Two more stories to introduce from the Lobster Cove series. Check out these intriguing concepts and fantastic covers!
L.A. Kelley – One Enchanted Evening
Was there anything in particular that inspired your idea?
I was playing around with a few ideas for a business to add to Lobster Cove and came up with the idea of a consignment shop. I wondered what kind of stories would be a good association with old clothing and hit upon an updated version of Little Red Riding Hood.
What was it like working on a series where you had to coordinate with other writers?
Lack of control can be a royal pain. The first person to use a character defines a character. If a contracted story states the mayor is a cross-dressing, Irish-Argentinian cat fancier with irritable bowel syndrome than that’s what goes into the spreadsheet. Anyone else wanting to use the mayor has to take Pedro O’Toole and his kittens, gastroenteritis, and feathered boa as is. Either that or its back to the storyboard.
One sticky problem I had was the name of a particular character, a minor, but necessary addition to my story. I couldn’t write around him, but he was not my character. His role had already been defined by another. That meant his name had been selected and it happened to be a name I detest. This is not the name for someone who is an asset to a community. This is the name of a kid who sat next to me in kindergarten, grabbing his crotch and making airplane noises. Seriously, I wouldn’t give a gerbil in one of my stories this name, but I was stuck with it. I gnashed my teeth each time I typed it in.
I had reservations about working on a series. Writing for me has always been a solitary art and I wasn’t sure I could be a team player. I was wrong. Despite minor irritations, working on One Enchanted Evening was a blast. It’s good to step out of your comfort zone. It stretches those literary wings.
The foremost pleasure comes from the collaboration with others dedicated to infusing life into a fictional town. The writers are an eager talented group ready to share ideas and research. An innocent query into the writer’s loop about a character or place brings a plethora of links, pictures, and helpful hints. Need someone to read a passage from a work in progress to see if it rings true? Just post a query. Someone will answer and give you the benefit of their experience. It’s a warm, supportive community with an enthusiastic cheering squad.
Was there any part of your story that was taken from real life…that you can tell us about, that is? 🙂
Nope. It’s all from my warped imagination.
Besides the main characters, who is your favorite character in the story and why?
Probably, the heroine’s sister, Annabel. She fiercely loyal, loving, and bossy without being obnoxious. She reminds me of a lot of women I admire.
What do you love that most people would find odd?
Really stinky cheese and bad SyFy movies.
What do you dislike that most people would find odd
Heat and humidity (I live in Florida)
Blurb:
Enchanted clothing has a mind of its own.
Restlessness plagued Charlotte Becker. Unable to settle down, she moved from place to place searching for an elusive something to calm her turbulent spirit. A sudden invitation from her sister sends her across country to Lobster Cove, Maine. Anchors abound by the sea, but surely nothing would keep her rooted in place in a pokey resort town during the off-season.
Drawn into a consignment shop named One Enchanted Evening, Charlotte is confronted by a mysterious article of clothing requesting her help to stop a man in a wolf mask from killing women. Charlotte agrees to protect the citizens of Lobster Cove and find the hunter before an innocent is slain.
Luke Maddox’s hunting days are over. Wounded in action, he left the Marines to return to Lobster Cove, the only place to bring him peace as a child. Hiding his disability, he accepts life will be nothing more than dull routine. Then he meets a singular young woman wearing an unusual cloak. She tells an incredible story of a wolf that walks on two legs.
And the hunt begins…
In One Enchanted Evening fantasy, humor, and romance are wrapped up in the cheeky retelling of a fairy tale. You will never look at a clothing from a consignment shop the same way again.
Excerpt:
Swallowing back her unease, Charlotte rolled up the window and got out. Except for her car, Main Street was empty. She pushed through the scrubby overgrown yard. Clearly illuminated on the door was the By Appointment Only sign. Somebody must be inside and she wasn’t going anywhere without a tow truck. Butterflies fluttered about her stomach as she scampered up the steps and knocked on the door.
“Excuse me,” she called out. “I don’t have an appointment, but my car and phone died and I need a tow—”
The door swung open. Charlotte drew in a breath and set a hesitant foot over the threshold. The interior lights activated, sending her heart pounding.
“Nothing to worry about,” she muttered. “Motion sensors or something. Hello?” she called louder. “Anyone home?”
Charlotte stepped inside. With the interior illuminated, more than a few armoires were visible. The old front parlor was crammed with trunks and bureaus. Battered chests stacked on top of each other lined the walls. Had all this stuff been here before? The size of the building was deceptively small from the outside.
“Great places to stuff a body,” she muttered.
