Author Archives: Alicia Dean

I am thrilled to introduce the latest release from Diane Burton, partly because she’s a friend, partly because it’s a FABULOUS book, and partly because I had the privilege of editing One Red Shoe through The Wild Rose Press.

Thanks, Alicia, for having me back on your blog. I chose a topic with a question I think every writer has been asked.

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

Normally when asked where I get the ideas for my books, I freeze. I can’t really say this is the spark that started me on this or that book. Ideas are everywhere—newspaper or magazine articles, a tidbit overheard in a restaurant or doctor’s waiting room, television shows or entertainment news. Sometimes the idea will come to me as I’m trying to go to sleep or in the twilight just before waking.

With One Red Shoe, I know exactly what started this story. A writing exercise at my local RWA chapter meeting. We usually have a program with a speaker. This time it was writing on demand. One of our members set up this scenario: a train station, a person running toward you. Then we were given 10-15 minutes to write the scene. The first thing that popped in my head was a New York City subway station and a tourist. “The man limping toward her wore one red shoe.” Over many revisions of the story, that was the first line.

The story started to take off. Then I thought subways are busy places. Wouldn’t others see him? But what if they meet in the ladies’ restroom? That worked even better…or so I thought. I’m from the Motor City where we love our cars and public transportation is minimal. I’d used the Metro in Toronto and Washington, DC, but I’d never been in a NYC subway station. During a writers’ conference, I convinced some friends to take the subway with me. After much laughing confusion over one girl’s efforts to get through the turnstyle, we all got on the train. What did I discover on that memorable trip? New York subway stations do not have restrooms. Scratch that idea.

Like all writers, I’m always learning—whether it’s a conference workshop, a program at the Mid-Michigan RWA meeting, or a blog. The longer I wrote the more I learned, including that you have to begin your story in the right place. Not too early with a lot of backstory. But not so far into the action that the reader doesn’t know the characters well enough to care about them. So One Red Shoe begins before the hero and heroine meet. Just not in a subway station.

Thank you, Diane…it was so cool to hear how this story came to be. Those writing exercises can be very beneficial. And I love that you kept coming up with different scenarios and having to discard them because of logistics and other factors. 🙂

Now, for a little peek at Diane’s latest release: (Isn’t her cover AMAZING???)

Blurb for One Red Shoe:

Wannabe writer rescues wounded spy while risking her heart.

Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.

From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.

Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?

Excerpt:

For the second time in her life, Daria Mason came face-to-face with a man pointing a weapon at her. A pervert, with unzipped jeans, wielded a green box knife. Because she’d raced into the restroom without checking out the situation, he now stood between her and the exit.

She was at the end of the proverbial rope. After walking in circles, she finally found a restroom and nobody was stopping her from using it. Especially not someone playing copycat with that guy in the movie who wore one red shoe.

“I am having a really bad day,” she declared in the don’t cross me voice she used on her brothers. As soon as her words echoed off the hideous pink and black tiled walls and floor, she lowered her voice. “You are in the wrong place, mister. Now zip up and get out.” She pointed straight-armed toward the door.

The man shook his head and set the flimsy knife on the counter. “Lady, you have more guts than sense. You are in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” His voice was even softer than hers. He eyed her with a look so dark and intense it paralyzed her like a hawk freezing its prey. She swallowed past the fear in her throat, certain it sounded like a gulp.

One Red Shoe is available at Amazon for Kindle : Click Here to Purchase

Thanks again, Alicia, for helping me celebrate the release of my brand new book.

About Diane…

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing science fiction romance. Besides the Switched series, she is the author of The Pilot, a series about strong women on the frontier of space. One Red Shoe is her first romantic suspense. She is also a contributor to the anthology How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband live in Michigan. They have two children and two grandchildren.

For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s website: http://www.dianeburton.com

Connect with Diane Burton online

Blog:  http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/dmburton72

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/dianeburtonauthor

Goodreads: Diane Burton Author

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dmburton72/

I would like to introduce someone very special. Not only is she a hugely successful award-winning author, she is one of the loveliest, most giving people I’ve ever met. In spite of her level of success and her hectic schedule, she somehow finds time to reach out to others. I found that out in a very personal way in 2007 when she read one of my manuscripts and offered to help me publish. And, help me, she did. She referred me to her agent and the book sold a year later. I will forever be grateful for her selfless act that allowed me to realize the dream I’ve had since I was a little girl.

I am very pleased and honored to introduce the amazing Miss Sharon Sala….

Hello Sharon,

Thank you so much for agreeing to allow me to interview you.

You have been a mentor and influence for many new writers. Is there anyone who influenced you or has been an inspiration?

I never had a mentor or anyone who critiqued my work when I was unpublished, but every good writer is an inspiration to me. When I read a really good book, it just makes me want to get to my keyboard and write one, too  – or at least strive to.

You have written some Young Adult books, and done very well with them. What made you decide to venture into that genre? What’s different about that genre from the others you’ve written?

