Please help me welcome today’s guest, C. Becker…
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
Thank you for having me today on your blog! I grew up with my eight siblings on a small farm in western Pennsylvania, but now live in West Virginia with my husband, daughter, and thirteen-year-old Jack Russell. My three older children have graduated from school and are living on their own.
Tell us a little about your process in writing your book.
When I started writing the Euphoria trilogy, I had never written in the adult genre before. All my other books had been children’s stories. I chose romantic suspense because I like to read romances, and I wanted to see how difficult it would be to write an adult novel. I also thought it would be cool to incorporate medical topics in the book, as I worked in a clinical lab for several years and had a medical background. I honestly hadn’t realized the amount of research writing a book would take, but learning is so satisfying and I wanted to make the story as realistic as possible. The most difficult aspect about drafting the third book Embracing Euphoria was finding the fine line between giving out too much information from previous books in the trilogy and not enough. I had to go back twice to rewrite entire sections. Besides the rewrites, getting the story back into the editor’s queue in their busy schedule takes time. Whoever said patience is a virtue knew what they were talking about! I’m lucky my editor is very patient, too.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?
I keep busy with different jobs. Currently I’m a musician working with two churches as the music director and organist. I also worked as a substitute teacher for over ten years. Before having my family, I worked as a medical technologist in a hospital laboratory. I joke with my sister that I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. LOL!
Do you collect anything?
Rocks and Pokémon cards.
What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?
Cooking, cleaning, and household obligations. Often people assume when you write you can still spend your time doing everything in addition to your writing. If I worked in an office out of the home, I’d have eight hours of uninterrupted writing. Only in my dreams!
What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?
My favorite book of all time is “Remember When” by Judith McNaught. I love how she shows emotions like pain and desire in her writing. I also like how McNaught brings in recurring characters from books. My favorite childhood book was The Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton. I read almost the entire series in elementary school. I became a fan of mysteries after reading those books.
Would you rather have a bad review or no review?
No review.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
I’ve written a middle-grade novel, but haven’t had time to pursue a publisher for it yet. The book was recognized last year in a state writing contest. I’ve also written a holiday screen play that I hope to find a home for this year.
If you could spend time with a character from your book, whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? (PG-13 please 🙂
I’d hang out with the main character Hailey Langley and shadow her in her biochemistry lab analyzing Euphoria. If I were lucky enough, I’d follow her around in an undercover case and then hit the gym with her.
How did you come up with the title?
I used the word Euphoria throughout my trilogy, including this final book Embracing Euphoria. Euphoria has a double meaning . First, it’s the name of the drug used in the first book that gets unleashed into the public. The protagonist in the book Finding Euphoria also longs to find happiness from the guilt she’s had for giving her first-born son up for adoption. In the second book, Saving Euphoria, the protagonist holds on to any happiness she has left after she believes her husband succumbed to a fire. The roots from the Euphoria shrub are used to derive the mind-altering drug she is unknowingly taking, and her scientist friend is trying to save his dying Euphoria plant. In Embracing Euphoria, the protagonist needs to find a Euphoria shrub after she learns the plant’s flowers hold the key to regenerating her husband’s skin. She also convinces her husband to accept his condition and their relationship, even if he can’t be healed.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Love and relationships aren’t easy, but you need to continue living and embrace the positive that exists all around you.
Your favorite…
Movie August Rush
Music Contemporary Christian
Place you’ve visited Florence, Italy
Place you’d like to visit Australia
TV show from childhood Little House on the Prairie
TV show from adulthood Guiding Light soap opera
Food Chocolate cake
Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television?
Board games –Bananagrams and Big Boggle
Thank you for joining me today. I enjoyed getting to know you. Please tell us about your book.
Blurb:
Hailey Langley tries to wrap her mind around the news her husband survived a fire she thought had killed him. Before she can search for him, Hailey has a promise to keep that takes her to Colombia where she must face the drug lord behind her husband’s attack.
Mark Langley is suffering from his own plight and insecurities, including burns and PTSD. Beneath Mark’s scarred exterior is a man seeking acceptance from a wife he refuses to see. Uncertain if he will ever reunite with his family, Mark struggles through his therapies, hopeful an experimental drug from the Euphoria plant will heal his scars.
When another villain from Colombia seeks revenge, Hailey and Mark must learn to trust and love again as they battle their newest threat and find their way back to each other.
Excerpt:
Mark breathed in his wife’s delicate feminine scent, taking in every beguiling curve of her body. Dang! Hailey was sexier than when they first met. Even her soft snores heated his blood. He should’ve brought her here weeks ago. After sharing a bed again, he’d do whatever it took to recover and return home.
The shuttle bus would arrive in an hour. He’d wait another five minutes to calm his erection before he prepped for therapy.
He licked his lips. The sweetness of Hailey’s honeyed kisses the previous night still lingered. They hadn’t made love; the last time he’d slept with Hailey had been almost a year ago. He couldn’t push her. Depending on her response to his disfigurement, that element of their marriage might never happen again.
He raised his gloved hand to touch her cheek but then lowered it. Better take things slowly. For now, lying next to her was enough.
Bruce’s suspicions had been correct about Hailey encountering hardship in Colombia. Twice during the night, Hailey cried out Mendoza’s name.
Mark had comforted her, smoothing her hair, whispering, “I’m here, honey.”
He ground his teeth. He should kill that bastard for tormenting her. Thank God she was safe now. Back in the US, away from the Mendoza family.
Hailey’s eyelashes fluttered, and a smile spread across her face. “Good morning. What time is it?”
“Quarter after eight.” He leaned over and kissed her. God, her sweet lips tasted delicious. He nibbled on her lips again. Like a hummingbird feeding on nectar. “You can use the bathroom first. I’ll ask the therapist to change my pressure garments at the clinic. I leave at nine. I won’t have much time for breakfast.”
She snuggled closer into his arms. “Give me another minute with you. Before the outside world takes over.”
His pulse raced. Maybe their relationship hadn’t changed that much.
Buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Euphoria-C-Becker-ebook/dp/B0DSG8XQ3X
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/embracing-euphoria-c-becker/1146791353
BAM: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509259809
The Wild Rose Press: https://wildrosepress.com/product/embracing-euphoria/
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/pt/book/embracing-euphoria/id6740242033
Kobo: https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=9781509259809
IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/embracing-euphoria-c-becker/22206508
About the Author:
C. Becker is a romance suspense writer, musician, and lover of crafts. She has a bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology and worked in the clinical hospital setting until she began raising a family. As her children grew older, she never outgrew the attraction of using science in everyday life. She turned to teaching, music, and eventually to writing stories. She considers herself a “jack of all trades,” and readily admits she is a “master of none.” Yes, she even does home improvement projects! Becker has published three romance suspense novels in the Euphoria trilogy, several poems, and over a dozen children’s books (under Colleen Driscoll). Becker enjoys hanging out with her family and Jack Russell, playing the piano, reading, traveling, and gardening.
Contact Links:
Email: cbeckerauthor@gmail.com
Website address: http://cbeckerauthor.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/cbeckerauthor
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CBeckerauthor/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beckercee/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19026691.C_Becker
Author Alicia Dean 