 from Amazon.

Blurb:

Ginny Fitzgerald has always dreamed of marriage and motherhood. But when she escapes her domineering former fiancé to attend a two-month writing seminar, she discovers more about herself than about fiction. Sparks fly and then ignite when she meets enigmatic Drew Morgan. He melts her reserved façade and unleashes her repressed passions. Sadly, Ginny believes she can never achieve her goals with Drew and fears the only happily-ever-after in her future is the one she’s writing for her romance novel.

Drew thinks marriage is a trap, and he’s made a pact with his brother to remain bachelors forever. Even when the Hawaiian Heat welds love and lust into his dream soul mate, he can’t marry Ginny. After she declines his invitation to live with him, he must choose between his opposition to the chains of marriage and the possibility of a lifetime of happiness.

Buy now at:  Amazon | iBook | Nook | Kobo

Visit Marissa at https://www.facebook.com/MarissaGarnerAuthor

 

Question for readers: Would you like to visit Hawaii? Which island?