The reason I even began writing YA books was because of my grandchildren. I have eight, six girls and two boys. The girls kept asking me to write books they could read, so finally I did. Of course by the time I got around to them and got them sold, half of the girls were old enough to read my other stuff. But they all like them, even their mothers.  The big difference about that genre is using terms that kids that age would recognize and no sex scenes.  At least not in mine, although there is definitely a sweet, ongoing romance in the four book series.  MY LUNATIC LIFE, LUNATIC DETECTIVE, LUNATIC REVENGE and the last book which is due out by the end of this month, LUNATIC TIMES TWO.

Readers enjoy the way you share your life on Facebook. With writing being such a solitary activity, do you feel social media helps you feel more connected to your readers? Is it sometimes more of a problem than a benefit?

It’s odd, but I began social media because my publisher requested it.  They felt it was a good way to promote the books, but it turned out to be my outlet. I care for my 93 year old mother full time in my home, and she has dementia. Every day with her is harder than the last now because her mental acuity is failing faster. Facebook friends have heard all about my daily exploits with my Little Mama, as I call her, and they are my backup and my cheering section, and the people I can cry with when the days are too hard. It is a blessing more than a benefit.

Some writers who have been writing as long as you have no longer feel joy at their craft. Have you found that to be true?

I think there was a time when I was beginning to feel that way, and then I branched out into other genres and did some self-publishing, which allowed me more creative freedom, and that solved the problem for me.

Do you have a favorite book or series you’ve written?

I have several favorite series.  One is my female bounty hunter trilogy. NINE LIVES, CUT THROAT, and BAD PENNY.   Another series I really like is my Rebel Ridge trilogy.  NEXT OF KIN, DON’T CRY FOR ME, and TIL DEATH.  Favorite stand alone books are THE HEALER, OUT OF THE DARK, THE WARRIOR, and WINDWALKER, written under my Dinah McCall name.

If you weren’t a writer, what career would you have chosen?

I wouldn’t have ever chosen a career. I would have WISHED to be a stay-at-home Mother and homemaker. I don’t enjoy working in the public. Someone is always mad or hateful.  Sorry, but that’s my truth to the jobs I’ve had, which are many. 

I have had the pleasure of taking some of your workshops and the things you teach have been invaluable to me. You’re also very entertaining and seem comfortable in front of a roomful of people. Do you find it comes naturally to you? What do you enjoy, if anything, about teaching?

It’s easy to talk to people who share the same visions you have…like writing and wanting to be published. I don’t ever set out to be entertaining. I’m just being me. I can thank my Daddy for that aspect of my character. He was always telling stories when we were together at family gatherings.  Yes, it does come naturally now, although when I was a little girl, I was very very shy.   I can’t say I really enjoy ‘teaching’ anything. But I love to share what I know about writing and am happy to answer any questions I can.

Your children and grandchildren are a huge part of your life. Do you find it difficult (especially when your children were younger and at home) to balance family time, taking care of your mother, and your writing?

It wasn’t hard to write at home because I didn’t begin it until they were older. But trying to write and take care of an elderly parent is almost impossible some days. Sometimes the writing is the only positive thing I get accomplished in a day.

You lived in the country for years, but now live in the city. Do you miss country living? If so, what do you miss about it?

I miss living in the country every day of my life. I do not like anything about city living except the convenience of a grocery store being closer. I miss my privacy. I miss the quiet.  I miss the sound of coyotes at night, and seeing the wildlife. So many things…

I know you lost your fiancé, Bobby, to liver cancer a while back. He was obviously a very special person. What is the most important thing he taught you?

The most important thing he taught me was to believe in myself and pay attention. I know that sounds oversimplified, but for someone who had no self-esteem , it’s huge. As for paying attention, it means to everything…every nuance of life has a message… if you just pay attention.

What is the one piece of advice you would give to hopeful writers? (You can give more than one piece if you would like :))

I always tell hopeful writers to join a writing group. It will be the best thing they do for themselves because it will be the outlet to getting answers for everything else they need to know.

GOING ONCE sounds amazing, and I have pre-ordered my copy. I can’t wait to get it! You have an upcoming release that seems to be a bit of a departure, Curl Up and Dye. (Just the title makes me laugh) One of the many things people love about you is your sense of humor. According to the blurb, it seems this book showcases it. Is that something you’ve wanted to do?

Oh, THE CURL UP AND DYE is going to be categorized as Southern fiction I think, but it’s funny, and it has a sweet romance and it has a little drama.  Basically, it a story of a young woman who got lost between her glory days in high school and where she finds herself 10 years down the road…still living in the past and how she gets herself back on the right road.  I just love it.  It’s not the first humorous work I’ve done though. I wrote the Whippoorwill trilogy… set in the Kansas territory right before the Civil War.  WHIPPOORWILL, THE AMEN TRAIL, and THE HEN HOUSE.  I love those stories so much. They have humor and a little drama and a great sense of poignancy.  The Curl Up and Dye is in the same vein…just set in present times.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I always find speaking with you enjoyable and extremely interesting. I look forward to your upcoming releases, to keeping track of you on Facebook, and seeing you at an OKRWA meeting in the near future.