“That’s true,” said a voice.
Charlotte made a leaping half spin around. Her heart shouldered her esophagus out of the way to race up her throat. She swallowed hard to force it back down. The elderly woman with the peasant blouse and purple bandana stood right behind her.
“However, I don’t recommend it,” she said, cheerfully, “as you’ll never get rid of the smell.”
Contact:
http://lakelleythenaughtylist.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/l.a.kelley.author
Buy Links:
Amazon
B & N
Wild Rose Press
Debra Doggett – A Ghost of a Clue
Was there anything in particular that inspired your idea?
A couple of years ago I attended a Dumb Supper like the one that I put in the book. It was great fun and saw some interesting things. I have always loved ghost stories so when the series was started I decided the time had come for me to write one.
What was it like working on a series where you had to coordinate with other writers?
It was confusing, but fun. As things started to take shape the process became a real group effort. I had the chance to use some side characters from other stories and now that I’m getting to read those stories I feel a connection to them even though they aren’t “my” characters, lol.
Was there any part of your story that was taken from real life…that you can tell us about, that is? 🙂
The Dumb Supper, of course, came from real life. Along with that aspect, I am a practicing Wiccan so it was nice to be able to include some things about my spiritual path as well. The ritual in the book was especially fun to write.
Besides the main characters, who is your favorite character in the story and why?
I think the kids are my favorites. They are so open and into their ghost hunting that they were fun to write. Their reactions to what they see and experience are great.
What do you love that most people would find odd?
I love storms, especially the thunder and lightning part. I grew up in Louisiana so I was used to rain but I’ve lived in the desert of New Mexico for the last twenty years. Storms are a rare thing out here, at least with the rain part. I went from living somewhere that got like 20 to 30 inches of rain a year to a place that gets 9 inches or less a year, lol. But when they do come, storms out here are different. We can get all this great thunder and lightning that just makes you think it’s going to be a downpour then it might drizzle rain for five minutes. Or it might not rain at all. It’s like we get all the special effects whether we get the main event or not.
What do you dislike that most people would find odd?
The Wizard of Oz. I absolutely hate that movie, mostly because my mom made us watch it every time it came on when I was a kid. I have a wonderful friend who is a Wizard of Oz fanatic – she had all the collectible stuff on her desk at work. I used to just close my eyes and try to ignore it.
Blurb:
When Aurora “Rory” DuMont inherits her aunt’s cottage by the sea in Lobster Cove she considers it perfect timing. She’s ready for a change and the little coastal town sounds like the perfect choice. All her life she’s been a bit odd, mostly because of her ability to see ghosts. Little does she realize, thanks to the Lobster Cove Ghost Hunting Society, she’s still the talk of the town. Suckered into giving a talk at the society’s monthly meeting, Rory winds up in a debate with Travis Reed, the local middle school biology teacher, who’s a definite non-believer. Travis might not see ghosts but he sees a whole lot of other things when he sees Rory. With a little help from a lost ghost, they both just might get a clue as to how they really feel.
Excerpt:
“A biology teacher, huh? That does explain your present condition.”
“Too true. So, enough about me. Let’s uncover the deeply intriguing past of our new local witch.”
“You want to know more after the debate debacle?”
“I’m not looking for ghosts, just the skeletons in your closet.”
“It’s really obvious that you spend most of your time around pre-teens. You push the boundaries without batting an eye.”
“They might not get everything right, but they do understand that if you bat your eyes you might miss something important.”
“I don’t know how important my life story is. Believe me, it falls more to the boring side. And I think we’ve probably tied up this table for long enough.” She settled her cup on her now empty plate.
“Come on, I know you aren’t afraid of ghosts, so what’s got you nervous about letting a few skeletons out of your closet?”
Rory shook her head. “You aren’t going to let up, are you?”
“Nope. But, if you’re worried about freeing up Bea’s table space, we could continue this conversation at dinner some time.”
“Are you asking me for a date?”
“Sure am. Ned’s Lobster Shack has a great special Friday nights, and if we get there by seven, we’ll be sure to get a seat. We could find another table in the back, and you can tell me all about Aurora DuMont.”
Ghost of a Clue buy links:
http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=241_172_247&products_id=5882
http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Clue-Lobster-Cove-ebook/dp/B00NQMJZUK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415158504&sr=8-1&keywords=debra+doggett
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-ghost-of-a-clue-debra-doggett/1120421765?ean=2940150717305
Debra’s social media links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Debra-Doggett/205566736172548?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dgdoggett
amazon.com/author/debradoggett
Author Alicia Dean 