Readers, check out the latest Sharon Sala offering, available September 24, 2013:

To Pre-Order GOING ONCE from Amazon Click Here

Blurb:

As raging floodwaters engulf her Louisiana hometown Nola Landry is stranded on high ground, the unwitting witness to the brutal murder of three fellow survivors. Finally rescued in the aftermath of the storm, no one is willing to believe a story as horrific as hers—until three FBI agents arrive on the scene…one of whom Nola knows very well. 

Tate Benton has been tracking the so-called Stormchaser serial killer for months, never expecting the trail might lead him home, or to the woman he cannot forget. Home is now a ravaged town full of memories—of love, of disappointment, of past mistakes. The investigation brings Nola back into his life. Long-buried feelings resurface, and the former lovers try to pick up the pieces in the wake of the disaster. 

Amid the relief effort the killer lingers, determined to silence Nola forever. In the Stormchaser’s twisted mind the pain is far from over…and hers is just beginning.

About Sharon Sala…

Sharon Sala is a long-time member of RWA, as well as a member of OKRWA. She has 90 plus books in print, written as Sharon Sala and Dinah McCall. First published in 1991, she’s an eight-time RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, four-time Career Achievement winner from RT Magazine, National Reader’s Choice Award, and Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence winners five times each, winner of the Bookseller’s Best Award, and has received the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from Romance Writers of America. Her books are New York Times , USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers. Writing changed her life, her world, and her fate.

Visit her on Facebook, Twitter, or at her website   http://www.sharonsala.net

I am pleased to have Jannine Gallant on my blog today, sharing information about her latest, spectacular series.

Thanks for hosting me on your blog, Alicia! I’m excited to share my latest project, a trilogy I wrote with the intention of self-publishing. This has been a challenging and rewarding experience, from working with my critique partner turned editor, to designing the covers with an author friend who also happens to be a talented cover artist, to the trial and error process of learning to format. After all the work that went into it, not to mention the plotting and writing of the stories, I hope readers will love this series as much as I do!

The idea behind the Secrets of Ravenswood was to tell the stories of three women, friends since childhood, who witnessed a murder as young girls. Sam’s story, We’ll Never Tell, solves the 17 year old murder. Writing Darby’s story was a bit of a departure for me. It adds a ghostly element to an old mystery in She’ll Never Rest. The final book in the trilogy is Juliette’s story. He’ll Never Know has more of a straight contemporary plot with a sinister twist. I hope you’ll enjoy all three books.

Secrets of Ravenswood 

(Click on the book covers to be taken to the Amazon page)

For three lifelong friends, will past tragedies haunt their futures—or open the door to love…

Three young girls witness a murder—and make a pact never to tell what they saw. But when the woman’s body is uncovered seventeen years later, the killer’s faith in their promise is shaken. A few deadly reminders may be in order…

Samantha Beaumont knows it’s time to reveal the truth about what happened in the woods all those years ago—until the accidents begin. Fear that the killer will shut them up permanently leads Sam on a quest to protect her friends and expose the murderer’s identity. No one, certainly not the man she spent one memorable night with, will stop her.

Ethan Thorne has no reason to believe Sam is any more interested in a commitment now than when she ran from him five years before. Still, he can’t resist trying one more time… When he realizes her life is in danger, he’ll risk everything for a chance at love.

Darby Kincade is a genealogist—not a ghost hunter. But when she’s hired to research the Nash family tree, her job description blurs. Discovering the identity of the spirit who lingers in the ancestral home promises to be both challenging and fun—despite her client’s skeptical grandson.

Logan Nash doesn’t believe in ghosts, but Darby’s wit and tenacity intrigue him. Though his practical side objects, he’s drawn to both her and the old mystery. As their feelings for each other deepen, and they grow closer to uncovering the truth, someone is determined to keep long dead secrets buried.

Will Darby and Logan find love—or will the past come back to haunt them?

For the sake of his children, Shane Warren is determined to make a fresh start in Ravenswood, high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. But pulling himself out of the dark place his wife’s tragic death left him in isn’t easy—until he meets Juliette Shaw. Her beauty and sparkle give him a reason to believe in second chances.

Juliette is deeply attracted to the man she’s hired to remodel her home. Not only is he gorgeous, he’s genuinely nice. But Juliette has been hurt before, and taking another chance on love isn’t part of her game plan, not when the secret she holds close to her heart cost her one failed marriage.

While Shane and Juliette struggle with trust and vulnerability, a threat neither could have anticipated draws near, jeopardizing any chance at happiness.

A bit more about me…

Write what you know. I’ve taken this advice to heart, creating characters from small towns and plots that unfold in the great outdoors. I grew up in a tiny Northern California town and currently live in beautiful Lake Tahoe with my husband and two daughters. When I’m not busy writing or being a full time mom, I hike or snowshoe in the woods around our home.

Whether I’m writing contemporary, historical, or romantic suspense, I love bringing the beauty of nature to my stories. To find out more about me and my books, visit my website or blog. You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook.